Hilarious Yelp Review

Do you use yelp?

I generally use it as a way to sift through all of the restaurants here in NYC. Sure not all of the reviews are helpful, but sometimes they tell you what the must-get item is. There are dishes I probably would have never tried, had it not been for yelp reviews. 

However, there are times when you find one that is so unhelpful it's hilarious. 

Just now I was looking for a restaurant to satisfy a pho craving and ran across this:

I star review of a Vietnamese restaurant called Cong Ly from Dave in El Paso, TX:
"Cold entrees, cold appetizers, horrible service.  Took my wife here for our 5th wedding anniversary, this place ruined our night.  She's now filing for divorce. Thanks, Cong Ly-ing about how good your food is."

uh... pretty sure this restaurants didn't single-handedly ruin your marriage, Dave. 

Alumni Event at 7 WTC

Last night, I had the opportunity to attend an alumni event at 7 WTC, the only one of the planned world trade center buildings that surround the 9/11 memorials. One of our fellow alumni is on the architectural team and talked to us about the innovations that have gone into the blueprints of these buildings. I found it especially timely that the NYTimes had printed an article today about the security that is being put into place and how that might take away from not only the aesthetics, but also the experience of the area.

What the towers are going to look like when they are all built. 

You'll notice that 1WTC is the tallest and they spiral down in height. 

The WTC buildings are all to have floor to ceiling glass, allowing for amazing views of the area and for the sky to be reflected by the buildings. 

9/11 memorial

This was my very first alumni event, and I had such a great time! I'm definitely going to have to go to more. It's so nice to be around people who understand the difference between Pacific and Atlantic salmon. ;)

// Have you ever been to an alumni event? Tell me about it below!

Weekend Brunch

My brunching habits are getting out of control. 

Seriously out of control. 

The recent trend has been to have family brunch on Saturdays, and then brunch with my friend and fellow brunch-lover, Kristen on Sundays. This photo here is from brunch at Boulud Sud, one of Daniel Boulud's restaurants. This one is Mediterranean inspired. 

Of my prix-fixe meal of house smoked salmon & Spanish omlette and ice cream (blood orange, anice, cinnamon), I have to say that the ice cream was the best. I wish I could get pints of it, though I'm sure that one pint alone would be my weekly dining out budget. 

However, they did have an interesting couscous yogurt parfait in the stater options, which would be amazing to be able to recreate at home. It was honey greek yogurt, large couscous, crasins, pomegranate and pine nuts. Seriously, try this at home. (and then let me know if you come up with a good recipe ;) )

// Do you have any weekend rituals? //

The Met

The Metropolitan Museum is known to be a must see for anyone visiting New York City,

but it's also a great place for people who live here, too.

Especially when the temperatures are well below freezing.

And our noses are about to freeze off. 

If I need to clear my mind, I like to relax in the gallery that houses the Japanese art.

They have pottery from the Jomon Period (approximately 10,500-300 BCE)

and always have some breathtaking folding screen called "byobu."

Some Fun Facts: 

The pottery during this time was made by rolling clay into ropes and the coiling it on top of each other. Actual rope were then pressed into the finished product to give it some designs. This is also the period during which they created haniwa, clay figurines that were often buried with the dead, especially the leaders of the period, who were buried in huge graves called kofun. I find it quite interesting that burial rituals in ancient Japan and ancient Egypt are so similar. I wonder what other cultures have similar rituals.

Ogata Korin is the artist from the Edo Period that belonged to the Rinpa school of art in Japan. Though I do love the irises in this screen below, I especially like his screens that depict rivers. I absolutely love the texture that he puts into the water. 

Have you been to the Met before?

What's your favorite gallery (if you can even choose just one!).