Gotham Gal

Azafran

Nothing like drinking sangria on a warm night. The only problem with sangria, is that you suck it down like grape juice and then all of a sudden, bam, you should not be drinking anymore sangria.

We went to Azafran for dinner. Spanish tapas in Tribeca. Azafran has the feeling of a neighborhood restaurant. The design is simple. The front room is small with a long bar separating the back room which is a nice size with a large open kitchen in the back corner. You can see the flames shooting out of there regularly throughout the night.

The sangria is delicious. The paprika nuts and olives at the bar are a nice nosh while you wait. The food is ok not great. I remember years ago there was a fantastic small tapas place on the Upper West side that had yummy tapas. I never understood why tapas did not take off then. Obviously it is happening now with other noshing restaurants opening up through out the city such as Alta on West 10th and Mario Batali's restaurant Casa Mono on Grammercy.

We began our meal last night with a plate of chorizo, serrano ham and other meats. The chorizo was especially good which we also ate fried later on in the meal. Next we had fried calamari accompanied with alioli and a red sauce. Neither were very interesting and the alioli was so heavy on the garlic that I found it unedible. I stuck to the calamari with were plentiful, spicy and good. Sizzling shrimp was our next nosh. This was also so heavily laden in garlic that it was not that good. I have never understood the heavy garlic hand. Garlic should be used as an enhancer, at least that is how it is done in Europe. The spices should compliment each other not take out the other. We also ate sauted beef rolled up and stuff with pesto. I found that the beef tasted like it was processed. It would have been much more interesting in a marinated flank steak. One bite of that was enough for me. There was a salad passed around at one point which sort of cleansed the palate. Not very interesting on the dressing but just sort of dry.

The main courses we all split up. We had the chilean sea bass with was good. The fish was moist and light. We also had my favorite, seafood paella. I admit that I have been spoiled by eating paella at AOC. Azafran's paella was ok. The rice was yummy. There was only seafood which I like too. The shrimps were delicious. The calamari was ok but not as delicious. I admit, I was forewarned by our dinner partners, it is not AOC. It wasn't.

For dessert, we ordered some spanish sherry which was incredibly sweet so one sip was enough. We also had a cheese platter. Nothing interesting.

We had a great time. It was probably the sharing of the food, the company and the sangria. The food was ok, not great. Will I go back, not sure, but it is always fun to check out the array of restaurants in NYC. That is one of the great pleasures of living in this city.

Greetings when You Meet

Greetings are a very funny thing. We have taught all our children how to shake someone's hand at an early age, introduce themselves and look someone in the eye when doing this. Now of course, they comment on someone's hand shake when they meet them. Particularly a soft hand shake which is a vote of no confidence among our brood. My daughter recently interviewed some people through her school and her one comment on someone was "terrible handshake". I am often amazed when you meet someone of significant stature and success that shakes a hand like a wet noodle. Didn't their mother teach them anything?

I had a sales person who worked for me years ago. Before we entered our first meeting together, I asked her if she could show me how she shakes hands. Her hand shake was incredibly weak. I literally taught her to give a good solid handshake right there and then. I have lost touch with her but I hope that lesson served her something over the years.

Today I was at a luncheon put on by a hedge fund group that we have money in. It was a pretty powerful group and extremely interesting. I happened to see someone I know, who is a very successful older gentlemen. He is a tad stiff and everytime I see him, he appears uncomfortable about greetings with me. We usually do the kiss. He is a double kisser. Now, this is another issue I have. How would I know someone to be a double kisser? I am a single kisser, or a firm hand shake with a lean over for the kiss. Obviously based on who I am seeing. Europeans are double kissers, so I am expecting this. As someone who is a single kisser, there is always that moment of feeling uncomfortable when you did not realize that the person you are greeting is swooping in for the second cheek. Can we stick to the single kiss?

Some people are also more inclined to kissing than handshakes. Some people just like to say hello and do nothing. It all depends on you and certainly where you came from. I grew up going to summer camp and everyone was always kissing each other and hugging. My husband did not grow up with that but he has gotten accustom to the kiss.

