Taco Tuesday – Old Morelos, New Tacombi

Posted on August 29, 2023 by Ziggy
sideways.nyc

A new short feature on EWZ. It will be just like some of the old features. You’ll see it once, and you wont see it again ;). But lets hope this one sticks. I have a feeling it will as I have a list as long as my garden hose of taco places to try and revisit. Its one of those shrinkable garden hoses, so dont get scared. We’ll kick off this very exciting feature with my favorite food neighborhood in the city, East Village.

Tacos Cuautla Morelos (East 9th)

I think there should be a special award to food establishments that survive 10 years in East Village. Very quietly this hole in the wall, mom and pop (more like uncle and niece) on East 9th keeps chugging along. While you’ll find some hints of state of Morelos specialties like Tlacoyos, this is more of a typical taqueria menu you can find all over the city.

This time I came for a taco I enjoyed in the past (Pibil) but happily discovered one even better (Lengua). Cochinita Pibil is not something you can easily find in NYC, but is a staple in Morelos. Its marinated with Achiote, a special Orange paste that gives it that red color. Frankly, after having this in CDMX, I wasnt exactly wowed by it this time, as the flavor is not as distinct. But compared to most tacos in NYC, its still pretty darn solid. The latest discovery was a beautiful Lengua (tongue). Its brand new on the menu (not even listed yet as of this writing), and its exactly what you’d expect from a nice and tender Lengua.

Tacombi (East 12th)

Total opposite to Morelos, Tacombi is not only a chain nowadays, but slowly becoming the Shake Shack of tacos now that its backed by Danny Meyer. The writing is all over the wall – a future national chain. Once a chain expends as such, it becomes forgettable unless it offers something different and exceptional. Enter the new branch on the odd corner of East 12th and 3rd where the idea is to get a little closer to a Mexico City style taqueria. Need more data, but for far so legit in both the looks and flavor department.

A staple in Mexico City is the Suadero taco, the beef (brisket) version of Carnitas. Its slowly cooked in pork fat, and its even more rare in NYC than the previously mentioned Pibil. Again, not as eye popping as the versions we had in Mexico City, but surprisingly quite moist, and just fatty enough. Something I’d definitely order again. Same goes for the pastor where you get a good amount of nice, dry (not too dry), flavorful strips. If you check your preconceived chain notions at the door, you may find yourself eating at a counter in La Condesa. Except its about 10x the price.

Eater
Categories: East Village, New York City | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

A Day in the Alentejo

Posted on August 24, 2023 by Ziggy

“This is a Cork tree…. Any questions?” Two minutes into our tour with David of cork producer Cortiçarte, was all we needed to get a sense on how the rest is gonna go. One of the many personalities worth seeking out in the beautiful Alentejo countryside. The large city folk look at the people of Alentejo like mainland Italians look at Sicilians. It’s where time is time, and taking it slow and living in the moment is misinterpreted as backward and lazy. You see some evidence of that from former professional soccer players now driving Ubers to hospitality workers

David then proceeded to give us a fascinating and entertaining tour of the small family owned factory. The dude turns out is a natural. Portugal produces 60% of the worlds cork and much of it is done in this region. I mean how often do you think about where this stuff comes from. You usually begin by focusing entirely on the wine, and end with seeing unicorns. And like in a museum, at Cortiçarte you end up eventually in the gift shop. Except that its a good one this time. A shop selling all sorts of items made of, you guessed it, aluminum. J/k, its more cork.

Much of the cork doesnt have to travel far. While the Douro Valley got the pizzazz and fame, Alentejo is actually Portugal’s largest wine country. It’s wineries cover a third of the country in fact. Most of the reds are robust blends, while the whites are well balanced and quite aromatic. “Fruity or no fruity” became the question of the day by restaurant owners in the region. Even when we opted for “no fruity”, they were plenty fruity, and surprisingly delicious. I say surprisingly since living in the states you dont hear much about this region. It’s the Virginia of Europe wine regions, at least as far as my knowledge goes.

Herdade do Esperao is not quite as striking as some of the wineries we’ve visited in Europe, but it is one of the more important, and boasts one heck of a restaurant. You can book a tour and tasting as we did, followed by lunch. Its quite the production, and it was interesting to see the process, and cellars (not pictured). The tasting especially was a revelation as some of the reds in particular were quite potent.

