New York City

So I Shaved and Went to Marea

Posted on June 23, 2014 by Ziggy

I Ziggy the II, bite my nails! I dont do it because I’m often nervous, gamble, or watch “The Bachelor” a lot. Its just a habit I developed as a child that never really went away. And after reading a report ~~on Twitter~~ by a reliable source that, get this, people who bite their nails tend to have a stronger immune system & rarely get sick, I’m not stopping any time soon. I may even offer to bite other people’s nails if they suffer from this fetish. I do very rarely get sick. I also have this thing where I need to lick my fingers before using a napkin, no matter who I’m eating with, and where I am. Using napkins on saucy fingers just feels very wrong. I may have been also a tiny little bit stinky before this particular meal, after a 4 hour walking tour of Hell’s Kitchen I was conducting right before the meal. Not to mention the bike run to Tribeca for Nish Nush Falafel for lunch.

So here I was…slightly stinky, tehina smelling, unmanicured fingers, on our anniversary dinner at the oil tycoon section of 2 Michelin Star Marea. Being surrounded by big glamour, and wealth I felt as comfortable as watching a Cialis commercial with the kids. But, ~~after 2 drinks~~ it didn’t take long until we settled down and enjoyed another fine meal at one of New York’s finest. By the way, I did shave for this one. I’m not an animal!

1st Course:

Crudo trio – Pretty forgettable overall. Exhibit A: I don’t remember much of it. Tried the razor clams, langoustine, and snapper. The snapper (Dentice) had the most flavor, and the Razor Clams not nearly as good as little sister Costata.

2nd Course:

Astice – I was totally wowed by this a few years ago, but not this time. This dish if you recall won a spot at the ultra coveted EatingWithZiggy Best dishes of 2012. This time I felt the supporting cast.. the basil seeds and eggplant forgot their lines and stumbled on their faces. All I was tasting was the lobster and your average burrata. Nevertheless it was still far from terrible, and a dish I recommend targeting for first timers. After the initial impression I was just expecting way too much

Octopus – (above) Outstanding! Some of the most tender, flavorful octopus I’ve ever had. Loved the accompanying smoky potatoes and the salad (onions, radish, chilies). I twitted this dish after the meal and a response from Marea followed saying this was on the menu from day one

3rd Course – Both half portions:

Agnolotti – (half portion) Stuffed with milk braised veal these pillowy ravioli simply exploded with flavor as properly made Agnolotti should. Enjoyed this one a lot even though I was disappointing by the little tiny cube thingies they call “Porcini”. We are from the amazing Porcini we had in Siena

Strozzapreti with Crab and uni – (half portion) One of their classics which they mistakenly excluded from the online menu at the time of this dinner. So if you don’t see it on the online menu, don’t believe it. Perfectly al dented, chewy “Priest Stranglers” with the Uni dominating in a very good way. The sauce seems a little different this time around than two years ago but still quite lovely

4th Course

Fusilli (full portion) – Of course I had to have this again. This is one of the most celebrated pasta dishes in town and I may have enjoyed it even more now. Generous amount of octopus, perfectly cooked Fusilli but the red sauce with the bone marrow is as addictive as red sauce can be. A joy with every scoop

Halibut – I wasnt too sure about this one. I mean its a freakin halibut (firm, mild, dries quickly), and very often for us after all those rich primis, fish just doesnt deliver much. This one did! Halibut cooked nicely, not too dry, but what made the dish was the Fregola Sarda, little bubbly Israeli couscous-like pasta. With a little pleasant heat the pasta worked very well with the mild fish.

5th Course

Aria Mascarpone – very good sponge cake with pistachio cream and an excellent robiolina (cheese) gelato. After two meals and having some of the their most popular items like the Bombolonis I still dont have a solid dessert recommendation. But, cant recommend Marea highly enough. Just make sure to shower

Marea
240 Central Park S
$$$$
Recommended Dishes: Astice, Octopus, Agnolotti, Strozzapreti, Fusilli, Halibut

Categories: Midtown West, New York City | Tags: Best Italian in NYC, Best Seafood in NYC, food, marea, Marea NYC, Midtown West, restaurants, Travel | 2 Comments

