This time of the year, my family relies heavily on the quick-dinner holy trinity of Costco chicken, Taco King and Uncle Joe's Pizza. (God bless them, every one.) Ballet rehearsals, viola recitals, school potlucks and holiday parties all add up to a stove that's gathering dust. And yet, the holiday season makes me object to meals eaten hurriedly out of Styrofoam containers. Maybe it's the cold, maybe it's the dark, or maybe it's the Christmas carols piped into every store in Anchorage that makes me yearn for a homemade meal and a proper family dinner.
Which brings me to Ready Made Dinners Cafe. Tucked away in a strip mall on Tudor Road, this little establishment was completely off my radar until, while visiting another restaurant, those three magic words caught my eye: Ready Made Dinners. It's like poetry.
I checked out their website, which is a tiny bit confusing. In addition to offering casual, dine-in service (including breakfast, lunch and a coffee bar), the cafe offers a membership program that includes delivery, an online ordering service and a Grab and Go freezer for last-minute meals. In addition, it offers an "Instead of Flowers" gift card (a nice idea for a sick friend, a new parent or an overly busy family), which allows family and friends to contribute to the value of the account online.
I decided to drop in and see how things work. First of all, there's not too much to be said for it as a dine-in establishment. The room is clean and bright but too spare to be inviting as a place to eat anything other than a quick sandwich. I was checking out their freezer with pre-made dinners and a helpful employee quickly came to help me. Online, there are up to 15 entrees available, but the offerings on-site are more limited. While she was discussing the frozen options, the chef came out and after asking me a few questions offered to prepare my meals fresh and to order.
I selected a Parmesan crusted chicken ($18 for a two-person portion/$34 for four) in a creamy sage sauce as well as an Asian-marinated flank steak ($22.50/$45) for later in the week. They were packed up and ready to go in just minutes.
I brought the chicken home and prepared it according to the instructions. Because it looked a bit pale, I gave it an additional minute under the broiler to brown the cheese topping. The sage sauce needed to be heated separately on the stovetop and I was a bit worried about it -- it seemed watery and I was looking for more seasoning. However, I resisted the urge to doctor it up and was glad that I put my trust in the chef. When drizzled onto the crispy, bready topping, the sauce thickens up to a beautiful consistency. And the saltiness of the Parmesan added the seasoning that it was missing. The chicken itself was perfect -- juicy and tender with a nice crust. Everyone in the family was pleased.
Later in the week I broke out the flank steak. The instructions included putting a sear on the meat before finishing it in the oven, but I am extremely resentful of extra dirty dishes and decided to finish cooking it in the skillet. The results were wonderful. Slightly sweet, fragrant with ginger and sesame, and with a bright tangy soy base to liven things up, it was lovely to get the benefits of a long marinade without the planning. The only thing amiss with the meal was the rice that came with it. While the instructions tell you to microwave the rice for one minute, the actual rice itself was uncooked in its container. Making rice is easy, so this is not so much a cooking problem as a potential timing problem, and I'm glad I glanced at everything before I began preparing the meal.
The next week, I returned for a lasagna-sized container of coconut chicken curry. The description says that it feeds four, but this generous amount could easily serve six or eight. Fat chunks of chicken and plenty of vegetables -- squash, broccoli, yellow and green beans -- swim in a gently spiced, creamy coconut sauce. This is a hearty, soul-warming, crowd-pleasing dish.
I've always been intrigued by the story of the first instant cake mix. Apparently, the first formula was only cake mix and water, but the housewives of the 1930s thought this was too simple. When the formula was changed to require the addition of fresh eggs, the baker felt more involved in the process. Ready Made Dinners Cafe taps into that sentiment. Most entrees aren't a complete meal (though the cafe does offer some sides) and require you to make a salad (or open a bag) or steam some rice (or open a bag) or crisp up some garlic bread (or open a bag). You get the pleasure of assembling the meal without the prep work and forethought that a well-balanced meal usually requires.
A final note: The cafe advertises organic and non-GMO ingredients, a healthy nutritional profile (details are provided on each meal), as well as gluten-free and vegetarian options. Indeed, the meals we tried felt reasonably light and well balanced, a far cry from the rich, often oily, high-calorie offerings from many takeout and fast-food restaurants. They felt like the kinds of meals you would cook yourself -- if only you had time.
The holiday season is a time when everyone tries to channel their inner Martha Stewart. But if, like me, you're more likely to channel your inner Liz Lemon, then take heart. Ready Made Dinners Cafe has your back.
Ready Made Dinners Café
Location: 2476 E. Tudor Road
Contact: 907-677-7763
Website: readymadedinners.com
Monday – Wednesday: 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Thursday: 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Friday: 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
$$
***