So this is it, I quit my job and I’m reevaluating my life on a month long vacation. The immediate goal was to cut loose from the city, the desk job, the alarm clock and just relax. Someone had said to me that they were trying to be more of a human being than a human doing and I liked that. So I went with it: just being. Along the way (it’s been about two weeks since I left the office building for the last time) I’ve picked up a few other little goals. One is that I’m trying to see what excess stuff I can do away with. So far I have discovered that my hair is just fine without conditioner or cream rinse. But now I am getting off topic!
The first stop on my trip out west (and into the Pacific as far as the Hawaiian Islands) was San Francisco. I spent four days in a top floor apartment in Inner Sunset with views of the ocean, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the downtown skyline with two great friends. My first day there began with a run through the Golden Gate Park that terminated at the ocean and ended with tamales from a food truck and a breathtaking view of the bay area. I learned that like Rome, San Francisco is a city of seven hills.
On my third day there we drove down the coast and found some great beaches that were part sand stone, part sand. After taking in the view we went inland to the San Jose Tech Museum. After seeing miles and miles of ocean we saw an Imax movie about the universe that made for a full day of eye-opening right-sizing. Just more evidence that the universe is abundant.
That night we dined at a wonderful vegetarian restaurant by the water. The highlight was the sweet potato ravioli with Meyer lemon and leeks. And the next day there was Mexican food in the Mission District, of course.
Next stop, Marin! Expect a post on that in a few days.
06
May 11
first stop, san francisco
29
Jul 10
the high line
Once a passageway for freight trains thirty feet up, the High Line is now a sleek park in the sky on Manhattan’s west side. Up here there are views of the Hudson River, Chelsea’s glass and steel luxury apartment buildings (and a flasher or two in their windows, I’ve heard), and the unmistakable Empire State Building towering over the city’s skyline. A team of top architects and landscaping experts collaborated to create the sophisticated yet natural-looking surroundings of the High Line park. Think: wild dandelions sprouting up between the wood planks of a walkway dotted with glowing recessed lighting. And the people watching isn’t that bad either. The High Line is definitely worth checking out; it’s one of those few city spots that’s actually enjoyed by tourists and native New Yorkers alike.
27
Jul 10
yellow nail polish for summer into fall
I’m predicting that yellow will be big this fall. It looks great with lots of unexpected hues but my favorite pairing is with grey. Here my yellow nails are offset by my grey Allsaints top and Stephan King’s On Writing. Keep an eye out for yellow clothes and accessories in the next few months and into the fall.
25
Jul 10
restaurant week midtown lunch at anthos
Restaurant week has been extended until September 6th – that’s quite a long week. So far I’ve gone to Aquavit for dinner and Anthos for lunch. Let me clarity: it wasn’t just lunch, it was a weekday lunch in Manhattan’s midtown during restaurant week (or in this case, the first week of the two months). If you have ever had a meal of this description then you know that it’s not just lunch. The saying goes “when in Rome” comes to mind because at lunch in Manhattan’s midtown at an upscale restaurant during restaurant week you have no choice but to go with the flow.
Anthos was packed, tables upon tables with just water were jockeying for the attention of the completely overwhelmed waitstaff. My friend and I were on a forty-five minute lunch break along with the rest of midtown’s suits and khakis at an hour an hour and a half minimum meal. After a frustrating fifteen minutes with just menus and water we gave in and decided to go with the flow – and by that I mean go all out and have a four course lunch. Here’s what I ate.
Seared diver scallops with greek yogurt, strawberry and endive.
Sheep milk ricotta dumplings with spinach, feta, and leek.
Skate wing with couscous, calamari, carrot, coriander, and baby watercress salad.
Roasted peaches with honey ice cream and thyme shortbread.
And that was the two hour lunch. Every course was fantastic. This meal definitely ranks among my top five. And once we set our time limitations aside the service was just fine. This restaurant is highly recommended for lunch or dinner, restaurant week or not.
24
Jul 10
scoop and that east hampton look
I’ve mentioned Scoop before. It’s one of my favorite stores and has been for the last few years. However, before a few years ago it was a different story. I used to be intimidated by the store as silly as that sounds. Here’s why:
When I was twelve years old I spent the summer in East Hampton at my godmother’s house on the Circle. I stayed in the annex of the house that was affectionately called the Cowgirl Room. It was called this because the previous owner of the house had commissioned a mural on the main wall of the room of a cowgirl and an Indian woman looking at each other longingly. This mural served as my introduction to lesbians.
Around the back of the house there was a new pool and an outdoor shower that to me made the house perfect. (And still does.) That summer was fun, luxurious, and full of new things to wonder about. Here’s where the childhood fairy tale falls apart. There were these girls that hung out on Main Street. They were beautiful, stylish, thin, and had the ability to talk to boys. They were everything I had ever dreamed of becoming. They were fifteen. And they shopped at the Scoop right there off of Main Street. I dared not go in the store for fear that the girls would laugh at my Gap shorts and Benetton tee. I only had the courage to steal glances of the girls as I walked by with my six year old god-sister, on our way to Waldbaum’s to buy chocolate frosting. And as crazy as it may sound now, that intimidation stayed with me for about twelve years.