Walk in the Park Part 3 – Dinner at Gazala’s

Posted on June 16, 2014 by Ziggy

The trilogy conclusion you were so anxiously waiting for. Part 1 is here. Part 2 is here

****Spoiler Alert****: The killer is the hummus!

Although I’ve been to Gazala’s Place in Hell’s Kitchen probably more than 20 times, I never actually met Gazala herself, the hardest working woman in showbiz. That’s because she is hardly ever there. A few years after opening tiny Gazala’s Place she opened this Upper West Side flagship where she spends most of the time. To finally meet her and see her in action was as thrilling to me as meeting Michael White, or Bobby Flay. She is a woman of few words, and all business in that kitchen.

Thankfully for us, Gazala chose the al-Juhhāl (loosely translates to “the Ignorant”) way of life in the Druze village near Haifa, Israel where she grew up. It essentially means she chose the non-religious way, which meant among other things, she is free to travel and in this case, spread the word about the Druze. The word is Hospitality. When you visit a Druze village like we did in Israel a few years ago (coincidentally Gazala’s sister village), you are welcomed and greeted with warmth warmer than your aunt Sally. And so much of that welcome is conveyed via what I can only describe as Trays of heaven. No way aunt Sally can cook like this

Treys of heaven started flowing in very quickly at Gazala’s by the usual army of Russian waiters/waitresses I’ve come to know over the years. Don’t be fooled by the “Asian” looking waitresses, as they are also Russian. For some reason, perhaps a misunderstanding with the agency Gazala works with, other than the cooks, she only employs Russian workers at both branches. A fine Labneh (goat cheese) with Zaat’ar spices to start the party. The Bourekas (flaky pastry) is top notch as usual. They call it the “Boureka of the day” but we all know they always have the Cheese/Sun Dried Tomato which is what I usually get, Cheese/Spinach, and on occasion the Cheese/Mushroom. This is the only place where I order this as I’m not normally fond of the Bourek/Bourekas. Fresh Israeli salad, and surprisingly punchy meat cigars were in the starters mix.

Here me now and listen to me yesterday (an old SNL joke for the uninformed, or “Ignorant”). As I’ve said before many times, this is my favorite Hummus in town. Freshly made daily, it has that perfect creamy texture and that extra oomph that I’ve only had in Israel. Nish Nush makes a fine rendition, the Hummus Kitchen chain produces a good one, but this is still the one. I can taste it as I’m writing this.

The big meat platter, Moshokal, with lamb, chicken & kafta kebab with rice delivered strong flavors, perhaps with the exception of the slightly bland lamb. The Date cookies and the Baklava we got by mistake were fine but perhaps the biggest discovery this time was a pair of Yogurt puddings charged with oranges and rosewater called Osh Al-Saraia. A heavenly finish at heavenly Gazala’s

Gazala’s
380 Columbus Ave
$$
Recommended Dishes: Hummus (plain or with chickpeas), falafel, Bourekas, grilled chicken, Osh Al-Saraia

Categories: New York City, Upper West Side | Tags: Best Middle Eastern in NYC, Best restaurants Upper West Side, Druze Cuisine NYC, food, Gazala, Gazala's, Gazala's NYC, restaurants, Travel | 2 Comments

Walk in the Park Part 2 – The Walk in the Park

Posted on June 14, 2014 by Ziggy

Part 1 is here. Part 3 (the highlight) to come

Water and Israel were the theme in Central Park on this day (June 1st). Israel supporters swarmed the park after the annual Israeli Day Parade to commemorate Israel’s independence. Coincidentally, water is the theme in the Israeli holiday Shavuot which followed this day. Wrong day to be a tourist in Israel where kids flock the streets with water guns and water balloons. Perhaps the spritzer above us at Rosi’s was just practicing? (read part 1)

We started at the usual magical spot, where we sang Strawberry Fields Forever. Well, I sang, while the kids sang “stop”. One of the parks gems for sure. We then moved to the always striking Bethesda Fountain, until we settled at the Boathouse to stand on line for a boat. Playing tourists in our own town. It took about 40 minutes, which turned agonizing to the couple in front of us who realized they didnt have the $35 cash to rent a boat ($20 of that refundable)

The boats were fun, although most likely built during biblical times. I developed a child labor technique called OOM-PAH (patent pending). Shouting “OOM-PAH” meant they both row to the drum-like beat, “OOM” means just the right child, “PAH” means left. The faster the chant, the faster the row. It worked for us in that we got back in time (1 hour) and no baby turtles were hurt in the process. One mother turtle got almost killed, but she was at the wrong place, at the wrong time.

