DMV Dining

Between both of us working full-time jobs and having a toddler, we have tried to be creative over the last few years when it comes to dinnertime. The big question was if we could get dinner on the table before it’s time to get our son to bed. Otherwise Brett and I wouldn’t be able to sit down and have dinner till after 8:30 at night.

We did meal subscription services such as Blue Apron for some time, but we actually found it more complicated and time-consuming than dishes we would normally make. I also try to find some easy crock-pot meals or dishes that can be frozen in advance and then cooked that day. Sometimes, dinner is just veggie burgers and fries, or pasta and steamed vegetables — not that there’s anything wrong with that!

But there are times when you simply don’t wish to cook, but also don’t necessarily want to go out to dinner or bring in greasy takeout food. Enter Galley.

A relatively new local company, Galley started earlier this year and offers a way to have restaurant-quality food delivered to your doorstep, made entirely with fresh and organic ingredients. You can sign up through the website and order directly there or via your Apple device. Just recently, Galley also began offering lunch service in certain areas of the District. Again, it’s an easy way to get locally-sourced meals without the hassle.

Because Galley also recently expanded to the Bethesda area, we decided to give it a try. While not yet available in Silver Spring, I had the order delivered to my office or gym and then brought it home to heat up in the oven. The only tricky part is that the windows for delivery are not until the evening hours, so if we were to continue Galley we would likely need to wait until they expand their delivery zone to Silver Spring to do it on a regular basis.

Another nice feature is that the cost for each meal includes tax and delivery, so what you see is what you get. The majority of meals cost $14 and some are even less than that. All meals are fairly balanced and include a protein and at least one side. Each entrée arrives packaged in cardboard containers that can be used when heating in the oven or microwave, and all have the same instructions of heating for 10 minutes in the oven at 325 degrees, or for a few minutes in the microwave.

Also, once your meal is on its way, you receive a text message as a heads up and an email that includes plating instructions, whether you’re serving to impress or simply want a quick meal for yourself.

Now on to the food: Over the last few weeks, we tried two steak dishes, a shrimp diablo, a pasta with spinach and ricotta, a fish dish, and shrimp tacos. Overall, they were very satisfying meals and plating them with the easy instructions made them feel more like eating at a restaurant as opposed to takeout. Some were definitely more hits than others, with the favorites being the steak dishes and shrimp tacos.

The only thing we should mention are that the portions were a little on the smaller side, so it’s something to keep in mind when ordering for two. A good way to keep portions under control, but don’t expect any leftovers.

Overall, Galley is a great new dining alternative in the Washington metropolitan area. We’re excited to see it expand further into the Maryland and Virginia suburbs so others can try it for themselves!

DMV Dining readers: get your first meal free when you sign up for Galley here