Posts Tagged With: restaurants

Indian Table – A Goan Delight in Brooklyn

Posted on November 22, 2023 by Ziggy

Its official boys and girls. Indian Table is now my favorite Indian in NYC. It may change next month or even next week. But for the time being, this Cobble Hill gem fits my taste like a favorite pair of shoes that you can only wear once or twice a week. Otherwise you risk losing their efficiency or they become stinky.

Indian Table is far from the typical NYC Indian, even though they offer some typical dishes. Thankfully I might add, after trying their killer Butter Chicken. Indian Table is Goan at its core, so plenty of Goan and hence Portuguese influences throughout the menu. There’s even a Pasteis De Nata for dessert. At the helm is a seasoned Eric McCarthy whose resume includes Michelined Tamarind and Tulsi among other notables.

McCarthy’s latest is not the Michelin kind (although you never know), but a nice bridge between sophisticated and your corner casual Indian. There’s a smart wine and cocktail list, in addition to a headache inducing food menu. The manager can masterfully guide and help with the headaches. In addition to Goan specialties, Indian Table also offers Restaurant Week theme menus that highlight different regions. On my first visit, it was the Malvan region, with a group of “Chowhounds”.

As for the food, duds are hard to come by. Eric’s Punjabi Samosas are rock solid, while the tomato ladened crispy cauliflower is more typical. The star early on was the beautifully marinated Achari Chicken Tikka. Smoky, minty, and flavor packed. Speaking of smoky, we wished for more wonderful chorizo from “Auntie Rosie’s Choris Pao” and less of the other stuff (like the spongy bun) but I’d order it again.

The chicken lineup is the main headache culprit. It has everything I look for in an Indian restaurant including my long time friend, the Chicken Chettinad. I tend to pick places that have this on the menu. Peppery, well balanced, and really one of the best versions I’ve had. While the Butter Chicken was not on the menu this night, they happily made a solid version. A rare Xacuti (Goan specialty) was fine, though some did not appreciate the star anise and fennel notes.

Another hit was the Konkan Railway Mutton. Unclear if its a riff on the railway classic that was served on the trains between Bombay and Calcutta during British rule, or another railway creation. Regardless, its another tender, succulent, red pepper based goat curry. Mutton in Indian cuisine is referred to goat and sheep, just to confuse us further.

With all these meat dishes, I opted for Jackfruit Biryani. Jackfruit did an admirable job subbing for meat, with some aid from the potato, but I was still missing the meat slightly. Like when your favorite team wins the game, but dont play as well as they usually play. I wasnt missing the meat at all in the Achari Baigan (eggplant) however. A wonderful lineup, all washed down with a fine Sancerre which is quickly becoming our new favorite white.

Indian Table
234 Court St (Cobble Hill, Brooklyn)
Recommended Dishes: Achari Chicken Tikka, Choris Pao, Punjabi Samosas, Chicken Chettinad, Butter Chicken (ask if not on the menu), Konkan Railway Mutton, Achari Baigan

Categories: Brooklyn, New York City | Tags: , , , , | 2 Comments

Yes, Parcelles {Paris} is the Real Deal

Posted on November 9, 2023 by Ziggy

Tough to write about food these days, but we march on.

Parcelles is one of those places that people either love or love to hate. Local buzz, followed by NYT praise put Parcelles on a hype pedestal very few are able to achieve. Reserving Parcelles isnt very hard if you have a full week in Paris. Just pick the only time available, cancel your Louvre tickets, move dinner plans, and make sure you are around the Marais that day. Easy shmeezy.

Parcelles is a comfortable, sophisticated Bistro in a quiet corner of Le Marais. While its just far enough from the Falafel crowds of the Marais, it is still a destination for FOMO travelers. Well, like myself. The problem however when you are surrounded by FOMO travelers, you are feeling the stress from people that are not entirely comfortable with a menu as such. Thankfully there’s always Gnocchi.

Talking about stress, two young guys ran the entire house. I’m always amazed with European restaurants that operate with half the number of employees of similar restaurants in the US. But at Parcelles you could feel some of the stress in the room. No brownie points for the ambiance from me, but not only the food more than made up for it, the ambiance may be quite alright for you.

