We would prefer to believe that the stuff in our lives is magically transported to store shelves. Or perhaps a more romantic vision would be delivery via a Santa-like character directly to our homes. But the reality is that every consumer good, whether it be food, clothing, or lumber, makes all or some of its journey to us by truck. Yet this fact seems to be ignored or, at best, seen as a necessary evil. The vital role trucking provides still has done nothing to enamor them. They are seen as a blight, cursed on highways and city streets as noisy, dirty, the cause of congestion, and an impediment to our travel. Drivers are seen as an integral part of these evil boxes on wheels, so the image of the truck driver is no better.

How to repair the image of the truck? Convert it into a dessert or ice cream delivery vehicle. We now have the Dessert Truck, the Treat Truck, Wafels and Dinges, and Van Leeuwen Ice Cream running around town.

I love the convenience of street food vendors. The problem is that there are few quality operations out there; I keep a sharp eye out for them, but the good ones are scarce as hen’s teeth and are no secret. Discovery is rapid, and long lines become the rule. I wrote of NY Dosas in 2007. Lines at his food cart can be enormous. The same applies to Calexico in SoHo. And Speedy Gonzalez has disappeared.

Now we have trucks bringing us confections. I recently wrote of the Dessert Truck, run by a gourmet chef whose vision was to bring desserts to the streets which are of the quality found in the finest French restaurants. And he has succeeded.

Brothers Pete and Ben Van Leeuwen now bring Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream to the streets of the Village, SoHo, and the Upper West Side in redesigned ice cream trucks. They meticulously craft their ice cream, sourcing ingredients from around the planet to produce their 10 flavors. Pistachio nuts from Mt. Etna, Michel Cluizel chocolate from France, and vanilla beans from Tahitian vanilla orchids grown in Papua New Guinea. Everything about this business shows attention to details – business cards, colors, graphics, and product. They also share an environmental commitment and use disposable goods from renewable sources.

Now, what was it I didn’t like about trucks? 🙂

Welcome to Fu Kee Chinese Restaurant at 128 Lafayette Street. When it comes to Japanese or Chinese food, nearly everyone appears to be an authority in this city. We forever hear the popular refrain “I know a great place for Chinese,” or perhaps, “I know where to get the best sushi.”

So, given that many of you have heard these types of assertions ad nauseam, I will make no grandiose claims about this place, only that it was recommended by a Chinese woman who knows Chinese food, has eaten in many other Chinatown restaurants, and that this is her favorite. She assured me that this place had all the earmarks of an authentic noodle house – the large tacky, framed, illuminated nature photo, outdated photos of obscure celebrities, and, of course, good food.

Like most of Chinatown and its denizens, this place is quite utilitarian. No doting on patrons, snobbery, or false pretenses here. Sodas are served à la can, and if it is busy, you may find yourself sharing a large table with strangers.

They understand the hallmarks of a good business, stripped of any frills. A good meal for a very competitive price – you can’t beat Chinatown for pricing or value. So here’s to hallmarks and earmarks…

Now there are people who do not like pastries at all. I have met them. But you won’t find them in line here at 342 East 11th Street, home of Veniero’s Pasticceria & Caffé.
I won’t claim that desserts at Veniero’s are the ne plus ultra of the pastry world, but they are excellent and well-respected. Veniero’s is a New York City institution, started in 1894 by Antonio Veniero and kept as a family-run business ever since. You can read more about them here. The bulk of the business is takeout and suppliers to restaurants around the city. You can also eat in their café from their extensive menu.

There are certain rites of passage which I believe every city dweller should go through to be a bona fide New Yorker. After all, imagine being at a social gathering where discussion turns to a discussion of favorite cheesecakes – Junior’s or Eileen’s – and the embarrassment when you have to admit that you have never been to either. Be prepared for the conversational snub and relegation to social Siberia.

Of course, a rite of passage is not always pleasant, just de rigueur for initiation (or should I say di rigore?). They come in many forms: hazing, breeching, scarfication, baptism, Bar Mitzvah, the aboriginal walkabout, Masonic rituals, and the debutante ball. But here at Veniero’s, your compulsory initiation rite will include requisites like biscotti, miniature pastries, a myriad of cookies, cannoli, tiramisu, sfogliatelle, and my personal favorite: strawberry millefoligie. That’s not such a painful, bad rite of passage, is it?

I really have very little love of classic New York City-style pizza – especially the cookie cutter, formulaic, boring stuff. I have images of harried New Yorkers running down the street with a slice folded lengthwise, excessive cheese and oil dripping off. This is one New York “tradition” which I can easily live without. I have also found that many legendary pizza parlors are highly overrated, yet many experience crowds and lines.

I personally much prefer a more “gourmet” style pizza. And you can find that at Two Boots. I love their pizza with its unique cornmeal crust. They have created a number of topping configurations with names like Mel Cooley, Tony Clifton, Newman, the Bird, and the Earth Mother.

The business, named for the shapes of Italy and Louisiana, was started as Two Boots Restaurant in 1987 at 37 Avenue A in the East Village. Original partners Dorish Kornish and Phil Hartman teamed up with local developer John Touhey to create a restaurant featuring Cajun-Italian cooking. In 1989, they opened Two Boots To Go – pizza by the slice and delivery. They currently have 7 locations in NYC, one in Bridgeport, and one in Los Angeles. Of course, there are many quality, more traditional pizza parlors in the city, but if you want a break from tradition, start your adventure at Two Boots…

I love small and/or skinny places., and not just aesthetically. Their very nature leads one to imagine that perhaps this place has been missed by others and is off the beaten path. Or perhaps the place is unusual in other ways – after all, a mainstream business would not typically rent a space only seven feet wide. And the architectural history of tiny or narrow buildings is always fascinating, like 75 1/2 Bedford St. in the West Village, which is only 9 1/2 feet wide, considered the narrowest house in NYC, and occupied in the 1920s by Edna St Vincent Millay. There is a remarkable, very unique, tiny triangular building that houses the restaurant Bite. And I love the beautiful tiny building that houses Vilebrequin.

Lassi is an Indian restaurant at 28 Greenwich Avenue. This tiny, narrow space is where Heather Carlucci-Rodriguez plies her craft. She was a former pastry chef at L’Impero, Veritas, and Judson Grill, each receiving 3 stars from The New York Times, as well as working for a consultant for France’s Michel Cluizel Chocolat and Domori Chocolate in Bologna, Italy. She has a culinary education from the Restaurant School in Philadelphia and also in France. An unusual pedigree for a restaurant specializing in northern Indian cuisine.

Lassi is essentially a take-out operation, but there are stools for those who want to eat in. The location was previously an equally interesting restaurant – Thali, a vegetarian restaurant serving only one prix fixe dinner selection per night. Lassi’s menu includes a variety of curries, parathas, and lassis. You can read about them at their website and see the menu here. Just watch yourself if you like skinny 🙂

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