A Day at the Beach

Despite the threat of a thunderstorm or two on Friday, my mom, my sister, and I went to the Beach. No, we did not take a road trip to the Jersey shore or out to Long Island. Instead, my mom and sister took a trip into the city, and I took advantage of summer Fridays to have lunch with them—at the Beach Café.

“It’s hot in here,” my sister announced as she climbed to my fourth-floor walk-up, dragging my large suitcase—the one that is too big to keep in my apartment, but that I will need for an upcoming vacation—behind her.

“Oh, it’s not that bad,” I replied, trying to subtly create a breeze by fanning the door to my bedroom. “Come on. I have the perfect place for lunch in mind.”

Glad to not have to spend more than a few minutes in my admittedly stuffy apartment, my mom and sister followed me to the corner of 70th and 2nd, where the Beach Café is located. At nearly 2:30, we had missed the lunch rush, and the corner patio was fairly empty, leaving us with our pick of tables.

Situating ourselves right in a corner that provided the perfect vantage for people-watching, we sipped (okay, gulped) the waters that our waitress brought over and began to browse the menu.

Featuring light lunch fare like a crab and avocado appetizer, poached salmon salad, and an assortment of burgers and sandwiches, the menu was exactly what we were looking for, and we quickly decided what we wanted.

My mom ordered the California Cobb salad, while my sister and I both went with sandwiches—egg salad for me, chicken salad for her. When our food arrived, my mom’s salad was piled with generous portions of avocado, chopped egg, blue cheese, and bacon bits, while my sister and I received plates full of thin, crispy fries with our sandwiches, which were served on toasted wheat bread. We dug in right away and came as close to cleaning our plates as we could before heading out to walk off our light yet filling lunches.

After paying our very reasonable bill, we made our way up 2nd Avenue, then cut over to 3rd for some shopping. First we stopped in Papyrus on 73rd and 3rd for a few graduation cards (it’s that time of year), then we headed across the street to browse in Scoop for a bit. Next, we helped my mom make a few summer sale purchases in Ann Taylor, then searched for sandals for my sister in Jubilee and Eric (where a going-out-of-business sale has all shoes marked down to only $10), between 76th and 77th, and The Shoe Box, between 77th and 78th. Finally, we stopped in Delfino, the designer bag shop that is also between 77th and 78th—and where we were excited to find a large selection of Longchamps bags on sale for 30% off.

Several shopping bags in hand, we made our last and most anticipated stop of the day: Emack & Bolio, where we each cooled off with a scoop of delicious homemade ice cream.

All in all, it was a perfect Beach day.

What Is a Pudding Stone?

In the wine industry, pudding stones are smooth, rounded stones that are brought together in large slabs to cover the floor of a vineyard. Pudding stones retain heat, and their ability to warm a vineyard’s fruit and soils makes them a valuable asset to a vintner. On the Upper East Side, however, pudding stones make a valuable asset for another reason altogether—they’ve lent their name to a fairly new wine bar that brings fine wine and gourmet cuisine to the neighborhood.

Located on 3rd Avenue between 82nd and 83rd Streets, Pudding Stones offers a classier alternative to its slightly rowdy and more casual neighbors (Gael Pub, Wicker Park, etc.). Its cool, dark, and very sparse interior has the feel of a trendy wine cellar, with a plush banquette lining one wall and a long and spacious bar wrapped around the other. When I arrived the other night, slightly ahead of the friend I was meeting for drinks, I took a seat at a small table right next to the set of wide doors that opened on to the street, and was promptly greeted by a waitress with a glass of water and a stack of menus.

Minutes later, I was still trying to process the wine menu, which was pages longer than the food menu, when my friend Cari arrived. Though the wine menu offered several options, including tasting flights, full bottles, and half bottles, we decided to order single glasses—a South African Sauvignon Blanc for me, a Long Island Merlot for Cari—before tackling the food menu.

Featuring an extensive list of appetizers such as oysters with champagne vinaigrette, tuna tartar with chopped fennel, and a roasted beet and goat cheese salad, plus sumptuous-sounding entrées like a petite filet mignon with green peppercorn sauce and French beans, pan seared sea scallops in an avocado and tomato puree, and a burger with aioli sauce, comte cheese, and sautéed onions, the menu was no small feat. Not quite hungry enough for a full meal, Cari and I decided to share the hummus appetizer, which was made with dried chilies and olive oil and came with warm triangles of pita bread.

In the meantime, our glasses of wine arrived. We swirled, sniffed, then sipped, and were impressed with our selections, as well as the Riedel stemware they arrived in. Very classy. Our hummus came soon after, and we both agreed that it was quite possibly the best we’d ever had. Smooth, creamy, and luscious, accented with a dab of some sort of spicy barbecue-like sauce right in the middle, it was absolutely delicious, and we made sure to ask for another basket of pita bread so that we could wipe up every last bit.

Though the ladies’ room was on the first floor, behind an unmarked door, I made my way downstairs in search of it and was surprised to find a cozy candlelit lounge that also served as a wine cellar. A charming space even more dimly lit than the first floor, it was also more intimate, and I made a note to myself to remember that it was there the next time I was asked to recommend a good date spot.

As we chatted over the remains of our wine, with only a low jazz soundtrack and the faint hum of the six or seven other patrons at nearby tables, Cari and I were pleased with our selection, and she, a resident of the Upper West Side, left eager to try Pudding Stones’ UWS location as well.

