September 2005 Archives
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Free concert tonight, September 30, 2005 at 8 pm
Manhattan School of Music, 8:00 pm ... FREE ... no tickets required ... Brahms, Symphony #2 in D major, Op. 73 ... Hindemith, Symphonic Metamorphosis ... Ravel, Shéhérazade ... George Manahan, conductor ... Rachel Calloway, mezzo-soprano ... we're going to the NY blogger party after the concert ...
John C. Borden Auditorium, 120 Claremont Avenue, at 122nd Street (directions), 917-493-4428
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NY Blogger Party tonight, Sept. 30, 2005, 8 pm
It's this Friday [September 30, 2005] at 8pm at K Lounge, 30 W 52nd St between Fifth and Sixth Avenues (thanks Yehudit for the correction). There are over 70 bloggers currently RSVP'd to attend. If you're in the NY area this weekend, come on by.
"NYC Traffic Camera and Block Photo Map"
"Even though I don’t have a car, NYsee is one of the cooler Google Maps mashups I’ve seen to date. Not only does it contain live feeds from traffic cameras scattered around New York City, but it also incorporates the A9 BlockView photos."
"NYC Traffic Camera and Block Photo Map," GridSkipper, September 29, 2005
via NewYorkology
This Week in Reviews - September 30, 2005
Each Friday, A Guy In New York publishes "This Week in Reviews (TWIR)," with quick links to New York City restaurant reviews and mentions from the previous seven days in blogs, magazines, and newspapers.
Steve Cuozzo says "Restaurant reviews are over. History. Outta here. It's time to report on restaurants in a new and better way, and this is why: More than ever before, reviews have a shorter shelf life than unpasteurized milk. If you're one of the millions of New Yorkers who rely on them for guidance, you're likely mystified - and annoyed - by some of your recent dining-out adventures. ... So from now on, The Post will tell you what's going on without pretending that what's true this week will be valid for all time - or even for the next month. Starting today, we're going to tackle restaurants in a different way." ... read the whole thing ... and then contrast with the article by Pascale Le Draoule, "Michelin rates the Apple" ... the Michelin Guide is coming to NYC in November ...
- NYC Metroblog went to Public ... "the service was flawless." ... 210 Elizabeth Street, between Spring and Prince Streets, 212-343-7011 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
- Salli Vates liked the miso soup ... at Komegashi ... "salmon, yellowtail and yellowfin tuna were tasty and tender, and the accompanying olive-anchovy tapenade was addictive." ... 928 Broadway, at 22nd Street, 212-475-3000 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
- A Guy In New York declares the best roti canai in NYC is at Sanur ... 18 Doyers Street, 212-267-0088
- Plate of the Day ate at The Friar’s Club ... "rich wood paneling and ornate imported Italian marble" ... "food was excellent and impressive" ... members only, 57 East 55th Street, 212-751-7272 [Citysearch]
- slice actually reviews the Nyfork, aka the "pizza fork" ... which he tested at Franny's ... "The dim light of the overhead fixture glinted off its tines. The cutting wheel jiggled ever so slightly on its axle, broadcasting a faint but satisfying jingle of metal on metal." ...
- Peter Meehan recommends that "anyone with the change to spare and an interest in heightened cholesterol levels should go for the Mo burger" at Mo Pitkin's House of Satisfaction ... "Chopped Liver and Chilies on Avenue A" ... the shrimp cocktail, "often a throwaway at other places, is worthwhile" ... 34 Avenue A, at Third Street, 212-777-5660 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
- A Hamburger Today has a quote from Mike Piazza, catcher for the Mets ... about pizza and hamburger ... and "Schnäck has opened a branch inside the Brooklyn Lyceum." ... [Citysearch]
- Cynthia Kilian writes "After the low-carb craze caused some restaurants to ditch the traditional pre-dinner bread basket, loaves are back in the limelight on some of the most buzzed-about menus in town."
- Forbes gives the green GO to ... Circus ... "Delicious feijoada, churrasco and vegetarian stew." ... 132 East 61st Street, between Lexington and Park Avenue, 212-223-2965 [MenuPages | Citysearch] ... La Masseria ... "Favorites: fritto misto, bianca salad ... and tagliolini with lobster" ... 235 West 48th Street, 212-582-2111 [MenuPages | Citysearch] ...
- Andrea Strong visited Thor ... "the menu at Thor, which is nicely priced on the modest side, is just too large" ... "the winners—a steamed red snapper ... the duck" ... "The one clunker was the poached lobster" ... "to me the reason to go back to Thor is for the desserts" ... 107 Rivington Street, at Ludlow Street, 212-475-2600 or 646-253-6700 [MenuPages]
- Rob Patronite asks, "Which foods are worth the wait" ... wait time vs quality at 7 places ... Tomoe Sushi not worth an 81 minute wait ... Sarabeth’s not worth a 55 minute wait ... Shake Shack worth a 37 minute wait? "An emphatic yes for the best burger in town" ... Burger Joint worth a 26 minute wait ... Magnolia Bakery not worth a 25 minute wait "if it were the last cupcake on Earth" ... DiPalo’s worth an 18 minute wait: "the Parmigiano-Reggiano is top-notch, the ricotta divine" ... Chipotle worth a 10 minute wait: "Still, nearby Pampano Taqueria’s tacos are better, but the wait there is unpredictable." ...
- Gael Greene gave a quick review of Centrico ... "The pow of his mole poblano overwhelms perfectly cooked pork tenderloin, but on another night, the spare ribs are first-rate." ... 211 West Broadway, at Franklin Street, 212-431-0700 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
- Tables for Two gives a mixed review of Convivium Osteria ... "a passable mackerel seviche" ... "the enormously pleasing shrimp-and-béchamel fritters" ... "the attention-grabber of the menu is the Niman Ranch rib eye for two, which comes on a great wooden slab, oozing juices—the seasoned crust is a bit overbearing, and the meat can be a little too marbled, but it’s still satisfying." ... 68 Fifth Avenue, at St. Mark’s Place, Brooklyn, 718-857-1833 [Citysearch | NYPress | geegaw | openlist]
- Robert Sietsema went to Mom Mam 1 Thai Cuisine ... and liked the "yum nam sod, a steaming heap of ground pork, tomatoes, red onions, coriander leaf, and—crunch, crunch—peanuts, shellacked with a tart dressing of lime juice, ginger, lemongrass, and green chiles spewing fire (but only if you request "very spicy"). Underneath lurks a bed of shredded pork skin, an ingredient you're more likely to find in Vietnamese restaurants, and a detail omitted from every other version of this Thai classic I've seen in Queens." ... curry puffs ... "a distinguished green papaya salad" ... "Mam's version [of pad thai] is elemental, a few simple ingredients that, with a final squeeze of lime, add up to gustatory elation." ... sounds wonderful ... 77-05 Woodside Avenue, 718-672-5266
- Frank Bruni gave 3 stars to Nobu 57 ... "Nobu is to Matsuri and Koi as McDonald's is to Wendy's: a tutor and template." ... "most of the food was terrific" ... "the sushi was exemplary" ...
- jules at The Bruni Digest looks at Frank Bruni's review of Nobu 57 ... "Nobu 57: Spankin' it all over town!" ... "after all this exhausting work, including a torrid night of sequentially banging both Nobu and Newbu, Frank concludes that Matsuhisa still has the original magic, three stars' worth." ...
- a brooklyn life reviews Nobu 57 in 5 words ... "Three words: Not worth it." ... 40 West 57th Street, 212-757-3000 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
- David Rosen also went to Nobu 57 and gives it a mixed review ... "Getting a couple of reservations at Nobu 57 proved as cumbersome as ever. We succeeded, thanks to a good dose of luck and persistence. However, the reward more than justified the effort." ... "Among the hot dishes, the widely imitated glossy-looking black cod with miso and the rich arctic char with moro miso are still winners. On the contrary, the tough squid 'pasta' with garlic sauce and the salty halibut cheeks in the same repetitious preparation are clearly losers." ...
