Best And Now I'm Back in New York

And here's some things I've done and some things I've eaten.

Friday I went up to see what was going on at the MoMA with Lyndi. Nothing too exciting was happening, but it's nice to check in from time to time, you know?

Lyndi gets the Spirit Award for being the first person willing to pose with the OOF painting since Greg in 2006.

Don't worry, I didn't miss out on interacting with the art myself.

Then I had lunch at Parm with Mike and Jen who were in town to tear things up for a weekend.

Also in town (but not yet pictured)? Carol, to celebrate her birthday. Friday night we went to M Wells Steakhouse because I shared two of the most epic meals of my life with Carol at the old M Wells Diner, back in the Golden Age of Food. (Meal One. Meal Two.)

But to catch you up. M Wells Diner was one of the absolute best restaurants I ever ate at in New York. But it closed. Later, they opened a space at PS 1 and now they've opened a steakhouse in Long Island City. I won't leave you in suspense: It's the least spectacular M Wells restaurant I've been to. I hate to type it but the food was just fine, whereas I'm used to M Wells food sending me spinning into outer space. Why does life have to be so hard?!! 

A winner, though: Their version of the Iceberg Wedge salad.

My personal victory: Eating half the blood sausage that came with this Korean take on a full English breakfast. I hadn't had blood sausage since...probably 1999 or 2000? Lately I've been thinking that, sure, I eat a lot of things--but there are still foods I have a hard time chowing down on. Foods like blood sausage. And heart and brain—organs, in general, I suppose. And then there's times where, like, I'll totally eat tripe but then other times I'm just not willing. I figure that being able to eat more foods is only for my benefit: the more foods I like to eat, the more foods I like to eat, you know? So it's a growth process I'm going through.

But for the time being, I'm still not crazy about blood sausage.

Here's our main course and friends: A platter of pork loin, poutine, a potato dish I'll try to explain, and roasted mushrooms.

The potato dish, "pommes aligote", I believe, was, I don't know, like a super smooth potato puree thickened with LOTS of melted cheese. The result: an elastic eyeful chewy as chewing gum.

Pre-Birthday Cake: A slice of their Cinnamon Bun Cake with Honey Ice Cream. The cake wasn't quite as bunny as we had hoped.

Saturday Morning: Sorry. This trash can is out of service.

Met Carol and Lauri for, err, Brunch, at Martha's in Fort Greene.

Did you know that "Martha" was the name of the last passenger pigeon?

Martha's was good and very Kinfolky. A favorite: the Brussels Sprouts. Of course.

Also shared fried chicken with duck fat biscuits (or maybe it was another fat?)

Korean pulled pork with egg, pickles, and fermented black beans served with delicious toast (not pictured because I ate it).

Charming, right?

Then Saturday night we celebrated Carol's Birthday properly with a tableful of friends at Marco's, also in Brooklyn. Very good place. Italian food like at Frankies but I'd say about 20% fancier. Consider it the Dressler to Frankie's DuMont (but, unlike those two places, Marco's/Frankies aren't siblings. Let's just be clear about that.)

Monday morning I went to meet up with Carol and Ty at the Ssam Bar for lunch. But it was closed for a private event. Look that the feast these pigeons were having, though.

We went over to Han Dynasty instead. New dish for me: Salt and Pepper Shrimp.

Walking home through sunny Soho.

Dinner Monday night? I organized a meat-up at Mighty Quinn's in the East Village. My second time there and I really nailed it with my order. This is the brisket sandwich. All you see before you had for around $9. Certainly among the city's best eating for under $10.

And then today it was sunny again so I walked to the barbershop and had my haircut.

And then had that Ssam Bar lunch I couldn't have yesterday. Broccoli Salad with Crispy Duck Skin.

And investigated the return of the original Ssam Bar burritos to the menu. When Ssam opened in 2006 it was basically an asian Chipotle with bowls and burritos made to order at the counter. That concept didn't last long. But now burritos are poppin in New York and Ssam Bar seems to be back in the game. Burritos is fine, but what I miss are the old pork bowls.