What's For Dina

PJ Harvey 4.20.11

2011-04-28T15:33:00.001-04:00

My fave.

Miami times

2011-03-28T18:43:00.012-04:00

I developed a love/hate relationship with Miami last weekend. It has beautiful beaches and great food (Michelle Bernstein's Sra. Martinez was excellent) and some really weird Botoxed old ladies. I need to make sure that I never travel to any city that is in the midst of an electronic music festival because I am allergic to techno music.

Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic

2011-03-15T14:36:00.001-04:00

A quick spring break weekend trip to a remote part of DR.

Top Films 2010

2011-01-21T15:40:00.004-05:00

This is a little late but who cares.

10) Please Give
Nice little indie film that I don't think anyone saw. I hope that after this movie and The Town, Rebecca Hall gets the recognition she deserves because she is fantastic.

9) 127 Hours
After all the hype about (SPOILER) the gruesome arm-cutting scene I was prepared to watch this movie with my eyes closed the entire time. Although I did not look up during that scene (besides a few peeks through my fingers) the rest of the movie was great thanks to James Franco's performance. His quirky personality was perfect in this role playing both the horror and humor in the situation he was in.

8) The Social Network
This movie is winning every award it is nominated for (and even director David Fincher doesn't think it deserves all the praise). While I don't think it's the best movie of the year, the quick dialogue and Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross's score make it an interesting film that is worth watching more than once (mostly to digest the fast talking and notice Armie Hammer's super imposed head on his twin).

7) The Fighter
Thank you David O'Russell for not making a stereotypical boxing movie. Yes it may have a similar arc to most, but the focus on Mickey's crazy family is what makes this movie. I think the acting by this ensemble was my favorite of the year. Christian Bale and Melissa Leo deserve their inevitable Oscars.

6) Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Appropriately bleak, this movie redeemed the sixth installment (which I hated). The actors have finally grown up and turned in their best performances. It gets extra points for using Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds' "O'Children" during the Hermione/Harry slow dance.

5) Exit Through The Gift Shop
A documentary always makes it in my Top 5 and this year it was Banksy's mindfuck Exit Through The Gift Shop. It was brilliant and left the audience happily confused about what the just saw.

4) Red Riding Trilogy
These incredibly dark BBC films came to the IFC early last year and watching them back to back was the most creepy movie going experience of the year. This tale of corruption and murder (two of my favorite things!) is really worth renting. Tell your friends.

3) Blue Valentine
Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams are great in this little indie drama about the decay of a relationship that has stuck with me for the past month. The director was successful in not making it too precious or too melodramatic.

2) Black Swan
Natalie Portman got her role of a lifetime playing a driven (to insanity) ballerina. It sometimes borders on the ridiculous but it didn't cross that line for me. The last 20 minutes are my favorite of the year. Also, any Clint Mansell score is the best.

1) Inception
I already wrote about this here and it held up.

Oscar Bait

2010-12-15T11:16:00.004-05:00

I have seen a marathon of Oscar baiting pictures the past four days, including King's Speech, The Fighter, Somewhere, and Blue Valentine. The one that has been sticking with me the most is Blue Valentine. Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling's performances are brutally honest. I am obsessed with the trailer below:

Holiday Time

2010-11-29T12:01:00.002-05:00

Before we all get sick of holiday music, here is one of my favorites: Frosty The Snowman by Fiona Apple. Come out with a new album Fiona!

Summer 2010 Learnings

2010-09-15T17:09:00.012-04:00

The word "learnings" is thrown around a lot at my job. I enjoy the word, so I am applying this to the summer that just flew by.

Going to a NASCAR race in South Carolina is both thrilling (fast cars!) and frightening (confederate flags in the year 2010). This accurately summarizes the experience:

Interpol's Turn On The Bright Lights is one my favorite albums of the 2000s but I have held a grudge against them for being incredibly boring live after one experience six years ago where they just stood there in pretty lights. I take that back after seeing them at Music Hall of Williamsburg where they played a great show and successfully lifted the grudge I held. They still do love pretty lights though:

If I lived in North Carolina I would get really fat, really fast. A standard meal at local fast food chain Cookout: a cheeseburger with a corndog and chicken nuggets IN ADDITION to a milkshake. The beginning is enjoyable but then one will quickly feel terrible in many ways. But Bojangles sure has some delicious breakfast biscuits (and Borounds!).

I am too old to go to festivals surrounded by 225,000 people. Nice summary of why here.

I have seen Arcade Fire live nine times and they still make me feel like my heart is going to explode like the first time I saw them at Bowery Ballroom. Their MSG show was spectacular:

Halfway 2010

2010-07-26T16:35:00.001-04:00

Lists! 2010 has brought me more good music than good films. Favorites from the first half of the year in no particular order...

Music
LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
Beach House - Teen Dream
Surfer Blood - Astrocoast
The Black Keys - Brothers (a few songs too long but still really good)
Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me
The Morning Benders - Big Echo
The National - High Violet
And the Passion Pit of this year (meaning I will most likely never listen to them again after this summer) - Sleigh Bells - Treats

Movies
My favorite movie so far this year has been Inception but I will not include it since it technically came out in the 2nd half of the year.
Exit Through The Gift Shop
Red Riding Trilogy
The Kids Are Alright
Greenberg
Want to see: Un Prophet and Please Give

Summer Veggies

2010-07-19T12:13:00.001-04:00

Some visuals from a farmer's market in Virginia this past weekend. The vibrant colors are inspiring me to do some cooking tonight.

Inception

2010-07-14T15:42:00.004-04:00

I went into last night's Inception screening with high expectations. This summer movie season has been garbage for the most part so it was up to Chris Nolan to save it for me.

Inception is my favorite film of the year so far. The dream visuals are stunning and Hans Zimmer's blaring score built up the suspense throughout. I don't want to give away any plot points but I will say some elements reminded me a bit of Shutter Island (which I did not like) but here it worked.

All the actors fit their parts perfectly. It was nice to see Ellen Page and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in roles I wouldn't expect them in. Nolan developed enough action sequences for those people who are saying this movie is too smart to be a huge blockbuster. Whether or not most people will understand it is another story.

Grinderman Teaser

2010-07-09T15:05:00.001-04:00

Their new album Grinderman 2 comes out September 14th. The delightfully creepy teaser below is directed by John Hillcoat. I love my Nick Cave:

Beirut and Gaga

2010-07-08T13:50:00.007-04:00

My past two evenings were spent seeing two wildly different concerts. On Tuesday I saw on of my favorite bands, Beirut, at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Zach Condon flawlessly sang his way through the wonderful hour-long set. Thanks to iPhone 4 technology you can see HD quality video from Cory's phone of Beirut performing The Gulag Orkestar during the encore:

On the opposite end of the spectrum was Lady Gaga at MSG last night. She played for over two hours to a mix of superfans dressed up as her, frightened parents with their kids, and lots of orange-skinned women in their 40s who could all potentially be cast members on the Real Housewives of New Jersey.

Her show was spectacular even with one too many speeches telling the audience to follow their dreams and not be scared to be themselves (eyeroll). I don't know most of her songs besides the singles but it didn't matter because there was so much else going on. Her costumes were ridiculous as expected, including a lovely metal leotard where fire sparks shoot out of her boobs and crotch. Halloween costume?

Deathly Hallows Trailer

2010-06-29T11:06:00.002-04:00

This looks as dark and exciting as it should but I will be lowering my expectations since the Half Blood Prince disappointed me so much. I would have preferred they didn't show the final Harry/Voldemort battle in the trailer to keep some suspense but I guess everyone knows how it ends anyway. WB will have a hard time finding something that will make as much cash as this franchise has the past ten years so they are milking it as much as they can by splitting the film into two parts. The trailer shows scenes from both:

Lake Forever

2010-06-28T17:53:00.003-04:00

Here are some photos I took from the annual summer trip to Jess's family's lakehouse using the iPhone Hipstamatic app (my current obsession). As usual, it was a highlight of the summer:

Soon

2010-06-21T17:08:00.000-04:00

Some Good Looking Trailers

2010-06-17T10:43:00.009-04:00

Somewhere - I find Sofia Coppola's movies more interesting to look at than actual good films but I am curious to see this. Great trailer helped along by songs from Phoenix and The Strokes. Stephen Dorff as this years comeback actor?

I Am Love - Starring Tilda Swinton and set in northern Italy, this film looks stunning. It is opening this weekend at the Sunshine.

Never Let Me Go - Mark Romanek's third film stars Carey Mulligan and Keira Knightley. The trailer is kind of bizarre (sci-fi/coming of age love story?) but I will ignore that and go see it anyway because it made Spike Jonze cry.

Those Kids Makin' Me Feel Old

2010-06-07T17:44:00.006-04:00

Let me confess, I grew up on MTV. It was easily my favorite channel. I was there through the transition from music videos 24 hours a day to the deluge of reality and game shows (Singled Out anyone?). My parents couldn't possibly understand that I would watch marathons of programming they deemed crap but kept me glued to the television. Last night while watching the MTV Movie Awards (which in actuality was a two hour commercial for the new Twilight movie), I found myself confused and involuntarily cringing. A lot.

Mini-Cringe: When Adam Sandler, Chris Rock and other 90s comedians came on stage to present the first award they seemed like pot-smoking dads who have no desire to hang out with their kids. The jokes weren't funny and the audience reaction was non-existent. I give them a pass because they probably felt ridiculous to be in a room where Justin Bieber and his spectacular hairdo are considered God-like.

Full On Cringe: I wonder, do teenagers these days know Tom Cruise as a movie star or as a crazy celebrity who jumps on couches and reveres a religion that believes in space aliens? I think the latter. His bid for relevancy last night fell flat and was made even more embarrassing when Jennifer Lopez (or J.Lo as she used to call herself when she wanted to develop street cred) stepped on stage and starting dancing with him.

Moment When I Wanted To Kill Myself: The performances (mostly just one) -Christina Aguilera. Xtina, how you hurt my eyes and ears last night! I get that she has a complex from being overshadowed by more popular pop stars (Britney Spears and now Lady Gaga) but she needs to stop trying to be "edgy". It comes across as as desperate and annoying. We get it, you like to wear ugly latex outfits! You like to have sex! - which actually doesn't make you special since you are in your late 20s so if you didn't find sex interesting at this point in your life you would be weird, real weird. The light up heart on her crotch was laughable and too obvious of an attention grab. Katy Perry might have dressed up like a glow in the dark Smurf but at least she did it with a wink and had fun with it. Oh and most importantly, her songs are garbage and have no chance of being put on my guilty pleasure list.

Eye Roll: I am over the faux lezzie makeouts. They are boring. I think straight dudes might even be over it at this point.

Go Away Forever: Diddy, please.

I admit that this is not all MTV's fault, I am outside their target sweet spot and must admit to myself I far too old to be watching this shit. Of course that won't stop me from watching the Music Video Awards.

The Suburbs/Month of May

2010-05-20T17:08:00.003-04:00

SO EXCITED FOR THIS. Listen to the two new Arcade Fire teaser clips here. They are a short but delicious few seconds. Counting down until I see them at Lollapalooza in August.

Dior + Lynch = ?

2010-05-18T17:04:00.002-04:00

If you are interested in watching a 16-minute commercial for a Dior handbag, see below. I love David Lynch, Marion Cotillard, and John Galliano but didn't have the patience to finish this. And I find the bag to be kind of ugly but it has magical light coming out of it!

Fire & Mad Men

2010-05-17T17:02:00.000-04:00

Vincent Kartheiser plays the snakey, materialistic Pete Campbell on Mad Men but in real life he chooses to live without a toilet. Here is a cool video portrait of him:

San Francisco Things

2010-05-06T17:08:00.006-04:00

I spent some fun times in San Francisco before my friend Jen's wedding in Sacramento last weekend. Although the city is smaller than NYC, there was still too much to do in the two days I was there. Things I did and enjoyed:
- Emmy's Spaghetti Shack. Their spaghetti and meatballs were so good that I ate the leftovers in bed with by fingers the next morning. Cool vibe and very friendly staff. One mistake we made was taking the Mission bus all the way from 3rd to 30th at night. The bus smelled like pee and other terrible scents. Also, the homeless people on that ride were insane and aggressive.

- Ferry Building restaurants & markets. The oysters at Hog Island Oyster Co. are unbelievable (I got the assortment of west coast oysters). It was a nice treat after the long walk from Fisherman's Wharf down the Embarcadero to the Ferry Building. Also, the farmer's market on Saturday morning has the best produce I have ever seen and several vendors cooked up amazing brunches.

- After shopping on Valencia we stopped at Bi-Rite Creamery which serves delicious, organic ice cream. The salted caramel and coconut were my favorite flavors.
- Hayes Street has cute boutiques that have a really good selection of designers. My favorites were Acrimony and Azalea. Union Square mostly has chain stores you can find anywhere else but Shotwell, the boutique right next to our hotel, had great stuff. And they all have online stores which I will add to the list of online shops I frequent regularly.

