lipstick jungle

i'm not an avid tv watcher. there are definately shows that i enjoy- it's always sunny in philadelphia, lipstick jungle, project runway and etc. but more often then not, i forget what night it's on, make plans, etc. consequently, i end up watching the show online or on dvd.

sadly, one of the shows i actually do make it a point to watch, lipstick jungle, may not be renewed for a third season. while it may not be the best show in the world, i can somehow relate to the characters, their struggles and lives. it's one show that my girlfriends and i all watch and will call one another to discuss.

since chain emails are not my thing- i'll post the petition to save the show here and hope you won't mind taking a second to sign.

vegetarian delights

even in a city which has an immensely diverse and rich dining landscape, i had been somewhat skeptical about going to an all vegetarian restaurant. perhaps because there is a limited number of purely vegetarian or vegan restaurants compared to a sizeable and relatively affluent vegetarian/vegan population in nyc, i suspected that most would get by making merely "acceptable" or "so-so" cuisine. so it was with great curiosity and a bit of nervousness (as i generally like to only recommend restaurants that i've been to), that i sought out such a restaurant to take the boy's sister, wafer, and brother-in-law.

the first choice, dirt candy, was booked so i spent a couple of hours researching vegetarian restaurants and calling to make reservations. in the end, the boy and i decided on counter, a restaurant i'd walked by many a time but never had particular reason to try out. the reviews were promising and fortunately the restaurant did not disappoint.

we were half an hour early and the host eagerly sat us at a table in the back. the atmosphere was cozy and while the decor was not quite "organic", was pleasant and comfortable. we shared the hummus tahini and mezze of corn beignets, panisse with aioli, and mushroom orleans. the boy and i both ordered the eastside burger while his sister and brother-in-law ordered the farmhouse panini. for drinks, i tried a glass of north fork cabarnet-merlot, wafer ordered the pear spritzer, and the boys ordered wolaver beers.

along with the drinks, the waitress brought a plate of spongy toasted bread and a delicious spread composed of tofu and sesame oil. the mezze and appetizers were amazing. the corn beignets were essentially fancified hush puppies, the chickpea fries a sophisticated cousin of the french fry, with the perfect amount of crispness and a subtle hint of chickpea earthiness. button mushrooms were fried and laid on top of a rich sauce. the hummus was solid and the yummy, chewy pita accompanying it was too good to resist. the eastside burger was a blend of wild mushroom pate, seitan, and fresh herbs and quite possibly the most satisfying veggie burger i've had to date.

kudos to counter! a vegetarian bistro with a playfood approach to food and excellent execution. among each dish was an interesting play of texture, well placed punches of flavor, and substantial portions. comfort food to satisfy any type of eater. will have to remember to save room for dessert next time.

the sunny side

during times like the present- when one is constantly bombarded with grim headlines, a bleak economic and job environment, and a sense of uncertainty- it's important to find solace and take comfort in happy things. i found myself fortunate enough to spend my weekend celebrating several special occasions including the birthdays of close friends and news of an addition to the boy's family.

saturday night was dinner at dressler to celebrate theng's 30th birthday. especially delightful because i've been wanting to try it out ever since the boy and i had drinks at the bar this past june. luckily, it did not fail my expecations. the restaurant is beautifully decorated and excudes a sense of warmth and history. the service was adequate although i secretely thought the waitress was trying to upsell me on wine rather than really try to recommend something i would like. although on a positive note, we were never rushed despite staying until midnight.

for appetizers, we ordered the baked scallop special and the warm artichoke heart salad. entrees included the long island duck, braised short ribs & grilled hanger steak, and the bacon wrapped monkfish. dessert included bamboo honey panna cotta and a fig tartine topped with vanilla ice cream.

while there were some slight missteps- the duck was a little lacking in flavor and the fig tartine was unremarkable- the overall execution was excellent. the dishes were perfectly grilled, seared, sauteed, or baked- showcasing the freshness and quality of the meats and vegetables . i'll definately have to go back and sample some of the other dishes- and you can bet i'll be dreaming about their warm artichoke heart salad until then!

so-sucky-to

met up with VK for dinner near work. normally we head downtown but she had an appointment in the high 50s and i had work to catch up on so we decided to take our chances with restaurants in midtown. work was so busy i didn't have time to do much research.

consequently, we settled on sofrito which was a block away from my office and had come highly recommended from a co-worker awhile back. good food, big portions, and fun was what i was assured.

good food? meh.
big portions? definately. but of "meh" food, so what?
fun? if your idea of fun is not being able to hear anything that your dinner companion is saying, sure.

i should have listened to what my gut was telling me after our 30 second initial interaction with our waiter orlando. which was, "leave! it's not too late- you haven't ordered yet!"

the hostess seats us at the table which we later learn is directly across from the live singer/pianist. shortly after, someone brings a plate of garlic bread, water and our menus. within a minute, our waiter comes by, tells us about our specials and ask what we'd like to drink. there is only a cocktail menu.

