And You Thought Your Family Had Problems...Relatively Speaking

Last night I was invited to see the new Broadway comedy, Relatively Speaking. With so many musicals going on right now, it is nice that there is some competition popping up for those of us who might not necessarily appreciate a jazz hand.

Relatively Speaking is directed by the amazing John Turturro (Quiz Show, O Brother, Where Art Thou?) and composed of three short comedic plays: one written by Ethan Coen (of Coen Brothers fame), the next by Elaine May (The Birdcage, Heaven Can Wait) and Woody Allen (I'm sure you're familiar...).

All three plays deal with familial relationships, the difficulty we can have in relating (in an intellectual and emotional sense) to our relatives, and the hilarity that ensues when we try.

Ethan Coen's Talking Cure was the shortest of the three. In this play, a patient of a mental ward is being interviewed by a therapist to discuss why he has been committed. He is a postal worker, so you can only imagine. Now, to be fair, I can't give a great review of this scene. While my friends thought this might be the funniest of the three plays I was unable to give it my full attention. I have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to people making noise while they chew. And so when the curtain went up, and my neighbor began smacking his gum, I was distracted and driven insane (appropriate given the topic of the play). I moved seats after the first act (and got a Turturro sighting too!), so the second play got my full attention...

The second play, George is Dead starred Grant Shaud (of Murphy Brown fame) and Marlo Thomas (who I could have sworn was Ginger from Gilligan's Island but was, in fact, from a show called "That Girl"). The play, perhaps my favorite of the three, takes place late one night when a wife is home alone after fighting with her husband and she is visited by a hilarious character from her past. Very well acted and hysterical. I'd say more but I don't want to ruin anything.

The final play, Woody Allen's Honeymoon Motel was perhaps the silliest play in the bunch. Chock Full of the best of the 80s (one of the Three Men and a Baby, Cousin Larry from Perfect Strangers, Marge Simpson, and the pesky neighbor from Edwards Scissorhands) it starts off as a typical Honeymoon arrival at a cheesy hotel, when there is a sudden and shocking twist early on. One by one guests arrive to crash the party, protesting the events of the wedding. Very Woody Allen with definite New York Jewish humor. Maybe not everyone can appreciate it but if you know Allen, then you know what  you're in for...

All in all, I found the humor in each of the places to be a refreshing change from the recent musicals I have been watching as of late. Well acted, with familiar faces, each play dealt with issues we can all relate to in a humorous and uplifting way. And at the end of the day, maybe Relatively Speaking  makes our families look a little less wacky. Not in my case however ;)

Goodbye Double Crown, Hello Saxon + Parole

Saxon + Parole

Last night, I had the pleasure of dining at the new restaurant on Bowery, Saxon + Parole. Part of AvroKO who also own Public, The Monday Room & Madame Geneva, Saxon + Parole took over the old Double Crown spot on the corner of Bowery and Bleeker. I was a fan of Double Crown, although with a Southeast Asian/Indian/English fusion menu, is was not an easy sell. So the folks at AvroKO decided to completely revamp the space, all within the month of September, transforming a dimly lit space that was reminiscint of the old world British Empire to a bright and modern venue. There is a large bar, a smaller more intimate room with white tablecloths (seemed a bit more formal) and a space in the back, under an archway lit by candles on the walls (I think..). We sat in a booth that was sort of in the main space. You know, with the cool kids.

The Old Double Crown- sniif, sniff

The cuisine is described as "American Grill" with an assortment of seafood and meats. Maybe not the place to go if you are a vegetarian (although I did see a couple of choices) but if you like fresh and clean flavors then there are alot of options to choose from. We started with a Mini Seafood Tower that consisted of mussels (with a sort of smokey flavor-very original!) oysters (yum) and couple of giant shrimp. Really refreshing and light.



Asparagus Appetizer


For appetizers, I had the Salmon Tartare and my friend had the Asparagus. The tartare was cut into cubes, rather than the typical thin slices, so it was heartier, and paired with flavors from capers, quail egg, and capers. Really good and different. The asparagus was topped with a poached egg, pancetta and hollaindaise sauce. It had a truffley flavor to it and my friend devoured it happily. She actually squealed with delight when she realized that pancetta is bacon! The server also brought over an assortment of rolls with a foie gras butter (holy smokes!) and a whipped butter. Both were light, fluffy with the flavors well thought out.

