[Andy Bentley continues his issue by issue look at the New Gods. I know the last one went up yesterday, but I want to put these up two a week, and I put something else up Monday. We will return to the regular Monday/Wednesday schedule with these next week. I make a brief comment at the bottom.]
“Funky Flashman”
All great collaborations must come to an end. John Lennon and Paul McCartney called it quits right about the same time Stan Lee and Jack Kirby did and neither of these duos could avoid some bad blood in the aftermath. Lennon and Kirby were by many accounts... feistier than McCartney and Lee and they each took a creative jab at their former partners. Lennon had “How Do You Sleep” and Kirby had Mr. Miracle encounter... the Funky Flashman.
Although Mark Evanier, former Kirby collaborator and current Kirby historian, claims that the character began as a parody of a Marvelmania boss he and Steve Sherman worked under, the final version of Flashman is “Stan the Man” through and through. And it isn’t flattering. Funky Flashman is practically drowning in the seven deadly sins throughout his first appearance. The most vicious moment of character assassination is in the opening prologue where Flashman is impatiently waiting for his monthly stipend from a departed acquaintance. Flashman is living for free in a house granted to him from the same acquaintance, yet he’s let the house fall into a state of dilapidation. At the designated time, the mouth of a blocky, Kirby-drawn statue opens and Flashman sticks his hand into the mouth to pull out his hardly earned cash. As you can tell, we’re beyond subtle at this point.
Funky Flashman's stipend has been waning, so he plans to cash in on the talents of Mister Miracle. Donning a wig and a beard, he meets with Mr. Miracle to interview for the position of his tour manager. Miracle accepts, despite the objections of Big Barda and Oberon to Flashman's demeanor and tactics. The next day, Mr. Miracle performs several of his escape acts much to the delight of Flashman. Flashman asks for Miracle's secret and he reveals the mother box he keeps on his shoulder. From around the corner, the two men see Big Barda and Lashina engaged in a struggle. Lashina is a member of a Apokolips battle troop known as the female furies; one that Barda used to command. Miracle jumps in to help Barda but Lashina vanishes with the power of her phasing circuits. The two realize the female furies have been tracking their whereabouts through the mother box signal. During the skirmish, Flashman decided to leave with the mother box in hand. He takes it back to his residence but cannot make heads or tales of it. He discards the box and decides the grift of Mr. Miracle is too risky. Mother box begins to let out an "eeeeee" sounds which summons all the female furies of Apokolips. Funky cowardly tosses his assistant at the attackers and jumps out the window. His inherited house explodes behind him and Funky Flashman walks off to live another day.
I’ve left out many other highlights from the Flashman (including listening to the sounds of his own voice on a victrola to relax himself) because I think the message is clear: Kirby had issues with Stan. I’m not gonna weigh in on who created what or who’s in right or wrong. Details were sketchy 40 years ago, I doubt they’ve gotten any clearer. My sympathies lean towards Kirby because I’ve never been a fan of the boastful hype machines even if it’s done tongue in cheek. When Joe Quesada and Bill Jemas adopted the “big top Stan Lee” attitude for Marvel PR in the early ’00’s, it took all my willpower not to become an evil internet troll. But I digress. I believe Kirby and Lee did ultimately bury the hatchet to some degree before Kirby’s passing in 1996. Yet this issue remains an interesting moment in comic book history.
Final Musings
-The Female Furies: I was quite familiar with this trio from their several appearances in the DC animated series. When they appeared in first in the Superman Animated Series, I thought they were quite goofy in appearance. Now knowing their origins, they have become acceptable. This is a topic I’d like to cover in detail sometime down the road. Kirby did an interesting reveal of Mad Harriet, the first Fury to attack Barda. Barda can see her attacker yet we can only see the flailing arms of her assailant. The final panel of the page reveals Mad Harriet’s face which exudes madness. Her design is the strongest of the three.
-Big Barda: Continues to be Big. She’s often crouching to fit in panels. She takes a bath for a full page which seems a bit gratuitous. That’s cause it is. Evanier suggested it to Kirby merely cause he wanted to see Barda take a bath.
-Miracle’s motivation: At the conclusion of this issue, Miracle realizes that he can no longer hide from Granny and his former captors. Couple this with the ramping backstory of his escape as a youth and it would appear we’re reaching the climax I’ve been hoping for.
