Rocking Horse

A couple of nights ago, my wife and I met a couple of good friends out for a pre-Christmas dinner at the Rocking Horse Cafe in Chelsea. I think we first discovered this place by just searching for a place to eat in this neighborhood one evening years ago because we had to be over there for something else. We've been back multiple times since, always enjoying ourselves. I've ever had a bad or disappointing meal here.
This time, I had the Camarones con Papaya (shrimp, caramelized onions, papaya & poblano chiles in chipotle tomato purée with warm organic spelt tortillas) after starting off with some guacamole. It was all really good. A nice blend of sweet and spicy. For dessert we shared the Tarta de Limón (lime custard in ginger graham crust with Myers's rum cream, mango & raspberry purées), which was great, but I recommend the Buñuelos with Ibarra (homemade donuts with chocolate pot au creme & spiced piloncillo syrup) if you're going to be there and saving room for dessert.
I had a great time at this place, and I was really happy that everyone enjoyed their meal. I feel like whenever we take people to a place we really like the chef has an off-night and I feel badly that I dragged people out to this place to spend their hard-earned cash on a sub-par meal. Not this night (whew). The only thing I was a little disappointed in was my wine choice. I got a Rioja (of course I can't remember what it was and the wine list isn't online), and it wasn't as good as I had hoped. Hey, what can you do?

NP: The Backyardigans...

Early Merry Christmas

Today's a day where everything as been going wrong. I've tried to bake some gifts and they keep coming out badly. It really hasn't been my fault, but either way, they turned out like crap. My son has been really cranky (although in his defense he seems to be not feeling well today), and my wife has been really cranky (because of my son). I would like to go to bed and just have a do-over. Well, that can't happen, so...
I decided I would try to change my luck by wishing everyone a somewhat early Merry Christmas!!!

NP: Christmas Is Coming, John Denver & the Muppets

Not Such A Bastard

Last night we uncorked a bottle of Il Bastardo Sangiovese Rosso di Toscana 2001, Italy. I've had this wine before in a restaurant in Boston (I can't actually remember the name of that place, but it's on Newbury Street upstairs from Daisy Buchanan's). Anyway, I liked this wine then and I liked it now. It's a simple Italian red with some dark fruit (mainly cherries) and a little harshness to it, but it's good. Especially since it costs less than 10 bucks a bottle it's a great buy. Besides, everyone enjoys seeing the label...

NP: Limelight, Rush

More Proof He's Mine

Today my son woke up from his nap and was feeling a little cranky. We've got a few tricks to get him out of his post-nap funk. Today I decided to put on his favorite song (No One, by Alicia Keys) and let him sit on my lap on the couch for a bit. (It's really cute because he sings along with her, totally off-key. Of course he doesn't sing the words - he's only 14 months - but he does the melody and he does do a good job with the oh-oh-oh's at the end.)
Anyway, my iPod was on shuffle and after the Alicia Keys song finished, it went to Creeping Death by Metallica. Well, my son jumped off my lap and started bouncing up and down, clapping his hands and squealing with joy. It was awesome. Too bad my wife wasn't around to witness it (I doubt she'll believe me if I tell her). Maybe it's because he got the Metallica Lullaby CD for his birthday or maybe he's just into the metal... only time will tell.
Maybe I need to get him a tiny guitar and get the lessons started early.

Panettone Success!

Yesterday I decided to try my hand at baking a Panettone. For those who don't know, this is basically an Italian holiday bread. It's usually filled with candied fruit. Personally, I'm not crazy about fruit filled breads. I think I must've had some freak accident with a fruit cake as a child that I blocked out from my memory (my fruit cake hate is no where near the level of my M.A.S.H. hate, in case you were wondering). Whatever the reason, I'm just not into it. So, I made mine with chocolate chips instead (the 60% cacao ones from Ghirardelli). Amazingly, it turned out really well on only my first try (see the pics of it on this post).
Anyway, I got the recipe from the Gourmet Magazine website in case you're interested. I pretty much followed it except for the following changes.: Instead of 1 cup of raisins and 1 cup of candied citrus, I used 2 cups of the chips (it's a good idea to toss the chips in flour first so they don't sink). Instead of the lemon zest and juice I used 1 tbsp vanilla. As for the baking, I ditched the coffee can idea and actually used one of the paper things the Panettone will usually come in (I got mine at Chef Central). It was a large one, so I never divided the bread and only cooked one loaf. The instructions on the paper container says to lower to baking temperature with those, so I baked at 350 instead of 375 for 40 minutes. It worked out great.

