Let's bitch about lame metaphors in music reviews!

I think it's a perfectly good metaphor (and anyway, it's a simile). The writer's not comparing B&S to Christ, ferchrissakes. "Christ's face in a ciabatta roll" is pretty funny.

You want bad metaphors? There are plenty right here.

that is all.

I don't even get it. This guy thinks he's so smart. What a cack.

Falafel, The National Snack Of Isreal(TM)

Exactly. But the world does not revolve around NYC, y'know.

Falafel-hot dog is fine. As JBR, it's apples vs. oranges, which takes up about as much room. What kind of backwater do you need to live in to find falafel exotic?

I'll concede, the ice lolly one was bad.

NEWSFLASH: today a number of people from LA and NYC discovered that there was in fact this area in between them called a 'continent' where one could not readily find 24-hour Mexican restaurants on every block. For instance.

= and if my grandmother had wheels, she'd be a bus! Therefore, daily newpaper guy = Pierre Elliot Trudeau

(and here I was thinking he'd died)

Hey, but Ned, I've got a newsflash for YOU! Some people here (e.g. ME), live in, and, especially, come from, places that do not lie between LA and NYC! Believe it or not, Ned, there are continents other than the one you refer to! There are dark places where hot dogs
themselves are scarce! But, get this, Ned, even in those places a hot dog would not be considered exotic! Aye!

"Sigur Rós's music is about extraordinarily particular moments in time, when one feeling or reaction or situation seems set to switch or zoom off into another. It's like when you're driving on the freeway at dusk during a rainstorm, caught in your car with both surrounding lanes hogged by tractor-trailers, and you sense how different the world will be after you've clobbered the accelerator and sped by. It's about that moment when you show up late (again) for dinner, with another exceedingly poor reason, and you mumble a lame excuse and she says, "Darling, that's what you said last week," and you know she's never going to believe you, exactly, ever again. Sigur Rós's music is not about the backstory or the future; it's about that precise moment when the trucks are obstructing your hazy lateral space on the freeway, or when she responds to you at dinner, with that horrible new vein of indifference suddenly alive in her voice. "

Ughhhh!!

Most unfortunate.

I quite like that first B&S one. It does tell you something about the music, very clearly and effectively: it tells you that you will not find a hint of modernity on a B&S album and that you probably wouldn't want to. I'm similarly unbothered by the hot dog vs. falafel thing, and so long as we're going to sit around parsing it out like fools, my guess is that falafel was chosen just because it's such an amusingly great leap from the standard American hot dog. I don't understand why people on message boards like to act so jaded and dismissive about everything: that latter's a perfectly functional metaphor, if not a particularly good one, and if we stoop to holding up such trivia for public ridicule then surely all is lost.

(P.S. Ned - the funny thing about your 24-hour Mexican restaurant bit is that NYC has THE WORST Mexican food ever [except in maybe Sunset Park, but I haven't been out there in ages]. California and Chicago have it beat by miles.)

But do we blame that on the townsfolk's ignorance, or the supposed exoticism of falafel?

the funny thing about your 24-hour Mexican restaurant bit is that NYC has THE WORST Mexican food ever

I beg to differ. I've had very good Mexican food in the NYC metropolitan area. You just have to know where to look.

Never one to defend the daily hacks, but...y'know?

Falafel's are exotic to most of Canada outside the major cities. Then again Gyros are unheard of east of Montreal where they magically become Donairs (and they test better when drunk).

Context, I know not of this thing called Context.

Besides, why bother with Mexican food in New York when you could go to Puerto Rican places instead?

I think in retrospect I should have stopped by the 'Taco Bill' in Melbourne. Just to at least giggle a bit.

Ned, according to the 2000 Census, the Chicago area is #2 next to L.A. in number of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans.

"After a few listens, the strength of lead singer Chris Simpson's voice begins to penetrate into your head like a siren. The keyboards are effortlessly worked into the songs and, from track to track, Start Here flows like the weeks of the year. Occasionally the songs are melancholic and gloomy like winter, other times full of hope and grace like summer, but behind them all are power, strength, beauty, and the knowledge that this might be the closest anyone can get to heaven while still in the flesh."

