only two more days to see tim burton at the MoMA. the busy, cluttered exhibit made me feel like i was getting a peek inside his head, although not everyone found it as fabulous as i did.
when i was there the other day it seemed to me that more people than usual were wearing black and white stripes.
if the crowds seem too daunting, head upstairs for a gander at the photography of henri cartier-bresson... stunning, poignant images from a long and well-traveled career, on view until june 28.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
un bel di, vedremo...
last week mom and i treated ourselves to an evening at the metropolitan opera... and then another at city opera.
...ah, tosca, where have you been all my life? admittedly, my addiction to opera is relatively new, but what a breath of fresh air that this title diva stabs a truly unpalatable villain before she watches her lover be executed by a firing squad and the police come to arrest her for murdering their boss. it's rather more exciting than if she had been ill and frail for three acts and then died in her bed, after somehow filling a cavernous concert hall with her voice from a supine position. and... curtain.
our puccini crawl continued two nights later at city opera with madama butterfly. after a couple of seasons at the met, city opera does seem a bit low rent, but not because of the performance. (it's more about the fact that they apparently just let people wander in whenever they want during the act, instead of exiling stragglers to the little plush dungeon with the tv monitor, which is how it should be.)
[side rant: what is up with all the clapping? when did it become normal to applaud after every solo in every act throughout the entire production? and curtain calls at each intermission? between all the applause during the acts &mdash which i believe greatly interferes with the flow of the music &mdash and the long intermissions at the met &mdash probably due to their high-tech mechanical set change equipment, new as of 2008 &mdash an evening at the opera can easily be a four-hour affair, perhaps more if wagner is involved. couldn't we just applaud at the END of the acts? didn't that used to be the protocol? these incredibly talented performers have just sung for an audience of 3800, each of whom paid top dollar to enjoy a production at the world's greatest opera house. does a diva really need MORE validation than that?]
i'll refrain from any attempt to describe the music. puccini's compositions are cerebral, yet emotional; complex but accessible. (ok so i tried to describe. oops.) the best singers in the world want to sing at the met, and city opera certainly has no small talent pool from which to select. and the wow factor doesn't stop at the singers: the sets of both shows are incredible, not to mention the costumes (the playful red ships suspended from above, the array of kimono colors in city opera's butterfly! and the severe tableaux and matrix-esque trench coats on the cops in the met's production of tosca)...
my uncle thinks the opera is slowly dying as an art form, but i hopefully disagree. i've seen plenty of young 'uns at lincoln center, particularly at city opera, which has a decidedly edgier, more modern bent. sure, it's not for everyone: the music requires an attention span, and you can't exactly tap your foot to the beat throughout the show. but if you're at all intrigued by the genre, puccini is a good way to test the waters for yourself. while he didn't write three-minute pop ditties, good ole giacomo will find a way to get stuck in your head. you may even recognize a tune or two.
and truth be told, it's an excuse to get dolled up. there just aren't that many occasions for most of us to don our classiest evening wear; your vintage mink stole and floor length black velvet gown will look right at home here. nothing says "i heart NY" like sipping champagne on the balcony at intermission in your fanciest dress. for the price of approximately six trite blockbuster movies (and up), you can dabble in luxury, and listen to beautifully complex music that has stood the test of time. but for the love of b.f. pinkerton, don't forget to turn off your cell phone during the performance.
...ah, tosca, where have you been all my life? admittedly, my addiction to opera is relatively new, but what a breath of fresh air that this title diva stabs a truly unpalatable villain before she watches her lover be executed by a firing squad and the police come to arrest her for murdering their boss. it's rather more exciting than if she had been ill and frail for three acts and then died in her bed, after somehow filling a cavernous concert hall with her voice from a supine position. and... curtain.
our puccini crawl continued two nights later at city opera with madama butterfly. after a couple of seasons at the met, city opera does seem a bit low rent, but not because of the performance. (it's more about the fact that they apparently just let people wander in whenever they want during the act, instead of exiling stragglers to the little plush dungeon with the tv monitor, which is how it should be.)
[side rant: what is up with all the clapping? when did it become normal to applaud after every solo in every act throughout the entire production? and curtain calls at each intermission? between all the applause during the acts &mdash which i believe greatly interferes with the flow of the music &mdash and the long intermissions at the met &mdash probably due to their high-tech mechanical set change equipment, new as of 2008 &mdash an evening at the opera can easily be a four-hour affair, perhaps more if wagner is involved. couldn't we just applaud at the END of the acts? didn't that used to be the protocol? these incredibly talented performers have just sung for an audience of 3800, each of whom paid top dollar to enjoy a production at the world's greatest opera house. does a diva really need MORE validation than that?]
i'll refrain from any attempt to describe the music. puccini's compositions are cerebral, yet emotional; complex but accessible. (ok so i tried to describe. oops.) the best singers in the world want to sing at the met, and city opera certainly has no small talent pool from which to select. and the wow factor doesn't stop at the singers: the sets of both shows are incredible, not to mention the costumes (the playful red ships suspended from above, the array of kimono colors in city opera's butterfly! and the severe tableaux and matrix-esque trench coats on the cops in the met's production of tosca)...
