[Photo for GL Courtesy of E.C. Stephens]

GL Correspondent E.C. Stephens headed down to Red Hook to catch the last pupusas and huaraches being served up at the ballfields until next spring. The scene this year, of course, was very different than it’s been in the past. The old set up with the tents and homespun feeling was gone. In its place were city-specified carts and trucks parked on the street that were up to code. We think it robbed the food fest of its special atmosphere, but in this era of uniform street furniture and efforts to sanitize New York, that particular development was not unexpected. Why, after all, would the city want people driving to Ikea to see something that looked like an ethnic mishmash? The silver lining is that the vendors have a long-term license to operate at the park and won’t have to fight last year’s ugly battle again.