Million to One Doc – Hurricane Prep for Idalia

Since they have said there is another hurricane brewing out there I better get my butt in gear and post this. Here is the post about last weeks ‘weather occurrence’ that Bill Mc thanked me for moving to Savannah. You see the last time a hurricane hit Savannah according to Google was 1979. So of course I get blamed because Yankee Carbunkle moved to the peach state.

Like I said on the last post, we took the hurricane prep seriously. I recall when a measly Cat 1 Hurricane came and wiped out every dock on San Pedro down in Belize. For context, we are some 25 miles from the coast and are not prone to flooding. However, it was the losing power that we were not looking forward to if that happened.

Long story short; we lost power for about 30 minutes and Idalia went north of us. Thankfully we didn’t get much of the ‘bad side of the storm’ with the bands of rain. But now we can get our “Hurricane C1” badge to go with our “honorary New Yorker” badge that Maria gave to us.

On to the pictures because we all know that you get fatigued if I go over 500 words.

You should have seen the Beer & Wine Aisle

Apologies to those who heard me cursing the 5 blocks I had to walk from Kroger to get back to the apartment. There is a case of bottled water in the bottom of that sucker.

Primarily I was afraid of losing power and not having ice so I made some extra just in case.

I recall from Tacogirl’s blog way back that you need to put water bottles in the freezer so that it can keep the freezer colder should you lose power. See I do pay attention some time……hey look a chicken!

I guess the frozen cup with the quarter on top is only for if you evacuate but I had one in there just in case. Again its this silly stuff that you see on Social Media that you learn these hacks. FYI – We didn’t put valuables in the dishwasher.

Full disclosure – we didn’t understand why we needed to fill up our tub (but we improvised) until our friends from Florida told us on Thursday. You see during extended power outages the water pumps can’t run so you won’t get water to drink or cook with. But you really need water to flush the toilets. Again, thanks to GrainBin Gurl for the tip.

I mentioned to James, the maintenance guy, that my buddies down in Belize would sink the patio furniture in the pool and he agreed that it is a hell of an good idea but the property manager said to bring them inside.

Storage of the pool stuff

We brought our stuff in too per the management company’s request.

At least it wasn’t Jim Cantore. What was wild was the rain bands with the hurricane. We would have a deluge of rain for like 10 minutes then it would be sunny for 10 minutes then it would rain again. This was helpful when you have a dog that hates rain when they are trying to pee/poop.

No I didn’t make her wear her raincoat, she hates that damned thing because she can’t see because of the hood.

Not happy with Idalia. At All

So I made an IG post about that someone needed to make sure that Forrest Gump’s bench in Chippewa Square is still there. That is an inside joke with the locals because after they filmed this scene they moved the bench over to the visitors center. I understand that this bench was made by Target and there were 3 of them used for the shoot. The director has one, The Savannah VB has one and Tom Hanks has one in his backyard in CA.

Once Idalia was downgraded to a Tropical Storm and we went from Hurricane Warning to Watch we broke out the booze. I mean there still is the chance of a Tornado but we seriously live next to train tracks so we are screwed.

Thanks to all that checked in on us. I guess Hurricanes are the downside to never having to shovel snow.

May I get a Bologna Sandwich, A Rack of Ribs *Dry of course* and a medium Banana Pudding? To Go?

Stop yelling at me you dozen Memphis readers. We came into town a while back for the lady killer’s graduation party and we were there on a very short itinerary. We will be back over Memorial Day Weekend for a trip and hope to see everyone. We got you.

Saturday afternoon of the Memphis trip we had some down time and also we needed some food. I was in the rental car when Geranium asked me to fetch her some lunch. Back Story -we had already purchased BBQ Bologna from our dear friend Ernie Mellor at his Hog Wild BBQ store on Yates. Momma wanted two things; BBQ Bologna sandwich with a side of BBQ spaghetti. Where did I go since I was staying at my mothers house? Corkys BBQ on Poplar of course.

We got a half pound of BBQ Bologna from Hog Wild on Yates and carried it over to my mothers fridge. Ba had made over 250 of her famous marinated Christmas crackers. We made this creation and let me tell you. This may be the next BBQ Nacho. Holy crap Batman! That is good shit!

As a New Yorker of 7 years the Styrofoam to-go threw me off. Who cares if To-Go presentation is off, they were excellent. I wished that I had the beans from Nick and Charlie’s joint downtown but these were good.

BBQ Bologna with Slaw was damned good!

Memphis’ Dry Seasoned Ribs.

