Food Fights
Sometimes I can be a really nice guy. But other times I encounter something so upsetting to me that I can feel the vein in my forehead start to throb. And I know the best course of action is to just to stop, take a deep breath, and let it go.
But. I. Just. Can’t. Do. It.
And you know, it doesn’t matter where it comes from. It can be from a family member, a friend or a complete stranger on the Internet. I see these transgressions of taste, these crimes against food, and have to take a stand.
For some reason, this has been happening a lot lately. And I mean a lot. These exchanges tend to happen on Twitter, Facebook or in real life. But I thought it was time to bring some of them here, so we can talk about them in detail.
Can anyone say, Theme Week?
Today, I want to set the stage. Because there are really three stories from the past few weeks I feel compelled to share in detail. Each of them will get their own dedicated post. So for those who missed out on all the fireworks over banana ice cream and chicken stock, I’m going to take the chance to catch you up. And then there’s the awful thing I did to Mrs. Fussy that involves the simple act of placing an order for take out.
The individual stories will start on Wednesday. Tuesday will be dedicated to the anniversary of the FLB. And I cannot think of a more appropriate way to see out my terrible twos. Incidentally, you are all still cordially invited to drop in and say hi during any of the anniversary festivities on Tuesday.
But back to fighting about food for a minute, because it think it’s important that you all have some context.
This has been going on for a long long time. Raf may have even forgotten about one of our disagreements from almost twenty years ago, but I haven’t. My contention at the time was that the best seafood could be found at dockside bar and grills where fish was taken off boats still alive, killed and grilled simply by someone who pretty much has just cooked fish like that every day since forever.
He was having none of that. Raf believed the best seafood was found in the dining palaces of NYC or Paris where master chefs would have exotic fresh seafood flown in overnight from around the world, and then would transform these pristine specimens into some exquisite masterwork of culinary perfection.
I thought then, and I still maintain, that his ideal is too overwrought. Not that it wouldn’t be delicious, surely it would be amazing. But if you tart the seafood up enough, then what you’re enjoying isn’t the fish anymore, it’s something else.
Perhaps he’ll weigh in on this, and we’ll see if his position has changed. But he’s also the kind of guy who tends to dig in.
To me, disagreements about food among friends is a perfectly normal and healthy exchange. Like how I berate Albany Jane about white chocolate. Although sometimes people take it personally. Honestly I can’t even remember what I said anymore that upset Silly Goose Farm. And sometimes it takes me crossing a line to figure out who those folks are. AJ plays along and gives me hell about that vein that throbs in my forehead when I get upset about food.
I’ve got strong opinions. And I’m also not the best at reading how people are responding to what I consider to be playful debates. That’s how I got stabbed with a fork at a fondue restaurant in Berkeley. You would think that this incident might have taught me an important lesson in restraint.
But I’m not that kind of smart.
FUSSYlittleBLOG 
Bring it. I’m from Brooklyn, I can take it.
I’m with you on the fish. Having lived in Greece, and eaten fish right off the boat, there is nothing better.
Oh Boy Oh Boy… let the games begin! Banana Ice Cream 4Eva’
Regarding seafood – dockside cannot be beat. I don’t care who you are, where you’ve eaten, and how amazing it was. You take a fish from the water to the grill in as little time possible, you’re in for a fantastic dish. As someone who grew up with dockside access, here’s the skinny:
1) Fresh as fresh can be. If the fish wasn’t immediately snatched from the waters and filleted for your very dish, then it was kept on ice – not frozen – whole, and cleaned/cut as needed. That is key.
2) Any dockside restaurant will have their own special way of preparing their food. It may be imitated the world over, but as Dan mentioned, they’ve got their method down to a science. You can have the same dish anywhere else, but it won’t come close to what they’ve dialed into. And the non-fish ingredients are often extremely sparse, because it’s all about the fish and not the spices or sauces.
3) You won’t be able to beat their prices, because they are not paying middlemen for inventory. They are not paying for fish to be flown in, or trucked in. They have deals with the local fishermen to get fish off the boat direct. The fishermen get a good profit, and the restaurant gets a good price. This is how you get a 2 lb lobster roll with a mountain of fresh cut fries, onion ring, and slaw all for the price of a boiled chicken lobster anywhere else, or a “fish sandwich” that is the length of your arm for under $10 with the same mountain of sides.
4) Your best dockside food joints don’t look like much, and they don’t advertise. They don’t need to, and they don’t need to dress to impress. The closest thing to coordinated appearance will likely be branded t-shirts. That’s it. Follow the locals, and find where they are lining up (there likely won’t be a roadside sign, either, so do follow closely). And yes, they line up and wait sometimes an hour or more, because it’s worth it. And, you’ll find that you’ll make acquaintances if not friends while waiting. There’s no pretension, just a shared love for damn good food.
I’m with Dan 100%. You can get damn good food prepared using seafood anywhere in the world, but to get damn good seafood, you need to hit the docks. Nothing else compares, save for catching and cooking it yourself, provided you know how to prepare seafood well.
I’m with you profussor. I love healthy debate and don’t take it personally when someone disagrees with me.
On seafood, I also agree with you. The closer you can get to the source the better. That may be true for all foods. Do you have post on your favorite seafood? I would love to get your thoughts on seafood in the Albany area ( what little there is) and where you escape to to get fish right off the boat.
Okay, what was the chicken stock thing? Because I make it regularly, and if I’m doing it wrong, I need to know in time for the next batch.
Hands down the best oysters on the planet are at Larsen’s on Martha’s Vineyard and they’re shucked by the fishmonger lady in the big rubber boots 10 feet away from the boat that brought them in. I could stand there all day eating at that shack. Amazing.
I really want to see a broth how-to with you and jenh718 after your twitter smackdown.
Your relentless tirade against the deliciousness that is white chocolate has sort of won me over to the dark (chocolate) side. At least on one or two occasions.
Until then – VIVA LA COCOA BUTTER!
As long as we’re picking fights-I bought a bag of those Buffalo wing flavored pretzel bites you talked about…you owe me 3 bucks.
[FLB Note: I’m inserting a ? so this can be addressed next AskTP]
Wow, really? I thought we were past this.
I’ll wait to say the things I want to say to you in person.