the perfect goodbye

as of 9am this morning, i no longer live in new york city. i could write for days about why we decided to move but really, it comes down to one factor - baby on the way.  with so much other stuff going on, the reality of the big move hadn't really hit me.   but last night, when i was embarking on my final commute to 30th street, i started to get nostalgic.  it was a gorgeous new york night, temperatures in the mid 70s, the birds were chirping and people just seemed extra friendly.  my street didn't even have that normal urine/drug deal smell about it. hell, penn station even seemed to be a bit shinier last night. everything seemed so perfect, making it that much harder to think about leaving. 

five minutes into this walk down memory lane, i walked past a guy, just feet from my apartment, puking his guts up. what a a perfect new york good bye. just when you get comfortable and let down your guard, someone throws up in your path.  i'll miss you, new york city. 

nineteen ninety what?

yesterday, i was sitting with my interns, eating cupcakes for someone's birthday and having a lively conversation about non-law related topics (my favorite kind of chat).  the conversation turned towards whether or not my wedding pictures would look as dated to my kids as my parents' wedding pictures do to me.  being that i got married in 2009, i didn't think it be quite the same (ruffled tuxedo shirt anyone?) but then my intern says this gem:

"you got married in the 90s, right?  it could look dated...."

that's right, the 1990s.  as in the decade when i graduated high school and college.  the decade that ENDED twelve years ago.  apparently to a 24 year old i might as well be 45 and not 35.  thankfully he turned a sufficient shade of bright red to give me some vindication.  i can't wait to see what his evaluation looks like...

things i have learned about pregnancy

if there is a hard object within five feet of me, i will walk into it.  even if i consciously try not to.

babies like ice cream and popsicles.

my right rib is apparently a very comfortable place to rest a foot/hand/butt.  even though that limb is tiny, it is mighty.

body pillows from bed, bath and beyond are the greatest invention ever.

shoes that buckle or tie should be forgotten about for a while.

carrying anything over 2 pounds is a thing of the past.  not because you can't, but because no one will let you.

people will tell you that you waddle.  unsolicited.

backwards compliment

six months in and so far pregnancy isn't as bad as i suspected.  there are some good days and some bad, but all in all, i just feel lucky.  that being said, it's hard to feel pretty when you are six months pregnant.  i didn't want to spend a ton of money on clothes because they have such a limited shelf life.  but the cheap clothes, look, well, cheap.  and the majority of my shoes are not conducive to all of the weight i am suddenly carrying so most of them are collecting dust until next year.  after some tears a few weeks ago (blame the hormones!), seth finally convinced me that i needed to go shopping and buy some nice dresses for work.  i am wearing one of those purchases today.  and i feel pretty!   everyone at work has been quite complimentary and i am very excited.  and then this exchange occurred:

unnamed co-worker:  "wow, that dress makes it look you aren't pregnant from the front"
me:  "why, thank you, that's a huge compliment!"
unnamed co-worker: "thats a great optical illusion"

cue the sad music.  gotta love an honest male.

the list

when seth and i visited burlington, vermont over fourth of july weekend we were treated to lots of nature, a beautiful bed and breakfast and some seriously friendly people.  what we didn't expect was to eat one of the best meals we have ever had.

this heaven sent meal led to some reminiscing about the best meals we have had over the course of our time together.  five years if you can believe it!  and here are our conclusions (in no particular order):

1. Hen of the Wood, Waterbury, Vermont. 
2. Minetta Tavern, New York, New York
3. Beast, Portland, Oregon
4. Girl and the Goat, Chicago, Illinois
5. La Bourgogne, Mendoza, Argentina
6. Elote Cafe, Sedona, Arizona

why six?  there was no rhyme or reason behind it, these are just the meals that made us stand up and salute.  criteria?  we choose meals that we believed were, start to finish, food to service to ambiance (which does not necessarily mean fancy), as perfect as a meal can get. this does not include great restaurants with our favorite dishes (that list will be saved for another day).  we felt that each dish that we ate at each of these restaurants was memorable and unique and we couldn't think of a single thing to complain about with any of them.  interestingly enough, we didn't even need to debate or think about it very long.  i would highly recommend any of these restaurants.   and ask seth to make you a reservation - somehow he can get reservations for restaurants that are normally booked for years.  i think it is his superhero power.

