Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Dinner Report - 2/28/07

* SMORGAS CHEF *
(West 12th & 4th Street)

Swedish meatballs
pepper steak w/fries & spinach
chocolate mousse

yum yum yum!

On the Web...

I just read about a new website that could come in handy for any of my NYC readers looking for last-minute, high-end dining options.

Every Wednesday morning, WeekendEpicure.com starts selling reservations for the following Friday & Saturday nights at some of the best restaurants in the city - for $35 a table. Not bad for last minute special occasions!

Here are the restaurants they're currently listing:
A Voce, Babbo, Bouley, Café Boulud, Chanterelle, Craft, Daniel, Del Posto, Eleven Madison Park, Gordon Ramsay at the London, Gotham Bar and Grill, Gramercy Tavern, Jean-Georges, Le Bernardin, Nobu, Spice Market, and Union Square Café.

Times and availability are (obviously) limited - but it's fun to see what's open!

Lunch Report - 2/28/07

* SUPERMAC *
(7th Ave btwn 29th & 30th Streets)

primavera supermac (sun-dried tomatoes, roasted cauliflower, steamed broccoli, artichoke hearts, pesto, fresh fat free mozzarella - with whole wheat pasta & breadcrumbs)

I couldn't resist a place that only serves "Creative Mac & Cheese" but decided to skip the traditional version(since I've already had the best of that!) I was pretty happy with what I got; it was yummy but just way too expensive ($11+!!) to go very often. Also, the place itself was tiny. I would definitely recommend ordering ahead of time. The only place for people to wait to get their orders, was in the same place for people to wait to give their orders. I also had the added pleasure of sharing the space with 2 sceaming kids and their mothers (who were both obviously trying to raise their kids bi-lingually because they said everything in English and Spanish) which made the 5-10 minute wait for my food feel a LOT longer.

Phone photo

Morning commute

Breakfast Report - 2/28/07

* TOM'S *

oatmeal (w/maple syrup & almonds)
coffee

yum!

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Dinner Report - 2/27/07

* ENDRI'S *

pizza (sausage, mushroom, onion)
caesar salad
bourbon

Tom, Marit & I ordered delivery for an exciting night of American Idol!

Phone photo

Viewed at a company meeting this morning.
I know it's hard to see, but it essentially proves that at least one co-worker doesn't wear underpants everyday.

Phone photo

Someone was helping in the shower this morning

Lunch Report - 2/27/07

* CHEF YU *
(8th Ave & 36th St)

shredded port w. dried bean curd
hot & sour soup

Mmmm - this tasted really, really good today. I also had part of a bagel with some cream cheese as a little snack earlier at a company meeting.

Breakfast Report - 2/27/07

* TOM'S *

picadillo (over cous cous)
coffee

more leftovers (but it was an awesome breakfast!)

Monday, February 26, 2007

Dinner Report - 2/26/07

* TOM'S *

split pea soup
picadillo
beef stew
ham
cous cous

Tom & I had a leftover buffet - it was awesome!

Lunch Report - 2/26/07

* LOCAL WEST *
(33rd St & 8th Ave)

chili
side salad

I'd actually been to this place a number of times before I even worked on the same block. It's a decent place to come for pre-Madison Square Garden drinks/snacks, especially if the weather is nice and you get a seat outside on the 2nd floor deck.

Breakfast Report - 2/26/07

* TOM'S * / * SEATTLE COFFEE ROASTERS *
(Ocean Parkway / Penn Station concourse)

peanut butter (Tom's)
cheese omelette (Seattle Coffee Roasters)
coffee

Well... I thought that a spoonful of peanut butter would do it for me this morning, but by the time I got to the office - I was HUNGRY. So, I picked up the eggs and all is right with my stomach now.

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Dinner Report - 2/25/07

* KEVIN'S *

pizza (from Two Boots)
cheese & crackers
chips & salsa
wasabi peas
pita & hummus
chocolate
bourbon
prosecco

Oscar party! No ballots, just laughter at some of the outfits.

