Farewell New York

As most of you know, my mom is currently battling breast cancer. We've finally reached that point in her treatment where I'm needed at home. It's a difficult decision, but I made it with love in my heart.

To everyone I've met along the way, thank you for your support and encouragement. My time here has been more enjoyable than I can begin to say. New York City, you are the most vibrant and welcoming place I have ever been. I will miss sharing my joy and my sadness with you. And I know that, when I'm ready, you will be here to welcome me back. I'll be sorry to leave my kitchen and the kind people of Grand Central Neighborhood and the wonderful staff of Giorgio's. I'll miss late nights in Brooklyn. I'll even miss the subway.

I'll keep baking, and writing regardless, but I wanted to say my goodbyes to the city and the people that have made the past four months so amazing.

Lost Horizons and Night Markets

Last Saturday, I had the great privilege of participating in the second Lost Horizon Night Market in Brooklyn. My friend, Laura roped me into the idea of offering decorate your own erotic baked goods. Let the giggling ensue. Have you ever tried to bake dirty cookies with a straight face? Not possible.

A little background on the market: People come together, rent box trucks, decorate the interior, and offer some form of entertainment, services, or goods. Donations are accepted, or people can barter. The location is kept crazy secret to enhance the sense of adventure. Fun abounds.

So late Saturday afternoon, I pack a box of gluten free cookies and cupcakes, a tea pot, and other sundry supplies and head into Manhattan to pick up the box truck with Laura. From there we went on a scavenger hunt in Manhattan for other things we needed, like a grill, and fabric. From there we hit Brooklyn, finish loading the truck, and getting dressed. Finally, it's Market time.

And what fun it was! Lili, another friend of mine, made a range of vegan treats and decorating icings for everyone to use and enjoy. Krista and Laura covered the baked treats for the non-picky eaters, and I supplied the gluten free goods. The market was scheduled to end at 3AM, but we ran out of food around 1AM. That didn't stop anyone from coming by to drink tea and hang out with us. It was gratifying, successful, and enormously entertaining.

As popular as our truck was, there were so many other talented trucks. The smallest circus ever had two great shows that they ran every ten minutes. There was a silent movie truck, decked out with a heavy red curtain and handing out kuzoos and candy cigarettes. Another truck did an Alice in Wonderland tea ceremony. There was a group doing screen printing who were incredibly talented and very nice. With so much devotion and creativity, it was hard to focus.

Finally, the end of the night rolled around and we four packed up our truck and exhaustedly went home. I can't wait to do it again.

Curry, Ice Cream, and Tuna

No, I'm not pregnant. That was my culinary day, yesterday. And it was delicious. I started the day in Chinatown with my friend, Angus. We went to Great N.Y. Noodletown at 28 Bowery. Apparently they have killer ginger scallion noodles. Since I can't have noodles, I'll take Angus' word for it. But I did have the beef curry over rice. The beef was incredibly tender when I managed to find pieces not still in the skin, but even with the skin on, it was pretty tasty. I'm not particularly accustomed to the texture of beef prepared that way, but I can't say I hated it. Not that I loved it either. Give me a few more plates and I'll get back to you on it. But I will say, the curry sauce was delightful. Just the right amount of heat to warm me up on a chilly day, but not a sear-the-roof-of-your-mouth-off kind of heat. Another bonus, the dish was more meat than vegetables. Often when I order curry, I get a pile of onions and peppers, and maybe four pieces of meat. Not at Noodletown. I got four pieces of vegetables and a pile of beef. This place has their priorities straightened out. I won't say that it was the best Chinese food I've ever had, but I would go back again. And really, that's good enough for me.

After the curry, we walked around the corner to The Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory at 65 Bayard St. Yes, it was cold outside, and yes, we're a little crazy that way. Despite the cold weather, the place was packed. And for good reason. The Seid family has been making ice cream at that location for almost 30 years. With flavors like avocado, green tea, and red bean cozying up along side the more familiar coffee, strawberry, and chocolate, this place offers something for everyone. The place offers 33 flavors of ice cream and 9 varieties of sorbet. I spotted the black sesame ice cream and, to use puppy speak, my ears perked up. I have a love, bordering on obsession, for sesame. So there was no question about what I was going to order. Angus went with the ginger ice cream. My black sesame was amazingly good. Sweet with the underpinnings of toasted sesame. And the ginger ice cream? Luscious and full of chunks of candied ginger. It managed to be spicy the way ginger should be, but delicately so. Check them out at their website, Chinatown Ice Cream Factory.

