The Ironic Mullet TM :: Recessionista Lifestyle and Travel, natch :: Lee Ann Westover

Meh! It's Official!

Am I psychic?

Meh is being added to the dictionary!

Cafe Henri: Best Burger in LIC

My particular part of Long Island City is smalllllll. We are a teensy residential enclave in an otherwise industrial corner of the Queens waterfront. When I moved here, there were three options for eating out

1) Italian (Manetta's or Manducati's)
2) The Dorian Diner or that other diner on the corner that closes at 4 pm (Both nasteh)
3) McReilly's Irish Pub.

McReilly's was a small miracle. Their itty bitty kitchen produced (among other things) the best chicken pot pie I have ever had, an otherworldly shepherd's pie, little neck clams on the half shell and the best damn burger evar. Nothing was much over $6, so dinner for two (including tip) was often under $20 - unless you added in a couple of pints of Harp.

This summer, much to my chagrin, McReilly's closed permanently, after a tug-of-war with their landloard over rising rent. 1 point to gentrification, -1 to quality of life. You see, my waterfront has been filling up with luxury condos, like every other formerly quaint neighborhood in town. Prices for everything are rising. Some wonderful new amenities have opened, but something like McReilly's will likely not happen again around here.

Last night, the bf was out of town, and I was recovering from a big sick, so I felt very self-indulgent. I had a wine credit down the block at Vine Wine (for re-vamping their website) and a yen for beef.

Wen I stopped into Vine, I interrogated fellow neighborhoodie Troy. "Where the hell do I get a burger now that McReilly's is gone?" He let me know that Cafe Henri (a relative newcomer to the zone) serves a great burger for $10.

I've lived here for over ten years, which makes me 2nd wave gentrification, or "semi-old school." I balked at the "hefty" price tag and headed out with my wine. You see, I am not a big fan of Cafe Henri. Their crepes are tasty, but small...SMALL I tell you!

As it was a perfectly clear, cold autumn evening, I fancied a walk, and thought I would art least have a look at the menu again. Once I was standing by the door, I caught the garlic and charred beef smells assaulted my sensibilities. My fate was sealed.

"One cheeseburger, medium rare, please."

After fifteen minutes spent reading the photo captions from a stack of papers, the efficient server ordered me to check that I had the correct items, cheerfully took my $10.30 and sent me on my way.

Oh happy day, dear reader. Troy was correct. Cafe Henri serves a mean burger - juicy, but not greasy, large, but not ginormous. Delicious meat flavor from fresh beef, and a slightly sweet brioche bun. OMFG. Comes with mesclun salad and roasted taters.

I finished it up right quick, washed it down with a glass of montepulciano and thought to myself:

Change is bad...but at least I can still get a great burger. (lol)

Cafe Henri
1010 50th Ave
Long Island City, NY 11101

Get Directions(718) 383-9315

Manhattan Discount Fabric Shopping

You all remember my foray into Queens for Discount fabric shopping? I found a favorite alternative in Manhattan thanks to a Burda Style Blogger:

265 West 37th Street
Suite 908 New York, NY 10018
Phone: 212-209-0004
Weekdays only

I bought fabric for four dresses for $45 - not including any treasures from the dollar bins outside!

Purple satin with a red sash
 
Red Rayon with a floofy skirt

Roasted Cipollini Onions. OMG.

During my college years, I live in Florence Italy for about 6 months. For about half of that I lived with an eccentric spinster.

I say spinster because, unlike any fabulous single woman of any age out there in the world, she seemed to have rolled her self up in a ball of must and pity...never to return. Due to some pitiful digestive issues, she stuck to a diet of pasta with no sauce or butter or oil, potatoes and roasted cipollini onions.

Being a direct import from a Texas suburb, I had never had anything like roasted cipollinis. To this day (some 13 years later) I still have vivid memories of sneaking sweet and smoky little onions out of her pyrex roasting dish and popping them in my mouth like candy.

The other day I went to my fancy local food market and saw a bin of cipollinis on the end of an aisle. They beckoned, so I accepted the invitation to cook em up and savor each and every morsel.

BTW: "cipollini onions" is redundant, as "cipollini" means "little onions" in Italian. We're 'Mericans. though, so we can say it however the hell we want. (lawl)

Roasted Cipollini Onions

Some onions
Some salt
Some rosemary (fresh or dried)
Some oil

Toss the onions in boiling water for 30 secods. This will soften the papery outer layer so they can be peeled easily.