Lunch Report - 2/25/07

* TOM'S *

barbecue flavored chicken
potato chips

Tom made this using ketchup & DIET COKE!!!! And it was GOOD!

Breakfast Report - 2/25/07

* TOM'S *

picadillo stuffed omelette
coffee

3 words MMMMM! MMMMM! MMMMM!

The Play's The Thing

The Apple Tree

Where: Studio 54 (yes, THAT studio 54!)
With: Tom & Marit
Snack: Tequila & club soda

We had GREAT seats for this... 5th row center. The show was goofy & silly, and the performers were fantastic. Most people know the star Kristin Chenoweth from Broadway's "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" and "Wicked," or from TV's "The West Wing," but the only thing I had seen her do was play Jeff Bridge's fun-lovin' white-trash wife in the horrible Robin Williams' movie "RV," in which she was one of the few good things. Based on that performance (and her reputation,) I expected to see someone charming and bubbly, and I wasn't disappointed. She commanded the stage and was thoroughly engaging and enjoyable to watch. The male leads were big Broadway names too and they held their own, but it was definitely Kristin's show. The show itself is a revival (it originally starred Barbara Harris, who won a Tony for the role, & Alan Alda,) and some of the dialog felt a little dated. Regardless of that, it was a fun night and I had a great time.

Dinner Report - 2/24/07

* TACOCINA INC. *
(9th Ave & 49th St.)

shrimp al tequila
tequila & soda
chips & salsa

Pre-theatre dinner without reservations means you sometimes take your chances. We ended up here after not being able to get a table at several other Hell's Kitchen restaurants. The place was kind of funky and I thought the food was ok, but not fantastic. Showing "The Prayer Channel" on the tv over the bar was an odd choice, but did give us something to talk about while waiting for a table. A couple other things to note: while we were eating, they took the bathroom out of service (dangerous in a Mexican restaurant); and also, years and years ago, I used to come to the TaCocina 2 doors down from this which was a cheap, quick, no frills place to get lunch. I think I'd rather try it again before this one (which seems like its trendier cousin.)

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Lunch Report - 2/24/07

* NO. 1 RESTAURANT *

chicken w/garlic sauce
egg-drop soup

I'm feeling a cold coming on & this is my favorite meal to help get everything running and make me feel better. It's got chicken, garlic, and it's spicy - works every time!

Breakfast Report - 2/24/07

* TOM'S *

oatmeal (topped w/blueberries)
coffee

warm and yummy!

Dinner Report - 2/23/07

* TOM'S *

beef stew
bourbon

Tom made it from the Dean & Deluca cookbook, it was incredible!

Friday, February 23, 2007

In The News...

Thanks for this NY Daily News!

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Good Times

A few months ago, I went to a restaurant called The Melting Pot while visiting my cousin for her birthday. Before going, I joined "Club Fondue" to get a free dessert coupon (go figure!) & have since gotten a few promo emails about special happenings.

Well, somehow I missed last month's "Girls Night Out" event, but, I just got a note about the next one! It looks like it's going to be LOTs of fun, and since they might not let me in the door, I thought I would pass along the info in case any girls reading this will be looking for something to do involving hot cheese & drinks in Columbia, MD on March 5th.
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Lunch Report - 2/23/07

* SEATTLE CAFE *
(33rd St, btwn 7th & 8th Aves)

grilled chicken/spinach salad
Italian wedding soup

Another eatin'-at-the-desk day. It's actually getting kind of cold outstide, but some warm soup made me happy. PLUS - it's Friday which is almost always nice.

And they're out...