- Adam Platt went to Nobu 57 with two friends ... "After a taste of the chef’s much-praised creamy spicy crab, they rendered their initial verdict. 'This crab reminds me of something you’d get at Chili’s,' one of them said. 'Is this food always so salty?' asked the other" ... "Classic Japanese sushi has never been a Nobu strong point, and it’s no different here." ... "The best of the bunch, even the Oregon social workers agreed, was a $26 serving of very tender, very fresh king crab" ...
- Nina Lalli, in "The Meaning of Mulberry" .. says that the Festival of San Gennaro "proves if you're south of Canal for dinner, stick with Chinatown" ... and offers 5 lessons learned ...
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Did we miss your favorite review?
Let us know: aguyinnewyork [at] gmail ... we're especially interested in hearing from NYC bloggers ...Malaysian food - Sanur
Sanur Restaurant, 18 Doyers Street, 212-267-0088 ... best roti canai in NYC ... chicken rice ... curry noodles ... ice kachang (ABC) ... curry puffs ... lunch for two big eaters total was $12.80 ... excellent authentic Malaysian food ... we did not try the Kuih, but it looked good ...
Our previous post on Sanur ...
eGullet postings on Malaysian food, with pics
AGINY Good Value
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Fine Musical Instruments at Christie's
Fine Musical Instruments auction, October 14, 2005, at Christie's Rockefeller Plaza location ...
- Sale 1562, Lot 36, Lyon and Healy, A Forty-six string, Double Action Harp, Style 22, Chicago, 1915
- Sale 1562, Lot 26, Gibson Incorporated, A Solid-Body Electric Guitar, Les Paul Model, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 1959
- Sale 1562, Lot 3, Gibson Incorporated, An Arch-Top Electric Guitar, Style L-5P, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 1940
Christie's, 20 Rockefeller Plaza, 212-636-2000
Please note that links to auction items usually stop working within 30 days after the auction concludes ...
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Big Apple Blog Festival - September 26, 2005
Welcome to Big Apple Blog Festival (BABF), a representative roundup of this week's posts by NYC bloggers.
NY blog party on Friday, September 30, 2005 ... Evite here ...
- dailyheights.com, in "Call 311, Get a Fine" ... reprints a report from Dr. F ... "A few weeks ago we called 311 because rats are nesting in our front yard ... and then a few weeks later we got a citation in the mail from the Department of Health claiming that we had a garbage situation which violated the health code, causing the rat problem. The problem ... was the apartment building next door ..." ...
- Jolie in NYC has tips if you want to get into the fashion biz ... "How Do I Break Into the Industry?" ...
- Dead Programmer's Cafe bought a 13-year old can of "New Coke" on eBay ... "decade old New Coke _did_ taste a bit like Diet Coke With Splenda." ...
- jewschool has an "Anatomy Of An Air Strike" ... and has a brief review of a Yiddish "Pirates of Penzance, Di Yam Gazlonim, at the 92nd St. Y" ...
- Harleys, Cars, Girls & Guitars discusses "Marketing to Women Riders" ... "Eleven percent of all Harley riders are now women." ...
- A Guy In New York had his weekly roundup of NYC restaurant reviews ... "This Week in Reviews - September 23, 2005" ...
- gothamist, in "Faulty Tours?" comments on the Daily News article "Takin' tourists for a ride: News puts city's tourist guides to the truth test – and guess what?" ... "to be fair the News doesn't quite take into account just how difficult it can be to jabber on for three hours and not make a mistake or two" ...
- Third Avenue attended opening night of The Met ... "Metropolitan Opera - opening gala night" ... and we love this description of NYC weather: "Summer clings on to New York. September is on the wane, yet the temperatures still think it's July. Every afternoon the thermometer climbs to 30C and beyond, and refuses to dip below 20C at night. Autumn waits in the wings, like an impatient tenor waiting for the self-obsessed soprano to finally stop taking curtain calls." ...
- Manhattan User's Guide has an interesting roundup of web sites in "Hump Day" ... we liked ... Ukrainian Bus Shelters ... World Beard Championships ...
- A Stitch in Haste has some thoughts on China ... "'China is Still a Dictatorship' Fact of the Day" ...
- NYC Metblog links to the TranStrap ... "a company selling these personal straps you carry with you to attach to the subway bars so you don’t have to touch them." ...
- The Wonkster ... "Public Toilets Hooray — Maybe" ...
- LittleViews on New York City lists 4 places where you can try small samples of many different beers ... "Beer Tasting at New York City's Microbreweries"
- The Urban Grind is one-year old ...
- greg.org gave us the link to the NYT piece on the floating "Gate" chasing the floating "Central Park" ... "Water, Gate" ...
- The New SteveSilver.net links to a site "posting free versions of NYT op-ed columns" ...
- the dawn patrol comments on an article in The Telegraph of London "that women are trying to get pregnant via in vitro fertilization because they don't want to do it the old-fashioned way" ... "I look at the practicing Catholic families I know, and say what you will, no doctor warns them that they're missing out on sex." ...
- Stay Free! proposes a new unit of measurement ... the Walt ... "the Walt Scale of Crass Commercialization." .. we'll just call it Walts, as in "Disney World is 100 Walts, Isle Royale National Park is 0 Walts" ...
- ForgottenNY is running a Katrina Relief Tour Saturday, October 2, 2005, ... donating all proceeds to the Red Cross ... and has a new page up about Sunnyside, in Queens ...
- The Apiary says check out the New York Musical Theatre Festival site ... "They give you a chance to say 'I saw that when...' and most notably you get to see future Broadway hits for CHEAP CHEAP ticket prices." ... sounds good to us frugal types ...
- BounceFM has news about "Benefit for MusiCares Hurricane Relief Fund and North Shore Animal League Hurricane Katrina Animal Rescue Fund" ... Sunday, October 2, 2005 ...
- rion.nu published a photographic "Ode to Summer's End" ...
- anguswit cites a report showing ... "Hartford, CT, is actually poorer than New Orleans" ...
- liberteaser "thought it would be entertaining to check out some psychic predictions about the 2005 hurricane season, and compare them to what we've seen." ... we like the other questions, too: "why aren't you rich enough that you don't have to peddle your abilities in this strip mall, and why do you let so many people die in events like Katrina and 9/11?" ...
- express train has a photo of a "human avalanche" in a subway station ...
- Englishman in New York says "all information—from the New York Times to BoingBoing—should be treated as suspect. It’s called weighing information; making your own decisions; having a brain." ...
- mister snitch! links to a report on the "startlingly similar images of a library in Dublin and Star Wars' Jedi Archives."
- NewYorkology reports that "Carnival Cruise Lines' Oriana docked at Red Hook's Pier 11 this morning [Sept. 24, 2005], making it the first ship to dock at the future home of Brooklyn's Cruise Ship Terminal, which is expected to open in April 2006." ...
- A small victory went to a classic car show at Point Lookout ... "when you look at cars as a works of art rather than just a machine that gets you from A to B, you see them in a totally different way" ... links to 37 pics ...
- Ace of Spades also went to a vehicle show, "Weekend Geek Confession" ... "Rochester Robot Rampage, sponsored by the Battlebots folks. Two days of robot carnage." ...
Listed on the ÜberCarnival page and in Carnival News.
If you have a NYC blog and want to see something in the next BABF ... or you have a NYC blog and would like to host an upcoming BABF ... send us a short write up and a permalink to aguyinnewyork [at] gmail.com ... see you next week ...
You are free to repost the Big Apple Blog Festival so long as you leave this URL attached: BigAppleBlogFestival.com
"Walts" - new unit of measurement from Stay Free!
