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By funsherpa, October 26, 2009 4:23 pm

Carless Mike Doyle

While living without a car may seem like an undreamed of foreign concept to some urbanites, local Chicagoan Mike Doyle actually cherishes life without the polluting metal structured behemoth.  A native New Yorker christened a “born-again Chicagoan”, Mike is the scribe behind Chicago Carless, and has used his popularity to help win the removal of ill-conceived cameras atop the Millenium Park fountains, improve street signs, and challenge the CTA’s judgment.  Funsherpa sits down with carless Mike and discovers urban secrets of Chicago and the beauty of Chicago’s railcars.

What benefits do you see in not owning a car? Have you been able to convert people to give up their cars?
I managed that conversion pretty recently, actually. But there’s no question about owning a car for me–like a million other hard-core New Yorkers, I have no idea how to drive one. I never learned how to drive a car as a teenager, have never had a license, and can count the number of times I’ve pumped gas–for others–on one hand. And I have no intention of learning. Ever. Have you experienced the soul-sucking nature of neighborhoods solely accessible by automobile? Sure you have. How eager are you to live in Schaumburg? Or Bolingbrook? Give me a transit-connected city or near-suburban address any day. Life is short. Why be bored by the place you live?

Are there ever times when you wish you had a car? Why or why not?
As a native New Yorker, my motto has always been that I was born to take public transit or be driven around by cute guys. There are plenty of cute guys in Chicago (especially the wonderful Texas-expat I’m dating right now), so I’m always able to get out to Ikea when I need to. Otherwise, I abide by my longstanding life choice to maintain an urban lifestyle in a major city. Chicago fits the bill perfectly.

You seem very knowledgeable and interested in urban details.  How did that interest begin?
Before I could read I would spend hours at a time sitting at my grandmother’s windowsill in Richmond Hill, Queens, watching the elevated rumble by on Jamaica Avenue. My grandmother would take me into “the city” (NYC code for Manhattan) on weekends to visit her friends working in major Midtown department stores, so I got hooked on the subway and dense urbanity pretty fast. In the late 90s, I began working at the New York City Transit Riders Council, where I was eventually named Associate Director. So by the time I left New York, it was my job to know all I could about public transit there.

What 3 aspects of New York’s public transportation system would you bring over to Chicago?
I far prefer living in Chicago to living in New York City–my adopted home is a much friendlier, more humanizing place. That extends to transit. Chicago has many things NYC doesn’t: systemwide automated announcements; windows that aren’t etched beyond all recognition; buses that actually get where they’re going without getting bogged down in traffic. The only thing this town needs–and it needs it badly–is a state government that truly understands the importance of funding for public transportation. Annual transit-funding “doomsdays” are ridiculous–and make Chicago look penny-wise but pound-foolish to outsiders.

In our humble opinion, public transportation seems to wrestle against optimizing convenience versus coverage.  Where do you think Chicago’s transportation system stands in the tradeoff between these two factors and what can be done to improve it?
You don’t take transit much in this town, do you? The great majority of Chicagoans live within a half-mile walk of a bus or L train (usually a bus.) Most of the major gaps in service are temporal, not geographic. Some key bus lines stop running too early on weeknights and weekend evenings (examples: the Addison bus in Lakeview, the 40-series buses in Bronzeville, and route extension on Milwaukee and Western avenues), and the ridership would probably support running a 24-hour Brown Line service now. Unfortunately, given our latest funding crisis, those temporal gaps will likely grow larger.

What does Mayor Daley think of you?
Mayor Daley’s office knows my name, so he–or his staffers, more likely–either loves me or hates me. Considering the questions about bone-headed mayoral decisions I’ve raised on my various local bylines over the years (a missing Red Line stop at Washington/State? covered-up violence at the 2009 Independence Eve fireworks?), my money’s on the latter.

What are your thoughts about the dormant Chicago Post Office?  What would you rather see in its place?
A post office. Have you seen the building the USPS replaced it with? Fug-Lee.

What neighborhood do you live in?  Can you name us some of your favorite things to do in your neighborhood without a car?
I live downtown and consider the entire area from Roosevelt north to Chicago and the Kennedy east to the lakefront my neighborhood. From my apartment at Marina City, the Loop is a 40-floor elevator ride and 60-second stroll across the State Street Bridge away, so I walk most places down here. I think people who drive in downtown Chicago are idiots and deserve the stress and expense of trying to find parking in the most transit-connected downtown between NYC and San Francisco.

