Posts Tagged With: restaurants

Louro – Another Fun Option For the Village People

Posted on November 17, 2014 by Ziggy

November 17, 2014 Update:

Another fantastic meal at Louro a few nights ago. The place hasn’t skipped a beat since it opened two years ago. Sometimes you get caught up with all the sexy new openings and forgetting about the current neighborhood spots that continue to hit on all cylinders. The place is packed every night seems like, with the ultra talented chef Santos still doing his thing. In addition to the constantly rotating seasonal menus, Santos continues his Supper Club tradition with the popular Monday night theme dinners like “Lobster night”, “Breaking Bad”, and “Breaking Bald” for those villagers suffering from Frontal Baldness. Ok, not really, but tonight they do have “White Man does Szechuan” which looks very interesting.

We tried a variety of items again including some of the old favorites, and on this night new favorites emerged. Like the tremendously flavorful Kimchi Fried Rice (below) which comes sizzling hot loaded with calamari, mussels, shrimp, clams, and egg juice poured table side for you to mix in. Plenty of pleasant heat and plenty of joy with this one. More great flavors came out of a simple Lobster soup from its clean, well balanced broth. And then came the Venison (below). Two medallions expertly cooked, rare, just slightly seared on the outside. Because venison is so tender and lean, cooking this more will result in eating two hockey pucks. It came with some pasta (looked like Cavatelli) as part of a groovy smoked onion jus. Only the why-so-bitter Broccoli Rabe stood in the way of perfection.

The chicken last time caused me to start seeing other chickens! On other menus that is. While this time the chicken was still juicy, tender, very nicely sauced and veggied (Yummy Yam and nicely cooked Brussels Sprouts), it was missing that perfectly crisped skin. Still a very solid dish overall. The Monkfish delicate tomato sauce and rice was replaced by a wintery bean cassoulet, and the Octopus Bolognese is still the same old hearty, rich Octopus Bolognese. One of the staples on the menu along with the Piri Piri Shrimp

This is just about the most eclectic, fun, constantly changing menu I know. Each dish is well crafted with great tasting sauces and veggies, and the missing “Sides” column almost feels refreshing, as you get plenty of “Sides” with each dish. Choosing what to order from this menu is as complicated as choosing the manliest umbrella on a rainy day. Do I go with the white circles, colorful polka dots, or black with pink piggies. Why cant we have a black umbrella like normal families

April 8th, 2013 Post:

My house smells of fish! It smells of fish for the past week now. And get this.. we haven’t cooked any fish in the past 2 weeks and so don’t have the slightest idea where the smell is coming from. Wish it would smell of curry or cumin instead. Don’t get me wrong, I love fish, but I don’t want my house to smell like it. Same goes for chicken soup. When Mrs Ziggy starts making it early in the morning its as if a guest just came in, said hello, threw up, and immediately left without cleaning his mess.

What does it have to do with Louro? Absolutely nothing. I’m not even gonna make a clever transition with this like “we had to escape the house and go eat at Louro” because its not really true. I’ve been planning this meal ever since I saw the Best Dishes of 2012 thread on Chowhound. I just had to try that much talked about gnocchi dish since my family sort of became gnocchi junkies over the past few years.

5 month old Louro by David Santos is another great addition to the West Village dining scene. At first glance inside I was a little surprised at the upscale diner look. Booth tables right by a long bar. It gets less diner-ish in the back however. The food is sort of Portuguese, Italian, American and as usual we tried quite a few items. Here’s a great, good and ugly breakdown.

The Great:

Piri Piri Shrimp – Really enjoyed them. Not as good as Aldea’s preparation and similar dishes we’ve enjoyed in Portugal but cooked and seasoned very well nonetheless. Not too spicy so the kids were able to enjoy as well. Love anything Piri Piri

Octopus Bolognese – So good. All about the sauce. Tiny bits of octopus and goose pancetta? (sort of a Pancetta goose blend I suppose). Anything would taste great with that sauce including car keys. Thankfully the waitress convinced us to get more bread.

Monkfish – Delicate, perfectly textured and absolutely delicious. And with that light Portuguese tomato sauce and rice, YUMMO! I couldn’t stop eating it. Until I tasted…

Roast Chicken – Wow! I did not want to order it. But wife and kids wanted to try and I’m glad I lost that argument. I suppose I forgot that the Portuguese can crank out some delicious chickens. Comes with a nice rye berry risotto and spinach, but that chicken was very flavorful and that skin was so perfectly crisped I could eat just that.

The good:

Seafood fritters – Enjoyed them. Not bad at all. Like those seafood beignets you get in New Orleans

House Made Tortellini (top) – Pleasant, light, filled with Nettles among other things. Not very memorable but tasted good.

Striped Bass – A popular dish here normally with a snapper instead. Bok Choy, shiitake, coconut ginger broth. Very pleasant dish and well done. Thank you baby Jesus for sending me a family that doesnt eat mushrooms

The Ugly:

Gnocchi Romana – Ahhh, the irony. As often is the case the first thing I wanted to try was the least favorite. I dont think its the same dish the chowhounders were raving about. The cream sauce just tasted like a regular cream sauce to us (they call it permesan foam) and the gnocchi was semolina but had the texture of tiny breakfast potato cubes. I just kept trying it just to see what I was missing until me and the kids finished the plate.

