Quebec City Idyll
Quebec City looks like an alpine fairy tale to a world weary New Yorker. It’s older and more exclusively French-speaking than Montreal, with the only fortified city wall north of Mexico.
J’adore Montreal
I took advantage of a 3-day break between jobs to steal away to Montreal, in search of poutine and smoked meat. Schwartz’s did not disappoint, and I recommend getting the cherry soda with your smoked meat sandwich–the combination simply works…
Ebbets Field Cocktail
So, I’m facing my fear of making cocktails with egg whites. Here’s a homemade Ebbets Field–don’t even bother with the Complete Cocktail recipe, since it calls for an unreasonable amount of Pernod, and the egg white won’t foam properly without…
Lower East Side Tenement Museum
I’ve lived in four apartments in the East Village, all tenement buildings around a hundred years old. Each had its quirks: slanted floors, musty smells, leaky pipes or crumbling walls, and railroad bedrooms in sizes that I’m told are illegal….
Four Days in San Juan
The older I get, the more desperate I get for color come wintertime. So I went a little crazy with my new polarizing filter among the sherbet-hued buildings of Old San Juan. After four days of strong coffee, 16th century…
Eastern State Penitentiary
“Shipwreck” is a word that came to mind when visiting Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, but when it opened in 1829 it was the most modern facility in the world.
Denino’s Pizza
Staten Island is too often the forgotten borough on my food adventures, but its pizza game is so strong, I’ll brave the subway, ferry and bus ride out there. First up was Denino’s, a storied pizzeria that goes back to…
Yes There Are Good Tacos in NYC
I’ve heard people complain that there are no good tacos in New York City–particularly West Coasters who are the worst snobs when it comes to Mexican food. But I’d counter that NYC has really stepped up its taco game in…
Coney Island Mermaid Parade 2014
The Coney Island Mermaid Parade is one of my favorite events in the city: it’s like our own mini version of Mardi Gras with a slightly seedy nautical flavor that’s all Coney Islands’s own.
Inside the Tent of Tomorrow!
The Tent of Tomorrow in Flushing Meadows is New York City’s most infamous ruin, a decaying modernist carnival of a building ripped from a science fiction novel. While I’d viewed it from close range, it’s been locked to visitors for…