Happy almost 4th!

Greetings from Burlington, Vermont - land of Ben & Jerry's, magic hat and lots of hippies. We've had some gorgeous weather so far and been able to enjoy lake champlain and some great nature walks. We are doubly lucky for that because that is really all there is to do up here. Tonight we are headed to the waterfront to see more nature and hopefully some fireworks.

I took a break from blogging recently mostly because the baby boy we are expecting has rendered me tired, even clumsier and fairly incoherent. (Seth is seriously concerned that my brain is melting). But 22 weeks in and while mushy in the brain, I am ready for my triumphant return. I couldn't let this little guy cease all of our adventures! In fact, I think he is just going to bring even more things to write about. Plus you won't believe the stuff I have been eating. Can't keep that a secret.

2 years!

Happy Anniversary to us! Two years ago today we broke a glass, danced the hora, ate some brunch, drank a ton and partied with all of our favorite people. I couldn't have asked for a better wedding. Lucky for me the marriage just keeps getting better!

Thanks for the flowers, fun and laughs. I couldn't ask for a better partner in crime.

odd celebrity (?) spotting

as a lover of bad talk shows from the 1990s, you can imagine my excitement when we walked into mexicana mama in the west village last night to be seated next to the one and only ricki lake.  while i thought she had retired from her show biz life (i.e. vanished from the public eye), a quick google search tells me that nicki minaj gave ricki a little shoutout in one of her latest songs, only to give my friend ricki a quick shot back in the spotlight.  she spent the meal on her blackberry (is that something that living in LA does to you?) which basically meant i got bored and stopped paying attention to her.   besides, my dinner companions (yeah gregg and ali) were much awesomer than any 1990s talk show host (except maybe geraldo).    

film festival

To honor an annual tradition started before we were dating, this weekend Seth and I headed to the Tribeca Film Festival to check out one of the festival’s main attractions, Jesus Henry Christ.   This was the first movie where there was some serious star power (Julia Roberts produced the movie and showed up for the red carpet and Robert De Niro even made an appearance).   Seth and I walked the red carpet too but for some reason, no one took our picture.   I wonder why...

Despite all of the hype, however, the movie and the experience were extremely disappointing.  First, the ticket holders who didn’t know someone (i.e., us) were relegated to the sides of the theatre.  The entire middle was saved for VIPs.  So I really only saw the left side of the movie. Second, only one bathroom, with four stalls (naturally) was open for the women (picture that line of angry women).  The other bathrooms were also saved for VIPs.  This was the first time I have ever experienced feeling like a second class citizen at the film festival.  To me, one of the coolest parts of attending is that anyone can get tickets to any movie and sit in the crowd with everyone else.  That feeling was definitely lost at this premiere.

Sadly, the movie didn’t fare much better.   The acting was excellent.   Unfortunately, the actors had very little to work with as the writing was forced and the plot was aimless with gratuitous violence that was supposed to be funny (it wasn’t).   It had such great potential, but just fell flat in execution.  Halfway through the movie, I strongly considered leaving or taking out my iphone to play Words with Friends (player name: pookiemcguire, let’s play!).  We stuck it out, though, and were rewarded with a very honest Q & A with the director.   When asked about the significance of the color red in the movie (it definitely did appear a lot), he responded “my production designer thought it looked cool.”   Well, who can argue with that?

x-factor

i have absolutely no idea what the x-factor is or who may even have it, but auditions for the show, held at the prudential center today, has caused the population of newark to double this morning.   lucky for me, i walk right past the prudential center on my way to work and today, was the most entertaining walk i have ever had.

this is one small glimpse of the crowd and the tv camera crews.  i saw trucks from every network, including some i had never heard of.   there was a woman in the crowd in a wedding dress informing people they could take her picture and put it on facebook (not sure how that helps).  i have concluded that people who audition for the x-factor like (1) colorful wigs, (2) glitter, (3) very tiny skirts and (4) to sing out loud while waiting in line. 

as one of the court security officers told me, the pickpockets are going to have a field day.   think anyone from new jersey will make it on the show?  we are a talented bunch!

two surprises in one

(1)  surprise tickets last night to see explosions in the sky (one of my favorite bands in the world) at radio city music hall

(2)  rick (one of my favorite people in the world) suddenly appearing on the street and joining us for the show

thanks to the best husband in the world for his excellent plotting skills.  the two of them had been planning to surprise me since january and totally had me fooled.  as always, the show was amazing.  color me one lucky lady to have such fabulous dudes in my life.

