Year of ME

Today's my 35th Birthday! It seems fitting to post a reflective piece being another year older. Here goes... The day it released I received a copy of Shonda Rhimes’ Year of Yes. I don’t often read self-help(ish) type books. But hey the book came with the tickets of her appearance at the 92Y so why not?

Here’s the premise: One day Shonda Rhimes of all people has a metaphorical wake-up when she realizes she’s not happy. One of the most power women (of color) in television was not happy. She tended to hole herself up and not do things that scared her or took her out of her comfort zone. She was happiest when with her kids, in her jams/sweats, and/or writing. She was not someone who was into parties or public speaking, these things freaked her out easily.

So she decided to challenge herself for one year. She was prompted by a comment from her sister who essentially said she never said “yes” to anything instead going on to complain about all the invites to events, being super busy in her success, and so on and so forth. However, she didn’t indulge in the celebrity life people were asking her to be a part of. She really wasn’t living period. And then, voila she made a change and while it wasn’t immediately soothing over time she got over those hurdles and realized that once something that terrified her was over and done with she didn’t die. Life goes on.

I guess the desired effect occurred for me after reading that book in that I realized instead of a “Year of Yes” I needed a “Year of No.”

Last year was not an ideal year. It wasn’t a horrible one when accumulating everything that occurred from January to December mind you, though it wasn’t one of those “relief” stop-gap years I was hoping for after dealing with noisy neighbors then moving unexpectedly (I’d do so again in 2015 after doing so in 2014) to a new noisy neighbor and steadily trying to get out of debt after my divorce. While I ended 2014 with a completely revised draft of my Collection along with a promise that I’d focus on my YA I didn’t write much fiction at all. To be honest, I went most of the damn year without looking at either, which is unacceptable in my eyes. I wrote, I did I swear! But mainly essays, very few blog posts as you know, and did less freelance but still a sizable portion. But what I did most of all was give myself to volunteer work that required a lot of me. I participated in projects that fell through after I had spent many hours/months on them. I said “Yes” to way too much in the hope of helping the larger mission and movement. I ended up going from doing 70% of the MiP podcast to 100% which also added weight. I gave in to being humored and complimented on my ability to get things done and in saying “yes” continually believed I could handle it all when in fact I was not balancing anything because the writing went by the wayside in a large way.

Not writing hurts, it affects me on a core emotional level. The more I meet, get to know, ultimately befriend published writers or am in those communities I feel the fact that I am not a published writer. That my Collection is still being finalized and that my new YA project is still confusing as hell in certain areas even though I know what I want to do but am unsure of the journey to get there. I work on multiple things at a time and am never at a loss for ideas. Which is good. But again it’s a balancing act and in this particular instance I wasn’t balancing my work but work for others. I got upset, especially when time I set aside for my writing was impeded upon by others wanting to talk about those projects or discuss the larger issues of society or be concerned more about being nice than being upfront and as I allowed my time to be sucked away I began to tally, in my head, how much time I could’ve spent writing. Even if it was material I’d go on to throw out, I would’ve been producing something.

As I’ve said continuously: A movement is nothing without the people. If the people aren’t happy or fulfilled or dedicated to the work they do they will drop off and hate everything. Morale will be at an all-time low leading to the work being done half-assedly. I basically wanted to quit activism in its entirety last year because I felt like that was overshadowing my writing. That people would forget I was a writer or assume it was easy to “have it all.” That’s another thing Shonda touched upon. The belief that she “has it all” and she answered simply as well as realistically: She doesn’t have it all and she can’t do it all. When she’s writing various episodes for her shows she’s not at home with her kids. When she’s with her kids she’s not writing. When she’s traveling she’s not doing either of the two mentioned. So, those who kept telling me to find a balance to it all? Pfft the balance is understanding that you cannot do everything and something has to give way. So what will it be? In 2015 it was my writing. That’s when I thought “Nope, not again. This needs to stop.”

And so, in fall, I said “no.” I stated just as I had to my ex-husband before I asked him to move out “I am not happy.” In December I pulled back, from freelance work that had me up at all hours due to tight deadlines. I pulled back from some aspects of my activism and gave notice for this year of when I’d be done in other areas. I made a firm stance that I would write for at least one hour every day no matter what. Since January 2nd—I wrote for 35 minutes on a flight back home on January 1st—I have stuck to that even when I am tired, stuck, really not in the mood.

