Accademia di Vino (UWS)

Day 62 (4/21) of the T-90 Project:

FoxyLady has been on her A-game. She rattled off a list of dinners and drink nights we needed to set up before I left, including one last apartment rager (stay tuned for details) and one last wine pow-wow with Winette. FoxyLady and Winette were worried I wouldn't want to meet up so late (Winette finishes work at 8 p.m.) a few nights before the marathon, but I assured them I wanted to celebrate the end of an arduous week and a half of work. Why is it that the last few days of work leading up to a vacation always end up being so intolerable? Mona's law or is this universal?

We initially mentioned Penelope as a venue for our pow-wow -- a spot I'd never been to and both girls are really fond of -- but when Wednesday came around, I was completely unprepared for the trip and figured being close to home would be best. I'd walked by Accademia di Vino (they need to update their Web site to reflect the upper west side location) several times on my way home from work and had been tempted to check it out. I mentioned it to Winette and somehow she was thinking the same thing. Great winos think alike. She said the east side one was great and that was all I needed to hear.

If you're looking for a solid wine bar on the upper west side, look no further. Like Buceo 95, Accademia's tables are all high so no matter where you sit you feel like you're sitting at the bar. We opted for the actual bar and thank goodness we did. Its rich leather stools are so comfy I could have slept across three of them that night. Judy, the cute, vivacious blonde bartender, took excellent care of us. We tasted every wine before we committed to it and when we said we liked a certain type of wine she knew exactly which ones to serve. It was quite remarkable.

Before we even got to order our appetizers Judy brought us two plates, compliments of the chef. One was a small cheese pizza slice and one was a plate of three crackers covered in a bean dip. They were scrumptious. I love compliments!

To accompany our wine we ordered a selection of small plates. We went with a fava bean hummus, Tuscan herb fries, a whole wheat penne with spring veggies and parmesan, asparagus and fried Brussels sprouts.

The asparagus was a little too bitter for me -- they served it raw with lemon zest -- but everything else hit the spot. The fries were probably the most popular. I brought them to work with me the next day and they were still delicious.

Winette mentioned the original east side locale offers you note cards so you can keep track of the wines you like. I was hoping we'd enjoy this same luxury on the west side, but there were no note cards to be found. The menu, however, was designed to look like the black and white composition books we used to have in school for tests and assignments. It was a cute touch.

I wrote down a couple of glasses of wine I enjoyed: a Muller Thurgau and a Travignoli Chianti Rufina. I'd go back in a second and order the exact same glasses and request Judy, of course.

Thanks, ladies, for a wonderful night!

2427 Broadway, between 89th & 90th St.
(212) 787-3070

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Scarpetta

Day 63 (4/20) of the T-90 Project:

Carbo-load: the act of stuffing one's face with breads and pastas in order to load up on fuel and energy to enhance performance in competition.

Nutritionists of the 21st century may balk at this pre-race ritual, calling it a silly routine of the past, and even a surefire way to hinder performance, but as a kid of the '80s who grew up on the pool deck, competing in swim meets 40 weekends a year, nothing helped me mentally prepare to kick a rival's butt like a big bowl of spaghetti the night before.

Fashionista suggested an evening of carbo-loading to get me psyched for my marathon. I invited a small crew to join me and we met at Scarpetta at six o'clock last Tuesday. I'd just finished one of my last short runs of the week, wondering how in the hell I was going to finish six times that distance in just a few days.

Scarpetta was nearly empty when we walked in. There was a casual-looking nook in the front, a long sleek bar to our right and in the back you could see the main dining room. Fashionista asked if we could sit despite our full party not being there and they said no. I get it if you walk in during prime time and the place is mobbed and they won't seat you, but at six when there are two other people in the entire restaurant, I don't understand the point or effectiveness of this policy.

When LittleMissSunshine and DaydreamBeliever arrived, we lingered for a few more minutes before the host finally led us to our table in the back. I came very close to approaching the podium and saying, "Hello? What is the deal?" Their lack of attentiveness was irritating and it reminded me of how I feel when I'm on a plane being held up and the pilot doesn't come on to tell you why, but instead you just have to sit there and go mad. The service improved tenfold once we were in our seats. The back of the house should lend some help to the front of the house...

We started the evening with various types of bread, olive oil, mascarpone butter and eggplant.


Each bread garnish had us oohing and aahing. Even the not-so-plain olive oil had a distinct delightful bite to it. I'd never had mascarpone butter before, but its smooth texture and sweet taste left me wanting to steal a brick of it.

We split the crispy fritto misto and I couldn't get enough of the lightly fried tendrils of vegetables and calamari. All was going well until LittleMissSunshine grabbed what looked like a veggie and it ended up being a little anchovy dusted in tempura. Doh! I probably unknowingly downed a few myself but they didn't bother me as much. The teepee-like presentation of this dish was almost as impressive as the flavors.