Maria my dove, your banana pudding is still the best. This was good but I have had the best. And your banana pudding is still the tops. Do you see what I did there Baby in the corner? Step it up.

I apologize to my brother from another mother Staten Island Sam and Brother Don for this post. I will make it up to you both. #FatKidsForever

Again, I don’t want to hear any grief from my Memphis Famiglia. We were on a very short trip. Text me and lets plan for Memorial Day weekend. We didn’t even see Rock-Mo or have one of his burgers. Same for Max’s and we didn’t get to see La-Dash-A at her pulpit.

WE DIDN’T EVEN GET TO SEE THE KNUCKLEHEADS.

Honestly, we hope to see you in late May. Just text me.

Saturday Sandwich Series – We May Have Flown Way Too Close To The Sun aka Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn on this one.

Couple of weeks back The Professor (that actually is what he does) who is an old school Brooklyn historian recommended that I try two old school New York roast beef houses in Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn. One was Roll n Roaster and the other was Brennan and Carr. Our Consigliore, Maria, saw the professors post and suggested that we come to Brooklyn, grab some Roast Beef sandwiches and enjoy them at her aunt’s house. We decided to have our very own Roast Beef tasting contest.

The ground rules were to order the same style of sandwich from Roll n Roaster and then from Brennan and Carr. I went with the Roast Beef medium with cheese. Geranium and Maria went with the same. BoBo didn’t want cheese on the sandwich but opted for the Cheese Fries. Enough small talk let’s get into this.

In typical Maria fashion we pre ordered our food and I was sent to fetch and pay for the food.

For those of you Danver’s on Union Avenue fans this might look like you are looking in at a parallel universe. Yes the floor plan is pretty much identical.

Other than a salad bar this place is brick for brick, including the microphone the cashier uses to place orders to the kitchen. Pay no attention to the total.

And it is also giving us Wendy’s on Poplar Avenue solarium vibes too.

Bag Acquired, now let us venture to the next Roast Beef Haus.

I am in yet another roast beef restaurant time machine.

Maria ordered for us and we found out that Brennan and Carr has a secret menu. We ordered Roast Beef with Cheese and Double Dunked. I had no idea what she was talking about till I was watching them prepare our sandwiches.

You see the cook there with the Tongs. More on that later.

What is that on the end of his tongs in his right hand? Why that is my sandwich being double dunked in a river of Aus Jus. I am now in love with Brennan and Carr.

My Man got us hooked up.

Roll n Roaster’s sandwich – Ok the image isn’t very Food blog friendly, but this is Sheepshead Bay…..

Brennan and Carr’s double dunked Roast Beef Sandwich

Right off the bat, thank you Professor for the suggestions. Another thank you to Maria for ferrying us around and the hospitality. So do you care who in my humble opinion has the best Roast Beef in Sheepshead Bay?

Tip of the hat to Brennan and Carr. If you ever find yourself in Sheepshead Bay, I encourage you to visit either of these places. Professor, any other place that I need to visit in your beloved Burrough? We need to meet Critter before late June.

Want to Meet Me at 2nd Avenue Deli? Sure Which One, the One on 33rd or the One on 1st Avenue

I am sure that there is a good reason why the name of this particular restaurant is no longer located on 2nd Avenue, but that discussion is for another day. Back to the Saturday Sandwich Series with another visit to another Kosher Deli institution, the Second Avenue Deli in the Upper East Side. This joint has been a staple go to spot when we were living in the UES. Also, it is right next door to my favorite barber shop so I can kill 2 birds with one stone when I find myself on 1st Avenue at lunchtime.

Now before I start ranking the Kosher Jewish Deli’s on order of best, I want my non-New Yorkers to understand something. Try to tell me who in Memphis has the best BBQ, the best Ribs, the best brisket? Do you get what I am laying down? I will say that now that I have had almost all of Jewish Deli’s in New York. Because I am not a professional food blogger (stop laughing Iuka) I won’t rank all of these but there are a couple that I have had that were….meh.

Lets get into it.

Old School Luncheonette Vibes for those who were in a hurry and would ‘grab and go’

These guys do a great job! And the original 2nd Avenue Deli is now…..wait for it…..a freaking bank. Oy Vey!

My Dining Companion insisted that we try something other than the Jewish Penicillin (Matzo Ball Soup). We ordered Stuffed Kishke that was good and some Ptcha which I am not going to go into detail. I will just say pass on that, and they were out of Cholent. Oh I didn’t take any pictures of the appetizers.

Pro Tip – You can request Half Sours over the other pickles if you are nice.

