Foreword: What's It All About?

I am a hopeless foodie with a culinary degree. I am a native New Yorker. I am a licensed Tour Guide in New York City. I have worked as a Hotel Concierge. I am fluent in five languages. I have been called a know-it-all. Certainly that was intended to offend me, but, ironically, it is very much in my job description, a term which I embrace. And I try to improve and know more every time I have a bite to eat.

New York City is a place where people of all types converge. People of all types: big and small; rich and poor; native and not; representing every color of the spectrum, from every nation on Earth and every religious persuasion; natives, residents and tourists alike. How lucky I am to be able to sample the world’s most exotic cuisines yet be only a subway ride away from home. What a very exciting place to be indeed!

I enjoy venturing into the unknown. So, in my quest to know-it-all about food, and about New York, I see an ethnic neighborhood, I visit it; I see an ethnic market, I enter it, and I peruse the aisles; I see an unfamiliar ingredient, I pick it up and read the label. Then I try to imagine how I can incorporate it into a recipe, even if what I do with it may not be that ingredient’s intended purpose.

New York is my kaleidoscope, ever colorful and ever changing. It is not the “mosaic” I have heard people refer to. Once a mosaic is created, it is looked at and admired for posterity, but never changed.  Some cities are like that, a work of art; Venice, Rome, Paris, Florence, Barcelona, Madrid and dozens more. You visit them, and inevitably you take a part of them back home with you. I would not want to return to these places to see how they have evolved, to see how they have changed. In fact, if they did evolve and change I would be devastated. I would feel as if a part of me has disappeared. Some places are better left untouched. Leave modernity for the new.

New York is a very different story. The city constantly changes. Author O'Henry once said, "New York will be a great place, once they finish it." How right he was! Here people come and people go. As older ethnicities move away, others move in to take their place. I have seen many a New York pizzeria close shop only to be replaced by a taquería. The once ubiquitous hot dog carts have all but disappeared, only to be replaced by Halal food vending carts, serving sumptuous grilled chicken, falafel, gyros and other Middle-Eastern delicacies. The aroma of steaming hot dogs, and burning pretzels and warm roasted chestnuts that warm the soul on a cold winter’s day (yes, that smell that most attribute to chestnuts roasting on an open fire is actually the smell of yesterday’s stale pretzels being burned and used as fuel together with charcoal!! Genius!) is now being replaced by savory grilled meats seasoned with garlic and savory spices.

Does this disappoint me? Sure. In a way. But a kaleidoscope is always changing. And it would not be near as exciting if it all just stayed the same. But as far as the hot dog vendors are concerned, what I miss most from those steamy hot dog carts is the home-made saucy red onions. Sure, you can buy commercially prepared versions in the hot dog section of most supermarkets, but I was lucky to learn a recipe from an actual vendor, which I will share with you later on.

New Yorkers take many things for granted, and don’t give a second thought, that is until we cannot find it anymore. Then the nostalgia kicks in. “Real” New York pizza. Authentic New York bagels. Pickles sold from a barrel. A towering sandwich of buttery tender pastrami from our famed “delicatessens,” (never to be confused with a “deli sandwich,” for a corner deli is never to be confused with a sit-down delicatessen). A proper bowl of Matzo Ball Soup. What about those Onion and Garlic flavored potato chips? Can't find them everywhere. And I am not talking solely about ex-pats who have moved away and long for the tastes of home. I am also talking about New Yorkers who still live here. Some of these things are woefully disappearing right before our very eyes.


People ask me all the time. "Where can I walk around, see nice homes, brownstones and quaint neighborhoods?" Immediately the West Village comes to mind. I have conducted walking tours of the area hundreds of times, so I have written it down to share. People ask me how to go to the #7 train. I ask them, "Going to the Open, or CityField?" They tell me they are going to look at the street art. Well, there's a lot more than graffiti to see along the #7 line.

I know many New York ex-pats living in other places that long for the flavors and stories from home. I was one of them. More than once I have lived afar. Home was not Los Angeles, or Las Vegas. Oh, I have many great memories of those places, but it wasn't home. They were just places where I lived for a time. But I have resumed a life back home. Now I share it with you, on this blog. 
 

This blog is for foodies. This blog is for New Yorkers. This blog is for New Yorkers who have moved away. This blog is for people who have ever visited New York. This blog is for tourists in New York right now. This blog is for the French and German families I see venturing for a ride on the #7 train to see the street art who maybe, just maybe will get out of those shiny metal boxes and descend to explore the wonders that await them on the streets below. This blog is for me, as well, because I enjoy sharing my experiences with others. So, now, instead of just printing my walking tour for my hotel guests, or telling the French family how to get to the 7 train I can just send them a link to this blog, hope they like it and share with their friends. My goal is to have this blog reach all the inhabited continents.

So I would like to invite you to follow along with me on my tour as we trot the globe visiting my favorite places in the City, learn a little history, about food. We will explore different neighborhoods, visit their markets and delve into their immigrant past and present. But you can leave your passports home. Just bring your MetroCard...and an appetite. Come along!

SriPraPhai Thai in Woodside-A Restaurant Review

Let's Take a Look at This Popular Queens Hotspot for Authentic (Really Authentic) Thai Cuisine

My first experience with Thai cuisine was about 1989. I don't remember what I had, but I was underwhelmed. Then, a few years later, in Hell's Kitchen, I figured, let me give it another shot, so I ordered the Panang Beef, and the exotic spices simmered in coconut milk, joined with the tender beef overwhelmed my taste senses. I was hooked. Back then, the web as we know it today was non-existent, and no one to my knowledge was writing food blogs yet. So, the only way to learn about it was to go to an old fashioned bookstore and buy a book, hopefully with lots of pictures to help the novice along.

