cityrag

weekend tip: east village breakfast delivery!
for whatever reason sometimes going out for weekend brunch doesn’t hit our mood (hangover, rain, early or late wake-up, ya just don’t wanna get dressed.) when that happens its Teresa’s Polish coffee shop to the rescue!

Here’s why Teresa’s rocks for breakfast delivery…
- opens everyday/7 days a week at 7 am, delivery service starts early, and is super fast.
- they have a huge breakfast menu and it’s served all day!
- so cheap! the order above was $9.50 with tax, and includes: 16 oz of fresh squeezed orange juice, big serving of scrambled eggs, bacon, home fries and whole wheat toast (with like 6 slices of bacon), order of 3 giant banana buttermilk pancakes, and everything else you need, syrup, butter, jelly, etc (more than 2 people could eat)
- tasty food, everything is hot and fresh. bacon nicely crisp, pancakes super thick and very flavorful, OJ squeezed just that morn (Teresa’s is one of the best and cleanest Polish diners in NY)

what’s not to love about a tasty homemade breakfast delivered hot and fast to your door on the weekend? Teresa’s is the BOMB!

A smoke-in
what the fuck, with all the cops running around midtown conducting “critical response surges”, we decided to smoke-up smack in the middle of Avenue A in broad daylight...

more on the CityRag Smoke-in here

3 x Buddy = cute

RNC protest update
last week we brought you the Guide to RNC Protests in New York City. today we update with an excellent and comprehensive site called - RNC Not Welcome - that has one of the best protest event calendars out there!

and they kindly tipped us to these additional great sites and protests:

Still We Rise
Direct Action at the RNC
Camp Shut Down
RNC Watch
RNC Mass Defense
Times Up Protest
No RNC Announcement Listserve
No RNC Discussion Listserve

and more from the CityRag anti-GOP t-shirt front… check out these KILLER T-SHIRTS at Camp Shut Down! (one shown above)

Countdown to Charo
previously CityRag covered the release of the Dutchess County Fair Schedule and gave you the scoop on why YOU MUST GO! this just in... the Columbia County Fair schedule is out, and the Monster Tractor Pull is returning!

12 reasons to go to a New York County Fair:
1 – demolition derbies
2 - pig races
3 – fresh made candy apples
4 – scary old school midway rides
5 – scary carny people running the rides
6 – baby animal petting zoo
7 – playing “spot the longest mullet” or “find the tackiest souvenir” games with your friends
8 – watching the locals and bikers get drunk and fight in the beer tent
9 – deep fried _______ (fill in the blank… dough, oreos, corn dogs, apples)
10 – 4-H competitions, cow shows, the smell of hay
11 – monster tractor-pulls
12 – free Charo concert!

puppy love
Buddy loves his ghetto-girlfriend Amber. He sees her just about everyday, and shakes his little butt like he's making martinis...

CityRag’s Lower East Side Food Tour
the Lower East Side of NY has some of the best eats in the world. delicious ethnic food, beautiful restaurants, amazing bargains, historic icons. when friends visit, we like to take them on a little 1-2 hour walk where we hit the very best spots (the criteria being the eats have to be world class GREAT, and the food has to travel.) you can start at the top or bottom (the 2nd Ave stop on the F train is a perfect place to kickoff.) links with info on each place are provided. additional info can be found in this old post of ours on Chowhound and there's an exclusive CityRag Tour Map at the end!

1 - Donut Plant (on Grand near Norfolk) – fantastic, giant donuts in all kinds of flavors

2 - Kossar’s Bialys (on Grand near Essex) – best bialys in the world! Shop has great old NY feel.

3 - Pickle Guys (on Essex below Grand) – amazing pickle selection, everything is excellent.

4 - Dumpling House (on Eldridge below Broome) – best and cheapest dumplings in the city, what a combo!

5 - Il Labortorio del Gelato (on Orchard above Broome) – delicious gelato made right there, wonderful flavors.

6 - Economy Candy (on Rivington near Ludlow) – all the candy of your childhood dreams and then some, packed in a small, old, family run shop.

7 - Sugar Sweet Sunshine – (on Rivington east of Essex) best cupcakes in NY.