After that we looked for a table at the boathouse for a drink but no luck. So we trekked a little further to the other boat rental spot where you rent a remote control to navigate your assigned sailboat. Had some fun with that, climbed Alice in Wonderland (I think I may have killed something else – another turtle), Belvedere Castle, and headed toward dinner.

Categories: New York City | Tags: Central Park, NYC, Travel | Leave a comment

Walk in the Park Part 1 – Lunch at Salumeria Rosi

Posted on June 12, 2014 by Ziggy

The first part of the “Walk in the Park” trilogy. Not just any park – Central Park. It was one of those great food days you can only have in NYC. And in some parts of Jersey, Central Connecticut and Israel. First stop is a visit to this guy’s place which included great food, an assassination attempt, and saving a tourist from bankruptcy and potentially messy divorce.

Cesare Casella who always smells of fresh Rosemary for some reason is quickly becoming a NYC culinary force to be reckoned with. Not surprising from someone who took his parent’s restaurant outside of Lucca (one of the most magical cities we ever visited) and transformed it into a Michelin star celebrity magnet. Now, two restaurants hugging Central Park from both sides are owned by Cesare and his partner Parmacotto, a cured meat producer from Parma.

Salumeria Rosi is not your average NYC Italian restaurant like a Maialino or a Mercato. Its a Salumeria, where you can sample some top quality cured meats, pastas and other small plates consisting of high grade ingredients not normally available at a Trattoria near you. Leave it to the guy with the fresh Rosemary in his shirt pocket…(hmm, that may explain the question above)

Caprese Salad – Fresh, refreshing. Everything you expect from a Caprese

Salumi Board – As good as it gets in NYC (and we’ve had our share). All my favorites minus Finnocchiona were featured on this board, so beautiful that it deserves 2 pictures. Prosciutto di Parma, Mortadella from Bologna, Both sweet and spicy Soppressata, Coppa (like Prosciutto but from shoulder), Cotto (Cooked ham), and the red little things peeping out in the middle are Cacciatorino, small spicy hunter sausage. We returned later on to buy more of these goodies for the kids school lunches.

Assassination Attempt – Midway through the meal we got splashed with water (I hope it was water) coming from the building on top of us (we were sitting outside btw). It happened so quick that we didn’t know what hit us at first. But it wasn’t too bad and more importantly NO SALUMI WERE HARMED in the process. Although the kids were wondering if I wrote something bad about someone who lives in this building. Pretty sure this was coincidental

Amatriciana – This was an excellent rendition of the Roman classic featuring mini Rigatoni with a blend of various meats, tomatoes and onions. Nicely done red sauce dish.

Lasagna – A very good Bologna style lasagna with pork and beef ragu, and béchamel sauce. The only issue I had with it, it was on the small side and not very shareable for the four of us

Saving Marriage – I noticed a couple riding Citi bikes parked in front of the restaurant and stayed for a few drinks. I jokingly said something like “that’s a lot of overtime” and to my surprise they said not to worry, they have a 24 hour pass. I tried to explain that it doesn’t mean that they can keep the bikes for 24 hours straight which they didn’t believe at first but most likely got the idea eventually

Salsiccia (above)- Maybe our favorite dish here. Tender, flavor packed house made pork sausage with heirloom beans and tomatoes. After struggling to find top quality beans in NYC, Cesare took action and started growing them himself in Italy.

Costina – Wasn’t blown away by this. Room temperature two pork spare ribs slow-cooked with tomatoes, rosemary and garlic. Much prefer the sausage dish.

Overall a very good lunch and a very good start to our day. Bravo Cesare!