What are your favorite CTA stops?  Why?
I have favorite railcars. I’m going to miss the old, blinker-door 2200s still running on the Blue Line when they start getting replaced by new cars next year. They’re not the classic, old green-and-cream cars, but they’re as close as anyone can get to feeling like they’re Bob Newhart wending his way home to Emily at the end of a Windy City workday.

What is the craziest thing you’ve ever seen happen in any of Chicago’s public transport systems?
There’s a regular act of public kindness I see all the time on the L: operators holding trains for connections and re-opening doors for late-arriving customers just before the train leaves the station. Sometimes I even see operators stop a train to let latecomers on (anyone who takes the Blue Line from the CTA’s super-long Logan Square station sees this all the time.) Those are really nice things for CTA operators to do. They would get you fired from New York City Transit. I may be the one New Yorker who’s never believed NYC to be the greatest city on earth. My mark of a great city is one that doesn’t slam its transit doors in your face as you try not to be late for work in the morning.

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By funsherpa, October 19, 2009 9:47 am

Sharing Organic Produce

Vicki Westerhoff demonstrates the importance of a good diet to funsherpa.  Curing herself through a diet based on organically farmed food, Vicki Westerhoff, the community farmer behind Genesis Growers, talks to us about the benefits of fresh farmed food and her life in the world of agriculture.

F: Reading a writeup of you, I discovered that a personal sickness drove you to start organic farming.  Can you walk us through how you felt before you started eating ‘fresh’ and what major transformations occurred after you got involved with organic farming?

V: I was to the point where I slept 16-18 hours daily and when I was awake I never felt good at all.  Three months after I began my new routine I began to feel the first signs of improvement.  It took 6 months to know I was truly better and a year to make it the whole way.  Now I often work 16 – 18 hour days and am full of vigor.  What a switch around.

F: You started this a long time ago before organic farming, Whole Foods, and local sourcing became hip.  Are you surprised how large the movement has become or did you have a clear picture of where this was heading back when you started?

V: I am not sure really.  I suppose I felt there was an enduring aspect to organics – perhaps with roots going back into the 60’s and 70’s – doing things differently.  I was absolutely sold on organics as the way to go and assumed the world would come to agree.

F: Are big industrial farmers afraid of you?  Should they be?

V: No, they are not.  Rather, they have begun to infiltrate and attempt to take over organic agriculture.  Now the movement is not only organic, but has moved into the local movement.  I am sure agribusiness will do their best to move into that arena as well.

F: Seems like we still have a long way to go to change the direction of our fast food nation.  If you were President, what 3 things would you do to improve the food we eat?

V:

a)      Put real food back into the school systems of the nation

b)      Require all food stamp and WIC purchases be used for real food

c)      Oh well, I have two

F: Chicago seems to have a lot of great environmental programs and people who care about the environment.  Can you share with our readers some things they can do to experience and learn more about environmentalism?

V: First, learn to appreciate nature.  Go to nature centers, wildlife areas, looking for specifics to a given area.  If in Florida, check out the Everglades.  In Colorado, check out the Forest lands, etc.   See what environmental groups are in an area.  Join a river clean up, sponsor a road clean up, etc.  Just get out there and see what is in one’s area.

F: What types of fresh fruits and vegetables are popular with local Chicagoans these days?  Why is that?

V: All fresh foods, pretty much.  They like the staples, like tomatoes and so forth, but are very open to the new and unusual.  Almost any crop we might grow folks are willing to try.  Chicagoans are very food oriented and gourmet cuisine tempts their pallets, so we have a great marketplace.

F: You seem to be one of the pioneers in the field of local and organic farming – who are your mentors or who do you learn from?

V: I research many sources, but my best mentors are the older folks in the farming community who say I grow the old fashioned way.  These are fellows who knew how to grow food before chemicals were the main stay of farming.  Much of my learning comes from perusing University web sites on organics and from trial and error. 

F: Can you share with us some of the feedback you get from your customers who decide to switch over from traditional industrially farmed food to your locally grown produce?

V: Hands down it is the taste that wins them over and keeps them coming back for more.  One CSA member told me her Iguana sold her.  She did an experiment with store bought kale and our kale.  The iguana always went for our kale and left the store bought to rot. 

F: You can’t be farming 24/7 – can you shed some light into your life outside of farming?  What else do you enjoy doing?

