Author Archives: Ziggy

Turks and Caicos – Las Brisas

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Ziggy

Las Brisas and Taylor Bay go hand in hand like Lindsay Lohan and court rooms. This is quite possibly the biggest reason to rent a car in Turks and Caicos. As you enter the peninsula on chalk drive, you get the spectacular Chalk Sound on your right and picturesque Sapodilla and Taylor Bay on your left. The trickery of finding Taylor Bay is almost scripted. Like finding horseshoe bend in Arizona, once you get there you are treated with a nice reward. After spending the morning in Taylor Bay, bring your appetite to Las Brisas for some Spanish tapas, overlooking Chalk Sound. Try sitting at the gazebo on top for maximum breeziness, and view.

On our last lunch last week we had the always reliable Lobster Salad. They cook the lobster half way and let the acid do the rest. A semi-ceviche if you will. The chickpeas and chorizo dish has drastically improved. Unlike in previous visits, plenty of nice chorizo this time, thicker more pleasant tomato based sauce and nice sautéed onions. Finally tried their mussels which did not disappoint. Now that my kids like mussels we order mussels everywhere we go. Also enjoyed a fine Spanish omelette: Egg and Chorizo, whats not to like. Another fun lunch at Las Brisas. In the past we enjoyed their gambas, fish sandwiches, and more

As with any tapas joint, the menu needs some studying, and perhaps its one patata bravas away from being complete. Easily the top tapas restaurant on the island! Ok, its the only one, but still. And the view cant be beat. Closed on Tuesdays

Recommended Dishes: Chickpeas and Chorizo, Lobster Salad, Spanish omelette

Turks and Caicos – Bay Bistro

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Ziggy

First out of many posts on another great dining week in Turks and Caicos.
Yet another nice meal at Bay Bistro. Place was packed more than usual this time since the outer area was closed.

Had all the usual suspects for apps. I don’t think the menu has changed much since we first discovered TCI 6 years ago. Actually they took the coffee rubbed tuna (below) out and put it as a special this time. This is probably my favorite app here. It wasn’t swimming in sauce as before and was very enjoyable. Old reliable conch crepes and the pictured wontons still good. The conch chowder however didn’t leave the same impression as last time – lukewarm and conch not as tender as before.

I decided to try their jerk lamb (below) which was staring at me in the face all those years. It was good, not great. Cooked well but not the “healthiest” of cuts, though with just enough jerk seasoning to give it a nice flavor. And with some peppercorn sauce on the side to give it a boost. Grilled lobster was one hefty tail this time and as good as ever.

Pecan crusted conch (pictured on top) was LIGHTS OUT! Or until we realized my SIL leaned the baby carriage too much against the wall and turned off the lights for the entire restaurant. Our Beyonce Super Bowl moment if you will. The Schnitzel like dish did taste fine as usual and with that “spicy orange sauce” (more like tangy than spicy) is perhaps the best main here, however I still miss it when it was coconut crusted with curry which part owner Mike said they can do with a little notice (ask for it the day before). My oldest (12) to my surprise actually ordered the conch and she loved it. In-laws enjoyed their snappers.

Ok, you gotta have the homemade ice cream here and I think I got it down to a science this time. If you copy and paste impaired this is a good time to get a #2 pencil and a piece of paper. Get the Coconut, Coffee & Kahlua, and the Rum raisin flavors. The only thing is I wish they would separate the balls instead of all in one bowl. Banana rum tart with rum raisin Ice cream (below) is always a pleaser

Bay Bistro is good for what it is. A nice and comfortable setting with an ageless classic menu that can please anyone. Or at least until you discover which of the classics works best for you

Recommended Dishes: Coffee Rubbed Tuna, Conch Wontons, Pecan Crusted Conch, Grilled lobster, Homemade Ice Cream, Banana Rum tart

Categories: Turks and Caicos | Tags: Bay Bistro, Bay Bistro Turks and Caicos, food, restaurants, Travel, Turks and Caicos dining, Turks and Caicos eats, Turks and caicos food | 4 Comments

Lakruwana – The Power of the New York Times

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Ziggy

I don’t know anyone who reads the New York Times. Heck, I don’t know anyone who reads newspapers. Half of my friends don’t even read. I just asked my kids if they even heard of the New York Times… No!! Ok, they are 2 and 3 but still, you get the point. With that said when a restaurant is mentioned in the NYT positively and gets at least one star, look out. To some this is a bigger deal than a Michelin Star. You may even argue that the verdict doesn’t matter as Guy Fieri found out. Attention is attention

On Saturday I took my wife and 4 friends to Lakruwana, a Sri Lankan spot in Staten Island that I’ve written about before here. As soon as we entered the restaurant I suspected something was wrong. Still waiting for water and menus, or a human 20 minutes in, that feeling slightly intensified. Before you knew it, a ‘Godfather’ like line of locals and hipsters out the door trying to get the owner’s attention which we so desperately needed as well. The place was packed. but then it hit me. I’m there for the exact same reason as everyone else. I also read the NYT article a few days earlier about Lakruwana and felt the same urge to cancel my plans (Briskettown in Williamdburg) and go there.

