HowfreshEats Yellowstone- Give me a Home Where the Buffalo Roam and the Deer and the Antelope Play.

Yellowstone National Park will never be the same now that Howfresh has left his size 12 beef & broccoli footprint all over the place. Scratch that- Howfresh will never be the same after experiencing Yellowstone. My pops and I logged over 1200 miles from Bozeman, MT down to the park, all over Wyoming, and back to the park in 6 days. Incredible. No, FUCKING INCREDIBLE. Words can't describe this. Here are some photos for now, with a lot more to come. Not much on the fitted or footwear front, but steak for days!!!!

The Bacon, Tomato, Cheese Slice- A Woodlawn, Bronx Creation??

I imagine years ago a drunk donkey stumbled into Katonah Pizza on an early Saturday afternoon and ordered a bacon, egg and cheese. Chances are he was just leaving Behan's or maybe Lark's Nest and was STARVING. Not realizing he was in a pizzeria, he placed the order and fell out in one of the booths. Dude behind the counter knew any attempt at explaining they didn't serve bacon, egg and cheese would be futile, so he exercised creative control and came up with the pizza equivalent. The lad then paid for the slice and as he pin-balled his way out of door, his drunk brethren saw what he had in his hands and asked pizza man for the same thing. The legend was born. It's safe to say that the bacon, tomato and cheese slice is a local specialty.

This slice is available at the pizzeria around my corner, Katonah Pizza and Pasta in Woodlawn, the Bronx's Irish enclave. It costs $3.50- prices went up recently from a an even $3. A long while back I saw the slice available at a pizzeria on Bedford Park off Webster Ave- a couple of storefronts from the Jolly Tinker. I guess Irish bars breed crazy pizza creations.



The slice consists of regular pizza dough covered with mozzarella cheese. It is then topped with slices of American cheese and whole slices of tomato, and finally blessed with small pieces of bacon. There is no tomato sauce. The shit is delicious. Very salty, which is to be expected with the bacon and american cheese. I don't fold this slice so as not to compromise its integrity- you don't want all that bacon falling to the middle and the american cheese spreading everywhere. You know how yellow american do. And I never put any spices or seasoning on it. That Italian shit wouldn't work on it. Maybe a little pepper, but absolutely nothing else.



I tried to do some research on this delicacy but the effort proved fruitless. That further reinforced the uniqueness of the slice thus giving me the opportunity to let the Bronx lay claim to this. There should be a holiday named after this shit. Schools are closed, chubby little pigs parade down White Plains Road and there will be Irish line dancing competitions at Yankee Stadium. And all strict religious dietary rules and restrictions will be put on hold. I won't judge Moshe or Mohammad for getting their bacon on. Shit, I'd join them. Every other borough is shining right now, so why can't the BX do the same.

Coincidentally, bacon on pizza was being discussed over at slice. That bacon pie is too OD for me. The success of the BTC slice is the moderate use of the swine, providing us with the overall essence of the fat belly, but not giving it center stage. There are 2 many actors in this play. Everybody gets supporting credit.

If you really desire this truly unique creation, hop on the 4 train to the last stop and take the BX34 Bus to 237th and Katonah. Or take Metro North to the Woodlawn stop. While you're here you might as well partake in the festivities and hit up one of the many watering holes. A little something that I fucking despise, but you might appreciate, is that the no smoking laws for bars don't apply in Woodlawn.

Katonah Pizza & Pasta
4307 Katonah Ave. at 237th St.
718-994-8337
Mon - Thurs 11am - 10:30pm
Fri - Sat 11am- Midnight
Sun - Noon - 10:30pm

Uptown Saturday Afternoon on my P's... Patsy's and Pegasus

"Yo- Saturday Afternoon Uptown/ Riding past Patsy's/ What's Popping Kid/ My Fitted got the H/ We in the Mix/Tap on the glass/stop fronting duke/make sure the crust is crisp"

Channeling the inner Ghostface in me. He'd probably flip it a little better with some mozzarella head spoon face reference and if we're lucky he'd pull out some rap Chipper Jones shit. But he'd also admit that he just had one of the best slices in recent times. I've never had a reason to be east of 3rd Ave. north of 116th St. so I assume that's the reason I've never eaten at Patsy's. While it pains me that I've been missing some good shit for this long, I rejoice in that I have a new uptown go-to spot. Especially after I cop a fitted or 2 at Pegasus. But let's discuss one P at a time. I'm not on a word count right now.

