I always thought Truffle Hunts were sort of a joke. You go to the forest with a bunch of eager puppies to look for truffles planted there the morning of. Sort of like finding the Matzah during Passover, except for the forest, and eager part. The only way to get my kids to look for Matzah these days is if we plant a white truffle along with it. So after all those trips to Italy including Piedmont, I never imagined that I would get my truffle hunt certificate in Croatia. Husband, Father, Lover of Pizza, Tour Guide, Truffle Hunter. My tomb stone is starting to resemble the Stanley Cup.
Did they plant them? I dont have the slightest idea. Was it fun? You bet ya! Its not just about the hunt, but the entire experience. During the hunt I was honestly more concerned about dodging dog poop than look for truffles in that terrain (they were VERY eager). Black truffle terrain turns out is tougher to maneuver than white truffle. And when you train those puppies to eat what they find, you have to be on your toes. Or go with a qualified truffle hunter like Ivan Karlic, the grandson of the guy who started it all 50 years ago. 
We learned the ins and outs of the hunt including the difference between teaching them to eat it vs bring it to you. And how male dogs are just too horny for this kind of work. In addition to the main Motovun forest where licensed guides roam around, the Karlic family also owns their own groves where hazelnut trees will start producing truffles 7 years after planting. Meanwhile today, exhausted city slickers turned hunters pick fresh cherries out of the groves and pose for selfies.
If the hunt was exhilarating, the meal before the hunt was pure ecstasy. If humans would poses similar instincts to those dogs, I imagine it would have been very easy to train us to find truffles. We would even carry the bonus of not eating everything we find, and clean our own poop. They start you with truffle brandy, and end with truffle Nutella, with truffle salami and truffle cheese in between. Along with truffle oil (real, not perfume), truffle cream and truffle honey available for you just in case you want more truffle. And did I mention the Truffle Scrambled eggs. Let me see.. I dont think I did. Butter is mixed in with finely shredded black truffles and eggs before finishing with more shredded truffles. The result is what wet dreams are made of. If Karlic decides to use that saying in their brochure or website, I allow it.
We have a Sabra invasion in full swing and no one bats and eyelid, not even Trump. Einat Admony (Balaboosta, Bar Bolonat, Taim), Efraim Nahon (Taboon), Michael Solomonov (Dizengoff), Nir Mesika (Timna), and many more, including now Meir Adoni, an Israeli superstar opening his first in NYC. The falafel kingdom continues to expand with chainlets like Taim, and Nish Nush leading the way. And we even have a (sort of) Israeli bakery chain in Breads Bakery, whose owner is Adoni’s partner at Nur. Even my new favorite French dessert spot in East Village is owned by talented Israelis.
So if Adoni wants to open an Adoni Hagadol, I wont even take royalties. He’s already off to a flying start, hotter than a Shakshuka in the Sinai. We werent quite sure what to expect from Israel’s culinary idol. And when we arrived, as often happens when we come back from an extended European trip, we are greeted with a jolt in the way of three greeters. I think on average the employee/diners ratio is roughly 5 times higher in NYC than anywhere in Europe. Why do we need three hosts!
Warning: The following post is more about the Show rather than Tell. There are a handful of very strong candidates to write the first post about after this adventure, but I cant think of anything more deserving. Its a rare Location Location Location situation, and not so much about the food. Although there was nothing really wrong with the food. We just didnt give it much of a chance to prove itself beyond the one wonderful course that we thoroughly enjoyed. It could have been the meal of a century, if not perhaps for a group of 40 German tourists occupying the place before us. Leaving us just enough time for a short meal before rushing for another highlight, the famous Zadar sunset.
The latest issue of W42st has a proud theme. Inside there’s a mini zine where you’ll find 5 Asian dishes I’m mostly proud of
They recycle their own sluts! I’m not quite sure what it means, but that is according to a sign inside. Either they employ people with extremely low standards or they are referring to their Eggslut sandwich, which is excellent. Either way, to my knowledge they are the first slut recyclers in the industry.
Unlike big brother Chef’s Club where you got a fuller assortment of famous chef’s recipes including guest appearances, the counter is all about a few rotating recipes available for lunch and breakfast. Every three months or so they will change entirely. So anything you eat now, say goodbye to it immediately, or take a few more months to enjoy. While they are preparing your slut, the rest of the team is hard at work trying to figure out its replacement. All enjoyed in a very comfortable, cafeteria like fast food setting. Order at the cashier, and wait for it.
We are well into Falafel season in New York City (April – March). I will make this one nice and painless, almost W42st pick-5 style. When I want a good Falafel these are the only places I consider. They are fairly spread out, so helps with your sightseeing, quick bite needs. I cant think of a better, more affordable snack in town other than a well crafted Falafel. For most of you EWZ old timers, other than one place perhaps (Ba’al) this wont offer anything new.
Its fun to watch the hype machine in play in NYC, and see how things develop. While I read all the Hot and Buzz lists out there as everyone else, I learned over time sometimes the hard way, that things are not always what they seem. A name and/or a little bit of money, at minimum $3000 is needed to market yourself as such. An alum of something good in the world… Noma, EMP, Contra, tickles your interest, with a picture of something beautiful that is cooked for two weeks straight, seals the deal. “Brian is a recent graduate of Betty’s school of Hospitality and Accounting” is not gonna be nearly as sexy.
A slight variation to my usual best soups of Hell’s Kitchen post. This month its part of the food issue on W42st. Mooncake Foods and their sick Wonton soup is sadly no more, so needed to replace it with Pam which made the list twice in a row. The only news here to veteran readers is the inclusion of Chong Quing Xiao Mian Noodles. Try saying it just once. As usual you will find Ziggy’s EatList at the small Zine inside the magazine distributed all over the neighborhood. This month’s issue matched my couch perfectly so we may keep it as furniture for a little longer this time.
Bagel at the Delta Terminal JFK before departure. Ok, it wasnt the bagel, nor it was even in Denver. But while standing in line for the bagels, and then waiting for the bagels to come out, the entire time (around 30-40 minutes or so) I was talking to Jeremy Roenick who stood on line behind me. Only the very few of you know about my other obsessions, one of which is Hockey (Or Ice Hockey for some of you foreigners). Turns out he is a big foodie and we actually discussed very little Hockey. We talked about food tours, his food adventures in NYC, Turks and Caicos, my food tours, and a bunch of other stuff. I didnt even mind one bit that they forgot about my order the entire time. Well until he got his at least and left, then I got furious
Eating With Ziggy 