FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014–Collected Links

Putting together a list because I finally got hit by enough World Cup related news/chatter today and realized I’m actually pretty excited about the upcoming games!

Official Site FIFA World Cup 2014 - Brazil June 12-July 13, 2014

The official site is THE place to find out about teams, groups, schedules. Along with other stuff like rules, uniforms, merchandise, and fun. Explore!

No games are complete without an official mascot. Meet Fuleco the blue armadillo.

Tour beautiful host country Brazil and learn something too (makes you want to travel)

Bars / Food / Meeting Guide (NYC)

Governors island (ferry required) public viewing calendar. http://www.spontaneousinterventions.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/WorldCup-2014calendar-11x17.pdf

Village Voice World Mug Guide

NYC GO Group by Group Guide 

NY Mag Country by Country Guide (not all countries though)

Global Soccer Global NY: Gem of a photojournal/soccer/writing site that was top of the google searches. This is their list of places.

Meetup Groups NY: Meet your neighbors or meet some new friends outside your neighborhood in NYC. To find your local Meetup (NY or elsewhere), search zipcode here.

Media and Fun

Guardian’s animated history of Brazil team in world cup. Brilliant and great art.

World Cup sticker trade article from NPR.

App Guide for iphone  The general consensus is just getting the official FIFA 2014 app and do some twitter search on World Cup 2014. Or stop looking at your phone and go watch the game/meet people (see section above)

Music – pretty controversial topic but feel free to look up the official album, official song, and other playlists on youtube or Spotify.

Design Collection around World Cup – beautiful and inspirational.

Too much soccer/football whatever and want to read more baseball news? Take a break with Daily News Sports section.

Placeholder

My team is still TBD so I need to update as we go along. Some considerations:
Home country – USA. Former Home Country – did not make the cut. I rooted for Spain in 2010,  Friends / family – Brazil, England, Japan, Germany, and more…

Placeholder for my list of food adventures… hopefully this will actually happen. yes, after some research it seems many people have already put together a list, but I still want to try my hand at it. Idea: find a restaurant/bar featuring a specific team/country's cuisine and eat around the world (cup). There are 8 groups or 36 teams. so we can do as many as 36 food outings (which is ambitious) or 8 (plus whatever the final game features) http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/groups/index.html

This may split into an entirely new entry altogether. May also do some kind of weekly exercise where I try a new place, learn about their team, and also a new destination in Brazil featured on site.

Group A

I’ve tried Brazilian and Mexican food but not sure about Croatia or Cameroon.

Group B

Spain and Australia yes. Look for Netherlands and Chile.

Group C

Columbia, Greece, and Japan yes. Look for Cote D’Ivoire

Group D

England and Italy yes. Look for Uruguay and Costa Rica

Group E

Only tried French. Need to investigate Switzerland, Ecuador, and Honduras

Group F

Only tried Argentina (maybe). Need to look for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, and Nigeria. although I may have had Iran before too.

Group G

Have tried Germany and USA (I’d assume). Not sure about Portugal (maybe). Need to look into Ghana.

Group H

Russia and Korea ok. Belgium and Algeria are new.

Food Roundup

Vineapple Cafe (brooklyn heights)
http://www.vineapple.com/

-comfy counches make this coffeeshop feel like your living room. free wifi and decent lighting for getting some reading done.

-the cafe is on Pineapple Street, how cool is that. or am I the only person who loves funny street names and stores that use them!?

 

Wahoo Tacos (near flatiron)
http://www.wahoos.com/menu.php

-I got the two taco entree with grilled fish taco, carne asada (grilled steak) taco, black beans, and brown rice.

-this is a Hawaiian chain that finally made it to NYC, yay! great for casual group food get together. there is also a bar out front with various alcoholic beverages.

 

Sanctuary T (west broadway and grand)
http://www.sanctuaryt.com/menus/

-fresh ricotta / bread to start

-coffees are served in insulated clear glasses. nice touch.

-I had country breakfast. T. had BLT and E (bacon, arugula, tomato and fried egg on a croissant).

need to see about their afternoon tea menu next time. probably best for meeting a friend, maybe difficult for large groups.

 

Veselka Ukrainian Restaurant (east village) 
http://www.veselka.com/

-pierogi of all kinds. I liked the potato and cheese ones best out of my selection.

next time I need to get the platter. hearty and warm foods make for a good group outing. 

 

Otafuku Okonomiyaki Stand (st marks)
http://otafukunyc.com/

-be prepared to wait and stand (no seats) for delicious oknomiyaki (somewhat similar to omelette). I ordered the shrimp one and have no complaints. I recommend it on a week day when the weather is nice and the crowd hasn't quite started yet.

Georgetown Cupcakes (SOHO location, there are more)
https://www.georgetowncupcake.com/menu.html

-I liked the double milk chocolate birthday cake (chocolate frosting on chocolate cupcake). wanted to see what the hype was.

Chopt Salad (various locations)
http://choptsalad.com/

-there is a reason why this place gets crowded for lunch. very hearty salads with limitless combinations. I am usually too indecisive to make up my own salad so I usually look at their classic combos for ideas. They also have a few seasonal features which are inspiring.

-if you find the salad too large, you can also order it as a "wrap". they put the chopped salad in a wrap and it's slightly more manageable.

-my favorites: shrimp palm beach, steakhouse.

 

Dorado Tacos (near union sq)
http://www.yelp.com/menu/dorado-tacos-new-york-2
-good quick eats. it’s finally been enough months since my San Diego trip and I can have fish tacos again. yay.

Origami Holidays and High Line in the Snow

Our friend Talo Kawasaki created a shadow box Three Kings installation for a restaurant called El Quinto Pino (in Chelsea). A group of us attended the event featuring the beautiful exhibit. Food and bubbly was also provided, definitely try the mushroom croquette when you’re back!

The snowman above is made of three rose auditoriums (designed by our friend Uyen and folded by Talo).

