The Great Pumpkin ran for about four years from 2008 through 2012 and covered topics that ranged from music, food, Brooklyn, art, music/food/drinks/art all together and more. Personal projects have picked up, and I’m busy other places on the internet as well.

You can find me in these places:

Making cassettes with Mirror Universe Tapes.

Editing and occasionally writing for a new cassette blog called C86′d.

Making & musing about ice cream over at Confessions of the Ice Cream Eaters.

Shooting photographs on Flick // …it disappears…

And on tumblr at This Is the Way To Rule, and collaborating at FYNusquam.

Thanks for the support and reading The Great Pumpkin over the years.

Cheers,
Tom

Flyer by Charles Schultz and Tay McNabb.

You’re Invited!

to a rock n’ roll listening party hosted your friends
Tom Pavlich and Tay McNabb.

Your other friend, Ryan Hendrick, will be serving drinks from behind the bar.

When?
Sunday, December 23rd from 9pm-2am.

Where?
The Tattooed Moose
1137 Morrison Drive
Downtown Charleston, SC
(843) 277-2990

Lots of 45s, friends, beer, and fun!

“My guiding vibe is “punk in the Beat Happening sense.”
- Tay McNabb.

The perfect place to invite your friends to catch up over the holidays…and since Tom and Tay are both spinning records they can hang out too!

We would love to see you there!

Cheers,
Tom and Tay

RSVP on Facebook!

PS: I’m happy to do on the spot beer pairings, and the Moose has wonderful sandwiches (I dream of the duck club!).  Also, remember to tip your bartender.

——————

More on Tay McNabb aka Party Dad can be found here, and if you didn’t know…I’m Tom.

One thing I never really thought about was how intimidating it would be to be unfamiliar with the food in New York and trying to find reasonably priced places to eat and drink.  Tunabunny wrote an open letter seeking some help in that area, and I’m going to attempt to give some good reasonably priced options near their showcase!

More about their new album, Genius Fatigue, and live dates after this open letter from Tunabunny.

————————————

Hey,

Eating in NYC is terrifying for a band from Athens, Georgia on a tight budget. Order a Budweiser in the wrong bar and suddenly you’re out ten bucks. So when we come to the big city we eat nothing but bagels and pizza (by the way, the gluttonous amount of cream cheese you serve on your bagels is unnerving).  I remember there used to be a place on the lower east side called Kiev that served amazing pierogies—the kind the made that an Irishman like myself curse his family members, whose method of cooking potatoes was to boil them within an inch of their lives and then cover them in salt. Anyway, I heard that place went out of business a long time ago, and is probably a recovery house for suicidal investment bankers or something. But if anyone out there has any suggestions, we’re all ears. We’ll be playing Public Assembly Saturday night Oct. 20^th, and we’re willing to walk up to ten blocks in any direction for a good cheap dinner.

All the best,
Tunabunny
——

Tunnabunny,

It’s easy to find a mediocre slice of pizza, but if you are willing to walk 10 minutes you might get one of the best slices you’ve ever eaten.

Some cheap eats in Williamsburg to check out:

Best Pizza - Although you might pay a dollar more per slice Best Pizza it is worth it.  I would say the best pizza by the slice that you can get in New York City. As far as I know this pizza is by the folks behind Brooklyn Star and Roberta’s. (33 Havemeyer Street. Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY 11211)

Vanessa’s Dumplings- Great for the meat-eater and the vegetarian alike.  Quick, cheap, and delicious (you can get enough food to be full for less than $5), and they also typically have decent beer on tap for $4 or $5.  (310 Bedford Avenue. Williamsburg, Brooklyn 11211)

The Commodore- A place known for their fried chicken…I go here for the burger.  In a city where $10 or more is the norm, the Commodore serves up a modest sized burger that is, in my opinion, one of the best in the city for $7. A small order of fries isn’t that small at $3, and if you get there during happy hour beer and well drinks are buy one get one free.  (366 Metropolitan Avenue. Williamsburg, Brooklyn 11211)

If you are looking for a reasonably priced watering hole…Williamsburg is filled with them, but some decent dives around Public Assembly are:

The Levee- This place has cheap booze for everyone.  Whether you are looking for a beer and a shot combo, or a high alcohol craft brew something at the Levee will suit you just fine.  Also there are free cheese balls, pinball, pool, and darts.  (212 Berry Street. Williamsburg, Brooklyn 11211)

Lucky Dog- A great pub with a wonderful front and back porch.  Good beer on tap, and for the neighborhood very reasonably priced.  Pints and pitchers depending on how many people are drinking. (303 Bedford Avenue. Williamsburg, Brooklyn 11211)

And if you feel the sleepiness coming on from all night partying:

Blue Bottle Coffee- If a quick jolt of caffeine is what you need to keep you going through the rest of CMJ I highly recommend a Kyoto Iced Coffee from Blue Bottle.  This is rocket fuel, and not for the faint of heart.  If you need something to ligher order a New Orleans Iced Coffee for something more on the sweet side.  Their coffee isn’t necessarily cheap, but it will sure as hell keep you awake.  (160 Berry Street. Williamsburg, Brooklyn 11211)

These are some of my favorites, what are yours?  Do you have a killer recommendation for Tunabunny (or any other CMJ visitor for that matter?  Let us know!

Cheers,

Tom

————————————

Tunabunny was in New York this time last year too (around their wonderful release Minima Moralia, which I wrote about when I was music blogging) if you caught them you know you are in for a treat, and if you missed them this is your chance to get in on the action.

Happy Happy Birthday to Me is putting out Tunabunny’s new record,  Genius Fatigue, and throwing a party tomorrow night at Public Assembly! I’m hoping to get my hands on a copy of the new record tomorrow!

You can check out the first single from Tunabunny’s new album here:

And pick up the limited edition LP over at Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records!

If you are in NYC don’t forget to hit up Public Assembly tomorrow night for an amazing night of indie rock!  Happy Happy Birthday To Me and NYC Pop Fest are thowing thier CMJ showcase, and it’s hard to find another show with as many great acts! Get your tickets here it’s only $10 (or use your CMJ badge)!

