Delivery Boom: Local Gourmet Food at Your Door

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Paying someone to bring pizza or Chinese food to your door isn't new. But now, thanks to a buffet of local businesses specializing in gourmet deliveries, noshes from soup to desserts can arrive chez you for about the same amount as you'd pay at a restaurant.

"Busy people want to eat locally and healthfully. We help them keep something easy on hand," says Sara Polon of Soupergirl, a local bisque- and stew-obsessed delivery company. With wine, veggies and even seltzer water on order-it-up lists, you can plot a whole dinner party with the click of a mouse.

ARGANICA FARM CLUB
» What it is: Essentially a haute, fully local grocery delivery service, this Virginia company sources offbeat edibles. Owner Dominique Kostelac sends an e-mail to subscribers each week with the latest seasonal finds, including Shenandoah meats, foraged wild fruits and seltzer water in vintage bottles. Orders arrive in rustic wooden crates that you can return each week.

» What you get: Kostelac is picky with purveyors, sourcing only products he samples and supports: grass-fed beef, jams made in tiny batches and Charlottesville, Va., bread. Recent additions: live blue crabs and handmade flour tortillas from a Shenandoah mill.

» How much it costs: The first month has no delivery fee; subsequent deliveries require a $25 minimum order plus subscription fees, which vary. There are also monthly and annual subscription fees. Food prices resemble those at local farmers markets.

» Who it's for: Locavores. (Think local bok choi, Polyface Farm's cult meats and Albemarle Bakery's Charlottesville breads.) Kostelac also offers his own goods, including maple syrup. "We do this to really share what's out here in Virginia," he says.

FIRST VINE
» What it is: Owners Tom Natan and Dare Wenzler import their own wine.

» What you get: The duo regularly travel to Europe to meet small-scale vino producers and import unusual bottles from France, Spain and Italy, and throughout Europe.

» Cost: Usually less than $15 per bottle. The team offers free delivery in D.C. for six or more bottles and uses FedEx to send orders to Virginia.

» Who it's for: D.C. or Virginia oenophiles. "First Vine is for people who like to drink wine a few times a week and try new bottles," Natan says. They'll also set up parties and tastings.

SOUPERGIRL
» What it is: Former tech exec and stand-up comedian Sara Polon got the idea to launch a delivery soup company when she couldn't find easy, healthful meals after her long workdays. She and her mother started testing recipes and debuted their vegan soup delivery company in 2008. The bowls of goodness nearly exclusively use vegetables from local farms. "We say that our soups are healthy, but you won't notice," Polon says.

» What you get: In summer, most soups can be eaten chilled or warmed. Ratatouille is a tomato-packed answer to the French stew, while white gazpacho blends toasted almonds, basil, white wine and vegetables. Each week, Polon sends a menu of two soups (each described in clever short stories) the next week.

» How much it costs: $12.75 per quart; free delivery for orders of $25 or more.

» Who it's for: "Moms love us because it really solves the 'What's for dinner?' question," Polon says. It's also ideal for busy singles.

TREET
» What it is: Think of Treet owner, pastry chef Theresa Luongo Pinelli, as a therapist for your sweet tooth. Her tweaks on classic baked goods range from intensely rich, gooey brownies to spiced truffle cookies (85 cents each). "I only use local milk, butter and eggs from the farmers markets," says Pinelli, who also sells at the Wednesday farmers market in Clarendon.

» What you get: It's tough to choose from her wide array of indulgences, so hedge your bets with mixed Treet boxes ($9.50), which will give you a half-dozen each of brownies and cookies. Other boxes mix cupcakes ($1), bars and biscotti.

» How much it costs: Free delivery for orders of $20 or more

» Who it's for: "It's ideal for people who love dessert but don't have the time to do it all," Pinelli says. "We bake for a lot of parties and showers."

Written by Express contributor Erin Hartigan