Chilltown Bears

After room service for breakfast on Saturday morning and a couple of hours of strange French-language children’s shows, we headed to the Eaton Centre to shop, and later met friends for lunch at Superior Restaurant nearby. Pricey but yummy. I had the special house ravioli which were to die for. Joe and I decided to spend the rest of the afternoon on the Queer West – a section of Queen Street West that’s sort of a combination of NYC’s Greenwich Village, SoHo, and Chelsea all wrapped into one. Picked up some tchochkes at The Tin Taj and had coffee at a local Starbucks. Back to the hotel then to prep for our evening activities. Read more »

So our flight on Thursday night was supposed to leave Newark Airport at 8:20pm, but due to turbulent weather patterns between the NY Metro and Toronto areas, we waited … first in the Ember 145 jet (i.e. sardine can with wings)… and then Continental emancipated us and allowed us to wait in the boarding area again until 10:00pm.  Magically 10:00pm became 10:30pm on the “Departures” board, and 10:30 became 11:00pm.  Back on the plane we waited a bit more, then finally took off.  A rough bumpy ride later we find ourselves in Toronto at 1am.

If I could have photographed the customs guy for you I would have, big burly wrestler bull type, with more testosterone than a lockerroom full of high school football players.  Nothing could have said WELCOME TO CANADA more nicely. Read more »

Yucky day today, decided to cook something to pass the time.  Made a simple Red Onion, Tomato, and Goat Cheese Tart as follows:

Ingredients:

• 3 Large Red Onions, sliced thin
• 1 Pie Shell (Pillsbury or Frozen Ready-to-Bake is fine)
• 2 Large Tomatoes, sliced medium-ish
• 1 Goat Cheese package, herbed prefereably, mine read 9oz
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

Preparation:

• Saute red onions in olive oil with salt and pepper to taste until they start to caramelize then set aside
• Set oven to 350 degrees
• Cover bottom of pie shell with sauteed onions
• Layer tomato slices over onions.
• Crumble goat cheese and cover tomatoes as evenly as possible
• Place in 350 degree oven and bake until edges are brown
• Eat!

CARLOS

Up early this morning figuring out what we’re going to do today.  Supposed to be a beautiful day, so we’re definitely taking advantage of it and going out and about.  We waited too long to go back to Coney Island Astroland, they just announced that it was closed for good.  An Atlantic City type resort area is planned for Coney Island now.  I think some of the major rides survive the buildout though, they were named historic landmarks, but everything else goes.  I have mixed feelings about the whole thing, but my thoughts aren’t clear enough for a blog entry on it, so another time.

Yesterday after hurrying through some Saturday morning chores, we hit our favorite place here in downtown Jersey City for Brunch, Isabella’s Cafe on the corner of Erie and 7th Streets.  God service is S-L-O-W there, at least at prime time Saturday noon-ish, but wow the food is so good! I don’t mind gulping down 2 cafe con leches and reading three newspapers while we wait.

Then we hopped in the car, through the Holland Tunnel and parked in the Village.  Walked over to Broadway and Houston to MoCCA, the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art Read more »

My friend Ryan Roman, has art in this show!
The opening reception is this evening at MoCCA 594 Broadway (near Houston) $10.
I’ll be there! Hope to see you too! CARLOS