Posts Tagged With: restaurants

Hosteria Giusti – A Hidden Legend in Modena

Posted on February 8, 2015 by Ziggy

Its taken me over three months to write about our food adventures in Piedmont and Emilia Romagna over the fall. And I can easily write for another month or so as it was that kind of a trip. But I think its time to wrap this up, and I cant think of a better way than with one of Italy’s true icons, considered by many one of Italy’s greatest. I will also have a post about our top dishes in the region later this week.

Giusti is a Salumeria in the center of Modena, not too far from one of the most celebrated Duomos in the country, and not too far from another famous church, Osteria Francescana, considered one of the best restaurants in the world. But when you arrive at this Salumeria Monday-Friday between 11-5, you notice a peculiar thing, its closed. That’s because they are busy making all sorts of magic in the back, to those lucky enough to snag one of the 4 tables that one needs to reserve weeks, sometimes months in advance.

Hosteria Giusti also happens to be Mario Batali’s favorite restaurant in Italy. Baltali’s dad was a close friend with the late Adriano Morandi who opened the Hosteria in 1989. The shop itself however is over 400 years old. 400 years! I’m no historian, but this sounds like pre-texting to me. Most folks come to Modena with their little Trip Advisor rankings miss out on this jewel.

To get to Giusti, you don’t got to through the store, but to this quiet back alley off Via Emilia. Walk until you reach a gate where you wait for someone to show up to hear the secret password.. “Ummmm Jewsty?” Bamm! You are in. Cecilia, Adriano’s daughter served us and spoke better English than some of my relatives living in NYC. I was suffering from a cold (I only get sick on vacations, becoming quite comical), and this was the worst day. But taste buds were intact, though no wine for me, homemade Lambrusco for her which she enjoyed.

We started with some Gnoccho frito salumi. Every town off Via Emilia makes these little buns differently it seems with different sizes, degree of puffiness and different names. Here are the large puffy ones that pop on the first bite into this nice marriage with the various salumi sitting on top. The lardo in particular was of the rich, buttery, high quality variety.

Minestrone Fritters – Perhaps the most interesting thing we ate here. They take a Minestrone soup that thickened overnight, mix in Parma cheese, flour, egg, and deep fry a spoonful worth and voila.. but wait… there’s more… sprinkle some of their own ultra aged Traditional balsamic vinegar and Voila! I now know what “Traditional” means after visiting a Balsamic producer in the area earlier that day. Those fritters don’t look very exciting, but carry a lot of punch

More excellence followed with the Maccheroni with Zampone (stuffed pig’s trotter, a Modena specialty) sauce. Tagliatelle with veal ragu was even better. More of that scrumptious, robust ragu we’ve come to expect throughout the trip, and this was perhaps the best one

Cecilia recognizing my pain when I was choosing our lone secondi to share and offered half portions. Another exceptional veal cheek that we just couldn’t get enough on this trip. This one, no frills, smothered with its own juices, just melt in your fork deliciousness. And I had to try the Cotechino, another Modena specialty served normally during Christmas time. It comes coated with a rich, sweet Zabaione sauce made with Lambrusco. Cotechino is a very tender slow boiled fresh sausage made with pork meat, skin, plenty of fat and is very nicely spiced. And together with the Zabaione you got some very nice contrasting flavors. Marry Christmas to us. Sorry, no picture for this one.

Overall, an extremely memorable, top 10 of the year meal. Hosteria Giusti and Modena is another strong reason to stay an extra day in Bologna.

Categories: Emilia-Romagna, Italy | Tags: Best dining in Emilia Romagna, Emilia Romagna, food, Hosteria Giusti, Italy, Modena, restaurants, Travel | 4 Comments

Tuome, Can You Hear Me

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Ziggy

I had the entire conversation rehearsed in my head while sitting in the car waiting for our table. The smiling dude from Tuome said we came too early and that our table wasn’t ready, but the good news was we could wait by the bar. Memorandum to restaurant owners of NYC: If the tiny little bar of yours is completely full with no standing room allowed whatsoever, don’t point to it and say you can wait by the bar. You look like an ass. I said we’ll wait in the car (freezing conditions btw), while staring at the two empty drafty tables by the entrance making him aware that I see those tables and he better not give them to us when the time comes. Reminiscing about a certain Yemeni cafe in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn where we froze to death, and they built a museum around us. When we finally got the callback, we were offered a choice of a drafty table, or not drafty one in the center of the room. Hmm.. let me go back to the car and think about this one a little bit. OK, I’ll take the nice and warm one in the middle of the room. Close call, but we are off to a fantastic start.

The front room is rather small, rustic, and quite East Villagy. Tables very close together which can be a good thing (more on that later). When someone walks behind you, you bounce a little like that bouncy at the Museum of Sex. The only other room I explored was the tiny unisex bathroom. It was one of those cold, pee every 2 hour days in NYC which brings yet another tip. Before watching a Russian movie like ‘Leviathan’, going an hour before is way too soon. You need to visit the bathroom right before the movie, as the concept of editing still hasnt made it to mother Russia.

