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Is it just me or did a plane just go down in Napa?

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[ilikeyourteeshirt]

springtime/birthday musings

its the eve of the start of my 35th year. ive come around to the number 34. i was really vibing on the 3′s in 33. but maybe 3+4 isn’t so unlucky. its prime, after all. im sitting in my apartment. i have an apartment. im here alone save for the two presumably sleeping airbnb tenants who are in the guest bedroom. i’ve moved to rockville, maryland, about 8 and a half miles from the house where i grew up and exactly 7 miles from the little pizzeria that im currently managing. what a turnaround from....where were the last time i posted? we saw a few teeshirts (lets face it, the real star of this medium), delayed notes on the lumdsen, a mediocre pub i visited in new zealand, and then two summers ago in portland. 

well, a quick catchup: i spent the rest of said summer hanging out in oregon and northern california --> a few weeks gallivanting with friends in LA --> nyc for a wedding and a subsequent month and a half in nyc working a dream job at vinnie’s pizzeria and raging hard. i went after that on a caribbean cruise with my family to bury my grandmother(’s ashes) at sea. and then accepted a position at inferno pizzeria napoletana in darnestown, maryland, a literal soccer ball kick’s length from where i went to high school. 

there’s a lot to be told in all of that, but lets start with the wine i’m drinking right now. a beautiful argentinian malbec. its soft, light and smooth. very evenly balanced. delightfully dry. 

i’ve learned a lot about wine in the time ive spent back at inferno (having worked there for 6 months, from about when it opened in nov 2015). i counter people who say i know everything about wine, telling them i know a lot specifically about the wines (and beers) on our list. which is basically true, though i’ve acquired a certain amount of all around knowledge. i’m pleased with my gains as a manager of this beverage list. of anything i’ve learned about wine/beer/food, though, the most important is that if you like it, its good. and if you don’t, its no good. 

managing this small, neighborhood, classy/casual, upscale food being served by staff in soccer jerseys kinda joint, my love of hospitality has been reinforced, my seemingly innate barrier against self doubt has been questioned and i’ve stayed in one place, dedicated majorly to one job for 1.5 years. life is strange. 

in doing this, i’ve really recognized the importance of food. for one, from a point of personal appreciation. what else other than food? it is nourishment, it is medicine, it is comfort. it is a call to action for thoughtful time spent in preparing and purposeful time spent with oneself or with others in enjoyment and intimacy. from any kitchen or table in the world, cooking and dining can offer a glimpse ino the full scope of the human spectrum. 

i also look at my chosen course of professional endeavor, dealing in food . im good great at hospitality. i’ve always been drawn to it, from bikes to boats and beyond. i’ve wandered around and seen how little one actually needs to survive. we need food, though. for sure. its one of the only true essentials. yet, its growth is often unseen, the ease with which we transport it numbs us to the true cost of its availability and only a tiny sliver of the people working to prepare it are glorified for their efforts. take a server, for example. everyone wants to go out to dinner but service staff are often underpaid, undervalued and straight up mistreated. the job is seen as second class and an option someone takes out of necessity. 

for the absolute record, myself and my staff are not underpaid. we are not undervalued and anyone who cares to mistreat us (which does not happen often) is served what they deserve. not like we’re spitting in their food....but we don’t shy from shaming someone for their callousness. 

i’ve deliberately selected this work. will it be my path forever? time will tell. but i see food service as absolutely necessary and valid. i get pleasure from welcoming my guests, some of whom ive gotten to know well. i take pride in serving the food, knowing where its come from and the care with which it was prepared. a $26 truffle laden personal sized pizza might not be an essential. but people gotta eat, so they might as well eat well. 

that is the core tenet of my work but also the lions share of my play. i’ve been doing a lot of eating and drinking around the burgeoning food scene of this politically charged village. 

i’m hoping to spend more time here lauding you with tales of my culinary escapades. 

for now, i’ll keep sipping this wine. its pairing marvelously with my mother’s homemade carrot cake that she makes every year for my birthday.

 cheers

[ilikeyourteeshirt]

The ultimate food pairing! #macandcheese #food #foodlover #cheesy #happyfood #nom #teeshirt #ilikeyourteeshirt . . . . (The man said so many ppl don’t get it. I immediately knew. MAC AND CHEESE! Which makes me smarter than the doctor he spoke w who tried to figure it out for a half an hour and finally guessed ‘semicolon’) (at Wegmans)

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Save the bees!! 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 #savethebees #plantgardens #preserveourplanet #eatlocally #livesustainably #buyvintage #teeshirts #ilikeyourteeshirt (at National Mall and Memorial Parks)

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Philly represent out in BK @theroots @questlove @blackthought #phillygram #brooklyn #teeshirt #ilikeyourteeshirt #nutritious (at Mekelburg's)

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Notes on the lumsden, Auckland

Notes on the lumsden:

open restaurant on major corner w outdoor patio seating and lots of people. Good signs and perfect for a sunny auckland day like today (so sunny, auckland! I didnt recognize you after yesterday!!). Took a few mins for service but once i got it, the waitstaff had plenty of time to chat and based on his recommendations, i opted for the southern chicken sandwich (instead of the tacos which i was considering as a healthier option or the burger which i was considering as a fuck it all option) chicken mostly won out, however, because its free range (usually chicken bugs me out on a menu) and the side options were fries or mac n cheese. Everything else only offered fries and i figure when presented with tough choices, choose the one that will change and challenge you the most (in this case, the extra calories being the change and the burden of removing them from my body being the challenge).

