It was a long, rough day for California Republican Kevin McCarthy as he repeatedly failed to secure the votes to become Speaker of the House amid a far-right mutiny. Holed up in his office (or not his office), he did what anyone would in a moment of crisis: he ordered pizza.
PIZZA on its way to MCCARTHY office…. Never a good sign pic.twitter.com/ie9jLj9mtc
— Haley Talbot (@haleytalbotnbc) January 3, 2023
Reporters captured a dolly cart wheeling in boxes upon boxes of carby cargo. A dolly cart! Internet sleuths quickly identified the logo as belonging to Wiseguy Pizza, a mere mile away. As a food editor, this is where I can report one tiny bit of good news for McCarthy (and anyone who frequented his office-not-office). He made a very solid pizza choice; Wiseguy is one of the best places in town for a New York-style slice, and does solid grandma squares too.
Of course, to build consensus, you need to offer a little something for everyone, and that most certainly applies to late-night snacks. The New York Times reported that bags of Chick-fil-A were also wheeled to the House side of the Capitol—”a sign of a long night ahead for those still here.” The fried chicken chain has donated millions to groups opposing same-sex marriage and “has become congressional Republicans’ fast food of choice, a culture-war statement on a bun,” as the Atlantic once put it. Perhaps it’s the obvious option to pander to McCarthy’s far-right colleagues, though one of these local fried chicken joints would have been far more delicious.
McCarthy himself, however, seemed to have another craving. Arkansas Republican Bruce Westerman told NBC reporter Hayley Talbot that McCarthy was “relating and visiting w friends” while eating District Taco behind closed doors. So, yeah, a long, rough day, but at least it was Taco Tuesday?
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
