Eating With Ziggy

Turks and Caicos – Bugaloo’s

Posted on February 8, 2014 by Ziggy

There were 3 major milestones during our recent visit…

1) I rediscovered the joy of traveling to Provo without kids. Sorry kids, its fun to go with you, but its Soooo much more fun to go without, and now that you are eating like mom and dad its so much more affordable too. The 11 year old would call the manager if she detects her 40 oz. rib eye was not aged properly

2) I discovered a new passion – Beach Yoga!

3) I finally got my conch at Bugaloos in a conch shell.

Besides yet another wonderful conch salad, one of the best things I ate during the entire trip was the freshly caught whole red snapper sautéed with some coconut milk, onions, pepper and garlic. Great texture, flaky, simply mouthwatering piece of fish. The light sauce was just the perfect compliment, letting the fish do the talking. We attacked this beauty in full force.

March 3rd, 2013 post:

So now that this blog has been featured on Trip Advisor, and now that baby Ziggy decided to run for pope, I feel like I have to clean up my act here a little and limit the use of smiley faces. Just had to let you all know. You already see the changes reflected in the new site tagline – “Eating Well, Spelling Poorly” which makes no sense whatsoever now that I think about it as I use a spellcheck. But whatever…

My mission on this trip was to try some new places like Bugaloo’s. Its hard to leave the resort during lunch time, but while the rest of the family is ‘liming’ by the beach, Ziggy has people to see, new conch to try.

The food was terrific.. I think. Its hard to concentrate sometimes when you are eating with great people in a setup such as this. No need for Sevantix here! One of the most spectacular setups in TCI.

I enjoyed my conch salad (bottom) although it was missing some of that heat I was hearing about. But it was fresh and tasty. Conch (pronounced “Conk” if you are scoring at home or even if you are alone) salad to me is the best way to experience conch on the islands. Peruvian ceviche style. Coconut Cracked conch (below) was fine as well but if I have to choose I’d go with the conch salad.

I was here with my new friends Joe and Dash who I met via Trip Advisor. Everything went well until they started ‘seeing things’. Mainly fish doing somersaults. “There it was again, did you see it?”, “Ahhm, ye I saw it” 🙄 But other than that, you will be hard pressed to find a couple as great and better looking if I may say than this two. What a pleasure it was to meet them.

I’ve been very fortunate to meet some great people through Trip Advisor. From RedRox in Sedona to Blamona in TCI. And I’m so looking forward to meeting more like my friend CaribDesi from Atlanta. If you knew CaribDesi you would know that a place like Bugaloo’s is right up his alley. Get well soon Desi! And I’ll see you in Three Queens.

Categories: Turks and Caicos | Tags: Bugaloo's, Bugaloo's Providenciales, food, restaurants, Travel, Turks and Caicos dining, Turks and caicos food, Turks and Caicos Restaurants | 4 Comments

Dude, You Are Researching NYC Food All Wrong

Posted on February 6, 2014 by Ziggy

Dear Tourist,

So you’ve decided finally to go on a “Holiday” to New York City. Mazal Tov! You probably read by now in your guide books that NYC is the greatest food city in the world. And you are probably waking up every morning thanking god for the gift that keeps on giving, the TripAdvisor Rankings. Between the rankings, the guidebooks, and all the great recommendations by your neighbor’s house sitter Betty (you must go to bubba gump you must) who eloped to NYC last year with 75 of her closest friends, you are all set. Right? Not exactly. Lets take a moment and examine what is wrong with the above plan, and come up with a new one.

Whats wrong with the TA rankings: Everything, and nothing. Its just totally meaningless, especially in NYC. TA is a great traveling tool, but ~~pretty much~~ totally useless in NYC as far as restaurants are concerned. The main reason for its uselessness is that there are much better research tools in NYC. (more on that later). But lets discuss the rankings for a second shall we. They are so flawed and so out of tune with reality that’s not even funny. The top 50 at the moment is a bizarre mishmash of classics and places I never even heard of. First of all the TA algorithm puts some major weight on the number of reviews. So older establishments may be higher than better reviewed younger ones. And then there are those that have 27 remarkably high reviews that made it all the way to the top 20. And not to mention that 25 of them may be coming from all their employees and families. I always recall this one particular place in Milan where the owner single-handedly put his place #1 with a bunch of obvious fake reviews. At some point he mistakenly gave himself one star, and that followed with 4 quick glorious reviews with a similar language. And once real reviews started coming in, he found himself arguing with every reviewer

