pub 66: snack time!

good lord, i have no excuse for such a lapse in posts!! sometimes life seems overwhelming, but then i realize it's just a food blog. breathe. not that serious. cool? cool.

not surprisingly, there's more from italy.

after 3-4 hours of walking around in the convection inferno lovingly known as "rome," M and i decided to find a shady spot to cool down with a beverage, snack, and good, old-fashioned sitting. we had spent the majority of the morning roaming around the via del corso, which is rome's major shopping district. it's peculiarly long, straight, and wide; tracing a medieval horse racing course and spanning from piazza venezia to piazza del popolo.

long. straight. wide. these all seem like normal characteristics of a road, but not in rome. there are about a million short, serpentine vicoli (small streets) barely wide enough for a moto to pass through.

but enough with the histography lesson, back to snack time! after wandering around the tiny off-shoots of via del corso, we finally chose pub66, a small, unassuming, but popular little...well, pub. we sat al fresco at a small, wooden table covered by a shade-bestowing ombrellone. this little spot was perfectly secluded so that we didn't hear a lot of street noise, but enjoyed watching all the pedestrian activity.

to start: acqua frizzante (naturally lightly fizzy) and a coca liiiiiiiiight. i swear to god, you have to say it that way. it's just how you pronounce "light" in italiano. even M started ordering it that way.

this ridiculous pub had long island iced teas on the menu, so M had to try one out of sheer curiosity. how do they know what goes in a long island in rome? mixed drinks aren't really popular there...except mojitos. M's verdict: gross.

since we weren't that hungry and didn't want to spoil our dinner appetites, we decided to split a foccacia italiana, which was a toasty, chewy, thin bread topped with thick cuts of uncured parma ham, ruchetta (arugula/rocket), mozzarella di bufala, and pachino (small, sweet tomatoes). i just pushed the ham off to M's side and worked on the cheese/tomato/rocket/olive oil. it was pretty good. and damn good for a restaurant in the tourist zone. it's tough to go wrong with all fresh, local ingredients. that's the crux of roman cooking. everything's fresh. everything's locally farmed. on in-season produce is served. damn, i miss that.

M said the meat was kind of gross because it was so thick...and much like eating large cuts of raw flesh. sounds like sushi to me, which we all know is the shit. so what's his problem!??!

pub66 was a nice find in an area full of restaurants and cafes that rely on proximity to popular tourist sites rather than good quality food and service. i'm super picky and was pretty bummed to be caught on the via del corso looking for a place to eat that wouldn't enrage me. thanks for the lunch and couple-hour-coolout, pub66. perhaps we'll meet again.

unfortunately i don't remember the exact street pub66 was on, but it was very near la Galleria Alberto Sordi, the closest thing to a mall rome has. it was basically west across via del corso from G.A.S. on a small vicolo.

Grimaldi's: Brooklyn New York

If this is your first time reading this hella rad blog, then you dont know that I love pizza. So welcome to K&S, I love pizza. That being said, when I was recently in New York I really wanted to try some east coast pizza. Months ago I was watching food network and something came on about Grimaldi's. I remember thinking, if I ever go back to NYC I will try it. Well we did and boy, was it an adventure in time and patience.

My mom and I were staying in Manhattan in the Theatre District and we set out that morning walking towards the Financial District. We had no intention of walking the entire way...but we did and yes, that is about 6 miles. After the long walk past several duane reade stores we decided to take a cab over the bridge to ensure we would be on time for our lunch date at Grimaldi's with a new hip hop supergroup "They Live".

As the cab pulled up we had no idea the line would be that serious. It was down the block.

A few minutes later a man came out and let us know it would be about 30min from where we were standing. It actually took like 45min, but it was cool our hip hop friends were running late anyway. The wait was too long, the heat was too much and the complaining people were getting on my last nerve. But I was doing fine actually because I knew once inside I would be able to eat pizza and sometimes nothing in the world compares to that.

When we got seated I got right in the line for the bathroom. I was surprised how small it was inside but that makes a lot of sense why the wait is so long.

The line for the bathroom is right next to the kitchen. So you are able to catch a full view of the pizza chefs and the historic coal fired brick oven.

While we were still waiting on our friends we ordered some chianti and after the wait outside my mom and I pretty much pounded our first glass. I dont even remember what it tasted like.

First came out the veggie pizza my mom ordered which she asked for mushrooms and onions.
The sauce was bubbling and the smell was amazing. The smokey crust looked so damn amazing. I couldnt wait for it to cool down so we could eat.


They Live asked me to order them a pepperoni pizza with ricotta cheese. It also looked extremely tasty with the scattered basil and chunky tomato sauce.

