Recent Episodes

 

Dwight Furrow, the author of American Foodie: Taste, Art, and the Cultural Revolution, talks about the philosophy of food. We discuss everything the impact of everything from automobile to Alice Waters to the Slow Food movement have shaped the way Americans think about food.
 
 
 
 

 

Inbal Baum, the Founder of Delicious Israel, joins us to talk about where foodies should eat when they travel to her country.

• Shakshouka is a popular dish in Israel
• Israeli Breakfast is a distinct and important meal
• The modern cherry tomato has roots in Israel
• Tel Aviv and Jerusalem top the list of cities you should visit
• Beach season runs from April to October
• Rosh Hashana is a great time to visit Israel
• When you visit Tel Aviv, go to the Carmel Market, the Levinsky Market
• Try the date syrup, Silan

 

 

Food for Thought

• Q: After pita bread, what is the most common food used to “wipe” humus?
• A: Raw onion.

 
 

Out of the Frying Pan

• Favorite Spot for Outdoor Dining: Milgo & Milbar
• Favorite Place to Buy Spices: Cafe Arma in Levinsky Market
• Herbs to Try: Za’atar and Hawaij (in Yemenite Coffee)
• Favorite Winery: Sphera
• Favorite Place for Dessert: The Malabia
• Favorite Food Experience for Kids: Max Brenner
• Chef to Watch: Eyal Shani
• Dish to Try at Different Places: Shakshouka and sabich

Bennet Jacobstein, author of The Joy of Ballpark Food: From Hot Dogs to Haute Cuisine, talks to us about what foodies can find at different baseball stadiums around the country.

• Hot dogs and sausages are not the same thing.
• The quality of ballpark food was elevated in the 90s as new stadiums were built and food television shows took off.
• Stadiums have highlighted regional foods.
• Gordon Biersch‘s founder Dan Gordon introduced garlic fries at Candlestick Park in 1994.
• The song “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” was written in 1908.
• The Yankees replaced Cracker Jacks at one point, but brought it back after a public outcry.
• 

  San Francisco Giant Gordon Biersch Garlic Fries

  Veggie Happy spearheaded the movement to get veggie dogs sold at ballpark stadiums.

• Andrew Zimmern has a stand in the Minnesota ballpark.
• Rocky Mountain Oysters are bull testicles.
• “The Big Six” are the food companies that service the major ballparks.
• As you go from ballpark to ballpark, try the hot dogs at each to see how they’re done differently.
• Proceeds from Bennett’s book go to Second Harvest Food Bank.

 

Food for Thought

• Q: In what year were Cracker Jacks first served at a baseball game?
• A: 1896 in Atlantic City.

 

Out of the Frying Pan

Here’s what Bennet recommends you try at each ballpark:

• Yankees Stadium in New York City: Chicken and Waffles.
• Fenway Park in Boston: Lobster Roll and a cuban sandwich.
• Wrigley Field in Chicago: Chicago-style hot dog with Vienna beef.
• Turner Field in Atlanta: Boiled peanuts.
• Marlins Park in Miami: Cuban dishes.
• Safeco Field in Seattle: The Ivar’s hot dog (with fish) and cream cheese hot dog.
• Nationals Park in Washington D.C.: A cauliflower hot dog and presidential cupcakes.
• 

  Chicago White Sox Chicago-Style Hot Dog

  Busch Stadium in St. Louis: The BBQ.

• Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles: Tommy Lasorda Spumoni ice cream.
• AT&T Park in San Francisco: Crab salad, lamb sausages, and Gordon Biersch garlic fries.

Try a Food Tour

More in this City

Taste Trekkers owes it all to its Kickstarter campaign. So to give back, we like to shine a spotlight on other projects.
 
Meet Julia Kravets. A fashion model, certified skydiver and vegan baker, Julia grew up in Brooklyn. During her career as a model, Julia refused to give up decadent desserts in order to stay in shape, so she challenged herself to create the healthiest, most nutritiously dense desserts she could. She soon became vegan, and did anything she could to learn more about healthy eating.
 
She soon realized that opening Little Choc Apothecary would help her promote environmental and animal welfare; help local, organic farmers and businesses thrive; spread health, and make more vegan options readily available due to an ever-growing demand for them. It would also cultivate a fun and creative environment in the community. Everything she ever wanted!
 
 

1. Tell us the idea behind Little Choc Apothecary.

 

Little Choc Apothecary is a vegan bakery, crêperie, tearoom and juice bar. We are taking the café concept to a new level, with an exciting, creative approach to wellbeing!
 
We live in a culture that demonizes desserts, and aims to exclude them from a healthy diet. Eating a tasty treat is considered “cheating”, which attaches a negative stigma to dessert. This kind of restrictive association causes people to develop terrible relationships with food, and could lead to eating disorders. It’s hard to disagree though; with the amount of refined sugar, bleached, nutrient-free flour, coloring, preservatives, weird unpronounceables, and other unnatural ingredients that go into desserts these days, it’s easy to be terrified of them.
 