Now that Lindsay is moving to SF, I will have reason to go there more often.

Random Airplane Thoughts

2010-04-29T12:40:00.005-04:00

Wifi in the air makes flights to the west coast go by much faster.

Things I have enjoyed recently:
- Ippudo: My coworkers are obsessed with this place and for good reason. Their pork buns and ramen are amazing. The ramen broth is hearty especially with the pork belly added. Get there early or wait a very long time.
- Keste Pizza & Vino: Once again, get here really early if you want to experience their Neapolitan pizzas without waiting forever. The Pizza Del Re (fresh mozzarella, mushroom, prosciutto, truffle spread, olive oil) and the Pizza Del Papa (butternut squash cream, smoked mozzarella, artichokes, peppers) were fantastic.
- Lil' Frankie's: Love their brunch especially the poached eggs with polenta and portobello. I still have to try the baked eggs with baby meatballs.
- Kyo Ya - Authentic Japanese food in the East Village. We shared many of the items on the menu for my friend Francis's birthday and everything was great. I am curious to go back and try the tasting menu. The Goma Tofu Cocktail's (diced sesame tofu in cold broth) clean and simple flavors were so good that I still remember it a month later. The service was impeccable service too, which is no surprise since it was awarded a Michelin star.

That's all. About to land in San Francisco and craving a burrito.

Isla Mujeres - Eats, Beach and Golf Carts

2010-04-15T18:08:00.010-04:00

I vacationed in Isla Mujeres, Mexico last week thanks to my roommate Anna who kindly let us stay at her beach cottage. It couldn't have been more relaxing. The weather was perfect, low 80s and breezy, and it literally only rained for 20 seconds out of the seven days we were there. There isn't a ton to do on the island so our days consisted of lying around the beach, swimming in the clear Caribbean water, reading all the books I never have time to read in New York, and eating. Below are the food highlights of the trip (and I finally took pictures of food that actually makes it look appetizing):

We spent the first few days of the trip on the island's nicest beach, Playa Norte, so for a change of pace we rented a golf cart to drive around and see the rest of island. We drove around at the fastest our cart could take us (20 MPH) and after a few hours we headed to Playa Lancheros Restaurant for lunch where we had my favorite meal of the trip. Lindsay and I shared the Coronado Tikinichic - fish cooked in a banana leaf over an open flame with a sour orange sauce. The flavors were fantastic and I loved the meaty texture of the fish. If you don't like seafood, the chicken tacos were great too.

On the subject of tacos, our favorite restaurant on Hidalgo (the main drag of the island) was Taqueria Medina. Like most places on the island, it was super casual and cheap. Each taco costs about 15 pesos each which equals a little more than one dollar. The unanimous favorite were the pork and pineapple al pastor tacos. This was the only place we went to that didn't have fish on the menu.

For a good lunch right on the water, I would definitely recommend Picus Cockteleria. It is one of many restaurants right by the ferry dock so I was skeptical with all the tourists invading the restaurant. Their fish dishes used the freshest fish so both the ceviche and mixed fish fajitas were outstanding. The octopus in particular was fantastic.

Last is Cafe Cita where we went almost every single day for breakfast. The egg dishes and especially their crepes were good and like everywhere else it was very inexpensive. Above are the chocolate-banana crepes that Cory had every day. I hadn't eaten Hershey's chocolate syrup since I was little and I forgot how good it was.

I will miss the sunset and putting on sunglasses in bed every morning because it was so bright.

LCD Soundsystem at Webster Hall

2010-04-14T15:51:00.003-04:00

While I was eating tacos on the beach in Mexico last week I missed a bunch of shows (Florence and The Machine, Girls, and Thom Yorke) which I was okay with but I was really bummed when I found out about LCD Soundsystem's surprise show at MHOW last Thursday. Luckily, I was able to get tickets for their Webster Hall show when they went back on sale Monday afternoon after diligently checking all day.

I have previously seen them in huge outdoor venues- Randall's Island opening up for Arcade Fire and Lollapalooza in 2007 and they were incredible. I was really excited to seem them in a smallish place. The floor was shaking through much of the show which was fun/scary. They only played 3 new songs and James Murphy (who claimed to be less drunk than the show before) pleaded us for not share the new album which had leaked a few hours before the show. The crowd danced craziest during Us v Them, Yeah, and Daft Punk. Can't wait to see them again in May, even though it is at T5.

Isla Mujeres

2010-04-02T11:34:00.002-04:00

I will be here until next Friday. Beach, fish tacos, sun will all be mine.

Food Party

2010-03-15T15:41:00.001-04:00

My roommate and I hosted our second wine and appetizer party on Saturday night and despite the winter hurricane conditions, people actually showed up. Below are links to recipes for some of the apps that we made:

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
Apricot and Chicken Bruschetta - My friend Jen made this without the chicken because the chicken can make this dry and the prosciutto that this recipe calls for works well being the only meat.
Fried Ravioli - This is sort of a lie. I made this last year and everyone loved it. I drank too much wine this year and forgot to prepare it even though I had bought all the ingredients and had even had my homemade tomato sauce to go with it.
Papas Bravas

I also have to add that robiola is one of my favorite cheeses ever. It's perfectly creamy, smooth texture was proven to be loved by everyone as it was the first cheese to be devoured completely.

Lawlessness!

2010-03-12T15:21:00.005-05:00

I am a recent Joanna Newsom convert after despising her first album, dealing with her second album, and really liking her new triple(!) album Have One On Me. Here is a video of her performing one of my favorite songs, "Soft as Chalk" from Disc 3 on Jimmy Fallon.

I will be sure to wear my glasses when I see her at Town Hall next week so I can be sure to catch all the crazy things she does with her mouth.

And here is a cover of one of my other favorites from Have One On Me, "On A Good Day" sung by the singer of Fleet Foxes. Love!

Telephone

2010-03-12T11:10:00.009-05:00

A play by play of Cory's reaction to Lady Gaga's new video, "Telephone":

(10:50:15 AM): her boobs are almost out

(10:50:38 AM): jonas akurlund, what happened to him

(10:50:42 AM): still doing videos i guess

(10:50:43 AM): his movie was terrible

(10:50:49 AM): her punnan is blurred

(10:51:38 AM): eww cigarette glasses

(10:51:45 AM): ha product placement

(10:51:47 AM): virgin mobile

(10:53:07 AM): she has almost no clothes on

(10:53:11 AM): i've never heard this song

(10:54:40 AM): why is beyonce trying to siphon her cool?

(10:54:52 AM): and why are they driving the kill bill car

(10:55:59 AM): indulgent like early 90's style video where the song is broken up by long bits of story

(10:56:25 AM): if this has a plot, i'm not following

(10:57:02 AM): is that tyrese? and is he really that fat?

(10:58:05 AM): beyonce looks good as a 50's pinup though

(10:58:40 AM): verdict: why did i watch this?

Shows and More Shows

2010-03-01T16:50:00.015-05:00

The weekend was packed with lots of shows...
I was pleasantly surprised by A Sunny Day in Glasgow's set at Mercury Lounge on Friday. Their album Ashes Grammar can at times be a dense listen that requires a lot of attention but the songs felt completely different live. The vocals from the bubbly female lead singers gave the music a more dreamlike pop sound that was fun to listen to. They also had a good attitude considering the crowd was a little difficult.

I have been listening to Surfer Blood's debut album Astrocoast a lot in the past of couple of months so I was excited to see them live at Mercury Lounge (for the 2nd time this weekend) on Sunday. Seeing them in person made me feel very old because they all had baby faces and were very awkward anytime they spoke - they were also not helped by the dead silence of the crowd in between songs. Despite some technical difficulties they played a short and sweet set that was solid. I was actually more impressed by the openers Turbo Fruits who tore through their songs with a ton of energy. Even though they were young kids too, they are of the more "I don't give a fuck" variety and it showed in their set that rocked from start to finish. And because of that, I forgive them for having a terrible band name.

And finally, on Saturday I went to my friend Jen's birthday party at Pianos where her boyfriend set up a surprise mini-performance for her by Andrew WK. He did two custom versions of "She Is Beautiful" and "Party Hard" on the piano. It was really awesome and captured on video below. Andrew comes in at the 2 minute mark:

Eats: wd-50

2010-02-17T16:19:00.003-05:00

I have always been curious to try Wylie Dufresne's wd-50. He treats all dishes like well-crafted science experiments that take months to perfect - think molecular gastronomy involving putting food through vacuums & using liquid nitrogen on your favorite, classic dishes. Because of that it wasn't the best meal I have ever had but probably one of the boldest, weirdest and most memorable (I ate here more than 2 weeks ago and still remember it).

We started out with the Eggs Benedict and the Corned Duck which were the two dishes that the waiter told us were the most popular and well-regarded. This is what the Eggs Benedict looked like:

Obviously, this was not a standard take on the classic dish. It was deconstructed and the textures were more concentrated, especially the firm egg yolk. It wasn't as comforting of an Eggs Benedict dish that I would order for brunch, but the flavors were good and the presentation completely original. The Corned Duck was a little more straightforward in flavor and presentation. The waiter explained that the duck dish was a tribute to a classic pastrami sandwich at Katz's Deli. After tasting it, it made sense. It was served with a rye crisp, purple mustard, and horseradish cream. It was my favorite dish along with my dining companions:

Also really good was the aerated foie gras which is dangerous because the texture was so light and fluffy, you will probably eat way more goose liver than your body can or should handle. Out of the main courses, the Venison and the Pork Chop were the standouts. The two dishes I would definitely not recommend are the Pumpernickel Soup and the Scallops. Dufresne was actually present in the restaurant and took our feedback on the soup because out of 9 of us, not one person enjoyed it.

Because wd-50 is on the pricier side I would say that this is a place you should try out if are NOT a picky eater but is a wonderful experience if you are open minded.

Yeasayer at Music Hall of Williamsburg

2010-02-12T21:42:00.005-05:00

I have been enjoying the new Yeasayer album Odd Blood, since it leaked a few weeks ago despite the constant objections of my boyfriend who calls them dirty, annoying hippies. They played through their entire album on Tuesday night and I along with the rest of the crowd were quite pleased by their show. After hearing "I Remember" live, my friend Angela and I agreed that song is begging to be the indie love anthem in a 500 Days of Summer-like movie. This crappy iPhone photo taken from the balcony doesn't really show much, but the stage set-up was was pretty cool. And by the way, they no longer look like hippies, the singer was rocking patent leather shoes and a Justin Timberlake get-up.

Snow Day

2010-02-10T16:54:00.000-05:00

Early 2010 Listening Pleasures

2010-01-25T12:46:00.009-05:00

Shake Shack > In-N-Out

2010-01-22T14:58:00.013-05:00

This post will offend those who grew up on the west coast. Many west coasters take great pride in In-N-Out and brag how their burgers are the best in the country. Well this is simply not true. A Shake Shack burger is better than In-N-Out hands down.

I made my coworkers take me to In-N-Out as soon as we arrived in LA (it was 12:30AM) on our trip in December. To be fair, I had very high expectations for this burger and was expected to be blown away. I ordered the Cheeseburger done "Animal Style" (mustard beef cooked patty with lettuce, tomato and pickles) from their not so secret menu. It definitely was not bad but I didn't see what the fuss was all about. The patty was thin, the bun was fairly hard, and the animal style sauce was nothing special.

Oh Shake Shack, even with its evil long lines, I still love it. Their burger has just the right amount of crumbly meat, the "secret' sauce is delicious and complex enough that it is difficult to imitate (many have tried) and their bun is perfectly soft and sweet.

Soon people around the world will be able to experience the Shackburger because Danny Meyer plans to expand the franchise into the Middle East which might I think might cheapen the brand and not allow for quality control of the food. On the other hand, In-N-Out has stayed true to their family run business by keeping it local which I respect. But Shack Shack is still better.

Handsome Furs at Public Assembly and Maxwell's

2010-01-21T11:52:00.005-05:00

Public Assembly for "party" celebrating the Vice/CNN partnership (the strange partnership resulted in an awkward crowd):

Maxwell's (the first time I have ever hung out in Hoboken):

Otis

2010-01-18T12:28:00.015-05:00

This past weekend I went up to Jessica's lakehouse in Otis, Massachussets for her birthday weekend. It was a beautiful winter wonderland. We couldn't get the snowmobile to work so instead we got our fill of winter sports by snowtubing.

