The Culinary Delights of Bed-Stuy

It seems like a long time ago that I moved into this neighborhood, Bedford-Stuyvesant in my adopted Brooklyn.  At the time I wrote, Coming soon: The culinary options (delights?) of Bed-Stuy.  I can say now, with authority, that there are some truly great food options around my way. 

The highlight, and my go to spot these days is Ali's Trinidad Roti Shop, near Fulton and Nostrand Aves.  This place is great, there's always a line leading up to the security glass.  On my first visit I had only a vague conception of what a roti was, much less the pholorie, the aloo pie, the bake, the doubles, the sorrel or the mauby.  I found that a good option is to ask the guy or girl in front of you what they're having and what it is, everybody loves making friends, right?  I've also found when the lady behind the glass hollers "Ya want PEPPAH?!"  The correct answer is "Yes, please."  A roti is an extremely hearty west-indian burrito-esque wrap.  The wrapper is made from lentil flour and is nice and chewy; it has the durability to hold to truly incredible amount of food that it is laden with.  They come in any number of flavahs:  Goat, chicken, beef, shrimp, oxtail, or potato with chickpeas (channa).  At $5.50 and weighing in at about a pound and a half of meat, gravy and potatoes, these things are prodigious and a prodigious bargain.  The only thing that you have to watch out for is the bones.  It may seem odd to make a sandwich with a gang of chicken or goat bones in it, but at these prices and when the food is this good, sometimes you just have to work around it.  Also, you can't just change things.  I haven't gotten to try the aloo pie (yet) but I have tried the pholourie (savory fried dough w/spicy tamarind sauce) $2, the doubles (naan-ish bread filled with spicy chickpeas and folded over to made a sandwich) $1, and my personal favorite the bake and salt fish, $3.  Imagine: savory fried dough, cut open, filled with bacalhau, cabbage, onions, tomatoes and hot pepper.  It doesn't get much better than that.  I love this place, and I love how nice the people who work there are... The prices are great and there's always something new to try.

The "Papaya Dog" is definitely as dirty as it looks.  But it's also open 24/7, which places a philly cheese steak within 2 blocks at all times.  And it is CHEAP, as dirt cheap as it is dirty.    Unfortunately their papaya drink is chalky and horrible.  As I say, you can't have it all.

I haven't tried any of the fried chicken joints in the 'hood yet.  I like fried chicken, but I only crave it a couple of times a year.  Perhaps that will be the next frontier.