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Remember the old days, when everyone ordered Chinese takeout? That was before carbophobes scared us away from rice and noodles, and before sashimi eclipsed lo mein. Charlie Mom remembers. This largely takeout operation, which delivers via moped for free to almost the entire lower half of Manhattan, has been serving up the same salty, starchy, swimming-in-sauce favorites for more than 20 years. One bite of the sesame chicken—a clumped, battered mass of chunks so deeply fried the meat is almost unrecognizable—will whisk you back to the late eighties. The cold sesame noodles are another throwback to an earlier, doughier time: You need a knife to cut through the tangle of thick, chewy egg noodles and nutty-tasting paste. Don’t be deluded by the healthier-sounding vegetable dishes on the menu: Even the seemingly innocent sautéed asparagus and sugar snap peas come drenched in an overpowering garlicky brown sauce. And although Charlie Mom does have a small, wood-paneled dining room down the hall from its bustling front-room takeout hub, the too-bright lights and bought-in-bulk paintings don’t make for much ambience. Better to order in and resolve to start dieting tomorrow. — Sarah Gold