El Porkchop

For our entrees, my friend had the filet mignon and I had the porkchop. Hers was a thick chunk of meat with a pair of perfect looking tomatos and a sauce served in a hollowed bone. Looked cool and tasted great. Mine was a giantly delicious chop on the bone, with pureed apples on top, and small multi-colored potatos surrounding it. I won!

We were filled to the gills when we were brought dessert. Homemade doughnuts with a chocolate sauce and a chocolate soufflee with whiskey ice cream. We were too full to eat much, but what we did eat of it was crazy good.

All the while, the server and sommelier paired the dishes with wines that complimented the flavors exceptionally well. Prosecco with the seafood tower, then a bubbly rose for the appetizers. When our main courses came, my friend chose a red wine and I a chardonnay. With our desserts we had a moscato d'asti (another squeal from my friend) as well as another dessert wine that I can't recall- hiccup! I was actually quite pleased that I was given all white wines, as I don't really get along well with reds (don't tell the French!)

The server was informative and friendly (I asked for assistance in choosing certain dishes and he steered me in the right direction), the atmosphere hip but unpretentious and the food was all really impressive. Even though we were full, we didn't feel guilty since all of the flavors were so fresh.

We stumbled out of Saxon + Parole with full bellies and big smiles. All in all, a great experience!





It's a Lov-ely Day in Your Neighborhood

I walk by Lovely Day approximately 100 times a day (maybe a slight exaggeration...) on my way to work on Elizabeth Street in Nolita. From the outside, this Thai cafe looks quaint and rustic. There are a couple of tiny tables outside that are usually occupied in all hours of the day, a cute sign with Lovely Day and a sketch of two people in what looks like a field or the woods, swinging nearby.

Twas a Lovely Day!

You really are in a pleasant little spot once you step inside, escaping the NYC hustle and bustle for a relaxing and chill atmosphere. There are about 10-15 small tables and booths scattered about in a casual manner, with a bar/kitchen in the corner. One part 50s diner, one part coffee house vibe. I sat at one of the bar stools and was greeted by a handsome smiling, tattooed bartender. So far, so good!

Old Timey register and a full bar!

As I perused the menu, I was pleased that it was not the typical greasy, fast-foody Thai food I usually encounter that cures a hangover but leaves you feeling guilty. While they have the standard Pad Thai and various curries, they also have a selection of small plates, veggie options, serve brunch, and have a special lunch set- so there's a little bit of something for everyone.

Delicious Tom Ga Soup

I wanted something small and warm since it was a bit chilly out, and the bartender recommended the Tom Ga Soup. A small coconut milk soup with chicken, portabello mushrooms and onions, it was delicious and satisfying- only $5 too! Super delicious actually, now that I think about it...

Bathroom looks like a cottage

I came here solo on a quick lunch break but I will definitely be back to try out their brunch and a couple of other items that caught my eye. There's a bar downstairs I'd like to see sometime as well.

All in all, this little Thai spot made sure there was a little more Lovely in my Day.

Lovely Day Info

OMG FNO

Fashion Night Out was intense this year. To be fair, I've never been to one before so I can't really compare it to anything except maybe...New Years Eve at night, only with stores open.

For those of you in the safety of your own cities, Fashion Night Out is an invention of Anna Wintour, of frigid Vogue fame, to promote shopping in the NYC. It was originally a way to get people to spend money in clothing stores when the recession hit and people stopped buying things. They added some sparkle to make it more exciting like having in store appearances with models and designers, free bubbly and selling fun little FNO shirts. They also donate a portion of the proceeds to The New York City AIDS Fund so it's shopping without the guilt.



Candy is Dandy but Liquor is Quicker...

It started out pretty tame. I wandered around Nolita, wanting to see what the smaller boutiques were doing, since I had heard the bigger chain stores were going to be a mess. My first stop was at ADAM a new pop up store on Elizabeth. Annabelle Dexter-Jones (of the Samantha/Mark/Charlotte Ronson family legacy) was to be DJing but at that point in the night she was having a torrid affair with her phone (metaphoircally speaking of course), while her equipment was being set up. They didn't seem quite ready for company so we moved on.



