remember when holden told sally that they had to leave now because if they waited it would be too late? that he would become another one of those people talking about the price of gas? thats me . im holden all grown up .
Disclaimer: In the sake of fairness, I should note that I mention Bruce Springsteen in this post. It is not, as per usual with anything having to do with "The Hold Steady", a reference to their similarity. Here it only exists to refer to Springsteen's agility on stage. Promise.
I've been a fan of "The Hold Steady" for a little over two years. In the midst of my mad music blog phase of the spring of 2008, I stumbled across the now-on-hiatus Certain Songs blog. I liked the lyrics and decided to check out the band, figuring that with lyrics like these, the band had to be pretty awesome. Truth be it told, I wasn't completely sold on my first listen.
Craig Finn has this voice that's ... different. Awkward, maybe. Meaningful, definitely. But without a doubt, different and one that takes some getting used to. I picked up an album or two at the time, but for the first few months mostly kept "Certain Songs" on repeat and didn't give in to my urge to dive deeper.
Fast forward to summer 2008 and the release on their fourth album, "Stay Positive". Something about the lyrics ("We're gonna lean this ladder up against the water tower/Climb up to the top and drink and talk") and the 'Top Side One/Track One' list worthiness of "Constructive Summer" combined with the harpsichord and use of the word "townies" in "One For The Cutters" effectively confirmed my conversion. I played the album cover to cover, and over and over again. I was a believer.
A believer, yes, but maybe more of a Christmas-Easter-Only style believer than an Evangelical-Hands-In-The-Air type. That all changed on March 30, 2009. That night, I met the man behind the curtain. That night, I met Craig Finn, the preacher.
He performs just within the boundaries of what can humanly referred to as "singing". His enthusiasm makes Springsteen and Bon Jovi look like arthritic 90 year olds. He often forces words out with such energy that he spits. His hands are in the air, reaching to the sky, as often as they are on his guitar. This man doesn't sing. He preaches. That warm early spring night, I became a true member of his flock.
I went home that night and put all of their albums on my iPhone and started devouring everything "The Hold Steady" related. I made a playlist of the songs that were played at the show and listened to them on repeat, learning each song note for note to be sure that at my next "The Hold Steady" concert, I'd be one of the kids who knew all the old tunes.
Sometime this past spring, I got word that a new album, "Heaven Is Whenever", was coming out in May. Hello, Amazon pre-ordering. On May 4th, it was waiting on my doorstep. Of course, in the interim, I had watched their performance of "The Weekenders" on Letterman no less than a thousand times. Though more subdued on late-night TV, Craig's raw emotion still practically poured out of my computer screen, inundating me with, well, sheer joy.
It was with this sheer joy inside of me that I stepped into the Beacon Theatre this past Thursday night. Well, sheer joy and a lot of food, wine and smiles from Terroir Tribeca (see here for details), but I digress. The lights dimmed, the music began and I fell in love all over again. Craig's energy, emotion and unavoidable smile are at worst contagious, but more likely just plain addictive. In fairness, the sound at the Beacon was subpar, but the band more than made up for it, playing a killer set that spanned all five albums, including most of my favorites.
If "Heaven Is Whenever", then that night it was right there in Orchestra Right, Row G, Seat 18.
These days, I get emotional about practically everything. Hugh Grant movies. Québécois singers named Béatrice. And, well, schnitzel. My love affair with schnitzel has been a well-kept secret most of these past ten years. I’ve hidden away this central part of me, this love of a perfectly-malleted piece of pork, one that is lightly breaded and fried to perfection just isn’t something you talk about in polite company in America. The last six months have seen a shift of seismic proportions in this regard. Meaning? I met Oleg Voss and I got hooked on his Schnitzel & Things food truck.
"Come here little dumpling ... I won't hurt you ... Promise."
