What Could Have Been

The following paragraph is a fictional account:

Friday, November 6th, 2009. I'm so excited that I wake up before my alarm clock. I shower and shave, throw on my favorite article of clothing, and rush out of my apartment. A gust of cold, brisk, wind hits me. I'm glad I threw a sweatshirt on under my favorite article of clothing because its going to be cold standing out in the cold today. My Derek Jeter jersey just wouldn't be enough to keep me warm. I jump on the subway, and head down to a ticker tape parade. My favorite team did it. The Yankees are World Series champions.

Now back to reality:

Why couldn't I have made things easy on myself and become a Yankee fan? As a Met fan, I face year after year of torture, depression, and misery (and this is what I like to do for fun in my spare time). Faced with a Yankees vs. Phillies World Series, it was really a lose-lose. I hate the Yankees, but I hate their fans and the concept of the team more. But I could never root for the Phillies, and so the Yankees it was.

When the Yankees won on Wednesday night, I thought I was going to be angry and bitter today when the city would swell with pinstripes, "legends", and and "tradition" for the parade. But being downtown today just made me sad. Seeing swarms of fans, screaming and celebrating in euphoria. Seeing kids holding their dad's hands, waving pennants, excited about the opportunity to see their heroes. They were truly happy. No amount of Yankee bashing could allow me to take that away from them. The Yankees won, and despite how they did it, their fans can call them champions.

Year after year, seasons fly by for the Mets. Players, managers, and GMs come and go. I keep thinking that this is our year. That it is all going to come together. But it doesn't happen. So all I can say to Yankee fans is enjoy number 27. If you are one of my peers, enjoy the 5th championship you've seen since you were 12 years old. I hope you enjoy and appreciate it, because despite what you have been brought up to believe, it doesn't happen very often.

12,003

I'm in awe. I blogged multiple times a week for a few months, and struggled to get to 1,000 hits. I stopped blogging, went and got myself engaged, posted about a bad restaurant, and next thing I know (2 posts and 4 months later) I'm at 12,300. How did that happen?!?!

It is a pretty amazing thing that so many people have stumbled upon this blog, most likely as a complete accident. I was writing somewhat lengthy posts before which soon became a time consuming and daunting task. I'm going to try to kick this thing into gear again, but scale back on the wordiness. Keep swinging by, hopefully I'll get some good stuff going again.

Worst Restaurant in the World

This is the worst restaurant in the world. I don't even want to elaborate because thinking about it makes me feel sick. Don't go here.

Triumphant Return

So Joshua's Jabberings took a little vacation over the past two months. I have two explanations for this:

1. I got engaged
2. I got lazy

From the beginning, I knew that if I didn't feel like writing, I wasn't going to. And with all the craziness going on in my life, I didn't really feel like sitting down and putting together a coherent post. But now I feel like writing again, and I'm ready to revive my Jabberings. Here is a high level overview of what has been going on with me since my last post (in chronological order):

1. I got mentally prepared to propose by going on two pre-engagement bachelor parties. I needed one last hurrah (or two) before proposing, so I went to Vegas for Scott's bachelor party and to the Bahamas (part 3) with the BU crew. To summarize the trips, I'd like to quote Alan from "The Hangover" (best move of the year, by far, maybe of my life). I love it:

"I'm a steel trap. Whatever happens tonight, i won't ever ever speak a word of it. Seriously. I don't care what happens. I don't care if we kill someone."

And so that's all you are getting out of me for those trips.

2. So I went and got engaged to the most special lady in the world. I don't feel like running through the whole proposal because I think the wedding website does a good job of describing how things went down. You can check our website out here:

Josh and Diana's Wedding Website

3. Along with proposing, I bought an engagement ring. This process went well, but it was still a traumatic experience. I plan on writing a detailed guide to purchasing an engagement ring on the blog, so stay tuned.

So that is pretty much it. Obviously other stuff has gone on, but once again my laziness is returning. Thank you to all of my loyal readers who have been hitting the refresh button to see if I wrote a new post every hour for the past 57 days. I appreciate the support.

Ode to White Castle

I don't like White Castle...I love it. I truly, absolutely, and completely adore it.

Some of my happiest memories from growing up are sitting in a car in the crime-stricken neighborhood of East Orange, pounding burgers from sleeves out of a "Crave Case" and listening to sports talk radio. Exchanges would go something like this:

Me: Pass me a burger
G: (Chewing) With cheese or without?
Me: Cheese
Joe: (Chewing) Regular or Jalapeno?
Me: Regular
Mad Dog: Vinny from Queens you are on the fan
Vinny: Benny Agbayani is a bum. I have a trade for you: Agbayani and Rick Reed for Manny Ramirez.
Mike Francesca: I like Inge a lot

And that is the way it went. After school, late night, it didn't matter. Sometimes we would just get a couple each to hold us over between meals, and other times it was our actual meal. We routinely finished a crave case (for those of you who don't know, a crave case is a cardboard suitcase consisting of 30 burgers).

This weekend when I was home, I got to have White Castle again. There is one in the city, but I save this for a coming home tradition. I even got to try their new pulled pork (not that great). The original cheeseburger is the best- little soft bun, steamed burger, minced onions, melted american cheese, warm ketchup, and a pickle slice. Man, do I love white castle.

City Restaurant in the Suburbs

It is fairly common knowledge that on the whole, city restaurants are of a higher quality than those found in the suburbs. Whether it is for the talent, the real estate prices, or quality of ingredients, this has always seemed to be the case. However, once in awhile, a restaurant of "city" quality can be found to the suburbs. This is what my family found with Osteria Giotto in Montclair, NJ. I have been hearing rave reviews about this restaurant from my family for months, so this past weekend when I was home I finally had the opportunity to try it.

First off, if you live in North Jersey, you need to check out Montclair as a food destination. I have been to some fantastic restaurants in this town, ranging from Thai to Italian. It has a college town vibe with some awesome culinary spots.

Osteria Giotto is on a quiet side-street right off of Bloomfield Ave, the town's main street. It has the feeling of a "Tuscan Farmhouse" inside, with high ceilings and red brick. Looking back on the meal, three things stuck out:

1. The restaurant is BYOB (something you find a lot in Montclair). Apparently, there are a fixed number of liquor licenses for each town in NJ, so the more restaurants that open, the more BYOB places there are. I love BYOB- it is cheaper and you get to bring exactly what you want to drink. Nothing not to like about this.

2. They serve one hell of a bread basket. Everything is baked on premises, and each basket contains a variety of breads including foccocia, a flaky coissant like roll, and olive bread (which I hate).

3. The pasta is fantastic. I had fettucini in a cherry tomato sauce with crab, lobster, and shrimp meat mixed throughout. The pasta is homemade, and the seafood was fresh and plentiful. Very delicious.

This is a restaurant I would definitely check out again next time I am home. I highly recommend it.

Winded from the Windy City

We came, we saw, we conquered.  Thanks to our gracious hosts, Cara and Andy, and the moral support of Diana, we were able to set out to accomplish all of our goals:  blues, baseball, hot dogs, and baseball.  It was a great Memorial Day Weekend... here is what transpired:

Music

After a great dinner at Tocco in Wicker Park, we headed to a great old-school blues club, Kingston Mines.  We got to listen to the sweet serenade of the Backstreet Candy Lickers (this was actually the band's name).  Cheap beer and solid music = good times.

Food

Sunday was officially the self-proclaimed food tour of Chicago.  However due to time constraints, this tour extended well into Sunday.  Regardless, some of the best food Chicago had to offer was consumed.  The tour began with breakfast at Eleven City Diner, a NYC-style deli that is unlike any place I've been to NYC.  Now I admit to being a NYC food snob, especially when it comes to pizza, bagels, and deli, but this was excellent.  I had the pastrami egg scramble, and this was top notch pastrami.  I was impressed.

Later in the day, we hit up Gino's East, a famous deep dish pizza place.  This was a failed mission of mine from 3 years earlier when I was in Chicago for training for work.  Lets just say our group was denied access due to the excessive fun we had at an open bar earlier in the evening.  Anyways, it was worth the wait.  I thought it was better than the original Uno's, which I went to last time I was in town.  I still prefer a thin crust slice, but this was authentic and delicious.

Sunday brought a much craved visit to the Wiener Circle, home of Chicago style hot dogs.

Without hesitation, I went for the one with everything on it.  I think I blacked out at one point, but I have a slight recollection of a pickle spear, tomatoes, onions, hot peppers, relish, cheese, and some other stuff.  It was truly excellent- Chicago knows hot dogs. Unfortunately, I did not find out about ordering a chocolate milkshake until after the fact.  Cara then brought us to her favorite Chicago food destination- Molly's Cupcakes.  These were better than Crumbs even though they were smaller.  Interesting flavors- I had ones stuffed with cookie dough, peanut butter, and caramel apple.

