Midtown West

Best Dishes in Hell – Round One

Posted on March 15, 2014 by Ziggy

Dear readers, it is with extreme pleasure and slight gastro discomfort that I welcome you to the first installment of Best Dishes in Hell, where we feature 5 dishes to target in this little foodie heaven I like to call Hell’s Kitchen. Each of these bites is guaranteed to put a smile on your face and put all your troubles behind. Or not!

Bourekas at Gazala’s Place – Bourekas, or Bourek is something I ate often as a child, but not really by choice. I hated it! So if I list a Bourekas in this space, it can only mean that this is not your ordinary Bourekas. Your choices are normally Feta with spinach or Feta with sun-dried tomatoes. I prefer the latter. One bite of that beast to feel that explosive, rich, flaky goodness and you’ll understand why. And did I mention that it comes with a side of my favorite Hummus in the city.

Egg Bowl at Little Chef – The winter version below, while the regular version is pictured on top. Health food that I would gladly go out of my way for, but luckily I dont need to as I work 12.3 minutes from Gotham West Market (I timed it). The current version features porky cranberry beans, salsa rojas (roasted red salsa), and just about the sickest breadcrumbs on the planet. Same breadcrumbs featured in the non-wintery bowl which includes fresh greens and assorted roasted veggies like broccoli and potatoes. Glorious stuff my friends

Sausage Pizza at Capizzi – Avid readers of EWZ already know that there’s no reason to cross bridges and tunnels for pizza. However, very few places in the city (Manhattan) have that homey pizza parlor feel that is very common in Brooklyn and Staten Island. Capizzi tucked away in “Downtown Hell’s Kitchen” got it and more. This pie is a sausage fest of deep flavors made from fresh ingredients cooked in a wood fired oven. Not quite NY style pizza, and not quite Naples style, but very NYC

Akamaru Modern at Ippudo – A recent article by the NYT reaffirms the belief that Hell’s Kitchen is a ramen force to be reckon with. And in the middle of this ramen revolution is this super popular Ippudo branch. Start with their terrific smooth pork buns and move on to the Akamaru, a complex porky broth and just about as addictive as Ramen gets in NYC

Canotto at Sullivan Street Bakery – Love at first bite. Sometimes its slightly off, but for the most part its pastry perfection. Brioche filled with mascarpone, berries, topped with crumbs and some salt. What I love about this is that every bite is different. On one bite you taste chewy, cheesy, salty, next is crunchy, fruity, and so on

Categories: Midtown West, New York City | Tags: Best food in Hell's kitchen, Capizzi, food, Gazala's Place, Hells kitchen, Ippudo westside, Little Chef, NYC, restaurants, Sullivan St. Bakery, Travel | 2 Comments

Taboon – Magic Oven

Posted on February 11, 2014 by Ziggy

Courtesy of Taboon

March 3, 2016 Update:

Taboon is better than ever. Our first visit since Efi Nahon came back to where it all started resulted in the best Taboon meal ever. After leaving his marks at Barbounia and more recently at Bustan, Efi is back with a vengeance at the place he helped built back in 2004. He got a Sicilian type offer he couldnt refuse. There he was at the kitchen, doing his thing while us and another couple waited patiently for our table. Best time I ever did! Since I had the opportunity to talk to the man next to the blazing, beautiful Taboon oven, like two ~~lovers~~ people near a fire place. Well, I’m sure he didn’t quite take it like that, and I already had a few drinks by then. Ok, just one.

You can tell just by looking at the menu that its no longer the same old Taboon, even though many of the classics like Chicken Taboon, Hanger Steak, and Heraime are still on the menu. One big difference was the number of interesting specials that night. And sure enough a Crab Shawarma special, featuring Lior Lev Sercarz’s La Boite Shawarma seasoning and artichokes, turned out to be one of the highlights of the evening. Other early winners were the cauliflower and a shrimp filled, harissa and paprika spiced “Red Falafel”. The Lamb Kebab pot pie Terra Cotta was like going back to Haj Kahil in Jaffa. A classic you don’t normally see here. If there’s one criticism now that I’m no longer standing next to Efi (He’s bigger than me, and more importantly Israeli!) is that the Sambusak (bread stuffed with feta) this evening was saltier than usual, and didn’t pair well with the rest of the apps. For dessert we had just about the entire lineup, and sure enough, the great Silan, was still the clear winner. Check out this Z-List winner!

February 11, 2014:

10th avenue is the new 9th avenue. Thats what I tell visitors when I bring them to 10th ave in ethnic rich Hell’s Kitchen. That line either prompts a smile, confusion, or in one particular instance, gas. Among the various new eateries that popped over the last few years, which includes Peruvian, Thai, Mexican, Italian, farm-to-belly (yes The Marshall, I see you), Korean Chicken Wings, “Middle-terranean” Taboon stands as the grand ol’ daddy in this rejuvenated, gentrified, stretch of Hell’s Kitchen. You could not open a place like Taboon 18 years earlier (Taboon opened in 2004) in that neighborhood without having a Shepherd’s Pie in the menu, or other classics from the Irish mob cookbook.
I was given a task by a group of hard to please New Jerseyans to pick a nice Israeli place in the city for a group dinner, and I immediately thought of Taboon and Balaboosta for a slightly cheaper fare. Balaboosta’s somewhat limited group menu, and my two year absence from Taboon made the choice clearer. A coin flip! Ok, not really. The choice was clear and needless to say the South Jerseyans who miraculously arrived on time after carefully planning a route via Chris Christie supported towns, seamed pleased with the end results.

