Chinatown cheap eats

Recently we were looking for something fun to do on our day off. So we opened up a Time-out NY magazine and see this: A Cheap 1$ Eats walk in Chinatown with 10 spots to visit chosen by whoever at time-out new york.

Its was perfect. So we get all enthusiastic and excited and get on the next N train to Canal St.

What a great time hitting up all the crazy bakeries, markets and malls under the Manhattan bridge.

The best experience of the day was on Eldridge and Canal, at a place called Prosperity Dumpling. Its was small, clean and to the point with no BS and a friendly staff. Their cash register was an old wooden box and the place adorned a single bar style table seating 3-4 people. Everything was handmade there and it was the best hot and sour soup (1.00) and veg dumplings (8 for 2.00) i have ever eaten by far. We ate extremely well for 4$.

So yeah, we get behind this place full on, and we recommend you try it out.

Till next time.. when we talk about peaches and my all time favorite sport: All you can eat sushi.

Half a block walk on Eldridge from Canal St!

Extreme Enthusiasm or My GAS collection

Hey my name is Steve and I have gas. no.. it’s not what you think. I’m about to talk about what i really, really get behind more than ANYTHING. GAS as it is called nowadays meaning Guitar Acquisition Syndrome is something that I have almost finished curing, though i still suffer from it.. enthusiastically i might add, and I never stop on my search.

Here’s the short version:

For the past 20 years or so, or from the moment I started really “growing into myself”, I thought of my small bedroom as a vast chamber to customize and build my own feng shui into. I figured out ways to fit things into my bedroom that nobody thought would or could ever be possible. A mountain bike or 2 hung from the ceiling, many amplifiers were stacked just right utilizing the least amount of floor space, and I had 6 guitars hanging in the other corner of the room. I coated my walls with memories and collected shit like any young artist, and I went through a pack rats inside joke phase for a few years, but most of the stupid things were thrown away.

I found myself in bliss whenever i had a guitar that I could possibly make playable again. It wasn’t too long until i had to make room and build 2 huge shelves to support more guitar cases because i was fixing them up all the time.

I used to love going to countless yard sales, but after attending luthiery (guitar-making) school, working with sam ash, using ebay and craigslist everyday as well as hitting up a live auction, and finding some fixer-uppers, my knowledge and my collection grew. Eventually I even bought a drum kit to add on to. Nowadays, I have a rehearsal/recording room in my basement with most of my gear, with guitars set up in full stereo.

As of July 11th

From Left: Foot Clave, Boss DD6, RV5, PN2, EHX Deluxe Memory man, CH3, Ibanez TS10, CS3, EHX micro POG, Ibanez EQ, RMC3 LTD Gold wah (If you want to see just how adjustable this wah pedal is, watch this you tube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9Ov73jD4cU

From front: 1974 Fender Precision w/ maple fingerboard stock, 1977 Ibanez Silver Series lawsuit P-Bass, 1972 Guild JS-1 Bass, Danelectro Baritone modded to 6 string bass, Danelectro Hodad w/ 3 lipstick tube pickups in sparkle indigo purple, 1976 Hi Flyer Bass in black, Fender P-bass Jr.

BTW, I’m enthusistic about bartering and i have an extensive ‘trade list” of pedals, guitars, cymbals, stands and gear to trade you for your cool shit or for your “once was cool but is now broken” shit.

I also just made business cards. Email me and i’ll send you one!

I also love to jam, so if you want to jam, get in touch and you can come over within a day or so.

As for the GAS.. I just need a few more things sorted..

Wanted: (updated frequently)

Wilson Effects Rippah Q wah or Area 51 wah

Colorsound Wah

A TIP 3rd hand pedal (these are so cool)

A working Korg Microkorg

In the works in my shop:

Custom Tele Thinline, My handmade sex bass, MXR Dynacomp mod

I also own a copy of the 1976 Worlds Livestock Auctioneer Competition on CD that i hold dear.

OT: I ALSO want to express that I am a huge fan of George Carlin and his book Brain Droppings. Robin and I got to see the show before his last, June 13 at The Orleans in Las Vegas recently and it was a fantastic show. He shouldn’t have died yet… He looked too good to die. I will never forget the way he danced off the stage. A master of funny faces and body language and comedy as a whole. He will be missed by many.

take it ez

Things that are awesome

Ok back to being enthusiastic..

Ice pop makers are awesome.

Rice cookers are awesome.