I can't wait to go back there this summer when the view looks a bit different:

Julian Casablancas at T5

2010-01-15T15:46:00.009-05:00

My first concert of 2009 was a good one despite being at my least favorite venue (the last time I was at Terminal 5, it made me sick). Julian was in a great mood and seemed thrilled to be playing his first NYC show in a few years. The dreadful sound system didn't do anything to help him but the crowd didn't mind and neither did I. He showed his love for Empire State of Mind by doing several Alicia Keys imitations throughout the night.

I am getting back in the swing of going to shows after a quiet December. Upcoming:
- Handsome Furs at Maxwell's (I am journeying to New Jersey for them next week, this venue is supposed to be awesome)
- Yeasayer at Music Hall of Williamsburg
- A Sunnny Day in Glasgow at Mercury Lounge
- Nada Surf at Bowery Ballroom
- Deerhunter & Spoon at Radio City

Eats: A Voce

2010-01-15T14:59:00.016-05:00

I had a lovely work lunch at A Voce today in the Flatiron District. Because of the location, it's not really an energetic or especially interesting place but the food more than makes up for it. I am incredibly picky about Italian food in general but every dish was wonderful which makes it difficult to pick favorites. The pastas are a must though. I recommend any of these dishes:

Appetizers
Funghi al forno -roasted trumpet royal mushrooms, fonduta, truffle, hazelnuts
Ricotta - cows milk ricotta, extra virgin olive oil, mint, thyme, chilies
Stracciatella- creamy pugliese mozzarella, pears, arugula, speck
Primi
Linguine al granchio- crab, leeks, lemon, bacon
Orrechiette - wild boar, cavolo nero, calabrian chilies, pecorino

Secondi
Swordfish - baby artichokes, chick pea puree, olives

Dessert
Bomboloni alla Toscana - Tuscan doughnuts with chocolate sauce
Chocolate Bread Pudding

Lesson learned: Ending a stressful work week with a glass of Barolo at lunch makes everything better. Even if you have to go back to the office after. Until the wine wears off.

Eats: DBGB

2010-01-11T17:10:00.022-05:00

I went to Daniel Boulud's latest restaurant, DBGB with my three favorite gluttonous friends last Friday. The huge space on Bowery and Houston is decorated in different culinary hardware given to Boulud by famous chefs. The place was wall to wall packed with a crowd of uptown folk who decided to journey below 14th street. We were greeted by an unhappy host and hostess who, by their attitude, must really hate their jobs and seemed overwhelmed by the amount of people they had to deal with.

But on to the food. We started with the Plateau de Fruits de Mer which had an assortment of raw oysters and clams, shrimp, cockles, mussels and tuna tartare. The mussels sat in a creamy sauce with chives and were the standout of the platter. The tuna tartare was good although it was pretty standard fare. At the suggestion of our waiter, we ordered the crabcake. I would liken the flavor of their soggy crabcake to the smell you inhale when you walk into a fish store. Overwhelmingly fishy but nothing else. The Fried Egg "Bourguignon" with duck confit & cracklins, portobello red wine & spicy greens was better but ultimately forgettable.

What DBGB has been getting most buzz for are it's sausages which were the best part of meal. We ordered the Beaujolaise (pork sausage with mushrooms, onion, bacon & red wine link, and lentils du puy), Vermont (smoked pork & cheddar link, hash browns, red onion crème frache) and the Tunisienne (lamb & mint merguez with harissa, lemon braised spinach & chickpeas). The Beaujolaise was everyone's favorite and out of all the dishes we ate, it was the only one that was spot on with it's flavors. The Vermont was good as long as you don't mind a heavy hand of salt and the Tunisienne was somewhere between mediocre to not good.

In addition to the sausages, there has been a lot of talk about DBGB's burgers. We ordered The Piggie which was topped with bbq pulled pork, jalapeno mayonnaise & boston lettuce on a cheddar-cornbread bun. I enjoyed it more than most of the things we ate. As for desserts, I won't even bother getting into details, but just say to skip them.

I would recommend DBGB as a spot to come sit at the bar, have a beer from their extensive list, and order a sausage or a burger. Don't bother making a reservation for a table.

My Top 25 Films of the 00's

2010-01-09T18:37:00.028-05:00

1. Talk To Her (2002) - After renting and loving All About My Mother eight years ago I became curious about Pedro Almodóvar's work and went to see my first film of his in the theater. To me this to me is his masterpiece. Talk To Her is beautiful in every single way: story, score, and cinematography.
2. Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) - My favorite Tarantino film. I saw this in an old theater when I was living in Florence with my then roommate Amber. After the movie was over we contemplated careers as assassins. I appreciate how all the women kicked ass in this movie while not being treated as objects. The theater played Volume 2 the week after but it wasn't as affecting as this.
3. Borat (2006) - When I found out that Sasha Baron Cohen was making a movie based on my favorite character from Da Ali G Show, I counted down the time until it would come out in the theater. On opening night, people who couldn't get seats sat in the aisles just to see it. I can't remember laughing so hard at a movie as I did at Borat. Unfortunately, Cohen will never be able to make a movie like this again.
4. Pride & Prejudice (2005) - I shouldn't love this movie, but I do. I hate both romantic and period films but thanks to Joe Wright's successful first film directing effort and excellent cast, I fell in love with this movie.
5. Ratatouille (2007) - I have a weakness for cute things. This includes kittens and Pixar movies. This particular Pixar movie focuses one of my favorite things, food, and does so with a loveable rat at the center of the story. I have seen this countless times and never tire of Pixar's version of Paris. I wouldn't mind living there.
6. Closer (2004) - Most people did not like this movie but I did. All the characters are selfish and unbalanced but that is what made their failed relationships interesting. Clive Owen and Natalie Portman are fantastic.
7. Volver (2006) - This was the first time I had ever been impressed by Penelope Cruz as an actress. She was terrific in this family melodrama that managed to be funny and heartbreaking at the same time.
8. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy (2001-2003) - Peter Jackson did a rare thing and made me like a movie more than the book it was based on. I treat all the movies as one because it really is just one long, long, long movie.
9. Traffic (2000) - I haven't seen this movie in 8 years or so but I loved it then and it started my crush on Benicio Del Toro.
10. Harry Potter & The Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004) - I hate most of the Harry Potter movies. Unlike the Lord of the Rings series, the Harry Potter ones don't even come close to doing the stories justice. Except for this one. Alfonso Cuaron's vision of Hogwarts and the performances he got out of the young actors are admirable. This is the only movie in the series that can stand alone as an actual good movie. Also, I saw this in the theater three times. Nerd.
11. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) - Michel Gondry and Charlie Kaufman's collaboration was a unique story that managed to be artsy without being pretentious. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet play their roles perfectly.
12. Mulholland Drive (2001) - This movie is a total mindfuck and completely Lynch-ian. Even when I re-watch this I still try to figure out what is going on in this psychological thriller. Naomi Watts should have won an Oscar for this.
13. Wall-E (2008) - The first 45 minutes of this movie are complete perfection. It would be in my top 10 if not for the fat people on the spaceship that dominate the 2nd half of the movie. But still, a movie about two robots being in love and actually being touching is an achievement.
14. Mean Girls (2004) - The only good thing Lindsay Lohan has done in her career is star in a movie written by the talented Tina Fey. I can watch this over and over and still laugh about how spot on it is about being a teenager. I never want to go back to high school.
15. Up (2009) - More Pixar. This movie made me tear up within the first 10 minutes and the journey it takes me through is one of my favorite film experiences. The fat Asian kid is also super cute.
16. Rachel Getting Married (2008) - This film is a little gem. Anne Hathaway plays her part perfectly and is surrounded by a stellar cast in this family drama.
17. Memento (2000) - Christopher Nolan's breakthrough film played with time in a unique way that was mindblowing to watch. People have tried to copy what he achieved but haven't come close.
18. Little Children (2006) - This depressing suburban drama is carried by the excellent acting of Kate Winslet and Jackie Earle Haley. I rented this movie a few years ago and it really stuck with me. Also, it made living in the suburbs and having children really unappealing.
19. There Will Be Blood (2007) - I saw this at a Variety screening just before it came out with a bunch of movie dorks who gasped every two minutes during Paul Thomas Anderson's epic film. Daniel Day-Lewis was amazing and kept me riveted throughout.
20. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) - I am not sure how much I like Wes Anderson as a director or how much I like his films because he leans on amazing music to create an emotionally engaging story. This one is my favorite film of his because his quirky characters draw you in instead of irritate.
21. Amores Perros (2000) - All of Alejandro González Iñárritu's films follow a similar formula. He intercuts several stories of unrelated characters in non-chronological order whose paths end up crossing in the end. While I did enjoy 21 Grams and Babel, this is definitely his best.
22. The Lives Of Others (2006) - After this beat out Volver for best foreign film at the Oscars I decided to rent it and ended up loving this suspenseful and touching film.
23. Pan's Labyrinth (2006) - Visually stunning, scary, and beautifully sad.
24. The Others (2001) - I never see scary movies in the theater but this haunting ghost story showed me that horror movies aren't all terrible, poorly written gorefests.
25. Batman Begins (2005) - This brings me back to my first job out of college when I worked at DC Comics. All my coworkers were geeking out during the company screening and deservedly so. Chris Nolan revived the character and returned Gotham to a dark and scarily real place.

Close: Y tu mamá también, CQ, City of God, The Assassination of Jesse James (because of the cinematography and the Nick Cave & Warren Ellis score)

Beauty Secrets

2010-01-05T13:46:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Twitter I was reminded of this amazing video from a couple of years ago:

In her defense, Vaseline is a fantastic makeup remover and moisturizer. More videos of scary Tyra here.

White Trash Snack

2010-01-04T19:10:00.006-05:00

Usually in the beginning of a new year people convince themselves that they will become healthy and take care of their bodies only to be disappointed two weeks later because they have miserably failed. So I am going to skip the healthy part and share a recipe for a snack that Paula Deen would approve of. For my friend Amber's white trash themed dinner party this past weekend I made Buffalo Chicken Dip that fit right in with the other items we ate like Velveeta mac n'cheese and frozen mozzarella sticks. Here is how you can be a fat kid too. Happy New Year!

Buffalo Chicken Dip
2 cups breaded and cooked chicken, chopped - don't bother making the chicken yourself, it ruins the fun, just buy a ready made package like Perdue
4-8 oz. hot sauce - depends on how spicy you want it
12-18 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup blue cheese dressing
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
Crackers and celery, for dipping

1) Preheat Oven to 350°
2) In a large bowl combine: chicken, hot sauce, cream cheese, dressing and 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese.
3) Pour mixture into a greased baking dish and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of cheddar cheese. Bake at 350º F for 25 to 30 minutes.

*If you are really trying to be healthy, try the minestrone recipe below.

Winter Vegetable Soup

2009-12-30T15:13:00.010-05:00

Yesterday I made a version of minestrone where I combined a few different recipes to tailor the soup to my liking. I used swiss chard instead of spinach and used more beans than most recipes called for so the soup would be more hearty. Most of the vegetables are adjustable or can be substituted (swap in kale for swiss chard or chick peas for kidney beans). The recipe below makes enough soup to feed you for a week.

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 cups chicken broth (either homemade or store bought low sodium)
2 cups water
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

3 zucchini, chopped

1 bunch swiss chard, stems trimmed, leaves coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese for topping

1) Heat the olive oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, carrots, and celery. Saute until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.

2) Add the Swiss chard; saute for 2 minutes until the chard is wilted. Add salt and pepper.

3) Add chicken broth, water and tomato sauce, bring to boil, stirring frequently.

4) Reduce heat to low and add kidney beans, cannellini beans, zucchini, oregano, and basil. Simmer for 75-90 minutes.

5) Ladle soup in bowls and sprinkle on parmesan cheese.

Favorite Music of 2009

2009-12-24T12:35:00.031-05:00

1. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
This album lived up to all they hype and the songs were transcendent live. Favorite songs: While You Wait For The Others, Ready Able, Cheerleader, Two Weeks

2. Bat For Lashes - Two Suns
Gorgeous and stunning album all the way through. Favorite songs: Sleep Alone, Daniel, Pearl's Dream, Glass

3. Handsome Furs - Face Control
Upbeat and dance-able album that was so much fun live (video below is from their Mercury Lounge show). While Plague Park will always be special to me for personal reasons, I wasn't disappointed in this album at all. Favorite Songs: Evangeline, Radio Kaliningrad, Thy Will Be Done, All We Want Baby Is Everything

4. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadaeus Phoenix

Perfect poppy rock songs that have muscle live - thanks to their touring drummer who is an insane beast, watch for yourself below. Favorite Songs: Armistice, 1901, Lasso, Fences

5.Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz

I saw the YYYs live more than an other band this year (four times). It's rumored that they don't get along but it doesn't show on this album. Favorite songs: Soft Shock, Zero, Heads Will Roll, Dull Life

6. La Roux - La Roux

This album came out of nowhere for me. It's well-crafted guilty pleasure pop with some monster singles. Favorite Songs: Bulletproof, In For the Kill, Quicksand

7. The xx - The xx

These kids might have been the most hyped bands during CMJ. I rolled my eyes and didn't pay much attention to them but once I listened to this album I realized they deserved some of it. Favorite songs: Basic Space, Crystalised, Islands

8. Various Artists - Dark Was the Night

Pretty much every current buzzed about artist was on this album and the songs weren't just throwaways. Favorite Songs: Grizzly Bear - Deep Blue Sea, Dirty Projectors & David Byrne - Knotty Pine, Yeasayer - Tightrope, Feist & Ben Gibbard - Train Song

9. Deerhunter - Rainwater Cassette Exchange

I fell in love with Microcastle this year and this EP only made me like them more.