A three courser of one hit after another, starting with an outstanding silky smooth Calf’s head carpaccio. Even though I enjoyed it more than Mrs Z who didnt care much as she was in Paté heaven with the Paté en croute. We skipped the much hyped Gnocchi as its something I can easily get in NYC.

One of the reasons to come to Parcelles is for the Sweetbread. If you search for Sweetbread on this site you wont get many results as this is just not my thing. But this is one of those foods that I feel one should not easily give up on. I call it The Bacalhau affect. The Parcelles version may convert you. Expertly cooked Sweetbread with mashed potato, dark veal jus and capers, a spoonful of pure bliss. They only make 10-15 per day, so some call to reserve their Sweetbread for dinner.

Another solid dish was the monkfish, even though it relied a bit too much on the accompanied sauce. The Sweetbread is just a tough act to follow when you are sharing. Chocolate tart with caramelized pecans was another standout. While I’m not the biggest fan of Chocolate desserts, I’m a sucker for a good chocolate tart. Go!

Categories: France | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Kjun – NOLA Seoul

Posted on September 26, 2023 by Ziggy

I have to make this one brief. Got much on the plate this week. I cant even take the time to think of a better title, but this one is pretty telling once you understand. Kjun is a tiny, and I mean tiny, hole in the wall with a big soul in Murray Hill. The owner is Jae Jung, born in Seoul, trained in NOLA, refined in NYC as her bio so cleverly puts it.

Jung’s resume is one of the most impressive I’ve seen (August, Herbstaint, and all sorts of Michelined NYC establishments), and so is her cooking that naturally morphed into a Korean/Cajun mashup. Hence the name, Kjun. This is her first solo project. While we dont have a shortage of of Korean (especially in that area), nor Cajun, or even NOLA inspired Korean (Haenyeo in Park slope), I cant think of anything remotely like Kjun.

From the starters the Boudin Balls and chicken liver pate were particularly strong. Four explosive Schweddy balls stuffed with starch noodles instead of rice. The buttery and immensely flavorful pate that no one talks about might be the unsung hero. Soy marinated deviled eggs were fine but not as memorable as others. Same for the Okra Kimchi that got boring even as a side. The forgettable stuff here are only that because of the unforgettable.

All the larger dishes were solid especially the Jambalaya featuring a nice cabbage Kimchi action and juicy mixed meat. Beautiful clean flavors that stay with you for a some time. The fried chicken was above average, though I wouldn’t go as far as calling it one of the best in town as Pete Wells did. It was nicely marinated but a bit on the greasy side and too large to work with on such small tables. Sharing it for three required some planning.

We also enjoyed the cheesy grits with Andouille. Quite sweet for Andouille but it worked. For dessert we much preferred the Dalgona Banana Foster over their version of pecan pie. Think a Banana Foster and Tiramisu love child. You also get a free delicious probiotic drink at the end, and a welcoming starter bite at the beginning to get the juices flowing. Everything about the place is quirky including the stools.

Just to emphasize and help visualize, Kjun is the size of a small coffee shop. Wells jokingly compared it to a van, but its really not much bigger than a U-haul truck. The three of us got a round table that would normally be reserved for one or two. But not only we managed, I dont get a sense from reading reviews that its much of a problem for others. Perhaps most understand that its a small price to pay, and its part of the charm. This one is a major Go!

Kjun
154 E 39th St (Murray Hill)
Recommended Dishes: Chicken liver pate, Boudin Balls, Jambalaya, Grits with Andouille, Banana Foster

Categories: Murray Hill, New York City | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Hell’s Kitchen – The Magnificent Ten

Posted on September 14, 2023 by Ziggy

The Hell’s Kitchen Survival Guide is dead! Long live the Hell’s Kitchen Survival Guide! The pandemic and other unforeseen circumstances did quite the number on the Hell’s Kitchen dining scene. So many great places closed, making the old guide, the bread and butter of this site (in terms of eyeballs, not dollars. I have no interest in making money off of this) essentially useless. Since I dont work in HK anymore (but still spend plenty of time), I have no desire to revive and update the old guide as I used to do. Instead, I will give you my current top 10.

