A FAN OF AFGHAN

Saying he wanted to taste the local food our troops may be eating, Jeremy and I ventured to New York's "Little Afghanistan," located in  Flushing.  In tow with us was Jeremy's buddy and guest blogger, Max.

A little restaurant winning rave reviews is Kabul Kebab House on Main Street.   We had hoped there would be low tables and rugs but this place was spartan and spotless.  The only nod to Afghanistan were little squares of rug under glass tabletops and several arched doorways.  The focus of the restaurant is its glassed in kebab kitchen which is on view from the street.  Given Afghanistan's geographic location, I thought the food would be similar to Indian cuisine.  But, what we ate, was closer to Middle Eastern in flavor.

Jeremy
The restaurant was much nicer than I expected.  My mom ordered a combination platter than included three appetizers:  Kashk Badengan (eggplant dip), Badenjan Buranee (fried eggplant) and Sambosa  (a meat dumpling).   I really liked  the Sambosas; they sort of tasted like tacos.  The eggplant dip was amazing.  It was the first time I ever liked anything made of eggplant.  We also had the Salad Shirazi filled with cucumbers, tomatoes, mint, onion and feta cheese.  It was tasty.  We then ordered a special drink from Afghanistan called Dhoog, a salty yoghurt soda with mint.  It tasted like baking soda with milk and ground Mentos.

Max
I liked everything except for the fried eggplant.  I really hated the Dhoogh.  It tasted like carbonated yogurt.

Marci
The eggplant dip was indeed excellent --kind of a Baba Ganoosh with tomatoes.  The Sambosas had a delicate pastry dough--  much lighter than an Indian Samosa. As for Doogh, it is definitely an acquired taste.  It reminded me of me Total yoghurt with a spritz and some mint. -- not bad, but is it anything you'd ever think to make?

Jeremy
For entrees we ordered three kebabs:  Cornish Hen (Jojeh Kebab), Lamb, (Tikka Kebab) and Ground Beef (Kabab Kobideh).    It was served on an enormous platter with brown and white basmati rice, raw onions and grilled tomatoes.   The kebabs were really good.   I even liked the rice which I normally don't like.

Max
I also liked the lamb kebabs.  I really didn't like the ground beef.  It tasted a little weird.  I liked to mix the lamb with the raw onions and rice.

Marci
My favorite was the cornish hen kebab: very moist and absolutely delicious.

Jeremy
For dessert we had Bakhlava and also home made rosewater ice cream with pistachio nuts.  The bakhlava was okay; the ice cream didn't taste like much.  I would definitely go back to Kabul Kebab.  The food was really tasty.  I would try Afghani food again.

Max
I liked the ice cream because it was icey.  It was the first time I had bakhlava.  It was good but very sweet.  I really like kebabs so I would definitely go back to Kabul Kebab.

Marci
Me too.  The food was fresh, delicious and well-priced.  We definitely will eat Afghani food again.  Let's see if the next one we try will be as good as Kabul Kebab!

KABUL KEBAB HOUSE
42-51 Main Street
Flushing, NY
(718) 461-1919

a thumbs up, according to Jeremy, is 3.5 out of 4 stars

WE HAVE RETURNED

Call it middle school transition., call it plain old laziness.  Whatever it was, Jeremy and I are back blogging after a four month hiatus.

Not that we haven't been eating out.  We actually visited two restaurants in August and September and planned to blog about them but then school started and all the extra work of sixth grade and life, in general, seemed to preoccupy us.  In addition, to our local spots, we're also happy to report (well, at least, I am) that Eataly has opened in our neighborhood. While we haven't been able to eat at its restaurants, it's amazing roasted chicken -- among the best I've ever eaten -- has become part of our regular dinner repetoire.

MUCHO BUENO,  TORTILLERIA NIXTAMAL

MARCI
Jeremy is a huge a huge taco fan.  So, for his birthday in August, the whole family journeyed to Corona, Queens to Tortilleria Nixtamal, a small family run business where they make their own tortillas from actual corn.  Sounded interesting.  Their website also says they use natural corn oil instead of lard and buy local produce, meat from the local butcher and even fish from Whole Foods.

Tortilleria Nixtamal has only about a half dozen tables.  It reminded us of many of the local spots we ate at while on vacation in Mexico last spring -- only much cleaner.  A friendly waitress came by and we proceeded to order almost everything on the small menu.