Since it was snowing that day and the High Line was a block or two away, Linda and I braved the snow to see NYC’s winter wonderland! I never paid much attention to the benches but their colors sure stand out!

I found blue TANT (a type of origami paper, comes in mono color with plenty of variations) colored building! How awesome. 

For food afterwards, Linda and I visited yet another Westville and ordered these four market sides with blackened chicken and salmon. Brussel sprouts, fennel, butternut squash, and plantains.  Tried soy chai latte (thumbs up) at Whole Foods and liked it, even though I always go for the almond latte. If you are adventurous, you can get latte with the following types of milk at Whole Foods: regular cow milk, soy, almond, and rice.

Origami and Eats NYC

My friend T. visited last weekend from DC and we were able to pack quite a few activities in the short visit.

Origami

Most of my friends already know how much time I’ve been devoting to origami. T. is the first lucky one to see it first hand. Since there was no official origami meetup session scheduled, I polled the regular group and organized one myself at Pier 17. It turned out to be much longer than the originally planned two hours since we kept folding and folding and folding… and was visited by a special guest D. as well! (who showed us the warped 4-cube construction…)

I’ve also created an origami convention countdown page here: http://azuleteats.blogspot.com/p/origami-convention-2013-countdown.html

Financier

various locations: http://www.financierpastries.com/
I love their café au lait and almond croissant. The paper they use for pastry bags also make for good origami folding.

Fatty ‘Cue

50 Carmine St
(bet. Bleecker & Bedford)
New York, NY 10014
http://fattycue.com/menus/west-village
West Village Location

The walk from seaport to the restaurant was effective for working up an appetite. I also enjoy walking downtown (in the non-numbered streets) since most days we miss out on the action when we just duck into the subway.

Drinks:
//drewish princess: kind of sweet and sour. T.’s sort of drink. She liked it so much she ordered two princesses.
//fatty Manhattan: I’d like to describe this as a more adult version of a cherry coke. Unfortunately I can’t down it like a cherry coke since it went to my head pretty quickly. how can any combo of bourbon/vermouth/bitters/cherry go wrong? need to investigate other such drinks around town.  also comes with a pretty round ice ball in the middle.

Eats:
//duck lettuce wrap: In principle I like this dish, but in reality I don’t like the texture of ground duck. Probably won’t order it next time.
//deep fried bacon: My favorite dish. smells great. tastes great. with a nice salsa on the side (not really necessary). goes perfect with the Fatty Manhattan (see above drinks section).
//fried rabbit: I know I’ll probably get flamed for this but hey, it’s on their menu. I’ve had various rabbit recipes but this one literately taste like chicken (just liked fried gators…). 

In conclusion, get reservations and order up a few bacons and cocktails to share. Thanks to T’s friend M. for the recommendation!

Argo Tea

75 University Pl
New York NY 10003
other locations check http://www.argotea.com/

Below is a combo of our visit and my various previous visits (without an Argo loyaltea card…). Happy to report I finally got a card (thanks Animemiz) and look forward to my free drinks.

Drinks:
//red tea (hot): my cold weather regular. T. ordered it since I recommend it so highly. My very first Argo tea order was actually red tea. I’ve since tried others and hasn’t changed my mind.
//ice red tea: my warm weather regular. without any flavor syrup.

Eats:
//flaxseed raw bar: a bit dense but so addictive. It’s funny that it took T. to introduce this to me since I’ve been to Argo so many times.
//empanadas: smaller than other places but good bites.
//quinoa bowls: really not my favorite food but then I’m always rushing from juggling to origami sessions. Sigh
//panini: the tomato/spinach/mozzarella one is delicious.
//quiche: pretty good.

Long Island Bagel Café

125 Fulton Street, NY 10038
http://www.libagelnyc.com/home.asp

J. knows I gripe about this a lot… most bagel places just don’t have a decent cup of coffee. This place recently opened up on Fulton street and I have been happy with their bagels AND their coffees. Keep up the good work!

I also really like their chunky veggie cream cheese. I personally don’t toast my bagels and usually get the sesame or poppy bagel with regular or veggie cream cheese. May branch out in the future and try sandwiches and other flavors too.

T. and I went on a Sunday morning when it was crowded so we actually took our bagels and ate in the park in front of City Hall. Good weather, plenty of benches. Next time we should do the same before a trek across the Brooklyn Bridge. (note to self, would have been nice to include a pic of said park and bench… next time!)

Hunting Cherry Blossoms in Snow: DC Trip

While most people are satisfied with photos from their trip, I like to write about it. This means that after I finally uploading photos, I’m still not done. Taking trip notes helps this blogging process but self-selection and editing renders most of those notes useless. Similar to my IndieCade blog write up (link here), I’ll capture only the highlights. What better to represent highlights than my single sighting of a cherry blossom tree! Since I booked my trip before the cherry blossom forecast, I was in DC too early to see proper peak season around the Tidal Basin. Peak season this year is April 3-6.

Day 1: Monument Walk

J. and I stayed at a place within walking distance from the National Mall which meant we were also quite close to the monuments and main cherry blossom walk around the tidal basin. We passed the Washington Monument (still under construction after last year’s earthquake), World World II Memorial (fountain was off), and Martin Luther King’s Memorial before reaching Jefferson Memorial. Below is a photo from across the Tidal Basin. It was a warm day and we were able to walk around the monuments and memorials without the usual crowd. Mostly likely everyone was more on top of the cherry blossom forecast than I was.

There were also a number of treasures inside the Smithsonian Castle. My favorite item is the cup&saucer set designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Day 2: Catching Up

B. moved closer to the metro recently so of course we had to crash his place. We browsed through the Netflix selection and watched Thor (with snarky commentary of course). Overall it was a decent movie and makes me want to read more about the series and find that children’s book on illustrated Norse Mythology. Prior to this, my only exposure to Thor was through reading Marvel Civil War. His character didn’t really make an impression on me (not going to spoil it for the rest of you). Most of the other highlights of Day 2 were food related so I will leave that for later in the post.

