Posts Tagged With: Travel

Piora – You Had Me at DM

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Ziggy

You know the place is popular when you show up and the door is locked. You’ve been trying to make reservations for the past 3 months until you finally score a “senior citizen” slot of 5:30 and show up at 5:15 courtesy of zero traffic (Thanks to our borough presidents who endorsed Chris Christie). A locked door was a first for us. Hearing DM (Depeche Mode, aka “Greatest group in the history of greatest groups) as soon we walked in was a first as well. I knew right there and then that this will be a fun evening. And it was!

Piora is as refined and polished as they get in this class. Its not quite Italian, not quite Korean, not quite “Fusion” (why everyone hates you “Fusion”. I say you are misunderstood). Hence, the default “New American” tag applied. Does anyone eat “Old American” anymore? Piora (“Blossom” in Korean) is the strange, but hey it works, combination of an Italian-American executive chef and a Korean owner/manager in the West Village. A cozy back room overlooking a stunning snow dusted garden (a rarity these days). The atmosphere almost seemed odd which sort of worked in our favor, if it makes sense. You just dont expect alternative/clubby music in a place like this but it worked.

Before I dive to the food though, mad props to one particular drink here. “Leaves Falling” — Plymouth gin, Calvados apple brandy, Earl Grey tea, maple syrup, lemon and apple. I want to try making one of those at home, when I’m down, or watch Turkish movies. All I need now is all those ingredients and a bartender.

Some of the dishes were a little on the salty side, though thanks to the Falling Leaves I cant remember what they were. All by design of course, and all still quite complex and enjoyable

Monkey bread – With Lardo and seaweed butter. This was pretty good as expected and a no brainer starter but so are a lot of very interesting bread baskets all over town that cost $6 less

Carrots – Perhaps the most memorable dish. Wonderful array of different flavors and textures with pistachios, yogurt, showered with pink “ham snow”. A glorious dish.

Barbequed Octopus (left) – Quite nice. Tender octopus prepared with Gochujang (a Korean Chili paste), pine nuts and basil.

Egg – Very Good! Poached with 3 succulent deboned chicken wings, potato, and artichoke Barigoule. Is it me or every “New American” menu these days must include a dish called “Egg”

Bucatini – Perhaps the most celebrated dish on a menu that includes 3 pastas. A very unique blend of squid ink Bucatini, black garlic (The Korean black garlic, not the feh! kind), Dungenese crab, Maitake (yum) and chili

Gnocchi Special – Excellent! Picture below is half the normal size (they split some dishes for us). Not your traditional Gnocchi. Texture closer to fried potatoes in Gnocchi shape. With lobster (not skimpy), sitting on a bed of artichoke puree, with some hints of French black Truffles. Meaning, its the kind of truffle that surrenders to the rest of the ingredients rather quickly!

Rigatoni – Very Good! Red wine, duck sausage, fig and spigarello (a distant cousin of broccoli. The one that never calls because you don’t call)

Rohan duck – A great dish! Nice and crispy skin, peking duck-like, faro, and yet more of that lovely black garlic

Trout – Tasted fine according to the Hummus Whisperer. BTW, we were joined again by the Hummus Whisperer and his wife the Hummus Punisher. (That’s what he calls her, don’t know why and frankly don’t want to know. Whatever they do at home in their spare time is not my business)

Olive oil potatoes beat out the Sunchoke hazelnut in the extras match. Desserts weren’t memorable (damn you Falling Leaves) but the meal overall was indeed.

Piora

$$$$

430 Hudson st

Recommended Dishes: Monkey bread, Carrots, Egg, Bucatini, Gnocchi (Special), Duck

Categories: New York City, West Village | Tags: food, NYC eats, NYC food, Piora, Piora NYC, restaurants, Travel, west village restaurants | 2 Comments

Lazy Post – The Scene at Island Fish Fry

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Ziggy

Dear Turks and Caicos fans. Unless you are living under a rock, or simply trying to pass a town not endorsed by Chris Christie, you probably already know that every Thursday from 5:30 to 9:30 there’s a party going on at the Children’s Park (way out west, just past Gansevoort). About a dozen local vendors like Jerkie’s, Miss Moonies, Uncle Dough’s, Middle Caicos Cafe (not to be confused with just Caicos Cafe) are participating (vendor list varies on a weekly basis), along with a live band, and all sorts of cultural fun.