8 - Castillo De Jagua (on Rivington near Essex) – one of the most excellent Cuban sandwiches around, everything’s good.

9 - Katz’s Deli (on Houston near Ludlow) – best pastrami in the world! great hot dogs, corned beef, brisket. Real deal old NY deli feel.

10 - Russ and Daughters – so much wonderful stuff… bagels, lox, tofu cream cheese, dark chocolate dipped apricots, strudel

11 - Yonah Schimmel’s – wonderful knishes

BONUS - printable MAP! - click here to enlarge CityRag’s exclusive Lower East Side Food Tour map!

42nd St subway reveal
after what seemed like a couple years of construction, the scaffolding has come down on the new multi-subway entrance on 42nd between Bway and 7th Ave, revealing a light box mural with a strange yet soothing underwater scene promoting the MTA

lazy Monday links
- our obesssion for overhyped hotties and hilarious media commentary is well taken care of by these two awesome and ALWAYS KICKEN' site-maniacs... the very HOT Thigh Master at Thighs Wide Shut and and good ol' Uncle Grambo at Whatevs

- fight clubbin? no idea what's going on in this picture, but it cracks us up (from Blogsplotation)

- so fucking cute we jumped out of our chair and ran screaming around the office...(from Ultragrrrl)

- raw NY photo site - where we go when lookin for some good street shots and construction stuff (Gammablablog)

wonder dog
something's wrong and someone's not talking. wonder what he got into now...

soup's on!
B & H Dairy is back in business! after 15 days of being locked down over a dispute with the landlord they reopened this weekend.

the counter guy we talked to said they're very happy to be back open and so greatlful for the outpouring of support from their customers. however the dispute, apparently related to rising rent costs, hasn't ended. but for now soup's back on in the East Village and they hope to be there for a long time.

headed out on a highway
looking for adventure in whatever comes our way

goodbye Salvation Army, hello gentrification
the "new boutique loft conversion" that took over our favorite local Salvation Army is underway at 115 Allen St. checking out their official website, we were dumbstruck by the irony of this absurd promotional paragraph... Hey Kids - Come be part of the gentrification of the LES as we edge out the old tenement storefronts in the ethnic capitol of the city!!

"The Lower East Side will always be synonymous in the minds of most New Yorkers, as the very first “ethnic” capitol of the city. As the flood of immigrants from Eastern Europe poured onto the city’s shore, at the turn of the century, they settled on the lower east side of town. The area stretched from Canal Street east and then over to Delancey. The most popular hubs for shopping were Delancey and Orchard Streets. Since most of the immigrants were Jewish, the flavors of the day were Pastrami, Knishes and Pickles and the vehicle of choice was the pushcart. Today, gentrification is everywhere. Wine Bars and snappy boutiques are edging out the old tenement storefronts. There’s no doubt about it, the Lower East Side has become one of the most sought after places to live and real estate has been revitalized in a way no one expected."

and check out Curbed's great coverage

Beautiful (creepy, and compelling)
the new Christina Aguilera billboard to raise voter registration is fan-fucking-tastic! startling, thought provoking, and smack in the middle of Times Square for millions to see. the bold, in-your-face Billboard is hard to miss, adding a fitting backdrop to the TS craziness. it's sponsored by a GREAT organization - Declare Yourself - a movement to raise voter registration.

Hallmark of Safety
more preparation for the RNC... drills going on all over the city and in Times Square today.

follow CityRag's coverage of the Times Square and New York security drills - June 23, July 1, July 16 pt. 1, July 16 pt. 2 and guide to RNC Protests

nothing held back
a Buddy fan, Herself, sent in this lovely and insightful note...
"Buddy has in spades what I find so appealing in dogs, that very speaking, emotional, wide-open kind of face. Dogs hold nothing back, and somehow they tap into a very undefended part of ourselves."

