HUNGRY GERALD

2011 in New Mexico made its entrance with brilliant sunshine (which is commonplace in these parts) and chilly (17 degrees) weather which is decidedly not. Yesterday was the usual day of air travel tedium and delay. Relief consisted of some excellent dining. HG and Beautiful Sharon joined son Jeremy and grandson Haru  in Brooklyn’s Carroll Gardens neighborhood for a sumptuous lunch at Prime Meats, the latest outpost of the Frankies Spuntino empire. For Jeremy: Pork schnitzel. Perfectly crisp and not a speck of grease. For Beautiful Sharon: Roast beef sandwich on onion roll. Much applause from BS. For HG: An overwhelming Choucroute Garnie. Big mound of perfect sauerkraut. Pork belly. Bratwurst. Knockwurst. Tongue. Boiled potatoes. Pot of mustard. Bengali India Pale Ale. A bonanza of a lunch; a better choucroute than HG has ever had at a Paris Alsatian cuisine bistro. Is Brooklyn trumping Paris as a culinary hot spot? For Haru: A skyscraper of Freedom Fries (HG jokes, of course). The small man made a big dent in the fries. Post-lunch, there was a four hour flight to Denver and a lengthy flight delay layover.   Consolation prize..   Adjacent to Gate B46 at Denver International Airport is Lefty’s Sports Bar.   Lefty serves a Reuben sandwich (and HG kids you not) that is on a par with the one HG devoured many times at the sandwich’s originator, Reuben’s Restaurant on E. 58th in New York. Moreover, Lefty provides fine potato salad, an estimable pickle and artisan brewery beer and ale on tap. Lefty’s is an unexpected treat. Greeted the descent of the Times Square ball with some hot tea and the luxury of HG’s and BS’s own bed. Home sweet home, indeed.