JEREMY
I don't remember much about the restaurant except that I ate a lot of food and enjoyed it.  What I liked best was the pork tamales.   The guacamole was also pretty good and the tacos were good but the meat was a little fatty.    The food was very authentic.  It didn't taste like my favorite, Chipolte, but then again, that's more Tex-Mex than real Mexican.  Would I go back to Tortilleria Nixtamal?  I would if it was within a 20 block radius of my house.  Since it's not, I probably won't.

MARCI
The tamales were tasty.  My favorite was the Rajas tamale which had tomatoes, chile and cheese.  We tasted plenty of homemade corn products from the posole in the soup to the tamales to the chips for the guacamole and the tacos.  While everything was very fresh, I honestly don't know that I could tell the difference between the tortillas here or at some of our other favorite Mexican restaurants.

As Jeremy stated, the food is definitely authentic.  The good news is the Tortilleria is starting to supply other taco shops and Mexican restaurants in the city. I'll have to take Jeremy to the taco shop just south of Union Square which is now using their products.

Tortilleria Nixtamal
104-05 47th Avenue (between 104th and 108th Streets)
Corona, NY

http://www.tortillerianixtamal.com

a diagonal thumbs up, according to Jeremy, is 3 out of 4 stars


FINGER LICKIN' GOOD

MARCI
We were very excited to hear that Hill Country, the Texas BBQ place near our house, was opening up a restaurant devoted only to fried chicken.  We never got to go to Piece of Chicken, the Hells Kitchen chicken ship which closed late summer.   So on its opening weekend, Jeremy and I made an early visit to Hill Country Kitchen.

The restaurant looks like an old fashioned kitchen with vintage wallpaper, chrome tables and chairs.  It's cafeteria-style so you line up to pick your chicken.  As usual, Jeremy and I ordered far more than we could eat...

JEREMY

There are two choices for fried chicken:  Hill Country Classic (with skin) and Mama El's, a skinless fried chicken.  I liked the Mama El's chicken because it had extra crunchies.  The chicken tenders were also really good.  My favorite side were the cole slaw and the french fries.  I didn't like the carrot and raisin slaw; it was nasty.  The restaurant also serves mini pies small enough for one person to eat.  We tried a bunch:  double cherry, cowboy and banana cream.  My favorite was the cowboy pie.  It had caramel, chocolate chips and some sort of cookie crunch.  They also serve a pie shake which sounds really interesting but we didn't order.   I definitely would go back to Hill Country.  It's near my house and the chicken is really good.

MARCI
I'm with Jeremy:  great skinless fried chicken and chicken tenders, terrific cole slaw.   Not only is it close to our house, it's close to my office and sometimes after a particularly crazy morning, we need comfort and cholesterol.  We're happy it's in the neighborhood but it's one of those foods you can't really eat on a regular basis.

Hill Country Kitchen
1123 Broadway (25th Street)
http://www.hillcountrychicken.com

a thumbs up, according to Jeremy is 3.5 out of 4 stars

GOOD MEAL, MATE

MARCI

Jeremy and I have already eaten at restaurants representing different cuisines from five of the seven continents.  So, it was time for us to sample the culinary skills Down Under:   we headed to a cute little spot in Nolita called Eight Mile Creek.  

There are about 13 restaurants in the city that serve Australian-style food however Eight Mile Creek seemed to have the most versatile menu -- offering both savory traditional dishes and modern fare.  I called in advance to see if they were serving kangaroo but apparently it is not a politically correct dish these days.  No marsupials on the menu!   That being said emu carpaccio was, so we booked a reservation.  Guess no one cares about a big bird.

Greeted by some of the friendliest staff we've come across, Jeremy and I felt at home the minute we heard the words, "Good Evening, Mates."

JEREMY

I thought Australian food was going to be a lot like English food because the English sent their prisoners to settle in Australia back during colonial times.  But in reality it's more like American food.  In fact, this was my favorite restaurant that my mom and I have eaten at.

My mom ordered Cooper's Sparkling Ale.  I had a little sip and it was good.  Me, I ordered a Coke.  For appetizers, we ordered emu carpaccio with rocket (arugula), black truffle oil vinaigrette and edamame.  I never had emu before or carpaccio.  But I figured if emu was a favorite food of the Aborigines, I might like it too.  I couldn't figure out the taste but then I realized it reminded me of roast beef.  I would eat it again if it was served to me but probably wouldn't order it again.

