Shakshuka Travels

Firstly, a confession is in order.

I am a pathological liar because I've claimed I hate eggs but, honestly, I don't.

I have a serious aversion to omelets of all kinds and to scrambled eggs if they are too heavy and runny. But honestly, a good old fashioned soft boiled egg or a sunny side up in any form will keep me pleased until the days end.

Sunny Side Up Omelet
Sides (counter clockwise): Tehine, Chive Cream Cheese, Eggplant Spread, Guac, Labneh
Cafe Tapuz in Rannana, Israel 

Therefore, it would make absolute sense for me to have a profound love for Shakshuka. 

Pair three sunny side up eggs with loads of fresh tomato sauce, cooked onions, peppers and garlic, and I am in absolute heaven.

Shakshuka is normally served for breakfast or brunch, the biggest meal of the day, and eaten with bread that is dipped into the runny eggs and used to scoop up the surrounding sauce.

Surprisingly, Shakshuka is quite dynamic in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and, really, all over Israel. Three days of traveling, three cities of visiting and every single menu afforded two categories of Shashuka. The traditional and a second. The latter usually with a green theme, but the color green proving to be the only similarity from one variety to the next. 

Cream sauce with spring onion (green Shakshuka as it's commonly called), shakshuka with spinach and eggplant as its base and completely without tomato sauce, Shakshuka with various types of cheeses, Shashuka made of green tomatoes are some of the many types to appear from restaurant to restaurant.

Below are two types of Shakshuka's I've sampled along with their restaurant name, city and whether I'd recommend the eatery or not.

If you plan on traveling to Israel anytime soon, hit them up...

Green Shakshuka (Shakshuka Yeruka) with Spinach, Eggplant and Feta Cheese

Delicatessen, Tel Aviv

**Recommended Spot 

Traditional Shakshuka with Bulgarian cheese and sunflower seeds

Cafe Tapuz, Rannana

**Recommended Spot

Both Restaurants are Good For:

Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Date, Family, Friends

Holiday Gifting

Right before heading out to the land of milk & honey (Israel) as well as the land of fog (London), I have decided to RestaurantObssessed myself with Edible Selby. I am ordering it now, this way, upon my return, it will be sitting with my doorman ready for reading. It is also a recommended gift for food and restaurant lovers or anyone looking for a great new book for their coffee table. 

The photographer, Todd Selby's latest publication showcases his exploration of restaurants, gardens, homes and kitchens of some of the most noteworthy figures in the culinary world. The places he visits and the images he captures are truly fascinating. Check out his blog where he has featured the intimate spaces of famous chefs, illustrators, celebrities, and fashion designers.

Parisian Tartines

After seeing a terrible movie at the Angelika, we strolled in the light evening rain to Tartinery on Mulberry St. to for a late night snack.

In the city of widespread reviews, there aren't enough re-reviews.
Once a place has been opened a year or two, no critic ever revisits to offer another review on maintenance of the restaurant and to reaffirm what was originally reviewed. Has the quality of the food improved since it first opened? Has it kept the decor in tip-top condition? Or has it lost the aura it originally had us all raving about due to a number of things such as lack of upkeep, change in ingredients and downgraded service?
When Tartinery first opened, it had a pretty positive four star rating via New York Magazine (Just a quick FYI, I do have respect for published ratings, unlike Yelp ratings written by anyone who has fingers to type and knows, sometimes, absolutely nothing about food and restaurant). A few years later, it would be difficult to agree with that opening four star review...

Ambiance

Today, I was in the mood to mix up the categories and start off with the ambiance and decor primarily because, in all honesty, I was more taken by the decor than the food. There was something unique and versatile about the small upstairs seating with blackboard menu's linning the walls and a downstairs that looks to the upper part of the restaurant. 

View from above onto the downstairs seating

Skateboard wall art and tree with Christmas lights at the downstairs seating

The basement walls are made of dark brick that hide cabinets of wine inside. 

Mini wine cellar inside the brick wall situated on the staircase

The decor was quite unlike many of New York's typical restaurant decor. The lighting is dim and there is a large tree bark wrapped with white Christmas lights in the center of the basement seating area. 

Another view of the downstairs seating area

The crowd is young, international and trendy. One table was seated with two young French guys adorning beards, flannel T's and lots of rings. Another was a large group of Norwegians and Americans. All young, all trendy, all the women in oversized tops, long straight white-blonde hair, lots of chunky jewelry and combat boots. The eye candy at this joint was more the reason to return. Although, many other spots in NoLita would afford you the same types of people to watch.

Tartinery feels a bit washed up. As if it's just going through the motions and isn't interested in up keeping it's vibe. It's been around less than five years, but it lacks the energy that keeps a place vibrant and young. 

This isn't the kind of establishment that would be going for the beat-up look.
The table legitimately needed some retouching.

I read on FourSquare that they ship fresh bread from St. Germain which had me so unbelievably excited and bringing me back to my time in Paris. That lasted until ten seconds later when the menu revealed the furthest Tartinery's bread would be coming from was Eli's Bakery on the other end of Manhattan. 

