Capizzi
Howdy everybody! Figured its time for a post to those anxiously waiting. Both of you. First things first tho. We are fine. Thank you to those asking via email and social media. I’ve been pretty much holed up in my house in Staten Island with my family for over 6 weeks. But with the spouse being a health worker its been quite the hectic ride. To reduce risk we severely limited our interaction with the outside world even before the stay at home order was issued. I dont get scared easily, but this has become a strange probabilities game we couldnt afford losing.
As for food, your answer whether I’ve been eating well lies in the previous paragraph. Not only its been tough to get ingredients, but Staten Island is a food desert compared to the rest of the city. In fact I’m considering changing the site tagline to “Spelling Well, Eating Pourly”. Yes, pourly is misspelled on purpose here, as is “Tho” in the previous paragraph. I just dont care much for the rest of the letters. When everyone knows what you mean, whats the point of spelling the rest. Like que vs queue.
Last Saturday we finally ordered food after about 6 weeks. While I never cared for the newer Joe and Pats in East Village, the original in Staten Island is still possibly the best thing you can eat on the island. Normally getting pizza delivered or picked up in NYC is as routine as doing your laundry. But bringing this pie home this time was like bringing your first born home from the hospital (sorry second born). I cried a little, ran two red lights, and reduced our deer population in the process. SI has a deer a problem and its massive vasectomy effort didnt do much as the deer simply started cheating with New Jersey deer. Since we dont have sports anymore, at the very least let New Yorkers go out there and hunt for deer. Win win!
I do have an idea though (oops) that I thought about this morning. You know who can use a slice of pizza right about now? The elderly. While the young(er) are in a position to move around freely, or get pizza delivered to us, many elderly simply cant or dont do this for many reasons. In the case of my in-laws for example, the better pizzerias dont deliver to them, nor would they even know where to get the good stuff. I dont know if its going to work or not as I dont have the kind of reach as some of the other influencers but how about this #PiesForSeniors plan:
This Monday, bring your favorite pizza to your favorite elder. Even if your elder is perfectly capable of ordering pizza him/herself, this should bring a smile #PiesForSeniors
Pass it around.
Dear readers, both of you, or whoever is left. Not many according to my stat team. I hope this blog post finds you well wherever you are in this crazy world. Much has changed since my last post two weeks ago. Its fitting that it was about Green-Wood Cemetery in more ways than you may think. In NYC at the moment Green-Wood is the safest place to be outside of your residence. Imagine Central Park without the crowds (I was there last Friday). Its a world that even days ago none of us could imagine. Something as simple as a quick milk run to the deli requires careful planning.
Charlotte Canda was a young high society debutante in the 1840’s. On February 3rd, 1845 while coming back from her 17th birthday bash, she was flipped from the horse carriage and died. Her death, and its circumstances shook New York. Charlotte herself designed some of the features of her own tomb in Green-Wood. Her father, who served under Napoleon, utilized some of Charlotte’s elements from the memorial of her aunt which Charlotte helped design a year earlier. Her grave is 17 feet high, 17 feet long, and her statue wearing 17 rose petals circling her head. 
Wayla, Wayan, Wayo. Confusing times for Google these days. Most confusing since Ilili, Leyla, Lilia, and Laila. I’m not making any of this up. These are all names of restaurants in NYC that sound and spell alike, and some of them opened around the same time. Naming your restaurant is as important as naming your child. I remember spending countless of 
I’m starting to get the hang of this. Rediscovering the borough of Queens. My friend Howard moving to Jackson Heights was just the excuse I didnt know I needed. It really feels like a different world out there. Or 160 different worlds to be exact. From the price, warm hospitality, to dishes I’ve never heard of. Its a foodie wonderland. Highlights so far include a standout crab Ramen at the new Japan Corner, a grocery store in Woodside hosting rotating chefs from Japan. And Thai Cook at iCook, or “iCook Thai Cook” according to Google, sort of a restaurant within a restaurant. I’ve been plotting a return trip to that one ever since.
Considering I eat mostly in Manhattan, I’m all inspired to include prices here, like other 
Next month I’m turning 50, and this one feels different. It almost feels like I need to make some lifestyle changes, or at least make a list of things I need to accomplish. Do I need to take a pottery class or something? Is there a manual for this? Age is just a number, until its not. At 50, you start remembering hockey player’s dads. At 50, if you go to Toro on Valentine’s Day, everyone around you including the staff will be half your age. At 50, you are the only one at Toro who doesnt get a bread basket. Smart! No bread for you!
Before I visit a new place I like to spend some time perusing their website. It paints a picture, and often tells the story. I love a good story, but they are getting increasingly rare in corporate NYC. 
My last Anguilla post of the season. Although I seem to discuss Jacala often on various social media sites including this blog, it occurred to me that I never actually wrote a post about it. Its only arguably Anguilla’s best. While Hibernia may be the best overall experience, Ember the most well rounded destination, Jacala has the best food. I can see many island regulars nodding in approval while reading this, while some shaking profusely. Dont worry latter group, I got you covered too, albeit with a thin layer of sugar.
On paper, these are my favorite kind of owners. The fully present ones. They oversee every aspect of the operation the entire time they are there. Shmoozing with a customer for 30 minutes is not fully present. While Alain is busy in the kitchen, Jacques is running the front, taking every order, and even has time to prepare Martha Stewart’s favorite steak tartare, table side. He will also tell you if you order items that dont exactly mesh. Its a level of service you just dont see very often.
Simply put, every single dish we’ve had at Jacala ever was outstanding. That creates all sorts of challenges when you order, choosing between the proven and the new. Its hard to pass on the magnificently fresh, and expertly crafted Tuna Tartare for example. Or the stupendously moist and flavorful chicken breast rolled around lobster, chicken mousse, and served over lobster sauce. The latter has been pretty much on the menu since day one.
As we get older, mental lists get less and less effective. We start to forget things, and sometimes get in trouble as a result, especially with the spouse. The saving grace is an equally forgetful spouse, but not when she has different habits and writes everything down. 
Eating With Ziggy 