I don’t know about y’all but sometimes I don’t feel like having to dress up and go out to enjoy a meal of extravagance and comfort. Sometimes I want nothing more than to eat scrumptious French food in my sweatpants without having to do any heavy lifting in the kitchen. Am I asking too much?
As if reading my mind and whims, meal service Babeth’s Feast was created to make serving/eating an elegant dinner simpler and stress-free.
Think of it as having your own personal chef and one that specializes in French cooking to boot!
So here’s how it all happened. Founder Elisabeth de Kergorlay is a French transplant who was dismayed to find that there weren’t many frozen food options for those looking for intricately prepared frozen dishes in New York.
That was a sharp contrast to life in France, where there are entire shops devoted to selling creative French meals. De Kergorlay has said that the lack of well prepared frozen meals that are both elegant and easily prepared are one of the things she has missed the most about life in France.
“The French have a world-renowned appreciation for their food, an understanding of the importance of real ingredients and of course a flair for expressing these things with creative freedom,” she says on the company’s website. “I founded Babeth’s Feast to bring the French frozen food tradition of creativity and convenience that I love so much to my friends in the United States.”
Since its founding, Babeth’s Feast has developed a reputation for delicious and unexpected dishes like Mini Potato and Artichoke Latkes and Chicken à la Provençale.
Vegetarians and vegans shouldn’t worry — the company has plenty of meat-free and vegan options, including items like Eggplant and Chickpea Stew and Vegetable Korma.
Best of all, everything on the Babeth’s Feast menu can be prepared and heated in 15 minutes or less. Imagine decadently prepared veggies cooked and sent straight to your door.
Read our review of vegetarian ready to eat meal delivery services and how Babeth’s Feast stacks up against other services!
How Babeth’s Feast Works
Customers interested in trying out Babeth’s Feast have a few options in terms of meal plans. Each dish on the menu can be ordered online a la carte.
Particularly appealing to those looking to try out Babeth’s Feast is the wide array of meal samplers the company has to offer.
Customers can choose from five different themed samplers (which include the vegan, best-seller. French, global and naturally gluten-free options.) Each box contains six main courses that you can pair with six different side dishes and are available for $59.94 each.
Those interested in a subscription plan can choose to have a package arrive weekly or biweekly. Customers then select the main courses and appetizers they would like to have shipped.
The Babeth’s Feast subscription menu allows subscribers to pair up to six or more main courses and sides for each meal ordered.
While subscribers cannot order dishes a la carte if they’re on a plan, one of the most attractive things about Babeth’s Feast (besides the delicious food) is the budget-friendly price.
Each individual meal is $9.99 and dishes can be ordered in either individual or family-sized portions.
Each Babeth’s Feast dish arrives on your doorstep flash frozen, which means you won’t have to deal with large frozen crystals in your food that could change the structure of your dish. All dishes can be heated in your oven in 15 minutes or less.
What You Can Expect From Your Meal
The team behind Babeth’s Feast prides themselves on carefully prepared meals that are restaurant quality while also composed of all-natural ingredients. The Babeth Feast team specializes in French food that is so easily heated that you and (most importantly) your guests will not be able to tell that they were ever frozen.
Babeth’s Feast specializes in entrees and sides that would work for either lunch or dinner. While there are a small number of breakfast items on the menu, they are all only available to Manhattan-based customers.
Each entree is accompanied by a choice of three side dishes that have been specifically tailored to your dish by the company’s chefs.
For example, the main course of Chicken Marsala can be paired with a side dish of either Sous-Vide Broccoli with Onions, Roasted Cauliflower with Salt and Pepper or a Simple Potato Purée.
You have three options when it comes to heating your dishes: using your oven, using microwaving or (in items that arrive in a sealed pouch) simmering them in water.
For the pouch based dishes, all you have to do is bring a pot of water to boil, bring it down to simmer, and then follow the directions on the packaging.
Those using an oven simply have to preheat to the temperature on the package, place on a cookie sheet and heat accordingly.
If you are microwaving, Beabeth’s Feast recommends heating your dish for the minimum amount of time listed in the instructions and then testing the dish and adjusting accordingly. (Don’t worry, all orders come with a detailed list of heating instructions and everything should be heated and ready to serve within minutes.)
“We do the work for you so you have the freedom to relax and enjoy beautifully prepared meals at home,” the company enticingly promises online.
The Babeth’s Feast head chef focuses on creating dishes that utilize natural ingredients and the French method of “sous-vide,” which means that vegetables are cooked in small batches and vacuum sealed in a pouch before they are cooked in a gentle water bath and then frozen. This unique method allows Babeth’s Feast chefs to cook without preservatives and artificial ingredients.
Another advantage to utilizing Babeth’s Feast is that customers can pair the companies dishes with favorite sides and salads of their own creation if they’d like.
