r left for an out-of-town job a couple of weeks ago. while i cherish my time alone, i miss r immensely. a friend, whose boyfriend left town for a few months to finish his degree, came over for brunch today. no one else would have listened to our anguish with the same sympathetic ears.
i made a tofu-based vegan frittata with swiss chard which turned out deliciously. i stole the recipe from a copy of isa chandra moskowitz's vegan brunch at borders. fruit and french-pressed coffee were served on the side. it felt really wonderful to cook for someone.
as a joke, we had planned to commiserate. in actuality, we ended up doing just so. my friend is quite a few years younger than me so their relationship is at a different stage than r and me. they had just started living together and have a good few years to be by themselves before their biological clocks start ticking. r and i are getting really close to settling down and starting to plan a family. in fact, we are in the midst of procuring a loan to purchase a condo in boerum hill, brooklyn. but we miss our respective men just the same.
after we ate and caught up, we met another friend of mine in central park. d and i had discovered crossing the line festival was happening today, and bento boxes made by some of our favorite chefs would be available. unfortunately, the weather was dreary with misting rain, and the distribution of bento boxes was terribly organized. the festival workers were made to wear these food trays, like the ones you'd see the popcorn guy wear at the baseball stands, and walk around the field to pass out the boxes. the notion of free food (or free anything), however, unleashed everyone's primal instinct. people savagely rushed to the workers and extended their hands like the beggars they would normally abhor and shirk from. my friends and i stood in our little huddle, merely hoping the workers would find us as the only civilized human beings left in the crowd and award us with the precious bento box. but as soon as one of them was just steps from reaching us, the other people would immediately surround the poor worker. we ended up with no bento box to taste but managed to enjoy a piece of chocolate (too sweet for my taste although understandably delectable), and as the crowd dispersed, we saw the bento box in all its glory on one of the tables, on display for photographers.
satisfied with a glimpse of what we had missed, we parted ways. i walked downtown along the eastern edge of the park and passed one art museum after another that reminded me of r. first, it was the cooper hewitt where we had our second date, and after the museum that day, we had our first kiss. then, it was the guggenheim where we went over the summer for the 50th anniversary celebratory exhibition of frank lloyd wright's achievements, from within outward, on a pay-as-you-wish afternoon. it had been my first visit to that museum. lastly, i passed the met. we were heading for it, by cutting through central park, on the day r proposed to me. i kept ducking under my umbrella to hide my face as it kept reaching the brink of bursting into tears. i cut across the park at 72nd street and popped into whole foods in the time warner building for a bit of distraction before ending up at home, alone.
i'm a good loner. i enjoy having time to myself. it doesn't take much to keep me away from boredom and nonsense. but ever since r, being alone gets harder and harder each time he takes an out-of-town job. it's not that i need to be around people now. i just need him in my presence. i haven't been sleeping well because of him. it feels strange to sleep in a bed meant for two when only one side is occupied. but he has booked his flight to return to new york for a weekend at the end of this month, which is just a couple of weeks away. i can't wait.
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
last days in nola
i returned to new york a couple of days ago with some pretty delicious last meals from new orleans. we made it to dick and jenny's and were presented with a new spring 2009 menu. it was a great menu, but we felt a little sore that we had missed their previous menu just days before. to think that we could've tried their winter 2008 AND spring 2009 menus! but we sucked it up and ordered their louisiana seafood pie, grilled beef tenderloin, bronzed flounder, and key lime pie. i'm just realizing we started and ended the meal with pies! it guaranteed us a great meal, which it was. all our plates were pretty much cleaned up even though i know you're supposed to leave a bite of food to be polite. but we could not waste even a morsel of food that's so delicious.
it turned out that r had to work the last saturday i was in town. we went to elizabeth's, a local joint, for breakfast. their specialty is poached eggs, which is my favorite. i had it with fried green tomatoes and hash browns. r had the carolina shrimp and grits. one of my eggs were poached hard and the other one soft, which i found a little odd, but the overall meal was good. r's food was really good; the broth in the shrimp and grits made the dish.
later that evening, we ended up forgoing jacque-imo's to join r's work friends to see the watchmen. we were all uncertain what to think of the movie at the end of the viewing. i'd only gotten into about a quarter of the novel a couple of years ago when i had to leave town for a job (actually the job on which i met r) and suspect that the story might be a tough one to translate well on-screen because it's so unconventional. there isn't one character to follow, and the story is so hypothetical, almost as if as a movie, the story became too real to digest whereas it's easier to accept as a graphic novel. we thought the design elements (sets, costumes) were very intriguing though, framed around a world in which nixon was still president in the 80s.
the next morning, r took me to the airport. i came back to new york and started missing r again.
it turned out that r had to work the last saturday i was in town. we went to elizabeth's, a local joint, for breakfast. their specialty is poached eggs, which is my favorite. i had it with fried green tomatoes and hash browns. r had the carolina shrimp and grits. one of my eggs were poached hard and the other one soft, which i found a little odd, but the overall meal was good. r's food was really good; the broth in the shrimp and grits made the dish.
later that evening, we ended up forgoing jacque-imo's to join r's work friends to see the watchmen. we were all uncertain what to think of the movie at the end of the viewing. i'd only gotten into about a quarter of the novel a couple of years ago when i had to leave town for a job (actually the job on which i met r) and suspect that the story might be a tough one to translate well on-screen because it's so unconventional. there isn't one character to follow, and the story is so hypothetical, almost as if as a movie, the story became too real to digest whereas it's easier to accept as a graphic novel. we thought the design elements (sets, costumes) were very intriguing though, framed around a world in which nixon was still president in the 80s.
the next morning, r took me to the airport. i came back to new york and started missing r again.
Thursday, March 05, 2009
new orleans again
r started a job in new orleans last week, and i've been here since last friday just to keep him company and make the transition easier for him. he's gotten at least one job per year in nola since 2004. it's pretty ridiculous considering he's based out of new york.
since i've arrived, it's been a series of deja vu. luckily, i had just missed mardi gras. it's not so much fun when you can't drink so you actually notice all the vomiting that occurs around you. also, strings of beads being pelted at your head is scary. but the company that hired r this time placed him in the same hotel as the last company who hired him. in fact, we think he had been placed in the same room last year.
r had been looking for a place to move to so that he wouldn't have to spend all three months of his stay in nola in a hotel. last night, he signed the lease and received the key to a loft apartment just blocks away. so we decided to go ahead and make the move. the act of moving out of the hotel was also oddly familiar since we had done the same thing last year, after having stayed at that hotel, possibly that same room, for a while. but this apartment is one that r hasn't stayed at before although the color scheme and style of furniture resembles that of one of the apartments we lived in last year.
while r is at work during the day, i've been roaming around the area a bit. everything is still pretty much the same as last year although the city feels more deserted this time. maybe i'm not remembering well, but i thought there had been more pedestrians in the french quarters, more tourists. i've heard there's been a spike in crime (a serial rapist who targeted tulane female students was caught not long ago) so i've been more cautious in my current ventures. (to be fair, however, there's been a spike in crime in new york as well. but on second thought, new york does not have a feeling of desolation in the middle of the day.)
but the mission for this trip is to revisit all the delicious restaurants. our first stop was herbsaint where we had baked oysters and beef short rib on potato cake as our appetizers and moved onto their special of flouder with pickled turnips and greens and their duck leg confit with louisiana rice. the meal was superb.
the next day, a saturday, r had to work. total bummer. but we met for lunch near his office at juan's flying burrito. we shared chips and guacamole which tasted freshly prepared. then, he had the western chicken burrito, and i had the super green burrito with lots of delicious veggies.
later that evening, after going through our list, we hit cochon, which is owned and run by the same chef, donald link, as herbsaint. we really had to rein ourselves from over-ordering and settled on sharing the fried boudin, fried rabbit livers, paneed pork cheeks, their mahi-mahi special small plate, the ham hock entree with sweet potatoes, pickled greens, and black-eyed peas, and a side of lima beans. i actually prefer cochon over herbsaint because it seems to have a more casual atmosphere, and the food is more adventurous. the mahi-mahi special was probably the least impressive although still delicious. everything else had the perfect balance of meatiness, sweetness, and acidity. i love that this place makes use of all parts of the pig to their fullest ability, and their menu reflects that.
the next day, we started off with brunch at surrey's cafe and juice bar, which had become a weekly routine last year. i believe their orange-pineapple juice is a staple on their menu, but they had a special cactus juice that r tried. it was super refreshing, just slightly sweet. r went with one of their daily specials, a mexican frittata, and i chose the migas with chorizos. the food is just as fresh and delicious as i remembered it.
that evening, we finally got vietnamese food. with the except of three afternoons, r and i had vietnamese at kim anh's for lunch everyday. so i associated incredible vietnamese food with nola in that twisted way (as opposed to cajun cuisine). we went to tan dinh on the west bank and walked out satisfied, r with pho ga and i with korean bbq ribs bun in the tummy and leftover roasted pork in a flour roll.
early in the week, we walked a couple of blocks to lucy's for convenient yet delicious fish tacos. i felt a little guilty for getting them since grouper is one of the fish you should avoid, but i got over it quickly. there's a reason that the chinese rates grouper as one of the most edible worthy fish.
