We are in NYC for the weekend. Adam and I were out tonight, and since I have no pictures to document the evening, here are a few of my thoughts (possibly deep, but most likely not):
1. New York rocks. I love it that at 11pm we were out looking for something to do and possibly a snack and there were at least a dozen places in the few blocks that we walked that would have been great. And all of them were open. So we settled for sharing a gyro and a red velvet cupcake.
2. Pretty much all cupcakes are overrated. Certainly overpriced. Of course this isn't just exclusive to NYC. I have yet to fully figure out why people get so crazy excited people get over a cupcake. Maybe I'm the last person to say this, but I should have been the first considering that I've been thinking it for the last ten years since my first way-over-anticipated trip to try out the much-hyped Buttercup Bake Shop. And back then we had to schlep all the way over to the East Side to go to Buttercup. The best I can come up with is that the people who love them are people who grew up without ever having cake that wasn't from a mix and that there was no other frosting than the kind found in a little plastic tub. I guess I can understand how this happens considering that until I was an adult I didn't know that garlic came in cloves and not in powder form. But as for the frosting, at least I can thank my mom for a proper education in buttercream.
3. Paper or plastic? I'm now questioning the proper kind of tree to get for Christmas. While I love a good, fresh tree (and so far it's the only kind we've had), while out tonight we walked by several sidewalk tree "lots" and a couple of large flatbed semi-trucks filled to capacity with more cut trees to stock the sellers. Suddenly the trees looked less like holiday decoration and more like the result of a brutal massacre. So many trees! And then we just throw them away! And then my mind cycloned (just me?) into thinking about every tree in every lot in every city.... But, is the alternative plastic? Certainly that can't be right. So now I'm all confused. Maybe next year I just let each child make a giant cookie in the shape of a tree that at the end of December they can just eat. That's what I call both festive and pragmatic.
4. In NYC, money is relative. While on one hand I'll hardly think twice about spending $3.75 on a mediocre cupcake, on the other I insisted that Adam and I walk the 30 blocks from 65th up Broadway in 30 degree weather to save the $5 that we would have spent on a train ride home. Hey, but, if we hadn't walked then we wouldn't have seen that there is now a Two Boots location on the Upper West Side. And the $3.79 for the slice of shrimp pizza was well worth it.
5. I'll happily choose a late-night date with Adam that doesn't involve any leaves.
P.S. Regarding cupcakes: I did think that Georgetown Cupcake in DC had cupcakes worth the 20 minute line and even a repeat visit. But maybe that's because growing up I didn't even know about the existence of ganache.
4 comments:
Thanks for giving me something entertaining to read during the last few days. I'm loving the updates! And can I just say, "cupcakes, schmupcakes!" It's Beard Papa's all the way, Baby. Always Beard Papa's.
Hmmm, I'm not even sure Georgetown cupcakes is worth it.
And as for the trees, when I drove through Oregon and saw the billions of Christmas tree farms it doesn't make me very sad to see the trees in lots. If they were cut from the forest I would feel bad, but they are raised to be harvested...
We cut our tree this year from a farm and it was fun. But Rob and I are seriously considering a big potted tree to use every year. Plastic tree's are not an option Jennette. Don't cave.
And as for a late night date in NYC....fun!
Love all your posts. Too tired to say anything but that. But I love them just the same.
Amen, cupcakes are overrated.
Also, my mind does that cyclone thing a lot when I think of all the chicken fingers in every chain restaurant across the whole country. Every day. And so on.
Good blogs.
Post a Comment