Happy New Year’s Eve! I cannot believe that the year went by so fast. I am in denial that there are so much year in review and – gasp – decade in review stuff out there.
Food in 2019 – well, we had the whole Popeye’s chicken sandwich craze, which caused Popeye’s to run out and then brought the chicken sandwich back. That people went that crazy in the first place was — yes, nuts.
When Popeye’s brought back a new supply of chicken sandwiches, I finally had one and I will agree – it’s a damn good sandwich. But, is it worth long lines and violence? No.
But, it is tasty. It’s also Popeye’s. They do a good job with chicken (but that’s my opinion; you can have your own opinion!).
In addition to the Popeye’s chicken sandwich, in 2019, I got into the burekas at Michaeli’s Bakery, which opened on Division St. at the border of Chinatown and Lower East Side (see Eater’s New York City section for coverage on its opening by Stephanie Tuder, and Gothamist‘s coverage by Scott Lynch with photos). Not a 2019 thing (it might have started in 2018?): I’m still into the burekas at Breads Bakery. (It turned out that the owner and pastry chef Adir Michaeli of Michaeli’s was Breads’s opening executive chef; but his burekas are so light and a lovely size!).
Yes, I know the babkas are the thing with Breads Bakery, but I love a savory pastry.
(the holiday markets at Union Square and Bryant Park this year were where I still hunted for Sigmund’s Pretzels! The truffle cheddar one is so good).
Food 52 did a list by Caitlin Raux Gunther of the Best and Worst of Food trends in the decade (date line Dec. 19, 2019). I have some disagreement with the list, but it was a quick and decent overview.
I liked to think that food waste acknowledgment and the desire to eat less meat are good trends; I think food crazes that lead to violence – Popeye’s chicken sandwich – aren’t necessary.
The Takeout did a list of their best stories of 2019 (December 27, 2019). And compiled a list of “quintessential food of the 2010s (date line December 23, 2019)”
I’m still sad that Kevin Pang, the founder and former editor-in-chief of The Takeout had left and moved on from The Takeout for other opportunities in 2019. He had a nice and sweet farewell.
Even if we said hello this year to Hudson Yards (overwhelmingly too much as a luxury spot, even if the food there are fascinating) and the new Essex Market (at least they moved a community to it, rather than developed one artificially? That’s just my opinion), and we saw the rise of food halls (as opposed to just saying “food courts”) come about in the 2010s, 2010s saw a lot of places say good bye. Gothamist compiled a list of NYC spots to miss from the 2010s.
I might get around to a list or post or something on pop culture 2019? Honestly, I haven’t seen the latest Star Wars movie yet; and streaming TV has left me confused, as yet another trend or cultural shift that I cannot follow as it leaves me behind in the dust. Maybe even review my lists of books read in the past decade? We’ll see?
I’m thinking of re-thinking resolutions. Maybe be organized and accountable with them as a long-haul thing. I mean, if I learned anything from National Novel Writing Month, there are ways to reach a goal: having a goal (preferable doable); breaking down steps to get there (whether I’m that organized or making it up as I go); being accountable for the goal; having support to get there; and being okay if you don’t quite get there, because the fact that you made steps is better having made none at all (okay, that last one is still very hard to accept for me, but at least I’ve thought about it!).
If anyone has any bright ideas of how to make 2020 a year that will be good (rather than, say, yet another disastrous year in American or global politics, or how we continue to not find ways to save the Earth from human evils), let me know. I am open to bright ideas! (well, trying to do that, anyway).
See you on the other side of 2020. I’ll try to blog more, at the least, even if my eyesight may never be 20/20 without corrective lenses (okay, that is a silly joke for the new year, but this is the 21 century and it’s all very weird). Have a Happy and Healthy New Year to everyone!