Posts Tagged ‘ astoria ’

New York Dispatch: Romance & Roti

February 16, 2011
New York Dispatch: Romance & Roti If you've ever been in a long distance relationship, this story is for you. I heard it on Valentine's Day in the back seat of a yellow cab going from Tribeca to Union Square

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in New York Food Adventures | 6 Comments »

Tasting Hossam’s Ritual

June 8, 2010
Tasting Hossam’s Ritual I was a little alarmed when I walked into Little Morocco on Friday and saw that every single chair was empty. Wasn’t this cabbie Hossam’s go-to spot for couscous? Hadn’t he told me to make sure I got there early in case they ran out?

Tags: , ,
Posted in New York Food Adventures | 7 Comments »

Emigration, Recession, Couscous

June 3, 2010
Emigration, Recession, Couscous About halfway through my ride with Hossam from Spanish Harlem to Midtown, I asked him what inspired him to leave Egypt. "I hate it," he said. "What do you hate about it?" I said. "Why is that important?" he said, "What does that have to do with Taxi Gourmet?"

Tags: , ,
Posted in New York Food Adventures | 4 Comments »

Tagine Dream, Halal Burger Reality

March 12, 2010
Tagine Dream, Halal Burger Reality Cabbie Mohammed's favorite spot for tagine turned out to be less restaurant, more sandwich counter and all men. Every one of them glanced at me with a look that suggested I was in the wrong place before shifting their attention back to plates of halal burgers and fries...

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in New York Food Adventures | 8 Comments »

A Tagine Lead and an Airport Ritual

March 3, 2010
A Tagine Lead and an Airport Ritual For Mohammed – who was born in Rabat, has been driving a cab six days a week for the past ten years and spends summers with his wife and kids in Morocco – the trip to JFK is a ritual he never misses when he's on duty. Besides eating his lunch there, he prays...

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in New York Food Adventures | 9 Comments »

To Little Egypt with the Hungry Cabbie: Part 2

November 22, 2009
To Little Egypt with the Hungry Cabbie: Part 2 Not only did Ali El Sayed grow up surrounded by great cooks…the chef from Alexandria is also cognizant of the history, the geography, and the suffering at the root of his dishes. Ali's gift goes beyond understanding the synergies of spices. His food wields ancestral force.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in astoria, egyptian, kabab cafe, koshari, New York Food Adventures, Queens | 5 Comments »

To Little Egypt with the Hungry Cabbie: Part 1

November 20, 2009
To Little Egypt with the Hungry Cabbie: Part 1 While I’ve devoted the last three years to asking taxi drivers to deliver me to their favorite places to eat, Dave Freedenberg (alias Famous Fat Dave) has spent the past seven doing restaurant reconnaissance from the front seat of a New York cab. “Every time I drop off a fare, I always ask, ‘Where

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in astoria, Famous Fat Dave, New York Food Adventures, new york food tour, the hungry cabbie | 2 Comments »

Into the Driver’s Seat: From Mind-numbing Map Reading to Mind-blowing Baklava

November 18, 2009
Into the Driver’s Seat: From Mind-numbing Map Reading to Mind-blowing Baklava No, I’m not going to subject you to the details of all that I learned on the first day of taxi school. There were some fun moments, though. I especially liked the tremendously corny video “I AM New York: Becoming a Professional Taxi Driver,” in which a wise man in the rear view mirror

Tags: , , ,
Posted in astoria, baklava, into the driver's seat, Yaya's bakery, yellow cab license | 2 Comments »

Souvlaki and a Second Strike of Lightning

October 19, 2009
Souvlaki and a Second Strike of Lightning After five blocks in motion and 15 minutes of curbside conversation, José Pego finally decided I’d better try the lamb souvlaki at Opa! The cabbie – who emigrated to New York as a teenager, dropped out of NYU and has been driving a taxi for 32 years – was born in Galicia, Spain. He

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in astoria, Greek, lamb souvlaki, New York Food Adventures, Opa, Queens | 4 Comments »

Reader Fare: Feijoada at Favela Grill

September 7, 2009
Reader Fare: Feijoada at Favela Grill When a Brazilian tells you where to get good feijoada in New York, you add the place to your restaurant list and vow to get there someday. When a Brazilian from Minas Gerais tells you where to get good feijoada in New York, you drop everything and go. Besides being Pele’s birthplace, Minas Gerais

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in astoria, brazilian, Favela Grill, feijoada, Queens, Reader Fare | No Comments »