an italian feast at home

this weekend could be called a splurge weekend-at least when it came to food. and to end it all, V and i started Sunday with brunch at Cafe Luluc. i'd always heard great things about their brunch, especially their pancakes, and since V usually has a sweet tooth for breakfast, i figured it'd be a good suggestion.

lo and behold, the one day where V doesn't want to eat too much. turns out he'd had a fast food junket the day before and he wanted to try and eat healthier, a la yogurt and fruit for breakfast. 

however, undeterred, i forged ahead with our walk over to Cafe Luluc. arriving around 11:15 a.m., the wait was a reasonable 10-15 minutes. shortly before 11:30 a.m., we were seated at the counter and ready to order. 

a sucker for savory breakfasts, especially eggs benedict, it's no surprise i ordered the eggs benedict with smoked salmon ($10). it's served with french fries (hooray! i'm actually not a big fan of homefries-i always prefer french fries) and a small salad. overall, i wasn't that impressed with their dish. the eggs were overcooked and the salmon portion was meager. 

courtesy of blissfuleats.com

V on the other hand ordered the goat cheese and spinach quiche, which was a special for the day. the spinach was well seasoned and was perfectly paired with the creamy saltiness of the goat cheese. also served with french fries and a small salad. this was clearly the winner amongst our 2 dishes.

their service was impeccable and friendly, even though the restaurant was overwhelminingly full with diners. i also noticed that they have dinner specials Monday-Thursday and Sunday which were interesting, especially the drinks specials (all $5). definitely worth looking into.

you would think that after such a bountiful brunch, V and i would've relegated ourselves to a light dinner. but V, who clearly possesses the metabolism of a teenage boy, was already planning our dinner before we'd even left Cafe Luluc.

his interest had been piqued for Durso's Pasta & Ravioli Company after seeing it featured on Throwdown! with Bobby Flay. and so a few hours later, we found ourselves at the quaint italian shop purchasing the featured osso bucco ravioli and accompanying osso bucco sauce. to add carb on top of carb, V purchased half a dozen garlic knots ("to soak up the sauce" he said). in an attempt to balance out our carb feast, i got a half pound of broccoli rabe sauteed with garlic and some hot peppers.

in total, we spent about $50 for dinner for the both of us, which included all of the above and a box of lobster ravioli and spicy fra diavolo sauce. the osso bucco with the accompanying sauce was pretty epic. the sauce isn't a traditional red sauce, but instead more of a gravy which accents the taste of the ravioli perfectly. plus those garlic knots were heavenly with a strong garlic scent but not an overpowering garlic flavor. and it really was the perfect vehicle to sop up that amazing sauce.

Ruined!

on perhaps one of the coldest weekends in NY, Spoon and i had made plans to meet up for brunch in Manhattan. this meant me travelling from my outer borough and her travelling from Jersey City. we are clearly not levelheaded people.

but we persevered and ended up at Mother's Ruin. the space is not that big and happened to be packed at the time we arrived. it's a rustic space with hardwood floors and furniture. a mirror display behind the bar has amusingly named cocktails and a live acoustic duo was performing at the front/center of the space. so essentially, hipster. (flannels and beanies abounded).

i started to get a foreboding feeling when the hostess sat a group that had arrived after we had arrived and given our name before us. maybe it was because they were all metrosexual/gay men who were a more attractive crowd to put at the coveted window bay table. after all, they need to keep up appearances for the crowds that walked by the restaurant. when i pointed out her faux pas, she shrugged her shoulders and told me she had their name down before mine. 

i do not like it when people lie. (see previous post). 

let me correct that: she may not have been lying. she probably really did put their name down before ours. but that doesn't make her correct. maybe that's why you shouldn't use a stupid chalkboard system to write down the names of people who are waiting. maybe, when you see a crowd of diners waiting to be seated, you shouldn't just walk through the crowd and ask everyone's name and then willy-nilly write down them down in whatever order you choose to remember.

but that's just me.

we got a comfortable table in the back, which started to thaw my prickly demeanor. and for me, the subsequent experience was pleasant. i got my brunch beverage-a bloody mary. it was meh, but not unpleasant. i prefer mine spicier and it barely had a kick. more salt vs. kick. but who can complain about a bloody mary? (or so i thought. the story continues later). i ordered Mother's Biscuits and Gravy ($13) (buttermilk biscuits, spicy sausage gravy, poached eggs & pickled cherry peppers) which is definitely one of the heartier savory menu items. again, the dish was overall salty vs. spicy but it was enjoyable. the poached eggs were done well. but it's sad that the only thing i can really say about a dish that contains BISCUITS! GRAVY! SAUSAGE! is that the poached eggs were done well...

