Sep 1
I know this was a late night taco run, all my tacos from this brief visit
blur together a bit. I know I ordered carnitas because I always order
carnitas. I imagine that they were good. You know, things don't stay open
late in Santa Cruz, you can't smoke anywhere and lots of people wear
sandals. That has nothing to do with tacos, but I had to get it out.
Taqueria Santa Cruz II * 1002 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz, CA
This seemed like a more commercialized Taqueria, right on the shopping
strip, all colorful and airy. I was wary, but after seeing the ad for menudo
Saturday and Sunday (it was Saturday), my hesitation melted. You just can't
find that stuff here. Well, not with all the add ins like lime wedges,
cilantro, oregano and chopped onion. Perfect breakfast food.
Taqueria Vallarta * 1101 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, CA
Eschewing the usual Pat's and Geno's for more adventurous territory, we
headed out Torresdale Avenue in search of the unfortunately named Chink's.
After getting lost in all sorts of pockets of shady NW Philly, we finally
made it to Chink's just in time for them to put a sign in the window saying
that they'd run out of food(!?).
Plan B: Second best name, Chubby's, clear on the other side of town. Oh
well. Theses joints must form in clusters, as another cheesesteak purveyor,
D'Alessandro's is right across the street a la Geno's and Pat's. I chose
Chubby's since it wasn't as packed and appeared to be the comfier of the
two: wood paneling, booths, table service, cold bottles of Yuengling and
ashtrays galore. My kind of place.
I did the cheesesteak with mushrooms. James was adventurous, trying the
cheesesteak with pepperoni, which somehow differs from a pizza steak, which
was also on the menu. That's a head scratcher. What's the difference between
a cheesesteak with pepperoni and a pizza steak? Tomato sauce? The meat is
chopped rather than sliced, which isn't bad, just a minor deviation. Next
time it's Chink's or bust. (8/10/02)
Chubby's * 5826 Henry Ave., Philadelphia, PA
That Ferdi special was just too much, even for a hungry girl like me. If
I learned one thing in my mere two days in New Orleans, it's to stick with
the seafood po boys. The turtle soup was also pleasant. My only regret is
not having room for dessert–those pies looked amazing. I've never seen such
large, firm healthy slices. (2/24/02)
Yay for poor boys (or po boys, I just feel funny saying and typing po),
and only a block from our hotel. The famous Ferdi special almost killed me
last time, so I just stuck with the shrimp poor boy this time around. In
fact, I don't think I branched out from the shrimp poor boy anywhere we
sampled the sandwich. They're always just so good that I know I wont be
disappointed.
The only thing I couldn't figure out at Mother's is the middle-aged guy
called Elvis who hangs out at the restaurant. I don't think hes an employee,
though there were plenty of old photos of him gracing the walls.
(7/11/04)
Mother's * 401 Poydras St., New Orleans, LA
I regret never getting to eat in our hotel restaurant, Gamay, as it was
closed on Sunday and that's when we thought to try breakfast or lunch. The
front desk clerk alternately suggested nearby, Tally Ho and added it's "the
best breakfast in town." We figured this must be some cross-arrangement
(ever the suspicious New Yorkers) since it sounded like a pat response. But
lo and behold, as we rounded the corner, their sign proudly proclaimed "the
best breakfast in town." What do you know? Hearty omelets with a few oddball
options like jambalaya and alligator sausage are a great way to start the
day.
Tally Ho * 400 Chartres St., New Orleans, LA
This was James' dinner choice, which was fine. I wanted to go to Jacques-Imo's
for dinner. We compromised, and he got Sat. night while I got Sun. evening.
Unfortunately my pick was closed in Sunday (we ended up at Mother's
instead).
I never knew what a muffuletta could be (or was exactly, for that matter).
This Italian grocery knows how to make a sandwich. A whole round of bread,
crammed with salami, provolone, olives and other marinated goodies, makes a
beautiful oily mess. Wash it down (I dare you to eat more than half) with
Barq's in a bottle for a gratifying experience. (2/23/02)
I've never tried a muffaletta anywhere else but here, so it's not as if
I have a broad range of experience to compare with. But I like to believe
this is the quintessential version. I'm not even sure why it's a New Orleans
specialty, there's nothing particularly Cajun about it. In fact, the massive
sandwich would be right at home in my own heavily Italian-American
neighborhood, Carroll Gardens. Around these parts, they make some fine oily,
meaty, cheesy sandwiches, alright, but it's the olive salad that really adds
something. Or maybe its the bread. Or the swampy air? There's just something
about a muffaletta. (7/13/04)
CentralGrocery Company * 923 Decatur St., New Orleans,LA
As it was on the streetcar line, we couldn't resist stopping here on our way
back from the zoo. Jalepeno poppers and a blue cheeseburger spoiled my
appetite for dinner at the Gumbo Shop. It was my only non-regional meal of
the trip. Gut-busting blasphemy.
St. Charles Tavern * 1433 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA
Who knew beignets and chicory cafe au lait could be so addictive. I couldn't get enough of those fried squares of dough–we went twice in one day.
What confuses me is how cans of Cafe du Monde coffee made it into Hong Kong Supermarket in Sunset Park. I noticed more than a few Asian waiters at the cafe. What if there's a covert smuggling operation going on? Who cares as long as I benefit. Now, if they'd only find a way to sneak warm, sugar-covered beignets into my neighborhood too. (2/23/02)
New Orleans is odd in that many (though certainly not all) tourist heavy haunts still offer good food. It's pretty rare in NYC to find a place that pleases visitors as well residents. Caf du Monde is crowded, potentially confusing (people seem to have a hard time figuring out if youre supposed to just take a table or wait to be seated, and then whether or not someone is supposed to come out and take your order) and youre in dangerously close proximity to overzealous street performers. But its all good. At least the beignets are. I try not to get too unnerved by all the women in scrunchies and fitted denim shorts, and men in polos and their pleated khaki shorts.
I'm trying to figure out the Vietnamese/Caf du Monde connection. In NYC, youll frequently see cans of the stuff in Vietnamese restaurants, often integrated into make shift shrines. Almost all the wait staff at Caf du Monde are Vietnamese, as well. I could understand a Japanese fondness since they have franchises in Japan. But Vietnam? Is it just some odd hold over Francophila, or is there something deeper at work? (7/13/04)
Cafedu Monde * 1039 Decatur St., New Orleans,LA
My first meal in New Orleans was not a disappointment. I picked the oyster
po boy, and was minorly baffled when they asked, "do you want that dressed?"
I love going places where you don't know the dining procedures. The hardest
decision involved picking dessert off the hand-written dry–erase board
(there were three in the small space and the odd thing is that each of the
10-12 choices were written in different colors, yet the same corresponding
color on each board. Someone is anal about the daily specials). And it's an
impressive roster of sweets too. Oreo pie, pineapple upside-down cake, sweet
potato pecan pie, turtle cheesecake, and peanut butter chocolate chip pie.
Try getting those in NYC–sometimes we're too sophisticated for our own
good. (2/22/02)
I hadn't realized how gay and how large the clientele was on our
previous visit. I started wondering if there wasn't some kinky feeder/gainer fetish
occurring in front of my eyes. Not that I was prevented from enjoying my
food. The front door was locked and you had to be let in, something to do
with some criminal maniac loose in the neighborhood. How would the person
who let you in know whether or not you were the criminal? Bizarre, and very
un-NYC. Don't quote me on this, but I swear there was also a machete right
near the door. For protection, I assume.(7/04)
La Peniche * 1940 Dauphine St., New Orleans,LA
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