Rockaway Recovery, Part 2: Eat More Tacos!

About a month ago, Rockaway Taco--one of the best taco stands in the city, and a Rockaway mainstay since its debut five years ago--reopened for the first time since Superstorm Sandy hit the beachfront community. When we visited on Memorial Day, the patio was alight with families fresh from the holiday parade as well as interlopers from the other boroughs (ahem), all eager to participate in the return of the Rockaways, and all enjoying delectable fish tacos, elote (corn) and fried plantains. Summer has arrived, and if you've never been, there's no better time than now. And if you haven't been since Sandy, there's no better time than now. Without further ado, a look into the wonderful shanty world of taco town...

Clockwise from top left: Elote, Watermelon Juice, Guacamole, Fried Plantains, Fish Taco

As it turns out, Blue is apparently a big fan of plantains, too.

Rockaway Taco is located at 95-19 Rockaway Beach Boulevard in Queens, NY.

Yeah Yeah Yeah! The Great GoogaMooga Has Landed.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs closing out their explosive set at the Great GoogaMooga 2013 in Prospect Park, Brooklyn.

Year Two of the Great GoogaMooga food/drink/music festival kicked off with a bang last night at the Nethermead in Prospect Park, and will run through tomorrow evening. After last year's semi-fiasco, in which lines and vendors short on stock prevented many in attendance from actually enjoying themselves, dozens upon dozens of local food vendors--including Red Hook Lobster Pound, Roberta's and Mile End--are making sure that festival-goers will not leave hungry this year. At last night's opener, the lines were reasonable, and the food was good--if often overpriced (e.g. $10 for a small bowl of crawfish pasta). Most food dishes seem to be priced between $8 and $12. For me, the two standouts were a deliciously juicy, buttery truffle burger from Umami Burger (now in NYC), and the always-stellar chicken from Dirty Bird To Go. The concession stands feature a decent selection of beer and wine, but if your tendencies run toward hydroplaning, you can purchase tickets to sample a smattering of offerings from around the globe in the beer and wine tents.

So. All of that was great. But the real reason I dragged Maura there was to--finally!--catch my favorite band in the world live and in concert. After an atmospheric, typically idiosyncratic set by the Flaming Lips (with groovy sets that couldn't be wholly appreciated before nightfall), Brooklyn's own Yeah Yeah Yeahs took the stage in front of a packed meadow. Karen O and her wailing electric guitar of a voice brought the house down with bandmates Nick Zinner, Animal from The Muppets (aka Brian Chase), and occasionally David Pajo on guitar and keys. They hit the ground running, employing the phenomenal Broadway Inspirational Voices gospel choir for the opening number, "Sacrilege"--the lead single from their latest album. For an idea of the effect, check out their performance last month on Letterman:



The whole show was pure energy, from an enormous, inflated, Flaming Lips-esque bouncing eyeball, to the moment when Karen passed the mic through the crowd for the bridge of "Cheated Hearts," and through to the super-charged encore of "Date with the Night," which concluded with the unquestionable destruction of said microphone. 

When it was all said and done, the crowd was able to disperse quickly and peacefully, much to our delight... and another reason we will return to the new-and-improved GoogaMooga, perhaps as early as tomorrow. De La Soul, here we come!

Here We Come, Walking Down the Street...

Last weekend, while visiting family in Kansas, we celebrated my grandfather's 88th birthday. For the occasion, my mom hired a bakery in South Haven, KS, to bake a special cake for Frass. Muffin Top Bakery came through with flying colors, producing an entertaining and delicious banana cake with cream cheese frosting. I've never had anything like it. If you have a sweet tooth and ever find yourself in South Central Kansas, consider yourself notified.

 

 

Smorgasburg hits DUMBO

For the last couple of Sundays, the ever-expanding empire of Brooklyn Flea has graced the Tobacco Warehouse in DUMBO. Though the food market is open-air, the space seems much less scorching than its parking-lot-squatting older sibling in Williamsburg. This is likely due to the surrounding parkland and the 20' high brick enclosure, the remaining shell of a 19th-Century waterfront warehouse. Furthermore, the adjacent parcel of Brooklyn Bridge Park--wedged between the warehouse, the river and Jane's Carousel--proved to be a much more inviting lunch spot than the pavement-bound picnic tables in Williamsburg. 

Alas, Smorgasburg won't stay here forever, as it looks like St. Ann's Warehouse will soon be inhabiting Tobacco Warehouse. H3 Architects have revealed a preliminary design for the theater company, with plans to preserve the old brick facade with the new space inserted within. In response to neighborhood objections over the private development of city-owned parkland, the project will make up for the lost area with the provision for additional green space under the bridge.

In the meantime, take advantage of the attraction while it lasts. Every Sunday from now through November 18, 75-some-odd food vendors will set up shop from 11am-6pm. To whet your appetite, take a look at some of the offerings from last weekend...

The Fat Beagle

3 Pulled Pork Johnny Cakes with (L-R): 1) braised apples, crème fraîche and maple reduction; 2) shaved summer corn, roasted jalapeño creme and pickled okra; and 3) collard greens and pimiento cheese

Schnitz

Sweet Onion Schnitzel, served on fresh pretzel bread with panko, pickled radish, jicama, cilantro, beets and tzatziki

Lumpia Shack

Truffled Adobo Mushroom Lumpia (Filipino spring rolls)

Mile End Delicatessen

Smoked Meat Sandwich

Yesterday at the Borough Hall Farmers Market