I’m back.

(I miss summer)

I’m back.

I know many of you are just so fully consumed with ecstasy right now that it’s not even funny.

Anyway, you may be wondering where I went and wtf. Well,  I took a break from blogging when things started to really pick up at my new job last May because I felt like my posts were getting more and more spent and so I just sort of put it on hold indefinitely, I guess?  Also, coincidentally, as my job responsiblities started to pile on a bit, summer and its infinite ability to inspire all abandonment of any gratuitous work (trust me, blogging is sort of work) was just around the corner and I just didn’t have the zeal to do it anymore. 

I promised myself and many others that I would start back up in the fall.  Well, as of two days ago, fall has cometh.  So here I am.

In addition, my sister is getting married to a Brit in November and she has listed my blog on her wedding website as a resource for all of the guests from overseas when it comes to making dinner reservations and plans when they visit during the week leading up to the actual wedding.  I wouldn’t want to disappoint them and since invitations are now en route to England, it’s officially time to get crackin on the blog.

And in addition to that, with the end of summer I’m suffering from seasonal depression (I use that phrase casually) and I think blogging will keep me happily busy until fall picks up and I forget that summer even existed.  This sort of “hybrid season” that we all find ourselves in is my least favorite time of year.  Ok, maybe it’s my second least favorite- I really can’t stand late winter-early spring (a.k.a February/March) when the days just start to get a bit longer but you’re still suffering from winter blues and the extra dose of serotonin from extended daylight makes you feel like junkie who has just stepped outside for the first time in days. Killself, February. 

 But the 3-4 weeks that follow Labor Day Weekend are uniquely depressing as well. Everyone is coming down off of the high of summer, yet the fun of  fall doesn’t feel real yet; the leaves are still green and temperatures are in the 70s.  You can sort of already  sense the impending doom over Labor Day Weekend as people wistfully chug Dark n Stormies and slam back Coronas one last time at their classic summer haunts knowing that Tuesday at the office is going to be hell on earth.  Within slightly longer than a blink of an eye, gchat statuses go from “10 hours till my 4 day weekend at the shore,” and “Summer Friday!” and “Bored!” to “here till 9pm…again,” “death by documents,” “FML until Friday at 7pm,” and “crazy busy.”  And all of those latter statuses were legitimately stolen right from my gchat list in the last 24 hours.

Restaurants haven’t switched over to their fall menus yet, but their summer menus are definitely tired.  You’ve pretty much spent your last couple of pay checks on the additional “hidden fees” that accompany shopping for fall clothes, which could/should/BETTER include leather, wool, cashmere and tweed…but in the name of all that is chic, it’s not really cold enough to wear any of that glorious stuff yet so they just sit in your closet and wait for tempurates to fall.  (On that note, I just sprung for an outrageous pair of Stuart Weitzman leopard pumps and I’m trying to decide at how many degrees Fahrenheit does it become fully acceptable to wear leopard, horsehair pumps? I’m thinking low 60s…thoughts?)

And finally, just the basic installment of carefree youthfulness that accompanies summer is painstakingly relegated along with the 8 pairs of flip flops you’ve somehow accumulated and the 2-3 cotton dresses that you literallllly lived in all summer but no one even noticed because it’s summer and that the only thing that matters is that you’re sunkissed and freckled and the only accessory you’d even need is sand between your toes and a buzz and a belly full of grilled corn and fresh seafood from the Crabshack on the Barnegat Bay and let’s not forget about a beach cruiser with a wicker basket on the front to hold your solo cup as you ride to the local beach bar and summer’s unofficial end (Labor Day) and the weeks that follow are just so hard to cope with at first and is there anything more fun and cool and untroubled and happy-go-lucky than flipflops? I think not. 

 

 Wait, what was even saying?  Oh yeah, I am going to start blogging again.

 

P.S. I did find one great thing about this time of year.  At the Union Square Farmers Market you can find “Strawberry-Apple Cider” and it’s soooo delish and natural tasting and it truly embodies what these past couple of weeks are all about: The departing of summer and the coming of fall.

