November 2005 Archives
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Annual Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche at the Met
One of our favorite things to do around Christmas is see the Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche at the Met.
In this annual event, a vivid 18th-century Neapolitan Nativity scene (embellished with diminutive, lifelike attendant figures and hovering, silk-robed angels) adorns a candlelit 20-foot blue spruce.
November 22, 2005 - January 8, 2006, Medieval Art, 1st floor, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue
Technorati Tags: New York, NYC, Manhattan, metropolitan museum of art
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World's Most Expensive Restaurants?
Forbes has released its World’s Most Expensive Restaruant list. First, you will notice that there are no two restaurants from the same city. It seems the methodology was to choose a set of metropolitan centers in various countries and find the most expensive restaurant in each of those cities. The methodology excludes all American restaurants. I can think of more than a few New York restaurants with price tags well above most all of these restaurants.
"Forbes Names the World’s Most Expensive Restaurants," WineFetch, November 28th, 2005
The folks at Forbes have no idea what the heck they're talking about.
"The World's Priciest Meals? Hardly." Vinography: a wine blog, November 20, 2005
One fact the article reveals: Britain - once laughed at as a place for great food - now has some of the world's top restaurants.
"The world's most expensive restaurants 2005," Slashfood, November 19, 2005
More
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"World's Most Expensive Restaurants 2005," by Sophia Banay, Forbes, October 20, 2005
"Most Expensive U.S. Restaurants 2005," by Sophia Banay, Forbes, October 13, 2005
"The world's most expensive lunch," by Polly Vernon, The Observer, April 18, 2004
"The world's most expensive meal," by Chris Dwyer, CNN, November 22, 2005
"Chef creates world's most expensive pie," Manchester Evening News, November 15, 2005
Technorati Tag: restaurants
Big Apple Blog Festival - November 28, 2005
Welcome to the Big Apple Blog Festival (BABF), a representative roundup of this week's posts by NYC bloggers.
Last week's Big Apple Blog Festival was hosted by mister snitch!.
Next week's BABF will be hosted by Harleys, Cars, Girls & Guitars ... if you have a NYC blog or you blog about NYC and would like to host an upcoming BABF, let us know ...
Food
- WhatISee has a photo showing Shake Shack still has a line in winter ...
- Gothamist has a great suggestion for a street vendor restaurant in New York ...
- My Life With Garlic had "Food to Die For" on Thanksgiving ... with pics ...
- A Guy In New York had his weekly roundup of restaurant reviews ... This Week In Reviews ...
Clothing
- Now What? switched to the glockenspiel after marching in Macy's Thanksgiving Parade so she could march in parades wearing pants ...
Shelter
- gothamist has a great post on "Con Edison's NYC steam system" ...
- Letters from NYC has tips on how to reduce your utility bills ...
Technology
- writersbloc needs a new computer ... and is "willing to consider my options with a Mac if anyone cares to give me justification and arguments to strengthen their case. Besides 'it integrates better with your iPod'." ...
OpEd
- Urban Elephants wonders "what the hell is a Republican in New York?" ...
- Wonkster writes: "Reviews of the Port Authority’s possible plans for retail development near the World Trade Center site are trickling in, and they are not favorable." ...
- Asymmetrical Information believes "Making the country as a whole poorer in order to reduce income inequality doesn't sound to me like a good idea." ...
- The Daily Gotham says "Wal-Mart is one of the worst examples of what can go wrong with capitalism. Their rival, Costco, is an example of what can go RIGHT with capitalism, but Wal-Mart represents the ultimate in worker exploitation, anti-union, anti-small business, etc. capitalism." ...
- Ace of Spades defends Al Gore ... a little bit ... says Andrea Mitchell is dazed and confused ...
- The Corsair raises a glass to Condoleeza Rice ...
- Exit Zero declares "Whether our government chooses to acknowledge it or not, Saudi Arabia is at war with us." ...
- Brain Terminal hopes "that conservatives don't go too far down the road of conspiracy-mongering." ...
- As I Please reports that the avian flu vaccine shortage is now solved ...
- Ragged Thots wants to know "Why would a clearly-identified publication of the Left like the Village Voice basically castigate a local politician as being in the pocket of labor?" ...
- Dawn Eden speculates that Scott Spear, chairman of the national medical committee of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, "probably meant to say, 'Is this a local tissue?'" not "Is this a local issue?" ...
- The People's Cube reports, "As usual, the Europeans have been leading the way." ...
- Liberteaser has a campaign finance proposal ... and is "willing to bet Robert Kennedy, Jr. $10,000 that Manhattan will not be under 12 feet of water in the next 10 years." ...
Animals
- Theater of My Mind has a photo showing how a roach sees a subway station ...
- untitlednamedotcom has some interesting photos of New York City Wildlife ... look at the last one ... is that a guard poodle? ...
- Ace of Spades has a bit of advice for bear hunters ...
- The Politicker reports that "Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, recently ventured to Washington to chat with Republican legislators about global warning (sic)" ...
Living in New York
- NYC Stories: "New Yorkers can be jaded. We think we have seen everything, and sometimes we ignore the things going on right in front of our faces." ...
- Forgotten NY added a new page about "Edgemere on the Rockaway peninsula, whose mile after mile of ocean beach front has been left to rot." ... Google map ...
- rion.nu has photos of "some of the back alleys and river walkways of darkened downtown manhattan at dusk" ...
- Living the Scientific Life explains why "removing an egg from the endangered whooping crane's nest increases the species' chances of survival" ... and has an interesting post about the 2 Galápagos tortoises currently on exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History through May 29, 2006 ...
Travel
- Young Manhattanite is going to live in Jerusalem for a month ...
- Dave Friedman reminds those of us who drive, "cutting trucks off on the highway with the expectation that they can stop like cars is foolish and ignorant." ... I'd been wondering where that post had gone, thanks Dave! ...
- greg.org has an interesting post about President Bush's visit to Mongolia, with links to many photos ... and he's a "A Sucker For A Good Tracking Shot" ...
- Amy's New York Notebook has something you'll like in DC ... "Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress may be my new favorite building in the world." ... we like the Jefferson Building a lot and will be using a photo of the main reading room on the cover of a book we're publishing in 2006 ...
Health
- Clublife needs some advice about why he is snoring like a buzzsaw ...
Family and Friends
- Ace of Spades links to an article that shows "what happens when self-esteem triumphs over good manners" ...
- The Assimilated Negro is thankful for finding a long-lost sister this year ... and has a great list including "Things You Learn About Your Boyfriend/Girlfriend After They Move In With You" ... our favorite: "they're only funny one to two hours of the day, which used to be the one to two hours of the day you spent with them, but now is the one to two hours of the day you don't" ...
Entertainment
- The Anonymous Blogger has price comparisons of bowling in New York and bowling in Union City ...
- joe's nyc has a great photo of a bicyclist riding past a movie set ...
- Mister Snitch! says "The fanboys have taken over the asylum" ... and "office photocopier repairs spike during holiday season" ...
- BounceFM has info on the next 718 SESSIONS Holiday Classics Party on December 11, 2005 ... with Danny Krivit and Davdi Depino ...
- Fisher-Price My First Opera Blog writes that "the movie of Rent is, overall, a resounding disappointment." ...
- About Last Night posted his weekly "list of recommended Broadway and off-Broadway shows" ... including Bach in Leipzig, which closes December 18 ... and has 2 good quotes on gratitude ...
- Corante New York explains "Why people often confuse Toronto (yes, Toronto) with New York" ...
- My Urban Kvetch "saw Walk the Line on Thursday night, and really enjoyed it." ...
- dailyheights.com asks, "Is Richard Dreyfuss a Jerk? Playful? A Playful Jerk?" ...
- Cinema Strikes Back gives 4 out of 4 stars to "Tarkan Versus The Vikings" (aka "Tarkan Viking kani") ... "Turkey’s answer to the Italian sword and sandal films, is more fun than the proverbial barrel of monkeys and just as crazed." ... "On any scale of normal quality, Tarkan is clearly total crap. The four stars are based entirely on the fact that it’s amazingly fun, and a perfect way to introduce yourself to the insanity that is Turkish cinema." ... now out on DVD (with "Deathless Devil") ...
Holidays
- SerandEz links to a cartoon, "If the First Thanksgiving Had Been Jewish" ...
- New York Hack has a nice holiday lights pic and heard the words every cab driver loves to hear ...
- NewYorkology has a list of the "Top 10 new things to do in NYC this season" ...
- Jewschool is "a huge supporter of Buy Nothing Day" ...
- Dorian Davis has a poem for Thanksgiving ...
- Harleys, Cars, Girls & Guitars doesn't believe Santa can "can deliver 12 beautiful young women from Bali to wait on me hand and foot." ...