I talk to people as much about my activism as I do about my writing to remind them that I am, in fact, a writer. I took on a contributor job with Forbes.com, paid. (That's another thing, if anything is going to take time away from my writing I'm going to need to be paid for it, thank-you-very-much.) I’d say a polite ‘no’ to other freelance projects that had too tight deadlines. I would pull back from anyone and anything that came between me and my writing.

Like Shonda did in her Year of Yes I learned more about who supported me and who didn’t. (I also lost a friend in 2015 adding a kick in the butt of how fleeting and uncertain life can be.) You keep it in the back of your mind that you know now what some people are truly like while keeping them near or at arms-length. Some I confronted on it and broke away, others I simply removed myself from situations, some I still see with this newfound knowledge.

So yeah, in one of the few self-help(ish) books I’ve read I found many parallels as well as inspiration. Maybe if it had been anyone but Shonda Rhimes the commonalities wouldn’t have been as stark or maybe so. But if you’re having one of those years already, ‘cause 2016 has been a trip so far in some circles, then take a moment to zero in on what’s making you unhappy. Once identified exorcise that crap out like you’re the priest and it/they are Linda Blair possessed. It’s time to have a Year of Reflection, a Year of Inner Piece, a Year just for You.

Fave Reads of 2015

I'm going to preface this post with the fact that I had written this back in December to go live first week of January and it was gone. Thanks a lot WP. Anywho, I redid it and here goes. Gotta keep with tradition.

I think last year was stronger for books than previous years for me. I’ve been trying to spread out more in terms of reading more nonfiction and poetry, not just a handful but a significant amount to combat the amount of fiction I read. One can dare to dream for a job where this is your soul day-to-day. Alas, perhaps that is in my near future.

So here’s a breakdown of the books that totally tugged at my heart strings after I placed it back on my bookshelf.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz (2012): This was a “hype book.” You know what I mean. Every year there are books I’ve read because of the hype, mainly word of mouth. And this was one of them. No matter who I spoke to about this book they loved it. End of the year I was brought down by a cold and happened to get a copy while visiting one of my favorite indies before it closed. So, I guess I should say “Thanks germs for sidelining me for several days” because I got to read Aristotle & Dante in one swoop. It was glorious and as lyrical, beautiful, romantic as everyone told me. The strength and loyalty of Ari and Dante’s relationship was one I envied in a way. The hype is real with this book, people!

The Turner House by Angela Flournoy (2015): I had heard about this book and this author before the year began so it was on my radar. When I was part of a reading with Angela I made a point to get a copy signed. And when I did my makeshift residency in October this was the book I sat with that gave me inspiration as I re-engaged with my own collection about an African American family. The control and focus of this novel and the intricacy of how each character is painted is a great lesson in novel writing and debuts. Turner House received many accolades last year, deservedly so.

Digest by Greg Pardlo (2014): This was a Pulitzer winner for poetry in 2015. I heard Greg read a few of his poems at a bookend event for Brooklyn Book Festival then went on to buy it on the spot. It’s political, personal, dynamic. Definitely deserved the Pulitzer. If you have a chance to hear Greg read it in person do so.

Endangered by Lamar Giles (2015): I read both of Lamar’s books this year. What I enjoy most about Lamar’s work is the narrative voice. He knows his characters and they have some attitude, rightfully so. In Endangered Panda seeks to get revenge on those who’ve hurt the less fortunate in her high school, but does that make her a Robin Hood of sorts or just as much of a bully as those she goes after?

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander (2009): I wish I’d read this book when it first came out. I wish many people would read this book in general. It’s depressing as hell to know the statistics, yet it’s one of those truths you should know as an American citizen. Biases are real as is the fact that racism is alive and well in this country. When reading Jim Crow take a moment to breathe deep, sit with the facts and narratives that Alexander presents, and consider the deeper issues of society and how you can help make a change.

The Real Boy by Anne Ursu (2013): A longlist for the National Book Award in 2014, this was another book I’d heard raved about for the realistic depictions of an autistic protagonist, not as someone who needed to be fixed but who was a hero. It was refreshing and the slight twist and horrors kept me flipping each page. Anne Ursu was very careful and determined in the story she wanted to write. I and many others see she did so successfully.

Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina (2013): Another “hype book”! This one I connected with especially because it took place in Queens, NY. In parts of Jamaica I am quite familiar with thanks very much. What struck me about Piddy’s journey was it wasn’t about fighting a bully but finding yourself and how the changes going on around her would dictate the decisions she went on to make in a new school without the friends she’d grown up with. Piddy has to get comfortable with herself and sometimes the way you fight battles isn’t with your fists.