Bottom line, greetings are a very funny thing.

Sumile

Most times, we go to a new restaurant and just walk in. 9 out of 10 times, they can seat 2 people or we manage to find 2 chairs at the bar. If not, we just go somewhere else.

The other night we strolled by Sumile and saw that the bar was wide open. Perfect. Had read about this restaurant for awhile. We actually had reservations there when it had first opened but decided we were not in the mood.

The decor is very mod. The lighting is low but the vibe is very futuresque. The drink list is extensive. There are a variety of sakes by the glass, which is nice. They even make their own ice out of special bottled water. The cubes are interesting looking chunks of ice. Just an added touch.

We basically ordered off the appetizer menu. We had the oysters which were very small but served in a mild pineapple vinegar. They were good but not great. All appetizers come in pieces of 5 which is interesting. 6 would have been nice if you are sharing. We also had the tea smoked anago on boiled daikon. This was interesting. Pieces of anago sliced into 1 inch pieces served over the daikon. 5 small bites. Again, good but not great. We also had the tartar of bluefin otoro. This was served with caviar and pickled abalone in a shell about the size of one's palm. About 4 bites, maybe 5. This was really yummy. The last thing we had was another sashimi dish.

The food was good not great. The sake was nice. The vibe was a bit too cool and futuristic for my taste. The bill was out of control. All of the items on the menu are $14 for an appetizer or $28 for a main course. You can also order the chef's selections at $80, $100 or $120. I did not realize that the otoro was a $15 supplement, so in essence that was $30 for 5 bites.

To sit at the bar, have a few drinks and some appetizers literally cost us somewhere around $120 with tip. That is outrageous! If the food was so incredible that it was a foodies dream and a memorable taste, then maybe but this was not.

Obviously cost vs. demand is the key to New York City being the ultimate in capitalism. I gather there must be a supply of people willing to pay that type of money for 5 bites. Sumile has been open now 5/6 months and appears to be hopping. What can I say? I am not one of those consumers. Sorry to say Sumile, I will not be back.

What I love about raising kids in New York City

What I love about raising kids in New York City is the access to everything. I also love the sense of ownership and responsibility they have because they are empowered to get to where they need to be.

Friday night was a perfect example. Our kids, 13, 11 and 8, walked to school by themselves that morning. When school ended, our 11 year old had a birthday party at the Museum of Television and Radio. The kids recorded a radio show. 1/2 of them were the sound effects, the other 1/2 was the cast. They will recieve a tape of their show in a few weeks. Pretty cool. Then they went out for pizza afterwards.

Our oldest daughter was in the Middle School play which was shown on Friday night, Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening. We went Saturday night. So, she was on her own Friday night doing the play. Afterwards, she hooked up with her friends for ice cream and then walked home. She got home about 10:45 just as we were pulling up in a cab.

Our youngest son was with me and my husband. We went up town to pick up our daughter at the Museum and went out for dinner to Judson Grill. The restaurant is generally packed during the week for dinner and lunch. Friday night was pretty mellow. The food was good. We went to dinner up there because the 4 of us were going to a concert at Roseland Ballroom afterwards.

We went to see Evan Dando and Fountains of Wayne. We really only went to see Fountains but caught the last few songs from Evan. Fountains went on about 9:30 and we left around 10:30 They were great. The kids loved them.

So, our daughter walks herself to school, takes a subway up to the Museum of TV and Radio for a party with a bunch of kids, dines at Judson Grill for dinner and then catches a show at Roseland before getting into bed at around 11ish.

Only in New york....

Mother's Day

Growing up, my father espoused that Mother's and Father's Day were ridiculous holidays. I happen to disagree. It is really nice to celebrate the day with your kids and get some acknowledgement - not that I don't get it the other 364 days of the year. I got a great gift. I did not cook or clean. I went to my son's baseball game after a leisurely breakfast and of course, after opening my present. Then we went down to Chinatown for dim sum and wandered through Little Italy for gelatto and into Soho. I took my daughter's shopping (time is limited and they needed some stuff) and my husband and son went home and made us dinner. Not bad.

