On the Bourdain trail

Calumet Fisheries
Chicago, IL

clam strips and scallops

view from Calumet Park.  That is Indiana in the horizon...

After hitting the eco-pasty truck I had the thought to hit this place up on my way out of town.  I'd seen it on Anthony Bourdain's show "No Reservations" (Travel Channel) and was intensely intrigued by its history and remote location.  Located in an industrial area, Calumet fisheries serves all things aquatic fried or smoked.  I hope they're not fishing them out of the river from the back porch.  it's a tiny spot (i felt awkward and touristy snapping pics inside so I passed on that) so I heeded the advice of some online reviews and headed to a nearby park- good choice on my part!  it was a lovely day and I got to dip my feet in Lake Michigan.  Both the clams and the scallops were quite good- well-seasoned and accompanied by a spicy sauce.

Papillon Bosnian Food Stand

Des Moines Farmers' Market, across from Java Joe's

L to R: zeljanica (spinach pita) and sarma (stuffed cabbage rolls)

My technique for eating zeljanica to go (patent pending).  It lasted me about a block

I got out of the house bright and early to beat the crowds/heat to the market and hit up a longtime favorite of mine: Papillon, run by the folks who cook at Euro Café in Urbandale and a soon-to-open outpost in the 700 Locust Food Court (!!).  On tap for today, two of my Saturday breakfast favorites: sarma (cabbage stuffed with ground beef and rice; served with bread and ajvar (red pepper sauce) in a pepper/tomato broth) and zeljanica (spinach pita with cottage and mozzarella cheese).  Delicious and filling!

Mobile Urban BBQ

ribs, mac and cheese, and collard greens

Phat Daddyz BBQ
Fridays and Saturdays at  2500 MLK Drive, Des Moines

There are two things I've been hunting in Des Moines like Ahab's white whale: a bbq truck and an African restaurant (that'll be a future post).  So coming across not one but both of these on the same block definitely merited a sketchy u-turn on MLK.  Phat Daddyz operates out of a winnebago and serves a variety of sandwiches, along with combos that feature ribs, catfish, and "hindquarters" (animal unspecified).  I got the ribs as you can see.  The sauce was a little on the sweet side for my taste ( I prefer a more vinegary, NC-style sauce) but the meat was great.  Tons of meat and came off the bone cleanly without a knife.  Collards and mac were solid too.  Big thumbs up!

Tacos Villanueva

eaten off the trunk of my car... like on The Wire

Des Moines- NE 14th, across from Fazoli´s



Among DM taco trucks, Villanueva reigns supreme.  They have another truck on E. Grand between 15th and 16th and both are awesome, authentic mexican food.  Tacos served with fresh cilantro, onions, lemon, and a grilled pepper on the side.  Lately they´ve started toasting the tortillas a little so they have a great crunch to the outside.

tacos la michoacana- Waterloo/ Iowa City

tacos de lengua

A few years ago Iowa City got its first taco truck, which was based out of a restaurant in Waterloo and would come down by the waterfront Hy Vee Thursday-Sunday.  Excellent food and everyone I took loved it.  They've gone indoors now and operate out of a Mexican meat market on the west side.  Can't wait to go and check out the new digs.

On the Waterfront. . .

Main Ave. Fish Market
Down by the River
Washington, DC

It was not my plan to take my vegan girlfriend to the fish market when we set out that morning but when we ended up there in the course of the day I thought to make the best of it. I tried halfheartedly to convince her it was romantic/nostalgic since we'd met at a crab-bake (and I did genuinely feel that way, but I knew any shred of sentimentality I could wring from the experience would be outweighed by her sheer horror at the sight of live crabs next to cooked ones). Still, she suffered through it and earned major points for being a sport.

It's hard to describe the fish market fully, but basically it's the kind of place that the Sea Captain from the Simpsons would hang out. Most stalls offer a wide array of fish and crustaceans for sale, in living and not-so-living forms. So the freshness can't be beat. Crabs, specifically the blue kind (right? some native of this area that pronounces their "o's" funny can weigh in here if they'd like), are a big deal in the Chesapeake Bay. Short of getting a bag-full and eating them off the trunk of a car while drinking heavily, this was the closest I could come to having a food experience out of "The Wire."
The choices were overwhelming so I picked a stall and ordered some fried softshell crab. When I went up to order I realized the stall was actually floating in the water, tied to dock. The crab's pretty good on its own and seasoned before being fried so it didn't need a ton of condiments. Another plus is you can eat it as-is without bothering with any claw-crackers and having to really work for your food.

You get your crab and two pieces of white bread, which you take over to a little dining area right on the water that's basically like a covered pier with a shelf all around it you can rest your food on. No seating to be had (again, that's sort of in keeping with the place's gritty, no-frills vibe). The makeshift sandwich I put together was damn good with just lemon and hot sauce.
This was the first part of a sadly-unfinished two part series on seafood in The District. Our second destination, Fish In The Hood, was closed when we went, but I'll make that happen sometime in the future. Consider this a teaser for that post.