Eating With Ziggy

Fair Weather Bushwick – Breaking Bad

Posted on April 15, 2016 by Ziggy

No, we didnt get lost trying to get back to Roberta’s, Bushwick’s proud Z-List representative. And no, we dont have a new-found graffiti fetish, although dont mind it so much if striking enough. On average we visit Florida more often than this up and coming hipsterhood, but we are finding more and more reasons to change that. This time, the reason was to check out a little Coffee shop that’s not so little and not so coffee shop anymore. A full transformation from hipster coffee and wifi, to a full blown mature dining spot with weekly tasting, supper club style. Instead of staring at their laptop, locals will now converse with other humans. An experimental concept that is so Bushwick.

Fair Weather Bushwick, making that unflinching transition at the beginning of the year, is like a breath of fresh air to a neighborhood in dire need of such spots. Led by John Creger, fresh from cheese mecca Artisanal, FWB (sounds like a radio station) offers brunch, dinner seven days a week, and the weekly $65 ten courser I will tell you about shortly. I believe this is the first time I wasnt quite sure about what to wear to a restaurant in NYC. A pricey tasting menu, in Bushwick! Talking about getting caught between a rock and a hard place. Like when you feel the need to go take a leak at 9 pm, an hour or two before bed time. You missed your 8 pm, and you are too early for the pre-bedtime stop, strategically trying to avoid the dreadful 3 am wake up call. Do you hold it in for another hour, or risk it?

With that said, even a proper schedule didnt stop a 2 am wakeup call this time, after John Creger’s crafty beer pairing that night. The beer just kept flowing and flowing. John Creger has been around. I’m not so sure I grabbed the most desirable picture of him (like the brainchild of Marilyn Manson and Hitler). Quite possibly just an off hair day, or just another day at the offices at Sleep No More where he was head chef. After stints at Le Cirque, Gradisca, Artisanal, and a cameo on Food Network’s Chopped, Creger is now turning heads in little, obscure Fair Weather Bushwick. The first thing I noticed when I walked in is a smiling happy chef. Happy chef normally translates to happy Ziggy. Normally.

This was the first tasting of the new spring menu (Spring is here apparently. Never got the memo). The atmosphere was that of a supper club dinner, featuring a communal table and an open kitchen. Creger came out 15 times to explain every beer, and every dish in Slow Food style (“The ramps came from an upstate farm ran by runaway Russian brides”). All 10 dishes were plated Ko-esque style so you I couldnt help but compare this one to much pricier tastings. An early highlight, a beet course with spiced pumpkin seeds and dehydrated beets set the tone. There were carrots, slow roasted, sitting on Zatar spiced yogurt, and Fenugreek seeds. “The carrots taste very different than carrots at home” she said. “Thats because these taste like carrots”. And there wouldnt be spring tasting without spring peas. Here, Creger serves a crispy Prosciutto decorated chilled soup that delivers an initial spring pea punch and then settles down nicely.

The vegetable heavy menu featured vegetables (duh!) that came alive by use of mild exotic spices, and herb purees. Creger is like a free bird now, dishing out playful, bright plates, that are attractive to the ~~camera~~ eye, but does not leave the other senses in the dark. Although my taste sense could have used a few more bay scallops in one of the only protein plates. The two dessert courses, in particular a Matcha Creme Brulee with ginger and chocolate mint was a very solid finisher.

Without offending our close friends, I have a new-found appreciation for dining with strangers. We sat next to a fun, young doctor couple who had stories to tell, and Achilles Tendon advice to share. At some point, toward the end of the meal (I would never do it at the beginning), I felt the urge to put my left foot on the table for a free (presumably) checkup, but it didnt seem appropriate at that moment. A fun evening to say the least, and perhaps now we’ll have to make it to Bushwick more often than Florida

Categories: Brooklyn, New York City | Tags: Bushwick Dining, Fair Weather Bushwick, Farm to Table Bushwick, food, John Creger, Travel | 1 Comment

