Did we really need this?

I found out today that there is a new cover CD of classic Van Halen tunes (it's due out June 6th). It's called Strummin' With the Devil, and it is full of bluegrass versions of the songs. You can listen to clips here. I'm not really sure what to make of it. At first I was appalled. But, the more tracks I listened to, the less appalled I felt. Don't get me wrong - it still sucks, but it's not terrible. Dave even sings on a couple of tracks.

Ghost Rider looks to be a Suckfest

Has anyone out there seen the trailer to the new Ghost Rider movie starring Nic Cage? If you need a good laugh, I would check it out here: Ghost Rider Trailer Page. For those who don't know, there was this odd interest in "horror comics" in the 1970's. That's when Ghost Rider was created. The comic did have a popularity resurgance in the 90's I think. Is it still popular enough to support a movie? Was it ever? Why someone wanted to make a movie out of it, I don't know. Why Nic Cage thought this would be a good idea, I don't know either. I know he wanted to be Superman so badly he named his son Kal-El. As a backup gig, he chose to be Ghost Rider? And the effects look really bad. They would be awesome effects for a video game, but for a movie? I don't think so. Check it out for yourself and make your own judgments.

NP: Just One Trip, Johny Vegas

Spiced Meat?

The other day I stopped into the local Gristedes (a NYC supermarket chain) to get some snacks. While I was there I thought it would be a good idea to get some cold-cuts for lunch. I noticed something that I found even more disturbing than olive-loaf. Spiced Luncheon Meat. What the hell is that? And do people actually eat this stuff? The only good thing I can see about it is that it contains no MSG. That's good, right? Otherwise, I like to have a more specific name to my food other than "meat." However, one time, in a restaurant in Spain, we asked the waiter what the meat in the "Meat stewed with tomatoes" was. He looked at us like we were crazy and responded, "well... pork of course." (Actually, it was in Spanish and sounded a little different than that, but you get the idea) Anyway, I know there are people out there who enjoy their Spam, Spiced Luncheon Meat, and Smoked Meat. I just don't understand them.

NP: Dani California, Red Hot Chili Peppers

Grand Vin

I've been trying to learn more about French wines. Most of my life I've had Italian wines (Italians like Italian things), and I haven't had too much contact with the French wines. After going to France and seeing how over my head I am in this area, I've decided to start small and see what I can come up with. Because I've enjoyed some West Coast Pinot Noir I wanted to try some Burgundy wines. Last night I had a bottle of Domaine Rollin Pere et Fils Bourgogne Haute-Côtes de Beaune 2002 Burgundy, France. This wine is made up of 100% pinot noir grapes. At first I wasn't sure if I would like this bottle, but I soon realized that it just needed some time to breathe. Initially, it had a very strong alcohol odor with an underlying cherry scent. After airing a bit, the cherries won out. This wine is very light in color, and also feels very light on the palate. There are flavors of cherries, strawberries and other light red fruits. There is no harshness in the finish at all. We finished the bottle, so we did enjoy it, however I didn't love it either. All in all a good wine, but maybe a bit too light for me.

NP: She Talks to Angels, The Black Crowes

Shea, The Zoo and Segafredo

I went to Shea this weekend for the Yankees/Mets game (unfortunately one of the games the Yanks lost). Although I've been there before, I was really struck by the differences between Shea and Yankee Stadium. I felt like I was at some crazy backyard barbecue. It was just very chaotic. Everyone says how bad Yankee fans are, but as someone who has been to both Shea and Fenway Park, I've gotta tell you, we're not so bad.
I also went to the Queens Zoo this weekend (yes, there is a Queens Zoo). I guess I spent a great deal of time in Queens this weekend. It's not a borough I visit often - I just don't get it. It's a very confusing place. After living in this city my whole life, I still don't get Queens. The zoo itself was okay. It's kind of like the Bronx Zoo's red headed step-brother/sister. There were like 5 animals and they don't even feel the need to cover up the highway running right by the zoo. Look to your right and there's a seal, to the left and there's the Cross Island zooming by. I did have a good time there though.
Finally, this is my plea for someone to open a Segafredo Espresso Stand in NYC. They have them is some parts of this country (San Francisco) and I would love one here. We found them in Europe, and they make great coffee - and the one in SF made coffee just as they do in Europe, so I want one here. Hopefully, someone will do it. Please.

