PIP PIP, CHEERIO.

UPDATE: Below is the link to the Time.com video that we are featured in. Watch out for glimpses of me in the beginning and end of the segment.

http://www.time.com/time/video/?bcpid=1485842900&bctid=25295963001



I know I have been blessed in this life. And I often find myself looking back on the adventures that I have encountered thus far and thinking, "Damn, that was a good day." Saturday was one of those days. It made me really appreciate living in New York and I felt extremely grateful for the wonderful friends that I get to share this experience of LIFE with. Sorry if this sounded contrived or sappy, I just wanted to get that thought out there.

This past weekend was opening weekend for Governor's Island, a historical army base located about 800 yards away from South Ferry, which is approximately a 10-minute ferry ride away from Manhattan. To really start the season off with a bang, Governors Island was host to the 2nd annual Veuve Cliquot Manhattan Polo Classic on Saturday. Historically, polo was played on the island throughout the early 20th century until World War II. For nearly 70 years, no polo games occurred on Governors Island until last year in May 2008, when Veuve Clicquot ("the champange of choice among the equestrian set") courageously decided to sponsor the inaugural Manhattan Polo Classic.

The event was a charity for Sentebale, a charity founded by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso (of Lesotho) in 2006. Lesotho, a small African nation, is stricken with extreme poverty and has the third highest rate of HIV/AIDS in the world. Lesotho is also home to an estimated 400,000 orphans. Because he, too, had lost his mother at a young age, Prince Harry established Sentable as a memorial to his mother, Princess Diana, and as a reminder that the children of Lesotho need our help.

Watching the polo game was absolutely engaging. It is a fast-paced, exciting sport. The thunder of horses' hooves as they spring down the field is inspiring and captivating. The fact that Prince Harry is sitting atop one of the horses only ellicits further allure.

But perhaps the tastiest eye candy on the field was Ignacio "Nacho" Figueras, of the BlackWatch. Note the number "3" on his shirt, which signifies that he is the best player on the team (the pivot position that provides both offense and defense). A sexy Argentinian, captain of his team, and also the handsome face of Ralph Lauren Polo.

We were lucky enough to be followed around by Ko Im, Times.com correspondant, as we stood in line for over a half an hour for food (only to find out that they had run out of everything except hot dogs...), drooled and fell in love with Prince Harry and Nacho, tumbled onto the field to divot stomp during half-time, and cheered at the end of the game when Prince Harry assisted in the winning goal in the last seconds of the match, leading Team Sentable into victory. Publicity stunt??? No, never. Look out for the video on Time.com within the next few days! PS: note the baller PRESS PASS hanging on my neck.

After surviving the trip back to Manhattan (let's just say the line for the returning ferry pretty much snaked around the perimeter of the entire island), it felt only proper that we enjoy some tea and scones at Tea and Sympathy, a quaint gem of a tea shop serving authentic English dishes such as Welsh rarebit, bangers n' mash, and treacle pudding.

Look how adorable the tea sets were!!!!! So many different varieties of tea pots, cups, and saucers.

Delicious scones served with clotted cream and jam.

I began my meal with a fresh beetroot salad that was dressed with a vinaigrette. I have, within the past few months, become absolutely obsessed with beets and attempt to eat atleast 4 servings a week. This salad was piled with wonderfully tangy beets. Simple and pleasing.

I had a bite of Tea & Sympathy's macaroni and cheese. My co-diners were absolutely in love with it, claiming it as "subtle" and "like no other macaroni and cheese" they have had before. I gave it a try and thought it was particularly similar to the Stouffer's variety of macaroni and cheese. Which is NOT a bad thing - I grew up begging for Stouffer's macaroni and cheese and still love it to this very day.

I also ordered the lentil casserole in shepherd's pie form. A layer of lentils and other vegetables, topped with mashed potatoes, which forms a nice brown crust when baked. I prefer to eat things that have been pre-mushed (I'm really too lazy to chew), so this dish was pretty much the perfect texture and consistency. Hearty and satisfying.

Apparently English "pudding" isn't really pudding as Americans know it. And more often than not, it refers to a type of cake. Good thing "custard" really meant custard. The warm creamy custard topped with freshly sliced bananas was a indulgent way to end my English meal.

