Buon Appetito

Monday, December 25, 2017

The weekend real estate section had a very interesting chart, reflecting the mobility of our population.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/21/realestate/renters-are-not-moving.html?_r=0

"Only 21.7 percent of renters moved in 2017, a historically low rate, according to newly released United States Census Bureau data.  Homeowners moved at an even lower rate — 5.5 percent, a slight uptick from 2016."  You can guess along with me whether an aging population, financial pressure, or a pessimistic outlook is behind this, although the trend goes back at least three decades.  It is also debatable whether this is a good thing or a bad thing, assuming you are not a real estate agent or own a moving van.  Does it reflect a loss of dynamism or a sense of satisfaction? 

. . .

You know about this Jewish Christmas business, going to a Chinese restaurant and the movies to try and retain a bit of identity in an overwhelmingly Christian environment?  Well, it went too far today.  Stony Brook Steve and I went to the AMC Lincoln Square movie theater this morning at 11 AM.  It has 13 screens, usually offering the newest releases.  We were aiming to see The Post, the movie about the Pentagon Papers, later in the day, with wives, and thought it prudent to buy tickets hours in advance.  

As you may be aware, our neighborhood is as densely packed with Jews as Jerusalem.  So, at 11 AM, the 1:15 PM and the 4:15 PM showings of The Post were all sold out and the 7:15 had only seats in the last row on the far wall.  This movie was being shown with reserved seats, a European custom becoming more common around here.  Other movies that interested us, which did not include Star Wars, were also sold out.  You'd think that they were showing a double bill of Exodus and Fiddler on the Roof. 

Tuesday, December 26, 2017
"Incomes Grew After Past Tax Cuts, but Guess Whose" While this headline doesn't really contain a big secret, the details are intriguing -- more than that, disgusting. 
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/26/business/economy/tax-cuts-incomes.html?_r=0
 

This chart is at the heart of the story and I'm going to let you find out what those two squiggly lines represent.  Mind you, keep away from sharp instruments.

. . .

I steered our party of four to dinner at Sahib, 104 Lexington Avenue, because of favorable mention in the New York Times.  The room was decorated in soft, neutral colors, unlike the vivid tones often used in an Indian/Pakistani/Bengali restaurant.  Somewhat atypically also, service was accurate and efficient. 

We started with Lasoni Gobi, cauliflower cooked with onions and tomatoes, new to me, but quite delicious.  The carnivores shared lamb Madras, cooked with coconut, curry and dried red chilies; chicken biryani; and, Jhinga Balchau, "Goan Style Shrimp, Vinegar & Jaggery."  Is that something out of Mick's kitchen?  Beats me.  

The beautiful vegetarian at the table had saag paneer, cubed cheese cooked in pureed spinach.  We also had naan, plain and onion, mango chutney and raita.  In conclusion, we agreed with the newspaper review.

Wednesday, December 27, 2017

I lived at 310 East 46th Street for 23 years, otherwise known as Pax Baccalaureate.  While the front entrance of the building is on East 46th Street, my apartment overlooked East 45th Street, where, with the window open, I could smell the steaks cooking at Palm Too, 840 Second Avenue, a few feet in from the corner of Second Avenue and East 45th Street.  I followed the smell into the restaurant regularly over the years, but my relocation to the Upper West Side eliminated the odors and the temptation bred of proximity.
 

So, I was pleased to meet Eugene S. for lunch at Palm Too today.  It featured a particularly attractive lunch special, 3 courses for $28.  Several choices are offered for each course, including Caesar salad, a small filet mignon and cheese cake, the makings of a great meal.  Believe it or not, I deferred in order to leave room for another meal before the week was over and had the Bozzi Burger (named for one of the restaurant's founding families) covered with aged gouda, smokey barbecue sauce and crispy fried onions ($16).  Of course, French fries accompanied that and I further took up the slack by sharing a piece of a dark chocolate, multi-layer cake with Eugene.  A large glass of pinot noir helped it all go down.

. . .

When I got home from lunch, I saw a message from my brother that almost brought up all that I had just eaten.  It was the headline on a story out of the United Kingdom: "Israel to name new Jerusalem train station after Donald Trump."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/12/27/israel-name-new-jerusalem-train-station-donald-trump/?WT.mc_id=tmg_share_em
 

The headline writer needs to brush up on his reading comprehension before doing more damage, because reading the story lowers the level of threat to nearly the point of invisibility.  Netanyahu's transport minister, admittedly a powerful member of his cabinet, has made the proposal to name a station on a train line that does not now exist and is unlikely ever to exist, because of the cost and complexity of digging and building in an area fraught with religious, historic, archeological and political obstacles.  You can rest easy and not place Israel in a no-fly zone.  

Thursday, December 28, 2017

Demonstrating our devotion to diversity, the Boyz Club gathered today for lunch, not in Chinatown, not even in a Chinese restaurant, but at Sorbillo, 334 Bowery, the local branch of a famous Neapolitan pizzeria.  https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/13/world/europe/naples-pizza-unesco.html
 

While Sorbillo also serves conventional Italian food, we came for pizza.  It serves 15 varieties, some as a calzone or open as pizza.  The pies are individual size, about 12" in diameter, very thin crusts.  Again demonstrating our adherence to diversity and democracy, the six of us shared six pizzas, all different, ranging from Antica Margherita (organic flour, San Marzano tomatoes, Terre Francescane organic EVOO, fresh mozzarella, basil) ($17) to Nduja (Calabrian hot spreadable salami, red onions, Calabrian pecorino, fresh mozzarella, tomato sauce, basil, Terre Francescane organic EVOO) ($22) to Firenze (porcini mushrooms, fresh mozzarella, parsley, garlic, Terre Francescane organic EVOO) ($30).  Every pizza was good, but I'm left with fondest memories of the porcini mushrooms and especially the fresh mozzarella, wherever it appeared.  

Service was very friendly, even as the joint got more crowded with a bunch of millennials, following in the wake of their elders.  By the way, the elders stuck to seltzer, but a casual observer might have thought otherwise. 

Friday, December 29, 2017

Before leaving the subject of food and the whole year of 2017 behind, I have to extol another virtue of America's Favorite Epidemiologist. 

 

 Can't you smell the freshly-baked challahs?  This was the initial effort by my young bride under the tutelage of our lovely, bright and charming niece Shoshana P.  The result is enough to bring joy right into 2018.  And, we'll need it.