and last night, we finally made the trip to kim anh's for vietnamese egg rolls and combination pho with sliced beef, meatballs, and chicken. it gave us the strength and motivation to rush back to the hotel, pack, and move everything of ours to the loft apartment. kim anh's has possibly the best pho. the broth is so rich in flavor, and the quality of their food is consistent. i only wish they had a branch within walking distance of the warehouse district so that i could repeat the daily feasting of their food this time around.
the places we have left on the list to taste are dick and jenny's and jacques-imo's. of course, if we have the time, i'll take mona's cafe and lebanon's cafe for some great hummus and falafels. the gastronomic adventures of nola is to be continued.
since i've arrived, it's been a series of deja vu. luckily, i had just missed mardi gras. it's not so much fun when you can't drink so you actually notice all the vomiting that occurs around you. also, strings of beads being pelted at your head is scary. but the company that hired r this time placed him in the same hotel as the last company who hired him. in fact, we think he had been placed in the same room last year.
r had been looking for a place to move to so that he wouldn't have to spend all three months of his stay in nola in a hotel. last night, he signed the lease and received the key to a loft apartment just blocks away. so we decided to go ahead and make the move. the act of moving out of the hotel was also oddly familiar since we had done the same thing last year, after having stayed at that hotel, possibly that same room, for a while. but this apartment is one that r hasn't stayed at before although the color scheme and style of furniture resembles that of one of the apartments we lived in last year.
while r is at work during the day, i've been roaming around the area a bit. everything is still pretty much the same as last year although the city feels more deserted this time. maybe i'm not remembering well, but i thought there had been more pedestrians in the french quarters, more tourists. i've heard there's been a spike in crime (a serial rapist who targeted tulane female students was caught not long ago) so i've been more cautious in my current ventures. (to be fair, however, there's been a spike in crime in new york as well. but on second thought, new york does not have a feeling of desolation in the middle of the day.)
but the mission for this trip is to revisit all the delicious restaurants. our first stop was herbsaint where we had baked oysters and beef short rib on potato cake as our appetizers and moved onto their special of flouder with pickled turnips and greens and their duck leg confit with louisiana rice. the meal was superb.
the next day, a saturday, r had to work. total bummer. but we met for lunch near his office at juan's flying burrito. we shared chips and guacamole which tasted freshly prepared. then, he had the western chicken burrito, and i had the super green burrito with lots of delicious veggies.
later that evening, after going through our list, we hit cochon, which is owned and run by the same chef, donald link, as herbsaint. we really had to rein ourselves from over-ordering and settled on sharing the fried boudin, fried rabbit livers, paneed pork cheeks, their mahi-mahi special small plate, the ham hock entree with sweet potatoes, pickled greens, and black-eyed peas, and a side of lima beans. i actually prefer cochon over herbsaint because it seems to have a more casual atmosphere, and the food is more adventurous. the mahi-mahi special was probably the least impressive although still delicious. everything else had the perfect balance of meatiness, sweetness, and acidity. i love that this place makes use of all parts of the pig to their fullest ability, and their menu reflects that.
the next day, we started off with brunch at surrey's cafe and juice bar, which had become a weekly routine last year. i believe their orange-pineapple juice is a staple on their menu, but they had a special cactus juice that r tried. it was super refreshing, just slightly sweet. r went with one of their daily specials, a mexican frittata, and i chose the migas with chorizos. the food is just as fresh and delicious as i remembered it.
that evening, we finally got vietnamese food. with the except of three afternoons, r and i had vietnamese at kim anh's for lunch everyday. so i associated incredible vietnamese food with nola in that twisted way (as opposed to cajun cuisine). we went to tan dinh on the west bank and walked out satisfied, r with pho ga and i with korean bbq ribs bun in the tummy and leftover roasted pork in a flour roll.
early in the week, we walked a couple of blocks to lucy's for convenient yet delicious fish tacos. i felt a little guilty for getting them since grouper is one of the fish you should avoid, but i got over it quickly. there's a reason that the chinese rates grouper as one of the most edible worthy fish.
and last night, we finally made the trip to kim anh's for vietnamese egg rolls and combination pho with sliced beef, meatballs, and chicken. it gave us the strength and motivation to rush back to the hotel, pack, and move everything of ours to the loft apartment. kim anh's has possibly the best pho. the broth is so rich in flavor, and the quality of their food is consistent. i only wish they had a branch within walking distance of the warehouse district so that i could repeat the daily feasting of their food this time around.
the places we have left on the list to taste are dick and jenny's and jacques-imo's. of course, if we have the time, i'll take mona's cafe and lebanon's cafe for some great hummus and falafels. the gastronomic adventures of nola is to be continued.
Sunday, February 01, 2009
gastronomic birthday
it's been a week-long birthday. actually two weeks long. as luck would have it, i landed a 4-day weekend, followed by a 3-day weekend, this month as my work week was slowly being shifted from a friday-tuesday schedule back to a monday-friday schedule.
WEEK 1
so last week, i took advantage of the 4-day weekend to visit b & d in philadelphia. i took the chinatown bus and arrived in philadelphia in the early afternoon. b & d live on the philadelphia antique row, antique store after antique store down their block. the whole neighborhood is very cute and nice. after setting down my bags, we headed out for some pho, a perfect dish on a cold winter day. r & i have yet to find good pho in new york; we are starting to believe vietnamese is one cuisine that new york does not offer a good restaurant of. we ate vietnamese everyday for lunch while we worked in new orleans last winter. it's good to know that philly pho is phantastic, being just a 2-hour bus ride away.
d had some work to finish up so b took me to the liberty bell and independence hall. it was quite a day to go: the day after obama's inauguration, having become citizens so recently, this 2008 election being the first election b & i ever voted in. it became unexpectedly emotional. we took a tour of the independence hall, and our guide was awesome. she told the stories of our founding fathers with great enthusiasm and knowledge. i took some pictures which i will post in a later entry.
that evening, we dined at a vegetarian chinese restaurant, none of us being strict vegetarians. but the food was surprising and delicious. we ordered seaweed pancakes, not knowing what to expect. what came out to our table were literally seaweed patties that have been lightly deep-fried. the natural chewy texture of seaweed made it fun to eat. then, we had spicy tofu and a dish of vegetables. the food tasted very clean but flavorful. i don't think we missed meat at all during that meal.
the next day, we started at morning glory diner. it's a cool little joint where coffee is served in stainless steel mugs. they specialize in frittatas which are served beautifully browned on the top, with a chunk of biscuit and a small cup of cooked apples, and i chose a side of grits. nothing fancy, just plain goodness.
then, d left b & me to do some random strolling around the city. we threw in some shopping although we didn't make any purchases. we stopped at a small cafe for some tea before heading back to b & d's apartment for pre-dinner nap. b & d took me to cochon as my early birthday dinner. they went for the tasting menu which included a cauliflower soup, skate on fennel salad, lamb, and crepe. i selected an arugula salad with beets, suckling pig with lentils and brussel sprouts, and shared a creme brulet. it was a decadent meal. we were glad for the walk home after our gluttonous pleasure-taking and then spent the rest of the evening in delirium.
then, friday was the day i headed back to new york. but before leaving, we ate breakfast at sabrina's cafe. the entrees were a little fancier than morning glory diner's and were tasty. but i prefer simpler fare for my first meal. at least, the service was great. we actually had stopped in fitzwater cafe where we stood just inside the front door for about 5 minutes, watching the hostess chit-chat with a table, not once acknowledging our presence. we went to the spices, coffee, and tea shop in the italian market area and grabbed a couple of $1 bags of teas. then, we went back to b & d's apartment for my bag and headed for the bus. as much as i missed r, it was a wonderful break from new york city. also, i've missed b & d terribly and was glad to be able to see and spend time with them.
WEEK 2
chinese new year arrived the following week, and my birthday according to the chinese calendar is the 3rd day of the new year. unwittingly, my co-workers planned a cupcake surprise for that day. i don't like making a deal of birthdays, maybe because i didn't grow up with birthday parties. birthdays were always a more intimate affair shared with just family. so i had warned my co-workers to not do anything. also, i'm not a big fan of sweets. but i unintentionally discovered an email in the general work email account about cupcakes. i blew their cover and thought they would ditch the plan. wednesday was a very snowy day anyway. but they went ahead and surprised me with vegan cupcakes, knowing that i'm lactose intolerant, and everyone on the project singing happy birthday. candles and all. i started scraping off the icing, because it was too sweet, and everyone started yelling that the cupcakes were vegan. i had to reassure them that i was aware but just found the icing too sweet. i definitely appreciated the thought and effort behind it though.
friday was my birthday according to the gregorian calendar (normal calendar). my 3-day weekend started on this day. i slept in, leaving r to his own defenses for breakfast and coffee. taking my time to get the day started, i finally left the apartment at around 2p, for a bit of shopping. i traveled a little uptown to look for a specialty store in search of a gift for someone. i wasn't sure what i'd find, but two items jumped out at me instantly as the perfect gifts. i was very glad to accomplish the mission so quickly and effortlessly.