- Elvira Black asks, "Ever feel like you've been cheated?" ...
- Englishman in New York declares "Thanksgiving is fast becoming my favorite day of the year. It’s the one day when almost everything in New York stops—apart from the trains. ... it’s one of the most inclusive and relaxed holidays I have ever experienced." ...
Blogs, Blogging, and Some Other Stuff
- opinionistas has crossed the line and is now "associata non grata" ...
- lowercase L thaks "the Donut Shop on 7th Ave here in Park Slope, Brooklyn, for giving me this perfect example of improper lowercase L usage." ...
- Modern Fabulousity has his weekly ModFab Gallery with links to 17 photoblogs ...
- Nonsense Verse has a phrase that "is strangely satisfying" when added at the end of "those stupid, cryptic movie or episode descriptions on your digital cable" ...
- copyranter says "Starbucks seriously needs to go to Billboarding School" ... and advises that advertising agencies "DON'T HAVE A CLUE ahead of time whether the TV spots/ads they create are going to sell product." ...
- Buzzmachine is not happy with RSS readers that don't tell him subscriber numbers ...
- CaiLun.info reports on his "first attempt to bind single sheets" into a book ...
- Alarming News has a link to "Best personal ads ever" ... and says "Ann Althouse has problems" ...
- Late Final says "piling on [Open Source Media] has gotten even more boring than the name, 'Open Source Media.'" ...
- Kesher Talk guesses that "the people who are going ballistic about the business end of PJ Media actually expect to make a significant portion of their income from their ads." ...
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The Big Apple Blog Festival is listed on the ÜberCarnival page and in Carnival News.
To nominate your favorite blog post about NYC, or if you have a NYC blog and want to see something in the next BABF ... or you have a NYC-related blog and would like to host an upcoming BABF ... send us a short write up and a permalink to aguyinnewyork [at] gmail.com ... or use the Carnival Submit Form ... see you next week ...
You are free to repost the Big Apple Blog Festival so long as you leave this URL attached: BigAppleBlogFestival.com.
Travel blogs roundup
A Guy In New York is a member of the travel blog network at Blogads, a group of independent travel blogs. Check out some of this week's headlines from the network:
Saturday catblogging
Loco and Luca on the stairs outside my apartment ... waiting very patiently for Grandpa Bill to visit us ... we heard he is staying at 48th Street, only 20 blocks away ...
Life in the City is good ... warm place to live ... plenty to eat ... great company ...
This Week in Reviews - November 25, 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.
For a roundup of DC restaurant reviews from DC food bloggers and media, see This Week in Reviews at Hobnob Blog ...
- Frank Bruni was not impressed at The Chemist Club Grill ... including: "pork shank was excessively fatty and oddly gluey. The rib-eye had an unsavory aftertaste." ... 52 East 41st Street, between Park and Madison Avenues, 212-297-9177 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
- Joan Reminick went to Asian Moon ... "Americans who want to sample a smattering of Thai, Malaysian, Japanese and Indonesian fare can enjoy the vibrant (if sometimes suburbanized) interpretations of chef Brian Zheng, who does some of his best work with the fare of his native China." ... 825 Franklin Avenue, Garden City, 516-248-6161
- snack has good advice when cooking for Thanksgiving ...
- Plate of the Day likes the fried chicken at New Caporal Fried Chicken ... "one of the best pieces of fried chicken I’ve had in NY." ... 3772 Broadway, between 156th and 157th Streets, 212-862-8986 (Robert Sietsema says "people drive miles to get" the fried chicken) ...
- Moira Hodgson gave 2 stars to Jovia ... "The grilled octopus is superb" ... "loved the veal ravioli, made with meat from the shank, served in a tomato ragu and topped with cow’s milk ricotta." ... the quail and duck is a "marvelous dish" ... (previous reviews: Steve Cuozzo (TWIR, November 18, 2005)) ... 135 East 62nd Street, at Lexington Avenue, 212-752-6000 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
- Owen Phillips likes the slices at Vinny Vincenz's Pizzamobile ... "It might be the high turnover, or Lynch’s touch and timing—he says he knows by smell when the pie is done—but it’s among the best in midtown" ... West 40th Street at Broadway (restaurant at 231 1st Avenue, between 13th and 14th Streets, 212-674-0707)
- Robert Sietsema reviews cookbooks ... "Santa's Top 10 Cookbooks: Recipe Collections That Don't Suck—And a Few That Do" ...
- Frank Bruni visited two Upper East Side restaurants ... Compass (2 stars) ... where he liked the "crispy skate appetizer," and the "lobster, poached in olive oil before being pampered with butter and clementine juice, made a dreamy case for never treating lobster any other way" ... 208 West 70th Street, between Amsterdam Avenue and West End Avenue, 212-875-8600 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch] ... and Cafe Luxembourg (1 star) ... where the skate was "somewhat gummy. It typified too much of the restaurant's food, at once serviceable and disappointing. And yet Cafe Luxembourg, unlike Compass, was characteristically packed." ... 200 West 70th Street, 212-873-7411 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]
- The Bruni Digest titles her review "Compass and Cafe Luxembourg: Revenge of the Loser" ... "The two bachelors we’re deciding between, Café Luxembourg and Compass, are archetypal, really— Willoughby versus the Colonel, Zach versus Screech— it’s the flashy, popular dude versus the meritorious dork. In many ways, it is the ultimate scenario of high school injustice" ...
- Adam Platt gives a mixed review to Barça 18 ... "The tapas are not as various or refined as anything you’d find in a serious New York tapas parlor, but I had no problem with the smoothly crunchy cod fritters (with a saffron aïoli dipping sauce), the white anchovies marinated in white wine, or even the charcuterie platter set with ribbons of Serrano ham, chorizo, and wedges of oily toast. The crispy calamari are fine also, as was a bowl of fresh mussels set in a tasty sherry broth." ... (previous reviews: David Rosen (TWIR November 18, 2005), Frank Bruni (TWIR, November 4, 2005)) ... 225 Park Avenue South, between 18th and 19th Streets, 212-533-2500 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]
- eater says "the duck confit strudel is delish" at The Place on West 10th ... 142 West 10th Street, between Greenwich Avenue and Waverly Place, 212-462-2880
- A Guy In New York likes the Peking Duck and the crispy pan-fried whole flounder at Nice Restaurant ...
- Twenty Bucks A Day says El Sombrero is a "good place to meet friends for an undiscerning meal of Mexi-sludge and margaritas (carryout available – shh!), and it would seem that LES diners agree – the dining room gets packed on weekend evenings. I’m not exactly eager to go back" ... reminds us of a place in Alexandria, VA (Taqueria Poblano, which serves "authentic Mexican cuisine" and you know that can't be true as soon as they say it) that many people rave about but we find mediocre at best ... 108 Stanton Street, at Ludlow Street, 212-254-4188 [MenuPages | Citysearch] ... the pizza from Slice is "far from perfect" ... maybe because it "claims to concentrate on the organic and restricted-diet-enabling side of the ingredient spectrum – the cheeses available, for example, start out at a relatively straightforward organic mozzarella, but move along to the lactose-intolerant-friendly goat cheese, soy mozzarella, and rice mozzarella." ... 1413 2nd Avenue, between 73rd and 74th Streets, 212-249-4353 [MenuPages | Citysearch] ... "The freshly baked pita bread is a revelation" at Bedouin Tent ... also liked the "merguez (spicy lamb sausage) sandwich ... Chicken Ouzi [which was] unbelievably delicious and easily enough to feed two" ... 405 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-852-5555 [Citysearch]
- Big Apple Dining Guide had the "Wild Bill Cody from their 'Big Plates' menu. This was pappardelle with chocolate-wild boar sauce/ragu. And it was excellent." at Maremma ... (previous reviews: Mark Ellwood (TWIR, November 11, 2005), Adam Platt and Owen Phillips (TWIR, October 7, 2005), Robert Sietsema (TWIR, September 2, 2005)) ... 278 West 10th Street, at Bleecker Street, 212-645-0200 [MenuPages | NYT | Gayot | Citysearch]
- Peter Meehan writes that Northeast Kingdom is "so far east on the L line that not even the most duplicitous real estate agent could sell it as East Williamsburg, is another one, a small place with a short menu of homey cooking in a one-story building surrounded by blocks of factories and warehouses." ... "Menu staples include a hearty, simple dish of lamb stewed in red wine ($12), a homey chicken potpie ($12) and a B.L.T. dressed up with balsamic-spiked mayonnaise ($9 with a side salad). All are worthy." ... 18 Wyckoff Avenue, at Troutman Street, Brooklyn, 718-386-3864 [Citysearch]
- Mona's Apple gave 2 apples to Trattoria dell' Arte ... suggests you "stick with the pizza and pasta dishes" ... 900 7th Avenue, between 56th and 57th Streets, 212-245-9800 [MenuPages | NYT | Citysearch]
- eat drink one woman had lunch with slice at No. 28 Carmine ... "Nice crisp-to-chew ratio, charred bottoms, perhaps a hair thicker than I prefer, but not in an unpleasant way." ... 28 Carmine Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues, 212-463-9653 [MenuPages | slice | Gayot | Citysearch]
- Andrea Strong wrote that "Overall, despite the few glitches on the menu, I liked the food" at Barça 18 ... "loved the crispy calamari" and "the Bacalao Coca—a salt cod pizza with Manchego and grilled peppers, red onions, and olives" ... (David Rosen reviewed last week (TWIR, November 18, 2005) and Frank Bruni reviewed in early November (TWIR, November 4, 2005)) ... 225 Park Avenue South, between 18th and 19th Streets, 212-533-2500 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]
- Frank Bruni is ambivalent about Aquaterra ... "During my recent lunch there, what I liked best were the restaurant's bruschette, about a dozen kinds of which are available, for $3 a piece." ... 209 East 56th Street, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues, 212-644-4447 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
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Did we miss your favorite review?
