Gotham Gal

Fahrenheit 9/11

I finally went to see Fahrenheit 9/11. I am a die-hard Democrat so keep that in mind. First of all, my hats are off to Michael Moore because he has pushed the public (who are coming out in droves to see this film - both Republicans and Democrats) to ask questions about this Administration. One of my biggest frustrations through this entire smoke and mirrors Administration is that where is the Press? There was not one thing in Moore's documentary that I had not read somewhere before. All of the ties to the Saudi's oil with the Bush family and extending members such as Cheney and Rummy. Why has the press not made an of this an issue? Why hasn't there been pressure to look into this from an Independent Commission (not that this Administration gives information to Independent Commisions anyway)? We just walked right into Iraq without asking questions? Not one worthwhile Ally supported this. How come we did? I didn't.

I much preferred the first half of the movie when he tries to show the link between the money, the oil and the terrorists. That was of interest. The second half wasn't as interesting to me. I know that families are heart broken over losing their loved ones, who are fighting for us over in Iraq. Unfortunately, we are at war and that is what happens. How come these families aren't questioning why are we there, louder? It is not the way of the military for the military to question this. Military soliders are trained to follow orders. I did like however when Michael takes to the streets and asks our Congressmen if they would send their children over to Iraq to fight for us. No one took him up on that.

One of the most fascinating scenes in the film, which I did not know about until I saw the movie, was when after Bush was given the nod to become our President from the Supreme Court how people reacted in Congress. Representatives stood up in the House with millions of signatures about why this should not happen and that something fishy went on, not ONE Senator had the balls to sign it. They all just did the "right thing" and had a peaceful hand over to the next Administration. Wrong! Shame on them. If they had truly looked into what happened in Florida and god knows what else, we would not be in the mess we are today and George Bush probably would not be President.

What type of President sits in front of a class of kids and reads them a book when he has just found out that we have had a terorrist attack? He not only goes ahead with his "photo-op" but then sits there for 11 minutes before telling anybody what do to. This is leadership? To me, that sums up the reason why no intelligent human being who believes this country should vote for a man like this.

Listen, I could ramble on for hours about what a disgusting group of people are running the White House. But, I won't. All I have to say is bravo to Michael Moore for making a film that is forcing people to think about the consequences of voting again for an under-handed, greedy, elitist, arrogant dictatorship who is taking away our civil liberties piece by piece President, deserves a round of applause. I can tell u that in my theater, that is exactly what they did.

Chanterelle

I have been to Chanterelle probably 5 times now. The restaurant is so beautiful. A classic downtown institution. It was great to be back last night.

There is only one room. The lights make the room glow. The large flowers in the front of the room set a modern tone. The service is fantastic. I love when they ask if they could pour more wine instead of just pouring more into your glass everytime you put it down. How polite and thoughtful considering your bottle is costing you an arm and a leg, it probably is the right thing to do. Note, the wine list is as heavy as a wedding album.

We first sat down and we were served tastings from the chef. This is a theme in all top restaurants. Last night we had a white tuna tartare served on a small shrimp toast cracker. It was delicious. The tuna was not too heavy and cracker was just crisp. The other bonus was a wrapped roll of prosciutto, bread and dried cherries thinly sliced so when it was lying on the plate you could see all the ingredients. Another delicious tid bit.

3 of the four of us started with the grilled seafood sausage which is served over a buttery vegetable cream sauce. I forgot how classic french the restaurant really is. The seafood sausage is the signature dish. It has been on the menu since Chanterelle opened. It is absolutely delicious. Light and airy, not too dense as sausage can be. There were chunks of seafood with subtle vegetable flavorings in the casing. My husband had the shellfish fricasse. Mussels, clams, oysters and conch steamed open in a light fish broth. He loved it. I did not find it that interesting. Very flavorful and beautifully presented but I am not a big fan of fish broth based stews which is what this was.

Dinner rolled in next. 2 of us had the crispy softshell crabs served with a chinese vegetable and ginger. Not very heavy with sauces but lighter. The combination of chinese flavorings with the softshell was really good. I had the tasmanian seabass which is actually like an artic char. The fish was served skin side up which was crispy over a succotash of beans consisting of fava, cranberry and peas. Absolutely delicious. There was a heavy cream sauce which everything was layed on. The sauce was a bit too rich for me but tasted good. My friend had the black seabass with asparagus and garlic mashed potatoes.

