So I Went To the World Famous Turkey Leg Hut

I got lucky!  That's right, I got really lucky.  

While visiting friends in Houston not too long ago one suggested going to the world-famous Turkey Leg Hut for lunch.  Not one to turn down a food adventure I figured why not?  So off we went.   

For my northern skin folk let me hip you to the "thang" about turkey legs and wings.  They are HUGE in the South!  It's common to see them being sold (or given away) in bars, off food trucks in the hood, at BBQs, State Fairs, out of trunks and portable grills outside of clubs/football games/events, etc.  

It's truly "hood food" in the best possible way and a hustler Chef's go-to product.  You won't see or hear of them sold outside the hood, and the franchises and chains won't sell them. 

In the South most clubs close at 2am, at that hour your eating options are slim.  There was Krystal (R.I.P. White Castle clone that you are), Taco Bell and Waffle House, all of which were pretty much guaranteed to send you to the bathroom for a round of praying to the water Gods, or in the case of the Waffle House maybe to jail since it can get raw at that hour in there.  

Trust me, if you've never experienced a Waffle House 2am fight....well...let's just say you haven't really experienced the Durrty South at it's absolute best.  But I digress...

To get right to it, a properly smoked or fried turkey wing or leg is delicious beyond compare, and this is from a guy that's not a big fan of turkey.  Depending on where you are (Louisiana I'm looking at you here), they make an amazing bar and/or street food and its common to see hustler-Chefs set up outside popular clubs, bars and strip joints selling them.

PSA Break

During a rather freelance period of my life I worked as a bartender and serving turkey legs or wings as a bonus for the regulars was a thing on Fridays.  I gotta give my man in Baton Rouge, Lil Walt - The Turkey Wing King props here for spoiling me with his wings.  They are The Truth!  

As good as they were I would hear rumors and rumblings about this restaurant in Houston that had elevated the game.   Rumor had it this place served STUFFED turkey legs. 

If you haven't heard of the Turkey Leg Hut here's a short video to get you up to speed:

Many of you though probably know TLH from a rather infamous lawsuit that got national attention:

Does it live up to the hype?  

You damn right it does!  It's all that plus some.  I'm not a big turkey fan, sure Christmas and Thanksgiving I will indulge but outside those holidays it's rare that I get with the bird.  I don't dislike it, it's just not that exciting to me as food (I also put grits and catfish in this category, sorry).  Every now and then though you run across someone that can take the mundane and predictable and turn it into a masterpiece and the Turkey Leg Hut does all that plus some.  Stuffed turkey legs!  Who would have thought you could do that!

The Parking Situation

Though it's in the hood, parking is a NIGHTMARE with parking hustlers all around the place (I saw signs advertising $10 parking ($10!!!! Seriously?).  If you are fortunate and park nearby, on a good windless day the first thing you will notice is the smell of a smoker.   

The Atmosphere

The atmosphere is "soul food cool".  What's that you say?  My melanated folks probably know what I'm talking about but for those who haven't activated their magic melanin I'll explain.  Soul Food Cool is that laid back feeling you get when you walk into Mama or Gramma's kitchen  That comfort that comes from familiar smells of good things cooking from people that look like you, for people that look like you.                                                             

 

As a New Yorker I've been to more than my share of restaurants in my day, this is what NYers do.  But there's a special something that feels right when you walk into a Black-owned restaurant that's really killing it with their food.  The staff seems happier and friendlier, the vibe is electric and the customers take on an aura of cool.  Maybe I'm just trippin' but I know what I can feel.  Even seated outside under a big tent the vibe here was alive and kickin'.  Needless to say I loved the place and plan to hittem' up when I'm in Houston (and don'ty mind smelling like smoke).

Office? We Don't Need No Stinkin Office!

One of the biggest obstacles for the Hustler and Grinder (and their cousin, the Freelancer) is where do you actually do your work?  I'm not talking about where you live, or where you put in your grind, but where you actually sit down to do your paperwork? Brainstorm? Respond to email?  Like it or not having a business means a commitment to keeping up with the paperwork, and a thriving (or growing) business can generate a hell of a lot of it.

