Let's Dish v. entree vous

1. Has anyone tried (or heard anything about) entree vous (there is one off Ashburn Road: www.entreevous.com)?

2. What did you like/dislike?

3. How does it compare to Let's Dish -- the good, the bad and the ugly?

4. Any other companies similar you would recommend?

Thanks!

 

These are quick observations... I can add more later after I get home but key differences that I have observed.

EV has more fresh items used in its dishes, vs Lets Dish. By that I mean fresh greens, herbs and seasonings. Lets Dish uses dried herbs and seasonings (not a big deal for most dishes but it makes a difference in some)

Price is (on average) almost the same. Lets Dish gives you the best price for being a return customer, otherwise it is around $240 for 12 meals, versus around $225 for entree vous. Lets Dish is a flat fee while Entree Vous prices their meals individually.

Quantity seems to be similar, with Lets Dish maybe having a little more. Complaints about Lets Dish that come to mind... they have started to pre-measure many of the meats and seafood, making sure that you do not get extra (if you make it yourself).

Overall ingredient quality I would give the edge to Entree Vous. I think Lets Dish uses average quality ingredients, with some of them leaning toward low/basic.

One other complaint... if you look at their "meals" they are not really a complete meal. Many of the dinners are just and entree and you still have to make a side dish. That is not true with all the meals, but may be an issue if you want to avoid having to make one.

Lets Dish has raised their prices three times in the past year, and in my opinion have come really close to becoming unreasonable. For what they offer, $230 is a lot for 12 meals and I am seriously considering scaling back my use of these places.

Now, I love the concept and I think, still with a little advanced planning on which meals to get for the money, it is worth it... but I am on the edge.

 

I'm curious - how does this work? Do you assemble the meals there and cook them at home? Or cook them there and reheat at home? When you say "12 meals" how many people are served with one meal?

 

There is a choice. Dish and Dash is where you pick the meals, they prepare them and you come pick them up at the scheduled time. This is more expensive by about $50 (for 12 meals). Or you can go and assemble the meals yourself. Each meal that you pick ahead of time, is organized at each prep station. Food is pre-cut and organized in buckets along with all necessary ingredients to assemble that meal.

You assemble the meals and put them in freezer bags, with labels that have cooking instructions. Each meal is designed to feed 4-6 adults with at least an entree and sometimes a side-dish. And I have found that their portions are pretty good for the typical adult for dinner.

Lets Dish offers several meal quantity choices, so you could buy 4, 8, or 12 meals. Entree Vous offers similar choices but gives you a 15% discount if you pick 12. Lets Dish only offers discounts to repeat customers.

Personally, I only like the "assemble myself" approach. I enjoy putting them together and I like the flexibility to add or subtract seasonings or ingredients that I like. And most of the meals are designed to cook in about 30 minutes. They also usually offer at least one meal each month that is done in a slow cooker. I like that, as they typically are prepared with wraps/tortillas and involve some kind of pulled-pork.

Quick examples of some of my favorites.... Shrimp scampi over linguine, individual meatloaf stuffed with mozzarella, make-your-own calzones, firecracker chicken with Parmesan green beans, spinach and black bean enchiladas.

 

Doesn't anyone (other than myself) like to cook from scratch anymore????

 

I love to cook, and I still do all the time. Something like Lets Dish supplements your monthly meal cooking. Time is the biggest factor for me. And the real difference here is that with Lets Dish, I am still cooking. The part that is done is the organization of the ingredients. I pick the items on the menu I want for the month, I put together the ingredients, and then I take an item out of th freezer, either cook it directly, or have it thaw for the dinner later in the week. For me, I use this mostly during the week because my wife and I both work. On the weekend, I cook and grill. I make a lot on the grill, from pizza, to kabob, fish, beans, steak and roasted vegetables.... I will have to invite you next time for smoked sausage kabob with cilantro rice. And my wife tells me I make the best home-made chicken parm...

 

oops

 

I want to say first that I’m glad Dave is writing about meal assembly in general because it’s such an important service for busy people. My name is Elizabeth Marcotte and I am the Regional Partner and Operator of the Let’s Dish! stores in our area. At Let’s Dish!, we believe that more awareness and education on meal assembly is good for our new industry. As it is still in its infant stage, there are lots of busy people out there who could benefit from our offers who haven’t yet heard of us – and the more that bloggers like Dave write, the more this helps them know that there are other ways to get a healthy dinner on the table. Each person should investigate their meal assembly choices to find the best fit for their lifestyle and family, so in that context, here’s a little bit more information about us.

First let me begin by stating that your health and safety are among our highest priorities. That’s why we have custom-made sneeze guards and why we now pre-bag our fresh raw protein. We have been working with the VA Department of Health since 2004 when we first brought the meal assembly concept to Loudoun County. We set very high standards and we are always looking for ways to improve them. In Fairfax County, the Health Department requires all meal assembly stores to pre-bag raw protein as a way to minimize the risk of cross contamination. We believe this is a great safety feature. We reviewed it with the Health Department and have adopted it in our Loudoun County locations. Please be aware that Let’s Dish! chose to get operating permits under the Health Department in Loudoun and Fairfax Counties where safety standards are stringent. Let’s Dish! Inspection Reports are available on line and we are proud of our record. Some meal assembly places have operating permits under the VA Department of Agriculture where the standards and rules are different.

