Friday, February 10, 2012
Food & Life Zucca closing, Cynthia winning, my brother recovering
Posted by Cliff Bostock @cliffbostock on Fri, Feb 10, 2012 at 10:41 AM
NOTE: I have re-written this post and its headline to correct the name of the Decatur restaurant that is closing Feb. 18, Zucca. Earlier, I reported it to be the closely-named Zyka, provided by a source involved in the redecorating of the space. I made at least four attempts to confirm it with Zyka by phone but got no answer. I did talk to the (very understanding) owner today, Saturday. He knows that I am a longtime fan of Zyka. Again, I am very sorry for the error. (CB)
- www.anissas.com
- Where is the tadig?
Is Persian cuisine the new Thai? I mean that it seems to be growing increasingly popular, represented here by restaurants like Sufi's, Perespolis, Fanoos, Mirage, and Rumi's Kitchen. All of those except Sufi's are located in Little Persia, heretofore called Sandy Springs.
Names like Sufi's and Rumi's Kitchen refer to a deeply aesthetic, heart-based branch of Islam. It would be cool if the new restaurant, which I'm told will have a very luxe look, featured some playful, modern riffs on classic Persian. But what I most want is some tadig — the Persian version of the crunchy rice from the bottom of the pot favored in other rice-based cuisines....
GO, CYNTHIA: Cynthia Wong, Empire State South's pastry chef, is nominated for Food & Wine Magazine's "People's Best New Pastry Chef" award. If you're familiar with Cynthia's goodies, including her famous "phatty cakes," you can cast your vote for her on Food & Wine's website.
Cynthia was earlier at Cakes & Ale and wrote the Cheap Eats column for Creative Loafing while working at Via Elisa....
PERSONAL NOTE: Over the years, I've received a lot of email and comments on this blog asking if I was related to Robert "Boz" Bostock, the owner of the popular Gnat's Landing in St. Simons Island.
Most of the time, I've ignored the question, since I didn't want to be accused of family bias. But, yes, of course, he's my brother and the restaurant is just about a perfect representation of Robert's wacky personality. (He also owns Bubba Garcia's.)
I was informed two days ago that Robert is very sick. He is in an ICU on a ventilator after undergoing an emergency cardiac procedure. He's expected to recover, but it's rough going.
You can find a report on the restaurant's blog, "Boz's Buzz," about his condition. The post, written by Robert's wife Mary and my youngest brother Steve, is a good example of my family's long habit of finding humor somewhere in the worst of circumstances. Our culture, in large part thanks to Freud, has a habit of viewing everything through a tragic lens, but the comic lens is just as valid at times, shocking us awake in depression and sabotaging complete descent into despair.
I thought Atlanta fans of the restaurant would like to know.
Comments (9)
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I'm a huge fan of the Boz, Gnats, Bug Juice and Joce & Carlton. Hope he recovers.
Hey Cliff, sorry to hear about your brother. Our family always makes a point to get to Gnat's Landing when visiting in St. Simons - the fried pickles and super cold beer really hit the spot. Here's to Bob's quick and full recovery.
Hi Cliff- I too was shocked to read about Boz and hope he recovers quickly. I visit Gnat's when I'm in St. Simons and being in the design business, I've worked with Mary and Boz over the years. He is one of the few I have worked with who has what I call "The Eye"-he has a clear and wonderful design aesthetic. I wish him well,
That’s weird. I just called Zyka and they were shocked that this was even a rumor. They said they have no plans to shut down or change locations. Did the source confuse this with Zucca? Zucca in Decatur is shutting down and being replaced by a Persian Restaurant -Aisha
Thanks to those who have commented and written me email.
Unfortunately, Robert has taken a turn for the worse. He is still unable to breathe without the ventilator. Tests of the pericardial fluid reveal that he has cancer, which apparently makes recovering the capacity to breathe on his own difficult.
A second report has been filed on his restaurant blog: http://gnatsbuzz.blogspot.com/.
I expect to join the rest of my family in St. Simons within the next day. My youngest brother Steve tells me the hospital waiting area is filled throughout the day with friends and fans.
Aisha: Thanks so much for cluing me to the error about Zyka, which I have corrected. I've eaten there many times over the years and got hold of the owner today.
Weird things happen when one frets about how to turn pizza toppings into a social and political rant rather than checking facts. Congrats Clifford, your dream job at the New York Times awaits you.
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