shilla restaurant

celebrated a friend's birthday the other night with dinner at shilla, a fabulous korean restaurant on 32nd street. our table for 7 was located on the 3rd floor, and it felt like we had a private room. we let our friend, tommy, do all the ordering. it really was a non-stop eating extravaganza:

deliciously dressed salad...

sweet steamed egg and crunchy, chewy scallion pancake...

small plates of treats...

and grilled bulgogi...(we also had grilled short ribs, which might have been my favorite!)

cold soup--a refreshing clear broth, with rice noodles, sliced meat, egg, radishes, and cucumbers, that you can and should enhance with a splash or two of vinegar. if you favor a bit of heat, you can add a spicy mustard or some chili paste.

all this, plus rice and ob beer and soju...it was quite a scene. i would gladly go back--and i'd definitely recommend shilla as a dinner option for 2 or 10.

p.s. they are open 24 hours...

nyc transit strike - the first, and hopefully the last, day

a 4.4 mile trek,including a brooklyn bridge crossing. that was my morning.

this is gonna sound crazy, but i loved every freezing minute of it. it was in the 20s--real feel temps in the teens--but i had long johns, a hat, and a scarf (wrapped around my face, bandito-style) and really, once i started walking, i warmed up pretty quickly. i was much happier being outside and on the move--i know it was harder on those who had to stand in the cold and wait wait wait for a ride from either a company bus, a friend, or a random new york driver. and i'm sure it was equally trying to get on the lirr. and i was luckier than most, in that i didn't need to be at work, or anywhere, at an appointed hour. i knew exactly how to navigate my way home, and in fact, home was always in my sights. that was tremendously comforting. people on the streets were for the most part, patient, friendly, and understanding, and i was glad to be out in the thick of it, if just to know that truth. it was an amazing experience, to see new yorkers take to the streets...

here are some more photos...

but i don't want to romanticize it too much--this is costly on so many levels for every new yorker. i hope it ends soon. as in tonight.