← All Of It with Alison Stewart
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- [00:00]
Tammy Teklamariam
All of it is supported by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. In a small groundbreaking clinical trial, 100% of participants with a specific type of rectal cancer saw their tumors disappear using immunotherapy alone. Researchers at MSK are now studying this approach in cancers of the stomach, liver and more. And a majority of tumors are disappearing. For MSK giving day, all gifts will be tripled.
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Radio Announcer 1
Learn more@msk.org all of it.
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Alison Stewart
This is All OF it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. Let's turn our attention to the World Cup. While matches are taking place across North America, some of the most exciting matches are happening right here in our area. And while you could watch the action at home, why not go to a place that serves up both authentic cuisine and and a place to watch the games communally. Luckily, we're here in New York City where over a third of our population is foreign born and we have the restaurants, cafes, bakeries and bars to prove it. As the author of a recent Grub street article put it, we are using the World cup as an excuse to eat our way around town and watch games with this city's super fans. The article is titled where to Watch the World cup with the Hungriest Fans. And joining us now is one of its authors, Tammy Teklamariam. Tammy, welcome back to all of it.
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Tammy Teklamariam
Thank you. So happy to be here.
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Alison Stewart
Listeners, we'd like to hear from you. Where are you watching the World cup and what are you eating and or drinking while watching it? Call or text us now at 212-2433-969-2212, 433. WNYC and you can tell us who you're rooting for as well at 212-433-9692. When you were looking at this list, what were you looking for in terms of places?
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Tammy Teklamariam
So, yeah, the original intention was to have a location for every single participating country and a few of us writers set out to do that and we got as many as we could. Some countries were just not possible. I'm looking at you, Qatar, but I mean, ultimately, you know, you want a place that one has the capacity, one is gonna, two is gonna have the audience. And then, you know, we wanted to see some representative food and drink.
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Alison Stewart
So let's go into your list and I looked it up and I don't know soccer that well, but sort of the top five teams according to FIFA. We'll go to those places first.
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Radio Host 2
Okay.
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Alison Stewart
First we'll talk about Argentina.
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Tammy Teklamariam
Okay.
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Alison Stewart
Most places you have one option listed this one, you have two options listed for Argentina. Boca Juniors in Queens and Buenos Aires in the East Village. What's different about them?
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Tammy Teklamariam
Wow. Okay, so they are both very meat centric places, but I mean, like, I think the distance and their locations really say the most about their differences. Boca Juniors is like, you know, you will go there on a Saturday night and they will be celebrating a birthday at every other table. It feels like it's just like a little bit more casual, I want to say. Although it's not like Buenos Aires is really, you know, uptight or anything, but it just. It just has a little bit more of that, you know, you feel like the waiters have been working there for a while and it's much more about that kind of like, service. Whereas at Boca's, it's much more of like a crowd.
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Alison Stewart
Your span, your pick for Spain, also
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Radio Host 2
in the FIFA top five is La Nacional. This is an amazing place. I've always wanted to go into it. So can you walk me through? It's like it's in a brownstone.
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Tammy Teklamariam
I actually didn't write this one.
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Radio Host 2
Okay, we'll skip that up. We'll skip nasty. Now, did you pick. Did you do France as well?
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Tammy Teklamariam
I did, I did, yeah. Felix is definitely.
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Radio Host 2
It's in Soho.
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Tammy Teklamariam
Yes.
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Radio Host 2
All right, so explain to me why you picked Felix.
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Tammy Teklamariam
I mean, Felix is. Is iconic. You will see pictures of people watching the World cup at Felix from, you know, decades ago. I just. It has that, like, corner position with the doors that just swing open, and it's usually full of beautiful people ordering, you know, successive coffees. And you just, you just. It's like. It just. It's one of those places that you want to sort of walk up to.
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Radio Host 2
For England, you kind of went old schoolish.
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Tammy Teklamariam
Yeah. So that was. That was also not my pick, but I think you know that.
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Radio Host 2
The Black Horse Club.
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Tammy Teklamariam
Yes. Yeah, I. Yeah, sorry.