Let us know: aguyinnewyork [at] gmail.com ... we're especially interested in hearing from NYC bloggers ...Link to TWIR
If you want to place a TWIR logo with a review that was featured, feel free to link to one of the banners on the TWIR page.Macy's Parade
gothamist has links to pics of the Thanksgiving Day parade balloons being inflated ... "Let the Inflation Begin!"
Macy's 79th Annual Thanksgiving Day Parade, Thursday, November 24, 2005, 9am - 12pm
"Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade: Event Details, Viewing Locations and Tips, and More," Pamela Skillings ...
NewYorkology has a roundup of many things to do ...
Happy Thanksgiving
We're traveling and won't be posting for a few days ...
Ice Skating in Bryant Park
Bryant Park, located between 40th and 42nd Streets & Fifth and Sixth Avenues ... free ice-skating ... with the music of Frank Sinatra ... New York, New York ... my kind of town ... I love New York ...
Bryant Park, "one of the most sensual, graceful open spaces in New York City."
"Ice Skating in New York City," wired new york
list of ice skating rinks - from NYC Parks
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Smart Cards coming to NYC subways and buses
gothamist reports:
One year after some talk that the MTA was considering bringing smart card technology to roost here, the MTA is actually going to pilot test smart cards.
we use the SmarTrip card when using the Metro in DC, and it is a real time saver, much faster through the fare gates ... we also like being able to recharge it with a credit card and if we (or certain unnamed children) lose it reporting it to WMATA and getting a replacement ...
Big Apple Blog Festival - November 22, 2005
Last week's Big Apple Blog Festival was hosted by A Guy In New York.
This week's Big Apple Blog Festival is hosted by mister snitch!.
Some excerpts:
- The 'old' old-media relationship with bloggers: Bash 'em. The NY Times latest swipe at bloggers, bashing Gawker, gets a closer look and yields this insight. (Amy's New York Notebook) (See also: Does the New York Times have a learning disability?) (PressThink)
- Kissy face. Uberblogger Glenn thinks Karol is cute. Karol wants to 'fix' that. Please send Karol some advice on becoming a blogger femme fatale. (P.S.: Dawn Summers hates her.)
- Pissy face. Everything you need to know about blogging can be summed up by this cartoon.
For much more, see this week's BABF for more.
Next week's BABF will be hosted by A Guy In New York.
To nominate your favorite blog post about NYC, or if you have a NYC blog and want to see something in the next BABF ... or you have a NYC-related blog and would like to host an upcoming BABF ... send us a short write up and a permalink to aguyinnewyork [at] gmail.com ... or use the Carnival Submit Form.
Fino Wall Street
Wall Street is a constuction zone, but a few jewels are still to be found and the crowds are minimal.
Last week I joined a group of professors from Cornell and Imperial College for dinner at Fino Wall Street (owned by the same folks who run Fino in midtown). Excellent selection of Chianti’s.
For appetizer I had the Vongole Oreganata - baked stuffed clams with herbs and seasonings. I ate a nice, fresh filet of fish picata with steamed vegetables.
A colleague had the pan-seared salmon with champagne, leeks, scallions and English mustard.
For desert we had the Tiramisu:
1 Wall Street Court, at Pearl and Beaver Street, 212-825-1924 [Love Chef]
Post by Roger
Nice Restaurant - Chinatown
The Beijing Duck at the Nice Restaurant, rated in Michelin New York 2006!
Baby roast suckling pig, jelly fish and sliced cold beef on a platter ... the house soup with chicken feet and pig belly ...
Also try the crispy pan-fried whole flounder ...
We had a dinner for eight with friends from Aquebogue ... Joyce writes:
Our appetizers of Spring Roll and Barbecued Beef were delicious. The entrees were outstanding - especially the crispy green beans which were fresh tasting and deliciously seasoned with minced pork. The Peking Duck was tasty and succulent. In addition to the great food, the service was excellent. Our waiter was helpful, personable and had a great sense of humor. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants a totally enjoyable dining experience.
35 East Broadway, 212-406-9510 [NYT | Citysearch]
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Autumn
joe's nyc has an interesting pic ... of the Tower of Bowery through autumn leaves ...
Travel blogs roundup: a perfect suite, super glue for medical emergencies
A Guy In New York is a member of the travel blog network at Blogads, a group of independent travel blogs. Check out some of this week's headlines from other travel blogs in the network:
Saturday catblogging
Loco has found a great place to rest ... on the stairs outside my apartment ... he loves to sink his claws into the black industrial rug ...
Life in the City is good ... a lovely supercatastic Autumn ... great carpets to knead ...
Today is last day of NYC Photobloggers "New Work, New York"
The New York City Photobloggers show, "New Work, New York," closes today ... Saturday, November 19, 2005, 11 am - 7 pm, at Chrystie Street Gallery, 167 Chrystie Street, 2nd floor, 917-687-3581 ... closing party 7 - 9 pm ...
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This Week in Reviews - November 18, 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.
- Forbes gave Green GOs to ... Restaurant 343: "Favorites: the gazpacho and the roasted lemon-and-lime-infused chicken." ... 343 East 85th Street, 212-717-6200 [MenuPages | Citysearch] ... Sushi Ann: "Noteworthy: salmon caviar over grated Japanese radish." ... 38 East 51st Street, 212-755-1780 [MenuPages | Gayot] ... Caviar and Banana: "Particularly good are the various churrasco skewers and the tapas" ... 12 East 22nd Street, 212-353-0500 [MenuPages | NYT | Citysearch]
- Robert Sietsema declares that "Pho Grand is quite simply the best Vietnamese restaurant in town, its only competition being a couple of Bensonhurst joints." ... 277C Grand Street, 212-965-5366 [MenuPages | NYT]
- eat drink one woman declares "the finger foods they were passing around were pretty damned delish. Crisp, wonton skinned samosas with spicy chicken filling; plump shrimp peeking out from between two crunchy coconut batter discs; dainty index finger sized shiitake spring rolls; and coconut milk-marinated satay skewers." ... Spice Market ... 403 West 13th Street, 212-675-2322 [NYT | Gayot | Citysearch]
- Hal Rubenstein writes that at Cookshop "I’ve never had brisket like this. Not that I don’t love Mom’s, but she doesn’t smoke hers for 24 hours after packing it in a sugar, cumin, and paprika rub, or serve it with a luscious broth of onions, honey, and beer."... (Andrea Strong reviewed last week (TWIR, November 11, 2005) and NYC Nosh reviewed in October (TWIR, October 14, 2005)) ... 156 10th Avenue, at 20th Street, 212-924-4440 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
- WhatISee has pics of Cookshop ... "The entrees weren't quite as good as the appetizers." ...
