cherrypatter nyc

although mid-century modern is not really our thing — we tend to stick to more modern fun stuff with lots of bright colors with some kind glossy or velvety texture or even squishy (we have a big red rocking chair that looks like a huge toy) – i don’t think that the mad men design themes will be going away anytime soon and that’s a good thing for baxter & liebchen.

 the demand for this mostly scandinavian furniture appears to be huge.  each time we visited the shop, it had a few very serious shoppers and they were getting quite the attention.   the works at baxter & liebchen are in beautiful condition, and include lots of wood (desks, tables, sideboards) of course as well as upholstery in the form of chairs and couches, and even a smattering of lamps and mirrors.   i was particularly fond of the kids’ furniture that i don’t see that much of elsewhere and there were even some fun colors there too.

baxter & liebchen carries many of the name brands if you know this market including arne vodder, nanna ditzel, paul henningsen, fabricus & kastholm and axel albeck.  now, these goods are definitely not a bargain but i am assuming that if you really must have a midcentury something that price is not really an issue, and if so, baxter & liebchen is a great place to start.  baxter & liebchen, 10 jay street at plymouth street, brooklyn, new york, .

it’s been a long while since i worked in midtown, and i don’t think i have ever missed the food scene there — until last week that is.   in addition to crazy work hours, all i can remember of midtown life was lots of chain food, super cheap pizza and periodic high end lunches that were good but then meant i had to hang out in the office till midnight or later, so even my fancy restaurant memories are a bit tempered.  and getting something other than a sandwich or a soup was almost an impossibility.

based on my quick survey last week, inspired by more thorough research on midtown lunch, i am missing quite a bit in midtown these days starting with oms/b.  this is one of those places i can imagine visiting weekly if i were still within walking distance of grand central. i am real rice lover, and this japanese fast food joint has so many kinds of rice balls (both stuffed and topped, often wrapped in a sheet of seaweed) i can imagine never being bored.  oms/b’s vast selection includes sesame, takana pickles, bonito flakes, plum, cod roe, seaweed, chili shrimp, yukari-plum, hijiki wasabi-gari, lobster salad and ground beef, and that is just a fraction of the offerings.    on my visit last week, i ended up having the wasabi shrimp and the football (mixed vegetables in vinegar rice wrapped in sweet fried tofu).  they were both excellent snacks – satisfying and quick.

oms/b also has lots of appetizers including dumplings, tofu nuggest, noodle salads, sweeweed salads, edamame.  and if you have a hankering for some sticky rice desserts, oms/b also has a few typical ones like sesame dango pictured below, as well as an assortment of mochi.  and for filling up at lunch, oms/b offers a pretty decent deal of three rice balls plus an appetizer plus soup for $7.25.  while the shop is small, and only has a few tables, it would be perfect for grab and go.

given that these omusubi rice treats are fast, flavorful and relatively healthy, i may actually start creating excuses for stopping off at grand central on my way uptown.    oms/b: 156 east 45th street between 3rd and lexington avenues, manhattan, new york, .

with temperatures reaching 90 degrees and lots of humidity thrown in yesterday, the popsicles from people’s pops were the perfect antidote to the heat — if only for a few minutes.  the latest flavors this weekend included the roasted apricot and lavender (pictured above) which was super pulpy and refreshing.  they also had blackberry and cantelope which sounded great (and i liked the two-toned look).  lemon basil shaved ice as was also available.

people’s pops had one other more oddball flavor that i wasn’t as interested in but maybe if you’re one of those people who like sweet corn and tuna pizza (a big craze among the english) this might be  the thing.  this was the cornsickle with blackberry, peach, corn and cream.  it all sounds good but the corn. 

