Posts Tagged With: food

Bar Pitti – The Confucius of NYC Dining

Posted on July 28, 2015 by Ziggy

Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it – Confucius

The legend of Confucius is so legendary that in modern times he is often compared to Jesus. Both men were great thinkers and preachers whose believes written down well after their death. Confucius, much like Jesus is viewed as a religeous figure. Except that.. he wasnt really. He was a teacher and a great philosopher, but not so much a preacher. Confucius, as the name implies… a misunderstood figure. Even some of his philosophies are either misunderstood or misapplied

Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon and star – Confucius

Just like great thinkers like Confucius and Donald Trump, I feel that Bar Pitti is misunderstood. Perhaps the most misunderstood restaurant in NYC. If you are to visit NYC and read reviews about this place on Yelp, chances are that you will likely pass on it. Which is fine I suppose. There are plenty of Branzini in the sea. What you will read is mostly about service. “I did not get the special board right away”, “The board was too confusing and heavy”, “The wait staff is hurried and rude”, “We were hurried”. “The owner walks around like he owns the place” I can go on and on. You can read about it yourself.

When you hit the wall, it will hurt for a few days – Ziggy

But the truth of the matter is, Bar Pitti is just about as Italian as it gets in NYC. The owner and the entire staff are Italian. The chalk board is in Italian. Everyone speaks Italian. And if you ever set foot in a true Italian Trattoria in Italy (not Staten Island) you may have noticed the contrast. Italians are more direct. Just like the rest of the world, they dont work for tips. The “wait staff” is not there to “serve” you. It may be the owner, the sister, the cousin that takes your order, brings you the food, and helps you select the wine. But the biggest difference the way I see it, is that the number of workers in a typical Italian restaurant in NYC far outnumber a similarly sized Italian Trattoria in Italy. In another words, they work their ass off. That work ethic translates to “Hurried” by some here. The directness and the language barrier may translate to rudeness. Their policies (like cash only) are… well.. their policies. Its all in the open. If you choose to eat their anyway, you dont have the right to complaint. Its like saying “This Pizza place sucks because they dont sell slices. Only whole pies. AVOID!”

Some girls are bigger than others. Some girls mothers are bigger than other girls mothers – Morrissey

You know who doesnt think there are service issues at Bar Pitti? NY celebrities. Bar Pitti is one of those NY celebrity magnets. Which also means good looking people lining up the sidewalk waiting for a table. Its a places to see and be seen, partly due to that wide sidewalk and prime West Village real estate. Jake Gyllenhaal was in the next room while we dined there the other night, joining a slew of celebrities dining there at some point. Bar Pitti is also one of the only restaurants in its class that has no website. Reservations for four and over are taken like in Italy, the old fashion way… via conversation. which means you can score a table even on a busy Saturday night. Want to stay for a while? Keep ordering. This is not a place to linger, unless you are Jake Gyllenhaal

You can observe a lot just by watching – Yoggi Berra

Yoggi Berra is talking about the specials board at Bar Pitti. That’s where the action is. Starting with the great Pappardelle Rabbit ragu or whatever meat ragu, and ending with the Taglierini with summer Black Truffles. One of the only NYC places offering black truffles the entire summer. The Burrata is another strong board option, and so is the Veal Milanese. This place will also make you question your ban on creamy dishes, starting with the Pappardelle Alla Fiesolana, perhaps the most popular dish of the house. For mushroom lovers, the oyster mushroom app is an absolute must.

Bar Pitti is old school at its best. And I pity the fool who passes on it

Bar Pitti
268 Ave of the Americas
$$$ (cash only)

Categories: New York City, West Village | Tags: Bar Pitti, Bar Pitti NYC, Best Italian in NYC, food, Travel | Leave a comment

Oiji – Men at Work. Korean Men!

Posted on July 23, 2015 by Ziggy

First, an apology to you readers, ~~both of you~~, for the lack of quality posts as of late. Busy with work, family, various projects, avoiding Obama. Yes, Obama visiting the Daily Show the other day causing major havoc to many New Yorkers trying to go home or just go about their business. Have you ever seen an American president stuck in traffic? There’s no such thing. At some point the entire 52nd st was converted to Obama freeway where no cars or pedestrians could cross from north to south. Close to three hour commute. My friend and fellow blogger at Smum County told me today about the commute nightmare of his daughter’s camp that day. Even the homeless guy on 52nd and 11th had to be temporarily displaced, and knowing him and his apparently very annoying invisible friend, I feel sorry for the poor cops that were tasked with that one. And for what? 15 minutes of American entertainment.