Courtesy of Taboon

Taboon means oven in Arabic, and your host for the evening is the domed wood burning, brick oven which greets you as soon as you arrive. This is the stuff that dreams are made off. And pizza! And once seated it didnt take long to get a taste of the that oven. Focaccia that would make Italian gourmands proud. Perfect depth, golden crispy exterior, brushed with just enough olive oil, with a touch of rosemary and salt. But the bread doesnt just stop there. A splendid Sambusak stuffed with feta cheese, jalapeño and onion follows.

Along with the bread, came an army of mezzes. Well, an army for NYC standards at least. In any Arab restaurant in Abu Ghosh near Jerusalem this would be called “Closed till further notice”. An acceptable Hummus, tzaziki, taramosalata (roe spread – the older I get the less I like it), baba ghanoush, green schoog (the older I get the more I like it, but I prefer it like my wine, red), red pepper spread (the older I get the more I like cookies. Nothing to do with red pepper spread [which was lovely btw] but I thought this is as good as a time to mention it). The lovely mezze parade then continued with a refreshing avocado salad, and salmon ceviche (I believe it was salmon, it says red snapper on the site). But the mezze war was won by the fantastic falafel balls with an all too familiar taste (Amba – that mango condiment we enjoyed so much in Israel last year), and the crowd favorite Zucchini cakes with sauteed snow peas, cipollini onions, fresh herbs topped with yogurt/garlic/mint sauce

As for main, I enjoyed my perfectly cooked Hanger with potatos, Brussels sprouts, and garlic. But I quickly realized that I had this steak here twice before, and a quick look to my right gave me some serious and extremely rare chicken envy. Yes, the first time New Jerseyan ordered better than me. The mighty fine looking Chicken Taboon was featuring my true love, Israeli couscous.

A note about Israeli couscous. Israeli couscous is not like the couscous you know and love and really only called Israeli couscous in America. In Israel, its called “Ptitim”, and its essentially tiny oven toasted “Pasta balls” invented when Israel’s first prime minister asked Osem to develop a rice substitute. For a while it was nicknamed Ben-Gurion’s rice.

Back to the mains. Two fish dishes that have been on the menu for as long as I remember are particularly popular. The whole baked Branzino, and the Heraime – wild striped bass, baked in the taboon oven in a ragout of roasted pepper, tomato, cilantro, mild Moroccan spices, artichokes and hot paprika oil served with regular couscous (booo, but I get it). If you like meaty white fish with red sauce, get this. Did I mention that a top Israeli chef who happened to be owner Ayala’s uncle (I think) was brought in to help generate the menu?

Normally in Middle Eastern/Mediterranean I find my refuge in all the apps/mezzes, and the desserts, and any greatness in the middle is a bonus. Bonus! The desserts here are just fantastic. The Silan in particular is a thing of beauty – Vanilla ice cream with puffed rice and date honey sprinkled with caramelized pistachios and topped with shredded halva, I’ve had this on every single visit. The Lava Cake however was this crowd’s fave, and the Knaffe capped another great meal at Taboon.

Taboon
773 10th Ave, 52nd Street
$$$
Recommended Dishes: Focaccia, Sambusak, Cauliflower, Terra Cotta Lamb, Falafel, Zucchini cakes, Chicken, Heraime, Silan, Lava Cake

Categories: Midtown West, New York City | Tags: food, NYC eats, NYC food, restaurants, Taboon, Taboon NYC, Travel | Leave a comment

Dude, You Are Researching NYC Food All Wrong

Posted on February 6, 2014 by Ziggy

Dear Tourist,

So you’ve decided finally to go on a “Holiday” to New York City. Mazal Tov! You probably read by now in your guide books that NYC is the greatest food city in the world. And you are probably waking up every morning thanking god for the gift that keeps on giving, the TripAdvisor Rankings. Between the rankings, the guidebooks, and all the great recommendations by your neighbor’s house sitter Betty (you must go to bubba gump you must) who eloped to NYC last year with 75 of her closest friends, you are all set. Right? Not exactly. Lets take a moment and examine what is wrong with the above plan, and come up with a new one.

Whats wrong with the TA rankings: Everything, and nothing. Its just totally meaningless, especially in NYC. TA is a great traveling tool, but ~~pretty much~~ totally useless in NYC as far as restaurants are concerned. The main reason for its uselessness is that there are much better research tools in NYC. (more on that later). But lets discuss the rankings for a second shall we. They are so flawed and so out of tune with reality that’s not even funny. The top 50 at the moment is a bizarre mishmash of classics and places I never even heard of. First of all the TA algorithm puts some major weight on the number of reviews. So older establishments may be higher than better reviewed younger ones. And then there are those that have 27 remarkably high reviews that made it all the way to the top 20. And not to mention that 25 of them may be coming from all their employees and families. I always recall this one particular place in Milan where the owner single-handedly put his place #1 with a bunch of obvious fake reviews. At some point he mistakenly gave himself one star, and that followed with 4 quick glorious reviews with a similar language. And once real reviews started coming in, he found himself arguing with every reviewer