~HHBTM // Pop Fest CMJ 2012~

Some of my personal favorites like Orca Team (DC did an interview with us if you haven’t checked that out yet!) and Eureka California are both playing in addition to Tunabunny!

Tunabunny have a couple other East Coast dates lined up as well!

• Oct 20th – Brooklyn NY – HHBTM showcase w/ Orca Team, Eureka California, Chalk & Numbers, BamBam and Beach Day
• Oct 25th – Athens, GA – New Earth Music Hall, Genius Fatigue release show w/Orca Team
• Nov 10th – Athens, GA – 40 Watt Club w/Deerhoof

Leah and Ben make up two-thirds of Lightning Love (with Aaron Diehl on Drums)…but the band was really born from Leah’s demos then Ben and Aaron stepped in to bring the band into its own.  Lightning Love released their second LP, The Blonde Album, back in August on Quite Scientific Records and are making their way to New York City this week for CMJ!

Lightning Love.

Leah took the time, and some of Ben’s time, to eat a whole bunch of Pop Tarts, and tell us what they thought of them.  Strawberry, S’MORES, Blueberry, Brown Sugar, and the lesser known (at least to me) Hot Fudge Sunday and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. Not only is Leah’s review an interesting and informative read…she will also make you laugh. More on Lighting Love’s new album and many CMJ appearances after the review!

——————
Alright so I’m just gonna go ahead and say this: I’m newly sober. I decided to stop drinking alcohol because (ready to feel bummed out?) I abuse it and it’s ruining my life. Ok? So there’s that. Life is mostly better now, but my little brain still longs to be stimulated by substances so I’ve switched to abusing sugar and caffeine. This is what I have to live for now.

With that being said, here’s a super fun or boring or sad (depending on how you look at it) review of Pop Tarts. I met with my friend Ben at a park. He’s the guitar player in Lightning Love and an all-around neat guy. I usually like to consume my Pop Tarts like I like to consume my liquor – alone. But Ben’s pretty cool. And as you can see, it was perfect Pop Tart eating weather.

the menu.

Kellogg, who makes Pop Tarts, is a Michigan company so I decided to pair my tarts with the Michigan brand soft drink, Candy Apple Faygo. Ben chose Bud Lite and Bud Lite Platinum. I figure he did this because the two taste so different from each other. He also brought a fancy grapefruit IPA but he didn’t drink that til a few hours later.

So let’s begin with STRAWBERRY.
Ben says this old classic flavor will be cleansing to the palate. He un-wraps the first one to find some really shoddy craftsmanship.

strawberry.

“I’ve taken shits that look more like Pop Tarts than this,” sighs Ben. I try to open my Faygo and it erupts all over my laptop. SOLID START. Despite all this, it’s still pretty good. At its core, the Strawberry Pop Tart is a nostalgic taste, something of strawberry jam combined with poster board, with white sugar pasted on top. Just like mom used to make. Ben clears his throat, pauses, then states, “No frills, no ego. This just IS a Pop Tart.” So yeah, we’re gonna both give this one the rating of “pretty cool.”

Let’s delve into more exciting territory with S’MORES.
The presentation leaves a bit to be desired again, though distribution of frosting is fairly consistent. “More like sm’less,” says Ben, washing it down with more BL. He says that BL’s a fireside classic, so it pairs nicely with the s’more. The flavor reminds me of those bright periods of childhood. Actually, it mostly just tastes like a pop tart… so we’re still gonna give it a “pretty cool.”

I’m already starting to feel fuzzy from all the sugar. Uhhh… where do we go from here?

Another classic, BROWN SUGAR CINNAMON.
This is one of my all-time faves but it’s been a little while. We bite in and it’s really dry. Like really, really dry. I wasn’t expecting this. Quite the disappointment on both of our parts. I can’t find the expiration date on the box and I can only assume that Pop Tarts don’t go bad, they’re just born bad. So we have to give this one the rating of “NO BUENO.” Damn.

Here we go. HOT FUDGE SUNDAE!
I’m pretty excited about this one. The presentation is worlds ahead of the previous Pop Tarts and I can’t say I’ve ever had a hot fudge sundae that had 8 vitamins and minerals. When we take a bite, we find that it tastes more like cake. Actually, it’s as if you just ate some gooey cake and then smelled a bunch of cardboard. “It’s balanced very well by the BL though… it really tempers the… ahh…” and he trails off. He looks kinda pale. I don’t know what to give this one. It started so strong, but the taste is a disappointment. So far, I’d say the winner is probably S’MORES. Ben says STRAWBERRY. I decide not to rate this one cause I’m too confused and disappointed and I’m really not feeling that good.

Ben’s excited to eat more Pop Tarts!

We’re gonna hit it hard with another big one. CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH. 
Ben looks sad. “It’s all happening so fast.” Presentation, again, is great. The icing spells “EE.” Or “MM.” Which is exactly how I feel about this one so far.

EEE

MM

I could definitely do this one – it pretty much just tastes like cookie dough. I’m impressed as far as Pop Tarts go, but Ben’s disappointed. On second thought, he says it’s pretty cool. His emotions are fluctuating wildly with the combination of sugar and alcohol.

Alright, time to take ‘er home. IT’S BLUEBERRY TIME.
We’re both kinda feeling pumped up now. I think my brain has harnessed the power of the Pop Tarts and Faygo and I feel like King Kong fucking tearing into the package. Ben says something about not wanting to open it because “then it’ll all be over” but he’s got the tart in his mouth a second later. This is the best one by far. It’s moist and delicious and the Candy Apple Faygo is a lovely compliment to its silly (I mean rich and distinguished) flavor. Still chewing, I stare off into the distance. I never thought that when I grew up I’d get assignments to eat and review Pop Tarts. My life has turned out pretty alright. It starts to rain so we try to pick up all the crap before it gets soggy.

carnage.

Then we drove to the bowling alley to play DDR and burn off some cals. I wish I was kidding.

Leah playing Dance Dance Revolution.

So there you have it. Lemme know what you think, readers. What’s your favorite Pop Tarts related story? Did we miss any good flavors? Do you think I’ll actually stay sober? Does this website even have a comments section?

——————————-

Hopefully you are reading this at breakfast with a cup of coffee(or possibly late at night with a beer), and you can take in the tooth decay that the new flavors of Pop Tarts might bring.

