Friday, July 31, 2009
The Republic of Good Food
When we first walked into Republic (37 Union Square West), we weren't expecting it to become one of our reliable go-to places. It's located right across from the Union Square Farmer's market so we go to Republic for lunch before we do our vegetable shopping, and we were surprised to learn they deliver (for free) into our neighborhood so we've taken advantage of that as well. And we love that the food is $13 and under.
Republic's concept is to provide affordable noodle and rice dishes that combine the various ingredients, flavors, and cooking methods from different Asian countries; so their menu has unexpected dishes like tomato beef stew, curried duck noodles, salmon broth noodles, and grilled Japanese eggplants. Not a typical menu for a place that also sells the standards like Vietnamese sandwiches and Pad Thai.
The vegetarian sandwich is almost as good as the classic Vietnamese sandwich. They offer the sandwich only for take out and if you dine in, you can't order just the sandwich, which is just fine because you can choose from their delicious salad options, like their green papaya salad. People who can't eat spicy food should beware of the jalapeno peppers in the sandwiches - it really creeps up on you.
A great vegetarian option at Republic is their Vietnamese vegetable noodles, with cold rice noodles, tofu, mint, broccoli, celery, carrots, egg, shallots, bean sprouts, and peanuts. The food is fresh (like they just bought the vegetables across the street at the Farmer's Market) and the portion is generous. A good deal for $9.
The vegetable noodles go well with their healthy juices, although their lemongrass juice tasted a bit wheatgrass-esque healthy for us.
Republic's Pad Thai is another good item on their menu. What makes this dish different from other Pad Thais is its spice and the tender calamari and shrimp it's served with. However, it's not nearly as good or as good a deal as the Pad Thai from Chelsea Thai Wholesale (it's still the best Pad Thai we've had and it's under $8!).
Okay, now for the numero uno dish from Republic - their BBQ Pork cold rice vermicelli at $11. If there's only one chance you have to eat here, order this dish. The pork is marinated in garlic and soy and includes bean sprouts, peanuts, scallions, cucumber, pickled carrots, and daikon. This is an exceptional dish. It tasted so good I was ready to have another one delievered that same night. The flavors on the meat is wonderful (and has a spicy kick to it) and the meat's pairing with daikon and pickled carrots really takes this dish to another level. Their grilled pork is also great (with Vietnamese crushed rice, soy-ginger glaze, scallions, pickled carrots, daikon, garlic, and cucumbers, $11).
Another delicious and surprising dish on their menu is the grilled marinated salmon - lemongrass, curried rice with raisins, pickled carrots, daikon, and cucumber ($13). The curried rice is really unique and has what seems like hundreds of different flavors going on. The salmon portion is very generous.
The interior decor of Republic is nothing special; just clean and modern. It's a large restaurant that caters well to its large volume business. The back area of the restaurant includes a communal table, the long bar is an entertaining area to be seated as you watch the kitchen staff exuberantly cooking food nonstop at a frenzied pace while the delivery guys with their bicycle helmets on anxiously await the food, and the front area includes the small take out area where the Vietnamese sandwiches are made. It's a money making operation here.
Consistently good food, good prices, and very fast food delivery . . . just how we like it.
Republic's concept is to provide affordable noodle and rice dishes that combine the various ingredients, flavors, and cooking methods from different Asian countries; so their menu has unexpected dishes like tomato beef stew, curried duck noodles, salmon broth noodles, and grilled Japanese eggplants. Not a typical menu for a place that also sells the standards like Vietnamese sandwiches and Pad Thai.
The vegetarian sandwich is almost as good as the classic Vietnamese sandwich. They offer the sandwich only for take out and if you dine in, you can't order just the sandwich, which is just fine because you can choose from their delicious salad options, like their green papaya salad. People who can't eat spicy food should beware of the jalapeno peppers in the sandwiches - it really creeps up on you.
A great vegetarian option at Republic is their Vietnamese vegetable noodles, with cold rice noodles, tofu, mint, broccoli, celery, carrots, egg, shallots, bean sprouts, and peanuts. The food is fresh (like they just bought the vegetables across the street at the Farmer's Market) and the portion is generous. A good deal for $9.
The vegetable noodles go well with their healthy juices, although their lemongrass juice tasted a bit wheatgrass-esque healthy for us.
Republic's Pad Thai is another good item on their menu. What makes this dish different from other Pad Thais is its spice and the tender calamari and shrimp it's served with. However, it's not nearly as good or as good a deal as the Pad Thai from Chelsea Thai Wholesale (it's still the best Pad Thai we've had and it's under $8!).
Okay, now for the numero uno dish from Republic - their BBQ Pork cold rice vermicelli at $11. If there's only one chance you have to eat here, order this dish. The pork is marinated in garlic and soy and includes bean sprouts, peanuts, scallions, cucumber, pickled carrots, and daikon. This is an exceptional dish. It tasted so good I was ready to have another one delievered that same night. The flavors on the meat is wonderful (and has a spicy kick to it) and the meat's pairing with daikon and pickled carrots really takes this dish to another level. Their grilled pork is also great (with Vietnamese crushed rice, soy-ginger glaze, scallions, pickled carrots, daikon, garlic, and cucumbers, $11).
Another delicious and surprising dish on their menu is the grilled marinated salmon - lemongrass, curried rice with raisins, pickled carrots, daikon, and cucumber ($13). The curried rice is really unique and has what seems like hundreds of different flavors going on. The salmon portion is very generous. 
The interior decor of Republic is nothing special; just clean and modern. It's a large restaurant that caters well to its large volume business. The back area of the restaurant includes a communal table, the long bar is an entertaining area to be seated as you watch the kitchen staff exuberantly cooking food nonstop at a frenzied pace while the delivery guys with their bicycle helmets on anxiously await the food, and the front area includes the small take out area where the Vietnamese sandwiches are made. It's a money making operation here.
Consistently good food, good prices, and very fast food delivery . . . just how we like it.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Union Square Farmer's Market
Another (hot) walk to the Union Square Farmer's Market.
One of the farmers told us one that one of her two favorite places to get vegetables are at Keith's Farm. Good recommendation.
We bought a huge fresh bunch of basil from Keith's for $3.
The other place she recommended was Evolutionary Organics.
This guy was playing the Star Wars theme song on his accordion.
Bread Alone has fantastic healthy bread (they taste so good they don't "taste" healthy, if you know what we mean).
As opposed to most supermarkets (with the exception of Whole Foods), all the vegetables and fruits looked so fresh. One thing that was missing from the scene was Joe the Potato Peeler.
We wanted to buy some fresh fish and hormone/antibiotic/steroid/preservative-free meats but they were all a bit too expensive.
We bought an absolutely delicious block of cheddar from Millport Dairy.
Thanks to these farmers, we had a delicious dinner.
And a yummy breakfast.
One of the farmers told us one that one of her two favorite places to get vegetables are at Keith's Farm. Good recommendation.
We bought a huge fresh bunch of basil from Keith's for $3.
The other place she recommended was Evolutionary Organics.
This guy was playing the Star Wars theme song on his accordion.
Bread Alone has fantastic healthy bread (they taste so good they don't "taste" healthy, if you know what we mean).
As opposed to most supermarkets (with the exception of Whole Foods), all the vegetables and fruits looked so fresh. One thing that was missing from the scene was Joe the Potato Peeler.
We wanted to buy some fresh fish and hormone/antibiotic/steroid/preservative-free meats but they were all a bit too expensive.
We bought an absolutely delicious block of cheddar from Millport Dairy.
Thanks to these farmers, we had a delicious dinner.
And a yummy breakfast.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Parisian Style Bakery
Despite its crappy location inside the Time Warner Center (think mini mall for rich people), Bouchon Bakery has amazing pastries and sweets that cost less than you think it would considering the location and its owner Thomas Keller, who is better known for his restaurant Per Se located just one floor above Bouchon. Per Se has been described as one of the best restaurants and most expensive dining in New York City.
Bouchon's gigantic and creamy nutter butter (if you love peanut butter, this is one of the best peanut butter cookies you'll taste) and their chocolate croissants . . . are simply amazing.
But Bouchon's TKO is one of the bakery's standout items. It's an over sized oreo cookie for grown ups, with a white chocolate ganache filling and a chocolate sable dough that doesn't crumble like your childhood favorite oreo. This oreo you have with espresso, not milk.
Bouchon also has a lunch and early dinner menu. Most of their items are a bit overpriced for normal folks and probably considered cheap as dirt for Keller's Per Se customers. I did, however, try their foccacia bread with prosciutto and sweet onions and it was one of the best foccacia breads I've ever had.
They also offer the classic grilled cheese and tomato soup combo. The second best grilled cheese sandwich I've had in NYC (the first being Corner Bistro's grilled cheese).
Bouchon's gigantic and creamy nutter butter (if you love peanut butter, this is one of the best peanut butter cookies you'll taste) and their chocolate croissants . . . are simply amazing.
But Bouchon's TKO is one of the bakery's standout items. It's an over sized oreo cookie for grown ups, with a white chocolate ganache filling and a chocolate sable dough that doesn't crumble like your childhood favorite oreo. This oreo you have with espresso, not milk.
Bouchon also has a lunch and early dinner menu. Most of their items are a bit overpriced for normal folks and probably considered cheap as dirt for Keller's Per Se customers. I did, however, try their foccacia bread with prosciutto and sweet onions and it was one of the best foccacia breads I've ever had.
They also offer the classic grilled cheese and tomato soup combo. The second best grilled cheese sandwich I've had in NYC (the first being Corner Bistro's grilled cheese).
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Whitney Museum
Last Friday evening, we took advantage of "pay what you wish" Fridays at the Whitney Museum of American Art located on Madison Ave at 75th Street.
We waited in a fairly long line before the 6 pm pay what you wish free admission began. We decided to pay $2.50 each. We're so glad we didn't have to pay the normal $15 admission price because we weren't thrilled with the artwork on display, particularly the current special exhibits, and the third floor was closed to the public. We did the entire museum in less than an hour. There was a live alternative rock band playing in the lower level gift shop and booze was being sold, but their music wasn't swaying us one bit so we passed. We did, however, enjoy seeing Edward Hopper's paintings and we got to experience the Whitney at least once on a budget. What's really odd is that the Met allows you to take photos (without flash) of the finest, oldest, and most famous paintings in the world, but at the Whitney they wouldn't even let you take a photo of crap like an inflatable toilet, which is somehow supposed to be art.