The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl by Issa Rae (2015): I adored the Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl web series and truly wish it’d make a comeback. Alas, I must settle for a humorous memoir-type book. So be it. Issa’s voice translates to the written page, not just the TV script, and some of the best parts are her break down of the types of people one deals with, in particular the co-workers. I shared that with my own because it was too true to life.

Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple (2012): This was one of my first reads of 2015 and didn’t disappoint! I’d had it on my shelf for a while and sped through it thanks to the structure of the story told through text messages, emails, faxes, flashbacks, and so on in the search for Bernadette’s corporeal form and also the artist she’d left behind.

Native Guard: Poems by Natasha Tretheway (2006): Powerful about sums it up. This is another Pulitzer winner from years back. Natasha touches upon history in this account of how American society was built on the backs of so many others. This is one to savor if you really want to take in the light and dark of our history, Black history, African history, slave history.

Ghost Summer: Stories by Tananarive Due (2015): I was honored to interview Tananarive as the anniversary guest on my podcast. I received a copy of her book to read beforehand much to my delight. Ghost Stories isn’t just speculative/fantasy. It’s a lot of amazing personal, literary, transition stories with speculative elements. I think that’s Tananarive’s power in her prose is always touching on the human spirit and mind when moments that seem unreal come to play.

Additional highlights were Reality Boy by A.S. King, Blue Talk & Love by Mecca Jamilah Sullivan, The Art of the Memoir by Mary Karr, and The Martian by Andy Weir.

NYC Doughnut Crawl (Manhattan Ed.) #GoNuts4Donuts

Hot dang! Another crawl happened the weekend before Thanksgiving. I knew I could squeeze one in as there had been much interest. The weather remained chill and steady. The skies were gray all day. It was somewhat perfect for warm libation and carbo-loading. Plus, Sundays feel made for doughnuts so taking a full day to enjoy them was simply common sense. There were several places on the agenda and on a nicer day or with more will power I feel we could've done more. But seven stops in total seems pretty badass to me in hindsight.

Grace Street

I am saddened to report that we did not partake in Korean style doughnuts aka hodduk. While Grace Street cafe opens at 11am on Sunday they do not in fact serve their doughnuts until 1pm that day. They do have pre-purchased pastries but who wants that when you know they have made-on-site donuts with cinnamon?! Alas, while doughnuts were not had at the first stop on the Doughnut Crawl. It provided us a meeting spot and moment to warm up/caffeine it up with coffee or tea and walk over to....

Sullivan Bakery (Chelsea)

While I had called Sullivan earlier in the week to see if they would have their bombolinis all day I called again from Grace Street to make extra sure. We got that last three of a batch and saw more deliciousness come out as we split a jelly filled bombolini and vanilla and chocolate creme filled bombolinis.

Bombolinis are basically doughnuts the "Italian way" which is round, yeasty, covered in sugar (powdered or granulated depending on where you go), and filled with something gooey. Levain Bakery and others also make bombolinis in the city but Sullivan's are smaller in comparison to Levain's. And pricey at $3.75. They were none-too-sweet but I had the jelly which had a lot of jelly in it. It was hemorrhaging raspberry jelly folks. Would I get these again? Yeah, as a treat. But still for the size that price tag irks me when I get get somethng twice as big at Levain for twenty to fifty cents more.

Doughnuttery

For any sweets crawl you have to factor in time and a need for savory. While some can indulge in sweets for many hours many can't. And since several people on this crawl were newbies to the food crawl we had to break. Which is just a good idea in general. After walking from the Herald Square starting point Chelsea Market (even on a weekend) was a good spot to hit because of the array of food, shopping, and an opportunity to use el bano. Though the seating has been all but eradicated in their food court area leaving lots of room for standing but not so much sitting.

I've seen Doughnuttery at several pop-ups in the city particularly Madison Square Eats and considered it but didn't go through with it. So, it was time. Doughnuttery's fame is mini deep fried doughnuts on site with glaze or a variety of sugar toppings. There's only one type of doughnut which is where the array of sugars come in. We tried Paris Time which was a lavendar sugar, glaze, strawberry sugar, and apple cider sugar. I have to say the sugar is overwhelming. They put a heaping lot on it and it can overpower the doughnut itself. So the glaze may be your best bet in this case because it adds a slight sweetness to it and a good balance. Also, with Doughnuttery doughnuts you have to have them warm/hot. All impact of flavor is lost if they get cold so that means they may not hold us as well next day. We even saw a woman named Katherine purchase $20 worth of Doughnuttery doughnuts and leave them there! Blasphemy! Even when we returned from eating savory goods the doughnuts remained! And by that time it'd been 40 minutes so they were cold and lonely doughnuts. Sadness.