Later on that evening, I went to Boy's Night at FUERZA BRUTA!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot even begin to describe to you how amazing this show was. I can now die a satisfied woman. Their website describes the show as a "non-stop collision of dynamic music, visceral emotion, and kinetic aerial imagery." This is all true, but it is so, SO much more.

The performance is very interactive and it feels more like you are tripping on acid at a wild rave or club than in a "theater." The audience stands for the entire performance and is subject to being sprayed by water, having confetti thrown at you, moving as the stage moves, and having high levels of fun. Amazing electronic music fills the air, and every minute you see something you have probably never seen before. I will just have to let the pictures speak for themselves.


He was kind of like the main character of the show...he was constantly running on this crazy treadmill. This is him running through confetti.


At one point they surrounded the entire stage with a big parachute-like material and these girls did all these flips and pounces off the parachute as it was waving in and out..I know, I have the worst descriptions ever.


At one point, this weird tin foil contraption showed up in the middle on each side was one person, and they were holding on and swinging on and off the rotating tin foil contraption and smashing back into the tin foil, making the other person pop off the other end...


The amazing DJ that super-soaked us.


Some crazy parachute thing that flew over us.


The amazing pool that hung above our heads. Nonstop surprises during this section - with people sliding and slamming and crawling through the water. Beautiful presentation with the flow of the waves.


The pool raised up and down, and was so low that we could even reach up and touch the actors as they were swimming around.

You leave the show completely soaked and with confetti most likely stuck to your face thinking, "Did I really just see that?!?!!!???" and then your next thought will probably be "DID IT REALLY JUST END!!!!!?!!!?!" and then your next action will be submitting your resume and a video of you trying to dance to their offices.

Go see Fuerza Bruta. Now. And bring me.

SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD.

I had the pleasure of dining at Harbour tonight with my dear TAG and Liz. Harbour describes itself as "sustainable luxury." With the use of sustainable seafood, awareness of harmful fishing practices, and an intent to educate its diners all within a magical, wood-paneled setting, Harbour is everything it claims to be. Once you bypass the entrance and bar area, you are suddenly transported into the cabin of a cruise ship - complete with several square-shaped portholes.

With all the recent hullabaloo of Nobu's environmentally unfriendly and stubborn stance towards keeping the nearly extinct bluefin tuna on its menu as well as Philippe's recent decision to remove shark-fin soup from his restaurants (as Mako sharks are known as one of the ten most endangered species on our planet), Harbour has definitely been ahead of the game. Not only is Harbour extremely dedicated in the philosophy of sustainable seafood, following strict guidelines set by the Blue Ocean Institute and Monterey Bay Aquarium), Harbour also attempts to armor its patrons with information about ocean-friendly seafood so that they can environmentally dine at other restaurants and at home. I left the restaurant with a handy pamphlet that identifies different species of seafood that are abundant and that use healthy fishing/farming methods to the other extreme of species that suffer from problems of overfishing, high bycatch and poor management, and farming methods that have serious environmental impacts. I love Chilean Sea Bass as much as the next person, but it is time to take a stance for the environment and to help preserve the world that we inhabit.

I must also note that at a reasonable price point (most entrees under $30), Harbour really overcompensates the customer with immaculate presentation and a lot of show. Everything you order will need to have an additional soup, juice, or cream poured over it. It reminded me a lot of my meal at The Modern, but at a third of the cost. I appreciate a restaurant that goes above and beyond to impress you without raising prices.


The place-card on each table setting with a signed pledge to sustainable practices from chef Joe Isidori.


Bread basket. With a side of delicious ginger yogurt dipping sauce/spread.


Amuse-bouche of pea soup and Greek yogurt. You will notice, as I go through the remainder of my meal, that Isidori is extremely creative in his ingredient choices. The menu is filled with interesting and unexpected flavor combinations. Perhaps it was due to an unaccustomed palette for these culinary blends - but, I was never WOW'ed by any of the dishes. I ate every part of my meal because I knew the food was fresh and that I was reducing my carbon footprint, but I would never describe any of the dishes as necessarily "delicious."


Sea scallop ceviche with sea urchin. Uni, along with oysters and mussels, is something that I am very particular about. To my taste buds, uni is a very fickle food because sometimes I love it and other times I hate it.


Tile fish with shu-mai, spinach (I think), and yellow curry foam. Tile fish had a nice crispy texture. I had a problem with the foam because I don't like to have to dig for food unless it is meant to be in some sort of soup form.


