Saturday, October 26, 2013

Ultimate Nova Scotia Salmon, Bagel and Cream Cheese at Oscar's Delicatessen in Westport, Connecticut, USA!

The Stage Deli on 7th Avenue in New York City closed it's doors in November, 2012 after 75 years in business.
I have soooo many memories visiting this venerable "deli" with my grandparents, Henry & Birdie Spitz, when I was a little kid back in the mid 1950's. Thinking back, my grandparents would introduce me to many famous and infamous people and it wouldn't hit me till many years later who I had actually met, including "Meyer" in the 1950's Las Vegas.
Jack Benny, The Ritz Brothers (Harry was the funniest with his jokes & big rolling eyes), and Henny Youngman always stood out.
It was either at the Stage Deli or the original Lindy's restaurant, both on Broadway, where I would see these icons of entertainment and one other icon, Max Asnas...the founder of the Stage Deli.
He would always come over to our table and kibitz*, in every sense of the word, with my grandparents.
It was here, at the Stage Deli, where I remember first experiencing "Lox and Bagels".
A quick aside from "Food Republic"...the difference between Nova and Lox Smoked Salmon...
 "Real, authentic lox is made from only the belly portion of the salmon. Yup, like pork, the belly of the fish is typically the richest, fattiest and most succulent portion. Cured and smoked, it's saltier and more...uh..."aromatic" than its milder non-belly counterpart, and if you're lucky enough to try it on a bagel with cream cheese, it's hard to go back. When you buy lox anywhere other than an old-school appetizing counter, even if it's clearly labeled "lox," what you're almost certainly getting is simply smoked salmon."
Until it's closing, the Stage still sold their version of smoked salmon as "LOX, STOCK & BAGEL"
described as "Two large bagels served open faced with plenty of New York smoked nova salmon, cream cheese, red onion, ripe tomato, capers, lemon and olive".
It was this introduction to lox and bagels that has followed me throughout my entire life.
Over the years, I would see this sandwich served with many variations and I would always have to ask for either lemon or red onion or capers (the one ingredient critical to the taste I loved and that would invariably be missing). You may laugh at this one...I would always request nova without 'dental floss', or my description for the white fibers found in this fish that would sometimes get caught in my teeth and that would ultimately pull apart my perfectly layered sandwich. Arrggghhh!
Moving on here...last year Sandy and I started to make a relatively small 1 hour and 15 minute trip up to Westport, Connecticut to our favorite garden/nursery destination (www.shopterrain.com). Prior to this, we would have to drive 3 hours to get to the Terrain location in Pennsylvania. Not so bad, since we were able couple it with Chic-fil-a (another www.phoodographsandfinds.com entry in my blog) and the best fast food chicken sandwich anywhere in these United States.
While in Westport this time, our daughter Alison joined us and we all found our way back to Oscar's Delicatessen (we had been there a few months before on our first visit to the newly opened Terrain). Sandy wanted her corned beef sandwich and Alison tried what turned out to be a very fresh tasting "garden" salad with chicken. All  I really wanted...and an incentive to join the girls for this mid-week trip to Terrain... was to order their nova, bagel and cream cheese sandwich that looked like it had my name on it from our prior trip. I missed out on it since I ordered a turkey sandwich.

                                                                                                                                                     
             


                                                                                                                                                                   

As it turns out, this IS another phood find. The reasons: They make their "Lox and Bagel" sandwich the way it should be made and coincidentally, the same as the Stage Deli did. My my.
Coincidentally, we had the same waitress we had the time prior...Imis. Look at that smile!
There's something to be said for a fine reception...and that alone can give one an appetite.

Imis & Bert

Check this out: A substantial serving of perfect nova flavor and texture salmon served with cream cheese, freshly sliced tomatoes, thin sliced red onion, lemon slices, calamata olives and capers sprinkled evenly across the whole open faced sandwich on a Connecticut bagel that tasted as good as any New York Bagel.
Don't forget a few turns of the pepper mill.
Is it my imagination, or does the Dr. Browns and those perfect pickles complete this pic?
Ultimate "Lox (Nova) & Bagels"

My goodness! Another view sans fresh black pepper



It's not over. It goes beyond the food. For us, this place exudes personality. I have to admit, it may have something to do with the fact that I seek that out...and if the cast and crew  in the restaurant can deal with me and we can leave everybody smiling as we walk out the door, then I know it's a true phind.
Need I Say Anything Else?

Hey Hey USA @ Oscar's

The Deli  

A little about the cast and crew. Imis. our waitress, made it all happen for us. Accommodating, patient, efficient and with a big smile from start to finish, I've always believed that a personality like this comes from the top. If you are treated well, you exude a certain feeling that the customer can feel. On top of his game with the perpetual smile as well, Robert Coneg, with Oscars for some 20 years, is making things run smooth for his host of waitresses. 

Smiling Picture Ham (no pun intended) Robert

The man at the top, Lee Dapageorge, comes from a family who owned their landmark restaurant on the same street back in the 1940's...and he's every bit the consummate cordial host and restaurateur.
The Host With The Most and Me

The Original Menu from Lee's Family's Restaurant Circa 1944

Lee, thanks for bringing back memories of my time at the Stage in the olden days.
I can't wait to get back to visit you and your fabulous cast and crew for my sandwich and some more personality.

