Not Without My Guest Packet

Best New Chefs 2008

2008-04-03T11:34:00.005-04:00

FOOD & WINE announced their picks this morning for this years Best New Chefs. Among the winners are NYC's own Michael Psilakis (of Kefi, Anthos and now Mia Dona). Check out The List! Seeing as this is the 20th anniversary of BNC, tonights shin-dig should be a memorable one with former BNC's Daniel Boulud, Todd English, Tom Colicchio, Wylie Dufresne and Rocco Dispirito and 15 others all putting forth signature dishes! Bring it!

BNC fun fact #1 - on average, the BNC's have 3 tatoos each!

Dinner & Ko

2008-03-31T13:15:00.008-04:00

Last Thursday night I was lucky enough to dine at chef David Chang's latest expansion of the Momofuku brand - Momofuku Ko. I say lucky enough because getting a ressie at this place is next to impossible. The only way to nab one of the 14 coveted stools (it's strictly a counter set-up) is to book a reservation online through the Ko website. A few notes on the logistics before I get into all of the yummy food stuff. The ressies open up for every morning at 10am for one evening exactly a week in advance and are typically gone within about 20 seconds. (After 2 weeks of trying I was getting a little over it all but then one day, lo and behold, there it was - the 7:15pm spot for 2!) The menu is an $85 pre-fixe 8-course meal (add another $50 if you want to do the wine/sake pairing) with no choices (you tell them any food allergies at the beginning and the rest is up to the chef).

With that said, let the journey begin . . .

The minute The Lady & I entered through the front door we knew this was going to be something special. The vibe was very mello (a HUGE difference from the chaotic atmosphere of Ssam Bar and Noodle Bar in the East Village for those familiar) and we were immediately perfectly lulled retro indie soundtrack quietly playing from above. We were show to the 2 open stools in the back corner and presented with the liquor menu (presented in a cool little moleskin journal). Since I'm not a fan of sake we decided to not go with the pairing and instead just order a bottle of wine (one of my ONLY complaints about the ENTIRE experience was that the wines are pretty pricey and mostly only come in half bottles - a fact that we didn't quite notice when browsing the list and making our selection so be forewarned!). I will say though that both the Sancerre and Pino Gris that we ordered (each 1/2 bottle $35) were both great - light and refreshing and paired well with the food.

Soon after placing our wine order the amuse bouche arrived. We were each presented with a different item (a trend that occured in 5 of the 8 courses) - a touch that we really liked since it allowed us to try even more of the chef's cuisine. The amuses consisted of 2 chicharrons (or pork rinds to the layman) and 2 baby homemade English muffins grilled in rendered pork fat and topped with scallions. BOTH were pure HEAVEN !!!!!!

This was followed up in the first course by 2 sashimi dishes - the first was fluke with poppy seeds and chives in a spicy buttermilk sauce and the other sweet Florida shrimp with avocado. Both were good, but definitely score 1 for the fluke (I LOVED it but The Lady did point out to me that the the spicy flavor was one we had tasted many times before at places like Rubuchon).

In course 2 we both were given the same dish - a Kimchi consemme with a piece of crispy pork belly and 2 raw Long Island oysters on the half shell. The pork belly was pure Chang perfection - I just wish it hadn't been served with the oysters (not that they were bad - I'm just not a fan of raw oysters).

Course 3 was one of the dishes I had been hearing a lot about - a coddled hen egg topped with caviar over onion soubise and homemade potato chips. This was fantastic, however I did think the amount of caviar was a bit overwhelming. Since The Lady has issues with raw egg, she mentioned to them in the beginning that she was "allergic" and so she had a pea soup with mushrooms and some other stuff that she enjoyed (I hate peas so basically ignored her dish and concentrated on the yolk!).

Next up were 2 separate scallop dishes. I was partial to the Lady's which was seared scallop over white asparagus with with some kind of nuts (please forgive me with the lack and precision of ingredient listing, but REALLY, who could keep track or understand what they were saying once you're in the thick of it!). My seared scallop was served with 2 manilla clams in a sauce that I can't much remember since I was hooked on The Lady's dish.

The next dish was another one of the most talked about - Riesling gelee, lychees and pinenut brittle topped with shaved foie gras. This dish was seriously OUTRAGEOUS - a sweet/savory balance with an explosion in every bite! (Again here though I have to say that there was a little too much foie gras in the dish - if that is possible).

Course 6 was the meat course - deep fried short rib with grilled scallion, pickled dicon and pickled mustard seeds. Even though I prefer my short ribs shredded, the slices melted in your mouth with a bit of crunch. VERY good. The Lady, who is more of a meat connoisseur than I, was also quite happy with this dish. I should also mention here that at this point we ran out of wine so decided to go with what was being paired with the course - a Rioja ($8/glass) that was one of the best that I have had with great body and some spice.

The final of the savory courses was miso soup with grilled rice, nori and pickled turnips and cabbage. We both also had this one and it was ok but blah blah blah . . . by that point is was all becoming a blur.

As the dinner began to wind down the pre-dessert palate cleaners arrived - mine being pineapple sorbet over dried pineapples and the Lady's being lychee sorbet over lychees. Both were extremely flavorful and got the job done. Then finally came the desserts (which we paired with an EXCELLENT version what I would call a homemade sparkling port). The Lady's dessert was a deep fried apple pie with sour ice cream. For us both, the pie was too heavy and I did NOT love the sour ice cream - eeeewww!. I can't even remember what the other dessert was - I had to ask twice and then I never actually really cared - I was over it (all I can tell you though is that it LOOKED like a stick of butter but didn't taste anywhere near as good).

Phew! Done and done.

One final note: TOTALLY worth it (both the hell of getting the reservation and the money spent) and a really special night out!

Spice-e-r Than Ever!

2008-03-25T15:14:00.007-04:00

I don't care how much anyone makes fun of me, The Spice Girls reunion tour was totally fun and amazing! They played all of their hits (yes, people, they had quite a few!) and looked and sounded AMAZING! I mean really people - who doesn't want to wave back frantically to Victoria as prances around the stage giving all of her loyal fans the royal wave about 1,000 times! Oh, and a big shout out to Mel C. for a HOT version of "I Turn To You"! The clip below sums it up - Spice Up Your Life! (I only wish it were clearer. PLEASE LADIES, RELEASE A VIDEO OF THE TOUR!) I'm have to say I'm sad for anyone who missed all the fun . . .

Congrats D.E.C.! ! !

2008-03-25T15:10:00.002-04:00

Swing by the newly transplanted DCKT Contemporary gallery on the Bowery and check out the Josh Azzarella show. Very cool stuff!

Theater Roundup

2008-03-25T14:26:00.010-04:00

I've seen a quite few things on Broadway since the August: Osage County posting, here's a quick summary:

In The Heights. Absolutely LOVED this one! Highly recommended! If you haven't heard about it yet it's basically the Latino version of Rent, taking place in Washington Heights. The music is red-hot with many Latin influences (hip hop, salsa, etc), the dancing is pro and the acting is top notch. Everyone in the cast really molds into their characters. The writer of this show, Lin-Manuel Miranda, also plays the main character Usnavi and is endearing from the moment he takes the stage. This show is my vote for the best new musical Tony for this year!

For those of you who missed the partially-staged, limited engagement of Gypsy with Patti Lupone this past summer at City Center, now is your chance to check out the full-blown production on Broadway. As usual, Lupone is a master and is even BETTER than she was this summer (and who would've even thought that was possible)! And Laura Benanti who plays Louise is NOT TO BE MISSED! She's my new fav and once Gypsy is over I can't wait to see what she'll do next! I had never seen the show before this summer and it is definitely a classic. And from what I hear this is the best revival yet. Patti - here's your Tony! Again, go see this one!

Next up was Chicago since I had never seen it before and I was drawn in by the stunt casting of John Schneider as Billy Flynn. Looking every-so-dapper, Schneider sounded great and held his own against all of the Fosse dancers. All-in-all it's a fun show but there are a few too many jazz hands in it for me. I'd only recommend this one when there is someone you like being stunt cast in it.

And finally, I went to see the 2 night only run of Jerry Springer: The Opera at Carnegie Hall. This one started off REALLY fun and it was HILARIOUS to hear people singing opera while dishing the foul-mouthed dirt. Sadly, though I have to say it all kind of fell apart in the second act. Harvey Keitel played Jerry and really he was nowhere near as good as I would've hoped or expected. I'd recommend this one to Jerry fans if you can ever find it playing anywhere again but would advise to leave at intermission.

Cookies & Beer

2008-03-25T14:13:00.006-04:00

I'm back. At least for a minute.

Just heard about Insomnia Cookies, a service that delivers fresh-baked cookies to starving students in the late night hours. In NY, they'll now deliver to just about anyone (if you live between Ave. A & W.S.H. and between Broome & 14th) from 8pm-2:15am. Place your orders online. And they just opened up a brick-n-mortar at W. 8th & Macdougal. I haven't tried the cookies yet - but who cares what they taste like - they deliver at 2am!

And speaking of Macdougal St., I broke all rules 2 weeks back and popped into a new bar called 124 Old Rabbit Club that is smack dab in the middle of N.Y.U. I know people - I TOTALLY should've known better! Anyway, it was TOTALLY HORREN - mostly only beer, mostly only beer you've never heard of, a super tight squeeze (thank god we actually all got seats) and not-so visually appealing. I'd recommend not falling down into this rabbit trap!

August: Osage County

2008-01-10T13:56:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday Mark & I went to see August: Osage County, the new play on Broadway by Tracy Letts (Bug, Killer Joe). I went to see it mainly because of the buzz surrounding it and due to the fact that it was on every theater critics top 10 list for the year. Thankfully, the critics were all correct in their recommendations. We LOVED this play !!!! The story is basically about a disfunctional family reuniting at their homestead in Oklahoma when their father goes missing. The script is full of twists and turns as all of the families dirty secrets are revealed. This is black comedy at it's best! The acting by virtually all of this ensemble cast (many of whom you'll recognize from all the bit parts that they've done) is superb - especially by Deanna Dunagan who plays the pill-popping mother Violet Weston. This lady MUST win the Tony this year! The only minor dissapointment for me come from Madeleine Martin who you may recognize as the daughter Becca Moody on Californication. I love her on that show, however she basically recreated that character here with all it's deadpan angst which made me wonder how limited this budding actress really is. I hope she improves with age. The set resembles a giant dollhouse with action taking place in various rooms. Very effective staging here. Bear in mind that this show is in 3 acts with a running time of 3 1/2 hrs with 2 intermissions. Take it from someone who doesn't like sitting through long stuff though - this one FLIES by! If you only see one show this year before the Tony's, make sure it is August!

Happy Birthday To Our Little Mascot!

2008-01-03T11:32:00.000-05:00

Frannie turns 3 today!

Let's Kick Off 2008!

2008-01-02T11:15:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year everyone!

I'm jumping right on this today, trying to get back in the habit of posting. On deck today is a review of Insieme, a farely recent addition to the theater district brought to you by the team behind Hearth in the East Village (which I reviewed almost a year ago).

I went to Insieme for my department holiday lunch at the end of last year. The concept of the menu is just like at Hearth - on the left side of the menu are the more classically prepared Italian dishes while the right side is more modern interpretations. I started off on the classic side with an appetizer sized portion of spaghetti al'amatriciana - one of my favorite Italian dishes. I wasn't disappointed (and actually wished I had chosen this as my main!). The pasta was perfectly al dente and the sauce had just the right amount of kick. I stuck with the classic side for my main as well which was a branzino arrosto - a filet of roasted Mediterranean bass simply prepared with lemon and rosemary over a bed of patate contadina (a fresh tomato salad). Keeping with the classic theme for dessert, I went with the trio of ice cream/gelato (vanilla, pumpkin and ginger). Each flavor was mouth watering in it's own right however when eaten together it came off as pumpkin pie - SPECTACULAR!

