C is for Cock-a-doodle-doo

Conceived & Hatched by: Bonnie

Okay, so, we cheated a little. And there are multiple layers of cheating within this adventure, but what’s a group of cool chicks to do when all they really want is a real brunch and a real brunch cocktail to wash that down? It’s best not to go into these End of the Line rides (or life really, am I right?) with any preconceived notions, but let’s face it, sometimes we know exactly what we want. And this particular Sunday was no exception.

Before I begin the tale of our journey, I will confess our sins. They are twofold:

1. When we got to the end of the line, we realized we were but 20 short and very walk-able blocks from Harlem, and isn’t the Red Rooster somewhere down there? And wouldn’t it be nice to leave this neighborhood and eat a real brunch? With a real cocktail? Oh the Red Rooster? Never been there before! Rules are rules: we can walk as much as we want once we get off the train, just no googling. So it’s really only a partial cheat ditching the neighborhood.
2. And I swear I didn’t even realize this until much later in the day, buuuuutttttt… The C train ACTUALLY ends at 165^th street (FOURTY blocks from the real brunch) and it was a service interruption that caused the subway line to cease at 145^th on the day we rode to the end of the line. Normally, we look at the MTA maps. I guess we had our eyes on the prize. And varying degrees of hangovers, I would imagine.

I feel so much lighter now that I’ve made that confession! I haven’t even told our special guests that we didn’t make it to the end of the line. I didn’t want to spoil it for them. Sorry, Amanda and Dawn, but this was a Cock-a-doodle-doo trip on the C train. Perhaps the next time Amanda is in town, we should take it all the way. We are four birds that like to go all the way, after all.

But I will still recount and regale, for a journey was made and it deserves my attention. Allow me to introduce Tania’s and my companions for this ride uptown on the C train. Two old skool peeps from Roberta’s. These girls were the O.G. theme nighters, fierce competitors in sales floor competitions, champion shotgunners, late night Narrows bathroom shenanigans and shots of fernet comrades, my esteemed rabble rousers: Amanda Zug-Moore and Dawn Mauberret. None of us work there anymore, but our legacy lives on. And I betcha no one has as much fun as we used to have after hours in that Bushwick concrete bunker playland. As such, they are two of my favorite girls to share a meal and a drink with—they have sophisticated palates, but they are not afraid of the down and dirty. Great combo for an End of the Line Adventure.

Amanda moved to New Orleans about a year ago, and was back for a short visit to her old stomping ground. Dawn hadn’t seen Amanda yet, so it was all kismet for this afternoon ride.

Realization: I’m really missing an opportunity here to make cock jokes, aren’t I? I mean chicken and bird allusions are one thing (and there are many more to come, trust me) but all roads lead to the Red Rooster, after all. Don’t be a chicken! Besides, one of my other favorite things to do with Amanda and Dawn (and Tania too, obviously) is to gossip. Or as Dawn says… to DISH! And what do we dish most about? You know it. We get down to every last detail, gentlemen. No holds barred. But that isn’t polite blog conversation. We leave that to the dinner table. Or the brunch table. Cock-a-doodle-doo!

We headed uptown on the C train at 11:26am from 14^th Street, and as this trip is full of inconsistencies, I see now that I didn’t mark the end time. My brain was a little scrambled egg.

The neighborhood we landed in was a food desert situated between Washington Heights and Harlem. It had its charms. Some beautiful parks. But this was not a commerce-heavy zone. Mostly residential buildings—big and brick and kind of non-descript. There were delis. There were a couple of shabby looking Caribbean flavored buffets. But not a single restaurant to sit down in, much less get our COCKtail on (trying). Was it time to cash in the deli card and take sandwiches to a nearby (and like I said quite beautiful) park? It was a lovely summer day.We flew the coop and headed the twenty blocks toward Harlem, with its promises of brunch and cocktails. And who am I kidding with the lovely summer day? We were sweating bullets. It was HUMID!

Why did the chicken cross the road?

To get to the Red Rooster!

The famed, the acclaimed, Red Rooster. From their own mission statement: “Located in the heart of Harlem, Red Rooster serves comfort food celebrating the roots of American cuisine and the diverse culinary traditions of the neighborhood. Named in honor of the legendary speakeasy, Chef Marcus Samuelsson brings his passion for food to the neighborhood he calls home.” I waited on Marcus Samuelsson once at Roberta’s. He tweeted about his fine service. Considering that came shortly after my bad yelp review when I told a customer that her egg was cooked just like we do it (and it actually wasn’t cooked at all), I felt some redemption. Those were back in the days when we defended the food at all costs. There was a time when the customer wasn’t always right at Roberta’s (Does it still feel that way? You forget the old days). Things shifted throughout the years though. That was one of the amazing aspects of working at that restaurant. From day one, where we were thrown on the floor and told to go take orders (without order), through waiting tables wrapped in scarves during the winters without heat, through the establishment of a managerial system and a wine program, through the first NY Times review, through it all. Well, there are tales for days of this progression, but this isn’t my forum for that. Dawn, Amanda and I could cobble together quite a saga. The stuff of legends.

At the Red Rooster, we were sat right next to the band which is why we were seated so quickly I believe, but actually it was perfect timing. A soulful crooner (sitting in a chair) and her guitar and trumpet player accompaniment provided the backdrop to the first part of our dining experience. Her tunes were mellow enough we could still chat and eat, and hopping enough to add to the liveliness and jazziness of brunch in Harlem. Plus there was a break before the next act, so we could just take it all in and enjoy our meal.  Are we such old hens that we’re happy when the live music quiets down a little? Well, for brunch yes. There is a time and a place for everything, right

We shared our meal, and here’s what we had:

            *Watermelon Tomato Salad with cucumber, marinated feta, pickled red onions, cilantro

             and mint

            *Crab Salad Ssam with daikon, mint, chilies, peanuts

            *Brioche French Toast with strawberry compote and lemon cream

            *Beaten Biscuits and Red Eye Gravy with a fried egg

            *Grilled Shrimp & Grits with cheddar grits, green garlic and tomato sauce

I don’t know about you guys but I like my biscuits beaten from time to time. Ladies? Brunch!

I’m going to be the jerk that says I thought the portions of the salads were a little wimpy, but maybe Amanda and Dawn would tell me differently. They were always better defenders of small portion sizes than me. But still there’s something magical that happens when you put feta next to watermelon. And crab? Well, even a little nugget makes me happy.

The brunch fare was classic and tasty. The ingredients fresh and delicious. We feasted and sipped on our much-anticipated mimosas, rosé wines, bloody marys and sangrias. The French toast was a little underdone, like kinda doughy, but I liked it. Dawn, not so much. The Shrimp & Grits were pretty heavenly though. I’d say we mostly caught up on where Amanda is at these days in her new life in New Orleans. I visited her once in the past year, and ate and drank and paraded my way through that city with her. We also crashed a Cure concert by camping out on the bayou with her babies and hubby. That was a magical night.

I hate how little we see even our friends that ARE in town all the time. There are certainly friends I only see every couple of months. Hell, Tania and I were falling dangerously into that pattern before we started this project up. That’s the nature of New York; you almost need a project to work on as an excuse to get together. But Sundays shouldn’t be like that. You should always get together with a friend just for the hell of it on a Sunday. And if you end up cheating a little and not playing by the rules, well then who gives a fuck? Friendship is what this blog is about. Sure it’s about food and it’s about adventure, but ultimately it’s about the company we keep. And doing and living just for the sake of it. Our lives get busy. Sometimes it takes an out of town visitor to have a get together with all your old pals from the restaurant you used to work at together. Sometimes it shouldn’t though. What are we doing working so much? I mean, I know what I’m doing and I love what I’m doing, but what came first? The chicken or the egg? No, I’m stretching it with my chicken metaphors.