But fake reviews don’t have much of a bearing on the busy NYC listings. Tourists do. TripAdvisor is predominately used by tourists, and its especially true in NYC. While you may see locals contribute in other towns and countries where there’s not much of a choice other than TA, in NYC locals use other sites like Yelp. Now, couple the tourist factor with the high volume factor I mentioned above and you can see why something like Basso56 will be near the top as its heavily reviewed by tourists thanks to its location near Times Square. Besides Basso, at the top of the Italian chain on TA at the moment you can find other Italian behemoths like Rafele, Piccola Cucina, Via Della Pace – places I never even heard of. But if you need more convincing than “Ziggy never heard of”, why not just go to Chowhound where all the NY foodies hang out and pull threads that discuss the best Italian in town. You will not find any of those places mentioned. What you will see mentioned are places like Maialino (#95), Babbo (#602), Marea (#194), Lincoln (#882), or even Ziggy fave Costata (#2605). TA numbers are all over the place as you can see, well outside of the top range for the unsuspecting tourist. So while you are eating a Carbonara with cream and bacon at a high ranked theater district place near you, locals out there enjoy the real thing with Guanciale and egg at Maialino.

Same applies to using the rankings everywhere else in the world. My favorite restaurant in our adapted home of Turks and Caicos is Caicos Cafe, rated #20 at the moment, pretty low in T&C standards.

Now, its time to ditch the guide book. Ok, wait.. pick it up.. its actually quite useful for many things. But not so much for food. Yes, you will get some good tips on some NY icons like Katz’s and Russ and Daughters that I recommend. But then you have something like pizza (namely Grimaldi’s) and bagels that NYC is so famous for. While you will not easily find better pastrami than Katz’s, you will easily find better pizza than Grimaldi’s. Actually, all you need to do while standing on line at Grimaldi’s with the rest of the tourists is look to you left at Juliana’s window to see where the real Grimaldi is doing his thing nowadays. But you dont even have to leave your neighborhood in Manhattan to get great pizza that is arguably better than Grimaldi’s.

Besides pizza, your guide book will mislead you in other areas. E.g. Hell’s Kitchen is not a safe area, the place for Italian is Little Italy, and Times Square is a foodie paradise. Your guide book may be up to date as far as facts are concerned (MoMA hours) but not concepts. Little Italy is now a block inside Chinatown riding one of those concepts. There are no Italians living there. Another thing to keep in mind is that the food contributors to the guides may not be necessarily “foodies”. Rick Steves for example does not strike me a foodie, and to follow his advice in Italy or anywhere else is Europe in this day and age is pretty silly. Eating at guidebook recommended establishments and high ranked TA spots also means eating with other tourists who are doing exactly the same thing. Some may find comfort with that, but if you are reading this blog chances are you want to eat where the locals eat.

And as for your neighbor Betty recommendations go, treat them like meeting your dentist at the supermarket. Smile, and move on. Unless Betty, is an avid Eating With Ziggy reader and/or does any of the following…

Read Chowhound – as I mentioned, this is where many of the NYC foodies hang out, and where I get many ideas. Chowhound is probably my wallet’s single worst offender.

Read Yelp Reviews instead of TA reviews. I already touched on this, and its fairly simple. Locals use Yelp, tourists use TA.

Read or Subscribe to Grub Street – You can get all sorts of interesting ideas there, especially from the power rankings. Same idea applies to Eater, or Serious Eats.

Hang out in the TripAdvisor NYC Forum. You dont even have to participate. Its amazing how much knowledge you can get just by reading the forum for a month or two. There are plenty of locals who contribute on a daily basis, and you can also find many discussions on dining by using the search feature

And the most important tip…

Read EatingWithZiggy. Whats so funny. Where do you think I derive my ideas from.

Happy eating, and happy planning!

Categories: Brooklyn, Chelsea, Chinatown, East Village, Gramercy, Flatiron, Lower East Side, Midtown East, Midtown West, New York City, SoHo, NoHo, Nolita, Staten Island, TriBeCa, West Village | Tags: best food in NYC, food, restaurants, Travel, Where to eat in NYC | 6 Comments

Mercato – a Diamante in the Rough

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Ziggy

February 24th, 2020 Update:

Time to update this oldie but goodie. Its only been 6 years, though I’ve been doing surprise inspections on and off during that time. Why did it take me so long you may ask. Its very simple. Not much has changed. Same owners, same menu, same lentil dip they give you at the beginning of each meal, same layout I know like the back of my hand, same everything. In a city where chefs constantly feel the need to reinvent themselves every now and then, Mercato is pretty much the same its been since it opened a decade ago. BTW, does anyone really know the back of their hand well?

The location of Mercato has a lot to do with why it stays the same. In that corner of Hell’s Kitchen, they get their fare share of tourists, and theater goers, which also enables them to stay open throughout the day while many siesta-ing. But they are just far enough from the midtown hustle and bustle, and the bulk of bridge and tunnelers seeking a different kind of red sauce. Safe to say its a Hell’s Kitchen staple that stuck to its niche as a no frills Trattoria celebrating the Italian south, Puglia, Sardegna and Sicily especially.

Mercato Orecchiette Like with so many such Italian joints in the city, pasta here reigns supreme. The Trenette is always reliable as a light, nutty alternative to the Spaghetti al Pomodoro. I’m not as in love with it as I used to, but I still order it when I’m sharing for its interest factor. If you want something more robust, the homemade Malloreddus, tiny but potent Sardinian Cavatelli with wild boar ragu is a Mercato classic and a safe bet. Same with the Gnocchi, though I didnt have it in some time now.

