Although there are a lot of great aspects to dining out (being served by others, seeing and being seen, and soaking up the ambience), sometimes you just want to take the food home and enjoy it curled up on your couch in front of a good video.
That’s when takeout and delivery become indispensable lifelines.
We recently got the advice of local restaurateurs about the do’s and don’t’s of takeout and delivery:
– Tipping: Alfred Hsu, owner of Szechuan East, which sends out about 100 takeout meals a night, says most people tip about 10 percent of the bill, with an average of about $3. “But if you have a $100 bill, you don’t have to tip 10 percent,” he says. “We already have a delivery charge of $3, but that goes to pay the people who pack and take the order and for a special towing and ticket fund.”
“If you are getting delivery in the suburbs, the driver is usually out on a single pie run and so if it gets there hot and fresh, you should probably do about 15 percent,” says Linda Bacin, co-owner of the Bacino’s chain, which offers free delivery. “But in the city, they are probably doing multiple-order runs in a denser area, so 8 to 10 percent is more common.”
– What to order: “Salads do an amazing job and a lot of Asian food travels well and, of course, pasta is good for carryout, too. I try to stick with stuff that tastes better the second day,” says Lettuce Entertain You founder Rich Melman, who estimates he orders out about four times a week. “Broiled ribs and chicken also do well.”
“Sandwiches and salads are fine for takeout,” says restaurateur Roger Greenfield. “Also some soups in the right containers.”
– What to avoid: Raw oysters, seared fish, fried foods. “Anything that is sauced and delicate, I’d stay away from,” says Greenfield.
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– Container talk: According to Mark Spencer, market development manager of Pactiv, the largest food service container supplier in the Midwest, there is a real hierarchy to takeout containers. Here it is, from the bottom to top: styrofoam containers with hinge lids; aluminum rounds with a cardboard lids; black styrofoam with hinge lids; clear plastic boxes; black bottoms and clear lids; microwaveable containers with a black polypropylene base and clear anti-fog lids; and hard oven-proof containers like you get with some frozen dinners. The difference in price from the bottom to the top is about 500 percent.
Foodlife, Bar Louie, Mei Shung and Joe’s Stone Crab all use those sturdy black-bottom, clear-top containers that can handle the microwave and be used again. Although the Chinese food pails can still be leaky, we love the fact that they hardly ever have metal on them anymore and can go in the microwave.
– More tips: Try to check your delivery items before the delivery person leaves. Ask your order taker to read your order back to you on the phone. Agree on the price before you get off the phone. Pay by credit card over the phone to save time.