NP: Sportcenter, ESPN

Waiting for Wal-Mart

So after my wife and I decided to stay in our apartment for another year, we figured it was about time we got some furniture for our roof deck. Of course, we knew how expensive this stuff is, which is the main reason we haven't gotten any up to this point. We did a lot of searching and finally decided the best (cheapest) way to do this was to order a set from Wal-Mart. This goes against many of my own principles. The most important was buying anything at all from Wal-Mart (because they are slowly leeching all things good from this country). Assuming I don't end up on the wrong side of heaven after my purchase, I am looking forward to getting this stuff. The bad part - I've been sitting around all day today on my day off waiting for the delivery. The delivery company could only give me a delivery time "estimate" of 8:00am - 6:00pm. Great, huh?
So here I sit... waiting for Wal-Mart. I did enjoy a nice lunch of Annie's mac and cheese though. And the Yankees game starts in a few minutes. At least there's that.

NP: Dodgeball (the movie)

Busy weekend

Man, this weekend was a busy one. I worked overnight on Friday, and although I was hoping for a quiet night, there were a lot of car accidents that night. My night was busy. Then on Saturday, we headed to Brooklyn to celebrate a friend's birthday. The forecast called for rain, but it was a beautiful day. We had a really good time. Then today was Mother's Day. Drove over to Jersey to see my mom, sister and grandmother. Throw in a trip to Yankee Stadium to see the Yanks take on the A's, and that all add's to a busy weekend.
And I think I'm getting sick.

Busy week

Man, I've been working my butt off this week. Even when I'm not working, I'm working. Went out tonight with my wife to do some registering for the new baby. Then we went to the Rocking Horse for some dinner. Now, I'm checking out the Yankees/Red Sox game. Bernie just led off the 8th with a double. Gotta go.

NP: Yanks vs. Red Sox. YES Network.

Halfsies

Last night I decided to uncork a half-bottle of a nice Italian white called Gavi. I guess it's actually called Villa Sparina Gavi di Gavi 2002. This white is from the Piedmont area of Italy and it is made mostly from the Cortese grape. I really enjoyed this wine. Not many people have great things to say about Italian white wines, and I'm not sure if others out there would like it as much as I did. It's very crisp and clean, with lots of green fruits and high acidity. I found it very refreshing. Word on the street is that it goes very well with seafood, and that was my plan until my poor pregnant wife became sick. My personal menu changed, but I stayed with the wine. Nice choice on my part.

The In 'N Out Burger

So, I made it back from San Francisco in one piece. I have to admit, I enjoyed that city a lot more than I thought I would. It felt like a mix between Boston and NYC, with good weather thrown in. It also reminded me a bit of Barcelona. With all those places that I enjoy mixed together in one big soup, it was difficult not to like the place. The only thing that turned me off was the large amount of homeless people there. Not that I have a thing against the homeless. We have more than our share here in NYC. However, I was amazed at how aggressive they were in San Fran. When they follow you, screaming at the top of their lungs when you don't give them a quarter, we've got a problem.
Anyway, I decided to try In 'N Out Burger while I was there. One of my old college roomates was from SF, and he raved about them all the time. You know what? Not all that impressed.
I did eat lunch at this place called Bocadillos on Monday, which kicked ass. I had the 2 bocadillo lunch special - one with 18 year old serrano ham and tomato rub, and another with Catalan sausage, manchego cheese and endives. I enjoyed that with a cold beer and finished it off with an espresso. That was a great lunch. Check it out if you're over there. It's right near the Pyramid building.

Two of my favorite places

So, over the past week or so, I've had a couple of different wines here at home. The first comes from Spain, the only European country I've been to more than once. It is Borsao Tres Picos 2004, a 100% garnacha wine. One of the sommeliers in a wine shop by my apartment recommended this to me since both my wife and I enjoy a nice Rioja. Although this is not a Rioja, he thought we would appreciate this one as well, especially at the price (they sell it for $9.99 although most of the shops in NYC I've seen it at, have it at around $15.99). The wine needed some time to breathe after uncorking, but once it did, I found something I could truly enjoy. There were hints of fruit on the nose, and it tasted like berries with some hints of vanilla and leather (which tends to be present in the wines I like). It doesn't have a harsh finish, which is also something that I enjoy when I find it in a lower priced wine. I think this is a nice "everyday" wine if you like Spanish reds. Oh yeah, in the glass, it's a really deep red/purple color. Not something you can see through.

The second wine I'll mention is Morellino di Scansano Riserva Le Sentinelle 2001, which is made up of 15% Alicante and 85% Sangiovese (actually, the specific type of Sangiovese is Morellino). Anyway, this wine is also very dark in color, like the Tres Picos, but that's really where the similarities end. This wine reminded me of the grapes that created it, finishing off with a more grape-y flavor than I imagined it would. This is a big, chewy wine, which went well with my spaghetti and meatballs, but I imagine it would do better with some nice cuts of meat. The only sore spot I really had was that it was a tad harsh and acidic at the end, even with the pasta sauce.