Being at Union Square for No Reason

Amelie Gilette from the Onion wrote an article about the different Whole Foods stores in Manhattan in last week's issue of the Onion. She describes the Union Square one as "always full of people for no appearant reason...kind of like Union Square".

That made me laugh because it's true. Maybe it's always full of people because there are really, really, really, really good looking hipsters there all the time. God dammit. Kind of like the Rocks Off boat cruise I went on last night. More on that later!

Alex, Hipster Gawking, and ChikaLicious

Broadway Lafayette (represent!)

Alex came to New York for a day or two this past weekend. We had dinner at Marche on Thursday night with Peter. That place is getting mad strange with my discount. The same manager started giving me 20% and this time I got 15%. I have postcards I designed for them that gives more percentage away. I'm seriously going to bring one next time and use it. I don't think I'll be eating there for a while if I can help it, besides me almost getting to the point where I don't want to eat any of the food anymore, it's just not worth the full price (15% isn't even enough for tips!).

Alex caught a bug or something off the bus, and I still had a cold so we took it easy on Friday. Pretty much sat at Union Sq for a while people watching. Even Alex has noticed the explosion in skinny jeans and crap. He said he noticed it last time he was here, but not in the sheer over-whelming numbers as this time.

We also went to Urban Glass (in Brooklyn) to check out Jason's (?) grad show piece. Their gallery was HURT. Alex had nothing but hate for Urban Glass. The facilities looked pretty good to me. He just associates the place with some guy who's a douche, so mad hate for the place by association.

Then we went to the Lower East Side and sat at outdoors and ate sandwiches right smack in the middle of Ludlow and Stanton (or something) across the street from Arlene's Grocery (eww). Prime hipster viewing location. Alex said some of "those girls look straight out of the American Apparel ads". True. Then we actually walked by the AA in the LES and saw a SMOKIN' hipster in purple stockings and a (very) short skirt with big-ass sunglasses sitting on the bench smoking a cigarette. Another really hot hipster was browsing inside the store also.

Alex said none of these girls even look at you. I said, "they really don't need to". If you have the balls to approach one of them, you're already on another level, or is a hipster yourself.

We went to ChikaLicious after that. I can't stop raving about this place!



The appetizer of the evening was marzcapone with espresso shavings. The CHEESE felt and tasted more like butter, melting in your mouth with a slight hint of espresso. Oh my...how can cheese taste this good?


Alex had white chocolate mousse on a bed of pineapple (I think).



I had banana sorbet on banana cake on something else.




That woman is Chika, the owner and head chef. I was shocked to find out that this place has been around for 4 years! Alex asked them. They also pretty much know me by now because I've been their for like 3 weekends in a row. The host at one point came out of nowhere and started up a conversation with Alex and I. I told him I was bringing everyone I know from out of town to this place.

That place is heaven (or an orgasm) in my mouth every time.

thé ADORE

Today during lunch I went down to Union Square to give something to Liz and decided to go to Joe's to get an ice mocha. Every time I go, I pass by this little bakery place called thé ADORE and I never went in. They always have some cute Asian girls working. And I notice every time that I pass by it when it is mid afternoon, the have sign posted on the window that says "sold out of sandwiches".

Today I passed and thought "why not", so I went in and looked at their menu and bought a Turkey sandwich. I don't even like Turkey. The Asian (Japanese?) woman at the counter was sooo soft spoken (how stereotype) that I couldn't hear what she was asking me. I just kept nodding. This entire French bakery has Asian girls workin in it. Sooo odd.

After I paid $6 for the sandwich I went to Joe's. The barista I have a crush on was there but I couldn't muster the courage to introduce myself to her. She knows who I am, I go in often enough. I feel something goin on, but then again, it might all be in my head.

The sandwich was okay. It was certainly not "6 dollar" good. It was the cheapest of the sandwiches. They had some others at $6.50 and still more at $7. Next time I'll look more carefully at the menu, and maybe pick up a pastry, which Colleen says is "really good".

Weekend Update 3/17/07

It was really warm on Wednesday/Thursday. Warm enough for Eliza and I to get Mr Frosty and eat it at Union Square Park. Then it snowed on Friday. And then my dad made me shovel around our house. You don't understand, we live on a corner lot. That means I have an entire side of the street to fricken shovel. Not the 10 feet front side like everyone else.

I got quite a workout from it, now it's Monday and I'm still sore. That's what happens when you sit at a desk all day and don't work out much. I lost my abs. Yeah, I had them at one point. I think I'll start working out again.

Oh yeah, last Tuesday, I beat Paul at pool for my first legitimate win against him. Ever. And it wasn't hyped or high pressure. I think that's why it happened. I've come close a few times before but couldn't sink the eight.

So back to this weekend, I had a wonderful dinner with my girls ELiza, Ashley and Jackie at a Italian place called Soto Cinque on the Upper East Side. It was St Patricks day, and seeing the streets filled with Bros and the skanks who love them all over the Upper East Side really caught me off guard. I was walking to Ashley's apartment and it was like I was back in college. The stench of cheap beers like KEYSTONE LITE filled the air all around. It was the most disgusting thing ever. I honestly don't know how I dealt with all that shit in college. I guess I just blocked it all out and was with good company, even on a Thursday night at Alex's. I think back now and can't for the life of me know why I was there so much on Thursday nights at one point. I never even drank that shit beer they had for mug night. I always got a railbender or something.

I'm not even a beer snob, I just don't drink cheap shitty beer like those calorie conscious bros. Anyway, we had dinner at that Italian place, which was mediocre, but the wine was good. Then we went to the Royal Oak in Williamsburg.

It you didn't know better, St Patrick's day was nonexistent in Williamsburg. Because today, instead of BLUE striped button shirts, all the bros were wearing GREEN striped button shirts. Ahhhhhh. None of that shit at the Royal oak. Everyone was dressed like always- hipster. You know, sometimes the hipsters are alright. Too cool for that shit. No green beer either, which no one one seemed to mind, care about or ask for.

I was wearing my LRG jacket (why?) and my keys fell out of my jacket pocket at Royal Oak.
Those keys were attached to a purple Alfred University lanyard that has a lot of sentimental value to me. It was Colleen's. I'll probably call them to see if they have it soon. Otherwise, Colleen will have to buy a new one and use it till she comes this week so it will be "broken into" and not new. I didn't realize I lost them till I was at Union Square, because I had my arm around Jackie the entire time we walked to the L train. Ugg, is that ironic?

Was supposed to meet up with David, but he didn't even get to Williamsburg till 3AM. Maybe next week.

It's WARM this weekend

I just went down to Joe to get a mocha and it is WARM outside today! It's 56 degrees in the city right now, and it looks to be the same tomorrow. People are sitting on the steps again, that makes me happy. Hipsters are out in full force, chubby NYU students are going out for runs, and some people are even just out in t-shirts thinking their sooo cool cuz it's March and all they have on are t-shirts. I love NYC.

This mocha I got has way too much chocolate. Only the cute girl who draws hearts on mine make them the best.