Patsy's Pizzeria

For all the times I’ve been here, and the fact that this is one of my favorite pizza places in the city, and I don’t even have a photo of a slice.

McBlade Runner

At the corner of Delaney and Essex sits the cyberpunk future of fast food.

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Metal mesh panels in geometric shapes float just off the building, glowing at the edges.

Just behind the glowing panels is a row of teak-laminated slats that wrap the building, adding some subtle complexity to the visual field.

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One wonders if influence may have come from FF7’s city of Midgar or a sci-fi space station.

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I found this place after a busy day of photographing real estate around Brooklyn. I had a little time to pass before Regina was done with her business in the city, so I decided to spend it by going to Cocoron for some soba noodles. I popped out of the subway right here at Delaney & Essex to find this crazy looking McDonalds before me, and I’ve got to say, I commend them on their bold architectural choice.

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I may not start eating Mcburgers or whatever they’re called, but I do hope to see this trend of experimental design elsewhere.

Also, the Regal cinema across the street also looks bonkers and futuristic, so maybe there’s something about the Lower East Side that is inspiring this cyperpunk futurism.

I tried to find out who designed in, but a bit of googling turned up no obvious answers.

P.S. - Full disclosure: I have recently had the fried chicken tenders at McDs, and they’re surprisingly good. So if desperate times mean the golden arches is the only good around, there’s still hope.

P.P.S. - Oh yeah, they’re called Big Macs, right? I’m still going to leave McBurgers in the post.

P.P.P.S - This is, I believe, the first post I’ve composed entirely on my phone. I did so in bed while I really should be going to sleep. Let me know how it turns out.

Cafe Kashkar

Deep down in the belly of Brooklyn, minutes from the water of Brighton Beach, lies a lone outpost of Uyghur Cuisine, the food from Xinjiang region of China along the border of Kazakstan.

Inside the walls are prominently decorated with traditional Doppa hats, scarves, paintings, and items iconic to Uyghur heritage.

A rich and hearty bowl of Shurpa is filled with cuts of lamb floating in lamb broth with onions and potatoes

Manty lamb dumplings are one of the most notorious dishes of the cuisine.

Another doughy lamb stuffed vehicle, Samsa, has a golden flaky snap. When we asked for suggestions, our waitress suggested we try the sweet, fruity juice called Compot.

The juicy and immensely flavorful lamb (foreground) and chicken (background) kebabs on distinctive saber like skewers set the mood of the meal. This a meat forward cuisine.

Cafe Kashkar is named for the city of Kashgar, the westernmost city in China, just before the borders of Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. It sits directly on the ancient Silk Road, making it a literal cultural crossroad from the far east of China to the world of the Turks and beyond.

I didn’t know all that at the time, so I missed out on the dish that most prominently displays that connection, Lagman. It’s a dish of hand pulled noodles topped with spicy lamb that for some reason is hidden under the “soup” heading on Kashkar’s unintuitive menu.

But don’t let the confusing menu or far-flung location stop you from adventuring out there. The food is amazing and transporting. Plus, you can always take a dip in the atlantic in the warmer months.