Takeout food particularly appeals to two kinds of out-of-towners: eat-and-run sightseers, and picnickers looking to take advantage of the acres of waterfront property in Boston and Cambridge. Some suggestions:

If you're walking the Freedom Trail, pick up food at Faneuil Hall Marketplace and cross the street under the Expressway, or buy a tasty sandwich in the North End at Il Panino Express, 266 Hanover St. (tel. 617/720-5720), and stroll down Richmond Street toward the harbor. From either place, walk past the Marriott to the end of Long Wharf and eat on the plaza as you watch the boats and planes, or stay to the left of the hotel and eat in Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park, overlooking the marina.

In the Financial District, the Milk Street Café operates a kiosk (tel. 617/350-7275) in the park at Zero Post Office Square. Its kosher offerings include salads, sandwiches (on bread and rolled up in a pita), fish dishes, fruit, and pastries. Eat in the park or head to the harbor.

Two neighborhoods abut the Charles River Esplanade, a great destination for a picnic, concert, or movie. In the Back Bay, stop at Trader Joe's, 899 Boylston St. (tel. 617/262-6505), for prepared food. At the foot of Beacon Hill, pick up all you need for a do-it-yourself feast at Savenor's Supermarket, 160 Charles St. (tel. 617/723-6328). Or call ahead to Figs, 42 Charles St. (tel. 617/742-3447), a minuscule pizzeria that's an offshoot of the celebrated Olives. The upscale fare isn't cheap, but avoiding that long line is worth the price -- as is the delectable pizza.

On the Cambridge side of the river, Harvard Square is close enough to the water to allow a riverside repast. Formaggio's, in the Garage mall, 81 Mount Auburn St. (tel. 617/547-4795), serves excellent gourmet sandwiches and salads. Take yours to John F. Kennedy Park, on Memorial Drive and Kennedy Street, or right to the riverbank.