Monday, June 24, 2019
Madam and I had dinner with another couple at Kefi, 222 West 79th Street, a reliable Greek restaurant that gets crowded very quickly. Even though all of us enjoyed our dinner, no one hesitated when I suggested that we go around the corner to Amorino -- Gelato Al Naturale, 414 Amsterdam Avenue, one of four stores in Manhattan, also found in Europe and Asia. Typically, about 20 flavors of gelati and sorbetti are available, with some rotation of special flavors. I had a large cup ($7.35), three scoops of gelato, coconut, tiramisu and chocolate. So ended my Happy Mouth Day.
Thursday, June 27, 2019
Of
course, housing in the Bay Area is so expensive, it might be cheaper to
flit around Spain and Peru and Thailand than trying to settle down in
Northern California.
. . .
Friday, June 28, 2019
"The Republican Party leans much farther right than most traditional conservative parties in Western Europe and Canada, according to an analysis of their election manifestos. It is more extreme than Britain’s Independence Party and France’s National Rally (formerly the National Front), which some consider far-right populist parties." This claim is given graphic support rather convincingly in the New York Times on-line. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/06/26/opinion/sunday/republican-platform-far-right.html
So, the threat to our nation goes well beyond one man.
. . .
When I was a kid growing up, I had to make some life-defining choices, probably as you had to as well. Chocolate vs. Vanilla; Coke vs. Pepsi; Dodgers vs. Yankees; Superman vs. Batman. While there was less passion in choosing the Caped Crusader over the Man of Steel than displayed at some other critical junctures, I found it much easier to relate to the resident of Gotham City than the product of Smallville, USA.
If you want the dope on local residential property, this website is quite handy.
"Today, 38 percent of New Yorkers have immigrated here from other countries. Together, they make up 46% of the City’s workforce, and 83,000 own their own businesses." https://www.tenement.org/
. . .
A new study deals with the somewhat elusive subject of Jews of color. https://
For
instance, it will show you units for rent or sale in a particular
building. Or, it can narrow your search for a house or apartment by
various factors. Of course, this is all Holy Land-specific.
. . .
"Today, 38 percent of New Yorkers have immigrated here from other countries. Together, they make up 46% of the City’s workforce, and 83,000 own their own businesses." https://www.tenement.org/
. . .
As
has happened with Irish and Italians, and now with Asians, Jews have
moved into or along side the mainstream of white America, leaving
minority status to Latin Americans and African Americans. But, what if a
Jewish American looks more like a "minority" than the majority?
Conventionally, this issue is pushed aside as highly unlikely. This
study claims that Jews of color have been significantly undercounted and
their numbers are growing.
However,
true to our 5,000-year tradition of hair-splitting, we can get tripped
up over our basic definitions -- Who is a Jew of color? Notably, the
Mizrahi Jews of the Middle East, originating in Iran, Iraq, Syria,
Yemen, Morocco, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, are dark-haired,
dark-complected, hard to distinguish from the Arabs they grew up
amongst. In fact, there has been a pattern of discrimination against
them and their descendants in Israel from its founding by the paler,
fairer (in appearance only) European Jews and their descendants.
For a personal perspective on being a Jew of color, read:
https://forward.com/opinion/
https://forward.com/opinion/
Tuesday, June 25, 2019
I
had breakfast with Donna J., one of the finest persons that I know. We
met at Kirsh Bakery & Kitchen, 551 Amsterdam Avenue, once the site
of the Popover Cafe for 32 years, next to Barney Greengrass. The
somewhat awkward physical layout remains the same, a narrow line of
tables abutting the front window leading to a large space occupied by
booths and tables. You enter into the bakery part of the establishment,
with some very attractive items on display, getting the juices to flow
even before you sit down.
The breakfast menu has a few interesting specials, including shakshuka (poached eggs in a hearty tomato pepper sauce)
and the bacon, Swiss cheese and egg French toast ($18) that I ordered.
Two eggs sunny side up sat atop crumbled bacon in melted Swiss cheese
covering a thick slice of lightly toasted bread. It was delicious and
my arteries met the challenge. However, in a fit of self control, I
skipped the pain au chocolat.
. . .
