NY Times Metro Section, You Will Be Missed.

Sunday marked the final installment of the NY Times Metro Section. No longer will local news receive it's own section, but now get thrown in the main section between national news and the obits. It will be referred to as New York news. Whenever I read the paper outside of NYC, the Metro Section was never part of the National edition, which makes all the sense in the world, but it always felt like it was missing something. I don't want that feeling of emptiness to return.

Aside from Wednesday's Dining Out section, the Metro Section was my first read of the day. Sports used to be, but with the internet you can get all the box scores and stats the night before. The Arts Section is always read, as is Tuesday's Science Times. Personally I can do without the Thursday and Sunday Styles, Thursday Home, and Sunday Automobile sections. There, that's how you could have saved. We all know the ad revenue comes from those sections so who am I kidding. Shit, if needed be, I would have advertised HowfreshEats for a month or so. I would have been able to afford one line, if that.

Presumably the content will be the same, but for a NY paper to no longer have an exclusively NY section, it marks a sad day. Last week the Sun had to shut down operations, and today another piece of NY journalism is lost.

Of course it was a financial decision, so maybe we should be thankful that it will only be several sheets of paper being let go and not the team of local reporters and editors. I just find it more difficult to maneuver section A on the train. The slimmer sections make me look so professional. Now I'm going to be a doof on a Monday morning going to check the Metropolitan Diary- which thankfully is still intact.

So Metro Section, farewell. HowfreshEats will do its damnedest to keep the spirit of NYC alive here.

Pardon My French But Let Me Speak Italian Vol. 2... F&J Pine in Bronxdale.

Keeping with Bronx Italians, I bring you Frankie & Johnnie's Pine on Bronxdale Ave. A favorite for years, they went from being a cozy little spot to owning the entire block. To be honest with you, this meal was supposed to be at Zero Otto Nove, but they were on vacation.

One of my favorite dishes is served at F&J as shown above. I rarely order the same meal at restaurants, but this is the exception. At times I crave for it. And it never lets me down. A simple dish, cavatelli country style. Cavatelli served with bits of sausage, broccoli, and cannellini beans in an oil, garlic and basil sauce. The pasta with the beans and broccoli are relatively subtle, but it's the sausage that brings the flavor. The cavatelli is cooked perfectly al dente providing that nice chew. I think I prefer smaller pastas like this and farfalle as they're easier to eat. Each bite should have a little of everything and you're in business.

I don't think there's anything else to say.

For larger parties F&J is a great spot. There are several dining rooms, with additional party rooms, and this year they offered outdoor seating, which we took advantage of. The portions are HUGE, almost always requiring a doggie bag and extremely affordable. Holla at cha doggie.



For starters we opted for the cold seafood cocktail for 2 and the fried calamari. Chilled lobster tails, shrimp, scallops, king crab legs, clams and mussels for 22 beans. I'm pretty cautious when it comes to seafood, but it all appeared to be fresh, and lacked any fishyness. The calamari was good as usual.



The other entrees were gemelli di casa which included grilled chicken, rock shrimp, garlic and basil with plum tomato and baby arugula. Definitely enjoyable, but nothing compared to my cavatelli.



Pine Style Paella for 2 consisting of chicken, sausage, shrimp, crab legs, mussels, clams, langostines, and broccoli served over saffron rice. Personally, I'd go for Zuppa De Pesce at an Italian, but Latin couples do as Latin couples do. Kidding aside it was up to par, and served as my dinner for the next couple of days.



The final dish was a special of skirt steak served with sausage and a vegetable risotto. Steak was cooked well, but this isn't my kind of dish. Also, the sausage was a bit OD.

I'll keep coming back, and I'll keep ordering the same dish. The menu is long and there are tons of things I haven't tried, though I've never heard any complaints about any meal. Most pasta dishes are around $15 and entrees rarely exceed $20, with several exceptions. The bar always has cold Peronis to be cracked open, and all the baseball paraphernalia throughout the place makes the wait less painful. And you can't forget the Sopranos poster over the fireplace in the bar. I know, I know. Capiche?

Click on the menu to here some Frank.

F&J Pine
1913 Bronxdale Ave. betw. Matthews and Muliner Ave.
Bronx, NY 10462
718-792-5956

www.fjpine.com

Open 7 days a week 11 am - Midnight

Pardon My French But Let Me Speak Italian... Trattoria Zero Otto Nove on Arthur Ave.

