small h

Not the worst idea.

Oh, sure, you COULD. It's time I reacquainted myself with the Cyrillic alphabet anyway.

She did fine with what she had to work with. I'm sticking with "adequate."

I'm working on "herring in a fur coat" this week. I'll try to fit "6" in next week.

Yes, like they need a term for self-portrait or menage a trois or lip-synch, because I didn't just list three terms that work fine.

I didn't mind that at all, since the ceiling is high enough that I don't feel claustrophobic. Sitting at the bar at the Grand Delancey or Essex Pearl is very nice, I think. And I was a big fan of the chef residencies at People's Wine. The only not-great option is the part of the Gouie counter that faces The Pickle Guys - I hate sitting with my back "to the room."

Well, she comported herself adequately. It was a pretty weak edition.

I am very sad to be losing Gouie and Essex Pearl. And People's Wine.

There were two of us.

1) I can only count to 5. 2) Even idiots like me know you have to eat while you drink! (starts chanting Селедка под шубой over and over, for next time)

If you go to the Russian Vodka Room with a friend who emigrated a very long time ago from the Soviet Union, and who barely speaks Russian anymore, she will nonetheless be recognized as a native speaker by the staff. Consequently, you will have to conduct business in Russian, despite the fact that you only know about 20 words, and many of them are numbers.

Ah, they will be missed. I need wine advice much more often than I need coiffing.

You've got a lot of company. Did you have to wait long?

(And me, if said friend's parents are picking up the tab.)

I thought the only people who went to Bella Blu were your friend's parents who live in Chatham.

Yeah, you really need both. I ended up calling the friend I was visiting (the phone part of the phone sort of worked) and having him direct me.

Me. After one super-fun time trying to find the Chautauqua Institution while driving through the vast cell-phone-signal-free zone that is Western New York.

I see you've found my 1985 edition of Let's Go Europe.

So true.

Once you throw parsley all over something, it automatically looks 18% better. Parsley is the botox of food.

Portuguese seafood stew with vegetables, notably kale and parsley from the balcony. Also onion, carrot and celery. I love a tomato-and-red-wine-based sludgy mess like this.

We're one up on you. I'm not super into it (nor was I super into the last Feud, although I did end up watching all of it). I'd really like to see more of the glamorous heyday and less of the sordid decline. Just for balance.

I like the look of that menu, and I'm going to go with a couple of friends and check it out.

I found it interminable, and self-indulgent. And I like both performers.

The SE has been my one and only iPhone, and the only disadvantages are it might be a little TOO small, and the camera sucks. But mine's ancient - the new ones might be better.