NYC Dining: Taverna Kyclades

Taverna Kyclades
33-07 Ditmars Boulevard, Astoria NY
(718) 545-8666

Web Site: http://www.tavernakyclades.com

Taverna Kyclades in Astoria, Queens has a nice outdoor dining area and specializes in fresh seafood cooked in Mediterranean/Greek style.

As I have written in my previous posts about Telly’s Taverna and Kabab Cafe, Astoria, Queens has now become my go-to place to eat lunch or dinner before heading out on a trip, given that LaGuardia has now become my preferred airport to travel from.

Astoria has many, many Greek restaurants, some of which are old established restaurants such as Telly’s Taverna, Uncle George’s (Papa Georgi) or Stamatis, and others are newer. One of the “newer” ones is Kyclades, a seafood specialist cafe which I had gotten a few nice recommendations about from Greek friends that really know their food.

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OTB Economic Stimulus Dinner II: No Mezze Left Behind

Aleppo Restaurant
939 Main Street, Paterson NJ

For our second in our series of Economic Stimulus events, we enlisted former Bergen Record restaurant writer and fellow food blogger Victor Sasson to arrange a lunch for us at one of South Paterson’s best Syrian restaurants, Aleppo, after which we went shopping at some of the local bakeries and markets.

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NJ Dining: Babylon (UPDATED)

Babylon Mediterranean Restaurant
606 Kinderkamack Road
River Edge, NJ

In August of 2006, Babylon, one of our favorite Turkish/Middle Eastern restaurants was forced to close when its lease was not renewed along with several other stores in the ill-fated Huffman-Koos shopping center in River Edge. Needless to say, I was totally bummed out by this development — not only was Babylon a great dining value but it also made some of the best Turkish and Middle-Eastern food that you could find in Bergen County. To get anything comparable, you had to go to Patterson or Union City. While we still had Kervan in Cliffside Park (a restaurant that has seen better days, its hardcore Turkish crowd long gone) and Samdan in Cresskill (admittedly solid Turkish place, but just didn’t have the precise atmosphere or taste I was looking for) they just weren’t the same — Babylon’s doner and other kebabs were made fresh from scratch daily, and had a definitively home made flavor that couldn’t easily be duplicated.

However, all was not lost. In Late March of 2007, Babylon re-opened only about a mile away from its original location, on Kinderkamack Road on the site of Shanghai Restaurant, which had closed six months before. The owners completely renovated the interior, and now Babylon, menu unchanged, with prices more or less the same, is back and better than ever.

Babylon storefront on Kinderkamack Road in River Edge

Babylon returns! Click on the “Read the rest of this entry” link below for more.

NYC Dining: Pastrami Queen / Orwasher’s Bakery

Pastrami Queen
1125 Lexington Ave # 2
New York, NY 10075-0429
(212) 734-1500

Web Site: http://www.pastramiqueen.com

You’re definitely know you’re not getting Asian-Fusion cuisine when you see a sign like this.

The old school New York Jewish Deli is going extinct. We have perhaps less than a dozen notable places in Manhattan, let alone the five boroughs that conform to the classic Jewish Deli archetype where you can get a good Pastrami or Corned Beef sandwich, and I may even have to downgrade that dozen to less than a handful, including Katz’s, 2nd Avenue Deli (which re-opened in 2008 in a new location) , Carnegie, The Stage, Sarge’s and Junior’s (which has really focused on its cheesecake business now more than anything else, although they do a great burger). All of those landmark delis are either downtown or in Midtown. Other fine examples, like Liebman’s in the Bronx, are lesser known but are part of the city’s restaurant culture that is in rapid decline.

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NJ Dining: Green Door Cafe

Green Door Cafe
1 Highwood Avenue, Tenafly NJ
(201) 567-8226

Green Door Cafe’s Storefront in downtown Tenafly, NJ.

As a few of you may be aware, I am a resident of the sleepy hamlet of Tenafly, which is situated on the northeast side of Bergen County, adjoining the towns of Cresskill, Bergenfield and Englewood. Tenafly, while being a wonderful residential neighborhood, has a bit of an unfortunate reputation of being the town that eats restaurants.

One of the restaurants that recently got the axe was Blockheads, an outpost of a NYC-based burrito chain. So I was rather surprised this week as I was driving by its former location to find Green Door Cafe, a self described “Doorway to real food” which only serves “proteins which are antibiotic and hormone free or organic” and produce that is “organic or locally farmed seasonally. We restrict our purchases to foods raised naturally without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers.”

I was expecting the place to be owned by a bunch of hippies wearing hemp clothing. What I wasn’t prepared for was being greeted by the former owner of Blockheads when I went in, Leon Bell. “Hey! Jason! The Off The Broiler Guy!”

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NJ Dining: A Taste of Greece 2.0 (UPDATED)

A Taste of Greece
935 Kinderkamack Road, River Edge NJ
(201)967-0029

Back in April of 2005 one of the first restaurants that I chose to profile during my 2-year stint as NJ Quick Bite writer was A Taste of Greece, a tiny Greek takeout in River Edge. One of the things I liked about this restaurant was its attention to detail and authenticity in its dishes, choosing to buck the “homogenized” Greek restaurant trend found in most Northern NJ Greek eateries with its real Pork Gyro and use of real imported Greek ingredients.

The original owners moved on two years later. One of them, Vasili Mastrokostas, went on to open Vasili’s Taverna in Teaneck. For a brief period A Taste of Greece was ran by the owner’s children and retained most of its original staff, and was recently sold to a new owner, Themis, a young, friendly, service-oriented and health-obsessed marathon runner. Themis took a rather unattractive, small takeout and put some money into the place, adding nice ceramic tile and other positive aesthetic changes, such as new wooden tables and chairs.