- Steve Cuozzo reports that at Jovia during the "next few weeks at lunch, 'everyone's a critic,' as a form given to each customer proclaims. In what might be a first, every diner is asked for comments and numerical ratings in 11 categories, from 'first impressions' to 'coffee/tea.' Write in your 'honest comments,' and Jovia spots you a $20 gift certificate good on your next lunch." ... WhatISee has pics ... 135 East 62nd Street, between Park and Lexington Avenues, 212-752-6000 [MenuPages |Citysearch]
- Eating for Brooklyn believes that Maggie Brown, "replete with velvet Victorian wallpaper and retro chandeliers, is designed to make you feel like you're at your grandmother's old house." ... except for the sand in the swiss chard ... 455 Myrtle Avenue, at Washington Avenue, 718-643-7001 [NYT | Citysearch]
- Peter Meehan writes that Luz is "a neighborhood place through and through" ... "cobble together a meal from appetizers and ceviches, the best of which is coco tuna ($13), raw tuna tossed with coconut milk enlivened with lemongrass, ginger and jalapeño. Pinchos de res ($11), grilled cubes of tenderloin served with a mojo and a chimichurri, is good eating as well (though the beef seemed too flavorful to be tenderloin). The vatapa, a coconut-milk-based stew loaded with shellfish and vegetables, is as good an $11 seafood soup as one could hope for." ... 177 Vanderbilt Avenue, between Myrtle and Willoughby Avenues, Brooklyn, 718-246-4000 [NY | Citysearch]
- Moira Hodgson gives 2 stars to Piano Due despite "a small plate of fried zucchini was delivered to the table. It was soggy, limp and cold" and "a vapid seafood salad" ... "The pastas are wonderful" and she liked the veal chop and the desserts ... (Gael Greene reviewed in October (TWIR, October 14, 2005) and David Rosen in September (TWIR, September 9, 2005)) ... 151 West 51st Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues, 212-399-9400 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
- David Rosen did not like Barça 18 ... "Remarkably, the restaurant is constantly packed with a fashionable crowd. This is certainly a testament to the interest that its owners are able to generate on the coattails of their famous names. Imagine how much more popular the restaurant would be if they had named [it] after a baseball team." ... (Frank Bruni reviewed in early November (TWIR, November 4, 2005)) ... 225 Park Avenue South, between 18th and 19th Streets, 212-533-2500 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]
- NYC Nosh liked Amy Ruth’s ... the "order of Councilman Bill Perkins ($13.95)– Southern fried chicken dipped in honey from Amy Ruth’s own bees ... was one of the most successful fried chickens I have tasted." ... 113 West 116th Street, between Lenox and Seventh Avenues, 212-280-8779 [NYT | Citysearch] ... and also likes Soba Koh ... "the agedashi tofu special, was among the very best I have ever eaten" ... (Salli Vates reviewed last summer (TWIR, August 19, 2005)) ... 309 East 5th Street, 212-254-2244
- gothamist says 24 Prince is inconsistent ... good: "pigs-in-a-blanket in a honey mustard sauce," "a very satisfying downtown chopped salad," ... not-so-good: "flatbread grilled chicken pizza, which was drowned in barbecue sauce, tough to chew, and seemed to be prepared in a microwave." and "fish and chips, which was not very appetizing and was mostly left for the busboy." ... 24 Prince Street, between Mott and Elizabeth Streets, 212-226-8624 [Citysearch] ... eater has pics ...
- Twenty Bucks A Day likes the chicken avocado toast at PressToast ... 112 MacDougal Street, between Bleecker and West 3rd Streets, 212-253-6705 [MenuPages] ... and the Irish breakfast at Ceol ... 191 Smith Street, between Warren and Baltic Streets, Brooklyn, 347-643-9911 [Citysearch]
- Frank Bruni gave 1 star to Aburiya Kinnosuke ... "Cold, circular wedges of Japanese sticky yam, with the taste and texture of a slick potato, had been pickled and seasoned with wasabi. They were slimy on the outside, softer within, and had a fiery finish on the tongue. I couldn't stop eating them" ... 213 East 45th Street, 212-867-5454 [New York | Salli Vates | Marie Mutsuki Mockett]
- The Bruni Digest: "After days on the open sea, Frank moored his enormous galleon on East 45th street, dropped the sails, collapsed his telescope, and leaped off the poopdeck to bravely explore Japanese spot Aburiya Kinnosuke." ...
- Big Apple Dining Guide says at La Petite Auberge the "lamb chops were excellent...cooked perfectly medium rare. This was very, very good." ... "This local spot serves adequate, country french bistro cuisine that has the occasional big hit and the slightly more common, misses." ... 116 Lexington Avenue, between 27th and 28th Streets, 212-689-5003 [MenuPages | NYT | Citysearch]
- Andrea Strong says the Gotham Bar & Grill "lacked chemistry"... " the food, still strongly American with global touches, was fine, but it lacked heart." ... 12 East 12th Street, between 5th Avenue and University Place, 212-620-4020 [MenuPages | NYT | Gayot | Citysearch]
- Gotham Gal ate at Little Giant ... "The meal was one of the best meals I have had out in a very long time. Everything was delicious. Everything." ... 85 Orchard Street, at Broome Street, 212-226-5047 [MenuPages | NYT | Citysearch]
____________________________________
Subway MTA map | Straphangers interactive map | schedules | HopStop
Did we miss your favorite review?
Let us know: aguyinnewyork [at] gmail.com ... we're especially interested in hearing from NYC bloggers ...Link to TWIR
If you want to place a TWIR logo with a review that was featured, feel free to link to one of the banners on the TWIR page."Top 50 NYC Subways"
MignonMedia has a map showing the 50 busiest subway stations ... explanation here ...
Cool Tool - 6GB Creative Zen Micro
The Long Tail explains why he picked a 6GB Creative Zen Micro instead of an iPod Nano ... the Creative Zen Micro has ... removable mini-disk ... a removable and rechargeable lithium-ion battery that gives 12 hours of play per charge ... FM radio ... built-in voice recorder ... personal organizer that synchs with Outlook ... random shuffle ... for under $200 ... Rhapsody to Go is a music service (like iTunes) that works with the Creative Zen Micro ... for $15 per month ...
More
- Zen Micro product page from Creative
- "Zen Micro & Rhapsody The Perfect Match," Audio GoGo, June 26, 2005
- c|net review
- "I Bought A Creative Zen Micro After Evaluating the Apple iPod Nano Closely," by RetroSight
- "RealNetworks Rhapsody Music Service," Time, April 27, 2005
- "Creative Zen Micro Photo to get storage bump, price cut," engadget, August 13, 2005
- "RealNetworks Unveils Rhapsody to Go," by Ryan Naraine, eWeek, April 26, 2005
- Napster is $15 / month
Big Apple Blog Festival - November 14, 2005
Welcome to the Big Apple Blog Festival (BABF), a representative roundup of this week's posts by NYC bloggers.
Last week's Big Apple Blog Festival was hosted by Dave Friedman's Soul of Wit.
Next week's BABF will be hosted again by mister snitch! ... if you have a NYC blog or you blog about NYC and would like to host an upcoming BABF, let us know ...
Food
- Walker New York : Eats was at the NY Chocolate Show and it "convinced me that the world would indeed be a better place if we all had our daily dose of chocolate, right along with the vitamins" ... mmmmmmmmmmmmm, chocolate ...
- A Guy In New York had its weekly roundup of restaurant reviews from the previous week ... "This Week In Reviews" ... and also a post with pics of Vendy Awards finalist Tony Dragones at 62nd Street and Madison Avenue ... and his brother John Dragones at 64th and Madison ...
- Manhattan Transfer asks, "Now who in their right mind gets up, dresses and goes out for breakfast at 8 am on a set day, every week with anyone, anywhere?" ...
- Slashfood wants to know "When you go out to eat, do you tuck in to your meal as soon as it is placed in front of you or do you wait until everyone has their food before eating?" ... we usually eat family style so that's not an issue for us ...
Clothing
- NYC Metblog has some choice words for parents who spend "$25 on your bullshit Mao boutique shirt" for their toddler ... "buying your children a Ramones shirt will not make them any cooler or you any cooler." ... Ah, fashion ...
- Amy's New York Notebook says these are the "Ugliest Boots Ever" ...
Shelter
- Englishman in New York explains "How to Make a House out of One Red Paperclip" ...
Health
- mister snitch! has a good post on avian flu ... "Charlie Rose interviews the Avian Flu, or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the pandemic" ... let's all take a deep breath ... and some 5-star anise ...
Staying in Touch
- Dorian Davis has an interview with Dawn Eden, whose blog The Dawn Patrol is "in hibernation" ...
- BuzzMachine supports the idea that in a hurricane or flood "drowned numbers terminate in voice mail. Those looking for family members generally know their phone numbers. Numbers are much more precise than names in the chaos of a disaster." ... and don't forget to add ICE (In Case of Emergency) numbers in your cell phone ... and get the Charge2Go to use a single AA battery to power your cell phone ...
- mister snitch! has "Some advice on corporate blogging" ...
- Dave Friedman says, "I Don't Understand This Web Site..." and we agree ...
- spinachdip nyc is taking a blog break ... "will go on hiatus and I have no idea if/when/how it will return." ...
Planes, Trains, Automobiles ...
- New York Hack has "a picture of the trash left behind on McGuiness Blvd in Brooklyn after the big NYC Marathon" and "two cop cars blocking both lanes of the street, and one is facing the wrong direction, so their driver's sides were closer, making for a better conversation" ...
