Posts Tagged With: Travel

5 Reasons to Visit Flatiron District this Month

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Ziggy

The Flatiron district is one of my favorite areas in NYC. It is the first area I think about when I need to kill some time. You got great architecture, artsy park, some of the best dining in NYC like Maialino and ABC Kitchen, and a stone throw away from Union Square and the village, Curry Hill, Koreatown and other great hoods. If all that is not enough here are 5 reasons to head to Flatiron today

1. New art at Madison Square Park. Orly Genger’s Red, Yellow, and Blue. 3 structures of layers of hand painted ropes in 3 areas of the park. I’ve seen a lot of art over the years at the park and this is one of the most stunning

http://www.madisonsquarepark.org/art

2. Madison Square Eats. They are back. New York’s finest in the food business dishing out some super tasty snacks. We are talking about Roberta’s Pizza (try the Bee Sting pizza), momofuku milk bar, Red Hook Lobster Pound, Arancini Bros., Bar Suzette, Hong Kong Street Cart and much much more (note that was 2 muches).

Avoid midweek during lunch however unless you don’t mind painful lines. More painful than standing in a full bus on a Friday night for 90 minutes as I did the other day. It was getting somewhat frustrating at some point but then luckily we all got that loud announcement again. “City bus operators are protected by state law. assaulting a bus operator is a felony!” Well thank goodness. And what perfect timing as I was just getting riled up. I mean is it really necessary to wake an entire bus of tired New Yorkers after work with this announcement. I can just imagine the meetings they had about what announcements they should do with their brand spanking new buses with fancy announcement systems. ” Hey lets remind them that assaulting a driver is a felony in case, you know, they are plotting something”, “Oh and lets also remind them what the fare is in case they forgot” We just paid it!!

3. Eataly. Still there and not going anywhere by the look of the crowds. I’ve been there 3 more times in the last 4 weeks alone and had more delicious Italian goodness like this Asparagus and egg dish in Le Verdure.

4. ABC Cocina. Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Dan Kluger’s much hyped Spanish tapa extension to the ultra popular farm to table ABC Kitchen.

5. Do you really need a 5th reason? Seriously why are you still reading? I gave you 4 perfectly fine reasons above including great food, flowers and painted ropes next to flowers. What else do you want? You know what, I had a great 5th reason but I’m choosing not to share it at this time. Instead I leave you with more pictures of painted rope with flowers, food, and for my Australian readers a squirrel…

Turks and Caicos – Top 7 Small Bites

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Ziggy

(As published in the current WhereWhenHow Magazine)

Seven days of culinary bliss. That defines another trip to Providenciales in a nutshell for the Ziggy clan. I can’t think of another Caribbean island where we’ve had it thisgood in such consistent fashion. Recent trips to foodie heavyweights in Europe have produced their share of clunkers. So who knew that an island nation of 33,253 residents, with restaurants mostly geared toward tourists, would produce such culinary delights?

I just love eating in Provo. In fact I love everything about the island – the beach, the people, even the driving. According to Mrs Ziggy I turn into someone else, including a complete gentleman while on the island (Although the truth is I keep forgetting the location of the steering wheel on the rental and keep opening the wrong door). Anyway, with that said, I will share here some of our favorite dishes from our last trip.

A solid meal can turn uneven in a hurry without the support of a solid starter to set the tone. So without further ado here are the nominees for best supporting cast (I’m talking about small dishes. Play with me here as I’m recovering from the latest Oscar fever)…

Conch Kebabs at Garam Masala. Imagine the Falafel and the Shish Kebab having a baby girl named Apple (a ~~Hollywood~~ Bollywood baby). The result is a spicy, juicy palate pleaser that opens your senses for things to come. I love Indian food and I can tell you that this is not your ordinary Indian. Part owner Vinni has a passion for his native cuisine and it shows.