NP: Beverly Hills, Weezer

Not Just For Breakfast Anymore

I love brunch. My wife loves brunch. While we were in NYC we would go all over the place to have brunch on the weekends (or during the week if we were lucky enough to be off from work). One place that we both really enjoy is the Popover Cafe on the Upper West Side. My favorite breakfast there is the Eggs Benedict on Popovers. Mmmm. The popovers at this place are as big as your head (well... I guess it depends on the size of your head) and are full of flaky goodness inside. They also come with home-made strawberry butter which is perfect.
Well, our son's pediatrician is on the Upper West Side, so after his appointment the other day we needed some lunch. I had never been there for lunch before, so we thought we'd give it a chance. We both (well, all three of us really) had the Chicken "Pop" Pie. It's basically a chicken pot pie served in a popover (in case you didn't get it already, basically everything either comes with or in a popover). This was terrific. It was the perfect lunch on a cold, rainy, winter day.

NP: Damage Is Done, Black Label Society

Fakes Are Good Too

This year I broke tradition and got myself an artificial Christmas Tree. Growing up, my family always had a fake tree and we hated it (well, my sister and I hated it). Sometime during high school we switched over to real trees. I decided at that time I would always get a real tree at Christmas time. Well, that decision, just like many others in my life has been turned over. This year we got a fake tree. This decision was influenced by many factors, but the most compelling were the potential fire and choking hazards a real tree presented to my 1 year old son who can't keep his hands off of anything (do you know how many times I've had to tell him that the oven is bad?). Also, the fact that real tree prices have climbed every year and we've been paying about $100 a year for a tree we thought was nice enough (not even the best tree, just good enough). Of course this was in NYC and not NJ, but the part of Jersey we moved to isn't really that much cheaper than NYC... in fact, in some ways, it's more expensive. Ah well...
To be honest, I wasn't ready for the amazingly inflated prices of artificial trees, but I guess it'll pay for itself over time. Now all trees come with lights already on them. I really do enjoy the ease of these trees, but I would have been happy to have scored a cheaper tree without lights. Unfortunately the only ones I could fine (I think I found 2) were like the tree from Charlie Brown's Christmas. Decorated, they remind me of an old lady trying to look good on a night out - too old and scrawny for a couple of baubles to fool anyone into thinking they are still pretty.
So... I shelled out the big bucks and got a nice tree with 800 lights and over 2100 branch tips. It looks really nice and I'm happy with it. I got it at K-Mart. Not my favorite store in the world - I always leave that place feeling dirty. Also, it's from the Martha Stewart line of trees, and I had to break some of my own moral codes to actually purchase a tree from that lady, but sometimes you've got to sell your soul to get what you want.
Happy Holidays!

NP: Love Like Winter, AFI

I Guess Rats Aren't All Bad

This weekend I rented the movie Ratatouille from Pixar Studios. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, it's a cartoon (well, computer generated cartoon) about a rat in France who decides he wants to be a chef. I had heard that this was another great movie from Pixar, and I wanted to check it out. It was really good. It's a cute movie with some little jokes that are obviously directed towards the adults in the audience. I also enjoyed the scenes of Paris, which made me want to go back and visit again. I would check this one out if you get a chance.

NP: Little Guitars, Van Halen

I Used To Hate Clowns

Since moving out of NYC I've actually started buying wine in my local grocery store. This wasn't something I would ever think of doing in the city, but here there's not too many better options. I haven't been too impressed with the wine selection and the quality of wines I've bought in the local wine stores. The grocery stores sell wine, and it's at least stuff I've heard of. It my not be the fanciest of selections, but it is pretty decent with the cheaper stuff.
One day I grabbed a bottle of Beauzeaux Red Wine California 2005 (pronounced Bo-Zo). It was $7.99 and had signs of "Wine of the Year (can't remember the exact organization that named it wine of the year)" around it. I was easily swayed and bought a bottle. It was actually very enjoyable. I've been through three bottles since and have liked every one. It's a red blend of 68% Zinfandel, 21% Syrah, 3% Petite Sirah, 3% Charbono, 2% Lagrein, 1% Valdiguie, 1% Grenache, 1% Tempranillo, so it pretty much goes with everything. It's a smooth wine with some blackberries and other dark fruits.
Another wine I picked up from the grocery store was Robert Mondavi Private Selection Chardonnay California 2005. This one I actually picked up because all Mondavi selections were on sale for $8.99 and usually we have pretty good success with them. I have to say I didn't love this wine. It was good, and I think most of my reservations are due to bad pairings with dinner, but overall it wasn't the best for me. It was a little too fruity and less buttery than I was hoping for in a chardonnay. Still, we bought 2 bottles and it was very consistent.

