“Old” New York hangin’ on–

Spring is definitely in the air here in New York City, and some of the older charming bits of the city are doing their best to hang on and not be overrun by aggressive expansion and gentrification.  Some cases in point can be seen above: classic exposed wooden water tanks still dot the skyline in the East Village–this particular one is apparently ‘cool’ with the blue skies and surrounding construction. . .Russ & Daughters on East Houston Street is still serving up the best lox-and-cream-cheese-on-a-bagel in the whole city, or at least we like to think that they are–totally delicious stuff. . .and all of the buildings around the famous Katz’s Deli have been torn down, and a large shiny apartment building is going to rise up over this iconic sandwich shop–hopefully Katz’s will live on for another one or two-hundred years serving the best pastrami and chopped liver to all of the folks who will take up residence on this storied corner of goodness. . .mmmm, aaaahh!

It is fascinating to have spent over half of my life in this town and to see the changes taking place here each and every day. . .dramatic changes in some cases.  Are the changes for the bettering or the worsening of New York?  I don’t know. . .I don’t care. . .not sure that anyone cares, really.  But I do know this: New York City is ever-changing, ever-evolving, ever-moving upward and onward. . .this place is KINETIC.  So, if you don’t like change and evolution and movement and kineticism, then you must go somewhere else. . .we love changeolutionovementicism, and we ain’t goin’ nowhere.  Come here and enjoy yourself for a week or two or stay for the rest of your life–either way New York will continue to do what it does best: VIBRATE!  Saluti!!

I send you scintillating vibes from East Houston Street. . .feel them. . .they will send a chill up your spine that will make you go, “YEEEEHAAAAAHH!!”

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It’s lovely out there.

Yuh-meeeee weekend eats–

POW!  Out and about this weekend we are gobbling spicy ramen at a new joint on Cornelia Street in the West Village, AND we are gobbling puffed-dough with prosciutto and quite possibly the tastiest meatballs in all of Manhattan at Rafele on the corner of Seventh Avenue and Morton Street. . .mmm, aaaahh!  This stuff is all delectable and really does a fine job of helping us enjoy the passage of time while so much nastiness is happening all around planet Earth.  If everyone on Earth could eat these meatballs, then there would be less death and destruction everywhere. . .really, a lot less. . .if only we could make this happen.

Be sure you find some good food and some good drink today and every day, and be sure to enjoy these things with people who don’t make you nauseous–this is a fine formula for enjoying the mysterious existence that we have all been given…saluti!

I send you oh-so soothing vibes from the new ramen joint and Rafele in the West Village section of Manhattan, New York City. . .feel them. . .they are good for your well-being.

To see more magical images from around our teeny-tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .dive on in. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

Still number one–

BAM!  We hit our favorite place for roasted chicken in New York City last night, and we are happy to report that it is still number one in our book.  The place is Marc Forgione down on Reade Street in the Tribeca section of Manhattan, and the dish is the famous ‘chicken under a brick’…mmmm, aaaaahh!  The chicken arrives to our table sizzling in its juices and butter…loaded with potatoes and garlic cloves and broccoli rabe…totally delectable.  We gobble away into the night sipping a little chablis to wash everything down. . .and then the man himself, Marc Forgione–the owner of this wonderful restaurant, Iron Chef, all-around chill dude–comes out and says ‘hello’ to us capping off a wonderful evening of chatting, gobbling, sipping, and spending time with dear family members.

Please eat something good today with some folks you enjoy being around. . .not gonna let the elevator bring us down…oh no, let’s go CRAZY!!

I send you delightful vibes from Marc Forgione…feel them. . .they are good for your vitality.

To see more amazing images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .you can go just about anywhere that you like right here, right NOW.

It’s lovely out there.

Springtime drinkin’ n gobblin’–

MMM!  The flowers are bloomin’, the margaritas are flowin’, the chicken wings are sizzlin’, and the egg yolks are runnin’. . .we love springtime in New York City, and above you see us doin’ our thang at Great Jones Cafe, DBGB, and Blind Tiger Ale House. . .mmmm, aaaahh!!  All of these places can be found along the Bowery, in Noho, and in the West Village of Manhattan. . .all you gotta do is get out there, walk around a bit, and all of your gobblin’ and sippin’ dreams will come true.

