Saturday night, by midnight i had had only one slice of pizza for dinner and headed over to the Hop Devil Grill tequila and beer bar on St Marks place to find Shaun the doorman trying to set up a date with a 'girl'. He called on Will the manager to come listen to my project proposition. He told me to come back tomorrow sunday around 3 pm when it would be less busy.
I came back the following day to find another manager Luis who was open and told me to order what i wanted.
You can find on the menu southwest cuisine like fajitas, tacos, quesadillas and even a holy chicken mole.
Rachel, the bartender, took my order of a chili burger, fries, tortilla chips and salsa. The woman sitting next to me, a visitor from Connecticut was drinking Chipotle beer (from the brewer Rogue) and said it was "good, and smoky."
I asked Rachel for a taste and indeed it was good and smoky.
The old fave Baracuda was playing on the CD player.
The chili burger was huge and messy and very satisfying.
Rachel admitted to keeping a blog at one time. "It's funny what you blog about when you are 15; i was blogging about being depressed.... "
Another customer came in and sat to the left of me. "I'm in here a lot," he said to me.
"What beer are you drinking?" i asked.
"Darkfish, 21% alcohol; you need 2 to get drunk... it's a great beer... it's from Delaware."
I looked up and noticed the organic beer: Wolaver's brown ale.
"I'm really a fan of the burritos. There's a good selection of beer in here," he added. Did guerrilla marketers send you in here ?
"What's your name?" i asked. "James". He then talked about all his favorite eateries in the east village.
Tuesday is taco tuesday 1 $. No bar is worth drinking at without a Happy hour: monday to friday 4 -7. Sunday 1/2 price burger 5 -10.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
BUA - My thirst is toast
Saturday afternoon in the east village and it feels like a sauna. It's time for a drink and i entered the bar BUA on St Marks Place and met a bartender named Shane. He was easy. "I'll buy you a beer."
"What does BUA mean,"i asked. "It means victory in Irish Gaelic," he said. "Are you an owner?" "No, it was opened by a couple of guys from Ireland: Ruari, Dave and Marc." "What will you have?" "What is Yuengling?" I asked. "It is an American lager." "Where are you from love?" he called me love. "Montreal". I think i actually asked him whether he likes U2. Was it because he was Irish, maybe. i think it was the heat. "I hate Bono. He doesn't care about poverty in Ireland."
"What do you do besides work here?" "I am studying political science human rights law at Hunter college," Shane said.
"I'm from a town of 1200 people and 13 pubs, " he said.
He then put on a band that i had never heard of - the Thin Lizzies (i think that's what they were called). "They're from the 70's".
I asked for some maraschino cherries and Shane gave me 4. A customer came up to the bar and i said, " i just ate 4 maraschino cherries and 1 stays in your stomach for like a month," and he replied, "oh, that's 4 months." I was a little tipsy.
"What does BUA mean,"i asked. "It means victory in Irish Gaelic," he said. "Are you an owner?" "No, it was opened by a couple of guys from Ireland: Ruari, Dave and Marc." "What will you have?" "What is Yuengling?" I asked. "It is an American lager." "Where are you from love?" he called me love. "Montreal". I think i actually asked him whether he likes U2. Was it because he was Irish, maybe. i think it was the heat. "I hate Bono. He doesn't care about poverty in Ireland."
"What do you do besides work here?" "I am studying political science human rights law at Hunter college," Shane said.
"I'm from a town of 1200 people and 13 pubs, " he said.
He then put on a band that i had never heard of - the Thin Lizzies (i think that's what they were called). "They're from the 70's".
I asked for some maraschino cherries and Shane gave me 4. A customer came up to the bar and i said, " i just ate 4 maraschino cherries and 1 stays in your stomach for like a month," and he replied, "oh, that's 4 months." I was a little tipsy.
OST - No chocolate chip on my shoulder
I walked into OST on ave A ate. 12 th (referred to me by someone who works at Waffles and Dinges) and noticed some pretty good looking chocolate chip cookies. When you're broke and hungry, fantasizing about food becomes a major preoccupation. Food fantasies begin to rival sex fantasies. Especially in a city like New York where great food is everywhere.
