New York City

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

Mighty Quinn’s – A Man and his Bone

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Ziggy

Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, the Naked Cowboy, the woman on the C line that forgets her pants sometimes, Brontosaurus Rib at Mighty Quinn’s. Things that remind you that you are not in Keukenhof anymore. This is America, where you American food, cooked by Americans, in America! The BBQ renaissance in NYC is in full force. You simply can no longer say that there’s no good BBQ in NYC. Try saying it… See? You cant!

At first you feel like you need some sort of a game plan on how to share this massiveness of a beef bone. But after a quick poke, no knives, and no archers needed. A simple fork attack will do for this super delicate, juicy piece of meat. At BBQ joints I normally pass on beef ribs in favor of the pig, but here my gut told me I had to fork in the $23 for this bone (by gut I mean I’ve been reading and hearing about it for a while) and the gut was right.

Second prize went to the glorious pulled pork which we already tasted in the Dumbo Smorgasburg. The carver splashes their own BBQ sauce at the cafeteria like counter to give it that special depth of flavor. Perhaps the pulled pork to beat in NYC

The spare ribs were disappointing in the sense that I only got to try one. Why oh why they did not become vegetarian, like the cool Manhattan kids. While missing the wow factor of its cousins, the rib was exceptional. A delicate crust that lets the tender meat do the talking. The moist Brisket, with all its fatty glory did not disappoint as well

This is not the place to discount the sides. They may look like Boston Market, but taste like Per Se. Did you know there’s no Boston Market in Boston (other than one perhaps)? Yes, you’ve been living a lie. Who doesn’t like sweet potatoes? Me! Not a fan. But add some pecans and maple syrup and you got yourself a scrumptious little side. The Edamame and pea salad was as good as Edamame and sweet peas can potentially get.

Mighty Quinn’s, possibly the city’s best all around BBQ, represents everything I love about eating in the East Village. Its like a giant Smorgasbord of artisanal goodies. Where else can you have ribs, Thai, a gay bar and Hamantash (March mean Hamantash season) at Moishe’s all right next to each other.

Mighty Quinn’s

103 2nd Ave

Categories: East Village, New York City | Tags: Best BBQ in NYC, East Village BBQ, food, Mighty Quinn's, Mighty Quinn's NYC, NYC BBQ, NYC eats, restaurants, Travel | 5 Comments

Restaurant Week is Over. Here’s What You Missed

Posted on March 9, 2014 by Ziggy

1) A Slew of participants. None of which are the hottest/trendiest places at the moment. Mostly establishments that can use more bodies during Monday-Friday.

2) Menus designed for restaurant week. A $25 lunch menu that normally includes a minuscule or none inspiring appetizer like the ever so trendy kale soup. A main entree that is either off the regular menu, a smaller version of the regular menu item, or a new cheap invention. You certainly did not miss the signature dishes, or the dishes that truly define the participant establishments

3) Dessert. Seriously, who orders dessert during lunch anymore in NYC other than the business lunchers or “Ladies Who Lunch”. At the end of the day, once you calculate all you had versus what the regular menu offers, you wind up with a free dessert

4) Cold Service. Yes this will vary from place to place and certainly debatable I suppose. But when you are suddenly staring at a full house filled with diners taking advantage of this opportunity what you get is servers treating you like you are part of this RW herd. At one establishment a server asked me in a thick French accent “How was you lunch”, and proceeded to turn around before I completed my response. Clearly saying “I was trained to ask you people questions but I dont really care about what you have to say”. At another place I was given the first course 20 seconds after I got the bread basket (with dip), and I was given the second course 15 mins into the meal. Herd mentality goes both ways. The kittens are shown in, and then out as quickly as possible.

5) Salmon

6) Absolutely Nothing!

You missed nothing. Consider this quote from the great David Chang who prior to creating his empire worked in many places that participated in RW. “You just have to cook like a maniac. Cooks are creatures of habit all of a sudden your room’s full, and you have bunch of people that want stuff well done. It’s not what you want to be doing.”Most chefs will tell you that it’s great. I guarantee you there’s not one cook that is excited about restaurant week.” Here’s the Source. I believe him.

Restaurants are in the business of making money. Since Restaurants Week is now twice a year, and more than one week sometimes, the various establishments cant afford to lose much on these deals. Instead of trying to impress the average RW goer and convince folks to come back, I gather the average participant views the goer as someone who most likely not come back any time soon. So lets make a quick buck.

Of course with so many participants there are bound to be exceptions. The Dutch RW menu allows you to order anything from the full menu. Maialino’s RW menu is a combination of items from the regular menu. But in order to digest all the RW menus for the purpose of figuring out what is worth it and whats not, you need to hire an assistant.