Stay Free! proposes a new unit of measurement ... the Walt ... "the Walt Scale of Crass Commercialization." .. we'll just call it Walts, as in "Disney World is 100 Walts, Isle Royale National Park is 0 Walts" ...
Saturday catblogging
Loco and Luca ... plotting their next adventure ...
Life in the City is good ... especially when you don't have to work very hard ... plenty to eat ... good company ...
Quick quiz
1) From Russell Roberts (no relation):
What proportion of the American labor force earns the minimum wage or less and what is the standard of living of the average American today relative to 100 years ago?
2) If you placed
one penny on the first square of a chess board, two pennies on the second square, four on the third, etc.
and kept doubling the pennies on the next square, how much would you have after doubling the pennies on the 63rd (the next-to-last) square of the chessboard?
3) Are disasters good for the economy?
You can click "Read More >>" after jotting down your answers ...
This Week in Reviews - September 23, 2005
Each Friday, A Guy In New York publishes "This Week in Reviews (TWIR)," with quick links to New York City restaurant reviews and mentions from the previous seven days in blogs, magazines, and newspapers.
The Feast of San Gennaro runs through September 25, 2005, and TimeOutNY's EatOut05 is September 27, 2005 ...
- Forbes rates both Centrico and Yumcha a green GO ... Centrico ... "The Mexican fare at this bright and cheerful establishment is first-rate." ... 211 West Broadway, at Franklin Street, 212-431-0700 [MenuPages | Citysearch] ... at Yumcha, "all of its exotically named dishes are delicious. Particularly so are the fluke carpaccio, the steamed pork and the Szechwan-dusted beef tenderloin." ... 29 Bedford Street, at Downing Street, 212-524-6800 [MenuPages | Citysearch] ...
- NYC Stories looks at the makeover of The Diner ... "The space now looks like an upscale version of a diner. How appropriate for an area that now looks like an upscale version of a meatpacking district." ... as for the food? "everything seemed very sweet" ... 44 9th Avenue, at 14th Street, 212-627-2230 ...
- VittlesVamp has "always adored the Grand Central Oyster Bar" ... but did not have a good experience at the front bar ... Grand Central Terminal, 89 East 42nd Street, 212-490-6650 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
- Plate Of The Day recommends you "walk past the sandwich counter, the steaming mystery buffet trays and hang a left to the Middle Eastern Place booth" at Variety Cafe on 48th Street ... he "got the Lamb Schwarma. This is a real schwarma, not the imitation ones made with day old pita bread." ... 20 West 48th Street, 212-944-6784 ...
- bourrezvisage likes West Bank Cafe ... from the "perfectly cooked roast chicken" ... and "a must-have are the braised veal cheek shooters" ... it "nailed every single dish perfectly" ... 407 West 42nd Street, near 9th Avenue, 212-695-6909 ...
- an eater reader "was under-whelmed" by Cercle Rouge ... "The food is really average-as in average at best. The service is really average to below average." ... 241 West Broadway, 212-226-6252
- Moira Hodgson visited Roberto Passon ... "serves straightforward Venetian cuisine ... The dishes are oversized ... dotted with sauces and herb oils ... the food is recognizable ... [and] it’s inexpensive." ... she likes the pastas ... "A first-rate spaghetti carbonara costs just $9" ... 741 9th Avenue, at 50th Street, 212-582-5599 ... [MenuPages | Citysearch]
- cityrag likes Happy Happy Happy ... a bakery that sells "wonderful treats that are wheat and gluten free (and vegan.) everything is delicious and has a great homemade taste." ... 157 Allen Street, 212-254-4088 [iPalimpsest | CeliacChicks | lovescool]
- the amateur gourmet had tapas at Tía Pol ... the blistered green peppers "were really addictive" ... but overall, Tía Pol was "enjoyable but not transcendent. And I think that describes our overall experience: everything was fine and pleasant, but we weren't blown away" ... 205 Tenth Avenue, between 22nd and 23rd Streets, 212-675-8805 [Amanda Hesser | the hot plate | Andrea Strong | NYT | Citysearch]
- NYC nosh has a post on a dim-sum restaurant "Secret Dim Sum Hideout: 88 Palace" ... we agree with this: "The ladies pushing the steam-trollies at the top of the stairwell were a welcome sight– far too many Chinese restaurants have moved away from the traditional dim sum cart to the a la carte. It’s so much less fun to order dim sum off of a menu than to point and gesture to get what you want" ... 88 Palace ... concluding "All in all, this was one of our better dim sum experiences in New York." ... 88 East Broadway, under the Manhattan Bridge in the East Broadway Mall, 212-941-8886 [Citysearch]
- jules at The Bruni Digest looked at Frank Bruni's review for a new TV show, "Kitchen Confidential" ... "As I started to skim this article in the Television section of the Times today about the new 'Kitchen Confidential' TV show, I was struck by the stylistic flamboyance of the piece. This was no 'Straight-Shooter' Stanley, no 'Hot Shot' Heffernan. When my titillated gaze jumped up to check the byline, it recalled the moment I found out that Santa was really Mommy: I had already, in my heart, intuited the truth" ...
- snack also looked at Kitchen Confidential ...
- Cynthia Kilian didn't review the food at Ninja ... "a Japanese import new to TriBeCa, with waiters who dress and act like Ninjas. Or at least they're trying to." ... 25 Hudson Street, at Duane, 212-274-8500
- eater said Ninja is "Japan's answer to Jekyll and Hyde" ... "our $125/person tab would have been much better spent at Megu." ...
- David Rosen says Secretes should be better known and much busier ... "producing some of the most imaginative and beautifully constructed small plates in New York. It is advisable for a party of four to order the whole menu of small plates, since this satisfying experience will total only $130." ... 513 East 6th Street, between Avenues A and B, 212-228-2775
- Robert Sietsema looked at LOTS of restaurants that use lard in "Grease Is Good! - Are lard, eggs, and fish tacos the new health foods?" ... "Until recently, we were warned to avoid lard as the world's most cantankerous fat. Now, it turns out that lard has half the saturated fat of butter, so when it comes to chasing the chimera of healthfulness, pick lard." ...
- Tables for Two went to Brandy Library ... "Floor-to-ceiling shelves all around the room display nearly a thousand bottles—not just brandy (though there are more than four hundred of those) but also Scotch, bourbon, rum, Calvados, vodka, and others." ... "no one comes here to eat, but Brandy Library has a nice line of upscale finger food." ... 25 North Moore Street, 212-226-5545 [Citysearch]
- Robin Raisfeld has a list of 10 restaurants on Tenth Avenue between 15th and 24th Streets ... "Top Tenth: With available space and a celebrity chef or two, a restaurant row is born." ...
- Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld loved Queen’s Hideaway ... "that's so full of personality—so idiosyncratic, so nonconformist, and so downright kooky—that you can’t help but fall in love with it." ... but "Don’t go when you’re in a rush, or with people who can’t relax, or who demand air-conditioning, or ice in their water, or stemware for wine. Or wine." ... 222 Franklin Street, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, 718-383-2355
- Julia Moskin has a very interesting and fun article ... "Craving Hyphenated Chinese" ... Chinese-Venezuelan ... Chinese-Norwegian ... Chinese-Mexican ... Chinese-Malagasy ... Chinese-West Indian ... Chinese-Indian ... Chinese-Cuban ... Chinese-Peruvian ... Chinese-Jamaican ... kosher Chinese ... "'There are only a few things that are always the same in Chinese food,' said Guillermo Hung, a photographer who was reared in Caracas and lives in New Jersey. 'I was born in a Chinese restaurant, and I end up cooking Chinese style no matter where I am or what the ingredients are. There is always stir-frying. And the most important thing is the rice. For true Chinese food, everything else is a side dish.'" ... as a friend said after eating a good Chinese meal, "Thank God I'm Chinese!" ... and more of us can say that thanks to this wonderful global cuisine ... and there is an accompanying list: "Locations: Melting Woks" ...
