Jerry Rosembert – Le Projet Nouvelle Haiti
"… I really wish I could have captured more of Jerry’s graffiti. Pretty much all the graffiti here is political, and mostly all but his is text, election related. Aba means ‘down with,’ often with Preval after. The rest is vote for so-and-so or the number corresponding to the candidates number on the slate or ballot. With an 80-90% illiteracy rate, most vote by number…
Haiti needs a hand up, not a handout."
** With very special thanks to F&B superstar, Lelaine Lau.
PX This presents THE F&F REVIEW
Hey, sorry we couldn’t make it to "Friends&Family," we were out of town/ had to work/ not invited. We’re really glad we finally managed to come by, though— it’s so nice to see you!
What’s that? You would still like us to take the time to fill out the F&F survey, because you’d love to take advantage of all our vast experience, knowledge, insight, and expertise as long as we’re already here? Because you invited 75 people to F&F, and afterward all you got was 41 "Congrats[es]!" 22 "Awesome[s]!" 3 "Ciao[s]!" and 9 "Best of lucks[s]!" ?
Of course, we’d be honored. Oh ha, yesss, we’ll be honest— brutally honest even, ha ha! After all, that’s what friends & family are for!
No no please, don’t send anything more, we’re stuffed, we can’t breathe, you’ll have to roll us out of here, ha ha ha… !
What was your first impression?
wow holy cow. if it weren’t for the bar being in the same place (and holy shit, look— it’s maurice-bitton!) i would never have recognized the former Smith.
Please rate the Bar:
ha ha ha ha ha aha haa. nah. let’s just say: i’d do it differently.
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
oh shit— i was so busy reminiscing, i totally forgot to look at a wine list. the cocktails list looks okay though. kinda funky. fine for this location, i’m sure. oh but $14 for this tiny little Belvedere? that’s seems pretty steep, especially for this location.
as for the bartender, i mean— don’t get me wrong, she seems sweet enough. but i would bet she’s never worked behind a bar in her life before this.
Please rate the Dining Room:
cute. cuter than Smith anyways. [ha ha aha haa "is this place finished yet?" — eric-goode, 2002]
personally i think it’s a wee bit dark, but it’s likely better for them— evidently, this is a "late night" joint.
Please rate the BOH:
i didn’t eat much, but what i did try was impressive. really! the menu is solid, creative, and likeable. better than i expected. it’s too bad i already had dinner this evening; i’d gladly have ordered more.
How was the staff?
pretty good. very casual, but friendly. they "fit" the place, i guess.
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
chicken wings (bar menu) : very good— and i’m a wing fanatic. unique, delicious, and perfectly cooked. loved the honey-something dipping sauce. see? that’s what i mean— impressive.
sliders (bar menu) : also very good. fresh, tasty. simple but great presentation. the BOH really knows what they’re doing, and it shows.
What did you like?
the food was great.
What did you dislike?
the bar could be… umm "tighter."
What was your last impression?
sigh. fuckin brian-mcnally. what a shame. what a waste.
Would you come back?
it’s a bit out of the way for me, so it’s hard to promise. but i’d really like to.
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
thank you— and i hope so, too.
PX This presents THE F&F REVIEW
Hey, sorry we couldn’t make it to "Friends&Family," we were out of town/ had to work/ not invited. We’re really glad we finally managed to come by, though— it’s so nice to see you!
What’s that? You would still like us to take the time to fill out the F&F survey, because you’d love to take advantage of all our vast experience, knowledge, insight, and expertise as long as we’re already here? Because you invited 75 people to F&F, and afterward all you got was 41 "Congrats[es]!" 22 "Awesome[s]!" 3 "Ciao[s]!" and 9 "Best of lucks[s]!" ?
Of course, we’d be honored. Oh ha, yesss, we’ll be honest— brutally honest even, ha ha! After all, that’s what friends & family are for!
No no please, don’t send anything more, we’re stuffed, we can’t breathe, you’ll have to roll us out of here, ha ha ha… !
What was your first impression?
Oh, boy. The uh… "bar" tables are a nice idea?
Please rate the Bar:
N/A. But the bar… uh "thing" is definitely… different.
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
All Spanish wines (cocktails are N/A)— at an affordable price point. But, the wine list could use some work; e.g. knowing what varietal I’m ordering would be nice. Oh well, at least the waiter knows.
Please rate the Dining Room:
Not bad. Spacious. Comfortable enough, I suppose.
Please rate the BOH:
As succinctly as possible: I’m not impressed.
There’s a lot more I could say, but quite frankly, why should I? For a "chain" that has 200+ outposts worldwide, you’d think they know what they’re doing, right? Why should I waste my energy?
How was the staff?
Good. Amiable, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable.
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
Croquetas : Not bad. A little trite, but tasty enough.
