Even though we only have a couple of Americans in the lab, putting on an 'American Bbq' isn't a problem when you have Costco just a short drive away. A pack of 24 burgers, some Nathan's hot dogs, and some Wonder Bread buns and you're all set. Throw in a bit of Pimms for a British touch, and we had the perfect recipe for an afternoon of excess.
Now I just have to do something with the leftover 15 ears of corn...
One of the things people remember after a visit to Italy is the gelato which, for one reason or another, the Italians seem to do better than anyone else. I mean, there's nothing wrong with going to Cold Stone Creamery and having one of their dishes, which starts with ice cream and can end up as a three-course meal, but there's something special about the simplicity and freshness of Italian gelato. Last night I overcame the east-west divide to try a new gelateria here in Manhattan:
GROM 2165 Broadway (at 76th St.) New York, NY 10022 +1 646 290-7233
GROM is a small Italian chain, with 14 shops in the north of Italy. They recently opened their upper west side store, and it's been getting a lot of press. The GROM website describes how each of their flavors of gelato is made with fresh, seasonal ingredients, a lot of which are organic. I heard the line at the shop (which is takeout only) is often down the street, so I thought going on a Tuesday at about 7pm would spare me the long wait. My hunch was right, and after studying the menu (and getting a little insider advice from my ice cream-loving girlfriend) I settled on a small cup with two flavors: hazelnut and cappuccino. I also had a taste of the cinnamon, which was amazing (although too overpowering to have more than a taste). The gelato was amazing, and the only problem was that I had to eat it fast enough to finish before it all melted. What I really wanted was to enjoy the taste of each spoonful before moving on to the next!
The price wasn't cheap - $4.50 for a small cup - but it's not the kind of ice cream you stuff yourself with. If you're looking for a little taste of Italy, it's definitely worth a visit.
A couple of days ago, a steam pipe 'built back in 1924' exploded in Midtown Manhattan, right by Grand Central Terminal. The mayor said it was a failure of the city's infrastructure. Apparently 83 years after something is built is about the time it starts to fall apart.
It is absolutely pouring outside right now. The highways are flooding, and I can't see the Chrysler Building from lab. It definitely rained more often in London, but when it rains in New York, it feels like you'll see Noah and his Ark floating down 2nd Ave. any minute.
The Simpsons Movie is coming out in a couple of weeks. I've been watching The Simpsons on and off since college, and am really looking forward to the movie. One of the most interesting features of the show over the years has been the 'guest appearances'. I wonder what I would look like if I had a part in a Simpsons episode... maybe something like this:
Looks like I've been going to the gym! Glad I just came back from California too... look at that tan!
I've been letting my hair grow a little too long recently, so if it's a windy day when I make my TV debut, I might look something more like this:
Even if Serena is correct, and there are only about 8 readers of the Jaffe blog, here are some suggestions to make your time here more pleasant.
1) Using the sidebars There are four sidebars on the right side of the blog: 'My New York pics' are links to online photo albums from walks around various areas of the city or trips/vacations to other parts of the world. Click on the date to go to the album. 'My New York picks' are links to restaurants, bars, or other places I've been. Normally there is a post about the place as well (for example, I add a link to each 'Restaurant of the week'). Click on the name of the place to take you to their homepage or an online review. 'Previous Posts' and 'Archives' are pretty self-explanatory.
2) Flickr badge There is a 'badge' on the right side of the blog, which displays random pictures from my latest big trip. At the moment, it's last week's trip to L.A. with Serena. If you click on a particular square, it will take you to the picture in Flickr. From there, you can view the other pictures from the trip.
3) Posting comments I love hearing from the people who read Jaffe, and although 'Anonymous' comments are welcome, it's great when people sign in! Don't be shy!
New York Oddity #3 - hot subway tunnels, cold subway cars
It's definitely summer here - today is supposed to top out at 92F (33C), 'feeling like 98F (37C)'. I lived in London during the record-breaking heatwave a couple of years ago, when the temperature reached 100F (38C). Taking the Tube during the heatwave was disgusting, because the London Underground isn't air conditioned. Inevitably I wound up in a hot, crowded car (carriage) standing next to someone who hadn't showered, or at least smelled like they hadn't showered.
Hot days are rare in London, so having air conditioning in the Tube is only something you think about a few days a year, but here in New York it's a necessity. The subway cars are kept as cold as you would expect here in the States (i.e., very cold), but the subway platforms are often unbearably hot. Why? Two words - design flaw. Perhaps the engineer who designed the system should have spent more time learning how an air conditioner works!