Food

Ratatouille, Smoked Salmon & Tuna Sashimi Tartines

Tartinery offers its diners with a number of tartines, flat breads topped with just about anything, along with a choice of three types of breads to act as the tartine base.

The smoked salmon tartine was, of course, my favorite after I picked off all the fresh dill pieces. The salmon quality wasn't the best but was not fishy, old or bland either. The tuna sashimi lacked any flavor whatsoever other than the heaping amounts of wasabi sauce. and the roasted veggies in the ratatouille tartine were rich in flavor and were paired quite nicely with the multi-grain Eli's bakery bread.

Ratatouille Tartine with Multi-Grain Bread

The food wasn't exceptional but was appropriate for a light meal or snack. I wouldn't bring a bunch of people back here for a rowdy and drunken night but would recommend it for a low-key and casual, but still looking to impress, third date. Or, if you're looking for a chilled night with friends.
It isn't really four star worthy, more like three and a half. But for people who aren't too picky and just want a good atmosphere, this works perfectly.
Because, like Paris, the vibe was just charming.

Wait Time & Resos

On a Sunday night in Soho the restaurant was half full and we were seated immediately. 

For the most part, I've swung by a couple of times and it never seemed like it would be too difficult to be seated. 

Good For: Light Meal, Light Dinner, Lunch, Friends, Low-Key Date. 

Location:

Tartinery 

209 Mulberry St.

(between Spring & Kenmare)

http://www.tartinery.com/

Artisan Coffee Qualities

I'm feeling like I should start a portion of the blog called Coffee Wednesdays.Wednesdays always turn out to be a day committed to coffee shop exploration. But then I realize I would never be able to commit to something like that and would quickly want to move onto another kind of Wednesdays post dedicated to french fries, chocolate chip cookies, doughnuts, the list is endless, really. So I abandoned that idea.

Anyway, I've been thinking about it. 

These days there is no serious shortage of artisan coffee. On the contrary, it's everywhere. Intelligentsia, Stumptown, Counter Culture, Blue Bottle, Gimme Coffee, Grumpy, La Colombe etc. etc. no longer have just an outpost or a solitary coffee shop, but have all grown into brands that roast and sell their beans to mass market. With so many choices, one develops a taste for the good, the bad, and the exquisite. There is no longer a need to to resort to Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts (I know there are some of you devout followers out there, do not take offence!) when there are so many other organic, glocal coffees sold within a solid 10 to 15 block radius. Do some research and you'll find that the random local cafes in your neighborhood brew some great artisan cups.

As artisan coffee has grown into a huge subculture with such easy access, the growth of these companies has, with some, sacrificed their quality. La Colombe and Gorilla Coffee are examples of this. When each used to roast and cultivate their own beans for their lonesome solitary coffee shop there was a fresh taste of beans roasted that day and flown in a day or two prior. Now these shops-turned-brands are mass producing their beans to be sold to a number of coffee shops and cafes throughout the city and country. When La Colombe first came about, the coffee was smooth, thick and had the true taste of quality. Now, there is a bit of a mass produced taste that loses the globally sourced and locally roasted, fresh taste. The beans may still be roasted on site or nearby, but the taste just isn't the same as before. I can't quite place my finger on what that new taste is; it has a reminisce of Folgers, Taster's Choice and Starbucks. It isn't a full fledged grotesque taste but there is that hint of factory production. I am not saying that the mass production of artisan coffee is now the equivilant of drinking Starbucks or Dunkin, just that there is a loss of freshness and I do mourn the old days of La Colombe and Intelligentsia. 

All artisan coffee shops use this same plastic cup size with the very same black straw accompaniment. 

The Coffee
The very first sip of iced Counter Culture coffee at Everyman Espresso bar, which was hot coffee from the large thermos poured over ice, immediately elicited this very same hint of somewhat processed and mass produced brew coffee. Ugh.
This was unbelievably disappointing.
The hot cappuccino became a must-try in order to potentially recover the bad flavor in my mouth at the very least. And, to have some hope for their espresso drinks, at the very most. For all we know, the brewing temperature for the hot coffee could have been off that day. I would go back to try it again and double check. Although, I doubt it and am too turned off from the bad taste to really go back any time soon.

As it turns out...
the Toscana Espresso blend was an impressively smooth double shot in my cappuccino and was bursting with a chocolaty sweet flavor. Taste-success, at last. The horrible iced coffee after-taste had disappeared and my disheartened feelings towards Counter Culture temporarily subsided.

I'd say Blue Bottle Coffee is better tasting for both iced and hot. Coincidentally Blue Bottle (see my review here) does not mass produce in the same quantity as Counter Culture, La Colombe, Intelligentsia and Stumptown and would possibly explain why I enjoy it better. It's still made fresh and roasted locally. Although Stumptown, with its growth, has not lost its quality and I would take a Stumptown iced any day.

#SooooHipster ;)
The photo may not have captured it but there was lots of chat with some patrons about the Williamsburg bike shop...