Sports

So I finally got to visit Wrigley Field, one of my lifelong dreams.  This is one stadium that I have always wanted to go to.  You cannot be a baseball fan and not visit this park.  Is it the nicest stadium?  No.  Is it the most enjoyable way to watch a game?  No.  But it is part of history, and brings you back to a simpler era of baseball.  There is no Jumbo-tron, and no fancy food- just straight up baseball.  The ivy walls are beautiful, and its incredible how small the park is- takes up one small city block.  It truly is a baseball cathedral though- one of the last of its kind.  I think that I prefer Fenway as it is an old-school park with somewhat modernized amenities, but I'm still glad I got to go.  I even got to see Mr. T throw out the first pitch and sing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame", a Wrigley tradition.

Great city and great friends.  It was a great Memorial Day weekend!

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

That's right, it is vacation season.  Over the next month, I will be taking 3 trips, all of which are to locations that I have been to before.  While I won't be the most adventurous this year, I am looking forward to some R&R and most importantly, enjoying life outside of my office.

Tomorrow I leave for the city that never sleeps, the sunshine state- Chicago.  Now, I visited Chicago back during first year training in the fall of 2006.  I spent 24 hours there, and probably remember about 4 of those hours.  This time around, I want to see and experience more of the city.  The good thing is that we have two Chicago-ians showing us the sights- Cara and Andy.  So far we have a couple of things planned (any other suggestions are encouraged):

1.  Deep Dish Pizza

2.  Cubs Game

3.  Hot Dogs

4.  Blues Club

5.  Chicago Food Tour (see items number 1 and 3 above)

When I get back a full review of the city, its food, and its baseball stadium will be provided.  Hopefully I will be "blown away"...off to the Windy City.

Take a Bao

A decent amount of time has passed since I last posted about food, which is an absolute travesty. I've eaten at a bunch of good places recently, but one place that I particularly wanted to discuss was Baoguette, a Vietnamese sandwich shop about 3 blocks from my apartment.

This place is great. It is just counter service, so I would recommend picking food up and bringing it to Madison Square Park to eat. I had the BBQ Chicken sandwich, which is one of the best (and cheapest) sandwiches I have had awhile, rivaling Defonte's (althought not surpassing it). The BBQ Chicken sandwich had a large quantity of small, marinated pieces of chicken on it, and included pickeled Daikon, fresh cliantro, cucumber, and garlic aoli. Just a fantastic combination of flavors. What made the sandwich was the long, fresh baked sub roll.

The negatives: The restaurant was about 117 degrees, and by the time I left I was dripping with sweat. Also, the woman behind the counter who takes your order isn't exactly the friendliest, but I'm not complaining. I'm not there to make friends, I'm there to eat a great sandwich.

We're Going Streaking!

There are many things in life that I have a very strong opinion on (i.e. restaurants, buying medicine, sports).  However, one thing that I am still undecided on in streaking.  I can't figure out if it is hysterical, asinine, or somewhere in between.  I think it's really a case by case basis, and in this case, this guy did it the right way:

I bring this up because on Tuesday night, this guy became the first streaker in Citifield history.  I think he did a fantastic job for 3 reasons:

1.  It looks like he waited for a foul ball to come his way before he derobed and made a run for it.  His timing was deliberate and impeccable.  This maximized his exposure and allowed for the most people to appreciate his performance.

2.  He slid into 2nd base naked.  Do you know how much that must hurt?  He is going to be finding dirt in some disturbing places for weeks to come.

3.  He surrendered in the outfield.  He didn't fight back or cause a problem.  He accomplished what he set out to do, made the most of it, and knew when his time was up.  It was a graceful exit.

What do you think went on behind the scenes after this guy was removed?  You think Omar interrogated him with a single light bulb shining over his head?  Did they send Gary Sheffield in to teach him a lesson?  Did Castillo show fake bunt?  All I know is, this act was premeditated and executed perfectly.  Well done.

Something S-Whine About

Disclaimer:  I have done absolutely no research to back up the following post.  For the most part I have read nothing and had zero intelligent conversations on the subject matter.  What I write is based on my own perception.  Reader beware.

I'm simply not understanding this whole swine flu thing.  I just don't see how it is that big of a deal in the United States.  I'm not talking about Mexico, I'm talking about here.  I don't understand why schools are closing and proms are being cancelled.  I'm still going to work everyday and riding the subway- are high school kids more important than I am?  Why is there such a discrepancy in how this is being treated between high school kids and adults?  I am confused.  How can these kids have weeks of school off, while everyone in the workforce is going about their business like nothing out of the ordinary is happening?  Trust me, at work they have packed 15 of us, all between the ages of 22-28 onto a 30 foot long bench.  This is just as contagious of an area as a high school gym.

I just don't see how this is different than the regular flu.  The flu is contagious, it sucks, and every year elderly/sickly/young people probably die from it.  I'm not saying its not a big deal, but I just don't understand why this is so different from the usual annual flu.  We don't close schools for that, do we?

The worst of this whole thing are the people with the SARS surgical masks on their face on the subway.  There are 200 people on a rush hour subway car- are you really that more important than everyone else that you need to wear this thing?  No one else is wearing it.  It just makes things seem so much worse than they really are.  How am I supposed to feel that you are protecting yourself, and I'm just hanging out there breathing in the swine?  We need a uniform approach on this whole thing.  Either we all wear it, or none of us wear it.  Otherwise, we are just going to have mass hysteria at some point.  I'm already starting to freak out.

Hello Summer!

I think this weekend is going to be the real introduction to summer- not Memorial Day.  Now I know it will probably get cold and rainy again at some point in the next few weeks, but right now on weather.com we have a 5-7 day stretch of 80 degree days.  That is good enough for me.  We are in business.

Once a year, on the first genuinely beautiful day of the year, when I walk outside and the sunshine and the fresh air hit me in the face I throw my arms up in the air and say "Hello Summer".  Last weekend was beautiful, but I forgot to say it.  So tomorrow afternoon, if you see me leaving the office around 4:45 (if all goes as planned) you will witness me saying hello to summer.

My goal this weekend is to spend as much time outside as possible.  After being pent up all week in the office, where the weather is always a constant 70 degrees and sterile, some sun and fresh air is just what I need.  Some golf, some dining al fresco, some time walking around the city...sign me up.  I fully expect summer to be in full gear this weekend- sandals, shorts, and sunglasses.  Even if it is back to a suit and tie on Monday, I know that this weekend I am free.  Enjoy everyone!

To Re-New Beginnings

Well it's official:  renewing my New Jersey driver's license is one of the most difficult things I've ever done in my life.  I've spoken to friends from other states, and renewing their licenses consists of requesting a new one online.  In NJ, you have three things working against you that make this an impossible situation:

1.  The hours

2.  The proof of identity

3.  The prison guards

The hours:  It really seems like the DMV is open for about 37 minutes each day.  How anyone with a full-time job ever makes it there in time is amazing.  Taking into account my job, as well as the fact that I don't even live in NJ anymore, and it becomes an enigma how I'm ever going to make this happen.

The proof of identity:  NJ has masterminded this 37 point system.  I thought that with a passport and old driver's license I would be good to go.  NOPE.  I'm still short some combination of an ATM card, high school diploma, gun license, military card, or marriage license.  Even with items such as these, I would not have the proper proof of address, which includes a lease agreement, utility bill, or jury duty request.  I simply don't stand a chance.

The prison guards:  By prison guards, I mean the delightful people who work at the DMV.  They give you the stare of death, and greet everyone that walks through the door as if they are criminals.  As I unload my 17 proofs of identity, it still isn't enough.  I still need to beg for mercy.

I am going to give this a shot on Saturday, sometime between 9-12 (if I wake up in time), but I can't make any promises.  Wish me luck.

A Restaurant That Stinks

I write a lot about food- this I know.  Recently, I got a complaint that all of my reviews are too positive and that there are never any restaurants that I don't like.  What can I do, I really love food, whether it's fancy, cheap, elaborate, simple- it doesn't matter.  There is little that I don't like.  However, there is one restaurant that I really hate.  One place that just the thought of makes me sick.  And that place is called the Caliente Cab Company in NYC.

This place is just awful.  It is a chain Mexican restaurant in NYC with locations in Murray Hill and the West Village.  I think people like it because they have large outdoor seating areas (people love eating outside in NYC, it is a favorite pastime).  Well the drinks are weak and very sugary.  It tastes like they come from a mix.  The food is plastic and not remotely authentic, and everything is overpriced.

