December 2005 Archives
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Saturday catblogging
Catching a hot bath with Luca's company ...
Life in the City is good ... so many great places to think about a bath without actually getting one ...
Technorati Tags: catblogging
Travel blogs roundup - December 28, 2005
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:
- Athens: National Obsession with Change (Shortcut)
- New Year's Eve in New York guides (NewYorkology)
- A South Beach flashback in San Diego (Jet Set Lara)
- Manhattan's Best Hot-Pot: Grand Sichuan (A Guy in New York)
- MREs for hiking, camping and survival use (Treknologies)
- Indonesia Underwater (TravelBlogger.net)
- Burning the Devil (Travel Blogs)
Technorati Tags: New York, NYC, New York City, travel, travel blogs, travel blog network, travel blogs network
Christmas Parkour
See a gap, jump it. See a rail, vault over it.See a wall, climb it.
These are the instincts of traceurs, adoptees of a French-inspired sport called parkour that is part obstacle course, part pushing the limits of urban architectural functionality and all adrenaline-pumping excitement.
Where most people see walls and divisions, traceurs see opportunities for overcoming obstacles and barriers both physical and mental.
"For traceurs, walk in park is no picnic: Channeling Spiderman with adult discipline," by Athma Chansanchai, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, December 19, 2005
Le Parkour (also called Parkour, PK) is a physical discipline of French origin in which participants attempt to pass obstacles in a smooth and rapid manner.Parkour is said to be l'art du déplacement, or the art of moving (from A to B), consisting of uninterrupted forward motion over, under, around and through obstacles (both man-made and natural) in one's environment. Such movement may come in the form of running, jumping, climbing and other more complicated techniques. The goal of the practice of parkour is to be able to adapt one's movement to any given situation so that any obstacle can be overcome with the human body's abilities.
. . .
Practitioners of parkour are known as traceurs, a term of French origin. The names free running and free runner have been very frequently adopted by the English language media as a result of their use in the television documentary Jump London.
"Parkour," from Wikipedia
- "Do You Parkour? New York Gets French Kicks as Euro Urban Street-Stunt Phenomenon Hits U.S." by Le Bob, Air Massive, April 2, 2004
- New York Parkour
Some Christmas Parkour videos
- A Parkour Christmas Part 3 - from WorldWide JAM - the best of the 3
- A Parkour Christmas Part 2 - from WorldWide JAM
- A Parkour Christmas Part 1 - from WorldWide JAM
Some other Parkour videos
- Speed Air Man - from Parkour.net - amazing
- Le tuyau... - from Parkour.net
- david belle le parkour with english subtitles - Google video
- the chase - Google video
Technorati Tags: parkour, Free Running, traceur
Merry Christmas!
The Christmas Tree in Peter's "living room" ... come and visit me any time ...
(Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche at the Met)
Happy Christmas and Good Tidings for the New Year to all my cousins spread out all over this world ... thinking of you all ... Love, Peter Lo
Chug wishes all his family and friends Merry Christmas!
No posts until next week ...
Saturday catblogging
Luca enjoying a nap in the chair ...
Life in the City is good ... don't you think this color looks good on me? ...
Technorati Tags: catblogging
This Week in NYC Reviews - December 23, 2005
Each Friday, A Guy In New York publishes "This Week in NYC 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 truncated. The regular format returns January 6, 2006. Merry Christmas!
Also see our roundup of Michelin 1, 2 and 3 star restaurants with links to reviews ...
For a roundup of DC restaurant reviews from DC food bloggers and media, see This Week in DC Reviews at Hobnob Blog ...
- Tabla by Veal Cheeks ... 11 Madison Avenue, at 25th Street, 212-889-0667 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
- Barbounia by Andrea Strong ... 250 Park Avenue South, at 20th Street, 212-995-0242
- Katz's Deli by Twenty Bucks A Day ... 205 East Houston Street, 212-254-2246 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
- Super Taste by Twenty Bucks A Day ... 26N Eldridge Street, 212-625-1198 [Village Voice]
- MUG's restaurant Hot List
- The Strip House by VittlesVamp ... 13 East 12th Street, 212-328-0000 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]
- Grand Sichuan hot pot by A Guy In New York ...
- Lenny’s Bagels, 2601 Broadway, and Gourmet Garage Bagels, 2567 Broadway, by Plate of the Day ...
- Kasadela by NYC nosh ... 647 11th Street, close to Avenue C, 212-777-1582 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
- Locanda Vini & Olii by Eating for Brooklyn ... 129 Gates Avenue, 718-622-9202 [Citysearch]
- Blue Smoke by Vittles Vamp ... 116 East 27th Street, 212-447-7733
- Sripraphai by gothamist ... (previous reviews: A Year In Food (TWIR, December 9, 2005) eat drink one woman (TWIR, October 28, 2005)) ... 6413 39th Avenue, between 64th and 65th Streets, Queens, 718-899-9599 [NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]
- Spigolo by Nancy Franklin ... (previous review: Frank Bruni (TWIR, August 26, 2005)) ... 1561 Second Avenue, at East 81st Street, 212-744-1100 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
- Philippe by Steve Cuozzo, 33 East 60th Street, and Mr. Chow, 324 East 57th Street [Citysearch] ...
- Barca 18 ... Frank Bruni, The Bruni Digest (previous reviews: David Rosen (TWIR, November 18, 2005), Frank Bruni in early November (TWIR, November 4, 2005)) ... 225 Park Avenue South, between 18th and 19th Streets, 212-533-2500 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]
- La Rosita Restaurant by Plate of the Day ... 2809 Broadway, between West 108th and 109th Streets, 212-663-7804 [Citysearch]
- Harchevnya by Irene Sax ... 2568 86th Street, near Bay 41st Street, Brooklyn, 718-714-4525 [Village Voice]
- Restaurant Saul by Pascale Le Draoulec... 140 Smith Street, between Bergen and Dean, Brooklyn, 718-935-9844 [Citysearch]
____________________________________
Subway MTA map | Straphangers interactive map | schedules | HopStop | Interactive Transit Map
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.
Technorati Tags: New York, NYC, Manhattan, restaurants, restaurant reviews, this week in reviews, week in reviews
"TWU Bad For Labor Nationally?"
...it does not bode well for Dems and labor when Blue State Ivy Leaguers react to strikes by saying that union chiefs should go to jail.
"TWU Bad For Labor Nationally?" Hotline on Call, December 21, 2005
Buyer beware ... the Art Market is hot and crazy
Buyer beware ... the Art Market is hot and crazy ... Happy Winter and Good Tidings ...
Artprice.com, a French company that tracks world auction results, figures overall prices in New York and London topped their mid-1990 peak for the first time this year -- by 33% and 19%, respectively. Meanwhile, Chinese art often soared to four or five times pre-auction estimates at recent Sotheby's and Christie's Hong Kong sales. Indian and Russian works are seeing similar gains.
"The Art Of Buying Art: Today's market looks awfully inflated. Tread carefully," Business Week, December 26, 2005
More
- "Why Collectors Are Crazy For Chinese Art: It's not only dynastic porcelain vases. Art mavens are buying contemporary works as well," Business Week, December 27, 2004
- "Time to sell in a hot market," by Souren Melikian, International Herald Tribune, February 7, 2004
- "Positively Sizzling," by Missy Sullivan, Forbes, December 26, 2005
- "Auction packed," by Murray Whyte, The Toronto Starr, December 17, 2005
- "Deaccession roulette," by Hilton Kramer, The New Criterion, December 2005
- "'Art Funds' Starved for Investors" - WSJ, A Guy In New York, August 22, 2005
Post by Peter
Posted December 21, 2005 12:17 PM · Permalink
· Auctions
, Auctions and Appraisals
, Museums and Art
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Transit Strike coverage
NewYorkology has lots of good coverage of the transit strike, and related links, including traffic cams
Best Hot-Pot in Manhattan is at Grand Sichuan
The best hot-pot in Manhattan is at Grand Sichuan ... with a wonderful view of the Manhattan Bridge and points south ... sit by the window and order the hot pot ... be prepared for the very hot Sichuan peppers ... go with at least 4 people to enjoy the meal ... French champagne will be a good foil for the Sichuan heat ... since this is the holiday season ... drink and be merry ... 125 Canal Street, at Chrystie Street, 212-625-9212 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Citysearch]
Post by Peter
____________________________________
Subway MTA map | Straphangers interactive map | schedules | HopStop | Interactive Transit Map
Technorati Tags: New York, NYC, New York City, Manhattan, restaurants, restaurant reviews,
Posted December 20, 2005 07:57 AM · Permalink
· AGINY Good Value
, Chinatown
, Chinese
, The Best
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Best blog posts of 2005?
