Dark, lonely, and fucking scary are all narrations of the finest mixtape we’ve seen this year.  That this release has generated a good bit of buzz is an understatement.  It was late 2010 that an anonymous source known as The Weeknd would release three recordings on youtube.  The tracks, laced with druggy atmospherics and predatory verses were as mysterious and dubious as their faceless source.  A few days later a retweet by Drake would set the hype machine in to motion.  Forward then to March 21st 2011, when the blurred persona behind The Weeknd, 20 year old Toronto based singer Abel Tesfaye, emerged to release a nine song mixtape called House of Balloons, free for download.

In his world, we find ourselves wandering aimlessly past the blurred lights and through the dizzying streets into a downward spiral of drug abuse and sexual debauchery.  Tesfaye carries us through his partying, the late nights which turn into early mornings.  You feel his regret and wish it could have been different.  You fuck it and snort that line anyway.

The tracks here are masterfully crafted.   Abel commands the mood, deploying synth heavy reverb, muted stacato acoustics, and his trembling falsetto to create a sonic landscape more diverse than any I’ve encountered in the genre.  His use of frequency resounds equally powerfully on both the sonic and emotional plane.  The alignment of tone and atmosphere with lyrics and melody is as precise as any since that of The-Dream.  Despite the treacherous subject matter, The Weeknd provides us glimpses in to his sensual and optimistic side.  Seducing tracks like The Morning and What You Need entice us to believe that “He’s what you want.. I’m what you need.”  Of course the argument is as convincing and addictive as the cocaine he describes.  For now Tesfaye is poised to gain some serious studio time courtesy of a co-sign by fellow partier Drake.

http://the-weeknd.com

The next weekend at La Caire; another great Hookah Lounge, C and I decided that as part of an effort to explore our common interest, we’d begin our hunt for the “Best Hookah in New York.”

Granted we’ve both had our fair share of Shisha experiences, we’d have to erase what we thought we knew and start all over.  Setting a benchmark and establishing a reliable metric from which we can accurately gauge our encounters was vital to the success of our venture.  Assuming that this series of posts will be of use to more than just my inner circle of friends, what will follow is a compendium of comprehensive reviews, raves and rants as we go about our way exploring the many Hookah Lounges the city has to offer.

Each Hookah Lounge will be assigned component scores based on:

• Hookah Quality (Specifically the time until the smoke becomes to harsh to continue smoking) AKA TTH [0-10]
• Ambiance/Crowd/Atmosphere [0-10]
• Music/DJ Quality (As assessed from the point of view of twenty somethings) [0-10]
• Price/Value [0-10]
• Bullshit Factor (AKA is there a ridiculous credit card minimum?) [0-10] — With 10 representing the best case scenario (no credit card minimum, no per person limit, etc).

We’ll aggregate component scores based on the weighted importance of each factor.  Of course these weights will vary by personal preference (some people may appreciate a good value over a good atmosphere for instance).  I assume though that most people will agree with the following order of importance:  Hookah Quality, Ambiance, Music, Price, Bullshit factor.  Of course if you don’t agree you’re more than welcome to rework out weightings and come up with your own rankings!

Tentatively speaking, the overall score of each lounge will be calculated as:

Overall Score = 40%[Hookah Quality] + 30%[Ambiance] + 15%[Music] + 10%[Price] + 5%[Bullshit]

Up for review are the following Hookah Lounges:

Sultana (4th st & 1st ave – Byob wine & beer, $5 fee, but $5 min drink per person – cash only)
Café Khufu (3rd street & 2nd ave – no alcohol – cash only)
Kazuza (6th st & ave A – yes on alcohol)
Falucka
Khyber pass
Cozy lounge
Habibi
Maradona
Babel
Zerza
Rama
Via
Rumi
Hade bade

Places I have been that we should try and review properly:

Horus too
Horus (bleecker laguardia) – the new le souk
Kush
Tagine
Hookah café (I think this shut down)
Karma
Horus (10th & A)
Cloister
Luxor
Sahara east
La caverna
Haven
katra

Clearly this is a long term project, but hopefully as we progress through our endeavor we’ll learn much about the Hookah scene in New York.  Please feel free to make suggestions or give us any additional places to check out if you know of any.  The end goal of this will to be to have found the perfect hookah lounge to hit up with friends on those weekends when you feel like passing up the bar scene for a more laid back spot.