Day 3: Sculpture Garden in the Snow

I’ve been to the National Gallery Sculpture Garden (see my fav sculpture) and the Ice Rink but somehow missed the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden all these years frequenting the National Mall. While I was waiting for the museums and galleries to open at 10:30am, I wandered around the mall and found this sculpture garden. Perfectly timed with light snow falling. Most of the signs indicating artist names were snowed over so I will have to update this next time I get the names.

Food Round-up

We ended up going to eat in Gallery Place / Chinatown several times.

• Gordon Biersch http://www.gordonbiersch.com
  Long wait for dinner but once you get going, great food, drinks, and service. I wasn’t crazy about the Miso Mahi but J’s Märzen burger looked good.
  Märzen: our favorite beer (I found this while my family tried the beer sampler at another location).
• Crepe on the Walk http://www.crepes-a-gogo.com/Menu.html
  We fought over dessert for a while but really enjoyed this place. I got the strawberry, lemon, and sugar. J. got something with nutella. The real issue with crepes is that I haven’t been to Café Bonaparte [old review] in a while and I miss it. Next time I will need to make a trip over there.

Speed blogging food and drinks

Assorted places I liked and wanted to note so I can quickly search for them in the future.

DC/VA

Liberty Tavern – all you can eat brunch. I also love their french press coffees. and close to Trader Joe’s if you want to get grocery done too!

Sichuan Wok – take out place. Just what you need for a feast with friends while making chili. I approve of their hot/sour soup and Sichuan beef.

Food Trucks – I’m jealous of T. for working so close to this many food trucks. I liked the grilled cheese truck while T. and J. liked the Bahn mi sandwich truck.

NYC

Oyster Bar – Never been there for lunch before. Quite decadent to get assorted Long Island oysters and a fish burger/sandwich. Favorite oysters (Montauk and P. Pearl). Fancy place for a staycation lunch with your friends who work in midtown. Thanks V.!

Shake Shack (Theater District) – Best post-concert place to grab something sweet (pumpkin / vanilla custard) and something fried (yay fries). A previous visit also gave me an opportunity to get the oktoberfest beer. Delicious. Good luck fighting for seats though!

Pound and Pence – Best entrance to a bar ever (going through what looks like an office building). Decent selection of pub draft and some good buffalo bites too.

Wilfie and Nell – atmosphere was amazingly crowded (in a good way). I got a very alcoholic cider but it was pretty sweet too. Props to J. and E. for showing me this place. The menu made my mouth water but we had already gotten food earlier so have to come back next time.

Good Stuff Diner – more than one avocado burger. I got the one with sprouts called California Burger. Really good chocolate milk too. somehow I only end up here late at night after roaming around bars with friends. Well, at least it’s not crowded at that time.

Local West – rooftop near Penn? Thanks to T. for showing this place. I loved the Ginger Spice drink (but got it without jalapeno because I was scared of not having milk nearby…). Why can’t all places do a version of the disco fries (with gravy!)

Sugar and Plumm – Brunch place T. and I walked by when we were heading to the Natural History Museum origami tree. Beautiful place that we suggested to S. later. Shrimp and Grits was unique. T. got the Hangover Helper (heaps of food in cast iron skillet). I got the pulled pork and waffle (savory waffles are great). Coffee is also great too. I would come back here for brunch or some bday party for girls.

Mapo Tofu – Seems to be the juggling group’s choice hang-out. I liked their eggplant/vegetables dish as well as the signature mapo tofu. Tea smoked duck is exotic but also popular with most.

Spoon and Tbsp – Cute place for brunch. Since they change their menu often I actually didn’t find what I had last time. I got a cast iron skillet full of baked eggs, shitake potato hash, spinach, and sausage.

Doughnut Plant – hazelnut chocolate donut seed (think donut hole) and tres leche cake donut were my favorite. Although the rose petal one was quite nice too.

Currywurst – I loved their signature currywurst. also the chicken sausage. Watch out for the big mugs of beer though. Good bite.

Otto – Octopus was the start of the show. Fennel pizza was a first for me.

Think Coffee – many locations downtown and near NYU. The Mercer location is probably my favorite. How can you go wrong with a cozy coffee place that also has beer and wine and sweets?

Inside Park – Dining inside a church? Weird but the burger was awesome.

R&R Coffee – Good windows for people watching. I liked the Irish soda bread scone.

Lenny’s – Deli and great lunch spot. Many locations in the city. I like their Italian combo and Pastrami. Also good “thanksgiving” sandwich if you like turkey/cranberry all year round.

South St. Seaport 

Fulton Stall Market and New Amsterdam Market assorted vendors below.

Sullivan Street Bread – Get their green olive bread (most olive bread is made with black)

Edgwich Farm - Goat Cheese cheddar – tasty snack or crumble in salad / eggs

Sunday Gravy – Pasta sauce to impress your friends!

Do Re Me Farms – I almost always get some mix of vegetables/fruits. Also found some nice portabella too.

High school hijinks

What do you do when you meet up with a high school friend that you haven’t seen years? Catch up over good food and drinks all over NYC, of course.

While I have a lot more than food to say at the moment, I’m using the opportunity to jot down these good eats before I dive into more normal topics.

Saravana Bhavan (vegetarian)
26th and Lex
menu: http://www.saravanabhavan.com/menu/U.S.A/new_york_lexington.pdf

//appetizer
medhu vada – spicy fried donut for the win.

//entrée
ghee pongal – this was a very unique rice dish with coconuts and cashews. I liked it but would probably try something else next time
rava masala dosa – dosa is like a potato pancake type of thing. they have many varieties in the store. I enjoyed it.

//dessert
badam halwa – somewhat dense due to almonds but loved the taste. why don’t we have more sweets with honey and butter?