We're looking for you to tell us about the great blog posts you've seen this year. At year's end, we'll post links to the best posts we come across. (We'll also post ALL link submissions, but our links will appear at the top of the post.)
All submissions must be original material, although a post that is basically a link to another post will get a hat-tip acknowledgement.
- What's a great post? That's entirely up to you, but we have some ideas: (continued)
Big Apple Blog Festival - December 19, 2005
Welcome to the Big Apple Blog Festival (BABF), a representative roundup of this week's posts by NYC bloggers.
The Big Apple Blog Festival likes to go on tour ... if you have a NYC blog or you blog about NYC and would like to host an upcoming BABF, let us know ... The next BABF, on January 9, 2006, will be hosted by A Guy In New York ... Last week's Big Apple Blog Festival was hosted by NYC Stories ...
Food
- My Life With Garlic is putting together a "Best Of list" for hot chocolate ... we wonder if she'll rename the blog "My Life With Hot Chocolate" ...
- A Brooklyn Life created a "cilantro-jalapeno pesto worthy of our classic Osterizer blender" ... looks pretty good to us ...
- A Guy In New York has his weekly roundup of restaurant reviews ... "This Week in NYC Reviews" ...
Shelter
- Clareified says that if there is a transit strike, "I'll just stay with the Mayor in his mansion" ...
- Lengths of comfy verdure recommends Batherapy ... "i take a batherapy bath first thing when i get home every day these days. there was a natural hot spring near rome, in the olden days, in which the "lunatics" bathed, which calmed them. it has been tested in modern times and was discovered to contain lithium. try it. you'll like it. i gay-run-tee." ...
International
- Forgotten NY added a new page on the "remaining Avenue of the Americas medallions and just a little about the countries whose coats of arms they depict." ...
- The People's Cube has an email exchange that "started when a student from Communist China currently living in Japan bought an anti-Che T-shirt 'My American Revolutionary Kicked Your Commie Revolutionary's Ass' from Che-Mart" ...
Technology
- elvira black says that "bloggers who never answer anyone's comments turn me off so much that I often never visit them again" ... hmmm, THAT shoe fits ...
- mister snitch! links to a site where you can build an online snowman ..
- The Tin Man asks "Exactly how long does it take to port a cell phone number from one carrier to another?" ... in our experience, which includes porting 6 separate numbers from AT&T to Verizon, about 5 days ...
- Eye Dream Awake has an "Update On $100 Laptop" ...
- The Politburo Diktat recommends blogrescue.com ...
News
- gothamist has an "Obligatory Braunstein Wrap-Up" ...
Transportation
- NewYorkology is keeping an eye on the transit talks ...
- The Wonkster is "Reading the Tea Leaves of a Transit Strike" ...
- New York Hack gave a fare from Chicago a "Welcome to New York" he'll remember ...
- New York's Sixth is impressed by the new Interactive Transit Map even if you "tell it you want to go from City Hall [New York] to Grove Street [Jersey City] and it sends you up the R/W line to 33rd Street" ...
- NYC Metblog "spent most of Thursday evening sitting in a bar with some of my close friends, drinking way too much whiskey and watching NY1 (with the volume turned down of course) to figure out if I could take the train back home or if I had to fighting someone for a taxi." ...
- Harleys, Cars, Girls & Guitars has pics and a link to the 4 new motorcycle stamps being introduced in August, 2006 ... we're getting those ...
- Quixotic Optimism suggests that to make riding trains more pleasant "maybe they could create a 'child' car where wayward brats could with chocolate-smeared cheeks 'gimmiegimmiegimmie' their corpulent moms and dads for the duration of their ride without thrusting otherwise sane passengers beyond the brink of psychosis and forcing us to fire death-ray glances over the tops of the books and memos we're trying desperately to concentrate on." ... that is certainly quixotic and optimistic ...
Holidays
- CityRag, for "the seventh day of Dog-mas brings to you - Mach 7 Airspeed" ...
- The Daily Dump has a tradition: "Regardless of the fact that my apartment is the size of a newsstand, every year I buy a Christmas tree the size of a hatchback" ... pics of tree and ornaments taken with his new awesome digital camera ...
- Letters from NYC warns: "Beware of Amazon and etoys failure to deliver goods as promised" ...
- Brain Terminal has "Christmas Tips for Parents" ...
- Joey McKeown is "looking for a Christmas gift for my goddaughter. Maybe I should get her something her father can use. I'm cracking up just thinking about it." ... click the link in the post if you like warm beer ...
- greg.org has links to limited artist-edition wrapping paper ... definitely not Sally Foster ...
Humor
- mister snitch! has a good joke demonstrating "How religion adapts to the world." ... and read the comments ...
Op-Ed
- The Daily Gotham opines that "MTA Disrespects Us All, Governor Dodges Accountability" ...
- Exit Zero believes "The concept of defending free speech to the death has faded a bit over the years" ...
- NYC Right weighs in on immigration, "a topic that looms large over the American psyche these days" ...
- Yet Another Weird SF Fan warns that "Avoidance of loopholes can also have unpleasant results" ...
- mister snitch! just wants "to be a rebel, like everyone else" ... noting that NJ Governor-elect Jon Corzine, "after naming Menendez to assume his Senate seat, vowed to continue the fight against the evildoers in Washington, as if it were the source of Jersey's high taxes, corporate flight, and political corruption." ...
- BuzzMachine says "we are reentering an age of leadership by the very rich: Bloomberg of New York, Corzine of New Jersey, Bush of the White House, Gates and Bono for charity" ...
- Jewschool says that "now that it's been covered in The New York Times, the whole 'Cool Jew' trend/movement/phenomenon is now officially OVER." ...
- Ragged Thots on Stanley Tookie Williams: "Given 26 years of trials and appeals after the murder of four people at two convenience store robberies, this seems like a fair process." ... while Da Greasy Guide links to a video with a different view ...
Living in NYC
- New York Brain Terrain says Chicago is "like New York without all the rude and angry people" ... check out New York Brain Terrain regularly for lots of interesting things to do in NYC ...
- Slant Point says "Don't ever - ever - let anyone tell you different. New York has some of the most generous people around." ...
- Englishman in New York wants advice on how much to tip delivery guys ...
- and Downtown Lad also needs tipping advice: "How much do you tip your doorman?" ... easy for us: we don't have a doorman ...
- Blog Chelsea has a "Florist Recommendation" ...
- Stay Free links to "Rejection Line, a phone number ... that you can give out to people who hit on you, to get them to go away (212-479-7990)" ...
- Homeschooling in New York City "finally figured out what I want to say to folks who constantly ask me why we homeschool." ...
Work
- The Assimilated Negro posts "a segment from the instructional 'How To Be A Psychic' manual" which he got when he did "a short stint as a psychic for the Miss Cleo network." ...
- opinionistas reminds some folks who used to practice law in big firms why they're glad they no longer do ...
- copyranter says "forehead ads are all the rage. But, let’s look into the not-too-distance future"... and looks to the future: "Busted? 555-CROW (on Cops’ foreheads)" ...
- Asymmetrical Information says "The world doesn't really need more journalists; people already have more writing than they can (or will) read." ...
Photoblogs
- WhatISee has pics of a "Snow Boogie" ...
- Express Train captures how some feel about riding the subway ... "R Train, 4th ave, 8:14am" ...
- untitlednamedotcom has pics of "Clogged Drains [at] Seaview Hospital. Staten Island, New York" ...
- The Bronx has a pic of angelic love ...
- Late Final notes that Michele Catalano's "new photo blog, Scriberoptics, is now open" ...
- joe's nyc has an interesting pic of a partially bald guy in a barbershop ...
- Theater of My Mind has pic: "The new building in Long Island City is looking great looming over the 7 train to Queens" ...
Sports
- Steve Silver writes "Judge Quarterbacks Not By the Color of Their Skin, But By The Content of Their Game" ... yeah ...
- even though baseball season is over, the baseball blogs are still going strong ... Mets Geek ... MetsBlog.com ... Yanksfan vs. Soxfan ... Amazin Avenue: A New York Mets Blog ... we thought these were the boys of summer? ...
Singing, Dancing, and ACTING!
- Downtown Dancer found a "Chanukah 'Nutcracker'" ...
- Night After Night gives "kudos to tenor Raúl Melo for hanging tough tonight in front of a crowd primed for the Second Coming" in Rigoletto at the Met on December 13 ... and says An American Tragedy "a seriously effective piece of music theater, and more surprisingly one in which both operatic neophytes and sophisticates will find much to enjoy" ...