Everyone at the table enjoyed their meal immensley. A few other dishes of note included the beef tartare, the beet salad and the braised short ribs. The room is very minimalist white however is still quite comfortable and service was top notch. This one is going to be a theater district staple for me, so check it out next time you are in the area for a show!

December Round-Up

2007-12-28T13:39:00.000-05:00

I know, I know! I can't believe it's been a month-and-a-half since I've written either! Just too much going on really - all of those holiday festivites. Felt the need for one last posting for the year so here is what has been going on since I last saw Roger:

Went to see Bruce Springsteen over Thanksgiving in Boston. As expected the show was great and I loved the Fleet Center as a venue (much more intimate feeling than MSG). The highlights for me were "Badlands", "The Promised Land", "The Rising", "Tunnel Of Love" and "Dancing In the Dark". The 2+ hour set list was a great survey of new and old and the crowd in Boston was CRAZY (especially when he broke out the rarely played "Jungleland")! I think they love Bruce more than people from N.J.!

Prior to the show we had dinner at Boston Beerworks. Years ago I used to go to the original in Kemore Square and really liked it (at least I think I did). Now, it's actually a chain with a bunch of locations around the Boston area. We started with nachos which were a bit too dried out for me. Then we had blue cheesburgers and I have to say I wasn't really impressed. The burgers were very formulaic and almost seemed like pre-made patties. The hight note was the Patriot Pilsner beer - ice cold with a perfect microbrew flavor - it helped make the 45 minute wait around lots of drunk people much more bearable.

Next up - Smith versus Smith, or should I say The Smith versus Smith's - two new restaurants that opened downtown almost simultaneously. First up was The Smith. I LOVED this place (as did everyone in the group of 4). Owned by the same people that own Jane, The Smith opens early and stays open late serving some MAJOR comfort food. The hardest thing about the menu is that there is WAY too many amazing things to choose from. Starters order around the table included the string bean salad (which was absolutely amazing, if a bit out of season - can't WAIT to go back for this one in the summer - $8), the homemade potatoe chips with blue cheese fondue (the chips were not greasy at all and the blue cheese fondue was over the top decadance - $6), the beer battered string beans (yes, we had a lot of string beans - this was a crazy heap of lightly breaded and pefectly fried tempura - $5) and the mac'n'cheese (sinful! - $10). I don't remember much about the mains except for that I had the pot of mussels (which was really a misorder for me - there were SOOO many other good things but I was overwhelmed with the heaviness of the apps so I tried for something light which caused me a bit of orderers remorse once all of the other great dishes arrived around me - regardless, they were still very good - $15) . Oh, and KK had the spaghetti and meatballs - something I never would've ordered in a place like this but turned out to be done right- in fact better than most Italian restaurants I've been to! - $13). The mains were paired with an order of brussel sprouts that were quite good ($5). All portions are very large at The Smith and the drink prices are very reasonable, with the house wines served by the glass, carafe or big carafe. The room was buzzing with young hipsters, Pulp played on the soundtrack and our service was nothing but spectacular (for a restaurant that had only been open for 2 weeks, everything was delivered quickly and correctly and our server was a total sweetheart).

A few weeks later I went to try Smith's. Owned by Danny Abrams (Mermaid Inn, Red Cat) and Cindy Smith (Raoul's), Smith's is a bit more upscale and intimate. For starters, we both had the artichoke pasta with black truffle, parmigiano reggiano and proscuitto ($11). Even though the portion was fairly small, the dish was very rich and we really could have split it. I was expecting some kind of a raviolli but it turned out to be angel hair. Loved this for a cold winter's night. For a main I had the grilled lobster served over brussel sprouts with almonds and a butternut squash puree ($32). The helping of lobster meat was definitely healthy and plump and perfectly cooked and I loved the brussel sprouts which were prepared as all leaves (not the whole sprout) with almonds. Mark had the boneless pork chop with celery root and apple puree and braised pork cheeks ( $24). He really liked it, although in the end said that it still couldn't compete with the chop at The Little Owl. Our waitress actually helped us make all of our choices since we were each torn between 2 apps and 2 mains and she was spot on (not to mention that she tipped us off that Mary-Louise Parker was sitting nearby!). The dining room is very black and grey with lots of iron and has a small square section up front with a railroad type setup heading towards the back. There is a very cute little bar area hidden in the back and I hear they serve really good lobster deviled eggs at it so I'll be back to check that out for sure!

Ok, so if this was a throwdown, I would have to give it to The Smith. The menu there just offers WAY too many comfort options with extremely reasonable prices and and super fun and hip vibe. Check this place out already!

The other big highlights in the month of December included the annual trip to The Rockhouse in Negril for the Lady Spence's birthday (it was JUST as amazing as usual, if not THE BEST trip there yet! and I still HIGHLY recommend this gem on the cliffs for a relaxing getaway) and a night out at SWEET, a dessert event that launced the Food Network's up and coming NYC Wine & Food Festival coming in 2008. Held in the old terminal building on 10th Ave in West Chelsea, SWEET showcased the talents of many of NY's premiere pastry chefs. The event was WAY fun and we sampled lots of weird dessert concoctions (although I can't remember too many of them since the champers was tidal all night). The Lady was super happy since she finally got to meet her culinary fav Giada.

And with that my dear friends, I sign off for 2007 and wish everyone a Happy New Year! See you in 2008!

Toloache

2007-11-15T16:41:00.000-05:00

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!

2007-11-15T16:31:00.000-05:00

Cooking With Jamie

2007-11-14T10:11:00.000-05:00

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!

2007-11-09T13:11:00.000-05:00

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 . . .

2007-11-07T10:32:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-02T16:24:00.000-04:00

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!

Mercat & The Bowery Hotel

2007-10-31T14:29:00.000-04:00

A quick recap today on a night out I had with D.E.C. last week. First up was dinner at Mercat, a fairly new tapas joint in Nolita. I have to say first that I LOVED the space. It was much cozier than I pictured, dark wood, exposed brick, open kitchen, wine bottles, steel - a perfect place for a fall/winter dinner outing. We had a bunch of tapas and split them: the tomato bread (heavy on the garlic but juicy from the tomato), patatas bravas (spicy potatoes with an interestingly smokey flavor), crispy pork belly with brussel sprouts and preserved cherries (the brussels were a bit too al dente for me), a tortilla with egg, carmelized onions, potato and chorizo (I'll have that for breakfast any day!), salt cod fritters and red peppers stuffed with short rib (my favorite of the night). I paired it all with a Txocoli which was brilliant as usual. D.E.C. & I both enjoyed all of the food however our only complaint was that EVERYTHING was too salty. I'd definitely go back and try it again in the hopes of getting a different chef who doesn't own stock in Morton's Salt.

After dinner we had drinks at in the lounge at The Bowery Hotel, where we were warmly greeted by our bartendar at the back bar. He gave us a taste of all 5 of the reds and we went with glasses of Cote du Rhone and a Cabernet. The space is pretty decent sized so it wasn't overly crowded, although I didn't much care for the antiquey/mismatched decor. The strange thing is that they place no music - I guess I should say the good thing so that you can have an actual conversation without screaming. Overall, it was a good experience and nowhere near as bad as drinks on the Bowery usually are.

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T14:27:00.000-04:00

Young Frankenstein

2007-10-25T15:59:00.000-04:00

Last night it was off to see the big musical blockbuster of the Fall season Mel Brook's Young Frankenstein. I have to start of this review by saying I'm not a Mel Brooks fan, nor a fan of the movie, so keep that in mind. First off, the star of the show, Roger Bart was out due to back issues. Thank god, I say, since I really don't care for him (he kind of creeps me out). The understudy did a great job in the Dr. Frankenstein role regardless. The biggest commercial name on the marquee is Megan Mullally. Basically she brought her usual Karen Walker to the role of Elizabeth. The real show stealer was Andrea Martin in the role of Frau Blucher, basking in the deadpan humor. There were definitely some fun moments in the show, especially the "Hayride" sequence with Sutton Foster. Many of the special effects were cool and you can tell that they've sunk some money into this production. But all in all the glitz cannot save a script that dragged on way too much for me. As for the music, there were a few catchy tunes, but nothing that would make me visit iTunes to download once the cast recording is released. Even though I didn't love this show, the majority of the audience seemed to, and I predict it may still very well clean up at the 2008 Tony's. It really is what it's supposed to be - one big tourist trap.

Sinead O'Connor

2007-10-25T15:11:00.000-04:00

Tuesday night I went to see Sinead O'Connor at the Beacon Theater with the extremely pregnant Suz. I have to start by saying my main reason for going to the show was that I somehow scored 4th row seats. I had seen Sinead a few times years ago, right around the time when she was doing all the crazy stuff like ripping up the picture of the pope, and the shows were always amazing so I figured what the hell.

I'm not so surprised to say that years later she still doesn't dissappoint (and was still being just as bitchy to her stage crew!). Arriving on stage promptly at 9pm wearing a baggy suit and white dress shirt, she dove right in with "The Emperor's New Clothes". AMAZING! Here voice is still in great form, although she doesn't even make an attempt anymore to hit those signature high notes. Much of the material for the show came from her second album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, including "Three Babies", "Black Boys On Mopeds", "I Am Stretched On Your Grave", "Nothing Compares 2 U" and my fav of the night "Last Day Of Our Acquaintance". Sadly, she only dipped into The Lion And The Cobra once for "Never Get Old". I yelled out for her to play "Troy" and she heard me and said something to the effect that it's too painful for her to play it and that she won't play it anymore. Boo! That AND no "Mandinka". Oh well. The rest was pretty cool. Oh, except for stuff from her new album Theology - that was all WAY too biblical for me! Overall though, a really good show!

8th Street Wine Cellar

2007-10-22T15:41:00.000-04:00

Saturday night I stopped in at the latest wine bar to hit below 14th Street, 8th Street Wine Cellar. Brought to you by the former bartenders of Union Square Cafe, this is a warm space with friendly hosts and a good selection of wines & nibbles. I started the night with a crisp Orvietto ($8), then moved on to red and had a couple of glasses of the Cabernet ($14). Both were excellent choices. We paired this with 2 types of bruschetta ($3 each) - one was butternut squash with pear chutney and goat cheese (this one was OUT OF THIS WORLD and PERFECT for Fall!) and the other with braised escarole, white beans, raisins and pine nuts. Oh, and we had pigs in a blanket ($6) which are always good for soaking up the booze. Definitely add this place to a stop on your W. Village wine circuit!

BLT Fish

2007-10-22T11:22:00.000-04:00

Friday I had lunch with the boys at BLT Fish Shack, another outpost in the Laurent Tourondel empire. I have to start off by saying I definitely likely this one WAY more than Brasserie Ruhlman. First off, while we were browsing the menu our server brought us a complementary round loaf of cheesy garlic bread that was heavenly. At that point we knew we were off to a good start. For starters I had a cup of clam chowder (definitely decent, however not completely up to my New England standards) and the "spicy & greasy" fried calamari (perfectly cooked - actually not greasy at all - and the side dipping sauce had a nice kick). For a main I had the lobster cobb salad. I'd have to say it was almost perfectly done - I loved the dressing, there was plenty of lobster and there was even fresh corn it in that had been cut right off the cob. My cohorts both had the fish with lemon hollandaise (one had skate, the other organic salmon) and both were extremely pleased (I dipped a few of the shoestring fries in the sauce and would definitely go back for that sauce alone!). I paired all of this with a great Txakoli (my new favorite Spanish white - similar to a pino grigio but with a wee bit of bubble). Service was on top of it and the decor had a nice New England feel. Definitely a place to keep on the old standby list for when you are in the Flatiron area.