But I digress, quickly. Since not even Obama can steal the spotlight of this post about one of the best meals we’ve had lately. No coincidence it was in East Village. No coincidence from young chefs opening their first restaurant. In a way this place reminds me of Tuome nearby. Very young chefs (I was told 12 years old by our waitress but it was a little loud), playful Asian inspired menus, no desserts (I dont consider the chips dessert) and that overall casual, buzzy East Villagy feel. In fact since this was a last minute rezzy, I was wondering if perhaps I was underdressed for the occasion after reading on Chowhound that this was more of a chic, romantic joint. So I asked the guy on the phone if sexy long shorts with sandals (and desperate need of pedicure depending on the light) were ok and he just burst out laughing. As for the food, plenty of hits, and no bad dish in sight

Fried Chicken – Started with a bang. Tapioca flour coated, far from your ordinary battered fried chicken. Shredded Leeks was a nice touch

Cold Buckwheat noodles – Excellent! Pretty much exactly what you expect but with the much added bonus of spring Ramps preserved from the previous spring. Those ramps soaked in a lot of punch

Jang-Jo-Rim – Enjoyed this one. If I have to pick the weakest dish this might be it, though its more of a testament to the other dishes and I still recommend you get it. Buttered rice once mixed in with the egg and everything else had a nice flavor. The King Oysters Mushrooms was my favorite part, but the beef shank could have been a little warmer

Truffle Seafood Broth – Best dish of the night. Mussels, Shrimp, two Crispy Rice “Sheets” that sizzle when the broth is poured table side, need to be softened a little for best taste. But its all about the beautiful, dark, rich broth that makes this a winner. Just a small hint of truffle, perhaps not enough to be part of the name, but just right to round up the perfect broth

Oxtail – Finger licking exceptional good. I was concerned that it would be too sweet but it wasnt. Pick it up and suck on the bones for the true affect. More tasty root veggies here. Really liked the use of veggies throughout the meal. Their mama must be proud

Potato Chips – The most disgustingly addictive thing I ever ate. Apparently a thing in South Korea nowadays.

Go!

Oiji
119 1st Avenue (7/St Marks)
$$$
Recommended Dishes: All of the above

Categories: East Village, New York City | Tags: Best Korean in NYC, East Village Korean, food, Oiji, Oiji NYC, restaurants, Travel | Leave a comment

Dining in Vienna

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Ziggy

Our first foray into the Vienna food scene was quite successful. Hooray for research! The best I can describe Vienna is like eating at your mother-in-law after shipping her to the Culinary Institute of Mother-in-Laws for a year. Feel good home cooking at its finest, filled with all sorts of familiar tastes. Even the touristy places had enough hits to award recommendation tags. The golden schnitzels, goulashes and cordon blues were the only rays of light during our sunshinless four days. Here’s the recap…

Pulker’s Heuriger in Rührsdorf, Wachau Valley. The one place that requires its own post. Perhaps the most memorable meal of a trip that included a Michelin Star meal. You essentially say “Ja” to the food option and get a mini feast of various home made goodies. Pork fat spread, ham, fresh goat cheese, black pudding, fresh pork belly with crackling (revelation!), veggies, various spreads, and great homemade desserts. All, washed down with the fantastic house whites. Its slow Food at its finest, in the stunning Austrian wine country. When its nice out, you can sit at the garden surrounded by vineyards. Cant recommend this place highly enough.

Restaurant Sperl – If I can only give you one tip for Vienna its this: Bring and umbrella. But my second tip would be to eat at Sperl on your Belvedere Castle day. Sometimes you just know you are in the right place as soon as you enter. Best Goulash of the trip – most tender meat with even a bit of heat. A very respectable Schnitzel (The tables next to us ordered 6 of them. There were four people). A rather flavorful creamy asparagus risotto. And something called Geröstete Knödel mit Ei, essentially bread dumplings with egg and bacon (optional)… although tasted too familiar, it was a feel good familiar. Our waiter was the Austrian Kevin Nealon

Appiano – Best meal in Vienna though also the most expensive (not outrageous by any means). Austrian with a nice Mediterranean/Italian twist. Starting with their excellent octopus app is an absolute must. Quadratini pasta stuffed with beef shoulder was a pleasant surprise. Pork schnitzel was pounded a little too thin for my taste. Get the expertly cooked beef shoulder filet instead with mashed potatoes and asparagus… melt in your fork tender awesomeness. Our lone Cordon Bleu of the trip was a hit. Appiano is somewhat isolated, away from via tourista, but close enough to many hotels in the center. We were the only tourists there. A month after this visit however, I got a note that they will shut down for the summer for health reasons. Hoping for a speedy recovery chef

Café Central – Did not suck! There was no mistaken that you are in one of the most touristy spots in town, but it wasn’t bad at all. Goulash soup was actually one of the better soups of the trip. Would make for a very nice ragout. “Sacher sausage” essentially a simple Vienna sausage. Backhendl turned out to be quite acceptable, juicy fried chicken. But its the torts (top) here that are the real draw, and I wish we could have spent some more quality time with them. Not bad for a place with over 2500 Trip Advisor reviews.Gasthaus Pöschl – A little gem smack in the center. Not the prettiest and most comfortable interior, but when the food is this good, who cares. And they are open on Sundays. Try the Reisfleich, like a saucy plov with juicy pork cubes. Veal Schnitzel was one of the better ones of the trip, and a bit more seasoned than the others. Liver sauteed with potatoes was a big hit with our group.

