Art and Architecture

Welcome to dispatches from NYC, round three. It was a great day here today. Warm, but not uncomfortably so. I started my day with a trip to one of my old NY favorites, The Adore on 13th street. That's right people, I actually spent some time writing today. Not enough to feel confident that I'm going to have something to turn in on the 10th, but I'm having fun with it.

Then it was off to this fantastic place. I love MoMA. AND! I got to meet three people I love there too. Dad couldn't get enough - he looked at nearly every single picture, and went in to every room on every floor. Way more than I can handle. I get visual overload, so I tend to pick four oor five paintings to really look at, and then I skim the rest. Today it was the Matisse room for me. One thing I liked about MoMA today was that they seemed to really have a lot of unusual pieces out. By that, I mean paintings that are quite different from what you've come to expect of certain famous artists. There was a Monet done in the colors of fall leaves, a completely different palette than you expect to see from him, and the Matisse room had pieces that were more abstract than his gorgeous but almost cartoonish paintings of beautiful women or that one I love of a window with a desk in front of it.

It was fun to look at the architecture exhibit with our father the architect, of course! Allison was a very attentive student.

Afterwards, we meandered down to the cafe for a little late afternoon pick-me-up. Mmm... affigato - vanilla gelato with a shot of espresson poured over it. So delicious!

I'm Just Saying

Photo: Melissa Hom, NY Magazine


I think that this may be the most pretentious thing happening in Manhattan.

And I have zero desire to go see it, even if it is next door to Freeman's.

I'd much rather go to Loser's Lounge.

I'm Off!

... to the land of excellent reuben's. The one in the photo to the left is quite a good approximation, from the Other Coast Cafe in Ballard. I could barely eat a quarter of the thing, but it was deee-licious.

Hey Stephanie! And any other fun-loving New Yorkers... you should go to Loser's Lounge at Joe's Pub on Thursday the 7th. They are doing Fleetwood Mac this time, and Keats has threatened to wear an all-white suit. Me, I'm looking for a dress made out of scarves.

Seattle - see you on the 9th, for a few days at least. Then it's back to the ranch for me! Yay!

Little Faces

The window box in my bedroom is doing so well. The closer to the west side of the building the window boxes get, the more the window boxes are suffering, which means that the one in my living room doesn't look happy at all, and to be honest, I think we might be starting over again once I get back from New York.

This is a funny time in my life, neither here nor there. I feel like I'm just waiting for my trip to NYC on Wednesday, and then, there's the other big trip right after that. Have I mentioned that here? I won't say any more yet, just to build the suspense (shh... Ali, I know you know). Not really a time in life when you feel like you can get any routines going, or when you feel like you have time to see the people you want to see. We've talked about how little sympathy there is for my life of leisure, which is fine and all, but really I just have to tell you all that no matter what you do in life, there really is a little trade-off you are going to be making somewhere. That's the nature of life here on earth where we are mortal and imperfect. Don't get me wrong, I'm not at all complaining, I'm just noting something, since it is my nature to note things. What I am noting is that I miss having some little routines, I miss feeling like the relationships in my life can develop instead of feeling like things are on hold because of my travel.

Having said that, I have to also say how happy I am that I've been able to spend so much time with you recently, Allison. I'm looking forward to chilling out at the place in Vermont and seeing your other life, and to hanging out with Dad and Lucia. I think May 31st through June 8th is going to be a true Summer Vacation. I've got the little dresses and sandals ready for it! I know, I know, I need tennis shoes too. Fine!

The other thing I have to note here is an upcoming deadline. In mid-June we have another deadline for my writing group. The novel is pretty much dormant just now (though I don't at all expect it to stay that way) so I've been working on a couple different short stories, but they are really in no shape to be read or commented on, so this NY trip is going to be different from the others for me. I've accepted the fact that I may not turn anything in this time around (if I don't, this will be the first time I've done that) but I'm still going to take the time in NY to try and get some writing done. We'll see how that works out!

