December can be busy; almost too busy at times. With a full calendar of events, out-of-town guests on the way, shopping to do and more errands planned for later, schedules get overloaded. And there just may not be time to make dinner or bake treats for every event.
In a hurry and hungry? The range of take-out possibilities is as vast as snowflakes in a flurry. Whether you have a big family to feed, a selective significant other or it’s just you, Edina-area restaurants can whip up something to suit your fancy.
Craft Your Own Pizza
Life is all about choices, and at Pizza Rev, you have a lot of them. Be your own chef and create your own winning recipe combination. Choose between regular or gluten-free dough; olive oil or red, white or barbecue sauce; six varieties of cheese; and a smorgasbord of 30-plus toppings with changing monthly features. Decisions are aplenty, as you can opt for as many freshly prepared, quality ingredients as you like for the same price. A seemingly infinite number of flavor possibilities can make deciding what to put on your pizza the hardest and most time-consuming part. Baked in a 900-degree oven, these thin-crusted pizzas cook in about four minutes. Overwhelmed? Opt for one of the “our way pizza” combinations like barbecue chicken, classic pepperoni, skinny margherita, white mushroom, Mediterranean or Rev’d-up meat and peppers. $7.95 per pizza. 7529 France Ave. S.; 952.831.0337.
Sesame Chicken
Imperial House Chinese Restaurant
For 16 years, the Imperial House Chinese Restaurant has cooked up traditional favorites in southwest Edina. The sesame chicken is an all-time favorite, with bite-sized morsels of chicken deep-fried to crispy perfection. A house-made sweet-and-sour sesame sauce makes a glaze with a whiff of vinegar. For added crunch, the mixture goes on top of a bed of crispy-thin rice noodles. This dish is finished off with a side of steamed white rice or plain fried rice. Versatility makes Chinese food adaptable to most any taste. Want your veggies? For an extra .75 cents, add broccoli, pea pods or onions to the mix. And the level of spiciness can be altered from a standard Minnesota normal to a livelier fire-breathing-dragon hot, or somewhere in between. $10.25 7080 Amundson Ave., 952.829.7238.
Bûche De Noël
Patrick’s Bakery & Café
Need a holiday-themed food item or dish to pass? A bûche de Noël represents the wood ablaze in a fireplace. A sweet roulade of feathery cake and rich filling is rolled into a cylinder shape. Buttercream frosting gets grooved into a bark-like pattern. Fanciful decorations including snowmen, holly, reindeer, poinsettias, pine trees and handmade meringue mushrooms set a wintry mood. These cakes come in different flavors, including vanilla with a raspberry jam center, chocolate with a chocolate ganache center, vanilla sponge cake with a crispy praline nut center, vanilla with coffee buttercream, and flourless chocolate cake. And like everything at Patrick’s Bakery, these cakes are created fresh daily from scratch. This seasonal dessert feature is popular, so order in advance. Medium (serves 6 to 8) $37, large (serves 10 to 12) $40. Delivery on orders of $75 or more. 2928 W. 66th St.; 612.861.7570.
California Club Sandwich
Get a spectacular sandwich in a snap with a fresh peppering of OOTWH. That’s out-of-this-world-hospitality served up Southern-style. Expect a warm welcome and a pleasing selection of take-out food with all the trimmings and a few extras. While good choices are many, one sandwich stands out as a particular favorite. Fast and fit, the California club makes a healthy yet hearty meal. Built before your eyes, the sandwich comes together in under six minutes. Think toasted croissant with thinly cut roasted turkey breast, extra-crispy bacon, Swiss cheese, fresh-made guacamole, sliced tomato, organic field greens and mayonnaise. Pick your side dish from fresh-cut fruit with marshmallow-like sweet dipping sauce, steamed vegetables, baked chips or organic blue chips with a variety of sauces. Don’t forget to get a helping of the silky-smooth chocolate or vanilla self-serve soft-serve ice cream in the back. Free ice cream? Yes, Jason’s Deli proclaims, “Because everyone deserves dessert.” $7.09. 7565 France Ave. S.; 952.358.9900.
Chicken Katsu Lunch Box
Neat, nice and nimble, the chicken katsu lunch box will make your day. The lunch box takes on a regal appearance at Nakamori. Picture crispy deep-fried breaded chicken cut into meaty planks, six wheels of California roll studded with cooked fish, three authentic Japanese Gyoza potstickers, a mound of perfectly cooked white rice, ginger and wasabi paste. These delights are arranged ever so neatly into a compartmentalized to-go tray. A side of simmering-hot miso soup plus four house-made sauces jazz up the healthy mix. The four food items and sauces for each are made in true Japanese style—healthy and quickly. $11. 7101 France Ave. S.; 952.920.9980.
