public school lunch

my older sister and her husband, who live in baltimore, came into town for the weekend. we met up with some friends for lunch at one of my neighborhood favorites: curly's vegetarian lunch. curly's caters to my predominantly meatless diet, and, when i was a vegan, became a safe-haven of sorts (their vegan cakes are delicious!). my sister ginny ordered the public school lunch (old school), while i opted for the moose lodge pancakes... i'm always a sucker for breakfast food. other table favorites included white bean chili and bbq soy tempeh.

although the space is on the small side (room enough for about 10 tables), it's totally worth the wait. curly's usually has pretty quick service, but, if you're the impatient type, they have a cup of crayons at every table to encourage placemat art. in fact, one entire wall is covered in artwork from patrons past. two thumbs way up in my book!

country comes to town

what's the draw to mt. arlington, new jersey, you ask? why, it's home to the closest cracker barrel, of course! we decided to take a little road trip to the old country store for my roommate cathryn's birthday. we hopped in a friend's van and departed nyc for an afternoon of biscuits, checkers and country-style steak. talk about a perfect day!

we'd been thinking about going to cracker barrel for a long time (most of us haven't set foot in one in well over a year), so cathryn's birthday seemed like the perfect occasion. down-home cookin' and dolly parton blaring over the speakers? yes, please.

here we are, perched on the porch--gosh, i miss porches!

while we're at it, these are some of my fellow southern transplants/roommates (from left: cathryn, lenora jane, me, hansell and katherine). they're adorable, right? right.

mixtapes galore

i used to be a big fan of making mixtapes (which later became mixed cds and now take shape as mp3 playlists) back in the day. i've stumbled across a lot of really great music lately, and i just can't keep it to myself any longer! hence, the revival of the mixtape.

i started sharing quasi-regular mixtapes with some of my friends and family--my brother andrew and i try to keep each other up to speed on new music--over the past few weeks. i'll be posting my mixtapes/playlists as they come, should anyone be looking for some fresh tunes. hope you enjoy!

mixtape #1

i listen to it when i'm: walking to work in the morning
location: east village/west village

1. Blitzen Trapper - "Furr"
2. Andrew Bird - "Fitz & Dizzyspells"
3. Dan Auerbach - "My Last Mistake"
4. Deer Hunter - "Cover Me (Slowly)"
5. Ferraby Lionheart - "Small Planet"
6. Department of Eagles - "No One Does It"
7. Chairlift - "Planet Health"
8. M83 - "Kim & Jessie"
9. Bon Iver - "Skinny Love"
10. The Black Keys - "Strange Times"
11. Animal Collective - "My Girls"
12. Beirut - "My Wife"
13. Dent May & His Magnificent Ukelele - "You Can't Force a Dance Party"
14. Maia Hirasawa - "Crackers"
15. Of Montreal - "For Our Elegant Caste"


mixtape #2

i listen to it when i'm: reading/working at a coffee shop
location: lower east side

1. Animal Collective - "Daily Routine"
2. Fol Chen - "No Wedding Cake"
3. Vetiver - "Everyday"
4. Telekinesis - "Coast of Carolina"
5. The Low Anthem - "Charlie Darwin"
6. M. Ward - "Never Had Nobody Like You"
7. Grizzly Bear - "Cheerleader"
8. St. Vincent - "The Strangers"
9. Bishop Allen - "Dimmer"
10. The Magnetic Fields - "California Girls"
11. The Kinks - "A Well Respected Man"
12. Maria Taylor - "A Good Start"
13. Ladyhawke - "Paris Is Burning"
14. Jens Lekman - "The Opposite of Hallelujah"
15. She & Him - "I Thought I Saw Your Face Today"

also, check out betterpropaganda. it's a free (legal) music downloading site, where i sort of interned (?) a couple years ago. that makes this a shameless plug, i suppose. plug. plug. plug.

suggestions for the next mixtape?

sweet treats in the village

after turning me on to one of her favorite blogs, rockstar diaries, my dear friend bridget has inspired me to write about my own life in nyc. that being said, i've decided to share some of my favorite things about this delightful city, including (but not limited to): neighborhoods, restaurants, coffee shops, vintage stores, record stores and the like.

that brings us to my latest discovery, butter lane. my roommates and i were first introduced to these sweet treats back in february (thanks, palmer). they've since become a staple for every important occasion--like cathryn's birthday yesterday. while you should sample all of these delectible creations (new york times, new york magazine and martha stewart are all fans), my recent favorite is key lime. yum!

another east village favorite of mine is birdbath, a green (and vegan-friendly) bakery. a stone's throw from my apartment, birdbath has some of the most mouth-watering baked goods i've ever tasted. i'd recommend either the vegan raspberry muffin or the whole wheat croissant. while still super buttery (as they should be!), i somehow feel less guilty eating a whole wheat croissant...