tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57375006092924976072024-03-07T23:56:15.310-05:00Retirement at 28Elliot Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074162786543044328noreply@blogger.comBlogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5737500609292497607.post-75648642566412556302012-11-06T02:08:00.000-05:002012-11-06T02:08:44.507-05:00MareaI'm seriously thinking of changing the name of my blog to "Michael White Runs New York". He owns major restaurants in New York from Osteria Morini to Al Fiori to Marea. Ahh, Marea. The queen bee of White's mini empire; Marea is hitting on all cylinders. I have not found one bad review on this place. It's literally packed every night and most importantly the food is some of the best I've ever tasted. Marea is interesting because you can't really pin point the exact genre of this restaurant; some argue Italian, some say seafood, others say their steak rivals Lugers. But who really cares with food this good.<br />
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Starting with the crudo (raw fish) portion, we wanted to try things we haven't tasted before. We ordered the geoduck clam, pacific langoustine, and Hawaiian blue marlin. I would have to say the blue marlin was my number one. I would describe it as toro (fatty tuna, for the idiots out there) times ten. It was so rich in flavor, it melts in your mouth like butter. Crudo is meant to be small portions, but because they were all so flavorful, it almost makes you more hungry. But you shall not worry folks, next on the list is the antipasti with their famed lobster burrata. Sliced Nova Scotia lobster (Maine, who?) with creamy burrata, tomatoes, and basil. I'm ruined for life now. I'll never be able to have a "normal" mozzarella and tomato appetizer again.<br />
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Now we get to the baller section of the meal....the pastas! This is was White does. He makes pasta, and more pasta and ridiculous pasta. These pasta concoctions are sheer genius. Screw Zuckerberg and Obama, White is changing the world. If you order one thing when going to Marea it has to be the fusilli. Homemade fusilli with red wine braised octopus and wait for it.....melted bone marrow. While devouring through this dish, you will also find pieces of fatty bone marrow which gives it its final punch into greatness.<br />
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This restaurant isn't cheap (thanks Phil), but it's not supposed to be. Needs to keep the riff raff out. And we all know, there is riff raff everywhere. Everyone please vote tomorrow. Romney, awful. Obama, who? Michael White 2012...Elliot Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074162786543044328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5737500609292497607.post-49877093915423553312012-10-03T00:43:00.000-04:002012-10-03T00:43:22.147-04:00Industry NightJust to solidify my notion that New Yorkers go out on real weekday nights, real as in Monday night, not just this Thursday crap everyone did in college, I introduce you to Industry Night. As some restaurant and clubs are closed on Monday, it becomes a big night out in the restaurant scene. Some restaurants have specials to promote going out on Mondays; and I think I just might have hit the jackpot.<br />
Osteria Morini opened a few years ago in the old Falls space (I could devote a whole blog to the Falls, but I'll save that for another day), which brings old rustic Italian cooking to Soho. The big name behind this restaurant is the big guy, Chef Michael White. Big and burly, he hails from the Midwest, and has become an iconic name in the New York Italian dining scene. He is most famous for opening Marea on Central Park South, serving seafood and even richer pastas.<br />
A few months ago, Morini started their own version of Industry Night which includes all pastas for ten bucks after 9pm on Mondays. Yes, please! Josh and I went last Monday around 915pm and the place was packed. We got a table by 9:45pm and ordered 3 pastas to share and a few bottles of wine, but no need to dive into that topic. They aren't huge portions, but looks are deceiving, they are extremely rich with either, butter, cream, prosciutto, truffle oil, or a combo of all four. The pastas were cooked perfectly and we literally licked our plates clean. Around 10:15pm, Chef White came through the front door with a roar from the packed dining room. I'm always hesitant of "celebrities" chefs as I think they stretch their name and brand too thin, but I was wrong with Chef White. He literally went to each table and greeted each customer. I remember shaking his hand and saying something dumb about my blog which he probably forgot in 1.01 seconds. Whatevs.<br />
Is anyone free next Monday night? Its the new Saturday...Elliot Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074162786543044328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5737500609292497607.post-67080954529428954012012-03-28T01:49:00.006-04:002012-03-28T02:11:26.649-04:00In DC, Apparently Women RuleSince my little hiatus from New York, I've tried really hard to have an open mind and positive attitude towards Ugly Hollywood aka DC. And for people who know me, being positive and open minded are extremely hard things for me to do. I'm giving DC the benefit of doubt on a lot of things I would normally bitch about, but as it is my hometown, I let a lot of things fly. I think ladies and gentleman, the buck stops here! Let me explain.<br />
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I decide to go out to a neighborhood bar to grab some food and beers tonight to watch the Capitals hockey game. It is a huge game, almost equivalent to a playoff game. Walking from my house I was looking forward to a nice night chatting with the locals and bonding over some hockey. I get to the bar (no name needed) and post up and order a beer.<br />
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It was a few minutes before the puck drops and I get settled into reading the menu and scoping out the scene. The bar has two TVs and both were on commercials. I just assumed they were on the hockey channel. After a few minutes I look up and notice both TVs were on Women's NCAA tournament.<br />
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Obviously I just thought the TVs were on ESPN from earlier in the day and they just hadn't flipped over to the Caps game. I give the bartender a few minutes to figure this out but no one is changing the channel. This can't be right. I get the bartender's attention and ask to change the channel to the Caps game. No biggie, right? Yeah, I was wrong. She said people requested to keep ESPN on to watch the tournament. I laugh, thinking she's messing with me. There was no laugh back. Is this for real? Then I look around the bar and people are actually watching the game! Normal business-like men watching this awful basketball game.<br />
