Star Wars

I watched an interesting 2-hour special on The History Channel called Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed. It chronicles how the films pulled from various sources: history, mythology, religion and literature.

At one point, they describe the Evil Empire as such: "....disguised as kindly Senator Palpatine who uses the republic's fears of rebellion and war to gradually seize absolute power...."

Hmmm, why does that sound familiar?

Tapas

Last night we met up after work and headed to Union Square to check out Boqueria (19th btwn 5th and 6th) for some tapas.

We got there pretty early so there was no wait. It's a small but stylish space. Sangria was so-so but the tapas did not disappoint. We tried the aceitunas alinadas (marinated olives), datiles con beicon (dates wrapped in bacon with blue cheese), mixed croquetas (sample plate of three different croquettes - pork, fish and mushrooms), gambas al ajillo (garlic shrimp) and the patatas bravas (spicy potatoes).

Since anything wrapped in bacon is automatically a favorite, I'm eliminating it from consideration for our favorite tapas dish. It ends up being a tie between the spicy potatoes and mixed croquettes, which we'd both recommend and certainly will order again.

Service was top-notch due to an attentive waitress who actually anticipated our needs (bringing us extra bread, offering another glass of sangria, not rushing us out the door when we were done, etc.). It's rare to get good service but a pleasant surprise when you do.

We recommend Boqueria!

Summer Babe

It already feels like summer...

Rudeness

On Friday we went to our usual haunt, Union Hall. This time we met up with a friend and some of his friends. We sat on the raised platform at the back of the bar where they have a bunch of couches and chairs.

After settling in with some food and drinks, a curious event took place not once but twice - we experienced some rudeness from fellow bar patrons. The first instance involved someone who could best be described as a "meathead". He said (and I'm paraphrasing here): "Excuse, but I could have that chair? There aren't enough over there..." Now mind you, I was sitting in the aforementioned chair that he was requesting and was probably in mid-bite or mid-sip. Needless to say, I was taken aback and didn't quite know how to respond so I said sure and actually got out of my chair and let him take the seat. Yes, he literally took the seat from underneath me. Not a huge deal, we had a ton of space in terms of the couches in our area but in retrospect (and probably due to the fact that our friend was really pissed about this guy having the audacity to ask for the chair I was sitting in) it was a really rude thing for that guy to do and I certainly did not have to oblige and be the nicer guy.

Anyhow the night went on and then a woman approached our group and asked "Are you in it for the long haul?" We were like: "What?" Who was this woman? I thought she might've been a waitress or bartender or something. Long story short, she was trying to see how long we were going to be because she was having a birthday party. Who cares?! The lounge area in the back can't be reserved by anyone. It's first come, first serve. And when one of our group went to the front of the bar to let this woman know that the lounge area next to us was open, she simply gave a quick acknowledgement and promptly blew her off. Unbelievable. The only solace taken from this woman's display of rudeness was the fact that we later saw her chatting up her "birthday party guests" as a sheet of toilet paper clung to the bottom of her shoe. What a classy, classy gal.

Week In Review

On Monday, we went out to dinner at Peperoncino.

On Tuesday, met up with an old high school classmate for a drink at Gaslight in the Meatpacking District.

On Wednesday, met a reality TV star and then had drinks at Chelsea Brewing Company. Then I went to an ex-co-worker's going away party at El Rio Grande.

On Friday, went to Union Hall and met up with friends. Though apparently, (as one friend put it) it was "A-hole night in Brooklyn".

On Saturday, had dinner at Oshima.

On Sunday, sat outside with a friend in the patio of Nana and then had drinks outside at Flatbush Farm.

Smashing Pumpkins - Today

Here's to the three-day weekend....

The #1 President to Do #2 On

Score a victory for karma as Bush got crapped on by a bird recently...

Archers Of Loaf - Web In Front

An oldie but goodie that reminds me of college...

5th Ave Street Fair

Summer street fair season took off today with the 5th Ave. Street Fair here in Park Slope.

I had a jacket and umbrella but didn't need it since the sun came out and the weather was great as we strolled up 5th Ave. The usual suspects were there - mozzarepa stands, booths selling pillows that looked like "sushi" and, of course, the booths representing the local neighborhood joints.