I dont believe you can go wrong choosing between the Michelin or the Tapas Bar here. Since it was a Sunday, our only option was the Tapas Bar and that was a nice treat. I rarely say it but… vegetables! Yay! Normally veggies in Portugal are just boring sides, but here they shine. Asparagus, beet root (the star of show), and the cabbage salad that came with the pork were particularly noteworthy. A superb lamb came with scalloped potatoes with a surprise inside… more lamb. Perhaps even more memorable was the enthusiastic young waiter that talked about every ingredient like a couple talking about their first newborn.

Alentejo’s boasts some pretty impressive hilltop villages. Marvao, Castelo de Vide, Elvas and Monsaraz just to name a few, with Monsaraz perhaps the most dramatic of the bunch. I can see Marvao fans shaking their heads profusely. No argument there as they all offer something for everyone. Perhaps it was the little cemetery in Monsaraz that did it for me. Or the super friendly volunteer at the tourist office. Or the views of the lakes and Spain from its walls. With very few tourists going this far, not many residents have much reason to stay. Still, empty or not, Monsaraz might be Portugal’s best hidden secret

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Origens – Another Reason to Visit Alcobaca

Posted on August 20, 2023 by Ziggy

Most people come to Alcobaca simply for the purpose of seeing the imposing monastery. That’s if they come at all. The majority skip altogether in favor of the arguably grander Batalha, 20 km north. Imagine building something this special, only to be outstaged by jaw dropping gothicness a mule ride away. But Alcobaca monastery is no slouch. It reminds me of a falafel place in Haifa, Israel that many believe is the best in the country. It says so right on the sign – “Best Falafel in the Country”. But right across the street there’s another falafel place, and it’s sign says “Best in the Neighborhood”.

Sometimes you need to look at the bigger picture. With Portugal’s popularity these days, Batalha requires careful planning to avoid the tour buses. And there’s not a whole lot to do in “downtown Batalha”. You come, get inspired, and leave quicker than you arrived. Alcobaca on the other hand also boasts an attractive town, with a couple of famous “residents”, Ines and Pedro. You may want to learn about their tragic story before your visit to make it more interesting. You think you have marriage issues?

In comparison to the rest of the country, Alcobaca, both the monastery and town is shockingly empty. Portugal, while very popular these days as a destination, is still at the early to middle innings of the “age of discovery” (see what I did there?). Fascinating places like Monsaraz, Castelo de Davide, Alcobaca, and even Tomar are not usually on the tourist routes like Obidos, Algarve and the rest of them.

The monastery and the town should be enough reason. But if you need more, there’s yet another Origens here, and its another good one. As I said before, it requires just the kind of “chutzpah” and/or pride to call your place as such. I laid out the reasoning for the theory after another splendid meal at another, totally unrelated Origens in Evora.

We knew this is going to be one of those meals when we were greeted with port and tonic, which essentially established our drinking foundation for the rest of the trip. A lavish, local Flor do Valle cow’s milk cheese, and a pleasantly creamy vegetable soup got the juices going. Octopus with rice, nicely enhanced by fresh herbs was one of the better renditions of the trip.

Just close enough to Nazaré and the sea meant a fresh whole Dourade which became the group fave. But what truly stood apart for me was a Mirandesa steak, a local popular breed from the north. Beautiful, tender, clean, and incredibly flavorful. Just comes with salt on the side, and cooked to med-rare perfection. Ended with a traditional meringue cake

From the warm service, the flavors, and even the murals, this was another top meal of the trip nominee. Origens is a good reason to stick around for a few more hours in beautiful Alcobaca. The town compact size compliments the massiveness of the monastery nicely. It’s even, dare I say, romantic. You hear that? That’s Mrs Z’s morning laugh.