- Cafe Aman "walked away from the world premiere of Tobias Picker's 'An American Tragedy' quite disappointed." ...
- An Unamplified Voice saw An American Tragedy at the Met twice and it was "pretty full on both occasions, but I now wonder how much of it was paper" ... (as in "papering the house") ...
- Dave Friedman's Soul of Wit says Madonna is a transvestite ... that explains a LOT ...
- Kesher Talk, in "Spinning Munich Into Gold", says, "Not content merely with having former Ambassador Dennis Ross in his pocket to provide diplomatic soothing for his new film, Spielberg has now hired Eyal Arad, one of Ariel Sharon's spin doctors strategists, to market 'Munich' to Israel" ...
- The Dooryard liked King Kong ... "If you had told me I'd see an incredible love story in the theaters this month, I'd have bet it would have involved two gay cowboys. Instead, last night I was emotionally moved by the love affair of a 25-foot ape and a blonde chick" ...
- Cinema Strikes Back gave 4 stars to King Kong in his review "King Kong: PJ does it again" ... with pics ...
Animals
- Daily Refill has pic and post about Fabien Cousteau's shark-shaped submarine ... very cool ...
- 10,000 Birds has "a description of our pilgrimage to the Pelham Bay Park parrots, one of the millions of little known wonders of NYC" ... with a pic ... 10,000 Birds is new to the BABF and is highly recommended ...
- Living the Scientific Life has a nice bird news roundup, with pics ... "Birds in the News #39" ...
- Cake Or Death? found it difficult to blog last week due to lack of heat at home and lots of work ... at work! ... so "As a gesture of goodwill, I turn to my staple ... penguins" ...
Parties
- Da Greasy Guide says "If you missed the Laces NYC party last night, you missed a good time." ...
- Clublife loves working private parties ... "private affairs are decidedly my favorite worknights at any of the clubs at which I've been employed. You're paid your usual bouncer shift rate to spend the balance of the evening doing absolutely jack shit. You're simply a greeter, and that's the entire extent of your involvement." ... but he wasn't invited to his own club's private Christmas party, which he worked ... what a screwed up business ...
- The Urban Grind has a "Blogger Party Recap" ... we're sorry we missed it ... Suitably Flip also has a recap of the blogger party ... and Red Guy in a Blue State has a few pics ...
Nostalgia
- Third Avenue reminds us that "Golden Ages only ever exist in the past. In 2055 I have absolutely no doubt that people will be bemoaning the Golden Age of the first decade of the century." ...
Money - Swiss
- Towleroad has link and pics ... "A new set of Swiss banknotes features one bearing an image of our solar system on one side, and an image of the AIDS virus on the other" ...
Dreams
- Dead Programmer's Cafe had a dream ... "The whole thing ended badly - alarms sounded, I left, but did not rat out Xenu's grave robber. Later, they accused my of stealing Xenu's toe." ... and has #30 in "100 Views of the Empire State Building" ...
- tres chicas had a much stranger dream ... "We were in Houston and, miraculously, the city had a full-fledged subway system" ...
___________________________________
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.
Technorati Tags: big apple, big apple blog festival, New York, NYC, New York City, Manhattan
Posted December 19, 2005 07:57 AM · Permalink
· Big Apple Blog Festival
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Travel blogs roundup - December 18, 2005
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:
Technorati Tags: New York, NYC, New York City, travel, travel blogs, travel blog network, travel blogs network
Saturday catblogging
Loco lost between the bed linens ... the cat climbed up the white plastic shelvings in the closet ... what strength!!!
Life in the City is good ... so many great places to climb ... and get into trouble ...
Technorati Tags: catblogging
This Week in NYC Reviews - December 16, 2005
Each Friday, A Guy In New York publishes "This Week in NYC Reviews (TWIR)," with quick links to New York City restaurant reviews and mentions from the previous seven days in blogs, magazines, and newspapers.
Also see our roundup of Michelin 1, 2 and 3 star restaurants with links to reviews ...
For a roundup of DC restaurant reviews from DC food bloggers and media, see This Week in DC Reviews at Hobnob Blog ...
- NYC Nosh reports that Gennaro "has become our standby restaurant" ... "Part of the appeal is the antipasto platter, which is a muscly affair that serves at least two people– three or four if you’re each ordering main dishes." ... "another of Gennaro’s charms is its specials– they make it hard to resist ordering more food than you could possibly eat." ... "the special appetizer of sardines stuffed with golden raisins, rosemary, bread crumbs, and Italian parsley ... have become the stuff of legend." ... 665 Amsterdam Avenue, between 92nd and 93rd Streets, 212-665-5348 [MenuPages | menupix | NYT | Gayot | Citysearch]
- Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld write that Bar Carrera "considers itself a bar first, but you shouldn’t. That would discredit the food, which, despite being limited to a long list of small plates (each priced at a very reasonable $3.50 per), and despite the absence of a real kitchen (everything is prepped behind the bar by a remarkably proficient, acrobatic, and mild-mannered cook-busperson-dishwasher), happens to be almost uniformly delicious." ... web site, 175 Second Avenue, between 11th and 12th Streets, 212-375-1555 [Citysearch] ... and list 3 places where you can get "a traditional Italian-American supper" ... Anthony’s: try the "Sunday sauce with meatballs, braciole, and pork spareribs over rigatoni" ... 426A Seventh Avenue, near 14th Street, Brooklyn, 718-369-8315 [Citysearch] ... Ama: Sunday sauce is "served with cavatelli-like caputini" ... web site, 48 MacDougal Street, near West Houston Street, 212-358-1707 [NYT | Citysearch] ... Nonna: "a heaping helping of rigatoni with Sunday sauce" ... web site, 520 Columbus Avenue, at 85th Street, 212-579-3194 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Citysearch]
- Peter Meehan says the Elvis empanada at Empanada Mama is "a deep-fried belly bomb made with peanut butter and mashed banana that is troublingly tasty for something that is such an obvious threat to one's physical well-being."... "the arepa stuffed with tender shredded chicken ... is one of the best things the restaurant serves." ... (previous reviews
: Plate Of The Day (TWIR, October 7, 2005)) ... 763 Ninth Avenue, between 51st and 52nd Streets, 212-698-9008 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
- foodie nyc reviews four places ... Centrico: "Queso fundido with poblano was very good. ... A phenomenal braised short rib dish in an ancho chile broth." ... (previous reviews
- Moira Hodgson gave 2 stars to Onera ... and says it is unlike "any Greek restaurant I’ve been to anywhere" ... "Eating the light, crisp fried calamari inspired dreams of idling under an umbrella on a Mediterranean beach." ... web site, 222 West 79th Street, between Amsterdam and Broadway, 212-873-0200 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Citysearch]
- Joshua Bernstein: Fontana’s is "a tri-level bar that unfolds like origami" ... "cattycorner from the life-sustaining Dumpling House—purveyors of five crisp pork dumplings for a buck" ... 105 Eldridge Street, between Broome and Grand Streets, 212-334-6740 [Citysearch]
- Robert Sietsema: Hadramout has "a halal menu featuring roasts of lamb and chicken served with rice or pitas. Pick the pitas" ... "meal begins with a pungent bouillon laced with curry powder, floating tidbits of celery, cilantro, and carrot. It's so good, a friend wondered out loud one evening if she could take a quart home" ... and "the roast lamb leg alone, served on a bed of perfumed rice with little heaps of curried vegetables, would be enough to bring anyone back." ... 172(d) Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-852-3577
- Steve Cuozzo has suggestions for places to eat - and avoid - duirng the next 2 weeks ...