Lightning Love’s second LP, The Blonde Album, is an infectious record full of beautifully sung female fronted pop for the fan of the singer songwriter and indie pop (dare I say twee) fans alike. Leah’s strong vocals and lyrics tell the stories of life, love loss, and sadness all coated in sugar (just like the Pop Tarts) driven by undeniably catchy keyboards.

Lightning Love have their entire new album, The Blonde Album, streaming off their bandcamp (where you can also purchase it digitally or on CD):

Lighting Love hit New York City for a full week of festivities this Wednesday October 17th!  Catch them live at these locations:

• 10.17.12 – Manhattan, NY @ The Delancey at 9:45pm – City Pages/Radio K Showcase
• 10.18.12 – Manhattan, NY @ Cake Shop at 1:30pm – NYCTaper Day Party
• 10.18.12 – Brooklyn, NY @ Spike Hill – BUST Magazine Day Party
• 10.18.12 – Manhattan, NY @ The Living Room @ 12:30 am – Official CMJ Showcase
• 10.19.12 – Brooklyn, NY @ Pete’s Candy Store – Riot Act Media CMJ Happy Hour

—–

(This post was not sponsored by Kellogs Pop Tarts, Faygo Soda, Budweiser, or St. Peter’s but we would possibly be open to having sponsored tastings posts?  Get in touch.)

Nacho Cano of Twin Cabins

More about Twin Cabins including videos, and streams of the new album (and single!) can be found after our chat!

———————————————

Where did you grow up, and when did you move to San Diego? How did your diet change with the move?

Yes, I think it was when I was 6 and my mom took me to Sushi for the very first time in my home town at a local Japanese place. Funny thing, it was authentic. I was a little brat about it and declined constantly to have it. I said raw fish looked stupid and completely tasteless. She gave me a Philadelphia Role and I ate it. Afterwards, I realized the great pleasure of food. I found that there is such a value to it, and that it’s difference added culture and novelty to the whole thing. After that I started eating anything, and I have tried everything that I possibly can. From Cesos (brains) to the raw fish in Sushi. I’ve had my great deal of things, and they all speak of culture. To be honest here, I went to Barcelona a year ago just for the seafood and the tapas. One of the best decisions I have made in terms of traveling – and life.

I grew up with my mom, my older sister, and our maid, Pera (pear). That was her name. We ate all the best Mexican food which was all cooked in house. My mom would be very busy with work and ran around all the time. Yet somehow, she’s always make time to drop me off at school and pick me up to go home and have dinner altogether. She was the worst at cooking rice. There’s this saying in Mexico that if you can’t cook rice you can’t get married. She was so bad at it we would throw it away. She was finally able to make great rice and re-married. That’s how I got here; I have my mom to thank greatly for that. Besides that I often ate anything spicy. I’ve always had a high tolerance for it and have always enjoyed the way that spice dances on your tongue and stings it all around. My mom would often take us to my grandma (who is a cook among the Gods) and she would prepare Enchiladas with green salsa like no ones business. Or sometimes, my mom and my grandma would pair up and make Mole Rojo, which is basically spicy chocolate on chicken.

Every Sunday at my grandma’s. My grandpa would wake up early and get the daily bread along with other pastries. My grandma would get the meat, which would either be cow or goat along with my mom’s personal favorite brains. As a kid, it never seemed weird to me that we ate brains from time to time. They would crackle when you cooked them. I imagine most American readers are cringing at that description. But it’s practically a taco, you take the brains you cooked and wrap them in a tortilla, put some salsa on that, and bite into it’s crackling goodness. I tell you, that if I served it to you and you had no knowledge it was brains, you wouldn’t notice.

The San Diego area is big on wood fired pizza.  Do you have a favorite spot?   

Alright! Thank you for asking this question, there is one joint that is the absolute best, also the cook the people, the location is incredible. It’s authentic pizza, the cook is a sweetheart and he used to cook for Italian soccer teams; Milan, if anyone is interested. Picolo Mundo! It’s rad, it’s quiet and you can bring your own wine.  Honestly, if you are ever in Pacific Beach, go there. It’s a treat, and quite romantic.

Do you cook at home?  If so what are some of your signature dishes? 

I do cook at home but I think that my specialty is breakfast. I love cooking breakfast for others and myself. I think it’s an amazing and important meal, also, guys who cook breakfast are essential. It’s kind of romantic. Anyways, my specialty dish would have to be crepes from scratch, but instead of using Nutella or other chocolate, I use Cajeta which is a type of goat’s caramel. I also don’t turn them into a triangle, instead I roll them into tacos, I sprinkle powdered sugar on top of them and finally cut up some fruit and serve them to my guest of honor. It’s to me the most fun dish to cook. Also, I always have fun with it and treat it with much care.

My mom did. She learned on her own. It was a great bonding experience, I love her. I owe a lot to her.

Well, breakfast implies they stayed the night and are willing to stay for longer. I think it’s romantic to take someone out and dazzle them, but it’s even more romantic to cook for them the morning after. It just feel far more right you know?

What are your drinks of choice?

Franklin has been busy with solo recordings, various books and other writings, and his new band the Human Hearts over the past couple of years.

photo by Max S. Gerber

The Human Hearts are about to release their new album on the legendary Shrimper Records, but the vinyl edition is being self released by Franklin and funded by Kickstarter.  The new album, called Another, features  Franklin Bruno (guitars, piano, organ, and other keyboards) and Matt Houser (drummer/percussionist), with Peter Hughes (electric bass) and Dmitry Ishenko (acoustic bass). They are joined by a long list of special guests as well!

Franklin recently took a trip to California’s Inland Empire, a part of the country he is very familiar with, and wrote a food guide for the Great Pumpkin!  I can not express how excited I am that Franklin wanted to work with me…and the result is an amazingly detailed and thoughtful guide to wonderful eats!  I’m not sure if this is Franklin’s first foray into writing about food, but I surely hope it is not his last.  Settle in, maybe hit play on one of the mp3s below, and take in Franklin’s words.

Lots of information about the Kickstarter, the new album, and the Human Hearts in general is available after Franklin’s amazing guide!

The next section of this post was written by Franklin Bruno.

