I think this has been mentioned in a couple of recent threads, so I thought I'd start a separate topic to discuss specific dishes that do or don't work well for situations where they may sit in the restaurant for a while before being picked up, then endure a drive home, and possibly need to be reheated. The same sort of criteria that make a dish travel well for takeout usually also make it reheat well the next day if you can't eat it all. I'm sure this is mostly obvious to many here, but we're all learning, and I'd hate to see someone swear off takeout or a specific restaurant just because their order was ready early, sat for a while, and then they made a long drive to get it home.
Generally bad: tacos, hamburgers, anything else with a mixture of hot and cold toppings where they will tend to quickly get to the same temperature; anything with soft, spongy bread that will absorb moisture and get soggy (i.e., many hot sandwiches). I have not tried, but I'm assuming a lot of frozen dessert items won't fare well unless you immediately pop them in a cooler.
Generally good: non-breaded protein and veggie entrees, flatbread sandwiches (still good the next day if you pull off the bread and toast it to get the moisture out); fries (same trick with toasting to remove moisture). As a Havana Rumba aficionado, I was very impressed with the to-go Rumba Queso Dip. They give you separate containers for the hot and cold ingredients, which makes it much more amenable to travel than the dish that is served in the restaurant with hot queso and Spanish chorizo mixed with cold guac and pico.
As for dishes you make at home, we have a saying in my family that chili is never good the first day, it needs to sit in the fridge overnight so that the flavors of the various ingredients can meld... So, what dishes have you been pleasantly surprised by when ordering takeout, and what dishes have you discovered just don't "travel well?" Happy New Year, everyone!
