The pandemic has cut into both traveling and dining out, but as anyone who’s had their fair share of takeout this year knows, all's not lost for adventurous taste buds. Plenty of notable restaurants, including many run by some of the nation’s most renowned chefs, will ship their famous fare to your door — no reservations or social distancing required. Here are some of your best splurge-worthy options.
$169 from Goldbelly (serves 2)
A New Orleans institution that’s among the nation’s most iconic restaurants, Commander’s Palace has been graced by the likes of Emeril Lagasse, Paul Prudhomme, and many more famous chefs. This three-course dinner includes garlic bread, the restaurant’s famous turtle soup (or gumbo, if you prefer), shrimp and grits, and even pecan pie for dessert.
$189 from Goldbelly (serves 4-6)
New York has no shortage of renowned sushi restaurants, but SoHo’s Blue Ribbon will always be on top of the heap. With this meal kit, you’ll get enough ingredients to whip up 10 to 12 rolls, including Norwegian salmon, ebi shrimp, and top-notch tuna. Indulgent add-ons like caviar and Wagyu beef are also available.
$99 from Goldbelly (serves 4)
Pasta will always be a go-to for comfort food, and with this meal kit, you can take your pick from the most beloved selections on the menu at Boston’s Fox & the Knife, run by “Top Chef” alum and James Beard Award winner Karen Akunowicz. Choose housemade bucatini, mafaldini, or creste de gallo, and top it off with your choice of sauce. Add on some taleggio-stuffed focaccia for true carb-coma bliss.
$79 from Goldbelly (serves 4-6)
Talk about a guilty pleasure: Bring Flavortown to your doorstep with Guy Fieri’s famous Trash Can Nachos. This mashup of all things crispy, cheesy, and spicy is filling, easy to assemble, and dare we say it, likely to rate as “bomb-dot-com tasty.”
$179 from Goldbelly (serves 4-6)
Few restaurants have made a bigger splash than those in David Chang’s Momofuku Group, but you can dig in without hopping a plane to New York City. Bo Ssäm is a salt- and sugar-cured pork shoulder that’s been slow roasted, and it shows up at your door ready to be reheated and glazed with brown sugar. You’ll also get kimchi, potato rolls, rice, and two kinds of sauce.
Related: Favorite Meals of Celebrity Chefs
$89 from Goldbelly (serves 4)
Dig into “burger perfection” with this kit. It features everything you need for four indulgent double stacks from Atlanta’s celebrated Holeman & Finch. The restaurant, led by a James Beard Award winner, originally offered a limited number of burgers as a late-night special, but demand meant they eventually became a menu mainstay (and a national legend).
$179 from Goldbelly (serves 4)
When Tyler Florence isn’t busy as a host or judge on what seems like countless Food Network shows, he presumably still has time to cook. His San Francisco restaurant, Wayfare Tavern, is known for these tender pork ribs. You’ll also get macaroni and cheese, potato salad, corn, and biscuits.
$129 from Goldbelly
Artisanal pizza from a James Beard Award-winning chef? Yes, please. These wood-fired pies come straight from the kitchen of Pizzeria Bianco, Chris Bianco’s famed Phoenix restaurant, and include customer favorites like the Rosa, with Arizona pistachios, and a classic margherita.
$119 from Goldbelly (serves 2)
Few are better known for Mexican cuisine than chef Rick Bayless, winner of seven James Beard awards. His famed Chicago flagship restaurant, Frontera Grill, will send you this sumptuous south-of-the-border feast, which includes butternut squash and apple soup, chicken breast with mole negro, black beans and green beans, handmade tortillas, and chocolate pecan pie bars.
$99 from Goldbelly (serves 4)
Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s Harlem hotspot, Streetbird, closed its doors in 2018, but you can still get one of its most famous dishes shipped to your door.A buttermilk-hot sauce marinade, a spicy coating, and hot honey for dipping mean this is a classic that will wake up your tastebuds no matter if you dig in for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Related: The Best Spot for Comfort Food in Every State
$259 from Goldbelly (serves 4-6)
Carnivores, this one’s for you: An indulgently meaty feast from New York City’s Cote Korean, a Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse. You’ll get hanger steak, dry-aged ribeye, American Wagyu steak, and marinated galbi, plus dry-aged beef fat to prep your grill. Also included: Your choice of four pickled vegetables, lettuce, and high-end salt and sauce.
