Gonzalez y Gonzalez - WORST Mexican Food Ever

As a self proclaimed connoisseur of all things Tex-Mex I decided to take a little break from shopping in Soho and check out Gonzalez y Gonzalez. I knew it was owned by the same people as my beloved El Rio Grande, so I figured I was in for a treat. I could not have been more wrong. First of all, the service was awful. I know it was busy with all of the 5 tables of people, but we truly waited 10 minutes before someone even came to grab our drink order. Enough about that though....I will cut straight to the chase on the food. My chalupa (basically a flat taco) was like a plate of nachos and had a slightly chemical taste coupled with a smell that could only remind me of diapers and baby wipes. SICK. Maybe it was our proximity to the stairs to the rest room, but I could barely put them by my nose, let alone in my mouth. I got a similar reaction to Todd's dish. Please, I beg you......eat anywhere else.

The Inventor of the Shopping Cart Never Intended for This.

Once again...a good enough reason not to leave the island (though it does sound like fun). I can't think of a better way to spend a bitterly Chicago-esque cold night than going to Brooklyn, getting drunk, and having someone push me around in a shopping cart in a race. Registration is closed for tonight....DAMNIT! I must keep this on my calendar for next year.

Only in New York kids, Only in New York.

www.cartsofbrooklyn.com

Prostitution Ring Busted at Scores West.....SHOCKING

I guess those girls were working harder for the money than we all thought. Working the pole just got way too graphic. I have heard up close personal accounts of these 'private' rooms, and the are basically your own personal den of iniquity. I love how they actually call out the strippers arrested BY NAME in the article. How embarrassing. Selling your hole for money to strangers......that's classy!

Read all about it....

So That is What Happens to Band Nerds After High School...

Take a ride on the subway and you have the chance of seeing any type of person. Yesterday on my way home I encountered a pack of grown up band nerds. Since the six of them got on at 125th St. going downtown I assume they were some sort of music students at Columbia. They were so fascinatingly dorky I even passed up the opportunity to ride the express train so I could watch them. This was how they spent their 66 block ride: They played a sort of "guess that tune" game with classical composers and their works. They would say the first 4 notes of any piece of music (ex: b-flat, a, a minor, f) and demonstrate how their fingers would be positioned on they keys. The others would then have to guess which composer and piece they were referring to. They were getting way too much amusement out of this. You would think they were on The Price is Right except their version was complete with nerd-appropriate snort laughs, high-water pants, and the the sight of young adults racking their brains to decipher the first 4 notes of a Bach versus a Chopin. I was not surprised at all when they hopped off the subway (still playing their game) at 59th street....presumably to head to Lincoln Center to catch some famous concert pianist they all aspired to become. Truly unique.

Museum @ FIT

What a neighborhood gem I have found!! After countless times exiting the subway on 28th and 7th Ave, and walking past the Museum at FIT, I finally made the long journey down the street to check it out this past Saturday. This is a great museum if you want to grab a little culture, are fascinated by fashion, and don't have time to spend all afternoon at one of NYC's larger museum monstrosities. I took in two exhibits: one about how color has played a role in fashion over the last two hundred or so years (the black Halston is forever burned into my brain. Gorgeous), and the other is a collection of garments from Ralph Rucci (amazing craftsmanship coupled with truly modern design). It took me about an hour or so to get through both exhibits, and I am totally one of those people who reads everything. The collections rotate fairly often so there always seems to be something new. Oh ya, and best of all...it is FREE.

The Museum at FIT - 28th and 7th Ave.

Ron Mueck @ The Brooklyn Museum

I originally ventured off the island to the Brooklyn Museum to see the Annie Leibovitz's A Photographer's Life exhibit. Before waiting in the never ending line for entry I decided I might as well check out the Ron Mueck exhibit. I was blown away by the works shown. It was truly unlike anything I have ever seen before. All works are of people shaped out of fiberglass and silicone and look completely real. Before entering, the preface to the exhibit stated that you don't look at his sculptures...you watch them. Nothing could be more true. You watch them as if you are waiting for them to move or breath. The Spooning Couple (above) was my favorite. It looked so incredibly real I think I stood there for a good 10 minutes examining every last toenail and finger. Everything from the hair (inserted piece by piece) to the skin tone to the wrinkles on the feet is eerily real. Absolutely amazing. Definitely a great reason to head over to Brooklyn, and at least now you won't have to fight the Annie Leibovitz crowd.

