New York City

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

Momofuku Ssäm Bar – Mama Funky!

Posted on November 19, 2013 by Ziggy

When the going gets tough, the tough turns to his iPhone auto-correct to come up with the title

After surviving 5 full days of this I needed a strong meal. It was like having unexpected construction at home the past week. 5 full days of the youngest practice walking on the high heel shoes she chose for her big Bat Mitzvah day. 5 days and counting. And the day is not until February. I needed something real good, not Hearth which I had scheduled originally but something stronger. The answer came off a tip from Kathryn from Chowdown about the new Chanterelles dish at Mama Funky. So instead of the famous Hearth Gnocchi, I got Gnocchi that gave me a Ratatouille Moment like never before

Ssam Bar is located in the Momofuku quarters of the East Village. Ok, I may be getting ahead of myself a little here, but that’s the direction we are heading looks like. Next to Ssam around the corner you got Momofuku’s popular Booker and Dax bar, right across the street you got Momofuku’s Milk Bar, and a block away you have of course Ko, the 2 Michelin Star powerhouse. David Chang is to East Village what beards are to the Red Sox. Or something like that.

The place for the most part.. borrowing yet another line from Breaking Bad… Tight, tight, tight. If you are a group, 3 or more, you not only get a table but you can also take advantage of some of the family style offers like the Bo Ssäm meal (slow cooked pork shoulder, a dozen oysters, white rice, bibb lettuce, ssäm sauce, kimchi and ginger scallion sauce) and the popular whole rotisserie duck. However, if you are 1, 2 you get the long communal table where you sit across from each other. No room for camera which I didnt bring anyway. To my right, a guy who suspects his neighbor is a serial killer. To my left, a tower of napkins! Sitting with easy access to an unlimited amount of napkins is surprisingly comforting.

With that said, the food is heavenly. Between the 6 dishes we shared, 4 great ones, 1 ok, 1 eh! The breakdown…

The Great…

Striped Bass – Raw, with lychee, rye guajillo bonji, and cilantro. Just enough acidity and very tasty. Mrs Ziggy will only eat raw if its exceptional and she ate this

Roasted Chanterelles – Excellent! With scattered ‘drops’ of egg yolk and melted bone marrow. Just a nice combination of flavors all around. Coudnt get enough of this dish

Roasted Jurgielewicz duck – Expertly prepared tender duck with barley, butternut squash, and cranberry. I found myself wanting more sour from the accompanying stuff but a very nice dish overall

Spicy Pork Sausage & Rice Cakes – Insane! By far my favorite dish. And I almost didn’t order it. When I asked about the dish, the waiter assured us it was “Very Spicy” and “Exactly like the one at Mission Chinese” which I don’t care much for. But I decided to order it anyway and he couldn’t be more wrong. Plenty of heat but 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. A top dish of the year nominee.

The Ok…

Apple Kimchi – With maple labne, jowl bacon, arugula. It like eating a well spiced apple. Its a popular dish and I still recommend ordering it but I just didnt find it as thrilling as the others

The Eh…

Cashew Hozon – Like a cashew “hummus” with some off-putting anchovies. A regular fresh hummus would have been preferred.

Dessert here is limited so we went to the Milk Bar which we found just ok. I suggest heading to Chikalicious Dessert Club on East 10th or Sundaes and Cones. Highly recommend Momofuku Ssam Bar

Momofuku Ssam Bar

207 second avenue (13th street)

Categories: East Village, New York City | Tags: Best restaurants in East Village, East Village eats, food, Momofuku Ssäm Bar, NYC, restaurants, Travel | Leave a comment

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

Eating Without Ziggy – Battle of the Soups, Chinatown

Posted on November 8, 2013 by Ziggy

Chronicles of the Hummus Whisperer…

Believe it or not, sometimes I eat without my foodie-call Ziggy. While its never the same as eating with my dear companion or with my dear wife the Hummus Punisher, I’ll resume coverage of my independent food experiences with this column.