i continued my shopping spree to origins where i received a birthday discount and bought one item for basically half price. i hopped onto the bus that stopped on the block and got off when i spotted a body shop. i also received a birthday discount there and bought one item for basically half price as well. just a few stores away was a barneys coop. i've had a store credit on a barneys card for years, from my first film job in los angeles. so i decided to stop in, just to see if i could use the card that day. i found a pair of jeans in an unusual shade of dark blue, and they happened to fit. i will need to shorten them a little, but that is nothing unusual. they were originally priced at $178, on sale for $59. i thought i had about $45 on the card so i figured i'd pay $15 for a pair of nice jeans. when i got to the register, the sales representative told me i had almost $100 on the card. so not only did i walk out with a free pair of jeans but also still more credit to spend. i was in such disbelief at my luck that i had to call b immediately; i was on a shopping high. then, i went to soho to look for a specific shirt by uniqlo. they didn't have exactly what i wanted but something close. and it was on sale for $6, normally for $16. so i bought it. then, i made my way into chinatown and headed home.
that night, r took me to craft for dinner. we had a late reservation, for 9p. r got us a cab to the restaurant, a luxury for me. we arrived about a half hour early and waited at the bar. we were admiring the decor, which was very simple but luxurious and well thought out, and people watching, a lot of the new york rich. but although it was obvious the restaurant usually catered only the super wealthy, they were still wonderfully nice and friendly to us. the staff exuded a sense of warmth that was very welcoming, smiles that seemed genuine to have you there for dinner.
we were quickly seated at a table pretty much in the center of the dining room. the table felt a little big; r seemed far away. but the size of the table made sense once our food arrived. to start off, we were presented with an amuse bouche: spoon bread topped with virginia ham served in a metal spoon with the handle beautifully curved into a delicate oval to stabilize it. the bite was full of flavors that played with each other in your mouth.
we ordered quail and a beets and tarragon salad as our first courses. r picked the salad, and i picked the quail because r had never had quail before. the beets salad was wonderful, lightly mixed in a mysterious vinaigrette that was heavenly. it turned out to be well balanced with the quail, which was served deboned except for the shin, allowing you to pick it up delicately. it was lightly seasoned and moist, perfectly cooked, allowing the natural flavor of quail to do its justice. then, our main courses consisted of monkfish, my choice, and the flat iron of steak, r's choice, with sides of gnocchi (r), brussel sprouts (me), and trompet royale mushrooms (me). there wasn't any description on the menu so we were pleasantly surprised by what came out. the monkfish was wrapped in prosciutto and accompanied by a bit of cream sauce and another deeply flavored sauce. there was what i guessed to be either seaweed or odd mushrooms with it. the monkfish had a great meaty texture, and the prosciutto added a complimentary flavor to it. the steak was light and cooked perfectly, topped with beans and accompanied with a bone marrow. the gnocchi were served in a creamy sauce so i only tried a couple of them. they had a great density and flavorful sauce. the brussel sprouts were roasted with bits of bacon so they were wonderful. the trompet royale mushrooms were tasty and meaty. we, then, ended the meal with a meyer lemon tart with a mint syrup and hibiscus granita. the tartness was a perfect way to end the meal, considering we were stuffed and almost passed on dessert. the whole meal was divine.
we noticed how well run the restaurant was. one side of the restaurant was the wine cellar which hid the kitchen. we loved the mesh that held each bottle in the racks. the other side of the restaurant was a soft half-dome shaped by thick slabs covered with smooth leather, hiding the dish-washing. we loved the use of exposed bulbs with specially enlarged wires inside them. i didn't think of making a visit to the restroom just to check it out. but r went and informed me that real hand towels were provided, not paper towels, and then tossed into a basket. r only had one criticism about the decor: should use a planters box instead of vases.
to keep the decadence going, we took a cab back home.
the next day, we had brunch at benny's burritos in the east village, our favorite weekend brunch place because of their food and affordability. we tried to walk around the area and into soho, but the cold made it too difficult. so we went home. i took an afternoon nap. then, we went for korean dumplings in koreatown, at mandoo bar, continuing on the theme of deliciousness and affordability. b was right: the kimchee dumplings were awesome.
the whole birthday celebration is finally dwindling. i'm not excited about turning 30 nor am i devastated. birthdays are just markers for another year past. but this birthday has been great because of the people in my life. they are worth celebrating.
WEEK 1
so last week, i took advantage of the 4-day weekend to visit b & d in philadelphia. i took the chinatown bus and arrived in philadelphia in the early afternoon. b & d live on the philadelphia antique row, antique store after antique store down their block. the whole neighborhood is very cute and nice. after setting down my bags, we headed out for some pho, a perfect dish on a cold winter day. r & i have yet to find good pho in new york; we are starting to believe vietnamese is one cuisine that new york does not offer a good restaurant of. we ate vietnamese everyday for lunch while we worked in new orleans last winter. it's good to know that philly pho is phantastic, being just a 2-hour bus ride away.
d had some work to finish up so b took me to the liberty bell and independence hall. it was quite a day to go: the day after obama's inauguration, having become citizens so recently, this 2008 election being the first election b & i ever voted in. it became unexpectedly emotional. we took a tour of the independence hall, and our guide was awesome. she told the stories of our founding fathers with great enthusiasm and knowledge. i took some pictures which i will post in a later entry.
that evening, we dined at a vegetarian chinese restaurant, none of us being strict vegetarians. but the food was surprising and delicious. we ordered seaweed pancakes, not knowing what to expect. what came out to our table were literally seaweed patties that have been lightly deep-fried. the natural chewy texture of seaweed made it fun to eat. then, we had spicy tofu and a dish of vegetables. the food tasted very clean but flavorful. i don't think we missed meat at all during that meal.
the next day, we started at morning glory diner. it's a cool little joint where coffee is served in stainless steel mugs. they specialize in frittatas which are served beautifully browned on the top, with a chunk of biscuit and a small cup of cooked apples, and i chose a side of grits. nothing fancy, just plain goodness.
then, d left b & me to do some random strolling around the city. we threw in some shopping although we didn't make any purchases. we stopped at a small cafe for some tea before heading back to b & d's apartment for pre-dinner nap. b & d took me to cochon as my early birthday dinner. they went for the tasting menu which included a cauliflower soup, skate on fennel salad, lamb, and crepe. i selected an arugula salad with beets, suckling pig with lentils and brussel sprouts, and shared a creme brulet. it was a decadent meal. we were glad for the walk home after our gluttonous pleasure-taking and then spent the rest of the evening in delirium.
then, friday was the day i headed back to new york. but before leaving, we ate breakfast at sabrina's cafe. the entrees were a little fancier than morning glory diner's and were tasty. but i prefer simpler fare for my first meal. at least, the service was great. we actually had stopped in fitzwater cafe where we stood just inside the front door for about 5 minutes, watching the hostess chit-chat with a table, not once acknowledging our presence. we went to the spices, coffee, and tea shop in the italian market area and grabbed a couple of $1 bags of teas. then, we went back to b & d's apartment for my bag and headed for the bus. as much as i missed r, it was a wonderful break from new york city. also, i've missed b & d terribly and was glad to be able to see and spend time with them.
WEEK 2
chinese new year arrived the following week, and my birthday according to the chinese calendar is the 3rd day of the new year. unwittingly, my co-workers planned a cupcake surprise for that day. i don't like making a deal of birthdays, maybe because i didn't grow up with birthday parties. birthdays were always a more intimate affair shared with just family. so i had warned my co-workers to not do anything. also, i'm not a big fan of sweets. but i unintentionally discovered an email in the general work email account about cupcakes. i blew their cover and thought they would ditch the plan. wednesday was a very snowy day anyway. but they went ahead and surprised me with vegan cupcakes, knowing that i'm lactose intolerant, and everyone on the project singing happy birthday. candles and all. i started scraping off the icing, because it was too sweet, and everyone started yelling that the cupcakes were vegan. i had to reassure them that i was aware but just found the icing too sweet. i definitely appreciated the thought and effort behind it though.
friday was my birthday according to the gregorian calendar (normal calendar). my 3-day weekend started on this day. i slept in, leaving r to his own defenses for breakfast and coffee. taking my time to get the day started, i finally left the apartment at around 2p, for a bit of shopping. i traveled a little uptown to look for a specialty store in search of a gift for someone. i wasn't sure what i'd find, but two items jumped out at me instantly as the perfect gifts. i was very glad to accomplish the mission so quickly and effortlessly.
i continued my shopping spree to origins where i received a birthday discount and bought one item for basically half price. i hopped onto the bus that stopped on the block and got off when i spotted a body shop. i also received a birthday discount there and bought one item for basically half price as well. just a few stores away was a barneys coop. i've had a store credit on a barneys card for years, from my first film job in los angeles. so i decided to stop in, just to see if i could use the card that day. i found a pair of jeans in an unusual shade of dark blue, and they happened to fit. i will need to shorten them a little, but that is nothing unusual. they were originally priced at $178, on sale for $59. i thought i had about $45 on the card so i figured i'd pay $15 for a pair of nice jeans. when i got to the register, the sales representative told me i had almost $100 on the card. so not only did i walk out with a free pair of jeans but also still more credit to spend. i was in such disbelief at my luck that i had to call b immediately; i was on a shopping high. then, i went to soho to look for a specific shirt by uniqlo. they didn't have exactly what i wanted but something close. and it was on sale for $6, normally for $16. so i bought it. then, i made my way into chinatown and headed home.
