From the United States to the United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, Spain and France, many of the word’s gastronomy hotspots are battling with the raging coronavirus outbreak, which is wreaking havoc with people’s lives. Many are ill and the death toll is soaring, and in the background businesses are struggling to keep afloat with hundreds of employees losing their sources of income. One of the worst-hit industries is the hospitality and service industry, many affiliates of which are facing closure as countries continue to tighten their leashes on social gatherings in an aim to decrease infections.
The food industry has stepped up to help both their governments and their communities amidst this unprecedented crisis. From donating masks and food to hospitals and healthcare workers to curating special dishes for takeaway, chefs and restaurants are doing their part to ease the pandemic’s effects. Some of the industry’s big names, such as the Thomas Keller Group, have started fundraising campaigns to raise funds for their employees – pop over to your favorite restaurant’s site or social media pages to see how you can help. Buying gift vouchers is also a great way to support your favorite dining spot for the meantime.
Here are some of our favorite dining spots in the US and UK who have transformed their restaurants and menus to accommodate making food to-go in an effort to keep their business going and their employees paid:
The Mark Hotel | NYC
The New York City hotel has introduced The Mark To-Go Menu which features a bespoke selection of takeaway dishes curated by The Mark Restaurant’s Michelin-starred chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. A range of the restaurant’s most popular breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes are available to order from 11am to 10pm daily. Orders can be made by by calling The Mark’s To-Go-Menu line at 212.606.3161. See the menu here.
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon | NYC
Joël Robuchon’s Michelin-starred L’Atelier in Chelsea has put together a selection of delectable food items for delivery, including duck breasts, cheeseburgers, lobster penne pasta and even tins of caviar. Visit their Facebook page to see the menu and get more details.
Cosme | NYC
Revered Mexican hot spot by chefs Enrique Olvera and Daniela Soto-Innes is offering a few to-go items that can be purchased for delivery. The take-out options include Mexican favorites such as duck carnitas and lamb barbacoa, both served with a side of onion, cilantro, lime, and salsa picante. Tortillas, guacamole and their corn husk meringue dessert can also be ordered to enjoy at home.
Blue Hill at Stone Barns | Tarrytown, NY
Ultimate farm-to-table restaurant, Blue Hill, which dons 2 Michelin stars and is led by chef Dan Barber, has started selling resourceED boxes in collaboration with the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture. The boxes will be assembled daily and will included fresh ingredients to create a meal for two or four people. Keep an eye on their website and Facebook page to see what’s on offer.
Canlis | Seattle
This fine-dining Seattle institution run by third-generation owners and brothers has closed its dining room, opting to instead create a much-needed food delivery service, take-away bagel joint and drive-through restaurant. With burgers, veggie melts, and their famous Canlis salad on the take-out menu, along with family meal boxes available for delivery, the restaurant is trying its best to keep all of its 115 employees on the payroll during this trying time.
Spago | Beverly Hills
This almost 2-decade old flagship restaurant by gastronomic legend Wolfgang Puck has made a decreased menu available for take-away. Dishes such as soup of the day and short ribs with potato purée can be ordered along with a bottle of wine.
Dialogue | Santa Monica
Dave Beran’s Michelin-starred tasting-menu-based restaurant has whipped up a new menu for takeaways consisting of a 3-course meal for one. Current options include pork belly with braised tomatoes, roasted broccoli and gnocchi or a vegetarian option with Midnight Moon goats cheese, spigarello salad, kale and hazelnuts, both served with a slice of burnt Basque cheesecake for dessert. Wine, sake and beer by the bottle can also be purchased alongside the meal. Click here to order.
n/naka | Los Angeles
Modern kaiseki restaurant n/naka, which boasts 2 Michelin stars, is now making bento boxes available for pickup. Varying slightly according to available produce, these bento boxes promise an array of Japanese comfort foods, including delicious servings of items such as sashimi salad, shoyu koji roasted sweet potato, panko-fried shrimp with sesame aïoli and grilled miso black cod with sunchoke purée. Here is where you can place orders for the to-go menu.