Dessert is part of the price so why not. We had the apricot tart with sour cream ice cream, a chocolate gooey cake with chocolate ice cream and a vanilla cream cake with cherry ice cream. Of course, like the chef's treats at the beginning they also serve small desserts with your desserts as an added bonus. There was a small pistachio covered lemon custard filled ball, small chocolate cookies and chocolate shaved on small balls filled with rich chocolate cream. The one that I really liked was a rich carmel peanut piece layered on top of chocolate.

We had such a great time. I really enjoyed my meal but I was not "omigod" about the meal. The cost of all 4 of us having dinner there with 2 bottles of wine (which by the way were not that expensive compared to the rest of the wines available) was over $600. I am not sure the pure food experience was worth that.

Chanterelle is a place where you go for special occasions which last night was. We were all celebrating the beginning of our summer together. All of our kids are in camp. I will absolutely return to Chanterelle but there are a variety of places in the city that have food better than Chanterelle but do not have the unique and inviting atmosphere that is provided which at the end of the day, is part of the whole experience.

The Notebook

I vaguely remember reading "The Notebook" by Nicholas Sparks. I am an avid reader and a book must really hit me to stick. Although most stick in some form or another. I am always surprised by what does stick.

We decided to see the movie, The Notebook, this past weekend directed by Nick Cassavetes. I had no expectations. I read a few reviews but none too intensely. Sometimes, I find it better this way.

Let me start by saying, I love a good cry at the movies. If you do, this is the movie for you. The movie starts off a bit slow but builds up to a really heart pulling ending. The way the story unfolds is very clever. James Garner, who plays an older Noah, is the husband of Gena Rowlands who plays an older Allie. Gena plays an woman who has lost her memory to dementia. James/Noah reads her a story that attempts to jog her memory. The movie cuts back and forth to them and the young characters in the story, Noah played by Ryan Gosling and Allie played by Rachael McAdams. Rachael McAdams literally lights up the screen when she comes on. She is an incredible young actress.

This is the ultimate love story. Allie loves Noah and Noah loves Allie but unfortunately Noah comes from the wrong side of the tracks. Her parents disapprove and they force the separation. Allie finds someone else but the love still remains. You see Gena/Allie as the older character getting as absorbed in the story as you are in the audience. What will happen? Will they end up together?

Seeing the older couple together in an old age home with Gena Rowlands having dementia was probably one of the most upsetting parts of that movie. My grandmother lived the last few years of her life in a home which she did not want to be in and had dementia too. She was always hitting the side of her head as if trying to jog her memory back. It was beyond sad to watch that happen to someone you love. This is really what the movie is about.

If I had been at home, I probably would have sobbed uncontrollably outloud. I could actually see most people in the movie, once it had ended, clutching their tissues and trying to be discreet.

Now that a few days have passed, I have to say, the movie has really stayed with me. I loved it. What can I say, I'm a real sucker for the love story.

Off to Camp

Today was a life changing event for me. All of our kids went off to sleep away camp for 8 weeks. Yes, 8 weeks.

I loved camp as a kid. I absolutely loved the whole atmosphere of friendships, competition, independence, etc. This will mark our oldest daughter's 6 year at sleep away camp. She literally counts down the days until the next summer from the time she gets home. The relationships she forms are camp at so special. You live with these kids and see them in good and bad all summer long. It is wonderful.

We get to visit them one day during the summer. You realize the minute you get there how you could never provide for them during the summer what the camp provides. They are busy and active from the moment their eyes open until their eyes close at night. They are happy and look incredibly healthy.

Our middle daughter loves it too. Her friends from camp are adorable. Today, our youngest son got on the bus too.

He was so excited. He got on that bus and didn't look back...and off they went. It already seems strange to have an empty house for 8 weeks but the independence is good for all of us. I was a bit teary at the bus. I wonder when did I get old enough to send 3 kids off to camp? But, it has happened.

I remember when I stopped having to go down the diaper aisle. That seemed so huge. But today, wow. This is a big turning point.

Strawberry Picking

Every year, as long as I can remember, I take the kids strawberry picking. I can't decide if it is more for me or for them but it is a tradition. We do apple picking in the fall too.

We happen to be hanging at the beach this week, post-school, pre-camp. We're completely chilling. Besides some tennis and golf stuff for the kids, we are basically watching movies and bowling when it rains. It is so great to be able to just kick back and relax after the hectic spring season.

Today was our strawberry picking day. Unfortunately, most of the farms out in Long Island's east end do not let you pick anymore. The only place is at the very beginning of Route 27 which is far from us. We are almost at the end of the Island. So, we were bummed. All the local farm stands with strawberry fields (asparagus too) would not let us pick. So, we picked up 5 quarts and a bunch of asparagus and went home.

