Stay in, Take Out

During the holiday season last month my husband and I needed a break from cooking and washing dishes – take-out for dinner was calling our names. On that night we ordered food from Spoon (415 King St., Chappaqua) and I reviewed the food for Patch.com last Wednesday. Sushi and sashimi were the highlights of that meal. A small excerpt follows:

"I asked the sushi chef to do sashimi of his best available choices of the night. He gave me salmon presented as a rose (mouth-watering even though not usually my favorite) and yellowtail (which was incredibly fresh and silky). These were $3-4 per piece and well worth it. We had a Volcano Roll ($14.95) which is a shrimp tempura roll topped with spicy tuna, tobiko, scallion and eel sauce. That was probably one of the best rolls my husband says he has ever eaten. The Spoon Roll ($11.95) was a California roll with crunchy spicy tuna on the outside. It was delicious and beautifully constructed."

That review got us thinking: where are some of the best places for take-out in Mount Kisco and Chappaqua? A short list follows of some of the best that come to mind.

Q Restaurant & Bar (487 E. Main St., Mount Kisco, www.qrestaurantbar.com, 914-933-7427).

Q is one of my favorite restaurants in the area. I love BBQ and therefore, I love Q. Their brisket is delectable, as are their St. Louis-Style Ribs. They have the best Southern Fried Chicken Fingers that I steal off of my son's plate. The French fries, baked beans and cheesy corn are all excellent. The cakes are from their sister store, Kneaded Bread in Port Chester. They are fantastic. I recently had a vanilla layer cake with vanilla frosting and coconut that I don't want to tell you about because it was so good I want there to be some for me next time they have it. Everything on Q's menu is a take-out option. They have combination plates ($13.00 - $17.50) that come with two sides and their wonderful corn bread. There are also salads (the Chopped BBQ salad comes with pulled pork, brisket or BBQ chicken, $8.25 - $11.50) and sandwiches (pulled pork is a favorite, $9.25 - $12.00). There is a $10 lunch special Monday to Friday that includes some of the more popular items on their menu (ribs, pulled pork, etc). The lunch comes with one side and corn bread. Curbside pickup for prepaid orders is also available for the busy customer.

Hours: Monday – Thursday, 11:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. Friday – Saturday, 11:30 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. Sunday, 12 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Bellizzi (153 E. Main St., Mount Kisco, www.bellizzifood.com, 914-241-1200).

Some people might think of Bellizzi as the kids' pizza place in town but they offer some of the best Italian food in our area. The pizza is crispy and delicious. At least 10 pizzas are offered by the slice for walk ins and there are 13 pizzas on the take out menu with countless combinations (medium $10.95 - $15.95, large $13.95 - $19.95). One of their new offerings is the Brooklyn Bridge pizza. It is an ultra-thin crust with homemade mozzarella and tomatoes grown in California, which Bellizzi's owner and head chef feels trump San Marzano tomatoes. There are lots of salad options, such as the Caesar ($6 - $8) and the Arugula Salad with diced sopressata, roasted peppers, tomatoes and gorgonzola cheese ($7 - $10). There are 12 pastas listed on the menu such as Spaghetti and Meatballs and Truffle Pasta with tomatoes, wild mushrooms, spinach, truffle pesto and basil. Belizzi's meatballs are my favorite in the tri-state area, by the way. The pastas come in lunch sizes ($6 - $13), dinner ($15 - $19) and family sizes for $20 - $30, which are a great deal for a crowd. Also new to Bellizzi is their DIY Pizza Kit (Do It Yourself) for $20. This includes 4 individual par-baked crusts, pizza sauce, mozzarella, oregano and directions. Extra toppings start at $.50 each. I brought home one of these kits the other night and my kids loved it. They felt like they were making their own dinner and the pizza came out looking and tasting like it was baked in a pizza oven. The owner of Bellizzi passed along a tip for keeping take out pizza from losing that just out of the oven crisp. Order your pizza uncut from the pizzeria, pick it up or have it delivered, heat your oven to 375 degrees, put the whole pizza on a tray and heat for 5-10 minutes, and cut when warm. This trick will keep your pizza crispy and delicious every time.