It might not appear that I've been eating based on the lack of food posts, but the amount of R&D I've been putting in over the last several months would challenge the best of them. With that, I bring you one of the best treats to come out of the Bronx in the last couple of years, Trattoria Zero Otto Nove in the Arthur Ave. neighborhood.

Located smack dab in the middle of Arthur Ave. between 187th St. and Crescent Ave., Zero Otto Nove is the casual offshoot of Roberto, arguably the finest Italian restaurant in the 5 boroughs. It should be noted that each time I've eaten here, twice, Roberto was the primary destination. But due to the almost regular hour wait (no reservations) and being closed on Sundays, 089 served as the fall back. Don't get it twisted though, this isn't a safe alternative. Aside from Roberto, 089 should be the main attraction on Arthur Ave.



It is necessary that you order a pizza from the brick oven operating in the cavernous dining area. This is some of the best pizza in the NYC. On my first trip we ordered the Margherita- San Marzano tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, and basil on a toothy crust. The sweetness from the tomato sauce intertwined with the small dollops of fresh mozzarella and basil- and add that to the char on the crust, you forget how delicious pizza can be when done properly. You're table is 17' from the oven tops, so if you're waiter has 2 broken legs and has to crawl to your table, it's still smoking. On an average night you have a choice of 15 selections ranging from $12 to $17.




On the 2nd trip we ordered the special of the day which was the margherita with pancetta- beautifully cured slices of pork belly. Take my description above, add the salty factor, and we're in a new universe. The pizza alone is worth the trip.

On the first trip our appetizers were a grilled calamari special with sliced cherry tomatoes and basil- not one tough bite, characterizing the freshness of the ingredients- and an insalata caprino e pera, or as we like to call it, a salad consisting of goat cheese, sliced pear and mixed greens. Bananas- I know I said pears, but this was bananas. Creamy goat cheese with the crisp sweet pear. This might be a fairly common option at other restaurants, but Roberto and his staff take it to the next level. I regret to inform you that I have no pics of these dishes. Hopefully my words painted a clear enough picture.



All of the apps on the second trip were daily specials. One being sliced dry sausage with cannellini beans cooked with tomato. After having a sausage appetizer at Roberto in the winter, I fully trusted Roberto's preparation of sausage, pause.


The second was ditalini with peas, tomato, and thinly chopped slices of prosciutto topped with mozzarella and baked.



The third was a baby clam dish, served with tomatoes and if I recall correctly, served in some sort of wine broth. It was delicious, as was the sausage dish and the pasta dish- cooked al dente with the blend of flavors. Only complaint was that these should have been served in entree-sized portions.

I'm sure the pizza with an appetizer or 2, and of course several Peronis, is enough for a normal stomach. But glutton is as glutton does. So onto the main dishes or Secondi Piatti, though it's more like Quinto Piatti. That's some real pardon my French, but let me speak Italian shit right there.



On the first trip I had to go in and get the Zuppa De Pesce. Knowing the seafood was fresh I'd have been foolish not to. Clams, muscles, shrimp, crab, calamari, octopus, and a white fish in a mellow tomato sauce. Served in a crock pot, this meal fed me for 3 days.



Other entrees from the first meal included a pork osso bucco served with a cannellini bean risotto- a huge shank of fall off the bone swine- and a sole special cooked in a liquidy tomato sauce with clams and muscles.



Rabbit was devoured on the second trip. Charred tender bunny in a spicy tomato sauce. I rarely do rabbit, but as expected this was good. I'm not such a fan of the taste and texture of rabbit so I doubt I'll be having it again. As you can see below it looks like chicken, but not quite the same.



One thing that Zero Otto Nove incorporates into their menu that I wish more restaurants in NYC did is local ingredients. Or if not local ingredients, local markets. It is clearly stated on the menu that most ingredients are purchased from the local purveyors on Arthur Ave. The cheese is purchased daily from Casa della Mozzarella, meat from Biancardi's, and fish from Cosenza's. The quality is evident in each dish. As an Italian implant, Roberto is used to the finest and freshest ingredients from his hometown of Salerno (area code 089, thus the name). It's extremely refreshing that he's bringing this mentality to American soil.



Zero Otto Nove has a small bar in the front with a flat screen or 2 to watch some Italian football- I'm so European. A long hallway takes you to the dining area which has around 12 - 15 tables on the main floor and several more tables in an elevated loft area. Efforts were made to give the feel of a small Italian village and overall they succeeded. As mentioned earlier, the brick oven is in the corner by the stairs and blends in with the brick and stone.

