I Went to The American Crossword Puzzle Tournament
Plus: Al Pastor Chicken Tacos, Banana Cake, and Pizza at Lucali.
Hey everyone,
I’ve always been a nerd — a book nerd, a food nerd, a musical theater nerd — but only recently have I become a crossword puzzle nerd. My dad has always done The New York Times crossword puzzle and his father did it too. We’re mostly a Monday through Wednesday family though gradually I started to conquer the Sunday puzzle (in pen!) and then moved on to the Thursday, the Friday, and eventually the Saturday.
So when I was in Oaxaca for my friend Chris’s 50th birthday, he and his other friend Chris (Chris R from Maine) invited me and our friend Lance (another puzzler) to join them and their friend Emily in Stamford, Connecticut for The American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. We excitedly/nervously said “sure!”
As the tournament grew closer and closer, I became convinced that I bit off more than I could chew. While I’m very good at Monday and pretty good at Tuesday and Wednesday, Thursday through Saturday are hard for me and the idea of being timed while doing really hard crossword puzzles freaked me out. I like to do them casually! When we arrived, we were clearly surrounded by hardcore crossword aficionados.
But all my fears were for naught because once the tournament started, I had a grand old time. The first puzzle — ostensibly the easiest — was actually the most nerve-racking of all because of the anticipatory anxiety. The giant clock at the front of room. The guy in our row who finished his puzzle in three minutes. The fact that I got one word wrong, losing 150 points in the process (you get 150 bonus points if you solve everything correctly), because I didn’t know that Morse code included a “dit” in addition to a “dot” and a “dash.”
The best part, though, was hanging out with this talented crew of friends. Chris R, on the left, placed 93 in the whole tournament out of 787 people! Chris D on the right solved every single puzzle (including the almost impossible Puzzle 5) correctly and ahead of time. Me? I placed 658th out of 787. But I solved the last two puzzles without any mistakes which makes me think that as I grew less and less nervous, I got better.
The end of the tournament featured the top three players solve an almost impossible puzzle on stage using marker boards, while wearing noise-cancelling headphones, while commentators talked about them to the audience. The winner, Paolo Pasco, solved the puzzle in 3 minutes and 40 seconds. It’s one of the most astounding things I’ve ever witnessed; it would’ve taken me 3 minutes and 40 seconds just to get the first clue (The clue: “Airhead?” for a seven letter space; the answer? RADIO DJ.) Here’s a video I took of Paolo winning:
So it was a grand old weekend in Standford, Connecticut. Thanks to the Chrises for inviting me! Now I have to start training for next year.
“Hey, where’s the food content?”
Sorry! I owe you a huge apology. Here’s a video of chicken al pastor tacos that I made the other night from Bon Appetit:
Love using my broiler; especially when it’s still 40 degrees out and you’re eager to start grilling.
Another thing that I made recently, also from Bon Appetit, was this banana cake with buttermilk frosting.
I’m a big believer in buying buttermilk when you see it at the store. Why? Because it’s so versatile: you can use it to make biscuits, you can use it to make dressing, and here you can use it to make a tangy, delectable icing.
In neighborhood news, for the past year and half that we’ve lived in Brooklyn, I’d let go of the idea of getting into Lucali, Beyoncé’s favorite pizza spot. There’s always a line wrapped around the block at 3 PM, and that’s just to get a reservation for later in the night (and there’s no guarantee you’ll get in).
Well on Thursday last week, at four o’clock, it was an overcast day and I decided to take Winston for a big walk. When I got to Lucali, I noticed that there was nobody outside. What?! I stood there, thinking this must be some kind of mistake, and a woman came out with a clipboard and asked me when I wanted to come back. “Six?”” “Perfect,” she said. “We’ll see you then.”
I don’t know how I got so lucky, but when we came back at six, the place was bopping. Bobby Canavale was there, but no Beyoncé or Jay-Z in sight.
The pizza was excellent. The sauce was tangy, the cheese well-melted, but it was the crust that makes this place so special. It’s crispy enough to be called “cracker-like” but chewy enough to make it more interesting.
I was a huge fan, though Craig — always a bit cynical about anything trendy or faddish or requiring a two hour line — didn’t think it would be worth the waiting in line. He said the pizza that he had at L’Industrie in the West Village was just as good, if not better. (To be fair, there’s normally a huge line there too.)
The calzone was also notable for its crust and its decadent cheese filling:
I’ve never eaten anything quite like it. True, I scorched the roof of my mouth on the molten cheese; but once it cooled, and I dipped it into the zingy sauce, I was in carbohydrate heaven.
What I loved most about Lucali was the vibe. Everyone was so nice, the room was so fun, and — I forgot to mention — it’s BYOB. I brought a Beaujolais which wasn’t a good pairing, it’s just what I had in the wine rack. Next time, I’ll bring an Italian red and I’m not talking about Bernadette Peters.
Hey, let’s look at some links:
How to Make the Best Asparagus of Your Life (hey, I thought I invented that phrasing in 2008! NYT);
Alinea Pops Up at Olmsted in NY (Grub Street);
Nigel Slater’s Baked Feta with Blood Oranges (The Guardian).
That’s all for today, folks!
See you back here on Thursday….
Your pal,
Adam
Cool. One of my favorite documentaries Wordplay!
The crowning achievement of my crossword puzzle life so far has been solving the Thursday puzzle with three other people. (I too, am a Mon-Wed, getting slowly but surely better at Sunday person).