Let’s start with something simple. A definition. According to Mr. Gold:
Take-out food refers to food that is purchased at a restaurant or other food establishment and is intended to be taken home or somewhere else and eaten, rather than consumed on the premises. Some popular types of take-out food include pizza, Chinese food, and fried chicken. Many restaurants offer take-out options, and some specialize in it as their primary business model. In recent years, the rise of food delivery services has made it even easier for people to get take-out food from a wide variety of restaurants without ever having to leave their homes.
I would assume that almost everyone has ordered or gotten something to eat as a takeaway option. I don’t mean ordering restaurant food for home. No. I am talking about food that is intended to be eaten somewhere else as the definition above states.
Here are my current take-away highlights in no particular order.
Probably the first one would need its own article. A healthy burger from a place called Tarte (Jelgava, Latvia). It is or was, since the place where it was sold is no longer open, a cafe in Jelgava. It offered not only this delicious burger but also various cakes, chocolates, macarons, bread, and more. This establishment is special to me. Why? You may ask. Well for that you will have to wait.
And, yes, the car in the background is from my recent love affair. Read here, if you don’t know what I am talking about.
Second. Pizza of course. I have found a place in Brussels where I enjoy having dinner with my beautiful woman. You can see in my article about pasta a dish from that place, but I have yet to post something about their pizzas. In due time, of course. But for this piece, I will mention a different pizza establishment. A one located in Riga, Latvia – Ágenskalna tirgus aka Market of Agenskalns. There you will find not only this lovely pizza place but various others as well. There is probably something for everyone. Well, maybe, not for vegans. But you can’t please everyone.
I know that probably everyone already is aware of what is a pizza. But I just wanted to involve Mr. Gold again. So, he kindly gave me his definition of a pizza:
Pizza is a savory dish of Italian origin, consisting of a usually round, flattened base of leavened wheat-based dough topped with tomatoes, cheese, and various other ingredients (such as anchovies, olives, meat, etc.) baked at a high temperature, traditionally in a wood-fired oven. Modern pizza was invented in Naples, Italy, and the dish has since become popular in many parts of the world. There are many variations of pizza, with different toppings and styles of crust, and it is often served in slices as a quick and convenient meal.
And third. I don’t want to call it my favorite. But it probably is. When I think of going to Latvia, I think of getting this. Western Europeans might not know what it is. So here is a definition:
A cheburek is a deep-fried turnover with a filling of ground meat, typically lamb or beef, and onions. It originates from the Crimean Tatar cuisine and is popular in many Eastern European and Central Asian countries. Chebureks are usually served hot and are often accompanied by a dipping sauce or eaten with sour cream. The dough used to make chebureks is similar to that used for empanadas or samosas, and the dish is typically made by folding the dough over the filling and sealing it before frying. Chebureks are often served as street food or as a snack in restaurants and cafes.
Yes, you read this right. A cheburek. A delicious, beautiful thing. Something which my girlfriend does not like. But I enjoy it immensely. There are a couple of places that I know of where it is sold. But I buy it at only one place. I honestly don’t know what I might do if this place gets closed. Which might happen, even though they survived Covid-19 lockdowns. But until that happens, I will dream about this place when I am not in Jelgava, and I will look forward to visiting it every time when I am in Latvia.
So here you have it. Two delicious takeaway foods that you probably did not expect. And one from the usual suspects. I have a couple more. One in particular that the majority of people will not know. For that, I am sure of. What it is? You will have to wait for the second edition.
Bon appetite.
Olaaf
