Surfs Up

I've been pretty slack with the posting in the last week, but that's only because I thought I had nothing to say.  But then I realized I completely forgot to blog about the going away party I helped throw for Greg and Susan.  I'll admit, this party was thrown begrudgingly on my part since I really don't want them to leave.  Greg was one of the two people I knew when moving to New York.  He let me sleep on his couch for weeks while I was interviewing and getting settled, and when I wasn't sure this small town girl could handle the big city, he convinced me it was the right move to make.  I have spent almost my entire life within walking distance from the boy I refer to as Bosephus, so the fact that he's moving all the way across the country is not something that makes me happy.  I am, however, happy that he landed a spectacular job.  Greg is quite the advertising genius.  He is the man behind those great American Express ads and was nominated for an Emmy for the Conan O'Brien spot that I've included at the bottom of this post.  I'm not the only one who recognized his great work.  Apparently the guys over at TBWA took note, hunted him down to work on the Apple account out in LA, and made him an offer he simply couldn't refuse.  Am I sad?  Incredibly.  But friends like these deserve a nice sendoff, and since they're moving to the land of blondes, beaches, and boobs, we decided it was only fitting to throw them a California Beach Party.

True, its the middle of December so sun and sand is not something you think you'd find in the middle of New York, but Jen found just that.  In Williamsburg, immediately off the L, is a little place called Brooklyn Surf Bar.  This restaurant/bar is tiki heaven.  The entire floor is covered with a thick layer of sand and there are surf boards adorning the walls.  You'd think you were in Hawaii, but one look at all the skinny jeans, thick glasses, and ironic Members Only jackets and you'd realize you were in Brooklyn.  Since we took over the bar at 2 PM on a Saturday in December, there was no need to make a reservation and we were able to have the entire back room to ourselves.  We got several orders of the plantains and yuca for the guests to enjoy (and enjoy we did - they were perfectly fried and came with a spicy tomato-based sauce) and then it was every man for himself when it came to the drinks, which included some fun beach cocktails.  We also brought in a cake and the bar was kind enough to waive the cutting fee - in fact they were nice about pretty much everything.  A cake from a real bakery serves 8 and costs $40.  I decided to pick up a $15 sheet cake from D'Agostino's, have them write a cute message on it, and put on my own swedish fish.  It may not have tasted as amazing as the Momofuku cakes our family buys each other on bdays, but it was dirt cheap, served more people, and matched the party theme.

I'm already planning a California visit - I'll miss you, Greg and Susan!