- Frank Bruni gave two stars to Oriental Garden ... and one star to Mainland ... he liked the Peking Duck at Mainland ... "On one visit the pancakes were soggy, but the duck impressive. Another time every facet of the dish was spot-on." ... Mainland (reviewed by Adam Platt (TWIR, September 9, 2005), David Rosen (TWIR, August 26, 2005) and Gael Greene (TWIR, August 12, 2005)) ... 1081 Third Ave. between East 63rd and 64th, 212-888-6333 [MenuPages | Citysearch] ... "Oriental Garden is about extremely fresh food - fish in particular - and a kind of no-nonsense preparation that defers to, and underscores, that freshness." ... " In promising to sate you, Oriental Garden hits its mark." ... Oriental Garden, 14 Elizabeth Street, between Canal and Bayard Streets, 212-619-0085 [MenuPages | Citysearch] ... and said The Pegu Club's "cocktail list was like a liquid welcome mat, an exhortation to unwind. Gorgeous because the lighting makes sure of it.The long, long rectangle of a room has a glow, and so does everyone in it. Especially after one or two drinks." ... liked the smoked trout deviled eggs ... but the rest of the food did not impress ... 77 West Houston Street, at West Broadway, 212-473-7348 [New York | VittlesVamp]
- Mona's Apple said about the Frank Bruni review just above ... "I understand the practical bit versus the theatrical bit, but is the rest really necessary? Please dear food critic, tell me about the atmosphere, tell me about the food, and tell me about the service, the good the bad the ugly, in plain English, and without a plethora of SAT words. I realize the Times caters to its audience of those who live in intellectual-ville (I'm still in hooville), but is it necessary to describe a restaurant while making the reader feel lingually-challenged at the same time? I read these reviews and constantly feel like I'm being talked down to." ... Mona, jules at The Bruni Digest can clear everything up ...
- Andrea Strong had a mixed experience at Tides .... "octopus skewers ($9), set on a fresh corn and radish salad, were absolutely inedible" ... the Tilapia was "cooked perfectly" and they "turned into alley cats with respect to that fish—picking it clean with our fingers, leaving behind only a skeleton and a tail" ... "the kitchen needs to work out their kinks, but the place has a genuine warmth to it and gives good vibe" ... Pascale Le Draoulec and Gael Greene reviewed Tides last month (TWIR, August 26, 2005) ... 102 Norfolk Street, near Delancey, 212-254-8855 [Citysearch]
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Did we miss your favorite review? Want to see your review here next week?
Let us know: aguyinnewyork [at] gmail ... we're especially interested in hearing from NYC bloggers ...Old Master Paintings - at Christie's
Here are some paintings from the "Old Master Paintings" auction, September 30, 2005, 10:00 am ... open for viewing September 24 through September 29, 2005 ... at Christie's Rockefeller Plaza location ...
- Sale Number 1556, Lot Number 2, "The collector of tithes," Studio of Pieter Brueghel II (Antwerp 1589-1638/9)
- Sale Number 1556, Lot Number 89, "A bozetto for a ceiling: Merit crowned by Nobility," Carlo Innocenzo Carlone (Scaria 1686-1775 Como)
- Sale Number 1556, Lot Number 98, "A storm at sea," Pieter Mulier the Younger, Cavaliere Pietro Tempesta (Haarlem 1637-1701 Milan)
- Sale Number 1556, Lot Number 24, "The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine," Biagio dalle Lame, called Biagio Pupini (born in Bologna, active c. 1511-1551)
Christie's, 20 Rockefeller Plaza, 212-636-2000
Please note that links to auction items usually stop working within 30 days after the auction concludes ...
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"Gamblers Anonymous"
Cornelius Bear at Drone's Club took an online test from "Gamblers Anonymous" and gives his answers ... wonder if he plays online bingo ...
Porkbusters
mister snitch!, like many other bloggers, has a post on Porkbusters ... "Got pork?" ... but we like his because of the image ...
Big Apple Blog Festival - September 19, 2005
Welcome to Big Apple Blog Festival (BABF), a representative roundup of this week's posts by NYC bloggers.
- Stereogum suggests that you keep your iPod volume turned down ... "Keep it at an hour a day, at 60% of max volume, at most, if you don't want to end up wearing a hearing aid to your 30th birthday party." ...
- Frost Street is supporting Kathy Mayers in the "Gourmet Survivor Competition, a foodblog-community fundraiser for the victims of Hurricane Katrina." ... organized by The Amateur Groumet ...
- Amy Blair went to vote ... "On Tuesday, I went to go vote in the New York City Democratic Primary. The lady at the table for my election district asked me my name and I clearly told her 'Amy Blair.' 'Amy Blair,' she responded, 'that's an easy one to remember.'" ... after looking at every page in the A-L book, the poll worker then started to go through the M-Z book ... "I let her know that she wasn't going to find me in the M-Z book, as my last name starts with the letter 'B,' and the books are alphabetized by last name. 'Oh really?' she asked. 'Alphabetized by last name?' She then found my name in the book and thanked me for my help. She hadn't realized that's how it worked until then. The polls, by the way, had been open for thirteen hours at that point." ... Ai yi yi yi yi ....
- A Guy In New York posted his weekly "This Week in Reviews (TWIR)" ...
- gothamist reports that "The Taxi and Limousine Commission thinks that summons issued to cabdrivers for rudeness dropped 26% because of 311, since it's much easier for NYers to call up and complain about bad behavior. Well, here's Gothamist theory for the better mood: The taxi fare hike!" ... "Taxi Drivers Were Nicer This Year" ...
- jew school says that even if you're not sure if you know Dave Brubeck’s music ... you do ...
- mister snitch! has some good posts this week ... including ... Googles's launch of blog search (and check out the link at the bottom, "Glad you asked.") ... and he links to a CNN story about an inventor who makes fuel out of dead cats ... :-O ... Loco and Luca will NOT end up in our tank ... "Amazing sidewalk chalk art" ... check it out, it looks amazing ...
- modern fabulosity doesn't understand why our link to him comes first in a Google Blogs search for "modern fabulosity" ... neither do we ... but congratulations again on reaching 100,000 page views! ...
- Stay Free! Daily, in "Doctors fight online critics" ... writes that medical groups are upset about doctor ranking sites like RateMDs ...
- A Brooklyn Life gives her sister advice about how close she can park a car near a fire hydrant ... a commenter gives the "3-sidewalk squares" rule ... count "the number of concrete sidewalk squares between you and the hydrant -- if there are three full ones, you should be safe." ... sounds right to us ...
- A small victory has lists ... "Foods that are ok for pizza toppings" ... and "Foods that are NOT pizza toppings" ...
- NewYorkology and Corante New York look at the NYT's "36 Hours" story on ... Brooklyn ...
- MadKane has composed a "A Baysider's Ode To Queens" ... and has lots of limericks and New York humor on her site ...
- As I Please writes that "L.A. Times bests N.Y. Times" ... "At least in its coverage of Lafayette, Louisiana." ...
- CaiLun.info shows a book and box set in ... "Blue: Coptic with Case" ...
- The Politicker in "Brown vs. Rasiej" ... states that "One of the interesting down-ballot outcomes of this race was a reminder of what a low-tech slog city politics really is." ...
- A Stitch in Haste in "Sacré Château!" ... says "White Castle doesn't count" when it comes to a recent EU/US deal governing the transatlantic wine trade .. that requires: "From 2008 US vineyards will no longer be able to boast that a wine hails from a château unless they can prove its grapes are grown within sight of a castle." ... what about King Friday's castle? ...
- The Corsair writes that the Japanese Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi, has ... "the dreamiest hair" ...
- Amy's New York Notebook links to the Helvetica vs. Arial death match ...
- a picture BY me has a photo titled ... "Surf Grand Central" ...
- On Probation is leaving NYC and says ... "I can't think of anything I'm gonna miss about NYC. Period." ... happy trails to you ...