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This would NEVER happen in NY or Philly. (You know I'm upset when I give props to Philly.) I pay for my one lousy beer and leave. I think I actually cried a little on my depressing walk home...Elliot Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074162786543044328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5737500609292497607.post-38429575343687253062012-02-22T00:23:00.000-05:002012-02-22T00:23:47.466-05:00Wizards Game Woes<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:DocumentProperties> <o:Template>Normal.dotm</o:Template> <o:Revision>0</o:Revision> <o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:Pages>1</o:Pages> <o:Words>237</o:Words> <o:Characters>1351</o:Characters> <o:Company>Elliot Fuchs</o:Company> <o:Lines>11</o:Lines> <o:Paragraphs>2</o:Paragraphs> <o:CharactersWithSpaces>1659</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:Version>12.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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</style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">One of the few things DC has NYC beat on is its price of sporting tickets because DC teams are so painful to watch. But I am using this to my advantage to see as many star players from the OTHER team as possible. During these dog days of February, the NBA is in full swing and I started reading reports out of the Washington Post that people were going to games versus other bad teams for as low as 30 cents. I started grabbing up tickets for the Clippers, Knicks and Lakers. For the Clippers' game, my seats were up top but center court for $20. In comparison the same tickets at the Garden are going for $250! Granted the Knicks are abuzz with this Lin character but even without Lin they would still be $125 at least.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">After the Clippers' game I now know why these tickets are so dirt cheap; and their record is only part of the answer. In general its a pretty awful fan experience. At least at the Garden you have the stadium entertainment factor. (see earlier blog post) First off, the lighting is so bright all around the arena it looks bad for entertainment value. The court should look like a stage. Also, the lady in front of us was so bored that she had her Ipad out the whole time playing Scrabble, not even Words with Friends! But the absolute worst part was one of the "Wizard Girls" was promoting Carmine's restaurant, which opened up down the street from the Verizon Center. But she kept pronouncing it Carmen and people were booing her. I now think paying a premium at the Garden is worth it. At the final buzzer, the Wizards lost by 30, but by that time we were already drinking the night away at the dark Carmine's bar.</span></div><!--EndFragment--><br />
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</div><!--EndFragment-->Elliot Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074162786543044328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5737500609292497607.post-21757387271128001822012-02-09T00:14:00.001-05:002012-02-09T00:25:56.385-05:00Everything Is Better Fried!Years ago, when going out to dinner with my friend Mike, our conversations about food would always end with discussing what types of food would be bad fried. These deep conversations started one evening while dining at R.U.B (Righteous Urban Barbecue) in Chelsea and we debated about ordering the deep fried Oreos for dessert. (Side Note - R.U.B. was one of the original BBQ joints in the city before the BBQ craze really started to hit the city. Its pretty damn good, not the best, but this place definitely gets props for starting the trend in the city.) Anyway, I'm not a huge dessert guy but we had to try 'em out. Woozers! Just proves our point that everything is great fried...<br />
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Fast forward five years, and I'm dining with my folks at Forcella on the Bowery. Brooklyn has made Forcella famous for deep frying their pizza and recently opened an outpost in the city. I was so intrigued by this idea, I bombarded the waiter with questions which he gladly answered. He explained that just the dough is flash fried with oil olive and finished off in the oven. Just hearing the words "flash fried" made me giddy, and I immediately ordered the Montanara, which is just the Margherita fried. This might be the best invention ever. Screw doctors, chefs are changing the world!<br />
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The pizza was not greasy at all and the dough tasted like a very mild funnel cake (obviously without the sugar). It almost looked like a blown up calzone but definitely not as doughy. I honestly didn't know what to expect, just like the fried Oreo, but I was not disappointed in the least. Just solidifies that everything is great fried! Mike and I did come up with one food that we thought would be bad fried. Any takers???Elliot Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074162786543044328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5737500609292497607.post-34128290772263627452012-01-26T00:26:00.001-05:002012-01-26T00:39:20.454-05:00DC This and DC ThatOk, so for the past few weeks I've been "living" in DC. I needed a little change from my New York City routine. But enough with the minuscule details. On to more important trials and tribulations. As everyone knows, New York celebrities are rich, pretty people, and DC celebrities are smart, ugly people. I have nothing against the Washington Post, I mean its no New York Times, but come on, what newspaper is? After the sports I dive into the style's reliable source section. For those New Yorker's out there, its the "equivalent" to the Post's Page Six. But unlike Page Six which is brainless, fun entertainment, the reliable source sucks. I literally haven't heard of any of the people and the sightings are awful! I think one yesterday was noting Elena Kagan (who???) shopping for celery. Wow, hold the presses!!! But I knew DC was like this already, and I'm dealing with it the best I can.<br />
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Because I'm such a good son, I've also been driving Sue to work at the butt crack of morning (re: 8am) to help her out. I can do that Mass Ave. drive with my eyes closed now. Well, this morning I am driving back up Mass Ave., drooling at the thought of crawling back into bed, and I see cops run out the back of the Vice President's mansion and onto the street halting traffic in both directions. At first I think something bad is going down, and I duck my head (DC is embarrassingly known for snipers) but then I see the gates open and a little blonde gal is jogging down the pathway. Yes, Jill "Bimbo" Biden needs to go out for her morning run; making hundreds of commuters late for work. Isn't this kind of selfish of her? I guess it's the law to have security detail, but don't freaking run during rush hour! DC is known for awful rush hours. Maybe I need to start listening to these Republican debates because if Jill keeps this up, my vote might sway OR Sue is going to have to start taking the bus!Elliot Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074162786543044328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5737500609292497607.post-32399847410133130342011-12-22T16:24:00.002-05:002011-12-22T16:32:16.883-05:00My MuttonHolidays are always a good time for friends to get together for some holiday cheer. I decided this year it would be fun to round up the guys and have a nice steak dinner. Keens, which is the oldest steakhouse in New York City and famous for their "mutton chop" sounded like the clear choice. Made a reservation a few weeks ago and started dissecting the shit out of the menu ever since. All the reviews and blogs pointed to the "mutton chop" as the obvious go-to item to order. Just to clarify, the "mutton chop" they serve at Keens isn't actual mutton. Mutton is the meat of a sheep over one year in age. Back in the day Keens served mutton but changed to lamb, ten month in age, because it's tastier. Of course Keens kept its famous name. I was nervous to order the $48 "mutton chop" as I thought it might be to gamey and fatty. This is why I'm not a chef, because I was dead wrong.<br />