All the pastas sounded amazing and it was difficult to choose which one to go with, though my vegetarianism narrowed the list slightly. Fashionista had heard to try the spaghetti so her decision was easy.

LittleMissSunshine went with the tagliatelle with mixed vegetables and lamb. I almost ordered this without the lamb, but it sounded too much like noodle soup without the chicken.

I ordered the black tagliolini with mixed seafood, sea urchin and mint bread crumbs.

Fashionista and DaydreamBeliever chose the spaghetti with tomato and basil.

We passed around twirled forks and spoons of each pasta. I couldn't pick a favorite they were all so good. I'd had my first bite of black squid pasta at Babbo and this dish gave Mario Batali's a run for his money. Go Scott Conant! I was a little frightened of the sea urchin, but the white meat and its thin worm-like shape blended right into the pasta. The mint bread crumbs were a unique and sweet crumbly topping to this seafood pasta.

The spaghetti was rough around the edges -- a quality I seek in the homemade variety. The tomato sauce stuck to the pasta like melted cheese on pizza crust and one bite wasn't enough.

My favorite part of the whole evening was when our dishes came to the table. I felt like royalty at a medieval banquet. Four different men came from four different corners of the restaurant with our entrees. Each dish was placed on the table with a white dome plate cover. In ceremonial fashion, on cue, they unveiled all our dishes at the same time. The surprisingly simple but elegant touch had our eyes glowing with excitement.

We shared a bottle of wine between the four of us. I was really making an effort to consume as little alcohol as possible prior to the dreaded 26.2.

"Cheers, Mona. Good luck Sunday!"

"Thanks, guys. Eek! I can't wait until I get back and can be in normal party mode again."

"Me neither," said Fashionista.

"Amen to that!"

Scarpetta's Italian fare and (food) service was both warm and comforting, but the decor was a little stark and severe for my everyday tastes. Were it not for the skylight in the middle of the room I would have drowned of stuffiness. Scarpetta felt like a place you'd meet executives for a business lunch or somewhere you'd take clients to impress them, but it wasn't the kind of place you just show up and meet a friend for a casual dinner. Formality aside, I'd still say Scarpetta has some of the best pasta I've had in the city, but save it for a special occasion, like the pre-marathon carbo-load.

Thanks, Fashionista, for this great evening and great idea. I have the best friends of anyone in this city.

355 W. 14th St., near Ninth Ave.
212-691-0555

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Make Meaning

Day 64 (Monday) of the T-90 Project:

I was struggling to find something new to do on Monday. As I've mentioned previously, Mondays are my day of rest, and being on the wagon and trying to eat healthy leading up to the marathon have hindered my post-work activities.

I attempted to go to Cafe Lalo, where Tom Hanks found Meg Ryan reading "Pride and Prejudice" in "You've Got Mail," but I walked out quickly after learning they are cash only. I hope to get back. A few blocks north I stumbled upon a make-it-yourself pottery place and I thought, "Perfect!"

I've made my mom a plate here and there for mother's day. I loved making pottery as a teenager (I even won an award for it once in high school). Some may say I'm beyond the acceptable age to paint my mom something from this kind of place -- the other patrons were about two feet tall and screaming paint colors -- but they had piggy banks just waiting for a home.

My mom is obsessed with picking up pennies off the ground. We've gone over and over the little ditty about which side is good luck and she doesn't care. Heads up? It's hers. Tails up? It's also hers. Goodness knows where she puts them all, but I decided a few weeks ago I'd give her an option. Like mom, like daughter, I too have grown accustomed to picking up pennies (only if they're heads up, however) and also feel the need to put them in a safe place. The highlight of my penny collecting comes when I pick one up from the year I was born. I've now found two 1979 pennies in the past couple of months. Sounds like those ought to be extra lucky, no?

The store had run out of the piggy banks in the size that I wanted, so the nice woman said she'd go ahead and order me two more and I could come and paint them the first week in May. I was so excited I discovered this place I chose a mug and decided to go to town in honor of the Apple. I was a little nervous how it'd come out, but with a few practice sketches on a pad of paper from my purse I'd say it came out just right. You?



UWS Location: 506 Amsterdam Ave., between 84th and 85th Streets
212.579.5575

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Pizza Fail

Day 65 (Sunday) of the T-90 Project:

I made pizza for the first time in my apartment, as part of a "date night" with MaineMan. I also burnt pizza for the first time in my apartment.

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Sarasota Dreamin'

Day 68 of the T-90 Project (Thursday)

Once in a while I get invitations to events in my blog e-mail. Rarely do they seem interesting, fun or worthwhile. I'm sorry, but I will not be making it out to your restaurant in New Rochelle for a $100 prix fixe with an accordion accompaniment.

