Last things first... we got home yesterday about from NY at about 7 and all I wanted to do was crash on the couch and watch the Super Bowl. One problem... our f*ing plow guy had not plowed the 8" of heavy wet snow that had fallen the day earlier. Our driveway is long and w/ that much heavy snow the car had no chance. So we had to get out and start shoveling. Yeah, that sucked pretty bad. Then the country bumpkin shows up and parks his tractor behind my car refusing to get out and say "hey, maybe you guys should back out and I will plow that for you... as that is what you pay me to do". Then when my wife asked him why he had not plowed he gave her shit. It turned out our neighbor's niece got stuck and left her car blocking the driveway during the snow on Saturday. No explanation as to why all of Sunday went by unplowed. Asshole.
BUT, the trip to the city was pretty fun despite a cold sloppy rain on Saturday. We rolled in on Friday and went to a very chill sushi spot Takahachi in Tribeca on the advice of HOLLA NYC. It was lively, very friendly, and the fish was solid. It is an inviting place that was really easy to sit down, gab w/ friends, and have some salmon and saki. The taxi driver roll was pretty great and I know you are not supposed to eat it but the toro was buttery slightly fishy (in a good way) and delicious. Prices were reasonable and over all 1 1/2 thumbs up. We were a little tired after having snowboarding in the morning then travelling but we skipped over to a bar called Weather Up for a cocktail. That place was pretty hip. Subway tile, dark lighting, good looking well dressed patrons... it was a scene very typical of a bar in Vermont! It took awhile to get a drink but I thought the scenery was ok so I just perused the drink list and the many top shelf liquors they were rocking. Ultimately I passed on the foo-foo stuff and got a Booker's on the rocks. They give a nice heavy pour in a tumbler with a huge chunk of fresh cut ice. It made a nice presentation and added levels of flavor to the whiskey as it melted. That place was cool.
Saturday we poked around and and then took a sip in the MOMA. Modern art is weird shit. Some of it is very cool. They had a "modern" kitchen exhibit that was pretty neat with lots of propaganda and kitchen items from World War II, both German and American. There was also a cool Warhol exhibit w/ a room full of huge screens showing the old screen tests for his still life movies. There were about 8 huge faces famous and less famous just staring at you or doing mundane tasks such as brushing their teeth it was very surreal. Then you had various photographs or paintings of a dude jerking off with a plastic bag over his head standing next to a monkey. Odd, very odd. Why not a cow... the monkey knows shame for heck sake.
Lunch was over at a Ma Peche a David Chang Momofuku spin off. It was great. We started with a broccoli and seaweed salad in white miso. It was cooked perfectly to soak up the sauce without getting soggy and the miso was delicate yet flavorful. We also had summer rolls with a great consistency, fresh flavor and shrimp that was very fresh (often very rubbery in the spring/summer roll). For our main course A-bird rocked a shrimp po-boy and it was off the chain. Perfect baguette, not to crusty, not too soft and a little warm with lightly breaded shrimp and this pickled ramp remoulade that was amazing. I had pork ribs in basil and caramel that feel off the bone. I could have eaten less because they were very heavy but quite good. Oh yeah, the tequila based knuckleball was tequillalicious! I could have had 12. Then got in a fight, then passed out, then peed on myself. Wait, where was I? Oh yeah 2 thumbs up. A little pricey and service is a little hung over but good.
It was then on to a little shopping. Funny thing, in this shop I tried on a leather jacket that made me look like a love machine. I was ready to pull the trigger then and there! My wife as the voice of reason agreed that it looked good and that I would be very cool if I wore it but... where and when would I wear it in VT? Certainly not to work where I would be joked to no end. We decided to sleep on it and come back on Sunday to look again. Good move. It was like a drunken hook up. The next morning in the light and sober it was like my model had turned into mothra. We walked away to deploy our funds in a couple dress shirts that made more sense and will look good in the light or the dark.
Dinner was very chill, pizza at Adrienne's downtown. Good sauce, good sausage, good cheese, reasonable prices and peroni on tap. What's not to like? Also a friendly and chill place to go and relax. After being out in the cold rain all day it was a very welcome respite.
Finally we had brunch Sunday at Schiller's Liquors in the east village. Very cool neighborhood. The restaurant had more vintage glass and subway tile. We started with a warm and sumptuous doughnut. I then had a Croque Madame. That is buttered bread toasted w/ ham melted cheese and a fried egg. Otherwise known at a heart attack! It was good but shit, I almost died at the table. I had to wait 15minutes until I could get served my Pimm's Cup at noon. It was worth it. The cucumber is the way to go. I would go back for the doughnuts and drinks. The rest is ok not great. Very professional service.
Then the plow f*cker. Think I will end it here. The Super Bowl was a fun game to watch, I didn't care about the teams so whatever...
