cheeky tees and green tea mille crepes

sister and i went to the launch party for her friend's new clothing line. actually, it's more a line of t-shirts at this juncture.

cute tees--i might actually look like a LES resident when i wear mine, it's so funked out--and we supported the cause.

i've got less grandiose things to say about the pioneer bar. it looks pretty swank from the website, doesn't it? and, if you put any stock at all into an establishment's "client list" you might have thought you were in for something almost hip. but at 8pm, when the party was supposed to start, it looked instead like the party had gone elsewhere, fast. it was a little dingy, oddly bright, and lonely.

we were also expecting "nibbles" at this party, which were never offered. so we ordered the "spicy root vegetable chips, nachos, & pita bread with white bean hummus, chipotle salsa and guacamole." which was more like, "terra chips out of the bag, nacho chips(broken, also from a bag) and chewy pita triangles, a mortar of white bean hummus, salsa from a jar (no chipotles), and some decent guacamole." blech.

needless to say, we needed to get some real food.

we made our way to mottsu. i went "basic" with an excellent dragon roll, and then a house special roll with shrimp tempura and a delicate, creamy mayonnaise dressing, topped, and with generous dollops of roe. i know i know, what's with all the "cooked" fish? but it was a thursday night. and i don't take any chances with raw fish that late in the week.

i was happy and full by the end of the meal, but when i took a gander at the desserts that they were offering, i had to make room. green tea mille crepes!!

it was beautiful and deeelish!

do you scream for chunky bacon ice cream?

interesting article in the washington post about the udder delight ice cream house. if you can't access the article on the washington post site, the udich folks have it on their site too...

i would actually try these flavors, for kicks. the only really "weird" ice cream i've had is the black sesame gelato at il laboratorio del gelato. it rocks.

the red shoes

another fantastic recommendation from cousin joey--a 1948 "three strip" technicolor extravaganza, based in part on the Hans Christian Andersen story, and starring moira shearer. shearer is a delight. she flits and floats and falls like a chiffon kerchief in the wind. at certain angles she calls to mind vivien leigh, but she smiles with an innocence and warmth that is remarkably un-hollywood, and entirely appealing.
the color in the film is magnificent. scorsese comments that color itself is a character in this film. certainly it has a strong painterly sensibility. jack cardiff, the director of photography offers a little bit of story book, some staged ballet, and a lot of fauvist color. (i was reminded keenly of some of florine stettheimer's work . i'm sure those of you with more knowledge of the arts can make even stronger comparisons.) in any case, it is stunning.

after seeing the red shoes, i've added jack cardiff to my list of favorite/interesting folks. how can you not love some who (a) has photographed some of hollywood's most beautiful women (check out the gallery on his site to hear short-and-sweet recollections of audrey hepburn, anita ekberg, sophia loren, et al.), and (b) can boast a filmography that encompasses the red shoes and rambo: first blood part II!

cafe con leche

my cousins and i are on our way becoming downright regulars at cafe con leche. two marathon meals, inside a two week period. not too shabby. and i'd happy go back again tonight, if i thought i deserved that much goodness in my life!

cafe con leche is the kind of place that allows you to set the mood. the first night we met there, our convivial reunion matched the lively atmosphere. on sunday night, it was considerably more subdued. our party of 15 secured a table in the rear dining area, by the kitchen. the waitstaff handled our staggered arrivals with kind attention, made it easy for everyone to settle in. our particular party got a little bit loud--yet we didn't feel like we were a spectacle, or making a spectacle, which was nice.

ccl's tasty mojitos will start any evening off nice and proper. they also offer a nice red sangria and cervezas, if that's more your style.

there are some absolute must haves: picadillo (cuban style chopped beef, sweetened just so, with a scattering of raisins) and grilled pork cutlets "al limon." one of the joys of group dining is that you can order your favorites, and still roam the menu for something new. one night, two of us were seduced by the sound of the specials--pork cutlets in tamarind sauce. it was a bit too sweet for my taste. (the pinnacle of tamarind dishes, to my humble tastebuds, remains the tamarind glazed squab, at cendrillon. having tried gamely and unsuccessfully to find its peer for many years now only serves as a reminder that it has been too long since i've dined there. coincidentally, the nytimes reviews cendrillon this week, a surprise after so many years of flying below the radar ). most of us agreed the tamarind sauce was tasty, but it didn't mark you the same way that the pork al limon surely does.

ccl serves the standard rice and beans, as well as perfectly caramelized, gooey, sweet plantains. i could have those every night. mofongo--a mash of green plaintains and crispy pork rind, was good, but had cooled a bit too much by the time it arrived at the table.

everyone was a bit shy about ordering dessert. in part, because, well, we all ate a hell of a lot. but truth be told, the dessert offerings are thin and a bit uninspiring--flan is an acquired taste, tiramisu seems a bit out of place, and the sound of rum cake doesn't quite send me. but do yourself a favor and try the rum cake. (unless you positively abhor the taste of any sort of liquor , of course.) everyone was deeply skeptical (me, slightly less so) but sweetness and light! it might be one of the best (and biggest) slices of cakes i've had. ever.

Cafe con Leche Cuban, Caribbean, Latin American726 Amsterdam Ave, New York 10025

Btwn 95th & 96th St

Phone: 212-678-7000

(and for you lucky ducks that live in the nabe, they deliver!)