Guide to RNC Protests in New York City
ran into the cool dude who inspired our anti-Bush t-shirt post the other day. he asked if we'd seen any lists of protest events going on in the city during the GOP convention... so CityRag's gathered some helpful resourses and news, and will keep a running post (with weekly updates) with info on anti-Bush, anti-GOP, RNC protests, rallies, demonstrations and marches:

Comprehesive Event Calendars (check frequently, the calendars below are growing daily!):
- Not in Our Name's events calendar
- Counter Convention's calendar of events

Hot off the press:
- Anti-War Group Agrees to NYC Protest Site
Important information:
- Conservatives to Protest Anti-GOP Protest

Check out Greg.org's excellent editorial's on RNC protesting (from Janelle's tip in the Gothamist's comment section)...
- How I Would Protest At The Republican Convention
- How Louis Malle would protest at the Republican Convention

CityRag's exclusive coverage of the pre RNC security drills in New York City - June 23, July 1, July 16 pt. 1, July 16 pt. 2, July 22

Gothamist's pre RNC coverage - July 20 , July 22

steady handed
our first submission to the "Tattoo's are Personal" series shows off the artistic percision and accuracy of tattoo artist Dan Higgens and surgeon Dr. Domingo Nuñez. from our submitter: "Ruth is my mother's name and there's a "t" on the thumb also making it TRUTH. The symbols are my astrological ones... sun and moon in Gemini, Cancer rising.

feeling New York City
nothing like a morning walk on the lower east side. so much to see. so many pics to take...

oh-my-Gotti!
huge new billboard on 42nd and Park. it's like we woke up in the Land of the Giant Gotti's...

check out the short clip on the "Growing Up Gotti" show's site - with Victoria freaking out, and her cheesy boyz acting like thugs and beating on each other! (showy blowhard style). yeeehaaa - we'll definately be tuned in! more show info here.

Buddy's good fortune
as our friends know a bit too well, Buddy has issues. a life of abuse had left him very defensive and aggressive when we first got him. he's chilled out a lot, and is starting to trust people, but he still attacks shoes, and is a very tough little boy. at the age of 9 he's just learning know how to play (with people and dogs), and he's starting to let us cuddle him (with no fear of being hurt.) for some reason he'll drop all his defenses in bed. it's like the old fortune cookie game where you add "in bed" to the end of whatever your fortune says... you can roll Buddy on his back - in bed, you can hug Buddy all you want - in bed; you wrestle and rough house Buddy - in bed...

party people in the house
the Swindle Magazine launch party at BLVD was slamming last night. free booze, packed with young and hot peeps, funky fashions, pumping DJ's, out of control dancing! 2 DJ booths. one in the back with an excellent dance floor, has the booth high above, giving the DJ a perfect view to tune-in to the crazy people down on the floor (DJ's Tracy Towers and Shepard Fairey got the floor pumping with hip-hop and dance classics from the 80-90's.) we got a little wasted and lit up in the club (with another group near-by) after being told to put it out by the massive bouncer in the room, we lit up again. he came back and politely gave us a "second warning" (that's all we need). AND we got to meet and hang with the our web hero the Thigh Master!

dam. while putting this post together this morning we caught this story in the Gothamist regarding a rape at BLVD this past Saturday (some fucked up shit) - so adding this info, for what it's worth... a ton of security was there last night, HUGE bouncers everywhere. they seemed pretty on top of everything, and did a good job watching over the rowdy crowd last night.

end of an era - Meow Mix has closed!
Meow Mix - the down and dirty, rock and roll, girl bar that has ruled the East Village lesbian scene since the mid 90's had it's blow-out, party your ass off until 8 am, closing bash this past Saturday (with a final friends and family throw-down last night)

in addition to the copious battles and red-tape obstacles club owners face in this city, and the negative impact the smoking law changes have caused... the Meow Mix owners have had frequent floods and continuous hard core persecution from city law enforcement (random fines, closings, etc) working against them over the years. and word is the recent flood that took out the main floor this month was the final insurmountable blow.