[Notice that when Kirby "failed" to get New Gods to work at DC, Marvel had Starlin show them how it SHOULD have been done at Marvel in the pages of Warlock, which itself hilariously ALSO made fun of editorial staff and witers at Marvel (including Stan Lee, I think). Seven Soldiers also had less specific "editors" like the Time Taylor be the villains -- something about cosmic comics seems to demand making fun of the establishment.]
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Jack Kirby's New Gods: Jimmy Olsen #144
[Andy Bentley continues his issue by issue look at Jack Kirby's New Gods.]
“A Big Thing In A Deep Scottish Lake!”
I’ve come to terms with the Jimmy Olsen title. Although I dislike the term “It is what it is”, it seems the appropriate here. So I will concentrate on the merits of the material presented. And away we go....
Once again, Jimmy Olsen and Superman have been placed in separate ‘A’ and ‘B” stories and an urban or cultural legend is involved. This time it is the infamous Loch Ness Monster who has reportedly destroyed a passenger vehicle in Scotland which has captured the attention of one Morgan Edge. Edge deftly denies all accusations Jimmy and the Newsies throw at him and then redirects them to Scotland to debunk the Loch Ness story. This plan isn’t cheap as the boys travel on a sleek looking jet and descend from the sky in the Wiz Wagon. They’re greeted by an elderly gentleman by the name of Felix MacFinney who after a meal and a good night’s sleep captains them to the lake. Flippa Dippa (who’s been in a state of perpetual bliss ever since water was mentioned) dives in for reconnaissance and is grabbed by another diver hidden in the darkness of the water. The boys get suspicious with no response from their diver and turn around to find MacFinney has pulled a gun on them. As the newly revealed Intergang member is about to pull the trigger, Scrapper’s tiny clone (from the Life Project) activates a sonar whistle which causes the monster to rise to the surface and overthrow the boat. Jimmy and the Newsies regroup at the lake’s shore where Flippa Dippa has been waiting for them. Ginny, MacFinney’s daughter, was the diver that saved Flippa and as the issue closes, she’s ready to give the boys some answers.
The Jimmy sequence feels very much like a Scooby Doo episode due in part to Kirby’s artistic choices. Gone are the dynamic muscled poses of Kirby’s superhero work. Our characters are now in simplistic cartoon poses, with the contorting facial expressions of MacFinney and the comical faces of the Newsies. In fact, I could imagine a Warner Bros. type cartoon soundtrack while reading the issue.
Superman anchors the ‘B’ story this time, as does the new Guardian. The two have accepted a invitation to a discotheque in Suicide Slum. The fact that Superman calls the club a discotheque is an indication that this is again “out of touch, establishment” Superman. The club is called the Cosmic Carousel, a name which sends Kirby almost into self parody. Terry Dean, Edge’s secretary, is in attendance and the familiar face helps Superman’s obvious discomfort. The panel of Superman and the guardian sitting at a nightclub is one to study. Superheroes doing pedestrian acts in costume is rare because it demonstrates how odd they’d be in real life. The entertainment consist of some hippie looking kids with odd instruments that resemble the ones used at the Life Project. Dubbliex, directly from the Life Project, is also in attendance and gives Superman the call to action he was desperately hoping for. The two discover a long tunnel under the club which the band doesn’t seem to want them to investigate. They hit a note in unison to summon Barriboy who uses his instrument to cause the ceiling to collapse. The conclusion is to be revealed next issue.
Final Musings
-I’m gonna guess that the monster in Scotland is somehow related to Superman’s debacle at the club with the Life Project being the common denominator. The band at the Cosmic Carousel had a lotta inside knowledge. Darkseid? Cloned Guardian?
-Flippa dippa and Scapper continue to vie for the title of my least favorite character. Flippa dippa won out this issue with the “ghetto gupppie” line.
- The silver haired temptress is a reoccurring character in comics. We have Ginny here in Jimmy Olsen. There is also Silver Sable at Marvel and Silver St. Cloud in the Engleheart penned Batman of the 1970’s
-Suicide Slum is another 40’s DC Kirby creation. It’s basically the bad side of town. Originally set in NYC, it has stayed part of Metropolis since the Fourth World saga.
- If I’m Morgan Edge, I’m just putting a bomb in the plane traveling to Scotland. Case closed, all hail Darkseid.
“A Big Thing In A Deep Scottish Lake!”
I’ve come to terms with the Jimmy Olsen title. Although I dislike the term “It is what it is”, it seems the appropriate here. So I will concentrate on the merits of the material presented. And away we go....