NP: Exit, Population 1

Let The Holiday Season Begin

So, it seems that each year Thanksgiving becomes more about when you can really start shopping for Christmas (and decorate your house without your neighbors thinking you are crazy) than what it's really about - giving thanks (and celebrating when some Pilgrims sat down with Native Americans and split a turkey and some corn).
Today I spent the day with my family (well, my wife's family to be exact) and we all had a very nice time. My son only had 1 or 2 short lived meltdowns and a day that for a while seemed like "A Thanksgiving Without A Turkey" turned out to be a very good day (the people bringing the turkey were late - a no no for future reference). Even the drive from New Jersey to Long Island wasn't that bad (the L.I.E. actually moved well for once).

I stuffed my face on turkey, potatoes, stuffing, pork, lasagna, carrots, rice and beans, ham, roasted vegetables, cheese cake, chocolate chip cookies, brownies and candy. Not a bad day.

Now it's time for shopping to begin.

Chuck

So, it seems that every year there's a new television show that I really get into. Last year it was Heroes (which, by the way, isn't as bad this year as everyone says it is - it's just not great). This year, it's Chuck. The television show by McG about a computer geek who gets sucked into the world of spies and such. It's a comedy, but it's also got some great story writing. Hopefully the writer's strike won't screw this one up. Check it out if you get the chance: Mondays at 8:00pm, NBC.

NP: Best of You, Foo Fighters

First Snow

This morning I am sick and my son woke us up at 6:00am. I couldn't go back to sleep because I'm coughing too much and the heating guy is supposed to come over between 8 and 12 to fix our heating system (it is only half working). So... already it hasn't been the best day. But when I was making myself a cup of tea, I looked out the kitchen window and saw snow. I'm really not sure if this is the first snow of the season, but it's my first snow of the year and that's what counts. The day's not all bad.

NP: No One, Alicia Keys

More Wine For The Week

Well, I've got some more wines to write about this week. Trying to catch up with the ones that we've had since the move. Unfortunately, many are lost to the winds. I try to keep the label and things like that, but my wife has a love of throwing things away. So, they went to the trash before I could keep tabs on them. Anyway, the first of the ones I do remember is Rocca Felice Nebbiolo d'Alba Italy. I got this one for somewhere between $6.99 and $8.99 and it was worth every penny. Honestly, this was a great little wine, which we both enjoyed a lot. It's a nice Italian red.
Another one I picked up recently was the Inama Vin Soave Soave Classico 2006, Italy. I've gotten this wine a couple of times before and I really enjoy it. I think I feel like it's a smoother wine that I previously gave it credit for, but overall it's been pretty consistent. Although this was the first bottle I've had of the 2006 vintage (previous bottles were from 2005). A good wine.
Then we've got the Tupun Reserve Chardonnay Argentina, 2006. This bottle I got from the Wine of the Month club I had been a member of. We didn't love this wine. I think we had it with some turkey, which probably wasn't the best pairing, but it said on the label it went with poultry. It was a little too fruity for my tastes. Especially for something that was supposed to go with dinner. The tasting notes say flavors of pineapple, peach and mango, but what we really tasted were apricots.
Finally, I was hoping to enjoy a bottle of Frog's Leap Chardonnay Napa Valley, 2005. Unfortunately it was heat damaged, so we didn't drink that one. By the way, this was the 3rd bottle of wine I've gotten at Total Wine in River Edge, NJ that was heat damaged... Take it for what you will.

It's A Crappy Day... I'm Feeling Winey

It's a crappy day out today, and I have to go to work in a little while. My son has finally settled down for an afternoon nap, and the work I want/have to do can't get done. For some reason my file is corrupted, so I have to wait until I get into my office to get my backup. So... I'm sitting here on my couch, with nothing better to watch on television but Grease 2, and I figure I should throw something up here.
Since moving into our new house, we've been through a whole lot of wine. Some good and some not-so-good. Luckily, I've been happy with most, but there have been the occasional stinkers.
One of my favorite wines is the Carpineto Dogajolo Tuscany Italy 2005. I used to get this wine a lot at Sherry-Lehman in the city and was excited to find it in my local Stop and Shop Wine Shop. It's not expensive and a great everyday Italian wine. It's a blend of Sangiovese and Carbenet Sauvignon grapes. I have this with pasta (marinara, bolognese or any variety of red sauces) and with meats. I think it's a fun, steady wine. I've had multiple bottles and never have been disappointed.
Another staple Italian red for us is the Ruffino Aziano Chianti Classico Tuscany Italy 2005. To be honest, I thought the 2003 was a much better wine, but I've been happy with the 2004 and 2005 as well (with the 2005 being a better choice over the two). We first had this wine (the 2003) in New Orleans, and we've stuck by it since. It's a great everyday chianti that goes with just about everything. It's got nice acidity, full body and a taste of dark red fruit.
A great white, which I will recommend to anyone is the Groth Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2005. This may be my favorite white wine. This is another wine that we first had while visiting New Orleans. We enjoyed this with dinner at August (which may be one of the best restaurants I've been to in the United States). I can't tell you how many bottles of this wine I've gone through. It's consistently excellent from bottle to bottle and vintage to vintage. It's great with seafood or light pasta dishes. It is crisp, light and has citrus flavors and melon.
Another wine we've had in the recent months was Graffigna Malbec Argentina 2004. I bought this one a very long time ago (while my wife was pregnant) at the recommendation of one of the guys at Murray's Wine Store and it's sat in my wine fridge ever since. My wife is a big fan of Malbec, so we waited until she wasn't pregnant or breast-feeding to enjoy this wine. I liked it. It wasn't terrific, but I've never been blown over by a Malbec. I like them, but they have never been a go-to wine for me. It's got lots of dark cherry and plums. A little spicy, but not too much. We paired it with grilled lamb chops and they went very well together (mmm.... those lamb chops turned out very good. I remember them well).