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5 Standout NYC Brunches

Posted on August 15, 2023 by Ziggy

As a self confessed food snob it has taken me decades to finally warm up to brunch. In fact at some point I simply hated the concept. I understood it, but hated it. It always felt like the industry asked Hallmark, the inventor of Valentine’s day for help. “Its simple. Just invent a fourth meal, late enough in the day where you can offer alcohol. Make it only once or twice a week so people can feel like they are celebrating something, and maybe they’ll order more alcohol”

I mean, once you take out eggs and avocado toasts from the menu, you are basically left with savory lunch items combined with sweet breakfast items. Eggs to me can be eaten all day long. In fact I normally have them for lunch. Once a month I make a more elaborate egg meal, usually on a Sunday. We call it breakfast!

But this doesnt mean I dont partake in this tradition. I do enjoy a good shakshuka at any given day and time, and I have trouble saying no to hyped up pancakes. I just dont call it brunch. Its a late breakfast or lunch for me. But I’ll play along, at least for the purpose of this post, and list 5 brunches that stand out from the rest. Most of these do have a common theme, and so not particularly diverse…

Rana Fifteen – Park Slope, Brooklyn

The last thing I expected from the Filipino FOB team is to open a Turkish restaurant. But then again, half of the team is in fact Turkish. They opened less than a year ago, and its unlike any Turkish that we know in NYC. All you need to do is order one dish. One of two egg dishes for breakfast, er, Brunch. And next thing you know, you get everything but the kitchen sink laid out in such way, you dont know where to start. As the name suggests, 15 savory and sweet homemade delights including outstanding pancakes and various spreads. Combined, its a symphony of flavors, with no bad apples to be found. This is brunch for people who hate brunch.

Chez Ma Tante – Greenpoint, Brooklyn

This is a more “traditional” brunch with two issues. Its in Greenpoint, and its dangerously close to possibly the best tacos in town, Taqueria Ramirez. But I wouldnt mention this gem unless it had at least one very good reason to schlep to Greenpoint. Pancakes, ranked up there with some of the best I’ve had in nyc, including Clinton St Bakery. Thick, crispy, fluffy, and addictively sweet. Its not exactly an area secret so prepare to wait.

19 Cleveland – Nolita

The name doesn exactly scream some of the best Israeli food in the city, like little sister Nish Nush. But to me this is just the kind of light Mediterranean fair that differentiates itself from other brunches. Expect of course solid Hummus and falafel, but also craftier stuff like eggplant carpaccio, fish shawarma and short rib bourekas. And yes, of course there’s a sick Shakshuka.

Cafe Mogador – East Village and Williamsburg

For years whenever I passed by Mogador in East Village, I had to cross to the other side of the street during peak brunch time. The many patrons waiting, sometimes for over an hour to be seated, know whats up. You forget sometimes that this is a Moroccan restaurant specializing in Tagine. Arguably, the real specialty here is eggs. Whether in Moroccan style, a la shakshuka with merguez sausage, a Sabich platter dominated by perfectly roasted eggplant, or just in a form of a very good Benedict.

Opera Cafe Lounge, Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn

Emmons Ave in Sheepshead Bay is like the local version of a tourist trap. An attractive area filled with one pretentious place after another. Opera is the one exception (that I know), consistently dishing out fresh middle eastern goodies for quite some time now. Partly due to its size, Opera has slowly become the go to place for celebrations, and just casual no reservations needed brunches. This is where we usually take my mom for brunch, and our orders are always the same. The ‘Breakfast Platter’ that includes various cold cuts, cheese, jams, and drinks. And my personal fave, Menemen (Turkish scrambled eggs) with Sujuk, a spicy dry sausage.

Categories: Brooklyn, East Village, New York City, SoHo, NoHo, Nolita | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

This is Aveiro

Posted on August 11, 2023 by Ziggy

How often do we judge destinations based on expectations, rather than face value. Imagine seeing Pena Palace in Sintra, or the Eiffel Tower without knowing anything about them. Sort of just bumping into them by accident. You’ll be anxious to tell the world about your findings rather than figure out whether expectations were met. Sometimes it works the other way. High expectations can convince you to appreciate a place much more than you would otherwise. Sort of “the emperor has no clothes” effect.

The more you read about Aveiro, the more you start questioning whether this is a worthy destination. You get the idea that its not genuine, too touristy, there’s not a whole lot to do, and my favorite, its nothing like Venice. Aveiro’ small canal system, and colorful boats gave it the nickname the Venice of the South. Just like with the Florence of the south (Lecce), people often make the mistake of comparing them to their “look-alikes”, and setting themselves up for disappointment.

