The To Do List

abangupjob.tumblr.com

A touching story from a tragic event.

I’ve heard rumors but now it appears to be true, per Gothamist. MTV will be shooting their 21st season of “The Real World” (can someone explain to me how they’ve done 21 seasons in 16 years?) in my neighborhood. Sheesh.

[where:11211]

Kind of like a drive-in for hipsters on bikes…

YAY! Gowanus Lounge alerted me to the fact that the L Magazine-sponsored Summer Screen schedule was finally announced for summer 2008. The idea is brilliant — movies! on the big screen! outdoors! fun crowd! Doesn’t get much better than that. Enjoy it while you can, next year the McCarren Park Pool will go back to it’s roots and be a public pool again.

I had a great time last year: two picnics, several beers, one connection with an old college friend and lots of laughs. The crowd really gets into the movies, the campier the better. Show up early and bring a blanket since the floor of the pool is cement. And say hi! AH, Virgin Suicides! And Desperately Seeking Susan. Fun!

Thank you, L magazine : ) Summer Screen 2008

My lovely friend Emma alerted me to the existence of a back patio at Baci and Abbracci (one of the many Italian places in my neighborhood). I’ve had the tasty beet and goat cheese gnocchi before, but this time opted for one of the salads. The service was not great (true Italian style), but the atmosphere cannot be beat. There’s a large tent over the patio, so you can go rain or shine! There was no wait on a weeknight at 9pm. I stopped by at 7 on Friday for a glass of wine and we were seated right away. It’s a nice little reprieve from the hectic dining establishments nearby.

Spacious back patio, petanque courts, long tables with umbrellas to block the sun, and a bunch of toys for kids…I was recently at a birthday party in the back of Pit Stop. Since it was a chilly afternoon, the place was basically empty but for our little group. There are plenty of toys to amuse kids, so I suspect the scene is normally young, hip Brooklyn parents. Great back yard! It’s sort of like Union Hall’s bocce courts, French-style, with no walls or ceiling.

Funniest movie I’ve seen in a long time. I liked it way more than “Knocked Up.” I kept getting distracted by the ridiculously fake tan on Mila Kunis. The female characters were much stronger and more complex than in the previous Apatow movies. The ex-girlfriend-as-evil-villain theme was carried a bit far (or maybe I just was hyper-sensitive to that since I saw it with my ex-boyfriend). Lots of laughs and full-frontal male nudity if you’re into that sort of thing (I thought it was a bit embarrassing, personally).

An aside: why is it so hard to see movies in NYC? We went to a 9:50 showing at the Union Square theater and ended up in the second row! How do you beat the crowds at new releases? Do I just have to get my act together and buy tickets online and show up 30 minutes early?

I rarely venture out in Park Slope, and, let’s face it, I rarely make it outside of Williamsburg or Dumbo (where I live/work). Last night I went to the brooklynbased.net co-hosted Cocktail Club at Sidecar. The event was sponsored by a certain tequila company, so there were two signature cocktails offered. The bartender chose the Paloma for me (some concoction involving agave syrup, bitters, and grapefruit juice) stating that it tasted like summer. He was so embarrassed by this description (not manly enough?) that he made me promise not to tell anyone he described a drink as such (note: sorry Sidecar Bartender Guy!). The drinks were ok and the crowd was thin. I had to head out early, but I did have a chat with Nicole, the lovely editor and founder of Brooklyn Based. She’s single-handedly trying to create the new online medium, bleemail (cross between a blog and e-mail) with her site and daily mailer, brooklynbased.net. Since I’ve lived in NYC, I’ve subscribed to numerous daily and weekly newsletters, and I can honestly say that BB is one of the few I read (not skim) daily. They have great design along with great content. Killer combo. Check them out and sign up if you, as I do, love all things Brooklyn!

Brooklynbased.net-sponsored event in the South Slope at Sidecar. Tonight is a Brooklyn cocktail event at a new-ish bar on 5th Ave in the South Slope. I’m thinking it would be fun to meet other Brooklyn people, although it’s a bit far from my Brooklyn. There’s something so comforting and classy about a traditional cocktail, especially at a bar called Sidecar. Cute. There’s said to be good food and a dj.

Crystal Castles at the Mercury Lounge. This show is sold out but if you are lucky, you can buy a scalped ticket or make a buddy on Craigslist…My very music-savvy friend Grace named this band one of the top three she saw at SXSW this year in Austin. This boy-girl duo is about to embark on a UK tour. Catch them before they jump the pond!

Related: check out tourfilter.com. Great way to track upcoming shows in your area with a simple, smart design.

Last night I ate at Le Petit Marche for Dine in Brooklyn. It’s on a quiet block on Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights. The decor is quite lovely — deep red and gold wallpaper, tin ceilings, very comfortable banquettes, and perfect lighting that made everything seem a bit soft, but not so dim that we couldn’t read our menus. It was a bit loud and the space is narrow (you have to wait for the servers to finish at the back tables before heading to the single-use bathroom). As part of the Dine in Brooklyn prix fixe, I opted for a salad with blue cheese, apricot and pear. It was delicious, but nothing outstanding. I had a taste of my friend’s sweet green pea soup, which was quite delicate and tasty. As a main dish, I had a roasted butternut squash ravioli with browned sage butter. As a vegetarian, this dish is nothing earthshattering or original. That said, it was quite good. For dessert, we were given two options: chocolate and banana bread pudding or apple crisp. After ordering the former, we were told the kitchen was out of the bread pudding. They substituted profiteroles. The pastry was a bit stale, but the hazelnut ice cream filling was good. The fudge sauce that topped the dish was delicious. The staff was friendly and took coats cheerfully for all 8 in our party. Overall, I give Le Petit Marche (with an emphasis on the Petite) 2 out of 4 stars.