As my days in New York are dwindling, however, I've been paying a little bit closer attention to PR e-mails and the Taste of Southeast Asia night sounded interesting, Kuma Inn's chef would be there, they were offering me two complimentary tickets and Fashionista was free. Done and done.

We showed up at 6:30 for what we thought was a cooking demo, but when we opened the door to the Bennett Media Studio on Washington a woman quickly informed us they were not ready and they were having a staff meeting. The cooking demo never happened.

"Want to go grab a drink at Automatic Slims?" I asked Fashionista.

"Yes, definitely. Let's do it."

Automatic Slims is one of my favorite old hang-outs (we've had many a debaucherous night there, including one of my birthday bashes) and it was fitting to grab one more cocktail there before I leave. We were hesitant to order martinis in the dive spot where we'd notoriously chugged only vodka and Red Bulls, but we went for it. The bartender made us a shockingly delicious dirty martini that was only $6/piece and we headed back to the event.

It took a while for the place to take off. We swarmed the table of Chris Johnson (chef of Bao Noodles and Wa Sake) who was brewing up cocktails. He seemed a bit reluctant to hand out the goods, but after staring him down he got the hint and poured us two half-glasses of dark and stormies. They had a ginger root beer and vodka with some mint and lime and they were fantastic. A delicious fresh summer drink.

Fashionista and I both were surprised people dished out $100 for this event. Even if I still ate meat the food selection would have been disappointing. There was really nothing to eat as a vegetarian. There was fried rice, pork belly, shrimp, some veggie dumplings and that's about it. I was expecting a southeast Asian feast and we barely got a few nibbles. Fashionista loved Chef King Phojanakong's pork belly and she shared the sides with me which were delicious.

A co-worker had asked me what I was doing Thursday night and when I sent her the link, she responded, "That's bizarrely random. A night of feasting to commemorate the Cambodian genocide?"

"Well, when you put it like that..."

It was sort of an awkward evening, made even more awkward by a former co-worker who I couldn't recognize for the life of me. He introduced himself to me and then proceeded to stare at me without offering me any assistance in how I knew him. This back and forth banter of "How can you not know me?" and "Wow, you must meet a lot of people!" went on for, no joke, roughly 15 minutes before it finally dawned on me he was a tech editor at ABC for a hot second. Fashionista and I were both incredulous throughout the whole exchange and we were happy to chug our last sip of vino and call it a night.

Days 67-66:

I will be off in Sarasota, Fla., celebrating my friend MustLoveFrenchies' wedding. I can't do new things in New York while I'm in Florida so I will return Sunday with an adventure in mind, and on another day I'll try three new things to make up for it.

Until Sunday, friends. Have a wonderful weekend.

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Petrossian

Day 71 (Monday) of the T-90 Project:

I'd made plans with Winette to go see the play "39 Steps." I saw a Tweet about free tickets so I jumped at an opportunity to snag them. I called a number, a man on the receiving end sounded thrilled and there I had two tickets to a formerly-on-currently-off-Broadway show. I'd never heard of the play before, but I Googled it and what I found sounded entertaining.

Mondays come around and regardless of the plans I've made, I usually regret them. I could have a date with Leonardo DiCaprio and I'd still sulk at having to go look pretty for someone on a Monday. I treat Monday like a Puritan treated the Sabbath. I don't want to exercise, I don't want to socialize, I don't want to eat or cook, I just want to go home and lounge on my couch.

Winette's e-mail about being hungover and needing a detox night came as a welcome surprise, though now I was stumped as to what to do for T-90. I'd just experienced the worst day of work in the history of days of work and I was in no mood to go on an adventure. Instead I went home and contemplated a fun new meal I could order delivery. I ended up going old school.

Years ago my Korean ex-boyfriend Swimster (who some of you may remember) turned me onto his native cuisine. I'd never considered kimchi or bibimbap (let alone heard of it) and after dating him for a couple of years I was hooked. We'd frequent Mill Korean up by Columbia University and all the waiters would recognize me and my struggle with "gohm-sohm-bee-dah," or my version of the Korean "thank you."

I couldn't find Mill on Seamless Web or Delivery.com (Fashionista swears by the latter) but when I called and inquired about delivery, the woman who answered said yes. The food came quickly and along with my bibimbap came a generous serving of various kimchis. Sadly, however, the taste wasn't quite the same. It brought back a lot of fond memories of stinky breath and Chiclets (Korean restaurants notoriously offer these with the check because of all the garlic used in their meal preparation), but the flavors I thought I missed just weren't there. The scallion pancake is sitting in my fridge (one bite and I was grossed out) and will go uneaten along with some of the remaining kimchi (which didn't taste all that fresh from the get go). That will be my first and last time getting Mill Korean delivery. The bibimbap was just so-so. I swear they just plain forgot to put the egg on top.

