Gotham Gal

Being a Mom

Many of my friends will tell you that I am always looking for the next thing.  What should I do next?  For the past couple of years I have back burned any of my ambitions to focus on the home life.  Yes, I am a trustee at the kids school and I am involved in MOUSE (a non-profit I chaired years back) to celebrate their 10th year anniversary, am involved in a construction project which is connected to building a new home for our family and really looking forward to being involved in a profit organization again but today it hit me the amount of work it takes just being a Mom.

I have always been a worker.  I have always been ambitious too.  I like being intellectually challenged.  Maybe that is why I have always been looking and thinking about "what's next."  The last couple of years it has become a pleasure taking a hiatus from the work world.  As much as I thought about the working world, I was always been hit with reality.  As I have been focused more on home, it would be really tough to do what I do at home and be involved with a start-up for 60 hours a week.  So, then what? 

Yesterday we took Emily to Newark in the early morning to go snow boarding out West for 3 weeks and in the evening took Jessica to JFK to go on her program to live in Florence for the month of July.  Then Fred and I drove out to the beach.  I started to smell the fresh air and unwind.

What a year.  It hit me last night as we were sitting in the back yard and enjoying the fresh air with a tequila in hand, how exhausted I am.  Besides moving this year, keeping on top of everyones schedule, travel and just life in general it is more about being the "go to" person.  Mom's are the fall back person for everything.  How to help your kid navigate teenage life, how to navigate being on a sports team, how to bring out the best in each personality and their different interests, how to navigate school, make sure everyone has clothes on their back, have books to read and suggest books that they really should read, get personal attention and of course figure out dinner on a nightly basis.   Don't forget keeping the refrigerator full or booking vacations or just making sure everything is running smoothly.  It is a true full time job. 

Somehow it just seems like something I just do vs. something I am working at.  I guess it is something I work hard at just doing.  Life was a breeze when the kids were young.  Bigger kids, bigger problems is how the saying goes.  I think it is just bigger kids bigger issues.  Helping teens become independent young adults and eventually independent adults is not an easy feat.  Every day is a lesson learned.  Lots of communication.  Learning by trial and error.  Most important is keeping a very long leash so that the kids feel a comfort zone and a sense of security but at the same time feel free to spread their wings and test the waters.  That frankly is exhausting. 

I am looking forward to a little rest and relaxation by myself to just clear my head and take the load off my shoulders until everyone comes home and we start up again. 

Sesabune

Sasabune is a new Sushi restaurant up on the Upper East side.  Sasabunes origins are from Los Angeles then to Honolulu and now New York City.

This is an omikase only experience.  The chef just starts having people bring it out.  We went from a plate of sushimi to lots of sushi with warm rice and just simple fish.  Really delicious.  Nothing out of the ordinary. 

Good service, very attentive.  The place is as basic as you can be.  No ambiance.  It is all about the sushi. 

For us, we had to get our passports out to make the big journey but if I lived up there, I'd go more often.  Yasuda is still my favorite but I wouldn't pass up a night at Sushi Sasabune. 

A few galleries

We had time to kill between shopping and a movie so we ambled up to Chelsea and stuck our head in a few galleries.  This time of the year, in the heat of the summer, most galleries have group shows in July and close it down for August.  So the shows were mixed.

We popped our head into Matthew Marks Gallery to see the Andreas Gursky exhibit. that was really great.  Large scale photographs that he made over the past 3 years.  Landscapes, interior pictures of offices, a car racing pit stop, cheerleaders and one of a crumbling wall.  Each photo is intense not only from the size but the intricacy of each detail that the visual eye can see.

We also walked by Bellwether which had an exhibit of Brazilian artists.  There was one piece which just made me laugh.  A large white piece of paper above.   As a whole, the galleries weren't that interesting. 

If you are thinking of making a trip to Chelsea, wait for fall.

Iris

There is a new shoe store that just opened in the Meat Packing Market.  Iris.  A mixture of designer shoes from Chloe,  Marc Jacobs, Victor Rolf, etc.  I believe this is their first US store straight from Europe. 

Not much merchandise in there now but I would find it hard to believe that they won't pack up for the fall considering the competition of Jeffreys huge shoe department is down the street.

