Tag Archives: United States of America
Travelogue: Lucky Cheng’s Drag Queen Karaoke in New York City
Okay, so these Groupon and Living Social deals can really get addictive. We all know that. But because of them, Navdeep and I have definitely had some experiences we wouldn’t have otherwise indulged in — ice climbing, anyone?
Another case in point: Lucky Cheng’s Drag Queen karaoke on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, largely the bastion of alcohol-fueled, giggle-heavy bachelorette parties and birthdays. A straight guy’s no man’s land. Still, when they offered up a two-for-one deal on Living Social, I convinced Navdeep we should give it a go. And just for amusement, he said okay. At the very least, it would be a nice Chinese dinner, right?
Musings: Osama Bin Laden is Dead. Now What?
Celebrating the Death of Osama Bin Laden in Time Square.
Over the weekend, Sona had a journalism conference near Grand Central, so I met her afterwards for dinner. And it was a lovely day, so we decided to go for a long walk, randomly ending up in Chinatown. And equally as random, we decided to walk to the World Trade Center PATH station, something we never do. And the only reason we did was because we didn’t want to stop in Hoboken (the other PATH line to Jersey City stops there for a good ten minutes).
Ever since I’ve been in New York, the area immediately surrounding the World Trade Center PATH stop has been fenced up with massive billboards and images of a projected futuristic Jetsons-like renovation planned. We were in a typical New York mood as we made our way to the PATH: happy it had been such a great day, chatty, but tired from all the walking. That changed pretty quickly. Behind us we heard a father attempting to explain to his two young children what the explosion had done, not just to the twin towers, but to many of the surrounding buildings, and what the renovations were going to look like. But the kids just weren’t getting it. We crossed the street just as one of the kids asked why the explosion had taken place in the first place. And it’s a question that we will inevitably have to talk to Kavya about in a few years, and something we don’t fully understand ourselves.
Musings: Closure At A Cost?
Yesterday, Navdeep and I grabbed dinner in Chinatown and decided to take the World Trade Center Path back to Jersey City.
It was about 11 p.m., and the place was as crowded as it always was with tourists and travelers and locals making their way home through the crowd and the construction on the World Trade Center Memorial, which has been in the works for nearly a decade.
We were walking hand-in-hand toward the Path stop, and we overheard some parents “explaining” 9/11 and its impact to their kids, who must have been around eight and ten. And it’s weird, thinking that you can just explain something like that. Because really, it’s been nearly ten years, and I still don’t get it.
Tonight, I woke up from an extended post-ASJA conference nap to see major news breaking on Twitter. Yes, I found out about the death of Terrorist Number One Osama bin Laden on Twitter, via my iPhone.
The news shook me. Even to this day, almost ten years after the fact, I can’t go to the World Trade Center Path without pretty much tearing up. That’s sort of pathetic, but I think it’s understandable. This was perhaps the defining moment of a generation, the one that will stay with us — the one where we’ll always remember exactly where we were when it happened. It’s left a gaping hole in my city, and also somewhere inside me.
And yet, I can’t get into the crowds chanting and cheering at the WTC or the White House. As much pain and suffering the man caused in so many lives, it still feels odd to celebrate a death. It does, though, bring a sense of closure.
But also, ten years later, it brings more worry. I have a baby who is 14-months old. We live across the river from the World Trade Center. All the patriotism that’s being shown on TV and the Internet and all over the media will no doubt reignite some of that anti-American sentiment that has always been simmering. Will we face the wrath of that again. I worry for my family and my country in the wake of this celebratory night.
The impact of Sept. 11 is still with all of us — whether you were in New York, California or watching on TV from across the planet. I hope this closure doesn’t come at an even bigger cost.
Photo: WTCProgress/Flickr
Video: Ice Mountain Climbing in the Catskills, New York!
Neither of us have ever claimed to be coordinated, and as the video above will prove to you (beyond a doubt), we are not liars. What possessed us to go Ice Mountain Climbing in the catskills of New York, we have no idea. The actual ice-climbing was a lot of fun. Slushing up the mountain, however. . . not so much.
Going Local: Ten Best Coffee Bars in New York City
Best Coffee Bars in New York City
In a pinch, we can drink coffee anywhere in the world. We have drank burnt espresso, overly milky frappuccinos, and super-sugary Keralan cold coffee from street coffee shops in places like Vietnam and India, at chain stores like Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, 7-11, and McDonald’s worldwide. But we’ve also tasted a coffee brewed to perfection at coffee plantations in India, been intoxicated by the fresh aroma of drip-coffee at coffee bars in Milan, Naples, Paris, San Francisco, and New York City. You heard us right, New York City has finally gotten with the program for the serious coffee drinker!
New Yorkers used to have to rely on West Coast roasting companies like San Francisco based Blue Bottle Coffee or Stumptown Coffee Roasters in Portland, Oregon to supply the coffee beans for their favourite joints. Now there are plenty of roasters right here in town (including roasting companies that supply not only coffee bars, but restaurants and carts all over the City), like the Brooklyn Roasting Company, Porto Rico, and West Coast roasters mentioned above. There are a handful of companies that already do on-site roasting, and many of the coffee bars listed here have plans to roast their own beans within the year!