So, I did it again. I was so hungry and so stoked about a dumpling-themed lunch that I forgot to take a truck photo. Sigh. Instead, what I have is a review the Asian entry for this week's food truck mayhem. The Rickshaw Dumpling Truck (@rickshawtruck) is a mobile outpost of the (not suprisingly named) Rickshaw Dumpling Bar. Starting with a brick and mortar establishment gives this crew a leg up on the competition in that they can do all of their prep off-site (off-truck?) and use the truck simply as a rolling means of delish dumpling conveyance.
(Photo courtesy of Rickshaw Dumpling Bar @ www.rickshawdumplings.com)
What to order? The truck does offer a limited version of the in-store menu (sadly, no duck or shrimp dumplings here), but the offerings that are available are more than sufficient. Actually, they're pretty awesome. I went with a 'Rickshaw Regular' for $9 which includes one six-dumpling pack plus a side. The Pork & Chinese Chive Dumplings (with soy sesame dip) practically called to me from the truck, begging to be devoured by yours truly and even though today was slightly cooler than the rest of the week, I couldn't turn down the Chili Sesame Noodle Salad. Already at the $9 mark, I made a Friday exception and ordered up a Calamansi-ade (a steep $4). So, sweet, so fruity, so delish. What more could a food truck loving boy like me want in a drink? (Those of you who said alcohol, keep that to yourselves.)
So, sure the food was delicious, as it's been all week. Rickshaw sets you up with a short queue, speedy service and a superior product (umm ... dumpling). They've even got these awesome time-saving devices to dispense utensils (forks and chopsticks) and napkins. Two neat little cubbyholes to the left of the ordering area are perfectly placed so that, upon receiving your order, you can grab and go. No muss, no fuss. Or maybe, no more waiting, no more stomach hating (you).
Today, Duane and Michelle and I sat next to the bocce courts in Bryant Park and caught these beautiful shots ...
Check out Rickshaw Dumpling Truck on the web at: www.rickshawdumplings.com or on Twitter @rickshawrtruck
Here's the final scorecard:
Until next time, remember to live every week like it's Food Truck Lunch Week!
The Elusive QBA Cuban Kitchen Truck - Found And Devoured!
QBA Cuban Kitchen (@qbacubankitchen) has been the most mysterious of the Food Truck Lunch Week entrants. It's location has been vague, tweets few and far between and the truck hasn't been in service the past few days. To say the least, Duane and I have been a little worried about our Thursday lunch pick. Well, apparently the best things do come to those who wait. (Hat tip: John "I don't pay taxes on my yacht" Kerry's wife for that phrase). First, QBA picked a sweet spot on shady 44th Street, out of the blazing sun and brutal humidity. That alone was worth something. The line was short, the ordering fast and the food? It came out faster than I could type "John 'I don't pay taxes on my yacht" Kerry's wife ..." Oh, and it was great. Grrrrreat, Tony the Tiger style.
Not to be left out were the maduros (sweet plantains) ($2) from heaven. You might even say that they were the perfect complement to the spicy aji that I couldn't resist using all of on my main course. Those coupled with a limeade mojito spritzer ($1) made this a memorable meal, even though it crossed the $10 threshold. That being said, it's an eleven dollars I'll gladly spend over and over again.
QBA, if you're listening, you guys were amazing. The food, the service and the shady spot were a trifecta I'd love to see again.
Catch QBA Cuban Kitchen on the web at: www.qbacubankitchen.net or on Twitter: @qbacubankitchen
"Bar pies and sweet potato gnocchi ... Yes please!"
So, Wednesday's foray into the food truck extravaganza included a stop at Eddie's Pizza Truck (@eddiespizzany). Eddie's has a sweet pre-order number system that minimizes wait times to the point where I didn't even remember to take any photos. Around noon, I called in my order and was told I could pick them up around 1PM. At 12:45PM, Duane and I hopped on the F train for two stops, got out at Rockefeller Center and walked the half-block to pizza heaven. Eddie's awesome staff had my order ready (a few minutes early) and, amazingly, all it took to get from 33rd & 6th to 48 & 6th and back again took a measly twenty minutes. Sweet lunch specials in hand, we rode back up to the office and opened up the bags for what turned out to be a lunch extraordinaire.