Except for a samosa that my wife purchased from an Indian restaurant, we pretty much learned our lesson from street fairs past and decided to save our money. I did stop by the Nets booth and entered a drawing for an autographed Jason Kidd basketball even though I am against Bruce Ratner's Atlantic Yards development and can't imagine living blocks away from an arena. I also stopped by the Brooklyn Cyclones booth where the attendant spotted my Cyclones hat and said: "That's what I like to see."

Afterwards, we headed to Alchemy where we had brunch, picked up a few items at Target and then went home.

Where Was This Book When I Was Growing Up?

Being a sucker for nostalgia, I couldn't help but find The Dangerous Book for Boys to sound pretty interesting after reading an article about it in The Wall Street Journal.

Check out the amusing "Rushmore-like" trailer ad for the book on Youtube here.

And here's the description courtesy of Amazon.com.

Equal parts droll and gorgeous nostalgia book and heartfelt plea for a renewed sense of adventure in the lives of boys and men, Conn and Hal Iggulden's The Dangerous Book for Boys became a mammoth bestseller in the United Kingdom in 2006. Adapted, in moderation, for American customs in this edition (cricket is gone, rugby remains; conkers are out, Navajo Code Talkers in), The Dangerous Book is a guide book for dads as well as their sons, as a reminder of lore and technique that have not yet been completely lost to the digital age. Recall the adventures of Scott of the Antarctic and the Battle of the Somme, relearn how to palm a coin, tan a skin, and, most charmingly, wrap a package in brown paper and string. The book's ambitions are both modest and winningly optimistic: you get the sense that by learning how to place a splint or write in invisible ink, a boy might be prepared for anything, even girls (which warrant a small but wise chapter of their own).

See, Even Jimmy Carter Agrees With Me

That Bush is the worst ever.

Week in Review

It seemed like a long week - was at a co-worker's going away party on Tuesday, said goodbye to some neighbors who are moving to Manhattan on Wednesday and hung out with my wife and her sister who was visiting on Thursday.

This weekend it's supposed to rain so may stay in but hopefully can get out to the 5th Ave. Street Fair on Sunday....

TRADE VINCE, KEEP KIDD

Another Nets season comes to an end and although they exceeded expectations in some sense (making it to a Game 6 in the semifinals despite erratic play and a series of injuries all season long), the reality is they had a chance to win this series.

Jason Kidd continued to amaze despite his advanced basketball "age" of 34, averaging a triple-double during the playoffs. Richard Jefferson, coming off an injury-plagued season, showed his grit with fearlessness toward the basket. Even the role players showed something - from Mikki Moore to Bostjan Nachbar.

But Vince Carter once again disappointed. Yes, it's a team game and not to sound cliched, but "to whom much is given, much is expected" and it's now been three seasons where Vince has had some phenomenal regular-season games but has all but disappeared during the playoffs.

Now New Jersey fans can empathize with Toronto fans, fully understanding the frustation that is having Vince Carter. A superb individual scorer at times, a lackadaisical uninterested performer at others. During last night's loss to Cleveland, he scored a paltry 11 points. The NY media is calling for the break-up of the "Big Three" but trading Kidd who's exhibited he still has game and is (next to Nash) one of the best point guards in the league would be a horrible mistake. A healthy RJ can more than make up for the scoring punch that Vince would supposedly leave. It's time to do Nets fans a favor and execute a sign and trade for some bigs who can (alongside a healthy Nenad Krstic) do some damage in the post.

Please get rid of Vince, his sour puss, and frustrating play.

I'm not alone in these thoughts. Check out this article on ESPN and this one on NY Daily News.

Silversun Pickups - Lazy Eye

Good song - kinda sounds like old Smashing Pumpkins, no?

Feist - I Feel It All (Live)

Love this song

The DL - Ted Leo - 'Who Do You Love' Live Solo

BREAKING NEWS: HIPSTER POSERS SPOTTED AT UNION HALL

Last week we were at Union Hall and we noticed two guys whom, let's just say, did not look like Union Hall's usual patrons.

One tried a little more than the other, wearing a Brooklyn Industries t-shirt and possibly some old-school sneakers. However the two pagers/phones that were clipped to his belt were a give-away that he was not a regular.

That wasn't the crime, however, as this obnoxious gentleman and his friend made a ton of noise on the bocce court. The guy in the BKI t-shirt disagreeably tried to chat up women in the bar - first the one next to him on the bocce court and then another who was heading back to her seat by belligerently yelling "Hello" to her.

