LA Food in NY Style: Red Hook Ballfields

When I arrived in New York, fellow foodblogger Eating in Translation recommended I get an unlimited ride MetroCard and explained that to eat the best New York has to offer, I'd have to get out of the Columbia environs as much as possible. While increasingly difficult econ homework makes the latter less and less likely, I do have the unlimited card and I've corralled a group of fellow grad student food lovers with the hope of heading out of Morningside Heights at least one weekend every month for cheap, tasty food.


Our first excursion took us to the Red Hook Ballfields, home to extremely popular Latin/Central American food stands. The Homesick Texan recommended them as an antidote to my longing for a cheap, decent taco. These stands have inspired extreme devotion from foodies, and so far the Health Department regulators have been kept at bay.


Having only one stomach, I was unable to sample the wealth of goods at the park, but I was more than happy with my spicy, limey grilled corn on a stick and my gigantic "quesadilla"--a tortilla filled with cheese and heated, then filled with your choice of meat, guacamole, salsas, lettuce, etc. Another highlight were the myriad fruity drinks--in addition to the standard jamaica and tamarindo, I also spotted watermelon and drank a subtly sweet lemon-lime.

I felt like I was back in LA, minus the driving, and, oh yeah--what's that I see from the Smith Street subway stop? The Statue of Liberty. Viva Nueva York.