Where was I, oh yes, Tuome. Or “Toe Me” as Thomas Chen’s parents used to pronounce “Tommy”. Formerly with Eleven Madison Park and Commerce, this is Toe Me’s first crack at managing one. The American menu is interesting, playful, and full of Asian influences. Annisa light if you will. Unlike Annisa and the momofukus out there however, there’s a clear sweet tone in some of the dishes. And the playfulness in a way backfires a little while showing some immaturity (“Pig Out” for 2 can easily be pork dish for 1, table side “espuma” squirting). But, at the end of the day, the outcome was quite positive.

Chicken Liver – Good, Very good actually according to liver freak mrs Z. Silky smooth, looking like a plate of hummus with a pool of olive oil in the middle. Except in this case its Maple syrup which added much sweetness but an enjoyable dish nonetheless

Deviled Egg – Nothing like any deviled eggs I’ve had in my young Deviled Eggs career. Three eggs, breaded and fried, with a nice dollop of chili-garlic sauce that made all the difference. Just a great combination of textures and nice deep lasting flavors. Perhaps the dish of the night

Octopus – This is an excellent puss. One tentacle, surrounded by porky XO sauce on one side while waiter squirts “Espuma” (fancy for foam) on the other. Doubt East Villagers are impressed by table side squirting any more. Maybe a better fit for Theater District where you can even get away with “Espuma”. The leg was nicely cooked, not too mushy or too hard, and the XO sauce I couldnt get enough of. Reminiscent of the All’onda XO with Soppressata. The only thing is I wished the leg was a bit bigger, like Portuguese octopus I see on occasion. A few bites of the meaty part and you are left with a long slightly overcooked skinny dude. Great dish still.

Next was a welcomed wait after all three small plates came at the same time 10 minutes after we sat down. Proper pacing of the dishes seems like a rarity these days.

Short Rib – Another exceptional dish. Extremely tender and juicy, with a sweet glaze and more sweetness from the sweet potato puree. Very good dish, but felt all too familiar. Unlike the other dishes, nothing out of the ordinary here but I’d order it again. Its just that the city is suddenly loaded with exceptional short rib and beef cheek plates

Skate (top) – Good, really good according to Mrs Z. Nice size, lightly fried, with cauliflower bits and Marcona Almonds. Good flavor though got a little boring toward the end.

Brussels Sprouts – Outstanding side. One of the better ones we’ve had in NYC. Mixed with more of that Pork XO, with raisins and grapes providing a nice balance

Rice – Yet another great side. Sticky rice with sweet Chinese sausage (a bit too sweet), duck fat packed inside Lotus leaves. Another dish where most of the excitement came from the initial touches, but I would certainly order again. This is one of those places where sides require special attention. The Corn looked good as well

Pig Out for two – This is their specialty but with just the two of us we opted to try more of the menu and sides instead of being in the mercy of one dish. The gimmick seems to work for them, but as a customer I dont see a reason why they cant evenly divide the 10 pork belly squares by 2 and offer individual sizes. So the brilliant plan was to get friendly with the neighbors and try theirs. We half succeeded… jokingly offered any help if they required and even gave some advice on visiting Iceland, but no {porky} dice.

Chinese Beignets – Dessert is not a strong suit here. This is at the moment the only option and if it continues than perhaps some help from Anita Lo may be required to perfect these Beignets. However, this wasnt nearly a complete loss as the three condiments provided especially the ice cream with red bean paste saved the moment.

For such a young chef who started out as an accountant, Tommy is doing a lot of things right. I’ll be back (if I’m still welcomed)

Tuome
536 East 5th Street
$$$
Recommended Dishes: A rare all of the above

Categories: East Village, New York City | Tags: East Village, East Village Best Eats, food, restaurants, Travel, Tuome, Tuome NYC | Leave a comment

Houston Street, We Have a Problem!

Posted on January 18, 2015 by Ziggy

A Note from the Editor:

In the summer, during my much anticipated staycation, there was a moment on the High Line that is etched in my mind. We found ourselves almost paralyzed, stuck in rush hour Sunday afternoon traffic behind a family of 4, a rooster, and a pair of parakeets. It was like a zoo! We’ve seen our share of tourists at the High Line before but not to this degree, and with characters no less. We needed to get out of there and we had to do it fast, after a bite of the Delaney Brisket of course. A trip to the storied High Line coupled with braving the crowds of the Chelsea Market is now firmly on the tourists path. Great for NYC, and all those Chelsea eateries that must be thriving just about now, right? Not exactly.

A few weeks ago someone asked me if my knowledge of Hell’s Kitchen extends to Real Estate, for the purpose of finding a new home for La Lunchonette, a long time Chelsea institution. In what seems like a daily occurrence of businesses closing its doors, La Lunchonette is just another one to bite the dust of rising rents. Culprit in this case: The High Line. The park, along with new zoning permits attracting Real Estate developers who now see a lot of green in West Chelsea, and I’m not talking about the plants along the High Line that no one looks at anyway. Current building owners succumb to offers they can’t refuse, essentially forced to evict their tenants in many cases. According to Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York, the High Line is the cause of La Lunchonette’s demise, and presumably, many more will follow.