Strong contender: Chicken Tikka “Pizza” (on naan bread)

Lobster Salad at Las Brisas – Lobster, tortilla, Chalk Sound, gazebo, light breeze, stronger breeze, napkins flying, oh no quick, close the shutters before the kids get a cold – Ingredients you wont find anywhere else, not even in Basque Country. The folks at Las Brisas (which means breezes) have been dishing out great tapas and lobster salads for years. They partially cook the lobster and let the lime acid do the rest. A semi-ceviche if you will. But you need to get there during lobster season, otherwise, well.. enjoy chicken season.

Strong contender: Chickpeas and Chorizo

Grilled Calamari at Caicos Café – Did you ever take a bulldog for a walk to his favorite spot in the park, and experience its huge anticipation as it strains on the leash to get there? That is sort of like when I’m being taken to Caicos Café. And in recent years in Caicos Café, the marvelous grilled Calamari is usually the first thing to arrive at our table. The squid itself has great texture, not too chewy as some can get. Add fresh mussels, savory Cannellini beans and finger licking, more bread please sauce and you got yourself one heck of a dish. I like to order grilled calamari everywhere we go and the result is very often a case of severe daydreaming.

Strong contender: Gnocchi with Mushroom sauce

Fish Tacos at Hemingway’s – A staple on every trip to Provo for us, especially for Mrs Ziggy (Hi, Mrs Ziggy, look at me I have my own column. See, I told you all that time spent on Trip Advisor will lead to something). While in other popular establishments on other islands you need a fishing license to fish the grouper out of the tacos, in Hemingway’s the fish is the main event. A hint of sour cream and sweet Mango chutney provide a glorious compliment and lets you temporary forget any preferences for the spicier stuff.

Strong Contender: Conch Fritters

Coffee Rubbed Tuna at Bay Bistro – Who knew coffee and tuna can play so nicely together. Well, the same person that figured out the pecan, conch and orange Ménage à trois among other great combinations in the classics filled Bay Bistro menu, that’s who. Island riots and airport shutting firefighter strikes normally erupt after Bay Bistro removes items from the menu. Long live the Coffee Rubbed Tuna!

Strong Contender: Conch Wontons

Escargot at Le Bouchon. When in Provo do what the French do, and eat what the French eat like the succulent Escargot at Le Bouchon. It’s a fairly simple dish that so many can’t get quite right. At a recent popular Brooklyn joint I was presented with an Escargot dish that was pretty to look at but with zero substance, like Paris Hilton. However at Le Bouchon what you get is the perfect balance of garlic, butter and herbs. And once you are done with those babies you can shift that ‘I want more’ desire to the sauce and the terrific bread.

Strong Contenders: Mussels

Scallops at Beach House – Perfectly seared scallops with cauliflower espuma and white truffle vinaigrette. The espuma is a foam-like runny “I cant believe its not mashed potato puree”, and you really get the wonderful truffle essence here. Big flavours in this one. Note that spelling flavour with a U, the British way, normally alludes to bigger tastes than the less sophisticated American plain Flavor.

Strong Contender: Strozzapreti (Another Note, I havent actually tried those particular Priest Stranglers (“Strozzapreti”) but strictly judging in this case by the facial expressions of a trusted foodie that did. Unless it was just gas)

So there you have it. 7 memorable small bites from our last trip. Enjoy your trip and stay hungry my friends

Categories: Turks and Caicos | Tags: Best food in Providenciales, best food in Turks and caicos, food, restaurants, Travel, Turks and Caicos, Turks and Caicos Restaurants | Leave a comment

Ziggy International

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Ziggy

photo (46)

Start posting nonsense on Trip Advisor – Check

Make a YouTube Video – Check

Start a Blog – Check

Learn the difference between i.e and e.g. – Check

Get a feature column in a world renowned magazine – Check

If the link does not work, just click on the magazine on the left here

Categories: Turks and Caicos | Tags: food, Providenciales, restaurants, Travel, Turks and Caicos, Where When How | 3 Comments

Scenes from the Foreign Nation of Elmhurst Queens

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Ziggy

Its fun to play tourist in your own town. One of the perks of living in NYC is that you dont have to travel much to get a taste of Thailand, India, Russia, Sri Lanka, China, Uzbekistan, you name it we go it. Well, maybe not a decent Rijsttafel (Indonesian rice tables popular with the dutch) so almost everything. Elmhurst in Queens is one of those neighborhoods that I never actually explored. Driven by it many times but never explored, until yesterday with the Hummus Whisperer.