So there you have it.  My least favorite restaurant in New York.  A place I hate.  See, isn't it more fun to hear how much I love the food I am eating?  The food at this place is not caliente, it is frio.

Nice Little Saturday

Life is made for days like today- 72 degrees and sunny, just a beautiful and relaxing day.  Spent the day with Michael and Teddy strolling around the West Village.

We had lunch at Son Cubano, a Cuban restaurant I've been wanting to try for awhile in the meatpacking district.  We had mojitos and shared an appetizer of plantain cups filled with garlic crabmeat, which were amazing.  For an entree, I shared the shrimp sandwich and the chicken sandwich with fried jalapeno with Michael.  I think the shrimp one was better.

We then wandered around the West Village aimlessly, going down tiny side streets and

 stopping at random sidewalk sales.  We found an area near Barrow and Grove streets that really reminded me of Beacon Hill in Boston.  Very old fashioned looking and quiet, lined with trees.  We then walked over to the river, and found Pier 45 at Hudson River Park.  It was beautiful being out by water with the breeze and fresh air.  It's really an interesting place- such a cross section of people doing different and crazy things.

A very nice way to spend a lazy Saturday.

Places I want to go

I have not taken a vacation in awhile, so I thought I would put together a list of places I want to visit, in no particular order:

Thailand

Wrigley Field

Napa Valley

Barcelona

Grand Cayman

Anna's Taqueria

Jackson Hole

New Zealand

Jersey Shore

Seattle

On a cross country trip

Hershey Park

Argentina

Congo

Lake Louise

Dubai

Grand Canyon

Cabo

1000

I had my 1000th hit at some point in the past 24 hours and I am psyched.  Thanks for reading, there is a lot more good stuff still to come!

Welcome to Citifield, home of the Binghamton, I mean New York, Mets

Last night I went to Citifield for the 2nd time. Don't get me wrong, I love this park, but for many reasons I felt like I was at a minor league baseball game.

First off, you have to see the signs and advertisements at the stadium. It is hysterical. The following is a sampling of Mets sponsors that bought ad space on the scoreboard and outfield wall:

Bob's Discount Furniture
Buy and Sell Gold- U.S. Coins.com
freecreditreport.com
Spongetech
Alliance Building Services
Arpielle Equipment
Titan Motor Group

Ok, I know we are in a recession, but what the heck is going on here? I guess the days of AIG, Chase, etc. are gone. But is freecreditreport.com and buy and sell gold really doing that well that they are able to afford signage and Citifield? Is the business at Bob's Discount Furniture really booming that much? I'm shocked that we didn't see an ad for my neighbor's garage sale on the board. Seth and I were cracking up at these advertisers- way to bring in the big boys. If this is an indicator of our economy, we are all screwed.

Other reasons why this felt like a minor league game:

1. A cat ran out on the field
2. Mike Pelfrey fell down throwing a pitch
3. The winning run was decided by a balk

It was a very memorable day, and is always one of the best days of the year for me, but these things were very funny last night and just created a sort of strange vibe. I love this stadium, but if you really want to walk around and try the food, you have to go to a game that is not as high profile. I would recommend trying a weeknight during the summer against the Nationals or something. Then it will REALLY feel like a minor league game.

Event #5: Citifield

I had been waiting for this for over two years:  the opening of Citifield.  There are not many times in life when you can anticipate something so much and yet still be shocked having underestimated the excitement of it all, and yet this is what happened for me on Sunday when I went to Citifield.

I know I am partial, but Citifield is the most beautiful baseball stadium I have ever seen.  The architecture is classy yet dramatic.  I love the green steel against the burnt color of the brick.  The wide open walkways opening up onto the bright green grass.  Plasma TVs scatter the stadium, combining a modern feel while the park feels old and traditional.  There are so many open areas to sit, eat, drink, hangout, talk, and mingle.  It is just a welcoming atmosphere that promotes socializing, relaxing, and enjoying yourself.

There are amazing new features such as as a kids area with a dunk tank, mini baseball field, and batting cage, bars scattered around so you can have a drink while watching the game without being stuck in your seats, fantastic restaurants and lounges and more.  However, there are great memories of Shea, with the old home run apple on display and the skyline on top of the old scoreboard placed on top of the gourmet food stands.  A mix of old and new.

And now for a topic on its own- the food.  WOW!  My goal was to sample as much as possible, and I think I did what I came to do.  We tried the old bay fries with cheddar dipping sauce from the seafood stand, a shake shack burger and hot dog (incredible), a slice of the Grandma pizza (no words to describe this, one of the best slices I have had...I promise), and the taco sampler (the flank steak one was the best).  I didn't get around to the Blue Smoke stand- I will 

save that one for Opening Day.  There were a million more things I wanted to try, including the belgium french fry stand, the sausage stand, and a shake shack shake.  All in good time.

I don't care if you like baseball or not- you need to come see this stadium.  There is something for everyone.  You can just come for dinner, to walk around, and grab drinks with friends at one of the many outdoor sports bars.  The Mets really nailed this one, a fantastic job.  I can't wait to go back for opening day- T minus one week.

Event #4: My Party

All I have to say is that I have some great friends.  So many people came out to celebrate with me, and I really appreciated that so many people made it.  I think we all had a great time!

First, people came over to the apartment to hangout, drink, and have some snacks.  We had Met-zels (blue and orange chocolate pretzels), assorted crostinis, and a blue and orange birthday cake from Sugar Sweet Sunshine bakery (or something masculine like that).  Yes, most of the food was blue and orange (not the most appealing food colors, but everything was delicious).  We also had scotch, wine, and tequilla to wash everything down.

We then headed over to The Globe for some drinks.  I was told we had an area reserved, but I guess the owners forgot that they had already booked a party of 500 in the back room.  It was a birthday party for two girls, and they had their pictures plastered all over the bar.  Apparently, a bunch of us thought it was a funeral, which offended the guests of the birthday girls.  Oh well.

We managed to find some room at the front of the bar, and still had a great time.  Thanks again to all of you guys who made it- couldn't have celebrated without you.

Event #3: Defonte's

Best sandwich I have had in NYC, hands down.  For my birthday lunch, I thought about Artichoke (my favorite pizza), and Shake Shack (never had a burger at the one in Madison Square Park, but I knew I was having one on Sunday) but I chose Defonte's.

Defonte's is a sandwich place that originated in Brooklyn.  They make amazing hot subs and their signature is putting thinly sliced fried eggplant on their sandwiches.  I went with Teddy last weekend, so this time around I knew exactly what I wanted.

I think their two best sandwiches are the turkey with swiss and fried eggplant, and the roast pork with cheese, fried eggplant, and hot salad.  These are not healthy, but they are awesome.  Nothing more I'd rather eat on my birthday.  I shared both with Diana while watching Friday Night Lights (my favorite show on TV, by far).  I was a happy camper.

Event #2: WD-50

On Friday night, Diana took me to WD-50 for my birthday.  I have been wanting to go here for awhile- it is a molecular gastronomy restaurant where the chef, Wylie Dufresne, changes the textures and presentations of all of his ingredients.  I first learned about him from watching Top Chef, and we even got to see him in the restaurant on Friday!

I will focus on the textures and the way the food looked, and then tell you about what I actually ate:

Lower east side roll up- corned duck instead of corned beef, purple mustard, rye cracker instead of rye bread.  The meat was delicious, and the condiments made the dish.

The food for my entree was all cubed and stacked, creating a great wall of china on my plate.  It was actually pork with fried plantains with jerk sauce, but the meat and plantain was in a cube, and the jerk was basically broth that the cubes were swimming in.  Tasty, a little wierd though.

Dessert was the best part of the meal.  They gave us complimentary vanilla ice cream stuffed with balsamic vinegar, then I had this deconstructed apple brioche with sage foam and brown butter ice cream.  To polish it off, they gave us bite-sized chocolate cake stuffed with vanilla ice cream.

I'm really glad I tried this restaurant.  It is a really unique experience, and I love how the flavors, textures, and presentation all play off one another.  A great time!

Event #1: Convivio

The festivities began Wednesday night with a three-way birthday celebration with Diana's family.  We had a lot to celebrate, with Diana, Daniel, and I all having birthdays within a month of each other.  Some restaurants have a ton of hype but don't live up to expectations- this was the opposite.  This restaurant was fantastic, I really loved everything I had:

Chicken liver crostinis with grilled onion

Fusilli with pork and some kind of cheese sauce which was amazing

A pork dish with crispy rinds, hard to explain but delicious

Homemade gellato- chocolate, vanilla, cappuchino

It was a four course prix fixe, and was pretty reasonable given the amount and quality of the food.  I highly recommend Convivio, one of the best restaurants I have been to in the city.