The menu OCD chef keeps changing the menu and it did not match the menu on their site at all. Overall a very good meal and something to keep in mind when visiting the village. The wife much preferred the food here over future Michelin star Aska the day before. Check out Louro readers. Both of yous

Categories: New York City, West Village | Tags: food, Louro, Louro nyc, NYC dining, NYC food, NYC restaurants, restaurants | 3 Comments

Locanda Mariella {Calestano} – The Perfect Meal

Posted on November 15, 2014 by Ziggy

Why are we here? How did we get here? What exactly made Kim Kardashian famous? When is an egg no longer an egg? I feel like starting this one like Anthony Bourdain starts some of his shows, with deep, philosophical nonsensicalness that grabs your attention and never lets go… until commercials. Its the perfect prelude to what’s to come, whether its “The best soup in the world” (Vietnam – last episode), “Best Duck Feet I ever had” (Beijing), or “Best Meal I ever had” (French Laundry). Because somehow “The Perfect Meal” or “Best Egg Dish I ever had” would simply get lost in the shuffle of this blog if I dont start with a deep Kim Kardashian question. Makes sense? I thought so

What makes a perfect meal? When you are hard-pressed to find any little detail that worked against your enjoyment of the meal. From the food, the host, the wine, the room, the environment, there is absolutely nothing negative I can say about Locanda Mariella. And while I usually ignore any imperfections in meals I greatly enjoy, its hard not to notice when everything goes right. Sure someone may be bothered by its location, 1 hour south of Parma, in the North Apennine Mountains. But to us the location just added to the fun and intrigue. Especially considering it allowed us to visit the town of Felino, the home of “King of Salami” where the Italian version of Rick Steves tried to sell his entire Salumeria to us. And on the way back, it was the magnificent Torrechiara castle which deserves its own post.

Mariella is Slow Food at its finest. In a way it reminded me of the one man show of Roberto in the village of Montisi, while the two got almost nothing in common except for their true Slow Foodness and that passion to deliver to you the finest ingredients available to them. It almost felt like you are visiting a three Michelin star chef who retired in the mountains in the middle of nowhere and cooks to those brave and willing souls simple mountain food

Alloooora! At Mariella all this melodramatic stuff came from sampling just 5 dishes, with wine pairing and dessert, with each dish making me shake my head with hand gestures Andrew Zimmern style. Mariella had a white truffle menu, black truffle menu, and a regular menu that included black truffle filled classics which we mostly took advantage of. Did I use “Allora” there correctly? Two hours into the meal I still did not have the heart to tell Mariella that we don’t speak Italian. She explained every single detail of the meal in Italian. My entire Italian is solely based on menu Italian, so when I wanted to ask if the egg was baked at some point, I said “Umm.. Uovo..Al Forno?” Mrs Ziggy had a “Fish Called Wanda” moment, and now I occasionally have to speak Italian to her

Started with a very nice Strolghino salami with aged Parmigiano-Reggiano. And continued with some of the staples on the menu, potato Sformatino with pumpkin cream, and polenta with cheese fondue and black truffles. Both outstanding! A great start aided by a fine Sauvignon Blanc/Gewürztraminer blend from Le Fate Furbe (Tuscany). Mariella, I find out later from my host in Parma what I suspected all along, is a great sommelier

Two sunny side up eggs with black truffles would have been the best egg dish I ever ate even without the truffles. It hits you like a smack in the face as soon as you taste the whites. So rich, so creamy, so good I didn’t want to share. I believe with my menu Italian understanding that she blends cheese instead of butter with the eggs. A truly remarkable dish in every way, aided by black truffles which had more flavor than some whites we had on this trip. Gnochetti with light cream and black truffles, by far best Gnocchi of a few gnocchi dished we enjoyed on this trip. Mariella matched a beautiful Nebbiolo with this course

For the third course we shared another outstanding veal cheek with mashed potatoes (since we had polenta in the first course, she suggested mashed instead), along with a Voerzio Barolo 08. I say “another cheek” as this was about the 4th of the trip. Another thing we couldnt get enough of on this trip was Cachi (Perssimon). We like eating it and we liked saying it. Here it was a splendid chestnut mousse with a cachi purée, along with an excellent preserved sour cherries with ice cream

Simply Perfect!

Categories: Emilia-Romagna, Italy | Tags: Emilia Romagna, Emilia Romagna Slow Foood, food, Italy, Locanda Mariella, Locanda Mariella Calestano, restaurants, Travel | 2 Comments

Seven Provo Bites – October 2014

Posted on November 3, 2014 by Ziggy

A sample of some of Provos top dishes as featured in the latest issue of Where When How. For past Provo Bites, click here.

Grouper at Three Queens – Any more “local” than this, and you are waking up early to milk the cow, play a game of dominoes, and take the kids to school. The cliche “like eating at someone’s house” was born when someone ate at Three Queens. Fresh grouper, lightly seasoned and sautéed to flaky perfection, comes with rice and peas, and slaw. While other groupers on the islands require heavy dressing and extra seasoning to compensate for their unfreshness, this one needs no messing around with. Just stop by at the church first on the way to pray the fish is on the board today. Or jus call Dick. Whatever works!