But fake reviews don’t have much of a bearing on the busy NYC listings. Tourists do. TripAdvisor is predominately used by tourists, and its especially true in NYC. While you may see locals contribute in other towns and countries where there’s not much of a choice other than TA, in NYC locals use other sites like Yelp. Now, couple the tourist factor with the high volume factor I mentioned above and you can see why something like Basso56 will be near the top as its heavily reviewed by tourists thanks to its location near Times Square. Besides Basso, at the top of the Italian chain on TA at the moment you can find other Italian behemoths like Rafele, Piccola Cucina, Via Della Pace – places I never even heard of. But if you need more convincing than “Ziggy never heard of”, why not just go to Chowhound where all the NY foodies hang out and pull threads that discuss the best Italian in town. You will not find any of those places mentioned. What you will see mentioned are places like Maialino (#95), Babbo (#602), Marea (#194), Lincoln (#882), or even Ziggy fave Costata (#2605). TA numbers are all over the place as you can see, well outside of the top range for the unsuspecting tourist. So while you are eating a Carbonara with cream and bacon at a high ranked theater district place near you, locals out there enjoy the real thing with Guanciale and egg at Maialino.

Same applies to using the rankings everywhere else in the world. My favorite restaurant in our adapted home of Turks and Caicos is Caicos Cafe, rated #20 at the moment, pretty low in T&C standards.

Now, its time to ditch the guide book. Ok, wait.. pick it up.. its actually quite useful for many things. But not so much for food. Yes, you will get some good tips on some NY icons like Katz’s and Russ and Daughters that I recommend. But then you have something like pizza (namely Grimaldi’s) and bagels that NYC is so famous for. While you will not easily find better pastrami than Katz’s, you will easily find better pizza than Grimaldi’s. Actually, all you need to do while standing on line at Grimaldi’s with the rest of the tourists is look to you left at Juliana’s window to see where the real Grimaldi is doing his thing nowadays. But you dont even have to leave your neighborhood in Manhattan to get great pizza that is arguably better than Grimaldi’s.

Besides pizza, your guide book will mislead you in other areas. E.g. Hell’s Kitchen is not a safe area, the place for Italian is Little Italy, and Times Square is a foodie paradise. Your guide book may be up to date as far as facts are concerned (MoMA hours) but not concepts. Little Italy is now a block inside Chinatown riding one of those concepts. There are no Italians living there. Another thing to keep in mind is that the food contributors to the guides may not be necessarily “foodies”. Rick Steves for example does not strike me a foodie, and to follow his advice in Italy or anywhere else is Europe in this day and age is pretty silly. Eating at guidebook recommended establishments and high ranked TA spots also means eating with other tourists who are doing exactly the same thing. Some may find comfort with that, but if you are reading this blog chances are you want to eat where the locals eat.

And as for your neighbor Betty recommendations go, treat them like meeting your dentist at the supermarket. Smile, and move on. Unless Betty, is an avid Eating With Ziggy reader and/or does any of the following…

Read Chowhound – as I mentioned, this is where many of the NYC foodies hang out, and where I get many ideas. Chowhound is probably my wallet’s single worst offender.

Read Yelp Reviews instead of TA reviews. I already touched on this, and its fairly simple. Locals use Yelp, tourists use TA.

Read or Subscribe to Grub Street – You can get all sorts of interesting ideas there, especially from the power rankings. Same idea applies to Eater, or Serious Eats.

Hang out in the TripAdvisor NYC Forum. You dont even have to participate. Its amazing how much knowledge you can get just by reading the forum for a month or two. There are plenty of locals who contribute on a daily basis, and you can also find many discussions on dining by using the search feature

And the most important tip…

Read EatingWithZiggy. Whats so funny. Where do you think I derive my ideas from.

Happy eating, and happy planning!