- Gael Greene liked the "Wonderful fire-roasted sardines, tasting of mustard oil with tangy Granny Smith–fennel salad" at Barbounia ... but the rib eye and lamb chops "seem expensive to me" ... 250 Park Avenue South, at East 20th Street, 212-995-0242 [NYT | Citysearch]
- Adam Platt writes that at Jovia "the very pricey items ($38 for the lobster, or a perfectly good though unadorned piece of strip steak) tended to be the least remarkable, while difficult dishes like squab and venison were very good." ... "Among the seafood items, the favorites were the grilled halibut garnished with a nice pesto of herbs and lime, and the uncommonly tender Chatham cod, set over a creamy mix of spinach, faintly smoky clams, and toasted pumpkin seeds." ... (previous reviews
- David Rosen writes that Fatty Crab "showcases a gentrified version of Malaysian street food." ... "Salad is the most successful category. Sweet, cold, pickled watermelon is counterpointed by warm, savory and crispy pork cubes. A charred squid salad is tender and expertly assembled." ... (previous review
- Frank Bruni gave 2 stars to Keens Steakhouse ... "Keens expertly dry-ages its beef, which it serves in an array of cuts, all of them memorable and almost all of them mammoth: sirloin, filet mignon, prime rib, porterhouse for two, porterhouse for three." ... "On my visits the restaurant put a nice char on any and every cut that was supposed to have it, and it cooked everything to its requested temperature. It proved itself to be not only one of the city's most charming and diverting theaters for testosterone cuisine but also one of its most reliable." ... web site, 72 West 36th Street, 212- 947-3636 [MenuPages | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] ... also went to Earl Monroe's Restaurant ... has "a sensational view. The long northern wall of the restaurant is floor-to-ceiling glass facing the Hudson River and the George Washington Bridge" ... the "fillet of striped bass encrusted with corn meal and okra ... made for a very fine dish." ... "The dishes I tried were a mix of very appealing (those croquettes), overcooked (that chicken) and unremarkable (a grilled skirt steak)." ... web site, 750 West 145th Street, in Riverbank State Park, off Riverside Drive, Hamilton Heights, 212-491-1500 [Citysearch]
- The Bruni Digest: "This week, we are taking a class trip to Colonial Restaurantburg, and Frank is going to be our informative yet distractingly-attired docent." ... "Keens Steakhouse: Dead Presidents and Burlap Britches" ... "Keens turns out to be a little like TGI Friday’s, stuffed to the gills with “flare” that is somewhat more significant than your average anonymous sports pennant or fake antique doll" ... "Two stars, what many people call Frank's default, is no paltry rating." ...
- Plate of the Day had brunch at Picnic Market & Cafe ... the "French Toast is so good alone that it really doesn’t need any syrup at all." ... "The Spinach Frittata is also a great choice for brunch - a great blend of potatoes, eggs and spinach. Not too dry and cooked just right." ... 2665 Broadway, between 101st and 102nd Streets, 212-222-8222 [MenuPages | yelp]
- WhiteTrashBBQ: Daisy May’s BBQ "is easily the best barbecue in the city." ... "The 'Sticky Ribs' were easily the best ribs I've ever had from Daisy May's; sweet, a little spicy and smokier than in past orders. If Adam had served me these ribs in a [Kansas City Barbeque Society] contest, he would have easily walked away with first place. I’ve never said that about 'restaurant barbeque' before." ... web site, 623 11th Avenue, at West 46th Street, 212-977-1500 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]
- Andrea Thompson reports that Cookshop has "terrific food" ... "the entrées are enormous—nearly the size of two main courses at other restaurants" ... "but the tables are tightly crammed together—pity the fleet of servers, who must negotiate not only tables, elbows, and bags but also each other." ... (previous reviews
- Andrea Strong has a roundup of restaurants open Christmas, Chanukah, and New Year's Eve ... or you could just head to Chinatown ...
- salli vates enjoyed the new vegetarian restaurant, Heirloom ... liked the "'tempura sushi.' Gossamer slices of persimmon, artichoke and chayote were colorful stand-ins for sushi fish, and tempura haricot verts provided some crunch in the maki." ... and the "'seafood trio" ... assortment of trumpet royale and bluefoot mushrooms was disguised as seared scallops, fried calamari and grilled fluke, which were served on a bed of garlicky sauteed spinach. The scallops in particular were eerily authentic." ... web site, 191 Orchard Street, 212-228-9888 [Citysearch]
- Lisa Amand has quick reviews of 10 restaurants and cafes along Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn ...
- Slashfood urges you to try the David Burke slider at Burke Bar Cafe (and also at Burke in the Box) at Bloomingdales ... "The David Burke slider is the happiest innovation to hit the hamburger in years." ... 1000 Third Avenue, 59th Street entrance, between Lexington and Third Avenues, 212-705-3800 [NY | The Strong Buzz | Daily News]
- A Hamburger Today describes in detail how the cheeseburkers at Burke in the Box at Bloomingdales are made ... "This slider is almost magical, packing all the taste, juice, and punch of a burger four times its size into a fun, tiny, two- or three-bite package" ... with pics ...
- Twenty bucks a day likes the rice pudding at Rice to Riches ... "the rice pudding at RTR is extremely good. Expanding on the staple dessert of many ethnic restaurants, the oval-obsessed parlor offers 20 or so intensely flavor-infused puddings that, while not the most effervescent variety you’ll ever have (read: gloppy and heavy), at least rate well against the average ice cream parlor in terms of my enjoyment level." ... "My personal favorite is the mascarpone with cherries, which is just this side of too sweet." ... web site, 37 Spring Street, between Mott and Mulberry Streets, 212-274-0008 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Citysearch]
- One Hot Stove recommends Chinese Mirch for "Indo-chinese fusion cuisine" ... (previous review
- Veal Cheeks had lunch at Cafe Gray ... "dominated by its display kitchen - oddly situated in that the doings of the cooks block what is otherwise a stunning view of Columbus Circle." ... had the "Roast Col Vert Duckling with a Star Anise-Honey Glaze ... Perfect" ... "Baked Alaska [was] a subtle symphony of the flavors of this most traditional of desserts with the addition of sage and mandarin" ... (previous review
- Twenty bucks a day says the food at Polska "was excellent, and much cheaper than the higher-profile restaurants around the corner on Manhattan Ave." ... "The undisputed heavyweight champion of the meal was the order of two filled crepes known as blintzes ($4). Fresh-cooked upon ordering, and taking a few minutes longer to arrive at our table than the rest of the meal, one blintz was filled with sweet, curdy cheese, and the other with fresh strawberries." ... 136 Greenpoint Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-389-8368 [NYT | Gayot]
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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
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Technorati Tags: New York, NYC, Manhattan, restaurants, restaurant reviews
Transit strike watch
NewYorkology is keeping a watch on the possible transit strike ...
And just in time is the Interactive Transit Map ...
Sleight of hand - the glass trick by Cyril Takayama
Japanese magician Cyril Takayama has posted some interesting videos ...
- The glass trick: he passes a coin, and then a salt shaker, through a glass table ...
- The hamburger out of a sign trick: he pulls a hamburger out of a sign, takes a bite, then putsthe hamburger back "into" the sign where the picture then shows a bite missing ...
- Chopsticks and shadows: uses the shadows of his hands to remove a pair of chopsticks from their wrapper and then splits the chopsticks ...
Pages with links to many more videos of Cyril Takayama's magic tricks ... CastPost ... Malaysia Magic Fellowship ...
MetaFilter has a discussion about the glass trick ...
Cyril Takayama is a member of Magic X Live and was part of "THEM - Totally Hidden Extreme Magic" ...
Big Apple Blog Festival - December 12, 2005
Last week's Big Apple Blog Festival was hosted by Harleys, Cars, Girls & Guitars.
This week's Big Apple Blog Festival is hosted by NYC Stories.
Some excerpts:
- An Englishman in New York reports on the Park Slope Food Coop and communism.
- mister snitch! from Hoboken blobs about blogging or not blogging. "The secret of blogging is not to blog at all." Then he asks about "Pajamas Media". "Did anyone else wince when, at their big NYC party, Roger Simon said they wanted to be the New York Times of blogging?
- Shouting Thomas at Harleys, Cars, Girls and Guitars brings us a look at the work going on at a Woodstock Tattoo parlor.
- Finally on the subject of work, Asymmetrical Information has been nominated for best business blog of 2005.
See this week's BABF for much more.
Next week's BABF will be hosted by A Guy In New York.
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.
Technorati Tags: New York, NYC, Big Apple Blog Festival, Big Apple
Posted December 12, 2005 10:10 PM · Permalink
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Holiday Train Shows
Holiday Train Show at The New York Botanical Garden
After hearing so much about it, Gothamist finally decided to head up to the Bronx to check out the New York Botanical Garden's Holiday Train Show. Inside the conservatories, there are replicas of various NYC buildings and landmarks, "made entirely from plant parts like berries, mushrooms, pinecones, and twigs," with model trains running through around, through and over them. And Gothamist can say that the replicas are pretty incredible.
"Holiday Train Show At The New York Botanical Garden," gothamist, December 8, 2005
. . . .
Now What? has more photos of the Holiday Train Show, and reminds you to wear warm clothing ...
Holiday Train Show, through January 8, 2006, open Tuesdays–Sundays, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm, Tickets $16 - $5. All tickets specify an entry time to the Holiday Train Show. Please be on the Garden grounds at least 15 minutes before your specified entry time.