Sitting is limited. Best time to come if you want a seat is before 6. With that said, sitting is not very important as you’ll just want to walk around and sample some local goodies like fresh grouper in a foil, conch salads, conch fritters, and grilled lobsters in season. Parking is Provo style, on the sidewalk. Check it out

Categories: Turks and Caicos | Tags: food, Island Fish Fry, Thursday Fish Fry, Thursday fish fry turks and caicos, Travel, Turks and Caicos | 3 Comments

Turks and Caicos – Seaside Cafe

Posted on January 10, 2014 by Ziggy

March 21st, 2015 Update:

Get the Fish Sandwich for lunch people. Its a couple of pickled carrots shy of being the perfect Banh Mi, although I sort of prefer this simplified version. Toasty baguette courtesy of Caicos Bakery filled with expertly blackened fish grilled to flaky perfection. Great little sandwich. Moving on from Vietnam to Peru, Amazing Race style. The Peruvian Conch Salad brings out our animal instincts, each time without fail. If there’s one tip I could offer to the 15 TCI viewers I get per day (over 200 look at the Hell’s Kitchen Survival Guide alone, 15 at TCI), get some of that Peruvian. We dont even need to open the lunch menu here.

We also had another outstanding dinner later on. Nice and springy flatbread with goat cheese, pesto, and arugula. A new discovery was the Conch Chowder that may have cracked our top three. More of the delicious Tuna Sashimi, and Lobster Risotto of course. Meaty Lobster was grilled to perfection, and the garlic butter that came along elevated the dish even more. And as the old saying goes, when the going gets tough, the tough gets Salmon. Meaning the weather was too rough for the fishermen and the freshest thing on the menu was Salmon, via Miami. Teriyaki glazed Salmon (below) couldnt be cooked any better, with soba noodles, tofu, asparagus, miso sauce, and Wakame – Japanese Seaweed. After watching seaweed all week long, it was time for revenge, Kamikaze style. Best dish of the night.

January 10th, 2014 Post:

“What? Ziggy the great foodie is writing a post on Seaside Cafe? What’s next.. Pizza Pizza” I can hear the critics already. For many years Seaside was a decent, casual, resort (Ocean Club West) owned dining spot, not exactly a foodie destination. But things have changed. New owners took over (same owners as Opus), brought in a Coco Bistro veteran, and a new foodie powerhouse is born. This is not your old Seaside, and I’m a couple of years late to this party.

“Chef Driven” is a term used loosely these days. Every place has a chef. Some are great, some are ok, some are just learning on the job. But then there are those chef who experiment, transform, and set trends. The chefs that make me want to go there for the chefs, instead of the setting or atmosphere. Quebec born Francois who started cooking from the young age of zero (I have trouble remembering simple facts sometimes but this sounds about right) knows a thing or three about cooking. From dishing out all sorts of goodies in the army in Canada (Canada has an army?) at the age of 16, to sharpening his skills big time in Provo’s busiest Coco Bistro, Francois has gone a log way.

This was a first in Eating With Ziggy history. Every single one of the 4 dishes we sampled in Seaside was a top dish of the trip nominee. Choosing from this one will be harder than driving through a town that didn’t endorse Chris Christie.

A few months ago we went to a new risotteria in NYC to sample some delicious risottos from a renowned rice grower from Verona. Some hits, some misses, and none came close to the risotto bliss of this lobster shiitake goodness at Seaside (below). This was one of the most palatable risotto we’ve ever eaten. Cheesy, well spiced, perfectly cooked arborio with tender, plentiful chunks of lobster and a lot of love. Seaside - risotto

The Escolar (aka “White Tuna” but not really) was another outstanding dish. Another South Caicos beauty cooked expertly medium rare with jasmine rice, veggies, sweet wasabi mustard on one side and some sort of miso sauce on the other.

A note about south Caicos fishermen. Lately those guys are simply kicking some serious ass. Deep fishing for octopus, tuna, escolar are just some examples of what they are bringing to the table. I don’t recall seeing so much locally caught fish on the menus, especially octopus. Way to go South Caicos fishermen. Way to go!

Tuna Sashimi with Wasabi mustard (top) – A revelation! Long time followers of Ziggy know how much I love a similar dish at Coco Bistro and it turns out that that was a Francois creation. Fresh tuna from south Caicos, veggies, that wasabi again, and just a glorious concoction on individual tortillas.

Peruvian conch ceviche. Yet more awesomeness. A fantastic combination of veggies (love his use of fresh veggies), fresh conch, lime and different peppers including scotch bonnet. Addictive stuff to say the least.

Seaside is easily a top 5 in Provo after this trip!

Categories: Turks and Caicos | Tags: Best restaurants in turks and caicos, food, restaurants, Seaside cafe, Seaside Cafe turks and caicos, Travel | 2 Comments

NYC – Top 10 dishes of 2013

Posted on January 6, 2014 by Ziggy

Another year, another amazing eating year in the city of New York. Keeping up with all the new and excitement here is like keeping up with the Kardashians. But 2013 proved to be one heck of a year, probably the best ever. And if there’s ever a post on EWZ that could be helpful to visitors or locals seeking great chow in NYC, this is IT!