Over the years I've eaten at a lot of Arthur Ave. restaurants, and while others serve some very good food, Zero Otto Nove takes things to the next level. I definitely consider it a destination restaurant, but rather than just coming to the Boogie solely for a meal, head to the Bronx Zoo or Botanical Gardens during the day and cap it off with a little trip to the Bronx's own Salerno. Just look for a Vespa and the original Mini Cooper from the 70's on Arthur Ave.'s sidewalk and you're good to go.

Zero Otto Nove
2357 Arthur Ave.
Bronx, NY 10458
(718) 220-1027
www.roberto089.com

Tuesday to Thursday 4.30pm – 10pm
Friday and Saturday 4.30pm - 11 pm
Sunday 1pm – 9pm

H is for How Are You?

Hopefully everybody's doing well. I'm back so hopefully you'll let me back in your life.

Isn't it fitting that an H fitted was delivered as I moved into the new crib? Not really. Just more shit to add to the heap. But all H's are always welcome, so never be afraid to knock on my door. Word on the street is that there might be a navy joint crossing the Pacific as we speak. Don't quote me on that. You would think that I'd be more fiscally responsible in this economic pigpen. Need to drown your sorrows somehow. Better fitteds than drugs.

H is also for Happy New Year, L'a Shana Tovah. It is Rosh Hashannah, the Jewish new year, so prosperity, health , and good fortune to all, even the non Chosen heathens out there. New apartment, new neighborhood, new everything. Saying goodbye to old habits, clutter, shit I don't need, ex wifeys that fuck with your emotions, high fructose corn syrup (don't believe those propaganda commercials), and all the other shit that keeps me immobile. But before I bid farewell to these negative elements, it is important you see how some of it has followed me. The records must have slipped in through the cracks or copied a key while I was sleeping.



That's the kitchen. We got Hip hop for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with some R&B blue plate specials, and the occasional funk or sole (get it??) fresh catch. Each stack is more than 4 feet tall- the longer they remain the worse the grooves get. I should spark up the oven and throw them all in. We should be good to go in several weeks, and then the uptown jumpoff.

On a positive note, the food game is so much better, and within walking distance. Have been to Nuevo Ambiente several times for the Pollo Salteado and Pollo Guisado and these alone are worth the relocation.

RECORDS, RECORDS, AND MORE RECORDS

With the move I have lots of stuff to unload. Some for free, some for cheap - all needs to be out by next week. If you're interested in picking any up e-mail me at howfresh24@gmail.com.

HowFreshEats is not Dead... Just Moving.

You heard it. He finally gained the courage to move his shit. I have no clue what it's like to travel light. I've been lugging this anchor around for years. I went to Charleston with tons of stuff, and came back with more. Moved to Woodlawn, and leaving with more- at least at the moment. And now I'm off to Inwood and just put a bullet in my head. But I'm too invested to back out now.

Whenever the idea of relocating would pop up in the noggin, little birds would tweet and flap their wings, and then BAM, a crate of records would smash their little delicate frames. I'm not trying to fill your heads with gory, macabre images, but that's how it went. I was a prisoner of my own doing. Today I am happy to proclaim that those chains of oppression have been shattered and I'm a free man. Hide the women, lock up the babies and keep the livestock in their pens.

I wish my move would be as easy and free spirited as what is pictured above. Give me a frame and I'll hang myself with it. Ugh. Instead I'm working with what's below. I am sending out an open invitation to anybody that would love to partake in the move of 2008. Meet at 9am at the corner of 235th and Katonah and the party will start. Whatever you want from Sean's Irish Deli- I got you. Blood pudding, white pudding, Irish bacon, lucozade, chicken curry, scones- charge it to the game. Then I'll hit you with the tostones or mofongo in the new hood.





With all that said, until I'm back online, postings will be limited- as if they haven't been lately. Technically I've been involved with the move since the 1st, so I have a reason for lackluster productivity. So don't forget about me. Just peruse some other sites for your weekly/daily fix and I'll be back very shortly with some mind blowing, out of this world content.

Only problem I have now is which borough to rep at a party- do I lock and load the nickel plated twin milly when they shout "Is Uptown in the house?" or stay loyal to my roots and squeeze the blamma when they ask "Is the Bronx in this Motherfucker?" Time will tell.

