Restaurants »Pio Pio Riko

pio pio riko beef hearts Pio Pio Riko is well known for their incredibly affordable half-chicken meals that, while heavy, are yummy and offer one of the few worthy delivery options here in Greenpoint, but it's when one goes off into other, less explored areas of the menu, that the Peruvian delicacies really shine.

It always freaks people out when I order beef hearts, but maybe they're less scary under the Peruvian name Antichucos. Pio Pio's are tender and yummy and even the skeptical were impressed. I'd also recommend trying the ceviche that was surprisingly fresh and subtly flavored.

As I've mentioned before, it's also a great place to throw a party and, with actual hearts on the menu, would be a perfect spot for a pre-Halloween activities meal.

See more: Restaurants


Be the first to leave a comment →
Posted on October 26, 2009

Style Icons: Male »Charles Addams

Whatever your opinion of the television series and movies that gained wider popularity and recognition than their source material, you really should take a look at the wry and darkly hilarious work of Chas Addams.

A beloved cartoonist for the New Yorker, who relished in presenting a humorously macabre image to the public (he'd have his photo taken with a collection of crossbows or wearing a suit of armor), Addams created his most famous fictional family with the help of friend Ray Bradbury.

I would leaf through my dad's collection of his cartoons and laugh and laugh as a little girl, and I still find them wonderful.

See more: Style Icons: Male


Be the first to leave a comment →
Posted on October 26, 2009

Hunks »Eli Roth

I've got to admit that I was a little embarrassed to find Eli Roth so irresistibly and rather inexplicably cute in Inglourious Basterds – not because he was playing a head-bashing 'Bear Jew', but because he's behind the revolting torture franchise, Hostel.?/p>

As a long-time fan of horror films, I have to say that I've just never gotten on the relatively recent torture bandwagon and greatly prefer other sub-genres and wish the fad would give way to better stuff (see this week's movie pick). And I never trust any dude with a vigorous and vainglorious daily muscle-man work-out routine.

Still, one can't always expect good taste to go with good looks.

See more: Hunks


Be the first to leave a comment →
Posted on October 26, 2009

Albums »The Heretic Soundtrack

Exorcist II: The Heretic has the reputation as “one of the most notorious disasters in movie history” but it boasts an impressive Ennio Morricone soundtrack. Lacking even the great Brad Dourif and the image of an old lady crawling across the ceiling that factors so heavily into the enjoyment of part three, most people agree that the haunting music is the film's only worthwhile element.

I've been informed that this is a rare find, my friend Shaun purchased his CD at the excellent treasure trove Amoeba Records, but you can also pay a higher price on an Amazon import. If you're a fan of creepy Morricone dissonance and haunting melodies, it's worth the investment and time to track it down. It bounces from soft, almost romantic sounds to frenzied intensity. Definitely makes the work day more dramatic.

See more: Albums


Be the first to leave a comment →
Posted on October 26, 2009

Books »Twisted

Jeffery Deaver, best known for his novel The Bone Collector, has compiled the most edible thrillery popcorn into the short story collection Twisted; I haven't had this much fun with mindless reading in a while. Like a horror anthology (though much better than those you can usually find on TV – in fact, this book could easily become the only really good horror anthology of the decade if someone good got behind it) each brief thriller starts out one way (you think a woman is about to meet with a serial killer, a dad is about to be murdered, a jealous husband is about to enact bloody revenge, etc) and then… Bam! There's a twist!

The language and style can best be described bare bones (lazy at worst: every female character is described as resembling either Pamela Anderson or Michelle Pfeiffer) but Deaver really really knows just how to cut to the chase and tease the best out of his highly satisfying and effective formula. The twist-ending game might get a little tedious after sixteen stories, but I have to admit: I couldn't always figure out what was coming, which keeps it fresh.

This is perfect beach reading for non beach reading weather – so maybe we can call it 'sofa and hot cocoa reading'. In response to the overwhelming popularity of this collection, Deaver put out a second volume ingeniously titled More Twisted.

See more: Books


Be the first to leave a comment →
Posted on October 26, 2009

Movies »The House of the Devil

I've watched many a horror movie this past week in order to recommend the best to you, my dear friends; and while I can't claim that The House of the Devil is flawless, it is worth a late-night Halloween-week viewing and definitely the best of the bunch from the pile of DVDs I spent the week sifting through (which included the mouth-to-mouth vomit heavy Drag Me To Hell and the rather tedious When a Stranger Calls). A deliberate and effective homage to horror movies of the late seventies and early eighties (right down to the casting of thin and adorably Margot Kidderesque Jocelin Donahue as the heroine and titular fontography), HOTD is a slow burning film comprised of a series of extremely effective techniques. The skillful use of sound design, imagery, surprise and pacing results in genuine chills, but sadly the film misses the mark when it comes to the big reveal.

Maybe Ti West did himself a huge disservice by announcing the plot secret in an onscreen quote at the very beginning of the film, maybe it's just hard to make genuine scares out of clich?s; either way, by the end of the movie the dread the director worked so hard to evoke devolves rapidly into silliness… but at least its good and gory silliness featuring some of my favorite character actors: Mary Woronov and Tom Noonan.

Rather awesomely, the movie is currently available on-demand while it's still in theaters, making for a perfect night once friends and popcorn are added to the equation.

See more: Movies


Be the first to leave a comment →
Posted on October 26, 2009

Desserts »Almond Roca

From an old family recipe in 1923, to the best mid-level gift baskets of today, Almond Roca has earned its proud moniker, “America's Finest Confection”.

See more: Desserts


Be the first to leave a comment →
Posted on October 19, 2009

Drinks »Pumpkin Spice Latte

My friend Shaun described the seasonal Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks as, “tasting like ham”. And, if you consider the crunchy sugar coating of some maple hams, in a way he's kind of right. And yet I still enjoyed this uber sweet, once a year kind of drink. It made me weirdly wired and felt like I was doing something mothers wouldn't approve of by imbibing so much sugar in the morning.

See more: Drinks


Be the first to leave a comment →
Posted on October 19, 2009

Web Sites »The Catalyst

While Googling 'cat fashion' (because how else would I unwind while half-watching Glee and eating cereal late at night?) I found the wonderful little blog Catalyst, and in it a kindred spirit who not only loves cats and fashion, but geodesic domes!!?/p>

I'm bummed that author Jenny didn't stick it out longer than a year or so, but the near year of imagery is a fun and inspirational way to pass the time, even if it is finite.

See more: Web Sites


Be the first to leave a comment →
Posted on October 19, 2009

Laughs »Kid in Red Shirt Dancing

This kid is the coolest dancer!! Made my day.

See more: Laughs


Be the first to leave a comment →
Posted on October 19, 2009