Yellowfin Tuna at Le Bouchon Du Village – Touchdown! Score another one to column favorite Le Bouchon which keeps producing dishes more robust than the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Squad (Let me know when it becomes obvious that I’m watching Football while writing this. My Fantasy team is losing so I need to focus on something else. Its not working). Black sesame crusted, lightly seared tuna, gently dressed with ginger tomato reduction just enough to bring out the flavor of the fish and take it to the next level. Add Jasmine rice, fresh veggies action on the side including avocado and you got yourself a winning dish. Plugging another classic to the list that already includes the Conch Chowder, Escargot and the Steak au Poivre. That’s a great meal right there

Ribs at Chinson’s – Ribs, the official cure to summertime sadness! These babies were wet rubbed, super tender, with a little kick, and quite possibly the best ribs I ever had in Provo. Helped by an owner that redefines “Hospitality”. Combine the ribs with their Jerk Chicken, the homemade ginger beer and the highway view in front of you transforms into a field of tulips… with potcakes, rainbows and an ocean in the background.

Fish and Chips at Hemingway’s. While we can debate who has the best fish tacos (hint: Hemingway’s) until the conchs come home, there’s no debating who got the best Fish and Chips. An absolute must for us on every visit. “Meaty”, flaky fried grouper, along with Belgian style fries cut and seasoned to perfection. Let me put this another way.. The dish is so good, it will make your kids put their phones down and tell you about their day!

Octopus at Caicos Café. Just Octopus! Not mixed in with pasta, risotto, dehydrated shrimp and scallop sauces. Just the octopus please. A selfie worthy beauty from Portugal, via Miami. You can tell sometimes by the size of those things that Portugal is the source. And no one on the island can make it as tender and flavorful as “Mad Max” from Caicos Cafe. Last time I ordered an octopus dish like this in NYC it was as much fun as a vasectomy consolation.

Jerked Gherkin at Danny Buoy’s. One of the most surprisingly tasty little bites as of late came from Danny Buoy’s during the World Cup final. We had to double down on this to lower the agony of defeat. Jerky Dill Pickle, cheese, and bacon, essentially all the basic necessities wrapped in pastry with spicy chipotle-like sauce. Like tiny pickle/bacon Wellingtons.

Tuna Sashimi with Wasabi mustard at Seaside (Top) – Young chef Francois has more moves than Nicky Minaj. He takes South Caicos caught tuna “cubes”, adds fresh radishes, scallions and tomatoes, dresses it lightly with wasabi mustard and layers it all nicely on Teriyaki glazed tortilla chips. A tuna festival in your mouth. And if you don’t order the lobster risotto and the now legendary Peruvian Conch Salad, we are no longer in speaking terms. “Hi”, “bye”, that’s it!

Categories: Turks and Caicos | Tags: food, Provo Bites, restaurants, Travel | 1 Comment

Top NYC Pastas

Posted on October 23, 2014 by Ziggy

Last update: August 23, 2016

Just a quick note that some of these pastas are seasonal and arent on the menu the entire year, but worth mentioning anyway

Trenette Al Pesto Trapanese at Mercato.

From the port of Genoa sailors brought Trenette al Pesto to Trapani, Sicily where the dish was perfected even further with the addition of almonds. Homemade chewy dried Trenette cooked to al dente perfection, with almonds, garlic, tomato and basil. Its fresh, simple, and quite tasty. I havent seen this dish anywhere else, and at $12, I feel like I negotiated something at the shuk with a simple stare

Fusilli with Octopus and Bone Marrow at Marea

One of two NYC classics on the list, and perhaps the most celebrated pasta in ~~NYC~~ America. Articles, blog posts, children books (Goodnight Fusilli with Octopus!) have been written about this clasic. The twisted homemade Fusilli is tossed with the most addictive fresh red sauce you will ever taste, with Sangiovese braised octopus, and bone marrow being the culprits. A no brainer on this list

Strozzapreti Con Aragosta at Lincoln (top)

One of the best pastas I ever had is on, off, on in the seasonal Lincoln menu. Calling it simply Strozzapreti with lobster should be punishable by Italian law. The beautiful Strozzapreti, which most likely were invented when someone envisioned a pasta shape while witnessing a priest being strangled to death (Strozzapreti means priest chokers) are made with lobster coral hence giving them the orange look. They are mixed with not only sweet chunks of lobster but also lobster and scallop sausages (my favorite part) which is like eating the most glorious chicken skin you can imagine. The sauce is zesty, light, and the perfect compliment to this delicate dish. A classic in the making. Not always on the menu, and preparation may differ based on season.

Black Spaghetti at Babbo

A menu staple at a NYC staple. How can one go wrong. I’ve seen Babbo post a picture of this dish on Twitter one day, and the rest as they say, is history. Squid ink Spaghetti, Rock Shrimp, Spicy Salami Calabrese and Green Chilies. Its another good example of a fairly dry pasta, that is packed with wonderful flavor and texture. The Spaghetti has that wonderful sweet inky richness, with that crunchy salami, shrimp, and occasional garlic, like the gift that keeps on giving. This is one of those dishes that makes you Google recipes when you get home. Until your mind get intercepted by more Kardashian news. Apparently Kim already lost 80% of her baby fat.