After lunch, I hung out a bit until it was time to meet Michael for dinner and a movie. We had drinks at Giorgio's before seeing Boondock Saints II: All Saints' Day. While not as good as the first, I wasn't disappointed by Troy Duffy's new installment of the McManus brothers. It made for a good way to spend two hours. After, we went back to Giorgio's thinking we might get something light to eat. Light turned out to be Alex pulling out all of the stops for me. Michael ordered swordfish over saffron risotto. I loved the risotto, and while swordfish isn’t my thing, Alex does a great job with it. He livens it up a bit with roasted plum tomatoes. Pretty delicious. But where he outdid himself was my plate. Rare tuna skewers with wilted spinach greens over an orange half and served with beets, brussels sprouts, and baby carrots. All finished with a balsamic glaze. And it was probably the most beautiful plate I’ve been served. I wish I’d thought to bring my camera to take a picture. Everything was vibrant and fresh. It goes without saying that the food was delicious, but it was gorgeously plated as well. And to make me feel extra special, he brought our plates out himself. Top that with a glass of apple cinnamon bourbon made by Brian, and I had a fantastic meal. I told you this place felt like home. Michael may have spoiled me a little here, since Giorgio’s has now become my standard for hospitality.

I came home, full and happy. And by my standards, that’s an excellent night.

Thank You

I have to extend a few thank yous to some people. These are friends, virtual and real life, who have supported and encouraged me in this crazy endeavor to become a chef. Especially in light of how chaotic life became recently.

 A HUGE thank you to my mom, my uncle, and my cousins Dawn and Howie for not thinking I'm crazy, and for making sure I have a roof over my head and a kitchen to practice in. Uncle Matt, Dawn, and Howie's hospitality made it possible for me to be up here in the first place. And Russell for giving up his room to me this summer. I still owe you dinner.

Cheryl, Rho, Casey, Liz, and Lanae for all the positive words and input on my recipes. You girls never cease to express your faith in me, or fail to let me know how proud you are. Extra thanks to Cheryl for buying my products and playing guinea pig.

Michael for being Michael. For introducing me to Sean and Alex. For Giorgio's. For taking me to dinners at restaurants I've dreamt of eating at for a long time and introducing me to new ones. And for loving my cookies and other baked goods. My recipes get scrapped if they don't pass your filter.

Sean, Alex, Meg, and Ginger for making Giorgio's the place I can count on for a good meal, and a home away from home. Alex especially. The extra effort you put in to make sure I have meals that are safe and elegant is the most gracious gift you could provide for me. And Sean for all of your kind words and help.

Eric for reminding me that I'm chasing a dream and not failing at it either.

To my Twitter pals, Nandita, FoodBank4NYC, TheUnknownChef, GFTiff, and Estheribrown. You guys share recipes for inspiration, information, encouragement, and enthusiasm. And, Nandita excepting, I've never met you in person. It's easy to be gracious and supportive of people you know well, but it's much harder to do the same for a stranger. Thanks for that.

You are just a handful of people that have made me feel less like I'm chasing a crazy idea and more like I'm doing something incredible. You're the people that have made New York feel more like home and less like a crazy idea. There have been so many others that it would take days and days to express my appreciation.

I may not be in culinary school yet, and I may not have a job. But somehow I feel like the luckiest, most successful girl alove because of you.

Brandy Library

After Ayza, Michael took me down to TriBeCa to Brandy Library located at 25 N. Moore St. It's a great, upscale lounge whose menu could pass for a book. There are pages and pages of liquors from whiskey, brandy, rum, tequila, wine, beer, and cocktails.

