The Mindlessness: The Home Stretch

Living in New York City is a nearly indescribable experience. I love the feeling of independence and excitement the city brings. While living in New York, I saw all the major sites (Grand Central, Times Square, Central Park, Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge, Wall Street, Ground Zero, Penn Station, Madison Square Garden, Rockefellar, Little Italy, Chinatown, K-Town, Little India, Prospect Park, Yankee Stadium, Citi Field, New York Public Library, etc); ate food from so many different cultures (Italian, Chinese, Korean, Turkish, German, Jewish Delis, Japanese, Greek, Indian, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Belgian, Tibetan, Mongolian, Mediterranean, Thai, Vegetarian...); went to a bunch of museums (MoMA, Museum of Natural History, United Nations Tour); saw sports games (Red Sox vs. Yankees, Nationals vs. Mets, Mets vs. Yankees, Duke vs. Michigan @ MSG; UCLA vs. Michigan @ MSG); watched Broadway Shows (Wicked, Avenue Q, In the Heights, Eqqus, Phantom of the Opera); discovered some amazing bars/cafes/restaurants/pubs (The Ginger Man, Professor Thom's, Burp Castle, Spuyten Duyvil, The Blind Tiger, Tournesol, Cafe Henri, Taim, Kunjip, Cafe Triskell, Donovan's, Studio Square, Astoria Biergarten, Hallo Berlin, Grimaldi's, Carnegie Deli, Stage Deli...); traveled the east coast (Boston, Philly, Washington, DC); and kept myself entertained in so many other ways...

And then something happened. Something that marked the beginning of the end of my days in New York. Something that shocked me more than I expected.

I was accepted to law school.

Yep. Whether is was because of my college grades, my LSAT score, my resume, or even my knowledge of how to survive as a 20-something in New York, somebody seemed to think I stood a chance in the legal world. So, I'll be heading back to Los Angeles to start law school at USC. It's a weird feeling. I've been away from home for so long, and now I'm going back to Cali. I guess that literally makes this the home stretch.

So, now to chronicle my final days in the Big Apple....

Baseballs, Berlin and Babaganoush
(Brian and Travis' Visits)

Brian and Tyson drove from Michigan to New York and stayed with me for a few days. We did some of the usual sightseeing, eating, and bar-hopping. Our brunch at Cafe Henri was sublime, once again confirming the fact that Queens can hold its own when it comes to French fare. We enjoyed the lunch special at my favorite Korean restaurant, Kunjip. We also drank like Berliners at Hallo Berlin in Hell's Kitchen.

Standing at the steps of the New York Public Library.

My Café Crème at Café Henri.

Brian got some "Ultimate Breakfast" thing. He said that the fresh-squeezed orange juice was the best of his life.

Fresh fruit crèpe.

Waiting for his stew to cool off at Kunjip in K-Town.

Those Hallo Berlin steins make them look like natural Bavarians. Prost!

Wursts, Cabbage, Potato Salad and Beer. Does it get better than that?

We also went to the Nationals/Mets game at Citi Field. It was beautiful out - perfect for a Saturday afternoon game. Brian and Tyson snagged some surprisingly awesome seats, and we watched the Mets handle the Nats 8-2. I really enjoyed Citi Field, too! It reminded me of Dodger Stadium, and it didn't seem like the corporate hunk of concrete evil empire that Yankee Stadium is. I felt like I was among avid Mets fans who genuinely wanted to see their team prevail, rather than rich Upper East Siders who paid too much for their seats and could care less about who wins. The hot dog toppings are better at Citi Field, too. Way to go, Queens!

A few weeks later, Travis came to New York for another visit. In just a few days, we did A LOT and were ultra-efficient. We went bar-hopping throughout Hell's Kitchen and the Lower East Side, and I finally got to try out Burp Castle, a Belgian-style brew pup where they actually "shush" you if it gets too loud. It sounds strange, but it makes for an excellent venue if you just want to chat over a couple of good beers.