Ron Mueck @ The Brooklyn Museum through Feb 4

Sighting: Hugh Jackman - Gotta Love the Family Man

Who: Hugh Jackman
Place: Brooklyn Museum
Details: Hottie Hugh was there with his family (aw). His daughter was obviously more entertained by playing on the stair railing than looking at Egyptian art. Not all that surprising for someone who is about 3 years old. Hugh looks at me and says, "Who needs ancient Egyptian art when you have stairs to play on" in the most gloriously sexy Australian accent (visualize me melting here). And yes, he is tall, gorgeous, sexy.....and was with his wife. The daydreams of movie premiers, red carpet appearances, couture gowns, and waking up to that face every morning vanished in an instant. Dammit.

Whole Foods vs. Fresh Direct

I understand it is cold outside, but I was leaving Whole Foods on 7th ave in Chelsea two nights ago and much to my surprise, a Fresh Direct truck stopped at the adjacent apartment building. They might as well have pulled into the loading dock for the amount of deliveries they were making. Um, Whole Foods is next door. Not across the street, not a block away, but attached to the building. I would not be surprised if there was an underground tunnel so residents could come in through the basement. I know those grocery sacks can get mighty heavy in the 50 feet door to door, but let's take the laziness down a few notches. Thanks

Splash on Thursdays

So last night was the first time I attended Splash on a Thursday night. This was one of the most hilarious/disturbing spectacles I have ever seen. First of all 90% of the go-go boys look like they are really looking forward to spring break SINCE THEY ARE 15. If you renamed this place Scores and flipped the boys with girls this place would be shut down for attracting pedophiles. Somehow that is ok if you are gay....hmmm. There was also this awful boy who was dancing on the bar in red striped man-panties and a red bow-tie. He was too much and had probably the worst "moves" I have ever seen. I was totally that girl sitting at the bar who slyly untied his shoe. Hey, at least I didn't tie his shoes together. That would have just been mean.

Fashion Disaster Fridays....Vol 4

Check out Rapunzel at the Columbus Circle subway stop. Let's hope her hair doesn't get caught in the flute. That could be disastrous. Jesus, give that woman a dollar and send her to the salon stat!

Lohan in Rehab.....I am SHOCKED! (the publicity cycle rears its ugly head)

Shocking news eh, Lindsay Lohan is in rehab. Let me entertain you with one of my conspiracy theories.....this is all part of the publicity game. Yes, you know the drill, and we have seen it before from countless young celebs. Party your ass off = lots of press = known as the "bad girl". Then, time for an image change = lots of press = known as the "girl trying to clean up her act". This also applies to sickly thin chicks (nicole, lindsay, kate) who get so skinny they are on the verge of collapse then somehow come to their senses and start eating again...both extremes making headlines in US Weekly. And many are repeat offenders in multiple categories. The cycle keeps going in a continuous back and forth which somehow garners mega publicity (I heard of this on cnn.com which is a whole other commentary on how "news" now caters to the lowest common denominator). If Lindsay really wanted to clean up her act she would remove herself and Mom, Dina, from Bungalow 4 nights a week. Hey, if you are only in shitty movies, you have to find another way to stay famous.

On a side note, doesn't Lindsay's mom totally remind you of Regina George's mom in Mean Girls? Hmmmmmmm.

The Black Lung

Viral lung infection with inflamed vocal chords = 4 days not able to speak + voodoo tea with cayenne pepper + awful cough + a fun 4 hours at NY Presbyterian Hospital. No bueno.

A Photographer's Life

Annie Leibovitz's A Photographer's Life is one of the most poignant art books I have seen. I was familiar with her work through the endless covers and spreads for Vogue she has done over the years, but I was amazed to see that most of the pictures in the book are actually from her personal life. Sure there are the few breathtaking magazine covers thrown in for good measure, but the majority of the book takes place in her home, studio, travels, and the such. She tells the story of her life through pictures: life, love, birth, death and makes the book so incredibly personal you can't help but read all the captions and study each picture as if it were your own family. The photos go in chronological order so you feel like you are going through the journey with her. I was literally moved to tears by some of the pictures. It is an absolutely wonderful collection and goes well beyond the Photoshopped celebrity delusion. This is a person sharing her life. Amazing.

Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer's Life 1990-2005

sighting: Jon Stewart is Short (yet extremely funny)

Celebrity sighting of the week: Jon Stewart walking down West Broadway with his wife and kids. That's right, the Comedy Central funny man from the Daily Show. Who knew he had time to make babies in between the nightly tongue lashing he gives conservatives and cracking jokes at Bush. Haha. Man, that guy is short.....or is it that I am just freakishly tall. Hmmmmm. I think the former.

The USA Just Got a Whole Lot Sexier

Oh sweet Jesus, this is what we have all been waiting for....straight girls and gay boys alike!!! The hair, the body, the clothes, the tats. This man oozes sex. Stalker status will hit a whole new level with this one. Posh better watch out!

The Details

Can the Government Please Keep Out of Fashion

First government regulates the size of models....now they say Dolce and Gabanna ads tell kids it's ok to play with knives. Everyone please warn the future fashionistas and gay boys who are thumbing through their mother's copies of Vogue and W at the age of 12: Do not play with knives! Trust me, there are much bigger fish to fry than this. Fashion imitates Art.....what a revelation!

D&G criticised over knife adverts

Fashion house Dolce & Gabbana has been criticised over "irresponsible" adverts which showed some models wielding knives and others with graphic wounds.

The Manhattan Mystery Smell

Once again......another reason we don't live in New Jersey. Honey, I can't.

New Jersey sniffed out as source of stench

POSTED: 11:24 a.m. EST, January 9, 2007

NEW YORK (AP) -- The gas-like odor that hung over Manhattan's streets was gone Tuesday, but city officials were still trying to pinpoint its source -- and eyeing New Jersey.

Charles Sturcken, a spokesman for the city Department of Environmental Protection, said Tuesday that his agency was pretty sure the source of the smell was along New Jersey's industrialized waterfront, just across the Hudson River from New York.

"The way we tracked the dispersion of the smell and the prevailing winds indicates that it came from New Jersey, somewhere near Secaucus," Sturcken said.

The strong odor, detectable from Manhattan's southern tip to well past Central Park, led to some precautionary evacuations, and about a dozen people were taken to hospitals complaining of difficulty breathing, Fire Department spokesman Tony Sclafani. (Watch how officials are baffled by the odor )

There was no indication that the air was unsafe, though, and no indication of terrorism, city and federal officials said.

Complaints about the odor also came from Bergen and Hudson counties in New Jersey, but no air sampling was done there because the state Department of Environmental Protection had no specific locations to test, spokeswoman Elaine Makatura said.

New Jersey Environmental Protection Commissioner Lisa Jackson said Tuesday that her agency was reviewing Monday's emission records of plants in the area.

She said the area has some oil refineries -- and that a natural gas pipeline problem could be a culprit.

"We may not be able to find it," she said.

Jackson bristled at New York officials' finger-pointing at her state, saying she wished that New York instead would help New Jersey look for the source. "It looks an awful lot like jumping to conclusions," she said.

Sturcken said that the odor could have been caused by mercaptan, the chemical added to normally odorless natural gas to make it easily detectable, but he added, "Nothing has been confirmed."

"We're left with a mystery, although we know it's not harmful," he said.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press.

Garren

Escape from the hustle and bustle of 5th Ave at 59th Street and place yourself if the lobby of the Sherry-Netherland. Walk past the doorman, through the mirrored doors, and a few quick steps up the stairs places you in one of the most elite salons for well-heeled New Yorkers. Garren Salon is take your breath away beautiful with a perfect mix of light, modernism, luxury, and warmth. I showed up as the salon was winding down on a Saturday night to get a cut from one of my best friends, Jordan Sparkes. While sipping one of the most delicious frothy cappuccinos I have ever had (in a porcelain cup and saucer none the less) I observed the Goyard toting, Chanel clad clientele with the fervor of a National Geographic reporter...these women are seriously their own breed of Upper East Side. I moved on to the reclining massage chairs to get my hair washed; this was no cheap pedicure massage number, but one of those great ones that actually rolls up and down your back. Amazing. I then sat in the chair and let Jordan and the magic scissors do the rest. Inspired by mid-90's Linda Evangelista, I look completely modern and amazing. So incredibly pleased, and I have never had such a wonderful hair experience. The Ultimate.

