Thanksgiving Edition

Happy Thanksgiving!

Yesterday we kicked off the long holiday weekend with some snacks at SouthwestNY, then caught an afternoon flick - Stranger Than Fiction, which did an admirable job of putting a twist on the classic "live life to the fullest" theme.

Afterwards, we finally checked out Century 21 Department Store, which we had heard much about.

Badly Drawn Boy - You Were Right

Brunch on Smith Street

Yesterday, we finally checked out restaurant row on Smith Street in Cobble Hill, Brookyn. We had brunch at Cafe Luluc. The prices were reasonable and food good though not extraordinary. My wife had the quiche while I had the eggs benedict. Coffee was decent, service solid and ambience good overall. We'll have to make a return to Smith Street for dinner sometime and maybe check out The Grocery.

Holidays Around The Corner

Nothing says "white" Christmas like some of the seasonal drinks at Starbucks or the recent releases of holiday tunes from people like Sarah McLachlan, Aimee Mann and Sufjan Stevens.

And though I do mock the yuppiness of it all, hey I can't deny that I enjoy the Peppermint Mocha drink or holiday interpretations by musicians whose typically angst-ridden work I've enjoyed over the years.

Yes, I've become that which I despise. I'll be wearing my handmade reindeer sweater, sipping my latte, and enjoying the soothing sounds of adult contemporary music over the speakers. Happy Holidays!

Lilly Allen - Smile

Ridiculous Celeb Sighting

Oh, no. Actually, it was Ludacris.

The Celeb: Ludacris

Where Sighted: Tao Restaurant (58th/Madison)

The Scenario: Saying goodbye to co-workers after having dinner at Tao and waiting for cabs outside - we then saw Ludacris and crew exit the restaurant, have his photo taken a couple times and then head to their limo

My Thoughts: Man, why is Ludacris going to Tao? Couldn't he go somewhere cooler?

Weekend in Montreal

So, of course, I forgot the battery to my digital camera on our trip to Montreal this past weekend (the pic to the left is from the Official Tourism site of Montreal).

But that didn't stop us from having a good time. After a short one-hour flight from NYC, we arrived in Montreal and set out to explore the city via a Coach Canada three-hour tour of the city. Yes, start singing the theme to Gilligan's Island ("three-hour tour, a three-hour tour..."). As touristy as it was, it was a great way to see the city. Montreal is a very clean, beautiful city with a mix of modernity and cultural heritage. And it certainly felt like we were far from NYC as everyone spoke French and all the signs were in French. We saw lots of sites (mostly short stops) on the tour, including:

-Centreville (or midtown)
-Chinatown
-Bonsecours Market Building (City Hall)
-Biodome
-Olympic Park
-University of Montreal
-St. Joseph's Basilica
-Notre Dame Cathedral
-Botanical Garden
-Old Montreal
-McGill University
-Mount Royal Park (designed by same architect who designed Central Park and Prospect Park!)

The architecture was amazing and our tour bus driver explained how they have universal healthcare and affordable education for its residents. That must explain why I didn't see many homeless people and why the streets were clean - just a better quality of life. Or perhaps that is too simple an answer and maybe I just didn't see the underside of Montreal.

Later that night, we went to a cool, trendy restaurant called Cube for dinner. Located in Old Montreal which (as its name implies) is full of cobblestone streets and charming old buildings, the neighborhood is now full of restaurants and art galleries and feels very European. We had been given a gift certificate to Cube and so indulged a bit with the tasting menu, which included:

-Cold zucchini soup
-Foie gras and cold pea soup
-Salmon and lobster risotto
-Beef filet/pork
-Cheese Plate
-Coffe/Caramel Cream
-Banana creme brulee/white chocolate sorbet and cake

All in all, a delicious meal within a very cool atmosphere. And because it's so cold in Montreal, much of the downtown area is connected with underground passageways, which we used to get to Old Montreal. It was surprising to see how quiet, clean and new the passageways were compared to NYC!

On Saturday, we took advantage of the underground city since it was raining all day and hit some of the different malls and shopping opportunites that Montreal offers, including a stop at Roots. Later that night, we went back to Old Montreal for dinner at Gargote. We had the escargot, my wife had the filet mignon and I had the duck, while topping it off with some creme brulee.

We definitely liked Montreal though would go back when it is warmer!

Goals and Goals

Yesterday, we walked over to 4th Ave. in Park Slope to watch some of the NYC marathon. Much like the Chicago marathon, it was pretty fun to see people come out and line the street to cheer the runners (and wheelchair racers) on.

Later on, we went to Madison Square Garden to see the Rangers take on the Buffalo Sabres. I have to say it was the most lively crowd I had been around at a sporting event! It was fun to see them score a few goals as the crowd sings a "Goal" song afterwards, but we left after two periods when they were up 3-2 to get back home and relax before the work week.

Of course, once we got home, I turned on the t.v. and it turns out that the Sabres came from behind to win 4-3 in O.T. Guess we left at a good time.

The Cardigans I Need Some Fine Wine

East Village Brunch

Yesterday, we headed into the East Village to have brunch with my aunt and cousin who were visiting from Texas (and visiting my cousin who lives in the East Village).

We went to a place called 7A Cafe and it was pretty good.

Meals were about $10.95 and included entree plus coffee/tea and a choice from a variety of cocktails. I had coffee, a mimosa and the salmon eggs benedict with home fries.

Afterwards, we headed to SoHo for a little shopping but then I got quickly annoyed with the crowds on B'way so made our way back to the more relaxed and quiet atmosphere of The Slope.

Charm City

So, last weekend we made our way to Baltimore, MD (apparently known as "charm city") for the Notre Dame/Navy game. We took Amtrak for the first time and it was a pleasant experience - clean train, lots of legroom, and nice views of the autumn colors as we passed through NJ, Pennsylvania and Delaware. Of course, the price for a one-way ticket was a little steep - about $90 per person.

We had never been to Baltimore before and it was pretty nice - from the Inner Harbor to the Capitol City Brewing Company (where we grabbed lunch with our friends) to Ravens Stadium for the game. Though the game was fine (and ND ended up winning), there were moments when we realized why we typically don't go to these things - like loud, obnoxious fans making inane and offensive comments (and those were the ND fans!).

But we did get a chance to see our friends, who live in a nice area called Silver Spring, MD, grab dinner in Bethesda and play a competitive game of Balderdash. The next morning, we took Greyhound back to NYC - a little different experience - not as nice, but a lot cheaper and we got back fine.

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.