the idea behind people’s pops is to use  the freshest, local ingredients to put together some very excellent icy treats.  some other flavor combinations they have had this summer include watermelon and mint, sour cherry and yellow plum, sweet blueberry and cardomon and roasted peaches and organic cream.  this list is pretty amazing and i have been wanting to try them forever.  however, people’s pops currently only sells its treats at the brooklyn flea which means it is not quite as easy for me to hop over and grab the latest flavor.   and if you do make the trek, don’t come late.  people’s pops tends to sell out, especially on these hot days toward the middle of the afternoon which i sadly learned last weekend when k and i made our way over there. 

if i could get these treats more readily nearby and during the week, i am sure i would stock up but for now it’s eat them when you get them, and eat fast before they melt or someone else eats them for you.  people’s pops:  at the brooklyn flea: saturday’s in fort greene, 176 lafayette between clermont and vanderbilt avenues; and sunday’s in dumbo under the brooklyn bridge at 22 water street, brooklyn, new york. follow them on for up-to-date details.

 

one of the great new york summer traditions started in bryant park 17 years ago, and it was and is a great treat to see movies at that beautiful little garden set in the middle of midtown.  now that there are outdoor movies all over the city  — central park film festival (starting next week), river flicks on the hudson, brooklyn bridge park’s movies with a view and rooftop films in bushwick and gowanus. — there are plenty of ways to enjoy watching movies out side but bryant park is still a draw for me.  

this coming monday, sadly, is the last night of bryant park’s festival.   the feature is close encounters of the third kind.  such a great summer movie. and that tune.   for ideas as to where to get some food nearby and even a few things to do right see my mini guide below.   hbo bryant park summer film festival, close encounters of the third kind, monday, august 17th.  lawn opens at 5 p.m., flim begins at sunset (sometime between 8 and 9 p.m.),  6th avenue between 40th and 42nd streets, manhattan, new york.

bryant park is another one of those beautiful small oases in new york where you can go and disappear at least when there are no major events going on (like fashion week).    one of my favorite things in the park is their beautiful le carrousel which is rarely busy, is super affordable and goes round and round to the sounds of french cabaret music. 

if you want to be fed before the summer movies, there are plenty of options both to take in or just eat nearby before hand.  within the park is the somewhat weird collaboration with southwest airlines — southwest porch.  basically, this is sit down ‘wichcraft food (usually good) brought to us somehow via the airlines.  j’s experience here was mixed though.  if you want to have a super early fancy meals, there are some strong options like aureoleand db bistro moderne.   

and then there are lots of cheap eats some of which i’ve highlighted below. zach brooks, the man behind the great blog midtown lunch also nicely pointed me to a profile of some nearby options that he did in 2008  including cafe zaiya (good for japanese desserts), and a few other carts.  all but fashion soup and starwich are still going strong from that list.  and as for shopping nearby, there is not too much of interest nearby except for some of the big stores like lord & taylor (which i always like for their dress selection).  below, i found a couple of smaller places that might be worth checking out, and also mentioned a few other fun things to do to fill up your time nearby if bryant park is your primary destination.

food:

: a little further afield, but the grassfed burgers that come from this truck are supposed to be pretty excellent.   the truck roams along park avenue most of the time in the 40s.  follow it on for more exact locations.

kati roll: pictured above, these little burrito like items are a bit on the greasy side, but the fillings are tasty, it’s relatively cheap and it satisfies an indian hankering andthere is a little room for sitting inside.   49 west 39th street between 5th and 6th avenues, manhattan, new york, .

kwik meal:  this serious vendycontender is one i really really want to try.  supposedly, the cart has amazing ground lamb andrice served with a yogurt and papaya sauce.   45th street near 6th avenue, manhattan, new york, .

shop/to do:

new york public library:  with one of the most beautiful reading rooms around, this library makes me want to go and study again. the  library sponsors interesting talks (coming up this fall are oliver sacks and barbara kingsolver) and there are often  interesting exhibits in the main hall as well.   main entrance on 5th avenue between 40th and 42nd streets, manhattan, new york, .