Okay, so, at the very end of our meal, a full Brazilian band had set up right behind us (actually trapping me in my seat) and had started some high-energy, the-sky-is-falling, super percussive and big brassy tunes. The crowd gathered and threw their arms up and filled the whole bar area, snapping pictures and shaking their hips.

Apparently we were still kind of in brunch mode, and the lead singer looked straight at Dawn and mouthed: STOP TALKING. Well! That was a little embarrassing. I’m not one to try to disrespect the musician. But there is a time and a place, as I said, and we wanted to get on that train back to Brooklyn. Some of us to catch the final world cup match, some of us to just catch up on life before the week started.

And since I’ve failed miserably to make cock jokes during this account of our trip to the Red Rooster, I leave you with a blatant one:

Why doesn’t a chicken wear pants?

Why?

Oh, you want to know?

Because his pecker is on his head!

Quadruple the fun

by Tania

After a very long hiatus, end of the line dining has re-commenced. We have the great fortune that four lines terminate at Coney Island, and what better place to travel on a sunny day than Brooklyn’s amusement park by the sea. You may recall that last time we dined in Coney Island, we started by walking away from the boardwalk. This time we embarked on our journey fully intending to walk towards the beach, bathing suits on, towels in tow.

We boarded the Q line from Union Square at precisely 11:39 for a seemingly quick 50 minute ride. Catching up as usual, Bonnie shared with me her idea for a shadow puppet show in her back yard. From the moment she moved in, there have been visions of the performances to come. Thus far there have been fireworks, fire pits and bbqs, but the vaudevillian magic is still in the works – jugglers, puppets, fire dancing – I cannot wait!

I had the somewhat juvenile realization the other day, that everything I really truly love – and I mean the rip your heart out of your chest love – reminds me of one Cure song or another. If I can fit it into the framework of a Cure song, it seems to reach an emotional plane as of yet unsurpassable. Sometimes it is literally the words – “whenever I’m alone with you – you make me feel like I am young again”, and other times just a feeling. It’s slightly goth, terrifically adventurous and hopelessly romantic. One could certainly argue that there are better bands out there (or not), but none capture the undying dreams of youth in the same way – for me.

Bonnie is very much a Cure song (see picture to the left for reference – age 15, on her way to a show). From the first day we became friends, she has delighted me with her stories of impromptu performances, mischief (ala train hopping), wonder and love – similar themes I still delight in when I read her novels, or experience as part of her life. At the time, I had never met anyone quite like this bright red bobbed girl, or later her first love Nef – who traveled all across the country on a greyhound bus to visit Bonnie in New York. And when campus security decided Nef had stayed too long – the two of them stayed outside on the street together during the cold October night. You get the picture – slightly goth, terrifically adventurous and hopelessly romantic.

Coney Island gives me the same feeling – particularly our first stop – the Sideshow by the Sea. In this world of internet and virtual reality, I let out a huge sigh of relief that there are still human blockheads, sword swallowers and snake handlers that exhibit their skills live and in person every day for the bargain price of $10.

We were beckoned into the sideshow by a man in red stripes. Anytime I am beckoned anywhere, my first instinct is to run away (that is if I notice at all – I am not a very alert walker), but Bonnie suggested we go in. The first show was not yet ready to start, so we did what seemed most appropriate at the time – ordered a malt liquor strawberry margarita in a can. Actually, just Bonnie did that. I opted for a beer.

Being the first performance of the day, the audience was a bit thin – but that only meant we had to express our cheer and wonder at a volume befitting a much larger crowd. We were up to the task, and the show was so good – every clap was deserved tenfold. The emcee for the show, Ray Valenz, was everything you would want your sideshow host to be. Striped pants, eye make-up – the kind of guy who puts a power drill up his nose, licks the blood off of the drill bit and still makes the ladies swoon. I won’t give away too much about the show – everyone should most certainly go see it, but I will let you know that I got to sit in an electric chair and have a torch lit to flames off the tip of my tongue. Most certainly a good start to the day.

Now for the food. We had been told that there were some very delicious tacos in the vicinity of the bump your ass off bumper cars. In search of these tacos, we came across Cantina – Place to Beach (PTB). Unfortunately I could not partake in any of PTB’s meaty tacos, so we were directed to the side patio in the promise of shrimp. We quickly discerned that this was not the recommend taco locale, and ordered a red chili margarita (which should be renamed the pizza topping margarita), a sriracha margarita and some guacamole and chips. Well folks, I can tell you that this was the worst food in end of the line dining history. The chips tasted more like cardboard than cardboard, and the drinks were barely drinkable. On the bright side, they were perhaps the strongest margaritas I have ever had and we left decidedly more intoxicated than when we arrived.

Next stop – Nathan’s. Nathan’s is a Coney Island staple since 1916 and host of the world famous hot dog eating contest. If you don’t know it, you have clearly never been to Coney Island. I will never eat raw seafood from Nathan’s (although many do), but I will order the perfectly fried clam strips any day of the week. Bonnie opted for a corn dog, and I somehow managed to buy an old man a hotdog with sauerkraut and onions because he asked me to. I mean how can you say no when someone asks you to buy them “a hotdog with sauerkraut and onions – don’t forget the sauerkraut and onions”? You can’t, at least not if you are me.

Overwhelmed with how much there was to do, and how little time we had to do it, Bonnie and I rode the Wonder Wheel (wisely opting for one of the non-swinging seats), played some games (I am an undefeated champion at those games where you shoot water at a target), got our fortune read, paid 25 cents to fall in love (bargain) and went to a haunted house. We did not get to take a dip in the sea (Bonnie’s request) or play ski ball (mine), but we did grab a funnel cake on our way to the train.

Coney Island has most certainly changed since that summer 15 years ago when I went every week trying to win a boom box with ski ball tickets, but in the ways that are most important, it has remained the same – slightly goth, terrifically adventurous and hopelessly romantic. Oh, there is one final thing that I will tell you about the sideshow. When asked what my tombstone would read if the electric chair trick when awry, my response was, “I had fun”. And I did.

M is for Metamorphosis

Manufactured by: Bonnie

I’ve been naughty.

Tania and I took our last End of the Line Dining trip WEEKS ago, and I’ve been sitting on this post ever since. I wrote something right away then hated how sentimental it was, put it away and didn’t look back. After some gentle prodding from Tania, and some self-inflicted guilt, here I am with the full report…

There’s a lot on which I can blame my inability to write this post. First: I’m on a deadline. Wait, pause. I can’t tell you enough how happy it makes me to write those words: I’M ON A DEADLINE! Sounds so cool, doesn’t it? I was supposed to turn in a full revision of my novel to my agent on May 1^st, and I’m running about a week behind on that too. Been mixed up with too many boys these days. Got the stomach flu. Got wicked drunk at a karaoke birthday party (where I straight slayed “Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus). Had stacks of papers to grade. Had a book club book to read (didn’t have that read in time either). Had friends’ heartaches to attend to. Had articles to write for foodie ‘zines. Had barbecues to make an appearance. Had shit to DO.

I’m a punctual person (to a fault almost) but it seems to me that I’m about two weeks behind on life right now. I’m strangely at peace with this though. Strangely comfortable with the flux and the loose ends. My friend Ralph told me I have to be if I want to be amazing. And who doesn’t want to be amazing?