Say hello 2 heaven, Kurt.

that's so awesome. I love it.

We need more threads on food up in dis bitch.

You're still not telling me why.

And anyway, I offer up Gabriela's and the Rocking Horse Cafe as proof of the existence of good Mex in NYC.

FOR years, Tequila's on Columbus held out a welcoming sombrero to the Upper West Side, offering powerful frozen margaritas, sizzling fajitas, enchiladas loaded with melted cheese and all the other party essentials that New Yorkers have come to regard as Mexican food. Then, last year, Tequila's was sold. The new owners, Cristina Castaneda and Raul Bonetto, had a different vision.

They wanted to present Mexican food in a setting free of serapes and mariachi music, which seem as essential to New York's Mexican restaurants as red-checked tablecloths used to be to Italian. They developed a new menu, eliminating the burritos in favor of dishes like marinated lamb shank with avocado leaves, and chiles en nogada, poblano chilies stuffed with meat and walnuts and draped in ethereal walnut cream. They renamed the restaurant Cafe Frida, after Frida Kahlo, the Mexican artist. But the transformation has not been easy.

''It's been so hard to change people's minds about Mexican food,'' Ms. Castaneda said.

But minds are gradually changing, and New York is finally shedding its reputation as a city with terrible Mexican food. Helped along by a wave of immigration from Mexico, the city's Mexican restaurants, once dominated by Tex-Mex margarita mills and Cal-Mex burrito bars, are evolving ever so slowly into more authentic expressions of Mexican regional cooking. Now, sometimes right alongside the old nachos and quesadillas, menus offer dishes flavored with anise-tinged avocado leaves; fresh epazote, an essential Mexican herb; and huitlacoche, an earthy, funky corn fungus.

In the kitchens are chefs like Julietta Ballesteros of Mexicana Mama in Greenwich Village, who came to her post from Monterrey, Mexico, by way of the French Culinary Institute. In the colorful, modest dining room, guests feast on unusual dishes like luscious cream of pistachio soup flavored with cilantro and roasted tomatillos and chilies, which is really a traditional mole, or sauce, from southern Mexico.

The Rocking Horse Cafe Mexicano in Chelsea has been in business for 12 years, but it eliminated its Tex-Mex cooking only in the last four. The menu now includes creative dishes like blue-corn-crusted shrimp in corn broth, and yellow fin tuna crusted in avocado leaves, and the wine list is thoughtfully selected, with an emphasis on Alsatian whites, which complement the food. At Maya, on the Upper East Side, guests dine on shrimp sauteed with achiote paste and tamarind, and on soup redolent of the rich essence of corn, with a sumptuous huitlacoche dumpling floating about.

Mi Cocina, which has offered classic Mexican cooking in the West Village since 1991, is expanding to almost double its size, while Zarela Martinez, who has been offering contemporary interpretations of Mexican dishes at Zarela on the East Side for 13 years, is hoping to open a restaurant that will serve the regional cuisine of Veracruz.

Still, the changes always seem to take somebody by surprise. ''One time, we had chiles en nogada on the menu and somebody said, 'I liked the dish, but it wasn't Mexican; it didn't have cheese on it,' '' said Roe DiBona, an owner of Rocking Horse. ''It's a different relleno, from a different region of Mexico, and they're different.''

The evolution is far more visible outside the restaurant mainstream, in areas where Mexicans have been settling in accelerating numbers over the last 20 years. The Mexican population of New York is around 200,000 now, the City Planning Department estimates, a huge jump from 23,761 in 1980. Among the growing Mexican communities are Sunset Park in Brooklyn, Corona and Jackson Heights in Queens, and East Harlem and the Upper West Side in Manhattan.

With this rapidly expanding market, Mexican grocery stores have sprouted all over, selling essential ingredients that would have been impossible to find 10 years ago, like chayotes, dozens of varieties of chilies, and cactus paddles. Taco trucks dot the streets, and storefront taquerias now abound, selling tacos double-wrapped the traditional way: not in hard shells but in soft, fragrant corn tortillas with fillings ranging from chicken to shredded pig's ear.

