We kicked around the idea of moving out of the East Coast for awhile...especially after visiting the West Coast several times over the last few years. We reeeaally loved our time there. Californians seem to have it great…wonderful weather, friendly people, lovely beaches..what else could you want? Many of my colleagues there seem to 'work to live' versus 'living to work'. Don’t get me wrong, they have a passion for the work they are doing, but at the end of a hard day of work they seem to be able to pack up and leave work behind. Even the most senior folks there seem to have great work life balance and an easiness about the way they handle the most stressful events. I know that I am biased and this is not completely true. Afterall, I am 1) generalizing an entire state based on the 10 or so people I work with there and 2) am often so stressed at work that I would think North Korea has better places to work. Regardless, my thoughts and memories of California are quite fond which makes it a wonderful place to daydream about moving to.
However, after much discussion we settled into the decision of staying put. Though Cali is tempting I really don’t believe there is any place on earth that would ever be home without my parents, family and friends. Who cares that California has the Kardashians? We got Staten Island and seriously, what is better than Mob Wives? Drita throws hammas....only real fans will understand…ok, I digress.
My point is that New York is awesome. Not only does it have great people (shout out to the 3 of you who will actually read this), but it also has great restaurants that I don’t think any other city can compete with. There is so much variety that I can really travel the world (through my stomach) within a 5 block radius of my office. What other city can boast that?
Last night I went back to Thailand (60 Thompson, NYC) with 4 girlfriends to a place called Kittichai ( www.kittichairestaurant.com) a restaurant I've wanted to check out for awhile now. All I needed to get there was a group of travel companions, a metrocard and a reservation. Ah, California ain't looking so good to me now!
Dinner was really good. Their meals are served family style and truly, it is my favorite way to eat. It was nice eating yummy food in the company of great ladies! Ev & Pam were able to break away from work during their busiest time of year, Ruth who is crazy understaffed (sidenote- has an equally crazy bling bling watch that I wish I tried on) and Jin who literally just had a baby a few weeks ago trekked out in this coooold weather to join us. Cheers to the ladies! Oh, and special congrats to Pam on her recent promotion!
Service - Two thumbs up to our waiter who checked in on us every so often to make sure we okay (for some reason, our area was super cold). The busboy had a few problems, but I think he was a newbie so he is forgiven.
Ambiance - trendy, cozy and sexy. We got a great table in the corner..unfortunately it was probably the one place in the restaurant without heating...but it was otherwise perfect. They did bring out a little space heater which helped.
Company - 5 stars!! Enjoyed dinner with Pam, Ev, Ruth, & Jin.
DINNER MENU
STARTERS (my personal favorite course of the three)
Baby back ribs, Mekhong whiskey barbeque sauce
Chicken red curry in puff pastry tartlets
Stir fried mussels, chili, Thai basil and crispy shallots
ENTREE
Pan seared Mahi, Mahi, rich red coconut curry
Organic chicken in green curry, Thai eggplant and sweet basil
Chili-smoked hanger steak, long beans, preserved chili jam
DESSERT
Flourless Valrhona chocolate cake with fresh cream
Coconut crème caramel with coconut tuille
Chef's selection of ice cream and sorbets
