Cleaver Co.

Profile

From this tiny takeout shop it's easy to see that not all the seats are occupied at The Green Table, the small restaurant next door that's clearly part of the same operation. So who are all the cooks in the huge kitchen just behind the counter cooking for? The Cleaver Co. is really four businesses in one: Caterer, restaurant, retail gourmet shop, and wholesale distributor of pot pies. Mary Cleaver and her company have been in the Chelsea Market since its inception, offering not strictly organic, but sustainable, cuisine. Inside the little shop you can take out any of the daily specials offered in the restaurant—chicken and pork labeled with their purveyors' names and sides or salads made with fresh, seasonal vegetables—and regular menu items like macaroni and cheese. It'll take 10 minutes to heat up your savory mushroom or chicken pot pie. — Nancy Davidson

An East Coast Alice Waters, Mary Cleaver has a following among food connoisseurs for her emphasis on high-quality, organic, and local ingredients, and her commitment to sustainable fishing and humane livestock practices. Wedding parties can indulge in grilled asparagus, pickled ramps, and vinaigrette served with roasted wild striped bass in pistou broth with fingerling potatoes and spring peas (from $225 for weddings, with alcohol and cake).