The Only Three Food Courts You Need to Know About

Posted on April 10, 2016 by Ziggy

Gotham West Market

Pretty much overnight, food courts in NYC went from a concept to “What, another one? We need another food court like I need a pimple in my tuches”. Food courts, food halls, semi-annual festivals like Madison Square Eats have become part of us, like bagels, and pizza rats. It almost seems like a new one opens every week, and one can easily lose track of openings just like with new restaurants these days. At some point you just stop and ask yourself, how many more Luke Lobsters and Mighty Quinn’s does this city really needs. Some of them start to look the same, and one of them even invited me for a free tour and tasting. I get such invites on a weekly basis and its either something I’m not interested in, or in Staten Island. Ziggy will not be bought. PERIOD! Unless you invite me to one of these three.

Chelsea Market

CM is busy, touristy, perhaps the most crowded food hall out there, and I cant get enough of it. I bike there for lunch more often than some of the places by my work I can walk to. And, yeah, you guessed it, I dont go there for its history. The vendor list is incredibly impressive, and for the most part unique to Chelsea Market. A high quality butcher, An “A” List Taco joint, fresh seafood, top notch gelato, Halvah, and the soon to be best hummus in NYC, Dizengoff, which will open any day now, are just some examples. Its unlike any market in the world, so comparing it to something like Venice, Barcelona, Mahane Yehuda markets is silly. Some may even suggest its not much of a market, but a collection of high quality food purveyors, but there’s definitely enough market in it. In fact one of the things I love about CM is that some of the vendors source their stuff directly from next door. Cull & Pistol gets their seafood from sister Lobster Place, while Creamline (great turkey burger) gets their meat from Dickson’s Farmstand next door. If you are a food enthusiast (well. you are reading this blog post) you owe it to yourself to stop by. But dont do it when you tired or stuffed. Many tourists just walk the main isle, leave the other door and then ask whats the big deal about this place. Stay for a little bit, explore, and meet some of the vendors, like Rachel from Seed + Mill. Tell her Ziggy sent ya.

Eataly

Yeah, nothing shocking about any of these picks. Long time readers already know that Ziggy hearts Eataly. Unlike, say Little Italy, Eataly is super touristy for good reason. And like Chelsea Market, yes, there’s a good chance that a large Polish man will step on your foot when you least expect. But do you know who especially likes Eataly, that may come as a surprise? Italians. Italians who appreciate quality, and can even find items that are not easily available back home. Whether we go for a little shopping, Nutella Bar, or have a snack at one of its restaurants, we cant get enough of it. I usually have a small mental laundry list of stuff that we “need” like Italian craft beer, Venchi chocolates, fresh pasta like the Agnolotti dal Plin, sauces, cookies, and whatever else catches my eye on each visit. Yes, the stuff is expensive, and I dont shop there on a monthly basis. But cheaper than this is, well, essentially “Stop and Shop”. Quality and imports come with a price tag. Another reason for tourists to come to Eataly is the location. Your attraction heavy guide book may not tell you that Madison Square Park and its surroundings is a must see, especially during squirrel season.

Gotham West Market

While I was waiting for my Steak Barbacao bowl at Choza the other day, I bumped into something I dont see very often at GWM… Tourists. The process of ordering anything at Choza for tourists can be as complicated as our current presidential race, so I was happy to put my Matt Murdock mask on and step in to help. GWM, simply put, is one of the best things to ever happen in Hell’s Kitchen, and one of its main advantages and what separates it from the pack is that its out of the main tourist route. Other than the Intrepid nearby I cant think of any reasons why tourists would come here. Maybe check out our incredible lineup of auto dealerships? GWM is also a very different food court. Its compact, with only 8 or so vendors, and it has more of a neighborhood feel than other food courts. Think of it as one large restaurant with 8 different menus to choose from, where your kids and husbands can run around freely. You can order something at one vendor and eat it at the counter of the next. The funky Avroko design of the place may be reason enough to stop by for some, but I personally go for, you know, the food.