10. Passion Pit - Manners

I loved listening to this album in the spring although I have to say it annoys me a bit now. It makes it on the list for nostalgic purposes (can I already be nostalgic about this year?) and because Sleepyhead is one of my favorite singles of the year.

I was wrong: I hated Animal Collective earlier this year and didn't understand why people revered them so much. My Girls and Summertime Clothes are now two of my favorite songs of the year BUT I don't like Merriweather Post Pavillion enough to call it a favorite.

Guilty Pleasure Song: Bad Romance by Lady Gaga. It's actually in my head while I am writing this. And the video is kind of amazing:

White Winter Hymnal

2009-12-22T12:17:00.005-05:00

Love, love, love this song. After this weekend's blizzard and the holidays coming up, it seems appropriate:

My Little Pony - sort of

2009-12-18T11:02:00.013-05:00

I was recently reminiscing about seeing the My Little Pony movie in the theater when I was 4 years old. One of my co-workers sent me a website that has artist created modified versions of My Little Pony. They can be found here. Here are some of my favorites:

Lady Gaga. I actually thought this was Miss Piggy at first.

Edward Scissorhands

Kill Bill

LA-LA Land

2009-12-16T21:55:00.014-05:00

I'm not sure how but it's already the middle of December. I was gone in LA for the first week of it for work where I was able to fit in some good meals even though I was exhausted from some intense work days.

Hands down the best meal I had out there was at Gjelina. Located on Abbot Kinney in Venice, my co-workers and I sat outside and cozied up under the heating lamps. We sampled almost every dish on the their Italian and New American inspired menu. Everything was fantastic. My favorites that I can still recall two weeks later were the Goat Cheese, Mushroom & Truffle Oil Pizza, the Maitake Mushroom Toast with Creme Fraiche & Truffle Oil (and I don't even like truffle oil that much), Grilled Free-Range Lamb Chops with Rapini-Mint Pesto & Harissa, and the Butterscotch Pot de Crème with Salted Caramel & Crème Fraiche for dessert. If you are in the area, I think it's a must.

I have always been told that the best sushi spots in LA are located in strip malls. On my Saturday night there, I went with my childhood friend Tali to Sushi Zo which we heard is supposed to be excellent but to watch out for the boot camp like wait staff. Because of this we didn't make it very far in the restaurant. They refused to sit my vegetarian friend because there is no menu and the chef will only serve what he feels like. This no-menu policy policy didn't bother me, I enjoy eating that way, but they didn't even entertain the idea of letting her have a cup of tea while I ate so we left. I will try again next time I am in town.

We ended up at Kiriko Sushi where I treated myself to the omakase. It was a small, no-frills place with a pleasant wait staff. The chef started me off with monkfish liver and some other odd choices which I had never had before and it was all very good. The rest of the fish brought out was standard omakase fare but all very fresh and tasty. I went through 4 rounds and it came out to $66. It was very good but nothing compared to my Sushi Seki.

My friend Patrick said I had do brunch at John O'Groats. It's not a typical, scene-y LA place. It felt really homey and served wonderful unhealthy foods. I had the cheddar and bacon waffles with biscuits and it was so good. If that place was in NYC, I would go there all the time.

But alas, although LA has great shopping, food, and weather, I don't think I could ever live there because I wouldn't be able to deal with the driving culture. Having to listen to bad radio stations (I haven't listened to the radio since high school), looking for parking EVERYWHERE, and not being able to drink and get a cheap cab are all deterrents for me. I like my cities to be cramped, walkable, and full of schizophrenic homeless people who sometimes like to throw objects at me.

Pumpkin Treats

2009-11-30T17:14:00.036-05:00

I am not a dessert lover but I do have a weakness for anything pumpkin. I made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies last night and they turned out to be huge, delicious, cake-like cookies that took very little time to prepare. And for those of you who feel guilty and fat during the holiday season (or all the time), they are supposed to be better for you than normal cookies because the recipe uses pumpkin (obviously) instead of butter or cream.

Ingredients

- 1 cup canned pumpkin

- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup apple sauce (instead of vegetable oil)
- 1 egg
- 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1) In a large bowl, stir the pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg.
2) In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt.
3) Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in.
4) Combine the flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.
5) Add vanilla and chocolate chips.
6) Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for approximately 15-20 minutes or until lightly brown and firm. Let cool for a few minutes before eating. They taste better after they have been in the refrigerator for a while.

Recent Listening Pleasures

2009-11-24T16:00:00.020-05:00

Florence And The Machine - Dog Days Are Over
Her voice can get a bit too Natalie Merchant sounding over an entire album but I love this song. I unfortunately missed their show at Bowery Ballroom a couple of weeks ago and heard it was amazing.

Beach House - Silver Soul
I have been enjoying their new album (not officially out yet) which was surprising considering that they almost put me to sleep when I saw them open up for Grizzly Bear this past summer.

Yeasayer - Ambling Alp
Loved their song "Tightrope" on the Dark Was the Night compilation and this one too. Seeing them at MHOW in February.

Life Aquatic Soundtrack - Ping Island/Lighting Strike Rescue Op
I watched The Life Aquatic this past weekend and while I didn't love the movie, the soundtrack was fantastic. This song at first makes me want to dance and then laugh.

Babbo, finally

2009-11-19T15:49:00.013-05:00

After years of wanting to eat at Mario Batali's Babbo, I finally ate there this past Sunday for my birthday. I have eaten at Otto and Lupa many times and even at his fancy white-table-clothed, expensive restaurant Del Posto (I didn't really like it but that is a story for another day). My boyfriend made Babbo reservations 30 days in advance because even after all the years it has been open it is really difficult to get one and it's almost impossible to get a seat unless you get there at 5pm.

We got there an hour before our reservation hoping to have a drink at the bar but it was completely packed so we decided to walk around outside on the unseasonably warm November night instead. We were promptly seated by the uber polite hostess when we returned 15 minutes early. Like her, everyone else that waited on us were well-trained and attentive without being overbearing.

I had always wanted to try the pasta tasting menu but 3 out of the 7 courses were desserts which is my least favorite course so we decided to order from the a la carte menu instead. I have been mushroom obsessed lately so I was also tempted by their porcini mushroom tasting menu. I ordered a mushroom focused appetizer to make up for my porcini lust. The Neci con Funghi Misti is a walnut crepe stuffed with porcini mushrooms with greens and tons of grated cheese on top. The mushrooms were fantastic and the dish was light enough for us to continue with our upcoming two pastas and steak.

Babbo's signature pasta is the Beef Cheek Ravioli with Crushed Squab Liver and Black Truffles. So of course we ordered that and it was fantastic. Even though we were eating lots of meat fat, it didn't feel like it. For a non-meat option we also had the Goat Cheese Tortelloni with Dried Orange and Wild Fennel Pollen which was tasty but not as unique as the beef cheek dish. The Barbecued Skirt Steak with Eggplant and Salsa Verde was cooked to perfection. The meat was so good I didn't bother with the salsa verde since it's flavors overwhelmed the steak.

We finished up with a fig and apple tart with goat's milk ice cream which like everything else was great. I might have to go back soon for the porcini tasting menu...

Restaurant Favorite - The Grocery

2009-11-16T14:08:00.019-05:00

On a different note than my last food post where I complained and criticized recent meals out, I had two incredible meals this past weekend to celebrate my 26th birthday. Friday night I went to one of my Smith Street favorites, The Grocery with three of my friends. I have been there twice before and have had memorable food. Once again I was not disappointed. My favorite way to eat is to order to share as many dishes as possible, so we ordered 4 appetizers and 4 main courses and passed them around. The appetizers were my favorite part of the meal. We got:

roasted beets with goat cheese ravioli, fried shallots, toasted pine nuts, poached organic egg on a popover with sauteed mushrooms, ranch dressed frisee, house smoked bacon, fried artichokes with escarole, parmesan, croutons, roasted garlic & lemon aioli, house smoked wild salmon with potato yuca pancake, shallot sour cream, asian pear & endive salad

The poached organic egg was the standout for me. The bacon was smokey and thick, the mushrooms were amazing, and in general eggs with a runny yolk always make me happy. The smoked salmon was fantastic as well and had a really interesting combination of flavors that worked really well together. I was full at this point but had to push through and eat our main courses:

pan roasted fluke with couscous, tomato & ginger, braised leeks, baby bok choy, seared scallops with black soffrito sauce, arugula, fried potatoes & calamari, grilled loin chop of lamb with spinach, panisse, spicy stewed chickpeas, slow rendered duck breast with kasha, beet greens, roasted carrots, caramelized red wine sauce

The lamb was by far my favorite. It was cooked perfectly and I really enjoyed the spicy stewed chickpeas that came with it. I could have skipped the pan roasted fluke, it was too bland for my tastes and I also prefer my fish raw than cooked. The duck was everyone else's favorite probably but wasn't mine probably because I got that dish last and was so full it was hard to completely enjoy.

The ambiance of the restaurant isn't the greatest and as you can see from the picture below it is small, minimally decorated and slightly cramped. It is best to not get there before your reservation since there is no bar and no place at all to stand. We got there a few minutes early and had to awkwardly hover around the seated diners and kept on getting in the way of the wait staff. Have a drink at The Jakewalk down the street while you wait like we did instead.

Dining Disappointments

2009-11-10T13:30:00.023-05:00

Part of the fun of watching reality competition shows is the pleasure we get watching people being criticized. One of my favorite shows is Top Chef because I (obviously) love food and am always impressed by the famous chefs that judge the show. Recently, I have gone to a couple of restaurants owned by TC judges and was underwhelmed.

First off is Daniel Boulud's restaurant Bar Boulud which I dined at a few weeks ago. The restaurant was completely full on a Wednesday night, so we sat at their back communal table. We were definitely the youngest people there probably because it's located in the Upper West Side. I started with the escargot which was poorly seasoned with garlic that wasn't cooked all the way through on some pieces which made the taste overwhelming (pictured below). The potato croquettes that came with the escargot were quite good though. For the main course we shared the Steak Frites which was completely average and really not worth the $33 price tag. I am still dying to to eat at his legendary restaurant Daniel which I am sure is excellent.

I also ate at one of Tom Colicchio's restaurants Craftbar a couple of weeks ago for a work lunch. He is one of the harshest judges on Top Chef and wow, was I not impressed by his restaurant. My Spanish octopus appetizer was overcooked and greasy so I barely ate it. My scallops were great on their own but was distracted by the overwhelming puree and foam surrounding it. I am not a fan of purees on the bottom of every dish because the texture reminds me of baby food. Even the steak was served on a puree of some sort. One highlight though was the was the pecorino-stuffed risotto balls.

I guess when you become a celebrity chef and your empire becomes so large, it becomes more about the marketing of your brand than the actual food.

The Walkmen: "On the Water"

2009-11-10T12:40:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite songs from last year. Beautiful and slightly depressing video:

Cauliflower Pasta Obsession

2009-10-30T11:41:00.022-04:00

My Mario Batali cookbook has come in handy before but I have to say that there is one recipe in particular I repeat over and over again. I make his Cauliflower Pasta recipe 1-2 times per week not only because it's addictive and tasty but because it's almost laughably easy to make when I come home from work and am feeling lazy. I actually think the one I make tasted better than the version I had at Batali's restaurant Otto last night.

Ingredients
1 box penne rigate (De Cecco is my preferred brand)
1 head of cauliflower
2-4 cloves of garlic, sliced (depends on how much of a garlic fiend you are)
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust to your choice of fieriness)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Pecorino Romano for grating

Directions
1) Remove leaves and base core from cauliflower and chop into 1/4-inch pieces. Break the florets away from the central core and size them similarly. Cut the core into 1/4-inch coins.
2) In a 14- to 18-inch sauté pan, heat oil on medium with garlic until just smoking. Add cauliflower, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes.
3)Leave the heat on medium and cook, stirring regularly for about 12 to 15 minutes, until cauliflower is softened and light brown but not mushy.
4)Cook the penne according to package instructions until “al dente” (mushy pasta is gross).
5)Drain pasta (do not run under cold water! this is gross too)
6)Toss hot pasta into pan with cauliflower and add lots(!) of grated Pecorino cheese. Season with extra red pepper flakes or black pepper if needed. Toss to coat and serve immediately.
7) Eat.