Hours: Sunday – Thursday, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Friday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. FREE DELIVERY

Ladle of Love (11B S. Moger Ave., Mount Kisco, www.ladleoflove.com, 914-232-9661).

There are only 3-4 stools to sit down at Ladle of Love but you can take out everything on their extensive and growing menu. Ladle of Love is not just soup. It is now entrées; salads, side dishes and desserts. There is a printed daily menu on the wall as you enter the small storefront or you can view the menu online (they change it daily and note the time it has been updated). The other day there were 7 soups available (Mushroom Barley, Cuban Black Bean, Harvest Celebration, Tuscan Tomato, Chunky Vegetable, Chicken & Dumpling and Chicken Noodle) ranging from $6.45 for a small to $14.95 for a large. I ordered the Tuscan Tomato with tomatoes, a bit of butter, onions, carrots, celery, a touch of cream, olive oil and seasonings. The ingredients are listed right on the menu so you see exactly what you are getting. It was delicious and hearty, but still light. I also sampled the Slow Roasted Lemon Thyme Chicken ($5.50 per piece) which was moist and juicy. My husband added some of the chicken to his Goat Cheese Salad with Romaine, goat cheese, dried cranberries and walnuts served with white balsamic vinaigrette ($6.25 – affordable and a perfect size for lunch or to add some meat to for dinner). The Cobb Salad is fantastic. It has Romaine, beets, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, English cucumber, avocado, Kalamata olives, snap peas, blue cheese bacon and pecan-raisin croutons ($10.75). It is enough to fill a very, very large salad bowl. There is also a delicious Truffle Mac 'n' Cheese (small $7.25 – large $16.00). I tried a panini that day also. There were 9 varieties on the menu. I chose the Thanksgiving Panini with stuffing, fresh roasted turkey, cranberry sauce and gravy ($9.50). It was a foot long and really yummy. A few more things to "love": curbside pickup from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m. in the back parking lot, and if you join Ladle of Love's Facebook page, you get status updates referencing some of their daily specials and it always makes me hungry!

Hours: Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Closed on Sunday.

Azteca Restaurant (125 E. Main St., Mount Kisco, www.aztecarestaurant.net, 914-242-9313).

If you are searching for authentic, homemade, delicious Mexican food, look no further than Azteca. It is always busy. They have handmade tortillas, salsa and guacamole. Do I need to go any further? There are many of the familiar appetizers such as nachos, ceviche and quesadillas but they are done well. It ultimately doesn't matter how simple food is, just that it tastes good, and this does. There are enchiladas, tacos, chile rellenos and chimichangas. All of these are well-priced at no more than $11.95. Just remember this is the kind of food that travels well but open the containers when you get home so the steam doesn't make everything lose its crispness. There is a whole page of beef, chicken and pork entrées like Pollo Azteca (grilled chicken topped with sautéed onions, refried beans, green sauce and melted cheese) for $13.95. There are 8 seafood entrées such as Camaron Acapulco ($15.95) which has jumbo shrimp stuffed with cheese and wrapped in bacon. Skirt steak, pork chicken and shrimp fajitas are offered at $13.95 - $16.95. All entrées come with refried beans, Mexican rice and sides of guacamole, sour cream and pico de gallo. All you need to make is a margarita and dinner is ready to go!

Now on to Chappaqua:

Mario's Pizza (13 King St., Chappaqua, www.mariospizzachappaqua.com, 914-238-3858).

