Leaving for a few weeks, so leaving an oldie but goodie…. The 15 Best Things we Ate in Spain ..read more

Whenever someone asks for Spanish Tapas recommendations, if its not in Chelsea it doesn’t enter my mind. Just like Thai restaurants in Hell’s Kitchen, there are mysterious forces that attract some of the top Spanish talents to the neighborhood. As you may know, we are fans of Z-List long timer Tia Pol, but you also got the excellent Salinas, Mercado Little Spain, Casa Dani, El Quijote, Socarrat, and some others. Txikito, smack in the middle of them all, might just be the most important of the bunch. A 15 y/o in super competitive NYC is approaching legend territory. It’s one of those places Iv ..read more

When I was 5 years old the world was a crazy place. Wars, chaos, crime, Froot Loops, drugs dominated. 50 years later not much has changed. But much did. I’m sure you all had similar conversation on the differences between growing up then and now. By the time I was 5 I already had my fare share of vodka that I mistook for water, and cigarettes that I did not mistake for something else. A 5 year old smoking after a rough day in day care is unimaginable now. I may have told this story, but I recently lost some weight. I thought it was good news, but apparently to doctors its a red flag. I was bo ..read more

Ulivo, in the heart of NoMad isnt particularly known like a Lilia, Rezdora, or a Via Carota. It’s just one of a myriad of regional Italian in that part of the city, and unless you live nearby, it’s sometimes easy to forget it even exists. But there’s a reason it survived 8 years including a pandemic. 10 reasons in fact. Fresh Pasta Galore – Gotta start with the bread and butter. On my first visit I was introduced to what I dubbed The Widow Maker. Lets just say its not exactly the pasta maker my kids bought me for Xmas. This is what you need in order to create a pasta centric menu, respon ..read more

If you are local, unless you’ve been living under a rock, or Staten Island, you probably heard of Taqueria Ramirez by now. The Greenpoint jewel has quickly become NYC’s taco mecca, with people making the pilgrimage from far and wide. The Los Tacos of the locals if you will. The place is so busy that if the line doesnt snake around the block, you might as well get on it. Like the infamous Cronut, this is why it took me years to finally try it. One of the perks of living in options galore NYC. FOMO is easy to avoid. But on the first spring-like day of the year I figured it’s time. We got there ..read more

Yep, I took a food tour in NYC. Something I havent done since I took a relatively mediocre Free Tour by Foot tour of East Village. Free Tours and food dont really go well together in NYC, even if free means very cheap ($1-$2 each item). But generally for me, taking a food tour in NYC always felt like an experienced auto mechanic getting oil change lessons. Probably boring, but I may learn a thing or two. Well, I actually did. I learned a few things about Washington Square Park, and even Taylor Swift, among other tidbits I never picked up in the almost 40 years of living here. For a while I th ..read more

I dont know why I havent written a post on Anton’s before. Well, I sort of know. I may have added it to the world famous Z-List (I was told by people from various countries) before Anton’s even opened. You see, I’ve been following Nick Anderer ever since I met him at a Gabriele Bonci / Katie Parla pizza event in Brooklyn years ago. He called the police on me twice but eventually just got used to it. Another rehashed joke. I know. I’ll be here all week, try the veal.  Like Anton’s itself, Anderer’s resume reads like an homage to the classics. Tabla (under the great late Floyd Cardoz), Bab ..read more

The Staten Island Survival Guide ..read more

Every time I’m invited to an event at Don Peppe, I huff, and puff and bitch all the way there. Its too far, its too old, its past its prime, I think I have a rash and it could get nasty any minute. No shortage of excuses. I just dont like to travel too far for old school Italian. But every single time I go there, I’m not only reminded how good it is, but I’m also reminded that we dont really have anything like it. Even with a party of 10 on a Saturday night, no reservations allowed (I dont think). And even with a very full house, and standing room only in the oversized waiting room, we got ou ..read more

Speaking of which (last post), a long overdue update to the Z-List. Five in, five out…. Out Capizzi – Just not as strong as the many newer pizzerias Bowery Meat Co. – Hard to stay below $100 especially if you want steak Marta – Sadly closed Scampi – Sadly closed Faro – Closed. The location was a killer In Indian Table Foxface Natural Claude L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele 19 Cleveland The list ..read more