taxigourmet
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I'M a New York cabbie/food writer. When I'm on duty, I search for cheap, delicious eats near taxi stands. When I'm off duty, I get in random cabs, ask the drivers to take me to their favorite places to eat, and document the adventure.
Neighborhood: Queens

10 NFT Questions:
My Day Job:
     Cab driver
What I'm listening to:
     Jimmy Reed (Blues)
What I'm reading:
     Dharma Bums (Kerouac), Homer & Langley (E.L. Doctorow)
What I've just seen:
     A lady wrapped in felt & fur about to get her hair colored (80-cent tip)
What I believe in:
     Eating at least 5 times a day.
What pisses me off:
     NYPD takes up all parking spots at a taxi stand & gives me parking tickets
What I really think of NFT:
     You get off on asking dangerous questions.
The question I really wanted to answer was:
     Q: What are you about to eat?
    A: Chorizo tacos from La Fonda on Amsterdam/108th St.
Further contact info:
     Twitter: @taxigourmet
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Taxi-Gourmet/56760137079
What sanctifies me:
     My taste memory?

Layne's Photos


Layne's Features
5 Ways to Taste the Silk Road
Though New York cabbies hail from all over the world, many of them were born along what was once the Silk Road. Guided by taxi drivers from Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Iran and Turkey, Layne Mosler explores five restaurants where chefs still cook under the influence of spice swaps on the ancient trade route.   
Read more...

taxigourmet's Reviews & Comments
Reisschale Imbiss 7/28/2010
No visit to Berlin is complete without puzzling over the all-German displays at the Stasi (secret police) Museum in what was once the nerve center of East Germany's communist state. But if the obligatory trip to the city's dark past leaves you famished, Reisschale Imbiss - just across the street from the museum on Ruschestrasse - has got you covered. Always fresh Thai food is prepared to order, and you can pick up tasty coconut curry with rice for 4 euros. Noodle boxes with chicken or tofu and vegetables start at 2.50 euros, soups and spring rolls are 2 euros, and every picnic table has a bottle of Sriracha. Flavor like this never would've made it past the Wall.
La Vaca Pampa 4/5/2010
Address: Avenida Elcano 3243 (Belgrano R). Small and no-nonsense, this is a neighborhood steak house where regulars make up the vast majority of the clientèle, where the owner is often the one who serves your food, where the asador (grill master) is known and trusted. Entraña (skirt steak) is delicious here, as are roasted vegetables that you can order as a side. Sidewalk tables are the best spot in good weather, but you can situate yourself in front of their air conditioner when it's too sticky outside.
El Litoral 4/5/2010
An archetypal hole in the wall in Balvanera - on Buenos Aires' run-down but soulful South side - where cabbies and meat lovers from the neighborhood gather to break bread over vinyl tablecloths. The flank steak sandwich (sandwich de vacio) is great here, especially when you add a little salsa criolla (with tomatoes, onions, garlic, oregano, peppers, oil and vinegar). Steaks themselves, including bife de costilla (t-bone), are good, too, and prices are as inflation-proof as you can hope for in a turbulent economy. Finish things off with a classic sweet-savory dessert: queso y dulce de batata (cheese and sweet potato paste), also known as postre vigilante and famous for being Jorge Luis Borges’ favorite after-dinner treat.
Uskudar 3/31/2010

taxigourmet's Radars Gel Gör Inegöl Köfteci
Secret Sausage
9/2/2010 Restaurants, All Neighborhoods — Bad Turkish restaurants have a hard time surviving in Berlin--and good ones like Gel Gor remind luck...

Petrossian Boutique
High Class Cookie
8/17/2010 Shopping, Midtown — There are foods that soothe from the moment they make it into your mouth, and chocolate chip cookies...

Biladi Sudanesiche Spezialitaten
Sudanese Satisfaction
8/11/2010 Restaurants, All Neighborhoods — When Sudan native Yassir Awouda got burned out from working as an architect in Berlin, he decided to...

Barros Luco
Chile Chow
7/21/2010 Restaurants, East Midtown — The $5 baked beef empanada here is a thing of beauty: big chunks of meat, loads of smoked red pepper...

Tandoor
Hard-To-Find Greenery
7/16/2010 Restaurants, Forest Hills — Believe it or not, it's rare to find sarson ka saag (mustard green puree) at Indian restaurants in N...

Submitted Listings

New York
Barros Luco Empanadas and sandwiches, Chilean style.
Cherry Hill Gourmet Market Fabulous and never-ending Russian deli.
El Idolo Almost East LA worthy tamales & cemitas.
Ganapati Temple Canteen Dosas on fire.
Globetrippin The whole world in a Harlem cafe.

Other Cities
Biladi Sudanesiche Spezialitaten Berlin Falafel, Sudanese Style
El Cuartito Argentine-Style Pizza Under Maradona's Gaze
El Litoral Where Taxistas Eat their Steak
Gel Gör Inegöl Köfteci Kofte and Kunefe at their Turkish Best
La Vaca Pampa Lazy Lunching, Buenos Aires style