Random NYC Experiences

RE: Random NYC Experiences (Nancypalooza)

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 19:11:00 GMT

The Lobstah Pushah, definitely. It must be the NYC version of the little front-yard cooler-and-a-grill operations I see in a couple neighborhoods in LA. It does look like an awfully yummy lobster roll.

RE: Random NYC Experiences (kozel)

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 09:41:00 GMT

Last year there was a guy doing an illicit grilled cheese sandwich delivery service.

http://www.vanityfair.com...ese-sandwichtrade.html

RE: Random NYC Experiences (The Travelin Man)

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 08:52:48 GMT

Yeah...you'd think that with all the interesting stuff that happens to me, I should start a food blog, or something....

RE: Random NYC Experiences (mr chips)

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 21:43:33 GMT

Wow! Interesting stuff happens to you, Steve.

RE: Random NYC Experiences (Howard Baratz)

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 14:51:07 GMT

billyboy

Dr. Claw: We are building a lobster roll of extraordinary magnitude!!

Kentucky Fried Lobster Roll???????????????????????????????/

RE: Random NYC Experiences (MiamiDon)

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 13:05:14 GMT

Too cool, TTM! Sounds just like NYC.

RE: Random NYC Experiences (billyboy)

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:35:49 GMT

Dr. Claw: We are building a lobster roll of extraordinary magnitude!!

RE: Random NYC Experiences (The Travelin Man)

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:15:40 GMT

You....ummm....kinda begged.

Then, you prodded.

RE: Random NYC Experiences (Lexi)

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:06:47 GMT

I NEVER beg!

RE: Random NYC Experiences (buffetbuster)

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 11:35:37 GMT

I haven't decided which name I like better yet, Dr. Claw or The Lostah Pushah. Great stuff TTM! This type of thing could only happen in New York.....

RE: Random NYC Experiences (The Travelin Man)

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 11:12:58 GMT

Three years later, this seems like a good enough place to resurrect this old nightmare. In the current "What constitutes a restaurant?" thread, I mentioned that I had a similar experience last summer and would write it up, as I didn't want to detract from the discussion over there.

Last year, I made a purchase from this guy. As a matter of fact, three of us, including Roadfood.com member Lexi and her son Ben made the trek out to Greenspoint. It was maybe a month after we paid a visit that he got his shut down notice from the Board of Health.

My personal take was that Ben (Dr. Claw, not Lexi's Ben) was always looking for attention for his "underground" operation. If I am not mistaken, one of the NYC food blogs called his lobster rolls one of the worst kept secrets in New York. Heck, I found out about him by reading New York Magazine - not exactly sworn to secrecy. On the night that we went, there was a film crew from a European television show doing some filming, so he was inviting some people down in to see his operation. We arrived about the same time as a hipster-looking lesbian couple (very appropriate to this section of Brooklyn), and he invited them in. No amount of begging from Lexi was going to change his mind about us. Face it - we just didn't have the "look" for TV. We looked way more like tourists than hipster Brooklynites.

The procedure was to "like" a designated page on Facebook (again, this information wasn't all that hard to come by). Once there, you were given a phone number to text your order - with strict instructions about phone calls versus texts and other rules and information. You were supposed to text your order while standing in front of a red garage on a tree-lined street in Brooklyn.

OK...we found the tree-lined street and we found the red garage door.

From there, you had to wait for a text confirming your order, then walk around the block a few times and he would text back the location of the meet. As it turns out, the meet up place was right out in front of his house. His neighbor was outside, too. Again, if you are trying to keep this thing a secret, he wasn't doing a very good job of it. I could see neighbors getting annoyed at a parade of people coming through their street, engaging in activity that looked suspiciously more like a drug deal than a lobster roll deal. I guess you could get the neighbors "in" on it - ply them with lobster rolls once in awhile to keep their mouths shut, but the more people who know, the more people who could turn you in to the Department of Health. I'm not SURE of what shut him down, but if I were to bet, my gut says that it was a neighbor fed up with the unwanted traffic who blew the whistle on him.

In what one could only describe as irony, when we were doing our laps around the block, we found that the local police station was about a half a block from where the guy was doing business. Why would you want to run an operation that looks like drug deals taking place in the middle of the street in full view of the local po po?

If I remember right, the lobster rolls were $14 each. I handed the guy $45 - he doesn't make change on the street. We were happy to consider the extra as a tip, even though we were disappointed that we weren't deemed "hip" enough to get the underground tour. We took our stash and made for the subway.

OK...so how was the lobster roll?

In short, it was good. Really good. There was just enough mayo binder to hold the thing together, but it was mostly drenched in butter - a la the Connecticut-style, rather than the dreaded lobster salad version. The lobster was obviously fresh, and even after waiting a few minutes for the subway, when we unwrapped our packages, the rolls were still warm - so, his packaging worked, as well. The looks from other subway riders was priceless. New Yorkers, usually a bunch of folks who don't ever look up from their newspapers to see anything, were gawking like there were celebrities on the train.

Overall, a fun experience. The prices were obviously kept in check, as compared to local restaurants, by NOT getting any regulatory approval and minimizing other overhead expenses. Is that fair? No.

In some ways, as I have said, I think the guy wanted to get caught. It makes for a better story. Well, he did get caught - and, as for the better story. He managed to parlay his notoriety into a new show on the Cooking Channel.

RE: Random NYC Experiences (i95)

Thu, 15 May 2008 15:42:36 GMT

Gotta love..

.