We waited in a fairly long line before the 6 pm pay what you wish free admission began. We decided to pay $2.50 each. We're so glad we didn't have to pay the normal $15 admission price because we weren't thrilled with the artwork on display, particularly the current special exhibits, and the third floor was closed to the public. We did the entire museum in less than an hour. There was a live alternative rock band playing in the lower level gift shop and booze was being sold, but their music wasn't swaying us one bit so we passed. We did, however, enjoy seeing Edward Hopper's paintings and we got to experience the Whitney at least once on a budget. What's really odd is that the Met allows you to take photos (without flash) of the finest, oldest, and most famous paintings in the world, but at the Whitney they wouldn't even let you take a photo of crap like an inflatable toilet, which is somehow supposed to be art.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Chinatown and Little Italy
Chinatown New York - where vendors are selling anything from seafood to I Love New York T-shirts for cheap, where you can buy an affordable lunch or dinner for under $6, and where there's a theatrical display of fake designer purses and Rolexes being sold out of brief cases, suitcases, and vans on literally every street corner. It's large, crowded, dirty, and smelly and one of the last parts of New York City we'd want to live, but it's always a good time to walk through the streets and take in the sights (and smells).
We went back to the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory to see if we could finally try their Durian flavored ice cream. No luck again. Why do they list is under their regular flavors?
We weren't brave enough yet to try the actual Durian. We're still sketched out by Andrew Zimmern finding this one of the most repulsive things he's tasted considering he's eaten raw cow balls and brains.
Columbus Park is crowded and most of the people there were grandmas and grandpas just hanging out, clipping their toe nails, and playing some serious card games.
Then you cross the street and you're in Little Italy, which is just Italian restaurants, one after another. It's too dizzying how many pasta places there are. The restaurants are mostly catering to tourists and you're not going to get the best Italian food in the city here, but it's also fun to see the crowd and the restaurant workers trying to get you into the restaurant. There were also some deals we saw, like pizza and beer dinner combo for $6.
My friend Vinny told me to go to Vincent's since that was one of his favorite Italian restaurants when he lived a long time ago in New York City and told us to try the linguine with clam. Sorry Vinny, we skipped the restaurant this time and maybe we'll try to make it back there before we move.
We ended up eating at La Mela, a large three-room family style restaurant whose motto is "sit down. eat. and shut up." The walls are covered with photos of celebrities that have eaten there, like what seemed like the entire cast of the Sappranos. We thought the restaurant better suits a large family dining with kids and the service needed work, but we had no complaints about the pasta dishes we tried.
The ravioli tasted great. The sauce was delicious. The portion was just right.
The spaghetti and meatballs were as basic as it gets, but in a good home cooking kind of way. The sauce was good, the meatballs were juicy, and the portion was enormous.
We had a difficult time walking back to our subway stop.
We went back to the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory to see if we could finally try their Durian flavored ice cream. No luck again. Why do they list is under their regular flavors?
We weren't brave enough yet to try the actual Durian. We're still sketched out by Andrew Zimmern finding this one of the most repulsive things he's tasted considering he's eaten raw cow balls and brains.
Columbus Park is crowded and most of the people there were grandmas and grandpas just hanging out, clipping their toe nails, and playing some serious card games.
Then you cross the street and you're in Little Italy, which is just Italian restaurants, one after another. It's too dizzying how many pasta places there are. The restaurants are mostly catering to tourists and you're not going to get the best Italian food in the city here, but it's also fun to see the crowd and the restaurant workers trying to get you into the restaurant. There were also some deals we saw, like pizza and beer dinner combo for $6.
My friend Vinny told me to go to Vincent's since that was one of his favorite Italian restaurants when he lived a long time ago in New York City and told us to try the linguine with clam. Sorry Vinny, we skipped the restaurant this time and maybe we'll try to make it back there before we move.
We ended up eating at La Mela, a large three-room family style restaurant whose motto is "sit down. eat. and shut up." The walls are covered with photos of celebrities that have eaten there, like what seemed like the entire cast of the Sappranos. We thought the restaurant better suits a large family dining with kids and the service needed work, but we had no complaints about the pasta dishes we tried.
The ravioli tasted great. The sauce was delicious. The portion was just right.
The spaghetti and meatballs were as basic as it gets, but in a good home cooking kind of way. The sauce was good, the meatballs were juicy, and the portion was enormous.
We had a difficult time walking back to our subway stop.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
The Green Table
Halibut Tacos from The Green Table for lunch! Pacific Halibut cheeks with roasted tomatillo salsa and spicy red cabbage, served with market greens. So delicious and fresh! The only complaint - we wanted more Halibut.
The Green Table located inside our favorite Chelsea Market is devoted to organic ingredients, local family farms, and sustainable agriculture. The Green Table's menu features fresh and in season foods, with ingredients bought from local farms and greenmarkets. Owner Mary Cleaver also has a "green" catering company, Cleaver Co.
The Green Table located inside our favorite Chelsea Market is devoted to organic ingredients, local family farms, and sustainable agriculture. The Green Table's menu features fresh and in season foods, with ingredients bought from local farms and greenmarkets. Owner Mary Cleaver also has a "green" catering company, Cleaver Co.
The Cloisters
We finally made it to The Cloisters. It's a bit of a subway ride - A train to 190th Street (from our subway stop at 14th) - but it was well worth the time. Once off the subway, you can either walk or catch the bus up, which takes you right in front of The Cloisters. The Cloisters is located in an isolated area on a hill in the Northernmost point of Manhattan and overlooks the Hudson River.
It's a branch of the MET devoted to the art and architecture of medieval Europe. If the Gothic and Romanesque periods appeal to you, this place is a must. Highlights include a 12th century chapter house, parts of five cloisters from medieval monasteries, a Romanesque chapel, and 5,000 works of art from medieval Europe.
Crucifix from Romanesque Spain, 1150-1200.
Torso of Christ, late 12th Century, France.
The original manuscript detailing the genealogical tree of Christ: Fragment of a Compendium of the Genealogy of Christ, about 1230, England.
This is one of the Unicorn Tapestries from the late middle ages. The Unicorn in Captivity, 1495-1505, Netherlands.
Chapter House from Notre-Dame-de-Pontaut, 12th century.
The Cloisters also has some wonderful separate gardens. The Cuxa Cloister.
Another cloister garden area where we had our lunch.
Some pieces of the columns are originals and some are reproductions used to keep the originals intact. This section is an original.
This garden area has a view of the Hudson River. The gardens are planted according to horticulture research of medieval times.
There were "Magic Plants," medicinal plants like lemon balm, and poisonous plants like these:
There were even wild strawberries and a pear tree.
Always a good sight to see kids exploring.
The Cloisters is appropriately located in a serene and peaceful area. It feels like you took a short trip out of Manhattan.
We saw everything at The Cloisters at a very comfortable pace in two hours. The best way to visit The Cloisters is to go on Friday or Saturday when the Met is open til 9 PM so you can have ample time to do both since admission to The Cloisters gets you free admission to the Met. Another option is to catch the bus right in front of the Cloisters and take it down to Cathedral Way and get off on 110th by Tom's Restaurant and walk a block over to The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine.
It's a branch of the MET devoted to the art and architecture of medieval Europe. If the Gothic and Romanesque periods appeal to you, this place is a must. Highlights include a 12th century chapter house, parts of five cloisters from medieval monasteries, a Romanesque chapel, and 5,000 works of art from medieval Europe.
Crucifix from Romanesque Spain, 1150-1200.
Torso of Christ, late 12th Century, France.
The original manuscript detailing the genealogical tree of Christ: Fragment of a Compendium of the Genealogy of Christ, about 1230, England.
This is one of the Unicorn Tapestries from the late middle ages. The Unicorn in Captivity, 1495-1505, Netherlands.
Chapter House from Notre-Dame-de-Pontaut, 12th century.
The Cloisters also has some wonderful separate gardens. The Cuxa Cloister.
Another cloister garden area where we had our lunch.
Some pieces of the columns are originals and some are reproductions used to keep the originals intact. This section is an original.
This garden area has a view of the Hudson River. The gardens are planted according to horticulture research of medieval times.
There were "Magic Plants," medicinal plants like lemon balm, and poisonous plants like these:
There were even wild strawberries and a pear tree.
Always a good sight to see kids exploring.
The Cloisters is appropriately located in a serene and peaceful area. It feels like you took a short trip out of Manhattan.
We saw everything at The Cloisters at a very comfortable pace in two hours. The best way to visit The Cloisters is to go on Friday or Saturday when the Met is open til 9 PM so you can have ample time to do both since admission to The Cloisters gets you free admission to the Met. Another option is to catch the bus right in front of the Cloisters and take it down to Cathedral Way and get off on 110th by Tom's Restaurant and walk a block over to The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Chasing Stevie
As we said in our blog below, we missed The Cure's performance at Radio City Music Hall by a little over a month. And they had a great set list. We won't be able to see the Beastie Boys. But worst of all - we missed seeing Stevie Wonder peform this past Saturday (the same day as the Q-Tip concert). We had no idea that he, along with other musicians, was performing at Nelson Mandela's 91st birthday celebration and benefit concert at Radio City Music Hall. The tricky thing about living here is that there's hundreds of music shows happening all the time and it's not readily advertised because there's so much going on so you have to dig deep or else you'll miss something like this in a blink of an eye.
On another note, since we still can't find our video footage of Q-Tip at summer stage, here's some we found on You Tube: Q-Tip 1, Q-Tip 2, Q-Tip 3, Q-Tip 4, Q-Tip 5.
On another note, since we still can't find our video footage of Q-Tip at summer stage, here's some we found on You Tube: Q-Tip 1, Q-Tip 2, Q-Tip 3, Q-Tip 4, Q-Tip 5.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Beastie Boys . . . Almost
New York-based Beastie Boys, Stevie Wonder, and The Cure were on our list of concerts we hoped would be happening while we were here in NYC (Stevie performed here a year ago, The Cure performed just one 1/2 month before we moved here, and the Beasties performed at the Madison Square Garden just a few years ago). The Beastie Boys in many ways defined the musical style and antics of our generation. And we almost got our chance to see Mike D, MCA, and Ad-Rock next week at the All Points West Music & Arts Festival.
Just yesterday as we were trying to get ticket info, I read the horrible news that Adam "MCA" Yauch has a cancerous tumor in his salivary gland. We FN HATE cancer!!! As expected, their performance at the All Points West festival and other upcoming shows has been canceled. Yauch announced the news himself on their website. Thankfully the tumor won't affect his vocal cords and the cancer was detected early. We wish him strength and a painless, fast recovery.