Categories: Chelsea, Gramercy, Flatiron, Midtown West, New York City | Tags: Chelsea Market, eataly, food, Gotham West Market, NYC Food Courts, NYC Food Halls, Travel | Leave a comment

Momofuku Ko – Son of David

Posted on April 8, 2016 by Ziggy

In preparation for Passover, a not quite oldie, but goodie

Eating With Ziggy

On this fine second Seder eve, the beginning of Nutella week (I only eat Nutella with Matzah), I’ll start with a question I’ve been asked many time. How can Jesus be the son of David! Jesus was born 1000 years after David, and yet he is repeatedly described in the new testament as the Son of David. Was David the first ever sperm donor? I didn’t think so. Mmm, a moment of silence as I reflect on the fact that I haven’t and most likely never will produce sons. I get this moment every now and then, bare with me. But the answer to our questions is that its just a Messianic title, like “Son of god”. Jesus, born in the city of David, Bethlehem, was the long awaited Messiah, deliverer, the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies.

Coincidentally (or not) “Ko” means “Son of” in Japanese, and Momofuku Ko is the son of David Chang, the long awaited Messiah that came…

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Categories: New York City | Leave a comment

The Truth About Tipping – And Why it Needs to Go

Posted on April 4, 2016 by Ziggy

Tip Free Pasquale Jones

From EWZ Editorial:

Yes, I actually have nothing to write about. Other than a great meal at Biang! with new Chowhound friends, it was sort of a meh week that included lunch at the hottest restaurant in NYC at the moment (High Street on Hudson). I do have various post ideas at the moment, but not about individual restaurants. And I will need another visit to Biang! to write about it.

Tipping in NYC can be not only confusing, but a highly debated subject even among locals. This is gonna be short and painless, but I will start by offering a quick guide to tipping in NYC, which I mentioned before

1. If the service has been exceptional – Tip 20% (on top of the tax, before tax, is up to you. We tip on top)

2. If the service has been a little less than stellar. Decent, but room for improvement – Tip 20%

3. If your water hasn’t been filled, your food hasn’t arrived on a timely basis, your burger temperature was not up to par, and no one asked you if you like your food – Tip 20%

4. If your server made numerous errors with your order, hasn’t smiled the entire time, and looks rather stressed out – Tip 20%

5. If the server along with another server collaborate to follow you to the bathroom, blindfold and kidnap you via the back alley, lock you in an apartment for 15 days and let you watch nothing but Full House reruns before leaving you in the middle of a bear infested forest naked and afraid – Tip 15%. Yes, this is where I draw the line

The truth about tipping is that over the years it has become way too automatic to maintain its usefulness. Good service, bad service, decent service, there’s no such thing anymore. There used to be a time when you dealt with only one staff member who wasnt extremely busy, and your enjoyment of the meal was essentially determined by what that waiter had for breakfast that morning. In today’s world of Yelp, and meshugenah high rents, in order to survive, restaurants have evolved into a highly efficient well oiled machines. By the end of your meal you either pretty much have met the entire staff, or your single waiter had a ton of help. I once walked into Annabel, a pizza joint in Hell’s Kitchen, just when they opened. The two owners sat in the front quietly playing on their phones, while a staff of about 10 had an intense meeting in the back led by a very intense manager. When the meeting ended, I quickly became the center of attention. Smiles, and friendliness galore even at a casual neighborhood bar/pizza. The owners expect efficiency, and the employees expected to respond. Otherwise, Yelp, Trip Advisor, high rents will make you pay dearly. The incentive nowadays is to keep your job, not the tip.

Many of those factors over the years contributed to the tip becoming automatic, but none of them contribute as much as experience. When you dine out often, you eventually get to understand restaurants – how they operate, and what should be expected where. You eventually begin to understand that the waiter is not the one to blame for much of the things that go wrong, even when it clearly looks like his/her fault. At the Spotted Pig, service was noticeably off one day, until I realized the waitress was working her ass off, covering for someone who was coming late. In addition, after some time, you eventually begin to stop analyzing things, shrug it off, and file errors under “human nature”. If you make a mistake at your line of work, does your salary get reduced? And did I mention that tips are essentially the waiter’s salary? Minimum wage for tipped workers in NYC will increase to $7.50 by next year. Every tipping argument should start with this.