V: I do farm 24-7 during the season.  It is my life.  Hopefully some day in the future I may get more free time, and it would be spent enjoying nature.  When I do get away, I always head for the great outdoors.

F: Do you have any words of wisdom for people out there who are contemplating on pursuing their passions/interests?

V: Do it with clear thinking, carefully evaluating the costs and investment necessary.  Then, go for it with gusto.

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By raphael, October 5, 2009 8:48 am

With the rise in popularity of the Street Food Carts in San Francisco, funsherpa decided to track down the infamous Adobo Hobo for our next feature. The Adobo Hobo hangs out around the Mission area or around Dolores park, pushing his cart and serving up some lip smacking Adobo. His healthier take on a traditional Filipino dish proves that healthier does not mean less tasty. After meeting him in the Eat.Real.Fest last Aug 30 in Oakland, the Adobo Hobo shares with us his story, experiences, but unfortunately not his secret ingredient…

F: Adobo is a popular Filipino dish – who taught you how to cook it?

AH: My mother taught me how to cook adobo years ago.  Before I left for college at Fresno State, I made sure I learned to make a number of Filipino dishes so I was able to have home cooking away from home.  As my mother being the best cook amongst her siblings, I am fortunate enough to learn from the best.  My brother’s a pretty damn good cook too.

F: What is Adobo to you?

AH: Adobo to me is a dish that is a great go to meal if I’m limited with time and ingredients.  It’s easy to prepare and always seems to be readily available on the stove top of one of my Filipino friend’s home.  Just can’t seem to go wrong with adobo.  Plus it’s made a bunch of different ways, so there’s always an element of surprise at every household.

F: Kindly narrate the night the Adobo Hobo idea was born.

AH: It actually happened really fast.  I was at home cooking when Ed and Amy, members of the Adobohobo Camp, walks in after visiting the creme brulee man and suggests we do a cart and give it a try.  As the primary cook of the household, they really wanted me to be a huge part of the project and I thought it would be great and fun idea to try it out.  We brainstormed on all kinds of dishes to put out and one of the roomates, Tina, suggested I make adobo.  It made so much sense due to its ability to keep well and the ability to make large quantities of adobo, we had to roll with it.  One week later on August 1st, we were out on the street selling at Dolores Park on Movie night.

F: Why did you choose to go for “healthier adobo”?

AH: I chose to go a little bit healthier because I have high cholesterol and I’ve been looking for ways to eat healthier.  I’ve also noticed a lot of my Filipino friends have parents or aunts and uncles developing health issues related to their diet, like diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol amongst other things, so I wanted to show everyone it’s possible to alter the recipe and still have a delicious meal. I use a combination of full bodied soy sauce and low sodium soy sauce to cut the sodium content and remove the skin the chicken legs prior to cooking.  To finish off the “healthier” adobo, I skim the fat off the top of the finished produce.  I’ve been talking to Mandy, of @Wholesomebakery another cart with vegan delights, and she mentioned a few other options I can use to have a healthier diet.  Thanks Mandy.

F: What’s your secret ingredient?

AH: Sorry folks…  Gotta keep that one to myself.

F: If the Adobo Hobo is Superman, who is the Clark Kent behind the AdoboHobo? i.e. What is your day job

AH: During the day, I’m a realtor at United Brokers Real Estate in San Leandro.  They’re very supportive of The Adobohobo and even had me cater the last office meeting we had and boy did they love it.  The realtors there are some of the best people I’ve ever worked with and for.

As a realtor, I have the flexibility of creating my own schedule and it allows me to do the things I need to do to make the Adobo Hobo happen like shopping, prepping, and cooking.  Being in the street and selling is the easy glamorous part of the whole thing.  There is a lot of hard work involved in making this happen, but the positive feedback and reactions to my cooking makes it worth it.

F: As the Adobo Hobo, I’m sure you’ve had some interesting or strange experiences. Can you share some anecdote/s of your interesting experiences as the AdoboHobo?

AH: I guess the attention and press is pretty strange and new to me.  One day, GMA a Filipino network, was at the house filming me prepare and cook the adobo when I get a call from John from SF Foodie to do a quick phone interview.  That was pretty weird.  I also used to get a little nervous the first few times when I’d hear sirens near by because I’d think they were there to shut me down.  Turns out, they were only fire trucks and ambulances doing their jobs.  I remember after being used to the sirens, I played a little joke on some of the other carts that were out with us one Sunday.  I heard sirens and yelled out, “Pack it up folks!!!  They’re shuttin us down!!!”  Everyone looked bummed out and I started busting out laughing.  I thought it was pretty funny…

I’m glad everyone did too.