We're determined to see them soon (hopefully before they enter their 50s - not being sarcastic here). It'll be interesting to see them perform some of their old songs now that they're finally "grown ups." It seemed not that long ago that they were these young, free kids that we (as roudy kids) wanted to identify with. We wanted to lose ourselves, party to, and rebel against the authoritative adults with their music. It was fun music that they did brilliantly. It couldn't be recreated now by a younger generation. While we wait to see them perform, we're glad we can always turn to our favorite Beastie highlights: Hold it Now, Hit it, So What'cha Want, Pass the Mic, Sure Shot.
Just yesterday as we were trying to get ticket info, I read the horrible news that Adam "MCA" Yauch has a cancerous tumor in his salivary gland. We FN HATE cancer!!! As expected, their performance at the All Points West festival and other upcoming shows has been canceled. Yauch announced the news himself on their website. Thankfully the tumor won't affect his vocal cords and the cancer was detected early. We wish him strength and a painless, fast recovery.We're determined to see them soon (hopefully before they enter their 50s - not being sarcastic here). It'll be interesting to see them perform some of their old songs now that they're finally "grown ups." It seemed not that long ago that they were these young, free kids that we (as roudy kids) wanted to identify with. We wanted to lose ourselves, party to, and rebel against the authoritative adults with their music. It was fun music that they did brilliantly. It couldn't be recreated now by a younger generation. While we wait to see them perform, we're glad we can always turn to our favorite Beastie highlights: Hold it Now, Hit it, So What'cha Want, Pass the Mic, Sure Shot.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Birthday Picnic, Sushi, and Jazz at Village Vanguard
Yesterday was the best birthday ever. I'm going to start this backwards with my favorite part of the day - a night of jazz with The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra at the legendary Village Vanguard, located at 178 7th Avenue South in Greenwich Village.
We walked down a narrow flight of stairs and opened the door to a small triangular-shaped cellar.
The Village Vanguard was founded in 1935, but turned into a jazz-only music venue in 1957. This jazz spot has been the haunt of legends like Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, John Coltrane, and Dexter Gordon, to name a few. Its history is incredible. Hundreds of jazz albums have been recorded here.
Monday nights are reserved for the Grammy award-winning Vanguard Jazz Orchestra that have been playing at this club for over 33 years, and this was probably the first time in my life when I was actually happy that the day of my birthday fell on a Monday. We caught two sets - the first set started at 9 pm and the second set started at 11 pm. If you want to reserve a table, you have to leave a message on their answering machine (and they won't call you back). When we got there, our names were on the list and we got a prime seat right in front of the musicians.
The 15-person Vanguard Jazz Orchestra was incredible (and somehow managed to squeeze together on that small stage). They consisted of five saxophone players sitting on the front row, four trombone players on the second row, three trumpet players on the third row, and one pianist, one bassist, and one drummer on the side. No photos are allowed during their performance but I was able to sneak a few in.
They were an interesting mix of musicians - ages ranging from late 20s to late 60s, the younger ones were wearing suits while the older guys were casually dressed like they were going to a poker game. A young trumpet player on the back row was having the time of his life - constantly smiling, bobbing his head to the music, cheering the other musicians on during their solo performances; it was an enjoyment to watch him enjoying their music. In contrast, a young saxophone player that looked like the Fine Young Cannibal guy never once showed any emotion. You could tell the older guys were absolute seasoned pros and they gave their performances 200%, so much so that they looked a bit weathered at the end.
The second set wasn't as crowded as the first so we decided to switch tables to the side for a more relaxed feel. The musicians also seemed way more relaxed during the second set since they were having some drinks between the sets. If you're only going to visit Village Vanguard just one time, try to go on a Monday night. You won't be disappointed. Here's a clip of one of their performances.
Eating sushi on our birthdays has become a tradition for us. We chose to have our sushi dinner night at one of our favorite Food Network Iron Chef's restaurant - Masaharu Morimoto's Morimoto located at the back of the Chelsea Marketplace.
The restaurant is extremely modern and clean looking. Who knew bottled waters could make for a fancy schmancy wall decoration?
One of the largest sushi bars we've ever seen. This photo only shows one section of the sushi bar seats.
We started off with Morimoto's Junmai sake. It was the most affordable sake on the menu. It was easy to drink, but had a kick to it. We'd buy this sake at the store if we could. Good to know his sakes are good (unlike his awful beers).
We're not going to sugar coat this. The sushi here was a complete let down. And not because the sushi was horrible, it just wasn't exceptional and we were expecting exceptional sushi considering the chef's reputation and the fact that the Chelsea Marketplace also houses the Lobster Place that sells fresh fish daily.
The price of the sushi was surprisingly lower than what we expected, but we were still disappointed. The Mirugai, which we use as our sushi test, was just okay. The best was the Hotate. Mitch's Fish Market and Sushi Bar from our hometown is still the reigning sushi champion by a wide margin.
So the sushi was a downer but two appetizer dishes, including this Yellowtail Pastrami (with togarashi, gin creme fraiche, candied olive), were standouts.
Our favorite was the Lamb Carpaccio (with shiso buds and scallion-ginger dressing). The raw meat was incredibly light and buttery and the shiso was a perfect match. Just a refreshing and flavorful summer time meat dish.
Only two couples (pictured below) were eating at the huge sushi bar, although all the dinner tables were full. We realized this place is the kind of place you don't order sushi at, as oddly as that would have sounded to us before we had our experience here. If you're a money maker, you probably want to try the Morimoto Omakasa (the chef's choice multi-course tasting menu). We saw a lot of people ordering the toro tartare (with osetra caviar, creme fraiche, wasabi, and dashi-soy). We have no idea how it tasted but the presentation was great. Other food items that looked good and included the cripsy rock shrimp tempura, the thick Tajima Wagyu Steak (we were drooling), and the house smoked salmon ravioli (with Japanese sweet yams, salmon roe, and yuzu gelee - first time seeing a ravioli covered with foam at a Japanese restaurant). Another interesting dish we saw looked like flan but it was a foie gras chawan mushi (duck breast shabu-shabu, fresh wasabi, and sweet soy sauce). Duck flan? Bizarre but something we'd definitely try for the hell of it.
If we had a free pass to eat here, we'd veer away from sushi and try Morimoto's interesting interpretations on the modern Japanese entrees and appetizers. We didn't quite get our sushi fix, it was still a fun night and we were glad to have crossed Morimoto off our list of restaurants we wanted to try in New York City. On a weirder note, Morimoto has the best looking toilet area we've ever seen in our lives (yes, you heard me, the toilet area, and yes you should know by now that I find the oddest things amusing). The photo below can't really capture it but it's a photo of the toilet stall, which had a strange out- of-this-world 3D effect. The toilet itself was classic modern Tokyo toilet with way too many buttons.
The bottom level of the restaurant is the bar and lounge area, which looked and felt a little too "hip" for us.
So I said I was doing this backwards. We started off my birthday adventures by picking up paninis for lunch at Grandaisy Bakery and headed to Central Park for a picnic near Strawberry Fields. Grandaisy Bakery's Lumaca is amazing.
We ended our beautiful day at Central Park with another boat ride.
Central Park, Sushi, Jazz . . . I couldn't have asked for a better birthday. Thank you my LOVE, with sincere gratitude for making my first birthday in New York a beautiful one.
We walked down a narrow flight of stairs and opened the door to a small triangular-shaped cellar.
The Village Vanguard was founded in 1935, but turned into a jazz-only music venue in 1957. This jazz spot has been the haunt of legends like Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, John Coltrane, and Dexter Gordon, to name a few. Its history is incredible. Hundreds of jazz albums have been recorded here.
Monday nights are reserved for the Grammy award-winning Vanguard Jazz Orchestra that have been playing at this club for over 33 years, and this was probably the first time in my life when I was actually happy that the day of my birthday fell on a Monday. We caught two sets - the first set started at 9 pm and the second set started at 11 pm. If you want to reserve a table, you have to leave a message on their answering machine (and they won't call you back). When we got there, our names were on the list and we got a prime seat right in front of the musicians.The 15-person Vanguard Jazz Orchestra was incredible (and somehow managed to squeeze together on that small stage). They consisted of five saxophone players sitting on the front row, four trombone players on the second row, three trumpet players on the third row, and one pianist, one bassist, and one drummer on the side. No photos are allowed during their performance but I was able to sneak a few in.
They were an interesting mix of musicians - ages ranging from late 20s to late 60s, the younger ones were wearing suits while the older guys were casually dressed like they were going to a poker game. A young trumpet player on the back row was having the time of his life - constantly smiling, bobbing his head to the music, cheering the other musicians on during their solo performances; it was an enjoyment to watch him enjoying their music. In contrast, a young saxophone player that looked like the Fine Young Cannibal guy never once showed any emotion. You could tell the older guys were absolute seasoned pros and they gave their performances 200%, so much so that they looked a bit weathered at the end.
The second set wasn't as crowded as the first so we decided to switch tables to the side for a more relaxed feel. The musicians also seemed way more relaxed during the second set since they were having some drinks between the sets. If you're only going to visit Village Vanguard just one time, try to go on a Monday night. You won't be disappointed. Here's a clip of one of their performances. 
Eating sushi on our birthdays has become a tradition for us. We chose to have our sushi dinner night at one of our favorite Food Network Iron Chef's restaurant - Masaharu Morimoto's Morimoto located at the back of the Chelsea Marketplace.
The restaurant is extremely modern and clean looking. Who knew bottled waters could make for a fancy schmancy wall decoration?
One of the largest sushi bars we've ever seen. This photo only shows one section of the sushi bar seats.
We started off with Morimoto's Junmai sake. It was the most affordable sake on the menu. It was easy to drink, but had a kick to it. We'd buy this sake at the store if we could. Good to know his sakes are good (unlike his awful beers).
We're not going to sugar coat this. The sushi here was a complete let down. And not because the sushi was horrible, it just wasn't exceptional and we were expecting exceptional sushi considering the chef's reputation and the fact that the Chelsea Marketplace also houses the Lobster Place that sells fresh fish daily.
The price of the sushi was surprisingly lower than what we expected, but we were still disappointed. The Mirugai, which we use as our sushi test, was just okay. The best was the Hotate. Mitch's Fish Market and Sushi Bar from our hometown is still the reigning sushi champion by a wide margin.
So the sushi was a downer but two appetizer dishes, including this Yellowtail Pastrami (with togarashi, gin creme fraiche, candied olive), were standouts.