Birthday Weekend

What a weekend, I am wiped.  All I can say is that I had a great birthday, and have some great family and friends who made it really memorable.  The weekend consisted of 5 key events, mainly consisting of food and sports (big surprise, right?).  My next 5 posts will be about these 5 things- I'm breaking it up because everyone likes shorter posts, and because I'm tired and not sure I am going to be able to write about everything tonight before I pass out...enjoy!

The Results Are In...

Draft day 2009 (aka my favorite day of the year) came and went.  The draft results are in, the rosters have been studied, the picks have been analyzed, and without further ado I give you the best/worst pick for each team in the league:

Penske Files (Bob)-  Best:  Adam LaRoche (Round 17)  To find power that late in the draft is a steal.  I think he should have gone far earlier in the draft.  Worst:  Brian McCann (Round 3)  Considering solid catchers were still available in the last round, this was way too early.

Debbie Does Odalis (Jason)-  Best:  Matt Holiday (Round 3) To me, this guy is still a borderline first rounder.  Worst:  Justin Verlander (Round 10)  There were a lot of great starters on the board, and I don't think Verlander was in the same league as them.

Long Islanders (Michael)-  Best:  David Wright (Round 1)  This guy is poised for a huge year.  Worst:  Troy Glaus (Round 17)  Out for most of the year with an injury.

Beast is Back (Jon)-  Best:  Chris Iannetta (Round 19)  He is a top catcher and I have seen him go in Round 10.  Worst:  Xavier Nady (Round 13)  He could have been had in Round 20.

High and Tight (Matt G)-  Best:  Matt Cain (Round 13)  By far the best pitcher on the board at that point.  Worst:  Dice K (Round 8)  He is in for a huge drop-off this year- too lucky last year.

Running Cows (Mike P)-  Best:  Jason Motte (Round 18)  Lights out stuff, seems to have one the closer job.  Worst:  Manny Parra (Round 20)  Has potential, but he would have gone undrafted and I think there were more reliable starters on the board at this point.

DHARMA Initiative (John)  Best:  Ubaldo Jimenez (Round 19) Nasty stuff this late in the draft. Worst:  Chipper Jones (Round 5)  Just not reliable enough to be a 5th round pick anymore.

I'm On A Boat! (Teddy)  Best:  Matt Kemp (Round 3)  He is 2nd round talent, in for a huge year.  Worst:  Yovani Gallardo (Round 8).  I think he would have been around 2-3 rounds later, far more reliable guys were still on the board.

Amazin' Mets (Me)  Best:  Jonathan Papelbon (Round 7)  I hate taking top closers, but this guy isn't a 7th round pick- great value here.  Worst:  Carlos Pena (Round 8)  Needed to fill my 1st base slot, but should have just taken another top outfielder and worried about 1B later.

Lifetime Ban (Joe)  Best:  Javier Vasquez (Round 9)  A bit early, but in for a huge year.  Worst:  Alex Rodriguez (Round 1) I don't have a problem with drafting A-Rod, I have a problem with drafting him in Round 1 when he would have lasted until your Round 2 pick.

ROY (Rockoff of the Year)  Best:  Andre Ethier (Round 11)  I like him this year, and he was the best outfielder on the board.  Worst:  Michael Young (Round 4)  He would have been around in Round 10, not a 4th round talent.

Orange and Blue (Seth)  Best:  Jimmy Rollins (Round 1)  Getting him with the 12th pick is an absolute steal, and pairing him with Texiera in Round 2 makes the pick that much nicer.  Worst:  Ervin Santana (Round 10)  He might have a good year, but not worth the risk in Round 10- other surer things were still available.

Good luck to everyone this season...can't wait for things to get underway.  I have a live auction draft next Sunday and will provide an analysis for how things unfolded after the draft.

The Draft Has Arrived

Ladies and Gentleman, draft day 2009 has officially arrived. On Saturday, the Stallions will hold its 6th annual fantasy baseball draft at the Kaplan residence on the Upper West Side. For all of our fans out there, you can follow the results real time on our draft blog as each pick unfolds. We will have bleachers set up for those of you who would like to watch in person instead.

Mesmorized

Every once in awhile, a commercial comes along that captures your heart, soul, and imagination. I have been captivated by the McDonald's Fish Sandwich Commercial

In the Tavern with Gossip Girl

For Diana's birthday (which was 3/8), we went to Gramercy Tavern, one of the most sought after reservations in NYC, for dinner. Dan and Serena from Gossip Girl welcomed as at the door (yes, they were eating with one of their moms in the tavern part of the restaurant). The meal was excellent, but the most exceptional part was the dessert.

I started with a squid ink pasta with calamari and mussels in a garlic sauce, which was great, and had a special of ribeye steak with keibasa- Diana's sea bass was better.

But the dessert- wow! You need to go just for the dessert. I had a peanut butter semifredo, which is basically like frozen mousse. It was served on a chocolate cookie, with caramel in the middle, and came with amazing ice cream and roasted peanuts. This thing was incredible. Diana's dessert was great too, she had a mango/lime cheesecake, but it was no match for this peanut butter deliciousness. If you like dessert, go here.

Ode to Nana's Deli

I think that I can safely say that my favorite food establishment in the world is Nana's Deli. It is a small, Jewish/Italian neighborhood deli that has been serving up delicious and fresh food for my entire life. Everything they make is homemade, ranging from deli meats, entrees, and desserts. Personal favorites of mine include the following:

The Sloppy Joe- This is my all time favorite sandwich. And no, it is not chopped meat in gravy on bread. The North Jersey Sloppy Joe is a triple decker sandwich- corned beef, roast beef, and turkey on thinly sliced rye bread, with russian dressing and cole slaw. This is a sandwich I grew up with, and one that I have to explain to all of my friends that do not live in the area. When they try it, they become just as hooked as I am.

Nana's Tuna- The most delicious tuna I've ever had. Its somewhat sweet, and I love it on an onion roll with lettuce and tomato

Bow-tie pasta salad- Bow-tie pasta, garlic, spinich, pine nuts...amazing

Ruggelach and triple chocolate cake- Oftentimes found on the same platter, these two desserts are fresh baked, moist, and heavenly

Honorable mentions: Chopped liver, sour cream chicken, bok choy salad

Those are my Nana's greatest hits. I know many people have the same affinity for Nana's that I do. Feel free to share your favorites!

Grammy

My grandma (Grammy) passed away this afternoon and in the process we lost an amazing lady who made one hell of a carrot cake. She was one tough cookie, and she always had a ton of fight in her, which she proved by living a tough but rich and rewarding life.

There is one story that I remember she used to tell me when I was younger and that she began to tell me with increasing frequency as she got older. It's not particularly funny or exciting, and it doesn't have a punch line, but that fact that she told me the story so often and with such vivid imagery and clarity makes me believe that this was one of the most memorable moments of her life.

Grammy and Poppy (my grandpa who passed away in 1997) were on one of their business trips in Europe for the business they owned. They used to travel around the world, finding trinkets and collectibles to sell at the business they owned, Oriental Imports. On this particular evening, they were in Monte Carlo, which is known to be a wealthly and glamorous city (something Grammy and Poppy were not), famous for its casinos. That evening, my grandparents got dressed up and Grammy was wearing a gown. They went to Le Grand Casino and climbed the marble steps at the front of the magnificent building. They entered a breathtaking room, with high ceilings, chandeliers, and plush red carpet. The casino was pulsating with excitement, and it was there that Grammy played roulette, one of her favorite pastimes, for the first time. The game captivated her, with its black and red spinning wheel and tiny white ball dancing around the rim. She won on one of the first spins, and after that she was hooked.

It's funny how random moments in life grab you, encouraging you to hold on forever. By the way Grammy told this story, I could tell that this was one of those moments for her. Tonight, I know that she's back in that casino with Poppy, eternally happy.

FiDi Lunch Find

Today, a co-worker took me to a new lunch spot right by the World Financial Center (235 South End Avenue in the Financial District (FIDI) to be exact) called Samantha's New York.

I know this place sounds like some kind of trendy bistro, but it is a fantastic and cheap italian deli serving up huge subs and italian entrees.  It's a little out of the way and I guess you would only go if you worked in the area, but this place makes a great sandwich.  I have complained in the past that NYC doesn't have great italian sub options (the best I have had was in Hoboken from a place called Vito's) but Samantha's is right up there with the best I have had.

Today, I had a sub with chicken cutlet, mozzarella, hot peppers, and balsamic and it was excellent- hot, fresh, and delicious.  I think next time I will try the Combo Special Hero #5 with ham, salami, provolone, lettuce, tomatoes, and peppers.