Our ingredients are carefully selected and tested with each menu item. Sometimes we use fresh herbs like the parsley on the Shrimp Scampi. In that case the dish cooks from frozen and the fresh herbs hold up well in the freezing process. In other cases we use flash frozen herbs like basil and mint. We special order and provide our customers with these gourmet, flash frozen herbs because they are taste tested by chefs and our menu development team to provide better flavor when cooked at home in those particular recipes.

We use restaurant-quality ingredients for all of our dishes including high priced concentrates like the roasted garlic concentrate on this month’s Flank Steak with Caramelized Onions. Another example is our “Always Tender” pork tenderloins. This product is available to restaurants and unavailable to the consumer in a regular grocery. We raised our prices twice in 2007 to manage a huge spike in the price of food in the marketplace. Did you know that the price of chicken went up almost 30% this year? Also, it is important to note that the cost of dishing is still less than the cost of purchasing the ingredients in the store and making the same food at home. At $240 for 12 dishes that’s $20 per dinner or $3.33 per serving. That’s a great price for six Orange Glazed Chicken breasts and a side of Broccoli or Louisiana Style Jambalaya with chicken, shrimp and sausage.

We invite anyone who is signing up for a session to do so in our store. You are right that the best deal is in the store but you don’t have to be a returning customer to get that deal. If you walked into any Let’s Dish! store today you could sign up and receive the same price as someone who has dished 20 times. You might also find a fresh batch of warm scones and carafe of hot coffee in case you need a snack while you sit at our computer. J Also – please check your Val Pak envelopes and the local papers. We often offer a $20 off discount to new customers.

I hope this clears up some of the questions. Please email me anytime with questions Elizabeth.marcotte@letsdish.net or you can reach any store by visiting our site. www.letsdish.com

 

I work fulltime too, but mostly grill all year long basically. Of course - it helps living 5 miles from work, I don't have the commute that a lot of people do have around here so I can see where this type of business would be good for them. It's not for me, but if it helps others, I'm all for it.

 

I am not sure if I should thank Elizabeth or ask if we are supposed to "debate" the issues? Is it customary or typical to see a manager or owner of a restaurant offer up information like this? Part of me says that I hope more of them do... I guess that I still read Elizabeth's post more as a "rebuff" to what I put... sorry.

Some of my facts could be wrong, but the one thing that does irk me is the comment about pre-bagging raw protein. If the reason behind this as you state, is the health and safety of your customers, then you do a really bad job at delivering that message. No where in the store is there an explanation of this approach, policy or action. And the staff have not explained it this way either (based upon my experience). And it is not just raw protein that is pre-bagged. Maybe it is a unique action on the part of the Ashburn store?

Raising prices is Management's choice...and 2 times may not seem like a lot, but it is all about an individuals perception of value. When I first started at Lets Dish, I believe I was paying $212 for 12 meals. And now I pay around $240, so that is the standard that I compare by and in my own opinion, based upon what I get, it seems like it is getting close to what I would call unreasonable.

And finally, the only point that Elizabeth makes that I really take exception to is this one "Also, it is important to note that the cost of dishing is still less than the cost of purchasing the ingredients in the store and making the same food at home."

I am speaking for myself - but I know for a fact that I can cook a meal myself for less that it would cost me at Lets Dish. I am not claiming that is the case 100% of the time, but for many of the dishes. I have compared myself and in some cases, I can make the dish for significantly less.

The average cost of a "meal" is about $25. tyger, think about it. Could you make a meal that would feed 4-6 adults like what Elizabeth mentions above? Again, I think some of the meals that Lets Dish has are really worth the value you get, but I do not agree with the blanket statement that I could not do it cheaper at home.

Bottom line - Elizabeth, thank you for coming here to provide helpful information and I hope to see you in the store next time, I will let you know when I am there later in October... this is great dialog.

 

it's definitely one way to go when you are expecting a little on in less than a month and have a husband and two other children to feed, all while taking care of an infant, imo....well thats why we use it anyways.

 

Actually yes I can and I do. I grow all my own vegetables, herbs that I use and buy most meat at Costco. I enjoy cooking and we eat healthy as well. It takes time to drive to these places and I enjoy putting things together in my own kitchen. Call me old fashioned, but you still can't beat planning/making meals right at home. It doesn't take much time. I'm of a different generation....as I said - baking, sauce, etc. is all from scratch. We don't eat much rice/potatoes either in our house either. We concentrate more on vegetables. If we did do this type of cooking, I doubt they would be able to provide the same amount of vegetables that I serve. We usually have at least two, most of the time three different kinds.

 

I only use Let's Dish for an occasional treat. For the most part I can cook quality for my family at a cheaper price than what they charge.