 

Bored at Work: Ask your friends “What would you eat RIGHT now if you had your pick”

My friend RT$ gchatted me today, asking me the question above.  What a fun little game?  Since I had just had an embarassingly non-vegan, large lunch (half a scooped out plain bagel with tuna salad, baby spinch, toamato and onion) I wasn’t really hungry.  I didn’t know what to say.  But then I really thought about it.  If I could have ANYTHING, right NOW, it would be a peice of Red Velvet Cake loaded with icing.  I have this really awful onion/tun aftertatse and I think a slice of red velet would do away with it quite nicely.  I’m not sure from where, but probably some little bakery in Savannah, GA that Ruby could suggest.

I decided to ask a few of my friends and see what they said as well.

RT$: “A realllly bomb ass burrito with an almost crispy/flakey tortilla.”  Loaded up with cheese, naturally.  An unfunny amount of cheese!!

Rio: I ask Rio, who’s my loud, vulgar friend from DC.  She says, ”Well I just ate lunch…”  I tell her this is fine, she can say ‘nothing’ if she wants.  She says, “so I’m going with this raspberry and rose dessert from Shit what is it called?  The place in Paris known for their macaroons. I know that’s a little SBW [ sidenote: SBW is our friend who I will appoint a better nickname for in the near future, but the woman is OBSESSED with Paris.  I think it is primarily because people from Chicago are not allowed to overtly like New York, so they go for Paris. Maybe I will just call her Girl Who is Obsessed with Paris?]. 

Rio continues, “ but its got layers of puff pastry, raspberries, and rose flavored whipped cream.  It’s light and refreshing and perfect for a lovely spring day after lunch.  Laduree! They sell it Laduree.”  Then Rio asks, “was your answer truffle fries and mayo?”  I am slightly embarrassed.

Sexi Lexi:  SL is a woman I’ve known since I was 8ish (?) and here is what she would like to eat right now: Creamed Spinach from the Palm “because it’s the most delicious thing…along with my Dad’s crabmeat au gratin.”  Sexi Lexi is not sure if she would like to conclude her meal with either a fortune cookie from Tao for dessert, mint chocolate-chip ice cream from Hoffman’s on the Jersey Shore, or tiramisu from Joe Leone’s Italian market (also on Jersey Shore).  Sexi Lexi is so sexy, that she once hooked up with the hottest guy on the Yale lacrosse team and when he left his tie in her bed the next day, she sent it to his office with a note that said “Do you want to tie me up in your ties, tie?”  This is a very famous line from Caddyshack ( The Yalie’s favorite movie).  So sexy right?

The Boy:  The Boy says “za.”  Za is short for Pizza, which we stole from Michael Scott.  The Boy always says za, because The Boy lives in Atlanta where nary a good slice of za is to be found.  He wants it to be extra crispy and from Famous Joes on Carmine and 7^th Ave.

 

ReadmeatDC:  This is my friend who writes a DC food blog.  He knows his food.  He recently got drunk and booked a flight to Argentina because he had a hankering for steak.  Yeah, so unsurprisingly he responds, “steak frites using hanger steak or maybe a pasta with oxtail or short ribs…steak frites is my ultimate comfort food. Hanger’s my single favorite cut of meat, its so juicy, rich, strong in flavor and depth. it’s so satisfying. And I’m a complete sucker for great fries, so I’d have that right now (or any time) haha.”

 

 

Please tell me what your answer is in the comments section! And ask all of your friends…it’s a fun gchat game!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Hall-$$$: Welcome to Hallywood!

Tis not the season to really be “test-driving” expensive restaurants, so I realize for me to be recommending places I’ve only been to once, in a city I barely know, is hardly convincing.  However, if you’ll indulge me, I do feel totally confidant recommending The Hall in the Palihouse Hollywood Hotel for your next Nice Meal Out if you happen to be in LA.