//other notes:
I’ve been so sheltered since I didn’t know anything on the menu. Not sure what style/regional specialty this restaurant is (Update: yelp says it’s southern India, there we go) but I would recommend everyone who loves Indian food to try this out and explore the extensive menu. of course there are also other Indian restaurants in the area (nicknamed Curry Hill)so feel free to walk around and peek at the menus!

and a last note, a former boss of mine noted that if you’re a vegetarian, you better be Chinese or Indian, because they make the food work. I didn’t even notice this place was a vegetarian joint until looking back the website and menu. Tasty eats!

Williamsburg Rainy Day Adventures Part 2

You may recall from a previous entry, I visited V. in Brooklyn during a downpour in March and I had wanted to plan for another trip when it’s warmer and sunnier out. Well, the weather was not cooperative when I made my second trip last weekend, but at least we had a good time nonetheless.

Soundtrack
this entry was written with Beirut playing in the background. feel free to check him out! Go Brooklyn.
http://www.myspace.com/beruit

Park
With recent spring weather I thought it would be nice to volunteer with my company to beautify local parks. The weather turned out to be freezing and rather windy but luckily I had good company. I found out that I really enjoy using rollers for painting (I really should take advantage of this and paint my walls or something). 

Coffee
My park event was supposed to end in the afternoon but due to weather and our efficient use of time, the leader dismissed us early. Instead of waiting in the cold for lunch, I opted to head out and meet up with V. earlier. A cup of whole foods breakfast blend coffee with soy later, I finally recovered from hanging out in the cold all morning. Reading up on colorful CB2 catalogues made me wish I had an empty apt to decorate. Sigh.

Brunch
Creative food place with fantastic decor, a very Brooklyn soundtrack and ridiculously well-dressed and fine-looking crowd. Another reason to come back to Williamsburg even if it’s pouring. 
http://www.traifny.com/

This place had good coffee in cute cup/saucer sets and we ended up drinking way too many cups (my entire week’s quota was filled up).

course 1: Starting off, V. had a greens dish with figs and I got a pineapple section with pomegranate molasses and grated lime (superb, and we were literately licking the plates for the last drop of pomegranate molasses). Just looked up a recipe, it actually doesn’t look that difficult. Since I already make pomegranate juice from scratch, this is nothing. alternatively we should just get a bottle from Trader Joes or Whole Foods.

course 2: Egg-in-a-nest with portabella and truffle cream. If you order this, take a whiff and prepare to die from happiness. Mushroom lovers, this is a must! Egg-in-a-nest means they cut a round hole in your toast and put in a fried egg. It looks much prettier than it sounds.  

course 3: bacon donuts with coffee ice cream. I think Williamsburg must love donuts because last time we had some nice cinnamon sugar donuts at the other brunch place. Anyway, bacon bits on donuts was interesting but I loved the combo of bacon and coffee ice cream. does anyone really get anything done after a 3 course brunch?

Chill out
The weather turned out even worse after brunch, and while we walked through the rain on my last visit, we weren’t as motivated to check out anything this time. Super Mario for the Wii actually looked quite difficult. I’m glad I don’t have time to play games anymore (except for the occasional phone games).  I ended up finishing my latest book on my phone (yea nook mobile app) while waiting for the rain to die down. This made me realize just how important a comfortable couch with good natural lighting is. I never seem to have both at my disposal. Something to consider when I look at available housing in the future.

Next time
-waterfront (even if it rains, this is getting ridiculous, truly)
-concert! (already on the calendar for June)
-dinner (instead of brunch, although I expect huge crowds)

America’s Beloved Capital: Day 2

A continuation of my Oct post [link to day 1].

Stamps and letters
Next to Union Station, there is a Post Museum [link] that I managed to miss during my four years of living in DC. Beautiful space with plenty of educational and fun exhibits for kids and adults alike.
My family has always enjoyed collecting stamps so I grew up saving and looking at different stamps. I suppose this museum will be equally fascinating and mysterious for kids growing up today without knowing anything about snail mail or stamps.

Some exhibits that I enjoyed:
-Victory mail: You’ve probably heard about war time letters between soldiers and their family/sweethearts, but did you know they had developed vmail in order to reduce the amount of cargo weight? Reading their letters made me nostalgic for the days when people captured their feelings through handwritten letters, and waited quite a while for a response. Receiving a letter then must have been an exciting event and a relief. With technology today it is possible to text/call/tweet/IM/Skype but people find it harder to express their feeling in coherent ways.

-International stamp gallery [link]: Ever wondered what kind of stamps other countries used? This small room with pull-out plates holds a vast amount of stamps. If you want to see everything you may need a day. I recommend Italy, France, Japan, and Spain. They had really unique and artistic stamps.

-Stamps A-Z: Educational but such a short-lived exhibit! I wish they had made a book or a pamphlet of the alphabet.

The souvenir store also has many goodies for stamp lovers. I bought a series of travel related stamps for my parents: trains, ships/boats, planes, and overall transportation (including hot air balloons!)

A little bit of art
I dragged T. to the National Gallery of Art [link], mostly for the Edvard Munch exhibit [link]. Besides his famous Scream painting, he’s done plenty of other works that deserve attention. I liked all of the prints where he depicted people and their interactions in a fluid manner. The way people curved and surrounded each other was interesting. He also captured red flowing hair of the female subjects that is both dreamlike and dynamic.

T. recommended that we check out the Arcimboldo exhibit [link]. How do you merge people and fruit/vegetables? He’s found a way, even as early as the 16th century. My favorite series was the 4 seasonal one. Four different portraits with seasonal produce! Below is a statue someone built in his style.

I tried to introduce Rothko to T. without too much success. I don’t even remember when I started to appreciate Rothko’s works. Most likely after seeing enough exhibits in MoMa and Whitney and realizing that although abstract, those paintings had a certain mood and texture that was not found in other works. 

New find
Every time I find a new space somewhere in DC and NYC I’m always wondering why it took me so long to discover it. T. and I both enjoyed photo ops in front of the Capitol Building (my favorite in DC), Library of Congress, Archives Building, and more. In any case, the Navy Memorial Plaza [link] gave us a chance to rest our feet and enjoy the autumn weather. Note to self, check out the heritage center next time. One of the buildings also had intricate and navy themed stained glass window art.