Here you want to pay special attention to the specials. The Orecchiette with sausage and Maitake (Hen of the Woods) last time was possibly the most satisfying special I’ve had here. The odd inclusion of crispy dried sweet peppers didnt interfere with the joy. Dido for the slow roasted juicy pork shank. The only thing I wouldnt order again is the Tagliata (sliced steak) which rarely resembles the motherland version in most places anyway. The Semifreddo however, you just want to kiss and say “I knew it was you Semifreddo”. Or you can just eat it with a spoon like we did.

January 31, 2014 post:

I was never so eager to write a “Next Post” after that last one. But work, and a vigorous Sexual Harassment training were in the way.

What do Hell’s Kitchen, Staten Island, and Brooklyn have in common? A mafia filled history, and a lot of mediocre Italian food. Coincidentally, these are the 3 places I spend the most time in due to work and marriage constraints. But as Bob Dylan taught us “Times They are a-Changin” That’s right, changin without a “g” at the end. In the case of Hell’s Kitchen, there’s still a lot of mediocre Italian food to entertain the theater goers. But the last few years a few diamond in the rough spots emerged, biggest being Mercato on 9th and 39th.

Avid followers of EWZ (both of them) already know all about this Hell’s Kitchen treasure. Mercato (means Market in Italian) is as authentic as it gets in NYC. Here’s why…

1) Owners from Puglia, chef from day one is Sardinian, and every waiter is Italian. Yes, every single one. And if I may say, all being Italian, fairly good looking bunch as well. I dont go here for this particular reason, but perhaps a sense of belonging!

2) The menu is jam packed with Sardinian, Sicilian, Pugliese specialties (more on that later)

3) Italians love coming here. I’ve heard Italian spoken here by diners on every single visit.

4) Inside it just feels like a rustic Trattoria in Florence (and Ive been to plenty of those)

5) One of these is usually parked next door

I’ve been to Mercato about 10 times since my first time 6 months ago. I’ve taken friends, co-workers, family, family of co-workers (not an affair, just fooling around!) and I feel very comfortable recommending it on the boards. There’s nothing really outrageous about the food. Its simple, honest, and true to the regions of South Italy. While there are all sorts of goodies on the menu I come here primarily for the Primis (pasta/gnocchi)…

Spaghetti with fresh tomatoes, garlic & basil – Like on a first date, before meeting the parents and answering “am I fat” questions 20 years later, you may want to take the core product for a spin. This is a very passable basic Spaghetti dish with profound freshness all around. As with many of the dishes on the menu, everything is homemade

Homemade Trenette with almonds, garlic, tomato and basil (top picture) – Possibly my favorite pasta here. Simple, intense flavors, and at $12 the best price/taste ratio. You will simply not find this anywhere else

Gnocchi in beef and pork ragu – Another one of my favorites. The gnocchi are wonderfully chewy, pillowy, and on the small side. It looks like its swimming in sauce but its firm enough to soak in just the right amount of the meat ragu. And what meat ragu it is!

Orecchiette pasta with broccoli rabe, anchovies, bread crumbs, garlic and olive oil – A Pugliesi without an Orecchiette dish is like Roman without Carbonara. Its very simple, if you like anchovies get it. If you dont, dont.

Fave E Cicoria – Its the Pugliesi Hummus. Popular especially in the winter months. Purée of fava beans, chicory, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Deliciously salty and quite good

Pay special attention to the pasta specials here. Yesterday I had a terrific Cavatelli with spicy short rib ragu. Same goes for the Fusilli (below) with slow braised pork ragu I’ve enjoyed in the past

The one dish I really want to try but always get disrupted by a special is the Malloreddus which is homemade Sardinian cavatelli-like “Gnocchetti” with braised wild boar ragu

I’ve had plenty of other dishes here like the Octopus, Sardines, Tagliata (sliced steak), but chose to highlight the selective ones

Mercato
352 West 39th st (9th)
Rating: 2 Zs (out of 4)
Stars range from Good to Exceptional. Simple as that
Recommended Dishes: Spaghetti, Trenette, Malloreddus, Gnocchi, Fave E Cicoria, Semifreddo, Pasta Specials

Categories: Midtown West, New York City | Tags: Best restaurants in NYC, food, Mercato, Mercato NYC, NYC eats, NYC food, restaurants, Travel | 2 Comments

NYC – Top 10 dishes of 2013

Posted on January 6, 2014 by Ziggy

Another year, another amazing eating year in the city of New York. Keeping up with all the new and excitement here is like keeping up with the Kardashians. But 2013 proved to be one heck of a year, probably the best ever. And if there’s ever a post on EWZ that could be helpful to visitors or locals seeking great chow in NYC, this is IT!

Ma Peche – Fried Chicken (with a side of the Brussels Sprouts). I’ll start with the last great dish. Haute Fried Chicken doesnt get any better than this. Habanero, coriander, black pepper and other spices used to create this fried pieces of awesomeness. Its a large shareable whole chicken at $48, but for lunch you can get half for $24 which can still feed an Armanian village, or 2 Americans. And the amazing Brussels Sprouts dish are worthy of their own spot here.

