Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
FOOD!
Abby's Table - Why? Because it has been featured on TV shows for its novel concept in dining - and well it looks good too.
!Oba! - Why? Because I am all for Latin/Spanish cuisine and this looks amazing - early b-day dinner?
New Cascadia Traditional Bakery - Why? Because I need bread - I need to know the luscious warm embrace of sourdough with butter (non-dairy of course) once again.
Iorio Restaurant Why? Because if pasta made Sofia Loren who she is, then I want pasta, that and I miss some other related Italian dishes that can't genuninely be made with dry store bought pasta.
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/29066126@N02/4283584395/
Monday, April 26, 2010
J and J Meet ___?
Well since, we are on the topic of where we are off to this year. Where dear readers should, we head to next year?
I personally would love to explore somewhere outside of North America focusing on East, West or South as well I don't believe there is a whole lot of options to the North.
I know we are both city girls.
I being the diva I will wholly admit to this.
I hate long travelling to somewhere, which means I am not so hot on far reaching travel like South Africa or Brazil.
I would like to see the dichotomy of new and old.
I vote for Europe. I appreciate the cliché that both of us will be finally done school (darn well better be) and venturing into life. We have both seen different parts of Europe so this will be a chance to explore those areas neither of us has seen.
Secondary vote Turkey/Greece
I personally would love to explore somewhere outside of North America focusing on East, West or South as well I don't believe there is a whole lot of options to the North.
I know we are both city girls.
I being the diva I will wholly admit to this.
I hate long travelling to somewhere, which means I am not so hot on far reaching travel like South Africa or Brazil.
I would like to see the dichotomy of new and old.
I vote for Europe. I appreciate the cliché that both of us will be finally done school (darn well better be) and venturing into life. We have both seen different parts of Europe so this will be a chance to explore those areas neither of us has seen.
Secondary vote Turkey/Greece
J and J Meet Portland
While it is not the first time J or I will have met Portland, it seems appropriate to continue the documentation of that which seems to be becoming an annual trek.
So folks we are off to meet Portland in 4 weeks and I for one believe it can't come soon enough, I need a vacation.
Photo
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
NYC Days 4, 5, 6
Our booty by mid-trip: our trip to sephora (lower right), that candy store of cosmetics, our three pairs of very hot shoes (S&P's: right, in box, and on her feet; Jocelyn's: upper left, on the guidebook) from Macy's world o' shoes; My paraphernalia from the UN, including my "peace through health" and refugee health books, S&P's gender equity and diasporas in conflict book; the blue bag in the middle is one we both bought at the UN bookstore - with a dove in the middle carrying the A from War to the word Peace - I think a fundraiser for UNHCR. (The roses are real - a freebie from one of the ubiquitous sidewalk flower shops.)
Together with our postcards and our guidebooks there's little doubt we are two single girls in New York City. Woot!
Taken in our hotel room, the Bentley, in the Upper East Side.
Together with our postcards and our guidebooks there's little doubt we are two single girls in New York City. Woot!
Taken in our hotel room, the Bentley, in the Upper East Side.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
When in Rome
Well, S&P has already covered some of this, but while we're doing the month-long "debrief" of our visit, I've been thinking of some of the customs that we came across:
- Tipping: Well, this goes without saying. It's in all the guidebooks, horror stories, and the eyes of every waiter and hotel bellman. My guess is that it originated from when these entry-level service personnel weren't paid, thus a generous tip is expected for good service to enable low- or no-wage workers to live in an expensive city. Well - I highly doubt that such workers don't make a wage nowadays, but the tipping practice lives on. AFter our first day we made huge efforts to retain singles in our wallets for the inevitable tipping need. I still feel guilty though that our bellman didn't really get anything from us - and he wasn't on when we checked out.
- Crossing the street - another one I'd heard about, but this took a bit of getting used to. As S&P mentions, they have no real delay between the end of the crossing period and the start of the crossing period for the other street. I also found it confusing that the intersections near our hotel seemed to have a crossing pattern that was unrecognizable to my foreign eyes. It's no wonder that there are so many intersection cops everywhere - they are needed, and believe me, they are the only effective way to enforce the crosswalk rules. Elsewhere, crosswalks and streets were ruled by the smart - woe to the cars who get stuck in the intersection, for you will be stuck there for longer if you get trapped by the swarm of crossing pedestrians.
It didn't take too long to get used to how people cross - especially on the small one-way streets I didn't have much trouble, but I did seem to have a blind spot for cabs and more than once S&P or someone else saved me from stepping in front of a speeding cab turning the corner at mach 10.
- staring - I can't recall whether I've mentioned this already on this blog, but boy did we ever notice how much people there stare. We began to be able to tell locals from tourists by the amount they stared. It became obvious to us that they weren't staring at me in particular - it's sort of a non-verbal New Yawker greeting - and if you stare right back, they know you're local. If you look away in embarassment, it's a dead giveaay that you're not from around here, Toto.
- Tipping: Well, this goes without saying. It's in all the guidebooks, horror stories, and the eyes of every waiter and hotel bellman. My guess is that it originated from when these entry-level service personnel weren't paid, thus a generous tip is expected for good service to enable low- or no-wage workers to live in an expensive city. Well - I highly doubt that such workers don't make a wage nowadays, but the tipping practice lives on. AFter our first day we made huge efforts to retain singles in our wallets for the inevitable tipping need. I still feel guilty though that our bellman didn't really get anything from us - and he wasn't on when we checked out.