Patsy's takes up half of the block between 117th and 118th. The entrance to the restaurant/bar is in the middle of the block, north of that is a room that just houses assembled pizza boxes, and north of that, near the corner, is a small take out counter where you can order plain slices or plain pies. I ordered 2 slices and never walked in the restaurant. Some reviews say that the quality of the pizza is different when you order in, but until I do, it sounds like bullshit to me. The takeout oven works perfectly.

Slices cost $1.75 and in today's market, that might be the cheapest slice around. Granted the slices aren't that large, but I was surprised that they didn't increase prices like every other pizzeria in NYC. I applaud them. Now to the specs. The slice is super thin with not much tooth to it, but I don't frown upon that. Being so thin, the slice flopped a bit. I wouldn't say it was soggy, just not sturdy. But it was delicious. A thin layer of cheese spread evenly over each slice with a perfect amount of semi-sweet tomato sauce. The cheese ended exactly where it should leaving approximately 1 inch of crispy semi-charred crust. The coal ovens give the crust a nice smoky taste. My slices were cooked just right. If you have a huge appetite 3 slices would do the job. If you need a quick bite, 2 can pull it off. To add to the bare bonesyness of it all, there's a drink machine in there to order cans. No fountain drinks. A bodega just south of the restaurant that has it all. On a side note, on the NW corner of 117th St. is "La Casa Del Tacos." They have been added to the hitlist. And another thing, there is a skateboard shop on the block south of the bodega called Everything Must Go. Didn't go in but I heard they have dope tees. Lupe is some taste maker.



1 P down, 1 P to go. In all honesty, if it wasn't for Pegasus aka Uptown Jiggie Sports located on the SW corner of 109th and 3rd Ave. I wouldn't have been in the vicinity therefore wouldn't have been able to try Patsy's. For that I thank them. I also thank them for the charcoal gray buttahs you see above with the orange bill and H and white star. If you're into fitteds and don't know about Pegasus pay close attention. They have the illest assortment of fitteds in the NYC. Hands down. I think I wrote about them a while back in a taco post, but had no product to share. The color combos are crazy as well as the variety of minor league, NHL, Hardwood classics and various other shit. You need to give yourself at least 10-15 minutes to absorb all the joints and try not to get overwhelmed. Make sure you check everywhere- everything on the wall, on the floor, glass case, etc. They sell sneakers on the other side of the store, but I've never checked for that. That's how thorough the fitteds are. And if you don't value my opinion, just ask Fat Joe. He has Pegasus slated at# 6 for his top NYC institutions. I'm not mad at that list. Katz would have to move up and Bohio has to drop. They are world renowned (city renowned, or maybe just Bronx renowned) for the pernil- roast pork shoulder, but I'm not such a pernil fan. Too porky for the kid. Back to Pegasus- they constantly get in new shit. And once one of their customs sell out, it's a wrap. Seldom do they re-up. Just come equipped with the info you need, i.e. whatever colors you're looking for and there's a 98% chance you'll find a match.

Patsy's
2287 1st Ave bet. 117th St & 118th St
New York, NY 10035
(212) 534-9783
11am- 11pm daily

Uptown Jiggie Sports (formerly Pegasus Sports)
1982 Third Ave., at 109th Street
(212) 996-6639

H is for that "H".