Oh... the baby's awake. Got to go.

So Much

Wow. It's been forever since I posted on here. A whole lot has happened since then. We moved out of NYC (I'm still suffering from that - don't know if I'll ever get used to it), we're fixing up our house and my son had his first birthday. We got a new (second) car, and now I must deal with commuting into Manhattan on an all too often basis to get to work. We've seen some decent movies and drank some really good wine. We've had the occasional great meal and some terrific gelato. Hopefully I'll write more about this all later. Right now I've got work to finish...

Oh yeah, HAPPY HALLOWEEN.

NP: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, HBO

Last Post? Happy Labor Day

Hmm... so Labor Day was actually started back in the 1800's by the Central Labor Union to give its workers a day off. Now it's a National Holiday. Nice. Happy Labor Day to everyone! It's the end of the summer (unofficially) and that's sad. There's cold weather ahead! Unless Al Gore is right and then there's rising sea levels ahead!
This is probably going to be my last post in a while. The Big Move is happening this week and we've been putting things away as best we can. The computer is going to go soon...
I may be on again over the next couple of days, but if not, it'll likely be a couple of weeks until the next post. See ya!
Go Yankees!

In The Club

I've been pretty absent once again. Work and the Big Move have taken up almost all of my time. At least the Yankees are in playoff contention again. Hopefully they won't continue to have such a see-saw in their playing ability.
The last 3 wines we've opened have all been from the Wine of the Month Club my wife had gotten for me last Christmas. Unfortunately, the club is over for me (it was a 6 month gift), but I've still got some wines.
My favorite of the recent group was a Zinfandel from Puglia, Italy. It was Ill Basso Zinfandel 2005, Puglia (IGT). This wine was terrific, but really very different than an American Zin'. I don't even remember what we ate with this wine, but I remember the wine. We were a little scared when we uncorked it, not knowing what to expect, but we were pleasantly surprised. The wine wasn't really spicy like an American Zin'. My wife thought it tasted like cherries, but I could taste a little bit of tobacco and leather in there as well. Usually, this has been what I've disliked about wines from Puglia. This one, however, had just enough to make it really good and fun. The ones I've had before (Primitivo's, no Zinfandel's) were just too overpowering.
The next one was a white. It was Pasodoble Torrontes 2006, Argentina. I can't remember when this one showed up from the club, but it's been hanging in the 'fridge since then. On the papers from the club it states that it goes great with spicy Thai dishes. Usually, I like a Gewturztraminer or a Riesling with my Thai food, but we figured we'd give it a go. We got some great take-out from Land on the Upper East Side. Friends have told me that the one on Amsterdam is great too. Anyway, my first reaction was forgettable. Mainly because I felt like I was drinking water. It didn't stand up to the food. It was very easy to drink and definitely "went" with the meal (it actually did fair better against the spicier dishes), but it just kind of faded into the distance. My first sips (before the food) tasted of honey and peaches, and it was very smooth. Too bad it didn't hold its own.
Finally I've got a Merlot to speak of. To be honest, but biggest complaint about this Wine of the Month Club has been the predominance of Merlot's in its selections. Half of the reds were Merlot's. Anyway, this one was Tres Valles Merlot 2005, Curico Valley Chile. This was a pretty nice wine. It didn't have a lot of the "mossy-ness" I tend to associate with Merlot. It had some nice red fruits and was pretty easy to drink. However, we didn't finish the bottle, and I never went back to it again. So that has to tell you something.