Our goal is to put health back into dessert, so people can enjoy delicious sweets while reaping real health benefits. All of our desserts are crafted with the most nutritionally dense ingredients; in place of bleached white flour and white cane sugar, we go for healthy date and coconut sugar, locally ground whole wheat, spelt and nut flours.
 
We keep it raw when possible, and try to avoid oil, but when we do use oil, it’s always richly-flavored, healthy extra virgin coconut oil. Nothing on the premises will ever have any animal products, preservatives, chemical binders, thickeners, colors, flavor enhancers, or other unpronouncables, just a truly one-of-a-kind taste!
 
Aside from nutrition, health depends largely on surrounding environmental factors, which is why we are determined to run our business on sustainable practices. We want to create minimal carbon footprint by sourcing as many of our ingredients as possible locally, decorating our space with air purifying plants, and even growing some of our own herbs!
 
We will remain cruelty-free by never using animal products, and ensuring that all of our imported goods (like acai berries) are fair trade.
 

RELATED: Where to eat in New York City.

 
 

2. Where do you plan to source your local ingredients?

 

We plan to work with Wholeshare for the bulk of our ingredients. They are a wholesale distributor that works with multiple local farmers to bring us fresh, seasonal ingredients.
 
For maple syrup, we have a small farm in Maine called F&A Farm, where we occasionally go to help collect sap during the sugaring season; I can’t say enough about the honesty, pureness, and quality of the hard work of the farmer that makes this syrup. The love alone that goes into this is enough to make any dessert heavenly!
 
Another option is Brooklyn Grange, a 2.5 acre organic vegetable farm that is located on a rooftop in the Brooklyn Navy Yard–a quick 8 minute drive from us! Their wholesale account spots fill up quickly, so we won’t be working with them when we open this season, but have high hopes for next year!
 

 
 

3. What is your favorite dessert that you serve?

 

This is a hard one! It may have to be a tie between the Peach, Ginger & Almond crumble, and the B12 Brownie.
 
The crumble is an instant hit; I just love the way the ginger caramelizes when baking, and gives off these wonderful flavor undertones. It’s also so delicious and sweet naturally, that all it needs is a small sprinkle of maple syrup for extra sweetness.
 
AND it’s oil-free, so there’s no extra fat consumption shenanigans going on here. All of the fat comes from whole almonds, which have complementing nutrients that help your body absorb and process it properly and efficiently.
 
The B12 Brownie is something I have nearly every morning. It’s completely raw, and made from organic pecans, hemp seeds, coconut, dates, and raw cacao. So not only is it a wonderful source of protein, but it’s also fortified with the essential vitamin B12, so instead of taking a B12 pill, you can have a brownie! It’s my favorite thing to have with my coconut milk cappuccino.
 
 

4. Why Brooklyn, NY for you location?

 

This is where I grew up! After winning the green card lottery in 1999, my family and I moved to South Brooklyn from Kiev, Ukraine. After spending my childhood here, I consider myself a Brooklyn girl.
 
While there isn’t much of a market for vegan dessert around the Midwood area at the moment, I think Williamsburg or Crown Heights is a great place to develop, and I plan to open a second location down there eventually!
 

RELATED: The Top 5 Desserts in Boston.

 
 

5. Tell us more about your juices and teas!

 

Our smoothies and juices are all made from organic produce, so instead of getting a concentrated cocktail of chemical pesticides and fertilizer in your drink, you know you’re putting nothing more than a nutritious blend of vitamins and minerals into your body. We also have fun “dessert” smoothies, like Apple Pie, Banana Split, and Pumpkin Pie; it’s like you’re drinking your favorite dessert, minus the bad parts.
 
As for tea, this is where “Apothecary” comes in in our name. We have over 100 different herbs, which will be combined to make customized, medicinal blends based on our patrons’ preferences.
 
If they like them, our visitors can buy these blends to enjoy at home, or get individual herbs by the oz. to make their own concoctions. So many possibilities!
 
Of course we don’t claim to cure any diseases, but based on research, my own experience, and that of my friends, herbs do a wonderful job at speeding up recovery from an illness, reducing cramps, preventing various infections, and keeping your belly happy and functional when it starts to act up.

Are you planning your first trip to the Big Apple? Here are five fantastic New York City restaurants that should be on every foodie’s bucket list.

1. Toro

Boston chef Ken Oringer arrived in New York City to lots of buzz in the fall of 2013 to showcase his pièce de résistance, Toro. Situated in a lofty corner space at the edge of Chelsea, this tapas restaurant will unleash your taste buds. Don’t expect your run-of the-mill Spanish tapas taverna. Toro’s flair focuses on exciting and unusual items like fresh live sea urchin, tripe, foie gras, and blowfish.

