Hire It Done: Dinner

Holiday takeout is no longer limited to ordering spiral sliced ham with a decorative clove pattern. From local groceries and restaurants to caterers and personal chefs, a smorgasbord of food services awaits those opting out of the kitchen.

Extremely lavish or stylishly simple, these menus combine house specialties with seasonal favorites and include everything from full-service catering to drop-offs. But don’t wait for Santa or his trusty Rudolph to make a move. Order dinner now. Otherwise, you may be settling for holiday leftovers.

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Westwood Catering

Beef rules at Westwood Catering. More than 400 tenderloins are grilled for pickup each December. Available as complete dinners or à la carte, the tenderloins are prepared and sauced with your choice of merlot, béarnaise, horseradish or mushroom brandy. While full-service catering is available, Westwood will happily custom-design a carryout holiday menu to reflect your family’s food traditions. They’ll even plate it on your mother’s silver serving tray.

Westwood Catering, 190 N. Sappington, 314-965-7428, westwoodcatering.com

Dinner via pickup, delivery or in-home catering

Westwood Catering Menu:

Beef Tenderloin Medallions with Merlot Sauce & Horseradish

Dijon Crumbs

Garlic Twice-Baked Potatoes with Asiago Cheese

Sculptured Carrots with Sugar Snap Peas

French Market Salad

Soft Challah Rolls

Gooey Butter Brownies

Raspberry Cheesecake Squares

Service for 12

Cost: $350

Annie Gunn’s

In business for the past eight decades, The Smokehouse Market continues to provide countless holiday tables with its signature smoked hams, turkeys and specialty meats, while its sister operation, Annie Gunn’s, offers award-winning cuisine catered in your home. If your Santa is looking for luxury, chef Lou Rook and his culinary team will travel to your home to preside over kitchen operations and dinner service. To ensure the perfect cup (or glass) of holiday cheer, wine director Glenn Bardgett will pair and select wines to match your menu.

Annie Gunn’s, 16806 Chesterfield Airport Road, 636-532-7684, anniegunns.com

Dinner catered in your home, picked up or delivered

Annie Gunn’s Menu:

Hors d’Oeuvres:

Grilled Vermont Maple–Glazed Smoked Jumbo Shrimp with Pennsylvania Dutch Barbecue Dipping Sauce

Steamed Blue Hill Bay Mussels with a Toasted Garlic Heirloom Tomato Extra-Virgin Oil Sauce

Hawaiian Yellowfin Tuna with a Wasabi-Soy Caramel Glaze

Roasted Smokehouse Market Marinated Rack of Lamb Lollipops

Dinner:

Sweet Gem Lettuce with Pecan-Crusted Goat Cheese, Golden Raisins, Sweet Onions and Roasted Tomato Balsamic Dressing

Marcho Farms Roasted Rack of Veal with Fresh Périgord Truffle Pinot Noir Sauce

Fired Spaghetti and Farmer Vegetables

Banana Bread Pudding with Maker’s Mark Caramel Sauce

Cost: $185 per person

Optional wines paired with each course, $50 per person

The Ritz-Carlton

Thanks to Ritz-Carlton executive chef Michael Mandato, putting on the ritz is a snap. Splurge for the ultimate indulgence: Hire the renowned Ritz-Carlton chefs to prepare dinner in your home. Sound too fussy? Then ask for takeout. With its signature “pleasure to serve” mentality, the same gourmet repast prepared in your home is made available for pickup or delivery.

The Ritz-Carlton, 100 Carondelet Plaza, 314-863-6300, ritzcarlton.com

Dinner via pickup, delivered or catered in your home

The Ritz-Carlton Menu:

Slow-Roasted Pumpkin Chowder with Maple-Glazed Pecans

Woodland Mushroom Chestnut and Prosciutto, Aged Balsamic Vinaigrette

Pomegranate-Glazed Cornish Hen, Sage and Walnut Jus

Curried Acorn Squash and Toasted Coconut

Green Apple Charlotte with Raspberry Coulis

Chef catered in-home cost: $185 per person; pickup price: $90 per person. Wine optional

Trattoria Marcella

Add an Italian flair to your holiday meal by getting the goods from Trattoria Marcella. Here a five-course dinner can easily be assembled by selecting delicacies off the restaurant’s 26-item pickup–catering menu. The choices range from traditional antipasti, toasted ravioli and beef tenderloin to the restaurant’s signature lobster risotto and tiramisu.

Manager Christine Komorek confirms in-home catering, complete with service staff, is available for those wanting something beyond dinner pickup or drop-off. They will happily create a holiday dinner for two — or the whole clan. Just order off Trattoria Marcella’s evening menu.

Trattoria Marcella, 3600 Watson, 314-352-7706, trattoriamarcella.com

Dinner via pickup, delivery or catered in your home

Trattoria Marcella Menu:

Homemade Toasted Ravioli

Balsamic Roasted Apple Salad

Lasagna al Forno

Chicken Spiedini

Stuffed Veal Meatballs

Ciabatta Rolls with Hummus

Tiramisu

Cost: Service for 8–10, $387

Additional Purveyors of Holiday Dinners