In the Headlights

Bush Dinner

A fundraiser for George W.  NOT!

Just got back from White Oak a little while ago.  What a wonderful weekend.

The first evening, after touring the research and veterinary facilities, and watching Hazari and Kafir play tug-of-war, we all changed into nice-casual and boarded two river boats to take us to our bush dinner.  The trip took about an hour at dusk, and we were treated to wine and some great appetizers on the trip.

These photos were taken with my ATT Tilt phone.  I didn't have pockets or carry a purse, and didn't want to lose my camera.  We had chicken breast chunks spiced with a dry rub and cooked on a grill, with a great taragon dipping sauce.  There were plantain chips and a kind of sweet guacamole that was very good.  Finally, there were skewers of rubbed beef chunks interspersed with chunks of orange and grilled.  Never had grilled orange before, but it tasted great.

 

We finally reached our destination, The Brickyard, which is on the far end of the White Oak property.  As we approached, we could see fires along the shoreline.  There was a huge bonfire at the site, with about ten formally set tables.  Peripherally, there were several shallow pit fires as well, so even though it got chilly out, we were never cold.

Besides, the alcohol flowed like, well, like wine. (I can't find the menu, though I could have sworn I brought one home.  This is from memory.)   The first course was floured sauteed perch chunks.  Next came a soup with vegetables and spicy peppers.  The main course included two kinds of meat:  quail and venison.  Both were delicious.  I'm usually a bit leery of venision, having eaten some gamy meat on occasion.  This was rare, and tasted delicious.  Dessert was a passion fruit mousse.  Light and tasty.  Each dish was designed to have some African connection, since White Oak is dedicated to animal conservation and is involved in some projects in Africa.  The guest for the weekend is Laurie Marker who runs the Cheetah Conservation Fund, based in Namibia.

A White Oak Safari

By the time this posts, I'll be at White Oak. 

Once a year, they have a weekend dedicated to "Celebration of White Oak."  Donations are tax deductible.  The experience, unforgetable.  You can come for the weekend, as I am, or for the Sunday afternoon celebration, as Sandy is.  We are both staying in a cottage Sunday night, returning Monday, so we can party hardy Sunday night without the one-hour drive back to J'ville.

It starts at noon on Sturday, March 1, with a gourmet lunch.

Then an afternoon of activities, like "Cheetah Cub Encounters," and "Rhino, Bird and Antelope Game Drives."  Or you can have an "Okapi Encounter" or a research or veterinary tour, kayaking or nature walk.  Or boating, sporting clays, horseback riding, golf, or just plain goofing off at the big game room (i.e., bar).

In the evening, there is the "Sundowner River Cruise", with cocktails and light hors d'oeuvres cruising down the river, and then a "Formal Bush Dinner", with a formal fireside meal.

Sunday morning activities are similar to the Saturday selection.  then from 2 PM to 7:30 PM, the celebration itself, with special toursand cheetah encounters, followed by cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, and remarks by John Lukas, President of Gilman International Conservation, and discussions with field researchers from Africa and Conservation Center staff.

Then dinner.

The Honorary Chair is Isabella Rossellini.

A nice vacation for moi, and all I have to use is one vacation day. 

I'll share pictures.

Times Square vs. Mars

When Shawn and I were in New York, we were delighted to see the Naked Cowboy in Times Square, in his hat, briefs, boots and guitar.  It was about 30 degrees outside, but he was gamely working the tourists, particularly the women, many of whom wanted a photo op with him.

Shawn sent me this link to a story in the New York Post about Robert Burck, the Cowboy himself, cast as David, battling Goliath.

It seems that Mars, the candy company has a new billboard featuring a blue M&M in hat, boots, tighty whities and guitar.  At first, Burck found it amusing, maybe even flattering, but eventually realized that the company was making money on his invention.  They will duke it out in Manhattan federal court.

I think he's right.  The video billboard shows M&Ms in various tourist spots in New York, but in this case, they have usurped a known character without permission.  I hope he wins.

