Champagne is great for all occasions ...

This past weekend was one of beginnings and endings. On Saturday we toasted Danielle and Christian’s upcoming wedding with Dee’s bridal shower at The Knoll Country club in Jersey – girl made out like a bandit with every possible home accessory you could dream of! It really was a great surprise for her, and all of us, as we reunited with friends we don’t see enough! We’ve been friends since 5th grade and I still can’t believe she’s getting married, their new life together starts July 24th and I'm happy to be a part of it!

Get a load of these delicious engagement ring cookies Nicole made for us, they were a hit. And like she says, we may never actually have rings this big, but at least we can eat them!


http://www.thedessertmaven.blogspot.com/

Switching gears to the endings part of the weekend, the Lost Series Finale. Roe, Nicole and I popped open a bottle of bubbly to drown our sorrows for a show we all grew to love. The finale was a 2 ½ hour blubber fest, filled with touching flashback montages that really pulled at the heart strings and made me realize how devoted I was to these characters. You couldn’t help but find yourself rooting for (or against) these people as if they were real … my Tuesday nights will surely feel an emptiness. I urge you to read Doc Jensen’s weekly recap for this episode. It became a tradition in my week, after watching the show, I would read the 12 page recaps to help wrap my mind around whatever crazy theory the show threw our way. I’ll miss that. I will say that I was ultimately really satisfied with the shows ending. Throughout the last few years, so many questions/issues were posed, and while the finale didn’t resolve them all, it really didn’t matter. The show ended on a note of spiritual enlightenment and, I think, left a lot up to interpretation, which the show has had a knack of doing all along. The ending scene came full circle to the first, with Jack closing his eyes lying broken on the ground. Vincent came to his final resting place beside him, and I don’t know of anyone who didn’t choke up seeing that image. Amazing show, and a beautiful ending.

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20313460_20387946,00.html

The Black Keys and Pearl Jam rock MSG

I'm a few days late with this posting, but I'd still love to share the magic that was experiencing The Black Keys and Pearl Jam at MSG last Thursday night. In 2008, my friends Ang, Nick, Korn and I got tickets to my first Pearl Jam show at The Garden. Our seats were behind the stage, which was surprisingly incredible. You were able to get an especially candid view of the band in btwn songs. (They have a way of making the people behind the stage feel as important as those a few rows from the front.) I did notice something particularly different from that last show, when, during the really heavy songs like Porch and Spin the Black Circle, you actually felt the whole stadium shaking beneath your feet. It was awesome, I think there must be something about the seats behind the stage that is less stable than other sections? Maybe its just me, but thanks Nick for that observation.

I'd never seen The Black Keys live, but over the past year Pandora, before they cut you off after 40 hours a month, opened me up to a new world of music, The Black Keys included. They are a 2 piece band, Dan Auerbach on electric guitar/vocals and Patrick Karney on drums. Their minimalistic presence and the rawness of their sound reminds me of The White Stripes. I recently bought their 2008 album Attack & Release - I highly recommend a listen to the song Strange Times. They have an incredible bluesy southern rock feel and for 2 people on stage they have a huge sound. They brought out 2 friends to back them on a few songs, which was great. Brothers, their latest album, just came out this past Tuesday. I still haven't gotten it, but after seeing them, I can't wait.


picture courtesy of The Brooklyn Vegan

The Main Event:

Pearl Jam played 33 songs at this show. It's what fans love about them, the fact that they play such a long set including 2 encores. This is just a side note, but when I go to a concert I usually like to have a beer or two, and in MSG's case the beers are these huge 22oz cups, so I always end up having to pee so bad! At the last show I remember holding as long as I could, but after I thought I would bust, I made a dash for the bathroom and barely made it back to my seat as everyone was belting out "I just want to scream Hello!" from Elderly Woman ... I was so pissed at myself for missing the song. Thankfully this time around I was able to hold out to hear it in it's entirety. They played a few songs in the first set from the latest album Backspacer, including The Fixer, Force of Nature and Unthought Known. That song has such an amazing build, by the time Eddie screams, "Feel the sky blanket you, with gems and rhinestones," the entire place is under his spell. This song is really inspirational, and the lyrics are true, "dream the dreams of other men, you'll be no ones rival."


