Everything here is good…let’s get busy–jaaaa!Golden hash browns with onions…magically soothing.Bacon that makes us go, “YABBA-DABBA-DOO!”Star of the show: pecan waffle. . .GOBBLELICIOUS!
Never forget the goodness of your local Waffle House…totally worthy of your attention.
You gotta pop in here every now and then…
…the hash browns are delectable…
…the bacon is delightful…
…and the pecan waffle is warm and cozy.
Slather the waffle with the buttery spread…
…douse the waffle with syrup…
…enjoy.
“There is great wisdom in simplicity.” Can’t remember who said or wrote this…probably some long-dead genius…
…no matter, it’s worth keeping in mind at all times in all situations.
Pop into your local Waffle House some time soon and lap up the simple wonderfulness of it all…
…you deserve good food and good vibes in every form you can find them…
Evenings under the palms…we want more!Sunrises over the palms…we want more!Tasty fishes and tomatoes and sauces…we want more!Celebrations with warm restauranteurs…we want more!Lunches full of savory goodness…we want more!Succulent burgers hiding under crisp lettuce…we want more-more-more!Bloodys by the beach…we can’t get enough!This is all we are…so enjoy everything NOW!365 rises til 2025…the sun keeps coming up no matter what…mmm, aaaah!
We send positive and joyous vibes to all of you. . .feel them. . .they are good for you.
Keep looking toward the light…
…help others where you can…
…help yourself whatever way you can…
…send good thoughts and vibes outward…
…feel the goodness come back to you in waves of mysterious magicalness.
Happy 2024 or 5217 or 4957 or whatever year you think this is…
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!
Newark to Paris…no fuss, no muss…we highly recommend.Just in time for asparagus season…YES!Strawberries are happenin’ now, too…OUI!Champagne is always in season…magnifique!Delectable roast chicken is ubiquitous…always a winner.Gobble it all…jaaaa!Walk it off…gotta stay fit for more good stuff to come…sante!
Popping over to Paris from NYC is as easy as ever now…we highly recommend the new-ish airline called La Compagnie. They are business-class-only…they do extremely easy check-in at Newark Airport…boarding is simple and jostle-free…get seated…plane takes off…no announcements onboard…eat a meal…sleep a few hours…and BOOM you arrive at Orly…then a smooth 20-minute cab ride, and you are in the Left Bank. . .wonderful!!
We drop bags at our hotel and head out to Rue Cler for all the snacks and beverages we need to get acclimated. . .as you can see above asparagus are in season now, strawberries are wonderful now, roast chicken is always a winner–can never go wrong with this…and champagne is welcome, ubiquitous and delicious–mmm, aaaahh!
After indulging a bit we always remember to ‘walk-it-off’. . .strolling here, there and everywhere. . .and doing serious “walkies” every morning…this is a must to help us stay fit and prepared for the great meals to come. Make sure you stay fit, and you, too, can eat and drink to your heart’s delight as we all do our best to keep enjoying the passage of time.
This will all be over soon…so enjoy everything NOW…
…and Paris, as you know, is one of the greatest places to do this…
The gringo senses there is more to this guy than just ‘Nighthawks’…mmhhmmm.Human moments captured for our contemplation…what are we all doin’ here anyway?Hopper knows that we all stare out the window wondering, ‘wtf?’The gringo lost in the meatpacking district…send help pleeeezzzzzz.
BAM! There is an Edward Hopper exhibit happening at the Whitney here in New York Citaaaaay right now…you should check it out if you can…
…it ends on March 5…
…so you should get over here RIGHT NOW…
…or any time before March 5.
Hopper is quite the artist…there is much more to him than Nighthawks…much to my surprise.
He can draw really well…he can paint really well…keen eye for moments of human activity and cityscapes that draw you in and make you go, ‘wow, woweewowow…what are we all doin’ here anyway?’