Peel em.

Put a piece of foil on a baking sheet. The high sugar content of the juice leaks out their little bottoms into the pan and caramelizes - making clean-up a pain otherwise.

Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and rosemary.

Bake for 30 minutes at 475 Farenheit

Roasted cipollini onions are great for a side dish on their own, or under a balsamic reduction with meat, or in a salad, or in the hand and over the teeth and in the tummy.

nom nom nom

Fall Vegetable Ginger Soup

OMG this soup is so hella good.

5 big ol' california carrots, chunked
  (or a bag of small carrots)
1 small butternut squash, chunked
 (Don't be embarassed to buy it pre-chunked)
1 medium celery root, smaller chunks
1 large onion, sliced in thinnish half rounds
5 cloves garlic, minced
a big hunk or two of fresh ginger, grated
32 ounce box chicken stock
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
2 bay leaves

Brown the hell out of the onion and garlic in olive oil.

Add chicken stock to deglaze the delicious brown stuff off the bottom of the pan.

Add veggies

Add enough water to fill the pot just to the top of the veggie pile.

Add Bay leaves, salt and pepper to taste

Grate the ginger, put it and enough water to cover it into a small pan, bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, strain all the liquid into the soup and discard the gratey bits. I use a ton. Love it spicy.

After the soup has simmered for about half an hour, (the veggies must be soft) puree about 1/3-1/2 of the soup in a blender or food processor and add it back in.

Eat it all. OMG so goooooood.

The Squash gets silky and soft, the celery root is still slightly firmer, and the carrots in between. The broth is so thick and heart-y (not like love heart). It's gingery, sweet, savory and umami. I just can't get enough. Serves 4 or 5 - unless you are my boyfriend and I, Then it serves 2 over an afternoon.

[11-18 Note: Read about John LeJeune's experience with this soup]

A Recessionista At Large in Queens: Jackson Heights Fabric Shopping

Have you been keeping track of my sewing love fest? 

downloadble .pdf of today's walk

The short story: I have started making clothes for myself again because A) I am sick of trying to find what I like in discount stores and B) because it is the urban equivalent of a victory garden

The other day, I was determined to scout out good discount fabric shopping in Queens. For generations, New York has been a center of import and industry. Surely SOMEWHERE I can find some denim for less than $25 a yard? I decided to start my search in Jackson Heights. A quick Google Maps search clued me into a series of fabric stores on 37th Road. (Only about 20 minutes from midtown!)

The 7 train happened to be running express on a fine autumn afternoon, so instead of being able to hop off right at 74th street (the hub of Little India), I jumped down at 61st Street and Roosevelt Ave - fancying a walk. Join me on a visual tour!

My first discovery was the butter-smelling V&V Italian Bakery (6119 Roosevelt Ave)...i have a butter magnet in my heart.

A few blocks later I spied this pristine white fur stole in the garbage!

Fearing bedbugs (they are taking over NYC again), I wiped a tear from my eye and kept strolling.

The Perlas ng Silangan restaurant (6909 Roosevelt Ave) had this sign in the window. I am not sure I understand.

Next stop, Patel Brothers Indian grocery store at 37-27 74th Street in Jackson Heights. Exotic ingredients warrant extra photos!!!

FINALLY: let's do some fabric shopping!

I found that the stores in this area are mega cheap, but many carry a seemingly random assortment of items that seemingly may have fallen off of an alleged truck. It took me 5 stores to find denim, but each store carried a few wonderful mystery items that I thought were worth investing a few bucks in. Definitely take some time to pop in.

Amit Saree Palace was my first stop. Amit is pretty, organized, and carries a large selection of silks and synthetics in bright beautiful colors. I was very taken with a silver filigreed green taffeta for $8 a yard.
7504 37th Ave at 75th Street

Oops! Distracted by an amazing credenza/armoire thing at the Jackson Heights Jewish Center Thrift Shop. 3706 77th St at 37th Rd.

Then a quick stop at Starbucks (7825 37th Ave) for a Grande Decaf Soy Latte...what a delicious guilty pleasure.

