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Queens: A Roosevelt Avenue Street Food Tour

2012-05-16T18:55:16Z

I don't get out to Queens much. In fact, besides going to the airports, I mostly like to avoid the borough as a whole. That said, I've been hearing great things about the great food there for years. Last year, the lore took me out to M Wells - twice. Last weekend, it took me to Roosevelt Avenue, where I grazed my way down thirty blocks with my fellow Midtown Lunch contributors, Donny (of Eat To Blog) and Siobhan (of Blondie & Brownie).

The trip wasn't entirely for leisure, though. Siobhan and her blogging partner Alex are writing a street food cookbook and Donny and I will be providing some of the photography. So, you know, it's research. Leading us through this unfamiliar territory was Jeff Orlick, aka JeffreyTastes, who runs regular tours of the area.

I hope to write a few posts about some of the specific places we visited, but who knows when I'll have time for that, so let's start with the highlights - after the jump.

]]> We met up at Tortas Nezas, a truck on Roosevelt and 111th Street that specializes in those delicious football-shaped sandwiches I fell in love wi in Mexico City five years ago.

One of the few explicitly Mexican places we visited (most are Ecuadorean), the menu lists a dozen tortas, each named after a different football team.

I chose the Torta Toluqueñas with chorizo, salsicha, cheese, avocado and god knows what else. It was huge. I ate the smaller half and wondered how I was going to eat anything else for the rest of the night. Thankfully, someone suggested that I take the rest to go.

The salsicha caught my attention - basically strips of hot dog (Jeff says he thinks they use chicken dogs) that are split and plumped on the griddle.

Once Jeff got there, we started wandering down Roosevelt. There was at least one cart and often many more on every block. I'm glad I had a guide, because I'd have just gone to the first five, gotten full and headed home, thus missing the amazing snacks we ended up enjoying later.

Presuming not everyone wants their photo taken, I didn't shoot every place we went to. I enjoyed the hell out of the tamal I got from this lady, but assume the shopping cart she sold it from hadn't been inspected by the DOH. She also sold Donny a cup of corn soup that reminded me of all the delicious food I had in Peru.

When passing places he hadn't been to yet, like this salchipapas stand manned by a pair of older ladies, Jeff made a point of introducing himself and explaining his tour.

Another favorite from the walk was La Esquina del Sabor, where they make what I guess are huaraches from handmade masa. We spent bout half an hour there chatting and watching her at work. I hope to post a bit more about them specifically at some point.

We shared a huge huarache filled with huitlacoche, cheese, spicy pickled veggies and a ton of lettuce.

While we were there, Siobhan made a friend with a rather outgoing little girl who was out on Roosevelt that night.

Just across the street from there, was a whole strip of trucks, tricked out with some small seating, tv screens playing telenovelas and the like. It was an impressive sight.

By this point, I started wondering how much longer we were going to be out. I couldn't imagine eating another thing and after walking thirty blocks, all I could think of was what a pain it was going to be to get home.

Then I saw this...

These arepas, cheese-filled corn pastries, looked amazing. But I was SO full!

We ended up splitting two varieties of them and I have to say, I'm craving them a week later.

The Arepa Lady is famous in these parts. She only works certain nights and closes up entirely during the cold months. She's a worthy destination for anyone interested in good food and I'm not following her on twitter, where she may tempt me into another trip to Queens some time soon.

Self-Promotion: My NoMad Photos in Travel + Leisure

2012-05-09T18:40:00Z

In my years as Flatiron Lunch correspondent for Midtown Lunch, I spent a lot of time in the area that's now being called NoMad. While covering the area, it grew from being a dead zone to being one of the more interesting areas to eat these days. Travel + Leisure magazine agrees - this month's Food Issue includes a piece highlighting a number of the places to eat in the neighborhood and two of my photos are used to illustrate them.

See which ones after the jump.

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Eataly's Birreria was a bit of a stretch for a Midtown Lunch, but it was so much fun there, I couldn't help but write it up for a Happy Hour post after it opened up last fall.

Hill Country Chicken, the home of crispy, crunchy, southern-fried ridiculousness is high on the list of places I miss being able to just pop into for a quick lunch.

The Travel + Leisure piece is not available on their website, but can be purchased in the T+L iPad app.

Your First Look at The Bar at Peaches

2012-05-02T13:20:31Z

Last night, Bed-Stuy got its newest bar. The folks at Peaches have renovated the space where Bread-Stuy used to be and turned it into a bar for folks in the neighborhood to hang out, chat and enjoy each other's company. It's a much needed addition to the neighborhood and I'm looking forward to spending long evenings bending elbows at the bar or holed up in a window seat on a summer's day.

