Author Archives: Ziggy

Frena – Taboon 2.0 Dazzles

Posted on May 1, 2025 by Ziggy

When you visit a place when the chef/owner is on vacation in NYC its not necessarily a bad thing. In super competitive NYC it most likely means the well oiled machine is intact and the boss can take a breather. In Frena’s case it meant we visited at the right time. I gave it about a year after old EWZ darling Taboon closed due to a nasty fire and reincarnated three years later as Frena. Not being in the business, it’s a small mystery why restaurants take so long to recover after a fire (See Danji). Some never do.

I’ve been a fan of Taboon pretty much since I started this blog. One of the points I always stressed was that if you survive that long in that location, you are doing something right. Anything west of 9th Ave, the Hell’s Kitchen border for most tourists, should pique your interest. Efi Naon, the mega talented head chef at Taboon understood that he had something special there, and reopened the place along with a frequent Taboon patron.

Taboon 2.0 feels more like 1.2. A new version where much of the old menu items are still there, and the concept is pretty much the same. Elevated “Middle-terranean” with the Taboon oven in the center of things. even the name Frena has a similar meaning to the old name. Frena is the community oven in a Moroccan village (Naon is Moroccan Israeli), and also the name of the fluffy Moroccan pita. In my East Village tours I introduced guests to the Frena pita, which I can still smell.

This meal was not a whole lot different than my Taboon meals over the years, except that it was simply better. Just about every item felt like an improved version of the previous, along with some new Italian flair to boot. Its an ambitious menu that’s common in Middle Eastern. Leave it to Anon, who trained all over Europe including a three Michelin in France, to perfect it.

Just like Taboon, every meal at Frena starts with their terrific “Frena Bread”. A rarity for such quality bread, dusted with a bit of salt and za’atar, to be free these days. But if your group is more than two, chances are you’ll need another ($9), especially if you get the 5 dips deal. All dips were exceptional, especially the Cauliflower hummus.

For the middle course we opted for the said Italian flair. I mean how bad can braised oxtail Tortellini on top of Sabzi Persian herb stew be? Turned out to be one of the highlights of the night. Roasted eggplant with tomato and Stracciatella was like eggplant Parm on steroids. You wouldn’t be disappointed with those dishes at a Rezdora, or any of the Michelin Italian.

Its best to share some of the big plates here. Old signature Lamb kebabs cooked in Terra Cotta pots covered with bread as satisfying as ever. We absolutely demolished it. The butterflied Branzino lightly drizzled with sage chimichurri looked like a piece of art at the Louvre, and significantly more exciting than the old Branzino.

Just like in Taboon, you finish with the transformative Silan – Tahini ice cream, caramelized rice crispies, almonds, halva, date syrup. A marching band in your mouth. There are some dishes that changed the way I eat at home, and this is one of them (Mesa Grill’s eggs is another). Every other dessert will pale in comparison, but a good Knaffe rarely disappoints, and no exception here.

Frena
773 10th Ave (52nd)
Recommended Dishes: Frena Bread, Dips, Tortellini, Roasted eggplant, Lamb Terra Cotta, Branzino, Silan, Knaffe

Categories: Midtown West, New York City | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

Panzerotti Bites – A Taste of Bari in North Brooklyn

Posted on April 22, 2025 by Ziggy

Is there anything that you can’t find in Brooklyn? Think of any cuisine or specialty and chances are you’ll find it somewhere in NYC’s most populated borough. A decent chance you may even find it on Smith St, one of Brooklyn’s most interesting food corners. It feels like I’m mentioning Smith St on a monthly basis these days. I dont live anywhere near, but I’m finding myself gravitating toward it more and more. I was there twice last weekend.

Panzerotti is the guilt free mini Calzone you didnt know you always wanted. Its an airy, half moon shape stuffed dough, the size of a large empanada. You need at least two for a full meal, but one can be enough for a light one or a decent snack for some. While it’s not exactly a steal at $8-10 a pop or more for more elaborate fillings, a full meal will cost you pretty much the same as Neapolitan pizza.

Panzerotti Bites is the creation of Vittoria Lattanzio and Pasquale De Ruvo who wanted to introduce New Yorkers to the flavors of Puglia, or Bari to be more specific. In my lone visit to Bari, I was too busy schmoozing with the Orecchiette nonnas to even notice any street food. Although in my two weeks in Puglia, I didnt get a sense that street food was as prevalent as in other regions. But the food overall was varied and spectacular.