UPDATE:  The N.Y. Post story was from the 13th.  From the Wall Street Journal Feb. 15:  Mars took down the billboard, after ignoring a cease-and-desist letter filed in January.  Guess they didn't like their chances of winning the suit.

 

       vs

Party Like a Rock Star

Bored?  Have trouble deciding on your next trip?  LC sent us this idea, from Budget Travel.

You too can live vicariously through movie and music stars who have more money than sense.  This article features ten celebrity-trashed hotel rooms.  Visit the Flint, Michigan Holiday Inn where The Who rocker Keith Moon celebrated his 21st birthday, complete with a food fight, a fire extinguisher fight, driving a Lincoln Continental into the pool, and finally slipping on a piece of marzipan and knocking out his front teeth.  He claimed it claimed the hotel damages amounted to $24,000. (I think that's excluding the Lincoln.)  And that's in 1967 dollars.    Remember that in 1967 you could buy a new Mustang for about $2000.

Compared with legends like Moon, latter-day celebs like Lindsay Lohan, Amy Winehouse and Courtney Love are so lame.

Each celebrity blurb is accompanied by the link to the hotel the incident happened in, accompanied by the going rate for a room.  Just think, you could stay in the same hotel, and if you play your cards right, the same room that Billy Idol destroyed.  Of course, you'd have to go to Bangkok for that.

I think Keith Moon won the contest. I'm so proud.  After all, he was Talkin' 'bout My Generation.

[Image of Keith Moon from Wikipedia]

Steak Au Poivre

Watching "Ratatouille" reminds me that I haven't told you about a wonderful (and simple) French dish I had at Benson's Steak House.  Early in December, before it got brutally cold in the Northeast, Shawn and I found ourselves in Manhattan, and one thing I like to do when I get there is make a beeline for Benson's.  I've been there five or six times now.  The first time, I was walking around in the cold, trying to decide where to eat, and liked the menu in the window and the inviting look of the place.  I walked in, asked if they could fit in a single with no reservation, and they gave me a small table by the wine cooler with a view of the dining room.  Each time I've gone in by myself, they've made room for me, even though the place is always packed.

Shawn and I had a charming table in the crowded restaurant, and I had, as I have before, one of the biggest Gibsons I've had anywhere.  No mistaking my order and bringing me a vodka martini here!  Our waiter was charming, and even let Shawn take his picture.

I ordered a full-sized tenderloin done au poivre, cooked rare.  It was luscious.  The fact that it sat like a gut bomb afterward is neither here nor there.  It was either that or the basket of bread I ate waiting for the steak and creamed spinach to arrive.

Shawn had a tenderloin and a delicious potato dish.  We shared the potatoes and spinach.

Steak au poivre (sometimes called "pepper steak", but not to be confused with the "pepper steak" that denotes beef cooked with green bell peppers) involves pounding crushed (not ground) peppercorns into the steak at room temperature, then searing it over high heat, and deglazing the pan with cognac and cream, which is then poured over the steak. 

Every tender bit, dragged through the sauce.  Succulent.  Savory.   

And the service was great.  It was fun to watch the waiters navigate the crowded room with dessert carts, huge lobsters, trays of drinks.  No wonder I like going back there.

Cheesy Sculpture

 

Interesting sculpture carved from a wheel of parmigiano Reggiano, in the lobby of the hotel we stayed in in New York.  I doubt they'll ever grate that puppy to put on top of my pasta...

Walking Through the Village and Into the Past

Shawn and I have been in New York since Thursday.  Saturday, we took the subway to Greenwich Village.  Taking the subway is always an adventure, but we got where we wanted to go without incident and without getting lost.

All the photos here were taken by Shawn, because I forgot to bring my camera.

  Where we wanted to go was Cafe Asean, which Shawn's friend Marina said we had to try.  Asean is an acronym for Association of SouthEast Asian Nations.  So it has food from Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, India, and others.  We had a nice meal there.

