We are STILL interrupting the Jew food story to tell you about Hawaii. (This is Part 2)

Well, it was day 2 and all was well from Hawaii. Gregory and I were enjoying ourselves after visiting a lookout point on the island of Oahu and then we decided to mosey around the streets for a bit. So, we ended up going and finding ourselves at a slowly rotating restaurant in the middle of Waikiki beach, called, “Top of Waikiki Restaurant”. Truth be told it wasn’t the cheapest of places to be eating, but it was the swankiest place we have dined in so far, and the food was incredible to say the least.

We went up around 7 pm… when I say up… I MEAN IT. We went to the top, 1 exlevator and 2 sets of escalators. We were high up above the world, like in 1949’s White Heat when Cody Jarrett screams, “Look Ma! Top of The World!” at the end, sorry if I SPOILED IT’S ENDING FOR YOU. IT’S ONLY BEEN OUT 71 YEARS NOW. Anyway, go check that out. But back to the restaurant itself.

When we walked in, it was so nice, they asked, “Cocktails or Dinner?” to us. I was speechless. Who asks that? I’ll tell you who. They do, because they are classy enough not to just call it, “the bar” or “drinks”, cocktails. But we weren’t here for that. We were there for the food. After all that is why I am writing about this in blog fashion, otherwise it’s just a boring tale of drinking. But that part is later.

When we sat down, I ordered what our very nice waitress Stephanie called, “her favorite thing on the menu”, Kalani’s Glazed Short Ribs served with Local Bok Choy Kim Chee. The picture can be seen below. A better picture is on their website, but you will have to deal with this one, if you don’t want to go to the menu page of topofwaikiki.com. It looks almost the same, minus the awesome lighting they have to amplify the delicious presentation of the cuisine.

Well, rhis is how that dish looks. And I will tell you what. It was amazing. The pork was presented in cube form and it as soon as I stuck my fork into it, it was like I struck gold or oil or something rich in value. The thing fell off  into the fork and it made my mouth tinge with tastiness. It came with an a vegetable Kim Chee that was dynomite and outta sight. I recommend every tender morsel and if you don’t finish it, I will tell you you are doing yourself a disservice to not only yourself, but to all people who dine on solid food.

How did I wash it down you ask? I know you asked because well, It’s a food blog and I am psychic. By the way, you might have left the oven on. Go check. Anyway, I had a longboard ale, the official beer of the islands of Hawaii, and produced on tap and created by the Kona Brewing Company, based on the Big Island. It was a perfect compliment. It tasted bitter at first, but was smooth all the way down after the first taste.

These were lip smacking delicious.

Also, the room was spinning. But that was not from the beer. The place actually spins. It’s a rotating restaurant. It’s a terrible joke, but my mind was blown by the amazing quantity of quality on Waikiki Beach. Amazing service from our waitress, and all around friendly atmosphere. Visit! Do it! Hop on a plane. You can afford it. How do I know? Pawn shops love computers. Go there, turn in your computer and fly to:

2270 Kalakaua Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96815-2519
(808) 923-3877

So, That’s it for now, I’m Josh and That is what the Hell I just ate.

We interrupt the story of Jew Food to tell you about Hawaii. Part 1 (Maybe?)

Well, I hope I wasn’t keeping you on the edge of your seats waiting for the continuation of the story of New York’s finest Jewish cuisine excursion. Because if you were, you may be the only one who reads this or cares for that matter. What I have in store for you is one or two of the best meals I have tried in Honolulu, HI.

And it was just the first day here!

So let me set this story up right. I am in Honolulu with a friend of mine, Gregory Sahadachny (he’s got like 7 Ukrainian middle names but he just commonly goes by Greg), and the reason we are in the Capital City of the Aloha state is because, somebody (me) won an award for an animated series that I created and well… it’s the first major award that Fridge Films (my company for all those who haven’t quite figured it out yet) has gotten. We won the Aloha Accolade Award. W00t. I know. Congrats, kudos to me. So that is why we flew the 10 hour and change flight to the Island of Oahu. By the way, if you would like to see the video, the link is here: http://vimeo.com/4848927.