If you are well disciplined and have the space you can do your thing at home.  I envy you.  I have never really been able to be at maximum productivity at home, I'm surrounded by too much of my "stuff" and yes, it distracts me.

To maintain my productivity, and keep the paperwork from piling up, I needed someplace that had fewer distractions AND provided an environment for stimulating creativity.  The ideal workplace had to have access to fast internet, comfortable desks/seating and of course CLEAN BATHROOMS!  It also had to have access to good food, cause a good power lunch can really boost your productivity.  Last but not least it also had to have good coffee, cause, well coffee rules!

So I started hunting for places in NYC that had creative energy, were designed for entrepreneurs and freelancers and most importantly were affordable!  My local Starbucks served me well for a while, but it also served other people well too and has become so popular that there is a fight for desk space during prime time hours now, which totally negates it as a reliable creativity and paperwork grind spot.  Sorry Starbucks, I'll miss your iced lemon cake.

The local library?  My local library was way too crowded with people doing everything other than working, worse distractions than at home!  Plus libraries have crappy hours.  The main library at 42nd Street and Fifth?  As much as I love that place there is a LOT of foot traffic from tourists since its a major (and free) tourist attraction here in NYC.

What I needed was an office environment without paying NYC office space prices.  It should be simple to find someplace like that in New York City, right?  Not!  Not on my budget anyway.

So what's a hustler to do?  My solution was co-working spaces!

What are those you may be asking?  These are spaces that offer "virtual offices".  Virtual offices are sometimes dedicsted, sometimes shared (as in shared with other businesses and/or individuals) office spaces that offer either dedicated or "hot" desks, and (depending on the coworking space) the amenities and utilities of a modern office.  If you are wondering a "hot desk" is a first-come, first-serve desk (yea, that had me stumped at first too!).

Cowork spaces can include conference rooms, whiteboards, copiers, printers, bathrooms, coffee, kitchens and fast internet hookups.  Some even offer mailing and UPS/FedEx shipping and receving.  These services are available on an hourly, daily, weekly or monthly fee arrangement (depending on the rules, operating hours and amenities of the co-working space).

Here in NYC coworking offices are popping up everywhere and the competition among them is fierce.  Some of the more popular spots are WeWork, The Yard, The Farm, Criossant Coworking,  Recently even Staples and Office Depot are getting into the act (which is a smart move if you ask me)! 

 

Which Coworking Space Did I Choose? 

After a little research I settled on KettleSpace NY.  Why KettleSpace?  The price!  For as little as $25 a month I can work 10 hours at any Kettlespace location and there are multiple locations throughout the city and Brooklyn.  This a a bargain, in fact I'd say it was a steal!  For $2.50 an hour I get to work around other creative entrepreneurs, drink unlimited coffee and depending on the location enjoy some snacks.

 

Remember Your Taxes!

Depending on how you use coworking you can also deduct the cost from your taxes!

Some Rules for Co-Working

Interested? Curious? OK.  Before you jump into it yourself it helps to understand some basic rules for coworking.   The basic rules for working in any office apply, but there are a few extra things to keep in mind.

• Leave attitudes home! - Done right you are part of a community, act like it!  
• Be Flexible - You may not get your favorite seat regularly, but so what!
• Be Social! - It's a community.  A community of other entrepreneurs just like you.  Network!
• Bring Your Own Supplies - No one likes a moocher.  Most other community members are super nice but don't take advantage of their kindness.
• Keep the Noise Down - Remember there are other people working, keep your personal noise to a minimum.  This means your music/headphones and cell phone conversations.

My Thoughts

This is an arrangement that works well for me, I am more than pleased.  THe price, service and support from the team at Kettlespace has been excellent, you really do feel like part of a greater community of entrepreneurs

By The Way

The title of this blog post refers to the video clip I embedded here:

It's from one of my favorite movies "The Tresure of Sierra Madre" and has gone on to become a pop legend reference.  Yes, its totally politically incorrect, apologies to my Mexican brothers for that.

The Brotherhood of Beer (Rites of Passage)

Beer, it's the best damn drink in the world!”-- Jack Nicholson

I learned young that there is a certain brotherhood in beer.  Sure its refreshing, but unlike wine or other hard liquors beer was made to be consumed with friends, or even better, other beer lovers.  Beer has an almost magical property to create and build bonds between other beer drinkers, mainly other men. Think I'm lying?  Next time you attend a sporting event look around!