Ivan Ramen Slurp Shop– Smoked Whitefish Donburi. With salmon roe, sweet soy dashi, cucumber, scallion over rice. Need I say more? I probably should. Tell me if you heard this story before. A Jewish man from Long Island opens a Ramen shop in Tokyo which becomes critically acclaimed, then comes back to NYC to open a Ramen shop in the New Gotham West Market in Hell’s Kitchen. Sounds familiar? The Donburi is a nice clash of the 2 cultures (Japan meets Jew)

Momofuku Ssam Bar – Spicy Sausages & Rice Cakes. Second Momofuku mention already (Ma Peche is the first) This dish is insane. Plenty of heat and plenty of joy. Its a beautiful medley of ground sausage, Chinese broccoli, Sichuan peppercorn, and the awesome rice cakes which were essentially Korean Gnocchi made from rice flour. Puts the Mssion Chinese rice cakes to shame. Photo courtesy of Never Too Sweet

Betony – Short Ribs. A revelation! Tender, full of flavor goodness. It takes 3 days to make them we were told. We told the waitress that we cant stay that long, but we quickly understood the meaning.

Maialino – Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe. Its so simple, it shouldnt be here. But along with the carbonara perhaps my favorite dish at one of my favorite Italian spots in the city. Perfectly creamy, peppery, and addictive. Having it sit there among the other pastas on the table is like visiting the bunny ranch after trying out all the bunnies, and constantly picking your favorite.

The NoMad – The Chicken. This is a no brainer, and a top dish nominee even before it reached our table. Once you get over the facts that a) is costs $78 (for 2) and b) its freakin chicken, you will enjoy this one no doubt. Perfectly crispy skin, moist juicy white meat, along with some foie gras and black truffles (all cooked) nicely tucked beneath the skin. Each bite of that combination together was a Tour de Force. But that’s not all. Add a glorious plate of the dark meat with garlic espuma (foamy light garlic goodness) in the middle to share.

Ippudo – Akamaru Modern (with egg). “Welcom”, “Goodbye”, “Aim Well”? I have no idea what they are screaming in Japanese at Ippudo every time someone arrives or goes to the bathroom. All I know is that this is my favorite dish here. Rich, complex pork broth, along with hefty pieces of pork belly. Add the egg and spicy miso paste for even richer flavors

Costata – The Costata. Perhaps the dish of the year. A mammoth 44oz $120 very shareable Tomahawk Ribeye cooked to perfection. Basted ever so beautifully with a rosemary brush, this beast was a feast for all senses. Add some Black truffle butter, fries and asparagus, but good luck remembering the sides in between bites of perhaps the best steak in town

Nish Nush – Falafel. I know Falafel. I grew up with falafel. My car runs on falafel (its the trade-in period while waiting for the new car so dont want to use the real thing). This is good falafel. Fresh pita from the oven, and free (great) hummus can only help

Kashkar Cafe – Geiro Lagman. Little Asia in little Odessa (Brighton Beach) and perhaps the only Uyghur spot in town. I’ve had this dish 3 times in the last 8 months. Nice and chewy hand pulled noodles with lamb, veggies, cumin, garlic, other spices and herbs make up this highly palatable dish.

Special mentions:

Malai Marke – Chicken Xacuti (and Bindi Sasuralwali)
Sakagura – Maguro Tartar
Pure Thai – Wok Curry Paste with Pork
Mercato – Trenette
Jungsik – The rice dish that comes for free for b-day boy 😉
Louro – Octopus Bolognese (tie with monkfish)
Mission Chinese – Kung Pao Pastrami

Categories: Brooklyn, Chelsea, Chinatown, East Village, Gramercy, Flatiron, Lower East Side, Midtown East, Midtown West, New York City, SoHo, NoHo, Nolita, TriBeCa, West Village | Tags: Best restaurants in NYC, food, NYC, NYC eats, NYC food, restaurants, Top NYC dishes, Travel | Leave a comment

Eating With Ziggy – Literally! All About the Hell’s Kitchen Food Crawl

Posted on December 24, 2013 by Ziggy

October 2016 Update: I’m not doing these anymore. But as of October 2016 I got a sightseeing license and now run similar paid tours in Hells Kitchen, East Village and Brooklyn. More details here.

Since I’ve had a few people asking me about this, I thought I would put this in writing finally. A few months ago I’ve decided to offer free food oriented walks in Hell’s Kitchen. I will spare you the details of what prompted me to do it, but I assure you there are details! This is more of an eating meetup than an actual tour.

Here are the details…

What: Hell’s Kitchen Food Crawl. HK is a neighborhood in Midtown West

When: Send me your dates to losameach@gmail.com. Generally Thursdays and Fridays are best. We start at 3:40

Where: In front of Pigalle restaurant, 790 8th Ave. Corner of 48th street. We will not eat in Pigalle dont worry

Who: Up to 4 people. Generally best if you have a certain passion for food, culture and/or want to experience NYC through the eyes of a local. Dont do this just because its free, or with small children as it will not be fun

How long: Allow 4 hours.