In Case You Were Wondering How It All Turned Out

Me cracking myself up, as I so often do

If you close down two bars, drive the bartender home and arrive at your own domicile after 4 in the morning to birds chirping, I think it's safe to say that you sucked every last available ounce of fun out of the night, even if the waiter did make fun of you for the text marathon you were having between the hours of 11 and midnight east coast time. Sigh. So content. So tired! Off to go make toast with my homemade bread and then sleep sweet sleep.

P.S. Mom I know what you are thinking, but I can have really a LOT of drinks without getting drunk..... KIDDING!!

Playing With Fire

I love this photo of Jay. So intense, but I can see a little smile in the corner of his mind in this photo, too. Do you know Jay? My favorite bartender, at my favorite bar. In NY, there were favorites, but here there's only time in my life for one. Jay's a bit of a mad scientist, really. I think I might have written before about the time I brought Peter, my chemist friend, in to see Jay - Peter recognized Jay as a true kindred spirit. We don't actually order any drinks from Jay, we just let him know about any restrictions (no gin for Kirsten, no vodka for Caitlin) and then it's up to him to decide what magic is going to happen that night. What you can't tell from the photo above is that the grapefruit he's holding is on fire. I love fire.

Here's luscious Kirsten sampling the results. She was pleased. Doesn't her hair look pretty? Isn't Caitlin cute and funny behind her? It was a lovely night out with the ladies. That white light shining behind us in the photo below? It's coming from the pleasure I took in their company, that's what I think.

Kirsten and Caitlin were well-behaved, they are charming lovely girls, both much more composed than I tend to be, and it was a summer afternoon, calm but peppered with light laughter. It suited the sweet atmosphere at Sambar, and even though there were drinks on fire for a moment, it was really just a pretty thing, no feeling of danger.

Sambar might be in for something different tonight though. Rumor has it that these girls are joining me there, and while you know I would never do anything to wear out my welcome at my favorite bar, well, it still might be just a little more rowdy tonight.

Fleet Week Part Deux

I am not crazy... Doesn't he look like Matt Damon?

So, I don't know if you remember this post from last year, but that time has come again. The heavenly days known as Fleet Week, when the streets of Manhattan are awash with fresh-faced young military personnel in uniform.

Umm... yum.

Any hoo, we were out Wedneday night for another co-worker's emancipation party - at the same bar we were at last year - when lo and behold, a group of marines walk in. And who was with them, but my favorite Matt Damon look alike marine from last year!

Apparently, he had so much fun that he decided to come back to the same bar on the off chance that we might be there. Since we've been to that bar maybe twice since that night, this was more of a risk than he may have realized. However, fate intervened and there we were.

Life is crazy like that, no?

Anyhoo, he and his lads had many drinks bought for them - it seemed that every suit in the bar used to be a marine and wanted to buy them a beer or a shot. And, of course myself and my friends were just as entertaining as we could be...

See, aren't my ladies entertaining?

I gave Gary (Matt Damon look-alike) all sorts of tips on where to take his friends for drinks (LES and EV - duh) and also where to take his girlfriend - who was coming that weekend... and he told me the secret to why all those boys in uniform always look so neatly-pressed.

Are you ready?

They wear garters that attach their shirts to their socks!

Anyhoo, it was a lovely evening, garters and all, and I am happy that I finally have some photographic evidence.

Happily, Gary is getting out in six months and will be attending culinary school in Philadelphia - or I would've tried to make plans to meet up again next year.

Looking for the Silver Linings

Think he'll miss me?

I have been lax about posting this week... again.

How do you put up with this from me?

My excuse: loads of Doctor's appointments (a brand new filling! Yay! A thorough screening of my insides! Woohoo! And loads and loads of needles! Yippeee!) and after work commitments have left me short on pithy subjects...

However, I have been getting so very excited about your upcoming visit with Dad and Lucia! I have been making lists and lists of the things we can do in Vermont, (shopping, galleries, bird watching, cooking, eating, etc. etc...) and thinking of things to do in Manhattan (shopping, galleries, bird watching, cooking, eating, etc. etc...hmmm... a trend?).

It makes my head whirl! All of this fun to look forward to!

Also, Euge is still going to India on the 5th, which is a relief to me - if only because the timing is good. I will, of course miss him terribly - but not as terribly as I would if it meant we had to miss a treatment cycle. See how mercenary I am getting?