Also, I overheard him telling his buddy that he had to "dress like this" otherwise they would "ask him questions at the door" and made comments about the fact that the people that go there wear "weird sneakers".

If he was hating on the usual Union Hall patron so much, why did he even attempt to fit in? Clearly a guy who wanted to fit in and became obnoxious when no one paid attention to him.

Good Lookin' Out, Dawg

Yesterday, I stopped by Willie's Dawgs and had the Frankie (carmelized onions and bacon). It was pretty tasty and reminiscent of Nathan's with a good "snap" to it. There's outdoor seating too, making it a nice addition to the PS dining scene on 5th.

Active Week

On Monday, I caught up with a friend over drinks at Lucy Latin Kitchen.

On Tuesday, I participated in a charity bowl-a-thon at Chelsea Piers and then hung out at Chelsea Brewing Co. with some co-workers.

On Wednesday, I rested.

On Thursday, we met up with some random Swedes (friend of a friend who was visiting NYC) and took them to Union Hall and Flatbush Farm. Even though we just met them for the first time, we got along fine and they were pretty cool.

On Friday, my wife's uncle and family were in town and we had dinner at Southwest NY.

Last night, we went to Long Island City, Queens to catch up with some friends.

Love Will Tear Us Apart -Joy Division

Simple Things

Sunday mornings are the best. It's quiet on 7th Ave. Walk down to pick up some bagels at La Bagel Delight and then hit a corner store for a copy of the Times. Then it's on to Ozzie's for coffee and the free Brooklyn paper.

Walking Across the Bridge

Today we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge for the first time since we moved over a year ago. It was a great day so we got a good walk in and we took the pics below....

Once we made it to the Manhattan side, we went to South Street Seaport, which was pretty touristy and reminded us of Navy Pier back in Chicago.

When we returned to Brooklyn we had a nice brunch outdoors at Jolie in Boerum Hill.

Celebrity Sighting

The Celeb: Liev Schrieber

Why He's Famous: He's engaged to Naomi Watts. And oh yeah, he's been in a ton of movies.

Where I saw him: Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge, jogging toward Brooklyn

When: Around 10:30 am, 5/5/07

Good Weather Week and Nets Win

The weather was great in NYC this week - sunny and pleasant. Earlier in the week we sat outside at Rose Water to have dinner.

Later in the week we went out to our favorite bar Union Hall for some flatbread and drinks.

Last night we stayed in and I watched the Nets barely beat the Toronto Raptors, edging them by a point thanks to Richard Jefferson's late game bucket and steal to seal the victory. The Cavs are up next...

Day In Jersey

Yesterday we took our Zipcar and made our way over the Manhattan Bridge, through the Holland Tunnel and over to Jersey.

With the exception of a brief hiccup (as in, taking a wrong turn, getting lost, and spending way too much time there) in Chinatown, it was pretty much smooth sailing getting from BK to NJ.

We spent some time (um, actually 6 hours) at Short Hills Mall, eating lunch at Legal Seafoods and later a snack at Johnny Rocket's prior to travelling to Exit 16W for the Nets/Raptors playoff game number 4.

Getting to the stadium was fine but the parking situation was less than desirable with general parking being relegated to a lot near Giants Stadium, thus causing everyone to have to hike a ways and walk through a tunnel just to get to Continental Airlines Arena. Pretty poor customer experience considering we shelled out about $170 for the tickets and $12 for the parking. Once we got there, we received programs and cheerstix and settled into our seats.

The stadium filled up as time went on and the Nets pretty much took it to the Raptors from the beginning. There was a barrage of highlight worthy plays - three pointers, alley oops, etc. By the end of the third quarter, the Nets were up by 30 points so we had the perfect excuse to leave early, beat the crowds and get our Zipcar back to Park Slope.

Looking Forward To This Album

Really looking forward to the new album by Feist called The Reminder.

Check out the video to her single "1-2-3-4" on YouTube here.

For more on Feist, check out her Wikipedia bio.

Dinner and a Movie

We had a nice dinner with some friends at their place (healthy vegetarian meal and chocolate/fruit for dessert). Afterwards, we fired up the movies-on-demand and watched Thank You For Smoking.