Japan:

With winter just around the corner, wannabe foodies and pepperazzis (obsessive food photo snappers) indulge in tomato soup at hale & hearty soups. But I started the week with a $6.50 lunch special veggie Ramen at Ajisen Noodle on Mott Street and it’s just what the doctor ordered. It originated in Kumamoto of Kyushu, Japan in 1968. Their ramen is chewy, straight and thin coupled with the secret recipe of a tonkotsu soup base (white soup base from which bones, meat, vegetables and other fine ingredients are cooked for many hours producing a milky white broth).

Did I mention that I usually hate soups? this post is a great way to offend my mother and mother-in-law as they have been given countless head shakes when offering soup.

China:

I decided to pass on the typical American-Chinese soups that you can find just about anywhere in America. Xi’an famous foods (cash only) is certainly not a typical Chinese establishment, with one other location in flushing Queens. Western Chinese cuisine of the ancient city of Xi’an is served here. The spicy cumin lamb soups is a fusion of Chinese and middle eastern cuisines at its finest. The soup had a pleasant aroma from the lamb-bone broth with one delicious extra long flat hand-pulled noodle. Noodle quality is superb for $8. This father and son run place seats about 20 ppl so get here early as it packs up fast with a long line outside. Looking around at the plates at the two communal tables, this place is giving Mission Chinese a run for its money in terms of quality and price. This is definitely my favorite of the group, more to come on this place.

Japan:

For a hip, minimalist atmosphere, stop by Bassanova (cash only). With the original location in Japan, this newcomer opened in July 2013 in a convenient spot around the corner from canal street. In addition to other platters, they serve only three Ramen soups in ceramic bowls imported from the original’s hometown of Setagaya. I enjoyed the Tondaku green curry ramen while sitting at the steamy bar with a boom box playing hip-hop. Despite a disappointingly steep dollar to Ramen ratio for any ecconoisseur, the soup displayed colorful ingredients such as moist grilled Berkshire pork, mixed greens, shrimp, okra, and red bell pepper, and a secret base with a good hint of green curry. I attacked this soup with brutal force. Who knew Ramen soup would taste so good while listening to “gangsta’s paradise” and enjoying the “Prado” wallet you just bought on Canal street for your girlfriend.

Categories: Chinatown, New York City | Tags: Ajisen Noodle, Bassanova Ramen, food, NYC eats, restaurants, Travel, What to eat in Chinatown, Xi'an famous foods | 2 Comments

Georgian Bread in Brighton Beach – The Looooooove Boat!

Posted on November 3, 2013 by Ziggy

If only my parents would have taken me to Georgian cafes for some delicious Khatchapuri instead of staying home watching The Love Boat all those years. Would I have appreciated it as a kid? Not sure. I know my youngest who went with us to one of those a few weeks ago, would have rather stayed home and watch the same Full House episode for the 25th time. You realize that your kid watched a particular episode for the 25th time when you as a parent already know the entire episode by heart without actually ever watching it. I’m still convinced that that is the reason our goldfish, Ziggy Jr. Jr. (not to be confused with our previous goldfish Ziggy Jr.) leaped to his death. When you hear that music, when one of the adults on the show explains yet another life lesson to the kids, on an hourly basis, there’s just so much you can take.

You know the place is authentic when you are not sure exactly of its name. Georgian Bread? Tone Cafe? Khachapuri-R-Us? Whatever its called, this Brighton Beach gem is worth the schlep, even while being a little out of the main babushka hub. Lets call it Tone. Tone recently renovated to transform a takeout place into a takeout place with a cozy, rustic, attached sit down with gorgeous views of the oven. The only type of oven in NYC where you can say “gorgeous views of the oven”. In a city filled with some amazing and unique bakeries, add Tone, or the Georgian bread place near you to you list.

The main draw here is the Khatchapuri, essentially bread with cheese which can come in various forms and sizes. But the one to get is the Adjaruli Khatchapuri, a boat shape bread topped with Farmer’s Cheese and an egg cracked open right before serving. You then mix in the egg with the cheese and the result is a gorgeous feast for all senses. The bread is hard, crispy and the perfect partner for that rich, runny mess you just made.

