Foot Village!

Dark Leafy Greens!


Our friends Foot Village came to town. They are all healthy eaters.


Dan and Grace brought me many delicious presents, goiter included.


Dan gave me a baby Bucha, which is now happily growing away into lip smackin' Kombucha, and... the last of Bob's Beer! In this case, it was a delightful SWEET cider. MMMMMMMMM.



Then, A++ reformed for one night and opened for Foot Village at Death By Audio. We went to EGG the next morning, which I've been yearning to eat at since I moved here. I got a toad in the hole but it was called Eggs Rothko, braised tomatoes, and kale. The show was so intense that I forgot my camera at brunch.



Captain Sensible misses them already.

Cross Your Ts and Cs

Jared bought me a little grill for our anniversary! It's name is Wally.


Our model friends, Teresa and Candace visited us last week so we decided to christen it with our first Brooklyn rooftop BBQ. (I know, I know, it is technically grilling, not BBQ)


Teresa and I prepped everything-grilled corn and tomato salad with jalapenos, marinated cod, grilled scallions and mangos and started to light the grill.


And then we found out that charcoal from the 99 cent store refuses to burn.


The sun started to go down...


Getting impatient...


After two hours, a matchbook of matches, and repeated dousings of lighter fluid, I called my friend Bobby to get some grilling advice, who told us to throw in the towel and take it inside.


This is New York grilling.


Complete! It was very delicious.

Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes

We woke up too late for our regular Sunday brunch outfit so we stayed home and made our own. Bacon. Coffee. Fruit Salad. And the tastiest healthiest (wheat germ and whole wheat flour) banana pancakes ever!

Tortilla Factory

When you want Los Angeles style tacos in New York, you gotta go to the source--The Tortilla Factory.


Inside of the factory, with industrial corn meal mixers grinding away in the background, and Norteno music blasting, you order your tacos at this little kitchen, and sit down at the long communal table to dine with dirty hipsters and hair-netted tortilla makers alike. Basically, a utopian dining experience.


And oh what tacos they are! So achingly good they tickle the heart-strings and make your nose run from happiness and hot sauce. Green and red are equally great.


They have tacos, tortas (really good because they bun is not too over-sized and it's nice and toasty, like a Mexican panini) burritos (I have yet to try), tostadas, and these awesome things that look like giant sopes, called picadas. They cook all of the meat to order and the chorizo, pleasantly greasy, grainy, and flecked with bits of earthy potato, might be my favorite.


I know what you Angelenos might be thinking, "Hmmm, what about all that lettuce and crema on there? That doesn't look too autentico..." Lettuce is superfluous, yes. Still incredibly delicious? Quite. Just look at the smile on Brandon's face; that is one happy man. We're going to be okay, New York! We can survive!

Cheddar Walnut Loaf

I had so many great possible food posts and then my camera went on the fritz. So I lost Empire Szechuan, the delicious German roladen I made, and the second round of IRON CHEF-Asparagus pictures. Sigh. Anyways, I got this old copy of Diet for a Small Planet, which was adored by the seventies counterculture as one of the first vegetarian cookbooks.


I like how the book tries to translate meat-centric items of American cuisine, like hamburger patties and meatloaf, into veggie fare. I made the cheddar-walnut-loaf. It was a rousing success. Really. Nutty, cheesy, savory and filling; I threw in some tarragon for good measure.


Check out this gargoyle we got!

Dumpling Man

The Dumpling Man.


I wish I was two inches high so I could scramble over these like greasy boulders.


Initially, I was not that impressed. The guy running the shop was a total prick and the pork dumplings and one special kimchi dumpling were good though not as ethereal as I had anticipated. However, after the smell of steamy meat envelopes continued to permeate the entire apartment long after I had finished them. I could not stop thinking about the dumpling. The sour smack of ground pork, the sharp green-ness of scallion, and garlicky juice. They were pretty great. A working man's dumpling, a punchy package of herbs and good meat, a delicate and not completely refined casing. I'm into it.

Have no fear!

Anavan is here! All the way from Ketchekan, Alaska.


Bret, a food adventurer of the grandest sorts, and I went to Atlas Bakery in the East Village to gorge on sugar.


Vegan? Butter and cream laden? Who cares? They taste fantastique.


Next stop, the wondrous automat. Check out the youngsters in awe of this incredibly modern invention. Automats were first created in Berlin in the early 20th century and brought to New York in 1912, conveniently serving hot food to the proletariat for nickels. The rise of fast food and drive thrus in the 50s killed the appeal and they remain largely extinct.


Until now. This macaroni and cheese in a fried tube was surprisingly delightful.


Then on to real mac n' cheese.


S'mac n' cheese.


Neapolitan style. Four cheese. And le Parisian.


Awwww yeah babe. That has oozing brie, rosemary, shitakes, and dried figs!


Nice work, boys.


Then we went back to Brooklyn. I had a hilarious thought at the bookstore that maybe NYC shop cats can get you really sick. Think of all the dirty hands that pet them every day. "Oh man, I caught a real bug last week. I think I got it from that Spoonbill & Sugartown shop kitty. I pet him for like a half an hour" It was worth it.