So, here I am. Tardy to the party for the first time in my life. But finally ready to recount the journey that was the M train to Forest Hills with my girl, Tania. I am going to preserve one little line from what I wrote before though and that is this:

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A NEW DIRECTION MAKES

We rode the M train to Middle Village (the other direction) back in December when my heart was freshly broken, when I was smoking too many cigarettes and replacing my new love for yoga for the less healthy options in life. Now this time around, as we rode the train the opposite direction to Forest Hills, I can happily say that I, too, was heading in new direction. No longer wallowing in the heartache (just enough to make this post a little bit romantic though), no longer in graduate school and no longer thirty-three. The M train in the new direction now stood for my Misadventures. My Meandering Mind. My Metamorphosis.

I’m still a sentimental fucker though, don’t you worry. Some things never change. Right before I took this trip, I was working on my novel, using a hard-covered Marilyn Monroe book as a flat surface on my lap. When I picked up the book, out fell a letter that I had written to Tania (and apparently never sent) dated September 11, 1999. That’s right, folks, fourteen-and-a-half years ago. The handwriting was frenetic (brain scrambled by my new found freedom in San Francisco, my extensive partying, and being head over heels in love). I was going through a phase where I capitalized all my M’s aNd My N’s. I doN’t kNow why? I’m going to share some little gems from that letter at the end of this post, partly because it goes along with what a difference a new direction makes, and partly because Tania has never read the letter and now here is her chance, along with you, our faithful readers of End of the Line Dining. Some of it is downright cringe-worthy. It’s hard to look at things you wrote so long ago and not want to travel back in time to slap some sense into yourself. But you can’t. We go along in the directions that we’re meant to. And have to trust that the crossroads come at just the right moments.

It was a sleepy Wednesday evening when we met on the Myrtle-Wyckoff platform to head to Forest Hills. Tania was fresh out of crazy times at work, and I was fresh out of crazy times adjudicating for FringeNYC. Wednesdays are always sleepy for me anyway because I wake up at 4:30 a.m. to get to work on time in New Jersey, and that particular Wednesday, I just pushed through without an afternoon refresher nap.

There were two elements of déjà vu in the mix: 1) That we’d attempted this journey the month before with Stephanie, but ran into service issues and couldn’t complete it, and 2) We went to Forest Hills on the R train almost exactly a year ago with Bertie, Sarah K, Jen, & James Long!

So there we were again, this time just the two of us, and we boarded the train at 7:43 p.m. The train ride took one hour and one minute to be exact. Next to the eating experience, this was the biggest portion of our trip. We hadn’t seen each other since my birthday so we had plenty to discuss including: my recent foray into the world of online dating (whew, stories to come in the future, I’m just getting my bearings there), my upcoming deadline (the one that seemed totally manageable about a month ago and now feels like a stronghold), some future business deals that are on the table, future travel plans, and recent bouts of the death flu currently attacking New York City (I got it a few days later). There were some laughs and there were some tears (we do a really good job of crying together) (I won’t tell you who cried this time though), and one very weird hand job given by a girl standing next to us to the pole right by Tania’s face – lasting a good solid four minutes (awkward).

Then we arrived.

When we got off the train, we found ourselves retracing the steps we took the last trip. Not for any other reason than familiarity. The neighborhood looked different at night. There seemed to be more restaurants to choose from, but maybe that was just because they were lit and looked inviting against the chilly evening. Both of us commented it felt like a fall night, rather than spring. Something in the air.

I had the idea that we might eat at a Mexican restaurant. This is because our friend Anjali told me recently that she used to go out to eat in Forest Hills as a kid and there was a Mexican restaurant where she remembered liking shrimp for the first time. So when we found the Five Burro Café, it seemed just right.

We walked into the restaurant and the song playing was “Sweet Child o’ Mine” by Guns n Roses. I took this as a very good sign. I also took the walls covered in kitschy decorations as a good sign (license plates, piñatas, chili pepper lights). We are both suckers for that kind of décor. After putting our margarita orders in, we decided to start with a half-avocado stuffed with shrimp and topped with “5 Burro House Dressing” and jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese, breaded and fried, then to share the shrimp fajitas for the main course (had to get shrimp. For Anjali. And well, we both really like shrimp). The food was delicious and filling. By the time we got to the fajitas we were a little too stuffed (perhaps from our STUFFED appetizers!) to finish everything.

By this time it was approaching 11 p.m. and the thought of getting back on the train for an hour sounded painful. Tania sprung for an Uber cab. Our first time not taking the train back. But we figured we had ridden the whole line by then, we were good!

And so there I was, continuing to move forward. Not backtracking at all. I rode that M train straight from heartbreak in Middle Village and out into this new place I reside: on the brink of success and excited about the road ahead.

As promised, I’ll leave you with a piece of that letter I found to Tania. I was nineteen-years-old and a wild child. I’m still a wild child at heart, but somehow the more we push forward, the more we grow up. At least we learn a thing or two along the way. It almost feels like a different person wrote that letter but then it’s so obvious that it’s me. Just a little caterpillar. And while I still feel far from full-on butterfly, I know I’ve spent some time in the cocoon since then. Life is exciting that way. I left New York after my first year of college to head back to California. It was me travelling in the opposite direction. Back to where I came from. But with a new intention. At that moment I didn’t know that I’d travel to the end of the line again, back to New York, and start to call it home.

My heart is here.

September 11, 1999

My dearest Tania Lee,

So, Marissa’s here. She arrived earlier today, letter in hand… I just sat in Washington Square Park (San Francisco version) and read it before work. Accordingly, I have decided to devote the next six hours to responding (interspersed with a sprinkling of reservation calls and folding of menus – the joy! the joy!) (oh and I’ll probably take a break to enjoy the Moose’s employee meal at 4:45) – but now… of course I am rambling… Me? NEVER! Babbling Brooke has possessed the hand that writes this letter. Barbie pink nails and… where am I going? Ahhhhhh the introduction. An attempt to relate exactly how your letter made me feel- how it pumped me full of emotion leading to an explosion of memories and love and love and love and love. An explanation is what I have to offer. An explanation of the nine months I spent in New York. An explanation of my situation. And explanation of our tornado of a friendship. Yes darling, you ARE stuck with me. Distance cannot destroy the bond that is ours. Am I being too poetic? Am I even a poet? Whoa, where did that come from?

…

Ralph coaxed me to eat a bacon cheese burger from Wendy’s. A weak moment indeed. Speaking of Ralph, he’s on the phone right now, hold on. Another break another break. Holy Jesus. I need to get to the core of this stinkin’ letter. But let’s make another digression first shall we? I am in LOVE. So in love. Never thought it possible again (oh so tragic and romantic)

…

[Don’t you just love how I was nineteen-years-old and never thought it was possible to fall in love again? If I only knew how many times I would fall in love after that! And yes, that’s the same Ralph that I mentioned earlier in this post. The next moments in this letter are intensely private and belong to Tania and me… they’re just ours… some things are better left within the privacy of the letter and sent only to the intended reader, but I will give one more piece]

…

I was just remembering that last night I spent in New York with you and what a good time we had and how we could always have fun no matter what we were lugging across the city. My dearest friend… I will be coming soon. We will eat brie in the park to accompany our cheap wine. We will dance like the dancing fools we are. We will smoke cigarettes in unauthorized areas. We will take pictures. We will ROCK OUT.

…

See, sometimes we take new directions, but at our core, we’re always the same. Hopelessly romantic dancing fools. And sentimental as all hell.