domus: although i have never been, this home and gift store with a mission seems worth a visit to check out and see what cute children’s things they have on offer, unique handmade goods and some more unusual candles. 412 west 44th street at 9th avenue, manhattan, new york, .

hyman hendler & sons: this shop is full of ribbons.  maybe not the usual destination, but i think it might be fun to go check it out, and given how much crafting is out there these days even i have been tempted to try a few very very easy things. this might be the place to get me started.  21 west 38th street between 5th and 6th avenues, manhattan, new york, .

international center of photography: located just diagonally across the street from bryant park, this small museum presents classic and sometimes more emerging photographers in a beautiful intimate setting.  current shows include avedon fashion and john wood: quiet protest.  1133 avenue of the americas at 43rd street, manhattan, new york, .

 

i really don’t like take out.  and i just cannot eat noodles, butter and cheese every night — well i could, but some in the family would throw a fit.  and so to solve that problem of what to eat at home i cook. and usually, i like cooking especially when the food turns out decently and it is even more pleasant if i have hours and hours to cook.  granted, that is rarely my life.  fortunately, j does much of the shopping and cleaning so that is a help.  there are those days when i do really wish he could cook but somehow that is not hardwired into his brain.  and don’t get me wrong. this still doesn’t mean i cook all that often — in the best of times this is usually three maybe four times a week, but at least it’s something.

i am not the best cook. i would say i can follow a recipe fairly well, especially if it is very clear.  as a result,  i stick to people like smitten kitchen which i love for nearly everything, mark bittman for the basics, david waltuck’s staff meals for good family dinners and my favorite pancakes, sara jenkins for something a little new (love her lamb and yogurt dish) and then dorie greenspan for all things baking.  oh and how could i forget maybe my favorite, who never ever fails me, the barefoot contessa.  when i actually think i have a lot of time, i might tread lightly into slightly more difficult territory like suzanne goin for her delicious lucques recipes and judy rogers for the most tasty but often seem way too complicated courses.  as i am a follow the directions kind of girl, i do have a hard time figuring out what to do when i don’t have exactly the right pan, or baking dish or whatever.  improvisation is a challenge and so i am always in need of new kitchen equipment. 

my go-to place for any item needed in the kitchen is broadway panhandler. i can always feel assured that i am getting the best price, and that they will have nearly whatever i want.  and even more importantly, the staff will know what i am asking about.  last weekend, for example, i was going to try to make little tarts for the very first time, and the recipe called for flan rings.  so i went to our local cookshop, and got directed to regular tart tins and not the so called “flan rings” whatever they are. the tarts ended up a success even though i didn’t follow the recipe exactly, but i had a quick moment at home after i had spent nearly $40 on these things that all would not be well.  a lazy recommendation would not happen at broadway panhandler.

broadway panhandler basically has everything you would need ever.   they have the full range of pots and pans with lots of le creuset and all-clad, plenty of knives, zillions of random tools, fancy equipment and the basics, baking containers, cleaning and even some vintage cookware which is pretty cute.  as an added bonus, broadway panhandler often has really good sales. earlier this summer, they had a four day markdown fest cutting prices by more than half on le crueset and all-clad pans.  this is not a trendy store but just a good workhorse, and well worth the trek even if you have to take a taxi home to haul all the loot.  broadway panhandler, 65 east 8th street between broadway and university place, manhattan, new york, .

cozbi’s a shop that i just cannot get out of my head.   every time i am roaming down court street, which is often now that in gowanus and i really just must get some sandwiches from frankies 457 even if it takes me 20 minutes each way, i have to pop in to see the most gorgeous creations that come out of this boutique.  made of out of beautiful linens and cottons, the children’s dresses have this incredible detailing and finesse that makes me want to buy them all.  cozbi also creates lots of special designs for christenings and other special baby occassions.  fortunately, for our family budget, k really does not like dresses and so i’ll have to hope that cozbi  will come up with a new line of kid’s tennis gear (k has been wearing the same shorts all week since that is the only “tennis” appropriate pair, according to her, that fits right now — not a pretty thing when it’s been 90 degrees the last few days).  she does do lots of special orders so maybe she’ll consider this radical request.