Tapas and sherry to end the day
After much walking and adventuring, T. took me to Tasca [link], a tapas restaurant. I would do a full review but of course I’ve since forgotten what we’ve ordered. I do remember Serrano ham, fig and cheese, tomato garlic toast and grilled octopus…along with some others. They had a wine special that night and sherry was included. We had a bottle that we couldn’t finish…I hope T. found a way to use it in her cooking or entertaining. I’m pretty sure we got the sponge cake for dessert which was just perfect. How can you go wrong with condensed milk and evaporated milk? The place also gets bonus points for great decor and ambience. I loved the framed mirror and lighting.

Awesome weekend spent in DC. Looking forward to (re)discovering more places next time I visit.

America’s Beloved Capital: Day 1

For Columbus Day weekend, I dragged J. to DC with me. I haven’t been back to that city in two years. A much needed return and change of scene from New York City, which is getting colder and more crowded by day.

Train
We started out at Union Station, the only way for visitors to enter DC, in my opinion. How grand is Union Station? and I thought Grand Central Terminal was gorgeous. Now if only the new Penn Station can be like the old Penn Station.

Bakery Blend rocks
After looking around for my coffee shop on the lower level food court and failing, we stopped by the Corner Bakery (did they used to be on the lower level?) for coffee. In fact, it was such a good idea that I ate there for breakfast for the next two days too. After walking around DC and trying Wifi and being disappointed, I’m happy to report that the cafe has good Wifi. On the third day I was by myself and I was blissfully reading the NY Times (on my phone) and sipping my coffee. Good times.

Underground Fun
After much lazying around and buying crumb cake, we took the Metro (ahem, DC’s fancy subway, with colorful lines/cell phone signal/internet but no food or drinks! I was surprised I didn’t get stopped when I forgot about that rule and took my coffee along for the ride. oh the damn ignorant New Yorker that I am.) to meet our host T. who welcomed us warmly. By the way, if you’re lazy like me, do make use of the escalators and don’t walk up them. Relax, you’re on vacation, not trying to catch the connecting train like those crazy commuters in NYC. T. lives near a mall and a metro stop, and her place has huge windows. Why she doesn’t have a few house plants is beyond me. I suppose there are enough trees outside though. I’m envious. I get a view of Citifield and U.S. Open, not that there’s anything wrong with that. Sigh. but definitely no trees.
Tip for droid users: Get the DC Metro Transit Info app for your station map and next train notices.

a hop to Virginia
J. had his heart set on the Patent Office and I was curious about their food exhibit so we all headed out for Alexandria. Before finding the museum, we randomly went into a restaurant called Hard Times for lunch. It ended up being quite tasty burgers! I didn’t personally like their chili but then again, I’m quite picky when it comes to that stuff. I got the Whiskey River BBQ Chicken which was in an nice smoky sauce with bacon! Win!
Fun food innovations (almost always accidental!).

hoyas forever
 
entering on front gates at 37th and O is the proper introduction to Georgetown University campus and of course Healy Tower. We managed to cover all the basics: front lawn, red square, darnall cafeteria (oh wait it’s a real restaurant with booze now! shock!), leavey center, uncommon grounds (why did the decor change? they got rid of drapery and old overstuffed couches i think…blah. almost bought a new mug but my old one was so much better), vittles (and obligatory purchase…yea Corp keeping up the good work), bookstore (I miss my old Bleed Hoya Blue shirts), esplanade, koi pond, new MSB building (ridiculously shiny), Dahlgren courtyard, fountain, seal (yes!), and even the visit to our favorite library (yea right). T. and J. were ready to shoot me after all the walking uphill (come on, our campus is tiny!)

a Georgetown tradition
B. joined us at front gates to walk over for dinner. I have a soft spot for Tombs ale and crab n’ artichoke dip. I got both which made me a happy camper. Our waiter forgot the marinara sauce with our calamari at first, which created massive confusion. Thankfully that was fixed.

Friendly competition
I miss college where people all crowded around a small tv in a dorm and played video games or shared youtube videos. We took it easy by heading back to T’s place and playing rounds of fighting games (I’m no expert so I mostly observed). B. and B. were hilarious. I think most people in NYC live far from each other and the concept of taking it easy and hanging out just doesn’t happen very often. We’re always spending time eating dinner at restaurants or finding the best sushi and happy hour. Anyway it was nice to relax and laugh over games and a movie.

Day 2 to follow: where I actually go around DC with T.!

Lake Placid Dining Review

Fireside Steakhouse
229 Main Street
Lake Placid, NY‎
(518) 523-2682‎
This place is a short walk from our lodge and on the recommended list by our host at the lodge. My group ordered prime-rib there, excellent and hardy. I got the chicken/shrimp/sausage pasta which came in a huge plate. I barely finished 3/4 of it with the help of my companions. The decor in this place is fabulous, with a real fireplace that burns logs. I think most of the places in Lake Placid keep their Christmas lights and some decor throughout the ski season so it’s very festive. I had some nice warm apple cider which had a healthy dose of cinnamon. I can imagine the holidays must be really nice here. Beer selection was ok but I didn’t get one.

Lake Placid Pub and Brewery
813 Mirror Lake Drive
Lake Placid, NY‎
(518) 523-3813‎
http://www.ubuale.com/
Probably the bitterest IPA (Lake Placid IPA) I’ve tasted in my life. K. was adventurous and ordered a Fresh Powder Milk Stout. C and I got the 46er which was still quite heavy but at least not as bitter. Our friendly bartender poured us sample size shots of all the beers on tap and told us that the town has a pretty vibrant bar life that closes around 2 or 3am. Coming from NYC, we were all relieved after hearing that. Since the slopes close early (4:30pm, they don’t have night ski like most slopes in PA) we were worried that bars closed early too. Since we had dinner early, we didn’t catch too many people at the bar. We played a game of pool and some darts and headed out.

