I went to Manhattan twice this weekend. The main purpose of Friday's
visit was to attend Terry's daughter's art exhibit reception. It was
well-attended (a bit crowded but not uncomfortably so) and the star of
the show was radiant. Stan was there and we both enjoyed talking to
Terry, and also got to meet up again with her husband. Stan and I
spent a while talking to Terry's son as well. Terry has two bright,
talented kids- good job Terry!

Before going to the exhibit, I took advantage of the trek into
Manhattan to stop at Chelsea Market at 9th Ave and 6th St. My mother
had me assigned the task of finding caciocavallo cheese for a
co-worker and I found it at Buon Italia. I also picked up some
gianduiotti (think "solid Nutella") for mom. Then I went to Bowery
Kitchen Supply across the hall to look for fountain glasses and tulip
sundae dishes, but they were too thick (too much glass, not enough
room for ice cream). I did buy some silicone mini-muffin cups (I'm
going to try making chocolate candy cups and filling them with the
yummy peanut butter tofu cream I posted a few days ago). Otherwise, I
thought their silicone mat items were pretty expensive. There is a
dutch oven though that I might consider buying... I noticed that the
Moroccan shop in the hall is losing floor space. I hope that's not a
bad sign. They were setting out a beautiful wrought iron screen
when we passed by. Sigh.

The next day, I started out making a couple loaves of Oatmeal Banana
Bread to use up 4 ripe nanners. Then the resident college student
(RCS) had an assignment at the Metropolitan Museum of Art which
required her to have her photo taken in front of the museum as "proof"
that she was there, as well as photos of pieces relevant to the
course. So I accompanied her as photographer. First we went on the
museum website and planned the visit. We arrived at the hardcopy
after 4 pm (the museum closes at 8:45). Phew, no crowds. We did her
assignment (and were amused at how many other students with
assignments there were). We searched for (they don't make it easy)
the cafeteria for a couple of sodas and were pleasantly surprized at
the ambience. Also, the food people were eating looked really good,
not the usual museum cafeteria fare. Still expensive ($2.25 for a 20
oz Diet Coke). I was disappointed that the Islam exhibit was closed
temporarily because that's what I wanted to see.

Using Vindigo, we had chosen a Moroccan restaurant near St. Mark's
Place (Greenwich Village) which was easily accessible by #6 train.
It was a tiny restaurant with a little bar in the front with patrons
inhaling fruit-scented tobacco from a hookah. Unfortunately, we got
there around 8:45 pm, prime time, and had to wait an hour for a
table, in the line of traffic, shuffling to let the wait staff go back
and forth. After being seated, the order was taken quickly, the
appetizers we ordered (bourekas) arrived right away. They were good
but we were so hungry (our usual dinner time is 6 pm) that styrofoam
would have tasted good. Then.... we waited until 11 pm until our
entrees arrived! The kitchen was tiny and apparently the upstairs
dining room kept the waitresses scrambling. RCS got the chicken
kebabs and I got a chicken tagine with olives and preserved lemons.
Both were delicious and we vacuumed them up (famished!). We then made
an error- we ordered desserts. I ordered rose-petal ice cream and RCS
ordered warm chocolate cake. There went another hour of our life...
We didn't get out of there until 12:30, thinking "Free at last!!"

I would go back there again, the food was excellent,
reasonably-priced, the staff very nice, etc. but beware of Saturday
night. I would make a reservation for the upstairs room where the
belly dancing is, on a weekday, and not be in a hurry to get home.

But this night was not over. Heading home we walked to W. Houston to
get the train back to Queens. At that hour, some of the entrances
were closed so we had to re-route a bit east. That's when a bit of
good luck kicked in. I almost walked past it until it hit me that
Yonah Shimmel was open at 12:40 am!!! So I backtracked a few steps
and bought a couple of kasha knishes to take home. I still can't get
over that it was open

I'll spare you the details, but the train ride back was hell with the
Saturday night rowdies. The train announcer had the volume up too
loud so it was impossible to relax. The train we were on at one point
had to wait between stations for another train to pass by, one which
we should have switched to at the last station but I thought I could
tolerate a few more stops on this one. When we got off the train we
found out that the buses only ran once/hour at that hour of the night
and the next one wasn't due for 45 min. We gave up and walked. At
least it wasn't raining. Home at last at 2am!

