Fine dining a la Internet
By Thayer Wine
Nashville Tennessean
Sometimes you just don't feel like cooking, yet it's somebody's birthday or a special occasion and you want a nice dinner at home.
With quick, even overnight delivery and space-age packaging technology, you can have a gourmet feast sent to a friend as a special gift or delivered — almost ready to serve — to your home or office.
It could be an entrée conceived by one of the most well-known chefs in the world. Or it could be a multicourse meal, including a candle and handsome napkins to enhance the table setting.
Two of the newer options available with a few clicks of your computer's mouse are FiveLeaf, a company that combines the expertise of world-class chefs with Cuisine Solutions, a supplier of upscale foods prepared in kitchens in Europe, South America and Alexandria, Va.; and Gourmet Station, an Atlanta-based company that offers four-course meals for two.
FiveLeaf's chefs include Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller, Mark Miller, Reine Sammut, Charlie Trotter and Antoine Westermann. Each has designed appetizers and entrées like those served in their restaurants. Individual servings cost $9.99 to $29.99, plus shipping.
Gourmet Station offers four different four-course meals for two. The cost, including shipping, is $70 to $105. All Gourmet Station feasts include bread, two soups, two entrées and accompaniments, dessert for two, special coffee, after-dinner candy, candle, matches, paper napkins, and disposable temperature probes to ensure complete cooking.
Placing an order
From FiveLeaf, we ordered two entrées, Keller's lobster with orzo and Miller's roasted chicken picadillo with quinoa and a medley of vegetables. Keller owns the French Laundry restaurant in California's Napa Valley, while Miller's signature restaurants are the Coyote Cafe in Santa Fe, N.M., and Red Sage in Washington, D.C.
From Gourmet Station, we ordered from the "fusion menu."
Some tasters found Keller's lobster dish bland and the portion small. It was a rich dish, though, and the flavors of the sauce exuded high-quality stocks. For $29.99 plus shipping, most wouldn't order it again.
Miller's chicken, with its robust Moroccan flavors accompanied by the interesting textures of the quinoa and roasted vegetables, turned out to be more to our taste. The chicken was moist and flavorful. It was a more substantial plate of food for $24.99.
Everyone loved the velvet corn curry soup and the spicy lentil soups that came with the Gourmet Station meal for two.
The first Gourmet Station entree, the seasoned Peking duck breast with Asian garden rice, came with an apricot sauce and was well received by those who like duck. The rice was bland.
Of the Hong Kong salmon with ginger yams and apples, one taster noted, "It wasn't the best salmon I've ever had but was all right." Another commented that the first bite "was fishy tasting." The Thai sweet red chili pepper sauce dressed it up and helped cover any unpleasant flavors. Of the sweet potatoes and apples, several of us thought they were too sweet.
And the verdict is ...
For a special occasion, or if we couldn't get out of the house, we would consider the Gourmet Station meal. The portions were generous, the meal was complete and there were no added shipping charges.
FiveLeaf's entrées were expensive and the portions were not generous. To make the meal complete, you still need to add at least a salad or soup and dessert.
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Where to click
Take time to explore both of these Web sites. FiveLeaf has biographies on all the participating chefs and appetizing photos of most dishes. It gives full directions, ingredient lists and even nutritional analysis of each dish. FiveLeaf even packages photos of the finished dish with the meal so you can see what you're aiming for.
Gourmet Station has a few photos on the Web site but little other content. The FAQ section has complete details on delivery, billing and other consumer questions. There also is a heating tips section and company information.
Tips
- Read each site's shipping information carefully. They don't ship every day, so it's best to plan ahead. Both sites charge more for Hawai'i deliveries.
- If you're not going to be home during the day, have the food sent to a business address.
- Though both offer many selections, consider ordering the same thing for everyone. It's easier to manage the preparation.
- Be sure to use your timer. The directions are very specific.
