Sweet Blog O'Mine

Author: Laren

  • Working for the Weekend

    Sooo looking forward to the weekend!  Dinner w/Jenn D., Carrie, and the Lovely Miss Katie, then early to bed for tomorrow's BRICK workout at 7:30 (eek!).  But — my reward is a trip to Blue Hill at Stone Barns with @daisy17 and @cocktailspirit. And finally, a quiet Sunday with a light run or yoga, cleaning up and reading the paper before a lobster bake at Ditch Plains with the First Saturday ladies.

    PS — did my first full mile swim this season; a few more over the next five weeks to be sure I survive the mighty Hudson on 7/18.  Please donate!!

  • Sharing is Caring

    The other night I visited Minetta Tavern both in the name of cocktail column research and to taste their legendary burgers.  It was a truly last-minute decision, but as I arrived and took a look at the menu, I frantically tried to recruit a dining partner — there were so many tasty things on the menu that I wanted to try, and I really wanted to taste their classic Minetta Burger side by side with their Black Label Burger.  Plus, I am still making headway on the #drop10beforetri program (down 1.8 this week), so it wouldn't have served me well to order two burgers and the marrow bones just for myself.  Despite several texts, tweets, and Facebook pleas, I didn't find a companion, but luckily for me, Mr. Enzo Lim was working behind the bar.  Enzo assured me that his friend, Rich, was on his way over and would certainly help me out with the marrow bones, and Enzo also helped me broker a deal with one of the gentlemen dining next to me, who kindly swapped half of his burger for mine, which enabled us both to taste each burger (and, of course, they helped with the marrow bones as well).  So yes, I ended up eating a whole burger, but I swapped out the fries for salad and went easy on the bone marrow.

    Both burgers were fantastic, I'm happy to report, although the Black Label Burger was above and beyond the Minetta Burger.  Intensely beefy due to dry-aged beef, fatty, luscious, salty and juicy — it was really uber-decadent and a half-burger portion was just right for me.

    I had a discussion with a friend recently who was lamenting the fact that her husband didn't like to share his food.  I'm pretty sure this would be a deal-breaker for me, and in my family, it's practically expected — when we go out, everyone reports out on which dish we are ordering, so that we can span the menu and taste as many dishes as possible.  After a few bites of your own dish, the side-plate swapping begins and tastes are passed around.  I can only imagine the poor dude who is thrust into this and tries to hold tight to his dish.  He probably wouldn't make it to the next meal, at least with me and my family.

    The moral of the story — it's always fun to dine at the bar, and sharing is caring — share your food!!  The best times in life involve sharing good food and drink with people.

    PS — the cocktails were good too, especially the prize-winning Citadelle cocktail that Enzo made for me.  Recipe below:

    Saturday in the Park
    1.5 oz. Citadelle Gin
    .75
    oz. Aperol (I don't think there was Aperol in the one he made for me)
    .5 oz. Laird’s Applejack
    .5 oz. Green Chartreuse
    .25
    oz. Mathilde Pear Liqueur
     
    Crack solid (i.e., Kold Draft) ice
    cubes and half-fill a Boston shaker.  Fill the rest of the way with
    solid cubes. Add all ingredients.  Stir approximately 30 times.  Strain
    into a coupe and garnish with a lemon peel.

  • Question of the Day

    Fiona

    I was asked by a (female) work colleague, the following question, verbatim: "How do you run the triathlon with such big tits?"  Good question, Marnie!  This sports bra, by Moving Comfort, is awesome, and I consider it to be my secret weapon during training.  It has adjustable velcro shoulder straps that eliminate any/all bounce while running.  I've always been a bit worried, however, about how that velcro might hold up during the swim portion.  I'll have to do a little experimentation over the next few weeks to see if the velcro stays tight both during the swim (and see how comfortable it is to swim in), and if it can then handle the run while still wet.  During my past races I've worn a Champion Double Dry Seamless sports bra with a tri top over it; the tri top (like this one) has a built in shelf bra that helps out a bit as the Champion bra isn't as supportive as the Moving Comfort one.  The key — test out all your clothing BEFORE race day!!

  • In Your Dreams

    It's kind of amazing to me how the mind works.  For me, at least, there can be something on my mind, even tucked way in the back somewhere and not all that important, that WHAM, shows up in a dream.  I am horrible at remembering dreams, by the way — I keep a pen/paper near my bed to jot down a sentence or two right when I wake up in order to try to remember, but even that only goes so far. This morning I awoke to a dream where, at one point, I put on some pants and a sweater, and the Lovely (and stylish) Miss Katie, when I asked her how it looked, helpfully told me that the pants were totally out of style and really not that flattering.  This, I'm guessing, stemmed from a conversation I had yesterday about how much I don't like shopping and the fact that I'd love to overhaul my wardrobe (there was much more to the dream than that, but this is the part of it that 1) I'm willing to share and 2) I'm using for illustration).