The New York Botanical Garden, 200th Street and Kazimiroff Boulevard, Bronx, 718-817-8700
Grand Central Holiday Train Show
This year's annual Grand Central Holiday Train Show consists of a newly created, 34 foot-long, "O gauge" train layout with model trains running on eight separate loop tracks through a wondrous holiday scene that begins in a living room on Christmas morning, then travels through a miniature New York City, across the HellGate Bridge, through suburbs, farmland, and on to the North Pole!In addition to the working holiday train layout, vintage Lionel model trains from the New York Transit Museum's Lawrence Scripps Wilkinson collection will be on display and, in honor of the 100th anniversary of motorized bus service in New York City, the exhibit will also feature an eye-catching assortment of toy buses.
Grand Central Holiday Train Show, New York Transit Museum's Gallery Annex, at Grand Central Terminal, East 42nd Street, between Vanderbilt and Lexington Avenues, through January 16, 2006, M-F: 8:00 am - 8:00 pm, Sat and Sun: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, free, 212-878-0106
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Technorati Tags: New York, NYC, New York Botanical Garden, model railroads
Travel blogs roundup - December 11, 2005
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:
Technorati Tags: New York, NYC, New York City, travel
Saturday catblogging
Loco has found a new place to cat-nap ... the very cool marble wash basin ...
Life in the City is good ... so many great places to sleep ...
Technorati Tags: catblogging
"Papering" and "Dressing the House"
For theater-lovers, learning some industry jargon couldn't hurt. "Papering the house," for example, is a common producers' practice to fill unsold seats. It's done during previews -- to start buzz about a new play, and assure a full house when critics are in attendance -- or when a show is past its prime and ticket sales dip. "We used to invite staff from fellow theater offices, sort of as a professional courtesy," says one theatrical company manager. "Now, no one wants to admit they're papering, so we're turning to sources outside the theatrical community."
Organizations such as Audience Extras (AE), Play by Play and Theatermania.com's Gold Club collect lists of interested theatergoers. In exchange for an annual fee of $85 to $99, those individuals receive offers to Broadway, Off- and off Off-Broadway shows (sometimes on opening night) costing just $3 to $4.50 a ticket. Seeing a play for such a ridiculously small amount of money, however, is viewed as a privilege; in return, producers expect proper business attire, etiquette (no skipping out at intermission), and discretion (don't brag at the box office about the great deal you got, while others pick up their full-price tickets). You are, in a sense, working the show, providing the actors with a full and attentive audience, often as they try to iron out kinks in a new production.
"Now That’s (Cheap) Entertainment," by Joseph V. Amodio, Newsday, January 15, 2004
Audience Extras distributes complimentary tickets to it's subscribers when a show is in previews, under publicized, expecting a reviewer or celebrity to attend, or would like the benefit of a full house.
As an Audience Extras subscriber you get to choose from over 1000 different events a year! You can attend as many shows as you like for only $3.00 reservation service charge per ticket! A portion of the service charge goes directly to The Memorial Foundation for the Arts to aid non-profit theaters.
. . .
Audience Extras (AE) is a "papering" system (i.e. provide additional audience to shows when needed) that was established by Mr. Peter Copani and his son John-Vincent to benefit the Performing Arts in three innovative ways. First, by screening for responsible, dependable and discreet people to put in an empty seat when a producer needs extra audience. Second, by distributing "paper" complimentary tickets in a way that could develop future audiences, that is, on a "free sample" introductory basis. The third benefit is to use the AE "papering" program as an ongoing funding source for non-profit theatre. The cost of the AE communication system is covered by the ticket recipients making it free for theatre companies and producers who use the service to "paper" or "Dress The House".
Audience Extras, 212-686-1966
Theater Extras is a “seat-filling audience development organization” only. We do not sell tickets. Theater Extras arranges COMPLIMENTARY tickets for its members when a performance or event is in previews, under publicized, expecting the attendance of reviewers or celebrities, or would like the benefits of a full house. Performances range from previews to opening nights to performances throughout a show’s run.
Theater Extras, 212-802-7277 or 914-304-4093
Play by Play, a unique organization called upon by theatre producers to fill unsold seats to their Broadway and Off Broadway shows.
Performances range from previews and opening nights to performances throughout a show's run. Corporate attire is required for Broadway shows.
Play by Play, 212-868-7052
TheaterMania [Gold Club] works directly with producers, theaters, and venues to make tickets available for our members who discreetly fill the house and help build buzz and word of mouth for shows.
Members log into the Gold Club, select shows and events from our exciting and diverse list of offerings, print a voucher, and present it to the box office. It's that simple! The membership pays for itself with one or two shows!
TheaterMania Gold Club, 212-352-0255
Posted December 9, 2005 09:02 AM · Permalink
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This Week in NYC Reviews - December 9, 2005
Each Friday, A Guy In New York publishes "This Week in NYC Reviews (TWIR)," with quick links to New York City restaurant reviews and mentions from the previous seven days in blogs, magazines, and newspapers.
Also see our roundup of Michelin 1, 2 and 3 star restaurants with links to reviews ...
For a roundup of DC restaurant reviews from DC food bloggers and media, see This Week in DC Reviews at Hobnob Blog ...
- Snack can't review Barça 18 (previous reviews: David Rosen (TWIR, November 18, 2005), Frank Bruni (TWIR, November 4, 2005)) ... the "niggling voice of ethics will not be quieted until I say I have no idea if it’s a good value for the money because I never saw a menu and I never paid." ... but "when asked, I have no problem recommending* restaurants." ... the asterisk: "I direct your attention to the email me link up there on the right" ...
- Irene Sax writes that at DuMont Burger, "burgers are the stars of their new publike space" ... but her "favorite sandwich in this temple of red meat was the fried fish, a crunchy filet of skate on a roll slathered with tartar sauce" ... 314 Bedford Avenue, at South First Street, Brooklyn, 718-384-6127 [Citysearch]
- A Hamburger Today asks why Joe's Best Burger "was able to hide away quietly in The Bronx and didn't blow up like it did until it opened a Flushing location?" ... "The burgers here are, unsurprisingly, fast-food style, with thin patties à la McDonald's. Unlike McDonald's, however, these burgers actually kick ass." ... 39-11 Main Street, corner of Roosevelt Avenue, Queens ... and also likes the "pub-style burger" at DuMont Burger, "a spin-off of the well-regarded DuMont on Union Street in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg" ... "the regular burger is thick, too thick for my taste, especially with toppings added—I don't have a snake's hinged jaw. But it was good—plenty juicy with just the right hint of char from the grill." ... "the onion rings (always a bonus in my book when a burger joint offers them) were absolutely perfect" ... both Irene Sax and AHT found their burgers at DuMont just a bit undercooked ...
- Josh Ozersky is writing a "new, as yet-unnamed book project, a history of the hamburger being written for Yale University Press." ... "I do love the hamburger. The overlap of meat-appreciation and cultural history is the very heart of my comfort zone, a sweet spot right in my wheelhouse. My soul may have shriveled, and my capacity to exceed shrunk to the size of a dime, but within those limits, I feel like a giant!" ...
- Pascale Le Draoulec gave 0 stars to Bobby Van's Steakhouse ... "Dining in the inner sanctum of a genuine bank vault at the newest Bobby Van's Steakhouse, you might imagine yourself a thief in a heist movie. Only you're the one being robbed." ... "clay-colored crab cakes were void of both flavor and muscle tone." ... "Forty-three dollars for two bulky, bland lamb chops served with a side of mint gelée with all the flair of a green Jell-O shot? Moribund mashed potatoes will set you back an additional $10" ... "the meat itself had more cholesterol than charisma. It looked like meat. Smelled like meat. Cut like meat. But it never delivered that primal satisfaction you want from red meat." ... 25 Broad Street, at Exchange Place, 212-344-8463 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]
- A Year In Food has "yet to have a bad experience at" Sripraphai ... "the fried watercress salad, one of my desert island picks. Every time, it astounds me with its abundance of textures and flavors" ... "The winner of the night though may have been the fried fish, which all of us kept helplessly returning to. The fish itself was fresh and succulent, soft inside and crispy outside, and the sauce served as an addictively interesting complement." ... (previous review: eat drink one woman (TWIR, October 28, 2005)) 6413 39th Avenue, between 64th and 65th Streets, Queens, 718-899-9599 [NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]
- NYC Nosh had a "very solid meal. All the more impressive that three of us ate manifestly fresh food for about $18 a person, including beer, tax, and tip" at Mandoo Bar ... "mandoo are filled dumplings about the size of a ping pong ball– they’re similar to big wontons with a slightly more doughy skin. Several of the restaurants in Koreatown make their own mandoo, but only one, Mandoo Bar, lets you watch the entire process from dough rolling to filling." ... the seafood mandoos "contained at least one shrimp, and several also offered up nuggets of cooked squid– there was no skimping on the seafood here. Even without any sauce, these seafood mandoo tasted rich, fresh, and complex." ... 2 West 32nd Street, between 5th Avenue and Broadway, 212-279-3075 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot]
- Gael Greene liked the "luscious smoked prawns" and "lively salad of squid grilled whole with melon and prosciutto, and first-rate venison with tangy red cabbage" at Pair of 8's ... (previous review: Pascale Le Draoulec (TWIR, December 2, 2005)) ... 568 Amsterdam Avenue, between 87th and 88th Streets, 212-874-2742 [Citysearch]
- WhiteTrashBBQ doesn't understand all the hohah about Dinosaur Bar-B-Que ... "Last time I reviewed Dinosaur I wasn't impressed at all. Well, it hasn't changed." ... the chicken wings "weren't spicy, they weren't smoked, they weren't worth my time" ... a main course of "ham was served on a bed of some of the best grits I've ever tasted. But the ham itself was lack luster and flavorless." ... (previous reviews: David Rosen (TWIR, December 2, 2005), gothamist (TWIR, November 11, 2005)) ... 646 West 131st Street, 212-694-1777 [NYT | Gayot | Citysearch] ... and ate at KC's BBQ and Grill and "can't say that I was glad I did" ... "KC's is NOT a barbecue restaurant. It's a fast food place that uses barbeque sauce on boiled meat that is grilled for appearance sake only." ... 31-22 Farrington Street, Flushing ...