Price: Zero. I’m not accepting tips. Free is FREE! You will just need to pay for the food

What will we eat and see: Some people prefer to be surprised so I will not mention the places. But out of about a dozen possibilities I’ve narrowed it down to 5 fairly diverse spots. We will also visit a few non food related places and learn a bit about the neighborhood. Worse case you will get to spend some time meeting a fun, interesting local, and I will do my best to find that individual 😉

How much will the food cost: It depends on what exactly we’ll order and what you’ll be drinking. Two of the places are casual quick sit-downs where we’ll share some dishes so some of it also depends on the number of people. Here’s a very rough estimate without drinks…

1 person – $40

2 people – $35 per

3 people – $30 per

4 people – $25 per

Any other questions please forward to losameach@gmail.com

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

A Major HKSG Update

Posted on December 3, 2013 by Ziggy

Major facelift to the Hell’s Kitchen Survival Guide folks. Not just a little botox job, I’m talking about a Joan Rivers. Many additions, 1 extraction, and some clarifications (what to eat in Pure and Mercato), and a bunch of breakfast places. A marked improvement over the previous number of breakfast places, zero!

Click here for the full guide

Additions:

Peruvian – Inti. 10th ave is the new 9th ave. Can someone go here please? Anyone? Bueller? Its always empty for some reason and it would be a real shame if it closes. A Pio Pio alumni with a twist. And the twist being ~~empty~~ ceviche. Great looking and tasting Ceviche Mixto (top), Fresh fish chunks, shrimp, octopus and calamari with red onions, cilantro and rocoto hot pepper. Add sweet potatoes for much needed contrast and baby corn and you got yourself a heck of a dish. Or try the always reliable Rotisserie chicken which I’ve had so many times prior to snapping the streak finally

Dominican – Lali. Read this while listening to this. Ready? Lets go. Love this new discovery. Home cooking cant get any more homey than this. Small, Diner-ish, Reggaeton music blasting in the background to help you chew. And the 2 nonnas serving including Lali, well you just want to take one of them home. You get whats available today which will normally include some sort of beef stew, chicken, ribs. Go for the braised chicken if available, or the beef stew, with rice and beans of course.

BBQ – Daisy Mays. After a 5 year hiatus I’ve decided to check it out again to see if its HKSG worthy and looks like it is. Well, barely. Not so much of an endorsement I know but if you are looking for delicious ribs, while its not the best BBQ in town, its satisfying. And as is the case with everything in life, Dry Rub over Wet.

Mexican – Toloache. I realize that there’s a better chance seeing Lindsay Lohan win an Oscar than seeing tourists (without guides) in one of those bodegas I’ve recommended. So another option is needed. Try to sit downstairs (a chili’s atmosphere otherwise). Good tacos (lobster yum!) but on the small side. You can make an argument that its not considered to be in Hells Kitchen, but its close enough.

Korean Fried Chicken – Hell’s Chicken. Or “Hell’s Kitchen” as I read it in my head 100 times while passing by, mumbling “how can another restaurant call itself Hell’s Kitchen” until I finally looked closer and its CHICKEN, not Kitchen. The wings are glossy, meaty and tasty. Try the Garlic Soy. This is a very tentative addition to this list as I’ve only been here once and reports out of Yelp hint on some inconsistency.

Gotham West Market. The most exciting thing to happen to Hell’s Kitchen since Ezra the Falafel Nazi cracked a smile 4.5 years ago. I’ve been here only a couple of times (day 1 and day 2) so much more on this during the next update, but meanwhile here’s a post on what its all about

Farmer’s Markets – Stiles on 52nd is a tiny market with a big heart and Outer Boroughs prices. You also have the 57th st Greenmarket on 57th and 9th open Wednesdays and Saturdays from about mid April to December. What fantastic timing on my part, eh?

Café/Bakery – Bis.Co.Latte. How did I miss this spot the past 10 years. 50 shades of Biscottis baked in the back of this colorful cheerful Café. GREAT daily Risottos, soups like the Tuscan inspired Ribollita, and the Tuscan inspired Tuscan White Bean soup.

Café – Café Ole. Click on the Reggaeton link for this one as well. This hole in the wall has been here for some time now and the place I probably frequent the most. Simple, delicious sandwiches, paninis, soups and my go to place for fresh salads. And then you have Anna the owner who will teach you how to salsa by the time your order is ready.

Café – Rex. The new kid on the block and by kid I mean Rex, the hardest working baker in HK. And only 3 years old! Ok, not really, he’s 4 now! Ok, not really again, his father helps out a little but still. Nice muffins here – Try the Morning Glory.

Bagels – Pick-A-Bagel. Ess got nothing on these guys. This is by far my favorite bagel place in the area, and trust me I’ve looked. A good place to try the walnut raisin spread but I normally go for a simple bagel with butter. Muffins are great in size and taste, and the only place that has Ziggy’s fave banana nut. Its a great concept: You say “Bagel” and they pick one for you. 🙄

Diners. Westside is the classic, Georgio’s Country Grill the not so classic, and Renaissance is somewhere in between. All 3 offer your no frill basic diner fare.

