We seem to be all about contests all the time at the Pink Pig these days, but of course it's symptomatic of the extent to which the hospitality industry is becoming invested in social marketing rather than traditional advertising.
But never mind the commentary, onto the fun. Wait, was that...? No, couldn't be.
Some big eating as April turned to May, back in 2003. Big art: Manet and Velasquez at the Met, Matthew Barney's "Cremaster Cycle" all over the Gugg. Some small, but exquisite, art shows too. I re-visited the Schwitters collages at Ubu Gallery, and also took in a fabulous show of drawings by William Blake at Lubin House: from "The Songs of Innocence," "Gay's Fables," and the Book of Job.
At home, I seared a ribeye steak and served it with a cremini mushroom sauce and a bottle of Los Vascos. But I did even better dining out.
Garofalo pasta has just launched its first United States marketing campaign. Meet The Sleepover Chef (#TheSleepoverChef). And look out for a familiar face in the background.
More about Garofalo pasta, the video, the launch, and a Big Prize contest...
Hey, that was a sunny day, Saturday. Perfect for strolling with the crowds on Greenwich Street at the Tribeca Family Festival Street Fair, an enjoyable adjunct to the annual Film Festival.
Some nice performances, especially from local school groups, and a certain amount of food. Also, the chance to stalk an Iron Chef.
[Pink Pig Time Machine by Wilfrid: April 29, 2013]
Micky Mantle felt he played too long: "My biggest regret was letting my lifetime average drop below
.300. I always felt I was a .300 hitter, and if I could change one thing
that would be it."
Perhaps Joseph Scalice and Wayne Nish let their swish UES townhouse restaurant March overstay its welcome too. Seventeen years is a good run, but sadly it's remembered by some for the perfunctory and disappointing meals it served in its closing months (I ate one of them). In its day, it was rather splendid.
A quick mention of a dish I happened to photograph at the midtown branch of The Smith recently. It was the Monday night special, "15 hour pork."
I should have thought seven hours or less would be plenty. And I wasn't warned about the floury fried onions dumped on top. But the pork itself was quite nice. Essentially pernil served over polenta rather than over rice and beans--although you can get it over rice and beans at the average Dominican lunch counter for $6. $24 here.
In the beginning, Didier Pawlicki created La Sirène in SoHo, and Frank Bruni found the hearty bistro food and BYOB policy good. Inspired, he opened Taureau, a fondue restaurant, also BYOB in the East Village.
I think it's fair to say that Taureau caused less of a stir. Late last year, Taureau beat a retreat to SoHo, where it nestles in the shadow of its elder sibling. Where Taureau had been, M. Pawlicki now gives us Table Verte.
[Pink Pig Time Machine by Wilfrid: April 15, 2013]
It must have been ten years ago that a major project kicked in at work, leading to long nights in the office and cabs home at 5am. That's what my diary suggests, anyway. It also tells me I was reading that strange and influential work of political philosophy, Georges Sorel's Reflections on Violence.
A strange coincidence, as I've just been reading Lucy Hughes-Hallet's biography of D'Annunzio, The Pike, which features many references to Sorel. I did fit in a visit to Annisa.
