Caviar. Enough Said.

An unusual treat. I do not want to make a habit of posting my edible experiences of non consumer consumption, its not fair to post something that can not easily be shared. However, some things are too good to let slip through the cracks.

I was recently turned on by a Russian delicacy that has quickly risen to the top of the list of my favorite foods. To start take one crepe, shmeer lovingly with a dollop of sour cream and add caviar, liberally.

Its good, its great, its fantastic. I prefer it with salmon roe - big orange fish eggs that pop when you eat them; savory gushers that I have trouble passing up. You can find this in a restaurant or make it at home, either way add this to your list of must tries. The version of this you may get at a wedding cocktail hour just isn't going to cut it, go out and get the real thing.

Time after Taim

Sometimes, in our compulsive Food Network-watching sprees, we come across a chef who specializes in neither Pillsbury Bake Offs nor Texas BBQing. Her talent is so pronounced that Bobby Flay himself declared her the champion of her art. Whats with all the suspense? Add some Israeli roots and you have yourself the best Falafel in New York City. Though its no surprise to me that a 5 foot tall woman working out of a 10x10 kosher cardboard box in the West Village could have customers lined out the door, the versatility of her falafel ball does seem to shock us. Serving up three types of falafel (Red- with roasted red pepper, Green- with parsley, cilantro, and mint, and Harissa- with Tunisian Spices) Taim has redefined Israeli standards, adding a downtown twist for those self-professed health conscious of us who can't resist deep fried chickpeas.

Having done a couple of things right, Taim's claim to fame is their seemingly oily-free falafel ball. Raising the temperature of their cooking oil to a degree that shocks the falafel- crusting it over without allowing any oil to seep into the dough, Taim produces the most sumptuous fritter inside that I have ever tasted. Soft, flavorful, melt-in-your mouth herby goodness matched with the crunch of freshly julienned cabbage, homemade hummus and tahini sauce on a bed of Israeli salad. The combination can do know wrong, but served upon your choice of whole wheat or white pita made me rejoice in a way no falafel joint has done before.

Needless to say, our apartment search will have to narrow its range to a 5 block radius of this restaurant. Who cares about a subway when you could a falafel-to-go for your daily routine. Though we had a suspicion Taim would be a winner, it has incited us to introduce a spoon-rating system in our reviews. What does this one deserve... you ask? Four and a Half Spoonfuls of greatness.

Rating: (Out of Five Spoonfuls) 4.5 Overflowing Ones.

Taïm

222 Waverly Pl., nr. Seventh Ave.

212-691-1287

Tapas Shmatahs and Home

I was looking to make a purchase of a chandelier and an antique style mirror when would you guess it… I found a really great tapas bar.

Tapas bar? ABC Carpet and Home had the idea of combining a tapas bar with their insanely large showroom. Pipa Tapas Y Mas, like a Spanish version of Bad Bath and Beyond, but the food…way beyond the goods at BB&B. I still can’t decide if the idea was genius, or just derived from a really large surplus of free space. The first time I passed by this eatery on a Thursday night, it was claiming an hour long wait, and this was at around 8:30pm.

I am really glad I found my way back here. Espanola salads and Spanish tortillas on the menu gave the feel of Barcelonan authenticity, while the mix of flamenco and Ricky Martin grounded us back in New York. The menu items were all prepared in simple yet elegant ways and then added a flare of flavor to make the dish really taste worthy.

A few favorites: Catalan Spinach with garlic, effortless and elegant, but add figs to the mix and suddenly the dish gets a burst of sweetness. Wild mushrooms served in a croc cooked with oil and garlic – simple and utterly delicious. The garlic cooked to an intensity that produced a sharp bite while the mushrooms transformed in a texture masking itself as a fine escargot. For a meal composed of olives, goat cheese croquettes, and other assorted vegetables on flatbread, I left fully satisfied, ready to book my flight to Spain.

At Pipa, a wide range of flavors from the sweet to savory are always accompanied by an option of a reasonably priced wine pairing. I could go on describing more of the endless plates, but I think you are just going to need to checkout this chandelier showroom for yourself.

Pipa Tapas Bar

38 E 19th St, New York, NY‎

(212) 677-2233‎

The Tin Tin Pot

Though I must admit I am not an expert on Belgian cuisine, I am familiar with the likes of Tin Tin and restaurant menus-en Francaise. Sitting down in the dimly lit coquettish cafe, I was instantly drawn to the world of the Belgian Archie comic scribbled across the walls. The slight jests in decor set the mood for a light hearted meal, quickly incited by a fantastic glass of Riesling.
The menu instantly suggested that at Petite Abeille, one can choose from mussels in a pot, mussels in a white cream, mussels on the half shell, and the occasional lobster special. Not keen on shellfish, I immediately felt at home with the option of a salad nicoise, served in a hefty cooking pot alongside a touch of anchovies. The generous helping was certainly not compensating for taste, as the freshness of its ingredients convinced me that these vegetables were clearly not American. Tomatoes infused with layers of dressed herbs went down like the silkiest creme de la creme, while the zing of tuna laced each bite with a tangy euro-flair, one I have not tasted since the street side cafes of Rome. Enticed to keep eating by the idea of chocolate covered Belgian waffles with whipped creme (or gaufre dame blanche, for the sophistated eater,) we managed to resist our craving in exchange for an excuse to return another day.

As the combination of simple, fresh, and unpretentious food is becoming seemingly rare in this city of multicultural feasts, Petit Abeille's clean taste and hearty portions set a standard of excellence that is too frequently muddled with heavy sauces and fancy garnishes. If it takes a Belgian cafe to bring clean European modernism to New York cuisine, then so be it; as this little walk-in gem has a lot more than Tin Tin and mussel pots to bring to the table.

The Parmigianno Chopstick

I love Italian food. Give me tons of cheese and a red sauce, and I am in heaven. I also love Japanese food. I could eat sushi every day of the week and twice on Sunday. Between Japanese and Italian I have 80% of my meals covered. So its no surprise that my recent trip to Basta Pasta, a restaurant famous for fusing Italian with Japanese sensibilities, made for an enticing meal.

To enter this restaurant is to walk into the heart of a working kitchen. I like to be included in the cooking process, especially when I could have walked right up to the grill and thrown on a steak. Everything about the layout and design of this restaurant was aimed at breaking down its context. The food is Italian, but the chefs are all Japanese. There are no pepper grinders, but waiters shave rock salt onto your appetizers; at once you are down on earth and in a city of clouds, immersed in the 6 foot tall posters of endless sky.

Sitting down at this stylized fusion fest; the food was fresh, the pasta homemade, and the flavors were foreign but oddly familiar. I have had many a ragout, but never based around sea bass. Fresh pasta with ricotta cheese, a standard, but with shitake mushrooms? I would eat this right now if there were any leftovers.

I am still trying to figure the place out. The clientele was as varied as the food, and my waiter- an Asian version of Lando Calrissian. Talk about east meets west. Though no sight of sushi, the menu merged an eclectic array of Italian favorites with Japanese flair. Most notable was the pasta with flying fish roe and shisho. I still don't know what shiso is, but I am pretty sure it's Japanese.

The food at Basta Pasta was a shot in the mouth; I thought I knew what to expect, but was really happy when I got a unique twist of flavor like a round house kick to the taste buds. As always, a very reasonable wine list is a plus; but no Saki, sadly.