As a regular viewer of The Late Show With David Letterman, I'd say a regular feature of the show is no longer on. "Is This Anything?" would feature a plate spinner, a doughnut-eating ventriloquist, a power tool symphonist, or some other niche performer. Paul Shaffer and Dave would discuss the act and arrive at a decision about whether what they had seen was, in fact, anything. Just like the ever popular "Will it Float?" segment, the entire shtick was to give Dave a chance to, as one named Squiggy might say, crack wise.
Riding through downtown New Albany today, neither Dave nor Paul was in the car with me. I saw something new at the Farmer's Market. I had to ask myself "Is This Anything?"
That's A Wrap has parked in a space at the Farmer's Market. Today was the first day for Andy Duitz and Joy Vest to try their hands at a semi-permanent location. Yesterday in Downtown Louisville, outside the Courier-Journal Building, I saw a hot dog vendor selling franks and drinks from a stainless steel cart.
Both of these entrepreneurial attempts say something about their respective locations. It is a hopeful sign for both downtowns that some discernible level of commerce has registered on the radar screens of these venturesome business people. (Vest and Duitz took their plan to the Board of Works and were given permission to set up, they also have a Farmer's Market Permit, as well as a Health Department Permit)
Vest and Duitz had a decent first day. They had sold about twenty orders when I stopped by to see what was going on. They have been to Harvest Homecoming in the past and did well enough there to try a more permanent set up.
While I don't see myself trying "the other red meat", I believe as downtown gets more re-established as a dining, drinking and entertainment center for the city, it is likely that the revival will spread to enhanced stores for wider ranges of goods. Guerrilla vendors,such as Duitz and Vest, and the hot dog vendor in Louisville, are signs of maturation of the respective downtowns.
So, Is This Anything?
I think so.
3 comments:
I would love to see the return of such vendors! The food is choked with artery clogging fat, drippingly soaked with grease, but my god that food is soooo tasty!
We had a vendor set up the best tasting REAL southern BBQ outside of our office one day, and they were over ran with customers from the Hospital, local Doctors offices, etc...
Before anyone could get served the mouth watering dry rub, hickory smoked ribs, chicken, sausages, and burgers the Clark County Health Department swooped in, ordered him to stop serving, dont touch the grill, chided him about their $50 permit, checked temperatures and such, and by the time they were done with him, hundreds upon hundreds of dollars of food had burned to a crisp.
He was perfectly willing to pay for the permit, and his rig and food were serve-safe certified, and all temps were good.
After his product turned to a crisp, he vowed to never come back again, and the two fine representatives from the health department laughed about at, and snickered at the crowd of hungry people who had lined up and waited patiently for what was probably the best damn BBQ we would have ever tasted...
Christopher:
These folks covered the bases as far as permits are concerned. They would also, I think, tout the relative health benefits of bison burgers versus the buffalo's cousin.
I'm not a meat eater, so the vegan wrap caught my eye, along with the fact that somebody was attempting something different downtown.
I wish them success.
I just like the idea for the story - "is this anything"? Hope you do more of those...
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