staycation: lazy days and lady pim.

Last week was quite the bender, gastonomically and otherwise.  This past weekend I needed to slow down, so I spent much of Saturday watching movies at home and getting delivery from Ghang Thai Kitchen.  On Sunday, I made a great red lentil soup with vadouvan, a lovely French-inflected curry blend I picked up from one of the South Asian markets off 6th Street in the East Village.  I threw in some Marash chile pepper powder for good measure; it’s cold around here, you know.  (The book I’m reading in the top photo: the excellent Guide to the New Ruins of Great Britain, by Owen Hatherley.)

Also, on Sunday night, Mark and I went to Dean Street, a gastropub opened up by Nate Smith, former executive chef at the Spotted Pig.  It underwhelmed, sadly.  The appetizers — chicken liver pate crostini, deviled eggs, and a toast topped with what I want to describe as something along the lines of fancy artichoke dip — were tasty enough, but didn’t wow us.  We both ordered the burger — the burger patty was awesome; the bun, stale.   I just read that after this weekend, Smith and the resto’s owners parted ways.  Too bad, really, on so many levels — Dean Street has the potential to be a great neighborhood spot, several notches above the random sports bar and grill type places you’d normally find in the area.

But the best part of the holiday weekend, and by far the best way to end my staycation on the best of notes: an unexpected visit from my friends A and June and their lovely and gorgeous new daughter, Pim. 

Pim’s at the point where she’s grabbing at everything within reach — her fingers, other people’s fingers, menus, coffee cups — and attempting to put it in her mouth.  It’s hilarious to watch, though probably an augur of the handfulness to come.  I mean, she’s not even ambulatory yet, and already it took four people over brunch to rotate watching her so that we could all finish our meals.

The occasion for the visit: my acquaintance, and their dear friend, Jonas, had a book launch party and reading in Dumbo for the US release of his novel Montecore, on Sunday afternoon.  On Monday was the US premiere of his play Invasion!, over at Walkerspace in Tribeca.  I managed to catch both, and oh my word, it is good stuff.   Afterwards we went to the afterparty at South’s, where I thankfully did not take a photograph of the plate of nachos that A and I demolished. 

I woke up Tuesday morning with my head in a happy fog.  It was a pretty great week, full of food and friends and naps and repeat.   Gonna have to do this again in a few months, or find a way to rig the MegaMillions lottery.