Konoba – Not one of the better meals, but I can see why locals flock to this Croatian seafood joint well outside of the center. Octopus was a far cry from what we got at Appiano. Squid ink risotto had a nice flavor, though no so lucky with the grilled sardines . Platter for two was the saving grace. There was a whole Seabream, calamari, a few overcooked butterflied shrimp, and some filets. If you go, try to get a table inside the lively room, as opposed to the side by the entrance.

Street food – Reserve Sunday lunch for street food, mainly around the church. Not only its fun and one should always take advantage of street food wherever they go, but many restaurants are closed on Sundays. Obviously you cant miss the fantastic pretzels and sausages (try the spicy ones). Also the sausages at the Wurstelstand on Hohen Markt in particular the cheesy Käsekrainer were quite good. We can use some of that action here in NYC.

Sperl – Geröstete Knödel mit Ei

Gasthaus Pöschl

Appiano

Appiano Cordon Blue

Cafe Central – fried chicken

Gasthaus Pöschl rice with pork

Categories: Austria/Czech Republic | Tags: Appiano, Café Central, Dining in Vienna, food, Gasthaus Pöschl, Konoba, Pulker's Heuriger, Restaurant Sperl, Travel, Vienna | 5 Comments

HK Just a Bit Outside Update

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Ziggy

Time to update that good ol’ Hell’s Kitchen Survival Guide once again, the bread and butter of this blog. Well, not from the financial standpoint as I haven’t made a dime yet (I made 8 cents so far total, so almost there). The theme this time, purely accidental, is as Harry Doyle put it “Juuuust a bit outside” of Hell’s Kitchen, but closer to most readers staying in or near Times Square

Adding Blue Ribbon Sushi on 58th st (near Columbus Circle). My monthly dose of their oxtail fried rice with bone marrow (top) is becoming more of a religious experience. As of late I also bring co-workers and visitors to Kung Fu Steamed Buns Ramen for their… you guessed it.. soup dumplings (top of the menu labeled “pork buns” or something like that). And almost just around the corner is Bibble and Sip for dessert to complete the one-two punch.

Categories: Midtown West, New York City | Tags: Bibble and Sip, Blue Ribbon Sushi, food, Hell's Kitchen Survival Guide, Hells kitchen, Kung fu Little Steamed Buns, Travel | 1 Comment

Lupulo – A Taste of Lisboa in… Chachkitown?

Posted on June 27, 2015 by Ziggy

January 7, 2016 Update:

Sorry to say I’m not as enthusiastic about Lupulo after a recent visit. The place may still be a fun spot to grab a beer and perhaps some Piri Piri chicken, but the food is way too hit or miss and pricier than it should be. Also for a Saturday night I would expect it to be much busier.

A special of snails in garlicky sauce was bland and uneventful. The dry snails were impenetrable and could have used some French mastery perhaps. Shrimp Porridge with two perfectly cooked shrimp was quite good. No complaints about the shrimp turnovers either. Manilla clams and Brussels Sprouts were fairly forgettable. The one big miss was a lamb leg that was under-cooked while lacking any distinct flavor, accompanied by faro (good) and some pickled veggies that didnt quite belong. The Frango chicken with Piri Piri sauce was still good. Nice and moist, while big enough to share. The sauce can be too intense for some, depending on how well you shake that thing. The Piri Piri I have at home is a bit more family friendly.

June 27, 2015 Original Post:

Oh oh. We may have our first “Where the hell is this place” situation on EWZ. Is it in Chelsea? Is it KoreaTown? Is it the newly formed NoMad neighborhood? Or is it the even newer “Midtown South” whatever it is. I’m pretty sure its not Flatiron, I already established that. Although its in Flatiron according to Yelp. You see, up until a few months ago there was really no good reason to visit this area unless you have a cheap Chachkies fetish or in desperate need of a groin massage. I suppose Chachkitown is another possibility if we are inventing names as we’ve been doing for the past 20 years (“Clinton”? no thanks. We are proud of Hell’s Kitchen thank you). So I’m filing this under Chelsea until Chachkitown catches on. And then when we are ready we can move on to Nocita. North of Chachkitown

George Mendes’ new gig Lupulo is the sexiest spot in NYC at the moment, which really means North America when you think about it. It all feels very sexy, with a sexy staff, sexy bar, and those sexy light bulbs, but that vibe sort of diminishes once you get to your table. From the semi-comfortable table vantage point, it feels like a casual, bustly Portuguese cervejaria. Mendes who was Michelined with Aldea has something pretty cool going here

My food critique below may seem a little too critique as overall we enjoyed the buzzy atmosphere and most of the food. Other than one outstanding dish there wasn’t anything particularly noteworthy, nor bad. But I still recommend Lupulo for some fun Portuguese comfort food like the Chicken Piri Piri which is a Lisbon staple.

