THE CHEF AND HIS WIFE
Address: 6849 Prestige LaneHours: Retail store hours are Monday-Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Closed Sunday.Phone: 423-508-5823
PLANNING A PARTY?
The Chef and His Wife not only caters, but also has a private banquet room seating up to 50 people.
Pam Kelly stocks the refrigerator at The Chef and his Wife. (Photo by Mark Gilliland)
Chicken pot pies made fresh at The Chef and his Wife. (Photo by Mark Gilliland)I stepped inside The Chef and his Wife and was immediately greeted by the scent of fresh-baked pizza crust. A second later, I was greeted by owner and executive chef Timothy Mulderink.
"Oh, hi!" he said, popping out from around the corner. "I was busy stocking. Did I tell you we're in Food City now?" he added, coolly - though I saw the twinkle in his eyes.
It is a big deal, after all. Six years ago, The Chef and his Wife opened as a small-scale meal delivery service. Today, it has expanded to include a store in Hixson where customers can pick up fresh or frozen entrées, such as chicken potpie, meatloaf or chicken enchilada casserole, among many other rotating recipes. Its "grab-n-go" coolers feature a variety of "take-n-bake" pizzas, soups, and its famous variety of pimiento cheese spreads - original, smoked Gouda or jalapeño - which customers will now also find next to the sliced meat in 13 area Food City stores.
Output is at an all-time high, Chef Tim told me. Pimiento cheese production alone is up by 300 pounds per week. In fact, The Chef and his Wife recently had to create an additional production room to accommodate the growing number of orders.
There is much to celebrate this spring at The Chef and his Wife. This month the business marks one year at its Hixson location. The Chef and his Wife is thanking its customers throughout April by offering a meal for four with a 16-inch take-n-bake pizza and salad for $16.
It is a sweet time to stop by its storefront, especially considering its new cake recipes: lemon, coconut cream, carrot, chocolate, butter pecan pound cake, and even a few gluten-free options.
Of course, customers can still order any of The Chef and his Wife's meals. Each week, Chef Tim and his crew prepares 18 different entrées and then posts the menu online. Orders may be scheduled for home delivery, store pickup or - the newest option - pickup at Erlanger Medical Mall near downtown Chattanooga, every Friday between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Want to know what scents are waiting to greet you this week? Just visit thechefandwife.com.