Removing: Uncle Nick’s. Just one too many dry kebabs. Took a group here last time and just cant think of any reasons to keep recommending this

Places tried but didnt like: Nook, Turco twice (seems geared more toward tourists than Ziggys

Click here for the full guide including what to order in Pure, Meske and much more

Categories: Midtown West, New York City | Tags: Best food in Hell's kitchen, Bis.Co.Latte nyc, Daisy Mays nyc, food, Hell's Chicken nyc, Hells kitchen, Inti nyc, Lali nyc, NYC food, restaurants, rex nyc, Toloache nyc, Travel | Leave a comment

Gotham West Market Opens. Ziggy Gains 3.7 lb

Posted on November 21, 2013 by Ziggy

Gotham West Market

I haven’t seen so much excitement since my wife brought home not one but two extra large Zappos boxes. The area I like to call Hell’s Kitchen (because that’s what its called) has given birth to Octuplets yesterday. For the German tourists reading this blog (For some reason this blog is popular with German tourists – ich danke ihnen!) Octuplets means 8 babies. 8 beautiful, healthy, delicious babies. We normally get excited when one place opens in Hell’s Kitchen, so 8 at the same time is like… 8 as much excitement. Essentially what I’m trying to say is that this is the most thrilling thing to happen to Hell’s Kitchen since Ezra from Azuri Cafe cracked a smile (it happened in January 20th, 2007. I witnessed it. Though rumors have it that it was just gas)

So far I’ve been to Gotham West twice. On the day they opened (yesterday), and on the second day (the day after yesterday!). Here are the vendors starting with the two I ate so far…

Ivan Ramen Slurp Shop – from Ivan Orkin, a Jew from Brooklyn making Ramen in Japan. While everyone anticipates his LES Ramen joint to open, this one got snuck in first. I came for Ramen, but got the Smoked Whitefish Donbury rice bowl instead. Terrific stuff! Hefty chunks of white fish with Salmon roe, cucumber and scallion. All on top of warm rice with a touch of sweet soy. I want to try everything on this menu

El Colmado – Had lunch here today with the Hummus Whisperer. Classic Spanish Tapas from Seamus Mullen and the rest of Tertullia’s team. Gil Avital, one of Tertullia’s partners is running the show. Lovely Smoked Eel Croquettes. Deviled eggs with smoked Bacalao were more satisfying. Dates stuffed with Almond and Valdeon cheese were explosive. This is a classic tapas dish we’ve had many times over the years, and this is as good as it gets. Gambas al Ajillo were small and simple. Not the best we’ve had. Octopus on the Plancha was more like it, tender and nicely charred. Got a couple on the house.. Marcona Almonds fried in olive oil. Hmmm, I prefer my raw Marcona from Costco. Its like crack in my house. Smoked Idiazabal cheese marinated with olive oil and rosemary in a sardine can was fine. Very nice lunch overall. Looking forward to trying the rest of the menu

The Cannibal – From the people that brought you Resto and the The Cannibal in Gramercy serving charcuterie, small bites, and various meat specialties like pork neck kimchi rillettes. Seriously who doesnt love a good pork neck kimchi rillette

Genuine Roadside – Essentially classic American food with a twist. Fish tacos, beef, pork, chicken sandwiches and a whole lot of burger action. Not surprisingly the biggest line so far. Well this is after all, America!

Little Chef – From Caroline Fidanza off Brooklyn’s Saltie. 5-10 creative farm to table dishes like the Ship’s Biscuit – Focaccia, soft scrambled egg, ricotta, or the Clean Slate – hummus, quinoa, pickled vegetables, yogurt sauce on naan bread, or try the Cock a Leekie – chicken, leek and prune soup. Although you may have some explaining to do when your spouse asks you what you had for lunch today if your answer is a “Cock a Leekie”

Court Street Grocers – Smack in the middle of all the action is this other Brooklyn import making gourmet sandwiches. Such as the Confit of Pork Shoulder, Mayo, Provolone, Broccoli Rabe, Red Peppers, Pecorino Romano, on a Hero Roll, or how about a Braised Beef Shank, Gorgonzola Dolce, Caramelized Onion, Red Peppers, Arugula, Red Wine Vinaigrette, on a Potato Roll. POTATO ROLL!!

Blue Bottle Coffee – Twelfth location for this popular cafe. The New Orleans Ice Coffee seems to be popular among other things

You also got the The Brooklyn Kitchen for all your Kitchen needs. Christmas is coming and I need a dutch oven, knife set, and a personal chef. Hint hint! You can even order your turkey here, and attend various cooking classes such as making pizzas with Roberta’s. And soon you will have a Velo Bike Shop for all your Citibike bike needs. Stay Hungry Bitches!

Gotham West Market

600 11th Ave, New York, NY

Categories: Midtown West, New York City | Tags: Blue Bottle Coffee, Court Street Grocers, El Colmado, food, Genuine Roadside, Gotham West Market, Hells kitchen, Ivan Ramen Slurp Shop, Little Chef, restaurants, The Cannibal, Travel | 4 Comments

Il Forno di Sullivan

Posted on November 11, 2013 by Ziggy

It was the end of Friday Donuts as we knew it. The culprit? Sullivan Street Bakery. Here’s what happened. We had to kill Dress Up Friday prematurely since some of the youngsters in the office didn’t actually own a tie, or shirts without any South Park or Breaking Bad references, or a belt for that matter. So Friday Donuts was born with everyone taking turns bringing a dozen dunkin donuts every Friday. There is reason to live! I resisted at first and did not participate. A) I prefer to eat earlier. B) I actually enjoy Breakfast. C) This is as exciting as Green Borscht Tuesdays. But I eventually succumbed, added myself to the list and brought my first donuts, just like everyone else from Dunkin Donuts. Whoop-De-Freakin-Doo! But on my next turn I decided to show them how to do it. By spending 3 times as much!