- BuzzMachine answers the question ... Why do you blog when flying across the Atlantic? ...
- The People's Cube reports that "Taking their lead from the frustrated youth of France, the Pennsylvania Dutch have 'found their voice' by burning hundreds of cars in Lancaster PA over the last few nights." ... "Jehovah's Witnesses rage, in fact, has spread via its missionary channels to other countries. Well-dressed missionaries have been attacking citizens from Togo to Japan, usually with sharp knives. The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Saudi Arabia has been encouraging students to saw the heads off local citizens." ...
- Theater of My Mind has a pic of "The 7 pulling out of Courthouse Square late on Thursday night." ...
- The Politburo Diktat has two reminders about November 9 ...
- Harleys, Cars, Girls & Guitars says it's time to "pack up the bike for the winter. Next weekend, I’ll pull off all the leather, fill the tank with gas stabilizer and put the battery on a trickle charger." ...
- gridskipper NY does not like the PartyBike ... "Something about them suggests an octopoid tarantula mutant, and it’s jarring to see people pedaling in a direction at odds with the way their bicycle seat faces. Plus, it just looks wrong and unsettling, like something out of a medical abnormalities textbook." ... octopoid tarantula mutant works for us ...
Family
- Dead Programmer's Cafe writes that "My paternal grandmother, the matriarch of the family, a mechanical engineer and a workaholic, was the main driving force behind our move to America." ...
- opinionistas and her mother had a little disagreement ... look at all the comments ... and reminds us of a few of the many reasons why we never worked in a big law firm ... as a lawyer who no longer practices, my advice is simple: get a life ...
- gothamist says in "Something Quirky in the Science High School Test" ... "Nothing, except maybe college admissions, seems to get New York parents panties into a twist like the city's specialized high schools. Parent have, since the inception of "the Test," been complaining about how unfair it is that admission into the city's math and science schools is decided completely by a test that is taken only once in eighth grade." ...
Song & Dance ... and Other Entertainment
- Cafe Aman is standing by her "statement that the CSO [Chicago Symphony Orchestra] schooled New Yorkers in what a real first-class orchestra actually sounds like." ...
- stereogum reports that "Sony's QRIO robot can dance, react to people, and get up when it falls on its ass. Sony's goal: a personal entertainer." ... so THAT'S why they bought those music and movie companies ... robot talent ...
- gothamist has a post about dogs in bee costumes "Time for Some Bee-Dogs!" ... also check out Tubcats!
- Modern Fabulousity has 2 of the "10 Worst Album Covers Of All Time" ...
- BounceFM reports that the next 718 Session will be Sunday, Nov. 20th, with Danny Krivit on The Turntables The Entire Night! ...
- Clublife explains why you don't want to mess with the bouncer ...
- Amazin' Avenue writes that "There are rumblings all across this great land of this guy or that potentially donning a Mets uni in 2006, so stay tuned to AA for the latest news and rumors." ...
- Mets Geek hosts "The Ramon Hernandez Debate" ... 4 years/$24 million or four years, $40 million ...
- NYC Stories posts about his recent Dracula Tour of Transylvania ...
- An Unamplified Voice called the Barbara Bonney recital at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall "a very enjoyable success." ... and called "Canadian soprano Shannon Mercer, the find of the evening" ... also saw Così Fan Tutte at the Met ... "a coherent, detailed revival that -- at least in the first-cast performances that ran through Tuesday [Nov. 1, 2005] -- outshone all of its previous incarnations." ...
- listen. has a "a brief list of music appropriate to" Veterans Day ...
- About Last Night has a great piece about "about how blogging is affecting arts journalism" ... and says he is: "I'm a regular-guy aesthete. I like fancy sets, but I like bare stages, too. I like Stephen Sondheim and pretty girls. In fact, there’s only two things I never, ever like: pretentiousness and being bored." ... we believe that statement does justice to his writing, which we like ...
Politics
- Quixotic Optimism writing about the national debt: "We take in X dollars per year and spend 3X. I used to do that. That is, until the stubbled jowly bounty hunters that smelled like Wendy's came and took all my stuff as restitution for my frivolous spending habits. Yeah, that worked out well." ...
- Alarming News says "I'm a conservative but I'm also a realist. Wake up, New York conservatives. A pro-lifer is unlikely to get elected to the City Council, despite the fact that the Council has zero to do with abortion policy. No one that runs against gay marriage, or rent control is getting elected in NY (and, please, spare me the Staten Island examples, that borough has near zero in common with the other four)." ... she's also "looking for a 'real' job." ...
- Ragged Thots has "Two views on the French crisis" ...
- The Politicker links to "what is surely the Godliest piece of political literature in New York City this year." ...
- Asymmetrical Information suggests that "If you don't want to stop engaging in risky behaviour, then vote libertarian and buy yourself a gun." ...
New York, New York
- NewYorkology reports how to sing "Goin' to the Empire State Building and we're Gonna get married" ... but you have to apply by November 30 ...
- dailyheights.com asks, are "NIMBY Yuppies Stealthily 'Disappearing' Tacky Public Trash Cans?" ...
- Corante New York links to National Geographic's "New York Underground" ... "a fantastic cut-away look at what happens 800 feet below the surface of a typical New York City street" ... and reports that "Donald Trump still hates the New York Times" ...
- forgotten NY has a new page ... "Broadway Bulletin" that looks at Broadway in Williamsburg ...
- rion.nu has pics of autumn in Central Park ...
- Our favorite from Overheard in NY this week: "What About People Who Misuse 'Subtlety'?" ...
___________________________________
The Big Apple Blog Festival is listed on the ÜberCarnival page and in Carnival News.
To nominate your favorite blog post about NYC, or if you have a NYC blog and want to see something in the next BABF ... or you have a NYC-related blog and would like to host an upcoming BABF ... send us a short write up and a permalink to aguyinnewyork [at] gmail.com ... or use the Carnival Submit Form ... see you next week ...
You are free to repost the Big Apple Blog Festival so long as you leave this URL attached: BigAppleBlogFestival.com.
Travel headlines
A Guy In New York is a member of the travel blog network at Blogads, a group of independent travel blogs. Check out some of this week's headlines from other travel blogs in the network:
- How to Fall in Love with the Biggest City in the World in Just Two Weeks (Travel Blogs)
- Central Park - Fall Foilage (A Guy in New York)
- SportVue MC2 Head-mounted Display (Treknologies)
- Travel Pictures: Amsterdam, London, Mykonos (Jet Set Lara)
- Bratwurst cart at 54th and 5th wins Vendy (NewYorkology)
Book Review - "Help, It's Broken!"
"Help, It's Broken! A Fix-It Bible for the Repair-Impaired" is a must-have for every NYC apartment dweller ... written by Arianne Cohen "who has practiced her home-repair skills in apartments all over the world." ... lots of illustrations so you can call things by their correct name (especially important when describing parts to someone at a hardware store or repair shop) rather than by generic, and useless, names such as "dohickey," "thingamajig," or "gizmo" (which is a better name for a Yorkie, thank you very much) ...
Ms. Cohen has numerous tips, including what to do when an earring or ring goes down the drain, how to replace a broken tile, how to make your apartment more secure, what glues to use on which repairs, and much, much more ...
a perfect (and inexpensive) gift for a recent college grad moving into their first apartment ... or a friend who just bought their first condo ... or for anyone who lives in an apartment in New York ...
A colleague said that this book is great for "knowing when it is time to call for expert help, and teaches you how things work so you can figure out what needs to be done."
What others have said:
"If you buy just one basic home-repair book, get this one; I couldn't believe that it would actually come in handy, but when my college ring fell down the sink, 'Help! It's Broken' helped me save my jewelry and keep my sanity-- without calling a plumber. I would highly recommend this book for any new homeowner, renter, or college student; I'm planning on getting another for my friend's housewarming gift." --Amazon reader
"a fix it bible for the repair-impaired. Whether you live in a house or a 9x12 dorm room, everyone needs a book like this." --Josh Spear
"Each project guide begins with supplies required and walks painstakingly through each step in the process—even you home-repair idiots can follow these instructions, which include helpful definitions and diagrams where necessary. Remarkably, she keeps things interesting, employing a sense of humor throughout." -- Kirkus Reviews
"Olny srmat poelpe can"
aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm.
"Olny srmat poelpe can," TEDblog, November 12, 2005
More
- Summary of "The Significance of Letter Position in Word Recognition," PhD Thesis, 1976, Nottingham University, by Graham Rawlinson
- "Reibadailty," by Graham Rawlinson, New Scientist, May 29, 1999
- "the science behind this meme," by Matt Davis, October 30, 2003. A page with versions in different languages and many links to various aspects of letter randomization.