Judges Ruling – The Sandwich isn’t as large as the ones from Katz or Sarge’s but let me tell you…..The Pastrami Sandwich at 2nd Avenue is in the top 2 of sandwiches. Stop yelling at me RAB, I am going to the Garment District next week.

They give you a little Chocolate Egg Cream with the check. I see you 2nd Avenue Deli keep doing that good work.

Obligatory Deli Case Picture

Good Job by my former neighbors in the UES. If you find yourself in the UES near the Hospitals by all means grab a table and enjoy some good kosher food.

John’s Deli on Stillwell Ave Deep in the Heart of BROOKLYN

So let me let you in to a dirty little secret of mine. During the Panarama I found TikTok to pass the time. One of the first people I started to follow was a guy from Staten Island named @Meals_by_cug aka Cugine. He was reviewing the Johnny Roastbeef sandwich which is loaded with cooked to order roast beef, caramelized onions, fresh mutz and their famous Black Oil Gravy. Watching Cugine do his schtick in front of John’s is hilarious, give it a watch.

Last week I made my way out on the N train to try Johnny Roastbeef with a side of Black Oil Gravy. Here are the pics and my take on this sandwich.

Seriously if you are on TikTok make sure you follow Cug. There are some other notable NYC TikTok celebs so please enjoy. Take Care and Brush Your Hair.

Man I hate weekends with the MTA. 12 Minutes my ass, it was more like 22 minutes before the N showed up.

Again KUDDOS to Maria for this Pro Tip. Standing online and ordering at the counter is for suckers.

Here it is in all it’s glory. Only a 5 minute walk from the subway platform.

This is the same sign that Cugine is in front of while he was eating his sandwich and dripping it on a Mercedes Benz

Sorry the pic is grainy, I stole it off of Google. Cugine – You Do Great Work, You are Doing Great, Keep That Shit Up!

My two favorite Belizean bloggers are always tuning in on these Saturday Sandwich posts. Take a look at all the Snapple flavors on the top right of the cooler. Ladies thank you for your patronage.

This place has everything on the menu. Actually I need to come back because you will get a laugh at the next picture.

The Menu is the entire wall and the place was busy so I didn’t want to be ‘that food blogger’ and take a picture so this is from the Toast App. They have a Freaking sandwich named Marsellus Wallace! There are really some funny names of the various sandwiches. Go give them a look, its hilarious.

Name me a deli or bodega that doesn’t have deli meats in the display. I will wait.

Here is where I F’ed up. I should have eaten the sandwich onsite like I did when I ate the Hot Italian Beef over in Cobble Hill. Instead I got the sandwich to go and well….more to come.

This is the Black Crude Oil Gravy that they put on the sandwich and sell a cup on the side. Again, here is where I messed up.

I ordered it with sauce on the side. By the time I got it home it was cold and when I heated it up, it wasn’t the same. The cheese wasn’t gooey anymore. John’s is a great place but eat it there, don’t take an hour subway home to have lunch.

Even with the boink I will be back. They have a great menu and I honestly think that I could order a different sandwich each day and not have a rerun for at least 6 months. If you find your way in the vicinity get you some drunk food. You can thank me later.

Sandwich Saturday – Taking The L To Brooklyn….Fedoroff’s Roast Pork

Full Disclosure – Go find a page on Social Media called Devour Power. They are the ones who are feeding me with some of these great spots. I get that I will never be at their level but give them a look.

Anyway I had seen this place during Panorama and I had to give them a look for the Cheese Steaks but now that I was just there I may have to go back on Sunday.

I will note that I don’t take the L Train that much. Like the last time I was on the L Train was when I was going to Canarsie to get my Covid Vaccine Shots. Or as I told to the nurse who was asking me if I wanted to have the Covid-19 vaccine injected into my body. I replied very proudly Put that Tracking Shit in me and give me another one! Lets Party!!!!

The Consigliore taught me right. Pre-Order to pick up and avoid the line. More on that later.

For those of you who were asking. A Saturday Staten Island Suit is an Adidas Track Suit. Very Comfortable and hits all the stereotypes.

Express Uptown – Local Downtown yeah I really need to read the notices in the Subways.

Do you see Bottom Right Menu Item?

I may have to come back on Sunday.

Small Place with No-Frills Service

So the Monitor that I was watching was actually the reason that I now love this place.

Good Fellas on Repeat!!!!!!!

Warren Zevon

That is Frank Vincent Folks aka Phil Leotardo

That is Ray Liotta

Did I just take 3 pictures of Mobsters who are now residing in Queens in family plots???? Yes I did.

