Ba Xuyen?

When it comes to cheap eats and restaurants in general, there are few places that get five stars from me. With only a week left in New York until who knows when, it’s my job to revisit my old favorites and maybe even find a new gem or two.

So tonight I’m doing Brooklyn cheap eats. Let’s break it down.

It could be a good night for meat and when I think barbecue, Fette Sau and Peaches Hot House come to mind. Both are delicious, but because you can expect to pay more at the former, I’d probably choose Peaches.

Downtown is Mile End, which serves Quebecois sandwiches, but you’re slappin’ down a twenty when you go here. No I need something cheaper…Mexican or Chinese maybe.

Chavella’s, on Classon Ave., has rave reviews and could be a good Mexican fit.

Joya in Cobble Hill supposedly serves good Thai and it’s cheap with a nice ambiance, but Note Thai in Bushwick is my jam. And while you can get Chinese food all over the city the Chinese food in Sunset Park is arguably the best: Vietnamese sandwiches at Ba Xuyen or soup at Yun Nan?

So many options, so little time. What should I eat for dinner tonight?

Well it’s about 1200 miles away, but everyone in Brooklyn is wondering about Iowa. Who’s going to be the Mike Huckabee of 2012? Rick Santorum? Ron Paul? Or Mitt Romney?

In just a few hours we’ll know, and it will seem so much easier to gauge what’s going to happen next, who’s out of it already, ahem, PerryBachmann, excuse me, and who’s going to make Romney fight till the bitter end.

But do these caucuses really make a difference? Are they anything more than a show of hands for whom a rural segment of Middle Americans wouldn’t mind seeing in the White House? Maybe. Some would argue it depends on the state. Now South Carolina — there’s a caucus!

One thing’s clear: no one really likes Mitt Romney. His Mormonism is one thing, his extraordinary wealth is another, and his repeated attempt to take the Republican spotlight makes me wish we had a better candidate to oppose Obama, at least for the sake of the debates. I can just see it: Romney will do that stupid I’m-right-head-jerk-smile-laugh  after stuttering a response to Obama‘s defense of how he handled the economy over the past two years.

The sad thing is that if presidents weren’t so concerned with their legacy and their second term, they might be more preoccupied with making the four years they have worth it, instead of playing moderately to get their next four. Then these caucuses would really be fun.

Let campaign season begin!