- "University researchers demonstrate the order of letters within words is unimportant to reading comprehension." Snopes, September 23, 2003
Saturday catblogging
Luca coming back from a ride on his magic carpet ... it is soooooo quiet ...
Life in the City is good ... a lovely supercatastic Autumn ... flying carpets ...
This Week in Reviews - November 11, 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.
- Cassandra Uretz and Leo Standora report that Hallo Berlin "won the Vendy Award for the top street-vendor food in New York." ... "Accepting a foot-high silver loving cup was chef-owner Rolf Babiel, who has been delighting customers with his food at Fifth Ave. and 54th St. for 25 years." ... Tony Dragones was a runner up ... but Tony and his brother John are winners with us ...
- The Food Section has a pork-packed roundup ... perfect for DC ...
- Moira Hodgson gave Blue Hill 3 stars ... and reports that it has "a sophisticated modern cuisine that’s on a par with some of the city’s best restaurants." ... "a plate of exquisite tiny fall vegetables ... permeated with the aroma of purple basil and was unbelievably good" ... "The crabmeat salad, with mint and cilantro, micro greens, green-tomato marmalade and diced apple was pure heaven." ... 75 Washington Place, between 6th Avenue and MacDougal Street, 212-539-1776 [MenuPages | NYT | Gayot | Citysearch]
- Irene Sax says that "Brie on a crusty baguette. That's what you should eat at" Zucco: Le French Diner ... "In this tiny, candlelit room, the kitchen takes up so much of the floor space that there's room for only 18 seats, most of them at the counter. It's owned and run by Zucco himself, a bearded and jeans-clad type with a French accent and a warm welcome who does everything in the place." ... 188 Orchard Street, between Houston and Stanton Streets, 212-677-5200 [Chowhound]
- Peter Meehan says Goodburger is OK ... "Goodburger's burgers fell somewhere between the ones at Shake Shack and the ones at the Burger Joint at the Parker Meridien, the two places that Nick Tsoulos, Goodburger's driving force, cited as New York spots he likes."... but it "does have the best chocolate shake ($4.75) of the current bunch" ... (Twenty Bucks a Day reviewed in October (TWIR, October 7, 2005)) ... 800 Second Avenue, at 43rd Street, 212-922-1700 [A Hamburger Today | Citysearch]
- A Guy In New York has added links to a few more reactions this week to the Michelin New York 2006 ... and recommends the Soulaki and delicious charcoal grilled hamburgers from Tony Dragones at 62nd Street and Madison Avenue ... and his brother John Dragones at 64th and Madison ... pics and maps here ...
- gothamist's favorite at Dinosaur Bar-B-Q is "the 'Swag Sampler Plate' which allows you to try spicy shrimp, deviled eggs, fried green tomatoes, and chicken wings. The chicken wings are quite exceptional" ... 646 West 131st Street, 212-694-1777 [NYT | Gayot | Citysearch]
- David Rosen visited Land Thai Kitchen ... "Appetizers are universally good" ... "a crispy red snapper cooked with cherry tomatoes and a well-seared duck breast with sweet potatoes and a zesty lime-leaf demi-glace steal the show." ... "Prices are low for food of this caliber." ... (Mona's Apple reviewed in October (TWIR, October 28, 2005)) ... 450 Amsterdam Avenue, between 81st and 82nd Streets, 212-501-8121 [MenuPages | NYT]
- Robert Sietsema writes that the "omnibus vegetarian platter–highly recommended–called Nepali dal-bhat" at Himalayan Yak is "a perfect introduction to Nepalese cuisine" ... "definitely worth ordering, is sadeko gundruk" ... ... (Twenty Bucks a Day reviewed in October (TWIR, October 28, 2005)) ... 72-20 Roosevelt Avenue, Queens, 718-779-1119 [NYT | The Taste Land | A Year In Food]
- Andrea Thompson says the "the monstrous Mo Burger, a thick, juicy meat patty, topped by a fried egg and fried onions and sandwiched by two generous smears of chicken liver and a bulky, soft bun [is] too overblown to really enjoy." at Mo Pitkin’s House of Satisfaction ... (Andrea Strong reviewed in October (TWIR, October 21, 2005) and Peter Meehan reviewed in September (TWIR, September 30, 2005))... 34 Avenue A, between 2nd and 3rd Streets, 212-777-5660 [MenuPages]
- Amateur Gourmet says the "Famous Dancing Shrimp with spicy pineapple & orange coconut dipping sauces" at Redeye Grill "tasted good." ... the "miso salmon on wasabi mashed potatoes with bok choy ... wasn't bad, but it didn't justify the $26 price" ... "When mom and dad asked us later how it was, I said it was awful and [brother] Michael said: 'Oh he's just mad because he ordered something stupid.'" ... 890 7th Avenue, at 56th Street, 212-541-9000 [MenuPages | NYT | Gayot | Citysearch]
- Mona's Apple had a so-so breakfast at Petite Abeille ... "for a good-tasting experience (beyond its good taste in decor) there are better options in the city" ... multiple locations, [MenuPages | NYT | Gayot | Citysearch]
- Frank Bruni says that D'or Ahn "isn't a great restaurant, and on its clumsier nights it isn't even a very good one. But it's a terrific example of why anyone who loves eating out has to love New York, a welcome reminder of the optimism and the deep well of ideas that drive the city's dining scene." ... "inconsistent" seems the best description ... (Adam Platt reviewed last week (TWIR, November 4, 2005), Paul Adams and Moira Hodgson reviewed in October (TWIR, October 21, 2005)) ... 207 10th Avenue, at West 22nd Street, 212-627-7777 [Chowhound | Citysearch] ... he also reviewed Bann ... "an offshoot of Woo Lae Oak in SoHo" (Yi Wah, Chug's son/Peter's nephew, is helping open the bar at the new Woo Lae Oak in Tyson's Corner, in between his gig at Citronelle) ... had "a terrific dish of rabbit that had been braised in sake, molded into thumb-shaped clumps and rolled in bacon." ... "At least as much of the food we tried was ordinary or disappointing." ... "The prudent strategy at Bann may be to order conservatively, to stick to those grills." ... 350 West 50th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues, 212-582-4446 [Citysearch]
- NYC nosh reports that Hell’s Kitchen "advertises its culinary approach as modern ‘Mexican Fusion,’ and the décor reflects this" ... the lobster fritters and butternut squash soup were disappointments ... "main courses were a little better, especially Nosher’s ancho-crusted tuna" ... "the service was a little terse and snappy" ... 679 Ninth Avenue, between 46th and 47th Streets, 212-977-1588 [MenuPages | NYT | Gayot | Citysearch]
- Andrea Strong says "Cookshop is Five Points with a more ambitious agenda." ... "The menu at Cookshop changes daily, according to farmers’ supply, though several items are usually available. Among the stationary menu items is the pizza." ... "the wood-roasted troutlings ($6) were the surprise hit of the evening." ... (NYC Nosh reviewed in October (TWIR, October 14, 2005)) ... 156 10th Avenue, at 20th Street, 212-924-4440 [Citysearch]
- Pascale Le Draoulec gave 2 stars to Cookshop ... the clam chowder "ranks among the best I've had" ... "In addition to the glorious beet salad, a mesmerizing mizuna salad graced with Crispin apple matchsticks, spiced pecans and blue cheese had the bright, crisp crunch of a fallen fall leaf." ... the cod and rotisserie rabbit were cases of "the bland leading the bland." ... the grilled rib eye and "wood-oven roasted white halibut" were also winners ... last month, the hot plate said, "while the PR buzz will surely keep the seats packed for the next few months, you're better off waiting until the crowds cool off, and the kitchen heats up."