Categories: Brooklyn, Chelsea, Chinatown, East Village, Gramercy, Flatiron, Lower East Side, Midtown East, Midtown West, New York City, SoHo, NoHo, Nolita, Staten Island, TriBeCa, West Village | Tags: best food in NYC, food, restaurants, Travel, Where to eat in NYC | 6 Comments

TCI – How to Start the Day Properly

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Ziggy

Its 6:00 AM. Do you know if you have pool side lounges today? Time to get up and reserve your beach hut for the day… oops, the hut reservations office only opens at 7.. why does the water smell of gas? Oh its coming from the mud I am standing on… wait a minute, you are in a different hotel, and here you reserve a hut at 4:00 PM sharp for the next day. Time to stand on that line…. where did all these cruise ships and Russian babushkas come from… Waking up in cold sweat. What a bizarre dream. I’m not in Aruba, YES! A nice long walk, some Beach Yoga, and a trip to Tatiana (Caicos Bakery) is in order in this fine morning in Providenciales.

This post is gonna be short and sweet. I’ll let the pictures do most of the talking this time. For the past 6 years or so Caicos Bakery, the quintessential mom and pop French bakery has been dishing out all sorts of baked goodies. From baguettes, quiches, croissants, donuts, to a plethora of mouth watering pastries. Every other morning, I get those looks at the breakfast buffet. “Here comes that idiot again with his own bread”. Hey, I’m on vacation and bread is important to me. And if I have easy access to a bakery where I can get baguettes that will give me that serious oomph to my breakfast, than why not take advantage. But if you have a view like below, might as well take advantage of that. There will be no eye rolling done in that balcony, guarantee. Unless you tell the wife that you had another cougar checking you out during Beach Yoga

Freshness, attention to detail, and hard work is key here. Provo has seen its share of bakeries come and go over the years. Its usually when they realize they need to wake up at 4 am and work their butt off all day, they give up. The island’s locals and tourists are lucky to have the hard working team of Tatiana, Eric, and Frederic around.

Categories: Turks and Caicos | Tags: Caicos Bakery, Caicos Bakery Providenciales, Caicos Bakery Turks and Caicos, food, French Bakery Turks and Caicos, restaurants, Travel, Turks and Caicos | 4 Comments

Mercato – a Diamante in the Rough

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Ziggy

February 24th, 2020 Update:

Time to update this oldie but goodie. Its only been 6 years, though I’ve been doing surprise inspections on and off during that time. Why did it take me so long you may ask. Its very simple. Not much has changed. Same owners, same menu, same lentil dip they give you at the beginning of each meal, same layout I know like the back of my hand, same everything. In a city where chefs constantly feel the need to reinvent themselves every now and then, Mercato is pretty much the same its been since it opened a decade ago. BTW, does anyone really know the back of their hand well?

The location of Mercato has a lot to do with why it stays the same. In that corner of Hell’s Kitchen, they get their fare share of tourists, and theater goers, which also enables them to stay open throughout the day while many siesta-ing. But they are just far enough from the midtown hustle and bustle, and the bulk of bridge and tunnelers seeking a different kind of red sauce. Safe to say its a Hell’s Kitchen staple that stuck to its niche as a no frills Trattoria celebrating the Italian south, Puglia, Sardegna and Sicily especially.

Mercato Orecchiette Like with so many such Italian joints in the city, pasta here reigns supreme. The Trenette is always reliable as a light, nutty alternative to the Spaghetti al Pomodoro. I’m not as in love with it as I used to, but I still order it when I’m sharing for its interest factor. If you want something more robust, the homemade Malloreddus, tiny but potent Sardinian Cavatelli with wild boar ragu is a Mercato classic and a safe bet. Same with the Gnocchi, though I didnt have it in some time now.

Here you want to pay special attention to the specials. The Orecchiette with sausage and Maitake (Hen of the Woods) last time was possibly the most satisfying special I’ve had here. The odd inclusion of crispy dried sweet peppers didnt interfere with the joy. Dido for the slow roasted juicy pork shank. The only thing I wouldnt order again is the Tagliata (sliced steak) which rarely resembles the motherland version in most places anyway. The Semifreddo however, you just want to kiss and say “I knew it was you Semifreddo”. Or you can just eat it with a spoon like we did.

January 31, 2014 post:

I was never so eager to write a “Next Post” after that last one. But work, and a vigorous Sexual Harassment training were in the way.

What do Hell’s Kitchen, Staten Island, and Brooklyn have in common? A mafia filled history, and a lot of mediocre Italian food. Coincidentally, these are the 3 places I spend the most time in due to work and marriage constraints. But as Bob Dylan taught us “Times They are a-Changin” That’s right, changin without a “g” at the end. In the case of Hell’s Kitchen, there’s still a lot of mediocre Italian food to entertain the theater goers. But the last few years a few diamond in the rough spots emerged, biggest being Mercato on 9th and 39th.

