Un Peu Plus De Paris

Saturday, May 20, 2023 

Have you found me?  The list of 500 Americans banned from entering Russia is very long and I may have missed my name somewhere along the way.   https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/19/europe/russia-bans-american-citizens-obama-intl

I mean, I don’t have the prominence of that Colbert guy, but some people consider me a major irritant.

. . .

There have been some substantial comings and goings.  Lord and Lady Kennington have returned to London; Cindy and David McMullen left Palazzo di Gotthelf after a short stay in our absence; Marianne Motherby, Berlin’s Best, has come for the weekend.  Additionally, Nick and Trina Lewin arrived in Paris on Friday to attend the funeral of Richard Schepard, Nick’s close friend and my classmate.  After CCNY and NYU Law School, Richie had a long, successful career as an attorney in Paris, a trans-border experience that was exceedingly rare when he started out. 

What arrived for me was a big cold, sneezing, coughing, fatigue - the whole wretched package.  That kept me indoors while Marianne and Madame had dinner at Au Bon Coin, 21 Rue de la Collégiale, a dinner of superior quality, I am told.

Sunday, May 21, 2023

After many hours of sleep therapy, disturbed only once by a butt call from New York, I arose a new man, new but not flawless.  Nick and I agreed to have lunch today, but I failed to notice that he picked a different restaurant than the one I had in mind.  Each of us lacked outdoor telecommunications capability and we never caught up with the Lewins, unfortunately.  However, with Marianne, we had a leisurely lunch at Bistro Saint-Dominque, 161 Rue Saint-Dominique, which covers three times more space outdoors than indoors.  

Paris has far more restaurants than any other place that I know of and the most frequent type is the bistro, "a neighborhood restaurant where one can partake of French home cooking, typically robust, earthy dishes."  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bistro#cite_note-1

Every bistro seems to have a red canvas awning with gold lettering, wicker chairs outdoors and the same menu, including steak tartare, onion soup, duck leg, croque monsieur and escargots.  I had onion soup again (12€) and again had the same result, good soup, but no cheese baked on the side of the bowl.  I guess that must be an American invention.  I also had Pâté en croûte canard pistache, duck pistachio pâté in a pastry crust (13€), the absolute worst that I ever had and the absolute best that I ever had.  Actually, the only time I ever had it.   

. . .

I reckon that my cold irretrievably cost me lunch and dinner Saturday and dinner Sunday and several inches of blogging.

Monday, May 22, 2023

Although I mistakenly set the alarm on my smartyphone for 6 PM, I awoke unassisted at 6:03 AM to pack up and leave.  We got to the airport with plenty of time to spare and enjoyed a good and reasonably priced breakfast, a rarity at airports.  By the way, the French take their butter seriously, offering it generously at breakfast, but not for the rest of the day in spite of the excellent bread that usually accompanies every meal.

. . .

My young bride was pleased that we seemed to have broken the crazy-far-away-gate jinx when our boarding passes showed Gate 20 at Terminal 2B for departure, when the signs indicated that Terminal 2B had Gates 1-9 and 20-29.  That should put us right in the middle, she opined.  But the System is not to be defied.  The single digit gates were on a lower concourse.  Where we stood, the gates descended in number, 20 being the furthest, inevitably, over 3 kilometers from the entrance to the terminal.  Math aside, the trip home was uneventful.   

Tuesday, May 23, 2023

You are aware of that prank where 100 unordered pizzas arrive at your house?  Well, in the pile of mail and packages that awaited us were two boxes containing a total of 24 cans of Ensure Max Protein nutrition shake, just the thing for an undernourished waif like me.  I checked with my doctors; not them.  Abbott Laboratories, the manufacturer, would not tell me about the origin of the order.  So, I plan to soon have a Protein Party, bring your own pizza.

. . .

It's too early to call it a trend, but there is some hopeful consistency in disparate election results.  Thailand and Great Britain have soundly rejected incumbent right wing politicians, while Turkey has denied an easy victory to its authoritarian president. 