Before we left, we scoped out the fact that the best hot chocolate in New York City was to be found at The City Bakery, a hop, skip and jump from Cafe Asean.  She had posted on the best hot chocolate to be had in New York, and this one ranked the best.  Made from melted chocolate to which milk is added, and a home-made marshmallow, we figured we HAD to have it.

We got there just before it closed and decided to share a huge cookie with the chocolate.  The thing is, the chocolate was so rich, it was cloying.  It tasted like melted mousse, or pudding that hadn't set up yet.  Too-too.  I think it might have been melted chocolate to which cream or half-and-half is added.  So I'm glad we went there, I would have wondered forever about the very best hot chocolate, but I'm not going back.  It was like drinking molted chocolate cake.

Afterward, we walked to Fifth Avenue and down to Washington Square.  On the way, we passed a dorm I had lived at a million years ago, when I went to NYU.  It was old then, more so now, but it looks in better shape now.  Then we went to Washington Square, past streets that used to be filled with head shops.  The Square's a lot different now, too.  

Anyway, I got a bit nostalgic, both about the dorm and about the Square.  Washington Square had a huge tree under the arch, and roving, singing Santas.  Not too many people, though, I guess because it was too cold. 

We walked about a bit, partially to digest dinner and our rich dessert.  Took Shawn's photo with some Santas.  She said one of them was drunk as hell, and kept leering at her and asking her if she'd been a good (nudge, nudge, wink, wink) girl.

After an amble, we walked westward back to 6th avenue and the subway stop we had gotten off on.

Thanks for letting me use the photos, Shawn!

By the Time I Get to La Guardia...

I'll be in the air by the time this posts.

Non-stop Jacksonville to New York.

My friend Jeannie gave me some drink coupons to use on the flight.  That should soften the pain of the taxi ride to the hotel when I get there.

Shawn Lea's coming up for a few days as well.  In fact, our planes land within a few minutes of each other, so we will meet at the baggage claim and cab in together.  That, too should soften the pain of the taxi ride.

No specific plans, haven't bought any show tickets.  In fact, if the strike hadn't resolved, we'd have had to rely one eating and drinking for our entertainment, without any shows. 

I promised we could do the Radio City Christmas show, so we'll have to do that, and I'll bore you with more of the same places I took photos of last year, probably.  I would like to see The Year of Magical Thinking if we can get tickets and get there (Damn, no we can't.  It played its last Broadway performance in August).  Anyway, we'll think of something to do.

San Juan Culinary Festival

When we were in San Juan, one evening a couple of us took a taxi into Old San Juan

We had a drink, then started to walk around the streets.  It seemed pretty quiet.  Then we heard music in the distance, and in short order, a street band appeared, followed by quite a number of people.

  Naturally, we followed. The music was great.  We were trying to figure out what this could be about.  A spontaneous party?  Someone in the crowd told us that the man leading the parade was a senator.

We finally got on a main street, and there were tables and booths lining the cobbled street.  People giving food and drink samples and selling food were in the booths.  The band settled into a central area and continued to play.  We kept walking up the street, and there were signs saying it was the San Juan Culinary Festival (the SOFO...South of Fortaleza) Culinary Festival.

It was great.  A lot of restaurants were open on the street and we decided to eat in a tapas bar.  We had some of the best ahi tuna on the planet, and some ham and cheese croquetas, with churros for dessert.

To wash it down, mojitos...regular, raspberry and coconut. 

What a beautiful city, what nice people, what great food.

What a great evening.

[Image via Oof Restaurants]

I found a couple of links to SOFO festivals on YouTube, here and here.  The second is the culinary festival time-lapse film below.  Also, I took some photos with my phone, but they didn't turn out well.  Sorry.

The El San Juan Resort

The Dancesport Classic competition was held at the El San Juan Resort and Casino in (surprise) San Juan, Puerto Rico.  I mentioned before that when we got there, my room turned out to be a sweet suite.

   

Despite that, I spent most of my time outdoors.  Here's why:

That last shot's of the pool bar, where I spent a few happy hours.

As well as some time walking the beautiful beach.  The water is full of seaweed.

I'm ready to go back.  Wonder if I could get a job as a bellhop.