Free Popcorn!

2007-10-17T10:30:00.001-04:00

Attention popcorn lovers! Decadent favorite Dale And Thomas are giving away 2 free bags of popcorn for a limited time (you just have to pay the $5.90 shipping) to celebrate their anniversary. I've had their popcorn fresh from their Times Square location and let me tell you it's out of this world! Get in there!

Doxie Day!

2007-10-11T10:20:00.000-04:00

Saturday is the annual Dachshund Octoberfest at noon in Washington Square Park. It's when hundreds of doxies converge on the arch and take over the park and rock it out! We know who will be the star of the show for sure!

Happy Zagat Day!

2007-10-10T10:13:00.000-04:00

The 2008 NYC Zagat Survey is out today. Get out there, pick one up and get eating people!

The Orchard

2007-10-08T14:22:00.000-04:00

Friday I had dinner with a*holes at The Orchard, a restaurant that had been compared to me as the Little Owl / Hearth of the L.E.S. I have to say in some ways this statement is very true. Let's just jump right into the food since I have to say that EVERY bit of it was notable, if not SPECTACULAR! My first course was the yellowfin tuna tartare with crispy tostones, guacamole, whipped red onions creme fraiche ($16) - a very fresh take on an overdone staple with a perfect balance of spice/sweetness/acidity. LOVED! Another notable starter that I tasted was the flatbread topped with braised short ribs, marinated cherry tomatoes, sweet horseradish cream ($13) - sweet & decadent with a little kick. For a main I had the olive oil poached halibut with crispy artichoke hearts and lemon confit ($27). A gorgeous piece of fish and the artichokes with the lemon was fresh and sweet (overall the dish was a bit heavy yet very simple and original). The other notable main was the handkerchief pasta with pulled duck confit, sweet balsamic onions, baby carrots and a creamy port wine sauce ($25). WOW - I don't even eat duck but this was rich and very comforting! All of my meal was paired with a 2005 Kaliedo Malbec that was light with a bit of spice at an extremely reasonable $36/bottle. Service was VERY top notch (although sadly, it was our server's last night there). Now here it comes - my only complaint: the decor. Yikes - WAY too 80's prom function room for me. It had a pink/peach hue in a room lined by mirrors. PLEASE change the decor! When I return (which I definitely will), I will be grabbing a seat at the bar (or one of the few tables out by it) to avoid having to sit in those surroundings. Hmmm . . . maybe some people won't be as offended by it . . . I'll leave that up to you to decide.

El Quinto Pino

2007-10-04T16:56:00.000-04:00

Stopped in the other night at the new teensy tapas bar in W. Chelsea called (quite appropriately)El Quinto Pino (it's the off-shoot of Tia Pol, but even smaller). 1/2 of the space is taken up by the bar which has about 15 stools, and the rest is a small counter (big enough to just rest a plate or glass) along the perimeter of the wall that requires standing. Luckily we were there early enough to get seats, but sadly the stools were as hard as a rock (so hard I was still feeling it the effects the next day!). Anyway, as with Tia Pol, you're not there to be comfortable. El Quinto Pino offers about 12 different tapas dishes. We tried a bunch - the best of which was the fried salt cod - light, airy and delicatly fried. The olives were just standard green olives in oil (zzzzzzzzz), the garlic shrimp were nicely done, although the shrimps were TINY and so was the portion (as are all the portions there). Both of the cheeses we tried were both good, but were slivers (one was the special of the night but I liked the one on the menu better personally - it had more of a bite). I tried 2 different wines - one medium bodied red and one a bit fuller (I can't remember the types- they were not standard issue Tempernillo), both were good, especially at $8/glass. I'd say this place is a good stop pre-gallery hopping in Chelsea. I just wouldn't recommend staying too long though since it's a bit hard on the wallet and the bum!

Red Carpet Massacre On Broadway!

2007-10-04T16:44:00.000-04:00

In celebration of their upcoming CD "Red Carpet Massacre", Duran Duran are playing 9 shows in early November at the Barrymore Theater. Insanity, I tell you! The band will be previewing the entire new album in its entirety, as well as many of the classic hits (um, guys, PLEASE do not forget about The Chauffeur!) Pre-sale tickets are already on-sale to Citi Card members (and let me tell you, fello Duranies, I already got my front-row-center seats for one of the nights!). The full-on on-sale date is this Saturday at 9am through Telecharge. Get in there people - this is one show of the Fall that is NOT to be missed!

Market Table

2007-09-28T15:14:00.000-04:00

Had an AMAZING dinner last night withKimmi K. at Market Table, a spin-off (sort of) of The Little Owl located in the old Shopsin's space at Carmine & Bedford. We decided to just grab a seat at the bar and eat up there. We each started with a cocktail - mine had cava, framboise and rose. It was certainly refreshing in last night's stagnant air. The other one wasn't quite as delish - their take on sangria which was made with cava and Maneschewitz. For our meal we split 3 apps (we were too full after that for entrees!): scallops wrapped in bacon on a puree of cheesy grits (well, maybe not grits but I can't remember what it was but it had FANTASTIC FLAVOR!), an heirloom tomato salad (a fav of ours carried over from the Little Owl) and the crispy calamari (light and tasty, although the dipping sauce was a bit too tangy for me - I'd skip it next time and try something else since EVERYTHING sounded wonderful). Pairing it with wine we went for the Orvieto Classico - a STEAL at $5/glass. Our bartendress Erin was super nice and very attentive. Cool crowd, a great room and ambience. I'm DEFINITELY going back IMMEDIATELY to try the crabcake sandwich and hush puppies. They officially started taking ressies today so GET IN THERE before it becomes impossible!

A 60's Style Date

2007-09-25T11:09:00.000-04:00

Just opened on the L.E.S. is DRV-IN, NYC's only drive-in theater. $75 gets you seating for up to 6 people (I recommend making it a snuggly date for 2) in an 1965 Ford Falcon convertible with a choice of one of 3 movies (you get to keep a copy of the dvd you choose) and popcorn and bottled water. Showtimes are nightly at 7pm & 10pm and need to be booked in advance. Movies will progress throughout the next 40 days from the 1960's to the 2000's.

Minimal Minimus

2007-09-24T14:36:00.000-04:00

I just got a great tip from the airfarewatchdog daily email. It was a link to a company called Minimus that specializes in products sized 3 oz. or less that are T.S.A. approved to fit in your carry-on quart ziplock baggie. I'll take 3 tubes of the 1 oz. Banana Boat sunscreen - spf 15 please!

Schiller's Liquor Bar

2007-09-24T14:10:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I FINALLY made it to Schiller's Liquor Bar for brunch. This is the only McNally I hadn't been to, mostly due to it's location. In summary - the food was great (the croque-madame ALMOST matched that of Pastis) however the space was dirty (I can't even tell you how gross the wall was next to my seat) and it was WAY too loud. Now I can officially say that even though I hate MePa, Pastis is still the best McNally hands down!

Goooo Donatos!

2007-09-24T14:04:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to the Donatos for winning BB8! You guys ROCK! Danielle, if you are reading this honey, you were my pick to win from Day 1. Dad better share the money with you!

Fall Concert Preview

2007-09-07T11:59:00.001-04:00

A few notable shows have been announced for the Fall that may be worth checking out:

Morrissey is playing 5 nights at the Hammerstein Ballroom in late October. Tickets on sale Saturday at 10am.

James Blunt is playing September 19 & 20th at the new Highline Ballroom (tickets already on sale) beginning the day after his new cd "All The Lost Souls" drops.

Elliott Yamin returns to NY on November 20th, also playing the Highline Ballroom (tickets already on now)

Sinead O'Connor plays her hits and songs from her latest cd "Theology" on October 23rd at the Beacon Theater (tickets already on sale)

Bruce Springsteen brings his first full scale tour with the E-Street Band since 2003 to MSG October 17th & 18th. Tickets on sale through Ticketmaster Monday morning.

From Spain To Italy

2007-09-07T11:01:00.000-04:00

Last night I went with The Lady to a wine & cheese class at Murray's cheese shop. The topic was A Rough Guide To Spain and featured 7 wines (2 whites, 1 rose, 2 reds, a muscatel and a sherry). I have to say I was very impressed from start to finish. Both of the instructors - Kerin Auth (wine) & Nora Singley (cheese) were very knowledgeable and enthusiastic and their parings overall were very well thought out. The classroom space was cozy and intimate and crowd was a good group of diversepeople. Definitely worth $65 and I will be returning to try another one.

After dinner we headed over to one of the latest dining hotspots, Centro Vinoteca. This was when our night took a turn for the worst. I really can't say too much good about this place. Upon walking in, the maitre d' wasn't really making anyone feel welcome (I think he just cared more about floating around looking good and he wasn't even that attractive). We were promptly shown to our table (I'll give them that) which was seated directly under a speaking BLARING the most FRANTIC music. We asked to move upstairs but because they were sold out the manager told us he would turn the music down. Sadly, that didn't help much - the place is SUPER loud regardless. Next up - our waiter. Terrible again. He had no real knowledge of the wine or food which made ordering laughable. We ended up starting with 2 picolini (small plates) - zucchini & parmigiano fritters with a spicy tomato sauce ($5) and white bean puree with prosciutto ($4) - both very unremarkable. Next we split an appetizer - the grilled sea scallops with watermelon, watermelon rind pickles, dandelion greens & watermelon radishes ($15). To me this dish was one of those disaster dishes that show up on Top Chef (the scallop/watermelon/onion combination did not work for us AT ALL). Finally we made it to the pasta course. I went for the bucatini all’amatriciana ($12) - too salty and with no kick at all. The Lady had the pici pasta with sweet & spicy sausage ragu ($14). This dish was even worse than mine - the sausage had little flavor and the pasta tasted almost rubbery. All I can say was this place is BARELY a step up from Morandi. In terms of the chef, I guess being Mario Batali's right hand on Iron Chef America does not really hold as much weight as I thought it did.

American Goes To Stansted

2007-08-28T14:57:00.000-04:00

Beginning October 28th American Airlines will offer non-stop service from JFK to London Stansted. I know, I know - it's not as glamorous as flying into Heathrow. However, I'm sure it will be a lot easier time-wise (with lines, security, etc.) in the smaller airport. Also keep in mind that Stansted is where most of the low-cost European carriers are based so connections will be all that much cheaper. I'll keep you posted if there is any kind of a crazy fare sale closer to the launch!

Triple Threat Friday

2007-08-27T10:41:00.000-04:00

FINALLY. Lots of stuff to review from one night out!

Friday night I went out with Mark, KK and her bf. We started out at Vino Vino, a wine bar/store in TriBeCa. This place has been on my list for a long time and I have to say it was worth the wait. The space 1/2 wine bar and 1/2 wine shop, separated down the middle by a glass wall. The space is gorgeous with exposed brick and a tin ceiling. Black leather sofas and small wooden coffee tables line one wall with a small bar at the front. The wine selection was varied and the prices pretty reasonable. We had 2 bottles of a refreshing pino gris ($36 each) that helped us battle the heat outside. I can wait to get back there and try a red when the temperature gets a little brisk out in the Fall.

