Street Food Vendors – Writing With My Mouth Full

139th Street Barbecue

corner of 139th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard
no phone number
$25 for a whole rack of pork ribs
â™¥ â™¥

Amidst the condo buildings going up as fast as you can say gentrification, there still remains the open drums on the streets used as makeshift grills to sell home-marinated barbecue in Harlem. The Dr. and I stopped by earlier this year when we saw the smoke coming out of a corner street shrouded in scaffolding. We still haven’t figured out who runs the show, but as far as we know, a big black lady sitting down is the one who repeats everyone’s orders to the more-able “staff” around her: an older lady who spoons the sides in a container, an older man who slices the ribs apart and another who mans the grill. She is also in charge of how much to charge her customers because no one really knows how much the food really is, especially when it comes to people who look like us.

During our first visit, four ribs with a small tub of potato salad and two slices of white bread were $10; a second visit with an order of a whole rack without any sides, even bread, was $25. A third visit cost us $70 for two racks, four sides and a giant watermelon. We’ve caught the big lady giving the older man a look when they calculate our totals.

The ribs are really, really good. They have a tangy taste to them–a North Carolina style using cider vinegar. The meat doesn’t fall off the bones, but is tender enough to pull when you give it a bite. And in this rapidly changing neighborhood, very satisfying.

El Idolo

Corner of 14th Street and Eighth Avenue
no phone number
$10 for four tacos and a drink
â™¥

We had been drinking for several hours when the El Idolo truck caught my eye on the corner of 14th Street and Eighth Avenue. I convinced my tired and drunk friends to cross the street and eat one last meal before heading home. We ordered the chorizo, the el pastor and the chimichuria. I couldn’t really tell the difference between the el pastor and the chimichuria, but the chorizo tacos were deliciously salty. The green hot sauce I poured all over them added a nice spicy kick. A cup of cold horchata, a Mexican rice milk drink flavored with cinnamon, almonds and vanilla also hit the spot.

After spending a few dollars more than I can afford on drinks, the $2 tacos were bounty sent from Mexican heaven.

Dogmatic Gourmet Sausage System

In the park on Bleecker and Hudson
no phone number
$13 for two hotdogs, one asparagus and a drink
♥

Right behind the playground on Hudson and Bleecker and steps away from the long lines outside Magnolia Bakery is a small hotdog stand with an expensive flair called the Dogmatic Gourmet Sausage System. The flair during our visit was a thin turkey sausage for $5 a piece made by Sullivan County’s Violet Hills Farm. There are fancy sauces that you can add, from white truffle gruyere (yes, I know!) to dijon mustard and spicy ketchup. There is also grilled asparagus for the vegetarians. Everything comes in a toasted baguette. To push all the gourmet choices down, there are homemade ice-cold drinks like a really refreshing ginger with vanilla bean.

The owner, Jeremy Spector, is also the chef at nearby Employees Only. (He was wearing his Employees Only T-shirt and chef pants when we stopped by.) After we ordered, we sat on the park bench next to his stand to wait. He walked over to bring us the wrong orders: he put spicy ketchup on our asparagus instead of the hotdog and he slathered the melted gruyere on another hotdog instead of the asparagus. We joked at how confused he was–it must have been the summer heat. We ended up eating two hotdogs and one order of the asparagus because of his mistake. He let us have the other hotdog for free. And, well, we thought he was really cute for being all flustered.

Dogmatic Gourmet is a noble idea in the perfect neighborhood, but I’m not sure if I’m its customer. I found it hard spending $5 on a sausage.

Calexico

Corner of Wooster and Prince
no phone number
about $12 for two, without drinks, without tip
â™¥

Updated, 2006: They do have a phone number! 917/674.1869 and of course, “Cal” is from California

I assume Calexico is currently enjoying their Vendy Award status as a finalist because I had to try twice before I finally got the chance to buy lunch from their spot on Wooster and Prince. When we finally found the cart, we ordered their tacos for $3 each: the much-loved carne asada, the pork and the pollo asado. For an extra $2, you can get two tacos of your choice with rice and beans.

They’re set up in front of the Camper store. Expect a wait during lunch time but they move quickly and take your order right when you walk up and stand in line. They called our names with our tacos in less than ten minutes.

I think I’m just being a snob because I’ve eaten so many tacos this year alone, but Calexico definitely does not sell the best one in the city. The carne asada is pretty good and the pork is okay, but I’ve definitely had better. The guacamole was runny so it made us wonder if it is homemade or from a jar. I’m not quite sure if it’s a Tex-Mex thing to only have one tortilla instead of two but it was very messy to eat my tacos. We ended up sitting on the stoop a block away and our tacos fell apart at every bite. It’s $2 cheaper than La Esquina but if I have to pick between the two, my vote goes to the one with a phone number.