So while I was reading through the entire New York Times today, which I admit I do daily, I read a great editorial on Mother's Day. I really enjoyed the editorial because I completely agree with her parenting. As we all know, everyone has their own parenting. Sometimes you are so dismayed by your friend's parenting that it makes you think "how can I be friends with these people"?

If you get a chance read the Week in Review from Sunday before it goes into the recycle bin. The editorial was written by Muffy Mead-Ferrro. She is the anti-mother of today. I probably am too. I have pushed our kids to be completely independent, think on their own 2 feet, challenge authority and question what they don't understand, be opinionated in a conversation with adults about something you feel strongly about, dress themselves, shower by themselves, make their own breakfast, walk the dog, be responsible for their own homework, get good grades, reach for the stars, be yourself, embrace your assets, pick up your own crap off the floor, be organized, figure out who you want to play with, entertain yourself, dress yourself, set new trends don't follow others, embrace your own life.

People today seem to be so focused on their children that their children can't focus on being themselves. The greatest asset you can give your child is to make them depend on themselves. Otherwise, how can they be healthy, thought provoking, intelligent, decision-making adults? I pride myself on our kids being able to work a crowd and at the same time have a conversation about politics. Why? Because we have always treated them with absolute respect for who they are instead of making sure that everything they do was "ok" and protected. Listen, if they fall down the stairs backwards when they are learning to navigate them, they won't do it again. You learn from mistakes.

I will say that my husband made an awesome poached egg this morning. I'll take that once a year. But, the other 364 days a year, I am spending time teaching and nurting our kids to be their own person. Nothing else could be a better asset for the future.

John Kerry Fundraiser

I have been a Democratic since I came out of the womb. Our family grew up discussing politics over the dinner table. I wish the Democratics could be as nasty as the Republicans who will do anything to get into office. But, they are Democracts.

Last night I went to a fundraiser for John Kerry. The guest hosts for this event were Suzanne Vega and Al Franken. There are groups of fundraisers like this happening all over the country where people get together and continue to raise money for Kerry regardless of him being at the event. Thank god.

Suzanne Vega sang 3 songs. She sang 2 of my favorites, Luka and Tom's Diner. She reminded us that these were songs she had written 20 years ago. Wow, talk about dating yourself - and me. The audience participated in Tom's Diner when the chorus of ditties comes in. It was great.

Al Franken then spoke. The guy is not only funny but incredibly intelligent. He spoke about how this particualr administration, one of the worst in his lifetime, has not created one job. The ads that they put out are complete lies, which is so frustrating that there is not some type of organization that monitors that bullshit. We are in a war that we shouldn't be in. We went by ourselves with no allies. We have absolutely followed no advice on how to get out of there and let them govern themselves. We are abusing the supposed prisoners of war. The administration knew about this since mid-January and chose to do nothing about it but suppress the information. I would find it hard to believe that the torturing that has been going on, and the pictures that have been taken, were not following a direct order from the higher up chain of command. After all, the army is all about chain of command. This administration blew and incredible opportunity after 9/11 to have the world embrace us. To reach out and create tigher friendships with every government across the world. Instead, we have pissed everyone off. Our dollar sucks. There are more terrorists now than before. The arrogance of this administration is horrific. As Al put it, "they are thugs". On a domestic front, they support the NRA, anti-abortion movements, and seem to be working on taking our civil liberties away. What is next? Disney is afraid to release Michael Moore's new documentary because it might impede on their taxes in the state of Florida. I could go on and on.

So, although last night was a united front, it got my blood boiling. I wonder how could any intelligent person support this lying, pompous, arrogant group of thugs? The Bushes have even decided to not go to their daughters college graduations because they do not want to take away from the kids? What is wrong with these people? I believe Bill and Hilary took Chelsea to college, had her travel with them and went to her college graduation. I know at the end of the day this is slightly irrelevant to the big picture but doesn't it say something about the family, the values and morals and ethics of this group? Yikes!

