Phabulous Phood, Phriends and Personality @ Tony's Di Napoli in New York City

When my friend Brad comes to town from his ranch in Texas, along with his friend (and now mine), "Record Man" and Turkey Fryer expert Ernie Phillips from Greenville, Mississippi, it's time to celebrate.

The fact that  the number one social occasion of the world revolves around food...and that the number one food most of the world enjoys is Italian...I chose Tony's Di Napoli family style Italian restaurant on West 43rd Street for our evening soiree. I say soiree, because every time I go to Tony's I feel like I'm being entertained because many of the waiters and waitresses at Tony's are involved in the entertainment world on Broadway. My personal favorite entertainer (and waitress) at Tony's is Kathy. She's phabulous!
What sets Tony's apart from other restaurants besides their food is personality. This is something I always look for in a restaurant and a prerequisite if I am to consider it worthy of an entry into www.phoodographsandfinds.com.
Of course it has it's visual personality, however I'm talking abut the kind of personality that makes one feel as if they are coming home. The scene is set by managing partner Bruce Dimpflmaier and his perpetually smiling dynamic duo of maitre d's, Dreni and Ciro. One gets the feeling that these folks really love what they do...and when you love what you do, it filters down to the staff and the customer feels it. I think you get the picture.
It was exactly one year ago that I experienced a dish at Tony's that inspired me. So much so, it is now one of my favorites and one I prepare for myself and my clients.
They call it Ravioli Bolognese. Simple name for a simple dish? Uh-uh!

Ernie Presents Ravioli Bolognese

What sets this entree apart besides the ravioli (no sources, but I can tell you it's one of  the three in my "Ravioli Bolognese Parmigiano" entry) and Tony's wonderful meat sauce is the baked-on coating of Parmigiano Reggiano, not mozzarella, that is melted on top.Utter perfection!
When was the last time you had a dish of anything baked with this wonderful cheese on top?
My version, which doesn't really veer off of  Tony's recipe, is in the above November, 2012 entry.
Check it out!

Even though I would have liked Brad and Ernie to experience the virtues of  Tony's veal (A veal chop pounded down and served Milanese style with a chopped tomato and onion salad on top), they seemed happy with a Caesar salad and our baked ravioli dish.

I think the biggest surprise came with dessert. Although I know the portions at Tony's are traditionally large...as they are at all "family style" restaurants, we were all surprised and taken aback by the size and presentation of the strawberry shortcake. It was truly Texas size!

Ernie with Tony's Strawberry Shortcake

Oooooh Oooooh Ernie...Can I have some, huh huh?

Brad's Tiny (not really) Cheesecake

 Brad wanted cheesecake and phinished it off his tiny little piece (not really) all by himself, while Ernie and I had a hard time phinishing off half of our excellent last course. No wonder! It was almost 8" long, 5" wide and 5" high with 4 layers of pound cake, vanilla & strawberry ice cream, strawberries and whipped cream.
Wish I could have gotten it to go.
One last thing. You have to know what to order in any restaurant as not all dishes will please all people.
I can only talk about my experiences at Tony's and the dishes I feel excel.
I have just mentioned a few...and as one of my favorite songwriter's*** once wrote...
                                               "I've said my piece and I'll leave it all up to you"...

                               Ernie & Bert...or...errr...Bert & Ernie with another Phood Phind!

                                                                     Mangia Baby!
                                                                           Bert

                                      ***Ok...It was Justin Hayward from The Moody Blues


                                                                   We'd love to hear from you!
                                                   DON'T BE SHY...PLEASE COMMENT BELOW

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

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

Phood Phind at Ivana's Pizzeria...ie Pizza Heaven on Arthur Avenue in "The Beautiful Bronx"

It's strictly timing that brought me to try a slice of pizza at Ivana's. As Sandy & I usually do, we spend half of our day at the any time of year beautiful Botanical Gardens, and then find our way over to Arthur Avenue. The route includes a stop at Teitel Brothers for anything Italian, Addeo's Bakery for heavenly bread...and then onto Borgatti's fresh pasta and ravioli shop. In between and on occasion we run into a surprise or two as we did on this trip.

Proud owner Frank (left) Loves his Pizza!

 As I'm about to pull out of my very coveted parking space on our way to Borgatti's, Sandy sees a fellow sitting in front of a pizzeria eating cherry ices. "Oooooh, I want the cherry ices that guy is eating". No problem...I had a space and if it involved food of any kind, I'll stop. It's kind of an illness. On my way over across the street, I'm thinking to myself "what other flavors do they have"?
As I entered, my eye is focused on an amazing looking huge pizza pie just coming out of the oven. Are you the kind of person who can tell what something is going to taste like simply by looking at it? Well...I am, and I knew what I was in for. I quickly got Sandy her cherry ices and came back in for a quick slice. They graciously slice it in half so Sandy and I could share it and I proceed to spice it up.
I usually throw on some red crushed pepper, garlic powder and oregano. As I sprinkled what I thought was oregano on my half, I had to question the fellow behind the counter what was in the container...since it didn't look like just oregano. From one of the tables, Frank, the owner proudly exclaims it's pepper, red pepper,oregano,garlic powder and grated parmigiano cheese.
Now how creative is that? I just had to have some...and when I offered to pay, he wouldn't think about taking my money. He just said "Enjoy, it's on me". I went back to the car with my 1/2 slice covered with Ivana's medley of spices and Sandy's 1/2 lightly coated with oregano and a little of the the spice medley. We both agreed...Pizza Heaven and a find worthy of an entry.
I'm still using the blend on my pizza at home and take it with me locally, however I do keep it refrigerated because of the cheese. Short and sweet & Bottom line... If you make it to Arthur Avenue...make it to Ivana's Pizzeria...right across the street from Teitel Brothers. Can't wait to get back there and get re-acquainted.
                                                                   
                                                                       Mangia Baby!
                                                                              Bert

It's Tomato Time...Featuring Long Season Organic Farms & KK's Biodynamic Farm

If you want to take a day trip and you love tomatoes, wait no longer! Get in your car and head out to north fork of Long Island.
Taking nothing away from the wonderful tomatoes New Jersey produces, the north fork is where restaurants, including many Manhattan restaurants, buy their produce and now is the time to get out there while the pickin' is good. Especially good for my personal favorites, the cherry heirloom tomatoes. There are soooo many varieties, I can't keep up with them. I'll tell you this..whether they are green, yellow, red, a cross between green and red or striped, the sweet flavor cannot be beat.