The Whitney is on Gansevoort Street in the meatpacking district of Manhattan,,,
…wonderful way to spend a morning or afternoon…
…so much to see and do in the Whitney…lovely…
…just be careful when wandering around outside down here…
…the Louis Vuitton store is close by, and the sales people are working hard to get us to buy a bag covered in polka dots…
Gorgeous wine town and region…the gringo is very happy here–jaaa!Lower Saint-Emilion as seen from upper Saint-Emilion…YES!The vineyards are magical…the wines are glorious…mmm, aaaah!
Saint-Emilion is one of the most beautiful towns in all of the Bordeaux wine region…we are honored to have the opportunity to spend time here.
Saint-Emilion is located about 50 kms. east of the city of Bordeaux…very easy to drive here, perfect day-trip when staying in Bordeaux…or you can stay in Saint-Emilion itself…lovely village, a top-notch Relais is available for sleeping here and there is a two-star restaurant in the Relais to satisfy your hunger for fabulous food. . .magical, all of it is just magical.
This place is all about ‘terroir’, great wines, great food and enjoying the passage of time with deliciousness all around you.
We love Saint-Emilion…we love the whole Bordeaux region of France. . .come on out here some time, you will love it, too–I gar-ron-taaaaayy!
Joan of Arc monument extraordinaire.A museum, a church, a stake/cross marking her martyrdom spot.Interior of Joan of Arc church…total jawdropper!This is the spot…ah, Joan!Actual spot where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake…WOW!
May 30, 1431, Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in the market square of Rouen, the capital of Normandy, in what today we call the country of France.
The actual spot is supposedly marked by the cross you see above. The area surrounding the spot is filled with a garden and a museum and a church built in her honor back in 1979.
The central market square of Rouen here in present-day France is lovely, cozy, charming. The oldest restaurant in France is here, La Couronne, where Julia Child had her first meal in France back in 1948…she was blown away, and the rest is history as she lived in Paris with her husband and became a master chronicler of French cooking.
But back to Joan…she was a mere 19 years old when burned at the stake by the English who ruled here in the time during the Hundred Years War…during the madness of Protestant versus Catholic…during the endless fighting to determine who would rule this land: English, French, Saxon, Norman, etc. and so on…same as it ever was.
WOW, amazing to have one of the best lunches of our lives in La Couronne just a few meters away from where Joan was burned…she screamed the names of three of her favorite saints to help her as the flames grew, and then just before she lost consciousness she screamed, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!”…all of this just across the way from the oldest tavern/restaurant in France. Ah, the absurdities and mysteries of human existence.
Anyway, this museum and church complex are amazing…this square is amazing…this town is lovely: Rouen, the capital of Normandy. Please come here and visit if you ever get the chance…you will love it–I gar-ron-taaaayy!
Tomatoes, etc….YES!Ersters, etc…SI!Negroni…slurrrrp!Dis is da joint…jaaaa!Urban oasis…mmmhhmmm!
OK, Coco Shack is rockin’ over on Prince Street and Coco Pazzo is rollin’ here on Spring Street…we love ’em both, and you should, too.
Coco Shack is located right next to Raoul’s on Prince Street…this is a cozy little off-shoot of the main Coco Pazzo joint. The ‘shack’ offers up lots of tasty seasonal and seafood snacks: salads, oysters, calamari…focaccia sandwiches…a few pastas and assorted other items. No cocktails…only wine and beer to wash down all of their tasty grub. Chill setting and welcoming staff make this place a winner for a relaxing snack session.
Coco Pazzo is over on Spring Street just a block away from The Ear Inn, one of NYC’s oldest and chillest bars. Pazzo is the main joint in the Manhattan Coco empire…full bar–lovely Negroni, lots of apps, pizzas and pastas…all of this stuff is delicious, well-prepared and served with a switched-on welcoming vibe…plus, the setting is delightful with sun-dappled tables outside and relaxing tables inside–your choice…mmmm, aaaaahh–wonderful urban oasis.
So, check out one of these Italian gems the next time you are in the Soho section of Manhattan lookin’ for somethin’ good to eat and drink, and the Coco folks will welcome you with open arms and serve you everything you need to get your mind right…saluti!!