But on face value, Aveiro is unlike anything I’ve seen. Even if you take out the canals and boats, its a stunner. The cobblestone streets with the maritime motifs, picturesque squares, and flashy architecture give the town a certain atmosphere. Its clean and very pleasant to walk around, even outside of the main zone. We didnt find it overrun with tourists, but much like Porto, we saw a lot of construction.

But the boats, or Moliceiros, and canals definitely give it an added flair. You can take a boat ride (too hot on our visit). Or simply walk around to admire the boats, and search for the naughtiest paintings. Every boat has some sort of an illustration in the front, some quite strange, and potentially offensive. The history is not exactly clear. It started as politically motivated, and somehow transformed into this over time. Its weird and hilarious at the same time. Just zoom in on some of the pictures. You can find more examples here and here, and I just had to steal one from the excellent Julie Dawn Fox.

Julie Dawn Fox

Like many towns in Portugal, the town has its own convent treat, Ovos Moles (“soft eggs”). We picked up some from a shop called 1882. There’s even a bakery with a workshop, teaching tourists how to make them. Honestly, after eating convent desserts all over Portugal, we were not particularly wowed by these. Ultra sweet and eggy. Sugar, eggs and sometimes almonds dominate the convent dessert scene all over the country. But you have to admire how old traditions get preserved as such.

Another big reason to come here is the nearby port/beach town of Costa Nova, and its colorful houses. You can make this stop as big as you want. Take advantage of the many seafood restaurants (Marisqueiras), go to the beach, or just take a stroll on the promenade along the striped fishermen houses. My unofficial explanation is that the fishermen had a drinking problem, and after numerous misunderstandings, some turned lethal involving spouses, they decided to color their houses to ensure they find the right one at the end of along day.

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O Buraquinho da Se – A Little Hole in Porto

Posted on August 8, 2023 by Ziggy

When you walk past O Buraquinho da Se, you start questioning this whole reliance on Google thing. Google clearly says its here, but it’s clearly not. Is it closed? Did it move? Do I need to learn how to fold a map again? Yikes! Hold on, wait a minute, its only 7 pm, and restaurants here dont open for dinner until 7:30-8. We are clearly not in Kansas anymore, not even NYC. So coming earlier to confirm reservations means the place may not even be open yet. But that doesnt answer the question of where the heck is this place.

There’s no sign and no door that I could see. There are some empty tables on the alley steps, but they may belong to the bar in the corner. When I came back a few minutes later, an older gentleman with a giant open book and a cigarette occupied one of those tables. After delivering the sad “we are full” news to some patrons, he confirmed mine, with almost perfect English. Apparently Jacque recently retired from finance to do this, along with his wife in the kitchen.

And I suppose there is a door after all. More like half a door that leads to a hers and hers closet. Once inside, you find yourself in this tiny half basement, with maybe 5 tables. O Buraquinho da Se in fact translates to “The little hole”. But you can use all your favorite travel cliches here.. “A hole in the wall”, “hidden gem”, “like eating at someone’s house”, “mom and pop”, “old school”, just about all of them. The only thing left is to see if their octopus lives up to the hype.

It exceeded it. By like, a mile. 12 years ago, we fell in love with Portuguese octopus 500 meters away at another hole, A Grade. Today A Grade is a magnet for foreign, especially Asian tourists. But O Buraquinho da Se’s version was just magnificent. Two mammoth tentacles, not particularly dressed, a good thing when the product is this good. You can tell its the angels singing variety as soon as you touch it with the fork. Perhaps best Octopus I ever had.

Normal people, while vacationing, like to eat things that they, well, like. And avoid ordering things they dont like. But since Bacalhau is so deeply rooted in local culture, how can we come here without trying it again. Since I already mentioned Bacalhau in other Portugal posts, it’s safe to say that we got converted at some point. It was here, in this church. Unlike prior tries, this fish, covered with cornbread was much more balanced.

There was also a supremely flavorful, hearty shrimp Acorda, an excellent meat and cheese board, and a portobello topped with grilled goat cheese that had our taste buds dancing. Ended with a very satisfying homemade chocolate mousse and an almond tart. Washed it all down with a local fruity white Altano, by one of the Douro pioneers.

