Dinner at Omai

Really good, Vietnamese with a Japanese influence. Yummy...

Tabla

When I get to Madison Square Park I usually go to the Shake Shack.  But the other day I sprang for Tabla. It was a real treat.  This place always amazes me because somehow I forget how good it is between visits.  I LOVE Tabla.

Etaly Humor

This was the only picture I could take that showed anything of the interior of Eataly, but it does give you an idea of the "flavor" of the place.  Any other picture would just have been wall to wall people.

Eataly Opened in Manhattan this weekend

This was the line to get into Eataly on Saturday. I went in for a bit when there was NO line outside but the lines for food inside were HUGE already . I can't imagine what it was like in there with all these people. Is it worth the hype? I think so. There were a lot of brands of food I haven't seen elsewhere here, the food being served looked great and Mario rarely disappoints so I will bet it tasted as good as it looked. However, my next trip is going to be in the middle of the afternoon in the middle of the week. At least until the new wears off.

Sunday Brunch

Friends appeared from DC today and we met for brunch. The place was Bodrum Turkish Mediterranean on Amsterdam near 88th. The meal was yummy and the outside space was fun and not so busy that you felt as though you were sucking up bus exhaust. There was also a pizza that I didn't get to photograph alas, but it looked very pretty and by all reports was good.

It was also interesting conversation and I got a surprise, which I will document later. Something EXACTLY up my alley to use to play with in the jewelry that I am pushing in some new directions. HOORAY! and thanks so much!

I had company that made me think

Gill and Mark were here, and they always make my mind start whirling about things I should, could, would be doing. Add that to the subway being in one of its saddest states.. no C train above 145, shuttle bus (aka irregularly occurring cattle car) running above 168 and then next thing you have is lots of time to ponder.

SO first, I have to tell a bit about what we all did..
I spent time with some bus people, some of whom wore VERY cute hats..


















I did NOT eat either of the items on this sign, but I confess that I wanted to know how they would taste.























And I DID Imagine how it would be if I started doing some real artsy things again and decided that I have to swap around some of the things I am doing so that I have more time and more impetus to do things rather than reading blogs about other people doing things..
And I have started by deleting about 100 blogs off my Google list... everyone has to start somewhere, right?














Gill and Mark and I found a new subway station mural too, this is just a teaser about it.


















The last night, we went to Otto, and I remembered to take a picture of old faithful before I stripped out all the shells and ate it. YUM.


Now I am going to start hunting up a book to alter.. I hope Gill is doing the same??

Gill and Mark are here and I forgot my camera!

Since there are no pictures of the fun last night from me.. for that you have to go to Gill's blogs. I have a way too long list of places we might go, and will have to edit it severely but last week I ate with this guy.. You will have to excuse the fuzz, we were being "discrete New Yorkers" and I was facing the wrong way to be the photographer.

It was Mario Batali eating at his restaurant Otto. His website seems to be having problems, and my computer is warning me away, so I won't link, but if you have the food network, you know him. I don't really know what HE was having but we were having the Vongole pizza which has clams in the shell on the top and is to die for.
Here we had already removed the shells... I am just not good at remembering to take a picture first.

For dessert, I had the olive oil ice cream, and I would eat this every day if I could. It is combined here with the salty carmel or caramel... and it was good.

Lest you think that I was the only one eating dessert, this was the blackberry nectarine something or other that Joey ordered. How he keeps his shape? WAY too much exercise...sigh.

Tiffin Wallah

New restaurant to me.... Tiffin Wallah on 28th Street. It was a foodie afternoon. Met Blogless Nicki to go to Kalustyans. For those who have never been, it is foodie heaven. They have everything you ever even thought you might need in the way of spice, baking supplies, nuts, dried fruit, chutney, oils, vinegars.... the list is endless and it is all crammed into this crowded but organized place. It is all encompassing, even by New York standards.

So, having spent more than I wanted to and carrying a big fat bag, we went to Tiffin Wallah.
The poor guy sitting next to me had to put up with me taking pictures of his food, but SERIOUSLY folks, have YOU ever seen a dosa like this one?
Thank goodness he was good natured about it. Then we got our food and more pictures were taken...

This was a combo, and it was seriously good. There were two more samosa style pieces under the bread..

This was Nicki's and no that is not a doughnut, though I have to admit we had to taste it to be sure...






And when I came home and let Sienna out to play she was so happy she kissed everyone in sight.

Yesterday, I had one of those "only in New York days" and loved every minute of it. The dog walker was hired to walk Sienna, so I was free for the better part of the day.
I haven't been drawing, though it is one of my big loves, I just sort of slid out of the habit and haven't done it. I am most decidedly NOT a landscape kind of person. For me the challenge is figures and on Wednesday afternoon at Spring Studio in Soho, they have a model in costume. This is one of those amazing places in New York. Minerva Durham has been on Spring Street forever and EVERY morning, EVERY afternoon and EVERY evening except Sunday evening, there is a model on a model stand and you can draw for 3 or 4 hours. That means 20 models a week and 20 different opportunities to draw them. And just for good measure, on the first and third Saturday afternoon there are 2 models.

My prepaid card was prepaid back in 2002 but Minerva said it was still good. Even without the prepaid card, the sessions only cost $14 a session. The final icing on the cake is the quality of models is generally excellent. Why it took me so long to get back I don't know, but Nicki gave me a kick in the seat and there I was again.

my long layoff shows.
Just LOOK at that wizard costume..it was blue and gold if you want to really imagine the full impact and had a standup gold collar.