Various Thai delis, stores, Michelin/Zagat recommended Thai establishments like Ayada flock this area. There’s something happening on every corner like in this one. Your choice of noodle soup. The coconut curry with “I cant believe this is not Matzoh ball” fish ball soup hit the spot. We proceeded to try all kinds of prepared dishes for a little picnic in a spectacularly busy park where we were the only white folks.

We had sort of a feast with one particular hit being a cod with a terrifically complex sauce.

This Vitamilk which is synonymous with soy milk in Thailand was one of the winners. Another refresher was a lychee juice not pictured here. This is the reason to take trips like these. Discovering things that may potentially improve your love for life 🙄

This trip was another reminder that its Silkworm season. Cant wait to put these babies on the grill or finally do that Silkworm Stroganoff I’ve been dying to do. Or my all time favorite still, Peanut Butter and Silkworm sandwich. Yum yum yum! And be careful to not overcook them folks. You dont want to lose that wonderful silky texture.

Turn another corner and its a very cool Thai Buddhist temple with all kinds of treasures to explore. Some of which we couldnt take pictures due to prayer sessions. Later dudes

Categories: New York City, Queens | Tags: elmhurst queens, food, NYC thai food, queens eats, Queens food, Travel | Leave a comment

Best Pizza in Hell

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Ziggy

Who said you cant get good pizza in Hell’s Kitchen? I did!! Time and time again. But things are different now. I’ve scouted, examined, food poisoned the neighborhood to death for you loyal readers, both of yous. Here are the results…

Sacco – You want 99 cents slice? Plenty around. But if you want the quintessential New York slice done right, you head to Sacco, in business for over 50 years. The slice holds it own, nothing soggy, perfect thickness and full of flavor. You will be hard pressed to find a better NY slice.

Don Antonio – The Las Vegas of the NY pizza. Meaning its not exactly your average NY pizza hole in the wall. A full menu of antipasti and a huge array of pies. This is Neapolitan pizza at its best from the Keste (west village) master and Antonio Starita from the famed Pizzeria Starita a Materdei in Naples. Need I say more? I have no idea who they are but it sure sounds impressive. I’ve sampled about 8 pies here. Try the lightly fried Montanara for something a little different, or the Diavola with the Sopressata which is meatier and milder than Merilu’s. Wood burning oven means don’t get too comfortable. You will get your pies within minutes. Great for sharin

John’s Pizzeria – Another old-timer. Eat and pray. This is the touristy one with good cause, set in a former church. Like a huge pizza diner. No slices here and no individual pies like Don Antonio so not that sharing friendly. But what you get is fresh ingredients and an excellent overall pie. Love the Margheritas here

Merilu – From Torino to NYC, Merilu with her 4 children and cousins (husband just eats the stuff, my kind of family) are making some great oblong shaped pies. Is it a rectangle? Is it oval? Who knows, who cares, its delicious. Thin tasty crust with just the right balance of ingredients. My favorite is the spicy sopressata. If they have it out that day that is. Otherwise try the Margherita or anything else that looks good on the display. And if you come on Friday or Saturday you can also experience “the Merilu the meatball a”. Juicy, meaty, cheesy goodness. Fantastico stuff!

Capizzi – A solid alternative to the Don Antonio, John’s craziness and perhaps the closest thing to a pizza parlor you can only find in the outer boroughs. The ingredients speak for themselves, like the bright fresh tomato sauce and the extra meaty pepperoni and sausages

So there you have it. I’m pretty sure I’m not missing anything but if I am, comment away. Buon Appetito Amigos.