Avid followers of EWZ (both of them) already know all about this Hell’s Kitchen treasure. Mercato (means Market in Italian) is as authentic as it gets in NYC. Here’s why…

1) Owners from Puglia, chef from day one is Sardinian, and every waiter is Italian. Yes, every single one. And if I may say, all being Italian, fairly good looking bunch as well. I dont go here for this particular reason, but perhaps a sense of belonging!

2) The menu is jam packed with Sardinian, Sicilian, Pugliese specialties (more on that later)

3) Italians love coming here. I’ve heard Italian spoken here by diners on every single visit.

4) Inside it just feels like a rustic Trattoria in Florence (and Ive been to plenty of those)

5) One of these is usually parked next door

I’ve been to Mercato about 10 times since my first time 6 months ago. I’ve taken friends, co-workers, family, family of co-workers (not an affair, just fooling around!) and I feel very comfortable recommending it on the boards. There’s nothing really outrageous about the food. Its simple, honest, and true to the regions of South Italy. While there are all sorts of goodies on the menu I come here primarily for the Primis (pasta/gnocchi)…

Spaghetti with fresh tomatoes, garlic & basil – Like on a first date, before meeting the parents and answering “am I fat” questions 20 years later, you may want to take the core product for a spin. This is a very passable basic Spaghetti dish with profound freshness all around. As with many of the dishes on the menu, everything is homemade

Homemade Trenette with almonds, garlic, tomato and basil (top picture) – Possibly my favorite pasta here. Simple, intense flavors, and at $12 the best price/taste ratio. You will simply not find this anywhere else

Gnocchi in beef and pork ragu – Another one of my favorites. The gnocchi are wonderfully chewy, pillowy, and on the small side. It looks like its swimming in sauce but its firm enough to soak in just the right amount of the meat ragu. And what meat ragu it is!

Orecchiette pasta with broccoli rabe, anchovies, bread crumbs, garlic and olive oil – A Pugliesi without an Orecchiette dish is like Roman without Carbonara. Its very simple, if you like anchovies get it. If you dont, dont.

Fave E Cicoria – Its the Pugliesi Hummus. Popular especially in the winter months. Purée of fava beans, chicory, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Deliciously salty and quite good

Pay special attention to the pasta specials here. Yesterday I had a terrific Cavatelli with spicy short rib ragu. Same goes for the Fusilli (below) with slow braised pork ragu I’ve enjoyed in the past

The one dish I really want to try but always get disrupted by a special is the Malloreddus which is homemade Sardinian cavatelli-like “Gnocchetti” with braised wild boar ragu

I’ve had plenty of other dishes here like the Octopus, Sardines, Tagliata (sliced steak), but chose to highlight the selective ones

Mercato
352 West 39th st (9th)
Rating: 2 Zs (out of 4)
Stars range from Good to Exceptional. Simple as that
Recommended Dishes: Spaghetti, Trenette, Malloreddus, Gnocchi, Fave E Cicoria, Semifreddo, Pasta Specials

Categories: Midtown West, New York City | Tags: Best restaurants in NYC, food, Mercato, Mercato NYC, NYC eats, NYC food, restaurants, Travel | 2 Comments

Provo Zen – Meet Your Restaurant Critic!

Posted on January 28, 2014 by Ziggy

Hi, I’m Ziggy, your Restaurant critic!

Why I am abandoning my disguise?

I got somewhat influenced by this guy

And a bit more from this guy

Oh, and I almost forgot this guy

Its that age-old question. The question I’m being asked again and again whether on the message boards, Korean baths, or in my adopted second home of Providenciales. With all my eating habits, how exactly do I stay in shape? What is my secret? Is it fish oil? Well, I think its time to share this gift

The answer my dear readers is Beach Yoga. That’s right! There’s absolutely nothing as exhilarating and at the same time as peaceful as Beach Yoga. People often said that Beach Yoga is like a cross between Kite Surfing and couch potatoing. Well, I’m here to tell you that those people are idiots! The only way for me to properly explain this phenomenon is by sharing some of my favorite moves and provide helpful tips. Difficulty levels range from beginning to advanced to satisfy the entire EWZ audience.

The Warrior (advance). This is always a crowd magnet for some reason. The warrior with help from the waves will relax you and greatly enhance your balance. Don’t be surprised if after 4 weeks you notice a difference in tricky balance situations like standing still in a supermarket line.