Roasted pepper salad : Funny. Call me crazy, but I was expecting piquillo peppers, and these are red bell peppers. Personally, I don’t get it.
Fried calamari : I think they’re not so good, but my friend doesn’t hate them. A little rubbery. And the execution is pretty way off.
Pa amb tomaquet : Umm. No.
Sardine/pepper tapa : Really? Do people love pre-prep this much in the rest of the world? ‘Cos… y’know, maybe it’s me.
Jamon/cheese tapa : Really? Do people love pre-prep this much in the rest of the world? ‘Cos… y’know, maybe it’s me.
"Burger" tapa : Sigh. Check, please.
What did you like?
The glassware. Nice Riedel burgundy imitation. Beautiful, but sturdy.
What did you dislike?
For the most part, the food.
What was your last impression?
Well, somehow, Cendrillon managed to make it here for years and years and years, so— I guess there’s hope!
Would you come back?
Not quite my cup of tea; I’m afraid not. Sorry.
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
Thank you and best of luck.
• Thursday, March 18, 2010. 2:30 PM – Everybody having lunch at Bar Pitti, enjoying the gorgeous day.
• Thursday, March 18, 2010. 11:30PM – Everybody at "The Boom Boom," enjoying the gorgeous night.
What are you doing here?! GO OUTSIDE.
:)
Bogle Chardonnay 2006 – California
Cost: $10/bottle
Nice light gold in color, with a sweet, oaky nose intermixed with honey, pear, and peach. Consistent flavors pack this full-bodied and chewy chardonnay that should match quite nicely with Read more »
Coming to Madison Square Garden – June 25, 2010
Aack! Reserve your PX Package today!
:)
**See also (earlier): "…HOW DID I FORGET U KNOW MAXWELL…?!!!"
We’ve always been leery of the boring, idiotic world of Josh Ozersky (and the numerous incarnations of his online bullshit), but a video segment from The Soup was difficult to resist. As you might expect, Ozersky— a "clueless, overbloated, publicist-indentured, sycophant[ic]" blogger— was in fact pilloried by No Reservations (and subsequently, The Soup), a cringe-inducing event publicized by Ozersky’s food blogger peers and former colleagues. (All of Ozersky’s blog entries read like interminable clueless, overbloated, publicist-indentured, sycophantic pontifications tapped out by the jittery, chubby fingers of a man who can’t wait to get his hands on his next donut-bacon-cheeseburger). We include it here entirely for purposes of education: Remember, if you’re a trite, pathetic, snooze-inducing dweebshit, don’t go on national television.
** See also:
• NEWSFLASH: Josh Ozersky is Unethical (and/or "Dumb")
• “…had Josh Ozersky not made such a glaring jackass of his ignorant self prior….”
*********************************************
For more on this subject, read PX This Too – The Sequel to PX This – Coming Soon in the Autumn of 2010
PX This presents THE F&F REVIEW
Hey, sorry we couldn’t make it to "Friends&Family," we were out of town/ had to work/ not invited. We’re really glad we finally managed to come by, though— it’s so nice to see you!
What’s that? You would still like us to take the time to fill out the F&F survey, because you’d love to take advantage of all our vast experience, knowledge, insight, and expertise as long as we’re already here? Because you invited 75 people to F&F, and afterward all you got was 41 "Congrats[es]!" 22 "Awesome[s]!" 3 "Ciao[s]!" and 9 "Best of lucks[s]!" ?
Of course, we’d be honored. Oh ha, yesss, we’ll be honest— brutally honest even, ha ha! After all, that’s what friends & family are for!
No no please, don’t send anything more, we’re stuffed, we can’t breathe, you’ll have to roll us out of here, ha ha ha… !
What was your first impression?
oh wow look at this place… ha haa ehee heee fuckin koreans.
Please rate the Bar:
n/a. no bar. but they do serve beer/wine in the dining room though.
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
the wines by the glass are bleah kinda a joke (albeit inexpensive), maybe skip em. decent beer selection though, at good prices too— a giant pitcher of draught (stella artois, e.g.) is twenty bucks. if you’re feeling adventurous, they have shochu. and they even have prosecco and sparkling rosé.
Please rate the Dining Room:
funky! the seats at the communal counters are hydraulic so that’s pretty neat. there are flat screens showing music videos. and framed shape-shifting photographs on the walls. i mean— yah maaan: fuckin koreans.
Please rate the BOH:
not bad, especially for their first week. a little slow on the timing, but they made up for it by offering a round of drinks even before we started to get impatient. i’m sure they’ll settle in eventually.
How was the staff?
good. friendly, accommodating. perhaps just a tad discomboobled, but again, it is their first week, and from what i gather, the volume they’re doing must be overwhelming. no major missteps, but they do need to work some kinks out of their delivery/runner system. overall, i’d say they’re fine.