I first spoke with Dan who explained to me that OST means east in German. "They are trying to go for an eastern european feel". Looking around i would say that it had a kind of boho upmarket or punk chic feel to it.
I said i noticed their coffee which is 'Intelligentsia' and is marketed as direct trade. "Is that like fair trade?" i asked. "fair trade is an international minimum wage; direct trade works directly with farmers and pays above fair trade, about 40 % above regular wages," Dan said.
I didn't mean to contradict Dan, but there are fair trade brands that work directly with farmers as well.
What is 'Intelligentsia' i asked. "They are a rotisserie from Chicago."
I then spoke with Katarina, part owner with husband Aaron. "Where did the eastern european theme come from?"
"I am from Slovakia. We wanted to create something resembling coffee shops in eastern europe like Budapest with a bohemian feel where people can sit and talk and read; for intellectual types like literary coffee shops, " Katarina said. Indeed there is a whole rack of magazines.
Balthazar provides their breakfast pastry and the Hungarian Pastry shop supplies other pastry. Westville supplies the cookies.
I tried the dessert that consisted of 2 chocolate chip cookies stuffed with Nutella. No chocolate chip on my shoulder. And an iced mocha.
They also have wifi except for weekends during the day when they are trying to encourage a more social atmosphere.
I asked Dan whether the cocoa used is also direct trade and he said that he believes it is also supplied by Intelligentsia.
Justice indeed can be sweet.
"We wanted to serve quality coffee and be responsible and local," she added.
I first spoke with Dan who explained to me that OST means east in German. "They are trying to go for an eastern european feel". Looking around i would say that it had a kind of boho upmarket or punk chic feel to it.
I said i noticed their coffee which is 'Intelligentsia' and is marketed as direct trade. "Is that like fair trade?" i asked. "fair trade is an international minimum wage; direct trade works directly with farmers and pays above fair trade, about 40 % above regular wages," Dan said.
I didn't mean to contradict Dan, but there are fair trade brands that work directly with farmers as well.
What is 'Intelligentsia' i asked. "They are a rotisserie from Chicago."
I then spoke with Katarina, part owner with husband Aaron. "Where did the eastern european theme come from?"
"I am from Slovakia. We wanted to create something resembling coffee shops in eastern europe like Budapest with a bohemian feel where people can sit and talk and read; for intellectual types like literary coffee shops, " Katarina said. Indeed there is a whole rack of magazines.
Balthazar provides their breakfast pastry and the Hungarian Pastry shop supplies other pastry. Westville supplies the cookies.
I tried the dessert that consisted of 2 chocolate chip cookies stuffed with Nutella. No chocolate chip on my shoulder. And an iced mocha.
They also have wifi except for weekends during the day when they are trying to encourage a more social atmosphere.
I asked Dan whether the cocoa used is also direct trade and he said that he believes it is also supplied by Intelligentsia.
Justice indeed can be sweet.
"We wanted to serve quality coffee and be responsible and local," she added.
Ess-a-Bagel - The search for breakfast
The begel -
It's nice not to have to beg for a bagel and with Ess-a-Bagel, i didn't really have to. Situated on 3 rd avenue at e. 21 st. Ess-a-Bagel is a family business started by Gene and Florence Wilpon and her brother Aaron Wenzelberg. Walking along 3 rd avenue, hunger struck so i walked in and hit them up for breakfast. I spoke with Michael Wilpon who at first was not entirely too receptive but then changed his mind when i persisted with my pitch and asked me what i would like to have. " a bagel ," "just a bagel," he asked. "No, a bagel with sun dried tomato cream cheese and a coffee," i replied. "How long have you been in business?" i asked. "32 years."
I ate my bagel quietly and thought about the people behind the counter. Who are they? Can i mention all of them? Do i interview them? On my way out, one counterperson spoke to me and said: "Kathy, don't forget to mention us," and pointed to the guy next to him and joked, " this is Alvin, he's the head of the counter and Alfonso's wife just had a baby." "What's your name," i asked. "Adel. And the woman at the cash, that's Laxme."