One of those flawless meals, aided by Jacque’s attention and English command. We live in a country dominated by a service industry, but we travel to experience this kind of service. O Buraquinho da Se is only open four days a week. Three of those for lunch as well. You wont find many or any mentions of it by influencers or Facebook like Chama and many others. Go! You can reserve this via Facebook.

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Claud – Fortune Favors the Patient

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Ziggy

A few posts ago I wrote that it takes about a year for me to check out a new restaurant in NYC. Usually, I’m in no rush, and rather wait for the establishment to find its stride, and/or the excitement to cool off. Often the stride never arrives, and they close within a year. Sometimes the hype seems artificial, and I lose interest. And sometimes, like with Claud, the hype reaches national proportions (thank you Pete Wells), and it takes roughly a year to score a table.

In this case, the plan was not to wait a full year. But after numerous attempts, I finally got a couple of bar seats, a day shy of Claud’s first anniversary. The truth is that I’ve been following Josh Pinsky ever since the Momofuku Nishi days. He called the cops on me a few times, but after a while he got used to it. When he left Nishi, I felt it was the beginning of the end, and the pandemic just expedited Nishi’s demise. Just like my touring “career”.

For Josh and partner Chase Sinzert it was only a matter of when and where. During or after the pandemic, east or west coast. Thankfully they chose the right coast, where recovered “Fukus” can appreciate them most. Claud feels like a Momofuku support club for fans and staff, with more ex Nishi than I anticipated.

But first thing first, the bread. Well actually, since I’m now over 50, the bathroom. This is got to be the most atmospheric, dare I say, romantic, toilet in the city. The lighting is perfect, its smartly decorated, and there are cookbooks for your reading pleasure in case you decide to stick around. I recommend not.

If the bread is an indication of things to come (as often is the case), you can expect brilliance the rest of the way at Claud. A sourdough with room temp, spreadable butter was soft and hard in all the right places, and pretty much bread perfection. Like truffles in Piedmont in November, the bread was center stage. It was hanging around throughout the meal, kept coming for the dishes that needed it, until we finally had to say stop.

Talking about Piedmont, this is one of the few places in the city that make Agnolotti “Plin” style all year round. Its a treat that very few restaurants make year round, some even stopped altogether due to the labor involved. But at Claud, being one of the “signature dishes”, the chicken liver Agnolotti stays to prevent rioting in East Village. Liver freak Mrs Z in particular, was in heavan.

Early on, the crab and corn fritters did the trick, with that sweet summer corn coming through nicely. And a solid buttery foie gras terrine with honey vinegar jell. Shrimp, another signature, comes sizzling on a very hot skillet. They are barely cooked, yet firm, plump, and insanely satisfying. When it comes to seafood, Pinsky doesnt mess around with too many ingredients and lets the main ingredient shine. Same goes for any raw fish you may come across (two on the current menu).

The thing about Pinsky, and Momofuku school of cooking in general, is that “Signature Dishes” is almost an oxymoron. Its a machine that continues to invent. Cooking AI if you will. On any given night you can find a dish that agrees with you most. For me it was the Halibut with cockles and green garlic. The fish was firmer than usual, not breaking apart every time you touch, yet the perfect texture. Its surrounded by a delicate complementary dashi reminiscent of a scallop dish we once had at Ko. This was pure food magic.

We couldnt find enough belly room for the much hyped mammoth Devil’s food cake. But the root beer ice cream was brilliant in itself. Whether you are into root beer in this case is almost irrelevant. Go! If you can, for Pinsky’s refined, simple cooking, and the bathrooms. In that order.

Claud
90 E 10th St, East Village
Recommended Dishes: Fritters, Foie Gras, Shrimp, Agnolotti, Halibut, Ice Cream

Categories: East Village, New York City | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment

Yet Another 14 Day Portugal Itinerary

Posted on July 31, 2023 by Ziggy

The great www is flooded with Portugal itineraries of all types and sizes. So why should you trust this one? You shouldnt. I think the vast majority of out there are fairly useless to most people, and mine is no exception. I myself dont usually like to look at other people’s itineraries, but do so sometimes at the very beginning stages just to get a general idea.