If you work in the area, I would highly recommend this deli.  If you are bored on a weekend (or during the week if you have some time to spare) I would check this place out.  It is the real deal and was a pleasant surprise during an otherwise monotonous workday.

A Delicious Way to Start the Morning

This morning, I was getting dressed as I always do, trying to ignore the Today show which was on in the background against my will. The show cuts to commercial, and I hear a TV ad for food. I only caught the tail end of it, but I turned around to see what looked like a delicious piece of meat or some kind of patty. The commercial said something about a new flavor, smoked bacon with egg. Immediately, my mind shifted to fresh fluffy eggs and greasy, crispy bacon frying in a pan. The next thing I know, a dog is running across the screen, and I realize it is a commercial for dog food.

Life rule #1,753: Do not advertise dog food like you would with real food, by showing how good it looks, and describing the flavors. We are not the ones eating it, and the fact that I started craving it just makes me feel bad about myself. Describe the utility that the dog will get from it: healthy, happy, large portion, diet, etc. I do not need to know that the bacon is smoked, and I definitely do not need to know what it looks like.

To Infinity and Beyond...The Past 11 Days in Real Time

It has been a pretty interesting past week and a half. Rather than describe every detail of my travels and encounters, I am going to fast forward through the past 11 days while hitting the pause button at random times. Imagine this as if you are watching 24, except your DVR is going berserk- starting, fast forwarding, and pausing. Just like in 24, all events occur in real time.

Friday 2/20, 1:24 PM- At my desk- I'm posting on Joshua's Jabberings about my trips- both will be exciting for different reasons, I can't wait!

Friday 2/20, 6:27 PM- At my desk- Everyone has left for the day, but I still cannot book this business trip online due to technical difficulties. I don't know why, but when things get quiet on Friday afternoon and people start leaving, I start to panic. I get completely stressed out that I'm still working while everyone else is gone. Trying to book a trip to Minnetonka two days prior to leaving doesn't make things any easier. I'm borderline starting to freak out, and I haven't even left for this trip yet.

Saturday 2/21, 3:19 PM- the Penthouse-I am scrambling to get prepared work-wise for the trip and trying to figure out how the heck I am going to get a week's worth of work done in 48 hours at the client (Monday and Tuesday). 24 hours ago, I had never even heard of this client and now I am supposed to efficiently lead my troop consisting of myself and one other 23 year old girl. This should be interesting.

Sunday 2/22, 8:14 PM- Rental Car- Forget getting the work done- I'm now in a rental car driving past the Mall of America on icy roads in the dark and I have no idea where I am. I never thought I would be so happy to see a sterile Sheraton located 7 minutes from the office park I will be calling home for the next few days. Room service is closed but we convince the bartender to make us a turkey sandwich at the bar. An hour later, Slumdog Millionaire wins best picture and its time to call it a night. Let the games begin.

Wednesday 2/25, 2:17 AM- Hotel room in Minnetonka- It has been interesting, but I think the work is nearly wrapped up. Been up since 6 AM Tuesday when my neighbor's wake up call woke me up, have worked all night, and now I need to leave for the airport in 4 hours for our early morning flight. That room service pizza is starting to not agree with me. Who would have thought that there was bad pizza in Minnesota?

Friday 2/27, 10:01 PM- Airplane- It was an intense few days, but I did indeed get everything done in time. I'm now cruising at 20,000 feet on Jet Blue next Diana, pounding scotch, cashews, and mini-chocolate chip cookies. I'm watching Sportscenter on DirecTV, listening to the baseball channel on XM, and reading fantasy magazines. Life is now slightly back to normal.

Saturday 2/28, 9:34 AM- Miami Hotel Room- Three days ago I was in freezing Minnetonka, eating mediocre room service, drinking instant coffee, and crying. I now open up the curtains of my hotel room at the Fountainbleu to a panoramic tropical landscape- crystal blue ocean, swaying palm trees, and absolutely pounding techno music. Who new this place was such a trendy hot spot? Is that Ivanna Trump? I soon find out that Lebron will be at the hotel's club on Sunday night. We are all witnesses.

Saturday 2/28, 10:12 PM- OLA, South Beach- After a day of lying on a lounge chair, drinking fruit-infused water, listening to the Sports Guy's podcasts and reading more fantasy magazines, I am satisfied. However, we are now at OLA, a Latin restaurant that is absolutely delicious. After some lobster empanada, tacos, crispy pork, and deconstructed key lime pie, I am in good shape. I love paradise.

Sunday 2/2, 9:27 PM- Airplane- I semi-relaxed all day, but was slightly worried about getting back to NYC. I take one late Sunday evening flight the entire winter (March) and we get a blizzard. Miraculously, while almost all of the other NY-bound flights are delayed or cancelled, ours gets out on time with no delay. Chances of this occurring? 1 in 27,456. It is a 2 by 2 seater with about 40 rows, so figure there are 160 or so people on the plane. Three seats on the plane have TVs that are broken. Two of them are our seats. However, the flight is on time, and I am so happy that I almost hug the stewardess.

Monday 2/3, 7:27 AM- My Bed- I awake to Diana shaking me saying that I turned my alarm off and had gone back to sleep for 20 minutes. I have no recollection. Time to go to work, but I need a vacation.

From Minneapolis to Miami: The Week Ahead

Over the next seven days, I will be traveling to Minneapolis, Minnesota and Miami, Florida. In case you had a hard time guessing, Minneapolis is for business and Miami is for pleasure. Within the span of three days, I will be traveling from a state named after gophers to a state named after sunshine...quite a difference. In case you are wondering, yes it is true- my company decided that no one within 1,000 miles of Minneapolis is qualified to do the work that I will be doing. That is quite an ego boost I might say, even if it isn't necessarily true.

I'm looking forward to going from a small office park in bitter cold and freezing Minneapolis (Minnetonka actually, but who's counting?) to the sun soaked beaches of Miami. It should make for quite a culture shock. Drop me a line and I will send you a postcard, but make sure you specify which location you want me to send it from. Any tips or suggestions for me while I am in Minnetonka are welcomed.

Saying Goodbye to an Old Friend

It may have been an eyesore, but I loved it. It may have looked like a blue and orange toilet bowl in Queens, it may have been cold and concrete and lacked character with its zig-zagging exits and florescent lights in the shape of ballplayers, it may not have had the "history" or the "tradition" of baseball's "cathedral" in the Bronx (please note the quotes), but I loved it. To me, Shea Stadium was like a second home- a place with many memories. A place where I cheered when the Mets clinched the 2006 NL East, later cried after game 7 of the 2006 NLCS (and so being a Mets fan goes), a place where I drank one of my first beers, lost my voice, was surprised by my grandparents, felt the stadium rock quite literally at Billy Joel (two nights in a row), watched Matt Franco have the game winning hit off Mariano when the regular season Subway Series actually equivocated to my pride and dignity in middle school, watched John Maine almost throw a no-hitter only for Glavine to wipe away that excitement within 24 hours (and so being a Mets fan goes), screamed "Laaaarrrry", watched the sun set for the final time on Shea Stadium as a horrific day turned into an electric night as Seaver threw the stadium's final pitch to Piazza at the "Last Game at Shea", watched games with family, JLC, home friends, college friends, my employer and back and forth. Today, the stadium where this all took place was brought to the ground.

I loved Shea, despite that everyone told me it was one of the worst stadiums in baseball. Today is a sad day, but the opening of Citifield will soon take this old friend's place, creating a new place where memories will be made and cherished. Here's to the 2009 baseball season- a clean slate.

Private Computer Crash Steak Lessons

The title of this post summarizes three major events that have taken place in my life over the past 72 hours (1) My computer crashed (2) We took a private cooking class and (3) I ate a significant amount of steak/other various meats for dinner tonight. And now I elaborate...

1. Friday night, my computer worked. Saturday morning, my computer did not work. Nothing says happy valentine's day like a crashed hard drive. The one bright spot with this is that my Apple Care is valid through May, so if something was going to happen to my computer, now was the time. Usually, I would expect for this to occur the day after Apple Care ran out. For the time being I am using Diana's computer/my work computer. Should be up and running in 5-10 business days.

2. As part of my valentine's day present to Diana, we took a private cooking lesson with Janeen Sarlin, who says she cooked for Bill Clinton. The class was at a friend's apartment and was put together by Dave for Stephanie's birthday. In total, there were three couples in attendance. (Editor note: When it comes to people in my blog I have two rules: (1) I don't use friends' last names and (2) I don't introduce any of my friends to my readers. If you are that curious, you can ask me. However, Janeen Sarlin is fair game as she is a public figure). Dinner took 7 hours to make, during which approximately 9 bottles of wine were consumed by the six of us. We learned how to cut onions without crying, how to pound veal, and how to turn pie crust into breadsticks. The night concluded with Rock Band. Note to self: Planning dinners involving nine bottles of wine on a Sunday night is a bad idea. When you have work the next day and no one else in the country does. By the way, Janeen was great and I would highly recommend her.