Lupulo derives from Humulus Lupulus which has almost nothing to do with hummus I’m pretty sure, but hops. Beer is the name of the game here, though what I ordered failed to impress as the Mitten and the Saison fell rather flat. The Saison (forgot the name of the brewer.. “Home” or something like that) came about 30 minutes after I ordered it, but there were no other hiccups I should mention

Bread: Terrible. I read somewhere that it comes from a Portuguese bakery in Newark. Might as well come from the deli across the street. Mendez should talk to chef Guerrieri of City Sandwich who also gets his bread from a Portuguese bakery in Newark

Chicken Liver Pate – On the drier side with decent flavor. The lack of creaminess adds to the difficulty of spreading the thing on thin gap-filled crisps.

Green Peas, chorizo and egg – Nice, light and springy. The peas were enjoyable, as was the occasional okra that was almost as rare as the chorizo. If you put chorizo in the name, put it on the plate too

Red Snapper crudo – By far the best dish. Just about the spiciest crudo I ever had, but the heat is more of a delayed, back end heat allowing the fish to shine without much interference. Great dish, though at $18 its Marea price Crudo, and should really be in the small plate column, not “fish”

Octopus Rice – Did not suck. Essentially a mini paella priced as a regular paella ($26 or $24) with maybe one octopus leg sliced inside it. Although I was assured the octopus came from Spain and passed immigration, it didn’t have the “balls” of a Portuguese octopus we enjoy sometimes. Recommend still

Chicken piri piri – Simple, nicely cooked, good size, and a shockingly low price tag compared to the other dishes. How can this be $14 while the rice dish $26. I would order it again even with the same overcooked Mcdolands fries.

Chocolate Salami – Minty, rich, with ice cream. Must have.

Pasteis de Nata – Egg tarts. Misshapen and not very traditional looking (perhaps not on purpose), a little too greasy but not too bad overall. Borderline recommend. You cant go to Lisbon without having Pasteis de Nata after your chicken Piri Piri

Lupulo
835 Avenue of the Americas
$$$
Recommended Dishes: Peas chorizo and egg, Red Snapper crudo, Octopus Rice, Chicken piri piri, Chocolate Salami, Pasteis de Nata

***** Terrible iPhone pictures alert ********

Categories: Chelsea, New York City | Tags: food, Lupulo, Lupulo NYC, Portuguese Food NYC, restaurants, Travel | 2 Comments

Battle of The Bridges: Seeking Best Pizza, Fuku, Wings

Posted on June 21, 2015 by Ziggy

Winter is coming! Time to file some Citibike miles under the belt. About twice a year the Hummus Whisperer and I take a day riding between the boroughs (Brooklyn and Manhattan) losing crazy amount of calories, while gaining back three times as much from munching in various places. We try to hit at least 5 random spots, some are planned, some not. This time HW couldn’t make it, but we did meet up at some point. Here’s how the ride went

In my constant pursuit of great chicken wings as of late (another middle age crisis symptom), I targeted two year old Distilled in Tribeca. Distilled originally opened as an interesting looking destination spot from a Momofuku Noodle veteran, and settled down into more of a popular neighborhood gastropub with a talented team of mixologists (partly judging by the exceptional Bloody this morning). But the one constant since the beginning seem to be the glorious wings. They are double fried to crispy perfection, and coated with a thick and messy layer of Gochujang (that fermented Korean sauce you put on your Bibimbap). They serve it with their own version of not too funky blue cheese sauce to cool things down. Really excellent hefty, top quality wings.

Back on the bike, sort of full after just 5 wings (I left one for good luck), where to go next? Cutting across east I decided to bike the selfie stick happy Brooklyn Bridge. With all the crowds and craziness, I still rather bike iconic Brooklyn Bridge than any other bridge. Then down to Sands street, Flushing, and Kent before crossing the Jewish side of Williamsburg and parking by old favorite Zizi Limona. The one big surprise here is the large Puerto Rican community in this part of the woods. The big parade was in Manhattan this day, but I felt the celebration here in Brooklyn. With Citibike, I feel like I’m rediscovering my own city

My next destination is a slice of Pizza. Yes, I biked all the way here from Tribeca for a slice. But lets go back for a sec. About a year ago, when I had one of those cherished free days, I decided to drive around Brooklyn for various iconic slices I haven’t had in a while and more. I had the great L&B Spumoni, the legendary Di Fara (after a 45 minute wait), and then drove to Williamsburg for Best Pizza which proved to be Best of the bunch especially while factoring in some of the pain involved getting some of the others. The funny part is that Roman based food writer Katie Parla did something similar a month later, and also proclaimed Best Pizza as the winner. Now, back for yet another NY style slice (need to save room for the next most highly anticipated stop) from the wood burning oven, with that signature basil leaf in the middle for added aroma. Great slice again with an unusually well balanced cheese/sauce proportions. Owner Frank has an extensive pizza resume, along with a stint at the Culinary Institute of America. The paper plate art alone including the “Jews love Best Pizza” plate is worthy of a schlep.