This is the kind of item you want to include on a nice day of snacking in North Brooklyn. On one of the visits, I combined it with the excellent soup dumplings at Nan Xiang Express in the Downtown area, while on another, tacos from El Bronco food truck (that Suadero!) in Sunset Park. That’s not to say, you can’t have a nice complete meal, especially at the inviting backyard of Panzerotti Bites.

The mural in the backyard alone is worth spending a bit of time there, learning Italian and some things about Puglia. It was sketched by the owners, and created by a talented friend. A healthy variety of Italian sodas (Just like beer, best in the business) helps. Try the alcohol free Bellini. Once you finished, stay some more for a sweet Panzerotto.

You can have it fried or baked. After trying both, I still dont know my preference. They fry them in clean, quality oil, so its not greasy whatsoever. With the pockets coming in straight from the oven or fryer, its advised to wait a little before diving in. I dare you to wait 30 seconds. After trying the Salame, Mortadella, a special of sausage and peppers, my favorite is still the first Panzerotto I tried. Mozzarella, Porcini mushrooms with black truffle paste. Superb!

The welcoming couple is the icing on the cake. They will take the time to guide you, and talk about Puglia like people talk about their newborn. They also packaged the Panzerotti (10 pieces per). They can ship them, or you can just pick up the Classic, Salame packages from their freezer. Worth crossing a bridge or tunnel for this one. Go!

Panzerotti Bites
235 Smith St (Cobble Hill)

Categories: Brooklyn, New York City | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

L’Express – The Restaurant that Never Sleeps

Posted on April 11, 2025 by Ziggy

Ok, maybe a few hours a day. Some visitors are surprised to learn that in the city that never sleeps, many, if not most places close at 10pm. That’s close to the time when people in some countries like Spain just start their evening activities. In Andalucia, we noticed most places only open at 8:30. In NYC, 8:30 is approaching the end of peak time (6-9). And in rural America, you may not even find a place open after 8pm.

So why is it called, the city that never sleeps? I think its because we simply cant sleep. Noise, rats, weather, tariffs. There’s always something to worry about. When I have those silent moments while driving with Mrs Z, I can just tell that she’s thinking about worrying about something… “I think you need a new suit”, “We probably need a new door”, “How come Costco milk expires so late. Are we being poisoned”. In the city that never sleeps, we call the police when neighbors dont sleep, and we constantly talk about ways to make us sleep. Warm milk and honey is my latest nightly routine.

L’Express used to be open 24 hours, but now they close for a few hours at night to reset. Is there a better way to gauge demand than the amount of hours an establishment is open during the week, along with its lifespan. Not many places outside of Times Square can beat 30 year old L’Express and their hours. On a recent random Tuesday night the place was packed.

Just like L’Express in Montreal, our L’Express on Park Ave in Gramercy is as classic French bistro as it gets. L’Express is owned by Chef Driven Hospitality Group, but more importantly its at the hands of Chef Amitzur Mor who worked at Gramercy Tavern, Bouley, and Payard among other places. The mission is to make forgotten dishes still relevant. The Katz’s Deli of French food if you will.

A good example of a forgotten dish revived at L’Express is the Duck Cassoulet. A few bites of that sent me straight to… Staten Island. Many years ago, when Ziggy was young, sporty, and without sleeping issues, he would frequent a place near the Staten Island ferry that offered a beautiful rich Cassoulet. At that time Cassoulet used to be my favorite French dish. These days, even in Paris its not so easy to find. I did manage to find a good one in the 5th Arr.

The rest of the items didnt disappoint. You need to ask for bread to mop up all the awesomeness from the Escargot leftover. The Steak Frites featured a decent size strip that was cooked to perfection. Add a small charge to make it Au Poivre and you get a much better value than Raoul’s, and most places. I took the shot under much duress. The Short Rib Bourguignon with potato puree is exactly what you expect from a French Bistro. And the Creme Brulee, absolutely on point.

On the flip side, The P.E.I Moules-Frites were average, and the olive puree didn’t quite compliment the crispy goat cheese well. But I’m just nitpicking here. Overall, I was impressed by the quality from a seemingly simple corner bistro that’s as accessible as a diner. L’Express is aging like a fine Bordeaux. Go!

