Macy's Parade

That is one fine looking ham. The prosciutto isn't bad, either.

That was the schweinhaxen from the Bavarian place in Cary, NC, on the Glee Club 2010 or 2011 road trip.  It was served as a single portion, but could easily have served five or six, as an entree.

Could I do it? Never.   Buffetbuster or Cousin Johnny would knock it off, then look for the cannoli tray.

You can do it! You can do it!

I'll go create a distraction...by taking out the entire Manhattan Special display!

What, no people pics?

Sorry...Mr. Biancamano is not handy with a camera.

This is Mr. Biancamano with a hot sandwich.
 
 
 
When we arrived and I declared this to be the best Deli in <<<Hoboken>>>...a customer quickly told Steve...it's the best in the world. He must have had the last of the eggplant. Mr. Biancamano looked like he just won the lottery...with many thanks for the kind words. He's heard it before and he is so gracious and thankful every time.
 
I decided on a small C (ham...prosciutto...capicola...pepperoni...fresh mozzarella)  which my Nanny called the "Irish Flag"
 

 
Toppings of any sort are upon request...but Mr. Biancamano asked me "lettuce right?" It's not the flag without it... so yes. I got the standard instructions..."two hands...hold from the bottom...be careful...no drop"
 
 


 
No oil/vinegar because of the first time tasting the fresh mozzarella...which is the star of the show...and a labor of love that is not very easy to accomplish given the need to subject hands to hot temperature...constantly.
 
Those are the only hands that make this mozzarella. One of the reasons why it's not only great...it's always consistent at M&P Biancamano.
 
 

That was an exceedingly fine sandwich. At least, the half that I ate was exceedingly fine.  From there, we walked down a couple of doors, to a bakery.  CC was puzzled when I told her I don't eat sweets.  I don't think she believed me, until I turned down the cannoli.  It was a beautiful old parlor, though, and I think CC took a pic of the display case.

 
My Bakery puzzlement began when you told me you never heard of Carlo's Bakery or Cake Boss...
 

 
This is 10 minutes of life you will never get back...but  this Cake Boss clip shows the Fiore's sandwich cake...and the making of the beautiful "cold cut pie" aka Easter Pie aka Pizza Rustica...available around Easter at Carlo's. Giorgio's does a wonderful version soon (during the Christmas season)...
 

 
I'm happy you never saw the Cake Boss "Bake Opera" or you may have opted to have Olive Garden...in Secaucus!
 
I took a few quick pics in Giorgio's while my cannoli (how can you resist a cannoli?) was being constructed by Mr. Giorgio. They are not much for fanfare. They consider themselves an independent film...not a big Hollywood production.They would wonder what I was doing now...and I doubt they know much about the concept of Roadfood. "You stay home...we feed you!"
 

 
Original everything. Cabinets...counters...freezers...ovens...etc.
 

 
Hoboken 411 has a better pic...
 
http://hoboken411.com/archives/335
 
Mr. Giorgio (and Daughter Mary Grace) are featured in this excellent photo series by John Delaney celebrating the Mom & Pop businesses that carry-on in <<<Hoboken>>> (the majority  of those businesses are  Roadfood).
 
http://www.johndelaneyphoto.com/Hoboken-Passing
 
Mr. Giorgio was a pioneer in the field of grand cakes. In 1986 he created the Lady Liberty cake (for 3000) for the Centennial celebration of the Statue of Liberty.
 
In the Fiore's episode...you notice that the mozzarella is called...mozzarella by the owners of Fiore's.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Poverty Pete, you shouldn't feel alone, I'm not big on pastry or sweets at all. If I go into a bakery, it's for bread. But fry anything and I'll eat it.
 
CC: Thanks for the links, I always like to watch local stuff. I'm retired. 10 wasted minutes is nothing.

CC, that apizza gaina is killing me. I love that stuff, and I haven't had any at Easter in years.

When we left Giorgio's, CC was accosting everybody on the street, asking whether the farmer's market was open.  I learned six new ways to say, "No! Leave me alone, crazy lady!"
  We were just wandering back in the direction of the rail station when CC says farmer's market.
  I thought she was asking again, but not this time.  There were four stands set up on Washington Ave.  Pickleliscious was on the corner. It was the only thing left on my checklist.  I wanted full sours to take home.  I was informed they were $16 a quart.  I asked about gallon jars, and he had a few hidden away.  $20 a gallon.  Why would anybody pay $16 a quart, instead of $20 a gallon?   And the jar didn't start to leak until my last day on the road.  Penske hates me.

I'm going to tell them to start calling it apizza gaina! on the "Bake Opera"  from now on. That sounds much more fun....than cold cut pie! It really is very delicious and quite filling.
 
They have "shared" the recipe with media...but the recipe is not the same...as what they use and that recipe serves like 1000 hungry people. They also made the Fiore's (est. 1913) cake for the 100th anniversary. 
 
It all started while we were having a wonderful time...and Mr. Biancamano came over to the table. I asked him if the market was Uptown. It usually ends in Oct. and I read it was supposed to be Uptown on that day. He told me he would go ask his wife AND said "you know...he needs THIS where he lives! I go ask my wife"
 
Awww...that's so nice...
 

