NY’s Little Known Secret
To all my NYer friends who share my love of Chik-fil-A...you’re welcome. I’m sure many of you already know about the secret Chik-fil-A location in one of the NYU food courts - which, yes, I have snuck into several times - but did you know this...
• Click on this link.
• Read what’s written in light gray, right below the food court hours.
I almost passed out when I read that. I immediately called the number and confirmed that you DON’T have to be a student to place an order. They don’t have all the selections of a normal location - like wraps, biscuits, etc. But, if this gets me one step closer to sitting on my couch with a big ol’ tray of nuggets, I’m happy.
Now all I need is a special occasion. You know...like a Tuesday...
FOOD: Calexico Carne Asada
Whoever thought that taking a trip into Red Hook for some old school Italian rice balls would cause me to stumble upon an amazing Cal-Mexican joint named Calexico? Well, I shouldn’t have been surprised. That’s just part of the magic of living in NY.
In the past few years, NY has seen a surge in the number and quality of street food vendors. They’ve surpassed their original purpose of simply supplying fast food to busy New Yorkers, and have become an entirely new entity all together. From souvlaki to potstickers to schnitzel...you can probably find a food truck that has whatever you’re craving. And that’s how Calexico got its start.
As the 2008 Vendy Award winner, the Calexico street cart had become pretty popular. So, its founding brothers expanded by opening a “brick and mortar operation” in Red Hook. And this is where I found myself just a few short days ago.
But I remember it last it was yesterday...
Mmmmm...cheese grits topped with roasted corn. They. Were. Amazing. In fact, the only complaint that Patrice and I had was that they’re served in a container that doesn’t lend itself to being licked.
Carne asada torta, served on a grilled ciabatta with black bean spread, avocado, lettuce, tomato and crack sauce - which is as addicting as the name implies. Again...amazing. I’ll definitely be going back soon!
Restaurant Info:
Calexico Carne Asada (http://www.calexicocart.com/)
122 Union Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231 (map)
(718) 488-8226
Christmas Charity
Last night, on my way home from my volleyball game, I added a new item to my Christmas Charities list...
I allowed an older gentleman to fall asleep on me on the subway.
Now before you get creeped out, let me give you a few more details:
• He was sitting in a position to where his back was against my right shoulder - so he wasn’t even close to spooning me.
• He was a well dressed man, who looked like he was heading home from work. I know a bum when I see one.
• He looked exhausted. I felt sorry for the fella.
Maybe I was in a good mood from our volleyball win...or the spirit of the holiday season had washed over me. Either way, I decided not to throw him on the floor like I normally would. I just sat there and let him snuggle down deep into the right arm of my down coat.
Your welcome, sir. Happy Holidays. (The photo is for reference only. Not the actual man.)
How To Survive When Your Elevator Plunges
Like most NYers, I ride in elevators almost every day. And I think everybody has wondered “If the elevator falls, could I time it perfectly and jump to offset the force?” Well, thanks to my friend Landon, I know the answer. He posted this article on his blog, and I had to pass it along...because I want you to LIVE!
The best way to survive in a falling elevator is to lie down on your back. Sitting is bad but better than standing, because buttocks are nature's safety foam. Muscle and fat are compressible: they help absorb the G forces of the impact.
As for jumping up in the air just before the elevator hits bottom, it only delays the inevitable. Plus, then you might be squatting when you hit. In a 1960 Civil Aeromedical Research Institute study, squatting on a drop platform caused "severe knee pain" at relatively low G forces. "Apparently the flexor muscles ... acted as a fulcrum to pry open the knee joint," the researchers noted with interest and no apparent remorse.
Breaking [With A Dash Of Entering]
Friday night I came home from work to find this...The accordion sides of the air conditioner were pushed in, the corner of it was broken, and items that I normally keep on the windowsill were scattered on the floor. Hmmmm.
The unit is unplugged, which meant that somebody had to have been inside. Nothing is missing, so we weren’t robbed. Nobody has left a note. Nobody is in the apartment - wait...let me check under the bed again.
The back part of the air conditioner was warped like it had been dropped, and right outside our window was a window washer’s scaffold that was being used to paint the side of our building. The workers had obviously pushed the air conditioner out of the window, then put it back like I wouldn’t notice. 
The next day, I spoke with the man in charge of doing the work. He tried giving me the ol’ “I can fix this and give it back to you” bit, but I wasn’t havin’ it. I channeled my inner Caribbean woman (she really does need a name at this point) and told him that either 1. He could give me the money that I paid for this unit. or 2. I could talk to the man who hired him, and have him take it out of their pay. Those were his options.
“But it still works!”
“I don’t care if it runs perfectly.” (Which it doesn’t. You can hear that it’s broken inside.) “It is visibly broken, and you will replace it.”
I wrote down the make and model and sent him on his way. He was muttering under his breath as he left, and at that moment I would’ve killed for an Indian translator. But maybe it’s for the best. I’m sure what he was saying would’ve made me dagger punch him in the throat.
I see you, sir.
Our Lovely New Neighbors
We just had some new neighbors move in downstairs and they seem like GEMS! Maybe I should leave THEM a note to let them know that this isn’t Williamsburg.
A Tree Falls In Brooklyn
NYC had a big ol’ storm yesterday! The National Weather Service hasn’t yet determined if it was an official tornado or not, but either way it was pretty exciting. (I’m obviously a storm lover.) I didn’t get to see much of it though, since I work in Chelsea. All we saw was some heavy rain and hail. *womp womp*
A special R.I.P. to my friend Roger’s tomato garden. You will be missed.
UPDATE: According to the National Weather Service, there were two tornadoes AND a macroburst! Ahhhh...just like home.
FOOD: The Kati Roll Company
It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed one of the amazing food selections NY has to offer, but today’s lunch destination was too good to ignore. If you’re an Indian food lover like me, then you’re going to love this place.
Originally a street food in India, Kati Rolls are made by wrapping warm paratha, a type of Indian flat bread, around a variety of meats, vegetables and cheeses. One sandwich here would normally be enough for me, but since it was my first time I wanted to try two different fillings...and at $5 each I didn’t feel guilty that I couldn’t to finish. The menu is small and only consists of a few options, but the flavor is huge. The Unda Beef Roll was highly recommended, but I had the Chicken Tikka - which isn’t like the popular Indian dish, but just as tasty - and the Aloo Masala (Spicy Potato). Both were fantastic, and when I started getting full, I opened them up and combined the two fillings to make a Mega Roll™. (Yes...I ™’d that.)
Muchas Felicidades Rafa!
Muchas felicidades go out to the tennis great Rafael Nadal tonight. After having rain delays on and off for two days, he finally pulled out the championship win at the US Open, defeating #2 in the world, Novak Djokovic, in 4 sets. For those not familiar with tennis, I bet you’re thinking, “So what? Isn’t he the #1 tennis player in the world and wins tournaments all the time?” Well, yes...but up until this point, the US Open was the only major tennis tournament that he had not conquered. This makes him the 7th tennis player in history to win every major tournament, and the first since 1969 to win the French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open in succession.
And if that isn’t enough to impress you...he was then handed a check for $1.7 million dollars. Maybe I should go practice now...
NY LOVES [#4]: Our Sense Of Humor
Oh NY...you make me laugh. Many thanks to artist Jason Eppink for making this city just a little bit better.