 I was well aware this would be an amazing meal before I got there because I went with a bunch of foodies who had already been and had nothing but great things to say.  In fact, two of the friends I went with actually have “foodiness” in their blood; one guest’s mom is a famous LA chef and another’s brother is famous LA chef as well.  I will admit, however, that my confidence was slightly shaken when we entered Palihouse and I immediately did not feel cool enough to be there, a.k.a. it’s super trendy.  And not only are hotel restaurants very hit or miss to begin with—and usually the latter—“hip” hotels are just simply notorious for overpricing their menus.  The lobby was decorated in a way that reminded me of a basement that hadn’t been renovated since the 70s.  Old retro couches, framed Polaroid collages, hanging potted plants, a super low bar with wood paneling, random old bicycles…you catch my drift.  But either way, I trusted my friend (Cali girl) and thought this place would probably pull it off.

 Again at the table, more trendiness ensued: the napkins were actually retro dish towels, the walls were cement and there were random playing cards stuck on the ceiling.  But while this place was bleeding “LA hipster,” it was also unmistakably a serious (?) French Brasserie.   The white tiled floor adorned with big potted plants, the bustling wait staff delivering never ending wine and espresso, the oyster bar, the lighting, the boisterous crowd, the white marble tables with wooden chairs, etc.; it all was not so vaguely reminiscent of Pastis and Balthazar’s. This intriguingly perfect blend of LA and Paris restored my confidence that this would be an amazing meal, especially when this duplicity was represented on the outstanding menu as well.

 I started out with the most alluring salad I’ve ever had in my life. The Radicchio salad with watercress, aged pecorino, poached egg, and truffle vinaigrette was heavenly.  The constant wafts of truffle and pecorino cheese could hypnotize you.  And the perfectly poached egg just sat there, taunting me to poke it at just the right moment.  It was one of those rare dishes when the last bite is just as satisfying as the first.  The veggies were crisp and the dash of cracked pepper was spot on.

 For my second course I had The Braised Pork Shank Ravioli.  This dish which is actually an appetizer, but I’m glad I decided to order it as my main because it would have been obnoxiously filling if I started out with it.   The ravioli part was uniquely chewier than usual.  The pulled meat was just saturated with juicy/hickory/salty/sweet goodness.  And if you think that already sounds rich, the whole thing was placed atop a creamy alfredo-mustard sauce that was to die for, and topped off with crispy bacon.  A generous sip of wine in between each bite and the baked apple accompaniment was the dish’s saving grace; without them, it just wouldn’t have worked, but with them, it was scrumptious.  It sounds like a lot to handle, but the dish was curiously unencumbered by the chewiness and heaviness of its components somehow.  Every bite just left the palate with a really, really happy, great aftertaste.

 I was lucky enough to try several of the desserts, including the RASPBERRY MILLE FEUILLE (crème chantilly, raspberry ice cream, shortbread), THE CHOCOLATE MUFFIN (dulce de leche, caramelized bananas), and the GOOSEBERRY CRÈME BRÛLÉE (fresh gooseberries, honey comb).  All were very good and presented perfectly, but the table agreed that the Crème Brulee was the winner of the night.

Chocolate "Muffin"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Raspberry Mille Fruille

Besides one major slip up (the menu did not state the Tuna Crudo appetizer had nuts in it and when my friend with nut allergies sent it back for a new nutless one, the waiter came back with the exact same, nut-ridden dish), the service was good.  The ambiance wound up being exactly perfect for a mellow night out on the town; you know, one of those nights where you just want to do dinner, but you still want to feel like you “went out”.  And after the meal was over, we slipped back into the trendy lobby for a nightcap.  Cali Girl was drinking her beloved “Writers Block,” as were most of her friends.  A “Writers Block” is medley of Vodka and cucumber and (taste-wise) not much else.  I thought it tasted like a facemask, but the LA folk love them.  I guess you can’t be from the east coast and appreciate that kind of thing…The Scenarioizer and I stuck with champagne.  Eventually a pseudo-hipster got drunk enough to ride one of the antique bikes around the lobby.

 

Ahhh, California.

 

 

And 62 Dollars Later Came a Truffled Grilled Cheese….

 

Truffled Grilled Cheese with Parmesan fries from Employees Only to cap off Sunday Funday.

 

I <3 L.A.

