Italian Reverie

I cannot stop thinking about Italian pastries. One of our Thanksgiving guests was a dyed-in-the-wool Bensonhurster who reminisced about her mother's homemade sfingi and zeppole.

As of today, the below-mentioned Blue Apron Foods is offering baked goods from Bensonhurst's own Royal Crown Bakery. Try the rolls stuffed with broccoli rabe, then pick up a package of my favorite commercial biscotti, DiCamillo Biscotti Di Prato. I love to dunk these crunchy, almond-studded cookies in my espresso.

The mailman just arrived, delivering my copy of Mangia! The Best Italian Food In New York City! I think I will take a moment to riffle through the pages now.

Chocosphere (Part 2)

I have it on authority that there will be some exciting new offerings on Chocosphere very shortly. The online chocolate store is in the process of adding three new Dolfin products, including a dark chocolate bar with aniseed and dark squares with lemon. Also, they'll be adding some new Côte d'Or and another "surprise" this week if all goes well at Customs! Keep an eye on their Website this week.

Blue Apron Foods - Say Cheese!

Park Slope finally has its own version of Tuller! I used to envy the denizens of Cobble Hill, but no longer; one visit to this friendly "purveyor of cheese, charcuterie, fine foods" made my day.

Only open since Tuesday, Blue Apron is already filled with smiling patrons. They are buying Amy's Valrhona Oreos, focaccia from the Sullivan Street Bakery, Jacques Torres cocoa and chocolates, Bindi frozen desserts, East Hampton pumpkin tea bread, and much more. What did I come away with? Let's see...a Buonissima tomato mozzarella handmade pizza, Café La Semeuse espresso beans, Vergers d'Aliénor whole dried apricots, Divina kalamata olive tapenade, Vermont Butter & Cheese Company crème fraîche, and finally, raw milk blue cheese and artisanal bufala mozzarella. Say cheese, indeed!

Blue Apron Foods: 814 Union St., Brooklyn. (718) 230-3180.

Ulrika's (Closed, But Still Catering)

I am still warmed by the mug of glögg I imbibed this evening. The mulled red wine, redolent of cardamom and cinnamon, was served with the traditional raisins and almonds. I will try to rouse myself from my reverie in order to describe the rest of the meal.

A friend once opined that people come to New York in order to feel as though they were somewhere else. Ulrika's, a restaurant featuring Swedish and Swedish-influenced cuisine, definitely transported me to another world. It was a friend's birthday, so we decided to begin our celebration with a round of orange peach ginger aquavit. A basket of crispbreads then arrived, as well as a couple of flowerpots stuffed with fresh soft loaves of bread. Afterwards, we inhaled complementary cups of foamy shrimp bisque with sun-dried tomato.

Plates of gravlax were appearing at every table, and we were soon to find out why. The gravlax appetizer was an absolute delight; thick slices of salmon were highlighted with dill, black peppercorns and sweet mustard. For me, this appetizer was the star of the evening. Although I enjoyed my poached cod in clarified butter with chopped egg, I would have preferred more tasty grated horseradish. My companions cleared their plates of roasted duck with truffled mashed potatoes (warning: truffled potatoes are extremely addictive), and an entrée of beef tenderloin with munk (fried donuts of onion stuffing), slabs of grilled bacon, and foie gras. (The latter dish is not for the faint of stomach!)

Then it was time for light soufflés with cloudberry jam, and plättar, thin eggy crepes with blueberries and cream. I don't know whose idea it was to order the glögg, but I am now becoming very sleepy and must retire to bed.

Ulrika's: 115 East 60th St. (212) 355-7069.

Shimon's and Max & Mina's

I love randomly stumbling upon local legends. On a recent Sunday afternoon, there wasn't an empty seat in Shimon's. This kosher pizzeria opened in 1968 and features many non-pizza items on its dairy menu, including salmon croquettes and vegetarian liver! My favorite selections were a flaky hot bureka (savory filo triangle) filled with farmer cheese, and fat, crisp potato pancakes with plenty of sour cream. Greek salad was tasty although lacking in cucumbers, pizza was quite sauce-laden, and a whitefish salad with "everything" arrived covered with tasty tahini and sauerkraut. But it was the bureka which stuck in my mind... next time, I will order one filled with eggplant.