Why beer?  I have no idea, possibly because it’s a common drink found pretty much anywhere, possibly because (thanks to consistent and pervasive advertising) it’s tied to sports, holidays, hanging out and other events and festivities.  Possibly because it has a lower alcohol content than hard liquor and so can be drunk in greater quantities, over time, in more social settings, without getting overly intoxicated.  And quite possibly since we have been drinking beer since ancient of times.



This is not to deny the feminine element, after all, women drink beer too.  But where and whenever men gather beer has been central to the male bonding process.  Maybe, just maybe, because it’s the best damn drink in the world! Beer is one of the oldest social beverages in human history.  The ancient Egyptians drank beer, or something that would be quite similar to the beer we drink today.  Sure wine has been around just as long, but something about wine has a different social response than beer. 

Rites of Passage

Every man can remember his first beer.  Not only that, every man can remember who he was with when he had that beer.  This was your initiation to the Brotherhood of Beer, and bonds you to your beer brothers forever.

My father drank beer, or from time to time ale; his favorites were Rheingold and Ballantine Ale.  Both brands have long been out of production (though I hear Rheingold is making a comeback!), and I can still remember that first taste.  The sip from the old man's can that changed me forever and welcomed me to the brotherhood.


In our home, Dad claimed Saturday afternoons for westerns, war movies, peanut butter sandwiches and a cold can of Rheingold or Ballantine.  It was his ritual and Dad and I would sit and watch John Wayne win the war, single handed for God and country over and over.  He, with his cold one, me with Kool-Aid.  It wasn’t long before I got old enough to get my first sip and it was love at first taste!  It tasted glorious!  Hoppy, cold, bubbly, with a light malty undertone.  Hello beer!


That sip was always followed with “don’t tell your mother”, which made it all the more special.  It was a secret only we shared that bonded us to each other and as members of the Beer Brotherhood.

As I got older I would go with my family to visit relatives, or to functions or parties, we even threw our fair share of parties too.  Always at a certain point the men would disappear to a room or gather in a corner.  This was the “beer circle”, and this was where the men discussed "men" things.

This was where advice was given and shared and the deepest secrets of male knowledge revealed and shared.  World problems were discussed and debated and the state of Black male culture was commented on.  Sometimes heated debates on sports, life, love, politics and current events broke out only to be settled over swigs of beer, dap handshakes and nods of approval.  This was where real bonding was taking place and women were not allowed.

For those who are not familiar, the Beer Circle is a gathering of the men from the various family tribes.  Not just anybody can participate in the Beer Circle, you have to be recognized, accepted and respected by the members.  The one universal rule of beer is you do not drink beer with men you don’t respect and love.

To a boy this was the equivalent of being on Mount Olympus among the immortals, a mere human  among the pantheon, and I could not wait for my day to be a part of this, something far bigger and deeper than just my father and I.  I would watch my father participate in the circle, laughing, joking sometimes, and at times just parlaying with the other men.  And always, when he emerged, it was time to leave, “put your coat on honey, it’s time to go home”, leaving a trail of crushed cans or empty bottles.

Depending on where we were the beer circle would be made up of different men, most often neighbors, sometimes close relatives or friends but the one constant was beer.  Beer united these men and made them all equal.  Beer was the nectar of the Gods, and the Gods partook liberally. During my puberty years beer played an integral role in forming bonds between my friends and I.  Our first experiences were with Pink Champale (God awful stuff to have a hangover from) and later, Golden Champale, then we moved on to that urban favorite, Colt 45 (other God awful stuff).  Hey, if it was good enough for Billy Dee, it was good enough for us!

This bonded us as young men, this was our own little beer circle[1].  Here we emulated our fathers and talked of boy things: adventure, girls, growing up, cars, girls, sports and of course girls.  Billy Dee Williams drank Colt 45, and of course, every boy wanted to be like Billy Dee!