NCIS repeats, my ass.

at the age of 12

i am fairly certain i could barely tie my shoes much less speak in a coherent sentence that didn't involve the word "no" or "i don't want to."   i even invested in a button i wore on my jacket which said "NO" so i could avoid having to speak to adults.

contrast that with this 12  year old.   like his mom, i also like ellen.  like him, i do like sandwiches.  maybe he and i could discuss that.  certainly everything else out of his mouth is well beyond me.

irony

walking into penn station, i heard lovely classical music playing on the loud speaker.   next to me was a man relieving himself out in the open.  

at least he had a nice soundtrack.

no excuse

apparently our trip to vegas knocked me out so much that i haven't written since i posted that picture from the airport one month ago.   well, that's embarrassing.   the trip was excellent and included many highlights such as our VIP club treatment, a suite that was larger than our apartment with a flatscreen in the bathroom (seth came home and measured our bathroom for the same treatment), some excellent meals and my apparent knack for video poker.   we were also lucky enough to catch up with some great friends from atlanta and new york, although we did laugh that it took a flight to vegas for us to see our friends that live in brooklyn.

after we got back, seth and i were supposed to hop back on a plane to visit our friends jon and katherine in chicago.  unfortunately, a stomach flu i do not care to remember kept me on the couch for almost a week.  we rescheduled the trip for may when i think the weather and my stomach should cooperate.  before that, though, we are off to houston in two weeks where i get to spend three blissful days with my one of the favoritest people in the whole world (mj!) and seth gets to see the final four.   it's a win win for everyone.

Vegas baby!

love, as described by a teenage boy

I just finished reading David Nicholls’ novel called A Question of Attraction and found this passage particularly relevant on this Valentine's Day.  The narrator is an 18 year old boy home from university for the Christmas holiday and talking about his visit with his best friends from childhood...

"On the way to the bar, I think for a moment about heading for the door and walking out.  I love Spence and Tone, Spencer especially, and I think it's mutual, though g-d knows we'd never actually use the L-word, not sober anyway.  But for my 18th birthday Spencer and Tone tied me naked to the end of southland pier and force-fed me laxatives, so it's a love that expresses itself in unconventional ways."

Happy Valentine's Day to all - I hope everyone gets to experience a love that expresses itself in unconventional ways (sans laxative). 

someone sleep talks

3am - the apartment is quiet and everyone is sleeping...

seth: i am going to buy you a chocolate pig.
me: zzzzzzzzzzz, what?
seth: i am getting you a chocolate pig
me: why thank you, i would love a chocolate pig
seth:  but it has to be dark chocolate
me:  i would prefer that, dark chocolate is my favorite
seth:  zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

sadly, no dark chocolate pig appeared this morning, but i still have hope.

why commuting causes ulcers

ny penn station last night after nj transit suspended train service. thank goodness for my reverse commute.

music love

i have been non-stop listening to the playlists on i listen to everything since yesterday.  i find myself falling in love with the awesome girl that runs this site and am dangerously close to wearing out the shazam app on my iphone.  an excellent way to make a monday go by fast.

this is the way to eat in style

last night we grabbed our passports and headed to williamsburg (brooklyn, that is) for dinner with our favorite newly engaged friends, fil and manu (yay, congrats!!!!).   our destination was zenkichi, a japanese place on 6th street. the theme of the place must have been hidden treasure because not only was there no sign (all four of us walked past it without realizing) but the interior is laid out like a maze of secluded booths, each one tucked behind a curtain. privacy is apparently quite important so inside the booth we found a button you can use to call a waiter. i had to use all of my control not to push that thing all night.