We tried the "Mini Me" Pastry Plate, a savory dish of mini meat pies, sausage rolls and veggie pasties.  Meat pies and sausage rolls are fast food items in Australia but they're far from junk food.  The meat pie was a flaky pastry dough with ground beef and the perfect amount of gravy.  The sausage roll was better than a pig in a blanket and the veggie pasty, well, not as good.  This was my favorite dish. Next time, I want to order the full size meat pie: no minis for me.  My mom told me there's a place on St. Marks Place called Tuck Shop that serves Australian Pies.  I definitely want to go there.

Then I had an Australian Lamb Rack -- three small lamb chops served with mashed potatoes.  It tasted like  any good lamb chop from America to me.  My mom ordered Barramundi, an Australian cod.  She said it was delicious.  I didn't like it much but then again, I don't like most fish.

For dessert we had Triple Chocolate Cake and a famous Australian dessert called a Lamington.  Lamington is yellow cake dipped in chocolate and coconut with jam in between the layers.  Both desserts were pretty good.

Would I go back to Eight Mile Creek?  Definitely.  Next time, I want to take my dad.

MARCI

I hadn't really given much thought as to what authentic Australian food would taste like.  Somehow I pictured a lot of grilling on the barbie.  Like Jeremy I was pleasantly surprised to have such a nice meal.  I must agree that the meat pie was really outstanding.  It was the perfect balance of meat to pastry to gravy.  The lamington desert was also quite tasty. For sure, I'd recommend Eight Mile Creek:  a fun little spot with good food and friendly people.

EIGHT MILE CREEK
240 Mulberry Street
New York, NY  10012
www.eightmilecreek.com

a thumbs up, according to Jeremy is 3.5 out of 4 stars

BBQ IN KOREATOWN

MARCI
Last Saturday, Jeremy and I started smelling something good outside our window.  Indeed, a strange occurrence in Manhattan but it was the aroma from portable barbecue pits preparing for the annual Big Apple Barbecue Block Party.

We talked briefly about partaking in the weekend long event at Madison Square Park -- where 18 pitmasters from around the country served their savory bbq -- but we had a new continent to visit:  Asia.  Maybe it was the smell of smoking meats  that made Jeremy think of Korean barbecue.  Whatever the reason, we headed to the northern end of Koreatown for dinner at MADANGSUI.

JEREMY
We decided to have an early dinner and when we got to the restaurant at 5pm, there was practically no one there.  In the middle of the table, there was a grill and above us was a vent to suck out any smoke.

They first served us banchan, little side dishes that included kimchi which is smelly pickled cabbage, pickled radish, plain radish, seaweed, some potato salad like dish, some sauces and a bean paste.

To start, we ordered hae-mool-pa-jun which was like a scallion pancake with seafood.  There was too much seafood in it but it was tasty.  We also had a salad with ginger dressing which was good.   My mom ordered some sort of kimchi-tofu soup which looked nasty.  It was so hot that the waitress cracked an egg in the bowl and it cooked itself.  Even though I didn't want to taste it, I did.  But it wasn't for me.  My mom really liked it because it had tofu.

We also had bimibop which is rice with zucchini and ground beef in a spicy sauce.  This was pretty good but we left a lot over to make room for the barbecue.

  

Then the waitress came back and she turned on the grill.  After it warmed up, they brought out the raw marinated bul-go-gi and cooked it.  With the meat came large pieces of lettuce.  You take the meat, put it on the lettuce and then put on some of the banchan,  wrap it up and eat it.  It tasted sweet and tangy.   I asked my mom if there was any other barbecue dish that were popular.  She said galbi which is boneless shortribs. So we decided to order this, too.  I think the waitress thought it was weird that we were ordering so much food because she was talking to another waitress and pointing to our table.  But she brought it anyway.  After the ribs were cooked she cut them with a scissor.  The ribs tasted like the bul-go-gi but fattier.  We had a couple of bites and then took it home for my dad.

We were too full to eat at the restaurant so decided to have dessert somewhere else in Koreatown.

MARCI
We went to the restaurant early because they say it gets pretty crowded and we hadn't made a reservation.  As Jeremy mentioned, the restaurant was empty.  He was very curious about the grill in the middle of our table and thought we'd be doing our own cooking but quickly learned that that's the wait staff's job.