Day 70:

It's been a challenge to keep up with T-90 on the wagon and in my final stages of resting and training for the marathon. All I want to do is pop into all these restaurants for a glass of wine and an appetizer and I can't (although my friend's wedding this weekend in Sarasota, Fla., will definitely be the exception).

This week I've turned to simple experiences. A few years ago when I started this blog a man e-mailed me working for Petrossian and asked if I wanted to advertise with them. The fancy restaurant and cafe sit right across from my gym, yet I'd always been intimidated to walk in. Tuesday I said that's it, I'm doing it, in sweaty T-shirt, running shoes and all. I walked in, bought a baguette, two of their hot chocolate stirring sticks and a small bag of shortbread. I'm on a kick with eating baguettes in the morning (the best so far from Silver Moon Bakery) with my Irish Kellygold butter. This one from Petrossian was a little tough. It was more like a ficelle and had probably been sitting there all day, while Silver Moon definitely had an afternoon batch of bread.

The sticks of fudge that were supposed to make hot chocolate were fun in theory, but when I added the stick to my mug of hot milk, nothing happened. Some of it ended up melting, but it was more like milk with chunks at the bottom than a nice smooth hot chocolate. Disappointing. The shortbread were tasty though a bit chalky and not worth the trip back.

Day 69:

I'm about to turn into a pumpkin, but before I do, today was an exciting day. I'd been wandering around various running stores looking for my marathon outfit all week. I'm very particular about what I wear on race day and I wanted to find something that MaineMan and I could both wear (without looking ridiculous). I hopped into SBR and there it was -- a bright red running shirt with my name on it. I tried it on and that was it.

"You know this is men's, right?" Said the cashier as he rang me up.

"Umm, yes, thanks." I said, sort of irritated. I know I like my shirts big and not fitted, but I didn't need to be reminded that I was buying something supposedly for men only.

"If you had a woman's shirt in red, I'd be buying it," I added. "I'm particular about my marathon shirts."

"Aaah, I see, bright colors won't go unnoticed," he said with a smile.

"That's right!" Thank god, he finally gets it.

Now I'm calling MaineMan to inform him, the uniform for race day is red (my favorite color) on top, black on bottom. Giddyup!

Thank god tomorrow's Thursday...

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Self-Imposed Curfew

The Big Sur Marathon is in 11 days. It's scary just typing that small number. I've started my taper -- which means less running, even less drinking and more sleeping. I was hoping to be in bed tonight by nine o'clock but here it is 9:23 and it's killing me that my lights aren't out.

Part of my plan was to come home tonight and bring you up to speed on the past two days of the T-90 countdown, but now I'm too tired and my priority is sleep. I hope to have some time tomorrow to dedicate to the blog, though work's been insane this week because I am producing the ABCNews.com ship solo.

Tonight I got carried away on a mission to find the perfect running shoe for my race. I know, who buys new running shoes two weeks out from a marathon? It's part of the weird thrill for me, along with having my nails done. Buying a new outfit and new sneakers is something that gets me fired up and since my old Nikes are probably pushing 2.5-3 years, I figured it was time for an upgrade. Three hours later I came home with a great big pair of Asics, yet no time to write. Once this marathon is over, my priorities will be back to normal (and partying;)

Until tomorrow!

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The Standard Biergarten

Day 74 of the T-90 Project:

A couple of weeks ago I received the following email from JB:

"Greetings, friends.

On Friday, April 9th, I will be asking CrewCutie to marry me. This will come as a shock to her for two reasons. The first is that she thinks I will be in Baltimore at work this weekend. The second, and I have heard this from several independent sources, is that she is expecting me to pop the question in a U-Haul on the way to Baltimore."

Friday night I got to celebrate two firsts in NYC. First I got to celebrate the engagement of two very good friends. Well played, JB. Well played! Second I got to drink beers at The Standard Biergarten. It was a bit nippy that night, but we all huddled at a picnic table under the space heaters (dangling from the ceiling). Personally I think they should be on the ground next to the tables, but what do I know? The space was very cool -- a surprising departure from the rest of the bars at The Standard. I vowed never to go back to the grill because I felt like I was in an episode of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey." The night we went we were surrounded by some pretty tasteless B&Ters (and I have the photo evidence to prove it). But the beer garden was chill, the crowd was eclectic and they even had ping pong tables. I didn't understand what the point of the beer tickets was. It was a hassle to not be able to buy beer with cash. You had to buy tickets instead.

We stayed at the beer garden until we couldn't bare the cold anymore and snuck off to Brass Monkey down the road. The place was a zoo and we didn't last very long. My plan to go to bed early was quickly squashed by Fashionista who shouted, "Let's go to SING SING!" The girl is cuckoo for karaoke and now that I'm leaving, saying no to anything is just not in the cards. I couldn't tell you a single song I sang, but the next thing I knew it was 4 a.m. and I was supposed to be meeting my parents in eight hours at Giants Stadium...