F: If there were one person who you’d say served as the biggest inspiration for the Adobo Hobo who would it be?

AH: The one person I’d say is the biggest inspiration for Jason, rather than the Adobo Hobo, is my pops.  He came to this country with 2 pairs of jeans and 7 bucks…  Actually he got on the plane with 14, but met someone who needed 7 bucks to get on a train to Delano so he hooked it up.  Since then he’s had to endure so much to get to where he is today.  He now owns several properties in 2 states and 2 countries and still maintains a very simple, humble lifestyle.  Pops always has something to say, sometimes positive, sometimes negative, but he always gives me the freedom to make my own decision.  I remember over 10 years ago, he used to tell me some old man from Minnesota once told him, “If you plan to do your own business, only go with shelter, food, and clothing.”  Pops still tells me that from time to time.  Two out of three ain’t that bad huh?  He always taught me to not be afraid of failing.  Just learn from it and get back up.  I’m still trying to figure things out for myself, but I guess we all are.

F: How long have you been based in the Bay Area?

AH: I was born and raised in the Bay Area.  I’ve lived in Oakland, Alameda, mostly in San Lorenzo, and now in Hayward.  So I guess you can say I’ve lived in a good portion of the East Bay.  I did live in Fresno for five and a half years for college, but I had to come back home.

F: Do you have a specific plan for your AdoboHobo locations or do you just find a spot you like that day?

AH: It really depends.  Most of the time, there is a spot planned out and we won’t announce it until the day of, and sometimes the location is discovered the day of.  Lately we’ve been teaming up with other carts and the location is always planned when we do team up.

F: What are your thoughts on the sudden rise of popularity of the FoodCart scene in San Francisco? Do you think it’s a fad that will wear off, or will it be here to stay for good?

AH: Well nothing lasts forever, and I don’t think this is just a fad.  I’d like to see what happens during and after the winter season and see if we can still operate and be as successful as we all have these past few months.  I love the popularity of the FoodCart scene here and I really hope it does stay for good, but that’s just my wishful thinking.  I’m a big fan and very happy to be a part of the scene.  I’ve been able to meet a lot of really cool, down to earth people who share the same passion for food as I.  Folks like Roger of @soulcocina, really inspire me to keep on doing what I’m doing and learning different cuisines.  He’s a cool dude.

F: If you weren’t limited by time, experience, or money, what type of food cart would you create?

AH: I’m actually very pleased with the operation we’re running right now, but if I weren’t limited by those factors, I’d probably have a catering truck.  Part of the fun of this whole thing is being in front of the customers and the ability to interact and receive feedback, positive or negative, is what keeps me going.  I do have ideas of where all this may go in the future, but I have to keep that under wraps for now.

F: When you aren’t pushing the AdoboHobo cart, where does the Adobo Hobo hang out in the Bay area to have fun?

AH:  It really depends on my mood.  I’m a pretty chill dude that likes to be outdoors.

I really enjoy outdoor recreation like hiking, mountain biking, backpacking, camping, snowboarding, and I really want to get into kayaking.  I’m a big fan of music and I’m always blasting it in the morning while getting ready.  Sorry roommates…  I also like to go out at night and have a or two at a bar or lounge.  Not so much into the club scene anymore, but I’ll still go if it’s for a special occasion.  I really enjoy being around my nephew, Joel, and niece, Carmen.  Kids are fun and seem to take away day to day stress and worries.  Other than that, I just like to keep things simple.

F: Any favorite Restaurants you could share with us?

AH: I have a bunch, but let me throw out a few…  Brazil Cafe in Berkeley, CA has some tasty Brazilian food.  Bakesale Bettys in Oakland has awesome fried chicken sandwiches.  There’s this Indian restaurant in Hayward called “My Favorite Indian Restaurant” is probably my favorite Indian restaurant.  Taqueria Guadalajara on E. 14th in San Leandro, CA has some great Mexican food.  The meat there is what makes the place special.  I have so much more, but I’ll end it with Pho Hoa Ty.  One location in Hayward and one in Oakland.  Oh man, does this hit the spot when I’m craving some of that pho.  One thing all these restaurants have in common is they’re all small, cheap, and local establishments that I frequent, and you should too if you’re in the area.