Ride 'Em Cowboy

Over the weekend, Dave and I decided it was time to get out of the cold and do something fun, so we shuffled ourselves over to MSG to enjoy the PBR.  Who am I kidding - we've had this planned for months, and I have been counting down the days, anxiously anticipating the time for beer and bulls. 
First of all, let me point out that PBR does not stand for Pabst Blue Ribbon.  Well, it does - but not in this instance.  PBR is the acronym for Professional Bull Riding - three amazing words, even better when strung together.  After spending my senior year at UGA working with the Great Southland Stampede Rodeo, the only student-run, professionally sanctioned rodeo event in the country, I was infinitely glad to have a little bit of Southern fun up here in NYC.


Allow me to set the scene.  The cowboy boot wearing crowd turned out in droves to watch each rider attempt to last 8 seconds on animals with names like Chicken on a Chain and Lacey Balls.  Please note, unlike rodeos in the South, I think only about .5% of this crowd actually dresses like this on a normal basis.   The rest came from Murray Hill and purchased their flannel shirts at Urban Outfitters specifically for the occasion.  Posers.  Nonetheless, it looked like everyone walked straight out of a Field & Stream catalog and made for some good ambiance.


For all those who laughed when I told them what I was doing over the weekend, I will have you know it was a solid evening and you should seriously consider joining us next year.  The night was even better when combined with some of my homemade pulled pork sandwiches (my new favorite thing to cook) pre-PBR and a stop for some mac & cheese, fried pickles, and spinach-artichoke dip at Brother Jimmy's after (not like the Southern food at home, but it'll do in a pinch).  I plan to throw more things like this onto the event roster in the near future.  Next up: monster trucks in March.  Who's with me?

TESStimonial

For those of you readers who doubt my authority, I would like to submit a review from my latest satisfied customer, Avery Budman.


My dear friend Aves was traveling to NYC from her current home in the Nation's Capital for a couple days over X-mas.  Although I was to be home in GA and therefore unable to enjoy her company, she asked me to provide a list of my fave (but not overly pricey) NYC restaurants with veggie options so she could test out my food-finding skills.  I gave her an exhaustive list, but unfortunately, she only made it to one.  Lucky for her, she picked a goodie: Pommes Frites.


Pommes Frites is a tiny, dark nook on 2nd Ave and 8th that serves only belgian fries and an array of sauces - 32 to be exact.  Who doesn't love fries?  Fried potatoes are amazing on their own, but both delicious and fun when paired with dips and served in a giant cone.  I haven't yet made it through all the sauces, but so far my top choices are the smoked eggplant mayo, rosemary garlic mayo, sundried tomato mayo, and peanut satay.  Next on my list is the pomegranate teriyaki mayo.  They're tasty any time of the day, but they're open late so if you happen to have spent an evening around the East Village bar scene, this makes for some great drunk food.


If reading about this place isn't enough to convince you to go, just take it from Avery.  Immediately after snacking there, I received a text saying the place was amazing, so I asked her to elaborate: "Pommes Frites was well worth the subway ride we took just to go there. If you're going to have a restaurant devoted to just one item, they better be good -- and pommes frites was the ultimate. Each potato was perfectly crisp, the sauce selection is unrivaled and each bite brings a little bit more happiness to your life. French fries at their best."


Thanks, Aves - glad you enjoyed!  Next time, I plan to be around so we can explore the NYC food scene together.


So there.  See Mom, I do know what I'm talking about!

Embrace the Fat

Taco Bell is my favorite fast food establishment.  I love it.  I once ate $10.73 worth of food there.  Do you realize how much that is when the cost of an item hovers around $.89?!  That said, I must comment on those awful new Taco Bell Diet commercials.

If you're really trying to lose weight, how's this for a Taco Bell Diet - don't go to Taco Bell!  While it pains me to say such a thing (I dare say it's darn near blasphemous), we can all admit that it's not the healthiest option.  If you really want to lose a whopping 54 lbs like the gal in the commercial, it may be time to skip the drive thru altogether. 

Taco Bell, you are fast food, and great fast food at that. In fact, I would go as far as to say that you have become a master of speedy cuisine. Own it. Don't try to be something you're not. When I roll up to The Bell, I don't want to be reminded of the fact that I could be eating something healthier. Of course I could; I'm just trying to forget it, and throwing such a reminder in my face is sure to ruin the taste of my Cheesy Gordita Crunch.

The Rising Professionalista

My friend and former colleague Nikki Nash has one of those great full names that just rolls off the tongue, mandating both first and last names be used at all times, kinda like Ricky Bobby.  In addition to having a great name, Ms. Nash is quite the go-getter.  While pursuing her MBA, she has decided to create a blog aimed at helping young women succeed in the workforce.  Check out her great work-related insights at The Rising Professionalista

Oscar Buzzzzzz

The hype is much deserved.  Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire is a truly exceptional film.  Mo'Nique deserves an Academy Award as her performance was nothing short of stunning.  If you have not yet seen this film, get thee to the nearest movie theater as soon as possible.  And if you manage to sit through the entire movie without bawling your eyes out...well I just don't know what say to you.

Welcome to 2010!

We are only a few days into 2010 and it's already a good year.  I firmly believe this is because I rang in the new year by singing karaoke at Japas 27.  Karaoke is indubitably Japan's biggest contribution to pop culture.  I can think of nothing better than sharing a room and a bunch of pitchers with my best friends, singing the kind of monster ballads advertised in infomercials.  Follow that up by watching the ball drop from the top floor of a building on 42nd street and eating pizza.  Done.  There is no way 2010 can be bad when it begins like that.

If you have not embraced the karaoke phenomenon, I ask you where you live - under a rock?  Even if your city doesn't have special bars devoted to the practice of tearing apart songs, I'm pretty sure you can buy your very own machine at Radio Shack.  If, on the other hand, you do recognize the numerous benefits of embarrassing yourself in public to your own personally developed soundtrack, I suggest you consider this activity when planning your next new years bash.

Happy New Year!!!!

The ball dropping

Bowl Game + Bowls of Food

While UGA did not play in what would be considered by most standards to be an important bowl game, we did manage to seriously damage the Texas A&M Aggies in the Independence Bowl with a record 44 points.  That would be the 13th consecutive bowl game appearance and 45th overall, in case you weren't counting. The Konter/Sand fam gathered to celebrate the occasion with a very yummy tailgating spread:

• Matt and Jen prepared brisket sliders.  Kinda spicy, kinda sweet, all delish.  
• Matt also came to the table with some kick-ass guac.  There was a definite bite to it, but not so much that a beer didn't wash it down perfectly.
• Allison prepared a serious tuna ceviche dish, tossed with avocado, peppers, and an amazing sauce.
• My mommy made her highly addictive artichoke heart dip.  She made a double recipe since I single handedly ate the regular portion.
• I made a portobello mushroom and goat cheese crustini - tasty and easy
• 2 kinds of chicken wings, courtesy of Fresh Market
• We finished it all off with brownies from Matt and Allison's grandma, who happens to be a baker extraordinaire - her mandel bread was even featured in the paper...ok it was in the Savannah Jewish News, but that is technically a paper even if it is only two pages long and pretty much consists of articles about people related to me since my family comprises just about the entire Jewish population of Savannah.