Gotham Gal

Benihana

I have not been to Benihana since High School.  I have been to a knock off Benihana many years ago when the kids were in young in Duck, North Carolina but otherwise, it hasn't been on my must go list.

Saturday night we had 6 boys spend the night.  It was Josh's 9 year old bday party and Benihana was our night out.  The place was packed!  I was blown away.  What a gold mine.  The kids loved it which is all that counts.  Plenty of adult parties happening there too much to my surprise. 

  Here are the kids peering in on the chef at another table.  They were totally into it.

Then we moved on to our table.  Chef Frankie was our man.  We had a huge round of Shirley Temples and then we began.   Chicken, shrimp or beef teriyaki are the obvious choices.  The salt intake is high.  My fingers were throbbing the next morning. 

Here is the cake, as always, the best part!  I had to bring the cake.  They don't have cake at Benihana.  I'd highly recommend the place with kids, not so much with adults. 

The Future

Conversations about the future are always a hot topic in our house.  The banter about ideas, technologies and the way we might live make for good discussion.  It is really interesting to hear the insight from the kids since they are very computer/Internet saavy. 

The next successful generation of Internet companies will define how we live our lives.  There are other areas besides new businesses that we discuss too.  How will be marketed to?  Will the publishing industry change?  Will the art world be different?  Will cars fly?

I had lunch with a very dear friend of mine the other day who is in the business of helping young companies (people, bands, whatever) focus, market themselves and grow.  She talked to me about a young artist that she had been introduced to through a business associate that is representing this artist out of China.  She showed me some of the work, in photos not live, and it was incredible.  True talent. 
China is certainly the next frontier.  Our conversations were around the possibilities that they felt the artist could do.  She had come from the peasants in China and had followed her dream of becoming an artist.  That in itself is amazing in China.   The paintings have a pop edge to them.  Could you create a line of something from these paintings?  Could you create books around them?  Could you create a cartoon?  Lots of ideas and questions that are percolating. 

My concern was that that value of the artist's work could do down if she was to become a cross platform artist, like a JLo.  Artists, as in fine artists are a different breed - aren't they?  America has embraced the exploitation of the pop artist and hot actors of today.  They can write books, have a clothing line, write music, go on tour, act in movies etc.  Make a much as possible while the going it hot. 

Can photographers or artists who hang their work in the Guggenheim or the MOMA have the same advantages in the future?  Is that ok in their art world? 

Makes for interesting debate about the future of the art world.  What will it be? 

Celebration

Yesterday was a big event.  My husband and his partner, Brad Burnham, closed on their new fund and business called www.unionsquareventures.com .  They are both seasoned VC's and the timing for this new venture couldn't be better. 

Of course, I am biased but have watched my husband operate as a VC since 1987.  I was involved in businesses around the explosion of Silicon Alley in the late 90's so I have worked with and seen a lot of different VC's and how they operate.  My husband is truly the best VC out there.  He understands how to grow businesses and nurture CEO's.  He has a nose for deals and how to structure them soundly.  Of course he has made his mistakes over the years, but his commitment to the Board and employees of the companies he gets involved with is over the top.  Once he pulls the trigger on an investment not only does the top management become part of his extended family, Fred becomes such a fundamental part of their business you would think that he works there. 

Last night was celebrated the closing.  I asked my best pal who I talked to daily and always gives me great advice said that Le Bernadin was the obvious choice.  The last time I was there they were in a different location which was about 20 years ago. 

Being a downtown girl I was a little thrown off when I made the reservation they said the men were required to wear jackets.  Wow!  Funny enough, Brad and his wife live literally a block from us so we are all downtowners but decided to get dressed up and celebrate appropriately.  I admit, I still felt a bit like a youngster there but that's all in my head.

The meal was spectacular.  $92 prix fixe which includes 4 different courses.   The first course is Almost Raw, the second course is Barely Touched, the third four is Lightly Cooked and the last is dessert. 

I started with the Hamachi Tartare which is finely cut and shaped into a round mold and then served in a small bowl and surrounded with a ginger-coriander sauce and the hamachi is topped off with wasabi tobiko (small green fish eggs with a kick).  It was delicious and the tastes in your mouth were not only explosive but the textures were perfect.  My husband had the Geoduck which is a large clam that they had cut into pieces and served with a lime wasabi dressing which also gave it a kick.  Truthfully, I would have been happy to eat everything on the Almost Raw course and stick with that but that's not how they do it.

Second course, barely cooked.   I had small pieces of lobster served in a bowl that had been poached.  Then they poured over it a champagne broth.  Very rich but wonderful in taste. 

Lightly cooked was the third course.   Fred and I ordered the same thing.  Black Sea bass that had been charred to make the skin crispy but easy to cut through with a fork.   It was served in a bowl with flavorful mushrooms around it.  Again, presentation is everything, they poured over it a Peking Duck broth.  I could smell the Peking Duck when they poured in the light broth.  Great idea.

Lastly dessert.  We pushed all our desserts in the middle and tasted away.  All delicious with big presentations.   Dark chocolate cashew with malted ice cream, milk chocolate mousse that was inside a chocolate type cake and oozed out the middle with cinnamon ice cream, poached pears and banana creme brulee.  Each had a variety of textures and different tastes on the plate that together tasted delicious.

