“It’s absolutely how Grandma would make it.”

That’s the philosophy behind Carry Out by Chrislyn, a small catering/made-to-order food business on East Second Street in Washington.

At the helm is longtime culinary talent Chrislyn Wedderien, who has always had a passion for food and sharing it with others.

Wedderien has lived all over the United States, including New York and Rhode Island, but decided to come to North Carolina a little more than a decade ago. Most recently working in a high school cafeteria setting, she also did some catering for Washington area residents before opening Carry Out.

“I’ve been in food my whole life. My father was a chef,” she said.

Wedderien said she probably looked at 20-30 sites for her business before settling on the 128 E. Second St. spot. Longtime friend Marie Peedin owns the circa-1890 home-turned-commercial property and was in the market for a new tenant.

No doubt, hard work to transform the former house into a commercial kitchen area — much of the construction done by Peedin herself — and the pieces finally fell into place, as Wedderien received her permit to operate on Nov. 8.

“This is a dream come true,” Wedderien said, as she proudly showed off her “real” ingredients, ready for use in a stainless steel workplace. Sweet potatoes baking in the oven filled the back, and an order of sausage balls sent off a pleasant odor toward the front door.

With ready-to-go, homemade meals and the option for customers to make special requests, Wedderien said she wants to give people a home-cooked meal, without them having to do it themselves.

“Food already prepared that you really want to serve your family,” she said. “Food is such a symbol of love.”

Describing Washington as the perfect place for her and her family, Wedderein said she enjoys being able to be creative and having the support of a small-town atmosphere behind her.

“I’m very grateful that I was allowed to open this business,” Wedderein said. “We’re homemade. We keep going back to: ‘Would your grandmother make it?’”