Back on the bike, and back to the “city” via the much quieter Williamsburg Bridge. The emptiness means more freedom to move around so you can fly like a bold eagle! Until you realize you are on a Citibike, and you are dangerously close to being passed by an 80 year old woman (that actually happens often to me in Italy). Its hard to look cool on those little blue bikes, especially in Central Park. The only chance you have is to ride in the rain (not drizzle, rain), or with just one hand. Until you face another blue frontal balding biker riding with one hand and you realize it doesn’t look as cool as you thought.

Anyway, sometimes the most anticipated items prove less than thrilling at the end (see Best vs Di Fara). Such is the case with Fuku, the hottest sandwich in town at the moment from David Chang’s Momofuku empire (As some of you know, I’m a fan). Perhaps I got Fukued. My 30 minute wait was about half outside, half in after paying for it. “Credit Only for now” is something I haven’t heard anywhere yet I don’t think. After paying, you get a number with a stick, and you can stand with your number just about anywhere looking like a dork, for the order girl to eventually find you. Sort of like one of those bachelorette games…”bachelor #23 if you were a kitchen appliance, what appliance would you be”… Eventually the “spicy fried chicken” arrives. Its a flat almost schnitzel like, thigh meat sandwiched by a tiny potato roll that is meant to serve as a handle. Not the sexiest looking thing. There are also sliced pickles in there somewhere that serve almost no purpose. The first few bites were interesting, featuring decent flavor, then the struggle took over. Stringy, uneven texture throughout, with crust and meat not so happily married. Not very spicy for a sandwich called Spicy Chicken. It wasn’t a total mess, but far from that hot, much anticipated item I was so looking forward to. Try for yourself!

A Battle of the Bridges is incomplete without my favorite thirst quencher which happens to be nearby, the Grasshopper from Liquiteria. Its not cheap at around $9, but so refreshing on a hot day. I proceeded then west, cruising 13th st, passing Da Andrea, All’Onda and eventually Santina on the way to meet Hummus Whisperer and baby Hummus Whisperer at the new Whitney Museum by the Highline. There I rediscovered the joys of quirky American art, and the joys of watching quirky American art while holding hands of a baby surrounded by the striking Manhattan upper class. Its a a scientific theory that’s proven time and time again; Babies, preferably cute ones, are babe magnets! The museum is actually very cool. You can couple it with the Highline, and dinner/lunch at Untitled (thats the name) inside the museum, or Santina a few steps away.

I said goodbye to HW and baby for hire and headed uptown via Hudson River Park, perhaps our most important and one of the most scenic bike paths. Between the rotating art in the 50’s and 60’s, various parks (another good place to bring your neighbor’s babies!), piers, people watching, and stops along the the way like Chelsea Market, Gotham West, I can easily spend a whole day here.

My last stop was at one of the newest Hell’s Kitchen bakeries, Bibble & Sip. Well technically just outside Hell’s Kitchen but got all the making of another unique Hell’s Kitchen bakery. Nice place to sit, relax and BS all you want! The Earl Grey Banana Bread is quickly gaining neighborhood fame. Add the Matcha Cream puffs, various scones, the occasional English Muffins sliders and all sorts of rotating goodies. I visited it three times before, and on this day the Earl Grey Panna Cotta proved to be the perfect finisher to a fun day.

Categories: Brooklyn, East Village, Midtown West, New York City, TriBeCa | Tags: Best Pizza, Bibble & Sip, Distilled NYC, food, fuku, Travel | Leave a comment

Aquavit – How to Train Your Pastry Chef

Posted on June 13, 2015 by Ziggy

To become the second female in the country to get a second Michelin Star, after Dominique Crenn of SF (Suzette Gresham, also from SF joined the list since). Quite the feat for Stockholm native Emma Bengtsson. In a city where Michelin stars are randomly distributed like candy (my mom has one. Found it on Craigslist), the action, the crème de la crème usually starts with the ultra coveted #2. Although, more often than not, when the time comes you are more concerned about losing a star, as opposed to hoping to gain one. Aquavit, a name that’s been hanging around like that balloon your kid brings home, hovering all over the house for days until it loses its luster and scares you in the bathroom in the middle of the night with its new wrinkled dog look which normally means its time to get rid of it. Where was I? oh yes.. Aquavit is a rejuvenated gem, rejoining the city elite.