picture courtesy of The Brooklyn Vegan

I love this picture because it gives a glimpse into Eddie's performance traditions. *Please see wine bottles by his feet. This 45 year old has more energy than most his age. Singing, playing the guitar (and tambourine) and rocking out all over the place, is only intensified by his penchant for enjoying fine wines onstage, I'd love to know what he prefers? I'd venture to guess a nice Merlot or Chianti. He also takes a few smoke breaks, the only bastard allowed to smoke in the whole place! I love it. He is such a wonder to behold on stage, telling funny stories in btwn songs and giving a lucky few some sips of his wine. I couldn't help but think, "take this cup and drink from it," bc I'm sure those fans were having a religious experience! A really lucky fan even left with Stone Gossard's sweaty t-shirt. They ended the first set with Do the Evolution, a song whose lyrics should really be taught to school kids as a sort of "look back on the history of man, and where he's fucked up and what he deems important," really, such a smart song. The first encore included Love Reign O'er Me, a cover of The Who classic, dedicated to Mr. Pete Townshend on his birthday. They ended with Porch, and, during a jam break, Eddie performed another tradition, taking his guitar and holding it above his head like a sacrificial object, which reflected the spotlight onto every corner of the audience. Talk about religious experiences ... when that beam, directly from him, comes your way, you feel like your the only one getting bathed in light. Just Breathe during the first encore, was truly beautiful and only made better with string musicians onstage to flesh out the song. They opened the last encore with Jeremy, which was just perfect. Crazy Mary and Alive also made the last encore, and just when you think there is no energy left, Indifference ends the night on such a great note. It's almost like having a great workout, your heartbeat is up, your all sweaty, and then you have a great stretch and cool down. They do a body right.

Check out the full set list here:
http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/pearl-jam/2010/madison-square-garden-new-york-ny-23d4d083.html

Tasting the Nation

On Monday, I attended my very first event with SUSHISAMBA. I was pleasantly surprised to find out I'll be able to attend a few foodie events with the Marketing/PR team, and in my ongoing theme of Cultured Youth, this event fit the bill! Taste of the Nation is run by Share our Strength, an organization that raises money to end childhood hunger. Some of the best restaurants around participate and offer guests tastings of their signature dishes. SUSHISAMBA's dish was King fish crudo with heirloom tomatoes, white grapes, red shiso and yuzu juice - try saying that 5 times fast! We arrived at The Grand Hyatt hotel around 6 and started setting up our table in one of the Grand Hyatt's grand ballrooms. As soon as people started coming in, we got to work replenishing plates and explaining what the dish was.



The chefs were set up behind us preparing the food, but since we were interacting with the guests, on more than once occasion we heard "you girls are the best looking sushi chefs around!" We politely smiled and grabbed more chopsticks. I guess there's a market for blond sushi chefs! The best part of the night for me, however, was getting a chance to do some tasting of my own. Curiosity got the best of me and the first dish I tried was Marseille's yellow tail and mushrooms in a bone marrow sauce. Yup, bone marrow. It was my first and probably last time trying that! I'd like to know how one came across the notion that the jelly-like marrow inside a bone could taste good? It was surprisingly sweet, but definitely not my cup of tea. One of my favorite dishes was a quesadilla with mushrooms and ramp (a very popular veggie I discovered) from Centrico. The very charming Chef Aaron Sanchez was there rounding up the crowd at his station, and posing for a picture or 2 with some fans. The spicy pulled-pork corncakes from Yerba Buena were delicious, and made even better with the avocado puree served with it. Two of the most interesting things I ate were noodles served in a Chinese take-out container with a Greek yogurt sauce from Ilili and a veggie salad with croutons and a poached egg on top from Rouge Tomate. The poached egg salad was really tasty, the refreshing salad and the warm egg was an interesting mix. I wasn't a fan of the noodles, they were a little soggy, but the packaging concept was original. Unfortunately, I have no self restraint and kept on eating and trying everything I could from dumplings to chicken meatballs ... there was no other way! While we ate till we thought we couldn't eat anymore, we realized there was a whole other room filled with ... desert. We took a quick reprieve at our table and set out the remainder of the king fish. Then, it was time. We entered the desert room and it was everything I expected, blueberry crumb, Italian panna cotta, tiramisu and cupcakes galore. The creme de la creme of dessert, however, was Grammercy Park Hotel's Monkey Cake. It reminded me of a warm, gooey cinnabon. Simply perfect. Next to Grammmercy Park Hotel was coffee from Stumptown Coffee Roasters of Brooklyn, good solid coffee and great vintage NY post card marketing material. By the end of the night, I was stuffed to the gills. Getting unleashed in a place like this is dream come true to someone who loves food like me. And while I probably won't be able to buy a $400 ticket on my own, I will gladly work the event so I can sample the goodies.