This automatic tipping culture, coupled with our tipping laws and regulations has also greatly tipped the balance between cooks and waiters. Its not that waiters are making too much money. Its that cooks are not making enough. Now that its gotten much harder to find good cooks as a result, Danny Meyer and many more are finally waking up and getting rid of tipping altogether. Not that the imbalance made any sense before the problems started kicking in. Imagine an airline where the flight attendants make more than the pilots.

Coincidentally, Biang! where I just dined with new Chowhound friends, is the latest to go tip free. If not for our tipping culture, after dining there, one could wonder why tips were needed there in the first place. I doubt any will notice a difference in service at a place like this, with a line out the door in tourist free East Village. I also had zero service issues at Bruno Pizza (20% admin charge), Nishi, and Pasquale Jones, all three opened with a no tipping policy in the past year. At long timer Annisa, I cant fathom a different experience after they’ve gone tip free. Danny Meyer, much loved and respected by his employees is moving all his establishments to this system.

So remember kids, tip 20% no matter what for the time being. But The Times They are a Changin’, and its time to join the rest of the world, and eliminate tipping.

Categories: New York City | Tags: food, tipping, Tipping in NYC, Travel | 4 Comments

Uncle Boons – Finally!

Posted on March 31, 2016 by Ziggy

Shaky initial reviews, death in the family, Michelin, the dog ate my restaurant sheet – Just some of the reasons why I never made it to Uncle Boons before. The bizarre Michelin star actually helped for about 5 minutes since I happened to see a tweet of the leak before the news broke out, and I was able to reserve a table immediately. But on the day of the visit, I had to cancel, and reservations since then are virtually impossible. Just like Pasquale Jones, and others who use Resy for roughly 20% of their tables, reservations are hard to get. Solution: Another gondola stroll throughout Little Italy while you wait for your table.

Ironic isnt it? That Nolita, which means North of Little Italy, that famous food street, is arguably the best food neighborhood on the east coast. Estella, Cherche Midi, Rubirosa, Pearl & Ash, Osteria Morini, Pasquale Jones, Balaboosta, Uncle Boons are just some examples of what you’ll find in this little tiny Foodie paradise. Thats an impressive list of Z-Listers, and Z-list wannabes. Taking that Little Italy, Chinaton stroll is one way to combat the NoLita popularity. Though I fear, one day, one of these “Ciao” guys trying to lure me inside a Little Italy establishment will give me an offer I cant refuse. Btw, when a total stranger says ciao to you out of the blue, there’s zero chance that he’s Italian.

When you walk inside Uncle Boons you immediately notice two things. 1) How uncomfortable everyone looks. 2) Rotisserie chickens slowly spinning behind the glass. Clearly the chickens are there to serve as hypnosis, especially against French Rotisserie chicken loving Michelin inspectors. Otherwise, how else would you explain the anti-Michelin scene at the bar and on the side of the entrance. One woman was practically bent sideways while enjoying her Yum Kai Hua Pli. Considering there are two other rooms, one with communal tables, leading you to your table is like the dining version of Russian roulette. We survived the bullet at first it seemed, but then realized the third wheel of the booth next to us, has his back practically leaning against our table. The place is so cramped, taking pictures of the food means taking pictures of your neighbor food as well.

But all is well at the end when the food is this good. The two Per Se veterans created a Pok Pok like menu that is very far from your average Thai. Just like Pok Pok’s Andy Ricker did, Matt Danzer & Ann Redding traveled all over Thailand, gathering inspiration. And just like at Pok Pok, creative drinks is part of the game, and a certain chicken is more than just sitting pretty for Michelin inspectors.

