Food is fun!
We love food, if your reading this it is no secret that food has been one of life’s greatest indulgences. My first job was a bussing tables at the world famous Ben’s Best deli on Queens Blvd, here is a link to Bens Best still open after nearly sixty years. The greatest part of that job was the window to a bygone era, my grandparents youth by the eighty’s Deli’s were on the way out. Working there was a true Original career Deli Man, Howard his wife Beatrice worked with him as a waitress, an extremely sweet large Jewish couple Beatrice coddled me with food, Howard with stories about his youth they had warmth that felt like family. Comically straight out of central casting was Bob a waiter there who was probably sixty five plus, he surely had sleep apnea, he would fall out every time he sat for a break. With his gold jacket buttoned, climbing up over his expansive belly head doing touch and goes while Harold had a paper bag blown up tied and ready to pop, poor Bob always jumped out of his seat reaching for his trusty pad ready to take the next order.
I got that job only because of my taste for those Hebrew National dogs grilled and crunchy, ordered simply as “one with” meaning deli mustard and kraut. When it was busy, the counter man would yell to the block man. An order comes in, the counterman yells to the Block guy 2 pistols with (pastrami with mustard on rye) etc, fast communication causing the men to move quickly with efficiency so the maximum amount of customers can be served fast. Square Knishes, special cut fries bowls of pickles, sour half sour with sour tomatoes then the health salad. Even then I knew the health salad could not have been too healthy as they made it with a whole lot of sugar. Bens was a machine serving a loyal and large clientele. I to this day can make a living cutting Corned beef and Pastrami, and certainly would have fun doing it.
My love affair with food from my neighborhood in Queens did not just begin and end with Bens, they was Pizza at Adili’s this and crispy that you can fold in half and it would crack down the middle., or a Sicilian slice from Tony’s a super thick light and airy dough with lots of sauce and cheese. In between the Pizza places & Ben’s my young food addicted self found another indulgence at the Falafel king, Sol Levy’s family owned it, so maybe that is where my young palette had the nerve to try something so exotic at the time. This was falafel perfection each ball scooped and cooked when you ordered it hot and put in a soft pita with salad hummus and tahini. By the way all this food was under two bucks with a drink, try that now.
I can go through every period of my life no matter where I lived; there is a comfort food there that brought me pleasure. Of course there are things in life I enjoy way more than food, not too many but a few. So now at this stage of my life all hat pizza is gone, ironically my dear friend owns some of the best pizza places in South Florida. I do not wish this on anyone, lactose intolerance is one mean son of a b**ch, it is truly like you have been poisoned. So Pizza nope, a hot dog, come on how can we eat hot dogs, nitrates lips butts and other unmentionable parts. Falafel is on the grid, Mr. Levy where are you because for sure you’re not near me. I am trying to just tell myself hey, self indulgence it’s just food and it is. It doesn’t mean that I can’t complain, often and loudly
I will survive my kale shakes, gluten free dairy free pizza or whatever else may become my go to favorite, but it’s fun to reminisce.
On another note thank you so much for the responses it is so great that you have read this, I look forward to doing this for a long time, so they will improve over time. I will be adding links to some great websites, podcasts or whatever that might be interesting. If you have a site or a blog and would like to trade links please email me.
Scott VS Liver Cancer
