Text 31214, 98 rader
Skriven 2009-11-19 11:05:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
Ärende: fast fd adventures 405
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Day 1.

I really, really, wanted Popeye's, and I knew there was
one a quick 5-minute walk from where I was. So off I
went, only to find gutted empty storefronts with the
sign "future home of CVS Pharmacy." So much for my dream
of a couple chicken thighs, spicy, with maybe a small
side of red beans and rice. Disconsolately walked back
downhill, giving a quick glance to Burger King and its
royal anger, but off on the left, there was still the
street fair (pretty optimistic scheduling the street
fair in the middle of November), so I toddled off and,
after inspecting the various wares more carefully than
I had the previous time I'd been here. Found a toothless
old grandame who was selling chicharrones con yuca - I
asked how much - quatro dolares - so by pointing and
miming and facemaking I asked for the fattiest bits,
which she gladly gave me. About 12 oz of fatty pork
shoulder, lightly vinegared and then roasted, with
maybe half that of delicious if a little fibrous fried
cassava. $4 - a pity that next time I come by this way
it's a certainty the street fair will have closed up
for the season. Took care of my fatty and crunchy
hankerings, but I'm still mourning the passing of the
Columbia Road Popeye's.

Day 2.

I had an 11 am flight, and I decided to 1. take the
Metro and 2. rely on its Website.

Suggestion: 90 bus at 0839, arriving U St. at 0846,
green line at 0852, arriving Greenbelt at 0912, bus
to the airport at 0920.

So being a good boy, I allowed 10 extra minutes: that
in theory would get me two extra buses to choose from.
Well. The two earlier buses didn't show up at all, but
the 90 came pretty much on time (0840) - but instead
of taking 7 minutes, it took 15, so I saw the green
line pull out just as I made my way to the platform.
The next one was scheduled in 3 minutes, which was
comforting. It came in about 5. Still just enough time
to make the airport bus. So twice they held the train
for a minute (my calculations now said that I had 1
minute to get the bus, counting the 2 to get from the
platform to the bus stop), but we slowed down toward
the end of the line, and I noted with dismay that it
was 0920, and I was still on the platform. I ran as
fast as my little legs could take me, but the bus was
loaded and door closed. I waved frantically, and the
driver took pity on me. It was now 0923. The driver
had to make up time, so the half-hour trip took only
25 or so. Security was likewise fast, so I had an hour
before the flight. Scanning the options: Aunt Anne's
pretzel-wrapped hot dogs. Two sports bars with bad
burgers. The Manchu Wok. Quizno's (note to self: never
go to Quizno's, even under pain of starvation). Mamma
Ilardo's acrid pizza. Mickey Dee's. Which wasn't making
burgers yet, and the famous sausage thing was charging
out at $3.88. I went back to Mamma Ilardo's for a slice
of the special pan pizza, which looked lush and cheesy
and calorific and just what I shouldn't have. The flirty
counter girl sold me a slice that turned out to have been
the smallest one on the pizza, which turned out to be
just as well. What came: about ordinary levels of topping
on a thick bready crust. Slightly over-the-hill dry
pepperoni, a few sprinkles of something that may once have
been ground bits of a pig, vinegar peppers!, slices of
pickled onion!, the famous acrid red sauce, and not very
much cheese, to the degree that my 2 pill allowance was
way overkill. The cheese tasted like a Cheddar blend and
not very Italianate at all. The whole experience was
biased in the direction of "sour."

Day 3.

I was at the Comfort Inn, and I knew my friend Linda was
within shouting distance, so I gave her a shout. We went
to the local Tex-Mex joint (famous for large, watered
Margaritas and large, unwatered beers). She had a chile
relleno plate, which she found good but mild, but my
$14 beef chimi was insufficient in several departments:
it wasn't very big, which it should have been for the
price; it was really bland; it was soggy; and the filling
tasted like canned beef stew (and in fact had some
shriveled frozen-looking peas in it), though not bad for
that. We asked for something to hot up our food, and the
waitress provided us with a half cup of chopped Jalapenos,
of which we used every scrap. Sides that come: a few shreds
of lettuce (harmless); a small scoop of reddish rice (dryish
but harmless); beans out of a can (hopeless). Beers were of
course most welcome. This stellar meal cost us forty-two
effing dollars. Serves me right for choosing a $54-a-night
hotel.
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