Monthly Archives: November 2010

David Wright, Pike Place Market Foundation Donor?

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At Pike Place Market in Seattle, there is Rachel, a giant bronze piggy bank that sits outside the main entry. It’s a popular spot for tourists taking photos and it does decent business, taking in between $6,000 and $9,000 annually. What interested me were the bronze hoofprints around the pig with a donor’s name on it, especially the one pictured here for “David Wright”. Somehow I doubt it’s David Wright, All-Star third baseman of the Mets but wouldn’t it be funny if it were? Yeah, it’s probably not him.

This photo was taken on October 3, 2010.

David Wright, Pike Place Market Foundation Donor?

A Shuttered Johnny Rockets

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This Johnny Rockets on the corner of 8th and Greene Streets closed at the end of September. I guess even the hordes of NYU students that come through the doors over the years weren’t enough to keep up with ever-escalating rents that primo space must demand. What I couldn’t help but notice was just how empty this place is now. Sure, the counters and stools are still there but everything else not bolted down is gone, creating nothing but space. Hopefully, someone else will come along and open something here, though preferably not another chain.

This photo was taken on October 18, 2010.

A Shuttered Johnny Rockets

San Francisco Ferry Building

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On our last day in San Francisco, Justin and I bummed around the city, doing little but moving around a lot. One of our stops was the Ferry Building for some coffee and, later, lunch. The building is home to a bunch of shops on the ground level but offices occupy the upper levels. While the view of the building from the ground level would have been nice, it doesn’t compare to the one pictured here, taken from one end of the building on the second floor. Here, you get the full view – the shops on the ground, the mezzanine, and, finally, the windowed roof. Just an awesome sight.

This photo was taken on June 28, 2010.

San Francisco Ferry Building

Barneys “Foodie Holiday”

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If you’re not yet tired of the term “foodie,” then this holiday window display just might put you over the edge. At the very least, we can probably put aside the notion that it hasn’t jumped the shark. Still, it’s an interesting choice from Barneys New York to go with a “Foodie Holiday” window display this year. After all, we get Anthony Bourdain, Daniel Boulud, Bobby Flay, Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck, Mario Batali, and Guy Fieri all in the same room! I’m sure Bourdain would have plenty to say to Fierir if their flesh and bones counterparts were ever in the same room. For now, we’ll just have to imagine that he’d be doing something not so different from the scene depicted – Bourdain cheering while Fieri is flat on his ass on the floor.

More Info: NYT Magazine.

These photos were taken on November 15, 2010.

Sunset Over the NYC Skyline

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I was actually over at my brother’s – no jokes, Justin – apartment over in LIC to pick up some stuff and his building was having a Cinco de Mayo party on one of their rooftop decks. Never one to turn down free beer and food, I hung out for a little while and watched as the sun slowly began to set over the west side of Manhattan. I was in the midst of my Project 365 at the time so I was with camera which came in handy because the sunset that night was just too awesome not to capture on “film”. Though why it’s brightest around the top of the Empire State Building, I have no idea.

This photo was taken on May 4, 2010.

Sunset Over the NYC Skyline

A Caged Model

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A few weeks back, Eater sent me out to Sweetiepie on the rumor that they were closed due to fire. Well, there was a fire if the sign on the door is any indication but I couldn’t tell that anything was wrong when I walked by as they had a full-blown photoshoot happening on the premises. There were cameras, giant flashes, and photo subjects hanging around including this lady in the restaurant’s bird cage. Now it seems like they’re actually dunzo and the whole fire thing was just a ruse. But, hey, at least they got this cute model to just sit in the window, looking pretty before they closed for good.

This photo was taken on October 18, 2010.

A Caged Model

Eater Awards 2010

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Last night was the first ever Eater Awards, celebrating the best the restaurant industry has to offer, whether it be the best chefs and restaurants or the best shitshows and fameballs. The one recipient I managed to get a photo of was Eric Ripert, for Television Personality of the Year. Of course, he’s also a great chef – one of the best in the biz – but there’s no denying the Silver Fox translates well to the small screen. He’s got his own show, he does great work on late night television, and he’s a kick-ass sidekick when he appears with Anthony Bourdain on No Reservations. I was a little worried that the other awards might be left unclaimed on the shelf but shortly after founder Lockhart Steele took to the mic, I saw some of those tomato cans being grabbed.

These photos were taken on November 8, 2010.

Belgian Beer Fest

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This past weekend was Beer Advocate’s Belgian Beer Fest at the Cyclorama in Boston. It’s two nights of some really great Belgian-style beers from all across the country and even some from beyond our borders. For the sixth consecutive fest, I was a volunteer and, between volunteering and attending, I’ve been to well over ten of their fests but this one featured a first – an evacuation. The fire alarm went off during Friday night’s session, requiring us all to vacate. It was a strange scene – attendees leaving en masse, volunteers trying to get some of the stragglers out, and then trying to figure out what happened. Thankfully, it wasn’t anything serious and we were back to regularly scheduled programming inside of 20 minutes. Otherwise, it was the same smooth operation these fests have become over the years.

These photos were taken on November 5 and 6, 2010.

Shadowy Self-Portrait

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In the midst of my first extensive bike ride after the Five Boro Bike Tour – a ride that included a stop at Shake Shack for some frozen custard – I grabbed this shot of my shadow while seated on my bike somewhere around Union Square. The ride wouldn’t be much longer after this shot – I had hoped to go all the way down to Battery Park and then ride back up along the Hudson but ended up heading north from here to head home. Riding 45 miles only a few days prior will leave you a little tired.

This photo was taken on May 6, 2010.

Shadowy Self-Portrait