The Adjaruli is made to order, and can take as much as an hour to make. Anywhere between 30-60 minutes to be exact. And while you wait, you can either order other things, or drool over all the bread being made next door via the glass wall , or do both (RECOMMENDED!). So grab a napkin (something heavy duty and pretty. Not what you got in the deli last night and saving them for a special occasion) and lets take a look at how they are making those other love boats, the plain ones…

Master slaps the bread inside the stone oven

Bread master prepares the bread

Mmmmm… come to Ziggy

Guy with the stick puts the bread into cooling area

We managed to eat about half of the Adjaruli because we were no longer hungry after pre-stuffing ourselves with the following goodies. The best perhaps came first. Lobio, essentially a sick red bean salad, with ground walnut, pomegranate and spices. The perfect starter! Imeruli was another form of Khatchapuri, this one being cheese filled soft bread. Satisfying, although not particularly unique to us. Mtsvadi, Shashlik (Shis Kebab) was a decent kebab. The “Kababi” on the other hand, ground beef pork perfectly seasoned and slow cooked, wrapped in flat bread was fantastic. Drinks available are the normal Russian fare including the sweet Pear Soda, and the Kompot (like a fruit punch), which the Russians like to dilute with vodka they carry in water bottles.

Categories: Brooklyn, New York City | Tags: food, Georgian Bread, Georgian Bread brooklyn, Khachapuri, restaurants, Tone Cafe Brooklyn, Travel, what to eat in brighton beach, what to eat in Brooklyn | 4 Comments

Dear Giovanni Rana…

Posted on October 28, 2013 by Ziggy

Dear Giovanni Rana,

Welcome to America! I know all about your story and have been a fan since the day you opened your restaurant in the Chelsea Market. A bit touristy, but a small price to pay for top quality Ravioli and Tortellini. We are big fans of your hometown Verona as well, including the fake attraction of Romeo And Juliette (I rubbed the breasts as instructed and am enjoying an active love life ever since – Thank You!). I also love the entire Valpolicella wine region, and I spend ample time looking for Valpolicella Ripasso in the local Chinese store. Even though they dont carry Italian wine. Come to think of it, its just a Chinese grocery store that doesnt carry any wine. The word Valpolicella alone brings Mrs Ziggy into a “Fish Called Wanda” type trance.

But Mr Rana, I’m writing to you in regards to another matter. In about an hour Mrs Ziggy will arrive home to find out that there’s nothing for her to eat. NOTHING! You see, for dinner tonight I made one of your prepackaged products, Tortelloni Delicato. In the back of the package it says serving per container about 3½. 3½ I assume means 3 adults and a child, or 3 adults and the Olsen twins? Well, we are 2 adults, and 2 children, so 3½ should work perfectly for us, right? Well, not quite. I divided the Tortelloni evenly for my kids (about 14 pieces each) and the leftovers (about 8 pieces) for myself as you can see above. Mrs Ziggy gets nothing! No amount of “Valpolicella” chanting will save the day today. I may need to try something stronger like “Montepulciano D’abruzzo” or the names of some of your products in desperation but i doubt anything will work. I understand that Tortelloni are slightly larger than the average Tortellini but your “About” in “About 3½” is way off for not only American standards, but Armenian village standards. I’ve eaten in Italy many times, and I know its not Italian servings either. Maybe the French can get away with it. I still had to make a salad for myself, and if not for the urge to write this letter to save the starving children of the world, I would make a salad for Mrs Ziggy as well.

“About 2½” would have been more like it Mr. Rana! I thank you for your time.

Love,

Ziggy

Categories: Chelsea, New York City | Tags: food, Giovanni Rana, Giovanni Rana NYC, restaurants | 2 Comments

Battle of the Bridges Part Deux – Grub This!

Posted on October 26, 2013 by Ziggy

With 2 major food events scheduled for the weekend, the big news could not have come at a better time. We apparently not pooping properly! Yes thats right! Leave your iphone in your pockets and invest in baby wipes and a little stool for your feet and squat away. Is our society ready for this? Meaning, can I be seen leaving a meeting at work early for the sole purpose of going to the restroom carrying a little stool, or would that be awkward? But it makes complete sense to me. However, as with all the studies out there, I would wait about month for any disputing “Wrong! We ARE pooping just fine” arguments to emerge.

