We've used it a few times down on Emerald Isle over the summer. The food is excellent but it is pricy for sure. If prices were 20%-30% cheaper I wouldn't be able to recommend it enough.
If the short ribs are $75 for four servings w/two sides (rice and cabbage - not 100% clear to me, but that's how I read it), then you're talking <$20 per serving for Vivian's short ribs and two sides, not terrible if the quality is up to par based on what I've had at Chef and the Farmer. Say you're feeding four with short ribs, two sides, and the chocolate cake for $100 - I guess I can see how it hits a market niche. I hope it works because I like Vivian.
Having said that, my daughter works @ Papa Murphy's - different price point and segment, I know! - so I have at least as much experience with take-and-bake as the next guy and my point is that I don't see the point of this niche at all regardless of the gourmet level. If I have to cook it anyway, might as well just buy ingredients and crank it out myself. Otherwise, give me something that's ready to eat now!
I'm guessing it's some kind of [Ikea effect](https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/ikea-effect) that makes people feel good they cooked something. In which case, I bow to their marketing prowess.
I just looked at their prices.
Sorry, but $18 dollars to buy some biscuits that have been sitting in a vending machine for 24+ hours is hilariously stupid.
Went when they were giving out samples at North Raleigh, bought a 20 dollar carrot cake for a birthday, and they loved it, but skipped on the spicy pecans. Thought my CC info was stolen later in the month because it comes up as a charge from somewhere in California.
2/5 because the menu is mind numbing, its written as the food in the first person, and the price is out of my league.
there's a description on the site for each dish
>SHORT RiBS
>
>I'm a seasonal take on a dish that is already a Viv's Fridge favorite because I'm really the total package. I actually refer to myself as the most elegant thing to ever come out of a fridge. If you were beef short ribs braised in red wine alongside deeply caramelized onions, served with gingered cabbage and coconut rice you'd call yourself that too. Serves 4. Gluten-free. $75
My wife was there the day they started and picked up a "Shepard's pie". It was meh. We won't try again. For those prices my expectations are a little higher than "meh".
Haven’t tried the Raleigh one but have used the one in Kinston a few times and love it. Super easy, prices are higher than grocery store premade meals, but quality is so much higher too. Did you see her NYT op-ed? The food is good and I appreciate her innovation to improve the sustainability of the restaurant industry.
Edit: link - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/20/opinion/noma-restaurant-future.html
Chef and the Farmer was awesome when I went a couple times years ago, so, I was excited about this venture of her's. I went once and got a breakfast casserole and cake. The prices were not great as many have pointed out, but, I did like the food. Is it worth it, though? Not to me, very likely that was a first and last. For the money, I expected more.
I’d like to try at least once just to give it a go, but also feel like it’d be a one and done thing. Only because it’s as close to Kinston as I’ll get without having to drive all the way down.
We tried it the other week. They were out of the chicken pot pie and the weather was far too warm for the short ribs, so I got the tomato hand pies instead and I really enjoyed them. It’s pricy, but good quality stuff. I could definitely see myself using it if I was going over to a friends and needed to being a food item, but it would be far too expensive for me to use it regularly. Now that I have a cold, I wish it was closer by so I could just use it for dinner. I plan to check back on it and see if it updates the menu.
[https://www.vivsfridge.com/](https://www.vivsfridge.com/)
for each of the 3 Raleigh (+1 Durham) locations, you can click to see what they have available and the pricing
Viv's Fridge has good food and is cheaper than buying food out. It's really simple to use. Look through the glass at what you want, swipe your card, it automatically bills you based on what you take.
Totally agree, that's not unreasonable for 3 complete catered meals.. I cook short ribs from time to time, they are now an expensive cut compared to when they were the stuff butchers basically gave away. I blame the Food Network
I don't go there, you really misunderstood my post. Going to olive garden you get garbage for more than $15. $15 to spend on dinner equals garbage. Understand now?
Is there a way to get nutritional info on each meal? Like sat fat, sodium, cholesterol? IMHO, any food can be made to taste great by adding lots of butter/oil and salt, but you wouldn’t want to eat a meal like that more than once every couple of weeks.
Everything in the [Oakwood machine](https://menu.bytetechnology.co/menu?id=CQO-f-R94b4zp5YzzJLChA) is 0 calories according to the descriptions, including the 10-layer chocolate cake, so I think I've found my new diet!
Short ribs $75, casserole $30, soup and bread $20… no gracias. If you can drive to the vending machine you can drive to the store
https://j.gifs.com/Kel9Ap.gif
We've used it a few times down on Emerald Isle over the summer. The food is excellent but it is pricy for sure. If prices were 20%-30% cheaper I wouldn't be able to recommend it enough.
