...next on the list will have to be the people's pops, especially since i used to work with the proprietrix (yes i realize that's not a word, but it should be).
and lula's sweet apothecary on east 6th is just amazing. went with blurph for ice cream: soft-serve cake batter, nutty carrot cake, and rich peanut butter fudge swirl. they have baked goods too. all of their offerings are vegan, and many gluten-free options are available (but don't let this deter any of you righteous omnivores; it's as delicious as anything you could make with eggs and cream).
on the other side of town, the high line opened last week; you can walk along it from gansevoort to 20th streets so far. it supposedly contains mostly plant species that had been growing wild there, only now it's all been tidily landscaped. they integrated some of the old train tracks in the design, including a section upon which a row of wooden seats can roll a bit back and forth. there's a weird little amphitheater with a glass window looking down on 10th avenue, apparently for watching the traffic go by. there are wonderful views of a part of the city that's still sparse on skyscrapers, and of the hudson and jersey beyond. go there this summer! take your out of town friends there! but go on a weekday to avoid the crowds, at least now while it's still shiny and new.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
DBGB (on the Bowery)
i'm assuming daniel boulud's new burger-centric locale, on bowery just north of houston, will be easier to find next week. tonight, all that distinguished it from a service entrance to the newish condominium complex was a cardboard square taped to the door, bearing the number 299 (this doesn't bode well for walk-ins, but i suppose that was all part of the grand design on this first official night of service).
not realizing there is an abbreviated bar menu, we opted for one of the double-wide bar stools. no regrets; the beer list alone is enough to keep a body occupied, and i've always been an advocate of (what i convince myself is) the "best of" bar menu as a way to feel out a new spot. there's no hooks at this bar (i always check) but there's a bar (pardon the pun) on which you can drape your coat (or perhaps onto which you can hang if you've had a beer too many?) and the stools, well, i can only imagine all the fun the bartenders are going to have playing tetris with single diners and three-tops when it's crowded. i'd say if you don't want a seat-mate to crash your solo dinner at the bar, come during the week.
we started with the creole caipirihna (made with rum instead of cachaca) and the paloma, with mezcal and grapefruit juice. the menu features two trademark boulud cocktails and several of colin's creation. there's a fine selection of oysters. (and here i will digress in recognition of the recession: at $3 a pop they just make my oyster-price-litmus of $18 a half dozen. can you get some of the same oysters cheaper? sure, but $3 kumamotos are a great deal, by maybe a dime, so it's worth it to feel comfortable making your bivalve selections without regard to the slight price variations you may encounter elsewhere.) for our part, we opted for the aforementioned 'motos, a couple of glidden points and a new one to us, salt ponds: rhode island denizens, medium sized with a shallow cup, briny, metallic. they all played well with a glass of cremant de jura.
the crispy tripe, two squares to a $4 order, is the perfect intro to intestines for even the most squeamish of diners. their innocuously flavorful chewiness was delighfully balanced by the slightly sweet mustard sauce that accompanied them.
cheese (5 for $15; berry apricot chutney, mixed nuts, green grapes) and "the frenchie" (the burger topped with pork belly) rounded out the meal. the fries are as good as you would expect, and the whole kaboodle comes with classy wooden caddy containing standard plastic squeeze bottles of heinz ketchup (if it ain't broke), maille mustard (maille, oh maille, its horseradishy goodness far surpasses other mustards of that color and texture) and a house-made mustard condiment: grainy, seedy. the trio slathered well on fries and all.
the place had filled up by the time we thought about sweet. at our cozy deuce at the bar, we hadn't looked up much throughout dinner. the kitchen is open, a long pass facing the tables and booths of the rather large dining room, partitioned by open shelving for glassware and such. mirrors make the space look a bigger than it is. and it's pretty big. but it's a good time to fill up a room with a menu like that. although i'll note that the burger was a little small for $17, pork belly notwithstanding.
