Sometimes I cringe when I read my old posts. Ever so often it starts with the title. Why did I call BMC, a “Croatian Seafood Delight” in 2014. I remember BMC had broiled oysters which were popularized by Croatian immigrants in New Orleans, but still, what was I thinking. Turns out, after reading the post (more chills), I see that I was simply making fun of the confusion of what type of restaurant is BMC. Many dismissed it as a steakhouse. On Yelp at that time it was listed as “Salad, Italian, Seafood”. And the owners didnt really like the “Steakhouse” tag, calling it stale, uncool, and touristy. Hence… Croatian!
The owners are still correct today. I dont know of too many young New Yorkers that go to traditional steakhouse these days. But in 2020 Justin Bieber’s fave BMC feels like a steakhouse whether the owners like it or not. Just not the classic steakhouse most tourists, or older New Yorkers usually consider. In fact BMC may be the best example of a modern steakhouse in NYC today. Unlike other such meat specialists like Minetta Tavern, and 4 Charles Prime Rib, meat and more meat reign supreme at BMC. I imagine not that many go to BMC for their Oysters, or Duck Lasagna. But they should…
The Duck Lasagna actually dictates the ordering game plan. If you get it ($58, for 2-8 ppl), you may want to take it easy with the meat. And if you skip it, knock yourself out. Or if you are like me, do the lasagna and the knocking. Its magnificent, and much meatier than I remember. A fine combination of duck, mushrooms, creamy Caciocavallo, Parmesan, and plenty of noodle texture.
The meat selection at BMC is always impressive. Its perhaps the only steakhouse offering the Ribeye cap that comes rolled into a hockey puck shape. Its arguably the best piece of the cow and thats why its $68 for what looks like about 6 oz of meat. Its still one of the best steaks I ever had. But on this night, we “settled” for the 40 oz Tomahawk Ribeye. As expected it was perfectly cooked, though I wished for a bit more flavor from the crust. While a sauce with this cut is not normally necessary, the house sauce is worth using. It made the fries taste that much better, and we even took some home.
Another discovery this time was the roasted cauliflower steak. Its topped with quite the pungent Pumpkin Seed Pesto. The very shareable, Lasagna size, bread pudding is a smashing finisher. It contains apples, lots of Candied Pecans, Caramel Chocolate, and Vanilla Ice Cream. Its yet another must. The one beef I got with BMC is the lack of affordable wine. I understand we are at an expensive steakhouse, but still. Impressive list but not much under $100. 2017 Nebbiolo for example is not exactly a bargain at $95.
Bowery Meat Company
9 E 1st St (2nd/3rd, East Village)
Rating: 2.5 Z’s (out of 4)
Stars range from Good to Exceptional. Simple as that
Recommended Dishes: Duck Lasagna, Bowery Steak, Broiled Oysters, Cauliflower Steak, Bread Pudding
I’ve come to realize that I’m not much of a beach reader these days. The heat, the glare, the turquoise water, way too many distractions out there. But what’s my excuse at home? Dont know. But at the beach I prefer long walks, listening to music, and sometimes just aimless staring while getting lost in random thoughts. Albert Einstein got much of his ideas from aimless wandering. I’m getting there. The best I came up with in 6 days is “What the heck is a Post Malone”, and “How do you spell Rendezvous, anyway”. Silent Zs just seem so annoyingly wasteful, especially these days for some New Yorkers (Verrazzano is missing a Z in all 96 road signs and business names).
Its that time of the year. The time we look back, reflect, and look forward. The time we argue about the spelling of Hanukkah, and wonder how impeachment works exactly. The time we look back at the wonderful things we ate during the year all over the world. The time to call your mom, and watch vacation pictures. In that order. Yes, call you mom, and buy her something meaningful this time. A puppy, a food tour, a trip to Anguilla. Something that will change her life.
Tacos, one of the four pillars of Hell’s Kitchen. Thai, Ramen, and bars are the other three. I cant think of many Hell’s Kitchen corners where you are not less than 5 minutes away from good tacos. But try telling that to the 100 or so poor souls standing on a long line in freezing temps at Los Tacos #1 (or is it #2) in Times Square because their notes say so. Oh its good alright. But in this Little Puebla there are options. Many options.
