Without a doubt one of the nicest things about living on the east coast of the US is being able to visit other cities easily and cheaply. This past weekend I visited New York to meet up with some friends - $36 return on Bolt Bus, a (relatively) new bus company that has plugs for your laptops and free wifi. Definitely a change from the trip I took to Boston on Lucky Star a couple of years ago!
Lots of catching up with friends, drinks in the East Village, a walk in Central Park...
Countdown to Beantown, Part 4b: Squeezing in some last goodbyes
The night before my train to Boston, some of the people from the lab thought it would be nice to go for dinner and have some drinks. It was a relatively small group (there are only so many times you can say goodbye, so I was glad to keep it small), and we settled on Sake Hana, just a short walk from the lab. It was a beautiful evening, and Sake Hana had seats close to the open windows in the front of the restaurant for us to enjoy some sushi and drinks.
After dinner, we decided to go to the yard in the back of the apartment complex that I've lived in for the last two years. We had plenty of alcohol left over from previous Hall lab 'events', so we grabbed the gin and sake and made our way out to the back to enjoy the rest of the evening.
No need to go into a lot of details, but it's worth mentioning that the evening ended with a slice of pizza with Sean at Pizza Park (not really worth putting a link here) at about 2:30am. A perfect New York moment to end my time in New York City.
Countdown to Beantown, Part 4a: Squeezing in some last goodbyes
It's clear I have a lot of catching up to do with a three-week disappearing act. I'll start with my final couple of days living in New York.
Not knowing what the Chinatown situation is like in Boston, one of my last dinners in New York was with Songhai and Hang, two friends who moved to New York a little bit before I did two years ago. Songhai was starting his lab (temporarily on our floor, and then upstairs in the same building) and Hang was doing a postdoc at Rockefeller. Both of them learned about my adventurous eating spirit after we went to Grand Sichuan a while back and I ate everything they ordered (including a baby luffa). So two nights before I left we went back to the Grand Sichuan. As has been customary since my days of eating out with Yihong, I left the ordering to the pros. Eat now, ask later...
The highlights of the evening were:
Sliced Lotus Root Husband and Wife Lung Salivating Chicken
After not having much to cheer about during last year's Super Bowl, I was very happy to see a competitive game from start to finish. For those of you who missed the game, the New York Giants pulled it out with an amazing final drive to beat the New England Patriots 17-14.
No doubt the play of the game was Eli Manning escaping a sack on 3rd down to keep that final drive alive:
One of the big Super Bowl traditions here in the States is to go to a 'Super Bowl Party', which many times is filled with people who don't really care about the game. Advertisers understand this, and to keep the non-football lovers entertained, they unveil some new commercials. Here are my top 3 from this year's Super Bowl. Enjoy!
When I arrived in NYC a little over a year-and-a-half ago, I wrote this entry about the lack of 'real' grocery stores in the area. I'm still not happy with the local Gristedes, and although I have the potential of running into Abe Vigoda at my local Food Emporium, it too leaves a bit to be desired.
So when I feel up to it, I make my way down to the Whole Foods at Union Square. Sure, it's a subway ride, but I know I can find pretty much anything.
Last night I felt motivated to do some grocery shopping. Thanksgiving is this week, and I figured I would make a pecan pie for the dinner I'm going to, so I used it as an excuse to get some other things to make dinner at home this week. Turns out I wasn't alone. Whole Foods was completely packed, and I couldn't help think I was in the food version of IKEA as the traffic was essentially one way through the maze of organic food. I resisted the temptation to get all the little sale items (unlike when I go to IKEA - I mean, $2.99 for a SLOM jar with lid? Who can resist?), and stuck to the things on my list.
After negotiating the checkout lines (an interesting experience at Whole Foods, with color codes and numbers for people to pay attention to, there's always someone who messes up), I made it home with my bounty, alive and well and looking forward to my next trip to the grocery store.
New York's Village Halloween Parade is an institution here in the city. People start talking about it weeks before it happens. This year I decided to go see what the hype was all about. I was told that you get the best view of the parade if you actually march in it (which apparently anyone can do if you show up in a costume at the starting point), but thought I would have my first parade experience as a spectator.