NewGuy ordered the Mother's 75 (their version of a mimosa, with grapefruit instead of orange juice) and the 'Real Deal' Maryland Crab Cake Benedict ($16) (lump crabmeat, poached eggs, old bay remoulade, home fries). i had a few bites of his entree and it was ok. he seemed happy with the flavor, although he lamented the small portion.

Spoon ordered the Frenchie ($11) (challah french toast, fresh poached pears, chai whipped cream, maple syrup)-the only person to order a sweet vs. savory entree. unfortunately, the toasts were skinny limp pieces of bread that were slightly charred from overcooking. the saving grace were the pears, whipped cream (the small amount given to her), and the maple syrup. Spoon'sHubby ordered a glass of white wine and the Tri Tip Hash ($16) (worcestershire marinated steak bites, poached eggs, red bliss potato hash) which he liked, but, he also lamented the tiny portion.  on this point, i can concur. of all our entrees, his was the smallest.

interesting point about the drinks. when you sit down at the table, they bring you a glass bottle of water and glasses to fill with it. when they brought our alcoholic beverages, all of them cocktails except for SH's, the cocktails were served in distinctive glasses. however, SH's white wine, which was a very light, almost clear color, was served in the same exact glass as our water glass. so imagine us chagrined when we asked our waitress where SH's wine was, and she pointed to the full glass of what appeared to be water on the table. we were feeling a little embarrassed about it until, about 20 minutes later, the waitress came over to refill our waters and filled up SH's wine glass with water.

again, Mother's Ruin, don't you think it would be smart to have water glasses be one shape and drink glasses to be another? perhaps to avoid that exact situation?

everyone seemed less than satisfied with their Mother's Ruin meal, so we made a quick exit and decided to head out for another drink to shake off the experience. first, we made a quick sweets stop at Birdbath Bakery, which just opened a new location at 45 Spring Street. a tiny offshoot of City Bakery, but it was my first time sampling their chew chocolate chip cookie, which i loved. just the right amount of crisp at the edges while still maintaining a chewy, but not completely soft center.

we took our sweet treats and headed over to Spring Lounge, one of my favorite low key bars in the area. or so i thought. the place ended up being packed. apparently there was a chili cook-off, allowing everybody to sample a bunch of free chili and voting for their favorite. Spoon and i took one look at the crowd and decided we should probably change locations. that idea was immediately curtailed once we saw the look on SH's and NG's faces. they looked like they were in pure heaven.

as they sampled each chili, moaning about it being so tasty, they each commented, "why didn't we come here first?!"

pasta for breakfast

Groupons will probably be the bankruptcy of me. 

even though i've curbed my addiction, i still have a giant pile to get through (which is probably why i related so well to the episode of Happy Endings where Alex attempted to use up all her expiring vouchers. and if you've never watched Happy Endings, you should get on that).

and so i found myself at Spina during one of the nicer Saturday mornings to meet Pal for brunch. it's a small restaurant in Alphabet City that is easily overlooked due to it's proximity to some other more hyped restaurants, but it has a nice neighborhood/comfort feel to it. it also never seems to be packed (when Pal and i arrived, we were the only people who chose to sit inside the restaurant). i could imagine that on a summer evening this place could be a nice romantic spot.

part of the offer allowed each of us to order a brunch cocktail, although the $10 bottle of Prosecco offered regularly on their brunch menu was tempting. however, Pal, recently discovering she's allergic to gluten and recovering from a minor surgical procedure, smartly opted not to drink alcohol so i drank both her drinks.

we ordered the PEI Mussels (white wine, black pepper, cherry tomatoes, and chive oil) to start. holy these were good. the sauce packed a peppery punch while still remaining light and the portion was a good size for sharing. if only they served bread with the appetizer...