Mario's has been around for years and is a staple for the locals. My husband used to order a slice after school when he was at Robert E. Bell Middle School. Pizzas range from small for $13.00 to a large for approximately $20. There are the traditional choices and some specialty pizzas, such as the Chicken Marsala Pizza and the Grandma Pizza with broccoli sautéed in oil and garlic topped with mozzarella. There are appetizers like mozzarella sticks, fried calamari and seven soups available. Salads range from $5.00 - $11.50, and paninis and wedges from $6 - $10 (served with a salad or French fries). All of the classic choices are represented. The wraps sound enticing, most named after sports teams, like the Yankee with grilled chicken, bacon, lettuce, tomato and crumbled gorgonzola cheese ($7) and the Giants with ham, salami, pepperoni, roasted red peppers, provolone cheese, lettuce and tomato for $7. There is also the Mario's Wrap ($7) with penne vodka, chicken cutlet and mozzarella!

Hours: Monday – Saturday, 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. Sunday, 12 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Quaker Hill Tavern (61 N. Bedford Rd., Chappaqua, www.quakerhilltavern.com, 914-238-6416).

Quaker Hill Tavern is billed as an upscale tavern with a relaxed atmosphere. The food reflects that sentiment well. Starters are classic but with a little twist. Wings are available for $9 in either Buffalo style or sweet Thai chili. Lettuce Wraps for $10 have diced chicken, ginger, scallions and red peppers. Salad choices come in an appetizer portion or an entrée portion which is not typical, but very appreciated. The Baby Red Leaf Salad (Appetizer $9/Entrée $13) comes with dried apricots, bermuda onion, crumbled goat cheese and a red wine-dijon dressing. You can add chicken, steak, shrimp, salmon or calamari to any of their salads. There are 10 sandwich options like the Blackened Tuna Sandwich with roasted corn salsa for $14 or a Greeley burger with lettuce, tomato and onion for $10. Entrées include Veal Meatloaf with French beans, whipped mashed potatoes and a red wine sauce for $17 and a Seared Wild Salmon with Bok Choy, shiitake mushrooms and lemon butter for $23. They do classic comfort food well.

Hours: Lunch, Tuesday – Sunday, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Dinner, Monday – Wednesday, 4 p.m. – 10 p.m.; Thursday – Saturday, 4 p.m. – 11 p.m.; Sunday 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Le Jardin du Roi (95 King Street, Chappaqua, www.lejardinchappaqua.com, 914-238-1368).

How many places do you know that are open from 8 a.m. – midnight seven days a week that have a full take-out menu? We don't have many take-out breakfast options in the suburbs but this option is a good one for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A homemade croissant topped with ham and melted swiss cheese for $9 sounds delicious, and there is a daily quiche choice for $9.75. Lunch could be a sandwich, salad or entrée. Some examples include the smoked salmon with a hard-boiled egg and tomato on baguette with pesto and mayonnaise for $12, or handmade spicy lamb sausage on a baguette with roasted peppers for $13.75. Most sandwiches are served with a side salad. There is a delicious Tuna Nicoise salad with a grilled medium rare steak over mesclun with haricot verts, hard boiled eggs and potatoes. One of my favorite appetizers here is the pan sautéed goat cheese with caramelized red onion, homemade potato crisps and a honey drizzle. There are also many burger choices, like the Hamburger du Roi with bacon, sunny side up egg and Swiss cheese, served with French fries and a salad for $15.75. There is also a vegetarian burger, a homemade lentil-based burger topped with a tomato-cognac aioli for $14. I don't know many places that you can get take-out Cassoulet, which is a traditional white bean stew with duck leg confit, sweet pork sausage and spicy chorizo for $26. There are also 6 choices for Mussels and Fries priced at $24. Two of my favorites are the white wine, pernod, diced garlic, shallot and tomato or the mild curry cream. There is a fantastic array of options from Jardin du Roi, and while they are not traditional, they are extremely desirable.

Hours: Open every day, 8 a.m. – 12 a.m. (midnight).

Now, go out there and try some of these places and report back to me your favorites and tell me some of your own choices for best take out food in Mount Kisco and Chappaqua. Happy Eating!