I already wrote about the first event of the weekend. The next day the Hummus Whisperer and I planned another one of those bike bridge tours where we Citibike from place to place and eat various things. A bike tour that would have been so much more fun if not for a certain someone’s WIFE WHO NEEDED HER PRECIOUS TO BE HOME BY 3:30! ok, needed to get it out of my system. Here’s what we did and what we ate last Sunday…

As before, we parked by the Brooklyn Bridge on the Brooklyn Side and biked Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan. The earlier you do it, the easier it gets on this bridge due to the amount of tourists that flock it.

Stop 1 – Grub Street Food Festival on Hester street. The mother of all NYC food festivals. If you have to choose one food festival to attend a year, this is the one. The who’s who of the top vendor names, great space, plenty of seats, and great music. While we were returning our bikes, we met a dutch couple who were having trouble with their bikes and needed to get to another docking station. They were able to return only one bike. I offered to bike along with the wife to another docking station and walk the wife to the festival but the husband insisted on running along the sidewalk much to the delight of some locals. I cant blame him for not trusting me as I had a very bad hair day. Anyway when they were leaving, they asked me if its a weekly thing and couldn’t believe how lucky they were when I told them its yearly. Here’s what we ate…

Pastrami sandwich from Ducks Eatery – Started with a bang! Very meaty, juicy, thick sliced as pastrami should be. Delicious. Great job by Ducks

Israeli Scotch Eggs from Eastwood. Fan-freakin-tastic. “Taim Meod”. Very unique and very good. Add some Tehina on it and its like the Falafel and Sabich making boogie right in front of your eyes. Eastwood people, I see you now! I dont need a liquor license to visit you. Some Nesher Bira Schora (Israeli black beer) will do, thanks

Khao Man Gai from Khao Man Gai – Essentially Chicken and Rice, ginger based sauce and a light soup. Khao Man Gai is thai street food. Basic compared to everything else but pleasant. To enjoy this one is best with Thai iced tea and a seat

Teriyaki Balls from Mimi and Coco – I dont know why it took me so long to try these. I suppose I was never really in the mood for them, but this time those beautiful Schweddy Balls were like “Come To Ziggy”. These were bursting with flavor on every bite. However, I made the mistake of putting an entire ball in my mouth and for a few seconds suffered greatly from the heat (not spicy, HOT). I would have them again

Canela – Cajeta Ice Cream from La Newyorkina – Perhaps the best thing I ate all day. Very sweet but in a very good way, Mexican caramel, cinnamon and some love. This is artisanal ice cream at its best. No frozen air here.

For the same reason I’m obsessed with travel, walking around Chinatown is one of my favorite things to do in NYC. Live frogs, dragon fruit, massage parlors with “No special favors” signs, 99 cent new favors (see below) and all sorts of prices that cant be beat (except of course if you get for free). Just things I don’t normally see on a daily basis.

I enjoy walking inside buddhist temples (until I see too many swastikas and run the hell out there) and perhaps for the first time heard a “welcome” from a monk. It was in Pu Chao Buddhist Temple on Eldridge street. very nicely decorated, serene temple

Near the temple you will also find one of New York’s hidden treasures, the Museum at Eldridge Street. The museum is housed inside the great Eldridge Street Synagogue, the first synagogue in America built by East European Jews. Built in 1887. A strange location nowadays smack in the middle of Chinatown, but its not stopping from tourists to flock it looks like.

Back to eating, back to the bikes. We alter plans to go to Hells Kitchen and rode back to Brooklyn instead, this time taking the Manhattan Bridge back. Sooo much easier riding the Manhattan Bridge. No people, No ringing, great views (below). BTW, the Hummus Whisperer is the only person I know that rings cars. They cant hear you HW!

We opted to stop by and visit the Brooklyn Navy Yards, a giant shipyard used to build and repair navy and commercial vessels. An informative little museum tells the story of not only the shipyard but the entire city. Tours are offered by either bus or bikes due to the size of the area.

Picked up the bikes again and moved on toward Dumbo, the #1 destination currently for wedding, bat mistvah, get out of prison pictures. People watching and scenery doesn’t get much better than Dumbo these days.

