This place is cool. Not all creepy and crowded like the Russian River bar. Third Street Aleworks has a cool staff, good beers and also makes a good pizza too.
These are beers the Dude of Food would like to rep and add to my international food sales portfolio.
http://thirdstreetaleworks.com/Home.aspx
The Dude of Food had just left Munich. It was with a painful heart that he dragged himself away from Minga, a city that he loves. He had prepared for the long flight back to LA by staying up all night on his last visit in town before he left. He knew he had a 1 1/2 hour layover in Dusseldorf Airport’s Terminal ‘C’. Upon arrival to Gate 32 Terminal C a vision similar to an oasis housing a food mermaid revealed itself to this hungry traveler. A restaurant at the next gate had a sign announcing food and beer that read Zigolini.
At gate 34 this small restaurant named Zigolini offered some good looking pastas and pizza for a reasonable price. The Dude of Food asked for a large beer. The guy next to me received a veggie pizza and that was it. I needed one also. A sausage and bacon pizza was asked for. There is no exaggeration in saying that this may be one of the best pizzas ever!
The next time I flew through Dusseldorf it was a no brainer to go back. Zigolini was still there waiting for me in all her delicious glory. The only thing that was different was the sign now reads Marche. You can read more about Marche at http://www.marche-restaurants.com.
Muhamad Ali, the head chef and designer, personally told the Dude of Food that the restaurant is still called Zigolini even though the sign has changed. The receipt still reads Zigolini. Chef Ali has one of the best secret recipes ever and is a sweet guy that loves sharing with his customers. His pizzas are simply amazing and he will happily add the ingredients you may want if you don’t see the combination you like on the menu.
This pizza was better than nearly all I’ve ever had in Firenze, Rome, Germany, New York, Chicago, LA or maybe even ever! Certainly the Best Valued and Best Tasting Airport Food that the Dude of Food has ever encountered. If you are ever near the Dusseldorf airport and have some time to kill, the Dude of Food highly recommends that you go see for yourself about the pizza at Zigolini Italian Food.
Chef Muhamad Ali is doing it right and deserves the title of ‘the Champ’!
If you are staying at the Marriott hotel at the end of the Diagonal St you can easily walk or get off the Poblenou exit of the metro in Barcelona like the Dude of Food did and make your way to the cities newest quality restaurant, El Mar-Amor.
The place is newly opened, mid May 2015, and was already doing a decent morning and evening business 4 days into it. Owner, manager and great host Hamid has put together a really great place to get to know. Hamid knows how to create and entertain. His hospitality is top notch and genuine. Let me give you some examples,
“Come in. If you don’t like it you don’t pay.” I heard an offer I couldn’t refuse, so I came in and asked for a beer. They had cold Estrelle Damm on tap.
When I told him I only had 20 euros on me and the paella was going to be 18 euros he said “no problem”. “but I already spent the other 2 euros on this beer and I want to drink more” the Dude of Food replied. Again Hamid replied, “no problem” and filled my empty beer glass. He then explained that “the paella is made fresh to order and will take at least 20 minutes but is only made for 2 people. It’s 9 euros each and the chef makes it for 2 people.” “No problem” said the Dude of Food. I reached in my pocket and gave Hamid the last 20 euro bill i had in my pocket.
Hamid took my bill and smiled, “we will take care of you” and he was true to his word. Hamid’s team prepared an awesome paella for 2 and filled my beer glass 4 times. The paella was served in a giant 14″ hot dish and was devoured by the Dude as soon as it had cooled enough to eat.
Hamid and his team took great care of me again when I returned for breakfast. They made me fried eggs, with ham bacon and some fried potatoes and coffee with milk. Hamid even left his bicycle for me to borrow. They offered to stay open past their normal 12:30a close if our crew wanted to stay and drink until 2am. The hospitality of Hamid just didn’t stop.
Located at Carrer Jonaquera 4 in Barcelona, and only a long block from the ocean near the Poblenou metro exit, The Dude of Food returned 6 times and tried nearly everything on the menu, all fresh and all delicious. The future is bright for this rising restaurant star and if you are in the area you need to have a meal at El Mar-Amor of Barcelona.