At these restaurants, diners who think ''mole'' refers only to mole poblano, the familiar brown chocolate-infused sauce, will find dozens of other sauces in a rainbow of colors made with ingredients like pumpkin seeds, brightly flavored tomatillos and all those chilies, which impart flavor and complexity, not just heat.

''Once people go to try these taquerias and see what real tacos are like, they're going to want the real thing,'' said Richard Sandoval, the chef and owner of Maya.

Many taquerias offer more ambitious dishes, too. La Lupe, a neat, bright place in Sunnyside, Queens, serves pierna adobada, chunks of tender pork rubbed with a complex paste of chilies, spices, vinegar and tomatoes. Los Dos Rancheros Mexicanos in Clinton offers chicken with pipian, a sauce of toasted pumpkin seeds, tomatillos and chilies that is a riot of vivid flavors. Catering to Mexicans far from home, these restaurants, where English is rarely spoken, also offer cultural services, like a steady diet of Mexican soap operas on videotape, movies and soccer matches.

Perhaps because these restaurants are so focused on their immigrant clientele, the majority of New York restaurantgoers have been slow to adjust their expectations. In its comments on New York's high-end Mexican restaurants, for example, the Zagat Survey can't help mentioning the ''knockout cocktails'' and ''killer drinks.''

Alongside the perception of Mexican restaurants as places for unhinged, alcohol-fueled good times is another of Mexican food as both threatening and unhealthy.

''People think they can't eat it, it's too spicy, it's too greasy,'' said Robert Shapiro, who owns Zocalo on the Upper East Side, where he offers dishes like pork ribs baked in banana leaves and shrimp-and-tomatillo enchiladas. ''The perception is really skewed.'' Nonetheless, Mr. Shapiro concedes, ''I'm happy to sell the alcohol, there's a lot of money in the drinks.'' Sales of alcoholic beverages at Zocalo are double what they've been at French and Cajun restaurants he's owned, he said.

The general lack of knowledge and respect that many Americans have for Mexican cooking translates into a unwillingness to pay premium prices for Mexican food, in the way that Chinese food is hindered by its image as cheap delivery fare.

''Mexican food is just as elaborate as French or Italian cuisine, but it's still perceived as something that's cheap,'' said Ms. Martinez of Zarela, who recently completed a series for public television on the cuisine and culture of Veracruz. ''I use exactly the same ingredients as Le Cirque does, the duck, the sushi-quality tuna!''

Ms. Martinez and a few others, like Josefina Howard of Rosa Mexicano, began singing the praises of Mexican cuisine in the 1980's, but New York was still a city where good Mexican food was hard to find, unlike Chicago and Los Angeles, which had far greater Mexican populations.

The cuisine itself is subtle and fascinating, with methods and ingredients that are as varied and unusual as the terrain that stretches 2,000 miles through desert and forest, rugged mountains and coastal plains.

Though not far geographically from each other, the city of Puebla, south of Mexico City, and the state of Oaxaca on the southern Pacific end of the country, may represent the twin poles of cultural influence. Puebla, the source of much of New York's Mexican population, was founded by European colonizers, and its food shows a European influence, while the food of Oaxaca reflects the country's Indian origins.

''European dishes tend to be more elaborate, with a lot of spices,'' said Dr. Jeffrey M. Pilcher, a professor of Mexican history at the Citadel, whose book, ''Que Vivan los Tamales: Food and the Making of Mexican Identity,'' was published in 1998 by the University of New Mexico Press. ''The original Indian dishes were a lot more simple, with five ingredients rather than 45.''

Mexicans themselves, Dr. Pilcher notes, have always been ambivalent about their own cuisine, just as midcentury Americans betrayed feelings of cultural insecurity by exalting ''Continental'' cuisine at the expense of regional dishes.

