Eating With Ziggy

More Ratatouille Moments at Scarpetta

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Ziggy

I have mentioned this phrase before. Ratatouille moment. What is a Ratatouille moment Ziggy? Well, I’m glad you asked Timmy. A Ratatouille moment derives from the movie “Ratatouille” and the moment is when the tough, ugly, mean, hard to please critic takes that mega important bite of the Ratatouille. Well, you can see for yourself

For me Ratatouille moments are a bit different. They are not really about me reminiscing about something I ate as a kid. Although I did have Bacalau in Portugal that reminded me of some awful Gifilte fish I had as a kid. That would be the opposite of a Ratatouille moment I suppose. After the 10th Gefilte fish I was the youngest member of our city to file for a restraining order against his parents. And as far as Bacalau in Portugal goes, they say they can make it in 365 different ways for every day of the week. We must have picked the 2 worst days. The 2 ways they invented in days 364 and 365, well after they ran out of ideas and just focused on completing the cycle. But I digress.

Scarpetta, tied with Marea for the meal of the year, gave us some “Moments”…

We started with a stunner. Without a doubt the most impressive bread basket I have ever seen. It included a Focaccia, a Stromboli (mozzarella and salami sandwich) among other goodies. And it comes with 3 great condiments, a great tasting butter, eggplant salad and olive oil. What a start. After nibbling on some nice apps like the ribs, Mozzarella, and the Farmers Market with truffles, the monsters have arrived.

Creamy Polenta with truffled mushrooms – Fantastic! creamy and light polenta with those savory mushrooms took me back to Enoteca Valpolicella in Italy’s Valpolicella wine country. I was counting the blessings of being married to a family that did not like mushrooms which includes my wife, her sister and her mom.

Cavatelli Capretto – Melt in your mouth, juicy tender Capretto. Some in our party claimed this was their favorite.

Rabbit Agnolotti – This was a personal favorite. Nice perfectly cooked rabbit in those pillowy delicate mini raviolis bursting with flavor. Couldnt get enough of this.

Spaghetti with tomato & basil – This is one of Scott Conant’s signatures and the most famous Spaghetti with red sauce dish in NYC. Homemade fresh pasta with the most amazing tomato sauce I ever tasted. Another one I couldnt get enough of. Reminded me of a simple pasta I had once in Varenna.

Duck & Foie Gras Ravioli with marsala reduction – Spectacular looking and spectacular tasting. All kinds of nice contrasting flavors packed in this one. Another must

We could have stopped right there but we didnt. What followed was a much less memorable cod, and a finish of an odd coconut Panna Cotta which had a soupy texture that I did not care for. The Hummus Whisperer had the Sheep’s milk Ricotta from Lazio with honey which seemed like a better choice

Generally I favor the places that have a signature dish like the Spaghetti in this case. But I especially favor places that offer many other options that are equally as good. The experience was less perfect for my wife and her sister who will be quick to note the cramped space (for the 8 of us) and less than stellar service. And normally I would be quick to note the same. But when you are in one of those moments, any flaws are not only quickly forgotten, they get ridiculed

Categories: Chelsea, New York City | Tags: Chelsea restaurants, food, NYC dining, NYC food, NYC restaurants, restaurants, Scarpetta, Scarpetta NYC | 2 Comments

Sleep No More – Random Thoughts

Posted on October 22, 2012 by Ziggy

Sleep No More is a unique NYC theatre experience set in a so-called “abandoned” hotel called the McKittrick Hotel. Instead of watching a play unfold you run around up and down stairs wearing a mask following characters from room to room and watch various dream-like sequences of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. I will not bore you with any specific details but instead I WILL bore you with various Random Thoughts I had from scene to scene…

Scene 1 – Well, this is interesting

Scene 2 – I wonder who wore the mask before me

Scene 3 – what’s up with the mad rush. Joining the mad rush. Losing the mad rush after the couple before us exited prematurely

Scene 4 – I can’t breath through the mask and I’m starting to sweat. almost profusely

Scene 5 – where did I park my car

Scene 6 – I swear to god if this woman steps on my toes one more time I’m tackling her.

Scene 6- oh! it’s my wife

Scene 7 – getting hungry. should have made resvs at Mineta Tavern instead of rubirosa.

Scene 8 – Wow, this scene is intense. Wonder how far we can go if we try to recreate it at home.

Scene 8 – tired of holding my wife’s hand

Scene 9 – what if we can get bar seats at Mineta. We need to start eating at the bar like the cool folks

Scene 10 – Now sweating profusely.

