Rainy Days in NYC

Rainy days can only be enjoyed from indoors, preferably under a tin roof and preferably at night. If we're going to be specific, wine should be in hand, fireplace should be crackling, guilty pleasure TV show should be playing, and godlike man should be near, pretending to enjoy said show. They absolutely cannot be enjoyed three days in a row in the middle of winter during the work week in NYC. I sit at my desk, peer out the window at the dismal world beyond, pout, daydream of summer and repeat. And once I've realized that I've forgotten my rain boots, the depression really sets in. Dramatic, I know, and exactly why I did some planning ahead for these very soggy days.

Combat again the rain began on Monday with a visit to the American Museum of Natural History on the Upper West Side. I hadn't been in three years, and was pleasantly surprised with the new exhibits, most notably, the Titanosaur. At 122 feet long and weighing 70 tons, this thing was a beast. Its front tooth was literally the size of my torso. My favorite exhibit, however, has always been the fuzzy animals. There's nothing like a little taxidermy to lighten the mood. After the museum, I ended the night with great friends, good beer and free candy at Dive 75, and no thoughts were wasted on the rain.

Adventures on Tuesday came next, with a long overdue visit from a best friend. She was visiting with her boyfriend, so we started our double date night at a tapas spot, Donostia, in the East Village. The dishes were small, but the food was exquisite and the wine affordable. The Chorizo Picante Banderilla and the Plato de Charcuteria y Queso deserve a special shout out. Just say the words "salt-cured meat" and I'm sold. The real highlight of the night, however, came later. After a good two hours of eating and drinking, we headed to a comedy show in the West Village. The Comedy Cellar, on the corner of MacDougal and West 3rd, might be the best comedy club in all of NYC. While it's the only one I've been to, I have nothing but praise for both the venue and the performers, and mine seems a shared opinion amongst New Yorkers. The club seats up to 200 people in its cozy underground location, and it's slightly tiered tables guarantee all parties a great view. The brick walls, stained glass accents and the close proximity of the viewers and comedians help create a perfect ambiance. And then there are the comedians. Each show is comprised of roughly six acts, big names and rising stars, and every performance we saw was absolutely hilarious. Additionally, famous acts that aren't listed on the line-up frequently drop in. These surprise acts include Louis C.K., Amy Shumer, Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle. We were lucky enough to have the host of The Daily Show, Trevor Noah, unexpectedly make an appearance. Thank you, Comedy Cellar, I've officially been charmed.

To conclude the week of bad weather, Max and I went to see Aladdin on Broadway. I have never seen so much glitter, and extravagant doesn't even come close to describing the show. The actors were phenomenal, the set beautiful, and the performance over the top in the absolute best way possible.

Here's to hoping this weekend can compete.



Beasts.

Unfortunately (but understandably) taking pictures inside the Comedy Cellar isn't allowed, but here are a few from their website:

Bill Burr 

Louis C.K. 

Judah Friedlander

Robin Williams

Jon Stewart

Also no pictures allowed within the theatre, but here are a few of Aladdin I found online:

Weekend in the Burgh

I know, this post is long overdue, but not for lack of trying (at least in the past few weeks or so). I took a break from blogging while on summer vacation, but I'd hoped to get back at it once in NYC again. So, a couple of weeks ago I tried to create a new post but things got weird so I convinced myself that Franland had been hacked. Took my issue down to Fordham's IT office and it turns out I'm just technologically inept.

Summer was beautiful in every way; tidbits and pictures will be shared in the near future. As of now, I’m back in NYC for my last semester of college. So amidst my senior thesis, French enlightenment and the likes, I’ll always have Franland to channel my creativity, indulge my procrastinating ways and reassure me that happiness comes when you do what you love. And it’s nice to share it with the world, too.

About a month ago I visited my brother in Pittsburgh, and as classes had just started, I had the time and my peace of mind. The latter left me almost immediately as my bus broke down twice, turning my seven-hour ride into a twelve-hour saga. Still, it was worth it. The Burgh is a beauty: fabulous food, fruity cocktails and friendly people.

Upon arrival, we made our way to an exquisite Caribbean restaurant, Kaya, where we had drinks, conch fritters, jerk chicken wings and plantain chips with mango salsa. The plan was to take pictures of the apps, but by the time I remembered that, the reality was a collection of empty plates. I did get a picture of the drinks; that has to count for something.

As per usual with the Romagnoli clan, the rest of the weekend was centered around food. The best meal, hands down, was at Park Bruges. The picture doesn't do these succulent little babies any justice, but these mussels (or rather, the creamy rosemary, dill, thyme, shallot and garlic broth they came in) were perfection.

Overall, great culinary experiences, but I had an awesome time just walking around, as well. It's a great city with a lot of character and pride and I look forward to future trips to the Burgh. Here are a few pics from the weekend walkabouts:

Bonus:

Grey Cat

Tart Time

There will be a fitness post soon to follow, but for now let's talk about food. Shamefully I think I did more damage this Easter than at Thanksgiving. The meal included assorted olives, salamis, cheeses, turkey, roasted potatoes, spinach gnocchi, asparagus and for dessert, pastiera napoletana. I wish I had pictures to share of the feast, but the savages took to the platters before I could get my phone out.

Naturally, in order to prepare for the Romagnoli banquet on Sunday, I began increasing my intake on Friday. I spent the morning baking tarts with my friend, Tania (who deserves complete credit for these tasty recipes). We had originally planned on one tart, but what's better than one tart? Two tarts. Plus, sweet and savory is always the way to go. So, we ended up making an apple tart and a spinach tart, and thankfully I had friends to share them with because they were both deadly.

Dough (makes enough for two tarts):
  1 cup butter

  2⅔ cups flour

  1 tsp salt

  ½ cup ice water

The dough can be made ahead of time because the crust is flakier if it's chilled. The easiest way to make it is with a food processor: pulse all ingredients together, adding the ice water in increments, until the mixture resembles chunky crumbles. As long as all of the ingredients are well incorporated, it will hold together when pressed into a ball.

Separate ball into two patties and chill for 20 minutes (or longer).

Roll out patties on floured surface until they are about ⅛-in thick and press into two 11-inch tart pans with straight edges, not angled outwards.

Spinach tart filling: 

  1 pkg. chopped spinach, thawed

  1 large yellow onion, finely sliced

  3 pieces bacon, finely sliced

  1 cup gruyère cheese, shredded

  ½ cup white wine

  ½ cup milk

  1 egg 

  black pepper, to taste

  salt, to taste

Sauté spinach, onion, and bacon in lightly oiled pan on medium heat until onions are wilted, about 10-15 minutes. Add salt, to taste.

In a separate bowl, whisk together wine, milk and egg.

Cover bottom of tart with spinach mixture, top spinach mixture with the shredded gruyère and finally, pour wine mixture evenly over top. Top with ground black pepper. Bake at 425° F for 20 minutes. 

Apple tart filling: 

  3 large apples, sliced nice and thin

  ⅛ cup sugar

  ⅓ cup cream

  cinnamon, to taste

Arrange thinly sliced apples starting on the outer edges of the tart, moving inwards like a spiral. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon over top. Bake at 425° F for 20 minutes. Turn oven off, pour cream over top and let sit in oven for 15 min or so. Indulge.