Talk about off the beaten path.

I’ve been working in Alexandra township (Alex) in Johannesburg, South Africa, for a week now. Approximately 1.5 million people live in the four square kilometers that comprise Alex. Most of these people are South African, a growing number are Nigerian, Mozambican, or Zimbabwean immigrants. I have yet to see another white person.

This is probably a result of Alex’s reputation as a crime haven. Guide books tell you not to roll down your car windows. They tell you that you need to visit townships like Alex as a part of an official tour. Beware car jacking and smash and grab theft, they say. Don’t stop your car in busy areas. Definitely do NOT flash camera equipment, cell phones, money, etc.

I was understandably nervous, therefore, the first time I was driven into Alex. My window was definitely up all the way. I removed my wristwatch and stowed it in my camera bag that I kept hidden in the trunk. My cash, credit card, and ATM card were in my front pockets.

Paved for the first time about a decade ago, Alex’s tiny streets are
arranged in a neat grid between the shanties that house a vast majority
of the residents. Cars creep up over the curbs and park at varying
angles on the sidewalks. Mostly flat, road-dirtied soccer balls dance
from foot to foot, bounce this way and that, and ricochet off walls,
cars, and passersby balancing food from the market on their heads.

Our car flows through this human river at a walking pace. Our
driver’s window is down all the way within minutes as an old friend
leans into the car to say a warm hello to all of us and invite us to
her place for tea. The vitality in Alex is unlike anything I
have ever seen. Yes, I may as well be ten feet tall for all the stares
I receive, but they’re almost always accompanied by warm smiles.

We walk the streets now with our camera equipment and are propositioned
regularly by aspiring actors who’ve heard about our movie and want to
be in it! Good thing too or else, among other reasons, I wouldn’t have
been able to provide a picture as salivating as the one at the top of this post!

Get a load of that sandwich. Have you ever seen anything so towering? Quite so colorful?

A slice of cheese. A couple of polony (beef) slices. A heaping mountain
of chips (fries). Generous, dripping spoonfuls of achar (a rough puree
of peppers, chilies, and mango). Garlic spice. Chips spice. Mustard
sauce. Garlic sauce. One Russian (sausage) split lengthwise. Sandwich
that between two slices of white bread and try (hard) to squeeze your
lips around it.

This is courtesy of the best place for eats in Alex–the Good Hope
Restaurant. In South Africa it’s called a slice. This particular
version costs 13.50 rand ($1.75), which you just can’t beat. As you can
see, it’s damn popular.

Welcome to Alex.

Photo and Video: Nick Fitzhugh

















South Africa – 2010 FIFA World Cup – Association football – Documentary film – Alexandra

My first stop was the Lexington Market, a city institution which has served Baltimore since 1782. Admittedly, I was put me off at first by its relatively shabby exterior and the few shady folks who were loitering outside, and to be honest, the interior wasn’t much nicer; it’s definitely seen better days. But we were there for a reason: Faidley’s Seafood, which is home to arguably the greatest crab cake on the East Coast (and it’s not just me that’s making that argument, but a litany of food critics who have piled accolades upon the eatery for decades). The baseball-sized mounds of jumbo lump crabmeat are all made by hand by owner/chef Nancy Devine, who is a descendant of the original Faidley family, which has operated the seafood shop since 1886. And the taste is indeed divine, with a blend of spices and herbs and its exterior broiled to crispy perfection. One crab cake is big enough to split, which made it easier for us to move onto the next stop…
Stuggy’s Hotdogs in Fell’s Point has been open a mere blip compared to Faidley’s, but
their inventive hotdog options lead me to believe they’ll be around
awhile. Their menu of more than a dozen dogs
pairs all-beef kosher franks with an array of toppings,
including fried eggs, bologna, blue cheese, pulled pork, the special of
the day (and my order) mac and cheese, which was sprinkled with Old Bay and as delicious as it sounds. They also serve
bison sausage and Bauernwurst (a mustard-infused link), plus snacks like deep-fried Oreos and pickles, and ice cream sodas to top things off.

But if you don’t spring for an ice cream soda at Stuggy’s, wander across the street to Pitango Gelato for a sweet treat instead. The thick, creamy gelato is all natural, and comes in flavors like Bourbon vanilla, cardamom, and chocolate hazelnut. I have to say that I didn’t managed to save room for Pitango on this trip (though I have indulged before), but luckily, it also can be found in Washington, with a P Street location that is dangerously close to our National Geographic offices (there’s also one in Reston, Virginia, and an upcoming storefront opening in D.C.’s Penn Quarter). Looks like I’ve got another excuse to graze.

Faidley’s Seafood: 203 North Paca Baltimore, Maryland;
+1 410 727 4898.
Stuggy’s Hotdogs: 809 South Broadway, Baltimore, MD; +1 410 327 0228.
Pitango Gelato: 802 South Broadway, Baltimore, MD; +1 410 702 5828.

For more on Baltimore, check out our blog archive, free city guide, and a walking tour of the Harbor East neighborhood.

Photo: Above, crab cakes at Faidley’s Seafood in Baltimore by bittermelon via Flickr’s Commons License; Below, Stuggy’s mac and cheese hotdog, by Janelle Nanos.

Table service – Baltimore – Food – Fish and Seafood – Shellfish