- Beth Butts and Chris Steighner recommend 3 of the tapas at Bolo ... "most delectable was the pork, potato, and goat cheese skewer, which was more like a stacked napoleon with slices of each" ... salted cod fritter and "piquillo pepper stuffed with raw tuna salad" ... 23 East 22nd Street, between Broadway and Park Avenue South, 212-228-2200 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]
- Going Out Gurus: "Anyone who brings an unwrapped child's toy or game can enjoy Richard's famous desserts along with coffee, tea and eggnog." ... Michel Richard Citronelle on Saturday, December 10, 2005, from 1 to 3 pm ... 3000 M Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-625-2150
- A.R. Brook Lynn: "until 8 p.m., sushi is two-for-one, as are large bottles of hot sake ($15)" at Yummy Sushi Village ... "Yummy has created some creative maki fusion. My pick is the Mexican roll ($8), with a spicy-tuna-roll base topped by avocado, jalapeños and a zippy red-and-green tobiko garnish." ... "Sushi pizza is good. I mean, really good." ... 95 MacDougal Street, between Bleecker and West 3rd Streets, 212-673-8811 [MenuPages | sushi NYC | Citysearch]
- Leo Carey reviews A.O.C. Bedford ... "rich pumpkin soup contains thick strands of sautéed onion, and the outstanding gnocchi come in a sauce of Cabrales cheese, browned on top. A signature dish is suckling pig, a loin with succulent, crispy skin." ... 14 Bedford Street, between Downing and Houston Streets, 212-414-4764 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]
- Veal Cheeks, who is rapidly becoming one of our favorite NYC restaurant reviewers, "will eagerly return to" The Tasting Room ... "not quite a tapas bar, but emphasizes small dishes" ... "best of our starters was Effingham Washington Oysters: hyper-fresh bivalves with a touch of winesap apples and its juice with Grenada Seasoning Peppers" ... (I love that "hyper-fresh bivalves") ... "The finest continuation course was surely Line Caught Haddock with Red Pepper, Almonds, and Leeks. This creation far outshone any cooked fish at Le Bernardin, and demonstrated the value of the close attention of an artisan." ... 72 East 1st Street, at First Avenue just north of Houston Street, 212-358-7831 [MenuPages | NYT | Gayot | Citysearch] ... and likes the Bánh Mi at Ba Xuyen ... 4222 8th Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-633-6601 [Village Voice | NY Daily News] ... when visiting Washington, DC, get good Bánh Mi and bubble drinks at Song Que ... and liked the appetizers "Duck Noodle with Dark Soup, a hefty, spicy duck noodle soup with a deep rich flavor, and a One-Bite Salad (I believe it was named Miang Cone) with roasted coconut, peanuts, ginger, lime, red onion, chili, dried shrimp in a lettuce leaf with a dab of syrup" at Pam Real Thai Food ... "best entree was Pla Chili Sauce Khun Pam's [Chef Pam's] Style: a crispy whitefish topped with a hot - and rich - chili sauce. This was a main course worthy of a banquet." ... 404 West 49th Street ,at 9th Avenue, 212-333-7500 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Citysearch]
- Peter Meehan hates "yawn-inducing preordained menus like the one at 24 Prince" ... "But wait" ... he liked the meatloaf in puff pastry, which was "something much closer to saucisson en croûte: a diminutive individual portion of meatloaf simply but decisively spiced, wrapped in puff pastry, sliced and artfully splayed on a white plate, and flanked by mashed potatoes and greens." ..."comfort food in a comfortable setting with just a touch of downtown swagger that, despite yourself, brings you back for more." ... (previous review: gothamist (TWIR, November 18, 2005)) ... 24 Prince Street, between Mott and Elizabeth Streets, 212-226-8624 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]
- Frank Bruni gave 1 star to Jovia ... "None of a half-dozen pasta, risotto and gnocchi dishes to which it devotes the middle section of its dinner menu was an unqualified success during my visits, and several of them were qualified failures." ... "The menu read better than it ate. The dishes looked better than they tasted." ... (previous reviews: Forbes (TWIR, December 2, 2005), Moira Hodgson (TWIR, November 25, 2005), Steve Cuozzo (TWIR, November 18, 2005)) ... 135 East 62nd Street, at Lexington Avenue, 212-752-6000 [MenuPages | Citysearch] ... so an NYT 1 star equals a Forbes RED STOP ... he also looks at the coming of Del Posto: "EXPECT $240 rack of veal, $220 shoulder of pork and a $200 whole king salmon for four to eight people, to be carved within view of the table, in a flourish of high ceremony from the Old World." ... sounds like an expensive BUCA, except they better be playing Beniamino Gigli at those prices ... and reports that Bistro du Vent "has been pointed in a culinary direction so different from its original one that it's arguably a new restaurant" ... "prices are still reasonable, at least in the context of Manhattan. The portions have shrunk slightly. The heartiness has given way to meticulous flavor combinations and compositions. The sensibility has become more refined." ... 411 West 42nd Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues, 212-239-3060 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]
- eat drink one woman has lunch regularly at RIB and asks, "Why do people accept and encourage mediocrity when quality and superior atmosphere can be found just two blocks west?" ... is "crazy about the 12 hour brisket sandwich, a good three inch pile of the most buttery cross-grain slices of beef, with caramelized onions and a smidge of horseradish mayo on a lightly toasted brioche-like bun" ... "You'll be fighting with your tablemates over the most genius item on the menu -- an enormous bowl of super-crisp, hot barbecue fries, tossed in that salty-sweet brown seasoning that usually coats BarBQ flavored chips, served with a little cup of garlicky buttermilk dressing" ... 357 West Street, between Clarkson and Leroy Streets, 212-336-9330 [MenuPages | NYT | Citysearch]
- mona's apple says she "bit into a forkful [of Wild Mushroom Napoleon] and my mushroom heart was whole again" at Kitchen 22 ... the "Margarita Salmon Gravlax ... was like a chilled salmon sorbet" ... the roasted chicken "was one of the best chicken dishes I have ever eaten in a restaurant." ... 36 East 22nd Street, between Broadway and Park Avenue, 212-228-4399 [MenuPages | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] ... and was not impressed by Les Halles Brasserie ... "But the atmosphere is wheeling and dealing to overcompensate for the lack of taste/care put into the food." ... 411 Park Ave South, between 28th and 29th Streets, 212-679-4111 [MenuPages | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]
- lenndevours has a tip to avoid ruined bottles of wine ...
