Eat Meatballs

Meatball Obsession (Home of the Original Meatball in a Cup) is one of those places that I noticed a few months ago and was curious enough to try it out. It's located on 6th Avenue, just south of 14th Street. This is definitely a no-frills kind of experience because the shop is located on the street next to a subway entrance and you order standing right on the busy sidewalk.

Totally capitalizing (or exploiting) the latest culinary trend to sweep the city, they offer one thing and one thing only. You guessed it, meatballs. I stopped by to try their food a few months ago and I can tell you that if you like meatballs then this place is for you. They offer steaming hot cups of turkey, beef or pork sausage meatballs that are supremely delicious and not too expensive either. You can also get your balls served in a pocket sandwich, but their specialty is obviously served best in a cup. To top things off, they offer a choice of cheeses and a good selection of soft drinks including my favorites Cherry and Vanilla Cream. There is a small table with a lamp pushed up against the side of the building where you can stand up and casually eat your food on the street if you choose or you can always take it and run.

Also nice to see that they've totally festooned their shop for Christmas.

Happy Sukkot

I was in Union Square this afternoon to visit my doctor after a 24-48 hour case of H1N1 hysteria. I convinced myself that I had all the symptoms (I did!), but alas, it was just some regular old terrible cold and I'm in no danger of imminently dying. As I was leaving my doctor's office and crossing towards the park, this extremely happy truck pictured above passed by and it was just interesting and homemade enough that it warranted taking a picture or two. It's not technically a graffiti truck per se, but it also kind of is so I took a picture anyway.

I've lived in New York for many years now, but for some reason I have never heard of Sukkot before. The friendly driver was definitely excited that I was taking his picture. He asked me if I was Jewish and when I said no, he told me to Google "Sukkot" to find out more about the holiday (which I did). "Sukkot is a seven day holiday, with the first day celebrated as a full festival with special prayer services and holiday meals."

Several hours later, I went out to dinner with one of my friends who lives in Israel and was visiting New York for a night and I showed her the picture and because I was curious I asked her what "Happy Sukkot" was. Of course, I mistakenly pronounced it and said, "What's 'Happy Suck It?'" It's actually pronounced like "sue cot," but obviously I didn't know that. My knowledge of religious holidays is definitely pretty lacking. She thought my mispronunciation was pretty much totally hilarious and laughed and laughed at me. I laughed too. So everyone, if you're Jewish, I hope you have a Happy Sukkot and if you're not, well then you know what to do.

News from the Street

Some more brilliant spontaneous thoughts from the chalk graffiti gang.

La Taza De Oro Restaurant

This small Puerto Rican restaurant (it's really more like a lunch counter or a diner) is located just south of 14th Street on 8th Avenue. Some reviews here and here and here. This classic New York City place has been around for years.

It's simple and inexpensive and the food is consistently good. Nothing fancy, just a super filling plate of rice and beans and roasted chicken. Everything is very authentic and I always have a great meal. The staff is extremely friendly and they also make a decent cup of espresso. Highly recommended. It's definitely not on the tourist maps, but is just a little part of what makes up my New York.

I always sit at the counter. On my most recent visit, I made friends with an aspiring movie producer who sat next to me named Michael. He enjoyed the food as much as I did.