But that isn’t talking about food, that is me needlessly pimping myself out to make me seem cool. All of you know the truth though, and that is how I am going to end that sentence. So, back to the gourmet section of the program. When we landed, Gregory (Greg for Shizzle) went and had dinner after we unpacked. We then dined in a mediocre Asian Restaurant. I don’t remember the name. What I do remember is what I ate and how it was, but most of what I remember was cloudy due to the fact that I was drinking Mai Tais and Volcano Mojitos. which, in a nutshell were heavy. No actual rhyme or reason to the bartending. I’ll suplly you with a name and a picture later in an update. We were hammered, but only a block away from our hotel: The Ohana Malia.

And now the real story begins. We woke up around 8 ( it was really 6 am for me, much like the day I was typing this) and we ventured to the premiere breakfast establishment  on Oahu, Eggs ‘n Things. No longer was it located in it’s original location, it had since moved to right above a stoner pot shop and ahead of the local hole in the wall, dive bar pub  Arnold’s. (Haven’t been there yet, we are going soon). The place was crowded. But we found that out, only after we arrived at the restaurant, but after we got lost and we somewhat lost faith in finding the place. Also we drove there. We then found out it is only about 7 blocks away (Hawaiian blocks) from our hotel.

So when we got there, we waited for about 25 minutes and we visited the stoner store to waste time, which calls itself, “The New Home of Rock N’ Roll”. And I got basically a contact high off Nag Chompa. Finally, it was our time to head upstairs, to the big dance that was Eggs ‘N Things. We sat down and were treated to service from Damian. Who, for a man with the name of the son of the Devil, could not have been a nicer guy. In fact. He was one of the best, nicest people I have met on the island. You know what, that is a put down. Everyone has been relatively nice to us, maybe it’s a sign or something. Anyway, Damian, a stand up gent. His picture is below.

You are going to have to try to beat Damian for title of "Best Waiter"

Yes. He also is a Japanese Voice Over Celebrity. He’s my kinda people. Anyway, so, when we got there and ordered, I saw one thing on the menu at this local establishment and I had one question for Damian: “What is a Loco Moco?” And the answer is delicious. However delicious doesn’t contain ingrediants, so when I posted the facebook picture online, my friend Joe Achard had the answer already to what makes this Moco, “Loco”. This is the wall post verbatim:

Loco Moco Conversation

Yes, for those of you who couldn’t read that, it is 2 Sunny Side Up Eggs, A Slab of Kobe Beef Patty, Gravy, and Sticky Rice all piled up high upon each other. And, I will be damned, that is maybe the tastiest 72 billion calorie breakfast I have ever eaten. It was delicious. A party in my mouth. The gravy sinks into the rice, and then gives it a beef gravy feel. So it’s like The Lion King‘s quote: “Slimy Yet Safisfying”. Then you beat the eggs into it so it becomes a little sticky with the yoke after it has been cooked. I have no other words but yum.  They sell it for 10 dollars about. And I might just go back there again today for a second one. But then that will make me the epitome of fat.

But on a side note, everything I have eaten here has meat and rice in it. Rice, seems to be the traditional staple of every meal here in Hawaii. Hawaii, Portuguese  Sausage and Spam. It’s fantastic. Carb counters beware. DO NOT COME TO THE ALOHA STATE.

But how did I wash this meal down? A glass of water and homemade Guava juice* (*Note, I posted this and Damian saw it posted wrong and corrected me. Kudos, don’t wanna lead the fans awry here). Yes. They make their own Pineapple and Papaya juice. So, Eggs ‘N Things, you have been open since 1974 and I can understand why. You are a gold mine. And if you were to ever open up in Princeton, NJ or the surrounding areas I would love you and hate you. Hate you for being so devily delicious, and love you for being so close. You know what, maybe our waiter’s name was Damian for a reason. He could be fattening me up with his evily delicious treats. But I doubt it. He’s a saint.

Anyway, that was only breakfast. Lunch you say? What did we have? That’s another story all together. You are going to have to wait for part 2. Also because it is 7:39 AM when I finished this and I got stuff to do, people to see, and locations to see in Hawaii. So, for now, I leave you with all the information about the best breakfast nook in the Aloha State: Eggs ‘N Things.

343 Saratoga Road
Honolulu, HI 96815-1943
(808) 923-3447

http://www.eggsnthings.com

Oh! Forgot if you get there before 7 AM you can order out! A Hawaiian tradition!

I’m Josh, and I am in Hawaii, and that is what the hell I just ate.

Guess who eats together at the Carnegie Deli? (And Katz’s Deli a few weeks later?)