This is where I let Michael do all of the ordering, since I generally stick to gin when I'm drinking anything harder than wine. He started us with two whiskeys, the Suntory Single Malt Whiskey 18 and the St. George Single Malt California 86 proof. The Suntory is a Japanese whiskey for those of you who share my limited knowledge of fine liquor. It's dark amber colored, very smooth, complex, and absolutely divine. The St. George is a young whiskey and in my opinion out of balance. The first thing I noticed was the taste of ethanol. Being a scientist and associating the smell of pure alcohol with clinical uses made drinking that one a little less than pleasant for me. I like certain young wines, but this young whiskey has some growing up to do before I return to it.

At this point the waiter came over with a plate of treats for us, on the house. The treats were candied orange peel, tiny meringues flavored in orange and lime, and shortbread cookies that I happily relinquished to Michael. The easiest was to my happy little heart is sweets, so Brandy Library immediately endeared itself to me. And it only got better from there.

After the whiskey, we moved on to brandy. The two we tried were the Gonzales Bypass Lepanto, Solera Gran Reserva Oloroso Viejo and the Martell XO Extra Fine. The Oloroso was definitely my favorite of the two, but the Martell was perfectly pleasant. These drinks lead me to the conclusion that I prefer brandy to whiskey.

After the brandy, the waiter brought us another complimentary dessert. This time they were miniature creme brulees with raspberries. The first plate of sweets was enough to make me like the place, but now I was in heaven. Anywhere that fuels my sugar high gets a gold star in my book. Brandy Library gets two.

Finally we finished the night with rum selected by our waiter. One was Jamaican and the other Venezualan, and although I read the label, I cannot for the life of me remember what they were called. I had reached the end of my ability to continue tasting at this point. I'm not a big woman and I know when one more drink will be one too many and I was there. But I do remember that both rums were delicious, although, again, I reached the conclusion that I prefered the brandy.

I think the nicest thing about Brandy Library, besides their attempts at putting me into a sugar coma, is the ambience. It's dimly lit, with bookshelves lining the walls. Only the shelves hold bottles rather than books. And they're backlit so the room glows a bit. The chairs are big and comfortable and they have couches that can be shared. We were lucky enough to be seated at a couch. Jazz music plays softly in the background and conversation is always hushed, so the room feels intimate and decadent. And the staff is knowledgable, and attentive without being pushy.

If you like good sipping liquor and are in the mood to feel a little hedonistic, head over to Brandy Library. Reservations are recommended, according to the website, although, if you're like us and go on a random week night, the chances of being able to walk in are much better. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

(photo courtesy of Brandy Library website).

Ayza

Last night, Michael took me out for an evening on the town. Earlier in the week, I mentioned wanting to check out Ayza Wine Bar on W.31st between Broadway and 5th Ave so we started there. For those of you unfamiliar with Ayza, it's described as French Mediterranean food with a feature on over 90 wine varieties. We didn't get dinner, so I wouldn't know about the food, but we did order a cheese plate and a chocolate plate. I ordered the 2007 Laurent Miquel Viognier from the Languedoc region in France to start the evening and Michael had the 2007 Fleur du Cap Sauvignon Blanc from Stellenbosch in South Africa. I'm a picky girl when it comes to white wines. Mostly because I've had more exposure to big California Chardonnay style whites, of which I'm not much of a fan. My Viognier was delightful. Delicate, crisp, and tasting of honey. Although I preferred my glass to Michael's, the Fleur du Cap is something I would order if I saw it on a menu.

To nibble on we ordered a cheese plate laden with a manchego (cow's milk, spanish), a tete de moine (cow's milk, swiss), a morbier yellow (cow's milk, french), a french brie (cow's milk), and an herbed goat cheese (french), starwberries, guava paste, and some sort of exotic fruit that we both somehow ignored. For me, they also brought out cucumber slices instead of bread. My personal favorite was the herbed goat cheese. It was tangy and full of spicy flavors from the herbs, but the addition of lemon brightened it up. It was especially delicious when Michael suggested I pair it with a bit of guava paste.

Our second glass of the evening was the 2007 Terras Guada Albarino from the Rias Biaxas region of Spain. If poured, I would certainly drink this wine, but it was my least favorite of the night. It's clearly a wine of quality, just not particularly memorable for me.