I do feel kind of bad for him because it is going to be like 120 degrees there, but he is staying at the posh Claridges, so I don't feel too bad for him.

So, if things don't work out this cycle I may still be looking into last minute tickets to Seattle for the Mar/Sandoval celebration... and I have my Girl's Weekend at the house in VT the following weekend. Pillow fights, hair braiding and cocktails all around!

So, despite all the relentless grind of the endless visits to Doctors offices, I am happy. I have a lot to look forward to in the next couple of weeks. Including you!

Sigh.

Graffiti outside Hugo House. Little broken heart and heart thug. What's a heart thug, anyway?

The Two-Immitrex, No-Pedicure Migraine

You can imagine from the title that this wasn't the best day ever. There's something depressing about a migraine. Beyond the obvious, I mean. There's the pain, the nausea, the wasted time - but there's something to it that is darker than that. I wonder if this happens to other migraine sufferers. They just make me so sad. Not crying sad, it's a more detached, bleakish kind of sad, like that feeling I get from reading a Virginia Woolf story. There's a calm too, knowing what a relief it will be to just feel okay, which I do now. And then there's the gratitude. Once the migraine has lifted, I always have a feeling of gratitude for my otherwise pretty good health.

The first Immitrex I took gave me enough of a window of relief that I was able to make it to my first riding lesson since I left for the ranch last fall. I was glad I did, since the focus of riding removed me from the migraine for the length of the lesson. Then I wandered in a haze through the Whole Foods and tried to find something I thought I could stand to eat. I settled on the makings for that hearts of palm/cucumber salad from Freemans and some string cheese.

Then I went back to bed. What else are you going to do? The good news is, I get to try again tomorrow.

You Are Not Going to Believe This But It's True.

That's bread. In my kitchen. That I made. Swear to God! It's that miracle no-knead bread that was in Vogue magazine last month. Or you can find a recipe here. You know I'm super crazy proud of myself, especially since it was actually edible, hell, one might even be tempted to call it good.

Now I have to get back to nursing my migraine. Please send sympathetic vibes.

Found Things

Another thing that makes me happy is the weird world of blogs, where you can find a man who writes posts like this and whose web site banner reads "Kinda I want to" and "I make little films out of poems." Love it.

How Many Ways Are There To Make You Happy?

Here's one way to make me happy - an old movie, some silk to knit, a fancy candle and a refreshing beverage (don't get too excited, it's just sparkle juice). It was a moody day in Seattle, chilly when I got up this morning and went for my latte on the way to my volunteer gig at Hugo House, then the sun came out for a little while, and then it poured rain tonight. Which was nice, actually. It made being in your pajamas and watching the rain come down in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof all the more pleasant.

On my fridge, there's this quote I love -

There's no duty so much underrated as the duty of being happy. By being happy we sow anonymous benefit upon the world. - Robert Louis Stevenson

That quote kept popping into my head today, as I ran around Seattle doing things I like to do. Actually, I've been thinking about that quote for the past year, really. I've been thinking that it's not only good to be happy, but that it's good to have a lot of different ways to get there, that part of growing up, becoming a more fully realized person, is expanding the ways that you can get to happiness. Which is why, as beautiful as Liz is in that white slip (where do you get a slip that is so fitted it has to zip up the side? damn, I want that!), and as much as I love watching her, I do not at all feel like a cat on a hot tin roof.

Coincidence? I think not...

In light of the Devil Baby Dream that I told you about earlier today - you know that dream that wasn't really safe for public consumption with the talking baby and the mayonnaise and the ants?

Yup, that dream.

Well, I found this kind of a funny coincidence.

How frequently do you hear people mention devil babies? Not all that often, I'd warrant.

What It Was Like When The Sun Was Out

Look who I got to see last week. Kirstin and her new french bulldog puppy. His name is Tintin, but seems like mostly she calls him nugget. That's it for now, I'm off to write something. XOXO H

Last Week's Menu Wrap Up

Could you resist... I think not!

So, I only made it through Wednesday’s menu with the daily menu report, which shows just what a slacker I am when it comes to this blogging thing, but I am totally ready to wrap Thursday-Sunday up in a nice little package for anyone interested in such things.