When I reached 18 or so I was allowed to join the beer circle with my father, but only as an observer, a listener.  I wasn’t allowed to participate…..yet.  I was a neophyte, an initiate.  My job was to listen and learn, clean up the empties and bring fresh cold ones since I was old enough to drink, but not yet old enough to share life experiences yet, and learn I did. 


 For a young man listening to the experiences of other, older men can be fascinating.  Tales of work, sweat, tears, blood and sacrifice were told.  Tales of courage in the face of adversity, tales of triumph and frustration, tales of love(s) won and love(s) lost.  Many stories are told, many truths put on display, but always, there was beer.  That drink equalized everyone.  It gave men from different backgrounds, cultures, ages, ethnicity and experiences a common bond and something to equally share.  It was in this circle that you were told “your turn is coming Youngblood”, your turn to work, sweat, shed tears, sacrifice and give your all for your family and in turn create your own stories to tell.

In America, this was where the torch was passed from young to old, and your efforts and experiences were to be judged by the elders.  This was where the quality of life provided to your family and the man you are is on full display and open to comment and opinion by your peers.  This was where I learned a man’s pride and joy was the life he was able to give his wife and family, and that these things were sacred.  This was my rite of passage.


Nowadays there is a new breed of men in the world, men who know nothing of beer circles and walking among the elders and peers.  Men who don’t value male relationships in the same way I do, know of, or honor rites of passage, male bonding or family in the same way.  The Beer Brotherhood I knew is going away or gone, replaced by something new, different, or worse, nothing at all.


Thank goodness I’m an old dude.


Links:

Pink Champale, Golden Champale

Ballantine Ale

Rheingold Beer 

[1] Special shout out to my beloved beer brothers: Daryl S., Ben S., Ben C. (Flash), George E. and Martin O.  We are and always will be forever brothers!

My Review of the Smithsonian African American Museum in Washington DC

I recently had the chance to visit the Smithsonian African-American Museum in Washington, DC over the Labor Day 2018 weekend (thanks for the tickets from my sister).  It was an emotional and moving experience that I recommend to EVERYONE of color, and especially your children.


It is an amazing place full of history and facts presented in a modern way through the use of immersive multimedia and interactive exhibits.

First Impressions
When you first see the building from a distance your first impression may be WTF????  It's a modern design that seems out of place with the existing classic Greek/Roman influenced architecture of the rest of Washington DCs buildings that surround it.

My initial thought was that the building was inspired by a church hat or a crown, and my impressions weren't too far off the mark.  The Architect was inspired by a crown and the design is a subtle nod to the importance that headgear has played in our history.

The building is covered in a metal skin which filters the light inside the building.  I went on a hot, bright September day but the light inside the building was cut down significantly once inside making it cool and comfortable for your eyes to take in all the exhibits.

This is a modern museum with many, many multimedia exhibits and in some cases interactive ones.  And the multimedia exhibits are extremely well done, entertaining and (this is the best part) INFORMATIVE!  You're going to learn something every time you visit here, and this (if nothing else) means the museum will have accomplished its intended goal. 

Where Is It Located?

Where is it exactly?  The museum sits across from the park which houses the Washington Memorial so if you have the time you can actually visit both attractions.

How Much Does It Cost?

Like all Smithsonian museums there is no admission fee, BUT the lines to enter the museum can get long, especially on weekends.  If you are a member of law enforcement, a senior, or a veteran there is an express entry line.  The building is wheelchair accessible and friendly to seniors and those using mobility assistance devices like walkers, scooters and in some cases hearing assist devices.

On the day I attended it was crowded, but not overly so.  We had timed entry passes that had specific entry times so we didn't have to wait on the general entry line.  In fact I think the other visitors add to the experience since they come from all over the world to visit both DC and the museum itself and before you know it you'll be making new friends as you tour the many exhibits.

The Lobby

You enter the building into a spacious lobby, unlike a standard lobby though there is an important piece of history here.  On a wall is a list of donors that made the museum possible broken into groups based on their charitable giving.  

Normally most visitors don't or won't pay attention to things like this but in this particular instance its important to take note. There is a current mindset on social media that wealthy Black business people or athletes don't "give back".  That mindset is dead wrong as proven by the giving exhibited to open this museum.

