I will start this one with the definitions…
Scampi – Langoustines, or small lobsters the size of a large crayfish found throughout the Mediterranean and Atlantic ocean. They are an expensive delicacy in the Mediterranean, and even more expensive here
Shrimp Scampi – A dish made of Shrimp, garlic, white wine poured over pasta. At least thats the classic way. There are many other variations out there
Bomba – Calabrian Chili paste consisting of.. you guessed it… Calabrian chili, EVOO, and pickled veggies in some variations
Scampi the Restaurant – PJ Calapa’s (Costata, Ai Fiori) dream restaurant in Flatiron heavily featuring the three above
The Infatuation – Still clueless!
The state of Italian dining in NYC is getting more interesting by the day. From Scampi alone I can walk a few blocks to Maialino for the Roman classics (another outstanding meal a few weeks ago). I can crawl to 13th street for the neighborhoody Da Andrea (I’m due). I can walk to Ulivo, Mercato’s more mature sister, for some Southen Italian (I’m due there too). Or I can just walk to Nishi (insert smiley with heart eyes here). There has never been a better time for Italian in the city. The wealth and depth of it makes everyone question, what is Italian food anyway.
But in order to stand out in NYC these days, you need to be creative. Whether that creativity comes from childhood memories, working at three Michelin stars, or whatever. PJ Calapa started in Texas, and worked his way through the ranks of NYC via Bouley, Nobu, and Michael White’s AltaMarea group. For me it was Costata (RIP) that solidified him on the culinary map. But Scampi feels like that dream restaurant.
The space is like a lesson in restaurant decoration and design. It can get loud at dinner times and very quiet and airy during lunch. The lunch bar seat closer to the front is my favorite seat in the house. One on night we endured the two seater next to the busy kitchen door where we felt the restaurant’s pulse. Our waiter, although clearly overworked, was ‘futuristic friendly’. The type you only see in Sci-fi movies.
The food rundown:
Bomba – This will be on your table when you come in. Its not meant to be for the bouquet of Grissini (bread sticks – nice touch), but to be combined with the dishes, especially the pastas. I was eating this stuff with the spoon. There are rotating pickled veggies mixed in (last time mushrooms).
Razor Clams – Reminiscent of a similar dish he created in Costata. Chopped clams mixed with chives and prosciutto. Unlike similar dishes we had lately like in Frenchette, this one worked, again.
Beef Tartare – Not particularly beefy, but nicely balanced and flavorful. There are quite a few ingredients here to make it happen including Parmesan, chives and the Bomba.
Mafaldini Scampi – This is their signature dish, featured on every table and every review (including sadly Infatuation. These guys rush to review every restaurant before hitting puberty). The Mafaldini has that wonderful chew and is a serious contender with Lilia as the best Mafaldini in NYC. But what makes the dish work is the crunchy toasted Filone breadcrumbs (toasted with garlic and more) featured in other pastas. The best way to eat this however is mix some of that Bomba midway. This is a must get
Langoustines – These better be perfect for $14 a pop and they are. As usual they come butterflied, and while there’s not a lot of it, the meat is glorious sea butter
Delicata Squash – One of the newest fall dishes. Nice and heavy, in a good way
Octopus – The lone meh! Slightly overcooked and forgettable when compared to the other dishes
Lumache – This is a hearty pasta dish. Its a snail shaped pasta (like elbows on crack) mixed with Tarragon pesto, clams, and those crunchy Filone crumbs I can eat with a spoon.
Cassata – If you like semifreddo, get this. If you dont like semifreddo, get this
Grillo by the glass – Its a bland, but a rare sighting of the Sicilian white. Its delicious.
Go!
Scampi
30 W 18th St (5/6), Flatiron
Rating: 2.5 Z’s (out of 4)
Stars range from Good to Exceptional. Simple as that.
Recommended Dishes: Razor Clams, Mafaldini, Langoustines, Lumache, Cassata
Bourekas at Gazala’s – Although a bigger and potentially better Gazala’s just opened in UWS, the little Hell’s Kitchen institution feels like the flagship. And 9th ave wouldnt be the same without these warm flaky, outrageously delicious pastries lining up the window front.
Simply put, Segovia is the perfect tourist town. It took me a while to understand what it means when others said it, but I think I get it now. Its traits may vary between individuals, but not by much. To me it needs to be very different than where I come from. It should be pleasing to the eyes and offer enough interesting, spectacular, or important attractions. She needs to have a personality or known for something. Hmm, notice how I went from “It” to “She” after finishing my beverage. Fascinating! And most importantly, she needs to know how to cook
Did you know that the act of moving one’s finger and thumb apart to zoom on a map on a screen is called Pinching? Figured I should probably explain the title right of the bat. But after so many years dreaming, sometimes inappropriately, about the food mecca of San Sebastian, I’ve finally, finally made it to…… Getaria. After all that, that’s where we ended up staying for a week, and San Sebastian became a day trip. Regrets? None whatsoever. But did I wish to spend more time in San Sebastian. Well, kinda. I wanted more, but turns out so do a lot of other people.
Z-List fanatics, both of them, already well familiar with this newest incarnation from Top Chef star Floyd Cardoz. But as with some other recent Z-List additions, I never got a chance to write a review on “Paowalla 2.0”. Paowalla’s blog post title would have read “Oops, I did it again”, after Cardoz essentially tried to recreate another fancy Tabla to satisfy his devotees. At BBB Cardoz is following his gut. And it works, a lot better than the “critics” leading to believe.
Salamanca, 200km west of Madrid, is much more than a University and church town. But these two reasons alone are good enough to visit even for an old Jew like me. I just feel old and cranky this morning, and need to think about happier places. Salamanca was a happy place. Watching World Cup Soccer in one of the most striking Plaza Mayors in Europe. Having a local show us around town. Looking for the mysterious astronaut embedded in the facade of the “new” church. Surrounded by the red Sandstone plastered all over the old town. And meeting the only English speaking nun we’ve ever met, selling delicious cookies from a convent (Convento de las Dueñas).
Read about Salamanca and the frog that became its symbol. Look for it on the University’s famous facade, on a skull. Its not that hard once you know what it looks like (see pic below). If you fail to find it, you will struggle on your next exam. If you are not a student and you fail to find it, you will get Shingles within a week! The frog, or more likely a toad was a symbol of sexual temptations throughout Spain’s history. There were once prostitutes roaming the area, luring the male students, and the frog reminded the students of the consequences. The skull represents death, a possible outcome due to the many diseases the prostitutes carried. Thanks Obama!
Its that time of the year, readers. When I dissect piece by piece this tourist trap in Chelsea we call the Chelsea Market. Did I get your attention now? “Tourist Trap”, a term used often when you read reviews about ultra touristy establishments. “Migrane” is something you get when you read what others have to say about something you know and love. “Himalayan Meditation Retreats” is what you Google three months after you open a restaurant in NYC.
Eating With Ziggy 