Take-out has become a coping mechanism for diners and restaurants, helping both endure the long, dark weirdness of 2020. Over the months to come — in the stressed out space between today’s bubbles and tomorrow’s vaccines — Take This Out will focus on the delicious things we can all take home.

This edition begins with Akiyo Lowey, of Dosanko restaurant…

What is the take out item you sell the most of?

Beef Belly Katsu Sandwich (Beef belly panko crusted, housemade Japanese milk bread, tonkatsu sauce, organic mustard, cabbage).

What is the take-out dish you think everyone should try and why?

Cheese Stuffed Menchi Katsu Burger: Freshly ground beef pate stuffed with cheese, lettuce, tonkatsu sauce, koji-mayo, caramelized onions, pickles, house made milk bun. (“Menchi” means minced meat in Japanese.) It used to be a special menu. Once we took off from the menu, people kept asking to bring back the burger, so we did!! It is popular and unique!

Next, Operations Manager Kaitlin Legge dishes on what to order from Savio Volpe’s sister restaurant, Pepino’s Spaghetti House…

What is the take-out item you sell the most of?

Pepino’s classics such as our Spaghetti & Meatballs, Rigatoni alla Vodka, Lasagna alla Scarfone, Caesar Salad & Tiramisu.

What is the take-out dish you think everyone should try and why?

Our Detroit Style Deep Dish Pizza! Thick crust Detroit-style pie with a tender crumb, crispy caramelized cheese, tangy red sauce and classic toppings! Add on our house made Gorgonzola Ranch or Hot Sauce!

We continue with Malindi Taylor, Marketing & Restaurant Sales Coordinator at Fanny Bay Oyster Bar…

What is the take-out item you sell the most of?

Our ‘Happy Hour at Home’ Seafood Boxes are our top seller. We offer them in a 2 person and 4 person pack size. They include a bottle of our house Sauvignon Blanc wine, oysters with a knife to shuck them, mussel & clam steamer kit, prawn cocktail, cold cracked Dungeness crab and all the sauces and accoutrements you need for an epic seafood feast.

What is the take-out dish you think everyone should try and why?

I think everyone would love our Seafood Charcuterie Box! It comes with a great selection of curated smoked oysters and mussels, candied salmon, cheese from Vancouver Island, as well as house made pickled veggies, crackers, and olives. It’s a great deal as opposed to ordering all the items individually and makes for an excellent appetizer for a special ‘date night’ at home.

Next up: Ron MacGillivray, Proprietor of Fable Diner, tells us what to pick up or have delivered via their new Orange Toque service – “faster and fresher than any 3rd party app”…

What is the take-out item you sell the most of?

Our top three sellers are: $16 Spicy buttermilk fried chicken burger, (hot sauce powder, sliced cheese, pickled jalapenos, chipotle ranch, slaw); the $17 Loaded Double Diner (Fable Loaded burger) 2 4oz beef patties, double streaky bacon, double slice cheese, fable sauce, lettuce, tomato, house pickles; and MILKSHAKES, as everyone has one with the burgers. Top seller is probably the chocolate peanut butter and pretzel shake, however the dalgona shakes are killing it lately.

What is the take-out dish you think everyone should try and why?

The one dish everyone should try is probably the Roast Duck Pancake – cornmeal pancake, roast duck in hoisin, duck mayo, crispy business and our housemade kimchi.

Rounding up this edition is Antonio Cayonne, co-owner and GM of The Mackenzie Room…

What is the take out item you sell the most of?

The item we sell the most, now that we launched take-out at TMR, is actually “Date Night” – our full dinner for 2 for $110. This features 5 dishes meant to be shared by 2 people, taking you all the way through to dessert. Add a bottle of BC wine for good measure! For a full family, we just started doing I Want It All (by popular demand) which is 9 dishes total for $189.

What is the take-out dish you think everyone should try and why?

At TMR the dish to try is definitely the Chicken of the Sea, which is included as part of Date Night. Chef Sean’s signature Sea Urchin Parfait and Squid Ink Brioche is equal parts enticing, surprising, familiar, and comforting. And it travels so well you’d think he made it in your kitchen. Toss the bread under the broiler for a hot minute for that ‘restaurant chic’ effect.