Plan B
Quote of the week: "We're waiting on the cheese"
Did she really just say they are waiting on the cheese? Probably not. Probably, I misheard, but it didn't really matter. The blurb in Time Out had stated clearly that Local 269 on Houston was offering a happy hour featuring two-for-one drinks and free grilled cheese through the month of March. To this, the bartender replied that next week is March. Well , yes that may be true, but this week was also March, and one drink in to the two-for-one special (well liquor only), we were hungry.
Defeated, my friend CME and I sipped our second drink and continued to talk about the politics and drama of office life and travel to Argentina.... until the jazz trio in the corner fired up a set. Then our chattiness brought dirty looks from the apparently serious aficionados sitting next to us. Hungry and admonished, we hit the streets in search of food.
Sometimes, the derailment of plan A leads to an unexpected and delightful unplanned B. Such was the case on Monday evening when CME and I found ourselves outside the Ethiopian restaurant Meskel on 3rd Street and Avenue B.
Never had Ethiopian? Well, you absolutely must try it. A typical combination consists of dollops of intensely spiced meats and vegetables served on a giant round of injera, a spongy flatbread made from teff (the world's smallest grain which I have mentioned before). The bread serves as plate and utensil. Small pieces are torn off and used to scoop up the tasty concoctions sitting on top.
Meskel is a small enough that it feels as though you've been invited to have dinner at a friend of a friend's. The food is wonderful and the host quite friendly. We continued our conversation, which had moved to other topics, and enjoyed a glass of red wine with the food. After dinner, I rolled home stuffed with quite a nice buzz.
That was Monday. I did it again--started a week of going out on a Monday. Now, it's 10:00 p.m. on Sunday night, and I am at home sipping a bourbon and hitting the keyboard. I only say this to warn you, readers, that this week's blog may lack literary brilliance. Oh wait. Not that I mean I'm normally a brilliantly literary blogger. Ha, ha. But, well if doesn't make much sense or seems a little less entertaining, it's because I'm overindulged, yet again, and exhausted.
Tuesday could have been a very sensible night. Tuesday plan A was yoga class after work, a quick bite with V. and an early turn-in. But, sometime in the afternoon, I received an invitation from Zach, the owner of Louis 649, to attend a wine tasting that night--delightful plan B. After reading last week's entry, "Oh Pappy, My Pappy" (see below), Zach suggested I might be able to taste the vanilla in the Truchard Chardonnay being served that evening. (I admitted last week that I can't pick a flavor out of a glass of wine despite my ability to taste the vanilla in a glass of Pappy.)
I immediately sent V. an e-mail with the subject "Should we skip yoga for wine tasting!?" She was in. (Of course she was!) After last week's Pappy adventure, I had given Louis 649 a spot on my list of top five bars. Walking east on 9th Street Tuesday night I wondered whether my second experience would reinforce this rating.
The weekly Tuesday Night Tastings at Lousi 649 feature different wines and spirits. This past Tuesday vintner Anthony Truchard of Truchard Winery in Napa, CA was behind the bar pouring four varieties from the family vineyard: Roussane, 2006; Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, 2005; and Cabernert Sauvignon, 2005.
As we tasted the Roussane, V. exclaimed, "Fig!" I was a little jealous, I admit. I couldn't tell you there was fig in there. I only knew that it was a really good wine with great flavor. As it turns out, there really isn't any fig "in" the wine. Forgive me if you already know this, but wine is just grapes. As Mr. Truchard so patiently explained it, if you make wine from strawberries it only tastes like strawberries, but wine made from grapes can taste like many different flavors... like fig or honeysuckle or apple, etc. It is the special superpower of the grape. Who knew?
I was distracted by all that I was learning about grape superpowers and vines that all begin with pest-resistant American root stock and then undergo a grafting process with European plants. As a result, I missed the vanilla in the Chardonnay. I did not, however, miss the delicious complexity of the Pinot Noir.
It was so good, so earthy, so complicated! And yet so simple to just enjoy! It occurs to me now that a good glass of wine is a little like a good frolic.