    Interesting . . .

    Strangely, the rest of my weekend didn't make the dream cut — Gourmet Latino Festival Friday night, early morning bike ride on Saturday, Bluegrass Brunch, relaxation and Mexican food in Wading River (thanks, Lindsey!), Tamara & Oli's wedding, and Selena's punch party.  All great times!

  • Your Money or Your Life

    It was suggested to me the other day that one of the reasons I'm currently single is that I'm too financially successful and independent, which is apparently intimidating to men.  I wish I had snapped back in the moment with something appropriately witty that reflected how truly idiotic that statement was, but I think I was so shocked and flabbergasted that all I could muster at the time was something like, "really? And what am I supposed to do about that?"  He then suggested I should lie about owning my apartment, and say it belongs to my parents.

    Yes, ladies and gentlemen.  Someone actually said this to me.

    SCREW THAT.  I have worked hard to become financially successful and independent and I am DAMN PROUD of what I have accomplished so far.  Any man who is that threatened by it and is stuck in his antiquated notion that he must be the provider is not someone I'd want to date anyway, so if that's the reason I'm single, so be it.  But I still believe there are great guys out there who don't get hung up on that sort of thing and actually enjoy being taken out to dinner from time to time (not that I plan on being anyone's sugar mama or anything).  Ultimately, when I'm dating someone, and especially in a more serious relationship, in my mind, it's a team effort.  And when I do end up getting married, what's mine is yours and what's yours is mine, be it money or debt.

    Lie about owning my apartment?!?  Seriously?!? It's more appealing to you to date a woman in her 30's who has nothing to show for herself and is being taken care of by her parents than to date someone who can take care of herself thanks to a career she has built over time?  Eesh.  Good luck with that.

  • Day 5 – Calistoga Sip & Cycle

    P1050925 Sunday we met our small group in Calistoga, and set off for another day on our bikes.  The weather was absolutely gorgeous — we truly lucked out.  Our first stop of the day was Envy Wines, where I really liked the 2007 Bee Bee's Blend, and then literally down the driveway, across the street and up the next driveway into Summers Estate Winery where I got to taste a grape varietal I had never tasted before — charbono. After a bit of a ride, we stopped for our final tasting of the day and lunch at Lava Vine, where I enjoyed their 2007 Knight's Valley Syrah and their port-style dessert wine (served with salted chocolate), both so delicious that I considered shipping some home to NYC.

    After a quick stop at Clos Pegase to see some of the art collection, Dad and I headed back to town in order to shower and clean up in time for our early bird dinner reservation at ad hoc.  I generally can't handle eating that early, but despite the hour, we had a delicious meal before we drove back into SF to stay at our hotel near the airport — we both had 7:15 a.m. flights the next day.  ad hoc offers a prix fixe menu — one selection per day — and that day it was a mixed green salad, braised short ribs, a goat cheese course (they swapped mine w/a cow's milk cheese), and a buttermilk layer cake. Delicious.

    The flight home, early as it was, was pleasantly uneventful, but I arrived home to find that the LOST finale hadn't taped properly — major disaster, as I had very deliberately avoided it the night before when it aired.  Oh well.

    Thanks to dad for a wonderful trip — looking forward to more. You can see the pictures here.

    Once again, apologies for the delay.  It's been a busy week!

  • Day 4 – Healdsburg Sip & Cycle

    IMAG0095Sorry for the delay, kids, but it's been a rough re-entry!

    On Saturday morning we woke up and drove the winding roads to Healdsburg from Calistoga, where we met with the rest of our group for the day — about nine in total.  Tom, our fearless leader, got everyone geared up on their bikes and off we went to Bella Vineyards & Wine Cave, for our first tasting of the day.  But first, less than a mile out, I rode through some glass, and although I tried to avoid it, I heard a hiss and — wham — I got a flat in my back tire.  After flagging down Tom for a new tube and a tire lever, we got it changed and were back on the road in no time.

    Bella was indeed bella - the scenery was gorgeous, and I am still trying to figure out a way to host a dinner in the private room inside the wine cave.  My favorite at Bella was the 2008 Two Patch Zinfandel.  Next, after a healthy ride, on to Peterson Winery, where I loved the 2007 Peterson Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel.  While we were tasting, Tom had set up a lovely lunch, filled with local produce and cheese.  After lunch, it was down the hill and riding through some chilly wind to Everett Ridge Winery (also at the top of a hill).  Now, although Bella was quite scenic, by the time we got to Everett the sun was shining, and we sat outside overlooking a stunning valley — I could have stayed all afternoon, sipping wine and munching cheese puffs (yes, the puffy Cheetos kind — more on that in my next post).IMAG0097

    We rode a mile back into town to finish up for a total of about 20 miles for the day.  After a shower we headed to St. Helena to visit some friends for a pre-dinner drink/snack.  Their kitchen/living/dining area was laid out exactly how I'd want mine to be if I had that kind of space — open, airy, with a big island allowing for folks to hang out while the hosts cook.  Sigh. 

