April 2009
44 posts
Leon's Full Service →
New beer bar/gastropub from the owners of Brick Store. Plus bocce ball courts! You can expect to find me here a lot this summer.
1 tag
swine flu
I really don’t care about swine flu at all except for:
the sensationalist media coverage being hilarious
the fact that my immune system sucks and I am fairly likely to get it.
1 tag
unsuccessful plot summaries
BATMAN: Wealthy man assaults the mentally ill.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: Peasant girl develops Stockholm Syndrome.
This website has a list of “unsuccessful plot summaries” including the two above. I think I saw this on Videogum a while ago. I also enjoyed:
HARRY POTTER: Celebrity Jock thinks rules don’t apply to him, is right.
my new Google Profile →
control your google search results
Google just rolled out Google Profiles. It will be a listing that pops up when people search your name on Google.
I think this is a fascinating idea, and a good way to let people control what google searches show when they are googled. I google myself every once in a while, mainly to be vigilant about what would show up if a potential employer googled me. I’ll post a link to my Google...
illegal downloading=library 2.0
(see the quoted and linked post below)
I think the idea of “illegal” downloading sites being like libraries is pretty apt. Most people download movies or tv shows because they missed them on tv or in theaters. The copies available online aren’t fabulous. For the most part the files are .avi, which, without some fancy computer magic, can’t be watched on a tv/dvd player....
“Tell me what is the difference between these two scenarios:
1. Going to a...”
– From this fabulous blog post comparing torrent sites to libraries.
The Ting Tings—Great Dj
I downloaded this...
cold-brewing coffee →
I am trying this. Will post as to results.
Discount Designers →
I often buy the discount designer clothes from Target, so I think this is the perfect justification (not that I needed it). The “experts” can’t tell the Target stuff from the Barney’s stuff. Now all I need is to get some babysitting gigs lined up so I can hit up H&M this summer.
2 tags
world's 50 best restaurants
From this website, originally published in Restaurant magazine.
1 El Bulli, Spain (=) 2 The Fat Duck, U.K. (=) 3 Noma, Denmark (+7) 4 Mugaritz, Spain (=) 5 El Celler de Can Roca, Spain (+21) 6 Per Se, U.S. (=) 7 Bras, France (=) 8 Arzak, Spain (=) 9 Pierre Gagnaire, France (-6) 10 Alinea, U.S. (+11) 11 L’Astrance, France (=) 12 The French Laundry U.S. (-7) 13 Osteria Francescana, Italy (New Entry)...
1 tag
don't watch
I gave Sit Down, Shut Up a chance tonight. It’s a new adult animated show from Mitchell Hurwitz (Arrested Development) and has a lot of voices done by actors from AD. Um…it was horrible. Please avoid, avoid.
“On the other, we have Choruss, Warner Music Group adviser and digital music guru...”
– From the recent Wired article on the Pirate Bay decision and file sharing. I would definitely pay a once-a-month fee (as long as it were a reasonable amount) to be able to legally download and upload as much music/video content as I wanted.
Get drunk on air →
Awesome London bar pumps Gin n’ Tonic into the air. $7 for an hour. Come on Chicago, jump on this trend! (I know it’s not happening in Atlanta).
Potlikker
I almost laughed out loud when I read this article this morning. Potlikker is the juice from the collard greens, strained out, and served in a coffee mug. When I worked at the OK Cafe, this was the most confusing menu item for my customers. At least once a day, I’d get asked what it was and have to explain that it wasn’t a Chinese dumpling. I never tried potlikker, because I thought it...
iPhone meets dashboard
As cool as I think this looks (a touchscreen dashboard in a car), I can’t help but think it doesn’t seem terribly safe. People often change their music and adjust the AC/Heat in their car while driving. To do this, we rely on touch, and knowing what the different buttons feel like. While this touchscreen is future-cool and aesthetically pleasing, a driver would probably have to look...
1 tag
iPod raffle
I’ve participated in enough surveys sent out by various schools that I’ve attended, that it is statistically impossible that I haven’t won the incentive iPod by now. Not that I need an iPod…
from the GQ article, on making a reservation at...
