Aaron Frazer (@aaron_frazer)
Jesus, the iPhone and gas station meals
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Aaron Frazer is a multi-instrumentalist and singer. His second album ‘Into the Blue’ releases June 28, 2024 on Dead Oceans.
Where do you live most of the year?
Home base is currently Los Angeles, but you can find me in gas station convenience stores and rest stops between cities on tour all over the world.
What do you look for in a restaurant when you walk in?
Honestly, I pay attention to how noisy it is. If I’m going to have to shout across the table all night, I’d rather find somewhere else to eat. I’m so lucky to get to be a singer professionally, and part of that is taking care of my voice. So I’m looking for someplace quiet and lowkey.
What is your final meal?
Final meal like the one I wanna eat before I die? I guess assuming I still have teeth by that time, I think I’d want some kind of marinated chicken over rice with sweet plantains (a little crispy on the outside) and black beans, with some kind of melon or mango juice on the side.
3 guests for dinner, dead or alive?
Curtis Mayfield (talk music and politics), Jesus (the water into wine trick, super clutch for dinner), Leonardo da Vinci (gonna show him my iPhone but say I invented it)
Aaron’s Taste Maker Guide
Breakfast: Ubatuba Acai, LA
Order: Acai smoothie with oat milk and oats at the bottom
Coffee: Groundwork Coffee, LA
Order: Iced beehive matcha with oat, plus a ginger shot if I’m really going through it.
Lunch: Guisados, LA
Order: The mole poblano tacos are my favorite in the city, get the melon drink to go with it
Special dinner: Claro, Brooklyn NYC
It’s a prix fixe menu and rotates seasonally, but Claro specializes in Oaxacan food and mezcal based cocktails. And I can’t decide if the food or drinks are better, they’re both incredible. It’s the kind of place where you can try that dish you haven’t tried before, even if it sounds weird to you because you’re in good hands with them. Most interesting thing I tried there was a bone marrow served right there in the bone, and came with a side of small batch mezcal- after you finish the marrow, you then pour the mezcal down the bone and drink it from there. It picks up so much flavor and dimension as it luges down the bone, and just a totally unique experience for me.
Casual dinner: Kura Revolving Sushi Bar, LA
Order: Revolving sushi is such a fun dinner with anyone, either hanging with friends or as a date. The nice thing about Kura is that there’s a touch screen at each booth where you can also put in for specific items, so if the luck of the conveyor belt isn’t in your favor, you can still have exactly what you want. I’m always partial to a simple salmon over rice- it’s my favorite cut of fish because the flavor is so subtle, sweet and buttery. But any belly cut is also going to be decadent and delicious. Also, don’t sleep on unagi (eel). I think the idea of it weirds a lot of people out, but eel was my entry point to sushi because, especially in its sauce, it just tastes teriyaki chicken. That’s always my recommendation for people scared to try sushi.
Special shoutouts
Gas station food: Buc-ee’s- primarily in Texas, still the cleanest bathrooms and best food you can get if you’re between someplace and another and need that roadside pitstop. The breakfast burrito slams, the dried fruit is cheap, and don’t sleep on the beaver nuggets.
Food cart: Yummy Yummy In My Tummy - classic Brooklyn halal truck. So many nights in Williamsburg capped with a $7 chicken + lamb over rice with a side salad, white sauce + barbecue sauce. They say when it comes to “good, fast and cheap” you can only pick two, but Yummy Yummy’s always been an exception in my opinion.
Homemade: Just wanna give a shout out to my mom’s mondel bread. For those who don’t know, mondel bread is like a jewish biscotti, cooked in a long narrow loaf and then cut into slices. My mom makes hers with chocolate chips and cinnamon sugar, made from a secret family recipe. Most people go right for the biggest pieces that come from the middle, but I always look for the end pieces. They crisp up a bit more. Eat dipped in milk or with coffee, share if you want to (I don’t want to).
