Category Archives: Discovery, food

Chinatown Chronicles-Volume Two

“Chinese food tries to engage the mind, not just the palate. To provoke the intellect.”  Nicole Mones If I said “who wants to drink tea and eat chicken feet, shrimp, sticky rice and dumplings for brunch”, I might not get many takers. If I say who wants “dim sum” it is pretty easy to gatherContinueContinue reading “Chinatown Chronicles-Volume Two”

Spearfishing for Triggerfish in Hampton Bays

Triggerfish are a funny looking, fun to catch summer species in the New York/NJ bite. They usually swim up in the gulfstream as the waters warm and show up on the reefs in mid-July while party boats are targeting sea bass and porgies. The Ocean Eagle out of Sheepshead Bay is a great party boatContinueContinue reading “Spearfishing for Triggerfish in Hampton Bays”

A Most Bizarre Lunch at Felix

Felix is the kind of old school New York place that we need to survive. The unpretentious cuisine is very high quality and the casual atmosphere is inviting. It just feels good. I found myself here again this past Monday afternoon. Many European ex-pats like this place and this afternoon I heard French, German and ItalianContinueContinue reading “A Most Bizarre Lunch at Felix”

ErinGoScratch Recipe- Five Spice Green Tea Chicken

Love good BBQ chicken and want to add a little exotic flavor? Want yardbird you can be proud of and impress your family and friends? Live in the city and can’t grill like you want to but still want that summer flavor? This simple recipe will help you achieve that great BBQ grilled  flavor without theContinueContinue reading “ErinGoScratch Recipe- Five Spice Green Tea Chicken”

ErinGoScratch Recipe- Bluefish Ceviche

The gangsters of local saltwater fish, bluefish are a dangerous mob to any baitfish they come across. I have seen voracious blues feed on schools of bunker for days in the same location, an oily smell hanging in the air. Watch your fingers when handling! Bluefish blitz the entire area on a relentless mission to seekContinueContinue reading “ErinGoScratch Recipe- Bluefish Ceviche”

ErinGoScratch Recipe- NJ Style Garlic Crabs

Some people like the schmutz, some do not. I do love a big table of fresh #1 Cheasepeake Jimmy Blue Crabs steamed in Old Bay Seasoning and beer, butter on the side. The tradition of negotiating through the crab guts to locate the different compartments of a crab to find a sweet morsel of meat isContinueContinue reading “ErinGoScratch Recipe- NJ Style Garlic Crabs”

NYC Hot Dog Countdown- Number 5 DOMINICK’s HOT DOG TRUCK, Queens

DOMINICK’s HOT DOG TRUCK Woodhaven Blvd. at 65th or 67th Aves. (Right next to St. John`s Cemetary), Rego Park Cash Only Hours: Mon-Fri: 11am-5pm   No phone Get off the LIE and head to the Rockaways via Woodhaven Boulevard and, if you are a hot dog lover, you will see a very intriguing claim on aContinueContinue reading “NYC Hot Dog Countdown- Number 5 DOMINICK’s HOT DOG TRUCK, Queens”

The Chinatown Chronicles- Volume One

I love Chinatown in NYC.  All three of them- Sunset Park in Brooklyn, Flushing in Queens and the original in downtown Manhattan. I hope this series provides you with some tips that will help you discover some true culinary treasures of your own in your Chinatown. My high school friends and I started coming intoContinueContinue reading “The Chinatown Chronicles- Volume One”

The East Village That Remains

The East Village of my romantic youth when I moved to 7th Street in 1986- beat characters writing in tattered notebooks in sad cafés,  punk rockers jamming to reggae with Rastafarians in grungy Tompkins Square Park, worn out tenement buildings teaming with ethnic food smells, and true rebels on St Mark’s Place is nearly gone. All gone butContinueContinue reading “The East Village That Remains”