 

Re: Let's Dish vs. Entree Vous

Tyger31 and others--

I agree with Tyger31--being from a farming and large Mennonite family--I love to bake plus we grow alot of produce to feed our family of 8. It does take time to meal plan, freeze, and prepare meals 3 times daily for 8 people. We also produce our own grassfed beef and other meats for our families and other friends as well as other pork, poultry, etc.

But, I would not have it any other way. I also am returning to school full time to finish my post grad Food Science/Nutrition degrees online in January 2008 at Kansas State University. Being that busy, as we all are, that is why my husband and I are thinking of opening a large Mennonite Bulk Foods Store and Cafe within 2 years or so. The store/cafe would primarily be my "new baby" since my husband works a full time job elsewhere.

If you wish to organize an "old-fashioned Home Ec cooking club", PM or post under separate thread; and I will provide info. Check out my recipes under post called "Recipe Roundup..." under thread "Area Restaurants...".

We spend about $800 or less a month on groceries, dry goods, etc. for a family of 8. I bake alot, can and freeze--among other things to save on food bills. If anyone is interested in forming an Organic Food Buyers club--check out post under "Area Restaurants..." called "Organic Odyssey...".

Foodie

 

cindy, I agree with you opinion. I have been to lets Dish almost 20 times (obviously I really like it) but what I have learned (again, my observation) is that some meals are clearly worth the price, while others really leave me wondering how this can be treated equally. That is where I think Entree Vous has the right idea... individual meal pricing. That way, if the costs really went up on chicken 30% (and I find that hard to believe too since I buy chicken at the store and have not noticed this increase), then raise the price on the chicken dishes. Most of the steak meals they are offer use Flank. Not that I expect others really at that price point, but what I think is not as fair, there is usually nothing else with that meal, just a marinaded steak in a freezer bag.

 

I like the individual pricing idea, will have to look at Entree Vous some time. I guess Let's Dish prices somewhat even out over all the meals you choose, but it's hard to justify $23 for 6 quesadillas with a little bit of meat, beans and cheese (or some of the other simple menu choices).

The last time I used Let's Dish it was actually to give a couple meals to my daughter who was leaving for a college apartment. She looked at the available menus for both places and preferred that month's menu from Let's Dish. She and her roomies appreciated a few meals that didn't need much advance planning and didn't involve Ramen noodles or spaghettios!

 

It’s great that this dialog is taking place. I am a Broadlands resident as well as one of the owners of Entrée Vous. We are the first Entrée Vous franchise in Northern Virginia and several more will be opening soon. We have a stove in our kitchen and Patrick, our General Manager and chef, makes our homemade sauces and gravies from scratch. We offer fresh ingredients and our fresh herbs are cut right before our sessions.

There’s so much to say about meal preparation/assembly that this discussion could continue on forever, so instead we'll just invite you to come into our kitchen to learn more and give us a try. We’ll even let the quality of our food speak for itself, so if you’re interested send me an email at ereinhardt@entreevous.com and the next 20 or so people will get a free entrée on us. We’ll also have free samples at our grand opening on the 27th and also on the first Saturday of each month.

Elisa Reinhardt
Entrée Vous – Owner
20937 Ashburn Rd, Suite 140, Ashburn, VA 20147
www.entreevous.com

 

Hi -

Sorry for the late reply - I'm actually in Disney right now -

May I say -as another Broadlands resident and Entree Vous owner - that I am SO GLAD to see meal prep on the posting board!!!!! Thank you for recognizing us!!!

As a full time working mother of twins, it is so nice to have an answer to my arch nemesis "what's for dinner!" I am SO excited about the concept. I can't share enough about it. Come for a session, come to host a party, just come! I cannot believe how much time it has saved me! Time that I would normally spend chopping and cooking and cleaning up I am able to spend with my girls. It's made a real difference in my family.

Variety is the spice of life - please try us out!

Tamsenrigi

 

How does Entree Vous handle food allergies?

I did Let's Dish for over a year and then just got "over it" - but one of my main concerns was always the separation of Peanuts and tree nuts from other dishes. Several times, I had to forgo making a dish because it was at the same station as a dish that served peanuts and peanut butter. Call me neurotic, but people get sloppy and they don't pay attention - so the nuts could spill or cross contaminate into the other food.

Although Let's Dish was always helpful with letting me read the ingredients on their box, it would have been helpful if the ingredients were placed on the website before ordering the meals (perhaps if they wrote "Contains soy, nuts, wheat, etc next to the item description.) - It's possible they have started doing this - but I haven't been back since May.

I know I'm not the only person with food allergy concerns - is this something you address at your store?

Rachel

 

Our chef and GM Patrick is available to discuss all of your allergy concerns. Because we have a full working kitchen where sauces are made fresh on site, etc., he is very familiar with the ingredients. If there is something that he doesn't know, he will research and get back to you. We've had several guests with many different allergies (some I've never heard of before!) and he's great about going through all of the ingredients with folks with special concerns. He can be reached at the kitchen at 703-723-4724.