Then, since we were in Soho we went wandering a bit and dropped into the MOMA store, Kate's Paperie and the Housing Works bookstore. The only treasure that followed me home was this book of Bruce Chatwin's photos and journals. He is one of those writers whose prose I envy and whose mind I would have loved to pick, so this was great.

Then, since we were in the neighborhood and it was just 6 pm, we found ourselves out front of .............
How could we not go in? We were so hungry that I forgot to take a picture of the goat cheese and onion tart appetizer, but the lamb stew with spring vegetables and gnocci

was not lost in the shuffle. It was delicious. and the dessert... the picture is shaky, sorry but Strawberry Rhubarb TART!! I thought I had died and gone to heaven.
When we left we both thought we were going to die from good food. Fortunately there was a short walk to the subway uptown and on the way, in addition to the dalmation at the firehouse I saw these little guys.
And, as the real topper on the day, by the time I got home, Sienna was so glad to see me that she had arranged a little early Fourth of July celebration for my entertainment.

I am not sure WHY there were fireworks from New Jersey.... maybe they celebrate early across the river? But it was a fitting top to the day......

I saw Gypsy with Patti Lupone on Friday

I really loved it more than I thought I would. I have always loved that musical, but this production and cast were wonderful. I was never a huge Patti Lupone fan, but after seeing her in Sweeney Todd I became a convert, and this sealed the deal. She was born for this role.

I know that I live here, and can wander down to 44th street any time I want, but I forget sometimes that getting there is sometimes at least half the fun.

There is also always this:

Walking down the street on the way to the theatre, I can't imagine that this feeling of WOW is to be had anywhere else in the world...

Broadway show posters are always changing,

I love New York. I thought about moving away at one point and realized that there was no place I could be happier. This is part of why.

Oh, we also ate at Molyvos, and had the incredible Grilled Baby Octopus. Go. It is worth the trip just for that. However, when you go to the website, leave them a note telling them to ditch the muzak.

and then we...

First, Romeo has decided that the crate in which Sienna has spent many of her formative years is really his. This has happened since it is generally vacant in the day and he just moves in as soon as she leaves it in the morning.





All well and good, but tonight I went out to eat dinner and mentioned to Sienna that it was crate time. She thought that was fine, but Romeo had decided not to move. So there they sat, the two of them, sharing the crate. I couldn't shut him up in there with her, and when I tried to prod him out he whined! I finally got him to move and shut her up, but I forsee trouble ahead. Or 2 crates..

Then we went to YUII for dinner. I forgot to take a picture til after we had devoured a lot of it but it was REALLY good tonight.

and after we got home and Sienna went out for her walk, Romeo got back in the crate.
the end///

It is FREEZING and blogger won't let me space my paragraphs.

The wind is coming in off the river at 30 mph and it is a very cold day up here in suburban Manhattan. No snow, bright sunshine and too cold to breathe when you go out. Blogger is not letting me put a space between my paragraphs so this page looks like one run on sentence??

I did do an Etsy update yesterday. It is always interesting to see if an update produces some new people marking me as a favorite.

I loved what Clockwatcher said about licking your plate in a subtle way, so this is the other entree from Red Cat. Go there again and listen to Willy. Or, go to the Harrison and tell me who that is and what the song is. Creedence?

This was a pork chop with almost a warm Greek Salad underneath. It was amazing, figs and greens and cheese... and a puddle of really good sauce. Next time I will have my finger in that one too.

Too cold to do exciting things today. A day for curling up and reading... I am SUPPOSED to be reading The Razor's Edge for book club, but it hasn't arrived yet, though it has been shipped so instead I am looking at John Adams. I was on a kick of reading Ian Rankin but I only had the first three in the series and I gave up and ordered them all (used) but they haven't come yet either. There are a bunch of other things on my stack too.. and then there is knitting, and finishing the pins.. too much to do, too little time.

Dinner at the Red Cat

Dinner last night at the Red Cat on 10th Avenue.
It is worth it to follow the link just to hear Willie Nelson singing Midnight Rider. I usually don't play music from sites, but this one sent me over to ITunes to buy it.

We go there because every couple of months we get a craving for the Tempura Greenbeans with Wasabi dipping sauce... be still my heart! These are among the best tastes in the city. We get them as an appetizer and won't let them take them away until we finally have to admit that we can't quite finish them. That usually happens about the time we are discussing dessert. BIG sigh.

At the bar before we ate.. I was of course LATE, thank you NYC MTA. The A train was yet again not running so there was the wait for the shuttle bus and then the wait at 165th Street for the A train, the trip to 42nd, the transfer to the C and the trip to 23rd street. It is like going to Atlanta without involving the airplane!

But this drink, whatever it was, was just what I needed. Maybe Nicki can add a comment and say what was in it besides something sparkling.

I can never remember the name of the liqueur that is in it. There are also French Radishes and salt on the bar. And of course the cookbook. I think it has the recipe for the green beans in it, but I just wouldn't have the patience.
The special was Red Snapper on a "stew" of couscous with Greek seasonings and scrambled eggs and I would have licked the plate if I would not have been a little embarassed.

For the cheese plate picture.. it is worth it.. you have to go here.

We actually decided against the desserts for the cheese, and were glad we had. It was exactly what we wanted.

Today is an add listings to Etsy or else day. By 8 tonight or so, probably not before... I have stuff halfway there, nothing really finished, but I like what is on the table and the wind is REALLY blowing out there, so a trip to the dogpark is unlikely.

Union Square Cafe

On a very cold January night. Good food, good friends, great fun

There were 2 steaks, so only one picture.

The star of the show, polenta with gorgonzola and walnuts. We all wanted this again for breakfast this morning.

great night.