Rip’s Malt Shop

Besides really enjoying the opportunity to step into a learner’s role during off-site teacher professional development, I also enjoy getting to see the New York City views atop various high rises about Brooklyn and/or Manhattan.  It has become a bit of a past time of mine.  This time, the top floor of Brooklyn Law School, where home was just in the distance, marked by The Bridge.

The clouds’ motion foreshadowed the torrential downpour I would foolishly decide to walk within for a total of 2.5 miles–slaughtering my umbrella and soaking me entirely.  

Rip’s Malt Shop was my mission. This all-vegan luncheonette is tucked away in an area I am almost never near, Fort Greene… ish.  They’ve got some regional eats done veganly with mostly packaged products.  I won’t rant about how opening packages is something I can do on my own… for now.  But I will rant about the tater tots being not hot and not crispy.  They should be fried upon order.  These had been sitting around. 

I wanted very much to try a vegan Coney Dog.  This is a thing in the midwest.  I recall from years of dating a guy from Michigan, which is debatably part of the Midwest.  But alas, the “cheese” on the Coney is the dreaded D (Daiya), so I opted for a Chicago-style hot dog with a pickle spear, tomato, neon relish, celery salt, diced onion, Sport peppers, and yellow mustard.  Somehow, it was pretty bland.  Processed food has no taste, though it is oddly satisfying in other ways.  Form maybe?  And sometimes I do crave form. 

I got the $7 soda float, which was nostalgic and satisfying–but that’s a hefty price for a drink without a little something-something in it.  I mean, besides ice cream.   

A sloppy dinner after gettin’ my Math on. Well worth the wet feet!