Babbo Black Spaghetti

Malfadini at Lilia

Choosing a favorite pasta at Lilia is like choosing your favorite current presidential candidate. But for opposite reasons. The ‘imperfect’ conveyor belt-like Malfadini is essentially Cacio e Pepe on crack. Take your average Cacio e Pepe, change the pasta to something with more texture, add sharper cheese like Parmigiano Reggiano, and pink peppercorns, and you essentially got Cacio e Perfect

Agnolotti del Plin at Pasquale Jones

I dont care if this wintery delicatessen is not on the menu as of this writing. You should be eating pastas here regardless. They do have a lovely sounding Tajarin with summer truffles which just adds to the impression that Tim Caspare just knows how to handle those Piedmontese classics. This is the only del Plin in NYC that stays true to its origin, and would make any Piedmont nonna blush. Buttery, pillowy, explosive little dumplings, packed with Guinea hen, sage and Pancetta. PANCETTA!

Pasquale Jones Agnolotti

Uni Mushroom Ramen at Jun-men Ramen

Calling this one Ramen is like calling Maialino’s Cacio e Pepe, Ramen. Its essentially a nicely crafted, rich, and gorgeous looking pasta. Mushrooms, salty Pancetta, Porcini butter, truffle oil, noodles, and Uni that gets better and better in quality. I keep returning to Jun-men for this.

Jun-men

Pasta with Crab at Ulivo

If you are scoring at home, or if you are alone (stupid old Baseball joke) we have more than 10 pastas this time. Which is why I had to remove the “10” from the title. And while you are alone, you should try this messy beauty by Mercato’s baby sister, otherwise you will find yourself alone in a hurry. The sauce featuring spicy slow braised stone crab is worth the price alone. Add an entire meaty stone crab to play with, and its party time. No one that I know, makes this.

Ulivo Crab Pasta

Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato Sauce and Basil at Scarpetta

Simple isnt it? Well, why dont you try it, and invite me for a tasting. Recipes are all over the internet. Chances are unless you are Scott Conant reading this (sup man) you will not succeed in matching the flavors of this classic. Its fresh, bright, and utilizes the highest quality raw material. Scarpetta’s signature dish and the most celebrated Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce and Basil this side of wherever they make the best Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato Sauce and Basil. Pure awesomeness on every bite. The smell alone will cause shaky hands, and blurry pictures. See?

Clams Grand Lisboa at Nishi

While polishing up on their policies, and any identity issues, one thing remains constant at Nishi. Executive chef, Joshua Pinsky dishing out some of the most unique pastas in NYC. The clams are dressed with Oregano based sauce, sitting on top fried Chow Mein noodles and cabbage. Calling this Cho Mein almost sounds like an insult to this dish. Its cooked with apple sauce which gives it this sweet deliciousness you wont find anywhere. This is David Chang’s favorite dish here and I can see why

Nishi Grand Lisboa Clams

Agnolotti at All’onda

As of this latest update, not on the menu, but All’onda continues to make killa pastas. This is a tricky one since its not even the most popular pasta at All’onda (that honor goes to the Bucatini or Garganelli), nor the second or third most popular actually. But in this town, its more unique and interesting to me than the others. Not your average Agnolotti, nor “Plin”. They are Mortadella filled with pistachios, and a crazy tasting homemade XO sauce made with dried shrimp, scallops and soppressata. XO is a sauce that Cognac laden Hong Kong chefs invented in the 80’s, except they forgot to add the key ingredient, Cognac. This version of the sauce adds a funky aroma, and plenty of depth to otherwise just fine Agnolotti

Tonnarelli a Cacio e Pepe at Maialino

Open the drawer in the kitchen where you keep the pens, ribbons and paper clips (just in case that paper clip emergency comes), take a pen and write the ingredients for Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe… Tonnarelli, Cacio, Pepe! The Romans like to keep it simple (Carbonara, Gricia). And when I was in Rome, in a way I was disappointed that I wasnt exactly blown away by all the wonderful Carbonaras and Cacio e Pepes because Maialino quite frankly spoiled it for me. If you’ve never had this dish before perhaps because “pasta with cheese and pepper” doesnt sound very enticing, now is a good time to have it.

Stracci at Osteria Morini

From the one who knocks I bring to you the one dish that you will not find in Emilia Romagna out of that splendid ER inspired menu. Wonderfully chewy wide ribbon pasta inherits the juices of the succulent braised mushrooms. I would be happy with just the mushrooms. It was love at first Stracci at one of my favorite Italians in town

Pasta with White Truffles At ??

