Happy belated Valentine’s day yall! I was up to the usual ridicularity. I had hibachi with KJ, Charles and Papaya, drank some beer and fell asleep with visions of sugar plums dancing in my head (or maybe I was drunk!..just kidding). In a fit of unmitigated domesticity I baked mini-cupcakes for friends and colleagues! I actually mailed out a valentine’s package to my nephew! (A cookbook for kids, a card and some candy). There must be a full solar eclipse coming.
Despite work being insane. I headed back to NY last weekend. I met up with LN at Arena Studios for a Molly Crabapple gallery show. We lasted about 10 minutes. The draw was art and “free champagne”, we couldn’t think of a better way to kick off a friday night! But the studio was hella-packed, hella-hot and hard to move around. Plus, it just wasn’t either of our “cup of tea”, the people watching was FANTASTIC though. There was a burlesque model in the back and people could sketch if they so desired. I opted out of that and headed back to the champagne! We ditched the show and headed to get some italian food after walking 40-eleven hundred blocks. The food was okay, but the drinks were the winners (Clementinis!). We killed time jibber-jabbering about race issues, socio-economic issues, travel and women’s reproductive rights…it was fabulously nerdtastic, then we rushed uptown to catch Paul Mooney’s late set at Caroline’s. This was my third time seeing him and I will never get tired of his humor and insights.
Saturday I caught up with SJ in lower east village (?) for lunch, but we ditched that since we’d both eaten already and hit the Italian Wine Merchants saturday Wine Seminar. SJ is into Italian wines and this class focused on Tuscans and Super-Tuscans for you vinoheads. It was one of the best wine classes I’ve attended (and cheap!). A Beautiful venue, proscuitto, an array of cheeses, breads and 7 wines. And they were cracking lobster tails when I realized I should switch to water. We chatted up the whole place and I got invited to dinner by a random family of four, while SJ got hit on by a cutie-pie who was about 4 inches shorter than she is! We headed next door after the class for…more wine of course!
I had to decline the dinner invite to head to Thomas Pink to pick up a gift for KC’s birthday party later that night, then showered and changed and met Josh and Dennis at Vlada for drinks, then we walked over to Ariba Ariba! for the.best.mexican food I’ve had outside of Mexico. Actually, this was the best restaurant/non home-cooked meal I’ve had in weeks. And this was the worst (also in NYC). We cruised in Dennis’ pearl white Mercedes CLK to KC’s uber-bachelor pad in Chelsea and I realized I’m out.of.my.league. These kids have moolah! All in all a good night of dancing (techno, really? really?) and spoon bread (no that is not a euphamism). Fortunately there was no pork fried rice at 5am this time. But I can’t make any promises about next time!
Let me know what your favorite NYC spots are! Or where is your favorite restaurant/eatery in the whole.wide.world?
I have two favorite NYC spots. One is called Decibel in the east village – it’s a grungy basement sake bar with graffiti all over the walls and SO much atmosphere! Second is kind of embarrassing, it’s a vending machine place that my friend and I go to after we’ve been drinking to get deep fried mac and cheese. It’s called BAMN! on st mark’s place. I love that it’s rediculously bright pink and has deep fried vending machine mac and cheese, grilled cheese, pork buns.
omg. sara, that sounds…terrible! maybe it is so bad that it’s good? lol
For a progressive bookstore/restaurant/community center (swoon!) in Washington DC, check out Busboys & Poets, http://www.busboysandpoets.com/
For a ridiculously decadent time, The Chocolate Room in Brooklyn, http://www.thechocolateroombrooklyn.com/1home/cafe.php
For a great atmosphere & great food, Pequena Restaurant also in Brooklyn, http://www.pequenarestaurant.com
norah j: all of that sounds wondermous! that Pequena might have to be on my list of places to visit on my next stop through NY. I’ll be visiting a friend in Queens, is it worth the trek to brooklyn?
Where’s my cupcake??!!
Worth the trek, if only for the mojitos! Also, in the same neighborhood is this cute little bakery that makes pumpkin oat muffins so delicious they will make you collapse on the floor. If I can remember the name, I’ll pass it on!
liz: your cupcakes are in the mail. that canadian mail service is a little slow. they may have been overcome by the yummy goodness and eaten them…
norah j: I need some pumpkin oat muffins in my life! i may have to “google” this place!