Utica’s Tailor & the Cook Restaurant Offers ‘Heat & Eat’ Program

The Tailor & the Cook, under the guidance of owner Tim Hardiman, has become not only a leading and award-winning Utica restaurant, it's also an innovator.

During the trying times of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hardiman has become very creative with the eatery's services, as necessity is always the mother of invention. So, he has introduced the Tailor & the Cook's "Heat & Eat Dinner for Two." It's gourmet food from the Tailor & the Cook,packaged up and ready to go, with full instructions on how to have a great dining experience at home.

The meals are all completely pre-cooked by Hardiman and his staff and can be re-heated in about 20 minutes. Here's a look at the venison meatloaf, with roasted potatoes and braised chard, which comes with a side of mushroom cream:

Hardiman told us his restaurant has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic. Because the interior is so intimate, there are fewer tables to begin with, and social distancing requirements have caused even more limited space for diners. Plus, the city had to curtail its outdoor dining option (below), due to construction.

The Tailor & the Cook, a true farm to table outfit, uses locally-sourced foods. Located at 94 Genesee Street in Utica, it honors the history of the area, according to its website:

Since the birth of the city, this address has been home to a number of thriving businesses including the UTK Tailoring Company, from 1910 until the 1940s.