Frog Legs – If you’ve never had frog legs before, this is a good place to start. If you had them before, order it still. Garlic & soy marinated juicy fried legs over addictive glass noodles, and lemongrass & Thai herb salad. There’s not a whole lot of meat on those bones understandably, but every bite counts in a big way

Crab Fried Rice – A pretty standard fried rice with heaps of chunky crab. The flavor is there, but if there was one thing missing from that texture is some crunch by way of socarrat

Rotisserie Half Chicken – By itself, with all its tenderness and juiciness, the chicken would have been a solid but somewhat dull dish. Which is where the sickest green mango salad comes in, along with two dipping sauces. The lemongrass, Ginger sauce in particular works like magic with that chicken

Seafood in Broth – Another terrific dish. Red Snapper, prawns and clams in a rich Turmeric broth. Mrs Z’s favorite dish of the night. Mine was the chicken

Beef Ribs – I almost ordered it, and sort of wish I did after the table next to us got it. The best thing I can tell you for now is that it smells amazing. Next time I would order it along with the chicken with banana blossom salad which I was all set to order until the waitress warned Mrs Z that its extremely spicy.

Dessert – I feel like the Yelp fave coconut ice cream sundae is a bit overrated. Though it didnt make Mrs Z make a Robert de Niro face and start spitting profusely as she normally does with coconut. The condensed milk soaked Brioche was like a French Toast gone wrong. I dont expect greatness out of Thai dessert, so I’m not deducting anything for that. Uncle Boons is quite possibly the best Thai in NYC right now

Uncle Boons
7 Spring St (Nolita)
$$$
Recommended Dishes: All of the above (except the Brioche)

Categories: New York City, SoHo, NoHo, Nolita | Tags: Best Thai in NYC, food, restaurants, Travel, Uncle Boons, Uncle Boons NYC | 4 Comments

Babbo – The Taj Mahal of NYC Italian

Posted on March 26, 2016 by Ziggy

To fully appreciate Babbo, one should arrive 15 minutes early. Stand outside, check out the menu listed that includes today’s specials, and pretend that you are waiting for someone. But more importantly, check out the people arriving. There will be the boring arrivals – the locals and those who have eaten at Babbo before. And then there are those with that special sparkle in their eyes. The same sparkle you get when you finally reach Machu Picchu. I saw a grandma with her well dressed family, pausing in front of the sign, exhale a huge sigh, followed by a smile (unless it was gas). I watched a family of four taking their time, taking it all in, with a particularly thrilled dad who asked me to take a picture of the happy with family. I happily obliged, and charged them $20 (the Times Square Elmo going rate at the moment). The only time I’ve seen this type of foodie pilgrimage in NYC was the last time I waited for a slice at Di Fara. There’s always something special about visiting a place that means so much more to other visitors. Much like visiting the great churches of Europe, or the Taj Mahal

Babbo Ristorante is Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich first out of many ventures, opened in 1998. One of the most celebrated Italian restaurants in NYC history, still going very strong even with an ageless menu. Not many realize that Batali’s first was not Babbo, but a partnership at Pó, also in West Village, 5 years earlier. Outside Babbo looks like just another neighborhood Trattoria, oddly situated on a quiet residential part of Waverly Place (may mean something to the 16 and under, unless they are like my kids who’ve been to Taim Falafel too many times). Talking about Waverly Place kids, there were surprisingly quite a few on this particular night, some even arriving with their American Doll lookalikes. The irony here comes after a tweet the other day where someone asked Batali if he would be willing to open a predominately kid friendly establishment. In which he replied, kids are more than welcomed in any of his establishments already, and that he wouldnt want to alienate adults. After all, we are talking about Italian, the granddaddy of kid friendly cuisine.

The transformation from Babbo outside to inside, is like that of a Minetta Tavern, a time machine. Buzzy atmosphere, full bar, best of Batali ipod blasting in the background, and a VERY full staff. Some looked busy, while some could have easily gone on a late afternoon siesta, even with the full house. This is to me the one major difference between eating in the US and Italy. The traffic around you is undeniable, which is why louder than usual music is required sometimes. Not so much a complaint, but an observation. When you score the friendliest waiter in the city of New York as we did on this night, complaints become observations. On to the food….

Grilled Octopus with “Borlotti Marinati” and Spicy Limoncello Vinaigrette – Although it was somewhat unevenly cooked the last time, it was still good enough to not share one between four octopus loving freaks. “Two Octopuses please”. This time perfectly cooked, with a nice snap, and tenderness all around. The tangy Vinaigrette, and the Borloti, aka Cranberry, aka Pinto and Cannellini had a baby beans, just add to the joy.

