Circa 1982 (Pornography era)

Back in 2000/2001-ish I was asked to play for a band called Asciento, based in Boston/Somerville, MA, because they wanted to cover the Cure’s “Pornography” in its entirety, and specifically for the song, “Cold,” they wanted cello.  Being a long-time (and no doubt obsessive) Cure fan, and a huge fan of black leather clothing and dark make-up, I, without hesitation, said “yes.”  And I’m really glad I did, because it led to many musical revelations & interesting relationships from which I learned a great deal.

In middle and high school, I was a huge fan of “Disintegration,” “Kiss me, Kiss me, Kiss me,” “the Head on the Door,” and “Standing on a Beach: the Singles,” plus some others.  Some of the older stuff, like “Pornography,” was a bit too…well, I don’t know…it wasn’t quite accessible enough to my teenage ears.  A bit too dark maybe (hard to believe since I love all things dark, but really….this record is going into the depths of the darkest dark), a bit too repetitive in a minimalist New-Wavey kind of way…a bit too obscure with the lyrics, at least for my brain at the time…but through that performance in 2000/2001 and through just maturing as a musician and an avid listener, well, I just love this record.  Some of the songs have a similar rhythmic/tempo feel, so it almost feels like the songs run together a bit.  But I think that’s part of what makes it interesting.  I find it sensitive, angsty, depressing, torturous, moving, and fraught with the deepest feeling.  And it’s honest.  Robert Smith has always been tremendously honest, I think.  He’s not trying to be anyone but himself, he’s not trying to be trendy or to fit in with anyone or anything…he doesn’t really sound like anyone but himself.  The Cure sounds like the Cure.  No question about it.  And I think this record is unbelievably unique.  ”Siamese Twins” is probably the most depressing song I’ve ever heard…but man, what a beautiful song.  The record kind of grooves on itself; it’s not over-done, there’s not a whole lot going on except for dense sound & grooves.  Robert Smith is heartfelt as ever, in the most honest way.  I think this record is a masterpiece.

What an opener (omg, holy 80s)”

Almost danceable…”Short Term Effect”

Little Earthquakes Era – 1991/1992: “Here in my Head,” a b-side (Best moment: 3 minutes, 10 seconds basically to the end).  Painfully heartfelt, honest, angst-ridden in the most beautiful way…Best line/verse (I think):

maybe i’m just the horizon you run to
when she has left
you and me here
alone on the floor
you’re counting my feathers
as the bells toll
you see the bow and the belt
and the girl from the south
all favorites of mine
you know them all well
and spring brings fresh little puddles
that makes it all clear
makes it all…
hey, do you know
hey, do you know
what this is doing to me?
oh, here…
here…
here. in my head

Under the Pink era: “Bells for Her” 1994  – sensitive, dark, moody, sad, earnest.  You kind of have to be a major fan to sit through the entire performance, but man, what an introspective ride.  This song reminds me of very lonely winters.   Best line/verse: bells and footfalls and soldiers and dolls
brothers and lovers she and i were
now she seems to be sand under his shoes
there’s nothing i can do
can’t stop what’s coming
can’t stop what’s on its way

Boys for Pele (I’m allowed 2 since this is my favorite record of all-time).  1) Marianne 2) Horses/Fool on the Hill

Best line/verse from either: tuna
rubber
a little blubber in my igloo
and i knew you pigtails and all
girl when they fall
and they say marianne killed herself
and i said not a chance
don’t you love the girls ladies babies
old bags who say she was so pretty why
why why why did she crawl down in the old
deep ravine

From the Choirgirl Hotel: Such an AWESOME record.  I’m choosing her performance of “Cruel” at Madison Square Garden in 1998.  Best line:  dance with the sufi’s celebrate your top ten in the charts of pain
lover brother bogenvilla my vine twists around your need
even the rain is sharp like today as you sh-sh-shock me sane
no cigarettes only peeled HAVANA’S for you i can be cruel