Ma Peche – Fried Chicken (with a side of the Brussels Sprouts). I’ll start with the last great dish. Haute Fried Chicken doesnt get any better than this. Habanero, coriander, black pepper and other spices used to create this fried pieces of awesomeness. Its a large shareable whole chicken at $48, but for lunch you can get half for $24 which can still feed an Armanian village, or 2 Americans. And the amazing Brussels Sprouts dish are worthy of their own spot here.

Ivan Ramen Slurp Shop– Smoked Whitefish Donburi. With salmon roe, sweet soy dashi, cucumber, scallion over rice. Need I say more? I probably should. Tell me if you heard this story before. A Jewish man from Long Island opens a Ramen shop in Tokyo which becomes critically acclaimed, then comes back to NYC to open a Ramen shop in the New Gotham West Market in Hell’s Kitchen. Sounds familiar? The Donburi is a nice clash of the 2 cultures (Japan meets Jew)

Momofuku Ssam Bar – Spicy Sausages & Rice Cakes. Second Momofuku mention already (Ma Peche is the first) This dish is insane. Plenty of heat and plenty of joy. Its a beautiful medley of ground sausage, Chinese broccoli, Sichuan peppercorn, and the awesome rice cakes which were essentially Korean Gnocchi made from rice flour. Puts the Mssion Chinese rice cakes to shame. Photo courtesy of Never Too Sweet

Betony – Short Ribs. A revelation! Tender, full of flavor goodness. It takes 3 days to make them we were told. We told the waitress that we cant stay that long, but we quickly understood the meaning.

Maialino – Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe. Its so simple, it shouldnt be here. But along with the carbonara perhaps my favorite dish at one of my favorite Italian spots in the city. Perfectly creamy, peppery, and addictive. Having it sit there among the other pastas on the table is like visiting the bunny ranch after trying out all the bunnies, and constantly picking your favorite.

The NoMad – The Chicken. This is a no brainer, and a top dish nominee even before it reached our table. Once you get over the facts that a) is costs $78 (for 2) and b) its freakin chicken, you will enjoy this one no doubt. Perfectly crispy skin, moist juicy white meat, along with some foie gras and black truffles (all cooked) nicely tucked beneath the skin. Each bite of that combination together was a Tour de Force. But that’s not all. Add a glorious plate of the dark meat with garlic espuma (foamy light garlic goodness) in the middle to share.

Ippudo – Akamaru Modern (with egg). “Welcom”, “Goodbye”, “Aim Well”? I have no idea what they are screaming in Japanese at Ippudo every time someone arrives or goes to the bathroom. All I know is that this is my favorite dish here. Rich, complex pork broth, along with hefty pieces of pork belly. Add the egg and spicy miso paste for even richer flavors

Costata – The Costata. Perhaps the dish of the year. A mammoth 44oz $120 very shareable Tomahawk Ribeye cooked to perfection. Basted ever so beautifully with a rosemary brush, this beast was a feast for all senses. Add some Black truffle butter, fries and asparagus, but good luck remembering the sides in between bites of perhaps the best steak in town

Nish Nush – Falafel. I know Falafel. I grew up with falafel. My car runs on falafel (its the trade-in period while waiting for the new car so dont want to use the real thing). This is good falafel. Fresh pita from the oven, and free (great) hummus can only help

Kashkar Cafe – Geiro Lagman. Little Asia in little Odessa (Brighton Beach) and perhaps the only Uyghur spot in town. I’ve had this dish 3 times in the last 8 months. Nice and chewy hand pulled noodles with lamb, veggies, cumin, garlic, other spices and herbs make up this highly palatable dish.

Special mentions:

Malai Marke – Chicken Xacuti (and Bindi Sasuralwali)
Sakagura – Maguro Tartar
Pure Thai – Wok Curry Paste with Pork
Mercato – Trenette
Jungsik – The rice dish that comes for free for b-day boy 😉
Louro – Octopus Bolognese (tie with monkfish)
Mission Chinese – Kung Pao Pastrami

Categories: Brooklyn, Chelsea, Chinatown, East Village, Gramercy, Flatiron, Lower East Side, Midtown East, Midtown West, New York City, SoHo, NoHo, Nolita, TriBeCa, West Village | Tags: Best restaurants in NYC, food, NYC, NYC eats, NYC food, restaurants, Top NYC dishes, Travel | Leave a comment

Turks and Caicos – Lupo

Posted on January 4, 2014 by Ziggy

The Italian invasion of Providenciales continues. From Turtle Cove, to the new lake region (the area by the school that floods after a 5 minute shower) to Via Veneto and Caicos Cafe plaza, home to Caicos Cafe. It is only a matter of time until you see this just outside your resort, or people selling made in china little helicopters that fly, and then they break. Around a year ago, Lupo has joined forces, and firmly secured itself in the Regent Village which is becoming quite a yummo international destination. I also want to take this opportunity to welcome a new slang word to the EWZ family – “Yummo”. Although, I dont see myself using it much as it just sounds weird, as if “Yummy” reached its expiration date.