The Exhibits
The way the museum is set up is you are supposed to start in the basement which covers the 1500's to roughly the 1700's, as you go up floors you pass through the major periods in African-American history finally reaching the top floor with the modern (post 1960's) era of exhibits.

A word of warning, the basement exhibit covering the slave trade will make you want to cry.  I couldn't take a picture because it's lit by low light which makes for bad photos without a tripod, but it is probably one of the most moving visual representations of the sheer amount of Africans stolen from Africa and sent to the Americas and Brazil.  On the walls of the exhibit are the names of nearly all the slaves ships that came west from Africa and the country the ship was flagged under and number of slaves on each ship. 

When presented visually I can't put into words how both emotionally stunning and sad this is.  Coupled with the fact that somewhere on that wall on one of those ships was MY ancestor.  Some unknown man and woman survived that most brutal and inhuman of treatments, met and lived long enough to start a bloodline that runs through me. 

I don't know who they are, or where they wwere originally from, I just know that for the first time in my life I had something to emotionally connect to that allowed me to say thanks aacross the sands of time.  I wish I could describe that moment, but unfortunately I can't, I just hope that on the other side of the veil of time they can be proud of how strong their roots have grown.

Make no mistake about it, there is a LOT to take in covering nearly every facet of Blackness and Black culture from sports, to cooking, to Greek letter organizations, to politics.   


So how are the exhibits?  Excellent!  Plan to spend a significant amount of time here, in fact plan to spend all day.  There is a LOT packed into this building


Many exhibits you really have to see for yourself to really appreciate but here's a small selection:

Chuck Berry's Cherry Red Cadillac

The Parliment/Funkadelic Mothership

One of many exhibits highlighting the life and achievements of Muhammad Ali

Redd Foxx's very first comedy album

Another exhibit celebrating Muhammad Ali

The museum is a celebration of Blackness, Black culture and Black people, from the first presence on this land in the 1500's until today.


Highlights that Caught My Attention

• Parliment's Mothership, last time I saw this it was on stage in the 80's!
• An S1W uniform and and a nod to Professor Griff and Public Enemy
• Some love to the transformational effect of hip-hop on American music and America itself
• Multiple well deserved exhibits on Muhammad Ali
• A life-size staute of Michael Jordan (he's not as tall as you may think, but then I am 6'4")!
• A trainer biplane for the Tuskegee Airmen
• A slave cabin
• A great exhibit on Black feminist writers of the 60's/70's

The Cafeteria
There is a cafeteria in the basement that offers a very nice selection of what many would consider "soul food".  The smells coming from the cafeteria are just heavenly with a mix of sweet potato, fried fish and greens tickling your nose.  This has to be by design, nearly everyone of color has been pre-programmed with the comforting smells coming from Mama's (or Daddy's) kitchen.

I say "soul food" in quotes because to us it's regular, common food.  To the tourists, especially foreign tourists it's exotic.  Beware, the food is expensive premium priced!   For example, a plate of fried catfish and collard greens for $21??? Seriously????  Since when does catfish and collard greens cost $21 a plate?

If you are curious about the menu, you can view it here.


Photographers Notes

• No tripods or monopods are allowed
• Photography is allowed throughout the museum but many of the exhibits have subdued or dark lighting, you WILL need fast lenses although cell phones seem to capture ambient light much better.  I was using 1.8 and 2.8 lenses and still struggled to get decent shutter speeds.  
• Bring your widest wide angle lens!  Many exhibits are placed in fairly close quarters.  FYI, there is nothing here that will you will need a zoom lens to capture.

Peaceful Journey Anthony Bourdain, A Personal Message

First I would like to wish my brother in the written word, Anthony Bourdain, a peaceful journey.  As you read these words some time will have passed for all of us to process (or at least try to reckon with) his death, but as I write this his passing is only days old and the abruptness has left me stunned, shocked and a little melancholy.

Anthony Bourdain was my word hero, and my inspiration for creating both AfroPublica and this blog as a vehicle for sharing my thoughts and adventures in this world, and specifically when I write about food.  I will sorely miss his witty, sometimes caustic and always sarcastic takes on the state of the people and events that exist solely to divide us (or worse, bullshit us), and his pure love, appreciation, and awe of the things that unite us.  Say what you want, the man knew how to use words like a painter uses paint.