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I will come back to the mutton in a second but I want to discuss the corkage policy at New York City restaurants first. I just found this out recently, but many restaurants have a corkage policy which enables you to bring in your own wine for a minimal fee. The fee is usually anywhere from $20-$40 per bottle. Makes perfect sense if you have a nice bottles of wine, which Phil does, and you don't want to pay the premium markup of restaurant prices. There are a few caveats. Some restaurant only allow you to bring wine not served on their wine list and some places only allow a maximum of three bottles. Many restaurants don't advertise this option so please call to get their exact rules.<br />
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We had a 8:30pm reservation for Tuesday night. Phil and I got there around 730 to grab a beer at the bar area. This restaurant is huge. Three floors with private dining on the second and third floors. (I'm thinking reserved for Knicks and Rangers players after games, as the restaurant is a mere two blocks from the Garden.) The bar was packed for a Tuesday night as was the main dining room. After picking the bartenders brain regarding the mutton, I decided I'm going to forgo the Porterhouse and get me some mutton. We sat down promptly at 8:30 and were served awesome crudite and dip to begin the meal. I started with the bacon and ordered the "mutton chop" medium per the chefs request. Maybe the server knew I was a little nervous, but she smiled when I ordered and said you'll enjoy it. After sharing one magnum bottle of vino with the table (they charge double for magnum bottles of wine), our mutton arrives. With the chop measuring at three inches high and the wing-like sides (hence the name mutton chop) glistening with fat, I knew I made the right order decision. The meat was the tastiest I've ever eaten with the gamey hint of the lamb meat on the bone chop, plus the fat of the wing. I felt like a cheetah on the prey in the African wildlife, gnawing and face planting into the last bits on meat on the bone.<br />
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The sides of mushrooms, creamed spinach and hash browns were delicious but I couldn't stop eating the mutton. I wanted to take the chop home, cleaned of all the meat, to show my dad how I destroyed that prey. Just like they do in the Kenyan jungles, right???Elliot Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074162786543044328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5737500609292497607.post-88973332072225760702011-12-12T22:35:00.005-05:002011-12-13T01:14:21.584-05:00"Live from Bedford-Stuyvesant, the livest one"A few Saturday nights ago a bunch of us went to this new fried chicken restaurant in the East Village called the Cardinal. There are so many things wrong with that sentence. Saturday night. New. East Village. Those three words in one sentence is lethal and I'm still kicking myself for letting it happen. But the fried chicken was actually one of the best I've tasted and it overcame the fact that they were pretty much out of everything else on the menu, a three hour wait and an "accidental" two bottles of wine charge on the bill. While we were walking to the Beagle for drinks after dinner, one of my friends Wonita, who mind you is from the south (Alabama south), agreed in my observation of the fried chicken at the Cardinal but she said if you really want fried chicken you need to go to Peaches Hothouse in Brooklyn. Her recommendation was in the back of my mind until Friday when I finally got to check it out first hand.<br />
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When people think of Brooklyn now they usually think of Williamsburg or Carroll Gardens as food destinations in Brooklyn. Which isn't a bad assessment; those areas have some damn good restaurants. I've literally ate through those neighborhoods though. So I was happy to find out that Peaches Hothouse is in Bed-Stuy which is deep down in Brooklyn. Like real deep. Lucky I had a car but still took a good 40 minutes from the Upper East.<br />
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My friend and I got the last two seats at the bar and ordered some beers. I was shocked to see how many locals were coming in for takeout. (You know what they say; if there are a lot of Chinese people in a Chinese restaurant it must be good, well the same goes for soul food....if you get my drift.) Everyone was ordering the same damn thing, fried chicken "hot" with cornbread and the bacon creamed corn. I started panting and needing me some creamed corn. But I controlled myself and we ordered the fried green tomatoes and portobello mushroom to start. Recently I've been hooked on fried green tomatoes. Had them at Union Square Cafe a few weeks back and to be honest I think Peaches was better and about half the cost. We then split the fried chicken. We got two pieces regular and one piece hot. They are famous for their hot so needed to try it.<br />
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Wowers! It was damn good fried chicken. Breast, thigh and a wing was the perfect amount for two. The skin was flavorful but not overwhelming and the meat was juicy but not too juicy to ruin the skin. It was perfect. The hot was the equivalent to a bbq chip, which was just right. But the best part of the meal of that damn bacon creamed corn. It was almost like a soup, not a casserole like they serve at Hill Country, and it was one the tastiest things I've ever eaten. With belly full, I smiled the whole hour car ride home especially when driving past the East Village.Elliot Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074162786543044328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5737500609292497607.post-45922331329303956452011-11-21T00:47:00.000-05:002011-11-21T00:47:18.469-05:00Crooklyn We Go HardI've gotten a lot of flack from my fan base in DC regarding my knocks on our lovely sleepy southern town. As I'm venturing down there for Thanksgiving I want to clear the air that DC is not NYC Jr. its just more like Brooklyn. And people that know me, know that's actually a huge compliment. Not as much restaurant-wise, but geographically they are very similar. I lived in DC for 18 years, through the summers in college and now living in New York I go home an average of four times a year and I honestly can say I probably have only been to 20 percent of the city. And I think even if I lived there permanently, it would be the same percentage. DC has very nice areas and nice up and coming areas, but truthfully the rest of the town you don't want to hang in. DC is actually a big town, but when you only venture to specific parts that's when its seems tiny.<br />
Brooklyn is the same way. If you look at a subway map, Brooklyn is huge (not as humongous at Queens) but its still pretty freaking big. Again, very nice areas but also a lot of crap areas. I actually love Brooklyn and go there a few times a week to restaurants (new blog on that scene coming soon) and also to liquor stores (don't ask) and I feel like I'm as knowledgable of that borough as Brooklynites are. But again tell me the last time you've been to New Lots or Brownville because I have and its not nice. Trust me.<br />
People that want to prove me wrong, let's meet down on Patterson Street, NE this weekend. Where? Exactly...Elliot Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074162786543044328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5737500609292497607.post-26816408179437869842011-10-17T00:53:00.003-04:002011-10-17T01:37:17.553-04:00Pulque and Cactus TacosSo this past Thursday night I ventured to Chinatown to check out this new Mexican spot. China, Mexico...it's all jumbled in this city. Not trying to toot my own horn but I know the map of Manhattan like the back of my hand. West Village; no problem; Financial District; easy. But I will say the deep bowls of Chinatown confuse the hell outta me. The mishmash area between Chinatown and City Hall is no mans land for me. You try to find Doyers Street! Yeah, I didn't think so....<br />