for entrees, Pal decided to "man up" and try Steak and Eggs for the first time. it was kind of adorable how she thought a 6 oz steak, eggs and potatoes was a "manly" breakfast meal. i didn't try it but it looked good and was a sensible portion for brunch e.g. enough to feel satisfying but not make you want to go home and go to sleep right afterwards.

i was waffling between ordering a breakfast item or a pasta. in the end, on the waitress's recommendation, i ordered the Malloreddus (saffron gnochetti with veal and pork tomato ragu). best decision ever. tiny little gnocchi pieces topped with a rich and flavorful meat sauce. i was in breakfast pasta heaven. and again, sensible portions so that i felt satiated at the end of the meal, but not like i had eaten a ginormous bowl of carbohydrates.

the Groupon deal was $29 for an appetizer, 2 entrees, and 2 drinks which made our meal a good deal but even without it, i would probably go back. the prices are reasonable and the food is good. plus, with so many other restaurants in the area touting 1+ hour waits, it could be a good place to go in a pinch.

David Burke Kitchen

i've had the pleasure (i use this term loosely) of dining at David Burke Kitchen twice: once for Summer Restaurant Week and once for brunch. 

for those that are wondering whether to go to David Burke Kitchen for RW, i'll cut to the chase: it's not bad and you leave feeling full, BUT the experience is food is "meh." so if you were hoping for some mind-blowing experience, DBK will probably leave you disappointed.

ironically, i went to David Burke Kitchen with GI during the summer of 2012. however, our experience is still pretty relevant since the menu options haven't changed too much. when we arrived, we found the restaurant packed which meant we were seated dangerously close to our neighbors (so much so that our neighbor commented to us when our entrees arrived).  also, due to the high ceilings, get ready for a high noise level, although not as bad as Delmonico's Kitchen.

for appetizers, GI and i split the Tuna Tartare Tacos and Lobster Dumpling Soup with Coconut Fennel Creme and Red Watercress. i noticed the current RW offering doesn't have either of these on the menu although there are variations of both (Canal Street Lobster Dumpling Soup and Tuna Sashimi). the soup was the clear winner of our orders. it was beautifully presented, with the bowl placed on the table with the dumplings nestled inside it then the soup poured from a pitcher table side. the flavor was delicate and pleasant, which is what you really want an starter for a 3-course meal to be.  the tacos on the other hand were simply tartare inside a crispy taco shell. no surprises there.

for entrees, GI ordered the Pork Chop with Cumin Bacon, Mango Chutney, Parsley Onion Rings. if you decide to get this, be prepared because this thing is a monster. DBK definitely does not skimp out on portions just because it's Restaurant Week. the mango chutney was refreshingly sweet to counteract the savory pork chop.  however, the pork chop was a little dry, and to battle through such a large dry piece of meat isn't fun. 

i ordered the Short Rib and Cavatelli with Wild Mushrooms and Truffle Cream. again, this is a hunking piece of meat atop a generous serving of pasta. the truffle cream is a cool dollop served atop the dish, which is thoughtful, but i barely tasted any truffle flavor and unfortunately the temperature of my dish was not hot, and the addition of the cool cream didn't do the temperature any favors.  flavor-wise, while this dish was pleasant to eat, it wasn't memorable and there was no impact to it's generic flavor profile.

for dessert, i opted for the Red Velvet Cake in a Jar. this was exquisite. not too sweet, the cake was airy as was the whipped cream layers. a nice end to the meal. the Chocolate Cream Cheese Bar with Hazelnut Whipped Cream was what you would expect of a chocolate dessert, although not too sweet.  btw, if you do decide to go to DBK for RW dinner, definitely get the molten carrot cake. that is to die for delicious. 

so there were highs and lows to our RW dinner. and while the highs were good, i'm not sure it was come-back-again good. 

but then i found myself at DBK again due to a Groupon brunch purchase Sully made. 

walking into DBK during the day was a whole different experience.  although this restaurant is downstairs, there was plenty of natural light and the blue-checkered table clothes gave it a quaint feel. 

due to the Groupon we were confined to a prix-fixe menu. shortly after we arrived, the restaurant was packed with people waiting at the door. our waiter service suffered because of it with a long time before receiving the coffees we ordered or giving our brunch orders or receiving our first course. 