V: what kind of wine do you have?

ORL: (looking at me as though i've asked a ridiculous question) red and white.

V: is that a house red or white? how much is it by glass?

ORL: $8 or $9

what the f? no description of what type of wine it is? and not sure about the price? so maybe i don't want it?

V: no thanks, i'll just have water.

the waiter pauses, turns quickly, and walks away from our table. about 10 minutes later he returns for our dinner order. VK orders the watercress salad and ham & pea stew. with a concerned expression, orlando asks if that's the appetizer. VK assures him that that's her dinner order. i order the sofrito chopped salad and the ham & pea stew. he walks away.

VK and i try to make conversation over the blaring music and loud parties nearby. because we are both soft talkers, i am quickly worn out from the effort. reprieve when our salads arrived. i had decided to order a glass of wine but found it extremely difficult as my waiter was gone in a flash and every attempt to get his attention were unsucessful. obviously he had written us off as a cheap table. eventually, another server noticed and asked me if i needed anything. i asked for a glass of red wine (because hey, isn't that all they have?). the waiter asked me to specify. oh, so apparently there are options? the waiter left to get our waiter.

ORL: you want a glass of wine?

V: yes, red please.

ORL: what kind?

V: what do you have?

ORL: cabernet, merlot, and shiraz.

V: the cabernet please.

the rest of the dinner was downhill. the salads were good, the stews were enormous- filling but somewhat bland. the music only got louder with birthday festivities and salsa music. we quickly got out of there and looking for another place that we could grab a drink and finish catching up. we wound up at cafe joul which was surprisingly busy for a tuesday night but cozy and not too loud. good find. nice atmosphere. but maybe anything would seem wonderful after sofrito. don't get me wrong- i could see sofrito being a good option for a crazy and loud girl's night out. guess it's just not my cup of tea.

the trouble with winging it

my mom is an amazing cook. she's of the school that cooks by taste rather than careful measurement or guidance of a recipe. compounded by the fact that i have limited opportunities to cook with my mom, this has made learning how to make the comfort foods i've grown up with extremely challenging. on my outstanding list of dishes to master is the vietnamese crepes, or banh xeo.

having invited kev and theng over for dinner, it seemed like as good of an opportunity as any to make a go of it. by 7ish, i had everything prepped- the shrimp & beef for rice paper rolls were cleaned, cut, and seasoned and the fixings were cleaned and drying. for the crepes- the ground pork/shrimp fillings were stir fried and the batter was mixed.

now it was show time. i carefully followed the recipe instructions- reheating the pork & shrimp mixture in the pan and moving it to one side of the pan before pouring the batter in. i let the mixture heat up and waited for the edges to pull away from the pan. i tried to loosen the edges with the tip of the spatula but the batter remained gooey and thick. this made matters worse and the crepe quickly became an ugly heap of beansprouts meat, and batter which i transferred with much difficulty onto a cookie sheet covered in foil.

deep breath. ok, that's just one wasted crepe.

i re-read the instructions and began again.

again. huge ugly pile. the batter was not getting stiff enough to fold over into a crepe.

now i was cursing. deciding that the recipe was useless, i made a third attempt and just winged it. i watered down the batter a little. lowered the heat. added a little extra oil to the pan and started again. i poured a more generous portion of batter and let it harden in the pan. finally! the edges pulled away and the batter solidified enough so i could lift and fold the crepe in half. transferring the crepe onto the cookie sheet was much easier and i had successfully made one crepe.

unfortunately, i had used up most of the batter in the process and i was out of coconut milk. the boy sensing my frustration, suggested soy milk instead. i looked at him doubtfully but figured (1) i couldn't lose anything and (2) it was definately thicker than water. luckily, the last crepe turned out well and i had four presentable crepes to serve!!! the rest of the night was a piece of cake.

surprises

while waiting for ricki-tin-tin at kanoyama (yes, it's becoming VERY regular) i spotted rachel weisz and her son. i've lived in nyc long enough to at least attempt not to notice and certainly not to take a camera pic. how gauche! instead, i settled with taking periodic side glances. she's absolutely stunning without a lick of makeup, consequently i would not describe as runway glam, but undeniably beautiful. her son was adorable, dressed in a some getup with cows printed all over it. nice celebrity spotting!

after dinner, i got back home and tidied up the apartment. the boy arrived some time after 11pm and had not eaten dinner. we decided to scope out some neighborhood grub and ended up at blockheads where he ordered a burrito and nachos. while not the best mexican i've had in my life- it was definately good, affordable mexican. . .and i do have a weakness for nachos.