But since we are asked by many for our itineraries, Mrs Z started posting them on her local Facebook group, so this is mostly just a copy and paste. This itinerary takes into account our pace, love of food (duh!), culture, photography (friends more than us), and variety. A nice mix of cities, villages, cuisine types, and even variety in accommodations. It also means renting a car for part of the trip. In other words, a whole bunch of useless stuff. But maybe you’ll get a yummy meal or three out of this. Every mention of a specific restaurant, hotel, or place, means I recommend. If there’s a dinner or lunch I omitted, it means it was a fail. Here we go…

Day 1 – Fly to Porto

Check into Hotel Catalonia

Explore central area:  Rua de Santa Catarina, Mercado do Bolhão, City Hall, McDonald’s (no joke), São Bento train Station, and other sites you want to see nearby.

Francesinha lunch at Cafe Santiago. Not sure if its the best anymore, but its sort of a local legend and close to the hotel. Another good option is Brasão Coliseu across the street but I havent tried it. 

Rest

Dinner at O Buraquinho da Sé. Can book via Facebook, try well in advance. Octopus of your dreams.

Day 2 – Porto

Jewish Heritage Tour with Portoalities, or another tour with this agency. You dont need to be Jewish to appreciate the Jewish tour.

Lunch at Taberna dos Mercadores. Tough booking, only by phone, or join the line. Lunch or dinner obviously doesnt matter.

Explore Ribeira area. 

São Francisco church and/or Bolsa Palace.

If you still have time explore Vila Nova de Gaia.

Day 3 –  Bom Jesus / Guimaraes

Uber to Bom Jesus do Monte (or train via Braga)

Uber or train to Guimaraes.

Lunch at Restaurante Virtudes. For this day I just wanted something in the main square and this did the trick.

Uber or train to Porto.   

Dinner at “O Grade”. Booked via google maps. Family place, super popular with tourists. A marginal recco here, not an absolute must. I liked it more 12 years ago.

 

Day 4 – Douro Valley

Book a day with Igor of Porto Tours and Transfers. Highlights:

Winery (Pacheca), Lunch (O Maleiro)

Town of Amarante.

Dinner, a snack double header: Gazela – the famous hot dog, Congo – Bifana.

Day 5 – To Tomar

Pick up car at Flashrent, a tiny, and I mean tiny, cheap, dependable, friendly private rental owned by two women.

Stop at Aveiro / Costa Nova

A Suckling pig lunch at Rui dos Leitoes 

Visit Convent de Cristo in Tomar

Check into Casa dos Ofícios Hotel in Tomar

Medieval theme dinner at Taverna Antiqua 

Day 6 – Full day in the Central

Batalha

Alcobaça Monastery

Lunch at Origens in Alcobaça (reserve via email)

Explore Alcobaça

Obidos

Chicken dinner at Casa dos frangos in Tomar

Day 7 – Drive to Evora

Castelo de Vide – See ancient Jewish synagogue and sites

Lunch at Aqui ao lado

Visit Marvão. Do not leave without cookies from Marvao Com Gosto

Continue toward Evora

Check into Convento do Espinheiro

Dinner at Taberna Típica Quarta Feira – family style fixed menu

Day 8 – Evora

Explore Evora: University, Cathedral, Bone church, Roman temple…

Afternoon at the hotel pool

Dinner at Origens 

Day 9 – Alentejo country side

Corticarte – cork manufature and tour with David (or the next day if timing doesnt allow).

Visit Herdade do Esporão winery – Book tour and lunch at the tapas bar or restaurant (Michelin) via Email.  

