Top Takeout On The Northwest Side: I'm Right (You're Wrong)

A storm is brewing.

Literally. It's winter, it's Chicago, it's been a long time comin' this year, but it's definitely comin'. You've got your long underwear, you're ready to hole-up in your home in nothing but, and you've got your heated blanket – the one your cat loves so much. And you, friend, you love your cat. Right? S/he scratches you on occasion, gives you a bite once in awhile, but you still love that little scamp.

So my question is this: when the weather is bearing down on your door, making it impossible for you to leave your house--to find sustenance--and the hunger is getting to you, what are you going to do? Well?

You're going to stare at Mr. Fuzzyworth, your calico, and you're going to think about how tasty he's starting to look.

Resist! You must resist these urges! As long as you have the internet or a telephone, you will not need to eat your lovable pet. Why? Because there are restaurants out there--good ones too--that deliver.

Here are a few from the Northwest side, all within delivery distance of my Logan Square apartment. You're welcome.

I couldn't not add pizza to the list! So here it is! Pizza!

What does Lucky Vito's excel at? Dependability. Maybe it's not the best pizza in the city, but it's some pretty decent and dependably tasty thin crust greatness. It's more than good enough to order during a blizzard or the end of times or when you're too lazy to put on pants.

I have the tastes of an eight-year-old, which means I don't tend to go that far out of my hot-dog-and-mac-and-cheese comfort zone. Occasionally, once in awhile though, you need to order something like Zebda, which is a wide mix of African food. Falafel and lamb and hummus and chicken – they got it all. They really excel when it comes to their sandwiches though. Their Tandoori Chicken Sandwich ain't bad for those of you with better tastes in food than me, in fact, it's pretty great. I'll stick with their Meatball sandwich, thank you very much.

Obligatory Chinese place. It's a staple of everybody's takeout list.

But hey, it's good!

Though not the cheapest place you'll find in the area, Friendship Chinese is pretty tasty. They've got enough great (meat) choices for a wuss like me, while also offering a bunch of other dishes that are far less bland. They've got great pot stickers (boy do I love pot stickers), a good chicken selection and, so I'm told, more than a few superb veggie dishes. I wouldn't know. I don't eat vegetables.

Irazu serves Costa Rican cuisine, which sounds good to me. Their tacos and burritos are great, but I'd suggest trying out their empanadas or, if you want to spend a little extra, something from their dinners menu. Just not their Liver and Onions, that sounds gross.

Yuck.

(Not that I've tasted it.)

(Oh man, but it's got plantains in it, I love plantains.)

(But so does everything else…)

(Just check them out!)

As a prolific meat eater (yes, I eat meat prolifically, deal with it), Arya Bhavan's Indian, vegetarian fare is not for me. So sure, while the list of things I can eat here is small (I'll eat the Samosa, the Samosa is very, very good), I understand that there are many others who would love this place. These people are called vegetarians. So go ahead, order from this restaurant all my friends love, I'll just sit in the corner, fuming, eating some great Indian bread, angry there's no meat to be seen.