Alright back in my comfort zone.  Clearly it’s been a minute since I updated anything on this blog so here I am with enough to write about.  Lemme recap Q2-Q4 ’10 in four quick bullet points:

• Ran a lot
• CFA PASS WHATUP/FML LEVEL II?
• Ohai FL
• LOL Date?  With me?!

2011 came fast enough and I have a feeling it’s going to go by as quickly as 2010 did so I better get to work.  I’m gonna start off with some music and restaurant recommendations:

So far so good on the indie music scene.  I think we’ve already had more good albums in the first two months of ’11 than we did the first half of ’10.  Some notables (to which I cam currently hooked) include:

G-Side – THE ONE… COHESIVE

Good hip-hop albums come along once every few months.. The Carter III was released late ’09, Curren$y dropped Pilot Talk II in Mid ’10, Kayne released his epic album soon thereafter.  All of these records had lasting appeal; each presenting a new take on production, technique, and experimentation.  It wasn’t far into the new year that  Huntsville, Alabama Rap Duo and Outkast emulators G-Side dropped THE ONE… COHESIVE.  Here is an LP rich in texture and style.  Piano ballads laced with claps, soft vocals and synth set the backdrop for the mix masters to drop some well versed wisdom on us.  This is a courageous album straying from usual chopped/screwed fare typical of the dirty south… and on so many levels it works.

VOLUME ^^^^^

Radiohead – The King of Limbs

Seriously?…  Alright I’ll pay some attention to it when I get time.

Cafe Ronda

I am in no way an expert on Spanish food but this HAS to be it.  Ronda, found on the corner of 72nd and Columbus is a cozy 50 person space packed with doe-eyed couples and merry friends all enjoying the cozy and romantic atmosphere set by warm candles and dim liting.  Served Tapas style, the plates here are hearty and indulgent.  Try the Gambas a la Plancha (grilled shrimp brushed with garlic olive oil) and the Chorizos de Ronda (with caramelized onions and dates).  Of course you’ll want a Red to complement and Ronda has a fantastic list to choose from (be sure you bring your wine friend).  Superb cuisine combined with a great atmosphere allow you to slip into that buzz induced food coma and smile the night away.  Just make sure you go with someone who’ll be smiling back at you.

http://www.caferonda.com/Home.htm

Electronic/Synth Pop

Experimental/Conscious Hip Hop

Contemporary Pop/Folk/R&B (this is a broad category)

Soul/Funk R&B

Erykah Badu just released her new album, and I’m listening to it right now.  The single is a chill laid back tune, my kinda stuff.  The video is powerful:

http://www.erykahbadu.com/

When it comes to Thai food, I have long established my favorite restaurant.  Maybe I’m too “engine-nerd” but I believe if you aren’t challenging your results to see how they hold up, well then you haven’t completed your work.  Enter Pongsri Thai Restaurant.  Pongsri is a humble family run joint that doesn’t put much effort into décor or ambience.  Relatively speaking, the setting “makes do” and at first glance it’d be easy to look over this place thinking it’s nothing really special.  All it takes though is one visit to Pongsri and you’ll be returning here and bringing friends along.