Our favorite was the Lamb Carpaccio (with shiso buds and scallion-ginger dressing). The raw meat was incredibly light and buttery and the shiso was a perfect match. Just a refreshing and flavorful summer time meat dish.
Only two couples (pictured below) were eating at the huge sushi bar, although all the dinner tables were full. We realized this place is the kind of place you don't order sushi at, as oddly as that would have sounded to us before we had our experience here. If you're a money maker, you probably want to try the Morimoto Omakasa (the chef's choice multi-course tasting menu). We saw a lot of people ordering the toro tartare (with osetra caviar, creme fraiche, wasabi, and dashi-soy). We have no idea how it tasted but the presentation was great. Other food items that looked good and included the cripsy rock shrimp tempura, the thick Tajima Wagyu Steak (we were drooling), and the house smoked salmon ravioli (with Japanese sweet yams, salmon roe, and yuzu gelee - first time seeing a ravioli covered with foam at a Japanese restaurant). Another interesting dish we saw looked like flan but it was a foie gras chawan mushi (duck breast shabu-shabu, fresh wasabi, and sweet soy sauce). Duck flan? Bizarre but something we'd definitely try for the hell of it.
If we had a free pass to eat here, we'd veer away from sushi and try Morimoto's interesting interpretations on the modern Japanese entrees and appetizers. We didn't quite get our sushi fix, it was still a fun night and we were glad to have crossed Morimoto off our list of restaurants we wanted to try in New York City. On a weirder note, Morimoto has the best looking toilet area we've ever seen in our lives (yes, you heard me, the toilet area, and yes you should know by now that I find the oddest things amusing). The photo below can't really capture it but it's a photo of the toilet stall, which had a strange out- of-this-world 3D effect. The toilet itself was classic modern Tokyo toilet with way too many buttons.
The bottom level of the restaurant is the bar and lounge area, which looked and felt a little too "hip" for us.
So I said I was doing this backwards. We started off my birthday adventures by picking up paninis for lunch at Grandaisy Bakery and headed to Central Park for a picnic near Strawberry Fields. Grandaisy Bakery's Lumaca is amazing.
We ended our beautiful day at Central Park with another boat ride.
Central Park, Sushi, Jazz . . . I couldn't have asked for a better birthday. Thank you my LOVE, with sincere gratitude for making my first birthday in New York a beautiful one.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Q-Tip at Central Park Summer Stage!!!
Q-Tip at Central Park Summer Stage was a 20-year dream concert fulfilled yesterday. We fell in love with A Tribe Called Quest's music in the late 1980s. They were a part of the new conscience lyric and jazz inspired movement, The Native Tongues. Q-Tip - composer, producer, and lyricist - gave an energetic, soulful, and passionate performance yesterday. And it was free!
The music was set to begin at 3 PM and the doors opened at 2. We arrived at 2:45 and got discouraged when we saw the long line, but the line moved quickly and we were in the doors in no time. Most of the bleacher spots were already filled or reserved for VIP members ("folks with a lot of money"). But most of the people were sitting on the ground on their picnic blankets. We came empty handed so we sat on the ground on our tiny program guide. After about an hour and a half killing time and listening to the opening acts under the hot sun feeling like we were getting cooked like bacon, we left our spot and found comfort standing under a tree.
The show had two alternative rock opening acts that seemed to play forever. It was painful to listen to them and we know we were not the only people getting irritated. Chester French is a pop band that consisted of two former Harvard students that played some of the most horrible music we've ever heard (live or otherwise). It was bad, cornball, regurgitated music with lousy vocals. They really should have used their Harvard degrees for anything unrelated to music. Although it's great to open the minds of people to all types of music, as a Q-Tip fan, that opening act was the absolute wrong choice and quite frankly distasteful to Q-Tip fans. This group of young men sitting here had a better attitude about it by doing the best Carlton Banks impersonation to one of Chester French's awful songs. It helped to lighten the agitated mood.
And what the??? A Matsumoto shaved ice T-shirt in NYC??? Damn, a shaved ice sounded real good at that moment in the hot sun.
Finally! After waiting two and a half long hours, Q-Tip hit the stage with his shades and a red jacket that at first looked like Michael's thriller jacket from a far. He dedicated this concert in memory of J. Dilla and Michael Jackson.
Q-Tip had the crowd moving from the get go. He referenced James Brown's dance steps to Soul Power and Michael Jackson's robot moves to Dancing Machine. He then performed his essential classics: Oh My God, Bonita Applebaum, Award Tour, Scenario, Let's Ride and Find a Way. All of us went nuts when he performed these songs. People were dancing like no one's business when he performed Vibrant Thing. We're so glad we didn't get stuck in the bleachers. This was a concert where you wanted to dance with the crowd. And we were in pure happiness mode when he performed one of our favorite songs - Electric Relaxation. Q-tip's performance could not have been better and his back up musicians were also fantastic.
Q-Tip demanded crowd participation and we responded. This is old school hip hop at it's best. MC means means to "move the crowd."
The energy from the crowd was one of the best we've seen at a concert - energized but steady, everyone knew the lyrics, people swayed and moved naturally to the beats, and a lot of dancing. You could see that everyone was having the time of their lives.
Q-Tip performed an hour and 15 minute set that sped by too fast. When the music is that good, the performer is that good, the vibe of the crowd is that good, the moment feels that good, you don't want it to end. But after he left the stage for a few minutes, he came back for an encore performance and did a new song Life is Better featuring Norah Jones.
And at the end, he jumped off the stage and into the crowd below asking people to sing the words "Life is Better." He got lost in the large crowd so we couldn't see him for awhile but we could hear the people he handed the mic to singing those words as he moved along the crowd. It was the right ending that fit the mood of this concert in Central Park. He didn't pass the mic to us but the Renaissance Man stood right in front of us!
We knew when we moved to this city that we'd finally get to see performers we had been waiting forever to see; After all, some of the greatest musicians have their musical roots and inspiration from New York. It was a short performance, but Q-Tip packed a punch in that short time. The concert was free but we would have paid money for the performance he gave. And to have had this concert take place in Central Park made it that much more perfect. It wouldn't have been the same experience if he had given this performance at some dark nightclub at 1 am with a bunch of drunks. This performance was all about the love for his music, the interaction with his New York fans and his love for New York - Q-tip shouted out "New York" at least a dozen times - and the proof that quality music never fades out. (The photo below of the large crowd leaving).
One thing that happened after the concert that made us feel sick to our stomachs last night and all of today is that the video footage we shot of the entire concert disappeared into oblivion. There's no way the pictures could capture the concert and we know we had excellent footage . . . just sickening since we wanted to have his concert with us post-concert and we wanted to share the performance with you as we saw them through our eyes. The one (very short) clip we were able to find was this one from the very start of his performance.
Oh well, we'll see if any You Tube clips of the concert trickle in (won't be good as ours) and we'll post those later. We'll stop bitching about that loss because we'll never forget this concert. It was Electric.
The music was set to begin at 3 PM and the doors opened at 2. We arrived at 2:45 and got discouraged when we saw the long line, but the line moved quickly and we were in the doors in no time. Most of the bleacher spots were already filled or reserved for VIP members ("folks with a lot of money"). But most of the people were sitting on the ground on their picnic blankets. We came empty handed so we sat on the ground on our tiny program guide. After about an hour and a half killing time and listening to the opening acts under the hot sun feeling like we were getting cooked like bacon, we left our spot and found comfort standing under a tree.
The show had two alternative rock opening acts that seemed to play forever. It was painful to listen to them and we know we were not the only people getting irritated. Chester French is a pop band that consisted of two former Harvard students that played some of the most horrible music we've ever heard (live or otherwise). It was bad, cornball, regurgitated music with lousy vocals. They really should have used their Harvard degrees for anything unrelated to music. Although it's great to open the minds of people to all types of music, as a Q-Tip fan, that opening act was the absolute wrong choice and quite frankly distasteful to Q-Tip fans. This group of young men sitting here had a better attitude about it by doing the best Carlton Banks impersonation to one of Chester French's awful songs. It helped to lighten the agitated mood.
And what the??? A Matsumoto shaved ice T-shirt in NYC??? Damn, a shaved ice sounded real good at that moment in the hot sun.
Finally! After waiting two and a half long hours, Q-Tip hit the stage with his shades and a red jacket that at first looked like Michael's thriller jacket from a far. He dedicated this concert in memory of J. Dilla and Michael Jackson.
Q-Tip had the crowd moving from the get go. He referenced James Brown's dance steps to Soul Power and Michael Jackson's robot moves to Dancing Machine. He then performed his essential classics: Oh My God, Bonita Applebaum, Award Tour, Scenario, Let's Ride and Find a Way. All of us went nuts when he performed these songs. People were dancing like no one's business when he performed Vibrant Thing. We're so glad we didn't get stuck in the bleachers. This was a concert where you wanted to dance with the crowd. And we were in pure happiness mode when he performed one of our favorite songs - Electric Relaxation. Q-tip's performance could not have been better and his back up musicians were also fantastic.
Q-Tip demanded crowd participation and we responded. This is old school hip hop at it's best. MC means means to "move the crowd."
The energy from the crowd was one of the best we've seen at a concert - energized but steady, everyone knew the lyrics, people swayed and moved naturally to the beats, and a lot of dancing. You could see that everyone was having the time of their lives.
Q-Tip performed an hour and 15 minute set that sped by too fast. When the music is that good, the performer is that good, the vibe of the crowd is that good, the moment feels that good, you don't want it to end. But after he left the stage for a few minutes, he came back for an encore performance and did a new song Life is Better featuring Norah Jones.
And at the end, he jumped off the stage and into the crowd below asking people to sing the words "Life is Better." He got lost in the large crowd so we couldn't see him for awhile but we could hear the people he handed the mic to singing those words as he moved along the crowd. It was the right ending that fit the mood of this concert in Central Park. He didn't pass the mic to us but the Renaissance Man stood right in front of us!
We knew when we moved to this city that we'd finally get to see performers we had been waiting forever to see; After all, some of the greatest musicians have their musical roots and inspiration from New York. It was a short performance, but Q-Tip packed a punch in that short time. The concert was free but we would have paid money for the performance he gave. And to have had this concert take place in Central Park made it that much more perfect. It wouldn't have been the same experience if he had given this performance at some dark nightclub at 1 am with a bunch of drunks. This performance was all about the love for his music, the interaction with his New York fans and his love for New York - Q-tip shouted out "New York" at least a dozen times - and the proof that quality music never fades out. (The photo below of the large crowd leaving).