Once again, Jimmy Olsen and Superman have been placed in separate ‘A’ and ‘B” stories and an urban or cultural legend is involved. This time it is the infamous Loch Ness Monster who has reportedly destroyed a passenger vehicle in Scotland which has captured the attention of one Morgan Edge. Edge deftly denies all accusations Jimmy and the Newsies throw at him and then redirects them to Scotland to debunk the Loch Ness story. This plan isn’t cheap as the boys travel on a sleek looking jet and descend from the sky in the Wiz Wagon. They’re greeted by an elderly gentleman by the name of Felix MacFinney who after a meal and a good night’s sleep captains them to the lake. Flippa Dippa (who’s been in a state of perpetual bliss ever since water was mentioned) dives in for reconnaissance and is grabbed by another diver hidden in the darkness of the water. The boys get suspicious with no response from their diver and turn around to find MacFinney has pulled a gun on them. As the newly revealed Intergang member is about to pull the trigger, Scrapper’s tiny clone (from the Life Project) activates a sonar whistle which causes the monster to rise to the surface and overthrow the boat. Jimmy and the Newsies regroup at the lake’s shore where Flippa Dippa has been waiting for them. Ginny, MacFinney’s daughter, was the diver that saved Flippa and as the issue closes, she’s ready to give the boys some answers.
The Jimmy sequence feels very much like a Scooby Doo episode due in part to Kirby’s artistic choices. Gone are the dynamic muscled poses of Kirby’s superhero work. Our characters are now in simplistic cartoon poses, with the contorting facial expressions of MacFinney and the comical faces of the Newsies. In fact, I could imagine a Warner Bros. type cartoon soundtrack while reading the issue.
Superman anchors the ‘B’ story this time, as does the new Guardian. The two have accepted a invitation to a discotheque in Suicide Slum. The fact that Superman calls the club a discotheque is an indication that this is again “out of touch, establishment” Superman. The club is called the Cosmic Carousel, a name which sends Kirby almost into self parody. Terry Dean, Edge’s secretary, is in attendance and the familiar face helps Superman’s obvious discomfort. The panel of Superman and the guardian sitting at a nightclub is one to study. Superheroes doing pedestrian acts in costume is rare because it demonstrates how odd they’d be in real life. The entertainment consist of some hippie looking kids with odd instruments that resemble the ones used at the Life Project. Dubbliex, directly from the Life Project, is also in attendance and gives Superman the call to action he was desperately hoping for. The two discover a long tunnel under the club which the band doesn’t seem to want them to investigate. They hit a note in unison to summon Barriboy who uses his instrument to cause the ceiling to collapse. The conclusion is to be revealed next issue.
Final Musings
-I’m gonna guess that the monster in Scotland is somehow related to Superman’s debacle at the club with the Life Project being the common denominator. The band at the Cosmic Carousel had a lotta inside knowledge. Darkseid? Cloned Guardian?
-Flippa dippa and Scapper continue to vie for the title of my least favorite character. Flippa dippa won out this issue with the “ghetto gupppie” line.
- The silver haired temptress is a reoccurring character in comics. We have Ginny here in Jimmy Olsen. There is also Silver Sable at Marvel and Silver St. Cloud in the Engleheart penned Batman of the 1970’s
-Suicide Slum is another 40’s DC Kirby creation. It’s basically the bad side of town. Originally set in NYC, it has stayed part of Metropolis since the Fourth World saga.
- If I’m Morgan Edge, I’m just putting a bomb in the plane traveling to Scotland. Case closed, all hail Darkseid.
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Say whatever you want to in the comments to this post -- random, off topic thoughts, ideas, suggestions, questions, recommendations, criticisms (which can be anonymous), surveys, introductions if you have never commented before, personal news, self-promotion, requests to be added to the blog roll and so on. If I forget, remind me. Remember these comments can be directed at all the readers, not just me.
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AND you can use this space to comment on posts that are old enough that no one is reading the comments threads anymore.
You do not have to have a blogger account or gmail account to post a comment -- you can write a comment, write your name at the bottom of your comment like an e mail, and then post using the "anonymous" option.
WRITING FOR THIS BLOG. If I see a big free form comment that deserves more attention, I will pull it and make it its own post, with a label on the post and on the sidebar that will always link to all the posts you write for this blog. I am always looking for reviews of games, tv, movies, music and books.
