Posts Tagged With: restaurants

Staten Island – Viva la Vida

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Ziggy

Our goldfish Ziggy Jr. is not well. He hasn’t eaten in 2 days, he is slow to react to disturbances and stimuli, and his poop has sort of a mahogany tone to it. Our history with previous Ziggy jr’s indicate that he does not have much time left.

What Ziggy Jr. desperately needs is a meal at Vida (OMG I can just see Vida’s owner rolling her eyes at this transition :roll:). Vida has all the ingredients for a fun meal with the family. It got that nice neighborhoody vibe, quirky waiters, and home cooking that is better than mama’s. Ok, cooking better than my mama is not exactly a stretch (thankfully my mom does not read this blog, nor does she know I have a blog, or knows what a blog is) but Silva Popaz, Vida’s chef/owner sure knows her stuff. Vida is a chef’s restaurant. When the chef de cuisine is out, the restaurant is closed. So many more known establishments in the city don’t follow this rule.

Reading the menu at Vida is like visiting Disney’s Epcot. It’s as eclectic as a menu can get. Between the Asian style shrimp, Gumbo, Hummus, chicken Francaise, and the rest of it, all major continents are well represented.

We started with the always reliable Vida bites — pulled pork, pico de galo and avocado sauce on bread. Another regular for us is the mussels with cilantro, shallots, garlic, and white wine. This decadent sauce normally screams for some serious finger dipping, until they bring more bread. I wasnt quick to wash my hands following the meal.

For main the wonderful special Butternut Squash Lasagna with marsala reduction well demonstrated Silva’s talent and originality. The marsala, just like with Scarpetta’s foie gras ravioli added nice intensity to the dish.

My feeling of uncertainty after not getting my usual gumbo dish this time and ordering something I normally never do, did not last long. The special chicken stuffed with sausage, spinach and mushrooms was outstanding. Perfectly crisped skin with that savory filling made every morsel regret sharing the dish with Mrs Ziggy.

The kids were enjoying their linguine Fra Diavolo with shrimp, calamari, mussels, and Asian style hanger steak. Sorry about the quality of the pictures which I blame on lack of lighting, and lack of skill

I normally get the bread pudding for dessert but this time I was convinced to try the Tiramisu cheesecake. Wowser! Perfect finish to one of the best meals we had in Staten Island. Is wowser an acceptable food blog word I wonder? I’m still new to this blogging thing and I dont want to embarrass myself.

Silva gets much of her culinary influences from her trips around the world. A recent trip to Morocco can almost assure a bigger arsenal of exotic spices and perhaps a nice Lamb Tagine in the near future.

Vida up until recently was the only restaurant in Staten Island included on the coveted Michelin Bib Gourmand list. Its like a michelin star for affordable neighborhood joints. The excellent Enoteca Maria has now joined the list for 2012. If Vida is not Staten Island’s best, she is not far behind.

Recommended dishes: Vida Bites, Mussels, Gumbo, Stuffed Chicken, Tiramisu cheesecake

Categories: New York City, Staten Island | Tags: food, NYC restaurants, restaurants, Staten island restaurants, Vida, Vida Staten Island | 1 Comment

Top 15 things we ate in Israel

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Ziggy

In the land of Milk and Hummus, incredible flavors were running wild. 2 weeks of touring and eating some of the best Israel has to offer in the North, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, produced some heavenly results. Here are the best things we ate in no particular order

1. Hummus from Suhila/Abu Suhil in Akko

A silky smooth, creamy, ’no frills’, amazingly fresh Hummus, served warm with boiled chickpeas. Simply amazing

2. Sashimi salmon with wasabi sorbet from Uri Buri in Akko

Best Sashimi Salmon with Wasabi Sorbet I ever had 😉 Yes, ordered it because I was curious (not a big fan of salmon) and glad I did. An original and yummy creation of contrasting flavors. Photo courtesy of Mark H. Anbinder

3. Hazkenim Falafel in Haifa

Some of the best Falafel we ever had in a narrow little alley in the Wadi Nisna. ‘Old People Falafe’ made me feel young again. That and the procedure I recently had.