Riding a bike is awesome.

Finding things or people you thought you’d never find.. AWESOME.

Mike “The guy” Hagai - Awesome.

Running in the street is awesome.

Craigslist adventures to buy, sell and trade gear.. Awesome

Going out or doing ANYTHING with Robin.. Awesome

Robin - Awesome

Hope and Nando - Awesome

Dancing is awesome. Who wants to go out dancing?

Best ice cream ever… Pt 2

Jess,
Thanks for commenting.

That’s a good idea actually. It’ll have to wait till winter. If i do it i’ll have to buy 2 barrels and have a German choc cake ice cream party with 1. You’ll be invited.

So, as an update we went on my first trip to cold-stone. Robin warned me about how gross it would be,
but of course they had their “signature” verson of German choc cake, so we had to go..

but they spelled it like this:

“Germanchokolatekake” Yes, one elegant word. So naturally it seemed to reel the chump in me, in and in I went for it.

Their sizes are “Like it” (sm) “Love it” (md) “Gotta have it” is the biggest. I got the Love it for 5$ and I was getting happy as I watched them design my ice cream for me on their signature cold stone.

Verdict- What a pile of shit man! They used the blandest american choc. ice cream, a crappy brownie (like Entermann’s minis but not as good), and a squeeze bottle of smuckers caramel (wtf). The coconut was decent i guess.
But if i were German id be truly offended about how god awfully this place is representing an ice cream version of my dessert!

BR used some crazy delicious dutch chocolate ice cream as their base.. which is the obviously right idea.

My opinion:

One trip to cold-stone convinced me they’re nothing but designer ice cream with no real attention to quality ingredients.

Go to Baskin Robbins from 5-10 tonight only for 31 cent scoops, and have some good ice cream.

Best Ice Cream ever… but we can’t have it again till next winter?

Hey its Stevey.

Greetings.

So it really gets me when something comes around that’s SO good or a product that (in rare form) does what it does SO well, only to find out that its been “discontinued” or it’s a “seasonal item” or it is “only in participating stores”..

I can think of a few things and I’m sure you can too. I ask:

Why do they make some of the most brilliant products so difficult to get your hands on?

Anyway, on to my point.

For 3 or 4 months out of the year, Baskin Robbins has 1 seasonal flavor that I make a really big deal about. Such a big deal that i search for it like I’m on a mission. Phone calls, and the whole 9.

This flavor is German Chocolate Cake. Rich german chocolate ice cream with chewy chocolatey cake, awesome coconut, sugary caramel, crunchy walnuts. I feel that this stuff is THE ice cream, and i get behind it!

Not only is it only served in the winter, but heres the real kicker, it only exists in the real BR and not the Baskin Robbins/Dunkin Donuts pop fart storefronts that exist every 2 blocks! What a huge inconvenience. I say these new half-n-half franchises just don’t feel the same. Its not all about being able to get a coffee, donuts and ice cream in the same place. What are they doing? What a terrible idea. And only to deny me my limited time only favorite flavor. Don’t these executives get that people have loyalty to a company and aren’t just looking for convenience for good reason? We as consumers want the goods!

And hey, ice cream reminds me of nothing DD reminds me of.

There are like 8 REAL Baskin Robbins in all of NYC that carry this flavor a few months a year.

I first had this flavor about 3 years ago only to be denied it the 3rd time i returned for more. And without any warning. I was shocked. I would have to wait 10 months to experience this form of heaven once again when I wanted it now? What is it about winter and good ice cream flavors? Who wants ice cream in the winter? Alot more business happens in the summer, but I like to enjoy a cone YEAR ROUND.

Now for the record and from my experience, Baskin Robbins is WAY better than Haagen Dazs (an entirely fake name btw) and Ben and Jerry’s. I just can’t be convinced considering I once worked at Haagen Dazs and have tried just about every B&J flavor including a visit to the factory in VT.

I’ve called specific stores in the NYC metro area to see if any one has any left post season. If you know a place that has it contact me! I’ll ride my bike there and eat a whole quart!

I wish they understood what this ice cream has done to me.

Their reply?

“What you see is what we have sir”

yep..

Maybe they can send me a 15 cent coupon like Hersheys did when I was in search of and wrote a well presented letter to the company requesting info on where I could find Zagnut candy bars in the New York area.. Butthatsawholeotherstory..

Thanks Robin for being my partner in enthusiasm.