Before they opened, owners Craig & Ben let me in to get a first look at the place. They're also our first confirmed stop on the next Bed-Stuy Crawl, which will tour Lewis Avenue on Saturday, June 2nd.

See more photos of the space after the jump...

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The space is pretty much unrecognizable from what it used to look like as Bread Stuy, which was always comfortable, but a little snug. The ceilings seem higher and the windows bring in much more light. The exposed brick adds a homey feeling and cushions in the window remind me of my favorite spot next door at the restaurant.

I was happily surprised to see what a nice beer selection the bar will have. With a dozen bottles and eight taps coming, I won't have to worry about sacrificing variety for closeness.

I wasn't able to make it to opening night and we're off to Mexico tonight, but when I get back, I'm very much looking forward to settling in at the new bar.

For more details on the upcoming Bed-Stuy Crawl, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter

Mexico-Bound

2012-04-25T16:25:49Z

Next week, Tammi and I are heading to Tulum, Mexico for the wedding of some good friends of ours. I'm not one to get excited about spending time in beach towns, but I had a great eating experience in Mexico City years ago and I've been hearing people talk about Tulum for a little while now. Of course, I don't have much in the way of specifics about where to go or what to eat while there, so let me know if you have any tips!

Bed-Stuy Crawl, Round 2 Recap

2012-04-17T20:07:55Z

Last weekend's Bed-Stuy Crawl was an amazing success. Alisha, Nicole and I led a crowd of nearly 50 people to sip and snack at three spots in the Franklin/Bedford corner of the neighborhood. I told you all about the plan last week, so check out how it all went with photos after the jump.

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In the garden at Sud.

Sud's sangria flowed freely all evening.

Crawl attendees arriving at Bedford Hill.

At the counter at Bedford Hill.

The crawl in full swing at Bedford Hill.

One Last Shag.

Alisha raids the rubbers.

Prizes!

See more photos from the crawl on the Bed-StuyCrawl Facebook page and explore the entire set on Flickr.

Lima: Public Displays

2012-04-16T18:29:03Z

In the park up above the Lima waterfront, this statue stands as a monument to the Peruvian proclivity for showing affection. Any doubts about how accurate this was was erased by a walk through the park. It was impossible not to pass at least one pair of entangled teens sucking face for all to see.

Lima: Dancing in Kennedy Park

2012-04-13T17:00:32Z

Lima's Kennedy Park is a five minute walk from our apartment in Miraflores and chock full of activity from markets and events and locals just enjoying the space. Every time we walked through the park there was some sort of performance or dance party happening there.

Get a look after the jump.

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One night, we came across a group of Ecuadorian students visiting to perform traditional dances.

Another evening, below, there was a cumbia party, where old folks danced and sang along to oldies.

Lima: Perpetual Cloud Cover

2012-04-12T13:13:05Z

Having spent our first week or so in Peru up in the mountains, it was easy to forget that it was winter time down there. During the day, the sun shone and temperatures got to the 60s. When we landed in Lima, closer to sea level, we encountered an entirely new weather pattern. It wasn't the cold, snowy winter we (usually) know at home, but there was a chill in the air and we didn't see the sun at all over the four or five days we were there. At all.

We read that it's like that for most of the year, but it's remarkable being right on the coast of the Pacific with a huge cliffside park across from the beach going for miles and miles and not seeing the sun once. I can't imagine how gorgeous it must be on a sunny summer day.

This weekend, Bed-Stuy Crawl returns!

2012-04-11T19:10:51Z

This Saturday, April 14th, Nicole Taylor, Alisha Miranda and I will be hosting our second installment of our Bed-Stuy Crawl series.

Having lived in Bed-Stuy since I was a kid, I have to say there hasn't been a more exciting time to live in the neighborhood. As recently as five years ago, the idea of being able to spend a Saturday evening out with friends without leaving the bounds of Bed-Stuy was pretty unlikely. Your options were to hang out at an old man bar or to spend the whole time at one of a handful of scattered restaurants around the area. That's all changed. And it's pretty great.

If you missed the first Bed-Stuy Crawl back in February, here's your chance to make it up to yourself. Last time, led a group of 40 from Fulton Grand on the Clinton Hill border to Breucklen Cellars, Vodou Lounge and finally Black Swan. It was an amazing time and we're doing it all over again this weekend. Check out the plan for this weekend's festivities after the jump.

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This time, we'll start at Sud, where we'll sip sangria and snack on crostini in the backyard. Attendees of the crawl will get wine and sangria for $4 all night and if they return for dinner, will also receive one half price pasta dish.