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So after turning off Mott Street and thru Pell Street you come across Doyers Street. I wouldn't go as far to say it's a "street", it's more like an alley way. I eventually find the place behind a closed down Vietnamese grocery store. The restaurant is called Pulqueria which derives its name from the popular Mexican drink, pulque. Pulque is made from the fermented sap of the maguey (agave) plant. Kind of looks like coconut water. In contrast, mezcal is made from cooked hearts of certain agave plants as tequila is made mostly from blue agave. Its alcohol content is between beer and tequila but it tastes a lot better than both. Needless to say this restaurant is the only place in the US which currently serves this alcohol.<br />
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Well I guess I'm not as cool as I thought because the place was packed. I'm surprised they even serve food because literally everyone in the place was skinny....like model skinny. Yes, please! I got a spot at the bar and ordered a pulque with chili spice and watermelon. At this point I didn't know the alcohol content so I thought ordering some tacos wouldn't hurt. One tilapia with garlic salsa and one cactus with green peppers. I guess the booze was kicking in with that cactus order. I then got a tap on the shoulder and prayed it was a model but ended up being this photographer from The Wall Street Journal. They were reviewing pulque booze and its growing popularity in the US. (I had no idea WSJ was so hip.) He asked me if I could move over so he could take pictures of the drinks. He literally ordered one of everything to try to get the best pictures possible. Must be nice WSJ!!! For my inconvenience next drink was on WSJ tab he told me. Ok, I can handle that. I ordered the corn and pineapple variation with corn husk garnish. Very interesting combination and it worked perfect with the subtle flavors of the corn and the sweet tartness of the pineapple. And to be honest, drinking out of a glass with corn husks is pretty freaking cool. Now here's the kicker.....trying to get home!!! The upper east side never looked so far... "Hey, I'm Retired at 29"!Elliot Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074162786543044328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5737500609292497607.post-5585130797286042382011-10-11T23:25:00.003-04:002011-10-11T23:33:43.448-04:00Beer Here!For the first three years of my New York living I resided in the East Village. I don't even want to think how much I spent at the bodega across the street over that time span. It definitely was into the thousands. Probably would have been even more if it was closer. Crossing the street is kind of annoying...<br />
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I then moved uptown and decided to be more practical with my money. I joined Costco and went a few times a year (whenever I could get hold of a car) and bought bulk supplies. I rarely bought food, just beverages and toilet paper and paper towels. Then recently my friend Eric mentioned to me about a warehouse beer distributor way uptown called "Flair Beverages". I'm not talking uptown like 125th street, I'm talking uptown like 207th street! This past week I got a friends car and ventured up to the northern tip of the city. To be completely honest with you, it literally only took 15 minutes via the Harlem River Drive. (The FDR drives turns into Harlem River Drive after 125th street, if anyone cares.)<br />
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I thought the place was going to be some sketchy warehouse with bulletproof glass and workers who didn't speak English glaring at me. I was pleasantly surprised. I mean the workers only spoke Spanish but they were very helpful as much as they could. I think this place is where some restaurants might go to get there beverages. It was a Costco on steroids! And not just beer. They had any type of drink imaginable and for dirt cheap. To paint you a picture they had a whole section just for Four Loco. A cool feature they had was you can buy the case of anything or individually. You can also mix and match flavors (ie-seltzer waters).<br />
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A few side notes if you go. They only take cash (might be shady operation, but don't ask don't tell.) Also, they have hundreds of different types of beer. The more generic ones are very cheap but the more obscure or popular ones (ie-Session) are expensive and actually more expensive than Whole Foods. So watch out. But for non-alcololic drinks and BudLight kegs who needs Costco! "Hey, I'm Retired at 29!"Elliot Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074162786543044328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5737500609292497607.post-38876353581614220572011-10-04T17:18:00.002-04:002011-10-04T17:23:55.500-04:00BaseballThe end of September/beginning of October starts the new season of baseball: Playoff baseball. But with playoff baseball also comes the end to the regular season and the "regular" teams (re: Mets). This is a great time to go to Met games as the ballpark is half empty (except Nate, myself and also Jesse Eisenberg and Kenny Albert). Tickets are also very cheap. Lower level seats start at 12 bucks, yes please! With my hometown team, the Washington Nationals, in town the second to last week of the season I went to a bunch of games.<br />
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To add a little more excitement to these games, Nate and I try to catch as many baseballs as possible. This is what poor people do for excitement so give me a break! It sounds really dorky but honestly it gets addictive. By the last game of the season Nate and I, gloves in hand, were sitting in the right field about an hour before first pitch. I wasn't expecting any good action but next thing I knew a ball was coming right at me. Literally, if I didn't move (which I did) it would have hit me square in the face. Well, I didn't trust my glove or my athletic ability so I ran out of the way, maybe even a little squeal came out, I'm not exact sure, it all happened so quickly. Seconds later everyone was clapping around us. Nate caught the freaking ball! I'll give him credit it was a great catch but why the hell do I have a glove if I'm not going to use it!?!! I guess my thoughts of becoming a professional baseball player is now completely gone. Doesn't matter really; "Hey, I'm Retired at 29!"Elliot Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074162786543044328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5737500609292497607.post-54794681457951220782011-09-18T00:33:00.003-04:002011-09-18T01:08:37.777-04:00DanjiBeen hearing a lot of good press (re: NYT) recently about this relatively new Korean joint, Danji, in midtown west (re: gross theater district area). Last week a friend and I decided to scope out the scene. We ventured to the restaurant around 8pm Thursday and it was packed. Albeit the place was miniature; is that because Korean people are tiny? Also, I'm not trying to be prejudiced but more than half the customers were Korean which I take to mean the place is damn good. Same goes for any type of food. While picking out a sushi place, if the place is filled with Japanese eaters it must be good! But the funny thing about Danj was none of the waitstaff were Korean, they were all white...<br />
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Anyway, we post up at the bar for a beer and wait about twenty minutes for a table. The turnover rate is very fast. They might as well have given us our check as we ordered. This was a very special restaurant experience for me because it was the first time I ever ordered tofu (my sister is probably smiling reading this) at a restaurant (the waiter recommendation but still very impressive by me). And it was damn good. It's fried in a tempura batter and served with sliced red pepper. Also, what's not good fried? NOTHING!<br />