I got the chipotle may rather than the mango salsa offered (allergic) and at first the bun seemed a bit big, but the sandwich spread - ample toppings including cabbage, iceberg and tomato. The mac n cheese was hot as with bacon in a teeny little mini cast iron dish. I got my fruit/veg fix from two glasses of a spicy but berry and plum-ful rose from grey rock vineyard in hawkes bay. A deep coral color and not totally dry but refreshing.

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Running into 2018 like....

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This mama was spreading her KIND HOPE all over this bright NYC morning. (at Graham ave Avenue of Puerto Rico)

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#tbt to when the sky went dark during the day #eclipse #oregon #oregoneclipsefestival #oldnews? #justgotback #wherewereyou (at Ochoco National Forest)

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I learned that Portland is a city of many things. Their claims to fame are vast and eclectic: city of roses, city of soccer, city of bridges, stumptown, city of built in cabinetry, city of picking people up from the airport...the list goes on. There's a lot of things all Portlanders agree on. Taking 12 minutes to take a left turn on a green arrow is one. Another is maybe my favorite thing about Portland (other than maybe that asparagus dish...). Its the amount that people use their yards as gardens. Backyards, heaps, I'm sure. But FRONT too. Not everyone does. But many many do and its not out of the ordinary at all. Some are just a French wild style and others are kept beds of flowers, herbs and veggies. I LOVE THIS! Yards and grass are such a waste of space and energy!!! Portlanders collectively acknowledge this and are making more efficient (if not conventionally appealing) use completely ordinary!!

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Go to 100 breweries and make out like a bandit - they all have tasting flights for super cheap. Be prepared for a lot of IPAs. Favorites of mine were: Hair of the Dog, Grixen Brewing Company, Old Town Brewing Company, Laurelwood Public House & Brewery.

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Wander around the gardens and chapels at the Grotto. This is the grounds of a church, built into a massive cliff and amongst ancient forests left to grow amongst this urban setting. Obviously a lot of religious imagery and lots of donation boxes but $6 will get you up an elevator to explore the elevated grounds with sweeping views to the north and to Mount St Helens.

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Its also worth mentioning that it rained I think NOT once the whole time I was there, which is apparently typical for Portland in the summer. However, consider this when planning the time of year to visit: Portland has more rainy days per year than just about anywhere else in the US. Summer is the time to go.

Go to the rose garden. Its world class and you can smell and admire for hours. Only downside is they didn’t have my favorite rose of all time but I’ll let it slide because the Portland’s Best and the Barbara Streisand were stunners in their own rite.

Go to Powell’s Bookstore, an incredible, expansive temple to books. You could get lost for hours. Their section on travel writing is HUGE and a great place to stock up on topical reads for upcoming adventures.

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Top five PORTLAND food experiences in no particular order: . Ray on n Williams Street. A Mediterranean, Israeli, Lebanese inspired high class joint, run expertly by Jenn Louis. Brother and I were WELL taken care of with bar seats overlooking the kitchen, chats with Jenn, special plates of all of the sauces and dips on offer, attentive service (the best and some of the only good service I found in Portland), not to mention every last tasty bite. Highlights: fried quail, smoked salmon with taramosolata, labneh with beet humus. . Tough Luck on Dekum. Newly opened in a former mechanics garage with a huge mural of a ouija board. Open space with a patio, a huuuge selection of liquor impressively arranged behind a gigantic bar with cute mermaid tiling behind the beer taps. Good vibes. Korean and Thai inspired bar food. Highlights: Tom Kha fries, fried egg aioli (get it to dip everything in), the Asian pancake, everything pickled (always). . Double Dragon on Division. Creative cocktails and an Asian tiki vibe with outdoor seating. Not impressed with the snooty service (though, like I said, the service wasn’t that impressive in most places). Highlight which I have dreams about still: grilled asparagus with a soft egg and miso butter. I CANNOT. It was the tastiest thing I’ve had MAYBE EVER. Get a side of kimchi to soak it all up once the asparagus is done. . Nostrana on Morrison. Went here like a million times. Great vibe especially if you’re eating at the bar and Michele takes care of you. After 9pm is happy hour so: $5 drinks, $6 pizzas and pastas, and inexpensive lots of other delicious edibles. We would eat and drink like royalty for under $50 total. Indulge life rule #4386: never pass up fresh sliced prosciutto and hand made fresh mozzarella that had been made that day. . Cruzroom on Alberta. Inventive and generously served tacos. You order the unique, not just Latin flavored tacos individually. Lots of veg options and intense, creative flavors. Wild cocktails and seedy dive feeling go with. Highlights: the Sweet Caroline and the Jackfruit/cashew combo taco. (Not pictured)

Honorable Mentions: Por Que No on Mississippi (pictured). Also great for all things taco, margarita, Mexican, etc. Also, Basilisk on Sandy for fried chicken sandwiches and salads.

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I lounged on the back verandah sofa endlessly, I weeded the garden, I attended about 3 dozen improv and sketch comedy shows and even took an improv class. And, in keeping with tradition, I ate a WHOLE lot. My brother even came in for a visit on a lucky early break from jury duty.

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I explored all of the small neighborhoods, I looked at some art, I hiked through the foresty hills, I drove out to the coast for a day.