Categories: Midtown West, New York City | Tags: Annabel NYC, Best pizza midtown west, best pizza nyc, Don Antonio NYC, food, merilu nyc, NYC eats, NYC restaurants, restaurants, sacco nyc, Travel | 8 Comments

Lazy Post – Turks and Caicos in Pictures

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Ziggy

Categories: Turks and Caicos | Tags: Providenciales, Travel, travel+photography, Turks and Caicos, vacation | 2 Comments

Dear Diary: What to order in Scarpetta

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Ziggy

Doctor’s Orders. That’s what I tell people sometimes when they ask me why I’ve started a blog. My doctor ordered me to start tracking what I eat. Not entirely true. My doctor cares more about what I should be snipping than eating. But the tracking part is true. I love the fact that I finally found a space where I can write about my eats in sort of an organized fashion, just in case I need to retrieve something. Like the other day when I took a group of friends to Beso, I simply looked at the site to see what we liked on our first visit. Or when someone asked us about our Israel itinerary. Brilliant!! 🙄

Something tells me I will need to revisit this post in the future. When my wife and visiting friend from Boston who we shall call Milena, because that’s her name, asked me to order for everyone I was like…(insert angel sound affect). On my second visit to Scarpetta I felt I perfected the ordering part a little more. Here’s one way to experience the best of Scarpetta

1st Course:

The bread – Still one of the best bread baskets in NYC, some of which comes from Sullivan Street Bakery I believe. Stromboli, a nice touch. This is like a full app and more

Raw Yellowtail – Wow! New for us this time. Thick buttery goodness with chunky sea salt. So so good!

Palenta with truffled mushrooms. Still amazing. Definitely one of the classics here. Very creamy, very good, and very grateful my wife does not eat mushrooms.

2nd course:

Spaghetti – Its almost silly calling it a signature dish since there are so many great items on the menu. But its definitely delicious and one of the best Spaghetti with red sauce and basil you will ever eat (likely). The sauce is probably still the best Ive had

Agnolloti – They keep changing the Agnolloti. This time with bone marrow and short rib. Last time with rabbit. But the main difference this time was the breadcrumby crunchy garlic chips. One of my favorite dishes here

3rd course:

Ravioli – Still terrific. stuffed with duck and Foie Gras with Marsala reduction. Although enjoyable I got bored with it eventually unlike some of the other dishes.

Roasted Chicken – Wow this was good. Nice and salty Spaetzle with some very tasty carrots. Chicken was moist and juicy. Enjoyed this much more than the cod last time. Chicken is sort of making a comeback for me in places like this. Trend started at Louro which delivered big time.

4th Course:

Warm Banana Bread – much better than the previous soupy mess of the coconut pana cotta. Great stout ice cream.

Chocolate cake – very good

Only problem was wait between courses was far from even and too rushed at times. They gave us 10 seconds to enjoy the great bread basket before bringing the apps. And the third course was brought in as soon as they took the plates.

Nevertheless Dear Diary, a perfect meal. Looking forward to next visit where I try nothing new

Categories: Chelsea, New York City | Tags: Chelsea restaurants, food, NYC dining, NYC food, NYC restaurants, restaurants, Scarpetta, Scarpetta NYC, Travel | 1 Comment

Turks and Caicos – Beach House

Posted on March 23, 2013 by Ziggy

The Beach House at the Beach House near Beaches House right by the Beach is the latest addition to Provo’s ever growing and competitive fine dining scene. In a weird way the Beach House at Beach House reminds me of a quote from the Godfather; Don Corleone, I am honored and grateful that you have invited me to your daughter’s wedding…on the day of your daughter’s wedding. Don Eric Vernice is not a exactly a stranger to Provo’s haute cuisine. Classicly trained French Vernice, fromerly with Parallel 23 created an intense and ambitious foie/wagyu/foam filled menu, or as they call it in my village, a “Fufu”. In a way the menu resembles a fine Italian menu, with some good looking pasta/risotto options mid way. The manager of the Beach House left a few weeks ago and so we didn’t get all the farm to table talk as others did. Perhaps the former manager finally realized its farm to freezer to plane to mule to table and found it difficult to believe

You may find the setting a little odd next to the resort pool but it didnt bother me. We did however get the largest round table for 8 (plus baby) we’ve ever seen. Since texting wasnt an option here, in order to talk to my kids I had to ask the always available waiters to deliver them notes.

