05.02.06
Uno De Mayo
I was going to save my next Latino food post for Cinco De Mayo. But the Mexicans in this town, and a number of others, turned today’s May Day observances into their own holiday. . . literally. A bunch of them took the day off. I saw many Mexicans, along with communists, socialists, anarchists, anti-Bush-in-general-ists, and immigrants rights activists march for “EDUCATION NOT DEPORTATION.” And a yet-to-be tallied amount of Mexicans participated in a general boycott on buying anything.
(”We Are America,” AND we are Jesus)
The boycott apparently did not extend to buying taxi rides, because I took three fares of Mexicans from the Union Square protest. I think it is important to note here that I’ve found Mexicans to be amongst the very best tippers in New York City. And in the true spirit of May Day, I got particularly fat tips from my Mexican fares in a show of solidarity with their proletarian brethren. At least a few workers of the world united in my cab today.
(looks like the boycott didn’t apply to tiny American flags either)
My Spanish is pretty shakey, but I tried pumping my fares from south of the border for information on where to find a good burrito in New York. It is a subject on which my knowledge is sorely lacking. I’ve been searching for a really good burrito since returning from a west coast swing to visit my cousin Jeremy Weinstein, the best editor Hollywood has seen since Richard Chew (Star Wars, Risky Business, Real Genius, and Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds In Paradise).
Within an 18 hour span, I consumed three of the most amazing burritos my young, fleshy belly had ever experienced. For lunch, my hungry cousin Jeremy and I ventured into the heart of East L.A. for burrito’s the way Jesus Cristo intended: sitting in folding chairs on the sidewalk next to a taco truck.
They were more delicious than I had ever imagined burritos could be. The moment I took that first bite, the year was zero. I had to turn back the clock. Everything had to start over for me, because I had been born again into a world where burritos taste good enough to linger in East LA for an extended period.
(The moment of truth; it didn’t look like much, but it was)
I drove to San Diego and had another burrito for dinner, this one from a place called Saguaro’s that serves even better burritos 24 hours a day.
The Califonia burrito redefined, yet again, my concept of “burrito.” I now no longer call any burrito not served on the west coast ”burrito.” I refer to them as ”Mexiwraps” or “burritesques” depending on my mood.
(my second burrito in my second city of the day)
The next morning I had a breakfast burrito from La Posta that gave me an overwhelming sense of euphoria and a sunny disposition the rest of the day even though it was the dead of the June Gloom weather pattern in San Diego.
Since that trip, the closest I’ve come to recreating those burrito experiences here in NYC was when I bought a burrito in San Francisco’s Mission District on my way to the airport, and then ate it six hours later, not warm but still fresh, on the A train from JFK.
So I was eager to find a good New York burrito on a day when Mexicans were out in numbers. Unfortunately, the three fares I had seemed like they never really eat burritos. One of them suggested California Taqueria on Court Street in Brooklyn. I’ve eaten there before, and I do think it is a delicious “stuffed tortilla treat,” possibly my favorite in New York, but it doesn’t compare with those out in the golden state. I considered driving by and grabbing one, but I was afraid there would not be anyone there to work the counter.
California Taqueria, Court Street btwn Bergen and Congress, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn
Check out www.famousfatdave.com for a chuckle or to book an eating tour
catherine said,
May 2, 2006 at 9:39 am
Hey Dave!
Kudos on an awesome blog, I’m enjoying every delicious mouthful. Just a few (read 100s of 1000s) questions that popped into my mind this morn.
how did you come to be a cab driver anyway?
Was it something that you were always interested in?
Love it or hate it?
Best part of the job (aside from the free restaurant reviews!)
Most interesting or famous passenger you’ve ever had?
Thanks a bunch!
Nick said,
May 2, 2006 at 1:08 pm
I would kill for a good breakfast burrito here in Manhattan. I’ve yet to find any burritos (breakfast or otherwise) that can rival anything found in California – though I did just find a little slice of heaven called Tehuitzingo (it’s on 10th between 47th & 48th) – It’s a little tiny mexican deli that serves some awesome carnitas tacos. Go all the way to the back to order, $2 a taco.
Tim said,
May 2, 2006 at 1:54 pm
Try Rachel’s, on 5th Ave near 8th St in Brooklyn. It’s the best San Francisco-style burrito I’ve had in NYC.
Administrator said,
May 2, 2006 at 4:33 pm
Dear Catherine,
Thanks for writing.
How did I become a cabbie? I used to drive a bread truck for Orwasher’s Bakery. A huge chunk of my route went all aroud the WTC. I had been on the Trans-Siberian Railroad on September 11th, and when I got back, my job was under a pile of rubble. I was unemployed for for 4 months, and the only “wanted” signs I saw in the city were on the bumpers of yellow cabs, and I already knew my way around from driving the bread truck.
Was I always interested? You could say that. When I was 16 years old driving around DC with my friends, I’d yell “New York Cabbie” and start driving like one. The impression basically just consisted of accelerating into red lights and then slamming on the brakes.