L’Express
249 Park Ave S (20th)
Recommended Dishes: Duck Cassoulet, Escargot, Steak Frites, Short Rib Bourguignon, Creme Brulee

Categories: Gramercy, Flatiron, New York City | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Taboonia – From Usfiya With Love

Posted on April 2, 2025 by Ziggy

When you come across Taboonia off 6th ave just inside Nomad, it looks like just another random fast food joint, a pizzeria even. But its so much more than that. Not only it’s NYC’s second Druze restaurant (first fast casual), but it comes with a tragic underlying story. Raif Rashed, one of the owners was a survivor of the Nova Festival on Oct 7. While he lived in the US, he happened to be in Israel at the time, and agreed to help his brother operate a food stall called Taboonia at the festival. I will spare you the many tragic details except that they both survived.

Opening Taboonia, and introducing Americans to traditional Druze cooking is part of the healing process. When I used to run food tours, one of the stops on the Hell’s Kitchen tour was Gazala Place, our first Druze establishment. I enjoyed talking about the Druze, their believes and the famous Druze hospitality. The same hospitality we experienced in 2012 in Usfiya where Rashed is from. Gazala came from Daliyat El-Carmel, the sister Druze village right next to Usfiya, just outside of Haifa. The tray below is how we got treated at the Druze house.

Our Druze Plate in Usfiya

Taboonia has some things in common, but very different than Gazala which eventually opened a place at the Upper West Side, and closed the original in Hell’s Kitchen during the pandemic. I have vivid memories of walking on 9th ave, seeing Gazala through the window cook that paper thin bread on a Saj oven. I miss her Hummus the most, and that bread was perfect for that.

Taboonia is a lot more low key, but same big heart. You are immediately greeted with some of the best spiced Chai you’ll ever have. I just asked him for the “best of” and the result was glorious. Manakish, essentially Druze pizza with Za’atar, similar to what we had in Usfiya. “Pita Labneh” featuring that thin flat Druze Saj bread stuffed with Tabule, egg, Labneh, and Harissa finished on the Saj oven. I recommend cutting by two instead of three like we did. Outstanding! Even the Potato Bourekas was fresh and excellent.

It’s one of those places where it may not even occur to you that its all vegetarian. All freshly made and solid ingredients throughout. Even the olives were delicious to this olives hater. The location is fine, depending on who you ask. Its fairly central, but the immediate area is mainly of the wholesale variety, though the area is changing. Go!

Taboonia
832 6th Ave, (29th)
Recommended Dishes: Pita Labneh, Bourekas, Manakish

Categories: Chelsea, Gramercy, Flatiron, New York City | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Corima is the Absolute Best Mexican in Chinatown

Posted on March 25, 2025 by Ziggy

I’m being very careful with my “Bests” as you can see, and even more careful with the “Absolute Bests”. Anyone remembers the Absolute Best lists from Grub Street? Fun to look at, but very very wrong. It’s NYC. Unless you’ve been to even half of the hundreds of bagel places, you cant declare a best, not alone, absolute best. Just swing by the aptly named BAGELS R US in Staten Island to see the snaking lines on the weekends. You will never see it on any list because influencers and publishers dont travel to these corners of the city.

But I’m fairly confident you wont find better Mexican in Manhattan’s Chinatown, or any of our roughly 5 Chinatowns for that matter. First, its an exceptional, well deserved, one star Michelin. Second, its the only Mexican in Chinatown. When you see it on Allen street, you do a double take at your Google Maps, and then look for the business sign. Its right near Manhattan Bridge, and contrary to some claiming part of it is in Lower East Side, it’s very much inside Chinatown. The only time I’m in this corner of the city when I’m not looking for Chinese food is when I go to the excellent Michaeli Bakery.

Corima is an ambitious project, opened about a year ago by Fidel Caballero and his wife. It took less than a year to receive a Michelin Star, which is not so easy, especially for a place that’s not Japanese or French. Fidel Caballero is a Contra alum but more importantly a student of the legend three Michelin Martín Berasategui in Basque Country. Corima I believe is his first baby. Always interesting to see mega experienced chefs finally put their signatures somewhere.

Our meal in Corima was almost flawless. The only challenging aspect was deciding whether to go with the ever changing tasting menu or a la carte. After much deliberation, I opted for the latter. The two options are very different, as there’s usually only one dish in both, most likely the terrific bread. Without being overly familiar with Caballero, an ever changing tasting menu feels more of a gamble, and its somehow reflected in reviews. While some tried and true hits are only available a ala carte. But then you have people like Ryan Sutton swearing by the tasting menu

A rundown of the dishes, beginning with the question many have been asking for the past year.

