how to be a good houseguest 101

Justin and I were merely displaced during Sandy. (We have a lot to be thankful for.) We missed the worst of the super-storm when we were away in Chicago, which was great for us! But was it great for our host and dear friend Jay? He claims he enjoyed having us – and two other friends – stay with him. But while we were all straight-up chilling (snuggling, eating and drinking on his couch) he was trying to get in ‘work-mode.’ Couldn’t have been easy…

Here’s what we did to make the stay smooth sailing for all involved:

• We, the refugees, went food shopping and made a feast for our group of friends in Chicago (a mixed bag of Chicagoans and fellow NY-ers also stranded due to Sandy). My friends Alex and Lauren whipped up rigatoni and homemade meatballs, lemon spaghetti, garlic bread and tomato & cucumber salad. I scooped out the vanilla ice cream to accompany our store-bought pecan pie.
• We tried to stay really neat, and when we made a mess we tidied up right afterwards (or at least FIRST thing in the AM). We wiped down the counters, took out the trash and lit fresh-smelling candles.
• We bought household essentials (which we were, of course, depleting): paper towels, toilet paper, aforementioned candles and more.
• We (just) sent a gift. (Hope you’re not reading this Jay!) Everyone knows you have up to a year after a wedding to buy a wedding gift. I think you have up to a month post storm to purchase a Sandy host or hostess gift.

A

P.S. Here's a really enjoyable read from The New York Times on the "urban camping" that has resulted from Sandy. Some of my favorite lines: 

“Why didn’t they invite me [to crash]? I had them to dinner two years ago.”

“[The situation] is like FEMA for Jews.” 

“I like my guests to feel happy: I buy organic berries, I put Ambien on the pillow.”

P.P.S. If you were affected by Sandy, did you gain weight? My friends and I have been complaining about packing on a few LB's post super-storm... And then I read this article, completely validating my (disappointing) finding. In my defense, my situation involved a road trip. And there's only one kind of food you can eat on the road... crap :)

what’s in a name?

What a dreary day here in NYC! I wish I could crawl under a cozy blanket on the couch and watch an old movie… In the meantime I’m trying to think happy thoughts. Which reminds me – These network names popped up when I went to log onto our internet post Sandy –

Dystopia

Fried Mars Bar

Sometimes I Cry

Sugary

T-bone

I love my neighbors.

A

photo credit: Jan Wandrag via nytimes

SoPo

In the aftermath of Sandy, most areas south of 39^th street in Manhattan lost power. Downtown folks were forced to retreat uptown to loved ones’ apartments, up-and-running offices and unusually bustling bars. Ironically, under normal circumstances downtowners (myself included) only begrudgingly venture above 14^th street. But once everything below 39th street officially became SoPo (South of Power), the tables did indeed turn. Turtle Bay was bumpin’ with bar-goers on Thursday night. On Friday I just barely secured a dinner reservation at Elio’s on the UES, even though I was dining with the restaurant’s #1 patron and VIP guest (my Grandfather). The Sandy situation caused a total role reversal in Manhattan hotspots. The silver lining was that although we were a bit inconvenienced, we were totally fine. And we even found a new favorite restaurant in Midtown East: Sip Sak.

Justin and I (along with our downtown Manhattan neighbors) are incredibly fortunate to have a home in an area relatively unscathed by the super-storm, and luckily we were prepared with candles, flashlights and junk food. And, above all, we have friends in (literally) high places. Thank you Alex, Michael & Jamie and Nasim for hosting us for hot showers and good times. Still, Manhattan – not surprisingly – felt very weird this past weekend. Justin and I had been away for the worst of the storm, happily stuck in Chicago with dear friends. When we returned to The City, it was eerie. After dropping off our friends on the UWS, we drove down the Westside Highway into a black abyss. It literally turned from lit-up Manhattan to apocalyptic-feeling darkness and silence in a matter of split-seconds, as we crossed 39^th. By the time we turned onto our street, we were in official no-man’s land. We used the light from our phones to ascend the staircase in our apartment building. The dichotomy between uptown and downtown was stark, and it was illustrated beautifully on the cover of New York magazine.