I send you warm vibes from wonderful locales in and around our ‘hood…feel them…they will help you straighten up and fly right.

To see more magical images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .lots of good stuff is waiting for your perusal right here, right NOW.

It’s lovely out there.

We’re jonesin’ for some Jones–

BOOM!  Back in New York City, and we hit the ground hard with a sippin’ and gobblin’ session at the Great Jones Cafe located on Great Jones Street in the Noho section of Manhattan…mmm, aaaahh!  They serve up tasty New Orleans-style grub here, and it is quite good. . .above you see us gettin’ busy with some whiskey and margaritas to get our saliva glands primed for some spicy chicken wings and a crawfish boil…this all serves as a perfect appetizer for the blackened catfish and gumbo that we devour afterwards…damn, it’s good to be back in New York.

Anytime that you want to put some Cajun food or Creole food or some combination thereof in your mouth, then you should head on over to the Great Jones Cafe…they have been rockin’ this stuff for about thirty years now, and I don’t see them stoppin’ any time soon–you will love it here, I gar-ron-taaaayy!!

I send you tangy and potent vibes from Great Jones. . .feel them. . .they will make you walk straight and tall.

To see more magical images from around our teeny-tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .dive on in. . .you can go just about anywhere that you like right here, right NOW.

It’s lovely out there.

Rockin’ the night away–

JAAA!  We have found another wonderful pub here in Madison, Wisconsin…this one is called the Up North Pub, and this places ROCKS!  Cozy and woodsy atmosphere inside with lots of fake trees, bushes, and stuffed wildlife–fun, fun, fun…chilled-out crowd…tasty beers on tap…great location just off Willy Street…and live music, too. . .we love it here!  Very easy to settle in and let the night roll into the morning while sipping on brews and listening to heartfelt rockin’ tunes, Up North-style.

The Up North Pub is located right across the street from a nice restaurant called Sardine. . .so you can have a wonderful meal and then head over here for your night-cap. . .yes, I call this a lovely way to spend an evening in the town of Madison. . .mmmm, aaaahh!

I send you tons of midwestern vibes from the Up North Pub. . .feel them. . .they can help you move upward and onward.

To see more stupendous images from around our teeny-tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

Fine dining…Wisconsin-style–

OK, so this is one of the hot spots in Madison, Wisconsin for fine dining at the moment…it’s called Sardine, and we like it a lot…not magnificent by any means but totally serviceable and somewhat satisfying.

The draw here is that Sardine is a seafood place in what is mostly a meat and beer town.  My wife and I order the charcuterie platter and devour the whole thing–the butchers and meat purveyors of Wisconsin make great cured meats, sausages, pates, etc.–this stuff is totally tasty…the meats at Sardine are supplied by a James-Beard-Award-winning dude just up the street who runs a place called The Underground Butcher–we popped in his place on Willy Street and were totally impressed with everything they are doing there, so, Sardine knows what they are doing in this respect.

Next we have a frisee-type salad with a runny egg on top…totally devoured this as well–delicioso!

Then we have fish…I am doing a pan-roasted hake, and my wife is doing a sauteed monkfish…both of the fishes themselves are nicely cooked, but the chef is adding too much other stuff to both of our dishes…things like yams, sauces, slightly over-cooked veggies, etc., and we find that these ‘extras’ get in the way of the fish itself.  A small thing, a thing that can easily be remedied, yet something that keeps us from going “mmm, aaaahh” in the biggest way possible.

The whole meal is made wonderful by the crisp and clean Sancerre that we use to wash everything down, AND the amazing staff who takes care of us during our meal–especially our wait-person: a super-chilled chick who knows exactly when to check in on us and when to leave us alone…Wisconsin people ROCK as far as I can tell, and they certainly know what they are doing at Sardine.