4. Baked trout from Dag Al Hadan in the upper Galilee.

Baked with Pesto and other spices, delicious fish in an incredible setting

5. Lachuch from the Lachuch guy in Tsfat

Whether you want it like a pizza or a wrap, master Ronen will dish out a wonderful snack of Yemenite spongy flat bread with tomatoes, zaatar, onions and fresh cheese. Add a spoonful of the spicy Z’hug and you got yourself a meal.

6. The plate from the Ussafia hospitality lunch.

Fresh pita with zaatar, hummus, kabobs, fresh salads and more. I’ll let the picture do the drooling…

7. Hummus with meat from the Lebanese Restaurant in Abu ghosh

Rich, wonderful hummus with nicely seasoned meat with pine nuts. The rest of the salads were not too shabby as well in this village just outside of Jerusalem

8. Kibbeh from Rachmo in Jerusalem

If this cafeteria style establishment makes it that day, get it as a meat dumpling in tomato soup or fried like a fried meat patty (I prefered the soup). I could have easily mentioned their amazing Hummus instead here. A must while visiting Mahane Yehuda

9. Coffee bean Halva from the King of Halva in Mahane Yehuda in the Jerusalem

Halva is something I eat a lot (I had some this morning – Feh!). This is fresh, melt in your mouth, savory nutty Halva. Absolutely delicious. Now I’m drooling. Cant get that in NY

10. Shawarma from Turk Lahmacun in Tel Aviv

Veal, lamb, turkey Shawarma, or go Meshugenah and have all 3 inside a Lahmajun, flat bread topped with meat and spices baked in their taboon oven. Add some Amba (mango condiment) close your eyes and enjoy the show. p.s open your eyes occasionally to see if you need more Amba or if your finger is bleeding

11. Pargit from Dr. Shakshuka in Jaffa/Tel aviv

The Shakshuka may be the famous dish here but we found their tender and juicy Pargit (boneless chicken thighs) irresistible

12. Spicy Halabi Kabob from Haj Kahil in Jaffa/Tel Aviv

A piece of art. Wonderful meat stuffed with herbs and nuts served with roasted tomatoes in a soup like tomato broth covered with pastry dough with zaatar. Simply delicious!

13. Malabi from Haj Kahil in Jaffa/Tel Aviv

The Knaffe may be the popular dessert here but this milk pudding with pistachios stole the show. Couldnt get enough of this Panna Cotta like deliciousness

14. Sabich from Sabich Frishman in Tel Aviv

A glorious and flavorful sandwich of Eggplant, hard-boiled eggs, tahini and spices in pita. Very tasty

15. Brioche French toast with jam from Benedict in Tel Aviv

C’est Magnifique!!

Categories: Israel | Tags: eating in Israel, food, food in israel, Israel eats, restaurants, Travel, vacation | 6 Comments

Eating in Tel Aviv – Goodnight Schnitzel!

Posted on September 12, 2012 by Ziggy

“The capital of Mediterranean cool” was the last stop of our 2 week culinary adventure in Israel. The goal was more of the same. Street food, arab food and anything else not easily available back at home in NYC. Authentic Italian food and fresh seafood is also always desirable wherever we go but fell a little short here.
With that said however, the feeling at the end was mutual – Mission accomplished…

Turk Lahmacun – Also spelled “Lahmajun” and pronounced “OMG this is some good joon!”. This is glorious Shawarma not for wimps. 3 different meats spinning: Veal, lamb and turkey. I got a combo of all 3 in a Lahmajun bread, flat bread topped with meat and spices baked in their taboon oven. Like Hazan shawarma in Haifa they really stuff a nice chunk of meat there and the result is one outrageous and delicious sandwich. And that Amba mango sauce compliments it very well.
This place is on Nahalat Binyamin. When coming from the independence hall, turn right on Nahalat Binyamin and it’s on your left a short block away.

Dr. Shakshuka – you know you made it when the new antique store next door calls itself doctor Antika. The Shakshuka here is as good as Shakshuka can get, I guess. Problem is for breakfast I normally don’t touch this stuff as I like my eggs a bit more simple. Besides their famous Shakshuka, other goodies rose to the occassion like their terrific salads and in particular the spicy eggplant. But the best thing we ate here wasn’t the Shakshuka, it was the Pargit. Israelis love their Pargit, which is either a young chicken, a boneless thigh, or a boneless thigh of a young chicken, not sure. But you see this Pargit everywhere and here it was the best one we ate during the trip. Tender, juicy, well seasoned grilled chicken on skewers. Highly recommend this doctor.