Pete Wells who awarded Aquavit with a three star review last month, mentioned an overall stiffness, with servers suffering from “Michelinitis”. In comparison to that, our dinner was a Swedish House Mafia post concert party. The staff was extremely professional, but friendly, loose and engaging. We felt comfortable, and you get a sense that the patrons around you are as well. Maybe its Wells, whose bust is Googleable, making everyone nervous. Though I do agree with him about the chairs, which weren’t the most comfortable

There are 3 different menus as you can see on their site. While all offer a nice glimpse of Emma’s greatness, to take full advantage one should look left, at the Chef’s Tasting. Eight dishes are listed, but with all sorts of fun surprises in between, its more like 15. I cant recall all the details (the meal is now a week old) but I do recall much. The other night I had trouble sleeping because both of us couldnt remember Daniel Craig’s name with no electronic devices next to us. She wanted me to go downstairs and look it up (which would also mean bringing yogurt), but I refused. At 1 am I finally figured the first name is Craig, at 3 I realized its the last name, and in the morning I saw the hard truth: Turns out Daniel Craig’s name is Daniel Craig, and we are pathetic. But thats for another post. Here’s the long rundown of the meal at Aquavit.

The bread – A great meal must start, and end (and some in the middle) with great bread, and this one did not disappoint. In fact Emma herself was also in charge of bread service before the big promotion. The Danish rye and the brown butter in particular was simply… wait for it… Divine!

Gravlax Asparagus – Starting with a bang. Like a full plump egg ravioli, with layers of salmon coating more salmon bits, with essentially an asparagus ménage à trois. Asparagus panna cotta, apsaragus tips (let me know when I start sounding like Bubba gump), asparagus ribbons, and asparagus espuma. Ok, so there was no espuma. But there was something exceptionally delicious in this dish that I havent found in any gravlax/lux before.

King Crab and Rhubarb – With nutmeg butter, you can see the ingredients clearly below. The least favorite dish came in early. Not much wrong with it, but lacking the brilliance of the others. You are supposed to eat all three together, and you quickly realize that you include too much of the tarty rhubarb. And on your second bite you realize that you have too much butter. By the time you find the right balance you are left with a quarter of the king crab

Calf’s Liver and Cucumber – I dont know what Pete Wells was eating, or perhaps they adjusted this dish after the review but I thought this was one of the strongest dishes. A hockey puck of creamy calf’s liver wrapped inside this cucumber gelatin, with a surprise inside in the form of braised oxtail, and sliced cucumbers adding a nice crunch. Spectacular looking, and tasting dish

Beef Tongue and Nasturtium – While I truly enjoyed this one, the name of the dish should really be”Potatoes”. Marbles potatoes baked in ash, some of the smokiest, tastiest potatoes I ever had. Yes there were tender strips of beef tongue and Noma-esque Nasturtium (flowers and sugar are two common Aquavit elements) among other things, but it was the potatoes that took center stage.

Mackerel and Pistachio – Perfection! Mackerel’s strong personality was well contained, and the result was quite flavorful. Simply put, perfectly cooked. Candied pistachios, more flowers, foam contributed to the fun. This is the dish that showcases Emma’s style the most

Lamb and Spring Onion. Essentially this one is lamb and spring onions! Onions posing in every way shape or form, Kardashian/Jenner style. Lamb, slowly cooked for three days had a nice crispy top layer and a fatty middle layer. Nice flavor overall, but a bit more fat than we like

Havgus and Walnut – One of the havgus cheese strips was still alive when it showed up, and eventually unrolled itself. There were more candied nuts, along with thinly sliced fresh peaches and birch syrup, though the Havgus midway proved a bit heavy and tiresome. And tiresome is the last feeling you want to have before the next dish

Arctic Bird’s Nest (top) – This is the star, the main event. the Thrilla in Manila of the tasting menu. You anticipate it, you know its coming, and at some point you think maybe its not a good idea to have that third Danish rye with brown butter, because we are not here for Danish rye and brown butter. I cant think of another such place in NYC whose menu’s star is a dessert. I’m sure it exist, but I cant think of any. The Bird’s Nest was as selfie worthy and spectacular as we imagined. There was a “cookie” nest, Goat cheese parfait eggs, snow dusting of frozen yogurt, blueberry and raspberries sorbet, a hint of gold and more than a hint of brilliance. Well done!

Aquavit
Park Avenue Tower, 65 E 55th St
$$$$
Recommeded Dishes: Get the Chef’s tasting menu

Categories: Midtown East, New York City | Tags: Aquavit, Aquavit NYC, Arctic Bird's Nest, Emma Bengtsson, food, NYC Scandinavian dining, restaurants | Leave a comment

Eating in Prague

Posted on June 9, 2015 by Ziggy

Praha, what took you so long. Such beauty, such history, such personality, such food? Yes, apparently! The popular notion that its not especially known for its food scene may have something to do with our hesitation all those years. Conclusion after three days: Color me surprised, and impressed, and.. a little ~~heavier~~ full. There were beer gardens, bistros, and even street vendors, all cooking with high degree of skill. Some meals were better than others (hint: pay special attention to the last three) but overall we did not have a bad one, a rarity during our travels. Every meal offered something. Whether it was the food, the beverages, the location, or in some cases all of the above. And yes, there was plenty of pork, there was plenty of beer, and there was even plenty of pork swimming in beer.

