My first car—back in 1988— was a silver 1984 Impulse with a manual. Taught myself how to drive stick in that car and hooned the absolute shit out of it. It wasn’t fast, but it cornered really, really well. NP, for nostalgia alone.

I took this very trip just before Passover in 1991 when I was studying at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. I recall there being a delay at Rafah, but nothing crazy. It was a cheap and easy trek. We also did trips to Dahab in the Sinai when it was just Bedouin huts on the beach with straw mattresses. We’d take the bus…

I had to drive into the city over the weekend, and the idiots were out in force on the West Side Highway. One guy in particular was weaving through the minimal traffic in the 140s at what had to be close to triple-digit speed.  One bright point - the guy got pulled over at 96th Street. Rarely is Karma so instant.

Had to parallel park for the license test in Texas back in 1986, and could probably count on one hand the number of times I actually had to do it in the wild while I still lived in Houston. I’ve been in the NYC area since ‘93, and can now parallel park like a boss.

I was lucky enough to see Coco play Naomi in person at the U.S. Open last year. Coco looked outmatched and tired, but it was later in the tournament and she may have just been gassed from a long schedule. At any rate, she was in tears after the match, and Naomi called her over to join in the post-match interview and…

I’m fortunate enough to have eaten at Sushi by Bae here in NYC, a 6-seat omakase from Oona Tempest, who’s not only a woman but also an American. She trained under the late Toshio Oguma at Tanoshi. She’ll talk frankly about some of the idiotic prejudices she’s faced over the years. Thankfully, she didn’t let it stop…

Joe Marler is a fucking treasure. Even better were his trolls of Israel Folau, an incredibly talented Australian fullback who also happens to be incredibly homophobic; he was fired by the Australian Rugby Union for some pretty horrendous tweets. 

In my humble opinion, sable is the true king of the smoke fish world, and it’s usually priced accordingly. I love it, but at nearly $80/lb it’s a truly special occasion fish.

I had the good fortune to stumble across her while browsing in the old Tower Records by Lincoln Center back in the mid-90s. She was signing CDs up in the Classical section and spontaneously began singing along with an aria playing in the background. The entire store - which was massive - froze in rapt attention and…

I’ve lately been doing an inside-out omelette by grating Parmesan into a cold pan, melting until bubbly, then pouring the eggs on top and covering until set. Fold over (I often put arugula or other greens inside) and you have a crispy outside and tender, creamy middle. It’s fantastic. All credit to Chef John at Food…

This is almost certainly Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills, NY, in Westchester County about 45 minutes north of NYC. It’s on a working farm that raises much of its own produce and livestock (chickens, pigs, and lamb). The grounds are open to the public during the day for hiking and there’s a great…

Enjoy!  There's a greater than zero chance I'll be there myself. 

Trust me when I say The Grill’s bartenders are among the best in the city when it comes to the classics like martinis. The versions here have a thick consistency (syrup might be a hyperbolic consistency) because of how cold they are served. They mix the drinks in batches, without ice, then chill them. Without the…

I work in Midtown Manhattan, close by The Grill (formerly the Grill Room of the Four Seasons restaurant in the Seagram Building). In addition to being a breathtakingly beautiful (and expensive) mid-century modern space, they batch their martinis (and have a dozen or so variation) and keep them super-chilled in a…

Was there last night. It was one of those transcendent moments you get only rarely in sports.

My extended family-up to 60 or so if everyone comes with their kids-has been vacationing in and around Destin in the Florida panhandle (a.k.a the Redneck Riviera) since my mother was a little girl (she grew up in Alabama). The beaches and water are spectacular and the Confederate flags aren’t nearly as prevalent as…

1. Good on ya, Race and Gwyn!

In NYC, there’s a truly amazing AYCE (mostly) Japanese buffet that includes sushi, sashimi, ramen, udon, yakitori,various hot fish and meat dishes, and much, much more. The buffet itself is almost literally an entire city block long. I’d normally avoid a sushi buffet like (or out of fear of getting) the plague, but…

Those eyes . . . .