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For many, takeout dinners imply pizza, sandwiches or ethnic food. Barbecue may also work into the mix, but otherwise it’s difficult for some to grasp the appeal of taking a chef-prepared meal out of its restaurant environs unless it’s being carried in a doggie bag.
I admit I am among that group.
Takeout at R2Go (1101 N. College Ave., 737-2543), though, is more than just a differently packaged version of what’s on the main menu around-the-corner-and-down-the-block at its mothership, RBistro. Here’s a combination gourmet food stop, deli and takeout spot that doesn’t try to overwhelm with options. Instead, it focuses on quality and simplicity.
The offerings change regularly, but here’s what I found on a recent visit.
Credit the carrots for the bright orange French Peasant Soup ($7.95 a pound), featuring big pieces of tomato, turnip greens, onion, potato cubes and a bit of bacon with unnoticeable garlic, salt and pepper. One of the unexpected pleasures of takeout, I discovered, is that you can portion out as much as you want once you get home. That seems obvious, perhaps, but a soup that might have satisfied with just a one-cup portion in the restaurant brought pleasure over the course of three meals on the home front.
The title ingredients in Sweet Potato and Black Bean Salad ($5.50 a pound) shared their container with red onion, corn and, according to the label, jalapeno. I tasted none of the last ingredient but was more than satisfied with what was included. And rather than devour it at one sitting, I found myself dipping a fork in it and taking just a bite multiple times over its refrigerated life span.
Cheeses highlight the deli case. (IBJ Photo/ Eric Learned)Chicken Country Captain (steep at $9.75) is something I would rather have had in a restaurant. The problem wasn’t with the dish—which featured basmati rice, peppers, onion, tomato, currants and almonds along with the chicken—but with the fact that it didn’t come with heating instructions. I’m cautious about microwaving boned chicken (and, besides, the idea of microwaving an R Bistro entree just feels wrong). The other choices were to dismantle the dish or eat it cold—neither ideal options.
Easy to reheat—but also just fine cold—was the Peruvian Stew ($6), with butternut squash holding court with tomato, onion, peas and corn. Again, an identified heat inducer, cayenne, remained hidden.
Big pleasures came from the desserts. A square of Cinnamon Bread Pudding ($5) was partnered with a separately packaged, a-little-goes-a-long-way sugar/butter/egg/vanilla/brandy sauce. (This one suggested microwave heating.) Its equal, Sticky Toffee Pudding ($5.50), topped its date-heavy goodness with a honey-laced butter-and-sugar sauce.
If you can’t wait until you get home to try one of R2Go’s creations, I highly recommend Regina’s Bacon Panini ($7.95). Crafted behind the deli counter, it packed a seemingly magical amount of flavor without overloading with strips of bacon, indicating some kind of culinary alchemy going on. DIY-ers might want to consider buying fresh bread and experimenting with the sliced offerings at the deli counter.•
—Lou Harry
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