WOW! Here we are gobbling away at the only Michelin-star noodle joint in the country: Jeju Noodle Bar over on Christopher St. in the West Village section of Manhattan in beautiful New York Citaaaaaay! Let’s check it out and see what’s what.
Jeju Noodle Bar is owned and operated by a dude called Douglas Kim who used to cook at Bouley and Per Se. He left those places and opened Jeju to revisit his Korean heritage and experiment with his native cuisine. His mission: elevate humble noodle dishes to the highest level possible…the result: SUCCESS.
He has elevated things so high that Jeju has been awarded one star from Michelin for the past five years…and it appears that this will continue for some time to come–jaaaa!
This place is great, period.
During our visit we ingest the following: an appetizer of chopped toro, caviar, uni, scrambled eggs and rice…this is served stacked in a slightly cylindrical presentation, and it is spectacularly good. This dish was created because the chef needed a way to utilize the soft-boiled eggs that aren’t good enough to be served in his exquisite bowls of ramyun…voila!, a magical appetizer is born…mmmm, aaaah!
Next we do ramyun–Korean noodle soup. One is called ‘family’ ramyun and the other is ‘wagyu’ ramyun…’family’ is full of pork, herbs, veggies and a perfect soft-boiled egg with magical oozing yolk…the ‘wagyu’ ramyun is full of thin-sliced wagyu beef, herbs, veggies and that perfect soft-boiled egg. Both of these ramyuns are in a broth that is succulent, rich and full of collagen–good for our skin, our health and our taste buds. . .ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!
After this we do an order of the fried chicken…it comes with a drumstick and a thigh–dark meat, baby! The skin is crispy and well-seasoned, and the meat is juicy and tasty…a dipping sauce comes on the side–this is a creamy savory concoction that includes a scoop of caviar that is mixed in the sauce…we dip our chicken in this savory caviar mixture and gobble away–WOW, totally Michelin-star-worthy.
We wash the whole meal down with glasses of Chablis…delightful!!
This is a great meal served by totally switched-on staff in a soothing setting. . .we could not be happier.
The Michelin people got this right…noodles elevated to the highest level possible with lots of other tasty items available for extremely satisfying gobbling. . .we love this joint!
So, if you ever find yourself craving noodles in the West Village of Manhattan pop on over to Jeju Noodle Bar…maybe they will seat you as a walk-in. The better approach is to make a reservation, secure your seats, then leisurely arrive at your appointed time, check in, be seated, and get ready for a noodle bar experience unlike any that you have had before.
Double-fisted goodness–jaaa!Delectable and delightful.Gobbletime!
Tooling around here in Las Vegas we notice IN-N-OUT burger joints everywhere…so we take this opportunity to finally gobble the grub in one of these, and it is well-worth the wait. . .mmm, aaaahh!
IN-N-OUT joints are only found in the the western U.S….we spend most of our time in the eastern U.S., Europe and Asia. . .we gotta jump on this while the jumpin’ is good…BOOM!
The menu here is simple: burgers–single/double, cheese/no cheese…fries…drinks. . .that’s it.
We do a double–aka double-double–, a single, some fries and some iced teas.
The staff and ordering process are both lovely and easygoing…really friendly feeling.
Our burgers arrive, and they look fresh…they really look like they are made with a bit of love. . .makes us feel real good.
We sit down and eat. . .the burgers are delicious–fresh, tasty, warm meat, cool lettuce…quite soothing.
The fries are ‘meh’…nothing special…fresh-cut but not all that flavorful…California clean might be a good way to describe them.
And the iced tea is clean and tea-like. . .free-flowing, we can refill as much as we like–jaaaa!
Overall, I give IN-N-OUT a thumbs-up. I would eat here again and again just for the taste of the burger and the extremely friendly service. . .the rest of the grub is unmemorable.
The next time you are in the western U.S. pop into IN-N-OUT if you see one…grab a quick bite…then move on with your life…you will enjoy it, I gar-ron-taaaay!!
GlobeHug 