that night, r took me to craft for dinner. we had a late reservation, for 9p. r got us a cab to the restaurant, a luxury for me. we arrived about a half hour early and waited at the bar. we were admiring the decor, which was very simple but luxurious and well thought out, and people watching, a lot of the new york rich. but although it was obvious the restaurant usually catered only the super wealthy, they were still wonderfully nice and friendly to us. the staff exuded a sense of warmth that was very welcoming, smiles that seemed genuine to have you there for dinner.
we were quickly seated at a table pretty much in the center of the dining room. the table felt a little big; r seemed far away. but the size of the table made sense once our food arrived. to start off, we were presented with an amuse bouche: spoon bread topped with virginia ham served in a metal spoon with the handle beautifully curved into a delicate oval to stabilize it. the bite was full of flavors that played with each other in your mouth.
we ordered quail and a beets and tarragon salad as our first courses. r picked the salad, and i picked the quail because r had never had quail before. the beets salad was wonderful, lightly mixed in a mysterious vinaigrette that was heavenly. it turned out to be well balanced with the quail, which was served deboned except for the shin, allowing you to pick it up delicately. it was lightly seasoned and moist, perfectly cooked, allowing the natural flavor of quail to do its justice. then, our main courses consisted of monkfish, my choice, and the flat iron of steak, r's choice, with sides of gnocchi (r), brussel sprouts (me), and trompet royale mushrooms (me). there wasn't any description on the menu so we were pleasantly surprised by what came out. the monkfish was wrapped in prosciutto and accompanied by a bit of cream sauce and another deeply flavored sauce. there was what i guessed to be either seaweed or odd mushrooms with it. the monkfish had a great meaty texture, and the prosciutto added a complimentary flavor to it. the steak was light and cooked perfectly, topped with beans and accompanied with a bone marrow. the gnocchi were served in a creamy sauce so i only tried a couple of them. they had a great density and flavorful sauce. the brussel sprouts were roasted with bits of bacon so they were wonderful. the trompet royale mushrooms were tasty and meaty. we, then, ended the meal with a meyer lemon tart with a mint syrup and hibiscus granita. the tartness was a perfect way to end the meal, considering we were stuffed and almost passed on dessert. the whole meal was divine.
we noticed how well run the restaurant was. one side of the restaurant was the wine cellar which hid the kitchen. we loved the mesh that held each bottle in the racks. the other side of the restaurant was a soft half-dome shaped by thick slabs covered with smooth leather, hiding the dish-washing. we loved the use of exposed bulbs with specially enlarged wires inside them. i didn't think of making a visit to the restroom just to check it out. but r went and informed me that real hand towels were provided, not paper towels, and then tossed into a basket. r only had one criticism about the decor: should use a planters box instead of vases.
to keep the decadence going, we took a cab back home.
the next day, we had brunch at benny's burritos in the east village, our favorite weekend brunch place because of their food and affordability. we tried to walk around the area and into soho, but the cold made it too difficult. so we went home. i took an afternoon nap. then, we went for korean dumplings in koreatown, at mandoo bar, continuing on the theme of deliciousness and affordability. b was right: the kimchee dumplings were awesome.
the whole birthday celebration is finally dwindling. i'm not excited about turning 30 nor am i devastated. birthdays are just markers for another year past. but this birthday has been great because of the people in my life. they are worth celebrating.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
a day off
it's veteran's day, a holiday we weren't expecting to have off work. therefore, we've made no plans. our one true day off. we survived october.
r's grandfather made it through his heart complications. we've made plans to visit him and the rest of r's family in florida for thanksgiving. the apartment is starting to look more put together as we've unpacked bit by bit.
we didn't do anything for halloween. it was b's last weekend with us, having been gracious enough to come down to nyc from philadelphia, leaving behind her new hubby for a month, to help out on my current project. amazingly, we survived the month with her staying with us. we had a couple of fights, but being sisters, we just got over them. r felt a little anxious about them. i think he never really fought with his brother because they're more apart in age than b and me, and therefore, didn't really understand that we would just get over fights.
r's mom came to visit the day b left. we introduced her to ikea. we wanted to go for a small couch that we believe would actually fit through the door, unlike the bigger version where the movers were stuck in the hallway and ended up taking it back to the warehouse. the new couch now rests perfectly in our living room. r's mom had been trying to think of a way to redecorate one of the rooms in her house. she wanted to turn it into a craft room and was struck with tons of ideas during her visit at ikea. luckily, there's a branch in orlando, fl so she would be able to implement them when she returned home.
the next day, we took the train with her to r's brother's house. r's brother took us apple picking, my first time. picking an apple off a tree and biting into it immediately is one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. something so simple but felt so wondrous. it happened that my favorite kind of apples, fujis, were one of the two varieties left to pick for the season. they were so delicious. we brought home about ten pounds of it. i think there are still a couple of them left.
then, election day was quite a day. i had registered to vote, handing in my registration card in person to the board of elections, but never got anything in the mail to confirm that i would be able to vote. i got a little worried since this was my first time doing through this process, having become a citizen recently. after getting instructions from someone at the board of elections, my day went something like this:
i stood in line, thankfully a short line, at my polling site in midtown to acquire a certificate to obtain a court order. the woman who helped me was so kind and proud that i had become a citizen recently and made the effort to vote. i took the certificate downtown, to the board of elections, and plead before one of the judges standing by to grant me permission to vote. it was my first time sitting before a judge on a one-to-one basis. she gave me a written notice that allowed me to vote on an affidavit ballot and instructed me to re-register so this wouldn't happen again. when i turned in my second registration card, the woman behind the desk told me that i was supposed to have been given an absentee ballot. i wished it had been the case, but the information was too late. i took the notice from the judge back up to the polling site in midtown and stood in line again. the woman who had been helping earlier that morning was still there. so she set me up to do my affidavit ballot, and when i turned in my ballot to her, she and her co-worker applauded, for turning in my first ballot and for the effort i made that morning. i think she was more excited that i was. i just hope the next time will be much easier.
also, a friend of mine from tennessee just started on a job in the city. her employers set her up at a hotel only a few blocks away from r and me. i'm glad that she's staying at a place so close to ours so that it'll be easy to see each other. she was working on the same project that r and i met so seeing her has made me realize how far r and i have come.
i'm just glad that things have slowed down a bit. work has gotten more hectic, but it's nice that everything else has slowed down. r and i had a couple of tough moments, but it's kind of nice to know that we can be grumpy and not agreeable all the time to each other and still be okay. i'm going back to doing nothing now and will post my naturalization oath experience next time.
r's grandfather made it through his heart complications. we've made plans to visit him and the rest of r's family in florida for thanksgiving. the apartment is starting to look more put together as we've unpacked bit by bit.
we didn't do anything for halloween. it was b's last weekend with us, having been gracious enough to come down to nyc from philadelphia, leaving behind her new hubby for a month, to help out on my current project. amazingly, we survived the month with her staying with us. we had a couple of fights, but being sisters, we just got over them. r felt a little anxious about them. i think he never really fought with his brother because they're more apart in age than b and me, and therefore, didn't really understand that we would just get over fights.
r's mom came to visit the day b left. we introduced her to ikea. we wanted to go for a small couch that we believe would actually fit through the door, unlike the bigger version where the movers were stuck in the hallway and ended up taking it back to the warehouse. the new couch now rests perfectly in our living room. r's mom had been trying to think of a way to redecorate one of the rooms in her house. she wanted to turn it into a craft room and was struck with tons of ideas during her visit at ikea. luckily, there's a branch in orlando, fl so she would be able to implement them when she returned home.
the next day, we took the train with her to r's brother's house. r's brother took us apple picking, my first time. picking an apple off a tree and biting into it immediately is one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. something so simple but felt so wondrous. it happened that my favorite kind of apples, fujis, were one of the two varieties left to pick for the season. they were so delicious. we brought home about ten pounds of it. i think there are still a couple of them left.
then, election day was quite a day. i had registered to vote, handing in my registration card in person to the board of elections, but never got anything in the mail to confirm that i would be able to vote. i got a little worried since this was my first time doing through this process, having become a citizen recently. after getting instructions from someone at the board of elections, my day went something like this:
i stood in line, thankfully a short line, at my polling site in midtown to acquire a certificate to obtain a court order. the woman who helped me was so kind and proud that i had become a citizen recently and made the effort to vote. i took the certificate downtown, to the board of elections, and plead before one of the judges standing by to grant me permission to vote. it was my first time sitting before a judge on a one-to-one basis. she gave me a written notice that allowed me to vote on an affidavit ballot and instructed me to re-register so this wouldn't happen again. when i turned in my second registration card, the woman behind the desk told me that i was supposed to have been given an absentee ballot. i wished it had been the case, but the information was too late. i took the notice from the judge back up to the polling site in midtown and stood in line again. the woman who had been helping earlier that morning was still there. so she set me up to do my affidavit ballot, and when i turned in my ballot to her, she and her co-worker applauded, for turning in my first ballot and for the effort i made that morning. i think she was more excited that i was. i just hope the next time will be much easier.
also, a friend of mine from tennessee just started on a job in the city. her employers set her up at a hotel only a few blocks away from r and me. i'm glad that she's staying at a place so close to ours so that it'll be easy to see each other. she was working on the same project that r and i met so seeing her has made me realize how far r and i have come.
i'm just glad that things have slowed down a bit. work has gotten more hectic, but it's nice that everything else has slowed down. r and i had a couple of tough moments, but it's kind of nice to know that we can be grumpy and not agreeable all the time to each other and still be okay. i'm going back to doing nothing now and will post my naturalization oath experience next time.