Scene 11 – Wait a minute I’ve seen this scene already

Scene 12 – I tell the wife that it’s important for us to follow lady Macbeth after this scene. I did not tell her that I got that info from a blog post about how to get the most nudity from the show. Hey don’t judge. That’s the first thing that google brought up when I typed sleep no more.. and nudity.

Scene 12 – I should have paid more attention when we learned about this in school.

Scene 13- trouble breathing again. What if I get a heart attack right here during this scene. Will they take off my mask? If they do would everybody just converge near me to see what I’ll do next? Perhaps it’s best if they leave the mask. Will the paramedics need to wear masks too? Not a good place to have a heart attack

Scene 14 – wow, she has small…

Scene 15 – Wheres the exit

Scene 16- mistakenly found 2 more scenes while looking for the exit

Categories: New York City | Tags: Art, NYC, Sleep no more, Theatre, Travel | 4 Comments

Staten Island – Viva la Vida

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Ziggy

Our goldfish Ziggy Jr. is not well. He hasn’t eaten in 2 days, he is slow to react to disturbances and stimuli, and his poop has sort of a mahogany tone to it. Our history with previous Ziggy jr’s indicate that he does not have much time left.

What Ziggy Jr. desperately needs is a meal at Vida (OMG I can just see Vida’s owner rolling her eyes at this transition :roll:). Vida has all the ingredients for a fun meal with the family. It got that nice neighborhoody vibe, quirky waiters, and home cooking that is better than mama’s. Ok, cooking better than my mama is not exactly a stretch (thankfully my mom does not read this blog, nor does she know I have a blog, or knows what a blog is) but Silva Popaz, Vida’s chef/owner sure knows her stuff. Vida is a chef’s restaurant. When the chef de cuisine is out, the restaurant is closed. So many more known establishments in the city don’t follow this rule.

Reading the menu at Vida is like visiting Disney’s Epcot. It’s as eclectic as a menu can get. Between the Asian style shrimp, Gumbo, Hummus, chicken Francaise, and the rest of it, all major continents are well represented.

We started with the always reliable Vida bites — pulled pork, pico de galo and avocado sauce on bread. Another regular for us is the mussels with cilantro, shallots, garlic, and white wine. This decadent sauce normally screams for some serious finger dipping, until they bring more bread. I wasnt quick to wash my hands following the meal.

For main the wonderful special Butternut Squash Lasagna with marsala reduction well demonstrated Silva’s talent and originality. The marsala, just like with Scarpetta’s foie gras ravioli added nice intensity to the dish.

My feeling of uncertainty after not getting my usual gumbo dish this time and ordering something I normally never do, did not last long. The special chicken stuffed with sausage, spinach and mushrooms was outstanding. Perfectly crisped skin with that savory filling made every morsel regret sharing the dish with Mrs Ziggy.

The kids were enjoying their linguine Fra Diavolo with shrimp, calamari, mussels, and Asian style hanger steak. Sorry about the quality of the pictures which I blame on lack of lighting, and lack of skill

I normally get the bread pudding for dessert but this time I was convinced to try the Tiramisu cheesecake. Wowser! Perfect finish to one of the best meals we had in Staten Island. Is wowser an acceptable food blog word I wonder? I’m still new to this blogging thing and I dont want to embarrass myself.

Silva gets much of her culinary influences from her trips around the world. A recent trip to Morocco can almost assure a bigger arsenal of exotic spices and perhaps a nice Lamb Tagine in the near future.

Vida up until recently was the only restaurant in Staten Island included on the coveted Michelin Bib Gourmand list. Its like a michelin star for affordable neighborhood joints. The excellent Enoteca Maria has now joined the list for 2012. If Vida is not Staten Island’s best, she is not far behind.

Recommended dishes: Vida Bites, Mussels, Gumbo, Stuffed Chicken, Tiramisu cheesecake

Categories: New York City, Staten Island | Tags: food, NYC restaurants, restaurants, Staten island restaurants, Vida, Vida Staten Island | 1 Comment

Madison Square Eats Highlights

Posted on October 14, 2012 by Ziggy

One week to go. Run, dont crawl to Madison Square Park for some of the yummiest snacks New York City has to offer. The who’s who and what’s what of the NY food fair celebrities participating in this bi-annual month-long event. You got the Roberta’s, the Red Hook Lobster Pounds, the Mayhems, the Stouts, the Momofukus, you name it. The only minor issue is finding a table. If things get desperate you may need to use that fake Arthritis book you’ve been carrying in your purse and pretend to read it in front of the people sitting. I’ve seen this trick on the bus once where some fool got up and gave his seat. Ok, it was me – I got a big heart so sue me. But I digress

Here are some of the goodies we enjoyed on a recent trip…

Baby Got Back Ribs – Nicely seasoned dry rub ribs. Considering this is not exactly straight from the grill this was actually fairly tasty, falling off the bone ribs.