I knew of a Thai grocery in Manhattan's Chinatown, so I went there to buy a few essential ingredients. Fish sauce, or "Nam Pla" (Nam means 'water' and pla means 'fish'), seems to be found in most everything, so I bought a bottle. Fish sauce is made from anchovies fermented in salt for months, then pressed in a way not unlike the way olive oil is extracted. Don't let this idea put you off. It gives anything it is added to that umami component, an extra layer of taste, a depth of flavor, that plain salt can never achieve, and is nearly indiscernible when used in small amounts. Think of drizzling a bit of soy sauce on your Chinese take out. Coconut milk is something found in sweet and savory dishes, so I bought a few cans. I found a large selection of different curry pastes, Panang style being one of them, so I was sure to buy a container. Then I tried my hand at recreating the dish I fell in love with in Hell's Kitchen. And all those flavors I loved so much are there with the curry paste and coconut milk, with my whatever blend of veggies and protein. It always came out too soupy, watery. But, it was OK for a novice, I guess.

But I live in Queens, and I was hoping for something closer to home. One day, traveling on the #7 train as it left the 61st St/Woodside station I saw the plain storefront on street level and said, next time, I am getting off to take a look. "SriPhaPhai Thai Bakery and Sweets" with some Thai writing under it. (64-13 39th Ave; 1-718-899-9599; cash only; closed Wednesdays) I thought I was going to visit a store and take a few nibbles home with me. Inside I remember just a wire shelving unit and a refrigerator case with these sweets and other items on display. Bright fluorescent lighting, plain tables, and Corelle plates on the tables. I found it odd for there to be tables and chairs for a place selling such a small selection of sweets and spicy dipping sauces. Then I saw at the cashier there was a menu. SriPraPhai. "You serve food as well?" was my question. I received an unenthused "Uh huh." as a response. So, I sat down and asked for a menu. I remember ordering the Papaya Salad with Crispy Catfish.

By that point I know I had tried a few Thai salads with the fish sauce, lime juice, chili, and garlic dressing, Papaya Salad being one of them, and was impressed that food could be so flavorsome but also contain zero added fat, at least with the dressing and veggie ingredients. So I thought I would go ahead and try their version. It was a regular Papaya Salad, garnished with toasted peanuts and salty crunchy baby dried shrimp, but piled high with shredded, deep-fried catfish that added a very interesting textural component to the familiar salad.

My repeated visits allowed me to try several other offerings, various dumplings and appetizers; salads; noodles, soupy or stir fried; curries of different types; an occasional sweet treat. I was enthusiastically talking with the young waiter/manager (the owner's son, as I now know) about how I thought this was the best Thai restaurant I have ever visited. I always received an uninterested reply. This got me thinking that the sign on the outside, "Thai Bakery and Sweets." Well, they do sell sweets. But maybe that Thai writing on the sign revealed more than the English letters told. I thought they were trying to keep a storefront that might dissuade a western clientele from patronizing the establishment by calling it merely a "Sweet Shop." This annoyed me to my core! But it piqued my interest, at least, and if they are not gracious to westerners, too bad. It's a free country! But they really did serve over-the-top food, and choices you NEVER see in your run-of-the-mill Thai restaurant. So, this single store-front establishment in a working class Irish/Filipino/Asian/Hispanic neighborhood has stood the test of time. In 2003 the owner bought the buildings on both sides, did a total renovation, added a lovely backyard patio and now and SriPraPhai now finds itself in a gentrifying neighborhood where young professionals are settling down, finding the area's diversity, grittiness and comparatively lower rents appealing, while SriPraPhai reaps the benefits of a totally fresh and revived market. The restaurant has always been a favorite of local Thai ex-pats who appreciate the loyalty to the cuisine they love so well, and now the neighborhood's new-comers are happy to go along for the ride. So, as the restaurant has grown, the management and staff are most gracious in their evolving surroundings, grateful that their perseverance has paid off.

I will not be spending too much time on the dishes siamophiles are accustomed to seeing in their local Thai restaurants, but, rest assured, they are all excellent. For example, the noodle dishes: Pad Thai, Pad See-Ew. The Satays with Peanut Sauce. The Tom Yung Koong or Tom Kha Gai soups. "Shrimp in a Blanket" (A-32 on the menu), et cetera. I will just scroll down the menu, top to bottom and point things out along the way that are tried and true favorites for me. I will point out some items that are not normally found in average Thai restaurants, but that I am interested in trying at some time. Honestly, there are many dishes I want to try, but once I am there I am always drawn to my favorites. The menu is huge, over 10 pages, but I tend to stick to 10 items, no matter how hard I promise myself to try something new.

I am familiar with the names of many Thai dishes transcribed into English. I only wish the restaurant would do the same, instead of using a more descriptive name in the heading. For example, dish C-1, Seasoned Pork with Garlic and Pepper. I had to think about what it is. If they called it Moo Kratiem or Gratiem (Gra Tiem, Kra Tiem) I would know exactly what it is. (Moo is pork, and Kratiem is Garlic).

Your server will ask you how spicy you want your food. The restaurant seems to have toned down their spiciness ratio to better conform with the palate of the weak-tongued westerners. Usually, "medium spicy" would be just that for me, but nowadays, it seems to be a little too tame, so I ask for spicy instead. But there is a caveat. If you ask for your food "Thai spicy," you will get just that!

Let's have at it, from the top. I already mentioned the Papaya Salad with Crispy Ground Catfish (A-3). Phenomenal!

Papaya Salad with Crispy Ground Catfish

 Forgo the catfish for a really light and delicious Papaya Salad.  They also make a version with unripened Green Mango (A-7), tart and crunchy like the Papaya.

Crispy Ground Catfish with Green Mango Salad

 On a TV food show, the host visited SriPraPhai, and in the on-screen cooking demo with the him was the same disinterested kid, not a kid anymore (nor disinterested), I remember from my early days there. The on-screen demo was for the Chinese Watercress Salad (A-6).