Next we moved on to dinner at The Harrison, another stop that has been on my list forever. For an app I had the fried oysters with coleslaw and a bacon mustard sauce ($12) - perfectly fried and delicious! Other apps at the table included the bbq pork with fennel confit and watermelon salad ($12) - this one was big enough to be a meal in itself, the sweet pea pancake with Florida shrimp ragout ($12) and the local spring greens salad ($11). For the main, KK and I both had the local trout with an heirloom tomato salad and finan haddie foam ($25). I enjoyed it (not my favorite dish ever but very good), but KK had an issue with the fact that the fish was hot and the salad it was sitting on was cold. The guys had the NY shell steak with Tuscan kale, shallot confit and a spicy tomato sauce ($34) and the crispy chicken with summer beans, cipollini onions and a bittersweet onion sauce ($24) - and both of them were EXTREMELY satisfied with their choices. In the end, I didn't love the menu but the food was definitely high quality and I would rate this place as a solid option when in TriBeCa.

We finished off the night with a nightcap at Little Branch, a speakeasy in the W. Village on 7th South. It's a very intimate (read: small) basement space with quite a bunch of booths and a tiny bar. We started out sitting at a little counter but got a booth after about 1/2 hr (you have to put your name in). Aside from the overwhelming fumes of Pine-Sol when you walked in, I liked this place. Drinks were a bit pricey (and interestingly more expensive at the bar than at the table), but you are paying for the atmosphere. Beer choices were limited so I went for the Anchor Steam. The bartender kind of grossed me out with it though when she poured it into a glass and then used the top of the bottle to try to get the foam down (think the nose grease trick from college). After that I asked them to deliver it in the bottle. In the end I would say it's a fun place for a drink or 2 that out-of-town guests will ooo and ahhh over. It does have a lot of atmosphere. However, I can only image that once all the NY escapees return after Labor Day this place probably gets very packed and if you don't have a table I don't think it would be too much fun to be crammed into the small bar area.

Kampuchea Noodle Bar

2007-08-24T10:04:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone. Sorry about the lack of postings lately. It's that end of the Summer lull. I promise to be back up to speed soon with reviews of all of the new restaurants opening in the Fall. Anyway, here's a quickie for a Summer Friday:

Yesterday at work we had a lunch meeting that was catered by Kampuchea Noodle Bar, a new Cambodian street food joint on the L.E.S. The food was a wide variety of Num Phang (read: sandwiches) and ALL met with rave reviews. I went for the ginger rubbed catfish with honey, shallots & peppercorn. ABSOLUTELY DELISH! Other favs included the garlic glazed Berkshire pork with honey dried chili and the hoisin pork meatballs (made with Berkshire pork, pork pate and rice) in a light tomato sauce. All sandwiches were served on a toasted baguette with pickled carrots, cucumber, cilantro and chili mayo (which gave it a nice little kick!). On their menu the sandwiches run $9-$12, and they also feature other types of items like noodle soups and grilled meats. I'm definitely going to head down to the actual restaurant to check this place out and I advise you to do the same!

Cornelia Street Cafe

2007-08-10T10:37:00.000-04:00

Last night I had dinner at Cornelia Street Cafe with Kimmi K.. It was funny - a women walked in and said to her companion "it's weird finally coming here after all these years in the neighborhood". Even weirder was that I had just finished saying the same thing to Kimmi. I've lived in the 'hood for over 10 years now and walk by this place almost every day and have never eaten there. So let's get right to it - this place is really a gem. The feeling is very old W. Village. We ate al fresco and it really felt like we were sitting on a movie set. The menu (as well as the inside decor) is bistro. To start we split a special appetizer which was sunflower seed crusted seared scallops on a bed of arugula with a carrot vinagrette ($11). Light and clean for summer. Then we each had a burger (mine topped with blue cheese, Kimmi's with cheddar - $13) that was served on an English muffin (which we loved). The fries were great too - very competitive with the likes of Pastis. We also opted for one of the 2 special wines of the day which was a Spanish red Castillo de Jumilla ($30). We both loved this wine - it was a light red soft in tannins without being too tart or acidic. I definite will be hitting this place again. Downstairs there is a tiny lounge where they have music performances and show movies etc. - which looked like the perfect place to spend a cold winter night. Cornelia St. Cafe has been around since 1977 and it's always nice to see a bit of the old Greenwich Village still remains intact!

Tay Zonday is AMAZING!

2007-08-08T13:58:00.000-04:00

Check out his new video. It's ALMOST as good as Poodle Fitness!

Strongbow Is Back!

2007-07-31T14:34:00.000-04:00

Thank you St. Dymphna's for bringing back Strongbow on tap! I highly recommend EVERYONE getting over there on a Summer Sunday and getting a fry-up and at least 3 pints of the stuff!

The Floating Pool

2007-07-31T11:36:00.000-04:00

Saturday I went with Suzohn to The Floating Pool in Brooklyn. First off - YIKES - this is even more ghetto than Water Taxi Beach (and without the booze!)! When you first hit the parking lot, you see the "beach area", which is really just a parking lot full of sand:

To get on the barge/into the pool you have to get a wristband for an assigned time period of one hour only (1 1/2 during the week). Lucky for us, we got there at about 1:40pm and it wasn't that crowded so we were able to get on the 2pm session.

I do have to admit, once on the barge the pool itself is pretty nice:

I myself didn't go in (there were WAY TOO MANY gross people and children in it for my taste) but Suz did do a few back-n-forths in the lap lane (1/3 of the pool is reserved strickly for laps) before the entire crowd had boarded and the pool was packed.

The staff that works is place is totally Hitler. I alone got yelled at 3 times! First it was to take off my shoes. Next it was to take a shower before getting in the pool (I got to by-pass this rule since I told them I wasn't going in the water) and then to move my towel from blocking the stairs. They also kept yelling at random people over the loud speaker to stop running etc. Oh, and you can't have any food or drink on the barge either. I will say though the facilities were much cleaner than expected. At the far end (from where the above pic was taken) there is a raised section that had a nice breeze and a partial roof so we were able to be part in the sun and part in the shade. Also, there are definitely great views of lower Manhattan from the barge as well:

I'd say that this one can DEFINITELY be missed. Even though the water taxi beach has no swimming, they do at least have beer and burgers - which is always more important, isn't it?!?!?!?

230 Fifth

2007-07-27T10:20:00.000-04:00

I have to start this posting by saying I've always avoided going to 230 Fifth. Everytime I've ever walked by there are crazy lines to get in and I've heard that all it really is is an overcrowded meat market. Last night I found myself there and I can attest to the fact that all of that is VERY true. HOWEVER . . .

I was lucky enough to attend a private party there thrown by my girl Kathleen from over at cookinglight.com. I have to say that it was really great. Basically, they had a small section of the roof reserved which worked out really well. Everyone was given a colored bracelet when entering the section, that way no one could crash and take advantage of the freebies (and since there were multiple parties/sections, each group had a different colored bracelet). Excellent system! The party had 2 designated coctail waitress who kept the drinks flowing as well as a waitress that passed around various DELICIOUS hors d'ouevers that included fried shrimp, vegetable curry empanadas, chicken fingers and dumplings. DEFINITELY better than average bar food. The views from up there were pretty great and an 80's soundtrack filled the air. I will now change from review of this place from an "avoid at all costs" to a "try to get yourself invited to a private party held there".

She Was Born On This Day!

2007-07-25T11:55:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday K.K.!

Back To Perilla

2007-07-24T10:43:00.000-04:00

Saturday night I went back to Perilla, but this time for a full meal. Just about everything we tried was amazing. I started with the beef carpaccio ($12) which was interestingly prepared (the beef was wrapped around arugula into a tube shape), although a bit salty. The Lady had the special salad of sushi grade mackel on watercress with citrus and jalepeno - very summery and refreshing and not fishy at all! Mark had the basic market greens salad with cherries peacans & ricotta ($10) - very light and flavorful. For a main, I had the snapper which was served over cauliflower, wax beans & cashews with a VERY light hint of green curry ($27). STUPENDOUS! I'm definitely going back for that! The Lady had the truffle raviolis with peas. I didn't love this one, mostly because it was a bit heavy for the season but it was still very tasty. Mark had the grilled hanger steak with sunchoke creamed spinach and red shallot puree ($28). The presentation was gorgeous and it was cooked to perfection for him. For a side for the table we had the roasted fingerling potatoes with sea salt ($8) which I could become EXTREMELY addicted to! Since we were all super full we passed on dessert. Overall I'd definitely recommend it and again give it a thumbs up. Our only gripe (as a group - and I've heard others who have been say it as well), that the decor needs a bit of help. It seems to be trying for a homey-comfort setting but it seems to come off more as a bit mismatched yet also somewhat stark - really just a lot of contradiction.

Brasserie Ruhlman

2007-07-19T15:18:00.000-04:00

Just back from lunch at Brasserie Ruhlmann, part of the Laurent Tourondel empire located on Rockefeller Plaza. Sadly, my whole party was very overwhelmed. First off - our server was absolutely HORRIBLE. When we asked her why the herbed chicken dish was one of the signature dishes, she didn't know. She also described the artichoke vinagrette salad as similar in appearance to bloomin onion. Um, I'm sure Laurent would love to hear that one!

For a starter I shared the tuna tartare which had WAY too much vinegar in the guacamole bed -so much so that you couldn't even taste the tuna. For a main course I had one of the specials, a lobster Cobb salad. I did really like this dish, however they used Caesar dressing on it which to me is a major faux pas for a Cobb and I'm still tasting the overpowering garlic. My fellow diners both had the chicken (despite the conversation with the waitress) which was served with shoestring fries and a roasted tomato stuffed with couscous and pesto. One person liked it, the other didn't. I think this was partially do to the extreme rosemary & thyme aus jus served with it. The herbs in this dish were, as Victoria Beckham would say, "major". In the end I'd have to say I'd pass this one by, unless of course it's a gorgeous Fall day and you'd like to sit outside and watch them get the ice skating rink ready and watch the world go by.

Virgin America

2007-07-19T15:06:00.000-04:00

Virgin Airlines has finally launches their U.S domestic service. Starting August 9th they offering direct flights from JFK to SFO (with an introductory price of $278 r/t incl. taxes). Starting August 28th they will also offer direct flights from JFK to L.A., with Vegas to follow after that. Coach class will be equipped 32-inch pitch seats and an entertainment screen on which you can watch TV, listen to MP3s, or screen pay-per-view movies. There will also be a self-service minibar where you can order fresh food (most likely for a fee). Grab a ride while you can!

Emmy Nods Announced

2007-07-19T10:36:00.000-04:00

In case you missed it this AM, nominations were announced for the 59th Primetime Emmy's. This year, the drama category looks like a true snoozer. Lost wasn't even nominated in the best drama series category! This year it's all about the comedy category for sure and hopefully Ugly Betty will sweep it. I'm happy to see that Ricky Gervais got the nod for Extras, as well as Neil Patrick Harris for How I Met Your Mother. Tune into Fox on Sunday, September 16 @ 8pm to see who gets the statues!

Ride 'Em Drunken Cowboy!

2007-07-17T16:54:00.000-04:00

Finally! There is a mechanical bull in NYC! I'm sure this place will be horrendous and full of drunken idiots, especially during prime banking hours, but head on over to Johnny Utah's in Rockefeller Center and take this bad boy for a spin!

R.I.P. Mr. Butch

2007-07-13T11:13:00.001-04:00

Very sad news today came to me today via DEC. Mr. Butch crashed his Vespa into a pole in Allston and died. For those of you that didn't know him, Mr. Butch was a homeless guy with dreads who lived in Kenmore Square and entertained many of us in the early-90's. The NY B.U. crowd will miss you!