I'll justify watching American Idol because of my job (but, I'm hooked!)
SPOILER ALERT

The first cuts based on popular votes happened last night - here's who got the axe:

  • Paul - his "Careless Whisper" was apparently a little too careless
  • Amy - her version of "I Can't Make You Love Me" was unfortunately true
  • Nicole - although she sang "Stay," the people said "GO!"
  • Rudy - his "Free Ride" just couldn't take him all the way

Here's a last look at the losers them:
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Breakfast Report - 2/23/07

* HOME *

yogurt
coffee

I didn't feel like cooking this morning... it's nice to be lazy!

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Oh, Uncle Bob

My friend Melinda sent me this picture of a little mishap her Uncle Bob had at a family picnic & of course I have to share because I think it's a GENIUS shot!
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Volleyball Recap

In case any of my reader(s) don't know - Thursday night is now Volleyball night. I've been playing with Gotham Volleyball for at least 5-6 years & it's great. The league has 8 divisions and offers 4 different levels of coaching for anyone who wants to improve their game.

So here's the recap for this season so far & tonight:
I'm playing in division 2, which has been really fun, but also a little frustrating because before tonight my team had yet to win a match...
and tonight...
we...
lost again.

So now we're 0-4 in matches, and in fact, we're only 1-11 in games overall (and I wasn't even there the week we got our only win.)


Oh well, it just means our underdog triumph next week will be that much sweeter!

Dinner Report - 2/22/07

*BETTER BURGER *
(8th Ave & 19th St)

garden salad w/a turkey patty on top

It was sort of a burger, just on a bunch of veggies instead of a bun.

Lunch Report - 2/22/07

* BRUCE'S BURGERS * / * THE HALAL FOOD CART *
(K-mart Plaza, Penn Station / 33rd Street btwn 7th & 8th Aves)

chili (from Bruce's)
chicken sandwich (on a pita, from the food cart)

Oof, I know, I know - it isn't the best lunch. The convenience of these items is far and away the most appetizing, but that's just how it goes somedays.

Phone photo

Morning hug time

Breakfast Report - 2/22/07

* HOME *

cheese omelette
coffee
1 Tahitian vanilla Godiva chocolate from the Valentine's Day collection gift box (yes - I still have some left!)

Thoughts for the day:
1) Chocolate is good.
2) GOOD chocolate is even better!
3) Spoiling yourself with a little treat makes the whole day special!!

Dinner Report - 2/21/07

* THERAPY *
(52nd St btwn 8th & 9th Aves)

chicken nachos (a shared plate - see the photo!)
bourbon

One of the best nacho plates in town (and that's not an unqualified evaluation.) Oh, and to be completely honest, I also had a little piece of a chicken quesadilla. I didn't mention it above since it was basically the same thing as the nachos (just inverted and not as YUMMY.)

Phone photo

Chicken nachos!

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Lunch Report - 2/21/07

* SEATTLE CAFE *
(33rd St, btwn 7th & 8th Aves)

grilled chicken/spinach salad
split pea soup

I ate at my desk today, again, and read emails. Whee - the glamour that is NYC!

Breakfast Report - 2/21/07

* HOME *

scrambled eggs w/cheese (topped with salsa)
coffee

The go-to breakfast always does the trick!

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

The Play's The Thing

Prelude To A Kiss

Where: American Airlines Theatre
With: Tom
Snack: Bourbon & a Junior Mint

When Tom told me that John Mahoney from "Frasier" was in this play, I was honestly hoping that he would be bringing that cute little dog with him - but to my disappointment, he just brought his limp. Luckily he did a good job, so it turned out ok. I stayed awake for the whole show, which actually says quite a bit about the production, but I think this was mostly due to the play itself. As I said, John M was good, and so were all of the supporting characters (including the guy who kind of looks like the farmer from "Babe," but is actually the guy Michael Douglas confronts in the zoo after realzing he's being set up in "The Game.") On the other hand, the 2 young leads were a little odd. I didn't recognize the girl, but she had sort of a Julie Haggerty (from "Airplane") thing going on that was hit or miss throughout the show. The guy was the actor who played the pirate in "Dodgeball" (as well as the cult-leader Father in a couple episodes of one of my all time favorite shows, "Strangers With Candy.") He did a good job, but kept taking his shirt off to show a RIDICULOUSLY cut set of abs. It was distracting. It did not fit in with his character at all. He also looked a lot like a Greg Kinnear knock-off, which bothered me for no justifiable reason (it just did.) In the end, I was glad that I went & I'll keep an eye out for the movie, which I've never seen, but it's probably good that this is a limited run.

