Catering Proposals - quality time with numbers

I just got a few catering proposals today based on surveys and emails I sent out. And wow, I'm a little overwhelmed. There are so many aspects to consider when comparing each one that it doesn't feel like an apples-to-apples situation. One caterer took my description of the event and my personal taste to heart and really created a unique and surprising menu. I can tell by the way they approached the survey and the proposal that they are focused on excellent customer service, which earns them some major cool points. (Even more surprising, their prices don't seem to be very far from the, shall we say, more generic menu proposals. The generic proposals weren't bad, but in some ways pale in comparison.) For the most part, there are just so many variables - buffet vs. hors d'voures, bar packages, place settings, linens, etc so I keep having to add all the options up in my head to figure out what the price works out to. Well, really, I have to use a calculator since 4 years of art school instead of real college seems to have zapped my ability to perform basic arithmetic. sigh.