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.