I guess we are done with gentrifying the island and now focusing on hyper gentrification? I’m not pretending to know anything about economics or real estate. I’m just a poor software developer who wants to have a f*** bagel or matzoh whenever I choose to, or whenever Jewish holiday dictates. Excuse my Yiddish there. Oh did I mention Streit’s Matzo Factory is closing soon and so is the original Ess-a-Bagel to make room for Bank of America and you guessed it.. a bagel shop. How can anyone afford to run a business or live in NYC anymore.

The Union Square Area alone is one giant “For Rent” sign, led by Union Square Cafe which is forced to move after its lease is up. Restaurants are getting squeezed left and right from 57th street to Houston Street. In Hell’s Kitchen the action is slowly shifting to the West. A Mexican restaurant owner recently told me he couldn’t afford being on 8th ave anymore and had to move all the way to 10th. Meanwhile downtown, Brigadeiro Bakery finally found affordable space in Soho after selling their Brazilian Truffles from a Basement nearby for years. Do you have a Bodega (Mexican deli) near you nowadays? Bodegas are closing all over or forced to transform and unbodega themselves.

So whats in store for 2015 and beyond. Brace yourself for more Bank of America, 7-Eleven, Chipotle, and Eataly which plans to open two more stores in NYC in the future. While I love Eataly as much as the next guy (I spent 3 hours there last Sunday), I need more Eatalys like I need a pimple on my ass. This expression never made much sense to me, until recently when I finally got one. Those things can be truly annoying. Anyway, I cant help but wonder how many more small mom and pops will close as a result of two more Eatalys. Places like Di Palo’s, where you get a much more personal service, need to cherished like we cherish our kids.

But is it time to panic? Yes! I suppose 2014 also saw many new restaurants open, and I believe I even saw “Record Year” being proclaimed somewhere out there. But with that I also noticed that my spending has increased, so no doubt I’m paying for the rent hikes as well. How many of the new openings are truly affordable, with entrees below $20. For every Lumpia Shack there seemed to be 10 Batards opening last year. In Hell’s Kitchen new business owners used to find refuge on 9th ave, but now they find it on side streets where foot traffic is much lighter, or 10th ave where traffic is even worse. Whenever I walk to Inti, a Peruvian gem on 10th where the Rotisserie chicken rivals anyone’s, I always wonder how they are still in business. My co-worker believes they have a healthy delivery business

I still believe NYC is the greatest food city in the world, don’t get me wrong. And the options I have in lower Manhattan, Brooklyn, ~~Staten Island~~, and Queens are limitless. But I’m a little worried about the direction. Perhaps the worry is for nothing and I should stick to writing about food. Time will tell. Meanwhile, avoid the High Line

Ziggy

Editor in Chief

Categories: Brooklyn, Chelsea, Chinatown, East Village, Gramercy, Flatiron, Lower East Side, Midtown East, Midtown West, New York City, Queens, SoHo, NoHo, Nolita, Staten Island, TriBeCa, Trucks, Upper West Side, West Village | Tags: food, High Line, Manhttan Rent Hikes, restaurants, Travel | 3 Comments

HKSG Update – 3 in, 1 out

Posted on January 12, 2015 by Ziggy

Not the most exciting update to the Hell’s Kitchen Survival Guide, but an update nonetheless. I keep trying new places, and looking for hidden gems which turn out to be just hidden… Puff Cha, B-Side, all sorts of new Mexican, and Puff Cha Ramen formerly known as Puff Cha (little identity crisis, that’s all. We all go through that at some point).

While some of you were standing outside of Pure Thai, patiently waiting for a table, I’ve been cheating with Pam for the past three months. A much more approachable Pam Real Thai joins the list even though the list already includes two Thais. I explain why there.

Two bars that happened to offer some tasty treats join the list, Brickyard and Shorty’s. I didn’t have any bars in there, and I see plenty of site traffic coming from Ireland lately. Just trying to keep my audience happy, and well fed.

I’m removing Annabel from the list after a recent visit. Shared two pies with a friend and after I left it felt like I just ate an entire loaf of bread. I liked it just enough after the initial visit but I think I added it prematurely. I almost replaced it with Tavola, but I’m not totally in love with it either

Stay Hungry!

Categories: Midtown West, New York City | Tags: Brickyard Gastropub, food, Pam Real Thai, restaurants, Shorty's, Travel | Leave a comment

NYC – Top 10 Dishes of 2014

Posted on January 7, 2015 by Ziggy

Bowery Steak at Bowery Meat Company. Normally in the food blogging universe, when a steak is compared to a Hockey puck, its usually in order to describe a poorly cooked piece of meat. But in this case, its the odd looking Hockey puck shaped perfection sitting on top of creamy whipped potato puree, and topped with a little bit of Chimichurri. One little touch of that thing with your fork or a prolong stare breaks the spiral roll of ribeye cap, aka the more flavorful part of the ribeye. A most noble cut, generated by none other than the legendary Pat LaFrieda of course. Don’t believe me? Ask fellow meat lover Justin Bieber who was spotted there a day after yours truly and his family. “Way to go dad, always picking the wrong days”

Oxtail Soup at Pam Real Thai – I’m starting to believe this soup has special healing powers. Whether you are suffering from Flu like symptoms, Depression, Frontal Baldness, Cholera, try the soup and see a doctor. Best to have the soup solo, as it will clear up both your nostrils and allow free grazing of the two giant oxtail bones in a way that should leave no witnesses. Its spicy, complex, addictive and just about my favorite soup in NYC at the moment. Which really means America!