Sorry I went M.I.A. again.  It’s been a full week and I apologize, but I actually have a good excuse this time…

                       

I took an impromptu trip to Los Angeles last Friday to visit my friend from California and it was really too much fun and I’ve been in withdrawal for the past couple of days.  I barley touched a computer, let alone my blog, so that’s where I’ve been.  My friend is a former roommate (junior and senior years of college) and I will now refer to her as Cali girl.  She is a walking personification of the very best attributes of San Francisco (where she grew up) and L.A. (where she moved to in high school, and resides now).  So in a nutshell: she is classy and laid back. And blonde. And a democrat.

 

My other friend from college, The Scenarioizer, also joined us.  The Scenarioizer lives in DC, teaches 9th grade English in the hood and is just a class act.  (Sidenote: I really, really like when bloggers give funny codenames for their real-life friends, FYI.  And it’s my new thing, FYI.)  She spends about 70% of her free time coming up with these wild scenarios that involve our friends, and they get so out of hand that sometimes they filtrate their way into our group’s “reality” and it’s hard to tell the difference between what is real and what is a figment of The Scenoriozer’s imagination if you’re an outsider.  While in LA, we spent a good thirty minutes discussing a scenario in which The Scenarioizer has just finished playing the bagpipes at my wedding (which she once drunkenly promised me she would) and blows any chance of shacking up with one of the groomsmen because they’ll think she’s really weird for playing the bagpipes (even though they find her incredibly attractive).  I’ve also dated and broken up with half of my graduating class according to her scenarios, when in fact I hardly dated in college.  There’s also another running scenario in which all of our friends go into business together and come out with a Fortune 500 company landing us all on the cover of Forbes giving the finger to all of the stuck up prepsters we hated at Georgetown.  This is the kind of shit I am talking about.

Cali Girl and The Scenarioizer

Anyway, Cali girl and The Scenarioizer are great travel companions because of their willingness to drop money on good food and booze whenever the moment strikes and I am always right there with them.  Cali girl is always there to help us justify our purchases by saying that we’ll never regret the amount of money we spent on food when we’re on our deathbeds (although, I can’t say I’d have no regrets if I were on my deathbed for adult-onset diabetes or lap-band surgical procedure gone awry).  And The Scenarioizer keeps the dinner conversation light because, well, nothing that is being talked about is real.  Anyway, I have a ton to blog about (we had GREAT meals) so please stay tuned.  And don’t mention to my Mom that I was in California this past week. kthanks.

 

Addendum: Week in Review

This week Bravo revealed that the Real Housewives of NJ is premiering in May and two of the wives are from the same town as me and my mom is really upset about it and it’s so funny to hear her talk about.  She calls them “tough wives.”  They look just like the wives from Orange County only brunette and a tadddd more fake-baked.  Everyone in my town is just so deliriously happy about the proliferation of the Jersey stereotype that will ensue from this show.  Can’t wait to share all of the town gossip with you!!!

Happy Friday:)

 

A Week in Review…

The Weather:

It snowed heavily, and it still snowing, in New York this morning.  I’m in complete denial about it.

 In Television:

 To be honest, it was a fairly boring week in terms of television for me.  Besides some SVU reruns, I could only find time to squeeze in three shows and none of them were at their best.

 How I Met Your Mother:  The funniest bit was definitely the “night dress” that Marshall wears to bed.  So spot on. Other than that?  Well you could totally tell that both Chick Who Plays Robin and Alison Hannigan are mucho pregnant and that kept distracting me so I really don’t have much more to offer you.  Sorry.  Oh, I like that they gave Ted a girlfriend who is as annoying and pretentious as he is, but I would like it better if they would just have one of the buildings he designed come crashing down on his head and we could just get a new character on the show.  They could meet said character at Ted’s funeral.

Gossip Girl: Typical formulaic Gossip Girl.  Serena’s breasts on a platter, false accusations, followed by evil plotting, by Blair (who got kicked out of Yale again), Constance’s number on Dean Barabie’s speed dial (so real), Little J doing something involving a (grrrr-not-so-scandalous) needle, Nelly Yuki makes a good point, Chuck’s still just like not showing up to school without consequence, Lilly is M.I.A. (St. Tropez I’m assuming), and Rufus is a whiny bitch.   Add in a school play and a high-end hooker, and there’s not much else to say about this episode.  In fact, the best part of the entire episode was the “Next Time, On Gossip Girl…”.  Um, when the preview of the following week’s episode is the most exciting part of a show (as it ALWAYS is with The Hills and The City) you know it’s a really bad episode. Yikes, GG.