Feeling especially adventurous, I opted for the Crispy Angel Duck.  It came lightly fried and in a mix of pineapples, sprouts, cashews and a sweet and spicy sauce all served in a lettuce bowl.  The texture of the duck was excellent; not chewy, nor with pieces of fat that you’d spit out.  The sauce was tangy and added to the flavor of the cashews and pineapples.  Admittedly, the quality and taste of the food at Pongsri is very very good.  Flavors and textures are complex, embodying what I believe to be the spirit of Thai cuisine.  Here though, they know you’ve come to a good Thai place and the prices reflect that.  Although I would definitely rate this in my top 3 Thai restaurants in NYC, Pam Real Thai and Thai Basil edge it out in terms of overall experience.  The former being an affordable disco Thai Place, and the latter being an upscale, sensual, elegant dining experience.

I also recently had a chance to grab a sampling of sweets at Ferrara’s Bakery and Café in Little Italy.  After watching so many episodes of The Sopranos, where Tony is always delivering boxes of Cannolis to his loved ones, I decided I had to stop by.  Ferrara’s is well lit, and quite large.  The place has the capacity to support large crowds of tourists and given the beautiful case of desserts at the front, it’s easy to see why people would flock here.

I ordered myself the “Tiny Trio Sample” which allowed me to pick from a list of the many types of cakes, fruits, tarts and pastries they have to offer.  I went with the Cannoli, Napoleon Cake and Dalquebe.  The first was crunchy, although I did not find the cream as satisfying as that of Patsy’s.  The Napoleon cake was very sweet, and although it wasn’t exactly a cake (more like cream stuffed between two pastries) it was satisfying.  The Dalquebe was a mini chocolate covered biscuit which was also very good.  I suppose I satisfied my need for pastries, but I don’t think I’d stop in too often.  Then again, how often am I in Little Italy…

Another addition to my favorite tracks.  Gorillaz have really redefined their sound as well as their image.  A truly remarkable turnaround for a band that I once considered mediocre… Amazing track, reminds me of Junior Boys.

I must admit I don’t have much experience with sushi in NYC.  Frankly, the first time I ate at Haru, I thought it was pretty good.  It wasn’t until I took a trip back home that I had some good sushi.  Up until this point, I had never really been able to distinguish the finer textures and subtle tastes that distinguish your run of the mill sushi joint from the finer, more elegant establishments where sushi is considered a delicate and well-respected form of craftsmanship.

From the outside, Momoya stands out.  The large glass panes allow passersby to peak into the restaurant and admire the minimalist Japanese architecture and design which is a large part of what draws people to this place.  A few snaps:

My previous experiences had led me to believe that Tempura style sushi (my favorite so far) is battered, thick and heavy.  I had learned to accept that the taste of the fish was supposed to be subdued by the Tempura cooking style…  I proceeded to order the Sweet Potato Tempura and the Shrimp Tempura.   Upon having the first bite, It was clear  just how carefully the chefs had prepared the sushi; to ensure that it was not overly fried.  I could taste more than just the batter.. it allowed the flavor of the shrimp, and the sweetness of the potato to come through and as a result, I saw for the first time, that the Tempura style is intended enhance the texture and flavor of the sushi, not drown it out.

In terms of value and quality, Momoya stands respectfully above its neighbor Haru.  Hear me out…  Momoya, unlike Haru, is not a “good sushi place.”  Too often it’s easy to hit that sushi place and never think again about the flavors you encountered… perhaps they all blend into one (after all, Soy Sauce and Wasabi taste the same everywhere).  For me, Momoya is about transition.  I suspect that I am only now just beginning to recognize well made sushi.  I think I’m ready to move beyond  the Western sushi experience and thanks to places like Momoya I can recognize and understand sushi for what it was meant to be.

After dinner, I (being big on desserts) headed over to Beard Papa’s to experience “the world’s best cream puff.”

This tiny little shop is well-lit and the folks working here are very friendly.  The crispy cream puffs are filled to order with soft yellow custard.  They are delicious… be sure to grab one with a coffee.  It’s a nice place to hangout and chat with a friend.  As for being the world’s best cream puffs, I’m sure that could be debated.  The appeal of this place is the friendly staff, the clean, well-lit atmosphere and of course the sugary delights that are difficult to resist.  A definite pick over the nearby Starbucks.