Monsaraz

Day 10 – Moving to Sintra

Sanctuary of Christ the King overlooking Lisbon

Grilled seafood lunch at A rampa do Pragal

Queluz National Palace

Check into Quinta das Pedras

Rest, pool, Dinner at the Quinta by the host, book in advance

Day 11 – Sintra 

Pena Palace – Get earliest tix

Moorish castle

Lunch at Tascantiga

Relax at the Quinta

Cascais

Seafood Dinner at Mar do Inferno

Day 12 – Sintra / Lisbon

Quinta da Regaleira (Even though I’m listing it here, best time to do this is arrive between 11-1)

Lunch at Casa des Minas (more for the place than food)

Drive to Lisbon, Drop car 

Check into BessaHotel Liberdade

Dinner at Cervejaria Ramiro

Day 13 – Lisbon

Explore Lisbon center (Baixa, Chiado, etc)

Lunch at Tapisco

Explore Príncipe Real, Bairro Alto

Dinner at Jesus e Goes (Goan)

Day 14 – Lisbon

Alfama

Chicken lunch at Churrasqueira do Morques (get by Uber)

Belem

Dinner at O Velho Eurico – Tough booking but doable if you book well in advance online.

Fly home next day from Lisbon

Categories: Portugal | Tags: , , , | 2 Comments

Lilia – Come for the Pasta, Stay for More Pasta

Posted on July 26, 2023 by Ziggy

A long overdue update to the original post, Cacio e Perfect. 7 years since opening, and 5 years since our last meal, not much has changed at Lilia. Its still one of the toughest Brooklyn tables, and the menu features the same grade A pastas that put Lilia on the global map. There are very few places in NYC that can rival Missy Robbins’ brilliance.

But if you cant reserve dont despair. Turn on “Notify” on Resy, and/or keep refreshing the Resy page on the day of. You can also just show up midweek early and get a table outside or at the bar. If none of this work, despair! But have a plan B just in case. That area is loaded with respectable plan B’s like Laser Wolf (can also be tough), Kokomo, Le Crocodile, and a good looking Frenchie next door to Lilia, La petite joie. I’ve been staring at their pictures of Steak au poivre longer than I’d like to admit, even to you.

Lets start with the “Almost”. In my not so humble opinion, the “cocktail snacks” are not of the greatest quality. The Prosciutto is basic, saved somewhat by the Parmigiano Butter. The signature Cacio e Pepe Frittelle should be renamed to Cacio e Sale. I’ve enjoyed this in the past, but this time it was just dry, and extremely salty. That leaves the House made Mozzarella toast as an ok choice early on.

Another disappointment this time was the Bagna Cauda. The dipping sauce is still tasty, but its almost like one needs to take a stroll at the Union Square farmers market before the meal, to see what vegetables are on display this time. Otherwise its the luck of the draw with this dish. Snap peas, carrots were fine, while fennel and celery should not be there unless accommodated by some chicken wings.

But those pastas. Mamma Mia! The pillowy goodness signature Agnolotti, as good as it is, is my third favorite pasta here. The Mafaldini is probably the best Cacio e Pepe interpretation in the city, with that profound Pink Peppercorn and perfectly chewy ribbons. But my favorite pasta here is the Fettuccine with lamb ragu. I’m just a sucker for a good ragu and this is as good and balanced as it gets. Unlike the raw fennel I mentioned before, the fennel seeds work so nicely with the lamb here.

A nice discovery on this evening was the Grilled Clams. Love the Calabrian Chili action here. Missy is not shy with the Chili, especially compared to most Italian. It’s the Ugly Baby of Italian food in NYC. Lilia is still a major go. Just skip the small overpriced stuff, and get straight to business (pastas, seafood, meats, and more pasta).

Original Post

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10 Tips for Lisbon

Posted on July 22, 2023 by Ziggy

Wear comfortable shoes.

Ok, this is a joke. I may have touched on this in the past, but I still see this advice for Lisbon and just about every non-beach destination in the world. Is there a human left that doesnt already know this by now? Women think about this as soon as they book flights. If you give this advice to Mrs Z, she will give you the smackdown and show you all the blisters she got just today. And dont get me started on “Dont forget your camera”. Here are 10 real tips that you may or may not know by now

Dont sweat about location

People often ask for the best location on social media sites, and I’m still not sure what is the right answer. Its really not much different than any other capital. The sites and attractions are fairly spread out, and you will have cons and pros wit just about every area. This time we opted to stay at BessaHotel Liberdade and were very happy with the location, especially with the proximity to shopping. Its still good value for us Americans, and its got to be one of the best showers in Europe. With the built in bathroom speakers it felt like you are in an Irene Cara music video. What a feeling!