Like Pookie in New Jack the shit keep calling me. It might not have been the "H" but the addiction's the same. It is impossible for me to let any H cap go unpurchased. I try, and rationalize, and then I find myself calling the land of poi and spam with a slight twitch and stutter asking for that 7 5/8. And if they don't have it, an immediate mental downward spiral ensues and I'm in a funk for a period of time.

The above 2 caps released this week, the red on Thursday and the green today. Buttahs times 2. I know nobody gives a shit about the H fitteds, but for the official hip hop heads, peep the shirt releasing with the green. Some Live at the BBQ shit. Super freshness. Whoever cops it, notify me in advance so we don't twin rock it. The tee game going over there is on point- and the quality is official. In full transparency, I have no monetary agreement with Fitted Hawaii. Maybe I should with all the free shouts and exposure, but I do this for the love.

I visited White Manna last weekend and am in the process of delivering my verdict. All the praise they get, I needed to make sure my tongue wasn't on vacation during my original trip. NJ was good to me last weekend. Stay tuned.



70 degrees on a Saturday with the Yanks vs. Mets playing at the stadium so you know it's a good day. Jeter's 2 run HR just made it better and I'm hitting the 2nd Ave. Deli tonight. Not theme music, but some tunes to compliment the overall pleasant mood of the day is a 1968 Eddie Harris Atlantic Records recording titled Plug Me In. Ripped from the original vinyl, the album contains 6 tracks of great listening material. The album encompasses a full array of slower paced jazz tracks to high energy jam sessions that make you want to groove along. A couple of noticeable samples too. Enjoy.

Eddie Harris & his electric saxophone- Plug Me In

Damn Danica, Pump Those Breaks.

This happened last Friday at Indy 500 practice and it still bugs me out how the dude only incurred relatively minor injuries- concussion and lacerations. The wing could have decapitated him. Homeboy looks like a rag doll. I might have to watch Formula 1 and/or NASCAR if this shit happens every now and then. On some real talk steez, I can see myself getting into NASCAR. Talladega raceway has been added to my bucket list. Let's make it happen.

I mean Danica, come on now. Let's behave. This is no way to treat your fellow racing brethren. All that pent up anger from being discriminated against for having a pair of boobies in a boobiless world finally caught up to her. She's till upset she had to go to Japan to notch that first victory. I feel the song below is pretty appropriate. Don't forget to tune into the 92nd Indianapolis 500 on May 25.

The Gap Band- Outstanding

Happy Mother's Day.

I'm curious how many mothers are true howfresheats enthusiasts. Aside from my own, who doesn't know how to use a computer and hopefully has never visited, I'd take the under on 1.5. And that 1 is pretty generous. Let me know if I'm wrong. Moms can be into this shit. Sneakers, fitteds, hip hop and all that jazz.

I found the above card rather amusing. And it answered some questions about my younger years. After the toddler/youth years of underoos, I made the switch to colored tighties. Elementary school days before I knew about boxers. Now, I'm not saying I was a messy kid shitting my pants and all, but my mother just might have been utilizing these as a possible preemptive strike to those visible skid marks, and embarrassment for all. The woman is brilliant. Love you Mom. Happy Mother's Day.

Waterfront Ale House- Go for the Food, Not the Game.

I went to Waterfront with the notion that it was a pub/sports bar with plenty of screens to watch multiple games. A friend recommended it as one. I really wanted to watch Lebron serve DeShawn Stevenson in game 6 of the Cavs v. Wizards 2 Fridays ago. I've grown to hate Stevenson with his Tony Yayo-esque can't feel my face shit and that Philly beard should be checked for lice and other unsanitary conditions. Plus his love affair with Soldier Boy is pretty disturbing. Lebron and Hov are each at the pinnacle of their respective industries so it makes sense, but Yaaa Bitch and Yayo dance, how did they find each other? Myspace? They can get the dilz. Whatever, I'm salty, fuck it.

It turns out Waterfront is not a sports bar, maybe 3 screens tops, and 1 was airing CNN. We didn't have the energy to go elsewhere so we stayed. The menu looked appealing with not your run of the mill pub fair, plus the beer/ale selection was on some super microbrew/artisan steez. At least if I wasn't going to watch Lebron I could eat some good food and try some different brews.



