Jeff Takacs runs and hosts the punk podcast Rocket Fuel.
What was the food highlight of your year?
For me, the best part of this year for food has been stepping out and trying local restaurants that I haven’t been to in my own backyard of Tallahassee. Believe it or not, Tallahassee is actually a pretty great food town and we have a lot of options of locally owned and run places to eat. So this year, I wanted to go to more of them and see what they had to offer. My favorite is Voodoo Dog, which has amazing hot dogs (duh) as well as hamburgers, fries, etc. I absolutely love their Jefferson dog, which is a bacon-wrapped dog topped with mac-n-cheese. My arteries hate me, but it sure is delicious. Another great thing about the place is their décor. It’s totally kitsch with awesome items from the 80s and 90s. How can you not love a place with framed portraits of each of the Golden Girls?
What was the music highlight of your year?
Getting to see a reunited Rocket From The Crypt in a 400-person club in Chicago. I only got to see them once before they called it quits in 2005, so getting to see them again was not only unexpected, but really special. The venue was packed with die-hard fans who were singing along with every word. The band ripped through their set with the energy and their patented big sound as I had remembered them doing when I saw them some 17 years ago. Reunion shows are always a gamble, but it was one that I was definitely willing to take and was ecstatic with the show. It was icing on the cake for me when a month later, I got the chance to interview Speedo (John Reis) on Rocket Fuel when he was in Florida for Fest 12 with one of his other bands, The Night Marchers.
Was there a moment when food and music came together in a memorable way?
Every year, food and music come together in an amazing way for me when I travel down to Gainesville for The Fest. Not only do I get to see a ton of my favorite bands and friends from across the globe, but the restaurants in downtown Gainesville make it an even more memorable experience. Whether it’s the authentic Cuban food at Flaco’s, to the amazing island flavors of Reggae Shack to the outstand gator burritos at Boca Fiesta, the food choices at Fest are always the perfect complement to a weekend filled with the best punk rock and PBR.