The rest of the week went quite swimmingly… (yea I just said that).  Thursday saw a massive snowstorm that kept most New Yorker’s at home for the day.  When I stepped out of the house on Friday, I saw this:

Glad I got my weeks worth of exploring done before the snow hit.

I met with C-Section (T. Khan aka T-Pain) at the American Museum of Natural History at 4:00pm IST (which is exactly 4:30pm EST).  Although we had planned to see The Silk Road exhibit, It turned out that there were no more showings available for the day and so we decided to roam the museum in hopes of a minimal but meaningful learning experience.  As we strolled through the halls of the grand museum I was reminded of just how much I don’t know about human history.  Walking the time line from the Neanderthals to the Moguls I tried to recall my World History lessons.  In graduate school, I had taken a course that required me to summarize all the significant events of human history from 800 B.C. to 1700 A.D.  This knowledge escaped me now.  Of course, T-Pain was by my side and maybe stewing over my lack knowledge in the field was not the way I wanted to spend my Saturday afternoon.  We chilled in the museum for about an hour, I detailed my last visit to Gatorland back in 1998 where I had eaten alligator nuggets (which in fact, taste like chicken).  As we passed by the many displays of ancient birds and gigantic mammals, we wondered what they would taste like…  I was reminded of Wu Lian Ye, a Chinese restaurant in Midtown, who actually serve an incredible roasted duck.  Soon enough it was 7pm and after buying a gag birthday present from everybody’s favorite pseudo-porn store, we found a wonderful little bar called Trailer Park Lounge.

Trailer Park Lounge is a tawdry, lighthearted and unassuming bar located on the corner of 23rd St. and 8th avenue.  From the outside, the bar (more of a  restaurant than a lounge), seems like the perfect place to stagger into on any given night of  bar hopping with your besties.  The wooden trucker standup outside welcomes you in with a listing of what seems to be your standard array of bar foods (here you’ll find some unique twists on old favorites) along with a good listing of drinks.  A step inside finds a charming and not overly crowded room which has been decorated floor to ceiling with all things provincial and tacky.  Think of the Lamp from a Christmas Story.  Maybe here is a good time to post the pictures I took:

Although it can be difficult to find a seat at the bar, there is seating on the side for people who are in it for more than just drinks.  We of course had good timing and were offered seats by two gentlemen whom had decided to wave the King goodbye and continue on with their night…  Trailer Park has a Happy Hour that runs from 4-7pm every day and we were fortunate to catch the last hour of it.  Margarita’s are made very well and can be had for only $5.  The beer selection does leave something to be desired, but having two Margarita’s (yea yea I’m feelin like a light weight) will get you buzzed.  Bartenders(-s) are friendly although they do tend to rush you a bit.  The crowd is a mix of gay, straight and sideways people, all of whom seem to have stopped in for a few drinks before heading off to their ‘real’ plans for the night.  As a result, the place is never really packed at any point in the night and sound levels remain reasonable enough to carry on conversation.  Overall, the TPL served as an excellent pre-dinner pit stop to fuel up on some alcohol.  After just 2 drinks, we hasted off in anticipation of a visit to New York’s Original Pizzeria.

Patsy’s is a dynasty in the history of New York City pizza.  The founder of Grimaldi’s got his start at Patsy’s and when he felt they he learned the pie making business well enough, he moved on to begin his own respective establishment.  Having eaten at Grimaldi’s, Lombardi’s and Johns of Bleecker Street, it was only right that I an original home of NYC style pizza…