Eventually things settled down, the hipsters left, and we got our food, albeit all the dishes at the same time which is always fun (since there was no room at least one dish had to be held by someone). The food for the most part was very good. Quite an excellent Mulligatawny soup to start things off. Good Lamprais, Hoppers, Kottu Roti (first for me) but what stole the show on this particular night was the Deviled Chicken which I couldnt get enough of.

After the meal the owner confirmed to me that they were simply not prepared or didnt know how to prepare for this. Still, Lakruwana, with its museum like settings and terrific cheap food is quite possibly the best reason for hipsters to take the ferry over. Except perhaps right after a NYT mention, or during a festival in Bushwick

Categories: New York City, Staten Island | Tags: food, Lakruwana, New York City, NYC restaurants, restaurants, sri lankan food, staten island eats, Staten island restaurants | Leave a comment

Top 5 Things I Ate in Las Vegas

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Ziggy

OK, this wasn’t exactly an eating Tour de Force New Orleans style but some fairly delicious bites nonetheless…

Oxtail Benedict at Comme Ça – Oxtail meet Gut. Tender, delicious slow braised Oxtail, poached eggs, spinach, pepper gougère topped with a nice truffle Hollandaise oooozing with flavor. Very original and very delicious!

Bread at Bouchon – If only I had a Bouchon Bakery near where I lived. Did not love the meal but greatly enjoyed this bread with butter

Octopus at Milos – If you don’t add the $10 supp to the $20 lunch here you should be sentenced to a lunch buffet. Some of the best Octopus I’ve had in the USA. Meaty, tender, perfectly grilled, perfectly seasoned with a hint of oregano, absolutely delicious Octopus

Huevos Estrellados at Julian Serrano – The most memorable tapa was probably the Stuffed Dates, but when I look back and think about which dish gave me the most pleasure, it is the Huevos Estrellados. Egg, Chorizo, fries! whats not to like

Pastrami at Todd English P.U.B. What a surprise off the bat. Nicely carved, delicious homemade Pastrami served with your choice of bread and sauces (try the mustard trio and truffle mayo

Categories: Las vegas | Tags: Best food in las vegas, food, Las vegas, Las Vegas eats, las vegas restaurants, restaurants, Travel | Leave a comment

Las Vegas Eats – Comme Ça

Posted on February 1, 2013 by Ziggy

Our comme ci comme ça trip ended with good one at comme ça. What? No, you did not enter the Michael Jackson fan club by accident. Since this is a food blog I feel obligated to inject some French into it. Comme ci comme ça means so-so. Comme ça means Delicious!!

Charcuterie was a beautiful pork fest. Every single item had pork in it including the delicious chicken liver pate. Not a very kosher dish. An excellent start. Endive and Pear Salad, with a bit of hazelnut and just enough bleu cheese was satisfying as well.

My Croque Madame was enjoyable. Perhaps the first Croque Madame I’ve had in the states, not sure. But my wife’s Oxtail Benedict was the bomb. Tender, delicious slow braised Oxtail, and with the poached eggs, spinach, pepper gougère topped with a nice truffle Hollandaise oozing with flavor. Very original and very delicious. The Crème Brûlée was simple yet perfectly executed. A fine meal overall.

Comme Ça, like Milos, is in the Cosmopolitan hotel which on paper at least, has the most impressive list of restaurant collection on the planet. The list includes Jaleo, Scarpetta (One of my faves in NYC), e by Jose Andres and more. Comme Ça le Magnifique

Categories: Las vegas | Tags: Comme Ca, Comme Ca Las Vegas, food, Las vegas, Las Vegas eats, las vegas restaurants, restaurants, Travel | Leave a comment

Las Vegas Eats – Bouchon

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Ziggy

The most anticipated meal of the trip was the biggest miss of the trip. We are far from Minetta Tavern!

Bouchon Bistro is a Thomas Keller restaurant in the Venezia Tower of the Venetian, offering classic French bistro fare. One of the most popular dining options in Vegas for both brunch (famous for its chicken and waffles) and dinner (famous for its… bread?). My mission as the foodie and food blogger of the 12 person group traveling with us was to choose a place to celebrate a friend’s birthday and after much consideration and keeping costs in mind I chose Bouchon for this special event.