after settling in, manu and i decided to order the omakase menu (8 courses chosen by the chef) and fil and seth picked out a number of a la carte dishes.  then we completely ignored who ordered what and tasted everything on the table (my favorite way to eat).   among other things, we ate jelly fish (first time for me, i found the texture a little odd but the flavor quite mild), delicious monk fish livers, excellent yellow tail sashimi, an interesting sea food chowder served in a large shell and topped with uni and bechamel sauce, tasty little lamb chops and homemade chocolate truffles filled with whiskey.   seth and manu each ordered a sake tasting and fil and i stuck with beer (who saw that coming?).   apparently sapporo is my new favorite beer (prompting me to order more than one and seth to ask me to renew our vows).    all in all, dinner was great and as manu so eloquently put it, i probably wouldn't run back but i would definitely recommend that others try it.   

add a little romance to your life...

in plush form.   find them here and make your significant other swoon.

happiness is...

1.   hearing that all new jersey transit trains are canceled, showing up to penn station on the off chance that a train will be running and catching the one train that left the station all morning.

2.  walking to work and managing not to fall despite only walking on either ice or in knee deep puddles.

3.  getting to work with my hair still looking awesome despite rain and ice.

4.  knowing that i will not lose faith that the lamb guy will end his feud with the shwarma guys at pick a pita on eighth avenue so that seth can finally get his lamb shwarma on tuesdays or thursday and bring one home to me.

i am starting to think my definition of happiness is being warped by snow and extreme weather.

what I learned last night

1. if you are going to try dutch food for the first time, the scholacks are the perfect people to do it with (you guys rock).

2. dutch food appears to consist solely of liquid smoke and pickling.

3. when new yorkers are given snow, they make an octopus.

second ave between 10th and 11th, nyc

i heart new york

does food taste better when it's free?

i think the consensus is yes.  it also doesn't hurt when david burke is responsible for the menu.

last night, seth and i were lucky enough to be invited to check out david burke's new restaurant in soho.   the restaurant, called david burke's kitchen and located in the james hotel on grand street, opens next week.  this is the week where friends and family get to come by, try it out and give their feedback.  in other words, someone wants to give us food and then listen to what we have to say about it.   why don't we do this more often?

all in all, the food and the service were good.   some dishes were outstanding.  only one fell flat.  the decor is cute but stylish.  it reminded me of a farmhouse - beautiful wood paneling, brown leather woven chairs, blue and white checked napkins and pretty topiaries at each table.    the full wine list wasn't available but the cabernet sauvignon blend they offered was really nice.  one of the managers also brought us a drink the restaurant is trying out called the good n plenty.   it is a rye based drink that knocked me on my ass (in the best possible way).   the mixologist (yes, this is a place that employs mixologists, not bartenders) managed to blend a drink to taste just like a good n plenty. free booze + giving my opinion = heaven.

now for the important stuff - the role call of dishes (apologies for the crappy photos, my iphone didn't cooperate with the lighting in the restaurant):

starters

salmon pastrami, pretzel, mustard - the favorite appetizer, as eloquently stated by seth "you could pastrami my hand and i would eat it"  well played, seth, well played.

bison tartare, egg salad, smoked tomato, mustard oil, fingerling crisps - i really liked this dish.  the egg salad is the strongest flavor on the dish, so don't order it unless that's your thing.

lobster soup, lobster dumplings, coconut fennel creme, red watercress - i found this dish to be a bit greasy (you can actually see the grease in the picture) and not that flavorful, seth liked it a bit more but didn't rave about it.  the dumplings were the best part.

mains

soy honey duck, foie gras corn cake, maitake mushrooms - all three parts of the dish were extremely tasty but didn't really mesh well to make one dish.  the mushrooms (yes, the mushrooms) were my favorite part, but only slightly.  the cornbread was great but i didn't think it needed the marmalade on top.  too much going on.

ribeye - seth demolished this steak.  excellent char, well seasoned.  cooked medium rare, but unless its raw seth isn't going to rave about it.

escarole, bacon, chili - the most disappointing dish, neither of us could taste the chili. 

the famous cheesecake lollipops with bubble gum flavored whipped cream - this doesn't even need description, david burke has perfected this dessert.  if you can get seth to eat dessert you know, you have done something well.  

altogether the meal was fun and the food was interesting.  i would go back and try the restaurant again once it opens and they work out the kinks.  the menu had a ton of options and i am sure there are some great dishes just waiting to be eaten by me. i heard that a few of the dishes were sad when i didn't choose them.  don't worry, i'll be back!