Salumeria Rosi

283 Amsterdam Ave
$$$
Recommended Dishes: Salumi Board, Amatriciana, Salsiccia, Lasagna

Categories: New York City, Upper West Side | Tags: Cesare Casella, food, NYC, restaurants, Salumeria NYC, Salumeria Rosi, Salumeria Rosi NYC, Travel, Upper West Side | Leave a comment

Danji – One of a Kind

Posted on June 4, 2014 by Ziggy

I will make this one nice and quick, just like a lovely lunch at Danji in Hell’s Kitchen. Photos this time courtesy of the Iphone 5 with semi sweaty palms. Spring was cancelled this year in case you haven’t noticed, so we went from winter straight to sweaty palms

Danji, the only restaurant in the world that owns both a Michelin Star and a spot in Ziggy’s Hell’s Kitchen Survival Guide. No one else can claim this ~~dubious~~ distinction. Hakkasan, the only other Michelin Star establishment in Hells Kitchen, tried but failed. Maybe next year Hakkasanians. Don’t know how Daniel and Masa alumni Hooni Kim feels about this accomplishment, but my gut tells me he probably doesnt even know. I mean seriously, how many people you know even heard of Michelin Stars! Certainly none of my Korean American friends.

Anyway, Danji is the type of place you take your sexy new coworker for lunch to introduce her to the neighborhood. I cant think of a better culinary introduction to Hell’s Kitchen, even though Danji is not located on the prettiest block (ugly industrial looking office buildings + an army of people waiting for a table at Totto staring at their phones). Reservations arent accepted for parties less than 6, but I never had any trouble getting a table for 2 and something 4 for lunch. The menu, which you will find in a drawer under your table is full of a Korean inspired fancy bar food. Mostly small plates.

After several lunches with family, friends, loved ones, here are 4 dishes that will make your taste buds go Gangnam style

Tofu W. Ginger Scallion Dressing soy vinaigrette – Creamy interior, crunchy exterior, delicious all around. One of the best tofu dishes I ever had. EWZ historians claim that this is the only recommended tofu dish on EWZ

Spicy ‘K.F.C.’ Korean Fire Chicken Wings honey, garlic, four chilies – These are simply some of the tastiest wings you will ever have in NYC. Plenty of heat, plenty of joy, and plenty of finger licking followed by Gynecologists convention like finger smelling session

Bulgogi Beef Sliders spicy pickled cucumber and scallion salsa – One of Danji’s specialties. Small and explosive

Kimchi Pork Bibim-Bop satur farm vegetables, jidori egg, and aged kimchi w. pork – My latest discovery (top picture, below mixed). Mix in all the goodies with the sauce and you got a beautiful medley of textures and flavors. Note, my vegan friend, lets call her Phoebe (because thats her name) really liked the veg version. Bring your vegan friends here.

Categories: Midtown West, New York City | Tags: Best Korean NYC, danji, Danji NYC, food, Hells kitchen, Michelin Stars, resaturants, Travel | 3 Comments

Scenes From the Ninth Avenue International Food Festival

Posted on June 2, 2014 by Ziggy

Warning: Some of these images may be disturbing. They may include large crowds, pictures of alcoholic beverages, tender grilled octopuses (yes, octopuses is not only acceptable but rolls off the tongue better.. try saying it a few times.. Octopuses) and ways in which we can cheat the system and walk around holding an alcoholic beverage on the streets of NY. They may also include scenes way too familiar to the average NY food festival goer including pictures of Shish Kebab, corn, and strange looking dudes sporting cats and giant beer bottles on their heads.

I’m also taking this opportunity to award the first ever ZAG award to the vendor showing excellence via most palatable eats. The ZAG (Ziggy Against Gyros) goes to Empanada Mama and their terrific Brazil and Spicy Chicken Empanadas. Congratulations guys.

Categories: Midtown West, New York City | Tags: Empanada Mama, food, Hells kitchen, Ninth Avenue International Food Festival, NYC eats, restaurants, Travel | 2 Comments

Annisa – Eating Without Borders (and Dictionary)

Posted on May 27, 2014 by Ziggy

So I finally shaved and went to Annisa. Anita Lo’s “Baby” has been on my list for a long time now, but not until the New York Times awarded it its third star, I figured its time. Besides, I couldnt think of too many places that can match the elegance of birthday girl Mrs Ziggy on this rainy night (Awwweee! Ok enough). Lo’s career reads like a movie script. Highly acclaimed internships, Iron Chef win over Batali, a cookbook named Cooking Without Borders is just a small sample of Lo’s accomplishments. But what separates this NYC food celebrity from the rest for me is instead of trying to build an empire, she’s staying put and concentrating on one place, her 14 year old “Baby”, Annisa.