The Italian Warrior (advanced) – Sometimes in order to achieve that Zen, you need to release some steam. Dig deeper into your Roman roots and just let it all out. Imagine for a minute you have an uncle in Milan that always makes fun of your shoes and your American way if life

Outstretching (medium) – stretching is something I advise to avoid. It’s overrated and you achieve nothing but the occasional groin injury. And seriously you look like an idiot on the beach. I’m just including it here to show you how you will look like an idiot.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Angel (moderate) – Something I accidentally invented for this column. A rare moment that allows you to connect with the 4 basic elements of our planet. Wind, air, water, and kittens.

Reaching to the Sky (advanced) – Something I like to do during Jewish holidays. This position strengthens your arms, palms, legs, hamstrings, chin, stomach, and left foot, but speeds up the road to knee replacement. No one said this will be easy.

Lunge (moderate) – perhaps my favorite move, but something I prefer to do earlier in the morning before the middle aged, frontal balding men start doing their beach walks. The last thing I want to do on vacation is to intimidate anyone.

Pushup (moderate) – Self explanatory. It strengthens your wrists, arms, increases your metabolism, and your ability to have children.

I’ve fallen and I can’t get up (medium) – You and earth as one. All about experiencing that ocean oasis, living the moment, getting to that final zen, or swallowing ocean water. Whatever comes sooner.

Man Standing Still (moderate) – Connect with your inner Ziggy. You and the ocean as one. Seriously I don’t have a clue what the f%*k that means. I just read it in a fitness magazine.

Categories: Turks and Caicos | Tags: Travel, Turks and Caicos | 3 Comments

TCI – What to Eat in Coco Bistro

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Ziggy

Courtesy of Brilliant Studios

This is one of those posts that almost needs no words. But there are a couple of things I want to accomplish with this one…

1) Tell you what to eat in Coco Bistro, Provo’s favorite dining establishment among tourists and residents ages 16-110

2) Showcase my newfound Food Photography skills!

So lets take a moment and ~~admire~~ look at the pictures first. You like? You Welcome! Would you say they are Brilliant?!? Yes, I’m getting better at this photography thing. But before you hire me for your son’s Bar Mitzvah, I should tell you something… I’m very expensive, and they are not exactly mine.

I remember my first visit to Coco Bistro, about 8 years ago. Coco the resident cat was like a young cadet moving ever so swiftly with a purpose. A colorful pepper soup was the popular item back then. Now, a well fed Coco, the size of an average Staten Islander, just walks around at a much slower pace like one of the partners. The pepper soup is long gone, a fantastic lobster bisque is in (while not featured here, it is indeed good), and a fun menu to boot.

Since this is Provo’s most popular spot, I see this question often. Whats good here. From past experiences, and simply hanging out on the message boards, I came up with this short list.

Starters:

Caesar Salad – Bacon, Croutons, Anchovy filets and Fresh Shaved Parmesan Cheese in a Spicy Dressing. The description on the menu ends with “(no wimps please)” which is the main reason I never actually had it. Yesterday, we had a cheap holiday party (we do it well into January – food highlight was the tortillas) and I wimped out of the mechanical bull ride. Look, its not Obama-care friendly is all I’m saying. With that said, I’ve seen too many Caesar Salad fans rave about this particular one.

Courtesy of Brilliant Studios

Ahi Tuna Sashimi – Fresh Tuna served on a Crispy Tortilla with Red Onions, Vine Ripe Tomatoes, Scallion, Tobiko, Fresh Cilantro and a Wasabi Mayo. This is perhaps my favorite item on the menu. Just a glorious concoction of fresh tuna, veggies and wasabi mayo that perfect compliment. Simply divine!

Courtesy of Brilliant Studios

Spicy Lobster Soft Tacos – Fresh Guacamole , Sour Cream and a Pineapple Tomato Salsa. This is one of the new kids on the block which I tried on my last trip and obviously enjoyed it enough to include it here.

Courtesy of Brilliant Studios

Mains:

Roast Lamb Rack – Herb Crust and as of this writing with Sweet Potato Mash, Buttered Carrots and Broccoli, Beet Root Paint and a Caicos Lager Onion Sauce. Expertly cooked, perfectly seasoned, meaty, herby, rack of lamb. Get it, or we are no longer friends.