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Danji is a tapas style restaurant which I usually don't like but somehow it works here. We also ordered whelk salad with buckwheat noodles, korean style beef sliders, potato and pepper pancake, and the short ribs. I thought I was really cool ordering whelk salad before I knew exactly what whelks were. Yeah, kind of gross. But I must say the beef sliders might be the best dish I've had in New York in a long time. Everything about the sliders were amazing, from the buttered potato bun to the spiced pickles to the lean beef. This is a great restaurant in a bad location. If you are going to see a broadway show then this is a perfect place. And if anyone wants to take me again for the sliders, I'm always around. "Hey, I'm Retired at 29!"Elliot Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074162786543044328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5737500609292497607.post-26951580849365012582011-09-15T01:27:00.003-04:002011-09-15T01:41:13.137-04:00Fashion Week<b><u>Wikipedia definition of Fashion Week</u></b>: A fashion week is a fashion industry event, lasting approximately one week, which allows fashion designers, brands or "houses" to display their latest collections in runway shows and buyers to take a look at the latest trends.<br />
<b><u>Retirement at 28 definition of Fashion Week</u></b>: Models, parties, famous people, and free booze.<br />
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Thursday the 8th of September officially kicked off fashion week with "Fashion Night Out". This means stores stay open late and typically have DJs and models greeting shoppers at the door. They also usually have a bar set up in the store to celebrate the beginning of the party week. (It's actually a great idea to serve booze at stores. People will get drunk and buy expensive dumb shit they don't need. I was with Eric once and tried on a bark sports coat. Yes, you read it correctly, bark, like in tree bark. Eric tried on a jacket made of cork. Too bad I didn't have 3 grand to blow.)<br />
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This is the second year the shows have been at Lincoln Center. Before they were located at Bryant Park which was just becoming too small a venue for the event. I've been contemplating going over to check it out and not really sure why I haven't. Clearly I'm handsome enough! If there is any indication that I can't sweet talk my way into a show, tonight was a perfect ego boost I needed. Let me explain.<br />
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I was meeting Josh for drinks at Riverpark. Very cool restaurant with an outside terrace over looking the East River. Actually went there earlier this week for beers and apps and decided to take advantage of the nice outside drinking weather before it gets cold. We get there and its "closed" for a private party. Literally everyone was in a suit. Josh and I were definitely going to stand out if we decided to sneak in. And yes, we snuck in. Walked right past the receptionist and made a beeline for the free beers. It was only a matter of time until someone questioned us. In a sea full of suits, I'm wearing a bright yellow polo and flip flops and Josh looks like a scared little child. Of course eventually we got questioned and made up some BS excuse about how my dad worked at the law firm who was hosting the event. The guy actually believed us but now we felt a little awkward. After another beer and a few passed apps we headed out. But the moral of the story is, "act as if" and you can really enjoy yourself in this town. I think I would enjoy New York even more if I could get into those fashion tents. "Hey, I'm Retired at 29!"Elliot Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074162786543044328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5737500609292497607.post-43028364774483659872011-09-08T19:38:00.002-04:002011-09-08T19:44:22.050-04:00My Parents are CoolLabor Day weekend I always stay in town. Too much of a hassle getting out of the city (re: I didn't get invited anywhere) plus I like going to the US Open (re: see previous blog). Anyway, this weekend my parents decided to come up for some tennis which was perfect timing since my apartment also needed cleaning. It ended up being a great weekend and it didn't hurt that I spent nothing. I even forgot to bring my wallet out a few times.<br />
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</div><div>So Friday night we hopped on the subway and off to Flushing. It was a perfect night and we saw some great young American tennis. The US Open is a very social (re: drinking) event and sometimes the crowds can get a little wild. Sue still doesn't understand why people need to drink more than one beer at a sporting event. After my second beer she asked if I was okay to navigate them back to my apartment (yes, they stay with me) from Queens. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Saturday I woke up early (re: 11am) and we decided the three of us would go for a bike ride. They rented bikes and we were off. I thought maybe just a nice little ride around the Central Park loop but they were adamant we bike whatever route I typically bike. So we ended up by the GW Bridge via the streets of Harlem and Broadway and back down the West Side Highway path and across 59th street. Lets just say I was very impressed. </div><div><br />
</div><div>When parents come up people automatically think of fancy dinners you wouldn't splurge on by yourself but I'm kind of past that phase. I like trying new obscure places with them. I'll save the fancy dinners for Phil. We ended up taking the ferry over to Williamsburg in Brooklyn and to this new restaurant called St. Anselm. Very cool place where their motto is to try to grill everything. Grilled avocado with shrimp to start along side grilled whole sardines. The tea braised chicken comes with head and feet attached. Didn't have the guts to try the chicken but the steak and creamed spinach was excellent. For dessert I saw roasted strawberries with homemade marshmallows. I'll order that next time. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Sunday night we went to Patsy's. Not the generic Patsy's you see all over the city but the original one in East Harlem. Hidden gem. We were literally all over New York; Queens for tennis, Harlem for pizza and biking, Brooklyn for dinner. I guess next time my parents come up I'll have to find something in the Bronx (maybe a Yankee game?) and Staten Island. Umm, maybe not Staten Island but they do have a free ferry! "Hey, I'm Retired at 29!"</div>Elliot Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074162786543044328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5737500609292497607.post-5894615668194919982011-08-29T01:03:00.003-04:002011-08-29T01:10:47.450-04:00U.S. OpenThe end of summer is sad for the majority of people. It means going back to school for students (suckers), no more summer work hours for employees (what's work?), and cold weather (skiing!). Clearly I'm not in the majority. The one thing I love about the end of summer is the U.S. Open in New York. There is something about watching tennis live that is very relaxing and soothing. Maybe it's the fact that when I was young my neighbors and I would sneak into the Legg Mason Tennis Classic on those hot and humid DC summers. Or the fact that I love playing tennis but nearly impossible to play in the city (past blog post). For whatever reason, I always get tickets for at least one session plus the day session on Labor Day Monday. This year I'm treating (re: I will half heartingly offer to pay) my lovely parents to the first Friday night session.<br />