So, definitely eat at Sardine if you want a semi-fine dining experience in Madison, but do not expect to be blown away…just subtly satisfied–which sometimes is just good enough.

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It’s lovely out there.

Wisconsin State Capitol–

BOOM!  Here are some street scenes in front of and around the capitol building of Madison, Wisconsin.  We are lucky that it is a bright sunny day today…the air is crisp…and Wisconsin ‘wall of nice’ is all around us. . .mmm, aaahh!…feels good, real good.

The capitol building itself is the second biggest in the U.S….the capitol building in Washington D.C. is the biggest.  It is made of stone and marble from something like 8 or 9 different states, and no other building in Madison within a mile of this structure is allowed to be taller…so you can pretty much see the dome from just about any location in town…really a dramatic and impressive sight.

The area surrounding the building is known as ‘capitol square’ and is chok-full of bars, restaurants, and coffee shops that cater to all of the government workers, tourists, political agitators, locals, students, etc. who want good food and drink in a convenient location.  We love it here, and we are confident that you will too if you ever find yourself wandering around in the capitol of Wisconsin…so come on out here some time and have your own midwest adventure–jaaa!!

I send you exploratory vibes from the heart of Madison, Wisconsin…feel them…they will make you go, “aaaahh!”

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It’s lovely out there.

#1 bar…Madison, WI–

YES!  We have found it…quite possibly the coolest bar in the town of Madison, Wisconsin…it’s called Mickey’s, and it ROCKS!  Mickey’s is located at the eastern end of Willy Street…it is old, it is full of characters, the staff is totally chilled and welcoming, the drinks are delicious–one of the finest bloody marys that we have ever had can be had here…and the food is tasty and hearty–mmm, aaaahh!  We gobble the “famous” Mickey’s Burger–really delicious and meaty…the mac ‘n’ cheese with boloney rings–oh-so comforting…then I gotta have a slice of the housemade carrot cake–absolutely delectable. . .and we wash everything down with bloodys and beers–damn good.

Please, if you ever find yourself wandering around in the Willy Street section of Madison, then make your way to Mickey’s. . .this place will set you straight real fast. . .you can thank me later.

I send you well-settled and grounded pub vibes from Mickey’s in Madison, Wisconsin…feel them…they will make you smile real-big-like.

To see more amazing images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .dive on in. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

Battling architects–

OK, so here we are toolin’ around near Frank Lloyd Wright’s hometown, Spring Green, Wisconsin.  Spring Green is the site of FLW’s famous home and workspace that he called ‘Taliesin.’  Taliesin is a Gaelic word that means “shining brow”…a brow that glistens and yet blends in with the surrounding countryside, something like that.

Taliesin itself is a magnificent structure that sits discreetly on a hill overlooking hundreds of acres of surrounding Wisconsin rolling hills…it is the epitome of what has come to be known as FLW’s Prairie-style.  Absolutely wonderful to visit and gaze upon.

About ten miles from Taliesin is something called The House on the Rock.  This is a kooky monstrosity that was built by a guy called Alex Jordan, Jr. some time after Wright finished Taliesin.  Jordan was an aspiring architect who greatly admired FLW and wanted to make an impression on him and possibly gain his respect and support. . .so the story goes that Jordan showed FLW the plans for his house to which FLW responded, “I wouldn’t hire you to design a chicken coop or anything else.”  This, of course, bummed out Jordan, and he then decided to build his house on a rock near Taliesin so that FLW would have to see his house all of the time. . .FLW fought this, there was much litigation, but Jordan built his house, and you can visit it today, if you like.  It is kooky and weird and lots of fun. . .check it out if you ever find yourself driving along the Frank Lloyd Wright Memorial Highway between Spring Green and Dodgeville…not a bad way to kill an hour or two.  Then please head over to Taliesin and see the masterpiece itself. . .really amazing stuff.

I send you competing vibes from south central Wisconsin…feel them…it is easy to see who the winner is.

To see more amazing images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .dive on in. . .you can go just about anywhere that you like right here, right NOW.

It’s lovely out there.