 
He's packing his suitcase. Now I will accost a few people on the street. I can't accost the Guest of Honor.
 
So...I quickly  jumped right in front of a few people (to get their attention) and asked (nicely) what they knew. It was as if I did it in a dark alley...swinging a bag full of nickels.
It wouldn't be a proper trip unless I accosted a few people on the street.
 
We had to find Pickle Licious.
 
So from a few blocks away...I spotted the market and started yelling Pickle Licious! Pickle Licious! Pickle Licious!
 
Maybe the normal price for a gallon is $30 but we were so happy to see him...everyone in <<<Hoboken>>> now knew where to find Pickle Licious! Everyone in CVS was told they had to go buy them (not just sample the spread  he puts out either)...when I went in for a bag.
 
Here's some delicious offerings from Pickle Licious...
 

 

 
 

 
 

Turkey bacon be DAMNED now!
 
 
 
Thank you so much Steve!
 
It was a great honor...a real pleasure...and a whole lotta fun!

I don't know from Turkey bacon.  Never tried it. Probably never will.  Broadbent's black pepper bacon is  good as it gets. There's a trick to cooking it. Low and slow.  If cooked properly, it won't curl up and get all greasy.  Ask bacon experts  such as Lleechef, Greymo, and Bushie.   Of course, none of them ever got the double whammie of bacon and Dead Sea Salts, verbena and green tea soaks.   It takes a Hoboken tour to get the really good stuff out of my red sack of goodies.
 
Santa

Awww....Santa! Thank you! Calgon...get out of the way!
 
Turkey bacon...only with coupons to make it free. Worth every cent.
 
I will leave the Clams Casino out this year! I haven't been good this year or anything...but the Clams Casino will be delicious! No milk. A Bacon Bourbon Old Fashioned!
 
There is a package in your future from <<<Hoboken>>>. When your sleigh arrives in Memphis...the payphone will ring (twice) with further instructions. Especially with all the nice things you said about <CCinNJ>
 
Did you ever get to Murray's? Penske would love you for that!

Oh...and walking (all of) <<<Hoboken>>> you have walked the city ranked #1 in the United States...for walkability ratings as per Walk Score! Congratulations. . We walked over 3 miles.

Once everything started, I had little time for anything not Macy's-related.  Didn't make it to Murray's, or Katz's or Carnegie.
   What I DID do was make a trip to Zabar's.   First off, Zabar's now has a breakfast bar on the corner that opens before the regular store opens.  I was stunned by how cheap the food was.  I had a bagel with novi and cream cheese, coffee and fresh OJ  for $7.50, no tax.
When the store opened, I went straight to the cheese counter.  I asked the attendant for the softest, stinkiest cheese she could find.  She suggested epoisses. Would you like a sample?  No, just give me that chunk in the cellophane.   That worked well, actually.  When I went to eat it, I didn't have to unwrap anything. Tear off a corner, and squeeze it out, like Kraft in a can.  Except it doesn't taste like Kraft.  
    I went to the fish counter, and got some sable.  I didn't know ANYTHING could taste as good as that!  38 dollars a pound, and worth every penny.  Bagels, a few assorted goodies, and back to the parade.

PP:  I have always wanted to try Sable Fish which is noted for its buttery flavor.  I will have to get out of the state of Tennessee to try it.  Very expensive but I understand it is very very good.
 
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Paul,  wikipedia says sable (black cod) is similar to Chilean Sea Bass.  I personally think that the person who wrote that article wouldn't know fruit loops from fruit bats.

Growing up...smoked sable was a very modest price. It was on the Breakfast table many mornings. What a treat!

A few blocks down from Zabar's, I found a grocery called Fairway.  I wish I had had more time to explore it.  My impression was that it was similar to Zabar's but not Jewish.  Billyboy, is that correct?   I can probably get epoisses around here, but I'm going to have to make  a sable run one of these days.  Paul, I'll pick you up on the way.

Fairway is a well-known and well-regarded market in Manhattan, good that you stumbled onto it. It's not quite Zabars, but neither are the prices. (My wife has never forgiven Zabars for selling her "fresh" paprika which turned out to have tiny bugs in it, thereby ruining her chicken goulash...this was 25 years ago and we've never been back).
 
Within the past few years Fairway has begun opening a few stores in suburban NJ/NY. What amazes me is that they have somehow managed to re-create the same cramped chaotic feeling as the original NY store, in brand new suburban strip mall sites. That's a plus, I think.
http://www.fairwaymarket.com/

Acme (supplier to all of the best names in the trade) opens doors to the public direct (in Brooklyn) every Friday...for Fish Fryday.

http://acmesmokedfish.com/retail/fridays.html

Iwannago! Iwannago!  I wannago with sundancer, Roz, and CC....and billyboy and Rich,,,and WJ, and Chris and Amy.  IWANNAGO!!

It's a real Roadfood "no-frills" destination warehouse.The Flagship center for generations of "appetizing" counters.

You can fill a Penske with their prices.

*Be careful with the herring. That will leave another calling card.

http://foodcurated.com/20...selecting-smoked-fish/