Yes, well. Within the last few months, I've discovered the power of Pinot, but I've also had a few disappointing ones. Mr. Truchard explained there a lot of Pinots that aren't really Pinot, if you catch my meaning. There are watery impostors floating about fooling the uneducated masses!
Mr. Tuchard was a fine teacher who clearly knows his wine from root stock to glass. And, the small bar crowd was curious, friendly and quite interesting. V. and I had a grand time chatting with our "neighbors." We will be hitting the liquor store this week to get our hands on a few bottles of the Roussane and the Pinot Noir.
After we had finished the tasting, Zach offered a round of shots--Jameson, the perfect St. Paddy's day treat. After the whiskey went down, I looked at V. and said, "I need a large slice of pizza, or tomorrow will be a very long day."
My request was granted with a large slice of veggie pie, which I ate with potato chips, at Vinnie Vincenz on 1st Avenue. Then, I rolled home stuffed with quite a nice buzz.
That was Tuesday.
Wednesday. Plan A - meet friend Vx for Korean food on St. Mark's, drinks to follow. Vx and I arrived to find the Korean restaurant was gone. Luckily, Vx had plan B up her pretty sleeve. We walked over to Caracas Arepa Bar on 7th Street between 1st and Avenue A. What's an Arepa? I'll let you read about in on their web site. Should you try an arepa? Yes, yes, yes! Delicious soft yet crunchy corn goodness filled with tasty goodness. Go! Eat one now if you can accompanied with a good glass of wine or a cold beer. Your choice.
From Caracas, we went to Tile bar to enjoy a Citron and soda (which is, sort of, the Old Faithful of my East Village haunts). I rolled home stuffed and slightly buzzed, yet again.
That was Wednesday.
Three days in a row of great company, good conversation, tasty food and alcohol. I loved it! All of it! But, my body was rebelling. So Thursday, I went to photography class, came home and went to bed with nary a cocktail or glass of wine. Friday I came home from work and had seltzer with my homemade tacos. (Yes, seltzer!)
Three days of indulgence, two of prudence. That's not a bad pattern.
Saturday morning I was back at it, having brunch with young and hip D&Z. Yet again plan A turned into plan B! We met at 11:00 at Arlo and Esme on 1st Street only to find they don't serve brunch until 12:00.
Stomachs grumbling, we wandered up Bowery to Gemma, the restaurant at the Bowery Hotel where we had quite a good time and a fine brunch with good coffee. While we caught up on the last few months and discussed things to do and see in Argentina, D. enjoyed the french toast and Z. and I both had the Eggs a la Gemma.
Saturday afternoon, the wonderful and talented Mrs. O made me a star from the streets of the Lower East Side through Chinatown to Tribeca, and finally, Redhook. That's all you get, though, until the pics are ready.
After our long day of fun, we had drinks and dinner at Buttermilk Channel in Carroll Gardens. There are at least two reasons to check out this new restaurant in Brooklyn: 1) a cocktail with bourbon and St. Germaine Elderflower Liqueur and 2) sweet potato and goat cheese croquettes. I never would have thought to pair bourbon with the elderflower liqueur. What a great combo!
If you do go, though, skip the cheese plate. It's all from Vermont, which seems a little silly since there are plenty of dairies in New York, and the cheese itself is a bit nondescript. I ordered a Pinot Noir to go with the cheese, and to prove Mr. Truchard's point, it was not nearly as flavorful as the one I had on Tuesday.
One would think that Sunday should be a day of rest after all that eating and drinking, but readers, it was not. I had a date for brunch with the man I had been sitting next to at the bar during the wine tasting at Louis 649.
We had a lovely brunch at Public (also a top five, see Indulge Me). And, let's just say that plan A (for which I was wearing fancy panties) turned into plan B, an enjoyable walk around Chinatown and then back through Little Italy to Union Square where we hopped on different trains. The weather was gorgeous, and it helps to at least walk (if not frolic) off those Turkish eggs. I had a very nice time.
Okay, that's Sunday! Did you make it through the week? Are you exhausted? Pour yourself a bourbon and call it a day! And stay tuned!