Madam and I had dinner with another couple at Kefi, 222 West 79th Street, a reliable Greek restaurant that gets crowded very quickly. Even though all of us enjoyed our dinner, no one hesitated when I suggested that we go around the corner to Amorino -- Gelato Al Naturale, 414 Amsterdam Avenue, one of four stores in Manhattan, also found in Europe and Asia. Typically, about 20 flavors of gelati and sorbetti are available, with some rotation of special flavors. I had a large cup ($7.35), three scoops of gelato, coconut, tiramisu and chocolate. So ended my Happy Mouth Day.
Wednesday, June 26, 2019
If
you would to celebrate one or more Happy Mouth Days, you might refer to
the list of the reputed 50 best restaurants in the world.
You'll
need a passport; the top 10 alone will take you to France, Denmark,
Spain, Thailand and Peru, with some doubling back. And serious money.
For instance, Arpège, 84 rue de Varenne, 75007
Paris, sitting at #8, is strictly vegetarian, no rare or exotic cuts of
meat, yet the current Michelin guide estimates a meal there ranging from
€175 to €327. That's a lot of cabbage for asparagus.
. . .
. . .
Writing published in The New Yorker
is almost always crystal clear, unlike many of its cartoons. This
week, however, I was puzzled by this description of a businessman: "At
fifty-three, he is broad-necked and dimple-chinned, with salted hair at
nineteen-eighties length." What? There was a signature hair length for
men in the 1980s? I was a businessman in my forties in the eighties,
my hair going gray, unaware that I was either setting or following a
trend.
Google came up with something when asked about men's hairstyles in the 1980s. http://coolmenshair.com/
Thursday, June 27, 2019
Watching
the first Democratic candidate debate last night, my lasting impression
was that Beto was a delivery boy who wandered onto the stage by
mistake.
. . .
. . .
When
I lived on the East Side, near the United Nations, for 23 years, I
regularly patronized Mee's Noodle Shop, then at the corner of Second
Avenue and 49th Street. Today, I returned to the 'hood at lunchtime and
went to Mee's, which had moved up the block to 930 Second Avenue. This
location is far larger, holding 3 dozen two- tops, and the prices have
expanded as well, or do I need reminding that I moved away 16 years ago. There is a reasonable selection of lunch specials, 30
dishes plus soup or egg roll, choice of rice and pot of tea, all but
two at $8.75. I had shrimp with lobster sauce (5 largish shrimps), an egg roll and egg
fried rice. Note that the mustard they serve on request will clear your
sinuses, bring tears to your eyes and take the shine off your shoes.
Joy.
. . .
. . .
If you don't have the money to chase the 50 best restaurants in the world, but you have a lot of time, the San Francisco Chronicle offers a list of the 100 top restaurants in its area. https://projects.sfchronicle.
. . .
Friday, June 28, 2019
"The Republican Party leans much farther right than most traditional conservative parties in Western Europe and Canada, according to an analysis of their election manifestos. It is more extreme than Britain’s Independence Party and France’s National Rally (formerly the National Front), which some consider far-right populist parties." This claim is given graphic support rather convincingly in the New York Times on-line. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/06/26/opinion/sunday/republican-platform-far-right.html
So, the threat to our nation goes well beyond one man.
. . .
When I was a kid growing up, I had to make some life-defining choices, probably as you had to as well. Chocolate vs. Vanilla; Coke vs. Pepsi; Dodgers vs. Yankees; Superman vs. Batman. While there was less passion in choosing the Caped Crusader over the Man of Steel than displayed at some other critical junctures, I found it much easier to relate to the resident of Gotham City than the product of Smallville, USA.
Batman's 80th anniversary is being celebrated at the Society of Illustrators,
128 West 63rd Street, a delightful place to visit, its walls covered
with drawings of every nature. The current exhibit is "Illustrating Batman: Eighty Years of Comics and Pop Culture," running through mid-October. Admission for adults is $15, $10 for seniors and students. Unfortunately, I was unable to make a material contribution to the exhibit, because my world-class comic book collection, including the brand new Batman and Superman in 3-D, was irretrievably destroyed by my parents when they saw my junior high school report card.
https://ifanboy.com/articles/dc-histories-batman-and-superman-in-3-d/
https://ifanboy.com/articles/dc-histories-batman-and-superman-in-3-d/
I have since forgiven them.
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