Our destination is the new Smorgasburg which recently moved from Dumbo to Pier 5. Pier 5 is as stunning. Before we parked I get a text from my friend Val saying that he’s at this food festival near the Brooklyn Bridge Park, figuring he’s telling me something new that I ought to know. I surprised him and family minutes later.

We sampled some Short ribs from Takumi Taco yet again. Still good though perhaps a tad drier this time.

Fried Chicken from Buttermilk Channel was just ok. A bit greasy and sweet batter that’s not to my liking. Not a very good line/taste ratio here.

Mighty Quinn’s and its mighty line still rule this show rightfully so, but I didnt have it this time (My friend Val did and loved it)

The best thing that came out of this for me was Vermont Maple Lemonade. This grown man drives every weekend to NYC to open a lemonade stand. Holy smokes it was good. Refreshing and tasty. Perhaps the best lemonade I ever had.

One last bike pick up, a quick randevu with the red hook, a near death with a cabbie, and another one where a leaf landed on my face and blinded me temporarily, and back to the car in one piece. Till next time

Categories: Brooklyn, Lower East Side, New York City | Tags: Ducks Eatery, Ducks Eatery NYC, Eastwood NYC, food, Grub Street Food Festival, Khao Man Gai, La Newyorkina, Mimi and Coco, NYC eats, restaurants, Smorgasburg, Travel, Vermont Maple Lemonade | Leave a comment

Pizza and Beer With Bonci and Parla

Posted on October 21, 2013 by Ziggy

My publicist advised me that my next career step should be to either start attending food events or look into hair replacement procedures. On Saturday I attended a food event.

Gabriele Bonci, one of Italy’s greatest pizza makers, and Katie Parla one of Italy’s greatest food publicists/experts/educators/sommeliers/Uyghur food lover, were doing their thing at Paulie Gee’s in Greenpoint. Bonci was dishing out some fantastic looking and tasting pizzas, Parla was serving Italian craft beer, and Paulie was busy giving away wifi passwords. Actually it was fun chatting with Paulie again. You will never meet a more down to earth guy.

A few months ago we went to Rome, and one of my “musts” was a visit to Pizzarium, Bonci’s place behind the Vatican. But the closer I got to the date the more I knew that its just not gonna be possible due to the proximity of Pizzarium to the Vatican exit. All I had to do was envision that look. The look I would get from Mrs Z after a pilgrimage to a place with no seating at a moment where seating is absolutely crucial (Vatican museum + 2 hour Vatican garden tour + St Peters = Seating). However, thanks to Katie Parla and her foodie colleagues, Il Sorpasso turned out to be a valid alternative. So, I couldn’t go to Pizzarium, but Pizzarium came to me, to Brooklyn

The Pizzas were as good as advertised. Slice after slice coming in bursting with flavor from the various combinations, showcasing Bonci’s creativity. From the Speck with Pumpkin to Funghi/Potato/Taleggio to Swiss Chard with Guanciale. Bonci, who had to make some adjustments working with Paulie’s oven then finished by pulling out something that resembled (with the help of Katie’s beer) 3 chickens lying in the missionary position. But after a closer look, it seemed more like the opposite position. Another closer look revealed it was just pizza dough. And the surprise inside was a pork loin – DELICIOSO!

Parla’s craft beer selection was spot on. We couldn’t get enough of the citrusy Seson with Chinotto, at least until the next one arrived. Fantastic aromas, and deep lasting flavors all around. It was great to finally meet Katie, and mama Parla who practically painted our entire Italy itinerary for the next trip.

The thought crossed my mind while driving in. Perhaps Bonci’s old friend Anthony Bourdain will be there. But instead I got to meet Nick Anderer of Maialino. It was perfect timing as well after I posted on Chowhound my sound approval of the new white truffle prices at Maialino, lowest in the city turns out, until the NoMad started offering them at cost (lunch there tomorrow). I wish I could have spent more time chatting with Anderer, but I couldn’t leave Mrs Ziggy alone for too long. With her “Fish Called Wanda” syndrome and all the Italian men roaming around, potentially a deadly combination.