Quote of the week: "We're waiting on the cheese"
Did she really just say they are waiting on the cheese? Probably not. Probably, I misheard, but it didn't really matter. The blurb in Time Out had stated clearly that Local 269 on Houston was offering a happy hour featuring two-for-one drinks and free grilled cheese through the month of March. To this, the bartender replied that next week is March. Well , yes that may be true, but this week was also March, and one drink in to the two-for-one special (well liquor only), we were hungry.
Defeated, my friend CME and I sipped our second drink and continued to talk about the politics and drama of office life and travel to Argentina.... until the jazz trio in the corner fired up a set. Then our chattiness brought dirty looks from the apparently serious aficionados sitting next to us. Hungry and admonished, we hit the streets in search of food.
Sometimes, the derailment of plan A leads to an unexpected and delightful unplanned B. Such was the case on Monday evening when CME and I found ourselves outside the Ethiopian restaurant Meskel on 3rd Street and Avenue B.
Never had Ethiopian? Well, you absolutely must try it. A typical combination consists of dollops of intensely spiced meats and vegetables served on a giant round of injera, a spongy flatbread made from teff (the world's smallest grain which I have mentioned before). The bread serves as plate and utensil. Small pieces are torn off and used to scoop up the tasty concoctions sitting on top.
Meskel is a small enough that it feels as though you've been invited to have dinner at a friend of a friend's. The food is wonderful and the host quite friendly. We continued our conversation, which had moved to other topics, and enjoyed a glass of red wine with the food. After dinner, I rolled home stuffed with quite a nice buzz.
That was Monday. I did it again--started a week of going out on a Monday. Now, it's 10:00 p.m. on Sunday night, and I am at home sipping a bourbon and hitting the keyboard. I only say this to warn you, readers, that this week's blog may lack literary brilliance. Oh wait. Not that I mean I'm normally a brilliantly literary blogger. Ha, ha. But, well if doesn't make much sense or seems a little less entertaining, it's because I'm overindulged, yet again, and exhausted.
Tuesday could have been a very sensible night. Tuesday plan A was yoga class after work, a quick bite with V. and an early turn-in. But, sometime in the afternoon, I received an invitation from Zach, the owner of Louis 649, to attend a wine tasting that night--delightful plan B. After reading last week's entry, "Oh Pappy, My Pappy" (see below), Zach suggested I might be able to taste the vanilla in the Truchard Chardonnay being served that evening. (I admitted last week that I can't pick a flavor out of a glass of wine despite my ability to taste the vanilla in a glass of Pappy.)
I immediately sent V. an e-mail with the subject "Should we skip yoga for wine tasting!?" She was in. (Of course she was!) After last week's Pappy adventure, I had given Louis 649 a spot on my list of top five bars. Walking east on 9th Street Tuesday night I wondered whether my second experience would reinforce this rating.
The weekly Tuesday Night Tastings at Lousi 649 feature different wines and spirits. This past Tuesday vintner Anthony Truchard of Truchard Winery in Napa, CA was behind the bar pouring four varieties from the family vineyard: Roussane, 2006; Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, 2005; and Cabernert Sauvignon, 2005.
As we tasted the Roussane, V. exclaimed, "Fig!" I was a little jealous, I admit. I couldn't tell you there was fig in there. I only knew that it was a really good wine with great flavor. As it turns out, there really isn't any fig "in" the wine. Forgive me if you already know this, but wine is just grapes. As Mr. Truchard so patiently explained it, if you make wine from strawberries it only tastes like strawberries, but wine made from grapes can taste like many different flavors... like fig or honeysuckle or apple, etc. It is the special superpower of the grape. Who knew?
I was distracted by all that I was learning about grape superpowers and vines that all begin with pest-resistant American root stock and then undergo a grafting process with European plants. As a result, I missed the vanilla in the Chardonnay. I did not, however, miss the delicious complexity of the Pinot Noir.
It was so good, so earthy, so complicated! And yet so simple to just enjoy! It occurs to me now that a good glass of wine is a little like a good frolic.