Cooking without Borders means you cant quite categorize Anita Lo’s cuisine. Hence, the default American (New) title is applied for Annisa. The menu includes influences from her French training, Middle East, plenty of Asian, and yes there’s even some American (New). It also made me feel culinary dumb, (what the heck is a Satsumaimo). Not as dumb however as I felt after I got a little tipsy and forgot where I parked the car after dinner. Mrs Z thought it was Jones St, I said Waverly, while a homeless gentleman who overheard us talking kept yelling “WAVERLY” and pointed to it in case we didnt notice that Waverly was right in front us. At some point we gathered for a brainstorm session with me, wife and the homeless guy who just kept saying “Waverly”, trying to figure out where we came from. We finally found the car on Waverly as I and homeless guy predicted

I love coming to a place with a sound ordering plan. Sometimes it doesn’t work too well, but this was not one of those times.

Black Sea Bass Sashimi with trout roe, Yuzu Pearls and Shiso – Delicate, expertly cut Sashimi with the mild caviar that’s not overpowering. We shared this one as our first course before the next two apps. While I thought I ordered just enough or a little too much food, the couple near us who apparently was there a few times in the last few weeks ordered 4 apps, and 4 mains. The waiter tried to convey that its too much food but quickly lost the argument. These were some true Anita fans!

BBQ Squid, Thai Basil, Fresh Peanuts and Edamame (top) -Perhaps the dish of the night. You just cant get more tender, better tasting squid than this. With the peanuts probably getting boiled the heck out of them until their texture pretty much matches the Edameme, the sweetness from the Howisin sauce and minty hints, you got yourself a great dish

Seared Foie Gras with soup dumplings and Jicama – Very good as expected from one of Lo’s signature items that’s been on the menu form day one. Since you get three dumplings we added one more which amounted to $28. Sitting on top of vinegar reduction, you pick up the dumplings with your spoon, bite one end of it and suck out some of the soup much to chagrin of your 4 apps, 4 mains neighbors. Then you eat the rest of the dumpling that includes plenty of crunch from the Jicama. An enjoyable dish but despite the Foie presence, the few bites dont live up to the price tag in my opinion

Broiled Spanish Mackerel, Garlic fried Milk, Satsumaimo, Korean Chili. A lot going in this one. The fiery Korean Chili sauce balanced out nicely the strong Mackerel flavors. Small cubes of Satsumaimo which is Japanese sweet potato and more ingeniousness from the Garlic Fried Milk balls. Nice dish!

Pan Roasted Chicken – There are those places where you simply must order the chicken (the NoMad, KFC) and this is one of them. Something Lo picked up from her work in Chanterelle. Tender, juicy, perfectly crisped skin, stuffed with pigs’ feet and chanterelles and sitting on a bed of creamy puree of White Truffle, Sherry and roasted onions. This dish was sensational!

And what a fitting finish for us to end this one with what I call “The NOLA duo” (which confused the Maitre d a little). From the Beignets of the previous post to the great little Pecan and Salted Butternut Beignets with Bourbon Milk Ice. Although I was full I could have had another dozen of these. The airy and scrumptious Bread and Butter pudding with lemon curd would fit nicely with the bread pudding behemoths in New Orleans. There’s all sorts of mediocre bread puddings all over town, but this is certainly not one of them

Annisa
13 Barrow St
$$$$
Recommended Dishes: BBQ Squid, Black Sea Bass Sashimi, Pan Roasted Chicken, Beignets, Bread Pudding, Dumplings if you dont mind the price

Categories: New York City, West Village | Tags: Anita Lo, Annisa, Annisa NYC, Best Restaurants in West Village, food, restaurants, Travel, west village | 1 Comment

Bassanova – Some Ramen are Better than Others

Posted on May 21, 2014 by Ziggy

April 12th, 2015 Update:

I have mixed feelings about reblogging this one. On one hand I have an important update on Bassanova (Important to me at least. To roughly 89% of yous this is as important as the news that Bruce Jenner is now wearing a bra). But on the other hand, after reading the original post below, I have no clue what the hell I’m talking about there. I suppose I can just rewrite the entire thing, but that would not be keeping it real. You are with me folks, with the good and the bad, and the terrible. And the “He must be high on kasha or something”.