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For someone who hasn't gone before, I will explain the scene at the U.S. Open. It's different from any other sporting event watched live. Think of the complete opposite of a N.H.L playoff game. The intensity is just as high but the atmosphere is completely different. You have to be quiet during points, clap after every point (even if it's not the player you're rooting for) and you can only get to and from your seat during change overs. It's different which makes it fun. But the best part is the booze at the Open. Of course you can get your standard beer but it is completely appropriate and actually normal to get martinis. At a Ranger's game, they promote, let's say, Bud Light, at the Open, Grey Goose!! I think that pretty much sums up the Open. So look for me Friday night or Monday day, I'll be the Nadal look-a-like with vodka in hand. "Hey, I'm Retired at 29!"Elliot Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074162786543044328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5737500609292497607.post-21954121382895531022011-08-22T22:40:00.002-04:002011-08-22T22:46:28.049-04:00C.O.D LIVEI've always been into video games or at least intrigued by them. I was a normal kid going through all the Nintendo consoles. Then I switched over to PlayStation 2 and then back to Nintendo Wii. To be honest with you, I was never really good at them. I was typically into the Madden football games which were fun as hell to play especially during their peak popularity when I was college. Competing against my roommates and playing as a pre-game before going out to trashy house parties in Pittsburgh was always entertaining. Just to clarify the pre-gaming was fun, not partying with trashy Yinzers.<br />
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But just recently I was given a brand spankin' new XBox 360 with Kinect. My first thought was to run out to GameStop and trade it in for money, trust me, I need the cabbage. It was given to me by a close friend and I felt guilty going behind his back. (side note: I was told to keep his name out of my blog because my blog is so popular and all...) If you're going to get one video game these days its really a no brainer what to get: Call of Duty. I've heard amazing things about this game, and even the New York Times reviewed it and gave it a fantastic review. There has been about five different versions of COD and I decided to get the most recent one; COD: Black Ops. (side note: if I have any 15 yr old male readers they know what I'm talking about, everyone else could probably care less.) All I want to say is that this game is unbelievable. I don't really know the story plot but I'm just killing a lot of Nazis, Japs, and Russians and I like it a lot! I literally play this game all the time. Shit, I'm actually playing as I type. Impressive, huh? Well, not as impressive as being retired! "Hey, I'm Retired at........29!"Elliot Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074162786543044328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5737500609292497607.post-14914519037696266622011-08-15T17:39:00.000-04:002011-08-15T17:39:38.475-04:00Chillin' on Session and HudsonWith my newfound time in retirement, I've been wandering around the city more and more. And I've been realizing I end up wandering into liquor stores more and more. Not that I'm an alcoholic by any means, but I'm always curious what kind of degenerates I'll find on a random Tuesday at 2pm. I usually just go in and bullshit with the workers. One guy I met drinks constantly on the job. Wow. I wonder how he'll be feeling by closing time? I never buy anything, just look and sample. What? Don't judge me!!<br />
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If I buy anything I go down to Astor Place Wine and Liquors, located, yup you guessed it, at Astor Place. They are more of a wholesale warehouse with prices to match that. My favorite new drink is Hudson Whiskey. It's on the pricey side, as they market as the first whiskey made in the state of New York and each bottle is hand marked with it's barrel and batch number to make it seem more inidivdualized. Beside the fancy marketing tools, it goes down real nice. Very smooth with a hint of smokey flavor. Not sure if that's a good thing or not because before I knew it half the bottle was gone. In my defense it was a very small bottle....<br />
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Outside of whiskey I'm still a beer drinker through and through. Recently I've been obsessed with this light lager called Session. I first tried it at Tenpenny and then again at Fat Radish and just the other week at Veritas. It seems like it is popping up everywhere. At a reasonable 5 bucks a bottle at Tenpenny I've been frequenting the bar there a lot. But even at 5 bucks it can add up so I went online to see where I could get a case of Session. A few warehouses in Brooklyn sold them....no thanks. One place in Hoboken....I dont like the beer that much! I called Whole Foods and they were fresh out in Union Sauare and Columbus Circle. I guess you do learn something new everyday because the lady on the phone at the Union Square location told me to try to the Whole Foods down on Houston Street. Bingo! I knew this location existed but didn't know the mass quantity of beer they had. Not only did they have an abundant supply of Session, but this particular location had it's own beer department! Side note: you can also check out there, so no more waiting in line for me. Time is very important to me. I need to cheek out more liquor stores. "Hey, I'm Retired at 28!"Elliot Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074162786543044328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5737500609292497607.post-37970505052825600562011-08-03T16:23:00.008-04:002011-08-03T17:05:43.993-04:00Airport Boozin' and Cruisin'People thinks it's funny for a retiree like myself to go on vacation. But in all honesty I still need a little R&R once in a while. So I decided to tag along with my family for a weekend in Maine. I don't know if this is a good or bad thing, but the trip back to New York was definitely the most interesting part of the trip. I took the Acela from New York to Boston, rented a car to drive to Maine but stupidly on the way home I decided to fly. Whoppsie Daisy!! Big mistake. Supposedly there were thunderstorms somewhere along the east coast which screwed up the air traffic big time because once the night was over my flight was delayed seven hours for a 43 minute flight. (side note: destination was changed from JFK to Newark....I'll get to that later.)<br />
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Secretly, part of me actually kind of likes delays. Obviously not seven hour delays but an hour or so isn't bad because I LOVE airport bars. It's fun to bullshit with the other solo passengers at the bar and everyone is friendly and nice because people want to pass the time. And when the whole JetBlue wing at Logan is delayed the bar scene becomes a total "meet market". So when you have a few vodka tonics and you see your flight getting pushed back another hour every hour people become very chatty. I got into an argument with one woman about Miami sports fans, or rather the lack of sports fans in South Florida. I was asked by another woman if I knew the price of a bushel of hay in New York versus the price in Tampa. I told her I didn't even know hay existed anymore. That didn't go over too well with her. The Miami woman was passed out at gate 31 by 1130pm. <br />
