Gotham Gal

Allegretti

Getting reservations a week in advance these days is not as difficult as it once was.  Gotta look at the silver lining in every situation.  I made reservations for six a week in advance at Allegretti and we went last night. 

As my friend suspected, Allegretti had replaced Arrezo ( which I also liked ).  I must note that we drank a serious amount of wine and at one point, anything does taste good so I am going to attest to the first course more than the second.

There are a few things that I really like about Allegretti.  First of all, the place was hopping and the service was great.  It is an adult restaurant.  Meaning that I did not notice any hipsters in the 20/30 year range.  I admit, I do like the hipster restaurants but this was a nice change of pace.  We went with old friends which is always nice too.  There are very few places like this downtown.  There are many on the upper east side but downtown this type of restaurant is few and far between.

We drank white and we drank red.  I stick to white these days.  Red does not work well with my sleeping patterns, alas.  For the first course, I went with the beet salad.  Deconstructed and delicious.  Lots of different things happening on a long white rectangular plate but all good.  Roasted heirloom beets, thin slices of pear, 2 deep fried talleggio cheese balls, mache and a light black truffle vinaigrette around the plate.  Light, simple and delicious.  Some people had the langoustines which were really good too.  Pan seared and served with crispy sweetbreads, pancetta and pieces of asparagus.  The porchetta was also a winner.  Pork over a lentil salad and a hunk of bread with onion marmalade.

Somewhere during this course we were all served bread rolls that looked like ruggelah but this was rolled up with a pumpkin filling and savory.  Interesting. 

Next courses were mixed.  Two people had the boar which was a tad dry but still good.  The stuffed savoy cabbage was the best part of that plate.  Pheasant served with brussels sprouts was interesting and a hearty winter entree.  My friend sitting next to me went with the farro.  She loves farro but is weird about food in general.  I thought it was really delicious.  Farro that had been made with cream so it was super rich, almost like a risotto with braised veal cheeks on top.  She didn't dig the cheeks but I did.  For my main, I went with an another appetizer.  I just wasn't that hungry.  Grilled scallops with shaved black truffle, shaved vegetables with Parmesan and greens.  The problem, although the plate was beautiful, was that the scallops were stone cold.  They brought them back and warmed them but at this point, I just gobbled them up on the return.

For dessert, a few people ordered.  The chocolate cake was excellent.  I ordered the fennel tarte tartin.  Sounded interesting and it was.  Delicious.  The fennel made into a sweet tart vs savory was really clever. 

All and all, a winner of an evening.  Again, alcohol aside, I'd return.  It was a great experience to be had with other older people, like myself.

Kenny Shopsin

Cover via AmazonI just finished reading Eat Me: The Food and Philosophy of Kenny Shopsin.  Kenny Shopsin is a classic New Yorker.  I am pretty sure, just putting it out there, that after Kenny was born, they broke the mold.  

Most people in the Village know Shopsins, the restaurant, and others, like myself, have eaten in the original.  I remember going to the original with 2 friends many many years ago.  The menu had hundreds of options.  I was blown away.  How can you possibly offer this many things?  He does it and he does it well. 

He began as a deli and when him and his wife, Eve, realized they couldn't make ends meet this way, they decided to change the place into a restaurant.  As rent went up, he moved to a second location and as he got older he decided to downsize and move again.  You can now find Kenny cooking in the Essex Street Market.

What I love about the book is Kenny plays it as he sees it.  If he doesn't like a customer in his restaurant, he boots them out.  He has certain rules you must follow or leave.  The restaurant is a total family affair and his kids, who are adults at this point, still work in the restaurant.  But what is the most incredible part of the book is how he teaches us how to run a restaurant with a few hundred things on the menu.  His creativity, what the kitchen looks like, and how he cooks.  Genius in his own way. 

Kenny is unique and in many ways the ultimate short order chef.  I also love that Kenny is obsessed with the Internet.  The book is a quick read with many recipes included but for any New Yorker who has eaten at Kenny's restaurant, it is absolutely worth the read.  Gives you a little more insight into the true character Kenny is. 

Becky Shaw

Yesterday was a nutty day.  I went to see Josh play basketball in Soho and then hopped on a cab up to East 75th Street to watch the girls play ball and then hopped in another cab to have dinner with Fred and see a play.  Woah. 