Owner Mark (formerly with Lemon) has done an excellent job bouncing back from a shaky start (as just about every new restaurant in Provo). Lupo also seems like the kind of place that would be featured the most with the Provo ladies who lunch, or Real Housewives of Grace Bay County. Perhaps the same Provo housewives who robbed the place of all its pictures the night before our lunch, leaving us with empty frames.

As for the food…

Romaine lettuce – Yummo! Not something I would normally order but this was quite good, like the best Caesar Salad you ever gonna eat. Smokey Romaine, topped with sharp delicious Parm, and crispy pancetta bits. Well done!

Meatballs Sandwich – Excellent! Good bread, great herby, tasty, schweddy balls. 2013 was filled with some amazing meatballs for us in 2 continents. Make it a third. If I have to criticize one thing is the polenta fries – not a fan. But Mrs Z was, which frankly all that matters. You know what they say, Happy wife, happy Ziggy.

Penne with sundried tomatoes, Pesto walnut sauce – Nice and light summer dish. They didn’t have Orecchiette (damn you IGA truck) so we settled for Penne. Nothing wrong with that dish

Tiramisu in a cup, panna cotta with Balsamic reduction in another cup. Heavenly! Perhaps the best Tirsmisu I’ve had on the island (Sorry Caicos Cafe) and that panna cotta was very unique and went very well with the zesty balsamic

Although I was very satisfied with the lunch, the dinner menu made me jealous. Fresh made pasta galore including what seems to be a popular Fettuccine Bolognese, nice looking flatbread pizzas and more. The housewives should really come here for dinner if they are smart.

As I keep saying over and over, come out of the water area and things start to get interesting in the island of Provo. In that location, one needs to be creative and follow up with great flavors, and it looks and tastes like a success to me

Categories: Turks and Caicos | Tags: Best restaurants in turks and caicos, food, Lupo, Lupo Providenciales, Lupo Turks and Caicos, restaurants, Travel, Turks and Caicos | 3 Comments

The Seven Stars Survival Guide

Posted on January 1, 2014 by Ziggy

Updated June 12, 2016 (after visit #12)

So you decided to book the Seven Stars in Turks and Caicos. Mazal Tov!! And now what? Not quite sure what to do? Got that deer in headlights look after all those All Inclusive trips? Time to change that to Raccoon in fresh Indian leftover garbage can look. Or something like that.. you know what I mean. Here are some tips that should enhance your stay. Some of these are my own opinions by the way so save the hate mail and voodoo. I occasionally have friends and family stay here so I’m partially doing this to save time writing stuff for them.

Airport – first things first, get your island reading material. After customs, go straight to the stand on your left to pick your free copy of the Where When How Magazine and Dining Guide. Dont be surprised to see my frontal balding head and a food column in the magazine (not dining guide). Then let the SS rep outside know that you arrived safely, call your mom, and take a shared taxi to the hotel ($33 per couple, $16.50 per additional, subject to change). There’s also a VIP fast track available to or from, starting at $200 per for the first person, $75 for each additional

Car – You can get away without renting in this location but renting for at least 2 days is recommended. I usually rent from the ultra reliable Grace Bay Auto Rental. You can pick and drop from the airport and from the resort itself. Very simple. On one of the days drive to Taylor Bay or Sapodilla in the morning followed by lunch at Las Brisas (closed Tuesday for now – owner says they may start opening soon) overlooking stunning chalk sound. Click here for directions. On another day you can drive to Bugaloos or the Blue Hills area and have lunch at the Conch Shack or any of the other local spots. Another fun option is Long Bay Beach, watching the kite surfers do their thing, although when the winds are not out, its just about as good as it gets (see below). BTW, a new tradition for us is pick up the car at the airport and get some fried chicken on the way from Sweet T’s

Long Bay

Excursion – Some of the popular ones are half day excursions with outfits like Island Vibes or Caicos Dream Tours. Entire list in here (links on the left).

If you want parasailing, you can just catch “Marvelous Max” walking around on the beach and he can get someone to pick you up within minutes. No need to reserve this ahead of time as many do

IGA market – 5 minute walk. Come out of the hotel and its straight ahead. Get you Bambarra Rum coconut + Pineapple juice and its party time folks. Or….

Seven Stars Market – A small store front where you can get your bare necessities, i.e. Beer, bambarra, sandwiches (for the airport), basic drugs, sunscreen and much more.

