TABASCO HOT SAUCE

TABASCO 

The KING 

of

HOT SAUCE

TABASCO PEPPER MASH

AGING

in JACK DANIESL

OAK BARRLES

On AVERY ISLAND, LOUISIANA

DID YOU KNOW?

1.  That TABASCO Bottle Is an Old Cologne Bottle from the New Orleans Glassworks.

2.  Invented in 1868 by Edmond McIlhenny, originally from Maryland.

3.  About 720,000 bottles are bottled a day and sold in 165 countries around the World.

4.  Tabasco is aged in used Jack Daniels Bourbon Whiskey Barrels ..

5.  1/8 Ounce Bottles of Tabasco  with Presidential Seal are served on Air Force 1

VALENTINA

HOT SAUCE

From

GUADALAJARA, MEXICO

Valentina has become my favorite Hot Sauce of the past 3 years or so .. I picked it up at a .99 Cent Store one day, a 12 oz. bottle is just $1.29, average price of Tabasco is about $3.99 for a 5 oz. bottle .. It would cost me about $9 for the same amount of Tabasco or more than 7 times more expensive .. Don't get me wrong, I do love Tabasco and like its taste once and a while, it's definately destinctive and a good deal hotter, but now by most preferred Hot Sauce by far is VALENTINA from Mexico .. It's not too hot, which for my personal taste I like ..  And the spices they use has a reall nice flavor. And yes, Tabasco and some of the other brands are too dam expensive.

Before I started up with VALENEtINA I was using CRYSTAL HOT SAUCE from Louisiana for a while .. I like Hot Sauce from Louisiana and as we all know Tabasco can be a bit expensive as compare to Crystal and Valentina and some others, Crytal is way cheaper than Tabasco, but it is also a lot less hot and not as florvorful.  I did notice that in New Orleans Crytal is pretty popular and I saw it on many a restaurant table sometimes along with Tabasco and other bottles. I don't use Crystal that much any more since I discovered my fave, Valentina ... Sometimes I will have in the house; Tabasco, Valentina, and Crystal, and will mostley use Valentina, and Tabasco and Crystal here-and-there ...  

My favorite is on Scramble Eggs with buttered Peas on the side for Breakfast or a lite lunch .. Sometimes when I make FRied Eggs I like to douse on a bit of "Maggi Seasoning" with Valentina as well. These make for some super tasty fried eggs. Try em!

Crystal Claims To Be Louisiana's # 1 Hot Sauce

25 RECIPES YOU SHOULD KNOW BATALI

25 DISHES YOU SHOULD KNOW

Click Links For Dishes

1. TUNAFISH SALAD

2.   SCRAMBLED EGGS

3.  ROAST POTATOES

4.  The Perfect BURGER

5.  How to COOK The Perfect STEAK

5. TOMATO SAUCE

6.  CHICKEN SOUP

7.  CHILI

8.  VINAIGRETTE SALAD DRESSING

9.  FRENCH TOAST

10.  GUACAMOLE

11.  RAMEN

12.  CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES 

13.  TACOS & BURRITOS

14.  MEATLOAF

15.  FRITTATA

16.  SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS

17.  SAUTEED GREENS

18.  DEVILED EGGS

19. SHRIMP COCKTAIL

20. SUNDAY SAUCE "GRAVY"

21.  SHRIMP SCAMPI

22. PANCAKES

23.  PORK CHOPS

24.  BUFFUALO CHICKEN WINGS

25.  CHEESECAKE

LEARN How to COOK

The Perfect STEAK

The PERFECT BURGER

BUFFALO WINGS

CHILI

GUACAMOLE 

And Other GREAT RECIPES

In

GOT ANY KAHLUA ?

The DUDES

BIG LEBOWSKI COOKBOOK

Learn How to Make Clemenza Meatball Sunday Sauce

Clemenza's Meatball Sunday Sauce

by Daniel B. Bellino

Is

NOW AVAILABLE on AMZON.com KINDLE

Clemenza's Meatball Sunday Sauce. Wow, How is That for a Mouthful. A long awaited book and recipes of Godfather Caporegime Peter Clemenza is almost Here. Cookbook author Daniel B. Bellino (aka daniel Bellino-Zwicke) is about to release has latest, "Clemenza's Meatball Sunday Sauce, filled with wonderful stories of Italian and Italian-American Food, movies, Mobsters and more. Yes, the long awaited recipe of Fat Clemenza's Godfther Mob War Sunday Sauce, "Some Call it Gravy."

