an institution.

when people think of new york, they imagine a couple different scenarios, often based on age and film preferences, i think. woody allen's new york, jerry seinfeld's new york, larry clark's new york, darren star's new york, spike lee's new york (brooklyn). and so forth.

so, my new york includes the lower east side, as does nora ephron's.

shopsin's is an institution. it has a cult following, i would say. it used to be located on bleecker street, in a much bigger location than it is now. and there were rules: parties of 2 or 4, no cell phones. it's run by kenny shopsin and his kids, and there was always insane name-calling and cursing between family members.

it is now in the essex street market, at essex and delancey. it's in a small stall there, but is still full of lovely goodness. some of the craziest dishes ever. (like slutty cakes!) no substitutions.

some examples. (but seriously, click the menu link on the page and see the whole thing!)
DAD- egg salad, bacon, cheese pancake sandwich
KRAKATOA- egg,sausage stuffing potato volcano
MR.MENTION- jerk oxtail, beef-a-roni, eggs, toast
BINGO-fried brussel sprouts, guacamole mayo, ciabatta (this one is a sandwich!)

so. tracy and i went there last friday. we ate like it was going out of style. it had been well over a year since i had been there. they have weird hours; the market is closed on sundays. there are maybe 12 chairs in the whole place. we knew that a friday morning was the perfect time. AND, tracy and i like it there more than most other people we know. why? no idea.

i had “the original” BLISTERS ON MY SISTERS: fried eggs, bubbling cheddar cheese, rice, beans n' greens on crispy corn tortillas in a skillet.
yes, kids. that is the entire skillet. on the table. i did not eat the whole thing. i also ordered hash brown potatoes, which are deep-fried chunks of potato. this was to share. i mean, c'mon.
tracy ordered turkey bacon and MIGAS: eggs, grilled peppers, onions, avocado, tortilla strips, cilantro, salsa roja. it came in a BOWL. and was delicious.
this was a ridiculous meal. our eyes were so much bigger than our stomachs. and we ate a lot.