ALSO. You can use this space to re-ask me questions you asked me before that I failed to answer because I was too busy.
AND you can use this space to comment on posts that are old enough that no one is reading the comments threads anymore.
You do not have to have a blogger account or gmail account to post a comment -- you can write a comment, write your name at the bottom of your comment like an e mail, and then post using the "anonymous" option.
WRITING FOR THIS BLOG. If I see a big free form comment that deserves more attention, I will pull it and make it its own post, with a label on the post and on the sidebar that will always link to all the posts you write for this blog. I am always looking for reviews of games, tv, movies, music and books.
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Uncanny X-Men #233
[Jason Powell continues his issue by issue look at Claremont's X-Men.]
“Dawn of Blood”
Fans who were reading X-Men during this time complain that the X-Men lost its heart when Nightcrawler and Kitty were replaced with the likes of Longshot and Psylocke, who weren’t as empathetic or likable – but this was the point: a new, less immediately accessible team whose motivations and internal lives were not as obvious to the reader. Indeed, Claremont’s choice of villain for issues 232-234 even parallels the point: mutants possessed by aliens to take on a team of alienating mutants.
To give the Brood super-powers this second-time around is a canny decision on Claremont’s part, for several reasons. First and most obviously, it ups the stakes from the previous Brood saga (issues 154-167). Second, it’s a logical extrapolation of the Brood’s agenda in that earlier storyline, which was to implant eggs in the X-Men and create enhanced-power versions of themselves. It only makes sense that, having arrived on Earth, they would seek out mutants and attempt a second crack at that plan – and how horrifying it is that, this time, the Brood have succeeded. Finally, and most subtly, this premise allows Claremont to synthesize two different types of X-Men stories: the politically naive Silver Age type, wherein the X-Men fight other mutants to protect humans (thus demonstrating a counter-revolutionary, assimilationist stance, as noted by Neil Shyminsky and others), and the more recent paradigm, with the X-Men working to protect mutants from being victimized. Here, Claremont is able to eat his cake and have it too, offering up villains that are mutants, but ones possessed (or assimilated) by an external force. It’s a shrewd maneuver– a storyline that lets the X-Men exist – for these three issues at least – in a state of perfect, guiltless equilibrium between two contradictory political paradigms.
Also, it’s just great fun. The opening splash drops the X-Men right into the middle of a horror movie, surrounding them with tentacled abominations approaching from all sides (Silvestri has one of them descending from a fire-escape, an ingenious detail). Colorist Glynis Oliver gets in on the fun as well, coloring the X-Men in their appropriate hues but drenching the Brood monsters all in red and the background in complementary orange. The “Night of the Living Dead” vibe is clearly intentional – the title, “Dawn of Blood,” removes any lingering doubt – and it is a clear signal that we’re not meant to take this one TOO terribly seriously. It’s as if Claremont and company have taken the previous Brood story (which stretched out over a year), and boiled away all the fat. The result is a lean, mean trilogy that’s big on thrills and almost entirely devoid of angst (albeit not entirely, as we see on the final page).
Instead, Claremont saves the heavy stuff for the interlude: a five-page dream sequence that’s absolutely horrifying. If the Brood represent b-horror-movie grotesquerie, here is something far darker, more akin to the deeply psychological terrors of Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby. In what amounts to a chilling symbolic recreation of Cyclops’ abandonment of Madelyne for Jean Grey in X-Factor #1, the scene depicts Scott callously rejecting Maddie for a featureless mannequin, then taking their baby from her as well. Finally, with a ruthless and methodical efficiency, he simply plucks Maddie’s physical features from her head – hair, nose, lips, then finally eyes – and places them all onto the mannequin, which of course becomes Jean.
Throughout this surreally awful process, Scott’s dialogue is emotionless and brusque. “I’m really sorry,” he says. “But I loved someone else first. And best. Her needs take priority. There, that’s better. A few more details ... the finishing touches, pulled from the copy ... and the original will be restored ... good as new.”
There is, of course, a certain degree of meta-narration occurring. Claremont is commenting both on the character assassination of Scott that occurred in X-Factor #1 as well as his own earlier creative ambitions for the Madelyne Pryor character, which involved making her a proxy for the murdered Jean Grey.