A couple more of these tiny fabric shops are really worth stopping in to see what is in stock:

Value Fabrics Inc‎
8413 37th Ave, Jackson Heights, NY‎ - (718) 457-9488
Rolls and rolls of sparkle

Liz Discount Fabrics‎
83-23 37th Ave, Jackson Heights, NY‎ - (718) 205-2048
The deal of the day - $1.99 a yard for cotton toile!! Its it passé yet?
I also bought a red coat zipper. (keep reading to see how i used it.)

‎

Of all my fabric stops, my hands-down favorite is (dum dum dummmm.....)

Jackson Fabrics‎
3705 83RD St, Jackson Heights, NY‎ - (718) 424-6898‎
Jackson is larger than most. I found cashmere suiting at $25 a yard, poly satin and poly suiting at $5 a yard, and dark denim at $3 a yard. They also carried some funny fugly holiday patterns, and an extensive collection of tempting designer knock-off scarf fabric. I totally want a dress made of the Chanel stuff...

After buying 5 yards of denim, three yards of navy blue suiting, 1.2 yards of purple satin and a red coat zipper at Jackson Fabrics, I continued on my way. Before too long, I spied a pair of giant plastic teeth in a window.

 

Wondering what the hell kind of store carries big plastic teeth I wandered in...turns out I had found the best, weirdest, ultimate, heaven-sent art supply/craft store I have ever experienced.

GC Stationary Inc‎ 

8110 37th Ave, Jackson Heights, NY‎ - (718) 429-9085‎

It's not often you find a place that carries those aforementioned big plastic teeth, as well as sparkle craft hair and bulk glitter.

After a nauseatingly happy hour spent perusing G-C's shelves, I headed for lunch.

I am a bit of a ceviche nut, and had read about the Mini-Picanteria el Guayaquileno truck online. At $8 for a to-go container, it wasn't  cheap, but man was it delicious when I got home. Comes with spicy sauce, limes and Ecuadorian popcorn for season-it-yourself perfection. mmmmmmmmmm.
(Tuesdays through Sundays at 80th St. and Roosevelt Ave.)

This is the dress I made with the zipper. Think of it like a sexy hospital gown - One metal zipper to freedom! It goes all the way down to the hem... (New Look Pattern 6826, with adjustments)
 

I love you, so here is a downloadble .pdf of my walk. Go do it yourself and send me your own discoveries!!

How to get to my gig!?!?! Google Earth Marathon Route

Are you worried about how you are going to get to my gig with Metropolitan Klezmer on Sunday. The NYC Marathon will be creating traffic snarls galore.

I wondered that myself, and was lucky to stumble on the RADDEST: Google Earth Marathon Route Hacks for the WHOLE WORLD. omg.

http://www.gearthhacks.com/dlfile273/New-York-City-Marathon---Course.htm

Sunday, November 2nd
Klezmer/Gospel Get-Out-the-Vote Brunch
Riverdale YM-YWHA, Bronx NY
For the Third Annual Riverdale Jewish Festival of the Arts!
5625 Arlington Avenue
Bronx NY 10471
For more info: 718-548-8200 www.riverdaley.org

11:00 am Tickets: $12 for adults /$6 for children (12 and younger)
Green Pastures Gospel Choir and Metropolitan Klezmer celebrate American democracy less than 48-hours before the historic 2008 presidential elections with a fun and inspirational family-friendly brunch! Inspirational words from Yeshiva University President Richard Joel and Lehman College President Ricardo R. Fernandez. Strategies to encourage your friends and neighbors to exercise their right to vote on Election Day. Delicious all-you-could-eat kosher breakfast buffet.

Simpsonize me? No! Muppetize me!

Remember Simpsonize me? When all your friends got simpsons avatars to post on their facebook page?

Let's do it one louder...

CUSTOM MUPPETS!!!!!

[thanks Gothamist! ]

Boiiiioioioioioioing boing! Put a ring on it!

If you read BoingBoing, you don't need to do this, but all others watch the original for Beyonce's "Single Ladies" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mVEGfH4s5g

(I will never stop being good-scared of her.)

THEN WATCH THIS. It's weird that he's in his bedroom or whatever, wearing what he is wearing...but am I wrong when I say that I think he's even better than Sasha Fierce?

Blloomberg wins term limits extension: Another fourthousandmillion years of limitless construction?

Gothamist reports:

 http://feeds.gothamistllc.com/click.phdo?i=84a9c62954c8fe0c24199af242ccd92e