Restaurant Guide 2011: Top Takeout

Lucky for us, finding decent Thai takeout in Portland is pretty easy. Finding it in a convenient location is trickier, so it's a big help that Cha'ba Thai fields the same menu in establishments both north and south of Fremont. Make sure you know which Cha'ba you're talking to, lest you find yourself walking into the Alberta location, jonesing for khao soi, only to be told your bowl of noodles in curry is sitting on Sandy.

3024 NE Alberta St., 719-6917; 5810 NE Sandy Blvd., 282-3970, chabathaipdx.com.

Ate-Oh-Ate

Chef Benjamin Dyer's ode to his native Hawaii and its plate-lunch cuisine is worlds apart from his other project, meat powerhouse Laurelhurst Market, in many ways. The degree of satisfaction is not one of them, but the knowledge that you could place your to-go order, pick it up and be home feasting on tender Lau Lau pork steamed in taro leaf long before you could get a table at the Market means advantage Ate-Oh-Ate. 

2454 E Burnside St., 445-6101, ateohate.com.

Produce Row

As nice as Produce Row's newly renovated deck is, its availability is subject to the whim of the elements. Fortunately, the same cannot be said about the menu, as the mighty half-pound Row burger is indifferent to the vagaries of the weather. Any of the sandwiches could travel well, and the batter-clad fries retain their crispness for a surprising amount of time, so a Produce Row experience is beholden to neither location nor season. 

204 SE Oak St., 232-8355, producerowcafe.com.

Taste Unique

Chef Stefania Toscano is deviously clever. On the fence about taking part in one of her sit-down, multicourse dinners? Snag an entrée to take home, take one bite of a garlicky, béchamel-and-sausage Umbrian lasagna and call back to make reservations. While the bulk of the freshly made refrigerated items are standbys, such as lasagna, cannelloni and meatballs, the variety of frozen entrées is broader, so something's bound to catch your eye. 

2134 SE Division St., 206-7059, tasteunique.com.

Baked!

Strategically located near several Alberta Street bars, this takeout window slings baked-to-order mac and cheese for that carb fix you need to power through the rest of your evening. Order straight-up, four-cheese mac or get crazy with the variations, like the basil, tomato and garlic Margherita or the Pig and Peas: smoky bacon and green peas adding a killer salty-sweet balance to the mac. Any mac can be made vegan and gluten-free.

1805 NE Alberta St., Facebook.com/bakedpdx.

WWeek 2015