Chelsea, NYC

Dear Urban Outfitters

Thank you for making this t-shirt.   I don't even mind that one of your designers read my diary to get the idea.  

Best regards,
Jamie

P.S.  Don't you think Seth should buy this for me?

Do you think...

Steve Van Zandt is blogging about how he sat next to me at Minetta Tavern last night?

Yeah, I thought so too.

the equation for brunch at shopsins

12 c*cksuckers + 2 see you next tuesdays + countless f*cks = 2 delicious pieces of homemade cinnamon raisin french toast, scrambled eggs and 4 links of sausage.

the language is colorful, the tables are small and the waits are long but damn, shopsins makes the best brunch in new york city.  that's right, i said it.

dare to dream for mcqueen

i don't even see how anyone could debate this. (although fashion bloggers will basically debate anything).  this dress makes me swoon and michelle obama works it.   if i owned this dress i would wear it everywhere.   to work, to do laundry, to dinner and to make brownies.

did i just eat crack pie?

last night, i met some of my favorite ladies for dinner at ma peche, one of the momofuku restaurants.  i expected to receive a t-shirt or some kind of prize after i had finished eating because i can now say that i have tried all four of david chang's restaurants.   having tried all four, i can safely say that ma peche ranks last.  the dishes ranged from delicious (the brussel sprouts and ricotta gnocchi) to good (the shrimp spring roll and beef tartar) to just bad (that poor trout died for no reason).  the service was less than stellar (there is no excuse to wait for 30 minutes for a table when you have a reservation without even an apology).  i found that ma peche lacked the humor and light heartedness that i have found in the downtown momofuku restaurants.  for example, consider the following exchange after we had finished eating:

waiter:  would you ladies care for anything else?

the lovely ladies:  do you have a dessert menu?

waiter:  we don't serve proper dessert.

me: well, do you serve any improper dessert?

waiter:  stares at me.

me:  what?  that's a valid question.

waiter:  you would think you are the first person to ask that, but you are not.

me: check please.

after being put in my place by the mean waiter, we gathered our things and headed for the street.  as you leave the restaurant there is a small stand right by the door which sells desserts from momofuku milk bar, including the famous crack pie.   feeling brutally rebuffed, i decided to drown my sorrows by purchasing a piece of this pie.

behold:

as micol put it, "it tastes good at first, but then you realize that you can't stop eating it."  yes, it is that good.  i mean, anything where the first ingredient is butter can only be a heavenly heart attack on a plate.

doesn't it look quiet and unassuming?  like a tiny piece of pie that could not possibly change your life?

well, it's not.  don't let it fool you.   i fear that i will be selling off my bag collection in order to find money to buy slices of this pie.  pretty soon, i am going to move to full pies.   my friends will have to stage an intervention and i will end up on celebrity rehab, the pie edition.

today's obsession is brought to you by the letter R

hello rebecca minkoff bombe MAC clutch in almond with black trim.  please don't sell out before i can buy you.  i feel like we would get along smashingly. 

Will you be mine?

If you come home with me, I promise to treat you well. I will feed you and play games with you and even snuggle you. 

Love,

Jamie

P.S. The larger size would be lovely too. 

Can I please go now?

New Years, Miami Style

New York - December 27th

Miami - December 29th

Ahhhhhhh.

Despite some serious drama surrounding our flight, Seth and I managed to escape the four feet of snow that invaded New York City and make it down to Miami in time to enjoy a long weekend with the Hilzers.  We ate, we drank, we swam and most importantly, we just relaxed.   The trip was just in time to save us from early onset insanity.   Thanks Hilzers, for being hosts with the mosts!