Think of it as a 10% off sweater sale at Bloomingdales where sweaters are normally marked up significantly higher than the clothing store you frequent. Or better yet, a free dessert. To truly experience those establishments I suggest doing so during regular none RW times, and order from the menu that made them who they are.

Categories: New York City | Tags: food, NYC Eating, NYC Restaurant Week, Restaurant week, restaurants | 3 Comments

Sleep No More – Random Thoughts

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Ziggy

An oldie but goodie post…

Eating With Ziggy

Sleep No More is a unique NYC theatre experience set in a so-called “abandoned” hotel called the McKittrick Hotel. Instead of watching a play unfold you run around up and down stairs wearing a mask following characters from room to room and watch various dream-like sequences of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. I will not bore you with any specific details but instead I WILL bore you with various Random Thoughts I had from scene to scene…

Scene 1 – Well, this is interesting

Scene 2 – I wonder who wore the mask before me

Scene 3 – what’s up with the mad rush. Joining the mad rush. Losing the mad rush after the couple before us exited prematurely

Scene 4 – I can’t breath through the mask and I’m starting to sweat. almost profusely

Scene 5 – where did I park my car

Scene 6 – I swear to god if this woman…

View original post 268 more words

Categories: New York City | Leave a comment

Chelsea Market – 10 Great Eats

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Ziggy

Ever since god invented the CitiBike, I’ve been spending more time chowing in ultra touristy Chelsea Market. A pleasant 15 minute ride there, and a strenuous 25 minute ride back on a ~~gassy~~ full stomach. Navigating through the tourists at the market during lunch time should be an Olympic event. The Chelsea Slalom. Opening the door without letting an entire large polish group in and losing your family as a result somehow requires an online course. With that said, unlike most touristy spots in NYC (e.g. Little Italy, Times Square, Restaurant Row) there’s good food to be had here.

Chelsea Market is a little misunderstood. Since this is by far New York’s most famous “Market”, many avid tourists come here expecting a market similar to the Boqueria in Barcelona or Mahane Yehuda in Jerusalem. Chelsea Market is nothing like it. Its indoors, not really ingredient heavy, but more a of a collection of unique restaurants and food purveyors. And just like Eataly, Chelsea Market requires some exploring in order to get it, and avoid disappointment.

Adobada Tacos at Los Tacos #1 – The more I eat those little porky things the more I like them. Tacos on the small side when you compare to what you get at a NYC bodega, but they are well marinated and deadly. I often see tourists and locals fill the tacos with salsa and all the other free goodies available on the counter, ever so slowly killing the flavors. Let the meat do the talking guys.

Pastrami Sandwich at Dickson’s – These guys, who look mostly like Boston Bruins enforcers, dont mess around with their meats. Top quality stuff is sourced directly from a few hand picked local farms, enabling Dickson’s to produce tasty sausages, hot dogs (great dogs here) and this pastrami sandwich with Apricot Chutney. This is not your average pastrami. Bright, peppery, well marbled, fatty in all the right places. Like slow dancing with your mother in law.

Cappelletti al Prosciutto at Giovanni Rana – Fresh pasta galore at this Verona import. After trying an array of pastas here (including a surprisingly flavorless Carbonara) I would stick to what they do best; Ravioli/Tortellini, and the rest of the ravioli familia. The “little hat” shaped Cappelletti is packed with flavorful, salty, porky goodness

Chirashi Bowl at Lobster Place – Tourists flock to LP for the lobster, not realizing the tremendous sushi strength here. One of the best ways to sample the fresh seafood at LP is via the Chirashi, a rice bowl topped with chef selected fresh raw goodness. Other than the somewhat soggy octopus this thing simply rocked. As long as you dont mind splurging the full $24 for the full bowl if sitting at the counter

Peppercorn Catfish at Num Pang. Love me some good fish sandwich. Something you cant easily find in NYC. This is a fine combination of flaky catfish with mild pleasant heat, fresh veggies, and crispy baguette-like bread adding to a mighty fine Vietnamese Banh Mi resemblance

Uni Tagliatelle at Cull and Pistol. Squid ink pasta to me is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you going to get. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt. This one works big time. The richness, and sweetness of the uni sauce puts the Tagliatelle into another dimension. And while the cherry tomatoes, and squid are just there to look pretty, they don’t hurt. Even my oldest (13) who swore against squid ink pastas when she tried it in Venice, enjoyed this one.

Lobster. When I first decided to do a blog post about the Chelsea Market, I said to myself. “Ziggy, be unique. Give them something more than what those Asian tourists are coming for”. But who am I kidding. Nothing says NYC more to me than this only in NYC thing. The Maine Lobster Roll! You can get it at the Lobster Place, or its sister Cull and Pistol with the most addictive, perfectly cut and seasoned fries. Or, do it Asian tourist style – grab a table and share an entire one.