———————————–

Since 2008, I’ve lived in Jackson Heights, Queens, generally acknowledged as an epicenter of cheap, cosmopolitan eating in New York. Food isn’t the only reason I’m lucky to have landed there, but I’ll admit that it’s nice to feel close to the cutting edge, as, for example, more Tibetan restaurants (Phayul!) pop up in the Indian enclave around 37th Ave. and 74th St. (By the way, did you know that the 7/E/F/R/M station at 74th is officially known as the Victor Moore Terminal, named for a great comic actor who appeared in George M. Cohan’s Forty-Five Minutes from Broadway in 1906 before making films with Mae West, Bob Hope, and Astaire and Rogers? But I digress.)

I could go on about my JH/Elmhurst favorites (“big tray of chicken” at Uncle Zhao’s, fresh angolotti at Louie’s Pizza, and let’s not even get started on Flushing, a few stops away), but these are well known to Chowhound/Sietsma initiates.

So I’ll tell you about where I eat when I go back to where I grew up: The so-called Inland Empire, the ex-citrus and –grape growing area about 40 miles east of Los Angeles (and about the same distance from Palm Springs in the other direction.) I guess the region is really the Pomona Valley or Chino Valley, depending on who you ask – “Inland Empire” is a somewhat grand chamber of commerce label that has stuck. I’m writing from there now – I generally come out every summer to see my parents, my hundred-and-one-year-old grandmother (who can still beat me at cards two games out of three), and various friends from the heroic era of the Claremont/Shrimper Tapes scene. It was mostly orange groves out here, years ago, and it’s gradually become a typically sprawly-but-spacious Southern California xeriscape of tract homes and chain-anchored shopping developments (how many Beds, Baths, and Beyonds can a community sustain, anyway?), and I imagine it’s hard for visitors or new arrivals to locate the individual character, much less the history, of the area. I’m a creature of habit, so I’m mostly going to mention places (with one or two exceptions) where I’ve been eating since high-school or college, if not childhood. Several don’t even have dedicated websites, since anyone who needs to know they’re there already does, and they’re not fancy: outside of a couple of places in the village surrounding the Claremont Colleges (The Press, Walter’s), “fine dining” in the area isn’t that interesting.

Might as well take them in morning-to-night order:

COFFEE

I’m actually writing most of this at the questionably named Koffee Klatch, a local roaster that also runs three coffeehouses in the area. It’s a fairly new business, but the Rancho Cucamonga branch that I frequent is housed in one of the remaining buildings from Thomas Brothers Winery (originally run by a friendly competitor of my mom’s father, as it happens), so there is a bit of an Old California vibe. I’m no cupper, but they do a perfectly respectable pour-over by my inexpert standards. The real sentimental favorite, though, is Some Crust Bakery in Claremont, which, aside from its oatmeal scones and fancy cakes, has been serving stand-your-spoon-in-it brew for longer than I’ve been caffeine-dependent. Musical connection: the coffee used to be made by Thom Furmann, who was and still is in Savage Republic, the tribal-noise band that was arguably Los Angeles County’s answer to the Swans. Thom now runs a Pasadena-based roaster of his own, Monkey & Son, which ships everywhere, and that’s what Some Crust serves to this day.

Some Crust Bakery
119 Yale Avenue
Claremont, CA

Koffee Klatch
8916 Foothill Blvd.
Rancho Cucamonga, CA

BREAKFAST

I associate the big eggs-plus-pork-plus-pancakes/potatoes/biscuits breakfast less with my present existence in Queens (where I’m on more of a steel-cut oats plus flaxseed and fruit regimen) than with my California past. Sort of a “farm” thing, I guess – although, not being a ranch hand, there’s no excuse for the number of most-or-all-of-the-above platters I’ve eaten over the years, mostly at BC Café. It used to be located on Holt Boulevard in Pomona, in a building resembling a Cadillac showroom. This was where Nothing Painted Blue used to take touring bands the morning after a nearby show; I still recall Laura Ballance braving the jam-stuffed French toast in 1992. BC’s moved into a disused HoJo’s closer to I-10 some years ago, and also opened a location (officially called Kick Back Jack’s, no relation to a North Carolina bar-food chain) in Rancho Cucamonga, which is where I usually go now, maybe once per trip. It’s still very good (you will want those home fries with peppers and onions), though a bit Red Robin-ish in appearance and atmosphere. The funkier but still excessively-portioned morning choice is Red Hill Coffee Shop, which looks and feels like the kind of roadhouse Lana Turner and her doomed husband ran in The Postman Always Rings Twice. (This stands to reason, as it’s on a stretch of Foothill Boulevard that’s contiguous with the Route 66 of song and story.) Basically, we’re talking grill-made omelets that appear to involve four to six eggs rolled around a considerable amount of ham, sausage, or chili, and pancakes that could to swaddle an infant. It closes around 1 or 2 p.m. most days; the proprietors run an adjoining barbeque (take-out-only, I think) that emits a woodsy aroma for the rest of the day – a bit surprising, as this isn’t a specialty of the area.

Kick Back Jack/BC Café
701 South Indian Hill Blvd.
Claremont, CA
10123 Foothill Boulevard,
Rancho Cucamonga, CA

Red Hill Coffee Shop
8111 Foothill Boulevard #A
Upland, CA

MEXICAN

Juanita’s Mexican Food. Photo Taken by Franklin Bruno.

My gold standard tacos are mostly in L.A. proper (several stands in the Grand Central Market, and El Parian on Pico, to say nothing of the al pastor trucks one might encounter anywhere), but the Empire is, as you’d guess, studded with tacquerias and birrerias of every description, not to mention rambling combination-plate faux-haciendas like the venerable La Paloma on Foothill Boulevard, which still does a healthy business. A few old favorites have changed beyond recognition – El Pavo is now an Alberto’s, and El Merendero near the Pomona Mall has lost its soul, I fear, with a change in location. Fortunately, Juanita’s, a flat-top joint with a walk-up window and two plastic tables (and an “A” health certificate, by the way) on Indian Hill Boulevard, endures, even in the shadow of a combination Carl’s Jr./Green Burrito that Das Racist missed. I hadn’t been to Juanita’s for a few years, so I checked it out for this post, and I’m happy to report that the pudgy chile verde burrito was as good as I remembered it, though the looseness of the beans made the package sloppier than some might like. My other pick is Los Jarritos, a minimally decorated sit-down place that’s been in a shopping center on Garey for who knows how many decades. I’d always get chili colorado, machaca, or barbacoa plate – the same stuff is in the burritos, of course, but somehow I prefer it this way, here – along with snappy chips, a great red salsa that’s closer to meatless chile (in the New Mexico sense) than the chopped, tomatoe-y kind, and maybe a simple salad with cheese and avocado.