The scene works on that level as well, but it’s also creepily effective on the basic textual level. Once again, Silvestri’s phenomenal sense of detail adds to the scene in surprising ways – i.e., Madelyne begins to cry as she is disassembled by Scott, but when Scott takes her eyes and places them on the Jean figure, the tears remain, re-contextualized now as signifiers of joy rather than terror. Note as well the way Cyclops wears his X-Men costume throughout most of the fantasy, but it quietly becomes his X-Factor outfit just before he, Jean and the baby disappear. It’s an utterly stunning sequence, and the true centerpiece of the issue.
“Dawn of Blood”
Fans who were reading X-Men during this time complain that the X-Men lost its heart when Nightcrawler and Kitty were replaced with the likes of Longshot and Psylocke, who weren’t as empathetic or likable – but this was the point: a new, less immediately accessible team whose motivations and internal lives were not as obvious to the reader. Indeed, Claremont’s choice of villain for issues 232-234 even parallels the point: mutants possessed by aliens to take on a team of alienating mutants.
To give the Brood super-powers this second-time around is a canny decision on Claremont’s part, for several reasons. First and most obviously, it ups the stakes from the previous Brood saga (issues 154-167). Second, it’s a logical extrapolation of the Brood’s agenda in that earlier storyline, which was to implant eggs in the X-Men and create enhanced-power versions of themselves. It only makes sense that, having arrived on Earth, they would seek out mutants and attempt a second crack at that plan – and how horrifying it is that, this time, the Brood have succeeded. Finally, and most subtly, this premise allows Claremont to synthesize two different types of X-Men stories: the politically naive Silver Age type, wherein the X-Men fight other mutants to protect humans (thus demonstrating a counter-revolutionary, assimilationist stance, as noted by Neil Shyminsky and others), and the more recent paradigm, with the X-Men working to protect mutants from being victimized. Here, Claremont is able to eat his cake and have it too, offering up villains that are mutants, but ones possessed (or assimilated) by an external force. It’s a shrewd maneuver– a storyline that lets the X-Men exist – for these three issues at least – in a state of perfect, guiltless equilibrium between two contradictory political paradigms.
Also, it’s just great fun. The opening splash drops the X-Men right into the middle of a horror movie, surrounding them with tentacled abominations approaching from all sides (Silvestri has one of them descending from a fire-escape, an ingenious detail). Colorist Glynis Oliver gets in on the fun as well, coloring the X-Men in their appropriate hues but drenching the Brood monsters all in red and the background in complementary orange. The “Night of the Living Dead” vibe is clearly intentional – the title, “Dawn of Blood,” removes any lingering doubt – and it is a clear signal that we’re not meant to take this one TOO terribly seriously. It’s as if Claremont and company have taken the previous Brood story (which stretched out over a year), and boiled away all the fat. The result is a lean, mean trilogy that’s big on thrills and almost entirely devoid of angst (albeit not entirely, as we see on the final page).
Instead, Claremont saves the heavy stuff for the interlude: a five-page dream sequence that’s absolutely horrifying. If the Brood represent b-horror-movie grotesquerie, here is something far darker, more akin to the deeply psychological terrors of Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby. In what amounts to a chilling symbolic recreation of Cyclops’ abandonment of Madelyne for Jean Grey in X-Factor #1, the scene depicts Scott callously rejecting Maddie for a featureless mannequin, then taking their baby from her as well. Finally, with a ruthless and methodical efficiency, he simply plucks Maddie’s physical features from her head – hair, nose, lips, then finally eyes – and places them all onto the mannequin, which of course becomes Jean.
Throughout this surreally awful process, Scott’s dialogue is emotionless and brusque. “I’m really sorry,” he says. “But I loved someone else first. And best. Her needs take priority. There, that’s better. A few more details ... the finishing touches, pulled from the copy ... and the original will be restored ... good as new.”
There is, of course, a certain degree of meta-narration occurring. Claremont is commenting both on the character assassination of Scott that occurred in X-Factor #1 as well as his own earlier creative ambitions for the Madelyne Pryor character, which involved making her a proxy for the murdered Jean Grey.
The scene works on that level as well, but it’s also creepily effective on the basic textual level. Once again, Silvestri’s phenomenal sense of detail adds to the scene in surprising ways – i.e., Madelyne begins to cry as she is disassembled by Scott, but when Scott takes her eyes and places them on the Jean figure, the tears remain, re-contextualized now as signifiers of joy rather than terror. Note as well the way Cyclops wears his X-Men costume throughout most of the fantasy, but it quietly becomes his X-Factor outfit just before he, Jean and the baby disappear. It’s an utterly stunning sequence, and the true centerpiece of the issue.