Gypsy

2007-07-10T12:27:00.000-04:00

Last night I went to opening night of previews for Gypsy at City Center. If you aren't familiar with Gypsy, it's basically story of how an overbearing mother pushes her 2 daughters into a career in vaudville. I've never seen the show before and have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm sure that had a lot to do with the fact that the show is starring Patti Lupone (Mama Rose) who was as brilliant as ever in one of the many roles she was born to play. The other leads that she was paired with - Laura Benanti (Louise) and Boyd Gaines (Herbie) held their own against the legend and were very good as well. In fact, there were numerous notable performances among the supporting cast as well. Unlike most Encores! performances, this one is full staging and fully off-book. The show is only for a short 3-week run, but if have time grab a ticket and run (but be forewarned: City Center is a massive venue with numerous bad sightlines. I've sat in the rear mezzanine before and it was dreadful. There are still orchestra seats available close up for some performances so don't chinz out on the seat prices or you may regret it).

'Disiac

2007-07-10T12:04:00.000-04:00

Last Friday I went for happy hour at 'Disiac in Hell's Kitchen. It's a very small space. Inside is just a small bar and about 5 or 6 elevated tables. Outside is a cute little patio that is a bit packed in with about 7 or 8 small tables. I started off with the white sangria ($7 glass/$30 pitcher). It was a bit odd to me - very boozy tasting (not as refreshing as I had hoped), although it did have good fruit in it like blueberries and strawberries. I followed that up with glasses of the Pino Grigio ($8 glass). It was a very mediocre Pino Grigio (i.e. I didn't love it but it did the job). For food we ordered the hummus ($7) which came with a great seasoned flatbread and the chips & salsa ($6) which was definitely nothing to write home about. Still trying to decide how I truely felt about this place so you may want to check it out yourself if you are over that way.

No Name (Yet?)

2007-07-06T11:03:00.000-04:00

Last night the Lady & I tried a new wine bar in the 'hood on Hudson between Morton & Leroy called (for now) No Name. I have to say I LOVED this place. It's bigger than my other neighborhood fav Blue Ribbon Wine Bar, with 4 window seats and about 20-25 stools around the horseshoe shaped bar. The wine list represents from around the world. We opted for the La Planta Ribera del Duero ($10/glass, $38/bottle). This was an EXCELLENT choice - one of the top Ribera's I've tasted. We paired this with a sheep's milk Compte cheese (accompanied by peaches, cherries, figs and french bread - $5) and sopressata (with cornichons & whole grain mustard - $5). Music was great by such alternative artists as the Gorillaz and it wasn't very crowded. (Let's just hope it stays that way!). Welcome to the neighborhood (and my suggestion for a name is to just keep it "the Candy Store" like the old sign says)!

BB 8

2007-07-03T09:43:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again - the return of Big Brother 8. Tune in on Thursday July 5th at 8pm on CBS to meet the new houseguests!

Xanadu

2007-07-02T16:14:00.000-04:00

Yesterday Mark & I went to see the matinee of Xanadu. We went with an open mind since we had a feeling this one could go either way. Sadly, it went the wrong way. To me, this was nothing more than a suped-up high school musical. The sets and jokes, which were supposed to come of as camp, just came off as plain cheesy to me. The fact that the crowd was hooting and hollering at every line that was uttered didn't help. Go back to the suburbs, people! (Ok, maybe that's a little harsh. What did I expect seeing a matinee of an almost-jukebox musical). I have to say, on a positive note, all of the actors were really good at making the best of the material they were given. And it was kind of fun to hear those songs. Jackie Hoffman definitely stole the show in the role of Caliope. So, unless you are a die-hard Xanadu fan and "experience" the movie in whatever way possible (you can even get seats that are right ON the stage if you're THAT excited!), then this one is best avoided. Thankfully our tickets were free (I can't even fathom that people are paying $111.25)!

Cancer Schmancer ! ! !

2007-06-26T14:06:00.000-04:00

Celebrating her 7th anniversary of being cancer free, Fran Drescher recently launched a new organization/movement called Cancer Schmancer. The mission statement behind the group is to promote awareness of women's cancer issues to help them get diagnosed when they are in stage 1 and treatable. Go on to the site and have a look around to show your support! I've already ordered my t-shirt!

The Cure

2007-06-26T13:46:00.000-04:00

I can't believe they are still hanging in there, but The Cure are back and about to release their 13th studio album. They will be playing Madison Square Garden on Sunday September 23rd. Tickets ($45-$75) for the presale go on sale tomorrow at 9am (use code BABIGSHOW) and the regular onsale is Thursday at 9am.

Food & Wine Classic In Aspen

2007-06-20T16:41:00.000-04:00

It’s back to business after having the luxury of spending the weekend at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. I have to say this was one of the greatest, most high quality and most organized events I’ve ever been to. It was first class all the way.

My 4 day journey began with a 6am flight on Thursday morning out of La Guardia. While I was waiting to board the plane Bobby Flay walked up so I knew the show had begun. Also spotted on the flight were Best New Chef April Bloomfield and one of last years BNC’s David Chang. I arrived in Aspen at 10:30am with NO flight issues whatsoever, checked into my condo and headed straight to shopping and then lunch at D19. I decided to keep it light due to the altitude and knowing how much food I would consume throughout the weekend and went for the smoked chicken salad with blue cheese and raisins. The salad was delicious (if not a bit small and overpriced at $18) and it was great to sit outside on the patio in the sun and watch the world go by. Too bad the service was absolutely horrible!

Thursday night began with the Welcome Reception in the courtyard of The St. Regis. Much of the food consisted of various flatbreads prepared by Todd English. The setting was beautiful and the crowd happily indulged.

After the party my group headed over to Kenichi for dinner. Overall, the food there was a bit disappointing to me. The sushi rolls were short on the fish and heavy on the rice. None of the multitude of appetizers that we ordered really struck me either. I ordered a pomegranate martini that was completely unacceptable and had to switch back to Sapporo. The only really notable part of the dinner occurred mid-meal when the town of Aspen shot off an awe-inspiring fireworks display over Aspen Mountain to celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Classic.

Friday morning I was up bright and early to catch Emeril Lagasse and Mario Batali on Good Morning America. From there it was straight into the wine seminars. First up was “Bargain Red Burgandies” led by Mary Ewing Mulligan and her husband Ed McCarthy, authors of Wine For Dummies. To me, some of the price tags were not so “bargain”, but I sure did enjoy the 2004 Louis Jadot Pommard ($27)!

Next it was off to the first Grand Tasting, held under the tents in Wagner Park. Row after row of vintners from all over the world offered up tastes of their Jesus Juice. Honestly, I tried so many different ones I sadly can’t recommend any one specific one!

After a liquid lunch it was back to the seminars, this time sitting in on Mark Oldman's “Looks Like Red, Acts Like White”. This wine seminar was by far my favorite. Oldman was really fun and kept it fresh and easy. He started off by having us taste “Chateau Le Tay” which was really a class of tea to demonstrate tannins. Then he had us smell various items such as plums, dirt and bubblegum so that we could more easily detect these smells in the wines being served. From this batch of “pivot wines”, my favorites were the 2005 Remy Chinon ($15) and the 2004 Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage Petit Ruche ($25). A unique addition to the group for sure was the 2004 Bailly-Reverdy Sancerre Rouge.

After another brief stop at the Grand Tasting Pavillion to get books signed by Giada de Laurentiis & Bobby,

it was on to the Publisher’s Anniversary Party on top of Mount Aspen. As the sun was setting the gondola decadently whisked the guests up to the lodge at the top of the mountain where a spread of king crab legs, shrimp, various organic meats and antipasti awaited. Even more exciting was the trip back down the mountain. For me, after MANY glasses of champagne, the gondola was almost transformed into a glass spaceship heading straight for the town of Apsen!

Up bright and early again for Saturday morning to hit the last of the wine seminars. This time it was “Tuscany’s Classic Trio”, again led by Mary & Ed. Most of these Chianti wines were a bit too tart and acidic for me, but of course the $85 bottle of 2000 Castelgio Condo di Frescobaldi Riserva suited me just fine though!

In the afternoon it was all about the cooking seminars. First up was “Secrets Of The French Laundry” with Thomas Keller. The only secret I was really able to make out was that a lot of the food at French Laundry is poached in special plastic baggies (and that Thomas Keller is definitely better suited in the kitchen than hosting a seminar). After yet ANOTHER quick stop at the Grand Tasting, this time to get a book signed by Emeril,

I headed off to my final seminar “Celebrating Mesa Grill” with Bobby Flay. Now this was more like it. He made his signature dish of shrimp and roasted garlic corn tamale with fresh corn and cilantro sauce as well as the ancho chile-honey glazed salmon with a spicy black bean sauce, tomatillo salsa and roasted jalapeno crema. YUM! He was a really funny and fun while remaining extremely informative, really showing why he is a master behind the camera.

Saturday night was the Best New Chefs party, held at the newly opened Doerr-Hosier Center at Aspen Meadows. VERY cool space – reminded me of a contemporary art museum. Each of the best new chefs had a station set up with a signature dish. My favorites were definitely the pappardelle with milk roasted baby goat ragu from Johnny Monis, the carmelized onion and bone marrow sandwich from Gabriel Rucker, and the guilded chocolate from Gabriel Bremer.

After the BNC party it was on to some serious partying. First up was Skybar at the Sky Hotel. The atmosphere was very Miami meets ski lodge filled with a hip no-attitude crowd. From there we headed over to Two 12, a private clubhouse for the foodie crowd. I was hesitant at first to go there due to the strict door policy (I didn’t feel like dealing with the whole velvet rope/Bungalow 8 thing) but once inside it proved to be amazing party. Everyone was there from celebrity chefs to Top Chefs to Best New Chefs.

I’ll end it there since my head hurt to much after all of that to process anything more. All I know is I’m already reserving my spot for next year!

HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-06-08T16:14:00.000-04:00

Palma

2007-06-04T14:56:00.000-04:00

Saturday night i had dinner at Palma withMark, KK and her b.f & mom. We sat outside in the back garden, which I will say is one of the most lovely I've seen in Manhattan (they also have a small farmhouse behind that which can be rented out for private parties).

We started with the fried calamari, crispy artichokes and rice balls - all of which were VERY good (quite possibly some of the best of these items I've had at a mid-priced Italian). For mains around the table were garganelli pasta bolognese, agnolotti pasta filled with spinach and buffalo ricotta, linguine with clams:

free range chicken roasted in a light cream lemon sauce with sautéed greenmarket vegetables:

and grilled imported sea bass with greenmarket vegetables:

Almost everyone really liked their dishes, although to me none of them were THAT notable (I defintely thought the appetizers were better). The only dislike came with the seabass which was served whole and then fileted tableside (sadly, the job of fileting was not well done and there were WAY too many bones left in to make the dish enjoyable). My only problem with this place was that to me the food was overpriced for what it was ($18 for a small plate of bolognese and $30 for the seabass seemed a bit excessive - especially for the portion size). Service was good though and the outdoor garden may have in the end made it worth it. In any case, it's definitely a romantic date spot if you're outside.

East Village Happy Hours

2007-06-04T14:26:00.001-04:00

Friday after work I tried 3 East Village places for happy hour. First up was Bar On A. It was rather empty but with a good crowd of random East Villagers. My favorite parts were the complimentary delish snack mix and the $3 Stellas. And the bartender was a very cute and pleasant girl!