Mad Men Smash

2009-10-26T14:07:00.014-04:00

Ahh Mad Men, my favorite show on television, you gave me my favorite episode of Season 3 so far. I have despised Joan's husband ever since he was introduced last season. I am sure I am not alone in feeling this, considering that he nonchalantly raped her in Don's office last season. It was always hard for me to understand how her character, usually extremely clever and confident, could fathom marrying such a self-absorbed, domineering, and insecure complainer, especially since she seems so in control of everything else. Finally after all his whining this season, she gave him what he deserved. Smash!

NY Film Festival 2009 - Broken Embraces (and other films)

2009-10-15T11:18:00.022-04:00

I saw three films at the NYFF last week/weekend including Pedro Almodovar's Broken Embraces on closing night. Almodovar is my absolute favorite director, so I have been looking forward to this movie for a while. I attended a talk with him the day before the premiere where he spoke about his cinematic influences which whet my appetite to see the new movie even more.

While Broken Embraces isn't my favorite of his work (Women on the Verge of Nervous Breakdown, All About My Mother, and Talk to Her are tops), I still really loved watching this movie. Right from the beginning it was unmistakably Almodovar: gorgeous score, rich colors, stylistically interesting, and his familiar cast of actors. The main actors in this movie are the creepy priest from Bad Education, the cancer suffering neighbor from Volver, and of course Almodovar's current muse Penelope Cruz.

I don't like going into his movies knowing anything about the plot but I will say you should really watch Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown before you see Broken Embraces because the movie is directly referenced throughout the film and you will miss out on the humor in many scenes if you haven't seen it. I was never a fan of Cruz in her English speaking roles but I think she is a radiant and skilled actress in her native tongue (see Volver, Vicky Cristina Barcelona). The film weaves together a few storylines with her at the center and towards the end when they come together, the result is slightly awkward. I will definitely see it again when it comes out in November because when Almodovar introduced the movie with Cruz, he said that most people like Broken Embraces more after their second viewing and besides, there is nothing like seeing his movies on the big screen. Also in attendance were Selma Hayek, Jessica Lange, Jonathan Demme, Catherine Malandrino, and Antony from Antony and the Johnsons (he is one big dude).

Besides Broken Embraces, I saw two other foreign films at the festival since the majority of films on the slate are non-US. The White Ribbon, a film by Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke is set in a small village in Germany during the dawn of WWI. Haneke introduced his Cannes Palme D'or winning film and wished us all a disturbing experience. Disturbing it was. Shot in stark black and white with a creepy cast of characters, The White Ribbon tells the stories of several families as they deal with a series of mysterious and scary events that take place in the village: children being tortured, animal mutilation, attempted murder, etc. The story wasn't wrapped up in a neat bow at the end which could be frustrating for some viewers but I don't think that is the point of the movie. I think it was supposed to leave the viewer feeling unsettled and show how parents actions shape their children's behavior especially in the history that was about to be made in Germany in WWI and WWII. This is not a feel good movie but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

The same cannot be said for Korean director Joon-ho Bong's film Mother. It was a comedy, then murder mystery and then depressing. I didn't feel anything for any of the characters so I was just waiting for the movie to be over. Mother was highly regarded at Cannes but whatever, it wasn't for me.

Philly-land

2009-10-08T18:10:00.028-04:00

I went down to Philadelphia with my boyfriend this past weekend to visit our friends who live in a ridiculously amazing apartment in Northern Liberties (2 huge bedrooms, 2 big bathrooms, 2 floors, even 2 animals). Affordable apartments like this don't exist in NYC but they sure do in Philly. Tony Danza lives in their building too.

I ate at a few places, shopped, saw some live music and got bitten multiple times by a puppy and got scratched by a disabled cat.

Eating

Pat's Steaks: Here I was served a cheesesteak by an angry man with no teeth while a motorcyle show was taking place on the streets surrounding the restaurant. Pat's churn out cheesesteaks as fast as they can and people get yelled out if they don't have their money out when they get to the cash register. Because service was so fast, the meat was just slapped on bread with some cheese that wasn't fully melted. I opted for American cheese instead of Wiz because "cheese" that comes out of a can is repulsive to me. I was so hungry I think I inhaled it in less than 5 minutes. It's worth going just to see the other interesting/strange people who are eating there.

Continental: The decor of this Steven Starr (owner of Buddakan and Morimoto) mega-restaurant in Philly reminded me of a restaurant that would have been cool during a Sex and The City episode from 1999. That is not a compliment. Most of my food experiences at mega-restaurants like Buddakan and Del Posto have always disappointed me but this experience was better. The cuisine served at Continental was as the name of the restaurant suggests, continental. We all shared udon soup, philly cheesesteak eggrolls, french onion dumplings, chicken satay skewers and fatoush salad. Because it reminded me of SATC, I drank a Mexican Cosmopolitan (tequila instead of vodka) to complete the experience. I had a great time because of the company I was in and the staff was extremely friendly. Overall, the food was tasty while being reasonable priced, so no complaints from me.

Honey's Sit'n Eat: Apparently this place is known as one of the best brunch spots in the city and it was pretty good. I had the poached eggs over buttered challah with a potato pancake and also tried their buttermilk pancakes with bananas and chocolate. They had a crazy offering called "The Breakfast Bomb" which is a stuffed pancake with eggs, bacon, and potatoes but that sounded like a fancy McGriddle and a stomach ache waiting to happen. This place was worth the 45 minute wait.

Shopping
I considered buying a $250 Rag & Bone skirt and $350 Black Halo Dress at one of my favorite shops, 3rd Street Habit. I bought neither because I will find it online for less but I still lusted after almost every piece in the store.

Music
We Saw Ra Ra Riot at The Trocadero. It was fun to see show in a venue I have never been too especially because I go to the same venues all the time. The band was very energetic but things didn't really kick in until later in the set when the crowd finally got into it. I am not their biggest fan but thought they were like a cute version of Vampire Weekend (and I don't really like VW). We sat up in balcony which had a terrific, unobstructed view.

Where The Wild Things Are Screening

2009-10-02T12:42:00.019-04:00

Thanks to the nice people at Vice Mag, I was able to attend an early screening of Spike Jonze's six-years-in-the-making Where The Wild Things Are last night. We crammed into a tiny room at the Tribeca Grand hotel that held less than 100 people including Agyness Deyn and her Phantom Planet singer boyfriend, both of whom had to sit on the floor since all the seats were full.

My boyfriend has been obsessing about this movie forever and prepared me for this experience by having me watch all of Jonze's music videos and films. I was most interested to see how he would direct a movie not written by Charlie Kaufman. While watching Adaptation and Being John Malkovich, I felt it I was more in Kaufman's head than in Jonze's.

I was a little skeptical going into the movie because I find that projects that are such epic sagas to create usually end up being pretentious and terrible (like James Cameron's Avatar). I was wrong. It was beautifully filmed, Karen O's soundtrack matched the tone of the film perfectly, and I found the Wild Things to be the right mix of wild animal and being human. Each Wild Thing seemed to represent a different childhood emotion: loneliness, fear, shyness, feeling like no one listens to you, and that joy you can only feel under the age of 10.

While it made me think of things I felt in my own childhood, I don't know if an actual child would fully enjoy the film. But I don't think it was his intention to make a movie targeted towards children, rather one that captured what it was like to be 9 years old and the movie succeeded in doing just that. I am listening to Karen O's soundtrack right now which leads me into...

Seeing the Yeah Yeah Yeahs earlier this week at Music Hall of Williamsburg for their last club show of their It's Blitz Tour. I have already talked about my experiences seeing them this year at Santos Party House and APW. It was more of the same awesomeness, Karen O is a goddess, etc.

Video below was one of my favorite songs from the show, Soft Shock. The tops of our heads pop in and out a few times.

Dirty Three at Bowery Ballroom (with Nick Cave)

2009-09-15T17:30:00.009-04:00

Nick Cave was in town this past weekend promoting his new book The Death of Bunny Munro, as was his long time collaborator and Bad Seed, Warren Ellis who was scheduled to perform with his band Dirty Three on Sunday. When I realized that Dirty Three was playing a show the same time that Nick Cave was in town I had a feeling that Nick would make an appearance at the show. And he did.

Because Warren Ellis is a violinist not a singer he is not a typical frontman but I still couldn't take my eyes off of him. Maybe it's his crazy long beard or his enthusiastic yet weird dancing or his random screams up in the air as he plays. Nick showed up halfway through the set and it was strange to see him sitting behind a piano without a microphone looking quite confused. When he performs with the Bad Seeds he is the one dominating the stage and seemingly in control of everything around him. On Sunday he sat there silently, smirking sometimes because he didn't seem to have any idea what to play or what was going on. I was five feet away from him and was amused by his confusion especially in contrast with Ellis's constant whirling and stomping.

Seeing a show performed by men in their 50's was a quite different and welcome experience than shows performed by indie rock bands in the early to mid 20's that I usually end up attending. They are seasoned musicians with nothing to prove and honestly couldn't give a f*ck if you like them or not.

Grizzly Bear at Williamsburg Waterfront

2009-09-02T09:49:00.011-04:00

Before summer started I had a list of free shows I wanted to go to but because of other activities I didn't go to most of them. The one I wanted to attend most was Grizzly Bear this past Sunday. We got there fairly early and were able to get a great spot in front of the stage to hang around and enjoy the absolutely perfect weather. Despite the poor sound system, they were still great. And no, I did not see Jay-Z or Beyonce.

Ridiculous amount of photographers.

Nine Inch Nails at T5

2009-08-26T15:04:00.010-04:00

Last night I went to see Nine Inch Nails for their 2nd to last show in NYC on their farewell tour. I usually don't believe artists when they announce things like this but I knew this would be a special show in any case. I have seen them before and was excited when tickets went back on sale for this show last week. I put aside my hatred for Terminal 5, my least favorite venue in NYC, for the evening.

They played a lot of their more recent stuff which I am not as familiar with. My favorite songs of the night were Burn, March of The Pigs (which caused so much excitement in the crowd, the dudes next to us to get into a fight), and Head Like a Hole which still holds up as a monster single after nearly two decades.

I also got accidentally punched in the face by this ex-Fuse VJ Juliya which caused me to get a little fat lip last night. She was enthusiastically fist pumping and I guess my face got in the way of her fun. She felt bad and hugged me for longer than necessary to make up for it. Shortly after the face punching, I had to leave in the middle of the encore so I could go home and vomit because my body was so overheated. It was lovely. This meant that I missed Hurt which is my favorite NIN song that I used to listen to obsessively as a teenager. Because the rest of the show was so amazing, I can't complain.

Here is an awesome video of Burn, not from last night's show:

Southern Brunching

2009-08-24T15:25:00.012-04:00

Like most people in New York City, I love brunch. I will eat any type of cuisine, from Mexican at Mercadito to French at Patois (sadly now closed). Recently I have brunched at a couple of Southern influenced restaurants.

Yesterday I went to Back Forty on 12th Street and Ave. B and was very impressed. Even though their air conditioning wasn't really working on a sweltering day, the food made me forget about it. Because I ate a Katz pastrami sandwich at 2AM the night before I decided to go with something on the healthier side. I ordered the poached eggs with baby wheat, tomatoes, squash and toast. My dish was really good but I particularly enjoyed what some of my friends ordered. I definitely tend to like saltier foods more than sweet so the over easy eggs with short rib hash (pictured above) might have been my favorite. The hash wasn't greasy or fatty tasting and went well with each bite of egg. But for those who prefer something sweeter and lighter, the Brioche French Toast was delicious too. Next time I am there, I am going all out and ordering the fried chicken and waffles.

A couple of weeks ago I went to Char No. 4. I really wanted to love their brunch because I have had great dinners there and their staff is super friendly and helpful. I won't say what I had was bad, it just wasn't my type of food. I ordered the biscuits benedict with house smoked ham, poached eggs, and bacon gravy. Maybe it was my mistake but I could barely eat anything after three bites because it was so heavy since it was drowning in gravy. My bf ordered the poached eggs with bacon cheddar grits which were flavorful but the texture was so soggy, it wasn't very appetizing. That being said, I definitely recommend Char No. 4 for dinner and drinks but would stick to Clover Club for a great Smith Street brunch spot.

Friendly Fires and Tori Amos

2009-08-20T13:50:00.014-04:00

Friendly Fires and Tori have nothing to do with one another except that I saw the both in concert last week. So here goes...