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Favorite Restaurants
This post maybe limited usefulness, but I thought people visit New York all the time and often want restaurant recommendations from people who live here; also when people ask me to recommend restaurants I can never remember until after they leave, so I thought it might be good to keep it in one public place.
My food tastes tend to run on the cheap side. A good example of this is Dim Sum Go Go vs Momofuku. Momofuku has stunningly good steamed pork buns, but they cost 9 bucks a pair; Dim Sum Go Go has excellent steamed pork buns for like a dollar each. But I also understand that some times you want to spend a lot of money on kick-ass food. I also have a bad habit of giving restaurants too many points for being easy to get to from my house without being aware of it: I feel like Michael Angelos is one of my favorite places to get pizza, but I am not sure how much of that is that they are in delivery range. [EDIT -- Ba is right, and Momofuku and Dim Sum Go Go do not have enough in common to justify a comparison: both are excellent in their own way.]
Fette Sau (BBQ, Williamsburg Brooklyn) -- it is possible I have been out of Texas too long to remember if this is as good as Texas BBQ, but as far as I can discern, it is. Also -- hipsters in their natural environment. (Thank you Sara.)
Sripraphi (Thai, Woodside NY) -- I do not understand why the best Thai food I have ever had -- and not expensive at all -- is off the 7 train in Queens and not in Manhattan, but it is. As soon as you walk in you know this is another level of Thai food -- for starters the place is abnormally big inside considering its location. It looks to me like it was so good they expanded into the restaurant next door. They also have a nice backyard area. (Thank you Jason and Ximena and Alex)
Natural Tofu Resturant (Korean, Sunnyside Queens) -- similarly, my favorite Korean food is also in Queens, lava hot bowls of bibimbab. Don't let the name fool you -- they are not vegetarian, though they do make great tofu if you are into that kind of thing. (Thanks Nathaniel)
Zen Palate (Asian Vegetarian, 9th ave a 46th) -- this is a vegetarian resturant recommended by a meat-eater from Texas so you can trust me -- it is not at all like other vegetarian places that serve you piles of colored much like in Brazil (the movie). Sara and I lived at this place in college.
Dim Sum Go Go (Chinese, Chinatown) -- Steamed pork buns are one of my favorite things, and I can eat them like White Castle sliders at Dim Sum Go Go you can afford to eat them like that as they cost about the same. (Thanks Jason and Ximena)
Momofuku (Pork, Village) -- BBQ pork sandwich and pork buns are awesome, and if you do it at lunch with a glass of water it will only be 22 bucks, which is a good price for that kind of quality. (Thanks Brady)
Fatty Crab -- everything is VERY spicy and everything is delicious, even generic looking Chinese soup with noodles, and unripe mango to be dipped in a salt-sugar-chili powder.
Katz's Deli (Deli, east Houston) -- It was in the famous orgasm scene in When Harry Met Sally, but the tourists have not ruined this place (except for creating crowds). Egg Cream and Pastrami is my favorite. The "Buy a Salami for Your Boy in the Army" sign is also one of my favorite rhymes.
Michael Angelo's (Pizza, Long Island City) -- the Special Pie is a regular at my house. (Thanks Sara)
Patsy Grimaldi's (Pizza, Brooklyn) -- this is were I land on the great New York pizza debate. Also quite famous and tourist-y, but still excellent.
Vatan (Indian, 3rd Ave and 28th street) -- vegetarian, price fixe, all you can eat, but classy. The system they have of just bringing you lots of little things is awesome, plus you do not have to make any decisions except Mild, Medium of Hot. (Thanks Sara)
Baoguette (Midtown) -- Vietnamese sandwiches, 5 bucks, which is only 5 bucks more than free.
The Sparrow (Astoria, Brunch) -- my local. The brunch burger is one of the Sparrow's already excellent burgers served between english muffin halfs and toped with a fried egg, which makes just about anything better (See also Bibimbop)
Perry Street (Perry Street and the West Side Highway) -- The burger and the fried chicken are excellent, and they have a cocktail with chili in it that I cannot remember the name of right now but it is awesome.
The Redhead (East Village) -- this is the best fried chicken I have had and they also have an excellent cocktails menu.
Black Hound (cakes) -- this bakery makes the most amazing little cakes that only cost a buck more than a pint of ice cream and are way more awesome. I recommend Bee Cake especially, and the tarts and the one that looks like a coffee cup.
