Walking with Nachos

What do you do when you want nachos, BUT you’ve got to be on the run? Risk your shirt? Yes. A shirt is a worthy loss in the great nacho hunt. Unfortunately, we all have moments where soiled garments won’t work. Sure, nachos will settle you before that big job interview. No, the remnants of [...]

On Nachos and Hospitality

The other day I was invited to have some homemade tacos with my man Tony and his girlfriend Lauren. Because I am constantly surrounded by New York’s legions of newly-minted “foodies” who generally insist on overpriced meals in uncomfortably loud settings, having two friends cook me some tacos in their apartment sounded like a refreshing [...]

Seafood Nachos

Continuing with the musings on “what really is a nacho,” the “seafood nacho” from A.W. Shucks in Charleston, SC just plain ignores any strict definition and gets loose with interpretation. The dish, comprised of crab meat, bacon, cheddar jack, scallions, tomatoes, ranch sauce and… wait for it… fried potatoes, gets to the heart of one [...]

Good Idea, Bad Execution

When it comes to satisfying customer needs and desires, Boston’s Fajitas and ‘Ritas approach to nachos sets a standard. Taking cues from the pizza industry, this spot allows you to build your own. For starters, chips and cheese are available for a base price, with each add on an additional cost. These include steak, chicken, [...]

Syrian Nachos

For 18-months of my life I lived in New Bedford, MA. Located on the south coast of the state, the city is known as the historic capital of American whaling and famously as the starting point of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. Today, the scallop fishery dominates the local economy, and provides diners with a bounty [...]

Scratching the Surface…

On the surface nacho recipes are a touch absurd. The basics of the dish are so, well, basic. There is an essential nacho-ness (sorry, Gritz loves You, Me and Dupree) that must be achieved through the combination of chips and cheese. And yet, while the nessesary ingredients are clear, the possibilities are endless.
Through our global [...]

Cambodian Nachos, Pt. II

Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC), Phnom Penh. This historic establishment overlooking the convergence of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers served as an unofficial HQ for journalists who were let into Cambodia after the fall of the Khmer Rouge. These days, it has been taken over by a lively crowd of ex-pats and tourists, but [...]

Intern Nachos

During the Fall of 2006, I had an internship at National Public Radio. I worked on Weekend Edition Saturday with Scott Simon, and I was basically known among the staff for three things: having mad pairs of sneakers, drinking loads of coffee, and loving nachos. On the last day of my internship, the team surprised [...]