- Englishman in New York went to the Russia! exhibition at the Guggenheim museum and got a great pic of a dancer ...
- The Citizen Journal reports ... "At least one case of poison ivy confirmed in New York City; Officials on Alert" ...
- Cake Or Death? is very excited about the new Gillette 5-bladed razor ...
- Express Train has a photo ... "Pacific Street Brooklyn ~ waiting for the M/R ~ 8:30am"
- A VC asks, "Is Bill Gates the Cat with Nine Lives?" ... examines the first three lives ... and wonders if Vista (previously Longhorn) will be the fourth ...
- Asymmetrical Information has a succinct post about what "Little House on the Prairie" can teach us about Structural Unemployment ...
- Corante New York points to Paragraph ... "An incubator for bloggers" ... don't forget Village Quill ...
- Manolo’s Shoe Blog has roundup of Fashion Week ... "Fashion Week: Bland is the New Black" ...
- The Corsair also has a "Fashion Week Wrap Up" ...
Listed on the ÜberCarnival page and in Carnival News.
If you have a NYC blog and want to see something in the next BABF ... or you have a NYC blog and would like to host an upcoming BABF ... send us a short write up and a permalink to aguyinnewyork [at] gmail ... see you next week ...
Freelancing
gothamist has a post on the Freelancers Union ... with a chart showing income ... complete report here (pdf) ...
freelance writers have been around for a long time ... The Authors Guild was established in 1912 ... and the National Writers Union was established in 1981 ...
- Elance
- See Andy Budd's "Top Tips For Freelancers" ... and the comments ...
- "Free Agent Nation: The Future of Working for Yourself," by Daniel Pink (Warner, 2002)
- Review by Colin Brayton of "The Rise of the Creative Class"
Missed this ... Internet bingo
mister snitch! says Internet bingo is "The inevitable result of the convergence of online gaming and an aging demographic." ... links in his post ...
Saturday catblogging
Loco and Luca relaxing in chairs ...
Life in the City is good ...
The Work of Al Hirschfeld - Auction, September 22, 2005
Swann Galleries is having an auction of Al Hirschfeld drawings ... exhibition starting tomorrow, September 17, 2005 ...
The September 22 auction of The Work of Al Hirschfeld offers some 200 lots. Among the approximately 25 original drawings are portraits of Bob Hope, George Burns, Pearl Bailey, Alistair Cooke, Paul Muni, and Henry Fonda. There are also drawings for the New York Times of Desperate Hours, a 1955 play that featured a young Paul Newman; Awake & Sing, which starred John Garfield; and prints of more contemporary subjects such as the cast of Seinfeld.
Date: September 22, 2005, 2:30 pm
Exhibition: Saturday, September 17, 10-4; Monday, September 19 through Wednesday, September 21, 10-6; and Thursday, September 22, 10-noon
104 East 25th Street, between Park Avenue South and Lexington Avenue, 212-254-4710
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3rd Annual West Side County Fair - Sunday, September 18, 2005
Third Annual West Side County Fair ... Sunday, September 18, 2005, 2:00 - 6:00 pm, Riverside Park, 62nd to 72nd Street
Summer on the Hudson @ Riverside Park South presents the 3rd Annual West Side County Fair. Celebrate the change of season at Riverside Park South. Enjoy carnival rides like the Ferris Wheel and the Pirate Ship, the Moonbounce and the Bungee Run for the kids, funnel cakes, popcorn, cotton candy and country cooking. There will be pony rides, a petting zoo, strolling performers, a face painter, games, music and dancing. Some of the featured bands will be The Brooklyn Steppers Marching Band, The Muskrat Dixieland Trio, The Maybelles and many more. Vendors offering everything from soap and jewelry to pies and cider will be selling their wares. There is so much to see and do, we hope you will join us! And it's all free (except for food and vendor purchases). Weather permitting. For more information about this and other Riverside Park South events, please call 212-408-0219
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This Week in Reviews - September 16, 2005
Each Friday, A Guy In New York publishes "This Week in Reviews (TWIR)," with quick links to New York City restaurant reviews and mentions from the previous seven days in blogs, magazines, and newspapers.
The Feast of San Gennaro runs through September 25, 2005.
- Plate of the Day approves of Hong Kong Station Noodle Shop, 128 Hester Street, 212-966-9382 ... [NewYork]
- Tables for Two writes that the burgers at Burger Joint "are not huge. But they are right" ... 118 West 57th Street, 212-708-7414 ... [A Hamburger Today | MenuPages | Citysearch]
- A Full Belly compares Shake Shack and Burger Joint ... and concludes: "The Shake Shack has clearly got a lot going for it, I tend to eat there thrice as often, and is clearly the better restaurant overall, but when asked where the best burger in Manhattan* is, my reply will always be: Burger Joint. It's not a close call at all." ... and adds in a footnote: "Want the best burger in all of New York City? Well, you'll have to go to Peter Luger in Brooklyn for that. Well worth the trip!" ... Shake Shack, Madison Square Park, Madison Avenue and East 23rd Street, 212-889-6600 [A Hamburger Today | MenuPages | Citysearch] ... Peter Luger, 178 Broadway, Brooklyn, 718-387-7400 [Citysearch]
- NY Food Museum reminds us that Sunday, October 2, 2005, 11 am - 4:30 pm, is International Pickle Day 2005 ... Orchard Street between Houston and Stanton Streets, "in the old pickle district of Manhattan’s Lower East Side." ...
- Robert Sietsema says that Lodge "follows the current Williamsburg predilection for cheap food and expensive drinks, and many diners begin with one of the strong cocktails—including a killer mojito ($8) served in a jar. Well, it almost killed me. It left me reeling, even before the first appetizer arrived." ... and the food isn't important anyway as "Lodge wants you to get plowed" ... 318 Grand Street, Brooklyn, 718-486-9400 [Citysearch]
- Joshua Bernstein says the new Congee Bowery Restaurant and Bar ... is "an imitation of a masterpiece, a Mona Lisa knockoff with a lip-curling frown. If Congee were a novel concept, I'd sing its accolades. Yet as it stands, it can't hold a bowl of porridge to its older sibling." ... 207 Bowery, between Rivington and Spring Streets, 212-766-2828 ... Congee Village, 100 Allen Street, 212-941-1818 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
- Jackson Hole reviews the Bellevue Hospital Cafeteria ... and says the grilled cheese "bursts with lush, velvety undertones topped with crisp grace notes and comes with steak fries—soggy but tasty." ... "The coffee sings to me of the coasts of Tanzania, and I detect a fruity burst that makes me wonder if the beans haven't been roasted when they were still a day or two from ripening." ... 462 First Avenue at 27th Street, 212-562-4141 [Citysearch]
- Braden Keil warns that "New York is bracing itself for a major seafood shortage, after Hurricane Katrina wiped out much of the Gulf of Mexico's fishing industry. Louisiana, which accounts for nearly 30 percent of all seafood production in the United States - and 40 percent of the country's shrimp - has lost nearly all of its oyster beds." ...
- Kiri Tannenbaum writes that "restaurants are turning water into wine. Well, not quite - but they are crafting their lists of bottled waters as carefully as they stock their wine cellars. Gone are the days of Evian and Pellegrino - a new crop of bottles have landed on menus from the hills of Scotland to the wilds of the Amazon." ...