Chinese Watercress Salad

 I tried it with some friends of mine who order it over and over when we go. Served with blanched  Shrimp, Squid and Chicken, the watercress is first dipped into a tempura-like batter and then crisp fried. Dressed with the fish sauce and lime juice dressing I mentioned earlier. The Duck Salad (A-12; with Pineapple and Cashew; Yum Ped Yang, as I have seen in other restaurants) is another standout on the menu, adding a type of roast chili 'jam' (Nam Prik Pao) to the dressing. The BBQ Pork Tender, is outstanding, served "Jaew" sauce (A-8). Tender, juice, perfectly seasoned.

BBQ Pork Tender, Jaew Sauce

 Fried pork version available as well. Outstanding!! So delicious is this sauce that I ask for a side of it to savor throughout my meal. "Jaew", or "Jaeo" sauce is popular with grilled meats and seafood. A powerful concoction of dried chili powder, lime juice, toasted ground rice, cilantro and a bit of sugar. Fried pork strips are also served with this sauce. The Fried Fish Cakes (Tod Mun Pla; A-29) is another flag-bearer for the appetizer team.

Fried Fish Cake

 So are the Shrimp Cakes (Tod Mun Goong; A-30),

Fried Shrimp Cake

 Fried Chicken and Crabmeat Roll (A-33; Hoy Jor).

Fried Chicken and Crabmeat Roll

These are served with sweet plum sauce. The wrapping for the filling is tofu sheet or tofu skin. A very interesting ingredient found many Asian cuisines. To me the texture is like chicken skin. Crispy when fried, and chewy when steamed, and no cholesterol. A side of  Jaew for me, please!

There is a large variety of noodle dishes, either stir-fried or served in a soup. Some sauced with curry, some dry. However, I didn't really care for the dry noodle (N-22), Egg Noodle, no Soup. Too bland for me, but maybe it's just what you need after the spicy papaya salad or the Jaew sauce. The better-known noodle dishes are far above standard. Several others I have never seen anywhere else before, and honestly, have not yet tried. But what keyed me into this place being the real deal, dishes N17-N23 are served until 5pm. The Thai enjoy noodles for lunch. In larger cities, street food is common with individual vendors selling their specialty until it is gone, usually by dinnertime. The same is true for food served it Thailand's numerous canals, where Boat Noodles became popular (not listed on the menu per se, but ask for it and you will get it!). So, culturally speaking, the dishes in this section are culturally eaten during the daytime, not at night. Many of you will be happy that they removed the congealed pig's blood from the recipes where it is customarily found. Oh, don't cringe! It was only a few pieces, and it really has no flavor, so if you closed your eyes and told yourself it was tofu, no one is the wiser. It is a cheap and wholesome protein, and the Thai waste nothing! If you choose one with the option of dark spicy, it's better described as spiced like the warm, mellow spices found in a Vietnamese Phở.

The next section in the menu is soup. It is rather short, because various noodle dishes are served in soup. But there are a few interesting items there you won't find in the Thai place in your local strip-mall.

There's an entire section, albeit only 3 items long where soft shell crab is featured. (Another one in the appetizers section.) Where can you go wrong?

Soft Shelled Crab, Green Curry (SC-1)

Soft Shelled Crab, Chili Garlic & Basil (SC-2)

Soft Shelled Crab, Green Mango Salad (A-15)

The next section is "over rice." Some but not all of the choices here offer smaller portions of the A La Carte menu further down the list served with the rice on the same plate. I, for one, can have a very tantalizing meal choosing just items off the appetizers and salads menu. If you like to do this, you won't be disappointed. But if you still feel piqued, but don't want to order a full main course, these dishes over rice are a great option. The Combo of Roasted Pork was interesting because the succulent tender roast pork is prepared like the familiar Chinese roast pork, with the same ingredients in the marinade turned into a thick sauce served over the meats. Dee-lish!

Menu item O-8 is a dish that is found in far too few Thai restaurants. Shrimp Paste Fried Rice (Kkao Kluk Kapi).

Shrimp Paste Fried Rice

Shrimp paste (kapi) is made from small salted and fermented shrimp. The ingredient by itself can be quite strong in odor and in taste, but like the fish sauce, is used in quantities that do not offend. A Thai friend of minetold me it is not really a recipe of fried rice. Khao means rice. Kluk means rubbed, so the shrimp paste is rubbed in to incorporate it with the rice. A mound is turned onto a plate and then a symphony of other ingredients is arranged around it: Sweet pork, Chinese sausages, sliced long bean, green mango, dried shrimp, shallot, chili, julienned egg omelette, lime wedge, cucumber; ingredients can vary. So, in this case, the strong kapi is used to accentuate and support the other flavors on the plate. This one IS a favorite of mine!!

Pan Fried Mussels (Hoy Tod), O-14, is in this section, better placed in the appetizers section. It is a mussels omelette with a starchy slurry swirled in served with blanched bean sprouts and sriracha chili pepper sauce. This, in fact was my first encounter with this spicy condiment that is now trending like kale! Then at the bottom of the rice menu, to bring you back to Earth after seeing all these enticing smaller portions served with rice, you find two Thai restaurant stand-by plates to share, Pineapple Fried Rice and Basil Fried Rice.

I have not tried anything in the fish section, but the options are pretty straightforward. If fried, Red Snapper or if steamed, Striped Bass; or Trout Fillet (fried or steamed, large or small). All of these available in a variety of preparations.

The next menu section is A La Carte. Order a portion of rice on the side. Here you will find larger portions of stir-frys, vegetable dishes, an occasional noodle or soup dishes, and the curries. This is where it is best to visit this place with a group, order a number of dishes and enjoy your meal family style. And the true splendor of this restaurant shines in this category, as you will find the dishes you are familiar with (if you know the name in Thai, ask your server if they carry it. They probably do!) But here you will find much more exotic fare to be tried. There are offerings of Frogs Legs (close your eyes and think of chicken wings. Seriously!). Crispy Pork Belly with Chili Garlic and Basil (C-16)

Crispy Pork Belly with Chili Garlic and Basil

 (the same cut of the pig where we get bacon, just cut thicker and fried crisp, and served with the traditional Thai basil stir fry with garlic-Pad Gra-Prao, if you are more familiar with the Thai name, as I am), or the Sautéed Pork Leg with Chili Garlic and Basil cooked in the same manner are both favorites of mine off the A La Carte section. A stand-out winner is C-1, as I mentioned earlier. Seasoned Pork, Garlic and Pepper, or Moo Kratiem. I have had versions of this dish which were a bland, sauced stir-fry with veggies, seasoned with garlic and black pepper.