Overall I’m noticing a slow shift. A crazy amount of international offerings, with Chinese and Korean especially beginning to dominate. Eater went as far as calling Hell’s Kitchen our newest Chinatown, but I think its way premature, and you can probably still get better Thai or even Italian these days. Not a whole lot of surprises here if you’ve been following me for a while. I will try to update this from time to time, unless, you know, we get another pandemic. In that case, stay tuned for the Terrific 5!

Pure Thai Cookhouse

No shock here. I’ve been talking about Pure since it was called Pure Thai Shophouse (Chipotle lawyers forced them to change the name! Long but funny story) many moons ago. Many great Thai open and closed over the years in an area that hasnt seen a Thai shortage in over two decades. But Pure just keeps chugging along, with pretty much the same flavor packed menu since day one. And once you try much of the menu like me, the daily specials will keep you entertained.

LumLum

Remember when I wrote “many great Thai open and closed over the years in the area”? Well, one of them kinda opened with a bang. It took me a while to finally make it (not from lack of trying), and now I cant get enough. Its a bit elevated from the usual HK Thai, and quite the transformation from the previous tenant, Survival Guide darling Pam Real. They essentially got both seafood and meat departments covered with superb dishes like Steamed Fish, Crab Curry, Crying Tiger. But classics like Pad Ki Mao, and Panang Curry with beef should not be overlooked.

Dell’anima

Do you capitalize the D or not, one of the mysteries surrounding this unconventional Italian in Gotham West Market. But one thing is certain, chef Andrew Whitney and Co. can flat out cook. The far west location makes it still unknown to most visitors, but these guys essentially put Italian cuisine on the Hell’s Kitchen map since they moved from West Village. And in order to make it this far west and this long, it means they are doing something right. Either with its sick Tajarin Alla Carbonara, the stupendous Pollo al Diavolo, or anything really.

Blue Ribbon Sushi

Jack of all trades, master of many. Its almost a shame to have Sushi in the name in this case, as they do so many things very well. In fact, I rarely get sushi here, even though it’s always been top quality. Fried chicken, the sensational oxtail fried rice, and my favorite squid in the city, simply sauteed with ginger and garlic are the usual suspects. Sometimes steak when I’m feeling naughty. Slowly but surely BR has become a staple in the kitchen, even though its inside a hotel.

Ippudo

Talking about staples, here’s another one. The fact that Ippudo is now a mini chain, and the vast amount of Ramen options in Hell’s Kitchen these days, should not take away from the fact that its still one of the best area options. On the contrary, the waits arent nearly as long these days. We’ve tried many Ramen spots over the years, including other Ippudos, but the vibe/atmosphere/taste combination of “Westside” is still unbeatable.

Sicily Osteria

Probably the most important addition to the hood during the last few years. From the outside it looks like just another pretty face on super touristy Restaurant Row. But its actually one of the most Sicilian rich menus I’ve ever seen in NYC, headed by an Osteria Morini, Marea alum. The snacks including the Arancino and Pannelle are outstanding. Fantastic Busiate alla Trapanese, Couscous, and the signature Pistachio Lava Cake.

Le Sia

Ever since they said Sia to East Village and moved to the kitchen, they instantly became the most interesting Chinese around. Its Szechuan(ish) with a Cajun twist. And judging by the hefty delivery business, and being packed on a nightly basis (vast majority Chinese), its no longer a secret. You got your cumin ladened skewers (wings, cauliflower!), an array of tangy seafood boils including crawfish (though I’m partial to the snow crab), the ultra garlicky eggplant. And on a recent visit we discovered another crowd pleaser, Mongolian Beef.

Don Antonio

Some may be surprised that I omitted HKSG darling Capizzi here, especially considering Capizzi is closer to a traditional NY pizza parlor. But I just think that Don Antonio makes the best pizza around, and one of the better Diavolas in the city. That thick spicy Soppressata in simply unmatched. I tried quite a few pies over the years including the signature “Montanara” (fried pizza) but eventually settled on the Diavola. This is a classic Neapolitan where the crust is thin and softer than NY style.

