MitchW

I LOVE our two new air conditioners! I hope to get 3 years of service from each one.

How was your trip, food-wise?

Caprese salad (beefsteak and heirloom tomatoes). Roasted chicken thigh. Sautéed Lani's Farm squash with Jersey white corn off the cob.

I just heard tonight, from a well connected person, that this may even go on in the civil service!

Roasted five ears of real Jersey white corn, procured earlier in the day at the greenmarket. I'd never done this in the countertop oven; came out great. Buttered, served with a Greek salad, with greenmarket tomatoes, lettuce, cukes. Olives are hiding under it all. Sometimes this is all we need in the heat (I did eat two ears of corn).

And how were the portions?!

So - Forlini's doesn't really fit. Frost was good - but it also doesn't fit. And I remember a place in Dyker Heights we liked - New Corner or something? I've yet to go to Bamonte's.

That covers it pretty well. I did take a look at comparative menu prices, and Park Side appears to be slightly less expensive. Those soft shells were really great (and now I want to try the fried soft shells)!

It's down the block from The Lemon Ice King? In Corona, Queens. Its founder, Tough Tony Federici (RIP), was a capo in the Genovese family? It doesn't take online reservations - you gotta call.

While the menus may be similar, I don't know if any place is kinda the same as Park Side.

Had a meal here the other night which really shined: Double order of their baked clams, which are great. And an order and a half of soft-shells, sautéed. Big and meaty they were. My main, and what I usually order here: Chicken scarpariello, on the bone, with sausage. Don't forget, the mains come with pasta or a salad... I've never been to Bamonte's, so I can't compare, but this is some good old school Italian restaurant food.

Sorta piccata, with shrimp and scallops. Served with rice.

Meanwhile, Remco is a fucking animal!

I guess this is as good a place as any to share this cats vs. dogs piece: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/07/31/opinion/cats-vs-dogs.html?unlocked_article_code=1.AE4.1YPr.A85ASJtUUrUu&smid=url-share

If you were to ask GP, he might say: listen to The Mona Lisa's Sister.

Yeah, too bad his genius got cut so short.

The one who might be at Joshua Tree?

I am.

Ahhh yes, the Saratoga Boys. The Figgs actually still tour occasionally.

A great Graham Parker song! When I got home last night I wanted to make sure my memory was working; indeed it was, as Nick had produced both GP's first and third albums, and a song or two on his second one. And who can forget:

It was really great, and even the interviewer (the SNL guy) was good. Me too (Rockpile). Nick did talk a little bit about when he and Dave were doing some Everly Brothers - said they loved to do those harmonies. But he was also a little sad talking about Dave, and what a recluse he is...he misses him. Note the album that EC is holding here... This picture was taken at the classic record store Village Music in Mill Valley - I want to say around 1985, when a friend and I were shopping at Village Music and they happened to pop in. And Wilf... https://berlin.nyc/tm-event/billy-bremners-rockfiles/

Words and Music last night, at National Sawdust, for the Grammy Museum. The GRAMMY Museum presents A New York Evening With Nick Lowe Playing his Ray Whitley guitar (reissue), which he found and purchased after seeing the original at the Country Music Hall of Fame, in Nashville.

What's a podcast?

Paella. Chicken thigh.

Band breakups sometimes are pretty ugly affairs. Declan wrote one, and strangely enough, it was about a bass player!