Categories: Brooklyn, New York City | Tags: food, Gabriele Bonci, Katie Parla, Paulie Gees, restaurants, Travel | 8 Comments

Cata – LES is More

Posted on October 15, 2013 by Ziggy

To find my next dining destination, I turned to a little site I like to call Eating With Ziggy. While browsing the site I noticed the following 3 things: I haven’t eaten anything in the Lower East Side for a while; I haven’t eaten tapas in a while; My fonts are terrible; and my tagline “Eating Well Spelling Poorly” makes no sense whatsoever since I use a spell checker. Ok, that was 4 things. It was 3 when I started writing the sentence I promise you that. So I figured its time to eat something in the Lower East Side, and make it tapas. And as to the terrible fonts? Well, that’s your problem! I don’t read the stuff, just write them.

Although I have a list of new restaurants to try that’s almost as big as my Netflix cue (one of those words I hate spelling properly, like “tho”), I tend to sometimes ignore the list and look elsewhere for much added excitement. This time I looked at the newly released Michelin Bib Gourmands. Or “Baby Michelin Stars” if you will, given for quality cheap(er) eats. And I noticed a place that somehow slipped through my radar, Cata. Coupled that with an endorsement from Kathryn off Chowhound and off we went.

While taking a closer look I noticed Cata was Alta’s sister, a place we enjoyed in the past. And like many of my friends and coworkers, Cata owners are big fans of 4 letter words looks like. I suggest Nada for the next one (private joke for my Providenciales friends)

An array of Gin and tonic drinks is one of the specialties here… I liked the Kaffir Lime one. While Mrs Ziggy would not even look at the rest of the menu once she sees her Aperol Spritz. She gets up and does the Macarena from excitement – starting to get embarrassing, for her. The food menu is much better organized than Alta which is one giant list.

So is Cata short for Catalonia or Catastrophe? Lets see..

Baked Cana Cebra – Goat cheese with honey. Quite good. Perhaps not as good as Alta version with lavender infused honey but quite good

Deviled Eggs with fried oysters – Very tasty, if not a tad on the salty side.

Quail Egg Bendecits with chorizo, hash browns (top picture) – Another nice dish. Pretty to look at too. Wife much preferred this over the deviled but the opposite was true for me. So far so delicious

Mushrooms with shallots, red wine – I got to have my mushrooms (especially since she doesn’t eat them) and this did not disappoint.

Tuscan Kale – With Parmigian thin “crisps”. Simply grilled and tasty. Wife liked this one especially

Long Island Razor Clams – Cant pass on fresh razor clams. The one must coming in. Simple, “Meaty”, a tad chewy and absolutely delicious overall

Gambas al Ajillo – One of the best dishes of the night. 4 jumbo perfectly cooked shrimp. I prefer this dish more garlicky but this was tasty nonetheless. I still haven’t found something similar to the Gambas al Ajillo that we had in Ramiro in Lisbon if anyone familiar. Where readers? Where can I have these beauties?

Jamon Iberico Bellota – I asked if they can bring a little sampler instead of the $27 full plate of it and they did for I believe $10. This tasted just fine to me. Not something I would order again. This is some of the finest Jamon Iberico on the planet, made from pigs eating only acorns (Bellota) as their last meals on earth. Coincidentally, this was my wish as well

Skirt Steak – Good, a little uninspiring but good. This is perhaps a good time to complain that it was a little hard to read that menu with dimmed lighting as I initially didn’t see the “Add: Organic farm egg $2”. I would definitely add the egg here.

Charcuteir Board – lard toasts were fine, jamon Serrano we didn’t get due to the Bulotta, Chorizo we didn’t care for – not much flavor. The best part of the board by far were the Almonds. Perhaps this is the only miss of the evening

Torrija – Excellent! Like the crème brule and bread pudding had a baby. A beautiful, delicious baby.

Terrific meal overall

Categories: Lower East Side, New York City | Tags: Cata, Cata NYC, food, Lower East Side Eats, NYC, NYC eats, NYC restaurants, restaurants, Travel | 1 Comment

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.