for the starter we both ordered the Yogurt Parfait (our other option being oatmeal). this took forever to come out. and when it did, while the fresh fruit was nice as was the tiny little jar they served it it, the yogurt wasn't particularly cold and it was mighty tart without any fruit to cut it.

for mains, i ordered the Kitchen Eggs Benedict. the twist is that this is served on Crispy Italian Sausage Polenta. this was a good rendition, but nothing special. basically it tasted good and filled me up.

although i was pretty well-fed at this point, since our Groupon included dessert, we ordered the Himalayan Rock Salt Sundae with Milk Chocolate Malt Ice Cream and the above-mentioned Molten Carrot Cake with warm vanilla bean-cream cheese center, cinnamon walnut ice cream. the sundae was way too sweet although when they serve you they do this cool thing where they take out the himalayan rock salt and drip warm caramel off of it onto the sundae table-side. the carrot cake on the other hand was perfect with the cake being not too sweet, then revealing the warm cream cheese center.  the accoutrements help to mellow the dessert out so it's not too sweet, simply comforting.

SUN day part 1

at one point, i hit an eating wall. my stomach had finally thrown up its hands and surrendered from all the restaurants i'd gone to and all the food i'd supplied it with. it was just too tired and overstimulated.

and i think this wall came around the time i went to brunch at Fat Radish. which, btws, is delicious. on a beautiful saturday morning, i'd made plans to meet with TVDinner to try out brunch at this (not-so-new-anymore) british gastropub.  expecting the worst in terms of a wait, i was pleasantly surprised to find the restaurant moderately full, but not crowded.  BlackSesame and i grabbed a seat at the bar while we waited for TVDinner and Kiddo to arrive.

since i never say no to a bloody mary, and brunch is really the only acceptable time to drink one, both BlackSesame and i ordered a glass. Fat Radish's bloodies are good, but nothing special, although they make use of fresh horseradish and their own pickled garnishes consisting of a tiny string bean, a beet, and (of course) a radish. the garnishes are great, very much like McClure's or Rick's Picks.   be forewarned that their bloodies are not spicy, at all, so make sure to indicate you want yours spicy (which i did with my 2nd glass).

considering that Fat Radish touts itself as farm-to-table fare (a label i find silly since in the grand scheme of things everything is farm to table really), i found it ironic that they were serving Tropicana OJ. they explained that something had happened with their shipment of oranges/OJ and so they had to run out this morning and get a substitute. i'd be pretty pissed if i found out i was paying $6 for Tropicana. just saying.

once TVDinner and Kiddo arrive, we were promptly seated without a problem.  when we finished our meal it looked like there was a decent wait-time, although it didn't look unmanageable.  

the atmosphere and setting at Fat Radish is pretty idyllic with wooden tables and bright lighting (in a natural way, not dentist's chair-style). it was perfectly aligned with the perfect weather we were having. and even though i'd been out drinking the night before, the atmosphere at Fat Radish didn't make me feel like the gross hungover mess i am prone to be at times for saturday or sunday brunch.


TVDinner and i opted for the Cloth-bound cheddar and potato cake ($14) which included sauteed brussels sprouts, bacon, and a poached egg. this was pretty on point with its flavors, although when it first arrived i was slightly disappointed with its size. however, since Kiddo and i shared plates, i got to eat half of his Hake Kedgeree (this was a special on the specials board so i don't remember its price or ingredient list), but this was damn good. and filling without making me feel gross. once again, Kiddo saved my eating escapade by being willing to accommodate me! hooray Kiddo! BlackSesame opted for the Full English Breakfast ($15) which contained the usual stage of characters Meyers of Keswick sausages, bacon, eggs, beans, and roasted tomato. and as is always the case, the beans were the only things leftover on the plate. poor beans. 

one surprising entry onto our table as the Lawnmower ($12), a cocktail consisting of dark rum, green juice, and lime. what is green juice you ask? well it's one of Fat Radish's many homemade juices. this once consisted of kale, spinach, celery and apple. my initial reaction to that mix was "bleh" accompanied by a turtleface a la Nick from New Girl. but Fat Radish schooled me: this drink is heavenly. it's the perfect summer drink without being overly sweet and is light and refreshing in the style of lemonade. and it really does kind of remind me of freshly cut grass. odd, but delicious.

