Like I said, Bogota is big and sprawling. I will never complain about traffic again. It’s always a gridlock because everyone drives a car, there is no subway system, and there are 300,000 little yellow taxis all over the city. The taxis are yellow Hyundai’s that look like a Honda Fit. The taxi drivers are fearless. And, you can always get one. Continue reading “Bogota Street Art”
“You’re going to Colombia? Why are you going to Colombia? Colombia is very dangerous, you’ll be kidnapped. What’s in Colombia? Don’t forget to get me some drugs”! This is what I was met with when I told friends we were going to Colombia. And I must say, I did check the State Dept. travel warning site, just to be sure! But as I told myself, the good old US of A is as dangerous a place as just about anywhere! Continue reading “Viva Colombia!!”
We love tapas. Some of the most fun we had in Spain this year was going on a tapas crawl in Madrid. Going from bar to bar, having a glass of wine, pointing to the tapas that looks good or ordering a few slices of that incredible Jamon Iberico Negro being sliced in front of the restaurant. Have another glass of wine and more tapas then move on to another restaurant. So much fun!
Tapas restaurants in the United States aren’t quite the same. But they’re good in their own way. So, when we heard that there was a new contender in town we needed to check it out. It’s been busy since it opened its doors but Cousin L snagged a reservation and with Aunt J we were excited to see what all the hype was about.
First off, the hype is worthy. Barcelona Wine Bar is a little chain from Connecticut. But they don’t want to be known as a chain. They liken themselves to a neighborhood restaurant and ask multiple times if you’re from the “hood”.
A really good looking restaurant – 3 rooms in total; a bar (where you couldn’t get a seat), a more casual cafe where you can see what’s happening in the kitchen and a more formal white tableclothed dining room. The restaurant walls are reclaimed wood and the restaurant has a warm feel. On a Saturday night it was buzzing.
I arrived before the rest of the group and was seated by the door. I asked if we could move to a table away from the door and they happily showed me to a new table. Then as I was just getting ready to have a sip of wine I was asked if I’d like to move by the window. Nice of them to ask.
I started with a Verdejo and an order of Cabra as Romero which is a goat’s milk cheese covered in rosemary. It was served on a board with quince jam and was delicious.
Oh, and the bread? Chewy, rustic – we were sure it was from Iggy’s but were surprised when they said no, Clear Flour Bread.
So, this restaurant takes it’s wine very seriously. The wine menu is contained in a little booklet with an introduction by the wine director and what follows is 6 pages of wine, beer and mixed drinks with an impressive wine list.
After everyone arrived we settled in and took a look at the menu. The thing about tapas restaurants in the US is that they all pretty much serve the same tapas. The Patatas Brava, the chicken croquettes, the potato tortilla and the gambas al ajillo. Each restaurant has it’s own spin on a particular recipe and they each have a few different items on the menu. But it’s not so much that they all serve the same thing, it’s how they serve it and it’s the ambiance of the restaurant that makes the experience, and of course, if it tastes good!
So what was on our table? A lot! Along with the mandatory Spanish olives and Patatas Bravas was Gambas al Ajillo, Jamon and Chicken Croquettes, Spinach-Chickpea Cazuela, Caramelized Brussels Sprouts, Mussels al Diablo and of course, Albondigas (meatballs) in a zesty tomato sauce. It was all good; some more than others. The one dish that left us cold was the Spinach-Chickpea Cazuela. Made with cumin it tasted more like it belonged in an Indian restaurant.
For dessert, crepes with dulce de leche, flan and cookies with a dulce de leche filling; all yummy!
If you aren’t in the mood for tapas,they serve four different paellas and, they have choices in meat, fish and mixed grill. The next time Roy and I will definitely sit at the bar but we’ll have to get there either really early or very late because there was a two hour wait by the time we left. How many times have you seen a chef passing out tapas to people while they’re waiting for a table? Barcelona does and I thought it was a nice touch.
The waitstaff was outstanding, knowledgeable, with great personalities.
My one question is why is there a picture of a bullfight on the website when bullfights have been outlawed in Barcelona? Something they should think about maybe?
So will we go back? Definitely.
