Is it just me or does the High Line keep getting cooler? Last year there were a few vendors selling ice cream and sugary treats up there; this year food options will expand to Northern Spy Food Co., The Taco Truck and more. And Terroir wine bar is operating a sit-down cafe with wine, beer, paninis, etc!
You can also see a 15-foot bronze sculpture of a headless giant.
More info about High Line’s food programs.
As we head into the weekend I think back to where I was last Sunday, a sweet little spot that’s been around forever but is clearly loved just the right amount.
Epistrophy on Mott is an Italian-ish cafe/wine bar named after a Thelonious Monk/Kenny Clark jazz standard. Sundays are especially charming, when a lively jazz band sets the mood. We sat by large windows that opened onto outdoor tables and wished our lives were Midnight in Paris.
Comfy and rustic, Epistrophy feels lived in—but you won’t be grossed out. The table bread has the consistency of cupcakes.The wine list is reasonable ($25 carafes, $18 house carafes!). Small-ish plates. Low lighting. Some hipsters. Cash only. I went with friends but it would make a good date spot. Or you could just sit at the bar and get lost in the music. Although it would help if you had a few tats. And a backless, bra-less unitard.
Without a scene. Near a subway. Where your marg can be made with lime juice instead of sour mix if you ask nicely. And the chips are free. And you don’t smell like fajitas when you leave.
And so I present to you … Tepito Taqueria & Cantina on First Ave at 14th Street. If it were any closer to public transportation it would be on the L. This is a big space with good food and huge windows that open onto the street, keeping it bright and airy. There’s also a large table that’s great for groups. We tried the Mahi Mahi BLT Tacos (yes, topped with bacon)! Most tacos are around $15—not exactly Mexican-street-food cheap, but the accompanying black beans and rice make them meal-worthy.
In addition to Tepito’s selection of nearly 30 tequilas, there are also four Mexican beers on tap, which is rare. Happy hour is a big deal here: $5 margs (although I opted for the pricier Spicy Guayaba made with jalapeno-infused tequila and guava puree).
Overall, a convenient Mexican spot to grab a bite with a friend and catch up on convo without blaring music or drunk kids making out in the corner.
I’ve been wanting to get into juicing for a while now; the only thing preventing me was the cost of Breville juicers. But last night I saw Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead and it really made me think. As far as documentaries go, it doesn’t examine the deep social and economic factors that contribute to obesity—this is director Joe Cross’s first foray into moviemaking (he’s actually an investor/entrepreneur).
Still, I couldn’t help but be touched by the stories of people in the film (especially Phil the truck driver). These men turn their lives around by consuming only macronutrients in fresh fruits and vegetables and combining that with exercise. While a complete fast may be difficult/unnecessary/too extreme for some people, there’s no doubt that frequent juicing can improve your health.
Am I a sucker? Maybe. But an inspired sucker who will be buying a Breville juicer (with a 20% off coupon).
The doc is available streaming on Netflix; also here on Hulu for free.
And let’s hope it’s soon. I discovered Nutwhats at a farmer’s market in Scottsdale, AZ: little bites of addictive, buttery, nutty goodness, each flavor combining different ingredients like jalapeno or pretzel or beer or bacon!?!?!? As if it couldn’t get any better, some are drizzled with chocolate.
Don’t ask me any more questions because I just don’t know. All I can say is that these are delectable and I am oh-so-happy for the husband-and-wife team behind them; apparently the move to Whole Foods has been ten years in the making.
Author alert! Jonathan Tropper‘s entertaining, easy-reading novels are funny, smart and relatable. The characters tend to be in their mid-30s, all dysfunctional for different reasons (think Tolstoy), and render flights and commutes tolerable without making you feel bad about yourself for reading chick lit. I hate chick lit. Behold, his canon—I starred my faves.
**This is Where I Leave You: How can a family in mourning be so funny? I don’t know—but I laughed out loud and gave it to my dad.
**The Book of Joe: One of his meatiest, it’s about an author returning to his hometown after 17 years. Strong themes of friendship, family and loss.
Everything Changes: Our hero is engaged to be married but in love with someone else; his estranged dad suddenly drops back into his life. My sister read the entire thing on a three-hour flight.
Plan B: His first book, and it shows. But I love seeing how he’s progressed over time.
How to Talk to a Widower: Waiting for this to come at the library!
I learned this last week at Whitehall, a Modern British restaurant in the West Village, where everyone left happy after a group dinner. Cozy atmosphere. Terrific service. Super gin cocktails. And interesting food with British touches from the team behind Mary Queen of Scots and Highlands.
The Mushy Pea Fritters with Minted Yoghurt (leaving in English “H”) was prob my fave snacky item. Or the House Cut Chips with HP Sauce—our only mistake was not ordering more. App: Salmon with Celery Root-Horseradish Panna Cotta (where weird meets good). Mains ranged from chicken to sea bream to pork chop, and the best dessert was Bitter Chocolate Brownie (not bitter, yes warm, no nuts).
Don’t come here on a diet or a budget. But with a small group celebrating something special, you can eat like the queen for a day.
Of the Pulitzer Prize winners announced this week, the feature photography series Welcome Home is incredibly poignant.
Craig F. Walker of The Denver Post (second Pulitzer in three years!) introduces us to Scott Ostrom, a Marine who returned home from Iraq with a severe case of PTSD.
So I don’t even try. But surely you have heard that wine in a box is back. And Black Box is the best of the bunch as far as taste and value. One box has the same amount of wine as 4 bottles, and because it stays fresh for up to a month, you can drink a little at a time without feeling like it will go to waste. **There’s also something disturbingly gratifying about pouring wine from a spout.** In NYC a box of Shiraz was $24, which comes out to $6 a bottle—for decent, everyday wine (and it’s probably less at Costco). Choose from four reds and four whites—and toast to saving money.
On May 15 at Christie’s, photojournalism prints will be auctioned off in memory of Anton Hammerl, a South African photojournalist killed in Libya last year (around the same time as Tim Hetherington). For 44 days his family was led to believe he was in captivity, when it truth he had been killed by Gaddafi loyalists. He left behind three kids ages 11, 8 and 1; the auction will raise money for their education costs.
Leading contemporary photojournalists have donated their work to the auction, which is the first of its kind at Christie’s. Please consider attending, bidding or donating to the family of this talented man who was left to die in the desert.
Learn more at friendsofanton.org.
Read a piece from The Atlantic last year.
Photo: flickr/sodaniechea
iknowcoolthings 