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 ...