Ok for this one you need to do a little bi of homework. Its white truffle season at the (original) time of this writing and you can enjoy your Tagliatelle, risotto, scrambled eggs, pizza, car keys or anything else you desire with White Truffles from Alba, Tuscany or Umbria. I know Lincoln, Maialino, Marta have it currently and last year The NoMad (below) offered it at cost. Its a feast for all senses, especially the nose. Me? I’m not touching the stuff this season in this town, as I’m heading to the source, Alba white Truffle festival. Buon Appetito! Ciao, Ziggy

Categories: Brooklyn, Chelsea, East Village, Gramercy, Flatiron, Midtown West, New York City, SoHo, NoHo, Nolita, West Village | Tags: All'onda, Best Italian in NYC, Best Pastas in NYC, food, Lincoln, marea, Nishi, Osteria Morini, Pasquale Jones, restaurants, Scarpetta, Travel, Ulivo | 6 Comments

I Rank Empanada Mama’s Empanadas

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Ziggy

A Hell’l Kitchen Guide staple from day one, this mama hasnt skipped a beat since it opened. Even when things seem slow everywhere else in the neighborhood (between lunch and dinner), these guys are busy. I’ve gone on a special empanada diet for the past few weeks. And for the purpose of this post, I picked 10 Empanadas which consists of all the popular ones, plus a few I was just curious about (e.g. polish). Scoring is 1 to 10 Z’s, with 10 Z’s being the best. Congratulations to the winners.

ZZZZZZZZZ (9) – SPICY CHICKEN. The creme de la creme. Chunks of chicken breast slowly cooked in mama’s special picante sauce which is reminiscent of the Israeli S’chug, a fiery delicious Yemeni spread. This is the definition of “pleasant Heat” that stays with you for a few hours. Fairly spicy, not for everyone

ZZZZZZZZ (8) – BRASIL – Traditional Brazilian style empanada with ground beef, olives, sauteed onions, and potatoes. Juicy, flavor packed with excellent depth.

ZZZZZZZz (7.5) – CUBAN – Slowly roasted pork, ham with mozzarella cheese and a touch of sofrito sauce. Very nice! The ham and the sauce take this to another level

ZZZZZZZz (7.5) – DESAYUNO COLOMBIANO – Colombian sausage, cheddar cheese, eggs and Spanish onion. A solid breakfast snack that’s available throughout the day.

ZZZZZZZ (7) – VIAGRA – Seafood stew with shrimp, scallops, and crab meat. The shrimp half is a bit boring, but then when you get to the other stuff.. oooh boy! Nice fishy flavors. The Viagra especially goes well with the Brazil!

ZZZZZZZ (7) – TJC – Mama’s tuna melt with cheddar cheese and jalapenos. While I didnt rate it here because I havent had in a while, the Tuna/Jalapeno Empanada (no cheese) may be even better

ZZZZZZZ (7) – MAMBO ITALIANO – Roasted Italian sweet sausage with red and green peppers, onions, mozzarella cheese and a touch of tomato sauce. Pretty much exactly what you’d expect… Sausage and Peppers

ZZZZZZ (6) – POLISH – Polish sausage (Kielbasa) sauteed with sauerkraut. Good if not a bit bland. I like my Kielbasas a bit tangier.

ZZZZZ (5) – REGGAETON – Caribbean style roast pork with sofrito seasoned yellow rice and peas. I’ve enjoyed this in the past but now finding it a little dry and in desperate need of that green sauce. Would have been better without the rice

ZZZZ (4) – CHEESESTEAK – Skirt steak with mozzarella cheese and a Latin twist. The latin twist is it squirts all over the place when opened! Steak a bit tough, no flavor, no likey

Even though I ranked the Polish and Reggaeton at the bottom, the only one I would avoid is the last one. Reggaeton is fairly popular.

The green sauce is nice. Red sauce not so much

Categories: Midtown West, New York City | Tags: Empanada Mama, food, restaurants, Travel | Leave a comment

Somtum Der and Hava Nagila Shoes

Posted on October 14, 2014 by Ziggy

The other day I went to a fairly lavish wedding. There was caviar, lobsters, oysters, and all sorts of opulence. Heck, I even had to not only wear a suit and tie, but also the special shoes that are hidden in the hers and hers closet. The special Hava Nagila shoes! You know, the ones that you only ~~allowed~~ can take out when there’s Hava Nagila involved. Another words, a big, special event. So we danced, we laughed, we cried, and we met some unexpected familiar faces which was a big surprise since I came expecting to know no one. In fact when someone asked me how I’m related, I said “you know the mother of the bride? I know her boss” Meaning my wife. That’s the only person I knew. But on this day, with all the caviar and all the wonderful things I ate, the best things I ate was fried chicken and grilled marinated pork, just 5 hours earlier at Somtum Der with none other than the Hummus Whisperer.

Somtum Der is the type of place you wouldnt caught me dead wearing Hava Nagila shoes. Meaning she will kill me if I ever attempt this terrible crime. But the place is pretty neat. I normally avoid eating Thai outside of Hell’s Kitchen since Hell’s Kitchen is fairly represented. You want Isan cooking, we got that. You want Ratchaburi, Hell’s Kitchen got that too. But there were two places outside of HK that I wanted to try for a long time. Somtum Der and Uncle Boons. One down, one to go.

Somtum Der is a newish Isan, joining Zabb Elee, Larb Ubol and the great Queens Isan joints. Isan is the historically poor Northeast Thailand region. Normally poor means a lot of seasoning to compensate for the otherwise uneatable meats and fish. Poor = creative = opportunity. Like the folks in Turin, Italy back in the day, who added hazelnuts to chocolates to compensate for the great cocoa shortage, hence opening the doors to Nutella, Ferrero Rocher and every chocolate with hazelnut out there you’ve enjoyed all those years.