3. And now I arrive at the steak/other various meats portion of the post. Last night after work, I took the PATH to "meat" (no pun intended) Matt and Joe for dinner in Newark at Fernandes' Steakhouse. It is a Brazillian restaurant that specializes in Rodizio (waiters serving various meat on skewers at your will). The quantity of food consumed was legendary. Cows, lambs, and pigs were running for their lives at the very sight of us by the end of the night. My personal favorite was the roast beef. Other honorable mentions included the bacon wrapped filet, pork loin, and garlic sirloin.

Change that America Needs

Happy President's Day everyone! While many of you are enjoying this day off, I am at work literally dripping with sweat. Since my client has the day off today, the AC is off in their office. However, my firm does not have off today which means that we are in fact at the client, working, and sweating. When we called the Buildings people to ask them to turn on the AC, we were told that they needed a cost center to allocate the air conditioning to. Well given that we are in a recession, and every penny counts, my team decided it would make more sense to just deal with it. (Obviously this would not have been my decision). Who said that corporate America isn't making sacrifices? While for you President's day might mean 3 day weekend, for me, it means wearing a light colored shirt to work so that I don't sweat through my clothes. Good times.

I'm not really sure why anyone should have President's Day off to begin with. I just don't see what it is about this day that would require us to have off from school and work. Are we supposed to be reflecting on past presidents? Does thinking about Washington and Lincoln really qualify as such heavy lifting that we need off in order to properly execute this duty?

I think it would be much more appropriate to have off for the current president's birthday, which in this case would be August 4th for Obama. I just think it makes more sense to give the day off to the guy who would appreciate our efforts the most. This would add a great element to elections, because people would compare the nominee's birthdays and vote based on when they could use another day off. You know, that stretch between President's Day and Memorial Day is pretty long...maybe I should think about running for office on the platform of breaking things up in early April...change that America needs.

A Glimpse At My Netflix Queue

A few months ago I joined Netflix and have been really enjoying it. It's really pretty cheap, and it has given me the opportunity to watch a bunch of movies that just fell through the cracks for me- ones that for one reason or another I just never got around to seeing. So far, I've rented Pulp Fiction, Speed, Momento, Boogie Nights, Step up 2: The Streets, Seven, Forgetting Sarah Marshall (which I saw but wanted to see again), You Don't Mess with the Zohan (awful), all three Bourne's, Manhattan, and Burn After Reading.

So today, I thought I would give everyone a little preview of what is on my upcoming Netflix queue. Keep in mind that it is like a fine wine, constantly evolving, so this is subject to change:

Current: Righteous Kill- On the surface, this seems like it should be a great movie with a DeNiro/Pacino 1-2 punch. Well I've only heard horrible things about it from other people since I rented it and it has now been sitting on my desk for about 3 weeks. I'm debating just sending this one back, but we'll see what this weekend brings.

1. Vicky Christina Barcelona- I love Woody Allen, Annie Hall is one of my favorite movies

2. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist- When it came out in theatres it seemed too Juno-like for my taste, but I'm willing to give it a shot now

3. Zack and Miri Make a Porno- Saw it, loved it, want to see it again

4. Blindness- I like movies about crazy epidemics (Children of Men, 28 Days Later, etc.)

5. The Usual Suspects- Heard this was a great one, but I've never seen it

6. In Bruges- Is supposed to be funny, was nominated for Best Comedy at the Golden Globes. Colin Farrell is awful, but I'm curious.

7. Crimson Tide- A classic that I've never seen

8. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 3: Disc 1- For my long time readers, you know my thoughts on this show and how much I love it. I've seen seasons 4, 1, and 2 (in that order). Season 3 is all that remains.

9. Casino- I need my DeNiro fix from somewhere in case Righteous Kill lets me down

10. Kung Fu Panda- I love the well done animated films (with the exception of Wall-E which I found incredibly annoying)

Feel free to critique, criticize, and let me know your thoughts.

Down with the Today Show

Prior to the arrival of 2009, I would get ready for work in the morning in silence and pick out clothes in the dark while Diana enjoyed the life of a student and did not have to be up at 7:30am. However, now that Diana is working, we are both up in the morning at the same time. This has posed a new problem for me: she likes to watch the Today show. I don't know why, but I have never liked this show. I didn't realize how much I disliked it though until now. With that, I give you my Top 10 Reasons Why I Dislike the Today Show:

1. They laugh at each other's jokes when they aren't funny. You couldn't have faker laughs if you tried.
2. Al Roker has officially lost his mind and I liked him much better when he was fat.
3. They report on things like news when they really aren't news. It's 7am. I don't care about octuplets, or weight loss, or that someone turned 100 this early in the morning. Leave me alone.
4. I'm 99% sure that they all hate each other and it drives me crazy that they pretend to be best friends
5. They talk too calmly. Everyone seems happy and relaxed. Listen, no one likes being up this early. If anything, I'd rather watch someone who was in as bad of a mood as I am. It would be much funnier, and then maybe you wouldn't have to force the laughter.
6. Matt Lauer is not a real reporter, I don't care what you say. He is best known for his segment, "Where in the world is Matt Lauer?" That is not real reporting. That is Today show reporting.
7. They always show weather for random cities. Are that many people in Cincinnatti really watching this?
8. The whole show seems to be one huge cross-promotion for the network. They have NBC TV stars on way too often as guests.
9. Ann Curry is condescending
10. It's 7:30 in the morning! I don't even like food or baseball that early...how am I supposed to like the Today show?

I vote for Saved by the Bell in the morning...anyone else with me?

To Lighten Things Up...

It has been a brutal few weeks in the world, and baseball has been no exception. Even the Mets have gotten killed over the past few months, between the CitiTaxpayerField debacle (I wish MetLife had some free dough, but that would make things too easy), the Wilpons appearing about 1,249 times on the Madoff client listing, and the Mets 2009 inaugrual season patch looking like the Domino's symbol.

Just when we thought things couldn't get any worse, they do. A friend sent me this, and I laughed out loud. This has been quite an off-season. Enjoy!

Weekend Food Review

Monday is a great day to reflect on what you ate over the weekend. This weekend, I happened to have food experiences that ranged from mediocre to delicious and I'd like to share them with you.

On Friday night, I went with Michael and Teddy to Ono, a trendy Japanese restaurant in the Meatpacking District. Normally, these are not my favorite restaurants; however, they were featuring the restaurant week menu, which includes an appetizer, entree, and dessert for $35. Overall, while the atmosphere was cool, the food was just ok- it would be a huge ripoff to go under normal circumstances. I would actually argue that the $15 wine pairing was the highlight of the meal. Three glasses of wine for $15 is pretty good, especially in NYC. At least the company was good.

On Saturday, I unfortunately found myself on Long Island visiting my grandma in the hospital (she is doing better now, thanks for asking). On our way there, I realized that we were very close to Bobby Flay's new burger joint, Bobby's Burger Palace and insisted that we stop. The restaurant features gourmet burgers, amazing fries, and shakes...menu here. I had the Philadelphia burger- provolone cheese, grilled onions, and hot peppers. Throw in an order of sweet potato fries with honey mustard horseradish dipping sauce, and assorted condiments like jalapeno hot sauce and chipotle ketchup, and I was in business. Word on the street is that they are opening one of these down the shore (Monmouth Mall), so be on the lookout!

The last food experience I wanted to discuss with you today occurred later that evening at Diana's friends' Karen and Sara's birthday party at their apartment in Brooklyn. Their friend is a pastry chef at Momofuku Milk Bar, and although she wasn't at the party, she dropped off cupcakes that she had made. I can't even describe these things. There was carmelized burnt toast on top, a cinnammon cream cheese frosting, and coffee cake on bottom. It was truly incredible. If the Milk Bar is half as good as these cupcakes sign me up.

This weekend is a perfect example of how just because a restaurant is expensive doesn't mean it's good! Burgers and cupcakes work for me.

A-Rod Joins the Ranks

Those of you who know me know how much I hate the Yankees. Just the thought of Derek Jeter, Paul O'Neil, and Scott Brosius makes me sick. Alex Rodriguez was never my most despised Yankee, but I still never particularly liked him either. I think my first real distaste for him developed in 2004 after his Bronson Arroyo glove slapping incident in the ALCS. It was the perfect summation of a wimpy prima-donna panicing in the heat of the moment. However, today's news that A-Rod tested positive for steriods in 2003 saddened me. Not because of anything that this news does to him personally, but because of what it does for the game.