Here are our picks for the best coffee bars in New York City:
Going Local: Map of Our Ten Favourite Coffee Bars in New York City
View The Best Coffee Bars and Coffee Shops in New York City in a larger map and check out http://www.ishqinabackpack.com/going-local/ten-coffee-bars-nyc/
Photo of the Week: Fortune Cookie Factory in San Francisco, California
Who knew making something as fun as fortune cookies could entail so much stress? If those flat mini-pancakes on the right are allowed to cool for even a second, they become too hard and can’t be folded. We tried them and they are delicious. Round, crunchy, fortune cookie . . . with no place to put the fortune though!
Going Local: Seven Days, Seven Buffets in Las Vegas
This is why gluttony is one of the seven deadly sins….
In the city of excess, our favorite way to indulge was definitely with the food. But when a six-inch Subway sandwich runs you ten bucks, the best bet is to splurge on the buffets – dollar for dollar, they definitely give you more bang for your hard-earned buck. But with nearly 100 buffet options, how is one to choose? So we decided to try a new buffet every day. And it was our ideal Sin City adventure – think sushi spreads, pizza and pasta parties, omelet stations, steak and burgers grilled to order, and most importantly, those decadent desserts. Bring it on!
SUNDAY: Bally’s Sterling Brunch Buffet, $85 per person
If you are a high roller or want to pretend you are, start the week out right with Bally’s Sterling Brunch Buffet – a tablecloth and silverware deal that offers up everything from made-to-order omelets and waffles to lobster, roast duck, rack of lamb, caviar and ostrich tenderloin, plus unlimited champagne. Dessert is a high end affair, too, with rich chocolate-covered strawberries, cheesecake, and chocolate mousse among the options. But this optimal indulgence does cost a pretty penny – at $85 a head, so perhaps starve yourself beforehand.
MONDAY: Carnival World Buffet, at the Rio, $16.99 for lunch
Off the strip, but worth the trip, The Rio’s Carnival World Buffet is often voted the best in town – and rightly so. The Rio’s super-sized spread – 300 dishes daily – features enough variety to leave even the most trained buffeteer flummoxed, from dim sum and teppanyaki, to fresh seafood, sushi, a Mexican taco bar, a made-to-order grill and pasta stations. We made several observatory go rounds to narrow down our options before actually piling up our plates with piping hot pizza (veggie for me, pepperoni for Navdeep), barbequed ribs, sushi, pasta and burgers. Plus watermelon – in the middle of winter! But we made sure to save room for dessert, because Rio offers up more than 70 sweet selections, including decadent chocolate cakes, piping hot pies and a gelato station with more than nine flavors. With bite-size mini-renditions of your favorite indulgences, like red velvet cake and pecan pies, it’s easy to score big here.
TUESDAY: The Buffet at Wynn Las Vegas, $22 for a weekday lunch
Pricier than some for a weekday lunch buffet, the Wynn Las Vegas spread is worth the extra pennies, with a warm, garden-y atmosphere and 17 super-sized action stations serving up fresh culinary treats like wood-fired pizzas, Kansas City barbeque and even a tasty tandoori fish. Add to that springy salads, lots of seafood options and carved meats, and you’ve got enough to get you through several platefuls. But dessert here is a must – cream puffs, tiramisu, decadent chocolate cakes, made-to order crepes, gelato and quite a few sugar-free options to boot.
WEDNESDAY: Le Village Buffet, Paris Paris, $17.99 for lunch
With a warm, old village atmosphere and categorized by the five different provinces of the French culinary empire, this Francophile extravaganza features tender roasted duck l’orange, salmon in a creamy leek sauce, braised beef, saffron-laced mussels and many other must-tries. On the desset menu: fresh made-to-order nutella crepes, crème brulee, French pastries and tarts, bananas Foster at Le Flambe station, and frozen custard, yum yum!
THURSDAY: Cravings at the Mirage, $17.95 for lunch
Clean, contemporary design marks this Wynn favorite, which has 11 cooking stations that often change to increase variety. And with fresh dim sum and made-to-order noodle dishes, grilled-fresh paninis, hot and plentiful pizza, pre-peeled shrimp and pre-cracked crabs, Cravings does its best to make your buffet experience easy – after all, you are on vacation. Plus, you can watch the chefs prepare your indulgences on big-screen behind-the-scenes TVs scattered throughout the cavernous café.
FRIDAY: The Buffet at the Bellagio, $36 for weekend dinner
With its stellar reputation on the line – they serve more than 5000 people daily – the Bellagio’s buffet pulls out all the stops, making it an excellent place to gain a few pounds in one sitting. There are the standards options, like snow crab legs and prime rib, but here you’ll also indulge in ostrich steaks and elk, made-to-order sushi rolls, Kobe beef and lots of lamb chops. Don’t skip dessert – the apple pie rolls, fudge brownies, white chocolate-covered strawberries, red velvet cake and tarts are worth the extra weight.
SATURDAY: Spice Market Buffet at Planet Hollywood, $23.99 for the weekend champagne brunch
With its international theme, Spice Market’s weekend brunch buffet aims to please the most discerning palate. There’s plenty of seafood – Navdeep went to town on the steamed crab legs and shrimp – and ethnic specialties like lamb kebabs and chicken tikka at the Middle Eastern station. The made-to-order burgers are worth the wait. I got mine topped with fresh mozzarella, grilled mushrooms and onions. Yum! Dessert includes bourbon-infused made-to-order crepes, delicious tiramisu, mini crème brule, freshly-baked chocolate soufflés and freshly-spun cotton candy!
Neither of us are strangers to travel, but we are very different travelers. Navdeep can brush aside a cockroach from his food and continue eating. Sona flies into hysterics at any creepy-crawlies (real or imagined) within a ten mile radius. 
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