Papaya salad

This Isan feels different than the rest. The Papaya here is king as the name implies (Somtum means Green Papaya Salad. Der means Dare as in “I dare you Americans to eat our Green Papaya Salad”). In fact, “Papaya King” was replaced in the title by “Hava Nagila shoes” midway through the article. Yes, thats how I operate. Sickening isnt it? But dont worry, I’m seeking help. The menu is filled with 8 papaya salads. Like kindergartners, we chose the one on the menu with the biggest picture, the one that says “Recommended”, while the rest of them either said “Not Recommended” or “Not Obamacare Friendly” (meaning, Thai spicy). Our Tum Thai Kai Kem, papaya salad with salted egg was just right. Just what one would expect from a Papaya Salad. Some traditionalists may expect something more fiery but it was just right.

“Sharing is Caring” is the motto here, eating with forks and fingers, no knives (just like in Laos inspired Khe-Yo. Laos is Isan’s neighbor, sharing some of the dishes and traditions. Papaya salad was actually invented in Laos). The Khao Moo Tod Kratiam Prik, fried garlic pork with jasmine rice and fried egg was good, Sa Poak Kai Tod Der der-style deep-fried chicken thigh was one of the highlights. Moist, juicy, very flavorful, and not greasy at all. Moo Ping Kati Sod grilled coconut milk marinated beef skewers was another winner. “Moo” oddly means pork, not beef, but you can sub it with beef. A tiny bit dry but excellent profound sweet coconut flavors. Perhaps the dish of the day was the Moo Rong Hai Der, house special grilled marinated pork. Fantastic seasoning producing deep lasting flavors, with two coconut rice sticks to help cool things off. Just about each dish came with the house made hot sauce, other than the rice dish which came with fish sauce. The only disappointment was the Sai Krok Isan, fried Isan sausages. Not much flavor, or crunch on those sausages. We tried to revive them with fish sauce, hot sauce, mouth to mouth to no avail

Marinated Pork

Dont leave without trying their refreshing Lemongrass Juice, and Thai Iced Tee. In that order. They were sadly out of the Taro in Condensed Coconut Milk, but the Thai Tee Panna Catta was surprisingly scrumptious. It tasted just like Thai Iced Tea. Cant wait to try the rest of the picture friendly menu

Somtum Der
85 Avenue A
$$
Recommended Dishes: Lemongrass Juice, Sa Poak Kai Tod Der, Moo Ping Kati Sod, Moo Rong Hai Der, Tum Thai Kai Kem

Rice and Pork

Beef Skewers

Chicken

Sausages

Categories: East Village, New York City | Tags: Best Thai in NYC, East Village Thai, food, restaurants, Somtum Der, Somtum Der NYC, Travel | Leave a comment

Great Vietnamese Combo at Cull & Pistol

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Ziggy

It hit me, like the sharp dressed man, missing a step, stumbling on the steps of the subway today, that I havent been to Chelsea Market since spring.

But lets stay with the stumbler for just a minute. Have you ever stumbled while walking and decided that its the perfect opportunity to start jogging so to avoid the embarrassment of stumbling. That doesnt work very well sometimes, especially if you are wearing heels, or a suit. The frontal balding stumbler this morning, wearing a sharp black suit, holding a suitcase in one hand and a bag in the other, stumbled on the next to last step coming off the subway into street level. But he’s waaaay to proud to stumble. The folks behind him, me included watched in horror as he tries to regain his balance by stumbling and pretty much jogging his way into a full blown puddle after refusing to go down initially. I admire the baldy’s perseverance and technique but a quick fall would have been far more graceful. His entire right leg along with the $800 Salvatore Ferragamo shoes was inside a puddle on a beautiful sunny day. I dont know about you but this is why I go to work.

I also go to work to eat, and this week has proven very interesting so far. I came to Cull & Pistol looking for more Uni Tagliatelle (below) but instead I got back to back visits eating some of the best Banh Mi and Pho I’ve had in NYC. Introduced just this Friday as part of a new Fall menu.

Swordfish sandwich was simply outstanding. Hoisin glazed, moist, meaty Swordish, pickled carrots, ginger aioli in a nice warm baguette. Swordish is a tough fish, and I normally try to avoid after having one too many dry ones. But this preparation nailed it.

Lobster Pho the next day was even better. Lobster stock with vermicelli, lobster and hake chunks, mussels, with strong lemongrass action. It was served with a plate of condiments that included coriander, basil, and mint leaves. I turned possessed while eating this thing, like eating after a fast.

Cull and Pistol, is quite possibly Chelsea Markets biggest gem, somewhat hidden. Its owned by the same team that owns Lobster Place next door, and so they share some of the same fresh seafood. In addition to the fantastic squid ink Taglietelle with Uni you also have a hefty lobster roll with fries, fish and chips, and the scrumptious Long Island Clam Toast with ham from Disckson’s a few doors down.

Check it out. Just watch your step. And try not to open the main door unless you dont mind suddenly turning into a door man waiting for an entire polish tour group to walk in. Just let someone else open the door for you

Categories: Chelsea, New York City | Tags: Chelsea Market, Cull & Pistol, Cull & Pistol NYC, food, NYC seafood, restaurants, Travel, Vietnamese food in NYC | 1 Comment

Hell’s Kitchen – What’s Up?

