Punks Eat Too

west side market, cleveland, ohio, originally uploaded by Theresa K.

This is inside the West Side Market in Cleveland, the oldest such market in the USA, I believe (the kind with many vendor stalls ranging from bakery goods to fresh veggies, etc).

I snapped this obviously because the bakery's got my name, and its next to Jim's Meats. Inside joke. The participants got it, but you don't have to.

Anyway... this gives me an opportunity to tell you about food and my next exhibit all in one fell swoop...

My next exhibit is at the Goner Records store in Memphis, TN during their Goner Fest II, which takes place from September 22 - 25, 2005. There will be a Photo Reception in the store (2152 Young Ave.) on Friday, September 23 at 6 PM with a hot dog cookout.

When Goner Records founder Eric Oblivian sent me that info, I was pretty excited to be feted with hot dogs. In the pantheon of my favorite foods, hot dogs are. Eric and I just traded emails about hot dogs, and I wanted to share a story or two about hot dogs, food and punk rock...

Yesterday, I told you how Taco Bell fueled the recording session for Stiv Bators solo album, "Disconnected."



Taco Bell also fueled the Mumps recording of "Rock N Roll This and Rock n Roll That" back in 1978.



But when I wasn't in the studio or making food runs in my little Silver Honda hatchback, I joined a bunch of my friends for late night eats at various cheap and cheerful joints... Chinatown was a favorite, Tommy Burgers on Beverly Blvd. in the barrio, El Coyote (where Sharon Tate coincidentally ate her last meal ever), and everyone's favorite: Oki Dog.

Oki Dog is a cult classic. Here's a website where you can read more about the Weirdest dog in town. Yeah -- OKI is short for Okinawa, which presumably is where the owner of Oki Dog is from. The place was operated by these peppy Japanese guys who probably stayed up 24/7 just to serve you a pastrami burrito or the famous Oki Dog - a footlong covered with chili, cheese, onions and other stuff, wrapped in a big burrito size tortilla. Only in LA, friends, only in LA.

One vivid memory I have of Oki Dog is chowing down there one late night with my friend, Barbara Barna (now she is a big deal casting director) and her college pal, Jim Taylor. Jim just won an Oscar for screenplay writing for "Sideways." This all comes to bear.... Jim and I were talking about poetry... Verlaine and Rimbaud... Barbara, paying more attention to her Oki Dog than us, caught a snippet of conversation and thought we were conflating the band Television with the movie "Rambo." I guess you had to be there....anyway...look at us hot dog eating losers 20 years later... Jim won an Oscar, Barbara cast The Queer Eye and I videotaped their screen tests! and of course, I bring you these memories and various and sundry other things.

I attribute our success to the mighty Hot Dog.

So... up to the minute. Eric O. turned me on to the following website, Watch Me Eat a Hot Dog which is pretty funny. Lots of photos of folks eating hot dogs.

I was telling Eric, and now I will tell you about my favorite NYC hot dog. There's a hot dog cart vendor, The Red Chef - Sam, who spends Thursday - Saturday nights on the corner of Ludlow and Stanton - adjacent to rock clubs like Pianos, The Living Room, Arlene Grocery and the Mercury Lounge as well as your favorite bars like Motor City and Max Fish. He makes both meat and veggie dogs with the usual condiments BUT I applaud that he makes available KIM CHEE as one of the condiment choices. You MUST try it. No longer can you claim your status as a vegan to avoid this scrumptious dog because he's got veggie dogs, too! And if you are one of those who don't like the spicy aftertaste of red hot cabbage lingering on your palate, Sam will make a s'more for you. Uh huh.

So... go rock out on the Lower East Side, eat a Kim Chee Dog and listen to live music.

Please do check out the Goner Records site, buy their releases (all excellent!) and try to make it to Memphis for Goner Fest II. All your favorite bands are playing.