''As recently as 1950, the only reference I could find to huitlacoche was as 'something eaten by Indians,' and as such it wasn't worth discussing,'' Dr. Pilcher said. ''It's only quite recently that they've been able to say, 'These dishes like huitlacoche are really quite special -- they're Mexico's gifts to the culinary world.' ''

Nonetheless, many New Yorkers have not quite gotten the message. Like the 1960's Italian restaurants that confirmed the American perception of Italian food as heavy and laden with cheese, some Mexican restaurants are not doing a good enough job today to shake similar perceptions. ''Most of the Mexican restaurants still have their menus geared toward preset ideas,'' said Jose Hurtado-Prud'homme, the chef and owner of Mi Cocina and Taqueria de Mexico in Greenwich Village. ''They don't explore other dishes in the repertoire.''

While Mexican ingredients may be much easier to find in New York now, skilled Mexican cooks are in short supply, even as Mexicans, men far more than women, make up more and more of the kitchen cooking force in New York restaurants.

''The Mexican men, they don't do so much cooking at home,'' said Steven Picker, the chef and owner of Campo, whose pan-American menu includes such Mexican-inspired dishes as roasted monkfish in salsa verde with a blue-corn tamale. ''They may know a lot about the food, but if you say, 'Make me something you grew up eating,' they'd look at you as if you were insane.''

Mexican men who cook, like Mr. Sandoval of Maya and Mr. Hurtado-Prud'homme, agree, saying they are the exceptions. ''It's true,'' Mr. Hurtado-Prud'homme said. ''Culturally, men don't belong in the kitchen.''

In addition, professional chefs in Mexico are not coming to the United States, partly, Dr. Pilcher says, because the high-end restaurant tradition in Mexico is still largely French. ''Really, the best food you get is what you get at home,'' he said.

Though he had owned more than a few restaurants -- Texarkana and the original Chez Louis among them -- Mr. Shapiro had no experience with Mexican food when he decided to open Zocalo three years ago.

''I was really naive about it,'' he said. Mr. Shapiro took trips to Mexico to educate himself about the food, and found advisers to coach him along, but he was astounded at how difficult it was to find a chef. ''There is no labor pool,'' he said.

Finally, on the recommendation of Rick Bayless, the chef and owner of two highly regarded Mexican restaurants in Chicago, he found an acceptable cook, who happened to be Moroccan.

For her part, Ms. Castaneda of Cafe Frida is willing to endure questions about burritos and sour cream. Next month, she is planning to whittle her current menu, removing the tacos and enchiladas that she offered in deference to requests. Her dining room, which had been left rather spare because of her budget, is going to be redecorated.

''In Mexico, eating and drinking and dancing and painting were all offerings to the gods,'' she said. ''I don't want to keep looking at Pancho Villa and Zapata on the walls. I want to see new things.''

Taking Home Mexico's Food Treasures

AS New York's Mexican population has grown, many small groceries catering to it have opened. Some are tiny general stores, offering videotapes and shoes along with cactus leaves and dried chilies. Others are more specialized.

BROOKLYN

Sunset Park Fifth Avenue from 45th Street to 50th Street has a trove of Mexican stores and restaurants. Even the bunting over the avenue is in the colors of the Mexican flag. One of the best stores, particularly for fresh pastries, is Mi Mexico Pequeno, 4513 Fifth Avenue, (718) 437-1031.

Williamsburg Mixteca Poblana, 28 Throop Avenue, at Lorimer Street, (718) 388-9462, has a wide selection of herbs, vegetables and chilies.

QUEENS

Corona Two standout Mexican groceries on Roosevelt Avenue (108th Street to Junction Boulevard) are Tienda Tulcingo del Valle, 101-07 Roosevelt, (718) 505-1005, and Central Azteca Grocery, 100-10 Roosevelt, (718) 505-0600.

MANHATTAN

East Harlem 116th Street, between Second and Third Avenues, has many small Mexican shops and taquerias. Mi Mexico Lindo, 2267 Second Avenue (116th Street), (212) 996-5223, is a bakery and taqueria; Mexico Lindo Grocery is next door, at 2265 Second Avenue, (212) 410-4728. Mi Pueblo, 238 East 116th Street, (212) 410-3133, is a grocery and record shop. La Loma del Tepeyak, 1621 Lexington Avenue (102nd Street), (212) 987-8364, has a good assortment of produce and groceries.