Love it or hate it? Both. Love driving. Love meeting cool people. Love finding the food. Hate meeting schmucks. Hate going to the garage and not getting the cab. Hate not having benefits. Hate being treated like a criminal by the NYPD.
Best part aside from food? The stories. And being so mobile. And making my own schedule. Three way tie.
Most famous fare? Bjork and her husband got into my cab on Mulberry and Spring and she said “6th Ave and Houston” in her crazy, breathy voice. I tried being friendly with her, and my girlfriend was riding shotgun with me at the time and she is HUGE fan, but Bjork and her husband were just all weird and creepy and staring at each other and us but not talking. The fare was $4.60. She gave me a five and bailed. I don’t really like her anymore. Her best song is a cover anyway (that “Oh So Quiet” one).
Former NYer said,
May 2, 2006 at 5:01 pm
Hey – love your blog. It makes me miss NY and the culture; I am an Italian and grew up right outside the city. Now I am in Maryland, right outside DC, and oh so miss NY. Things hard to find here: good pizza, good cannoli, and family style food. Though I did find a deli (yes, a REAL deli) in Gaithersburg that hand-pipes cannoli, has vats of real flavored cream cheese and real bagels, and makes sandwiches that you can barely fit your mouth around, all in the environment of shouting, loud music, and a never-ending hurry. It’s my little slice of home
Not such good luck on the pizza – you know of any places?
Administrator said,
May 2, 2006 at 6:34 pm
I was born in Silver Spring, and my parents still live in Potomac so I’m always in Maryland. You must tell me the name of the Gaithersburg deli that hand-pipes cannoli.
My favorite pizza in the DC area is Vace. It’s an Italian grocery so they have all sorts of great cheese and meats, hence the pizza has great cheese and the pepperoni is as good as anything here in NYC. I’ve always gone to the one in Cleveland Park, but there is another in Bethesda.
dana said,
May 2, 2006 at 6:34 pm
NYC has incredibly inferior Mexican food. It saddens me. But there are three places that I think are worth visiting, in order of my preference (though you’ll never find a Mission-style burrito there):
1)Deli whose name I cannot remember, Hoyt Street between State and Atlantic, Boerum Hill. My favorite place for tortas, but their tacos are really, really good (and they have a concrete backyard garden seating area)
2)Acapulco Restaurant, Manhattan and Clay, Greenpoint. Also excellent in the tortas department. Tacos are good, but not as good as the Hoyt St. deli. Excellent and cheap fresh-squeezed OJ. Very good guac with freshly fried tortilla chips.
3)Grand Morelos, Grand and Graham, Williamsburg. Good tortas. Decent tacos. Amazing tres leches cake.
PS Enjoyed your posts on the search for un-filled cannolis. For years, I’ve lamented (erroneously) that you can’t get a decent cannoli in this town.
nani said,
May 2, 2006 at 11:17 pm
My favorite burrito is from Green Cactus off Austin Street in Forest Hills (one block over from 71-Continental). I always get the red snapper burrito. YUM!
juan said,
May 3, 2006 at 3:34 pm
I can’t find a great border style texmex or zonamex burrito in NYC!!!
When you find one FFD, let us know!
The Hungry Cabbie: The Eating Adventures of a NYC Yellow Cabbie » A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER said,
September 8, 2006 at 2:16 am
[...] I figured, as long I was out there, I might as well give it a whirl. I bought two, one pollo and one chorizo, and I put a ton of radishes on one of them. I can’t say they were as good as anything you could find in a taco truck in East L.A. (I certainly can’t say the ton of radishes was good), but they were tasty. They tasted pretty much how I imagined a $2 taco in Jackson Heights would taste. But I’m still waiting for the karmic payoff from this latest mitzvah. I’m hoping that will be very sweet. [...]
The Hungry Cabbie: The Eating Adventures of a NYC Yellow Cabbie » How Much For Just One Rib said,
October 19, 2006 at 9:47 pm
[...] Second Avenue Deli closed, so I’m in desperate need of a tip on a good corned beef sandwich. I haven’t found too many great burritos in this town, so I often test my Spanish skills in hopes of finding one to rival a west coaster. And I’m slightly obessesed with pickles, so I tend to nudge the conversation in that direction if I sense someone might know his way around a full sour. [...]
The Hungry Cabbie: The Eating Adventures of a NYC Yellow Cabbie » The ‘Burbs said,
October 26, 2006 at 6:35 am
[...] Watching Milo enjoy them so much made me like them a little more. But he won’t remember the superior burritos at California Taqueria on Court Street. Maybe we’ll find better burritos somewhere else in Westchester. [...]
The Hungry Cabbie: The Eating Adventures of a NYC Yellow Cabbie » Sacramento Boulevard!!! said,
January 25, 2007 at 3:21 am
[...] But we went to Poncho Villa’s in the middle of day on December 29th, and it was WEAK. Both burritos were dry and lacked in flavor. Pictures were taken in wild anticipation only to be deleted in genuine anger. I’d had incredible burritos in the Mission on past SF trips, and I don’t know what went wrong this time. [...]