Then one day (practically a lifetime later), without seeing the store’s name out front before going in I went into the SoHo Scoop and was immediately dazzled. Here’s a sampling of what you will find at a Scoop: Alice & Olivia tunics, Zac Posen gowns, Theory blazers, Helmut Lang tees, Marc Jacobs dresses, Ya-Ya sweaters, Seven jeans, and Diane von Furstenberg wrap dresses. This is the wardrobe I’ve always wanted, I thought. And it’s all perfectly organized by trend, color, and type. I love order. I crave it. So that’s why I shop at Scoop today. And the memory of those beautiful East Hampton girls, perhaps.
21
Jul 10
a table for two at aquavit
“Would you like to be seated in the Main Dining Room or in the Bistro?”
“Whichever is nicer, I guess.”
“Both dining rooms are very nice.”
“Right. Of course. Then whichever is available.”
“Let me check. The Bistro is available for two at 8:15.”
This excerpt from my conversation with the reservationist at Aquavit told me two things about the restaurant that I would be dining at with my boyfriend on Saturday night. The first was that I could relax. I would not need to orchestrate this dining experience to make it worth my while. I would not need to know the insider tips to get my money’s worth. Both dining rooms would be lovely and all of the servers would be equally knowledgeable. The lighting and the view would be good wherever we were seated.
The second thing that I got from our little exchange is that the service at Aquavit would be such that (even while relaxing) I will believe that everything has turned out so well because of me: that I have come at the right time, asked the informed question, and ordered the right dish. The fact behind my conversation with the reservationist is that there were not any tables available in the Main Dining room on Saturday night just two days prior. And of course not! But, being a trained service personnel, the reservationist guided the conversation so that I would chose the right option, the Bistro, and be satisfied with my choice.
Suffice it to say, once we arrived on Saturday night, the service at Aquavit was lovely. We were seated by a window and given the kind of casual but flawless service that makes me consider becoming a server again. The meal began with a stone slab of bread, crackers, whipped butter, and the most divine salmon mousse I have ever tasted. I am not exaggerating. My boyfriend even commented that he had never seen me eat so much bread, as I piled the mousse onto yet another piece.
Half way through the appetizer I was just about full. I ordered the mussels and they brought me out two dozen with yet more bread. They were good and traditionally made but nothing to right home about.
For my entree I had the cold poached salmon. Now this I would consider jotting down in a letter to mom. It was accompanied by red quinoa, wax beans, and chervil hollandaise. I just looked up the menu online to tell you that because while I was eating it I had no clue what the little black dots were except that they tasted great with the cold fish and the hot hollandaise.
For dessert I made room for a raspberry Napoleon that was exactly what you would expect. I enjoyed every bite of it and one bite of my boyfriends brownie sundae as well.
Overall, the food was very good. Given the quality of the service and the two stand-out dished that we had – my cold poached salmon and my boyfriend’s chilled green tomato soup appetizer – I would call this restaurant great.
I did have high expectations based on Marcus Samuelsson’s amazing television personality but in retrospect I see that that may have been silly of me. Not yet have I eaten (or worked!) in a star chef’s restaurant that really emulated that chef’s television personality. And I guess that’s a good thing, or else there would be no element of the unexpected at Mesa Grill or Del Posto.
Speaking of star chefs, I’ll be having lunch at Anthos on Thursday. Based on the pictures of the place alone I’d say it resembles Michael Psilakis’ television personality but little. Though we shall see, er- taste.
18
Jul 10
allsaints (my perfect store) spitalfields
I believe that I found the perfect store today: Allsints Spitalfields. Not since I was a goth teen visiting Trash and Vaudeville for the first time have I experienced what I experienced today. Every single item of clothing looked like it was not only made for me, but like it was made from the images in my mind of what I have always wanted to look like.
I pulled down shirt after shirt after dress after dress and each seemed more suited to my exact taste than the last. It got to be a little bit embarrassing carrying the growing mound of clothes through the store like a bag lady.
And then the dilemma of narrowing it down! Usually I try on clothes and immediately discard them based on poor cut or construction. Not the case here. I looked great in every piece that I tried on because they were thankfully cut with real humans (not runway models) in mind.
I should mention at this point that the clothes I tried on ranged in price from $40 to $240, and that’s with the 50% markdown for the summer sale, kinda pricey (the one downfall of this store). I ended up buying these two sale items.
Allsaints Spitalfields is located at 512 Broadway, between Broome and Spring Streets in SoHo.