The restaurant is quite large, able to accommodate upwards of 80 to 90 people.  Service is sharp and even in my tipsy-ness I did not notice any lack of courtesy from the waitress.  We ordered a small pie with Prosciutto and Mushrooms (half and half of course).   The food arrived within 10 minutes and I must say I was eager to see how the original pizza joint would measure to its more famous cousins.  Here, the slices aren’t exaggerated into the “fold and eat” style seen at most NYC pizza joints.  Dough is flaky and soft with a consistent char throughout the underside (a result of the high heat, short exposure, coal oven baking).  Although not as crispy or light as its Grimaldi counterpart, a Patsy’s slice maintains a similar taste derived from its aged mozzarella and thick tomato sauce.  Initial slices are warm and dough is best eaten while hot.  A few pieces in and you’ll notice your slice beginning to slouch.  This soggier style of pizza is by all measures delicious, but at a certain point, good pizza becomes about perfecting the texture in combination with the taste.  I must confess that I prefer the airy, crunchy style of a Brooklyn pie.  After four slices each (you can’t leave a place like this without eating all of it..) we decided to order a Canoli:

Unfortunately, this Canoli, in all of its creamy, powdered sugary grandeur was more memorable than the slice I had had a few minutes before.   The walnuts and rich cream combined with the flaky pastry seemed perfectly suited and were delicious.  I should I taken one to go.  In retrospect, here is a place which is basically the birthplace of NYC style pizza.  It is an establishment that should be made and probably is a landmark in New York City’s history.  The pizza is in all measures delicious.  Ingredients taste authentic and the slices exhibit the classic symptoms of a well made traditional Italian style pie.  Saying that a Patsy’s slice is worse than a Grimaldi’s pizza is a bit like saying Weezy is worse than Kayne…  At the end of the day its a matter of preference.  It’s impossible to downplay the influence of a place like Patsy’s.  I compare Patsy’s to my favorite:  Grimaldi’s.  Ultimately, the two styles are similar, but for me its all about the delivery.  One is crisp, calculated and fluffed (Weezy/Grimaldi’s).  The other, saggy, saucy and relatively more restrained (Kanye/Patsy’s).  Either way, you can’t always pick just one, and most of the time you go with bit of both.

Following dinner at Patsy’s we met with Read Only (C. Ranga) who had had a long day at work and needed much boozing to forget it all.  A return to Trailer Park Lounge resulted in perhaps the most amazing feat of drinking I’ve seen a single woman undertake.  From 9pm until 2am, Ranga lined up bottle after bottle of Hi-Life (her personal fav) while we discussed issues ranging from marital conflicts to family values.  I enjoyed the remainder of the night with my great friends and Turkey Nachos (very very good) and also managed to snap a stable pic in my somewhat buzzed state:

Oh, and of course don’t think that we forgot about #3:  Invisinude.  Oh yes, he was remembered, and remembered he was by this memorable quote:

At 3am last call we were being kicked out by the bar tender and I realized that no matter how bad things get in life, you always have your friends to drink/eat/talk/laugh away all of your worries  regardless of the time of day (or morning) it is.  Here’s looking forward to next weekend.

]]> http://mistryv.wordpress.com/2010/02/22/vehicular-housing-and-pieslaughter/feed/ 3 mistryv IMG_0160 IMG_0153 IMG_0156 IMG_0149 IMG_0151 IMG_0157 http://mistryv.wordpress.com/2010/02/21/u-hard-read-me/ http://mistryv.wordpress.com/2010/02/21/u-hard-read-me/#comments Sun, 21 Feb 2010 08:57:26 +0000 mistryv http://mistryv.wordpress.com/?p=45 ]]> Today was quite the interesting / productive day.  Of the things I need to write about:

The AMNH:  Talking about Gator Nuggets and Blue Whale vs. Shark Whale.  Also, Dakota Fanning.. Yea I can understand that phobia.

Ricky’s and buying the most inappropriate birthday gifts..

Trailer Park Bar… and Margarita’s till we toe up.

Patsy’s umm pretty much wasted.  Yea pizza and good ass canoli’s.

Fro hair in my Starbucks.. I’ma hit up the bathroom, you handle it.

Back to Trailer Park Lounge and Ranga lights up 7 beers straight.  U Hard/Read Me.  That’s my crew.