This morning, Paul and I met with a potential production partner (our fourth in four days) to discuss a series we’ll soon be developing for an interested broadcaster. Everyone we met to date has been very nice, seemed very smart, very capable and, most important of all, responded favorably to the script. One more meeting to go (next week?) after which it’ll be time to sit down and choose our dance partner. It’s going to be a tough call, but the sooner we make it, the sooner we can close our deal and get to work on the series bible and episode #2.
From there, it was downtown for lunch with Akemi and my friend Jenny who is on a 20 day North American road trip that has taken her from Texas to Alaska, through parts of Canada to – today! – Vancouver. She got in late last night and leaves (early!) early tomorrow morning, Seattle-bound after which…who knows? She’s a free spirit, traveling with naught but good intentions, three jars of salsa, and her mellophone. No really. It’s an actual instrument. Look it up.
Anyway, by the time I got to the bookstore, Akemi and Jenny had already met up and were chatting away, no doubt making alternate lunch plans under the assumption I had bailed. Fortunately, I arrived before they could enact Plan B. Instead, it was Food Cart time!
We let our guest decide and Jenny picked Fresh Local Wild for our first stop. We grabbed table in the back of the food truck caboose and enjoyed…
Not being a big fan of cheese and being a big fan of clam chowder, Akemi was a big fan of THIS version of the Quebec fries and gravy staple.
I love me a good po-boy. Akemi didn’t love it and, while I found the coating to oyster ratio was a little off, I did find it tasty.
Jenny, meanwhile, enjoyed her fish shwarma which was comprised of various fish (halibut, salmon – to name those I can remember). “Very refreshing,”I believe were her words.
“I have to pace myself,”said Akemi at one point.
“Actually, you shouldn’t pace yourself,”I advised. “You just have to scarf and go. That’s the way the experts do it.”
We finished up quickly and moved on. We were on the clock after all!
We bypassed Japanese hot dogs in favor of a double food truck hit: Ze Bite and The Reed Runner. A little of this and a little of that….
The addition of the apple slices with the pulled pork was surprising – and surprisingly delicious. The gazpacho was very thick, with an almost pudding-like consistency, and didn’t go over well.
The chicken was quite tender but, sadly, devoid of any seasoning. It’s too bad because it even had a touch (just a touch) of heat that would have made it sing if the dish had been just a little more flavorful.
But the plantain chips were the winner at this stop.
From there, it was a short walk over to Bella Gelateria for double-scoop gelato cups. Alas, no pictures. I was too busy eating.
And so ended our Vancouver food truck tour. So far, on this road trip, Jenny has encountered a buffalo, a black bear, and yours truly. Seriously. What more could she ask for?
Jenny was also kind enough to gift us with a Texan cuisine cookbook (chicken-fried steak with cracked pepper cream gravy anyone?) and three jars of Lone Star salsa. Sadly, no mellophone.
A great time was had by all. I suspect that the next time we meet, it’ll be on her turf. I’ve already started my research: http://www.fwfoodpark.com/
One more day to get your suggestions in for our next movie screening. What film will Cookie Monster have the “pleasure” of reviewing after Despicable Me? Post your nominations!
The clam chowder poutine looks tasty.
About a year to 18 months ago, Alex Zahara, who most of your readers will remember as various aliens on Star Gate, sold his house and moved to Beverlee…Hills, that is. Swimmin pools, movie stars.
No, that’s not it.
He sold his house and went on a world tour. He said it was a bucket list kind of thing. One of the things that stood out for him, sadly, were some of the beaches in Asia. He said all kinds of plastic would wash up there day after day. He cleaned up the portion of the beach in front of his hotel while he was there, but it made him realize how much garbage ends up in the water and what a wasteful civilization we have created. So, if you see him with a water bottle on a warm day, it will always be a reusable one. True story.
Seconding jcckeith.
chicken curry, by definition, should be at least a little spicy. i would think.
you look very happy with the salsa. will any of it be an ingredient in a future texan cuisine recipe?
I’m going to give my second pitch for 70’s sci-fi (maybe a few years on either side of the 70’s). There are some great movies on that list as well as some real stinkers (more fun for Cookie Monster).
I really hope you get your TV show off the ground Joe, it seems to of been a long protracted event that seemingly had no end in sight, it’d be nice to see something positive come from all your hard work. You deserve it and hopefully when you get your foot back in the door you can wedge it open and keep it open for a long while 🙂
I know an awful movie. Netflix has the wrong version of Twister, a 1989 version. It’s an 80’s movie about boring people having to wait out a storm so they end up being boring on the same property.