Entertainment – These days you have live music on the deck normally on the weekends 6-9pm. Sunday beach BBQ with music and bonfire (about $59/pp).

Photography – Seven Stars teamed with Paradise Photography for a $350 portrait special that includes one hour photo shoot (sunset/daytime), access to all images and a Web gallery.

Spa – Seven Stars boasts one of the top spas in the Caribbean. Dont believe me? Ask Conde Nest readers, voting it one of the Top 25 in the world. Yes, the world! We used the spa a few years back and can confirm the world status. But now with further improvements and the addition of a retail store, things are looking even better.

Other amenities: Free bike rentals, tennis, watersports, yoga, kids club with movie night, a coconut station, omelette station (finally!), adult only deck, a pillow menu, mosquito nets, bidets (I would sub a bidet for a quality Squatty Potty myself. I mean who uses bidets anyway, except at night by accident)

I have to say, I’ve seen the resort grow from a bare-bones, simple condo rental property to a full service resort over the years, and I’m super impressed by the job Ken and company done.

Insider Tip: No need to reserve seats here. We’ve been here at the busiest times and between the deck, beach and pool there are always plenty of seats. Dont be the one! BTW, all the pictures here were taken at the busiest times since thats the only time we can travel as a family. So you can see for yourself

Insider Tip that is not really an insider tip: Dont bring a speaker to the beach no matter how small, and dont assume everyone likes Country Music. I see that from time to time. Might as well wear an “I’m a douche” T-shirt. If you do that I promise to bring my own speaker and blast “Best of Barney” right next to you.

Caicos Bakery – (opens 7:30. close Sundays) 5 minutes away. Come out, turn left and look for it right next to Caicos Cafe in Caicos Cafe plaza. Get some croissants (almond – yum, chocolate), a baguette and you are all set. And dont worry about the “here’s another idiot bringing their own bread to breakfast” look at the free breakfast. You’ll get used to it. Best bread on the island. Well, they are french!

Lunch ideas: Besides lunch at the hotel you got many options nearby. The following directions all facing the ocean.

To your right you have Ocean Club West and Seaside Cafe (5 minute walk). Seaside is becoming a great dinner choice as well. The food is better that the “resorty” place suggets as long as young phenom Francois is at the helm

Also to your right, another exciting option, 20-25 walk is Flamingos. Past Club Med, by the second dock you’ll see. Fun local fare. Great curried grouper.

To your left, a 15 minute walk, you got Hemingways at the sands – Nice conch fritters, Fish and chips (great fries), very popular fish tacos with mango chutney

Also to your left (5 minutes) is the Regent Village you can enter via the Regent Grand. Highly recommend Lupo, Garam Masala (not open for lunch at the moment,) and Le Bouchon (burger with egg!).

Elsewhere, as mentioned lunch at Las Brisas on chalk sound is pretty cool with the most stunning views on the island. Try the lobster salad in season.

Bugaloos and Conch Shack are other driving option

RIP Jerkey’s – Goat Curry

Dinner ideas: You got Seven, The Deck, Sunday night beach BBQ on the premises and a plethora of restaurants within walking distance like Bella Luna, Caicos Cafe, Le Bouchon, Lupo, Via Veneto, and more. Here are some of our favorites…

Coco Bistro $$$$ – 2 minute drive. 15 minutes walk on the road, dont walk in the dark. Perhaps the most romantic and definltely the most popular resaturant on the island. Great soups, Tuna Sashimi, grilled lobster, lamb, and more. Coconut cream pie for dessert is a must

Seven $$$$ – One of the better resort restaurants on the island with a pretty inventive menu. Try the Vanilla rum butter poached lobster with papaya buttermilk risotto, or the best end of lamb.

Caicos Cafe $$$ – 5 minute walk, in Caicos Cafe Plaza. This is our personal favorite and we try to eat here at least twice on every visit. Do not get fooled by the review rankings on Trip Advisor. Great great pastas, some homemade that day, some artisanal with top quality ingredients. Try the Grilled Calamari, Gnocchi, Wahoo Carpaccio (when available) apps. Fantastic seafood pasta dishes like the Tagliolini, Lobster Fra Diavolo (in season). Some of the meat dishes like the ribs and steak are popular as well. We’ve tried them all

Le Bouchon $$$ – At the Regent Village. As French Bistro as it gets on the island from a former bistro owner in Paris. Fantastic escargot and arguably best steak on the island.

Seaside $$$ – Great new addition (since new owners took over a few years ago) at the Ocean Club West next door. This is an underrated gem with Coco veteran Francois doing all sorts of magic with groupers, fresh tuna, and conch

Caravel $$$ – A newish, local, super friendly comfortable spot, just a short drive (turn left, on the left right past OCW entrance). Try the white chowder and Fish Tacos

Private Dining at Seven Stars – SS also offers a variety of private dining like feet on the sand, beachside cabana, and an in-suite option. The first two come with a private butler, while the in-suite comes with a private chef. All start at $300

Hope this helped. Enjoy!