- gothamist likes Leela Lounge ... had "a fig chutney that was so tasty we wouldn't let the waitress remove our plate until we were able to wipe it clean with a piece of warm naan." ... 1 West 3rd Street, between Broadway and Mercer, 212-529-2059
- Mark Ellwood has a fusion roundup ... "Fusion without confusion: 8 eclectic spots where the blending of cuisines proves delicious" ... Sushi Samba & Sugracane (45% Japanese, 55% Brazilian) ... "The trademark sashimi ceviches, whether lobster ($16) or yellowtail ($11), are briefly marinated in citrus so that they don't 'cook' for as long as traditional ceviche and retain an Asian freshness." ... 245 Park Avenue South, between 19th and 20th Streets, 212- 475-9377, or 87 Seventh Avenue South, at Bleecker Street, 212-691-7885 [MenuPages | NYT | Gayot | Citysearch] ... La Caridad 78 (90% Chinese, 10% Cuban) ... "rock-bottom prices (you'll struggle to spend more than $10) and superb food more than make up for any lack of ambience. ... best to stick with those Latino staples" ... 2199 Broadway, at 78th Street, 212-874-2780 [MenuPages | NYT | Citysearch] ... Maremma (80% Italian, 20% Southwestern) ... "unusual but delicious ... try a Sloppy Giuseppe ($11), chunks of oxtail on grits, or a hearty portion of wild boar papardelle ($17), here known as Wild Bill Cody." ... 278 West 10th Street, at Bleecker Street, 212-645-0200 [MenuPages | NYT | Gayot | Citysearch] ... Mo Pitkin's House of Satisfaction (50% Jewish, 50% Latino) ... "a stunning ropa vieja-like slab of brisket" ... (Andrea Strong reviewed in October (TWIR, October 21, 2005)) ... 34 Avenue A, at 2nd Street, 212-777-5660 [MenuPages | NYT | Citysearch] ... Aki (70% Japanese, 30% Caribbean) ... "alongside standard sushi ($19 for one person), you can nibble tangy jerk chicken rolls ($18 for three different rolls) or tuna tartare with fruit chutney" ... 181 West 4th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues, 212-989-5440 [MenuPages | Citysearch] ... Hip Hop Chow (60% comfort food, 40% Chinese) ... "the place to go if you've always wanted a portion of jasmine rice with your buttermilk-fried chicken" ... 129 2nd Avenue, between St. Marks Place and 7th Street, 212-674-2469 [MenuPages | Citysearch] ... Chinese Mirch (75% Chinese, 25% Indian) ... "fill up on delicious mains including chili paneer ($9.99) - much like Indian cottage cheese - or scorching Szechuan prawns" ... 120 Lexington Avenue, between 28th and 29th Streets, 212-532-3663 [NYT | Citysearch] ... Chennai Garden (90% Indian, 10% Kosher) ... "a standout, since it's not only animal-friendly but also kosher-certified ... $6 lunchtime buffet may be frantic, but it's a delicious, inexpensive way to sample the cuisine here" ... 129 East 27th Street, between Lexington and Park Avenues, 212-689-1999 [MenuPages | NYT | Citysearch]
- eater says "The Michelin-starred Jewel Bako's evolution from delightful to debacle is chronicled in one single thread, spanning the better part of four years." ... "Jewel Debako" ... 101 2nd Avenue, at 6th Street, 212-253-7848 [NYT | MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]
- Kris Ensminger has a list of 6 places to eat in Harlem ... "Harlem: The A Train's Dining Car," November 6, 2005 ...
- Steve Cuozzo "dropped by Etats-Unis, surprise recipient of a coveted Michelin star. How, I wondered, could a place so good just a few blocks from my Upper East Side home have escaped my notice for so long?" ... "Except for terrific meatloaf, most of Etats-Unis' dishes, like weird "lobster lasagna," were the sort of overreaching duds you find in second-class food towns like Miami. This is Michelin's idea of a star-worthy restaurant, but not The Four Seasons or L'Impero?" ... 242 East 81st Street, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues, 212-517-8826 [NYT | MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]
- Isabel Forgang has a list of 5 places that serve ... sandwiches ... $7 to $19.95! ... where are the Bahn Mi places? Ai yi yi yi yi ... see comments under "The URL of Sandwich" at kottke for many more suggestions ...
- Thanks to Slashfood for pointing us to Brunch.org ... which "documents and quantifies the ongoing search for the best of the best" Eggs Benedict from restaurants across the country, including New York City ...
- Twenty Bucks a Day sounds like our kind of guy: looking for excellent food and good value ... he ate lunch every day at Ray’s Super Deli last week ... "roasted pork shoulder (pernil) was tender and delicious" ... Cuban sandwich ... "stew chicken, or pollo guisado...this chicken was fall-off-the bone tender, infused with the stew’s spices and color" ... "codfish salad (ensalada de bacalao)... it might become my new Friday favorite meal" ... (also listed as Ramon’s Super Deli), 452 Hudson Street, between Morton and Barrow Streets, 212-242-7912 [Citysearch] ... and was "absolutely impressed" and gives a thumbs up to Spicy Mina ... first visit: "the palak paneer ... [and] chicken dopaiza ... were excellent bordering on amazing." ... second visit: "I'm now of two minds on the Mina experience ... I thought the portions were a little small and the prices [$80 for 4 people] a little big." ... (also see eater "Inside Chowhound's Cult of Mina," October 19, 2005") ... 64-23 Broadway, Queens, 718-205-2340 [Chowhound: "the best Indian restaurant in New York."]
- Plate of the Day likes the fries and burgers at Prime Burger ... "The fries are deep fried to a thick crunchy golden crust and are crunchy delicious. The burgers are amazing." ... 5 East 51st Street, 212-759-4729 [MenuPages | NYT | Gayot | Citysearch] ... and also went to Krik Krak (and ignored Anthony Bourdain’s (Kitchen Confidential) advice: "absolutely do not order fish on a Monday") ... "an entree’ of Poisson creole - deep friend red snapper ... turned out to be not an extremely fresh fish and maybe even previously deep fried and just heated and served" ... (David Rosen reviewed Krik Krak in October (TWIR, October 28, 2005)) ... 844 Amsterdam Avenue, between 101st and 102nd Streets, 212-222-3100 [MenuPages | NYT | Citysearch]
- Slashfood likes the pastries at Le Pain Quotidien ... "the croissants at Le Pain are heavenly, and their display case also houses some wondrous hazelnut raisin flute breads." ... multiple locations [MenuPages | NYT | Citysearch]
____________________________________
Subway MTA map | Straphangers interactive map | schedules | HopStop
Did we miss your favorite review?
Let us know: aguyinnewyork [at] gmail.com ... we're especially interested in hearing from NYC bloggers ...Link to TWIR
If you want to place a TWIR logo with a review that was featured, feel free to link to one of the banners on the TWIR page.Central Park - WWI Memorial
Memorial to the Yankee Dough Boys who perished in France in WWI ... Veterans Day is November 11 ... I walk past this area daily between the West and East-sides ...
307th Memorial, Central Park
memorial trees planted for the fallen, who fell in France during WWI ...
Memorial to the 307th Infantry, A.E.F. (American Expeditionary Force) ... 11th hour, 11th day of the 11th month ... finally, the guns are silenced ...
The back of the stone memorial with a brass plaque inscribed with the names of all the dead from the 307th Infantry, A.E.F.
"Ford unveils mini-fleet of hybrid NY taxis"
Ford Motor Co. on Thursday introduced a mini-fleet of hybrid taxicabs to serve New York City, part of its push to promote cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicles.
Initially, only six Ford Escape hybrids will enter New York's taxi fleet. But city officials said the entire fleet of about 13,000 vehicles may be converted to gas-electric hybrids within five years.
"Ford unveils mini-fleet of hybrid NY taxis," Reuters, November 10, 2005
via Digitalicious
Central Park - Fall Foilage
The beauty of Central Park with Fall Foliage in full technicolor ... red, gold, brown and yellow ... Autumn, 2005 ... a great time to explore the Park with a bicycle ...
Sheep Meadow, Central Park
Sheep Meadow, Central Park
A Wonderful Evening of Symphonic Music
If you did not attend the free concert last Friday at the Manhattan School of Music, you missed a very wonderful evening of symphonic music conducted by Maestro Kenneth Kiesler, Prof. at the School of Music, University of Michigan ... Beethoven, Ben Britten piano concerto and Ed Elgar Enigma Variations ... simply wonderful conducting and performance from all the musicians ... so relaxing, too ... Ms. Chikage Yoshihara played Britten's piano concerto with such bravado and instensity ...
Manhattan School of Music Calendar
Cool Tool - Egg & Muffin 2-Slice Toaster and Egg Poacher
[T]he idea of being able to have perfect egg mcmuffins (without meat) at home was enticing. After making a couple, I'm hooked. The product does exactly what it's supposed to do, making sure both the egg and the muffins are perfectly done at the same time (it waits a while to toast).
"Awesome, awesome, awesome," by Matthew Haughey, a whole lot of nothing, November 8, 2005 (via A Full Belly)
Toaster, egg cooker, and meat warmer--this innovative unit combines all three functions into one easy-to-use appliance. The unit can be used solely as a full functioning toaster, or it can simultaneously toast bread, poach or steam-scramble an egg, and warm a pre-cooked slice of meat--or any combination of these three functions--to make the ultimate breakfast sandwich at home in just four minutes.
Back to Basics TEM500 Egg & Muffin 2-Slice Toaster and Egg Poacher, Amazon.com
Tony and John Dragonas - street vendors
Tony Dragonas at 62nd Street and Madison Avenue (a finalist in this year's Vendy Awards) in action over his grill ... when hungry for a stick of grilled meat (Soulaki) or a delicious charcoal grilled hamburger ... with his secret sauces ... mmmmmmmmmm ... preparing his chicken soulaki on pita bread and special yoghurt sauce ... mozzarella and procuitto sandwich ... grilled T-bone steak ... hot-dogs ... yummy ... for a very special lunch, walk across the street to Sherry-Lehman (679 Madison Avenue) and purchase a nice bottle of wine ...