in addition to the really sweet children’s line, i think that cozbi’s women’s clothing is spectacular.  all handmade and individually designed, she had some fantastic summer dresses like this classic white eyelet sheath dress,  a beautiful silk chiffon blouse and a great going out black racy lace top that is not too over the top so that even i, miss prim, could wear it out and about.  right now, much of what she still has in stock from her summer collection is on sale at 35% off.

cozbi also has a surprising number of work-ready items with her great skirts and tops and practical but well designed dresses.   this fall, she’ll have another great season of coats and jackets made out of fabulous wools. the color scheme will be slates paired with deep rich reds — that might be enough to get me in the mood for some cooler weather.  the pricing at cozbi is quite reasonable too.  her coats will be in the $325 range, and her jackets go from $165 to $225.  she also carries some great  jewelry designers including kristin eno, akiko and baubles & thorn.

and i am just in awe of  cozbi cabrera herself.  with an art background from parsons, cozbi started her creative activities as children’s book illustrator, moved on to create handmade collectible cloth dolls also called muñecas which honor her honduran heritage.  these dolls have their own crazy following.  and then only after all that, did cozbi start this clothing shop a few years ago.   if only i could have just a fraction of her talents.  instead, i’ll just have to be a made-to-measure patron which isn’t too bad.  cozbi, 530 court street between huntington and west 9th streets, brooklyn, new york .

given the extreme pickiness of one member of the family and our constant goal of trying, at least occasionally, to have satisfying meals that we are all happy with, pizza has become our easy food.  no matter where we go, usually it is decent (it is hard to make really really inedible pizza). usually we all eat what is needed to constitute a proper meal. and usually, though not always, we leave happy.   we had a bit higher bar to meet when my mom was in town to celebrate her 70th birthday (she and k. share the same birthday) and as my mum definitely prefers high quality dining i wasn’t quite sure where we could all go and not have a food meltdown.

jim lahey’s pizza restaurant co. in chelsea turned out to be a good solution.  first, if you get there at an absurdly early time there is no wait.  that is not true if you arrive after 7 p.m. when the place starts to get insanely packed. second, co. has an excellent selection of salads and starters that make the place feel a little more high end and interesting then the usual pizza spot. 

on this visit we had the radicchio (pictured up top) with luscious lumps of ripe and creamy taleggio cheese.  we also had the olive oil poached artichoke hearts wtih shaved parmesan, capers, arugula and lemon (pictured above).  the cheese was a salty counterpoint to the more bland but rich artichoke hearts and the dressing provided a tartness that pulled the salad together.   i also was in heaven with co.’s bread and butter which really wasn’t a surprise since jim lahey’s really known for his amazing sullivan street bakery and i keep wanting to try his famous no knead bread recipe.

and on to the pizza.   much has been written about co.’s artisanal pizza, and there are lots of admirers and inevitably some detractors so i’m not covering new ground here.  in my few visits to co., i think the pizza ranks in my top five right now, and the good looking, attractive space with a long communal table  puts it in the franny’s category for enjoyable pizza places to eat overall.  

at our waiter’s suggestion, i ended up getting a very uncharacteristically green one (at least for me) covered with stracciatella, crushed tomato, black pepper and a huge pile of arugula.  this stringy cheese which i had never had was smooth and supple, and made for a great combination with the bitter greens  on the crisp just charred crust.   other pizzas that night included two more with lots of green — the popeye with tons of spinach, gruyére and buffalo mozzarella as well as the standard margarita.  given its key location just north of 24th street where there aren’t too many choices quick and tasty food choices, co. is a good addition.  and while we weren’t able to prevent additional food related meltdowns that weekend, at least for one night at co. there was lots of contentment.  co. 230 9th avenue at 24th street, manhattan, new york, .