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Radio Host 2
It's okay.
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Tammy Teklamariam
I did do Norway, though.
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Radio Host 2
Okay.
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Tammy Teklamariam
And that one is around the corner from here. I actually think I'll be checking in after this conversation they have.
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Radio Host 2
So where is it?
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Tammy Teklamariam
First of all, it's at Cabin, and it's this sort of sauna themed restaurant. And so what's nice is that they have, like, really tall windows and you get a lot of outdoor exposure, but it's actually kind of shaded inside and it just kind of has this very nice natural materials. It's a good place to sit around. But they also have a full bar and several types of aquavit, so the crowd will be capable of getting rowdy I know that there's a Norway game tomorrow, so you'll be there.
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Radio Host 2
We're talking about food and sports today. Our guest is Tammy Teklamariam, diner at large for New York magazine and co author of the recent piece where to Watch the World cup with the Hungriest Fans. We want to know where you're watching, watching the World cup, what are you eating and or drinking. Our Phone number is 2124-3396-9221-2433. WNYC and tell us you're rooting for. This text says I'm watching all the games at the new Brooklyn Cantina Suceria in Greenpoint. It's incredible. And I'm rooting for the usa, of course. All right, tell us of the other spots that you wrote about.
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Tammy Teklamariam
Yeah, so one of them I wrote about was Bohemian hall in Astoria. And that has been around for, I mean I almost 100 years when the Czech population was much bigger. And the space is one of the most impressive. I think you can hold almost or over a thousand people. But I with the caveat that around the time that I think it was the second to last Knicks game or maybe last Monday, they started charging a cover. And so it's been stated that the COVID will be going on through the end of the World Cup, a $10 cover charge for any game. So it won't be as casual as maybe I thought it would have been.
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Radio Host 2
Where else have you reported from?
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Tammy Teklamariam
I oh my gosh, I did Moroccan and that was another one in Astoria, Moroccan Bites by Ciham and that one I like because it's a place that doesn't have alcohol. And so not every, every viewing scenario has to require drinking a beer. This place doesn't serve any alcohol. But what I like is that they also serve Moroccan breakfast. So if you show up around 11am on the weekends, there's, they have a selection of soup and then their Moroccan bread, the semin and you know, with honey and stuff. And it's, it was really warm and fresh and great.
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Radio Host 2
I looked it up and it seems like a little bit of a mellower place.
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Tammy Teklamariam
It is. I mean there will be other options if you would like more rowdy, it's on Steinway. So, you know, if there is, you know, an Arab country playing around that time, you will be able to hear the cheering and sort of, you know, walk yourself to whichever hookah bar it's coming from.
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Radio Host 2
Let's say you're looking for a place that is mellow, kind of like what we Just described from Morocco. What would you suggest? Sort of a chill atmosphere.
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Tammy Teklamariam
Yeah. So this one, I would also recommend some of the Yemeni coffee houses. I hadn't confirmed all of them, but I know there's one around the corner here on Spring street that. I'm trying to remember the name, but it's another nice choice for. Once again, no alcohol, because sports don't necessitate that. And it's. It's also. You know, that's not necessarily appropriate for every person either. And so it's nice to just have these, like, bigger spaces that you can sort of hang out with successive, you know, chais or a piece of cake and. Yeah. And catch the whole game.
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Radio Host 2
What if you want a place that will have food that is so good that you'll almost forget about the game? Ooh. Okay.
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Tammy Teklamariam
Gosh. Okay. For Portugal, Raisas in Greenpoint, and they do sort of roasted meats over a flame. So even in the bar area, you know, you think you'll just want to sit down and watch the game, but then you will be. Your nose will just, like, you know, force you to order something, because it's just like. Yeah, you have to.
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Alison Stewart
You had two for Portugal.
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Tammy Teklamariam
That's right. So this is another reference to a former community. The Portuguese community in Jamaica used to be much bigger. Now it's kind of, like, gone off into Long island and New Jersey and stuff. But Oval Avrador is one of the remaining OG restaurants, and that place has such a.
