Fun Facts Friday

1. The West Village never gets old. I think I fall more in love with this area of the city every time I’m there, meandering around with no real agenda and happening upon great restaurant after great restaurant. Last night’s stumble-upon on Carmine St. just might have been one of the best discoveries yet: Market Table. Everything about this place was right up my alley, and I will for sure be returning. The food was fresh and delicious, the atmosphere airy and rustic in an upscale farmhouse sort of way, and the service was excellent. Big win all around.

rustic decor, a grapefruit basil agave margarita, and the bill tucked into a “sign me” guest book (i wrote a little poem, naturally)

Arctic Char Avocado Tar-Tar (best thing I’ve had in a long time) and Grilled Halibut

2. I’m hooked on this juicing thing after just one experiment. I don’t know how we lucked into such a delicious concoction considering we did zero measuring or planning or anything other than shoving things we liked into the whirring machine, but our first time totally rocked. I’m way geeked up about trekking to work with my very own juice in tow. It’s like a little healthy secret snug inside my purse (and hopefully not spilling everywhere).

I’m tempted to drop everything and open up a juice bar. That, or frozen sangria. I’m stuck on this weird conviction that that could also be a “thing.” Don’t ask.

However, U30 and I both discovered something unusual after drinking our juice: a “juice buzz.” Has anyone else experienced this? It’s this weird, heady, buzz-like sensation, like we’re getting high off the ginger or the kale or something else in there. I Googled this phenomenon and found a message board with this hilarious response to someone else’s similar reaction:

“I’m afraid you guys have caught a case of the hippie. I recommend lots of anti-bacterial soap and rare steak until it passes.”

 

I don’t appreciate a steak in any form, but I certainly appreciate some hippie humor. All day, every day.

 

 

3. Flowers are lovely things to get when you don’t expect them. They make great “just because” gifts, even between friends. I met a friend for dinner last night, and he got me flowers for his birthday. I got him a card with glitter on it and made him go to the bathroom so I could write it out at the bar. And then I made him carry the flowers around all night so people thought they were his (or that he was my bodyguard).

 

It seemed to make sense at the time…I feel like something might have gotten lost in the telling. Or maybe I’m just not as cute as I think. That could be it. Yep, that’s probably it.

 

 4. I’ve recently become fascinated with the phenomenon of bioluminescence and somehow transporting myself to a place where I can float in a glowing sea of living microorganisms. I prefer not to know what they look like or if I’ll feel them, because I might get skeeved out, but the pictures are just so utterly astounding and unearthly and I need to see this for myself. Nothing so weirdly creepy ever seemed so beautifully appealing. I think I secretly must be harboring dreams of being in a sci-fi flick. Or the Life of Pi (minus the whole dehydrated in the ocean and almost dying part).

 

 

 
5. John Mayer’s new album Paradise Valley dropped this week. Yes, this is exciting news in my life. Despite his inability to stay out of the tabloid hoopla and indecisiveness over which A-list celeb chick to date-and-drop next, I can’t get enough of this guy. Loved his music from day one, will love it til my days are done (ba dum dum). I admit I downloaded it before listening to it but I can’t wait to love every second, even if I don’t quite get — but still am thoroughly amused and intrigued by — the quilted cowboy vibe. However, the country twang he’s bestowed upon this set of songs simply, effortlessly just works (even if the new-fangled-hipster-American-pioneer-meets-Lone-Ranger-get-up borders on baffling).

 

 

The first time I saw him was in a tiny little music hall in Montreal when I was 20, before he released any major albums, and I was an instant barnacle of a fan who never looked back. Tried and true. His lyrics and voice get me every time, and so many memories of my 20s are indelibly laced with his songs. Sure, he may have created a place for himself in the cheesey corners of pop-culture America, but everytime he sings, I believe it’s for me. So I guess that just makes me a cheeseball too. 🙂 

 

Happy weekend!

Questions: Anything good you’ve been excited about lately? Who’s a musician you can’t do without?