sigh. this could be dangerous for my resolve to eat healthier. . .

joy by the kilo

living in los angeles had several effects on me: taken me down a few notches on the type A scale, unveiled my love for farmer's markets, deepened my appreciation for the ocean and made me a huge fan of mexican food. needless to say, i am always on the lookout for good mexican restaurants which means fresh, tasty food for not a ton of money. this has not been easy to find- granted my search thus far has been limited to manhattan. i was delighted to discover mercadito a frew years ago and it has been on my roster of favorite nyc restaurants ever since.

the opening of mercadito cantina earlier this fall was very exciting. . . it wasn't until this past friday that i had the opportunity to check it out. the wait was worthwhile.

walking into the restaurant, one instantly recalls the ambience and aestetic of momofuku. lots of warm colored wood, long, high tables, and lots of stools.

the boy and i ordered two types of guacamole -toreado (sautéed chile serrano, garlic, oregano, tomatillo pico de gallo) and calabaza (cinnamon spiced pumpkin, tomatillo pico de gallo, roasted jalapeño, toasted pumpkin seeds) to start and a kilo (!) of
carnitas de puerco, or michoacàn style braised berkshire pork that was served family style/make your own taco. it's funny that i've eaten this way so many times- vietnamese rice paper rolls, korean bbq, etc- but have never done so with mexican food. it makes so much sense. the food was incredible. . . hands down the best mexican guacamole i've ever tasted. . . the carnitas was flavorful, slow cooked to perfection. the tortillas were fresh. . . unfortunately are eyes were bigger than our stomachs and we only got halfway through the meat.

the waitress/manager was a doll and gave us dessert on the house. goat cheese flan. while i love goat cheese i was a bit apprehensive. my fears were for naught. the flan was delicious and the only difference from a typical flan was a slightly firmer texture which i actually enjoyed.

so kudos to the mercadito crew. we'll be back. and often.

last hurrah

the fact that celestial, Q2, and i actually manage to have a proper sleepover (yes jammies and girl movie; no pillowfights) is the weekend before Q2 moves to china is somewhat bittersweet. . . but a fun night and lovely memory nevertheless.

the girls were already in full dinner prep mode by the time i arrived at celestial's apartment in LIC. simple but delicious meal: cold tofu topped with edamame and a dark brown sauce, marinated black cod, stir fried chicken, and okonomiyaki. after dinner we headed across the street to pick up movie watching snacks before settling down to watch the SATC movie and stay up chatting til the wee hours.

the next morning was a slow start but eventually we made our way to chinatown for dim sum at chatham square restaurant. the tripe, beef intensines, and shrimp roll were really good but sadly the turnip cake was a let down- although that didn't stop me from polishing off a healthy portion. we walked Q2 back to her place and said our goodbyes. short and sweet.

as celestial and i walked away and went off to run various errands, i asked her if she was ok. she said she was fine, that for her, the reality won't really hit until days after.

i think for me. . . her absence will be felt more subtly. it'll be when i go some place that we've been to together or something triggers a memory of an experience we shared. . . like celebrating christmas at angel's share three years ago, or brunching at crooked tree, or checking out jewlery in the east village boutiques.

new york won't be quite the same.

change

tonight- feeling that my faith in the people has been restored.

as i walked the streets of nyc, i listened to the joyous shouts resounding from various homes, restaurants, and bars- echoing a shared hope for a new beginning. enjoy and be encouraged by this moment. . . for it will require strength, courage, and wisdom to get through the coming year.

but in the end, while it may get worse before it gets better- it will get better.

the smith

catching up with british dave has been long overdue! while there have been various group outings- it's always difficult to have any extended conversation in those settings.

the plan was to grab a quick bite at the smith and then go watch the election results at dba afterwards. . . i've been curious about the smith for quite some time- drawn the idea of their sunday special $12 burger + beer plus every time i've walked by there has been a decent crowd and reviews have been positive. walking into the smith, there was a sense of familiarity and i was reminded of the decor of schillers or pastis. as i looked over the menu, i noticed all the prices have gone up by $1-2 from what's posted on nymag's website. . . both british dave and i opted for the burger medium well with a side of greens.

the burger was deliciously simple- the saltiness of the bacon complemented the sharpness of the cheese and smooth flavor of the ground meat. encased in a lightly toasted seedless bun and topped off with a house sauce, fresh white onions, tomatoes, and a leafy green- smith's burger delivered. will definately go back for the sunday special.

unfortunately with so much gabbing we never made it to dba. good thing my friends were keeping me in the loop via text!