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Caller Steve
Just.
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Tammy Teklamariam
Just. It has the old school vibe. It's split into a bar and a restaurant, and the bar area is very well equipped with TVs, but you can still get the full Portuguese menu. They fry their own potato chips that are, like, seasoned with herbs. They make their own chorizo, and then they, like, serve it flaming, like, with a shot of aguardiente. It's just a good. It's great.
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Alison Stewart
Steve is calling him because he has a Portuguese restaurant, although it's not in the city, but that's okay. We want to hear a little bit about it. Steve, tell us where you want us to go.
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Caller Steve
Is that me?
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Alison Stewart
That's you.
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Caller Steve
Oh, Allison, I don't know. But you know what? I'm surprised, because the ironbound section of Newark is. Is. You know, I mean, it. It's part of the World Cup. You know, it's not that far from the stadium, and you have your choice, because that is little Portugal, man. The iron bound section of Newark. Shout out to them. You know, I mean, I. I couldn't tell you exactly which establishments? But I'm sure they're all gearing up.
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Alison Stewart
Love it. And people. Maybe they'll reach out and they'll go down to Little Portugal and Newark. I'm talking to Tammy Teclamarian Donner at large at the New York at New York magazine and co author of the recent piece where to Watch the World cup with the Hungriest Fans. Okay, so there are 40 countries. You said you couldn't get to all of them. I'm looking at Ucatar. Which country had so many choices that it was hard to pick from?
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Radio Announcer 1
Ooh.
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Tammy Teklamariam
Okay, so. So France was definitely up there because, like, there are so many, you know, little bistros that you could pop into. And so that kind of, like, brings us to the question, like, what makes you want to choose this place? And so, like, the reason to go with Felix is definitely that it is the French restaurant that's going to have the energy behind it. Germany had quite a few because also Germany is so associated with bars. So we have all of these kind of places already selling German beer. So then it's like, how do you really narrow it down? So we picked Reichenbach hall, which is like kind of that big German beer garden vibe. Bavaria in midtown, very representative. But then also a smaller place in Le Fruits Gardens, Hechtenstubel, and they also have all of the German beers, but they don't make their employees wear, you know, lederhosen.
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Alison Stewart
What country or team was hard to find a restaurant for?
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Tammy Teklamariam
Yeah. Okay, so Cabo Verde was a tough one. And I think this is the first time that the Cabo Verde team has qualified for the World Cup. It's a very small country, but there's a Cafe September in Bed Stuy that is owned by a woman who is from Cabo Verde, Sara Lopez, and she will be showing. And they also. The World cup team had their uniform photo shoot happen at September as well. So that was how we were able to find them. That was a tricky one. Definitely. Iraq was really hard. So that one we. That was one of the only ones that we went to New Jersey for. So there is a place called Al Mazak, and it's actually the only Iraqi restaurant for several states.
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Caller Karen
Wow.
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Tammy Teklamariam
Yeah.
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Alison Stewart
That's so interesting.
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Tammy Teklamariam
Yeah. So they have a location in Clifton, or they're about to open a location in Clifton and that will have more space for viewing. Yeah. But the current one is in Paterson, I believe. Yeah.
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Alison Stewart
Can I ask you about Columbia? Are you familiar with that one?
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Tammy Teklamariam
I did not do Columbia.
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Alison Stewart
I have to. I will tell the audience you suggested. You meaning New York magazine suggested Elba Serera in Astoria. It says it has a $40 bulldog margarita.
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Tammy Teklamariam
Okay. I mean, that sounds like a challenge. That sounds like it'll last the whole game, you know, as long as it doesn't go into penalty kicks.
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Alison Stewart
It does sound like it will last the whole game. In your mind, what? What? For a good World cup watch party, in your opinion?
