(BLOGGERS NOTE: This post was written and best enjoyed while listening to the Jose Gonzalez album IN OUR NATURE. Now sit back and enjoy...)
We finally made it Downtown to check out Guss' Pickles and The Pickle Guy. You can read up about each in my previous post. In summary know this - our two experiences were VASTLY different.
We took the F train down to the Essex stop, surfaced after our 45 minute journey, and headed south to the intersection of Grand and Essex. We popped into The Pickle Guy first and that's when we realized that pickle purveyors prefer perfectly pristine paper money. After walking to the closest BOA (yes we are that cheap, a $2 ATM fee means less pickles after all) we ended up closer to Guss' Pickles. We decided to start our sampling there. Mistake. Whoever the lady is out front, run from her. She's pissed about something. Maybe it's the constant brine smell in her clothes, the overwhelming garlic breath of her coworkers and clientele, or the back-breaking cucumber bobbing by which she makes her living. Whatever it was, she was put off that I wanted to BUY a sample and that I had the nerve to suggest she break a twenty dollar bill. Never mind the point I was PAYING to try something, but the fact she might actually have to reach into the register and dispense with nineteen dollars in change was too much. Anyhow, we waded through the purchasing issues and were still excited for our first try of Half Sours. Mistake #2. Maybe I don't like them to begin with or maybe I was already soured by Senorita Sourpuss' disposition. Whatever it was we dropped our mostly uneaten, rightly purchased with good old American cold hard cash pickles and headed back to the Pickle Guy. Next time, maybe I'll try making my own half sours and avoid the full sour attitude at Guss' Pickles.
Walking into the Pickle Guy was a totally different experience. From the get - you actually "walk into" this store; Guss' Group prefers to camp outside what I assume is their store. Once inside you are immediately met by several things - 1.) A lively, entertaining, and extremely friendly staff 2.) FREE samples 3.) others who proudly share your pickle enthusiasm and 4.) tons of things to choose from. We tried the full sours and were blown away...we'll take a pint. Olives - we'll take a pint of pimento stuffed, a half pint of greek, and another half pint of garlic stuffed. Mustard? They got that. Fresh? Yes, please - half a pint. Finally, we decided to try FRESHLY ground horseradish. When I say "fresh" you should know the friendly guy in the gas masked at the door didn't move until I ordered it. That's fresh. All in all we could not have been happier with the Pickle Guy and more disappointed in Guss' Pickles.
Oh well, Now we know.