Eating In Translation

Balaboosta

It's the difference-maker that distinguishes a Tunisian sandwich from the pedestrian tuna-and-egg variety.

Midtown Lunch Fifth Birthday Party

Adventures in urban lunching.

H. Heide Confectionary

Henry Heide's macaroons were already well-regarded when "Almond Paste" was lettered on the facade of this cast-iron storefront, sometime in the late 1800s. (To its right is the faint legend "H. Heide," and further on, even fainter, "Confectionery.") Not until 1920, however, when Heide had moved on to a much larger facility, did he create his most famous confection, which has stuck around to this day.

Credit Walter Grutchfield for walking this street before me.

H. Heide Confectionary
Surviving signage at 14-16 Harrison St. (Greenwich-Hudson Sts.)

"Olive oil, olives, feta cheese"

Just a few words can be made out with confidence, including the customary puffery regarding "fine" products. Since this sign is on a north-facing wall, out of the direct gaze of the sun, possibly it has lingered for many decades.

"Olive oil, olives, feta cheese"
Surviving signage on Harrison St. near Hudson St.

A Night of a Thousand Lotus Lanterns

The frog was part of the backdrop, not the buffet.

Alidoro

The pervading sentiment is "if you don't see it, we don't have it." Fortunately, the menu is some 40 sandwiches long.

Thurston & Braidich

According to a "souvenir of New York City, old and new," published c. 1918, Thurston & Bradich imported "vanilla beans from Mexico and the Indian Ocean islands, gum arable from Egypt, tonka beans from Venezuela, gum tragacanth from Persia and Turkey, and karaya gum and nut galls from East India." This was a branch location; the company's headquarters were at 27 Cliff St., in the Financial District.

The shorter building, nearer the camera, is the home of the New York City Fire Museum — that is, the museum of the FDNY.

Thurston & Braidich
Surviving sign at 286 Spring St. (Varick-Hudson Sts.)

Parisi Bakery

My notes of several years ago on Parisi's prosciutto roll (shown at top; $1 at the time) mention little but its saltiness; a recent encounter with the bakery's prosciutto ring ($4.75) was happier.

Sunrise Mart

Contents of a seaweed snack pack.

Café Select

With Swiss thrift, this menu holder and specials-board mount gives new purpose to an old rack for telephone directories. Paging Mr. Peterman...

Café Select
212 Lafayette St. (Spring-Broome Sts.)
212-925-9322
www.CafeSelectNYC.com

Acquedolci

It's a Sicilian message.

Olive's

Muffuletta wannabe?

Colossal burger

They're in it only for the advertising value — this supersized painting promotes Colossal Media itself, not the behemoth of all burgers — but it's interesting to put a face to the company behind so many murals.

Colossal burger
Broome St. (seen from Crosby St.)

Hundred Acres

It's not the spicy, slightly greasy style beloved in New England, though it's tweaked with pickled jalapeños and aioli. Rather, this appetizer of fried Rhode Island squid ($9) is sourced from the Ocean State; the tender curls of calamari are surmounted by two disks of fried (and fully edible) Meyer lemon.

Hundred Acres
38 MacDougal St. (Prince-West Houston Sts.)
212-476-7400
www.HundredAcresNYC.com

The Yoghurt Place

Pack this much gooey filling in a handheld pastry, and it might collapse of its own weight. This small Greek food shop sensibly plants its phyllo-covered custard pie (slice; $3) on a sturdy crust, then casually pushes the sugar-saturation limit with a light pour of lemon syrup.

The Yoghurt Place
71 Sullivan St. (Spring-Broome Sts.)
212-219-3500
Also as Kesso Foods, at 77-20 21st Ave., East Elmhurst, Queens
718-777-5303
www.YogurtPlaceNYC.com

Garlic and shrimp...

...or shrimp with garlic (gambas al ajillo): Either way you look at this classic tapa, writes Boqueria, they're two more great tastes that go great together.

Too bad about the poor quality of the clip; it's the best I could find from 35 years ago. See also this crisper variation on the theme from a decade later.

Boqueria
171 Spring St. (Thompson St.-West Broadway)
212-343-4255
Also at 53 West 19th St. (Fifth-Sixth Aves.)
212-255-4160
www.BoqueriaNYC.com

Grandaisy Bakery

Artichoke: It's not only for Artichoke.

Nobu

Black gold.

Mai House

I did like the crispy skate.

Bazzini

"Old-fashioned cashew butter" (16 oz.; $9.95), made by Bazzini in the Bronx, is called that only to distinguish it from the (presumably newfangled) chunky version, the lady at the checkout told me. Spongy texture; no so nutty for so much cash. The store itself, though, is worth further exploration.

Bazzini
339 Greenwich St. (at Jay St.)
212-334-1280