NP: Some crazy a$$ $h!t by Bjork, Saturday Night Live

Bad Parents

Apparently, arrogant salesmen know what makes a great parent. Yesterday, my wife, my son and I were going through Home Depot to get some things for the new house. Unfortunately, my wife had just mentioned that she was thirsty... So, when we turned the corner of the aisle and were asked "Would you like a glass of water?" by the strangely fit water pitchman she said okay. This guy was selling ZeroWater.
You might be thinking, what is ZeroWater? According to it's website:

ZeroWater is a revolutionary water filtration system that removes unwanted contaminants, leaving you with clear, great-tasting water. Need proof? Every ZeroWater Starter Kit includes the same tester used in national laboratories to evaluate the presence of contaminants.

The guy then kept going on and on about how great his water system was and that we should cough up the $150 (or somewhere around there) to buy one for our home. When we told him no, he got all upset with us. And I don't mean your common variety salesman trying to make a sale upset. He was visibly angry that we didn't want one. He even went as far as telling us that we were bad parents because we weren't getting one. He then went on to tell us that we weren't doing what is best for our son.
I didn't realize that this guy was the expert on child rearing. Luckily, ZeroWater has a 1-800 number, so I can call them with all my questions about my child. Screw his pediatrician, I've got the ZeroWater guy!

Phil Rizzuto... 1917-2007

Today, Yankees legend, Phil Rizzuto passed away. I grew up listening to him broadcasting all the Yankees games on WPIX and on the radio, back when they were on AM 770. It's a sad day. So, let's all give a moment of silence for Rizzuto.

BTW: There's a great book with all the Phil Rizzuto quotes. It's fun.

Rosé Is The New Pink

I went to Boston a few weeks ago to hang out with my wife while she was attending a work conference. While we were there, we went out to dinner to this place called Tapeo on Newbury Street. I hadn't eaten here in about 10 years or so, when we went for a friend's birthday. I didn't like it then, and I sort of liked it now. The food was good, but in the realm of Spanish Tapas outside of Spain, I've had a ton better. Their Sangria (the red one) was excellent, however.
When the pitcher of Sangria went dry, I was the only one who wanted more, so I decided to get a glass of wine. On a whim, I thought I would give the Muga Rosé Rioja, Rioja Spain a try. I've read that this was a good wine and rosé wines are "in" at the moment. Too bad I was disappointed. I can't even give you a flavor profile, because all I remember was "eh." It was cold and little else. Perhaps they had chilled it too much and washed the flavor away. Whatever the reason, I won't be having this one again.
Go to the Muga website here.

Let There Be White! (and a little red)

I haven't written about any wines here in a long while, but I have been drinking them. I just don't have the time to sit down at the computer and write about them anymore. I guess because it's summer, I've been drinking more whites lately to go with the foods we're making. Who knows? Whatever the reason, I've got a few whites to talk about. First up is Inama Vin Soave Soave Classico 2005, Italy. Apparently, Inama is the leading estate producer of Soave Classico (who knew?). Anyway, I picked this up from one of the local liquor stores one night when I thought a white wine would go well with dinner. I don't remember exactly what we were having, but I'm pretty sure it was something Italian, so I wanted an Italian white to go with it. My choices were kind of slim because I wanted to get something from the cold case so we could drink it right away. I picked this mainly because I didn't like the other choices, and I was very pleasantly surprised. We both really liked it. It's a light/delicate wine, but it still has lots of flavor (not like some of the less memorable Pinot Grigios out there). It has a crisp finish and some minerality to it. We've gotten this one a couple times now, and I've enjoyed each bottle.
The second wine, I'm not so happy with. I actually picked it up as a consolation to the fact that the wine I actually wanted wasn't in stock. The one I did buy was Clos Roche Blanche Touraine Sauvignon 2006, France. It's not a bad wine. In fact, it's pretty good. It's crisp, light, with some citrus and anise flavors. It just wasn't the one I wanted, and I think that colored my feelings towards it. The other one was better. Of course, I can't remember the winery. It was another Touraine Sauvignon, and it was terrific. It had won some award that sounded like The Palme d'Or from the Cannes Film Festival.
The last white wine I have to mention was Willm Vin d'Alsace Gewturztraminer, France. I love this wine. I've had it before and it's a great example of a gewturztraminer. It's not too expensive, and the few bottles I've had have been consistently good. This one I had in my fridge, and we opened it up when we ordered some Indian food from Dakshin in NYC (which, by the way, has great delivery). This wine is on the sweeter side, with tastes of honey, pear, and melon. Not too acidic either.
Finally, I thought I would mention one red that we opened lately. It was the first of my Barolo collection (it's not that big of a collection) to be somewhat ready to be opened, so we went for it. It was Silvio Grasso "Bricco Luciani" Barolo 2000, Piemonte Italy. My excitement in opening this wine was somewhat diminished when I extracted the cork and saw evidence of some heat damage. It smelled okay, however, so I soldiered on. We had actually opened a much less expensive and less interesting wine first, but that wine was very old and very bad. So we moved on. I didn't tell my wife about the wine creeping up the sides of the cork to get an honest opinion on what she thought of this wine. It was still very good. There were tastes of blackberries, licorice, and tobacco. However I think this wine was a little harsher than it should have been. I drank it down anyway.