I saw FF at (Le) Poisson Rouge and because I have difficulty staying up past midnight on work nights, the 10:30 PM door time did not make this easy for me. After sitting through a semi-obnoxious set by Phenomenal Hand Clap Band (if you were there when they were singing that song where they just counted by 5s the whole time, you would understand), we waited almost an hour for FF to set up and the crowd starting booing. Oh, how I love NYC crowds. They finally went on around 12:15AM and apologized for the ridiculous wait. It turned into the sweaty dance party but after about 40 minutes we left because of exhaustion. I wasn't too bummed because I am a casual fan and they played everything I wanted to hear by that point.

I am not a casual fan of Tori Amos. I was obsessed with her as a teenager thanks to my Texan friend Amanda who converted me when I was 15. Although I haven't loved her past couple of albums, seeing her in concert is still one of my favorite experiences. I think this was around my 10th time seeing her and my 3rd time seeing her play Radio City. No matter how many years pass by, she still brings it live. Her setlists can be hit or miss because she has such a huge catalog of music but overall this set was great with the exception of Jamaica Inn which pains me to listen to. I heard Raspberry Swirl live for the first time and she played some of my other favorites including Caught a Lite Sneeze, Winter, Precious Things, Bells For Her and Space Dog.

As always, she did a cover in the middle of her set and I was lucky enough that it was Smells Like Teen Spirit. It was amazing, video below:

La Roux - Bulletproof

2009-08-17T18:54:00.005-04:00

Can't get this Tilda Swinton look alike's guilty pleasure music out of my head.

All Points West 2009

2009-08-03T16:18:00.031-04:00

The best way to sum up what I did this past weekend:

and this

Poo smelling, muddy swamps aside, I did have a great time at APW. It may not the best run festival and their line-up doesn't rival other large festivals but I got free tickets so I can't complain about anything.

Day 1:
Fleet Foxes- The sound system didn't do them any favors but they played all of my favorites and their vocal harmonies were still beautiful. It was pretty awesome watching them as a massive rain storm was brewing.

The National - I had seen them twice before when they opened up for Arcade Fire two years ago at the United Palace Theater and I wasn't impressed. They ended up playing one of my favorite sets of the festival. The singer jumped into the crowd a couple of times and I thought he was going to electrocute himself.

Vampire Weekend - We ended up under a makeshift tent that was really just a large piece of plastic in the middle of the crowd. I am not sure if it was because we were under this "tent" with lots of smelly, high dudes or I am not lover of their music, but I was indifferent to this set.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Karen O blew all the "rock stars" of the day away. The rain had stopped at this point, so we jumped around in mud and danced to their great set. I was just as in love with them as when I saw them at Santos this past April.

Jay-Z - Opened up with a rocking cover of No Sleep Till Brooklyn. I had a great time during his set and confused/frightened my companions by rapping along to all his songs. What can I say, he was the shit in high school.

Day 2:
Arctic Monkeys - I loved their first album and have see them a few times at smaller venues. After watching them on Saturday, they seem to have been influenced not only by Black Sabbath's music (listen to the leaked version of their new album, Humbug) but by Black Sabbath's hair (see photo below). I have to say I didn't love their set and their new album's lack of energy was evident live. But kids to have to grow up, so I respect that.

from Brooklynvegan

Gogol Bordello - Watching them was like being at a drunken Bar Mitzvah. Their songs are kind of same-y but since all the songs are made to be danceable, the crowd didn't seem to care and neither did I. Seeing them in a small club would be a fun experience.

My Bloody Valentine - I heard that seeing MBV is supposed to be an incredible, ear bleeding experience. The latter was probably more accurate, thank goodness I brought earplugs. Unfortunately the sound system made each instrument indistinguishable from another and I couldn't hear the vocals at all, so I couldn't enjoy it.

Tool - They were the most "mainstream band" of the day which is strange considering they make 8-minute long songs, their singer has a thing for wearing only body paint, and they are into generally weird stuff. That being said, I found it strange that most of their fans I saw at APW were obnoxious, wasted, frat boy douchebags. But I didn't let that ruin the experience. Tool played impeccably and the show was visually stunning from the lights to the creepy video artwork. They obviously put a lot of money into their concert and it shows.

Day 3:
Oops, I bailed out on Sunday! I opted to stay in and watch epically long movies like Magnolia and Eyes Wide Shut instead. Because I was so exhausted from the first two days, the journey to Jersey and the poo swamps awaiting me seemed too daunting. I am kind of bummed I missed Echo & The Bunnymen, Mogwai, and La Roux but I can definitely see the last two in smaller venues in Manhattan or Brooklyn.

Nine Trailer

2009-07-30T12:33:00.022-04:00

Before my trip to Italy this past May I was supposed to watch Fellini's 8½. In the packing frenzy and general busyness before I left, that never happened. Since I have been nostalgic about my spring trip and I was discussing old films that I wanted to watch with my boyfriend last night, this has gone on the top of the list of films I want to watch. This brings me to the trailer for Nine, which is a musical based on 8½. I have never been a fan of musicals but this trailer looks awesome. Nine stars Daniel Day Lewis (I have an old man crush on him much like I do for Nick Cave), Penelope Cruz (I have a girl crush on her), Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, and Marion Cotillard. The dreadful Fergie and Kate Hudson are also in this film, but I will look past that for now because it looks so promising otherwise.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - You Disappointed Me So

2009-07-17T14:21:00.019-04:00

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is one of my favorite stories from the HP series, so I was really excited to see the movie especially after seeing the well cut trailers.

Unfortunately, my obsession with the books stopped me from enjoying the movie. One of the big focuses was on the students maturing (mostly focused on their raging hormones). That was cute but I wish more time was spent on Harry and Dumbledore's relationship, which in my opinion is the central plot of the story, rather than Lavender Brown obsessing over Ron.

Halfway through I felt that the movie was just going through the motions and trying to race through major plot points to get to the grand finish line but the ending fell flat. It seemed they replaced the ending Hogwarts battle with a random attack scene at the Burrow which wasn't even in the book. I was highly anticipating the "big death" at the end of the book that makes me cry like a blubbering nerd anytime I read it. I felt no emotional reaction when I saw this brought to life on screen. The score tried to drum up the tension in that scene but it never fully built up.

There were a couple of positives though. Jim Broadbent was fantastic as Professor Slughorn and breathed some new life into the cast. The cave scene was just as dark and creepy as I had pictured it and the fire special effects were really well done. That said, I am definitely not going to go into the final two films with any expectations after this one.

Random side note: WTF was with Ron and Harry's hair? Their hair styles looked like strange takes on a bowl cut.

Seaport, Brooklyn Bowl, Spotted Pig and Others

2009-07-16T12:55:00.019-04:00

Fitting in as many summer activities as possible is tiring but definitely worth it. Last Friday, a group of us went to the Water Taxi Beach at the South Street Seaport. Even though it was a beautiful night it wasn't very crowded. Really great views and atmosphere but overpriced drinks. You can't always win.

Right next door to the "beach", Pains of Being Pure at Heart were playing a free show at the Seaport. They make fuzzy, poppy rock that makes nice background music perfect for a summer evening. To get in more excitement, we made our way to the new Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg which also doubles as a concert venue. The space is really well thought out and has a great vibe. O'Death played a set while we bowled, I have never bowled while a folk metal band was playing so that was a first. So much fun was had that there were bowling shoes being thrown around (not in the crowd but in our bowling lane).

Monday night rivaled Friday for jamming things in. After seeing my brother's band play a show at Gramercy Theater we randomly decided to go to Highline Park. It was awesome because there were no crowds and the lighting comes from the ground rather than overhead. While walking from the Highline to the LES we decided to stop by The Spotted Pig for kicks since it was after 10 and we were hopeful there would be no lines. We sat at the bar upstairs and ordered a bunch of food. The menu is not for anyone who is conscious about their weight. We had duck fat potatoes, chicken liver crostini, burger with roquefort cheese, and "devils on horseback" which are bacon wrapped prunes stuffed with pears and were probably the best thing we had.

Handsome Furs at MHOW and Bowery Ballroom

2009-07-10T17:00:00.009-04:00

I almost got hit in the face with Dan's guitar and definitely got some spit on my forehead. Great time both nights.

Happy Independence Day

2009-07-08T10:24:00.015-04:00

I am a big fan of July 4th because it represents the beginning of summer, time with friends, past special personal event(s), and lots of food. To celebrate independence and the new grill, we hosted a small gathering of friends as opposed to a raging party on the rooftop (although it might have crossed into party territory because many random strangers showed up). Besides standard grilled food, there was also a crustacean feast provided by Tony the 10-pound, 30-year old lobster and his little friends:

Tony is on the right. He was a little scary and we had to put him in the bathtub while we were boiling the water because of fears that he would run around the apartment and kill the cat. Tony's claws provided lots of delicious lobster meat that we smothered in butter. Finished up the night watching the sunset, some fireworks and roasting marshmallows. Summer has arrived.

Halfway Through 2009 List

2009-07-02T14:08:00.013-04:00

Our culture is obsessed with lists so here is a list of my favorite things of 2009 so far. I am not putting them in order because it is most likely going to change by the end of the year.

Albums I love:
Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
Bat For Lashes - Two Suns
Handsome Furs - Face Control
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz (mostly the first half of the album)
Passion Pit - Manners

Albums that disappointed me or make me mad:
Tori Amos - Abnormally Attracted to Sin
Yes, Tori hasn't made a good album in almost 10 years but I really wanted her to. I still paid $70 to see her at Radio City in August.

PJ Harvey and John Parish - A Man A Woman Walked By
This is at some points painful to listen to. Seeing it live helped make it better but I still can't get halfway through it. PJ, you are still my goddess anyway.

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion
I know it makes me uncool not to like this but I really don't get this shit.

Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
Stillness Is The Move is a great song but otherwise most of the album is just overrated guitar noodling and time changes.

Movies I love:
Il Divo - Stylistically amazing biopic about an Italian politician and his mafia ties.
Up! - I cried 10 minutes into this sad and uplifting movie and so did the 7 other people I saw it with, including the men.
Anvil! The Story of Anvil
Moon - Saw this at the Tribeca Film Fest. Great performance by Sam Rockwell and made even better since the other Tribeca film I saw was The Girlfriend Experience which was awful.

Movie that disappointed:
Watchmen - The trailer is sooooooo good and made me so excited to see it that I went to see it opening night at midnight. While it did have some great moments, I think the graphic novel is just too challenging to bring to film.

Freemans and Clover Club

2009-07-02T13:36:00.005-04:00

I ate at two places this week that were quite tasty. One restaurant that I have brunched at many times, Clover Club, and one which was new for me, Freemans.

I have previous blogged about Clover Club but feel the need to share my experience about their bacon tasting plate. It had three kinds of thick cut bacon: peppered, maple, and duck. Prior to this dish, I had no idea duck bacon existed. It's awesome and was my favorite out of the three. If you want thoughtfully made, fresh, relatively inexpensive brunch, go here. Also ask for my wonderful friend Amber to be your waitress and give her a big tip.

Tasting of Bacon at Clover Club. My iPhone camera makes it look gross but it wasn't.

Last night I went to Freemans for the first time although it wasn't my first attempt. I tried once on a Saturday night at 8pm but was told there would be a 3 hour wait so that was a failure. We dropped by last night at 7:30pm and only had to wait a half hour to be seated. I was worried that since I was surrounded by only hip, skinny people that the food wouldn't be good or the portions would be obnoxiously tiny. I worried for nothing. We started with the creamy artichoke dip that could have fed four more people. I have an artichoke obsession so I was pleased with that appetizer. My bf and I split the mac and cheese and the lamb with mint yogurt and asparagus. The mac and cheese was perfectly crispy on top and had just the right amount of creaminess. The lamb was cooked just rare enough and the mint yogurt made for a interesting flavor combination. I would definitely go back, on a week night of course.

Phoenix at Music Hall of Williamsburg (and a little bit of Passion Pit)

2009-07-02T11:51:00.012-04:00

I have never been in love with Phoenix's albums and wasn't impressed by their performance on SNL a couple of months ago. I have to say I am a convert after seeing their midnight show at MHOW two weeks ago. My boyfriend is happy that he proved me wrong.

The show started off with a great set from Lightspeed Champion. I can't remember the last time I was super impressed with an opening band but I am definitely looking forward to their album coming out. Phoenix took the stage at 12:15AM. It was a complete lovefest between Phoenix and the fans. The band couldn't stop smiling and seemed so happy to be there instead of being pretentious assholes. Their songs sound so much more energetic and full live I had to retract any previous criticism I have had of them. I had so much fun that I am going to see them in Central Park in September with Passion Pit.

Speaking of Passion Pit, I saw them again at Bowery Ballroom a couple of days after the Phoenix show. While I did have a great time, the band seemed pretty bored and kind of went through the motions during their 50 minute set. The crowd made up for the band's lack of energy and so did the shots I took for my friend's birthday right before they went on stage.

