Ever notice how many movies have the dramatic "pouring rain" scene? When the director really wants to give you the "climactic, emotionally charged moment," a good rainstorm is always in the offing.
To me, Chinese takeout/delivery has the same sort of semiotic significance, especially in New York films. When Woody Allen and the pubescent Mariel Hemingway snuggle apres sex watching old films on TV in Manhattan, they eat their Chinese in bed straight out of the carton. In The Godfather,as Michael Corleone prepares himself to dine with — and murder — police chief McCluskey and mob rival Solozzo over a plate of the best Italian veal in the city, the family waits for word of the location of the meeting while picking at the remnants of their meal from the Chinese food containers strewn all over the dining room table.
To me, Chinese food delivery signals some level of informal yet significant intimacy. And with this city's world-famous Chinatown and ubiquitous restaurants representing all the provinces and regions of China — from Szechuan to Hong Kong — Chinese food definitely spells New York to me.
In New York, one of the most reliable signposts of a prosperous neighborhood — meaning one with all the amenities you could ask for, and the prices to match — is the quality and variety of its restaurants, both eat-in and takeout. In my old ritzy Upper East Side neighborhood, you could step outside, walk down the block, and sample cuisines from all over the world. And as a matter of course, you could also get a vast variety of great food delivered straight to your door. In fact, there were so many takeout places slipping menus under the doors that some apartment vestibules posted signs that sternly admonished, "No Menus."
When I moved to the Lower East Side from the Upper East Side of New York City about 15 years ago, I did so reluctantly. At the time the neighborhood was so under-the-radar unhip it didn't even seem to count as part of Manhattan. And the dearth of local restaurants was a culture shock as well. Some great places were within walking distance, but none of them delivered. If you wanted to get a pastrami on rye from Katz's — the famous deli on Houston Street where the "orgasm" scene from When Harry Met Sally was filmed — you had a 15-minute walk ahead of you. Chinatown was likewise a short stroll away, but it may as well have been a continent when you were jonesing for some good chow fun at 10 pm and wanted to stay in. So at the time, the only game in town were the really cheap storefront Chinese joints, where everything was gloppy and greasy.
Article comments
1 - sr
Thanks Elvira. All I can think of at this moment is Chinese food. Would like to fly to NY for my Chinese take-out. However will just call our local delivery and eat General TSO'S Chicken after the chicken egg drop soup and spring rolls.
Dinner time, by.
2 - Elvira Black
Hey sr!
Good to see you! Yes, talking about Chinese food is like some sort of contagious hunger-producer, isn't it? Hope you have a good dinner!
3 - sr
Elvira, Had a fair Chinese dinner. Thank you. Nothing like you can get in NY.
During my freshmen year at highschool in St. Louis I dated a beautiful Chinese girl and her family owned the best Chinese restaurant in town. My mother loved Chinese food and dined their often with my father. When my mom wanted to eat Chinese she would tell my dad, let's go to the chink's. Their was no prejudice bone in my mother body. Thats how they spoke in the late 50's. How would that go over today. Let's go to the local chinks. Not sure what she would have said if she wanted kosher. Speaking of kosher, now all I can think about is corned-beef on rye with a great kosher pickle. My area of the world cant provide this for me. DAM.
My mother hoped someday I would marry the Chinese girl so she could eat CHINK food at a discount.
Never happened.
Hope you like this story. All true. Please don't mention food again Elvira unless you are willing to sent me 100 corned beef on rye and 50 kosher Pickle's. You make me laugh Elvira. I need that.
HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND.sr
4 - Elvira Black
sr:
Wow;...great story! My ex-b/f's mom used to say the same thing, and she meant no malice either. And as you say, the same went for your mom--especially since she had no qualms about you marrying a Chinese girl, even if there were ulterior motives involved...lol...
Just for the record--I think Katz's deli ships all over the world. They still have old signs up and one of them says "Send a salami to your boy in the army"--as in the WW II army, of course. OK, I'll shut up about the food, already....