Monday, August 18, 2008
music & musings
this past sunday was the last day of central park summerstage, a series of free concerts held in the park. it was our third time there, and they closed it out with the best show: sharon jones and the dap-kings. it's soul/funk music. sharon jones has the most incredible voice, and the dap-kings are a super-tight band. they were great entertainers and had so much fun and energy that you couldn't help but get pulled right along with them.
(this was a blind shot of the stage. being short, i just held up the camera above the crowd and snapped a few.)
(this was from a blind shot as well but cropped.)
they're based out of brooklyn so it was perfect to have a local band end the series. also, they apparently had been on tour and were ecstatic to be back. this is one band where i don't think i can see them play enough.
so every time we've walk along the eastern edge of central park, i would notice this sign:
did no one realize how disturbing this would come across? it makes me think "mystery meat" whenever i see it. one time, i even saw a yellow school bus parked near the building just past the sign. i was a little horrified for the children.
yesterday morning, i went jogging around the neighborhood and saw a dairy truck delivering products to a store. it had "hygrade milk" as part of the artwork on the side of the truck. i can't recall the brand although i'm sure it wasn't one of the major national brands, but i guess it's a good thing i don't drink milk. would you trust milk that comes from a place that had "hygrade milk" as part of its advertisement? it was one of those moments where i had to kick myself in the ass for not having a camera on me.
(this was a blind shot of the stage. being short, i just held up the camera above the crowd and snapped a few.)
(this was from a blind shot as well but cropped.)
they're based out of brooklyn so it was perfect to have a local band end the series. also, they apparently had been on tour and were ecstatic to be back. this is one band where i don't think i can see them play enough.
so every time we've walk along the eastern edge of central park, i would notice this sign:
did no one realize how disturbing this would come across? it makes me think "mystery meat" whenever i see it. one time, i even saw a yellow school bus parked near the building just past the sign. i was a little horrified for the children.
yesterday morning, i went jogging around the neighborhood and saw a dairy truck delivering products to a store. it had "hygrade milk" as part of the artwork on the side of the truck. i can't recall the brand although i'm sure it wasn't one of the major national brands, but i guess it's a good thing i don't drink milk. would you trust milk that comes from a place that had "hygrade milk" as part of its advertisement? it was one of those moments where i had to kick myself in the ass for not having a camera on me.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
baltimore
r and i visited friends in baltimore this past weekend. since r didn't get to see much of the city the last time he was there (only a day trip), we aimed for mostly touristy things. e & c, being gracious hosts, took us all over the city. as we drove around, they shared interesting facts like the history of certain buildings, places where john waters lives and hangs out, the bar where the charm city cakes staff gets their drink on, etc.
we spent saturday at the american visionary art museum and the orioles game against the red sox. we got to see manny ramirez hit his 500th homerun, which was pretty exciting, even for us who don't follow baseball.
on sunday, we visited the baltimore museum of art and caught their comprehensive photography exhibition, looking through the lens. it made me fall in love with photography all over again. we stopped by poe's grave and then ended the day at fort mchenry, making it there just in time to see the flag change.
e & c took us to cool places for food: delicious sopapillas at golden west cafe, brunches at miss shirley's and rocket to venus, yummy italian pastries at vaccaro's, comforting afghan food at the helmand, and arguably the best hotcakes at pete's grille.
r really liked the city and got to see a very different side of it than the one portrayed in the wire. the only down side to the trip was the traveling itself, the traffic and the truck running on its last leg. we will probably plan another trip there in the near future, but we will be taking either the bus or train next time. nothing will keep us from traveling!
we spent saturday at the american visionary art museum and the orioles game against the red sox. we got to see manny ramirez hit his 500th homerun, which was pretty exciting, even for us who don't follow baseball.
on sunday, we visited the baltimore museum of art and caught their comprehensive photography exhibition, looking through the lens. it made me fall in love with photography all over again. we stopped by poe's grave and then ended the day at fort mchenry, making it there just in time to see the flag change.
e & c took us to cool places for food: delicious sopapillas at golden west cafe, brunches at miss shirley's and rocket to venus, yummy italian pastries at vaccaro's, comforting afghan food at the helmand, and arguably the best hotcakes at pete's grille.
r really liked the city and got to see a very different side of it than the one portrayed in the wire. the only down side to the trip was the traveling itself, the traffic and the truck running on its last leg. we will probably plan another trip there in the near future, but we will be taking either the bus or train next time. nothing will keep us from traveling!
Monday, May 12, 2008
a miraculous restroom visit
last night, we went to dinner at ippudo, a fairly new japanese noodle place that's the rave-of-the-moment. i admit, it was delicious. the broth was heavy in flavor, and the ramen was of a good texture. we didn't get the umph or blow to the face we felt the first time we tried ramen setagaya, however, which has become one of our favorite spots. (we're actually going there tonight, for their monday special of ramen and gyoza for $12. it's pretty affordable by ny standards.)
the most impressive thing about the place though really had nothing to do with the restaurant itself, i guess. maybe it had more to do with the situation? i don't know. on our way out, we stopped by the restroom. as i landed on the basement level where we were directed, i saw a line for the men's room. r was the last in line with 2 guys ahead of him. instinctively, i looked for a line for the women's room and was confused when i didn't see one. i thought, maybe this is a unisex restroom with a single stall. but then, i noticed the picture on the door where the guys were waiting. it depicted the head of a man. so i walked past the guys to find another door with a picture depicting a woman's head. i gasped: there was a separate women's restroom! and there was a line to the men's room but not one for the women's room! how often does that happen at a typical public place?
i turned the knob, expecting it to be locked. to my surprise, though, it opened with ease. i was simply in disbelief and couldn't help but feel giddy as i stepped in, flashing the guys, still in line, a grin before i shut the door.
the most impressive thing about the place though really had nothing to do with the restaurant itself, i guess. maybe it had more to do with the situation? i don't know. on our way out, we stopped by the restroom. as i landed on the basement level where we were directed, i saw a line for the men's room. r was the last in line with 2 guys ahead of him. instinctively, i looked for a line for the women's room and was confused when i didn't see one. i thought, maybe this is a unisex restroom with a single stall. but then, i noticed the picture on the door where the guys were waiting. it depicted the head of a man. so i walked past the guys to find another door with a picture depicting a woman's head. i gasped: there was a separate women's restroom! and there was a line to the men's room but not one for the women's room! how often does that happen at a typical public place?
i turned the knob, expecting it to be locked. to my surprise, though, it opened with ease. i was simply in disbelief and couldn't help but feel giddy as i stepped in, flashing the guys, still in line, a grin before i shut the door.
Friday, May 09, 2008
boston
r and i visited boston last weekend. it was sort of a weird visit because we stayed with his friend who lives about an hour outside of the city so we weren't actually in boston. but we actually hit boston itself first on friday, to kill time waiting for his friend to arrive at his home. we went straight to the institute of contemporary art. they were in between major exhibitions so we ended up paying full admission to see just half of the museum. what they had was cool, but we felt a little gypped.
afterwards, we headed to the barking crab restaurant for a late lunch. it was within walking distance from the museum, and boston is a seafood city. we were totally disappointed, however. again, we felt gypped having ordered the crab cake appetizer. it was $12 for 3 tiny little medallions of mostly breading. we had excellent crabcakes not long ago at jacques imo's in new orleans where we could see large chunks of crab meat. then, our entrees came. i don't mind the paper plates and the whole picnic feel to the restaurant even though they were certainly not charging picnic prices for their food. the food was not that impressive though, especially for what we were paying for. overall, i would recommend avoiding this place.
we headed to r's friend's house that evening. we just took it easy, after a long drive for r, and had dinner and saw iron man. the movie was good. nothing mind blowing, but it was fun.
the oddest thing i encountered was actually the pets. i know someone who has 4 cats which, to me, is quite a handful, having grown up pretty much without pets. but r's friend has a dozen animals: 6 dogs and 6-7 cats. it was a little overwhelming for me, but i love seeing r around dogs. he has a great fondness for them and loses all inhibitions to doggy-talk to them.
since r has never been to boston before, he wanted to some of the more touristy things. he's very interested in history and wanted to do the freedom trail. unfortunately, saturday was a dismal day, and his friend suggested that we visit the museum of fine arts instead, an indoors activity. we were totally fine since we love art. we hit this museum at a good time. i LOVED the british printmaking exhibition: rhythms of modern life, british prints 1914-1939. using simple lines and forms and no more than 3 colors at a time, the artists were able to convey so much. the pieces held so much energy.
r was absolutely inspired by the antonio lopez garcia exhibit. his work is so meticulous that, upon first seeing them, i thought they were photographs, when in fact, they were paintings. r is fascinated with space, being a set designer, and loved the way lopez garcia captured an empty apartment in his paintings. i could tell he was itching to start a painting of his own.
