Email Author Robert Sietsema

Awards

• 2011 - Association of Food Journalists Awards, published June 23, 2010

  "An Open Letter to Josh Ozersky"

• 2011 - AAN AltWeekly Awards, published June 23, 2010

  "An Open Letter to Josh Ozersky"

• 2011 - AAN AltWeekly Awards, published December 1, 2010

  "May We Interest You in Some Egg Fetus?"

• 2011 - AAN AltWeekly Awards, published December 8, 2010

  "Siam I Am"

More

2009 Stories by Robert Sietsema

• The Early Word -- DeFonte's

  published Mar 05, 2009

  It seemed like a miracle -- an obscure hero shop in the mean back streets of Red Hook, one of the foremost purveyors of the legendary Italian roast beef hero, suddenly pops up in Gramercy Park. H... More >>

• Pix from La Superior

  published Mar 04, 2009

  This week's Counter Culture covers La Superior, a Williamsburger Mexican restaurant that adapts a pan-national menu for New York tastes, a feat we dub "Goth-Mex," short for "Gothamite-Mexican." Despit... More >>

• Introducing La Superior's Goth-Mex

  published March 4, 2009

  The décor is comically slapdash: colorfully painted walls, a string of Xmas lights, and—behind a bar which currently serves no... More >>

• Here We Go Again -- Obama Rama

  published Mar 03, 2009

  Tired of the Drunken Negro Face cookie and its profound ramifications for racial harmonyr Well, when I was downing my baguettines at Amy's Bread this morning, I saw it, like a vision beaming down... More >>

• Strange Snacks of the World -- Scrapple

  published Mar 03, 2009

  During my recent sojourn in rural south-central Pennsylvania, I had the chance to reacquaint myself with scrapple. Like Spam, it is a meat invented in America based on pig. But unlike Spam, which... More >>

• How Do You Spell G-U-T-B-O-M-Br

  published Mar 02, 2009

  Around Sunset Park, the pambazo has almost attained the status of urban legend. It's a sandwich said to have originated in the streets of Guadalajara, a hero-type roll first dipped in fiery red c... More >>

• Stranger in a Strange Land, Days 3 & 4

  published Mar 01, 2009

  Of course, when I wasn't cooking for the fantasy writing retreat, I was exploring the countryside looking for local delicacies. Just driving around was a pleasure, though a landscape of dairy farms, w... More >>

• Stranger in a Strange Land, Day 2

  published Feb 27, 2009

  In my rant about raisin pie, I neglected to mention where I'd found it: rural Pennsylvania, a few miles east of Gettysburg and just north of the Maryland border. I'm at a writers' workshop, but here... More >>

• Stranger in a Strange Land

  published Feb 25, 2009

  Things get so strange when you travel to unfamiliar parts of the country. Especially in the most rural areas. While American cities have to a certain extent become homogenized -- with the same ... More >>

• Pink and Pendulous at Flex Mussels

  published February 25, 2009

  Remember Belgo? The international restaurant chain swept into town 10 years ago, riding a tidal wave of hype, and set down in a cavernous space... More >>

• Strange Snacks of the World -- Sel Roti

  published Feb 24, 2009

  Sel Roti at Mustang Thakali Kitchen Sel roti is a bread beloved of Nepalis, featured during their Festival of Lights, but also eaten as an everyday snack. It's made with rice flour and resembles ... More >>

• The Early Word -- Marfa

  published Feb 23, 2009

  When I heard that newly opened Marfa was attempting a chicken fried steak, I waited a respectful two weeks then hopped on my bike and peddled furiously over there.       ... More >>

• Vegetarian Delights of NYC -- Boreks

  published Feb 22, 2009

  Herein begins a new series highlighting the city's best vegetarian dishes. Spinach borek at Gazala Place, along with a side of the marvelous smoky babaganoush, laked with green olive... More >>

• "Ain't It The Truth!" Dept.

  published Feb 20, 2009

  ... More >>

• Incredibly Cheap Eats -- Whiting on Whole Wheat

  published Feb 20, 2009

  The scrumptious whiting sandwich at Dolphin (presumably, no dolphins were harmed) In Uptown Manhattan the fish sandwich rules as a cheap tuck-in. And one of the best places to get them is in the ... More >>

• In a Site Devoted Entirely to Translations of Russian Lolcats...

  published Feb 19, 2009

  This one is the deepest: "We are American humans swimming in water suitable for drinking" http://rolcats.com/ ... More >>

• What's in a Namer

  published Feb 19, 2009

  Ten years ago it was called New Manpole Restaurant, and I became a regular. It was fun telling my pals that I was hitting the New Manpole that evening, but the cheap Chinese charcuterie alone made it ... More >>

• Strange Snacks of the World -- Salchipapas

  published Feb 19, 2009

  Let's forget about foie gras for a moment and dig into a big plate of salchipapas. Like the name ("sausage-potatoes") says, this snack is a toss of french fries and baby hot dogs. The hot do... More >>

• Is Yelp Cooking Its Reviewsr

  published Feb 18, 2009

  Our former sister publication, the East Bay Express, ran an incendiary story today, reporting how the consumer restaurant review site yelp.com may be shaking down restaurants by offering to alter the ... More >>

• Pix from the Extreme Pupusa Run

  published Feb 18, 2009

  This week, Counter Culture documents an extreme pupusa run in extremely cold weather. The objective was to eat pupusas (delicious stuffed masa pancakes) in all six of downtown Jamaica's pupuserias. Re... More >>

• One Hell of a Sandwich

  published Feb 17, 2009

  Adana sandwich at Kebab House II Turkish restaurants have been serving the late-night snacking needs of Lower East Side clubgoers for decades, beginning with Bereket on Houston Street. A coup... More >>

• Central American Masa Pancakes Rule at Dona Mari, El Comal, and Many More

  published February 18, 2009

  During the first decade of the 21st century, New York's population of foreign-born Salvadorans zoomed to 40,000, making them our 11th largest... More >>

• The Other, Really White Meat

  published Feb 17, 2009

  The National Pork Board, an organization responsible for hyping pork (as if pork needed any promotion), is to blame for the painful slogan "The Other White Meat." For years, I've pondered that sl... More >>

• Call it Mountain Dew -- Oops! That Name's Already Taken

  published Feb 16, 2009

  The Times of London has just reported that a militant Hindu group called the RSS, which has eight million members, has announced plans to launch a cow urine drink to be known as gau jal or "... More >>

• Lake Winnebago Sturgeon Season Off to a Fast, Tragic Start

  published Feb 16, 2009

  Champion sturgeon caught in Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin last year by Ed "Al" Blatz measured 78 inches and weighed a whopping 172 pounds (click to enlarge) The sturgeon season on Wisconsin's Lak... More >>