So, as I rant and rave, I hope that Kerry picks a fantastic VP and soon. Supposedly that is happening. Also, I hope some of these moderate Republicans can look at themselves in the mirror in the morning and start making better choices. Kerry needs to win the swing vote. The Youth, the Spanish, the African-Americans, the Independents. The people that are not sure who they will vote on until they literally get into that booth.
That is what will win this election.

I worry about the future of America. If most Americans choose a President like George Bush, I am not so sure this is a country that I want to raise my children in. Is it possible that I could be in the minority of this country that believes in honesty, capitalism, democracy, pro-choice, the best legal system in the world, the right to voice my opinion, and the need for the US to become part of the big picture instead of the absolute sheer arrogance of standing alone without any allies. Who are we becoming as a nation?

This is the most important election in my lifetime and I certainly hope that we make the right choice, the only choice, vote George Bush out of office.

Obestity

There was a small article in the New York Times today about obesity in children. The article basically stated that the growing rate of obesity in children is creating higher blood pressure levels that could foreshadow a huge generation of heart disease. It is more the long term effects on over weight children.

I have had a weight issue since day one. The neurotic jewish girl in me made me think about dieting from the second I woke up until when I went to sleep at night. I weigh myself every morning. I think about what I am putting in my mouth. I certainly treat myself, plenty, but I do know what is healthy and not healthy.

We talk about this at home. We talk about caloric intake, exercise, eating healthy. All health related not weight related. There is a big difference here. Some of us have the joy of being born with thin bodies and can consume anything. This does not necessarily mean healthy.

Our society has made food available at every corner. Supersized so you are getting the most for your money. Tasty medications for kids, snacks shaped at your favorite characters. 200 years ago, people plowed the fields, worked on the fields instead of at the gym and ate what they made. Now we are a world eating food filled with god knows what. Hey, it is fine once in awhile but not daily. How do we teach our children that in the home and at school?

Our oldest is in the middle school play. The week before the play they have to stay late 3 nights in a row making sure the performance is ready for action. Last year, all the kids were consuming food for dinner that was purchased by the adults that were there to help. What did they eat? Pizza, chips and sub sandwiches. Needless to say, by day 3, everyone felt disgusting. This is obesity training at its finest.

The past year, I have decided to cater the middle school play's dinners during the last week. These kids are eating a healthy well-balanced meal every night. To me, that is extremely important.

I know that most people say that they don't have time to make a meal. They don't know how to cook. Broiling a few pieces of chicken or a piece of steak, tossing some lettuce together with a salad dressing or throwing some vegetables in the oven for 1/2 an hour isn't that big of a deal.

Whenever I travel around the country, I am amazed by how heavy we have let our children get. It breaks my heart. I was a fat kid. It sucked. You did not feel good about yourself. Teaching our children how to eat healthy - again, they learn from example - has to be one of the most important things you can do.

Otherwise, as I read today, we are all going to have to pay the price.

Mean Girls, Shaolin Soccer and Bobby Jones: stroke of Genius

In the past few days, I have seen 3 movies. All kid related.

I saw Mean Girls the day it came out with my daughters and my Mom. I really liked it. Our audience was a true NYU crowd and the hoots and hollers from them made the movie even more entertaining. Lindsay Lohan plays the main character, Cady. Cady has just moved to the suburbs after spending years in the outback of Africa, so she has been home schooled until she becomes a Sophomore/Junior in High School. She is a bit out of sorts trying to figure out all the different "clicks". She doesn't even realize that these clicks exist. She pairs up with the "loners" who are always the most interesting in movieland. They help her decipher the other clicks. There are the jocks, the asian nerds, the cool asian chicks, the nerdy girls, and the worst group of all, the plastics. The plastics represent that group in high school that everyone talked about because they were supposedly the most beautiful, the coolest, the hippest, the everything. Although when you see them at your 20th high school reunion, you realize how high school was probably their peak year. Regardless, the plastics love Cady and she befriends them while all the time trying to undo their popularity with the help of the loners. Unfortunately she becomes one of them until she has a wake up call. Good entertainment. Totally stereotypical but funny lines, dry sense of humor and the acting isn't bad either. Grab a teenager and go.