I read "Kitchen Confidential" during a period where I was working a "struggle job" as a kitchen helper/prepper/cook and bartender at a club in Louisiana.  Instantly I connected with Anthony Bourdain's struggle as related in the book and if you haven't read it yet stop right here and purchase it!

I make no excuses for that fact that this was a really dark period of my life and thanks to the club owner and his staff and family for helping me through that time by giving me an opportunity to work.  I was fresh off a nasty, expensive, and soul-sucking divorce and had lost everything I worked for in one big swoop.  Wife, house, dog, and eventually the job all fell victim to a nasty spiral of depression and despair.  And yet somehow reading Anthony Bourdain's words touched me in a way that helped me to see light at the end of a long and dark tunnel.  They even inspired me to break out the keyboard and write again.

Like Anthony Bourdain, I too was a soul in search of a place in the world after totally fucking up my life.  Through his words, I found out we both sought redemption for our sins and like him I found mine in a kitchen, and a keyboard.

Working the line in a kitchen is a place where everyone is equal, doesn't matter where you're from, what language you speak, who you pray to, what degree you have (or haven't) or what ethnicity you are.  All that matters is your skill at getting those plates (or drinks if you are a bartender) out to customers and serving a quality product fast.  Is that steak medium rare?  Those fries are done? And for God's sake where the hell is that salad?  The modern restaurant kitchen is the place to truly find what you are made of, and in the heat of those moments (literally), regain your soul.

Struggle jobs like kitchen and bartender work can really ground you.  They remind you what hard work really is and through that work you gain a deep appreciation for every nickel and dime you sweated, cursed and put up with shit for.  It's hard to properly frame the experience if you haven't done it, but its a tough, shitty and downright challenging way to survive, but also one of the most rewarding and genuine since your customers, your coworkers and often your boss will immediately give you feedback.  Drinks suck? You'll know it right away.  Food tastes like shit?  They will let you know on the spot.  You learn to take the compliments and the grief, the joy, and the pain, and it either will build you up or grind you to dust.  There ain't no HR dept in the kitchen!

But....

If you can overcome the challenges and actually make good drinks or food, man, the love you get from your customers is like nothing and nowhere else.  I spent a lot of years writing code to an anonymous audience of users and can recall maybe one or two instances where someone gave me actual feedback.  In the kitchen I was getting it every day!  That's just the nature of that business.


So to my brother in the written word I wish peaceful journey, may you finally have found the peace that seemed to elude you in this life.

So I Checked Out the Brandless.com Pop-Up Store

Recently, while taking a walk in the city, I ran across a pop-up store for the website Brandless.com.  Brandless is a fairly new entry to the online shopping market and their gimmick is they have a basket of 350 goods and everything on the site is $3, or some multiple of that amount (depending on quantity).

The front of the Brandless.com pop-up store

A peek inside the pop-up store

Everything $3 you say?

Yep.  And truth be told some of their products are quite good, at least the ones they had available to try.  Like anything purchasable online you have to really take a close look at what's being sold to find bargains.  Like other online stores, the key is to buy enough (or at the right time) to beat the shipping.   But if you are looking online for products that are GMO-free, feature natural ingredients fully stated in plain English on the front of the package and with environmentally conscious packaging you can definitely find some value here.

So what did I think? 
Overall their products were quite good, and depending on the product I can see a value in the quality and the social statement, but as I mentioned you have to shop carefully.  For some products based on the price and size/amount, you can do better locally.

Brandless.com snack station (granola and popcorn)

For example, one of the hits of the pop-up store was their snack display which let you try some of their popcorn and granola.  I gotta say, their granola was pretty darn good and at $3 for a 12oz bag not a bad buy at all compared to Whole Foods and other premium grocers.  At the pop-up store, they were selling their granola as a bundle, 2 bags for $6 (of course) and they had two flavors available: flax seed-blueberry and maple-pecan.  Both were delicious, and being a guy with Massachusetts roots and Southern history, the maple-pecan went fast.  Of note, there were actual chunks of pecan readily visible in the granola (this is always a good sign!).

