Monday, February 1, 2016

Just Enjoying a Brewski With the Biebs. AKA Justin Beerber.

Fuck it. I'll admit it, I'm a Justin Bieber fan. Is it too late now to say sorry????

If you think this post is about a brewski named after the likeness of Justin, you are mistaken. That is just the foil to expound about my newfound infatuation with the Biebs. (You peep that Canadian reference?????) Otherwise I'd risk my manhood. So let's pretend this is about beer, macho macho beer! However there are some cool backstories to this beverage. It is a collabo project between Evil Twin, Westbrook and The Charleston Beer Exchange, a city and store I'm quite fond of. And its a Berliner Weiss, a refreshing and effervescent tart beer. As it turns out, Blåbær is Danish for blueberry, and this is brewed with the fruit. It's an enjoyable beer. A style of beer better in the warmer months, but not too bad in the winter. The blueberry isn't as prominent as expected, but the inherent tart quality of the berry lends itself to this type of beer.

But enough about the beer, how did I become a teenage girl trapped in a young man's body??? I'm not sure exactly. I kept hearing Sorry and What Do You Mean and I had no choice but to move, still unaware who it was. Was it the angelic voice? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm. The production is on pizzy and you don't need much more. I became a Belieber without even knowing it. That's how they get you. But I can't front jack, the shit goes. It wasn't that long ago he did a joint with Raekwon and Kanye over some Wu shit. You could say I was hating. But he sounded like a prepubescent whipper snapper and that's never been my thing thing. Our tastes have changed and are now reconvening on the H-Pod. And I'm big enough to forgive the poor decisions of his youth. (See below). And hopefully you are too.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Several weekends ago we hit the VEVO channel hard on the Apple TV. Lazy Saturday vibes channeling Tiger Beat. Had the Biebs Fest on repeat. Shit was lit. Threw in a little Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Demi Lovato, and Taylor Swift for some extra flavas. That day sparked this obsession.

If you aren't able to get your paws on this Beerber, no worries, any brew will do. So crack one open, sit back, and enjoy the show.

Iceland. Time to book that ticket to Reykjavik!!

Since one version of Sorry is not enough, I provided you with 2!!!!!!!!!

How I feel when I'm starving and hit the supermarket Probably my least favorite

If Exhibits A through F haven't proven my case, then let the Illmatic one handle closing arguments...

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

It's The Return...

January 13, 2016. The day before National Hot Pastrami Day. The excitement was brewing. Which sandwich was I going to devour, and after nearly a 2 year hiatus... DOCUMENT!?!?!? Yup, you heard that right, the pointer, the middle finger and the thumb wanted to reunite the band and get back to the drawing board. And where better to do it than at a Jewish Deli reincarnate!

A lot had happened since the heyday of 2008 and they yearned for some of that good thing back. The trio missed the flashing lights, the endless shellfish towers, the flights to exotic lands to taste endangered vegetables, the red carpet treatment, the gluttony. They wanted to shock the world once again. And so they reconvened on a cold Wednesday night in Alphabet City to see if they still had that magic. It was nearly 8 years ago since they concocted the hit single Pastrami Dreams.

But Katz's Deli isn't in Alphabet City you say? New neighborhoods are created everyday and lines are blurred to self serve all these schmegegge heads, is that the case? Nope. The truth is, something new has arrived. I bring with me a heavy heart, yet a seasoned palate, and an open mind when I admit and come to terms with this. The Houston St. mainstay will always be in the Rushmore of deli meats, but in 2016 we break from tradition and forge a new path. Dad, I'm sorry, I think that even you, someone set in their ways, would see the light through carnivorous eyes. I'll bring one to the cemetery and let the juices drip down and permeate the ground so you can share in the pleasure and joy. I miss you pops.

(Apparently one thing that hasn't changed since my last posts is the rambling. But that's what you get when you buy tix to the Howfresh show!)

So now let's get to the meat of it! Hardyharharhar. But before that I have one more confession. There was no rye bread. NO RYE BREAD. WHO THE FUCK AM I??? Do I blame my shiksa girlfriend? She's actually my Latina novia but she's from Parkchester so she knows the private handshake and throws out yiddishisms whenever she can. The funny thing is I didn't even realize I was sinking my teeth into a hoagie roll until half the sandwich was missing. I was in the moment stuffing my face, and I loved it.

So without further ado, I introduce Harry & Ida's Pop's Pastrami. 1/2 a pound of rich, juicy, tender, smoky pastrami accessorized with "buttermilk-fermented cucumber, caraway cracked rye berry, anchovy mustard & dill" in a chewy yet light hero roll. Cut in half so you can ooh and ahhh from the impressive cross section.

The roll is quite generously stuffed with crimson chunks of pastrami and the accoutrements are delicately placed near the mouth of the bread. For the size and quality, $17.50 is reasonable. My only complaint is that there wasn't enough of the thinly sliced cucumbers and sprigs of dill. I'm a sucker for dill and I do like to get the dillz sucked. Just saying. Otherwise, we're talking MVP candidate for sandwich of the year and the season hasn't even started!! It's that good. Always a fan of black pepper, there is no shortage of it in the brine. It resonates on the tongue for a considerable amount of time. Don't let the anchovy mustard spook you, since I didn't notice anything even remotely fishy, just mustard.

My grandfather's name was Harold, so the diminutive Harry already had me at hello. And of course the H!!! But I went in unbiased, aside from the fact that H&I Meat and Supply Co. is the brainchild of Will Horowitz and his crew at Ducks Eatery, a restaurant I keep wanting to return to. They just don't make subpar food. Thought, attention to detail and adventure are what you sign up for and they don't disappoint. The half a dozen or so other sandwiches on offer have piqued my interest, namely the smoked eel, and there are several homemade sides (faro salad) on the menu. Foxon Park sodas from Connecticut are stocked in the fridge, a brand you don't see too often. If one of the 3 or so stools by the window counter is unavailable (no tables) gladly grab grub to go.

Katz, I'm sorry.

Harry & Ida's Meat & Supply Co.

189 Ave. A (off 12th Street)

New York, NY 10009

646-864-0967

www.meatandsupplyco.com