Is the infamous $9 Tortilla worth it? YES!!.. and no!! Its a solid, thin sourdough flatbread, like Lavash or the Druze bread if you had it at Gazala’s on my Hell’s Kitchen tours. But since its Mexican it’s “Tortilla”. Probably made with some sort of fat. Good enough to eat on its own, but even better with the accompanied butter where they add roasted onions, mushrooms and chili to it. Not worth $9 but appropriately priced bread course for an ambitious one star Michelin where you spend roughly $120-150 pp. Supply and demand no brainer for the lone single digit item on top of the menu.

Beef Cecina Tlayuda – Superb cured beef. Like a moist beef carpaccio. More of a sum of all parts situation with the crunchy tortilla, Edamame Guac, and a sprinkle of Chapulines (Grasshoppers) so you dont forget where you are. Decent size for a small dish.

Tetela (top) – Replacing the fried Quesadilla on the menu is this fried masa based triangle with flavors reminiscent of a Pupusa. It’s stuffed with Maitake, Quesillo (Oaxacan cheese) and winter greens, and topped with thin truffle puree that looks like too much but once you have it, not enough. The only flaw was that the greens were not evenly spread out. Get this!

Monkfish – As good as the smaller plates were, the bigger were even better. Perfectly cooked firm monkfish, topped with paper thin potatoes, and a foamy seafood bisque. Just wished the fish was a little warmer.

Duck Enmoladas – More Excellence. Like duck enchilada topped with Black Garlic Mole and Cotija cheese foam. All kinds of beautiful flavors and textures with the beautiful duck reigning supreme. A spoonful of pure bliss.

Desserts didnt quite continue the momentum. Took a major step back in fact. When you feel nothing can go wrong and you order two instead of the usual one. Chocoflan with truffles with real truffles, not chocolate truffles was the main offender. Truffles dont belong in desserts, full stop. Give me one of those Mexican flans with caramel any day. The Funnel cake with roasted pears and pistachio was more like it, but considering the place, still quite basic.

The drinks were fine. Out of the 4, one clear winner, the Tequilla based Sinaloa Sling that she had. The rest not super balanced but fine. Still, this was a very enjoyable meal, helped in part by Ivan, one of those super waiters you just want to talk to and know better. The entire staff was in fact great. According to the wife who had a better look at the action, half of the staff featured “Porn Mustaches”. After 32 years I’m still learning new things about her.

Corima
3 Allen St (Chinatown)
Recommended Dishes: Tortilla, Beef Cecina Tlayuda, Tetela, Monkfish, Duck Enmoladas

Categories: Chinatown, New York City | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Hibernia {Anguilla} – End of an Era

Posted on March 20, 2025 by Ziggy

All good things come to an end. Eventually! My favorite, precious, perfectly fit sneakers have holes in the front approaching toe size. I made a deal not to wear them while I’m with her, or in close proximity to other humans. I only wear them on my daily walks, but their end is near. Honestly, considering she randomly throws away anything remotely old, I’m surprised I still have them. Heck, I’m surprised I’m still around.

Hibernia fits my taste like those sneakers. Except that it didnt have any holes in it at all. In fact it always felt fresh, and even trendy, after 38 years. One of my favorite restaurants in the world had the total package. Outstanding, creative cuisine in a mythical setting. They perfected the South East Asian / French mashup before it even became a thing in Paris.

Last month, owners Mary Pat and Raoul announced they will finally retire and close the restaurant in May after 38 years. While disappointing, it’s totally understandable. This is not the kind of place you can easily hand to someone else. But for us, this is a huge blow as we are essentially left with half a Jacala (since the first half of the name Jacques retired). While there’s no shortage of all kinds of great dining on Anguilla, these are our two favorites by a wide margin.

I dont usually write such posts. Who wants to know about a place that’s closing, in the Caribbean no less. But this is different. Long time readers, especially the Anguilla fans here, saw how Hibernia become an EWZ darling over the years. And in the small chance that any of you are still planning your spring vacation, this is your last chance to experience one heck of a dining experience.