But there was some consolation as we got a table by a TV playing the Yankee- Mariners game. Side note-You would think they would put 2 TVs in the dining room, so each side of the table would be able to watch. Seems obvious to do something like that. My bro had to watch the reflection off the glass. The menu had some stuff worth ordering, as you can see HERE, but the treats were on the Specials Board. We put the menus down and dealt exclusively with the board. We sparked the meal off with a grilled Berkshire pork sausage with spicy jus and a scoop of warm German potato salad. Berkshire pork is considered to be the "Kobe" of pork coming from special black pigs. Peep more about it HERE. The sausage was delicious. Extremely moist and tender, and no overpowering pork flavor.



I was pretty set on getting a burger, and thought I'd step it up with the venison burger served with cumin coriander catsup - just spelling it how they did. The only time I had venison was in a sausage patty, but figured the specials were fresh so why not give it a try. As always, I ordered it medium rare, and it came with a huge heaping of waffle fries, and the usual condiments of lettuce, tomato, raw onion and pickle. The catsup was way too sweet, so that was shoved to the side immediately. The burger was very tasty, and initially juicy. But the leanness of the venison made way for a dry burger rather quickly. My slow eating didn't help matters, but unless you scarfed that shit down within 4 minutes, you'd experience the same. By looking at the photo of inside, you can see the blood on the plate. It was cooked to order so next time I need to go rare on venison. Please make a mental note of that.



My brother ordered the Tilapia Po' Boy served with a Creole Mayo. That shit was delicious. Semi-spicy batter on flaky fish with some more heat from the mayo, served on french bread. Creamy mustard slaw on the side and you're good to go. Being a special, I don't know often the dish is served, but I would go for any fish Po'Boy available on the special board. If the same batter is used, as well as the Creole mayo, you won't be disappointed.

The meal was washed down with some German Jever Pils, Brooklyn Doppelbock, and Weihenstephaner Heffe. The Pils and Brooklyn were mellow and complemented the food well, while the Heffe, a wheat beer, was a bit too sweet. Stouts, IPAs, and other types were available, but the beer tasting will have to be on another night. The place was pretty crowded and we had to wait around 10 minutes for a table. The tables in the dining area are CRAMPED. I'm talking 6 inches between tables. Fat asses in faces if you're not watching. It took a woman next to us nearly 7 minutes to remove herself from the booth. We watched in complete confusion and had no clue what to do- help her, grab her, lift her, trip her. She finally made it out, but keep in mind there isn't much privacy here if you want to get romantic or be Mr. Incognito. Free popcorn is served at all tables. After having a recent popcorn incident, I'm falling back for now.

The experience was pleasantly surprising. I went with the expectations of a pub burger and had a way better dining experience. Located on 30th and 2nd, across from the Kips Bay Lowes movie theater, there are a ton of bars that entertain the young, newly-moved-to-the-area crowd. Aside from a couple of patrons, Waterfront was devoid of that. I usually hit up the Overlook on 44th between 2nd and 3rd, which has plenty of screens and decent food, but wanted to try something new. Pubs might come a dime a dozen in the Turtle Hill/Kips Bay area, but there aren't many you'd want to patronize. Waterfront Ale House is one of those exceptions.

The Waterfront Ale House
540 Second Avenue- On the SE corner of 30th Street)
212-696-4104
http://www.waterfrontalehouse.com

I Don't Even Know Why I Buy Mixtapes Anymore.

My mixtape spot closed down more than a year ago. And my back-up on Canal Street relocated to Atlanta. Every now and then I'd fuck with the Africans selling bootlegs, but for the most part these cds were so terrible it wasn't worth the $5 or $3, or even $1. But Sunday I was at BX Sports on Jerome Ave. and they had all these colorful CDs laid out and it brought back that feeling of wasting money on CDs you listen to once that then collect dust. The most recent Big Mike was there so I copped. Mind you, I got into a minor altercation with the dude behind the counter because he said he gave me the change from the $20, which he didn't, and I wasn't going for that. I got the 15 beans back, but for the garbage I was about to hear, the entire ordeal wasn't worth it.

