Good Eats: PIZZA!!

LOMBARDI'SGennaro Lombardi opened what claims to be the city's first Neapolitan Pizzeria in 1905. It is fittingly located at Little Italy, 32 Spring Street between Mott and Mulberry Sts.
Nearest Subway Station: # 6 Train to Spring Street

We tried the pie with Wild Fresh Mushrooms and sampled one topped with Rosa Grande Pepperoni. Now we know why this place is still a contender for the best pizza in the city! Both came with its signature black and crispy crusts.

Check out their site at: http://www.lombardispizza.com/pages/1/index.htm

Steppin' Out: PACHA, NYC

Went out to PACHA's "Afterwork Party" last night with a few friends. This was one of PACHA-Ibiza's (Spain) sister-club. Of the 4 levels, only two (2nd and 3rd floor) were accessible. Because of the heavy turn-out, we had to wait for 20 minutes to get in even if we were on the "Guest List". Due partly to the Coronas that I had imbibed, this small inconvenience didn't hamper me from having a ball. Most over-played song of the night: Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy".

Prior to entering the club, the security had to do their customary "bag-search". I was amused to learn that a particular item was banned from the club. Cameras? Allowed. Cell phones? Allowed. Chewing Gum? Absolutely NOT. Seriously. The garbage can near the entrance was half-filled with discarded gum packets.
This was one of the lounges on the 3rd floor...
DJ Camilo, DJ Lucho, and DJ Xplor spinned some awesome Hip Hop, Reggae, Classics, House and caliente Salsa sets.

The wall on the 2nd floor's bar was decorated with a row of giant mosaic hands covered in sparkling, golden glass. 'Checked out the bathroom and - surprise, surprise. Even the toilet seat was illuminated! Was this idea conceived to aid drunk patrons in aiming?

Four and a half hours later, I remembered that I still had to put together S' stuff for her Camp's field trip today. So by 2 AM, I was at home. Standing over our kitchen counter. Stuffing myself with a bowl of left-over Mac n' Cheese.
There will always be another time to party late. In the meantime, "Mommy-duty" calls...

For more cool PACHA photos, click on "Darkroom" at http://www.pachanyc.com/

Good Eats: ASIAN FUSION!! (Manhattan)

Sporting a catchy name ("Kumain" in Tagalog means "to eat"), Kuma Inn is located at 113 Ludlow St. (2nd Floor) between Delancey and Rivington. The closest subway station is the F Train at Delancey, about a block away from the restaurant.
As we passed through the nondescript entrance to ascend up the steep wooden stairs, P wondered out loud to S: "What kind of exotic place is Mama taking us to this time?". He had no choice but to proceed, though. The other day, he took us out for dinner at this BBQ joint at 73rd Street and 3rd Avenue. Everything we ordered (save for the heavenly frozen drinks) turned up drowning in barbecue sauce. Today, it was my turn to call the shots.
Once we got to the 2nd floor, we were met with a welcoming icy blast of AC. "Aaaah - such a relief!" (For the record, the restaurant staff was much warmer). The place was quaintly decorated with bamboo motif, pretty cozy (they had less than a dozen tables), and very clean. There were several lighted candles in the bathroom.

Needless to say, "Picky P" was pleased and instantly went "loco" over the Sake (Rice Wine) Sangria. He didn't hesitate to ordered a pitcher. (BTW, he's gonna kill me if he finds out I posted this particular pic of him). Meanwhile, S settled for the delish Mango Juice. For such a small place, they had a pretty extensive sake list.
They had Thai-Filipino-Chinese-Japaness fusion cuisine served tapas-style, and were relatively cheap. Lucky for them, we were starving. The chef, King Phojanakong is half Filipino (mom) and half Thai (dad). His impressive resume' included cooking for David Bouley (of Danube) and Daniel Boulud (of Bistro Moderne). 

Although one of their signature dishes: Pan Seared Ocean Scallops with Bacon wasn't available, the food we ordered did not disappoint. I heard the Shrimp Shumai (shown) was really good (P and S devoured it all before I could even bat an eyelash), even as the Vegetable Dumplings were a tad chewy. The fresh Grilled Baby Octopus with Pickled Bamboo Shoots (shown) was scrumptious. P and S didn't seem to mind the occasional black ink squirts.

We also had the Whole Grilled Sardines (shown), the Fried Springrolls/Lumpia, and the Lechon Kawali with Achara (shown), paired with a bowl of sticky rice and a serving of steamed rice. Each time, we managed to clean up our plates.

For dessert, the intense flavor of Black Cherry Gelato (shown) was to die for. I was fortunate enough that the Fried Plantains (Turon) with Caramel Sauce (shown) held S' undivided attention. Kuma Inn is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 6 PM till 12 Midnight. Cash Only.

LINKS:* http://www.kumainn.com/profile.html
* https://www.davidbouley.com/
* http://danielboulud.com/

Lake Welch Beach

Lake Welch Beach is the largest (man-made) sandy beach in Harriman State Park and possibly one of the largest inland beach in the US.