I’ll make this one quick and painless, without any Morrissey references. Its painful enough for me to even spell Morisseey. But I really do wish everyday was like this Sunday. A nice day of eating with the misses where I introduced her to more of my favorites, and in return she ~~made~~ let me try on 17 pairs of jeans in Soho. I’m so lucky to have her.

Adding the Yuzu Wadashi Ramen to the equation. The Yuzu is cleaner, with a profound citrusy flavor in both the stock and noodles (Yuzu is an Asian Citrus fruit that looks like a cross between a grapefruit and a lemon). Cleaner than the Green Curry that is, which still rocks with its complexity and chewy wavy noodles. Its a fairly busy plate with okra, shrimp, and shaved dried chili, and almost mazemen-like with its thick broth. Still enjoyed it, but I give a slight nod to the lighter Yuzu at this point. We also loved the long flat sizzling hot Iron-Pan Stick Dumplings. They are hot alright, and quite delicious with pork, chives, chinese cabbage, garlic, and scallion. Get it!

I’m not complaining, but this is one of those places that puzzle me why there are no lines out the door like you see in Totto and Ippudo.

May 21st, 2014 post:

The likely title if the great Morrissey would have written this one for me. “Some Girls are Bigger than Others” by Morrissey and the Smiths always pops into my head when I go to one of those school events like I did today. And you know what? He’s right! Some girls are indeed bigger than others, and not only that but “Some girls mothers are bigger than other girls mothers” (listen to the song). You can say a lot about Morrissey, but you cant say he’s unobservant. Today at my 12 year old Honor Society Ceremony I just couldn’t help but notice how tiny some kids are compared to others. Some look like 16, while others look like 6.

BTW (switching to “Big mouth” as the soundtrack for this post) did you ever wonder why people put those “My child is in an honor student” bumper stickers on their cars. Is this something you need to announce to total strangers driving behind you? And do you honestly think that anyone would actually care and go “oh look honey, her son is an honor student, well isn’t that special” Why not announce it to total strangers at other venues, like when entering a subway train “LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, can I have your attention please..”. It never made sense to me. (Switching gears to “How Soon is Now”…)

Anyway, some Ramen are in fact better than others, and Bassanova’s Green Curry Ramen is moving up the NYC rankings. Rankings that include heavyweights like the Akamaru Modern by Ippudo, Spicy Ramen by Totto, and Ivan Ramen’s array of Ramen and Mazemen. The awards and various list mentions are proudly displayed on the sign in a very unique way. But to my and the Hummus Whisperer’s shock, no mention of the “Battle of the Soups” discovery by the Hummus Whisperer back in November”. While we didn’t expect the Bassanova founder to put the bumper sticker “I was mentioned on Eating With Ziggy” we sent him, we did expect something next to the NYT top 10.

The Green Curry Ramen is peppery, intense, and features wavy thicker al-dente noodles which I haven’t seen before in a Ramen bowl. The added okra, shrimp and of course the porky goodness adds to the joy. The pork stock with hints of fish was rich, complex and simply Marvelous. Another unique Ramen to us but an increasingly common one in Tokyo is the Lemon Pepper featuring thinner more basic noodles. The waitress grinds fresh pepper on top of the lemon slices coating the entire dish. Check out Bassanova everyone

Bassanova Ramen
76 Mott St
$$
Recommended Dishes: Get the Green Curry

Categories: Chinatown, New York City | Tags: Bassanova Ramen, Bassanova Ramen NYC, Best Ramen in NYC, Chinatown, food, restaurants, Travel | 1 Comment

Bar Bolonat – Shiksa Approved

Posted on May 14, 2014 by Ziggy

December 26, 2014 Update:

Took yet another shiksa to Bar Bolonat the other day and had another fun meal. Plenty of empty tables on a Friday night at 8 pm but by the time we left the place was packed. Are we eating later now like in Europe? I didn’t get the memo. Einat Admony’s pink scooter wasnt there again, and I’m yet to meet this NYC legend. Yes, to me her accomplishments here are inline with some of the famous chefs in NYC. Although there were some misses on this particular night, there were plenty of hits, some of which I added to the recommended list below.