alexander in his sweater vest poured us rochefort [sic] and the aptly named old engine oil, just two beer options out of dozens on draft, $7 and up. for dessert there are a handful of temptations including a baked alaska for two ($18, fabulous idea); we couldn't see past the end of our coffee caramel sundae full of brownie chunks, mini cookies, nuts and whipped cream. they have three two-scoop sundae options, $9 each. you certainly can't do better at grom, or for that matter, any of those bloody frozen yogurt chains.
the music's good. the mix included a couple of tunes from television's marquee moon, and a song by the hold steady. also worthy of mention: krug is $30 a glass, not a bad deal if you're feeling decadent.
i could see myself dropping some cash here. even more if i were gainfully employed and not planning a trip halfway around the world in two months. DBGB is a good way to get your boulud on without breaking the bank. and they can leave that cardboard up on the door for all i care, as long as there's always a double wide seat at the bar for me and daisy.
not realizing there is an abbreviated bar menu, we opted for one of the double-wide bar stools. no regrets; the beer list alone is enough to keep a body occupied, and i've always been an advocate of (what i convince myself is) the "best of" bar menu as a way to feel out a new spot. there's no hooks at this bar (i always check) but there's a bar (pardon the pun) on which you can drape your coat (or perhaps onto which you can hang if you've had a beer too many?) and the stools, well, i can only imagine all the fun the bartenders are going to have playing tetris with single diners and three-tops when it's crowded. i'd say if you don't want a seat-mate to crash your solo dinner at the bar, come during the week.
we started with the creole caipirihna (made with rum instead of cachaca) and the paloma, with mezcal and grapefruit juice. the menu features two trademark boulud cocktails and several of colin's creation. there's a fine selection of oysters. (and here i will digress in recognition of the recession: at $3 a pop they just make my oyster-price-litmus of $18 a half dozen. can you get some of the same oysters cheaper? sure, but $3 kumamotos are a great deal, by maybe a dime, so it's worth it to feel comfortable making your bivalve selections without regard to the slight price variations you may encounter elsewhere.) for our part, we opted for the aforementioned 'motos, a couple of glidden points and a new one to us, salt ponds: rhode island denizens, medium sized with a shallow cup, briny, metallic. they all played well with a glass of cremant de jura.
the crispy tripe, two squares to a $4 order, is the perfect intro to intestines for even the most squeamish of diners. their innocuously flavorful chewiness was delighfully balanced by the slightly sweet mustard sauce that accompanied them.
cheese (5 for $15; berry apricot chutney, mixed nuts, green grapes) and "the frenchie" (the burger topped with pork belly) rounded out the meal. the fries are as good as you would expect, and the whole kaboodle comes with classy wooden caddy containing standard plastic squeeze bottles of heinz ketchup (if it ain't broke), maille mustard (maille, oh maille, its horseradishy goodness far surpasses other mustards of that color and texture) and a house-made mustard condiment: grainy, seedy. the trio slathered well on fries and all.
the place had filled up by the time we thought about sweet. at our cozy deuce at the bar, we hadn't looked up much throughout dinner. the kitchen is open, a long pass facing the tables and booths of the rather large dining room, partitioned by open shelving for glassware and such. mirrors make the space look a bigger than it is. and it's pretty big. but it's a good time to fill up a room with a menu like that. although i'll note that the burger was a little small for $17, pork belly notwithstanding.
alexander in his sweater vest poured us rochefort [sic] and the aptly named old engine oil, just two beer options out of dozens on draft, $7 and up. for dessert there are a handful of temptations including a baked alaska for two ($18, fabulous idea); we couldn't see past the end of our coffee caramel sundae full of brownie chunks, mini cookies, nuts and whipped cream. they have three two-scoop sundae options, $9 each. you certainly can't do better at grom, or for that matter, any of those bloody frozen yogurt chains.
the music's good. the mix included a couple of tunes from television's marquee moon, and a song by the hold steady. also worthy of mention: krug is $30 a glass, not a bad deal if you're feeling decadent.