It is ideal for swimming, picnicking (BBQ!!) and fishing. They also have a few of the friendliest lifeguards around! For those who'd rather concentrate on the "swimming" part, facilities include a small restaurant serving picnic staples such as Burgers, Fries, Fried Chicken, Chicken Nuggets, and Hot Dogs. An adjacent store also sell bags of BBQ coals, towels, plastic toys and other basic necessities that people might need for the beach.

Here's S and her buddies taking an ice cream/ice cone break.

LINK: http://www.nysparks.com/parks/info.asp?parkID=74

A Good Deed Is Never Forgotten

About two years ago, Filipino cab driver Nestor Sulpico made headlines when he reunited a bag of valuable pearls with its amnesic owner after he found them on the back seat of his cab. I was pleasantly surprised when his picture and story turned up again on the Sunday issue (July 16) of the Daily News. This article was written by Jose Martinez for the "Whatever Happened To...?" section of the paper.

"One very good deed helped change the life of the cabbie hailed as "New York's most honest taxi driver". When Nestor Sulpico returned $70,000 of rare South Pacific black pearls to a forgetful rider who left them in his cab, he used his $5,000 reward to fund his daughter's nursing education in their native Philippines.
He showed up on the front page of Daily News and was saluted by Mayor Bloomberg. He also was transformed into a celebrity back home, where he was honored by the government and given a $3,000 gift by the country's President.
"I'm just a regular person doing a regular thing," Sulpico said. "But I was - what do you call it - lionized back there in the Philippines."
Now driving a Lincoln Town Car, and occasionally getting behind the wheel of his yellow cab, Sulpico said he regularly finds wallets and mobile phones left behind in the backseat.
And just as he did on July 14, 2004 - when he returned the pearls to hedge-fund manager Lawrence Policastro - he tries to track down the owner of the misplaced phone or wallet.
"I can't really keep anything that is not mine," Sulpico said. "I'm used to working hard and not earning money easily."
Sulpico, 49, had been driving a cab for less than a month when he made his biggest backseat find. Using a cell phone left in the cab, he dialed Policastro's home to report he had the pearls.
Then he drove up to Rowayton, Conn., to return the pearls to Policastro, who threw his arms around the humble hack, proclaimed, "I love cabbies," and promised a generous reward.
For months after his good deed, Sulpico was recognized by the people he was driving around the city. He turned up on television news shows that aired all over the country, and was honored by Taxi and Limousine Commission chief Matthew Daus.
Sulpico also was awarded a scholarship to the Phillips Beth Israel School of Nursing. He starts classes this fall.
"Finding those pearls was my passport to a better life," Sulpico said.
But the Queens cabbie said he is not planning to give up hacking even after he starts nursing school.
"I like New York, and it just fascinates me to meet all kinds of people," he said. "That's what keeps me going."

Ilonggo Ini!!

Kiddie Treat: Victorian Gardens at Central Park

Every Summer, from May till after September's Labor Day, the Wollman Rink in Central Park transforms into the Victorian Gardens Amusement Park.

Directions by Bus: We took the M2 Bus to 64th Street (East side), proceeded to Central Park using the 5th Avenue Zoo entrance, veered to the left, then followed the directions to "Wollman Rink" - it was about a 10-15 minute walk.

The Amusement Park is open 7 days a week - from 11 AM till 7 PM on Weekdays, and from 10 AM till 8 PM on Weekends and Holidays. Occasionally, a celebrity will book the Park for a private party, or sometimes there'll be some sort of Fundraising Event going on. With this in mind, it's always a good idea to double-check the Parks' Operating Hours before heading there. Admission is $6.50/pp (little toddlers are free) and it costs $2.00 (or 2 tickets) for one ride. S announced that she intended to get on the rides "3,842 times", so I guess paying an additional $12.00 for a wristband (entitles the child to unlimited rides) actually ended up as being cost-effective for me. Besides, this allowed me to stretch out on a bench for some relatively peaceful "me-time" (I was armed with a juicy gossip mag and some Cherry Icee) while she ran amok for a couple hours. On the safety issue - the Park is fairly small and is situated in an enclosed space (there's only one EXIT), so it allows the parents to have their kid/s within vision at all times.

Among S' favorite rides were the Mini Mouse roller coaster, Aeromax...

... Family Swinger, Samba Balloon...

...and the Convoy.

LINK: http://www.victoriangardensnyc.com/rides.html

Is It Time to Open the "Ba-ul"?

In The Post's July 12th issue, Todd Venezia wrote a brief note about the Philippine peso in the paper's "Weird but True" section.

"The value of the Philippine peso is rising - not because the currency is so stable, but because the metal it's made of is so valuable.
Authorities recently stopped a container full of 3 million one-peso coins - which each contain 75 percent copper - being illegally shipped abroad to be melted down.
The price of the metal has risen so much that on the black market each coin is worth nearly four times as much as face value."

German Potato Salad

Ingredients:

2 pounds small red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered into bite size pieces
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
1/2 cup paper-thin sliced shallots, or 1/2 red onion, sliced paper-thin
1/4 pound thick-cut bacon (about 4 slices) cut into 1/4-inch slices
Pinch of sugar
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 tbsp. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley or chives or a combination of both
Optional: 1 tbsp. mustard seeds


Bring the potatoes and four quarts of cold water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Add the salt and cook until potatoes are tender but firm when poked with a knife, about 6-8 minutes.