Ambiance

It's a small shop and they add the milk and sweetener for you. Something I've never been a fan of. 

Very hipster, and very large square glasses type of scene.

Wait Time

Not something to worry about.

Everyman Espresso

301 W. Broadway 

(between Canal & Grand)
See website for their other location

http://everymanespresso.com/

Some other recommendations for two of the other coffees I've sampled a  number of times and would recommend...

Stumptown at The Ace Hotel 
(The original location for Stump and their and starting point)
Cash only, by the way.
Recommended: Hot coffee, Latee, Capuccino and very big fan of the Iced Coffee. Its dark, rough and chocolaty.


La Colombe
Recommended: Latee/Capuccino, Iced Coffee, beans for purchase.
It brews quite well at home. I still argue it isn't the same as it used to be a couple of years back.

Smoked Salmon at Russ & Daughters

Last night my boyfriend texted that he was tasting a fabulous smoked salmon tartar. Of all nights, this was the WORST possible evening to receive such information. For the past week I've been dreaming about the perfect smoked salmon toast/crostini/tartar and have not come up with a place that would quench this craving or, more importantly, an eatery that would not leave one feeling disappointed with the fishy and grotesque taste of low-grade, poor-quality salmon,
until.....

I dug deep into the depths of my brain and thought, where does the very best smoked salmon come from?

Russ & Daughters!

Well, actually it comes from Scotland and the Norwegian areas of Europe but in terms of New York access, Russ & Daughters has the very best selection. 

Smoked Salmon, (you should just know, lox has never been in my vocabulary as my family is not originally from New York, and we are way too European to say things like lox), is such a delicacy that I was way too afraid of appreciating until last year. For all my recollected life, during both Thanksgiving brunch and Yom Kippur break fast, I was nauseated by the site of my cousin scarfing down the best caviar and smoked salmon purchased, always, from Russ & Daughters. I would then proceed to move my seat away from her as the site of smoked fish was completely disgusting. 

In recent years, I have now become to my sister, what my cousin once was to me. I don't believe I am scarfing (although we should double check with my sister on that one), but I definitely do lots of savoring and appreciating of every last smokey bite. And, I also keep my enjoyment private or my dad will proceed to horde and hide whatever is leftover.

Look how each piece is sliced so thin.
The slicing is just as important as the quality.
Source

I must pay tribute to this very establishment for getting me hooked on the smoked salmon drug.
Thank you!

The Salmon
Once you've arrived at the shop, or begin placing your order online or by phone, you must go for the expensive stuff. It's always the best and it's worth every single penny. Smoked salmon, and most raw fish and sushi, for the most part, is where you must forgo quantity for quality and pay the price. If you decide not to, the quality is still the best here. So don't worry.
Whenever I go for Russ & Daughters I/we (as in my familia, most specifically my father) buy the salmon by the pound. I recommend trying 3 or 4 different types so you get to learn the varying salmon tastes. We always go for organic, Scottish and then we ask the teller to recommend anything else.
This is the type of establishment where the price increases as the quality increases.
Splurge on the best and you will not regret it.
If, and only if, you don't think you can handle eating the salmon plain, then Russ & Daughters does leave you with a good old fashioned bagel with cream cheese and "lox" option. They aren't stupid or pretentious, and know their New York customer enough to offer fresh bagels and a fabulous variety of cream cheeses which are great for purchase as well. We always pick up some of the latter as well. I think a bagel with the whole to-do does amount to something like $10. Don't quote me on that though.

Source
Look above, the salmon and the bagel has got to be separate!

You must know, I never eat my smoked salmon on a bagel with cream cheese. To me it ruins the delicacy completely and I'd only do that if I didn't want to actually taste the salmon. Such a simple pleasure that becomes almost impossible with all the other cream cheese and bagel stuff thrown into the mix. I'm such a disgusting food snob, I know. But, my father has trained me well. 

HOWEVER, if you are the bagels + "lox" type, then there is no place finer!

Anyway, if you have decided to purchase by the pound, I recommend rolling each slice as if you were rolling deli meats and lay it out on a pretty plate. If you look at the first photo above you will see that they are easy to roll.
At home, that's what we normally do. 

I am very particular with my salmon and enjoy it with lots of lemon and fresh ground pepper.
Cheers to the perfect Sunday morning breakfast (or brunch).
Happy Sunday morning people!

Wait Time & Resos

For Russ & Daughters it is recommended to visit at an off hour or very early in the morning. Any peek times will merit an extremely long wait. As I've already mentioned, I don't really do the whole waiting thing, and hate waiting in line. My work lunch break is usually the perfect opportunity to hop the F train to Second Ave and pick up a pound. 

Never go on weekends. 

Too busy! But, buy before the weekend and it will stay fresh until Sunday.

Russ & Daughters

179 East Houston
(between East Houston & 2nd Avenue)

http://www.russanddaughters.com/

Good For:
Breakfast, Lunch, Small Intimate Gatherings
(Here I am referring to the smoked salmon itself, not the physical establishment)