Juanita’s
1735 Indian Hill Boulevard
Pomona, CA

Los Jarritos
3191 North Garey Avenue
Pomona, CA

THAI

I’m pretty sure that the first Thai food I ever ate, circa 1987, was a bowl of “General’s Noodle” at Sanamluang, about a two-base hit from Juanita’s, above. Basically, this was some sliced duck over noodles and bean sprouts, and wasn’t spicy at all. So, on my second visit, lulled into complacency, I ordered yen ta fo – a fish-based hot and sour “red soup” that nearly killed me, though I finished it out of sheer cussedness. My tolerances have increased since living near Hollywood’s Thai Town (where there is another branch) and, currently, a ten minute train ride from Woodside’s famed SriPraPhai, but I cut my teeth here, and I think it still stands up. In the course of many visits, I’ve settled on a few favorites: rahd nah (Chinese broccoli and rice noodles; I’d have difficulty explaining exactly how this differs from pud see ewe), see yai neau sub (another noodle dish, with minced beef, tomatoes, and an optional raw egg, that isn’t on that many menus), and koo chai (chive dumplings topped with fried garlic, which I prefer steamed to fried). The Indian curry noodle (which, I now realize, is basically Malaysian) is also good, if you don’t mind having statin inhibitors in your future – I can’t believe that I used to eat it at 1 a.m.

Sanamluang Café
1648 Indian Hill Blvd #C
Pomona, CA

ITALIAN-(AMERICAN)

Vince’s Spaghetti. Photo by Franklin Bruno.

I sometimes think that no one who has not eaten at Vince’s Spaghetti can entirely understand me, or the Inland Empire. I exaggerate, but only slightly. The sign, depicted on the cover of Charles Phoenix’s pop-architectural guide Cruising the Pomona Valley) is emblematic of the area’s boom times, and the original restaurant is a legendary local institution, having famously metastasized from a seven-stool counter, opened in 1945, to take over a huge chunk of the block by the 1960s – the main building extends far past the right edge of the picture here. This, and a few offshoot locations, are all still run by members of one extended family, the Cuccias, and a meal here is in some ways as unalterably tradition-bound as a Zen tea ceremony. (As are the hours: Vince’s has been closed on Wednesdays since the Truman administration.)

You will sit in on green banquettes and order from place-mat menus that also tell you how many miles of spaghetti they serve each year. You will eat either a few yards of this spaghetti or an equivalent mass of mostacholi (like broad-guage penne rigate, but cut straight rather than “pointed”) with meat sauce (rich, simmering all day, grandmotherly), tomato sauce (which I believe is just the meat sauce, strained a bit, so why bother?), or buttered (though I don’t know anyone over four who orders this). The other option is a French Dip sandwich, which I’ve ordered maybe three times in thirty-plus years. Your dinner will be preceded by a small cup of beef-vegetable soup and a completely ordinary salad with French dressing or vinegar and oil (again, the introduction of blue cheese, twelve or so years ago, was practically headline news), and will be accompanied by grilled garlic or cheese roll. If you’re swinging for the fences, you will also have a single meatball in a puddle of extra sauce on a separate plate, and perhaps a half-carafe of Zinfandel, which you will drink out of a little water glass. There will be no sausage, no lasagna, no vegetables outside of the salad, and certainly no pesto.
You will ignore the dessert menu, because if you’re my family, there is cake back at the house. (If you’re my father, in fact, you will tell the waitress, “We have cake back at the house.”)

This was nearly the only restaurant that various Brunos, DiTomassos, and Cordascos (particularly the men) of my grandparents’ generation could be convinced to eat at for much of my youth, and I still end up there about twice a year – at this point, I cannot be objective about whether most people would even think that it’s good, but it is a great comfort in a changing world, and I’m relieved that my girlfriend Bree “gets it,” because I could no more have a lasting relationship with someone who turned up their noses at a big plate of oversauced macaroni than I could with someone who hated my parents.

Vince’s Spaghetti
1206 W. Holt Boulevard
Pomona, CA
—————————————-

I can’t say that I ever got to see a proper Extra Glenns show(or Extra Lens as they are called now), but several years back I got to see John and Franklin perform together on the tiny little stage in the old location of Sound Fix records in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  It felt like such a long time coming, and it was the first time I ever got to see Franklin on stage.

Since Finding the Extra Glenns I ventured into Franklin’s back catalog, and found out what exactly what Tullycraft meant when they sang “Cause you and me got Heavenly and Nothing Painted Blue.”  Nothing Painted Blue had a profound influence on the pop music I love today, and Franklin was one of the three people behind those songs.

I finally saw Franklin play solo in 2009 in the very intimate Pete’s Candy Store, and I have listened to the Human Hearts since then.

The Human Hearts Kickstarter has already reached it’s goal of $5,000, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take advantage of some of the hard to get bonus items that Franklin is offering as rewards for pre-ordering Another through the Kickstarter. Learn all about it here:

These rewards include Another pressed on double 10″ record (mp3 or CD if you prefer), his book of poetry The Accordion Repertoire, his 33 1/3 book on Elvis Costello’s Armed Forces, Nothing Painted Blue’s Monte Carlo Theory, unlplayed copy of his debut Shrimper cassette Etudes for Voice and Snackmaster, a private songwriting lesson given by Franklin himself, and various other gems both vinyl and CD from Franklin’s past, present, and future.

Back the Kickstarter//Pre-order The Human Hearts’ new album here!  

You only have until July 20th to get in on it…so do it fast! 

Listen to “Cheap Sunglasses” from Another:

Franklin also sent over the track “Love Starved” that is about (emotional) nourishment to fit into our ongoing food theme:

Franklin is very generous, and has many songs available for free download here…check those out too!

