Swimming Bare-back Downtown

reverse cowgirl...kinda

i feel some innuendos coming. (that's what she said).   I mean, when you choose a restaurant with the name "cowgirl seahorse", thoughts immediately go there, and number of positions, riding horses and ocean breezes come to mind.  so, it's with this image that I dive, eyes wide shut,  into brunch #5.

Now, first things first, I was rocking on just two hours of kinda-sorta- sleep, due to the fact that i'd been on a boat party the night before, until 4 in the morning,  surrounded by neon lights, and lots and lots of pink and orange.  This may sound thrilling and I do live in the greatest city in the world, so late nights are a natural occurrences like ambulance sirens and shouting cab-drivers.  However it was quite unfortunate that Sat nite was one the ice-coldest ones in a while, and I was in the middle of the Hudson River, on a BOAT, in costume, which is a whole other story best told another time.  I digress....

cap'n'crunch anyone?

So, it was with glitter-covered eyes, that we descended downtown, to Cowgirl Seahorse, with every chintzy piece of antler, plastic cow, horn, seahorse, fish, boat engine, net and hook ornament you would ever hope to find in a restaurant.  The spot is at the end of Front St, on MANHATTAN side, right under the Brooklyn Bridge.  I felt as though I'd been transported to one of those seaport towns in Boston whose names I can't remember because it's in Boston, so who cares.

cow jewelry

And it rocked out! It was a boss brunch with family and friends and new additions to the crew!  We had the lovely Nicole and David join us, along with brunch founders,  Christine & Steveie and my sister Jerri.  The food was divine, and I am becoming a lover of grits with cheese mixed with hot peppers and eggs and potatoes and I think I'm hungry again!

i like my marys bloody

However my darlings, the highlight for me, was the bloody marys.  My marys  were so bloody, that I was sworn into the sisterhood of vampiredom immediately... more, i say, MORE.

The plastic cow-drink jewelry went on a journey,  from the sublime to the naughty.  But, it was headed there, yes? After all, bloodys + friends + plastic toys = positions.   Plenty of positions.

 
Afterward, it was a crazy taxi ride to the west side, singing 'Seven' by Prince as loudly as we could.  Who knew we all knew the words so well?  btw Prince, we love you.

cowgy

So, that's it, UNTIL next week!

Brunch #5

PLACE: Cowgirl Seahorse
EATS: Cap n Crunch French Toast, Baja Special, Huevos Rancheros, Omelet,  grits, potatoes, and Bloodys.
TRACK : Seven - Prince (dedicated to Egypt.)
OUTSTANDING QUOTE: I'm trying to remember!!

Pre-V day goes French

BRUNCH #4

PLACE: Cafe Noir
EATS: Tortilla - swiss & white mushroom omelet, served with homefries & baby greens
TRACKS :  the time we lost our way  & heart's a lonely hunter
OUTSTANDING QUOTE:  "im so unfuckable right now."

The  pre-valentine weekend arrived quickly and with it,  a compressed laundry list of things to do: a Friday trip to the DMV, followed by a train-ride to Jersey to get my car, back to the city to get the dogs and a late-nite drive to NH for a visit with the parents.  All of this, so I could be back on Sunday for the brunch #4.   Made it, byatch!

searching for logos can be fun

Once again, another borough got shafted for Cafe Noir in the West Village.  We picked this spot because of the advertised presence of a  DJ - who didn't show till later.  We also lost out on the unlimited drinks because we thought we could sacrifice one of the criteria and ended up with none!

HOWEVER,  on a high note, the crew is growing, and it was six strong this time... Alissa, Christine, Ella, Eric, Steveie and Moi.  Cafe Noir is a pretty cool spot, nice quiet corner, with lovely moroccan flair and very friendly staff!  The bartender ROCKS.

sangria..check

So, great company, good food, a growing interest and friends sticking together for some pre-valentine get-down!  After the brunch, we took in a bit of shopping at IF Soho, and with 85% discounts, I think we can afford more brunches, werd!

Next, it was off to BK  for a singles bash including fancy speed dating and an open bar - what a recipe for a good time!  actually had more fun back at the Rivington Hotel, but yeah if you don't try it, how ya gonna buy it?

Jessica wins hands-down for the best sound-byte of the nite, as she wafted into my apartment, and sank into a graceful puddle on the floor, stating very clearly." I'm so unfuckable rite now." and there sums up the entire nite.

Next brunch is set - Cowgirl Seahorse... ride this one!

Linner is the new brunch - Sunburnt Cow-style

Forget about brunch or dinner.  The new brunch is a combination or merging of lunch and dinner = LINNER! That's what we had yesterday, what a day!  Good times had by all, from the afternoon of bloodys, 80s rock and old school house, escalating to an all-out danceathon  inpromptu super-bowl party, ending with a full-on competition on who's fete was better, ours or the boring wannabes watching us from across the street.  We won of course, I mean they were dressed in team jerseys... and actually watched the game.