The four of us killed two large pizzas. I dont think They Live ate anything before meeting us because they stopped talking when the pizza came out. The pizza's were both very good but I did like the pepperoni a bit better because of the salty meat. The mild fresh mozzerella cheese and rich sauce were extremely kick ass. The only thing that didnt hold up was the crust. The ends were perfect but as the crust got to the middle it was a bit too soggy for my favor. I love a thin crust as long as it doesnt turn into mush. Taste wise, I will admit...they have something going here.

Everyone agreed that this pizza was good, but I don't know if anyone thought they would wait and hour to eat it...I think I might. After our late lunch we headed back to the city and all made the trek over the Brooklyn bridge. It was beautiful even though we got caught in the rain but the sun was out and it didn't matter, I just had pizza.

19 Old Fulton Street, Brooklyn NY

talariri's: a funny thing happened on the way to the office

these pictures are obviously a couple months old, but that doesn't make my overall opinion about talarico's any less valid (i've been there at least 15 times). please excuse the shitty myspace page for talarico's. if i were them, i would hire someone (or a friend, shit!) to design a quality site with general info...i mean, at the very least publish the hours and menu. their $3 slices for happy hour really are something to write home about. i'll keep this short and sweet since i know this isn't the first time i've commented about my favorite west seattle pizza haven on k&s.

M. and i went to talarico's for an easy dinner (and i had to pick work up from my office). we noticed a couple new appetizers on the menu and decided to try the polenta served with spicy sausage ragu. mark my words: THIS. IS. THE. BOMB. the polenta cake was light and fresh, unlike the logs of dense polenta you can buy pre-made in the store (my nemesis), and the sauce was bright, full of chunks of tomato and easily-removed sausage (so i ate a little meat sweat; sue me). i also loved the fresh bites of flatleaf parsley (you already know this is a personal fave).

the only improvement M. and i could think of was to broil the polenta (perhaps w some parm) for a crisp finish. also, not that i really care about this at a pizza joint, the plating was beautiful. if you haven't yet eaten a monstrous talarico's slice, i would suggest getting out to The West for pizza and polenta.

oh yeah, we also got pizza. i got the aglio e olio (garlic and oil) with arugula and goat cheese. it's basically my go-to, but i'm not tired of it yet. shoot, and i said i would keep this short.

anyhow, go to talarico's. it's awesome. i think on tuesday's they have a special recession happy hour menu. you'll just have to go to find out the details.

well shoot, nevermind. after searching urbanspoon, they DO have a website!

Talarico's Pizza

4718 California Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98116
206.937.7463

hh daily 4 to 6

Zayda Buddy's not from the midwest

Its actually been a month or so since a few of us dined at this new spot Zayda Buddy's in Ballard. We were drawn in by the wonderful menu descriptions from a review in NW Source. Where else can you get tater tot casserole and a can of mello yellow? I was also very intrigued by the fact that they were trying to draw in customers by boasting "Minnesota Style Thin Crust Pizza". Being from the midwest, I had no idea minnesota had a style of pizza...We will have to save the pizza review for another time since we all decided to venture away from pizza during this visit.

A few things to note. The service here is mad slow and it wasnt even that busy. The server was not awesome and was semi rude. The place is totally overpriced for a small venue down on leary way which is serving you home cooking. I had a chicken sandwich which was o.k. I honestly dont remember much about it at all except that the chicken breast was small and straight from costco.
L. had a burger which I dont think he thought was that good. And K. got down on a veggie sandwich which by the time she got done picking out the veggies from some dry ass white bread looked like a hot mess. All of our sandwiches came with a side of pringles, which just made the $10 wack sandwich entertaining. Other menu items included green bean casserole, wings and a bunch of pizza. I am still trying to figure out how all of the items fit the minnesota mold and I still feel lots of them are a huge reach. Its almost like lots of signature things from the midwest are all wrapped up in the disguise of minnesota, since lots of people here wouldnt know the difference. Boo.

The decor is interesting, lots of beer signs, dark wood booths and some random nods to the midwest. The lighting needs to be dimmed to create a better ambiance because it felt like you were in an airport bar.

Highlights were the deep fried cheese curds, but I still dont know why they served them with marinara...they aren't mozzarella sticks. They came out perfectly hot and not that greasy. Kinda hard to fuck up deep fried cheese though...I am not sure if they are enough to take me back there but maybe I could be convinced.


Also, this place boasts a unique bar serving up a variety of midwest beers and then some. They also have a creative cocktail menu (that makes up drinks that are not from minnesota) with a pretty good bloody mary, complete with a cheese curd on a stick and the small light beer on the side. This is one thing I do love about the midwest!


Overall, I am still interested in trying the pizza because I do happen to like thin crust. However, I have continued to read several reviews about this place and most of them still unfavorable even though they have been open long enough to work out the kinks. I also read that the people who own this are the same people who run Top Pot....come on guys.

Ironically, I am off to the midwest tomorrow and am planning to indulge in some authentic regional fare. Damn, I love chesse.