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So I finally boarded my Boston to Newark flight at 1230am. Now my biggest concern was how the hell was I going to get home from Jersey. NJ transit was closed for the night and a cab would cost more than the actual flight. I was in a total bind. I guess I was gonna have to bite the bullet and take a cab. The whole procedure of getting a cab at Newark is insane. You have to wait in line, tell the line operator where you are going and they give you a slip with the price to give to the cabbie. But if you want to pay with credit card you need to then go to another line to pay at a kiosk. Of course the kiosk machines were all out of order and I only had fifty bucks in my wallet. The cab was going to cost 65 bucks plus tolls and tip. Hmmm. Then pure genius came over me. I overheard this Spanish woman behind me telling the line operator she was going to Third and 60th, a mere seven blocks from my apartment. I turned around and quietly asked her if she wanted to split a cab. She kind of looked at me a little confused but before we really had a chance to talk I was already at the front of the line. I ripped up my slip and took hers and told the cabbie there were two of us. I told the Spaniard to just go with it and we could each save 40 bucks. She kind of laughed and said "ok". Bingo. I made some jokes about getting some cervezas but she didn't think that was funny. Oh well, my ego was shot but at least I saved 40 bucks. "Hey, I'm Retired at 28!"Elliot Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074162786543044328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5737500609292497607.post-1681106950357203072011-07-28T23:38:00.005-04:002011-07-29T09:07:07.751-04:00White Bread + Upper East Side = No NoI've been hearing good things about Danny Meyer's new casual lunch spot, Untitled, located on the basement level of the Whitney. Yesterday I was strolling around Madison Avenue and decided to see what all the hype was about. It was around 1:30pm on a lazy summer afternoon and the place was packed. Doesn't anyone work in this town?? The wait was 15 minutes. My friend and I were eventually seated and we started scanning the menu. The restaurant is a take on the classic American diner food, Upper East Side version (re: tack on five dollars to every item). I saw the pastrami reuben and immediately closed the menu. Done and done. The server then came over to take our order and he said they were out of a few things. I was praying he wouldn't call out the reuben. He mentioned they were out of the tuna salad sandwich and the tuna melt and also the chicken sausage. Fine, I could deal with that. We both order. When the server came back with my iced tea he said the dreaded two words I did not want to hear, "sold out". Damnit! I was all discombobulated so I frantically ordered the house burger with pimento cheese. Five minutes later the manager came over and said they were out of pimento cheese. Ok, this place is popular but come on! The manager said that they weren't actually sold out of these items, but that some of the deliveries never came that morning. Whatever, still not my problem. I ended up with a cheddar burger and a comped meal. No complains from me. But, I'm not a typical Upper East Sider. Let me explain how the two lovely women sitting next to us reacted...<br />
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</div><div>They probably were seated five minutes after us and started telling each other which items looked good, and of course they were rattling off ALL the items that weren't available. I felt like I had to tell them so I leaned over and explained the situation. They looked confused and said this would never happen at Eleven Madison Park (Meyer's top notch restaurant in New York). Honey, just because his name is on the menu doesn't mean anything. I'm sure Meyer has been to this restaurant exactly one time for the opening and thats it. I wanted to tell her that but was actually kind of scared of her. These two ladies looked like their occupation title was "Ladies Who Lunch" so I kept my mouth shut. They both end up getting the turkey sandwiches on toasted wheat. The server was literally shaking when he had to tell them they were out of wheat but could substitute white bread. WHITE BREAD!? These women gasped so loud I thought all the air was going to be sucked right out of the entire museum. They settled for toasted rye. At this point their faces were red and I was scared for my life. Who knows what these two women were capable of doing.<br />
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Now here is the kicker. The turkey sandwich was this measly limp piece of turkey and a blotch of avocado spread, where the menu clearly stated avocado. I was actually totally agreeing with them. They called the manager over and told this poor manager, she was probably 26 years old, that this was totally unacceptable. They sent the food back and decided to just finish their coffee and leave. Of course they didn't have to pay for anything either. </div><div><br />
</div><div>We all walk out at the same time and the manager again greets all of us and apologizes profusely and handed us all her business card. As a true New Yorker, like these women, we all turn the cards over to see if there is a free cocktail or entree for a future date written in by the manager. Now this goes down as an ultimate classic New York scene: There was nothing written on the back so like whats the point of the card? We all rip up the cards and leave them on the table. Wow, that was an intense lunch but definitely worth it for a free, and actually pretty tasty burger. "Hey, I'm Retired at 28"!<br />
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</div></div>Elliot Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074162786543044328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5737500609292497607.post-39724280204131681352011-07-27T23:39:00.002-04:002011-07-28T09:08:34.253-04:00Burger WarsI truly knew New York City was meant for me a mere three months after I moved up from DC that fall of 2004. I was living in the East Village with my cousin Nate and our friend Zach and we literally had subscriptions to every New York based magazine imaginable. One was Time Out New York and the cover was, The 100 Best Hamburgers in NYC. Wow, this city really read my mind. The rankings went through all five boroughs, from obscure hole in the wall restaurants in Queens to $50 foie gras topped burgers in Manhattan. I vowed to Zach I would try all of them in one year. Ok, that didn't happen, but ever since that article came out I have taken burgers in the city seriously. There has been knock-off rankings from other magazines since, but for some reason I'll take the Time Out one to my grave. (And the rate I'm living, it might not be too far off.)<br />
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To be honest, I only remember a few from the list but I do remember the top billing went to Donovan's Pub which is located right off the 7 train in Queens. Zach and I hit it up a few weeks later to see what the hype was all about. Result: It was a damn good burger. Not too thick, cooked perfectly (medium-rare) with a light but sturdy bun and a sliver of onion. You could tell it was cooked on an open flame with a nice char to the outside of the patty. I would definitely recommend this joint especially to someone traveling through LaGuardia as it's close by.<br />
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Now comes the hard part: MY personal rankings. To make it easier for everyone (re: myself) I'll just give my top three.<br />
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3.) Lure Fish Bar- Sounds kind of silly, as their main focus is seafood, but their Smash Burger (insider tip: need to order it off the menu) is amazing. It almost tastes more like a sandwich than a burger, but in a good way. It's a relatively small compact patty with a smear of their secret bacon jam. The beef is so flavorful the jam doesn't overpower the patty but complements it.<br />
