I was completely caffeinated from a latte at the Blue Bottle Cafe in Hayes Valley (totally cute area, but not conducive to laptop-ing), so I just had a slice of the ginger bread loaf. Tasty… though ginger is my new obsession. Ritual is supposed to have excellent coffee and is great for sitting around drinking coffee and doing “work” on the laptop. They even provide free wi-fi and have nice big windows.

Ritual Coffee Roasters
1026 Valencia St., between 21st and 22nd St.
San Francisco, CA 94110

Mon-Fri 6:00am - 10:00pm
Sat 7:00am - 10:00pm
Sun 7:00am - 9:00pm

www.ritualroasters.com; 415.641.1024

Also suggested to me, but i didn’t get a chance to check it out:

Fourbarrel Coffee
375 Valencia St, between 14th and 15th St.
San Francisco, CA 94103

always in search of a cozy spot to set up my laptop and “focus,” this cafe is just as advertised. near nyu, it’s not nearly as full as undergrads as one would expect (there may actually be only one here at the moment). can’t comment on the quality of the coffee, but there is table service and the tea is the generic tazo. the ambiance is quiet enough to “focus” but doesn’t preclude quiet conversation. it’ll definitely be put on the go-to list, especially since it’s reportedly nearly 24-hrs (closed between 5:30-6am)

Esperanto Cafe
114 MacDougal Street, between Bleecker & W. 3rd
www.esperantocafe.com; (212) 475-5000

Pros: cozy, quiet, big windows, many tables, can sit all day
Cons: not many outlets, no wi-fi offered though there are plenty of networks around

Walking down the stretch of 5th street from 3rd avenue to 2nd avenue, past all the unassuming homes, you could tell as soon we came upon Jewel Bako. The smooth exterior, with the glass at the base of the wall gave a hint of the calm, elegant restaurant inside. Entering the restaurant caused a moment of disorientation, as the restaurant is divided into two distinct mirrored halves, almost two separate, though identical restaurants.

The sushi was expertly prepared, exceedingly fresh, and quite delicious.

Appetizers:
Toro Tartare- Not quite the itty bitty chunks of tuna that one is used to in tuna tartare, this appetizer had a mushy consistency, which unappealing, until combined with a sliver of the crispy rice paper. It was almost uncanny how much the small piece of crispiness changed the texture and the taste of dish, from slightly bearable to pretty good.

Mushrooms -

Omakase (in order of descending yumminess):
Toro Tuna- smooth and good
Skin-seared black bass- smokey, flavorful, with a slight crunch
King Salmon - rich, buttery

Sweet shrimp- I’m not usually a fan of this kind of sushi, but it was yummy
Sea Eel- not nearly as good as the eel from Tsukiji in Japan, but pretty damn tasty anyways
Mackeral- mixed with sesame seed & stuff, covered with a Shiso leaf; didn’t look all the appetizing, but was tasty with all the ingredients mixed in
Live scallop- again, not usually a fan, but smooth and yummy too
Tuna
Squid- slightly chewy, but crisp at the same time, in a good way

3 types of hamachi- I normally like yellowtail, but this was the lease impressive sushi of the omakase, even if there were three different types.

Dessert:
green tea cheesecake- a bit heavy
chocolate mousse- good
lychee sorbet on a slice of kiwi- light, subtle, and refreshing (my favorite dessert)

Final thoughts: the decor unique, the chinaware unusual, the service a bit overwhelmingly attentive, and the sushi delectable - some of the best I’ve ever had.

239 E. Fifth St/btwn 2nd & 3rd Ave., New York , NY 10003, (212) 979-1012

Set in a sleek, minimalist, modern building on the Hudson River, Perry St. is a more comfortable, less pretentious restaurant than it would seem. It’s a great place to catch up with good friends and enjoy excellent food in a mellow, hip, yet elegant setting.

The food was excellent, simple yet innovative and tasty.

Appetizers:
Tuna - a crispy rice cracker crust and served with a slightly spicy creamy sriracha sauce
Mushroom and avocado carpaccio - subtle flavoring with fresh ingredients
Crab dumplings - tender chunks of crab wrapped in dumpling skin

Entrees:
Rabbit - with a hint of gaminess giving it a hearty distinct flavor, wrapped in a crispy rice crust to add contrast to the tender, juicy meat
Steak - two tender, melt-in-your-mouth medallions of beef
Lamb Chops - flavorful and gamey

176 Perry Street, at West Street, West Village; (212) 352-1900.

I’d never seen a one-person-show before and was a bit skeptical, but ended up enjoying the play quite a bit. It was smart, funny, insightful and deep at times. I liked how there were so many levels to the show.

