polly pockets brad

when harry met salami

That's the title I gave to my story about Harrison Manning and his Beacon sandwich shop this spring.  Nixed (probably wisely?) by the editor, below is what remained.  I loved this exercise in writing, but sticking to snapping pix for now.

Harrison Manning sounds older but looks younger than his quarter of a century. There is something sweetly collegiate about him and so his sordid academic story comes as a surprise: Pressured by his parents to enter college right after high school, Manning enrolled.  After three semesters, he boasted a GPA of .79. His failure wasn’t due to laziness as much as his desire to be out in the world working, so he put down his books and took a job as a barista. He had worked at a local Sonic during high school and he felt really comfortable in the world of simple, fast food.

“I really loved working in a fast-food kitchen,” says Manning. “I always knew I wanted to have my own space ... run my own thing, be the local spot.” A serendipitous vacancy down the street from where he worked offered Manning a location for what would become Harry’s Hot Sandwiches. 

The atmosphere at Harry’s is lovingly uncared for and the offerings reflect both his fast-food inspiration and the rudimentary kitchen in the back. Manning says the attitude toward building out the space was, “Let’s see how far we can go without doing anything.” Many of the dishes boast a bit of South American flair brought in by his chef, Carlos Laguna-Driscoll, whose mother is Bolivian. Initially, the menu was more driven by traditional Bolivian food, but Manning felt they were missing the mark . “We had to find the balance between what was new and exciting and what was accessible,” he explained. 

The result is truly a treat (who can resist trying the “Decent Chicken Sandwich”?). The foundation of each sandwich is simple—say, pulled pork—but it’s dressed up with pickled carrots, sliced jalapeños and cilantro.  The Calentado is not a sandwich at all: black beans and rice, homemade arepas, chorizo, grilled plantain, eggs and half an avocado make for a decadent meal.

What’s next for Harrison Manning? He’s decided college might not be out of the question so he’s enrolled in a class for the fall, but he’s also considering opening another Harry’s. Having just celebrated the second anniversary of Harry’s Hot Sandwiches, that’s the one thing that feels solid for now. 

And if sandwiches aren't your thing, here's another little story I wrote about a local flower farmer, Diana Mae:  http://ediblehudsonvalley.ediblecommunities.com/food-thought/diana-mae-grows-good-idea

notes from marfa

I'm thinking maybe blogs are dead - mine sure has been. I was pretty much ready to let it go but it's been the closest thing I've had to a diary for a while now so I'm going to make an attempt to resuscitate it.  We'll see how it goes.

Last month we headed to Texas to celebrate a wedding and got to fulfill my longstanding wish to visit Marfa.  I've always considered Marfa to be a sort of sister city to Beacon.  They both have the same museum thing going on, but stepping into Marfa, I had to laugh at the comparison.  Yes, they have being the center for a very specific genre of art in common, and that shouldn't be underestimated, but the geography of Marfa overwhelms the place (or at least that's how it feels to a midwesterner).  I'm not knocking it.  I loved being there and I think I finally understand what it means to be 'site specific.'  It meant a lot to see the work of artists that I am very familiar with from my time in Beacon in such a different environment.

I was lucky that dawn didn't happen until almost 8AM so I got to sleep in, but still catch the early light.  Here are some photos from the trip (sorry for all the car pix - I should have called this post "cars of marfa":