The working lunch gets more palatable; Caterers deliver organic options, from tenderloin to hummus wraps.(Directory) see here homemade granola bars

Crain’s Chicago Business May 19, 2008 | Lara, Alison Neumer Byline: ALISON NEUMER LARA Wining and dining clients is a nice thought, but day-to-day reality is more often a working lunch at a conference table. In Chicago, among the bevy of office catering options, a few are paying attention to environmental trends in food: organic and local produce, seasonal menus and sustainability.

We tried two, both offshoots of larger catering businesses, that tout their green approach. Both offer boxed individual portions or platters, with biodegradable disposable flatware and packaging, and require orders at least 24 to 48 hours in advance.

If you’re asking staff to stay in at lunch or gathering executives for a casual meeting, these gourmet options beat the usual sandwich-and-salad fare.

Get Me Greg’s 1103 W. Grand Ave.

(312) 666-4466 Get Me Greg’s is a delicious and light alternative, especially for professionals who regularly find themselves faced with heavy, oversized meals when dining out.

We ordered the organic “executive” platter, which included a crowd-friendly variety of cold meats and vegetables, plus breads and condiments. Tallgrass beef tenderloin, seasoned liberally with pepper and nicely medium rare, was a hit, accompanied by herbed mayo. Grilled squash and carrots, plus sesame-crusted eggplant slices, were full of flavor and substantial. Chicken, lightly coated in pecan breading, and sliced turkey breast rounded out the options, although next time we’d opt for just one or the other (neither was spectacular) and order more tenderloin instead.

Side salads were fresh and ample, including perky mixed greens with poached pear slices and blue cheese, and scene-stealing stir-fried green beans loaded with garlic, ginger and black-bean sauce. To finish, organic chocolate-chip cookies were large but average. Nice extra: chocolate-covered strawberries.

We liked the straightforward Web site that allows customers to set up an account easily and handle the order online. Phone service was equally efficient (as well as helpful in determining the right menu for our event).

Greg’s-like some other businesses in this sector-uses a few slippery words like “natural” that may indicate hormone-free or unprocessed foods instead. An “all-organic” menu costs a couple of dollars extra per person: $18.50 instead of $16.50, with a 10-person minimum.

Chef Greg Christian calls himself “Chicago’s Conscious Caterer.” Get Me Greg’s is part of his larger organic operation that includes high-end event catering.

Eat Green Foods 2115 W. Leland Ave.

(773) 878-2717 The chefs who run Eat Green Foods originally hail from some of the city’s high-end restaurants (Blackbird, Naha), and their exposure to fine-dining precision shows in the menu and the preparation. Each item we ordered was fully described, often down to the local source (La Quercia proscuitto, Wisconsin fresh mozzarella, Red Hen breads), and seasonality was highlighted (ramp pesto, rhubarb jam-nary a tomato interloper in sight). here homemade granola bars

The results were tasty and occasionally inspired. The spicy hummus and tabbouleh sandwich wrapped in lavash-like pita was easily the crowd favorite, a lively balance of heat and tahini offset by the salad. Judiciously dressed tuna salad sandwich owed its great crunch to house-made pickles.

Of the sides, the creative green salad with bacon, pickled raisins and shaved onions stood out. Penne pasta was forgettable, upstaged by cilantro-specked sesame peanut noodles. Only three desserts are offered; of those we tried, chewy, buttery homemade granola bars are the clear winner over brownies that were a bit dry.

Service is prompt and professional. Customers download an order form and fax it in; chefs confirm with a phone call. We could have used a little more help shaping our order: Everything we specified arrived, but it turned out to be only just enough food for our group-no leftovers. A la carte prices average $9 per person for sandwiches, $4 for sides and $3 for desserts, with a $75 minimum order.

Eat Green Foods is an arm of Sunday Dinner, a supper club and catering business focusing on organic, local and seasonal cooking.

CAPTION(S):

Eat Green Foods focuses on local and seasonal ingredients. Spicy hummus and tabbouleh sandwich and green salad were two of our crowd’s favorite.

Lara, Alison Neumer