We left content.  It is definitely an "adult" restaurant but for a celebration, you can't beat it. 

Book Club Conversations

My book club meets once a month.  I really enjoy the group.  Each month I get to know each of these women a little better.  We have all come together from different worlds which makes this group especially interesting. 

Everyone is extremely well read and very insightful.  We discussed the Kite Runner last night which was our book of the month.  Although the book is a bit trite,  it made for some very interesting conversations.  Also, the book is a really quick read and keeps your attention. 

We discussed evil.  Are people just born evil?  There was an interesting article in the New York Times Science section yesterday about this.   Look at Gary Gilmore vs. his brother, Mikal Gilmore who writes for Rolling Stone Magazine.  They grew up in the same house.  They knew Gary was evil from the very onset. 

We discussed family relationships.  Father vs. son.  How history repeats itself. 

We intertwined these conversations with other books we read and interesting stories that related to our lives.  Someone brought up how there are more books and music out there than there was 60 years ago.  Because of this it is harder to connect with your community at large.  For instance, in the office 60 years ago, most people were reading the same book or perhaps listening to the newest music so there were communal conversations over the water cooler that don't exist as much today as it did in the past.  I completely disagreed.   The Internet has changed all of that.

Community on the Internet is huge.  People read my blog that live all over the world.  I get emails from people all the time which is great.  There are communities formed around cancer patients that can share their stories with other people going through the same thing.  One of our book members is a survivor of Ovarian cancer.  She is on a list of 1400 people that actually go to an annual event every year.  She finds that most of the information can be more helpful that a doctor because these community members have gone through what a doctor hasn't.

In 1998, a friend of mine, who had a business in the Silicon Alley days described the Internets beauty in a simple story which I love to tell.  He had a niece in Pittsburgh who was then a teenager.  She was a bit gawky and felt disconnected with the people in her town and school.  He thought she was a beautiful smart girl who would find herself when she got to college as I am sure she did.  But at the present time she was depressed.  Then she found the Internet.  She was a huge They Might Be Giants fan.  She found other people that she could relate to through their site, through chat rooms, etc.  People who read the same books, liked the same music and felt the same about themselves in their own communities at home.  How fantastic!  This group helped her get through High School. 

I believe we have barely touched the surface with communities on the Internet.  The blogging world is taking communities to another level.   Towns are creating newsletters on line about what is happening in their communities.  When all the 20 year old grow up (who are totally computer saavy) and move to the suburbs and start having families the Internet and the technology around it will prove to become a completely different way we live our lives. 

Book clubs on line??? 

Superbowl Ads

There were no winners last night.  Each ad was completely forgettable.  Most ads did not even make sense for the product they were selling.  Bad, bad, bad!

The NY Times comments on the ads this morning were positive.  They felt that they were not as crass as years past.  Crass?  How about clever.  The ads this year were stupid as best.

Adjab which is a site about advertising ranked the ads.  I am impressed that they remembered them.

Is this a post-Janet Jackson world?  Frank Rich wrote about this in the Arts and Leisure section yesterday.  Are all advertisers so afraid of our government that they have dumbed down the ads?  Are we pretending as a country to be provincial when we are not? 

We went to see Coach Carter yesterday afternoon which I really liked.  This is based on a true story.  As a person who has worked in non-profit organizations helping inter-city kids, I have spent quite a fair time reading books relating to the realities of our working to poor class.  Their lives is the real world.  It would serve the Bush Department well to see a movie about a High School that isn't so far from the norm of many High School's across this country. 

We are living in the year 2005.  The ads should be clever, sophisticated and spot on not dumbed down.  Maybe I am at a reach here, but the ads represented to me the world that we are currently living in.  We are living in a world that is being swept under the carpet everyday and is putting on a face that is heavily heavily made up.

It is utterly depressing. 

LREI Art Auction

Last night was the annual LREI Art Auction.  I believe this is the 26th year of this event.  Not only does the event raise money for the school, it is a fantastic event.  I'd say about half the people bidding on items come from outside the community and are involved in the art community.  Reason being we get some serious art work. 

The school has a history with artists, gallery owners, and people in the art in general.  We were bidding last night.  All the bids are silent.  There are folders on long tables in each gallery.  You are issued a number.  You enter your number and the price that you are willing to pay in the folder which represents the artists work.  At the end of the evening, a specific time, the folders are collected and the last bidder gets the piece.  People do a serious job of hovering over the table to get their last bids in before the folders are snatched up.  I admit, I was one of them.

We got 5 pieces last night and I'm thrilled. 

The 5 artists are Kimberly Dawn who is an emerging artist in NYC. 

Elizabeth Murray who has been working as an artist for quite some time.  The piece we bought was from 1984. 

 

We bought a small pen and ink from Coleen Fitzgibbon who is a parent at our school and married to Tom Otterness. 

We also got a photograph from a young artist named Addie Juell.  This image below is not that great but the peice is fun and wonderful in person.