Courtesy of Brilliant Studios

Grilled Lobster – Jasmine Rice, Snow Peas and Garlic Lemon Butter. I must confess grilled Caribbean lobster normally just doesn’t do it for me. Its very often a tad dry, and/or uneventful. This one is moist, buttery, and very eventful.

Courtesy of Brilliant Studios

Dessert:

Coco Bistro’s Famous Coconut Pie – Fresh Cream and a Medley of Sweet Sauces. Need I say more. Its right there in the name “Famous”. Like “Shlomo’s Famous Falafel”, you simply have to try it at least once. Its not only addictive, but large enough to feed a small Armenian village

Courtesy of Brilliant Studios

For your Island photo needs visit Brilliant Studios

Categories: Turks and Caicos | Tags: Best restaurants in turks and caicos, Coco Bistro, Coco Bistro Turks and Caicos, food, restaurants, Travel, Turks and Caicos | 2 Comments

Henry’s End – Game of Thrones

Posted on January 21, 2014 by Ziggy

Winter is coming! An odd thing to say in mid January. Game of Thrones has made “Winter is Here” or every other phrase with the word Winter in it(e.g. “Winter Coats for Sale”) sound uncool. Besides, you could be reading this post in the Summer or Fall, and as long as our moon is intact, winter will be just around the corner. Imagine for a second Planet Earth without a moon, or a much smaller moon. The earth’s rotational axis would pretty much not exist, hence no fixed seasons. It could be Turks and Caicos weather for 7 years, or Antartica for 9. Imagine having to wait years or decades for Henry’s End Winter Game Festival. Its like imagining the unimaginable. Like Kim without Kanye. Hooray for moons!

File this one under the I cant believe I haven’t done this before. We were again with Mr and Mrs Hummus Whisper, a prenatal eating tour if you will for them. Turns out HW is still recovering from catching his former nanny wearing his boxer shorts. Knowing the former nanny, I now join in the recovery efforts. It was also very cool meeting Steve from the Chowhound board finally after first meeting him on the Italy board. The rustic Henry’s End by the Brooklyn Bridge in Brooklyn was packed on a Friday night as it should.

Enjoyed the Turtle Soup. Got it lukewarm but it was just fine. Finely chopped turtle meat, nicely spiced. Recipe originally came from Paul Prudhomme when he was with Commanders Palace, incidentally the last Turtle Soup I had. The CP soup nowadays is a bit different, with chunkier meat, which could be turtle or not. Turtle soup to me is not so much about the turtle meat. It could be veal, pork or rubber ducky meat as far as I care. But the manager at Henry’s assured me it was real Turtle from Louisiana.

The Game Charcuterie Plate was something else. Great Buffalo, venison, duck pate. Venison sausage was nice and earthy, almost mushroom like. My favorite however was the rabbit with ginger sausage. So tender and flavorful. Wife enjoy her corn chowder.

For main we shared a few dishes. Nice Rabbit Strudel – a bit too sweet for my taste but enjoyable. The Pappardelle with Buffalo short rib ragu was one of the best Pappardelle with ragu I ever had and certainly one of the the meatiest. Melts in your fork, super tender, tasty meat which looks a bit one sided in the picture but it wasnt. The New Zealand Elk Chops however stole the show. Huge, rich, lean tender chops, herb and breadcrumb crusted on top of a very tasty Madeira wine sauce. Just excellent excellent stuff! I was giving a food tour to a couple from New Zealand right before dinner, so it was a NZ kind of a day for me

Dessert was fine. Liked the homemade banana gelato. Another memorable meal in Brooklyn

Henry’s End

$$$

44 Henry St, Brooklyn (Right near the Brooklyn Bridge and DUMBO)

Recommended Dishes: From the Game menu: Turtle Soup, Game Charcuterie Plate, Elk Chops, Pappardelle

Categories: Brooklyn, New York City | Tags: Aska Brooklyn, Best restaurants in Brooklyn, food, Henry's End, Henry's End Brooklyn, NYC food, restaurants, Travel | 5 Comments

Turks and Caicos – Garam Masala

Posted on January 19, 2014 by Ziggy

January 19, 2014 Update:

Garam delivered yet again. The new manage who I call “The New Vinni” (because I keep forgetting his name) took good care of us. The new standout dish this time was a very nice Kerala Chicken Masala that was growing on me until I grew a little. Complex, flavor packed stuff that I was enjoying more an hour later via a series of pleasant little burbs just like the ones after the Alba White Truffles at the NoMad a few months ago. The infamous conch Kebabs are no longer on the menu. A shortage of fresh conch according the New Vinni.

