We started off with Jell-O shots at Capri Social Club, a cool Polish bar in Greenpoint. Then Anthony and I split off to eat some food at Calexico. That place is bumpin. The wait was going to be a while, but we just happened to be right behind two girls that were leaving the bar. Or I had impression that they thought we were hovering so we could grab their seats. It worked.
We started of with some creamy guacamole, which was really good. Anthony got a fish and pork taco. I got the Chipotle Pork Torta sandwich. Really good drunk food. I woofed it down.
I was so messy that I was surprised the girl next to me didn’t care that my food was so close to her jean jacket on the bar. I asked her about it, but she said it wasn’t hers and apologized for some reason. I think it belonged to the girls before. I might’ve gotten sauce on it.
Calexico – 645 Manhattan Ave (btwn Bedford & Norman Ave) Brooklyn, NY 11222
Here’s a new food truck that stopped by near Union Square when I was walking around looking for leather gloves. I know it’s unusually warm this time of year, but why is it always hard to find winter stuff in the winter? Everyone is selling Spring stuff now.
Anyway, this monster of a truck was pretty cool and dynamic looking …kinda like a big mechanical bull.
I ordered the Pork Pastor Tortas Sandwich (Pork Tenderloin marinated in their three chiles sauce). It was a nice clean looking and clean tasting sandwich, much to do with the bread and the nicer cut of tenderloin. A non-greasy sandwich that would probably do well with the general office crowd. However, it still had that zing with their authentic style red sauce, which got all over my face and fingers and coat and jeans. That’s a good thing.
It was a decent sandwich that could probably use some stringy white Oaxaca cheese, but did get good when I bit on the jalapeno.
At first, I thought this Torta looked too cleaned cut. Then I found a couple of cubes of pig fat and smiled. The fat wasn’t chewy at all, but melted like Jell-O. I was happy with this pork torta.
The sandwich was $6, even though the menu says $5. Maybe getting it with everything (jalapeno, cheese, etc) makes it more.
The Super Truck – mostly on the Southeast corner of Park Ave & E 25th St. NY 10010 on weekdays during lunch
The weather’s been nuts lately, but there’s street vendor still out cooking it up. I got a pork torta sandwich from the lil taco cart man on 6th Ave between 28th & 29th St. I watched him grill up my pork, mayo the bread, scooped fresh avacado, etc. Another man tugged his food cart by and stopped to chat with the lil taco man. The guy looked drunk or homeless. He asked, “Mucho dinero?” The taco man responded, “Mucho frio!” Yeah it was mucho frio.
The pork was cripsy and tasted like a cross between bacon, Scrapple and maybe chicken? It was good greasy mess for $5. My office chair has never seen so much pork.
Out with friends in Coney Island for yesterday’s Siren Fest. The singer from Screaming Females was like the girl version of me. She had my hair. I always wondered what I looked like on stage. But this girl shredded hard on guitar, unlike me. They were badass.
For food, I’ve waited a year to come back to try that huge torta sandwich in the midway that I saw last year after I had already stuffed my face. Plaza Mexico Dona Zita, I’m glad you’re still around. I’ve seen two other Mexican spots there turn into a t-shirt store. Pork Torta –the lady took the big bread buns, spread it with mayonnaise and put them mayo side down on the griddle, spread refried beans and back on the griddle, then topped with lotsa chopped pork, pickled jalapeño peppers, half an avocado, tons of Oaxaca cheese, lettuce, tomato. It was as awesome tasting as it was awesome looking. Sam and I had to split this. $8. Worth every cent.
Watched some more bands and went back out with Shonali and Jasper for more food. We stopped over at the newish Kaplash Cuchifritos stand (I think that’s how they spell it. I can’t read the sign.) Got the mofongo and chicharrón (which I never had just as the pork rind and no meat). A nice lady next to us shared her fried plantains and meaty chunks version of chicharrón. She was really into the food there. Then Shonali and Jasper grabbed a chorizo & chicken taco and watermelon juice. I was about to say that Todd got diarrhea sick from the chorizo there last year, but didn’t because I didn’t want to put that in their heads. They did leave Siren early, so I do wonder.
Out on the beach, I think I was the hottest girl there. The lifeguard was so ghetto. He had a do-rag and smoked a cigarette. He yelled at some kid “No dunking!” I don’t think the kid was in the water. I’m not sure if he was a real lifeguard, but at least he was making sure everyone was safe.
We saw former WWF wrestler Virgil on the boardwalk, signing autographs. He said he was going to dinner with Michael Bloomberg and talked about how rich him and Vince McMahon are. I wonder if he was confused with the Million Dollar Man.
The rest of the night had a lot to do with cups of straight vodka …some from Dan Aykroyd and some from a man hiding behind a tent with a granny cart.
Great time at Siren! Thanks Neil, Diane, Shonali and the Village Voice.
