by Hoyt Nelson
Dining after the virus makes restaurant dining different and takeout is the order of the day (if you don’t want to cook). I can report several good experiences we’ve had over the last few weeks. Both give quantities greater than what you’d get in the restaurant at the same, or better quality as for sit down. I know these only apply to the San Jose area, but I suspect you can find equally good places where you live.
- Thaibodia on S Bascom near Campbell Ave. in Campbell. When they opened several years ago, many dishes were quite spicy, but now, they are under-spiced for my taste. Fortunately, I always have a small bottle of sanbal in my frig, which closely matches the hot sauce available at the restaurant. You can select 3 dishes from a list for $25, which is cheaper than menu price. Highly recommended!
- Sorelle’s (Italian) on San Tomas Aquino in Campbell, we ordered a Lasagna and a short rib Bolognese to go. Both were again quite large and very tasty, and you don’t need to include a tip as large as if in the restaurant since there is no table service. Of course, you must pay for delivery (with places like Door Dash for ex.) if you’re too far away, but some places give your first delivery for free.
- Costco has large pizzas (with everything on it) for only $10. We’ve had Costco’s pizzas before and they are very good. We’ve also had their hot dogs (for only $1.50). They are large, and every bit as good as Nathan’s or Hebrew National’s. Reports tell of many other excellent take out selections at Costco. (You could also eat on site at their picnic tables – until the virus came along.) Most Costco and Walmart Grocery Stores also have really good roasted chickens at a loss-leader price of $5.
While I’m at it, here is a link to my restaurant list for some of my favorites (not all places do takeout): https://drive.google.com/open?id=122YDkHJTNB31sAMZB0utsqFVLM55qJj-
For those who want to cook at home, see some of my favorite recipes: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1QHKrCBvjzMxdo7DcAoEPAr_lo1bXw1gD
