Dish City

Latest Episodes:

Gig Work: The Fine Print Of Food Delivery Jun 10, 2021

Show notes

"Quick sign up! Flexible hours! Be your own boss!"

The perks of gig work are well-known, but do they actually reflect the reality of drivers working for food delivery apps? Patrick and Ruth try driving for DoorDash to find out. Plus, they interview three drivers in D.C., Seattle, and Denton, Texas, to see how gig workers are fighting for better working conditions.

Read a transcript of this episode at dishcity.org.

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Email us your favorite delivery order at dishcity@wamu.org.

The Rise And Farce Of Third-Party Delivery Apps Jun 03, 2021

Show notes

DoorDash started a decade after its competitors, but now controls half of the food delivery market in the U.S. What can we learn from the very first order its founders delivered? And how did all these third-party platforms reshape the way we think of food delivery? Ruth and Patrick explore the origins of DoorDash and examine whether the "magic wand" it built for restaurateurs is working.

Note: This episode has been updated to reflect DoorDash and Uber Eats' current policy regarding listing restaurants on their platforms.

Read a transcript of this episode at dishcity.org.

Leave us a tip at wamu.org/supportdishcity.

Email us your favorite delivery order at dishcity@wamu.org.

How Big Pizza And Big Tech Made Hot Delivery Possible May 27, 2021

Show notes

In the '60s, delivering pizzas meant wrapping hot pies in a blanket or driving them to customers over open flames. With those humble (and, uh, life-threatening) beginnings, how did we get to the quick and easy delivery everyone knows and loves today? From heatproof bags to rotating ovens, Patrick Fort and Ruth Tam investigate how 'big pizza' changed the delivery game forever.

Read a transcript of this episode at dishcity.org.

Leave us a tip at wamu.org/supportdishcity.

Email us your favorite delivery order at dishcity@wamu.org.

How American Chinese Food Became Delivery Food May 20, 2021

Show notes

On a cold November night in 1976, a New York City restaurateur named Misa Chang started sliding delivery menus under her neighbors’ doors for her Chinese restaurant in Manhattan. Chang wasn’t the first to offer delivery, but when delivery gained traction in U.S. cities, Chinese restaurants were often the first to do it. As dishes like chop suey and General Tso's chicken became part of American food culture, Americans’ feelings toward the Chinese Americans who made the food (and delivered it) remained stuck in the past. And now, as demand for delivery increases, many American Chinese restaurants are closing. Is delivery the key to survival?

Read a transcript of this episode at dishcity.org.

Leave us a tip at wamu.org/supportdishcity.

Email us your favorite delivery order at dishcity@wamu.org.

Why Is Delivery A Thing? May 13, 2021

Show notes

When you really think about it, delivering food from restaurants to homes is kind of strange. Nothing about the process saves money and it doesn't make the food taste any better! And yet, platforms like DoorDash and Grubhub doubled their revenue during the pandemic. So, what's the history of this weird system? Welcome to the latest season of Dish City, where we unwrap the past, present and future of delivery. Read a transcript of this episode at dishcity.org. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @dishcity. Leave us a tip at wamu.org/supportdishcity. Email us your favorite delivery order at dishcity@wamu.org.

Introducing Dish City’s Delivery Season May 09, 2021

Show notes

On a new season of Dish City, hosts Patrick Fort and Ruth Tam discover how food delivery became normal in America and ponder if it actually benefits restaurants, couriers and diners during the pandemic.

The Foodie With No Taste Nov 12, 2020

Show notes

Most people who contract coronavirus recover, but we still don't know much about the lingering side effects – including the loss of taste and smell. Patrick talks with a local foodie who survived the virus but hasn't fully regained his ability to taste and smell.

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Theme music by Daniel Peterschmidt

Winter Is…You Know Nov 05, 2020

Show notes

As Game of Thrones nerds can tell you, "winter is coming" is more than a seasonal weather forecast –it's a warning. With that in mind, what are local restaurants with outdoor dining doing to prepare for the harshest season? And, given the limits in federal and local coronavirus financial relief, what do they actually have control over? Ruth and Patrick follow a restaurant and brewery owner's preparations –and their state of mind– as we count the days towards the cold.

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The Restaurant From The Future Oct 22, 2020

Show notes

What does the future hold for restaurants? To predict what a restaurant in 2022 will look like, Patrick and Ruth time travel to see what lessons we can learn from previous pandemics.

dishcity@wamu.org

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It’s Fall, Eat A Mooncake Oct 01, 2020

Show notes

Now that fall is here, Patrick is enjoying his cozy flannel shirts and crisp pumpkin beers. But for Ruth, entering this season is bittersweet. Cultural holidays like the Mid-Autumn Festival are normally comforting this time of year. But for Asians who observe this harvest celebration, there's no easy way to safely gather and eat traditional mooncakes during a pandemic. To get some perspective on family food traditions and what they offer us this season, Ruth turns to D.C. resident Suzanne Nuyen, the creator of Vietnamese food blog, Bun Bo Bae.

Suzanne's blog Bun Bo Bae: bunbobae.com

dishcity@wamu.org

Twitter: @dishcity

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