The Purpose of a Restaurant

Lately I have been taking a book with me when I go out just in case I want to sit and read. However, it was clear at The Gray Dog Cafe that table loitering is frowned upon. This poster reads: "Good Dining Habits for Everyone! During Peak Hours No Holding Tables, No Studying, No Laptop Use. Peak equals Busy. Remember, only YOU can prevent table hibernation." It was a fun place to eat--I did not feel rushed. And it was really busy, so the poster was a cute way to get their point across.

Tomato Festival 2011

 

Six French restaurants have teamed up to present a full menu from drinks to desserts using fresh tomatoes from local farmers. These pics are of a bountiful 3-color-tomato salad and a cupcake (with tomatoes in the ingredients of the cake batter) from Le Monde on Broadway between 112 and 113 Streets. The cupcake had a sweet and acidic flavor and was topped with a raspberry and vanilla frosting.

Resistance is Futile at "dishes to go"

One reason you see a fan on the table along side my lunch is that, for one thing, I carry my fan everywhere, and for another I chose to eat hot soup on a very hot day. I am hooked on soup from this little place in Grand Central's dining concourse called dishes (with a small "d").

I had asked to sample the soup while I was trying to make up my mind if I was even hungry one day. The server was intent that I sample as many as I wanted, but after the first one (I think it was pumpkin), I didn't want to disrupt the taste in my mouth.

The picture at the bottom is of the chef who creates the soup recipes. He was actually sitting next to me on a bench outside of the kiosk. It was the server who pointed him out to me. He let me take his picture. I'm sure he was just a little flattered, even though it's hard to tell here. Or maybe he thought I was an idiot.

The next day I timed my walk to land at their other restaurant in Midtown right at 4 p.m, which is when I like to reward myself for all that walking, and guess what -- it was closed from 4-5 p.m.  So I had to walk out of my way to hit up their Grand Central kiosk again. And because I had walked so far, I got a larger size serving this time, of course.

Okay, that was creepy.

Yesterday, after hubby called to say he was on his way home, I decided to unlock the door to the apartment and leave it ajar so he wouldn't have to fumble with his keys to get in.

Then I sat at my computer and did some work, and about ten minutes later I hear hubby open and close the door. At the same time, my phone rang, so I answered it and didn't pay attention to the door. When I got off the phone and called out, he didn't answer. Thinking he may have gone into another room, I looked there, then another room, and he was not in the apartment at all. Then who was at the door?

When he did actually arrive home, he brought in a pizza coupon that had been left on the door knob. Apparently a delivery man was up here on the 26th floor delivering someone's dinner and handing out coupons. He could have just walked right on in.

Hubby will be using his keys to get in from now on.

The Brooklyn Botanical Gardens

Here are some pictures of the beautiful Japanese gardens at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. We took the subway there from the city and were prepared to pay $10 each to get in, but Saturdays (and Tuesdays) are free. That was a nice surprise. We actually entered from the back entrance, and the gardens just got better as we strolled toward the front.

This is a very nice place to visit. We had our books with us and lingered a while just to read on one of the many benches overlooking the cherry grove. The day was pleasant with a slight breeze. I came home with a small purchase from the gift shop of seven packets of herb seeds. (The herb garden is really nice, too.)

Yay, Reds!

Hubby and I watched the Cincinnati Reds beat the Colorado Rockies tonight at our favorite bar in Murray Hill, The Black Sheep. We've finally found a place we can eat regularly that doesn't break the bank, offers really fresh and well-prepared food, plus isn't too loud to hear each other talk. The best thing is that they never hesitate to find the Reds for us on one of their big screen tvs. Nice. I would have written about this yesterday or the day before, but let's just say it's better when the Reds actually win.

After a rain here

After a rain, especially if the wind was strong, people dump their umbrellas in the trash! I have noticed this on two other rainy days. Maybe they are are broken, but it sure seems like there are a lot of defective umbrellas in New York if that's the case. One doesn't really know, at least I don't, since I resist the urge to pull them out of the trash to see if they still work.

 If you look closely, you'll see two umbrellas in this can.