MitchW

Well, I can certainly start with Healdsburgh up in Sonoma. I think you really have to want to drive to explore Napa and Sonoma, however. Certainly to get over to the Sonoma coast. More civil rights stuff in Greensboro, NC, but once you’ve seen the Woolworth’s and its museum… I’m interested in how many recommendations tend to go south and west of where we are, as opposed to New England and mid-Atlantic. And though I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it at this point, DC can be a very nice city, with some excellent food options. Annapolis is beautiful.

Provincetown - because it's the end of the continent (and where the "pilgrims" actually landed), and it's totally crazy. And our mishpucha are now opening a cocktail place, to go along with their 10-year old sandwich shop. Do not go in the summer, but just before and a bit after are fine.

Burlington. Gorgeous, on the lake, good food, good markets, much beer. You've been to Memphis and Nashville, but not Knoxville? You may not be missing much. but it's nice. Every little city has its cluster of hipsters trying to do good stuff.

Richmond, VA (and/or concurrently Charlottesville, because I believe Monticello to be a must visit, and also a lot of good people there). Pittsburgh - some really great museums, and quite historic. Those 3 rivers were important. We liked Madison (the final flight of Otis Redding) and Milwaukee.

Sometimes I take the easy way out...these are from King Dumplings, on Hester and Allen...right up there with the best of what I can buy frozen. I think 50 were $13. I get a nice, crunchy bottom on them with this pan frying/steaming method. Wild Alaskan (sockeye) salmon and Alaskan halibut, from Great Alaska seafood. Salted for a few hours, and then roasted in the steam oven - they come out cooked just right. Served with saffron (Basmati) rice pilaf, and sautéed broccoli and carrots.

Those are some cool cookbooks!

\ I made a big batch of this Japanese curry roux (from scratch via this kit), and store it in the fridge and freezer. Chicken thighs on the bone, carrots, Japanese sweet potatoes, red potatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, stock, soy, honey, chicken stock. Started by browning the chicken thighs, skin side down, then cooked the onions, ginger and garlic in the rendered schmaltz before adding the rest of the vegetables, stock, seasonings and chicken back in to braise along with everything else. Dissolved a few cubes of the roux and added them; it thickens quite quickly, so I tend to have some stock on hand if it needs thinning. Japanese curry rice with chicken. (Normally, a Japanese short-grain rice would accompany, but last night I made Jasmine rice instead, so I could have plenty leftover for fried rice).

And now I think I would opt for dining in the bar area or at the bar, for the a La carte option, as opposed to the prix fixe.

Yes, in trying to find out a little lore about it, I think it's in a private collection at this point... Above is from Musee Picasso, in Paris. And from MoMA: Pablo Picasso. Little Girl Jumping Rope. Vallauris, 1950–[54]. Bronze. Private collection

Made a giant pot of ragu (as well as a fair-sized batch of meatballs) yesterday (that's a one-quart saucepan behind the much larger saucepan the ragu is cooking in): Beef, pork, sausage, Italian San Marzanos, soffritto. So... Spaghetti, ragu, meatballs.

Anyone who is even a minor Picasso fan should run, not walk, to this stunning show. Mostly drawn from the artist's estate, some pieces are being seen for the very first time in public, others (privately held) not having been seen for years. And it's a good stop on the way to The Met.

Just seeing this, and we had a really great meal at Kalaya - 4 of us, and I don't think there was a clunker with anything we ordered. Also enjoyed the seafood restaurant via Vernick quite a bit.

AFter the Trombone Shorty gig the other night, it looks as if EC talked a bit to a reporter from the post (either not realizing, or caring, who it was)... https://nypost.com/2025/05/21/entertainment/elvis-costello-may-be-done-with-new-music-let-somebody-else-make-records/ This is classic Elvis, when he's getting interviewed: I think this might be the 150th time he's said this.

Seared ahi tuna from Great Alaska, ikura, avo, cherry tomato, gari over trfny rice (koshihikari).

Last night, Trombone Shorty did a gig in Soho, with any number of special guests, including EC, Larry Campbell, Bernie Williams, and others... Alerted to this earlier in the day, I did my due diligence and walked over to Centre Street, rode the elevator up to the performance space, heard some soundcheck going on, asked about possibly getting in, and was told, very politely, no way. Soho Sessions are private gigs, with corporate sponsorship, often with charitable institutions involved. And fancy guest lists (there was a time, back in the day, when I was often a +1 to gigs like this, but that was when record stores really mattered, as a very old and close friend managed the largest Tower Records in the world). This morning, when I saw photos of guests arriving to the gig last evening, I'm not that surprised that they weren't letting my ass in. Whoopi, McEnroe, Turturro, Porizkova (worth the price of admission alone!) and others way more important than yours truly. Can't say I didn't give it the old college try.

A couple of Graham Parker gigs over the last few weeks, including one at a friend's place on Staten Island... Amazing thing about Graham, other than actually remembering me by name over all these years, is that he never uses a lyric sheet or anything to help remember the lyrics to songs, some of which are well over 50 years old.

I was trying to make my parents proud; they put up with a lot of shit, and a lot of loud music (especially the Stones, Kinks, et al.) while I was still in high school!

Good to see that they can undercook duck there (looks like sous vide) as well.

MY wife is quite amazed that I am clueless when it comes to all those detective/cop/crime drama shows. I was too busy watching the Honeymooners, Get Smart, Green Acres, et al.

I believe the lyric is "Yankee detectives are always on the TV..." And "Watching the Detectives" was written by Elvis Costello, after listening to that first Clash album, on headphones, for like 12 hours straight. Originally recorded with members of Graham Parker's band, The Rumour.

As John Hiatt opined: Oh, it breaks my heart to see those stars Smashing a perfectly good guitar I don't know who they think they are Smashing a perfectly good guitar

Pan-seared wild Gulf shrimp, Hokkaido scallops, salad.

Where's Door Dash get their $$ from?

I'll be honest - I don't remember. Though looking at the current menu, I'm pretty sure we like the gnocco frito, braised beans, the pastas, and I'd probably order the braised lamb.

A couple of recent dinners: Penne with chick peas and green beans - ramp pesto. With a big salad. Crispy-skinned chicken thigh, pan gravy. Sautéed green beans with shallots. Potato salad alongside.