It started off quite nicely. Beautiful private room, nice ambiance and everybody happy. The bread arrived after a while and WOW.. some of the best bread I’ve had this side of Villefranche Sur Mer. I love good bread and butter and this is as good as it gets. An app of mussels arrived chilled was very good, and a nice Frisée with poached egg salad as well. Not a bad start, but a premature finish.

The steak frites of choice was a $45 grilled 14 oz of dry and flavorless NY Strip. It tasted more like a filet mignon. Very unfortunate and the other person who ordered it agreed. Mrs Ziggy’s beef short rib was a little better but uninspiring nonetheless except perhaps for some nice veggies and a ‘hint’ of handmade pasta surrounding it.

A few months ago in New Orleans we tried 8 different bread puddings in 5 days. Bouchon’s would have been dead last in that race.

An hour into the meal, since our main courses weren’t taken yet, you could tell that this would be a 3 hour marathon. And it was! Surely I didnt mind spending the time with my friends but it is important to note in case you planning to bring your in-laws here.

Overall, Bouchon is another expensive reminder that the big name restaurants on the strip at times are just that, Big Names!

Categories: Las vegas | Tags: Bouchon, Bouchon Las Vegas, food, Las vegas, Las Vegas eats, las vegas restaurants, restaurants, Travel | Leave a comment

Las Vegas Eats – Estiatorio Milos

Posted on January 27, 2013 by Ziggy

I’ll make this one short and sweet. Not because I just had too much to drink this evening, but because I’m a bit under the influence and I’m afraid that the more I write the less sense I’d make. Milos lunch was a winner. The $20.13 lunch which is set to increase to $20.14 next year due to the corn market pricing speculation is one of the greatest deals in town. However, to make this truly worthwhile you need to add the $10 supplement for the terrific grilled Octopus app. Ever since we visited Portugal, the land of the most amazing octopus on the planet we’ve been on the hunt. This one is it. Meaty, perfectly grilled, perfectly seasoned with a hint of oregano, absolutely delicious octopus. Mrs. Ziggy thankfully enjoyed her tomato salad which meant she kept her fork on her plate for the most part. For main, the winner was the simply grilled Lavraki (bass). Quite a tasty piece of fish. The shrimp dish on the other hand was a bit too bland and the walnut pie, soaked in deliciousness was a nice finish The lunched so far are more satisfying than the dinners. Thumb up to Estiatorio Milos, aka Milos, aka don’t call me Estiatorio since no one can remember the first half of the name. I had to Google it just now.

Categories: Las vegas | Tags: Estiatorio Milos, Estiatorio Milos Las Vegas, food, Las vegas, Las Vegas eats, las vegas restaurants, restaurants, Travel | Leave a comment

Las Vegas Eats – Todd English P.U.B

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Ziggy

The perfect place to go straight from the airport with the luggage. Especially if you traveling with a bad wheel. You know, one of your carry-on wheels is crooked and as you walk with it, it wobbles uncontrollably, as if something is hiding in there and people are staring at it waiting for that something to come out any minute. And you are debating whether to just carry it but then discover if you get it closer to the ground you are more or less good but then have to explain to everyone your bad back. You know, that one. Even Martha Stewart who flew with us couldn’t save it but put a delightful tassel around the wheel

Anyway, nice beer, great food, a booth, Todd English food – that’s all you need after a long flight (anything longer than 2 with a terrified wife is long).

We sampled some surprisingly terrific Pastrami, carved thick and generous (this is half a portion) and served with your choice of spreads. We got the mustard trio and the truffle mayo (very nice). Really enjoyed this dish. And their popular Junk Chips formerly known as Dirty chips since supposedly some people complained about the name? Say What? Nice nacho chips with melted blue cheese just enough to give it some tanginess without overwhelming.

Combine that with a very impressive beer menu, and I’ll take it over the Vegas buffet any day. Even with a bad wheel. We tried to come back (in Aria btw) later during the weekend only to find more than a 30 minute wait. As far as decent pub food in the area this is perhaps as good as it gets. Highly recommend especially the Pastrami

Categories: Las vegas | Tags: food, Las vegas, Las Vegas eats, las vegas restaurants, restaurants, Todd English P.U.B, Travel | 2 Comments

Las Vegas Eats – Julian Serrano

Posted on January 22, 2013 by Ziggy

A mixed bag all around for this one. Julian Serrano also of Bellagio’s Picasso is one of many big names in Vegas. An impressive array of Spanish tapas fills the menu, both classics like the Gambas and Patatas Bravas and “new wave” tapas like those tuna cones we see surface in some places like in New Orleans’ SoBou.