so with our tummies satiated, we left the restaurant (passing a line of waiting hipsters), and discussed our plans for the rest of the day. BlackSesame had picked up a flyer for the Hester Street Fair, which was close to our location, so we had discussed going to check it out. in addition, i had some Ctown grocery shopping to do (i was making braised oxtail), and Kiddo was going to drop in on the parental units, who own a store close by.

before heading over to the street fair, we decided to get a cup of coffee. i noticed that all the patrons entering Fat Radish were holding a particular brand of coffee in a takeaway cup and  wondered if the shop was close by and also if it was really that good. i mean, usually you see people with to-go cups of coffee in only 3 types of cups: (1) dunkin donuts; (2) starbucks; and (3) that generic pattern that every deli in NYC offers. so for all these Fat Radish guests to have gone to the same coffee shop must mean something and it was a mystery i refused to let lie. luckily Kiddo knew exactly which shop it was and pointed us in the right direction.

and that's how we found ourselves at Lost Weekend NYC. and it's only after googling it that i realized how much of a hipster mecca we had stumbled upon. i think i must possess a suppressed hipster somewhere in my psyche because i've also been to Saturdays Surf NYC, and the 2 are comparable hipster coffeeshops. we got ourselves some hipster coffee made the fancy way-no drip coffee machine here-and ogled the Mast chocolate bars before we headed over to the street fair.

i've been to Hester Street Fair back when it began last summer. honestly, i wasn't that impressed. granted i hadn't realized before i went that it was a closed off lot. when i think of "street fair" i tend to think of a closed off street, not a vacant lot filled with vendors. so color me disappointed the first time i went. this second time was better in that i knew what i was getting myself into.


unfortunately, none of us were prepared for how packed the venue was. unbeknownst to us, we had decided to attend the street fair on opening day. so it was almost impossible to move around. so i'll just mention the highlights:
1. Filthy Farm Girl. amazeballs soaps. yes, they're a little hippy in style and smell but they're worth it just for the dirty/naughty descriptions on the soaps. i met be getting a bunch for BBM when i attend her bridal shower and/or bachelorette.

"Your Honor...my client is ready to come clean!"

"I'm not like those other kitties...When i get all wet and soapy i just purr and purr!"

"I'm a busy girl but i've always got time to get sleek and fancy!"

this one was epic, except it's not what you think it means. it's talking about knitting...BOOO.

2. Ample Hills Creamery. four words: ooey gooey butter cake. and done. just go and get it ASAP. you will not regret it. 

don't be deceived by the Clark-Kent look of this ice cream. this is AMAZEBALLS.

3. we headed over to the Pies n' Thighs booth but the only thing left was Banana Bread Pudding, which BlackSesame and i nagged Kiddo to get until he finally broke down ("come on, it's only a dollar! one dollar! really?! it's a dollar!"). poor Kiddo.


overall, i suggest hitting up the Hester Street Fair if you like flea markets and snacks. it should only take you an hour tops to complete the whole circuit, and that's with food lines. 


i was pretty exhausted after all of this (don't ask me why. i understand that all i did was eat and walk a little. don't judge me) and just wanted to go home and veg out for a while, but that wasn't in the stars for me...
 

second chance?

shortly after my final interview for my current job, i met up with Kiddo to celebrate finally transitioning back into the city after moving back home to NJ after law school. we had also made plans to meet up with JimmyDean and MrsButtersworth, although they had to work until later so Kiddo and grabbed drinks first.

this would be my first, but not last, appearance at Whiskey Tavern, Kiddo's favorite bar near his current job at NY County Supreme Court. i'd passed this place many times during my forays into Chinatown, but had never really been curious because honestly, who goes to Chinatown to drink? the answer: a lot of people, apparently. i don't really have an opinion about Whiskey Tavern aside from the fact the the drink prices are reasonable, the atmosphere is pretty good (it has the potential to be a local but usually tends to decently packed so you never feel like you've walked into a spaghetti western), and if you're an attorney often making appearances in NY County Supreme, you'll probably run into a lot of people you know at this bar. i did end up having an amazing honey-flavored Jack Daniels on the rocks, which was memorable.

