Oops...

I just spoke with a friend and discovered the path of a stomach bug that made its way straight to my tummy. Maybe The Woodland was not to blame.

Dear Woodland,

I am sorry for possibly falsely accusing you.

-James

(The steak still sucked and the meal was underwhelming).

New York Odyssey

I'm leaving for New York tomorrow and hope to eat my weight in food. I've decided on making the trip pretty casual and cheap. Les Halles (I love Brasseries) and the Bouchon bakery are my only fancy stops. Maybe a meal at a MoMA cafe. Besides that, I'm eating and living like my friends in Bushwick. Oh, I'm also going to the pizza place featured here. Who can resist a place with a chef like that?

Any dining suggestions I should alter my plans for?

Desk Eaters

What is the point of leaving work to pick up food and eat it back at your desk? It still takes the same amount of time to eat, regardless of location. Meals deserve more attention than inhaling it while staring at a screen.

(I'm annoyed at coworkers who must always bring food back.)

Poisoning Is Personal

I'm a veteran when it comes to food poisoning. Almost everything has gotten me: salmonella, random little buggies from stuff left in the fridge too long, and all the bad things lurking in ill-kept buffets.

The other night, I go food poisoned by something. I don't know what specifically was the culprit and want to keep it that way. Meatloaf and fried oysters are delicious. I don't want my body to recoil at the thought of them. So now I focus my revulsion at the restaurant itself.

Your body tries to figure out what is attacking it and decides not to eat that again. The thought of no longer being able to eat a beloved dish terrifies me. In order to combat this, I always pick the dish or ingredient I like the least. Something must be sacrificed. this usually works out, but I often have to create some fairly crazy rationalizations for why the sink tried to kill me.

One thing that always catches me by surprise when poisoned is my compliance with fasting for a day. I have absolutely no appetite. Only then do I realize that my appetite rules every part of my day and my thought process. I feel lost without it and become one of those people who forget to eat. What a nightmare.

Restaurant Woes

The Woodland is officially on my shit list. Food poisoning and most lackluster steak ever. I am underwhelmed.

Their drinks and pot pie are good, though.

ARGH.

Valentine's Mayhem

Love or hate Valentine's Day (usually depending on your situation), it can be a source of anxiety. What do you do? Go out, stay in, opt out, or burn pictures of your Ex? While Restaurants--and grocery stores--are my favorite places in the world, I tend to stay away on holidays such as new year's eve and Valentine's Day. It's amateur night, and if you're like me, restaurants are your church: Christmas eve and Easter are jam-packed.

There's also the issue of set menus. While I like surrendering control to the chef, I don't like a boring, set menu that's overpriced. So bah humbug to restaurants on holidays.

While going out can be special and an event, food cooked at home can mean more. I believe that food is love, so there's nothing better on Valentine's Day than pouring your heart into asparagus, mashed potatoes, and hanger steak--or whatever dish is your love's favorite.

That being said, I don't know what I will be doing this Saturday. Both ideas sound great: Something made at home--maybe duck, maybe rillettes--or some place nice and not a typical destination. (I'm vague because my gal reads this.) I'll let you know when it's all said and done. I did meet one of the co-authors of Intercourses: an aphrodisiac cookbook (real food porn) this evening and might have to try something from it for the big night.

*Photo by Butterfly Sha on flickr