Then we moved on the reason to go to Ayza in the first place: the chocolates. They make some homemade chocolates, such as the chocolate covered cherry and the milk chocolate paino with butterscotch filling that Michael ordered. But the stars are really the truffles made by the incredible Jacques Torres. We ordered the Bin 27, a dark chocolate truffle made with Taylor Fonseca Bin 27 port, the melon truffle made with melon puree and port in milk chocolate, the hazelnut truffle in milk chocolate, the Alize Hearts of Passion, made with passion fruit and Alize liquor in milk chocolate, and the Got Milk Chocolate, made with cognac and milk chocolate. The hazelnut truffle was our least favorite, mostly because the taste of roasted hazelnuts completely overwhelmed the flavor of the chocolate and left a bitter aftertaste. I found the butterscotch truffle a bit overpowering as well. The Alize Hearts of Passion and the melon truffle were my favorite, and had the clearest, most balanced flavors in my opinion. Michael seemed to enjoy the Got Milk Chocolate the most.

We also ordered two flights of sweet wines, two reds and two whites. The white wines were a 2006 Muscat Beaumes de Venise Domaine Durbain from the Cotes du Rhone in France and a 2006 Juracon Uruolat Charles Hours from South West, France. The reds were both non vintage 10 year ports, a Maury Mas Amiel Cuvee from Midi, France and a Churchill Tawny Port from Porto, Potrugal. I preferred the Muscat BdV and the Maury Mas Amiel Cuvee, while Michael seemed to enjoy the other two.

I'd say that Ayza's well worth the hype. I'd like to go back for food at some point so I can make a more informed decision, but in terms of wine, chocolate, and cheese, this was a great place. They also do events such as Jazz nights and Couples' Night . Check out http://www.ayzanyc.com/ for menus, pricing, and other information. (photo courtesy of Ayza's website)

Noah's Ark and Monks

Last night I had plans to meet a friend in Brooklyn. It was a simple plan. LIRR into Manhattan, two blocks to Herald Square to catch the F train to Park Slope. Just one hitch. The F wasn't running that far. So I hopped out at 14th St to call my friend and let him know he needed to meet me in Manhattan. Cue the pouring rain and the most ill conceived idea born. He agreed to meet me in Manhattan, but requested we go to a bar on St. Mark's and 3rd Ave. For those of you not familiar with the city, that's somewhere between 10 and 15 blocks. Factor in the torrential rain and my inability to find a cab and you have an equation for me being very cranky and very wet.

Despite the draw backs of the plan, I arrived at St. Mark's Ale House looking a bit like a drowned rat and wanting nothing more than an Irish coffee. So we headed into the bar and found a seat. The waitress came by and we ordered our drinks. Did I get my Irish coffee? Nope, because bars in New York City have an inability to make coffee. By inability, I mean they just don't serve the stuff. Now call me crazy, but if you're going to stock a bar, and serve tavern food, then coffee is something you might want to have around. To be sure I'm not the only person to every order coffe and whiskey in the same drink. But no, somehow that's asking too much. Fine. I settled for a scotch and soda and a bowl of chilli. The food was mediocre at best, the drink watered down, and the bar was so loud that I had to scream to be heard. I won't be returning. It's an uninspired place with bad service. There's a wealth of fantastic bars in the city, so why waste the money on one like this place?