This did not stop our tradition. We made a case of strawberry jam. We give it out over the course of the year and eat it ourselves. I found the key to the strawberry jam making is really letting the fruit boil, then adding the sugar and really letting that boil too. I think we got it right this year.

So, what do you do with all the strawberries left? You get on the Internet and look for recipes. We found one for strawberry muffins which we made and are awesome. We are making strawberry pie tomorrow.

Once again, the Internet has proven to be a valuable tool. More cooking to come as we close down the week.....

U.S. Open

I love watching golf, on TV. I celebrated my 17th wedding anniversary this past weekend, we have been together 23 years. I've known him over half my life. My husband is a golfer. Has been since he was a young teen. He turned me on to the art of watching golf. I have played but have never had the time to really pick it up. Also, I am not sure it would be my sport but I do have a love for the game.

This past weekend, we had tickets for the U.S. Open. My son and husband went the day of the practice rounds. My son got a hat and it was signed by a variety of the pros. Some pros were nicer than others. Nick Faldo was a jerk - my son roots against him now. Tiger was not actually warm but you can't help but revere the guy.

We all cruised out there on Friday. It was beyond hot and humid. I mentioned to my brood that it was a bit like Jazzfest except Jazzfest was about 10 degrees hotter with at least 20% more humidity. Also, at Jazzfest we did not have access to an airconditioned tent. Perhaps there interest in coming with us to Jazzfest has now subsided.

We watched all the top guys. Tiger, Maas, Flloyd, Michelson, Funk, Goosen and Sergio to name a few. My son made friends with a group of older guys who had cigars and binoculars. They gave him his binoculars and offered him cigars. My son loved the Open but was dying from the heat. It probably would have been better on Saturday or Sunday when the weather was spectacular but so were the crowds, security etc.

So, instead of using our tickets and dealing with the crowds on Sunday, we lounged around the couch, reading the paper, doing the crossword, reading books and watching the end of the U.S. Open. It was a wonderful way to spend Father's Day.

In the end, I'll take watching a golf tournament on TV over watching it live anyday.

Trapeze School

2 years ago this past fall I took my brood to Trapeze School. It was a bit chilly, the last weekend of the year that the school was open, so it was really exciting for everyone.

Trapeze School, in NYC, is located on the Westside Highway between piers 26 and 34, just south of Canal, directly across from Desbroisses Street. They have erected a huge trapeze with nets, a small shed, port-a-potty, etc. The location is perfect because as people stroll and bicycle up and down the Westside Highway, they can watch you and you can watch them. The Westside Highway has become an incredible urban playground.

The day we went, CNBC was filming. We were sent the video later, it was literally about our family. Probably because it was me and 3 kids of all different ages. My son was terrified of the heights and decided against it. He was 6 at the time. My girls were 9 and 11. They thought it was awesome. They begged me to go again.

Trapeze School has become a pretty popular thing since it was highlighted on Sex in the City, so getting reservations is not as easy. You have to book it pretty far in advance. I finally got around to it and we went again today.

It was really hot and humid. I'd recommend going in the fall when there is a slight chill in the air. You are literally spent by the end. It is pretty exhilerating being up 22 feet as you grab the bar and jump into a freefall. Before you drop, the vista of downtown NY is spectacular. So, off you go. The key is to immediately swoop your feet up and stick them through the bar like you did when you were 8 years old on the playground. The instructors yell out instructions from below. Then, you swing and then say, drop hands. You are now hanging upside down back and forth with your knees bent and sucked onto the bar. Next, grab the bar again, swing back and forth quickly 3 times and tuck your knees into your chest, flip into a somersault and land in the net. Wow!

I went up 4 times today. My daughter went up more. There is a belt that is attached to your waist so tightly that I now know what wearing a corsett must have been like. It sucks. I had enough of not breathing after an hour or so. The class lasts for 2 hours.

Once you have the knee drop thing down, you do the switch off. Up you go, do the knees over the bar, swing big and then another trapezist (one of the instructors) grabs your hands in mid-air and you release your legs and you are now hanging in mid-air with someone holding on to your hands. It is pretty cool. I passed on this one.

All and all, a really cool experience. Not for everyone. But, if you happen to be a theme park person, like my daughter, you'd probably love Trapeze School.

Pylos

My friend, who reads my blog, recommended Pylos because she knows that I like Greek/Mediterranean food. What a find!

First of all, the restaurant's decor is beautiful. There are earthenware pots hanging from the ceiling, every inch of the ceiling. It creates a real Mediterranean vibe. Warm and inviting. The lights are low. The front doors open to the street. In the back, there is a huge slab of marble, not unalike the kitchens of today, where everyone can sit around. It is there bar, per se. You feel like you are sitting in someone's home. So, to start, the atmosphere is great.

