Saturday, July 15, 2023
It
was Irwin Pronin, CCNY Student Government President Emeritus, who first
pointed out that today is National Ice Cream Day. Several places were
handing out free ice cream in celebration, but the big, somewhat
grotesque, news came from Serendipity 3, 225 East 60th Street. When
I returned from exile on the Left Coast in 1980, I ate in Serendipity,
on the average, three times a month. I always had the same, a hamburger, distinguished by being
rolled in cracker crumbs before grilling to make it crusty, and a “Frrrozen
Mochaccino Hot Chocolate,” their signature frozen hot chocolate with
some coffee stirred in. With tip, it was under $10, expensive at the
time, closer to $40 today.
But,
today it is ice cream that calls attention to Serendipity; the 3 is
only used on ceremonial occasions. For National Ice Cream day and today
only, it is selling
"All About the Benjamins $100 Sundae." For $100, you'll get 12 scoops
of ice cream in 9 various flavors
including vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, butter pecan, birthday cake,
cookies & cream, mint chocolate chip, chocolate peanut butter and
chocolate chip cookie dough in a 100-ounce footed goblet. The sundae is
then covered with hot fudge, peanut butter topping, mini chocolate
chips, peanut butter chips, caramel sauce, maple walnut topping, crushed
Oreos, and a giant cloud of green glittered whipped cream and topped
with edible $100 bills. No, thank you.
Sunday, July 16, 2023
Airbnb published the statistics on domestic searches for the last quarter.
https://www.travelandleisure.
Louisville,
Kentucky landing in first place is not really a surprise, since the
Kentucky Derby was held in this period. However, much of the rest led
to vigorous head scratching. Laconia, New Hampshire, came in second,
followed by Lexington,
Kentucky; Pittsburgh; and Panama City, Florida. Don't Real Americans go
to Orlando, Las Vegas, or Graceland anymore?
. . .
Sunday is the day of rest, except if you go to a yeshiva, "a traditional Jewish educational institution." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
However,
the educational component has come under question. "Eighteen
ultra-Orthodox yeshivas are not providing students with a
secular education that meets state standards, city officials said
Friday, concluding an eight-year investigation that faced lengthy delays
and alleged political interference." https://gothamist.com/news/18-
But, maybe these yeshivas are doing what they are supposed to be doing.
“There
are people who argue that by teaching children the English language it
will help them make a living. In truth, this is misguided. Everything
that has a benefit to Jews is written in the Torah. Therefore, if it
were beneficial to Jews to learn secular education, the Torah would have
ruled that it’s incumbent upon Jews to learn secular studies. However,
since the Torah makes no such ruling, it follows that learning secular
studies is not only unhelpful, it is also detrimental to Jews.” Thus speaketh the Lubavitcher Rebbe,
Menachem Mendel Schneerson.
Monday, July 17, 2023
It was the healthy influence of Gentleman Jerry that directed us to Le Botaniste, 100% Organic, Plant-Based Food, 156 Columbus Avenue, for lunch. It's a nice looking joint,
a fancy salad bar, designed to look like an apothecary. It serves primarily salad and soup, although I was left wondering whether Chocolate Raw Cake was denied access to an oven.
I had a Seasonal Special salad, with
mixed greens, cauliflower, squash, red sauerkraut, carrots, quinoa, shelled peas, "Veggie balls" (gentile falafel) and something like but not exactly hummus ($19). No living thing was harmed in the preparation of this meal.
. . .
In the real food department comes the news that Russ & Daughters, a singular New York institution, is opening a new branch at 50 Hudson Yards, 415 Tenth Avenue, a restaurant and retail shop. I hope that they bring Jewish soul and tam to an otherwise bland, artificial neighborhood.
Wednesday, July 19, 2023
After the $100 ice cream sundae, can the $29 hot dog be a surprise? Pete Wells, restaurant critic of the New York Times, reviews Mischa, 157 East 53rd Street, a vaguely Eastern European restaurant, today. While he is generally positive about the restaurant, he finds that "the $29 hot dog is obnoxious, a flagrantly expensive lowbrow-highbrow stunt."
On the other hand, he says that "the $29 hot dog is glorious." What he describes is closer to a kielbasa, pork-based, nine inches long. While he doesn't advocate selling it on every street corner under an umbrella, he concludes that "it’s got to be the greatest sausage in a bun in the city."
. . .
Naz and I spent more than $29 each for lunch at Urban Hawker, 135 West 50th Street. That's the gathering of 17 vendors, inspired by or based in Singapore, under one roof. Their cooking draws on the cuisines of most neighboring Asian countries -- China, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Indonesia -- more successfully than not to my Brooklyn-trained palate.
We ran up the bill by sharing four items from different vendors, plus a variety of liquids hot and cold. My favorite was the oyster omelet from Prawnaholic Collections ($18), which, if you thought you might like an oyster omelet, you would really like this oyster omelet. Next was Lontong (pressed rice cakes) at Padi in a thick yellow chicken broth with boiled eggs and fish cakes ($16.50). I don't know if the fish in the Stingray fried rice at Mr. Fried Rice was actually Stingray, but the predominant taste came from the sour, salty, sweet paste covering it ($21). There was a lot of fish and a lot of fried rice in this interesting dish. The most familiar item was the lamb biryani from Mamak's Corner ($21), which I found too conventional in this grouping. Adding a mango curd mousse from Lady Wong ($8.95) ensured that we were totally stuffed.
By the way, I got back and forth to Midtown on buses alone, without any trouble. Watch out world, I'm on my way back.
Thursday, July 20, 2023
While Florida is known for its oranges, the political administration seems to be interested in the production of lemonade. In its attempt to unwoke our country’s history of race relations, the Florida Department of Education has called for middle school instruction to include “how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.”
I had lunch at Two Wheels, 426 Amsterdam Avenue, a neat little restaurant, named for the hurly burly of vehicles seen on Vietnamese streets. It’s a small place with six small square blonde wood tables fixed to the floor.
. . .
I ignored the heat outside and ordered Phở Đặc Biệt, a big bowl of excellent hot broth loaded with vermicelli, shredded brisket, sliced sirloin and meatballs ($17.95). Bean sprouts, cilantro, peppers and a lime wedge were served on the side, to add as you choose.
. . .
I skipped dessert after Two Boots, but the opportunity presented itself.
No comments:
Post a Comment