• https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/5/14/thailand-election-results-what-we-know-so-far
• https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-pm-sunaks-conservatives-lose-seats-early-local-election-results-2023-05-05/
  
• https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/turkey-election-05-14-23/index.html

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

R.I.P. Tina Turner

. . .

Other than places where you might not want to linger, what distinguishes this group?

• Dallas, Texas
• Las Vegas, Nevada 
• Raleigh, North Carolina 
• Sunrise, Florida

The semi-finals of the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup Championship are being played here.  

https://youtu.be/zwDvF0NtgdU

. . .

In an attempt to address the racial disparities resulting from basing admissions on a single exam, "Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, in Alexandria, Virginia, had replaced the admissions exam with an essay and began admitting students from a cross-section of schools, with weight given to poorer students and those learning English."   https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/23/us/thomas-jefferson-high-school-admissions.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

"I have an idea.  Let's get the poorer students and those learning English and give them an essay test."

. . .

Bill and Mary Wellever direct me to a list of allegedly the best local pastrami sandwiches.

https://ny.eater.com/2021/2/17/22266913/where-to-find-nyc-best-pastrami

It's not a bad group, Kosher and treyf.  Hand carving really sets some apart.  Ask for it wherever you can.

Thursday, May 25, 2023

Happy Anniversary to us!

. . .

 

Today's challenge — Read the following article without throwing something against the wall.

https://www.jta.org/2023/05/24/united-states/the-florida-mom-who-got-amanda-gormans-poem-restricted-says-shes-sorry-for-promoting-the-protocols-of-the-elders-of-zion

. . .

After repairing the wall, I accompanied my fair lady to a Lincoln Center revival of “Camelot.”  It has a good score, generally well performed tonight.  Also notable were Guenevere (Phillipa Soo) and the swords.

Friday, May 26, 2023 

In case you can't tell, I got 71 on the New York State Regents High School French Examination.

Oui, Oui, Paree

Saturday, May 13, 2023

"In 1960, during the high period of the ranch house, 44 percent of American households were made up of married couples with children. By 2020, that figure had dropped to 19 percent. During the same period, the proportion of households containing only a single individual more than doubled, to 28 percent."

https://dnyuz.com/2023/05/12/build-in-the-suburbs-solve-the-housing-crisis/

With more individual people looking for space, even if population growth were static, additional apartments would be needed to handle the changed housing patterns. That would be yet another reason why rents would go up. The results may be seen in this survey. "How Much Apartment Space Does $1,500 Get You in 200 U.S. Cities?"  https://www.rentcafe.com/blog/rental-market/market-snapshots/rental-space-for-1500/

There are few surprises here, although I might have guessed San Francisco, Manhattan, Boston as the best of the worst, a slight shuffling of the order. By the way, there is a bus leaving for Wichita any minute.

. . .

While it may not have led to higher rents, the Holy Land was distinguished by several Chino Latino restaurants, operated by Chinese chefs who came to the U.S. from Cuba and other Latin countries. I always gave credit to Fidel Castro for broadening our menus. In any case, here is an overly sentimental look at these businesses which you could never find in Wichita.  https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/12/dining/chino-latino-food-nyc-tiktok.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare 

Sunday, May 14, 2023

Is this what you get after 5783 years of Jewish civilization?

Growing up, I was familiar with seltzer delivery, crude wooden crates of thick glass bottles, filled ones replacing empties. While 12-ounce bottles of Pepsi Cola only appeared on the dinner table, a far more economical choice than Coca Cola in the original 7-ounce size, seltzer was available all day.  https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/13/nyregion/brooklyn-seltzer-boys.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

Now, along with Kosher delicatessens, affordable housing and comedians who tell jokes, seltzer men are almost all gone.

. . .