Patate Alla Carbonara at Marta – The White pizza section to me is like the pet isle in the supermarket. I only get there by accident or under some form of influence. My wife found me there once and though I was having an affair. These days the only way for me to cheat on the reds is with this Bianca, featuring Guanciale, Pecorino and egg “juice” poured ever so slowly all over the pie. It took a few initial incarnations (started as “Gricia” with an egg in the middle) until this thing was perfected by Nick Anderer who perfected so many things at Maialino. Its Roman style pizza which means Matsoh like cracker thin (especially at the edges), but it holds its own nicely throughout so knife needed.

Lobster Roll at The Grand Banks. This place rocked! Literally! In fact we almost left upon entering this Schooner (a ship for the German readers) parked on Pier 25 in the warmer months. But the food obsessed that we are, we braved it out and stayed for the main event. A Maine style Lobster Roll (cold) using the meatiest and clawiest parts of the lobster, with tarragon mayonnaise and cucumbers which isnt very “Mainely” I know, but serve as barriers between meat and bun. Very often lobster rolls lose its luster due to a soggy bun, but here the cucumbers keep it fresh and dont deter from the taste. The roll which comes with well seasoned potato chips (no frier on board) is not exactly a value play at $25, but you gotta pay up for the good stuff mon. Especially on the island I call Manhattan

BBQ Squid at Annisa – Stunner! Actually the first word that comes to mind is “gorgeous” but its hard even for the feminine inner Ziggy to say the G word these days. When was the last time you heard a straight man say something is gorgeous. And adding the F word just makes it sound awkward. But this dish is not only attractive to look at, but got the flavors to match. Marinaded, perfectly grilled Squid with fried tentacles, mint, and fresh peanuts boiled to match the texture of the tender Edameme. Add Hoisin sauce for some sweetness and tanginess and the formula is complete. I hope it never leaves the menu. Anita Lo are you reading?

Carrot Wellington at Narcissa – A rarity. A meal where the veggie dishes outperform the meats and fish. Even the beet dish here made me question everything I knew about beets and seek Borscht the next day. I never seek Borscht. The carrots are cured, roasted and simply shine in those puff pastries. They are tender and rich enough that you wont miss the meat. And the accompanied veggies especially the earthy Bluefoot mushrooms complimented nicely. Along with Piora’s carrots, perhaps the carrot dish to beat. If you are having commitment issues, you can always share it as a middle course.

Strozzapreti Con Aragosta at Lincoln (Top). Orange is the new crack! Possibly the most ingenious pasta dish I ever had. First of all its looks ~~gorgeous~~ sensational, and you smell the sea as soon as it arrives. Smell it! Its an important aspect of any meal. The Strozzapreti (invented I suppose when someone envisioned a pasta shape while witnessing a priest being slowly strangled) is made with lobster coral, the female egg sac, to bring that bright sexy orange prison look. Sweet lobster chunks are added to the mix along with Tarragon and a delicate citrusy sauce. But the best part and what puts this thing over the top was the shockingly flavorful lobster and scallop “sausage” bits which had the texture of chicken skin nut tasted nothing like it. As of this writing the dish is not on the menu, so write to your local congressman

Scrambled Eggs at Gato. I’m quite the sucker for nicely executed egg dishes, and this one topped a year filled with good ones (Casa Mono comes to mind). Almond Romesco (spanish red pepper sauce), Boucheron cheese, and fluffiness levels that I’ve yet to produce no matter how hard I try. I Google the heck out of how to make my scrambled eggs this fluffy, and it looks like Boucheron may be the answer. Bobby Flay got something nice going there, but dont tell him that, or mention this pick. We dont want success to get to his head.

Zabzi Tagine at Bar Bolonat – I attacked this mini Tagine on more than one occasion in 2014. But I confess that the first time, closer to the Bar Bolonat debut was the best rendition. Homemade couscous, aromatic fresh herbs, and short rib or beef cheek (it changes from time to time) so tender and flavor packed, even the Goyim foodies can appreciate this modern Israeli delight. Get this, the kibbeh, Creme Brulee, and any of the other “Best of 2014” dishes circulating the web. Einat Admony got herself another winner.

Fried Chicken at Root and Bone – Last year it was the Ma Peche Habanero, this year its R&B singing the chicken song. Choon! The bird is brined in sweet tea, onions and garlic for 24 hours, and finished with a dusting of dehydrated lemon powder to add that nice zesty tone. Perfectly crisped skin, and juiciness levels I havent seen since college. Great dish and a great menu that features all sorts of goodies like Sticky Toffee Pudding with whiskey sauce and beer flavored ice cream.