Broken English – Trapizzinos. Romes’s biggest import since Giada De Laurentiis. Like Pizza pita stuffed with all kinds yuminess. We tried the beef, chicken, veggie Trapizzinos, all delicious!

Red Hook Lobster Pound – Lobster rolls. You cant go to one of those without having a lobster roll. Perfection in a bun.

Hong Kong Street Cart – Ja Jiang hot noodle with pork belly and 5 spice tofu. Another winner. A lot of flavor packed in this one.

Ilili – Lamb Shawarma wrap. Perhaps the only dud of the evening and I’m a big fan of Ilili. Somewhat dry and you taste too much wrap. The Phoenician fries with garlic aioli were delish however.

Roberta’s – Bee sting pizza was very tasty. Its spicy Sopressata (spicier than other Sopressata’s I’ve had) and the added honey contributed to interesting contrasting flavors. They also had a nice white brussels sprouts, mushroom and garlic pie which was equally as good (and I’m not a big white fan). And a top notch Margherita

Wafels & Dinges – Belgian Waffles. Perfect finish to a perfect fantastic, slightly chaotic meal.

Categories: Gramercy, Flatiron, New York City | Tags: broken english, food, Hong Kong Street Cart, Madison Square Eats, NYC eats, NYC food, Red Hook Lobster Pound, Roberta's, Trapizzinos, Wafels & Dinges | Leave a comment

Israel in Pictures – Tel Aviv

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Ziggy

Day 11 – 14

Dimmed the Capital of Mediterranean Cool, Tel Aviv is the city of Mosts…

Most Imaginative…

Most Artistic….

Most Spiced…

Most Creative…

Most Patriotic…

Most Contrast (ancient Jaffa vs new Tel Aviv)…

Most weddings in one place (Hatachana)…

Most Creative Attractions (Hatachana, Palmach Museum, and much more)…

Most White – Nicknamed the White City for its Bauhaus architecture…

Most Happening…

Most Beautiful…

Categories: Israel | Tags: architecture, bauhaus architecture, Israel, Tel Aviv, Travel | 3 Comments

Israel in Pictures – Jerusalem

Posted on October 7, 2012 by Ziggy

Day 6 (continues) – Arrival

To the tunes of “Yerushalaim Shel Zahav” and Matisyahu, we entered beautiful Jerusalem. We settled in at the Dan Panorama and moved on to the Kotel, for the tunnel tour at 20:00. In order to understand the importance of the western wall, the Kotel tunnel tour is an absolute must.

Day 7 – Ir David and old city

The city of David is where it all started. As you walk around the remains of ancient Jerusalem even a month after this post chances are you will see new excavated discoveries. The main attraction here is walking through Hezekiah’s water tunnel, ancient’s Jerusalem’s main water supply. This is a nice challenge for the claustrophobic as it gets narrow and low in places. You will need flashlights (which you can purchase in the gift shop) in this 40 minute walk.

We also saw Robinson’s Arch, Davidson Center (all near Ir David) and finally got some quality time at the Kotel before seeing the rest of the jewish quarter and the colorful shuk.

Day 8 – Masada and the Dead Sea

If there’s one place in Israel that is a must, Masada may be the one. Not only you have the spectacular remains and the views but you also see the great story of the revolt unfold.

Cant the say the same about the Dead Sea. I couldnt wait to get out of there to be honest. Best part of the visit was lunch in Crown Plaza. The light show at the tower of David museum capped another fantastic day

Day 9 – Yad Vashem, Mahane Yehuda, Eretz Bereishit

Yad Vashem was moving to say the least. I cant quite put the experience into words and I will not.

After a short stroll in the nearby Ein Keren neighborhood we visited Mahane Yehuda food market. The most famous food market in Israel. You need to come hungry to this. We spent the evening in Eretz Bereishit (Genesis land) where we had the total biblical experience. Well, almost. I dont believe Ambulances were invented yet.

Day 10 – Israel museum, Dig for a day

Israel’s top museum was one of the most unique museums I’ve ever seen. The shrine of the book and its dead sea scrolls and the model of second temple ancient Jerusalem worth the price of admission alone.