NP: Rollin' On, Black Stone Cherry

Spa Treatment

I had decided to give my wife a massage at a spa as one of her presents this past year. Then, when I was about to buy her one, I thought "why don't I go too?" She's been trying to get me to try a message for years, and I figured I would go for it this time. I looked for a place that allowed men (you'd be surprised that most do not - at least here in NYC). So, we ended up at Oasis Day Spa in NYC. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was along for the ride.
The whole place was about peacefulness and was set up trying to bring some tranquility into your life. They did a nice job - we were at the one on Park Avenue - and after you went downstairs into the spa, you forgot where you were.
We got the couples side-by-side message. I've got to say that it was really nice. Although I think I got so relaxed in there that I fell asleep for a second. I could get used to these...

NP:

This Is The End, My Friend

Today I finished the 7th and last book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I'm a little saddened by completing these books. They were fun, and I enjoyed reading about the characters. Overall, I really enjoyed the book. I thought it started a little slow, but picked up quickly. I guess it played out as I expected, but I can't see it ending any other way.

NP: 5 to 1, The Doors

If Only Mr. Peabody Was Still Around

While I was away in Salem, MA, my wife and I thought we would look around the Peabody Essex Museum. We like to explore art museums while we are on vacations, and had some time to kill before the wedding we were going to. Unfortunately, the museum had other plans.
We were traveling with our 9 month old son, and naturally, we had a diaper bag with us. Somehow, the museum has decided that diaper bags should be outlawed. They would not let us bring the bag in with us. We explained its purpose to the guards (and showed them that all it contained was some diapers, wipes, diaper cream, some toys and a change of clothes for our son) but they were unimpressed. They said it was museum policy that no bags could be brought inside, and that included diaper bags.
What was really amazing was how they were all shocked when we decided not to go in. Somehow, everything got turned around and we were the unreasonable ones who were acting all crazy by not wanting to pay the $13.00 each to get into this museum and not be able to bring our baby's diaper bag in.

So, during my trip to Salem, I learned that the Peabody Essex Museum sucks and they are unfriendly to children and families. Spread the word.


NP: Available Light, Rush

You've Got Your Banana In My Cola

I went to Salem, MA this weekend for a good friend's wedding... there will be more on that later. We're still settling into the apartment after being away for more than a few days. I hate going back to work after being away. It sucks.
Right before we left for our trip, I saw a can of this Rola Cola Banana Cola in the store. It sort of grossed me out the second I saw it, but it was only 25 cents a can. Can't really turn that down, can you? So... I got one. I have to say, it wasn't that bad. I don't know if I'm going to be hunting down every store that sells Rola Cola or even saying that I would buy it again, but it wasn't gross. You could definitely taste the banana flavoring, and it didn't make me vomit. In fact, it was okay. I guess it would be like melting a banana Now and Later in your Coke and drinking it up.

NP: Nice To Meet You, Dramagods

Can You Feel The Vibrations?

I went to the video store the other day looking for something to pass the time. Summer television programming seems to suck harder than I remember, and we haven't had something interesting to watch on our DVR in weeks. Of course, there really wasn't a single thing I was interested in renting (well... I still have this urge to check out Rocky Balboa, but I know my wife won't watch it). Then, the shop owner said, "How about Shooter? Everyone seems to like it."
I am really glad he suggested this movie. It kind of came and went out of the theaters (what movie doesn't these days - it's like the theater is some formality to get out of the way to make room for the DVD cash) and I forgot it even existed. Well, it was really entertaining. And somehow, you can't help but like Marky Mark's character even while he's shooting everyone in the head.
It's a good flick. Check it out.

NP: Richard Hung Himself, D.I.

Did You Say Free?