If you’re thinking forced proximity has a lot of conflict potential, not this time. It’s a big house.
I saw ‘choose our dance partner’ and thought you had signed up for Dancing With the Stars. 🙁 (The pout is not because you didn’t sign up, but because I thought you did!!)
das
“(chicken-fried steak with cracked pepper cream gravy anyone?)”
Here! Here!! Me!! Me!!! Don’t make that, you’ll get hooked. Don’t forget the mashed potatoes with that gravy.
What an interesting person Jenny is. I’d love to travel like that one day.
Speaking of dogs…okay, so we weren’t, but I found this, and, although a little sad, it is also quite moving: http://www.today.com/pets/dog-pictured-floating-sleep-owners-arms-has-died-6C10680004
OK, I’m gonna go classic and semi-classic sci-fi for my nominations this time.
The Day The Earth Stood Still
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfpSXI8_UpY
Forbidden Planet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y4crGU7dkg
Soylent Green
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVpN312hYgU
The Omega Man
Clam chowder poutine? Holy crap, I’m making that! Unfortunately I’ll have to wing the cheese curds. No dairy close enough to me to get fresh.
Curry without spice is fail. The lunch truck guy who visits my office makes a damn fine burrito. But it lacks hot spice. He says he makes it that way so that it is palatable to everyone. I say “screw em!” Throw a habanero in there! So I bring my own habby powder. Then it’s a damn….er…finer! burrito.
Good luck on the ongoing writing projects. I’m looking forward to seeing you and Paul in the credits again.
Happy Friday everyone!
@Line Noise: You hit some of my favorites. Forbidden Planet was the only movie that gave me nightmares when I was a kid.
Ponytail is absolutely correct – chicken fried steak with pepper cream gravy is totally addictive. Another Texas delight you must try is King Ranch Chicken.
http://www.homesicktexan.com/2007/10/king-of-casseroles-king-ranch-chicken.html again, a totally addictive, high-calorie, high-fat dish!
Just “nope” on the clam chowder poutine. Just looks unappetizing. Too bad about the chicken curry, I agree, a bit of heat is key.
@arcticgoddess: I was stationed on an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The remains of flipflops would wash up on the beautiful beaches all the time. We’d hold island cleanup every quarter, and the beaches would always yield huge amounts of plastic.
My pet peeve is balloon releases. Who know where that crap ends up? But apparently, not the problem of the balloon releasers.
All of the friends look nice.
I’m not sure what a shwarma is but it sounds good.
I love salsa and I hope you enjoy it too. You can cook with it, if you get tired of chips/dip.
I’m glad all is well and y’all are having a good time. You are a lucky man!
Bella&Kasper: Its hard losing a friend. 🙁
You know who needs a dedication? PBmom. I’ve been reading her posts and end up in tears thinking of the tough decisions she is making for Patrick’s future. I’m sending a big hug and lots of prayers to you , PBmom.
Wave at Jenny….Wave at Akemi.
Food choices – yummmmm
I nominate “The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy: Extended Editions”. I’d love to test Cookie’s endurance by making him watch roughly 11.5 hours of film in one sitting. I did it once, but watching the last half of “Return of the King” was more about completing the goal I started 10 hours earlier than actually enjoying the movie.
brent: I loved Lord of The Rings” but there is NO WAY Cookie could dog that flick! It’s like the perfect film…..
Ok thanks food, friends and did (Jenny) she play the mellophone for you?? Thanks for sharing your friends and food with us, and the chicken curry looks a little,,umm, green.Fingers crossed on the meetings and dancing, I love to dance, great exercise.
It was nice meeting you and Akemi yesterday…I can’t wait to cook something from the cookboo!
I tried Poutine while in Toronto…. I don’t get it… it wasn’t nice at all…. the waitress saw I wasn’t enjoying and replaced it without me even asking…. such a nice woman. She suggested I try it in Montreal.
Good luck with your meetings. Can’t wait to hear more.
Enjoy the weekend everyone.
Cheers, Chev
p.s. I have a question for y’all. How do you change a dynamic that you have with someone?
Here’s a link for you:
http://www.tor.com/blogs/2013/07/john-scalzi-is-the-prettiest-belle-at-the-ball?utm_source=newsletter-
Joe that is impossible!! You can’t possibly eat all those sandwiches and things. No way! Do you cut them up and everyone gets a sample? I count 8 dishes up there for 3 people. Are you taking some of it home? Do you carry a big bag to put the leftovers in? What are you not telling us?
Awwww…. You are too sweet @TamDixon I can’t believe I am THIS FAR BEHIND! Pet sitting has been crazy!!