I had a hot date with my 8 year old son last night. The selection of movies out there right now is very slim. I thought we should see Soccer Shaolin. It looked good. Very kung-funesque and also got good reviews. We were psyched. Unfortunately, the movie is subt-titled. I sort of missed that part. We sat down and after about 10 minutes, we realized that reading for 2 hours was not going to be his thing. So, we exited and played some gun firing video games and got the manager to move us over to another movie.

Next film, Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius. This movie should have been on the networks not on the movie screen. The movie was actually put out by the Bobby Jones Foundation who worked in conjunction with a production company. It was incredibly slow. They could have easily cut out about 1 1/2 hours. But, as a person who actually enjoys watching golf on tv, his life is an interesting story. My son is a big golfer too. After about 2 hours, my son told me that I have given him a good night out and it was time to pack it in. I asked him if he wanted to stay to find out what happens. He said, "we know what happens". So right he was...homeward bound.

Vento Trattoria

Stephen Hanson is an impressive restaurateur. I have frequented his restaurants for years. His instincts for a successful dining experience have generally been spot on. Each restaurant has a different look and distinctive cuisine. Most important, the food is most always really good.

I am a huge fan of Blue Water Grill. Blue Fin in Times Square is also excellent but a bit overwhelming in size. Isabella's on the Upper West side has been one of the few restaurants that has survived the many transformations of the Upper West side on Columbus Avenue. Dos Caminos which is now open on Park Avenue and Soho has innovative Mexican food and fantastic margueritas. I am not a big fan of Ruby Foo's but certainly understand the popularity of that restaurant. Ocean Grill on the Upper East side I have never gone to and Park Avalon I found not good at all and that was a few years back. Fiamma in Soho is excellent. I have been trying to get back there for quite awhile. So, when he opened up a new restaurant near me, off we went.

My son had his piano recital on Saturday afternoon at Steinway on West 57th Street. Pretty impressive place to have his event but like every little nook and cranny in New York, so glad we were able to check it out. His request for dinner, since it was his night, was pizza. Ugh. So, Vento Trattoria which opened on Hudson between 13/14th because they happen to have a wood burning oven and make pizza. Also, a new place to check out. Perfect. We can have our cake and eat it too.

The restaurant takes over the obscurely shaped building on the corner of 14th between Hudson and 9th Avenue. The building has the dimensions of a small Flatiron building. It has been completely transformed over the past year except that the local dive is still on the corner, which keeps the neighborhood in check.

Vento has taken the first floor and second floor, opened them up so they are airy and clean. Unfortunately the sound issues in there are a huge problem. Although the ceilings are low, you literally can not hear the person across from you. I am not sure how they fix this problem but it is a major issue.

The staff is eager to please although they have not yet figured out standard protocol, like giving you a menu when you sit down. Otherwise, they could not have been nicer.

We started out with a few appetizers. The buffalo mozzarella is smooth, soft and yummy. The plate of proscuitto, mortadello and ham is delicious. We also had some frutti de mar, calamari and zucchini deep fried. This was ok not fantastic. The zucchini was a bit soft and the seasoning they used for the calamari was just ok. I am sure they will get it once the kitchen runs smoother. We also had the salad with a variety of different vegetables, asaparagus, edamame, tomatoes, etc. This was fresh, crunchy and the perfect amount of dressing.

Then we moved on to the main courses. The kids all have pizza - surprise! The 4 cheese pizza was intense and really delicious. The regular standard was good but would have wished to try the variety of interesting pizzas they had available. We had one pasta which was proscuitto, peas and truffles. Incredibly rich and incredible tasting. My mom and I split the pasta and the grilled sardines from the appetizers as a main course. The sardines were not good. Very dry with very little flavor. This particular appetizer needs some work.
My husband had a main course of fish which was very good.

We bagged dessert because we could barely hear each other speak and had enough. Guaranteed success is what I predict. The neighborhood is hopping more today than it did even one month ago. The place has a nice vibe. The food is as a whole really tasty and well priced. But, the sound thing....they have to work on that.