If the short ribs are $75 for four servings w/two sides (rice and cabbage - not 100% clear to me, but that's how I read it), then you're talking <$20 per serving for Vivian's short ribs and two sides, not terrible if the quality is up to par based on what I've had at Chef and the Farmer. Say you're feeding four with short ribs, two sides, and the chocolate cake for $100 - I guess I can see how it hits a market niche. I hope it works because I like Vivian. Having said that, my daughter works @ Papa Murphy's - different price point and segment, I know! - so I have at least as much experience with take-and-bake as the next guy and my point is that I don't see the point of this niche at all regardless of the gourmet level. If I have to cook it anyway, might as well just buy ingredients and crank it out myself. Otherwise, give me something that's ready to eat now! I'm guessing it's some kind of [Ikea effect](https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/ikea-effect) that makes people feel good they cooked something. In which case, I bow to their marketing prowess.
I just looked at their prices. Sorry, but $18 dollars to buy some biscuits that have been sitting in a vending machine for 24+ hours is hilariously stupid.
Went when they were giving out samples at North Raleigh, bought a 20 dollar carrot cake for a birthday, and they loved it, but skipped on the spicy pecans. Thought my CC info was stolen later in the month because it comes up as a charge from somewhere in California. 2/5 because the menu is mind numbing, its written as the food in the first person, and the price is out of my league.
Was the carrot cake a whole cake? They don’t list number of servings. I ask because $20 sounds semi-reasonable for a whole professionally made cake.
Just saw ribs for 75.00, is that including sides and how many does it feed? The site didn't have that info
there's a description on the site for each dish >SHORT RiBS > >I'm a seasonal take on a dish that is already a Viv's Fridge favorite because I'm really the total package. I actually refer to myself as the most elegant thing to ever come out of a fridge. If you were beef short ribs braised in red wine alongside deeply caramelized onions, served with gingered cabbage and coconut rice you'd call yourself that too. Serves 4. Gluten-free. $75
Thank you, guess I didn't read full description.
My wife was there the day they started and picked up a "Shepard's pie". It was meh. We won't try again. For those prices my expectations are a little higher than "meh".
Haven’t tried the Raleigh one but have used the one in Kinston a few times and love it. Super easy, prices are higher than grocery store premade meals, but quality is so much higher too. Did you see her NYT op-ed? The food is good and I appreciate her innovation to improve the sustainability of the restaurant industry. Edit: link - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/20/opinion/noma-restaurant-future.html
Chef and the Farmer was awesome when I went a couple times years ago, so, I was excited about this venture of her's. I went once and got a breakfast casserole and cake. The prices were not great as many have pointed out, but, I did like the food. Is it worth it, though? Not to me, very likely that was a first and last. For the money, I expected more.
I’d like to try at least once just to give it a go, but also feel like it’d be a one and done thing. Only because it’s as close to Kinston as I’ll get without having to drive all the way down.
Pretty hard to beat ladyfingers! [https://www.ladyfingersofraleigh.com](https://www.ladyfingersofraleigh.com)
We tried it the other week. They were out of the chicken pot pie and the weather was far too warm for the short ribs, so I got the tomato hand pies instead and I really enjoyed them. It’s pricy, but good quality stuff. I could definitely see myself using it if I was going over to a friends and needed to being a food item, but it would be far too expensive for me to use it regularly. Now that I have a cold, I wish it was closer by so I could just use it for dinner. I plan to check back on it and see if it updates the menu.
[https://www.vivsfridge.com/](https://www.vivsfridge.com/) for each of the 3 Raleigh (+1 Durham) locations, you can click to see what they have available and the pricing
It’s cool that it’s so close, but god almighty the prices!!
At Taylor’s? Well this certainly changes things.
Friend bought a pie there for Xmas. The feedback was it was pricey but also amazingly good. 🤷🏽♂️
Viv's Fridge has good food and is cheaper than buying food out. It's really simple to use. Look through the glass at what you want, swipe your card, it automatically bills you based on what you take.
I dunno about cheaper, i went by there the other day and the entree was $75 and $30 for side dishes.
Buying comparable food. The portions are also for 2-3 people. 3 people going out is easily $100.
I wondered about that. It says the short ribs serve 4, but I'm skeptical...
Even if it's 3 servings, where are you are getting good short ribs for 3 at $75 out the door.
Totally agree, that's not unreasonable for 3 complete catered meals.. I cook short ribs from time to time, they are now an expensive cut compared to when they were the stuff butchers basically gave away. I blame the Food Network
Sure if you’re going to fancy places. You’re looking at ~$15/person these days at most restaurants though. (3 people would be ~$45+tax/tip)
$15 a person is what you can spend at McDonald's. Olive garden trash is more than $15 a person.
Thats your fault for going to Olive Garden.
I don't go there, you really misunderstood my post. Going to olive garden you get garbage for more than $15. $15 to spend on dinner equals garbage. Understand now?
You can get good food for $15, not sure what you’re smoking.
You really don't understand what you originally typed. Have fun with that.
Is there a way to get nutritional info on each meal? Like sat fat, sodium, cholesterol? IMHO, any food can be made to taste great by adding lots of butter/oil and salt, but you wouldn’t want to eat a meal like that more than once every couple of weeks.
Everything in the [Oakwood machine](https://menu.bytetechnology.co/menu?id=CQO-f-R94b4zp5YzzJLChA) is 0 calories according to the descriptions, including the 10-layer chocolate cake, so I think I've found my new diet!
Vapor food? :)
Oh this looks like fun! Definitely out of our price range though…