17
Jul 10
seafood at le bernardin
After a day at the beach, I am dreaming of dining at Le Bernardin. Though I have never been there myself (this one is a little out of the price range of a girl like me) I think I know what would be in store for me if I were to have dinner there tonight. Le Bernardin has been named the #1 restaurant in New York by New York Magazine, the New York Times and Zagat’s Guide – not #1 in its category, #1 overall. It has won more James Beard Awards than any other restaurant, ever. And it and has been awarded the highest number of Michelin stars that a restaurant can get: 3.
Now let’s put all that aside, because it’s possible that all that means little when your talking about actually experiencing food. So here is the real reason I wish I was eating at Le Bernardin right now.
A little while back I had a few telephone conversations with the PR person for Le Bernardin and I learned a lot about the mission of the restaurant. The philosophy of Le Bernardin is that the fish – and only the un-endangered ones – be the star of the plate. As a caveat to that, each ingredient that makes up a dish is treated with equal respect and care even in its supporting role.
I also learned that this focus on seafood began for Chef Eric Ripert long before Le Bernardin’s doors were opened, when he was just a boy. His culinary beginnings took place in his grandmother’s kitchen by the Mediterranean Sea. And from there, with countless award winning restaurants in between, he has created an ambitious yet uncomplicated dinner menu for Le Bernardin that is broken into three courses: almost raw, barely touched and lightly cooked. I was informed that Chef Eric Ripert’s favorite dishes are the Tuna made of layers of thinly pounded yellowfin with foie gras and toasted baguette, the Crab with stuffed zucchini flower with peektoe, king crab and “fine herbs – lemon” Mousseline sauce, and the Surf and Turf of escolar and seared Kobe beef with sea bean salad and eggplant fries.
Sounds good to me. Especially after a long day in the ocean.
16
Jul 10
the best thing i ever ate
For me the proposition of determining a best thing ever in the category of food immediately precipitates two sub-categories: sweet and savory.
As for sweet, the best thing I ever ate was this. It occurred a couple of years ago when I was in pastry school. It was at the end of a lesson half way through Level I and a few students from Level III came down to our classroom with their night’s lesson. They placed the white ramekins on chef’s table and left just as casually as they had arrived. Someone produced a bunch of tasting spoons and chef invited us all to come over and taste the soufflés. There was no resistance as I stuck my spoon into the raspberry soufflé closest to me; it had the density of the air around it. In my mouth it was the same, barely there. Only the warmth of the oven upstairs and the flavor of raspberries and sugar in my mouth proved to me that I was in fact eating. To say it melted in my mouth presupposes that I ever even felt it in my mouth to begin with. The experience was completely new and absolutely addictive. I took another bite. And another. And another.
As for savory, the best thing I ever ate was miles from that soufflé and miles from here. It happened on my twenty-fifth birthday in Tokyo. I was at the New York Grill on the fifty-second floor of the Park Hyatt. I ordered the pan seared scallops and they arrived all lined up as if preparing to jump off the plate. Perfectly seasoned and feathered with mache; they tasted like they had been plucked from the half shell of Venus herself. Absolutely perfect.
15
Jul 10
lunch at perry st
I prefer haute couture to haute cuisine. No, let me be clear. I adore haute couture. I have a growing distaste for haute cuisine. How could this be? Maybe the discrepancy is based in the fact that I have never been, in the flesh, at a fashion show. I have only viewed them in their photographic and cinematic formats. But restaurants I have been to. Lots of them. And with no shortage of the high class ones. And I am starting to realize that all that immaculately shiny crystal, the attractive but disdainful waitstaff, the new set of flatware every time I even think of taking a bite, that all of that takes away from the joy of eating. And is not the point of a great restaurant to enjoy a meal?
I started on this train of thought after dining for the first time at Perry St this weekend. It was my first ever Jean Georges restaurant experience and it was lovely but all together missing something essential: joy. I wondered later, how can this be? The food was mostly delicious save for an over vinegar-ed sauce on the salmon and – this one is sort of a deal breaker for me – frozen strawberries out of a bag on the sorbet. And this in the heart of strawberry season no less! But I digress. My point is, that the slow cooked salmon itself was wonderful.
And that the chocolate cake was delicious enough to make up for the pre-packaged fruit topped sorbet.
The meal began with a shot of strawberry and basil gazpacho that was inventive and yummy – and free!
And for an appetizer I had an heirloom tomato and mozzarella salad that was beautiful and gone in moments, a true sign that food is well prepared.
But yet, the experience as a whole lacked joy. Why? I think it had to do with the new set of flatware that I received three times during the meal. Does that sound silly? Well I know I wasn’t the only patron that felt this lack of that last essential ingredient; a few glances around the room at all the forlorn faces confirmed this. Maybe it was the abundance of white leather. Maybe it was the three course minimum on the menu. Does all of this glitz make a restaurant chic, or does it just make its’ patrons feel cramped?
An inconclusive post but certainly a topic I will be exploring more in the future. Until then, I’ll keep dining out reporting back here.