Meanwhile, I left glad to have learned what a pudding stone is—and to know that one can be found on the UES.

Superheroes Invade the Met

Superman. Batman. Wonder Woman. The Hulk. These are not the names typically associated with the Met, whose art-world superheroes usually bear names like Rembrandt, Gaugin, and Monet. This summer, however, the Met has been invaded, not by bodysnatchers or tourists (OK, well, maybe by tourists, too) but by comic book superheroes.

Running until September 1, the Met’s bold new exhibit, “Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy,” highlights the role that the superhero has played in our culture over the years through the fashions that have been inspired by the likes of Superman, Catwoman, and the X-Men. Eager to check out the Met’s newest and seemingly most energetic offering of late, I recently donned my cape and boots (that’s superhero speak for a cardigan and flip-flops) and delved into the world of the superhero. And what a world it was.

Having heard that the exhibit featured many of the actual superhero costumes used in films like Superman, Batman, and X-Men, I was expecting it to focus mainly on the superheroes themselves. However, I must admit that I was slightly disappointed to discover that “Superheroes,” while it did showcase several authentic costumes, focused mainly on the high-concept, high-fashion, and extremely out-there designs of modern fashion superheroes like John Galliano, Dolce & Gabbana, Jean-Paul Gaultier, and Thierry Mugler.

There were aerodynamic bodysuits and even what was called a “Twin-Turbine Powered Exoskeleton Wing Suit” modeled after The Flash; webbed suits inspired by Spider-Man; an outfit with padded abdominals and inflatable pectorals evocative of The Hulk; corset- and bustier-laden catsuits inspired by Catwoman; and a mutant “Chimera” dress reminiscent of the mutant forms in X-Men. While some of these were fun to look at, others were downright frightening. Most, however, were just harsh-looking and so extreme that they lost the strong, heroic feel of the costumes they had been inspired by. And not one looked to be something that anyone—designer, superhero, or everyday citizen—would ever get within fifty feet of.

Though the modern-day superhero interpretations were clearly not my favorite part of the exhibit, I did enjoy seeing the actual costumes that had been used in various superhero films. Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman suit from Batman Returns was on display, as was the outfit Tobey Maguire wore in Spider-Man 3. Rebecca Romijn’s X-Men appliqués had been painstakingly applied to a mannequin, and Christopher Reeve’s Superman costume was displayed in an awesome changeable display that morphed from Clark Kent’s drab suit to Superman’s vivid ensemble every few seconds. These, along with the stellar comic-book-inspired design of the exhibit area itself, were easily the highlights of the show.

All in all, the exhibit is certainly worth taking a peek at. It’s easily navigable and small enough to be zipped through in just a few minutes. However, if you’re looking for an authentic superhero experience, you might be better off renting Superman this weekend.

Beyoglu Goes Beyond

“I want to go somewhere light and airy.”

This was my only criteria when looking for somewhere to dine on Sunday evening, after a day of walking around the city in nearly 100-degree temperatures with a friend who was visiting from out of town. Since I was pretty sure that Googling “light and airy restaurants” wouldn’t help us, I instead searched under cuisine types that I thought would fit my requirements. When I clicked on the “Mediterranean” link on uppereast.com’s restaurants page, the first restaurant to pop up was one that I remembered a friend from work having recommended quite highly: Beyoglu. With reviews calling Beyoglu and its mainly Turkish fare “beautifully fresh, simple cuisine,” “unbelievably delicious,” and “friendly and fun,” I was pretty sure I had found a place to provide the light and airy feel that I was looking for on such a hot night. And I was right.

Located on the corner of 81st and 3rd, Beyoglu, with its blue mosaic tabletops and bright orange interior, looks fresh and lively, and its menu complements its appearance. After being seated in the crisp wicker chairs on the outdoor patio, our very personable waitress helped us to choose a bottle of Turkish wine and gave us some time to look over the menu before presenting us with the evening’s specials. Items like cacik, a homemade yogurt with cucumbers and garlic; stuffed grape leaves; grilled, thinly sliced lamb and beef over pita with yogurt and tomato sauce; and char-grilled swordfish with rice pilaf all sounded summery and delicious, as did all the specials. After a bit of indecision we finally made our selections.

For an appetizer, we chose the ahtapot salatasi, or char-grilled octopus marinated in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and, for our entrées, we both ordered from the specials menu: grilled sea bass for me, and something called the Sultan’s Delight for my friend.

Though octopus can be intimidating if not properly prepared, ours was expertly done, light yet flavorful. Also potentially intimidating is a fish that arrives whole, as my sea bass did – before our very skilled waitress filleted it tableside, removing the head, tail, and bones as we – and several passersby – looked on with interest. Served over a salad, my fish was the perfect warm-weather meal: light yet filling and very tasty. The Sultan’s Delight, meanwhile, was just as impressive. Tender sliced lamb over a creamy eggplant puree provided one of the most unique – and absolutely delicious – flavors we had ever experienced.

After our well-cleaned plates were cleared, we were lingering over the remnants of our bottle of wine when the lightning we had been watching in the distance turned into a full-fledged thunderstorm. After hurrying inside, our waitress showed us to seats at the bar, where we finished our drinks and ordered from the dessert menu. We chose an almond pudding that was light and airy, the perfect complement to the pre-summer heat – just like the rest of our night.