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

"Curly Sue" > wrote in message
...
>I went to Manhattan twice this weekend. The main purpose of Friday's
> visit was to attend Terry's daughter's art exhibit reception. It was
> well-attended (a bit crowded but not uncomfortably so) and the star of
> the show was radiant. Stan was there and we both enjoyed talking to
> Terry, and also got to meet up again with her husband. Stan and I
> spent a while talking to Terry's son as well. Terry has two bright,
> talented kids- good job Terry!
>
> Before going to the exhibit, I took advantage of the trek into
> Manhattan to stop at Chelsea Market at 9th Ave and 6th St. My mother
> had me assigned the task of finding caciocavallo cheese for a
> co-worker and I found it at Buon Italia. I also picked up some
> gianduiotti (think "solid Nutella") for mom. Then I went to Bowery
> Kitchen Supply across the hall to look for fountain glasses and tulip
> sundae dishes, but they were too thick (too much glass, not enough
> room for ice cream).

Thanks for this newsy excursion. I really enjoyed it.
I see gianduiotti http://www.italianmade.com/foods/subcat30014.cfm
I just finished eating a spoonful of Trader Joe's nutella (it doesn't have
the stuff that Nutella brand has in it - which I haven't eaten for years)
and I wonder how yours compares to Trader Joe's which is darned good IMHO
(TJ's doesn't call it Nutella, tho).

I googled Bowery Kitchen Supply which said that it was located at the
Chelsea Market home of Emril live and Food Network Studios. Things I didn't
know and are fun to know. I was going to get to NYC this summer - never
made it, so it was fun to read yours.
Dee Dee

Curly Sue wrote:
> I went to Manhattan twice this weekend. The main purpose of Friday's
> visit was to attend Terry's daughter's art exhibit reception. It was
> well-attended (a bit crowded but not uncomfortably so) and the star of
> the show was radiant. Stan was there and we both enjoyed talking to
> Terry, and also got to meet up again with her husband. Stan and I
> spent a while talking to Terry's son as well. Terry has two bright,
> talented kids- good job Terry!

part of post snipped
>
> But this night was not over. Heading home we walked to W. Houston to
> get the train back to Queens. At that hour, some of the entrances
> were closed so we had to re-route a bit east. That's when a bit of
> good luck kicked in. I almost walked past it until it hit me that
> Yonah Shimmel was open at 12:40 am!!! So I backtracked a few steps
> and bought a couple of kasha knishes to take home. I still can't get
> over that it was open
>
Sue, not only was Yonah Schimmel open, I can assure you that the shop
had only opened a few hours before. Saturday is the Shabbath and no
work may be done nor may business be conducted by Orthodox Jews, until
after sundown, which was around seven o'clock last night.

Only then may an Orthodox Jew turn on the electric lights, take the
out knishes which he probably prepared before sundown on Friday, the
start of the Shabbath, turn on the oven and bake the knishes.

This is something that occurs in Orthodox restaurants, too. All other
businesses are closed from some time Friday afternoon on. Most of the
businesses do not open on Saturday night, except some do in Winter,
when sundown occurs very early.

On Sun, 16 Oct 2005, (Curly Sue) wrote:

> had an assignment at the Metropolitan Museum of Art which

> We searched for (they don't make it easy)
>the cafeteria for a couple of sodas and were pleasantly surprized at
>the ambience. Also, the food people were eating looked really good,
>not the usual museum cafeteria fare. Still expensive ($2.25 for a 20
>oz Diet Coke).