Categories: Turks and Caicos | Tags: Provienciales, Seven Stars, Seven Stars Turks and Caicos, Travel, Turks and Caicos | 10 Comments

Balaboosta – Vey Zmir What Flavors!

Posted on December 30, 2013 by Ziggy

This is gonna be a goodie and a quickie. Or maybe just a quickie, we’ll see how it goes. I’m just a little busy lately with all sorts of things going on including an invitation to the latest Jean Paul Gaultier collection. Yes, another thing you didnt know about me I suppose but I am a Jewish Fashionista of sorts. When I’m not busy travelling and eating, I am busy checking out the latest fashion trends. Jean Paul (or JP as we friends call him) latest tells me that I need to get a new buyer (wife). She keeps buying me black and I’m starting to suspect that this is her way of calling me fat. But at the same time, JP’s Rabbi Chic collection at the Brooklyn Museum yesterday tells me black is still the new black and my buyer will be kept. For now.

Balaboosta (which loosely translates in Yiddish to “She who will drop the lobster remains on your shoulder during dinner time if you say anything negative about her mother again. Next time will be your head”) is one of those places that’s been on my list for a while. Pretty much ever since seeing owner Einat Admony won Chopped. I’ve been a fan of Taim for a while now, even while enduring the suffering of seeing them misspell S’chug over the years. And of course, after all that, Einat was not there to receive the complaint directly as she had a family function to attend.

As I explained recently to a friend, I dont write posts about bad meals. If I have a bad meal I simply dont write anything (which happened quite a few times this year). Balaboosta is Israeli/middle eastern at its best…

Crispy Cauliflower – With lemon, currants, pine nuts. Sweet, savory and delicious. This is sort of a celebrated dish here, mentioned on forums, various websites, cookbooks. Children books written about it; “Goodnight Balaboosta Cauliflower!”

Hummus “Mortar and Pestle” – tahini, roasted garlic, za’atar pita – We know our hummus and this is damn good hummus. As with Taim pitas, love the use of za’atar. No surprises here, like Brian Boitano announcing he’s gay

Homemade Swiss Chard Spaghetti – With heart of artichoke, ricotta, crispy garlic and walnuts. Simple and delectable. Kids, wife attacked it like its the last day of the Mayan calendar. Leaving almost nothing for Ziggy

Yemenite Pizza – shaved fennel, caramelized onion, feta, arugula. Put this one under “why did I order this category” not a fan of this combination to begin with. Oldest child proclaimed “Interesting”

Braised Short Ribs – sauteed okra, oven dried tomato, spinach, chickpea cake, hawaïj & white wine reduction – Meaty and tender. Chickpea cake’s texture a little off, mushy, but tasted fine

Lamb Kebabs (special) – Excellent. Tasty, herby, like a nice cross between Adana and Indian kebabs. Sitting on top of crisped pita on a bed of eggplant tahini (fancy for babaghanouj)

Moroccan Curry Seafood – seared fish filet , shrimp, scallop, eggplant, baby carrot, kale, bokchoy. Terrific, though not quite sure how its Moroccan or “Curry”. Mild bright sauce, letting the well cooked seafood do the talking. My Balaboosta thought it was too bland but probably due to trying this after the well spiced kebabs. I liked it

I must say the desserts here were exceptional. Banana Bread pudding is NOLA quality! For those who’ve been to New Orleans know what I’m talking about. Knafeh, or as we called it while touring Israel, “The Hairy Baklava” is quite good as well, with rose water ice cream which was a pleasant surprise.

Special thanks the young French waitress helping us out.

Balaboosta

214 Mulberry St

Categories: New York City, SoHo, NoHo, Nolita | Tags: Balaboosta, Balaboosta NYC, Einat Admony, food, Nolita, NYC eats, NYC food, restaurants, Travel, Where to eat in NYC | 1 Comment

Turks and Caicos – Via Veneto

Posted on December 27, 2013 by Ziggy

“Do you come with your own plunger” my friend Elizabeth wondered once she saw me unpack my equipment after running into each other in Via Veneto. “Ahhm, not exactly, its actually my flash diffuser”. I realized right then that I need to add a new flash diffuser to Santa’s list (sitting besides me was the actual island Santa so it was convenient), right between a new car and Mensch on a Bench. This was actually an improvement over last year when I borrowed my brother’s camera bag which had sort of peculiar male genital shape. To any patrons after a few Chiantis sitting there it may have looked like I was really happy to be there. This year I walked everywhere with a plastic bag.

