Rocking Lady of Rock

Chrissie Hynde is a women of rock who actually rocks. Leather pants, ripped tees, a mouth made for swearing, a mullet, and a career as a band front-man that was usually reserved for men, Hynde defined an iconic, cool and tough style for women in music.

An Ohio transplant in London, Hynde began with ties to Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood in their store Sex before playing in several bands that didn’t work out. Eventually, her own creation, The Pretenders took off, giving us some of the best new wave hits of the era and a one memorable hot waitress video.

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Posted on November 19, 2010

205 Grand St, Brooklyn

Makoto Suzuki, the man behind Bozu (one of Brooklyn’s most unsung best restaurants) plus the chewy deliciousness of Udon equals Samurai Mama – the perfect new spot for Jim and my first date night since baby. We arrived early before the crowds and snagged one of the few private two tops – the cozy and simple wood and brick space is dominated by a huge communal table. Udon is the name of the game here and offered in many varieties – in hot soup, dipping style, and bukkake (nothing dirty – just sauce slathered) all with different topping options from veggie to pork belly.

I opted for the traditional soup with the pork, Jim the same but as a dipping dish. Both were great, with thick, perfectly cooked noodles and a nice, sweet broth that I spiced up a bit with the red chili spices. The pork was tender and as good as it is in Bozu’s fabulous pork betty platter.

But there’s more to the menu than noodles, and you should come hungry so you can sample a bit of everything. The sushi comes in a taco form (with the nori acting as shell) and both the tuna avocado and eel avocado were outstanding. The gyoza arrived like in a surprising puffed baked appearance and was miles away from the frozen appetizer we all know so well from most Japanese restaurants. The list of sakes was varied and I opted for a smokey Suehiro glass. They had an unpasteurized bottle available (the drink I most missed while pregnant) but am really not at the point yet where I can drink half a bottle of anything.

Already garnering great local reviews and praise on yelp, Samurai Mama is sure to become another neighborhood fixture and a particularly welcome one as the nights get colder and colder and a steaming bowl of Udon beckons.

(Thanks mom and dad for the babysitting).

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Posted on November 17, 2010

Mankind

If there’s a villain in pro Wrestling, it’s the evil genius Vince McMahon – owner of the WWE and husband to failed Senate candidate. If there’s a sad man in pro-wrestling, it’s Jake “The Snake” Roberts, drug addict and fallen hero. But if there’s a hero of the sport, it’s the teddy bear who cloaked himself in a veil of insanity and blood, Mick Foley, aka Mankind, aka Dude Love, aka Cactus Jack, aka The Most Polite Man in Wrestling.

I used to be a major wrestling fan in college – I bet I’m one of the only local moms who can boast that she’s seen The People’s Elbow live in person – twice. It was a good time for the sport: with not only The Rock (creator of the people’s elbow), but Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker, Chyna, and the wholly unique character of Mankind.

He was a giant mad man that would shriek insanely, wore a mangled face mask, tore his own hair out, took more brutality than any other wrestler, was often soaked in blood and would take a dirty sock, named Mr. Socko from his pants and choke opponents with it. In short, it was a lunatic thing of genius.

Mick Foley, the man behind the mask couldn’t be more different than his creation. A family man with a heart of gold, Foley not only seems like a completely kind and likable soul, but is a huge advocate for victims of domestic violence and abuse, donating 50% of his advanced royalties of his latest book to Tori Amos’ RAINN.

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Posted on November 15, 2010

Easy Breakfast

This is my own recipe, an eggy breakfast take on the classic Caprese Salad – Caprese Eggs. I first fried the grape tomatoes, sliced in half, in a tablespoon of butter, salt and pepper, and a couple splashes of balsamic.

Once they broke down a little, I added four scrambled eggs, cooking slowly on low heat. Last I added a thick slice of mozzarella chopped up and cooked until it was melted and the eggs were set. Next time, some basil would be a nice addition.

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Posted on November 14, 2010

160 Berry Street, Brooklyn, NY

I’ve been hearing raves about the California transplant, Blue Bottle Coffee for some time, so it seemed like the perfect destination for baby’s first stroller outing. Being prematurely judgemental, I was expecting a staff of snobs, maybe because the coffee is taken so seriously here (they have several preparations and types which can be read about in great detail at their website), but was pleasantly surprised to be greeted by very chipper, courteous people who didn’t even scoff when I tried to order an iced tea for Jim (which they don’t serve FYI).

We both tried the New Orleans, a light, sweetened iced coffee that still has me majorly buzzing hours later (a very strange feeling after being strictly decaf for months and months). This beverage is way strong and way delicious but if you don’t want the jolt that hard core coffee can give you, you might want to opt for a weaker neighborhood option. However, if you long for the kind of coffee that coffee lovers rave about, this is your place. It’s super pet friendly too, so you can sit with lots of local dogs as you take advantage of the outdoor benches while the weather continues to please us.

There are several locations in San Francisco, but so far, Berry Street is the first in New York.

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Posted on November 13, 2010