The seafood pancake was a bit greasy, but enormous and tasty.  The kimchi tofu soup reminded me of a more flavorful version of egg drop soup.  The bimipop was really tasty but I've had it before where the clay pot makes the rice crusty giving the dish a more interesting texture.  Then came the bul-go-gi.  The marinated meat was delicious especially after adding some of the banchan and eating it with the lettuce wrap.  As Jeremy pointed out, we decided to go for one more dish and ordered the boneless short ribs, a Korean specialty.  The meat was a little fatty but it was very tasty.  We left the restaurant with half of everything to bring home.  We then walked to 32nd Street, the heart of Koreatown.

JEREMY

We went to two places for dessert.  First was some Korean cafe where we ordered gombo and a tapioca ball.  Both were pretty nasty.  So we went to KORYODONG, the big pastry shop and I ordered a red bean paste ball and a melon ice pop.  They were also pretty gross.

MARCI
I can't disagree.  Dessert was not a highlight.

JEREMY
I really liked the meat at Madangsui but that was about it.  Would I go back for Korean bbq.  Probably, but it wouldn't be my first choice.  And definitely no dessert!

MADANGSUI
35 West 35th Street New York, NY 10001
www.madangsui.com

a sideways thumb, according to Jeremy, is 2:4 stars

VAMOS A LA PEQUENA COLOMBIA

MARCI

On a beautiful Sunday afternoon, Jeremy, guest blogger Max (Jeremy's buddy) and I headed to Jackson Heights, Queens to taste the savory cuisine of Colombia.

We got off the subway at 74th and Roosevelt, the heart of Little Colombia. Most of the signs were in Spanish -- taco stands dotted the street as well as other restaurants from South American countries like Ecuador and Peru.  On one side street, a festive fair was underway.

It was fun to watch the boys out of their environment.  They were a little unnerved at first because of all the stories they heard about Colombia.  But they quickly realized that the drug lords were far from Queens.  We arrived at La Pequena Colombia, the oldest Colombian restaurant in Jackson Heights.  I was expecting it to look more like a coffee shop but it was almost fancy.  The waitress helped guide us through the menu to make some selections of famous Colombian dishes.

JEREMY

The restaurant was really big.  We were the only non-Colombians there.  We ordered a bunch of appetizers and Colombian sodas.  First came the drinks:   Manzana and Colombiana.  The Colombiana tasted like cream soda and Manzana, an apple soda, tasted like cotton candy.  Then the appetizers came:   Chicarron, the fried pork rind was pretty good.  It was crunchy and tough at the same time.  Then came the Arepa Con Queso.  It looked like a pizza but was made with cornmeal topped with cheese.  It also tasted like pizza, so it was good.  We also has Tostones, fried green plantains that tasted like banana chips.

MAX
I expected the restaurant to be less nice than it was. It was actually nice on the inside.  I liked the Manzana soda; it tasted like candy apples.  I thought the Arepa was good because it tasted like pita bread with cheese on top.  I disliked the sausage because it looked and tasted weird.  I liked the Plantains because they were slightly sweet and they came with an onion salsa.

JEREMY
The first main course to arrive was the Plato Motanero de Carne Asada, a large platter with rice beans, eggs, chorizo, sweet plantains, skirt steak and avocado.  The dish was so big, they had to put it on two plates.  I liked the eggs, the rice and the steak.  We also ordered Pork Tamal.  The tamale was also really big but it did not taste good.  My mom ordered Sancocho de Gallina. It was a bowl of chicken soup with a plate of rice, beans and a chicken leg.  The soup tasted like taco sauce.  The Fried Cassava, a side dish, tasted like french fries.  The food wasn't really that spicy, which is too bad because I like spicy food.


MAX


I liked everything on the Mountain Plate except for the beans and the sausage.  The steak was really think and tasty.  The tamale smelled pretty badly because it was wrapped in banana leaves and steamed.  I tasted it but didn't like it.  I liked Marci's soup because it tasted like tacos.  The fried cassava tasted like sweet french fries and were yummy.


MARCI


The portions at La Pequena were anything but pequena.  In fact, we brought home enough to feed a small family.   The only thing that was small at the restaurant was the check, a rare occurrence in NYC.   I agree with the boys:  my favorite appetizer was the Arepa.  The Sancocho, a typical Colombian meal, was actually quite delicious.  It was a bowl of a hearty chicken soup filled with cassava and green plaintains.  Once again too full to have a dessert, we decided to talk a walk and sample some of the baked goodies in Little Colombia.