Posted on October 5, 2014 by Ziggy

I haven’t eaten much to write about lately. Partly due to religious holidays where I either had to eat at the in-laws or survive the annual semi fast (eat light, not brush teeth..). So I’m taking this opportunity to update you all that there are no updates to the Hell’s Kitchen guide. “That’s it. He officially ran out of things to write about” So, so not true. I have plenty of things to write about. Like, about the wonderful fan mail I’m finding in my Spam box lately (Brazilian girls are big fans apparently, all sorts of Russian marriage proposals, quality of life improvement suggestions…). Anyway, here’s what’s happening in the neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen lately

Pizza. New gourmet pizzas are popping up everywhere these days in the area. I already discussed Pamela… err I mean Annabel (confusing spam email fans). Vinyl owners teamed up with NYC-LA-Back to NYC chef Jason Neroni to open B-Side (Get it? Vinyl, B-Side? I actually don’t get it). It looks very promising and I plan to check it out very soon. There’s another place on the Capizzi side of the area that I’m long overdue for a first visit.

Larb Ubol (above) – Big Mazal Tov to LU for joining the coveted Michelin Bib Gourmet list, awarded to best cheap(er) eats. Although awarding the same distinction to Khe-Yo means that I dont quite understand the qualification or I should probably get half of my Khe-Yo check back

Danji – Losing their Michelin star this week. Does this mean it should be avoided? My theory is that the Michelin inspector sat in the same seat as I did a few weeks ago where I couldn’t open the drawer at the bottom to get the menu out as it was hitting against the side of the wall. That’s the only explanation I have since the menu hasn’t changed since they got the star, and the dishes come out in consistent fashion

Oxtail – One of the best things I’ve eaten lately is the Oxtail soup at Pam Real Thai. With two Thai places already on the list I’m not so quick to add a third, but this soup is tremendous. Pleasant heat, A LOT of pleasant heat, with deep lasting flavors and a coupe of hefty meaty bones. There are all sorts of amazing soups in the area I’m enjoying lately, perhaps worthy of a post?

No Addition – Not that I’m not trying new places. Briciola – Feh! and awkward. Puff Cha – Dido. But trying desperately to like it. I’m completely content however with the current list and dont feel the need to add anything.

Now, back to fan mail…

Categories: Midtown West, New York City | Tags: B-Side Pizza, food, Hells kitchen, Larb Ubol, Pam Real Thai, restaurants, Travel | Leave a comment

Osteria Morini – From The One Who Knocks

Posted on September 30, 2014 by Ziggy

Update 9/30/14:

Another fantastic meal at one of my favorite Italian trattorias in NYC. While the entire city is still recovering from their brunch or stands in line to see the new Central Perk, we enjoy our traditional early Sunday meal at a half full restaurant.

Breaded Grilled Calamari as good as before, except that I’ve enjoyed the little salad with the yogurt a little bit more this time. Used the bread to “Scarpetta” the heck out of this thing. When in Emilia you eat the Salumi which is top notch here. Mortadella from Bologna, not upstate NY as you find in other places. Funky aged Prosciutto di Parma, and even funkier Felino Salame. I will be passing by the town of Felino where that Salame is made in the ER in about a month time. Wait until Mrs Ziggy finds out that we have an hour drive for lunch that day

Had another great round of the fabulous Cappelletti and Stracci as the middle course. The Stracci with mushrooms especially is addictive. Its wide ribbon pasta that takes a lot of that braised mushroom juice with a little bit tomato, garlic, and rosemary oil. I wouldn’t mind eating just those mushrooms as its own dish. Tagliatelle Ragu is as good as Tagliatelle Ragu Bolognese can get in NYC. The freshness of the pasta is very evident. The only thing we didn’t care for was their deconstructed oversalted Porchetta. Cauliflower and Escarole Gratin side dish was fine. No dessert, 2 glasses of wine, 2 kids, one wife, $210 after tip

Original 9/24/13 Post:

Its the last Breaking Bad reference this month I promise you readers. I have no doubt that when I will look at this post a year from now I may either not understand the title, or feel too embarrassed about it. I already feel that way when I look at my old posts. At the very least some posts trigger a “What was I thinking” like this one. Did I really take that picture just so I can have a picture. Whatever! Sometimes, the content correlates with the mood at the time. And when I read them with a different frame of mind I cant help but wonder.

I not only have trouble keeping up with NYC restaurant scene, I have trouble keeping up with the Kardashians, and Michael White, who is opening new places left and right seems like. I already wrote about Costata where I met the man, and Marea has long been my favorite. While I still haven’t made it to Ai Fiori, I finally made it to Osteria Morini today (yes with the hummus whisperer yet again). I have to admit I was a little skeptical about this one, but boy was it good.

Calamari breaded, “cheesed” and lightly fried was some of the best calamari Ive had in a while. Served with a yogurt sauce and a nice salad. Fantastic starter.

Prosciutto and Mortadella Meatballs – Cant get much more flavorful than this. Melt in your mouth tender goodness. Well don Osteria Morini - Cappelletti e!