I’ve been waiting to eat in the new Via Veneto for almost a year, after just missing the coming out party in the spring. Luckily owner Aldo subscribes to the “do it right or dont do it at all” mentality, which meant delaying the opening. Coming from a competitive environment such as Rome is a big plus to Provo. Early reviews have been a little shaky but thats the Provo norm these days as building relationships with vendors can take some time. Everything except the meats is imported from Italy; From the chefs, the tiles, the paintings, to the girlfriend, all imported from Rome. Hence, app page a bit pricey but contrary to the forums chatter the rest not too bad at all. This is indeed the closest you get to eating in Italy. Perhaps one Cacio e pepe dish shy from a Roman Trattoria. As with any Italian establishment in the USA, sticking to dishes from one region only is quite impossible and a recipe for failure.

Once we were seated outside, the gods got angry and it started pouring. Those were the Italian tile gods going “go a in to a check out the a tiles”. Our tables were swiftly moved inside on top of the tiles. It felt like eating at a Russian family house without taking my shoes off. We were no there on a saturday which meant “No Pizza for You!”. The pizza is Roman which if true, and I have nothing to doubt its not, expect thin almost Matzoh like crust. The less toppings the better from my experience.

We started with a Coccetto app of mushrooms, bread and ham topped with cheese which was fine. While I’ve had various Russian/French variations of this dish, I never heard of Coccetto

As is often the case with Italian Trattorias the highlights are the pastas. Spaghetti Carbonara was as good as we’ve had in Rome. Creamy, a but runnier than I like, but still quite good. The Fetuccinne with Guanciale (pork cheeks) and black truffles (top) was best of show surprisingly considering its white truffle season at the moment. The dish had plenty of truffle aroma to satisfy all senses and convince the brain that its pretty darn yummy (foodie technical term).

The lamb chops as our shared secondi was slightly uneven but cooked well and quite delectable for the most part. We finished off with a nice ice cream duo, one topped with chocolates and the other with cherry sauce. Cherry won 3 “Mmmmmm”s to 1.

Categories: Turks and Caicos | Tags: Best restaurants in turks and caicos, food, Providenciales Dining, restaurants, Travel, Turks and Caicos, Via Veneto Turks and Caicos | 2 Comments

Turks and Caicos – Jerkey’s

Posted on December 24, 2013 by Ziggy

Sailing Paradise no more. It is now Jerkey’s located in what’s becoming Provo’s Restaurant Row on the road between Seven Stars and Leeward Highway. We sampled more of the same between the two of us. Same sublime Jerk Chicken – moist, juicy, and flavor packed, especially once you add their homemade Jamaican sauce. Still my favorite Jerk on the island. We eat it as if its the last day on the Mayan calendar. Same goes for the succulent, “Sarah Jessica Parker” boney Goat Curry. At some point I looked at both dishes and had to make a Sophie’s choice. BTW, if you dont see something on the menu like the Jerk Chicken, or the Caribbean platter featured in the Top 7 dishes in WhereWhenHow, ask for it

Although we enjoyed this lunch and Jerkey’s is now much closer, I and others I know very much miss the magical Sailing Paradise location. You can still visit those colorful huts, and who knows perhaps the tables are still there so bring some Jerkey’s takeout and a small oven

March 26th, 2013 Sailing Paradise post…

What a difference a year makes!

For the first time ever we opted to do something different on our last morning in Provo. Instead of sit by the beach and drag the agony, only to continue the agony at the airport, staring at the array of Pringles (i.e., lunch) at the terminal store trying to remember our favorite flavors, I decided to leave a little earlier and head to Sailing Paradise for a final feast. And what a feast this was.

Last April, a few weeks after Sailing Paradise reopened with new owners after being closed for some time, we were sitting there discovering our new favorite local spot. It was just the 4 of us and I remember a lady approach Orville, the man in charge, and ask him “Well? do they like it?”. Well, I think we like it even more today. Orville, owner, chef, and sometimes driver (more on that) told me there were moments last year where shutting down looked like the only option. This is not exactly prime location as far as Provo dining goes which is why Orville offers a free shuttle service to the beach potatoes of Grace Bay to bring them to Blue Hills. He does not have much a choice here.

And on this particular lunch we discovered the Caribbean Platter, i.e., The Dish, the mother of all combos, the Kila of Manila (my childhood dream was to be a WWE announcer). Seriously folks this is one sick dish (British readers – sick means good) and the most likely leader of the number of times we said “OMG, this is F**ing good” during a meal. Jerk chicken, jerk pork, fried fish (lightly fried grouper, so so good. Is this Escovitch?), goat curry, plantains, rice and peas.