The Stanton Social

People always ask me, "What is your favorite restaurant in NYC"?  That is a tough one to answer but I would say that The Stanton Social would be high up there on the list.

I like the whole concept of the restaurant.  Everybody shares.  Each dish is designed to share.  It is fun.  The courses continue to come out of the kitchen over the course of your meal.  Your palette definitely goes all over the place but that is fine by me. 

There is a downstairs which dark and an upstairs which is much brighter due to the skylight.  I actually like the upstairs more in the summer.  There is a bar up there too.  The vibe is definitely a party type atmosphere.  The food is conducive to it.

It was the four of us, Jessica, Emily, me and Fred.  The girls ordered and we just went along for the ride. 

We began with Chipotle Grilled Shrimp.  Four charred shrimp served on a long white rectangular plate and a mixture of tomatillo and feta relish underneath and over the shrimp.  Simple, spicy and good.  This came out of the kitchen with the Sweet and Sour Chicken & Cashew Spring Rolls.  Pulled chicken with Chinese flavors stuffed with cashews and deep fried.  Served alongside with a sweet/sour dipping sauce. 

The next round began with one of the house specialties, French Onion Soup Dumplings.  Served in a round plate with small holes where the dumpling is baked.  Each dumpling is made of a bread type dough stuffed with caramelized onions and then Gruyere cheese roasted over the top.  Each dumpling has a little liquid in it too.  The concept is brilliant and the taste is quite good too.  Memorable.

Next round was a great combo to serve together.  Tiny hand held red snapper tacos.  Each taco was stuffed with snapper, vegetables and creamy avocado.  On the side was a spicy  mango sauce.  These tacos pack a powerful punch.  With that we were served the Duck Confit Empandas.  Deep fried empandas stuffed with intensely flavored pulled rich duck.  The empandas were crispy and served with a blood orange dipping sauce that really complimented the flavor. 

Next up chicken mole Taquitos.  Again small tacos filled with pulled chicken made with a spicy mole sauce.  The Stanton Social Sliders are a bit hit here.  We were told that the Kobe Beef Burgers are the biggest seller.  They serve more of them than anything nightly.  We went with the BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders.  Pulled pork that was really rich and thick served on a small hamburger bun and a pickle on top.  Amazing.  I don't think I could eat more than one.  The beautiful thing about all these tiny appetizers is that they each carry such a punch that the one small serving you get it just enough to satisfy. 

Last we got the Moo Shu Rock Shrimp.  4 folded pancakes served alongside a small bowl of spicy rock shrimp wok fried with a variety of vegetables and mushrooms.  A lighter duck sauce on the side that is thin that you can pour over your pancake, put in your shrimp and fold up to eat.  Fun and delicious.  We got a few sides with this.  Mayan style Grilled corn.  One piece of corn cut into four pieces and doused with chili, lime and queso fresco cheese.  Really delicious.  Also some grilled asparagus on the side with a smoked sea salt and pieces of lemon.

At this point we started to hit the wall but decided it was essential to have a few desserts.  We had a cookie plate.  Stanton Social's interpretation of the classic cookies.  Chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal, small pop tarts filled with apricot and strawberry jam, ice cream cookies with coconut and home made oreos.  Very clever.  Emily said it would be great to do a tray of their interpretation of all girl scout cookies. 
We also went with the After School Snack Cakes.  It appealed to my child hood sensibilities.  Twinkies, ring dings and a funny bone.  What is kind of funny is that my kids didn"t know what these were.  The Twinkie was light with a rich creamy filling.  The ring ding was a tad dry buy was pretty similar to what I remember.  The best was the rich peanut butter filling that was so rich and creamy under a layer of white chocolate and a dot of dark chocolate too.  Really yum.

We were so full that we walked home from there.  It took us about 45 minutes but it was really  nice to walk through the lower east side through Noho through the village to the west village on a warm summer night.  The city wasn't that busy last night so it was kind of nice and empty.

Love Stanton Social.  Met the chef at an event a few months ago and told him so.  Not even a question of returning just the question of when not if. 

Josh goes to camp

For the last 3 summers, the kids have all gone to the same camp together for 8 weeks.  This year, everything changed.  The camp was no longer the right environment for our kids and it was time for a change. 