Meow Mix was a one of a kind place where you'd walk in one night and it would be packed with the hottest girls in town dancing up a storm, and then stop by another for a kick-ass rock and punk battle of the bands. they welcomed all people, and the staff, there for years, were there like family to each and extended the love to regulars and newbie's a like. it's hard to know where to begin or end a tribute to such an ICON and LEGEND in the New York, East Village, Lesbian and Rock and Roll, Bar Scene! we'll leave you with this story:

just this last October 31, 2003 - we experienced the BEST HALLOWEEN ever. after cruising the EV, ended up at Meow at around 1:00 am. it's packed with grrlz in sexy costumes. a friend asks us if we want to go down to the closed basement, and smoke a joint. we end up hanging out downstairs with a couple good friends and Joan Jett for a few hours! talking about politics, music, getting drunk, smoking. it was beautiful! (we're not saying Joan smoked or that she's gay, but she's unbelievably hot, very fun to hang out with and totally unpretentious). at around 3 am we all went back upstairs and Joan danced her way into the pulsing floor of women (as we wondered if the room filled with 20 somethin's even recognized the superstar/icon in their midst :-)

the era (and rumors for this location) are officially over, but let the new ones begin!... we heard they're looking for a new space...

smoking-up for Martha
adding a double edge to the continuing CityRag Smoke-In, this weekend we smoked up in front of the Meier Tower penthouse Martha put on the market prior to her Friday sentencing. Margaret Cho (who is blowing our mind with the very dead-on and hilarious commentary on her site) wrote an amazing piece on Martha's sentencing that nails the social hypocrisy with a brilliant ring of truth and some genuine freshness on the subject, and asks "Why are we wasting all this taxpayer money to put her in her place?"

for more commentary and info - check out the Gothamist's comprehensive coverage & links, and Curbed's scoop on the apt sale. and more CityRag Smoke-in contributions: "Handoff" and "Rebel with a Cause"

oh Buddy you're so fine
you're so fine you blow my mind, hey Buddy, hey Buddy...

and they don't stop...
NYPD drills continue throughout the city today. people have emailed in that they're hearing and seeing tons of police activity all around New York. we tried to resist - but since the sirens haven't stopped going off out our window on Times Square, we considered it our civic duty to run out at lunch (2:00 pm) and catch some pics... in addition to - more "drive into oncoming traffic maneuvers", a large truck marked "NYPD Communications Division - KEEP BACK", we counted a total of 7 cops fully armed with automatic rifles and riot gear protecting the square across Toys R Us...

it's fire drill day in NYC!
yet another Times Square "security drill" today. but this one featured various bomb squad and fire trucks blazing up and down the streets at high speeds. we were gonna skip the pics this time until this one almost hit us as it practiced the - drive into oncoming traffic - maneuver. dam our low res camera... but you can see the giant flag attached to the back of the fire track waving as they blew by us...

this morn we also passed fire team and bomb squad maneuvers going on around the police/fire dept tents that have been set up next to NYU hospital for a couple years now.

previous coverage:
CityRag - Times Square Security Drill
CityRag - Times Square Smack Down
Gawker - Fresh Air! Times Square! Terror Scare!
Gothamist- "The Politics of Terror"

B & H Dairy lock down
a post on chowhound/manhattan message board tipped us off that nyc marshals have locked down B&H Dairy (on behalf of the landlord.) the place has been chained-up for over 5 days now. food is rotting inside. is this the end for this old-skool king of EV cheap eats!? ...best matzo brie and potato pancakes around, massive $3 bowls of delicious soup (with giant slices of fresh challah bread and butter on the side) - say it ain't so?!...

UPDATE: for now the dispute has been resolved and soup's on at B & H!

Buddy secrets
shhhh... click for bigger pics:
- palomino belly
- holiday embarrassment

let's kick some GOP ass
start stocking up on your anti-Bush t-shirts now!...
Who would Jesus bomb?, How's My Lying?
No More Bushit, Operation Enduring Stupidity
George Bush You're Fired!
Worst President Ever, Pro-Choice Pro-Kerry
International Terrorist
(seen on our hero of the day below)

if you don't have time to order, or want to create a whole wardrobe for the week - MAKE YOUR OWN!... grab an image you like off the internet and resize it in an image editor (feel free to use this pic), or make your own image and text in Photoshop. then pick up a pack of cheap t-shirts anywhere and a package of iron-on paper at Staples ($18 gets you 10 sheets) print them and iron on yourself!

rebel with a cause
an addition to the CityRag Smoke-in! - taken in a public establishment last night...