- It was Adam Platt's turn to review Perry Street ... but he had trouble getting a reservation ... "Too Cool" ... "The food at this canteen is often excellent, although given Mr. Vongerichten’s talents, it sometimes feels almost too spare, like he’s tossed off the recipes between trips to his far-flung holdings in Las Vegas or Shanghai." ... and asks: "Is it worth groveling to secure a table? If you long for a glimpse of Nicole Kidman, possibly. If not, there are certainly other places around town where you can find a good lamb chop and a nice cup of Orchid Oolong tea." ... sounds like a restaurant that doesn't need our business ... previous reviews by Frank Bruni (TWIR, September 9, 2005), Steve Cuozzo (TWIR, September 2, 2005) ... and Gael Greene and Andrea Strong (TWIR, August 19, 2005) ... 176 Perry Street just off West Side Hwy, 212-352-1900 ... [Citysearch]
- David Rosen starts his review of Perry Street: "The most daring feature of Jean-Georges Vongerichten's latest restaurant is its address." ... "Unfortunately, a recent meal there began on few sour notes. One of the water glasses at the table was visibly stained, but the staff ignored that completely and poured water in it. Average rolls are placed on the bread plate with butter, but no butter knife is provided, forcing diners to use the dinner knife." ... however ... "Every appetizer is a masterpiece of point and counterpoint for flavor and texture." ... "Main courses are hearty, elegant and surprisingly generous." ... but ... "Vongerichten does not have to commute much when he works at Perry Street, but he might have to go an extra mile to make his restaurant truly perfect." ...
- slice ... not a review, but a piece about red vs yellow onions on pizza ... "Cheese and Onions" ...
- Moira Hodgson had a "seesaw" meal at Fillip's ... "At Fillip’s, Peace and Quiet, And French From a Textbook" ... the white asparagus soup "was truly awful" ... but the vichyssoise "was wonderful" ... rack of lamb "was also very good" ... 202 7th Avenue, at West 22nd Street, 212-242-4787 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
- Amateur Gourmet ate at A.O.C. ... "shared an awesome--and I mean awesome--appetizer: 'Croustillant de Chevre: Phyllo Pastry Filled with Goat Cheese & Spinach over a Spinach Salad.'" ... liked the lamb shank ... "standard French food (minus the risotto) prepared extremely well" ... 314 Bleecker Street, at Grove Street, 212-675-9463 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
- Dana Bowen says Bliss has "the best house-cured salmon ($9) in the entire borough" ... and the "appetizers were all impressive" ... 4520 Skillman Avenue, at 45th Street, Queens, 718-729-0778
- Frank Bruni gave 2 stars to Upstairs, which doesn't take reservations ... "Upstairs, Downtown, Idiosyncratically" ... "Although the food at Upstairs never tasted convoluted, it was often built in a complex, layered fashion, resulting in bewitchingly subtle shades of flavor" ... liked the salads, halibut, sirloin, and lamb ... 130 West Broadway, 212-608-5829
- Gael Greene agrees that "the food is delicious" at Upstairs ... and "Savvy-looking Japanese dominate the sushi bar" ...
- NYC.COM says about Upstairs: "However, when Chef Bouley is not around there can be frustratingly long waits for food, as the sous chef can be overwhelmed by so many orders at once. We have received multiple reports (and also twice personally experienced) annoyingly long waits just to receive the check, for which there is no plausible excuse whatsoever." ...
- Manhattan User's Guide published its list of "the most notable restaurant openings scheduled, roughly speaking, for fall (or, you know, winter)" in "The Big Guns" ...including ... Buddakan NY ... Morimoto ... Cookshop ... Country ... Del Posto ... Jovia ... Orto ... Sascha ... Telepan ... Thor ...
- Andrea Strong published her "Annual Strong Buzz Fall Feasting Guide" that looks at new restaurants ... but her favorite restaurant is still Five Points ... she loves ... the people who run it ... the food .. the room ...the wood-burning oven ... 31 Great Jones Street, between Lafayette Street and Bowery, 212-253-5700 [MenuPages | Citysearch] ... and now they are opening Cookshop ... 159 Tenth Avenue at 20th Street, 212-924-4440 ... she also has previews of ... Fatty Crab ... Thor ... Soho Cantina East ... Jefferson Grill ... Jovia ... European Union ... Restaurant Sascha ... Speak ... Pair of 8s ... 24 Prince ... The Hideaway ... Mo Pitkin’s House of Satisfaction ... Dash Dogs ... Dani ... Del Posto ... Ammos ... Telepan ... Carmellini ... Stephen Starr’s Dynamic Duo ... Palå ... Parea ... and if that isn't enough, she has LOTS more on Katrina benefits and events ... amazing ...
- Joe Dziemianowicz also had the Daily News' "Fall Preview" ...
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Did we miss your favorite review? Want to see your review here next week?
Let us know: aguyinnewyork [at] gmail ... we're especially interested in hearing from NYC bloggers ...Brooklyn Jazz Series - FREE kickoff Sunday, September 18, 2005
The Brooklyn Jazz Series kicks off a ten-week run this weekend ... with a FREE session on Sunday, September 18th, 2005 ...
- 12:00 noon: The Brooklyn Jazz Series kickoff
- 1:00 pm: Marcus Strickland Quartet
- 2:45 pm: Rudresh Mahanthappa Quartet
- 4:30 pm: Mark Turner Trio
- 5:45 pm: All three musicians will partake in a jam session
After that, every Wednesday, September 21st through November 23rd, 2005, 8 to 11 pm ...
from the great folks at Water Street Restaurant & Lounge ... site of the Tiger Beer Singapore Chili Crab Festival (Third Annual coming next August!) ... DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass), Brooklyn, 66 Water Street, between Dock and Main Streets, 718-625-9352 [Citysearch]
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Festival of San Gennaro - September 15-25, 2005
The 78th Annual Feast of San Gennaro, New York City's oldest, biggest and best street festival, will be celebrated starting Thursday, September 15, and continuing for 11 days through Sunday, September 25, 2005.
The Feast runs along Mulberry Street, between Canal Street (on south) and Houston Street (on north). It takes place east to west on Grand Street, between Mott and Baxter Street, and east to west on Hester Street, between Mott and Baxter Streets.
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Paintings at Christie's ... Guy Wiggins
Here are some paintings we like by Guy Carleton Wiggins at the Fine American Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture auction, September 15, 2005, at Christie's Rockefeller Plaza location ...
The grandson of the painter is a friend of ours ...
Christie's, 20 Rockefeller Plaza, 212-636-2000
Please note that links to auction items usually stop working within 30 days after the auction concludes ...
Free wi-fi coming to Central Park ... other parks have had it for years ...
Daily News reports that "Wi-Fi umbrella to cover 10 city parks" (September 13, 2005) ... but Dana Spiegel reminds us that we've had free wi-fi in many parks for the past 3 or 4 years:
Working with other sponsoring organizations such as the Alliance for Downtown New York and the Union Square Partnership, local businesses, and residents, NYCwireless has helped bring Wi-Fi to Bryant Park, Union Square Park, City Hall Park, Tomkins Square Park, the South Street Seaport, and Bowling Green Park, among others. NYCwireless also works with other non-profits, such as Community Access, to bring free Wi-Fi to underserved and underprivileged city residents in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx.These Wi-Fi hotspots have been in use by many New Yorkers and visitors to the city for the past 3-4 years, and have been featured in numerous newspaper and magazine articles.
Bryant Park has had free wi-fi since 2002 ...
Student Interview
A student for a class at FCI interviewed us recently ...
Among other questions, we were asked:
Q: What inspired you ... to create a website devoted to food, amongst other things?
A: Friends and family inspired A Guy In New York. Over the past 20 years or so, hundreds of people have suggested that Peter write a book about living and eating well in NYC ... and it is much easier to do a blog than a book. Peter enjoys eating at NYC restaurants 2 or 3 times each week, which he has been doing for more than 30 years.
Q: Do you feel restaurant websites and food blogs are slowly replacing newspapers and magazines?