Tony Dragonas' street food-cart is located on the south-west corner of 62nd Street and Madison Avenue ... John Dragonas' cart is located on the south-west corner of 64th Street and Madison Avenue ... Sherry-Lehman is located on the east-side of Madison Avenue (679), between 62nd and 61st Streets ...
Smile, Tony ... he finally turned around for a formal shot ...
62nd Street and Madison Avenue
Tony Dragonas ... smoking and grilling over the charcoal fire ...
Tony Dragonas, the Greek soulaki chef ... cooking furiously on 62nd Street and Madison Avenue ...
John Dragonas, Tony's brother, in action at the south-west corner of 64th Street and Madison Avenue on Monday, November 7, 2005
First Annual Vendy Awards, Thursday, November 10, 2005, 7:00 - 10:30 pm
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Free Flight Tracking - FlightAware
FlightAware is "A free and powerful flight tracker that will change how you think about flight status, tracking, and analysis."
Check out this very cool movie ... "Animation of all flight movements tracked by FlightAware during a 24-hour period in September, 2005"
Live Flight Tracking: "View schedule and track activity for any private (IFR) or commercial flight. See scheduled, enroute, and recent flight activity for any airport."
via Lifehacker
Still time to buy tickets to the Vendy Awards
The First Annual Vendy Awards will take place on Thursday, November 10, 2005 ...
Big Apple Blog Festival - November 7, 2005
Last week's Big Apple Blog Festival was hosted by spinachdip nyc.
This week's Big Apple Blog Festival is hosted Dave Friedman's Soul of Wit.
Some excerpts:
- Chad at Cake or Death reminds us that Greenpeace is sometimes its own worst enemy. Also check out his quote from Eisenhower: ""History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid." I'm no fan of Eisenhower, though there is something to that quote that strikes me as true.
- Mr. Snitch notes how Apple's new OS, which can be run on Pentium-based PCs, is creating a base of very cheap, very powerful computers that threatens the status quo in the PC market.
- LawHawk informs the debate surrounding the rebuilding of Ground Zero:
If there is any need greater than the rebuilding of Ground Zero, I'd like to hear it from the Mayor or anyone else. Bloomberg is yanking Silverstein's chain around for no reason other than because he can.
See this week's BABF for more.
Next week's BABF will be hosted by A Guy In New York.
To nominate your favorite blog post about NYC, or if you have a NYC blog and want to see something in the next BABF ... or you have a NYC-related blog and would like to host an upcoming BABF ... send us a short write up and a permalink to aguyinnewyork [at] gmail.com ... or use the Carnival Submit Form.
Chatham Restaurant - dim sum
Recently Peter and I met at the Chinatown restaurant called Chatham Restaurant. It’s across from the Confucius statue on Bowery below Canal. The Chatham (formerly called Hop Shing) is one of those traditional spots where they serve fresh dim sum up through the lunch hour. You get seated right away if you don’t mind sharing a big round table with one or more Chinese families. Otherwise you can ask for a booth and wait until one frees up.
The food is delicious and includes steamed or baked pork buns, dumplings of all kinds (chicken, vegetable, shrimp) pork balls, chicken feet, sticky rice, spare ribs etc. You get all these fresh off the cart as they roll around – or you can order from an extensive menu. It’s an opportunity to be adventurous and taste a lot of different dishes – so best go with at least a couple of friends.
Chatham Restaurant (it used to be called Hop Shing), 9 Chatham Square, at East Broadway, 212-267-0220 [MenuPages | New York Times | CitySearch]
post by Roger
AGINY Good Value
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5 Star Anise and Tamiflu
The five-star anise is the heart of the flu drug Tamiflu ... try Cantonese soy-sauce chicken with anise and ginger ... yummy ...
The Chinese spice, star anise, provides the starting material for the manufacture of the anti-influenza drug Tamiflu, which is expected to be the first line of defense in a pandemic.
Even if companies can make the drug, they might not have enough shikimic acid. That ingredient is extracted from the fruit of star anise trees, which grow in Southern China. Most of the star anise is now used for Roche's production, but it is also an Asian cooking spice and is used in herbal medicines and in the production of the liqueur pastis.
Since demand for Tamiflu started growing recently, the price of shikimic acid from China has soared to more than $400 a kilogram, from $40.
"Is Bird Flu Drug Really So Vexing? Debating the Difficulty of Tamiflu," by Andrew Pollack, The New York Times, November 5, 2005
Other points from the article:
- the critical element in Tamiflu is shikimic acid, which can be made without the 5 star anise
- Oseltamivir is the generic name for shikimic acid
- small quantites of Tamiflu can be produced very quickly, but large quanties take between 6 and 18 months
the Chinese have been cooking chicken with five-star anise for centuries ... also, Dr. Andrew Weil has strongly recommended ginger for anti-inflammatory problems ... Chinese food is preventive medicine! ...
Gratuitous Central Park Pic
Central Park ... Sunday, October 30, 2005 ...
The Central Park Conservancy has photographs from each season ... here's the Fall Photo Gallery
Our Central Park archives
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Something is going around - Cornelius Bear and Bakerina
We wondered why Cornelius Bear had not been posting much lately ... he has been feeling a bit under the weather ... he has a new diet ... and complains that "'Mrs. Dash,' a spice-based salt substitute ... does not in the least bit begin to fill Old Man Morton's straining, creaking hobnail boots." ... you'll have to read this post to find out why he says, "I had better not wear yellow." ... especially on a bicycle ...
Bakerina has "a cold, and while it isn't bad enough to keep me out of the box factory, it was bad enough to send me nearly sleepwalking through the subway and directly to the lumpy armchair in the living room." ... "It was not, however, bad enough to keep me from discovering that we still had nearly half a chocolate-cherry bread from last weekend's market haul, or to keep me from buttering the little 8" square Pyrex dish, from beating together 5 eggs, 3 cups of milk, 1/2 cup of light brown sugar and a pinch of salt, from cutting that excellent loaf into cubes, from saturating it with the eggs and milk and sugar, or from baking it for 40 minutes in a slow oven (preheated to 350 degrees, then turned down to 300)." ... thank goodness she's not sick ... she might have forgotten to turn it down to 300 ...
Spaces for Writers in NYC
We're aware of 4 membership-based spaces for writers in NYC ... let us know if there are others ... aguyinnewyork [AT] gmail.com ...
Brooklyn Writers Space ... "Membership rates are paid quarterly: $250 per quarter for full time membership (24/7 access to the space); $150 per quarter for part time membership (weekday evenings after 6:00pm and anytime on the weekends); There is a one time $50 initiation fee and a $20 refundable key deposit." ... 58 Garfield Place, between 4th and 5th Avenues, 718-788-2697
Paragraph ... memberships vary for full- and part-time ... Full-time: $132/month, $672/6 months, $75 initiaion fee ... Part-time: $100/month, $4802/6 months, $75 initiaion fee ... includes wireless Internet ... 35 West 14th Street, 3rd Floor, between 5th and 6th Avenues, 646-216-8407
The Writers Room ... "Memberships vary from $350.00 to $550.00 per half year (payment is due on January 1st and July 1st). There is a one-time initiation fee of $75.00" ... 740 Broadway, 12th Floor, around the corner from Astor Place, 212-254-6995
Village Quill ... 3 levels of membership ... Evening and Weekends - $109/month, $600/6 months, $1100/year ... Basic - $129/month, $700/6 months, $1300/year ... Full - $149/month, $800/6 months, $1500/year ... for monthly, "a 3-month committment is required. There will also be a one-time $50 administrative fee at sign up." ... 106 Franklin Street, between Church Street and West Broadway, 2nd Floor, 212-226-0442
More
- New York City Writers Group blog
- "Topic: Writer's refuge space," mediabistro
- "Top 6 Writers' Rooms," Ginny Wiehardt, about.com
- "A Cubicle for You and Your Muse," Liesl Schillinger, The New York Times, October 9, 2005 ... "Ms. Parisi compares writers' rooms to gyms. In both, a large group of people share the same equipment. And, paying for membership helps writers take their commitment to writing seriously, she said, and gets them "off of the couch" and onto the literary StairMaster." ...
- "Writers’ space opens in Tribeca," by Hemmy So, Downtown Express, Jan. 21 - 27, 2005
Saturday catblogging
Loco and Luca still sleeping on the American Colonial-style quilt bed-cover ...
Life in the City is good ... good company ... great bed ... great quilt ...