Next up was new rock-n-roll bar Angels And Kings, evidently owned by Fall Out Boy (whoever they are - the lead singer evidently dates Ashlee Simpson). Again, I really liked this place - the have PBR and a cheap happy hour as well. Luckily it wasn't too crowded but I'm sure it does at night (when the old men like me vacate for all the young'ns looking for a teenseltown sighting!).

The final stop of the night was at the new hidden speakeasy at Crif Dogs called PDT (which stands for "Please Don't Tell"). To access the bar you have to go into Crif Dogs and go into the phone booth and pick up the phone. Someone will then come to the door (which is the other side of the phone booth) and greet you. They first asked if we had reservations (which we didn't). She then took my cell number down and said she would call us when they had room (it's tiny). To their credit, we actually DID get a call about 1/2 hr later. However, once we went in it went DRAMATICALLY downhill. The drinks are TINY and WAY overpriced (who wants to pay $11 for a tiny coctail on THAT block of St. Marks!). Not to mentioned NONE of us liked what we ordered! It all sounded good but then wasn't. Also, one of the waitresses was EXTREMELY rude & stroppy (and she wasn't even waiting on us - we were at the bar and she had to run her mouth to us when she overheard that we didn't like the drinks!). The only plus is that they do actually serve the food from Crif Dogs in there (then again you could just get it to go and bring it into other bars on that strip like my friend Suz does and save yourself the trouble!). Thankfully, the bartendar was very nice and picked up our tab since he knew we hated everything. All I can say is, they better not worry about word spreading about how good it is. In our case, they should be thinking Please Don't Tell everyone you know about how much this place sucks!

Travis @ Irving

2007-06-01T12:48:00.001-04:00

Tickets went on sale this morning (still available at posting time) for Travis July 14th & 15th at The Fillmore @ Irving Plaza (yes, they've recently renamed the place after the one in San Francisco). They will be in town supporting their new cd The Boy With No Name. I've seen this band 3 times already and each time they put on a great show. Being that they're playing a much smaller venue than usual, this one should really be a treat.

Keane @ SummerStage

2007-06-01T12:36:00.000-04:00

Wednesday night I went with K.K. and her Honey along with The Lady to see Keane at SummerStage in Central Park. Thank god it was a gorgeous night. It only added to the fun. The good news - we arrived just before Keane came on (about 8:15pm) and didn't have to wait long for the show to start; the bad news - we arrived just before Keane came on and it was almost inpossible to see anything! Now I remember why I haven't seen a show there in 10 years (that and the fact that it takes like 1/2 hr to get a beer or go to the loo)! Anyway, luckily about 1/2 way through the show we found a decent spot. They played all the hits we wanted to hear - everything from "Somewhere Only We Know" to the finale of "Bedshaped". It made me laugh because a few times Tom Chaplin (whose voice was dead on) held out the microphone for the crowd to sing the chorus. You could barely make out what people were singing. Really, I don't think they knew what they were singing! All I kept thinking was if we were at Wembley you would've heard it loud and clear. In the end I really enjoyed the show, but I will need to see them again a little closer to stage to see more of the "performance". I'll leave you with this funny note. A girl came out of the jiffy john ahead of me and asked me to hold her beers so she could do up her pants. Then she goes to me "there's no toilet paper in there but I'm a total clean freak so I unrolled my jean cuff down and used that". Cut to the D.N.A. test . . .

R.I.P. Charles Nelson Riley

2007-05-29T14:36:00.001-04:00

You were a true pioneer! We'll miss you!

Water Taxi Beach Now Open!

2007-05-29T14:29:00.001-04:00

Water Taxi Beach, located along the in beautiful East River in Long Island City is now open for the season. If you've never been before, check it out this Summer. I've had a lot of fun there in the past. It's great if you combine it with a Saturday Warm Up at P.S. 1.

More Police Shows Added!

2007-05-29T14:21:00.000-04:00

Fear not fans! If you weren't able to score a ticket to one of the 3 NY area shows this Summer, the band will be returning in the Fall for 3 more dates (Halloween, 11/2 and New Year's Eve) at MSG. Tickets on sale Monday June 4th at 9am (unless you were lucky enough to score a Best Buy presale code and then it's tommorrow morning at 10am).

Verlaine

2007-05-23T11:18:00.000-04:00

Backtracking just a BIT more, KK and I had pre-dinner drinks at Verlaine. This place has become my favorite place on the L.E.S. for happy hour. The drink specials rock - $4 for either sangria (red or white - both equally delicious and equally strong), lychee martinis, bloody mary's or the house red or white wine. For you beer drinkers they also serve up 2-for-1 Yuenglings. Oh, and the best part is that the specials run until 10pm! Food comes by way of Asian tapas. I've yet to make it past the sangria and try it but it does look good!

Oliva

2007-05-23T10:53:00.000-04:00

Last night before the show I had dinner with the ladies at Oliva. This little LES tapas joint is a true gem! When we walked in we were immediately welcomed by the bartender with complimentary shots of his signature "Chillax" (a shot of tequilla with a chaser of EXTREMELY spicy bloody mary mix - now THAT will get you going!). All of the food that we chose was great and took me right back to Barcelona - croquetas de jamon (serrano ham croquettes - $8), calamari a la plancha (grilled calamari sauteed with stringbeans & tomato - $9), patatas bravas (fried yukon potatoes with spicy aoli - $5), txangurro (crab stuffed with peppers, taragon, cognac and panko - $10), chorizo a la plancha (spanish sausage sauteed in olive oil - $8). The space was quite a rocking party by the time we left with big pitchers of homemade sangria flowing and a band called Sin Compacion playing (they have live music at 8:30pm Sunday-Thursday). Check this place out for sure next time you are on the L.E.S!

Sing Like Yamin It

2007-05-23T10:37:00.000-04:00

A big congrats and thanks to Elliott Yamin for his show last night at Bowery Ballroom! His voice was even BETTER than on the his self-titled debut album and it was refreshing to see someone perform who is really into it all yet still humble and sweet. Keep up the good work, my man! I'm already eagerly awaiting your next album! Until then, check him out on Ellen:

2007-2008 Primetime Schedule

2007-05-21T11:32:00.000-04:00

For those of you not in the media biz, last week the Big 5 TV networks held their upfronts announcing their Primetime schedules for the Fall. In case you care, here is the full schedule for all 5 networks (courtesy of Cynopsis).

The Spotted Pig

2007-05-21T11:11:00.000-04:00

Part of the reason we were late for Ricky was that we had dinner at The Spotted Pig first. I've been wanting to go since April Bloomfield was voted one of the Best New Chefs by Food & Wine. We figured going at 6pm on a Saturday we would be able to walk right in (they don't takes reservations), but we definitely underestimated the popularity of this place and had to wait 1/2 hr for a table. For starters, we each had the signature dish of sheep’s ricotta gnudi with brown butter and sage ($13), matched with a glass of the decent Tempranillo Bodegas Breton "“Loriñon” Riserva ($10). Basically, a take-off on gnocchi, this dish was great - the cheese was SUPER sharp and the sauce was not too heavy.

We followed that up by splitting the chargrilled burger with roquefort cheese & shoestrings ($15), paired with a bottle of Red Stripe ($6). Typically, I love a good blue cheese burger but after all of the sharp cheese in the gnudi it was a bit too much even for me. I've heard in the past the burger there is INSANE, but I have to disagree - it was definitley decent but I still prefer the burger at St. Andrews and it wasn't even in the running for one of the best I'd ever had. The shoestrings were really good though, basically homemade potato sticks.

Eating at the Spotted Pig can be extremely uncomfortable. The tables are crowded and VERY small and much of the seating are low stools. I'd recommend hitting this place on EXTREME off-hours to really be able to enjoy it.

On a Gawker Stalker note, Ty Pennington was drinking pints at the bar right near us and after a few he dropped one, it shattered on the floor, beer sprayed on everyone nearby, and I even had a big chunk of glass hit my shoe. Nice one buddy, especially right after getting a D.U.I!!!!!!!!!!!

Was He Havin' A Laugh ??!?!?!

2007-05-21T11:03:00.000-04:00

I don't have much of a review for the Ricky Gervais show. Sadly (for us), he took the stage ON TIME so we missed 1/2 of the show. I MEAN REALLY!!!! Who does that? And what happened to the woman who was the opening warm up? Anyway, I wasn't that impressed with what we did see. 2 of the jokes I had heard before from other people. In the end it's really just about the way he delivers the jokes and his voice that make him so endearing. My favorite part of the show was actually when a heckler yelled out (in the same crazy voice & all) "Are you havin' a laugh", to which Mr. Gervais just responded "thank you".

Five Points

2007-05-18T14:19:00.000-04:00

Last night I had dinner at Five Points with Suz. I have to say it was as good as I had hoped. For those of you unfamiliar with it, Five Points is not a new hotspot. It's the 8 year old flagship of chef Marc Meyer on Great Jones St. Even though I hate that neighborhood I decided to finally give this one a try since I LOVE his Chelsea hotspot Cookshop. We both started off the night with the softshell crab appetizer. This was what I was most excited about with the meal but sadly I was underwhelmed. The crab was on a bed of raw spinach and had WAY too much aoli on top of it. I can't even mention how the crab itself was since the aoli was extremely strong and overpowered ANY taste the crab might have had to offer. Note to the sous chef: next time drizzle the sauce or dollop it on the side! On to the main courses. I had grilled blackfish (kind of a cross between halibut and monkfish) with pancetta on top, situated on a bed of extremely crunchy green & wax beans. Very light & summery and interesting! Suz had a steak with onion rings which she was exceedly happy with (as a non steak eater I had to agree it was a great cut after trying a tiny piece). All of this was paired perfectly with a white Rioja. To me the room itself was a bit crowded and somewhere dreary, however the excellent service made up for that. In the end I'll say get on over to Cookshop and if you like it then why not give Five Points a try too!

Michael Tolliver Lives!

2007-05-16T16:52:00.000-04:00

Brace yourself Armistead Maupin fans! June 1st marks the release of the long, long, LONG awaited 7th installment of the "Tales Of The City" series. I'm not reading ANYTHING about it so as not to ruin ANY surprises so I can't tell you anything about what drama will entail. If you've never read this series, I HIGHLY recommend it. It's basically a soap opera takes place in swinging San Francisco in the 1970's with all of the characters lives intertwining. If you aren't a reader, at least check out the movies (there are 3 seperate mini-series that cover the content of the first 3 books) .

Tony Award Nominations Announced

2007-05-15T09:58:00.000-04:00

This morning the Tony Awards nominations were announced. I'm definitely routing for Grey Gardens to pick up Best Musical and for it's leading lady Christine Ebersole to take home a statue for Best Performance By A Leading Actress In A Musical. On the revival side, it's all about Company and it's leading man Raul Esparza. Tune in to CBS on Sunday, June 10th at 8pm to find out the winners and catch some great performances.

Food & Wine Charity Auction

2007-05-15T09:44:00.000-04:00

Food & Wine is sponsoring an online auction beginning today and running until June 29th to raise money for their Grow For Good campaign. The campaign aims to raise $1 million for Farm To Table, a national initiative dedicated to supporting local farms and encouraging sustainable agriculture. The auction will feature more than $50,000 worth of items, showcasing a variety of luxury goods and unique experiences donated by culinary icons, industry leaders and the country’s top tastemakers. So get in their, browse the catalog and bid now! (and keep checking back as items will continue to be added throughout the course of the auction). Good luck and happy bidding!