A: Food blogs and other dining sites are not replacing food writing in newspapers and magazine, they complement and supplement it. It is now much easier to get a wide variety of opinion about different restaurants, something that is facilitated in NYC especially by the existence of MenuPages and Citysearch with reader comments, and forums such as Chowhound. However, the big issue remains of whose taste you agree with and trust. Peter has friends who love places that he does not like. That doesn't make them bad places, just not places he can recommend. And there are restaurants that he believes embody the best of Asian cooking, while friends of his do not rave about them like he does. Part of that is explained by the fact that Peter experienced authentic Malaysian and Chinese cooking in Asia for his first 20 years, and he brought those preferences with him to the U.S. So, part of his preferences are due to Peter establishing his taste for Asian food ... in Asia.We also like spicy food, but not when spices are used to cover up mediocre and less-than-fresh ingredients.
Q: Do you use Open Table?A: We do not use Open Table, as we normally don't eat at places that require a reservation. Peter believes restaurants that require reservations don't need his business, especially when there are so many excellent restaurants in NYC where you can dine without a reservation. Competition is great for good dining. Also, many restaurants that say they require reservations can often fit you in.
We are primarily concerned with the consistent quality of the food served, and prefer simple, fresh ingredients. And although we enjoy food that is artfully presented, presentation, ambience and service are less important to us than eating food that is consistently fresh and spiced and cooked properly.
Q: Where or what do you turn to for food information?A: We talk to our friends and wait staff, and we look at all of the major reviewers and numerous food blogs. We especially like the very simple restaurant reviews that appear at the bottom of Steve Forbes "Fact and Comment" column in Forbes magazine, and have agreed with most all of them. We believe the restaurant reviews in Forbes are far less influenced by PR than some others.
We have also become more familiar with the many excellent NYC food blogs by putting together our weekly "This Week In Reviews."
The list of NYC food blogs and reviewers we look at are on our Good Eats page.
If you have a NYC food blog and are not listed, send us an email and we'll add you ... aguyinnewyork -at- gmail ... for more about us, see About Us ...
Upcoming Sotheby's sales
Some interesting upcoming sales at Sotheby's ...
- American Art, September 16, 2005, 10:15 am, 1334 York Avenue at 72nd Street, New York, New York
Exhibiton: Wednesday, September 14, 2005, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm, Thursday, September 15, 2005, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
See LOT 56, WILLIAM MERRITT CHASE, 1849-1916, PORTRAIT OF LOUIS PRANG
LOT 91, GUY WIGGINS, 1883-1962, HARBOR, GLOUCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS
- Royal House of Hanover, Wednesday, October 5 - Saturday, October 15, 2005, 10:00 am and 2:30 pm daily, no auction session on Sunday, October 9, 2005
Exhibition: Schloss Marienburg, Nordstemmen, Germany, Friday, September 30 - Monday, October 3, 2005, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm daily
Open House NY - October 8 and 9, 2005
The 3rd annual openhousenewyork weekend will be held October 8 and 9, 2005.
This is a fantastic way to see some of New York City's buildings up close and in ways rarely possible.
This year’s event will highlight 150 sites throughout the city, allowing you to explore landmarks such as the Chrysler Building, major projects such as Fresh Kills, and sites open for the first time, such as the grounds of Ellis Island Hospital PLUS lighthouses, lookouts, monuments, mansions, fireboats, forts, farmhouses, penthouses and SO MUCH MORE!
They also need volunteers to work at the sites as well as professional photographers.
The Telecrapper 2000
engadget has a great post on the Telecrapper 2000, which "identifies incoming telemarketer calls and using caller ID (or more specifically, their lack thereof), and is programmed to ensnare the caller in a software-driven conversation in order to keep them on the line as long as possible."
See this flash animation for a "Telecrapper 2000 virtual conversation" ...
Artists Aid Orleans, Sept. 13th
Artists Aid Orleans is a benefit art sale raising money for the charities Habitat for Humanity and America's Second Harvest ... Tuesday September 13th, 6 to 9 pm ... NYC Stories has details ...
NYC blogger party - September 30, 2005
Karol Sheinin of AlarmingNews is hosting "The Awesome Super Fantastic 'Autumn in NY' Blogger Party" ... September 30, 2005, 8:00 pm, probably at Madame X, 94 West Houston Street, 212-539-0808 ... [Citysearch] ...
"Everyone is invited. Bloggers. Blog readers. All welcome. There are plenty of NY-based blogs that I know nothing about so please do pass this invite along and let your readers know about it too. This is certainly not a political party, every ideology, or none at all, is welcome."
if you plan to attend, please rsvp using this evite ...
Big Apple Blog Festival - September 12, 2005
Welcome to Big Apple Blog Festival (BABF), a representative roundup of this week's posts by NYC bloggers.
- CaiLun.info has a great post ... "Pop-Up Books" ...
- Asymmetrical Information says "The poor really are different" ...
- Late Final suggests that "it might be a good time to look at the emergency management plan for your home town" ... and has links to more than ten cities ... and also notes that ... "Long Island, N.Y., where between 3 million and 4 million people live, is doing more to publicize tax-free shopping week than its coastal evacuation routes in the middle of a hurricane season." ...
The Politburo Diktat ... "The local fire department announced a collection for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. We collected a few bags of clothes, stuffed animals, shoes, etc. and brought them over. When we arrived at village hall, we were astounded at the mountain of goods. Take a look" ... amazing ... take a look
- On Probation says goodbye and thanks to NYC ...
- forgotten NY added a new page called "Bank Yankin' - former savings institutions" ... pics of banks, buildings that used to be banks, and some old bank signs ...
- The Tin Man has a list of "the articles (with opening paragraphs) that the New York Times ran on its front page four years ago (September 11, 2001)" ...
- Time Out New York is having its EatOut05 on September 27th ...
- Modern Fabulousity hit 100,000 page views on Sept. 10th ... and wants an iPod nano ...
- My Urban Kvetch 2005 reveals that ... she did give the panhandler $5 ... (BABF, August 29, 2005)
- downtown lad believes TriBeCa has ... "the best dining experience in New York City" ... (for anyone wondering:
TriBeCa means "'Triangle Below Canal' between the Hudson River and Broadway") ...- Express Train has some beautiful pics of an everyday commute on the subway ...
- Young Manhattanite doesn't like the new Sploid design ...
- NYC Metblog reminds us that it is apple picking season ... with links to Pick Your Own farms within one hour of the City ...
- Third Avenue reviews the New York City Opera's new production of Richard Strauss's last opera, Capriccio ... in "A jubilant beginning" ...
- The Apiary has the secret for "Breaking into Comedic Television Writing" ...
- Right Moon? has a link to a shelter in Houston that "has specifically requested Plus Size Clothing" ...
- Republican Party Reptile is starting a "Million-Babe March" ...
- Ace of Spades HQ, in "Depak Chopra vs. Agent Smith" ... asks: "Is humanity a cancer? Or, as Agent Smith would have it, merely a virus?" ... or spam? ...
- A Brooklyn Life says "General admission tickets went on sale September 6, so now's the time to buy." for ... Brooklyn Academy of Music's Next Wave Festival ...
- Englishman in New York has a pic of the "Smallest Removal Van in the World" ... for GregsExpress.com ...
- the muse's pics sent us a link to three of her NYC photos ...
- Ragged Thots had a roundup last week that we missed ... "Bruce Ratner/Forest City Ratner's 'Brooklyn Standard', an ersatz paper with a raison d'etre of boosting the downtown Brooklyn development project -- of Forest City Ratner!"
- Alarming News is organizing a NY blogger bash for sometime in this month.
Listed on the ÜberCarnival page and in Carnival News.
If you have a NYC blog and want to see something in the next BABF, send us a short write up and a permalink to aguyinnewyork [at] gmail ... see you next week ...
"BeatTix.com to Fight Parking Ticket for You"
Autoblog says that "BeatTix.com will fight your [parking] ticket for you for $20." ... and "if you get a ticket anywhere within 2 miles of Yankee Stadium during a game for the rest of the season, BeatTix.com will fight your ticket for FREE" ...