As AM New York reported about Ess-a-Bagels, they are big and beefy and very filling. And i might add, their sun dried tomato cream cheese is full flavored. And like most bagel places, they have a wide assortment of bagels and spreads.
Thanks Ess-a-Bagel.
It's nice not to have to beg for a bagel and with Ess-a-Bagel, i didn't really have to. Situated on 3 rd avenue at e. 21 st. Ess-a-Bagel is a family business started by Gene and Florence Wilpon and her brother Aaron Wenzelberg. Walking along 3 rd avenue, hunger struck so i walked in and hit them up for breakfast. I spoke with Michael Wilpon who at first was not entirely too receptive but then changed his mind when i persisted with my pitch and asked me what i would like to have. " a bagel ," "just a bagel," he asked. "No, a bagel with sun dried tomato cream cheese and a coffee," i replied. "How long have you been in business?" i asked. "32 years."
I ate my bagel quietly and thought about the people behind the counter. Who are they? Can i mention all of them? Do i interview them? On my way out, one counterperson spoke to me and said: "Kathy, don't forget to mention us," and pointed to the guy next to him and joked, " this is Alvin, he's the head of the counter and Alfonso's wife just had a baby." "What's your name," i asked. "Adel. And the woman at the cash, that's Laxme."
As AM New York reported about Ess-a-Bagels, they are big and beefy and very filling. And i might add, their sun dried tomato cream cheese is full flavored. And like most bagel places, they have a wide assortment of bagels and spreads.
Thanks Ess-a-Bagel.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Day 1 - BRGR is GR8 for feeding me
Last friday night, i walked into the BRGR on 7 th ave. hungry and hoping they would be my solution to my hunger problem. It was my first successful pitch and i landed a hamburger (named 'a beautiful day'). I approached the cashier with my story of being new to the city and being a struggling writer who has run low on funds (in between jobs). I offered to write a story about BRGR in exchange for food. She said she would have to get the manager. She walked to the back and another woman came and i pitched her the same idea and a little reluctantly she agreed and ordered a beautiful day. I went to sit and waited for a little while. A few people who came in after me got served before me. They seemed to have forgotten about me and i had to go ask the cashier who then went to the open kitchen ( a modern looking upmarket fast food type) and asked something. I went to sit back down and finally a burger came. I had to get up and go ask again for french fries. The whole place has a kind of a hip upmarket fast food feel to it as does the food. No major complaints however. The burger was more on the smaller side but it was quite tasty.
I did not get a chance to taste what New York magazine considers the best milkshake in New York: the blueberry pomegranate milkshake. I'm still waiting on that.
While waiting i got a chance to read their food philosophy hanging on their walls. They offer beef that is hormone and antibiotic free, as well as grass fed. The cows are raised in an open pasture and treated humanely.
So you can eat at a burger joint without feeling that you are going to end up in the joint .
BRGR was great for feeding me.
I did not get a chance to taste what New York magazine considers the best milkshake in New York: the blueberry pomegranate milkshake. I'm still waiting on that.
While waiting i got a chance to read their food philosophy hanging on their walls. They offer beef that is hormone and antibiotic free, as well as grass fed. The cows are raised in an open pasture and treated humanely.
So you can eat at a burger joint without feeling that you are going to end up in the joint .
BRGR was great for feeding me.
Snackalicious - 1 $ falafels
Political foodies everywhere may throw themselves in front of a truck after reading this blog, but at least they won't be alive to protest it.
ha ha!
A girl's gotta eat ( and get eaten) :
East Village - 2 nd ave at e. 6 th st.
Why they have named their hole in the wall Cinderella Snackalicious i know not but i found falafel sandwiches for 1 $. (thanks for the i o u)
Snackalicious: they're not falawful, they're falafelicious.
ha ha!
A girl's gotta eat ( and get eaten) :
East Village - 2 nd ave at e. 6 th st.