Danji

Sadly as of this writing Danj is still closed due to fire at the unlicensed smoke shop next door. But I just gotta list Korean pioneer Hooni Kim’s flagship. When he’s not judging cooking competitions in South Korea, he’s doing all sorts of magic in NYC. Meanwhile you can find him at his latest venture,  Little Banchan Shop in LIC. But Danji and my favorite tofu dish in the city cant open soon enough.

Sullivan Street Bakery

Locals gonna hate me for mentioning this one. The little bakery that could, expended, renovated, and became a giant. You’ll find their bread in restaurants and shops all over the city (this is why its no longer free). But inside you’ll find the same loafs, Focaccia, and first rate pastries like Bombolini, and Canotto. Author, James Beard award winner Jim Lahey opened a hole in the wall in 1994 and the rest is history.

Categories: New York City | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

O Buraquinho da Se – A Little Hole in Porto

Posted on August 8, 2023 by Ziggy

When you walk past O Buraquinho da Se, you start questioning this whole reliance on Google thing. Google clearly says its here, but it’s clearly not. Is it closed? Did it move? Do I need to learn how to fold a map again? Yikes! Hold on, wait a minute, its only 7 pm, and restaurants here dont open for dinner until 7:30-8. We are clearly not in Kansas anymore, not even NYC. So coming earlier to confirm reservations means the place may not even be open yet. But that doesnt answer the question of where the heck is this place.

There’s no sign and no door that I could see. There are some empty tables on the alley steps, but they may belong to the bar in the corner. When I came back a few minutes later, an older gentleman with a giant open book and a cigarette occupied one of those tables. After delivering the sad “we are full” news to some patrons, he confirmed mine, with almost perfect English. Apparently Jacque recently retired from finance to do this, along with his wife in the kitchen.

And I suppose there is a door after all. More like half a door that leads to a hers and hers closet. Once inside, you find yourself in this tiny half basement, with maybe 5 tables. O Buraquinho da Se in fact translates to “The little hole”. But you can use all your favorite travel cliches here.. “A hole in the wall”, “hidden gem”, “like eating at someone’s house”, “mom and pop”, “old school”, just about all of them. The only thing left is to see if their octopus lives up to the hype.

It exceeded it. By like, a mile. 12 years ago, we fell in love with Portuguese octopus 500 meters away at another hole, A Grade. Today A Grade is a magnet for foreign, especially Asian tourists. But O Buraquinho da Se’s version was just magnificent. Two mammoth tentacles, not particularly dressed, a good thing when the product is this good. You can tell its the angels singing variety as soon as you touch it with the fork. Perhaps best Octopus I ever had.

Normal people, while vacationing, like to eat things that they, well, like. And avoid ordering things they dont like. But since Bacalhau is so deeply rooted in local culture, how can we come here without trying it again. Since I already mentioned Bacalhau in other Portugal posts, it’s safe to say that we got converted at some point. It was here, in this church. Unlike prior tries, this fish, covered with cornbread was much more balanced.

There was also a supremely flavorful, hearty shrimp Acorda, an excellent meat and cheese board, and a portobello topped with grilled goat cheese that had our taste buds dancing. Ended with a very satisfying homemade chocolate mousse and an almond tart. Washed it all down with a local fruity white Altano, by one of the Douro pioneers.

One of those flawless meals, aided by Jacque’s attention and English command. We live in a country dominated by a service industry, but we travel to experience this kind of service. O Buraquinho da Se is only open four days a week. Three of those for lunch as well. You wont find many or any mentions of it by influencers or Facebook like Chama and many others. Go! You can reserve this via Facebook.

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Claud – Fortune Favors the Patient

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Ziggy

A few posts ago I wrote that it takes about a year for me to check out a new restaurant in NYC. Usually, I’m in no rush, and rather wait for the establishment to find its stride, and/or the excitement to cool off. Often the stride never arrives, and they close within a year. Sometimes the hype seems artificial, and I lose interest. And sometimes, like with Claud, the hype reaches national proportions (thank you Pete Wells), and it takes roughly a year to score a table.