Doughnut Plant (Chelsea)

An NYC Doughnut crawl would not be complete without Doughnut Plant, which as it turns out celebrated 20 years in NYC in 2014! All seven of us were able to sit down and get an add-on to the group and really mangia. Since Doughnut Plant's doughnuts come in various sizes and densities it is a commitment, especially after having a couple doughnuts already. So people went from minis or half of smaller doughnuts to full size this time around.

Go big or go home y'all! 

As my buddy Daisy noted there's an inconsistency of texture for Doughnut Plant's yeast dougnuts. I like how light they can be and am a fan of indulging in the doughseeds because of their smaller size and the mastery with which DP does the creams of never being too sweet on a doughseed when the icing on top usually seals that deal. I had the pumpkin pie doughseed and it did indeed taste like a delicious pumpkin pie. Loved it.

Dough

Thankfully, Dough is now also in Manhattan in the Flatiron district. It made it a lot easier to do a Manhattan edition since so many people seem fond of Dough or curious if they're unable to try it in Brooklyn. The Manhattan location is a lot more welcoming for parties to stay yet pretty small and readily packed with families at brunch hour in the city.

All the faves are at this Dough location and seem to be made on site. Like Doughnuttery Dough is really a one trick pony which relies on the toppings. You can get hibiscus glaze, coconut glaze with toasted coconut flakes, pumpkin glaze, salted chocolate glaze, and (my fave) cinnamon sugar. But it's all the same yeast doughnut that has a more bread-like consistency to it than the fluffiness of the Doughnut Plant yeast doughnuts. Dough also has doughnut holes but nothing with filling. Huge doughnuts for a solid price.

The Donut Pub

By now we lost a couple of people due to an impending sugar-induced coma. The remainder of us walked to Donut Pub, an old-school haunt in the Village with an interior that will remind you of Happy Days. Everyone else was tapped out on doughnuts but I persevered, y'all. I got their version of the Cronut (a croissant and doughnut mix) with maple glaze. It was delicious. Was it like a Cronut? No, nothing can really match the perfection that Ansel has created there. But was it soft? Yes. Was the glaze good? Yes it was the right balance of maple and sugar. It even had the layers of what a croissant/doughnut mix would look like and held it's texture until the next day when I finished it. For the ambiance and variety of cake and yeast doughnuts they had available I would return especially in lieu of something like Dunkin' Donuts. Which is also blasphemous to speak of during a Doughnut crawl.

Dominique Ansel Kitchen (The Village)

Daisy suggested that the new Ansel location may have doughnuts. So she, Beth, and I were the remaining crew that indulged in more carbs. While doughnuts were not available--this location does not serve the Cronut--they did have match beignets which are doughnut-like. We went for it.

Beignets are made to order and we ate them outside--inside is way too claustrophobic when full--and had them piping hot. Sadly these were not the best. Mainly because the beignet itself was flavorless, warm and soft, but flavorless, and matcha/green tea is super bitter and did not have any sugar that I could detect in it. It definitely needed that balance to make it enjoyable. Plus the powder goes everywhere as you attempt to eat it making this something not to eat when wearing clothing you are fond of or that is white in color.

Side note: The spiced apple cider at DA is phenomenal! As is the brown sugar Kouign Amann.

And that's it! Could we have done more? Potentially? Could I have done more? Most definitely. I ate my leftover doughnuts with pride the next morning.

What were the faves? Dough was a resounding favorite from many and people also did like DP. But it seemed Dough was the winner for what was eaten. I liked everything I had (except the beignets but I do like beignets and Ansel in general). I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Doughnuttery because of the warmth of the doughnuts and that they weren't dripping with oil when I bit into them right out the fryer. I've also had Peter Pan Doughnuts (in Brooklyn) and think they have a good thing going though they remind me of Dough in many ways in terms of their texture, size, and options of yeast doughnuts with toppings mainly.

Some other places I would like to hit up include Underwest Doughnuts in Hell's Kitchen and Erin McKenna's in LES. And, yes, I'll be going to Grace Street when doughnuts are available. Some of us were thinking of a Koreatown crawl come spring. So yeah, more crawls are percolating in my mind and I still have two more to review that took place in summer/early fall (Sunset Taco Crawl and Bay Ridge Food Crawl respectively). And since we're nearing December it's also time for some wrap-up posts! Which means more judgment of food and various eateries from a name you can trust. Good times, y'all!