Daniel doesn't let us down with this one, as usual with his signature style on the history and current events of Italian-American New Yorkers, their Food, the people, their habits, and wonderful rituals of the Italian-American Table and Kitchen. It's all here, including; great recipes for 3 wonderful Sunday Sauce Gravys, Meatballs, Pasta Fazool, Goodfellas Veal & Peppers, Mussels Marinara, and even the never before publish Gino's Secret Sauce (Salsa Segreta)

And as a Celebration of Mr. Bellino's latest book, it will be released for a limited time only and to the first 5,000 people to gab it, at the insane bargain price of just .99 Cents on Amazon and only on Amazon Kindle ... They say the Secret Sauce Recipe alone should be selling for $100 a pop, but Daniel, as a gift of gratitude to those who have been supporting him, and to get the word out to new friends is offering "Clemenza's Meatball Sunday Sauce," for less than a Buck. "We love it and think that's great." So check it out, it's quite the wonderful read.

Article by Anthony Roma

NEW YORK THE WORLD CAPITAL of STEAK HOUSES ! Steaks Too !

New York is a Steak Kingdom. One of the greatest places on Earth and a World Capital of  Steaks. Some would say Argentina. Yes Argentina is a land of Steaks, and the Argentinians eat more steak then any other peoples on earth. However when it comes to Steak Houses and Steaks and the experience of going to a great Steak House and having Great Steak Houses, there is no place on Gods good Earth that comes near New York "The Steak House Capital of The World" with the # 1 most Famous Cherished Steak House in all the World "Peter Luger's" in Brooklyn, New York ... Luger's is legendary and in terms of Steak House's "God Like," no other can touch it. New York has other great and famous Steak Houses such as; Smith & Wollensky, Frankie & Johnnies, The Old Homestead, Keens, and others including the famed Sparks where Mafia Boss Paul Castellano was gunned-down "Whacked" in on e of the most famous "Mob Hits" of all-time.
    Yes, New York is the World Capital of Steak Houses, as it is a World Capital and Thee American Capital of Pizza, World Capital of Jewish Delis, Pastrami and Corned Beef, a Burger Capital and in competition with Paris for the # 1 Dining Restaurant Capital of The World. A Lot of Capitals ! And that's just food, not to mention, Capital of The Publishing World, Finance, Art, Music, Theater, Fashion, writing and what-not.
   Back to the Steak Capital. Do you know where the Newport and Porterhouse Steak was invented? Yes, New York of course. The Newport Steak, a great steak that's relatively unknown even in its native Greenwich Village where it was created by Italian immagrant butcher Jack Ubaldi at his little Butcher Shop in the heavily Italian populated neighborhood back in the 1940. The Newport Steak is quite wonderful, a tasty little steak cut from the Tri-Tip Bottom Sirloin. If you've never had one, do yourself a favor and run over to the Village a snag a Newport or two from the famed famed butcher shop still open, where the Newport was created, Florence Prime Meat Market in Greenwich Village. Pino's Prime Meats, a 100 plus Year Old Italian Butcher Shop on Sullivan Street cuts a mean Newport as well.
    Well, now on to the Porterhouse King of Steaks. Back in the early days of our lustrous city, in the 1700 and 1800 there were places (Inns / Restaurants) called Porterhouses where weary travelers; sailors or whom ever would go to and rest, eat, have a ale or two or what-not. Porterhouses were usually located at Stagecoach stops, Railroad Stations, and sailing ports. They got their name Porterhouse in that they served Porter Ale, along with certain eats such as soup, stew, steaks, and various other foods.
  The invention, creation of the Porterhouse Steak? It was at a Morrison's Porterhouse on Pearl Street in lower Manhattan in or around 1814 .. A sailor who was quite hungry walked into Morrison's Porterhouse on Pearl Street and ordered a steak. Not too many minutes Martin Morrison had served up the last steak he had on hand. None left he told the hungry sailor. The sailor was not having it. He was dam hungry and said he must have a piece of Beef, and only Beef would do. Morrsion had a large Roast Cooking up in his kitchen that was a long way off from being done. Martin Morrsison had an idea. An idea that would satisfy and make the hungry sailor quite happy. He was gonna get the steak, piece of beef he said he just had to have. Not only would the sailor get his steak, but now, here we have this very day, Martin Morrison being written and talked about and acknowledged as the man who created the famed Porterhouse Steak. A bit of Culinary Fame, but no compensation for creating such a glorious thing. Well Morrsion never knew, and hopefully he was a happy man. Anyway, what did Morrsion do you say? That large Roast Beef he had that was far from being finished, well Morrsion cut a piece off the end. That piece included a piece of sirloin and a piece of the filet of the beef with a bone in-between the two cuts of meat, a 
T-Bone. Morrison cut this piece off the big roast, cooked it up and served it to the Hungry Sailor. The sailor devoured that Steak (The First Ever Porterhouse Steak), of course with a stein of Porter Ale to wash everything down. The Sailor was satisfied. Very much so, and ordered up another, and told Morrsion, "For now on, I'd like my Steak always served this way," exactly  the same cut and everything. And so it was. Morrsion had hios butcher cut him steaks this way, what we now now as a Porterhouse Steak, created in Lowere Manhattan, New York, NY, World Capital of Steaks and Steak Houses, "There is No Disputing This," New York and Steaks, they go together.