Dinner Report - 2/20/07

* ROBERT EMMETT'S *
(8th Ave & 44th St.)

warm chicken salad w/roasted peppers (and portobellos, and bleu cheese!)
bourbon

This place was perfect for a quick pre-theatre dinner. No waiting, lots of menu choices (from full entrees to bar snacks), and my salad came in a tortilla shell!

Phone photo

The ride home

Antarctica Photos











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Well it has finally happened - I've cut down the combined photos Tom & I took about as much as I can and have posted them. I've added some remarkably witty commentary for about half... but after awhile I ran out of things to say about penguins and ice. Enjoy!

Lunch Report - 2/20/07

* CHEF YU *
(8th Ave & 36th St.)

spicy basil chicken (w/brown rice) and hot & sour soup - $7.65

You think that I would skip Chinese food on New Year's Day? That's crazy.

Phone photo

The morning commute.

Oooooooh! A food fight!

First came...
Spectacular Self-Indulgence: The Best Mac and Cheese Ever.


followed by...
Blognabbit: The Best Mac and Cheese Ever? Really?


It's on!

Birthday Shout-out

Just wanted to give a "Happy Birthday" to my moms, Susie.

Even though I haven't let her know that all the fascinating details of her son's eating habits are now available 24/7, I figured I should post this anyway.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

Breakfast Report - 2/20/07

* HOME *

2 slices of turkey bacon
coffee

What can I say, after such a nice long weekend and with the thought of going back to work... I was uninspired this morning.

Happy Chinese New Year!

It's the year of the golden pig, and my friend Mei Mei's daughter Ava is ready for it!
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Monday, February 19, 2007

Phone photo

Tug of war with Lucky!

Dinner Report - 2/19/07

* TOM'S *

picadillo (homemade in the slow cooker!) over rice
wine
bourbon

I also had some potato chips earlier, and finished off a bottle of lemon-lime seltzer. Oh, AND Tom & I split a couple more of the Godiva chocolates... one was raspberry, and the other was caramel latte. (caramel f'in LATTE!!!!!)

Lunch Report - 2/19/07

* TOM'S *

grilled ham & cheese (on yummy multi-grain bread w/dijon mustard)
lemon-lime seltzer

Breakfast Report - 2/19/07

* TOM'S *

a bullseye (an egg cooked in a hole in a piece of toast)
coffee
o.j.

Today's a holiday - hooray!

Dinner Report - 2/18/07

* TOM'S *

chili (homemade)

A perfect food that needs no accoutrement.

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Lunch Report - 2/18/07

* DIZZY'S *
(9th St & 8th Ave)

corned beef hash (with poached eggs & a big piece of toast)
a couple little muffins
coffee

A Park Slope brunch-landmark. The menu claims that the corned beef hash is the best you'll ever have, and I can't disagree too much.

Phone photo!

Foxy @ the Park Slope dog run 2/16/07

Breakfast Report - 2/18/07

* TOM'S *

ham
a Charbonnel et Walker chocolate
coffee

The chocolate was out of a gift-box from my friend Marit and was caramel & was SOOO good! It was just a little breakfast because we have brunch plans for later.

Dinner Report - 2/17/07

* TOM'S *

split pea soup (homemade!)
dulce de leche ice cream
bourbon

We made the soup using the recipe from The America's Test Kitchen book. It was YUMMY!

Saturday, February 17, 2007

I seen a movie!