The dishes at the Beach House ranged from good to very good to exceptional, and overall it was a very enjoyable meal from start to finish. I was joined again by the Conch snob, Pasta snob, Just snob, Chicken snob (1 year), and an Aruba snob (Father in law).

The details here are a little murky. Delicious bread to start things off. Very rarely delicious bread is followed by mediocre food, since this is an indication of the type of attention to detail. Super sized table meant super sized dishes like the Tomato Mozzarella plate (biggest I’ve seen), a gorgeous looking and tasting app of heirloom tomatoes and savory buffalo mozzarella. Conch snob liked his Conch Extravaganza, a true extravaganza of curried conch, conch chowder, and conch rolls of some sort. My favorite app however was mine, perfectly seared scallops (below) with this runny french potato-like puree “espuma” of cauliflower. Thank you dear Jesus for sending me a wife who is not too fond of Scallops.

We tried just about all the risottos and pastas on the menu and there was not a bad seed in the bunch. Fantastic Cavatelli with seafood (more scallops thank you), a nice seafood risotto, Strozzapreti (Priest stranglers :evil:) with ricotta and braised veal shank was so good that I cant even describe it. Meaning the Pasta snob ate the entire thing without offering any to the food blogger. “You were sitting too far”. Nice try! Aruba snob enjoyed his rabbit risotto or I thought he did until… “Is there a place here that sells Schnitzels”. “No”. “In Aruba there is one. They make great Schnitzels”.

Main courses mainly did not disappoint. Nice Wagyu beef special served rare on top a very interesting short rib Shepard pie. A very inventive and delicious dish. So was the Snapper, although perhaps a bit too interesting for mrs Ziggy. A complex combination of flavors in this one with root veggies, and more, where every bite delivered different tastes. Some enjoyed their Branzino special. The dessert sampler was on the mark as well and nicely priced for such a plate.

One thing I should note is that one can get away with ordering a few apps here including a pasta dish but chances are once you see the mains temptation wins. Overall, I think I appreciate the Beach House and the creativity of Eric Vernice a bit more after this post. Chances are this one will be a culinary force for years to come, and I cant wait to come back for more Priest Stranglers and the rest of them.

Recommended Dishes: Scallops, Conch Extravaganza, Tomato Mozzarella, Cavatelli, Snapper, Strozzapreti 😡

Categories: Turks and Caicos | Tags: Beach House, Beach House Turks and Caicos, food, Providenciales Dining, Providenciales restaurants, restaurants, Travel, Turks and Caicos dining, Turks and caicos food, Turks and Caicos Restaurants | 4 Comments

Turks and Caicos – Hemingway’s

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Ziggy

A trip to Provo feels incomplete to us without lunch at Hemingway’s at the Sands. This was our first meal in Provo when we discovered the island back in 2006 while staying at the Sands so the sentimental value is there. But I dont go back for sentimental values alone, nor for just the view, nor for Jojo’s bell which you have to ring when you see Jojo the dolphin. I didnt know at first and rang it when I was ready for dessert.

Ordering at Hemingway’s is quite simple for us. Tacos, Fish and Chips, Conch Fritters please, no menus needed.

The tacos are some of the best on the island. While other popular establishments pack theirs with green peppers, avocado, red peppers, purple peppers and brown avocados, here its pretty simple. Hefty pieces of grilled fish with a hint of sour cream and savory sweet mango chutney that compliment the fish beautifully. Hmmm that reminds me, Mrs Ziggy are you reading? What happened to the fish tacos with spicy mayo you used to make?