After a short visit to the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) we said goodbye to Jerusalem and headed to Bein Guvrin

Categories: Israel | Tags: Beit Guvrin, dead sea, Ir david, israel museum, Jerusalem, kotel, masada, Travel, vacation, western wall, yad vashem | 2 Comments

Israel in Pictures – Safed and drive to Jerusalem

Posted on October 3, 2012 by Ziggy

Day 6

We said goodbye to Nof Ginosar and the Kineret (sea of Galilee – sunrise picture below) and headed to Safed aka Tsfat aka Madonnaville where we spent the entire morning. Safed and its mystical old city was the closest we encountered to a beautiful European village perched on a hill. Safed is the birthplace of Kabalah (hence Madonnaville) and one of the holiest cities in Judaism. We visited a candle workshop, historic synagogues, and tasted our first Yemenite Lachuch from Ronen the ‘Lachuch’ guy (pictured below – I think he’s smiling, not sure) )

We then started driving toward Jerusalem. But first we stopped at another holy site, Gangaroo, an Australian animal zoo. Ok, not quite holy, but once I saw the freaky gray fox bats I started to wonder. A dip in the natural pools of Sachne (Gan Hashlosha) was just what the doctor ordered…

Categories: Israel | Tags: Gangaroo, Israel, North Israel, Sachne, Safed, Travel, Tsfat | 8 Comments

Israel in Pictures – Galilee and Golan

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Ziggy

Day 4 – Rosh Hanikra, Upper Galilee

We are leaving Haifa and are on our way to spending 2 nights in Kibbutz Nof Ginosar on the sea of Galilee.

The spectacular Rosh Hanikra right on the Lebanese border is a geological formation of caves (grottoes) that took thousands of years to form. A short cable car ride takes you down to the cave area where you are face to face with fierce sea.

After the caves we moved on east to Bat Yaar, a dude ranch. But we didn’t come for the dudes nor the ranch. We took a jeep tour. We drove through the Biriya forest, stopped at famous grave sites, collected (or stole, still not sure) lychee and enjoyed nice views of the Galilee.

After a nice lunch at Al Basha near Rosh Pina we moved on to Manara Cliffs for their cable cars and zip lining. We had to wake up the zip lining attendant as we were the first ones to do it THAT WEEK. luckily he remembered what to do. From the top cliff you have magnificent views of the Hula valley. Finished the day in style with a great dinner at Roberg’s.

Day 5 – The Golan Heights

This was a jam-packed day. Spent most of the morning in Katzrin where we visited a reconstructed Talmudic village and the remains of its ancient synagogue (below). You got a fairly good sense of how life was like 2000 years ago. Also visited the nearby Golan Olive Oil factory where we got an interesting tour.

We then climbed Mt Bental for more sweeping views of the Golan and Syria, and crawled through former Syrian bunkers (well we walked actually – trying to sound dramatic). Lunch was right there at Coffee Anan, a pun on the former UN leader (Anan means cloud).

After lunch we went to De Karina chocolate factory where you get to participate in a chocolate workshop among other things. A bit more Disneyland than I expected. We then cooled off while water rafting at Kfar Bloom before a nice dinner at Dag al Hadan, a restaurant with its own trout farm situated on the Dan river.

Categories: Israel | Tags: De Karina, Galilee, Golan, Israel, Katzrin, Manara Cliffs, North Israel, Rosh Hanikra, Travel, vacation | Leave a comment

Israel in Pictures – Haifa and North Coast

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Ziggy

Day 1

Our amazing Israel adventure started at the Dan Panorama in Haifa. Arriving on Saturdays means good luck getting your room on time. Brunch at Habank right next to the hotel and off to see the Haifa sites…

The first major site was this thing called Shoko, chocolate milk in a bag. Shoko quickly became our favorite travel companion for the next 14 days.

Dan Panorama is conveniently located near the ‘Tayelet’, a promenade leading to magnificent views of the Haifa Bay and the Bahai Gardens. You can also nice views of the gardens from the bottom, the German colony area.

Went for a walk at the arab neighborhood of Wadi Nisnas which included a great falafel from Hazkenim and then off to the beach promenade.

Day 2 – Akko

After experiencing our first tastes of the famous Israeli breakfast, we headed to Acco. First stop, Lohamei Hagetaot (The Ghetto fighters house) originally founded by Holocaust survivors in which among them were members of the ghetto underground. The main museum is the world’s first Holocaust Museum built in 1949. We were here to see Yad Layeled, a memorial commemorating the 1.5 million children perished during the Holocaust. The picture below came from a room filled with stained glass works which are based on children’s drawings during the Holocaust

Yad Layeled I should also add is suitable for the entire family including younger kids, unlike Yad Vashem which does not permit kids under 10.

We spent the rest of the day in Akko which is not short of historic sites…

Akko has it all. The spectacular Knights Halls, a vibrant Shuk, a colorful port, and some of the best Hummus Israel has to offer. Not to mention one of Israel’s most renowned seafood eateries Uri Buri. A full day is required here.

