Just like how the fickle face of fashion changes with the wind, there are also trends in the culinary realm.
First there were cupcakes. Blogs, food porn slideshows and bakeries popped up in every cosmopolitan center as people went ‘coo-coo’ for cupcakes. Then, bacon. The smoked, cured strips of fatty pork were as ubiquitous on caf’eacute; menus as O2 molecules in an oxygen bar. These food trends hit an explosive climax, and then came back down to earth to claim their rightful place as either kindergarten birthday treats, or a supplement to runny eggs.
And now, it is time again for another foodstuff to reign supreme (at least for a couple of weeks), and I forecast pickles to grab the scepter.
Pickles? Some of you may curdle your upper lip and shake your head, putting faith in a sexier culinary trend. Maybe I’m biased ‘-‘- my great-grandfather drove a horse-drawn pickle cart ‘-‘- but others are starting to realize the great potential of pickling.
Grillo’s Pickle Cart is a family-run business that doles out dill spears at the Park Street T stop, and has a cult-like following. Travis Grillo, the purveyor at the cart, is a local celebrity, as his enormous personality is worth the trip itself. The homemade pickle recipe is Grillo’s great-grandfather’s and is worth keeping alive for another umpteen generations.
Pick up a heavily packed quart for only $6, or if the vinegar aroma is so tantalizing, grab two spears on the go for only a buck. The pickles are smothered in fresh dill and garlic, something that a Claussen’s customer misses out on.
The edible cocktail is another way to enjoy the anticipated pickle craze while maintaining a buzz. Head to Alibi at the Liberty Hotel for a Hendrick’s pickle martini. The bar offers Grillo’s pickles as bar snacks as well. Or, head over to Avila restaurant to sip a Gherkin martini.
If you find yourself in New York in the next few weeks, be sure to jump on the pickle wagon there, too. The New York Food Museum is celebrating Pickle Day on Oct. 4. Or head over to the Linder Theater on Oct. 13 to catch the taste-and-watch event, ‘Global Kitchen: The Magic of Pickling.’ I’d be surprised if it wasn’t the next ‘Transformers.’
As we all transition into autumn by lugging 15-pound textbooks that we bribe someone else to read for us anyways, be sure to embrace the pickling harvest and be on the forefront of the pickle en vogue.
‘ ‘ ‘
Avila restaurant, 1 Charles Street
Alibi, The Liberty Hotel, 215 Charles Street
This is an account occasionally used by the Daily Free Press editors to post archived posts from previous iterations of the site or otherwise for special circumstance publications. See authorship info on the byline at the top of the page.