JEREMY
First, we stopped by a little bakery and my mom ordered us a Bunelo.  It was a fried dough ball about the size of a size of a baseball.  It wasn't greasy at all and it wasn't as a sweet as a doughnut.


MAX
I thought the Bunelo was really good and big.  It tasted really yummy.


JEREMY
We went to a second bakery and bought more arepas.  One was sweet corn and we also bought some arepas con queso for later in the week.  The sweet corn arepa tasted like corn bread.


MAX
I agree.


JEREMY
Going to Pequena Colombia was a good experience with nice food.  If the restaurant was closer, I would definitely go back.


MAX
Going to Queens made me feel like I was in Mexico.  I wouldn't go back because I didn't like the food.

LA PEQUENA COLOMBIA
83-27 Roosevelt Avenue
Jackson Heights, NY 11372
(718) 478-8700
www.pequenacolombia.com

a thumbs up according to Jeremy is 4:5 stars

IN NEED OF JEWISH PENICILLIN

MARCI
We were all set to head to Jackson Heights, Queens for Colombian food when I woke up wth a pretty miserable cold.

I couldn't bare the thought of  arepas and steak; I needed some good old chicken soup!!  So, Jeremy and I changed our plans and decided to eat at the culinary institution, Katz's Delicatessen.

As a true New Yorker,  Jeremy has been eating Jewish deli food long before he could say "hot dog".  We've shared many a meal at Woodrow, the deli near my parent's house on Long Island.  We've also eaten at the "new" Second Avenue Deli.  But we've never made the pilgrimage to Katz's.

Aside from the fact that I craved chicken soup, the timing was also perfect for Jeremy who is beginning his study of immigration.  We learned that Katz's first opened its doors in 1888 on East Houston Street in the heart of the Lower East Side, home to thousands of immigrant Jewish families at the turn of the century.  Katz's was opened by Russians but modeled after the German delicatessens that started in NY in the 1820s.

We arrived at the restaurant around noon on a Sunday.  Oy vey!  Was it packed!

While we were eating, we spotted the current owner of Katz's, Fred Austin, who bought the restaurant from the Katz family in the 1980s.  He told Jeremy and I that the restaurant was originally located across the street.  It moved to its current location to make room for the El train.  The restaurant was renovated in 1951 and it's been the same ever since.

JEREMY
When we walked into Katz's, it was pretty confusing because there were a lot of people.  We were handed a ticket and then had to search for a table.  We could have gotten counter service but my mom didn't want to so we waited for someone to finish their meal and sat down at one of the few waiter-service only tables.

I ordered a cream soda then a round potato knish and a pastrami sandwich.  My mom told me that if you go to Katz's, you have to order the pastrami sandwich.  It's world famous.  So I did.

My mom ordered matzoh ball soup and knobleworst  which is like a garlicky beef hot dog.

First the knish arrived.  It was a good  because the potato had a lot of spices in it and the dough wasn't too thick.  Shortly after, my pastrami sandwich arrived.  It was tasty but way too fatty for me so I switched plates with my mom and ate her knobelworst.  The knobleworst was better because it wasn't fatty.  We left over nearly half a knobleworst sandwich and practically the whole pastrami sandwich since my mom doesn't like fatty meats either.

We were also served a plate of pickles consisting of half sour, sour and picked tomatoes.  I liked the pickled tomato best.

I was surprised how busy the place was and I guessed that they make at least $50,000 a day.   I also learned that each week, Katz's deli sells 5,000 pounds of corned beef, 2,000 pounds of salami and 12,000 hot dogs.  I was also impressed by how many photos they had around the room.  I liked the restaurant because it seemed as if it was a place that people have been going to for years and years.  I could go to Katz's at least once a year.

MARCI

The matzoh ball soup hit the spot.  The baseball-size ball was pretty light and the soup had just the right amount of salt.  I had never heard of knobelworst before so I ordered it.  I thought I was getting a sausage but what arrived looked more like a pastrami sandwich.  It was pretty good, tasted like a spicy hot dog.   I had about 3 bites and was full.  Good thing they have doggie bags at Katz's  We have about two pounds of meat left over.

I can barely remember the last time I went to Katz's; somehow I think it was back in college.  For sure, I'll go back but it's not like I often have a hankering for deli food and when I do,  Second Avenue Deli and Sarge's are a lot closer.