Thursday

I had two eggs for breakfast and two cups of green tea – are you noticing a trend here? For lunch I had the same salad as Wednesday – spinach with cucumber, mushrooms, tomato, chick peas, walnuts, asparagus and goat cheese with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

I have a ‘Frequent Buyer’ card for salads. Buy ten and get a free one! I only have one more to go til my next free salad… Aren’t I virtuous?

Then came my downfall.

Our lovely, and soon to be departed Admin made a cake. A red velvet cake. I couldn’t resist and I had a small slice. It was heaven! But I haven’t had such a sugar rush in a looooong time!

We were supposed to be driving up to Vermont Thursday night but, as usual, Euge got stuck at work. So I made dinner. Turkey sausage sautéed with mushrooms and capers with Quinoa (made with chicken broth for extra protein.) And I had seltzer with triple-berry juice.

Friday

I had yogurt and two cups of green tea for breakfast. For lunch, I had the leftovers from Thursday’s dinner. I went for a glass of wine with my co-workers after work at this place (TGIF – woohoo) and I picked up chicken tacos from this place to eat while I waited for Euge to get out of work – so that we could finally drive up to VT!

Not a particularly exciting food day.

Saturday

We woke up late – because we didn’t get to the house until 1 am – and I made us a brunch of poached eggs and chicken apple sausage.

Eugene had to go to New Hampshire to buy some building supplies, so I gave him a grocery list. Mostly just to see what he would end up coming back with.

I included one item that I, personally, have never been able to find. Frozen artichoke hearts. I saw Giada deLaurentis using them on her show and I thought that it seemed like a good idea. Except that NO STORES CARRY THEM!

Euge wasn’t able to find them either. Though he was very successful in all other respects – even getting the organic frozen cut spinach that I like best.

We went to our neighbors for dinner – cheeseburgers, baked beans and sautéed zucchini. Other people consumed a fare amount of beer too. I was not one of them.

Sunday

We woke up late again (it was a long work week – we needed sleep!) Euge went straight for the coffee, I went for the green tea and poached eggs.

Neither of us was motivating towards food much… I find the smell of cleaning supplies kills my appetite. Euge was enjoying the nutritional value of hops and barley whilst mowing the lawn and stacking fire wood.

Late in the afternoon, we had roast boneless pork chops and spinach. Personally, I prefer the pork chops with the bone – much moister – but I did not buy the pork chops so.. oh well. They were passably moist.

Afterwards, I sinned again and had a peanut Klondike Bar. I am weak, no? Bad Allison! Bad!

On the drive back to Manhattan, I drank seltzer and juice. And ate some peanuts.

And that’s a wrap for a whole week of my eating!

Sky Blue Sky

So, I bought the new Wilco album, along with a bunch of other CDs (I justified it by reminding myself that I have a road trip coming up in mid-June, more on that later), but I haven't listened to the Wilco yet. I'm saving it. Not totally sure why, but that is the definite feel of it, a feeling of saving.

One CD I would not save if I had it now would be Cat Power. I had the life-altering experience of watching Cat Power on Austin City Limits last night, damn, that girl is something else! I wanted to be a teenager again so that I could chop long bangs into my hair and buy some leotards at American Apparel to wear under my beat-up old school jeans just like Chan Marshall. Alas, I'm old enough to know that none of those things are a very good idea.

Elvis and I had a good field trip yesterday, wandered around downtown Seattle, catching the crumbs of the cheese festival at Pike Place Market, eating crepes and missing the ferry to Bainbridge, where we intended to go and eat fancy ice cream. Instead we went to Elliott Bay Books, then Panama Hotel tea room, which I think is one of those great semi-secret Seattle things.

Favorite Places, Favorite People

There's still a lot I haven't written about from the NY trip. Both of the trips, really. That's how New York is, there's no way to fit it all in. I never see all the people I want to, or eat all the meals that I'd like to... hey, by the way, are we turning into a food blog? No fair! How am I supposed to play when my diet just makes me look like a big jerk? Writing about the carbonara I'm dying to try at Prune just doesn't really seem right when there's no pasta in your life...