i could see myself dropping some cash here. even more if i were gainfully employed and not planning a trip halfway around the world in two months. DBGB is a good way to get your boulud on without breaking the bank. and they can leave that cardboard up on the door for all i care, as long as there's always a double wide seat at the bar for me and daisy.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
parlez-vous franchise?
a (partial?) list of burger chains miraculously supported by the people of new york city:
-(home of the) goodburger
-better burger
-burger heaven
-new york city burger company
-brgr
and now there's more than one
-shake shack
of course i've left out the obvious
mcdonaldsburgerkingwendys&everythingelseyoucanfindontheturnpike.
and that's when we already had the corner bistro (still my favorite) and several
-jackson hole[s]
---- ---- ---- ---- ----
and now for frozen yogurt (i'm pretty sure the latter three aren't even chains, which makes you wonder, how could it be profitable to open your own independent frozen yogurt place amid the existing brambles of pink berries?):
-tasti d-lite
-the lite choice
-pinkberry
-red mango
-berrywild
-flurt
-crazy bananas
-yogurtland
-yogurt yogurt
(can you spot the bogus one? just kidding they all really exist.)
yay capitalism?
NB: of these, crazy bananas (on 32nd between madison and 5th) is easily the best, but they recently remodeled and i have to say, i preferred the vibe when the decor consisted of creepy bobble-heads and a glass-encased carved wood penis collection.)
-(home of the) goodburger
-better burger
-burger heaven
-new york city burger company
-brgr
and now there's more than one
-shake shack
of course i've left out the obvious
mcdonaldsburgerkingwendys&everythingelseyoucanfindontheturnpike.
and that's when we already had the corner bistro (still my favorite) and several
-jackson hole[s]
---- ---- ---- ---- ----
and now for frozen yogurt (i'm pretty sure the latter three aren't even chains, which makes you wonder, how could it be profitable to open your own independent frozen yogurt place amid the existing brambles of pink berries?):
-tasti d-lite
-the lite choice
-pinkberry
-red mango
-berrywild
-flurt
-crazy bananas
-yogurtland
-yogurt yogurt
(can you spot the bogus one? just kidding they all really exist.)
yay capitalism?
NB: of these, crazy bananas (on 32nd between madison and 5th) is easily the best, but they recently remodeled and i have to say, i preferred the vibe when the decor consisted of creepy bobble-heads and a glass-encased carved wood penis collection.)
Friday, April 17, 2009
price fixin' and trash pickin.'
it was such a beautiful friday night, we decided to go out to dinner without a reservation. we strolled up madison; people moved past us with purpose or without. a resourceful and lucky lady rifled through clear plastic bags of clothes by the trash can just outside dolce & gabbana.
later we encountered a haunting and beautiful procession at the synod of bishops russian orthodox church on 93rd street: a large group carrying candles, singing, chanting; some were rather more official looking than others. passersby stopped to listen and look... it all seemed a bit dreamlike, and it felt like a treat to have happened upon it. whatever it was.
...it's nice to see that despite the recession, it's still absurd to walk into any place at 8:30 on friday and expected to be seated right away. we settled somewhat randomly on sarabeth's, which is a perfect mesh of not small and not cool, and thus we were promptly seated on a comfy corner banquette. i think our new thing is going to (have to) be the prix fixe. sarabeth's has one for $30. i'm not sure if it was just what we ordered, but more than a few of their dishes showcase their jammy tendencies. that said, if you do love preserved fruits, each dish manages to balance out nicely, for example how the pleasantly bitter green beans and buttermilk scallion pancakes complement the apricot raisin compote atop the duck breast.
it seems i've gotten kind of used to fancy-pants service, and it was both unsettling and refreshing to enjoy our chocolate truffle cake with a backdrop of butter ramikin and dinner knives.
