Oh Hi, July

Can there be a more perfect day?

cheap food & free finds

those might be the things I love the most

by cheap food, I don't mean just any normal eats

I mean pizza, from Artichoke

the most epic slice of pizza ever to exist,

and coincidently the best in the city

this is the pizza I dream about while eating Baccio's take out at Vassar

(and just in case any non Vassar people, by some odd chance,

visit Poughkeepsie, Baccio's margherita pizza is a lovely,

olive oil laden, addiction-in-a-box)

just by the line that is perpetually snaking out of the small shop,

you can tell, this pizza is not to be missed

14th between 1st and 2nd is a sea of people making their way through a mammoth slice

some stand at the counter, sit on sparse wooden benches, loiter on every staircase available, and others just simply stand on the sidewalk,

because when you're in pizza-bliss, location hardly matters

the price just went up to 4.50 a slice, but it is massive & oh so worth it

I'm impressed with anyone who could finish their own slice

it's creamy, super savory with such a thick crust

think a few normal slices stacked,

slathered with an intoxicating spinach artichoke concoction and pieces of artichoke hearts

yes, it is a two plate pizza

Not only was there great pizza in my life today, but lots of freebies

I was pleasantly surprised as I walked down Ludlow St.

to find bags & boxes full of books, and old records

I went through that awkward moment of looking at the treasures,

and wondering whether these discarded items

were actually up for the taking, or if I got too close

someone would emerge from the shadows, and claim the stuff

embarrassing me, and crushing my dreams of free stuff

luckily, as I spied the Complete Vegetarian's Cookbook

I could not resist and I got past my apprehension,

to find out, it all was free!

I grabbed that cookbook (which can be bible # 2, seeing as I already have my Zagat 2010)

as well as the Tao Te Ching, a book on yoga & consciousness,

Kite Runner, the Canterbury Tales, and some vintage records

other people were encouraged by our searching and soon there was a small crowd

picking through books, shoes and records

this is why I love New York City,

you can be a broke intern, and shopping is still possible

in other news,

today is a celebration, I ordered Food Network magazine.

Hi Summer, I promise to cherish you.

To make a long story short

let's just say, I finally got my life back

and thank god because I recently suffered a rude awakening

when I received a picture message from my brother

of a Vassar bug that had come to wreak havoc in my apartment

with its long, spindly, abundant legs

rapid movements, and general fear inducing grossness

technology never fails to (literally) disgust me

and it took me back to those nights where whilst I screamed & cowered

my roommate would calmly attempt to trap these horrific bugs and get rid of them

and sadly I remembered the night one of the creatures fell into my bed,

never to be found

how this monstrosity ended up in my apartment, hours away from Poughkeepsie

still baffles me

but it was an omen, that bug said "oh hey gurrrrl,

your summer is flying by"

Sophmore year is soon approaching, love life while you can"

I'm quite thankful for the bug (I never got to actually witness it)

I miss the summers when jobs didn't matter

and on my little street in Astoria someone would open the fire hydrant

sending a gush of frigid water that all the kids on the block

could run through, cooling down, filling up empty Poland Spring bottles

to spray at each other

and kids from other blocks would come

excited by the impromptu & illegal sprinkler

we would block traffic, squirting water guns and screaming

and on the days where the sprinklers didn't come to us

the days were filled with big boxes of sidewalk chalk,

hand-scrawled hopscotch boards with pebbles sprinkled on the numbered squares

while eating italian ices, that never failed to drip cherry red all over our t-shirts

there were the countless hours spent riding my Yaak scooter

(Razors were just too expensive)

rolling down the small grassy hills of Astoria Park and

playing with my Skip-It, watching the numbers on the dial

hundreds of revolutions, and I would be worn out

I can't find my Skip-It, so now, a decade later

I settle for sweet picnics,

I abandon the age old pb&js for brick oven pizza,

the frozen Capri Sun pouches for Arnold Palmer Arizona

letting the smell of the grass, and the cherry juice that stains my fingertips

incite my nostalgia.

Birthdays & Saturdays [Things I Love]

So I've been MIA from Sleeping Venus

for the past week, because I've been in midtown

full time, everyday working for Paper Magazine

I can sum it up with: rotten flowers,

hunting for the perfect shade of chartreuse taffeta,

Excel, desperately trying to get Marc Jacob's assistant on the phone,

holding real life prison letters from Michael Alig (I die)

and wanting to have Pinkberry for lunch everyday with an empty wallet

oh, the life of an intern

but onto other things

like all the lovely things that happen on Saturdays and birthdays

and all the wonderful noms and sights

the things I love:

Good restaurants!

like Risoterria, where I went on my bday

(I'm 19, I'm nearly a dinosaur, even though 19 is one of those really liminal ages...)

