Solving That Age Old Problem Of ‘What’s for dinner?’

By JESSICA PETERSON

The Progress

A convenient and affordable new way to plan dinner has arrived in Moapa Valley and Mesquite. Alix Taylor’s small business “Desert Dishes” is taking orders and delivering meals straight to the doors of local residents.

Taylor is the one-person team behind Desert Dishes. She began brainstorming ideas for a new business while she and her husband were in the process of moving to Logandale from Driggs, Idaho this past April.
“I knew I wanted to start a small business,” she said, “But I had to think of what I wanted to do because I really had no idea.”

Taylor explained that to come up with ideas for her new business endeavor, she first wrote down all the luxuries that she enjoyed in her life. Her list consisted of fun indulgences such as manicures, pedicures, and massages. But at the top of her list was meal delivery programs.

“I loved ordering things like HelloFresh but they just got really expensive,” Taylor stated. “So that’s kind of where the idea came from. I thought I could actually be the one to offer affordable meals in our little community.”

Taylor created the website for Desert Dishes while she was still living in Idaho and within two weeks of moving to Logandale, she had already made her first delivery.

Available meal options are updated biweekly on the website. Every other week, Taylor puts together a new menu of six meals. The meals can include options such as Philly Cheesesteak, Teriyaki Chicken, Kalua Pork, White Chicken Chili, and more depending on the week.

Customers choose six meals with either two adult servings or four adult servings each. Orders can include one of each of the six meals offered or customers are welcome to order duplicates of the same meal. The meals must be ordered and paid for before the order window closes.

After the closing date has passed, Taylor can begin preparing for delivery. She buys all the necessary groceries, assembles the meals, and places them in pre-cut freezer bags. She then seals the bags with a vacuum sealer, labels them with instructions and ingredients, and freezes them.

On delivery day, Taylor packs the meals into brown paper bags with the delivery order. She then personally drives around town to deliver them. Once delivered, consumers need only follow the instructions on the vacuum-sealed portions and enjoy.
“It’s a lot of work,” Taylor said. “But I’ve had a really awesome response. It’s been really successful.”

As Desert Dishes becomes more popular, Taylor hopes the business will grow. “It would be really cool if eventually I could have a commercial property here and maybe a small team,” she said. “That would be really fun!”

The current menu can be found at DesertDishes.com. Order today for the next upcoming delivery on June 28!