for the tykes

as often is the case, there are many activites and places that i don't explore unless i have visitors in town. . . but that's how i found myself having tea at the american girl's salon monday afternoon. it was an interesting concept- little girls dress in their finest outfits with their american girl doll(s) in hand. the room is girly but chic- lots of black, white and pink. there is even an attachable seat for your american girl to sit right beside you.

the menu: scones, tea sandwiches (chicken salad, turkey & brie, and ham & cheddar), delicate cookies, banana bread, mini cinnamon buns, brownies, chocolate mousse and orange slice shaped jello wedges.

while the food was nothing to write home about- the experience was clearly delightful for the american girl fans. after stuffing ourselves with more sugar than i can handle, we explored the collection of american girl dolls and memoriabilia on sale. bless her sweet soul- my poor niece was simply overwhelmed, agonizing for a good while over the assortment- wanting the prettiest and best pieces but not wanting to spend too much of her parents money. after consulting with her mom- she picked out a nellie doll, a new gown for samantha, some school supplies, and a coat for nellie.

then it was time to meet up with the boys who were biding their time at fao schwartz just up the road. we brought their booty back to the hotel and rested for a bit before heading to dinner at blue ribbon sushi bar & grill. compared to blue ribbon sushi on sullivan- i couldn't help but be disappointed. while the dishes were well executed, the sushi fresh, and the service adequately attentive- the experience was . . . dare i say it, unremarkable and boring.

babysitting

today was a dreary day with buckets of rain and heavy winds making trekking about manhattan a bit of a pain. nevertheless, after a quick trip to the gym, i got myself together and headed crosstown to meet up with chi, big guy, t and wes. they had gotten bagels at H&H (unfortunately disappointed by the fact that H&H doesn't toast, slice, or spread cream cheese on the bagels for you) and were waiting for me at starbucks. after i devoured a breakfast sandwich and dried off a bit, we headed out to the children's museum. it was my first time there and it's truly a great destination for small children- four levels of interactive games and some very clever, well thought out ones as well. wes had a grand time playing fireman, t loved playing "grocery shopping", but by the time we reached the "block party" on the lower level the kids interest was wanning. in kid fashion though, as soon as the decision was made to leave for lunch, wes wanted to stay. but the adults won out and we grabbed a quick bite at cafe lola across the street.

after lunch, the fam headed back to the hotel so the kids could nap and i headed home to get some quiet time. a couple hours later, it was time to brave the cold again as i hopped on the m31 to their hotel to babysit so that my sister and her husband could have date night and dinner at hearth. it was an interesting two and a half hours with the kids- starting with pizza dinner via ray's pizza and watching game plan on a tiny dvd player and me having to explain why parents still need to have date night.

t: why do they have to have dates? they are already married!
v: because that's how they stay in love.
t: but they already love each other, they are married.
v: it's important for mommy and daddy to have time alone. adult time. where they can focus on each other. they love spending time with you and wes but date nights are important for their relationship.

after t stopped feeling upset and cheered up, we all had a grand time playing with t's american girl dolls and weston the night, watching family guy, watching wes and t give an impromptu performance from hairspray and DRAWING (if you can't tell, it's me and the boy)!!

meat pie

last week was a strange week. workwise- there seemed to be a million deadlines and i felt like i was being pulled from every angle. unnecessary personal drama made sleep challenging. the highlights included a rekindling of an old friendship over dinner and drinks and a night of dress shopping. nonetheless, come friday i was combatting undeniable tired headaches and weariness.

after work i picked up an assortment of meatpies from tuck shop including traditional ground beef, thai green chook curry, guinness steak and mushroom, and shrimp pie!! i don't know if it was the anticipation of finally getting to eat tuck shop's pie's after talking about it for months or my fatigue, but i devoured a whole pie on the way to the bus stop and cannot recall the last time food felt so satisfying to my soul.

luckily, the boy was on the same wavelength and we decided to lazy the night away. we rented braincandy and forgetting sarah marshall, stopped at duane reade for candy, and headed back home. after reheating the pies in the oven, i cut each in half and accompanied by a brooklyn pilnser, we had the perfect meat pie smorgasboard. with a belly full of food, it's unsurprising that i fell asleep 2/3rds of the way through braincandy!

from philly cheese to gourmet kittichai

this weekend was a whirlwind. friday late afternoon, the boy and i headed to philly to catch TVOTR show. traffic was congested but moving and with two pit stops- we managed to get to my brother's place by 8:15. . . unfortunately, it's a string of bad luck and disappointment, first mike viola and now this. maybe it was too large of a venue or too many elements required to come together for TVOTR to sound as good live as on album. whatever it is, it didn't live up to my high expectations for what has been among my favorite bands and for a new album which i truly enjoy.