It was an entertaining film and an effective satire against the lobbying community. I'd recommend it.

That's Phat

I saw these pickled items at the Grand Army Plaza greenmarket today.

I just like the cool labels - like "phat beets".

For more info, check out rick's picks.

Broken Social Scene: 7/4 Shoreline

Nets Win but rest of NYC Teams Lose

Last night was one of those nights I wished I had multiple flat screen TVs in our apartment.

There was Yankees/Red Sox, Mets/Nationals, Rangers/Sabres (Game 2), Bulls/Heat (Game 3), and Nets/Raptors (Game 3) all on TV at the same time.

Unfortunately, all the New York area teams lost last night except for the Nets who beat the Raptors 102-89.

J-Kidd had a ridiculously good stat line of 16 points, 19 assists and 16 rebounds.

Agent Zero

First there was Barkley. Then Shaq. Now one of the more entertaining players in the NBA has to be Gilbert Arenas (nicknamed "Agent Zero").

His blog is pretty good. Check it out here.

And check out this YouTube clip of Arenas beating DeShawn Stevenson in a three-point contest with one hand!

Overheard in Prospect Park

I overheard this exchange in Prospect Park over the weekend.

Woman (to male friend): "What's your secret?"
Man (to female friend): "It's the hypnotherapy".

Pavement - Major Leagues

An oldie but goodie.

Ridiculously Good Weather

Yesterday's weather was flawless so we spent a good part of the day in Prospect Park and took some of the pictures you see here.

Then we headed over to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and picked up a family membership. While we were there, we took these pics.

Indian Food

Last night we met up with a friend and tried out Amin (7th/Union) here in Park Slope. The ambience was fine (decor is fairly conservative), service decent and food was pretty good. In fact, I don't think we've had Indian food since we moved here.

We tried the assorted appetizers (samosa, floza, chicken pakora and papadom), chicken tikka marsala, and spinach. The best was the naan, however, which is unleavened bread baked in a clay oven.

Afterwards, we headed to the beer garden of Flatbush Farm and enjoyed the warm evening weather.

Cat Power - Lived In Bars

Finally Spring

I took this picture from our apt window today....

Everyone was out in the Slope....

We also sat on a park bench in Prospect Park and did some people watching....

Playoff Time

Things are looking up after a cloudy, rainy and depressing week.

The forecast for the NYC area is great for this weekend - sunny and the 70's and it's the start of the NBA playoffs.

I've been a huge fan of the NBA for some time and have been following the Nets for years. Today, they begin their first round series against the Toronto Raptors at 12:30 pm ET on YES and ESPN.

The big underlying story is Vince Carter going up against his old team, Toronto. Toronto absolutely hates him (he admitted not playing to his full potential so that they would trade him) so this ought to be interesting.

I've watched just about all the regular season games on YES Network this year and this season's team has been frustrating to say the least. Granted, they've suffered key injuries to Nenad Krstic, Richard Jefferson and Eddie House but even when they were healthy, they were up and down. The most consistently entertaining parts of the Nets broadcasts were the announcing of Ian Eagle and Mark Jackson's "You're Better Than That" segment. They have been playing well of late, however, so there's hope that they will defeat Toronto and move on to the next round.

Gone are the glory days of Nets past when they had some of my favorite players like Kerry Kittles and Kenyon Martin, but this team should be pretty fun to watch nonetheless with JKidd, Vinsanity and RJ being flanked by the rising play of Boki Nachbar and Mikki Moore.

For more on the Nets, check out the blog JoeNetsfan.

Human Giant - Illusionators

Hilarious skit spoofing Criss Angel and his "illusions".

Remember Britpop?

I recently watched an interesting documentary on the 90's Britpop phenomenon on BBC America.


I'm not sure I fully understood everything that was said thanks to the very heavy cockney accents, but it sure did bring back memories of high school/college - picking up copies of Select magazine and brooding to the tunes of The Verve, Sleeper, Gene, Oasis, and Blur....

Last Weekend

Since I was sick all week I am behind in blogging...anyway, last Saturday we finally checked out Brooklyn Fish Camp (162 5th ave.) here in Park Slope and...it was good. We were there for lunch and I tried their signature lobster roll while my wife had the shrimp tacos. Although it did carry a steep market price of $28, the lobster roll did deliver.

