Jen "think locally, eat globally" K.'s Profile

There are camels on the ceiling and a safe in the fireplace.  I had more than one friend recommend this spot for classy cocktails and it was definitely interesting and worth a visit while you are in Grand Central Terminal.  I love the whole 'secret apartment' located in a historic building vibe.  

I thought the cocktail list didn't quite match the setting.  It seemed heavily weighted toward overly sweet overpriced concoctions. The bar stools were actually quite uncomfortable so we eventually moved to one of the tables.  The most intriguing spot was the balcony, but it was closed when we were there.  I saw the possibilities of this place, but I think they can do more to capitalize on the unique space.

It is as if it was all just a dream.  

One of the highlights of any trip to New York is taking some time to stroll through the park.  All of my recent visits have been in the month of November when the fall colors are stunning.  I find myself practically breathless when I'm in New York because there is so much I want to see and do.  This is the one place where I truly slow down and take it all in.  I feel like I can breathe here.

Lew's has a few claims to fame:  

1)  They have a vintage car Lew's cruise every September.
2)  They serve Coney Island dogs.
3)  Obama visited on his campaign sweep through Oregon.

It is basic drive-in food that always seems most appealing on a hot summer night when you are young and calories seem to evaporate into thin air.  Corn dogs, burgers, fries and onion rings. The best thing on the menu is their shakes, which come in about 12 different flavors, including marshmallow and peanut butter.  Made with Dreyers ice cream, which is the ice cream of my youth.  

Their biggest problem is that there are a couple of places close by that have a better product and theme.  For diner food with a 40s-retro vibe you can go to The Bomber and for 50s/60s hot rod style you've got to check out Hot Rod Pizza.  At Lew's they have pictures of cars on the wall, but at Hot Rod Pizza they actually have the cars and tons of memorabilia.  Chrome trumps formica every time.

Sometimes everything goes right.  Sometimes everything goes wrong.  And sometimes, you know you are at a wonderful place, but you aren't experiencing it in its best light.  

I've been twice in the past month, first for dinner and then a return visit for drinks. During both visits, I was silently thinking to myself, come on, come on, wow me. And on both occasions, I left mildly disappointed.  

The highlight was the mussels with garlic, sun dried tomatoes, saffron and grilled bread. I don't eat mussels just anywhere (following Bourdain's warning), but when I asked about the dish, the server said, "people drive miles for our mussels" and I would agree. I think it is my favorite version in Portland.  

From the cocktail menu, I've had the Ginger and Maryann (I'm a Maryann) and Dark and Stormy which I've enjoyed, but I didn't care for Mr. K's house margarita. I also felt my group was ignored while sitting at the bar. They came to take our order and our drinks eventually arrived, but there was no personal service or attention whatsoever.

To rate it a four would mean I'd recommend this restaurant to others, and I'm not quite there yet. This is a very nice, expensive restaurant so I hold them to a higher standard. It is a place where I will probably return and next time I'll sit on the stools by the chefs since I love to be by the action. I really wish my first experience was at their grilling happy hour since that sounds amazing. But, alas, I can only review what I've experienced and not what I wish that experience could be.

One Mississippi, two Mississippi...

In some ways, I thought my visit to Garden State would be disappointing. How could it live up to what I imagined in my head? I also tend to have really bad luck with food carts. There are a number of them that I've tried to visit repeatedly and always hit them on an off day, their seasonal hours have just changed or they are closed for a catering job, etc. For the past six months, every time I see Joshua C. at an event, we would talk about Garden State and my sad attempts to visit the cart. He kept assuring me it was worth the wait.

So today was a special day and of all the lunch choices in town, I chose Garden State. My group arrived after perusing the reviews and excitedly discussing the options... chickpea, meatball sub, porchetta.  And then I see the crowd and the cameras and the empty food cart. They weren't open because they were busy taping a Good Morning America segment. [1]  I was devastated.  

Then I did my Type A thing where I track down the staff, make sad little puppy eyes and ask if they will be serving food anytime soon.  And yes they are, and I'm first in line (sorry crowd) and I just start ordering for my group who have starting heading back to the car.  

It was so worth the wait and the drama. The experience wasn't even diminished by the fact it was freezing cold outside, so we ate in the car. I had to go with the chickpea sandwich and loved the greens, carrots and sweet potato that really brought a wonderful balance of sweetness to the sandwich.  

Don't wait to visit this location since it will temporarily close in mid-December for a few months so Kevin and the staff can focus on opening a second cart in the new Mississippi Marketplace. I'm waiting... three Mississippi.

[1]  I completely forgot they were taping the GMA segment there even though I posted the notice last night, so clearly I am losing my mind.

Got Maker's?

For some reason, I've had an overpowering desire since last week to recreate the Mark & Stormy. Alas, something in my mixology is off. But I shall try, try again.

Since the powers that be won't let grocery stores sell hard liquor, I make periodic trips to this odd little strip mall of sin to stock up on the good stuff. All the basics are covered, including limes at the register.

This is a classy venue and respect must be paid.  

Our trip to New York revolved around seeing a symphony performance in this hall.  It was everything I hoped for and more.  Although, it would have been even better if I purchased tickets in one of the boxes.  Not only do they provide a wonderful view of the stage and performers, but they have individual coat closets.  And well, the mind wanders...