The Upper West Side’s Power Couple took off for a week in Paris. When we got our boarding passes, I thought that we beat the system. It appears that every airport computer has been programmed to recognize my name and send me to the gate furthest from the front door, usually a number in the mid-five figure range. When I saw Gate 2, I was delighted. #2, the second gate.  

So, guess where they started counting from? Staten Island. Do you know your card games? In Hearts, low score wins, gin rummy, high score wins. American Airlines at JFK goes for gin rummy, and 2 loses.

Monday, May 15, 2023

After an uneventful overnight flight and a mildly restorative nap, we went out for a late breakfast at Le Mouffetard, 113 Rue Mouffetard, a street that I expect to see more of. The meal was pleasant, the atmosphere friendly, the setting very French; we had fresh orange juice, eggs (mine sunnyside up, however you say that in French, madam a cheese omelette), croissants, slices of baguette, fruit salad (mostly diced apples, but fresh) and coffee. So what? It cost 12€ each at $1.10 per euro, no tip expected. That’s what. NATO forever!

. . .

For dinner we went to Tasty Nouille, 121 Rue Monge, my culinary home away from home -- Chinese food. Blonde wood predominated in the furniture and wall panels. Service was erratic; English might have been the fourth language. The food was very good, though. I started with fried spring rolls with chicken (6.50€ for four pieces), akin to cylindrical chicken croquettes. Then, I had Lamen sauté au boeuf Sichuanais a/k/a fried lamen with Sichuan beef. Lamen is either lo mein or ramen or both (14.50€). The portion was large and just spicy enough. Although I spotted an ice cream parlor on Rue Mouffetard earlier, we were tired and full enough to skip it, at least for tonight.

Tuesday, May 16, 2023W

We met our dear friends Lord and Lady Kennington for a nice lunch and walkabout. We ate at Chez Gladines, 44 Boulevard Saint Germain, a crowded bistro featuring Basque cuisine. I had Confit de canard aux cèpes, girolles a/k/a Duck confit with porcini mushrooms and chanterelles (19.50€). It came with what must be Basque fries, just thicker than potato chips. Recommended.

. . .

We parted company with the London delegation until tomorrow, so it was only the two of us going to Compagnie des Glaces, 138 Rue Mouffetard, later in the afternoon. That means ice cream. I had two scoops, tiramisu and brownies (very special), 5€. When we took a stroll later in the evening, this shop and every other carbohydrate purveyor in the vicinity was closed, almost like Weight Watchers laid siege to the neighborhood. Eating establishments of all other kinds were open, protein and beverages freely dispensed. Very strange. Were my fellow chubbies snacking at home?

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

We took a guided tour of the palace at Versailles today. It is spectacular, that is, “excite[s] wonder and admiration by a display of pomp.” The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

Walking through this home to three French kings, the last of their kind, I had a great insight, although thousands of historians probably beat me to it, but here goes. Several of America’s founders were familiar with the lavish trappings of European courts. Notably, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and John Jay had major diplomatic roles abroad. So, why didn’t they include the luxury and pomp of European potentates into the design of the American presidency?  

George Washington apparently never traveled outside the 13 colonies, but he must have heard accounts of the golden palaces of Europe. Might his popularity have overridden anti-monarchic feelings among the liberated Americans if he chose an exalted lifestyle? Imagine if the 45th President were cloaked in ermine, wore a crown and carried an orb and sceptre?

. . .

We met Lord and Lady K for dinner at La Coupole, 102 Boulevard du Montparnasse, the legendary brasserie once home to the Lost Generation. It was busy and the food was good enough, but it took the company to make the evening special. I admit that I was disappointed with the Soupes Oignons (9.50€), a signature dish. While it had a thick, gooey, melted cheese glob on top of a crouton floating in the soup, there was no melted cheese glued to the side of the crock, the best part by me.  

In addition to the very good profiteroles, I had an extra treat for dessert, a gift from the Lord and Lady - Fortnum & Mason's Chocolossus Biscuits, which I previously proclaimed the finest in the world (March 12, 2022). Besides their selfless generosity, our friends offered this partially in exchange for Meghan Markle.