Special Note (outside of New York City)
Austin, TX: Freebirds -- When Sara and I went back to Austin for three days we ate here every day. Nuff Said.
My food tastes tend to run on the cheap side. A good example of this is Dim Sum Go Go vs Momofuku. Momofuku has stunningly good steamed pork buns, but they cost 9 bucks a pair; Dim Sum Go Go has excellent steamed pork buns for like a dollar each. But I also understand that some times you want to spend a lot of money on kick-ass food. I also have a bad habit of giving restaurants too many points for being easy to get to from my house without being aware of it: I feel like Michael Angelos is one of my favorite places to get pizza, but I am not sure how much of that is that they are in delivery range. [EDIT -- Ba is right, and Momofuku and Dim Sum Go Go do not have enough in common to justify a comparison: both are excellent in their own way.]
Fette Sau (BBQ, Williamsburg Brooklyn) -- it is possible I have been out of Texas too long to remember if this is as good as Texas BBQ, but as far as I can discern, it is. Also -- hipsters in their natural environment. (Thank you Sara.)
Sripraphi (Thai, Woodside NY) -- I do not understand why the best Thai food I have ever had -- and not expensive at all -- is off the 7 train in Queens and not in Manhattan, but it is. As soon as you walk in you know this is another level of Thai food -- for starters the place is abnormally big inside considering its location. It looks to me like it was so good they expanded into the restaurant next door. They also have a nice backyard area. (Thank you Jason and Ximena and Alex)
Natural Tofu Resturant (Korean, Sunnyside Queens) -- similarly, my favorite Korean food is also in Queens, lava hot bowls of bibimbab. Don't let the name fool you -- they are not vegetarian, though they do make great tofu if you are into that kind of thing. (Thanks Nathaniel)
Zen Palate (Asian Vegetarian, 9th ave a 46th) -- this is a vegetarian resturant recommended by a meat-eater from Texas so you can trust me -- it is not at all like other vegetarian places that serve you piles of colored much like in Brazil (the movie). Sara and I lived at this place in college.
Dim Sum Go Go (Chinese, Chinatown) -- Steamed pork buns are one of my favorite things, and I can eat them like White Castle sliders at Dim Sum Go Go you can afford to eat them like that as they cost about the same. (Thanks Jason and Ximena)
Momofuku (Pork, Village) -- BBQ pork sandwich and pork buns are awesome, and if you do it at lunch with a glass of water it will only be 22 bucks, which is a good price for that kind of quality. (Thanks Brady)
Fatty Crab -- everything is VERY spicy and everything is delicious, even generic looking Chinese soup with noodles, and unripe mango to be dipped in a salt-sugar-chili powder.
Katz's Deli (Deli, east Houston) -- It was in the famous orgasm scene in When Harry Met Sally, but the tourists have not ruined this place (except for creating crowds). Egg Cream and Pastrami is my favorite. The "Buy a Salami for Your Boy in the Army" sign is also one of my favorite rhymes.
Michael Angelo's (Pizza, Long Island City) -- the Special Pie is a regular at my house. (Thanks Sara)
Patsy Grimaldi's (Pizza, Brooklyn) -- this is were I land on the great New York pizza debate. Also quite famous and tourist-y, but still excellent.
Vatan (Indian, 3rd Ave and 28th street) -- vegetarian, price fixe, all you can eat, but classy. The system they have of just bringing you lots of little things is awesome, plus you do not have to make any decisions except Mild, Medium of Hot. (Thanks Sara)
Baoguette (Midtown) -- Vietnamese sandwiches, 5 bucks, which is only 5 bucks more than free.
The Sparrow (Astoria, Brunch) -- my local. The brunch burger is one of the Sparrow's already excellent burgers served between english muffin halfs and toped with a fried egg, which makes just about anything better (See also Bibimbop)
Perry Street (Perry Street and the West Side Highway) -- The burger and the fried chicken are excellent, and they have a cocktail with chili in it that I cannot remember the name of right now but it is awesome.
The Redhead (East Village) -- this is the best fried chicken I have had and they also have an excellent cocktails menu.
Black Hound (cakes) -- this bakery makes the most amazing little cakes that only cost a buck more than a pint of ice cream and are way more awesome. I recommend Bee Cake especially, and the tarts and the one that looks like a coffee cup.
Special Note (outside of New York City)
Austin, TX: Freebirds -- When Sara and I went back to Austin for three days we ate here every day. Nuff Said.
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