Comments on: Bourdain Calls NYC Street Food “Shameful, Terrible, and Indefensible”

By: rinda

rinda — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:19:05 +0000

i think zach could school tony on the midtown street food, no doubt about it. but i also agree with tony to a degree. the majority of street food in midtown is not that great. and the ones people enjoy, the ones ML’ers talk about the most are a couple of handfuls of carts at most. and most of the tasty carts are only availble during daylight hours. if you compare street food in other major urban cities in, say asia, your choices are going to be 100x greater than nyc 24 hours a day.

By: Huck

Huck — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:05:22 +0000

He’s relatively right on actually. Remember he has spent innumerable hours with the street vendors in Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, etc., & our vendors don’t come close, maybe the guy formerly from the Russian Tea Room & his shrimp curry, etc…..

All the rest rest are pretty weak tea compared to that standard. You do have to go to Queens, or the Red Hook ball fields to find worthy competition for the most part.

By: Shivery.McPickles

Shivery.McPickles — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:16:40 +0000

I had some tongue tacos on 6th around the W4 stop a few weeks ago at about 3am. I’ll admit to being in an – er- slightly altered state, but I have to tell you, they were effing fantastic.

My first tongue! My grandmother would be really proud!

By: NoPickles

NoPickles — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:53:50 +0000

Maybe AB made that comment full knowing that any real New Yorker would not stand for that bash and challenge him. Besides, maybe that is his way of saying he would like to do more close to home episodes instead of having to travel. Perhaps with this, he will get that.

By: BigAppleScowl

BigAppleScowl — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:55:35 +0000

I kind of get Bourdain’s comments in as much as they were in the context of your average NYC hot dog stand. Personally, as much as I cherish certain street meat carts, I absolutely detest and despise those nasty charcoal smoke-belching hotdog/pretzel/kabob carts that blight our city. If Bourdain tried any of the street meat vendors we know and love, he would be an instant convert. But there’s one frankfurter cart that I would put up against any in the country: Hallo Berlin. There’s no better option for a frank or sausage than the Hallo Berlin cart.

By: deanlo

deanlo — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:16:39 +0000

well he is semi-elitist and so has that sort of holier-than-thou attitude. but, is he actually that narrow minded or did he just hyperbolize for the camera? and then try to redeem himself with the Technicality Card by implying that he was only referring to Manhattan?

By: adamprato

adamprato — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:42:36 +0000

I can’t imagine life without cilantro. Vindaloo, Kati Rolls, Salsa, none of it would be the same without Cilantro.

By: Goats

Goats — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:55:31 +0000

Tongue is not as bad as cilantro or curry…!

By: StreetMeasOnsumer3008

StreetMeasOnsumer3008 — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:40:08 +0000

Kati rolls are awesome. Bring on the tongue tacoS!

BoOoOo to bourdain for hatin’ on NYC street fare. You can’t put ALL halal/ street meats in the same category as dirty water dogs. WTH!

By: adamprato

adamprato — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:12:21 +0000

I’m willing to give lengua taco’s a try (maybe if I call it by a different name, it wont gross me out?)

That said, the last time my wife ordered tongue from a deli, I thought it smelled like cat food (which makes sense), so I’m not sure if I can handle trying it.