At Provaznice we learned about what happens to cheating Real Housewives of Praha. Nothing better than a nice meal with a life lesson on the side for the ladies. Relatively quiet side street by the same name in the center, with community tables on the sidewalk. Our first foray into the town’s celebrated Pilsner Urquell scene. The goulash and the schnitzel did not disappoint, and so was our first pork knuckle (of many to come, even when we were offered “oxtail” in Germany). But the most memorable item was one of the more healthier local vegetarian options, fried hermelin cheese! Skip the fried mushrooms unless you enjoy eating fried dough (like Beignets that took a wrong turn in the cooking process).

Provaznice Hermelin

At Sisters Bistro we sampled some Chlebicky, open faced sandwiches. Hana Michopulu a local food celebrity and farm to mouth pioneer opened Sisters along with.. you guessed it.. her sister not too long ago. It can be tough to choose betweeen the large Chlebicky array, but the girls speak English and can help. The beets one was the surprising winner. I’m finding that “beets” and “surprise” are being used in the same sentence very often lately on the blog. Something is up.

Health conscious folks exiting Sisters, are staring straight in the face of danger. Nase Maso, a newish popular butchery. After multiple attempts I havent actually eaten anything here except for a few lean pastrami slices. On both visits, things got a little hectic, and I ran out of time. Its practically a standing room only butchery where they cook their fresh goodies right on premises. Burgers, steak, meatloaf, and much more. Seems very popular with the locals. You can grab one of the few tables in the back, or hover over one of the tables outside and eat like in the good ol’ days. The cave days. Nice option for a quick bite or combined with Sisters next door

We planned the castle visit around our Strahov Monastic Brewery lunch appointment. After a shaky start where we were led to an empty room “This is where we sit reservations”, we said “no diky” and proceeded with a nice meal outside where the action was (and weather to boot). Nice pork tenderloin in beer sauce. Ribs, a bit dry but a terrific ginger sauce (out of 3) to the rescue. Tried another local specialty, Svickova na smetane – Sirloin in cream sauce with bread dumplings and cranberries. A somewhat uninspiring meat with gravy like cream sauce that will make anything taste great. Meat, car keys., anything. Domácí utopenec which translates to “drowned men” (after the rope maker of Provaznice strangling his wife story, I dont want to know what happened with this one) featuring cold pickled sausages. Nothing out of the ordinary but probably my favorite dish here. And one of the better beers of the trip, the St. Norbert, in particular the complex, slightly fruity dark

A note on sausages. They are all over the place, and they deserve proper respect. Sacrifice one dinner, or lunch, or in our case, a 4 pm snack to sausage and beer from one of the stands in the center. They are juicy, with ample heat, and pack more flavor than the ones we got in restaurants. Same goes for sausages all over Austria.

And then there’s the Trdelnik. I don’t even need to mention it because you cant really escape it, and resistance is futile. You may survive the first day, but after two you will not only succumb, but start experimenting with it. Add nutella, jam, pork, or anything else that comes across. Essentially its sweetened dough, rolled on a stick and grilled out in the open. Whether I liked it or not is not important.

Once you are tired of all that meat and potatoes, consider the meat and potatoes at Krystal Mozaika Bistro in the up and coming Karlin hood, a short subway ride away from the center. A full menu more akin to what you may find in Soho, or Paris with a touch of local flair. Nicely executed soups. A silky smooth home made chicken pate. Melnik asparagus was the beginning of our white asparagus love affair during the trip. An excellent salmon tartar. Burger krystal with Emmentaler cheese was the real deal in both size and flavor, and would fit in quite nicely in burger town NYC. There was that addictive svickova sauce again but this time featuring a tender beef neck with herby dumplings. The star however was a Moroccan style falling off the bone lamb shank with spinach, bulgar, sundried tomatoes and an aromatic minty pesto. Plum Dumplings with poppy seeds, nuts and clarified butter was a proper, if not a bit heavy finish. Very impressed with this one

Something tells me that in Prague, the rule of avoiding chains does not apply, with restaurant gangs such as Lokal and Kolkovna pack with locals nightly. We tested this theory at the bistro looking Kolkovna Olympia which delivered all sorts of surprising flavors for a chain joint. There was “Spicy” (but not quite) sausages swimming in a tangy tomato pepper sauce. Hermelin cheese, this time not fried, but topped with garlicky bread crumbs.. an improvement. There was creamy but refreshing Asparagus soup. Beef cheeks with French style mash was spot on (I’ve been spoiled with an abnormal amount of crazy good beef cheek dishes in NYC lately). A chicken roulette stuffed with liver, spinach, and egg wasn’t as memorable as the chicken wings that came at about the same. Yes, chicken wings, spiced and cooked to perfection, with BBQ sauce on the side that demanded a few finger dips. Ok, more than a few.