Original Post

Categories: Anguilla | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Au Cheval’s Best Item is Not the Burger

Posted on March 14, 2025 by Ziggy

It happens about once a quarter in Ziggy’s household. The announcement that she’s in the mood for a burger. The world stops. I have to pause the Hockey game, oil change, or whatever I’m doing, and start planning something immediately. In a smaller town, this would be an easy task. In NYC, its a project. You just know that she’s not talking about Five Guys. The last time I took her to a fast food joint is actually the last time.

I can probably come up with a list of 50 solid choices, but the usual suspects that come to mind are Red Hook Tavern, Au Cheval, and the Korean/American Nowon. Since we’ve been to the first during the previous urge, and reservations at Nowon are hard to get these days, its Au Cheval to the rescue. Although scoring a table here wasnt a picnic either, and it even costs money (about $2 pp). Happy wife, happy Ziggy.

The best thing I can say about a meal at Au Cheval is that the burger was not the best thing we ate. As good as the burger was, there was one item that we continued to talk about the next day. Maybe I should’nt just say it, but instead provide a series of links where you’ll have to navigate through a bunch of pages featuring a rundown of the dishes, erectile dysfunction ads, and one of those “are you a robot” to make sure everything is running smoothly. Or maybe just stick to this format

That item is the Mac & Cheese. Apologies if you expected something fancier like the Steak Frites or Branzino. The steak is indeed of good quality and perfectly cooked. But this was some of the most addictive Mac & Cheese we ever had. It featured bits of their famous bacon because clearly the thick slabs on your burger are not enough. And enough quality black pepper to make Cacio e Pepe fans drool. Its like the perfect Mac & Cheese and Cacio e Pepe lovechild. Worth coming here just for this.

I already covered the burger here. Its not a case of elevated dry-aged meat, but more of a sum of all parts. Its a solid oversized American cheeseburger. And adding the bacon and egg is icing on the cake, albeit very heavy for shrinking stomachs (the over 50). Once you factor the burger, Mac & Cheese, a riff on General T’so’s, and the rest of the menu, you essentially got American on steroids.

Another highlight at Au Cheval is the beer menu. A good combination of International, domestic, local and very local. The Other Half hazy Session was outstanding as pretty much any Other Half I ever had. Go!

Original Post

Au Cheval
33 Cortlandt Alley (Tribeca)
Recommended Dishes: Burger, Mac & Cheese, Steak Frites

Categories: New York City, TriBeCa | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Marine Room {TCI} – A Good Place to Eat

Posted on March 8, 2025 by Ziggy

I’m suffering through a writers title block of the worst kind. It took me longer than I’d like to admit to come with this half joke. One of the options I was considering was “A Diamond in the Rough”, but I quickly remembered that about a year ago I found out that it doesnt mean what I always thought it meant. I’ve been living a lie my entire life. Like the moment you find out that a tablespoon equals three teaspoons. I always thought it was just a slightly bigger spoon.

The title is essentially half giving up, and half inspired by the title of my favorite restaurant in Florence, Italy (so people dont get confused with food mecca Florence, South Carolina), Da Ruggero. When we first visited Da Ruggero 12 years ago, I vividly remember the Seattle Times article hanging on the wall with the title “Da Ruggero – A good place to eat”. A simple, humble title is the epitome of the simple Italian Trattoria.

In Turks and Caicos, a good place to eat takes on a different meaning. It includes a bit more flair to entertain the tourists. There’s pretty much nothing to do at night on the island but eat and drink. Why do people opt for hotels with big pools? They need to be big enough to circle at night multiple times. Aka, The Turks and Caicos Passeggiata.

Marine Room is a rare, new find (my old definition of Diamond in the Rough). There’s a reason why I keep recommending the same two places in Provo, Caicos Cafe and Le Bouchon. Around 20 reasons. Vast majority of new places simply dont impress enough. Prices have gone through the roof in Provo, so it’s increasingly hard to find a ‘total package’ kind of place. That includes places that excel in things I cant easily get at home, namely seafood. If your top dishes are Braised Short Rib and creamy Gnocchi (looking at you Almond Tree), I wont be in a hurry to return as a visitor, but I might visit more often as a local.

Marine Room opened by the couple that owns Lemon To Go, and formerly Lemon about a year ago. So far it seems like the total package. Beautifully designed space outside and in. A full, seemingly capable staff including an experienced head chef that created a playful but very solid menu. You wont find Ribeye Cap outside of few select steakhouses in large US cities. And Some truly impressive cocktails and cocktail menu. I rarely take a picture of the cocktail menu, but took one here.