Day 3 – Carmel area and Caesaria

Started day 3 in Beit Shearim, an archeological site of ancient tombs (catacombs) dating back to the 2nd century. It is believed that the main author of the Mishnah and a key leader during the Roman occupation, Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi was once burried here.

After Beit Shearim we climbed back the carmel mountains to visit Beit Oren for some off road ATV-ing. Needless to say I was a very dirty boy.

Lunch was in the Druze village of Usafia courtesy of Usafia Hospitality where we learned about the Druze way of life.

2000 year old great roman city of Caesaria was more enjoyable than I imagined. King Herod went to great extent to impress master Caesar (hence the name Caesaria). The park really did a great job bringing the city back to life.

Categories: Israel | Tags: Caesaria, Haifa, Israel, Israel Itinerary, Travel, vacation | Leave a comment

Top 15 things we ate in Israel

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Ziggy

In the land of Milk and Hummus, incredible flavors were running wild. 2 weeks of touring and eating some of the best Israel has to offer in the North, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, produced some heavenly results. Here are the best things we ate in no particular order

1. Hummus from Suhila/Abu Suhil in Akko

A silky smooth, creamy, ’no frills’, amazingly fresh Hummus, served warm with boiled chickpeas. Simply amazing

2. Sashimi salmon with wasabi sorbet from Uri Buri in Akko

Best Sashimi Salmon with Wasabi Sorbet I ever had 😉 Yes, ordered it because I was curious (not a big fan of salmon) and glad I did. An original and yummy creation of contrasting flavors. Photo courtesy of Mark H. Anbinder

3. Hazkenim Falafel in Haifa

Some of the best Falafel we ever had in a narrow little alley in the Wadi Nisna. ‘Old People Falafe’ made me feel young again. That and the procedure I recently had.

4. Baked trout from Dag Al Hadan in the upper Galilee.

Baked with Pesto and other spices, delicious fish in an incredible setting

5. Lachuch from the Lachuch guy in Tsfat

Whether you want it like a pizza or a wrap, master Ronen will dish out a wonderful snack of Yemenite spongy flat bread with tomatoes, zaatar, onions and fresh cheese. Add a spoonful of the spicy Z’hug and you got yourself a meal.

6. The plate from the Ussafia hospitality lunch.

Fresh pita with zaatar, hummus, kabobs, fresh salads and more. I’ll let the picture do the drooling…

7. Hummus with meat from the Lebanese Restaurant in Abu ghosh

Rich, wonderful hummus with nicely seasoned meat with pine nuts. The rest of the salads were not too shabby as well in this village just outside of Jerusalem

8. Kibbeh from Rachmo in Jerusalem

If this cafeteria style establishment makes it that day, get it as a meat dumpling in tomato soup or fried like a fried meat patty (I prefered the soup). I could have easily mentioned their amazing Hummus instead here. A must while visiting Mahane Yehuda

9. Coffee bean Halva from the King of Halva in Mahane Yehuda in the Jerusalem

Halva is something I eat a lot (I had some this morning – Feh!). This is fresh, melt in your mouth, savory nutty Halva. Absolutely delicious. Now I’m drooling. Cant get that in NY

10. Shawarma from Turk Lahmacun in Tel Aviv

Veal, lamb, turkey Shawarma, or go Meshugenah and have all 3 inside a Lahmajun, flat bread topped with meat and spices baked in their taboon oven. Add some Amba (mango condiment) close your eyes and enjoy the show. p.s open your eyes occasionally to see if you need more Amba or if your finger is bleeding

11. Pargit from Dr. Shakshuka in Jaffa/Tel aviv

The Shakshuka may be the famous dish here but we found their tender and juicy Pargit (boneless chicken thighs) irresistible

12. Spicy Halabi Kabob from Haj Kahil in Jaffa/Tel Aviv

A piece of art. Wonderful meat stuffed with herbs and nuts served with roasted tomatoes in a soup like tomato broth covered with pastry dough with zaatar. Simply delicious!

13. Malabi from Haj Kahil in Jaffa/Tel Aviv

The Knaffe may be the popular dessert here but this milk pudding with pistachios stole the show. Couldnt get enough of this Panna Cotta like deliciousness

14. Sabich from Sabich Frishman in Tel Aviv

A glorious and flavorful sandwich of Eggplant, hard-boiled eggs, tahini and spices in pita. Very tasty

15. Brioche French toast with jam from Benedict in Tel Aviv

C’est Magnifique!!

Categories: Israel | Tags: eating in Israel, food, food in israel, Israel eats, restaurants, Travel, vacation | 6 Comments

The places