Love you, TaNia, My sister-frieNd.

never Made it, Lucky us

bLogged by: Tania

Guest Photographer: Stephanie Levy

On a recent Saturday, I begrudgingly boarded the L train at Union Square. The plan was to meet Bonnie and Stephanie on the M platform at Myrtle Wyckoff for a trip to Forest Hills. I was having a hard time wrapping my head around going from Manhattan to Brooklyn, just to go to back through Manhattan to Queens. We started our M journey to Middle Village at Myrtle Wyckoff back in December, however, and those are the rules. We start where we left off, and we ride the entire line.

I am tired. It has been a long winter filled with long hours (80 hour work weeks to be exact), long days and cold fingers, and I am ready for it to end. March is a very significant month. It is the end of winter and the beginning of spring. It is the month of my birth, as well as Bonnie and Stephanie. It is a time for new beginnings. It is funny the way that one marks the end of one thing and the beginning of the next – a new year, a new season, a new age, a new day. This will end today, and tomorrow will be different.

What was not so different on this particular Saturday was that there was yet another weekend schedule change of which we were unaware. By the time that I reached the Myrtle Wyckoff station, I was in a much better mood – aided by the Grateful Dead and the sight of the two pretty ladies I was meeting on the platform.

Joining us that evening as our guest photographer was Stephanie. Stephanie is a good friend of Bonnie, and therefore automatically has the seal of approval from me. However, as I have gotten to know her better, I have come to find she is just the kind of friend that anyone would be lucky to have. She listens intently when you have something to say, she offers insightful advice, she is the sort of friend who is the first to arrive at your birthday party and the last to leave (making sure that 1. You’ve had a great time and 2. Your house is clean). She helps you to organize your space (both mental and physical). She appreciates the little things like the beauty of a single flower and last but not least…she is so much fun!

We boarded the M train headed for Forest Hills. I scratched down the time on a piece of paper in my bag, which I have since lost. No matter, we never made it.   Three stops later the train stopped running. What to do? We considered getting off the platform, but that wasn’t really the end of the line. We ran back and forth between the M and J platforms several times before backtracking to Myrtle Wyckoff.

Sometimes you want a new adventure, a new beginning….and sometimes you just want home, the familiar and the comfortable. As luck would have it, that night I got exactly what I wanted. We boarded the L train, headed for the end. 8^th Avenue and 14^th street.  We wandered through the beautiful West Village to a restaurant so familiar to me that it always feels like home.

The West Village has always been a place where I have aspired to live. A brownstone at the end of a windy block. A small quaint town in a concrete jungle. We spent a while walking through the cobblestone streets, crashing stoops and enjoying the street art.

Eventually we ended up at Fish, on Bleeker Street. I have been coming to Fish for over 12 years, and I have never had a bad time or a bad meal. First attracted to the restaurant for their Red, White and Blue special – a half dozen clams or oysters with a PBR or wine for $8 – I never stopped going. Birthdays, Anniversaries, this has always been the place.

We were faced with a wait, but it was probably one of the most enjoyable waits that I can recall. We got a bottle of red wine and sat on the benches in the front, fully enclosed and protected from the elements. A hour must have passed, but it felt like minutes.

When we were finally seated, we were ready to eat! Three red, white and blue specials, one order of buffalo shrimp, a grilled tuna salad sandwich, a lobster cobb salad and king crab legs. Not being one to partake in buffalo wings, I truly appreciate the shrimp option. I could go on forever about the tuna salad. Now when I say tuna salad, you might think of a scoop of bumblebee with a pile of mayo. Not here. Grilled pieces of slightly rare tuna with a wasabi mayo and some celery. Amazing.   And king crab legs, they speak for themselves.

We toasted to our birthdays. To new beginnings that are truly new, and new beginnings that feel like home. Out with the old. They brought us some complimentary wine, but at that point we were so filled to the brim, I am not sure we even finished. We left our home for the night for a good night’s sleep that comes after a night of good food and good conversation, excited for the new beginning tomorrow would bring.

1 is for: 1 way or another I’m gonna getcha getcha getcha getcha

wr1tten by: Bonnie

Over 4.3 million people ride the subway in New York City every day. I, myself, am one of those riders, and just about every day at that. Usually, on the trains, we bury ourselves into our iPhones or iPods or Kindles. We don’t look up when kids are doing amazing dance moves, lest we have to spare a dollar when they walk around with the collection hat. We shut our ears off when someone starts telling their sad story or proselytizing. We avoid eye contact. We just try to get to the next point in time as quickly and quietly as possible.

Then there are those times when this need to shut off while commuting doesn’t happen. In fact, quite the opposite.

One such time is when you’ve just spent the night somewhere other than your own bed, and you’re on the ever-so-infamous walk of shame. Which is a particular feeling when you have to take public transportation. You’re acutely aware of the smudged eyeliner and last night’s outfit choice and perhaps unfamiliar smells on your skin as everyone else is moving along to work or wherever. You’re sure that everyone knows exactly what you’ve been up to, that you must be branded with the scarlet letter S for, well, take your pick. Truth is, no one pays too much attention, and I’d venture to guess the only time this is really obvious in New York is probably the morning after Halloween (pro-tip: an excellent day to ride the train!).  Admittedly I love this feeling. I love sitting there in the morning commute but heading home, with last night in my skin, smiling with my secrets while other people are just pushing through. If you’re unfamiliar, I’d say you’re missing out.

The other time that I actually pay attention on the train is when we go on these End of the Line Dining treks. We move to the corners of the city, keenly aware of every detail. Maybe it’s because ultimately we write of the whole experience, but suddenly we listen to the proclamations, looking for signs or reason within our journey (remember Eastchester-Dyre?) and we experience our commute and our city with wide-open eyes. I love these trips because we are aware. Every move has meaning. Every step is symbolic of the bigger picture of our lives—whether that be some awesome memory or some awesome plan for the future. Every instance contributes to the whole, and we soak it all up, get drunk off the experience, but not numb. It’s living at its best.

Last Sunday morning I met up with Tania in Manhattan to take the 1 train to South Ferry. I may or may not have just spent the night in Manhattan before meeting up with her. I may or may not have asked her to bring me a hair tie to disguise my bedhead. I may or may not have been living the experience of both of the scenarios that I just described above. A lady doesn’t kiss and tell. But I will say that we met up on the corner of Seventh Avenue and 14^th Street in Manhattan, and by 12:10pm we were heading downtown on the 1 train.

Okay, so we had one of those proselytizers. And he started his speech when the train was stuck in a tunnel for close to five minutes before moving into the last station. We listened at first, as we always do. A passenger across the aisle rolled his eyes, but I didn’t acknowledge his annoyance. Tania and I agreed that the speech started with a promising note. He was talking about the law of gravity and the law of suction and then helicopters (Hey cool! Was this going to be a science talk!?). But after that great intro, he sort of started to glitch out on his speech (Thank you, oh lord. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, God. Thank you, God. Thank you, God. Thank you, God. Over and over and over and over and over). And while I don’t have a problem with thanking God, it felt like we were being hit in the head with a hammer over and over and over. A baby started crying. Tania was recording (ask her if you ever want to hear it). And the train was not moving.

When we finally escaped this K-hole, we found our way out to the icy tip of Manhattan and saw our Lady Liberty and Ellis Island across the water. We took a couple of snapshots for posterity, and then began winding our way toward the Brooklyn Bridge and the South Street Seaport.