Sunchoke Latkes – Hannukah special. Tasted much better than they looked (they looked like Latkes!). Nice falafely flavor

Delicata Squash – Good. Essentially a hefty meaty sweet squash lightly dressed with some Tahini and a few pieces of brittle adding more sweetness and crunch. Contrary to how the media praises the veg dishes, I don’t see them as the strong points here. Timeout named the Everyday Cauliflower one of the best dishes of the year, but I thought it was just ok and not nearly as good as Balaboosta’s version

Octopus – Just ok. Came with a couple of purees, roasted peppers, and something called “Squid Ink Cracker” which was like a tasteless rice cake. The octopus itself was a bit too tender, as in undercooked and missing that nice octopus bite (octobite!)

Zabzi Tagine – Still great but lost some of its “Taginess”. Short rib instead of beef cheek this time (I prefer the cheeks). Came with a closed lid. I was hoping to impress this particular Shiksa with the incredible aromas I remember from last time that would drive her mishegas. But this time as soon as the lid went up, we got bupkes. None of that crazy good herby action I smelled before. Still, a solid plate overall and something I would order again

Hudson Street Kibbeh – This was a fantastic dish and possibly the best Kibbeh I ever had. Three x-large egg shaped pieces with preserved lemon sauce. The meat was perfectly seasoned and the crust had a nice crunch.

Falafel Encrusted Grouper – I wasn’t sure about this one. Love my falafels and groupers but not necessarily together. Turned out to be a great surprise. The falafel crust was just strong (or weak) enough to compliment the delicate fish which was perfectly cooked. Loved the accompanied beans in this white Chermoula seasoned sauce which absorbed much of the fish. Perhaps my new favorite dish here

Halva Crème Brulee – As good as before. Admony’s desserts are some of the best in the business.

I should also note that with the end of the year looming I’m seeing some of these dishes included in various best of the year lists. Namely, the Jerusalem Bagel, Halva Crème Brulee and Cauliflower dish. And this is just the beginning of the lists season Bar Bolonat - Artichoke

Original May 14, 2014 post:

Something peculiar happened to me yesterday that worries me a little. It could be nothing, something, or an eating lowlight of sorts not sure. A wardrobe malfunction after another great meal at Ma Peche. A rather important button disappeared from one of the only shirts I have that makes me look healthy. Not just any button. A designer button made in a Mongolian orphanage. For about an hour on the bus I looked like something like this. There was nothing in the way, nothing I could do to control or contain that gut but cover it with my hands as best I could. A sign perhaps, like a timely Metamucil commercial that I should start watching ~~how much~~ what I eat. “You are what you eat” is what they keep saying (They=Dr. Oz) and according to the laws of digestion, the gut in question was loaded with Korean, American, Italian, Modern Israeli and chocolate covered pomegranates from Costco (serious awesomeness) among other delicacies. Yes, it was one of those weekends.

The first word that came to mind when I arrived at Einat Admony’s Bar Bolonat is guts. The pink scooter was not there which means perhaps that Einat doesn’t give a couscous about the all important critic stage after an opening. Ok, after missing her in Balaboosta and Taim over the years I just cant get a break. All I want to do is tell her how awesome she is, and complain about the way they spell S’chug at Taim (wtf is “S’rug”) thats all. The good news is that the Schug (Yemenite hot sauce/spread) spelling makes more sense at Bar Bolonat. The better news is that the meal was very good. Bar Bolonat - Jerusalem Bagel

As in Balaboosta and just about every new place these days, its large, small, smaller plate format. We ordered 6 dishes + 2 desserts for the 2 of us and it felt that it was the right amount of food. Plates started rolling out at a furious pace at first. We got the first 4 dishes fairly quickly including some at the same time (we were there no more than 20 mins I think) And I had to ask them to slow down a bit which they did.

