Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Republicans are the party of chaos and catastrophe.

The fundamental promise of conservatism all over the world is a return to an idealized past that never existed.

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

It’s easy to sit in safety and prescribe what other people should be doing.

Jack Smith: “Why did you start campaigning in the middle of my investigation?!”

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

I might just take the rest of the day off and do even more nothing than usual.

“What are Republicans afraid of?” Everything.

Every decision we make has lots of baggage with it, known or unknown.

In after Baud. Damn.

“In the future, this lab will be a museum. do not touch it.”

Just because you believe it, that does not make it true.

I would try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

Speaker Mike Johnson is a vile traitor to the House and the Constitution.

Disappointing to see gov. newsom with his finger to the wind.

Not so fun when the rabbit gets the gun, is it?

How stupid are these people?

Only Democrats have agency, apparently.

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

Since we are repeating ourselves, let me just say fuck that.

One lie, alone, tears the fabric of reality.

You are here: Home / Food & Recipes / Food / Late Night Open Thread: Coming Soon to A Hipster Food Court Near You…

Late Night Open Thread: Coming Soon to A Hipster Food Court Near You…

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I’ve been seeing, out of the corner of my reading, various paeans to the ‘retro’ pleasures of the Automat. I have fond childhood memories of occasional visits to the original storied Horn & Hardart Automat in Times Square, but a big part of the thrill was getting to chose which of a dozen mac’n’cheese plates or apple pie slices behind glass for which you would swap your nickels. There have been efforts to revive the automat with a ‘modern’ twist, none so far successful.

But I can imagine a reboot of the concept — prepackaged ‘instant’ products in wide-windowed vending machines, prepared by hidden attendants who could also stock / dispense simple add-ins (soft-boiled eggs, packets of diced chicken / tofu or greens, say). A wide, well-advertised varieties of hot sauces and similar ‘exotic’ condiments…

Market it as a change from microwaving the same old serving-for-one in the office breakroom. Encourage participation by partying groups prepping for a night of drinking, or for a bold, defiant brunch with the buds after a hot yoga / spin class?

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38Comments

  2. 2.

    JCJ

    That noodle shop looks amazing.  I looked it up – it is in Union Mall near Chatuchak Market.  I am sure my wife and daughter will want to try it next time we are in Bangkok.  Maybe they will open one in Sukhumvit.  I hope so!

  5. 5.

    Brachiator

    But I can imagine a reboot of the concept — prepackaged ‘instant’ products in wide-windowed vending machines, prepared by hidden attendants who could also stock / dispense simple add-ins (soft-boiled eggs, packets of diced chicken / tofu or greens, say). A wide, well-advertised varieties of hot sauces and similar ‘exotic’ condiments…

    Isn’t this called a restaurant?

    I have heard of the Automat, but never saw one in action. But I love various types of street vendors in the US and in foreign countries.

    Bacon wrapped hot dogs with grilled onions from street vendors in the Los Angeles garment district. Yum!

  6. 6.

    TheMightyTrowel

    Small good thing from a mostly lurker… just found out that one of my high school best buds who spent a lot of time on active duty in iraq and went profoundly off the rails after is not just still alive (i wasn’t sure he would be and he has a super generic name so hard to search) but is thriving and, in keeping with this post, ended up going to culinary school and working in high end restaurants

  7. 7.

    JAFD

    Had a friend whose family tried raising peacocks. They can sound as if a baby is seriously crying in the back yard. Anyway, ’tis something from Jersey City even a Newarker can appreciate.

    Mayhaps of interest to some jackals:

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  8. 8.

    NotMax

    the original storied Horn & Hardart Automat in Times Square

    The first so-branded Automat in America was opened in 1902 by Horn & Hardart in Philadelphia. The Times Square location was the second, opened in 1912.

    Still retain fond recollections of the polished brass elephant head coffee and hot water dispensers. One thing which could be counted upon was freshness. Fresh-squeezed orange juice was tossed if any remained after two hours. So much coffee was served that a fresh batch (all French drip, mind you) was brewed on the average of every 20 minutes.

    The unofficial anthem of Horn & Hardart, Let’s Have Another Cup of Coffee. By Irving Berlin. Coincidentally, Berlin was the spot where the very first mechanical coin-op eatery debuted in 1895.

  9. 9.

    HumboldtBlue

    @NotMax:

    The first so-branded Automat in America was opened in 1902 by Horn & Hardart in Philadelphia. The Times Square location was the second, opened in 1912.

    Jersey City and Philadelphia reminding NYC to step back and stay in a lane.