From there we went around the corner to a place called Burp Castle. I know what you're thinking, "This sounds so much worse than St. Mark's Ale House." Oh no, my friends. Burp Castle is a monestary themed beer bar. "Beer bar?" you ask, "Don't you have celiac? Isn't beer a no-no?" Yes, yes, and yes. However, they also serve wine, hard cider, and on occassion, mead. Now, the interesting thing about Burp Castle though, is not its impressive, rotating tap list, but it's gimmick. Loud talking is not permitted there. If the noise level gets too high, the barmonk (or barmaid in our case) shushes you. Annoying? It can be. Pretentious? A bit. But, you can have a conversation, enjoy a variety of interesting beer, and just relax a bit. I mentioned that I couldn't sample the beer and the barmaid immediately poured a glass of cider for me. It was a cider called Blackthorn and was a dry, crisp cider with not too much fruit flavor. Just enough. And while I was sipping that, she pulled out a bottle of juniper mead that was reserved only for the staff and allowed me to sample it. I'm a huge mead fan to begin with, but this was heaven. When I'm not sipping something fermented, I'm normally a gin kind of girl, so this was a marriage made in heaven. The mead was light and a bit sweet, but the sweetness was balanced really nicely by the woody quality of the juniper. For those of you who are interested, it's by a company called Redstone Meadery based in Colorado and can be purchased online. While Burp Castle doesn't compare to Death and Company, it's cute and fun, and worth going back to.

So the night was of mixed success. I managed to get a cab back to Penn Station, although the rain had let up by then. And I came home to a space heater to dry me off and warm me up. For parts of the night, I had a great time, so I'm calling this a win. Just remind me to bring my umbrella next time.

Caracas Arepa Bar

For the past few months, I have been trying to make my way to Caracas Arepa Bar at 93 1/2 E.7th St off of 1st Ave. Yesterday, I finally made it.

For those of you unfamiliar with arepas, they're cornmeal patties that are grilled and then split open and stuffed with all manner of delicious things. And Caracas is one of the best places to get them. So I had been told. They were featured on Food Network's Throwdown with Bobby Flay, so I figured they'd be worth a try.

Caracas has some strong points and some not so strong points. The food is ridiculously good. They offer 20 varieties of arepas and a few combination plates so you can try more than one type. And the arepas are fairly cheap, so it's not a bank wrecker. My first arepa was stuffed with pork shoulder, tomato, and spicy mango sauce. the pork was tender and full of flavor, and the sauce had a kick, but wasn't painful. On every table is a squeeze bottle of sauce made from tamarind and limes. This arepa didn't need it, although adding it didn't hurt either. In bewtween arepas, my fellow soup kitchen colleague and I ordered fried plantains covered in salty white cheese and herbed mayo. For those of you gluten free readers, fear not. The plantains are pan fried without a coating and the arepas are made from pure cornmeal. The plantains were amazingly good, not too sweet and balanced by the cheese and the mayo. Then I moved on to my second arepa, the more tradtitional variety, made with shredded beef cooked in a tomato based sauce, with black beans, white cheese, and more plantains. The beef was a bit sweet for my taste, but delicious anyway. The food here lives up to the expectations.

But the place is tiny. And crowded. It's crowded because the food is so wonderful, but the place is so small that we were almost on top of our neighbors. This is not a place to go with a large crowd of people, or a bunch of bags. And the service could have been a bit better. The staff was very friendly, but not particularly attentive. I had to ask for more water three times before it was brought to me. And being a non-Spanish speaker, I felt a bit out of place when my colleague and my waiter began conversing in Spanish.

The silver lining, if you're like me and don't like mediocre service or being spoken to in a language you don't understand, is that Caracas also has a to go storefront. The same menu, without the crowd and without the lackluster service. I'd be more than happy to grab arepas from Caracas To Go, and might even be willing to sit down at the restaurant again, if it happened to be less crowded.

Overall, I'd say A+ for food, but C for service and atmosphere.

Giorgio's of Gramercy

Sometimes you walk into a restaurant and immediately feel at home. That's how I feel about Giorgio’s of Gramercy at 27 E.21st between Park Ave. and Broadway.

I was first introduced to Giorgio's about a month ago by my friend, Michael. He's a regular at the place, so naturally, we were treated like family. He pretty much is. Of course, I let the maitre d', Sean, know about my gluten troubles. "No problem, I can point out what's safe, but Chef would be happy to make something just for you." Right then, I was smitten. A specially crafted meal catering to my needs is something I don't come by often. The result was a gorgeous piece of swordfish served with brussel sprouts sautéed in butter. I went from smitten to downright charmed. This was a place with some serious potential.

