You Want to Cater an Office Party with Good Pizza? Who Are You?

 

Review: Jay Luigi (Catering)

I’ve been to the restaurants. I’ve eaten the fermented dough. I’ve accepted that Florida Italian food is actually... surprisingly edible.

But then I saw the Catering Menu.

In New York, office catering is a sad affair. It’s usually a tray of soggy ziti or a 6-foot hero sandwich that consists of 90% bread and 10% mystery meat. It’s food you eat because it’s free, not because you want to.

Jay Luigi is trying to change that. I looked over their catering options (specifically for the St. Pete location, but I assume Tampa is similar), and honestly? I’m mad I didn't think of this first.

The Sandwich Situation: $10 for Artisan Sourdough?

Let’s do the math again, because I love exposing value.

Sandwich Platters serve 5 people for $50.

That is $10 a person.

For that Hamilton, you get Naturally Fermented Sourdough Bread.

Not a sub roll. Not white bread. Sourdough.

  • The Italiano: Soppressata, mortadella, prosciutto. That’s real deli meat, not the slime-coated stuff.

  • The Parmagiano: Chicken parm on sourdough with vodka sauce. If you bring this to a client meeting, you are closing that deal. Guaranteed.

The Pizza: Roman Style is the Only Way to Cater

Here is a secret: Round pizza caters terribly. It gets cold, the slices are floppy, it’s a mess.

Jay Luigi serves Pizza Romana for catering.1

These are the square, focaccia-like slices. They travel better. They hold heat better.

  • The Sweet Jamie Kay ($16): Sopressata and Calabrian honey. It’s spicy, it’s sweet, it wakes you up during a boring presentation.

  • The Nevaeh ($19): I still hate the name (Heaven backward, we get it), but they use Ezzo All Natural Pepperoni. That’s the good stuff. The curling, crispy, grease-cup pepperoni. Respect.

The "Plant Tax" is Real

I have to call this out.

Jimmy’s Meatballs (Pork & Beef): $30.

Luigi’s Plant-Based Meatballs (Impossible Beef): $40.

Excuse me? Since when did fake meat cost $10 more than the real thing?

I guess saving the planet comes with a service fee. If you’re a vegetarian, just get the Arancini ($30)—fried risotto balls. They’re delicious, and they won’t bankrupt your department budget.

The Lunch Box: The Anti-Sad Desk Lunch

The Catering Lunch Boxes are $13.

You get a Salad & Half Pizza or Salad & Half Pasta.

In Midtown, a salad alone is $16. Here, you get a full meal for $13. It’s unfair. I’m legitimately jealous of the people working in St. Pete office parks right now.

The "Nonna" Disrespect

They have a dessert called "Not Your Nonna's Tiramisu" ($90 for a full pan).

Listen, as a self-appointed Italian food protector, I should be offended. Nobody cooks better than Nonna.

But for $90 a pan, that thing better be laced with gold dust or espresso from the Vatican. (It’s probably just really good, but I’m watching you, Jay Luigi).

The Verdict

If you are in charge of ordering food for a party and you order Domino’s instead of this, you should be fired.

Jay Luigi catering is high-quality, the bread is legit, and the prices are shockingly reasonable for what you get. Just skip the $40 fake meatballs and buy an extra pizza instead.

Rating: 9/10 (Points deducted for the "Plant Tax," points added for the Ezzo pepperoni).

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