i can't remember why, but we decided to migrate to another bar while waiting for JimmyDean and MrsButtersworth and ended up at B Flat. now this place, i love. a japanese jazz bar? get out! when we arrived, the place wasn't crowded at all and had a dimly lit, serene vibe; very "jazz-y" feeling. it was when we plopped down at the bar that i realized it was a japanese jazz bar. the cocktail menu offers various asian-influenced cocktails akin to Angel's Share but without the excessively long wait and white douchebags. the prices are on par as Angel's Share so i highly recommend coming here instead of AS. it's just so much better. 

after 1 drink, JimmyDean and MrsButtersworth met with us and suggested we go to Peels for dinner. i was pretty pumped since i'd never been, and Peels is on my "to-eat" list of NYC restaurants. however, the meal itself was sorely disappointing. and here's why:

1. the prices are outrageous. no, not Per Se outrageous, but are we really trying to claim Peels is akin to Per Se? i don't think so. the entrees are the only reasonably priced (and i mean NYC "reasonably priced") items on the menu and everything was upward of $20. that includes for fried chicken. so no surprise that Kiddo and i both opted for the $16.50 cheeseburger. which was good, but not $16.50 good. the fact that i can't even remember it says a lot.

2. drinks are just as expensive. $9+ for a beer and $12+ for a glass of wine. JimmyDean and i made the command decision to just order a moderately priced bottle of wine for the table. 

honestly, everything about Peels was just "so-so."  there was nothing particularly memorable about it except for the hefty price tag. and although i've all but written this place off as "over-hyped," the blogsphere keeps trying to entice me back. 

so i might make just 1 more trip. but only for brunch. in the hopes that it will be as good as this one was. even with it's redonkey kong prices.

hi, nice to meet you...awkward...

dates are so nervewracking.

AMW and HFM were visiting the City this weekend, which couldn't have worked out more perfectly, because i had a date on Saturday afternoon in the City so i could essentially kill 2 birds with 1 stone. yay!

it was a good omen when, on Friday night, there was absolutely no traffic on my way into the City via the Holland Tunnel. recently, my drives to Jersey City or towards the Holland Tunnel have been plagued with reedonkulously long traffic jams and stand-still traffic. but this time, it was smooth sailing the entire way and i arrived in Brooklyn within 45 minutes from when i started.

Friday night was a throwback to the days of yore aka the Golden Age in Brooklyn because we went to the local, Brazen Head, which was where we spent a lot of our BLS years. it was also a big wake-up call as we realized the Brazen was no longer "our" bar/local anymore. we didn't know any of the bartenders and barely knew any of the ppl in the bar. this of course excludes Kiddo and Coleslaw, who still knew about half the ppl there and 1 of the bartenders. particularly impressive for Coleslaw, considering she hasn't resided in Brooklyn since we graduated.

the next day was D-Day aka Date Day. i'm not sure the day started off on the right foot: immediately upon waking up, i was Ice-d. i did relish receiving my first Ice-ing ever, and from Coleslaw which makes it even better, but first thing in the morning? touche Coleslaw. the battle is on. surprisingly, lime-flavored Smirnoff doesn't taste completely awful.
despite my morning alcoholic beverage, i was productive pre-date. i got my haircut in Chinatown, went shopping with AMW and NC, and we caught brunch at Broken English, a new restaurant on Smith and Bergen. the place is a beautiful space and the brunch menu, while short and simple, didn't disappoint. AMW ordered the French Toast served with bananas and strawberries ($7), NC ordered the Egg Pasta with Black Peppercorn and Parmesan ($12), and i ordered the Eggs Benedict served with Prosciutto ($10). The Eggs Benedict was good, although it's served on country bread which is really hard to neatly cut through. by the 2nd piece i'd abandoned trying to eat it and just ate the egg and prosciutto. the prosciutto was also much thicker and saltier than the type i usually encounter (perhaps because there was so much more of it, it tasted saltier). i substituted french fries for homefries and those were perfect: shoe string crispy fries. i ate all of that. AMW's French Toast was received favorably since she couldn't stop picking at it even when she got full. i tried a bite and it was a little too mushy on the inside for me, but it wasn't overly sweet and i could see the appeal. i couldn't get myself to try NC's pasta because i was too full by then but she ate most of it so i assume it was good. the service was nothing great, but it wasn't awful either. they don't offer a brunch drinks menu although they have a fully-stocked bar; they do show you a wine list if you ask. i ordered a Bloody Mary and it was totally worth the $7. ok, maybe not totally worth it, but pretty darn close. it's served in a pint glass with a giant celery stick and is very spicy. if you like your Bloody Mary spicy, which i do, then this is the perfect place.

