GW Delicatessen is one of the quintessential locations in Foggy Bottom that just can’t seem to quit. A heartfelt presence on campus since 1945, GW Deli feels like home to thousands of students, myself included. When you love something so much, you want to share it with everyone. This is how I feel about GW Deli and that’s how I knew it would be a great first date spot. Low-key and casual, Deli has the best of it all.
Of course, I wouldn’t give you this advice without trying it out myself first. To put this plan to the test I got onto Tinder and started swiping left and right with a frenzy. It didn’t take long before I got my first “Netflix and Chill” proposition, which I quickly turned into “GW Deli and Chill” by sending him sexy pictures of Deli bagels. We made plans to meet up one hungover Saturday morning to get the full Deli experience.
Photo by Aaron Kaufman
Standing in line, I had to explain how it worked. With wide eyes I informed him of the endless possibilities at this amazing establishment, like how you can order in advance or the extreme amount of bacon they put on the bacon, egg and cheese.
Like a true gentlemen, he let me order first. I went for an egg, cheese and avocado on a plain bagel while he got a bacon, egg and cheese on an everything bagel. We waited for our orders amid the Saturday morning rush while we talked about ourselves in a cool, nonchalant, this-isn’t-a-tinder-date type of way.
Photo by Taylor Lashley
Bagels in hand, we retreated back to my room to eat our bagels in peace. This may be the one drawback to the GW Deli date, although it is casual there is no dine-in room since it is just a deli. Had this been a warm spring day, it would have been nice to eat at the tables in Square 80 or on the benches just outside GW Deli.
Nonetheless, I kindly offered him a seat on my bed and we devoured our deli in the most disgusting way possible. This is when I realized that maybe eating a really cheesy bagel with an extreme amount of bacon that I just dropped on my shirt is not the best first date idea. Second guesses aside, I finished my bagel with pride.
As a first date option, GW Deli knocks it out of the park. Casual, comfortable and knowingly safe, it feels like home to bring someone there for the first time. While you might feel a little gross eating a messy bagel, just know that your date is also eating the same messy bagel and they are probably ecstatic to be doing so with you! Could GW Deli and Chill be the new Netflix and Chill? That’s for you to decide, but for me it’s definitely a yes.