Hi Sue,

That's because the food at the Met is run by Restaurant Associates. I have
the pleasure of eating in a cafeteria that RA runs every workday. Many
chefs with culinary degrees.

A month ago they took over the food at The Brooklyn Museum. The difference
was quite noticeable at the last opening.

Don <www.donwiss.com> (e-mail link at home page bottom).

In article >,
(Curly Sue) wrote:

> I went to Manhattan twice this weekend. The main purpose of Friday's
> visit was to attend Terry's daughter's art exhibit reception. It was
> well-attended (a bit crowded but not uncomfortably so) and the star of
> the show was radiant. Stan was there and we both enjoyed talking to
> Terry, and also got to meet up again with her husband. Stan and I
> spent a while talking to Terry's son as well. Terry has two bright,
> talented kids- good job Terry!

Even though I didn't arrive home until 1:30 that morning, due in part
to three delayed trains, I had a great time. Kristen's art was
wonderful! Her art is full of detail and emotion. It was clear that
Terry and Bill are proud parents, justifiably so. I enjoyed the
conversation and the art. The wine and cheese was good too! as was a
barbecued Texas beef brisket sandwich I ate at a restaurant called
Virgil's before the art opening began. Virgil's is a few doors down from
the art gallery. Anyone who lives in the NYC area would do well to stop
by to see Kristen's paintings. The gallery is on 44th Street just east
of Broadway; its the store with the yellow Kodak awning out front.

[snip]

> I would go back there again, the food was excellent,
> reasonably-priced, the staff very nice, etc. but beware of Saturday
> night. I would make a reservation for the upstairs room where the
> belly dancing is, on a weekday, and not be in a hurry to get home.
>
> But this night was not over. Heading home we walked to W. Houston to
> get the train back to Queens. At that hour, some of the entrances
> were closed so we had to re-route a bit east. That's when a bit of
> good luck kicked in. I almost walked past it until it hit me that
> Yonah Shimmel was open at 12:40 am!!! So I backtracked a few steps
> and bought a couple of kasha knishes to take home. I still can't get
> over that it was open

Just curious, but why wait so long to be seated in an area where there
were probably numerous other restaurants with good food that were not so
crowded? By the way, how authentic was that Moroccan restaurant? Was the
food served without eating utensils?

Sue, thanks also for escorting me to Grand Central Station after we left
Kristen's art opening. Your directions on how to get back to Penn
Station were very helpful. I ended up taking Amtrak to Philadelphia's
30th Street Station, where I had to take a SEPTA train to get to the
PATCO train to return to New Jersey where my car was parked. The ride
home was fine, but all the trains were between 10-30 minutes late and my
feet were soaked due to my having walked so much in the heavy rain in
NYC. Fortunately, the rest of me was dry.

"Don Wiss" > wrote in message
news
> On Sun, 16 Oct 2005, (Curly Sue) wrote:
>
>> had an assignment at the Metropolitan Museum of Art which
>
>> We searched for (they don't make it easy)
>>the cafeteria for a couple of sodas and were pleasantly surprized at
>>the ambience. Also, the food people were eating looked really good,
>>not the usual museum cafeteria fare. Still expensive ($2.25 for a 20
>>oz Diet Coke).
>
> Hi Sue,
>
> That's because the food at the Met is run by Restaurant Associates. I have
> the pleasure of eating in a cafeteria that RA runs every workday. Many
> chefs with culinary degrees.

It's great, and the renovations were fabulous as well. From my childhood
I just remember a junky room. Crappy food.

> A month ago they took over the food at The Brooklyn Museum. The difference
> was quite noticeable at the last opening.