One thing that happened after the concert that made us feel sick to our stomachs last night and all of today is that the video footage we shot of the entire concert disappeared into oblivion. There's no way the pictures could capture the concert and we know we had excellent footage . . . just sickening since we wanted to have his concert with us post-concert and we wanted to share the performance with you as we saw them through our eyes. The one (very short) clip we were able to find was this one from the very start of his performance.Oh well, we'll see if any You Tube clips of the concert trickle in (won't be good as ours) and we'll post those later. We'll stop bitching about that loss because we'll never forget this concert. It was Electric.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Back to the Met - Part 2
If you read our posting below, you know we had a full day at the Met. There's no better way to wrap up the museum day than to have a few cocktails at the Met's Balcony Bar where they have free classical music on Fridays and Saturdays when the Met is open until 9 PM. We got prime seats right next to the music.
These three young girls were having the time of their lives practicing their ballet moves to the music.
A plate of cheese and quince + deliciously sweet sangria + beer + top notch classical music inside one of the world's greatest museums in the world = pure satisfaction.
And of course we were reminded that having cocktails at the Met isn't your typical happy hour experience when right behind us were 16th and 17th century vases and plates.
This is the view of the balcony bar from across the way (above the Met's entrance).
We left the balcony bar around 8 PM and then continued to wander around the museum to take advantage of the Met's late closing time. It's definitely a different experience at the Met late at night. There were certain parts of the museum that were completely empty and walking through the Egyptian Art at night felt downright eerie with no one but us there.
These three young girls were having the time of their lives practicing their ballet moves to the music.
A plate of cheese and quince + deliciously sweet sangria + beer + top notch classical music inside one of the world's greatest museums in the world = pure satisfaction.
And of course we were reminded that having cocktails at the Met isn't your typical happy hour experience when right behind us were 16th and 17th century vases and plates.
This is the view of the balcony bar from across the way (above the Met's entrance).
We left the balcony bar around 8 PM and then continued to wander around the museum to take advantage of the Met's late closing time. It's definitely a different experience at the Met late at night. There were certain parts of the museum that were completely empty and walking through the Egyptian Art at night felt downright eerie with no one but us there.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Back to the Met - Part I
It doesn't matter what day, month or hour you go, the Met is always crowded with cabs, hot dog vendors, halal carts, and a diverse group of people just sitting on the steps.
We wanted to check out the American Wing that just opened two months ago. Michelle Obama was part of the opening ceremony.
The American Wing's Charles Engelhard Court.
We love seeing kids that really want to be part of the artwork rather than being dragged around by their parents. This boy in particular was so focused on sketching this sculpture that he didn't notice the adults like ourselves intrigued by him.
We might see his artwork one day here.
And we might see her one day performing at the Metropolitan Opera House with the American Ballet theater.
One of our favorites exhibits at the Met is the Arms and Armor collection on the first floor, which includes European, Turkish and Japanese armors. The artwork and details of every piece of the collection is incredible.
You won't be finding helmets like these at the Antiques Roadshow.
This is a 19th century saber from the Ottoman period made of steel, gold, diamonds, emeralds, and pearls.
We were blown away by seeing these Japanese Edo Period pieces.
This helmet dates back to the 16th Century and this breastplate is still inscribed with the armorer's name, Munesuke.
The Maelstrom sculpture currently on display at the Roof Garden looked like something out of a Tim Burton movie (on another note: A major career retrospective on Tim Burton will be at the MoMa beginning November 22nd. We're bummed that we'll be missing it).
See the installation of this 130-foot long / 45-foot-wide stainless steel sculpture.
We also spent our time in the 19th and Early 20th Century European Paintings rooms (photos shared later). We also saw Michelangelo's first painting (sorry, no photos allowed). We estimated that it would probably take at least six visits to the Met to comfortably see everything it has to offer.
We wanted to check out the American Wing that just opened two months ago. Michelle Obama was part of the opening ceremony.
The American Wing's Charles Engelhard Court.
We love seeing kids that really want to be part of the artwork rather than being dragged around by their parents. This boy in particular was so focused on sketching this sculpture that he didn't notice the adults like ourselves intrigued by him.
We might see his artwork one day here.
And we might see her one day performing at the Metropolitan Opera House with the American Ballet theater.
One of our favorites exhibits at the Met is the Arms and Armor collection on the first floor, which includes European, Turkish and Japanese armors. The artwork and details of every piece of the collection is incredible.
You won't be finding helmets like these at the Antiques Roadshow.
This is a 19th century saber from the Ottoman period made of steel, gold, diamonds, emeralds, and pearls.
We were blown away by seeing these Japanese Edo Period pieces.
This helmet dates back to the 16th Century and this breastplate is still inscribed with the armorer's name, Munesuke.
The Maelstrom sculpture currently on display at the Roof Garden looked like something out of a Tim Burton movie (on another note: A major career retrospective on Tim Burton will be at the MoMa beginning November 22nd. We're bummed that we'll be missing it).
See the installation of this 130-foot long / 45-foot-wide stainless steel sculpture.
We also spent our time in the 19th and Early 20th Century European Paintings rooms (photos shared later). We also saw Michelangelo's first painting (sorry, no photos allowed). We estimated that it would probably take at least six visits to the Met to comfortably see everything it has to offer.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
The Perfect Margarita
Damn it. Last night we missed happy hour at Mary Ann's by 30 minutes. But we still stuck around because it's hard to say no to Mexican food (especially when your other alternative is healthy stir fry at home) and Margarita always sounds/tastes/looks good. Pint of perfect frozen Margarita . . .
One half of us has high cholesterol, which means having to eat a Vegetarian tostado. But I think calling it "vegetarian" is a bit deceptive when you think of the lard and other crap they must put into this dish.
The other half of us has a perfect cholesterol level, which means a lot of cheese and meat (thankfully). The Azteca - Cheese chile relleno, tomatillo chicken enchilada, and gaucamole taco, served with rice and beans.
Tacos and Margarita - waaaaay more fun than veg stir fry any day.
One half of us has high cholesterol, which means having to eat a Vegetarian tostado. But I think calling it "vegetarian" is a bit deceptive when you think of the lard and other crap they must put into this dish.
The other half of us has a perfect cholesterol level, which means a lot of cheese and meat (thankfully). The Azteca - Cheese chile relleno, tomatillo chicken enchilada, and gaucamole taco, served with rice and beans.
Tacos and Margarita - waaaaay more fun than veg stir fry any day.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Little Shop of Jewels and Plants
Gea's Garden Jewels is a unique plant shop in the East Village (247 East 10th Street) that sells stone jewelry of all colors in addition to a great assortment of plants. Maybe it's the mixture of the vibrant colors of the jewels mixed with the baby cacti and Japanese plants, or the hanging sea shells, something about this small store hs a wonderful feel to it the moment you step in.
Gea's Garden Jewels sells large chunky necklaces and bracelets alongside some delicately designed plants. When you walk into Gea's Garden Jewels, you feel like you found something only a few people are supposed to know about. The prices didn't seem so bad either - some beautiful necklaces for $30 and plants in the $20 range.
These sea shell plants will be in our home.
Including this snail-like one.
That's what's great about New York - wandering around this walking town allows you to constantly find new things you weren't even looking for but glad you found.
Gea's Garden Jewels sells large chunky necklaces and bracelets alongside some delicately designed plants. When you walk into Gea's Garden Jewels, you feel like you found something only a few people are supposed to know about. The prices didn't seem so bad either - some beautiful necklaces for $30 and plants in the $20 range. 
These sea shell plants will be in our home.
Including this snail-like one.
That's what's great about New York - wandering around this walking town allows you to constantly find new things you weren't even looking for but glad you found.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Taim Falafel & Smoothie Bar
One of our other favorite food spots in New York City is Taim Falafel & Smoothie Bar (222 Waverly Place at 7th Avenue). Taim, which means delicious in Hebrew, has been voted as one of the best falafel places in New York City (just google it and there's hundres of near perfect reviews of this place). And we understand why people love this West Village falafel house so much - the food is fresh, healthy, tasty and affordable.
Everything on Taim's menu is good and good for you (the food is vegan), and their gluten-free falafel is made to order and made from scratch daily using traditional middle eastern recipes. Taim's falafel is perfectly crisp on the outside while being perfectly soft on the inside, and spiced just right. They're not too oily and greasy and you never feel like you've been eating something that's been sitting out for hours.
Taim offers three different falafel flavors: Their traditional green (parsley, cilantro, and mint), red (roasted red peppers), and the Harissa (Tunisian spices). The best way to sample all three is to order their mixed falafel platter ($9.50).
Once we sampled all three, we knew our favorite was their traditional green falafel. Hands down the best of the three.
The falafel platter at $9.50 is such a great price for the amount of food (falafel, pita bread, tabouli, and Israeli salad) and the convenience of having such an incredibly delicious dinner delivered to our doors. The food is filling but you don't feel stuffed in a grossly sickening way.
The tahini hummus is incredible, and their Israeli salad and tabouli are equally impressive. We like to eat food like this a day after we've pigged out on burritos, burgers and pizza the days before. You feel like your cholesterol level begins to go down the moment you start eating this, like you're negating the oxidizing effects of the "bad" food. Yes, yes, we're doing it again - our notorious food self rationalizations.
This is by far the best pita bread we've tried. The whole wheat pita bread is infused with oils and herbs and absolutely delicious on its own.
Their homemade baklava is also good but isn't a standout item.
They're not called a smoothie bar for nothing. You can create your own smoothie or get one of their signature smoothies like their Date/Lime/Banana, Canteloupe Ginger/Coconut Milk, Strawberry/Raspberry/Thai Basil, or Pear/Mint/Lemon. They also offer almond juice or ginger mint lemonade.
And again, what we love about Taim is being able to get fresh and healthy food for a fair price. You can get a falafel or Sabich sandwich for $6. They also have a variety of salads in the $4 range. Every city should have a place like Taim. Thanks Keith for the recommendation! Too bad we can't Fed Ex you a platter.
Everything on Taim's menu is good and good for you (the food is vegan), and their gluten-free falafel is made to order and made from scratch daily using traditional middle eastern recipes. Taim's falafel is perfectly crisp on the outside while being perfectly soft on the inside, and spiced just right. They're not too oily and greasy and you never feel like you've been eating something that's been sitting out for hours.