The food is excellent. We began with greek salads and grilled octopus. The greek salads had huge chunks of mild, creamy feta cheese over sliced cucumbers and chunks of tomatoes and sliced red onions. This was covered with oregano and a red wine vinegarette. Perfect. The pita bread that is served to start was the perfect addition to mopping it up. The octopus was grilled very dark and served with some type of balsamic sauce over pieces of tomato and capers. I could have had another one of those.

For dinner, we had a few different things. I had the whole sea bass, filetted and grilled with chunks of lemon and capers everywhere with a light olive oil sauce on the side. I liked that they served the oil on the side so if you didn't want it or did want it, it was there for the picking. Someone also had the Brizzola which is a sirloin steak served with greek chunky potato fries. The steak was delicious. Cooked perfectly, juicy and flavorful. 2 people ordered the chicken breast which was cooked with tomatoes, feta, herbs and olives. Delicious. This was served with garlic mashed potatoes on the side. Not too garlicky, just right. The other dish we had was 6 grilled shrimp served around a plate with a huge serving of spinach in the middle. The sauce was a red tomato sauce with herbs and feta cheese. This was fantastic. Not only was every dish delicious, all the herbs were used to enhance the meal not over power it.

The wine list was extensive Greek wines. We had a glass of white and red. Both good. The menu in general was interesting. There were so many different things that I would have loved to try. I could not help but order one thing for dessert, just to try. 3 triangles of phyllo dough filled with custard and layed over a honey, cinnamon and butter mix. Delicious.

This is a place that I will return to again and again and again....What a treat!

Wicked, the Musical

2 summers ago, a friend of mine recommended that I read Wicked, The Lives and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, by Gregory Maguire. The concept of the book was intruiging. So, I plunged in. I put the book aside after reading 1/3 of it. The book was not edited well. The sentences dragged on and it took forever to get anywhere.

Move forward a few years, and the musical, Wicked, comes to Broadway. As a rule, I don't like musicals. But, the kids do. So, yesterday off we went.

Fantastic! So clever. The whole concept was clever in the book but so poorly edited that you had to comb too hard to find the details. Whoever adapted the book into the play did an incredible job.

Glinda, who was played by Krisin Chenoweth, was terrific. She was a joy to watch. Her body movements, her voice and her ability to have fun with this character was so apparent.

I guess what I really liked about the musical was the twists and turns. Knowing the story of the Wizard of Oz seen from a completely different angle was very clever. For the kids, it was thought provoking. They loved how there were so many times during the performance that you said to yourself, "aha." So, that is how the scarecrow gets there or that is how Dorothy gets here or that is why she had ruby slippers. Just so intelligent.

As my friend says, it is the best thing on Broadway right now. Forewarning, it is long. 1 1/2 hours for the first act and 1 hour for the second act. But, well worth it. The performance pulls you in and slowly brings the audience into the crescendo.

Refreshing to finally see a musical that also has a good solid intelligent yet whimsical story line. This is the type of musical that continues to bring people back to Broadway.

Kids, parenting and the media

I keep having these conversations about raising kids today. We have become a completely media driven society. What to wear, what to listen to, how to decorate your home, what is happening in Chinese pop culture, what is happening behind the celebrity scene, what is sexy, what is not sexy. It's out there for the taking. Kids are subject to more information now than ever. It is right out there on the Internet and TV. Even the content of the video games can be out there. Young kids watch shows on Disney that are supposedly age appropriate but they are not. The 4 year olds are watching shows made for an 8 year old, the 8 year olds are watching shows appropriate for 12 years old, etc. So, how do you make sure that you raise a grounded kid who is capable of navigating the world and making solid decisions among the white noise?

At the end of the day, I think it all comes back to the basics. I would find it hard to believe that parents today are not having the same conversations that their parents had and their parents had, etc. about the music, the sex, the drinking and the drugs that scare the pants off them. Although every parents generation experimented, it is now somehow different. We have to protect them from what we now know. Wrong. Kids need to figure it out on their own. But as parents, we must teach them the tools to make sound decisions.

Teaching your kids manors and to respect their elders but still challenge to learn why and why not. Be present in their lives. Be home to sit around the dinner table and discuss the events of the day. Set expectations. Be interested in their lives and school work. Keep your eyes and ears open. Don't preach to them. I believe these are probably the same basics that were taught to us by the generations of the past. The media might be seeping into our every day lives but teaching kids values and ethics is the only way that they can look past the information and make their own sound decisions.

I hope I am doing the right thing....only time will tell.