Mighty Mushroom Roll at Beyond Sushi. Dont say I’m not thinking of you Mr and Mrs health nut. For something that is less than zero calories (you lose while you chew and lose some more while you fight a polish tourist for a sit at the steps) this is pretty darn good. And its not just the truffle essence that puts this thing on the list, its also the Enoki, Shiitake, Tofu, Micro Arugula, Shiitake Teriyake sauce… err who am i kidding, its mainly the truffle essence. The same essence I blame for not taking a picture.

Chocolate Chip Cookie with Caramel at Liddabit – This is simply an awesome cookie! Dont believe me? I once brought the cookie to my cookie obsessed/snob co-worker Lou…

“So, how do you like it?”

“This is a good cookie!”

See? What sets it a part for me is not so much the caramel, but the liberal use of dark chocolate chunks all around.

Nocciola delle Langhe at L’Arte del Gelato – Pure awesomeness. If there’s better gelato in the city, I didn’t have it yet. If you always wandered about the difference between ice cream and gelato, this is a good place to see the difference.

Categories: Chelsea, New York City | Tags: Beyond Sushi, Chelsea Market, Cull and Pistol, Dickson's, food, L'Arte del Gelato, Liddabit, Lobster Place, Los Tacos #1, Num Pang, NYC, restaurants, Travel, What to eat in the Chelsea Market | 4 Comments

Lazy Post – City as Canvas

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Ziggy

Whether you are for or against public graffiti you may still appreciate the City Of Canvas exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York. Martin Wong who died of AIDS in 1999 was an artist and a graffiti pioneer in NYC, the city that defined the whole graffiti movement. He amassed a huge graffiti collection during the 1970’s and 1980’s which he later donated to the city. Wong’s works can be found in other museums all over the city including the Met. After his death the Martin Wong foundation was created to continue his legacy

This is not the only reason to visit the Museum of the City of New York. Rising Waters, a touchy subject with the Ziggy clan depicts the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Activists New York explores the entire history of activism in New York, among other exhibits on display.

Categories: New York City | Tags: City as Canvas, NYC, Travel, travel+photography | 1 Comment

The Road Trip Every New Yorker Should Do At Least Once

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Ziggy

Rumors have it that our new mayor has dropped the groundhog on his head and as a result we are suffering through the worst winter in recent memory. Major salt shortages all over the city. Lower back spasms from all that reaching to the wallet to pay the shovellers. And not so much eating out lately. Quality of life is taking a hit due to this winter, and instead of the usual food porn I’m presenting you with the finest New England lighthouses and pretty bridges with flowers. Yes, the inner Ziggy is out at it again.

With that said, I was asked quite a few times for that New England road trip we did a few years back, and I figured its time to put it up here. This is an 11 day road trip showcasing some NE highlights. If anyone has any suggestions/comments/threats please dont hesitate to share in the comments. But overall, road trips out of NYC dont get any better than this (and we had our share which includes Niagara)

The short Version (1 night each unless noted):

Newport

Sacco

Bar Harbor – 3

Boothbay

Portland

Gloucester – 3

Day 1 – Newport, RI. One night. Along with the drive back home this is the longest drive of the trip. You are here to see the mansions, the gigantic summer cottages where the wealthiest Americans came to play in late 1800’s, early 1900’s. You have just enough time for a couple of mansions on day one. Allow around 75 minutes in each. The Breakers, Elms, Marble house and Rosecliff are the musts IMO. Consider the behind the scenes tour at the Elms. Breakers stays open later in the day so you can squeeze it in the first day. Have dinner in Salvation cafe. Save your money and spend the night somewhere in Middletown very close by. There’s a Holiday Inn express among other chains.

Day 2 – Morning in Newport, and off to Maine. Visit the rest of the mansion you want to see and do the spectacular cliff walk. Park somewhere on Narraganset ave and walk to your right and back. Visit the Touro synagogue, the oldest in the USA (1763). Not the most beautiful and not the most interesting tour, but it will make you look good at future cocktail parties. Take a drive on Ocean ave and have lunch in one of the wharf’s. Black pearl is decent. Good clam chowder. Overall, Newport is fairly touristy (for good reason) which means not the most exciting food town. After lunch start driving toward Bar Harbor with the idea of spending the night somewhere in the middle. Hampton Inn in Saco near the highway is a good cheap option for families. On the way to Saco however if its a nice clear day, take a detour to Cape Neddick to see the striking Nubble Lighthouse. Stop by at the famous Clam Shack in Kennebunkport for a lobster roll on the way to the hotel.