Thanks for making me smile, sr, and have a great weekend yourself!
5 - LfC
"... from Szechuan to Hong Kong ..."
Sichuan, I suppose.
6 - Elvira Black
Lfc:
I think either way is considered ok? Or maybe the province is Sichuan, and the cuisine is Szechuan...whichever it is, it's damn good!
7 - Victor Plenty
Googlefight! Sichuan: 9,860,000 results. Szechuan: 2,570,000. Szechwan: 724,000.
There are multiple systems for converting Chinese pictogram characters into Roman alphabet letters. In the system currently endorsed by the government of mainland China, "Sichuan" might be the preferred spelling. Wikipedia lists the other two above as acceptable variant spellings, along with "Ssu-ch`uan" from the older Wade-Giles system of transliteration.
Google returns only 573 results for that last one, though.
8 - Elvira Black
Victor:
OK, I guess I lose the battle, but I actually relish the fact that I don't use the spelling that the "Reds" prefer...lol...
9 - Victor Plenty
Actually I think you're correct to say the cuisine is often spelled Szechuan (especially as modified to suit American tastes) while the Sichuan spelling is most frequently used in contexts of geography. Neither spelling is what I would call wrong. The Googlefight results are merely interesting in cases like this, not definitive.
10 - Elvira Black
Victor:
I think it's pretty much the same deal as the different spellings/pronunciations for old Chairman Mao and Peking/Beijing. There's a number of different romanization systems in use (past and present) which account for some of the discrepancies.
11 - sr
Elvira this is just for you. Remember this comes from absolute respect. Hey what the heck girl Im 62 with the greatest wife, daughter and son in the world. You always make me smile and laugh. However I'll be conservative to the day I die.
Will check out Katz's Deli. Forgive me, thats food stuff.
Im in my office with my head-phones listing to my man, Jerry Lee Lewis. This guy is 70 something and still doing concerts.
As usual I almost forgot.(Senior Moment) ya know.
Artist: Oak Ridge Boys, the
Song: ELVIRA
Elvira, Elvira
My heart's on fire Elvira
Eyes that look like heaven, lips like sherry wine
That girl can sure enough make my little light shine.
I get a funny feelin'up and down my spine
'Cause I know that my Elvira's mine.
Well Elvira, told you some time ago your name is famous in old rock and roll songs.
Thanks for always being kind. I told my wife of 26 yrs how much you make me laugh. My health is poor, however my faith is strong and I will live many more years.
GOD BLESS YOU ELVIRA. sr
12 - Elvira Black
sr, talk about making me smile--you've got me grinning from ear to ear! I do believe that is the nicest comment I've ever received.
Ah yes, I know the song, but didn't know the words to go with it. Bless you for being so kind--I think your family is very blessed and lucky too. Stay well!
13 - Richard
I knew someday I'd find out why so many white cartons were spread all over the films I've seen. I wonder if you can explain why the Chinese love McDonalds so much . That's another piece. Really enjoyed this one.Thank you.
14 - Elvira Black
Thanks Richard...I think of Chinese as the ultimate comfort food, along with Matzoh Ball soup. What could be better than wonton soup, fried rice, egg rolls, chow mein etc...I have fond memories of going with my mom to the local Chinese joint and ordering all these. Of course, everything tastes ten times more intense when you're a kid, but I've never tired of these.
I think McDonalds is addictive. Also, humans are preprogrammed to crave fatty foods because when we were primates and prehistoric homo sapiens meat was not presented to us on a platter; the men had to go and hunt, and just like with other carnivores, it might be awhile between kills. So it was important to ingest fatty foods to survive the fallow periods.
Of course, MacDonald's exploits this inbred craving in the most unhealthy way. I don't think there's a country where Mickey D's, like Mickey Mouse, hasn't become an import. Maybe, like, North Korea, the Antarctic, Siberia? Other than those possible exceptions, it's a ubiquitious international threat to the arteries of the entire world.
Thanks for the great comments on these old articles, Richard.