Buddy facts

the vet thinks Buddy is between 8-9 years old. he's about 15 pounds, and has an under-bite. He likes: little girl dogs, digging holes, licking babies, chasing squirrels, eating dirt, biting shoes, having his belly scratched, and going wherever we go.

the highlight of his day is visiting the dog run and seeing his friends. he's also very excited to see what we're having for dinner. our friends tell us he's getting smelly and needs another bath...

take your shake shack shot
hot tip... hit the Shake Shack on rainy dayz, the lines are gone...

quick review: the fries are ok, shakes are average, but the burger is one of the best we've had in the city. juicy, tender, a little greasy like it should be, and wow - the flavor! now THIS is a hamburger. kinda steep at $10 for those 3 items, but next time we'll just grab the $3.50 burger.

UPDATE: over several months of regular dining, it just got better and better. ALWAYS a perfect burger... but the shakes are now super! the fries are crisp and yummy, and the cheddar cheese sauce you can get on them is superb! got around to trying the hotdogs... and wow! great dogs.

rainy walk in the LES
graffiti colors seem to pop on gloomy day, from a walk across Stanton and up Suffolk this morning, even found a rainbow...

killer knees
fotologs/photologs offer an astounding wealth of beautiful images, some of the most creative artistry on the web and provide an ongoing archive of time and culture. especially the slice of life and street pics, often shot without the permission of the person being photographed. in our love and consumption of candid photos (and in taking some ourselves) we've often wondered how people might feel if they came across a stolen shot of themselves posted on a website.

a couple months ago we stumbled on a photo of the back of a close friend's legs on Kdunk's Fotolog. for a while we hesitated to show the photo to our friend because some of the viewer comments were negative (although overall they were positive.) and also because the person photographed is not an active internet consumer, so the context might become muddled. yesterday we showed a print-out of the photo and comments to our friend (click here to see the pic and 40+ comments).

as she read them over, what became apparent was her humor towards the whole thing, as she laughed at the comments (good and bad.) followed by a small smile of happiness that although there were a couple negative comments the majority overall were resoundingly positive.

in the world of tattoos people rarely discuss their feelings on what other people think (a paradoxical part of getting tattoos is it reinforces your "armor" and you care LESS about other's thoughts and opinions about your body.) but although the "fuck em" stance lays strong and real inside, occasional thoughts of "what do people think" come around for various reasons. as our friend finished reading the comments out loud and making her own funny remarks back, we asked "what do you think?" to which she replied "it's very funny", and then after a pause "people have too much time on their hands". and she asked that we post this explanation "tell them I fell a sleep at a tattoo convention and when I woke up this is what happened"

so although the story is unique, we think it offers a small bit of hope that as the foto/photo blog community grows and people start to see pictures of themselves snapped on the street - that they have the same reflective humor and relaxed "such is life" attitude our friend showed :-)

bonus links: check - out - some - of - our - favorite - foto/photo - logs

update: Kdunk responds on her blog!

(this is the kick-off of our "tattoos are personal" series. tattoos are one of the oldest forms of art, and body adornment. this series will explore some of the stories, symbolism, and deep personal meaning behind them.)

fresh off the truck
local produce is picking up steam as these hot summer days go by. ripening to perfection, harvested and trucked to for NYC selling, these local NY and NJ fruits and vegetables are super fresh, juicy, and bursting with flavor. the sugar snap peas are crispy and sweet, blueberries are super flavorful and have a nice tartness, and the first corn is always some of the best of the season. zucchini are in full season and a bargain. and our favorite, heirloom tomatoes are also starting to come in. fresh picked NY State produce is available at the various farm markets around the city as well as Whole Foods, Fairway, and other super markets.

join the CityRag Smoke-in!
as a side note on the crime and violence spree that hit NYC this weekend, we're still outraged at the city's ongoing abuse of police resources devoted to the - pot and beer van, and smokin up around the city in protest. so we were f'ing thrilled this morning to get:
#1 our first reader submission! simply titled "Handoff" - and taken in Central Park... this shot fucking ROCKS!...