Special Mentions:

Burger at the NoMad Bar
Marinated Pork at Somtum Der
Falafel plate at Zizi Limona
Agnolotti at All’onda
Chicken Burrito at Missions Cantina
Beer Braised Pork Tongue Tacos at Empellon Taqueria
Octopus at Marea
Kimchi Fried Rice at Louro
Tofu at Dunji
Samsa at Nargis Cafe
Elk Chops at Henry’s End
Carrots at Piora
Green Curry Ramen at Bassanova
Dirty rice at Ivan Ramen
Cha Ca La Vong at Pok Pok Brooklyn
Oxtail and Bone Marrow Fried Rice at Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill

Categories: East Village, Gramercy, Flatiron, Lower East Side, Midtown West, New York City, SoHo, NoHo, Nolita, Upper West Side, West Village | Tags: Annisa, Bar Bolonat, Best NYC Dishes of 2014, Bowery Meat Company, food, Gato, Grand Banks, Lincoln Ristorante, Marta, Narcissa, Pam Real Thai, restaurants, Root and Bone, Travel | 3 Comments

Meal of the Year 2014 – Il Centro in Priocca

Posted on January 3, 2015 by Ziggy

A more recent visit

Top NYC dishes of 2014 are coming up next, but first I have to tell you all about the meal of the year and quite possibly the best meal we ever had.

To give you an idea of what I’m talking about… Its well past 3 pm and we’ve been seating there for three hours, alone now in the back room. We are starting to feel a bit agitated that we havent received our bill, and we still have yet to get a tour of the magnificent cellar. Mrs Ziggy is now playing Candy Crush!! When Mrs Ziggy starts to play Candy Crush on her phone it means things are not going very well, unless she finally beats that crazy difficult level that makes her forget sometimes she has children. This kind of inconvenience would normally put a big damper on roughly 99% of our meals, but not even a dent in this one. 30 minutes before Candy Crush I was telling young Giampiero (the son) about how much fun we were having and that we did not mind sitting there for such a long time (we really didnt at the time). He either took my comment a bit too seriously or more likely rightfully shifted his attention to other patrons. That same attention we were so greatly enjoying the previous 3 hours.

I hope any of the Corderos reading this will only see the previous paragraph as the compliment it was intended and nothing more. Over 10 courses of absolute delight, with each dish and each item on each plate showing brilliance we have yet to witness anywhere. I vividly remember the lone caramelized fig sitting in the corner of the Veal Cheek dish, like the little shy girl that no one wants to dance with. That unassuming little thing carried surprising intense flavors, wow moment #8 or so. The same kind of attention to detail and top notch raw materials followed throughout without any hiccups whatsoever. A rare (for us) perfect blend of Slow Food and Michelin (1 star). We are very fortunate to visit places that lean one way or another, but very rarely, perhaps never, we’ve witness this kind of marriage

The room was well lit and simplistic. Not a whole lot decor wise. An American couple somehow stole our reservations but they still managed to accommodate us and seat us directly facing that couple. So we were able to give them the stink eye! The best way to experience Il Centro fully is for one to go for the tasting menu while the other A la carte. The tasting menu is basically 3 starters, and one primi, secondi, dolce that you choose from the menu. On to the food…

While I had plenty of steak tartars in my life, this was my first ever Carne Cruda – a Piedmontese specialty of chopped beef, not as finely minced as tartare. Helped by a shaving of White Truffles (26 euros fixed price) this was a top dish of the trip nominee, and led the way to more Carne Crudas to come. For those brainwashed and scared of raw meat, Carne Cruda is perhaps the best way of self hypnosis.

Porcini in a Parmigiano cup was another big winner. The delicate perfectly cooked Porcini went very well with the flavors and crunch of the cheese. It was like eating Porcini for the very first time. The attractive Pepper plate stuffed with tuna a bit overshadowed by the other two but would have easily been a hit anywhere else. Faraona (Guineafowl) was simple yet quite exquisite. The best compliment I can give to any dish is that it changed the way we order in other restaurants. Like the Carne Cruda, this Faraona led to three more during the trip

Tajarin with ragu was rich and pleasant. Not as explosive as La Torre in Cherasco but still quite good. Ravioli stuffed with beef and topped with sausage and chicken liver ragu was even better. The liver especially elevated this dish to another level. Another wow moment came with the veal cheek caramelized with figs. Sweet, deep lasting flavors, and as tender as veal can get. And the aforementioned little fig in the corner was an eye opener. Codone beef (top), essentially a hazelnut loving local breed accompanied by a fragrant fruity salad was another revelation. The secret to happiness is happy cows

The best thing I can say about the hazelnut dessert trio on top of the menu is nothing, because I don’t want to spoil the surprise to those who will experience this. It’s like telling you the ending of Breaking Bad. A must get, along with the gelato

We drank a 2010 Cascina Val Del Prete Nebbiolo d’Alba, a winery based locally in Priocca. One of the best wines we drank the entire trip which was filled with great Barbarescos and Barolos

A visit to the magnificent cellar was the perfect finish to a most memorable meal. Bravissima!