 

If you can, grab a seat at the back bar and watch Chef Oringer work his magic firing up hundreds of delectable morsels. The menu is quite extensive. Take your time, the staff will walk you through the favorites and measure your adventurous quota.

 

$$$

85 10th Avenue, New York, NY 10011
(212) 691-2360

 

 

2. Taim

Founded by Israeli couple Chef Einat Admony and Stefan Nafziger, Taim brings New York City a gourmet version of the vegetarian street food staple, falafel. Their original outpost can be found on a quintessential West Village street.

 

A line usually forms outside of this tiny gem. If you’re lucky, seat yourself at the small bar and people watch window-side. You should definitely try the harissa falafel, which is topped with homemade creamy hummus and a delicious pickled cabbage slaw.

 

Taim also boasts a smoothie bar, with a favorite being the date, lime, and banana. Don’t let the vegetarian menu dissuade you; even the most carnivorous of clientele will leave satiated.

 

$

222 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10014

(212) 691-1287

 

 

3. Artichoke Basille’s Pizza

If you’re looking for decadent pizza, Artichoke is your place. You can grab a few slices to-go at various locales throughout downtown, but if you want to rest your feet, you should get comfy at the Chelsea location.

 

Created by Staten Island cousins Francis Garcia and Sal Basille, their artichoke slice–a thick pizza smeared with a cream sauce and finished with crisp artichokes, spinach, and gooey cheese–won praise amongst critics. However, their other pizzas, such as the vodka sauce with a twice-baked crust or the classic margarita, are not-to-be-missed. A full bar with Italian wines as the signature pieces and draft beers complement the meal nicely. Plan on being very full upon leaving.

 

$$

114 10th Ave, New York, NY 10011
(212) 792-9200

 

 

4. Aroma Kitchen & Wine Bar

Tucked away on a quiet East Village street, Aroma Kitchen & Winebar is a wonderful date-night restaurant. Expect to be greeted by the welcoming owners, Vito Polosa and Alexandra Degiorgio. You can choose to mosey up to the wine bar near the front and chat it up with friendly bartenders or escape to the back dining room and surround yourself with exposed brick and delicate chandeliers.

 

All of their pastas are homemade, created with the freshest ingredients, and demonstrate a certain flair and thoughtful quality. Their wine list is lovely as well, showcasing a bevy of Italian wines.

 

$$$

36 East 4th Street, New York, NY 10003
(212) 375-0100

 

 

5. Prune

There is usually a queue form ed down the street during weekend brunches, but if you’re lucky, you can sometimes snag a table without waiting on a weeknight. Gabrielle Hamilton’s prized possession, Prune, has been a hit in the East Village since 1999. Rich dishes such as roasted bone marrow or spatchcocked pigeon are a must with a varied wine list to boot.

 

Hamilton does a wonderful job creating a decadent and memorable dining experience. If you’re brave, wait out the line for Saturday and Sunday brunches. Be prepared for close quarters—the restaurant boasts a natural buzz that makes you feel like you’re part of New York City’s pulse.

 

$$$

54 East 1st Street, New York, NY
(212) 677-6221

 

 

What New York City restaurants are on your must-eat list?

 

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Marisa Olsen is the founder of Les Foodités, a food blog that explores the culinary arts with a focus on my passion for cooking and restaurant reviews in New York City.

In 1983, Myra Alperson co-founded Hungry Pedalers Gourmet Bicycle Tours, the first bicycle tour company to combine urban cycling & eating adventures. She launched Noshwalks in August 2000. She is also the author of Nosh New York: The Food Lover’s Guide to New York City’s Most Delicious Neighborhoods. We sat down to ask her a few questions…
 

1. What is the history of Noshwalks?

 
I went to Barnard College umpteen years ago and ended up “majoring” in NYC. This was probably reflected on my transcript with rather mediocre grades in academic subjects, since my exploration were entirely my own! Settling in NYC after college, I became an avid cyclist and began cycling everywhere. This was during the first wave of bicycle commuting and bike lanes. I used my bike to explore the boroughs and started volunteering with a group called Transportation Alternatives leading free bike tours to Brighton Beach and Arthur Avenue in search of good food.
 

Eventually, two friends and I formed a part-time business called Hungry Pedalers Gourmet Bicycle Tours, although the word “gourmet” was probably an overstatement. As with Noshwalks, we sought inexpensive, but delicious, foods from ethnic markets and eateries in neighborhoods tourists were not going to. This period spanned 1983-1990. One of my partners and I co-wrote The Food Lover’s Guide to the Real New York, which came out in 1987 – same week as the stock market crash, alas! By 1990 our lives took us in different directions and Hungry Pedalers ended.
 