MiP Podcast + HiFi Reading Series Event Nov. 4th in NYC!

I am increasingly stoked about this reading happening tomorrow at HiFi Bar in the East Village! The Minorities in Publishing podcast was asked to curate the November reading for the HiFi Reading Series created by fellow writers & publishing professionals Lena Valencia & Ryan Britt. And I am honored not only to have been asked but to present these 4 generous, talented, and active artists in the industry.

Stop by for a drink, some smooth readings, and of course--because I'm me after all--cupcakes from Molly's Cupcakes! Reading starts at 8:15pm but get there early for seats!

Copies of Daniel José Older's critically-acclaimed fantasy Shadowshaper (Scholastic, 2015) will be available for sale thanks to PowerHouse Books and Daniel will happily sign copies.

Daniel José Older  is the author of the acclaimed YA fantasy Shadowshaper with Scholastic Inc., a finalist for the 2015 Kirkus Prize and recently named by Publisher's Weekly as one of the Best Fantasy Books of 2015. He is also the author of the Bone Street Rumba urban fantasy series that began this year with Half-Resurrection Blues from Penguin’s Roc imprint. The next book in the series is Midnight Taxi Tango releasing in January 2016.Publishers Weekly hailed him as a “rising star of the genre” after the publication of his debut ghost noir collection, Salsa Nocturna. He co-edited the anthology Long Hidden: Speculative Fiction from the Margins of History and guest edited the music issue of Crossed Genres. Daniel’s work has appeared on Buzzfeed, The Guardian, and Huffington Post, among other publications.

Glendaliz Camacho is a Pushcart Prize nominee, 2015 Write A House Finalist, and currently a recipient of a Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Workspace residency. She has been an artist in residence at Jentel, Caldera, Kimmel Harding Nelson, and Hedgebrook. Glendaliz is a proud VONA Voices alum. Her work appears in The Female Complaint (Shade Mountain Press), Soulmate 101 and Other Essays on Love and Sex (Full Grown People) and All About Skin: Short Fiction by Women of Color (University of Wisconsin Press), as well as The Butter, Saraba Magazine, and Kweli Journal, among others. She is currently working on a short story collection and novel.

Courtney Gillette is an essayist and reviewer, reviewing books for Lambda Literary since 2010. She co-hosts The Hustle reading series, helps behind the scenes at BinderCon, and has served as a judge for the Lambda Literary Awards. In 2013, her work was chosen by A.M. Homes for The Masters Review, and nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She lives in Brooklyn with one bookseller and three cats.

Ennis Smith is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio. His work has been published inCreative Nonfiction Magazine, Ganymede, Mr. Beller’s Neighborhood, and the nonfiction anthology Lost and Found: Stories from New York (W.W. Norton). Other credits include Boys in the City (Bruno Gmunder Verlag GmbH), In Our Own Write, and dance and theater criticism in Attitude: The Dancer’s Magazine. He is a graduate of The New School’s graduate creative writing program.

Chicken Wing Crawl in the BK. #WingingitBK

I’m sure you’re thinking, “Oh so now you want to post about food crawls and stuff?!”“After the fact you wanna tell me how awesome tacos and wings and Bay Ridge were?”

Well yes, internet, I do. Plus, I have pictures! I have chastised myself enough in my own mind for my lack of posts. Life has been busy! I have moved! I got carpeting! I do a podcast! Do you listen to said podcast by the way? It’s quite insightful. And I’ve been Instagramming the pictures of these events like a mad woman, or really a woman with an unlimited data plan on her smartphone. So there!

But yes, I have been quite delinquent in my posting. And I owe you a few food crawl posts and more regularity in general. Also, I plan on having a doughnut crawl in the next month or so, so yeah I need to catch up on food posts!

Where to start? At the beginning! So the first crawl of the year was in May, yes I know its October, but these places still exist! So you should eat there. Now can we stop with the guilt trip and get to the eats? Yes? Okay then.

Ahem, #WingingItBk took place on a surprisingly humid day in mid-May. Jackie Gordon and Margaret Chen organized this crawl that started in Prospect Heights and I honestly forget where we ended up. The last stop was near water. So that was far; we ended up far from where we started.

First stop was Pizza Loves Emily which was honestly my favorite and we could have potentially not gone anywhere else and I may have been a happy lady. But I was in for the long haul. Seven hours of walking for wings, people! That’s not insanity, that’s dedication.