it is on Bleecker Street,

which is easily becoming my new favorite place

not only did I get to have all my favorite foods on my birthday

(a momlet, ice cream, pizza)

but the pizza was brick oven,

mozzarella, asparagus, and white truffle oil

and white truffle oil just makes everything sexy

did I mention this restaurant gives you free one and a half feet long breadsticks,

yes, breadsticks,

I'm totally smitten with any place that gives free bread

anyhow, this pizza was mind blowingly delish

and I want it every single day, desperately

Candy!

not just any candy though, my new obsession is grapefruit gummies

and my not so new obsession is basically anything from Economy Candy on Rivington

it's so authentic, and its one of the only places where I can find

vintage goodies

like Sixlets and Bottle Caps

its also one of the only candy places that doesn't feel gourmet & overpriced

so it makes me feel really nostalgic

I'm dying for a little lunchbox tin from there

so I can tote my peanut butter & jelly sandwich and my apple to work everyday in style

what's better than good restaurants and candy?

getting Thai takeout to eat at Tompkins

so romantic

since it was just impossible to squeeze in pad thai on my birthday

I had it the next day, and it was everything I wanted

a lunch special from Tara Thai on First Ave

a sunny day in the park

bull dogs with chubby paws

and lots of pup watching

why is it that lime tastes so good on pad thai?

it really gives it a depth of flavor

(everyday I consider going to culinary school instead of Vassar)

one day I'm going to own my own food joint

it will happen, even with a Sociology degree

and it will be made possible

by all the hours I spend watching the food networking and food joint hopping

I can't even tell you how many ways I know how to prepare pork loin

my fave recipe is for an herb crusted pork loin

but I'm a vegetarian....

I also love getting free ice water at Starbucks,

and it's even better when it belongs to someone else

sorry William, but this girl was so thirsty

thanks for helping a sista out

And it's totally awesome when streets in the city happen to look like Europe

I could sort of feel like I'm in Delft, or Harrlem

maybe even Tuscany, if I squint...and ignore all the cabs

Lastly, I gotta love Washington Square Park

street performers and the wonderful sounds of doo wop,

fleetingly beautiful sand art by Joe Mangrum (he is amazing),

botanical garden worthy flowers

eccentric couples

frolicking children,

and that refreshing fountain mist

are more than enough to keep me smiling all summer long.

Photo Diary

Today was a best day

a long walk, famous gelato

from Cones on Bleecker

the hazelnut literally tastes like eating a Ferrero Rocher chocolate

and the white chocolate just blew my mind

it was expensive,

but oh so worth it to sit on a random stoop

with the 8 dollar cone dripping on my skirt

as I tried to get every last bit of white chocolate deliciousness

I also had my first slice of real (nonvegan) New York pizza since being home (nomlicious)

there was also an impromptu dance parade on St. Marks

and an unexpected street fair

(that was sadly all out of my fave Thai springrolls)

and lots of other beautiful sights

I don't think there is much that's better than cradling dumplings & beautiful architecture.

Home Sweet Home

I got home yesterday

and let me tell you, the LES is looking beautiful

I've really learned my lesson

I promise to pack lighter next year

maybe I"ll bring only 20 pairs of shoes next time

but, this morning

I woke up in a room, alone

and it felt good

I could hear all the traffic on the Williamsburg bridge

and right outside my room door

was a patiently waiting pup

just dying to play fetch and lay on the couch

I had my mom's Spanish coffee

right out of my Hello Kitty mug

(college coffee is so nasty)

and a mom-let

with yellow american cheese on white bread

my classic favorite food

there was Spongebob

and lots of revolutionary things happened

Spongebob got round pants, and a booty

Patrick turned into a sexy woman complete with blond pigtails and red lipstick

I must say, he was a hottie

it feels so good to be home

where everyone wears shoes at all times

each street smells like a different type of food

halal is always the most tantalizing

and sometimes you run into a street fair (which made me oh so happy)

thai spring rolls, nom

and you don't see the same face,

or the same college sweatshirt or

ethnic print harem pants (oddly popular at Vassar) twice

I was just speechless as I walked around

I forgot how beautiful Essex Street is, it's an acquired taste type of beautiful

but lovely, and welcoming all the same

I got reacquainted with my non-edible-double-decker love Forever

I was on the L train and I had the fleeting worry

"oh my god, I have so much reading to do tonight"

I forget that those are the worries of the past,

goodbye Art History flash cards

(they really got to my head, I was working in the library the other day

and as I scanned out some books for a girl,

instead of telling her the due date, May 21,

I handed back the book and said 1921)

but, the triumph of the day was the noms

vegan Pizza from Vinnie's in WillyB

Barbeque chicken slice with vegan cheese

I load on the hot sauce and parmesan cheese and I'm just in heaven

granted, when I eat spicy food I feel like my lips swell

but it hurts so good

and who doesn't like a lil added lusciousness.