Standing at keyboard the whole show

No Doubt at PNC Bank Arts Center

2009-07-02T11:25:00.014-04:00

I was completely obsessed with No Doubt in 7th grade but I never got to see them live. Last Friday I finally got my chance. I got hooked up with free tickets for their show in NJ and was able to bring along three of my fave people. We took a party bus down there which ended up taking 3 hours in an insane thunderstorm. The bus ride there was quite eventful, we hit a car on the highway and at a separate time a drunk girl I didn't know fell and hit her head on the floor. She got up after a few minutes and started chugging vodka again. I guess they call it a party bus for a reason.

We made it just in time to miss Paramore which we were more than okay with. I am convinced hitting cars is way more fun than watching them play. No Doubt took the stage at 9:30 and the teenager in me came out and I was thrilled for the next hour and a half. They played all their hits and some of my old faves from Tragic Kingdom. The experience felt more intimate than an amphitheater show usually does because we luckily had 4th row center seats and were so close we could see the definition in Gwen's abs. That woman seriously doesn't age, I couldn't see one flaw on her face or body.

BBQ Overload

2009-06-18T13:42:00.017-04:00

Salt Lick BBQ

I have been really bad about blogging lately. But oh well here it goes.

Besides having the worst weather ever, June was also the month of eating lots of BBQ. I went into red meat overload for a little while and attempted to not eat meat for an entire week. It only lasted 3 days because I accidentally ordered bacon on a breakfast sandwich one day. Oops. Some meat eating highlights:

After a Saturday night of drinking and festivities a couple of weeks ago, I managed to get up early enough to get to the Big Apple BBQ in Madison Square Park before the huge crowds. There were 9 or 10 booths with a different Pittmaster (famous BBQ chef) that only served one dish for the whole day. We were starving so we ran to the Blue Smoke booth since it had no line. They served ribs with pickled okra. The sauce on the ribs is so unbelievably good, we bought a bottle of it.

With our appetites somewhat satiated, we got on the longest line for Salt Lick BBQ's brisket and sausage. The day before they had run out of food at 3:30 so I was expecting it to be really awesome. Both the brisket and sausage were juicy and seasoned well but it definitely wasn't mind blowing. In all fairness, when you cook food for thousands of people, it probably won't be as good when making smaller portions in a restaurant. The afternoon was finished off on a delicious note. The head chef from Pappy's Smokehouse gave me free ribs while I was waiting in line. I like that man.

Two days later, I had a fun work dinner at Dinosaur BBQ. The appetizers were great, fried green tomatoes and chicken wings were amazing but the main course was below average. The ribs were too fatty, mac and cheese was not warm so the cheese congealed into a mushy, unappetizing mess. But it was free and I was in good company so I can't really complain.

More BBQ to come on July 4th...

Whenever I have a bad day...

2009-06-11T17:18:00.004-04:00

I watch this and it makes me feel better:

Concerts Lately

2009-06-08T09:47:00.010-04:00

Grizzly Bear at Town Hall

I have gone to a few concerts since I got back from Italy. Recaps of those shows:

Passion Pit on a boat - I have never vacationed on a cruise before because the thought of being stuck on a ship with nowhere to go scares me. I did however go on a boat cruise around Manhattan for Passion Pit's release party for their new album Manners. Their sound can be a bit repetitive but I like that sound so I was very excited to see them. They were really energetic and the singer was way into it. The boat swayed a lot at times and we almost fell while dancing which actually made it more fun.

White Rabbits at Bowery Ballroom - If you like the band Spoon, you will like the White Rabbits. They are really young and the model groupies behind me were cooing about how cute they were the entire show. The song Percussion Gun from their new album It's Frightening was the highlight. I will probably catch them again at at All Points West since I got free tickets for the whole weekend from work (yay!).

Grizzly Bear at Town Hall - Might be my favorite show of the year so far. Luckily we managed to get 6th row center seats in the presale and I am glad we did. The sound was phenomenal and their vocals were gorgeous. I thought the material from the new album sounded even more haunting and beautiful live. The live songs were enhanced by the collaboration with the Brooklyn Youth Choir, a bunch of teenage girls with angelic voices. I got chills a few times throughout the show especially during the song Foreground. Amazing.

TV on the Radio at Summerstage - It rained, it was cold but I was able to put aside by weather hatred for a few TVOTR songs. They put on a great show but I would prefer to see them in a smaller, indoor venue with a better sound system. Dirty Projectors were the openers and I don't really get all the hype about them. Lots of guitar noodling and oohing and aahing which after a while went from sounding semi-interesting to boring. Their vocals were not strong live without studio tinkering which made the performance of standout track Stillness Is The Move from Bitte Orca disappointing. I could have skipped this show overall.

Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks

2009-05-27T10:48:00.009-04:00

Grizzly Bear's great new album Veckatimest came out yesterday and it is selling on Amazon.com for $3.99. A million people have blogged about their new video for Two Weeks and that is because it is weird and awesome. Watch the whole thing in full screen HD:

Very excited to see them tomorrow night at Town Hall.

Florence Eats: Ristorante del Fagioli

2009-05-20T20:32:00.005-04:00

My favorite restaurant in Florence hands down is Ristorante del Fagioli located in Santa Croce. It is Florentine food at it's most authentic. The restaurant is run by the nicest family who have been cooking these recipes for generations. When I lived in Florence I used to go to this restaurant every week with my roommates. On this visit after two unsuccessful attempts at trying to eat there (closed on both Saturday and Sunday), we went there for lunch. This place is still under the radar for tourists and we were surrounded by locals.

I had the pappa al pomodoro to start and then the Involtine di "Gigi" (beef stuffed with artichoke mortadella, and cheese). Both were amazing. The boys had some fried meatball dish that I can't remember the name of but they both loved it. Below if a video of Antonio talking about the restaurant. Watching it makes me both hungry and nostalgic:

Address: Corso Tintori 47r

Florence Eats: Osteria del Caffè Italiano

2009-05-20T20:15:00.009-04:00

For our Saturday night in Florence I was expecting to eat at my favorite Florence restaurant, Ristorante del Fagioli but sadly they are closed on Saturday and Sundays. We found a highly rated restaurant in the area from our guidebook and ended up at Osteria del Caffè Italiano. When we were inside I realized that I had eaten there before but it wasn't memorable enough for me to remember the name.

The restaurant was formal with white tableclothes and a serious decor. I started with the pappa al pomodoro which is a Florentine thick tomato and bread soup. I love that dish but have never found a restaurant in NYC that serves it. I have tried to make it a few times but it never comes out right.

I then had a duet of lamb (I sound like a contestant on Top Chef explaining their dish), one was stuffed with artichoke and the other was fried on the bone. Overall, it was a very good meal but it wasn't one of my favorite food experiences in Italy. But at this point of the trip I had eaten so much great food, I was really spoiled.

Emily and Brett enjoy the candlelight.

I made a heart out of lamb bones for modage.

Florence Eats: Natalino

2009-05-20T19:59:00.005-04:00

For our first night in Florence we ate at one of my old favorites, Natalino. They serve authentic Florentine food with a contemporary twist. The three dishes I remembered eating there: the pear filled pasta with gorgonzola sauce, bistecca alla fiorentina, and their tiramisu. And I was quite happy that all three things were still on the menu. We ordered that plus a 14 euro bottle of great Chianti for an amazing meal.

Bistecca alla fiorentina. The only seasoning this piece of meat gets is salt and olive oil which is all it needs. This is a portion for one person and I don't think the picture gives it justice.

Florence Eats: Antico Noe

2009-05-20T19:36:00.005-04:00

When I studied in Florence and was eating six full meals a day, I would eat a sandwich from Antico Noe every day. I am not a big sandwich person at all but I find myself day dreaming about this place quite often. So in the 4 days we were in Florence, we ate there 3 times. Antico Noe must have gained in popularity because there was a huge line each time we went there which wasn't an issue when I lived there. But I would not be deterred by any lines. Located in the "Crack Alley" off of Borgo degli Albizi, Antico Noe serves huge, amazing sandwiches for about 3.00-4.50 euros that will keep you full for hours.

The bread is warm and crunchy on the outside, meats are juicy, vegetables fresh and their spicy piccante sauce is one of the best tastes I have ever had in my mouth. I got the number 18 as I always did which is roast beef, mushrooms, tomato, swiss cheese and piccante sauce. I would fly across the world to eat one of these again.

Menu.

Happy sandwich making man.

Rome Eats: Grappolo d’Oro Zampanò

2009-05-20T19:15:00.007-04:00

After eating in the fat man's kitchen the first night in Rome, we went for dinner at Grappolo d’Oro Zampanò which serves all the classic Roman dishes but in a more modern environment. We started with two staples, Tonarelli cacio e pepe (spaghetti with pecorino and black pepper) and Spaghetti alla carbonara (creamy and bacon-y spaghetti). The pastas were simple but absolutely wonderful. I found that I am not very good at eating first and second courses. By the time I finished up my cacio e pepe, I was pretty full. For my second course, I ordered Agnello alla romana (Roman style lamb) which was fried and served with roasted potatoes. I don't recommend eating fried lamb on a full stomach. Overall, from the meals we had in Rome, I found that the pizza and pasta are usually better than the meat courses.

Our waiter became our new best friend because he was so excited to meet people from NYC. We learned all about his clingy, psychotic girlfriend and how despite her issues he still loves her. In return for listening to his love problems, he gave us lots of free limoncello and grappa. Win.

Rome Eats: Antico Forno Roscioli

2009-05-20T18:54:00.005-04:00

The best pizza I had in Italy was at Antico Forno Roscioli right near the Campo de Fiori. This isn't a place to sit down and linger but is great to grab a quick and cheap lunch. There were no tourists when we were there which was surprising because it is fairly close to the Pantheon and Piazza Navona. The pizza is not served as a typical slice instead they will motion how much of the square pizza they should cut for you and then weigh it. We got three different kinds: thin crust basic cheese pizza with tomato sauce and sausage, spinach and cheese with sausage, and a cheese and prosciutto. Most of the pizza we had in Italy did not have tomato sauce on it which I thought was interesting. The substantial portion cost 5 euros each and we had some left over. If you are lucky you will get a stool to sit on but be prepared to stand and eat with Roman locals on their lunch break.

They also have a hot buffet with fresh pasta (gnocchi was the Thursday special when we were there and it looked really good) and salads. I really wish that there was a buffet this good and cheap in NYC.

Address: Via del Chiavari, 34

Rome Eats: Da I 2 Ciccioni

2009-05-17T15:37:00.015-04:00

I went to Italy for 9 days and because of my love of food, every meal was planned out prior to arriving there. Having lived in Italy a few years ago I learned that just because a restaurant is in Italy does not mean it will be good.

For the first night in Rome, we went to a restaurant I read about in the NY Times called Da I 2 Ciccioni (which translates to a term that means something like Two Fat Dudes). After going through a labyrinth of tiny streets in Trastevere we finally found it. We were greeted by the owner Gianni who does not speak a word of English and motioned for us to come back at 8pm because they were not open yet. We went to get a drink on our empty stomachs at a bar a few blocks away.

At exactly 8PM we went back to Due Ciccioni which was a small kitchen with five tables. There was no menu and no prices. Gianni's happy wife (or maybe daughter) seated us and quickly gave us a bottle of wine and water while he stayed outside with their dog Aldo. About 10 seconds later, delicious bruschetta was served. The tomatoes in Italy are so amazing they barely need any seasoning. They make the on the vine ripened tomatoes from Whole Foods seem like poor quality. We also had stewed beans and mashed potatoes mixed with crushed tomatoes and chilis. It was all excellent. Wife/daughter who doesn't speak English either, proudly told us that every dish they serve is authentically Roman and the recipes have been around for centuries. She also told me I spoke with a good Italian accent which was reassuring considering I haven't spoken a word of it in 5 years.

Gianni came back in after the appetizers and gave us a choice of three pastas for our primi course: rigatoni all’amatriciana, spaghetti alla carbonara, and cacio e pepe. These three pastas seemed to be on the menu of every restaurant we passed by in Rome. We both opted for the amatriciana. It was amazing. The pasta was perfectly cooked, the sauce was perfectly seasoned with guanciale, pancetta, and pecorino.

I was so full after our first course I couldn't imagine eating the 2nd course and was only able to eat two bites of the calamari dish he prepared. For dessert, they provided two full bottles of grappa and limoncello and some chocolates. By the time we were done the restaurant was full including a woman breast feeding her baby at the table. The NY Times says the meal cost 30 euros a person, but wife/daughter only charged us 25 euro a person. This meal was definitely one of the highlights of the trip.

