Hi, I’m Ziggy and I love to eat. From street food to Michelin star-rated restaurants, I love them all. My love affair with food began early on in former Soviet Moldova, where I vividly remember standing in long lines with my dad for the most delicious bread. Coincidentally, my love affair with ice cream began the same way. Same goes for toilet paper.
National Geographic recently ranked the Moldovan people to be the saddest people in the world. Coincidentally the happiest people ranked were ex-Moldovans.
I’m a father of two, husband of one, and at the moment pet owner of none. Our last goldfish. Ziggy Jr. Jr., leaped to his death. This is likely due to the great suffering he endured once my kids discovered Full House and watched it night and day in the same room.
All of us love to travel and food is a very important part of our travels. I have three simple restaurant rules that I try to follow:
1) Never go to the same place more than once (unless I’m in Turks and Caicos).
2) Never eat at my hotel (or any hotel, pretty much).
3) Eat only in places where I can easily distinguish the men’s room from the women’s. Is that a hen or a rooster? I’m on vacation, leave me alone.
My travel style can be best described as food-centric: Instead of eating whatever is available wherever we happen to be, I plan our itineraries around food. For example, in O’Porto, Portugal, I planned the entire day around eating the Porto classic sandwich, a little concoction I like to call the “Francesinha.” I call it that because that is the official name. It means “French girl.”
Now, a lot of guys visiting Portugal and be happy to try any random French girl they find on a corner in Porto. Not Ziggy: I only wanted the one in Cafe Santiago recommended by a local on Trip Advisor
It is a sandwich made with ham, 2 types of sausage, steak and served with melted cheese and some secret beer-base sauce. You can order it with egg or not. It was created by a Frenchman trying to adopt the Croque-monsieur in Portugal, hence the egg and ham. But it’s all about the sauce, which you can barely see here (it’s the yellow stuff – click on the picture to get a closer look) with each restaurant trying to outgun the rest with their homemade sauce. Perhaps the greatest sandwich I’ve ever eaten.
Anyway, so you get the idea. A blog about food, travel, goldfish, and FOOD. I give it 3 months!!
Eating With Ziggy 
I only eat what Ziggy recommends, nothing else.
love this “about” page…totally honest…I will now begin exploring further. Thanks for liking my recent post on my India Journal. I write alot about food as well during my travels,,,,you can check out past post from other years of sojourns in India…and look forward to hearing about your “eating” in Israel…my home for the past 40 years. Between Indian and Israeli eating, I never get tired of talking about food, and of course eating it! 🙂 Yes…I like to use smilies also.
Ziggy, thank you so much for doing this. I’m so glad I found this blog and my adventure has just started. I’ll read anything Ziggy writes, be it About, Contact us or FAQ. Eat more and write more 🙂
Hey Ziggy, just wanted to stop by and say what an awsome blog! 🙂
Hey, Ziggy,
I’m so glad I found this. We’re coming to NYC again and I will follow your recs.
Great blog… now I am officially ravenous for more!
Hey Ziggy- Great write-ups with so much humor as well. You had me laughing many times. How do you stay so slim? Must be all that NYC walking….look forward to more!
Thanks Tricia. Its actually fish oil 😉
Ziggy….love, love, love this blog! Leaving for Provo on Saturday and can’t wait to try some of the places you recommended.
Thanks Kirbygirl! Enjoy
Love your three rules of travel!
thank you for following my blog! happy that you like it 🙂 what an interesting blog you have 🙂 for sure will be back here 🙂
Loved Siena!! Did you see my 2 posts about your lovely city..
http://wp.me/p2zSmJ-Qv
http://wp.me/p2zSmJ-Pl
Nice to virtually meet you! I had just sent you a message over TripAdvisor before realizing you had a blog of your own! if you’re interested in collaborating on some joint posts that discuss the awesome link between travel and food, then let me know! always open to new ideas!
wow, what a fantastic blog! I am new to all this and your blog is very inspiring!! Thank you 🙂
Thanks enjoy. Looking at your blog means we have similar interests
Hey Ziggy,
Great Stuff but how do you know Mike Tyson’s favorite Russian food is Pelmeni?
Because he likes to bite ears… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkx3NCv2XKg
😉
Pelmeni origin like Orechiette translates to “Little Ears” or something like that
Hi Ziggy, Can you tell us more about your food tours? When and how often do you conduct these, and how does one get on board? Good information to have for potential “Food Tourists”. Merry Christmas, or Happy Holidays! q
Hey Q. I just published this…
http://wp.me/p2zSmJ-ZM
Do you still do these? Would be interested.
Ziggy, Queen Maeve is in Hell’s Kitchen and discovered your posts. Plan on Danji and Pure Thai this weekend. Le Bernadin last night -still full. Still though, would rather be in Providenciales again! After a week with below zero degrees, Grace Bay sounds awfully good. Enjoy your blog
Enjoy my neck of the woods Queen Maeve. I so rather be in provo right about now. Dont expect a fancy setting in pure. Try the ribs, Ratchaburi (sweet), curry paste with pork (spicy), and the pumpkin custard (should be a special, ask for it). Enjoy
Hi there! Absolutely love your blog (your writing is so entertaining, not to mention the photos make me hungry)! I was hoping I could get in touch with you via email, could you let me know how to reach you?
Paulina I sent you an email. Hope you received it
Do you give Hell’s Kitchen food tours?
Yes Terri, I try to keep it once a month. Details here…
https://eatingwithziggy.com/2013/12/24/eating-with-ziggy-literally-all-about-the-hells-kitchen-tour/
Can we make a Friday night curtain? There are 2 of us and it’s Friday 8/8. Are you available?
TerriKW
>
Sorry, cant do this date
Thanks! We’ll have to struggle on our own. (Snicker snicker)
TerriKW
>
Hi Ziggy, Can you accommodate a non-meat eater on your HK tour?
Yes, there are some veggie options, and seafood
Staying for a week in Tuscany and have noted your recommendations. Any advice on Venice? We end our trip there. I’m looking for a great place to celebrate my husband’s birthday.
By the way, we are Turks and Caicos lovers as well!!!!
Hi Christine, I like Antiche Carampane in Venice but its been a few years. There were other notable ones like Alle Testiere, but Antiche Carampane stood out. Happy planning
Thanks for the tips! I am enjoying the planning process, always do!
Hi Ziggy, what a great blog! We are setting up a global food blog where we will feature reviews from the best bloggers in cities from around the world. We would love to feature some of your reviews if you’re interested. We’d obviously credit you and link your blog but would be great to have you on board! Hope to catch up soon. Nick
Sure, why not!
I should have followed advice # 1 instead of going to the great French provincial restaurants between six and, in one case, about 50 times over 30 years. Then I wouldn’t know how Chapel,Guerard, Bras, the Troisgros, Girardet, etc. etc. etc. evolved and kept coming up with one sensational dish after the other.
I know what you mean Robert. This is after all how I saw the halal guy on a particular NYC corner develop into the man he is today. Those rules are just for a single trip, and not supposed to be taken seriously. (I confess I don’t really follow them these days, especially #3)
My husband found your blog before our trip to Italy. Because of your suggestion we ended up eating the Pollo al Burro at Sostanza in Florence and just about every dish we could at Le Mani in Pasta in Rome. Heading to NYC in March so reading up on your recommendation!
If you haven’t tried the doner kabob in Berlin at Mustafas then you need to be aware that your “greatest sandwich” title has not been tested against the best.