RE: Random NYC Experiences (CajunKing)

Thu, 15 May 2008 15:35:05 GMT

Durn it Kurt

You made me shoot banana puddin out my nose

RE: Random NYC Experiences (Nancypalooza)

Thu, 15 May 2008 07:46:06 GMT

Only in Kentucky, West Virginia, or South Carolina, i95. /me runs away from the forum

RE: Random NYC Experiences (i95)

Thu, 15 May 2008 07:11:33 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by The Travelin Man

She is much more like my kid sister than anything else.

So, you're telling me there's a chance.

RE: Random NYC Experiences (The Travelin Man)

Wed, 14 May 2008 16:51:17 GMT

Let's clear something up right away. Meghan is a wonderful girl who deserves far better than me! We are great friends, and will continue to be - by very mutual agreement. She is much more like my kid sister than anything else.

I am glad, though, that you all like the trip report. I do have some other stuff to add, although there is a serious lack of photographic evidence to accompany. I will try to be as visually descriptive in the writing as I can....

But, it will have to wait until after I finish with work, dinner, and chores tonight.

RE: Random NYC Experiences (CajunKing)

Wed, 14 May 2008 16:13:47 GMT

TTM

Another awesome report and some TOTALLY AWESOME pix. Those shots of the "Woody Allen" made my mouth water. The high def of the sandwich makes you almost taste it through the monitor.

I am glad you had such a great trip with such great company....

And while we are on the subject

You do not find a girl like Meghan very often, distance can be overcome, don't lose out on a chance of a lifetime.

RE: Random NYC Experiences (No Talent)

Wed, 14 May 2008 08:18:32 GMT

Has anyone heard from C.C. Baxter ?

RE: Random NYC Experiences (alesrus)

Tue, 13 May 2008 10:25:14 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Nancypalooza

So they're basically the same thing, except for the spice mixture on the outside of the pastrami? (And thanks for answering that. I can tell you way more about meats to be barbecued than I can about most deli items.)

Nancypalooza,yes the spices and the smoking. Almost the same as smoking a brisket. In fact you can take a corned beef and rinse it re-season it and smoke it and get Pastrami.

RE: Random NYC Experiences (Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle)

Tue, 13 May 2008 10:21:35 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Nancypalooza

So they're basically the same thing, except for the spice mixture on the outside of the pastrami?

And the smoking, which to my mind is even more important than the spices.

RE: Random NYC Experiences (i95)

Tue, 13 May 2008 10:14:29 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by wanderingjew

Mr Chips is the voice of reason

Are you freakin' kidding me?? More like the "voice of treason"! The Prince of Portland just threw a smoke bomb in the room then called the fire department on the way out. Reason- schmeason.

We now have a new story arc on this web site, people, and I, for one, can't wait to tune into this thread later to find out if Steve and Meghan really find love or will love escape these two career-driven yet lovelorn young people.

All this on "As the Stomach, er...World Turns."

Now a word from Derwood Kirby for Ivory Soap...

RE: Random NYC Experiences (Nancypalooza)

Tue, 13 May 2008 10:12:07 GMT

So they're basically the same thing, except for the spice mixture on the outside of the pastrami? (And thanks for answering that. I can tell you way more about meats to be barbecued than I can about most deli items.)

RE: Random NYC Experiences (rjb)

Tue, 13 May 2008 10:01:29 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Nancypalooza

Steve now you have to tell us what kind of camera you used for those terrific pictures--the cheesecake looks like I can pop it off the screen and have a bite.

I also have an ignorant deli newbie question. What's the difference between pastrami and corned beef anyhow?

Both start out as beef briskets that are cured in salt brine that typically contain various aromatics, typically garlic, mustard seed, coriander, bay, etc. as well as sugar. Pastrami is covered with a coarse spice mixture (cracked black pepper, coriander, other aromatics() and lightly smoked.

It's possible to find pastrami made from beef round, but I don't recommend it.

RE: Random NYC Experiences (Nancypalooza)

Tue, 13 May 2008 09:52:30 GMT

Yeah, now the morning after I'm kind of feeling sorry that I did too, chips. Steve, you can come out and not talk about it? It's really none of our business. /me looks stern at the other children lined up at the fence

RE: Random NYC Experiences (wanderingjew)

Tue, 13 May 2008 09:48:45 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by mr chips

Meghan is very nice. it was a real treat to have dinner with her, Ellen and TTM in Nashville last year. I will state that she and Steve live a fairly good distance apart. Back to my usual reluctance to comment on other's lives.

As usual,

Mr Chips is the voice of reason

RE: Random NYC Experiences (mr chips)

Tue, 13 May 2008 09:31:20 GMT

Meghan is very nice. it was a real treat to have dinner with her, Ellen and TTM in Nashville last year. I will state that she and Steve live a fairly good distance apart. Back to my usual reluctance to comment on other's lives.

RE: Random NYC Experiences (Twinwillow)

Mon, 12 May 2008 23:29:16 GMT

I said it before and, I'll say it again. GREAT REPORT!!!

RE: Random NYC Experiences (wanderingjew)

Mon, 12 May 2008 23:08:40 GMT

Ya got me in suspense too!!

RE: Random NYC Experiences (cecif)

Mon, 12 May 2008 22:41:04 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Nancypalooza

Well, great minds and all that, i95. ;)

edited to add: now watch, we've poked the boy into complete and total silence on the subject ;)

Yeah, now I'm gonna subscribe to this thread Nancy & i95... I am waiting with baited breath for the answer...

RE: Random NYC Experiences (Nancypalooza)

Mon, 12 May 2008 21:37:19 GMT

Well, great minds and all that, i95. ;)

edited to add: now watch, we've poked the boy into complete and total silence on the subject ;)