Amber & Top Foods Challenge: Day Three

A must-have: coffee from the Mud Truck.

 

Hot or cold, but definitely from the truck-- no need for a café in my opinion.  How do they get those rich chocolately undertones in there?  And definitely not from the cheap rip-off Love Truck.

Not fancy, not really a meal, but a requirement for any trip.

Amber & But He Can't Glide!

But holy bologna is he cute.

Amber & Top Foods Challenge: Day Two

I love brunch.  I love not eating first thing I wake up, and I love making a mid-morning meal into a social event (even if "social" just means me and a book at Plum Pomidor).  And, readers of this blog know how much I love La Palapa.

My visitors are sure to be treated to a meal at La Palapa--either the eastern or western options, depending on how much said visitors enjoy walking and how tolerant of east village youth I am feeling.  (Also, there is a waiter at the east one with the most beautiful hair ever.)  All of the breakfast options are great but must be accompanied by café de olla, the orangey sweet deliciousness that makes, if you can believe it, coffee even better.

My favorite brunch option is to get the brunch special and upgrade the coffee to the café de olla on my second cup.  The brunch special also comes with a bloody mary (or bloody maria if you have a better relationship with tequila than I do) or michelada, fresh fruit (you can have my pineapple and mango), and then your choice of entrees.  I recommend the huevos rancheros con salsa verde.

Eggs, just perfectly runny, on delicious fresh tortillas with tons of queso fresco and crema, swimming in a sea of the most delicious salsa verde ever (I could just eat a bowl of the salsa verde and be happy).  If you visit NYC for two weekends, we might have to go there twice.  I wish they were serving brunch right now.

Amber & Top Foods Challenge: Day One

Long, long ago, and in a galaxy about six hours by direct flight away, Erl (aka Isaac) issued a challenge to create a list of my favorite New York eats.  Herewith, my first entry to that list of things you absolutely, positively should not visit New York without putting in your mouth.

1. Ramen, especially the Akamaru Modern variety, from Ippudo.

(Photos by James)

Yes, the wait can be ridiculous, but it's worth it to skip lunch and get there right at five.  The ramen are that good.  Frankly, I think it's a better bowl than Momofuku (if you want David Chang, go to Ssäm Bar for lunch.)  The appetizers are good, yes, but the ramen are amazing.

 

Also, you may want to bring James since he takes such great photos of ramen.  And since you are bringing James you may want to bring me since I eat such great ramen.

Amber & Meanwhile....

Lowell, the the World's Best Cat Sitter, sends this proof of cuteness in my apartment.

(Proof that Lowell is amazing?  Pickles is not only out from under the bed, but interacting with him. Cutely.)

They are all so good, and by "they" I mean Pickles, Woody and Lowell.

Amber & I'm Not Dead Yet

Photographic proof that I am quite the opposite.

Remember my professional colleague Alison?  She is here as a clue to my whereabouts.  I am, as you can tell, excited to see her.

Amber & Happy Colobus Day!

Like Kevin says, "Lose the M and it's much better."

Amber & Dead On

I like this better than the original, maybe.



Sadly, I am not a monster.

Amber & Nose Gay

To protect Nick from the indelicate smells of the city.

Amber & Floral Arrangements

Amber & Baby Kevin

It was on this day in history that baby Kevin entered the world.  He was very small and probably wrinkly, like babies are, but I imagine he looked something like this.

Only maybe he didn't have glasses then.  But that scarf is from his heritage and so it seems likely they swaddled him in that in the hospital.

Well, today we celebrate that day, long, long and almost six feet tall ago.  Several rotations of the hands of this clock have passed, anyway.

(Photo by Jimmy)

And, now Kevin is my professional colleague in addition to being my morale booster, musical entertainment, life advice coacher, and truly wonderful friend.  He is also a snappy dresser--this jacket is also heritage, so maybe this was what he wore to his Christening?

(Photo by Jimmy)

Kevin is the kind of loyal, heartful friend that you need for your first chakra.  If someone is going to pack up the contents of your life and present them to you in a U-Haul truck, you want it to be Kevin.

(Photo by Jimmy)

 Kevin will present you with the truth (maybe that you are a hoarder) with humor and caring.  Kevin understands that you're just a regular person and he respects you for it.

Thanks, Kevin, for being born, and for being one of the smartest, generous, funniest, most celebratory, best-haired, book-lovingest, tallest, most dedicated, strongest, and kitty-lovingest people I know.  Had we not met sometime in between your birth and now, I would be much, much less and not at all who I am today.

So, Happy Birthday, Baby Kevin.  And Big Kevin, too.

Amber & Truth

Amber & History

I know you know about this already if I do.  And I know you know I love Jimmy Fallon, and you know I love me some J. Timberlake.  Add in the roots and some of my favorite songs and I find myself watching this every day lately. They're just so adorable.

Amber & Target Audience

Wait... what?

Eating a breakfast bigger than my head is supposed to appeal to me?

Amber & It's Friday

Challah!