Charlotte chefs reveal their secret chain-takeout orders: Try these yourself

Want to get tips from people who really know food? We went to six Charlotte chefs with questions about their own food lives – what they eat, where they eat and how they eat. Best drive-through hack? Got it. Favorite take-out order? Oh, yeah, they get take-out sometimes, too.

We’ll start with those two questions and come back next week with more. Have a question you want to ask them? Email kpurvis@charlotteobserver.com.

First, meet our panel: Blake Hartwick of Bonterra, Nicolas Daniels of Loft & Cellar, Chianti Peek of the Tails and Bones food truck, Jamie Lynch of 5Church, pastry chef Ashley Bivens-Boyd of 300 East and Paul Verica of soon-to-open The Stanley.

Q: What’s your best drive-through plan?

Blake Hartwick: A Bojangles’ sausage biscuit with grape jelly and mustard. (Why? Watch the video and he’ll explain.)

Paul Verica: Whatever you order, modify it a little. “It’s my way of tricking myself into thinking I’m getting something fresh that hasn’t been sitting around for who knows how long.”

Jamie Lynch: Don’t gamble, stick to the basics: Quarter Pounder With Cheese.

Daniels: The Royal Steak Burger with a strawberry milkshake at Steak & Shake.

Chianti Peek: Chick-fil-A Cobb salad with avocado lime ranch dressing.

Ashley Bivens Boyd: “Nope. Pleading the Fifth.”

Q: Favorite take-out order?

Verica: Brixx Pizza, usually the Bronx Bomber (Italian sausage, prosciutto, mozzarella and gorgonzola.)

Lynch: Pio Pio for the Latin combo. “Those sauces tho!”

Peek: Little Village Grill for grilled chicken gyro, Village salad (“heavy on the feta”) and baklava.

Daniels: Ru San’s for the Fire Shrimp appetizer and the Grinch Roll (tuna, avocado, aioli and crunchy eel sauce).

Hartwick: Pinky’s Westside Grill, “for a good ol’ White Trash Burger.” (5-ounce burger with provolone, fried pickles, onion rings and spicy ranch sauce.)

Boyd: Thai Taste for fresh rolls, pad Thai, Panang curry, fried rice, pork salad and iced coffee. “Thai Taste is right next door to 300 East, they are great about accomodating my son’s nut allergies, and I get to have a glass of wine while I wait.”

Coming up: Where would a chef take someone who hasn’t eaten in the South?

This story was originally published February 22, 2018 at 11:59 AM with the headline "Charlotte chefs reveal their secret chain-takeout orders: Try these yourself."