A Bad Version of Moo Kratiem

 No! It is a meat dish sautéed with garlic until the garlic is crisp, with a heavy hand of black pepper.

SriPraPhai's Seasoned Pork; Moo Kratiem

There is no sauce, nor vegetables, just a garnish of cilantro. A mention of something I appreciated. I ordered a dish (C-35, Sautéed Sa-Tor Bean. My server said that westerners tend not to like this ingredient. When I asked him why, he told me many find the bean had a funny taste. When I asked him what westerners thought it tasted like, he bluntly told me a "rubber tire." I thanked him for his candor, and said I want to order it anyway to see, and not to worry, I  understand the risk, I will not send it back. Promise. He was right. It tasted like a rubber tire, so, westerners, I do not recommend this dish.

(Drumroll, please!!) The reason this restaurant is meant to exist, in my opinion, is the Panang Curry (C-21).

Panang Curry

The version offered here is not soupy or watery as I have had it in other restaurants, as I have made it myself. It has a rich thick gravy finished with a drizzle of sweet coconut cream. This is the real McCoy! Once I remember I made the mistake of ordering it mild, but I was very disappointed. The panang curry paste, which contains chilis, of course, also contains other spices and ingredients, like peanut, that help thicken the final product. Let's face it, it's spicy. Take some paste out to quell the heat, and the result is thinner a more insipid product. Order it spicy and they will just gild the lily with fresh chilis added to the mix. Don't need it, so order it medium spicy and you will NOT be disappointed. Some curries are supposed to be watery. A friend likes to order the green curry at Thai restaurants. It tends to be soupy. The Massaman Curry (C-22) is served in a bowl with a soup spoon, not on a plate. So is the Red Curry (C-24). And the Jungle Curry C-27). Oh, the latter is for chiliheads only. Very very spicy!

Massaman Curry

Incidentally, the word, Massaman is derived from the archaic Thai word, mussulmun, meaning Muslim. Spices unheard of until then in Siamese cuisine were brought to Thailand by Muslim traders in the 17th Century from the Middle East, through the Indian subcontinent and via the Malay Archipelago. Cumin, cardamom, mace, nutmeg, star anise, cinnamon, cloves bay leaves and whatever else picked up along the way made its way into Thailand in this manner. It is also not as fiery as the panang curry can be, unless you want it to be.

SriPraPhai offers all the popular dishes you will find at most Thai restaurants. But if you tend to be disinterested seeing the same dishes time and time again, or if you are into more exotic flavors, or are looking for a more authentic experience, then you have got to take a ride on the #7 train and get off at 61st/Woodside station and dine at SriPraPhai Thai Restaurant. The Zagat survey calls it the best Thai restaurant in New York City, and ranks it among the top 30 restaurants in the entire town! But don't take their word for it. Go see for yourself. You will not be let down. Sawadee-kap!

Oh, did I mention they sell sweets?!

A Visit to a Colombian Bakery

Discover Some of the Sweet and Savory Treats in a Colombian Bakery

No, it's not really about the sweets, although they do carry some a large array. And they do not sell baguettes or brioche or Italian bread. I don't recall even seeing sliced white bread (pullman style or pain de mie). In fact, many of the breads in a Colombian bakery would seem quite foreign to us in North America; a bread that might take you by surprise by looking like something we might recognize but is surprisingly sweet, or by having some sort of filling that confuses us, or because it is off-putting in some way. From a general standpoint, many sweet offerings are mediocre at best, when compared to their French counterparts. What wouldn't be mediocre when compared to French counterparts?? There are dark cakes that are not chocolate (torta negra), and pound cake spelled ponqué or panqué. Do I really see a Jelly Roll in that display case?

By now you are probably saying, "Why am I wasting my time reading this?" or "So, why did this guy spend so much time and effort writing about mediocrity?" I thank you for your continued indulgence. You see a Colombian "bakery" always carries more than just breads and cakes. You might see on the storefront sign the word 'bakery' or the Spanish ''panadería' in addition to the word 'piqueteadero' and with that word I throw mediocrity under the bus. Some are bakeries, piqueteaderos and also serve more elaborate and complete restaurante items. Cositas Ricas (79-19 Roosevelt Ave) is the full-blown shebang: bakery, piqueteadero and restaurant, all wrapped up into a lively 24 hour hotspot in Jackson Heights.

I always thought that the word stems from the Spanish "picar", to pick, or snack, so I thought it meant snack shop.

Piqueteadero

Nope. 'Un piquete' is a way of saying 'picnic.' So, in addition to breads and cakes (which I will eventually get to), you find items that you can bring to, or prepare at, you guessed it, a picnic! You'll find fried chicharrón carnudo (fresh salted bacon or pork belly cut wide into 1in. (2cm) strips, slit down almost to the skin; chorizo sausages (Colombian chorizos, to be specific), grilled alongside their accompanying arepas (grilled hominy cakes); Morcilla (black pudding, blood sausage; oh, get over it and just try it!!)

Chicharrón con Arepa

There will be

empanadas (hominy dough shell with the usual fillings of chicken, beef or cheese) and
carimañolas, a masa of yuca around a ground beef (picadillo) filling, if you are lucky enough to find them. Papa rellena, is often present; mashed potato exterior with ground beef filling, battered and deep fried. Maybe a few other fritters are on display. And you are also likely to find tamales (please see my post "A Ride on the #7 Train (Eastern Section) for elaboration).