Article:  Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

THE PERFECT NEWPORT STEAK
As Cooked by Author Daniel Bellino-Zwicke  "La Tavola"

Newport Steak Cut by Pino's Prime Meats, Sullivan Street, NY NY

PACINO and WALKEN TOGETHER in STAND UP GUYS

AL !!!!

PACINO and WALKEN

On SET of STAND UP GUYS

Directed by FISCHER STEVENS

photo Daniel Bellino Zwicke

  

REMEBERING ROBERTO ... ROBERTO CLEMENTE

GRAFFITI ART

photo Daniel Bellino Zwicke

Crosby Street .. New York, NY

NEW BOND GIRL ....TONIA SOTIROPOULOU

Yes we have a New Bond Girl for the 23rd Edition of The Beloved James Bond 007 movie genre. Beautiful Greek born actress Tonia Sotiropoulou has just been cast as the newest Bond Girl, a role many women dream of, few attain. Tonia said that the day she was cast was the happiest day of her life.

The biggest news of Skyfall is likely to anger and or disappoint many a Bond fan, with Agent 007 replacing his famous Shaken Not Stirred Martini with a bottle of Heineken. Yes, it's true, and with the Dutch Brewer reportingly forking over a reporter 45 Million Dollars for this major placement, it's no wonder producer Barbara Broccoli took the deal. $45,000,000 is nothing to sneeze at, even for the Great James Bond.

Co-Starring with Daniel Craig as James Bond and Tonia Sotiropoilou are veteran actors, Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney, and Javier Bardem as the Villain and Judi Dench as M. Sam Mendes will direct.

The locations are always a big part of any Bond film and along with London, this film will be set in Surrey, England at a  monastery-like building which is reportedly the manor house to be known as "Skyfall Lodge", the Bond family estate The site also included a chapel with a graveyard, and a third building with an unknown purpose. Other major locales are New Delhi, India and Shanghai, China.