. . .

As always, the news from the Middle East is checkered, one step forward, one step back. I think that many American Jews, including me, have given up hoping for significant improvement in intergroup relations, Israelis/Arabs, and instead focus on intragroup issues, Jew to Jew. On my handful of trips to Israel, my secular friends and relatives only complained about the behavior of the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox Jews), ignoring the existential challenge of the Arabs near and far. Here is a current example. https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-05-17/ty-article/.premium/israeli-pharmacy-chains-kashrut-supervisors-put-stickers-on-products-showing-women/00000188-29ac-db37-afec-bdfcb21c0000

Thursday, May 18, 2023

We had breakfast at lunchtime, at Les Petits Plats de Marc, 6 Rue de l'Arbalète, a one-man operation, where Marc will cook just about anything you like. And, he understood my French.

. . .

We walked around Le Marais, once informally a Jewish ghetto, now a hot, hot neighborhood. Since aggressively secular France was celebrating the Feast of the Ascension of Jesus Christ, the streets were packed with people off from work. Those not walking were standing in line seeking spiritual uplift at L'As du Fallafel (sic), 34 Rue des Rosiers, reputed to be the best falafel shop in Paris. We did not stop this time, but I've enjoyed their work in the past.

We continued our stroll along the Right Bank of the Seine, where other crowds sat in the sun with or without drinks in hand, but mostly with.

. . .

Dinner was more a miss than a hit. Hô Thaï, 24 Boulevard de Port-Royal, is a small place decorated with photographs and hangings evoking the homeland. The owner takes orders and runs the register while her teenage son plays video games. We started with slightly rubbery fish cakes (8.90€). I followed with pad si iw with beef (13.90€), okay, but only okay. I lacked enthusiasm even before seeing that my bottle of Coke Zero was 4.90€.

Friday, May 19, 2023

On the loveliest day in the week so far, I celebrated by catching a cold.  That kept my gamboling down to a minimum, a pleasant walk to the Jardin des Plantes, a complex that includes a natural history museum, a paleontology museum, a zoo and several gardens and hothouses.  I could see most of it from the bench that I was sitting on.

On the way back to our apartment, we stopped at Glazed, 19 Rue Geoffrey Saint Hilaire, for ice cream, strictly as a public service.  How does this ice cream compare with Compagnie des Glaces?  Glazed had smaller scoops, more expensive, 5.50€ for two scoops.

I had a brilliant chocolate and a good noix de coco (coconut) compared to a great brownies and an undistinguished tiramisu, bigger scoops and cheaper.  Life is full of choices.

Food, Glorious Food

Saturday, May 6, 2023

Can’t say we weren’t warned.

Actually, we dared to enter and watch the Encores! revival of “Oliver” where, yes, I was the one booing.  In a pure display of masochism, Nancy, a fallen woman, sings of her love for Bill Sikes, a thoroughly loathsome character. 

In spite of what you see

I’m sure that he needs me

What you see is Bill beating Nancy and eventually killing her.  Don’t give me need.

Sunday, May 7, 2023

Representative Keith Self, Republican, who represents Allen, Texas, said on CNN that critics who are calling for more than “thoughts and prayers” after Saturday’s shooting “don’t believe in almighty God, who is absolutely in control of our lives.”  

No matter which side of the theological fence you find yourself, this is nonsense, if not worse.  If there is an almighty God, it is failing to adequately control our lives.  It needs help.  If there is not an almighty God, humankind has a job to do.  Thoughts and prayers are not getting the job done, but they sure distract us from the hard work to be done.

. . .

Allen, Texas is 1,550 miles from the Holy Land.  Maybe we should just mind our own business.  OK, 50% of working-age households in New York City do not have incomes that cover basic needs, such as housing, food, healthcare and transportation.  https://unitedwaynyc.org/true-cost-of-living/

Feel better now?