But that's not what I was going to say. I wanted to say more about these visits, and how great it has been to see all my favorite New York people. All the love made every day feel like one of those days when the sun is shining and you walk into Freeman's and they seat you at that great table in the window and bring you something lovely in those old fashioned champagne glasses. Favorite places are like favorite people in that they both make you feel like there is nowhere else in the world you would rather be. Which explains why I've made Allison go back to Freeman's with me at least three times in the last two months. Hee!

Love you Ali!
H

RIP LoVe

Oh Boo! Who needs another bounty hunter for the devil, anyway?

Wednesday's Menu is Full of Woe

So we had our super coming early in the morning to fix our toilet, which has been running forever, so I got up and made myself some green tea with a bit of milk - to drink while I waited for him. He was shockingly on time, so I only had one cup of tea at home.

For breakfast, at my desk, I had another cup of tea and two hard-boiled eggs. Very exciting, I know. I promise that my weekend breakfasts tend to be more elaborate and larger.

I had to leave work early for acupuncture, so I just ran down to Hale & Hearty for a mix-your-own salad. I almost always get the same thing: spinach with cucumber, tomato, mushrooms, chick peas, asparagus, walnuts and goat cheese. With balsamic vinegar and olive oil (not balsamic vinaigrette, which tends to have corn syrup and whatnot in it.) And a small piece of seven-grain bread.

I had a big glass of water and my Metformin.

After my acupuncture, I went to the grocery store and bought food for dinner (turkey sausage, spaghetti squash, and the makings for a puttanesca sauce), some Total Greek yogurt, and some organic eggs - for breakfasts. However, Eugene's mom came in for dinner, on her way back to Virginia, so we ended up going to Rolf's German American.

While I waited for her and Euge to show up I ate one of the yogurts.

Rolf's at Christmas

Anyhoo, the real draw for Rolf's is the over-the-top seasonal decor, but now the owner of Rolf's is developing quite a reputation and last night he didn't disappoint. He was dressed in punk rock Trash & Vaudeville finery and was quite obviously loaded. It was the only time that I have been there when it wasn't crowded. The food is very typically German-American and I had the Veal Jaeger Schnitzel with green beans, sauerkraut, and spatzle. Naturally, the green beans were inedible mush.. the sauerkraut had too much sugar for me... and I ate some of the spatzle. Euge saved me from myself, by eating all the rest of it. The veal and mushrooms were pretty good though. And I had a glass of wine.

It's a big party week here.

When we got home - to watch Mark Lamb on American Idol AGAIN! - I had seltzer with a little triple-berry juice from Trader Joes( Unsweetened cranberry, blueberry, pomegranite juice blend.) and my Metformin.

Then we all fell asleep on the couches. I blame the spatzel.

Life Imitates Art

I lingered in bed a long time on my last morning at the Bowery Hotel in New York. The night before, we had sipped cocktails in the lobby with Keats and his entourage while a little parade of celebrities made their way through the lobby, still dressed in their finery from the Met's Costume Institute Gala. We saw this dress and this couple and I rejoiced over the way Eric swooned at seeing this dress. Okay, maybe it wasn't just the dress he was happy about. I saw the wearer of said dress at the front desk several times during my stay and she was smiling and sweet seeming each time so I encourage those of you who have crushes on her to just go right ahead and keep on crushing. Just don't forget what her last boyfriend looked like, boys. In spite of my extreme sophistication, I still think that seeing celebrities is part of the fun of New York. Let's all try not to get too cool to enjoy that.

The day before, Pam and I saw these two on the street, in those very outfits, I believe, and I very nearly got a paparazzi shot of my own when they walked through the frame of a photo I was taking of graffiti. They looked hungover and in love, that classic combination for a couple kids in their 20's. Walking through Central Park later, Pam and I decided that really they should wander up there and be in love on the grass instead of walking around SoHo wondering which shops weren't too self-conscious to patronize.

Today I recreated my last morning at the Bowery Hotel by staying in bed reading poetry until check-out time. Then I ate a boiled egg on an english muffin, had a cup of tea and watched Mansfield Park on DVD. Don't hate me because I'm lazy. I wasn't always this way.