The Jerusalem Bagel with Za-atar spices on the side was light and fresh. I always say that if you see bread on the menu, get it, and I continue to follow the rule. But I cant help but be less enthusiastic about this rule of thumb now that every new place follows this trend. It almost feels refreshing these days when you get free bread, like the focaccia with various dips/salads we got at Enoteca Maria (the rotating Italian Babushka place) the other night

A fine baby artichoke dish, coated with a good amount of pistachios and spices. As good as baby artichoke can taste for me. The “Everyday Cauliflower” was on the dry side with very little tahini at the bottom and tasted more like.. well… everyday cauliflower. Maybe that’s the point, but a slight nod to the Balaboosta version. The star of the show by far was the Zabzi Tagine. Incredibly aromatic and flavor packed beef cheeks and homemade couscous. The beef cheeks made me forget about the super tender beef cheek dish I had in Sylvain in New Orleans recently

Four plump, expertly cooked Shrimp with Yemenite Curry and just a touch of that spicy S’chug was quite delectable. A similar dish she offered at Balaboosta as a special. Fresh Pasta with ricotta was simple, and quite delicious. If there’s one thing I like more than simple fresh pasta, is simple fresh pasta with a bit of a kick.

No Chocolate Falafel on the dessert menu last night (probably a good thing) but enjoyed a nice Malabi, (the Israeli Panna Cotta), and an ever better Halva Creme Brulee. Like the Silan at Taboon its all about the shredded Halva taking this one to the next level. Check out Bar Bolonat everyone, and bring your Shiksas

Bar Bolonat
611 Hudson St
$$$
Recommended Dishes: Jerusalem Bagel, Zabzi Tagine, Shrimp with Yemenite Curry, Fresh Pasta, Hudson Street Kibbeh, Grouper, Halva Creme Brulee

Categories: New York City, West Village | Tags: Bar Bolonat, Bar Bolonat NYC, Einat Admony, food, Israeli cuisine in NYC, restaurants, Travel, West Village dining | 1 Comment

Kokum – YeShiva University

Posted on May 6, 2014 by Ziggy

Rule of thumb still stands. Want solid Indian in the city of New York, just visit any of Shiva’s establishments. That’s Shiva Natarajan if you scoring at home, or if you’re alone. Adding Kokum to the Arsenal that includes Chote Nawab and Malai Marke. Kokum, named after a fruit used as a spice in South India cooking represents the cuisine of Kerala among other South Indian regions. A refreshing addition to North Indian heavy (read Heavy as in rich) NYC.

When you first walk inside Kokum, it feels like second hour of lights fixture shopping time with the wife in Chinatown. You start feeling dehydrated, dizzy while hallucinations and impure thoughts about Indian and Chinese food start kicking in. If this is what Shiva went through to get funky lights fixtures, than I feel for you brother. Women Schwomen you know what I’m saying!

Kokum’s menu requires a stint at Ye(Shiva) University, before arrival. Its not only large, but it will make your head spin. There must have been 30 items at least that I wanted to try including some familiar items from Shiva’s other establishments. As a result, flavors were a little more familiar than I was expecting but in a very very good way.

Tropical Kerala – Perhaps the first ever cocktail at an Indian establishment I really liked. Get this.

Kumily Chicken Fry – Well done. Good depth and not too dry. Similar to Chili Chicken at Malai Marke and perhaps your neighborhood Szechuan

Mysore Masala Dosa – You gotta get a Dosa crepe here. This one was stuffed with spiced potatoes and onions. Terrific accompanied chutneys ranged from mild to hot. This thing is huge

Red Pumpkin Thoran – Good, nicely balanced, but should have ordered the bindi (okra) we enjoyed so much in Shivas other establishments

Kori Gassi – We liked this a lot at Chote Nawab so had to get it again.

Chettinad Kulambu – I’ve been on a Chettinad high lately as my go to lunch choice. This is probably the best Chettinad I’ve had

No Naan here. Got some spongy Appam rice crepes, like Sri Lankan Hoppers. Appalam, lentil pancakes I would skip. Great Paripu Podi Rice

Kokum
106 Lexington Ave
Recommended Dishes: All of the above