Eddie's offers a crazy lunch deal for only $10. This includes a 10" bar pie with one topping, an appetizer and a drink. Not a bad deal in a part of the city where mediocre deli sandwiches run you the same amount and aren't baked to crispy perfection by true pizza enthusiasts. My plain cheese pie was light, razor thin, crispy and a little cold (note to self: eat near the truck next time). Even not piping hot though, the pizza was delicious. Nothing beats a handmade crispy pie on a hot summer day, right? But, there's more. We ordered one each of two of the appetizers and they totally stole the show. The fried zucchini sticks were fried to crispy perfection and, when dipped in Eddie's almost sweet sauce, they were amazing. But, the sweet potato gnocchi? A life-changer. Imagine the most amazing sweet potato ever. Now, cook it up in small pasta-like shapes. Then, sprinkle some cinammon over the top. These practically melt in your mouth and are really more like a dessert than an appetizer.
Check Eddie's Pizza Truck out on the web at: www.eddiespizzany.com or on Twitter: @eddiespizzany
"And then there was schnitz ..."
A sweet platter of pork schnitzel, austrian potato salad and roasted beets and feta salad.
The scorecard for the week ...
And, remember, live every week like it's food truck lunch week!
"Well say that you'll be mine, baby all the time, my Mexicue ..."
First stop of the week ... Mexicue (@mexicue). These guys are new on the scene, but the Midtown Lunchers (@midtownlunch) and New York foodisphere has been buzzing about their arrival into the crowded "awesome-food-truck" market. Crowded, yes. Anything like this sweetness in a truck, well no, not really. Except, of course for Oleg and his crew on Schnitzel & Things (@schnitzeltruck), that is. Nobody messes with the schnitz. Nobody. That aside, the Mexicue crew knows how to throw down. This isn't your food truck kinda food. (Lesser people would say something like "Going boldly where no food truck has gone before," but I'm above that. Really.)
I need to come clean before I go any further. The line was long. The line was slow. The Mexicue crew knows this and they are working on it. These guys are brand new and are trying to step up the food truck game, so let's cut them a little slack. Waiting outside in the sun is better than sitting inside at work for any amount of time, right? Ok, so let's move on.
When you do move up closer to the truck, you get a sweet view of the hand-chalked menu. If you like the artistic menu, maybe you should sit down before you try the food. It's almost a shame to eat, it's just so beautiful. I scored two BBQ brisket sliders ($3/each) and a house chorizo taco ($4). I was dying to get a BBQ Beats taco, but having salivated over the BBQ brisket all morning, I just had to have two of them. The brisket was tender, melt-in-your-mouth, cooked-to-perfection goodness with two half slices of avocado dropped on top. Basically, everything you'll ever need to survive for the rest of your life, packed in between the two loving sides of a bun. The house chorizo taco left me wishing I had two with it's spicy flavors practically bursting through the soft taco shell and gooey feta cheese perfectly placed on top. It was the perfect complement to the tangy BBQ of the brisket sliders.
While this certainly isn't your father's Oldsmobile ... of mexican food, this is a culinary delight. Mexicue has taken the highbrow and brought it to the masses. It's delicious, affordable and well worth the wait. If I were to offer any suggestions, they would be to include some lemonade/limeade drinks (personal preference, but hey), pre-ordering to save wait time and streamlining the at-truck ordering process. What I do love right from the start, besides the food of course, are the Mexicue-branded, recycled cardboard containers used to pack up your delicious Mexicue meal. That's thinking ahead, no matter what the wait time.
Find these food craftsmen on the web at: www.mexicueny.com and on Twitter: @Mexicue
remember when holden told sally that they had to leave now because if they waited it would be too late? that he would become another one of those people talking about the price of gas? thats me . im holden all grown up .
remember when holden told sally that they had to leave now because if they waited it would be too late? that he would become another one of those people talking about the price of gas? thats me . im holden all grown up .
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