In this case, the plan was not to wait a full year. But after numerous attempts, I finally got a couple of bar seats, a day shy of Claud’s first anniversary. The truth is that I’ve been following Josh Pinsky ever since the Momofuku Nishi days. He called the cops on me a few times, but after a while he got used to it. When he left Nishi, I felt it was the beginning of the end, and the pandemic just expedited Nishi’s demise. Just like my touring “career”.

For Josh and partner Chase Sinzert it was only a matter of when and where. During or after the pandemic, east or west coast. Thankfully they chose the right coast, where recovered “Fukus” can appreciate them most. Claud feels like a Momofuku support club for fans and staff, with more ex Nishi than I anticipated.

But first thing first, the bread. Well actually, since I’m now over 50, the bathroom. This is got to be the most atmospheric, dare I say, romantic, toilet in the city. The lighting is perfect, its smartly decorated, and there are cookbooks for your reading pleasure in case you decide to stick around. I recommend not.

If the bread is an indication of things to come (as often is the case), you can expect brilliance the rest of the way at Claud. A sourdough with room temp, spreadable butter was soft and hard in all the right places, and pretty much bread perfection. Like truffles in Piedmont in November, the bread was center stage. It was hanging around throughout the meal, kept coming for the dishes that needed it, until we finally had to say stop.

Talking about Piedmont, this is one of the few places in the city that make Agnolotti “Plin” style all year round. Its a treat that very few restaurants make year round, some even stopped altogether due to the labor involved. But at Claud, being one of the “signature dishes”, the chicken liver Agnolotti stays to prevent rioting in East Village. Liver freak Mrs Z in particular, was in heavan.

Early on, the crab and corn fritters did the trick, with that sweet summer corn coming through nicely. And a solid buttery foie gras terrine with honey vinegar jell. Shrimp, another signature, comes sizzling on a very hot skillet. They are barely cooked, yet firm, plump, and insanely satisfying. When it comes to seafood, Pinsky doesnt mess around with too many ingredients and lets the main ingredient shine. Same goes for any raw fish you may come across (two on the current menu).

The thing about Pinsky, and Momofuku school of cooking in general, is that “Signature Dishes” is almost an oxymoron. Its a machine that continues to invent. Cooking AI if you will. On any given night you can find a dish that agrees with you most. For me it was the Halibut with cockles and green garlic. The fish was firmer than usual, not breaking apart every time you touch, yet the perfect texture. Its surrounded by a delicate complementary dashi reminiscent of a scallop dish we once had at Ko. This was pure food magic.

We couldnt find enough belly room for the much hyped mammoth Devil’s food cake. But the root beer ice cream was brilliant in itself. Whether you are into root beer in this case is almost irrelevant. Go! If you can, for Pinsky’s refined, simple cooking, and the bathrooms. In that order.

Claud
90 E 10th St, East Village
Recommended Dishes: Fritters, Foie Gras, Shrimp, Agnolotti, Halibut, Ice Cream

Categories: East Village, New York City | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment

Jesus é Goês {Lisbon} – Connecting the Culinary Dots

Posted on June 19, 2023 by Ziggy

After two weeks of well over a dozen stellar meals in Portugal, deciding on what to write about first is like asking who’s your favorite child. Easy. The one more likely to talk about me on the shrink couch. You would assume its the opposite. But when your goal as a dad is to distribute the love equally, and for mom to get the bulk of the blame, its really not.

I should have taken a picture of the facial expression of the hotel manager, when I told him I cancelled the super popular, Facebook darling Ponto Final, and their dreamy sunset table, for a gloomy (in comparison) table at a Goan restaurant he never even heard of. Its like I asked him if I can borrow his girlfriend for a day. I spared him the laundry list of reasons for this move. But here I am, writing my first Portugal food post about an “Indian” restaurant.

I essentially subbed one “Somebody Feed Phil” place for another. I dont normally make it a habit to visit Phil places, but that Lisbon episode, and some others, make them hard to ignore. You feel the urge to travel like Phil, and meet the people he met. Unfortunately, minutes after we sat down at Jesus é Goês, we learned of the tragic death of Jesus only a few months prior. He died of an enlarged heart in his 40’s. They closed for about a month, and now at the helm is his partner. “He always told me that one day I will need to actually do some work”.