I also used Travis as an excuse to finally try out Taïm, a Medeterranean hole-in-the-wall food place in the Village. I say "food place" because it can't possibly qualify as a restaurant, seeing as how there's barely enough room inside to place an order. Travis got a falafal sandwich, and I had the babaganoush with beet salad and tabouleh. Then we walked over to Washington Square Park to eat and people-watch. My pita was sooooooooo good. In fact, I liked it so much that I went back once a week for a month.

Sometimes I cry when I look at this photo. Eggplant + Hummus + Beets + Tabouleh = Heaven.

We also tried out Sripraphai, the #1-rated Thai food restaurant in New York, which also happens to be two stops away from me down the 7-train. I like writing about this place, mostly because I sure as hell can't pronounce it. It's gotten so popular that we had to wait about an hour for a table. The food was pretty delicious, but it was also the spiciest meal I've ever endured. I usually like spicy food, but I couldn't even come close to finishing my meal there without tears streaming down my face and several bathroom breaks so I could, well....do what I can only describe as "bear Satan's child."

I planned for us to get a lot done on Saturday since I wasn't working and I could dedicate all of my energy to showing Travis a good time in New York. We got up early and hopped on the E-train toward the East Village for brunch at Tartine, a quaint little café about a block off of Bleeker. I made sure we got there as early as possible because the sidewalk seating fills up fast. We each ordered omellettes - mine was an egg white omellette with spinach, and Travis' was a regular omellete with ham and cheese. Our waitress brought us an egg white omellete with ham and cheese, and a regular omellete with spinach. So, yeah, it was totally wrong. She was so apologetic that she quickly replaced our orders and gave us each an almond croissant on the house. In the end, the croissants were my favorite part of the meal, but I'll discuss my croissant experience in New York elsewhere...

Curbside dining and people-watching at Tartine is fun, but the seats fill up fast.

I also managed to score tickets for the Mets/Yankees game at Yankee Stadium for some more weekend afternoon baseball. Once again, it was beautiful out, and really an exciting game. The Yanks throttled the Mets 15-0. I could care less about either team, but it was interesting to see Johan Santana pitch one of the absolute worst games of his career. Travis was certainly happy to see his favorite baseball team rout the opposition.

Our seats were high. Very high.

As far as Yankee Stadium is concerned, I'm not sure I would consider it a true all American baseball-watching experience. The stadium is like a flashy mall, and the ticket prices are so expensive that the front sections are always empty, forcing the true fans back to the upper bleachers. The beer and food selection is pretty impressive, with Sushi, Boar's Head deli fare, healthy salads, and over a dozen beers on tap. Still, isn't it only right to have a traditional hot dog at a baseball game? And I prefer to spend less than $11 on a beer, especially when served in a plastic cup.

After the game, we attempted to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, mostly because I heard that the rooftop had one of the best views of Central Park that the city has to offer. Unfortunately, in our attempts to cross Central Park East, we were intercepted by THE PUERTO RICAN PRIDE PARADE. No evasive manuveurs could allow us to make it across to the steps of the museum, and we couldn't make it in time before it closed. Qué triste!

Instead, we hopped a train to Madison Square Park and stumbled across the New York Barbeque Block Party! The wonderful scent of steaks and ribs filled the park and trashy people were ubiquitous. The booming country music in the background completed the unique experience. After some quick eye-rolling and photo-shooting, we boarded the N/W train to partake in some indulgence of our own.

Country Music Stage at the Mullet Festival - I mean, the Barbeque Block Party. This whole thing kind of reminded me of my visits to Ohio.

We headed to Studio Square, the new beergarden slash event space in Long Island City. I stumbled across their website one day and made sure to drop in for opening weekend and immediately fell in love with it. Even though it was starting to get cold, I really wanted Travis to experience it for himself. Just like any beergarden, the tables are set up picnic-style so you can drink and chat with the complete strangers sitting next to you. At Studio Square, they have a rotating tap of about eight different beers for $7 each, plus Sangria on tap (which still continues to boggle my mind). The brats look pretty good, too, but I prefer something more authentically Bavarian.