Why they have named their hole in the wall Cinderella Snackalicious i know not but i found falafel sandwiches for 1 $. (thanks for the i o u)
Snackalicious: they're not falawful, they're falafelicious.
Project F(r)eed me NY
Or how to score free food (when desperate)
My journey looking more like I O USA .
Update:
Extra extra
No longer on credit card because credit card is maxed out. Have not found work. Have not been offered a job. In Gizzi's café, on w. 8th where Jessie kindly gave me coffee on an i o u basis. (Starbucks would not).
The last week has been about feeding myself. How am i going to do it and where is this food going to come from; not in any political sense like what farm did my beef come from although those issues have actually come up but on a 'whose going to accept my proposition of blogging for bread and butter.' It's amazing how much bravura we can muster up when we're starving. One week i was living it up at the BBQ on w. 8th ( all day early bird special: soup, big chicken, corn bread and a side for 5$), the next week my credit card is declined and i'm looking for the soup kitchen which i found at a church along with soup - some very Hale and Hearty soup. A nice woman named Susan gave me 20 $ and told me to go get myself a meal - sadly i owed that money for a room.
If starbucks is mad i'm sorry, but what have they done for me lately. I even plugged them a while back in my ' 6 degrees of seperation' and what did i get? Sure they accepted my credit card when others would not ( there is a lot of 'cash only') in this town. so thanks, i got to have my coffee when i had no cash. ( I see button down starbucks looking guys walking by quickly and looking angry - a month of free coffee and the matter is resolved - and maybe a couple muffins, a few frappucinos and a vivanno).
Desperate for coffee:
Jared at the Pret a Manger offered a coffee on the house when i proposed to mention their coffee on my blog for one cup of coffee. 'You don't have to mention us, but have a cup of coffee', he said. I said i noticed that you advertise as fair trade and organic and he said, "we're trying to move forward'. It's the first i've heard of them.
Anyways, Project f(r)eed me NY is about getting fed in exchange for writing a story about whoever feeds me. It's not a hand out. I had to work really really hard the last four days to get fed. Reactions have varied from 'what do you want?' to 'have anything you want'; the latter being what we want to hear.
Extra Extra; extra corn bread please.
My journey looking more like I O USA .
Update:
Extra extra
No longer on credit card because credit card is maxed out. Have not found work. Have not been offered a job. In Gizzi's café, on w. 8th where Jessie kindly gave me coffee on an i o u basis. (Starbucks would not).
The last week has been about feeding myself. How am i going to do it and where is this food going to come from; not in any political sense like what farm did my beef come from although those issues have actually come up but on a 'whose going to accept my proposition of blogging for bread and butter.' It's amazing how much bravura we can muster up when we're starving. One week i was living it up at the BBQ on w. 8th ( all day early bird special: soup, big chicken, corn bread and a side for 5$), the next week my credit card is declined and i'm looking for the soup kitchen which i found at a church along with soup - some very Hale and Hearty soup. A nice woman named Susan gave me 20 $ and told me to go get myself a meal - sadly i owed that money for a room.
If starbucks is mad i'm sorry, but what have they done for me lately. I even plugged them a while back in my ' 6 degrees of seperation' and what did i get? Sure they accepted my credit card when others would not ( there is a lot of 'cash only') in this town. so thanks, i got to have my coffee when i had no cash. ( I see button down starbucks looking guys walking by quickly and looking angry - a month of free coffee and the matter is resolved - and maybe a couple muffins, a few frappucinos and a vivanno).
Desperate for coffee:
Jared at the Pret a Manger offered a coffee on the house when i proposed to mention their coffee on my blog for one cup of coffee. 'You don't have to mention us, but have a cup of coffee', he said. I said i noticed that you advertise as fair trade and organic and he said, "we're trying to move forward'. It's the first i've heard of them.
Anyways, Project f(r)eed me NY is about getting fed in exchange for writing a story about whoever feeds me. It's not a hand out. I had to work really really hard the last four days to get fed. Reactions have varied from 'what do you want?' to 'have anything you want'; the latter being what we want to hear.
Extra Extra; extra corn bread please.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)