Becky Shaw, which has opened to great reviews, is the latest production being put on at Second Stage Theatre.  As always, Second Stage, has solid actors.  Actually a few of the actors in this production were fantastic, particularly the people who play Max, Suzanna and Susan. The stage set is great and continually changing.  I also love the intimacy of the theater.

The play is really about Max.  Max and Suzanna grew up together.  Max moved in with the family when he was 10 years old.  Their relationships is one of a brother and a sister but there is something else there. We meet both characters in their early 30's after Suzanna's father has just passed away.

Max is surly and dry yet his own personal family history has made a scar on his ability to have relationships.  He takes care of Suzanna and her mother, Susan, particularly now that she has lost her husband.  Soon after her father dies, Suzanna marries a starving writer, Andrew with a big heart that is interested in fixing everyones problems.  Max can't stand him.  Andrew sets up Max with Becky Shaw who is a fundamentally flawed person, maybe or maybe not like Max and everything starts to unravel.

I loved the first act.  Laugh out loud lines.  Smart, clever and fast paced.  The second half I didn't love as much.  I found myself rooting for Max and the ending didn't end up as I had hoped.  Yet the play really does force everyone to confront personal issues head on.  Perhaps the end is more realistic and more like real life than a perfect ending. 

But, what can I say, I do like the perfect endings.

Delicate Edible Birds: And Other Stories

I read Monsters of Templeton and loved it.  Lauren Groff can really write.  There is a reason why Monsters of Templeton was on a variety of "must read" lists for 2008 and was short-listed for the Orange Prize for New Writers. 

I wrote on how much I loved the book and her publisher read the post and sent me her next book, Delicate Edible Birds which comes out a the end of January.  So nice of her to send me the book.  This is a book of short stories.  Most of the time, I am not a huge fan of short stories but from the first sentence of each story, I was drawn in. 

The last set of short stories that I read was the Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri which I enjoyed but always felt there was a larger thread among the stories.  So in some cases I felt as I was reading the short story over again just  with a different slant. The stories written by Lauren Groff all stand on their own, all have a different meaning, all have interesting characters and in many ways all are written a bit differently.  Truly impressive.  Writing a short story is in many ways much more difficult than a novel.  You have less time to develop and then end.

Each of these stories stuck with me, some more than others.  The worst part is that I now have to wait for her next book to come out.  I hope she writes quickly.  Impressive writer.

Today is finally here

Image by BIG_Slow via FlickrToday, the Presidential inauguration of Barack Obama, is finally here.  I feel as though I have been waiting 8 years for this.  The Bush administration stood for everything that I do not.  On one hand, there is something satisfying knowing that I knew all along that this administration was going to leave this country in chaos but on the other hand ( the bigger picture ) is it incredibly upsetting.  Happy to see people who were hard core Republicans see the light.  There is not a person in this country, regardless of their loyalties to either party, that want to see Obama be successful.  Our future really depends on it.

I hope that our Government, our elected officials, can put their egos, their pet projects, their way of doing business in the past and pull up their boot straps and get to work.  We are going to spend a huge amount of money that will put our country into an even bigger hole financially but this money must be spent on projects that will actually create revenues and jobs and put us into the 21st century.  Not a little here and a little there that selfish Senators and Governors will use towards projects that are politically motivated.  We need to all think big picture. 

The Republicans have to stop whining about spending too much Government money.  Bush left us with a larger deficit than any other President ever.  If we need to spend more than we thought to move this country in the 21st century particularly in terms of brick and mortar, bridges, tunnels, transportation, parks, etc., then let's do it.  There needs to be an entire new way of thinking.  There also needs to be a total face lift.

When new companies start-up, they can go through lots of cash before they fine tune the model.  Sometimes young companies get started and before they know it there are millions of users but they are still losing money daily.  But eventually, if they have smart people, and a really smart entrepreneur, they figure out how to make money with all the users and make the business profitable.  A few years down the line of paying back the debt is fine because in the long run, the upside is huge.  That is how we need to look at the huge amount of money our Government is going to spend.  We will get it back, it will take time, but the money spent now needs to execute on a vision, build a brand and grow the user base. 

