back forty

There's a new and notable restaurant in the East Village that i tried out for myself this past weekend. it's called Back Forty and it rests on Avenue B between 11th and 12th streets. Although the decor is distinguishedly modern and clean for the neighborhood, the air of the restaurant is not the slightest bit pretentious and the simple, comfort food-filled menu confirms this. Although I was dying to try the Maine-bacon-and-shrimp-beignets, my detox diet prevented me from doing so. However, I did get to sample my friend's Grass-fed Burger with Farmhouse Cheddar and homemade ketchup, and it was remarkable. After having stayed away from beef for a few weeks, I was miraculously satisfied with my two small bites of this burger. I opted for the Whole Grilled Catskill Trout, which was lean, flavorful, and appeared to be a house favorite (I saw it served to almost every table.) Although tempted by the dessert list, which includes Apple Cider Doughnuts and a Root Beer Float. On the other hand, we did indulge with cocktails--I had the Concord fizz (which reminds me of a similar favorite of mine from Freeman's, the Cuzco Fizz--also featuring muddled grapes) and my friend sampled the strong but sweet Grapefruit Julep.

All and all, I was more than satisfied with my outing to this new neighborhood locale and would love to return, hopefully soon before the word spreads and a queue starts emerging at the door.

You can also read recent reviews on Back forty on Eater and NYMag, and sample the menu for yourself here.

Back Forty
190 Avenue B (11th & 12th)
212-388-1990

dumb craigslist ho

has everyone already become familiar with this ridiculously obscene post by some ho on craigslist? if not, get yourself familiarized, below:

The Post:

What am I doing wrong?
Okay, I'm tired of beating around the bush. I'm a beautiful (spectacularly beautiful) 25 year old girl. I'm articulate and classy. I'm not from New York. I'm looking to get married to a guy who makes at least half a million a year. I know how that sounds, but keep in mind that a million a year is middle class in New York City, so I don't think I'm overreaching at all.
Are there any guys who make 500K or more on this board? Any wives? Could you send me some tips? I dated a business man who makes average around 200 - 250. But that's where I seem to hit a roadblock. 250,000 won't get me to central park west. I know a woman in my yoga class who was married to an investment banker and lives in Tribeca, and she's not as pretty as I am, nor is she a great genius. So what is she doing right? How do I get to her level?
Here are my questions specifically:
- Where do you single rich men hang out? Give me specifics- bars, restaurants, gyms
-What are you looking for in a mate? Be honest guys, you won't hurt my feelings
-Is there an age range I should be targeting (I'm 25)?
- Why are some of the women living lavish lifestyles on the upper east side so plain? I've seen really 'plain jane' boring types who have nothing to offer married to incredibly wealthy guys. I've seen drop dead gorgeous girls in singles bars in the east village. What's the story there?
- Jobs I should look out for? Everyone knows - lawyer, investment banker, doctor. How much do those guys really make? And where do they hang out? Where do the hedge fund guys hang out?
- How you decide marriage vs. just a girlfriend? I am looking for MARRIAGE ONLY
Please hold your insults - I'm putting myself out there in an honest way. Most beautiful women are superficial; at least I'm being up front about it. I wouldn't be searching for these kind of guys if I wasn't able to match them - in looks, culture, sophistication, and keeping a nice home and hearth.

The Response:

I read your posting with great interest and have thought meaningfully about your dilemma. I offer the following analysis of your predicament. Firstly, I'm not wasting your time, I qualify as a guy who fits your bill; that is I make more than $500K per year. That said here's how I see it.
Your offer, from the prospective of a guy like me, is plain and simple a crappy business deal. Here's why. Cutting through all the B.S., what you suggest is a simple trade: you bring your looks to the party and I bring my money. Fine, simple. But here's the rub, your looks will fade and my money will likely continue into perpetuity...in fact, it is very likely that my income increases but it is an absolute certainty that you won't be getting any more beautiful!
So, in economic terms you are a depreciating asset and I am an earning asset. Not only are you a depreciating asset, your depreciation accelerates! Let me explain, you're 25 now and will likely stay pretty hot for the next 5 years, but less so each year. Then the fade begins in earnest. By 35 stick a fork in you!
So in Wall Street terms, we would call you a trading position, not a buy and hold...hence the rub...marriage. It doesn't make good business sense to "buy you" (which is what you're asking) so I'd rather lease. In case you think I'm being cruel, I would say the following. If my money were to go away, so would you, so when your beauty fades I need an out. It's as simple as that. So a deal that makes sense is dating, not marriage.
Separately, I was taught early in my career about efficient markets. So, I wonder why a girl as "articulate, classy and spectacularly beautiful" as you has been unable to find your sugar daddy. I find it hard to believe that if you are as gorgeous as you say you are that the $500K hasn't found you, if not only for a tryout.
By the way, you could always find a way to make your own money and then we wouldn't need to have this difficult conversation.
With all that said, I must say you're going about it the right way. Classic "pump and dump."
I hope this is helpful, and if you want to enter into some sort of lease, let me know.