Neither of us had been to the Seaport since Hurricane Sandy and we wondered how much would be open. If you remember, it was hit pretty hard down there.

And sure enough, not much was open. The Seaport itself was entirely closed. There were many boarded up buildings within the historic district and the brick roads of that neighborhood. I’ve always found beauty in urban decay, but when it’s the effect of a tragedy, there is a different vibe, for sure. Nevertheless, despite the wind chill (read: it was fucking cold!) we had a very nice walk. That neighborhood holds a few very key memories in the history of my friendship with Tania.

The first being that the Brooklyn Bridge used to be our spot. Where we’d go to find some serenity. And we had a ritualistic approach to the crossing. We’d walk halfway across the bridge without turning our eyes back until we reached our mark. Then we’d turn around at the same time and let the majesty of the New York City skyline assault us all at once. Mind you, when we started this ritual, the twin towers were still part of the glory.

The other memory is from when Tania was a Resident Assistant at a dorm down there on Water Street. This one:

This was when I lived in San Francisco but was out for a visit. One day, we went to City Hall Park (most likely after a Brooklyn Bridge walk), and we found a fountain. In that fountain we made wishes, and Tania reminded me how she felt with the penny in her fingertips (must have been in 2000 or maybe early 2001). She said she can only remember a couple times in her life when she felt so happy and satisfied that she honestly didn’t know what to wish for. And there was a kind of charmed feeling in the air. Later that night she treated our friend Marissa and me to a fancy dinner at Tavern on the Green in Central Park, where we got way dressed up and lavished in the extravagance. Then she sprung for a bicycle cab to take us back down to 14^th Street for a night at Barmacy (which is now Otto’s Shrunken Head). That’s about a seventy block bicycle ride through Manhattan. And it was magical. We definitely felt on top of the world. When we got to the bar that’s when I first locked eyes with a boy that would soon after become kind of famous and we would engage in a long distance romance that was wild and passionate and unforgettable. There were many trips to New York after that. And many walk of shames through Manhattan back to wherever Tania was living during subsequent trips. Not to mention when his band adopted mine and we got to play at the Fillmore in San Francisco and the Troubadour in LA. Also, unforgettable experiences.

But I’m digressing. This is all just to say how powerful associative memories can be. And how by just paying attention, the experience of life is so much fuller and richer. Maybe too much sometimes. We definitely need to numb out sometimes. But checking back in with the hustle and bustle is so important.

So, back to our wandering in the here and now… After a quick pop-in to a boutique pet supply shop (Tania got Peanut a toy lobster),

we eventually found a bar/brunch spot called Cowgirl Seahorse. We agreed that was a hard name to pass up.

The theme of the décor was sort of an underwater rodeo. Everywhere you turned was a seahorse lamp or a horseshoe or an anchor, and even a fish with a horse’s head. The bathroom was for “Gulls and Buoys”

and hanging from antler chandeliers were the doily hearts and sparkly hearts left over from Valentine’s Day, no doubt. Not to mention the calming glow of twinkle lights set against wood paneled walls. Very cozy. Very kitsch. And we felt right at home. It was a sweet little brunch spot, one that I’d be happy to return to. Tania even mentioned it’d be a fun place for a birthday party, and I agree.

I ate biscuits and gravy with eggs over-easy and cheese grits. Washed all that down with a Bloody Mary. Tania had shrimp and grits, washed down with a coffee and a Virgin Mary (she was hitting Soul Cycle later that evening so booze didn’t seem like a good idea.) I thought the food was great.

I babbled on about the things I’ve been reading and writing lately. Tania filled me in on her craziness at work. This is the time of year that her job is so demanding that it’s kind of amazing we had the opportunity to spend an afternoon wandering.

We’ve been told (jokingly) we should change the name of our blog to Girl-Talk. And to be fair, an AWFUL lot of girl-talk happens on these trips. But an awful lot of dream-talk happens too. We passed a gorgeous flower shop and Tania told me of a particular dream to have her own flower shop at some point in her life. I’ve recently been offered representation by a literary agent (AND ACCEPTED! YAY!) so there’s a good amount of dreaming going on about what’s going to happen to my little edgy and gritty young adult novel (Oh, yeah, I also graduated. I now have my MFA since last we checked in here. YAY again!). These trips are a perfect blend of past-present-future. Past: because of how powerfully our memories are conjured up. Present: because we are so focused on every moment’s detail; and future: because of, well, that dream-talk that I just described.

It was a perfect Sunday, if I do say so myself. I was full, tired, a little buzzy from the booze, and oh-so-ready to get home to my shower (yep).

But before I could get there, we experienced another one of those instances in which people are forced into awareness on the train. This is when you run into someone you may or may not know very well, but end up sharing your ride with them. There are a whole range of feelings that can come along with this: from joy (rare) to awkwardness (often). There are the people that you run into that you wish you had maybe looked a little better (y’know, today’s clothes instead of last night’s), and there are the people that you maybe know very peripherally and have never really talked to, but are all of a sudden forced into a conversation by proximity. So Tania and I ran into someone I hadn’t seen in awhile, but our particular captive conversation actually ended up being quite pleasant: we talked about love and relationships, and whether it’s okay for your girlfriend to leave her ukulele at your apartment. But I was sort of squirming the whole time, wanting to inform Tania of the connection here, who this person was. They both exited at Bedford and once I was out at Halsey, I texted:

Me: If that wasn’t obvious….He’s in what’s-his-name’s band

Tania: I figured. A lot of world colliding going on!

Me: My life is a romantic comedy

Tania: Sure is!

My life as a romantic comedy: I mused on that for the rest of the afternoon. I’m waiting for that triumphant ending that comes along with that type of movie. Until then I’ll revel in the wacky irony of all these little moments.

And I’ll just keep fucking paying attention.

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Two Ends, and One Beginning

3y :Tania

As this year approached its end, I found myself cleaning house – both mentally and physically – making way for 2014 to be a year full of hope and promise.

For several months now, Bonnie and I have been searching for the right time to go to the end of the 3 – New Lots Avenue.  In a way, it has been hanging over our heads – needing to complete our ride along the 3 line.  So to make way for the New Year – we decided to conquer it on New Year’s Eve – the last day of the year.

I first went to East New York in 2003.  I was a big sister in the Big Sister Big Brother program and my little sister Sydnei , a teenager,  lived off of Liberty Avenue.   I probably did not make the best impression with her family when the first time we had an outing I sent a car service to pick her up and bring her back to my neighborhood.  Sometimes we would meet in the city, but I frequently spent time with her at her home, in her neighborhood.  We went to the movies, shopped… but most often went to get our nails painted.  Some of our best talks were at the nail salon, she taught me so much. I always felt safe with Sydnei, although I did not always feel comfortable on my walks back to the subway alone, particularly after dark.

Sydnei and I lost touch several years ago, and I did not love the idea of going back to East New York without her.  Alas, such is the nature of end of the line dining.  We must go.  And when we do, I always feel foolish for not wanting to go in the first place.

Bonnie and I departed for the terminus of the 3 line from 14^th Street at 11:36.  After our normal catching up on the Christmas holiday (Bonnie did not disappoint with a wild time to report with a particular gentleman in Oakland and the receipt of several infomercial gifts), we reflected on the year.  Was it mostly good or mostly bad?  I get the sense that it was a hard year for many, it was a hard year for me.

