The sidewalk pitchman who was a regular at expensive East Side restaurants, where no one believed his answer to the “So what do you do?” question: “I sell potato peelers on the street.” Mr. For he was the sidewalk pitchman with the Upper East Side apartment. “His was a particular kind of street theater in a city that delights in in-your-face characters who are, and are not, what they seem. Another age that is fast becoming long gone. There was something about this man’s show that was left over from another age. Watching Joe Ades sell potato peelers was something real, raw, and genuine through which a person can see brief glimmers of New York City’s character riddled past. I bought peelers for my friends and my adviser, and I planned on buying many more, just because I wanted to watch the potato peeling show yet again.
I bought three of his peelers during my stay in New York City, as I kept making excuses just to watch Joe Ades’ show again. This man could convince a tight fisted vagabond to drop a half day’s travel expense on a vegetable peeler with his vibrant show. “One for five, two for ten, five for twenty,” was his familiar pitch, and spectators would often hand over 20 dollar bills. Photo from Serious Eats New York of Joe Ades selling potato peelers in the street Simply put, few people leave their house with the intention of buying a vegetable peeler, but many would go home with one – or five – after watching Joe’s show. A continuously revolving crowd would always encircle him, and they would be constantly buying up all of his peelers. Whenever I would pass him, I would stand and watch as he gave his five minute shows multiple times in a row. I watched his show in Brooklyn and in Union square, and each time found myself mesmerized by his absolute radiance. I also discovered that he died last month. In researching this travelogue entry I discovered the name of the man who sold me the vegetable peeler in the street: Joe Ades. Joe Ades, the Potato Peeler of New York City The vegetable peeler salesman in New York City. Travel gear suggestion: carry a vegetable peeler. I am not sure how valid these health warnings are, but I tend to peel the skins of my fruits and vegetables nonetheless. Though in some countries, it is not the best idea to eat the raw skins. Simply put, long term travelers need to eat fruits and vegetables. I cannot believe that I neglected to travel with one before. Vegetable peelers are good for traveling. I am pleased to say that this vegetable peeler has become a permanent part of my travel gear. Everywhere I travel, I show off the peeler and try to do the same demonstrations as the man who sold it to me in the streets of New York City. I paid $5 for the peeler and have been weirdly amazed by it ever since. I have a weakness for street side performance vendors. It was a Star Vegetable Peeler, “Made in Switzerland!” Now I would not call myself the type of fellow who would be impressed by a mere vegetable peeler, but this was no ordinary instrument: Like a grown and aged Huckleberry Finn, the potato peeler showman made his vegetable peelers seem like fun to use. I had never witnessed vegetables being dismantled so quickly and easily before. I found myself excitedly watching as he chopped and dice through potatoes and laid waste to a steady stream of carrots. This man made me truly impressed by a tool that I never really looked twice at before. This man made me truly excited about an otherwise inane vegetable peeler. The old man was putting on a show, yelling about how great these peelers were, and how I could buy them for everyone in my family. I watched as a fully robust carrot was reduced to mere salad splinters in a matter of moments. Star vegetable peeler sold by Joe Ades in the streets of New York City I was walking through a farmer’s market in Brooklyn with Chaya last autumn when I came across a crowd of curious spectators watching in awe as a bent over and smiling old man sliced the shit out of a carrot.
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