- Crossing the street - another one I'd heard about, but this took a bit of getting used to. As S&P mentions, they have no real delay between the end of the crossing period and the start of the crossing period for the other street. I also found it confusing that the intersections near our hotel seemed to have a crossing pattern that was unrecognizable to my foreign eyes. It's no wonder that there are so many intersection cops everywhere - they are needed, and believe me, they are the only effective way to enforce the crosswalk rules. Elsewhere, crosswalks and streets were ruled by the smart - woe to the cars who get stuck in the intersection, for you will be stuck there for longer if you get trapped by the swarm of crossing pedestrians.
It didn't take too long to get used to how people cross - especially on the small one-way streets I didn't have much trouble, but I did seem to have a blind spot for cabs and more than once S&P or someone else saved me from stepping in front of a speeding cab turning the corner at mach 10.
- staring - I can't recall whether I've mentioned this already on this blog, but boy did we ever notice how much people there stare. We began to be able to tell locals from tourists by the amount they stared. It became obvious to us that they weren't staring at me in particular - it's sort of a non-verbal New Yawker greeting - and if you stare right back, they know you're local. If you look away in embarassment, it's a dead giveaay that you're not from around here, Toto.
Friday, June 12, 2009
FOOD!!
So Jocelyn and I ate our way through NYC, sort of. So I figured it was about time to do a run down of the things we liked, loved and were not so crazy about...
LOVED:
Luscious Thai: I will say it again, the best martini EVER, I'd go back just for another, because well it's been one of those weeks...
Pink Berry: Because we all need to be able to eat Fruity Pebbles on our Froyo or well whatever you'd like - I think J and I both settled for a mix of good and less good toppings... like mango and coconut on green tea.
Pret A Manger: It's like Subway and Whole Foods had an Upper Westside budget love child, all the food is freshly prepared and organic where possible, their latte's are organic milk and fair trade coffee - I'd have sampled one, but I'll leave that to those with lactase enzymes in their digestive tracts.. we ate there several times, and while it is slightly pricey, it is the guaranteed best bet for lunch after slogging around in the UN for hours.
Mad Dog's Rice and Beans - Wonderfully featured in our video, was excellent, again large portion sizes, an excellent selection of both entrees and drinks and the ambiance was likely the best in the city.
LIKED:
Madhur Jaffrey's Dawat Indian Restaurant, the food was lovely, but the prices and the option of not serving the rice/naam/roti with the main dish is slightly frustrating. However I have to say as a former vegan, that the extensive listing of both vegetarian and vegan dishes was surprising and honestly wonderful. The service we had was likely some of the best we've had in NYC.
Dean and Deluca: While it was lovely to look at the food was slightly over priced and in the end, just good/okay.
Gobo: It's a chain vegetarian/vegan restaurant, which while lovely, the portion sizes are huge - to it's detriment, because well unless you're going home right away, looking at your 15 dollar meal almost entirely untouched because you can't cram anymore in is well sad...
NOT SO CRAZY ABOUT:
Italian restaurant, who's name escapes me, J was really not impressed, in the end it was okay, the mussels were excellently executed, but the salad was poor, the dessert meager, and no drink list? The only redeeming factor being the Spanish waiter, who was not our waiter...
LOVED:
Luscious Thai: I will say it again, the best martini EVER, I'd go back just for another, because well it's been one of those weeks...
Pink Berry: Because we all need to be able to eat Fruity Pebbles on our Froyo or well whatever you'd like - I think J and I both settled for a mix of good and less good toppings... like mango and coconut on green tea.
Pret A Manger: It's like Subway and Whole Foods had an Upper Westside budget love child, all the food is freshly prepared and organic where possible, their latte's are organic milk and fair trade coffee - I'd have sampled one, but I'll leave that to those with lactase enzymes in their digestive tracts.. we ate there several times, and while it is slightly pricey, it is the guaranteed best bet for lunch after slogging around in the UN for hours.
Mad Dog's Rice and Beans - Wonderfully featured in our video, was excellent, again large portion sizes, an excellent selection of both entrees and drinks and the ambiance was likely the best in the city.
LIKED:
Madhur Jaffrey's Dawat Indian Restaurant, the food was lovely, but the prices and the option of not serving the rice/naam/roti with the main dish is slightly frustrating. However I have to say as a former vegan, that the extensive listing of both vegetarian and vegan dishes was surprising and honestly wonderful. The service we had was likely some of the best we've had in NYC.
Dean and Deluca: While it was lovely to look at the food was slightly over priced and in the end, just good/okay.
Gobo: It's a chain vegetarian/vegan restaurant, which while lovely, the portion sizes are huge - to it's detriment, because well unless you're going home right away, looking at your 15 dollar meal almost entirely untouched because you can't cram anymore in is well sad...
NOT SO CRAZY ABOUT:
Italian restaurant, who's name escapes me, J was really not impressed, in the end it was okay, the mussels were excellently executed, but the salad was poor, the dessert meager, and no drink list? The only redeeming factor being the Spanish waiter, who was not our waiter...
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