(the sausage is made local and is delicious with eggs)
When in Donostia / San Sebastian you will find many options of good restaurants, but not many small ones that match Bar Desy. You can start your day there with a coffee and tapas or end your day there with a drink and tapas. Bar Desy is a father and son operation and is one great place to eat and meet locals. Bar Desy offers a well rounded variety of tapas both hot and cold from various fish items to meatballs.
The cod cheeks were pretty good and would make a great sandwich. Actually everything was really good but the fresh cod fillets, cod cheeks, squid with lemon, white wine and fresh bread were my favorite things besides the generous hospitality.
These guys take great care of their customers. Located at Ronda 4, a couple blocks back from the surf beach and a couple blocks over from the river. Bar Desy is a great place to get to know the tapas deal. The staff is as great as is the food.
Thank you Bar Desy.
Bar Desy can be found on Facebook or by clicking on the photo or links.
Opening just in time for 7 hungry tourists walking by to enjoy lunch, we were led to the back patio garden to enjoy a warm spring day. After some refreshing wine the group chose a number of various items that can be seen above. All were incredible tasting. If you are unsure which place to eat while visiting Volterra, Italy then decide to eat at Restaurante Enoteca del Duca. Luckily, The Dude of Food and friends chose to go in and it was one of the best decisions ever!
Motto bene!
Seen from the street, Bar Porta Al Prato looks like this corner building. Sitting quietly, this recently opened culinary beauty awaits your entrance, offering everything one could desire once you make your way through the doors and into the soul of this gem.
Bar Porta Al Prato in Firenze offers both a great indoor environment or a huge patio out back to enjoy. The staff here are awesome, extremely helpful, talented, generous and fun besides offering many delicious and thoughtfully prepared Tuscan dishes. Their menu offers everything from pizza and gelato to pasta and fine wine and everything in between. What a great way to spend quality time dining with your family, friends or team.
The delicious wine comes from local vineyards that produce some excellent flavors. The homemade gelato is delicious and kid approved.
Thank you Bar Porta Al Prato for everything. The Dude of Food thinks you guys are doing a great job. Keep up the awesome hospitality and great food.
They can also be found on Facebook by searching Bar Samus Porta.
One of the things that happens to the Dude of Food when he walks all over Rome is he begins to work up an appetite.
On my way to the Pantheon I stopped at the Habana Cafe and had an awesome and affordable lunch.
Located on Via del Pastini 120, around the corner from the Pantheon, you can get a great lunch, served by a cool staff for less that $15 euros. I sat outside and enjoyed the ambiance as I ate.
Good food is what fuels good thoughts in good creative people which is what the Dude of Food happen to be. It’s when the bean counters in the offices eating their favorite restaurants delivered dishes try to save $80. on lunch for the creative stage crew that the caterers are painted into a corner and forced to serve the equivalents of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or cheap Chinese food.
The creative chef, Yossi Faigenblat, worked for Dustin Hoffman as the actors private chef. The food was ‘all that’ and Hoffman encouraged the chef to get into the catering game. That was in 2003. They opened a craft service /catering company for the movie industry. The line ups have changed over the years and OTS has grown and now have a couple trucks in New York and a few more in Los Angeles. Off The Shelf has both catering trucks and craft service trucks so their awesome creative food can be shared with all of the folks behind the scenes that make the actors playgrounds look so fabulous.
In Feb 9, 2010 Saveur magazine did an article (issue # 127) on movie industry catering companies that included Off The Shelf’s quality food preparation. The link below will take you there.
http://www.saveur.com/article/Travels/Fresh-Off-The-Truck
OTS is not cheap but will do wonderful things with the budget you have. The goal at Off The Shelf as told to the Dude of Food is ‘high end quality food and making people smile’ and this is something the folks at OTS catering are doing quite well. The Dude of Food would like to personally say ‘Thank you OTS and keep up the good work.”
Off The Shelf can be located at the following web address. http://www.otscatering.com/
OTS can also be followed on Facebook and other social media outlets.