Reserve the most popular yesterday

Unlike say Paris, NYC, and much of the world, restaurant reservations are available months in advance in Portugal. For haute joints like Alma, its understandable that it could be a tough table to get, but even simpler non Michelin spots like O Velho Eurico, can be booked solid months out. Its a pain in the ass but worth seeking them out. Same advice for Porto.

Try Goan

Lisbon has a very large Bengali and Indian population. It was interesting to walk some of the streets like Rua do Benformoso and see nothing but Bengali and Indian joints all over. But since Goa, the Western Indian state, was once a Portuguese colony, there’s also that connection and history. Its not just a history listen, but the food is pretty darn good. Once you have eaten your way through all the seafood delights that Portugal has to offer, this is more than a nice change of pace. You got the great Jesus é Goês, Zuari, and many more options all over the city.

Researching Pasteis is mostly a waste of time

Years ago it was more or less clear that if you wanted the best Pasteis you had to go to the source, Pasteis de Belem. But these days, with so many bakeries and chains opening throughout the years, the competition increased and opinions vary. Many swear by Manteigaria, and many still stand firmly behind the royalty of Belem. But to me the most important ingredient is freshness, and that’s a little difficult to predict. For us, the most consistently fresh Pasteis came from Fábrica da Nata, in various Lisbon and Sintra locations. Regardless, if you are a food enthusiast, a visit to Pasteis de Belem is still a must.

Skip the flashy Sardines and do the Conserveira

Good sardines are expensive and hard to find in the US. In Porto and Lisbon you’ll find some very curious gimmicky instagramable sardine shops that may even feature a musician playing a musical instrument in a Phantom of the Opera type setting. I cant say to the quality of their cans, as I rather put my money on an old school, no frills, 4th generation family business like Conserveira de Lisboa. Its a place you go to buy canned seafood, not to browse around. And there’s literally nothing to see anyway except for your sardine consultant/salesmen. It’s the Di Palo’s of Lisbon. Lines can be long but its worth it

Spend time outside the center

The biggest change in Portugal today vs 10 years ago is that it became much more touristy. Its a very hot, trendy destination at the moment on top of the post pandemic revenge travel thats still ongoing. Dont be surprised to be surrounded by visitors all over the center. Its important then to spend some time outside the tourist zones, in areas like Príncipe Real, Campo de Ourique, or Ajuda. You’ll even see a big change in food prices. Bonus tip: Try getting to Churrasqueira do Marquês for grilled chicken, before walking to Belem. You’ll most likely be the only tourist there.

The hills are alive with the sound of pain

You read about them, you look at pictures, and you still arrive without care and proper plan to see every neighborhood and every view point in one day. Dont underestimate the hills, and some of the Miradouros (sponsored by Lisbon’s coalition of knee replacement specialists). They may wear you out by day one. Some require more effort than others. And if I have to choose just one Miradouro, it would be Miradouro de Santa Luzia in Alfama. And remember of course to wear comfortable shoes!

Uber is your friend, not the tram

Prices certainty increased over the years, but Uber is still quite cheap, especially when compared to a large USA city. They are quick, reliable, and sometimes you get a chance to meet a local. Its not so much a way to replace a tram, which is more of an attraction. But one look at the miserable faces of tram 28 riders stuck in traffic in Alfama is all you need. It’s also relatively expensive, crowded, and requires careful planning to avoid the queues, and pick pocketers..

You dont have to wait for Santa Justa Lift

I dont know who needs to hear this, but its still amazing to see long lines to Santa Justa, even though the walk up is 5 minutes. Take Rua do Carmo down, make a right, another right, and look for the stairs up to Carmo Convent. Unless you are already up, coming from Bairro Alto, just head to Carmo. If you must take the lift, the line down is much shorter.

Go on a Bordalo II hunting

This is a supremely talented “trash artist”. He converts junk into beautiful animal sculptures. You can find his work throughout the city, but some are a bit more difficult to get to. As of this writing to my knowledge you got the The Cat, “Sapo de Lixo”, Monkey, Panda, the new birds on the corner of Rua do Carmo and de Santa Justa by the lift, Raposa, and the Raccoon. If you can find them all, you’ll get a free annual subscription to EWZ.

Enjoy Lisboa!

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