And I wasn't disappointed. Last night, I was supposed to meet Michael there again for dinner. I showed up first and settled myself somewhat shyly at the bar. I needn't have been shy. After calling Sean over to ask about the menu, he responded with, "Sure, I can show you what's gluten-free, but Chef would be happy to make you something again." Done. This time is was red snapper on heirloom tomato and steamed vegetables in fish broth. The food was, of course, delicious. I was even able to steal a taste (ok, I ended up eating a better part of it) of Michael's curried cauliflower. And when I told Sean to let Alex (Chef) know how much I appreciated the food, I mentioned the brussel sprouts from my first visit. He came back with a bowl of them for me. Did I mention I'm smitten?

Not only that, but Michael, Brian (the bartender), and I had some fun inventing drinks with a variety of bitters and spirits. Between the business of managing the restaurant, Sean came over to chat from time to time. He even offered to circulate my resume and keep an ear out for any restaurants that were hiring after I mentioned that I was looking for work. And before leaving for the evening, Alex stopped by to say goodnight. Of course I had to thank him again for the food.

Last week, I ran a piece about rudeness in restaurants, and Giorgio's is the antithesis of those places. They have a steady stream of regulars to attest to their hospitality. It's a place where you can walk in and instantly feel like you've come home. And I think I might have found a love that will last. With Giorgio’s of Gramercy.

(Photo courtesy of Shane Strassberg and Giorgio's of Gramercy's Facebook Page)

Death and Company

Last night, I had the privilege of drinking at one of the best bars in the country, Death and Company. Located on E.6th Street, just off of 1st Ave, the bar is done up in the style of a 1920s speakeasy. Before you even enter, the sight from the street alludes to the atmosphere inside. The name of the bar is advertised in concrete on the stoop and not in a billboard style sign. If you weren't looking for it, you could walk right past Death & Co. and never know what it was. The staff dresses in relaxed, but elegant outfits. The man checking IDs last night was outfitted complete with a pocket watch and Fedora. And that's just from the outside. Inside the walls are dark, the room is dim and lit with candelabras and flickering tea lights. Old style blues and jazz a la Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald play in the background, but it's not loud or overbearing.

Then there are the drinks. Sure there's an amazing menu broken down by spirit. My first drink was the Gin Hound. Gin, honey, and celery juice blended into a light, and lightly sweet drink. But that's not where Death & Co. shines. Alex, my bartender for the evening, was kind enough to make some off-menu drinks for me and my friend. He also brought me a sample of the honey that was in the first drink I ordered when I inquired after it's origins. Alex is pretty incredible, having worked with the likes of Dave Arnold, but the other bartender that night, Bryan is equally talented. Watching the two of them mix up drinks is nothing short of watching craftsmen. You will not find a bad drink at Death & Co.

Simply put, the experience was one of the best I've had. The atmosphere reminded me of a more upscale version of a piano lounge in Maryland that my parents used to frequent. Even without the nostalgia though, the bar is relaxed, classy, and comfortable. If you want a great drink, without pretension, Death & Co. can deliver. But don't take my word for it, see for yourself. Check out www.deathandcompany.com or stop by for a drink.

Lucky Find

The best part about having a best friend who lives out of town is the excuse to explore the city with someone. I get to show her around my new home and familiarize myself with it in the process. Sometimes this leads me to new and delicious discoveries, like it did on Saturday.

After some wandering around Madison Square Park, I saw a large sign that read, "Gluten Free" below what appeared to be an Italian eatery. Mozzarelli's Catering Company, located at 38 E. 23rd St. served gluten free pizza, pasta, and desserts alongside regular artisan pizzas. They use dedicated equipment and pans for the gluten free, but there is some risk of cross contamination. I'm really sensitive to such things, and had no trouble, though, so I'm certain the risk is a small one. The artichoke and alfredo gluten free slice I had was both delicious and reasonably priced. At $4.95 a slice for the specialty gf pies, you can't really go wrong. And there was a nice selection of toppings. They also serve whole pies, and 5 varieties of gf pasta. When you first enter there's a wall of cookies, all of which are gluten free. And on the other wall is a refrigerator with more gf desserts, including the largest and most tempting strawberry shortcake roll I've ever seen. They offer samples of the cookies, so you can try without committing. I recommend the banana sandwich cookies. When it was all said and done, Cheryl and I both ate for around $17. Definitely a lucky find.