Great Adirondack Steak and Seafood
34 Main Street
Lake Placid, NY
(518) 523-1629‎
http://www.greatadirondacksteakandseafood.com/index.html
CL ordered a pasta dish. C. got a porterhouse (pretty good). K. got the rib eye (I wasn’t crazy about it). I got the surf n turf which included half a lobster and 14 oz prime rib (amazing!). Minor issue is the density of the mashed potatoes. I was expecting something more fluffy. For drinks I ordered a Ausable Wulff Red Ale and then did a bunch of refills of root beer made by the local brewery. K. got some coffee flavored beer which was rather unique. In the end everyone who’s ordered drinks can take home a souvenir glass (with various logos, such as ski, hockey, snowboard, snowshoeing). For dessert I tasted the port ice cream which is always a win. Overall probably the best meal I’ve had in Lake Placid. Will definitely come back next time I’m in Lake Placid.

Dining Resource
http://www.adirondackguide.com/ncdining/ncdining.html

The Stand by the Strand

The Stand (Food/drinks)24 East 12th Street (Between 5th Ave and University Place)
212.488.5900
website

//Beer: Sixpoint Bengali Tiger IPA ($12 pitcher during happy hour). Great IPA. We wanted to try the Blue Point  Lager but they ran out. Maybe next time they will have it. Update: Blue Point Lager is way underwhelming. I'm just going to list other beers below.
--Hit me again: Smuttynose Winter Ale. It's complex. but it's seasonal so it may not be available next time...
--No thanks: Weyerbacher Hops Infusion. It smells great, but a bit on the light side for me.
//Burger: the Stand Burger. While tasty, I thought it was a bit salty for me.
//Sides: Sweet Potato Fries are as tasty as always. Tempura pickles combines perfectly sweet and salty flavors.
//Shake: Honey lavender. Fragrant and delightful. Next time I will try the Toasted Marshmallow which was highly recommended and featured on Food Network. Update: The Toasted marshmallow is also underwhelming, people shouldn't build up so much hype. I mean it's great but not like extremely unique or crazy or out of the world or something.
//Decor: Reminds me of a deli/diner with the counter and simple tables. Rather well lit and the music isn't too loud, good for meeting friends after work. Attentive bartender the time I sat at the bar for happy hour with V.

The Strand (Books)
12th St and Broadway
website | events calendar

//Notes: Props to Will for recommending the Stand. If you are taking a friend there, the Strand bookstore is a great place to meet up. They have an awesome section featuring New York books (both for tourists and NYCers alike). I went in before the holidays so they had nice holiday cards and calendars, too.

BBQ and Fireworks

Independence Day weekend came and went. Luckily we had beautiful weather in Long Island. J. and I visited Jones Beach and ate out a few times, including a memorable a BBQ place which is reviewed below. There was a county wide carnival where I managed to get my hands on some fresh cotton candy, combination of blue and pink. This was a big deal because I used to wait in line for hours for free cotton candy at various school events. I was not as adventurous with the rides. When I was younger I always bought the wristbands for unlimited rides. Now I'm not as interested in them. We checked out the beautiful Ferris wheel (overlooking green treetops and small buildings) and a small dragon roller coaster (complete with Chinese palace facade). The last few tickets were spent on my ride on the carousel. Food and rides aside, the carnival also had a petting zoo with giraffes, zebras and llamas. I think the carnival is best viewed at night, when all the rides light up and spin to the music.

Famous Dave's

Find the nearest location

The one we went to had a week long lunch special (website's lunch special is only for M-F). There was also a brunch buffet that looked decent since it was a Sunday. I ordered the lunch special two meats combo with green beans. The two meats I picked were spareribs and beef brisket. Next time I'm definitely ordering more ribs and maybe trying chicken or pulled pork. I thought the beef brisket was okay but not impressive. If you get the fries, do try them with the different BBQ sauces!

update (8/2009): got the feast for two platter with ribs and pulled pork, definitely great for 3 people to share. and I liked the pulled pork more than their beef brisket. the chicken was amazing and everyone agreed.

I've summarized the different BBQ sauces below.

1. Rich and Sassy: Tomato based with plenty of molasses. My favorite one. Goes perfectly with ribs and beef and fries and everything else on your plate.

2. Texas Pit: Smokey and good. Black Pepper gives it a kick.

3. Devil's Spit: Supposed to the spiciest one. J. and I both agreed it wasn't that spicy. But tastes pretty good.

4. Sweet and Zesty: Self-explanatory

5. Georgia Mustard: the only vinegar based sauce. Tangy and lighter than the tomato based sauces.

Udon West

150 E 46th St (btw Lex and 3rd Ave)

New York, NY 10017

212.922.9677

(other locations include St. Marks and Flushing)

appetizer

//fried tofu: tender and soft on the inside, slightly crispy on the outside, topped off with chopped scallions and sauce. I would definitely recommend this dish to anyone looking for something light and tasty to get started.

//pickled plum riceball: just the right size for me. simple, tasty, other than Go (at St. Marks), this is my fav pickled plum riceball in town (out of the restaurants I've had).

food

//Beef Bowl combo: beef and onion stir fry on top of rice AND a bowl of udon noodles. yes, you can have a rice bowl and noodles all in one meal. needless to say, it's very filling and I ended up taking half of the rice to go.

//grilled pike: T. ordered this and I'm glad she did. crispy to the bones, an exciting fish that is just big enough to share. fun side dish. oh, for all of you people who don't eat fish skin, this pike's skin is so crispy and tasty. try it!

dessert

//black sesame ice cream: black sesame is a quite popular flavor in China (and probably Asia too), almost as popular as red bean (azuki bean) and green bean (mung bean). you can get black sesame milk tea, black sesame filled pastries, and so on. I haven't seen much black sesame ice cream in restaurants so I had to try it. just as good as I remembered.

