Thundai Latte at Pi’s Coffee (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
Thundai Latte
$6.30 at Pi’s Coffee
Pi’s Coffee doesn’t have an official storefront, but you can find owner and India native Piyush Jessani popping up around the city in his converted Japanese mini truck and serving coffee each week at the West End Farmers Market. Pi’s Thundai latte is an ingenious balance of flavors, made using a housemade syrup that features almonds, cardamom, fennel and black peppercorn. —Eileen Mellon
Paprikash
$19 at Balkan Restaurant, 8905 Patterson Ave., Henrico
As comfort food season kicks into high gear, I’ll be making room in my takeout rotation for this Eastern European classic. Fittingly, it’s served with a fluffy roll resembling a tiny ottoman, perfect for soaking up every saucy bite of the fall-apart-tender combination of chicken, onions, potatoes, tomatoes and spices. —Mandy Loy
Turkey Sub
$13 at Tiny Vegan, 104 S. Sheppard St.
Turkey sales spike around the holidays, though as a vegetarian I haven’t joined in the poultry revelry in some time. That’s where Tiny Vegan's newish Carytown takeout location lends a hand. Their turkey sub — with garlic hummus, vegan cheese, tomato, spinach, a secret “TV” sauce and housemade seitan — went from specialty to standby for me this fall. —Kevin Johnson
