Flatbush Farm

Got home fairly early tonight so we finally checked out Flatbush Farm. It wasn't very busy - especially since it was a chilly Tuesday night but ambiance was good and all in all we enjoyed our meals. My wife had the risotto and I had the roasted chicken while washing it down with a glass of wine and Sixpoints Brownstone, respectively. We topped things off with an apple crumb cake. A nice treat to break up the work week.

Irish Luck and Consolation in Booze

Broken record time - another long week. We're living the rat race lifestyle right now with both of us working a lot (and classes for me too).

So Friday night we unwound at Union Hall in Park Slope - love the flat bread and mini-burgers there and washed it down with some Brooklyn Lager. Also, I finally tried the jukebox there and played these selections:

-"Police and Thieves" - The Clash
-"Sing Me Spanish Techno" - New Pornographers
-"Monster Hospital" - Metric
-"Helicopter" - Bloc Party
-"Another Sunny Day" - Belle and Sebastian

Yesterday, we grabbed some hot chocolate at Cocoa Bar and I did my usual Saturday morning media binging of internet, PS2 gaming, catching up on magazines and TiVo'ed programming. Later we watched the Irish pull out an incredible win at the last minute against UCLA.

Damn You, Midtown

It was another long work week (ironic given that we had Columbus Day off) but between work and my midterm exam on Thursday, I was beat.

I met up with my wife after the exam and since we were both still in Manhattan, ended up grabbing a drink and bite to eat at Chelsea Grill.

The glass of Stella tasted good but burger was nothing extraordinary nor was the meatloaf that my wife got. Add to that the noise level and few obnoxious businessmen, and once again we were wondering why we fell into the trap of eating at overpriced, mediocre midtown joints. Damn convenience!

More Music I'm Considering

Whitest Boy Alive Dreams

Badly Drawn Boy Born in the U.K.

Portastatic Be Still Please

Tunes

Tunes I'm listening to:

Lemonheads Pittsburgh
Peter, Bjorn and John Young Folks

Artists whose tunes I might download in the future:

Beck
Emily Haines
The Decemberists
Badly Drawn Boy

A Tale of Two Shows

I had never seen the British version of The Office before and didn't catch on to the American one until recently, but can see why it recently won an Emmy for Best Comedy and can't get enough of watching the DVDs of Season 2, which we received from Netflix the other day.

No other show captures the intentional and unintentional humor that we can all relate to like The Office. Here's hoping it stays funny and doesn't jump the shark.

Meanwhile, how much longer will I stick with Lost? After an intriguing first few minutes where we see the "others" dressed like everyday people living in suburban looking development on the island as the plane crashes, we proceed to learn nothing in the remainder of the episode. Once again, no questions answered, more questions raised, and lots of frustration.

Long Weekend in The Slope

Another long work week came to an end on Friday night and we relaxed with some dinner at Bogota (5th Ave.).

We hadn't been there since we first moved here - and our dinner reminded us why. It wasn't bad, per se, but wasn't anything to write home about.

The ambience, the watermelon mojitos and plantain chips are great but the main event - my wife got the fish tacos and I got the special pork chops - were bland and not the highest of quality.

We'd definitely go back for snacks and drinks but with so many good places to eat in the Slope, our money is better spent elsewhere.

On Saturday, I media-binged - catching up on Web surfing, DVR recorded programs and some PS2 gaming. Afterwards, took a nice walk around the neighborhood - taking in the greenmarket at Grand Army Plaza and riding the trolley around Prospect Park.

Mediocre Italian Food, Thy Name is Serafina

We really like living in Park Slope, Brooklyn. It's midtown Manhattan that we hate.

Yet, we somehow eat at midtown restaurants from time to time due to location and convenience after work and on Thursday night we ate at Serafina Broadway, located at 55th/Broadway.

The food was okay but certainly not above average - my wife had the linguine and I had the gnocchi. But like many restaurants in the area, the food was subpar and overpriced and Serafina could not decided whether it wants to be a restaurant or a club (music was way too loud). Add in the businesspeople and tourists and it's a really good time. I know, we should know better than to eat dinner in midtown but again, sometimes convenience plays a role. Maybe we should learn our lesson and stay away next time.....

Dateline NBC

This is a trainwreck. I watched "Dateline: To Catch a Predator" the other night for the first time. It's crazy - from the pervs that they catch to the exploitative nature of the show. Unreal.

Reason #1,237,654 to Hate FOX News

They labeled Mark Foley as a Democrat. See pic!

He's a Republican.

Unbelievable.

Celeb Sighting

The Celeb: Bob Costas
Why He's Famous: Currently hosts NFL on NBC; was a sportscaster for many years; hosted Later with Bob Costas on NBC.
Where/When I saw him: Last Thursday night, in front of Time Warner Building (near Columbus Circle)
Thought I had when I saw him: Man, he is short.

Fun with Logos

You too can create your own customized interface for Google. Saw this Google font generator in Pogue's Posts in NY Times.

Love that Broken Social Scene

Been listening to Broken Social Scene's "Swimmers" song a lot lately. There's a million members to this Canadian indie rock supergroup, including those pictured to the right (Amy Millan of Stars, Emily Haines of Metric, and Feist).

Slope Dining

It was a long week, so we unwound on Friday night with a nice meal at Rose Water (6th/Union). We've been there about 4 times and it has been consistently good (quality, service, atmosphere) although we did have some annoying diners next to us who were on their cell phones!

I had a foie gras special to start that was served with cranberries and peanut brittle. I'm not even exactly sure what I ate but it was good and tasted fresh. Maybe because it is Greenmarket Restaurant Week! As for my entree, I had a roasted chicken served with fresh veggies (lima beans, carrots, etc.) and washed it down with a Brooklyn Pilsner.

Yesterday, meanwhile, we finally made our way to Belleville (5th ave/5th st.), a brasserie where we grabbed some brunch. I had the eggs benedict (served with salad and home fries) and a cup of coffee. It was good, not great, but we'll definitely be interested in coming back to check out their dinner and try the steak frites and escargot.