Toloache

Before the Duran show we tried out a new Mexican in Hell's Kitchen called Toloache. We started with the trio of guacamole (a mild, traditional one that was decent; a medium fruity one with
avocado, pomegranate seeds, mango, peach, habanero and Thai basil - this was my favorite of the 3; and a spicy version with chipolte and topped with queso fresco - tasty with quite a kick, but a bit too smokey for me - $20) . We were very happy overall with this trio, however the chips they came with left a bit to be desired - basically they were not thick enough to scoop which just caused sadness. I paired this with the house margarita (which was one of the best I've EVER had - not too tart or too sweet - $10). For the next course we split the Suadero tacos (braised brisket with tomatillo salsa and horseradish crema - 2 small tacos for $9) which were sinfully decadent and authentically done. We then moved on to split a main - the Atun con Chile (seven chile–rubbed tuna with sautéed choclo corn and chorizo in a tequila-chipotle glaze - $25). This dish was just a little too over the top for both of us - WAY too many flavors and The Lady suggested it was masking a not so great piece of fish. Yuck! On the side we had a perfectly cook order of sweet plantains that served as dessert ($5). In the end, aside from the tuna dish (which I feel was a mis-order anyway) the rest was quite good. I'll definitely be adding this to my list of standbys for pre-theater dining!

Beaujolais Nouveau Est Arrive!

Cooking With Jamie

wwI finally got to meet my man Jamie Oliver yesterday. Super sweet & cute! He was at Barnes & Noble signing his new book Cook With Jamie (which I have to say at first glance looks like a GREAT book and a great holiday gift idea - not to mention all of the proceed go to charity!). Nice one Jamie!

And He Gave Me His Stick!

Last night I went to see Duran Duran's Broadway debut with their Red Carpet Massacre run. I have to say this was just about THE GREATEST show I've ever seen (the front row seats helped!). The first act was the new cd - played in its entirety. There are a few songs I really like already, most notably "Skin Divers" which features Timbaland (he wasn't there to provide the rap section, but they did show a hollogram of him doing it which was pretty cool!) and "Nite Runner" (which features J.T.). After a brief intermission the guys then came back with an electro set which featured "Showroom Dummies", "Last Chance On the Stairways", "All She Wants Is", "Warm Leatherette", "I Don't Want Your Love" and "Skin Trade" (my favorite song of the evening), all basically merged into one long track. The guys were all lined up in a row across the stage with each member playing one electric instrument and the sound was incredible. AMAZING! This was definitely my favorite Duran moment in history.

The last act of the show featured a bunch of their big hits including "Rio", "Notorious", "Reflex", "Come Undone", "Ordinary World", "Planet Earth", "View To A Kill", "Sunrise" and the finale, "Girls On Film". They really kicked it up in the third act and the energy was insane. The best moment of the night however came during the curtain call when one Mr. Roger Taylor handed me his drumsticks !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I kid you not! I can now die a happy man . . . thank you Mr. Taylor - you still are and will always be my favorite pop star!

Sending Off James . . .

Last night we had a send off for my SUPER co-worker James. The night started with drinks in the lounge at The Night Hotel . A dark, kind of goth, intimate space, it is a great little hideaway in Midtown. I was happy to find out they did have 6 different wines by the glass, not just the standard merlot & chardonnay. The martinis looks enticing as well. The bartender was friendly, accomodating and handled our large crowd quite well. Great music and kind of a funky vibe. Oh, and for you smokers - there is a little interior patio off the lounge area where you can get your tobacco on.

Our next stop was for some nosh at Casellula, a new wine and cheese bar in Hell's Kitchen. LOVED this place! My only issue is that the actual bar is very small so it's sort of more of a restaurant feel. We sampled the endive salad with roaring forties blue cheese (which I'm still dreaming about), pear, macademia nuts and a sherry vinagrette ($13), the mac 'n cheese with lardons and carmelized onion (PERFECT for a cold night! - $12) and the pig's ass sandwich with pickles and a chipolte aoli ($12). We paired this with a bottle of Malbec ($36) and all was good!

Halloween With Sting

Went to see The Police at MSG Halloween night. As expected, the show didn't disappoint. From the opening number of "Message In A Bottle" to the finale of "Next To You" 20 songs later, the guys ran a tight set. "When The World Is Running Round" and "Driven To Tears" were definitely the highlights for me. I was also VERY impressed with Stewart Copeland's drumming. He would leave his drum kit occasionally and head to the back of the stage where there was a whole percussion section dangling from steel poles that he would rock out on. Cool stuff! Also, I should mention that all 3 members were in full costume - Sting as a jester, Andy as Charlie Chaplin and Stewart as a bloody pharoah (or something!). Very cool BUT after paying $275 for seats up front I wish I had gotten to spend a little more time with Sting's face (he wore a bolero mask all night until the encore). Watch out for a DVD of the tour (probably with footage from the Halloween show) early in 2008! Good show, old men! Thanks for the memories!