ZieherSmith and Blue Smoke

In New York, you can become very selfish. As a parent, it's tough because there are so many things to do on a nightly basis. So, you either limit yourself, or do a variety of things in one night. Last night was the "how many things can we pack into the evening" night.

We started off at ZieherSmith which is an art gallery of emering artists in Chelsea. I really like the 2 people that own this gallery. They have a good eye and are very into the whole emerging art scene. They had a booth at the NADA Art Fair in Miami last week where Art Basel was happening. Unfortunately, I did not go but am determined to go next year.

Last night, the artist opening was Joseph Cornell and 13 Emerging Artists. I did not really like anything there except a figure of a man, dressed in a grey suit, inside a wooden box. The character was about the size of a barbie doll. There was also a bird piece that was literally tons of prints of birds, cut down and then pasted one on top of the other to create a large exploding mass of birds. Otherwise, it wasn't my cup of tea but again, art is a very personal thing.

We also went to a holiday party down the street at our neighbors, whom I have never met before, but my husband has. It was a very nice neighborly gesture. It is also always so much fun to check out other people's homes. We didn't stay long because we were off to the next and we only knew 2 people there.

We met our friend and his friends from Brazil for dinner at Blue Smoke. It was great hanging out with the Brazilian friends since we will be in that area during Xmas. Now, we can really hang out with locals.

I love the Jazz Standard downstairs at Blue Smoke. I love the smell of the place when you walk in. You feel like you are entering a barbecue pit. There is a great vibe too. I have never been a real fan of the food there. I am still not. I consider myself a rib aficionado. I know that I am not the only one. People are very particular about their barbecue. Danny Meyer is an incredible restauranteur. One of the best. Union Square is fantastic, Tabla is also really good and Eleven Madison is such a beautiful restaurant. I loved 11 Madison when it opened but have not been thrilled with the food since. Getting a new chef there could change the whole dynamic and send me running back. My absolute favorite is Grammercy Tavern. I have probably eaten in the bar area of GT over 100 times, literally. The service is great, the vibe is wonderful and the food is seasonal and delicious. It goes under the category of a "must do" in NYC.

Back to Blue Smoke. Danny was really the first in the city to open up a real barbecue place. Others have followed suit. I have not been to any of them yet but my brother went to Pearson's on the upper east side this week and said it was good. The best supposedly is Daisy May's BBQ at 623 11th Avenue/46th street. They only deliver. I also read about a smoked turkey you can have delivered from Greenbergs in Tyler, Texas which I am dying to try.

Barbecue does bring out the food critic in all of us.