Support the Kickstarter, and if you want to find out more about Franklin Bruno you can do so in these places:

• FranklinBruno.com
• @humanfranklin on twitter

Dott drinking milk shakes!

Dott is made up of Anna McCarthy, Laura Finnegan, and Tony Higgins (formerly of So Cow) and will be in New York this week for their first American appearance.  That show happens at Cake Shop tonight (Monday July 9th!) with Gondola, Rohypnotize (from Australia), and the Hairs.

Anna McCarthy (center) took the time to talk with us about eating and drinking in Ireland, and what she is looking forward to doing while she is in North America.  More about Dott’s wonderful new EP, music video, Popical Island, and their show at Cake Shop after the interview!

——————-

My knowledge of Ireland is limited to Dublin, Galway, and Tuam…where did you grow up, and where are you living now? How did those places influence your diet and what you like to eat?

I have lived in Galway for 8 years, but I grew up in Schull, West Cork on a dairy farm where we milked our own cows. Schull is a tiny fishing village famous for the Gubbeen Cheese farm which is just up the road from my house.  It’s  known for it’s amazing cheese originally but now also for it’s cured meats and all kinds of things.

Both places are major fishing places, so fish is big news, but also really attract quite alternative people which always welcomes a good range of food. In Galway we have a small weekend market where you can get locally made Indian food, Hare Krisna food, South African Boere Sausage, Falafel and loads of locally grown organic vegetables.

No, probably the opposite really! It made me want to get the hell away from the farm and move to the city which I did as soon as I turned 18. I really think I left that all behind when I moved away from home. When I was a child I used to plant all sorts of things, sunflowers were my favourite. And I had so many pets back then. I wish I had a dog right now but I don’t think I’d have the time to spend with it, and it would break my heart to leave it at home lonely.

Have you been to the Gubbeen Cheese Farm?  You mention that they are known for other things now.  What should people be eating if they make it to Schull?

My sister sadly passed away two years ago. So my whole family were home in Schull for a few days after the funeral. My boyfriend Evan really wanted to get some Gubbeen Chilli Sausages but the locals shops were all sold out. A few of us decided to call up to the farm and see if anyone was there to buy a few things from. So we arrived up out of the blue and Fingal Ferguson who runs Gubbeen nowadays greeted us and decided to give us all a free tour of the whole farm. It was absolutely amazing. We went through the whole smoke house where the meats are cured, smoked etc. He showed us where all the cheeses are made and we got to taste all kinds of “just made” cheese. We went through the farm and got to see the pigs, chickens, cows and all of the animals and then he gave us bags of stuff to take home, refusing to take any payment for it! I just really love the way Gubbeen farm works. The staff all seem really happy, and the animals are treated really well. And the family who run it are just so kind. The brand is relatively famous across the world but it’s just so nice to think we were able to roll up to their front door and they took the time to show us around the whole farm. He spent about two hours with
us when he could have been doing other things! It’s just a really nice memory.

I love hearing personal stories about well-known businesses.  It reinforces that they are well-known for a reason.  That sounds like an amazing experience. 

Ha no! But I’ve heard rumours my grandmother did, so maybe that’s where it came from?

Neachtains which I mentioned earlier is great. My ‘local’ would be O’Connells on Eyre Square, it’s an ancient building with a roof stained brown from cigarette smoke from back in the day. The Bier Haus has great beers and good music and the Roisin Dubh is where you go if you want a boogie to real music!

Speaking of physically arguing and Bier Haus, when I was in Galway we were out around 2am at the place right by Bier House a 20 something intoxicated Irishmen started to talked to me…I was quickly pulled away by Jonny and Brian (So Cow) in fear that he would start a fight with the American (or anyone for that matter).  I felt more safe in Galway after drinking in a pub on a weekend than I did in Temple Bar. Were my friends being over protective?

Oh jeez. No idea. Galway is so safe though. I’ve never come across anything dodgy like that myself, but maybe that’s because I just ignore crazy people or people who have drank waaay too much. So maybe Jonny/Brian were right to pull you away in case things got lost in translation. I really don’t like violence. I would be really really embarrassed if my boyfriend punched some guy in my honor.

I have 2 brothers and a sister in Dublin and Dott are always playing shows up there. My favourite place to eat in Dublin is Boojum! They do the very best Burritos. Yum. But I feel like I’m always grabbing something really quick in Dublin so a nice sit down place escapes me right now. I’ve heard great things about the Winding Stair. Miriam who has been filling in for Laura on bass for the summer went there the other week and was raving about it. I get to Cork as often as I can too and my two favourite places would have to be Cafe Paradiso (AMAZING gourmet vegetarian) and Scoozi’s (it’s Italian hasthe very best desserts in the city, I’ve been going there since I was a kid).

Where have you traveled?

I have done a LOT of travelling in the last 5 years. Been all over Europe (Spain, Austria, Germany, Edinburgh, France, Portugal, Czech Republic) South East Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia) Australia, New Zealand, Guatemala, Belize, Mexico, Canada (Toronto) and last year my boyfriend and I did a mammoth US road trip from Seattle to San Diego then East through New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Mississippi,  Louisiana, Tenessee, and I’ve been to New York 3 times.

In Ireland we’re really lucky to have really cheap travel all over Europe so my friends and I would book flights to different countries to see bands we like for the fun of it. My trip last year (Thailand/Aus/NZ/USA Road trip) was with my boyfriend Evan. I went to Central America on my own, but managed to meet lovely people. And the others would have been with friends. New York will be the first band holiday. But we’re all traveling separately so it won’t quite be the same. Laura (bass) is working in NY for the summer. I’m coming from a wedding in Toronto and Tony (drums) is flying in from Ireland!

Ummm…. landed in Toronto on Sunday and we went to a famous wings place called Duff’s. They do loads of flavours of wings, from mild to Armageddon. I ate one Armageddon wing and totally lost control of my eyes and nose. I was pretty  much crying. But I finished it and I think I must repress bad memories because afterwards I was like “that was awesome!”. My friend who stuck to the mild wings was asking why the hell do people put themselves through so much pain for something like that. But I pointed out that some people get TERRIBLE hangovers, but that doesn’t stop them having a fun night out involving lots of boozing. Humans are weirdos.