I do believe Obama knows that.  I hope that the egos in Washington will get behind him.  Nancy Pelosi who made a stink because she wasn't consulted about Leon Panetta is exactly the bullshit I am talking about.  Everyone in Washington needs to roll up their sleeves, think out of the box and get to work in a new and different way.  A really smart entrepreneur knows that if the business model is not working at 11am on Tuesday morning, then at 11:01 on Tuesday morning, changes must be made immediately.  I think Obama is that type of leader but our elected officials who seem to be uninnovative and set in a mode that is incredibly stagnant, need to think differently too.

Today is a day for a fresh start on so many levels.  The fact that Americans took the bold step of electing an African American to be the leader of the Western world because he was the best candidate of this time is remarkable in itself.  He represents change, he represents new thinking, he represents the youth (our future), he represents community, he represents family, he represents collaboration and he represents intellect. Yes, intellect is a good thing.  Not only should we applauding that the change today is hopefully a change in America's future, we should be applauding ourselves as a nation that we took the bold step of electing the first African American to be the 44th President of the United States. 

Upside Down Banana Cake

This is what I did with the other 2 bananas.  Love the upside down cake because it looks so beautiful.  This was a huge hit.  What I really liked about this cake is that is moist.  Nothing worse than a dry cake. 

2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 bananas
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups flour
1 tbsp. baking powder ( sounds like a ridiculous amount but it is correct )
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup milk ( I used 2% but you can use any kind )

You need a round cake pan, and I'd suggest non-stick.  I used a 9" one. 

Put the cake pan on the stove, at a low heat and put in 1 tbsp. of the butter and the brown sugar.  Let this melt and take a spatula and mix together until melted and then spread it evenly over the bottom.  Take off the heat.  Use hot mitts because the pan gets really hot on the stove.

Cut 1/2 bananas into 1/4" slices.  Place them on the bottom of the cake pan over the brown sugar concoction.  I layered a few of them but got the entire 1 1/2 bananas in there.  Save the other 1/2.

Beat the remaining butter in a mixer with 1 1/2 cups sugar.

Add vanilla and eggs and beat until smooth.  Add in the other 1/2 of the banana (mush it first)

Sift together the flour with the baking powder and salt (or just use a fork to mix it up).  Add this mixture to the bowl alternatively with the milk.  It went back and forth about 3 times.  It is a bit dense when finished.

Spoon this into the cake pan.  Bake at 350 for about an hour.  It gets puffy.  Make sure you insert a toothpick or a long wooden stick in the cake and make sure it comes out smooth before taking it out of the oven.  It might have had to bake a little longer than an hour but I forgot to check.  It seemed longer.

Let it cool for about 20 minutes and flip.  Voila.  Really good...and added bonus would be a little whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on top. 

Banana Biscotti

I noticed that there were 3 very dark, very past done bananas hanging out in the fruit bowl.  It was either motivate and make something or toss them.  I opted for the first.  I tried out 2 different recipes.  Both winners. 

1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 large egg (always use large eggs when baking)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 mashed banana
3 tbsp. chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350.  Use a cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper over it.

Combine all the dry ingredients.  I used a mixer although you could probably make due with your hands on this one.  Add in the banana, vegetable oil, egg, vanilla and pecans.  Mix until it becomes a dough.  Don't over mix. 

Cut the dough in 2.  Shape the dough into 2 8" long rolls, more like semi-circle logs.  Bake for about 25 minutes.  Take out of the oven and remove the logs from the cookie sheet, carefully.  Let them cool for about 10 minutes.

Once cool, cut them into 1/2 inch slices with a serrated knife.  Put each piece back on the cookie sheet and return to the oven.  Let this bake for about 10 minutes or until the cookies are toasted.

The biscotti taste a little bit like toasted banana bread.  Really good.  Probably great to dip into a mug of coffee.

Jessica has a blog

Jessica has a blog.  Photos she has taken and other things.  I like the simplicity of it.  Also, I like her link list.  This photo is one of many she posted so far.

Movies, movies, movies

At one point of our lives, we went as a family on the weekends to see movies.  Saturday night was generally a movie and dinner.  Somehow over the past year, our children have all gone their separate ways on the weekend and Fred and I are solo.  The 3 day weekend, cold as it is, gave us some time to see a few flicks.

We saw Milk on Saturday night, which I really liked.  Then we saw Defiance and Gran Torino.  All winners.  Already saw The Wrestler, Slumdog Millionaire and Waltzing with Bashir.  Haven't done this in a long time.  Also, there are a lot of good movies out there which hasn't happened in a long time. 