Daniel Bellino Zwicke,

WTC 1 IS "UGLY" and Why DAVID CHILDS SUCKS

REMEMBERING THE TWIN TOWERS

BRIGHT LIGHT BIG CITY

TWIN TOWER in BACKGROUND 

With ODEON

I Worked at The ODEON in The Late 80's

Yes, it's a Sad Sad Fact, "WTC 1" rising down at GROUND ZERO where the Twin Towers once stood is quite disgusting. Have you looked at the awful looking tower rising into our Beautiful 

New York Skyline? It's quite awful looking.  How the Hell could the Powers That Be pick such an awful looking building? It's quite disgusting! It's appalling! They couldn't come up with something better. This building is an Eyesore! It's HORIBLE !!!!  WTC 1 looks like a skyscraper from downtown Miami, or Phoenix, not New York... This is quite a Sin. We have to live with this SHIT for a long long time. How can these MORONS make such a blunder? This AWFUL looking Tower is going to be a part of Our Wonderful New York Skyline for years to come. It's terrible. This building is going to bring down the look of our skyline. It is a detrement to New York.

The Price Tag of WTC 1, formely The Freedom Tower is 4 BILLION Dollars. You Idiots, with that kind of Money, couldn't come up with a better design? A better Look? A building that looks like a New York Skyscraper, not a Downtown Miami Skyscraper? It's Disgusting. It's a Sin that we are made to look at this Ugly Awful looking Monstrosity. Listen, I'm not knocking Miami. It's a cool place, a nice city and I like it. And the tall modern looking office buildings and skyscrapers that are in downtown Miami are fine, and look fine. For Miami that it! But we don't want a building, and one that is so prominent and will be the tallest building in New York and one of the tallest in the World, we don't want a building like this to  be set into our beautiful Iconic New York Skyline, and it looks like it was put there, picked up in Miami and plopped down in New York. It's just not right. It's Sacriligious! It's DISGUSTING! But guess what my fellow New Yorkers? 

We have no choice in the matter! These Idiots; David Childs, Larry Silverstein, 

The Port Authority,Skidmore Owings and Merrill, did it, it's almost done and we have to live with it. One of the most horrible Blunders in New York City History. All because of thos Bastards at The Port Authority, Larry Silverstein and That Asshole David Childs. "You've Got No Aesthetics Man!" Your Design SUCKS! It's Awful! Ugly looking and I'm Freakin Pissed as Hell that I, my fellow New Yorkers and the physical City of New York has to Live with your Shitty Ass 

Miami-Looking Design!  I HATE That BASTARD David CHILDS for putting such an Awful Looking Blemish on Our Beautiful New York Skyline... You Suck David!

A REDITION of 

THE UGLY LOOKING WTC 1 

and World Trade Center Complex

DESIGNED By a MAN

with AWFUL AESTHETICS "DAVID CHILDS" 

Daniel Bellino Zwicke

The CHELSEA HOTEL

The Chelsea Hotel? Need a room, a new Tatoo, a Lobster Dinner with Classic Cocktail, a Martini, Manhattan, or Bourbon Old Fashion? Perhaps a Grasshopper? Want a cool Vintage Guitar or  just a Doughnut and Coffee? You'll get em all at the Chelsea Hotel, one of New York's most historical storied Hotels and Thee Art Hotel of New York, who has seen the likes of  Bob Dylan, Dylan Thomas, Leonard Cohen, Alice Cooper, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Madonna, Patti Smith, Tennessee Williams,  Jack Kerouac, 

Mark Twain, Sid Viscous, Frida Kahlo,Diego Rivera, Franceso Clemente, Jasper Johns. The LIST Goes On-And-On. Jeese! Imagine? Mark Twain, Madonna, Tennessee Williams, and Jimi Hendrix all lived there. At The Chelsea as it is affectionately called by it numerous inhabitants, "Famous" or "Not." If those walls could talk. But it's all coming to an end, what Stanley Bard created as maybe the World's Coolest Hippest Hotel for Creative Artist is coming to an end. 

In May 2011, the hotel was sold to real estate developer Joseph Chetrit for US$80 million dollars. As of August 1, 2011 the hotel stopped taking reservations for guests in order to begin renovations, but long-time residents remain in the building, some of them protected by state rent regulations.