Throughout the evening, we'll be giving away prizes in a raffle for all who friend, follow, tweet or like Bed-Stuy Crawl in the various social media that evening. Our first giveaway is a set of frozen tamales from our friends and neighbors at Lonestar Taco. Wayne and Tracie live a block from me and are working on a new store right here in the neighborhood. I'm really glad that they could be a part of this.

The next stop is Bedford Hill, a cute little cafe on Franklin that recently got their beer and wine license and are now open into the late hours on the weekends. They'll be serving crawl attendees $4 beer and $6 wine all night.

We'll be giving away homemade marshmallows from Sweet Tooth Labs, a.k.a. our great friend, Emily Hanhan.

The party continues at One Last Shag, just across the street. The bar with a beach in the backyard is known for some wild nights and will be offering us happy hour specials until 11pm.

Our last two giveaways of the evening will take place here. Dara of With Love From Brooklyn has donated a gorgeous Brownstone print and mug, while Crystal of Tasty Morsels is bringing custom cookies for the party.

All in all, it's going to be an amazing time and I can't wait to get it started. If you're a local, a transplant or just a visitor looking for a good time, come on out and enjoy the party.

Peru: Incan Constellations

2012-04-09T16:03:22Z

One interesting thing I picked up from our visit to Qorikancha was that unlike the European astrology, which traces the stars to find deities, the Incan constellations find patterns in the darkness around the stars.

This representation of Incan Astrology was painted by Miguel Araoz Cartagena, a local artist in Cuzco. To read more about the constellations, read this.

Cuzco: Eating Cuy at Victor Victoria

2012-04-06T18:33:10Z

It's a fine line between being an open-minded eater and being the idiot who'll eat anything on a dare. I try to be adventurous enough that I don't miss a good meal due but not so much that I'm just eating something because it's there. In Peru, cuy was the elephant in the room. Guinea pig is a local delicacy that I admit had me both curious and a little grossed out. Really though, when was I going to have the opportunity to try it again.

In Aguas Calientes, I almost had cuy confit at The Tree House But they didn't have any on hand. I didn't go hunting for cuy after that, but I mentioned that I wanted to try it to Arturo, a friend of a friend, who leads food tours in Lima (more on that later). He recommended Victor Victoria, a small restaurant that's small, divey and off the beaten path.

We got totally lost the first time we tried to go there, but managed to track it down the next night. Joined by fellow anglophones from Brooklyn and the UK that we met at an Aussie bar down the road, we dove in together and had a pretty good meal.

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It goes without saying that the meal wasn't going to be for everyone. But, that's not just because if what we were eating. Divey, local spots that aren't polished for foreigners sound more attractive when you don't have to swat roaches crawling up the wall next to your dining companion's ear. Yeah. Ew. Still, we were committed to an adventure and here we were.

Tammi went the less adventurous route with an order of chicharrones with hominy corn.

The Cuy, roasted and sold by the half, looks exactly like what it is. That may have been a little more real than I actually needed it to be. I may have been a little apprehensive, but at this point, I had to know what it tasted like.

Turns out, it was pretty damn good. With the anatomy of a rabbit, tender flesh of a suckling pig and crispy skin of a duck, the tastes and textures were definitely made the adventure worth it.

Cuzco: Craft Museum

2012-04-05T19:45:24Z

Peru is known for it's textiles and weaves and materials, so it's no surprise that we ended up at the craft museum in Cuzco. While Tammi shopped for "gifts" (ahem), I headed to the back of the shop to see weaving being done by hand. Take a look after the jump.

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Cuzco: Qorikancha

2012-04-04T13:49:06Z

In what was probably the last historic site I laid eyes on over my month long trip to South America, Tammi and I visited Qorikancha, the site of a former Inca temple, which was inevitably looted by the Spaniards and turned into a church. This isn't much a sightseeing blog, so I'll let you read the Wikipedia entry for details and stick with the visuals after the jump.

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Cuzco: Chicharron Row

2012-04-03T12:53:08Z

Our trip to Peru wasn't all eating and hiking - Tammi and I did some sightseeing while we were in Cuzco, too. It just so happens that as we walked to the remains of an ancient inca temple, Qorikancha, we ended up walking down a strip of chicharrones joints. Go figure.

Baskets of freshly fried pork bits were on display in front of each of these places. How could we resist? Culture could wait. Get a look after the jump.

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Self-Promotion: How To Knead, Top and Toss it

2012-04-02T11:34:48Z

The How to... series presented by Edible Brooklyn and the Brooklyn Brewery has returned this year and I've been out shooting it. Back in February, "How to Slice it" brought meat mavens together to learn the best way to make sausage, truss a roast and debone a chicken. More recently, the theme was pizza and it packed the house. Check out a couple highlights after the jump and see a slideshow and details on the speakers on the Edible Brooklyn recap.

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