nonetheless, it was a nice way to spend a friday night. after the show, we went to jim's for steak sandwiches. i should have gotten whiz or american on it, the provolone added little flavor and i wish i could have a side of hot sauce to spice it up. since the brother and wifey had work the next day, we called it an early night and headed back to their place to watch tv and go to bed early.

saturday was all about relaxing. i got up, went on a run where i almost got knocked over by an absent minded driver. once the boy was up, we made breakfast and lounged on the sofa watching clueless then pretty woman. around 5 we headed out to check out reload and sated the boy's curiosity and appreciation for bags. north 4th ended up being a cute area and we browsed around the boutiques before heading back home to meet up with everyone for dinner. we went to a byob italian restaurant not too far away and overloaded on carbs. we ordered pumpkin ravioli and baby neck clams served with peppers and panchetta to share and after considerable deliberation, i ended up ordering eggplant parmigiana with a side of meatballs. the apps were good, the bread fresh and homemade, and my dish was hearty and satisfying. the meatballs were so so. we all waddled our way back home and plunked down on the sofa (ahh, suburban life), ate some homemade pumpkin and apple pie, and watched a few episodes of it's always sunny before falling asleep mid-episode.

sunday was a slow start- the better part of the morning was spent drinkin coffee and chatting with the boy, brother, and wifey in the kitchen. around 2pm we started our drive back to manhattan and were back at my place by 4:15. i quickly got ready for the wedding i was accompanying celestial to at hotel thompson. it was a gorgeous night to get married and the first thai wedding i've been to. . . the evening started with passed drinks on the rooftop, a small cozy space with amazing views of the city. the small guest list of 75 or so people milled around and sounds of thai, chinese, and english could be heard. all of a sudden, a man's shrill voice began a soulful chant and his moans and singing urged the guests on. soon everyone had cleared the path for an "aisle" and clapping to the rhythm of the song. the ceremony was thoughtful and symbolic. the ceremony ended as it began, with the same man leading the way with song for the bridal party to exit.

the reception that followed at kittichai was a foodie's dream!!! i can still recall the freshness and nuanced delicacy of the sashimi of hamachi, squid ink salt, and red holland pepper dressing, coconut. the chicken relish with crispy jasmine rice crackers was tasty and playful. the chocolate baby back ribs with thai spices was indulgent and rich while the baked chilean sea bass marinated in yellow salted beans and morning glory was simple perfection.

what a wonderful way to end the weekend!

testing the waters

tonight is probably the closest thing to a blind date that i've experienced. the set up was via taz and the "date" was marzipan, a newcomer to nyc.

the first correspondence was during the summer when marzipan was still living in michigan. we agreed to meet up for dinner once she was settled in with new apartment, job and etc. the summer flew by and a few weeks ago, i got an email asking about a good time to hang out. a couple cancellations later brings us to tonight, where we finally were able to meet at kanoyama for sushi.

i arrived a few minutes early and grabbed us a table- good thing- the restaurant filled up to capacity shortly after. marzipan walked in shortly after and the initial greeting- when i reached out my hand for a shake and she went in for a hug-was awkward. . . but by the time we had finished deciding what to order and had a couple cups of otokoyama, conversation flowed easily and naturally.

we shared a delicious meal of lightly fried, succulent and substantial oysters, an appetizer sampler, and a couple rolls. over the course of dinner, i learned that marzipan was originally from uruguay and has lived in albany, switzerland, michigan, and now new york city. i liked her easy laugh, genuine interest, openess not to mention her love for food! it was an all around nice evening and i think we'll try filipino food next.

where in the world is V?

i have not forsaken my beloved blog but rather had issues with accessing my account for which i blame gmail. for some bizarre reason, i simply could not log in with my usual password and although it was resolved, it all still remains a mystery.

after that was miraculously resolved, i almost immediately became preoccupied with finding a venue for my birthday dinner party at the end of the month. it has been a tradition among my friends to have an intimate dinner then drinks with a larger group after. this year's festivities have been thrown off by the impending descension of the V-clan to nyc on october 25th.

consequently, i decided to have dinner/drinks with my friends on friday and a family dinner on saturday. for some months, i had settled on the notion of felice as a perfect dinner venue. intimate and nice atmosphere, excellent food and wine, reasonable prices, and exceptional service. i called monday night to make a reservation only to be told that the restaurant was booked out for the evening, but if i was willing to do thursday or saturday night, they could accomodate me.

i hung up the phone in frustration. i had my mind set on felice and had to start from scratch. over the course of the next two days and nights, i wracked my memory, nymag, and the brains of my best girlfriends to come up with another perfect venue.

one by one they were all nixed.

too expensive.

can't accomodate a large party on friday night.

too expensive.

already booked.

too expensive.

all the iterations and effort was wearing me out. while i normally don't mind planning things and in fact enjoy it- nothing was falling into place and i couldn't even remember what i wanted anymore. then finally, q2 suggested georgia's eastside bbq. simple. good food. reasonable prices. byob. perfect. more importantly, it just felt right.