If you've never experienced a beergarden, it should be added to your bucket list.

I was curious about a blueberry beer they had on tap and the bartender let me have a sip. It really did taste like blueberries, but I didn't think I could handle an entire stein of such a sweet beer. Instead, I got one of my local faves: Captain Lawrence Ale. I first tried it at the Astoria Biergarten a few weeks earlier when a dirty-looking and unemployed 27-year old at my table offered me some from their pitcher. Since I have a policy of always accepting drink recommendations from unemployed people, I was happy to try it - and I'm glad I did!

Anyway, Travis selected the Sangria and we enjoyed the friendly atmosphere of Studio Square. He liked his drink, which I had tried during my prior visit. You wouldn't think that sangria coming out of a tap at a bar would be very good, but....it is. There's plenty of yummy fresh fruit in it, which means they must be getting it imported from somewhere outside Queens, since all fruit in Queens is usually rotten. Once it started to cool off, we moved over to the fire pit that they have in the center of the courtyard. Believe me, fire and alcohol are always a good combination. I don't understand why more bars don't have firepits.

Travis and his Sangria. It's got Big Apple apples and non-rotten orange slices!

Life is much better when you have a stein in your hand.

From Studio Square, Travis and I walked over to my favorite restaurant in New York: Tournesol in Long Island City. It's a French restaurant with amazing food, delicious wines, and a staff of real Frenchies fresh off the boat from Europe. I had one of my favorite dishes: Moules Marienères (Steamed Mussels), while Travis had the Steak Frites (Steak and Fries). Travis liked his dish so much that he wanted to lick his plate at the end of the meal.

Travis' Steak Frites. It took all of his will power to refrain from drinking the bearnaise sauce straight out of the gravy bowl.

We walked off our wonderful meal by heading over to catch a view of the Manhattan skyline over the East River. There's a little boardwalk on the water where I like to take my friends when they visit, since it's one of the best views I've discovered and few people know about it. Across the way you can see the United Nations and the Chrysler Building, and the Water Taxi will float by from time to time.

The glorious view was a fitting end to a wonderful day. Only in New York can you have a delicious coffee in the Village, watch an exciting baseball game, be trampled by fervent Puerto Ricans, serenaded by rib-eating country music singers, treated with Sangria from a spout in the wall, and satiated with divine food and wine all in the same day.

S'Mac and Sunflowers
(Kevin and Jared's visit)

Kevin and Jared were my next vistors during this final home stretch. They managed to get a great deal on a hotel in Times Square, and the three of us enjoyed a fun weekend in the city. We strolled through Little Italy, enjoyed one of the best delis Manhattan has to offer, and had a quick lunch at 'Smac - an east side restaurant specializing in Mac 'n Cheese.

Kevin and Jared catch a quick pose while the rain momentarily subsides.

This was a peach filled with peach-flavored gelato in Little Italy.

Kevin, being the huge coffee fan that he is, can actually inhale one of these Italian coffee treats and fall asleep within minutes.

The famous Second Avenue Deli! Appropriately located on Third Avenue and 33rd Street!

S'mac and Cheese!

Jared loves cheese. I didn't have any, seeing as how I'm one of the few Americans who doesn't like Mac 'n Cheese. I felt very unwelcome in this establishment.

Unfortunately, the rainy weekend hindered our ability to stroll through the city and I wasn't able to take Jared and Kevin to a single beer garden. We did have a delicious dinner at Tournesol, however. Though they don't serve any food with sunflower in it (tournesol means "sunflower" in French), they are known for their French onion soup. So naturally, we each had their famous soupe à l'oignon, then Jared had poisson (fish) and Kevin had the poulet (chicken) for the main course. (I also decided that italicizing the French words makes it sound even more gourmet.) On our waiter's recommendation, I had the boeuf bourguignon. He convinced me to order that instead of my usual moules because, as he said, you can have moules anytime, but the boeuf bourguignon is "parfait" for a rainy day. It turned out to be the best dish I had in my entire year in New York. The mushrooms were so fresh and tasty, and the chunks of bacon were dreamlike (and I don't even like bacon!). It may have been a little salty toward the end of the meal, but only because my tears of intense joy may have dripped into the bowl.