[photo credit: Iwan Baan]

But SoPo wasn’t all that bad. All liquor stores and some bars, bodegas and restaurants opened their doors on Friday despite having no power, including Joseph Leonard. Justin and I lunched on delicious sandwiches (egg salad for him, avocado and mashed chickpeas for me) in the company of fellow patrons playing cards and an employee strumming on his guitar. It was an absolutely lovely, albeit chilly, afternoon. Later that night we hosted a no-power party. All of our guests by then had had power restored in their apartments, but they still showed up for lots of wine, catchphrase by candlelight and RHCP background music playing from inside a plastic cup. (Do you remember this trick? Music playing on an iPhone gets amplified when you put said phone in a plastic cup.) The next day our electricity was restored, so we were able to see the mess we had made with our party. It was well worth it. Many New Yorkers like us who were merely displaced and not in danger ended up bonding with friends and taking forced vacations from work. For some, there was a bright side to the storm. And for fellow lucky New Yorkers who were fortunate to escape Super-Storm Sandy without harm, here are just a couple ways to help out your hurting neighbors 

DONATE

VOLUNTEER

A

P.S. The inspirational story behind the Sandy New York cover/issue. 

Comfort Food

The cold New York weather combined with our short stint without power last week has me craving comfort food. My coworkers and I ordered Hampton Chutney for lunch today. Justin and I will probably order greasy Chinese food from Charlie Mom tonight. And in-between meals I’m reminiscing about Justin’s birthday dinner a couple of weeks ago at Minetta Tavern…

[Minetta Tavern Interior]

Minetta Tavern takes reservations up to 30 days in advance. I didn’t book quite that far ahead of time, so Justin and I went late on a Wednesday night. The place was still packed, and for good reason. The ambiance was enjoyable albeit high-energy and the food was amazing. Given the restaurant’s NYU campus location, the interior was surprisingly mature - think Pastis meets Peter Luger. And even though it had a slightly rowdy feel, it was romantic. It's a great destination for anything from a date to a group dinner. Minetta is famous for its Black Label Burger, and it doesn't disappoint. It comes with fries, which are perfectly crispy but not burnt. Justin and I shared the burger and a sea bass special – which was also delectable. Justin got the bone marrow to start. It was piled high on his plate, accompanied by toasted bread. He highly recommends it. (Bone marrow isn’t for me.) I instead started with a special prawn salad with Bibb lettuce. It was the best salad I’ve had, ever. And to top it all off, we got a chocolate caramel tart with sea salt – also a special, and also ridiculously good. The consistency was ideal: there was considerably more chocolate than caramel. And the service? Excellent. I can’t wait to go back.

A

[image via http://www.minettatavernny.com/]

meditate on this…

I have a confession to make… I’m a yogi who has never meditated. Even to me, a certified yoga teacher, meditation has always seemed a bit intimidating. How exactly do you do it? I’ve read about moving meditation, and I’d like to think that my runs along the Hudson River fall into that category. And they can! But what about good old-fashioned crossed-legged lotus-pose meditation?  My acupuncturist told me about meditation classes here in NYC, and I've been meaning to attend one. It’s on my “to do” list. (How American – and ridiculous – is that?!) In the meantime, I’ve been keeping my eyes and ears open for tips, and I came across this newsletter from goop today. Gwyneth Paltrow recently picked up Andy Puddicombe’s book, Get Some Headspace, and she was “inspired by his ability to demystify mindfulness.” If Puddicombe can demystify mediation, I’m all ears. I’m going to get my hands on Get Some Headspace ASAP. Until then, perusing Puddicombe’s site is already proving to be helpful. Paltrow interviewed Puddicombe for goop and this part in particular resonated with me:

Q – What do I do if thoughts start to appear and my mind wanders?