  10. 10.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @TheMightyTrowel:

    Haven’t seen you in forever! I’m so glad you’re still around, even in lurk mode, but I wish you’d comment more often. Are you still in Australia?

  12. 12.

    Tony Jay

    It’s 9.15 in the morning here but now I could seriously go for something savoury with noodles.

    Another sad reminder that while I’d be in culinary heaven roaming around East Asia and parts south, my significant other would starve to death while casting plaintive glances towards South India.

    The boy, of course, would watch all this from under a neverending pile of those dim-sum sui-mai wonton things.

  14. 14.

    Tony Jay

    @NotMax:

    Hell yes! With a ton of grated strong cheese across the top, maybe some fried mushrooms, dash of soy/sweet chilli sauce.

    What? It’s fusion.

  15. 15.

    Anyway

    @Tony Jay:

    In the before-times I flew through Heathrow (shopping mall attached to some airplane gates) a fair bit and often had a couple of of hours to kill between flights- I always ended up getting noodles at Wagamama. I miss jet-lagged people-watching with a bowl of udon…

  18. 18.

    lowtechcyclist

    I woulda thought “hipster food court” would be an oxymoron.

    I remember going to the Automat on a trip to NYC when I was maybe 9 years old, back in the early 1960s. No feelings of nostalgia for it, though. American food back in 1962 was boring, things are much better now.

  21. 21.

    bjacques

    In NL, Automats are still very much still a thing, mostly in Amsterdam. Febo, a chain named after a bakery on the Ferdinand Bolsstraat, was founded in 1941 but the automats started in 1960, and they were definitely inspired by Horn & Hardart. They’re snack bars rather than sitdown cafes, just the thing for a fried snack before or after a night of clubbing, when you’re young with a fast metabolism.

     

    O Jackal Hivemind:

    Anyone remember a 1940s or 1950s movie with a woman down on her luck and goes to an Automat but doesn’t have enough change, and a worker takes pity on her and sneakily opens the gags while she pretends to put money in? Then the manager catches and fires him, but he has time to open all of the food slots, and a free for all ensues?

  22. 22.

    Tony Jay

    @Anyway:

    That sounds pretty great. We used to do that in France with a pint of Leffe and… well… another pint of Leffe. Then we’d realise it was tea time and grab a merguez and frite half baguette from a Hole in the Wall eatery and carry on people watching until the sun set and the serious partying began.

    On the topic of airport food, ashamed to say it but the absolute best pizza I ever had was during transit through Chicago O’Hare when we grabbed a couple of small margheritas from a corner franchise (I don’t want to say Domino’s, so I won’t) for convenience sake and both looked at each other with full mouths making “Daaammmnnn” sounds. Soooo good.

  25. 25.

    opiejeanne

    @NotMax: It was tempting. We were in a hurry to get back to our hotel for some reason, and I thought we’d get back to that vending machine before we left, but ran out of time.

  26. 26.

    Argiope

    @NotMax: as soon as I saw that query, I thought to myself: This is a job for NotMax!  And you did not disappoint.  Amazing the level of expertise around these parts, on things existential and on those that make life sweeter.

  29. 29.

    Geminid

    I wonder if Laura Nyro ever sang outside Times Square Horn and Hardart Automat. I researched Ms. Nyro last week, and Wikipedia told me that in the early 1960’s she and high school friends would sing together on New York streets and in subway stations.

  32. 32.

    Geminid

    Laura Nyro grew up in the Bronx, so she and her friends might not have made it all the way down to Times Square to sing. I researched Ms. Nyro after an oldies station I was listening to at work played Barbara Streisand singing Nyro’s “Stoney End”:

    I was born from love, and my poor mother worked the mines.

    I was raised on the Good Book of Jesus, ’til I read between the lines.

    Now I don’t believe I want to see the morning….

    Never mind the forecast, ’cause the sky has lost control.

    Now the fury of the broken thunder, comes to match my raging soul.

    And now I don’t believe I want to see the morning.

    Going down the stoney end, I never wanted to go down the stoney end.

    Mama let me start all over. Cradle me, Mama, cradle me again.

    What a song! It made my week.

  35. 35.

    topclimber

    Sadly, Anne, yours is another genius business idea fated to be killed by supply chain issues. See me for an hour’s free consultation if you want to know why.

  36. 36.

    ExpatDan

    @JCJ: ​

    @JCJ: ​
      I am surprised that it is not in Siam Square, but maybe the rent there is too high? Brilliant idea!

  37. 37.

    kindness

    My parents took us to the Times Square Automat a few times when we were young. The 3 of us kids were so fascinated to look through the little windows at the choices. It was theater to us. A fun novelty but if you are in Manhattan, there were/are better places to eat.

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