Our recent trip to New York was an amazing experience. There were shows, a baseball game, visits to some new locations like Coney Island…and of course food!
We did enjoy some of the standard fare, but I’d like to highlight a few local delights over my next few blog posts.
Here’s hoping one day I am posting the story of me trying some of these culinary delights at home!
A highlight for me was visiting a New York landmark called Zabar’s, which is on Broadway in the Upper West Side area of Manhattan. It is a café and market and kitchen store, on two stories. The café was loaded with people, lined up and sitting on stools. Next to it is the market, and on the second floor is the store.
In those three locations, Zabar’s offers almost anything related to food.
There are baked goods, soups, pastries, meals, in the café; every kind of food imaginable to take home, including coffees and gourmet cheeses, in the market; and upstairs in the houseware mezzanine is an amazing array of kitchen utensils, gadgets and cooking products. Just the scents and sounds in market are an experience.
Their tagline is: “New York is Zabar’s….Zabar’s is New York.”
Here I sampled a hot dog knish and potato latkes.
I didn’t quite realize what a knish was made of, but I wanted to sample it. I decided to try one wrapped around a “frankfurter” (I wouldn’t dare use the Canadian term wiener!).
A knish is a filling covered with dough that is either baked, grilled, or deep fried. I believe the one I tried was a mashed potato filling that was then covered with dough and deep-fried. I didn’t ask…I just ate. It was wonderful, almost sweet, and was also offered plain (without a “frankfurter” inside.)
The latkes (similar to potato pancakes) were dense and tasty. They may have also included mashed potatoes rather than the grated version I am used to.
Next trip to New York, I will have to spend more time at Zabar’s, quizzing them on the ingredients and techniques of their baked goods.
Stay tuned…there’s more!
theardizan 
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