Cultured Youth

One of the magnificent things about living in New York City is the limitless amount of music/art/culture/food/drinks/etc., at your fingertips. Since this winter was super harsh, I'm happily embracing the fact that spring is in full force and summer is around the corner. Even the reality that walking one block will surely lead to unruly amounts of sweat, is worth it to be out and about exploring the city's every nook and cranny. My boyfriend Rob and I have been talking about this for a while and we've agreed that summer is the perfect time to fully appreciate what it is to live in and around New York City - a process we hope will lead us to become "Cultured Youths." My friends and I have a few lists, mental and actual, of the places we'd like to go/things we'd like to do. Bring on the concerts, outdoor festivals, museums, restaurants/bars, parks!

I will gladly take this opportunity to start, as the process of youth culturalization has officially begun. I hope you'll read along as more places are gone to and things are done :)

My sister Kerry is graduating from FIT this month. She's a fashion illustration major and a tremendous artist. A piece of her artwork was displayed at her senior showcase last week, so we went to support her, in all her graduating glory. This particular sketch of a Harpers Bazaar magazine cover had been on display in our living room at home for a while, but seeing it matted and framed up on a wall was really special. The amount of talent the students at FIT have is incredible. Walking through the school was like walking through a gallery; everything from the toy making and fashion/jewelry design to the graphic art and illustration was, as a designer named Christian Siriano once said, fierce.



I've always really enjoyed museums. I think spending summer vacations in Colonial Williamsburg and Salem, Massachusetts, has given me a soft spot for historical preservation. Yesterday, Rob and I went to a seriously awesome museum in Brooklyn. Right on Boerum Place, what looks like any other subway entrance, is actually the entrance to the New York Transit Museum. In an ironic twist, the very mode of transportation I was going to see immortalized in a museum was actually preventing me from getting there! Weekend track work turned an otherwise straight shoot from the Upper East Side to Brooklyn Heights into a transfer fiasco, but nonetheless I made it. The museum details the history of NY's public transportation system from the days of trolleys and cable cars right up to the modern system we all know and rely on daily. With a ton of history to read up on, a good 2 hours is needed to appreciate all this place has to offer. There are incredible black and white photos of transit workers down in the tunnels at the turn of the century blasting their way through the abyss of the underground. (100 years later this system is still being improved upon, with the addition of the 2nd avenue subway.) What we LOVED about this museum is that there are actual trains dating from the early 1900's up through the 1970's on display that you can walk, sit down and strap-hang in!




Stepping into these train cars, complete with ads from their respective eras, is literally taking a step back in time. (Back to a time in 1940 when it only cost 5 cents to ride the subway. oy gavolt, i wish!) The progression of the trains is remarkable, from ceiling fans and detailed wood work to air conditioned cars and the metal and plastic seats we're used to today.



I really enjoyed seeing the cheeky humor of the LIRR in the '50's with "The Route of the Dashing Commuter" logo. This later turned into "The Route of the Dashing Dottie, Sprinting Sally and Rushing Rosie." (The woman's workforce needed love too!)



In addition to the subway system, the museum also pays tribute to the bridges and buses that connect all 5 Burroughs. I definitely say to anyone who's ever ridden on a bus or train in NYC: go to this museum. It really makes you appreciate the history of the system. Just thinking of all the millions of people who've gone through those turnstiles, its pretty intense. http://www.mta.info/mta/museum/ - $5 a person.



Till next time, stand clear of the closing doors ...

The New Adventures of the (not so) Old Christine

Hello friends,

I have officially slapped laziness and procrastination in the face and buckled down to start writing. I dabbled in the blogosphere for a little while in college, but those aforementioned hindrances made it short lived! I've always really loved writing, and after enjoying the blogs of friends, I got my writing itch back and this is my way of scratching it! Even if no one reads this, it'll still be very therapeutic, sort of like a sane way of talking to yourself out loud. I haven't narrowed down an overarching blog theme, but whenever I happen to come across a great restaurant, see an awesome band or happen upon something noteworthy (like feta cheese stuffed olives) I'd love to share. I dedicate this first post to two of my favorite things in life - food and live entertainment. A splendid time is guaranteed for all ...