There are no words....

I should really be their poster-boy or something. I love Tournesol in a borderline-unhealthy way. But I can't help it if I love every single thing they cook for me.

The Perfect Croissant

Toward the end of the Spring, I developed a strange obsession with Almond Croissants. It was triggered by my brunch at Tartine with Travis, described above. It was the first time I had ever had a croissant aux amandes, and I became an instant fan. From that moment, I made it my goal to discover the best almond croissant in all of New York. It was a strenuous and arduous endeavor, but I was up to the task. After grueling conditioning, laborious research, numerous taste tests, and pilgrimmages to the very edges of the subway map, I came up with my top almond croissants in New York City. Here are the final rankings:

#6 - Patisserie Claude

This patisserie is located on West 4th Street in the West Village. During my research, I read that Patisserie Claude was recognized in the past for its croissants, particularly those of the almond variety. So, after a quick little chat with the owner (she was not French at all), I made my purchase, walked over to Washington Square Park, and had a taste. The almond paste inside the croissant was quite good, with a nice almondy taste. The pastry portion, however, left much to be desired. It was a little mushy and soft, and did not have the flakiness of a traditional French croissant. Still, the almond paste was enough for this one to make the list.

(Sixth Place: Patisserie Claude)

#5 - Le Grainne Café

This café, located in Chelsea, came in 5th place in the croissant rankings. This turned out to be much the opposite of what Patisserie Claude had to offer. Here, the almond croissant had a nice flakiness to it, and it was nice and warm as if it was just pulled out of the over. On top of that, the chef was very liberal with the almond shavings, which I definitely enjoyed. Nonetheless, the almond paste inside the croissant was nearly nonexistent, which cost several points. As a whole, though, I enjoyed this restaurant. I even went back another time and had a delicious crèpe. In fact, I'm going to put a photo of that here instead.

(Fifth Place: Le Grainne Café)

#4 - Café Henri

I had been planning on meeting up with a friend for brunch, and I used this as an opportunity to try Café Henri's croissant. I heard that they go fast in the mornings, so I made sure to get there pretty soon after it opened. Overall, this one was pretty good. The pastry dough was nice and flaky, there were plenty of slivered almonds and just the right amount of sugar on top, and a fair amount of almond paste inside. My only problem was the relative lack of flavor compared to the other croissants. Seeing as how this café is located in Queens, maybe the chef bought his almonds at the same grocery store at which I buy my almonds. In other words, the almonds may be decades old.

(Fourth Place: Café Henri)

#3 - Le Bergamote

This bakery was a bit of a trek away from the E-train in Chelsea, but well worth the walk. The almond croissant here was quite good. It had plenty of almonds, a yummy filling, and a nice flaky crust. My only real complaint about it was that they went way overboard on the powdered sugar. In fact, I inhaled so much of it during the first bite that I started coughing over my food. Nevertheless, I would surely go back for a second if I ever have the chance, and the coffee there is also really good. The other pastries look delicious, as well.

(Third Place: La Bergamote)

#2 - Tartine

Yup. This is the one that prompted the obsession, and rightfully so. Tartine makes their almond croissants a little differently. First, they bake the croissant, then they slice it in half, add the almond paste in between the slices, and put it back in the oven for a little bit longer. Afterwards, they top it off with some almonds and sugar. The result is a masterful culinary creation, with plenty of almonds, and a terrific flaky crust. If there was one thing to complain about, it was that my croissant may have been cooked so long that it dried out slightly. Still, this is just a very minor flaw. And as far as aesthetics, Tartine definitely has the best-looking croissant. I would go back for another one (or two) of these in a heartbeat.