Josh took the plunge and went to a new all boys camp in Maine.  Josh loves the ladies, so we will see how an all boys camp plays out.  It is all about sports and sports.  Probably a good thing to be incredibly active day and night.  He was excited but I am sure a little ambivalent.  How could you not be? 

We dropped him off at the bus yesterday at 9am in Westchester.  Waiting for the letter to see how he is.  The last camp had access on the web to see pictures of the kids and you can send them an email ( but they can't send one back ).  This camp is an old fashioned camp which I like.  Send letters to them and hopefully they will send one to you.  No scheduled phone calls unless you want to talk which I like too.  Just enjoy the summer and the fresh air.  Keep it simple. 

The girls leave on Friday to their various activities.  All good.

Morandi

We returned to Morandi last night.  Maybe because it was Sunday, maybe because the village was like a walking tail gate party due to the Gay Lesbian Parade, maybe it just was.  But, the dinner last night was mediocre at best.  Parts were really bad.  My whole fish was just as good as the night before but I was very disappointed after having such a great meal the other night. 

Just goes to show, one night all the stars align and the next night, just doesn't do it for you.

Essex Street Market

We have been talking about taking a trip down to the Essex Street market for awhile.  Yesterday we finally made it.  I am not sure it is worth the journey. 

An old cement building that takes up the block between Delancey and Essex Street.  Huge history.  The building was built in 1940 during LaGuardia's time to find a new place for street merchants to do business.  The neighborhood has gone through many changes from 1940 to now.  As the neighborhood has become infused with more people and money the market has gone through another change. 

The small booths range from a small sandwich shop from Paradou, to Shopshins (which just opened there after being on Carmine Street for years), a fantastic butcher that makes interesting meat concoctions and two glorious cheese shops.  All the other stores are a mixture of expanded delis that service the Puerto Rican market. 

The place is run down but there are signs of life.  All the tiny shops that I just mentioned are owned by serious foodies.  The owners will speak to you, if you let them, for hours about food.  What will be interesting is what the market will be in 5 years.  The lower east side has changed so dramatically over the past 3 years and continues to change.  Almost every store front on Stanton is new.  Essex street is seeing an overflow from that.  Even the market has two stores empty where one is about to become a chocolate shop. 

I am glad we went.  If I lived in that neighborhood, I'd definitely frequent some of the vendors.  But we don't so a visit every now and then is about all we are going to do. 

Sapa

Years ago when Sapa opened, I recommended to Fred to have a closing dinner there.  He did and thought the food was really good and we should go back.  We never did.  Big mistake.  This week, after Josh leaves for camp, the girls have planned a food extravaganza for us through New York.  Last night, since Josh and Fred went to the Mets game and we went to the Liberty game, the girls began our journey at Sapa.  Great choice. 

To begin, is the design of the restaurant.  There is a happy hour area at the front of the restaurant, a long bar once you enter the place on the right hand side with plenty of room to go a few people deep if need be, big banquettes for eating, a small sushi bar to sit at and then other intimate seating in the back.  Each area is a different experience which I really liked.  Even the bathroom downstairs are quite cool.  A long enclosed water tub with a bunch of doors on the left hand side for bathrooms.  The eye to detail is over the top.  Most important, the service is great.  People couldn't have been more attentive and pleasant. 

The girls ordered for the three of us.  We decided to share everything.  It is very conducive to sharing but you could easily just have your own too.  After spending the last few days watching Top Chef, eating with the girls has become quite the experience.  They test their palettes and comment on each detail.  It is fun and hilarious at the same time.  I should have taped the dinner.

We started with four plates.  Roll of the day.  Pepper swordfish carpaccio with was rolled around rice that had apples, cucumbers and shiso inside.  This was served with 2 dipping sauces, both a had a sweet/sour combo going.  This was the only dish I didn't love.  I found the taste bland and the consistency very dense. 

Next was the scallops.  On a long white rectangle plate there were 3 seared scallops served over a warm sea weed salad with half a grilled fig on the side and a miso paste running along the dish.  This dish was delicious.  The fig had been brushed with possibly cinnamon that created a whole other flavor next to the warm salad and perfectly cooked scallop with the miso.  Yum. 

