Jan. 04--Winter came early to our house.
Not so much the weather -- that progressed as summer does: Thuggish, sweaty, occasional pouring rain. Who noticed? We were up to our ears, hunkered down amid deep drifts of books and furniture and clothes and camping equipment and kitchenware and extra Ziploc bags. These were our worldly possessions, all of which landed, unceremoniously, on the doorstep of a new place when summer had barely begun.
Opening your front door every evening to a looming Gordian knot is a great reason to let a few things slide. By which I mean dinner. Pizza delivery on moving day is a universal soul-saver, but that initial pie (it was Pequod's, if we're assigning blame) was just an entry point. Long after our pots and pans were unpacked, we raged unchecked through the takeout menus of gourmet diners, taco joints, sushi kitchens. Cook, in the midst of a cyclone? We're talking sweaters roaming free. Books, surrendering to cobwebs in the corner. Homeless Ziploc bags. There were adaptations -- one night we noticed the family dog was teaching himself steeplechase skills by vaulting over piled up boxes. He also learned to recognize the sound of a GrubHub driver pulling to the curb.
At some point, we knew we should stop. But it was far too easy to just keep going. Those who study such trends claim that delivery of pretty much anything is the way of our new, ever-more-isolated society. Which sounds creepy. But the facts on the ground are that, if you hold a valid credit card and an internet connection, you can make (delicious, highly refined) Big Star tacos materialize on your doorstep with hardly a whisper of human interaction.
That's if you don't count our GrubHub guy, who first stated that he remembered visiting our place before, then started calling us by first names and waving emphatically. The dog let himself be petted, but that might have had something to do with the heavy scent of empanadas.
And so it went, in our little winter of the soul, from Irazu's Costa Rican to Lillie's Q, complete with comfort in the form of collard greens. We branched out to other delivery services, found ways to bring in food from other parts of town. In short, we rode the delivery food thing straight to the gates of hell, and it was tasty all the way. There was no such thing as a bridge too far.
Maybe it was the full-on, three-course Polish feast from Staropolska that signaled the end of our wild ride. It was a funny, foolish reminder of an actual trip (who eats like that, outside of vacation?). Which was a reminder that travel outside the house is not only possible, it's desirable.
In the winter of 2015, New Yorkers had to be reminded by their mayor that yes, a directive to stay off the streets in a major storm applied to delivery drivers, too. "A food delivery bicycle is not an emergency vehicle," grumbled Bill de Blasio. GrubHub momentarily shut down, in deference to the weather.
De Blasio, of course, wasn't dealing with the aftermath of our move. Or a real Chicago winter, for that matter. But still, his reality check came back to haunt me, finally. Along with our aching bank accounts. And the thought of all those takeout containers. Our house emerged, slowly, from the mountain of displaced stuff, and the kitchen became more than just a place to unpack styrofoam boxes. We laugh nervously about our little delivery binge -- that was kinda silly, wasn't it? But come howling winds and negative degrees, you can bet we'll know just what to do. After all, that driver knows right where we live.
C.D.
Get over here
What to order when you want delivery. And by that we mean really good delivery.
Dove's Luncheonette
WHY: Because a restaurant that's been named one of our city's best might have a wait -- but who cares when you're in your pajamas?
GET: Back to Life Cocktail, a zestier, meatier version of the classic shrimp cocktail that adds crab and squid for good measure
ALSO TRY: Xoco, Big Star
Balena
WHY: Because settling for mediocre food is out, and flexing your delivery muscle to bring a classy restaurant dinner to your door is worth doing once (or twice, but who's counting?)
GET: Orecchiette with kale, lemon, bread crumbs and chili
ALSO TRY: GT Fish and Oyster (order ahead of time to get delivery)
Pizzeria da Nella
WHY: Because da Nella has nailed the secret of pizza delivery -- bring a cold (or semi-cold), uncut pie. Slide it into a nice warm oven and dive into all the ephemeral deliciousness of a great pizza. (Hint: We cheat and use the broiler. And we've been known to warm up to 4 pies at a time.)
GET: Diavola Pizza, Prosciutto e Rucola Pizza, Calzones for East Coast refugees
ALSO TRY: Pequod's (pan pizza is sturdy enough for the ride over)
Ramen-san
WHY: Because soup is a surprising -- and surprisingly valid -- choice for delivery. Assembly is the trick: The broth comes separately, gets heated, then gently poured over noodles, veggies and pork.
GET: Tonkotsu Ramen (Hint: Ask to add spice to give it extra kick), Spicy Szechuan Chicken Wings
ALSO TRY: Strings ramen; The Bagel for amazing, ready-to-assemble chicken soup with matzo
Stan's Donuts
WHY: Just ... because. When you are ready to admit you want a stranger to come to your door on a Sunday morning with a big pink box full of doughnuts, Stan's is there for you. And you know that day will come.
GET: A dozen. We're partial to the Chocolate Glazed Cake and the Pistachio Lemon, but pick your poison.
5 more we love:
Staropolska -- You didn't think of ordering pierogi and golabki the last time you had delivery. But you should have.
Floriole -- Paris-level pastries, no kidding. Believe us when we say: Basque cake, croissants, hot chocolate
Friendship Chinese -- It's so special, they pack it lovingly in bakery-style boxes. Arrives looking good, tasting good.
Leghorn Chicken -- Stuff you need to have in your back pocket: 1. Your emergency $20 bill (thanks, Mom); 2. a place that delivers great chicken. This covers No. 2.
Smoque BBQ or Lillie's Q -- Great barbecue, like great chicken, can hang out in your fridge and become tomorrow's taco filling. Or sandwich. Or a meaty take on salad. Or a morning after standup breakfast. (Don't forget to pull the shades.)
The lowdown on getting what you want, delivered:
--Your favorite food might not be your favorite delivery food. Burgers and fries, fried shrimp and nachos? Great in many contexts, often terrible when they have to travel. Don't gamble on foods that might arrive all kinds of soggy and smushed. Stick with those more likely to retain their texture, temperature and shape: ramen, arroz con pollo, curries, et cetera.
--Check out your stove. It does still work, doesn't it? If so, remember that the oven and the burners (not to mention your better-than-styro dishes and flatware) can and should be called into use to reactivate your meal's mojo.
--Order with tomorrow's meals in mind. A roast chicken you're not likely to finish? You can turn it into sandwiches the next day. Uneaten sides of rice? Use it to make Spanish rice, fried rice, stuffed peppers or soup (and so on). Two meals for the price of one!
--Eat early to avoid the wait. "Your food should be ready in 95 minutes." Wait? What? Avoid this scenario by ordering delivery on the earlier side. But also ...
--Identify your go-to late-night spots. Have them on speed dial! (We're only half-joking.) The options are more limited, so it's smart to know in advance what stays open late.
--Beat the app. Delivery service apps can be dicey when you're searching for something specific (which you are, right?) As in the rest of life, a straight-up web search is your friend and can usually identify the service that bridges the gap between you and your chosen delivery food.
--Don't forget your other home address. Still finding yourself shut out of a favorite's delivery area? Get it delivered to work, and bring it home yourself. Reheat, eat.