A woman on the train complimented my boots (although hers eclipsed mine in coolness 100% – they were Ugg style boots that said “I love men” in rhinestones – with an X over the N – so really they read “I love me”).  I did not notice until she was leaving, or I would have returned the compliment post haste.  She asked if Bonnie and I were sisters, I replied that we were not, but that we have been friends for a very long time.  I take that as the highest of compliments.  I once had a plan to become Bonnie’s sister by winning the heart of her brother Steven.  Our friend Sabree had the same plan and we were bitter rivals for some time in the quest for his hand.  Alas, neither of us was so lucky as to snag Steven.  He really is a great guy, it’s a shame!

We arrived at New Lots Avenue at 12:36.  One of our longest journeys to date.  We were greeted by a Christmas tree with a flood light for an angel and several street vendors peddling New Years regalia.  A slight air of festivity in a rather raw urban landscape.

We walked around for a bit – deterred by the bitter cold and the need to use a restroom.  There were a few Spanish American Restaurants, but we opted for a pizza joint near the subway – Caterina’s.

The first thing we noticed was that there was an out of order sign on the bathroom door.  We decided that the desire to keep out of the cold was the current winner on the scale of basic needs and so we stayed.  I ordered a slice with mushrooms, and Bonnie, a slice with olives.  Two cokes.  No sharing this time.  A simple meal – a last lunch of 2013.  The mushrooms and olives came from very large cans, but the slices tasted good.  One really should not judge a mushroom by the size of its can.  It just might turn out to be a very tasty mushroom indeed!

Bonnie and I had a sneaking suspicion that the bathroom was functional and that the sign was just a cover.  It had to be.  There really were none of the usual spots in the neighborhood to duck into – no coffee shops, no bars, no Whole Foods.

Bonnie decided to try her luck, and as luck would have it, she was granted entry to the bathroom that did in fact work.  The guys at the pizza place were very nice to all who came in, and I suppose there are reasons for which I would rather remain ignorant that that sign exists, but I was peeved.  I decided that if the rest of the general population could not use the bathroom, that I would not either and I left in silent protest.

Caterina’s was established in 1971.  I wonder what the neighborhood was like then, and how long that sign has been on the door.  I read once that for decades East New York has been the murder capital of Brooklyn.  I imagine that sometimes when I tell people that don’t live in New York that I live in Brooklyn, East New York is what they think of.  The thing is that really beautiful things come from East New York – like Sydnei,  George Gershwin and the Fat Boys to name a few.  I suppose the same could be said for my 2013.  It was hard and it was sometimes cold, but it was also at times very beautiful.

I am very much looking forward to 2014 and our adventures at the end of the line.  It just might be the best year yet.  Fingers crossed!

M is for: Makin’ our own Luck

CoMposed by: Bonnie

On December 1^st, Tania and I rode the M train to Metropolitan Avenue, in Middle Village, Queens. I have a long standing tradition to declare “Rabbit Rabbit” on the 1^st to ensure good luck for the month. My brother, Steven, and I have a near twenty-five year long competition going that whoever says it first gets the luck for the month. We used to take this so seriously when we lived together that we would find a hiding spot in the dark, just before the clock turned over to midnight, and then try to catch the other off guard with a Rabbit Rabbit sneak attack. With good luck at stake, it was very important to say it first! Our screams of bloody murder would often wake our poor parents up with the fear that their dear children were being taken hostage or something. Either that or they were just annoyed that we woke them up AGAIN.

In general, I feel very lucky. There’s a lot of goodness in my life. A lot of love and fun and support and opportunity.  Recently though, I’ve been nursing a broken heart, which can pretty much make you feel like your luck has run out. I abandoned yoga for a little while and replaced it with cigarettes and booze. Poison, instead of breath. I don’t know how anyone ever gets through a breakup without cigarettes, but that’s just me.

Tania and I wanted to pick a low-key destination this time around. Drained heart (yeah), drained brain (as I finish up my last semester of grad school).

Tania has an amazing talent for shape-shifting into the exact mood that you need her to be in. If you’re up for a wild night, she is a most excellent companion. If you’re feeling droopy, with a heavy heart, she’s also your gal. If you want a low-key adventure to the end of the line, she will follow suit and then fill it up with her charms and insights, making you sing Christmas carols even when you don’t want to, and suggesting Root Beer for dessert when they’re out of tiramisu. Tania is my sister. Truly, deeply. She lays down the law when it needs to be laid down, offers some of the most sensitive yet still strangely logical advice, and is my favorite person to share a bottle of wine with or some silly bathroom humor. I’m very lucky to have her.

Our trip to Middle Village was efficient. The ride from Myrtle-Wyckoff was nine minutes long. We tromped down Metropolitan Avenue just after the sun had completely tucked away, with a giant, looming shopping center on one side of the street and an expansive cemetery on the other. Middle Village definitely does not feel like New York City. Lots of strip malls. Because of this, we were sort of thinking it was may be time to hit up a Hooters or a Chili’s or something like that (NOT Applebee’s though, Tania hates Applebee’s). But we didn’t find any such place. Instead we found this cute little junk shop.

We asked the employees where to eat, and they said Rosa’s without hesitation. And to definitely “get the Sicilian.”

So, right around the corner, on Fresh Pond Road, was the neighborhood hotspot, Rosa’s. Where the Queens locals get their Sunday supper. We were seated next to a table of plain clothes officers, with badges and guns hanging from their belts. Families and couples. Casual. Warm. Friendly service. Low-key. And just what we needed.

We ordered the shrimp parmesan with penne pasta and a grandma slice to share (Sicilian style). Tania got a small bottle of very cold Merlot, and I got a beer. The bread came even before the water (which was in paper cups from a pupuseria… perhaps they went out of business and gave all their cups to Rosa’s?)

The food tasted exactly like it should. Italian comfort food. Nothing mind-blowing but certainly delicious. We ate fast. With efficiency.

On the way back to the train, Tania bought a wreath declaring that she “needs a little Christmas, right this very minute.”

This is her current favorite carol. Some of the lyrics are kind of dark:

For I’ve grown a little leaner, grown a little colder
Grown a little sadder, grown a little older
And I need a little angel sitting on my shoulder
I need a little Christmas now

Actually the whole song is about saving someone that’s kind of sad and lonely with the holiday spirit. I just peeped at the lyrics again, looking for a more cheerful verse, but look at this:

Haul out the holly
Put up the tree before my spirit falls again
Fill up the stocking
I may be rushing things, but deck the halls again now

The holiday season can feel really lonely, I suppose. I like that this song is being real about that.

On the way back, we also tried to find Funtopia inside the strip mall, but the entrance system was too confusing and we couldn’t find it. I’ll try not to see that as a metaphor. Haha.

We did find some quarter machines which we’re both suckers for.

What’s Tania so excited about in that picture?

Maybe this post is a little more melancholy than my other hopelessly romantic musings. Blame it on the season. Maybe I need a little Christmas. Maybe I need the luck from Rabbit Rabbit. Maybe I need my friends. Maybe I just need to power through and stay focused on my work until I can just go chill out for a few days in California.

I did bring myself back to yoga the night after our journey. Breathe, breathe, breathe.

Middle Village is called such because it’s the midpoint between Williamsburg and Jamaica. While this wasn’t a balls-out adventure like our Brighton Beach trip, it was this comfortable middle place. A place between where we were and where we want to be. I’m working on moving forward. I’m so incredibly proud that I’m almost through with my MFA degree. I am so incredibly thankful for all the good people in my life. Luck is a funny thing. I make wishes when the clock has all the same numbers on it, I lift my feet when driving over a railroad track, I declare Rabbit Rabbit on the first of the month. But in general, I just try to live my life as awesomely and honestly as possible. And I think that’s where the real luck comes from.