Daniel Bellino Zwicke

photo CHELSEA HOTEL ...Daniel Bellino Zwicke

CHELSEA GUITARS and IL QUIJOTE

at The CHELSEA HOTEL

CHELSEA, NEW YORK NY

PS ...Did You Know? When th Chelsea Hotel opened as a residential apartment  building in 1884, it was at 12 Stories High "The Tallest Building in New York"

BAD ASS FRANK

SINATRA THAT IS

             FRANK LIVES ON

KATE MOSS RAINS SUPREME

KATE MOSS

photo Daniel Bellino Zwicke

KATE MOSS X 3

photo Daniel Bellino Zwicke

GEORGE WASHINGTON McNUGGET

McDONALDS GEORGE WASHINGTON

GEORGE WASHINGTON

by GILBERT STUART

Hey Boys and Girls, is this some Funny Sh_t or what?   A lady in Iowa purchased a box of McDonald's Chicken McNuggets and noticed before putting this baby in her mouth that it was in the image of the Father of Our Country, none other than the great George Washington. What do you think? I say, "HeLl Yeah It does." The lady put This Gearge Washington McNugget up for Sale on Ebay. Yeah! The starting Bid is $100 .. Dam, is this some Funny Sh_t or what? I love it!  You can Win it. Do you want to be part of American History that includes the General of The Continental Army and The First President of The United States of America,  

President George Washington?                                                   

Only in America.

Daniel Bellino Zwicke

Link to Ebay Auction for "President George Washington Chicken McNugget"

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-President-George-Washington-Chicken-McNugget-/320855766157?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab47e748d#ht_775wt_889

MY MORNING SMOOTHIE

Yes I just love my Berry Smoothie in the morning. It tasty, refreshing, and good. Makes me feel good, in my mind and throughout my whole body. Wish I would have gotten started on these babies a long time ago. You are what you eat. This is oh so true, not just a cliched saying. If you're 50 or older you'll know what I'm talking about.
      Well, today my smoothie was made of 1 banana, about 7 fresh Strawberries, 4 Kiwis,1 pineapple slice, a bit of water and a good dose of Honey. Everything was fresh except the pineapple slice which I happened to have in a container in the frig. My shakes depend on what is on sale and or is the best price when I go down to Chinatown(New York) where the prices on fruits and vegetables are 1/2 to just a third the price of produce in the supermarkets near my house. When I was in Chinatown yesterday I got 12 Kiwis for only $3.00, and a large container of fresh Strawberries for only $2.50 and I picked up 3 bananas for 65 cents. Last week I was able to get a large container of Blueberries for just $2.00 .. Dam, I wish I would have bought 2 more containers and froze them. They were so cheap. Berries can be really expensive. Those same amount of Blueberries that I paid just 2 dollars for would have cost me 7 or 8 dollars at my local supermarket.
      Well as last week, I was making my shakes with Blueberries, Bananas, Kiwi, Honey, and Pineapple, this week I'm making them the same way, just substituting the Blueberries for Strawberries as the Strawberries were cheaper and the Blueberries more expensive this week. The point is, you buy what is on sale and you'll save a lot in the course of a year.
    It's not cheap making these Smoothies my dear friends, but it can be a lot cheaper if you are smart. I approximate that I spend about $12.00 a week on my smoothie ingredients. And I'd wager to say that other people might spend $25 to $30 a week on the same exact ingredients, simply because they are not as good of a shopper as me or they have so much money it doesn't matter to them. I calculable that I spend about $600 ..
And I also calculate that if I wasn't such a smart shopper that I would pay $1,200 to $1,500 a year on the same exact fruits and vegetables for my daily Smoothie consumption. Wow! That's a big difference! Huge! That's an average of about $750 a year that I ,save by being a good shopper and buying only produce that are on sale in Chinatown as compared to the overpriced supermarkets in my neighborhood (Greenwich Village, NY). Do you relieve that's $3,750 in five years time compared to what I could spend if I wasn't so frugal. That's $7,500 in 10 years time. Dam! That's a lot of dough. Even if I was more conservative on that figure i could easily say that I save $6,000 every 10 years with my wise produce purchases. Looking forward to the next 10 years, saving that $6,000 then taking a nice vacation to Sicily with that, where I'll eat fruits and vegetables like you've never seen. Yummm!



