Just as so many of us were beginning to feel comfortable going through our lives with surgical face masks as just an option, rather than a necessity, along comes a study that the COVID-19 delta variant carries – better sit down for this one – a viral load of more than a thousand times the infectious level of the COVID we’ve been dealing with. And that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is less effective keeping it at bay than the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines — with studies of those two yet to come.
Which means that, for those of us of a cautious nature, it’s time to put the masks back on, and to once again avoid getting into situations where we’re in enclosed spaces of any sort. Which also means lots more outdoor dining. (Which we’ve been enjoying a lot anyway!) And lots more takeout as well. (Is there anything new worth binge-watching? It may be back to that soon!)
Takeout as a necessity may ebb and flow with reports from the CDC. But takeout was with us before the coronavirus, and it will be with us long afterwards — or at least until a random asteroid smashes into the Earth, sending us into the next Ice Age. Until that happens, good eats to go can be found at a colorful assortment of joints — including these three:
Let’s begin with the decidedly healthy options at the newly opened Altadena branch of the trendy Amara Kitchen (841 E. Mariposa St., Altadena; 626-365-1633, www.amarakitchen.com). Amara offers two menus — one headed “breakfast all day,” the other “lunch all day.”
Though the food here leans toward the vegetarian/vegan side of the menu, this carefully constructed chow isn’t dietarily doctrinaire — except that it’s all notably good for you. Or at least, not bad for you. Thus, our old friend avocado toast isn’t just a mashed avocado on a generic slice of toast, the toast is “house-made brown rice bread.” And the mashed avo is tricked up with pesto, cilantro, purple cabbage slaw, sesame seeds and a side of greens. Plus an egg, if you want…and don’t we all?
The breakfast burrito is crammed with a trio of scrambled eggs, avocado, roasted purple spuds, cheddar cheese, salsa verde and cilantro. The tortilla is either Mejorado flour, or gluten-free “New Grains.” You can replace the eggs and cheese with beans and soyrizo. Of course you can.
Scattered about the menu are buzz terms like “Paleo,” “oat milk” and “for illuminating the spirit & skin.” This isn’t just good food — it’s righteous food.
And the lunch menu continues that theme, with a strawberry-basil salad, a mashed sweet potato filled quesadilla (with heirloom beans, of course), a quinoa bowl made with Mary’s organic chicken, and a “boss” ragu made with bison. The chicken soup is called “Healing Bone Broth.” In these hard times, that’s much appreciated.
But then, so is the middling wacko pizza served at the wonderfully named Hungry Howie’s Flavored Crust Pizza (958 E. Badillo St., Covina; 626-966-3333, www.hungryhowies.com), which has been around since 1973, and has 550 branches in 22 states. Who knew?
And what does “flavored crust” mean? It means exactly what it says — you can choose to yuck up the crust with asiago cheese, “butter cheese” (originally a German semi-soft cow’s milk cheese called butterkase), garlic herbs, Cajun flavors, butter, onions, ranch dressing and sesame. Plus Sriracha for a little extra.
Otherwise, this is the classic takeout pizza we’ve come to know well over the years, topped with pepperoni, ham, mushrooms, green peppers, jalapeños, pineapple and feta cheese. Anchovies too. There are 10 “Specialty Pizzas” too, including barbecue chicken, Buffalo chicken, chicken bacon ranch, bacon cheddar cheeseburger, and a “Howie Maui” with bacon, ham, pineapple and mozzarella. (What? No Spam?)
There are eight over-baked subs that are essentially pizza sandwiches. There are “Howie Rolls,” “Howie Breads” and “Howie Wings.” Somewhere back on the menu, there are salads. Going to Hungry Howie’s for a salad is like going to Lawry’s for the fish. It’s simply not the point.
It’s also not the point to go to Red Devil Pizza (116 W. Badillo St., Covina; 626-966-4484, www.reddevilpizza.com) for the chicken parmesan and the baked penne. They may be fine. Better than fine, in fact. But this is Red Devil “Pizza,” not Red Devil “Jumbo Ravioli.”
If there’s a signature item, pizza is the thing to get. Of course it is, it’s in the name. And in this case, this chain that’s been around since 1966 has got its pizza variations down pat. The pride of the house is the “Italian Stallion Pizza” — mozzarella, pepperoni salami, capicola, garlic, basil and the “secret recipe pizza sauce.” How could you not want that?
There’s also the “Red Devil Special Pizza” — “the pizza that started it all…still made in the same way today as it was in 1966.” Like the Italian Stallion, it’s an old school classic — mozzarella, pepperoni ham, mushrooms, green pepper, onions. The way most of us have eaten pizza…forever.
A lot newer, by far, is the option of gluten-free pizza, for those who need such a thing. For the rest of us, there’s barbecue chicken, Buffalo chicken, pizza fries, cheesy breadsticks, mozzarella sticks, jalapeño poppers. Should the Dodgers wind up in the Series, this is the stuff to eat. And if the Rams land in the Super Bowl, to eat non-stop. With lots of beer.
Merrill Shindler is a Los Angeles-based freelance dining critic. Email mreats@aol.com.
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