Binary Tuberculosis

Oh man, non-stop week for TB here. My little sister was visiting me for ten days, it ruled, but oh so tiring. I think I averaged ~4 hours of sleep a night, work was horrendous the next day, but it didn’t matter. Also, I think I’ve eaten more this past week than I have in a long long time.

Checked out the new Potter flick in IMAX 3D, abso-freakin-amazing, check it if you can. Went over to Excelsior for her birthday dinner. If you get a chance, please check out the “Shallow” Fried Maine Sea Scallops, they’re honestly the best prepared scallops my taste buds can remember. We also tried the Hudson Valley Foie Gras, which failed to impress me, I will not be trying that again. The salmon, my main course, was perfectly glazed, a very slight crisp on its edges and the center being beautifully pink and flavorful. We ended our meal with a Peanut Butter Tart for dessert. My friends, even on a full stomach I could not stop myself from enjoying the peanut buttery chocolately sexness of that dessert.

Later in the week we checked out Oleana, the Mediterranean inspired chef showed his range in all the dishes I could see on the menu. The Warm Organic Kalamata Olives were a given, we had to get the pre-appetizer appetizer. Warm olives, surprisingly rememberable, never had warm olives plain before, I think I prefer them that way now. Ordered the Grilled Octopus with Spicy Sicilian-Style Bread Salad & Cauliflower as our appetizer. It wasn’t the best octopus I’ve had, but the breading made up for its elastic taste. I was excited about ordering the Softshell Crab Saganak, but was let down in the end. Maybe it was cooked too much or not enough (I’m no cook), but I’ve had better soft-shell crab before. I did very much enjoy the stewed tomato, fennel, and peppers stew around the crabs though, but the crabs themselves were mediocre. The dessert as usual is my highlight (I love sugar), the Sicilian Almond Cremolata with Warm Chocolate Panino. It arrived, huge on a small plate, all eyes in the room looking toward the server and the ladies on the next table let out a soft “oooh” while they look over from their menus deciding on an appetizer. I don’t know what it was made of, but I do remember ice-cream as the seed in a sweet, almost-roasted marshmellow like, fluffy glaze fruit.

I did have to bail on a Modest Mouse and Yeah Yeah Yeahs festival the first weekend my sister arrived, but I would do it again. She’s back home now, awaiting the start of a new school year, all the best.

Oh, and the new apartment is coming along nicely, I’m almost broke, but the place looks a lot better. Only a few more things to toss on my credit card, ugh.