Monday, May 8, 2023

I got back to Urban Hawker, 135 West 50th Street, that food court populated with Singaporean vendors.  I bought Prawn Paste Chicken Fried Rice at Mr. Fried Rice ($16), a tasty chicken cutlet over a pile of fried rice.  I have no idea where the prawn paste was.  There was a small bowl of soup gratis, which, at first glance, appeared to be a watery broth.  However, after one spoonful, a big hit of pepper kicked in, evoking a smile at the deception. 

. . .

Welcome to the Sunshine State.  Floridians may now carry concealed guns without a permit.  Previously, gun owners needed to pass a safety course and a background check.

Tuesday, May 9, 2023

I met Johnathan the Artist at Baodega, 7 West 20th Street, for lunch.  It’s a long room with exposed brick on most of its western wall and a strange assortment of lamps hanging in its back half.  There are a dozen four-tops and another half dozen in a rear garden.

It offers 16 lunch specials, all but two for $15, including a spring roll and soup of the day.  Those items are  mostly ordinary and best skipped.  The menu features two dozen dim sum, leaning on dumplings (bao, get it?), steamed or pan fried, with chicken, pork, mushroom, shrimp, crab roe fillings, ranging from $7.50 to $11.95.

We shared a large scallion pancake ($8.50), chicken soup dumplings (6 pieces $10.95), and Dan Dan noodles with roast duck ($19.95).  The latter was a bit of a surprise, a quarter of a duck served separately from the spicy noodles. The slightly crispy skin of the duck was the taste highlight, covering meat that was sometimes fatty, sometimes not.

Wednesday, May 10, 2023

I consider Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan a smart cookie and not just because her parents were members of my shul.  However, when a group of her high school friends wanted to send her a care package from the legendary Russ & Daughters, 179 East Houston Street, one of the prospective donors reported: "She turned it down because her ethical standard is to not accept any gifts.  I mean, she said no to lox and bagels!”

https://forward.com/fast-forward/546201/elena-kagan-clarence-thomas-bagels-and-lox/?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ForwardingtheNews_6738157

Forget about comparing Kagan's ethical standards to Clarence Thomas's, refusing Russ & Daughters just ain't very smart.

. . .

I had the pleasure of Terrific Tom's company for lunch at Awe Sum Dim Sum, 612 Eighth Avenue, which is consistently in line with its name.  We shared BBQ pork buns (3 pieces $5.95), soup dumplings (4 pieces $7.95), baked BBQ pork buns (2 pieces $5.95), fried shrimp rolls wrapped with bacon (3 pieces $7.95), house fried egg noodles with carrot, mushrooms and chives ($6.95). 

We sat for the longest time in one of the half dozen big wooden booths, deep with high sides, designed for semi-private snuggling it seems.  Naturally, you expect me to compare Awe Sum to Baodega and I find Awe Sum better across the board.  Also, it is across the street from the Port Authority Bus Terminal, so you can skip town quickly, if need be.

. . .

"The man who shot and killed 8 people at an Allen, Texas, outlet mall legally purchased the guns used in the massacre, law enforcement said on Tuesday." https://scrippsnews.com/stories/police-firearms-used-in-texas-mall-shooting-were-purchased-legally/

This fits in with the American Festival of Mass Shootings that seems never ending.  "The weapons used in all 10 of the deadliest mass shootings of the past decade in the U.S. [as of March 28, 2023] were purchased legally, based on an ABC News analysis." https://abcnews.go.com/US/10-deadliest-shootings-past-decade-involved-legally-purchased/story?id=98184833

So, you see, no crime was committed before the murders.

 

Friday, May 11, 2023

To end the week in Asia, madam and I ate dinner at aRoqa, 206 Ninth Avenue, the excellent Indian restaurant that has risen to the top of our list.  We shared Corn Paddu ($16), round fritters made of corn meal and semolina, and Kataifi Mushrooms ($17), chopped mushrooms rolled in shredded phyllo (you'd swear it was Nabisco shredded wheat), two of the most fabulous appetizers in the world.