I bet it's a helluva lot better than whatever was there before.

nancy

On Sun, 16 Oct 2005 19:00:05 -0400, Don Wiss >
wrote:

>On Sun, 16 Oct 2005, (Curly Sue) wrote:
>
>> had an assignment at the Metropolitan Museum of Art which
>
>> We searched for (they don't make it easy)
>>the cafeteria for a couple of sodas and were pleasantly surprized at
>>the ambience. Also, the food people were eating looked really good,
>>not the usual museum cafeteria fare. Still expensive ($2.25 for a 20
>>oz Diet Coke).
>
>Hi Sue,
>
>That's because the food at the Met is run by Restaurant Associates. I have
>the pleasure of eating in a cafeteria that RA runs every workday. Many
>chefs with culinary degrees.

Hey Don- good to hear from you! One year at work we had a chef for
our dining room and fabulous food. I guess it was too expensive
because it's gone back to "normal."

>A month ago they took over the food at The Brooklyn Museum. The difference
>was quite noticeable at the last opening.

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

On Sun, 16 Oct 2005, (Curly Sue) wrote:

>On Sun, 16 Oct 2005 19:00:05 -0400, Don Wiss wrote:
>
>>That's because the food at the Met is run by Restaurant Associates. I have
>>the pleasure of eating in a cafeteria that RA runs every workday. Many
>>chefs with culinary degrees.
>
>Hey Don- good to hear from you!

I'm keeping busy working on my Brooklyn Store Fronts photo album. And about
to book my winter trip to the Caribbean. The plug on maelstrom is being
pulled in a few months. But a new home is being created for all the mailing
lists.

> One year at work we had a chef for
>our dining room and fabulous food. I guess it was too expensive
>because it's gone back to "normal."

When the company I work for moved from across the street from Grand Central
to the sticks of Westchester, about the only thing they did right was to
hire RA. Since it is a few miles from the nearest town, most people are
trapped and have to eat there. We have (James, Lovett, John, Carlos, David)
five with culinary degrees. At least two or three from the CIA. So I eat
quite well.

Don <www.donwiss.com> (e-mail link at home page bottom).

On Sun, 16 Oct 2005 19:37:02 -0400, Stan Horwitz >
wrote:

>In article >,
> (Curly Sue) wrote:
<snip>
>> I would go back there again, the food was excellent,
>> reasonably-priced, the staff very nice, etc. but beware of Saturday
>> night. I would make a reservation for the upstairs room where the
>> belly dancing is, on a weekday, and not be in a hurry to get home.
>>
>> But this night was not over. Heading home we walked to W. Houston to
>> get the train back to Queens. At that hour, some of the entrances

<snip>
>
>Just curious, but why wait so long to be seated in an area where there
>were probably numerous other restaurants with good food that were not so
>crowded? By the way, how authentic was that Moroccan restaurant? Was the
>food served without eating utensils?

Are you thinking of Ethiopian food? I've been to several Moroccan
restaurants (it's one of my favorite cuisines) and have always had
eating utensils. Food-wise, this one was very authentic, not in a
touristy way. We ended up sitting in the front downstairs so
unfortunately we didn't get to see the main dining room. Next time I
have to get up there!

As to why we waited for a table, normally I agree with you about not
waiting but we had made the trip to Greenwich Village just to eat at
that restaurant. It would have been disappointing to just walk out.

http://newyork.citysearch.com/review/37415685

Sometimes you have to take the bad with the good :> It's the kind of
place I for which I wish I lived in the neighborhood so I could try
all of the dishes at some point.

>Sue, thanks also for escorting me to Grand Central Station after we left
>Kristen's art opening. Your directions on how to get back to Penn
>Station were very helpful. I ended up taking Amtrak to Philadelphia's
>30th Street Station, where I had to take a SEPTA train to get to the
>PATCO train to return to New Jersey where my car was parked. The ride
>home was fine, but all the trains were between 10-30 minutes late and my
>feet were soaked due to my having walked so much in the heavy rain in
>NYC. Fortunately, the rest of me was dry.