Ring-a-ding-ding



I then headed over to BELLE by SIGERSON MORRISON where the lovely Effie played hostess with the mostess to the amassing crowd. We perused their gorgeous shoes, sampled their free eats outside, sipped some beers inside and watch a tattoo artist giving out free tats. I was tempted to partake in some body art but by the time I thought of something I'd want, the line was super long. (I did manage to swing by another day and pick up these bad boys --->)



We checked out a store THOMAS SIRES that I had never been in but it was supercute, with little Japanese knick knacks, and lovely clothing designed by its two owners. Definately worth stopping into...and they were giving out free candy necklaces inside- score! I can't even tell you the name of the store where we batted our eyelashes for some cotton candy but I will say that the karma of searching for free treats, rather than actually shopping, resulted in sticky hands and faces from our endless confections.



Strike a Pose!


Then over to the VINCE store. Free cocktails, photo booth and an assortment of candies to choose from. Again, not really looking at the clothes, but starting to get a stomacheache from all of the sweets. This did not stop us from heading over to MODA to look at sunglasses, sip champagne and eat mini cupcakes. Bellies full we waddled over into SOHO..



Sweet Treats at MODA


And that is when it got crazy!!!  Broadway reminded me of Halloween with the feeling of mischief in the air. It was nearly impossible to walk in the streets, girls in 5-inch heels parading around in their fanciest dresses, pretending they were attending a fashion show or after party, when in fact they were waiting in line for a free gift with purchase. Once we crossed Broadway it was unbearable. Long lines wrapped aroung stores, everyone trying to get a glimpse of who the guest appearance was by, most not even caring who it was, just wanting to be inside the party.



Insanity



Then we walked over to the Kardashian's store DASH and there was a mobscene. An insane amount of people crowded around a store they've probably never shopped in before to catch a glimpse of a TV Star famous for....... ? Streets were roped off, police were trying to manage the crowds, people were getting trampled and all for a Kardashian?  My time was up.








Kardashian Mania



We ran in the opposite direction, stuck to the side streets and ducked into the RANDOLPH bar for a little sanity. While I appreciate the efforts of FNO to raise money for charity, the scene was way too intense for me. At the end of the day, I don't even know if it's worth it for the stores anymore.

In the future, I'll save my shopping for a quiet Tuesday morning, thankyouverymuch.

In Remembrance

It's been hard for me to talk about 9/11 for quite some time. I guess what I have against speaking about it is, what I saw as, the commercialism and tourist aspect of visiting “Ground Zero” and how it became a sort of gruesome car accident for spectators to take pictures of. 

I couldn't understand why people would want to take time from their vacation to visit what was then a construction site, where countless people lost their lives. I know now it was a way for people that were not here at the time to pay their respects but, as a New Yorker, maybe I felt protective of something that had effected us all so deeply.

Later, when I was traveling in Europe, the two main questions I was asked were “Where were you when 9/11 happened?” and “Do you ever see the girls from Sex and the City?”.  So, in my eyes,  9/11 had become a sort of pop culture phenomenon and it made me uncomfortable to answer their questions.

I was here when the attacks happened. I was living in the East Village, what seems like 100 years ago. I won't go into the details of my own personal experience but what I will say is that it was awful. It was a horrible experience of something tragic that happened in a seemingly invincible city. The images I saw at the time, the fliers that inundated the subway stations of pleads for any sign of a loved one and the desperation New Yorkers felt at their inability to help fix what had happened were too much to handle.

Thousands of people died in a senseless act of misguided violence that day. People were left without spouses, parents, siblings and friends. Everyone was lost, hopeless, helpless and confused. Luckily, I did not, nor did my circle of friends and family lose anyone close to them. But we all felt a tremendous loss from those events. 

What we can take away from it though, is the comradery that we all felt in coming together afterward, and the outpouring of love it created in trying to right a wrong.We were one for all and all for one, in a city where we are often be too busy to stop and appreciate the little things.

I hope that today we can all take some time to remember those whose lives were taken and the firefighters, volunteers and countless people who gave it their all to try and help. You are and will always be remembered.