Barneys “Foodie Holiday”

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

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

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

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

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

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

Citi Field Between Games of a Doubleheader

When I took this photo between games in a doubleheader between the Mets and Dodgers, I had no idea that they would be one of the few highlights of the season. They would win both games behind an effective Johan Santana in the first game and an offensive barrage in the second game. This would be games five and six of an eight-game winning streak, one of two such streaks they’d have in 2010. How can a team with two long winning streaks end up at 79-83 for the season? Simple, they’d have trouble even winning two consecutive games after the All-Star break. Only the Mets…

This photo was taken on April 27, 2010.

Citi Field Between Games of a Doubleheader

Sam Calagione (and His Ghost)

Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione is one of the more charismatic and colorful characters the craft beer industry has. The Discovery Channel clearly believes he is as they’ve tabbed him to host Brew Masters, their new show about craft beer which – I’m taking this from the press release – “follows Sam and his partners in suds as they travel the country and the world sourcing exotic ingredients and discovering ancient techniques to produce beers of astounding originality.” I don’t know if this show, premiering November 21, will be a hit or if it will even be good but I can’t imagine that it won’t be interesting to some degree, especially for the beer geeks.

Of course, I didn’t know about any of this when I took this shot at the pre-party for Extreme Beer Fest back in February. This shot, with the blur of Calagione still there, happened because he’s so very expressive when he talks and even using the flash, I couldn’t get a still shot of him. I won’t complain because I think this one turned out better this way.

This photo was taken on February 18, 2010.

Sam Calagione (and His Ghost)

Digital Raindrops in Herald Square

On my way over to Madison Square Garden to watch a college basketball doubleheader with Rachael, I passed through Herald Square. It was the holiday season which I guess is why they had these white lights hanging off the tree branches. It created a really neat, almost raindrop like effect as the light flickered and cascaded down. It’s barely November and I already have Christmas on the brain, which is why I decided to go back and post this photo. Thank you, relentless advertising, for drilling the holidays into me already.

This photo was taken on December 9, 2009.

Digital Raindrops in Herald Square