                                                                   Mangia Baby!
                                                                           Bert



*Kibitz:to talk to someone in a friendly and informal way...and... to watch other people and make unwanted comments about what they are doing

Monday, October 21, 2013

Masquerade with a Spritz From Venice, Italy to New York and with an "Eyes Wide Shut" Stop on a Bright Moonlit Night in Miami, Florida





I wasn't to sure how to bring together all the stories you are about to read and at the same time introduce you to a fabulous and relatively new cocktail we discovered recently in Venice, Italy. In the end, however, I  linked them successfully and think you will enjoy the read.
Halloween, or All Saints Eve, is becoming a popular day for costume parties and events all over Italy.
 While one of the main holidays in Italy is still All Saints Day on November 1st and All Souls Day of November 2nd, the custom of celebrating Halloween that started in Italy in the early 1990's, is starting to take hold in many Italian cities.When Halloween approaches anywhere, some strange things start to happen.
 While traveling to Venice, Italy recently, we saw many people walking the streets in masquerade.
 Masks in all shapes, sizes and colors are sold everywhere and I'm sure most of the people we saw wearing masks were tourists simply having fun with what seems to come natural in Venice and especially this time of year with Halloween just around the corner. However you look at it, Sandy and I both found it added to the mystique of Venice and the almost 700 year history of masquerade in this Italian city seemingly floating on water.

A little bit about the history of masquerade.

The word masquerade is derived from a long line. English gets it from the French word mascarade and they got it from the Italian word mascarata. That is a variant of the word mascherata which is from Old Italian maschera meaning mask. So really it is a long line of derivations coming from the word mask.
'Masquerading' started in the thirteenth century, when Venice was as lively and crowded as it is today. 
As a result many people, particularly the rich and famous but also courtesans, gigolos, and others who needed to conduct themselves with the utmost discretion and privacy and who required anonymity, started to wear masks to achieve this.
Consequently a new breed of professionals emerged who were able to make stunning masks for these clients and a whole new industry was born.
But the secrecy that the masks provided also led to an inevitable increase in crime and a general decline in morals.
In the fourteenth century it became necessary to introduce decrees forbidding the everyday wearing of masks, and masquerading was restricted to special carnivals and festivals.
These spectacular happenings draw visitors from all over the world with the main Venetian event, The Carnavale, taking place in February each year.









 






I think you get the picture. .
No sooner do Sandy and I get home from our trip to Venice...my friend Mark emails me pics of an appropriately themed "Eyes Wide Shut" 'Dark Dinner' he attended in Miami,  Florida.  A coincidence? Yes, because he simply wanted to share his unique story about a dinner that was being served where all the diners were in masquerade and wearing masks so the food could not be seen...and no because it's simply the time of year where events like these proliferate the number one social occasion of the world...food festivities.


Sandy and I were so inspired, we decided to have a few of our friends come over for what we termed a Venetian themed dinner with the masks and beautiful fans we had bought in Venice.

Mystery woman & Bert

Spritz's at the Spitz's

Our guests would be greeted with a "Spritz"...the number one selling & relatively new  fun drink/cocktail served all over Venice and then go on to a few of my 'signature' dishes, whose recipes have been entered into this blog over the last 3 years since I started writing.
These are the Famous BetsaPasta Caesar Salad alla Bosso, Crispy Eggplant Parmesan and Linguine alla Marinara. All these dishes were complimented with dishes brought by our guests such as
 Helen's Famous 'Meat-a-Balls' and Sharon's World Famous Incredibly Light and Rich Sabra Laced Chocolate Mousse with Fresh Heavy Whipped Cream.

Here's a little history and the recipe for a cocktail relatively unknown in the USA...The Spritz

Ingredients for 1 serving:
Ice Cubes (approximately 3 or 4 ice cubes)
2 to 3 ounces Prosecco or any white sparkling wine
1 1/2 ounces Aperol
Splash of soda water, sparkling water, mineral water, or Club Soda
Orange wedge or slice
  
Preparation:
Fill a glass (highball glass or white wine glass) 1/4 full with ice cubes (you want to chill the drink and not water it down). Pour in the Prosecco and then top with Aperol. Add the soda water. Stir gently until mixed.
Garnish with an orange slice (either add slice of orange, twisting to release some juice and placing in the glass or simply use orange slice as garnish)



Italian translation:
Ecco un po 'di storia e la ricetta per un cocktail relativamente sconosciuto in USA ... Il Spritzer

Ingredienti per 1 porzione:
Cubetti di ghiaccio (circa 3 o 4 cubetti di ghiaccio)
2-3 ounces Prosecco o vino bianco frizzante
Di 1 1/2 oz Aperol
Spruzzata di acqua gassata, acqua frizzante, acqua minerale, o Club Soda
Cuneo arancione o slice
  
preparazione:
Riempire un bicchiere (tumbler o bicchiere di vino bianco) 1/4 pieno di cubetti di ghiaccio (volete rilassarvi la bevanda e non l'acqua verso il basso). Versare il Prosecco e poi in alto con Aperol. Aggiungere l'acqua di soda. Mescolare delicatamente fino a mista.

Guarnire con una fettina d'arancia (o aggiungere fetta di arancio, torsione di rilasciare qualche succo e l'immissione in vetro o semplicemente utilizzare fetta d'arancia come guarnizione)


                                                                 Mangia Baby!
                                                                      Bert



As always, love to hear comments...
b