Tag Archives: New York City

Day 244: Christian from Los Tacos Numero 1 in NYC

photo: Los Tacos Numero 1

photo: Los Tacos Numero 1

I am huge taco connoisseur. It goes back to living in Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico when I was in high school. Traditional Mexican tacos are simple: fresh tortillas wrapped around grilled meat topped with a little onion and cilantro served with a side of limes, radishes and cucumbers.

These are my delicious cactus tacos and mula (a taco sandwich of sort). The hot salsa here is hot. You have been warned.

These are my delicious cactus tacos and mula (a taco sandwich of sort). The hot salsa here is hot. You have been warned.

Los Tacos Numero 1 are awesome. I was there last month and had two tacos and a mula. They were so freaking good and I didn’t even have carne asada (grilled steak), which is my favorite. I was not eating any meat until last week as part of a wedding gift to some friends who are vegetarian. Thankfully they had nopal, or cactus, tacos. They were amazing, but I yearn for the rich flavor of Mexican street tacos which I had as a teenager – they were almost always carne asada.

Christian, an architect from Southern California, is one of the owners of this cornucopia of Mexican goodness. If you are in NYC and want some delicious tacos – make sure you hit up Los Tacos Numero 1!

Los Tacos Numero 1
75 Ninth Ave
New York, NY 10011

Buen provecho!

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Dear Christian,

I was recently in NYC for work and stopped into Chelsea Market – my friend Uday said I had to check it out. Having lived in Sinaloa, Mexico, I have a pretty high bar for taco utopia and Los Tacos No. 1 did not disappoint. My only wish is that I had been eating meat at the time (long story), because I only tried the nopal taco and mula – both were excellent! The fresh corn tortillas and salsas were legit. I left though wondering if the carne asada would taste like the tacos from Guasave, Sinaloa that I dream.

Day244I’ll be back up in the city on the 23rd and 24th and would love to have a taco with you – this time I’m eating meat and will definitely try the carne asada!

If you are ever in Washington, DC and want to check out the taco scene here, let me know. I’d be happy to take you on a taco tour of some authentic taquerías doing good work here in our nation’s capital.

Felicidades y un cordial saludo desde Washington, DC,

Reed Sandridge

Day 206: Anonymous letter left at Penn Station, NYC

Day 206I left this one in the AMTRAK waiting area at NYC’s Penn Station. Right after I left it on the small desk where you can plug in your electronic devices, a man walked over to it. Perhaps he saw it and opened it.

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“Letter-writing is the only device for combining solitude with good company.” – Lord Byron

Hello!

I find it sad that we don’t write letters by hand anymore. While emails are efficient, they lack depth & personality. I’ve embarked on a year-long journey of writing a handwritten letter each day. Most are to people I know, but I thought it would be interesting to leave this one for you and see who finds it. You are Day 206.

Write someone a handwritten letter today!
Reed

Day 140: David Letterman

“There’s not a man, woman or child in these United States of America who doesn’t enjoy a nice cold, refreshing beverage.” – David Letterman

They wouldn't let me in to meet Dave this morning or even leave this letter for him, so I took a moment, paid my respects to the legend and dropped the letter in a mailbox in front of Times Square.

They wouldn’t let me in to meet Dave this morning or even leave this letter for him, so I took a moment, paid my respects to the legend and dropped the letter in a mailbox in front of Times Square.

I’ve been saying that quote for 25 years – and it’s just as true today as it was the first time I heard Dave say it.

I’m in New York City today and it’s Dave’s last show so I thought I would go by the Ed Sullivan Theater to say farewell and good luck to my friend. With my bags in tow, I hiked up from Times Square to 54th Street and Broadway – it will be sad not see the iconic blue and gold Late Show with David Letterman marquee lighting up the block. It’s been there since my first visit to the Big Apple.

Dave and I started hanging out when I was about 13 or 14 – he spent a lot of time in my living room during the summers when I could stay up late. We don’t spend as much time together any more – I feel he changed, or maybe I changed. Who knows. And frankly who cares? None of that changes the feeling of sadness that I have today as an era comes to an end.

And what about Paul Shaffer? Maybe I should have written him, I guess he’s out of a job now too. He’s been there, donning his bizarre outfits, right next to Dave since the very beginning. I should have added a postscript to my note to Dave, “Please share my regards and best wishes with Paul.”

Day 140

Dear Dave,

Day 140-4I came all the way from Washington, D.C. to personally say thank you for entertaining us for the past 30 years. You changed the landscape of late night television. Best of luck in all of your personal and professional future endeavors.

Thanks for the laughs and the memories,
Reed Sandridge

By the way, if you want a to see a vulnerable side of Dave that you rarely see, check out this interview with New York Times’s Dave Itzkoff.

Day 62: Anonymous

I’m in New York City and discovering that writing letters is more of a challenge when you’re on the road. Anyways, I decided to leave my second anonymous letter today. It was either that or a post card!

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I snapped this photo quickly before leaving the letter at the Starbucks.

I got caught in a blizzard that tore through the city around 4pm today. Horizontal snow was pelleting my uncovered face. Seeking a bit of refuge, I ducked into a glowing Starbucks at 55th and Lexington and bought an expresso to warm me up. I had some time to burn so I took over a stool looking north across 55th street at an antiques shop that has several ivory items in display window that are probably illegal.

I felt nervous about this again – not about the ivory. I mean they should be nervous, but I was nervous about leaving the letter without someone seeing me. I’d already been in a Starbucks on 57th between Park and Lexington and couldn’t seem to find the moment to leave the blackberry envelope without being “caught.” Even at the second Starbucks I was quite certain that that woman sitting closest to me was going to look up from her Macbook Air and say, “Hey, you left your letter!”

Day62-2Nope, not today. I bolted straight for the door much like you see in the movies right before a bomb goes off. My pulse quickened…I could have been robbing a bank for all my heart knew. Thankfully I managed a clean getaway.

The letter features a quote (at right) from Ross McCammon who is an editor with Esquire Magazine, columnist with Entrepreneur Magazine and author of the forthcoming book Works Well with Others. He works in New York so I figured a quote from him in the letter I was leaving there was appropriate. And I just love the quote. Anyway, I tweeted a photo of the card this morning and tagged him in it. I didn’t really expect to get a response but he promptly replied saying…

Screen Shot 2015-03-03 at 8.33.32 PM

 

Classy guy. You should Google him – I enjoy a lot of his writing and am looking forward to reading his book.

Here’s my letter – hopefully the recipient has a sense of humor.

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A handwritten note is worth more than a $100 gift card but probably not more than a $200 gift card.” – Ross McCammon

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I did a little embossing on the front of the card.

I love this quote and in many cases I think Mr. McCammon is correct. I hope you have a great day and hopefully you will be inspired to give someone a handwritten note this week.

All that said – I bet you’re pissed there was no money in here.