I enjoy my coffee. So, I naturally jumped at the chance to get a free pod coffee maker from Senseo. I had read about this freebie online before, but never seemed to be able to get it to work for me. This time, I received an e-mail from the company to see if I qualified for a free machine.
Finally, success!
I got the e-mail asking me to pay for shipping ($15.00), and a free Senseo coffee maker (and some coffee) would be mine. (Okay, so maybe it's not exactly free, but $15 bucks for this machine which goes for $65-$75 in the store isn't too shabby.)
My initial plan was to bring this machine into work, so that I could easily make myself a cup of joe during my overnight shifts. First, however, I needed to try out the machine. If it was crap, what was the point?
That first night, we cracked open the box and set up the machine for some after-dinner coffee. Personally, I'm much more of a fan of the espresso based drinks, and that's usually what I drink at home (and from the coffee-shop). Unfortunately, my Breville machine is too loud to use once the baby is asleep, so we've been using a French-Press as an alternative. Well, the Senseo actually made a nice cup of coffee. And it's quiet, so we can use it at night. Yes, I'm still looking for a way to get a cup of coffee at work once everything else has closed, but I like having this at home.
Besides, everything is better when it's free.

NP: All Right Now, Free

Long Time No Post

Life really catches up with you sometimes...
As a family, we've been really busy lately. There have been birthdays, anniversaries, conferences, a lot of working, and preparing for the big move (more on that at a later time). Mix that in with trying to get some quality time as a family really leaves you with no time for the little things. So, I haven't posted in a really long time. I've got a bunch of things to catch up on, but first I'll talk about yesterday.
We finally had a weekend day off together, so we packed up the kid and headed downtown to the Lower East Side (Alphabet City to be exact) to have some beers and sausages at Zum Schneider Restaurant & Biergarten. We sat outside, enjoyed the weather and ate some damn good food and enjoyed some beers. I had a couple 0.5L mugs of Hacker Pschorr, while my wife had a 0.3L glass of Aventinus, which is a double bock wheat beer. They were out of our favorite, the Spaten Optimator, but what can you do? This is a terrific place to go hang out with your friends and just relax with some beers. It's also a lot of fun for Oktoberfest. Food-wise, we shared some potato pancakes (Reiberdatschi) and then split the homemade spätzle with cheese, caramelized onions & bacon (Käsespätzle), which, incidentally, is listed as a vegetarian dish on the menu, and the sausage platter, which comes with 3 Bavarian sausages, sauerkraut & potato salad.
After lunch, we walked off the beer by going over to the Laboratorio del Gelato. We never seemed to find ourselves down there when it was a good time for some gelato. But today worked out well, and I was finally able to try this place. I got 2 flavors - Mexican cinnamon and dark chocolate. My wife got milk chocolate malt and dulche de leche. All were terrific.

NP: Eternal Life, Jeff Buckley

Gas Mania

I like this game:

BP Gas Mania Keep your customers happy!

Play this free game now!!

Another Year Older

Yesterday was my birthday. All in all, it wasn't a great day. The baby was really cranky and I was very tired with a lot of stuff that I needed to get done. It did end on a nice note, however.
My wife took me out to Balthazar on Spring Street in NYC. This is one of the places I've wanted to go since I moved back here seven years ago, and I finally made it. I have to say, it didn't disappoint (well... except for the dessert, which is kind of tragic in a dinner/dessert sort of way). I've always been a little wary because this place is labeled a tourist trap, but it's well regarded anyway.
For starters, my wife had the Onion Soup Gratinee and I had the Chicken Liver and Foie Gras Mousse. They were both fantastic, but I think I liked the soup better - it was the best Onion Soup I've had outside of France. We paired our appetizers with a "carafe" of one of the 2 house whites - Pinot Blanc "Reserve" A Seltz, 2005 (by "carafe" they mean a full 750mL bottle). Our main courses consisted of Pan Roasted Chicken "A La Creme" for my wife and Duck Confit for myself (which I paired with a glass of Cote De Beaune Villages "Combottes" d'Ardhuy 2005).
Finally, we rounded out the dinner with some Warm Chocolate Cake with White Chocolate Ice Cream. Unfortunately, this was basically a brownie with a scoop of ice cream. There were other choices that would probably have been better. The cafe au'lait was good though.
Forget about the dessert and I had a great meal. It was a very nice birthday.

NP:

The Tradition Continues

Yesterday marked my 3rd wedding anniversary, and for the 3rd year in a row we celebrated at Babbo Ristorante in New York. Well... I'm going to finish this later... watch for it.