I did have a glimmer of hope for myself today when I got an email from Barb with a little pep-talk about the writing. She has a good point when she recommends not missing an opportunity to have ten great readers take a look at your work. Surely I've got a short story in me somewhere... really short.

XOXO
H

A Belated Report on Tuesday's Menu

So, I didn't get any pictures of my food on Tuesday, so I am substituting a photo of Mom and Baby Heather – because that is pretty yummy!

Tuesday morning I had green tea, with a splash of milk (2 cups!) and plain yogurt with a bit (2 tablespoons) of whole-grain granola and blueberries.

For lunch I went to the library to check out books (the new Maeve Binchy and The Memory Keepers Daughter - I plan to weep a lot this weekend) so I just stopped at The Global Kitchen on my way back to the office and had 3 soft shell chicken tacos - figuring the 'soft shells' are my carbs for the day and offset by the protein from the chicken... and I took my Metformin

We went to the gym after work, for our first climbing experience in a criminally long time. So we decided to go out to dinner at the brewery that overlooks the Hudson - which is conveniently adjacent to the gym. That makes sense, right? Brewery, gym... gym...brewery?

Anyways, they had precious little for me to choose from. Lots of sandwiches and burgers and pasta and entrees with rice and breaded things. Things that have waaaay to much white bread involved.

I ended up having a salad with some chicken, blue cheese and tomatoes. And a glass of wine. It was really nothing to write home about. Except that Mom asked me to write home about it...

When we got home I had a seltzer with a little Acaia berry juice in it and took my Metformin again.

We seem to be eating out a lot this week! Usually, I go grocery shopping on Monday and try to cook most of our meals, but because of my freelance projects, I don't really have time. I'll cook a lot ths weekend to make up for it. We'll be in VT for three nights (thursday - sunday) so I will have plenty o'time to make use of the dozen or so cookbooks I have up there...

Just imagine me in the kitchen, doing my best Nigella Lawson impersonation as I lovingly massage some olive oil into the carcass of a chicken. And then shove half a lemon up its bum.

In other exciting news, apparently a friend of mine from high school, Mark Lamb - Mayor of Bothell - was on American Idol last night! I never watch the show, but Dana (my fellow Noah Racey stalker) saw it and called to let me know. I have to find that video online!!!!!!

Where It All Started

Yeah, so, it's a little past Mother's Day, but we couldn't really go without posting anything about Mom, could we? She probably hasn't gotten nearly the coverage she deserves here, especially since she's such a big promoter of the blog. Did you know she prints out and distributes pages all around the Skagit Valley? I guess it's the modern equivalent of the wallet full of snapshots.

But Mom is an interesting person herself, from the childhood on a ranch in Southern California, to the days with Marjie and Ross in San Francisco in the 60's to her current life in LaConner as artist, real estate agent and newly-minted Veronica Mars fan. When I saw that the reporter who wrote the story on mom's house for a Seattle newspaper started the article by saying "Nothing ordinary about Breta Malcolm" I laughed out loud. Given that, it won't come as much of a surprise to anyone that the quote I remember most from my childhood (other than "No blood, no band-aid") was "Only boring people are bored." She has always loved a good field trip, fine art, interesting characters, and tasty food.

But it's easy to summarize my favorite thing about my mom - she's a person who looks for things to like in the world. And that kinda explains us too, doncha' think? All about the love! Yeah.

The Food Report - Monday

So Mom asked me to give her a report on what I eat every day, so that she could understand my silly PCOS/Low Glycemic Index diet in action. Since I did a really lame job of observing Mother's Day, I will attempt to at least follow up on this...

We had a Doctor's appointment this morning, so I started off bright and early with a cup of green tea with a touch of milk, no sweetener (not Chai latte anything, just regular green tea) from Starbucks (sorry! It's on the corner of the Doctor's block... And open at 7:30 AM).

Then, on my way to work, I picked up two hard-boiled eggs. Normally, I like to bring organic free-range eggs from home, but with the doctor's appointment, just didn't feel like it. Also, had a cup of my own green tea that I keep at work. Also, with a touch of milk.

