16 replies to this topic

[Aquitaine]

OK, first let me say that I have NEVER bought anything on the street which I then put into my mouth. Call me fussy or germophobe, whatever. (Or talk to my mama...)

I am, however, a fool for doughnuts. And a churros virgin. Or I was, until the other day when waiting for the downtown R train at Lexington and 59th Street.

As I came down the stairs, I saw a middle-aged Latino woman with a wire laundry cart stacked with horizontal, pale-golden ridged rod-shaped somethings in a large clear plastic bag. On top of her cart was a display of assorted things to eat, which (note churros status above; ditto for many Latino foods) I did not recognize. I guessed correctly at the churros, discovered that cuchifritos are not pork-laden somethings but rather a dessert, and didn't understand the names of the other things I pointed to.

Everything looked fresh, the woman clearly was hard-working (imagine how long it took her to make all these, or whoever it was; and imagine what an incredible job it was to sell --all day -- within 3 feet of oncoming subways), and I was curious.

So I gulped, bought my 3-for-a-dollar churros and plunged my greedy little hands into the (slightly grease-stained) brown-paper bag.

Nice. Really nice. Crisp, just the right amount of sugar. Beautiful ridges. By the third subway stop away, I wish I'd bought more.

OK, as I said at the beginning, I'm a fool for doughnuts. But keep your eyes open. And report back if you, too, succumb. It would be nice to hear a second opinion.... [And a report on the other treats....whatever they're called....]

Coordinates: The 60th Street /Lexington entrance. Downstairs on the R platform. Roughly 2:30pm. Sorry not to be more specific, but it didn't occur to me to alert eGullet until today...maybe just feeling a bit uncertain about my taste in churros??? But...support your local purveyors!

[hollywood]

Churros are all over LA. Hell, you can even get them at Costco. Next ask for some champurrado to drink with them or you could make your own. http://www.culinary....hampurrado.html

[elyse]

Aquitaine, while I live nearby, and would love to sample churros,I eat nothing from the streets too, but I ESPECIALLY eat nothing on the subway. More for you!

[alacarte]

I'll eat from street vendors now and again, but otherwise I agree with Elyse: No subway food. Period.

Let us know how you are feeling tomorrow, OK?

[Pan]

I've had the fried fishballs from a cart across from the Flushing branch of the Queens Public Library repeatedly without incident, and used to enjoy the Hong Kong Egg Cakes that were sold from a booth on Mosco off Mott (I miss them). No problem there, either. And then there's the boiled tofu I get from a storefront on Roosevelt Av. I've also gotten them on the street on Broadway (or was it Lafayette?) and Canal. No problem there, either. I think that people can be too cautious, but hey, do whatever makes you comfortable.

[elyse]

When I used to eat food from the street, a couple of times I smelled cat piss, and that did it for me. Plus, a friend of mine lived above a vendor cart garage in Tribeca and would see the vendors sharpening their knives on the sidewalk curb. Vomitorious.

I'm not saying it'll make you sick, it just grosses me out.

Edited by elyse, 11 June 2003 - 08:01 AM.

[Bux]

I've had little or no trouble eating from street vendors. Even Canal Street with its very high levels of car exhaust fallout was not a deterrent. Subway stations on the other hand, are a complete turn off in terms of food ingestion. I don't even like to take sealed food packages on the subway.

"Cuchitritos" are not necessarily a desserrt and most usually are not, as far as I know.. Although the term generally refers to all sorts of fried stuff, I've never heard it applied to things like churrros before. I associate the term with Puerto Rican food (alcapurrias and bacalaito fritos especially) and churros with Spain and Mexico. I wonder if certain words take on new meanings in Pan-Latino cultures such as exist in NYC.

[hollywood]

When I used to eat food from the street, a couple of times I smelled cat piss, and that did it for me.

Are you sure it was from cats?

[elyse]

Not at all. Would it matter???

[hollywood]

Not at all.  Would it matter???

It would if it was a civet.

[Aquitaine]

1) I meant to title this topic "Real underground food" but goofed...

2) The churros seemed safe...no dairy, no meat, no veggies....I feel dandy a week later. Was I just lucky? I don't know. I have a friend who has eaten off the streets all through Asia and Southeast Asia and the Philippines (how's my geography???) with nary a negative experience. But there are two kinds of people, as Eli Wallach might say [see The Good, the Bad and the Ugly -- which I just did in the extended version at the Film Forum here in NYC; I can't believe I never saw the movie before -- what a hoot! but that's off-topic]: in this case, those with a cast-iron stomach, and those without. I am definitely in the latter camp, but I've definitely been AOK....

3) For those of you who eat food at the ballpark / stadium...don't be so sure you want to know what you're eating there. Talk about stories...and not just urban legend, either. I got one from the horse's mouth that makes me cringe every time I think of it...20 years later!

4) I stand by this experience. Maybe it was just my adventure for the day!

5) I have been lucky not to have to take the subway as often as I used to; I tend to agree with you, Bux, about food ingestion on the subway in general. Oh well...now my secret is out. Transgress once, tell about it, and whaddya get?

[elyse]

Not at all.  Would it matter???

It would if it was a civet.

How so?

[hollywood]

Not at all.  Would it matter???

It would if it was a civet.

How so?

Might have SARS.

[alacarte]

2) The churros seemed safe...no dairy, no meat, no veggies....I feel dandy a week later.

Glad to hear you're doing fine. More power to you! (I had worried a bit since we didn't hear back from you...)

[kurl]

I just ate fried chicken from a truck.

[elyse]

In the subway???

[kurl]

Granted, it was on the street. It was actually really really good, though fried chicken is not my forte (did you guys know that that's supposed to be pronounced "fort?!" blew my mind when I heard that), financial district, on Hanover Square or right near it.

Thanks for all of your recommendations in that other thread, when I get more than 5 free minutes, I'll be sure to try more of them out (I only started my job 9 days ago)