I started Noshnews, my newsletter (soon to become a blog) in 1999 and launched Noshwalks in 2000 to complement the newsletter. People liked the tours much more – they wanted to go places rather than read about them – so I focused on creating more tours and now offer about three dozen! My book, Nosh New York: The Food Lover’s Guide to New York City’s Most Delicious Neighborhoods, was published by St. Martin’s Press in 2003, highlighting many of the neighborhoods where I lead tours. I’ve added many more destinations in since then!
 

2. How do you put your tour routes together?

 
Walking, re-walking and re-walking yet again. Riding buses through neighborhoods and taking notes. Asking locals for recommendations. Sometimes getting off a bus when I see an interesting sign or food truck. Picking up community and ethnic newspapers in the neighborhoods and looking for restaurant ads. Reading a lot! And lots of tasting! I compile the best places and I look for routes that make sense, balancing a good variety of eateries and, when possible, incorporating park stops where we can set up tastings and, in some cases, have complete picnics. In some instances, we also visit local landmarks. Every tour is different! Every time I lead the same tour, it’s different, too, because of neighborhood changes. I try to walk a tour myself a few days before I lead it to take new places into account.
 

3. If I’m a foodie and it’s my first time coming to New York City, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. What are some good ways to find some classic places to check out on my first visit?

 

There are some well-known eateries that anyone can get to on his or her own without a food tour. They’re written up in just about every guide book you will read. If you don’t want to travel on your own, the first time visitor has plenty of choices of food tour companies, although most go to the same neighborhoods in lower Manhattan (Chinatown, Lower East Side, Little Italy) or to Chelsea Market, Meatpacking District and the East Village.
 
Once you have an idea of where you want to go, my advice is to do what any savvy traveler does: Do even more research ahead of time until you find the website, food blog or tour company that piques your curiosity. (You should, of course, “Like” the Noshwalks Facebook page!) Plan to use mass transit, since driving in New York City is pretty insane – and subways and buses are part of the New York experience. Using MapQuest and other apps (HopStop is a wonderful one), you will get a sense ahead of time of where these neighborhoods are and how long it will take to get there. Don’t try to pack too much into one day, especially if you really love to explore! Bring a backpack because you’ll almost inevitably find food you’ll want to bring back with you in addition to all the tasting you do on site! Save all those take-out menus you find on the way!
 
I personally think that the serious foodie would want to avoid the more typical destinations (or, go once so you can say you were there, but then venture further) and check out the boroughs. There are tour companies that head to Brooklyn for pizza and artisanal foods.. A few others, like mine, also head to well-known ethnic destinations in Queens. Very few – perhaps just Noshwalks! – go to areas in Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx, plus northern Manhattan, and, yes, Staten Island, that have great food but are just not on any tourist radar. (Did you know, for instance, that there’s a small Portuguese enclave in Queens? Almost no one does.) Come on a Noshwalk and you’ll experience some “real” New York food and have a “real” New York feast where you will probably be the only tourists.
 
By the way, the food costs in these neighborhoods is often lots less than where many tourists do go! So the serious foodie in New York City for the first time does have an overwhelming number of choices, but with pre-planning, you should land in the city focused and ready!
 

4. If I’m a New Yorker or a frequent visitor, what’s a good way to discover some great new under-the-radar spots?

 

You can always hire me to take you to a few places. I also offer “Noshwalks to Go,” which consists of neighborhood maps I’ve developed to help people tour on their own, plus background information on the area to provide a rounded experience. I also recommend good Web sites and books to learn more about where you would be going if I’m not there with you.
 
While I do offer tours of the Lower East Side and Chinatown, for instance, my specialty is taking people to places they wouldn’t even think of. (And if people ask for Little Italy, I tell them I’ll take them to Little Italy of the Bronx, but that I only include Manhattan’s as part of my Lower East Side/Chinatown tour!) People who know me know that they’ll get to places they have no idea exist – and will almost always have a novel – a very satisfying – experience.
 
I’m not the only person convinced that the Bronx is the new frontier for interesting food tours, but I’m probably the only tour guide who now offers six different Bronx food tours and has a seventh in the works right now (plus a book)! Name an ethnic food and I can usually recommend a neighborhood where you’ll find it!
 

RELATED: What is a food tour?

 

5. What’s the one culinary experience no tourist should miss when they visit New York City?

 

The serious food tourist should take the #7 train to Main Street and wander through the Chinese, South Asian and Korean markets of the area, in particular a basement Chinese food court that will make you think you’re in a village market in China. There’s a lot of street food, too. That visit can take much of a day! Other stops on the #7 train will take the tourist to other food experiences: Get off at 74th Street/Roosevelt Ave/Broadway and you’ll be in the heart of South Asian Queens. A few blocks further – say, 82nd Street – you’ll find an amazing array of restaurants, markets and cafes offering food from Latin America. A celebration of gluttonous delight along one remarkable subway line!