Arepas come in various types. Made with white or yellow Masarepa (the Goya brand is easy enough to find in Latin markets) or with HarinaPan (hominy flour) with varying amounts of other ingredients for the kneadable dough or masa, depending on the type of arepa you are making;

Arepa Con Queso

Arepas con Queso are larger round discs which include equal parts hominy flour and grated cheese (Mexican queso fresco or mozzarella or a blend of both will do in a pinch), with more melted cheese added on the griddle or encased inside!! (Do you still think you are wasting your time reading this?)

Other ingredients include in the arepa are salt, sugar, milk or water, with or without cheese. The small plain white ones (to accompany the chorizo or chicharrón) are griddled by the better bakeries allowing a slight char to develop (but deep fried in the places taking the easy way out). These are small and unseasoned, not even salt, as they are meant to cleanse the palate after a bite of the rich, salted and rather fatted meat accompaniment.

My favorite arepa is arepa de choclo (arepa de chocolo spelling is also common).

Arepa de Choclo (Chócolo)

Choclo is the term for fresh yellow corn off the cob. Purists make the masa with the fresh corn kernels. Others may add some masarepa to bind. This batter-like dough is ladled onto the griddle and delicately browned on the one side then finished in the oven to prevent breaking. They are heated again to serve adding fresh cheese to melt on top. The final result is a sweet and chewy, cheesy patty, perfect to serve with café or chocolate. Be still my heart!!

More elaborate piqueteaderos/restaurantes make an arepa rellena taking the white, plain large disc arepa, slicing it open and filling it with a large array of filling ingredients like cheese, beans, braised flank steak (sobrebarriga), or ground beef picadillo, and more cheese (!) These are also popular in neighboring Venezuela

Arepa Rellena

These exists one version using egg. I have yet to see in a restaurant. The uncookied arepa is split open, maybe cheese (!) is added, the edges sealed and then it is deep fried (!).

Arepa ingredients are easy enough to find. Making them is very easy, very very easy, and you can be creative and do what you want to add to your masa and make it your arepa! OK. Let's move on!

You may also find in the display case assorted cups filled with various sweet treats. If the contents are white it is probably arroz con leche, a Latin version of rice pudding. Not as cloyingly sweet, as what we are accustomed to. Portions of home-made flan are usually available. Another favorite of mine is Salpicón ("splash"), available usually seasonally during the warmer months, because it utilizes an abundance of fresh fruits.

Salpicón

I have seen it described as a "Colombian Fruit Cocktail", but unlike our canned version, it is always made fresh on-site, and is usually classified as a dessert. It is simply a base of puréed watermelon in a large cup filled with tropical fruits like mango, papaya, watermelon, banana, grapes, and probably apple as a filler fruit. Brevas en Arequipe is interesting. Brevas are figs, jarred in heavy syrup, sliced open and a garnished with Dulce de Leche caramel filling the slit and served alongside a slice or two of queso fresco (More cheese!! Who can we go wrong!!). Home made hot chocolate is served out of a pot on a warmer to sip alongside the bread items (I haven't forgotten). Common among the poor of the country is aguapanela, a drink made with rustic blocks of locally made brown cane sugar melted in hot water and a splash of lemon juice, served hot or cold, depending on the season, or your tastes. Champús is a thick drink of crushed corn, which may be served either hot or cold. Many larger bakeries have an orange press for fresh juice made on-the-spot.

Brazo de Reina

As far as sweet cakes are concerned, arequipe is a popular filling and spread used to turn something as mundane as what looks like a jelly roll into a brazo de reina (Arm of the Queen) - an unexpected treat! Spread between several layers of baked puff pastry for milhojas (millefeuilles or thousand layers cake). Or spread between two wafer cookies to make obleas con arequipe. Or a dollop between two melt-in-your-mouth alfajores, common all over South America. Or spread between crêpes, stacked high to about 12 to make tartaleta de arequipe, akin to the French tarte aux crêpes.

Other cakes include torta negra, or torta envinada, supposedly entering Colombia via Welsh settlers, dark by way of port wine and a purée of dried fruits like raisins, prunes and the aforementioned brevas conjures up influences from the Iberian Peninsula. I tried this on one or more occasions but I personally fould the taste of red wine in the cake (envinada is a nod to the vino) a little off-putting.

Torta Negra

 A plain but delicious ponqué or panqué (from the English, pound cake), originated in France as Quatre-Quarts (Four Fourths). Pastel de tres leches (tres leches cake) common all over Latin America originates n Nicaragua. A classic layered sponge cake soaked with a blend of (1) 1 can evaporated milk, (2) 1 can condensed milk, onto which (3) whipped cream is spread to fill the layers and to ice the cake. (To gild the lily, I have even seen a cuatro leches cake where the fourth milk uses arequipe as the outer icing instead of whipped cream! (!) But not one of these cake items is inherently Colombian.

The Spanish brought wheat and cheese to the New World. Corn or maize originates is meso-America. Manioc, or yuca, originates is South America. Both maize and manioc can be processed into a flour and/or starch, and both are used extensively in making Colombian breads. And here's the thing. In many breads, wheat is non-existent. So certain choices are totally gluten free!! Recipes are very simple, once you find the ingredients, available in most Latin markets, mixed in a bowl, with the egg, baking powder, maybe a little milk, formed into bun-sized rolls and baked. Proportion 1 to 1, or 2 (or 3) to 1, of these wheat free flours or starches, either in a blend or just 1, to... wait for it, ... you guessed it, CHEESE! OK, a bread with double or triple the volume of cheese to starch?!  The result is quite astounding! And most delicious. Recipes are easily found online.

So here it goes. Gluten free items in a Colombian bakery, which, to me, are the most delicious, because they are the most exotic. Pandebono, in many bakeries the name used interchangeably with Almojábana is usually served during breakfast time, or during an afternoon snack.

