Deli Buffets: Hearts of Darkness
Grub Street takes a moment to sing the praises of deli buffets, in particular those foods which age well after 6-12 hours under heat lamps. Salisbury steak? "Jump on this!" Sure, if first we've gotten so cross-eyed with late-night booze that we'd happily chew on a pig's ear, long as it's hot. The other recommendations involve burrowing to the center of congealed mashed potatoes or glutinous pasta tumors; in other words, tactics which rely on faith in unseen goodness. However, this brings up a perennial New York question, which is: What happens to the acres of unsold crapfood you always see suppurating under the lamps at the city's numberless bodegas? One assumes that tonight's leftovers go into tomorrow's omelets, and other such recycling. Anyone with firsthand experience or observation, please let us know via tips or the comments below. Be as graphic as you can stand.
Nasty Late-Night Buffets, and the Beauty Hidden Within [Grub Street]