(Runner-Up: Tartine. Isn't it pretty-lookin'?)

#1 - Corrado Bread & Pastry

The number one croissant on my list was largely the result of simple luck. One day, while wandering through the Grand Central Terminal Farmers' Market, I stumbled across a bakery stand. Typically, Zaro's gets all the attention in this market, since it's right in the middle of everything. Corrado, however, is kind of jammed in the corner by the Lexington Avenue entrance, and usually has some old lady working who looks like she clearly doesn't want to be there. I'm not even sure if the name of the bakery is on display - I had to ask them for a card. Anyway, I noticed a couple of almond croissants in the display, and I figured I'd give one a try.

As I sat down and removed the croissant from the bag, it didn't even look that nice. But...from the very first bite, the flavors were heavenly. The crust was so soft and flaky and featured a buttery flavor that instanly reminded me of my croissants in Paris. I could tell that the almond slivers were slightly roasted, which added a wonderful dimension to the flavor. Best of all, the almond paste inside was absolutely divine. It was so sweet and yummy, and still warm from the oven. There was plenty of it throughout the inside of the croissant, so I was treated to its magnificence with each bite. As a whole, the balance of buttery flakiness, sweet powdered sugar, and sweet almond taste inside and out, made this one a home run. I loved this croissant so much that I went back three more times in the next two weeks. Each time, I savored my beloved croissant aux amandes with a nice cup of Vanilla Hazelnut Coffee from Oren's Daily Roast located across the terminal. The coffee and croissant complement each other perfectly, and make for a blissful start to any hectic day in New York.

(First Place! Who knew this croissant would taste so good? "Corrado" is the least French-sounding name on this list, and the croissant looks like something from Costco with a bunch of sugar on it - but it's amazing!)

Museum Day

The final days in New York went by so quickly, and there were still a few places on my list that I really wanted to visit. I spent a day knocking out some of these sights one-by-one. My first stop was the United Nations headquarters. Even though I worked a few blocks from the building, I never got a chance to take the tour. Nicky and I tried once earlier in the year and failed, since all the tours were booked. Fortunately, this time around, I managed to make the cut!

Yeah, you know you wish you were a certified member of the "Guided Tour Unit." You better be jealous.

It's my buddy, Kofi!

Main Chambers.

Guitar Gun? For shooting and singing with human rights offenders.

After the tour, I thought it would be funny to mail in my California absentee ballot from the United Nations Post Office using their fancy-schmancy stamps. The guy working there didn't think it was funny, though, and looked at me like I was a moron when I asked if I could mail my ballot. Then, when I took a picture of myself giggling and making out the postage, he freaked out and made me show him each photo on my camera - to make sure I didn't take a picture of anything sensitive, I guess? Anyway, it caused a little bit of a stir. That means that of the three times that I've visited United Nations headquarters in my life, I've caused a scene every time. This one wasn't as bad as when I accidentally smuggled my Swiss Army Knife into the United Nations in Geneva, though. Ooops.

Woot! Down with Proposition 8!

After the UN, I headed over toward Midtown and made one final visit to St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. It truly is one of the more beautiful cathedrals I've seen in the U.S. As always, I made sure to light a candle for my wonderful Grandma.

Next came a quick stop into La Maison du Chocolat in Rockefellar Plaza, follwed by a quick exit after realizing that I couldn't afford anything they sold.

Le Maison du Lotsa Things I Can't Afford.

My last cultural escapade was the Museum of Modern Art. My dad told me that there was a nice exhibit on medieval armour, and I also wanted to check out a temporary exhibit on the industrialization of Paris. I also made my way to the rooftop for a beautiful view of Central Park. It wasn't easy to get up there, either. It involved several confusing passageways, some roundabout twists and turns, three flights of stairs, and an effective display of sadness and confusion in order to get one of the ushers to point me in the right direction.