Do you care for your ice cream flavored with lox? Spicy hummus? Or is garlic more your preference? Right next door to Shimon's is a newer legend, the truly unusual Max & Mina's Homemade Ice Cream and Ices. Before you shudder in horror, let me assure you that the magenta horseradish ice cream offers a pleasant kick, and more conventional flavors are also superb. Chocolate ice cream is like a frozen rich chocolate pudding, and freshly brewed coffee ice cream is full of real java flavor. Max & Mina's will please all palates!

Shimon's: 71-24 Main St., Flushing. (718) 793-1491. Max & Mina's: 71-26 Main St., Flushing. (718) 793-8629.

The Chocolate Show

As you approach West 18th St., you may notice the change in demeanor of those around you. Gone are the agitated expressions typical of New Yorkers; instead, you will see the blissed-out grins of chocolate lovers as they dreamily reach into paper bags full of truffles. The euphoria will reach a critical mass as you step onto the red carpet outside the Metropolitan Pavilion, home of the 5th Annual Chocolate Show, New York 2002.

I can barely begin to describe the plethora of delights that await you. There is chocolate to drink (MarieBelle Aztec Hot Chocolate with cinnamon, ancho chile, nutmeg and chipotle), Vermeer Dutch Chocolate Cream Liqueur made with vodka, cream and Dutch chocolate, Cocio chocolate milk from Denmark, and Valrhona hot chocolate. There is chocolate to wear, to admire as fine art, and to bathe in. There are even cocoa butter massages and chocolate psychic readings by Magda the Parisian Psychic. But most importantly, there is chocolate to eat.

I arrived in fine spirits, having just visited Ceci-Cela Pâtisserie (55 Spring St., 212-274-9179). After admiring the sculptures of the Côte d'Ivoire (the world's largest supplier of cocoa beans), I sampled the Caoba (41%) milk chocolate of Chocolates El Rey.

I then admired the cinnamon ginger and almond praline chocolate bars at Bouvier Chocolatier. Philippe Bouvier patiently explained his technique for making ganache as I made my selection. Next, the multi-colored pastel marshmallows of Chez Boissier caught my eye. These handmade marshmallows are almost too beautiful to eat (but I think I'll find a way).

Four years ago, Fritz Knipschildt founded the innovative Knipschildt Chocolatier. Fritz began making chocolates at the age of twelve, trained at a Danish culinary academy for several years, and now concocts such truffles as tangerine red chili (I bought three), lavender caramel, and apple rosemary. I could not leave without a box of fifteen truffles. His exhibit is highly recommended!

At the Institute of Culinary Education, I sampled the buttery "Supernatural Brownies" and made sure to get a copy of the recipe. And my favorite chocolatier, Michel Cluizel, offered samples of three new chocolates that will soon be available, each of them more delicious than the last.

There are many more highlights at this wonderful event; discover your own on Saturday and Sunday!

The Chocolate Show: 125 West 18th St. Saturday 10-8, Sunday 10-6. $15.

Yes, You Can Eat Well Downtown!

It has often been noted that there is a paucity of dining options in the Wall Street area. However, a few bright spots exist among the dubious delis and unrefrigerated salad bars.

At $7 a plate, the Sophie’s lunch special is one of the best bargains in town. (If you happen to venture in after 12 p.m., you will find that the entire population of New York has already discovered this. Therefore, I recommend arriving at 11:45.) Your choice of meat (fried pork chops, breaded chicken cutlet, beef stew, fried fish, shrimp in garlic sauce, etc.) arrives on a giant bed of buttered rice, garnished with boiled yucca and spicy onion salad. As if that weren’t enough, you are also blessed with a separate bowl of soupy beans (pinto or black). I am addicted to the small containers of green herb sauce at the counter.