Well, that would be my mother and myself. The date was last Wednesday. We were still in the big apple on the Upper East Side sitting in my father’s hospital room as he was sitting in pain. Struggling to move. However, visiting hours were over and my mother and I had been there all day. From even before visiting hours started until after 8 pm when they had ended.

We were hungry. And since I was in New York, what a better dish to try than that of an authentic New York Deli.

So the choice was Katz’s Deli, which is located down on Houston Street, near a resturant that only serves Knishes (That I found on the news today

) and one that only serves Poutine. Which would have been great seeing how it was olympic time and frankly… Hockey might be the greatest drinking sport ever invented.

Think about it. What is better than seeing grown men trot about the ice on skates while hitting a cylindrical black dot the size of a fist around with a stick toward a net and avoiding being plowed by a very bruting other individual with momentum into a plexiglass wall. Now I can drink to that.

However, you will find that I have let you down in this entry. We didn’t make our way towards Houston, as you can probably guess we went to the other big deli in the bourough of Manhattan. We went to the world famous Carnegie Deli.

How famous is the Carnegie Deli? Well there are conflicting reports. The subject line in this posting (which I now make a 2nd reference to in this very short period of time) is from an Adam Sandler song, a famous one. It’s called the Chanukkah Song. Also, on House M.D., Dr. Gregory House (as played by the amazing Hugh Lorie), tells his bulemic patient after she gets a new heart that he brought food from Guess where? If you said “The Carnegie Deli”, maybe you probably earned that high school diploma based on common sense alone. If you didn’t say that well, then I probably need to dumb this down for you a bit. That or you are blind. Sorry, I am not equal opportunity. I don’t write in Braille.

But again… I divert back to the main point. The reason that it is 50/50 on whether people know whether the setting for this escapade is really famous is based on the cab ride that my mother and I had on the way over. The man driving  first did not have a name presented in the taxi on any taxi license. He was rude, smelled a bit, and he was bald, he was also Middle Eastern (I am just painting the picture for you. Not all Middle Easterners are rude).

Anyway, when we got in the cab and told him that we wanted to go to the “Carnegie Deli”, he didn’t seem to know where that was. That was shock number one. I thought it was pretty famous. Plus, the fact that it has the name “Carnegie” in it, might lead people to belive that it might be near Carnegie Hall… another famous NYC attraction. Oh, and it is.

So, I told him where it was the corner of 55th street and 7th Avenue. So we get there.

The driver doesn’t see it, after we tell him repeatedly what side of the street it was on. It’s on the right. He parked us on the left. He then told us, “You have to be more specific. There are tons of delis in New York. This one is not famous.”

My mother got into a battle with him, and he was rude and ignorant and maybe the worst taxt driver on the planet.

But we were there, and amazingly there was no wait. So we got a table for two that sat 8. What they do is sit people together at tables, even different parties to save space. We had the pleasure later of sitting next to a couple and their son who had a dubious time playing with a glass ketchup bottle. it got everywhere.

But the real reason I went to the deli, A.K.A. “my alterior motive” was to talk about Kishkes or Stuffed Derma. What is Stuffed Derma? Even I don’t know, but it sure is delicious. This is what it l9oks like:

Why does all Jewish food look terrible and taste amazing?

So this is what a “Kishke” really is. Enjoy the photo. Mine is more appetizing. Yeah, so mine was made with the synthetic obviously, but it was still blessed by a rabbi, because the cylindrical wrapper around my derma had hebrew writing on it. It’s not visable from what I can show you at this angle. But yeah, believe me it was there.

This is not my first rodeo when it comes to derma eating either, growing up in a non-traditional Jewish household, we would take trips in New Jersey to visit a deli in the same vein as the Carnegie Deli, called Harold’s New York Deli. and man, they have some huge ass portions.

They learned everything they know from the Carnegie deli, because when our sandwiches came out they were huge. Enormous. Gigantic. The same could be said for the hot dogs. The following photo is my mothers hand seen next to some frankfurters.

It’s not just as big as your hand. It’s bigger than your face!

So we snacked on those big hotdogs (Please note I am not calling them weiners. Why? Because I am not that type of comedian who leaves the door open for you to think about something perverted like that. Shame on you).

They were very good. But, I would imagine most of you have had a hot dog in your life. So, basically it was like a generic boiled hotdog that was long. It was nothing special other than the size of it. Though it wasn’t like a push cart hot dog. It was less slimy and made of 100% pure beef… not whatever they can find in that cart. It came with a favorite topping of mine, Sauerkraut. It’s the polish side of me. I have some of that blood in me. I am open to polish jokes however.