I had an excellent tasting chicken biryani, though a bit short on the chicken ($23).  Madam had aloo gobi, potatoes, cauliflower, spices and herbs in a mildly sweet sauce ($21).  Even the bread was special, onion seed naan ($6).  This was our fourth visit to aRoqa, but I saw its black porcelain toilet bowl for the first time.

 

Who's Your Daddy?

Saturday, April 29, 2023

The writers for Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon and “Saturday Night Live” must have thanked their deities, their lucky stars, their four-leaf clovers, their amulets and their patron saints when they read about the Dutchman who fathered as many as 500 children as a sperm donor.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/28/world/dutch-father-sperm-donor-children-scandal-intl-hnk

You probably couldn't have stopped the jokes from coming.

. . .

The most interesting thing about the list of the wealthiest cities in the world, determined by the number of millionaires, is not the Holy Land at #1, but Beijing and Shanghai in the top 10.  That’s where the Communists live.  

https://www.henleyglobal.com/publications/wealthiest-cities

It’s no surprise, by contrast, that cities offering subsidies for moving in fail to make the wealthy list.   https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/us-cities-pay-you-move-there-2023

Maybe they need more Communists.

Sunday, April 30, 2023

My cousin Jerry Latter, the genial genealogist, and I went to a meeting of the Zuromin Society today.  His paternal grandfather and my paternal grandmother, brother and sister, were born in Zuromin, Poland in the 1870s.  Zuromin is a town 120 kilometres northwest of Warsaw, now judenfrei.  

The meeting, with lunch, was held at Noah’s Ark, 493 Cedar Lane, Teaneck, New Jersey, a Kosher delicatessen that I visited last on December 12, 2022 with unsatisfactory results.  Lunch today was satisfactory, on the other hand, maybe because it didn't cost me anything.  

Besides pickles and coleslaw on the table, there was a plate of grilled chicken strips and honey mustard to nibble on.  I started with a very good matzoh ball in salty, lukewarm chicken soup, followed by a corned beef sandwich.  The meat was very good, but not generously allotted.  I never let a big bowl of excellent hand-cut French fries get far from my reach.  Small carafes of soda and seltzer were regularly refilled.    

While we did not find any relatives, we enjoyed meeting José Weissman, from Montevideo, Uruguay, now resident in San Diego.  His grandparents left Zuromin in the late 1930s, a lifesaving move.  Our ancestors were long gone by then.   

Monday, May 1, 2023

I prefer pumpernickel.

. . .

Michael Ratner and I had lunch at Coatzinga Taqueria, 76-05 Roosevelt Avenue, Jackson Heights, a section of Queens loaded with Latin American and South Asian restaurants.  It has 10 large booths covered in red and green Naugahyde, the colors of Mexico’s national flag.  Two big flat screen television sets were showing a soccer game from afar.  The menu is a comprehensive road map of Mexican cuisine.

I kept it simple, huevos con chorizo with yellow rice, a scoop of guacamole and four  fresh tortillas ($12.45).  There was as much sausage as egg in the dish and plenty to eat overall.  We were about the first customers at the lunch hour and service was prompt.

If you are not a sports fan, skip to Tuesday below.  Michael and I were here, because the #7 train was right upstairs to take us to Citi Field for an afternoon game, Mets vs. Braves.  It was a strange game, not just because the Mets lost.  There were 17 runs scored, 18 hits, 11 pitchers and, thanks to the new rules, it was over in less than three hours.  Amazing.

. . . 

Amazing is not the word I would use to describe the behavior of the Florida Panthers as they plan for the second round of the Stanley Cup playoff series with the Toronto Maple Leafs.  https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/36400631/panthers-restrict-ticket-sales-bid-keep-maple-leafs-fans-out

The Panthers, exercising the sort of juvenile bravado that their governor displays, are limiting ticket sales to US citizens, barring eager Canadians from following their team.  Another reason to root for the Leafs.  Of course, if the New York Rangers did not lose to the New Jersey Devils tonight in their deciding playoff game, I would not be looking to any other team.