Drain the potatoes reserving 1/3 cup of the cooking liquid. Add 3 tablespoons vinegar to the potatoes, stir gently and let stand for 1 minute. Add the sliced shallots or red onion and stir to combine.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Toast the optional mustard seeds until very lightly browned, about 1-2 minutes. Remove and set aside. Cook the bacon until well browned and crispy. Remove to paper towels and pour off all but 2 tablespoons bacon fat. Add the remaining vinegar, reserved cooking water, and a pinch of sugar. Swirl the ingredients together and cook for a minute.

Pour over the potato mixture. Add the optional mustard seeds, bacon, freshly ground pepper to taste, and parsley and/or chives. Toss gently to combine. Taste for seasonings, adding salt if necessary. Turn onto a serving bowl or platter and serve immediately.

Serves 6 as a side dish.

Avenue des Champs-Elysees

The "Main Street" on the Right Bank is Avenue des Champs-Elysees, beginning at the Arc de Triomphe and running all the way to Place de la Concorde, a 45 min. to an hour leisurely walk. With Paris being the "City of Light", it is recommended to amble around during the night when all the trees along the streets are lit up. (How romantic!) The Arc de Triomphe is the largest triumphal arch in the world. It stands 163 ft. high and is 147 ft. wide.

CARTIER Store (P, can I have the gold LOVE bracelet, pleeaase!??)
The Place de la Concorde is situated between Champs-Elysees and the Tuileries Garden along the Seine River. It was built in 1763 by architect J. Gabriel to celebrate the glory of then almighty King, Louis XV. Unfortunately, it was also on this spot that the King saw the beheading of his successor and grandson Louis XVI during the French Revolution (1793).
Oh, FYI - for those who have seen "The Devil Wears Prada", this is the fountain where Andrea (played by Anne Hathaway) chucks the company-issued cell phone during one of the final scenes of the movie.

This 3,200 year-old Obelisk from the ruins of the temple at Luxor was offered to French King Charles X in 1829 by Muhammad Ali (no relation to the boxer), Viceroy of Egypt. It stands 23 meters tall, weighs 220 tons, and is covered with hieroglyphs.

A couple of blocks away stood La Madeline (Church of Madeline). Built in 1764 with huge Corinthian pillars, it initially served as a Greek temple (1790) until Louis XVIII decided in 1814 that it should become a church. In 1843, it eventually did.

LINK: "The Devil Wears Prada" movie trailer: http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/thedevilwearsprada/
Cartier's LOVE bracelet: http://fashiontribes.typepad.com/main/2006/04/how_do_you_show.html

Galeries Lafayette

To get to Galeries Lafayette, we took the # 7 pink line to Opera. The station's about a block away from this 10-story store. Although Forum des Halles is the largest shopping mall in Paris, Galeries Lafayette is certainly more popular. It is open Monday to Saturday from 9:30 AM to 7:30 PM. On Thursdays, it stays open till 9 PM.

Expensive. Expensive. Ridiculously expensive stuff. A thick, light blue Lacoste sweater still had its regular price tag on (220 Euros) - and it's already Summer! By the time all the tulips had withered in Central Park, the same sweater in the States would have sold for 75% less! Whatever... BTW, for all Havaianas flip-flop fans out there, you're going to literally flip-out in the Women's Shoes section (located on the First Floor). For 22 Euros a pair, you can actually have your very own custom-made Havaianas assembled while you wait! Yep, you can pick your own Havaianas strap (lotsa colors to choose from), base, and logo. Makes a nice souvenir...

We bought a few stuff from the Gourmet Foodstore located at the Cellar, then had a glass of wine at Le Bar Rouge. Then P led me to the center of the Main Floor/Welcome Area where the Cosmetic Section was. He asked me to look up, and tadaaaaaaaa! 'Simply loved the glass and steel dome!!

LINK: http://www.galerieslafayette.com/index.do

Notre Dame Cathedral

Notre Dame Cathedral - Situated in Ile de la Cite, it was built when Maurice de Sully, Bishop of Paris decided to build a cathedral dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Construction began in 1163 and was completed - roughly 180 years later. The cathedral retells the stories of the Bible in its portals, paintings, and stained glass. It was inside this magnificent early Gothic architecture that Napoleon took the liberty of crowning himself Emperor in 1804.

Just below the Rose Window of the West facade are statues depicting the Gallery of Kings. Jamb statues of the Apostles can also be found in the Central Portal. I could swear one of them (2nd one from right) turned his head slightly towards my direction and gave me a sly wink. (Okay, okay. I must have been suffering from heat-exhaustion).
Stained Glass Window, North Trancept


The Mystery of the Ressurection of Christ - Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene and the disciples. For 40 days, He shares with them the bread and the word of God. Then He disappears from their sight.

Victor Hugo, one of the most important French romantic writer wrote his famous historical work "Notredame de Paris" (Hunchback of Notredame) in 1831, using the cathedral as its setting. Another one of his well-known works is "Les Miserables" (1862).