Later we went over to the Court Street cinema in Brooklyn Heights to see Will Ferrell in Blades of Glory. The film did not disappoint and was solid fare among the others in the Ferrell pantheon (Anchorman, Talladega Nights, Old School).

Afterwards, we walked down Atlantic Ave. and headed back to Park Slope and saw some interesting places in Boerum Hill that we may have to check out again - like Betty Bakery, a French bistro called Jolie, and a wine bar called Donna da vine.

Eventually we made it back to Park Slope and ended up at the fairly new neighborhood gastropub Alchemy (pictured from their website). It's got a great vibe and the fried chickpeas were a nice touch. My wife enjoyed the lamb stew and we had no choice but to try the Sticky Guinness pudding. We'll definitely be back....

GE Aviation Commercial

How is this commercial for real? It seems like an SNL skit. It's really corny.

Sick All Week

Sadly, this was my drink of choice all week.

It started on Sunday - headache, chills, stomach problems...

Continued on Monday with a sore throat which kept me at home...

And on through Tuesday until I had a persistent cough on Wednesday and then an interminable and yet intermittent runny/stuffy nose on Thursday and Friday.

I've had a lot of cough drops, Cold-Eeze, Airborne, tea, and soup along the way and I think I am finally feeling better. What a bitch.

Belle and Sebastian - White Collar Boy

Tribeca Film Festival...

is coming April 25th. I'm thinking about checking it out. Click here for more info.

Passing On Beer Pong

Earlier in the week I must have taken every subway line to get to the Upper East Side for a free happy hour that my wife won at Mo's Caribbean.

It's not the kind of place that we would, um, normally frequent but long story short, she was there once with co-workers, dropped the biz card for the free happy hour, and next thing you know we have free drinks.

We stayed long enough to catch up with people but departed once the beer pong started.

Later, we walked down 2nd Ave. and ended up at Ko Sushi (2nd/70th) which was surprisingly good.

American Express - My Life. My Card. (Deniro)

My Media Consumption Habits

It's interesting to think about how much media consumption has changed over the years. Driven by the constant introduction of new technology, I've certainly noticed changes in my behavior.

Here's a look at some of the media I've been consuming lately and any relevant changes:



PRINT
We get a ton of publications thanks to turning in some unused airline miles. It's almost too much so I tend to scan them or just read articles of interest instead of reading cover to cover.

1. 4 weeklies: BusinessWeek, Economist, Time Out New York, New York Magazine
2. 1 daily: The Wall Street Journal
3. 1 monthly: Fast Company

TELEVISION

I'll rarely watch live television unless it's news (NY1, News 12 Brooklyn or the local NBC affiliate) or a sporting event. Most of the time I tend to "binge" watch my DVR'ed programs on the weekend. DVR'ed programs include:

1. Lost
2. Heroes
3. The Colbert Report
4. The Daily Show
5. The Soup
6. The Office

There's also the occasional one-off program: a special on The Travel Channel or Fine Living or NYC-TV...

RADIO/MUSIC

I don't listen to terrestrial radio at all. I do consume some Internet Radio, like:

1. Soma FM
2. Download specific shows from KCRW.com like Jason Bentley's Metropolis or Nic Harcourt's Morning Becomes Eclectic
3. Download podcasts from i-Tunes for shows like NPR's This American Life
4. Hardly ever buy actual CDs anymore (pretty much never!). This is a total change from all the cassette tapes and CDs that I used to buy. Now it's pretty much relegated to one-offs from i-Tunes.

GAMING

1. PS2: a couple hours a week - gameplay has significantly dropped off as I get older
2. Nintendo DS: Just picked this up - been playing "Brain Age" to stave off old age!
3. No online gaming or Second Life for me - I don't get it

ONLINE

1. Hours spent online too numerous to count
2. I blog (obviously) and read some blogs daily (Gothamist.com, Brooklynvegan.com)
3. Look at news sites daily (CNN.com and NY Times.com)
4. Sometimes randomly search Youtube for random videos
5. Occasionally look at social networking sites but it's not that fun since I'm out of the demo and most of my friends aren't on there

MOBILE

1. Not into ringtones, playing games or downloading songs/videos to my phone
2. Rarely use my phone to take pictures
3. Have finally begun text-messaging (yes, a late adopter)

FILMS

1. Go to the actual movie theater 1-3 times a year
2. Mostly watch films via Netflix and usually it's the DVD of tv shows that I never got to watch

I Need to Start Using My Camera Phone

Saw two interesting things in East Village yesterday....

