Comfort food takes on new meaning in the era of coronavirus
There’s never been a better time for a cheeseburger.
That was the thinking of Christopher Lopez and Tyler Watt of the Postmaster restaurant in Cary, which has temporarily converted into the nighttime burger pop-up, Gov’t Cheeseburger.
Some are looking to comfort food in an unsettling time, restaurants and diners alike, seeking, if nothing else, the momentary pleasure of a satisfied indulgence.
To stop the spread of the coronavirus, restaurants and bars across North Carolina are closed, but among those serving takeout, there’s a theme of comfort and casual.
Before it was closed, Sister Liu’s sold orders of 100 frozen dumplings to take home. Big Dom’s Bagel Shop sells out of its bagels just about every day. The Wooden Nickel in Hillsborough is making fried chicken. For a brief spell, Raleigh chef Ashley Christensen offered a family style meal for delivery or pickup, serving the profound pleasure of roast chicken.
‘People want ... quick and easy’
Pizzerias, bagel shops, dumplings, meatloaf and pot pie, and of course, burgers.
“We tried takeout initially, but at the end of the day, no one wants to buy a $50 short rib slapped in an aluminum container to go,” said Lopez. “Our margins just didn’t line up with the takeout format.”
So they made burgers, relying on the wondrous alchemy of grease and cheese to offer something familiar and soothing when everything else feels unknown. Lopez said they’ve found some comfort themselves.
“We’re a sit down plated dish restaurant, but it’s been really fun for us to be greasy line cooks again,” Lopez said. “People want simple, they want quick and easy. They want ooey gooey burgers.”
So far, Gov’t Cheeseburger has been a surprise hit, with burgers sometimes selling out before they even light the grill. Lopez said the pop up keeps workers employed and that some of the proceeds and tips are going back to those laid off.
“We’re still chugging along until we can’t,” Lopez said.
The restaurant shutdown isn’t a North Carolina issue or an American one, but a global crisis.
In the nearly three weeks since North Carolina closed its restaurants to guests, the spots that have stuck with takeout have largely undergone makeovers of their own.
“It’s been a big change for us all,” said chef Aaron Benjamin of Gocciolina in Durham. “Essentially we opened up a new restaurant three weeks ago.”
Lasagna in demand
The cornerstone of Gocciolina’s takeout menu is a lasagna, meant for customers to take home and reheat for 45 minutes. Lasagna isn’t a mainstay on the usual menu at Gocciolina, Benjamin said, typically a special every couple weeks. But that’s what seemed like it would be the best plan for takeout, he said.
“It’s not the same menu, but it’s still Gocciolina,” Benjamin said. “People want healthy food right now. We’re still getting a lot of local vegetables. It’s definitely comfort food, people are getting our food and taking it home to their family, healthy food that’s also delicious.”
This week, as if settling in for the long haul, Raleigh chef Scott Crawford put a new neon sign in the window of his Person Street restaurant Crawford & Son, reading “Curbside,” with a tire held by angel’s wings. Crawford continues to operate takeout with a skeleton crew, doing hearty dishes like a beef short rib with cornbread pudding and a chicken pot pie.
In Raleigh, Brewery Bhavana did one weekend of to-go orders two weeks ago, offering the entire menu of dim sum, but also larger dishes like Peking duck. Co-owner Vansana Nolintha said people seemed to crave the special meal, even if it was in a takeout box.
“I think people were wanting home to feel like a special occasion,” Nolintha said. “Getting handmade, fresh shumai feels like a special occasion. People long for comfort food, and this is comfort food. They want the opportunity to turn a mundane dinner into a moment of joy and celebration.”
With Brewery Bhavana and Bida Manda suspended entirely, Nolintha said he’s been looking for comfort in home cooking, making Laotian dishes from his childhood. He and his sister, Vanvisa, Facetime with their parents in the morning, which is the evening in Laos, planning recipes for the day.
“Mom walks us through preparing dishes that day,” Nolintha said. “We’re making a lot of noodle soups, revisiting a lot of recipes we haven’t cooked in a long time that remind us of home. They’re the dishes I want to cook and eat right now. That are nostalgic, of a place and moment and offer a sense of comfort.”
This story was originally published April 3, 2020 at 5:09 PM with the headline "Comfort food takes on new meaning in the era of coronavirus."
