My pal Zany pings me one weekend in early July: "Good morning! Who said Friday
the 13th brought bad luck? Turns out I'll be in town and available for
lunch/a food adventure if you're around and available..."
I couldn't be more thrilled. Lunch has been a little
lackluster lately and it’s been months since our last food adventure in
Chicago. I immerse myself in research and start monitoring Twitter hourly
for the latest and greatest food trucks crisscrossing Manhattan. Zany would
expect nothing less. I’m not finding an obvious choice. Many of our favorites still haunt midtown,
but I’d like to try something different and most of the tasty new options are
clustering downtown in the Financial District these days. I'm also a little nervous. In recent months, Zany has become quite the international gourmet.
Friday the 13th arrives and I am feeling lucky. Luke’s Lobster Truck is in position on 46th
and Vanderbilt, but I’ve also got an eclectic list of backup options ranging
from Mediterranean to Greek. Zany arrives at my office at the
appointed time and she's already on the case.
She hasn’t lost her food truck mojo. Walking across town, she’s spotted the Urban Lobster Shack Truck, parked near Luke’s as well as the Bistro Truck, which
features a crab cake sandwich. “Let’s
visit them all,” she suggests gamely.
“It will be like a New England seafood sampler.”
Zany hasn’t lost her mojo, or her appetite.
As we’re hoofing it over to the East Side, we run into a VIP
on the street – my boss. We chat for a
minute before Zany serves up her big news.
“I’m eating for two!” she announces.
Yes, she and Luigi the Baker are expecting in December! It’s
very exciting, and she’s happy to break the news on Culinary Types.
We zero in on the Urban Lobster Shack Truck, an arresting fire
engine red vehicle, with a giant lobster mascot sitting in the drivers seat. Our kind of joint.
The truck’s slogan is “On a roll since 2006.” Wish I’d been on a roll since 2006.
After a quick perusal of the menu, Zany decides we should kick
off our seafood smorgasbord with the “Famous Lobster Roll” and a side of “Homemade
Old Bay Pasta Salad.”
We also get two servings of Maine Blueberry Virgin
Sangria.
Perfect for Zany’s current state, and perfect for an afternoon
of dining at the shore.
Next we head a block or so over to Luke’s Lobster Truck. Luke’s truck looks a bit like it might have
weathered a Nor’easter, but it does profess some genuine New England
hospitality.
Here we decide to go for the Shrimp Roll – a split bun, heaped
with pink, curly shrimp and drizzled with warm butter. Zany nearly hyperventilates as the guy in
the truck drizzles the butter using a giant baster. We find a spot for our little seafood feast at an outdoor
promenade on Park Avenue.
Zany picks up the lobster roll, and pries it in half with her
hands. She hands me my portion. “From Me to You,” she says, and takes a bite
of her half. “I love lobster when you
don’t have to work for it.”
It is an exquisite creation – big, succulent chunks of lobster
on a toasted potato roll. The pasta salad is light and refreshing, with
just a hint of the Old Bay.
I always admire Zany’s ability to revel in the moment. “It’s almost like you can hear the sound of
ocean waves and seagulls,” she says referring to the din of traffic and pigeons
on Park Avenue.
The shrimp are lightly seasoned and nestled in a toasted bun,
spread lightly with mayonnaise. The bun
is not soggy, which Zany notes is the mark of a true seafood chef. “When I saw
that butter baster, I knew it was love at first site,” she says.
Next, we head for the Bistro Truck, which features a variety
of Moroccan style fare. Park Avenue in
the 40s has become the new food truck haven.
Zany counts 12 trucks as we are strolling along the avenue. The lines are long, with many smartly dressed
financial types anxiously awaiting nourishment.
“It’s a friggin food truck circus out here,” she says.
As we’re waiting for the crab cake at the Bistro Truck, Zany
points out, “Remember for my farewell tour how we had three food adventures in
one day? Notice how this time we’ve
managed to squeeze three food adventures into one lunch hour?”
“Clearly, we’re getting more efficient,” I reply.
The crab cake sandwich completes our seafood triple
threat. The cake is massive, and stuffed
with all kinds of yummy things. We can
see shrimp mixed into the crab cake, and the whole thing is seasoned with Moroccan
spices and topped with some meltingly good caramelized onions. It’s the perfect finale to our seaside
buffet.
“I think I’ve fulfilled my shellfish requirement for the day,”
says Zany, primly folding her napkin and collecting the trash. She pauses for a second. “Let’s see.
We’ve had lobster, shrimp and crab – that’s all the major seafood
groups. Well done!” She adds, "Do you know what Mad Me-Shell would like least about this menu? No red meat!"
Before dessert, we decide to make a quick side trip to the New
York Public Library where the exhibit “Lunch Hour NYC” is currently on
display. I believe a little side dish
of education is always good, and it’s important that we have a better
understanding of our place in New York lunch hour history.
In the exhibit, we learn about school lunches, street carts, power
lunches and the world famous Horn & Hardart's Automat, once the height of
lunchtime chic in New York City.
There’s even a singing coffee spigot, which Zany finds a bit
perplexing.
As we wrap up our tour, I say, “I think we need something
sweet for the walk back.”
“Look through the door,” says Zany in a hushed tone. (It is a
library after all.) Perfectly framed in
the library entrance is a vision of a Mister Softee Truck – the original food
truck – bathed in a golden light and parked on the other side of Fifth
Avenue.
I pause for a second on the steps of the library. “You know, I don’t think that’s actually a Mister
Softee,” I begin. “I think it’s one of
those knockoff trucks.”
“Oh, let’s do it,” says Zany. “New York is full of knockoffs.” We
order two vanilla/chocolate swirl cones and make an ice cream toast to our
lucky day.
Cheers, Zany on your blessed event and your triumphant return to New York street food! It was
nice to have you back where you belong!