Overall, Carnegie Deli was very good. However htere is another famous deli in the city. I didn’t get around to giving it a test drive by myself for this blog until a few weeks later, however I have been there before. That Deli is Katz’s Deli.

How did I end up there? Well, as you all know I am into film (seeing how that is how I make my money). So, after applying for a directing gig, I had to meet with a producer in New York City so once again I was in the city. Interesting side note to that meeting, after it was done, I met the father from “The Wonder Years” at Borders in Penn Station. He inhabited my table after I was done chatting with the producer and when I was packing up. I must say I was star struck. But that is a different story.

Needless to say the point of that story was that I was in the city. So, I decided to check out some food institutions while I was there. I took a taxi down to Houston street. There was Katz’s Deli. For those who don’t know the history, this scene from “When Harry Met Sally” was filmed in Katz’s Deli. Rob Reiner (The Director’s mother) says the famous line at the end of the scene.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nNhOH4Y0bI

Take a look at that and then continue. It’s certainly well worth the watching. But to continue, I went to Katz’s to try out their Kishkas. Nothing special. Why? Because it was the same as Carnegie. But, believe me, they were still just as tasty.

However, the one thing that Katz’s had that other deli’s didn’t have is the sign that shows where Harry did Meet Sally for an orgasm. yes. this is not a written article for children. I said orgasm. I would scream it for all to hear, but then i might have wet pants. Here, I’ll show you. This is where I stood.

I saw the sign. I opened up my eyes and I saw the sign.

Yes. Hollywood history. Call me a historian of film and a gitty all at the same time that the table was open where the scene with Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan sat. (I sat where Meg sat. My rain coat… oh it was raining hard was playing the role of Billy Crystal). Truth be told also, the food, though similar to the Glatt Kosher Kishkas that were given to me at Carnegie were still delicious there. Orgasmic if you will allow me to say so.

Now, that wasn’t my first time at Katz’s, and it won’t be my last. However, this is where this blog ends for now. Why? Because there is a part 2 all about more food of the Jewish variety coming and this seems like a good place to stop.

The World Famous Carnegie Deli is located on 7th and 55th Street in Midtown Manhattan. Their toll free phone number is: 1-800-334-5606.

Katz’s Delicatessen is located on the corner of Houston and Ludlow at 205 East Houston Street. New York, NY 10002-1098 Their number is: 212- 254-2246. And remember to send your Salami to a boy in the army. (They deliver via mail to anyone if needed.)

I’m Josh… and that’s what the hell I just ate for now…. part 1 of this story of Jew food.

The best meal I have ever eaten in New York City (That I can remember).

Here’s the setup to this meal. I had just gotten into the city so that I could be at the hospital with my mother to keep her company when my dad was recovering from scheduled hip replacement surgery. He’s doing fine. Just in pain. Anyway, so dinner time hits and we don’t know what we are gonna eat. So, we tried urbanspoon on the iphone. Everything just seemed average for Upper East Side restaurants on 1st avenue near 70th street. But, at the same time, it was a hotter than average February evening… 44 degrees Fahrenheit. So, rather than wasting money on a cab ride for about 8 blocks, we decided to hoof it and walk to find a restaurant. The choices were vast along first avenue… but none especially appetizing. We were sick of Italian food, and nothing seemed very appetizing or that would stick to my mother’s South Beach Diet.

On a similar note: I hate the South Beach diet. I don’t think it works. I just tried something… it’s called exercising and eating healthier. That’s a diet. It’s called don’t eat garbage and you won’t gain weight. Also watch your carbs. Don’t cut them off. That is what I say. I am no dietitian like my sister-in-law, Alanna Eisenberg. If you need a dietitian, look her up. She’s great… but still eat what you like, and don’t hold regrets, but pick up a fruit or vegetable from time to time.

But back to the story. We found a small hole in the wall on 68th Street and 1st Avenue in Manhattan. That hole in the wall is called, Ravagh Persian Grill. They specialize in Persian/Mediterranean dishes and especially kabobs.

Never had a kabob? Well, luckily enough I can describe it for you. Take a stick. Load it up with a bunch of food whether it’s tomatoes, onions and whatnot and then add some meat. It’s sorta like what you did when you were a kid putting marshmallows on sticks. Just change out the marshmallows for healthier stuff that doesn’t make smores. Add some rice and boom! Kabob! I could definitely be Don Draper reincarnated.