At lunch I had to run down to my client's studio in SoHo to make a quick file correction for them, so I picked up a lemon-chickpea salad and turkey bites from a deli in my office building. The chickpeas have lots of protein and, since there are peppers, onions and celery, some additional nutritional value, and the turkey is also protein, and has tomatoes and lettuce, which I think offsets the minor amount of carbs from the wrap. Also, I dip the turkey bites in balsamic vinegar, which is both tasty and good for slowing down your digestion. I drank a glass of water and took my Metformin (glucophage).

For dinner, I had to work late on a project, so I picked up a chicken salad from the organic mexican restaurant in our building. Lettuce tomatoes, organic chicken, beans, some cheese and avocado. I had seltzer with a little Acaia berry juice. Woohoo! Partay!

Not anywhere near as good as your fish tacos, I am sure.

Now where did I put those chocolate kisses.... just kidding... No candy! I have to go take my second dose of Metformin now... mmm... tasty.

Mondays With Susan

Susan can't decide what to eat first - truffle fries, or drunken crispy chicken?

Just to prove that NYC doesn't have the market cornered on good places to eat, Susan and I went to the new Baguette Box in Fremont today. Very tasty, but next time I think Susan and I can split a sandwich and order of fries. The sandwich was as big as her forearm, for god's sake!

And just to prove that I don't have to eat EVERY meal out (and maybe in reaction to that statement about how a certain someone claims to have never seen me cook a meal), we went to the grocery store where I bought pretty things to put into fish tacos, a nice big avocado, some lime, plump tomatoes that actually smelled like a tomato should... and then I left it all in the fridge at Susan's house. Hey, America's Next Top Model can be very distracting.

Miss you already, Allison. And plotting my return!

Repeat Offender

the notorious Mars Bar

Number of trips to Freeman's this visit: 3
Number of times I went to the Tasting Room Wine Bar for a latte: 5
Number of Grasshoppers consumed from Liquiteria: 3
Number of Sunday brunches eaten at Prune: 2
Number of days that included the purchase of a pair of shoes in SoHo: 3

If you live in New York and missed me this visit, I think you'll know where to find me next time!

Prettiest Latte In New York

9th Street Espresso

It All Still Looks Civilized at 8 PM

Allison

Keats and Amy

Eric

Ben

True confession - when I heard that some folks I know from high school were opening a tequila bar, my reaction was pretty much "Meh." Most of us have some kind of liquor we've had a bad experience with, and for me, it's tequila. And hey, when I knew Pat and Dylan, they weren't exactly the connoisseurs of fine liquors. OE and Mad Dog were more like it.

Barrio Chino is really something else though. The little plate they serve you with your tequila shot, with it's little glass of spicy tomato juice and refreshing slices of jicama, is so appetizing that I felt compelled to indulge in a little sip. Still, I was happy I had gone for the Coconut Mojito, and Allison was over the moon about her fancy non-alcoholic limeade. All week she's been trying to get bartenders to serve her up a creative n/a and until Barrio Chino, soda with a salted plum at the little Japanese bar was the closest she had come. Since that tasted like Alka Seltzer, the creativity points didn't really add up to much.

The food is outstanding, and rivals Carta de Oaxaca in Seattle, which is saying something, I think. I could eat that ceviche every night, and even though we were going out later for a dinner I knew would be fantastic, I couldn't resist stealing little pieces of steak from Ben's plate. Points for decor, too - I love all the lanterns, the gold wall and the big communal table.

But of course, the best thing was the company. They laughed at me a little for all the photos I was taking, but check out those portraits! I think my persistence paid off.

NYC ABCs

Just a few more photos for you today. It's a little hard to want to stay inside and post things on the blog when it's close to 80 degrees out and there are cute boys calling me saying "You, buck naked, Brooklyn, NOW!". Just kidding. Mostly. No, I am going to Brooklyn to see the boys I spent most of the summer after my sophomore year in high school with, but I am not getting naked any more than I am doing Jager shots, no matter how hot it gets here, and no matter how much peer pressure they apply.

Famous last words, right? Ha. No, I do think this is one resolution I can stick to.

Good Day at MoMA

More later kids!