Nas Is Like...Free Shows at Webster Hall

I would like to start this by saying Illmatic is the greatest hip hop album ever created. Yes, it is my favorite, but also the best. I'm not going out on a limb by saying it's the finest assemblage of 10 tracks making for the perfect listen. Even the worst track ("One Time For Your Mind") is dope. From the train tracks on "Genesis" to "It Ain't Hard to Tell", the ride comes full circle. Nas was blessed and cursed with this album as it immediately placed him among hip hop's elite, and created a standard that Nasty and his flashy and fly doppleganger Esco could never duplicate. Maybe these are just thoughts from a jaded hip hop fan, but it seems to have proven accurate over the 15 years that Nas has been making music. If we were looking at a line chart you would see the highest returns in 1994 and a steady decline there after. A couple of spikes heading north with Godson and Hip Hop is Dead (I haven't listened to his latest release in depth to give a fair assessment), but in total a disappointment after the initial jump from the gate. It was only after the sub par releases that "It Was Written" began to grow on people. This might cause some grumblings in the crowd, but I pay them no mind.

So Nas performed last Wednesday, August 27th. A free show in which I was lucky to get some last minute access. All wasn't sweet though. Upon entering the majestic Webster Hall, what do I see on the stage? Instruments. Fucking instruments. I hate live bands at hip hop shows. UNLESS YOU ARE THE ROOTS. And I've seen them numerous times so that doesn't do it for me. Hip hop albums are studio recordings off of tracks that used samples. Rarely were live instruments used in the recordings. I know that recently this has become more prominent, but when discussing pre 2000 albums and tracks, this was more or less non-existent. I like to hear the music live the same way I hear it on speakers in my house, car, bbq, club, etc. I had about an hour to stew over this before Nas hit the stage.



Aside from my thoughts on "Illmatic", I'm not the biggest Nas fan. Or am I? Story to follow shortly. If it hadn't been for the show I saw at Hammerstein on December 26 of last year I probably wouldn't have given this show much thought. As a bday gift I got a ticket to that show, and that shit gave me power, it made me buckwild. I shouldn't have dismissed half man half amazin' that easily. He ran through his entire set in 75 minutes and killeded it. Plus the kid was open off the contact and loving life. I needed that fix again. And it came.

This was a Samsung Summer Krush show where people had to email to get free tickets, thus catering to more non fans than fans. It was a very young crowd versed more on Hip Hop is Dead and Untitled than his earlier works. I was at the bar when he hit the stage and have no clue what he opened to. Hip Hop is Dead followed that and the crowd went nuts. The band did add to the energy on that track, though I've never been a huge. He played another joint or 2 and then asked the crowd if he could reminisce a bit. My pleasure fam. And those filthy N.Y. State of Mind drums hit and we were ready. It should be noted that my PNC was the Howfresheats commenter extraordinaire Buckemdown, who at one point would punch you in your eye if you dissed Nas- pre "I Am" that is. Like 2 little kids, we went in on some I don't know how to start this shit. If you were near us you either loved us or hated us. Armpits were in your grill or we stepped on your toes. Fuck it. That's how we dooos Larry. Following NYSM he ran through the entire "Illmatic" sans Genesis, One Time For Your Mind, and MUCH to my chagrin Memory Lane. Might be my favorite joint he ever did. I guess the crowd wasn't ready. He did it at the December show though. Don't underestimate these kids.

He then proceeded to run off his more popular/fan favorite joints including The Message, Street Dreams, Get Down, Nas Is Like, If I Ruled the World, Hate Me Now, One Mic, Got Yourself a Gun and some other tracks that must not have moved me. And you would never believe who had the sole cameo for the entire evening. We were lucky to witness history. QB legendary status here. Mythic proportions. Fuck it I'll tell you. Horse on his Oochie Wally-ness. The crowd must have thought it was Biggie the way they erupted. And then he went on to tell us he liked head. Thanks Horse, but who doesn't?

And then the show ended and the greatest moment of the evening occurred. These 2 girls that were next to me and endured the wrath of How for most of the show asked to take a picture with me. Kind of wrecked I think I was a dick to them. When asked why they responded with "You are the biggest Nas fan at the show." Wow. Was I being honored or fessed? To be clear I had to ask whether they meant dick rider or aficionado of fine tunes. They responded with the latter but by that time they hated my guts and bounced. Sorry ladies. Next time.

Photos were liberally borrowed from A Day In the Life Of. Good looks. The following videos were taken by Buckshot. Sound quality isn't the greatest but we were going too nuts to worry about that.

Made You Look

Ain't Hard To Tell