Taim offers three different falafel flavors: Their traditional green (parsley, cilantro, and mint), red (roasted red peppers), and the Harissa (Tunisian spices). The best way to sample all three is to order their mixed falafel platter ($9.50).
Once we sampled all three, we knew our favorite was their traditional green falafel. Hands down the best of the three.
The falafel platter at $9.50 is such a great price for the amount of food (falafel, pita bread, tabouli, and Israeli salad) and the convenience of having such an incredibly delicious dinner delivered to our doors. The food is filling but you don't feel stuffed in a grossly sickening way.
The tahini hummus is incredible, and their Israeli salad and tabouli are equally impressive. We like to eat food like this a day after we've pigged out on burritos, burgers and pizza the days before. You feel like your cholesterol level begins to go down the moment you start eating this, like you're negating the oxidizing effects of the "bad" food. Yes, yes, we're doing it again - our notorious food self rationalizations.
This is by far the best pita bread we've tried. The whole wheat pita bread is infused with oils and herbs and absolutely delicious on its own.
Their homemade baklava is also good but isn't a standout item.
They're not called a smoothie bar for nothing. You can create your own smoothie or get one of their signature smoothies like their Date/Lime/Banana, Canteloupe Ginger/Coconut Milk, Strawberry/Raspberry/Thai Basil, or Pear/Mint/Lemon. They also offer almond juice or ginger mint lemonade.And again, what we love about Taim is being able to get fresh and healthy food for a fair price. You can get a falafel or Sabich sandwich for $6. They also have a variety of salads in the $4 range. Every city should have a place like Taim. Thanks Keith for the recommendation! Too bad we can't Fed Ex you a platter.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Sake Bar Decibel
Sake Bar Decibel is New York's original Japanese sake bar. It doesn't feel like a sake bar that just happens to be in New York, it feels more like those of us that live in New York somehow quantum leaped into a sake bar in Tokyo or Osaka. In fact, it took me back to the kind of watering holes we visited as college students experiencing a strange and warped coming-of-age while studying in Japan.
The way you find Sake Bar Decibel is with this sign, then you walk down the stairs to the basement.
Once there, we were ushered under a white rope and led into the main bar area (we're not sure what was up with that white rope). The first things you notice are how dark and small the bar is. It's a bit disorienting. It's not the best place for a claustraphic to be in, but the sake's supposed to help.
The pictures are really grainy but the bar is extremely dark and it's not the kind of place you want to use camera flash (for better photos of the place, visit the gallery section of their website. The website, by the way, has a great look and design). The walls of the bar are completely covered with writings accumulated over the years since 1993 by drunk people writing what they thought were poignant at the time. Of course, there were sake bottles all over the place.
One difference between this sake bar in New York versus the sake bars in Japan is the customers. Although the customers at Sake Bar Decibel were having a good time, no one appeared or sounded beligerently drunk. In contrast, by 7 PM at a bar like this in Japan, every single person looks, sounds, and smells like a very-close-to-alcohol-poisoning drunk.
Sake Bar Decibel offers about 100 sake selections from the different sake types - Junmai, Honjozo, Ginjo, Daiginjo, Unfiltered, and their "unique" selections. We were looking for our favorite sake - Rihaku - and found it on the menu. Unfortunately, it was the cloudy unlfitered version of the Wandering Poet but we were still happy to have some variation of Rihaku at a New York bar. The menu isn't as overwhelming as you initially think it is once you know how to narrow down the choices. We narrowed our choices down two ways - by price (we selected the ones that were in the $8 range) and by description (we selected the ones that were described as clean and crisp). We stay away from the sweet and fruity variations.
We were satisfied with all of our choices - Suigei, Genbei-san, Okagura, Kaori. We were also pleasantly surprised by the generous 5 oz size of the sake cups here (rather than the traditional 1 1/2 to 2 oz sizes), and our waiter generously poured an overflow into the boxes. A very great deal for the $8 price. Sake Bar Decibel also has a good selection of shochu and shochu mix cocktails.
The bar also offers food meant to be easily eaten with the sake - ochazuke, tofu, raw octopus, tsukemono, sashimi, karaage, unagi, okonomiyaki, baked rice balls, udon, soba, and edamame. We were laughing at first when we saw that they had arare and shrimp chips but then again they are pretty good drinking crackers. Their dessert menu consisted of our favorites - lychee fruit bowl, japanese sweet potato with caramel sauce, and mochi ice cream. By far the oddest thing to see on the menu of a sake bar - smoked salmon with brie cheese. Although they have these food options, you don't feel pressued to have to order food to sit at the tables.
Sake Bar Decibel is open Monday - Saturday 6 pm to 2:50 AM and Sunday 6 pm to 12:50 AM. They take no reservations. One thing we were weirded out before coming here were reviewers that said the waiters will follow you out the door to complain about you leaving "only" a 20% tip on the bill. Luckily, we didn't have a problem with this and had great service from our waiter that just moved to New York from Japan (although the other two waiters that served the other customers didn't seem as nice).
Our next sake stop will be to another basement sake joint - Sakagura.
The way you find Sake Bar Decibel is with this sign, then you walk down the stairs to the basement.
Once there, we were ushered under a white rope and led into the main bar area (we're not sure what was up with that white rope). The first things you notice are how dark and small the bar is. It's a bit disorienting. It's not the best place for a claustraphic to be in, but the sake's supposed to help.
The pictures are really grainy but the bar is extremely dark and it's not the kind of place you want to use camera flash (for better photos of the place, visit the gallery section of their website. The website, by the way, has a great look and design). The walls of the bar are completely covered with writings accumulated over the years since 1993 by drunk people writing what they thought were poignant at the time. Of course, there were sake bottles all over the place.
One difference between this sake bar in New York versus the sake bars in Japan is the customers. Although the customers at Sake Bar Decibel were having a good time, no one appeared or sounded beligerently drunk. In contrast, by 7 PM at a bar like this in Japan, every single person looks, sounds, and smells like a very-close-to-alcohol-poisoning drunk.
Sake Bar Decibel offers about 100 sake selections from the different sake types - Junmai, Honjozo, Ginjo, Daiginjo, Unfiltered, and their "unique" selections. We were looking for our favorite sake - Rihaku - and found it on the menu. Unfortunately, it was the cloudy unlfitered version of the Wandering Poet but we were still happy to have some variation of Rihaku at a New York bar. The menu isn't as overwhelming as you initially think it is once you know how to narrow down the choices. We narrowed our choices down two ways - by price (we selected the ones that were in the $8 range) and by description (we selected the ones that were described as clean and crisp). We stay away from the sweet and fruity variations.
We were satisfied with all of our choices - Suigei, Genbei-san, Okagura, Kaori. We were also pleasantly surprised by the generous 5 oz size of the sake cups here (rather than the traditional 1 1/2 to 2 oz sizes), and our waiter generously poured an overflow into the boxes. A very great deal for the $8 price. Sake Bar Decibel also has a good selection of shochu and shochu mix cocktails.
The bar also offers food meant to be easily eaten with the sake - ochazuke, tofu, raw octopus, tsukemono, sashimi, karaage, unagi, okonomiyaki, baked rice balls, udon, soba, and edamame. We were laughing at first when we saw that they had arare and shrimp chips but then again they are pretty good drinking crackers. Their dessert menu consisted of our favorites - lychee fruit bowl, japanese sweet potato with caramel sauce, and mochi ice cream. By far the oddest thing to see on the menu of a sake bar - smoked salmon with brie cheese. Although they have these food options, you don't feel pressued to have to order food to sit at the tables.
Sake Bar Decibel is open Monday - Saturday 6 pm to 2:50 AM and Sunday 6 pm to 12:50 AM. They take no reservations. One thing we were weirded out before coming here were reviewers that said the waiters will follow you out the door to complain about you leaving "only" a 20% tip on the bill. Luckily, we didn't have a problem with this and had great service from our waiter that just moved to New York from Japan (although the other two waiters that served the other customers didn't seem as nice).
Our next sake stop will be to another basement sake joint - Sakagura.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Hell's Kitchen and The Garage Flea Markets
Hell's Kitchen Flea Market on West 39th Street between 9th and 10th Aves. Open Saturdays and Sundays from 9 am to 6 pm.
After awhile the heat from the sun got unbearable.
We really wanted to buy the painting of this woman but it was above our budget.
From the Hell's Kitchen flea market, we walked down to West 25th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues to The Garage flea market, also open Saturdays and Sunday from 9 am to 5 PM. We walk a lot on weekends.
The flea market is on two floors of this garage. It's a great use of space and we were happy to be hiding out from the sun. Two floors of old books, posters, furniture, clothes, tons and tons of costume jewelry (definitely have not seen more knick knack jewelry in my life). Even Billy's Antiques and Props were selling a few of their things here.
We were able to get some really cheap books ($2 and $5) and some affordable jewelry ($5 and $8). But a lot of their artwork was surprisingly expensive.
The street where The Garage is located also has several antique shops, a very expensive designer fashion consignment shop (carrying $800 dresses), and a quilt store (that offers quilt making lessons!). At the end of the day we came home with some great and unique things that didn't hurt our bank accounts.
After awhile the heat from the sun got unbearable.
We really wanted to buy the painting of this woman but it was above our budget.
From the Hell's Kitchen flea market, we walked down to West 25th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues to The Garage flea market, also open Saturdays and Sunday from 9 am to 5 PM. We walk a lot on weekends.
The flea market is on two floors of this garage. It's a great use of space and we were happy to be hiding out from the sun. Two floors of old books, posters, furniture, clothes, tons and tons of costume jewelry (definitely have not seen more knick knack jewelry in my life). Even Billy's Antiques and Props were selling a few of their things here.
We were able to get some really cheap books ($2 and $5) and some affordable jewelry ($5 and $8). But a lot of their artwork was surprisingly expensive.
The street where The Garage is located also has several antique shops, a very expensive designer fashion consignment shop (carrying $800 dresses), and a quilt store (that offers quilt making lessons!). At the end of the day we came home with some great and unique things that didn't hurt our bank accounts.
Friday, July 10, 2009
English Tea Time
A bit of England at 108 Greenwich Avenue at Tea & Sympathy.
Tea & Sympathy also has a shop next to their restaurant that sells items imported from England.
The restaurant is a tiny space with about a dozen small tables. And it's always busy here.
In addition to their in-your-face reminders of England, all the waiters have the great British accent. The staff is friendly (our waitress with the curly red hair was especially great) and there's a waitress (or perhaps manager) that reminds us of a British Axl Rose.