Olivier Bistro – Its beginning to sound like another cliche, but Olivier Bistro is the type of place every neighborhood needs. I’ve been frequenting Olivier for a few years now but for some reason never wrote about it. Talented French born Olivier Verdier is constantly on his toes, offering a mix of specials and a plethora of French classics for the steady regulars. Its the closest you’ll get to an authentic French Bistro in Brooklyn. The burger is always solid. As are the Shishito peppers, Cassoulet, Moules Frites, Hanger Steak, and make sure to ask about today’s poison! (fish). I’ve never had a bad dish here. 469 4th Ave (Gowanus)
Remember that old commercial.. “Stay Fresh a little longer… say goodbye a little longer..”, The actual products dont stick, but the songs often do. If you dont remember this one its probably because, well, it doesnt exist. Its actually a Wrigley Big Red gum commercial that goes “So kiss a little longer…”, and the fresh part was only in my head. But the idea of the commercial is that the gum will keep you fresh longer than normal so you could kiss longer, for some reason. Why would anyone want to do it in public is beyond me. Kissing in public for more than 3 seconds is rare, awkward and should be banned frankly for the safety of the individuals and motorists. You practically asking for herpes. And at home you have Listerine for that.
Much of Santina’s originality is attributed to one item, Cecina. While Santina bills itself as coastal Italian, mainly Liguria and Tuscany, this chickpea pancake is different than anything we had between Genoa and Lucca. Its softer and spongier, but not in a bad way. On recent visits I enjoyed it with tuna infused with Calabrian chili, and avocado thats essentially the best Guacamole within a two mile radius. Once wrapped with the Cecina ‘slice’, you get four tasty snacks. Add the accompanied red sauce to the second or third Cecina for a change of pace and maximum oomphness. The Cecina is reason #365 why you should stop reading 
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you may or may not have noticed a slow moving shift. A shift in the type of establishments I frequent, and write about. Gone are the days of the almost weekly expensive meals. Hooray fast-casual! There was a time when I would enthusiastically read the power rankings and 
Owners Riccardo and Elena live upstairs, and the only thing missing in their little place on Court Street is a bell. “Like eating in someones house” is a cliche these days, but there’s no better way to describe this one. Perhaps one day they’ll get busy enough to hire more staff and function more like a regular restaurant. But for the time being, its like walking into your neighbor’s house, grabbing a newspaper, pretending you can read Italian. And after chatting about politics, and 80’s Eurotrash with the owners, about an hour later, maybe eat something.
The Crescia is like a cross between a Piadina and Laffa flatbread where you can mix and match various meats and cheeses. The Mortadella and Gorgonzola settle nicely once the taste buds get over the initial Gorgonzola funkiness. One thing about the new Italian immigrants is they dont mess around with the raw materials. No need to bastardize much these days like the old Sicilian immigrants did. Another such example here is the excellent Tiramisu.
When you visit Montefalco, a medieval stunner, smack in the middle of landlocked Umbria, it wont take you long to see which is the star restaurant. About 5 minutes in fact after you enter the main gate. 30 minutes if you get distracted by more truffle sauces and hanging grandpa’s balls (Palle di Nonno). Its the one in the main square with all the happy people occupying every inch of the space. Some of the happiest ones are munching on pigeon done five different ways. And while the star restaurant does not always deliver the results you’d expect, this one shines.
But the undisputed shining star, and a dish of the trip nominee is the pigeon. Just like Onion Parmigiana, pigeon just never jumps out at you when you read a menu as such. But then we recall the tasty pigeons of nearby Tuscany, especially the one made by another female magician 
Its been 8 months since the last update. 5 in, 5 out this time. The Z-List is essentially my favorite 50 restaurants in NYC today. I try to conduct surprise inspections as frequently as I can. I show up wearing a hat and fake mustache. Even though they dont know what I look like, you can never be too careful these days. Rumors out there that I look like Tom Branson from Downton Abbey are unfounded. I know because I founded them. Anyway here are the changes…
Eating With Ziggy 