Recycling Fun on a Bun

Randomly, I found myself getting off the Metro Bus in northwest DC a few blocks from my old office on U Street. I couldn’t have been more than two blocks from my stop before the clouds exploded, pouring down rain, with gusting winds, and bringing a flash flood. It was horrible. I was going to a press event and dressed in pumps.

Running was definitely out of the question. Quickly, I scanned the landscape for a spot to hideaway and when I looked up I realized I was standing right in front of a fairly new restaurant I had never seen before. It was called Halfsmoke. I dash in and was immediately consumed by the mouth-watering aroma of grilled meat. I had found paradise and the carnivore in me wanted to scream and do a dance of joy. I wanted that meat so badly that I was ready to say oh well it’s raining let’s eat! LOL?

I couldn’t in all seriousness flake out on my event, so when the rain lightened up I headed on to my event, moving my return to Halfsmoke to the top of my to-do list. I quickly called my bff and set a date for a night out, starting with drinks and dinner at Halfsmoke.

When I arrived at my table, curiously, I was handed a Trapper Keeper. What? Now, any 80s/90s kid knows that when we were in school Trapper Keepers were all the rage. Gone were the days of keeping up with several small notebooks, one for every class. With the Trapper Keeper you could put all your papers for all your classes in one binder. All you needed were your dividers to separate each class’ work. The best part of all is that they came in cool designs. Having a cool Trapper Keeper was a way to boost your social status. It was serious business.

Here I was, more than 25 years after owning my last Trapper Keeper, with one in my hand. Why? It was the clever way that Halfsmoke packaged their menu. They had upcycled old Trapper Keepers. Now, they had not only won over the carnivore in me but the environmentalist in me as well.

Of course, the number one question you probably have on your mind is how were the smokes. Well, they were absolutely amazing. Surprisingly, when I was a kid I hated these types of sausages but now they are amongst my favorite carnivore indulgences. And, luckily, Halfsmoke got it right.