First things first, however, our brunch or LINNER!  We had to change the venue,  the simple fact was that we were all too damn  lazy to go to Astoria.  Next time borough!  We had no problem choosing an old favorite - The sunburnt cow in the LES.  It had the formula of what our brunch is shaping up to look like:   Unlimited drinks - check.  DJ cranking out the tunes - doublecheck,  friends to share it with = happy check.  I think this is going to become a weekly party of something.  We must get our groove on!   The crew was Steveie and Christine and myself, and although we waited an hour, we had happy servers and a very handsome host more than happy to get us started with yummy bloodys and tasty whiskley gimlets or something like that. 

The vibe was definitely loud and crowded, and I do love the blackened curtains, keeping the sunlight out.  Perfect strategy to mess with your brain, so you think it's nighttime, all the time.  Let's stay forever!

We got a table right in front of the DJ, who was working on nostalgia-inducing moments of the 80s variety, throwing down some Billy Idol,  David Bowie, Men at Work - yeah top 10, now sing along with me - because we all know the words!!v And this brings us to our quote of the day - "this is the whitest white song that white people have come up with"  song by the Violent Femmes.  I don't remember the song, but the quote is worth repeating.

Finally got a documented picture of the food consumed, proof that we do eat at brunch.  The fries were yummy delishousness, and really after the third glass of bloody, I think I ate just to coat my belly.  Then it was back to the bar, and calling in the crew to see where the journey would take us next.


This led to picking up the ladies at "Nice Guy Eddie" , nachos 'natch, then rocking out to some super-sexy house tracks with the superbowl game in the background.  Who played again?  Who can remember, but the dancing was off the HOOK!

So there it is:

Brunch #3

PLACE: the sunburnt cow -the sunburnt cow
EATS: Queen Adelaide - poached eggs with avocado on an english muffin, hollandaise on the side, with lots o fries.
TRACK : Tears - Frankie Knuckles
OUTSTANDING QUOTE: "this is the whitest white song that white people have come up with"
NEW WORD: LINNER!

A day at Essex

this is going to be an interesting journey....i'm almost a week late from posting only the SECOND entry on the SECOND brunch, so that should say volumes.  That being said, I have realized that I have swerved away from my initial set-in-stone description of what this blog would be about.  Remember, I wanted it to be unlimited drinks,  discovering a golden rainbow of brunches hidden behind non-descriptive buildings as one wandered down unbeaten paths,  and humming along to an easily identifiable theme song for the day.  Instead, I was forced to plan on leaving for a my yearly business trip to Orlando on Sunday, celebrating A 40th birthday  with LA friends on Saturday night,  and deciding on whether or not to have the brunch on Saturday alone, or Sunday on the plane, again alone.

There were hours spent on where to eat, and finally, I decided on the Essex Restaurant on the LES.  This was recommended by Jessica, and I had great memories of brunches past, so it won the competition.  The Essex was chosen because of these main points:  I have had unlimited bloody marys there before, so it fit the blueprint of bottomless drinks.  It's in the LES, so technically off the beaten path of Upper East Side princesses and tourists, and it's close enough to everything worth being around.

The Essex was chosen, and Christine was along for the ride. After getting my hair done at Suite 303 in Chelsea, it was off to brunch, us two gals. to get our brunch on.  And this is where flexibility was to play a part in the development of this blog.  I totally expected all brunches to be filled with fairy dust and twinkle toes, a mind-blowing experience of monumental proportions.    I instead, came to realise that choices will NOT always be the best, and my criteria may not ALWAYS be met.

So, I will end with this.  Essex was not the plan I had in mind.  The wait was over TWO hours for a table for you, on a drippy cold Saturday.  The peeps were not who I wanted to hang out with for said TWO hours.  The vibe was decidedly UES/UWS/Weehawken and others.  The style of the day was bursting with young men in  button-down shirts, and khaki pants, and young non-descript ladies in their fake fur and staggered bangs.  Finally, it was pricey as in 30$ for eggs, cheese and cheap vodka.

This picture completely expresses my thought about the afternoon.  Her face speaks exactly to what I was thinking.  WTF am I doing here???  And, will I be able to drink all these marys?? 

not drunk enough

I realize to my great delight, that I don't need to go the Essex again, for brunch, or a sandwich or a drive-by.  I'm good.

Brunch 2:

PLACE: Essex Restaurant - http://www.essexnyc.com/
EATS: Mexican Matzo Brei – scrambled eggs with tortilla crisps, monterey jack, avocado, black beans & pico de gallo
TRACK : WTF?
OUTSTANDING QUOTE: "you are the shoes with the boots."


Next brunch will change your life...I promise!


Brunch #3 MexiQ Astoria.
Sunday Feb 6.

Let's do this!