Another gem in the Karlin neighborhood is the popular Pivovarsky Klub where a room full of patrons sing 250 bottles of beer on the wall on a nightly basis. Not only it features the largest collection of bottled beer in Czech Republic but, it can also boast something very few in the country can, “Bourdain was here”. Six rotating beers on tap with the excellent Benedict at the helm. Fried Bread with raw garlic was just that, but quite addictive. Juicy sausages can be had in beer sauce or with red and white beans. Get both. Pork knuckle with light gravy came in sliced but retained all its glory. And if you leave without trying the excellent venison goulash, you haven’t done any homework.

Dobrou Chuť

Pivovarsky Klub Sausages

Pivovarsky Klub

Sisters

Provaznice

Provaznice Knuckle

Strahov Monastic Brewery Sausage

Krystal Mozaika Bistro Dumplings

Categories: Austria/Czech Republic | Tags: Best food in Prague, food, Kolkovna Olympia, Krystal Mozaika Bistro, Nase Maso, Pivovarsky Klub, Prague, Provaznice, Sisters Bistro, Strahov Monastic Brewery, Travel | Leave a comment

Esszimmer {Salzburg} – The Sound of Silence

Posted on June 1, 2015 by Ziggy

Memories… are as fuzzy as the excluded pictures, hence a short post about our big Austrian splurge last week. Birthday girl deserves the best and she got the best… the city of Salzburg, Austria has to offer. A beautiful looking place, with beautiful waitresses, and a beautiful chef comes out to greed us smiling. The last and only time a chef came out to greet us at a Michelin establishment was many moons ago in south of France. Though I’m fairly certain he was under some sort of influence. He gave me a big a hug, kissed me in the lips and said “I know it was you Margaux, I know it was you”. Thats how I know. Anyway, we were off to a rocking start at Esszimmer, surprisingly quiet for a Michelin star. We were almost the last to leave

You always inherit a certain risk when you choose a place as such with no online menu in a foreign country. I got a few clues here and there but nothing prepared me to this menu. Nothing like I’ve ever seen really. Four or Five various fixed mostly 5 course menus including a vegetarian menu, a seafood menu, an “Esszimmer” menu which was essentially a different seafood menu including one meat dish (highlight alert). And there was another bigger, around 8 courser for 135 Euros (the rest around 85). The only confusing part was that every single dish in all those menus was priced individually as well, and those prices didnt have any sort of structure. Something that sounded like apps were priced almost like their main counterparts. It made almost zero sense to order individual dishes here.

The wine menu was a fun read. It essentially included all the Piedmont appointments I had to cancel last year due to overeating. Didnt dot down the name we chose but it was crisp, dry and Rieslingy.

As for the food, nothing was really mind blowing, but for the most part the dishes were playful, creative, and artistic. Silky raw trout with trout roe and shaved radish swimming in ultra light potato cream. A delicate sweet Pike Perch seared to perfection with a sourkraft marmoulade. Crayfish spring rolls with sweetbread was an interesting combination. My favorite item was a tender, earthy venison that came with a rich supporting cast. Dessert was forgettable except for the complimentary Sacher tort for the birthday girl. Nice touch, nice meal!

Categories: Austria/Czech Republic | Tags: Austria, Esszimmer, Esszimmer Salzburg, food, Michelin star, restaurants, Salzburg, Travel | Leave a comment

Pulker’s Heuriger – Slow Fooding Near Vienna

Posted on May 28, 2015 by Ziggy

A Heuriger – not quite an Enoteca, not quite a quinta, far from a restaurant. Its a Heuriger! An Austrian wine tavern owned by a wine grower to showcase his wine and allow his guests to experience something the Germans and Austrians call Gemutlichkeit… a place where everyone knows your name and where you can leave all your troubles behind. Unless your neighbor and her annoying dog got the same idea and frequent the same place. If that’s the case, perhaps its time to forgive and forget and leave a little “gift” in the pooches Schüssel.

A true Heuriger may also serve some menuless food. “Do you also want food?” “Yes”… now that’s the kind of decisionless menu I can get behind. An array of homemade spreads, made in this home, not other homes. Fresh vegetables, and fresh kills brought in by the local hunter a few days ago. All delivered to your table until there’s no more room to put your ellbogen. There was a delicately fresh goat cheese, black pudding that could convert you BP hater [insert family relative]. Porky fat spread that you will be hard pressed to find in the states. There was a cheese spread infused with onions and paprika, salty ham, and pickles with just the right balance. And just when you thought things can not get any better than this, there she comes. Roasted pork belly so tender you can cut it with a dirty stare, along with crackling so good, its worthy of a dentist appointment

Pulker’s Heuriger is right off the main road in the village of Rührsdorf in picturesque Wachau Valley. Google maps shows it inside the village, but its actually on the main road, right before the turn. Couple this one with a visit to beautiful Dürnstein on the other side of the river. For the first time in history perhaps, those monthly travel magazines paid off, coming up with a nice and timely tip.