The Nguyen wings were Asian-inspired perfection! They only serve these wings during happy hour so Jackie & Margaret worked their fantastic foodie magic to get us these wings midday. The sauce is secret but there was garlic and soy and sesame and just….yes so much goodness! It almost makes me want to move to Brooklyn. Almost.

Not on the agenda but nearby we stopped at Chuko Ramen, a place more known for their ramen but also makes of some salt & pepper wings. These were solid wings that reminded me of the kind you get at your divey Chinese takeout food spot. Nothing mind altering but solid and standard wings. A good way to test the barometer of the fry job on the chicken itself.

Semi-full of wings we walked to The Islands. As it turns out The Islands was not serving jerk wings as we had hoped. So we got oxtail, chicken thighs, and rice & peas. We ate these on the front step of the Brooklyn Museum. And I have to say I was all in on the oxtail. Tender and juicy and perfect. Extremely good stuff. And also good to eat with your hands along with a bunch of (food) crawlers on a hot day. Just sayin’.

So the walk between the previous and the next place took us past the museum and the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, past the main branch of the Brooklyn Public Library and that’s when I started to get excited because I knew this meant we were near Runner & Stone and damn right I was gonna make a stop to get me an almond croissant on a Sunday.

Anywho, next up was Talde. And thankfully we got there just in time to get in an order before their kitchen closed. The bartender was super kind to take our orders with five minutes to go and also take drink orders, which we all made sure to do and give her a nice tip. The Talde's wings are called Kung Pao wings. They actually weren’t that spicy. And I’m a wuss when it comes to spice. These had a good tang to them and looked even nicer. But still, my heart belonged to the Nguyen wings we’d tried first. I do love me some Asian flavors.

Taldes was where some dropped off and some came onto the crawl. We laid back a bit as the humidity started to get to us and enjoyed some libation before a short walk to the next two places. We decided to skip Dinosaur BBQ’s because, in all honesty, it wasn’t gonna be that grand. Off to….

Bonnie’s Grill for their traditional buffalo wings. Now, I am not a buffalo wing person. However, if you are a buffalo wing person than I would suggest Bonnie’s where you can get them in three forms from mild to extremely hot. We got mild for the crowd and it was fine. Again, not my thing but definitely worth a try.

Literally a couple blocks away from Bonnie’s is Pork Slope your more bar type place. Based on the establishment’s name alone you can imagine that wings are not the specialty but we’d heard good things! So we got the buffalo and also a tangy teriyaki version. I went with the teriyaki which was a bit salty for my taste. Keep in mind I tend to eat low sodium so this ratcheted my salt intake up quite a bit. What I will say is that the space is great for groups, the service solid, and happy hour pricing good if you like stuff on tap be it beer or cider.

After that some more people started to drop off, one by one but we got to Wangs which does Korean-style wings in two forms (spicy and not spicy). These gave the Nguyen wings a run for their money as far as I was concerned. Again, those Asian flavors I’m telling you! Can’t be ‘em. These were perfectly crisp and seasoned and not that salty so you got the sesame and hints of soy with flakes of toasted garlic sprinkled atop. So good. I need to make another detour there.

Speaking of detours this was when me and Kian made one to hit up Runner & Stone for carbs! Once our respective brioche and almond croissant were acquired we met up with the gang at Ganso’s (Yaki) for more wings. Ganso’s is another Asian eatery. I got the crab shumai which was a very big mistake as it turned out. The wings were better but not all that memorable to be honest in terms of spice and flavor. Not bad but nothing that stuck out to me.

After Ganso’s I’d say our ragtag group was now a little less than half of what we started and we had a trek in front of us to Pok Pok NY. But on the way we stopped at Blue Marble and also Paul, Jackie’s boyfriend, was nice enough to treat us to One Girl Cookies. This was a fantastic route as far as I was concerned.

Pok Pok was a wait. The longest wait of all the eateries. And space was limited inside so we got to go and ate our last bits on the street like champions! Once again the options were hot and not hot. I wussed out again and had some salty a** wings that were good, but not worth the hype I felt Pok Pok had accrued. Of course, this could be because it was humid out and I’d been walking around Brooklyn for several hours and was full of wings and ice cream and the hostess at Pok Pok was rude. Who knows? Things start to blur at the end of a 7-hour food crawl.

But the point at hand is we made it! And it was delicious! And I’d do it again!

Jackie provided notes on how to have a successful food crawl which I will include here. So yes, this is one of several food crawl posts to come. So maybe don’t read these when you’re hungry. Or do if you want to get inspired on where to eat!