I recently posted about my thoughts on steroid use and the hall of fame here. While I think steroid use is wrong, to pretend as if the era never existed only exacerbates the ugliness of the time period. These players and their statistics need to be recognized for what they are and framed by the time period in which the players played the game.

Today's news on A-Rod simply shows that everyone that played baseball over the past three decades is guilty until proven innocent. Simply put, players' words don't matter anymore- they have lost their meaning. Player after player has looked us in the eye and blatantly lied. I am tired of going back and rehashing things that happened 6 years ago. I really just want to move on.

The bottom line is that A-Rod's failed steroid test took place in 2003, and really means nothing in terms of the validity of today's game. But if A-Rod is guilty, then everyone is guilty. If anything, this provides more proof that the hall of fame needs to recognize all of these guys as excellent baseball players, and let the fans decide for themselves in the public court of opinion whether or not they are actually good people. The hall of fame is a museum- a place to celebrate history. Today's events are historical, for better or for worse.

I don't like A-Rod, but I hope to see him enshrined in Cooperstown in the future.

Top Chef visits Le Bernardin

So on this week's episode of Top Chef, the contestants went to Le Bernardin, the restaurant I wrote about visiting in one of my recent posts. The chefs got to meet Chef Eric Ripert, taste a few of his dishes, and then had the challenge of having to recreate one of the dishes so that it would taste as similar as possible to those dishes served in the restaurant.

*SPOILER ALERT*

So now there are five remaining contestants: Fabio, Leah, Stefan, Hosea, and Carla. About a month ago, after the first episode of the season, I had put odds on who I thought would win. Of the 3 contestants I gave the best odds to win to, all 3 are still in the competition. I do believe that Stefan now has the best chances of winning, although I will be rooting for Hosea.

A Bunch of Idiots

I think it's funny that over the past week Wall Street has been called shameful, greedy, and selfish by numerous politicians. While I partially agree to a degree, these statements are primarily being made in reaction to the size of bonuses being received at the end of 2008. These people work 70 hour weeks at minimum, through one of the most tumultuous periods in U.S. history. Oftentimes, these bonuses represent the bulk of one's pay for the year. Meanwhile, for the third time in the past few weeks, it has been made public that a prospective member of Obama's cabinet has failed to properly pay their taxes (Geithner, Daschle, Killefer). By the way, not paying taxes is illegal- receiving bonuses for working hard, no matter how excessive or stupid, is perfectly legal at this time.

These are not low level staffers that have not paid their taxes- these are individuals that Obama has selected as being the most capable people in the entire country to serve the nation in a given expertise. This has now happened three times. That is a small sample size with a pretty high number of occurrences if you ask me. How about you pay your taxes before you start calling others greedy and selfish? I doubt that these taxes were avoided maliciously, and in most instances I'm sure these politicians are good public servants, but how stupid do you have to be to have back taxes when you know you can possibly be nominated for the cabinet?

In the words of Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri, "We have a bunch of idiots on Wall Street that are kicking sand in the face of the American taxpayer." Hey Claire, I think we found more idiots kicking sand in the face of the American taxpayer, and they are in Washington. I think the moral of this whole recession is that we are all idiots. Let's stop pointing fingers and actually do something about it.

First Day of Spring

Spring begins for different people at different times. Some might go by the calendar, a noticable change in the weather, or even the first sight of blossoming flowers. For me, spring begins on the day that I obtain the Fantasy Baseball Index (FBI here). There is no definitive date that this event occurs on. Oftentimes, it is just an instance of chance- walking past a cluttered newsstand and the bold yellow title catches my eye. Other times, it has been calculated, whether it was an order placed online or a planned trip to the bookstore. All I know is, for me, spring began yesterday, and yes I know its only February.

To me, the Fantasy Baseball Index is the best fantasy baseball magazine out there. I have bought every annual issue that has been published for over a decade, and I even save them, creating a Fantasy Baseball Index library. I believe the first issue I got was 1997 (that is 12 years for those of you counting at home). With the rise of the internet, fantasy magazines are outdated- its information is stale by the time spring training arrives. However, it is my first taste of fantasy for the season and signals that pitchers and catchers reporting is on the horizon. Was it just me, or did it feel a little bit warmer out yesterday...until it snowed this morning. Ok, so maybe it isn't spring yet, but it isn't too far off- I now have the 2009 Fantasy Baseball Index.

A Night at Le Bernardin with Chef Eric Ripert (and Diana's Family)

Last night, Diana's family took me to Le Bernardin to celebrate her graduation from grad school. I had first heard about this restaurant from watching Top Chef, as Le Bernardin's chef Eric Ripert was a frequent guest judge on the show (Here's Chef Ripert). For those of you who don't know about Le Bernardin, it is one of five restaurants in NYC with a four star rating from the New York Times, along with Daniel, Jean George's, Masa, and Per Se. Zagat's rates the restaurant a 28/27/27 for food/decor/service. Simply put, it is the number two or three best restaurant in NYC, if not arguably number one.

Overall, the meal consisted of a six course prix fixe, primarily focused on celebrating the freshness of seafood. Prior to receiving menus, an amuse busche (a one or two bite appetizer to whet your appetite) was brought out for us, which featured bits of lobster and potato in a ginger sauce. The next three courses were categorized as, "almost raw", "barely touched", and "lightly cooked" in order to accentuate the freshness of the fish and how little one needs to do to make fresh fish taste good.

While we were deciding on what to order I noticed that Chef Ripert was standing at the table behind us. I immediately recognized him from TV. As he approached our table, Diana's mom jokingly told him that we were confused about what to order. He quickly smiled, and in his french accent said that everything was good or it wouldn't be on the menu. Soon after, he returned to the kitchen. I have to say that the guy is very charismatic- you can tell why he is on TV. Now that I know he was at the restaurant that night, I like to think that he was the one preparing our meals.

For my almost raw course, I ordered the "Tuna" which featured a layer of thinly pounded yellowfin tuna, blanketing a strip of foie gras which was affixed to a toasted baguette. Shaved chives and extra virgin olive oil decorated the plate and enhanced the flavor of the fish. The fish was perfectly fresh, and the richness of the foie gras and the crispiness of the baguette were divine.

My choice for barely touched was the "Calamari"- sauteed calamari stuffed with prawns and wood ear mushroom. The dish was served in a bowl, and when presented, a waiter poured a calamari broth around the food. While the calamari was delicious, I did find that the broth slightly dulled the flavors. If I could do it over again, I would order what Diana had, which was peekytoe crab in a black truffle sauce, served with sliced cauliflower. I tried hers, and it was fabulous. Luckily, she was already getting full and I got to have 1/3 of her dish as well.

To conclude the savory portion of the meal, I ordered the "Skate" as my lightly cooked course. The skate was described as "au bambou", referring to the spiced bamboo broth that was poured around the fish similarly to the calamari course. The fish was cooked perfectly- incredibly moist, and served with cellophane noodles and wood ear mushroom. The broth was so packed with flavors from the Asia-Pacific region that I almost felt like I was on vacation.

Once we completed the "lightly cooked" portion of the meal, our table was cleared and dessert menus were provided. I ordered the "Chocolate - Peanut", which was a dark chocolate, peanut, and caramel tart, served with a meyer lemon puree, peanut powder, and a small serving of praline - citrus sorbet. So read that again and take a shot in the dark about whether or not you think I liked it. Amazing. The intensity of the chocolate and the slight sourness of the citrus sorbet was magnificent and perfectly complemented one another.

Just when I thought that the meal was complete, the waiter brought out a small plate for each of us featuring four bite-sized desserts. At this point I almost blacked out, but I am pretty sure there was a cream puff, a dark chocolate truffle, a salty caramel tart served in a pastry shell, and a small almond cake (tasted like marzipan) served over a white chocolate wafer. Keep in mind that each one of these was easily no bigger than a quarter. When I say bite-sized, they were bite-sized for everyone, not just for me. Each bite was incredible, and after the salty caramel tart, I almost started laughing it was so good. A perfect end to an excellent and memorable meal.

You know, this type of food isn't for everyone. Some people may read this and think to themselves that they would much rather have a cheeseburger and fries. I think that a meal like this needs to be appreciated for what it is- a display of creativity and art through food. The course names and flavor pairings created a unique culinary experience unlike anything I have tried before. While some days I would prefer a burger and fries, I had been looking forward to this meal for a week and it went beyond meeting my expectations. One four star restaurant down, four to go. Thanks Chef Ripert!

Congrats Diana!

