Recently picked up from Taste! To Go: steak with chimichurri sauce and corn salsa.
By Wini Moranville
While many caterers specialize in serving dozens (or even hundreds) of diners at a time, these days, some have been scaling down to offer household-size meals. What a great way for diners to try something special for a small celebration or date night. Check these out:
Taste! To Go debuted its new curbside pickup service this month. Each week brings event-themed dinners, usually tied to a holiday or seasonal activities. Earlier in May, its menu offered Cinco de Mayo and Mother’s Day-themed items. This week and next, Taste! To Go is celebrating Memorial Day (yes, for two whole weeks), and it’s all about grilling: For entrees, choose from an amazing array of burger (and burger-esque) ideas, from meaty bacon and cheddar-stuffed burgers to salmon patties and portobello patties. You’re covered with sides, too – potato salad, baked beans, watermelon salad, quinoa with roasted vegetables, and more.
Later in June, Taste! To Go will move into a Father’s Day menu—because as owner Andrea Williams says, “Throwing parties is what we do.”
Indeed. And I can’t wait to see what the company has got going for the Fourth of July. Check out the menu here.
Catering by Cyd is offering a “Dine on the Deck” package that includes four courses plus two bottles of wine. Designed as a special date-night dinner, the meal kicks off with a cheese course featuring Iowa cheeses, then moves on with lettuce wraps (with greens from local growers), Cyd’s gourmet hand pies (including empanadas and enchiladas potosinas) and a house-made fried fruit pie for dessert. The Four Graces pinot noir and Lucien Albrecht Brut Rosé should go down quite well with the feast.
“I wanted to offer something date-worthy, but also super-casual for outdoor dining,” explains owner Cyd Koehn. “You can just sit on your deck in your flip-flops and nibble away into the night.”
Flip-flops? Not for me. I think any time Koehn’s food is on the table—and Lucien Albrecht Brut Rosé is in the glass—it’s worth dressing for the occasion. I might even put on some heels—it’s date night, after all.
Koehn plans to offer additional pickup and delivery options in the coming weeks. Keep up with what she’s doing on her online ordering site.