Day 73:

The UVA men's lacrosse team played in the Big City Classic this weekend at the new Giants' Stadium (the first event ever in the new, fancy digs) and my parents organized a big crew to go. Fashionista, LittleMissSunshine, JerseyBoy and I were supposed to be on a 1:55 train to Secaucus Junction where we'd then transfer to the buses and meet my parents at their tailgate. My mom instructed me to pack clothes I wanted to leave in Connecticut so I left my apartment with about four bags dangling from my shoulders. I walked out the door at 1:15 and didn't get to Penn Station until 2:10. It was one of the worst Manhattan experiences of my life: just missed a train on the platform, the next train that came was too full, snuck on a third train only to have it move slow through construction zones, squashed till I could barely breathe with my bags, opted to get off at 79th street a half an hour later and took a cab the rest of the way. My friends made the train no problem, while I missed two and met them at Secaucus (where I found them drinking a Long Island iced tea at the bar). I'm not sure what's more impressive -- the drink they chose or that they found a bar at the Secaucus train station.

The day was glorious. JerseyBoy couldn't get enough of the tailgate and he summed it up for us every five minutes, "God, what a great day. I love this tailgate." I think at one point he even said he'd wished he'd gone to Virginia instead of Duke. If that's not a sign of a successful tailgate, I don't know what is.

I was so proud of my parents and the party they threw I just couldn't believe it. Mom made incredible potato salad and ambrosia (mandarin oranges, coconut and marshmallows), while the fried chicken from the Village Market and Crumbs cupcakes were also a huge hit. Dad got an A+ for his packing, bartending and DJ-ing skills. They lived in Tokyo while I was in college so we never got to tailgate at football games, but they sure made up for it yesterday.

Virginia (11-0) crushed UNC (10-1) so before we left for home we grabbed a few more beers at the car to celebrate. Fashionista, JerseyBoy and LittleMissSunshine actually went out after we got back to the city. I don't know how they did it. I could barely make it home quickly enough to pass out. I woke up this morning stunned. I'd slept for 11 hours.

Here's a first glimpse at the Giants' new home:


Day 72: This brings me to today and I'll be brief. Even though I got 11 hours of sleep last night, I feel I could still sleep for another 11. Today marked the last day of my distance training for the marathon. With the help of FoxyLady, I mapped out a long run that would take me up to the Cloisters and back. A couple of weekends ago I did the southern part of Manhattan and today I enjoyed the northern part. I ran across the George Washington Bridge, something I'd never done before, and stopped for the view at the Palisades Interstate Park. I came home totally wiped out and excited I had nothing to do for the rest of the day but rest and relax.

What adventures are in store for me this week?

*Standard Hotel Beer Garden
848 Washington Street, at West 13th
(212) 645-4646

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La Cage aux Folles

Day 76 of the T-90 Project:

Wednesday I ran a new route around the park. Instead of following the 6.2-mile loop I normally take, I decided to exit the park near 72nd and ran up Fifth Avenue. I turned back into the park at the Conservatory Garden (105th) and slowed down to enjoy the view (and ease the pain). No flowers were blooming yet, but it reminded me I needed to get back to see the tulips when they do. The Conservatory Garden is a perfect place to bring a scone, a cup of coffee, a book and lounge for a couple of hours. Definitely on my to do list. After the gardens, I ran around the pond in the northeastern-most corner of the park and it was glorious. They had swans and even a beach! The 5-square feet of sand wouldn't have fit a beached swan, but it was still awfully cute. I couldn't believe the amount of turtles in the pond that were just chilling on rocks right by the path, like the seals do on their buoys in Monterey. There were about five per rock. My run was supposed to be about 10 miles, and I barely finished the main loop, but we won't go there... 16 days till Big Sur Marathon.

Day 75:

Too much was going on Thursday. I need to space out the fun. The first treat of the day was lunch with @Niketa at La Boite en Bois. It was one of the cutest spots I've been to in a long time and it was only two blocks away from work. I felt like we'd discovered a little cafe on the Ile St.-Louis. Our garcon charmed us with his French accent and friendly manner. I hesitated to order French onion soup on an 80-degree day, but went with my gut. I tried the soup and the special seafood ravioli. I told Niketa I'd never tried it before (not the biggest fan of seafood and pasta combo), and when she mentioned her husband's obsession with it, I figured I'd give it a whirl. Success, amis. My boss announced my departure to the entire office so I had a glass of wine to celebrate the new official-ness of my leaving. I left on a cloud of happiness like Maria during "I Feel Pretty."