Still haven't finished posting about the L.A. trip. Did I already mention we ate out a LOT? Yes, I did. Here's another of our notable dining destinations.
Windows on the Water 699 Embarcadero Morro Bay, CA 93442 +1 805 772-0677
On the second day of our L.A. trip, Serena and I drove up the coast to Morro Bay, a small town just northwest of San Luis Obispo, where the 101 meets route 1 (aka Pacific Coast Highway). Morro Bay is known for Morro Rock, which is one of 9 volcanic plugs that can be found between Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo. The Rock dominates the ocean view from Morro Bay, and the women at the front desk of our hotel (La Serena Inn, of course) recommended Windows on the Water for dinner, because of its view of the Rock.
When we arrived at the restaurant, we realized that it had more than a nice view. Serena had the Local Sand Dabs "Piccata Style", I had the Pacific Bouillabaisse, which was absolutely packed with seafood, and we split a half bottle of a Sauvignon Blanc from the Santa Ynez Valley, just an hour and a half away. Serena's fish was amazing - light and flavorful but not fishy. The bouillabaisse was a little spicy for me, but it had six different types of seafood (they brought what was essentially a toolkit for eating the different types of shellfish), and the broth left behind was perfect for bread-dipping. For dessert, we shared the Meyer Lemon Mousse with Seasonal Berries, which in this case was blueberries. The mousse was amazingly light, and the tartness of the lemon was perfectly balanced by the blueberries. It was night by the time we were done with dinner, so you couldn't see the Rock anymore, but we didn't care. It was a great meal to end a great day.
During my last year in college, some friends (Kara, MB, and Brad) and I, together with my father, went to an Eric Clapton concert just outside of Chicago. On the way back to U of I, we stopped for lunch in a small town called Onarga, just off of I-57. I had remembered seeing signs for 'Onarga/Roberts' each time I drove to/from school, and had imagined it as a really cute, small, midwestern town where everyone knew each other, drove pickup trucks, and sat on their porch drinking lemonade in the summer. Kind of Hoosiers meets Footloose.
When we arrived, I realized I wasn't too far off. We had lunch at a (the only?) restaurant, aptly named Restaurant, next to a table with some 50-60 year-old men wearing baseball caps with logos of various farming equipment companies. As we were eating some kids came in after finishing their first day of school, and it seemed like everyone knew them. When we paid, we noticed a glass jar next to the cash register with a hand-written note asking for donations to renovate the local swimming pool.
Onarga is a place I never thought I would hear about again. According to the US Census Bureau, the population of Onarga, IL was 1,438 in 2000 - roughly 0.0005% of the total US population at that time. So imagine my surprise this morning when, as I watched Fall Out Boy performing on a morning TV show while I ate breakfast, I saw two different people in the crowd holding up signs for Onarga, IL!
Just got back from a great week in L.A. with Serena and the family. We ate out a LOT. One of my favorite meals was dinner at a hidden gem along the coast, after a day playing tourist:
Neptune's Net 42505 Pacific Coast Hwy Malibu, CA 90265 +1 310 457-3095
I love seafood, I love the beach, and I love low-key restaurants. So, when my father told us he had heard of a place 'with an eclectic crowd' on the coast just north of the L.A. county border, I had a hunch we would be in for a treat. Neptune's Net is essentially a seafood shack overlooking the ocean in Malibu. They have both indoor and outdoor seating, and the decor is exactly what you would expect from a place by the beach - basic. The 'eclectic crowd' label was 100% accurate. The table across from us had a couple of 20-something blondes playing quarters (maybe speed quarters is a midwest thing) with some 50-something year-old men, another table had a husband and wife with their little kids, and another table had some teenagers who looked like they might have been surfing earlier.
Serena and I split the 'Neptunes Net Sampler', which is a fried seafood lover's dream - fish, shrimp, scallops, calamri, clam strips, and crab cake (all on a bed of fries). My mother went for the 'Fish and Chip', and my father had one of their (seafood) combo plates. The food was amazing, and even though everything was fried, the batter was light and we had no problem finishing what had looked like an overwhelming amount of food.
The next time you find yourself driving north on route 1 from L.A., and are thinking about where to stop for some food, look for the 'Ventura County' sign, and then keep your eyes open for Neptune's Net on the right. It's worth the stop.