my uncle thinks the opera is slowly dying as an art form, but i hopefully disagree. i've seen plenty of young 'uns at lincoln center, particularly at city opera, which has a decidedly edgier, more modern bent. sure, it's not for everyone: the music requires an attention span, and you can't exactly tap your foot to the beat throughout the show. but if you're at all intrigued by the genre, puccini is a good way to test the waters for yourself. while he didn't write three-minute pop ditties, good ole giacomo will find a way to get stuck in your head. you may even recognize a tune or two.
and truth be told, it's an excuse to get dolled up. there just aren't that many occasions for most of us to don our classiest evening wear; your vintage mink stole and floor length black velvet gown will look right at home here. nothing says "i heart NY" like sipping champagne on the balcony at intermission in your fanciest dress. for the price of approximately six trite blockbuster movies (and up), you can dabble in luxury, and listen to beautifully complex music that has stood the test of time. but for the love of b.f. pinkerton, don't forget to turn off your cell phone during the performance.
Friday, March 19, 2010
crocus pocus; or, some thoughts on civic duty.
tomorrow is the first day of spring! needless to say the high line was in bloom yesterday, full of people enjoying the rays. yellow, pink and purple crocuses have been making their tentative appearances this week, cautiously spreading out amongst the dry wild grasses that flank the long elevated park.
such a beautiful weekend almost makes me forget that i have grand jury duty two mornings a week from now until SEPTEMBER.
also on our collective national plate in the upcoming weeks are income tax returns, and [drum roll] the united states census of 2010. with the latter comes confusion about how to answer the two race/ethnicity questions. if you are of spanish or latin american descent, you may have to think about this one a little. one might even go so far as to ask, why should i even answer those questions? the census is supposed to be a head count, right...?
one thing is for sure though, don't let the lovely season distract you from actually filling out and sending in the bloody thing. if they don't count your head, your neighborhood won't get the money. it's all well and good to speculate and theorize and of course, to gripe, but the very idea of boycotting the census is just idiotic. just check the dang boxes and make sure you fold it right when you put it in the return envelope. they've even included the postage! that was big of them, no?
now then. get thee to the park!
such a beautiful weekend almost makes me forget that i have grand jury duty two mornings a week from now until SEPTEMBER.
also on our collective national plate in the upcoming weeks are income tax returns, and [drum roll] the united states census of 2010. with the latter comes confusion about how to answer the two race/ethnicity questions. if you are of spanish or latin american descent, you may have to think about this one a little. one might even go so far as to ask, why should i even answer those questions? the census is supposed to be a head count, right...?
one thing is for sure though, don't let the lovely season distract you from actually filling out and sending in the bloody thing. if they don't count your head, your neighborhood won't get the money. it's all well and good to speculate and theorize and of course, to gripe, but the very idea of boycotting the census is just idiotic. just check the dang boxes and make sure you fold it right when you put it in the return envelope. they've even included the postage! that was big of them, no?
now then. get thee to the park!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
i swear i'm not a NASCAR fan. really.
carl edwards has been placed on probation for three races after "intentionally wrecking" brad keselowski, whose vehicle flipped precariously and somehow miraculously landed right-side-up with no resulting explosions. i admit complete ignorance on the subject of car racing, but it looks to me like sheer luck that keselowski wasn't severely injured or killed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_4I12wwBIE
so edwards deliberately runs into another car, and he still gets to race and everything, he's just under a little extra scrutiny. for three measly races. for hitting another guy. on purpose.
one wonders, if this wasn't a so-called sport, would carl edwards be under arrest? i mean, this is a little more severe than one guy tripping another on a basketball court. where's the line between intentional wreck and attempted murder? or vehicular manslaughter? wait, i guess keselowski would have had to actually die for that one to be applicable, eh? right.
i could rant all day about skewed justice, but spring is tantalizing me with this beautiful sunny afternoon (not to mention the impending clock-changing ritual this weekend) so into the streets i go. i just have to remember not to piss off any "professional" drivers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_4I12wwBIE
so edwards deliberately runs into another car, and he still gets to race and everything, he's just under a little extra scrutiny. for three measly races. for hitting another guy. on purpose.
one wonders, if this wasn't a so-called sport, would carl edwards be under arrest? i mean, this is a little more severe than one guy tripping another on a basketball court. where's the line between intentional wreck and attempted murder? or vehicular manslaughter? wait, i guess keselowski would have had to actually die for that one to be applicable, eh? right.
i could rant all day about skewed justice, but spring is tantalizing me with this beautiful sunny afternoon (not to mention the impending clock-changing ritual this weekend) so into the streets i go. i just have to remember not to piss off any "professional" drivers.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
the highest line of sweet treats
...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.
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.
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.)
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