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B is is for Meyers-Briggs, ballrooms and bongos.

scripted By: Tania

Six months late, but better late than never, and certainly worth the wait! Bonnie and I tried to go to Brighton Beach back in April and were thwarted by suspended weekend B service. On one recent Friday, we finally made it.  We met at the West 4th Street station at 7pm headed south.

I have only ever been to Brighton Beach in the day, when there is a lot of activity – vendors on the street selling Russian food to beach goers. By the time that we arrived, it was dark and felt unusually quiet. For the first time in EOLD history, we decided to accept a recommendation, and so had planned to go to Tatiana – a Russian restaurant with a show on Friday and Saturday nights. We located the restaurant straight away, but it was a bit early so we walked to the boardwalk, stared at the sea and ventured off to find a bar. There was not one bar to be found! Perhaps the locals keep them a secret…

Joining us on this trip was Adrienne. The circumstances under which I met Adrienne were quite unusual. We had been sent by our firm to a 3 month leadership program in Shanghai—50 people from 17 different countries trying to get “underneath the iceberg”. We wore our Myers-Briggs profiles like a badge (“he is so E”), and had more time to discuss our goals, aspirations, motivations and feelings than I ever imagined possible in a work environment.
My first experience with Adrienne was to review the 360 degree feedback that we had received from our staff and colleagues back at home. Adrienne’s feedback was off the scale positive. It was so good I was a bit in disbelief that anyone could be so smart, generous, supportive and enjoyable to work with. Now I know. Of all the people in our program, Adrienne was the tireless coordinator of happy hours, apartment crawls and other social events. If it were not for the program’s focus on our Myers-Briggs profiles, I never would have guessed that Adrienne was an introvert. It is very clear for me to see now, though, and it drew me closer to her as a friend (I too am an introvert – INTP if you know the lingo). For those of you who might think that introverts have less fun, Adrienne will quickly prove you wrong!

We entered Tatiana through a long hallway filled with pictures of Tatiana herself, posing with various celebrities. It took a few minutes to find someone to seat us. When we entered the main dining room, it looked a little bit like that time when Shane Smith went to North Korea and sat in an empty banquet hall that was set up for a crowd that would never arrive. There were flashing lights, a stage, tables set and NO people. Eventually we were joined by two birthday parties, and later learned that a party of 150 cancelled at the last moment due to a death in the family. We promptly ordered some vodka martinis. The party was to start with or without the large crowd.

We decided to share, as usual, selecting a few items from the menu that we had never heard of and could not pronounce. We started with the smoked fish assortment (lox, smega, red caviar and butterfish) and 3 hachapuri. The very tall, very Russian waiter informed us that it is customary to eat the smoked fish with potatoes, and so we ordered some of those as well. The hachapuri turned out to be a delicious cheese filled pastry. The highly anticipated caviar on the fish plate, however, tasted like something that you would eat at a cheap sushi restaurant. Bonnie and Adrienne seemed to enjoy the beef stroganoff that they ordered. By the time the vareniki with sweet cheese arrived, we were several martinis deep, filled to the gills and posing for pictures with our food (which are frankly too embarrassing to show!).

Around the time the fish plate was served, the entertainment began. I understand that it is usually much grander, but they waived the show fee, and it was certainly good enough for us. Two ladies in ball gowns sang the hits, while a bald man donning a tuxedo ran the show. Adrienne made it her mission to play the bongos on stage, a feat that our waiter said that many had tried before, and all had failed.

The birthday parties were the first to dance, followed by an extremely grabby couple. We jumped in at some point, and eventually the whole room was whipped into a frenzy. We were all dancing like no one was watching (introvert) – or like everyone was watching (extrovert). We drank a bottle of wine, Adrienne made it onto the stage to play the bongos (I never doubted her for a second), and Bonnie did some intimate dancing with the man from the grabby couple. One of the things that I love most about Bonnie is that she does not discriminate when it comes to dance partners. I once saw her shake her tail feather with a man dressed only in a strategically placed ice cream scoop.

After a very healthy dose of dancing and good fun, we paid our check and headed for the subway, but not before posing with these lamps…

It felt nice going home on the train, one of those moments where you are happy being exactly where you are, having had a really great time with your friends. There were three doc martin wearing teenagers sitting across from us. We took it upon ourselves to give them life advice (which they asked for – we do not make it a habit of spouting off unsolicited wisdom). I can’t remember exactly what that wisdom was – but I’m sure it was life changing….

Adrienne got off the train, followed at a later stop by Bonnie and me. I gave a homeless man a $20 bill, went home and walked my dog. Upon reflection, I can’t say for sure whether the man was homeless – the only thing that I know for certain is that he was a man and he had a sign. I also know for certain that everyone should experience a night in Brighton Beach!

S is for: Sand, Salt, Saturdays, & Spanning Time

Scripted by: Bonnie

Guest Photographer: Kevin Hagen

Dear Tania, Atty, & Kevin,

This morning I put my shoes on to go to the deli for a cup of coffee. My French press exploded a couple of weeks ago and I needed a strong cup before attempting to write this post about our epic shuttle journey to Beach 116 last weekend. The shoes were the same that I wore on our End of the Line journey, and I felt the little bits of sand between my toes that I had collected when we walked along the beach. Most find this feeling uncomfortable. I find myself savoring the feeling as we move into fall. I find myself not wanting to dump the lingering sand out of my shoes in an attempt to cling to the last bit of what was an amazing summer for me.

I try to spend as much time as I can in the Rockaways during the summer. Not as much as some of our friends, but I try to make a trip out as often as possible, collecting sunburns and hangovers and the general salty sunny happy feeling. I spent a lot of time this past summer kissing one particular boy on a blanket at Beach 86. It was a beautiful summer of romance, which you all know I’m a sucker for.

When the four of us met up at the platform at Broadway Junction with the intention of taking the A Train to Far Rockaway, I wasn’t upset to learn that part of the line was closed for repairs. It meant we had to do some quick thinking, but the solution was to take the “S” Shuttle to the end of the line from Broad Channel to B 116, or Belle Harbor, and that sounded just fine. One of the goals of this project is to ride the entire subway system, so missing that chunk of the line wouldn’t do for us, even if we made it to the same end point. This meant a lot of shuttle busses for us because of the construction, but with company like the three of you, it didn’t even really matter, did it? We still ended up in the Rockaways, just at a slightly different point than the original plan with the A train.

I’ve known the three of you for so long, and you’ve always been the type of friends that are down for whatever. This works great for me in a friendship since very often I operate on whims, and when people are down to ride the tide then they are something special in my book. In fact, during this journey we spent a lot of time recalling past adventures—of which there are many. Atty and I became friends at the time in our lives when adventures were almost a nightly affair. Though there was a lot more partying back then, the spirit of the adventure was always the same. We live and love with abandon. And pick up the pieces later.

I’m thankful that I spent the day with you three, shuttling around, looking for a restaurant in Belle Harbor, finding a gem of a spot on the Bay, and then ending the day by dipping in the ocean, perhaps for the last time of the year. (Though knowing myself, it’s quite possible that’s not true).

Our lunch, at a place called the Wharf, was extravagant. It included many Bloody Marys, clams cooked in their own juices (a private joke for us to think back on, one that the readers of the blog probably won’t laugh at if I try to explain how hilarious that was), baby back ribs, mussels, fish tacos, twice baked potatoes, garlic bread and shrimp cocktail. Our table was on a dock right over the water and the weather was perfect. We were all nursing various degrees of hangovers (some of us jetlagged, some of us mending from too much rum the night before).