They don't sell alcohol here but you can buy beer like Guinness two doors down at Salt & Battery and bring it back to Tea & Sympathy. Tea and Guinness - a bit of an odd couple but it works, especially when food is involved.
Thier afternoon tea come with your choice of three sandwiches (I chose egg salad, chicken curry, and cheese and Branston pickle), scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, banana cupcake, and chocolate cake. Comes with a pot of tea of your choice. Everything was good.
But their mushroom Shepherd's Pie special was just so so.
Tea & Sympathy's other menu items include steak & Guinness pie, bangers and mash, chicken & leek pie, tweed kettle pie, lentil casserole, scotch egg, Welsh rarebit, roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, and cornish and onion pastry. And their tea selection is excellent.
Tea & Sympathy also has a shop next to their restaurant that sells items imported from England.
The restaurant is a tiny space with about a dozen small tables. And it's always busy here.
In addition to their in-your-face reminders of England, all the waiters have the great British accent. The staff is friendly (our waitress with the curly red hair was especially great) and there's a waitress (or perhaps manager) that reminds us of a British Axl Rose.
They don't sell alcohol here but you can buy beer like Guinness two doors down at Salt & Battery and bring it back to Tea & Sympathy. Tea and Guinness - a bit of an odd couple but it works, especially when food is involved.
Thier afternoon tea come with your choice of three sandwiches (I chose egg salad, chicken curry, and cheese and Branston pickle), scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, banana cupcake, and chocolate cake. Comes with a pot of tea of your choice. Everything was good.
But their mushroom Shepherd's Pie special was just so so.
Tea & Sympathy's other menu items include steak & Guinness pie, bangers and mash, chicken & leek pie, tweed kettle pie, lentil casserole, scotch egg, Welsh rarebit, roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, and cornish and onion pastry. And their tea selection is excellent.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Shaved Ice in New York City
We found shaved ice in New York! Then again, you can find everything here. Azuki bean bowl with condensed milk reminds us of our hometown treat, except this one has green tea. This is the perfect cool-me-down summer treat. Worth the brain freeze.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
The Hotel Chelsea
The Hotel Chelsea is New York's legendary rock n' roll hotel. It's where Sid Vicious supposedly stabbed Nancy Spungen to death on the bathroom floor of room 100 in 1978. It's where Jack Kerouac wrote On the Road. It's where Arthur C. Clarke drafted 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Other artists, writers, and musicians that have stayed there include Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan, Arthur Miller, Joni Mitchell, Tennessee Williams, Jasper Johns, Willem de Kooning, Andy Warhol, Jimi Hendrix, and Patti Smith. Musicians have always loved this hotel for its sound-proof rooms.
This twelve-story hotel is located on West 23rd Street between seventh and eighth avenues and was built in 1883. It was the first building to be listed by New York City as a cultural preservation site and historic building. There's been books written about the hotel and its artistic and ghostly past, there's been documentaries about it, and countless movie and photo shoots have taken place (and is still taking place) at the hotel, including the well known black and white photo of Sid Vicious smoking on his bed in the hotel.
Appropriately, the hotel lobby contains artwork from past guests.
We love the look of the Hotel Chelsea's rooms (at least what we can tell from pictures). The design of the rooms are fitting for the kind of artistic people that are drawn to this hotel and it beats the look of the Hiltons and the ones that are too uber modern. There's 240 rooms and what's interesting is that half of the hotel's rooms are occupied by permanent residents. What kind of people live here permanently and how much do they pay for rent for crying out loud?
Other artists, writers, and musicians that have stayed there include Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan, Arthur Miller, Joni Mitchell, Tennessee Williams, Jasper Johns, Willem de Kooning, Andy Warhol, Jimi Hendrix, and Patti Smith. Musicians have always loved this hotel for its sound-proof rooms.
This twelve-story hotel is located on West 23rd Street between seventh and eighth avenues and was built in 1883. It was the first building to be listed by New York City as a cultural preservation site and historic building. There's been books written about the hotel and its artistic and ghostly past, there's been documentaries about it, and countless movie and photo shoots have taken place (and is still taking place) at the hotel, including the well known black and white photo of Sid Vicious smoking on his bed in the hotel.
Appropriately, the hotel lobby contains artwork from past guests.
We love the look of the Hotel Chelsea's rooms (at least what we can tell from pictures). The design of the rooms are fitting for the kind of artistic people that are drawn to this hotel and it beats the look of the Hiltons and the ones that are too uber modern. There's 240 rooms and what's interesting is that half of the hotel's rooms are occupied by permanent residents. What kind of people live here permanently and how much do they pay for rent for crying out loud?
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
MoMA
We spent our Friday holiday at the MoMA. Located on 53rd Street (between Fifth and Sixth Avenues), The Museum of Modern Art in midtown has been described as the most influential museum of modern art in the world.
One of our favorite parts of our visit to the MoMA was the James Ensor exhibit. The exhibit took up the entire 6th floor of the museum. His range of work is incredible. You really have to see the whole collection (and up close) to truly appreciate it. One drawback was that no photos were allowed. It was also the most crowded area of the museum and people were elbowing each other to get a glimpse of Ensor's paintings.
This is a bird's eye view of Song Dong's Waste Not installation.
The Waste Not installation consists of the complete contents of Song Dong's mother's home - everything from shopping bags, cloth, shoes, pans, wrappers, garments, plastic bottles, and everything else you'd pretty much find in a home if nothing ever got thrown away.
This little one's first art performance in Measuring the Universe. Her height, name, and date finding it's place on the wall.
Great Polish poster.
Music was represented.
This older gentleman made us smile. A man getting lost in the music.
Forever young. How we hope we will be at his graceful age.
It was thrilling to see the art work of one of my favorite artists, Marc Chagall.
If only I could have a wall of Chagall in my own home.
Although the James Ensor exhibit was by far the most crowded floor, the floor containing the well-known masterpieces was almost as crowded. But this floor felt more claustraphic since photos (without flash) were allowed and everyone was fighting for space to take pictures - Dali, Picasso, Warhol, Mondrian, Pollock, Matisse, Kooning, Kahlo, Miro - it was insane.
We admit, we were one of those annoying insane picture takers. We couldn't help ourselves. We took about a hundred photos and our camera died. But how could we not? Look at the beautiful art work. We wanted to take home a piece of it.
We spent four hours looking at the artwork. Really, you probably need a good five hours to comfortably see everything at this museum (and originally we thought we could finish in two hours like the Guggenheim). We ended our day with a glass of wine and beer at MoMa's Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden. That's the best way to wrap up the day there.
And thank goodness the museum is open til 8 PM on Fridays. We look forward to returning for MoMA Thursday Nights.
One of our favorite parts of our visit to the MoMA was the James Ensor exhibit. The exhibit took up the entire 6th floor of the museum. His range of work is incredible. You really have to see the whole collection (and up close) to truly appreciate it. One drawback was that no photos were allowed. It was also the most crowded area of the museum and people were elbowing each other to get a glimpse of Ensor's paintings.
This is a bird's eye view of Song Dong's Waste Not installation.
The Waste Not installation consists of the complete contents of Song Dong's mother's home - everything from shopping bags, cloth, shoes, pans, wrappers, garments, plastic bottles, and everything else you'd pretty much find in a home if nothing ever got thrown away.
This little one's first art performance in Measuring the Universe. Her height, name, and date finding it's place on the wall.
Great Polish poster.
Music was represented.
This older gentleman made us smile. A man getting lost in the music.
Forever young. How we hope we will be at his graceful age.
It was thrilling to see the art work of one of my favorite artists, Marc Chagall.
If only I could have a wall of Chagall in my own home.
Although the James Ensor exhibit was by far the most crowded floor, the floor containing the well-known masterpieces was almost as crowded. But this floor felt more claustraphic since photos (without flash) were allowed and everyone was fighting for space to take pictures - Dali, Picasso, Warhol, Mondrian, Pollock, Matisse, Kooning, Kahlo, Miro - it was insane.
We admit, we were one of those annoying insane picture takers. We couldn't help ourselves. We took about a hundred photos and our camera died. But how could we not? Look at the beautiful art work. We wanted to take home a piece of it.
We spent four hours looking at the artwork. Really, you probably need a good five hours to comfortably see everything at this museum (and originally we thought we could finish in two hours like the Guggenheim). We ended our day with a glass of wine and beer at MoMa's Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden. That's the best way to wrap up the day there.
And thank goodness the museum is open til 8 PM on Fridays. We look forward to returning for MoMA Thursday Nights.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Tukish Delivery
Istanbul Grill on W 14th Street at 8th Ave serves affordable Turkish food and is one of our favorite neighborhood hole-in-the-wall joints. We've only eaten inside the small restaurant once, but we've had Istanbul's food delivered to our door a dozen times for dinner.
Here's the reason why Istanbul is one of our favorite food spots - their chicken kebab plate, which is different from any chicken kebab plate we've had. The chicken is always tender and cut perfectly, and it's served with great rice, onions, tomatoes and lettuce. The portion is also very generous.
And the chicken kebab is made more perfect by Istanbul Grill's red sauce - sweet and almost like a ketchup and light peppery barbeque sauce mix.
Istanbul Grill's lamb and falafel are also good, but the chicken is really the only thing we normally order from here.
But their baklava is a bit of a let down - a bit too gooey and soggy. This particular plate tasted a few day past its prime.
And their pita bread and hummus are just average.
Like we said, it's all about their chicken kebab plate for us and we're all about getting plentiful, affordable food delivered to our door in under 15 minutes.
Here's the reason why Istanbul is one of our favorite food spots - their chicken kebab plate, which is different from any chicken kebab plate we've had. The chicken is always tender and cut perfectly, and it's served with great rice, onions, tomatoes and lettuce. The portion is also very generous.
And the chicken kebab is made more perfect by Istanbul Grill's red sauce - sweet and almost like a ketchup and light peppery barbeque sauce mix.
Istanbul Grill's lamb and falafel are also good, but the chicken is really the only thing we normally order from here.
But their baklava is a bit of a let down - a bit too gooey and soggy. This particular plate tasted a few day past its prime.
And their pita bread and hummus are just average.
Like we said, it's all about their chicken kebab plate for us and we're all about getting plentiful, affordable food delivered to our door in under 15 minutes.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Drink Brass Monkey
It was a fine day for a pint of Guinness at Brass Monkey on Little West 12th Street. Brass Monkey has an impressive beer menu and their food menu is what a beer bar should have.
On their third-level rooftop bar with views of the Hudson.
No complaints about their omelet, home fries, and toast.