//green tea ice cream: not as sweet as the usual green tea I get. quite refreshing after dinner.

location/atmosphere/etc

//I'm always in St. Marks for cozy Japanese food (non-sushi kind) so I didn't think I'd find much in midtown (well, Sakagura is slightly pricey for dinner....although yummy). In our search for food, J. recommended us to a place on 44th st (unfortunately was closed when we got there). The sign on the closed restaurant pointed to two restaurants, one of them was Udon West. B. and T. had both gone to Japan before, so I'm glad they approve of the food. The good thing about restaurants not in the downtown area is that they offer a lot more space and you can usually hear your party's conversations. Very friendly staff. Not too far from Grand Central. I wonder if we can order take out from here when we go to Karaoke Duet (east side location)

Madison Food Roundup

So what do you eat in the state known for dairy? Cheese, ice cream, milk, and more!

Breakfast

Marigold Kitchen (link)

118 S. Pinckney St.

608.661.5559

//scrambler (scrambled eggs) - special of the day was scallion, ham, and cheese scrambler. I picked rosemary toast since the scrambler also comes with toast. Coffee was good as well but I wasn't crazy about the grapefruit juice (should have gotten fresh OJ instead)

Lunch

Zander's Capitol Grill (link)

118 State St.

608.280.9999

//blackened tilapia sandwich with mango and pineapple salsa

//1/2 sandwich (eggplant parmesan) and soup (cheese and beer soup). the eggplant parmesan also had amazing basil and tomato bits. yays. not sure if I liked the soup. it was good, just a bit strange.

Buffalo Wings (link)

ok, so this is a national chain. still enjoyed the food though.

//Wings: Caribbean Jerk, Asian Zing.

//Ribs: decent, esp. good with the Rib+Wing combo.

Dinner

Great Dane downtown location (link)

123 E. Doty St.

608.284.0000

//Devils Lake Red Lager

//Great Dane Pub Wings - we got burned by habanero hellfire, but it gave us an excuse to order milk from the bar (milk from the dairy state sure is tasty). I'm going to stay away from this one. will probably try less suicidal flavors next time.

// Dane Burger - while I enjoyed it, the artichoke dip was a bit much for me. Medium rare was perfect though.

Dessert

Daily Scoop (link)

//blue moon (strange blue ice cream....). badger blast (chocolate overdose)

Inside Memorial Union of UWisc. This place has ice cream, coffee, and more. I had originally wanted to check out the Babcock Hall Dairy store for their specialty ice cream, but my cousin noted that Daily Scoop sold their ice cream too.

Paciugo (link)

//three scoop: coconut, oreo, and rose (yes rose!). I loved the coconut one the best.

I found this in some random mall....what a surprise. They also have other locations in town.

Pipa

38 E 19th St
connected to ABC Carpet in Union Sq
212.677.2233
website

A few weeks ago I went to this restaurant with S. and W. before watching Sex & the City (great movie by the way). A few co-workers recommend the place long ago.

food
//chicken fennel salad. actually it's been a while and I'm not sure if this is indeed the salad I got. S. and W. had sandwiches that were tasty enough. I may try one next time.
//side of chorizo because I was still hungry after the salad.

//update: On a recent visit I ordered the serrano ham sandwich. Loved the spread they used (some kind of sweet butter) and the side salad was tasty as well.

//update: we had baby chorizos this time and I think it was quite good but T. thought it wasn't salty enough. They were soaked in some kind of sauce. Their menu online says sherry and olives and chiles.

drinks
//I was threatening to get cosmos in order of the movie but they wouldn't drink with me. I'm not usually a fan of noontime drinking either so it's ok. Next time if I go for dinner I'll get something off of their drinks menu.

decor
//chandeliers all over the place, with price tags to boot. probably an extension of ABC Carpets

Lady Mendl Tea

56 Irving Place

212.533.4600

menu

A co-worker recommended this place to me and while she was recommending it, another co-worker chimed in and said she had gone to a few bridal/baby showers there and had a great time too.

I took T. for her birthday and we immediately knew it was going to be grand. It did feel like a friend's living room, very cozy, beautifully decorated, and quiet, too. I really hope I can accurately recall everything.

5 course tea

//tea: T. had Scarlet Glow, an herbal tea that was rose colored. I believe it had hibiscus. I ordered Lady Mendl's tea, which was pretty traditional English afternoon but hey, why not try the name sake on my first visit? It went very well with sweets. Also to mention, we get our own teapots (with refills) and cup&saucer set with milk, sugar, and spoon. A detail not to be missed is the small sugarcube with a flower design that is tastefully placed next to the teacup.

//salad: ok, we didn't have tea with this because it was served as soon as we sat down. I liked it but was still taking time to take in the atmosphere of the place to really taste the salad.

//sandwiches: finger sandwiches but they offer a second round as well. I recommend trying a bit of everything on your first round and pick the ones you liked on the second round. The ones that made my second round list were: cucumber, smoked salmon, and egg salad.

//scones: more reasonable portion than Alice's Teacup (as in...I think Alice's scones are meant to feed people since they are so big). I actually liked Alice's Teacup's scones more maybe because they're more buttery and had more interesting flavors (like Earl Grey and pumpkin).

//dessert: we shared an order of crepe cake and chocolate mousse cake. Both served with fresh berries and confectioner's sugar. I liked the mousse cake better but was happy to try both.

//cookies and chocolate covered strawberries: We were well fed at this point so I had trouble finishing up the cookies and marzipan sweets. I told T. champagne and chocolate covered strawberries would go well together but 1pm seemed a bit early to toast. She said that combo would be a honeymoon thing (really? champagne and chocolate covered strawberries?) and laughed. I guess I just imagine having more interesting things for honeymoon than chocolate covered strawberries. I never get too crazy about them for some reason. Maybe if I made myself it'd be better.

Definitely an experiences everyone should have. Probably best for girlfriends and mothers. I guess it could be a classy date place (but not on the first date) whereas Alice's Teacup would be too cutesy for a guy to go in. Since it's close to Union Square, you can walk around the neighborhood, check out books at the B&N, say hello to the kitties in the PetCo, and see what else is going on with artists/protestors/students around the park.

