SCROLL DOWN FOR A SPREADSHEET OF LOCATIONS THAT ARE OPEN FOR TAKE-OUT AND DELIVERY AND HOW TO ORDER.
BUT ALSO PLEASE READ.
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I don’t think that I have COVID-19. I have a small scratch in my throat but that always happens when the weather changes drastically. Maybe you feel a little something as well, or don’t feel anything at all. But lots of people in my age range went untested in Italy and, well, we all see what happened there. General testing in South Korea demonstrated that many people can be infected without exhibiting any signs at all.
The point is, you could be a carrier for the COVID-19 virus and not realize it. I went out over the weekend and shared pizza and gave people hugs and probably accidentally sipped out of someone else’s cup. They could have given something to me or vice versa, and even if the symptoms never show, it could continue to pass to someone who actually gets sick. Nope. No more. My wife and I stocked up on supplies and are going into hibernation because we are privileged enough to do so and therefore it is our responsibility to do it.
Because, and please listen up everyone: we are all fucked. Most of us at least. Pretending we aren’t is irresponsible and naive.
Argentina is a fragile place. We are the country equivalent of taping a broken bumper to the back of the car with scotch tape. One unexpected tap and it all falls apart.
The effects that Covid-19 are going to have on the country is immeasurable and we are all at risk. This isn’t just about not flooding the hospital system, which is also fragile and underprepared for a pandemic. This is about making the economic fallout that will happen and affect each and every one of us as painless as possible. It’s gonna hurt and that hurt is inevitable. How much it hurts depends entirely on us and our collective action.
The powers that be haven’t yet ordered us to all shut ourselves inside — and hopefully a mandatory quarantine doesn’t happen. But that doesn’t mean we should make decisions that have us barreling towards that finish line.
It hurts to see our friends and colleagues struggling to make sense of what is happening. We feel for them and their fear of losing it all. But I also feel an immense pride of the pragmatism and unity being demonstrated by restaurants that are voluntarily limiting service before the government has made a call for it. We see you!
Because in order for things to get better, we can’t pretend everything is business as usual. It’ll hurt a hell of a lot more if more people get sick and businesses have to shutter for months on end, as we have seen across Europe and in the United States as a result of LAZY POLICY, THE ABSENCE OF PREVENTATIVE MEASURES AND A LACK OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.
For the foreseeable future, we will not be encouraging you to go out to eat. It makes no sense. Instead, La La Lista will be keeping tabs on restaurants as they adapt to the unfolding situation. If you have the means to consume right now, please do so and understand the responsibility that comes with it. Please, let’s support small, independent businesses over the big boys.
Below are some tips on how to be a responsible diner amidst this crisis, as well as a list of restaurants and their take-out and delivery policy, which we promise to update as information comes in.
Here is an easier to read desktop version of the spreadsheet.
If you own a restaurant and would like us to add you, please email me at kevin@lalalista.com and we will get it up as quickly as possible.
A FEW TIPS FOR DINING RESPONSIBLY
Not everyone is on Rappi, Glovo and UberEats, so don’t solely depend on those apps for food delivery. Call ahead if the restaurant you’d like to get take-out from isn’t on our list and inquire.
Call ahead before showing up anyway. Restaurants don’t know what to expect and may be under-ordering supplies or understaffed to avoid waste.
If you can order on Instagram, Facebook or over the phone, do it. The point is to limit contact as much as possible. Respect workers who don’t have the privilege of staying home. If you are given an estimated time, respect it. If there is a line, spread out. Stay at least one foot away from workers when you can.
If you order via Rappi, Glovo or UberEats, respect the delivery person. They are under immense pressure (both personal financial strains and growing demands for the service). They are also uniquely vulnerable. Be nice. Be patient. Give them a generous fucking tip — 20% as a bare minimum.
If you are getting takeout, bring a tupper. Take-away boxes are extremely expensive in a moment that every cent counts, not to mention environmentally uncool. If restaurant workers decide they don’t want to handle your (a stranger) tupperware and would rather use their own, be respectful of their decision.
Pay with Mercadopago or another digital format if possible to avoid handling gross cash.
Be patient and be kind. Everyone is stressed but the restaurant industry is especially stressed. Restaurant owners are uniformly freaked the fucked out that their business is going terminal any day now. Leave a fucking tip.
Thanks for reading, and stay safe. We’re all in this together.