I should have known better than copping a CD with Jim Jones, Sheek Louch, and the Baby Fart Baby Weezy Poop Baby, but it's hard to break old habits. And there wasn't even some new Cam shit. Unbelievable. Killa- where you at??? Check the link below for the entire CD. I spent my hard earned guap as they say, so you don't have to. Just keep the traffic coming, and I'll keep providing terrible CDs- I mean that NEW SHIT!!! The Jada and Styles joints are dope- Styles looks like he's going in- rhyming over CNN's "T.O.N.Y.", Lord Finesse's "Hip 2 Da Game", and Jigga's "Feelin' It". Really shocked about the Finesse freestyle. Dope record- check for it below.

Big Mike, DJ Thoro, & DJ O.P.- The First 48 Part 3 (May 2008)

Lord Finesse- Hip 2 Da Game



Now the pendulum swings from bad to good. If you haven't copped that new 9th Wonder & Buckshot- "The Formula", I suggest you do. "Chemistry", their first effort was a banger, and the second installment of this collabo follows the same path. 9th is one of the top producers out right now and he provides some feel good music. His strings and horns always hit the right nerve and keep that head bobbing. So put Buckshot's smooth delivery and stop and go flow with 9th's dope beats and it's a success.

Stand out tracks include "Man Listen"- some energetic head nodder that is my current mood enhancer before I walk in the office, "No Future"- an introspective beat with Buckshot kicking some grow up and act right shit, and "Be Cool"- featuring the female songstress Swan and some ill r&b sample- discussing some ex-wifey shit. Peep below for all 3. The first single "Go All Out" still gets me loose and "Hold it Down" ft. Talib exhibits 2 of BK's finest on some better the world shit with Tyler Woods on vocals. I'll let you cop to hear the rest. 1 or 2 tracks might be fast forward material- mainly "Whassup With U?", but you be the judge.



9th Wonder & Buckshot- Man Listen (Cause Ummm)

9th Wonder & Buckshot- No Future

9th Wonder & Buckshot- Be Cool

H is for the Horsies.

In honor of the 2008 Derby, here's the last installment of the Fitted Hawaii U of H custom line. White front panel, green back, with a silver H in black outline. While Fitted isn't putting a complete kibosh on UH caps, they will be toning down those creative juices and focus on solids and more tonal/traditional colors. FedEx should be ringing the bell shortly with the goods.



So the 134th Kentucky Derby passed, and while it provided some great highs, it also delivered a crushing blow with the euthanization of the lone Filly, Eight Belles. I was rooting for her to stage an upset over the highly favored Big Brown, and her 2nd place finish was extremely impressive. It's one thing if she injured herself during the race- chalk it up to the game, but to run a great race and then break down while coming to a halt is an absolute misfortune. The National Thoroughbred Racing Assn. doesn't publicize the statistics of injuries that lead to euthanization, but it's a much more common event than the casual horse racing enthusiast is aware of. I've read one horse per thousand meets their fate this way, and it might even be higher. Fillies also appear to be more vulnerable to injury than colts and that's evident by their limited participation over the years. The 134th Derby was just the 39th race in which a Filly ran, and including this year's, the ladies have placed in the top 3 only 10 times, getting gold only 3 times, most recently Winning Colors in 1988.

Maybe Big Brown can be the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed, which accomplished the great feat in 1978- 30 years ago. The hype says he has the potential. Anything can happen. The Preakness which goes down on 5/17 is the shortest of the triple crowns, followed by the mile and a half Belmont Stakes on June 7, the longest of the 3. I was a little disappointed when I learned that Big Brown was named for UPS, a part owner of the horse. I just thought he was big and brown.