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Tammy Teklamariam
I mean, I think it's the camaraderie, like, why it's so nice to have this occasion to just go out into the world every four years and just talk to the people next to us. We don't always have this possibility, so it's kind of like, where can we go that's just going to have the people that we want to surround ourselves with? And are they the people, you know? Yeah. Like. Like one bar that I really enjoyed was. Was bxl. It's this Belgian bar in midtown. And they used to have a restaurant in Flatiron, too, but it recently turned into a French restaurant. But anyway, and like, you go to that place on just, you know, a weeknight and it's already packed with, you know, a bunch of guys chatting with each other, drinking 15 kinds of beers out of 15 different kinds of glasses. And so, you know, it already has that kind of, you know, presence that you want to just, like, be there when there's just something massive happening as well.
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Alison Stewart
The place that you picked for Canada, The Canuck. The Canuck. I thought that was a hockey place.
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Tammy Teklamariam
Well, sure, it. You know, it most of the time, but, you know, when it does stand in as the representative for all other sports and I mean, you know, they play. They play all kinds of sports. There it is. I think, you know, that that's conveniently placed because it's by the ice rink by Chelsea Piers. That's. I think that's. I've always thought that that's why it's there, but, you know, they will ab. All the hockey fans know how to be loud for their team, no matter which sport it is.
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Alison Stewart
I thought a place that would be hard to figure out, the best place to send people would be Mexico.
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Tammy Teklamariam
Oh, maybe It's. That's just probably one of the ones that, like, we had so many options because that is one of the ones that you can just walk your way into. Like, you can just, you know, get off in Sunset park and just like, bop and bop and bop from place to place. And you'll probably just see it streaming on the wall somewhere or just watch it through the Window of some bodega.
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Alison Stewart
You know, I saw the best yesterday, aside from the. The newsstand, which had to turn people away for the. For the Knicks, right? Like a thousand calls. They're like, we have no more papers. Across the street was a beautiful little French cafe, but they had put a screen on the outside, and people had turned the benches to face the screen. And it was really lovely. It was just like people sitting around enjoying the World Cup.
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Tammy Teklamariam
I mean, the Knicks definitely warmed us up because, like, no, because also, like this. The. The magazine with this dropped, like, just as people were only caring about basketball. And it actually made every single restaurant want to get a TV if they didn't have one already. So I think they're all prepared to show the World cup now.
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Radio Host 2
Let's talk to Karen calling from Montclair.
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Alison Stewart
Hey, Karen, thanks for calling, all of it.
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Caller Karen
Hi. Yes, hi. How are you doing? Thank you for taking my call. Love your show. So yesterday, my husband and I met friends at this pub. It's an English pub on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn called the Black Bull. It's being run by this English woman who is a fantastic barkeep. Her family owned a similarly named facility in England for many, many years. And we had a really, really fun time watching two games yesterday. The Japan Germany game was really a lot of fun. The bar was back. People were having fun, high fiving, hugging, celebrating one another.
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Radio Host 2
Oh, that's a lovely sentiment. Before we go, do you have anything else that you want to tell people? Places to go you think would be fun for them while they're watching the World Cup?
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Caller Karen
Ooh.
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Tammy Teklamariam
I mean, I can only just recommend. I went out to Coney island yesterday, and I was watching. I. I will make a small correction. I believe it was Japan Netherlands. The Japan Netherlands game from Ruby's yesterday. And it was just nice to sort of have the beach in the background. While we were getting our. They were selling the. The commemorative World cup city cups with the different boroughs on them. They had the Brooklyn ones for 20 bucks.
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Radio Host 2
You should read it. Where to watch the World cup with the hungriest fans I've been talking to. Tammy Teclamarium. Thank you for coming in.
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Tammy Teklamariam
Thank you for having me. Go watch Little Cup.
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Radio Announcer 1
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Caller Steve
Today, the Colonel's cooked up a new $10 bucket of the day just for you. Monday 24 nuggets for $10. Tuesday 8 piece fried chicken for $10. Wednesday 10 wings for $10. Thursday 8 tenders for $10. Friday 24 nuggets for. Oh, you guessed it, didn't you? $10. The ten dollar bucket of the day. Deal. Every weekday only at KFC. It's finger licking.
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Tammy Teklamariam
Goo Prices and participation Variable supplies last not available on third party ordering platforms.
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Radio Announcer 1
Tax extra.