To end this fabulous day, my friend MissHockey and I went to La Cage aux Folles. I've always been a huge Kelsey Grammer fan and from the moment I heard he was going to be in it, I knew I had to go see it. Similar to the screen version, I think he was upstaged by the man who played his lover (like Robin Williams was by Nathan Lane), but he was still incredibly adorable and funny. It's hard for this not to happen since Albin's character is so over the top. Albin was played by the British import Douglas Hodge and it was shockingly his Broadway debut. He was phenomenal. Say it with me. FUH-NOM-IH-NULL. I was cackling for three hours straight, not to mention I was sitting in the front row. I could reach out and touch the stage (and see the flying spit). Grammer looked into my eyes once a scene.

"Dude, that's the guy who made Robin's face in 'Mrs. Doubtfire'!" I whisper-yelled to MissHockey when I noticed him a few seats back with his gargantuan, statue-like beard.

"You mean Harvey Fierstein?!?"

Oops. Yeah. She was way more on top of her Broadway trivia than I was.

"Dude, he wrote the book."

So what she's saying was, our seats were so good we were sitting in front of Harvey Fierstein -- the guy who wrote the book.

I just started humming "I Am What I Am" at my desk and I got the chills thinking of Hodge's moving rendition upon learning he's not welcome at the "meet the future in-laws" dinner. Jacob the maid/butler and the Cagelles (the Cage's transvestites) were amazing too. The entire cast got a massive standing ovation at the end and several on stage seemed to get emotional at the outpouring of excitement and audience approval.

Day 74:

It's a surprise. And I'll let you know on the flip side.

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T-90 Project: Days 80-77

I'm confusing myself. It's technically day 75 of the T-90 Project and I'm only up to day 80 on the blog. With a little hustle I'll try to bring you up to speed on the past few days. And I thought I was doing OK here...

Day 80: We all (except my brother T-) celebrated Easter in Sag Harbor. Our custom is to eat our big Easter feast on Saturday night, so we can all return to our respective corners of the northeast by a decent hour Sunday. Who wants Easter dinner after Easter brunch anyway? Not me.

Mom and Dad ordered a ham and since I'm no longer eating meat, they insisted I come up with a new vegetable dish to make. I was excited about the prospect of introducing a new veggie dish to the family, and I immediately thought of Mrs. Carebear. Carebear's mom made me several holiday meals over the course of my college days, in addition to serving some of the best tailgating food in the South. I recalled a squash dish she made for us at Thanksgivings and any other time I requested it. When I mentioned the idea to my mom, she loved it and even added, "Ask her for the key lime recipe too. You loved that as well!" I'd forgotten about Mrs. Carebear's key lime pie, but e-mailed Carebear and received a swift response from her and her mom.

What better way to contribute to the T-90 Project than by cooking something new! I totally deserved it too after running nearly 16 miles to Sagg Main Beach and back for marathon training.

Recipe for Mrs. Carebear's Squash Casserole

2 1/2 to 3 lbs. yellow squash (or you can use zucchini or half and half of each)
3/4 of a stick of butter or margarine
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 of a small bag of Pepperidge Farm herb stuffing
1 egg, beaten
8 ozs. sharp cheddar, grated
salt and pepper to taste

Slice squash and cook in small amount of water (lid on pan) until soft enough to be mashed. Drain well, mash with potato masher, add butter, mix until butter is melted. Add onion, stuffing, egg and about 2/3 of the cheese. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour into greased casserole dish and top with rest of cheese. Bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes.

I think a few heads turned when they saw me mashing up soggy squash. I have to admit I was a little concerned too. But man, once this dish sat in the oven and came out, it was knock-your-socks-off good. It may be the new veggie dish of choice at all our family gatherings. I just finished the last Tupperware of leftovers today and I'm feeling a little verklempt.

Below you'll find her key lime pie. She noted it's from The Blue Point, one of her family's favorite restaurants in Duck, N.C.


You can either make your own graham cracker crust from the recipe on the side of the graham cracker crumb box, or you can buy a ready made graham crust. If I make it myself, I do it in a 9-inch springform pan.

5 egg yolks, beaten well
1 can Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk
4 ounces key lime juice
1 tablespoon grated lime zest (2 limes)

Mix all ingredients together well. Pour into crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes, turn pan 180 degrees and bake 12 more minutes. Cool, then refrigerate to chill. Top with sweetened whipped cream to serve.

This was another crowd pleaser. Thank you so much, Mrs. Carebear.


Dad always puts me in charge of setting the table so I snapped a cute photo showing off Mom's cute placemats and my mad napkin-folding skills.

After dinner my uncle and I went to go see "The Last Station." It was a fabulous movie and I highly recommend it to anyone who's interested in Russian history, literature or extremely good acting.

