North Fork - Day 2

After a lovely day and night yesterday with Don, Sandy and family at the pier, we spent a little time at the outlets looking for a wedding gift for SJ to bring to South Africa next week before heading back down the North Fork for a walk down Love Lane and a chat with Sandy at the shop where SJ got a tidying up haircut from the Mastress barber herself!

Next Stop? The tasting menu at the North Fork Table and Inn. Driving through Southhold, you'd likely pass right by this simple yet elegant looking B&B. Do call and book a reservation for a table. The food was delish... but the wine pairing wasn't quite as good. Skip it and get a good bottle instead!!

The Beet Salad was TO DIE FOR. Between the amazing sherry vinaigrette and veg from "The Farm" by K.K. Haspel... add in the micro greens, chives and slightly candied pistachios... and you have YUM!
I enjoyed all of the courses... but this was by far my favorite. I will try to recreate it for sure!!

Off to see Darlene in the morning!! Yippee! South Fork here we come!

North Fork - Day 1

After far too long a hiatus, I decided to head out to the North Fork to visit Sandy and Don and see their new house (which they are doing a wonderful job renovating/decorating by the way!)

SJ and I hopped in his car and zoomed out from NJ arriving right on time enabling us all to hop in Don's truck to spin out east to Claudio's in Greenport to hear Sandy's boss, Frank, and his band rock the pier all afternoon.

Seafood and rock-n-roll on a sunny pier -- sounds great to me!!

Thanks ever-so-much for the hospitality and great day Sandy, Don and family!!

Who's Birthday? SJ's!
Happy Saturday!! Happy Birthday SJ! A little mani-pedi.... some shopping for those last minute things needed for his trip to South Africa and a new 3G iPhone... a picnic in the park and a little food shopping. What a full day!

With little time to cook I was happy to be able to make a fine two-course dinner for SJ's birthday. Always tough when using someone else kitchen, it came out nicely if I do say so myself. It helps that he has good cookware, knives and a nicely stocked spice cabinet!!
Paired with one of the lovely whites we picked up at the 13th Annual Hudson Valley Food and Wine Festival... and with the promise of cheese to end the meal... which we fell asleep before getting to?

Happy Friday!!

Allegra and I try to take each other out for dinner, just we two, each year for our birthdays. I always look forward to it. This year we went to Wallsé. I absolutely loved it. Allegra got the Roasted cod with baby carrots, chanterelles and a ginger carrot reduction -- it was AMAZING!
I thoroughly enjoyed the lamb chops! YUM! We shared their special dessert... the Salzburger Nockerl with Huckleberries. We've decided that we need to go back on a cold evening and order coffee and that dessert again -- YUM! Check out the photos on their website. I shamefully took none as I was so engrossed in the conversation and feeding my hunger!! I know, bad me.

From here we went over to The Spotted Pig to meet up with friends for a birthday drink! Drinks were flowing... people were laughing and new friends were being made all around. Suddenly, Kirk and Will began to belt out an operatic version of Happy Birthday...

It. Was. AWESOME! The entire bar silenced and then burst into applause at the end. I can fairly well guarantee that it was only time Opera has been sung or played in that bar.
Thanks for the wonderful song gentlemen!!!

Thanks to everyone who came out and who sent word! What a great night!!!
Yippee for Birthday Week 2008!

You're leaving NYC on a weeknight?

I KNOW! Shocker.
SJ had a brilliant idea to hit the new-ish IKEA in Red Hook Brooklyn on a weekday so today was the day. I was in and out and the proud owner of a new couch in 1.5 hours! It'll be delivered tomorrow no less! Yeah for fast IKEA service!!!

From there we dashed to Newark to NJ Pac for the continuation of Birthday Week 2008! SJ took me to see the touring performance of Cirque du Soleil's show Saltimbanco. Apparently it's the longest touring show thay have.

It was beautiful. Different from all of the other more gymnastic oriented shows that I've seen by Cirque du Soleil over the years. But it was visually more rich than many of the other shows.

When the show was finished, we dashed back into NYC for dinner at Bond Street in NoHo. I'd been once before and it was still as good as I'd remembered it to be.

What a tasty day - for the eyes, ears, and tongue! What a great day!
Thanks SJ!

If it's Wednesday, it must be Jazz day!

I've been wanting to go hear pianist Hank Jones play at Birdland and SJ joined me as the start of nights out on the town for Birthday Week 2008!
Tonight was the first of 3 nights of Hank Jones and the Hank Jones Quartet playing in celebration of his 90th Birthday.
Sakes alive can that man still play up a storm!! Wooo-who!

I really like Birdland as a venue. The sound is great. I do wish they would do two things.
1. Step up the food a little... I find it a little mediocre. I shouldn't have to add my own spices and lemon juice to the spinach dip to get some flavor out of it...I'm just saying...
The Cheese plate is always a good bet though.

2. Invest in a bottle of Tawny Port behind the bar.

The first set was really good so we decided to stay for the second set and hang out with my girlfriend Hiromi.

As we waited for the second set a man sat at the beautiful blue Grand Piano and began to play. We were enjoying listening to him as audience left and the new audience began to roll in. We asked the manager who was playing... Chevy Chase. (Yes, that Chevy Chase.)

Who knew? Soon after people must have recognized him as photographs began and he got up to return to the bar.
The second set was equally as good. What a great night!!! :-)

Yippee! New Girl! New iMAC!!!!

I've done it...gone to the light and easy side...How can you NOT love a new 24" iMac??

oooooooooooooooooooooooh!!!

SJ and I were at the Short Hills Mall in search of my new iMac. I was trying to decide between the 20" and the 24"... the 24" won. (yippee!!!!!)

But then there came one small problem...

HOW TO GET IT HOME to NYC IN HIS CAR?Can't quite see? Let me give you a close-up...
Top down, on my lap all the way home...
No rain...
What a fun way to kick off Birthday Week!
Weeeeeeeee!