Upper West Side 94th Street Deli, 210 West 94th Street, (212) 864-9456, always has a selection of Mexican ingredients.

Gabriela's, 685 Amsterdam Avenue, at 93rd Street, (212) 961-0574, and 311 Amsterdam Avenue, at 75th Street, (212) 875-8532. Low-cost, high-value foray into regional dishes, along with many standards.

Maya, 1191 First Avenue, at 65th Street, (212) 585-1818. New York's highest-end Mexican, with regional dishes presented with French panache.

Mexicana Mama, 525 Hudson Street, near West 10th Street, (212) 924-4119. Exquisite dishes in a tiny, casual dining room.

Mi Cocina, 57 Jane Street, at Hudson Street, (212) 627-8273. Classic Mexican dishes; an expansion should relieve the crowding.

Rocking Horse Cafe Mexicano, 182 Eighth Avenue, near 19th Street, (212) 463-9511. Crowded and loud, with exciting food and a good wine list.

Rosa Mexicano, 1063 First Avenue, at 58th Street, (212) 753-7407. Recently expanded; renowned for guacamole prepared tableside.

Zarela, 953 Second Avenue, near 50th Street, (212) 644-6740. Unusual menu items supplemented with regional dishes from Oaxaca and Veracruz.

Zocalo, 174 East 82nd Street, (212) 717-7772, and Grand Central Terminal Dining Concourse, (212) 687-5666. Interesting regional seafood dishes; Grand Central spot is less ambitious.

TAQUERIAS

La Casa de los Tacos, 2277 First Avenue, at 117th Street, (212) 860-7389. Fine tacos and chilaquiles.

La Hacienda, 219 East 116th Street, (212) 987-1617. Huge menu with some unusual selections.

La Lupe, 43-16 Greenpoint Avenue, Sunnyside, Queens, (718) 784-2528. Good tacos and pozole along with some more ambitious dishes.

La Nueva Espiga, 42-13 102nd Street, Corona, Queens, (718) 779-7898. Great tacos and chiles rellenos. Also a bakery.

Los Dos Rancheros Mexicanos, 507 Ninth Avenue, at 38th Street, (212) 868-7780. Fine main courses like chicken in pumpkin-seed and tomatillo sauce.

Mi Mexico, 3151 Broadway, near Tiemann Place, (212) 665-7338. Great pozole.

Taco Taco, 1726 Second Avenue, near 90th Street, (212) 289-8226. Fine all-around cafe.

Taqueria de Mexico, 93 Greenwich Avenue, near Bank Street, (212) 255-5212. Mi Cocina's sibling, with a growing menu of regional dishes.

Taqueria y Fonda la Mexicana, 968 Amsterdam Avenue, near 108th Street, (212) 531-0383. Good tacos; more ambitious dishes don't always succeed.

Tequilita's, 5213 Fourth Avenue, Sunset Park, Brooklyn, (718) 492-4303. Fine tacos and pozole. ERIC ASIMOV

A New Yorker finally admits they haven't been at the actual center of the universe all this time! Give Mr. Asimov a medal for having the courage to say this in public. ;-)

I know this is hypocritical after my Limp Bizkit blather elsewhere, but c'monnnn.

NO! ILXOR FOOD GEEK MUTINY!!

(BTW, I have not been to any of those places, so thanks for posting that.)

(Note: I don't actually care! Continue!)

Nevertheless, my ideal Mexican-food locale is still the area where I grew up -- southern Colorado and New Mexico. It's probably just the bias of growing up on it, but it often seems objectively better to me than what I've had in southern California, even.

"It's like dining at a smorgasbord offering a variety of dishes all made from potatoes. No matter what you do to that potato, it's still a potato"

ugh

There are only so many ways to say "you can't polish a turd" though.

And fer shure don't compare it to driving behind a tractor trailer.