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A Culinary Nomad

From time to time, as I wander around, I eat things worth telling people about. So, here’s a taste!

25/08/2026

Finally managed to get in my salt bread on the way to my bagel.

Side note: justinssaltbread is excellent, and they're also just one block up from Andrea’s Pizza , which is also excellent, and where one of the rockstars on the pizza team is also named Justin (no relation).

I was too yummyblivious to remember to tell Justin's Salt Bread there was another Justin making pizza down the street, but I *did* at least remember to give them some advice about how best to enjoy that pizza: "Try everything. The regular. The Sicilian. The grandma. The garlic knots. Bring as many people as you can, so you can pretend you're not eating everything yourself."

But you should also try to save room for some salt bread for dessert.

Side side note: this was the first time I've ever gone to Tompkins Square Bagels and haven't seen a huge crowd. Get in there and enjoy it while you can.

24/08/2026

This. Is. Amazing.

24/08/2026

Don't worry, Dad. I'm still eating bagels. 🥯

Side note: Apollo probably has my favorite tomato in all of bageldom. They're doing something to that tomato with olive oil that should really be required reading for bagelristas everywhere.

Sadly, they don't include tomatoes by default with their smoked salmon bagel, but taking an extra trip to Trader Joe's to pick up a quarter pound of lox -- or smoked trout, in today's case -- is a nice way to get your steps in and keep your costs down. Heading to the legendary Russ & Daughters would probably be an even better way to get your steps in and your nova on, but that's a bit more of a financial commitment. And, if you're in a rush, just paying an extra buck or two to add tomato to Apollo's own smoked salmon bagel is a perfectly acceptable choice, and actually winds up costing less than the smoked salmon bagels at most of the other shops at their level. But no matter how much you want salmon (or trout!) on that bagel, do *not* miss their tomato.

23/08/2026

It can be easy, when you're in New York, to just want to eat nothing but pizza, all day every day. So, it's really important to make sure you're getting a healthy balanced breakfast from time to time. You know, pork, shrimp, rice, noodles, maybe an egg, some banana, a little dairy . . .

22/08/2026

This week in food sensitivity:

I'm not cheating on Vietnam. I just didn't want the coffee I brought back from Hanoi to get lonely without any banh mi or banh cuon to talk to.

21/08/2026

Some recent adventures in pairings:

Some days, you just need a baklava donut with a Turkish coffee.

Some days, you just need a really good falafel with some amba from Israel.

Some days (most days, really), you need a bowl of chicken khao soi and some Massaman curry with roti.

And some days, you need a lamb sandwich that looks like it’s a potted plant, so you can tell your Mom you ate a really good salad for lunch.

Side note: that lamb sandwich is from BROtHERS which is the street cart pop-up of Lev . Google Maps tends to be a bit confused about where it is or what it’s called or whether it’s even open at all, but, basically, if it’s lunch time on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, go to the southeast corner of Houston and Lafayette and do not miss what may be the best street food sandwich I’ve had all year. (Sorry, Vietnam.)

Side side note: Red Beard Coffee & Bakery actually makes their Turkish coffee with coffee imported from Turkey. I think the rest of their coffee is actually made using beans from Ioannis Coffee Chef , and it’s really nice to see one neighborhood treasure supporting another. At least one of their bakers is also an alum of La Cabra Bakery so you know the pastries are going to be amazing. Sadly, I haven’t managed to catch their pastrami borek in person yet, but I’m gonna keep trying.

Side side side note: Malii Gramercy | Thai Restaurant has a lunch special for $30 before tax and tip, so, yes, that khao soi was about 15 times more expensive (but at least three times larger) than my beloved Khao Soi Khun Yai, but it also came with an insanely good massaman curry appetizer. Now if I could just figure out how to get their khao soi and massaman curry on a good pizza. My suspicion is that either would be mind-blowing on a white pizza using the Sicilian crust at Andrea’s Pizza , but I’m not sure New York is ready for that kind of fusion yet.

Side side side side note: I had never tried putting amba on falafel before, but it totally works. Amba, if you’re not familiar, is the fermented mango sauce that makes the sabich one of the world’s best street food sandwiches. FortunaNyc will let you put it on *everything*. Go wild, guys.

19/08/2026

That feeling when you’re wondering whether to try a New York slice or a Sicilian, and then decide the only responsible answer is “both” . . . and then realize there’s also a grandma slice and some garlic knots you’re going to have to come back for.

Andrea’s Pizza has alumni from Scarr’s and L’Industrie, so it’s kind of amazing there isn’t a line down the block. But, at least for now, this is a craftman’s pizza with a neighborhood feel. Great pizza, welcoming vibe, and both times I’ve gone, I’ve noticed regulars just walking in and asking for “the usual.” ❤️ 🍕 👍

16/08/2026

Adventures in faith, New York style.
Oh Lord, show me a slice.

13/08/2026

Don’t worry, Vietnam. I’m still sitting on plastic stools eating yummy things on the sidewalk.

Lev is popping up on the southeast corner of Lafayette and Houston on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. My photo doesn’t quite catch it, but they’re pretty much under a poster that says “The Messiah is Here!”, which is really how any good street food pop up should be announced, right?

They told me they have specials on Tuesdays, and are planning to do something with pastrami later this month, even though they’re just a few blocks from Katz’s Deli.

So, you should probably get there as soon as they open every Tuesday(11:30), so I haven’t already eaten it all before you arrive. ;)

12/08/2026

I'm not cheating on Chiang Mai. I'm just supporting the rise of khao soi in America.

Khao soi, if you're not familiar, is one of the greatest culinary treasures of Thailand, the kind of food that goes straight from your taste buds to your spirits and makes you just like everyone around you. But I don't think I'd ever even seen it on a menu in New York until I first found good New York style bagels in Thailand (at Volks).

Thankfully, I'm seeing it quite often now, usually for about ten to twelve times what it costs at my favorite place in Chiang Mai (Khao Soi Khun Yai), but in a bowl maybe two or three times the size. And, notwithstanding the challenges to both budget and waistband, it's really tempting to try pretty much every khao soi in the city, you know, for science.

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