Why Goan food in Lisbon? Such an excellent question Timmy. The story starts with the age of discovery, and Vasco de Gama becoming the first to link Europe and Asia. Goa and many other territories like Mozambique, Macao, even Brazil became Portuguese colonies. After India took back Goa in 1961, Many Goans had the option of obtaining Portuguese citizenship, and move to Portugal. Even today, anyone born before 1962 is eligible.

Today Lisbon has a sizeable Indian and Bangladeshi community. But their history is not as intermingled. The best example of that Goan/Portuguese marriage is the Vindaloo. Its traced to a Portuguese dish called Carne Vinha De Alhos, pork marinated with wine and garlic. After introducing this to the Goans, they switched from wine to vinegar, and added lots of spices in order to preserve the meat. Similar story with Pasteis de Nata and Macao, and why you have egg tarts in Chinese bakeries.

Surprisingly there’s no Vindaloo on the colorful Jesus é Goês menu. I’m sure Jesus would have had a perfectly sound explanation for that. But there’s plenty of spice and pleasant heat throughout especially with the mains. The Cafreal de Frango, Shrimp Curry, and the star of show Cabrito Xacuti have the kind of complexity and balance that fits my taste buds like a glove. You’ll be reaching for them well after you cant eat anymore.

Jesus, who spent many years working as a chef all over Lisbon, shows his creativity and even playfulness throughout, especially with the “Holy Burger”. A tiny spice filled burger topped with an egg I didnt know can be poached as such.. Like mini umami bombs on a spoon. Even something more familiar sounding like the Samosas were thin, flaky, and packed with so much more flavor than the doughy ones we are accustomed to.

Simply put, this was some of the best Indian food we’ve had in a long time. And it was in Portugal, where spicy isnt really embraced. Its a small place. Reservations help as we’ve seen enough get turned away. Jesus legacy lives on large. Same menu, same cooks, and a truly special place I wholeheartedly recommend.

Categories: Portugal | Tags: , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Somtum Der – Now Derring in Red Hook

Posted on May 25, 2023 by Ziggy

In the land of the new and exciting, its often easy to overlook the established and proven. The “What’s new” questions on social media by people that visited the city once or twice before have always been a mystery to me. Did you try any of the other 99.9%, like Pig and Khao, Minetta Tavern, Popina, etc etc. Are they stale? What exactly is wrong with them? There’s always something new and exciting, but the real question is who will make it past year one, or year ten. 60% fail in their first year, 80% fail within five, and very few make it to 10.

The Z-List Thai staple Somtum Der not only keep soldiering on in the East Village but is now doing it in Red Hook, Brooklyn. While East Village is ultra competitive as I keep saying for years due to the lack of tourists and abundance of students, opening in no-train Red Hook is just another level of Chutzpah. Generally Thai restaurants in Red Hook and neighboring Columbia Street Waterfront District (because real estate firms havent come up with a cute 2 syllable name) dont last very long. See Pok Pok, Krok .

Somtum Der was one of the first to introduce New Yorkers to fiery Isan food when it opened in East Village a decade ago. That was only a year after opening in Bangkok. Both places are in the Michelin guide if you care about such things. In fact the East Village location even got a Michelin star that lasted a whole 5 minutes. The new Red Hook location has exactly the same menu, with pictures. If you dont like menus with colorful pictures, you are probably not enjoying life to the fullest. If we were to give awards to menus with the most vibrant pictures, Somtum Der would be an easy three Kodak recipient.

While Somtum is known for the various namesake papaya salads, I der you to find a more flavorful bird in NYC. Just seeing the picture on the menu for me is like a kid hearing the ice cream truck. Along with the marinaded pork with the soothing sticky rice lollypops, the fried chicken thighs is a usual must. The thing about Somtum Der is that they can take any old, stale, dry meat or fish, and make it taste amazing. Thats not to say that its the type of meat we usually encounter here, but that’s the type of seasoning and marinades they use. Its sort of what Isan food is all about. Preserving meat and fish in historically poor areas.