Top left clockwise: Buñuelos, Achira, Pan de Yuca, Almojábana, Pan de Queso, Croissant, unknown

 Best when fresh, but not hot or warm. If not totally fresh, a short trip through the toaster over perks them right up, just let come to room temperature before enjoying with your cafecito or chocolate. Slightly crunchy on the outside, moist and chewy on the inside. The amount of butterfat in the cheese helps keep the buns fresher (butterfat replaces water, and does not evaporate). Pan de queso is another delicious option, but if you follow a non-gluten lifestyle, ask the counter-person to ask the baker about the starch, as I have seen recipes using harina de trigo (wheat flour). Perdón. ¿El pan de queso contiene harina de trigo ó no? (PairDOAN. El pan day KAYso cone-tee-ENEH aREENuh day TREEgo oh NO?) If you are not gluten intolerant, this is obviously not necessary.

Pan de yuca. Utilizing only tapioca starch a/k/a, yuca flour, yuca starch, or harina de yuca, depending on the brand, uses similar proportions of the aforementioned ingredients, although the shape is different, more along the shape of a croissant, but puffier. This one stumps me. The exterior is almost hard and cracker-like, that once its durable shell is deflowered, it reveals a largely empty interior with very large holes joined together by long chewy strands of the crumb. Again, it is served during breakfast or an afternoon snack, keeps well and is well refreshed after a visit to your handy toaster oven.

Buñuelos. Globally round, deep fried donut-like fritter about the size of a Mandarin orange, 3inches or so in diameter. Similar in composition to our aforementioned gluten free breads, the differences being that this one is a little sweeter and fried, yielding a crunchy exterior and a soft chewy crumb on the inside. And, anyway, who doesn't like fried dough. Among the sweeter items that are gluten free is the empanada de cambray, using the same dough as for almojábanas, except the filling in this case is guava paste, or bocadillo. I have also seen versions of this treat using in addition to the guava paste...can you guess what?...CHEESE! ¡Chocolate, por favor!

You will also find many wheat based items as well. My searches for information about the ingredients of, or a recipe for Achiras have come up fruitless. I has the appearance and the crumbliness of a biscuit or a scone. I do not know if it is wheat or root starch based, and if it has the cheese the Colombians seem to love so much, and no one I ask will let me know. Everyone has his or her secrets to hold, I guess. Mantecada is one Colombian version of corn bread. Croissants are usually in the case, but I have doubts that they are made in-house. Croissants require a LOT of work and time, and seeing the relative ease with which these creations come together, it would be quite a daunting task to muddle through the laborious task of putting a croissant regiment together successfully. So I think the croissants are outsourced. Admittedly, I don't go into a Colombian bakery looking for baguettes or Italian semolina bread, so maybe some bakeries I have encountered sell them, I just haven't taken notice. I don't procure wheat breads in them because I know where excellent French and Italian bakeries are, and I enjoy what is inherently Colombian while there. In fact, I went to a place looking for baguette to make bruschetta, and I was sold rolls of pan blanco (white bread, plain and simple, so I was told) but found it unuseable for that application because it was way too sweet. So, I will just leave it at that.

Naturally, this article cannot be all-inclusive, but I have attempted to include what stands out most when I visit a Colombian bakery, and cast aside what is all too uninteresting. And to those leading a gluten-free lifestyle, whether by choice or by necessity, maybe this will give you a new place to explore.

#Gluten Free  @Gluten Free
#Gluten Free Breads  @Gluten Free Breads
#Colombian Bakery  @Colombian Bakery
#Piqueteadero Colombiano  @Piqueteadero Colombiano

West Village Walking Tour

Please join me for a pleasant walk through the quaint streets of New York's West Village neighborhood and learn about its history, culture, facts and apocrypha.

Begin by taking the #1 subway train to the Christopher Street/Sheridan Square station.

 

Starting Point and Stop 1: Village Cigars, 7th Ave South and Christopher St. 

You are standing in front of the iconic Village Cigars. Notice in front of the door the small mosaic: "Property of the Hess Estate which has never been dedicated for public purposes." In the 1910s, the City planned to widen 7th Ave South as they expanded the IRT subway under your feet. 

Imminent Domain had taken possession of over 300 buildings, which were demolished, in order to cut the subway. Varick St., to the south ended at Carmine and Clarkson Sts, and 7th Ave. proper to the north ended at 11th St. Instead of buildings over the subway cut, a street was laid out. This connector is called 7th Ave. South. One of the properties demolished was the Voorhis Hotel, a 5 floor structure on this site, belonging to the Hess family. The family noticed that this small triangular parcel of land had actually escaped the survey of the land, and, technically, still belonged to the Hesses. 

The City asked them to turn it over legally, which they refused, and shortly thereafter, mosaicists were commissioned to lay the tiles. In 1938, this little plot of real estate was sold to the cigar store for $2 per square in., valued in the day at $1000, and considered to be the smallest plot of viable real estate in the City.

Walk south on 7th Ave South and turn right on Commerce St. Stop in front of Nrs.11 and 17 Commerce St.

Stop 2: 11 Commerce St, the “Washington Irving, Jr. House”; 17 Commerce St, the Aaron Burr House; 24-28 Commerce St.

11 Commerce St-Irving House

Washington Irving, the famed author of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Rip Van Winkle  and A Knickerbocker’s History of New York remained childless after his fiancée died at the age of 17, and his father’s name was William Irving, Sr. So, historically speaking there IS NO Washington Irving, Jr. The plaque on the face of the building tells not of the truth. Charming as the detail sounds, either the plaque on 11 Commerce St. was placed by someone claiming to be his son, or it is an apocryphal detail of the street.

Nonetheless, built in 1826, it is a fine example of federal period row house, which are still abundant in this and several other downtown neighborhoods. With 4 beds and 4 baths and 2,900 sq. ft. its estimated worth as of 2016 is $10m.

A few houses over to your left, another mysterious plaque between the windows on this building at 17 Commerce St. is telling more headless tales.