Church around the corner

Categories: Italy, Piedmont | Tags: Best restaurants in Piedmont, food, Il Centro Piedmont, Il Centro Priocca, Piedmont Dining, restaurants, Travel | 2 Comments

Bowery Meat Company – A Croatian Seafood Delight

Posted on December 30, 2014 by Ziggy

Just dont call it a steakhouse. The brainchildren behind this meat project, John McDonald, Josh Capon, and Paul DiBari dont like that, and for good reason really. “Steakhouse” is stale, uncool, touristy and boring in today’s NYC. You cant hep but get the feeling that traditional steakhouses not named Peter Luger still exist for tourists and older generation New Yorkers. I cant recall the last time my friends said “hey how about bowling and steakhouse”. But my father in law does ask on occasion, only to get that painful reminder again that he cant eat raw meat. I predict that just like with the demise of Jewish Delis the steakhouse will eventually be replaced with places like Costata, Minetta Tavern and Bowery Meat Company. These are full menu, modern steakhouses with each having its little niche (eg. crudo, pasta, burgers, oysters) in addition to great steak

Even Yelp is confused, giving BMC the cafeteria “Salad, Italian, Seafood” tag. As in “Hey what do you want to eat today. Sushi, Russian, or ‘Salad Italian Seafood'”. I suppose BMC is more about “Salad, Italian, Seafood” than “Croatian” as the title suggests. But only the savvies of the foodie travelers understand the role Croatians played in the evolution of Oyster fishing, and the invention of the Charbroiled Oyster by the legendary Drago’s in New Orleans. The same Drago’s oyster was the influence behind the Charbroiled little ones at BMC, though I’m leaning toward the cheeseless version at Felix’s myself. If there’s one complaint about this “I cant believe this is not a steakhouse” meat company is the excess of cheese and in some cases salt. At some point it felt like one of those Borat “And what is this? its cheese” episodes. But yet, I would still put BMC on top of any steak seeker list today. And there was absolutely nothing wrong about the soon to be famous Steak I highlight below.

Bowery ~~Steak~~ Meat has quite a few nice pluses, starting with the pre-meal freebies that you wont get anywhere else. Rosemary Focaccia with what looked like small Finocchiona slices was gone before I could take a picture. And to top that, some schweddy balls in the form of oxtail arancini were quite good. They can easily charge for this stuff, but they dont. Others should note. Even free bread these days has been replaced by $6 fancy bagels with frozen “homemade butter”

Crispy Polenta – Mushroom and Shaved Parmesan. Nice starter. Polenta not so crispy but thats a good thing as the texture was a perfect not too soft, not too hard. Mushroom had a nice sweet tone and could have used some more earthiness or crunch.

Broiled Oysters – Garlic, Romano Cheese, Bread Crumbs, Parsley. The great aforementioned Oysters inspired by Drago’s in New Orleans. There are many folks out there like Mrs Z that will eat this over the raw stuff, so you gotta wonder.. what took you so long New Yorkers!

Short Rib Ravioli – Bacon, Rosemary Butter, Aged Balsamic. Six large ravioli. Nice meaty flavor and quite exceptional. But covering these with cheese was a slight turnoff. If I want my ravioli smothered with cheese I’d go to Staten Island. I would order this again though. Just hold the cheese.

Duck Lasagna for Two – Caciocavallo cheese, Parmesan. As with anything “For two” in NYC means “For 4” or “for a small Armenian village”. I would never order something for 2, for just 2. But we were 4. Like the ravioli this also had excellent meaty flavor, and no sauce that I recall. Soft lasagna sheets, duck and cheese worked together nicely.

Cheeseburger – Griddled Onion, Raclette, Tomato Aioli, Fries. This is an almost great burger. My suggestion: Change it to Burger. Lose the cheese! Raclette is generally quite salty, and this beautiful 40 day aged chuck, brisket, and sirloin combination should not be messing around with. The fries were so salty they were not edible. Perhaps they were gearing up for Justin Bieber who visited with his girlfriend the next day. My youngest still cant believe she went to BMC on the wrong day

Bowery Steak – Salsa Verde, Whipped Potato. A Triumph! The steak of the year, and one of the best I ever had. As soon as I touched it I knew it will be good (so many jokes with this one, but I’ll leave it alone. Its a family show). There’s no name to this 8 ounce meat perfection. The best part of the ribeye, the ribeye cap is flattened and spiral-rolled into these Hockey pucks by who else, Pat LaFrieda and cooked to perfection. Here’s your Michelin star right there.

Bowery Meat Company
9 East 1st Street
$$$$
Recommended Dishes: All of the above. But make sure to get the Bowery Steak

Categories: East Village, New York City | Tags: Best steak in NYC, Bowery Meat Company, East Village Steak, food, restaurants, Travel | Leave a comment

Trattoria di Via Serra {Bologna}

Posted on December 23, 2014 by Ziggy

It pains me to post only 5 pictures in this one. In a span of 10 days we had about 10 exceptional meals, including 5 meals that I can only describe as epic. Each epic meal was like a story. A story filled with interesting characters, intrigue, wine, passion, surprises, wrong turns, betrayal, tears, tears of joy and a lot of time. An epic meal requires extra time, preferably on a Sunday, and preferably as far from the center as possible. Bologna, arguably the greatest food city in Italy produced one of those on a little street behind the train station called Via Serra.