The quote of the lunch is when Kevin said, “This is a table full of people that have failed to settle down.” On one hand, that is true. We don’t have babies, we haven’t stopped playing. But I’d like to just amend the word “fail” because have we really tried? I think we just keep living life the way that feels right and natural.

We’ve certainly come a long way since the early days in San Francisco. We’re all pretty much on the career track now and have accumulated various successes. We’ve all fallen in and out of love and while we may have some scars from the experience, we wear them proudly. We haven’t failed. We just don’t want to settle. We were a tableful of people that have failed to live like some might say we’re supposed to, but why would we ever do such a thing? If we did then we might not have ended up at the end of the line on a Saturday afternoon getting a little too tipsy on Bloody Marys with Clamato juice. We wouldn’t have seen that dude riding his bicycle on the sidewalk with the shirt that said “Beef Cake.” We wouldn’t have touched the jellyfish that washed up on the sand. And I wouldn’t be sitting here writing this letter of adoration to three amazing people with sand tickling me between my toes.

That’s all I’m going to say about our adventure on the Shuttle to Beach 116 Street. Kevin took amazing pictures that day and I’ll let them flesh out the rest of the experience for our readers of End of the Line Dining. The rest of us can just hold on to those little memories and keep moving forward, refusing to settle down until it feels absolutely perfect. We’ll just cook in our own juices until then.

Love,

Bonnie

PS Lots of cool beach pics to enjoy…

PPS Kevin in action. Hot damn! Thank you so much!

5 is for: High Fives, Stayin’ Alive

5cribbled by: Bonnie

Last Wednesday, Tania and I rode the 5 train all the way up to Eastchester-Dyre in the Bronx. Couldn’t escape the irony in the name Dyre. Dire. What were we heading into? A few hours before the trip, Tania texted: We could always do the shuttle to Times Square. To which I responded: Nah. Let’s go for it. We don’t want all the shitty ones at the end.

I guess we have some balls heading up to Eastchester-Dyre at sundown. We know that this project is going to lead us to some dire straits, but one of our goals is to keep our heads up and our eyes open, and to reach the far corners of our city. What business do I have even calling this stop a shitty one? How do I even know? We’ve stood out in a neighborhood on more than one occasion. More than once, we’ve been asked: What are you doing here? Always with the same questioning faces when we say we just randomly took the train out there. But how do you end up anywhere, really? Sometimes you just have to let faith be your guide.

So, post-trip on the 5 train, I give you 5 morsels of End of the Line Dining wisdom learned and/or reinforced:

1.       You Gotta Look Out For Each Other

We boarded the 5 Train Uptown from Grand Central at 6:23pm. Mercifully, this is an express train. In the middle of some chit chat and catch-up, we were interrupted by a sudden call of, “Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen…” We, riders of the NYC transit system, are used to this—“What time is it? SHOW TIME!” Or kids selling candy. Or mariachi bands. This man didn’t look particularly homeless. He seemed to be in very good shape, and by this I mean he was ripped. Something about his voice captured us all. The mood on the train shifted. Instead of an annoying interruption, the vibe was that the riders were actually listening. I know I was. First he informed us that he just got “off the rock.” I thought to myself, damn, he looks good for a crackhead. But Tania informed me later that the rock he was referring to wasn’t the crack rock but Riker’s Island. Oh, right.

He went on to tell us about a guy he met in the shelter. Someone that kept saying over and over: God is good, God is good. He said to the guy: Say that one more time and I’ll help you out with a blessing. The man said again: God is good. So even though this man didn’t have much, he gave the other man what he could. He said to us all that you have to look out for people even if you don’t got much, and the blessing will come back. I’m not kidding, I never saw so many people give money to someone that didn’t just flail around on the bars to hip hop, or walk down the aisle with a serious disfigurement.

Tania and I knew this speech was going to have some significance on our journey ahead. And the whole journey did end up being about faith.

2.       Find Light in the Dire – Follow the Signs

We arrived in Eastchester-Dyre at 7:09pm. Dusk. The sky was that purple-blue that I love so much. The first thing Tania saw from the window of the elevated train was two people sitting on a cardboard box, smoking something (we guessed that this time it really was the rock, as in the crack rock).

Here we go.

We were greeted by a row of commerce on the street directly out of the station (encouraging since that probably meant we wouldn’t have to wind too far in). And the first intersection that I saw was the corner of Light and Dyre.

Call me crazy, but I took this as a very good sign. Where the light meets the dire. I felt hopeful that we would find something great. So we ventured down Dyre, and we almost settled for pizza, but then saw a sign for “Faithy’s Kitchen.”

Miraculous! After what we’d just heard from our pal on the train, we knew this was our spot.

3.       Ting Soda is Delicious!

Faithy’s Kitchen is a down-home kind of spot. The majority of the restaurant is the kitchen, and the only seating is a counter top with five stools.

The menu is written on a white board, and Faithy, herself, is cooking and serving all of her guests.

The Mets game was on the television. And when we arrived, the people in the restaurant hung out with the ease of being at home. Home in Faithy’s Kitchen.

Perusing the beverages, we found that Faithy makes her own juice. Tania grabbed a pineapple-ginger and then got excited by Pink Ting. Tania used to take vacations with her mom to Jamaica so she had heard of Ting soda. I, on the other hand, had not, so I grabbed one to try for myself.

She ordered a whole snapper with vegetable seasoned rice, and I ordered the chicken curry special with regular seasoned rice. Faithy filled Styrofoam containers with our meal, adding cabbage and vegetables on the side, and we sat down at the counter to eat. YUM! YUM! Double YUM! Faithy can cook! My chicken was tender and flavorful. The fish was the same.

We mostly ate in silence. Soaking it all in, perhaps, and also we were just really freakin’ hungry. Ting soda is grapefruit flavored, and oh so delicious. If you ever have the option, try it!

4.       Breakdown Preconceived Notions

When we finished our meal and were leaving the establishment, a group of patrons were hanging out outside, and they all gave us the most heartfelt: “Come on back now, ya hear.” And then of course, that old familiar question came up of what we were doing in the neighborhood. If we were visiting from somewhere, etc. I responded that we were visiting from Brooklyn. Then came more heartfelt replies saying that whenever we’re back in the Bronx that we ought to pop on by.

So to this I say: there are good people everywhere. You just can’t go into a situation expecting the worst. This is age old wisdom, and how I try to live my life. We made it out of Faithy’s filled up solidly by delicious home cooking and the goodness of people. Even if you feel slightly out of place, just push on through and sit down for a meal. Chances are that you really are welcome.

5.       Faith is a Powerful Thing

Our journey started with the outpouring of the man on the train’s faith and then we followed our faith into Faithy’s Kitchen. Back on the train downtown, a woman passed us a flyer to attend her church. You gotta believe in something is what I think. Even if it’s not God.

I, personally, believe in love. And I think love is much beyond what we can understand physically; it’s something that is spiritual to me. Not just love of one other person, but the love that I feel for my friends and my family, and even for the man that professed his faith on the train. I also believe in the goodness of people. Sure, that means I get burned from time to time, but that is something that I must believe in. That’s faith to me. Faith can be as simple as making someone else’s bed if they let you sleep in a little longer, or singing a song at the top of your lungs, or knowing there’s someone to call when you’re feeling blue, or giving someone a dollar that needs it, or just saying thanks for stopping by. Faith is a powerful thing.