and #2, support from an excellent blog -
Catherine's Pita

smoke up NY! and send us your pics! we're personally looking forward to staking-out a couple in front of the GOP convention...

as we skate off into the sunset
all the pics on cityrag are taken with a 7 year old, 1.3 megapixel, no zoom, piece of crap camera. that's been dropped one too many times. if anyone can suggest a digital camera in the $400 range (that you know and love) we'd be very grateful.
have a great weekend everyone!

nycguys - free and naked
that site we tipped you to with free pics of naked new york boys has been updated! four new super hot spreads - including this beautiful guy. and some cool stuff on cityrag (hey we told you the webmaster was our homey :-) these are 100% nude photos - so not work safe (but no suckass pop up windows or really graphic stuff) here's this month's nycguys.com!

and a lil somethin somethin extra - check out the brillaint and hilarious article on BlackTable.com - IT'S A GOOD THING: TURN OFFS THAT TURN THE LADIES ON. with a super hot and sexy peice by one of our favorite blogger's Rachel of LustyLady (scroll down to "Rachel Kramer Bussel Digs Big Bellies")

Sharon Osbourne kicked my boss in the balls!
in the early 80's we worked at various venues for east coast promoter John Scher, and took with us some incredible stories. here's a favorite... one of our jobs was box office manager for Convention Hall in Asbury Park. during concert nights, after the band went on, it was our task to count out the cash and bring it backstage for hand-off to the band's management. on the night Ozzy played what went down was one of the craziest fights we've seen in our life (including the EV bartending dayz). here's an excerpt from an uncredited interview with Sharon we found on the net. her description is very accurate by our memory...

Interviewer: There's kneeing the promoter in the balls.
Sharon Osbourne: John Scher. He is a very big promoter -- or was -- in New York, and I was just a twenty-six-year-old kid going in to collect payment for the show that Ozzy had done. It had sold out the first day. So I went in, and he'd got all these bills for advertising up until the week of the show, and I'm like, "You couldn't have advertised, because we sold out the first week." And he said, "Oh, well, it was pre-booked and we had to pay it" -- the usual bullshit. And he would not give in, and he was threatening that "Ozzy will never work in the New York area again." All this crap. So I got up and nutted him with my head, and then I kicked him in the balls.
Interviewer: And what did he do?
Sharon Osbourne: He just stood there. He was just so taken aback. And then I pulled on his hair.

so here's our juicy additions...
John did try and fuck them over. Sharon's father Don Arden was also there in full glory (open shirt, big hairy chest, lots of gold - he's a powerful and impressive character.) Sharon tried to grab the cash drawer out of my hands during the fight. the fight was loud and crazy, and seemed to last a while (building to the kick.) someone had called the Asbury Park cops and they had time to arrive and get involved as it was developing. the cops were holding Sharon back, and she actually had to break away from them and rush forward at John to kick him. she didn't make big contact but it was a HUGELY impressive move that floored everyone in the room including the cops. don't remember the head butt, but she grabbed a big handful of John's fading hair as the cops pulled her away from him. god it was beautiful.

couple lessons:
- Sharon's account to the interviewer is very accurate, not boastful. people who kick ass don't have to embellish.
- we've been in a couple bar fights and this move can only be delivered by someone who knows how to back it up and is ready to get it on. even the fucking Asbury Park cops were afraid of her. Sharon Osbourne is more than a tough chick, she's a certified bad ass.

creamsicle heaven
on these hot and humid days even city pup's need a little ice cream relief. and after Buddy has his bite, you really don't want it back...

sometimes fights don't happen
there's no mistaking a street fight in new york... even from a block away - the posturing, arm gestures, and chest slapping draw your attention. another tip off is fights move quickly into the street. on the corner of Houston and Ludlow in the LES last night we see these 2 dudes already in full blown form. you can also tell if the engaged have been in fights before - and these guys definitely had some fights under their belts and were ready to thrown down. but as they're circling and advancing on each other, the guy on the right is yelling that what he did was an accident and they don't have to "do this", and low and behold the guy on the left listens to him and the fight dissolves. lesson: people who've been in fights for real shit aren't usually anxious to fight over bullshit.

