Holiday season saving grace: 11 great places to take-out while shopping in south Brooklyn

Another night, another bout of holiday shopping.

Arriving home late and laden with packages, you do not have to gorge on that pint of Rocky Road in your fridge, or settle down with chips and salsa.

With all the terrific take-out places right near the shopping heart of Bay Ridge, as the deadline for buying all your holiday presents ticks ever closer, simply add one stop to your marathon and pick up dinner, whether for yourself or your entire family.

It’s definitely sanity-making, as well as being a heck of a lot more satisfying and potentially even nutritious than the alternatives.

To start, shoppers along lower Third Avenue should remember that they have a choice of two of the best Middle Eastern eateries if they’re craving falafel, hummus or tabbouleh.

Tanoreen (7523 Third Avenue; 718-748-5600) does a brisk take-out business for good reason – the food is consistently fresh, flavorful and well-prepared.

Also spectacular is Samia’s Mediterranean Food (7922 Third Avenue; 718-748-3337), renowned for its spinach and other pies as well as its selection of sparkling fresh dips, and what is arguably the best baklava I’ve ever tasted.

But, maybe you’re more in the mood for Italian. For pizza, I’d head to the venerable Pizza Wagon (8610 Fifth Avenue; 718-836-5725) or Rocco’s (7818 Fifth Avenue; 718-238-7658), if I were in their neck of the woods, or to Vesuvio (7305 Third Avenue; 718-745-0222), or Nonno’s (8816 Third Avenue; 718-238-6200) if they were more convenient. The pizza at all is excellent, and they have heroes and other satisfying options if that’s your preference.

For Mexican take-out food, I would probably head straight to Taqueria El Puente (9300 Fifth Avenue; 718-921-2580) for tacos, tamales and other traditional fare that’s the real enchilada at a reasonable price.

Alternately, if I were more in the mood for American-style “Mexican” fare, I’d set my sites on Paco’s Tacos (1504 86^th Street; 718-234-8226) for its zippy and well-priced offerings, or Ho’Brah (8618 Third Avenue; 718-680-8226) for its tacos, burritos, nachos and empanadas with a side of California chic.

But what if you’re in the mood for something simpler, say a burger and fries or a grilled cheese, or if you’re really hungry, a steak, roast chicken or fish dinner?

Head straight to one of the area’s 24-hour diners, the Bridgeview (9011 Third Avenue; 718-680-9818) or the Vegas (1619 86^th Street; 718-331-2221), for example, and bring home precisely that, or any of numerous other dishes the two turn out in their always-open kitchens. And, depending what you order, you may even have leftovers to handle another day or two of shopping mania.