Cafe Centro

2007-05-09T15:02:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I went for lunch at Cafe Centro. I'd never really heard of this place but evidently it's been sitting in the back of Grand Central on 45th for years now and is still going strong. The cuisine is upscale French. I went strictly for the specials - gazspacho to start and tempura soft shell crab ($29) for the main - both were excellent. I paired it with a decent Pinot Noir ($9). My co-workers had the tuna tartare and frisee lardons for appetizers and the burger and ribeye steak for mains. All looked good and everyone was extremely pleased. I recommend this place for sure for a rep lunch if you are in the area. Also, they have a lot of outdoor seating (although it didn't appear to get a lot of direct sunlight at noon) so it's great for warm weather lunches.

Alexandra

2007-05-07T10:49:00.000-04:00

Saturday night I went to a birthday party (and congrats on the engagement Carly & Ren!) at a little restaurant on Hudson Street called Alexandra. I've been by this place a million times but never tried it. From what I am told, the small storefront never really gets too crowded, although on Saturday it was packed since there were 2 birthday parties - one of which had Aaron Eckhart as a guest. Anyway, since we were mostly just there for drinks I started with the sangria ($9). It was ok, but I think I was more just turned off of it when I saw the bartender pour coke on the top - YUCK! Next drink please! From there I moved on to a tempernillo ($9) which was definitely decent.

After a while a few appetizers started rolling out for us from the kitchen. First up was an AMAZING brushetta on mini-garlic toasts with cherry tomato halves, diced fresh mozarella and basil - light, refreshing & delish. Then it was on to a chicken turnover with a spicy sauce that were also quite nice. These 2 items alone were good enough to intrige me to go back for a real visit. Keep in mind though, this place is cash only!

Welcome Back Rocket-Man!

2007-05-07T10:35:00.000-04:00

Perilla

2007-05-04T10:05:00.000-04:00

Last night I went to a preview of Perilla, the new restaurant from chef Harold Dieterle, winner of the 1st series of Bravo's Top Chef. Harold's dish was one of my favorites at the F&W Best New Chefs party last month so I was excited to sample more of his food. The space is very warm (it's the old Inside space at 9 Jones) and bar and glassware are all gorgeous. We started with the 9 Jones signature cocktail - Kettle One Citron, pineapple, cranberry and a splash of Cava. Now that was a delicious way to say "welcome to summer!" Each of the hors d'ouevers was a treat - my favorite being the fluke on a taro chip. Otherwise included a tortilla, an onion soup with rock shrimp and mushrooms shot, duck meatballs and garlic bread with an edamame and fontina dipping sauce. Deserts included a mini warm to-die-for chocolate cake and coconut cake with watermellon. I got a peek at the menu and all of these hors d'ouevers really highlighted it. Based on the preview alone I'm going to predict that this one is going to be a hotspot so get in there and make your reservations immediately! Welcome to the neighborhood Harold!

Zipper Tavern

2007-05-02T11:28:00.000-04:00

Last night I went for drinks at the new Zipper Factory Tavern in Hell's Pantry. Located on 37th between 8th & 9th, this new gastropub is an extension of the Zipper Factory Theater. I have to say this is a welcome addition to an area that doesn't have too much to offer. The small bar in front, which seats about 10, is fully stocked and offers 3 red and 3 white wines by the glass ($7 each). I had a wine that was similar to a Pino Grigio that was quite nice. Beer on tap includes the Zipper Tavern Lager. I didn't try the food but it looked and smelled delish. The menu includes reasonably priced items like lobster chowder, duck salad, burgers, sloppy joe's, charcuterie, schnitzel and brisket. Whether hanging at the bar or eating in the main dining room, check this place out the next time you are looking to meet up near the Port Authority!

Where In The World?

2007-04-27T11:04:00.000-04:00

All next week keep your eye on The Today Show to find out Where In The World Is Matt Lauer?

Patti In Gypsy

2007-04-26T14:58:00.000-04:00

For all of you theater lovers, get in there this July for the much anticipated month long stint of Ms. Patti Lupone playing Mama Rose in the City Center's Encores! production of Gypsy. Tickets on sale now!

Ticket Update

2007-04-26T14:35:00.000-04:00

Last year's American Idol 2nd runner up Elliott Yamin plays Bowery Ballroom on May 22nd. Tickets are already on sale and still available ($20). I'm excited for this one (even if it is age 16+!) - I LOVE his new single "Movin' On".

The king of comedy, Ricky Gervais, has added 2 more NY appearances, this time at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center on May 17th & 18th. Tickets are $30 and go on sale Friday at noon.

Morrissey plays M.S.G. on June 30th. Tickets on pre-sale now for AmEx Cardmembers, and on Monday at 10am for everyone else. What do you think people? Is he really going to be able to sell out the joint after all these years?

Happy Birthday Roger!

2007-04-26T14:28:00.000-04:00

Today is Roger Taylor from Duran Duran's 47th birthday! Have a pint for me you old bugger! Rumour has it the band is finishing up the new album and it should be ready by summer. And Roger verified that he is indeed getting married again, this time to his Peruvian girlfriend Gisella. Congrats on that too!

Barcelona Foodies - Take 3 & 4

2007-04-25T15:41:00.000-04:00

This is the last section of Barcelona food talk. I promise.

Lunch on Saturday was around the corner from Gaudi's La Pedrera at Tragaluz in the ground floor cafe. The menu was pretty much basic cafe offerings. We went for an arugula salad and paired it with a parmesan based mac-n-cheese. Not too notable, especially after it all started getting blurry after the Cava arrived. I'd mostly recommend it due to it's location. The upstairs formal dining room has a retractable roof and looked like it could be good for dinner. Of note is that this is the flagship of the Grupo Tragaluz, a hip restaurant group that is kind of like the Keith McNally joints of NY.

Saturday night we had dinner at Moo in the Schrager-esque Hotel Omm (another Tragaluz). This was one of the more disappointing meals. To me, it was just way too trendy and overdone. And the crowd it attracted felt very NY MePa. All of the dishes came in 1/2 portions. I went with a violet salad with beets, a chicken & foie meatball and the sea bass with ginger, all of which were good but not so notable. At the end of the meal they gave us a complimentary dessert that we were supposed to guess what the flavor was because the taste was supposed to duplicate the smell of the signature scent the hotel was launching. It was lavender. Whatever. I'm sure someone in marketing got a huge promotion off of that idea. My recommendation is to skip Moo and the downstairs club OmmSession and maybe just grab a quick drink and some nibbles in the lobby. It's not that the food was bad - nothing just seemed to stick out after all the other amazing food we had already consumed.

Sunday night we had our last supper at Arola in the Hotel Arts at the Port.

Phew! Back to AMAZING-ness! Arola is an upscale tapas joint by another of Barcelona's favorite chefs, Sergi Arola. The decor is very Miami with lots of futuristic white and a great soundtrack supplied by a live dj. Much of the food is "deconstructed" - my favorite foodie term of the trip. The highight was the deconstructed tomato bread (which basically meant they brought you toasted bread and then you rubbed the freshest tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and salt on it yourself to your taste - LOVED that!) We also tried the deconstructed patatas bravas (little bites of spicy potatoes with a kick), the quail and foie ravioli with hoisin (a signature dish, we were reluctant by they were excellent), fried oysters and Iberico Jamon (cured ham). Another highlight of this meal was the dessert wine. It was a Mataro, a sweet red wine made from a grape that had been lost for ages and was recently brought back. Not too sweet, this was one of the best dessert wines I've ever tasted. For an upscale tapas dinner, I think Arola is the one to beat!

After dinner we had drinks at Shoko, a club-cum-restaurant across from street from Arola. This is one of the cooler clubs in that very touristy area and was recommended to us by Guillermo, one of our hosts at Casa Camper. Taking in the Asian inspired decor and the funky music was a great mix of people. There is also outdoor space in the back with daybeds. I'd recommend Shoko since most of the places surrounding it looked HORREN.

One last honorable mention. As with any trip, The Lady & I had to find our FP. In this case it turned out to be Bar Lobo, a hip little bar/restaurant (yes, yet ANOTHER Tragaluz) on a cute little square around the corner from our hotel. This was a great place to hang as the Cava flowed freely each afternoon:

To keep from getting too messy so early in the evening we eventually took part in a bit of the tapas - ham croquettes, mini cheese melts and the patatas bravas:

A gorgeous no-attitude staff made it all that much more enjoyable. This will definitely be my first stop on my next trip to Barcelona!

Barcelona Foodies - Take 2

2007-04-25T14:49:00.000-04:00

We started off our second day in Barcelona with lunch at Cal Pep. For those of you unfamiliar with Cal Pep, it is a small EXTREMELY popular tapas bar. We arrived about 15 minutes before they opened (if you don't, you have to wait in line for stools to open) and were promptly seated at the counter when the doors opened. First off we LOVED our server - he reminded me of Ricky Gervais. (Sidebar: Why is it that everyone who wears glasses in Barcelona has the coolest frames!).

We dove right in to the food, opting for the tomato bread (good, but not as good as I remembered from my last visit), fried baby squid (top notch!), meat and potatoes (we both agreed that this was THE BEST meat we had ever tasted - a high quality cut, lightly seasoned that melted in your mouth!), and pimiento peppers:

I've now visited Cal Pep on 2 separate trips and both times have been extremely inpressed. It is a definite M-U-S-T when in Barcelona. Just remember to get there about 15 minutes before they open for lunch/dinner and make sure to grab a stool at the counter, because it's all about the counter, not the tables in the back.

Next up on the agenda was dinner at Tapioles 53. This was definitely THE BEST meal of the trip. Tapioles is the brainchild of Australian chef Sarah Stothart and her husband, Barcelona designer Ricardo Feriche. The restaurant in located in the residential Poble Sec neighborhood in an old umbrella factory. The space is a loft with only about 10 tables and an open kitchen. In the back, glass doors separate the restaurant from the couples actual home. The feel is very warm and homey with dim lighting and mismatched chairs. Noel, the pastry chef, came over to our table and told us that Sarah was away and that they would only be offering a 3-course instead of the usually five-course menu and that she would be doing all of the cooking based on Sarah's recipes. Fine with us! After the Cava arrived Noel sat down at our table and started to discuss the menu with us, explaining all the ingredients and how they decided on each dish. A-MAZING! Since there were 2 options for each course we ended up trying everything. Course 1: Cauliflower soup with a chuck of cold blue cheese dropped in the middle (PURE HEAVEN!) & a salad of cured meat, arugula, paremesan and balsamic (perfectly done!). Course 2: A beef stew (very hearty) and porcini raviolis in a cream sauce (very good and not too heavy). Course 3 was where we met Noel expertise - dessert. If you are reading this Noel, please FedEx us one of your carrot cakes! (this was one of the best desserts I've ever had and usually I'm a chocolate lover only!). We also tried the flourless chocolate cake that came with a light & airy coffee mousse that was to die for. What I had approached as a nice break from tapas turned out to be one of my top dining experiences ever. The personal touch people, THAT'S what it's all about!

After dinner we headed off for drinks at Las Guindas, a neighborhood bar recommended by Noel (excellent choice!). Finally we decided to visit with the green fairy, sipping Absenta's at Bar Marcella:

Barcelona Foodies - Take 1

2007-04-24T16:46:00.000-04:00

Immediately upon arrival in Barcelona we headed out for our first meal, lunch, at Bar Pinotxo in La Boqueria market. It is a small lunch counter near the entrance of the market that is frequented by the likes of uber Catalonian chef Ferran Adria.

I have to say Juanito Bayen (a.k.a. Pinotxo), is quite a character and makes it well worth the visit.

I was sort of coerced by Juanito into having the baby squid with garbanzo beans - definitely the wrong choice after a red-eye flight with no sleep, a mild hangover and an empty stomach.

It was really good - just not what I wanted. But who cares? Really there just there to be there and be entertained!

After an extended siesta we headed out for dinner at Comerc 24, home of noted Catalonian chef (and a disciple of Adria), Carles Abellan (who was indeed at the helm of the kitchen that night). We decided to be brave and go with the 8 course festival tasting menu. Some of it we liked, some we didn't. But really it's all about individual taste. It was all quality for sure. The first course was a bunch of mini-tapas including green olives stuffed with anchovies, gold guilded macadamias, pork rinds, parmesan balls, fried mini-fish and bread sticks with a pesto paste. I think the pork rinds were our favorite.

Subsequent courses included: an orchata, ficoide glaciale and scallop soup-salad (scary, the scallop was a bit undercooked for my tastes), cuttlefish and morel ravioli (delish!), duck and foie rice (very rich), beef entrecot with potatoes and wasabi (the beef was too chewy for me), a mackrel dish and tuna tartare with yolk vinagrette:

All of the food was paired with a 2004 Hacienda Monasterio Ribera Del Duero which was out of this world and one of the best bottles of wine I've ever had. Finally, desert came which consisted of about 5 different items with a side shot of apple-celery juice.

Overall I really enjoyed Comerc and would recommend it to the adventurous. The main dining room is small and quiet (a HUGE change over NY dining) with dark rich colors and comfortable seating. Service was good, although even with a Spanish speaking dinner companion, some of the dishes were lost in translation.

Jarvis @ Webster Hall

2007-04-24T16:28:00.000-04:00

Last night I went to see Jarvis, the former lead singer of Pulp with DEC et al. at Webster Hall. I have to say it made me a bit sad. I miss Pulp. And to me, Jarvis didn't really cut it on his own. On his self-titled CD there are really only 2 songs that strike me - "Black Magic" and "Don't Let Him Waste Your Time". Both did sound great live. And there were moments throughout the show where certain chords made me reminisce about the old Pulp sound. Overall though the show was a bit dull and self-endulgent. And the man himself really needs to cut his hair - he looked way too skanky for my taste.

Welcome To The Catskills!

2007-04-24T16:16:00.000-04:00

A big shout out to Kimmi K. & Craig! Congratulations on your new home in the mountains and thanks again for taking us for an weekend away!

(It was so much fun in fact, that at one point we had to enroll in the Melinda Doolittle School of Humility so that it wouldn't look like we knew how much fun it really was!)

Casa Camper

2007-04-20T14:13:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm back from a SPECTACULAR trip to Barcelona. I have a lot to write about but not a lot of time today so I'm going to have to do it in installments. First up, the hotel - Casa Camper.

I want to start off by saying this was one of my favorite places that I stayed at (I know, I know, I say that everytime, but they do indeed keep getting better!). Camper is located on a small street near MACBA (The Museum of Contemporary Art) in El Raval. It has 20 1+1 rooms (that means you have your bedroom and across the hall your own mini-lounge) and 5 suites (the mini-lounge is attached to the bedroom). We had the 1+1 and in the end I think I preferred it because when one person is sleeping the other person can watch tv etc. across the hall without disturbing their companion.

The room is done in a minimal fashion. The beds are large and extremely comfortable. All of the closets are open. The rainmaker shower is heavenly. There are robes and Camper slippers to make the stay more comfortable.

The bedrooms are in the back of the building which helps keep noise to a minimum. They have a large window facing the "vertical" garden. When you are ready to hide the garden view and blackout the room, there is a garage-door type mechanism that lowers over the window.

The mini-lounge faces Elisabets street and has a futon, table and chairs, flat-screen tv, a hammock and a half-balcony. It's great for having late night cava parties!

Because there is no room service, the hotel offers free food & drink 24 hrs. in the Tentempie section of the lobby. Choices include sandwiches, salads, soup, desserts, chips, peanuts cookies and a wide vartiety of non-alcoholic beverages (the alcoholic ones can be purchased at reception). Breakfasts are even more full-on with eggs made to order.

On the top floor is a indoor/outdoor lounge. With great city views, it's another fun place for a cava party!

All of the staff is young, good-looking, hip and extremely helpful (oh, and they speak English). As you can see, Camper made me very happy and I'm HIGHLY recommending this one:

Nobu - Off the Menu

2007-04-09T15:32:00.000-04:00

I just discovered there is a secret dish at Nobu 57. It's fish & chips and looks DELISH!

It's only available to family, friends and those in the know so order it up! (Not sure if they have it at all locations - my source just referenced 57).

Let The Birthday Celebration Begin!

2007-04-09T09:50:00.000-04:00

This weeked marked the start of my week-and-a-half long birthday celebration. It started on Saturday night with dinner with Mark at The Little Owl and will end next Monday on my return flight from Barcelona. There will be a full Barcelona posting upon my return. But for now . . .

A big shout out to chef Joey Campanaro at the Little Owl. How much do I love him for serving soft shell crab for the first time of the season on my pre-birthday weekend dinner?!?!?!?!?!?! 2 big plump juicy crabs were served over heirloom tomatoes and avacado - heavenly perfection! Not to mention as usual the scallop appetizer, the assorted sliders and the pork chop were all spectactular! If you haven't hit this place yet, get on it! To get a reservation during prime hours you have to call the second the phone lines open exactly one month before you plan to go but it's TOTALLY worth it!

The second event of the pre-birthday weekend was seeing A Moon For The Misbegotten on Broadway starring Kevin Spacey and Colm Meaney yesterday. Sadly, the ONLY thing that saved this show for me was the fact that I was sitting EXTREMELY close and that I love Kevin. Very fun to see these 2 master actors, as well as leading lady Eve Best, ply their trade. I don't think I can really recommend this play unless you are a huge Spacey fan and feel like you have to see this. The material to me was uninteresting and boring as well as WAY TOO LONG! About 4 times everyone in the audience seemed to breathe a sigh of relief that it was coming to an end and then a whole new scene would start. For me, even the top notch acting couldn't save this production.

Food & Wine's Best New Chefs 2007

2007-04-04T10:57:00.000-04:00

Food & Wine announced the winners of the 2007 Best New Chef honors this a.m. and are as follows:

April Bloomfield The Spotted Pig, New York, NY
Gabriel Bremer Salts, Cambridge, MA
Steve Corry Five Fifty-Five, Portland, ME
Matthew Dillon Sitka & Spruce, Seattle, WA
Gavin Kaysen El Bizcocho, San Diego, CA
Johnny Monis Komi, Washington, DC
Sean O'Brien Myth, San Francisco, CA
Gabriel Rucker Le Pigeon, Portland, OR
Ian Schnoebelen Iris, New Orleans, LA
Paul Virant Vie, Western Springs, IL

Bide-A-Wee Clinic

2007-04-02T14:45:00.000-04:00

Poor little Frannie hasn't been feeling well so we had to take her to the vet on Friday. We took her back to the clinic at Bide-A-Wee where we got her. I had to give this place a plug due to the great care and attention we got there. It was super clean and both the physician's assistant and the Dr. herself were great. PLUS it is a "best kept secret" that their prices are extremely low. A visit is only $48! So if you are looking for a new vet, this is the place!

Downing Street Wine Bar & Morandi

2007-04-02T13:28:00.000-04:00

Last week I went for pre-dinner drinks at a new wine bar on Downing Street owned by the guys behind Blue Ribbon. All I can say is that this place rocks! Well, it doesn't exactly "rock" per se, but it's an AMAZING wine bar and now my favorite! The space is small, with only about 14 backless stools spaced around a bar and a small counter along the back wall. I dread to think how hard it will be to get in here once this place is discovered, but as usual I have to share it with my loyal readers! The room is gorgeous with big windows to the street, lots of wood and wine bottles. The wine here comes in 4 forms - a "taste", a glass, a flight or a bottle. KK & I both started off with the bubbles flight (3 reasonable sized "tastes" - $17). We were SUPER excited since one was a sparkling Vouvray (which we both now LOVE since our Wine 101 class). Next we dove in to a flight of reds (we composed the flight on our own, but they do have pre-arranged ones if you prefer to follow their lead). All were excellent. If you aren't in the mood for wine, they do carry beer & spirits as well. The staff (especially Margot & Sean) are extremely knowledgeable, friendly, down to earth & fun. The atmosphere is very W. Village neighborhood meets aspiring wine geek. The music is soothing, reminiscent of old Portishead but a bit more up beat. They also have quite a few nibbles which we passed on but looked amazing. I can't wait to get back there and dive right in!

Once the wine kicked in we were in full-tilt boogie mode and raced over to claim our 8pm ressie at the new Keith McNally joint Morandi. In the end we wished we hadn't rushed since we had to wait 1/2 hr for our table to open up. (Sidenote: at this point, to get into this place you have to call at 9am exactly one week before you want to go. We called at 5pm day of and they managed to squeeze us in. If you aren't a planner, that way may be your best bet.) The place was utter chaos. It was impossible to get anywhere NEAR the bar, so we opted to just wait by the door. It was EXTREMELY loud - so loud that everytime the waiter spoke to us he had to repeat things at least 3 times and then we usually gave up since we couldn't hear him. The service could've been better as well - he always seemed to be there when we didn't need him and nowhere in site when we did.

For those who don't keep up with musical chairs, the chef, Jody Williams, came over from nearby Gusto. I never went to Gusto but had always heard it was great so was excited for Williams' cuisine. Sadly, I was extremely disappointed. We started off with fried artichokes - WAY too greasy. That was followed by the frito misto - some fried calamari (really good but for some reason EXTREMELY heavy - almost like they were soaked in butter and then deep fried), 2 giant prawns with shell & head on (that was just wrong in a fried seafood dish - where was the batter!?!?!), and 2 full-on sardines (I swear the tail of mine moved - YIKES! - well, not really but that item was not for me!). For a main, I had the bucatini amatriciana. My favorite Italian dish but such a bland disappointment. I love that the NY Magazine review described this dish as "a tastless sludge of tomato sauce". Even worse was KK's dish - she had the bolognese which was served over egg noodles (wrong again!) and all you could taste was nutmeg (WAY too overwhelming!). In the end I recommend skipping this place entirely and heading back to the tried & true McNally Pastis for the croque monsieur!

Is He Having A Laugh? (Part 2)

2007-04-02T13:21:00.000-04:00

Possibly! And hopefully Bowie will be too! I definitely will be! Woo-hoo! If you didn't get a ticket, why not just stalk Ticketmaster!

A New View Of The World

2007-03-27T14:16:00.000-04:00

In the market for new glasses? Head to See on Bleecker St (near 7th). They have tons of funky eyewear and the prices are EXTREMELY reasonable. All basic prescription lenses are included in the price of the frames that run from about $169-$269. Plus the staff are fun and very helpful. If you register on their website in the "bribes and secret offers" section you can get coupons too!

Something Old

2007-03-26T09:52:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I watched Mad Hot Ballroom, a movie I've been wanting to see for a while now. If you haven't heard of it, it's a documentary about NYC public school kids in a ballroom dancing competition. These kids are amazing - both on the dancefloor and off - and quite a little cast of characters. It is such a feel-good movie and really shows that there is some hope left for the youth of today. I highly recommend this movie and it's on Showtime On-Demand this month so that should make it easy!

Keane @ Summerstage

2007-03-23T10:28:00.000-04:00

Tickets went on sale this morning for Keane at Central Park's Rumsey Playfield on May 30th. Let's just hope Tom Chaplin doesn't slide back into rehab before May and that they actually make it here this time! Grab a ticket while you can!