For the family sitting next to us, it was just another regular Sunday afternoon meal at one of their favorite neighborhood spots. For us however, the only tourists in the house, it was anything but. “Only tourists” unless you count our new friends from Turin who we stumbled upon again after meeting them the night before at All’Osteria Bottega, another Bologna gem. As far as I’m concerned, friendships start when someone offers me food. And as I reached for a scoop of the neighbors homemade Gnocchi with pumpkin cream sauce, much to the horror of the other family, I thought to myself, that could have been dish #6. I had room, damn it.

Via Serra is as “Slow Food” as it gets. The duo of Flavio and Tommaso have sort of a history together that reached peak levels with a successful spot down in the mountains, Osteria del Sole in Zocca. Tommaso, like so many other Slow Food cooks (they don’t like to be called chefs I learned over the years), has no formal culinary training. He was working in a dairy equipment manufacturer before he decided to change careers and showcase what he learned from dad. In fact right after our lunch they closed for a week to visit their families and the various producers in their respected areas. “Continued Education” as we call it in the states. Tommy traveled to Campobasso to scout butchers for a traditional Sunday Molise ragu (liver sausage, cotechino, sausage, ribs and minced shoulder in a tomatoes sauce). We came on the wrong Sunday it seems, but very far from a bad one

During this trip we drank all sorts of great wine, some more memorable than others. But none had the same affect as the house red here. Perhaps the best house red we ever had. On the board it just says “Rosso Bologna”, a 60% Barbera, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon blend. Flavio explained that its a local producer, completely organic called Maria Bortolotti. The aromas that came out of this one are those that you smell when you go to sleep the same night. Or is it just me and I should probably talk to a food/wine psychiatrist about that. Robustness in a very good way (unlike the Barbaresco at the Commune in Neive). Quite full bodied, nicely balanced with big tannins for a house wine.

Here you need to pay attention to the daily specials. We started with a fantastic Pate di Fegatini. Sweet, creamy, buttery goodness. Pate freak Mrs Ziggy was in liver heaven. Piada was a lot of fun. Not quite as thin as a traditional Piadina and without much of the lard but quite delicious. Its served with prosciutto and fresh soft Squacquerone cheese from the nearby Castel San Pietro. A fun traditional snack normally associated with the Romagna towns to the east.

The Primis we picked from the regular menu. Traditional Tagliatelle with ragu – it never ceases to amaze me how much flavor they exude from so little meat. Six fat Tortelloni with butter and sage, of the explosive, sinfully good kind. Outstanding Faraona arrosto, filled with stuffing made of bread, egg, cheese, and more Faraona. Best Faraona (guinea fowl) of the trip, but also quite different. Mrs Z is a little more fond of the Faraona overall, but I’m game! (Get it? I’m game!). Coffee gelato and homemade Nocioni was the perfect finish to one of those meals.

Via Serra is on Via Serra, 5-10 minutes past the train station. From the outside it looks like one of those hip London spots, because it was sort of was. It used to belong to the hotel next door that opened a posh spot that didn’t quite fit the neighborhood very well. Inside however, Via Serra couldn’t be more different than the previous tenant, starting with the philosophy. Those guys pay zero attention to how your plate looks and around 100% to the ingredients that goes on it. And Flavio in true Slow Food style will talk about those ingredients like new parents talk about their babies. Except in this case you pay attention, and enjoy.

Categories: Emilia-Romagna, Italy | Tags: Best Restaurants in Bologna, Bologna, Bologna slow Food, food, restaurants, Trattoria di Via Serra Bologna, Travel | Leave a comment

Best Tacos in Manhattan

Posted on December 20, 2014 by Ziggy

A common misconception in NYC: “There’s no good Mexican food here”. “Skip tacos, concentrate on Pizza, bagels and hala”. “For Mexican you got to go south then west”. “Even the Mexican Soap Operas here suck”. Somehow 350,000 tortilla challenged Mexicans opted for the Northeast, while the rest went to Texas or California. Well, there’s no mistaken where the best Mexican food in the US is located, but that doesnt mean there are no decent options in NYC. As with any cuisine you just need to a little bit of homework, thats all. And in the past few years there appears to be a Mexican renaissance of sorts in NYC. And if you think the soap operas are bad, think again. Just like some of the taco joints I will highlight below, they are intense, colorful and will bring you to tears. Here’s one example that will no doubt change your mind. Now, lets get down to some of the best tacos the city has to offer…

Tehuitzingo – I’ve already written plenty about this gem in Hell’s Kitchen. For a while it was like one of those terrible soap operas (the other ones). Did they close? Oh no. Oh wait, they not only reopened, but they multiplied. Welcome baby Tehuitzingo on 9th and 41st. 6 pounds, 5 ounces. Thats how much Lengua they sell every hour. The original on 10th isnt the same bodega (deli) as it used to be, but the tacos are still the same no frills, no nonsense old tacos. Its all about the great tasting meats with just the right amount of condiments. Try the Al Pastor, beef tongue (Lengua), just beef, carnitas, or anything else you fancy. I havent had a bad one yet