We were hesitant or at least I was. Here comes the T.M.I. for the day. I had a bad case of gas. I had been farting all day. And to make matters worse I was in a hospital all day. Farting in a hospital should be a crime. I would get appropriately the gas chamber if it was. Now, I didn’t want to go in, but then this older lady in a mink coat (classy, the way she bought and wore that dead animal) came out raving about how good it was. Plus almost all the tables were filled. One was empty and it was the one that PETA’s favorite citizen was sitting at. So, Captain Flatulence and mother raced on in to snatch it up at the Zagat rated establishment before anyone else did.

I could have ordered the tea but I stuck with water on the table. So did my mother. She proceeded to order a stuffed pepper that came with some sort of red sauce and rice filling. I ordered stuffed grape leaves. For main courses I ordered Lamb Kabob with saffroned and currant rice. My mother ordered the Chicken Kabobs, no rice but with extra vegetables. Those included eggplant (which is always great because it makes everyone gassy as well) and some zucchini as well as a pepper.

First came the Appetizers. I didn’t take pictures I apologize. Her single ginormus stuffed pepper was red. It was flowing with rice (that isn’t on South Beach. See? Eat what you like!) and a sauce that was vibrant with red color and triumphant with a creamy, spicy taste. It didn’t bite, but it was something that kept the taste buds humbly wanting more. Literally, picture my tongue as Oliver Twist.

“Please Sir… more.” And there were more bites to be had. But that wasn’t better than the grape leaves.

Again. I didn’t take a picture. That is my fault. I wasn’t thinking. But traditionally grape leaves (also called Greek Dolmades) are served cold. These were warm. They were seved with limes for spraying juice all over. traditionally, I remember it to be lemon juice. So I was wary at first. These were meated and served warm. you can find more information at wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolma

However, I took one bite into this Dolma and like I almost fell over. You know how old Egyptian Pharaohs used to be buried with all their possessions. Now I am only a fat jewish filmmaker with an insatiable hunger, but these bad boys are the thing I would want my corpse to be accompanied with. Pleasant thought, right?  My mother hates all grape leaves. Everyone, she even told me that she orders them off her plate at diners when she gets Greek Salads. She took one bite and her perspective on grape leaves did a 180 degree turn. She was like the other character from Green Eggs in Ham. She would eat Dolma on a train, in the rain, on a boat with a goat… etc.  If you venture to this Persian food heaven… it is a must get.

Main course: The kabobs came out… no sticks. They had removed them pre-serving. My mother handed me the eggplant in exchange for a lamb piece which was cut into cubes.

Diversion: I have many Greek Orthodox friends. one of which, Lia, who was also crowned Miss Maryland a few times… I tell you that to tell you for hours on end at her house for Greek Easter I would be one of the lamb spinners. I would spin a lamb rotisserie ( a full dead lamb on a spit) over the fire and take shifts. It drives you mad at times. See picture below.

I know I look crazy. That is 2006. And I still look nuts.

Now I show you that picture and I tell you that story to tell you how good that lamb was. It was amazing.

FAST FORWARD 2010: This lamb was equally fantastic. The rice flavor I got as well… Amazing. It complimented perfectly. The rice had a dry kick that was the yin to the yang of the medium rare cooked lamb which was juicy and bloody and melted in my mouth. If you haven’t noticed, I am a carnivore.

I thought after I devoured more than 2/3 of the meal and wrapped it up I was done. But I had a hunch I would start a blog based on my recent activity, so just for shits and giggles, I decided… oh what the hell. lets find out what dessert is.

Dessert, which was extra was Faloodeh. Some of you may ask: “What is Faloodeh?” And I would answer it is Rosewater frozen rice noodles with ime to squeeze on top or a cherry syrup paste with real cherries inside. Not Maraschino cherries, the real thing. Bing. Those cherries. Here’s a photo.

Rosewater frozen Rice Noodles+Bing Cherry Sauce+ Lime juice= Faloodeh

It was great. It was sweet. And as a fellow poster, collegue and friend on facebook said, (Chris Hanyok) the reason why is probably to compliment the flavor of turkish coffee. That stuff is bitter. I didn’t have it there, but I have had that before. I apologize for the terrible picture. Blackberry Storms are shit. There I cursed. That’s what they are. That’s the way i took that picture, because that’s how I upload. I can’t be cool and be having an iphone like the rest of you.