We started with a superb Lobster Thermidor Tart. Lobster mixed with cheese and bisque on top of puff pastry. It’s like Dennis the chef and Carmen from Bay Bistro went to the same culinary school (She serves a similar but different Shrimp dish). The Tuna Tartare with Avocado was a revelation. The second best compliment I can give to Tuna Tartare with Avocado (first being the flavor and execution) is that there’s very little avocado. Probably my favorite dish of the night.

This is is one of the situations where the mains were slightly less successful, but only because the apps were that good. The expertly cooked Cod with lentils was just what you’d expect from a place like this. Maybe slightly overcooked fish but super flaky and enjoyable nonetheless. The black beluga lentils especially elevated the dish.

Had to order the signature Sideways Lasagna, or the “Tall and skinny Lasagna that fell on the way to the table”, depending on how you look at it. It’s just a very good Lasagna. Not particularly unique or distinct tasting, although outside of Italy its an impossible task. Being surrounded by “Mine is better” murmurs didnt help. But think about what you need to go through to make something like this at home. I still recommend, and would even order again.

The Key Lime Pie was a fine finisher. The rest of the menu is a nice blend of Italian, seafood, and the steakhouse variety. One of those rare menus where I want to try every single item. More data is needed, and I obviously cant speak for consistency. But for now, a solid, rare addition to the list of recommended dinners. Go!

Categories: Turks and Caicos | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Rynn – Crafty, Undiscovered Thai in EV

Posted on March 3, 2025 by Ziggy

The last time I took a picture of an empty room, the place closed within a year. In a city of over 30k restaurants, good, even great places closing, is a daily phenomenon. But you only hear about the famous ones. One year old Rynn feels different. Besides the fact that its relatively undiscovered, its located in a sleepy area (for NYC) during the day. An early weekday lunch offers the best chance to experience a private lunch. Every blogger’s wet dream.

Thai food in NYC is having a moment. It’s not just Hell’s Kitchen and Queens anymore. Good ones are popping everywhere, even in Staten Island where I live. We went from zero to 3-5 solid choices in the last few years. But the best area to see this Thai renaissance might be North Brooklyn. Court street feels like the new 9th ave, and Smith street is not far behind. I recently covered one of the notables there.

Rynn is an ambitious project, opened by five women in East Village. Some sites like Eater claim five, while other sites, three. Not that it matters much, but there’s not a whole lot of info about the owners and where they worked in the past. Though everything points to very capable and experienced hands in all aspects of hospitality. When I hear of five owners coming from various Japanese and Thai establishments, my first thought is that every person may bring a unique perspective. My second thought is how the heck do they make any money.

Rynn, like Rua and many others are part of the new wave of ‘complete Thais’. You can pop in for a quick lunch, bring a date for dinner, or even your in-laws (not mine, yours). You can enjoy something familiar like Pad Thai or something more unique like their signature Strawberry salad. Instagrammable decor – check! Drinks – check and then some. This is one of the most creative cocktail menus I’ve seen in a Thai place. Even the menu itself is creative. Only issue is that creativity and ingredients here aint cheap.

Starting a meal with the best dish has its pros and cons. Tum Strawberry is as good as advertised. A refreshing mix of strawberries, grape tomatoes and gooseberries doing their best cherry tomato impersonation. It’s spicy, vinegary, and leaves a very pleasant tang. Reminiscent of a dish at the great Kann in Portland, OR.

A slightly less successful potential signature is La Tiang – Sautéed shrimp and pork wrapped with egg nests. Its more of a feast for the eyes than palate, but I’d still order it. Rynn understandably is very proud of the Robert Sietsema (Eater) coverage and they show it throughout the menu. While I’m not always in agreement with Sietsema, I’ve always admired his coverage of the little guys.

Like Butter Chicken or Tikka Masala at Indian joints, Kee Mao is my kryptonite, my weakness. Here it is one of those situations where it looks rather sad, but tastes rather great. Remember the “tastes great, less filling” beer commercials? It comes only as a seafood option as it should be. The calamari can be a little less chewy but the shrimp more than makes up for it, and the chili notes and overall flavor is spot on.