Pre-dessert amuse-bouche. Sorbet and ginger topped with a lemon juice.


And my espresso souffle topped with pistachio icecream and a white chocolate cream. Wonderful presentation (my souffle was cracked open, icecream was inserted, and cream was drizzled all by three wonderful attendants). Once again, who would think to mix espresso and pistachio??? Interesting combination, edible, but nothing that truly tickled my tastebuds.

Overall, Harbour was a wonderful restaurant. Neither of my dining partners nor I were particularly raving about the food - but it was a fantastic atmosphere with noticeably indulgent service and a great message. Go eat at Harbour.

FEELIN' BEACHY.

Okay, so did anyone see this DAMAGE!?!??!?! Like, seriously, what the FRENCH is up with that. Doesn't the entire blogosphere know that I have been on the hunt for the best lobster roll in the city for like...the past YEAR!??!?! Who the french is Paul Liebrandt and what does being chef-owner of Corton have ANYTHING to do with lobster rolls!?!??! Okay. So maybe a lot. But DAMMIT why can't that article have been written by ME!?!??!!?

Well, Mr. Liebrandt, I believe that you haven't yet covered the best lobster roll in the HAMPTONS so I am MARKING MY TERRITORY. So don't even try to take this away from me. I will begin my journey by reviewing the lobster seafood salad roll at the Dock House in Sag Harbor.


Dock House is a charming little seafood shack right next to the most horrendous restaurant in the universe, B. Smith's (at least that's how I felt after dining at their Restaurant Row location). When you place your order, they hand you an adorable seashell with your order number painted on it!!


My lobster seafood salad roll. Look at those huge claw chunks!!!!!!!! While it was not your conventional lobster roll, the seafood still tasted amazingly fresh. Thankfully, the natural flavors of the seafood were not masked or covered by many added flavors and ingredients. Although I missed the normal buttered toasted bun, this was certainly a refreshing alternative.

In other news, despite the fact that I spent my Memorial Day weekend in East Hampton, I did not lay my eyes on a beach!!! Well..unless you count Sag Harbor as a beach, but really it's just a tiny plot of sand that is covered mostly in sticks and discarded sea shells. Thankfully, I got my beach fix when I returned to Manhattan on Monday evening!!!! The new Water Taxi Beach at South Street Seaport opened up this past weekend, and of course I needed to check it out.


The sand at the Water Taxi Beach was definitely nicer (and cleaner) than the sand found on Sag Harbor.


Across from the sanded area is a tented area, which encloses the DJ booth and dance floor. Definitely has potential for a lively night. Drinks can be purchased and imbibed on board the nearby BOAT floating at the pier. Fun, if you like drinking on the choppy waters of the East River.


And, more importantly - please note the existence of a FISH SHACK at the Water Taxi Beach that serves hot dogs, hamburgers, soy dogs, and (drum roll please)....FISH TACOS. The best part about this fish taco is that you have access to an amazing CONDIMENT stand, where you can D.I.Y. and put unimaginable things like SAUERKRAUT, RELISH, and POTATO CHIPS on your taco!!! Delicious. And adventurous.

Maybe the Water Taxi Beach should consider another outpost at the Hamptons?? Just to be funny?

LUNCH MONEY.

In an effort to be more recession-friendly, I have tried to omit the purchase of lunch during the work day. Thus, I need to occupy my lunch break with things other then paying for salads. Which has led to a very possibly devastating new diversion: shopping.

This past Monday, I grabbed a Balance bar from my desk and headed out to NOT-BUY-LUNCH. Instead, I popped into the Louis Vuitton boutique and found myself paying for a new LV passport holder!!!!!nsjegnsljegnlseg WHAT. But I had to. See for yourself:


-PICTURE OMITTED DUE TO ME BEING SCARED OF IDENTITY THEFT-
Gross, awful. OMG, don't you just HATE IT when your passport FLOPS OPEN revealing a HIDEOUS picture of yourself from (not so) many years ago!?!?!? Go ahead, laugh at my passport picture, I am doing this to be ILLUSTRATIVE and to PROVE A POINT.


Now that I have this handy dandy LV PASSPORT HOLDER, I will never be worried about accidentally revealing what I look like without makeup and contacts!!!!! Phew, sigh of relief, we can all face the computer monitor again.


