If I said it once, I have said it 100 times: I can high brow food and I can low brow food. For instance, I can go to some of the best restaurants in NYC, (I have been fortunate enough to go to 5 of the top 8 rated restaurants for food, according to Zagat 2006.) I can also write endless blogs about hot dogs. I heart hot dogs. So this blog here is dedicated to one of my favorite categories of low brow foods, Boardwalk Food.

This past weekend I was lucky enough to be invited down to the beach by Kate. Fenwick Island is in Delware and it border Ocean City Maryland, which is a top beach destination. Ocean City has a fun (and long) boardwalk. And the easiest way to describe it to my fellow New Yorkers is that its a cleaner, nicer, less tacky version of the Jersey Shore and its a more down to earth beach community than Montauk or (gag) the Hamptons.

With Kate as my guide I was able to enjoy some of the best Boardwalk Food I have ever had. (Now nothing beats a Nathan's Hot Dog at Coney Island, so I didn't go there with the hot dogs.)

First stop was for a crabcake sandwich and a birch beer at Dough Roller's right in the middle of the boardwalk. This crabcake sandwich was outstanding. No silly fillers, just the right bun, and so good who needed tarter sauce. The quality of the crabcake is no surprise, I mean this is Maryland for goodness sake. Others that I dined with had the soft shell crab sandwich and pina colodas. As good as my sandwich was, I must return for the soft shell crab sandwich. I must.

Next snack was the best popcorn that I ever had in my life. Courtesy of Fisher's Popcorn. Now if you have never had warm caramel popcorn or warm white chedder popcorn, then you have never had good popcorn. This caramel popcorn was such a treat warm, it was seriously outstanding.

After wining various stuffed animals (I got a Carebear) my eye caught a glance of something called a Rosseta Waffle. Its a crunchy thin layered waffle that they put powdered sugar on. The best part is that I was standing down wind, and everytime someone took a bite I got their powdered sugar all over me.

While I was waiting for my airbrushed t-shirt to be done (I got Alaina with cherries.) Kate introduced me to what I have to say were the best french fries I have ever had. And I have had alot of french fries, so you know I mean business when I say this. Trashers Fries did boardwalk fries to the extreme. What are boardwalk fries you may ask? Well check out this definiation and brief history about boardwalk fries and Trashers (courtesy of QuickSeek.com):

Boardwalk fries, are brine soaked fresh-cut potatoes, that are quickly deep-fried in peanut oil, served in paper buckets, sprinkled lightly with salt and malt vinegar. You will never find ketchup available at any authentic fry stands. Perhaps one of the most famous vendors of boardwalk fries is Trashers' French Fries of Ocean City, Maryland, founded in 1929 by J.T. Trasher. The term "Boardwalk Fries" was registered as a trademark by a franchising company in 1982. The company was formed in 1980, after the founders visited Ocean City (and presumably Trashers).

Now I am a huge ketchup fan. Its my favorite condiment. So for me to eat fries with malt vinegar on them would be unheard of (ask Derek about how I usually turn up my nose.) But these fries were out of this world. Take me back to Trashers anytime. I am there.

Upon returning to Fenwick Island the wonderful ladies I was with wanted to stop into an ice cream shop recommended to us by Kate's Mom. I believe the name was something like Hula Hut or something Tiki like that. Since I have been curse with a lactose issue, I was unable to participate, but from what I gathered and since we went back there the next day, the ice cream was outstanding. With flavors such as Wedding Cake and Blueberry Cheesecake you know it has to be good.

It was a great day in Boardwalk Food. And believe it or not we were all down for a seafood buffet dinner that night. We went to Philip's Seafood, and while there we went to town! Kate taught Kristen, Sarah, and I how to eat crabs the proper Maryland way. Kate is a crab genius. And I really appreciate the authentic schooling she provided. I became quite good at eating crabs, in part from the wonderful teaching and in part from my natural ability to eat. I also had "hush puppies" for the first time. Kate told me to dip them in butter. Holy shit, was that good.