I headed down with a couple of people from the lab around 7pm. After making our way past the corner of 14th St. and 6th Ave. (not an easy task with the crowd that turned up), we settled on a spot just north of 14th St., with a somewhat obstructed view of the people marching. In addition to the fairly standard Snow White, Little Bo Peep, and men dressed as women costumes, there was some real creativity on display.
Here are some clips to give you an idea of the atmosphere. My personal favorite is the last one of the group dancing to Michael Jackson's Thriller. It definitely reminded me of these guys, minus the orange suits.
Didn't get many pictures of people in costume, but got one of Superdog - he was pretty hard to miss.
When I woke up this morning and looked out my window I thought the end of the world was here. I couldn't see the sky, there was no light coming into my apartment, no sounds of birds chirping, kids playing, people talking...
Then I realized it's not the end of the world - I live on the Upper East Side, where people substitute dogs for children, there are no birds, and the high rise building next door is almost finished, completely blocking any hope of sunlight entering my apartment.
It's hard to believe it's been over a year since Volker's last visit. We had a great time last August - walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, saw some of Central Park, and had a couple of very nicemeals.
When Volker arrived this time, we headed down to lower Manhattan to some of the areas he didn't have a chance to see last year. We started off in the Village, where I had him try the Takoyaki from Otafuku, before walking through Washington Square Park and heading down to Soho. After checking out some of the art vendors on the street, we headed west to Little Italy, where they were having the Feast of San Gennaro, an annual celebration with food and game stalls along Mulberry Street. We made our way through the crowds down to Chinatown, walking along some of the smaller, less-touristy streets and checking out the various shops and restaurants. We came across something that looked like a bakery/tea shop, where Volker tried some papaya bubble tea, much to the amusement of the Chinese women working there, who seemed to be genuinely amused to have two non-Chinese people in their Manhattan store. They kept giggling, and it was only after Volker got his drink that we were sure they understood what we had ordered.
After all that walking we were pretty tired, so Sunday was spent hanging out in Central Park, relaxing and people-watching - a great way to spend a sunny day here in Manhattan!
The New York Times reported this morning that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has struck a deal with a company called Transit Wireless to provide cellphone access on the platforms of their underground subway stations. The story reminded me of one that I read at the end of last year, which reported that some airlines would be providing in-flight cellphone access.
I'm sure there are a lot of people who want to stay connected 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but I'm definitely not one of them. Some New Yorkers say that the new subway plan will help during emergencies. The thing is, anyone who has been in a situation where a large number of people are trying to contact their family and friends knows that the networks have a hard time handling the increased number of calls.
So why should subway passengers, who already have to endure hot, dirty platforms, be forced to listen to the ring tones and phone conversations of others while waiting for the next train? If the phone access is really for emergencies, can't they turn the signal on only during emergency situations?
Tonight I went to my first Rosh Hashanah dinner in years. It was in New Jersey, and on the drive out we hit a ton of traffic - before 4pm! Len's sister Debbie, who was driving, said that it was probably because of the holiday: "My mother said she remembers a ton of people leaving Manhattan to go to the suburbs for dinner."
Are you kidding?
There aren't enough of our people in Manhattan opting for takeout brisket to avoid a traffic jam on the FDR?
My first visitor of the summer arrives Friday night. My niece Raven is 14, and this weekend she's staying at Chateau Jaffe. I'm excited, but as the time gets closer, I'm also a little nervous.
What do you do with a 14 year-old in New York City?
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.
I don't usually take requests for posts, but Mary Beth's idea of posting a 'drink of the month' (actually, the idea was 'beer of the month' or 'wine of the month', but I figured 'drink' gave me a little more lattitude) was so good I thought I should do it.
When? In the UK they have a series of Pimm's advertisements that say 'It's Pimm's O'clock', meaning that any time is a good time for Pimm's. While this is probably true, a Pimm's Rangoon (or any Pimm's drink, really) is best enjoyed on a warm summer day. Then again, if it's winter, you could turn up the heat in your apartment and it would be just as refreshing.
Why? Because sometimes you want a cocktail that tastes good (i.e., not like alcohol), isn't pink, and doesn't come in one of those wimpy little martini glasses.
How? With caution. This drink really does go down easy, and if you want to get up before three O'clock the day after Pimms O'clock, you might want to take it easy.
Christina and Uli were in the city on Saturday, which gave me a chance to try a couple of new places.