Swindle Magazine hits the streets NY!
Swindle is the hottest fucking magazine to make the scene in a decade! (and we're not saying that because our girl, Claw Money, is the mags fashionista.) published by Shepard Fairey and described as "the definitive pop-culture and lifestyle publication" - Swindle is loaded with raw and visceral images and moving words on edgy culture and life - a compelling and immersing mash.

but the best thing in the mag (and it's chock full-a goodness) is the blow-your-fucking-fashion-mind WARRIORS tribute (an all fem photo spread based on the gangs from the film). this is fashion ART the way it should be - no paid advertisers, most of what's featured is legendary urban wear, handmade leather goods and vintage couture. this spread kicks the ass out of anything we've seen in years, in any magazine. check this shit out as fast as you can get your hands on it! (and until you track down an issue, the site has some hot pics)

Buddy's 4th of July
Buddy love him some country livin'. hanging out on the porch, visiting friends, burger bites, sleepin in the grass...

favorite LES eats: 'inoteca
we've been a huge fan of 'inoteca since it opened a couple blocks from us a year ago. lots of knowing bloggers have posted their cool findings, but we're surprised how many of our friends have yet to check it out!... great selection of wine and delicious food to feast on, a warm and friendly atmosphere with knowing staff that offer selection advise and descriptions, low lighting and lots of wood throughout.

everything is excellent. the meat and cheese platters are huge with a wide selection of stuff to try. great salads. their acclaimed truffled egg toast lives up to it's reputation, we usually get 2! and do not miss the affogato dessert - a tall glass of amazing vanilla gelato with a shot of espresso poured over.

but what we truly love about 'inoteca is the open-air setting and relaxed pace that allow us to sit in our hood for hours eating and drinking and talking to friends while we take in the street life.

check out these cool blogs for more pictures and info.

the purple guy
if you live in the EV or LES you've probably seen Adam Purple around, but unless you moved here about 20 years ago you might not know who he is... (this pic was taken a few weeks ago when we stopped to chat with Adam about the progress of the Surface Hotel "monstrosity", as Adam calls it :-)

Adam Purple has been a beloved activist, artist and icon on the Lower East Side for several decades. he's most known for The Garden of Eden - a huge circular garden he developed and nurtured on Forsythe in the 70's-80's (that was bulldozed in 1986 for low income housing). the garden was a glorious and massive work of art that was made using all kinds of abandoned debris that Adam found around the city and recycled, including horse manure. Adam not only brought a great work of beauty, peace and enjoyment to the people of the neighborhood, but he was known for passing around the harvest. since the garden was destroyed, he's moved to the East Village and continues his activism and recycling work throughout the neighborhood.

if you're new to the EV or LES take a minute to read a little about one of the area's true homesteaders, it was a different world just a decade ago. and if you see the "purple guy" in the hood, please treat him with the honor and respect he deserves, anarchist heroes come in all shapes and sizes.

Midtown faces
back to work, and biz as usual in midtown...

ear-dar
you can read right through Buddy, right ear down, left up - business as usual. both ears up - he wants something - and you're gonna get it for him.

pride and hope
putting this up as a small gesture of pride and hope for the future... my girlfriend and I celebrated our 18 year anniversary this past month (we actually met at a Pride related event many years ago.) still very much in love and very happy. we've lived in this city for our entire relationship and have paid an f'ing truckload in taxes over the last 18 years to the city, state and government.... so I ask ya - CAN I GET SOME RIGHTS HERE!?! I mean shit, if I died tomorrow she wouldn't even be able to collect the social security I've been paying into the whole time we've been together. you can keep the marriage stuff - I just want the same rights and benefits straight couples have in our society. please vote for Kerry and help us move towards a future of hope for gay couples who, with no recognition from the government, contribute their efforts everyday to bettering our economy and country.