It was the perfect Maryland dining experience to end a wonderful day (even though it rained on us) on the boardwalk.

hushpuppy; hush puppy
This Southern specialty is a small cornmeal DUMPLING, flavored with chopped scallions, deep-fried and served hot. Hushpuppies are a traditional accompaniment for fried catfish. Their name is said to have come from the fact that, to keep hungry dogs from begging for food while the rest of the dinner was being prepared, cooks used to toss scraps of the fried batter to the pets with the admonition, "Hush, puppy!"

When I started writing this blog I realized that "Life in New York" will need multiple "Parts." I couldn't possibly write everything about life in New York in one blog. I would definitely lose my job for goofing off if I attempted that. So like my "food education" blogs, this one will have multiple parts.

Part 1 will be devoted to that taboo subject of money. Normally I wouldn't "talk" about such things so openly, but in its relationship to New York life I think its an appropriate subject.

I have said this time and time again: Living in New York City you never get ahead. You strive to break even. Its a big deal if you can manage to save a little money here and there. Maybe $100 a month, maybe $200 month... but the savings doesn't really matter... because you know what happens as soon as you have something saved for a "rainy day?" Your car gets towed. You break your leg and don't have medical insurance. You find out that you roommate is kicking you out and you have to move. You lose your wallet that contains the cash version of your weekly paycheck. ETC. ETC. ETC. The bottomline is that we are all going paycheck to paycheck. Every month the 15th and the 1st can't come fast enough. (And can I get an AMEN for the times the 15th and the 1st fall on a Sunday and for the entire month of February?)

One of the reasons why we are all screwed and living paycheck to paycheck is due to the cost of living in New York. I know someone is going to say, "well you make more money in New York." And you know what I say to that, "Bullshit." Whatever money I may make more than my fellow man living in Nebraska, the cost of living is not comparable. For example a 1st yr teacher in Nebraska makes $26,000 and has a two bedroom that she pays $900 per month for. A 1st yr teacher in New York City makes $34,000 and her two bedroom (in a shitty neighborhood) costs $1600 per month. If we really make enough money to cover the cost of living that teacher would make $46,000 or she would only pay $1170 in rent. No matter how you look at it, I don't want to hear "well you make more money in New York" ever again. The cost of living in New York is crazy, and I am sure I can write another blog about the reasons why I think the cost of living is so ridiculous, but that is for another time.

Beyond the cost of living that is associated with the basics (shelter, food, etc) there is the exterior crap that we all get bogged down in. There's the entertainment factors. Movies cost $10.50 a ticket, and there is no half price the first show in Manhattan. Your friend from Nebraska visits and they want to go to the trendy spot where the drinks are $15. You are invited to 3 weddings in the next two months, and in New York we give cold hard cash. You stay out too late and don't want to ride the train so you take a taxi. You girlfriends want to brunch, every weekend. You pay for a gym membership because you don't have the room in your studio apartment for weights and treadmill. There's a sample sale and you get caught up in the frenzy. You have to rent a weekend house for the winter to snowboard. The list is endless. Sure they all don't apply to everyone, but they are New York specific problems. And they suck. I always say that if I lived in Kauai I would get rid of the fancy handbags and shoes. I would have one wardrobe, a MuMu.... because I don't have to get dressed up to scoop ice cream all day.

I definitely get caught up in the bullshit. I must try this restaurant. I must buy these shoes. I must, I must, I must. But at the end of the day people in other places are doing the same types of things, but they don't live on the edge! New York pushes us all to the edge. No matter what your job, no matter how much you make, we all have worries.

(Now I am sure there are rich people in New York, who can spend spend spend, but I don't know anyone like, that so their lives don't matter.)

I love this town. And for now I can't picture myself any place else. I like my lifestyle. I am also very fortunate to have a good job and get payed a decent salary. But something has got to give in this city. How much more can I person be asked to pay for a 600 sq foot apartment? How much more can I pay when the car gets towed?

For now I will just look forward to the 15th... 8 days and counting.

Who wants to go to brunch on Sunday, I heard of this new spot and I will get to wear the trendy new sandals I just got!.........wink.