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March 24, 2006

 Super Taco - Estupendo Bueno

This modest-seeming truck is a heavyweight in mobile food vending. Four or five employees fit into the tiny workspace inside, turning out an impressive array of offerings. It being my first visit, I stuck to the tacos. I was not disappointed -- two slightly sweet, pliable corn tortillas topped with a perfect quantity of meat, lettuce, onions and herbs. Red and green sauces, radish, lemon, and pickled jalapeno were available to add at the self-service bar. Of the three I tried, the beef steak and spicy pork tacos were unbelievable -- it's really impossible to choose a favorite. The barbeque chicken was comparitavely bland although perfectly passable. I also strongly recommend the orchata, a cold, sweet, rice-based drink. (It may sound weird if you haven't tried it, but trust me, it tastes good! Especially with a spicy taco.)

AND THEY DELIVER! (although I don't know how far away)

This review is obviously incomplete. I'm dying to go back and try the daily specials, as well as some of the more exotic tacos like goat and tounge, not to mention the fried sweet plaintains I saw at the counter. And the tortas. But even though I've only scratched the surface of the menu (which is pictured in it's entierety above), I didn't want to wait for another trip to post about this great operation. Expect more info to follow.

Posted by Sam on Mar 24, 2006 | Permalink | Comments & User reviews (2)

March 17, 2006

 28th Street @ Madison Ave - Flatiron Find

I searched out this cart on a tip about "the chicken man." In a part of town which shows few signs of life at this time of night, Ibrahim, the vendor at this halal cart, stands watch during the late hours. A steady trickle of regulars find him out, though, so don't be surprised if there's a line.

The chicken came highly recommended (a recommendation I can second), and though it looked delicous, I haven't yet sampled his lamb. Platters include nice touches like spicy green olives, crispy fried slices of eggplant, a falafel and french fries. He also serves brown rice on request. Be warned, however, he has a generous hand with the firey hot sauce, so ask him to go easy, or consider getting a drink to cool down with.

Posted by Sam on Mar 17, 2006 | Permalink | Comments & User reviews (1)

March 08, 2006

 From Atlantis with Love - Late-night Cornucopia

It's a virtual cornucopia spilling out of From Atlantis With Love, a late-night cart just up the block from legendary venue CBGBs. Peppers, corn, beans, eggplant, red cabbage, long strips of shaved carrots, and dangling ropes of garlic are just some of the vegetables arrayed in front of Michael, the soft-spoken man who vends from the custom-designed cart.

It's a slow moment, so I get a story with my wrap, told in a cadence much slower than the clipped street-talk I'm used to from New Yorkers. He tells me about the patent he's trying to get for his sandwich wraps "because nobody else makes anything like it -- caramelized ginger and Native American spices," and about the custom design of his cart; it's a story interspersed with comments about the ingredients he is adding to the growing pile of meats (chicken and turkey bacon), sauces (yougurt-garlic and barbeque) and vegetables (everything above!) going into my sandwich (and did I mention the cheese?). And finally, there it is, a savory melange, a robust torpedo wrapped in a tortilla and two layers of tinfoil, enough food for a meal now and a snack later. Enough to launch a story of its own.

Posted by Sam on Mar 8, 2006 | Permalink | Comments & User reviews (1)

March 02, 2006

 Forsyth @ Division - Heaven "on the Stick"

The first moment I know I'm onto something great is when the smell of wood-smoke hits my nose. I've already bought lunch and I walk past the pushcart, located just north of the Manhattan Bridge overrpass on the north-west corner of Forsyth and Division streets. But the smell calls me back -- this pushcart is special, and I've got to at least find out what's going on.

The smell, I discover, is coming from the only cooking apparatus on the cart, a long, narrow trench filled with glowing embers, with a chimney at one end, stacked with natural charcoal. Layed across this trench are skewers of chicken, roasting, temptingly glazed with their own natural juices. At the far end of the trench, corn wrapped in tinfoil is set over the cooler coals. The menu is simple: "chicken on the stick, lamb on the stick, beef on the stick," all $1. I don't know about the price on the corn, but I would guess it's the same.

I decide on the beef.

"Ha shass?" the vendor asks, his silver-rimmed front teeth shining as he bobs towards me. "Hot sauce?"

"Yes."

But he doesn't put hot sauce on the meat. Instead, he sprinkles crushed red pepper and cumin up and down the skewer as he expertly twirls it over the coals. Before handing it to me, he whips out a small pair of scissors and clips off the point of the stick.

The red pepper and cumin are the only flavor which adorn the glistening cubes of beef. It's just this -- the fresh flavor of the meat, the perfect juice inside and the sweet fats brought to the surface by the intense heat of the coals. Simple. Simple and perfect.

I'm in awe.

Posted by Sam on Mar 2, 2006 | Permalink | Comments & User reviews (5)