In keeping with our Jewish deli theme, it seemed appropriate that we find a Jewish bakery -- no longer an easy task in NYC.  We headed to Moishes on Second Avenue.  Moishe's feels like the last of an era.  I remember going to Moishe's when I was studying at New York University.  The bakery is 38 years old and still owned and operated by Moishe.   Not much has changed since it opened -- except perhaps the graffitti on the window.

Inside were all the Jewish pastries my grandparents would go nuts over:  kichel, babka, mandelbrodt, hammentashen, challah, bagels and the unforgettable corn rye bread.  No fancy cupcakes with buttercream or vegan products here!

JEREMY

The bakery doesn't look like anything special.  But the food looked pretty good.

We bought a slice of checkerboard cake, a piece of cheese danish, apple strudel, apricot hammentshen and a babka.

When we got home, we sampled everything.   My favorite was the checkerboard cake because it was very chocolaty.  I also loved the chocolate babka. My mom even made me a mini egg cream!

Although I've eaten Jewish deli food and Jewish desserts before, I enjoyed the afternoon because I felt like I was eating the kind of food New Yorkers used to eat.

Katz's Delicatessen                                  Moishe's Bakery
205 Houston Street                                  105 Second Avenue
New York, NY                                           New York, NY

a thumbs up, according to Jeremy is 4/5 star
  

ETHIOPIAN AT QUEEN OF SHEBA

MARCI:

Our search for Ethiopian food led us to Queen of Sheba on 10th Avenue.  We selected this restaurant because it is one of the few places in NYC that actually serves food at mesobs --traditional Ethiopian wicker tables.

JEREMY:

We sat down at the mesob (table) and the waitress came over and took the lid off the table.  All that was inside was napkins.  We really didn't know much about the cuisine of Ethiopia but we knew we had to eat with our right hand and use injera, a sourdough-flavored spongy crepe, to scoop up the food.

Ethiopian cuisine is known for its spicy wot (stew) and injera.  So we wanted to make sure we ordered that.  To start, we had timatim fitfit, diced tomatoes, peppers with lemon juice and oil -- and of course, injera.  It was served on a  plate with two dollops of "fitfit."  At first, it was pretty good but I learned that you get pretty tired, pretty quickly of eating injera.

Next came the wot.  We ordered meat and vegetable samplers.  The waitress arrived with a big platter with little dollops of a lot of different foods -- and of course, more injera, which I was really getting tired of.  The platter included two lamb stews, a beef stew and some ground beef stew.  It also included a bunch of different vegetarian dishes like collard greens and a string bean stew, which was my favorite.  There was also lentil, cabbage and chickpea stews.

I was surprised that the food had so much flavor since Ethiopia is such a poor country -- one of the poorest in the world.  But they use a mixture in all the red dishes called berbere, which combines red pepper and 20 other spices and onions.  The flavors were very complex.

You definitely need to have more experience eating different kinds of food if you're going to enjoy Ethiopian cuisine.

I will say that eating with one's hand was a definite bonus to our meal. And my mom never scolded me about not using a fork at the table.

Will I eat Ethiopian food again?  The world may never know.

MARCI:

It was interesting to eat at a restaurant knowing so little about the culture, the cuisine or, for that matter, the country.  Before we left our house, we did a little on-line research and learned that Ethiopia is the third largest country in Africa.  It's also the oldest nation in Africa dating back as early as 1100 BC.  And it's where anthropologists found Lucy, the 3.2 million year old homonid skeleton.

Sadly, we also learned that Ethiopia is one of the poorest nations in the world: 23% of the population live on less than $1 per day.  Only 22% of the population have access to safe drinking water and 38% of children under 10 are moderately or severely underweight.

Knowing this made it a little strange to sit and eat such a big meal so when we got home we decided to donate money to A Glimmer of Hope, a charity that is helping to build wells in small Ethiopian villages, among other things.

I think both Jeremy and I were surprised at the intensity of the flavors we tasted.  The berbere was as complex as a well-prepared Mexican mole.  It was fun to watch him experiment with such a unique cuisine.  And I was pleasantly surprised when my little carnivore told me his favorite dish was the string beans.  I, too preferred the vegetable dishes; my favorite dish was the shiro,  a puree of split peas mixed with berbere.

A highlight of the meal was when Jeremy rolled some wot in injeera and proceded to stuff it in my mouth. This is called a goorsha, an act of friendship.  The bigger the goorsha, the stronger the friendship.