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2.) Schiller's Liquor Bar- Located on the Lower East Side, it was frequented by Nate and myself numerous times when we lived up the street. We usually went Sunday early evenings with the New York Times in tow (so we didn't have to talk to each other) and order cheeseburgers and cheap wine. With the beef patty lying perfectly on a toasted sesame seed bun and french fries covering most of the plate, it was like a hamburger version of steak frites.<br />
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1.) Burger Joint - Hidden behind a thick red curtain off the lobby of the Le Parker Meridien hotel in midtown Manhattan, this burger takes the cake. Cooked exactly how ordered on an open flame this burger melts in your mouth. Using two types of cheddar cheese (yellow and white), ordering a plain burger is just damn right stupid. Ordering it like a cheesesteak, with or without toppings (I always order "with the works") makes this the best damn burger in New York City.Elliot Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074162786543044328noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5737500609292497607.post-50870434556307317332011-07-21T21:36:00.002-04:002011-07-21T21:42:02.223-04:00CampI was a difficult kid growing up. I got sick a lot (still do), couldn't sleep away from home (almost over it), lazy (still am) and absolutely hated camp. I started thinking about how dumb camp is, recently, while walking through Central Park to go see Horrible Bosses. (side note: I think it's the funniest movie of the summer so far. Squeaks out Bridemaids by a hair. Also, whats the deal with the whole dentist jokes in movies recently? I mean, I totally agree they aren't real doctors (wink wink Steve), but after Hangover any dentist joke is lame.) So while I was crossing the park I literally saw three groups of same colored t-shirt kids holding hands and a few stressed out adults supervising them. However much these camp counselors make, it's definitely not enough. These kids were running around the park in 100 plus degree heat kicking soccer balls and throwing baseballs. Awful.<br />
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Brings me back to my childhood days. I remember my parents pleading with me to go to sleep away camp. Why the hell would I want to stay in bunk beds and wake up early to go on hikes, I would tell Sue. After a while she would give up and we made a compromise that I would just go to day camp. I soon realized that day camp was even worse! Have you been to DC in the summer time? It makes New York feel like Alaska. I would pray it would rain so we would stay inside and watch movies. My ideal summer vacation was to relax INSIDE after a stressful year of elementary school with the AC blasting and the soaps on the tube. Come to think of it, some things haven't changed at all. "Hey, I'm Retired at 28!Elliot Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074162786543044328noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5737500609292497607.post-63743613409624327822011-07-18T17:12:00.001-04:002011-07-18T17:14:11.784-04:00Park Avenue ERsAfter I decided to cut my Hamptons vacation short, I boarded the LIRR and headed home. I wasn't going to be a fun house guest anymore and wanted to get my arm x-rayed immediately. As nice as the Hamptons are, lets not forget that it's still Long Island with Long Island doctors and I kind of wanted to keep my arm, so I headed up to Lennox Hill Hospital. Located on 77th Street and Park Ave, I thought this was my safest (re: normal people) bet. I went around 1am to avoid waiting time. (side note: I don't do lines anymore. Needed to get my Mac laptop fixed; good luck finding me at the Genius Counter during "normal hours". With the Apple stores claim to fame being 24 hours, I go at 2am and zip right in and out. Now THAT is really genius!)<br />
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Lennox Hill was empty and I barely had to wait five minutes. With clean bathrooms and flat screen TVs in the waiting room (showing ESPN not that NY1 crap) I actually wouldn't have minded if the wait was a little longer. But the back waiting area was even nicer! Plush waiting chairs by the x-ray room with personal TVs hanging from the ceiling. Breaking my arm has never been better. Just kidding. Sorry for the delay between posts but writing this post took a few days. Trying pecking with one arm at Starbucks. It's not fun. But what's the rush? "Hey, I'm Retired at 28!"Elliot Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074162786543044328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5737500609292497607.post-48130048714691127462011-07-15T14:30:00.000-04:002011-07-15T14:30:29.733-04:00I Would Come Out of Retirement For This<a href="http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2011/07/mark_pastore_ny_diet.html">LaFrieda’s Mark Pastore Conducts ‘Quality Control’ Visits to Shake Shack, Eats Plenty of Steak Just About Everywhere Else</a>Elliot Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074162786543044328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5737500609292497607.post-45348727447545933922011-07-14T00:38:00.002-04:002011-07-14T00:43:16.156-04:00Put Me On The 15-Day DLIt's surprising with my weak immune system, fragile body and weaker bones that I have actually never broken a bone in my body. I get sick every other week and need a solid 11 hours of sleep a night, but I've never been to the ER before. Shocking, I know. Lets just say that all changed this past Sunday night. Let me start from the beginning.<br />
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Weekend started off great; with full sunshine and heat ahead, I was excited about some good biking out East and even more geeked about laying out on the white sand beaches that the Hamptons are famous for. I had a friends fancy road bike so I went to the local bike store Friday afternoon to pick up some nice clip-on bike shoes. I found a great pair with carbon (re: light) shoes and bargained down an extra 20 percent off the sale price. I got the unofficial "unemployment" discount. Saturday I pounded out a good 25 miles but wanted to take it easy. I figured I would wake up early on Sunday (re:10:30am) and bike out to East Hampton and back; a good 40 miles. With my buddy Paul doing a real early ride (re: 8:30), I was on my own. I was all situated and ready to go. I took the bike out of the garage and I was deciding how I was going to hit the garage switch (it was by the entrance to the house, maybe like 15 feet) to close the garage door but also get out under the door before it crushes me. Of course I'm too lazy to walk through the house, but willing to ride 40 miles in 90 plus temperatures. Makes no sense, I know. So with these damn carbon soles plus the glossy hard concrete floor I was definitely doomed for disaster. I hit the switch and ran for the garage door. I made a sharp left turn around some boxes three feet before the garage door and there I went; falling directly on my left elbow. I make a Mission Impossible type spin on the ground so I wouldn't get crushed by the closing door. I kind of felt like Rose McGowan in Scream when she gets crushed by the garage door. Crickets?? Seriously, the pain I felt makes a colonoscopy seem like a walk in the park.<br />
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I'm sorry I don't have a crazy story for you all, like, I was dancing on the tabletops at Lily Pond with Ramona and fell in a drunken stupor. But always remember, "Hey, I'm Retired at 28!"Elliot Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074162786543044328noreply@blogger.com0