Gift meals a specialty of new Evansville area caterer

Aimee Blume, Evansville Courier & Press
Updated ·3 min read
Lexie Fankhouser of To the Table grills skirt steak to slice for sandwiches on Tuesday, May 9, 2023.
Lexie Fankhouser of To the Table grills skirt steak to slice for sandwiches on Tuesday, May 9, 2023.

NEWBURGH − To the Table is a different kind of catering service. Sure, owner Lexie Fankhouser will cater your party, but another of her specialties is a "gift meal."

Here’s how it works.

What is a gift meal?

If you know someone who could use a prepared meal, be it because of illness, the birth of a new child, a new job or busy schedule, a birthday gift or any other reason, Fankhouser will cook it, package it and deliver it hot and ready to eat. It could be for a family or for a single person.

The basic multi-course meal price is $35 per person plus 75 cents per mile for delivery. Prices may increase for more expensive ingredients.

If more than one meal is needed, Fankhouser can include additional freezer meals with the order.

More: Evansville-area food news: 7 tidbits for you this week

Who is Lexie Fankhouser?

Originally from Atlanta, Fankhouser is a technical writer, author, and has a master’s degree in business marketing and management. She has lived all over the United States and Europe with her husband, former pro hockey player Scott Fankhouser.

“When I’m in a new place, I go straight to the grocery store and get local street food and that’s what informs my menu,” she said.

Sliced grilled skirt steak, aged white cheddar cheese and steak sauce ready to be assembled into steak sandwiches from To the Table Catering.
Sliced grilled skirt steak, aged white cheddar cheese and steak sauce ready to be assembled into steak sandwiches from To the Table Catering.

Friends had the habit of asking her to make more of whatever she was having for dinner and sell it to them, and, after settling permanently in Evansville, she took downtime during the COVID-19 pandemic to make her business official, get ServSafe certification and find a commissary kitchen. Thus was born To the Table.

What about regular catering?

Oh, absolutely. Fankhouser caters for office groups, private parties and events. She drops off platters and buffet pans or can do individual box lunches but does not have servers to do plated banquets.

Is there a menu?

Fankhauser’s menus can range from casual box lunches to upscale hors d’oeuvres and entrees. She has a growing list of favorite suggestions, but each menu is worked out individually with the customer.

Her favorite beef to cook is skirt steak, which is the traditional cut for fajitas. She loves to marinate and grill it, then serve it as whole steaks (maybe topped with bacon wrapped shrimp or scallops, for example), or slice it and use it for sandwiches, or top it with a sauce. Other favorites are bacon wrapped pork loin, chicken parmesan with pasta, Thai or Indian food, sliders and wraps, cookies, brownies, salads... the list goes on.

Box lunches recently provided by To the Table catering included fruity chicken salad, croissants, chips and fruit salad.
Box lunches recently provided by To the Table catering included fruity chicken salad, croissants, chips and fruit salad.

Occasionally, she’ll cook for an event that’s open to the public, often in partnership with Pam Reimann of Wine-Oh! Tours and Events for a wine tasting and education class. For example, for a recent five-course wine tasting fundraiser for the Warrick Humane Society, she cooked carrot ginger soup with spiced chickpea croutons; grilled watermelon salad with feta cheese; blackened turbot tostadas with beans, slaw and green salsa; and a double dark chocolate mousse.

To Contact Fankhouser for more information about To the Table Catering, message her through the Facebook page at facebook.com/tothetablemeals or call 770-598-1824.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: To the Table Catering specializes in gift meals