2 large Grilled Maya prawns that were peppered and then served over a vegetable stir fry of bok choy, bean sprouts and sugar snap peas with spicy peanuts.  Thoughts of Thailand came rushing back to my head.  The sauce kafir lime glaze get the whole dish zip.  Not only was the plate beautiful it was delicious.  Great to share but it could have easily been eaten solo.

Next was the Cocoa Peanut Glazed spare ribs.  The sauce is so dark and rich that is looks like mole sauce.  The meat falls off the bone and the taste is extraordinary.  Rich and layered.  There are hints of cinnamon and cardamon incorporated into the rich Cocoa taste of chocolate and coffee.  I am glad we shared this because it is incredibly rich.

Just to mention that the music here is great.  At this point we had Rolling Stones blasting from the speakers. 

Next round was a fish.  Halibut steamed in a soy ginger broth served over a thinly sliced piece of tofu and a few random mushrooms and cherry tomatoes that had been cooked for color.  Next to this was large pieces of wilted bok choy.  This dish was light yet the broth was so delicious that it could have been our favorite.  Subtle flavors creates a big taste.

We had along side this a bowl of mixed Asian Greens that were wilted with a soy based sauce and enough chilis to give it a real kick.  We also went with the chicken confit roll out of sheer curiosity.  Pulled chicken wrapped into an egg roll wrap and stuffed in the middle was greens and a serious pack of spice.  Interesting and tasty.

We couldn't resist dessert although one could easily pass and just take a stroll some where and pick up an ice cream cone on a summer night.  We had the milk and dark chocolate tart with dolce de leche cream.  A light crispy round shell filled with the cream on the bottom, then layered with milk cream and then gobs of smalled curled pieces of dark chocolate.  Interesting and simple.

We asked about some of the dishes we saw coming out of the back that had not been on our menu.  They have a happy hour menu from 530-730 daily which our waiter gave us to take a peek at.  I like that concept.  The area where Happy Hour was playing out was completely different and separate from our experience. Everything on that small menu looks great.  Coming back for Happy Hour is definitely in my repertoire sometime this summer.

Sapa gets high marks all around.   Located right outside the Flatiron area.   So far, the girls have started our eating extravaganza out on the right foot.   You might wonder how they chose Sapa.  Patrica Yeo, the chef and owner of Sapa beat out Morimoto in Iron Chef.  Let's taste.

1770 House

The past couple of years we have been in the Hamptons during our Anniversary and have always had dinner at the 1770 House.  When they opened, it was really good.  Local food, high end, a treat.  This year, I believe, will be was our last year.

We actually spent the night there this year.  First time.  The rooms are large and spacious.  Comfortable beds.  The A/C wasn't working right so we just opened the windows and got a pretty cool breeze.  They have really done a nice job on the place.  Even the back yard has been built up from last year.  A nice patio with heat lamps and seating around a water fountain.  Probably a really nice spot to have a drink at night.

Dinner was not memorable.  Very heavy handed.  Although the menu has changed and everything looks good, it just isn't what it has been in the past.  We started with two different appetizers.  I had the beet salad which was roasted heirloom beets covered with greens, sliced fennel, shaved cheese and a light vinaigrette.  In need of major salt and I am not so sure those beets were heirloom.  Fred went with the salmon tartare served with an Asian slant.  The salmon was laden with oil.  Not light as is should have been based on the flavors used.

For the main course I went with the scallops.  Great presentation.  Four seared scallops served across a white rectangle plate sitting on a brown sauce mixed with fresh peas and mushrooms.  Way too heavy.  Again, I expected light.  Fred went with the lobster.  He knew it would be heavy so I will take a pass on the heavy comments here.  Lobster poached in butter and served over a corn risotto with spinach.  The risotto was like a big lump and not that good.  Very disappointing.

Dessert was great.  Roasted strawberries served with a beautiful round almond cake. 

We had a really nice night, as always but decided this would be our last  year at the 1770 House.  I believe we had a similar experience last year but were hopeful this year.  It is too bad.  There is really nothing else like the 1770 House in the Hamptons.  It is a place to go for a really special evening.  New chef perhaps.  One change in the kitchen could change it all because the atmosphere is really nice.