Welcome to our first vendor spotlight! Each month, we’ll tantalize your taste buds by highlighting new, unique and downright delicious eats that our vendors are serving up. WARNING: The below may cause excessive salivation and uncontrollable cravings. Let the drooling begin!
The Butcher’s Daughter (San Francisco, CA)
Meat-lovers rejoice! This business has been family-run since 1939. In charge now is Julie Schaller, the original butcher’s granddaughter, and she’s not messing around when it comes to meats. From their mildly-spiced German brockwurst to their cheddar brats, which ooze cheese, everything they serve is a meaty delight.
But that’s just the sausages! The Butcher’s Daughter has an almost-overwhelming assortment of toppings, from mustard and sauerkraut to an array of cheeses, bacon, and even paté! And since it’s a do-it-yourself toppings bar, you don’t need to feel ashamed asking for bacon AND paté AND cheese, for example.
Hand Helds Quality Sliders (Austin, TX)
Winner of the 2014 Truck by Truckwest competition, Hand Helds serves up Austin’s favorite slider, the Early Burg. This juicy burger is dusted with fresh ground coffee, topped with an over easy egg, and covered in a thick layer of bacon jelly. Yes, bacon jelly.
But the Early Burg isn’t the only stroke of culinary genius on the Hand Helds menu. Sink your teeth into the Backyard, complete with slow-smoked brisket, fried mac-n-cheese, chef’s potato salad, pickles, and original BBQ sauce. Or the Bay of Pigs, a delight of textures and flavors. That slider includes pecan smoked pork, fried ham, pineapple coleslaw, and a honey mustard sauce. They also offer their masterpieces between sweet potato medallions or lettuce cups, if you’re trying to cut back on calories.
Jack’s Chedbred and Good Stock Soups (New York, NY)
Jack’s Chedbred and Good Stock Soups are a match made in heaven. Luckily for us, “heaven is a place on earth.” Jack’s Chedbred corn bread is moist, decadent, and corny in the best way possible – unlike my Belinda Carlisle reference. Combine that with the rich, soulful flavors of Louisiana that are in Good Stock Soups, and you have yourself the perfect meal for a cold NYC day.
Bridgeport Pasty & Co. (Chicago, IL)
Dubbed the original “convenience food,” the pasty was born out of a need for portable eats for coal miners in the 1800s. The crust acted as a vessel for meats and vegetables, providing workers with a wholesome lunch they could easily consume on-the-go.
Fast forward 200 years and a whole new kind of pasty has been born, right here in the good ‘ol USA (Chicago to be exact). As a nod to the original, each pasty is concealed in a buttery, flakey crust. But when it comes to the filling, Bridgeport Pasty & Co. has revolutionized this edible pouch by kicking the flavor profiles into the 21st century.
For meat-lovers and vegetarians alike, we recommend the Veggie, filled with chopped spinach, mushrooms, and a little onion, held together with Gruyere cheese and just enough Béchamel to give it the perfect, creamy texture. For those looking to take a more traditional approach, try the Yopper, filled with tender chunks of marinated sirloin, potato, rutabaga, and onion.
Pho House (Boston, MA)
Photo credit: The Boston Globe
Want to go on a culinary adventure across Southeast Asia without leaving Beantown? Then you’ve got to try Pho House, an acclaimed new restaurant serving up a fusion of Thai and Vietnamese cuisine. Try their green curry, one of the six curries offered on their menu. Enjoy it with tender shrimp, which is stir-fried with green and red peppers, green beans, and bamboo shoots in a mildly spicy sauce.
Or say “Goood morning!” to Vietnam with a bowl of steaming-hot pho, complete with sliced rare beef, slippery rice noodles, raw bean sprouts, green onion, and basil.
Bear and the Bee (Seattle, WA)
Located right in the heart of Belltown, this gourmet sandwich shop makes fresh and flavorful sandwiches, salads, and snacks – using only high-quality and locally-sourced ingredients. No pre-packaged meats here! One of our favorites is the Messica. It’s a glorious combination of smoked turkey, sweet peppers, tomato caper pesto, greens, and cheese, inside a perfectly crispy yet soft roll.
Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken (Washington, DC)
You’d think that the name pretty much says it all: doughnuts and fried chicken under one roof? Yes, please! But that’s only the surface. They’re cooking up some of the most unique and flavorful food in town.
A wise man once told me to always eat dessert first, so let’s start with the doughnuts. Not only do they have an unusual assortment of everyday selections like crème brulée, PB&J, and maple bacon, but they also source fresh, local ingredients for seasonal specials. Stop by this month to snag a moist coconut cake or passionfruit berry before it’s too late!
But leave room for the chicken! Their fried chicken is a magnificent beast on its own: succulent and juicy, encased in a perfectly crispy coating. Have it in their old bay fried chicken sandwich, and you have yourself a foodgasm between two buns.
The best part? You can get all of these tasty treats delivered right to your office!