Day 79: The new first for me on Easter Sunday was breakfast at Pierre's in Bridgehampton. What a treat. We had the entire place to ourselves, we enjoyed some scrumptious plates and I snuck away with breakfast snacks for the week: croissants and pain au chocolats. Our server was a bit on the out-of-it side (despite the entire place being empty - god knows what happened when the place filled up with its 400 reservations she told us they were expecting) , but the food was solid.

Day 78: I read through one of my favorite "what's happening in New York" sites NewYorkology and decided to head to the MoMA to see the Tim Burton exhibit. Little did I know it's nearly impossible to get tickets to it unless you show up at 10:30 in the morning. Not gonna happen on my schedule, unless I call in sick. And if I do that it'll be for the Yankees, not art. With my free ticket (courtesy of ABC), I meandered in and out of hallways and exhibits. The most mesmerizing was the performance artist Marina Abramovic. I'd read plenty of articles about her and I was in awe as I walked around her several times on the museum mezzanine, staring into space and sitting there still as the David for two and a half months. I wonder what happens when the museum closes. Does she stay there? Unreal. Other works of note: South Africa's William Kentridge's Five Themes and Picasso's Theme and Variations. I was too late for Monet's Water Lilies. They shut the door on me, though not the end of the world since I spent a weekend at his home in Giverny.

After visiting MoMA I headed to The Modern. I love the bar there. I had a lovely bartender Antonio who fed me delicious cocktails (Girovita and Cremant d'Alsace) and endless bowls of popcorn.

I waited for NovaCat to get off work and we walked west towards our respective apartments. She felt like a beer so we stopped in none other than Hooters. Too many firsts for me in one day - I need to spread them out! It was surprisingly a great space and our waitress was super friendly and not overwhelmingly busty. Great fun and a great sports bar (though the food I ordered - salad and fries - were struggling).

Day 77: It was an exciting day of firsts on Tuesday. I had FTDC at Diner in Brooklyn (something on the schedule) and I spoke to Katie Couric on Twitter (something not on the schedule). Let me start with the latter.

At about 8a.m. I Tweeted the following: "Looks like @katiecouric picked the wrong time to go to haiti: http://bit.ly/bbcjsX." I was simply inferring it was poor/unlucky timing on her and her producers part to go to Haiti when the story of the day was in West Virginia.

Within 10 minutes I'd received the following direct message from @katiecouric: "why is that?"

I died and immediately shrieked in the newsroom. My boss advised, "Don't you dare start a s***storm with Katie Couric on Twitter."

Relax, people. By default I like Katie. She's a University of Virginia alumna, like myself, which means I have to like her.

I consulted a couple of friends in the biz and they thought nice was the way to go since I have ABC all over my profile. BYOWino suggested I write, "While Haiti was a terrible tragedy, the hearts and prayers of the nation are with W. Va. today, not Haiti."

After I chatted with Winette, I went with the oh-so-friendly, non-combative approach:
"As fan/fellow wahoo, while Haiti is awful tragedy, your ontheground coverage in wva will be missed." It's all I had space for. I figured that would be it. But she wrote back YET AGAIN!

"Thanks...I feel bad missing it, its awful but the enormity of this tragedy is really hard to fathom so I appreciate being here!"

It was both stunning and hilarious. Some friends wanted me to engage her further, but I just decided to let it rest. If nothing else, Katie Couric now has Mona's Apple on the brain and maybe she won't ever forget it.

Now moving onto dinner. Diner was good, not excellent, but good. Not worth the trip again, but worth the trip the first time around. I loved the idea of the servers writing the menus on the tables (boy, were they versed in the dishes), though a little cumbersome if you're hungry and just want to order when you sit down (like I did). The cocktails were a huge disappointment. We've had some pretty award-winning cocktails at FTDC and these were just not up to par. I even traded one of mine for a bland champagne cocktail and frankly, couldn't wait to switch to wine. The chocolate cake for dessert was downright disappointing.

Tonight (day 76) I'm meeting friends for cocktails, but where? Nobody knows. I need to get on it.

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FTDC in BK

It's physically killing me that I can't achieve something so simple - write in the blog EVERY day. I just got back from FTDC in Brooklyn and I am passing out. I was passing out five hours ago on the subway there, so much so a woman sitting next to me kept glaring at me every time I yawned. Finally I apologized and she said, "Oh, I understand. I started my day at four." Like I was some kind of wuss or something who worked the cushy 9-5 shift. I glared right back and said, "I'm sorry, I start my day at five." She continued with, "Well, sometimes I'm so tired I forget to eat." Unwilling to continue the one-upmanship as far as who was more tired I just nodded my head and thanked my lucky ZZZs I was getting off the subway at the next stop.

FTDC was fun. Crazy I will only be participating in two more before I move! The restaurant was good, not great. As the designated picker this month said, "I liked it, I didn't love it." Stay tuned for where we went. For now, it's bedtime for Mona.

