Dinner
can be a family affair, a mid-week date night or just a relaxing evening where
you create something special.
Americans
are increasingly sophisticated about- and appreciative of-good food. They also
have become very conscious of what ingredients go into it. So it was just a
matter of time before a brilliant food service concept would emerge that
combines the quality and culinary artistry of the personal chef with the
convenience of cooking a fresh, restaurant quality do-it-yourself meal at home.
Madison & Rayne, a Chicago-based company has created just such a formula,
and it has wide appeal across demographics, lifestyles and income levels.
"Our
concept is really quite straightforward," said Melanie Mityas, co-founder
of Madison & Rayne. "We design delicious and creative contemporary
American dishes, prepare all of the ingredients in our kitchen and deliver
them, ready to cook, to our customers, who prepare the meals using our step by
step directions. Our meals generally take from between 15 and 30 minutes from
start to table, using a minimal amount of pots, pans and utensils. Easy to
cook, easy to clean up and delicious to eat-Madison & Rayne is a perfect
solution for people who like to eat really good, wholesome food at home but
don't have the time or energy to shop for the ingredients and do everything
from scratch. We do the hard work and our customers do the fun, easy
tasks."
Among the many people who have adopted the Madison
and Rayne lifestyle are singles who want to eat good food but don't want to go
to restaurants by themselves; families who have small children and have
difficulty taking them to more upscale restaurants; people who enjoy the quiet
and privacy of their own homes, but like to eat well; and those who are
entertaining guests and want to serve an exciting, tasty meal without spending
too much time and money to put it together.
All meals
are designed by company co-founder, Chef Josh Jones, a professional chef who
has earned his stripes at such highly regarded Chicago restaurants as Spring,
where he was Chef du Cuisine for Shawn McClain. "My goal is to bring
contemporary American cuisine-which nowadays means food with many global
influences-into the homes of food lovers so that they can enjoy exciting meals
that transform the typical dinner into a very enticing one."
Mityas and Jones have
created a company that turns customers into do-it-yourself personal chefs.
After watching countless cooking shows where a gorgeous meal is put together
within a matter of minutes, they realized that the ease and convenience of
cooking show preparation - with pre-measured, pre-marinated, washed, chopped,
sliced, and ready for assembly ingredients - are all that a person needs to
create a wonderful dinner.
"Think personal shopper, personal assistant,
and personal delivery all rolled into one," said Mityas. "Minimal
prep and minimal clean-up means that your valuable time is better spent cooking
and enjoying your dinner. Mealtime should fit seamlessly into your day: we give
you all the tools you need to make that happen."
Madison & Rayne has become a win-win solution
for families. On the one hand, parents can begin to introduce their children to
a new palette of flavors and help develop their love of good food. On the other
hand, they can simply enjoy a great meal for two while preparing something else
for their children who are not ready for these more sophisticated tastes.
"We believe that parents shouldn't have to sacrifice their culinary
pleasure simply because the children still want basic, kid-friendly
foods," said Jones. "For older couples, the joy of eating good, fresh
food without having to devote so much time and effort is also a great
advantage. "These are not run-of-the mill dishes; these are professionally
created for people who know about food and want to enjoy it at home."
Many menu options; the menu changes every two
weeks, with special holiday menus
There are many popular, signature dishes that are
always on the menu, but Madison & Rayne also add many special items on a
bi-weekly basis. All of the dishes are based on seasonality and many
ingredients are locally sourced, so customers always cook with fresh
ingredients that are at their peak. The meals are delivered to customers' homes
once a week. Everything is packed in airtight containers (which are recycled)
and all ingredients are chopped, the sauces and stocks are already prepared,
and each ingredient is labeled so that the preparation is step-by-step and
fool-proof. Dishes can be ordered with gluten-free options and many can be
ordered as vegetarian dishes. Also, customers with food allergies can request
substitute ingredients.
Signature dishes, which range in price from $15-$17
per person (portions are generous but not over-indulgent), include Sweet Soy
Glazed Chicken, warm egg noodle salad, bok choy, chopped peanuts; Shrimp Tacos,
chimichurri, pickled corn and kale slaw, chickpea and pimento pepper dip; Duroc
Pork Chop, kimchi, purple cauliflower, crispy rice noodles, soy sesame; and
Blackened Tilapia, corn and cheddar fritters, shaved Brussels sprout salad,
green tomatoes, mustard aioli.