Their popcorn was pretty good too, but at $3 a bag for between a 3oz - 5oz bag I felt it was overpriced.  You can do better at discounters like Dollar General and Family Dollar if you like popcorn, but there is no guarantee it will be organic and it will be chock full of artificial flavors.  But are you really choosing and eating flavored popcorn based on its health benefits? Really?

Brandless.com does offer some unique flavors to compensate for the value though.  I was given a variety selection containing: white cheddar, olive oil & sea salt and truffle oil with black pepper.   The white cheddar I liked the most, but the truffle and black pepper were actually pretty spicy with the taste of the black pepper pretty prominent.

My overall favorite item was the whole wheat animal cookies.  They were delicious!  And for animal cookie lovers (come on, admit it, you always loved them!) you won't go wrong.  The only downside is the plain packaging, I grew up with the classic Nabisco animal crackers and always was fond of the circus-themed box.

 

Here is a one-sheet listing the full range of their snacks, as you can see they offer a number of varieties, both common and uncommon.

So What Else Do They Sell?

Besides food, Brandless.com also carries a variety of household and beauty products.  These were not available for trying, though you could handle the packaging and smell, touch and feel some of them.   I buy my soaps and cleaning products locally so wasn't as interested in that.  If you are I highly suggest visiting their website for the full basket of products.

 

 

They also sell tableware, which they had mounted on a huge wall

The one thing I did not get to try because it was too crowded was their salsa and chips.

They were serving this at a makeshift bar but no one was leaving, this probably meant it was good.

Overall Impressions

•  If you shop carefully you can find some decent values here, especially if you are single or a couple.  The price/size/quantity is perfect for that but can get pricey quickly for a family.

• If you are a fan of organic, all-natural, non-GMO and environmentally packed products you will definitely find value here.
•  Everything I sampled tasted yummy, they definitely pay attention to the taste of their products
• I love the ingredient list in bold right on the front of the package in simple, clear English.  No need to decipher chemical lists.
• I actually liked the idea of the pop-up store sample and wish they did it in more places around the country to introduce shoppers to their website.

My Review of Whole Foods 365 Brooklyn

So I went to the Whole Foods 365 store in Brooklyn recently.  I was curious exactly what Amazon was up to by launching this brand.  Well, I found out. The Whole Foods 365 brand is an attempt to bring in new customers by offering lower prices, yet still retaining the Whole Foods quality and "look and feel".  Make no mistake about it though, this grocery is directly aimed at the millennial crowd.  It sits opposite an Apple store (on the other side of the block) and is in a pricey section of real estate in downtown Brooklyn, right outside Atlantic Terminal.

How do they do this?  From my observation, they have streamlined the product selection quite a bit, choosing to go mainly with store brands over other suppliers products.  The hot food line is still there, but the variety has been slimmed down (compared to the regular Whole Foods hot food selection).  Amazon branding, including ads for Amazon Prime, is featured near the registers on huge monitors (you knew that was coming, right?).

Pricing was (and this is totally subjective to the items I bought) a little lower than the regular Whole Foods, and slightly to considerably above Trader Joe's from what I saw.  Some items were reasonable (like sale items on veggies and fruit), but you have to pay attention to notice this.  Sale signs weren't blatantly obvious, just simple black & white signs.  The store was extremely well lit, clean and merchandised.  I saw a decent number of staff running around to answer questions also.  Items were easy to find and extremely well presented, especially the vegetables.

There are 20 registers, though at the time I was there (about 10 pm on a Monday) only 5 were open.  The line moved very fast though (still using the Whole Foods round robin method).  Where Whole Foods 365 shines is in the selection of organics and vegan foods.  Trader Joes just doesn't compare to their selection, though they try.  If you are a vegan then this is the place for you!  Even the hot food line and store prepared foods have a nice selection of organic and vegan items.

This store has two floors, the first, ground-level, has a variety of independent food vendors like a coffee shop, a bakery, self-serve beer and cider, and two other vendors that I can't remember what was sold.  The actual grocery is in the basement.

Overall I still prefer Trader Joe's for pricing, but I can say if you are a vegan or eat organics (and the price is not an issue for you) this will be the better choice.  Trader Joe's can't compete with the variety, selection, and atmosphere.