Deliver Me From Evil

There a lot of things I love about DC, and I'm glad to be back. But, there's one thing I seriously miss from NYC -- delivery.

In New York -- even in the outer boroughs -- you can get anything delivered. Not just pizza. Any place. Dinner? Sure -- pretty much every restaurant. Cigarettes? If that's your thing, the bodegas will deliver them, along with a container of milk, two ferrer rochers, and a gatorade. Groceries for a party of 10? Absolutely, and Fresh Direct will even give you $25 to spend on artisan cheese with your first order.

Delivery is fantastic on a cold sleety night like tonight. Or, if you are sick with stomach flu and can't muster up the energy to leave your apartment, you simply call up the bodega and they will bring you advil, ginger ale, a box of tissues, and a sammich. It's awesome.

The DC delivery situation is far worse than when I last lived here, though. When I left DC, you could order movies, CDs, ice cream and magazine from your friendly Kozmo.com. The guys showed up within an hour, carrying your items in a bright orange messenger bag. I can't say that I recall much about ordering any food, because I think I had no money and rarely bothered to think about delivery beyond ordering ben & jerry's and coke while studying for the bar. These days, Kozmo is a remnant of the wacky dot.com era, with no replacement. As for food, it seems like pizza is the only thing you can have delivered, although I am working on finding a good thai place. This is surprising to me, since I live in Adams Morgan, where good (or at least interesting) restaurants are plentiful.

I suppose DC just isn't a delivery town the way NYC is. Which, shouldn't be surprising since DC has a slower vibe. Who needs delivery when you have a chill lifestyle that allows you time to cook and grocery shop? And overall, I appreciate the change of pace. But some nights, when you are physically exhausted and the weather sux, it would be great to be able to order some delivery dinner and a People magazine.