Not this time, just New York. I’ve been to the entire West Coast now and most of the South so next time I decide to do an epic road trip I want to see upstate NY, Boston Maine etc and head over towards Chicago. Hopefully I’ll incorporate a tour in there somewhere too if I’m lucky. Music and traveling are my biggest extravagances. I couldn’t care less what kind of car I drive or if my shoes are falling apart, but I’m happy to hop on a plane and see a band I like in a place I’ve never been to before.

We have talked a lot about Irish booze.  What are some of your favorite foods and most memorable eating experiences?  

Thai, Italian, anything spicy, NY pizza! and then basically anything that uses fresh vegetables in a really colourful creative way. There’s a place in Galway that uses really fun combinations of carrots, red cabbage, anything colourful, so you can eat with your eyes too! As you can see I’ve done lots of traveling so I love to try out whatever someone else thinks is worth writing home about. My favourite meal in Thailand was on the side of a busy road with dirt and dust flying in our faces but the queue of Thai’s outside confirmed we’d be onto a winner. My best meal in Belize was sitting on the sand watching the sun going down eating a barracuda steak after I’d stared a barracuda down snorkeling earlier that day. I hadn’t realised they had teeth as sharp as piranhas!

No :-) I was  just trying out the theory that animals can sense fear so I was letting that particular animal know I wasn’t scared of it. I think I would have peed my  pants if I ‘d known how scary they actually are!

I’m not sure if there is an Irish type of Pizza. There are so many of the American chains everywhere and then an upper market European chain too. But you do find a few nice independent places. There’s a lovely place in Galway City called Pizza Napoli which is right beside Tigh
Neachtains, a great bar for people watching. Anyway, they make up these huge pizzas and sell giant slices for €3. They have a secret sauce with tonnes of garlic and oregano and it’s just so good! It goes really well with a pint outside Neachtains!

If you are in New York see Dott live:

Tonight Monday July 9th, 2012 @ Cake Shop w/  Gondola, Rohypnotize (from Australia), and the Hairs.  Dott is on 3rd. 

Watch Dott’s video for “Let’s Do it” here:

If you are interested in learning more about Irish pop music check out the most recent compilation from Popical Island to hear new tracks by No Monster Club, So Cow, Grand Pocket Orchestra, and Patrick Kelleher (and of course Dott!)…you can stream it below while you check out the rad poster for the show they threw this past weekend!

Popical Island 3 Live

The other Popical Island comps can be found here.

Follow Dott on Facebook  and Bandcamp for news, new songs, and live dates!  

Follow Popical Island on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr.

Dwayne and Leif of Orca Team

While all of Orca Team are food lovers the band directed me to Dwayne Cullen, their drummer, to chat about all things that are delicious. Dwayne took the time to talk to us before he had to pack his bags for their three month tour de force.  He knows his coffee, loves beer, and will eat just about anything.  He gives us his little guide to breweries and coffee shops around Seattle, some insight into the Seattle hot dog, thai food, donuts, ice cream, and more.

Orca Team tour dates, album stream, music videos and more can be found after the interview!

—————-

Where did you grow up, and what type of eater were you?

I grew up in Lynnwood. A suburb 15 miles north. We used to hear coyotes howl in our backyard, but now its an apartment complex.  I was a picky eater for 18 years, Now I eat everything. And will try anything.

What would you say Seattle’s regional delicacy is? Where would you go to get it?

The Seafood here is probably our main delicacy. Lots of Oyster happy hours around town. Sometimes I go out to the peninsula to a friends cabin and go crabbing or grab some oysters off the shore, so I’m not huge on paying for it. However, The Walrus and the Carpenter is the absolute best! I love their smoked trout and they have regular half off oyster happy hours. It’s in Ballard (a neighborhood of Seattle) so I like to hang out by the water there, either head out to the locks, or walk along the canal.

Is the Seattle variety of hot dog a thing?

In Seattle, hot dogs are served with cream cheese and grilled onions on a toasted bun. The sausages are split in half and grilled before being put in the bun. Stands offer a variety of condiments, such as Sriracha sauce and jalapeños (via wiki)

 Yes it is a thing! When I discovered it I was very apprehensive, but now I never want a hot dog with ketchup and mustard. The cream cheese mellowing out the spice of sriracha and jalapeños is perfect. I don’t know what about it is “Seattle” but its god damned tasty.

Washington state in general is a big beer state. Do you have a favorite Brewery? Favorite Beer? And, even if it isn’t your favorite brewery, what is the best brewery to visit?

The beer I always find myself drinking here is Manny’s. In the course of an evening I may try several different beers, but there is always at least one Manny’s in there. It’s the most perfectly balanced Ale I have found. Bitter enough. Not too sweet. It is brewed by Georgetown Brewing Co. Located in an industrial part of Seattle south of downtown called Georgetown. Great Beer, Have not been to the Brewery.

Between the Fremont and Ballard neighborhood, Hales Ales has been a favorite brewery to visit. I think it’s because it was down the street from where I lived when I first moved out on my own. Going there brings back thoughts of freedom and independence. And not worrying or giving a shit. They produce a variety show every year called the Moister Festival. Its awesome. It may not be my favorite catalogue of beer, but they do have some pretty nice cream ales and my favorite is their Mongoose IPA. Killer.

Outside of Seattle there are so many. If anyone was looking for a little excursion into dark dreary parts of the Northwest I’d recommend Diamond Knot in Mukilteo, or Port Townsend Brewing CO …in Port Townsend, and Scuttlebutt in Everett.

Your band mates say that you are coffee snob: when you go out for coffee what is your local shop? What do you order? What type of beans to you use at home, and what is your brewing method?

I would decline to say that I am a coffee snob, after working as a barista at so many cafes, I got very tired of being told the “right” way to make a god damned cup of coffee. That being said, I do like a fresh roast and cup of coffee made with some effort.

