The Foodie Magician Eats But Never Cooks
By Ellen Park
Frank Falcinelli, Josh Beckerman, and Danny Bowien pose for a photo at the Mission Chinese pop-up in Brooklyn. Photo: Ellen Park.
Josh Beckerman, better known as “The Foodie Magician,” walks fast and talks faster. On a recent Monday he is gunning for the 14th Street subway station to take the F train to Brooklyn for Danny Bowien’s Mission Chinese pop-up. He’s heard sometimes they sell out of food and wants to get there before the rush.
Beckerman is a comedian, magician and food blogger at NYC Foodie who eats out “24/7.” He hasn’t cooked a meal in his own kitchen since first moving into his East Village apartment two years ago. In an attempt to make chicken cutlet, he set off the smoke alarm.
“Now the only thing in my fridge is Poland Spring bottled water,” says Beckerman.
Wearing jeans, black Roos sneakers, and a navy blue blazer over a grey t-shirt that reads, “I ♥ CHEESE,” the 34-year-old Queens native breaks his stride momentarily to say hello to a stranger’s dog on the sidewalk. His Instagram feed (@foodiemagician) is a near constant stream of food broken up by the occasional canine. The most recent picture features a fluffy white dog named “Basil” that garners 79 likes.
Beckerman rarely knows what he’s eating till an hour before mealtime. He says “zero” planning goes into his meals.
“I like to be spontaneous,” says Beckerman. “I walk outside and let the universe guide me.”
In 2006, he bought the domain “NYCFoodie.com” and began to blog about his food adventures. Before then, he had always been the go-to guy for restaurant recommendations in his group of friends. In 2008, he quit his day job working in the finance industry to be a full-time entertainer. Now he performs as a comedian and magician at Fortune 500 corporate events, private parties, and travels all around the world to places like the Viceroy Hotel in Anguilla, a British island in the Caribbean.
In Brooklyn, he will be meeting Viceroy’s “Director of Vibe and VIP Services,” his friend Melissa Rosenfeld. He’s treating her to dinner at Frankies 457 in Carroll Gardens and the temporary home of Mission Chinese after the Lower East Side location was shut down by the Department of Health last November. Rosenfeld didn’t get a chance to eat there before the closure.
“I owe her a dinner,” Beckerman says. “She flies me down to the Viceroy and hooks me up.”
Frankies 457 in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. Photo: Ellen Park
At Frankies 457, a Chinese dragon hangs from the ceiling and ’90s era hip-hop plays from the speakers. For $40 per person (cash only), diners can sample a set menu of seven dishes. Shortly after arriving, Frank Falcinelli, one of the owners, walks over and says, “It’s the Foodie Magician!”
“This guy only talks to dignitaries and heads of state,” says Falcinelli. “You think he talks to little people?”
Moments later, Bowien comes out of the kitchen and also says, “It’s the Foodie Magician!” Beckerman poses for a picture with Falcinelli and Bowien and posts the photo to Instagram with the hash tag “imadethefooddisappear” (114 likes).
To Beckerman, a “foodie” is simply someone who loves food.
“A foodie is someone who lives to eat. They don’t eat to live,” said Beckerman. “Like my mom would be happy with apples and cheese for dinner.”
After being seated, the food soon arrives and Beckerman makes fast work of the appetizers.
“One thing you should know about Josh,” Rosenfeld says, “is that he eats really fast.”
“I’m a vacuum of all things edible,” Josh concurs.
Mission Chinese Kung Pau Pastrami. Photo: Ellen Park
Beckerman snaps a quick photo of the table and immediately posts it to Instagram (224 likes). One of his fellow diners, a 30-something man named “Vin” from Staten Island, recognizes Beckerman from the photo sharing application.
Beckerman takes the opportunity to show off one of his tricks. He asks Vin to select a contact from his phone. Moments later, he presents Vin with a card that reads, “Jenn Arata” which is the correct name.
“I feel like I was with David Blaine for a second,” Vin says.
After the meal, Beckerman expresses contentment and appreciation of Bowien’s use of spices.
“Spice was a trip in itself,” says Beckerman. “To Spice World.”
Josh Beckerman demonstrates one of his magic tricks levitating a business card. Photo: Ellen Park
Before seguing into his next trick, Beckerman explains his take on magic.
“I celebrate life every day,” Beckerman says. “I don’t practice any religion. I do shows around the world, private events, charity events. Apart from being about entertainment and making people smile, my shows are about how everyone in the universe is connected.”
See the Kung Pao Pastrami recipe here.
Beckerman shares pictures of his food adventures on Instagram. Photo: Ellen Park
Your Comments