a tree grows in Brooklyn

traveling to Carroll Gardens/Brooklyn for brunch with friends, we're pleasantly surprised to be given a table beside a unique waterfall sculpture that's recently been added to the garden. mounted to the wall and set in a pool of water is a giant cooper tree. the massive limbs fill with water from above and then slowly tumble down to release the water back into the pool below. as various limbs fill and release water, musical patterns are created (as well as a light mist.) beautiful to look at, with the interesting texture and natural patina of the rough metal. we watched as other tables sat mesmerized taking it in.

adding to the experience was seeing the artist Chico at a nearby table watching his work and making slight adjustments. we took the opportunity to say hi and found out that this is the first piece in this style that he's done. he was commissioned by the restaurant, and contemplating a water-wheel type sculpture when the inspiration for this piece hit him. he's planning more and interested in using brass in a future work.

a few notes on the restaurant Le Petit Cafe - tasty pancakes, great burgers, panini looked good, and a beautiful garden with decks at various levels, nice plantings, umbrellas - almost a beachie feeling. enjoying a leisurely meal beside this amazing waterfall fountain is lovely. a great find, and well worth the short ride on the F train.

Bonus link - you'll find more info on artist Chico MacMurtri on this awesome website Amorphic Robot Works

are we there yet?
the city dog goes to the country...

Beware of The Man in the van
what the fuck?... another friend was busted this week for smoking a joint. went down the same way someone else we know was arrested - by the NYC pot and beer van squad. for the uneducated, undercover police ride around in vans looking for people smoking weed or drinking alcohol in public. reports from both people we know who've been busted by "the van" are that:
- after you're arrested you have to ride around in the van for several hours while the cops look for more petty misdemeanors
- the van and holding cells are packed with small violations, pot possession, open beer in public, etc.
- both people spent 24-48 hours in jail to have the charges dropped when they came before the judge (neither had any prior offenses)

organizing police efforts to hunt down, arrest and detain people for smoking a joint is a ridiculous waste of police resources and tax payer money!

so cityrag is holding a blog smoke-in - over the next few weeks we'll be smoking weed around NYC in open places, taking pics and posting them here. if you feel the same way please join us. post pics on your sites or send them in and we'll post them here. smoke up NY!

Update: CityRag Smoke-ins:
"Handoff"
"Rebel with a Cause"
"smoking-up for Martha"

must...find...fireworks...
we've been getting a lot of search engine action from people trying to find fireworks in new york! so we thought we'd post a link to the info with a few more key words to help out :-)... click here for information on: where to buy fireworks close to new york city (2 hour drive) - fountains, roman candles, rockets, sparklers, firecrackers, and more

Times Square Smack Down
Oops they did it again - these are not more photos from the security drill we shot last Wednesday - there's another massive drill going on right now. live from Times Square...

"just a drill"

mayhem x 2 = peace of mind?...

teach-her sex
all over the news this week is the story of the teacher having sex with her 14 year old student. this actually happened to me when I was 14 - here's the story (in first person)...

first, since I haven't included much bio stuff, and have been writing here in the editorial "we" format, let me say that I'm 44, and a lesbian. when I was 14 there was this teacher's aid, Susan (20-ish, attractive blond) who was very friendly with me and my little gang of friends. we were pretty much all about drinking, drugging and getting in trouble back in those dayz. so when Susan asked where we were going to be hanging out one Friday we thought "cool, she can buy us beer". in the mean time we're all like "why does she want to hang out with us?" and our group decided she had the hots for our friend Jerry. Friday night comes and she's not around. so we get a friend's older brother to score us a case of Rolling Rock ponies (we loved those little beerz.) around 9:00 Susan shows up in her car. we load in and drive around with her until we all start hitting our curfews. Susan offers to give us all rides home, but strangely leaves my stop for last ("strange" later reveals itself to be "strategy".) we drop the last person off and she pulls over and starts that intimate drunk sex talk... (boyfriend? experience? stuff) we're laughing and getting closer and then WHAM she's all over me - tongue down my throat, hands on my tits, biting my neck. we engaged in what was the heaviest make out session I'd yet to have in my little 14 year old life (all above the waist.) it was f'ing HOT but oh so confusing. I didn't really know who I was yet, this was my first lesbian experience. but I knew not to tell my friends (and avoided Susan forever). I was a bit fucked up and confused about it for a while. but now I only have fond memories :-)