Unfortunately, the burger and fries were disappointing. The bread on this burger was overly grilled and disgusting.
This is their second level bar area. This is the kind of bar that gets extremely crowded, and the thing about going to a bar like this during the day is the lingering smell of spilled beer and vomit from earlier in the morning.
The food might not be the best, but you come here for beer. And since we're long past our college years, we'd rather come for beer at a place like this during the mellow hours when you can sit down and relax, don't have to wait to order, or stand in line for the restroom.
On their third-level rooftop bar with views of the Hudson. 
No complaints about their omelet, home fries, and toast.
Unfortunately, the burger and fries were disappointing. The bread on this burger was overly grilled and disgusting.
This is their second level bar area. This is the kind of bar that gets extremely crowded, and the thing about going to a bar like this during the day is the lingering smell of spilled beer and vomit from earlier in the morning.
The food might not be the best, but you come here for beer. And since we're long past our college years, we'd rather come for beer at a place like this during the mellow hours when you can sit down and relax, don't have to wait to order, or stand in line for the restroom.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
4th of July in New York City
Our main goal on our first Fourth of July in New York City was to watch the Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks. This year the fireworks took place over the Hudson River in honor of Henry Hudson's voyage 400 years ago. The fireworks were set off from six barges between 24th and 50th Streets, and during the day we tried to scout out some viewing locations. We finally decided on Pier 54, since it's in short walking distance from our apartment and we just happen to like this pier. During the day, the NYPD were already on every street from 13th Street all the way to probably the last barge. We saw them obviously checking for bombs on Pier 54. Oddly, that didn't make us feel quite as nervous as the prospect of either not getting onto the Pier or the horrific crowd. We got to Pier 54 at around 8:00 PM and it was the perfect time as it wasn't too far in advance of the 9:20 fireworks showtime (thereby allowing us to bypass the nasty porta potties) and we made it just in time to get some prime seats on the ground by the barricade. We also got to watch the sky's changing colors while waiting for the fireworks.
We saw so many families, probably from all parts of this world, huddled together on this Pier. Then we started to see the different boats, water taxis, and ships taking their prime water spots (and that might have been great for us if not for the $100 to $250 price tag). The fireworks show started slightly past 9:20 PM and lasted for over 25 minutes. Apparently this year's fireworks show was eight times more high-level than last year's show. It was a stunning work of art in the night sky. It's amazing how they put this show together. We will never forget this night.
The fireworks included red, white and blue stars, happy faces, dice, shooting stars, and what looked like colorful Pollock paint splatters on the sky's black canvas. Our favorites were the fireworks that buzzed around in different directions. It was too hard to capture the full breath of the images with our camera.
Although we were still a bit far away from the actual location, we were so surprised at how good our views were from 13th Street. People with great rooftop spots on the West side, or the few 250 people that were able to get their spots on top of the Empire State Building must have had breathtaking views. But when we think about our experience being gathered together with all those New Yorkers and tourists on that Pier, it makes us glad that we chose the spot that we did. And it was FREE. One thing we wished was that we could have heard the New York pops performing the musical scores synchronized to the fireworks - we're not sure exactly which location that took place but it must have been a goosey skin experience.
The fireworks show felt like it only lasted 3 minutes because we selfishly wanted it to last longer. The NYPD did a fantastic job with crowd control, and before we knew it, we were at the Pizza truck on our way home.
$7 for two slices of our favorite oily comfort food.
One we got home, we ended our first fourth with a nice $6 BOTTLE of Pinot and Star Wars and Beetlejuice. The one thing we missed today was Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest held on the corner of Surf & Stillwell avenues in Coney Island. Joey Chestnut defeated his rival Takeru (Tsunami) Kobayashi for the third year, beating him with 68 hot dogs in just 10 minutes (Kobayashi finished 64.5 hot dogs). We would have gone there if the subway ride to and from Coney Island wasn't so miserable.
We saw so many families, probably from all parts of this world, huddled together on this Pier. Then we started to see the different boats, water taxis, and ships taking their prime water spots (and that might have been great for us if not for the $100 to $250 price tag). The fireworks show started slightly past 9:20 PM and lasted for over 25 minutes. Apparently this year's fireworks show was eight times more high-level than last year's show. It was a stunning work of art in the night sky. It's amazing how they put this show together. We will never forget this night.
The fireworks included red, white and blue stars, happy faces, dice, shooting stars, and what looked like colorful Pollock paint splatters on the sky's black canvas. Our favorites were the fireworks that buzzed around in different directions. It was too hard to capture the full breath of the images with our camera.
Although we were still a bit far away from the actual location, we were so surprised at how good our views were from 13th Street. People with great rooftop spots on the West side, or the few 250 people that were able to get their spots on top of the Empire State Building must have had breathtaking views. But when we think about our experience being gathered together with all those New Yorkers and tourists on that Pier, it makes us glad that we chose the spot that we did. And it was FREE. One thing we wished was that we could have heard the New York pops performing the musical scores synchronized to the fireworks - we're not sure exactly which location that took place but it must have been a goosey skin experience.
The fireworks show felt like it only lasted 3 minutes because we selfishly wanted it to last longer. The NYPD did a fantastic job with crowd control, and before we knew it, we were at the Pizza truck on our way home.
$7 for two slices of our favorite oily comfort food.
One we got home, we ended our first fourth with a nice $6 BOTTLE of Pinot and Star Wars and Beetlejuice. The one thing we missed today was Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest held on the corner of Surf & Stillwell avenues in Coney Island. Joey Chestnut defeated his rival Takeru (Tsunami) Kobayashi for the third year, beating him with 68 hot dogs in just 10 minutes (Kobayashi finished 64.5 hot dogs). We would have gone there if the subway ride to and from Coney Island wasn't so miserable.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Caracas Arepa Bar
Caracas Arepa Bar in the East Village serves homemade Venezuelan food and is most known for their arepas, made from scratch daily and described as "Straight from Venezuela, with New York temperament." A few weekends ago, we went there for brunch and we knew that we had to get there right when they opened at noon in order to get a table in their tiny restaurant (next door they also have a take-out area with a few tables). Their food is delicious, their menu - Dine-in or take-out - is diverse and offers healthy options, and considering that their food is fresh and made from scratch daily, the prices are reasonable.
We fell in love with these Arepitas Dulces (bite-size sweet arepas made with anise and white cheese, served with guava sauce for dipping). These were unbelievably delicious and well worth the $4 price tag.
Drinking anything out of a drinking jar like this makes you feel like you're a kid again during the summer. This was their honey/lemon/sugar juice.
The Amazonico (Perico, black beans, fried sweet plantains with salty cheese, tomato, avocado slicesand a plain arepa) is off their brunch menu. It's healthy, delicious and for the amount of quality food given, we felt good about paying $10 for this.
The Criollo (Perico served with a plain Arepa, mixed green salad, tomatoes, hearts of palm, shredded beef and grilled white cheese) is the perfect brunch for a meat and cheese lover like me. The shredded beef was sweet and tener and worked well stuffed inside the Arepa.
Turning your old dresser drawers into shelving space. We might just have to use this idea.
Immediately after we took this photo, the restaurant was at full capacity. We had the best window seat in the restaurant but everyone else was literally elbow-to-elbow. But it was a nice lively bunch that added to the energy of this place. By the time we left, there was a growing number of impatient hungry people waiting outside.
There's been many times we've said we wish we lived in the East Village. Food is a big reason why.
We fell in love with these Arepitas Dulces (bite-size sweet arepas made with anise and white cheese, served with guava sauce for dipping). These were unbelievably delicious and well worth the $4 price tag.
Drinking anything out of a drinking jar like this makes you feel like you're a kid again during the summer. This was their honey/lemon/sugar juice.
The Amazonico (Perico, black beans, fried sweet plantains with salty cheese, tomato, avocado slicesand a plain arepa) is off their brunch menu. It's healthy, delicious and for the amount of quality food given, we felt good about paying $10 for this.
The Criollo (Perico served with a plain Arepa, mixed green salad, tomatoes, hearts of palm, shredded beef and grilled white cheese) is the perfect brunch for a meat and cheese lover like me. The shredded beef was sweet and tener and worked well stuffed inside the Arepa.
Turning your old dresser drawers into shelving space. We might just have to use this idea.
Immediately after we took this photo, the restaurant was at full capacity. We had the best window seat in the restaurant but everyone else was literally elbow-to-elbow. But it was a nice lively bunch that added to the energy of this place. By the time we left, there was a growing number of impatient hungry people waiting outside.
There's been many times we've said we wish we lived in the East Village. Food is a big reason why.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Waiting for Godot at Studio 54
A few weeks ago we got to see the Roundabout Theater Company's production of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot at Studio 54 (on West 54th Street).
This interpretation of one of the greatest (bizarre and complex) plays of the 20th century was superb. The cast lineup was stellar - Nathan Lane, Bill Irwin, John Goodman, and John Glover. The comedic and smooth interaction between Lane and Irwin was flawless and Glover as Lucky gave this play that extra something special. Goodman also gave a fierce performance, although he'll always probably be better suited in the kind of role he played in Roseanne. This is the kind of intricate play that can go seriously wrong if not produced or cast right. And this play in the hands of director Anthony Page was done just right.
The best seats in the house are obviously the lower stage level seats. We couldn't shell out the big bucks but we were happy with our bird's eye view of the stage. It was like climbing a mountain to get to our seats; everyone was commenting on how steep the stairs were. It was a full house with not one seat empty.
The worst part of our experience here - the crazy line to the restroom. Just waiting and waiting and waiting. It took up the entire intermission time to go to the restroom.
This interpretation of one of the greatest (bizarre and complex) plays of the 20th century was superb. The cast lineup was stellar - Nathan Lane, Bill Irwin, John Goodman, and John Glover. The comedic and smooth interaction between Lane and Irwin was flawless and Glover as Lucky gave this play that extra something special. Goodman also gave a fierce performance, although he'll always probably be better suited in the kind of role he played in Roseanne. This is the kind of intricate play that can go seriously wrong if not produced or cast right. And this play in the hands of director Anthony Page was done just right.
The best seats in the house are obviously the lower stage level seats. We couldn't shell out the big bucks but we were happy with our bird's eye view of the stage. It was like climbing a mountain to get to our seats; everyone was commenting on how steep the stairs were. It was a full house with not one seat empty.
The worst part of our experience here - the crazy line to the restroom. Just waiting and waiting and waiting. It took up the entire intermission time to go to the restroom.
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