I’m bitter. Sorry. I’m like Turkish coffee. Now, I cite wikipedia when it says: The Faloodeh recipe dates back to 400 B.C.E., So it’s old. Wikipedia says more:

“Persian sorbet made of thin vermicelli noodles frozen with corn starch, rose water, lime juice, and often ground pistachios. It is a traditional dessert in Iran and Afghanistan. It was brought to the Indian subcontinent during the Mughal period. The faloodeh of Shiraz is famous.^[1]

Faloodeh is one of the earliest forms of frozen desserts, existing as early as 400 BCE.^[2] Ice was brought down from high mountains and stored in tall refrigerated buildings called yakhchals, which were kept cool by windcatchers.”

And now you know.

All in all, a great dessert which was kind of like chewing on a cherry limeade snowball which is probably popular in the baltimore area in the summer. Sonic. You should get on this. think about it.

A great meal overall.

For more on Ravagh Persian Grill call them up: 212-861-7900.

I’m Josh… and that’s what the Hell I just ate.

Half Moon Restaurant

So, recently I had a birthday. I am officially a quarter century old. Yes. I can rent a car. Months prior to this day, I sent out invitations via facebook (look up my name) and twitter (fridgefilms) to go to a restaurant that I saw on the travel channel’s Burger Paradise. That restaurant is Kennett Square, Pennsylvania’s Half Moon Restaurant. Originally it was supposed to be the day before my birthday… and the super bowl (damn NFL scheduling), but due to Snowpocolypse that came and went dumping 20+ inches of snow… I canceled. It was not until the weekend after, that a smaller group of people who were expected to go made it up.

So, I was not alone in this venture to mushroom capital of the United States and it’s esteemed restaurant.  My guests (who were nice enough to all chip in for my dinner seeing how it was sorta my birthday) were the following: Phillip Kessell, Bessie Howard, Gregory Sahadachny, Daniel Tayag, Joe McCarry, and Annie Berko.

Now, why would I travel from central New Jersey to an area of Pennslyvania that passes through the WAWA headquarters in the boondocks?

Because this burger bar isn’t just a bar that sells burgers. Their burgers are made of Wild Game. For instance, look at my burger:

My beer wasn't the only thing that had hops.

Now, look at that caption… clever? Yes. Why? Because if you haven’t figured it out, I ate Kangeroo meat. Now, it wasn’t the first time I have eaten the Aussie Marsupial. I once dined on this at an eating establishment in  New York in 2000, when we sent my brother off to Australia for a trip of a college lifetime. We soon followed him to the Island continent below the equator. I tell you that to tell you that while we were there we went to a petting zoo that had wallabies, koalas, and of course you guessed it… Kangeroos. While at this petting zoo, I was deeply scratched by a female aggressive kangeroo who wanted the feed I had in my hand. Vicious. Vicious.

Now it was time for revenge.

But Kids. If you have a bully, don’t eat them. Kindness. Treat them that way. Don’t cannibalize. Okay? Promise?

But I digress.

Prior to getting the burger, the 7 of us ordered a few appetizers. I ordered Alligator Gumbo (I don’t have a picture. But I do have pictures of me eating the burger rather creepily… I’m getting to that).

The gumbo itself was creamy and had a kick. It contained beans and rice and the southern specialty: Gator. I have also had gator in the past and I love gator. It’s just like chicken. everyone who has tasted it says that, why? It’s true. It’s a must get appetizer if you are dining in that restaurant. Seeing as well how it was freezing cold, soup especially of that nature hit the spot.

Second, the table ordered 2 sets of a Wild Game Sampler. it came with three types of meat. A filet of Ostrich, Yak Sirloin and Wild Boar chop.

Of the three I prefered the Yak. And I’ll tell you what, when it was in my mouth, it talked back…talked back with tremendous flavor. Yak was seasoned and served medium rare. It was a tender cut that is similar to buffalo, which is like beef, but more gamy.

The boar chop was just like a pork chop. It was just tougher, nothing special.

But the ostrich was like a small steak. But that doesn’t make total sense to me. It should be more like chicken… it’s  a bird! Birds should taste like birds! I liked it. I just would have prefered an ostrich egg. Imagine that. Now stop slobbering. And get your heart checked. Imagine that cholesterol.