Another solid dish is Nua Yang Jaew – Grilled, thin Ribeye North Eastern Style. That means nicely marinated, fatty in all the right places Ribeye, accompanied by a complimentary fish/chili dipping sauce. You always hesitate to put anything on quality meat, but make this an exception. Not terribly expensive at $28 but it doesn’t come with anything else.

Mango with Homemade Butterfly Pea Sticky Rice is another Thai dish I cant pass on, but almost always disappointed. This was a good version, but I wasn’t quite satisfied with the sweetness. The Mango really took charge, more than I prefer. Pure Thai Cookhouse ruined it for me. But I’d still get this. Mango is of course seasonal, and its the beginning of season now. They even have a drink called “Not Mango Season”.

Rynn is one of those places I dont just want to come back and try the rest of the menu. I want to do it ASAP, like, today. But it’s just so damn cold. Go!

RYNN Thai Restaurant & Bar
309 E 5th St (East Village)
Recommended Dishes: Tum Strawberry, La Tiang, Kee Mao, Nua Yang Jaew, Mango with Sticky Rice

Categories: East Village, New York City | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

Mtskheta Cafe – Eating Well, Spelling Pourly

Posted on February 25, 2025 by Ziggy

Mtskheta, although officially my favorite Georgian in NYC, I still need to Google the name every time I write it. I suspect by the time I finish this post it may change, but this could be just another name on a long list of many that I cant remember how to spell. I stayed at Rendezvous Bay Hotel twice and I still doubt myself. How many T’s are in Werkstatt. I’ve only been there 12 times. As long as I dont confuse my kids name, I’m golden. Oh wait, I do that too. I recently started playing Mahjong on the phone to improve my memory, and even that I had to Google just now.

Mtskheta is named after a city just north of the capital, Tbilisi. If you just replace the “kh” with a throat clearing “ch” sound, its easier to pronounce. Coincidentally, or not, Mtskheta Cafe is just north of US’s Russian capital, Brighton Beach. I mentioned Mtskheta Cafe on other sites like Hungry Onion, but never here. Honestly, the percentage of readers that could manage a meal at this location isnt very high, but I do have some Brooklynites reading the posts.

This is as old school as it gets. They dont have a website for me to link. To reserve a table I have to call. Wines are under $30 a bottle. And the clientele is as local as it gets. When I said to the waiter to say hello to a friend who frequents the place, he said, “which Levani, we have three Levanis that come here”. In all my visits to Mtskheta, our table was the only one not speaking Georgian. I do know some words, but a Georgian restaurant would be the last place in the city, I would practice them.

I think the only thing missing in Mtskheta is a Salt Bae style sprinkling of pomegranate table side. Pomegranate and walnuts are two Georgian staples as you can see here. On this night we had Spinach with walnuts, eggplant with walnuts, walnuts with walnuts, Georgian Salad with walnuts. Needless to say our group of 8, under my command, covered much of the menu, including many Georgian classics.

From the earlier dishes, the only one I’d probably not order again is the spinach. Though I’m pretty sure I said the same thing last time. Its that memory thing again. The dish is fine, just a tad too dense, not creamy enough. Unlike something like the cheesy Khachapuri, always a crowd pleaser. The eggplant remains an absolute must. And the Mchadi (cornbread) with cheese, doing its best Arepa impersonation also moved itself to the must category.

But the one dish that separates Mtskheta from other Georgians in the city is Djurdjari. Either that or Mtskheta is the only one spelling it that way. Either way, I havent seen anything like it on any other menu. Liver, intestines and other meat parts cooked with cumin and other spices. Its a glorious mix of flavors and textures, but not for everyone.

Kupati, the famous fat Georgian sausage is always outstanding. Potatoes with mushrooms, more of a Russian staple, is fairly basic, but a no brainer order with a large group. Same with Ostri, a comforting beef stew with nicely spiced tomato sauce. Fried chicken cooked with garlic sauce is the Georgian answer to Gambas al Ajillo. And the Chicken Kebab here is as tender and juicy as it gets.

For dessert its not a matter of what to pick, but how many Napoleons. While I personally prefer the moist, mushier style, my group even ordered more of this one. Add some cheap Georgian wine, and the feeling of eating in an extended living room is complete. Cant recommend Mtskheta enough.

Mtskheta Cafe
2568 86th St (Brooklyn)
Recommended Dishes: Djurdjari, Mchadi, Khachapuri, Eggplant with walnuts, Kupati, chicken with garlic sauce, Ostri, Chicken Kebab, Napoleon

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