Themis has kept much of the restaurant’s original flavor (including its signature pork gyro) and has added more fresh and healthy Mediterranean dishes such as more grilled seafood plates. I actually think the place is a better restaurant now and is more compatible with my current lifestyle, and along with my other favorite Mediterranean options in the local area, such as Joeyness and Bennies, has now become one of my favorite places to eat well and eat healthier.

A Taste Of Greece on Kinderkamack Road in River Edge, Photo April of 2005.

A Taste of Greece’s new owner, Themis. Themis is extremely accommodating to special requests (such as low-carbing the entrees) and is himself a health and fitness nut.

You too will want A Taste of Greece. Click on the “Read the rest of this entry” link below for more.

NJ Dining: Adonisa’s

Adonisa’s Greek Restaurant
200 Main Street, Fort Lee NJ
(201)944-9462

Fort Lee is one of my favorite dining destinations in Northern New Jersey, because it is an incredibly bustling town — practically a micro-city in itself, and home to a diverse ethnic population, which includes a large group of Asians, which includes Koreans, Japanese and Chinese. Traditionally Fort Lee was home to a very strong Italian-American population, but in the last 20 years, its demographics have swung towards the previously mentioned Asian group, whose affluence have transformed the Northern New Jersey town and the surrounding area into a mecca for Asian eating.

However lately, a number of new Non-Asian eateries in Fort Lee have popped up, Mediterranean-style in particular. My current favorite is the two-table takeout Joeyness on the far end of Main Street which specializes in Lebanese Falafel and Kebab sandwiches. However a new Greek restaurant/cafe, Adonisa’s has just opened up across the street from the Main Street Borders bookstore. It should be noted Fort Lee has had a Greek restaurant for many years now — a local branch of the It’s Greek To Me chain which recently moved to a bigger location on Palisades Avenue, but I never thought the food at any of the branches was anything special.

Adonisa’s is a legit and wonderful small Greek restaurant in the heart of Fort Lee. Click on the “Read the rest of this entry” link below for more.

The Obscene Jedi Master of Turkey Sandwiches

Who is this “Neal”? And why does he love turkey sandwiches so much?

Turkey sandwiches are among my most favorite things in the whole world. In fact, prior to my resignation as President and Chairman of the Fat Pack, virtually every time I visited a diner I ordered a Turkey Club Sandwich, on whole wheat toast, with extra crispy bacon. I would consider myself a master at all forms of Turkey Sandwich construction, an authority on how all Turkey Sandwiches and their derivatives (such as the BLT, which forms the basis for any excellent Turkey Club) should be judged, and I didn’t think it was possible that somebody could be more obsessed with Turkey Sandwiches than I am. But I have discovered that I have a nemesis, and I am outclassed.

His name is Neal Stewart. I’m not sure what this guy really does for a living, or if he’s ever been subjected to a DSM-IV, but this guy is one Turkey Sandwich short of a carving station for a Hassidic wedding. He has dedicated AN ENTIRE BLOG to Turkey Sandwiches. Normally, anyone this obsessed with a single food object I would suggest seeking professional help — like my buddy Adam Kuban over at Serious Eats, who founded A Hamburger Today and Slice.  Adam by all accounts is clearly out of his mind. But compared with “Neal” he’s practically shelf stable.

Neal is funny. Neal is irreverent and foul mouthed. And he’s clearly insane. But this man knows Turkey Sandwiches.

Half-Guilt Turkey Cubano

Turkey Cubano made with Toufayan Low-Carb Sandwich Wrap, leftover Pavochon, Pickles, Low-Fat Swiss Cheese, and Hot Vinegar Peppers with a side of Boriqua Slaw. Click on the photo to enlarge.

Every Thanksgiving I look forward to the Turkey Leftover sandwiches — but this year, as we made Pavochon, I decided to raise the Turkey Sandwich to the next level: The Half-Guilt Cubano.

A legit Sandwich Cubano has to be made with roast pork — but if you’ve got leftover Pavochon, you’ve got the next best thing. Simply get yourself a low-carb sandwich wrap, set down a layer of Pavochon, sliced pickles, low-fat Swiss Cheese, a couple of vinegar hot peppers and you’re ready to go. If you just have regular leftover roast turkey, make some of Daisy’s Wet Adobo and use it as a condiment on the plain turkey. Wrap it up and smash it flat, grab your non-stick frying pan, and coat with a small amount of olive oil. Fry on medium heat for 3 minutes per side until heated through and the wrap gets nice and crispy.

I like these so much I may be making Pavochon full-time.

Superbowl Tailgate Degustation Menu 2008

Click for Hi-Res Slideshow!

So, the last time we decided to have a Super Bowl party, around this time last year, things were a little bit different. For starters, let’s just say I was not as focused on maintaining a healthier lifestyle. But most importantly, the NEW YORK GIANTS WERE NOT IN THE SUPER BOWL!

This year, we’ve made more of a commitment to eating healthier. But the Super Bowl is still the Super Bowl, and that doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy yourself. The folks over at Promise Buttery Spread contacted us and wanted to know if we were going to be posting any recipes this year, and of course I said we would. As it turns out, for this Super Bowl, Promise is having blogs participate in the 2008 Cardio Kick-Off, where they have their resident cardiologist, Dr. Richard Collins, help bloggers prepare heart-healthier tailgate menus.

So without further delay, here’s our heart healthy Super Bowl Menu for 2008.

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