I drink coffee three ways: Black cup of coffee. Black Americano with just two ounces of water. And Mochas. At home I am all about the French Press. I’ll use a caffettiera to look classy sometimes…

Caffe Vita, is my favorite place to go for black coffee. My roommate works at Fuel, which sells Cafe Vita, so there is always plenty in the house. For espresso, I really love (and I know its really more local to Portland, but it’s such high quality) Stumptown. I’ve never had a bad cup there. And you can show up any day (i think) at 3pm for a coffee tasting downstairs. Its a lot of fun and they’re all very knowledgeable.

Ok, so maybe I took some liberties with how they said you were passionate about beer and coffee…they really only said you “were the extreme one these days.”

Ya’ll are pretty close to the Canada boarder…do you have thoughts on donuts?  Dunkin Donuts vs Tim Horton? Now that we have gotten the chains out of the way what would you say Seattle’s local donut jam is?

Funny, I feel like there were more Dunkin Donuts around here when I was a kid. I just google mapped it and there is one in seattle and like two in Washington. I have never heard of Tim Hortons. Apparently they own cold stone creamery? We have those… But there are so many better little shops in Seattle to satisfy your sweet tooth.

First of all there is Mighty O Donuts; which is a major destination because they make vegan donuts that taste amazing. I used to work there; they’re top notch. (I got fired for being late too many times. What can I say I have a lot of shit to do at night.) Try the Chocolate Raspberry. Top Pot is also a big name in Seattle donuts. Go there if you want a classical beefy “hand forged donut”. Their fritters are great.

I keep forgetting that Dunkin Donuts is an East Coast thing. There have to be a hundred in New York. When I went to Vancouver the guy driving the shuttle explained that Tim Horton’s was basically Canada’s Dunkin Donuts, and if I wanted to sound Canadian I should order a “double double”: a coffee with two creams & two sugars.  Any other exciting sweets coming to mind when you think about Seattle?

For anything beyond a donut. Molly Moons is the great for ice cream. And Seattle has more than a million cupcake shops (in fact I rarely see anyone with a donut – cupcakes only). but top tier in my opinion is Yellow Leaf – their frosting is Italian Butter cream “sweet without being sugary”. Seriously check them out. Its divine. http://www.theyellowleafcupcake.com/

My girlfriend  recently flipped through the new Molly Moon cookbook…we saw a couple interesting ideas in there for our own ice cream making. We have tried out some different things recipe wise…savory ice creams and moving to egg custard bases.

Brown buttered Ice cream, sounds tasty! I’m usually a little boring when it comes to Ice Cream though. At Molly Moon’s I get two scoops of my favorite things in life. Coffee and Chocolate. The Chocolate is Theo Chocolate which is a fair trade chocolate factory in the Fremont Neighborhood and the Coffee is made with Stumptown.

I’ll be honest, I have no idea where to begin. Last time I was there I had a friend guide me to a great chinese place in Brooklyn, and an Oyster/PBR happy hour. That’s about it. What should I look for?

There are a handful of $1 oyster happy hours going on right now: Maison Premier and Lobster Joint are two that I hear are great.   If you want Chinese I would point you toward dim sum in Chinatown at Nom Wah Tea Parlor or Xia Famous Foods in the East Village. Donut wise Peter Pan Donuts in Greenpoint, Brooklyn is super old school, and makes amazing donuts. There are endless amazing sandwiches and pizza (Best Pizza in Williamsburg has both amazing pizza and sandwiches). 

I will be checking out the dim sum for sure. Its a combination of another two favorites: brunch and chinese.

Are there any cities you like to tour through just to eat and drink there? What are they and what are you eating and drinking while you are there?

Portland. I think the northwest is pretty spoiled when it comes to food and drinks. So many restaurants with different styles of high quality cuisine. Portland is very vegan friendly, which doesn’t matter to me, but when I go out to eat with Leif I can find great, tasty options. The Sweet Hereafter for example has a killer (vegan) Buffalo sub. Great atmosphere and great drinks too! Portland has so many great breweries as well. I loved Amnesia Brewing, had so many beer that day I can’t recall why except that it was a really sunny day and they have outdoor seating.

To stretch out a bit: I do love going anywhere in the south that serves Jerk chicken. I’d never heard of it till I went down to florida. Can’t get enough. Jerk sauce blew my mind.

We just got two Pok Pok Wings, a Portland institution, here in NYC? have you been?

I have not been, but I just checked the menu. I’m gonna try to go there next time we do a show in Portland.

I think you said you live in the university district…I have fond memories of Thai Tom’s (although I didn’t know much about thai food when I ate there). What is the locals’ opinion?

I haven’t met a single person who has been there that didn’t rave about it. The vegetables have always been perfectly cooked, you know where they’re still crispy? Seeing the way the cooks bustle and serve you quickly is an added pleasure. Be ready to wait outside during prime dinner time.

Twin Peaks was said to take place in Washington state. Are you a fan? How are the pies around there?

I love Twin Peaks so far, I only started watching last week. Its funny seeing Snoqualmie Falls as the intro to the series – I went there all the time as a kid. Oddly enough, we’ve had people tell us our music sounds like it belongs on a David Lynch sound track, and we just made a music video in North Bend. I went to the twin peaks cafe, but did not have any pie. Their mexican omelette was great though.

When Orca Team tours how do you decide where to eat? Do any band members opinions have more weight? What do you do if you can’t decided?

Well, last tour Leif and Jessica were Vegans, so I ate with them mostly at Co-op’s and natural food stores. Now Jessica isn’t vegan and It’ll be interesting to see if that changes the ‘where to stop for dinner’ dynamic. No one has more say really, but Leif absolutely will not let me go to McDonalds. Which is great, because I don’t want to, but when I’m really hungry its like a sirens call and Leif ties me to the mast. If we can’t decide, or if we are in a hurry then its Chex Mix dinner and Peace tea at a gas station.

———————————-

orca team

Orca Team begin their long journey right here in Brooklyn, and will be playing with the Catnaps, Cola Jet Set, Wild Moccasins, and Saturday Looks Good to Me for the second night of Pop Fest!  If you run into them give them tips on good eats in your town, watch them play, and maybe grab a tape or record (they release on High Fives and Hand Shakes AND Happy Happy Birthday To Me!  what a resume!). Check out their most recent EP here:

Follow Orca Team:
- Facebook
- Bandcamp
- Twitter