From the BeatTix.com web site ... "BeatTix.com Guarantees that all penalties and interest will be waived or we will promptly refund our $19.95 fee. However, once penalties and interest are waived at the hearing, it is your responsibility to pay the base fine on time. If penalties and/or interest are reinstated it is not covered under the Guarantee."
NYC blogs - new photoblog
We added a new photoblog to the NYC blog list ... Express Train, by Travis Ruse ... this is how he describes his photoblog:
I live in Park Slope, Brooklyn. I work in midtown Manhattan.42nd & Lexington Ave., to be exact, right across from Grand Central Station.
As the crow flies, that's just 6 miles. But on the tracks, it can be three trains, 11 stops, and 45 minutes each way.
This is what I see every day commuting to and from work.
The beauty of these photographs is the beauty of the everyday ...
Recommended
Thanks to Amy at NewYorkology for the pointer ...
If you have a NYC blog and want to be added to our list of NYC blogs, or see your posts in the weekly Big Apple Blog Festival, send an email to: aguyinnewyork [AT] gmail ... or you can use the Carnival Submit Form ...
Saturday catblogging
Loco and Luca relaxing on the terrace ... overlooking Madison Avenue ... between 67th and 68th Streets ...
Life in the City is so good ...
"East buffet sued for paying workers as little as $1 an hour"
Workers at East Buffet & Restaurant in Huntington Station have filed a federal lawsuit against their employer, saying they worked 65-hour weeks for as little as $1 per hour and without overtime pay. They contend managers kept most of the tips left for waiters and other service personnel.
East Buffet was in TWIR (September 9, 2005)
The reviews are mixed on AOL cityguide, but not on Citysearch
This Week in Reviews - September 9, 2005
Each Friday, A Guy In New York publishes "This Week in Reviews (TWIR)," with quick links to New York City restaurant reviews and mentions from the previous seven days in blogs, magazines, and newspapers.
This week's TWIR is shorter than usual due to fall soccer getting underway ...
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- Joan Reminick pigged out at the East Buffet ... "East, which is under different ownership than the Flushing restaurant of the same name, includes some Italian, American, Korean, Thai and Japanese dishes, such as sushi and sashimi. And, of course, there's a wealth of Chinese selections, many of them hard to come by elsewhere." ... "Referred to in the 2005 Zagat Survey as 'the mother of all buffets,' East's assortment is dizzying." ... 179 Walt Whitman Road, Huntington Station, 631-385-0800 ... [mixed reviews on AOL cityguide | but not on Citysearch]
- David Rosen wrote about Piano Due: "Although the food will not win praise for its originality, it will certainly win acclaim for its impeccable execution." ... 151 West 51st Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues, 212-399-9400 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
- Steve Cuozzo declares that CITÉ "is as reliable as an over-the-counter headache cure." ... suggests you stick with the beef and avoid the seafood ... 120 West 51st Street, 212-956-7100 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
- Pascale Le Draoulec says that even though Fleur de Sel has been around 5 years ... it still "serves elegant modern French fare in an atmosphere that couldn't be more caring or unpretentious" ... he enjoyed a "stunner of a lobster salad ... [that] was so subtle and delicate, one wondered if this lobster had been fed rose petals on the sly." ... and there's more ... 5 East 20th Street, between 5th Avenue and Broadway, 212-460-9100 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
- New York had lots-o-stuff in its Fall Preview ... Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld will be trying American Masala, Fatty Crab, Frankies 17 Clinton Street Spuntino, and Anthony’s ... opening this fall: Del Posto ... Telepan ... Orto ... and Intelligencer asks: "Does New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni have something against Italian food?" ...
- SliceNY has posts on ... a pizza vending machine ... "we at Slice are guardedly skeptical. The best pies are made with fresh ingredients and a great measure of human pride. This machine contains neither. At this point, we see it as a novelty and will try it simply to witness the ingenuity of our Italian amici in action." ... with a link to a video of the machine in action ... and Katrina aid ...
- Forbes says GO to WD-50: a "jewel on the Lower East Side has a creative menu that just gets better and better." ... Elissa Myers also liked it (TWIR, August 26) ... 50 Clinton Street, between Stanton and Rivington Streets, 212-477-2900 [MenuPages | Citysearch] and GO to Sipan: "charming spot serving spectacularly good Peruvian cuisine." ... 702 Amsterdam Avenue, at 94th Street, 212-665-9929 ... [MenuPages | Citysearch]
- The Amateur Gourmet liked the duck salad at Wondee Siam II ... "Knowledge is Power: Dinners at Wondee Siam II and Osteria del Sole" ... Cynthia Kilian also liked the restaurant ... (there is also a Wondee Siam "I", without the "I", called Wondee Siam) ... 813 9th Avenue, between 53rd and 54th Streets, 917-286-1726 or 917-286-1727
- Frank Bruni gave 3 stars to Perry Street ... in "Showmanship Yields to Elegance" ... "And while it is undeniably flawed and surprisingly inconsistent, it's cause for celebration" ... Steve Cuozzo said last week that it was "merely very good" (TWIR, September 2) ... and Gael Greene and Andrea Strong reviewed Perry Street last month (TWIR, August 19) ... 176 Perry Street just off West Side Hwy, 212-352-1900 ... [Citysearch]
- Moria Hodgson also went to Perry Street ... "Globe-Trotting Chef’s Detour Not Too Far Off the Fast Lane" ... which she describes as "spare and graceful" ... "Some of the dishes are flawless" ... but the crispy rabbit "I didn’t like it at all." ... and "Maine lobster wasn’t much better." ... "However, two other dishes were great. Slow-roasted chicken ... [and a] filet of Arctic char...." concluding "I wish that the quality of the food here were more consistent, but those dishes that work are more than just good—they’re truly great."
- Jules at The Bruni Digest interprets Frank Bruni's Perry Street review in "Perry Street: With Arms Wide Open" ...
- Adam Platt, like David Rosen (TWIR, August 26) and Gael Greene (TWIR, August 12), likes the Peking duck at Mainland ... "The duck is presented without any fusion frills, with steamed pancakes from a bamboo warmer, shaved scallions, and plum sauce. It looks like the real thing, and it mostly tastes that way" ... he suggests you avoid the "excessive fusion items on the menu" ... and "Focus instead on Young’s more subtle creations." ... such as ... the spring rolls ... dumplings ... "If you order one beef dish at Mainland, make it the short ribs" ... "The best seafood dishes by far are the Dungeness crabs ... and the lobster." ... "Chinese Modernization: At Mainland, traditional Chinese cooking gets some contemporary New York touches" ... 1081 Third Ave. between East 63rd and 64th, 212-888-6333 [MenuPages | Citysearch] ... he also liked the crispy spring chicken and fish dishes at Liberty View ... 21 South End Avenue, west of the West Side Highway and north of 3rd Street, 212-786-1888 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
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Did we miss your favorite review? Want to see your review here next week?
Let us know: aguyinnewyork [at] gmail ... we're especially interested in hearing from NYC bloggers ...Posting will be light this weekend ...
Soccer season begins this weekend, so posting will be light ...
Inflation calculator
Here's a handy inflation calculator ... from Steven Morgan Friedman ... who also started Overheard in New York ...
Charge your cell phone with a single AA battery
gizmodo has a post about a cell phone charger that works on a single AA battery ... $24.95 "Includes assortment of connectors to fit virtually all popular cell phone models" ...
Web site worth knowing about - Eating Chinese
Eating Chinese "is a labor of love, and being the creation of a man with a slow hand, it will not come to the table with the alacrity of a dry-fry, which is to say it is permanently under construction."
Gary Soup, the webmaster, has an impressive collection of links, but the heart of the site is the discussion forums.
As a lover of chicken feet, we were pleased to discover an entire thread discussing them. And if you want advice for a good Chinese restaurant anywhere, try posting in the Restaurant Tip Sheet.
Mr. Soup, all you need is a blog!