See you at the bar….
I was lucky enough to see the Mario Testino exhibit entitled “In Your Face” at the MFA with my friend G this week. Mario Testino, fashion photographer extraordinaire, who’s name became known after he was chosen to photograph Princess Diana for her Vanity Fair shoot in 1997. Photos so good they can be considered art and museum quality, obviously. Continue reading “Mario Testino”
Amour . A tough movie that tackles the subject of aging. It’s French. It’s about a loving elderly couple faced with what happens when one suffers a stroke and the downward decline that ensues. It’s as much about the person who’s failing as it is about the caretaker. After all, no one ever thinks about what the caretaker goes through. This movie handles it. It’s an intelligent, thoughtful, heartbreaking piece of work worthy of the awards it has already received. The leading actress, Emmanuelle Riva, nominated for an Oscar (and deserving of it), was in the famous movie Hiroshima, Mon Amour and the actor Jean-Louis Trintignant was in another famous French movie, A Man and a Woman. Isabelle Huppert plays their emotionally barely there and hardly interested daughter.
Why aren’t there any movies about the subject of aging? There are lots of us baby boomers out there dealing with our own mortality or dealing with aging parents. There are movies about being 40, action hero movies, lots of stupid movies for 13 year olds, but no intelligent movies that deal with the subject of aging and the end of life. Granted it’s not an easy subject and I suppose people don’t want to face it or be reminded that it will happen, especially when the reason they’re going to the movies is to be entertained.
Do yourself a favor, go see Amour before it leaves; and then, go see a stupid movie!
After the movie we needed wine and some good food. So with our friends G and B we headed over to Abigail’s. I’ve reviewed Abigail’s in the past. It’s on Third Street in Cambridge where there’s a lot going on. We immediately ordered wine, which we desperately needed and took a look at the menu. We had so much on the table we couldn’t fit anything else on it if we tried. As with our last visit, we loved the restaurant.
See you at the bar…..
Green Street Grille was once one of our go-to restaurants. Big portions of Caribbean inspired food by chef/owner John Levins, it was always an experience for the taste buds. But John Levins sold the restaurant and we never went back. Continue reading “An Old Friend Revisited”
OK, not even a brush, but a brush by. Edward Burns, actor, director and producer. I love his movies; they are small independent films, some better than others, his best being his first, The Brothers McMullen. Anyway, he’s heading up the cast of a new movie about Derek Sanderson. Remember him? Highest paid hockey player in the NFL in the 70’s; bad boy who made a dive bomb and finally lost it all. But now he’s back with an autobiography and a movie called “Turk”. Continue reading “My Brush with Celebrity”
Say New York and what comes to mind? For me it’s a few things. Broadway, shopping, museums, people, uptown, downtown, and….. FOOD!!
See that hot pastrami sandwich. That’s just half of the sandwich. We arrived in New York and the first thing we did was ask where the nearest deli was. New York is synonymous with the word deli. Even though we’re all eating healthier now, there’s nothing better that a hot pastrami on fresh rye, some good half sours and slaw and for Roy a Cel-Ray or Dr. Brown’s cream soda.
A movie and dinner. A perfect way to spend Christmas Eve with L and M.
The movie – Rust and Bone. A Belgian-French film. It’s a complex love story, tough but riveting. It left us sitting in our seats for a few minutes because we had to digest what we’d just seen. It’s not a kid’s movie. Marion Cotillard plays a woman who trains killer whales and is involved in an accident at a marineland in Antibes, France in which she loses both legs. She has to learn how to deal with her new reality. Enter a man she has previously met in a bar who’s a kick-boxer and struggling to find work and support a son. Together they seem to find a common ground and without giving anything away, this is the basic story. It is directed by Jacques Audiard who also directed The Prophet, another complex movie that if you haven’t seen, you should. Continue reading “Christmas Eve 2012”
I don’t know about you but we almost never go to dinner parties at friend’s homes. We go out. But last night, we went to a dinner party.
We didn’t realize it but the occasion for the party was recognition for Roy giving P a hand in launching his new business. Being that it’s the Christmas season made it more festive. Continue reading “The Dinner Party”