I might add that they screwed up my order but that was fine, I chilled out at the store while they cooked our stuff.

Got it! Now the Trek back home. Via local stops now.

Safe while riding on the L train

Got a Philly Wit, Wiz and Italian Sandwich. FULL DISCLOSURE – I don’t like Broccoli Rabe so I opted not to order the Roast Pork and Broccoli Rabe. (Get Over It)

We went Half and Half – This is the Steak Sandwich and it was damned good. Sorry Pete from Heavenly Hoagie, you are boinked.

The Italian was good but I really should have gotten 2 Cheese Steaks.

Now I may have to go back on Sunday to try this Sunday Sandwich. Sam, I will let you know.

Sandwich Saturday Another Trip to a NYC Jewish Deli – Sarge’s

I really didn’t mean to make this a bunch of trips to all the iconic NYC Deli’s but I found that I visited Sarge’s then Katz’s for the Signature Sandwiches and Jewish Penicillin back to back. Let me just say that Sarge’s does not disappoint and they are do a great counter business getting people in and in record time.

Get to Grand Central and a quick walk over to Kips Bay

The Place is No Frills over on 3rd Avenue

All the Different Types of Salmon in the Case

Oh that is looking so good in that case.

Holy Crap that is a lot of meat!

Look at the Picture, I actually caught the kitchen staff throwing a water on the line.

Oy, hey Bender – They got good Jewish Penicillin at Sarge’s for a Gentile I am loving this stuff.

Now I ate this before I had Katz’s and this was my top choice. As of now, it is Katz’s then Sarge’s. I am going to swing by Ben’s Kosher in the Garment District to review them again. The Knish is good and the half Sours are pretty good too.

Seriously, I could write hours on all the different Jewish Deli’s in Manhattan. My goal is to hit all of them before the summer starts.

Sandwich Saturday – Lets go to The Mecca – Katz’s Delicatessen Per Maria’s Suggestion

There are only a few times in my adult life that I have gone against the judgement of my consigliore, Maria. Both times were met with a lot of cowering and agreeing that “My Aunt Bette” was right. For those who don’t know – When you give the title of ‘consigliore’ to someone you are entrusting everything to them. That trip to Aquaduct….. she was right. We had no business going there but I like to think that trip was why we didn’t worry about what was in the vaccine.

When I started this silly Saturday Sandwich blog post Maria was adamant that I visit Katz’s Deli on Houston and Ludlow. This is where I had my ‘moment of dumbass’ where I almost dispatched her suggestion. I had already tried Katz’s Deli and I thought it sucked. Let me back up, I was eating Katz’s Deli at Dekalb Market in Brooklyn when we lived in Boerum Hill. I had never visited the location in the Lower East Side to which Maria was referencing. Full Disclosure I was scared because of the tourist popularity. Ok FINE Maria, I will try it per your suggestion.

This past Friday I texted my consigliore and inquired when we would make the trip together. Sadly Maya’s BFF is nearing the end of her his life so Maria was spending time with Scratch and asked for a rain check. I said of course but what she did tell me was MUSIC TO MY EARS.

“Order to go food and then pick it up, you won’t have to wait in line and it is a pro NYC Hack. (You are welcome Non-New Yorkers)

I did not have time to go get a Knish, I was preoccupied but more on that later.

Jesus this is BRILLIANT!!!!!!! Only cost me $2.75 each way on the subway.

Mobbed!

This place is mobbed Crazy Packed!!!!

Not as Thick as the one from Sarge’s Deli (later post) but it looked good.

Jewish Penicillin

To Quote the Late Great John McNicholas – They better not screw you on the half sour pickles. Katz’s does it right.

I mentioned earlier that I was ‘preoccupied’. I lost my wallet when I went to the grocery store prior to going to Katz’s Deli. I come home with my Pastrami and enjoyed lunch but I WAS PISSED. Then the First precinct called me saying that they have my wallet and some cards. GOD BLESS WHOMEVER PICKED IT UP AND TURNED IT IN!!!!!!! GOD BLESS YOU!!!!!

I was with John McNicholas one night in Manhattan when he got pickpocketed. He was as mad as I was today. I would like to think that the Sour/Half Sour pickle made him make it where I got my wallet back.

And Maria for the record, the Pastrami Sandwich from Katz’s Deli is TOPS. The Pastrami was so good and ‘when we bit into it was like pillows of pastrami’. You are always right MY AUNT Bette.

You need to accompany me to one of your favorites. Yes, you are always right.

Well Done Consigliore, well done.