Foodie heaven.

railer, cart, truck, silver bullet, wagon, we got em’ all. Austin loves our Food Carts and they seem to be growing by the day. I don’t mind exploring the city to hunt all the new motor-restaurants down, but last weekend I let them all come to me at the Austin Gypsy Picnic.

Keep Austin spicy.

So I’ve neglected my blog lately – but I have a good excuse… I’ve been busy. Busy doing what? Oh, just working a full-time job, prepping to start a part-time job, taking weekend trips to visit friends around Texas and attempting to not get lost in a new city. No worries – over the next few posts I’ll fill you in on all the fun events… like The Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival shown above. It was no Missouri State Fair with fried twinkies, but it was a pretty good (hot) substitute.

Prime-time prep.

I have been on a very preppy streak lately – my Foursquare check-ins, my choice of TV shows and even where I dine (it’s not everyday you go to a restaurant where the servers are required to where Vineyard Vine)… and you know what? I don’t hate it.

The ten dollar PB&J.

In NYC everyday is a new lesson for this St. Louis girl.

Today’s lesson: the New York City grocery market.

One Friday I received an e-mail from my bank, never a good sign. The note politely alerted me I had “insufficient funds” to continue my spending habits. I suspected the ominous overdraft charge was only one impulsive slide of my debit card away.

Friday was June 10. I had assumed the funds in my checking account would last until July. Uh-oh.

A re-evaluation of my spending led me to one conclusion; I would just have to stop eating. That genius decision and doomed diet plan lasted about two hours until the monster inside my stomach decided to start making noise.

My hunger led to a new decision – I would tour the Upper West Side of Manhattan via a hunt for good grocery deals.

First stop, Morton Williams University Market. My first instinct said, “University – that must mean cheap!” Oh how wrong I was. Do you enjoy paying five dollars for a mini jar of Peter Pan peanut butter? I don’t. This “University” market clearly didn’t understand what a college budget meant.

Second stop, Apple Tree Market. Did I say market? What I meant was four by four room with fridge containing meat. For me the qualification for a market requires at least two different brands of bread – Apple Tree failed that test.

Third stop, Fairway. I will admit I was a bit nervous adventuring to Fairway. The trip required entering into a deeper area of Harlem than I had ever been before, but in the end it was totally worth sacrificing my comfort zone. And apparently everyone else is willing to sacrifice theirs as well. The place was packed with Sunday super shoppers. When I was a kid I used to pretend the grocery store cart was a racecar. Today I didn’t have to pretend, people at Fairway would have given NASCAR’s best a run for their money. I saw shoppers working in teams, setting blocks and pick-and-rolls all to get down an aisle to grab one of the three-hundred available loaves of bread. People were shopping like they were prepping for the biggest snowstorm of the century or a huge Thanksgiving meal three hours away. Newsflash- it is 87 degrees outside and early June. Besides feeling like roadkill, I enjoyed my trip to Fairway. The place had it all and the prices were decent (as in I didn’t feel like I was being robbed but I did still choose one type of pasta over another because of a ten cent difference). Next time I go back I’ll make sure to bring my pit crew.

Other lessons learned:

-       Grocery bags + subway = workout

-       The man begging on the street corner will change ask you for a popsicle if he spots shopping bags

-       A grocery store parking lot proves Manhattan residents do in fact own vehicles

-       Living full time in the city requires a Cost Co. card