No restaurant could possibly do less to preselect customers or filter out undesirable ones. That’s because no restaurant has a reservation system like Schwa’s. It’s a one-man operation, and to the regret of all Chicago, that man is Carlson. He complains that he is always getting terrible ratings on Web sites such as Metromix, not because the people who eat at Schwa dislike the food but because...
schwa- the reservation
Today, I booked a reservation, about a month in advance, to go dine at Schwa when I’m in Chicago in May. It’s been on my list for a while, but it got bumped to the top after I read this article. While it will still be a bit of a splurge, a- I’ll be celebrating being 1/3 done with law school, and b- it’s BYO so we’ll definitely save on alcohol costs.
I’m going...
1 tag
fascinator
So, now that I’m going to the Derby, I need a hat. I’ll be rocking my Lily Pulitzer in true Southern Girl fashion.
(rocking the lily at sorority rush)
But, obviously, I need a hat to accompany my dress. After doing a little googling, I came across the idea of a fascinator. I’ve heard of them before, and they’re very similar to SJP’s wedding hairpiece in the SATC...
Linton Hopkins: One of Food & Wine's Best New... →
Chef Linton Hopkins is by no means “new,” but maybe he’s new to the world outside Atlanta. He’s been on Iron Chef, and been nominated for James Beard Awards. His places in Atlanta, Restaurant Eugene and Holeman & Finch are two of my favorite restaurants in the city.
I would argue that Restaurant Eugene is the best fine dining restaurant in the city of Atlanta.
4 tags
life update
I realize that I don’t often actually talk about what’s going on in my life on this blog. In my effort to try not to overshare, I think sometimes I end up just not sharing. So, here’s a mini-update.
I’m about two weeks away from my second set of law school exams, so I’ve started to hunker down and study. I’m a little nervous because we don’t have a big...
Top Chef "Masters" to feature legit chefs →
The new season of Top Chef starting June 10 will feature established chefs competing to earn money for their favorite charities. Included are chefs: Rick Bayless (Chicago-Topolobampo, Frontera Grill), Graham Elliot Bowles (Chicago-graham elliot), Art Smith (TABLE fifty-two), Wylie Dufresne (New York-wd~50) and Cindy Pawlcyn (Napa-Mustards Grill).
Chef Bios available on the Bravo site here.
“Derk Solko, a garrulous former Wall Streeter who cofounded the Web site...”
– This is exactly why no one ever plays Monopoly with me twice. ;)
(from the Wired article below)
Monopoly Killer: Perfect German Board Game... →
givemesomethingtoread:
On the huge recent success of Settlers of Catan.
I want to buy this and play it. Soon!
eclipse di luna
Last night I got the chance to eat at Eclipse di Luna with a couple of friends. I was blown away. It’s a tapas restaurant (two locations in Atlanta, we were in Buckhead) and it has a jammin’ vibe. The restaurant was packed, noisy and hot. I wish we could have sat outside, but with 12 people, we had to make do. Plus, that way we got to enjoy the live music.
Unfortunately I...
Vegetarianism is an Eating Disorder?? →
corzblog:
“People who don’t eat meat are not just pale, boring, vain and flaky. They are also suffering from an eating disorder”— Giles Coren
While I don’t think that Coren is correct assuming that ALL vegetarians are disordered, I think he has a point. I can think of almost 80% of the vegetarians I know who do use it to cut out an entire group of food from their diet and starve themselves....
1 tag
possibility of derby
I just got off the phone with Eric, and we realized that it’s possible for us to go to the Kentucky Derby this year. I know Corrie is going. Anyone else?
1 tag
could i make this at home?
Most restaurants get their ingredients from high-end purveyors. It’s like interior design, the best pieces are only available to professionals in the industry. So, here’s an interesting concept: Grocery Bistro in Chicago gets all of their ingredients from local markets. AKA, you could re-create the dishes in your own kitchen.
Related: there are blogs where people attempt to re-create...
4 tags
iPhone tricks
These might be obvious, but over the last few months I’ve accidently “discovered” these tricks.
To do a screen capture on your iPhone, press the home button and the power button at the same time.
If you double click the home button while the phone is on/screen unlocked, it takes you to your phone favorites.
If you double click the home button while your screen is locked, it...
“sigh. so many places to try, so little time, money, and room in my stomach :(”
– Not my Eric, on moto, otom, and other Chicago foodie restaurants. (via corzblog)
My Eric!
"ultimate" food quiz →
I got 19/40 on this incredibly difficult foodie quiz. It’s hard mainly because it’s from a British paper, so a lot of the questions are based on British food culture.