Jeff Takacs hosts the underground music podcast Rocket Fuel.
What was the food highlight of your year?
I had a number of different highlights that made 2014 a good food year for me, mainly centered around eating at places that were either new or that I hadn't had a chance to try. In the Orlando area, the BBQ chain Four Rivers has grown to legendary status and I was able to find out why. Locals say that each location always has a line that stretches out of the door every day come lunch and dinner time and I can tell you that their Southern style side dishes and brisket (that is so good and juicy that you don't need any sauce) were well worth the wait. This lunch was extra special because it was with my brother from another mother Rob, who got married later that day.
Closer to home, I was able to enjoy the variety of burgers at Midtown Caboose and Tucker Duke's Lunchbox for the first time and was extremely happy with both. Also, since donuts are all the rage these days, I have to mention that the red velvet doughnut at Donut Kingdom here in Tallahassee is an amazing item to stuff your face with.
What was the food highlight of your year?
In recent years, it seems that my music highlights come from Riot Fest and The Fest, and 2014 was no different. Getting to see Hot Snakes and Weezer (who played the Blue Album in full...YAY) for the first time was a blast and well worth the trip to Chicago. In and of itself, going to Gainesville, Florida every year is a music highlight because there are so many great friends who attend and awesome bands that play. This year at Fest, the standout for me finally getting to see The Marked Men. They were so darn tight musically and everything that I had hoped they would be and more. Oh, and since the Descendents played both Riot Fest and Fest this year, getting to see this seminal band, one of my favorite bands ever to grace the planet, twice in the span of six weeks was mind-blowing.
Was there a moment when food and music came together in a memorable way?
A couple of months ago, I went to the aforementioned Tucker Duke's Lunchbox on my lunch break with my friend and co-worker Matt. While we were having a great meal, our conversation turned to music, as our conversations often do. We were talking about bands we were into and the 90s, when we discovered that we both had a love for the 90s Gainesville, Florida band For Squirrels. Matt was in college there at the time and had heard them through the local scene and as a kid who grew up in and was in Philadelphia at the time, I had heard them from watching MTV's 120 Minutes. This obscure band, which had a very tragic ending, had a big impact on the two of us and it was cool to geek out about that over burgers, mac and cheese and sweet potato fries.