Lastly, we got a whimsical piece made of pipe cleaners from Jim Sperber.

This is one of my favorite auctions of the year.  You can really get some good pieces and the prices vary from $50 - $10,000.  There is something for everybody which makes it a true community event.

Music Plasma

I had seen Music Plasma awhile ago.  I think it is a brilliant tool.  Basically the idea is that you go to the site and enter in an artist that you like.  Then, the site goes out and finds other artists that you might like if you like the artist that you entered.  An added bonus is that the graphics are pretty cool. 

The chart is almost like a family tree.  The closer the music to your artist, the better chances you are of liking that artist too.  The farther out, perhaps not but you never know. 

A variety of people that I know, hate to admit it, but their music tastes have been stuck in their college years.  I love when you meet people who say that they love music and they reel out about 5 bands that you are pretty positive peaked in 1975.  Love music?  I'd say their passion for music pooped out a long time ago. 

I do love music and continue to buy and download new stuff all the time.  Also, I'm willing to take a leap of faith with new stuff. 

So, for people who might have been digging Cream, Tom Waits and Little Feat generations ago (not that I'm dissing those bands) but, go use Music Plasma. You'd be surprised what great music is out there.  Get into the 21st century!

Tomato Soup

As always, I ask everyone in the morning what they want for dinner.  Generally I get the "whatever" but today Emily perked up,  "you promised you would make tomato soup".

So, I did and it really came out good.  Lucky I made enough because we ended up with a couple of extra kids this evening.  On the side I served sour dough cheddar cheese sandwiches made on my new panini maker.  Love that new toy! 

Tomato Soup - serves 8

1. 2 spanish onions chopped
2. 2 carrots peeled and chopped
3. 8 cups canned tomatoes - whole in their own juice
4. 1 t. cumin
5. 3 T. sugar
6. 1 c. cream

Take a large soup pot and add a little bit of olive oil and saute the onions about one minute and then add the carrots.  Saute them until soft.  I actually put the lid on and turned the heat down to med/low to really soften them up.  Then add the cumin and stir for about a minute.  Then add the sugar and stir for about a minute.  Then add the tomatoes, bring to a boil, add salt and pepper for taste and return to simmer.  Simmer for about 10 minutes during this time you can break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. 

I used a hand held blender and literally stuck it in the pot and pureed the soup.  You could also put in a blender in portions and puree too.  I highly recommend buying the hand held blender.  It does the trick with no mess and is a good investment.

Once the soup was pureed (not completely but it was enough) I poured in one cup of cream and mixed it in.  It really tops off the soup. 

Serve this with some grilled cheese sandwiches on the side and you have a great winter meal. 

LREI movies at the Apple Store

Tonight we went to a showing of movies created by the high school students at our kids school, LREI.   The event was put on at the Apple Store in SOHO.  Chris Reed, who is the head of the Media Arts program created this curriculum.  The kids have even had some of their films shown in high school film festivals. 

Chris is a pretty talented guy himself.  He studied Russian at Harvard, taught Russian literature at the Phillips Exeter and then Chaote.  He then earned his masters at Yale in Russian film and went on to NYC's Tisch school to get a M.F.A. and has continued to teach kids through the NY  Film Academy.  He recently completed the job as the technical editor for the book  "Digital Filmmaking for Teens".   We are thrilled that he is part of our school. 

We saw about an hour's worth of movies.  The kids had to write the screenplay and then shoot the film.  One was a clever plot about a reporter, another was a movie based on detention, skipping classes, etc.  There were a few political advertisements.  Some were poems that kids wrote and made a film about it.  One was a music video of a rock band that happens to be playing at CBGB's this weekend.  Another was a documentary on the protests at the Republican convention this summer.  The last shown was on the Hoops played on West 4th street.  Most of the filming took place around the area of the school.

All and all, a really mixed group of films.  Very impressive.  Who knows, maybe one  of these kids got bitten by the film bug and they debut at Sundance in a few years.  Can't imagine anything making Chris a happier man.  I guess that is what being a teacher is all about. 

Amy's Bread has opened on Bleeker

It is official, Amy's Bread has opened on Bleeker. She has completed the trio of new food stores near Bleeker with Wild Edibles and Murrays Cheese. They join the the wonderful Faicco's Pork Store with the best sausages in town.

Amy's must have literally opened when we walked in. There was a man there taking pictures of Amy and us for the NYTimes. I promised him I was going to go home and blog about this and beat the Times to the punch. Unfortunately I was missing a pocket digital camera which I am desperate need of.

The place is on the corner of Leroy and Bleeker. Complete glass walls. Small chairs and tables inside for enjoying a cup of coffee, a slice of cake, a little treat or a salad and pannini. There are 2 pannini makers behind the counter. We indulged in a sourdough chocolate chip long roll. It was delicious. Crunchy crust and chewy soft bread in the middle with chocolate chips through out. Really good.

Amy was there and couldn't be more excited about her newest location. The majority of her business is in wholesale but lucky for us she doesn't mind keeping a few retail shops open. Her other locations are Chelsea Market and Hells Kitchen.

She is a welcome addition to the West Village!