Little Cart on Madison
There are a lot of these guys around the city, manning little carts and kiosks, serving us all sorts of delicious halal cuisine and their own special coffee brew. One day I was heading for an appointment on 28th and Madison, and as I turned the corner I saw a Pakistani guy shut away in his tiny coffee and bagel cart. It was freezing — around 20 — and I could smell his coffee from down the block, so I went up to him and asked for one.
“Two sugars?”
“Yeah, please.”
“Milk?”
“Cream if you have it.”
“Yes, here you go.” He popped the top onto the paper cup and handed it to me. I snatched it greedily, more for the warmth — which had suddenly become its own commodity worth paying for — than the beverage itself. “One dollar.”
I handed him the dollar and ambled west on 28th Street. That was the best cart coffee I had ever had. Better than any $4 piece of burnt Starbucks crap, I was convinced. It could have been the bitter cold that contributed to my appreciation, but I swear that little guy took time and care in crafting the cups of joe that came from his diminutive trailery hut.
I’m rarely in that area anymore, so I’m not sure if he’s still there. I don’t know how he did it for a buck.
28th and Madison Av, Manhattan