afterwards, r's friend took us to a bar, then dinner, and another bar where one of his friends is playing in a band. when we first arrived at the bar, we had walked into "nerd night." it was nerdy people giving power points to share their extensive knowledge. r's friend's friend started heckling the presenters. immediately, i thought to myself, r's friends were the people i and my friends were escaping when we chose to apply for ncssm. i couldn't take sides. luckily, the band finally started to perform.
the next day, r and i headed into boston on our own. i wanted to visit my friends, p & d, and meet their baby girl. n is so precious. they let me hold her for a little while. apparently, d was taking pictures of everyone and anyone who holds the baby. we caught for a bit and then they walked us to a shopping center where r and i grabbed some korean food for lunch. p & d took the baby back to the their house, and r and i decided to roam the city. we were finally on our own.
we left r's truck at p & d's house and walked to the T station nearby. r wanted to compare the T to NY's metro. we got off near charles street and walked to boston commons. luckily, the weather finally cleared up. it was cloudy but not wet. so we embarked on the freedom trail, going all the way into the italian district in the north end. r really wanted to see paul revere's house, which we did. unfortunately, it was already closed by the time we made it there. but we got some italian pastry before we headed back to get the truck. that afternoon was my favorite part of the trip.
r noticed that boston is so much cleaner than new york. i couldn't agree more. maybe we were just in the nicer parts of town, but i never thought to look for feces on the sidewalk as i ALWAYS do in new york. we definitely want to go back again, but we might do it a little differently this time, like staying IN boston and putting up with ONE baby instead of a DOZEN animals.
baltimore is next on my list of places to visit with r. it will probably have to wait until june. stay tuned.
afterwards, we headed to the barking crab restaurant for a late lunch. it was within walking distance from the museum, and boston is a seafood city. we were totally disappointed, however. again, we felt gypped having ordered the crab cake appetizer. it was $12 for 3 tiny little medallions of mostly breading. we had excellent crabcakes not long ago at jacques imo's in new orleans where we could see large chunks of crab meat. then, our entrees came. i don't mind the paper plates and the whole picnic feel to the restaurant even though they were certainly not charging picnic prices for their food. the food was not that impressive though, especially for what we were paying for. overall, i would recommend avoiding this place.
we headed to r's friend's house that evening. we just took it easy, after a long drive for r, and had dinner and saw iron man. the movie was good. nothing mind blowing, but it was fun.
the oddest thing i encountered was actually the pets. i know someone who has 4 cats which, to me, is quite a handful, having grown up pretty much without pets. but r's friend has a dozen animals: 6 dogs and 6-7 cats. it was a little overwhelming for me, but i love seeing r around dogs. he has a great fondness for them and loses all inhibitions to doggy-talk to them.
since r has never been to boston before, he wanted to some of the more touristy things. he's very interested in history and wanted to do the freedom trail. unfortunately, saturday was a dismal day, and his friend suggested that we visit the museum of fine arts instead, an indoors activity. we were totally fine since we love art. we hit this museum at a good time. i LOVED the british printmaking exhibition: rhythms of modern life, british prints 1914-1939. using simple lines and forms and no more than 3 colors at a time, the artists were able to convey so much. the pieces held so much energy.
r was absolutely inspired by the antonio lopez garcia exhibit. his work is so meticulous that, upon first seeing them, i thought they were photographs, when in fact, they were paintings. r is fascinated with space, being a set designer, and loved the way lopez garcia captured an empty apartment in his paintings. i could tell he was itching to start a painting of his own.
afterwards, r's friend took us to a bar, then dinner, and another bar where one of his friends is playing in a band. when we first arrived at the bar, we had walked into "nerd night." it was nerdy people giving power points to share their extensive knowledge. r's friend's friend started heckling the presenters. immediately, i thought to myself, r's friends were the people i and my friends were escaping when we chose to apply for ncssm. i couldn't take sides. luckily, the band finally started to perform.
the next day, r and i headed into boston on our own. i wanted to visit my friends, p & d, and meet their baby girl. n is so precious. they let me hold her for a little while. apparently, d was taking pictures of everyone and anyone who holds the baby. we caught for a bit and then they walked us to a shopping center where r and i grabbed some korean food for lunch. p & d took the baby back to the their house, and r and i decided to roam the city. we were finally on our own.
we left r's truck at p & d's house and walked to the T station nearby. r wanted to compare the T to NY's metro. we got off near charles street and walked to boston commons. luckily, the weather finally cleared up. it was cloudy but not wet. so we embarked on the freedom trail, going all the way into the italian district in the north end. r really wanted to see paul revere's house, which we did. unfortunately, it was already closed by the time we made it there. but we got some italian pastry before we headed back to get the truck. that afternoon was my favorite part of the trip.
r noticed that boston is so much cleaner than new york. i couldn't agree more. maybe we were just in the nicer parts of town, but i never thought to look for feces on the sidewalk as i ALWAYS do in new york. we definitely want to go back again, but we might do it a little differently this time, like staying IN boston and putting up with ONE baby instead of a DOZEN animals.
baltimore is next on my list of places to visit with r. it will probably have to wait until june. stay tuned.
Monday, April 28, 2008
back in nyc
whew. we made it back to nyc friday night, and it's so good to be back. we're not thrilled with the dreary weather yesterday and today, but at least saturday was pretty good to us. we had ethiopian for dinner last night at awash. it was a treat.
we just walked around the city a bit on saturday and stumbled upon a street fair. walking around is the thing i missed the most about new york. not necessarily people watching or feeling the energy of the city. it's just being able to walk around and maybe finding something of interest.
i have to admit, i do miss surrey's and blue bird cafe in nola. they were great breakfast places. we did benny's burritos for brunch on saturday, and it was really good. it's probably our newly found favorite breakfast place. cheap, easy, simple, delicious. we had dimsum for brunch yesterday. i need to make a trip to the bagel factory in south park slope, brooklyn by the week's end. i probably would put that at the top of my ny breakfast place.
two doves just landed on the branches in my view. i will take that as a welcome home.
we just walked around the city a bit on saturday and stumbled upon a street fair. walking around is the thing i missed the most about new york. not necessarily people watching or feeling the energy of the city. it's just being able to walk around and maybe finding something of interest.
i have to admit, i do miss surrey's and blue bird cafe in nola. they were great breakfast places. we did benny's burritos for brunch on saturday, and it was really good. it's probably our newly found favorite breakfast place. cheap, easy, simple, delicious. we had dimsum for brunch yesterday. i need to make a trip to the bagel factory in south park slope, brooklyn by the week's end. i probably would put that at the top of my ny breakfast place.
two doves just landed on the branches in my view. i will take that as a welcome home.
Monday, April 21, 2008
orlando, fl
r and i traveled to orlando this weekend for one of his friend's wedding. the only other time that i've been there was when i was little with disneyland as the destination. we didn't see much of anything other than what was on mickey's campus. this time, even though our time was consumed with the wedding and hanging out with r's friends, i saw a bit of the city.
orlando feels so clean. maybe that characteristic stands out especially because of having been in nola for the past few months, and the griminess is one of my biggest complaints here. i don't remember encountering any potholes in orlando whereas we'd come across 3 of them on average a day in nola. the amount of development, mostly strip malls with large plots of asphalt for parking lots, was a little sad and very scary. the amount of vegetation that has cleared since r's childhood was astounding to him. unfortunately, it's the way all new cities are headed with commerce as the target and any environmental concerns falling to the wayside.
before the wedding, we made a trip out to the edges of orlando to visit r's mom and grandparents. they are the nicest folks. he spent part of his youth on the ranch with lots of dogs and horses, unlike me having grown up in urban/suburban areas. his mom keeps 4 border collies, 3 horses, 2 birds, and a greenhouse. horses are such large creatures in person. i didn't know they grow a winter fur and then shed it when the season changes. it was so refreshing to be in the country, knowing the air i was breathing was clean, and to see so many shades of green instead of grey.
the wedding was nice, and we had fun, especially r. it was also a reunion for him and his high school buddies. i learned a few things about his past that i cherish and find adorable. his friends are great people. being boys, the groom requested a mosh pit at the end of the night to recapture their youth. it was weird seeing r in the pile of guys shoving each other around. and then, it was kind of pathetic that they couldn't last for one entire song. it was cute while it lasted.
on our way to the airport the next day, r drove by his house situated in a part of town called colonial town. it's actually populated by a sizable vietnamese community with storefronts bearing vietnamese writing on their signs. we stopped by viet garden restaurant to grab lunch to go. the food deserved all the rave that r had given it. the peanut sauce was powerful. i licked the little cup that held it clean.
it was a great trip, and i wish we were able to stay longer, especially for r to have more time to hang out with his buddies and family. it'll have to wait until next time. nyc is next on our travel agenda, heading back to home. we're counting down the days.
orlando feels so clean. maybe that characteristic stands out especially because of having been in nola for the past few months, and the griminess is one of my biggest complaints here. i don't remember encountering any potholes in orlando whereas we'd come across 3 of them on average a day in nola. the amount of development, mostly strip malls with large plots of asphalt for parking lots, was a little sad and very scary. the amount of vegetation that has cleared since r's childhood was astounding to him. unfortunately, it's the way all new cities are headed with commerce as the target and any environmental concerns falling to the wayside.
before the wedding, we made a trip out to the edges of orlando to visit r's mom and grandparents. they are the nicest folks. he spent part of his youth on the ranch with lots of dogs and horses, unlike me having grown up in urban/suburban areas. his mom keeps 4 border collies, 3 horses, 2 birds, and a greenhouse. horses are such large creatures in person. i didn't know they grow a winter fur and then shed it when the season changes. it was so refreshing to be in the country, knowing the air i was breathing was clean, and to see so many shades of green instead of grey.
the wedding was nice, and we had fun, especially r. it was also a reunion for him and his high school buddies. i learned a few things about his past that i cherish and find adorable. his friends are great people. being boys, the groom requested a mosh pit at the end of the night to recapture their youth. it was weird seeing r in the pile of guys shoving each other around. and then, it was kind of pathetic that they couldn't last for one entire song. it was cute while it lasted.
on our way to the airport the next day, r drove by his house situated in a part of town called colonial town. it's actually populated by a sizable vietnamese community with storefronts bearing vietnamese writing on their signs. we stopped by viet garden restaurant to grab lunch to go. the food deserved all the rave that r had given it. the peanut sauce was powerful. i licked the little cup that held it clean.
it was a great trip, and i wish we were able to stay longer, especially for r to have more time to hang out with his buddies and family. it'll have to wait until next time. nyc is next on our travel agenda, heading back to home. we're counting down the days.