Main Course was the ‘roo burger. I got it cooked “still bleeding”. I like to be clever and mess with the wait staff when I order. why? I’m an ass. I also got it with cheddar cheese and grilled mushrooms. Why? Why Not? It’s all the best that the Mushroom capital of the United States has to offer.

First bite: amazing. It all blended together as a smorgasbord of pure taste. The Kangeroo ground up was like a gamy hamburger made of beef that had been aged with the color of purple that was like tuna. And… it was as I asked. still juicy and bleeding. As I said… I eat creepy-like. Here the picture. Sorry Bessie.

I'll eat this burger and then I might eat Bessie with a side of Fahva Beans and A Nice Chianti.

Let me before going any further explain that the Wild Game burger is a different meat every day. It changes from Boar to Ostrich to gator to Kangeroo… etc. You can find the full list of the meats on their website.

But what meal isn’t had without a great selection of Belgian Beer? And I learned something. It’s a math equation: Hoegaarden+Raspberry Syrup=Dirty Hoe=Delicious.

A perfect compliment to the meal and the dessert which was a molten river of Chocolate Lava cake. I ate well.

You should too.

Go there. Be happy. Eat like a man… not just a man. A wild game hunter and you will win.

Information:

http://www.halfmoonrestaurant.com/

I’m Josh, and that’s what the hell I just ate!

Welcome to “What The Hell Did I Just Eat?”

Greetings, Salutations, Welkommen, Shalom, and Aloha.

And in just plain English… Hello.

My name is Josh Eisenberg and I love food. Some people would know this because of my hulking waistline, or maybe because I am talking in a blog about various types of nourishment.

Anyway, I have been on a quest much like the Andrew Zimmern’s, or the Adam Richman’s or the Julia Child’s, or the Anthony Bourdain’s or even the Guy Fieri’s of the world to find the most exotic and large amounts of food and the best hole in the wall resturant the country, nay the world has to offer.

I don’t have a large budget either. I have just enough budget to find cheap and exotic. I have eaten bugs… that should say enough to exemplify what needs to be seen. Some food won’t be exotic. some will be just tasty. But Hopefully I will try to keep it fresh and real. And there will be pictures. Oh… yes. There will be.

Some would ask “Hey Josh… I don’t get it.” And I would respond, that isn’t a question. However if they asked, “Why I am doing this?” I would respond… It’s really an experiment and I love to write and eating comes as first nature to me… not even second nature. I might as well put my mouth and fingers to good use other than the normal self fulfilling nature of my hands… but that is a different story. Plus I wash my hands before I eat with them.

Now, I will start you off with a taste of cuisine that I found in New York City. It was snowing cats, dogs, rhinos and babies. Basically a twister of snow in my face. My father and I, who were in the city for a pre-operation hip surgery orientation for him (in which, the surgery happened successfully two days ago) were done with orientation for the day. I had already made it through the snow to see West Side Story. We were in a rush to find a cheap and good restaurant on the way to the second play of the day for myself. That play, Avenue Q, was the better of the two that I watched that day. We found a very nice affordable place.

The restaurant called, “Toloache” is located in the Theatre District of Manhattan at 251 50th Street.

Me and my father who wasn’t too keen on what I personally ordered (see the photo below and the story about it) stumbled in and ordered some homemade fresh guacamole and tacos. This is the picture of what I ordered.

Toloache's Chapulines Tacos

If  you didn’t figure it out those are two of the finest flour shells filled with Jalepenos, Onions, and fried grasshoppers.

Yes. Grasshoppers. I ate bugs, and they were delicious. I am that kid in the 3rd grade who will eat anything on a dare. Except it’s the 25th year of my existance, not the third grade and I only made a dare with myself.

The taste was amazing. It was spicy with a kick thanks to the lightly fried aspect of the preparation mixed with the onion and the jalepeno peppers. To classify this bug as a flavor would be a little salty and chewy, but with a crispness all it’s own. It also had some sort of lime infusion on it which could have been the lime they gave me on the plate to add to it. Simply put, it was like a beef/bug taste that had the texture of a chewy hint of Lime Tostito.

It was as Billy Crystal would say, “Marvelous”.

They were very busy but easily accommodating for fast food delivery so that we could make the play. I highly recommend the play Avenue Q, as well as the eats… if you have time make it there.

Toloache is located at:

251 W 50th St
New York, NY 10019
(212) 581-1818

and their phone number is 212-251-1818.

thei website is: http://www.toloachenyc.com/

And now you know… what the hell I just ate.