Long days long nights. Talented peeps. Stay tuned. KILL YOUR DARLINGS.
Here’s a holiday gift idea. A lil’ series of guide books, formerly known as eatshop, now called rather. Started by Kaie Wellman out of Portland, OR, these books are a city-specific source of awesome semi-secret local eats and shops. I got to photograph and write up 28 new places for this 3rd edition. Like Mile End, a Canadian-Jewish deli in Boreum Hill. Or C’H’C’M, the perfect mens store run by my neighbor Sweetu in Noho. The write ups were fun, very personal…so if you want a “friend in the head,” guiding you around NYC, pick up rathernewyork!
Sunday adventure. Ferry, Governors Island, bike ride, jazz age, old fort, ships w/ gage+desoto, flash flood over Brooklyn Bridge, super soaked.
A TINY FASCIST’S SECRETS OF NEW YORK CITY
part one: the eats. 20 of my deep, dark, and (not-so) secret spots in nyc.
1. Buvette. W. Village. The best French gastroteque, you’ll never want to leave. Open whenever you need it from 8am til 2am.
2. Cocoron. LES. Tiny Japanese soba spot where every healthy ingredient gets its own cartoon illustration.
3. Danji. Midtown West/Hell’s Kitchen. Modern Korean tapas take on tradition in a young, chic setting.
4. Dough. Clinton Hill. Dangerously addictive donuts. Blood-orange? Hibiscus? Chocolate w/ earl grey? ‘Nuff said.
5. Eat. Greenpoint. A monastery for locavore vegetarians; healthy, simple-simple, tasty.
6. Hung Ry. Noho. The best Chinese hand-pulled noodle soups. Organic, amazing. Sit at the bar and watch the noodle-master at work!
7. Mei Li Wah Bakery. An old-school Chinatown tea-house/bakery. The smell of their baked pork buns alone will make you happy. Plus, it’s so friggin’ cheap.
8. Mile End. Boerum Hill. Jewish comfort food by way of Montreal in a cozy neighborhood spot. Bagels, pickle plates, poutine, and a signature pastrami on rye. Yum.
9. Niko Sushi. Soho. Chef Hiro is the best sushi guy around. It’s pricey and the spot is trendy/glam, but man, all the food is supreme.
10. Num Pang. Union Sq. Eating their Cambodian sandwichs tastes like a vacation.
11. Pies and Thighs. Willyburg. You know about this already. But it’s still really good. Especially their apple pie served on top a slice of sharp cheddar.
12. Roman’s. Fort Greene. Living down the street from this place is a happy gift. The bartenders are handsome, the Italian-inspired food is simple, delicious.
13. Takashi. W. Village. Japanese/Korean grill-it-yourself meat mecca. Hilarious illustrated wall provides a tour of meat-eating. Plus the best soft serve ice cream sundaes.
14. The Beagle. E. Village. Classic cocktails + food pairing boards. Co-owner of Clyde Common opened this just this past month.
15. The Fat Radish. LES. My new crush. This seasonal-british-farm-to-table spot is beautiful, rustic and popular. You could take anyone you love - your mom, or anyone you hate - Bradley Cooper, and still dine in harmony.
16. The Post Office. Willyburg. Old-timey bar with food. Lovely respite from the hipster carnival that is outside.
17. The Smile. Noho. Good cafe, easy for any meal to catch up with old friends. Yes, there’s a too-cool-for-school crowd but honestly, it’s good for good reason. (A close second? Peels right down the street. Peels is The Smile when it first opened…great, but a wait.)
18. Westville. Chelsea/W. Village/E. Village. Totally easy, carefree great market-fresh food. Wish they’d open one up steps from me.
19. Xi’an Famous Foods. Chinatown. One-of-a-kind Chinese/Muslim food, like handmade noodles and the tastiest lamb burger you’ll ever consume. So cheap!
20. SUMMER BONUS: Imperial Woodpecker Snowball Shop. W. Village. A pop-up shop for icy flavor cool treats. In New Orleans, they’re called snowballs, not snow cones. This collabo brain child comes courtesy of the fine folks at I.W., directin’ the best commercials on your telly.
Extras: Gottino. W. Village - perfect Italian wine/small plates. Pepe Rosso. Soho. Super easy Italian pasta meal in the smallest tables. Vinegar Hill House. Step back in time to rustic pioneer-y Brooklyn-food. Frankie’s/Prime Meats/Cafe Peddler. Carroll Gardens. I like the bearded Frank “Brothers” a lot.
This title may be misleading but it’s a nickname my friend/best-art-directing partner AW coined and let’s face it, it stuck. Yesterday I completed a neat project, helping eat.shop guidebooks update their 3rd edition for NYC. (This is a sneak peak.) Eat.shop is your friend-in-the-head, a little voice sharing locally-owned eats and shops that are worth the trek. Getting to know these shop owners and chefs, photographing their wares and edibles, and writing what each meant to me was a sweaty, inspiring, belly-grinning ride. Get or give the eat.shop for your city, or come visit mine!
#23. INSIDE MAN, dir. SPIKE LEE, 2006
Yes, it is his most successful film. Yes, it has Denzel and Chiwetel Ejiofor and Jodie Foster’s shiny power legs. But it’s the supporting casting of all the New Yorkers that create a richer than usual bank heist scenario. I agree w/ Ebert. It’s Lee’s pro forma to use details that make us think about how the world works in little ways. The video game playing boy. The Sikh who’s wrongly labeled an Arab. The smart, the smarter, the Clive Owen.
#5. ANNIE HALL dir. WOODY ALLEN, 1977
My favorite film. The bee’s knees. The zenith. The end. If an alien were ever to introduce itself to me, look friendly and ask, “What film should I see tonight?” I would gladly bring it home, put Annie Hall on and laugh/cry/understand human existence. We’d have a blast.
#2. 25TH HOUR, dir. SPIKE LEE, 2002
Based on the novel by David Benioff, each of the characters in this story gets such attention they feel lived in, real, regardless of screen time. There’s plenty of style in Spike’s pictures and here it fits into each character’s individual grub of NYC. The Wall Street player, the girl who’s always sure she’s beautiful, the girl who’s just coming into her sexuality, the private school teacher who never left high school, the drug dealer who love/hates himself. All I remember is seeing this after 9.11 and appreciating the deft hand of a director not trying to hit us with moral and symbolism like we’re stupid.