Otafuku 236 E. 9th Street New York, NY 10003 212-353-8503
Otafuku is Japanese for moon-faced or homely woman. I have no idea what that has to do with this little takeaway place, where you can get one of two types of food - Takoyaki or Okonomiyaki. The Takoyaki come in three varieties, Plain, Cheese, or Octopus, and the Okonomiyaki are topped with your choice of Corn, Squid (Ika), Beef (Gyu), Shrimp (Ebi), or Pork (Buta). I went for the Takoyaki, and was told by the guy behind the counter to try Octopus (his favorite). Christina and Uli went for the cheese. For $5 I got 6 pieces, topped with some kind of dipping sauce, mayonnaise, and dried fish flakes. Other than being super hot (temperature, not spicy), they were delicious, and a perfect grab-and-go snack for a walk around the village.
Otafuku
Mé Bar 17 W. 32nd St., 14th floor New York, NY 10001 212-290-2460
My lab-mate Jo told me about this bar after her boyfriend Oli did an online search for rooftop bars in New York. Varioussitesdescribe this place as a 'hidden gem' or a 'wonderful find', so my expectations were really high. Perhaps too high. Yes, it's hidden (it's actually the bar at the La Quinta hotel in Koreatown). Yes, there is a roof terrace. Yes, you can see the Empire State Building. But calling this place 'no frills' would be an understatement. Our drinks (we settled on gin and tonics after asking for a mojito and being told they don't have mint) were served in plastic cups. Not big plastic cups, but those little clear ones you get at the water cooler at your doctors office. The 'view' of the Empire State Building (see below) is no different than the view from the street, i.e., if you look up, you see it. I'm not saying I'll never go back - this place is fine as a post Korean bbq spot (there aren't many bar options in K-town) - but I can't imagine it as a place I would think of for an evening out. I like the idea of a bar with a view, and am looking forward to trying some other bars with views of the New York skyline.
It's not really the restaurant of this week, but Christina and Uli came into the city a couple of weeks ago and we came upon this little gem in the East Village:
S'MAC 345 East 12th Street New York, NY 10003 +1 212-358-7912
I grew up in Chicago, and like a lot of kids in the midwest, I had my fair share of 'mac and cheese'. The stuff at S'MAC isn't like the mac and cheese mom used to make (mmmmmm thinking of that powdered orange cheese is making me hungry!) - you can get anything from the All American, which they say is 'just the way you remember it as a kid', to the Cajun, which has a couple of different types of cheese, sausage, and Cajun seasoning to give it a little kick. All of us ordered the Major Munch size, which was perfect after walking around all afternoon. I have no idea who could put away the Mongo size, but I wouldn't want to meet them in a dark alley.
Overall, I would say that if you're in the East Village, and just want a quick (but tasty) meal, S'MAC is worth a try.
Last week was the sixth annual Tribeca film festival here in New York City. An old high school friend of mine, Hoy, works at the Tribeca Film Institute, the organizers of the festival, and comp'd me tickets to a couple of the shows.
A Dirty Carnival can be described with one word - violent. This Korean film tells the story of Byung-du, a low-level mobster trying to help his dying mother and younger brother and sister. Byung-du's 'career' seems to be moving along nicely until he's reacquainted with an old friend from school, Min-Ho, who is now a movie producer. A Dirty Carnival has elements of other mob movies such as Goodfellas and The Godfather (and even goes as far as completely duplicating the scene in The Godfather where Carlo is strangled in a car). There's even a scene at the end that was similar to The Sixth Sense and Fight Club, where the main character flashes back to earlier moments in the movie to help explain why the current scene is happening. Overall, although I thought the movie was interesting, I didn't think any of the themes were very original, and really couldn't get past the brutally violent fight scenes.
Dj Spooky's Rebirth of a Nation is a DJ-meets-film experience. Dj Spooky's show involves him 'remixing' DW Griffith's 1915 film The Birth of a Nation, a controversial film used by the Ku Klux Klan as a recruiting tool. I enjoyed the idea, having a soundtrack playing to the film, and Dj Spooky 'mixing' the film in the same spirit as he would mix music at a club. I think I would have enjoyed it more, and gotten more out of the experience, if I had seen the original movie. Dj Spooky was recently interviewed on NPR, which you can listen to here.