Julian Serrano definitely got the look. Although its near the main lobby in Aria and sort of a downer once you see the location. Between the 6 of us we sampled quite a few dishes. No issues with the service at all. I asked if they can bring the dishes in the correct order to accommodate the palates and they did.

Stuffed Piquillo Peppers – A bit milder than expected but a pleasant start nonetheless.

Huevos Estrellados – Enjoyed this one. The chorizo along with the egg and fries worked together nicely.

Pintxo de Chorizo – Should have ordered something else. Although the mashed potatoes was tasty, the chorizo was similar to the previous dish if not slightly chewier. Pictured on top

White Ceviche – perhaps the weakest link. I love ceviche but the acid here was just a tad overwhelming. A good size dish I must add.

Stuffed Dates – this is one of my favorite Mediterranean tapa dishes and this one did not disappoint. Love the combination of those sweet dates with the bacon. Well done here.

Croquettes – Ungood! flavorless, screaming for some sort of sauce.

Lobster Saffron – Ok, not memorable

Gambas – Good. Nice plump and tasty shrimp

Creamy Risotto – Nice finish. Arborio cooked to al dente perfection and with the mushroom provided plenty of flavor. Along with the dates the best dish of the night.

Desserts not memorable

Funny how things work out sometimes. I’ve anticipated this to be one of the top meals of the trip from the info I gathered but at the end of the day, the pastrami at the next door P.U.B by Todd English was the most memorable thing I ate on day 1.

Not a bad meal overall but not something I’d do again. Perhaps I got somewhat spoiled with all the wonderful tapas we have in NYC (Alta, Tia Pol to name a few). This meal was a fresh reminder after a 6 year hiatus that the big name restaurants on the strip got just that. Big names.

Categories: Las vegas | Tags: food, Julian Serrano, Julian Serrano las Vegas, Las vegas, Las Vegas eats, las vegas restaurants, restaurants, Travel | 2 Comments

Mission Chinese Food 1 – Ziggy 0

Posted on January 16, 2013 by Ziggy

A short but sweet review on one of the hottest new restaurants in NYC. If you haven’t heard of Mission Chinese food you either live under a rock or in Staten Island. Sorry for the Iphone photos

Getting there at 12:30 pm proved to be a perfect time – No Meshugenah line. While looking at the menu I was eyeing no less than 8 dishes for myself and my companion, The Hummus Whisperer, but settled on 6, still much to the dismay of the bartender who assured us we’ll be leaving with a hefty number of doggy bags. Ha! The joke is on him I’m thinking. He doesn’t know who he’s dealing with.

I asked the bartender as I was giving him our orders if he can somehow arrange it so we could get the dishes in their proper order, from mild to intense as some of the dishes can be so intense they can burst your palates. He said in a very polite way, No! “They will come in a furious pace..Bla bla, bla” whatever. Next time I will simply order the mild ones first and later will order the rest. Here’s what we had in the order of arrival…

Cumin Lamb – Wasn’t too crazy about this one. The lamb was way over spiced to my taste. I understand its called Cumin lamb, but it still needs to taste good and it wasn’t. And way too salty

Mapo Tofu – This is it. Now I get it. A flavor festival. Like a beautiful Tofu with thos melt in your mouth tender Pork Shoulder spice de jour soup. Delicious, but palates are starting to burst

Chongqing Chicken Wings – Palates burst. After one, just one chicken wing, and that Tofu I needed to take a break. Those wings were super spiced and very intense.

Thrice cooked bacon – I don’t know what to think about this one. It came with those “I cant believe its not potatoes Rice cakes” and after having a few of those at this point I started to wonder where the explosiveness is coming from. This was not one of my favorite dishes. Maybe they need to cook the bacon a 4th time.

Kung Pao Pastrami – My favorite dish and the best Kung Pao I ever had. They make their own pastrami, not from Katz’s as the rumor was. Very juicy and flavorful Pastrami cubes and the entire dish really worked

Salt Cod Fried Rice – Very good but why are we getting the mildest dish last. Loved the tiny Chinese sausage bits.

This was a defeat like I never experienced. We couldn’t even finish the 6 chicken wings. My request for milk from the bartender resulted with just a grin. No, I’m serious, I want Milk. Whatever! I’ll be back for a rematch now that I know what to order and how to order it. I’m outta here. With the doggy bags!

Categories: Lower East Side, New York City | Tags: food, Mission Chinese Food, Mission Chinese Food NYC, NYC dining, NYC food, NYC restaurants, restaurants | 1 Comment

Author Archives: Ziggy

The places