Courtesy of 19 Cleveland
East village, Greenwich Village, West Village. These are some of the most famous village neighborhoods in the world. So famous, other major cities following suit. Calgary now got a quirky East Village as well. But have you heard of Sabra Village, the smallest of the four villages? My guess is that you never heard of it, because it doesnt exist. Yet! But we are in the early stages of what looks like an Israeli invasion of Nolita, a made-up real estate name which stands for North of Little Italy. Little Italy is slowly vanishing and is now essentially one block. Its a matter of time.
I often said that NYC lacks casual, no frills, but smart Israeli food. A place I can bring a group of 4 to 10 on a whim. They are either too refined (Taboon, Nur, Miss Ada), or not refined at all (Nish Nush, Ba’al, Taim), without much in between. Our real estate market has something to do with it, but deep in the outer boroughs there’s no excuse. There’s a place on Avenue P in Brooklyn called “Pita Off the Corner” serving awful Falafel, and barely eatable Shawarma. But the sprawling space serves as a constant tease to what could have been. Brooklyn is home to half a million Jews, half of NYC’s Jews. I’m certain that not all are kitchen challenged.
But in Manhattan at least, it looks like the newest Sabra are on a mission to change all that. Two of the three I’ll focus on below feel like you are transported to Dizengoff. Not Philly, but Tel Aviv. Sabra btw, has nothing to do with hummus. Its an old term that essentially means Israeli born. “Sabres” is the Hebrew name for prickly pear, a fruit that is rough on the outside, but soft on the inside. And by rough I dont mean Harvey Weinstein, but as in direct, to the point.
Here are some of the early settlers of Sabra Village…
Taim – Yes, Taim is now a local chain, but a very important one. Perhaps after X’ian Famous, the most important, and a good representation of fast food in NYC today. Owner Einat Admony certainly knows her Hummus and Falafel. And while I give the nod to Nish Nush as far as Falafel sandwiches go, Taim’s platter is as good as it gets. And dont be the lame one that pronounces Taim like “lame”. Its Tah-eem.
Shoo Shoo – If there’s anything these places need to work on is the names. Its not clear to me what Shoo Shoo means exactly, other the sound my wife makes when the blind neighborhood cat mistakenly comes to our door instead of the next one where he normally gets his food. The name may not sound inviting but the bright decor is, and the menu brings much freshness to the area. Very solid hummus even when topped with boiled chickpeas that can use some texture (minor quibble). And a legit sesame ladened Tel Aviv style chicken Schnitzel.
19 Cleveland – Continuing the questionable name theme with probably the most important Sabra on the block. This is the first serious brick and mortar by the EWZ fave Nish Nush team. A menu that respects tradition but at the same time playful, and elevated. We already know they can dish out killer hummus and unmatched Falafel sandwiches. But at 19 Cleveland (also the address) you can also find a nifty, well balanced Falafel burger, along with fish and vegan Shawarma, and a slew of other healthy eats. Looking forward to checking out the rest of this menu.
You know what they say. Two is a crowd, three is a village! Nolita is a very small area, and the sudden Israeli pop is noticeable. I’ve seen some call it Little Israel, and some call it Little Tel Aviv. Less than a year ago there were five actually. There’s also a branch of Cava, a kinda Israeli, fast-casual national health focused chain. And then there’s Dez which shuttered a year after opening. Did we reach saturation?
Another incomplete North America National Park visit in the books. Still, no bears. Just like with the elusive sea turtle after hundreds of snorkeling sessions (ok, more like 15), this is starting to feel personal. We even got stuck on two “Bear Jams” between Yosemite and Banff and nada. A Bear Jam is when traffic builds up on a road because bears were spotted. Its the National Park version of a NYC accident on the other side of the highway.
To say that Cappun Magru offers the best Cappun Magru in Cinque Terre is a fair assessment. Its the only one making it. This old Ligurian specialty is slowly disappearing from Ligurian menus, even in Genoa where its most associated. Cappun Magru is an elaborate seafood and veggie salad to put in the simplest of forms. Its most common spelling is Cappon Magro, but here at the headquarters of EWZ, with the tagline “Eating Well, Spelling Pourly” we dont care about spelling all that much. My guess is that Cappun Magru is the more ancient spelling. Sort of like Giovanni da Verrazzano ancient spelling had only one Z. If only NYC would have known about it before spending millions to change the name.
I won’t lie to you people. I rarely do. When I first saw the new Essex Market, it felt like I just discovered a new Foodie paradise as the 
This was supposed to be a post about Osteria Baciafemmine, one of Umbria’s most hidden (quite literally here) gems. But something happened during this visit. A twist. The kind I only see in South Korean movies. As good as this meal was, the little village of Scheggino, with a population of 463 (we counted) upstaged the meal. To the point that we changed plans on the last day to visit the village again.
Cutting through at the foot of Scheggino is the Nera River producing one of the only seafood items found in Umbria, trout. You can have it at Osteria Baciafemmine as is, or crusted with crunchy breadcrumbs and parsley. Osteria Baciafemmine is a local legend, Slow Food fixture, and the reason we came to this village in the first place. Rustic, all in the family Osteria, dishing out local specialties and meat raised in their own farm. Mother, father, daughter, cat, all hard at work at a space decorated head to toe with food and drink stuff, almost museum like. Toto, we are not in Staten Island anymore.
While I was sitting out on a bench on Grand and Mulberry 
Tuscany is a wildly misunderstood region. You hear about it. You read about it. You finally decide to go. But unless you plan carefully, you may just miss it. Its large, very diverse, and it includes some of the most photogenic corners in Europe. But finding these corners requires time, patience, and a Fiat.
There’s a common belief in the travel community that vacations should be all about you, and what you like to do. Stay in the type of accommodations you like. Do the things that interest you. Eat the things you enjoy the most in the setting you feel most comfortable in. “What type of food do you like?” is a common response to someone seeking dining advice on the travel boards. It rarely makes sense to me. But knowing exactly what you want and getting it when you want it, doesnt sound so wrong. Some may argue its living life to the fullest. In fact I’m often jealous of people who travel with their favorite cigars, coffee, rum, prunes. Yes, prunes. Prunes give people comfort.
You start this adventure before you even enter the place. About 15-30 minutes before in fact. To ensure a table its recommended to come before they open, otherwise you get an approx time slot, or risk missing out. If its lunch time, and they run out of space and time, they can put you on a list for dinner. Once they open (may not be on time), everyone surrounds the list reader like he is about to read the chosen names in a high school play, and about to give them free Focaccia. Then he goes “Prego” and bam, a mad rush inside. You are shown to your table or table that you’ll share with others.
July 20, 2019 Update:
I tell ya. There are some beautiful places on this planet. Some of which look like belong to another planet. I can think of some parts in south Utah like Lake Powell, and Horseshoe Bend in Arizona that look like something you may see in science fiction movies. The common theme is usually color. And if you come at the right time to this part of Umbria you might just see every color imaginable. If you come at the wrong time as we did, its spectacular, still.
Eating With Ziggy 