We did a double header yesterday.  Saturday night we went over to Terroir for a late evening nosh.  The owners of Hearth opened Terroir a year or so and I have been interested in checking it out.  A tiny wine bar with a bar and a communal table - high seats - that sit about 16 people.  They play great music and the food comes out of a tiny open kitchen that isn't bigger than a small deli counter.  I like the idea.  Cheese, salamis, some fried dishes, paninis and bruschettas.  We went with the chicken wings, the pork sausage and black cabbage bruschetta, a cheese and a cauliflower fritatta.  An interesting menu but the wines is really the best thing.  We tried a delicious Reisling but I liike that we could have tried 3 different wines.  Cute place.  Fred and I were definitely the youngest people in there. 

A very lazy 3 day weekend in NYC.

Etiquette

I have a real thing about etiquette.  I have my own personal rules on etiquette which I hoped I have passed on to our kids.  I have found that etiquette is something that is seriously lacking these days.  Not sure why.  At the end of the day etiquette equals proper manners.

In this day and age, it is beyond easy to shoot someone an email thanking them for anything.  A hand written note is generally over the call of duty in todays world but for some things, it is essential and an added bonus.  Anyone who has proper etiquette in my book, soars to the top of the list.  People who should have acknowledged something and didn't with a short note can change my perspective on them.  I have a few friends who are in my etiquette hall of fame.  They always write a hand written note and go beyond the call of duty.  Most of those people also happen to be in the non-profit world (but not all of them) where etiquette is the key to relationships. 

For what it is worth, here are my rules.

Always send an email after having dinner at someones home thanking them the next day.

If someone gives you a gift out of the blue for favors you have done for them, send them an email thanking them

If someone gives you a birthday gift at a huge party (Xmas bash or cocktail party) and it is among a huge pile of stuff - not necessary to send a note.  Also not necessary when someone comes to your house with a gift for a party you are giving to send a note.

Not necessary to send a note to family members who gives gifts.  A big hug, kiss and a phone call is ample.

If someone meets you for coffee, lunch, dinner or whatever to give you advice it is essential to sent an email the next day thanking them.   If it was larger than life advice - sometimes a small gift is nice to send too.

Big events like 50/40/30 year old bdays or Bar/Bat Mitzvahs or small bday parties (like kids) should always send handwritten notes thanking people for their gift.  These notes should be timely too.  When Jess and Em got BM'd, I'd have them write out a note the day that got the gift so it didn't pile up or they would have ended up having 50 to send out which is overwhelming.  Also, that way it actually resonated with them what each person gave them.  After the event, the other gifts were sent cards within 1 week. 

If you went to a party and didn't bring anything, it is nice to send something with in a week or so to acknowledge the event. 

Baby gifts should happen quickly. 

Weddings must send out hand written thank you notes. 

I have noticed that kids who have birthday parties (the 5-13 year old crowd) have started to make copies of a computer generated card or a mass email saying thanks.  Not appropriate.  Get your kid to sit down and hand write out a thank you note to everyone that is personalized about the gift.  Never too early to learn how to say thank you.

You have a year to get someone a wedding gift which I have done on occassion but try not to.

If you want to meet with someone, like a donor to a non-profit or a supporter of something you are doing or just a meet and greet and get advice - let the person you are meeting with choose the spot and location.  Don't get them to fit it into what is most convenient for you.  That is a huge no no and frankly just pisses me off.

Kids should be taught from the time they can walk and talk to shake someones hand, look them in the eye and say hello, nice to meet you, I am so and so.  I used to line my kids up and make sure they learned how to have a strong handshake and make eye contact. 

Fred has meetings with people all the time that he has met through an introduction or got on his calendar by the luck of the draw and never send a note thanking him for his time.  I have also had meetings with people who never sent a note saying thanks for meeting with me.  Makes me really never want to meet with them again. 

Proper etiquette is something that should be part of our education system.  Although I am rarely amazed at anything these days, I shouldn't be so blown away when someone has proper etiquette.  I remember them and they surge to the top of my list.  I also remember the people who don't take the time out to say thank you or want to meet with me but on their terms.  In a world where everyone is connected, in my book, proper etiquette goes a long way.