- Amateur Gourmet had "5 Dumplings for $1 at Fried Dumpling" ... 99 Allen Street, between Delancey and Broome Streets, 212-941-9975 [NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] ... likes the club sandwich at The Grey Dog's Coffee ... 33 Carmine Street, between Bedford and Bleecker Streets, 212-462-0041 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Citysearch]
- Andrea Strong: D'or Ahn "is a little gem." ... liked these appetizers: veal feet, bibimbob, Kimchi pizza ... "Main courses were just smashing—gorgeous to look at and immensely satisfying to devour." ... the black cod "is fabulous—and it gives the sweetness of the cod the right balance of spice and heat. But the Rib Eye took the food-gasm for the evening." ... (previous reviews: Frank Bruni (TWIR, November 11, 2005), Adam Platt (TWIR, November 4, 2005), Moira Hodgson (TWIR, October 21, 2005)) ... 207 10th Avenue, at West 22nd Street, 212-627-7777 [Chowhound | Citysearch]
- NYC Nosh reviews a private dinner club, 4 Course Vegan ... "First, you’ll need to contact the chef by e-mail or telephone and reserve as many spaces as you need. A critical mass of at least ten diners (not all from your party, of course) is necessary for a dinner to go ahead, so be forewarned that a meal might be cancelled if not enough other people make bookings. But with recent interest in supper clubs, I’d worry more about finding an opening. The charge is $40 per person, cash only, with no corkage fee if you bring your own wine (which you should)." ... web site, 718-599-5913
- Twenty bucks a day: "the onions were delicious, the meat was decent" at RUB - Righteous Urban BBQ ... 208 West 23rd Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues, 212-524-4300 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch] ... and the "chicken leg sided with rice and queso-dusted beans" in pipian sauce was excellent ... and "tamales oaxaqueños ... [was] among the best versions of these snacks I’d ever tasted." ... at San Francisco De Asis ... 1779 Lexington Avenue, between 110th and 11th Streets, 212-427-4440 [Village Voice] ... and likes the burgers at McHales ... "burger is CD-sized and an inch thick, and, unlike most bar burger places, McHale’s overcooks the burger a grade or less"... "It’s a fantastic and delicious hunk of ground beef, falling somewhere in between the melt-in-your-mouth Corner Bistro burger and the more charred Shake Shack burger." ... 750 Eighth Avenue, at 46th Street, 212-997-8885 [NYT | openlist | Gayot | 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.Technorati Tags: New York, NYC, Manhattan, restaurants, restaurant reviews
Christmas light show
PunditGuy links to
the most amazing, creative and well executed Christmas lighting display I’ve ever seen. Prepare to be amazed.
Video here ....
Here's a link to another video on the same house set to Jingle Bells, by Barbara Streisand ...
Update: According to Snopes, this was the 2004 Christmas light display of "Carson Williams, a Mason, Ohio, electrical engineer who spent about three hours sequencing the 88 Light-O-Rama channels that controlled the 16,000 Christmas lights in his annual holiday lighting spectacular."
"Man decks house with synchronized lights," boston.com, December 6, 2005
"25,000 lights dance to music: Display timed to a broadcast soundtrack," by Jessica Brown, The Cincinnati Enquirer, December 5, 2005
Mr. Williams shut down the display on December 6, 2005, due to traffic congrestion in his neighborhood
Central Park in snow ...
Snow in Sheep Meadow, Central Park, December 6, 2005
Snow in Central Park, December 6, 2005
Elm trees in snow, Central Park, December 6, 2005
Technorati Tags: New York, NYC, New York City, Manhattan, central park
Harold Pinter's "Celebration"
Even social-climbing New Yorkers, the most shameless name-droppers on the planet, might feel compelled to cut back on celebrity-citing after meeting the wistful waiter now serving boldface dish at the Atlantic Theater Company. An employee of a sweller-than-thou London restaurant, this logorrheic fellow, deliciously played by David Pittu, shows up in the enjoyably boisterous production of Harold Pinter's "Celebration" that opened last night.
"Lifting the Art of Name-Dropping to a Cosmic Level," by Ben Brantley, The New York Times, December 6, 2005
"A pair of Pinter plays," by Jacques Le Sourd, The Journal News, December 6, 2005
Atlantic Theater Company, 336 West 20th Street, 212-645-8015
I saw this play and so very enjoyable ... great acting! ... Thanks to Ms Y-McGuinn!
Post by Peter
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Technorati Tags: New York, NYC, Manhattan
Big Apple Blog Festival - December 5, 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 Harleys, Cars, Girls & Guitars.
Some excerpts:
- Living the Scientific Life discovers that beekeeping is popular in New York City. Right in Hell's Kitchen, honey is being produced!
- Over in Jersey, Mr. Snitch! says: "Human-to-human avian flu variant reported."
- nyc stories covers the movie version of the play, "Rent." A word of advice: Stick with the play. The blogger behind nyc stories, and the blogger behind Harleys, Cars, Girls & Guitars just completed a week of corporate video shooting. Results to be released at a trade show in Las Vegas in January.
- To continue the movie theme, Michael Blowhard discusses his conflicting feelings about “The Passenger” by Michelangelo Antonioni. Can somebody explain to me why 2Blowhards features five blowhards?
See this week's BABF for much more.
Next week's BABF will be hosted by NYC Stories.
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.
Technorati Tags: New York, NYC, Big Apple Blog Festival, Big Apple
Posted December 5, 2005 10:49 AM · Permalink
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Davidburke & Donatella ... fancy dessert ...
Roger contemplating his $20 dessert from Davidburke and Donnatella ... lunch for the end of the season ...
Roger says, "It was a rip-off - I thought it was part of the 22.12 menu." Uh, OK Roger ... Roger did not read the fine print on the menu at Davidburke & Donnatella and we have to cover his $10 desert supplement ...
however, our other lunch partner, Hans, who is much more experienced, enjoyed the plain desert of apple pie with ice cream ... and he is smiling all the way to the bank ... p/s: we all met at NYU in 1968!!!
Davidburke & Donatella (web site), 133 East 61st Street, bewteen Park and Lexington, 212-813-2121 [MenuPages | Openlist | NYT | Gayot | Citysearch]
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Technorati Tags: New York, NYC, Manhattan, restaurants, restaurant reviews
Travel blogs roundup - December 4, 2005
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
Luca has found a wonderful Peaceful Kingdom to cat-nap, on the grey marble tiles beneath the bathroom cabinet ... but Luca can sleep anywhere ...
Life in the City is good ... running water ... lots of great places to sleep ...
This Week in Reviews - December 2, 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 ...
- Ever wonder "Why do most cooked, exotic meats taste like cooked Gallus gallus, the domestic chicken?" Joe Staton concludes "that cooked flavor is a result more of ancestral inheritance than of convergent evolution. Many animals taste similar because they evolved from a common ancestor that tasted that way. The meat of our argument is that 'chicken-like' flavor is ancestral (that is, plesiomorphic) for birds and many other vertebrates, as well. Indeed, the emphasis on chicken in the statement "tastes like chicken" is misleading. The common ancestor of most tetrapods would have tasted similarly, if we had only been there to cook and eat it." via Slashfood...
- Waiter Rant describes how he will seduce you into ordering dessert ... no seduction needed if there's anything chocolate ...
- Culinary Historians of New York is sponsoring "Dining With The Gods: A Lecture, Viewing and Tasting of the Culinary Culture of Ancient Greece," by Andrew Dalby ... December 5, 2005, 6:00 - 8:00 pm, Sotheby's Institute of Art, 1334 York Avenue, between 71st and 72nd Streets ...
