Delivery

September 28, 2009 by Joseph Rand

One of the great discoveries of my new suburban neighborhood was Harry’s Burritos, a Nyack branch of the Manhattan-based chain of yummy, cheap Mexican food. I’ve been eating Harry’s Burritos, particularly the chicken Bay Burrito, for about 15 years.

Indeed, one of my first Manhattan memories is getting together with my friend the Schloem-dog on a beautiful Friday early evening after work for Bay Burritos back when (a) it was all we could afford, and (b) we actually had jobs where we could get out of work at 5PM on a Friday and have an early dinner, back before we both exercised the poor judgment of getting jobs that require more of our time and he exercised the appalling judgment of moving to California.

So I was excited to have a taste of Manhattan here in the suburbs, particularly since Harry’s is one of the few Nyack restaurants that delivers. Even with the delivery, though, I got into the habit of calling ahead on the way home and picking it up. Takes a little less time, and avoids one of the problems in the new apartment — namely, that my buzzer doesn’t work and I have to go down to the street to pick stuff up anyway.

But I kept having a problem with Harry’s. I’d call them up, place an order, and get there to find that they had no record of the order. It happened like three times. I call in, make the order, pull up, park, go inside, and then have to wait while they make a new burrito because they didn’t get the order. And I was getting a little sick of it. Bad enough people keep stealing my paper, but now I have to deal with incompetent Harry’s staff that can’t even take a phone in order.

So the third time it happens, I was completely getting fed up. I’d been understanding the first two times, but this was nuts. And I was about to go off on the person at the counter, and it occurred to me that I should check my phone. So I pull out the blackberry, check the address book, and find that this whole time I’ve been calling my OLD Harry’s on the upper west side. I thought I’d put the new number in, but apparently I either had a false memory of doing so, or didn’t save the new number, or something.

This whole time, then, I’ve been calling the Upper West Side Harry’s placing an order, and then going into the Nyack Harry’s to pick it up, only to get annoyed at the staff for not having my order. Meanwhile, there’s some counter person at the Harry’s in Manhattan wondering why this “Joe” jackass keeps ordering bay burritos and not picking them up.

I felt a little — what’s the word — stupid.

So I apologized profusely to the Nyack Harry’s staff for blaming them. And I now hereby apologize to the nice people over on Columbus Avenue for leaving them hanging. I hope they’re not still holding my order.

What I’ll miss most — room service

April 16, 2009 by Joseph Rand

This is going to be hard.

Just got home after a loooong day. The wife is out with some friends, so I have the place to myself. Perhaps there was a time when I’d go out and play some pool, actually interact with other human beings. But, again, it was a long day with a bunch of extra “o’s”, so all I want to do is collapse on a sofa. And no way I’m going to cook anything.

Which brings me to room service. Maybe the best unsung feature of urban living. Actually better than room service in any hotel in the country. I’ve literally got a notebook full of menus (the wife is crazy like that), probably 50 restaurants in my area that deliver, just about any cuisine you want. 14 types of Chinese food. Sushi, Italian, Jewish deli, Malaysian food, French, Thai (although we’re strangely a little lean on Thai food on the upper west side the last few years, and the closing of the Vietnamese place on 81st and Amsterdam was a tragedy on par with the Watchman movie).

(Quick aside — call up Penang. Get the roti telur, ask for an extra side of the curry sauce. It’s like $2. Also get some coconut rice. When you’re done eating the Roti Telur, pour the sauce over the rice. Eat the rice. Email me and tell me how much you love me for turning you on to this.)

Tonight it was onion soup and fettucini with short ribs from Bistro Citron, which is also a dependable place for mussels provencale. $25 bucks, plus tip (you gotta tip the delivery guys well, with the life they lead), 25 minutes tops, and I’m eating. I will miss this.

I don’t know why suburban restaurants don’t focus on delivery, but my guess is that they’re bound into the idea that people in the suburbs cook their dinners. I don’t know about that. Seems a little “Leave it to Beaver” for me. I work in the suburbs in a workplace that is 85% women, and when I’m there at 6PM with a lot of them I don’t get the impression that they’re on the way home to cook up a casserole. I already have a job, but I encourage some young entrepreneur to start one of those services that connects restaurants about to go out of business with suburban families eating their fourth Chinese delivery meal of the week.

UPDATE: looked up some places online, like this one. But my guess is that they service only selected areas. Alas!