Sweet Blog O'Mine

v. 2.0

  • Head vs. Heart

    This is a classic example of why I love The Onion:   Point/Counterpoint — This Man Obviously Has Substance Abuse Problems And No Capacity To Love vs. But You Love Him

  • I Fought the Couch

    . . . and the couch won.  I had all kinds of plans set for last night — Eliza’s post-Valentine’s party, then late drinks with some of the girls at the new wine bar above Punch.  But I was exhausted, so wanted to go home first, both to change out of my work clothes and to relax on the couch, just for a bit.  But the damn thing sucked me in and knocked me out.  So, here I am, well-rested and ready to hit the gym.  Sometimes I just need to slow down, and when I don’t remember to do that on my own, fortunately my body and my couch usually remember for me.

  • I Heart Swine

    Candyheart1

    What says Valentine’s Day more than The Big PIg Gig at Daisy May’s BBQ?  Not much, really.  Have a happy V-Day y’all — don’t forget to spread the love.

    "Sweet Heart" Necco Conversation Heart sculpture by Nathan Sawaya, who made me some of the best valentines (and flowers) I ever received, just for the record.

  • The Cameras Just Love Me!

    Dennisfoy

    Well lookee who we have here — The Lovely Miss Katie, on the left, chatting away with me, on the right, at Dennis Foy last Thursday night.  Two photos in the Times within two weeks — woo hoo!  Mr. Bruni gave it one star — seems right to me.  Here’s my brief write-up on Gothamist.  Gotta get that new camera.

    Photo by Evan Sung for The New York Times

  • One for the Skeptic

    As Valentine’s Day approaches, I’m often asked about my dating life.  Do I have plans on V-Day this year?  Yes.  I always do, regardless of whether they’re with romantic interests or friends.  This year is no exception — we’ve got a great plan in the works (more on that later).  But back to dating.  I’ve always been a skeptic about online dating, as it has never really amounted to much for me.  I’ve seen it work for others around me, but for me, real life introductions seem to be better.  And some may argue that I’m too picky when it comes to suitors.  As you know, I disagree, but with online dating in particular, I’d argue that you should be picky — very picky.  Especially when people like this guy are part of the dating pool in which I’m wading.  Which brings us back to one of the main reasons why I prefer meeting people in person — fewer psychos.

  • Undercover(s)

    I’m sure it’s just the arctic temperatures and the sound of the wind whipping around the weird wind tunnel that exists outside my window, but I am finding it really hard to get out of bed these days, no matter what time I go to bed.  My bed is just so damn cozy, especially right now, when I’ve got my super high thread-count sheets on it (note to self: buy more of those).  And even now that I’m out and showered, the thought of pulling my laptop back into bed and working from home is extraordinarily appealing.  Sigh. 

  • Part Two

    2007_01_food_mario
    So the second fun thing that happened last week is that I got to interview Mario Batali.  At Otto, no less.  I finally invested in a digital recorder, so was able to just talk without taking notes.  We sat down over a cappucino and talked about philanthropy (go to CelebrityPastaLovers.com and download the celebrity pasta cookbook he just finished with Giada DeLaurentis — Barilla pasta will donate $1 per download, up to $100,000, to America’s Second Harvest), pasta, and neighborhood favorites.  The one section of the interview that I didn’t post was the part when I asked him why he replaced the fritti at Otto with pasta.  Bottom line — it wasn’t making any money.  Plus, as Mario noted, "this neighborhood needed pasta."  I still miss the ceci bottarga.  You can read the interview here. 

    Photo courtesy of New York Observer

    And on a completely unrelated note — nothing better in this ridiculous Nanuk of the North weather than, you guessed it, swim class.

  • Part One

    04blog1395

    Here’s one of the two very interesting things that happened this week.  I was interviewed and photographed for this article in the Sunday Styles section of the Times.  Apparently I didn’t give him any quotes that were on point enough to use in the article (which isn’t surprising, given the angle of the story), but at least I’m in the picture!  They also put a link to Gothamist Food in the sidebar.

    Photo by Joe Fornabaio for The New York Times

    UPDATE:  Wow, now that I’ve seen the print edition, with the subtitle on the second page "food bloggers, gossipy and competitive," I’m even more happy that I wasn’t quoted!  That’s not what Gothamist Food is about.  But I do like the placement of the picture.  And here’s a link to all of my columns (over 472 and counting), in case you were interested. 

  • So Far . . .

    It’s been a hell of an interesting week.  Had a very good restaurant week dinner at Lure Fishbar with Mom, Matt, and the Lovely Miss Katie, complete with a bottle of alvarinho which reminded me of my Galicia trip, bought myself a digital recorder which I put to use in an interview, shaved a few seconds off my time on my 100 yard swim since my first class, and the rest, well, you’re gonna have to wait.  Will keep you posted.

  • Words of Wisdom

    From Michael Pollan in this week’s New York Times magazine: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." and, to clarify on the "eat food" point: "Don’t eat anything your great-great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food."  Guess my fiber bars are out, huh?