The Dudes of Food

500 Valley St

Providence, RI 02908

Ah! With a new location arise many questions about what the Dudes of Food will become. Will our loyal Atlanta fans read about food in Providence looking for little laughs and our predictable Freudian slips? Will the Dudes of Food be an offensive name at Brown because dudettes can also be foodies?

For those new readers, one major question is probably lingering in the back of your overused minds: Who are the Dudes of Food and why do they often refer to themselves in third person?

The Dudes of Food is an eating blog geared towards hungry college students (or anyone else willing to read our posts). We find the best and cheapest restaurants in college cities and write up funny and informative posts to educate and entertain our readers.

Some things to know:

FSFW stands for full stomach full wallet.

An FSFW meal is characterized by large quantities of food for small quantities of cash. Here in Providence, the FSFW will probably be anything under $5-$10 for a full meal. Only time will tell. Or some minor Internet research.

Without further adieu, the inaugural Providence post:

Dearest friends, family, avid followers, loyal fans, those who google image search “lychee jelly” in the New Zealand area and click on the second image, and the dwindling few who care about what we have to say,

With a new home comes the need for new furniture. And thus spawned, unknowingly, another Dudes of Food adventure. The location of choice was the Mexican Flea Market on 500 Valley Street. After buying a bargain of a table and glancing at a deer’s head and penis shaped marijuana smoking paraphernalia, the small shack in the parking lot started to glow with a steady stream coming from heaven (sun). The taco trailer is painted in a patriotic Mexican green, white, and red. It is named Taqueria El Taconazo and had most things a hungry eater would hope for. In the back, one Mexican mami single handedly manned the kitchen. Yes, she made everything by hand. It was not the quickest meal, but tasting the love was well worth the wait.

Being from Atlanta, the dudes know tacos and were eager to find a taste of home in Providence. We ordered the basics that help to assess a taqueria: the tacos de lengua (tongue), asada (steak), and pollo (chicken). Priced at $1.60 each, the first bite of the tongue taco reminded us immediately that Latin America was not just in Atlanta.

The simplicity of a soft and moist (but not soggy) double tortilla filled with made to order perfectly cooked and spiced meat was familiar and delicious.

However, perhaps the FSFW steal was the Pambazo.

What is this mystical food, ask you?

A Pambazo, humble reader, is a sandwich, similar to a torta. Etymologically, the word Pambazo comes from the Pan Basso, or bread of the low class, in Mexico’s colonial period. Pan basso was originally made with inferior grade flour for the lower classes. Now, Pambazos are a popular food in México (and Providence). The Pambazo bread is soaked in a guajillo pepper sauce, which creates its reddish appearance. French Fries and a fried egg accompany the sweet chorizo, lettuce, sour cream and cheese innards. This hardy taste treat comes for $5.75.

Providence is known as an Italian city, and past politicians had names such as Lombardi. Now, there are Rhode Island politicians with names such as Diaz and Pichardo. What does this mean for Providence? As mere Dudes of Food we cannot answer that question, but we can put a little food for thought on the burner. Will Latin American food become more mainstream? Will distinctions between people of different Latin American origins be forgotten or more widely recognized?

What we are getting at is that food is a means for understanding politics and society. It might be a delicious means given to you by self declared funnymen, but it is real and relevant to everyone, even college students with an empty stomach and an emptier wallet.

What to get

1. Tacos- you can’t go wrong. They are cheap and tasty.

2. The peppery, meaty, starchy, and lettucy Pambazo sandwich. The description itself is making us hungry (and slightly turned on).

Consumer hint: There is only one kind lady working in this taco stand. Be prepared for a little wait, or rather, a nice stroll through the surrounding flea market.

Remember, it's not about loving to eat; it's about eating with love.