Daniel Bellino Zwicke




                                     
                 STRAWBERRIES BLUEBERRIES and BANANAS

   

                                     MAIN INGREDIENTS 
                     of MY FAVORITE FRUIT SMOOTHIE

                               Along With Water and Honey




A FRUIT SMOOTHIE A DAY KEEPS The DOCTOR AWAY 

MY DAYS with REUBEN .. The SANDWICH THAT IS ...

  Wow, The Reuben Sandwich is The Hot new food Item 2012. This is great. The Reuben is one of my All-Time Favorites. So why haven't I had one in ages, I wonder? And why if I haven't had one in ages, that it's one of my All Time Faves? Well I'll tell you. Number one, when made right, it's "Dam Tasty." And I say made right, cause if you don't have the right person or right place makin them, "a lot can go wrong." 
    So why is it one of my Favorites you ask, aside from it being so delicious? Well, The Reuben Sandwich takes my back to my youth, to my wonderful days at High School where I first discovered, made, and eat this wonderful thing. Wait a minute. No that's not where I discovered and first ate it, that's where I first made it, I'll tell you about that in a moment. Where I first discovered and ate it was at a restaurant I worked in as a busboy back in High School. It was the Moonraker Restaurant in Paramus New Jersey. Yeah, that's the place. I was working at this restaurant, the Reuben was on the menu and was one of the items we were aloud to order and eat for employee meal. How could I forget?

LOOK at THIS JUICY REUBEN

Yummm !!!

     Well back to high School and making the Reuben. Me and a few of my buddy's loved food. OF course. Now there was a Cooking Class in our High School that only girls took. Guys were never in eat. Never ever! Now me and my buddy's as I've said love food and tow of us work in restaurants. Now we figure if we could get into this Cooking Class we can get to eat a lot of good food, learn to cook, and be a hit with the girls. We didn't care that no guys ever took this class before, just girls, we had "Balls" we didn't care what other people thought, we wanted to eat and we wanted to learn to cook. We signed up for the cooking class and we got in.
    Anyway, one day the teacher asked us if there was anything we wanted to learn how to cook. A few things were thrown out there, I don't remember the other items, but i threw out The REUBEN and guess what, that's what we all decided on that we were going to make. The teacher researched the Reuben. She gave us printed han outs on the Reuben. All ingredients were assembled; Pastrami, Rye Bread, Sauerkraut, Mustard and Swiss Cheese. We were ready to go, me my buddy John P. and this girl Debbie P that my buddy John P couldn't stand. She was skinny as hell but ate a lot of food, more than her fare share and it drove Johnny Boy crazy.
   Anyway, all ingredients were ready, we read the hand out instructions and went to town making our Reubens,. Exciting! I must say, they came out pretty good. We loved them and subsequently I made them a couple times at home. But guess what, I haven't had one of these lovely morsels of a sandwich in years. And guess what. Yeah, I saw the piece in Neww York Magazine this week about "Reintroducing The Reuben." It caught my eye. Especially the great pictures of Juicy Reubens. Dam it got me going. I wanted one. I read the article and decided I had to go. Go get a Reuben that it. Two things appealed to me as to the place I was going to get my Reuben Fix. Number one, I want a real classic Reuben, not some dumb alternative version of one, like a dumb ass Turkey or Chicken Reuben. Hey that's not a Reuben. I want the Real Thing, one on grilled Rye with either Pastrami or Corned Beef, both exceptable meats for the Reuben, although I lean more towards one made with Pastrami.






Daniel Bellino Zwicke

THE SAD DEATH of WHITNEY HOUSTON

 Have Drugs robbed us of another great talent? That's what many suspect of the premature death of the Once Vivacious and Beautiful Whitney Houston. It's another tragedy, the death of the once sweet and lovely Whitney taken away as was Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse and a string of other great performers. Whitney was once on The top of The World, so to speak. She had it all, Youth and Beauty as well is being one of the great singers of her time. She had, fame, wealth, talent, good looks, and on and on. Then she met Bobby Brown. Need I say more. Was Booby Whitney's downfall that has led to this tragic premature death?  Most would and will say, "Yes."
Anyway you look at it is sad and tragic. Our hearts go out to Whitney's daughter Bobbi, mother Cissy Houston and all of Whitney's family and close friends/
    God Bless you Whiteny. You were loved by many, were are all sad to see you go in this way, and all we can do is say God Bless and pray for your soul. If your last years on this Earth were not so great, may you Rest in Peace Dear Beautiful One. We will always Remember Your Sweet Beautiful Voice and just the good memories of you Whitney, for now and forever. God Bless You.