Yes, well. Within the last few months, I've discovered the power of Pinot, but I've also had a few disappointing ones. Mr. Truchard explained there a lot of Pinots that aren't really Pinot, if you catch my meaning. There are watery impostors floating about fooling the uneducated masses!
Mr. Tuchard was a fine teacher who clearly knows his wine from root stock to glass. And, the small bar crowd was curious, friendly and quite interesting. V. and I had a grand time chatting with our "neighbors." We will be hitting the liquor store this week to get our hands on a few bottles of the Roussane and the Pinot Noir.
After we had finished the tasting, Zach offered a round of shots--Jameson, the perfect St. Paddy's day treat. After the whiskey went down, I looked at V. and said, "I need a large slice of pizza, or tomorrow will be a very long day."
My request was granted with a large slice of veggie pie, which I ate with potato chips, at Vinnie Vincenz on 1st Avenue. Then, I rolled home stuffed with quite a nice buzz.
That was Tuesday.
Wednesday. Plan A - meet friend Vx for Korean food on St. Mark's, drinks to follow. Vx and I arrived to find the Korean restaurant was gone. Luckily, Vx had plan B up her pretty sleeve. We walked over to Caracas Arepa Bar on 7th Street between 1st and Avenue A. What's an Arepa? I'll let you read about in on their web site. Should you try an arepa? Yes, yes, yes! Delicious soft yet crunchy corn goodness filled with tasty goodness. Go! Eat one now if you can accompanied with a good glass of wine or a cold beer. Your choice.
From Caracas, we went to Tile bar to enjoy a Citron and soda (which is, sort of, the Old Faithful of my East Village haunts). I rolled home stuffed and slightly buzzed, yet again.
That was Wednesday.
Three days in a row of great company, good conversation, tasty food and alcohol. I loved it! All of it! But, my body was rebelling. So Thursday, I went to photography class, came home and went to bed with nary a cocktail or glass of wine. Friday I came home from work and had seltzer with my homemade tacos. (Yes, seltzer!)
Three days of indulgence, two of prudence. That's not a bad pattern.
Saturday morning I was back at it, having brunch with young and hip D&Z. Yet again plan A turned into plan B! We met at 11:00 at Arlo and Esme on 1st Street only to find they don't serve brunch until 12:00.
Stomachs grumbling, we wandered up Bowery to Gemma, the restaurant at the Bowery Hotel where we had quite a good time and a fine brunch with good coffee. While we caught up on the last few months and discussed things to do and see in Argentina, D. enjoyed the french toast and Z. and I both had the Eggs a la Gemma.
Saturday afternoon, the wonderful and talented Mrs. O made me a star from the streets of the Lower East Side through Chinatown to Tribeca, and finally, Redhook. That's all you get, though, until the pics are ready.
After our long day of fun, we had drinks and dinner at Buttermilk Channel in Carroll Gardens. There are at least two reasons to check out this new restaurant in Brooklyn: 1) a cocktail with bourbon and St. Germaine Elderflower Liqueur and 2) sweet potato and goat cheese croquettes. I never would have thought to pair bourbon with the elderflower liqueur. What a great combo!
If you do go, though, skip the cheese plate. It's all from Vermont, which seems a little silly since there are plenty of dairies in New York, and the cheese itself is a bit nondescript. I ordered a Pinot Noir to go with the cheese, and to prove Mr. Truchard's point, it was not nearly as flavorful as the one I had on Tuesday.
One would think that Sunday should be a day of rest after all that eating and drinking, but readers, it was not. I had a date for brunch with the man I had been sitting next to at the bar during the wine tasting at Louis 649.
We had a lovely brunch at Public (also a top five, see Indulge Me). And, let's just say that plan A (for which I was wearing fancy panties) turned into plan B, an enjoyable walk around Chinatown and then back through Little Italy to Union Square where we hopped on different trains. The weather was gorgeous, and it helps to at least walk (if not frolic) off those Turkish eggs. I had a very nice time.
Okay, that's Sunday! Did you make it through the week? Are you exhausted? Pour yourself a bourbon and call it a day! And stay tuned!
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