Just like the tacos, we also tried plenty of the various fish and chips on the island and this one is our favorite. Lightly fried pretty good size groupers with perfectly seasoned “meaty”, just like I like em fries. I prefer nicely seasoned over nicely sauced.

And just like with the tacos, and fish and chips (Ok I know I’m beginning to sound like Dr Seuss and need to stop) we tried all sorts of conch fritters on the island and this one is one of our favorites. It got that perfect crispy exterior and works very well with the accompanied sauce. And as you can see from the photo above I couldn’t quite help myself and attacked this thing before I had a chance to take a photo

In short, Hemingway’s is good for what it is. Good cheap food, nice drinks, comfortable setting, nice views, Jojo’s bell, what else do you need. Pizza, foie gras perhaps, but that’s just about it, I think.

Recommended dishes: Fish Tacos, Conch Fritters, Fish and chips

Categories: Turks and Caicos | Tags: food, Hemingway's, Hemingway's Turks and Caicos, Providenciales Dining, restaurants, Travel, Turks and Caicos dining, Turks and caicos food, Turks and Caicos Restaurants | 3 Comments

Turks and Caicos – Seven

Posted on March 9, 2013 by Ziggy

First I want to start this post by saying that I love my mom. I love you mom! With that said… when I was growing up as a kid I really hated fish. I would beg to be seated away from fish dishes and after the first time I tried Gefilte Fish I was the youngest person in my city to file a restraining order against his parents. I really hated fish but that was because the only fish I knew was my mom’s fish which she made quite often. This is possibly the reason for one of my travel rules: Never eat where I stay, and in general I’m not too keen on resort dining. I love staying at the Seven Stars and everyone on Trip Advisor knows that but it took me 5 tries to finally make it to Seven, considered by many one of the top dining options on the island. I am glad I did

Terrific meal all around. Great looking menu that is not over the top expensive for the quality ingredients included and look and feel of the dining place. I normally dont put too much weight on service on the island but the staff at Seven was so professional and knowledgeable it was refreshing. From Allan Duffy who is running the show, and the witty Tuscan waiter to the fairly new executive chef that knows his stuff.

Started with a very nice Amuse-bouche of salmon tartar and a piece of salmon. Half portion of a main of Mushroom Ravioli with truffle cream was very pleasant. Red Beet Gazpacho according to Hummus Whisperer was like the sickest red borscht you will ever eat, with sherry, Avocado Ice Cream, golden beet, another kind of beet, and 2 ingredients that were told to the waiter once at a bar which I’m not allowed to say. Sounded like a terrific starter. Lobster Ravioli was good but could be without the caviar which overwhelmed the rest of the dish slightly. Seafood bisque was outstanding. They put a conch fritter, shrimp tartar and scallop and pour the bisque over. Great flavor although Mrs Ziggy said she’d prefer just the bisque without the accompanied stuff.

Vanilla rum butter poached lobster with papaya buttermilk risotto (above) was rich and tasty. Two people were raving about the duck breast (below). You see I cant try everything as there’s only so much I can eat while dining with a party of 8. The star of show was perhaps the Best End of milk fed lamb (top picture), which is a fancy British way of saying back of the Lamb Neck, or in this particular case Lamb Neck fillets – perfectly cooked medium rare, melt in your mouth deliciousness.

A meal like this screams for a nice finish and the Coconut creme brûlée with almond ice cream was just that. One of the best desserts of the last trip. Kudos to Josu, executive chef from Basque country. Anyone born in Basque country in Spain or Emilia Romagna in Italy is an automatic good cook. My mother was not born in any of those places but is still a great mom.

Recommended Dishes: Red Beet Gazpacho, Vanilla rum butter poached lobster, Best End of milk fed lamb, Coconut creme brûlée

Categories: Turks and Caicos | Tags: food, Providenciales, restaurants, Seven, Seven Stars, Seven Turks and caicos, Travel, Turks and Caicos dining, Turks and caicos food, Turks and Caicos Restaurants | 2 Comments

Posts Tagged With: Travel

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