After using our hand and injeera to eat the food, I was very glad when the wet naps arrived with our check.  No desserts had been delivered so we couldn't sample an Ethiopian sweet.  What I was really looking forwared to was  a cup of Ethiopian Yrgicheffe coffee.  Something else I didn't know about Ethiopia was that the hot drink originated in this African nation.   As we were heading home, we spied Amy's Bread.  Jeremy had a chocoholic stick and I had a house blend to go.

Queen of Sheba
650 Tenth Avenue
(between 45th and 46th Street)
212 397-0610
www.shebanyc.com

 

a sideways thumb, according to Jeremy means 2:4 stars

NEXT CUISINE, ETHIOPIAN

Jeremy has picked the next cuisine he would like to try:  Ethiopian.  Why?  "Because you can eat with your hands," he said.

We'll try to learn more about Ethiopia and sample its cuisine during February break.

TAPAS AT LA NACIONAL

La Nacional Tapas Bar

MARCI:

After reviewing a lengthy list of cuisines on menupages.com, Jeremy picked Spanish Tapas as our first cuisine to try.  I usually head to Casa Mono for tapas but was looking to find a place a little more authentic and a little less money.

We selected La Nacional Tapas Bar on 14th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. Housed in a space dating back to 1868, the owner says its "the second oldest Spanish social club in America and the oldest Spanish restaurant in NYC."

JEREMY:

When I walked through the front door at La Nacional, I felt like I went though a portal to Spain.  First I heard Spanish music playing then I saw about five cheerful men watching soccer at the bar.  When the waitress came, she guided us to a table in the dining room.  The restaurant smelled of garlic and herbs.  When the waitress came back to take our order, we asked her what she thought was best.  She suggested we have the croquetas (ham and crayfish) .  We added grilled artichokes, grilled calamari and fried potatoes and a bean and chorizo soup.

My mom ordered a Sangria and she asked me if I wanted a sip.  I said sure.  It tasted like a very fruity wine; just the kind I like.  I took a small sip at first and then a couple of more after that.

First came the grilled calamari.  It wasn't the best I ever had but on a scale of 1 to 10, I would say it was a 7.  The calamari was a little tough but the sauce was astonishing:  the garlic, lemon and spices were divine.  I really liked dipping my bread in the sauce.  Then the artichokes, potatoes and croquetas showed up.  The artichokes were pretty good, the potatoes were crispy and delicious -- just how I like them.  I didn't really like the crayfish croquetas but the ham was very good.  It tasted like melted ham and cheese in a fried ball.  The soup was okay so we ordered one last dish:  the meatballs.  They were tasty but we were full so we took them home.

In conclusion, I enjoyed going to the restaurant with my mom.  We shared a couple of laughs --although that might have been from the sangria. I would definitely try tapas again.

MARCI:

Wow!  Hard to top that review and he wrote it all himself -- really.  I would have to agree with most everything Jeremy said except he only had two small sips of Sangria.  

The food was definitely authentic.  Difficult for me to decide on a highlight of the afternoon:  the artichokes, the potatoes or just having a meal with my boy.   It was fun talking about the foods of Spain and some of our favorite dining experiences.   We discussed another Spanish culinary mainstay -- paella. But that's for another restaurant visit.

We left the cozy little restaurant and walked outside in the bitter cold.  He and I decided to cap off our afternoon lunch by going home and baking brownies.  What more could a mother want?

La Nacional Tapas Bar

239 West 14th Street

NYC

212  243 9308

http://www.lanacionaltapas.com

 a diagonal thumbs up, according to Jeremy, means 3:4 stars.

MISSION STATEMENT

There comes a point in every mother and son's life when they realize they no longer have as much in common anymore.  Sure, there's plenty of love between them but interests they like to share -- the list gets smaller every year.

One day it occurred to me:  one of the things my son, Jeremy, and I like to do is eat out.  My daughter and husband just don't care as much.  Jeremy, at 11, is quite an adventurous eater.  To date he's tasted and enjoyed escargot, venison, goat, duck and rabbit, to name a few.  I'm not quite as daring as he but I do have a passion for trying different cuisines.

Together, we decided on a long-term project:  to sample every type of food in NYC.  Once a month, we will sample a different ethnic cuisine -- whether at a fancy restaurant, street cart, take out spot or neighborhood joint.  The goal is to savor the many flavors that only a city like New York can offer at the same time spend some valuable mother-son time together.

The idea of a blog came after our first lunch out.  We hope to use this as a way to chronicle our experience:  to share our thoughts and observations on food, culture and whatever else we can think of.