Hosive

when people come into the city, we are always surprised by where they want to visit or go eat. they are equally surprised that we do not frequent those places or want to go eat there. no. i do not want to eat at ruby tuesdays , bennigans or tgifridays in times square. then they ask where we go……so here are the places we like…not the best or the cheapest or whatever category….just where we go and go on a regular basis:

another two current obsessions of mine in the city….vendor food and jerk chicken. i just love me some vendor food. and i love me some jerk chicken.

the concept of vendor food or street food just appeals to my sensibilities. the underdog nature. the entrepreneurial spirit. the love of food exhibited by their owners. the guerrilla mentality. cheap, cheap, cheap.

in nyc, there is a vendor food culture complete with awards and cult followings. many people will frequent carts near their work place because they have no choice. but there are a few carts that feature artists who’s medium is food. their work is beloved and people will make the trip to feed their cravings.

so my search for good jerk chicken in the city led me to this place….with a following of their own. the major complaint of this place is that it is slow….to which its supporters will say…that’s what makes them authentic! they are on island time! more cynical fans add that the boys in the truck probably smoke it up after hours to account for the delays in service. and occasional glazed looks.

as mentioned already, what’s cool about street food is that it is usually marketably cheaper than restaurants housed in a (more)permanent structure. so if you can find a place that also serves a killer meal, it’s a thrill to find in the city. its a treasure hunt resulting in a prize.

the reviews of this place boasted of the flavor of the meat. they are right on. the smoke and heat of jerk seasonings goes throughout the meat. my mouth is on fire and loving it. the flavor is rich and authentic. the cabbage and rice are serviceable…not great but not bad either…but with the sauce…anything with that sauce is magic! but clearly the meats are the main attraction here. a criticism of the chicken maybe that it is not as tender as offerings from a restaurant kitchen. but then these are the wide margins we allow for street food.

i got the large which was way too much food. the next time i got the small and was still stuffed.

here’s my boy, p-eater ong salivating.  we took the food down to bryant park and had a jolly good time. i can see this being a good sabbath ritual. wake up. wash up. or maybe not. then head down to the dutchy for some jerk chicken. back home for a good food coma nap.