On one level, there was this one woman, Sarah Jones, who played such a wide range of characters… different genders, different ages - from 11 years old to someone born in the 20’s, different ethnicities - from pakistan to dominican republic to vietnam to russian to mexican to chinese. She was talented, and for the most part very believable in her different roles with her variety of subtle costuming, facial expressions, hand movements, and accents.

On another level, she was portraying immigrants from around the world, weaving in their stories and history.

On yet another level, each character was performing/reading a poem that they had written, giving a deeper insight into each. At times she played on stereotypes and caused laughs, yet other times touched a deep chord.

The NYTimes (obviously) dexcribed it more eloquently:
In short, if multiculturalism is a dirty word to you, “Bridge & Tunnel” will probably give you hives. But Ms. Jones has closely studied the way all sorts of people order their thoughts, express their hopes and fears and tentatively try to fit the whole of their personalities into an inadequate new vocabulary. The stories of their struggles and anxieties have the uneven rhythms and shaggy shape of experience clumsily but feelingly put into unfamiliar words; they are never just anecdotes cut and trimmed to form political paper airplanes aimed at the audience.

Written and performed by Sarah Jones.
Helen Hayes Theater, 240 West 44th Street; (212) 239-6200. Through March 12. Running time: 1 hour 30 minutes

i found out that my office is unofficially closed from xmas thru 1/2/2006.

i attended the world premiere of king kong (watching the efforts of my office on all the screens in times square was amazing) and the after party (getting an up close view of adrian brody and naomi watts. they are much hotter on screen, and damn, are they hot on screen)

i received a promotion to senior manager.

today was a good day.

regarding little-used items in the house…

tamfoolery: no point in keeping em around if you dont like it
tamfoolery: just like boys

haaa.

authentic vietnamese food
authentic mexican food
tri-tip steak
dutch crunch bread

it doesn’t make sense to me. new york is such a epicure’s delight, but doesn’t have any of the above. please please correct me if i’m wrong and point me in the right direction.

FIST FIGHT TO THE FINISH!
NYC’s First All-Girl Roller Derby Championship Bout!

TOMORROW - FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21st!
It’s here! This season finale is your LAST CHANCE to see the girls in action until the next season starts and you don’t want to miss out on the fun!

The impudent inmates of the Manhattan Mayhem will battle the as yet undefeated Queens of Pain. Only one team of rough and resolute roller girls will prevail, proving - for this season - who the real daredevil divas are, and you’ll be cheering your guts out until the very last jam.

DATE/TIME:
Friday, October 21st, 2005
Doors open at 7:30pm
Game at 8:30pm.

LOCATION:
Skate Key: 220 E. 138th Street in the Bronx
4/5 Train to 138th Street/Grand Concourse
walk east on East 138 Street (under the overpass) - the Skate Key is across the street.

Tickets: $12 in advance online at www.gothamgirlsrollerderby.com until midnight tonight or $15 at the door. Buy your tickets now… they may get sold out!

for more info, tickets and trash talk visit our site at: www.gothamgirlsrollerderby.com

after party at:
ROTHKO
116 Suffolk [btwn Rivingotn + Delancey]
Directions: Subway - Take the F, J, M, Z to the Essex/Delancey Stop

the long-anticipated email:

Great job on Thursday night! You have passed both the skills and rules tests. Your focus and dedication really shined through. Keep working on bending your knees and keeping those hands off the floor when falling. Work on adding balance and power into blocking and trust that the skills are there. You have the potential to be an excellent jammer. Congrats!

Here are your numbers (out of 5, 3 is passing):

Forward Skating 4.3
Turning 4.0
Cross-over 4.1
T-Stop 4.3
Plow Stop 2.9 ==> yeah, I really am not so good at this one.
1 Knee Drag 4.0
Double Knee Fall 4.4
4 Point Fall 4.0
Big Booty Block 3.8
Body Block 3.4
Pushes 3.8
Give Whip 3.5
Receive Whip 3.8
1 Leg Hop 3.4
Double Hop 3.5

celebratory drinks tonite!! i still need a name tho.

oh, and that’s official skater of the Gotham Girls Roller Derby League.