Hakosem Falafel – Best falafel since Hazkenim in Haifa. You know when you are tasting good falafel when you pack the pita with irresistible chips, tahini, salads and more, but the flavors of the falafel still dominate.

Sabich Frishman – Another tasty snack. Sabich is Falafels not so good looking sister. You know, the one that only calls when she needs money. Eggplant, hard boiled eggs tahini and spices in pita pack in a lot of nice flavors. This I was told is one of the better Sabich places but there’s one particular in the Tel Aviv suburb of Givataim where there are lines around the block, called Oved Sabich.

Cafe Noir – the 110th reminder that no matter how great they taste, I just can’t get excited over a Schnitzel. Veal, chicken, camel schnitzel, no matter. I suppose if you opt to have one this is the place to go. Cafe Noir is known to make the best schnitzels in the nation. The schnitzels have been written about in various publications. The recipe of the Schnitzel has been well publicized. Children’s fairy tales have been written about it like “The Princess and the pea, and the veal Schnitzel”, “One-Eye! Two-Eyes! Three-Eyes! Schnitzel!” and my personal nighttime favorite, “Goodnight Schnitzel!”. Anyway so you get the idea. In Cafe Noir, you still need to rely on great complimentary sauces with your schnitzels and here you are given 3 good ones. I should also say that the rest of the family enjoyed it and declared it one heck of a Schnitzel. We also had some nice Druze bread and Some succulent shrimp in bread-scooping-worthy sauce. We liked Cafe Noir

Benedict – The “good morning” sign at 7 in the evening wasn’t an indication of laziness. Benedict serves only breakfast all day long. This is the type of place I had no desire to go to before the trip when I heard about it, but I had every desire to eat there once we saw it while walking on Rotshchild blvd. Reason being was that I (perhaps in the minority) was somewhat tired of the legendary Israeli hotel breakfast.

Benedict delivered in a big way. The omelette I was so struggling with the previous 12 days, from the greasy to the overcooked, to the burned while the cook discusses Matkot (paddle ball) strategies with the head waiter, has arrived. A gorgeous, hefty and (finally) perfectly cooked potato, cheese and cauliflower omelette. We shared all kinds of goodies including nice home fries, and the juicy “benji” sausage. The best thing was probably the brioche French toast with jam, something I haven’t enjoyed this much since my last visit to Maine and its amazing blueberries. Well done Benedict! Finally good breakfast.

We had some memorable meals in Israel. From the famous (Uri Buri) to the not so much (Lachuch guy in Tsfat). But there was one in particular that stood out as the best meal of the trip…

Haj Kahil – After the initial recommendation from Shoshi on TripAdvisor, and reading writeups on SeriousEats and the excellent David Lebovitz blog, this was the most highly anticipated meal of the trip.

The small salads here were amazing and different. Plenty of fruit which I don’t normally like in my meals but really enjoyed it here like the delicious figs with walnuts. Hummus here was top notch. Nice Iraqi bread, the usual eggplant suspects, tomatoes in spicy tahini sauce, simple, nutty, and absolutely delicious.

The meats here were spectacular. We shared the lamb neck stuffed with rice, ground beef and almonds. They also have the lamb shoulder which was a bit too much for us (says its serves 6 but looks like it serves 26). Also tried a wonderful Synia (sp?), ground beef, veggies and spices covered in tahini sauce. But the star for me was the spicy Halabi kabob, tender, juicy ground meat stuffed with herbs and some nuts served with lovely slightly spicy roasted tomatoes in a soup like tomato broth covered with pastry dough with zaater.

For dessert we enjoyed their Knaffe, but absolutely devoured the Malabi, a creamy but silky milk pudding with pistachios. It’s Panna cotta on steroids! We’ve had the Malabi a few times on this trip but not like this. A glorious finish to a glorious meal.

Take a look at the map below for the exact location and the locations of the other places mentioned.