Zayda Buddy's

5405 Leary Ave NW

Pizza at Pagliacci

I forget about Pagliacci Pizza because it was taken off the list of places to go after entering a pizza eating competition with L. and this was our last stop. Something about that last piece of pizza just stuck with us. It had nothing to do with the quality of pizza...so Pagliacci I apologize for the hate.

Did you know you can get bottles of beer at Pagliacci? You can. We started with two Heinekens.

L. loves the pesto salad...but we both agreed it needed more seasoning.

I went for the Pagliaccio Salad...which was fine but I forgot to ask for no red peppers. Damn. This salad which tastes the same every time you order it has a nice dressing and a good flavor. I love the garbanzo beans and the diced onion.

The thing about places that serve slices is that you have to go with what is hot on the counter or wait until the next pie comes out. Since we were both starving and this pizza looked good we both got a slice of the Pesto Primo. This pizza comes with garlic sauce and is topped with fontina, mozzarella and ricotta cheeses, peppers and pesto. It was pretty tasty, but those of you who know me...know I wish I woulda just stuck with plain cheese.


426 Broadway Ave East
Seattle, WA 98102

Hours:

11 am - 11 pm
Sunday through Thursday

11 am - 12 midnight
Friday and Saturday

Pizza by Piecora's

I'm still on a journey to eat as much pizza as
possible during my lifetime.

Do you want a good lunch option on Capital Hill? Of coarse you do...

Check out Piecora's Pizza

Their standard lunch special is a Slice & Salad for $5.95. Which includes a large slice of pizza with up to two toppings and a green salad. This is the real deal people, not a small, flimsy slice of pie with a brown iceberg lettuce salad. Save the pizza hut delivery for another day and support this localy owned business!

For you late eaters, they got you til' 4:30pm for this special! Damn...that is happy hour.

More San Fran...Haight Ashbury

Haight Ashbury is sort of like Capitol Hill. You've got the huge mansions and the kids begging for change. You also have the incense shops and an American Apparel.

We were really hungry so we stumbled into this place called "All You Knead". They dont serve alcohol just beer so we went for a pitcher of Pabst. This place has a lot of interesting menu options. You can get anything from Pizza to a Tofu Scramble.

Naturally, I went for the pizza, which was good...but sort of school lunch tasting.

My counterpart went for the special which were Catfish Sticks. I'm guessing they were good because he cleaned his plate.


Overall this place was exactly what I expected its a casual American diner. No complaints, it was nice to sit down and relax. I was however distracted several times by a women with tattoos covering her face, drinking a can of coke and talking to herself in the mirror.

Bambino's East Coast Pizzeria

This food blog thing has really changed where I go out to eat. I am constantly looking to try places that I don't normally go (pretty much anywhere off this damn hill). So I have seen this Bambino's place every time I go to 5 point...and I LOVE PIZZA. So Sunday, I decided to take a trip off the hill in pursuit of hopefully some really good pizza.

Bambino's is bright, spacious and after walking in I immediately noticed that they focus heavily on pizza delivery. Most of the tables in this place were open or filled with tourists. Our server was in a huge hurry but I could not figure out why because she only had three tables. She was not into any small talk, I think she may have said three things to us the whole time.

We started with salad. The Insalata Tri Colori which is a big bowl of Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Red Onions, Olives, Basil, Red Wine Vinaigrette. This salad did not have much flavor and could have really benefited from some added feta cheese or something. You can share any of the salads because they all seem to come out in these big white bowls.

Then we ordered the large Capricciosa which is $16.25 and is 8 decent size pieces. This pizza consists of Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Italian Sausage, Mushrooms, Onions, Parmigiano-Reggiano. The crust is so thin you cant even pick up the slices! But the flavors were great. You could really taste the sauce, cheese and sausage separately. I do like my crust a little bit thicker but not too much. The pizza is cooked in a wood fired oven and is made with local organically grown ingredients. They also make their own sausage, dough and salad dressings.

This pizza was good. It takes a lot for me to admit a pizza is amazing. I would eat this pizza again, but I think I would opt for delivery. I would also choose to eat this pizza from the comfort of my own home because this place does not serve any alcohol.


ps. they also have sandwiches and pasta, check the menu!

oh no kobayashi

My brother stayed with us for a few days a couple months ago and we got hooked on this site
It was here that we spent endless hours reviewing Eater Profiles, Rankings and Records. Funny to think some guy is walking around out there shaking hands and letting you know he also holds the turducken eating record at 7 3/4 pounds in 12 minutes.

We also talked about how much we thought we could eat in a competition. Funny thing is, I entered an eating competition once. It was a pizza eating competition. We went to Hot Mamas, Bills off Broadway and Pagliacci. I lost. But....I did eat one slice at Hot Mamas, half a large pizza at Bills and 3/4 slice at Pagliacci. Now that is nothing to shake a stick at.

My heart is out to you Kobayashi.

Something from the history books: