dloqi & NYC

Puppet show without puppets

2008-12-14T11:05:00.003-05:00

It's the holiday season and I was in the mood for a puppet show of sorts, so we looked up our old friend the Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theater (CAMT) to see if they had any productions running - and they did! The immensely titled "The Very Sad Story of Ethel & Julius, Lovers and Spys, and about Their Untymelie End while Sitting in a Small Room at the Correctional Facility in Ossining New York." Lovely. And it was, really, about a sad story of the traitorous Rosenburgs of the 1950's. But being a marionette company, I naturally assumed it would be performed by puppets. I was close - it was performed by puppeteers, but as the actors themselves. The only marionettes were a couple of props in the beginning, and perhaps some stuffed bears substituted for other characters. The main action took place by the live human actors.

The story, as briefly referenced to above, was about Ethel and Julius Rosenberg who were executed in 1953 for espionage (selling secrets to the Soviets). Not your typical holiday fare. But the live musical accompaniment (accordion, base and percussion - all masterfully done, as determined by my husband who has much more experience with critiquing music and musicians than I do), the songs, the tight abstract staging and, as I said the wonderful, energetic and talented performances made this puppetless, non-holiday show a delight to watch.

This is why one goes to New York City to appreciate theatrical talent. Not for Broadway, not for the big named movie stars who want to try their multimillion celebrity hands at theater, but for this - the truly artistic, strongly talented multi-dimensional artists who can be gathered together to put on a masterfully entertaining show.

US Open

2008-08-31T13:09:00.003-05:00

US Open - Grand Slam Tennis - Flushing Meadows, Queens

Finally got a chance to attend an event at the US Open this year. We planned badly, and only by luck did we inherit tickets from a relative (who scored better tickets for the same match). We went on Day 5 of the tournament, the evening games at Ashe Stadium. The luck of the draw had us watching Marion Bartoli beat Lindsay Davenport, followed by the exciting match where Andy Roddick, the 2003 US Open champion, edge out 19-year-old newcomer Ernests Gulbis of Latvia.

Compared to the Mets game we attended at Shea the prior week, this crowd was much more civilized, mostly in pastels if not wearing their tennis whites. It was very crowded but surprisingly not so annoying. Lots of foreign languages spoken, definitely an international event.

We took the 7 train to the Shea Stadium stop, and followed the more cleanly dressed crowd over a boardwalk with US flags waving and people with megaphones shouting some incoherent directions to the calm and well-mannered crowd. Apparently there are separate lines for this with-bag and those without-bag. The with-bag line stretched back all the way down the boardwalk. Luckily in our ignorance we skipped most of the line and stayed in the without-bag section until getting rejected by a staff member, whereby cutting into the endlessly long with-bag line. No one complained or gave us dirty looks (but then again I didn't look around or behind us to those we were cutting off) and by that time there was not much difference in speed between the withs and withouts. A purse counts as a bag, by the way, so ladies keep that in mind.

The outdoor venue was kind of fun, this funky modern architecture kept minimal with navy blue, silver and white. Many booths dotted the area - US Open merchandise, Heineken, Nike, American Express. There is a larger food court area that resembled food courts in malls - a curved wall of various food vendors selling burgers and Chinese and pizza that hugged an open court filled with white tables. The most difficult part was finding an empty table. Since we got there as the day matches ended and the night matches were starting, we got the peak food crowd and as soon as a table opened up people immediately swarmed on it to fill it up. We ended up sharing with a gracious stranger - table sharing was common at the point, so don't get discouraged unless you're with 3+ people.

The most shocking part of the event (aside from the calmness of all) was the price of food. We probably spent a good $60+ for two of us, and we didn't even get a lick of alcohol. Just pretend you're at a really large, outdoor movie theater, and expect the same kind of prices. $4.50 for a bottle of soda, $6.00 for a foot-long hotdog. You get the picture. To add injury to insult, the hotdog and sausage dog we had as we entered the stadium were cold - not even lukewarm, but as if they just pulled them out of the cooler to cook and forgot to turn the heaters on. Gross! But the other vendor foods - pepperoni pizza, cookie, sushi - were decent. The pizza was a welcome treat at 11pm when we were barely into the second match.

Our seats were in the Lower Promenade, section 306. Looks terrible from the seating chart, but we actually had a great view, in the corner of the stadium opposite the judge's chair, and were able to clearly see everything going on in the court. Our friends who had the closer seats were on the opposite side of the stadium behind the judge, and while they enjoyed their seats they admitted to not being able to see the net.

The attendance at this venue was surprisingly sparse, for such hot tickets. But then again it did rain and delayed the games by a few hours, so maybe that kept a lot of people from making the long haul out to Queens. During the later part of the games people did, of course, make their way down toward the seats closer to the court. But we liked it fine just where we were.

For such a highbrow event, the crowd was pretty casual and relaxed. As the games stretched far into the night, the music was pumping, the people dancing and mugging for their camera closeups, children jumping up and dancing at every opportunity. Despite Roddick being American as well as a previous US Open champ, there were equal cheers for Roddick as there were for Gulbis, who both turned a year older by the end of the event - they both had birthdays on the same day, Roddick turning 26 and Gulbis turning 20. Keep your eye on Gulbis - he's going to do well in the coming years if he keeps his pace up. He made the play look so easy.

In all, definitely check out the US Open if you haven't already. Next year we're hoping to go a little earlier, check out more of the things they offered, like the Outer Courts. The New York Times has a great page for suggestions about visiting the US Open.

O-Bon Festival at Dai Bosatsu

2008-08-12T13:49:00.002-05:00

Every summer the Japanese have a O-Bon festival, in which they welcome back for a night the souls of their departed ancestors, hang out for a day, then send them back to the "other side." A few places outside of Japan celebrate this holiday, and the Zen Studies Center in the Catskills - Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-Ji - is one of them. We had the privilige of taking part in the celebration this past August.

The drive up to the monastery is a good 3 hours or so from NYC, requiring very detailed directions. If you take a wrong turn, your only hope is the kindness of local strangers who can point you in the right way. We were relying on our handy iPhone map until we got deep enough in the mountains and lost all signal. Almost a quarter of the journey is on dirt roads, so make sure your car can handle it. Keep in mind, too, that the rain can make it extra challenging on those curvy dirt roads.

Five of us drove up, and were greeted a beautiful lake and a bald monk dressed in sheer black robes. I never did get the chance to ask about the different ranks and dress of the monks, but there is an obvious hierarchy. We drove up to the building - an amalgum of Japanese temple architecture and college dormitory styling - and 4 of us were assigned to room 11, the remaining friend who was a regular visitor, had her own single room. Our room was furnished with a pair of bunk beds, a complete set of linens (including two woolen blankets) per person, a closet, a bathroom larger than those found in most NYC apartments, and windows with a view of the lake. All was clean, and sparse. Aside from the room, we were not given a key - it's all about trust and karma here. We left our valuables anyway (or I did, at least) and never had a problem with theft.

We registered, paid, got lunch then were given an informal tour of the grounds. We stopped by one of the rooms to decorate our own personal paper lantern that was to take part in the ceremony. The lantern was to honor any of our past loved ones, who were supposed to have picked that night to come and visit us on this earthly plane, just to say hi. Four blank sides of rice paper set about a styrofoam base. In the middle of the base would be a candle, lit during the processional. We finished our lanterns, and were guided to the temple room to dedicate it and place it with the other lanterns.

For the remaining hours until the evening's ceremony, we took the opportunity to circle the big lake, changed into gray jedi-like robes, and had dinner. After dinner we lined up in the ceremony room and tried to follow along with the Buddhist ritual - lots of changing, an amazing amount of intense energy. After the ritual, night had fallen and we all gathered outside to the lake in the utter absolute dark, carrying our lanterns and placing them into the row boats which were sent out to the other side of the water. It was indescribably beautiful to watch these glowing lanterns being set onto the water, floating gently into the night, with the soft background chanting and bells ringing as we said our greetings to our departed loved ones. This emotional ceremony was followed by a large bonfire and party at the cottage house. There was another meditation and ceremony early the next morning, followed by breakfast, and then it was time to go.

A truly unique experience, one that even my Japanese friends say is not done commonly in Japan today.

Basta Pasta

2008-04-24T12:51:00.002-05:00

a Japanese owned and operated Italian restaurant
37 W. 17th St, NY NY

Our party of 6 had dinner last night at Basta Pasta, which was highly recommended by a family member who is not only of Japanese descent but also lived quite a few years in Italy, so he would know what he's talking about when he gives a double thumbs up to a Japanese-owned Italian restaurant. In short, great food, great atmosphere, great service!

Basta Pasta is a "chain" in that the original restaurants are in Tokyo. According to the website, the open kitchen is modeled after the Iron Chef series. In fact, in the Union Square one, the whole kitchen is the first thing you run into, and I, in my rush to get there, actually believed that I had walked in through the back.

The place was already rather busy, all the tables were full. Our party of 6 was nicely and comfortably seated in the middle row, surrounded by other parties of varying sizes - couple, trios, even a couple of solo diners. Lots of children and lots of noise but somehow it still managed to feel like an adult restaurant. The waitstaff was very attentive and running all over the place. The whole staff was Japanese, as well as the cooks and the buspersons. Our service was great, very attentive though admittedly the course came a little slow. Perhaps they were making sure all the dishes were served at once, but we did see many parties come and go during our wait there.

The menu is in three parts - appetizer, first course of pasta and second course of meat, then followed by dessert/coffee. Every dish was tasty, and we all shared bites from our plates to others at the table. Most memorable was the second course of meats, and we couldn't decide whether the salmon, the chicken, the pork, the lamb or the sea bass was the best since all were well seasoned and appropriately cooked. There were a few Japanese infusions into the traditional Italian fare, like the spaghetti served with Japanese basil and roe.

Pros: Great food, great service, great atmosphere, busy and lively atmosphere without being uncomfortable
Cons: a tad pricey, definitely dinner-in-Manhattan prices; service a tad slow for larger parties

Bikram Yoga NYC

2008-04-13T18:02:00.003-05:00

various locations around Manhattan

I took my first Bikram yoga class some years ago at the studio on 8th Avenue at 50th Street. They had an awesome beginner's special of $20 for an unlimited week of classes, which was great given that the classes were usually $20 each. It was near my apartment, I had a fondness for yoga and even greater fondness for heat therapies like saunas, so the combination of the two was appealing. I cannot recall the details of what motivated me to go, other than knowing I was instantly hooked at the intensity of the workout and sweating.

There's lots of controversy about Bikram, so I'll start with the cons -- first yes, it's hot. Very hot. Don't go in there without a bottle or two of water, and don't complain when you get dizzy in the middle of the 90 minute class. We told you it was hot! It took me a while to get through an entire class without having to sit and bear the dizziness and nausea. I still consider it an accomplishment when I can get through a class without having to take a break.

Second, because it's so hot, you're doing your yoga with the least amount of clothing on - meaning short pants and sports bra for women, shorts for men. The beginner may initially be embarrassed by this, but once the class starts you'll be so busy trying to keep up and do the poses and not pass out that you forget about anyone else around you, let alone your self-consciousness. And you'll be glad to have as little clothing on as possible because it's so hot. The Pro to this, at least for me, is self-acceptance. I've become much less modest about my body or the occasional display of skin. You get to see everyone in their near-nakedness, and while it's true many students will be in amazing, zero-body-fat shape, there will be many that aren't, and that's okay. You also get to see your own body, since the classes are done in front of mirrors, with you staring at your sweating, red faced almost naked self the whole 90 minutes - no hiding anything here. That extra abdominal roll might have bothered you as you came into the class, but by the end it doesn't look so bad.

Third - because it's so intense, there's this food issue of being careful not to eat two hours before the class. Go ahead and break the rule if you want, but it's like the no-swimming an hour after lunch - you'll suffer the physical pains of it. So one must really get disciplined about time and schedule if you're planning a Bikram class - no eating two hours before a class, then the class is an hour and a half long, then the recovery afterwards (cooling down, showering, slowly getting dressed again in a daze), let alone the travel time if you're coming in or out from the Bikramless burbs like your truly.

As for the Pros - I cannot think of any single workout or exercise regime that is better for you in the immediate aftermath. I've done my sampling of dance and gyms and martial arts, tai chi and various yogas, running and biking, facials and body wraps - and this is by far the best thing for you - physically, mentally, maybe even emotionally. They, he - the Bikram guy himself - claims the 26 pose series stretches every single muscle, flushes every single joint, and works every single organ in your body. I've done no scientific investigation to try and back this up, but I'll believe it. Your skin is softer all over, your complexion is glowing, your whole body is relaxed and loose and all those stresses and frustrations you brought in with you were left behind with the sweat. You just feel CLEAN, inside and out (well, at least once you wash the sweat off).

Enough about the controversy, what about the actual facilities? The Bikram I stick to is the Bikram NYC, though I know there are other studios around Manhattan (Chelsea, Soho, and Union Square at least have theirs too). The NYC guys (or gals, as it were) have four studios - 50th St/8th Ave, 72nd St, Flatiron, and 83rd(or somewhere on the Upper East Side) and your "membership" is linked to all of them. But actually there really isn't any membership required to join - you just go when you want, even once a year (like I have, recently) and you'll still be in their computer system. You can pay for a single class at a time, or buy in bulk depending on your commitment level. A class and two towels for $20, rent a mat for $5, a bottle of SmartWater for $2. There are separate gender locker rooms with showers, and I know the 8th Ave. recently renovated their showers (which look awesome). It can get a bit hectic around class sign-in time, but the workers are always friendly and trying hard to accommodate everyone.

The class numbers vary depending, as always, on time. There are a variety of instructors that rotate in and out of the schedule, but because the poses remain the same - 26 poses, done twice in the same order - the variation of instructors does not interrupt one's yoga practice all that much. In fact I've found it to be an advantage to have so many instructors, as they pick up different tips and suggestions, and I've gotten some wonderful advice from them.

Okay, look, I'll be frank - I'm not going to say a lot of bad things about Bikram. I'm a huge huge fan and completely biased. So I'll wrap and say Go! By all means go and try it if you're curious. It's amazing, it's wonderful, it's miraculous, it's fantastic, a god-send...

I will address one more issue of controversy - there is a lot of talk of the style's founder, Mr. Bikram himself - things like lawsuits, bad press, flashing his bling while sitting in his Rolls, etc. etc. Does that impact the yoga style he's honed and marketed? I can't say that it does, though it hurts the reputation of the style. That's too bad, for all the good it does, and the good, at least for me, far far outweighs the (alleged) negative personality behind it.

Molyvos

2008-04-13T08:27:00.003-05:00

a Greek restaurant by Carnegie Hall
871 7th Ave., at 57th Street

When I lived in the neighborhood, I would often walk by this restaurant with its old fashioned painted stucco facade that so vastly contrasted to the sleek modern decor or even neon signage of its neighbors, and would feel a wistful desire to head on inside to what I imagined would be warm, rustic atmosphere. I finally had a chance to indulge this whim when the husband and I went in search of a last minute impromptu celebratory dinner, and settled on Molyvos.

It was a Tuesday night, so it was not very crowded though the bar area was lively and there were a fair amount of tables occupied. The hostess was sweet and gave us no problem in checking my husband's bulky guitar case. We were seated in a cozy romantic corner booth, and knew this was going to be the exact experience we were looking for.

The interior reminded me of a ship's cabin, all dark wooded walls and ceiling. It was comfortable without being crowded, and cozy without the cramped spacing. Our table was comfortably large enough for the two of us. The service was fairly attentive, and the clean up between and after each course was complete - no crumbs or dirty utensils left behind. The waitress could have stepped up the attentiveness a notch, but we did not have a problem flagging her down when we needed her.

As for the food - we stuck with sparkling bottled water, got the complimentary side of pita breads and served with a sun dried tomato spread (I think). We began with a Greek salad and split the crab cake appetizer. I went for the baby lamb chops served with a puree of eggplant and a lightly dressed ball of spring greens. He had the halibut entree, served with some vegetable sides I don't recall. Both were fabulous, well cooked and seasoned, served with appropriately complimentary vegetable sides. For dessert, we split an almond honey cake and each had a tiny cup of Greek coffee. Our bill plus tip came out to around $150.

Overall - definitely hit the spot for our desired dinner - a bit special, a bit of pampering, definitely good food, a nice energetic atmosphere without compromising our company (meaning, we could actually talk to each other without shouting). A place where both the tourist and the post-Carnegie Hall performance audience member could dine without feeling out of place. Definitely recommend it, and look forward to coming here again.

Pros: atmosphere, food, location

Con: a tad pricey - save it for special occasions

Townhouse Spa nail service

2008-03-25T07:23:00.006-05:00

Townhouse Spa
39 W. 56th St., btw 5th & 6th Aves.

My birthday was coming up, and I was looking for a new place for pampering. Having recently started getting regular manicures I wanted a bit more than the nailpolish sweatshop. A search for "best of...'s" led me to Townhouse Spa, a recently opened lux pad that was just a block from my office. A nice surprise, and not that much more in cost than the other express manicure places.

I called around 12:30pm and asked if I needed an appointment. Made one anyway for 1pm, for a simultaneous mani/pedi. Got there early and found a sliver of a storefront that was not so obvious given it was hidden under a scaffolding and looking like a typical nail shop - glass storefront, products arranged within the view. I walked the walk through the products to the reception desk where a minimum of four ladies were situated, talking and looking busy and when one of them greeted me another searched for my name and confirmed my appointment. They ushered me back through a hip, masculine looking lounge and bar through to a back room of pedicure thrones and other nail spa things. I begged to use the restroom, and found a most delightful bathroom - spacious, beautiful tiny glass tiles on the floor and walls. They dished out for one of those Japanese toilets - the ubermodern ones that wash and dry you and welcome you with warmed seat.

The decor of the spa catered towards men, so the colors were dark and woody, the lounge containing red leather circular booths, and everything heavy and manly, but comforting for a girl. Even the nail room was masculine in decor, but had the same sense of comfort and cleanliness.

The room was not too busy, maybe four other patrons being serviced. Both the manicurist and pedicurist were young ladies with well honed, professional manner - fast and efficient and thorough. They chatted mostly to themselves in a foreign language (Vietnamese, maybe?) but quietly, and made occasional small talk with me. I was very relaxed and zoned out, enjoying the experience. I was led to the drying machines which, for once, had instructions on what the fan and lights were for. My pedicurist disappeared after that, and I was left sort of lost after the machines turned off and my toe nails were still not dry. Feeling kinda dumb and not sure what to do, I got up and shuffled to the lounge and sat in one of the booths. Many women walked by, all asking if I was okay and if I needed anything until I said I was just waiting for the polish to dry. One offered me tea, and I refused (still being annoyed at the undone polish and neglect) but then I relented. The herbal tea was hot, served in nice white china, and I started to relax again. After 15 minutes I headed out to the lobby to pay. Got a receipt that included the services as well as the names of who did them (nice touch).

And the end result, hours after leaving the spa?? A beautiful, flawless, glossy, evenly coated set of nails. It's been about two weeks now since the mani/pedi - no chips in the polish at all, and they still hold that fresh polish gleam. The manicure does need an update because nail growth, but the pedi could probably last another week. For $22 and $45, this is a great value for what you get. I plan on returning here often for my regular nail indulgences.

Two Little Red Hens Bakery

2008-02-20T12:59:00.005-05:00

Two Little Red Hens Bakery
2nd Avenue just south of 86th Street

Need an awesome birthday cake in a pinch? How about three awesome cakes, for a 77-year-old, a 68-year-old, and a 2-year old, needed for a party at 3pm on a Saturday, and it's now just after 1pm? If you find yourself in a similar scenario, head on over to Two Little Red Hens bakery. In a word - Awesome! Their cakes are great, small, so beautifully decorated, in a ton of various flavors.

The space is small and cozy and busy, but not so busy that you can't breathe. My DH sat in the car outside waiting for me, and commented on how many people came in and out of the shop. Despite its busy-ness, the service I got was prompt and wonderfully attentive, as they patiently listed for me the variety of choices, even spending extra time in the back to find the cake flavor I whimsically asked for. Upon settling for three specific flavors (almond, strawberry shortcake, and gooey chocolate) I was shown a couple different versions of each cake so as to pick the "best" one. I was given ample warning that the strawberry shortcake was a day old, and when I went ahead and took it (I was desperate and my untrained eye saw nothing amiss) they gave it to me for half price. They inscripted each one beautifully, with the properly spelled names and appropriately matching/contrasting colors, packaged each one up with a white cardboard box and old fashioned string - despite the 30 minute car ride home they stayed in perfect condition, no frosting mushes on the side of the cakes.

And the taste? Awesome, again! All of them! The chocolate was a huge hit, I found the strawberry shortcake amazing and fresh despite its alleged old age, and while I did not fawn over the almond cake, most everyone else did (the taste was compared to marzipan, and the marzipan fans loved it while the marzipan-haters quietly shunned it). The true NYrs who attended the party gave the indirect thumbs up when they asked "Where did you get the cakes? Where is it located, what's the name?" and filing the info away for future reference.

Another note on the staff, all of whom were incredibly friendly and happy and smiling sincerely as if they really liked their jobs. That in turn made all the customers smiley and happy and glad to be there despite the mild chaos. Most customers did not go for the cakes but were buying the other baked goods - cinnamon rolls, crumb coffee cakes, large cookies, cupcakes.

The only criticism (and I had to think for a minute to find one) was the small space that gets crowded with merely five people in the space (not counting the seating area). Great space, great staff and service, great tasting and looking sweets - what is not to like??

Apple iPhone

2007-09-26T08:32:00.000-05:00

It's love. First it was fascination, then a crush, obsessive some might say. Struck up the courage to engage in the commitment, and finally consumation. And it is true love.

This is not my first real PDA-type thingy, for I did have a brief affair with a Palm V some many years ago, in a pre-NYC life. It held lots of info, sure, but it never really took. Since then I've hunkered down from the fast evolving techno craze. My last phone did not even have a camera on it, let alone email or internet access. But since finishing school, becoming a licensed professional and having my own business, I figured it was time to get a real grownup techno gadget to fit the times. The iPhone contains everything I need, with that need becoming greater as I lost my orange iPod shuffle and the battery of my low-tech phone started acting wonky again.

With less than 24 hours of ownership with my new iPhone, I find the gadget has been constant source of delight. And utter coolness.

Things I love:

the usual cool out of box experience that Apple so wonderfully delivers with each new product
the way cool alarm clock dials that resemble the spinning wheels of a slot machine
notes to keep track of my to do's and ideas that always far exceed what I can keep in my head at any given time
consolidation of my phone numbers, emails and addresses plus the means to utilize them in same contraption (tap to call, tap to email, tap to log on and surf)
calendar finally all in one place, that I can sync with my computer, again on the go
iTunes with me all the time, especially on the long subway ride to and from the burbs or when my iPod runs out on my patients mid-treatment
a screen of beautiful colors, ease of use, nice feel of the machine in my hand
maps! a must in NYC when one lives out in the burbs and one's office is at home in the burbs while the business takes place in the city.
the full-on website pages
the cool way you can magnify or diminish the view of pictures, web pages, emails, etc.
the elimination of the stylus (yeay!)
the keypad for the phone, because there's something ultracool about tapping on a plain smooth sheet of glass instead of a set of plastic buttons.

Have yet to really use the phone, for I'm still waiting for the activation to come through.

Not like:

the icons on the main screen for some things I'm just never going to use, like YouTube and stocks - not a terrible thing, just a wasted 3/4ths of a square inch
one can say "price" and it is steep, but you know, combine the iPod with phone and internet as well as computer, one would say it's quite the bargain
can't switch the order of listed cities on the weather feature, so you either eliminate Cupertino or deal with the fact that you'll always know the weather in California before your own city [UPDATE with the iPhone software update to 1.1.1 they've fixed that issue]

UPDATED next day: So the phone finally works, and the sound is beautiful, crisp, and clear, at least compared to my old cheap phone. iPhone comes with handy earbuds that not only allows you the privacy of listening to your tunes, but it also comes with this tiny clicky thing on the right earbud cord that you click to answer the phone call that came in while your iTunes was playing, then once you finish the phone call, click the tiny thingy again, and your music resumes. It also doubles as a mic, and from my test run I was told the sound is great, maybe a little too great in that the breeze blowing in from the window was heard by the caller on the other end.

The iPhone is another piece of hard evidence of the thorough and thoughtful engineering of Apple, and why I soon switched to Apple after my first iPod many years ago, when it first issued the iPod for Windows and the stock price was still under $30.

Joyce Carol Oates reading

2007-09-05T22:53:00.001-05:00

at the Barnes & Nobel, 82nd and Broadway. Book was her new collection of short stories called The Museum of Dr. Moses

Being a free event, of a well-known author, and at the huge bookstore chain B&N, we figured it would be packed. With my flexible work time, I made a point of getting there early to grab good seats. I had heard of other popular readings where there were long lines, hour waits, need of wrist bands. This was not the case. We did not even know she had a new book out, and it did not seem like this reading about be so highly attended. Arriving an hour and a half early, the seating area was sparsely populated. I grabbed a couple of chairs in the third row, just left of the center aisle.

Slowly as the minutes ticked by, the seats filled until it was standing room only. The author soon appeared, looking tiny and frail and quite at ease in front of this eager little crowd. Applause, an introduction, another applause. JCO discusses genres, and the difference from the general literary fiction. Her new book of short stories is of the horror/gothic genre. She is a good speaker, humorous, calm. I felt compelled to take notes. It makes sense she is a college professor. She reads a bit from one of her stories, and claims the gruesome end prevents her from reading aloud the ending to us. She just knows how to keep the audience in suspense. She takes a few questions, gives lively and interactive responses. Addresses a lot of information and advice to budding writers (like myself and my fellow writing club members), before it is time for the signing.

The announcer said we were to line up according to rows, but there was no one there to enforce such instruction, and it more like a bum rush to the front of the room. We were able to get near the front, our rightful place having been in the third row, but thanks really to a kind gentleman who was sitting next to us who bravely cut the line and allowed us to cut in front of him. Being the genteel, civilized crowd it was, there was no complaint or dirty looks. The signing was quick, JCO ever the professional made quick small talk with us before gently ushering us away.

Overall a good experience. I had not read much of the book prior to the reading, but a couple of stories in, it was nice to hear some of her explanations.

Faust with Puppets

2007-09-01T10:04:00.001-05:00

from the Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theater
performance at the Bohemian National Hall on E.73rd Street

I've been hankering for a creepy puppet show, and finally got my taste last night at the so-newly-renovated-you still-see-wires-hanging Bohemian National Hall on East 73rd Street, with a performance of Johannes Dokchtor Faust by the CAMT. Faust is an old story, about some guy who sells his soul to the devil.

Puppets + devils = gotta be creepy, right?

The tickets were cheap at $18 - a tenth of the price of your latest Broadway show or Madison Square Garden concert. The tickets were general admission, seating was first come first served, so we arrived early about 20 minutes after 7pm - much too early. We were greeted in the newly renovated lobby by a nice lady who handed us the program and directed us upstairs, acknowledging that we were early as seating didn't start until 7:45pm, but there were a few seats as well as bathrooms available on the third floor. Up we go to the third floor, empty into a medium sized lobby. A couple of people were already there. We grabbed a couple of the empty chairs, and sat a while. The lobby slowly filled, and at about 7:45 some of the people who didn't get seats started lining up at the theater doors. A young gentleman dressed in velvet clothes and top hat ushered us in, but allowing only those whose program had a star on it (ours did) to be ushered in first. How we got the special stars, I do not know. A small rush into the theater, and we grabbed a couple of seats in the second row, slightly left of center. I've learned from sitting through previous performances to not sit in the first couple of rows, but I had forgotten that this was a puppet show - the closer the better. But we could see just fine. A good 3/4 of the seats were filled by the time the show started, and in my very inaccurate estimate, I would say there were about 50-60 people there. They did of course provide a nice little bench in front of the first row for the kids to sit on - children's privilege.

We were wooed by accordian music for the ten minute wait, and lights out, the performance began. We got to see all the cast members, who lined up in costume before the puppet stage (which I'm sure it has a technical name), playing some small instrument before filing out to allow the puppets to take over. Sweet harmonica solo, tophat velvet man.

The puppets were great. According to the literature, there was a cache of puppets found in a Czech church, no history of how or when these puppets ended up here. They were dated to be about 100 years old. We had Faust, his servant, his servant's servant who provided the comic relief. A brief appearance of a tiny angel and tiny devil as Faust's conscience, many devils of all sizes, a couple of aquatic creatures and a dog. A royal couple (is it me, or did the queen look an awful lot like the late Princess Diana? Maybe I've been watching too much CNN lately) and an awesome cast of couriers.

The performance was wonderfully energetic, the voices of the devils and

Queens library

2007-08-31T11:04:00.000-05:00

the Forest Hills branch

I never gave much thought to the Queens library. I thought they were being clique-y by trying to distinguish themselves from the NY Public Library. And besides, I'm still in denial that I live in Queens, so I shouldn't have any real use for the Queens library.

So prompted by a positive NY Time article (yes I still read the damned thing) about the library, I mentioned it to DH who, after living here this whole time, has never bothered to mention it to his geeky bookish wife, and actually claimed that the Forest Hills branch is kinda nice, or comfortable, or something acceptable like that. It's not too far from us, so I applied for a library card, was thrilled when it arrived a week later, and promptly went down to the branch to check it out (and gather some business-type books).

The library is short. Not the building itself, but the shelves inside, are low and you can see over them. It's odd. Open. Small, like we are all little children. It's a tad confusing for the newcomer, as you enter to face a long check out-type counter with lots of people sort of busy on both sides of it. Then you see big spaces both to the right and left, filled with the child-sized library shelves. I go right, looking for the business section. I am not to expect a huge selection, given this is not the main branch, and given the thin state of inventory of the many major chain stores across the Boulevard in "town". I find the business section finally, gather a couple of books I need and am directed back over to the counter by the entry way.

Okay, here is the coolest part. So I get the attention of one of the people on the official looking other side of the counter, tell her it's my first time here and she patiently shows me how to use the utterly awesome cool checkout system. One of the best self-checkers so far! You line up all the books, face up, as well as your library card on this huge scanning slab on the counter. It's big, I mean really big. And with one touch of a button, it scans everything, all at once. Out pops your receipt, and voila. You're done. In, like, 5 seconds. Wow. So cool! So simple! So fast! Did I miss something? Whose amazing invention was this??

Another interesting thing to note - they have plastic bags for your books, like grocery bags only a tad nicer. I thought it odd since one - I've never ever seen bags to carry your books out in any of the libraries I'v ever been to in my whole entire geeky bookish life, and two - it did seem a bit odd in this current ecologically-conscious, "lessen your footprint!" environment. Odd. I did not take one. Not sure how I feel about it. If you're buying your books, then yes I believe you are entitled to a plastic bag in which to carry your brand new unsoiled purchase. But to borrow books? Odd.

Kang Suh, Korean BBQ

2007-08-26T14:18:00.000-05:00

located in Koreatown,
1250 Broadway, on 32nd and Broadway.

It is one of the most disappointing things to see a good restaurant go downhill. Such was the disappointment last night when we brought some out of town friends to Kang Suh for their first Korean barbecue experience. Our choice of Kang Suh was not an accident, as we had dined here a couple of times in the past and had an excellent experience with delicious food and more than adequate portions.

Last night's experience suggested that the restaurant reduced all portions by a third. We ordered the usual seafood scallion pancake, and order of beef and shrimp barbecues (even doubled up on each for the six of us, as the waitress suggested), plus the yuk hwe (Korean version of beef tartar) and added a serving of vegetarian shumai. The food came as usual, in this sudden blur of dishes and unfamiliar sides that fought for space on the wide table; out came the pancake served just as the meat began sizzling in the middle of the table spread atop the barbecue pan. We ate with the usual frenzy, though trying to keep up some semblance of social talk.

Rather than miniature slabs of meat, our barbecuing beef was thin and shredded, and entirely inappropriate for barbecuing. The shrimp was adequately sized, but the yuk hwe, as well, was thinner than the usual. The number of side dishes (banchan) was also skimpy, and a lot less variations than usual.

Last time we were here, the two of us had to wait a good 20-30 minutes for a table. This time the six of us were seated immediately, and for 8pm on a Saturday night, that's practically unheard of, until you notice that the restaurant was much less crowded than before. We found out why. Next time we're going with the other blog reviews and recommendations, and going with Shilla or some of the others down 32nd Street.

Zipcar

2007-08-25T15:23:00.000-05:00

First heard about this service when I was living in Boston just before moving to NYC, but I had a car at the time, and did not need it. Thought it was a cool idea, though. Fast forward seven years later, I'm not only living in NYC but have moved to the more sensible bourough of Queens. Still need a car though. The husband came with a car, (a fun little white jeep to be exact) but that was bartered off for more necessary items. So we find ourselves in the suburbs, without a car. And it sucked. Borrowing the in-law's car worked sometimes, but when you have plans and they have plans, they trump you.

So, Zipcar to the rescue. Signed up at the beginning of the month, and have used it three times already, borrowing a Honda Element, a Scion (what maker?), and today a Toyota Prius.

The good things: damned convenient, and they have cars in lots all over the damned place. I like the choice of cars you have, kind of like a sample tasting, or like having a wardrobe for various occasions - the mountaineer, the furniture mover, the eco-conscious tree hugger, the sexy zippy hipster, the yuppie (those still exist?). I like the ease with which one can select a car and see what is available in any location. I like the option of borrowing cars in various major cities with a single membership. I like the switch from hourly to daily rates based on whichever is less. I like the card system, I like the gas card included (once you figure it out). I like how my application, done and submitted online, was finished and approved in record time of like 10 minutes, maybe less, and how I got to just head on into Manhattan to pick up my card that very day rather than waiting for it to get to me via snailmail. By golly, I like an awful lot of things about this service!

The bad: Not a lot so far. Uhm, the cleanliness is.... what is expected in a community car. It's not sparkling clean, and the Honda Element had definitely whiffs of wet dog (and the dog hair) when we picked it up. And it's not exactly the bargain we thought it would be, easily spending $60-100 per use. Once upon a time I thought the mileage was unlimited, and now there is a 180 mile cap on what's included, but can you blame them I guess with the wacked out gas prices and all? What's also terrible is the temptation to use it more than necessary, and watching your wallet bleed because of it. I mean, if you need it in NYC, chances are anywhere you want to go is about an hour out, making it two hours round trip, then calculate the time spent at desired location is minimum an hour or two, and if you're not luck, you've got to figure in traffic time... so yeah, it adds up.

Sushi You

2007-08-25T15:13:00.001-05:00

on 51st between 2nd and 3rd Avenues

A tiny sushi restaurant and bar owned by a married couple (he the sushi chef, she the domineering hostess)in a basement space about the size of my living room. Cozy atmosphere, predominately Japanese customers with a few non-Japanese as well. We sat at the sushi bar, but because our host was friendly with the owners we got a few of the homemade Japanese dishes - croquettes and some potato and pork dish, both delicious. We sat and chatted, ordered sushi by the piece, a couple at a time. We sampled two kinds of eel (fresh and salt water variations), sweet sea urchin, mackerel toasted with a blow torch, tuna, salmon, salmon roe, conch. All were delicious, very fresh. The sake flowed, as it was served in square wooden cup atop a saucer that caught the overflow from the cup. Lick a pinch of salt and chase it with a swig of sake - a new "poor man's drink" that I learned, and a new way to savor the sake layers.

Petrossian

2007-07-25T09:17:00.001-05:00

at the corner of 58th and 6th

Went there for a special celebratory dinner - my husband and I are both licensed professionals now, and our companion couple just got engaged. I picked the restaurant having fantasized about dining in such a beautifully decorated building that Petrossian is housed in. Was glad to have finally gotten the opportunity. It was also Restaurant Week in NYC, in which Petrossian was participating, so we had a nice alternative to the normally extremely pricey entrees.

The place was livelier than I thought it would be, having seen not only it's reputation as a high class French restaurant and the old establishment decor. Perhaps it was the Restaurant Week, because we went on a Tuesday evening and it was loud, lively, and full - but not so full as to make us uncomfortable.

The decor was a muted pink, darkened lighting, Art Deco-style. We sat near the entrance, and so missed the mirrors over the bar that were etched in huge Erte figures. Sad for me as I really like Erte's art. The tables were beautifully and simply set in white, silver and blue and the high fluted champagne glasses insisted we order champagne, which we obliged. A toast of champagne we followed by our order. The female friend and I ordered from the less expensive $35 prix fixe menu with the caviar supplement (additional $16), getting the caviar appetizer, and I got the duck while she ordered the halibut. The men ordered from the other prix fixe menu ($65) which came with its own caviar appetizer, then scallops and foie gras served warm (a surprise), and they both got the same seared coriander-encrusted tuna entree. The desserts were varied, and my comment on my blueberry and citrus dessert was "It tastes like it looks." which unfortunately was not a compliment, more a disappointment. We ordered coffee, cappuccinos and espresso to accompany the desserts. Our reservation was at 7pm, and we did not leave until 11pm, so kudos to the staff for not bothering us as we sat there talking and talking, even as the dishes were cleared and tab was paid.

The service was excellent, marred only when as we were finally ready to order, our waiter was caught up in some snafu and left us waiting more, until a secondary person was sent to take our order. Otherwise, the service was professional, prompt, efficient, and friendly without being overly friendly. The waiters seemed to take pride in their jobs, and made the meal all that much more comfortable.

Additional comments - the bathrooms, located in the basement, were clean and decorated to fit the rest of the restaurant - not huge or overly ambitious but with enough character to be memorable. I've never seen a black commode before. The restaurant's space was surprisingly shallow, but the mirrors situated as such one had to look twice to realize that the room was merely half the size it appeared to be. The other patrons were all dressed well and to the nines, and it was obviously a place for special dining and special occasions.

We went there for an adult feeling, and certainly got it, much more so than your usual hippest of the moment trendy restaurant. No attitude, just class. The food was good, high quality, but I admit to being spoiled enough with great food that it did not knock my socks off. But it was classy, and maybe that was enough so as to not detract from whatever special occasion was being celebrated.

Angelika Film Center - review

2007-03-31T07:17:00.000-05:00

Angelika Film Center - 18 W Houston St., NY

The hip place to go to see indie films. You'll feel rather hip yourself, as you wait for others in your party to arrive, sitting at the tiny marble top cafe tables dotting the center of the wide lobby. The sandwich I had for my quickie dinner was fresh and tasty - a mozzarella and tomato and basil on sourdough bun, though that plus a cappuccino was $12 and some change. Wow! The guy at the counter was friendly and helpful, warning me that the adjacent atm machine charges $3 and offered that they do take credit cards at the cafe. The lobby is airy and spacious, very high ceilings and the remains of what was probably very cool art deco decor once upon a time. What is left is sanitized and functional, and one of the better ways to designs a movie lobby. I hung out there for just over and hour, hanging out quite undisturbed reading and writing and eating.

As for the movies playing, they usually have the latest indie releases. I've usually only heard of one of the six movies they've got playing at any given time, but you can pretty much just go there, watch anything they're showing, and feel confident it will be couple of quality hours spent. The latest film we watched there was the Dutch film After the Wedding, which garnered some awards or at least some award nominations.

As a shoutout to my husbands favorite snack, the popcorn at the Angelika was top rate. Maybe not the best (that's at the Kew Gardens cinema) but definitely top 5 rated popcorn.

Pros: your adult cinema place without the porn - always good films showing - food is excellent - fabulous lobby in that it offers added functions like a several cafe tables and a couple cushy leather sofas on which to recline while waiting for the movie to start - good organization and flow to the place

Cons: food is pricy! - decor is very slightly run down, but maintains that dark moody quality to it that keeps parents from bringing their kids here on a regular basis - a popular place to go and the more recently released movies are usually sold out if you come too late

Optical 88 - review

2007-03-29T09:30:00.000-05:00

Optical 88
116 Mott St., NY
Chinatown, on the corner of Mott and Hester St.

Seeking out health care service is a scary task for me, and I get easily frustrated when the service is less than competent. Finding Optical 88 in Chinatown was a great find, especially to one like me who really is very particular about her vision correction.

The store itself is clean and friendly, very open and light. They must have had a good feng shi expert because the atmosphere works. They somehow cram in a ton of glasses frames into what seems to be a limited space, and they fit the lenses to the glasses right there on the spot, on the other side of the display counters. In back is the optometrist's office, and they have five optomstrists on staff. A good portion of the eye exam is done by the staff on a couple of machines on the backside of the counter, before they bring you in to see the doctor. The doctor I had was named Richards, and she was nice enough, though a little preachy. She at least had more energy and personality than the last one I saw who did a routine check on some new contact samples I received - this other lady, whose name wasn't offered and I did not bother to ask, looked as if she could not be more bored.

Anyway, the staff was great. I did have some trouble getting the proper contacts, as my brand of choice was backordered for two weeks, but as they promised, they called when the samples arrived, and they worked perfectly.

Pros: quick service, no need for appointment; competent service

Cons: optomitrists seemed to be a secondary component of the store, but they were good enough, much better than what other places I've been to in the city

to Killington, VT and back

2007-03-27T09:03:00.000-05:00

rountrip to Killington, VT

I know this is not exactly NYC, but it's a good enough roadtrip there from NYC, so I'll just throw in all the reviews together in one post.

McDonald's and Mobile station couplings - they dot the freeways, not sure if it was in Connecticut or Massachusetts or both. This pair is a sight for sore eyes and sensitive bladders. The great things is that they are many of these rest stops, the bad thing is that they all look alike, so you're never quite sure if you're closer to your destination or not.
I do have to say that Mobile stations have the best, cleanest on-the-road bathrooms, or at least gives they appearance of that, with their display of plastic flowers atop the commode and timed air fresheners.

Basin Ski Shop - We were directed here by our more serious ski buddies for ski rentals and such. Quick service, uncomplicated rental forms. I found if you just stand there and look confused, they'll direct you to the right place soon enough. You enter, and to your right is a little counter with rental forms which you complete, then someone directs you to the benches about five feet away, measures your stockinged foot (mine was 24cm), and brings you a pair of ski boots to try. With the correct boots, you're directed to a line another five feet into the store where someone else takes your form and, depending on what level skiier you are, brings out a pair of skiis, holds them next to you for size, then hand the skiis to yet another guy who slaps them on the table, fits the bindings with your boots, then hand you the skis, poles and boots, and then directs you to the counter on the other side of the store, through all the merchandise, to pay for the rentals. It's quite factory like, but works smoothly. I wouldn't say the staff was overly friendly, but quick and efficient and got you moving. The store's exterior takes advantage of the scenery with the huge windows all around the store.

Killington Ski Resort, VT - I still count myself as a "beginner skiier" though this is maybe my fourth time on the slopes. Killington is huge, meaning many parking lots, many trails and lifts, like a little town or big city like NYC it's got its own mini centers like K-1, Snowshed, Ramshead, Bear Mt. We showed up late in the morning, after getting our skis at Basin (see above), so the upper parking lots were full. No worries, as they have free shuttles that haul you around the resort. We made our way to Snowshed so I could review the basics of skiing, and played around on the little slopes/lesson area for an hour or so before purchasing the half-day lift tickets, which weren't that much of a bargain ($68 vs the full day price of $72). Snowshed was perfect for the beginner, a great practice slope that was long enough to get descent practice in, and wide enough for the many beginners to fall and stop and stay safely out of each other's way. When I got enough confidence, we moved to the Yodel trail, a bit narrower and longer trail but still green for the novice.

We then skiied over to K-1 Gondolas and were carried to the top of the mountain to K-1 Lodge where I had the best French dip sandwich. The meat was juicy all on its own, no need of the dipping au jus. Sandwiched between grilled garlic bread and slathered with horseradish spread, it was a grand meal - except that it was way too big to eat as a sandwich, and I felt slightly embarrassed eating it with fork and knife. The cottage fries that accompanied it were perfectly crisp and tastey.

After that late lunch we made our last trail run down the Great Eastern trail that was coded as green but could have been a double black diamond as far as I was concerned. I made it down but not without a good dose of profanity and spills. The conditions had changed by then too - it was now snowing and the trail was more icy. Finally reaching the bottom of the trail alive, we met our friends at the K-1 base lodge, soothed my injuries with a couple of beers and shouted over the live music, laughing at the other skiiers who were whopping it up.

Casey's Caboose for dinner - crowded as all the popular places were. We hung out at the bar for about 20 minutes waiting for a table to open up. Took advantage of the free popcorn waiting in one of those old fashioned popcorn machines at the end of the bar. We scored a great table right next to the huge picture windows and watched the snow fall thickly and gracefully over the mountains and trees. I had the shrimp scampi, others had the diavlo, the stuffed eggplant parmesean, and mussles dish. It was probably good, no loud cries either way of great food or terrible food, but we were already two or three drinks into the night. Our waitress was more chipper than possible, but nice enough.

On the way back, we stopped at Okemo nearby for brunch. First stop was Trappers which was pretty full. We sat at the counter, got a pair of menues ourselves and was ignored by the overwhelmed waitress for a good 30 minutes before finally leaving in a huff. It was as if we were sitting in her blind spot, as she took the orders of two parties who came in after us. We flagged down what w as apparently the only other waitress in the place, who brushed us off saying that we're not in her area. Even if we did get her attention and got our order in, I doubt we would have gotten our food hot, or been able to pay in a timely manner. Down the block we spotted the Hatchery and all was right again in breakfast land. Good service, immediate seating and coffee, and yummy pancakes plus their special omelette of the day - brie, bacon and carmelized onions - made up for the poor service at the other place.

Men Kui Tei - review

2007-03-22T08:50:00.000-05:00

Men Kui Tei - 63 Cooper Sq, between 7th St. & Astor Place

A nice cozy Japanse noodle shop. Two doors down (or so) from Japanese hair shop Hairmates, so we'd go get our hair cut, then grab some lunch at Men Kui Tei. I can almost pretend I'm in Toyko when I'm there, with the majority of customers being Japanese and then the occasional caucasian dotting the landscape here and there. Everything is in Japanese, and English of course, but all the handwritten signs on the walls are in Japanese. I think the simple hand drawn pics of the daily specials rock. Plenty of tables for two, four, six, and then a line of barstools along one wall for the solo diners who prefer distractions other than conversation. Huge white bowls of noodle soup, and equally huge bowls of rice dishes. The gyoza was to die for, once upon a time, but the last time I had them it was merely so-so. I particularly liked my katsudon (pork cutlet and egg in rice).

Good casual place to dine for comfort food, Japanese style.

In response to a few reviews that complained of unfriendly service - it's a casual restaurant, not a night on the town. The service we got was friendly enough, and prompt, and quick. If I wanted to pick on anything, I did order a Sapporo and got Sapporo Light instead. My girlish insecurities wondered if that was that a hint. But actually it wasn't bad, so I'm glad for the chance to try it. And no, I didn't bother to send it back.

One more stupid comment - the single unisex bathroom was clean, and spacious. Thank god for that! Restaurants with squeamish bathrooms just suck!

XO Blow Salon - review

2007-03-16T05:05:00.000-05:00

XO Blow Salon
W. 14th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues

quickie services for a night out - blow outs, manicures and pedicures.

Pros: attentive bordering on sycophantic staff; good results - manicure and pedicure were quick and clean, the hair was a mere straightening of my mostly-straight hair, but the results turned out better than I thought

Cons: website lists makeup application services, but when I called 24 hours before desired appointment, there were unable to book one because "none of our makeup artists responded" or could do it. a sore disappointment for me - it's al ittle off to have your hair and nails done, but looking like your face just got out of bed. they should note on the website that they require 48 hours notice to make an appointment; also got a booboo on my little toe when the pedicurist filed my toe too hard, then tried to blame me that I already had some wound there - no, I don't think so, but she was appropriately sorry

Three Lives Bookstore

2007-03-16T05:03:00.000-05:00

Three Lives Bookstore
154 W. 10th Street, West Village

Attended a reading there last night of works by Ellis Avery and Emily Barton. A cute, tiny bookstore, shelves appropriately dark and filled with books. Awesome creaky wood floors. The small audience and small space made it feel like we were in a little club.

The Factory Cafe - review

2007-03-16T05:01:00.000-05:00

The Factory Cafe
Christopher Street, West Village

nice dark decor, good cappuccinos and brownies, plenty of seating, lots of depictions of buffed up men that made me realize that being female in here was something of an anomoly...

a good place to hang out and read or meet up with friends

not the cheapest coffee shop - I think I paid around $7.50 for a cappuccino and brownie.

Alta - review

2007-03-15T07:09:00.000-05:00

Alta
W. 10th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues

It is rare to be able to say about a restaurant, "I've had everything on the menu." We - me and my fellow diners at my birthday dinner - can now say that about Alta, a popular tapas place in the West Village. The food was good and can be wallet friendly, the drinks were so-so, and the crowd was fun and lively.

I arrived early and sat at the bar for a bit, and was surprised to see the amount of people coming through, especially for a Wednesday night! The food was great and interesting and we all had a good time trying to count what was coming out and comparing flavors. The food service was great and quick - though I expect that's not so hard when you just order everything, and our waiter, while somewhat odd and inflexible - he couldn't understand when some of our party didn't want non-alcoholic beverages - nevertheless deserves kudos for putting up with our demands, like storing the cake we brought in their kitchen refrigerator until after dinner. He even served it with candles and started the "happy birthday" song.

As for food, I'm having a hard time remembering what anything tasted like (there were 41 items on the menu), but what sticks out mostly are the beef carpaccio, the brussel sprouts, the "two enormous shrimp", the tuna tartar, the skate. Raves from my fellow diners include the lamb meatballs, the broccoli rabe (I hated it, others loved), the Dutch ribs, the Philadelphia truffel surprise...

In other reviews for the restaurant, I read praise for the sangria, but I'm not sure why. They advertise their sangria as "special" but there was nothing special about it. It was much less than other sangrias I've tasted, including ones that were home made. The red sangria closer to your average fruity cocktails - in fact now that I think about it, I'm not even sure it had any red wine in it- and the white sangria was so awful I sent it back - way too sweet, like they spiked pineapple juice with sugar and vodka. Skip the sangria and opt for beer or wines. The meal-end coffee was good - served in French presses and again kudos to the waiter who had to bring three French presses to our table to accomodate the 5 orders of coffee.

Atmosphere: crowded, lively downstairs, though for dinner we were seated in a smaller room on the upstairs; warm colors and decor with candle-light wattage lighting; recommend reservations

Pros: excellent menu, for the most part - only a few dishes were merely good; large seating area and interesting little alcoves; prompt seating when our party arrived (with reservations, of course)

Cons: our waiter was a bit odd but accomodating; unforgivable sangria!

Greenhouse at Planting Fields- review

2007-03-13T07:37:00.001-05:00

Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park
Oyster Bay, NY

At dinner the other night I was loudly proclaiming my freedom from exams: "I don't know what to do!" which prompted an invitation to join my in-laws for a trip to a "flower show." So I met them at 1pm the next afternoon, and we drove to my father in law's friend's house, and switched cars, and drove out to Oyster Bay in Long Island to an old historic plantation called simply "Planting Fields."

Our first stop was the Camilla Greenhouse - a large typical old fashioned greenhouse one only seen nowadays in, say, Harry Potter movies or video games. My fellow visitors were focused on Camillas, so we naturally spent most of our time in that Greenhouse. I, having grown up in a desert region then living in Manhattan, knew very little about plants. I now know much more about camillas than I ever thought possible. But they are gorgeous flowers, and as it was pointed out to me, involve quite a variety of variations, so the visit and education was interesting. I was more awed at being in the greenhouse itself. There were two main sections of the Camilla Greenhouse, and held, mostly, camilla variations. It was still early spring (or late winter, depending on how enthusiastic you want to be about the weather) so not many people were around. We probably spent an hour to an hour and a half in the Camilla Greenhouse, viewing all the varieties and me taking pictures of said variations.

I was then surprised to hear that there was a Main Greenhouse, which I would have to be rather impressive if the Camilla Greenhouse in all its size and splendor, was a mere annex for the selfish camilllas. So we trotted across the estate a bit, passing by the house - er, mansion - whose last daily tour we missed by 10 minutes. The entrance to the Main Greenhouse was through the office/gift shop, and so we had chance to read a little about who actually owned and built this estate (the Coe family and the Olmsted Brothers who did some little patch of dirt called Central Park) before heading in. The first thing I noticed of the Main Greenhouse was that it held more variety of plants than the Camilla one, naturally. We passed by bulbous pitcher plants, made our way around an orchid room, peeked into a begonia room, and circled the larger "courtroom" that included coffee trees, banana trees, fragrant bushes of rosemary, and beautifully laid out ... tiny daisy-like flowers around the sunken central area. The "courtroom" was most pleasant, and had this incredible calming air to it, like some sacred spa.

According to the website, I missed a whole lot more to the estate. But the two greenhouses were plenty for me for that one visit. It was inspiring to see such a place, though, and I hope to return one day.

Yin Beauty & Art - review

2007-03-12T09:23:00.002-05:00

Yin Beauty & Art
22 E. 66th Street, NY NY
between Madison and Fifth Avenues.
Well this is a preview. Called this morning to make an appointment for their Yin/Yang Qi special, $145 for a body and facial treatment, and yes that really is a bargain. I was all excited, this being a spa based on Chinese medicine principles. Made my appointment for Wednesday, at 10:30am. The person who answered the phone sounded authentically Chinese, but really really tired. I hope this is not the owner or the person going to do my treatments. Sure, I guess 10am is a tad early for some, but still... Will update when I get the treatment.....

Real Review:
In my life I've had a fair handful of facials, and I can definitely rate the one at Yin Beauty to be the best I've had.

I made an appointment for the Yin/Yang Qi 2-hour treatment special, but at the last minute, just before going into the treatment room, I asked if we could switch to the slimming/detox treatment. Tracey, my facialist, was very accommodating, and was able to do it since she didn't have a next appointment. Not only did the treatment last an hour and half, but she charged me for the original special price of $165 - what a bargain!

Began with this essential oils scalp massage - something I always poo-pooed as frivolous until I had this one - it was deeply relaxing and I felt it through my whole body. And this was just the beginning.

The Slimming Treatment involved focus on the "problem areas" like the thighs and tummy, and involved a dry brush (felt like a cat's tongue), smothering of this pepper-like lotion that turned and stayed very hot on your skin, wrapped and rewrapped again and stayed that way until the end of the entire treatment. Then my feet were hoisted onto this machine that was to "imitate the motions of a fish swimming" as it basically wiggled my legs side to side, moving the lymph stuff around and out. It was a bit odd, but not terrible, and if you just accepted it and let it do its thing, then it was somewhat relaxing.

The facial was endless. I felt like she kept putting some lotion on my face, then taking it off, about a dozen times. On, then wipe off; on, then wipe off, again and again. I'm sure it was different stuff she was putting on, but I couldn't tell. The extractions were not so bad, though I still have the blotches from it 24 hours later and that I think is a little long for the blotches to still be hanging around.

After I was done, I was offered a rose tea to sip, and given some sample green tea bags to take with me. It was almost like there was no mention of paying, and they were in no hurry for me to leave - a switch from most other spas.

Pros: I felt like a new person when the treatments were done; my aesthtician was superfriendly, caring and accomodating; no pushing of their products; my face is the smoothest it's been since I was maybe 12 months old? Great atmosphere and decor, small and cozy space with not a lot of people about, but very relaxing and down to earth staff.

Cons: she could use a little more experience I think - I had to stop and ask for a tissue so I can spit out some of the face product that got into my mouth and tasted incredibly bitter; my face is still blotchy after the extractions, 24 hours later, and I've never had blotches last this long; treatments were on the high end of the price range, but with the specials they run, it's not so bad on the wallet.

Recommendations: For facials and body treatment, Yes, absolutely! A bit on the pricy side, but they apparently run specials all the time, so check their website before booking.

AND ONE YEAR LATER....
I returned here for another facial/body treatment, feeling so positive for the previous one. And yeah, okay, so it took me another year to return, but I've been busy, so leave me alone.

My review is mixed - I though the place looked a little more run down than the previous year. The beautiful Oriental decor got mixed in with storage space. The seats looked a little run down, and the bathroom was neglected - burnt down candles, empty bottle of fragrance, empty dishes with leftover soap residue. It was sad to see. I had the same esthetician, and felt she was a little more... harsh with her touch, a bit more careless. Again, got facial product in my mouth, as well as in my eye (I wear contact lenses so this is a big concern for me). I got the month's facial/body special but she talked me into getting an additional treatment to salve the redness of the extractions - at the cost of another $50. The 2-hour treatment went to 2.5 hours, and by the end I was stiff and cranky and tired and wanted to just leave. I got the products push when I was getting ready to pay, her even telling me that the products I use just weren't good enough, how terrible my skin is (yes I have problems with it, but did she bother to think it might be laziness on my part?). I was already smarting from the extra $50 fee tagged on, so I refused the products.

On the upside, my skin on both face and body felt amazingly soft for a good week afterwards. My skin rarely looks this good, and I did look more refreshed and even younger than I have in a while.

So, the end result is great, but they left me feeling not so great - and isn't that the whole purpose of spa indulgences, to feel awesome and pampered and comforted?

I heard rumor they might be opening a second location - I would recommend they put the money into keeping up the first location as it sorely needs it.

gothamist

2007-03-11T11:31:00.000-05:00

gothamist

Since I moved to NYC, I am constantly searching for the definitive guide to all things happening in NYC. I have found guides that cover a sliver of All Things, depending on which socio-economic level you wish to penetrate, but have yet to find one that's all encompassing. The Gothamist comes close to my NYC-heart's desire.

The Gothamist website has got constant news updates, from top story headlines to sports scores to art scene to local politics to foodie reviews and ongoings - plus an opinion on it all. It's also got a million links to other blogs and such, and numerous cool pictures (which sometimes confuse me as I assume the pic has something to do with the blurbs below it, and they usually don't - it's just a cool pic of something NYCish). Also has links to other city blogs referred to as "-ists" should you ever find yourself curious about the vibe in other cities.

I check out the Gothamist daily, several times a day. But that's just because I am a graduate school student and have the time to waste on my computer.

Fresh Direct - review

2007-03-11T09:37:00.000-05:00

Fresh Direct

A godsend sometimes, a frustrating nightmare at other times. But life is harder without it, damnit all.

First heard about Fresh Direct a few years ago when my co-workers, who lived in Manhattan and actually had kitchens, took advantage of the $50 in free food on their first order. I had to wait until I moved into an apartment that had a full refrigerate complete with freezer before trying out such service. And move to Queens. And realize that the nearest grocery store was nothing like Whole Foods, and to get descent produce I had to either schlep it in all the way from Manhattan, or have it delivered.

The first order arrived late, almost an hour late. The eggs were broken, the frozen beef patties were nowhere to be found, and the milk carton had leaked. I complained to friends who were Fresh Direct fan, and they reacted with shock for they never had such service. So I called and complained, got my few dollars credit in compensation, and ordered again. The order was as is this time, and they came within the two hour delivery block. I found it convenient to use and more controlled than going to the grocery store. While the fiance had his Jeep, he could only go shopping with me on the weekends, and after one four-hour shopping trip complete with crowded aisles, rude customers, slovenly cashiers and cramped parking lots, I begged again for the use of Fresh Direct.

We ordered about once a week, but the then-fiance (now husband, not ex) took up issue with the delivery fees, so we cut it to twice a week, until we built up a good pantry. Now it's about once a month, and I've learned a few rules - like, don't order eggs or anything else so fragile it would not stand up to the heaving and tossing required of such deliveries. We stopped ordering the beloved froze boule bread when the last one had mold growing on the bottom - in a frozen bread, no less! The produce is generally good, though for a while it was just down right nasty, I don't know why. Now we use it mostly for heavy bulky items, like seltzer waters and cat litter, and other staples like flour and sugar. The only fresh items we still get are the bulk chicken breast fillets. Occasionally we'll try some of the heat-and-eat meals, but the last time we got gnocchi it was horrible and mushy after being cooked, even though the last time we had it, it was great.

Everytime I complain about Fresh Direct to my friends, their simple answer is to just call and complain, and they'll refund you something. Sure, okay, but that doesn't make up for the disappointment. I ordered vine ripened tomatoes, I get sent your usual store bought tomatoes, and now I have to run down a couple blocks to the grocery store to get them. I could have done that in the first place! It's a tease, you know? I'm growing weary of the constant disappointment.

I fear Fresh Direct's quality is slowly going downhill, and with each order we add more and more items to the "do not order from Fresh Direct" list. I can see us soon buying $40 worth of seltzer water, but for now that's okay. Because seltzer water is important.

Ziegfeld Theater - review

2007-03-11T09:19:00.002-05:00

Ziegfeld Theather
141 W. 54th Street, NY NY 10019

My favorite movie theater. It's grand and plush, and makes you feel like you're attending a special event rather than a mere movie. Red velvet lining the walls, grand staircases, escalators that take you high into the splendor of entertainment. The seats still have their individual numbers on it, as if you were attending a live performance. The bathrooms are just awesome! A sink and mirror in each toilet stall - that's luxury!

For an old fashion cinematic experience, the Ziegfeld theater is the place to go.

New York Times - review

2007-03-11T09:19:00.001-05:00

New York Times

I once made the conclusion that I could judge a city by its newspaper. The London Times, for example, whetted my desire to move to London; the Chicago Tribune helped me to cross the Windy City off my list of places to live. I thought that the New York Times was a reflection of the city, and felt a certain sense of sophistication by moving to such an educated, mature city. Then I started actually reading the paper.

In fairness, I usually do not have a problem with the paper or its content. I miss the funnies section, but hey, that's for less sophisticated people. Then I started reading articles like one that was on the front page on July 4th some few years ago, and it read like some high school essay written for a Patriotic Speech of the Week contest. The quality was amaturish, using more adjectives than nouns. I could only imagine it was the work of some intern whose father was close buddies with the editor in chief. It was an essay of the utmost frivolity, and it was disheartening to think it was not only in the paper, but on the front page.

I continued to read the Times with a wary eye, and find it interesting that when I read articles on subject I really know nothing about, I just assume it to be true. Then I would read an article on some subject I know about quite well, and find I get rather offended at the misinformation and misguided critique. You would think I would learn that that all that I read is a few degrees shy of the accuracy and truth of the matter, or that I would stop reading the paper altogether. But read on I do. Is it the font? The layout of the sections? Or that the advertisers include Tiffanys and Barneys? It is one of the few trusted publications of all things ongoing in NYC, and it's easier to begin a conversation with., "Hey did you read that article in the New York Times about..."

At least the Tuesday Health/Science section continues to give me fodder for preaching about how deplorable the degree of state of healthcare is in this country. ("Hey, did you read that article in the New York Times about how many thousands of patients have been killed in hospitals last year because the nurses/interns gave them too much medication?")

At least now I settle for the online version, which is free of course, save for the editorials whose headlines are prefaced with a large orange "T" indicating it is only for those special readers who pay. I pretend I'm helping to save the environment by not purchasing the paper edition, but in truth I'm saving myself a nice chunk of change. Sorry Maureen Dowd, I love your column but I love my pocket change more.

Le Pain Quotidien - review

2007-03-10T11:24:00.000-05:00

Le Pain Quotidien - various locations around Manhattan, including W.72nd St, 18th St., Grand St., 58th St.

What does one call this? A "high end" coffee house? The communal tables are the best - long long long wooden tables situated mid-room, smaller tables surrounding the perimeter. I love this place to hang out in, wait for friends or others, a good place to meet. The food and coffee are good, and so were the dessert last year, though I don't know what happened to the pumpkin pie this past fall but it was awful and orange-y, compared to the heavenly delight they made the year before. But the last time I had the Belgian waffle, I was beyond happy.

The customer base changes depending on the neighborhood. 58th Street was crowded, W.72nd had many solo, well dressed diners, Grand St. varies between small groups of obnoxious sneering wanna be hipsters and slightly older couplings meeting to discuss business proposals and transactions.

This is apparently a world-wide franchise, and I like the idea that I could travel to, say, London or Tokyo or Kuwait and plop myself down at the neighborhood LPQ to read or have a sip of coffee. In my dreams, I do travel that much.

Pros: good atmosphere - clean and spacious, casual place to hang, table service or cafe optional. I like the handle-less coffee bowls

Con: a bit pricy for a casual hangout, they close WAY too early (7pm? 7:30? come on....), the utterly disappointing and unforgivable change in the pumpkin pie last fall

ICE - review

2007-03-09T20:01:00.000-05:00

Institute of Culinary Education
50 W. 23rd St., NY, NY 10010

At the end of last year, I gave my honey a 4-hour cooking class for his birthday, and of course reserved a spot for myself in it as well. The course was on Southeast Asian cooking, run by a guy named Richard.

In a phrase: What fun! It was a small class, 16 people max., of a variety of ages from 20-something to maybe 70-something. Most were couples, and the only uncouples folks were two guys who came solo. We first sat around a steel table situated in front of a cavernous open kitchen, while Richard passed out the packet of recipes and gave us a brief overview of the main ingredients used in SE Asian cooking. We saw, heard and sampled some of the ingredients; were given appropriate warnings regarding preparation (wear gloves when chopping the chilis and don't rub your eyes immeidately after chopping said chilis) and even which brands to use and which ones to avoid (authentically speaking).
Then we all got up and spread ourselves around two prep tables that were further back in the belly of the kitchen. Each place was set up with a white cotton apron, a matching tattered towel, and our cutting board and plastic handled chef's knife. Cooking for kindergarteners! We set about chopping and measuring and getting to know one another. Richard evolved into this amazing conductor who was everywhere at once, keeping an eye on what we were chopping and measuring, making sure that I sliced only one 3-inch finger of ginger, not three. Things started cooking, boiling, ingredients whirring about in blenders and processors. My husband and I got stuck at the vegetable table and did not get much exposure to the preparation of the snapper and squid, but we did pick up some tips on how to properly julienne cucumbers and mangoes.
After a couple of hours, the food was ready. We all sat around the steel tables where we had started the class, and had ourselves a darned good meal, paired nicely with beers and wines that emerged. The dishes turned out really well, the least impressive of which was the chicken that was just not tasty enough. The peanut sauce was the best I've ever had, and I was glad we got the recipe. We were encouraged to take any of the leftovers home, though I cannot remember if we did or not. It was almost sad to say goodbye, after such an isolating and intense few hours. We all wished each other well, and went on our way.

Pro: fun, lively, educational and interactive, some good tips to pick up. The instructor makes the class, though. Huge variety of classes to choose from - interactive cooking to intensive skill-cultivating to mere tastings and pairings of wine. Classes are offered, I think, every day of the week, all year round.

Con: with so many recipies and so many people, you really only get to prepare part of the meal, so don't come expecting to have experienced all of it. If you're interested in how to prepare something specific (say squid or fish), make sure you pay attention and situate yourself in a stragetic place when it comes out. Also it's not inexpensive - least expensive classes are around $85 per person, most single 4-hour sessions are $110.

Sur La Table - review

2007-03-09T19:46:00.000-05:00

Sur La Table - SoHo
75 Spring Street - Manhattan
http://www.surlatable.com/home.do

Sur La Table in SoHo is like a little slice of heaven, my version of a candy store - so many things to see and want and touch and buy! My amature cooking senses are just delighted with the variety of kitchen stuff. Latest visit was on early March, when I went to get a salad spinner (as the spouse and I decided to get serious about our healthy eating habit), and ended up also getting also an oven thermometer and a long narrow spice grinder - and that was with all my will power keeping me back from picking up additional cookie cutters or spring form cake pans. The kitchy stuff I normally skip over - I'm still too young to own decorative platters with bunnies or turkeys on them. I go here for the basics that are basic and functional without being cheap and without being too cutesy.
Is it the layout, the location? Something somehow convinces me that the high prices are getting me more durability for the buck than if I buy something from Williams-Sonoma or Bed Bath & Beyond.

Just did a search on Chowhound.com for said store, and found its competition - Broadway Panhandler (http://www.broadwaypanhandler.com/broadway/). Hmmm... love competition...

Pro: huge variety, good quality
Con: on the pricier side, but if you're serious about your cooking, you won't mind that

Blockbuster - review

2007-03-09T19:37:00.000-05:00

Blockbuster was okay when it began, and got downright creepy when it started taking over all the little video rental stores, then charging an outrageous $5 to rent a movie. And the late fees just sucked. I hated Blockbuster, boycotted Blockbuster, and swooned with love when Netflix emerged. However, it's amazing how time, innovative competition and lawsuits can change a person, or company....

Gotta hand it to Blockbuster - they were smart enough to turn themselves around, going from an overly expensive video rental conglomerate, got the bejeezus scared out of them by Netflix innovative DVD-by-mail service, and hopped on that bandwagon. Now they've combined both the DVD-by-mail as well as instore rentals available for a low monthly price, on top of the awesome overly extended late fee policy where it says "2 day rental" but in actuality you can hang on to the bugger and procrastinate returning the movie for up to a week before the give you a kind computer voice call to say "give me back the movie" - all without late fees. And if it's still late, you now own it, and never have to return it! Great. Awesome! PLUS - you can exchange your mailed DVD for one instore - even better! Why wait 24 whole hours for the next movie in queue?? I want my movie now - I get my movie now! I have no desire to rent movies anywhere else (sorry Netflix), let alone ever buy movies ever again, and this even gives your normal theater screening of movies a run for their money. New Blockbuster has spoiled me. Let's hope they keep it that way.

Metamorphosis Spa - review

2007-03-09T19:26:00.000-05:00

Metamorphosis Day Spa
127 E. 56th St., 5th floor, NY NY 10022

Dark simple decor, such that a man would probably not feel out of place there. My experience was awesome when I had my favorite facialist, Vera - but that was three years ago, and the other two times I had a facial that was from someone other than Vera, they were heavy handed and nearly drowned me in cold cream. Maybe I have a small face and they have large hands - dunno.

My first visit was maybe 2002? New Year's Eve, and my best girlfriend and I went there on a package deal. I liked it so much - well I liked Vera so much that I went back, got a whole microdermabrasion series done over the course of three months to erase away those last traces of adolescent acne. As I continued to have money, I kept going back. Then I quit my job and went to graduate school, and stopped going because graduate students don't go to expensive spas to get facials. Even if she lives in Manhattan. I did go back about six months ago, to do some wedding prep. By that time Vera was gone, and while my facialist was ... well meaning, she just wasn't Vera.

Overall, the spa gets good reviews. It also did some nice search engine finagling because if you google "spa nyc" the first listing is Metamorphosis. Could account for the reviews. It seems to be more known for their couples treatments and massages, and they seem to offer more and more medi-spa services, things that involve electricity.

I wouldn't NOT go there again, but with the hundreds of spas in NY, I'm willing to try other places and see how they measure up.

Pearson Vue - review

2007-03-09T18:47:00.000-05:00

Your use of Pearson Vue will mostly likely occur once in your life, if you ever have need of its services in the first place. Plus, it is not even up to you whether or not you will use their services if you need them. That is chosen by whatever examination/licensing corporation that acts as the gatekeeper between you as amateur and you as living out your chosen profession.

It is, in short, a testing center. It offers computer-based examinations, and moreso offers the myriad of security checks and anti-cheating procedures that examination/licensing boards hope to utilize. My particular vocational field just started using Pearson Vue for their testing services, and I, stupidly enough, decided I might as well get it over with and be a guinea pig. I should clarify that it is not the Pearson Vue center itself that bothers me, but the material they decided to test us on... but that is an altogether different subject.

The building it's in, 100 William Street, was itself not hard to find, but the entrance was, especially for one like me who is entirely unfamiliar with anything below 14th Street, let alone any neighborhoods that use names rather than numbers to designate their streets. Sure 100 William Street was on the corner of William and John, but the entrance was BEHIND the huge portion of the building that housed a Starbucks and a bank, or was that some flower shop? Not sure, but annoying nonetheless. At least the lobby was kind enough to post a large sign saying "Pearson - 12th Floor" and one merely signed in at the log, and headed up in the elevator to the 12th floor. And on the 12th floor, the door to Pearson is the first thing you see. Easy peasy.

Once through those doors, the people behind the desk immediately see you and call out to you amidst your confusion, "JUST TAKE A NUMBER AND COME THIS WAY." Before you stands a podium with a stack of plastic circles bearing a single number on it, and you take one, and go to the desk. You tell them what test you're taking, they give you a sheet of rules and instruct you to read them, then put all your personal belonging in a locker (including your wrist watch and anything in your pockets), take the key with you, as well as your ID, and come back to the desk where they take away the sheet of rules, check your two IDs against their records, and take your picture and finger print. Then you wait again, and someone escorts you to the back testing rooms, and passes you on to the GaterKeepers of the testing rooms, where you are once again finger printed and checked against the picture of you they just took, and proceed to lectured you on the rules of the examination procedures before bringing you into the testing room. The deathly quiet testing room. They reaffirm that you WILL BE VIDEOTAPED AND RECORDED during your exam. You have a seat, the GateKeeper logs onto the computer for you, and you begin.

A grueling and frustrating time later, after the computer has determined you passed or failed and has shut itself off, you wave your hand in the air. Then you wave your white plastic write-on board in the air. Finally you turn around to see the GateKeeper sitting there with his/her head down, and you start to get up before the GateKeeper looks up and motions you out. You're fingerprinted - AGAIN - and directed out to collect your coat, bag, and test results report.

What I liked about the Pearson Vue center was that it was clean. Like, really clean, almost as if it's brand new. And there was a creepy quiet than hung over everything, almost like a library but worse because other than in the testing rooms, no one was really concentrating on anything. People just obeyed the silence like lambs to the slaughter. And the staff was nice, very nice, and spoke to you slowly and articulately as if you were 5 years old or mentally challenged. Or about to take a test that could change the course of your life.

One note on CATs, or computer-adaptive tests - they suck. They just SUCK. I don't care that in the end, I knew walking out of the test that I passed. It was a Pyrrhic victory - the damage it did to my self confidence in asking such ridiculously hard and irrelevant questions and causing me to shake my head mouthing "what the f**k?" at 90% of the questions. I'm still stinging from it. (whimper)

Nyonya - review

2007-03-09T18:18:00.000-05:00

Nyonya - 194 Grand Street, between Mott & Mulberry

Located in Chinatown area, on Grand Street between Mott and Mulberry. Good food, quick and attentive service, good prices. The atmosphere was bustling and comfortable, all wood and bamboo, many tables well spaced out (i.e., you're not sticking your elbow in your neighbor's side or having to rub your ass against their unfortunate plate as you squeeze by to use the loo) and, as mentioned above, the service was extremely attentive, as evident by the handful of servers who sort of stood around in a loose cluster by the wall. We were there around 1pm and I was surprised it was not more crowded, but I had seen it more crowded at dinner time in prior visits.

The food for today was the Kueh Teow Thong (flat noodles soup) under the Noodles in Soup section of the menu. It was typical comfort food to me, at least with what I grew up with - flat white noodles, a clear lightly flavored broth, topped with chopped scallions, nicely cooked shrimp and shredded chicken. I had let it sit for too long as I was working on other food, and before we knew it the noodles had puffed up, having soaked up a good majority of the broth. This is the kind of dish I could eat without thinking, or at least while thinking of other things. My fellow diner/spouse had his staple favorite Nasi Lemak under the Rice Dishes section. It came out on a green rectangular platter, rice ball in the center, surrounded on all four corners with different meaty, saucy dishes. All the meaty dishes were very tasty, some hot, some cold, some spicy - watch out for the chicken dish that had random rib bone fragments still attached to the meat. I accompanied my lunch with a Tiger beer (I had a rough morning) and my spouse was good with the complimentary tea.

They cleaned up rather quickly (after waiting patiently for us to finish picking at the remains), and plunked down the bill with no offering of dessert - a shame. Maybe there is no dessert during lunch time? We left a $20 on the table, which was enough to cover the cost of lunch plus tip.

OVERALL - More pros than not - good food, good prices, good service, good environment. If there are any cons, just beware of the many paged menu and large variety of offerings. A good staple restaurant, though!

First blog entry... wow

2007-03-09T18:06:00.000-05:00

A monumentous occasion, first blog entry. Hoping this will be focused on my thoughts/opinions/reviews of NYC establishments... at least I'll try to focus it that way.
NYC is so damned huge, every living inhabitant and visitor will have his/her own personal NYC. This is mine.

Disclaimer - your patience is appreciated. I've read so many blogs, but never did one myself, and can only hope to live up to those more popular ones. I have grand views of what this will become, but for now I fumble with the awkwardness of new acquaintences. Who might have a crush on each other. And hope to impress...

Many questions clutter my mind - how much personal info to give away? How clever do I try to be, before falling flat on my face, looking merely desperate? How to format, how often can I edit and if I do so often, will it show up on the posts with "Edited on...." with every succession? Should have called this "The Work in Progress".