17 Commerce St-"Burr" House


While Aaron Burr did own this land in 1801, this house was built in 1830, and the Burr estate, Richmond Hill, was actually little further south on Varick St. and Charlton St. What IS the truth is that he WAS the Vice President under the Jefferson administration. He WAS at constant odds with the Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, who always tried to intervene on Burr's pull for power and the potential presidency. The two DID fight it out in a duel in Weehawken, NJ, at the dawn of July 11, 1804, and that Hamilton shot skyward, but Burr shot straight ahead and landed a .56 caliber bullet to Hamilton's abdomen. The injured and partially paralyzed Treasurer was ferried back to New York, and died the next day from his injuries in the William Bayard residence on Horatio St (despite another historically inaccurate plaque at 82 Jane St, both not far from where you are standing right now.) Hamilton lies in repose at Trinity Graveyard down by Wall St.

17 Commerce St-Aaron Burr House-Garden detail

The “Aaron Burr House” is another lovely example of a Federal period row house. The building was actually built by a stonecutter, who razed a tiny house on this site after a series of cholera and smallpox outbreaks swept through lower Manhattan. The curvy, narrow, haphazard and impromptu street pattern was laid out by the local landowners before the Commissioner’s Plan of 1811 imposed the rectangular numbered street pattern north of Houston (HOW-ston) St. The West Village is ideologically, culturally, mentally, metaphorically and literally “OFF THE GRID!!”

The West Village street pattern is so erratic that W4th St. and W10th St. actually dissect each other here. And the narrow street layout is most unfriendly to large vehicles that when an unwary intruder enters in a moving or delivery truck, traffic chaos and gridlock results.) But, this small-town layout is how this special neighborhood is able to retain its quaint character. 3 beds 2.5 baths 2,200 sq. ft., (204.39 m²) 17 Commerce St's estimated value as of 2016, $6.96M, Rentable at $19,700/mo.

Continue walking down Commerce St and look at Nrs. 24-28 across the street. These 1826 homes were built by shoemakers, one each for them to live, and one to rent. Nr. 24’s value is $4.3M and nr. 26’s value is $6.2M, as of 2016.

Continue down Commerce St and turn left at Bedford St.

Stop 3: 75 ½ Bedford St/77 Bedford St.

This narrow little dwelling tucked between 75 and 77 Bedford St. (dubbed 75 1/2) was built in 1873 as a result of one of the of a smallpox epidemic. Its width is merely 9 ½ ft. (less than 3m.) wide and 30ft. (9m.) It occupies an old carriageway which led to stables in the back. Notable residents here include Pulitzer Prize winning author, Edna St. Vincent-Millay (“My candle’s burning at both ends/It will not last the night/But Oh my foes, and Ah my friends/It sheds a lovely light”), John Barrymore, Cary Grant, the founder of the Cherry Lane Theatre around the corner. With 2 Beds, 2 baths, 1000 sq. ft. (92.9 m²). Sold in 2013 for $3.25M. A 2016 estimate details $8.62M, rentable at $11k/mo. Nr. 77 Bedford is a rare building from the 18^th century, built in 1799. The Issac's/Hendricks house, formerly a farmhouse, and once owned by Harmon Hendricks, a copper merchant who supplied Robert Fulton with materials used to make the boilers used on the steamboat, the Clermont, in 1807.

Go back to Commerce St and Turn left. Continue until the street bends to the right.
 

Stop 4: 38 Commerce St, The Cherry Lane Theater; and 48 Commerce St. (Alexander Stewart residence.)

The Off-Off-Broadway, Cherry Lane Theater resides at number 38 since 1924 in a an 1836 building which was once a brewery and box factory. The term, Off-Off-Broadway does not refer to its remote locale, instead of the number of seats. Off-Off-Broadway refers to up to 99 seats. Off-Broadway refers to up to 499 seats, and a “Broadway Theater” has more than 500 seats). Despite its unassuming stature, it has hosted productions by some of the greatest playwrights including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Elmer Rice, Eugene O’Neill, Gertrude Stein, T.S. Eliot, Sam Shepard, Lanford Wilson and David Mamet, and an even more impressive list of actors who include Barbra Streisand, Gene Hackman, Beatrice Arthur, James Earl Jones, Colleen Dewhurst, Cicely Tyson, Harvey Keitel, Judd Hirsch, Tony Curtis, Gary Sinise, Jerry Stiller, Rue McClanahan, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Roy Scheider, Frances Sternhagen, F. Murray Abraham, Peter Falk, Tom Bosley, Frank Langella, Tyne Daly, Estelle Parsons, Geraldine Page, Kevin Bacon, Lee Strasberg, Roscoe Lee Browne, and Dennis Quaid.

Cherry Lane Theater

The 90 degree bend at this location marks the demarcation of the land holdings of Wouter Van Twiller, the successor of Peter Minuit as Governor-General of the New Netherland colony.

48 Commerce St was the residence of Irish merchant Alexander Turney Stewart, founder of A.T. Stewart & Co. and made a multi-million dollar fortune in his “Marble Palace” on Broadway and Chambers St. (Building still extant). Buried in St. Mark’s in the Bowery Graveyard in the East Village, his remains were exhumed and held for ransom, but it remains unclear if the remains returned were those of Mr. Stewart!

Turn to your right and find across Commerce St. the “Twins of Commerce Street”, two identical houses built in 1831, so the story goes, for the feuding daughters of a sea captain. But this may be yet another charming detail that has no basis on fact.

The "Twins" of Commerce St

Most likely, they were built by a “milkman’’ which apparently was a high-paying profession at one time. The slanted mansard roofs were added in 1873, as the Second Empire was very fashionable at the time.

70 Barrow, at the end of Commerce St. was built as a firehouse in 1851.

Walk to the corner and turn right at Barrow St. and then left on to Bedford St.

Stop 5: 86 Bedford St, Chumley’s

Chumley’s was a popular pub, restaurant and Prohibition-era speakeasy located in the  building at 86 Bedford St. A recent chimney collapse in 2007 forced the rebuilding of the edifice, and Chumley’s has finally reopened in October of 2016. A long-time hang of literaries include E.E. Cummings, William Faulkner, Edna St. Vincent-Millay and John Steinbeck, and many movers of the Beat Generation. It is believed the term “86ed” originated here when unruly customers were escorted out the Bedford St. door. The establishment was equipped with trap doorways and secret stairs. Prohibition-era police raids were thwarted by the multi-faceted entryway of uneven stair height, low overhangs and several turns on rickety wooden stairs leading in to the bar, and with all the commotion and confusion patrons would scram out the side door, the “Garden Door,” opening to Pamela Court around the corner (left on Barrow St.), the door being disguised as a bookcase with artificial books. Like a “Keystone Cops” clip, I could imagine it quite comical!

