In order to see how well our local restaurants had made the transition to takeout, I asked my family of four to forgo my cooking for four nights, and instead order out from places where we normally dine in. They wholeheartedly agreed.
The first night, we ordered from the Devens Grill. Choices included burgers, chicken, and steak entrees, and family-style meals that come in two sizes for small or large families. At 7 p.m. on Thursday night, we ordered family-style steak tips with sidewinder fries and a garden salad. We were told the order would be ready in 20 minutes, and it was. We picked it up inside the restaurant (we were new at this), but we could have asked them to bring it out to the car. The food came in three aluminum pans for easy reheating, but it was still hot when we got home. The steak tips were tender and cooked to order, the sidewinder fries were a huge hit, and the salad was a good mix of greens and four other veggies plus croutons. Devens Grill also offers beer (including growlers), cider, and wine for takeout.
Next up was Lucia’s Tavola in Ayer. Lucia’s menu may have been pared down, but the sophistication of the food remained high, with the likes of “Manzo Brasato con Funghi”—slow-braised beef, shallot, carrot, garlic, and burgundy mushroom ragu tossed with rigatoni pasta. Since that sophistication did not come cheap, we decided to let our unsophisticated kids fend for themselves. We ordered Manzo Brasato and Chicken Piccata at 6:10 on Friday night (they close at 7), they asked for the make and color of our car, and they said the order would be ready in 20 minutes. Again, it was ready on time, and when we pulled up to the curb, a masked person appeared immediately with our food. We rolled down the back window, he deposited the food, and we were off. The food was hot when we got home; it was delicious, and there was enough for lunch the next day. Lucia’s has since added Markoh’s Cheeseburger to its menu, along with a few other selections from owner Markoh DiCicco’s other restaurant, Markoh’s on Main. Lucia’s also offers wines to go.
The next night our appetites were waning, but with the Press writers’ deadline fast approaching, we forged on. This time we opted for delivery from the Bull Run in Shirley. The Bull Run has a huge menu, with family meals and a la carte items with everything from burgers and pizza to a list of 20 entrees that include vegetable risotto and spring lamb chops. We opted for a family meal for four of meatballs and ravioli. It came with a garden salad, a side of butternut squash, a side of buttered pasta (for the unsophisticated palates), and garlic toast. We ordered at 6:05 on Saturday night, and since we were in Harvard, we were told it would probably be 35 minutes until the food arrived. It arrived at 6:45, piping hot. The masked driver handed it to me, but I realized immediately I should have had some sort of table or sign in the driveway telling her where to put the order to avoid contact with me. It was a learning experience. Again the food was hot and delicious, and there was enough of it to feed at least two more people. Our two kids made an entire meal of the buttered pasta side dish, and we saved the squash for dinner the next day. There are still meatballs in my freezer.
We took a few days off from this gluttonous assignment but returned to try Il Forno in Littleton on Tuesday night. Il Forno is still offering its regular menu with dozens of entrees and wood-fired brick oven pizzas, as well as a dinner specials menu. We ordered veal francese, cheese ravioli, and a large cheese pizza at 6 p.m., and received the usual 20 minute promise, which was again fulfilled. We phoned when we arrived, and the food was brought out and deposited into our car by two masked men. Easy-peasy. The food was hot, freshly cooked, and enjoyed by all. Il Forno also offers wine to go.
Overall, taking out from these establishments was a much easier process than I expected, and the 20-minute time from call to pickup was mind boggling, given that it takes me 20 minutes to get off the couch and start cooking these days. Both the quality and the quantity of the food was high at all four restaurants, and the food was well-packaged for travel and reheating. It was obvious to me that these restaurants had put a lot of thought and energy into switching over to efficient takeout establishments, and, unfortunately, it was also obvious that they don’t have a lot of business. While I don’t recommend four takeout orders in six days, I do recommend getting out and eating some tasty food cooked by someone else. It perked up our day, and no one fought over who would wash the pots and pans. We did fight over those sidewinder fries, though.