    We then headed back to Calistoga for dinner at JoLe.  After all that wine tasting, Dad and I opted for a beer and a cocktail, respectively (when I saw some of the booze selections, and noticed the house-made vermouth, I knew I was in good hands).  Dinner was delicious, but we were fading rapidly, and we went home for a hard-earned good nights sleep.

  • Day 3 – San Fran to Napa

    After a somewhat fitful sleep (tiki drinks make for weird dreams, perhaps?), I woke up, packed, and met my Dad, who had flown in from NYC and driven into SF to pick me up.  We headed out across the Bay Bridge towards Napa, where we had planned a cycling/winery trip.  We stopped along the way in St. Helena at Farmstead to have lunch and catch up with Adam (my college boyfriend), who is now living full-time in Napa. 

    After lunch we continued on to Calistoga, our home base for the next two nights.  A representative from the bike tour company met us at the hotel, set us up on bikes, and suggested a short, warm-up route for the day.  Despite a few sprinkles, we enjoyed the ride, and even stopped at Twomey for our first wine tasting of the weekend.

    IMAG0092

    We dined at the Inn at Calistoga, and headed off to get a good night's sleep for the following day.

  • San Francisco, Day 2

    IMAG0091.jpg

    In a sad attempt to undo some of the caloric damage from the prior day, I started my day with a run in Golden Gate Park, which was lovely.  Although Wednesday had been sort of cold and drizzly, Thursday was absolutely sunny and gorgeous.  Through the magic of Facebook and Twitter, I learned that two New York friends were actually in San Francisco, so we met up for dim sum at Yank Sing for lunch (not only was it great company, but dim sum is hard to eat alone!). 

    After lunch, Doug and I wandered to the Ferry Building (again) for a shot of Blue Bottle Coffee (my macchiato is shown here sideways for some reason, but it's still pretty) and then wandered around a bit.  Doug and I know each other from college a cappella — the Amalgamates — and the other two friends I had arranged to meet later in the day were also from the Mates.  We totally took advantage of this.  When I met up with Jonathan at about 4, we didn't tell him that Doug was with him and took him by surprise.  We then went to Smuggler's Cove to meet up with Spike at 5:15, and didn't tell him that Jonathan or Doug were with me.  It was a great surprise to all and a truly fun mini-reunion over a drink at the diviest bar ever (the 21 Club — Jonathan's favorite) and excellent tiki drinks.

    After cocktail hour, I went to meet @M_Quinn and @CatinCal for dinner at Tropisueno where I recapped my highlights from the MCC, and they scared me to death about Tales, and we generally caught up and had a lovely time.  Finally, I touched base with Lynnette (the other aforementioned NYC friend), and met up with her and Ty and their friends for a drink at Nopa.  All in all a wonderful day, then off for a good night's sleep before meeting my dad to head out to Napa/Sonoma.

  • San Francisco, Day 1

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    I arrived on the late side on Tuesday night and was picked up at the airport by my friend Eric (who has also been kind enough to let me stay with him and his family). As a New Yorker, it still feels like such a treat to get picked up at the airport for some reason. After a much-needed good night's sleep I walked from my temporary home in Noe Valley to the Mission in search of Dynamo Donuts. Can I please mention how much I love the Mission? I had to stop myself from going into several little storefronts to buy tamales, there's art everywhere, and the taquerias look amazing. But I had my mission – the maple-glazed bacon apple donut. And yes, it was as amazing as it sounds. I washed it down with some Turkish coffee from Philz (served with a sprig of mint), then headed to the Ferry Terminal building to buy a few small gifts. Unable to resist, I had a half dozen Hog Island oysters as a pre-lunch snack. I then walked to the Civic Center area, where I wandered through the farmers market, then hopped on the BART back to the Mission, where I got to catch up with my friend Austin over a chicken mole burrito from Papalote. I walked back homeward over and through the hills in Noe Valley, admiring the beautiful houses on Delores Street and wondering how cyclists make it up the monster hills. I then went back and relaxed for a while until Eric, Bill and little miss Eva returned home. We rounded out the evening with dinner at the local Thai place, where Eva was treated like a celebrity, then caught up on LOST.

    Yes, it was a food-heavy day (will pay for it later on the scale, no doubt), but just wandering around makes me realize how much I like it here. At one point I saw a guy with a special dog leash designed to attach to a bike. You're telling me I can ride my bike to get a maple-glazed bacon donut with my dog?! And why have I not moved here yet?