Pig Foot “Milanese” with Rice Beans and Arugula – Once in a while, not too often, I bump into one of those “I dont get it” dishes. Its a popular staple on the menu, but I just dont get it. It tasted like a potato latke gone wild. The one that Jewish mothers throw out because it didnt come out as the other potato latkes. Stringy, gelatiny, fried, and very flat cutlet, with a surprisingly flat flavor profile. The only miss of the night.

Beef Cheek Ravioli with Crushed Squab Liver and Black Truffles – Great dish, and by far Mrs Ziggy’s fave. If you feel any affection toward chicken liver this dish is especially for you. Here its much about the sauce making its best Marsala interpretation, but with Squab liver mixed in with mushrooms, adding more richness to the buttery beef cheeks pureed inside the triangular ravioli

Black Spaghetti with Rock Shrimp, Spicy Salami Calabrese and Green Chilies (top)- Another menu staple that I’ve had before. Its a fairly dry pasta, but packed with flavor and txture. The squid ink Spaghetti has that nice sweet heaviness to it, with that crunchy salami, shrimp, and occasional garlic, like the gift that keeps on giving. This is one of those dishes that makes you Google recipes when you get home.

Mint Love Letters with Spicy Lamb Sausage – Like a love letter from the Mario to Ziggy. “Dear Ziggy, in honor of your unconditional support and love for Eataly, Lupa, Po, and other establishments I’ve been involved with over the years, I’m sending you these refreshing, delectable ravioli filled with peas, mint, and cheese, topped with spicy sausage tomato ragu. As you can see, the mint and the sausage, compliment nicely, and dont overwhelm… unlike your wallet by Eataly’s Venchi chocolates. Seriously, I know you are obsessed with Piedmont chocolates, but look at you. Time to give it a rest. And please please shave next time you come to Babbo. Its a Ristorante, not a trattoria so show some respect. Idiot! Love, Mario”

Barbecued Skirt Steak with Endive “alla Piastra” and Salsa Verde – Just a perfectly cooked, and marinated Skirt, sliced and arranged Jenga style, on top of an ultra thick salsa verde. A very respectable meat dish

Rabbit with Honey-Glazed Baby Carrots, Peas and Salsa Verde – I normally dont have high expectations from Secondis in Italian, no matter where I go as they rarely satisfy as much as the primis and the rest of the menu. But here they are given proper treatment, starting with this sweet, flavor packed rabbit

Dessert – A fine chocolate cake, and a finer Semifreddo. Another great meal at Babbo, a Z-List staple for ~~hopefully~~ many years to come

Babbo
110 Waverly Pl
$$$$
Recommended Dishes: Octopus, Mint Love Letters, Beef Cheek Ravioli, Black Spaghetti, Skirt, Rabbit, Semifreddo

Categories: New York City, West Village | Tags: Babbo, Babbo NYC, Babbo Ristorante, food, Italian West Village, restaurants, Travel | 3 Comments

Before You Ask For Another Recommendation…

Posted on March 17, 2016 by Ziggy

“Hi, my boyfriend and I are eloping in NYC next week and we would like some recommendations on where to eat near our hotel, but can travel anywhere pretty much. We are both HUGE Foodies and eat just about anything. But particularly we love Indian and Vietnamese. No chains please, and no Italian hehe we got plenty of those lol. Cheerio for now. Georgina”

A common food question on the message boards. Even if you are not one of those, I advise you to read the following before asking for recommendations

“No Chains” – I see this way too often. I’m sure it looks like an honest requst to many locals, but I cringe whenever I see this. Why would we recommend chains? You are asking for recommendations on where to eat in arguably the greatest food city in the world with the hope that we dont recommend Applebees. Its like telling us “kindly do you job and recommend something that doesnt suck”. It also begs the question, what is a chain anyway, but we wont get into that now. It just implies to me that the poster has no idea about the destination food scene, which is fine. That’s what this post is for.