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Traviata Pizza

Day 81 of the T-90 Project had some good and some bad. First I'll share the good news. Had two scrumptious Italian meals in a row. There was heated debate in the newsroom regarding the best pizza in the hood. Some said Rigoletto, some said Patsy's while others said Traviata. I'd never even seen or heard of Traviata, but I'm glad I made the stop. It's on the north side of 68th and I'd never step foot in the place had it not come highly recommended. It looked like it probably did 95% of its business by delivery or take-out. It was excellent thin-crust pizza, though I think I prefer a slightly more crisp, well-done crust.

I tried a plain cheese piece and a really cheesy white piece topped with ricotta. Both helped me overcome my vicious hangover and got me to Sag Harbor in one piece before dinner with Mom, Dad and Uncle Butzy.

Mom and Dad stick to the Catholic "eat-fish-on-Good-Friday" rule so they wanted to get some Italian in Sag Harbor. For some reason, after years of visiting the Hamptons hamlet, we'd never been to Il Capuccino. Not only was it charming and the service was super-friendly, but I had one of the most delectable pasta dishes ever. The photo doesn't do it justice, but it may have even gotten better with tin foil and a refrigerator. I ordered the specialty pasta -- tortelloni al pastacchio -- or cheese tortelloni with roasted pistachios in a creamy alfredo sauce. Holy moly. Not only was the pasta great, but the bread was a total show-stopper. After we ordered drinks they served about a dozen crispy garlic knots and we were all drooling over them.

Now for the bad news... I went out Thursday night and got so destroyed at El Rio Grande that I not only got sick leaving my apartment for work Friday morning, but I got sick AT work. I started this whole project to experience new things, but I could have lived without that as a new first. Not one of my shinier moments. But again, leading up to the pain, it was a fun, rowdy, margarita-packed night. Next time I'll just make sure to eat a hefty plate of nachos before imbibing five of their lethal concoctions.

*Traviata Pizza, 101 W 68th St, at Columbus Ave., (212) 721-1101
*Il Capuccino, 30 Madison St. Sag Harbor, NY, (631) 725-2747
*El Rio Grande, 160 E. 38th St, between Lexington & 3rd Ave., (212) 867-0922

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Remembering COG

The T-90 project continues, don't fret (and I'm loving all of your comments), but tonight when I sat down to catch you up on my weekend of Sag-Harbor-meets-Easter bliss, I realized what day it was. I knew it was coming up, but I didn't know how soon.

A year ago tonight/tomorrow morning a good friend was killed by a taxi driver. Connor O'Gorman was 30 years old and the taxi driver is still zipping people around the streets of Manhattan.

I took a couple of hours to write a note on his remembrance wall tonight instead of blogging about my weekend because it was more important for me to let Connor (and his family) know I was thinking about him, wherever he is.

When you say goodbye to someone, tell them you love them. Say it loud and say it like you mean it. Never hang up the phone in a fight, because you never know when a goodbye may be your last. Connor reminds me of this every day.

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Bomboloni

Day 82 of the T-90 Project

Bomboloni just opened a few blocks away from my office on Columbus Avenue and a co-worker and I decided to make an afternoon stroll of it. Curious minds think alike.

It certainly has an inviting spot. The wide-open doors and ceiling-to-floor windows just beg you to pop in for a treat. I wasn't sure if it was a dessert spot or if it had lunch and we learned it has both, though not the best selection of the latter.

They had about four sandwiches in the display case and they were poorly labeled. One I thought was vegetarian (sign read pesto - mozzarella) actually had chicken in it so that was a no go. There was an eggplant one and an egg and potato one (no signs and the woman had to tell us what was in them). The bread looked delicious, but the contents not so much.


We checked out the refrigerator and found huge bowls of pasta salad. As a marathon trainee I'd been craving pasta so I went with this and @Cplawj did as well. The ice cream looked very tempting but we decided to go with the original bomboloni for which the store is named. Check these little babies out.



When I got back to my desk with my five-pound bowl of pasta salad I was very excited. The iced tea I'd purchased was delicious. I loved the pasta salad -- probably one of the best store-bought ones I've ever had. The pasta wasn't over-cooked and the veggies and cheese mixed in were great (though a little bit too heavy on the eggplant and carrots). This was the Ben and Jerry's chubby hubby of pasta salad - jam-packed.

Last but not least, the bomboloni was a soft pocket of custard goodness. I'm not a huge jelly donut fan so I was a bit worried. It had the perfect level of gooey-ness. And they're not huge so you won't feel too guilty after eating it, though one may not be enough. We went for the traditional flavor (vanilla custard) and I can't wait to try more. @Cplawj was disappointed they weren't serving spumoni, but the girl behind the bar said the ice cream and gelato flavors change daily so we'll just have to go back and see.

Buon appetito!



187 Columbus Avenue, at 68th Street
(212)-877-3080

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