Sal Anthony's S.P.Q.R.

133 Mulberry Street (Little Italy)

212.925.3120

website

Feast of San Gennaro started Sept 11 and my friends just happened to find ourselves there, dining under a tent outside of SPQR. The weather was beautiful and what a night to be spending time doing a bit of wine and dine?!

pre-fixe apparently went on all throughout the night thanks to the festival. Let's see if I can remember the items that I consumed

//sweet melon prosciutto

I liked this but would have enjoyed cantalope more than the honeydew they used. just a personal reference though, the honeydew was very ripe and juicy.

//trout with garlic and rosemary

fantastic flavored fish and a more generous portion than expected. T. and I both had this and had trouble finishing. I was hoping for a light piece of fish for the summer but instead got quite a savory punch. I would recommend this again.

//cannoli

I'm not sure why I even ordered this...since I really have my taste buds set on Ferrara (blog entry)

Oh, we also got a pitcher of Sangria which was somewhat light but sweet. 

Definitely want to check out more of the festival for the street food later.

Brasserie 360

200 East 60th Street (at 3rd Ave)

212.688.8688

website

Drinks

//Pomegranate cocktail - looks like a cosmo but has pom juice instead of cranberry. T. and I both loved this. The website menu components are slightly different from the menu I saw in the restaurant. I figure they mix it up but keep the theme of pomegranate. 

//Jade - lychee liquor with some stuff. looks pretty but T. wasn't crazy about it.

Food

//Brasserie 360 Burger with greens on the side. 

//Thyme Poached Chicken salad - definitely gave you enough food for your money...the giant bowl was slightly intimidating. T. and I loved it though. Let's see...the website description is below: 

Julienne Apples, Endive, Gra pe Tomato, Avocado, Red Onion, Mix Greens, Sherry Vinaigrette.

Funny, I don't remember avocado...

Sweets

//Black and White Chocolate Mousse

We were quite full after our dinner but wanted to try some sweets. It does not disappoint. Otherwise the dessert menu is pretty standard, with your usual offering of various pie/ chocolate products and ice cream/sorbet.

Atmosphere

I suppose it's got that "outdoor" dining feel without being completely exposed to the elements. We sat in a section with clear walls. Basically, the walls (doors) can be slided open to the outside. We had enough space to ourselves (it is mid/uptown after all!). I can't remember the specific decors though.

Alexandra

455 Hudson St. near Barrow St.
212.255.3838
Menu from NY Magazine

It was a clear day, breezy, low 70s. Perfect summer evening for dining out. We find ourselves in the west village, where you'll find a restaurant with outdoor dining every two steps you take. After walking up to various restaurants to check out menus and consulting our good friend googlemaps (addictive for foodies), we were still very undecided about where to go. I'm still very skeptical about Japanese food (excluding sushi) outside Turtle Bay and St.Marks so passed on En Japanese Brasserie. Then we passed by Out of the Kitchen and Alexandra. Both menus looked simple and price range weren't too far off. Hungry and a bit tired, it was decision time. I opted for Alexandra because it had cuter decor (true story). and the seating was out of direct sunlight and the restaurant was not at a major intersection, which meant it was quieter. So quiet I had forgotten we were downtown.

I have never been to Europe but I have seen enough movies to have a romanticized image of outdoor dining. Alexandra had it all. There were flowers. The drink menu (on a blackboard I believe?) was placed in a basket on a bike leaning against the tree. The outdoor tables held candle holders that produced a lantern like glow (the real candle inside was shielded by an opaque cover against the summer breeze).

After we ordered two chimays, we were given a french bread basket (real basket lined with napkin of course) and a container with herb butter balls. I mention herb butterballs as a plus because it reminded me of my Ottawa trip earlier this year where we had great French food (all with fantastic bread and various herb/spice butterballs). You don't get any of that small rectangle butter packages in Canada, I guess. I've never had chimay before but I've heard so much about them that I had to try one. Probably my new favorite beer (although expensive...sigh). For all you draft beer enthusiasts, there are none on draft. Obviously it's more of wine place but chimays work too. When I went to Sam Adams Brewery tour, they had taught us to taste beer with the same steps as tasting wine. Be sure to swirl your glass of good beer and take a whiff (chimays smell great) before drinking. Cheers!

To start, we ordered a Market Greens salad with apples, hazelnuts, lemon and olive oil. At dinner I didn't remember what the salad dressing was, but tasted extra virgin olive oil right away, with a hint of lemon juice. After researching the menu when I wrote this entry, I will confirm that it's very lightly dressed. Granny smith apples are crispy and tart, hazelnuts roasted and browned. Mostly romaine lettuce with a bit of spinach perhaps. J and I discussed salads and I'm of the opinion that really heavy dressing would only overpower good salad ingredients.

I fear my entry is turning into a travel narrative. Let's keep it simple for the rest.
For main course I had a P.J. Hambrger with Cheddar. Pretty tasty overall, no complaints. The regular burger acessories are fine too: tomato (possibly farmer's market? it was really juicy and sweet), romaine lettuce, red onion (my fav), and pickle (slightly vinegary). J had a burger with a side order of French Fries. The fries were presented in a little tin bucket (cute!) with herbed mayo (European style). The mayo was interesting at first but then became too much. I eventually caved and grabbed the ketchup bottle.

I want to try their brunch next time. Also making a mental note to visit small restaurants in the village more. A little sad that outdoor dining season is coming to a close. I recommend Alexandra if you're looking for a quiet dinner downtown. We dined a bit before regular New Yorkers so that may explain the quiet atomosphere. When we left, all the tables were taken.

In the neighborood
Alexandra and nearly village eats are just a short walk to the Hudson River Park piers. If you dined early you can probably catch the evening breeze and the beautiful waters by the pier. The skyline is gorgeous as well.