Friday, April 18, 2008
abita springs
r and i have only one more week of work in new orleans, and then, we'll be back in nyc. r has a calendar by his desk where he's already started marking off the days with a red pen.
of course, this weekend, when we thought we were getting a reprieve from the big easy and heading for orlando, r's friend invited us to a crawfish boil, which we're going to have to miss.
his friend lives in abita springs, which is a really cute small town just across from lake pontchartrain. we drove there last sunday. r took me to the ucm museum that was full of wacky things that the people in town seemed to have found in their basements and attics and contributed to the place. there's apparently some mythical alligator-bass that's the equivalent of the lochness monster. we called his friend to see if they were home. they were but weren't near the phone so we, unfortunately, didn't get to visit them. r's friend is a signwriter on movies and had made a lot of the signs that we saw around town. his house is full of crazy signs that he's made in his career. it would've been fun to see his collection.
on our way out, we got sno-balls. not that i've had a hawaiian shaved ice before, but i imagine that it's similar. it's basically just shaved ice with syrup. i can see how much of a treat it will be when the summer hits this place. i won't be here to find out, however. i'm just going to be stuck with sorbets in new york. oh well.
of course, this weekend, when we thought we were getting a reprieve from the big easy and heading for orlando, r's friend invited us to a crawfish boil, which we're going to have to miss.
his friend lives in abita springs, which is a really cute small town just across from lake pontchartrain. we drove there last sunday. r took me to the ucm museum that was full of wacky things that the people in town seemed to have found in their basements and attics and contributed to the place. there's apparently some mythical alligator-bass that's the equivalent of the lochness monster. we called his friend to see if they were home. they were but weren't near the phone so we, unfortunately, didn't get to visit them. r's friend is a signwriter on movies and had made a lot of the signs that we saw around town. his house is full of crazy signs that he's made in his career. it would've been fun to see his collection.
on our way out, we got sno-balls. not that i've had a hawaiian shaved ice before, but i imagine that it's similar. it's basically just shaved ice with syrup. i can see how much of a treat it will be when the summer hits this place. i won't be here to find out, however. i'm just going to be stuck with sorbets in new york. oh well.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
mobile, alabama
i went on a trip to mobile, alabama today. the project i'm working on involves a car race. the company has decided to use the mobile international speedway as the location, and i joined the group of coworkers to check it out. this is the first time i've stepped foot in the deep south. (in my head, the DEEP south consists of mississippi, alabama, and georgia. louisiana has creole and cajun influences that distinguishes it, and south carolina is geographically not as south.)
granted, we were only there for a few hours to check out the speedway and then had lunch at a local joint in mississippi so i know i'm not giving the deep south a fair chance. but i still had a feeling that i wouldn't see much diversity in the population today. i was right. people i met and saw were either white or black. everyone was nice, but i felt like an alien.
i've lived in lexington, ky, but there's a tight-knit chinese community. being a marine town, jacksonville, nc is really diverse (especially the female population). then, there was durham and chapel hill which are college towns. los angeles and new york which are metropolises. the only other time i felt so out of place was stopping for gas in kansas. come to think of it, at least the people i met today were really nice. the people at the kansas gas station stared with no reservations.
it's just odd to still run into places in the 21st century where i feel out of place on a racial level. i guess america will always be america.
granted, we were only there for a few hours to check out the speedway and then had lunch at a local joint in mississippi so i know i'm not giving the deep south a fair chance. but i still had a feeling that i wouldn't see much diversity in the population today. i was right. people i met and saw were either white or black. everyone was nice, but i felt like an alien.
i've lived in lexington, ky, but there's a tight-knit chinese community. being a marine town, jacksonville, nc is really diverse (especially the female population). then, there was durham and chapel hill which are college towns. los angeles and new york which are metropolises. the only other time i felt so out of place was stopping for gas in kansas. come to think of it, at least the people i met today were really nice. the people at the kansas gas station stared with no reservations.
it's just odd to still run into places in the 21st century where i feel out of place on a racial level. i guess america will always be america.
Monday, March 24, 2008
easter
amazingly, we managed to miss the easter parade(s) this weekend. we weren't exactly avoiding them actively although we definitely preferred not to run into any of them. i'm tired of beads. really, how many strings of them does one need?
we were glad for the 3-day weekend but had trouble figuring what to do with the time. we're getting to the point where we feel like we're just whittling time away, and we hate it. even though we look forward to the weekends, the only thing great about them is that we don't have to go to work, not that we have any actual event to look forward to.
i keep trying to think, what we would be doing in nyc instead of nola? would we actually have plans? or would we be whittling time away just like this? then, r made a good point: at least in nyc, we would head into manhattan and something WOULD actually happen. like either we just walk around union square and find a cool store, which is what happened when we traveled back on president's day weekend. or we would walk past a theatre and see a cool movie that would interest us. or we would go to some part of town where we're not familiar with and check it out.
i know a lot of people live in new orleans and love it here, but i guess it's just not the place for me. or it's just that we feel stuck here because we came for work. the best thing about nola is the vietnamese food. this is one thing that nyc is missing. we go to the vietnamese restaurant down the street from the office EVERY day, and i'm yet to be tired of it. we branched out this weekend and went to a different vietnamese restaurant that was just as scrumptious. there you go, one thing i'm not tired of yet. the saving grace of this place. although it's not enough to bring me back after i leave here. no wonder people drink so much here.
we were glad for the 3-day weekend but had trouble figuring what to do with the time. we're getting to the point where we feel like we're just whittling time away, and we hate it. even though we look forward to the weekends, the only thing great about them is that we don't have to go to work, not that we have any actual event to look forward to.
i keep trying to think, what we would be doing in nyc instead of nola? would we actually have plans? or would we be whittling time away just like this? then, r made a good point: at least in nyc, we would head into manhattan and something WOULD actually happen. like either we just walk around union square and find a cool store, which is what happened when we traveled back on president's day weekend. or we would walk past a theatre and see a cool movie that would interest us. or we would go to some part of town where we're not familiar with and check it out.
i know a lot of people live in new orleans and love it here, but i guess it's just not the place for me. or it's just that we feel stuck here because we came for work. the best thing about nola is the vietnamese food. this is one thing that nyc is missing. we go to the vietnamese restaurant down the street from the office EVERY day, and i'm yet to be tired of it. we branched out this weekend and went to a different vietnamese restaurant that was just as scrumptious. there you go, one thing i'm not tired of yet. the saving grace of this place. although it's not enough to bring me back after i leave here. no wonder people drink so much here.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
nola breakfast/brunch favorites
my favorite meal to go out for is breakfast. if you have time to go out for breakfast, the rest of your day can probably be spent pretty leisurely. i'm not including picking up a pastry or bagel at a coffee shop. i'm talking about sitting down to enjoy breakfast as a meal, one that is often overlooked compared to lunch and dinner. i always try to go out on the weekends, and since we've been in new orleans, we've kept going back to two places.
because surrey's juice bar is within walking distance from where we're staying, we've been going there every weekend. depending on when we get there, we're usually able to get a table pretty quickly. the food is delicious, not as non-dairy conscious as i would love, but their menu is still focused on healthy food that supports the local community and tastiness. their specialty, as the name of the restaurant suggests, are juices, freshly prepared and usually organic. one i have a hard time passing up is the orange-pineapple-mango juice, served with a slice of lime. i can't say yet what my favorite dish is on their breakfast menu. my mood takes me in different directions. i can attest that everything i've tried has been excellent. i intend on trying everything on the menu before we leave the city.
the alternative is the bluebird cafe. because it's a little farther from where we are, we haven't gone there as often. a friend introduced me to it on my first saturday in nola. they offer a more traditional american breakfast menu, delicious but not necessarily as health-oriented as surrey's. i finally tried their yellow grits last sunday which was delicious. they throw in cornmeal which turns it yellow. i think i will have to include their grits as part of my breakfast from now on when we go there.
we've also tried slim goodies. the food is good but nothing extraordinary, and the place felt kind of unclean. we also tried tomatillos for a mexican breakfast which was good. but i definitely have to say surrey's and bluebird cafe are my favs.
because surrey's juice bar is within walking distance from where we're staying, we've been going there every weekend. depending on when we get there, we're usually able to get a table pretty quickly. the food is delicious, not as non-dairy conscious as i would love, but their menu is still focused on healthy food that supports the local community and tastiness. their specialty, as the name of the restaurant suggests, are juices, freshly prepared and usually organic. one i have a hard time passing up is the orange-pineapple-mango juice, served with a slice of lime. i can't say yet what my favorite dish is on their breakfast menu. my mood takes me in different directions. i can attest that everything i've tried has been excellent. i intend on trying everything on the menu before we leave the city.
the alternative is the bluebird cafe. because it's a little farther from where we are, we haven't gone there as often. a friend introduced me to it on my first saturday in nola. they offer a more traditional american breakfast menu, delicious but not necessarily as health-oriented as surrey's. i finally tried their yellow grits last sunday which was delicious. they throw in cornmeal which turns it yellow. i think i will have to include their grits as part of my breakfast from now on when we go there.
we've also tried slim goodies. the food is good but nothing extraordinary, and the place felt kind of unclean. we also tried tomatillos for a mexican breakfast which was good. but i definitely have to say surrey's and bluebird cafe are my favs.
