By Chanda Temple
One week before Willie Williams was to host an event at his art studio in North Birmingham, his catering fell through.
Unable to contact another caterer, he wondered what he was going to do. He found his answer after tasting the sandwiches Lauree Blair of Cutie Chutes had prepared for a Yelp Elite event that was being held at Willie’s Studio 2500 just days before his own event.
“Divine timing kind of hooked us up,” Willie said as he talked about Lauree. “You’d think she’d have just regular sandwiches. But she took it a step further and made them unique.”
Think gourmet sandwiches made withmaple Dijonaise, maple glazed ham and Swiss cheese, warmed inside croissant bread that’s encrusted with honey on a griddle. There was also a pretzel bun filled with Lauree’s homemade Buffalo chive spread, Blazin’ Buffalo chicken, butter lettuce, Vermont white cheddar, marinated tomatoes and hickory bacon.
The combination of the cheese and honey had Willie and his guests hooked.
“Everyone at the event keeps calling me, telling me how good her sandwiches were. And now they want her for things that they want to do,” Willie said.
“The reason I asked her to do my event was because of her kind spirit and her professionalism and presentation. That’s what drew me to her.”
For Lauree, her work isn’t just about the food. It’s also about putting passion, faith and kindness into everything she does.
She starts her mornings with devotion before checking her to-do list for her three-year-old company, which specializes in regular and holiday-themed charcuterie boards and sandwich boxes. And Lauree leans on the belief that she is never alone on her entrepreneurial journey.
“People always say if God gives you the vision, He will send the people,” said Lauree, a 2008 Ramsay High School graduate and a 2013 Miles College graduate. “And I’m a product of that statement.”
Since several people sought out Lauree to create their boxed meals for Diner En Blanc in Birmingham in 2024, she decided to take orders this year. (Diner En Blanc is an outdoor event where attendees buy advance tickets, wear white and take their own food to an undisclosed location. This year, the event will be on Saturday, Sept. 20.)
Lauree said that her Cutie Chutes boxes will include a sandwich, known as a Sammie, and two sides for $18. She has a limited supply, and the deadline to order is 1 p.m. on Sept. 20 at http://www.cutiechutes.com. She will disclose the pick-up location to those ordering.
The Sammie options include a choice of one of the following:
The Short Stack: Maple ham, Swiss cheese, maple Dijonaise and honey drizzle on croissant bread
The Craven: Oven roasted turkey, Provolone cheese, red pesto, garlic aioli, arugula and marinated tomatoes on focaccia bread.
The Nitro: Blazin’ Buffalo chicken, hickory bacon, Vermont White Cheddar, Buffalo chive spread, butter lettuce and marinated tomatoes on a pretzel bun
The Jackie: Roasted chickpeas, zesty lemon Tahini dressing, marinated kale, quinoa, cucumbers and grape tomatoes wrapped in a spinach tortilla.
The sides include a choice of two of the following:
fresh fruit, Carrot Ribbon Salad, Cutie Antipasto Salad or house chips
“We don’t do basic,” said Lauree, 34. “That’s the art of Cutie Chutes.”
Chanda Temple is an award-winning writer living in Birmingham, Ala. She blogs at http://www.chandatemplewrites.com. If you have a food story idea, email her at chandatemple@gmail.com. Follow her on Instagram at @chandatemple.
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