Otto’s Tacos – One of the new kids on the block, this LA expat is gathering a lot of attention lately. Their Horchata makes every other Horchata I’ve had taste like 1% milk. I tried all the tacos here except the chicken, and shrimp (top) is my clear favorite. Coated with serrano cream sauce, with onions and cilantro, the Shrimp is perfectly seasoned and cooked just right. The rest of the lineup is not too shabby either and that includes a mushroom tacos that ~~both~~ my vegetarian readers can appreciate

Empellon Taqueria and Empellon Al Pastor – The natural progression from the labs of Alinea and WD50 is obviously tacos. Alex Stupak is perhaps the biggest player in this tacos revolution we are experiencing at the moment, with Emplellon Cucina, Empellon Taqueria, and now Empellon Al Pastor. The latter is the cheap simpler tacos with the namesake Al Pastor, shaved off the spit Shawarma style, leading the pack. Taqueria on the other hand is the fancy, polished taco option. And if I would be drafting Tacos as part of a Fantasy Taco League, the beer braised pork tongue would most be my #1 pick

Mission Cantina – The Mission District in San Francisco has some of the best Mexican food in the country. Some in fact claim that this is where the Burrito was born. So not surprisingly, James Beard winner Danny Bowien of the famed Mission Chinese Food in Mission can make a nasty Burrito, although its take-out only these days. The wings here are great as well, and all these goodies will make you wonder about the low Yelp score. Crafty shmancy tacos rule the right side of the menu, with Veggie tacos firmly in charge. But one has to try the popular masa fish taco and the lamb belly while its still around.

Los Tacos #1 – Where I come from, when you see a line, you stand on it, then you ask questions. Same rule applies to Chelsea Market where three friends from Mexico and California are trying to introduce New Yorkers and tourists to Mexican street food. Many claim that these are the best tacos in NYC, and who am I to argue. Try any of them, doesnt matter. As long as you try the Adobada. Say it with me, A-D-O-B-A-D-A three times. Good, you ready. Now get out there and stand on line for those abodabas

Tacos Morelos – Another fairly new mom/pop/cousin joint in the suddenly taco heavy East Village. The store and restaurant is on 9th and Avenue A where the slow roasted porky Cochinita Pibil reigns supreme. But its the cart on 2nd and A, where the EV rockers get their fix after gigs at 2 am, and where my friend swears by the Al Pastor. Almost 24 hours (they take a break around 4 am) is 24 hours to me.

Categories: Chelsea, East Village, Lower East Side, Midtown West, New York City, West Village | Tags: Best tacos in NYC, Empellon Taqueria, food, Los Tacos #1, Mission Cantina, Otto's tacos, restaurants, Tacos, Tacos Morelos, Tehuitzingo, Travel | 6 Comments

Espoleta – Turkey Wishbone Produces More Tapas

Posted on December 14, 2014 by Ziggy

I panicked! As I often do in situations like this. Whenever the opportunity for a quick wish presents itself, I normally panic and wish for something that I already have or something that emotionally stable Middle Aged Americans should not be wishing. So when I was given a crack at the Turkey wishbone a few weeks back, instead of wishing something more meaningful like good health for my family, a healthier college savings account, or an unlimited supply of Poo Pourri, I wished for Tapas. I’m not even sure what it means, nor I recall what I was drinking. I just panicked.

But the wish was granted when I was invited to the launch party of Espoleta, a new Spanish tapas and wine joint in NoHo. Yes my friends, Mrs Z and I continue to move up the NY social scene at a furious pace. Espoleta means Wishbone (ha!) in Spanish. Former tenant Forcella means Wishbone in Italian. Coincidence? I think not. Both sides of the Wishbone are held by Giuilio Adriani, pizza master of Forcella, now running the show at Espoleta. But that’s not the only big name there. Suenos fans can finally come out of their Tapa hibernation as Sue Torres is consulting here. I was told she’ll be in the kitchen once or twice a week.

Chef de cuisine, Francis Peabody, the famous “American physician born November 24, 1881”. Wait that makes no sense, googling some more… Well, not finding much, but Ariel Lacayo, the manager once voted Best Maitre D in New York City by NY Mag says Francis Peabody is a Daniel, and more recently Le Bernardin veteran

Since this was more of a party with mass produced food, we only got a small taste of what Espoleta has to offer. We munched on various Pintxos, Tapas and Paellas. Japanese squash, jamon, artichoke with manchego, various croquettes, Shishito peppers and more. My favorite was perhaps the Goat Empanadas with raisins and salsa verde (top). Excellent Spanish wine here, too excellent perhaps for me to remember to note it down.

Espoleta, with its big names, looks very promising and is one to watch. Check it out peeps.

Espoleta
334 Bowery

Menu: http://www.scribd.com/doc/249293660/Espoleta-Menu