Another tasty option that is easy on the wallet is Tokyo Lunch. This lunch counter is tiny; don't be surprised if you find yourself accidentally drinking from your neighbor's cup. But without spending more than $6-$7, you can enjoy Japanese dishes such as salmon teriyaki and tempura soba. Afterwards, for old-fashioned boardwalk-style candy, go over to Evelyn’s and ask for a quarter-pound bag of chocolate raspberry marshmallows.

My favorite place to eat lunch is the authentic and delicious Ise, which now has a fancy new location on Pine Street after a temporary stint in the basement of Zeytuna’s. Ise’s sushi is fantastically fresh, and there are several daily lunch specials. My recent lunches there have included a glistening chirashi-zushi topped with salmon roe, hokke, a sea-bass like fish from Hokkaido, accompanied by diced mackerel sashimi and assorted root vegetables, and grilled eel with the requisite sansho pepper. Oishii!

For the best coffee downtown, I recommend the Manon Café, the Europhile java bar located at the Leonidas Chocolate Store. Each coffee beverage comes with a free chocolate (you can choose from white, milk or dark). I am usually tempted to buy extras.

(To learn about how you can stimulate the growth of the downtown economy as well as your girth, visit Downtown for Dinner $20.02.)

Sophie's: Pearl St. location now closed: new location: 96 Chambers St., (212) 608-9900. Tokyo Lunch: 10 John St. (212) 608-1394. Evelyn's Chocolates: 4 John St. (212) 267-6178. Ise Japanese Restaurant: 56 Pine St. (212) 785-1600. Café Manon: 3 Hanover Square. 1-800-900-CHOC.

Olives and Honey

Does the chilly weather make you long for summer? Don't despair; Athens-born George Bourozikas has taken it upon himself to brighten up your day with the Mediterranean sun. Bourozikas, the founder of Olives and Honey, LLC, has recently begun importing two very special olive oils from Greece. Both are organic, and each one has a very distinct flavor. Terra Eolica, produced in Lesvos, is buttery and mild – perfect for pouring over just about anything! Toplou comes from the island of Crete, which enjoys more than 3,000 hours of sunlight a year. The resulting oil is strong and fruity; Bourozikas characterized its taste as "explosive".

Today, the genial Bourozikas could be seen at Sahadi's offering samples of his luscious oils. Charlie Sahadi baked a loaf of French bread for the occasion; we dipped in with abandon. Bourozikas talked of his enthusiasm for a Mediterranean thyme honey that he plans to import, and we all left feeling a bit sunnier.

Olives and Honey, LLC: (212) 460-8332, george@olivesandhoney.com. Sahadi's: 187 Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn. (718) 624-4550.

Basta Pasta

It must be true that carbohydrates are addictive, because shortly after dining at Elio's, I found myself at Basta Pasta. Basta Pasta offers Italian cuisine with a Japanese flair; its chef was born in Tokyo.

My friend and I began with the seared tuna appetizer, a slab of tender, sushi-grade tuna perked up with diced scallions, zesty wasabi mayonnaise and barely dressed arugula. After inhaling this in about 30 seconds, we moved on to the grilled squid appetizer, a salad of white beans, tomatoes and squid in a ginger balsamic vinaigrette.

Although the menu listed many intriguing second courses (example: chargrilled marinated chicken breast with shishito peppers), we suffered from the aforementioned carb addiction and ordered pasta. My spaghetti with tobiko (flying fish roe) and shiso (Japanese basil) arrived in a sauce of butter, clam juice and sea salt. Crunchy pearls of roe coated the pasta, and the shiso leaves provided an astringent foil to the richness of the dish. A classic spaghetti with mozzarella, basil and tomatoes was given a new twist with the addition of shiitake mushrooms.

We somehow found room in our bellies for dessert, and agonized over the decision between almond flan and Earl Grey gelato. The dessert special, a rum-soaked sweet brioche with strawberry preserves and whipped cream, resolved our dilemma.

This carb infusion should temporarily hold us over...

Basta Pasta: 37 W. 17th St. (212) 366-0888.