Its also worth noting the weekly specials, in particular the sickest mushroom salad I ever had, Goi Hed. (invented by someone who thought the Beech mushrooms reminded them of uncircumcised penises). Out of the regulars, last time in Brooklyn we also enjoyed the garlic beef with rice, and a serviceable Pad Thai. My first Pad Thai in maybe 20 years. Blame the pictures.

The cool thing about the Brooklyn location is that it has a lovely garden that feels like you are in a neighbor’s BBQ. Another plus is that its in the heart of Red Hook, walking distance to the legendary Steve’s Key Lime Pie, an important former stop on my Brooklyn tour (RIP). I go straight for the raspberry Swingle these days. Might as well also check out the Merchant Stores Building next door. If it doesnt work out with Mrs Z, my next wedding venue will be at the The Liberty Warehouse. But next month will be 30 years, so who really knows…

Somtum Der
85 Avenue A (East Village)
380 Van Brunt St (Red Hook)
Recommended Dishes: Fried Chicken, Marinadet grilled pork, Mushroom salad (special), Garlic beef

Categories: Brooklyn, East Village, New York City | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Foul Witch – The Witches of Easthood

Posted on May 16, 2023 by Ziggy

The Witches of Eastwick is a 1987 flick starring the last remaining aging celebrities who didnt declare their political alliances (minus Cher). Foul Witch is a 6 month old restaurant in East Village. To be precise on a rather strange corner of Ave A (Houston), dangerously close to the tourist central Katz’s Deli, and Il laboratorio del gelato. By dangerous I mean you may be tempted to consider them for your first and last course, but I’m here to convince you otherwise, at least for the first course.

Foul Witch is the highly anticipated New American/Italian from the people that brought us Roberta’s, Roberta’s to-go, and Roberta’s in [name any food hall]. It seems like Roberta’s pizza footprints are all over the city, including in the nearby Market Line food hall in the form of a sound NY style pizza by an alumni. But with the now closed two Michelin Blanca, Carlo Mirarchi and co. long proved that there’s much more than pizza up their sleeves.

The hype surrounding Foul Witch means in order to reserve a table, you may want to move to Sidney Australia for a few months where ressies open in the middle of the day. Unless you are a night owl, its virtually impossible to do so here. Are there day owls? I thought all owls are night owls by definition. I dont understand the rationale of releasing reservations at midnight, as oppose to 9 or 10 am as some are doing for us day owls.

Then how did you score one Ziggy? Another outstanding question Timmy. I tried for months. I must have had ‘Notify’ on for many days which for me rarely works. My plan was to arrive 15 minutes prior to opening and get seats at the bar. Instead, early in the morning on the day of, I had two tabs open on Resy (Claud, the other one) and lo and behold, after only a few hundred refreshes, a 5 PM spot opened up. I pounced like a morning puma.

I think every meal at Foul Witch should start with the “Fire and Ice”. Ice for creamy Stracciatella, Fire for ‘Nduja, that glorious spreadable Calabrian goodness. Why not just call it Stracciatella and ‘Nduja. Its not like the rest of the menu is a puzzle. Extra Brownie point for the the delicious free bread in today’s $10 bread NYC. And another brownie for room temp spreadable butter, another NYC luxury. Minus one brownie for no brownies on the menu.

The Veal Tortellini in Brodo is some serious witchcraft. In a very Italian fashion, big, deep flavors come from very little meat. And that sweetness from the amaretto in the Brodo adds another layer. Ingredients, and attention to detail are key as expected, and its especially evident in the Sunchoke Caramelle. Freakishly good candy shaped pasta with lemon, and poppyseeds.

The menu changes more often than the one shown online, so you may be disappointed or thrilled. And while the prices seem fair, you will be tempted to order more than the usual two dish per. One reason is that some of the smaller items like the excellent buttery Sorana Beans are more like glorified sides you’d want to pair with the mains.

The lone main we tried was also the lone miss. The roasted shoulder of goat had a nice flavor, but lacking in texture, and a bit too much gristle for our taste. The buttered turnips and ramps were the best part of the dish. Oh, I just realized why. Buttered! We skipped dessert.