Stracci (wide ribbon pasta) with wild mushrooms and Rosemary Oil – Delicious! Mr White sure loves his Rosemarys. Ive seen this pasta on some “Top 100 pastas in NYC” list. You may think this is not saying much, but in NYC it does. Its an honor to be nominated.

Cappelletti (above)- Basically ricotta ravioli with prosciutto and hints of truffles – Outstanding. Airy sweet and savory ravioli, reminiscent of a similar dish at Giovanni Rana.

This is Emilia Romagna cooking at a high level. The only other place I know that does ER well is Da Andrea but something tells me without setting foot in ER (planning next year) that Osteria Morini stays a bit truer to the region . Here White pays homage to his mentor Gianluigi Morini owner of the famed San Domenico near Bologna. This is the source of Mr White’s inspiration

Mr White is a trend setter. He Is The One Who Knocks!

Osteria Morini
218 Lafayette St
$$$
Recommended Dishes: Meatballs, Calamari, Salumi (choose 3 or 5), Stracci, Cappelletti, Tagliatelle with Ragu

Categories: New York City, SoHo, NoHo, Nolita | Tags: food, Michael White, NYC restaurants, Osteria Morini, Osteria Morini nyc, restaurants, soho restaurants | Leave a comment

Marta – Roman Rule, Stage 2

Posted on September 28, 2014 by Ziggy

Update 5/30/16:

4-5 trips since the last update and a lot more awesomeness out of Marta to compensate for the dubious title (I must have just watched Gladiator for the 100th time). The Carbonara pie is just about my favorite pie in NYC at the moment, though recently I also discovered the Mushroom pie that does it for me. Rabbit meatballs was replaced by chicken but you hardly notice a difference. Get the grilled chicken people. One of the most tender, gorgeously brined birds out there. The Suppli Cacio e Pepe (there he goes again with the C&P) carry a lot of punch. Took friends here last night and Marta Marta Marta delivered yet again.

Update 9/28/14:

Two more fantastic meals at Marta. Patate Alla Gricia – Good amount of potato with Guanciale, Pecorino, Black Pepper, and egg which was a supplement at that time. The Gricia was later replaced with Patate Alla Carbonara. Same potato, Guanciale, Pecorino but now with lovely egg “juice” poured all over the pie. While I missed some of the original black pepper this was still quite fantastic. Another must is the Rabbit Meatballs with fresh Ricotta – Some of the best tasting meatballs I’ve had in NYC (though I fully admit I’m saying it quite often lately). The plain Margherita is where you can really appreciate the thinless of this thing. Any thinner than this and you get an Olsen twin. Once done with the pies dont let them take the tray away until you have a chance to play with the crust crackers leftover. By play I mean eat (for the bread fetish readers). The chicken here is delicious as well. Its what every family BBQ chicken should taste like. Its beer brined and the result is super moist, juicy, and very flavorful. Gelato sandwich is more than a respectable finish.

In Rome, a tourist can come and go back to the boat or hotel room without ever experiencing the true Roman Pizzerie. And there’s a very simple explanation to that. It’s closed! The tourist may have seen pizza by the slice (Pizza a Taglio) at some stores or bakeries and may have enjoyed some of those, and perhaps a pizza Bianca or 3, but for the true Roman Pizza experience you need to seek out the wood burning oven joints that are normally open at night only. Some open as late as 8. I can go on and on explaining why pizzeries are open so late and that Italians take their lunches more serious than Americans, and historically even more serious than dinner… But I have to make this post quick because I have to go feed the kids and check their homework, and yell at them for not vacuuming the kitchen (I have muffin crumbs stuck to my feet. Tastes like chocolate so its them).

So while Romans have to wait until 8 to eat their pizza, new Yorkers can now have it starting at noon. It would have been just as odd to make this one evenings only for New Yorkers, as taking away a free bread basket at the Italian restaurant near you.

Roman Pizza is Matzoh-like thin. Danny Meyer and Nick Anderer’s second Roman venture Marta opened 5 days ago in the Martha Washington hotel. Nick is there mopping the floor and inspecting every pie coming out to make sure its Kosher. Get a seat at the bar to watch the team in action including Rabbi Nick inspect every pie coming out of the wood burning oven. He lifts the pies up as he looks for consistency, a crisp bottom (dont we all) and to make sure he sees the ceiling light fixtures through it.

Started with the Popettini di Maccheron, a pair of aromatic fried pasta balls with tasty tomato pecorino sauce. The balls had a hard solid exterior which provided a nice crunch, unlike your average Arancini that break apart when you just stare at them

I broke my own rule and started with something other than Margherita (I do it often these days and I’m not liking it). This is the Salsiccia – Mozzarella, Tomato, Pork Sausage, Crimini Mushrooms. Very good overall. Not soggy whatsoever, cracker crisp at the edges and fairly crispy thoughout. No forks were hurt or needed in the process to scoop up ingredients trying to escape. Nicely done! With Roman pies I found that less is more, meaning the more ingredients and toppings you add the less exciting the pie gets. This was simple enough with good flavor, but I do want to try the Margherita next. And the rest of the good looking, fried filled menu.

Marta (Martha Washington Hotel)
29 East 29th Street
$$
Recommended Dishes: Rabbit Meatballs, Patate Alla Carbonara, Chicken, Ice Cream Sandwich