“No Italian” – Whenever I see this, my first instinct is to recommend Italian. Italian in NYC is a complicated web of eateries ranging from NYC classic Italian to Tuscan, Sicilian, Venetian, and even Asian influenced Italian. Italian is everything and it is nothing. It took me four trips to Italy to understand what it means. There’s almost nothing in common between Roman food and canal food in Venice. We have an incredible array of chefs doing all sorts of wonderful things from great veggies, fantastic seafood, to Roman style pizzas, and Italian with an Asian twist. So, if you are sick and tired of the Italian scene in your city, its more reason to try ours. After all, that’s what Italians visiting from Italy do here. including chefs.

“Near our hotel” – Ok, I admit, I sort of like when they say that because in a city with 25,000 restaurants it gives me something to work with. But somehow, “Foodie” and “Near my hotel” just doesnt add up. While there’s a good chance that you will find some decent spots near where you are staying, why not take full advantage of the amazing dining NYC offers in other neighborhoods. Raise your hands if you are staying near Times Square. Now try East Village, West Village, Lower East Side for a totally different feel. And if you haven’t discovered Hell’s Kitchen yet, its time.

“Can travel anywhere” – No you cant! You are vastly underestimating the size of this city just like you are vastly underestimating its offerings (no chains please). I sort of forced this one in after “Near our hotel” but you get the idea. Most respondents would be quick to suggest something anywhere in Manhattan with the reasoning that the poster would not mind taking the subway to East Village but I wouldn’t be so quick. If you are playing the “can travel anywhere” card, give us something else to work with to reduce the 25,000 NYC restaurants into something more manageable.

“We love Indian and Vietnamese” – This is great, but why is it my problem ;). While people will no doubt respond with fine Indian and Vietnamese suggestions, perhaps even including myself, I would suggest to skip what you like and try something different in the city of different. Unless of course you are coming from Pocatello, Idaho with one or two competing Indian. Pizza, Ramen, burgers, and the only in NYC Maine Lobster Roll!, are just some of things NY is known for. While there’s no doubt you can find some fantastic Indian here, it may or may not be better than what you get at home (I’m looking at you Brits). And Vietnamese food just never took off here. Eating something that you can easily find at home, not named Italian, is one of the worst travel offenses

Before asking a food question one should understand the vastness. NYC is a giant melting pot of world cuisine that comes in all shapes, sizes. and price points. There are no “Musts” (another popular word) as a result. To better answer your question, do a bit of homework first to get a sense of the destination. Guidebooks, food blogs, even simple Googling will do. If you care about food that is. On the other hand of the spectrum there are those that just “eat to live” and dont really care about any of this nonsense. They ask the questions anyway, mainly out of fear that they wont find something near where they are staying. All you need to do is go out of the hotel, turn right, and the world is your oyster. Tomorrow, turn left.

Categories: New York City | Tags: food, NYC, Travel, Where to eat in NYC | 3 Comments

Gotham West Update

Posted on March 13, 2016 by Ziggy

Latest on Gotham West Market and the next Most Interesting Man in The World….

https://eatingwithziggy.com/2014/03/28/gotham-west-market-top-eats/

Categories: Midtown West, New York City | Tags: Best food in Hell's kitchen, food, Gotham West Market, Hells kitchen, Travel | Leave a comment

15 Shades of Caicos Café

Posted on March 11, 2016 by Ziggy

Going to TCI anytime soon? Here’s all you need to know.
You welcome!

Eating With Ziggy

Ladies and gents, brace yourself. Its the moment you’ve been waiting for. Ever since you discovered the Turkey and Cascos Islands as your co-workers call them (“You back… how was Turkey and Cascos”), the question you always wanted to ask but were too afraid for some reason; What to order at Caicos Café, the top restaurant in Providenciales. If you agree, great. If you disagree, even better. You just need a little help that’s all.