Mermaids and Sangria

Last night was girls' night out. The ladies and I headed into NYC for some dinner and a show. Being the only one with dietary restrictions, I was given the job of finding a restaurant near the theater. I happened on a place called Sangria 46 (www.sangria46.com). It's on W.46th between 8th and 9th Aves. The have menus for tapas, lunch, dinner, and a pre-theater, 3 course prix fixe menu. And a separate menu for, you guessed it, sangria. We all went with the prix fixe menu. I elected to have the shrimp in garlic sauce as my appetizer and the skirt steak for my main course. Fabulous food. The shrimp was slightly spicy, but not overwhelming, and cooked perfectly. The steak was tender, juicy, and gorgeous. I also tried the grilled shrimp Ana ordered, which gave my steak a rare run for its money and Alana's mussels in tomato sauce as an appetizer. I'm not normally a fan of mussels, but these were delicious. We also ordered several pitchers of sangria. The traditional was wonderful, but the show stealer was the limoncello sangria. It's limoncello, red wine, and brandy served with bluberries, currants, blackberries, and lemon slices.


As delicious as the food was though, what made the night so wonderful was the wait staff. Especially, Jose, our waiter for the night. He was charming, funny, and generous, bringing us shots and extra pitchers of sangria on the house. He even kept our leftover boxes in the kitchen for us until after the show. Now that's service. And when I extended my compliments to the man cooking our food, Jose brought him to our table for me to thank him in person. If you get the chance to try Sangria 46, you'll see what I mean about these gracious and entertaining servers.


After dinner, we went to our show. Saw The Little Mermaid. Carol snagged us orchestra seats, center aisle, 20 rows back. Fantastic. The set was absolutely gorgeous and the cast was incredibly talented. The show stealer, though, was the young boy playing Flounder for the evening. Great show and I was glad I had the chance to see it. It was the perfect follow up to dinner. What can I say, I love girls' night out.

Kind Kitchen

I had my second shift in the kitchen at Grand Central Neighbors, yesterday. This time, I was the only volunteer there. Handed out napkins and forks, served food, passed out drinks, and cleaned the kitchen afterward. Also got a chance to chat with the cook, Leo. He's been a line cook his whole career and wants to finish culinary school. I was impressed because he told me that whenever possible he tries to give the people at the kitchen food made from scratch and not the pre-made stuff that gets donated by City Harvest and the other food banks. He's an interesting fellow and had some great advice for me.

I also noticed something about the recipients of the food. Some of them came through with a smile and were truly appreciative of the chance for a hot meal. I liked them. One woman came up after she finished eating and thanked Leo for taking the time to make a delicious meal. I loved her gratitude. Not everyone has it. A few people came through and refused the food because they didn't like how it looked or didn't want what was served. Some took what was offered and threw it away after a few bites or begged for something else to eat. Can't please everyone. One person struck me completely though. Came in with Ralph Lauren sunglasses, an expensive phone and clothes, pricey watch and jewelry, but took the food and, despite not liking it, ate it anyway. What contradictions of life lead someone to be unable to afford a meal but able to afford keeping up appearances? It makes me wonder what this person has gone through that have lead them to this path. And how many people in the city are like him, that on the outside appear to be doing really well, living the good life, but who go home to empty refrigerators in bad apartments, if they're even lucky enough to have apartments of their own. And why have we, as a community decided it's ok to let people live without basic necessities?

I'm going back to the kitchen Friday for another dinner shift. Looking forward to it. Being there makes me appreciate what I have.

Kind Kitchen

Yesterday, I had the most rewarding experience of my life. I worked the kitchen for the people at Grand Central Neighbors on E. 32nd in Manhattan. I didn't do much, just wrapped plastic forks in napkins and handed them to people, but it felt amazing to be a part of something larger and better than me. It was something to smile at people and serve them a hot meal. There's nothing that describes the gratitude or humility the experience left me with. I enjoyed myself tremendously and I'm going back as soon as possible.