As company founder de Kergorlay says on the Babeth’s Feast website, “you can combine foods you whip up yourself with any number of heat-and-serve choices, for infinite possibilities in a fraction of time. You’ll relish the freedom to finesse every cooking endeavor effortlessly—from impromptu gatherings to elegant entertaining.”
While they offer a small selection of desserts and baked goods, the vast majority of these offerings are only available in their New York store.
Those who love classic French desserts should check out Babeth’s Feast’s crèmes brûlées and the chocolate lava cakes. Other desserts on offer include tarts, soufflés, cakes, and ice creams.
Sample Menu
Ready to dive into Babeth’s Feast’s menu of French main courses and side dishes? Here are just a sampling of the kinds of meals customers can expect from Babeth’s Feast’s menu.
For meat lovers, there are options like the Beef Bourguignon: which comes with a side of either Sous-Vide Green Beans with Garlic, Simple Potato Purée and Maple Sriracha Glazed Brussels Sprouts and the Chicken à la Provençale: which comes with Sous-Vide Broccoli with Onions, Sous-Vide Green Beans with Garlic and Fingerling Potatoes with Thyme Sprigs.
As one customer online raved about the Beef Bourguignon, and how it was particularly perfect for when you are hosting guests. “The beef is plentiful, hearty, juicy and flavorful. I loved it the whole dish,” they wrote.
Another popular main course is the Lemon Chicken with Artichokes, which is prepared in a white wine sauce with lemon and thyme. You have the option between selecting the Farro with Root Vegetables, Sous-Vide Broccoli with Onions or Roasted Cauliflower with Salt and Pepper as a side dish.
Seafood fans will enjoy the Fish Curry, which comes with a side of either Brown Rice with Scallions and Bell Pepper, Farro with Root Vegetables or Roasted Cauliflower with Salt and Pepper.
“No one would ever know that this was pre-cooked,” one fish curry fan raved about the dish in an online review.
One of Babeth’s Feast most appealing features is the variety of vegetarian options available to customers.
A popular option is the Lentil Salad with Cauliflower Rice and Kale, which can be accompanied by either Sous-Vide Broccoli with Onions, Fingerling Potatoes with Thyme Sprigs and Maple Sriracha Glazed Brussels Sprouts.
Diners can enjoy dishes like Eggplant and Chickpea Stew, which is cooked Provençale-style in a tomato-based sauce. It is served with either Farro with Root Vegetables, Sous-Vide Broccoli with Onions and Sous-Vide Green Beans with Garlic.
Because each side dish is eight ounces, you’ll have plenty of food for a fulfilling and well-rounded meal.
Delivery
Once you’ve subscribed online, your Babeth’s Feast delivery will ship (depending on your subscription plan) either every Monday or every other Monday.
Your meals will arrive at your door frozen and tightly packed in dry ice. (You should put them in your own freezer at the end of the day when you receive your package.)
Babeth’s Feast ships nationwide with the exception of Alaska and Hawaii.
The meals are shipped via either FedEx or UPS ground and typically take 2-3 days to arrive at your home.
For customers based in New York City’s Manhattan, orders will be delivered in an insulated Babeth’s Feast bag and should be placed in a freezer immediately upon receipt.
Cost
Each meal (which includes one entree and one side dish) costs $9.99. Subscribers will have to order at least six meals in order to begin their plans.
Your plan will be automatically renewed, but you can update your future order at any point until the Saturday before your next package is due to be shipped. Don’t worry if you need to skip a box or need to cancel, you can do that at any time by updating your profile.
Shipping is free for subscribers while those ordering a la carte items will have to pay a shipping fee. Orders that are at least $50 will be charged an additional $15 for shipping. Orders under the $50 will be charged $35 for shipping.
Customers based in Manhattan’s Upper East Side (where Babeth’s Feast is based) receive free shipping, while those in the rest of Manhattan are charged $9 in shipping fees.
Food for Thought
As far as elegant presentation and rich-tasting meals go, you can’t get better than Babeth’s Feast. The chefs clearly select the accompanying side dishes with care and the fact that everything can be heated in about 15 minutes means that you can relax and concentrate on more important things instead of spending countless hours in the kitchen.
We were particularly intrigued by the selection of meal samplers available to customers. These boxes are fun (and commitment-free) way to give Babeth’s Feast a try. These special boxes (which are currently 15% off) are a great way to try the company’s various cooking styles.
Also appreciated were the wide variety of gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options available to customers (especially given that French-style cuisine isn’t exactly known for having a ton of these options in general.)
There’s a reason Babeth’s Feast slogan reads, “You don’t have to cook to eat well at home.” These dishes allow users to enjoy gourmet dishes while also enjoying their precious free time at home.
How to Order
To get started with Babeth’s Feast head here. You’ll be asked to select a minimum of six entrees and be prompted to pick a side dish from the three preselected options for each. Once you’ve submitted your order and payment information, you’re all set! Get ready to enjoy your fabulous French meals within a matter of days.
Babeth’s Feast