We chose less expensive seats in the Dress Circle and fortunately our view was not obstructed by any of the pillars on that level.  I think perusing the seating chart before you buy is incredibly important at this venue.  

One of the things that sets Carnegie Hall apart is the level of performers they are able to attract.  The performance that we saw featured Yo-Yo Ma in addition to the symphony, a choir and opera singers.

At intermission, we went down to the stage and visited with my cousin who is a member of the symphony.  It is really stunning to take in the hall from that vantage point. At the end of the performance we wanted to poke our heads in again and the ushers shooed us out. They rush you out of the building like cattle, so if you want to take an informal tour, make sure you do that early in the evening.

No matter where you sit, I recommend you stop by the first or second tier box levels. You'll get a peek into those sexy boxes, see photos of past performers line the halls and you can pick up a Riccola from one of the dispensers. Believe me, you don't want to cough or have your cell phone go off during a performance. It would ruin the romance.

Keep it simple, stupid.  

More restaurants and businesses should follow this basic principle.  Don't complicate and clutter the menu or dining area, when you can provide quality in a straightforward manner.

Since I live along the I-205 corridor, I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to get here. No parking meters to mess with either. And I've decided this would be a great destination going to or from PDX if you have an evening flight.  

The restaurant is spacious in almost an exaggerated way.  The bartender's area is so large they probably could have squeezed in another row of tables, but as it is, the scale is uniformly grand.  Tables aren't crowded and they are a nice size so you don't feel like your drinks and dishes are on top of one another.  Love the lighting (esp. the Tim Burton-esque spider lamp), the décor and the service.  

I've had dinner twice in the past month and the food was good, verging on great, both times. Portion size and pricing are right on the mark. The most expensive entrée is $15 with most of the others hovering around $8 - 10.  The cocktail menu is where they show some flare. I'm particularly fond of the Fresh-Fashioned and Lavender Gin Lemon Drop.

From the appetizer menu, the soup special (Thai butternut squash), mussels and Oregano fry bread were lovely.  Nothing too fancy or experimental, just well executed dishes. The sugar snap peas and sautéed mushrooms that accompanied the top sirloin were superb.  I wasn't a fan of the terragon horseradish sauce served on top of the steak and would ask for it on the side next time.  More recently I had the meatloaf with mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts (no problem substituting these for the kale which is normally offered).

It is so nice to go to a place where you feel well taken care of, but not rushed. It has a lounge feel and can be on the loud side, so this is a great spot for friends rather than an intimate date spot. The Observatory is solidly in my dinner rotation.

"Honey, I sure hope you love your iPhone."

When our household makes a big decision, sometimes it takes forever. There are spreadsheets, multiple store visits and endless questioning of friends and relatives involved.  So my journey to getting an iPhone was not an impulse buy.  

I waited until after June, when Apple releases their new models, made sure all my ducks were in a row for pricing and finally went to the store to make my purchase.  

The experience started off wonderfully.  Mainly because Wilsonville stores are almost never crowded.  So as far as getting prompt attention, they are far superior to the Bridgeport location.  I was able to get the last phone they had in stock and Mr. K (who 'just wants a phone') received assistance choosing a new model.

Here is where the experience takes a turn.  They had a lot of trouble porting information from our Verizon dinosaur phones to the new models.  It actually took so long, we left to grab lunch because I knew another employee needed to assist.  But the real reason for the less than stellar review is I waited a few months into my contract to truly evaluate AT&T service compared to Verizon.  

In a nutshell, it stinks.  The only saving grace is that most of my activity is focused on email, web browsing and texting.  The phone reception and signal strength is pretty lousy.  I don't get reception consistently in my home and forget about inside stores, stadiums, etc.  Sometimes phone and text messages arrive hours or days after they were sent.  Mr. K's first phone was a dud, and he had to return it for a new model within the first month. He doesn't like it nearly as much as the prior phone and now he's stuck so I get little comments like the one above.

In truth, I do love my iPhone, the Yelp App. and all the other bells and whistles.  I just wish my contract was through Verizon.  That would be the best of both worlds.

Art is intended to provoke.  To push buttons and boundaries.  It is also highly subjective, so I won't dwell too long on whether the collection and special exhibit (Kandinsky) were worth the price of admission.

But as I walked in the door, I was immediately hit by a wave of déjà vu.  I've been here before.  After all, the building is hard to forget.  And a sense of dread encompassed me.  
To put this in context, I visited the Met and MoMA the same weekend.  Clearly I can enjoy and appreciate a wide range of artistic endeavors, but this pushed me well over to the annoyed and irritated side of the spectrum.

The building is beautiful and unique, but it makes viewing the collections a challenge. Art and beauty aren't always functional. The six floor rotunda with art hanging on the exterior walls reminds me of a bleak shopping mall. Since the interior of the rotunda is open, it means you see, hear and feel everyone. It is an assault on the senses. The volume is loud, the temperature can be stifling and the flow of people is ridiculous.  

The only part of the museum where I felt engaged and comfortable was the second floor, Thannhauser Gallery.  There are so many choices in New York in addition to the two above, so hopefully my memory will kick in before I return to Guggenheim.