BTW, Old Vinni is up to something but not quite sure what. Stay tuned! (dont know to what exactly, its just an expression)

March 16, 2013 post:

I was dead wrong about Garam Masala!

As you probably guessed by now, I, Ziggy, just Ziggy no last name, like Seal, LOVE to eat. I love to eat and I really care about what I’m eating on a holiday (No worries I didnt turn British, just play one on the Telly). And while away we often try to eat things that are not easily available back home (e.g., Grouper, Conch). So you see where I’m going with this. Indian, Thai, Chinese food is something we eat almost on a weekly basis back home, and therefore it’s the last thing I consider eating while on vacation. Also, after many years of trial and error, and palate refinement, I sort of figured out where to get some pretty darn good Indian, Thai, Chinese, Sri Lankan, middle eastern, you name, it in NYC. Therefore, when I see an Indian restaurant on an island somewhere where its quite possibly the only Indian there, 3 thoughts come to mind…

1) This cant be good. They have no other competition here.

2) I would probably eat here weekly if I lived here and its decent

3) I’m sort of getting hungry

Similar thoughts crossed my mind when I saw the new Shawarma and Falafel place that just opened right next to Patty’s Place at Ports of Call. Yours truly is truly a Shawarma and Falafel ~~whore~~ ~~snob~~ fan.

So as you can imagine I needed a little convincing from various island friends over the years to come to Garam Masala. I was very close last year, and this year I finally took that pilgrimage to Tikka Masala Holy Land (i.e., 10 minutes from the Seven Star beach – its hard to leave that beach in the middle of the day)

First of all the place looks very modern. Last year they closed for a few months to renovate and it really looks very inviting now. Part owner Vinnie, former food and beverage head at Amanyara knows his stuff and is very passionate about what he’s serving and how. Everything is made to order using “real” ingredients which he purchases in Chicago every few months.

I can honestly say the food was absolutely delicious. Started with some nice and spicy conch kebabs (above) which had the texture and flavor of the best Falafel you will ever eat. Their Chicken Tikka “pizza” on naan bread was very satisfying. We are naan junkies and their garlic naan is some of the best we’ve had.

Chicken Tikka Masala (below) is perhaps a dish I’ve eaten more than any other in the world. I’ve had it mostly in various restaurants in NYC, in London (Indian food heaven) and eat it by my work often. I could tell when this one arrived by its color that it will be good. The only not telling part was the tenderness and texture of the meat which can be often dry and chewy. This was as close to perfect as I can remember.

Dal Makhani was probably even better. They cook the lentils for 12 hours each night and the result is a flavor festival. As with the Tikka Masala, heat is not very present and not very needed (Indian food is not necessarily about heat). Lamb Kadhai, thick stew like with some heat and big complex flavors was another winner. I kept going back and forth between the lamb and and the Dal saying “this is my favorite. No this is my favorite”, while the Masala was staring at me going “come to Mama..”. Another tasty snack here is the Chicken kebabs, although if I have to choose I’ll take those conch kebabs thank you.

After the meal I did not feel like I just ate something heavy as I often do at home. A fantastic lunch! This is closer to some of the better Curry Hill or even Michelin Star establishments in NYC. To understand the type of dedication by Vinnie all you need to do is ask him about how he found his chefs. He went back to India to look for the chefs that worked in the restaurant he frequented as a kid with his parents, only to find that one of them is working in Japan while the other in Dubai. The story itself is worth the price of admission.

So yes, I was wrong about this one, and highly highly (thats 2 highlys!) recommend Garam Masala in Providenciales. Cant wait for more.

Categories: Turks and Caicos | Tags: food, Garam Masala, Garam Masala Turks and Caicos, Providenciales Dining, Providenciales restaurants, restaurants, Travel, Turks and Caicos dining, Turks and caicos food, Turks and Caicos Restaurants | 7 Comments

Piora – You Had Me at DM

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Ziggy

You know the place is popular when you show up and the door is locked. You’ve been trying to make reservations for the past 3 months until you finally score a “senior citizen” slot of 5:30 and show up at 5:15 courtesy of zero traffic (Thanks to our borough presidents who endorsed Chris Christie). A locked door was a first for us. Hearing DM (Depeche Mode, aka “Greatest group in the history of greatest groups) as soon we walked in was a first as well. I knew right there and then that this will be a fun evening. And it was!

