We have a hard time envisioning the post-pandemic world, and here’s why

Our narratives of progress are limited to tech innovation and economic growth

At any point during the week in the pre-coronavirus time, a person could stop by Fort Defiance restaurant in Red Hook, have an excellent cocktail, enjoy friendly atmosphere, and find reprieve after being snottily told by Red Hook Tavern that the wait is 1.5 hour, no matter when they showed up.

These days, Fort Defiance sells groceries. On their site, one can find butter, parsley, chicken drumsticks, raw honey, or bottled Negroni. There are also gift certificates. Across the Atlantic, UK milkmen are going through demand renaissance, although less of a farm-to-table and more of a shelter-in-place variety. Leon’s chain of restaurants pivoted to selling pre-packaged meals available for pick up and delivery.

In New York, premium food wholesalers like Chef’s Warehouse, F. Rozzo and Sons or Happy Valley Meat Co., now sell their goods directly to consumers. Their specialty items once went to the likes of Gramercy Tavern and Eleven Madison. Today, Eleven Madison is a communal kitchen, and a person doesn’t need to endure Frenchette’s alarmingly bad acoustics in order to enjoy their food; they can have the same meat and produce in the quiet hum of our own home. At-home cooks are the winners here: they get…