1)The irony of a homeless person wearing a baseball cap with a "Credit Suisse First Boston Private Equity" logo on it; and

2)A squirrel in Tompkins Square Park perched on a park bench next to a brown paper bag with his hands on a full sandwich.

Reading Pays Off

I was talking to a Brit recently and somehow I worked into the conversation the recent NY Magazine article "NY vs London" AND a recent Economist article about pub closings b/c they can make more money turning the property into condos.

Week of Happy Hours

Somehow, it's been a week of meeting up with old friends for drinks after work. First, it was at Flute in Union Square.

Then, it was at the Grey Dog Cafe in the West Village. And did I reveal too much to my friend MD about my blog? Has she discovered it through the clever search technology of Google? :)

Finally, it was in our very own neighborhood at Flatbush Farm where the artichoke dip is great and onion rings okay but fries were cooked in the same oil as some of their fish dishes. Yuck.

Dine-In Brooklyn Week at Tempo

Earlier this week my wife and I met up with another couple to take in the great deals of Dine-In Brooklyn Week at Tempo Restaurant and Wine Bar.


The place was packed for a Tuesday night and surely everyone was there for the $21.12 three-course prix fixe menu.


I had the sweet pea and ricotta bruschetta, pan roasted chicken and lemon ginger creme brulee. My wife had the wild greens with warm goat cheese roulades, sardinian fregola with spicy calamari and passion fruit torte.

This Is How Stereotypes Get Perpetuated

Notice the incorrect spelling of "Virginia".

These players don't seem to be bothered by it though.

Half a Movie

We watched Half Nelson on DVD last night and I have to say that I didn't love it - despite its critical acclaim, despite Ryan Gosling's very believable performance as a crackhead, despite the Brooklyn setting and music by Broken Social Scene.

I get that it's not supposed to have a neat and tidy "After-school Special" type ending and that not everyone or everything can fall into black/white but often, shades of gray. Whatever. I was disappointed with the film.

Mates of State - Like U Crazy/Crazy (Gnarls Barkley)

Life Logs - Old School Version

I saw these cool "themed" journals at a local gift store a few weeks back.

You can check them out at knockknock.biz.

Amy Winehouse - Just Friends - Live @ Bayswater

Grass is Greener

With march madness upon us and alma mater pride in full effect, it's always interesting to reflect on whether one would choose the school they went to if they had to do it over again.

I attended an undergraduate institution in the Midwest. It had a prestigious name and good academics but the social life was well, socially retarded.

It ended up working out - I enjoyed my classes, made some best friends for life and even met my wife. But would I do it again knowing what I know now? And aren't I a different person at 31 than the one I was at 18? Or am essentially the same person at the core?

I jokingly told my wife that I should have based my college choice on where I wanted to party for 4 years b/c as we become working stiffs and our friends spread out across the country or to the burbs to start families, college was a pretty good time in retrospect. Little responsibility and you get to live amongst your best friends and significant other in the same place? Not a bad deal.

So what schools sound like they might have been a good time to me based on location and prestige?

-Georgetown (Washington, DC)
-McGill (Montreal, Quebec)
-UCLA (Los Angeles, CA)
-UC Berkeley (Berkley, CA)
-Columbia (NYC)
-Brown (Providence, RI)
-Northwestern (Evanston, IL)

Getting into these schools would be another matter but if I ever have kids maybe I'll strongly suggest they look into these institutions.

Visiting Columbia U

The weather was pretty good today so we headed to Columbia U to see the Medical Center campus and the main campus in Morningside Heights (see picture from the steps of the libary to the right).

We also took in some bruch at nearby Le Monde on Broadway and 110th.

A Belated Birthday Dinner

Last night we met up with a few friends for drinks at Verlaine in the Lower East Side. Yes, we had cheap cocktails amongst the hipsters (they do exist and they do sport ironic mustaches).

Afterwards, my wife and I walked over to my post-birthday birthday dinner at wd-50. We had the tasting menu and overall the food was good and probably some of the most inventive I've ever had (see picture to the left of the miso soup with sesame noodles that you squeeze out of a tube).