There were other less memorable meals like in the White Pergola in the touristy Hanamal area, and another one at a popular Italian, Amore Mio. With that said however, the little glimpse we got of the wonderful flavors of Tel Aviv, has left us heading to Ben Gurion full with memories and.. full. Goodnight Tel Aviv! Goodnight Schnitzel!

Related: Eating in the North Eating in Jerusalem

Categories: Israel | Tags: Benedict, Cafe Noir, dr Shakshuka, food, Haj Kahil, Hakosem Falafel, Israel, Israel eats, restaurants, Sabich Frishman, Tel Aviv eats, Tel Aviv food, Tel Aviv Restaurants, Travel | 4 Comments

Dekalb Market and Bushwick munching – Can I pay for this free pizza??

Posted on July 29, 2012 by Ziggy

Ever since the Hummus Whisperer was a little boy, he wanted 2 things. Getting a fish pedicure by authentic Garra Rufa, and eating authentic Napoli style Pizza at Roberta’s. Now that he accomplished the former, he wouldnt shut up about Roberta’s. Every month or so he would go “oh, you know what I would like to try?” and I would answer “Yes I know Roberta’s. You mentioned it a few days ago”. Time has come to fulfill a little boy’s dream…

The super popular Roberta’s happen to host the annual Bushwick block party yesterday. As soon as we entered we saw a huge line for free Roberta’s pies and I really hate lines unless food is involved. Sometimes I see a line and I just get on it and ask questions later. “DMV? oh look at the time, I’ll come back some other time”. But we decided to come back later and check out some of the other vendors first in an area I can best describe as the graffiti and tattoo capital of the world .

Started with a familiar face, Furn Shawarma. I’m not big into Chicken Shawarmas as I prefer meat but this was pretty darn good. Perhaps even better than Mamouns in the village. This was a nice piece of art. Yogurt marinated, beautifully spiced goodness with various veggies and a nice sauce. First and best thing I ate all day. Then I took it easy with some healthy Ethiopian from Bunna Cafe. Tried the Gomen, steamed kale with other veggies and spices, Yellow split pea salad, and the more satisfying split red lentils with spicy barbere. But the best part may be the spongy, smooth, flat Injera bread they serve with it. Finally I had a chance to try the touted Arancini (rice balls) from the Arancini Bros. Tried the Ragu and the Norma. Nicely done! Could have used a bit more of the non-rice goodies inside, a bit of a tease, but tasty nonetheless. I think I got spoiled by the Jambalaya rice balls of Staten Island’s Bayou.

Then we finally decided to get our free pizzas and fufill a dream. Got on line, stood for a few minutes until we were told its past 2 pm so no more free pizzas but we could go to the bar area and pay for our pizzas which I did. But with all the chaos with the people on line continuing to snag all the free pies, they said it may take a while to get ours so I just got my money back. Hey I’m trying to pay for this free stuff and I still cant get it!! And after we realized that waiting for a table inside Roberta’s will require an hour wait, reality struck. Sorry man, we are not getting Roberta’s today!!

Moving on to the Dekalb Market. A market in the middle of the hustle and bustle of downtown Brooklyn with stores peeping out of shipping containers. Just in time for some Brazilian band performing with all kinds of technical issues including some weird Depeche Mode rendition. After surveying the impressive food array with the little appetite I had left I started with some grilled Filipino Longanisa sausage from Maharlika. Very sweet sausage, almost like sweet potatoe but tasty nonetheless especially once you add some of their spicy vinegar. Comes with nice aromatic garlic rice. Before that I tried the Korean Taco from Oaxaca. Feh! dry, probably seating there for a while meat swimming in red sauce. The clunker of the day. The HW meanwhile was busy drowning his sorrows with a double dose of Centruy frozen yogurt. Time to head back to our families.

As the HW put a reminder on his iphone for the next Bushwick block party, I noticed a tear. A tear made of hummus!

Categories: Brooklyn, New York City | Tags: Arancini Bros, Brooklyn eats, Bunna Cafe, Bushwick eats, Centruy frozen yogurt, Dekalb Market, food, Furn Shawarma, Maharlika, NYC dining, NYC eats, NYC restaurants, Oaxaca, restaurants, Roberta's | Leave a comment