After 2 1/2 years of being a grad student at NYU, Diana officially graduated yesterday. Despite having the excellent luck of graduating during the worst job market since the Great Depression, she still managed to find a job! She is now officially a speech pathologist at City Sounds NY.

Congratulations Diana and good luck in the workforce!

Today's Forecast: It's Sunny

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been watching past episodes of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia on hulu.com and fxnetworks.com. I started with one or two, but I have now completed all of Seasons 1, 2, and 4. I started by watching season 4 on TV this fall, and then began watching online with Seasons 1 and 2. Let me just say that I think this is a fantastic show. I think it takes a certain sense of humor to appreciate, but if you like Arrested Development or Curb Your Enthusiasm, you will love this.

The show centers around the daily life of four degenerates as they run an Irish pub in Philadelphia. The primary crew includes a brother, sister, and two of the brother's friends. Additionally, Danny DeVito is introduced as a character in Season 2 (by the way, he has to be the world's smallest man that isn't a midget, right?). The show is completely politically incorrect, oftentimes bordering on offensive. I just looked the show up on imdb.com, and its tagline is "It's Seinfeld on crack". I couldn't agree more. I urge all of you with my sense of humor to watch this show- it is an absolute treasure.

Why I'm Protesting the HoF

Who the hell are these Hall of Fame (HoF) voters that say their childhood heroes have more of a right to be in the Hall of Fame (HoF) than my heroes? I have been meaning to write about this for awhile, and today I'm finally going to get my thoughts down on the subject.

For those of you who don't know, players are currently inducted into the HoF through election by the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA). (Veterans Committee too, but that is neither here nor there). Being inducted into the BBWAA is fairly arbitrary, and is for established sports writers. In order to vote for the HoF, you must be a member of this organization for ten years. So basically, no one under 35 years old votes for the HoF, with probably the bulk of voters 50+.

The heart of this controversey is whether or not players who have been linked to steroid use should be admitted into the HoF. Voters initially ruled in on this by striking down Mark McGwire's induction a couple of years ago. Now I understand that other than maybe Jose Conseco and Barry Bonds, McGwire is the worst offender of them all. But how do you differentiate between players? There just isn't enough proof out there to start putting the scarlett letter on these guys (unless you were actually suspended by MLB, which is another story).

So these crusty old writers don't like that the guys I grew up watching have shattered the records of the guys they grew up watching. It is a bunch of jealous kids on the playground. They say that by inducting these steroid-tainted players, we will be destroying the sanctity of baseball statistics and records.

The sanctity of the records? Well who is looking at baseball records that doesn't know about the history of the game? If you are looking up who is 7th on the all time RBI list at 3pm on a Wednesday (don't ask), I think you probably know a bit about baseball. And if you know anything about the game, ANYTHING, you know which players played during the steroid era and that you need to view them with a bit of skepticism.

Guess what? Players have lied and cheated in the past (pine tar, scuffing, throwing games), just using different methods. A generation of white players never had to face black players, diluting the quality of play. The equipment has changed over the years. We still elect guys that played in these distinct eras into the HoF. It is part of history, and people know that you need to view the numbers in the perspective of the time in which they were generated. Just look at the dead ball era! Think of the steroid era is the opposite of the dead ball era, and it makes sense.

The point is, anyone who cares about these records understands that what happened was a part of baseball history. We can't pretend that it didn't happen, because it did, and it was wrong, and tremendous strides are being taken to prevent it from happening again. But it is history, and to turn your back on it is sickening.

These guys played. I know, because I was there- Bonds, Sosa, Maddux, Bagwell, Piazza, Clemens, McGwire, Pedro, Thome. They played with heart, and watching them has shaped my life. I used my allowance to buy baseball cards. My family used money to take me to games. Baseball as a business boomed during the steroid era for these reasons. The league wouldn't be where it is today if it wasn't for the revenue that the home run chases generated. Hey Bud, give me back my revenues and then you can pretend like none of this ever happened.

My generation is the future of baseball. Not these old writers who are deciding which memories need to be celebrated and which need to be stricken from the record book. I am one of the biggest fans of the game I know, and I will not be visiting the HoF if the players I grew up watching aren't there. If they don't go, I don't go. Call it a protest, a boycott, whatever. I'm not going until this is made right.

I am Now a Citifield Ticket Holder

As of this morning at 9:17 am I am proud to call myself a Citifield Ticket Holder. I purchased a 15 game weekend package from Mets sales representative Pedro Urbaez. Per the Mets site, this package consists of the following:

Three (3) Friday, three (3) Saturday, three (3) Sunday, and six (6) weekday regular season games to be played at Citi Field -starting April 15- and features three battles with the Phillies, plus matchups with the N.L. West Champion Dodgers, Cubs, Rays and the final regular season game against the Astros.

My seats are in the Promenade Reserve Infield- Section 519, Row 15, Seats 9 and 10. These are very close to home plate, between home and 3rd. Although they are in the 3rd from last row of the stadium, I still think they will be great as I find being close to home plate is what is most important. I can't wait to see this new stadium and I hope that this package will allow me to get to know the stadium better and quickly allow myself to find my way around. Can't wait to see the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, the brick with my family's names on it out front, the Blue Smoke/Taqueria/Shake Shack, and the new home run apple!

If there is a specific game that you have interest in, let me know now so that I can reserve your seat!

Welcome Scott's Fans

I would like to welcome fans of Scott Korf's rival blog to my blog. Yes, it is true that critics have been praising my blog while shunning Scott's. However, I disagree with these critics. Scott's is great as well. I will let you decide for yourself: http://coolguy100.blogspot.com/

A Bro-Tastic Show

I need to say a few words about Bromance, starring teen heartthrob Brody Jenner. Teenie-bopper girls across the country swoon at the very sound of his name. However, in this show, the only people swooning (and crying I might add) are adult males between the ages of 20-30. Yes, you read that right. Grown men are crying over Brody Jenner.

In the past episode I think literally every single character cried. Whether it was for having the opportunity to stay, having to leave, talking about family, friends, moving, vodka, losing a sex doll blow up race- they all cried. Numerous times, hysterical, struggling to hold back tears. Please watch this show. You owe it all to yourselves. The whole thing is mind blowing.

2009

The following is a list of things I am looking foward to in 2009, in no particular order. Since I don't know of too many things occuring in 2009 yet, do not feel bad if I left something off that involves you. Listed below are only things that I am 100% certain are happening this year so far:

The new U2 CD, the Bruno movie, Scott's bachelor party in Vegas, Friday Night Lights returning to regular TV, dinner at Gramercy Tavern, the return of 24, the opening of Citifield and attending opening day, my fantasy baseball draft weekend, Lauren Fisher's birthday party, the new John Grisham book, the movie "I love you, man" (just read the description on IMDB), laughing at A.J. Burnett's first few starts as a Yankee, eating Anna's Taqueria at some point, the super bowl, Diana's cousin's bar-mitzvah, the first day of summer.

Sick

I currently have a cold. Too much fun on vacation and celebrating my fantasy football win. I want to give everyone some advice about buying medicine. It seems obviously, but I'm not sure if this is something that everyone knows:

When you buy medicine, the only thing that matters is the contents of the actual medicine. There are so many difference choices: daytime, nightime, fast acting, long lasting, extra strength, maximum strength, severe relief, sinus, cold, etc. It's pretty insane. So just ignore everything on the front of the box (except day/night, that is important). All that matters is the contents of the medicine. Look at how many milligrams of each drug are in it.

I went a long time looking at the fancy lingo and it is only confusing. Trust me, just look at the contents and you will get the medicine that is right for you.

Victory!

A few weeks ago I introduced everyone to my fantasy football team. Well I would like to take a minute to congratulate myself, as well as my team, for winning our league. It wasn't easy, but the final week 16 scoreboard looked like this:

Amazin' Jets
150
Favre isnt even good
131

Victory is sweet. I would like to congratulate the following members of 2008 team:

Jay Cutler, Matt Cassell, Andre Johnson, Randy Moss, Hines Ward, Antonio Bryant, Matt Forte, Marion Barber, L'Ron McClain, Kevin Curtis, Willis McGahee, Antwan Randal El, Philly D, and Ryan Longwell. It was a good fight to the finish, and I can now have dinner at Gramercy Tavern and cover some of my vacation expenses with the winnings.

A would now like to announce the 2008 MVP of the Amazin' Jets:

MVP: Matt Forte- as an 8th round pick, and a rookie at that, you averaged 18 fantasy points per game. Easily the most valuable player this year. Congratulations!

Thanks for a great year everyone. Since this is a keeper league, we are going to have some tough decisions to make in the coming weeks. I will make an announcement as soon as rosters have been determined. Have a great offseason.