So I went to Sullivan Street Bakery and bought the following: 6 huge jelly filled Bombolonis, essentially donuts on crack. Two sweet Canottos, pastries filled with various seasonal fruits, mascarpone, nuts and more (just about my favorite item at Sullivan. Every bite tastes different. They also have savory Canottos with prosciutto among other things), and two of the best Almond Croissants you will find in NY. Game over! Goodbye Friday Donuts, hello Green Borscht Tuesdays. Till this day we still talk about how Friday Donuts somehow sunk into oblivion after that breakfast

You can walk on 47th between 10th and 11th and easily miss 3 gems. An Ice cream maker, a Bodega, and the aforementioned bakery, the closest thing we have to a Roman forno. Besides the sweet stuff, you got a plethora of goodies that will satisfy any bread aficionado. Highlights include a chestnut-colored walnut raisin loaf that goes very well with butter in the morning. A baguette like Stirato that is airy, chewy, and best before the cleaning lady comes (so messy). I love bringing it home when Mrs Ziggy makes soup and pop it in the oven for a few minutes (I wait until temp reaches 375 or when the smoke alarm goes off. Whichever comes sooner). Another similarly messy deliciousness is the marvelous Pugliese.

You will also find various paninis, and the popular thin crust room temperature pizzas. One of my favorites is the aged pecorino filled Strecci, wonderfully chewy and salty pizza dough. Or try the Strecci topped with tomatoes (or olives, feh!) and a touch of Rosemary

I first discovered Sullivan inside Scarpetta’s bread basket, aka the sickest bread basket in town. Then it started following me in various specialty stores until I finally popped in, and pretty much never left. Sometimes they call the cops or try to hit me with Jim Lahey’s heavy cookbook. Rarely works! Love knows no bounds.

Categories: Midtown West, New York City | Tags: Best bakeries in NYC, food, restaurants, Sullivan Street Bakery, Sullivan Street Bakery Hells Kitchen, Travel | 4 Comments

Betony – From Russian With Love

Posted on October 12, 2013 by Ziggy

* Terrible pictures alert, due to a combination of poor lighting and zero photography skills with poor lighting! *

You know that you spend too much time with a couple when the following happens. You start receiving texts from them intended for each other. Such is the case with Mr and Mrs Hummus Whisperer. Examples:

From MRS HW: “I bought bananas”. Ahhm, OK?!?

From HW: “Just picture everyone naked!”. What? Oh I see. The wife is away presenting something in a conference. Ok, that took me a few minutes

Thankfully, none of the texts were about us or embarrassingly kinky. Though the last one came close. The moment I get a “Carlos Danger” type text from HW it will be pretty much over between us. Pretty much!

A few weeks ago we took Mr and Mrs Hummus whisperer to Betony for HW’s birthday. Betony is the latest brainchild of Russian entrepreneur Andrey Dellos who previously owned Brasserie Pushkin in the same space. This time he brings with him 2 Eleven Madison Park veterans. Bryce Shuman is no stranger to the kitchen and according to his bio, an enemy of cats! Eamon Rockey is formerly with new Michelin star Aska and EMP, and his bio is not clear where he stands in regards to cats. Betony is now a tough ticket after recently getting 3 stars from the New York Time. Many will kill for just one star. And Betony most likely just missed the Michelin 2014 cut, but there’s always a 2015, I think (I dont have the Mayan calendar next to me at the moment)

I must say I was a bit in awe when we entered Betony. A mature, sophisticated vibe that quite frankly we are not used to. But we were comfortable. Not only we were comfortable but the ladies bags were comfortable. You know that you are at a high end place where your bag has its own seat. And I dont mean this. I’m talking about real furniture. The menu is designed for you to spend a little, but eat very very well. They advise you to share the first courses, and to have your own middle and main. Sorry, not gonna fly with us. Sharing is for caring! (Yes I’m looking at you Mrs HW) Something I learned a long long time ago. So imagine our surprise when we ordered just 3 middle courses for the 4 of us, we all get our plates and the birthday boy is the one stuck with a beautiful empty plate. Overall however, good, knowledgeable service and the food delivered big time

Foie Gras Bonbons wrapped in cashew – Quite good. Though the salt from the cashews was a little too dominant, this was enjoyable.

Chickpea Panisse – Liked this one a lot.

Fried pickles – Surprisingly a bit greasy but pleasant nonetheless.

Beet amuse – A bit on the salty side surprisingly as well. So far a bit of a salty start including the salty bread sticks which I didnt care for at all.

Gnocchi with corn – Smokey, super large, very soft and tasty. A bit too soft for me but still enjoyed this.

Chicken liver mouse – Rich and decadent.

Marinated Sardines – Oh this one was quite good. Lovely with that tomato “salsa” Broke a mini streak of stinky sardines

Short Ribs – A revelation! Best of show. Tender and full of flavor. It takes 3 days to make them we were told and HW was please to find out that it doesnt mean we needed to stay there for 3 days. We were free the next day, but not the day after.

Poached lobster – Very tasty as well, but very light (to me at least). Great broth.

We opted to skip dessert on this night. A fine and enjoyable meal overall. Hard to say if I will be back partly because I’m allergic to that location, but I would like to sample that chicken and anything else Mr Shuman got up his sleeves.