the park called us as we stepped back out onto the street. when we crossed west on 5th to find our reservoir view another couple was crossing east, looking a bit spooked, and soon we came upon why: a rather large raccoon, lurking by a tree. his masked mug took us in; he defied all attempts at cell phone photography as he began to skulk smoothly and silently uptown, presently disappearing in the shadows along the curb.
it's no surprise that such creatures can thrive on the upper east side. people do throw away some good stuff in this city.
later we encountered a haunting and beautiful procession at the synod of bishops russian orthodox church on 93rd street: a large group carrying candles, singing, chanting; some were rather more official looking than others. passersby stopped to listen and look... it all seemed a bit dreamlike, and it felt like a treat to have happened upon it. whatever it was.
...it's nice to see that despite the recession, it's still absurd to walk into any place at 8:30 on friday and expected to be seated right away. we settled somewhat randomly on sarabeth's, which is a perfect mesh of not small and not cool, and thus we were promptly seated on a comfy corner banquette. i think our new thing is going to (have to) be the prix fixe. sarabeth's has one for $30. i'm not sure if it was just what we ordered, but more than a few of their dishes showcase their jammy tendencies. that said, if you do love preserved fruits, each dish manages to balance out nicely, for example how the pleasantly bitter green beans and buttermilk scallion pancakes complement the apricot raisin compote atop the duck breast.
it seems i've gotten kind of used to fancy-pants service, and it was both unsettling and refreshing to enjoy our chocolate truffle cake with a backdrop of butter ramikin and dinner knives.
the park called us as we stepped back out onto the street. when we crossed west on 5th to find our reservoir view another couple was crossing east, looking a bit spooked, and soon we came upon why: a rather large raccoon, lurking by a tree. his masked mug took us in; he defied all attempts at cell phone photography as he began to skulk smoothly and silently uptown, presently disappearing in the shadows along the curb.
it's no surprise that such creatures can thrive on the upper east side. people do throw away some good stuff in this city.
Friday, April 10, 2009
some palindromes and anagrams worthy of mention
i haven't included most of the obvious ones. also, punctuation doesn't count.
palindromes:
I love me, vol. I
go hang a salami; i'm a lasagna hog
tulsa nightlife: filth, gin, a slut
lonely tylenol
stressed? desserts!
anagrams:
listen: silent
aspired...despair
prenatal --> parental
beacon theater: eat bacon there.
palindromes:
I love me, vol. I
go hang a salami; i'm a lasagna hog
tulsa nightlife: filth, gin, a slut
lonely tylenol
stressed? desserts!
anagrams:
listen: silent
aspired...despair
prenatal --> parental
beacon theater: eat bacon there.
Friday, April 3, 2009
the bus drivers are grumpier in philly.
today daisy and i encountered a bus driver who enjoys his job more than average. every stop brought on a little ditty. yeah, it sounds like it would get annoying but it didn't, somehow.
find this man. he was driving the M4 today, going south on 5th avenue at 66th street around 4pm...
find this man. he was driving the M4 today, going south on 5th avenue at 66th street around 4pm...
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
discarded bouquet.
found two dozen roses, still in their clear plastic and white paper cone, resting neatly on top of a full trash can on third avenue, on the way back from the supermarket, just as it had started to rain.
took them home. they sure are pretty.
(there must be a good story behind how they got there.)
took them home. they sure are pretty.
(there must be a good story behind how they got there.)
Thursday, February 19, 2009
a partial list of things that are (slightly) older than me:
Ben & Jerry's
Banana Republic
Peking Duck House
Japonica
Union Square Greenmarket
FISA (the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act)
Emilio Marcos Palma, the first person born on Antarctica
Banana Republic
Peking Duck House
Japonica
Union Square Greenmarket
FISA (the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act)
Emilio Marcos Palma, the first person born on Antarctica
Monday, January 12, 2009
bigoted tailors; heroine stories
daisy and i just got a total score of 841 in scrabble. four bingos... guess what they were?
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