Continue along Bedford St. Turn Left at Grove and Stop at Grove Court, at the bend in the Street, on the left.

Stop 6: Grove Court/17 Grove St. /90 Bedford St.

The street geometry of this narrow tucked-away corner of the West Village forces the area behind the Grove Court gate to open into a rather sprawling courtyard, for New York Standards. Built between 1848 and 1852 in the Greek Revival style, it was quite a risky venture, as no respectable pre-Civil War family would buy a house that doesn’t open directly onto the street.

Grove Court

So, Samuel Cocks, owner of a nearby grocery store, built dwellings for a potential clientele, tradesmen and laborers, and as usual, artists and literaries joined the mix and the large courtyard was often the scene of debaucherous gatherings, it was nick-named “Mixed-Ale Alley.” Actress, Angela Lansbury lived in Nr.12. It was also used as the setting for O’Henry’s short story, “The Last Leaf,” about an ailing artist living in the little commune. The story includes specific details including the ivy vine crawling up the wall on the right hand side inside the gate. (“The Last Leaf” is a quick read easily found online.)

Turn to your left and go to the corner.

Notice the 3-floor wooden frame house on the corner. 17 Grove St. Built in 1822 as a two-floor building, additional level, 1870 with the Italianate cornice added with the addition. Wooden framed homes are extremely rare in NY due to its history of devastating fires.


The "Barbie" House

Built by William Hyde, a sash maker, replete with a workshop in the back, now rented out. We can assume the house’s double hung windows were built by its owner. OK. Here’s where charming is true. 1987 the house was sold to Kenneth Handler, son of Ruth Handler, co-founder of Mattel and creator of the Barbie and Ken dolls. By the way. Barbara is Ken’s real-life sister.

"Twin Peaks" Interior Detail

"Still further along Bedford St., behind Mr. Hyde’s workshop is Nr.102, the “Twin Peaks” of Greenwich Village. This 1830 construction was redesigned in 1925 to emulate a Swiss chalet.

 It has always been a haven for artists, even if you don’t want to call Douglas Fairbanks, Walt Disney, Cary Grant and Miles Davis artists. It went on the market in 2013 for $7.5M. 

Friends' House-Grove and Bedford Streets

Now look across Grove St. at the 6 floor walk-up at 90 Bedford (b.1898). Many people will recognize this building where Monica and Rachel lived across the hall from Joey and Chandler in the popular ‘90s TV show “Friends.” Uhm. No balconies in tenement walk-ups.

Walk east along Grove St. Technically, it is not a “STOP,” rather a “STROLL-BY”



32 Grove St

On the right side of the street is a sumptuous row of turn of the 20^th century townhouses.

A “brownstone” is not a “brownstone” if it does not have BROWN STONE.




32 Grove St-Interior Detail

Otherwise it is just a townhouse. Many of these homes retain their original details or have been faithfully restored. Nr.32 is a gem sold in 2015 for 11.25M. Nr.34 is just as beautiful.


32 Grove St-Backyard

Feel free to try and take a peek into the interiors. If the curtains or shutters are open they are allowing you to do so, BUT PLEASE REMEMBER TO RESPECT THE RESIDENTS’ PRIVACY AT ALL TIMES and never walk up the steps (the STOOP) at any time!



Continue to the corner of Bleecker St and turn left. Continue 4 block north and turn right on Perry St.  NOTE: The following detail might be interesting to some, but it leads to a private residence whose owners are very protective of their privacy!! Therefore I am not calling it as a “STOP” on the tour.

Sarah-Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw at 64 Perry St.

Going left, Bleecker St heads in a north-west direction. Follow it to Perry St and turn right. This is a street lined with true brownstones. Half-way down on the right is Nr.64. This is the setting for Carrie Bradshaw’s townhouse in “Sex and the City.”

Turn back around and go back to Bleecker St. and turn right.

On the south-east corner, on your right is the original Magnolia Bakery for cupcakes, pies and cookies. This is another popular establishment also featured in the movie “Sex and the City.”

My tour will conclude here. If you would like to return to the starting point at Village Cigars, continue south on Bleecker St. and turn left at Christopher St. One block further is Grove St, where left around the corner are a few popular piano bars (Marie’s Crisis, Rose’s Turn, Arthur’s Tavern) if you would like to sit and listen to some music and have a cocktail.

Further down Bleecker St. crossing 7th Ave. South you have a very authentic NY Pizzeria, John’s of Greenwich Village, Murray’s Cheese Bar, Babbo (to the left at the corner of Cornelia St.) Crossing 6th Ave (Avenue of the Americas) and there is a lively district of famous, trendy and ethnic eateries, several notorious Speakeasies, cafes, coffee houses, rock clubs, comedy clubs, bohemian hangouts and other venue. Turn left at MacDougal St.


Monte’s Trattoria and Minetta Tavern (Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound, Eugene O'Neill, E. E. Cummings, Dylan Thomas) are old-time stand-bys, Café Wha (Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen, Woody Allen, Lenny Bruce, Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor), Caffè Reggio (featured in The Godfather II, Shaft, Serpico, Inside Llewyn Davis) and further along Bleecker St as well are all great places to walk. Past Sullivan St. and Thompson St. And just a few blocks north of you is Washington Square Park, with its famous arch; a wonderful place to have a seat and watch New Yorkers be themselves.

On behalf of all New Yorkers I want to thank you visiting my City. Thank you also for your interest in our neighborhoods. I hope you enjoyed our little walk through the West Village. My name is Richie. Licensed Tour Guide since 1988. I hope you enjoy the rest of your visit!

Intellectual Property of Richard Reiss, 2017