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

In article >,
(Curly Sue) wrote:

> On Sun, 16 Oct 2005 19:37:02 -0400, Stan Horwitz >
> wrote:
>
> >In article >,
> > (Curly Sue) wrote:
> <snip>
> >> I would go back there again, the food was excellent,
> >> reasonably-priced, the staff very nice, etc. but beware of Saturday
> >> night. I would make a reservation for the upstairs room where the
> >> belly dancing is, on a weekday, and not be in a hurry to get home.
> >>
> >> But this night was not over. Heading home we walked to W. Houston to
> >> get the train back to Queens. At that hour, some of the entrances
>
> <snip>
> >
> >Just curious, but why wait so long to be seated in an area where there
> >were probably numerous other restaurants with good food that were not so
> >crowded? By the way, how authentic was that Moroccan restaurant? Was the
> >food served without eating utensils?
>
> Are you thinking of Ethiopian food? I've been to several Moroccan
> restaurants (it's one of my favorite cuisines) and have always had
> eating utensils. Food-wise, this one was very authentic, not in a
> touristy way. We ended up sitting in the front downstairs so
> unfortunately we didn't get to see the main dining room. Next time I
> have to get up there!

Sue, I am definitely thinking of Moroccan food. In traditional Moroccan
cuisine, the food is eaten with one's hands; no utensils. The link
http://tinyurl.com/befpt contains a review of three Philadelphia area
Moroccan restaurants in the Philly area where the food is eaten
literally "by hand."

Its odd you mention Ethiopean food because just last week, a friend and
I ate dinner at a Malasian restaurant called Penang. As I walked to that
restaurant, I noticed an Ethiopian restaurant nearby that I want to try
now. I have never eaten Ethiopian food before so I am curious.

> As to why we waited for a table, normally I agree with you about not
> waiting but we had made the trip to Greenwich Village just to eat at
> that restaurant. It would have been disappointing to just walk out.
>
> http://newyork.citysearch.com/review/37415685
>
> Sometimes you have to take the bad with the good :> It's the kind of
> place I for which I wish I lived in the neighborhood so I could try
> all of the dishes at some point.

I understand. Perhaps we can try Zerza for lunch one day.

On Mon, 17 Oct 2005 15:09:57 -0400, Stan Horwitz >
wrote:

>In article >,
> (Curly Sue) wrote:

>> Are you thinking of Ethiopian food? I've been to several Moroccan
>> restaurants (it's one of my favorite cuisines) and have always had
>> eating utensils. Food-wise, this one was very authentic, not in a
>> touristy way. We ended up sitting in the front downstairs so
>> unfortunately we didn't get to see the main dining room. Next time I
>> have to get up there!
>
>Sue, I am definitely thinking of Moroccan food. In traditional Moroccan
>cuisine, the food is eaten with one's hands; no utensils. The link
>http://tinyurl.com/befpt contains a review of three Philadelphia area
>Moroccan restaurants in the Philly area where the food is eaten
>literally "by hand."

Perhaps. But I've eaten at as many Moroccan restaurants (one in
Silver Springs, MD and two in NYC) and at the home of a Moroccan
family (in Manhattan) and always had utensils. All were hosted by
people with Moroccan bona fides who made an effort to decorate with
Moroccan items. It's possible that Moroccan food can (or should) be
eaten with the hands and that might be the way it was served upstairs
at this restaurant. It might be fun to eat that way but from what
I've seen, I wouldn't say that a restaurant that gave one utensils
wasn't authentic.

OTOH, Ethiopian restaurants make a big deal of using bread to scoop
the food.

>Its odd you mention Ethiopean food because just last week, a friend and
>I ate dinner at a Malasian restaurant called Penang. As I walked to that
>restaurant, I noticed an Ethiopian restaurant nearby that I want to try
>now. I have never eaten Ethiopian food before so I am curious.

You'll enjoy the experience. The food, mostly spiced vegetarian
stews, is eaten by tearing off pieces of a giant flat bread, injera.
I ate at a couple of Ethiopian restaurants the summer I lived in DC.

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!