i admit it.  although i really love all asian and latin american goodies , i have never been a big middle eastern fan which i think is a little strange.  hummus is fine, and i can deal with a kebab here or there but i don’t usually pick felafel as my first choice.   after my visit to tanoreen last week, that all might change. my cousin, who is definitely an expert as her husband is israeli, suggested that we try tanoreen as she had heard a lot about this place tucked far away in bay ridge. 

the restaurant itself is nothing special. a pretty boring smallish box (there are rumors that they will be moving to a bigger location) with some nondescript tables and a lighted counter at the back in front of an open kitchen.     the night we were there tanoreen had a small wait for a table for two, and the service was friendly and quick.  tanoreen’s food, which focuses on traditional and some more innovative takes on middle eastern, on the other hand, was pretty great. 

we started with hummus which my cousin declared among the best she had ever had so i think that’s pretty impressive.  i was enthralled with the labaneh, which i had never had before (pictured above). this yogurt spread topped with mint and olive oil was spectacularly creamy, tangy and super smooth. i could have kept eating that all night but fortunately i didn’t as my main course was just as good.  the bread basket also included some crispy flatbread (maybe pita)  toasted with za’atar that was also great.   the regular pita also in our basket was fine — not the fluffiest or freshest though it did the trick of basically serving as the vehicle for that amazing labaneh. 

i had the not so attractive but oh so delicious baby squash stuffed with rice and lamb and cooked in tomato sauce special.  pictured above, the dish does not look like much but the squash was firm, and the tomato sauce was vibrant, filled with herbs, and the mix of meat was a perfect counterpoint to the sauce.  my cousin had the vegetarian combo which included a lentil pilaf, cracked wheat in tomato sauce and vegetarian grape leaves.  and there are many more dishes i want to try at tanoreen including anything with eggplant (the baked mediterranean eggplant and the eggplant salad with tomatoes, lemon juice and olive oil) or lamb (lamb shank, the cabbage leaves with lamb and the deep fried kibbie balls with several layers of ground lamb) as well as the cauliflower salad.

and i guess tanoreen is really going to become a family thing too.  my father and stepmother, who come to visit quite often luckily for us, stay out in bay ridge.  and while they have their favorite haunts, i think that it won’t be too hard to get them to add tanoreen to the list.    tanoreen, 7523 3rd avenue at 76th street, brooklyn, new york, .   (in december 2009, they moved to a bigger, fancier location — which is this address.  i haven’t tried it yet but reports are it is much nicer space.)

located way out in the vast industrial wasteland that is still bushwick, a group has put together the putting lot, a really fun miniature golf course created by local artists using existing materials.  this urban sustainability concept has resulted in a 9-hole course with themes like the reservoir (filled with old plastic bottles) and the bushwick art mart influenced by the corner bodega.   i took k with me to test out the putting lot on a very hot day and we had a good time.  the space had a good amount of shade, was not too busy, and were were able to easily maneuver our way through the course.   best of all, i definitely did not feel like i was at the jersey shore and there were no mosquitoes.

different artists designed each putting hole, and they are all profiled in more detail here.  some of the artists include the meat pallet, a collective of young bushwick based artists, interface studio llc, and  common room.  the philosophy behind the putting lot is to “examine the relevance of empty space in the city”  and i think they did a nice job of that, but mostly i just thought it was an entertaining way to spend the afternoon.

at the end of the not so grueling course, we were rewarded with a seed bomb which we could throw wherever we wanted and it was packed with dirt and growing things and hopefully it would take off to create some more greenery in a place that definitely needs it.  bushwick seems to becoming more and more interesting, especially with respect to the arts, but you need to know where to go. it is just too big to wander aimlessly.  my mini guide below has some ideas for the arts and food.  the putting lot, 12 wyckoff avenue, brooklyn, new york, . open daily from 12 to 8 p.m., and definitely open through labor day and maybe till october.