$49 from Goldbelly (serves 4)
If you’re searching for a simpler (and cheaper) meal-kit option, it’s hard to go wrong with this comfort-food icon from San Francisco’s Boudin Bakery. The sourdough is even made with the original wild yeast used since the bakery was feeding famished miners in the mid-1800s.
$249 from Goldbelly (serves 6)
Dig into an unimaginably tender pomegranate-glazed lamb shoulder with this meal kit, which comes from the kitchen of Philadelphia’s famed Israeli restaurant, Zahav. You’ll also get hummus and pita, your choice of vegetable salads, rice, and olive oil basbousa.
Related: Beloved Local Eats That Can Be Shipped to Your Doorstep
$159 from Goldbelly (serves 4)
Even if you’re nowhere near the West Coast, Wolfgang Puck’s California cuisine can come to you with this dinner kit featuring two of his most legendary dishes: A pizza topped with smoked salmon, dill creme, and trout roe, as well as the famous Chinois Chicken Salad, combining roasted Jidori chicken, cashews, wontons, and a zingy ginger vinaigrette.
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$119 from Goldbelly (serves 4)
Put down that bucket of KFC and treat your tastebuds to something a little more sophisticated with this dinner from renowned New York City brasserie Blue Ribbon. The restaurant still draws crowds for its crumb-coated fried chicken, served in this kit with all the fixins’: mashed potatoes, collard greens, chicken gravy, and wildflower honey.
Related: Best Hole-in-the-Wall Spots for Fried Chicken in Every State
$99 from Goldbelly (serves 3)
It’s time to give the Cup of Noodles a rest and indulge in a more elevated version of ramen. Portland’s Afuri is one of the best places in the nation to get it, making well-balanced noodle dishes like this one with yuzu and chicken-based broth instead of pork.
$139 from Goldbelly (serves 3)
You may not live near the ocean, but the ocean can still come to you with this indulgent seafood-boil feast from Topsail in Surf City, North Carolina. It includes jumbo shrimp, crab legs, clams, sausage, sweet corn, and red potatoes. Choose from four seasonings, from classic to cajun. For bigger parties, try the High Tider that doubles the serving size for only $50 more.
Related: The Best Seafood Restaurants in Every State
$99 from Goldbelly (serves 6)
Texans know their burritos, and one of the Lone Star State’s most famous chefs is behind this simple, tasty bundle built to please everyone. Tim Love, pioneer of urban western cuisine, includes all the ingredients for veggie, chicken, and steak burritos, plus three kinds of salsa and queso, so be sure to break out those tortilla chips, too.
$139 from Goldbelly (serves 4)
San Francisco’s The Slanted Door has long set the standard for Vietnamese cuisine across the country, and you can get a taste of its James Beard Award-winning food at home. With grass-fed beef broth and braised grass-fed meat, this traditional pho is perfect for a chilly night in. Don't worry- it also includes all the essential fixins to make your picturesque bowl right from your own kitchen. (We also recommend the chicken version).
$99 from Goldbelly (serves 4)
Sure, some people may dismiss them as “adult Lunchables,” but there’s nothing like a good charcuterie and a glass of wine to make you feel fancy. Even better when it’s from New Orleans’ renowned Cochon Butcher, where meat is truly a next-level affair. You’ll get a mouth-watering mix of mortadella, cotto salami, soppressata, hog’s head cheese, and coppa.
$99 from Goldbelly (serves 4)
Maine is crawling with delectable lobster rolls, but Eventide Oyster Co. in Portland has turned the classic on its head, winning a James Beard award in the process. Instead of traditional lemon butter, they’re served with a brown-butter vinaigrette on fluffy steamed buns. Add on some whoopie pies for a true Pine Tree State meal.
$275 from Goldbelly (serves 4)
Sometimes you just have to indulge. This standby from legendary French chef Daniel Boulud’s Michelin-starred restaurant in New York City will help you do it in style. It’s served with seasonal vegetables and Boulud’s potato puree, too.
$89 from Goldbelly (serves 6)
This vegan-friendly dinner ships from New York City’s Taim, run by “Queen of Falafel” Einat Admony. It includes your choice of falafel mix, cauliflower shawarma, or Impossible kebab patties, accompanied by hummus, tahini, s’rug, pickled veggies, and pita bread.