Here's the rundown of the meal:

-Trout roe, cauliflower, parsley, kobayaki crisp
-Shrimp and tarragon macaroons
-Foie gras in the round
-Sweetbreads, cabbage-kaffir, water chestnuts
-Beef tongue, fried mayo, tomato molasses
-Miso soup, sesame noodles
-Langoustine, popcorn, hibiscus, endive
-Squab breast, beets, sorrel, coconut pebbles
-Black currant parfait, green tea, elderflower
-Soft chocolate, avocado, licorice, lime
-Coffee cake, ricotta, maraschino, chicory ice cream
-Juniper marshallow, lime sugar

The portions weren't huge so don't be fooled by the intimidating list above. And though the food was exceptional and innovative, the overall experience suffered from the ambience and service. I felt like there was a disconnnect between the food (and its prices!) and the feel of the space. When dropping that kind of cash, I might expect a more refined experience a la Jean Georges. However, it was a good meal nonetheless and certainly a unique experience.

Signs That I Have Turned "31"

1. I got my shoes shined yesterday

2. I wore a sport coat to dinner the other night

3. I took a car service to work b/c the 2/3 trains were delayed

4. I place a premium on sleep versus staying up late

Vegas, After All

It was disappointing that my wife and I did not get to go to Vegas on our own but I still had to make it out there for my work event.

Flying was still no treat - even three days after the sudden snowstorm in the NYC area. I had to fly to Charlotte, NC and then fly to Vegas from there.

After a couple hours of delays on both legs of the flight, I finally reached my destination. Vegas is certainly not a pretty town - the strip has theme hotel after theme hotel intermixed with strip-mall like establishments and construction sites. All of this resides in a relatively small area surrounded by desert.

Exhausted from the flight and battling a cold, I took a nap immediately. Later that night, I met up with co-workers to have dinner at Social House at Treasure Island. The food was pretty good and we were a little distracted by the Sirens of TI show that takes place in front of the hotel every night. If I had a kid, I don't think I would take them to watch this show but apparently that does not stop the throngs of tourists and families from flocking to this free event.

The next day we had our partner meetings and in the afternoon it was back to "team-building". We had a private poker lesson from a dealer, took in dinner at Il Mulino at the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace and saw an entertaining show from Penn and Teller at the Rio.

Au Revoir Simone - Fallen Snow

Moving On

Still stinging from not being in Vegas this weekend, we decided to make the best of the weekend and head into the city.

We ended up having brunch at The Little Owl in the West Village. My wife had the whole wheat pancakes with berries, marscapone and vanilla maple syrup. I had the eggs benedict and side of bacon. The food was tasty and the place had a nice vibe.

We then headed to Magnolia Bakery to pick up some cupcakes.

Grounded (or "How we Endured a Horrific Day of Non-Travel")

It all was going too smoothly. I called the airline the night before and despite the repeated winter storm warnings, our flight was not cancelled. I called again in the morning despite the fact that it was snowing outside but the flight was still not cancelled.

So, we got up at 5:00 am, got our things together and headed to JFK airport. We waited in line for an hour to get our bags checked in and to get our boarding passes. Amazingly, still no cancellations. We were thinking that this might happen. We might escape New York's wintry mix - a cruel final blast of ice and snow that took place just 36 hours after we experienced 70-degree weather in the tri-state area. We spent a half-hour getting through security and scarfed down breakfast in just enough time to get to the gate as the boarding process began. Maybe we would get to Vegas after all!

We boarded the plane, stowed our belongings, buckled our seat belts, fired up the ipods and Nintendo DS and we're looking forward to the warm weather, the gambling, the NCAA games, our dinner reservations, and possibly seeing some friends who would also be there. They even de-iced the plane and got us to the runway. But alas, it was not to be! First, the pilot took us back to the gate and had us de-board. That's when it did not look good. We had been on the plane for a couple hours so getting us off was the only thing they did right. Afterwards, we all sat around at the gate. They said they weren't cancelling the flight and it was "indefinitely" delayed. What the hell does that mean? We were held hostage. Our bags still on the plane having been checked in. Dreams of going to Vegas dashed but still remained on the off chance that they might fly. But we all knew as time went on and the weather worsened, the chances of going to Vegas got slimmer and slimmer.

