Issue #327: Food & Fun
This is not my favorite time of year. My dad died, somewhat unexpectedly, a year ago on May 10th. It remains surreal because, although this is definitely the longest I have gone without talking to him by a huge margin, because of COVID this isn’t even the longest I’ve gone without seeing him. That duration that is now 359 days (because of leap year) will only get longer, though. And I don’t really know what you are supposed to do to commemorate an anniversary like this, so I haven’t done much of anything. But my dad is never far from my thoughts.
This week’s topics are, overall, lighter and mostly vignettes. They are also most relevant to those living in the Boston metro area. But if that’s not you, you can always enjoy vicariously.
Paradox Newsletter Event Calendar
The Harvard Film Archive is closed until September.
So I know everyone in the region suddenly had their calendars open up.
More seriously, I needed an excuse to write about some unrelated stuff coming up in the future. But, as I always strive to do, I hope to put something new and interesting on your radar.
May 25th — Adrienne last show at the Sons of Italy in Hingham, MA
Adrienne, to me, is the band that is the purest distillation of what’s most popular in the contemporary hardcore scene. They have style, their singer Alfredo once bought me a Judge t-shirt for secret Santa, and they are from here. I feel like I watched them come into this world and I want to see them put it to rest. Some other good bands, like Almighty Watching and Kidnapped, are playing too.
May 28th — The Valiant Ones (1975) Blu-Ray release
Eric Yu screened this movie at the Somerville Theater Microcinema last week, in the tradition of the Gratitude Fanzine (co-presented by Paradox Newsletter) screenings of The Roundup 3 (2023) and Drive (1997). It belongs in the pantheon with all of our Microcinema screenings. What’s really fascinating about The Valiant Ones is the focus on intellect. The heroes need to be smart, and their ability to plan and deceive is more important than their ability to fight. But I don’t want to spoil the ending before the official re-release, so maybe I’ll come back to The Valiant Ones at the end of May.
May 30th — Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle (2024) screens at Assembly Row AMC in IMAX for one day only
Haikyuu is one of the best sports anime/manga there is. It commands a commensurate cultural footprint. It will play in the IMAX theater at an AMC in Somerville which is, frankly, totally unbelievable to me. I could not be more excited, but I need to get caught up on this one before my late afternoon showtime.
May 30th — Brain Tourniquet, C4, and Burning Lord at the “Tribe Dream Arena,” 326 Washington St, Brighton
This is an unequivocally great show. I love Brain Tourniquet, C4, and Burning Lord. Seeing BT is always a good time but I am pretty excited for the locals this time around. C4 and Burning Lord are off of European heaters, with C4 having printed an amazing t-shirt (SOB ripoff design) and Burning Lord just releasing an LP.
This will also be my first time seeing C4 since I have added one of their songs to my personal “best hc lyrics of all time” list. The song in question? “Force Fed”
Right next to Rancor — “Piece of Mind” and Mental — “DFJ’ Diary”
July 25th — The First Slam Dunk (2023) Blu-Ray release
Finally get to own the best movie of last year on home video.
August 27th — Gambling Apocalypse: Kaiji Volume 5 release
I know many of you have been waiting for baited breath for another entry into my serialized Kaiji coverage
This is not yet another abandoned writing project or newsletter segment. I was in a really good groove with these, too! But the official Denpa Books release of the volumes has been repeatedly delayed. Hopefully this one actually hits the scheduled date so I can write about it.
October 28th — First Writings by Jacques Lacan release
These small, relatively minor editions of Lacan’s work are the ones I usually find most important.
What’s for Lunch?
The Vinal Garlic Bread English Muffin
April is a pretty good month for me, usually, because the best breakfast sandwich in America becomes even better. Vinal Bakery does a different English muffin flavor every month. The garlic bread flavor is, if you ask me, far and away the best. I don’t think it takes a rocket science, or Michelin chef, to understand why a garlic bread English muffin makes sense. Hopefully I don’t have to sell you on it. And even if I did, you’d have to wait until next year to try it. I usually order their Flora sandwich on this and try to get two four packs through the month for my own sandwiches.
Definitely a New England must have if you are here in April.
La Oaxaqueña
I have always said that La Oaxaqueña, with locations in Everett and Revere, makes the best guacamole you can buy in a store. Recently, I discovered their tacos are also pretty good.
Watermelon Dole Whip
I have been chasing the watermelon Dole Whip whale since 2022. Only having tried it once, I’ve wanted it again ever since. What is “Dole Whip,” even? A cursory bit of searching tells me that it’s fruit flavored dairy free soft serve, but you could have convinced me that this particular example has dairy. As far as I know, it was brand name Dole Whip. But the place that served it, Dunne’s, didn’t have it last year and won’t have it this year. Where the hell can I find it? My struggle for watermelon ice cream is a righteous one, but it is fraught with peril. Later in the year, I enjoyed this treat:
Jeni’s isn’t ever going to bring this one back, are they? But I don’t care. What I want is the Dole Whip. You can be sure I’ll update when I find it.
The Anguish of Vertigo Burger’s Closing
The closing of Vertigo Burger in Tallahassee, Florida is the end of a singular culinary establishment in the southeast. It could easily be mistaken for any number of counter-service fast-casual establishments peppered across U.S. cities. But Vertigo was different. Started by the high-minded chef of one of Tallahassee's fine dining locations, Cypress, Vertigo was good. Really, really good. Not just slightly good, acceptable, reasonably measuring up against its overpriced chain counter-service competition.
The funny thing about Vertigo is the best things on the menu were not the burgers. I was a devotee of their fried chicken. On the menu, it was only sold smothered in buffalo sauce. One could order, freely, however, fried chicken as an alternative for any of their sandwiches. And Vertigo always handled my ridiculous substutitons and customizations with the height of professionalism. Another high note on their menu were the onion rings. Again, we are talking about onion rings made on a different stratosphere. Crispy, flakey, peppery, etc, etc, they were just damn good. Vertigo also had killer BBQ sauce of a quality I never knew to waver. It was slightly spicy. I used to think it had a little bit of Valentina hot sauce mixed in, but I don't think that was the case and I became less and less certain of it the more often I ate it.
The last times I ate at Vertigo were bittersweet. They were both, as most things in Tallahassee are, related to my dad's death. In April of last year, I very reluctantly left his bedside to get lunch, going directly from the hospital to Vertigo and back. I don't remember that being too pleasant of a meal. The next time was May 11th of that same year, the day after he died. Funnily enough, I saw a good friend of mine there who was also my dad's nurse during his final hospital stay. That meal felt a little less like the sword of Damocles was hanging over my head. I guess it had already fallen. It’s a reasonably fitting last meal for me to ever have there.
But I would be first in line if they reopened.
Weekly Reading List
Xian is an accomplished pro fighting game player who talks candidly here about his experience and approach to competition. This is the kind of stuff I love.
https://demystification.bigcartel.com/product/demystification-4 — Demystification #4 is on sale and shipping now. I just received my copy today and would like to award the Paradox Pulitzer (new award I just came up with while reading) to two pieces: “On Being Lied about in Print for the Whole World to See” and “Matters of the Heart” both by Ambrose Nzams. An essential addition to your library.
Until next time.