Friday, February 22, 2008
ny food warmed my soul
we traveled back to new york this past weekend since president’s day gave us an extra day of leisure. food in new orleans has been great, but we missed our favorite spots in new york.
our first stop was awash, an ethiopian restaurant, on 6th street between 1st and 2nd avenue. we haven’t searched for ethiopian food in new orleans, but we’re pretty sure even if it exists, it’s extremely rare. and who know if it would be reliably delicious like awash? we were reminded how ass-kicking great berbere sauce tastes, which reminds me that i need to search for a recipe for it.
that evening, we had ramen at ramen setagaya. what joy to sit down to a steaming bowl of supreme ingredients, especially having been re-exposed all day to the new york winter. it was the perfect way to end the day.
we met my family for dimsum the next morning and were in for a treat. the celebration for chinese new year was still in order. lion dancers paraded into the restaurant while drummers added to the festive atmosphere. it was r’s introduction to dimsum, something i grew up with. i was relieved he loved it because i plan on having dimsum again.
after we saw persepolis, which is an amazing movie with incredible animation and a heartfelt storyline, we succumbed to indian food at brick lane, back on the same block as awash. ironically, it was our first time dining in the restaurant. we had had numerous take-out meals when r used to live on that block and voted it as the best indian restaurant on the block of about 20 other indian food establishments.
on our last day in the city, we had brunch at a new place, patisse. it was actually a little overpriced for breakfast for food that wasn’t particularly special. it wasn’t bad, just not worth what they charged.
we spent so much of the weekend just walking, sometimes we both miss dearly, for the intimacy with a city and the exercise. so it was a total bummer that we were stuck at jfk for over 3 hours because our flight was delayed, 3 more hours we could’ve spent IN the city. and 3 more hours we could’ve spent with my sister, whom i’m finding that i miss a lot. it gave us time, however, to enjoy a meal at deep blue sushi. finally, we boarded our flight and made it back to new orleans, another city of great food.
more will come about nola food.
our first stop was awash, an ethiopian restaurant, on 6th street between 1st and 2nd avenue. we haven’t searched for ethiopian food in new orleans, but we’re pretty sure even if it exists, it’s extremely rare. and who know if it would be reliably delicious like awash? we were reminded how ass-kicking great berbere sauce tastes, which reminds me that i need to search for a recipe for it.
that evening, we had ramen at ramen setagaya. what joy to sit down to a steaming bowl of supreme ingredients, especially having been re-exposed all day to the new york winter. it was the perfect way to end the day.
we met my family for dimsum the next morning and were in for a treat. the celebration for chinese new year was still in order. lion dancers paraded into the restaurant while drummers added to the festive atmosphere. it was r’s introduction to dimsum, something i grew up with. i was relieved he loved it because i plan on having dimsum again.
after we saw persepolis, which is an amazing movie with incredible animation and a heartfelt storyline, we succumbed to indian food at brick lane, back on the same block as awash. ironically, it was our first time dining in the restaurant. we had had numerous take-out meals when r used to live on that block and voted it as the best indian restaurant on the block of about 20 other indian food establishments.
on our last day in the city, we had brunch at a new place, patisse. it was actually a little overpriced for breakfast for food that wasn’t particularly special. it wasn’t bad, just not worth what they charged.
we spent so much of the weekend just walking, sometimes we both miss dearly, for the intimacy with a city and the exercise. so it was a total bummer that we were stuck at jfk for over 3 hours because our flight was delayed, 3 more hours we could’ve spent IN the city. and 3 more hours we could’ve spent with my sister, whom i’m finding that i miss a lot. it gave us time, however, to enjoy a meal at deep blue sushi. finally, we boarded our flight and made it back to new orleans, another city of great food.
more will come about nola food.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
mind in overdrive
work has finally caught up, and for the past couple of weeks, i've been swamped. we survived mardi gras. the shaybridge fotel finally let us move to another room where we don't have to open the curtains only to look out at the air conditioning unit for the entire building. for this coming president's day weekend, we're heading back to nyc. it'll be nice to be back "home" but the cold, the cold! it's so much warmer here.
have to get back to work, but a quick note on breakfast/brunch places - surrey's juice bar and bluebird cafe are the best. clean, healthy, nurturing food and atmosphere. slim goodies was okay. it gave me the impression of being a little dirty, and the food was not as good. more soon...
have to get back to work, but a quick note on breakfast/brunch places - surrey's juice bar and bluebird cafe are the best. clean, healthy, nurturing food and atmosphere. slim goodies was okay. it gave me the impression of being a little dirty, and the food was not as good. more soon...
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
dreaming of blueberry pancakes but why not bacon?
i had a dream last night of having brunch with my mom and sister in italy. we decided on eggs and ham. then, i noticed the restaurant also served blueberry pancakes. my sister agreed to share a short stack of them with me. i know it makes no sense since it's really american breakfast fare, and i would NEVER eat american food abroad, especially in italy, just because i think that ruins the experience of going abroad. globalization really means americanization, and what's the point of traveling abroad only to eat american food? anyway, in the dream, it made sense, in the dream-sense.
later this morning, r and i went out for breakfast. i saw blueberry pancakes on the menu and had to go for it. i got eggs as well but bacon instead of ham. i know i would've chosen bacon had it been on the dream menu. mmm...bacon... maybe i think about it enough in real life that it avoids my dreams.
later this morning, r and i went out for breakfast. i saw blueberry pancakes on the menu and had to go for it. i got eggs as well but bacon instead of ham. i know i would've chosen bacon had it been on the dream menu. mmm...bacon... maybe i think about it enough in real life that it avoids my dreams.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
thanksgiving philly style
i spent thanksgiving in philadelphia with b&d this year. i took the bus up on wednesday and came back to nyc just yesterday. we went over to d's friends' house. the center piece was the turducken, which turned out to be phenomenal. the fact that the birds were all pretty much deboned made it easy to serve. carving was not necessary. we just cut it into slices. the 10-pound turducken was accompanied by decadent gravy, tasty cranberry sauce, infallible apple-sausage-cranberry stuffing, scrumptious mac and cheese (i didn't try this since i don't like dairy, but i would totally have scarfed it otherwise), sweet butternut squash, savory mashed potatoes, and garlicky collards.
after only one plateful, i had to take a break. while vegging in front of the television, i managed to make two more trips back to the delicious smorgasborg. after we watched the dallas cowboys slaughter the new york jets, we played apples to apples. it's sort of a word game where you match nouns to adjectives. like "hopeless" to "republican" or "ludicrous" to "tom cruise". during the game, we dug into an awesome pumpkin pie and a sugary cherry pie.
i have to admit, as much labor that goes into cooking such a grand meal, the result is definitely worth the hard work. i miss leftovers, not wanting to travel with tubs of food on the bus. luckily, there's still pumpkin pie in my fridge, from our trial run of the pie...not that it'll last much longer in there!
after only one plateful, i had to take a break. while vegging in front of the television, i managed to make two more trips back to the delicious smorgasborg. after we watched the dallas cowboys slaughter the new york jets, we played apples to apples. it's sort of a word game where you match nouns to adjectives. like "hopeless" to "republican" or "ludicrous" to "tom cruise". during the game, we dug into an awesome pumpkin pie and a sugary cherry pie.
i have to admit, as much labor that goes into cooking such a grand meal, the result is definitely worth the hard work. i miss leftovers, not wanting to travel with tubs of food on the bus. luckily, there's still pumpkin pie in my fridge, from our trial run of the pie...not that it'll last much longer in there!
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
fennel toothpaste
i grabbed a tube of fennel toothpaste on the fly not long ago, and i am not quite sure if i like it. i LOVE fresh fennel. i discovered fennel at a july 4th party last year, and after a few bites, completely fell in love with it. the hint of licorice is so refreshing in the summer heat, and i never liked licorice before.
i think the toothpaste is a little too sweet, and i miss the minty-fresh feel. maybe i just need to get used to it.
i think the toothpaste is a little too sweet, and i miss the minty-fresh feel. maybe i just need to get used to it.
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