Plated, Chicago

Plated isn't an online grocery store, and it isn't an online takeout service. It's in between––as the New York Times puts it, the company "aims for the sweet spot somewhere between the bunch of asparagus and the finished asparagus-stuffed salmon." Plated makes this possible with thoughtfully packed “meal kits," complete with seasonally inspired recipes and all the ingredients you need to make them.

Plated cuts out the inconveniences of grocery shopping and recipe-hunting, transforming a home-cooked meal from a hassle into a quick, 30-minute process. Customers choose from 11 weekly recipes and dessert, and then receive fresh, pre-portioned ingredients delivered to their door in an insulated box. The resulting dinners are all restaurant quality, whether it's grilled skirt steak with cilantro-chimmichurri and carrot-citrus hash, or chilled buckwheat noodles with salmon and nori.