Daniel Bellino Zwicke

WHITNEY HOUSTON

THIS IS HOW WE SHOULD ALL

REMEMBER WHITNEY

The SWEET YOUNG and BEAUTIFUL

WHITNEY HOUSTON

God Bless

CAFE Du MONDE ... NEW ORLEANS

Gonna give a little "Shout Out" to The Big Easy, New Orleans and one of the World's Great cafes, Cafe Du Monde. Thee one place that everyone goes to more than any other when in New Orleans, whether you're a visitor or you live there, you go to The Cafe Du Monde for their great Beignets and Cafe Creme, and, and the show and the ambiance that is thee "One and Only" Cafe Du Monde.
The Place is open 24/7 364 days a year, closed on just Christmas day, i do believe. Situated right upon the Mighty Mississippi River at The French Market in the French Quarter across the street from Jackson Square. This is one of thee hearts of New Orleans if not thee number one one.
   I always make at least one or two visits whenever I'm in New Orleans. You get a nice cup of Coffe "Cafe Creme" and the cafes justly famous Beignets, all for just about four bucks. And you get to sit in a lively cafe where just about everyone goes to. 
       You might want to head down the Decatur Street for a tasty Muffuletta Sandwich (Best in New Orleans) at The Central Grocery. A Muffuletta Sandwich at Central Grocery is a must have when in Nola, then you can go to the Cafe Du Monde for dessert and coffee. After these two stops, if your in the mood for a nice libation, it's just a few steps down Decatur to Tujague's, one of new Orleans oldest restaurants, like Cafe  Du Monde they opened around 1862.. Go to the stand-up bar Tujgue's for a cocktail, and if you like, order a grasshopper, this is where it was invented.
   Or if you gotta sit down when you drink, head just a couple blocks away to
Napoleon House, one of the World's Great Bars. Napoleon House was built by The Mayor of New Orlean's, Mayor Girod for Napoleon Bonaparte to leave his exile in Elba and come to live in New Orleans in this home Girod had built for him. Napoleon died and never made it, but you can make it there and have a Bourbon old Fashion, a Sazerac, Ramos Fizz, or their House Specialty Cocktail a "Pimms Cup."
   And I must say as someone who has traveled all around the World, from paris to Rome, Capri to Amsterdam, Buenos Aires to Rio de Janiero, LA to Hong Kong to Saigon to Havana, Cuba, New Orleans is one of The Coolest Cities in The World. I Love it.
     And as a lover of New Orleans and as a New Yorker and concerned American, I'm surprised and astonished to why more New Yorkers don't go down and spend a few wonderful days in New Orleans They love it, but I don't see many New Yorkers going there and they should. For one, new Orleans is one of the Coolest Places in the World, with great restaurants, Awesome Food, wonderful architecture, and some of the World's Best Music, it's everywhere. And the people? They're wonderful. Also, since Hurricane Katrina, the town and the people of New Orleans could use new Yorkers and all Americans supports, and I don't see it. So do yourself a favor, go down and spend a few fun filled days in The Big Easy, New Orleans, I assure you, "You'll be glad you did."