                                                  Cherry Tomatoes at Long Season Farms
There'll be plenty of time over the next 6 weeks to find great tomatoes, however the concentration of growers on the north fork is astounding...thus this IS the destination!
Over the last few years I have written about the tomato queens who's products I love...namely Cheryl's farm stand in Calverton (a stone's throw from The Peconic Herb Farm just north off exit 70 on the L.I.E.), Joanne Zelnicki's farm stand on Sound Avenue, and Flora, the Santorini tomato lady near Peconic (See past blog entries).
Now...it's time for two tomato kings I met for the first time a couple of weeks ago while perusing the north fork.
Let me now introduce to you Ken Jurow of Long Season Farms, an organic producer of fruits and vegetables in Aquebogue and Ira Haspel of KK's Farm, a biodynamic producer of fruits, vegetables, berries and herbs in Southold.
It was the middle of July when Sandy and I headed back to the north fork in our quest to expose the endless string of surprises that we don't even know exist until we find them ourselves...and that await visitors to the north fork of Long Island. Today, Sandy was looking for antique shops and I was looking for, in my opinion, the number one bounty of summer...tomatoes.
After a couple of stops at antique stores in Greenport & Southold, we stumbled upon Ira & KK's Farm. "KK" is Ira's wife and farm namesake, who we didn't get to meet.

KK's Farm Home Page

There, in neat little rows was my first look of the season for...Voila! (vwah-lah; French vwa-lah) heirloom cherry tomatoes. It was also my first ever biodynamic purchase.Where have I been?

                                                                      Ira Haspel

A fabulous assorted selection from KK's

                                             

                                               

Look Close for KK's The Farm

KK's also offers products from Goodale Farms, a premiere producer of goat cheese and winner of the best goat cheese in the USA in 2011.

For those of you who are not familiar with biodynamics and would like to know more, see www.kkthefarm.com.
.
While popping cherry tomatoes in my mouth for several miles along Route 25, I had to make an abrupt turnaround when Sandy exclaimed "oooooh, look, more tomatoes"!

Lond Seasons view from Rt. 25

Another fabulous find was Long Season Farms.

We were greeted by a smiling "Raven" as I poured over the vast amount of cherry tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables.We met Ken, who was gracious enough to show us all the different kinds of tomatoes...some of which I had never seen before.

                                                                       Here's Ken!

 Want to taste the tomatoes...no problem. He made a sign letting visitors know the tomatoes are there for the tasting.

While perusing, another customer drives up and Ken proceeds to show and tell him about other products available.With all the back and forth between them, I was curious to know if this gentleman was buying for himself or a possibly for a restaurant. It turns out he was looking to create the next great dish at the well known Jedediah Hawkins Inn & Restaurant in Jamesport, and I had just met the new chef...ie Chef Rich.
                                                 

The picture is purposely darkened and smaller so everyone isn't running all over town trying to find this great chef 

I was actually quite excited the timing created this opportunity to banter for a quick few minutes about Ken's 3 colors of eggplants and how Rich would apply a recipe to them. He felt a dish showing off the 3 colors of the eggplants could be enticing...perhaps along with some slow roasted tomatoes, commonly known in the world of chef's as tomato confit.

                                             Long Season Farms B-eautiful Eggplants

                                                      Goodness...does that say Green Sausage tomato?

                                                               Ahhhh...Fresh Garlic

Should you be in the market for what would be a wonderful catering affair for a large group of people, check out www.kanobleycatering.com. Chef Rich would love to hear from you. See www.kanobleycatering.com
For a smaller and more intimate setting, www.phoodographsandfinds.com (BetsaPasta) of course.

Now, getting back to Ken. In order for Ken Jurow's Long Season Farm to have a long season, some of his tomatoes are started early in greenhouses. As the weather gets warmer, he gradually exposes them to the natural elements and we are all the benefactors of a 'longer season'..ie early tomatoes. Just fabulous!
Tell Ken that Bert sent you and I'm sure he'll make the time to give you the same tomato tour I was given.

I met Ken's wife Laurie on my last visit and she was gracious enough to toss in, gratis, a bunch of purple basil... which is featured in the dish prepared below.

                                                                Mountain Magic's

Slow Roasted Mountain Magic's

  I made the pasta dish above  with Long Seasons "Mountain Magic" tomatoes that Ken said were great for roasting. Applying the "slow roasted" version of roasted tomatoes as suggested by Chef Rich for about 5+ hours @ 200 degrees and the summer tomato season begins!

                      .

                           BetsaPasta Crispy Eggplant Parmesan with Long Season Slow Roasted Tomato


 
                                             BetsaPasta Original Crispy Eggplant Parmesan With Sauce
                                                  See Crispy Eggplant Parmesan September 8, 2012


                                                                              Mangia Baby!
                                                                                   Bert

As always, please feel free to comment using the comment box below.
Wanna follow...
I'd love it! Enjoy...
b