Aww boo...but finally, Food Entry #6: Shachis & Arepas

Shachis - Williamsburg, Brooklyn (arepas!)

Unfortunately, I was not able to attend the Regina Spektor and Vienna Teng concerts this weekend. The failure with regard to the former stemmed from unexpected demand on National Record Store Day; seriously, 7AM line!!!...wtf, hipsters. The latter was because of the quotidian routine of the w-word. Oh well, i'll see those chanteuses again soon hopefully.

However, the weekend was not a total loss because Sherry and I did enjoy the glorious sun. We met up with my sis in Williamsburg after deciding to ditch the unthinkable line at Sound Fix Records and, upon my sister's recommendation, headed for "arepas" heaven or Shachi's. Also NYTimes approved, if that means anything to you. Now if only, I could find a Salvadorean pupusa restaurant.

The arepas at Shachis are the real deal: Mr. Rodriguez gently toasts these cornmeal cakes, giving the outsides a delicate, lacy crispness and warming the center through so they exude the comforting, familiar aroma of cooked cornmeal.

The pabellón arepa features the classic Venezuelan combination of braised and shredded beef, smoky black beans, caramelized sweet plantains and shredded queso blanco that brings it all together.

What you and the hipster cannot disagree with: Pabellon arepas, empanadas, arepitas, and mango juice, $10-15 (for the whole meal)

What to expect (post "paper of record" article): longer lines, to-go menus & speeddials, and a second location in Manhattan possibly?

Shachi's - NYTimes article

Food Entry #7: Jackson Diner in Jackson Heights

After that wonderful meal, we stumbled comatose but satisfied to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, where I got to use my corporate picnic blanket for about twenty minutes before a guard told me that I couldn't (another wtf?).

When the temperature dropped to a level where my button-up poplin shirt, cargo pants and sandals would not allow me to stay warm anymore, the gf and I figured it was time to go and thought about food again. Gluttons, I know, sue me. I recalled the Indian district up in Jackson Heights that I had always wanted to go to but never had the chance. It was a bit far up in Queens, but we said what the heck.

And boy, were we such idiots to think otherwise. Situated at the intersection of highways, subways and a bustling immigrant community, Jackson Heights is a cornucopia of authentic eats, especially Indian. Whereas select Americanized restaurants in commercial centers like Manhattan may elide over the subtleties of quality ethnic cooking in favor of more popular flavors, I felt that the dishes at Jackson Diner, where we ate, appealed to a more primal chef instinct. It's as if the Indian waiter, in lack of deference to his customer, chooses to say, "pick this, this, and this" and confidently presupposes that you will love every dish regardless of your food tasting history.

Sherry and I indulged in Murg Tikka Makhanwala (broiled chicken pieces simmered in curry finished in cream), Achari Mushroom (Marinated with ginger, garlic, pickle, and roasted in clay oven), not to mention the regular samosas, mango lassis, etc. We held off on the naan for no apparent reason.

Why to stop checking facebook or doing whatever nonproductive online task (except blogging) and head to Jackson Diner: aforementioned dishes, Indian cocktails, and there's this awesome-looking dish that looks like a long burrito. Also, bring a bunch of friends!

Jackson Diner Website

Vienna Teng - Gravity
Vienna Teng - Lullabye for a Stormy Night
Regina Spektor - Us
Regina Spektor - Samson