This is what the entrance looks like. Address is Vicolo de Cedro, 3. If you go to Rome, this place is a must.

Peter Bjorn and John at MHOW

2009-05-02T17:42:00.007-04:00

I went to the Music Hall of Williamsburg on Thursday night to see P B and J. Their new album Living Thing is a fun, spring listen although probably at this time next year I will not be listening to it. Some of the new songs sounded a bit limp in concert without the studio production. The standout songs live were Up Against the Wall and Objects of My Affection from their last album Writer's Block. We chose to stand in the balcony right above the stage instead of on the floor because we weren't in the mood to be sweated on but the crowd seemed to be pretty calm throughout the show. Their frontman was very enthusiastic, running in place and doing little dance moves (perhaps special Swedish moves). It was a nice, little show but I don't feel the need to see them again. I do really like the venue and will be seeing Phoenix and Handsome Furs there this summer.

"I like your dancing style" said the moustached band member on the left.

It's that time of year...

2009-04-24T15:32:00.006-04:00

Where girls wear less clothing and men try their hardest to get as close as they can to them. But most of the time it ends up in failure but that doesn't stop them from trying:

Picture courtesy of modage.

Friday LOLZ

2009-04-17T10:57:00.004-04:00

For the few of you that have not read about the hipster grifter, this will not makes sense to you. My co-worker made this awesome picture:

See this Movie: Anvil! The Story of Anvil

2009-04-17T10:20:00.014-04:00

Last weekend I saw one of my favorite movies of the year so far, Anvil! The Story of Anvil. It documents the story of the Canadian metal band that never quite made it even though their music was hugely influential in the heavy metal genre. Metallica's Lars Ulrich, Motorhead's Lemmy Kilmster, Anthrax's Scott Ian, Slayer's Tommy Araya all attest to how important Anvil was on the scene but no one can quite put their finger on why they didn't make it. Lars takes a stab at it, "maybe it was because they were Canadian?" Oh Lars, how I both love and hate you.

Back in 1984 they reached the pinnacle of their career, playing a huge metal festival in Japan alongside other huge bands of that time. Since then, they pretty much vanished from the scene although they have released over a dozen of albums without much notice. Fast forward to 2005 (the year this was filmed), the two remaining members of the band, front man Steve "Lips" Kudlow and Robb Reiner, now in their 50's are working mundane day jobs in Toronto but still trying their hardest to make it. Their sincere attempt to succeed in the music business is really touching because of their longstanding friendship. They agree to go on a European tour booked by an eager yet clueless Romanian fan and what ensues is hilarious and sad. Lips refers to it as the "most important tour of their career" and it turns out to be anything but that.

The movie has some similarities to Metallica's Some Kind of Monster except here you aren't dealing with rich millionaires who are just trying to keep a huge juggernaut going in order to satiate their egos. By the end, I wanted Anvil to succeed so badly and am happy to see that they are playing both the Glastonbury and Download festivals this summer.

Even if you don't like heavy metal music, this movie is still great. Trailer is below, I dare you not to like it!

Hey Dudes in NYC

2009-04-15T15:26:00.002-04:00

If this girl hits on you, beware!

Italy Italy!

2009-04-13T17:46:00.005-04:00

I am going to Italy in three weeks and am beyond excited! I studied abroad in Florence five years ago and am ready to make my return. I will be going to Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre, and another undecided small town. When I lived there my roommates and I would eat at Ristorante del Fagioli once a week. The owner Antonio (otherwise known as Bugle Boy to us because he always wore those jeans) is the kindest man who always gave us free food or drink when we dined there. I googled the restaurant today to make sure it was still open and I stumbled upon a video of Antonio talking about his family owned restaurant on a travel site. I am getting all nostalgic and can't wait to go back to Del Fagioli and eat some of their Papa al Pomodoro. Below is the video:

Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Santos Party House

2009-04-13T11:35:00.014-04:00

Last night I was lucky enough to get into the Yeah Yeah Yeah's "secret" show at Santos Party House thanks to one of my awesome friends. This was their first show to promote their new album, It's Blitz. I have seen them a few of times before, at a small little club in Florence, Italy, at Lollapalooza 2007 and with Sonic Youth at McCarren Pool a couple of years a go. I never thought I would be able to see them in a tiny room again.

Santos was a bit over capacity and really hot but that didn't take away from how great the show was. The new songs were insanely good in concert. I wasn't crazy about Zero on the album but it completely rocked live. The highlight was the fan request encore which had two of my faves, Turn Into and Date With The Night. A lot of bands feel like they are too cool to play their hits but Karen O looked so thrilled and happy to be there.

There was an annoying mosh pit going during the first few songs but it died down after a couple of slow ones. To the bitchy, sweaty, angry foreign girl in the wifebeater that kept walking around with her elbows out and pushing us in the beginning, I hate you! Set list and video from the show below:

Heads Will Roll
Black Tongue
Human Fly (Cramps cover)
Phenomona
Dull Life
gold lion
Art Star
skeletons
Hysteric
Down Boy
Zero
Maps
Y Control
Encore:
Turn Into
Date With The Night
Poor Song

Hello Spring

2009-04-06T20:31:00.004-04:00

Spring finally hit NYC yesterday.

My boyfriend and I were going to take the subway into Brooklyn but within 15 seconds of being out in the glorious weather we decided to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. The hardest part was actually getting to the bridge and we got lost in the small Chinatown streets on the way there. After half an hour, we saw a ton of people, mostly foreigners, walking and biking up the ramp. I was kind of scared because the walkway is made of wood planks and you can see the green water if you look down through the cracks, some of which are kind of big.

We walked straight from the bridge to Lucali in Carroll Gardens since I have heard so much about the greatness of their pizza. Unfortunately, it doesn't open until 6pm and we were 2 hours early. Pizza dreams were dashed and we had to settle for Middle Eastern at Zaytoon's. It was good, but nowhere near as good as my Mom's Lebanese cooking which I will get to have on Wednesday.

Brooklyn Restaurant Week 2009

2009-04-04T12:31:00.011-04:00

Brooklyn's version of Restuarant week, Dine-In Brooklyn is one of the best food deals in NYC. It is slightly more appealing than Manhattan's Restaurant Week because it costs $23 for a 3-course meal versus $36 and it runs through the weekend not just on weeknights. This year I went to The Grocery in Carroll Gardens and Blue Ribbon Brasserie in Park Slope.

The Grocery is a small restaurant on Smith Street with a no-frills decor. Their menu uses fresh, seasonal ingredients, so it changes quite often. I have been there once before and it was one of the best meals I have ever had. I was excited to go back especially for a fraction of the price. I started with a warm squid salad with haricot verts, and roasted potatoes in a black olive vinaigrette. For the main course, I had a braised pork shoulder with anchos, soft polenta and escarole. My dessert had an interesting combination of flavors. The chocolate bread pudding was served with sour cream and caramelized bananas. I have never had sour cream with anything besides Mexican food but it worked really well with the richness of the chocolate.

On the day we planned to go to Blue Ribbon, we for some reason, went to Tuck Shop on Houston Street first for $5 Australian meat pies (I think the boys convinced us all). Although the pies were really good, this was a mistake because we were all full by the time we went got to Park Slope.

One of the few downsides to Restaurant Week is that you are limited in what you can order: 3 options for each course. Last year, Blue Ribbon put some of their best dishes on the menu (pork belly, braised lamb). This year the menu wasn't as impressive but was still a great deal considering that one of their main courses usually costs more than we paid for each of our meals. The standout was the creamy tomato soup. Till next year...

Bruno Trailer

2009-04-03T13:50:00.011-04:00

Sasha Baron Cohen is the funniest Jew that has ever existed. I was obsessed with Borat and am now really excited for Bruno, coming out July 10th. Red band trailer below courtesy of one of my favorite sites, Videogum:

Also, check out Bruno's MeinSpace page here: http://www.meinspace.com/bruno. Really well done by Cohen and the marketers of the film.

Clinton St. Baking Company

2009-03-27T10:39:00.002-04:00

I was very lucky to make great friends at my first job out of college at DC Comics. Even better is that they enjoy being gluttonous as much as I do. To celebrate our love of food and drink we try to find places we can be gluttonous on the cheap every couple of weeks. One advantage of the recession is that many places are having great specials. A couple of nights ago we went Clinton St. Baking Company for dinner and drinks. From 6-8PM they have a $12 Burger and Beer combo as well as half-price bottles of wine.

This place is mostly known for it's excellent brunch that can have a 2 hour wait on the weekend. If you don't want to wait in line to eat awesome pancakes, they are on the dinner menu. With that thinking in mind, I got the blueberry pancakes which were amazing. Since I also had a craving for something more salty, I got onion rings on the side. There were thin, crispy, and perfectly cooked. Jess and Gayle both got the delicious burger which was smothered in caramelized onions and Swiss cheese. I think we will definitely be going back.

This past weekend...

2009-03-23T22:29:00.000-04:00

I did a bunch of New York things this weekend, a couple of them quite dorky.

I attended a midnight screening of the cult film The Room, at the East Village Cinemas on Friday night along with a bunch of movie nerds. All three theaters showing the film were sold out. People threw spoons at the screen and screamed ridiculous comments. There are monthly screenings of The Room in LA and this will now be a monthly event in NY according to a drunken Tommy Wiseau who introduced the film and hardly made any sense when he spoke.

I also went to Webster Hall, one of my least favorite places in the world, on Saturday night for the Cut and Paste digital design competition with 30 of my old co-workers. The incompetent bouncers sent us around to three different lines to get in which ended up taking 30 minutes. Our friend Ryan made it to the final round but did not win the competition although I think he was robbed. The competition was kind of BS since one of the categories competitors were judged on was "Dopeness." And of course dopeness is not quantifiable.

I tried an IntenSati workout class at Equinox (don't understand how someone can justify spending $200 a month to work out there). I probably will not take that class again because it was a little to new age for my taste. We had to say things like "I have the power to be who I want to be" repeatedly which is lovely but a little too gimmicky.

Oh, Britney

2009-03-21T17:29:00.000-04:00

Last Friday I got free tickets to see Britney Spears at the Prudential Center in Newark with some of my coworkers. Thankfully, transportation was also provided because I would never journey to Newark to see Britney, even if it was free. I left my slutty outfit at home so I didn't really fit in with most of the girls in attendance:

The Pussycat Dolls opened up and weren't very exciting. My favorite Doll was the drunk one who couldn't keep up with the dance moves and looked like she was about to fall over for the majority of their set.

At around 9:30 PM the main show started and there she was. Britney is all about the spectacle. She made no attempt to actually sing and I honestly didn't care. There was fire, S&M outfits, people flying through the air, and elaborate choreography. You could have replaced her with some person in a blond wig and I wouldn't have noticed because there was so much going on around the stage.

Many of the concertgoers were more fascinated with how her body looked than how she sounded. From overhearing conversations, the consensus was that her bod looks better than a year ago but not as good as her peak but people seem to ignore the fact that she had two children and is no longer 18 years old.

Overall it was a really entertaining show. But I still think the girl is batshit crazy.

Brunch at Clover Club

2009-03-15T22:28:00.000-04:00

Last night my roommate and I hosted a wine and appetizer party where we managed to squeeze and feed 40 people in our apartment. I woke up this morning feeling like I was hit by a bus and all I wanted to do was consume lots of food.

We headed to Cafe Luluc on Smith Street which is one of my go to spots for brunch because it's a few blocks from my apartment, has a very reasonably priced menu and they make the most amazing lightly fried pancakes. But the 30 minute wait for a table was too long for us to wait.

Luckily right next door to Cafe Luluc is Clover Club which has been getting press for it's old school, speakeasy vibe and carefully made cocktails. Before today I never knew they were open for brunch and I am so glad I ended up there. I had fluffy ricotta pancakes with lemon-honey syrup, apple compote and a side of potato pancakes (these sound so simple but I can't stop thinking about them). My boyfriend had baked eggs with chorizo and manchego cheese. Known for their drinks, Clover Club did not disappoint. I had an elderflower cocktail and tasted one of my friend's Bloody Mary, both were fantastic.

I will definitely be returning very soon since it was well priced and because they have an item on the menu called "Tasting of Bacon" that I must try.

Wine Week at Smith & Wollensky's

2009-03-15T17:28:00.000-04:00

See all these wine glasses? I learned this past Thursday if you want to be useful at work, it is best not to consume all this wine in the middle of the workday and expect to be productive when you return to your desk. Since I was with my co-workers, I didn't feel like a delinquent employee.

Besides the mean Italians sitting next to us, the lunch was very enjoyable. I am not a steak fanatic but I was pleasantly surprised that all their non-red meat dishes were done well. The soft shell crab special appetizer and hash browns were especially tasty. I am not an expert on old school steakhouses in midtown but this was definitely better than my past experience at Del Frisco's.