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
drumsticks with hot&sweet sauce : my favorite. reeeally spicy though. if you like kimchee, this is the one for you.
drumsticks with soy&garlic sauce : milder, but garlicky. the crispiness of the coating and all that jazz does live up to their reputation. koreans loooves them some fried chicken all right, so they are not messin around here.
wings with both aforementioned sauces, plus the honey glaze sauce : normally i’m a wing fanatic, but this time i’d have to say the drumsticks are better. the wings are very small— on the one hand that’s sorta disappointing, but on the other hand, if they’re this small because they’re organic and not pumped all up with steroids and hormones and whatnot, then how can one complain? so yah, just a warning: they’re small (so maybe the breading/sauce does somewhat overpower the chicken).
grilled chicken sandwich : good. fresh ingredients, tasty. interesting bread even (why’s it green, i have no idea— but i’m sure there’s a valid reason).
sal sal chicken strips : eh. not so great. the drumsticks and wings are better. and all the dipping sauces kinda taste the same (they’re all rather cloyingly sweet).
croquettes : they’re supposed to be "chicken and bell peppers wrapped in mashed potatoes" but all you really taste are mashed potatoes. so if you like mashed potatoes, i guess they’re okay. otherwise, not so much.
coleslaw : pretty good. the sprinkle of bell peppers is a cute touch.
What did you like?
umm… i guess i’d say the drumsticks in the very spicy sauce.
What did you dislike?
the chicken strips could have been much better. too much coating for a such a narrow strip, and the chicken was too dry.
What was your last impression?
for most people, a platter of drumsticks and a pitcher of beer is probably the way to go. (relatively) fast, easy, inexpensive, and good. congratulations: now you’re a Kyochon expert.
Would you come back?
somehow i have a feeling my korean best buddy and my chinese chicken wing loving homegirl are gonna make me come back here, even if i didn’t want to.
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
thanks, it was dope.
PX This presents THE F&F REVIEW
Hey, sorry we couldn’t make it to "Friends&Family," we were out of town/ had to work/ not invited. We’re really glad we finally managed to come by, though— it’s so nice to see you!
What’s that? You would still like us to take the time to fill out the F&F survey, because you’d love to take advantage of all our vast experience, knowledge, insight, and expertise as long as we’re already here? Because you invited 75 people to F&F, and afterward all you got was 41 "Congrats[es]!" 22 "Awesome[s]!" 3 "Ciao[s]!" and 9 "Best of lucks[s]!" ?
Of course, we’d be honored. Oh ha, yesss, we’ll be honest— brutally honest even, ha ha! After all, that’s what friends & family are for!
No no please, don’t send anything more, we’re stuffed, we can’t breathe, you’ll have to roll us out of here, ha ha ha… !
What was your first impression?
This is different… cute.
Please rate the Bar:
Nice, clean, welcoming, comfortable. And pretty. Yup, there definitely aren’t very many bars in NYC that are this pretty… feminine, almost. It’s sweet.
The bartender is a real peach. A decidedly Russian peach— but amiable, friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. In Soviet Russia, peach taste you. (Sorry, just couldn’t resist.)
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
Good. Ample offerings here, especially in the "fresh juice" and, of course, vodka. Apparently, their specialty is infused vodkas— numerous (and some unusual) flavors like pomegranate, beet, cherry and seaberry. Tasty! Well-priced at $9 each ("fresh juice" is $12).
Good wine list, eclectic— but definitely skewed more toward the higher end. Fine beer selections and some house recipe cocktails as well.
Please rate the Dining Room:
Odd, but endearing. Like a doll’s house. Somewhat bright, due to the glare through the kitchen doors, but again, pretty. Probably not the most efficient use of space, but in Soviet Russia, space use… Oh, never mind.
Please rate the BOH:
The menu looks good, but not enough to entice me into a full dinner… yet. But, there’s a distinct possibility I’ll be back. The homestyle selections are appealing, plenty of Russian classics here, plus some good ole basics to satisfy even the most anti-Soviet appetite. Intriguing enough to add to my list…
How was the staff?
Fine. Authentic, but friendly.
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
Osetra, baby— with blinis. Hey, when in Moscow…
And yeah, it was good.
What did you like?
That seaberry vodka’s not bad. And the bathrooms are adorable.
What did you dislike?
Nothing really.
What was your last impression?
There sure are a lot of Russians in here.
Would you come back?
Yes, I think so.
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
Thank you, it was a pleasure.
So, I know it’s been a while since I recommended any movies with F&B related themes. Well, I just found one! OK, so it’s not exactly F&B "related," but the scenery contains some of the most beautiful restaurants I have ever seen. Some of the exterior scenes are stunning as well. On top of that, the story is warm, engaging, endearing and beautiful. And it’s funny, too!
What more could you possibly ask for?
Watch If You Are the One. This month, it’s this film that’s undoubtedly The One for me.
:)
= "personne extraordinaire"