Garren

Sing Sing

No, I am not talking about the infamous NY state penitentiary....I am talking about the wild karaoke bar on the Lower East Side. I am not a huge karaoke person (I really think I am tone deaf), but I have never had so much fun singing my ass off in my life. Sing Sing is a completely unpretentious place, and pleasantly lacking the tool/diva/drunkard disaster stage. The best thing to do is to grab your own private room in the back where it turns into less karaoke more drunken bar singing with your friends. I think we stuffed 15 people in our room complete with big-screen TV, microphones, and couch. Oh ya....and as any Japanese businessman would require, there was plenty of booze too. Yikes. I have to advise...beware what you say post-alcoholic beverages when the mic is in your hands. The damnedest things will come out of anyone's mouth. Love it!

Sing Sing - Ave A btwn 5th and 6th Street

Sighting: Jimmy Fallon chillin in Chelsea

Celebrity sighting of the day: Jimmy Fallon riding the elevator with my roommate in our building. Evidently he was going to visit a friend on the 3rd floor for a dinner party, as he was carrying a bag of groceries. Was with a lady friend though...damn. Loves it!

Debutante Balls: The South's Sorry Excuse for a "Right of Passage"

Yet another reason I thank God I don't live in Texas anymore....I am shocked this still goes on....What is the point? How arcane is it that teenage girls don a white bridal gown, learn how to waltz, curtsy, arrange flowers, and set a perfect table. If you ask me, this is the perfect "right of passage" for the Southern Gentry to keep women in their place: either at the sorority house or in the kitchen. Jesus.

Check it out--thanks to Gawker

The Holiday

The Holiday is definitely your typical, predictable, anti-climatic holiday movie. Cameron Diaz, a stressed out LA movie business exec, and Kate Winslet, an English heart-broken newspaper writer switch homes through an exchange website over a winter holiday in hopes of escaping their troubles as well as their exes. Little do they know that each will find love through family/friends of the other. There are some really funny lines, but overall this movie was made for the sake of allowing the viewer to escape his or her own family for 2 hours over the holidays. It should be called The Holiday From Your Own Family. Jude Law and Jack Black make the movie. They are each insatiable cute in their own way, and for a minute you forget the Jude is a serial cheater and a total sleaze in real life (even though horribly sexy). I also hate to be like this (no, I really don't but I have to say that), but Cameron Diaz is an absolutely horrendous actress in this role. It has been a long time since I watched a movie and could not stop thinking about how much a character looked like they were acting as opposed to it being effortless. If you are looking for a way to kill time on a chilly winter night, this movie is a good filler....but I wouldn't expect much more than that.

The Holiday

Sauce

What may look like a tattered facade from the exterior hides a classy, casual, and inviting neighborhood restaurant and bar in my beloved Chelsea. I initially came across this place for a friend's birthday party the day after I moved to NYC, so I didn't discover what a gem this was until later. Who knew that you could not only serve booze, but have great food too. It is usually pretty quiet and perfect for catching up. I love that you can hold a conversation without worrying about the people next to you breathing on your food or someone at the bar adding a side of vodka sauce to your dinner. It has a nice wine list, and the food is really quite good too. I really loved the monkfish with truffle mashed potatoes (though it was a little on the salty side), and my friend got the porkchop which he enjoyed as well. I have also had the roasted beet and arugula salad which was amazing for something on the lighter side. Beware of the spicy tuna crostini though, they are not kidding when they say spicy. Yikes. All in all, this is a great spot for a casual night when you really can't bare to be expected to actually cook for yourself....definitley have the folks at Sauce give you a break.

Sauce - 9th Ave @ 22nd

New Year's Resolutions

Now that the hangover has officially subsided, I can formally and frankly declare my 2007 New Year's Resolutions:

• Get more manicures and pedicures - it's never bad to pamper yourself a little
• Make bed in the morning - regardless of how messy a room is, if the bed is made it makes a world of difference
• Stop deciding it is a good idea to walk home when I am completely intoxicated - not safe
• Limit myself to one bagel a week - I read somewhere that you can gain 30 pounds in a year by eating a bagel every day
• Party like an absolute rockstar....you only live once, and what better place to be than NYC.
  

I know wonderful things are coming in 2007..........