Although I live 1300 miles away, and have a serious eating disorder (NYC did this to me), I’ve written about Caicos Café more than any other restaurant in the world (trying to sound dramatic, but really it doesn’t mean anything. I could have said NY but I chose not to). I’ve written stories, reviews, blog posts, mentioned them in every WWH Seven dishes column, and children books (“Goodnight Grouper”). So instead of writing yet another boring blog post about our recent meals…

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Categories: Turks and Caicos | 2 Comments

A Weekend of Firsts: Mogador & Cookshop

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Ziggy

Cookshop

We visited two old timer, neighborhood spots for the very first time this weekend, and here’s what happened.

Cafe Mogador (Williamsburg)

Considering the amount of places we visit, it almost feels embarrassing that we never made it to this popular Tagine mecca in East Village or Williamsburg. Only the couscous gods can explain why it took me so many years, especially considering a well made Tagine is one of my favorite things to eat on this planet. With that said, now that I’ve finally done it, and made to the schlep to the Burg, I feel like the couscous gods need more explaining to do.

Once inside, its no mistaken that you are in a bustling neighborhood spot in the heart of Williamsburg. Arm Tattooed hipsters hovering all over, along with arm tattooed hipsters holding arm tattooed babies. You can tell that these are the coolest babies in the world. The ones that go to sleep before us. The quoted 20-30 turned into a closer to an hour, though we didnt mind as the bar was roomy and the drinks were good. Good Dark and Stormy.

Started with a nice Mixed Platter consisting of an Eggplant & Tahini concoction, an “I cant believe this is not Israeli” Arabic salad, and a surprisingly decent Hummus. In places like this, the hummus usually lacking the creaminess, and texture that I like. We also shared a tender tandoor marinated chicken, and a delicious grilled Halloumi cheese. Unfortunately, and quite shockingly, the fun essentially stopped here. The famous Tagine, with the choice of apricot & prune was fall off the bone tender and juicy alright, though somewhat one-note and sweeter than should be. Yes, apricot and prunes are sweet, I get it. But where are those bold Moroccan spices, the Taginess you bump into from time to time like at Bar Bolonat. The great Mogador Tagine is widely known for the best Tagine in town (Google it). This was more like a second place potluck dinner party with friends winner. The same, albeit, slightly lesser degree can be said about the Couscous dishes which are almost similar to the couscous you get with the Tagine. I would consider introducing those pearl like bubbly Israeli couscous instead to go a long with the Tagine. 133 Wythe Ave (7/8)

Cookshop (Chelsea)

Yes, I know, I know. I’ve never been to Cookshop. Like Cafe Mogador, this is another super popular neighborhood spot, and yeah, I do have some serious hood envy. But just like with Mogador, I never felt that this is a destination place. Cookshop is long considered as one of our premier Brunch spots, and now I see why. 40 minutes wait on a Sunday morning, even though the place is kind of huge. Its so big that the staff, when leaving and entering the kitchen area, is instructed to direct people to the vacant airplane like bathrooms that are in the same vicinity, but not directly next to each other. A couple of them are essentially in the kitchen. They can easily hire a bathroom attendant whose job would be to direct traffic while wearing aviation ground headset (its really loud in there) and sticks.

We had some major cooking plans that night courtesy of the Chelsea Market nearby but we did get enough of a taste here. We started with the Beignets, filled with Di Palo’s fresh ricotta that blended nicely with the dough. Beignets that NOLA experts may appreciate, though I cant say the same thing about the Bloody Mary. The kids opted for burgers. The older opted for a fried egg with hers, which had me shed a little tear. This is the most important milestone since she tried squid ink pasta in Venice. The burgers were nicely cooked, though the fries were salty to the point of uneatable. 100 kuddos points for removing the Beignets from the bill after mentioning this to the waitress.

The Baked French Toast here requires more attention than it gets. It comes with poached blood oranges, and a lovely, cinnamony cream with almonds. The nutty bread is just rich and sweet enough. Some of the best French Toasts we’ve had in NYC. The Roasted Broccoli & Cheddar Scrambled eggs, with caramelized onions and a fantastic supersized buttermilk biscuit was another solid dish, if not a tad too salty as well. We enjoyed Cookshop overall. In a way it reminds me of one of those SF Farm-to-Hipsters spots like NOPA, albeit not quite as good. 156 10th Ave (19/20)