Day 3 – Drive to Bar Harbor. About 3.5 hours from Saco or Portland. Take the 295/95 route and leave the scenic route 1 to the way back. A convenient lunch in the area is the Chart Room off the main road. This is a good day to simply relax and enjoy your hotel and Bar Harbor, but also a good day to go on a lobster tour with something like Lulu lobster because the rest of the days you would want to stay out of the area as much as possible. Its a good day to start your lobster meal marathon somewhere although I dont have a particular recommendation. Last time we had lobster crapes at Maggies but looks like its now closed. Have lobster ice cream at Mount Dessert Ice Cream. Again, for the purpose of future cocktail parties (“Darling, you should have seen all the crazy gelato flavors being scooped up in Rome these days.. Anchovies! Feh! “, “Well, I bet it still beats Lobster gelato in baa haaba, my dear”). You get my point.

I recommend splurging at the Bar Harbor Inn for 3 nights. Spectacular setting, old rustic hotel with a lot of charm. While there, please tell them to stop emailing Ziggy promotional material. I will revisit when I’m ready. Thank you!

Day 4 – Explore Acadia. Essentially you want to do the 27 mile Park Loop road that takes you to all the cool spots. Start with the visitor center and get a map. Stop at Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, and other stops on the route. Have lunch at the Jordan’s pond (get the popovers, good lobster rolls). This is a must. You will be hard pressed to find a more stunning setting, in the park’s only restaurant. After lunch or before take a walk around the pond. Then climb the South Bubble on the other side of the pond for more incredible views. Drive up Cadillac mountain and walk around the summit and stay till sunset. Its cold up there so bring a sweater, or a jumper if you are British.

Day 5 – Perhaps my favorite day of the entire trip. Explore the quiet side of Mount Dessert Island: Got to Somesville and look for the bridge (top picture). Go kayak on Long pond, take a swim at stunning Echo lake beach, visit southwest harbor, do the ship harbor trail, and look for bass lighthouse. “But Ziggy I still don’t see why this is your favorite day” Have lunch at Thurston’s lobster pound in Bernard. “Ahh. thank you!”

Day 6 – Back on the road. Time to hit Route 1 – Not the most scenic drive, but all sorts of interesting stops on the way. Consider spending some time in Camden. But right before you get to Camden drive to the top of Mt. Battie for some great views of the bay. Not a strenuous climb by any means. In Camden enjoy the various galleries, shops, etc and you can take a 2 hour Schooner cruise if you like from the various vendors lined up at the port. Have lunch in Camden or area. Continue driving on route 1 south. Another spectacular lighthouse on the way is the light at Pemaquid point. Spend the night in Boothbay harbor, and consider dining at, what else, the lobster dock.

Day 7 – Back on the road. Visit the surprisingly majestic and serene Coastal Botanical Gardens. Its huge, so you can easily spend half a day here if you like. Walk the forest. Continue to Freeport and visit the original LL Beans store. They have all kinds of activities and clinics you can sign up for in advance like archery and canoeing. Spend the night in Maine’s largest city and one of the greatest food towns on the east coast, Portland. Consider dining at Street and Co. or its sister Fore Street, widely considered as one of the best restaurants in the USA by all the publications/lists out there.

Note: If you opt to stay longer in Freeport to take advantage of the LL Beans clinics and still do the botanical gardens, you may need to stay an extra day in the Portland area or adjust the itinerary as needed.

Day 8 – Visit Portland sites including and especially Portland Light (yes another lighthouse – what else is new, but this is an absolute must). This is more of a giant sprawling park that attracts a lot of locals and tourists and offer some of the best photo opps of the trip. Its been over 12 hours since the last lobster meal so lunch at the nearby The Lobster Shack at Two Lights. Drive toward Glaucester, Mass via Kennebunkport and the popular summer resort Ogunquit. The idea here is to stay 2 nights in or near Gloucester. Consider staying at TownePlace Suites in the town of Danvers. Cheap 2 BR units right between Gloucester and Boston for easy access to both. I found that the Gloucester popular hotels sell out quickly and/or too expensive for this purpose.

Day 9 – Take the 4 hour whale watching trip with 7 Seas Whale Watch out of Gloucester. Should be one of the highlights of the trip. Reserved in advance. We saw 11 whales last time. Or one whale 11 times. Either way it was a blast

Note: The summer is the best time to see whales in the area. In order to play it safe weather wise you could do the Gloucester leg of the trip on the way to Maine instead of back, and switch if necessary in case the weather turns resulting in choppy water.

Day 10 – Visit Gloucester sites including the various monuments, Hammond Castle, the nearby Rockport and do not miss Motif Number 1, the most often-painted building in America. And in case it looks familiar and you feel like you’ve seen it a hundred times, you did. When your kids watched “Finding Nemo” over and over again. Its one of the paintings at the dentist office. Have lunch in Causeway (good haddock) and check out Halibut point park

Day 11 – Visit Boston

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

New York City

The places