The eater's paradise that is Brighton Beach has never been sufficiently appreciated. Summer typically brings any number of tributes to Coney Island, its freaks and dying amusements, but the teeming strip of Odessa under the El seldom enjoys the media's attention. That's one reason why Metromix's "Dollar Grub" tour of Brighton Beach Avenue is so welcome. Joshua M. Bernstein wasn't content to eat a couple of pelmeni and marvel at the M&I International Food. No, the guy walked down all of Brighton Beach Avenue, eating as he went, and taking pictures. Of all the features we can remember on Brighton, this is the one that conveys the neighborhood best, thanks to a 37-image slideshow and a willingness to drink a lot of bad sodas and eat mysterious pickled objects.

Dollar Grub: Brighton Beach [Metromix]
Related: Riding the B Line: Our Favorite Brighton Beach Spot

Metromix tries to get a bead on the Beards this morning, reaching out to an anonymous critic, publicist, and chef to ask their opinions on who might win which award and why. The answers were illuminating: The critic opined that Joe Bastianich and Mario Batali ought to get the Outstanding Restaurateur award over their trans-Hudson rivals like Wolfgang Puck: “I do not mean any disrespect to Wolfgang Puck, but they don’t operate restaurants in New York City for a reason, and it is because they just can’t take the heat.” On the subject of the Outstanding Chef award, the Best Actor of the Beards, all three seem to think that David Chang will probably win, but none seem happy about it: The critic wants wd-50's Wylie Dufresne to win, the publicist says it would be “a shame,” and the chef is really hot on the subject: “The only one I think is bullshit on that whole list is David Chang. It is not because I think David Chang is bullshit. I just think it is to soon for a guy like that to be listed with those guys. I think 10 years from now David Chang should be nominated, for sure. Not now.” Whether the Beard voters feel the same way is another question; we’ll find out next Sunday.

Betting on Beard [Metromix]
Related: Bourdain & Co. Give Their Picks for Beard Chef NYC

Food-blog newcomer Metromix takes it to the street today to interview the Vendy Award nominees in anticipation of the ceremony on Saturday. Even if the Q&As don’t plumb quite as deep into the world of food carts as did New York’s Street Fare package, we get some interesting tidbits: Veronica Julien of Veronica’s Kitchen — who is scouting downtown Manhattan for a restaurant location — rises at 3 a.m. to stew oxtail for three hours, and Muhammed Rahman of Kwik Meal awakens at a schoolgirlish 6 a.m. Word from NY Dosas, the King of Falafel and Shawarma, and Super Tacos, too.

Street Meet [Metromix NY]

Related:
Street Fare [NYM]