Pan's Labyrinth

Where: BAM (my favorite theatre!)
With: Tom
Snack: Popcorn & Diet Pepsi

Hmm, how to describe this movie . . . well, it has nice people & mean people, and nice creatures & mean creatures. Its themes include birth & death, love & war, and fantasy & reality. Visually I thought it was beautiful at certain times and brutal at others. Its warped fairy-tale nature is one of my favorite conventions and I'd say that with as many dualities as it presented, it was extremely cohesive and focused. I definitely enjoyed it and would recommend it to most of my friends. If I had to say what it was about, here's my summary: An unhappy little girl faces increasingly difficult challenges posed by a mysterious and fantastical creature in an effort to escape the unpleasantness, and ultimate horrors, of her war-time reality. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention it was in Spanish with sub-titles, which for some people may (unfortunately) be the ultimate deciding factor.

Lunch Report - 2/17/07

* 12TH ST. BAR & GRILL *

"The Burger" with swiss cheese & mushrooms, medium rare
French fries
coffee
water

This burger also comes topped with crispy onions, lettuce & tomato. It was DELICIOUS!

Breakfast Report - 2/17/07

* TOM'S *

cheese omelette
chicken sausages
whole grain toast
coffee

A perfect Saturday morning breakfast... let the TV watching begin!

Friday, February 16, 2007

Dinner Report - 2/16/07

* TOM'S *

chicken schnitzel (thighs that I flattened & breading ala Tom)
cous-cous (spices also ala Tom)
bourbon (ala Jim Beam)

PS - a couple pre-dinner comments...
1) I had a medium cafe mocha @ Gorilla coffee this afternoon
2) Tom & I each had some PINK chocolate (from Marit) & buffalo blue-cheese potato chips as appetizers (yes, you read that correctly!!!)

Lunch Report - 2/16/07

* HOME *

chicken & black-bean soup (homemade from leftover rotisserie chicken)
sauteed mixed vegetables
1 Mexican hot chocolate flavored Godiva!!!!!

MMMM - muy buena comida para una dia fria!

PS3 vs. Wii

Nuff said! (Thanks, Tom, for sending this)

Breakfast Report - 2/16/07

* HOME *

2 slices turkey bacon
scrambled eggs w/cheese
coffee
v-8

After last night's volleyball loss, a big comfort-foody breakfast was just right!

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Dinner Report - 2/15/07

* HOME *

rotisserie chicken (picked up from Los Pollitos II - $4.25)
some mixed vegetables (from a bag in the freezer)
1 Vermont maple walnut Valentine's Day collection Godiva chocolate!


Nice & simple. Just a quick bite for a quick stop home (before I head back to the city for volleyball)

There are witches in my office!

Excerpts from an email exchange today:

Q. Should Susie send emails, per the new procedure?

A. I believe going forward, we are to use Magic.

I don't know what exactly is going on in this company anymore, but I'm a little frightened!

Whuzza Huh?

Strange, but COOL

Lunch Report - 2/15/07

* FRESCO TORTILLA TACO *
(8th Ave & 30th Street)

2 hard-shelled, grilled chicken tacos, and a black bean-jack cheese quesadilla. ($7.50 or so)

Instead of coming back to the office, I ate there because (A) the weather sucks and it is not fun to walk through the slush, especially when you are hungry, and (B) I was starving!

I think this place is great. It's quick, it's not very expensive, it's consistent, and it tastes good (at least to me!)

Breakfast Report - 2/15/07

* HOME *

1 Godiva chocolate: Orange Passion - from the All Heart's Collection (a gift from my sweetheart!)
Coffee

What can I say, it's hard to go wrong with Godiva chocolate for breakfast!

New Blog - New direction (about time!)

Well - it's been almost a year. Not an insane amount of time to let something lag (as far as one of my projects is concerned.)

I think in order to keep this easy, I'm going to devote this blog to eating. What I'm eating, what I wish I was eating, and what I'm glad I'm not eating. There may be some other side topics that come up from time to time... but I'll start with the food.

Enjoy!