Sushi Ginza Onodera | Los Angeles
This 2-Michelin-starred omakase restaurant has started making a limited menu available for pickup. Seasonal seafood favorites such as futomaki and chirashi sushi, as well as an appetizer combination with spear squid, monkfish liver and abalone are currently on offer. Call (323) 433-4817 to order, available Tuesday to Sunday.
Vespertine | Los Angeles
The award-winning, 2-Michelin-starred Los Angeles restaurant which defines itself as a “a gastronomical experience seeking to disrupt the course of the modern restaurant” has opted to serve family-style dinners for pickup or delivery instead of its usual menu. The dinners include the likes of wagyu beef brisket, crispy-skin chick en thighs, organic lettuce salads, roasted black carrots, delicata squash gratin and Anson Mills farro risotto. For dessert, chocolate chip cookies and brownies are also available.
Pineapple and Pearls | Washington D.C.
This refined 2-Michelin-starred gastronomic spot serves playful dishes in its carefully thought-out tasting menu. Although the restaurant itself isn’t yet offering to-go options, its owners’ catering company, Rose’s at Home, is offering two- and three-night meal packages for delivery. The meals include lychee salad with pork sausage, baked rigatoni alla vodka with garlic bread and pickle-brined fried chicken. An eight-course Pineapple and Pearls menu is also available for delivery through Rose’s at Home.
The Morris | San Francisco
Michelin-starred San Francisco restaurant The Morris is offering a more simplified version of its entire menu, which includes house-cured charcuterie and fan-favorite smoked duck, along with wines from their bar. All food and drink is either for delivery or can be picked-up curbside. See the take-out menu here.
Atelier Crenn | San Francisco
Dominique Crenn’s 3-Michelin-starred restaurant in San Francisco has started making “Crenn Kits” available for pick-up. These meal kits include a mini brioche, vegetable soup, vegetarian lasagna, and a dessert course. Various wine baskets are also available for purchase. Orders can be picked-up between 3 and 5 pm Monday through Friday. For more information on pick-up orders, click here.
Manresa | San Francisco
David Kinch’s farm-to-table restaurant is now serving family feasts to-go. Available for pickup at the restaurant Wednesday through Sunday from 4:30-7:30 pm, these meals are cooked with love by the Manresa team. A scaled-down version of the tasting menu is also now available for pick-up. Order these nutritious and comforting meals here.
Alinea | Chicago
The highly acclaimed 3-Michelin-starred restaurant from chef Grant Achatz has stopped serving its theatrical gastronomic tasting menus as a result of the restaurant closing. However, the team is hard at work prepping “Comfort Food from Alinea”. This to-go meal features a deliciously golden-brown and crispy beef short rib Wellington served alongside a helping of 50-50 mashed potatoes (half potatoes, half butter) and crème brûlée for dessert. Click here to order.
Acadia | Chicago
Bistro Union | Clapham
Adam Byatt’s London restaurant Bistro Union – the sister to Michelin-starred Trinity – has transformed into a community store. The store offers free local delivery of everyday groceries and necessities to those in isolation as well as provides a discount to the elderly. Freshly made pasta and sauces along with other to-go meals are also available.
Alchemilla | Nottingham
Michelin-starred, plant-based fine-dining spot Alchemilla is doing its bit by providing meals to those on the front line of the pandemic as well as to locals impacted by the restrictive outbreak measures. Locals can also order in dishes such as curry, tagine and lasagne alongside desserts such as sticky toffee pudding.
Hakkasan | Mayfair
Michelin-starred dim sum spot Hakkasan is also offering their menu for takeaways. Celebrating Asian flavors and traditions with a global twist, dishes include the likes of grilled wagyu rib-eye, stir-fried baby broccoli with olives and Cilean sea bass with honey, alongside their famous dim sum. Order for delivery or collection.