This is my favorite jerk on the island. Juicy, tender seasoned to perfection, and with that homemade Jamaican sauce (if they dont bring it, ask for it) you got this finger licking, heavenly goodness of the Caribbean. The pork was more of the same. It looks dry, but its moist and tasty. And then there was the goat curry (not pictured, I ate it all) with all that goat glory, a joy ride with every morsel. Easily best dish of the trip nominee. Screw you Pringles – Original

We also enjoyed some tasty “fish tacos” (more like wraps actually pictured above). Or according to my iPhone auto correct, Fish Racists! Those auto corrections are so bizarre sometimes (Reminiscing over “Doomsday and Seven Stars are gorgeous!!” Doomsday of course means Somerset).

Now here’s the thing, obviously all this was made to order as it should be. But I’ve been to some local places where the jerk chicken for example was great one day and dry the next. I suspect in Sailing Paradise you will get better consistency for the same reason Orville has to drive you there.

So check it out everybody. And check out the Dish. Here’s more from Sailing Paradise at Blue Hills

Categories: Turks and Caicos | Tags: food, Jerkey’s, Providenciales Dining, Providenciales restaurants, restaurants, Sailing Paradise, Sailing Paradise Turks and Caicos, Travel, Turks and Caicos dining, Turks and caicos food, Turks and Caicos Restaurants | 1 Comment

Maialino – When in NYC do as the Romans do

Posted on December 22, 2013 by Ziggy

**** Terrible old post with terrible Iphone pictures replaced by a slightly less terrible post with more terrible Iphone pictures. I didnt take my camera to this one since I wasnt planning to make a post *******

Just the other day I was giving a food tour of Hell’s Kitchen to a young couple from the Philippines, and the subject of this blog came up. I told them something I realized lately, that this is the weirdest blog they will ever encounter as its all about eating in 3 peculiarly different places: NYC, Italy, and Turks And Caicos, a place they were not even familiar with. “Its in the Caribbean” normally follows (Although technically its part of the Atlantic Ocean really). But when my wife is often busy at work with older customers and does not have the time for 20 questions she prefers to just follow with “Turkey” instead. Its not that I had any sort of plan when I started blogging, but now over a year later I find myself trying to please 3 different audiences somehow.

In a strange way Union Square Hospitality’s Maialino in the Gramercy Park Hotel connects all 3 subjects together, at least in my mind. With TCI becoming increasingly Roman, I finally had my first Carbonara there (In Via Veneto). In NYC, I now have all sorts of Roman options including Lupa, and even Eataly where you can get a decent Cacio e pepe. But when I asked on Chowhound recently where do Italians eat in NYC, I was not surprised that the answer is A) a lot of what we call Italian food, and B) Maialino, according to one distinguished Roman and Food Author Maureen Fant.

For me to come back to the same place twice in one year is almost unheard of. But I just had to impress my Aussie friend Tanya and had to play it safe. The only thing I dislike about Maialino is the bar area. Its always packed with beautiful single people. So whenever I have to pass by it quickly to my seat in the back, it always serves as a ~~gruesome~~ reminder that I never had much of a single life. @NickAnderer, any chance you could give me some back door access next time. Anyway, another exceptional meal at one of New York’s exceptional Italian establishments.

Salumi Misti – You can select 3. We’ve chosen Finocchiona, Prosciutto di Parma, and Mortadella. All very good with the Finocchiona (salami with fennel) being my favorite.

Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe – Beautifully simple, simply beautiful. Along with the carbonara perhaps my favorite pasta here. Perfectly creamy, peppery, and addictive. Having it sit there among the other pastas is like visiting the bunny ranch after trying out all the bunnies, and constantly picking you favorite. Sorry you had to read this Tanya, Mrs Ziggy, ~~ex girlfriends~~.

Tortelli – Wow this was good. Little explosive mini pillows stuffed with pork and chicken liver drizzled with tasty balsamic oil and almonds. Poignant, surprising flavor. Not the type of surprise like Brian Boitano announcing he’s gay. Really surprising.

Spaghetti with lobster – Delicious! Not quite as sharp as the Lobster Fra Diavola I just had at my favorite restaurant in the Caribbean, Caicos Cafe led by a San Domenico veteran, but delicious nonetheless.

Oxtail – Roman style, slow cooked with tomato sauce. Tender, falling off the fork, absolutely scrumptious piece of meat you just want to attack. But we couldnt. We were stuffed. Just stared at it thinking how in the world I’m passing on this thing, reminiscing on the great oxtail we had at Cesare al Casaletto. Nick, thanks for correcting my pronunciation of Cesare al Casaletto at the Bonci/Parla event at Paulie Gee’s

In the past we also enjoyed the terrific Carbonara (better than the ones I had in Rome), octopus app with beans, Pappardelle, and a fine Garganelli al Sugo di Coniglio (yum). We skipped dessert this time but enjoyed the bread pudding over the more popular (I think) olive oil cake last time. Check out Maialino boys and girls