The gringo is excited to view rarely seen Buddha stuff from India…om shanti.Dharma Wheel…here long before gringo, and here long after gringo…ommmm…Smooth Buddha depiction…first time outside of India…om mani padme hum.
KAPOWY! There is a hot exhibit of Buddha images and relics at The Met right now…we gotta check it out.
This show is full of stone statues, pillars, friezes and chunks of stupas that display a full range of Buddhist imagery in India from 2,000 years ago or so–many never seen outside of India before. . .plus, there are solid gold goblets and ceremonial jewelry that all make us go, “WOW!”…really lovely stuff.
Walking through this show brings back memories of the many temples, monasteries and stupas that we have visited all over the world. . .the atmosphere…the feel…the vibes…the mysteries of existence…the attempts to bring order to the chaos of the universe–it’s all here. . .mmmm, aaaahh!
And then on the way out we get to visit with our old friends Gauguin, Monet, Van Gogh, Cezanne, etc.. . .great museums of the world are wonderful. . .keep supporting and visiting them all wherever you are.
Gettin’ primed for lunch at Ballato…mmm, aaahh!Caprese…lovely choice for antipasto…mmhhmmm!Clams oreganoto…another lovely antipasto choice…lemon with pricetag is free-of-charge.Veal parm that makes you go, “WOW!”Spaghetti pomodoro…totally worthy of your attention–YES!Happy boy.The owner, Emilio/Mario, grants us a photo…magnifico!
WOW! It’s true, Ballato on Houston Street here in beautiful New York Citaaaaaay is still as great as ever. Top notch southern Italian grub served up in a room full of charm and coziness and magic. . .mmm, aaaahh!
Ballato opened in 1956…EVERYONE you have ever heard of has eaten here…why?…because the food is fabulous, that’s why. If you love devouring delicious Italian food, then you must eat here at some point, period, end-of-story.
The staff are chill and totally switched-on…the atmosphere is low-key like Louis-in-the-Bronx from The Godfather…everyone keeps to themselves, sips beverages generously and gobbles the extremely delicious grub knowing that there is nothing better being served anywhere in this big city. . .we all know that things are good here, no need to show off or wonder where else we should be. . .we are here, we are in it, we are lunching at Emilio’s Ballato–jaaaaa!
We start with delicious martinis, then we get busy with our antipasti: caprese and clams oregenoto. . .both wonderful and delicious.
Next we do the magical veal parm–STUPENDO!…and the classic spaghetti pomodoro–delectable and delightful.
We wash everything down with a tasty bottle of montepulciano…perfecto.
To finish, double espresso with a little warm milk on the side. . .lovely.
The current owner, Emilio…or is it Mario?, is here holding court with friends and colleagues at a table in front of the house. . .ever watchful…ever vigilant…making sure that everything is perfect from the delicious warm bread served to every table to the presentation of every bowl of spaghetti pomodoro. . .he even begrudgingly does a photo with us. . .grazie, Emilio/Mario, grazie mille!
So, all of you, know this: you gotta eat here once or twice or three times. . .Ballato wants to put grub and drink in yer belly, sooth you a bit, then send you back out into the wilds of Houston Street to do battle as you do your best to enjoy the passage of time.
Come to Ballato…you will love it–I gar-ron-taaaaaayy!
Beach time is the right time for tranquility-ness…jaaaa!Snack shack attack…mmm, aaaahh!Breezy grassy sandy tundra of the northeast…okeedokee, if we must.Nice joint for a short stay…Google to learn more.Bloody and rose for brekky…always an uplifting choice.Chicken hash…GOBBLE!Lobster roll…not too shabby at all…INHALE!Amagansett branch of one of our favorite dining joints…magnifico!Cozy Il Buco vibes…stupendo!Pizza and rose…all day, baby, allllllll daaaaaaaayyyyyy looooonggggggggg!!
KABOOMY! Time for some summer fun in the northeast of the U.S. of A.. . .how about the village of Amagansett out in “The Hamptons” of Long Island? We say, “YES!” Let’s check it out.
A good joint for a quick stay out here is a B-n-B called ‘434 on Main’…we highly recommend this place, a house, on Main Street, with simple bedrooms and tasty breakfast served up by the owners: Cam and Victor Gelb. . .Google to learn more…you will love this place, I gar-ron-taaaayy!
Staying on Main Street means we can park the car and walk everywhere we want to go during our entire stay in Amagansett…
…we can walk to Christian’s by Wolffer Estate in the village for brunch–very tasty…
…we can walk to Il Buco al Mare for din-din–totally delicious…
…we can walk to Atlantic Beach for soothing beach time–wonderfully lovely…
…we can walk to Fini for pizza–surprisingly gobble-worthy…
…we can walk to Amber Waves for supplies–super convenient…
…etc. and so on.
Amagansett is a chill town located between bustling Easthampton and overrun Montauk…
…great choice when you wanna be in ‘The Hamptons’ with minimum effort and maximum enjoyment.
Come on out here when you gotta be in the northeast during the summer…
GlobeHug 