Italian craft beer lovers would be in beer heaven at Foul Witch. Although I really liked my aromatic Portuguese white Douro blend, I’m not skipping the beer next time. Two drinks, 5 dishes, tip/tax amounted to around $200. The space is comfortable, and intimate. As one would expect, friendly and efficient staff, especially Arlet the Sommelier. Go! If you can get in.

Foul Witch
15 Avenue A (East Village)
Recommended Dishes: Fire and Ice, Veal Tortellini, Sunchoke Caramelle, Sorana Beans

Ave Q art on Ave A

Categories: East Village, New York City | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Quintonil {CDMX}- Where Hyper-modern Meets Tradition

Posted on April 17, 2023 by Ziggy

Even the street names of ultramodern Polanco are snobby sounding… Isaac Newton, Galileo, Alejandro Dumas (or Dumbass as per Shashank). Just about all the streets are named after important writers, philosophers, politicians, and food bloggers. Walking around the area is like playing Jeopardy. Who is President Masaryk! Compared to the rest of Mexico City, the Polanco neighborhood feels like a Beverly Hills gated community without the gates.

Its a rather picturesque, unapologetic enclave filled with ladies with big hats who eat avocado toasts at places like “Snob bistro”. Yes, its a real place inside an attractive development, straight out of Coconut Grove. But yet, we counted three yellow boots, locking pricy cars for some reason. Too important to pay their tickets, or too many spare beemers? There’s a video that went viral recently showing a Polanco resident yelling at a parking officer.

Its therefore not a surprise that Pujol, Quintonil and other CDMX elite are in Polanco. Frankly, I “settled” on #9 world ranked Quintonil over #5 Pujol because I fell asleep and missed my Pujol reservation window. I could barely score one at Quintonil. But while Pujol is the more famous, there’s really no consensus in the city on who’s the best.

From the outside, Jorge Vallejo’s, Quintonil, just like so many great ones, like Osteria Francescana, looks unassuming. While inside, the smart decor, and the pampering of a world class spa, sets the ‘we are not in Kansas anymore’ tone. This was a birthday treat, as was the entire food focused trip. And the result was two unforgettable hours.

The fun actually starts when you reserve months in advance. Do I want a main dining room a la carte, the seemingly insect heavy bar tasting menu, or the dining room tasting menu. The latter two require a significant deposit, roughly 5x the a la carte option. But the fine print states that one can simply opt for the dining room tasting menu upon arrival (when booking the dining room), which raises the question, why would anyone pre-order that over the cheaper a la carte. And after the 4th glass of the excellent matching wines, I tried, unsuccessfully, to get to the bottom of it with my new BFF waiter, while Mrs Z kicking me under the table. After the fourth kick, my facial expression changed, and by the look of his, he probably suspected I was having a stroke, or gas.

As for the food (Its about time Ziggy, sheesh), not one dud, and nothing stood out above all. And that’s a good thing in this case. Like a winning team without a star. Every dish complemented the next and previous. A harmonic flow of colors, textures, and umami. What looked like a simple melon salad, was actually an extravagant melon, tomato, horchata, and pumpkin seed concoction. And what looked like a another photogenic concoction, was a tasty riff on the classic Scallop Margarita with a vivid Aguachile, wasabi, and nori.

In between single courses, you even had a chance to play taco master with carefully selected ingredients that filled the table. There was charred avocado with Escamoles (insect caviar). Smoked cactus salad. Salsad oyster mushrooms. Pureed beans from Oaxaca. Nutty Crottin cheese. Chorizo with oats, and more. Add delicious corn tortillas and you got a flavor jammed fest.

Then comes a perfectly cooked Striped Bass with seafood infused basmati and a coconuty sauce. A young goat with chickpeas puree, and herbs, was aromatic and superb. The dishes featured more science than my combined 4 years of college. Its avant-garde alright, but undeniably Mexican.

The scrumptious desserts really complete the experience. All four of them. A Cactus paddle sorbet. A delightful Creme Fraiche with passion fruit and caviar. The stupendous Guava “rocks”, with pink peppercorns, and caramelized white chocolate. And just when you are about to get too full, comes a birthday flan for the ages. One of those meals, and yet another reason to visit this food paradise.

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