#vscotd

Today's "very specific craving of the day", is the Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe from Via Carota. Caciopepz is what I like to call it.

This dish is made of perfectly chewy home-made pasta with cheese, cracked black pepper, and butterrrr. If those ingredients don’t make you drool, I don’t know what will because this never fails to satisfy my deep cheesy carby cravings.

This place typically has a 2-hour wait but I especially love to come here for an early lunch on a sunny Saturday. I like to sit outside, sip on a glass of spremuta and people watch while waiting for my table. The brick walls, the communal tables, the old chapel chairs and big burlap sacks of onions and apples gives it a very charming and rustic vibe. It reminds me almost of an Italian neighborhood trattoria.

Every time I come here, I sit at a different table and come with different people so I get to try something new. But the meal always starts off with a teeny dish of their plump Castelveltrano olives. The caciopepz is an obvious staple and of course the supporting star of the show is the Cibreo Toscana which is braised chunky chicken liver on toast. Every bite is as hearty and comforting as the next. It's a dream come true for chicken liver lovers like myself.

This place is definitely one of my favorite spots in the city. There's just something so familiar and homey about it, as if an old friend’s nonna was in the back cooking.

Next up on “very specific craving of the day” is the hom sui gok from @jingfongny.

Also called fried glutinous rice dumplings. They are made of a crispy layer of dough(think deep fried mochi) filled with minced meat, shrimp and veg. These little bad boys are crispy, chewy, sweet and savory all at the same time. Texture party in your mouth, no doubt.

Only some DimSum parlors like Jing Fong have the hom sui gok. Jing Fong is hectic as hell, seats about 800 people at a time and yet food is consistently good. They were one of the first of many Chinese establishments that closed down during the pandemic. It’s truly heartbreaking to know that Chinatown will never be the same again.

My love for these dumplings is also because it reminds me of my childhood. My grandmother was Chinese and she was one hell of a cook. Every Lunar New Year, there was always a big plate of thinly sliced fried glutinous rice strips as part of an amazing feast.

I’ve decided to start a series called #vscotd “very specific craving of the day”.

Sleepless nights have made me realize that searching for photos of my favorite things to eat around the city has become an escape.

So this first post is dedicated to the Mini Palmier, my one true fave from @santambroeus, the coffee bar at the Loews Regency. They are perfect little bites of puff pastry heaven. Just the right amount of sweetness and just enough flakiness.

For 5 years, I worked at Barney’s, and this pasticerria was exactly a block and half away. I would typically get 2 or 3 of these palmiers. 1 for myself and the rest I would give to Felix, one the best humans I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. He used to work Security at Barney’s. He always knew what to say to you and always remembered the things you would tell him.