B Is For Belgian

The other night we decided to check out a new restaurant in our neighborhood called the B Cafe. This is a new Belgian Beer Cafe that has opened on the Upper East Side. We read that they have a great back yard dining area, which is good for kids. So, we loaded up our son in his stroller and off we went (we were meeting two of our friends there). Unfortunately the backyard was closed for repairs/reports of bad weather, so we had to sit inside where it's louder (which resulted in waking our son up a couple times during the meal). The place is very nice inside, and has the feel of a place that should be downtown and not on the UES. We started with some appetizers - salt and pepper shrimp and bitter ballen - which are deep fried meatballs served with a spicy mustard dipping sauce. Nice.
For dinner, 3 of us had variations on the house specialty - moules frites (mussels and fries). I got the mussels cooked in beer (Hoegarten), parsley and garlic. My wife got them cooked in white wine, vegetables and fresh herbs, and our friend got them cooked in saffron, chicken broth and white wine. All were terrific. And the fries came with ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard for dipping. Our other friend got the beef stew, which was also very good. To wash it all down I had a couple bottles of Leffe Dark, which went very well with my meal. Unfortunately our son got too cranky and we had to leave before dessert. Maybe next time.

Better Butter

So, I think I finally realized I have turned into a food-snob (or Foodie if you want to use the kinder, less offensive terminology) when I went from getting my butter from the local Gristedes or D'Agostino and now have to go to Agata and Valentina (where I do most of my shopping anyways) or Citarella to get my French, Italian or Danish butter. Land O' Lakes or Breakstone's used to be good enough for me, but one day I decided to try some of the fancy stuff - it was on sale - and it really was a ton better. It's much creamier than the basic American product (which to me, tends to crumble easier) and the taste is so much better on toast or bagels or English muffins. So, now I'm stuck, paying more than I should for butter. But I don't want to go back to regular butter and that's why I've realize I have finally crossed the line... Oh, you can also get the Plugra brand, which is made in the good ol' U S of A (I think it's from Vermont) but in the "European style." It's pretty much the same as the one's from Europe but cheaper (I guess you're saving on the importing costs).









NP: Wish Upon A Dogstar, Satellite Party

Gypsies!

Today I had to go to Midtown to rent a tuxedo for my friend's wedding. It was such a nice day and I didn't really have much to do, so I decided to walk around the city a bit. Imagine my surprise when I saw a figure hunched over, head covered with a shawl, and her hand stretched out and up holding a can waiting for handouts. You may be thinking "Surprised about beggers in NYC? Is this guy an idiot?" But what really got me was that this was a Gypsy. She looked just like the ones we avoided in Italy and in Spain. The only difference is that I didn't see any Gyspy kids hanging around her waiting to take your money. In Italy, my response of choice was "Get away from me you damn Gypsy." Yes, not very politically correct, but when they follow you and try and touch you and keep trying to get money from you, there's only so much you can take.
Anyway... after getting over my initial surprise of seeing a Gypsy begging in New York, I saw another a few blocks later. They're here and I'm scared...

NP:

Did Heroes Disappoint?

Don't read this if you haven't watched the show and don't want to know what happens in the end.

Last night I watched the season finale of Heroes (we had it on our DVR since I worked Monday night). All in all, I really enjoyed this series and will be watching for it next year. The end, however, had me a little bummed out and disappointed. I almost feel as though they tried to cram too much into the last episode. Maybe if they made it a 2 hour episode it would have gone over better. A lot of things did get wrapped up, but I felt they happened too quickly. Also, there was no big fight between Sylar and the good guys. Sure they battled it out for like 2 minutes, but I was expecting more. He went down way too fast. Also... if Peter Petrelli can fly, why did his brother need to sacrifice himself to fly him away from NYC. Why didn't Peter just fly away? Who knows?

Here's waiting for next year.

NP: Far Cry, Rush

Hey, We're In Delaware...

Anyone remember that scene in Wayne's World where they were playing with the blue screen? They were pretending to travel to different places around the country, and when they ended up in Delaware they had nothing to say except "hey... we're in Delaware." Well... I ended up in Delaware this weekend, and discovered that although there's truly not much to do there you can still have a nice time.
We went down to Rehoboth Beach for a long weekend (we both took Friday off) to have a little rest and relaxation. Unfortunately, Friday turned out to be a crappy day with some rain showers and cold temperatures. We roughed it out and looked around the main strip of Rehoboth. We couldn't really walk on the boardwalk that day because it was too cold and windy for the baby. There seems to be a large British influence in this area. The main old hotel on the beach (where we didn't stay) flies the British Flag proudly, and there are a lot of fish and chips places and like three Thrasher's restaurants (I use the term lightly). Of course there are like 50 Grotto Pizza places and I don't think the town is particularly Italian...
One of the fun things we did while we were there was eat at this crab house called Claws. We both went with the all you can eat crabs and corn on the cob special. It's pretty fun getting to eat your dinner with a mallet. Those crabs never stood a chance.
On Saturday, the weather got nicer, although we did have to deal with some showers at night. Sunday, of course was beautiful for the drive back to NYC. (BTW, driving 4 hours with a 7 month old in the car is not easy...)
Today... back to work.