A – In the busy and modern world we live in, our default setting has become frenetic thought. If we could stop thinking at will, we wouldn’t need to learn to meditate. Just be gentle with yourself. Bring your attention back to your breath each time, and with a little practice the sense of calm will begin to increase.

So basically, as with most things in life, we need to take baby steps with meditation. And not be so hard on ourselves. I probably won’t be truly meditating the first time I try it, or even the 20^th. But eventually, I’ll get there. And I’m sure the process of “getting there” is what it’s really all about anyway, this meditation stuff.

A

P.S. Speaking of baby steps, how awesome is What About Bob? My dad and I are both obsessed with Bill Murray. I met Murray once on the street in Chicago, and we totally hugged it out.

Restaurant Review: Hampton Chutney

This restaurant is really like no other. Its Soho outpost is adorned with pictures from India, and the place has a hippie/homey feel. It even seems yogic. A small handwritten sign next to the light switch asks employees to please turn off the lights in an effort to save energy and be mindful. Talk about good energy :) 

The food is beyond good. The dosas (“large, crispy, sourdough crepes”) filled with seasonal fresh ingredients like butternut squash and roasted tomatoes are DELICIOUS. My favorite dosa is the #5 Avocado (with Fresh Tomato, Arugula & Jack Cheese). The dosas come with different flavors of chutney (hence the restaurant’s name) including cilantro and mango. I – ever the plain Jane eater – stick to no chutney. Other must-try menu options include the #22 Grilled Cheese with Tomato on Sourdough (with Avocado). My coworker and friend Brian – a more adventurous eater – loves the #2 Calamata Olives dosa (with Tomato, Roasted Onion, Arugula & Goat Cheese), the #9 Curry Chutney Chicken dosa
(with Spinach & Balsamic Roasted Onion), the Thali special Indian Vegetable of the Day (which comes with Basmati Rice, Dal Soup, Grilled Naan Bread, Chutney & Yogurt) and the cardamom coffee. Speaking of beverages, the lassis are wonderful. They’re super smooth smoothies. I love the mango flavor but I have to abstain because non-dried mangos make my tongue itch.

I could go on and on about the food… Instead I’ll tell you to just try it! In addition to Soho there are Hampton Chutney locations on the Upper West Side and also in Amagansett. (Which has me thinking, if Amagansett has Jack’s AND Hampton Chutney, Justin and I just might need to win the lottery and buy a beach house there…)

A

P.S. Read the story of founders Gary & Isabel MacGurn here.

P.P.S. To save a few bucks, order off the kids menu. The options are just as delish and you won’t go hungry – the kids’ portions aren’t kiddie-sized at all.

Sending Sweets – A Gift Guide for All Occasions

I’m ashamed to admit it but I once got upset at Justin for bringing me after-work birthday flowers from our corner bodega instead of sending me a “happy b-day” bouquet at work. It’s just more special to receive a little somethin somethin via delivery or through snail mail. So whenever I have a good excuse, I send something sweet. Literally. I love flowers but lately I’ve been into sending edible treats –

For Anyone (Except Diabetics): Whoopie Pies

You can’t go wrong with giving the gift of whoopie pies from One Girl Cookies. It’s now become a tradition for Justin’s b-day; I get them delivered to his office. Even his secretary knows whoopie pies are coming come October. And fall is the best time to send them because pumpkin is in season.

For Bridesmaids: Custom-Made Cookies

I stole this idea from my friend Nooshin. Instead of just asking my sisters and friends to be in our bridal party, I sent my maids and matrons cookies in the shapes of dresses. Everyone thought they were super cute, and delicious. I used The Flour Pot, which happens to be on Oprah’s O List.

For Future In-Laws: Eataly Gift Basket

This is more savory than sweet, but the effect is the same… Bon appétit! After Justin’s parents kindly took me on their family trip to Turks & Caicos a couple of years ago, I sent them a thank-you gift basket from Eataly. And now I’m part of the fam :)

A