One of the downsides of my neighborhood is that almost nothing is up as early as me on Sunday morning. When I wake up with a craving for pancakes and want to try a delicious sounding recipe from Serious Eats at seven in the morning, I pretty much have to wait until the normal people roll out of bed closer to ten to get the ingredients from the grocery store. Well, this past Sunday I was not willing to wait and I opted instead to see what Bisquick had to offer using ingredients I already had.

There are two “melt in your mouth” pancake versions that differ from the traditional. I tried the “supreme” which includes sugar, baking powder, and vanilla. The result is a lighter and sweeter pancake that took maple syrup well and didn't leave me with a rock in my tummy, despite the fact that I made a hulking stack of them just for the two of us.

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Posted on April 27, 2009

Of all the lame and desperate reality shows to come round, Jim and I took a shine to one of the most ostensibly boring. Running in Heels revolves around the none to glamorous adventures of three interns at Marie Claire. They get coffee! They fail to hail cabs! They haggle over Chinatown luggage! All the while bemoaning how haaaard they're working.

It's a super addictive show mainly because it most closely resembles the life and people my friends and I would gossip about in our actual lives. There are minor competitions, like helping with a charity event, or writing a blog about Kenneth Cole, not exactly the stuff of television magic, but the intrigue of these catty girls competing to literally be better than the other ones at grabbing coffee for the Vassarettes (the world's first “bra” band!, huh?) is funny and perfect for lazy morning viewing over some baked eggs.

I guess it's a bit late to be recommending this show, but I had to wait until the finale to decide if it was going to make it because if they dared to offer the job to that bitch Ashley, giving young viewers the false impression that being a terrible, horrible person is the way to get ahead in life, there was no way on earth I could recommend it.

I know, it may not be mature or endearing for me to feel so much hatred for some idiot girl, but you didn't see Ashley! As it turns out, Marie Claire did fine by me, condemning her attitude as a major liability in the real world, and so now I can safely admit, somewhat sheepishly, that I watched and enjoyed every episode.

See more: TV Shows 2000s Reality Style

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Posted on April 27, 2009

Saturday was such a lovely day to stroll the grounds of Wave Hill, one of the Bronx's best kept secrets. Snuggled in the very wealthy mansion dotted landscape (the mansion across the way from the park gates was used at the exterior of the Corleone mansion in The Godfather) of Riverdale, the park is a pint sized oasis from the city with an extraordinary view of the Hudson River.

There are several small gardens, a green house, two houses (which in the past have been rented by both Theodore Roosevelt and Mark Twain),?many lawns to layout on, and a small trail through the woods. Grab one of the many benches and seats in the shade of a tree and enjoy life.

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Posted on April 27, 2009

I can probably just address this post directly to Mike Birbiglia since I know that he'll get a Google alert soon enough, and Mike (whose last name, even with concentrated effort, I have difficulty pronouncing correctly) let me assure you that this brief recommendation will not include any insults of your physique. In the hipster comedic universe, where the relatively unskinny Zack Galifinakis is the hottest man ever, I don't think you have anything to worry about anyways.

The one man show, Sleepwalk with Me, which many of you might recognize from the ubiquitous subway poster, is extremely charming and funny. Focusing on his own experiences with illness and an extreme sleep disorder that once had him jumping out of motel window in the middle of the night, the personal anecdotes speak to larger truths. I was laughing to the point of shaking several times, but be warned that the show is peppered with sudden emotionally poignant pitfalls that can even bring one to tears if, say you've had a few margaritas before entering the theater.

Playing at the intimate Bleeker Street Theater, we were able to get obstructed tickets for under $30 from Theater Mania but truthfully, the performance is well worth full price admission. Portions of the show have appeared on This American Life, but there's plenty of stuff you haven't heard on WBEZ.

See more: Spend a Couple Hours Comedians NoHo Performances

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Posted on April 27, 2009

Peter Luger is an institution, the take your dad who loves meat there place forever. I've had a few amazingly satisfying steaks in my time when family's been in town, but I'd never tried their more affordable and highly praised lunch time burger until a recent day off.

The place is a bit more calm on a weekday, but it had gotten pretty full by the time we left the crisp white shirts, dark wood, and nautical dishes behind us. While we didn't need a reservation on a Friday afternoon, on a weekend it probably wouldn't hurt.

The burger is nice and fat and, unsurprisingly, the meat itself is to die for. Cooked perfectly medium rare, which is not the easiest for some restaurants, (other bloggers have even complained about Luger's as such a culprit) I found it fresh, salty and beautifully pink inside.

The huge pile of ribbon thin onion rings were also worth writing home about, the kind of snack that's terrible for you but so good it pops up afterwards in dreams. While I've adored their famous steak sauce on steaks in the past (we even have a bottle in the fridge), it's a perfect topping for a beef burger as well.

My only complaint was the bun, and it's really just a personal thing. I know a substantial bun is necessary for just the basic operations of a hulking burger, but I happen to prefer mine a bit squishier, the kind of bun that does its job but bows down in submission to the all mighty innards. But still, it's a great meal to be had in classic settings – worth the trip during the day (it's only available for lunch) and the comparatively cheap (in this expensive burger crazed city) $9.

See more: Restaurants American Steaks Williamsburg

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Posted on April 27, 2009