Piora is as refined and polished as they get in this class. Its not quite Italian, not quite Korean, not quite “Fusion” (why everyone hates you “Fusion”. I say you are misunderstood). Hence, the default “New American” tag applied. Does anyone eat “Old American” anymore? Piora (“Blossom” in Korean) is the strange, but hey it works, combination of an Italian-American executive chef and a Korean owner/manager in the West Village. A cozy back room overlooking a stunning snow dusted garden (a rarity these days). The atmosphere almost seemed odd which sort of worked in our favor, if it makes sense. You just dont expect alternative/clubby music in a place like this but it worked.

Before I dive to the food though, mad props to one particular drink here. “Leaves Falling” — Plymouth gin, Calvados apple brandy, Earl Grey tea, maple syrup, lemon and apple. I want to try making one of those at home, when I’m down, or watch Turkish movies. All I need now is all those ingredients and a bartender.

Some of the dishes were a little on the salty side, though thanks to the Falling Leaves I cant remember what they were. All by design of course, and all still quite complex and enjoyable

Monkey bread – With Lardo and seaweed butter. This was pretty good as expected and a no brainer starter but so are a lot of very interesting bread baskets all over town that cost $6 less

Carrots – Perhaps the most memorable dish. Wonderful array of different flavors and textures with pistachios, yogurt, showered with pink “ham snow”. A glorious dish.

Barbequed Octopus (left) – Quite nice. Tender octopus prepared with Gochujang (a Korean Chili paste), pine nuts and basil.

Egg – Very Good! Poached with 3 succulent deboned chicken wings, potato, and artichoke Barigoule. Is it me or every “New American” menu these days must include a dish called “Egg”

Bucatini – Perhaps the most celebrated dish on a menu that includes 3 pastas. A very unique blend of squid ink Bucatini, black garlic (The Korean black garlic, not the feh! kind), Dungenese crab, Maitake (yum) and chili

Gnocchi Special – Excellent! Picture below is half the normal size (they split some dishes for us). Not your traditional Gnocchi. Texture closer to fried potatoes in Gnocchi shape. With lobster (not skimpy), sitting on a bed of artichoke puree, with some hints of French black Truffles. Meaning, its the kind of truffle that surrenders to the rest of the ingredients rather quickly!

Rigatoni – Very Good! Red wine, duck sausage, fig and spigarello (a distant cousin of broccoli. The one that never calls because you don’t call)

Rohan duck – A great dish! Nice and crispy skin, peking duck-like, faro, and yet more of that lovely black garlic

Trout – Tasted fine according to the Hummus Whisperer. BTW, we were joined again by the Hummus Whisperer and his wife the Hummus Punisher. (That’s what he calls her, don’t know why and frankly don’t want to know. Whatever they do at home in their spare time is not my business)

Olive oil potatoes beat out the Sunchoke hazelnut in the extras match. Desserts weren’t memorable (damn you Falling Leaves) but the meal overall was indeed.

Piora

$$$$

430 Hudson st

Recommended Dishes: Monkey bread, Carrots, Egg, Bucatini, Gnocchi (Special), Duck

Categories: New York City, West Village | Tags: food, NYC eats, NYC food, Piora, Piora NYC, restaurants, Travel, west village restaurants | 2 Comments

Lazy Post – The Scene at Island Fish Fry

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Ziggy

Dear Turks and Caicos fans. Unless you are living under a rock, or simply trying to pass a town not endorsed by Chris Christie, you probably already know that every Thursday from 5:30 to 9:30 there’s a party going on at the Children’s Park (way out west, just past Gansevoort). About a dozen local vendors like Jerkie’s, Miss Moonies, Uncle Dough’s, Middle Caicos Cafe (not to be confused with just Caicos Cafe) are participating (vendor list varies on a weekly basis), along with a live band, and all sorts of cultural fun.

Sitting is limited. Best time to come if you want a seat is before 6. With that said, sitting is not very important as you’ll just want to walk around and sample some local goodies like fresh grouper in a foil, conch salads, conch fritters, and grilled lobsters in season. Parking is Provo style, on the sidewalk. Check it out