the BROtorialist

although i must admit that i sometimes cannot help but indulge in the sartorialist, tonight it was introduced to my new favorite guilty pleasure: the brotorialist. um--awesome.

voluspa

i've recently fallen in love with candles. or, at least, placing nice candles all over my apartment. although it may seem like a frivolous obsession to some, i strongly feel otherwise. a well-placed candle is like a little perk to having a well-kept apartment. it's a little treat that you don't need that will, in fact, add that certain je ne sais quoi to your home.

this small obsession began when i discovered voluspa candles. i am in love with this company. have you heard of them? first of all, what distinguishes these candles is their wax, which is formulated through a combination of several different waxes and comes out soft and moist, as opposed to most hard wax candles. seriously, if you graze your finger atop a volupsa candle, it feels almost like hand moisturizer. this wax is also extremely long lasting, in some candles yielding as much as an 85 hour burn.

the second reason i fell in love with voluspa (and candle culture) is their price! these candles are actually affordable. unlike other luxury candle brands like votivo candles or diptyque, which run from $27 to $57, the average volupsa candle ranges from $8 to $20. and the cheaper ones are in beautifully decorated tins and burn for 45 hours, so they're not some cheapo, flimsy candles either. the $20 ones are larger, glass candlepots that are classy looking and burn for 85 hours.

looking around my room, i have 7 different voluspas: sake lemon flower, vintage tobacco vanille, yashioka gardenia, santiago huckleberry, baltic amber, french cade & lavender, yuzu rose bubble bath. although i haven't opened all of them, so far my favorite is the yashioka gardenia, which is very soft scent, but nicely takes the place of the fresh bouquet of flowers i only wish i could maintain in my bedroom. plus, i'm a sucker for gardenias. that's why i've worn this scent since it first came out.

so, where can you get your own luxurious collection of voluspas? well, at first i could only find them in a few stores around l.a. and was completely unsuccessful in stumbling upon them in new york. however, it only took me a few minutes on the company's website to brand myself an idiot when i saw, thanks to the store locater, that a gift shop called exit9 on avenue a and 4th (literally TWO AND A HALF BLOCKS AWAY FROM ME), sells them. hmph. well, at least you all don't have to make a mass candle exodus out to l.a.

to see or not to see

a week ago, i saw the wooster group's multi-media production of hamlet at the public theater. the wildly inventive, somewhat pedagogical piece is mainly based on richard burton's 1964 production of the play, which was filmed and then screen for 2 days in theaters across the country. with the burton production projected onto a screen at the back of the stage simultaneous with the present production, the cast imitates, mimics, and sometimes even fast forwards through the performance set behind them. occasionally, other versions of the famous show pop up on the screen as well.

the cast is hard-working and exceptional at bringing this challenging rendition of the play to life. and i emphasize the word "challenging", because that is really what this production is. its a detached production of a very well-known tragedy. in fact, as the picture above denotes, the play doesn't seem to be much about the play at all. instead, the focus seems more aimed towards the effects of performance and the challenges that time and technology present to performance.

so, try to see it at the public theater if you're in for some tough theater. its difficult material to watch and to analyze, but it's also a difficult three hours long. it runs until november 18th at the public theater on lafayette and astor place.

back by popular demand

a fellini-esque moment starring cate blanchett in todd haynes' i'm not there

when i was oh-so-sweetly asked by my boyfriend this morning to continue keeping up with my blog, i decided that he was right--it was time to get back into the habit. so, back my outrageous, roaring popular demand, is the fifth day of may, my pristine lil bloggie.

so, first thing's first, if you haven't read robert sullivan's story on todd haynes' i'm not there, "this is not a bob dylan movie", please do so now. because it's amazing. and after that, you can buy tickets to the film, which comes out out november 21st only at film forum. i already have tickets!

women opening doors

via a great new photo blog i stumbled upon, called i heart photograph, i found the following three photos by swiss photographer adrian sonderegger. i heart them.

dylan invokes seuss

found today on vulture.