Panda Garden is one of a handful of restaurants that I think still hasn’t reopened the dining room (see last paragraph). There’s a drive-thru window on the east side of the building and when you pull up, you put on your mask — they’ll wait at the window while you do.

The always-pleasant server, decked out in gloves, a mask and a face shield, will hand you your meal. It’s a reminder that we are still in the tunnel, even if we can see the light.

Some restaurateurs, whether for their personal safety, the health of relatives at home, their employees’ well being or concern for the welfare of their customers, have decided to keep the dining rooms closed.

$10 Deal: Broadway Pizza plate lunch

I’m glad to go to restaurants and being fully vaccinated, I feel safe. But I’ll also support the ones that are being extra cautious; they hope to stay in business, too and besides, this deal is too good to resist.

The lunch special at Panda Garden, available 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Saturday, is either $8.95 or $9.95, depending on your protein; the beef and shrimp dishes cost $1 more than the chicken, pork or vegetable selections.

This Summer Avenue restaurant has long been part of my semi-regular rotation, a place that’s easy to get to and serves old-fashioned Chinese-American food. The hot and sour wonton appetizer, a bowl of six fat steamed dumplings covered in a soy and chili sauce, is reason enough to stop in. Pro tip: Buy the dumplings, bring them home and make a killer soup by adding shredded vegetables and good chicken stock or store-bought pho broth.

But lately it’s been the lunches for me. When my kitchen was in renovation disorder, I was mostly in disorder myself. I couldn’t cook, don’t really eat sandwiches, and mostly wasn’t presentable enough to eat in public without more effort that I had energy to expend. (Trust me on this; remodel a kitchen and you’ll understand.)

Panda Garden to the rescue. It was dah chine chicken, similar to General Tso’s but with a spicy brown sauce instead of a red one, that I turned to once a week or so and it made three meals for me.

The lunch special comes with an entrée, fried rice, a spring roll, a Chinese doughnut (aka fried biscuit tossed in sugar) and your choice of soup. It’s hot and sour for me, and the fried wonton strips they serve are the good ones, sturdy and wide rectangles instead of the thin strips.

$10 Deal: Taqueria San Felipe

One meal was the soup and the spring roll; the entrée and rice were divided for two meals, and sometimes I ended up with a yet another.

Best of all, it’s good. I believe the food is better now than before COVID. I know that it’s spicier, as the soup even gives me slight sniffles. It makes sense: When you can get an operation going that doesn’t have to deal with table service, you can spend more time in the kitchen.

Having said all this: The restaurant is closed on Sunday, the day I’m writing this. I called to ask something and got a recording that makes me think they might’ve fully reopened in the past couple of weeks.

I don’t know if that’s true and there’s no one to ask right now, but will update this on Monday when I find out. Meanwhile, place your order online or call it in, and it’ll be ready for you at the drive-thru window. 15 minutes. 

(Note: The dining room remains closed for now.)

Panda Garden, 3735 Summer Ave.; 901-323-4819.