- eat drink one woman won't be going back to DoSirak ... "impotent, pandering Korean food in desperate need of some culinary Viagra." ... 30 East 13th Street, between Fifth Avenue and University Place, 212-366-9299 [MenuPages | openlist | Citysearch]
- Peter Meehan: Waterfront International Enterprises "is one of the more intriguing Chinese restaurants in the city. It's not a place to savor the simple pleasures of roast pork buns; it's a place to revel in the breadth and ingenuity of the Chinese repertory." ... "dried tofu with fresh hot peppers ... was profound in its simplicity, like pasta with butter and Parmesan, and just as hard to stop eating." ... "Other dishes we were unanimously bowled over by included crispy lamb with chili pepper ... crispy fried pork in orange sauce ... and country-style green bean sheet jelly" ... 40-09 Prince Street, at Roosevelt Avenue, Queens, 718-321-1363
- Forbes gives green GOs to August: "difficult to choose the best among the monkfish, the pork belly and the beef." ... 359 Bleecker Street, between West 10th and Charles Streets, 212-929-4774 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Citysearch]... and Ben and Jack's Steakhouse: "some of the most delicious steaks and seafood in town." ... (previous review: Marian Burros (TWIR, October 14, 2005)) ... 219 East 44th Street, 212-682-5678 [MenuPages | Citysearch] ... and a red STOP to Jovia: "food is uniformly bad, haphazardly served and tepid more often than not." ... (previous reviews: Moira Hodgson (TWIR, November 25, 2005), Steve Cuozzo (TWIR, November 18, 2005)) ... 135 East 62nd Street, at Lexington Avenue, 212-752-6000 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
- Pascale Le Draoulec gave 1 and a half stars to Pair of 8's ... "Despite its charming Old World bar, the stodgy Cafe des Artistes has become the dining equivalent of a doily. Is it any wonder that some of the staff decided to branch out and open their own place?" ... but like many new places is having some hiccups as it gets up and running ... "The gooey chocolate bread pudding with its side pour of peanut butter sauce is almost good enough to make you forget these inconsistencies." ... 568 Amsterdam Avenue, between 87th and 88th Streets, 212-874-2742 [Citysearch]
- Frank Bruni likes The Harrison ... "Slices of duck breast were plenty flavorful"... "biscuits and gravy. That name was at once apt and misleading. The gravy on the scallion biscuits was made with clams [and] chorizo" ... 355 Greenwich Street, at Harrison Street, 212-274-9310 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Citysearch]
- Veal Cheeks says Le Bernardin does "not to meet its own standards often enough." ... "barely cooked scallop in a tomato, garlic and clam foam was Neptune's gift" ... "It is my sad duty to report that Le Bernardin's bread should be given a decent burial at sea." ... "the quartet of raw fluke salads were a dream." ... "Poached Lobster in a Lemon Miso Broth, Shiso and Hon Shimemi Mushrooms ... Wow. I cannot decide at this late hour whether the broth was rapture or whether it was the lobster." ... "Lovely dishes are to be had at Le Bernardin, but the inconsistency, particularly on the "lightly cooked" list suggest that the kitchen may be distracted." ... 155 West 51st Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues, 212-554-1515 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] ... but "the meal surpassed my expectations" at The River Cafe ... the "Millbrook Venison Loin ... was a tribute to November, perhaps the most autumnal dish of any I have had in Gotham" ... 1 Water Street, below the Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn, 718-522-5200 [NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]
- Irene Sax: Blossom serves "food that is 'Organic-Dairy Free-Vegan-Vegetarian' and 'First and Foremost Animal Caring.'" ... liked "spicy vegetarian chili made with black beans, corn and vegetables" ... "if you're a vegetarian - or even better, a vegan - one meal at Blossom will make you want to eat there every night." ... 187 Ninth Avenue, at 21st Street, 212-627-1144 [Blog Chelsea | NYMetro]
- A Year In Food celebrated returning to NYC by eating at DiFaras ... "the squares, like all the pizza at DiFara, taste infinitely better when they're steaming hot. That wasn't a problem as, right away, we tore into the delicious dishes. The pizza was still as quintessential New York as we had built it up, the square still as complex and simple as the best out there." ... (previous reviews: Clareified (TWIR, August 26, 2005)) ... 1424 Avenue J, Brooklyn, 718-258-1367 [slice]
- Peter Gianotti: Blackstone Steakhouse is a "new restaurant [that] immediately dominates upscale eating-and-drinking adventures along Route 110, for decades Long Island's Death Valley of dining out" ... "really gets going with wood-roasted lamb, shredded and paired with soy-shot oyster mushrooms, set on a sweet corn polenta cake. The "firecracker" crab cake also excels" ... 10 Pinelawn Road, Melville, NY, 631-271-7780
- Joshua Bernstein writes that "two-dollar beer mugs hang on" at the Driftwood Inn ... "beer's sold at 1979 prices: $1.50 for a frosty Coors mug." ... "an archetypal old-man hangout: a well-polished bar longer than a giraffe's neck, with stools for 15 and a mirror to watch yourself drink." ... 114 Nassau Avenue ... not a place to go for the food ...
- WhiteTrashBBQ doesn't like the food at Brother Jimmy's BBQ ... "It's been over a year since my last visit so I thought I'd give it another try. Boy was that a mistake." ... "These were some of the worst BBQ ribs I've ever had in NYC. All were overcooked. All were dried out. None were spicy. Don't waste your time with these. The fries were good, but the baked beans sucked." ... 428 Amsterdam Avenue, between 80th and 81st Streets,212-501-7515
[MenuPages | Citysearch]- Hal Rubenstein: "Every single one of Lo Scalco’s pastas is superb, some of the finest you can find in New York." ... "the desserts [are] nearly as delectable as the pastas" ... Lo Scalco ... 313 Church Street, between Canal and Walker Streets, 212-343-2900 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Citysearch]
- Moira Hodgson gave 2 stars to HQ ... where the "food is up-to-the-minute—without being over-the-top. It’s sophisticated, but as accessible as bistro cooking should be." ... "Nantucket Bay scallops ceviche ... quite delicious." ... "organic Irish salmon ... was perfectly cooked" ... the "hangar steak ... is so good that Simone de Beauvoir might even have been tempted to remove her Gauloise while she ate it." ... 90 Thompson, between Prince and Spring Streets, 212-966-2755 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
- Nick Paumgarten: the entrées at Melbas are "built for comfort and not for speed. As for the chicken and waffles, the highlight, besides the mere act of asking for them, is peeling off the fried batter with your fingers and sopping it in syrup. The only drawback is that this can’t be done at five in the morning: the kitchen at Melba’s closes around eleven." ... (previous review: Gael Greene (TWIR November 4, 2005) ... 300 West 114th Street, at Frederick Douglass Boulevard, 212-864-7777 [Citysearch]
- Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld report that there's a new category on menus: "snacks" ...
- Gael Greene: "If you hunger for constancy and dignity, it’s time for" Café Boulud ... "roasted duck breast—meaty as steak, sliced in luscious rare chunks, on a bed of bitter greens" ... 20 East 76th Street, between 5th and Madison Avenues, 212-772-2600 [NYT | MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]
- David Rosen likes the chicken and sides at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que ... "the best meat sampled is an apple-brined half chicken perfectly smoked from skin to bone." ... "Homemade side dishes are universally good ... Definitely opt for the signature Syracuse-style salt potatoes." (previous reviews: gothamist (TWIR, November 11, 2005)) ... 646 West 131st Street, 212-694-1777 [NYT | Gayot | Citysearch]
- Big Apple Dining Guide had breakfast at Friend of a Farmer ... "Southwestern Omelette which was a crispy tortilla filled with scrambled eggs, guacamole, salsa, sour cream and cheese. I also ordered a side of bacon. The tortilla clearly took a quick bath in a fryer; the eggs were cooked appropriately long, allowing it to hold up against the naturally watery salsa, sour cream and guacamole, but the bacon, though salty and crispy, was also clearly deep fried, giving it an oily texture and taste. Bummer." ... 77 Irving Place, 212-477-2188 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]
- Frank Bruni: "The food is amply portioned, fairly priced and completely sophisticated but not remotely fussy." at Cookshop ... (previous reviews: Hal Rubenstein (TWIR, November 18, 2005), Andrea Strong (TWIR, November 11, 2005), NYC Nosh (TWIR, October 14, 2005)) ... 156 10th Avenue, at 20th Street, 212-924-4440 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
- The Bruni Digest has penned an ode to Frank Bruni's review of Cookshop ... here's a taste: "I used to have John Paul and Berlusconi, Not to mention Dubs and all his crew, On my Buddy List under the title 'Homies', And now I spend my time with saumon cru." ...
- NYC Nosh "didn’t achieve a critical mass of high-quality dishes at our dinner" at Frank ... "My arucola and parmesan salad was grittier than a corn mill and was impossible to eat because of it." ... "There is much better mid-priced Italian in the city, and for the cost of a subway ride to the Upper West Side, you could travel from Frank to Gennaro or Celeste and witness Italian bistro cooking at the top of its game." ... ouch! ... 88 Second Avenue, 212-420-0202 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
- Slashfood has sinned by eating the cheesecake at Carnegie Deli, which "is truly New York style." ... 854 Seventh Avenue, at 55th Street, 212-757-2245 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]
- Andrea Strong writes that the Salsiccia sausages at Beppe "caused sighs of joy" ... but the Tuscan Fries "are not to be believed. How have I lived all these years without them?" ... 45 East 22nd Street, between Broadway and Park Avenue, 212-982-8422 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]
- Twenty bucks a day asks, "is the sandwich the perfect food?" ... yes, at Eisenberg’s ... "The grill also makes a pretty damn good version of a tuna melt ($5.75) possible, but the real star there is the tuna salad itself. I’m not sure anyone in my family ever made tuna salad this good" ... "the sandwiches are dynamite, and highly recommended." ... 174 5th Avenue, between 22nd and 23rd Streets, 212-675-5096 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] ... says the pizza at Little Toninos "is probably the best I’ve ever had" ... 424 Greenwood Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-438-7088 [Citysearch] ... and likes Spicy & Tasty: "the shredded pork ... is, without question, the most heavily spiced dish I’ve ever eaten, as well as the most flavorful." ... 39-07 Prince Street, Queens, between 39th and Roosevelt Avenues, 718-359-1601 [NYT | openlist | Village Voice]
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