Seasonal dishes currently on
the late winter menu, priced from $15-$18 per person, include Tamarind
Marinated Flank Steak, limestone bibb lettuce, cucumber, fresh herbs; Crispy
Flatbread, fig jam, braised duck leg, truffled goat cheese, toasted pumpkin
seed and apple salad; Roasted Amish
Chicken Breast, candied nuts, goat cheese, arugula, quinoa; and Crispy Pork
Belly, chioaga beets, mejdool date mostarda, frisée, pistachios.
Additional items that are always on the menu
include Michigan Greens with radish, pumpkin seeds, lemon vinaigrette;
Fingerling Potatoes, roasted tomatoes, herbs; Demi-baguettes from Red Hen
Bakery; and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Madison & Rayne also prepare special holiday
menus for home entertaining. For example, the recent Valentine's Day 2014 menu
featured a three-course feast priced at $28 per person. It included Roasted
Chestnut Soup with pickled shallots and black truffle oil; Ricotta Gnudi with
braised Amish chicken, shishito peppers and preserved lemon; and flourless
chocolate cake with fig jam.
Easy and Convenient
"All
you have to do is go to www.madisonandrayne.com, select the number of
servings you want for each meal and note food preferences and allergies,"
said Jones. "We will adjust the menu to accommodate your tastes. We always
have vegetarian options and most dishes can be prepared with alternative
protein. All meals are balanced and we use fresh, never frozen, products that
are as local as possible. New seasonal dishes are added every two weeks."
Chef Jones sources high-quality meat, vegetables
and grains from local farms and maintains a strong commitment to using organic
and sustainable products. Orders are made weekly by Saturday and delivered,
every Tuesday. There is no cost for delivery. Meals are delivered to your door
in a temperature-controlled reusable tote bag. They also encourage recycling.
Madison & Rayne has thought of everything. They
try to keep clean-up to a minimum. Most meals only take between one or two
pans. They provide very detailed recipe cards that make it next to impossible
to screw up. All ingredients are clearly labeled in individual containers. You
control the amount of spice and seasoning. It's fun and easy and most meals
take only between 15-30 minutes to prepare. The containers in which the food
comes are easy to rinse and you return them with the tote when your next order
is delivered. They even provide a hotline that's manned Tuesday through Friday
from 5 to 9:30 p.m. just in case customers have a question. Voice messages are
returned promptly.
About Melanie Mityas and Josh Jones
Melanie Mityas and Josh Jones first met in 2008 at
nationally acclaimed Spring Restaurant in Chicago. Josh was the Chef de Cuisine
and Melanie a frequent customer. They both share a passion for great food and
wanted to create a service that would allow everyone to Rediscover
Dinner at home.
"I enjoy cooking but it does not come
naturally to me," said Mityas. "As a working mom, I was often
struggling to get a good dinner on the table for my family. There were some
weeks when I totally had my act together - found healthy recipes, prepared a
grocery list, went to the store and bought everything I needed - but then I
would get home late from work and did not have enough time to prepare the meal.
Or I would forget to marinate the meat the night before. I often watched
cooking shows and it looked so easy. Wouldn't it be nice to have all of my
ingredients prepared in tiny dishes so that I could just do the cooking part
and skip the prep and the clean-up? My frustration sparked the idea for our business."
"The Chicago food scene is very vibrant.
People in this city are accustomed to having access to a range of restaurants
serving high-quality food prepared with fresh local ingredients," said
Jones. "Why shouldn't they enjoy this same experience in the comfort of
their own home - whether they are cooking for themselves, their spouse and
kids, or a dinner party of friends? Not lukewarm takeout or prepared food made
a day or two ago, but a fresh meal that they can easily prepare. My hope is
that Madison & Rayne helps people rediscover (or discover for the first
time) how fun and rewarding it can be to cook a really great meal."
Jones has been a dynamic culinary talent in the
restaurant industry since the age of 15, when he went to work in a professional
kitchen with Chef Joel Finley of 302 West. Jones' success there led him to
attend the Culinary Institute of America, where he graduated at the top of his
class. Following graduation, Jones worked at Spring and quickly moved his way
up the ranks to Chef du Cuisine.
Jones is dedicated to using locally sourced produce and sustainable
products. He has a meticulous eye for quality, and has consistently created
balanced menus that represent his passion for unique, delicious cuisine. Jones
is thrilled to partner with Madison & Rayne in order to bring his culinary
vision to home kitchens.
offerings by
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Sourdough
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Queen" and have her sign a copy of her new book,
Taste Memories: Recipes for Life and Breakfast. 