Last week, I had dinner with my roomie Nicole and Kacie, a fine gal we both used to work with and are forever bonded together with like a flock of birds ... who stick together ... er, it sounds more poetic when said in defiance. But I digress ... Upon the suggestion of Kacie, we ate at Crepes du Norde, a cute Scandinavian-French crepe restaurant on Williams Street in the Financial District. We now have a theory that the Financial District is some sort of burgeoning Scandinavian hotspot (you heard it here first). In addition to Crepes du Norde, its sister establishment, Smorgaschef, is but a lingonberry's throw away on Pearl Street AND there is also a Scandanavian chocolate shop, FIKA on Pearl Street. Cafe du Nord has the feel of a wine bar; long and narrow, with dim lighting and high wooden tables. Blink and you'll miss the kitchen, which was right at the entrance; there was but a cooking station to make these crepes, however the crepe masters worked their magic in that small space. Our waitress was very nice, talkative and suggestive without being overly aggressive (I did order a diet coke that never materialized, but no biggy). Nicole and I took the website's offer of a free glass of champagne (unfortunately, my laziness and procrastination lasted into the month of May, which was when this gem of a deal ran dry). Kacie ordered lingonberry juice, which she liked; it had just the right amount of berries getting stuck in the straw. The menu, which also offers a limited selection of salads, serves savory crepes, which are great as entrees, and sweet crepes, perfect for desert. I ordered the Prosciutto di Parma crepe, made with prosciutto, ricotta cheese and arugula. Simply delicious. It was a satisfying portion, but I still had room for desert (although I'm pretty sure I would have found room somewhere!) I then devoured a Sweet Lemon crepe, which is everything you think it'd be - sweet and lemony. All three of us thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and our crepes. Our overall consensus; this Scandinavian twist on a French classic is delicious and just because crepes are paper thin, does not mean they don't fill you up! http://www.crepesdunord.com/menu/index.html

(Blogger's Note: This second portion in no way relates to the first, it is simply here as a stand alone story for your reading enjoyment.)

Twelve years ago a little show premiered on NBC and my world was never the same. Will & Grace found a welcome home in The Campbell household. My sister and I, and later my mom and cousins, all melted whenever it came on TV. Will & Grace (played by Eric McCormack and Debra Messing) were two thirty somethings living in an amazing apartment off Riverside Drive, he a gay lawyer and she his best friend and an interior designer. They had everything I wanted; a great apartment in New York City, comedic situations abounding and witty banter to boot. However, this was a true ensemble show, for Will & Grace were not the only stars - enter Jack & Karen (who would dazzle in a show of their own ... hint, hint NBC). Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally burst onto the screen as a comedic power duo. Jack McFarland: delusional, forever-switching-jobs-and-men, flamboyant sweetheart and Karen Walker: outlandish, forever-switching-vodka-and-prescriptions, boozer with a heart of gold. Never was there a sweeter pair. It would have been a dream to meet either one of them in the flesh, just to give them a hug and say thank you for making me laugh uncontrollably many a night.

Naturally, I couldn't order tickets fast enough when I found out Sean Hayes was starring in Broadway's production of Promises, Promises (an adaption of the 1960 movie "The Apartment," starring Jack Lemmon and Shirley McLaine). It was phenomenal. A show about horny middle aged men bribing a low-on-the-totem-pole employee for use of his conveniently located apartment, managed to pull at the heart strings. Everyone in the cast from the adorable (and seriously teeny-tiny) Kristen Chenoweth to the straight out of Mad Men office executives and their sexy secretaries, were incredible. Katie Finneran, with a voice and head of curly red hair like Bernadette Peters, stole the second act as a drunk, coat-made-of-owl wearing floozy. And then there was Sean; he radiated on stage. I always knew he had a great voice from what I had seen on TV, but he even managed to maintain the comedic nuances that made me love him as Jack McFarland (One scene, where his character can't figure out how to sit in an extremely mod chair, screams "Just Jack").

I realize this post is very long so I'll get to the juicy part! After the show my family and I decided to wait by the stage door with the other hopefuls and sneak a peak at our main man. Our prayers were answered, because there he finally was in the flesh walking towards us, being captured in our photos, signing our playbills and (gasp) making eye contact with us!!!! I felt slap happy, like a kid in a candy store. He was genuinely nice, which just compounded our love! I also have to say that Kristen Chenoweth was equally gracious, this little pip with a booming voice signed a ton of autographs and made small talk with the crowd; a lovely southern gal. A perfect ending to a perfect show.



























So friends, it is at this current juncture that I will bring this post to a close. This was fun, I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks Ker, for the Owl Lady picture :) Until next time ...