U.S. Airways just handled it poorly. We all get that they can't affect the weather, but there was little communication. We relied on each other or word-of-mouth to find out what was going on. Three to four hours later (out of a total of about 8-9 hours wasted in the plane and at the airport), it was clear that we weren't flying. We waited in line to find out where to get our bags and how to get re-booked but upon getting to the desk, the clerks walked away! What are we, invisible? One even said she would be right back, but never returned. Absolutely terrible customer service. Finally, we said "Fuck it, let's just get out of here." We went down to baggage claim, got our bags and waited in line. Ice pellets barraged almost as mercilessly as the entire day had. We waited for quite some time before we got into the cab and headed home.

Au Revoir Simone at Union Hall

Last Tuesday night I met up with a friend at Union Hall to see Au Revoir Simone.

I purchased the tickets a while back but of course was second-guessing the purchase as I sat at the bar waiting for my friend to arrive. Not because I don't like Union Hall or because I didn't think Au Revoir Simone would be good. But rather, it was simply because one gets into the flow of the work week, gets tired, and finds himself wondering if he is too old to be going out on weeknights and seeing shows. Okay, that "one" person would be me.

There was a good crowd at the bar upstairs and of course the usual throngs surrounding the bocce court but I had never been downstairs to see the live music venue. It was nice - a small bar, a few chairs/benches along the side and the intimate feel of seeing a band play that was reminiscent of my younger days watching indie bands in people's basements.

We missed the first opener but did catch a spirited performance by Liverpool's Hot Club de Paris, which had an interesting mix of oddball humor, barbershop a capellas and dare I say, a Futureheads-type sound of music.

Au Revoir Simone then came on and I wondered to my friend - "Which came first, the haircut or the band?" - referring to the almost identical-look that all three members sport. See picture above. The place was packed and Au Revoir Simone did not disappoint. Some of my favorite songs were "The Lucky One" and "Through the Backyards".

Family Guy

Random but funny.

Slope Saturday

Yesterday we ran errands and then ended up at Park Slope Ale House for a drink and lunch.

Later that night we headed to old fave Union Hall for a couple drinks and their flatbread.

We then tried to check out newcomer gastropub Alchemy but it was totally packed! So, we found ourselves at Long Tan, a Thai restaurant with a good bar, good prices (if you eat at the bar) and a great i-tunes playlist courtesy of the bartenders. We tried the shrimp dumplings with plum sauce, vegetable spring rolls and crispy squid. It was all pretty good and made us want to come back and try the entrees. And the tunes couldn't be beat - The Smiths, Bloc Party, The Shins, etc.

The Little Ones -

Cool City Gear Here

Check it out here

Late Adopter

I finally got around to downloading some free podcasts on i-Tunes.

There's lot of good content on there - from NPR's This American Life and Fresh Air to Harvard Business Review pieces and daily foreign language lessons. Check it out!

Eventually, they all leave Chicago and move to NY

First, Ira Glass takes This American Life from Chicago to NY.

Now, Ryan Schreiber of indie rock tastemaker Pitchfork is moving from Chicago to Park Slope!

Red State Hypocrisy

I've grown weary and have lost count of the numerous occassions in which a Republican politician or supporter has stuck his/her foot in their mouth by revealing what a hypocrite they are (see Rush Limbaugh, Dick Cheney, Bill O' Reilly, Dubya, etc.) and now this little gem about Gingrich who apparently was having an affair while leading the charge against Clinton during the Lewinsky scandal!

Boozy nights

On Wednesday night I met up with some old co-workers at Blue Ribbon Bar in the West Village. It's got a great ambience and I did enjoy the Old Speckled Hen ale that they had on tap.

Afterwards we headed to Daddy O's whose ambience was less desirable but whose tater tots were for real.

Last night I had a friend in town for work and we met up in Union Square where we had drinks at Lucy Latin Kitchen followed by tapas at Pipa where the crispy calamari can't be beat. We finished off at Heartland Brewery for some Indiana Pale Ale.

It then took me forever to catch a cab. I pretty much walked from 18th and B'way to Bowery and Canal (~2 miles?) to get a cab to go home to BK! I now see why I never go out to Manhattan on Saturday nights...

Get Your Elastic Pants Out...

Because Dine-In Brooklyn week is coming....