   The only thing that didn’t follow the standard formula was when Blair’s acceptance to Yale is quashed for the millionth time and she actually just gives in!  She uncharacteristically proclaims she doesn’t deserve to go because she’s a (thank god) manipulative, evil bitch.  This basically foreshadows she may actually not pry her way back into University of Serena and try her luck at a poor man’s Ivy League, defying the common prediction of viewers everywhere that season three would just be all of them at college together a la Saved By The Bell style. 

The last scene was really the only gem in the episode.  Serena tries to console Blair and she quips, “Could you please go away.”  Perfection.  And Blair just looks perfect in this scene, which was much appreciated since the fashion was really sad in this episode as a result of the whole “senior play” plot.  But Blair, with her perfectly curled, brunette main kept out of her face with a massive black bow, deep red lipstick, a silk Victorian blouse with black lace, stirring a $22.00 martini…. I die.  She is exactly who the American Girl doll “Samantha” would grow up to be and I love it.

Next week’s looks pretty good.

 Real Housewives of New York:  Real Housewives was not too good this week either! Ughhhh.  Menopausal LuAnne is annoying as ever.  The constant plugging for her etiquette book is totally backfiring as she continues to make a total jackass of herself.  I mean sure, she knows what fork goes where and when to send a Thank-you versus when to send flowers, but seriously?  Enough with the holier than then thou crap and realize that 1. most of your actions that reflect your “good manners” are dated and come off as insincere, and 2. you have no friends.  And you’re married to an old man who is twice your age. (lol).

 

Ramona is growing on me this season, but not because she has matured in anyway, but because she is so ridiculously rude to all the same people I hate.   And FINALLY Avery, her amazing daughter, returns and leaves all of the housewives across America with a little pearl of wisdom: If something looks good on a teenager it doesn’t mean, like, it will look good on a 50 year old.  I just love her because she gives validation to a point I always bring up with people who bash the show, and that is even though the cast of The Real Housewives New York are totally shameless and tacky, they out-class the wives of Orange County and Atlanta by leaps and bounds and this is reflected in their own behavior and in their children’s behavior.  You won’t find Victoria, Ally or that goddess Avery getting their Dad’s friends drunk and trying to hook up with them.  Nor will you find them comparing the “tree people” in Berkley to zoo animals.  They make me proud to live in New York…which is oh so sad. 

Best quote of the entire episode.

 LuAnne: You know what Alex and Simon told me last night?  They are writing a book.  On child rearing.

Bethenny: Oh my god! What? They should be writing a book on crawling through an air conditioning vent to get into a good party.

 On the topic of Simon and Alex, I will be livid if we don’t get to see their house finished by the end of the season.  Livid.  Did you hear when Alex said she wants to have a lime green oven on last week’s episode?  Not that I have anything again lime green ovens or anything….

 In the News:

President Obama compares his bowling skills to that of a Special Olympian on Leno:

 The White House released a statement saying, “The president was poking fun at his own skills and did not mean to offend Special Olympians.”  But, like, he did. And I mean, he really, really did.

 On the Web:

 You can drop as much weight as you want in as little as three minutes! It’s true!

So apparently weight-loss experts and researchers have discovered one of the most successful tips for staying on track with a diet is for people to envision what they look like in the eyes of other people at their current weight, and than to envision what they would look like at their ideal weight.  The former is quite easy, but the latter, scientists find, is something dieters struggle with since many people have never been at an ideal weight.  WELL, picturing yourself as skinny as Kate Moss is as easy as logging onto the Internet now! A new website, www.weightview.com allows you to upload a picture of yourself and then request them to photo-shop so you appear to weigh X amount of pounds…and they really do a good job!  Their motto is Seeing is Believing.  Hil-arious.

 Omg, omg, omg…it’s sooooooooooooo much fun.  Even if you don’t want to lose or gain any weight, it’s super duper fun to play with.  Upload pictures of you and your friends and just have a blast!

 

Happy Friday!