snackdown! - 7.25.11

happy monday everyone! it looks like the democrats & republicans down in d.c. haven't figured out what to do about the pesky debt ceiling. luckily, nfl owners & players have been able to get it together & agreed on a deal, meaning that there will be a football season come september. the only thing that could stop it now is if our elected officials can't reach an agreement about how to fix the debt issue & the economy goes spiraling into the ground, causing financial chaos that will result in the cancellation of the nfl season. that's right, americans. john boehner and/or harry reid want to take away your football.

it's been a week of chaos in the food world as well, with protests & recalls & insect addictions & life imitating art & a vegetarian lawsuit. are we going to hell in a handbasket? probably. will it be a tasty ride? probably. oh well...let's snackdown!

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les foodtrepreneurs #1: kumquat cupcakery.

people of the internet! let me introduce to you ms. natthelibrarian, the first in an exciting lineup of new writers who have heeded my call for eat!drink!snack! global domination. doff your cap or curtsey or some shit. it's the least you can do. also! let me introduce her new column, "les foodtrepreneurs," a column designed to provide you, the reader, with insight into different radical NYC food businesses & the folks behind them. anyway, i'm pretty psyched. you should be too.

i admit it. i like my snacks tiny. why tiny? then i can eat more of them!

i also like my snacks to be local and, if it's really my lucky day, to be independently produced by awesome people.

this brings me to kumquat cupcakery. two perfect bites. amazing flavor combinations. they're all baked in brooklyn in a kitchen on flatbush avenue by some very awesome ladies.

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only in ny #10: dumplings & things.

snack: spicy beef & kimchi dumplings
drink: thai iced tea

last year, i was pretty much the king of dumplings. after moving within walking distance of a chinese supermarket in february, i began eating them at every opportunity. it didn't take long before i learned how to make my own fresh dumplings at home & by year's end, given the number of times i'd snacked on them during the year, i had no choice but to declare dumplings my #7 snack of 2010. since then, i've sort of burnt out on them, but i still occasionally pay my old snacking buddy a visit.

this past weekend, i was out & about in park slope looking for something to munch on & decided to grab something at dumplings & things, a smallish restaurant with minimal seating that opened up in the space next to bar reis back in mid-may.

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sailing the seas of sauce.

(view on flickr)

last night i met up with a bunch of friends at montero's, a dive bar that's been around for decades & is the last business on atlantic ave before it finally comes to an end at the east river. friday night's usually karaoke night there but last night the person who generally runs karaoke was AWOL & the bartender had no clue as to whether or not somebody else was showing up to run karaoke. eventually, after a couple beers we left & went down the street to the roebling inn for a few more drinks because montero's was packed with people hoping to do karaoke but there was no karaoke & therefore, no real reason to be at montero's.

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flea at laff #12: dough/thirstea.

snack: passionfruit with cocoa nibs donut
drink: kumquat lemon bubble tea

if you've been following along at home, you'll remember that back round the beginning of may i visited the brooklyn flea & had myself a tasty snack-drink combo from brooklyn bangers. if you haven't read said post yet, please click through & enhance my web traffic, you lazy cheapskate. anywho, i started that particular post by mentioning how i was a regular champion when it comes to sleeping in. a few weeks back, i went for the gold & after a friday evening where i'd stupidly stayed up til 3am watching episodes of workaholics, the following day i slept in until just before 3pm. it was epic but unfortunately, it also meant that if i wanted to head out to the flea, i had to get my ass in gear & head up to ft greene quicklike before the flea closed at 5pm.

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