Tuesday, May 2, 2023

According to the results of a national test, about 40 percent of eighth graders scored “below basic” in U.S. history last year, compared with 34 percent in 2018 and 29 percent in 2014.  https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/highlights/ushistory/2022/

This is consistent with declines in reading and math scores.  I see possible reasons  for this, both general and specific to the subject matter:

1. Zeitgeist.  There seems to be a general retreat from seriousness in our society fueled by cultural distractions.
   
2. Computers, especially the Internet, putting information at our fingertips, replacing the need to know.
   
3. The political divide making the subject matter too "heavy," fraught with controversy.
   
4. Teachers ill-prepared for or inhibited from handling the subject matter appropriately.
   

We have had generations of universal education and an abundance of tools and resources (though unevenly distributed), yet we and/or our children seem to know less.

Wednesday, May 3, 2023

Well, here's a child who isn't falling behind.  Grandson Boaz was among the winners of a stateside (Massachusetts) essay contest, a chip off the old blog.

. . .

The Holy Land has several food specialties, such as pizza, cheese cake, and bagels.  However, for fried chicken we tend to be importers rather than innovators.  Once upon a time it was Kentucky Fried Chicken, fortunately replaced by Popeyes.  Now, Korean fried chicken seems to predominate.  Today, I had lunch at GAI Chicken & Rice,158 East 45th Street, which purports to bring Thailand to the table.  

It's a very tiny place, with only two stools at a ledge in the front window.  Similar to many joints in this neighborhood catering to office workers, most of the business is takeout.  Ordering is via a tablet leading you through your choices and options.  I had Crispy Chicken & Fries, with sides of spicy mayo and sweet chili sauce ($11.95).  The crispy skin could have been served as a delicious dish by itself.  The fries were also notable, shaped like potato sticks, but several times thicker, very thoroughly fried without being greasy.  

If you don't have a cubicle nearby, you might consider bringing your own folding chair in order to enjoy this good food.

Thursday, May 4, 2023

Stony Brook Steve, Terrific Tom and I had lunch at Capizzi Pizzeria, 647 Ninth Avenue, in the shadow of the ramps leading in and out of the Port Authority Bus Terminal.  (Was I the only kid who thought it was the Port of Authority?)  I couldn't find out when it started, but this joint looks like it was here before the Flood.  Photographs on the wall show family, school and random groupings of various vintages.  Funky fits here.

Although a handful of salads and desserts are offered, this place is all about pizza cooked in a wood-burning stove visible at the rear.  Every 12" pizza has a slightly charred crust and very fresh tasting ingredients.  Several pies were drizzled with honey, something new to me.  Old fashioned me had the Loaded Pizza ($22.95) with mozzarella, provolone, pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions, roasted peppers and whole roasted garlic, loaded indeed.  It was wonderful.   

While Capizzi serves desserts, we walked barely two blocks to the Little Pie Company, 424 West 43rd Street, another long established institution.  Although primarily a commercial baker, it has a few tables indoors and outdoors for retail customers.  I had an excellent cup of coffee ($3) and a freshly baked chocolate walnut brownie ($5) to end the lunchtime and signal the approaching start of nap time.

Friday, May 5, 2023

We drove up to Amherst, Massachusetts today to attend the memorial service for Dean Alfange, Jr., a friend since graduate school. 

Dean had a long career teaching constitutional law at UMass.  Former students, colleagues and friends came to express their admiration for him personally and professionally.  Professor Bruce Murphy, once a student of Dean's, spoke of the recasting of the United States Supreme Court as a political agent, cherry picking precedent and history to achieve partisan goals, something I heard Dean lamenting in recent years. 

In one sense, Dean's memory deserved a happier tribute, but Murphy spoke with honesty and integrity, true to Dean's spirit.