ALSO, buying BEVERAGES is not the same thing as buying LUNCH. Which is why I traversed to my neighborhood Starbucks. There I laid my eyes upon the greenest thing I have ever purchased: a REUSABLE STARBUCKS CUP that looks just like their plastic cold-beverage cups!! Even the STRAW is reusable. It has a resealable twist top and is DOUBLE-insulated to keep your beverages cool and icy. Please note gross, disposable cup hiding shamefully in the back of my picture. At the cost of $14.95, the was the steal of the century. I was able to order ANY BEVERAGE for FREE with my purchase of the reusable cup, so of course I chose an iced black-tea soy latte, which has a face value of around $5. So IN ACTUALITY, my cup was only $10!!!!

ANNNNNND, every time I bring in my reusable cup I save TEN CENTS on my purchase!!!!. So, if I go to Starbucks only a mere 2,920 more times, my cup AND my passport holder will have paid for itself. Easy.

A TOAST TO COCONUT.

Greetings, blogosphere. I hope my absence did not bring too much sadness and grief upon you dear readers. If you somehow missed the all-important news (via my gchat away status, bbm status, Facebook status, Out-of-Office agent, word-of-mouth, general dark cloud that hovered above Manhattan), I was away in Brazil for the past week. I left Friday evening, and arrived Saturday mid-day in Rio de Janeiro. We departed Rio on Wednesday to head over to Bonito, which is far more inland, near Bolivia and Paraguay. After spending a few days in the wilderness, we suffered an un-amusing 32-hour return journey to New York.

Blogging about vacations is one of the hardest, most overwhelming things to do. How do you blog about a week's worth of experiences without nearly passing out? This probably won't help launch my career in travel writing. To make things a bit more manageable, I decided to begin with one topic, and then take it from there. I may decide to attempt a Top 10 Rio/Bonito post in the very near future. But for tonight, I will focus on Brazil's most abundant natural sweetener (don't quote me on this) - YEE OLDE COCONUT.

Coconuts are to Brazil as pineapples are to Hawaii. They are nearly synonymous terms and the Brazilian flag should probably bear the shape of the coconut or at least allude to this powerful, all-in-one fruit/vegetable/nut. Each day I was in Brazil, I consumed coconut in at least one form. Now that I am back in the U.S., I am going through some serious coconut withdrawal.


Behold the coconut tree - this one was sighted in the forests surrounding the Sucuri River in Bonito.


Along the beaches in Rio de Janeiro, coconuts hang on outdoor food stands waiting to be hacked into for their refreshing coconut water. Only the young, green coconuts contain this miracle water - which is naturally fat free, low in calories, and also a great cure for hangovers!!


Delicioso - agua de coco. And the containers are totally environmentally friendly! GO GREEN.

You must be wondering, by now, how coconut milk is made. The coconut takes about one full year to ripen, and the white meaty part, technically known as the ENDOSPERM, is what will be used for the creamy counterpart. The milk is produced by steeping grated coconut in hot water, and then straining.


Brazilian sweets are absolutely amazing. Many are Portuguese-inspired (think eggs...god, I love eggs) ANNNND of course include sugar and coconut, which are both very prevalent in Brazil. See above for different types of coconut flans and quindim. Delicately firm texture, not overly-saturated with sweet (just saturated enough), perfectly creamy.


The above image is a coconut egg custard that reminds me so much of the Chinese coconut tarts that my father loves from the Chinese bakery. Behind that is a toasted tapioca/coconut globular!!! Very interesting grainy/chewy texture with the taste of toasted marshmallows and a hint of sweet coconut. I apologize that I do not know any of the proper Brazilian names for any of these dishes!!


Another coconut bread served with our lunch - a mixture of corn bread and coconut, lightly fried, and cubed. A savory, sweet addition to any meal.


This was the absolutely sweetest form of coconut that I had in Brazil. It is a deliciously thick, gooey log made of condensed milk, coconut, and other gelatinous substances. So sickeningly good that it ACTUALLY makes you feel guilty if you don't finish it. Because it sits there. Taunting you. With those eyes. So you have to eat the whole thing. Or it would be a waste of heaven on Earth. Essentially.


