Nippon via New York

if you've been to one NYC street fair, you've been to them all:

smoothies, crepes, pashminas -- smoothies, mozzarepas, t-shirts-- smoothies, gyros, jewelry.

-- but for what they lack in variance, they more than make up for in value.

this particular street fair spanned 15 blocks along madison avenue; from 42nd to 57th, however, the japanese portion was confined to only one block -- 43rd street. i enjoyed a diverse sampling of yum yums including a sweet, gooey mozzarepa, a savory bowl of japanese curry, and a banging ground chicken yakitori. surprisingly enough, the most enjoyable treat of the day wasn’t food at all; it was a beverage – a sarsaparilla soda courtesy of Wild Bill’s Olde Fashion Soda Pop Co. Wild Bill set up a vintage style soda stand, offering several unconventional flavors such as sarsaparilla, birch beer, and “gatling gun” grape.

a great way to kill the afternoon

© 2009 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable" - http://missioninsatiable.com/

the katz meow

the service is gruff, the decor is tacky, and if it were just any place else -- $12 for a sandwich would be absurd -- but it's not just any place else; it's Katz's and it's amazing.

205 E Houston Street
New York, NY 10002
(212) 254-2246

my father first introduced me to Katz's when i was about 10 years old and i've been a regular ever since -- not once have i had a bad experience.

my go-to sandwich is the "pastrami reuben club" -- succulent pastrami, piled mile-high on a club roll, topped with thick-cut swiss, sour kraut, and homemade russian dressing. it's as delicious as it is large, and christ is it large!

-- so large, in fact, that i only eat half and take the rest home -- something i NEVER do.

everything on the menu is a go:

the french fries are crunchy, the cheese steaks are stacked, the hot dogs are snappy, and the knishes are a notch above. even the turkey sandwich is moist and delicious.

all sandwiches come w/ a side assorted pickles, just ask. i'm a fan of the half-sours.

© 2009 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable" - http://missioninsatiable.com/

scape goat

garlic scapes are the oft-overlooked stems of the ubiquitous garlic bulb. farmers harvest these raggedy tops at the start of summer so that they don't divert pungency from the developing bulbs. think: the essence of roasted garlic trapped inside of a scallion; a musky mix of mellow garlic and sweet grass.

i imagine that they lend themselves nicely to a variety of food preparations -- tossed in a salad, pounded into pesto, starring in a soup -- but i opted for a simple sear over open flame.


tossed in olive oil, a little salt; pepper, and grilled until limp

© 2009 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable" - http://missioninsatiable.com/