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As events and large gatherings are put on hold, local caterers have begun offering customers ready-to-serve, family-style dinners delivered right to their door for day-to-day dining.
“This decision was a natural one,” explains Occasions Catering’s Denise Vu of expanding to such services. “It allows us to do what we do best, which is to nourish people and the communities in which we serve. Our operations and expertise are built for this… We are really pleased to see that clients are not only ordering meals to their homes, but many are sponsoring meals for organizations, their families, coworkers or teams.”
In these days of social distancing, “no-contact” delivery is a burgeoning concept, and as more people hunker down at home, family-style meals (both pickup and delivery), are growing in popularity.
Here’s a guide to what our local caterers are offering.
Heirloom DC
Delivery: Order by Saturday for no-contact delivery within 30 miles of Heirloom (in Falls Church) on Tuesday between 2 and 3 p.m. Contact hello@heirloomdc.com.
Offerings: “Meal delivery in bulk,” says owner Vicky Theodorou. Customers can build their own package by pairing one each from a list of proteins, vegetables, and starches, plus a selection of build-your-own bar meals (think tacos, for example) and each delivery serves two people up to five meals (so 10 servings in all.) Especially popular right now: short ribs, crispy Brussels sprouts, hanger steak, buttermilk chicken, and taco bars. Packages begin at $150. Beer and wine are also available. Follow them on Facebook for updated menu offferings.
More: If you gift a meal delivery to a healthcare professional, friend, or someone in need, you get a dessert or wine on the house. Also, 12 percent of sales goes towards gifting meals or groceries to affected hourly workers in the event industry. “These people are really struggling and are the foundation of our business,” says Theodorou.
Occasions
Delivery: Within the Beltway for a flat fee of $25; priced per mile outside of the Beltway. Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 11 AM to 4 PM. Orders must be placed by noon on the business day before. Gloved drivers drop off meals on your doorstep, and a notification is sent via text or phone call.
Offerings: Three preset menu meal kit options in two sizes (menus vary week to week). A whole order includes 8 servings; a half-order includes 4. “These meal kits are intended to last for several meals, stock the fridge for several days, or the freezer for months. They include a main course, vegetable side dish, a starch, an activity course, like guacamole or pasta, that’s meant to be assembled at home, a salad, two desserts and a side. We also have a standby “add-ons” menu that clients can add to their meal kits—grazing items, appetizers, desserts, family pizza-making, etc.” Wine can be added as well; beer and spirits will be offered soon. Pricing for whole-order meal kits starts at $275.
More: Occasions is also doing live Q&As with their executive chef Adam Howard on Instagram along with other cooking demonstrations regarding cooking at home, during this crisis.
Windows
Delivery: No-contact delivery throughout the metropolitan DC area. Orders must be placed by noon the day before.
Offerings: Breakfast ($2-6.50 per person), lunch and dinner ($35-85 for 6-8 people), dessert, and bite-sized items for two ($18-30) offer a la carte. The menu changes weekly based on item popularity and client requests. Minimum order of $200.
More: Windows Catering has offered in-home delivery services since 1995.
La Prima Catering/Catering by Seasons
Delivery: Three DC Metro locations operate out of Fairfax, College Park, and Columbia Maryland, with no-contact delivery range 30 miles from each. Last-minute requests may be accommodated. Curbside pick-up is also available at their College Park location.
Offerings: The menu changes weekly. Meal packages ($100-150) include heat-and-serve family-style entrees paired with a salad and dessert and include 8-12 servings.
More: In addition to family-style meals, La Prima is offering a Passover Seder menu and an Easter menu, along with a menu of frozen entrees ($30-80) with up to 20 servings, ready to stock your freezer.
Ridgewells
Delivery: Free delivery, including no-contact and/or gloved delivery, anywhere in the DC metro area, including Montgomery, Howard and Anne Arundel counties in Maryland, plus Arlington and Fairfax counties. Customers can also pick up at their headquarters in Bethesda, MD. Delivery orders must be placed 24 hours in advance; pickup orders can be placed same day.
Offerings: Serving sizes vary from 4-6 people to 8-10, and a mostly unchanging menu of meals are ordered a la carte, from a menu of entrees (most of which include a side or two) ($20-72), such as braised short ribs, an especially popular sea bass, and fettuccini alfredo, or pizza, plus side soups, rolls, and salads ($6-37), and desserts ($10). Wine and beer are also available.
Amy leads Washingtonian Weddings and writes Style Setters for Washingtonian. Prior to joining Washingtonian in March 2016, she was the editor of Capitol File magazine in DC and before that, editor of What’s Up? Weddings in Annapolis.