Daniel Bellino Zwicke

Waiter Delivering

Beignets and Coffee

CAFE Du MONDE

TUJAGUE'S

Where The GRASSHOPPER

WAS INVENTED

ME and My MUFFULETTA

CENTRAL GROCERY

NEW ORLEANS

SPOTTED PIG ....WHITE HORSE TAVERN ... GREENWICH VILLAGE, NEW YORK

Starting the week off good, as usual with a nice cup of Coffee at my daily coffee stop Once Upon a Tarte on Sullivan Street in Soho. Finished the week up pretty good,  trip to The Metropolitan Museum of Art (some Inspiration) and a night out for some drinks and a Spotted Pig Burger. Plan to meet up  around 8:15 at the Pig. Well as everyone knows, it can be a bit difficult to procure a table here, unless you come after 12:30 or so. But 8:15 on a Sunday Night, you're gonna wait. And wait we did. I figured I'd arrive early and scope things out. Got there at Ten Minutes to Eight. Talked to the Maitre'd, asked how long it would be for a table and that we wanted to sit upstairs. "Upstairs is going to be an hour or more," he stated and asked if I wanted to leave my cel number and he would call. Sounds like a plan. "OK." So I figured I'd head over to The White Horse Tavern for a beer or two while I waited.
     Now for those of you who don't know, The White Horse is quite famous. It's been around for some 130 years or so and is the place where famed poet Dylan Thomas drank himself to death. The place is has seen many famous patrons, including, Bob Dylan, Mary Travers, Jim Morrison, Norman Mailer, and famous Beats such as Jack Kerouac. Well, anyway I've had drinks at the White Horse many times over the years. And in the past few years of so many being out of work with our economy in shambles and little money around, The White Horse with $5.00 Beers and $6.00 drinks is not a bad place to drink if you need a couple pops but don't want to get Raked over The Coals as with $12.00 plus drinks. It's not unusual for places to be charging 16 and 17Dollars for one freakin cocktail, "A Travesty." So Beers and Cocktails at reasonable rates, but it is the History and the fact that it so old and of another era of which very little is to be found anymore, The White Horse Tavern is very attractive prospect.
    So i go into the White Horse and grab the last two stools at the bar. Order up a nice Rolling Rock tallneck and get myself comfy with Cel and Beer waiting to meet up with friend Joel. . Joel gives me a call,he just got off the train. I tell him to come on over to The White Horse. He asks if we're eating there? I retort "No" that we have to wiat for our table at the Pig.
       So now back to The Spotted Pig, The Burger, waiting for a table.. We're half way into our second beers and I get a call from the Maitre'd, our table is ready. We scoot over to the Pig. We get there and they go to give us a table downstairs, then the Maitre'd remembers we wanted to sit upstairs. He apologizes. "No big deal," and we end up having a couple more drinks at the Bar downstairs as we wait for our table. Thirty-five minutes later we get to sit down. "Finally!"
    We order a couple more drinks, Bourbon Old Fashion and Scotch on The Rocks. We put in an order for Deviled Eggs and Devils on Horseback, "Two Devils." Both are pretty good, as are the two Burgers we get, but guess how much it cost. Well we spent $30 for our drinks downstairs, then $110 for our drinks, Deviled Eggs and Burgers upstairs for a grand total of $140 for a few drinks and beers, a couple tiny appetizers, and the two renowned Spotted Pig Burgers. Was it worth it? Yes and No! No because if you consider that we could have had Burgers and the same amount o drinks at, let's say the equally or more famous Corner Bistro for about $60. Complete. We could have saved $80 and done this all over again, twice instead of once. Then again the Yes is that you've got to treat yourself every now and then. To some this $140 would be no big deal. They do it all the time and think nothing of it. To me it is a little bit of a big deal, and it should be. I don't do this everyday. Hey, i had a good time, and yes it was worth it. Oh yeah, didn't I say already it wasn't worth it, "Well Yes and No" it all depends on how you look at it, and we did have a good time, The White Horse Tavern and The Spotted Pig, two places worth checking out. And just one short block apart!





PS .... In the Info section of The Spotted Pig's website where they give you all sorts of info on the restaurant, "excuse me, Gastropub), where to park, hours of operation, etc.,. In the Info section there's a spot Who owns The Spotted Pig? answer they give is
April Bloomfield, Ken Friedman, and some pals. I'll fill in the blanks of "and some pals," in case you don't know, thee "and some Pals" are Mario Batali, Jay Z, and Bono. Yes Bono as in U2 Bono.... Just for your information.
  Later.








Daniel Bellino Zwicke

THE WHITE HORSE TAVERN

DYLAN THOMAS'S LAST DRINK

photo Daniel Bellino Zwicke

UPSTAIRS at The SPOTTED PIG