so after having imbibed my 2nd alcoholic drink of the day, i headed out towards my date. it was essentially a blind date and this was our first time meeting in person. nerve-wracking. however, the dating gods were kind in that he was cuter than i was expecting (and taller: 5'11) and much, much funnier. i guess it was a good sign when he picked Housing Works Bookstore Cafe as our neutral date location. the location proved:

1. he reads

2. is socially conscious

3. liberal

4. intelligent (implied from the fact that he reads)

i should keep this place in mind the next time i go out on a date. i was curious how the date would go since he picked a very get-out-of-jail-free safety time of 4:00 pm and a very neutral/non-commital meeting activity (coffee). i'm not sure if i should've been offended or grateful for his foresight. i chose the latter.

Housing Works Bookstore Cafe closes at 5:00 p.m. on the weekends (it's workers are volunteers so i can accept that). i took it as a good sign that he wanted to extend the date and we spent some more time walking around the neighborhood and chatting some more before he walked me to my subway and we said goodbye. with a handshake.

um, what?!

so............. i guess that date didn't go well. darn, and i think i could've really liked him.

i need some more whities in my pics

good thing i've got Coleslaw and crew or else my blog would look like a Swerve/Loveboat blog huh?

Ol' and Coleslaw's birthdays are a few days apart so they decided to celebrate it together, which is a very thoughtful thing for us friends. i went shopping in Union Square w/Ol' 1st to find some party gear to wear. ironically, the dress she ended up buying and wearing (it was superhot, no joke) was 1 that i had pulled off the rack and told her to try on, more as a jokey-what-if than an actual real choice. Ol' is quite, um, well-endowed (that's appropriate wording right?) and so really low-cut shirts and dresses usually don't work great on her and this dress was of the J.Lo-Oscar-dress style except in little-black-dress version. but lo and behold, she looked smoking. particularly when she wore it w/non-matching tube socks.

we did a pre-party dinner at Il Palazzo in Little Italy. a little on the pricey side for the size of the restaurant but there's a beautiful seating area in the back, the portions are ginormous, and it's very elegant/date-y. Coleslaw and me split a canteloup/honey dew (i always confuse the 2) and prosciutto salad which was so light and refreshing and was perfect as an appetizer before our super heavy pasta entrees. since i hate double-ordering and Coleslaw had already opted for the chicken canneloni w/bechamel sauce special i ended up ordering something else that i can't remember except it was in a vodka sauce w/prosciuotto. i lucked out either way b/c Coleslaw couldn't finish her meal and i got to take hers and my leftovers home. yea!
the party was at Sweet and Vicious which was only a couple of blocks away from the restaurant, so very convenient. good job DRC! i can tell that Sweet and Vicious would be prob be my favorite neighborhood bar if i lived in the neighborhood, but that weekend night it was so packed it was impossible to move. and the girls had a lot of friends coming for their party but we hadn't been able to book a table (some kind of miscommunication w/the bar). altho i really tried to tough it out, the unmovable sea of ppl and the heavy meal just caused me to get lethargic instead of partied up.

we did a 2nd mini-celebration on Monday for Ol' and went to Clinton Street Baking Co. for brunch. the wait was an insane 1 and 1/2 hours but the food made it pretty worth it. and the little silver dollar pancakes they dole out for the ppl waiting inside are quite delicious, particularly w/their maple butter. i could just drink the maple butter and i'd be happy. the food there really is heavenly. Coleslaw and Chap got the amazing breakfast sandwiches which has eggs and cheese on their ginormous homemade biscuits and i stuck w/a Spanish Omelette (i feel like i have to order eggs whenever i go out to brunch).

this outing was pretty much the start of my downward fatty spiral...