Of course I had to stop at the Duty Free shop on the way home to pick up tax-free chocolates!! Lo and behold I discovered Ferrero Rocher's DELIGHTLY EVIL twin brother, FERRERO RAFFAELLO. A coconut counterpart, if you will. At first you bite into a snowball of coconut, and then your senses become introduced to a thin, crisp wafer shell which serves as a protective fortress to a butter-creamy filling and a crunchy almond. This box was supposed to wean me off of my coconut addiction, and quell the cravings resulting from days of indulgence. But after only 2 days, my coconut stash is nearly depleted. Are we surprised?

I will end this post with a few fun facts about coconuts:

-Over 20 billion coconuts are produced annually. Each tree lives for about 70 years and can produce about 70 coconuts per annum.
-150 people are killed by falling coconuts every year - I am NOT SURPRISED ABOUT THIS because throughout my trip various large SEEDS fell on my head as I walked below trees. And it was NOT AMUSING.
-Before evil SOYBEAN OIL arrived on the scene in the 1960s, COCONUT OIL used to be the world's leading vegetable oil.
-Coconut oil has been proven to lower the risk of HEART DISEASE and better cholesterol levels. In countries where coconuts are abundantly consumed, cardiovascular disease is much less prevalent.
-In 1957, the first monkey training school was established in Surat Thani, which is located in in Southern Thailand. Monkeys undergo an intense 6 week course where they are trained to pick coconuts, and upon graduation - these monkeys (typically macaque monkeys) can average about 1000 coconuts picked a day!!!

Hook me up to an I.V. of coconut water, stat.

BROOKLYN DAY.

Weather reports throughout the week were foreboding and discouraging, but The Museum Club (henceforth referred to as TMC) remained unwavering in their determination to bring Brooklyn Day to its fullest effect. Much to everyone's surprise, after a few drizzles in the morning, Saturday was blessed with sunshine and warm weather.

We began the day at the Brooklyn Flea Market in Fort Greene. I should have looked around a bit harder because we were surrounded by really great, affordable treasures. But I was more focused on making sure I was well-fed.


I chose the grilled cheese and pickle sandwich from the Saxelby Cheesemongers stand made from Pawlet cheese and spicy pickles. I love those sandwich pressers that they use!!! It just confirms that your sandwich is going to be that much more congealed and delicious.


Tres yummo!!!! There were also many other great options - such as pupusas, mexican corn, and quesadillas.

Photograph taken by Aire Plichta

Photograph taken by Aire Plichta

After a little more perusing, we headed towards Habana Outpost, which is New York's first eco-friendly restaurant. Plenty of benches, umbrella, and colorful decorations. Great place for drinking margaritas outdoor on a sunny day!


My favorite part about this restaurant is the open-air bathrooms that are OUTSIDE. There are no ceilings! While you are peeing, you can look up at the sky! Walking into that bathroom, which is similar to walking into a really large trashcan (only because of its ridged, metal exterior - not because of a horrid stentch), is like accidentally stumbling upon Tutenkamen's tomb. You open the "trashcan" doors expecting to pee in a hole in the ground - only to find a gleaming, white toilet bowl!!!!

We then walked to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden to see the cherry blossoms. Unfortunately, we got there a little later than expected and the event was not worth the $12 we would have had to pay to see the last 30 minutes. Instead, we walked the perimeter of the park, from the outside, and were able to catch glimpses of the cherry blossom trees and also the girls dressed up as geisha.

Then it was off to the Brooklyn Museum for Target First Saturday - enjoy free admission to the museum from 5-11pm on every first Saturday of the month. The Brooklyn Museum is extremely vast and diverse in its art selection - there is classical art, impressionism, feminist art, modern art, Egyptian art, Asian art, African art, you name it. The rotunda on the 4th floor is transformed into a dance floor, with a deejay spinning African tunes. Young kids are quite prevalent on this floor, so be prepared to see lots of adorable toddlers dancing, running around, and falling on the floor.


The first floor also has a band, dancing, and a Dippin Dots stand! Other food and alcohol are also served on the premises.


We discovered we could run up to the second floor, which has a nice outdoor balcony. Of course it was appropriate and only natural that we run up and pose for pictures.


Another perfect ending to another beautiful night with TMC.

Stay tuned to hear about upcoming events with TMC. Donations are on a suggestion-basis and will be used towards the purchase of a minivan to transport our members from borough to borough as we discover New York one museum at a time.