To Venus and Back: Such a special record.  I choose a live performance of “Concertina”.  Best line/verse: the soul-quake
happened here in a glass world
particle by particle
she slowly changes
she likes hanging chinese paper cuts
just another fix
can i weather this

i got my fuzz all tipped to play
i got a dub on your landscape
then there’s your policy of tracing
the sauce without the blame

Strange Little Girls – 2001 – terribly unique covers album.  I choose “Real Men,” written by Joe Jackson.  Best line/verse: what’s a man now
what’s a man mean
is he rough or is he rugged
cultural and clean
now it’s all changed
it’s got to change more
we think it’s getting better
but nobody’s really sure

Scarlet’s Walk – 2002: Such a beautiful masterpiece of a record.  I choose her live version of “Virginia.”  Best line/verse:  he will
change from her
sunwise to clockwise
to soul trading
still she’ll lay
down her Body
covering him all
the same
oh Virginia
do you remember
when the Land held
your hand
oh Virginia

The Beekeeper – 2005 – I fell in love with my husband right around when this record came out, so it’s hard for me NOT to love it.  Still, it shows a departure from the bad ass, angsty, emotional Tori we saw previously. Nonetheless, I think her live shows were incredible.  I choose “Song of Soloman,” which was basically an improv she did for a Viktor & Rolf fashion show.  Parts of it are in her tune, “Take me with You.”  this is pretty magical.  Just watch the whole clip if you can, so you wait for the models to come out.  They do so at 2:15.

American Doll Posse: I don’t have much to say here, but she blew me away at the live show in 2007 for this record.  I choose “Beauty of Speed.”  She is pretty mesmerizing in this.

Abnormally Attracted to Sin: 2009 – Strong Black Vine, live, because she does a “Tori rant” reminiscent of her rants from 1998-ish.  Interesting record, but not much to say.  Still, this live clip is pretty awesome.  I happened to be reading “the Story of O” when this record came out, and well…it proved to be a pretty amazing soundtrack.  ;-)  She’s pretty insane in this vid, but if you’re a Tori fan…well, I guess we get it.

I have to end on a better note, however.  So this is my favorite live performance of a b-side (other than “Here in My Head.”)  I choose “Butterfly” from the Under the Pink era.  ”Butterfly” is in my top 5 favorite Tori songs of all time.  Favorite line/verse:

stinky soul get a little lost in my own
hey general, need a little love in that hole of yours
one ways, now, and saturdays and our kittens
all wrapped in cement
from cradle to gumdrops
got me running girl as fast as i can
and is it right, butterfly,
they like you better framed and dried

Tori Amos, Choirgirl era, circa 1998

From "Hounds of Love"

I was pleased to come across a series of youtube videos, all featuring this person’s “greatest” Kate Bush selections — “greatest song,” “greatest cover version,” “greatest video,” etc.  What a discovery!  I’m fairly obsessed with Kate Bush.  She is the coolest of the cool, the most beautiful of the beautiful, the most original of the original and just super duper interesting and bad ass all around.  Such an inspiration!  Enjoy!  (Just for the record, this person’s “greatest song” is NOT what I would consider her greatest song, nor is it the best version…but it’s still super cool.)  :)  Something to take extra note of, if you’re interested — the “greatest lyrics” was inspired by Joyce’s “Ulysses.”  :)

Two of my favorite runners ever: the Americans, Shalane Flanagan and Kara Goucher

I recently had to take 2 weeks off from running due to illness & just being seriously over-worked.  A couple weeks after having gotten back into it, I took another 6 days off for vacation.  And to be perfectly honest, the thing that was the hardest for me during those times off was…frankly, not being able to run.  I thought about it frequently, even had dreams about it!  I missed it so much.  I missed how it makes me feel physically, spiritually (that’s a biggie), and emotionally.  And so I fully realized how much running means to me in my life.

I’m not a marathoner by any stretch of the imagination, but I do consider myself a serious runner in that I pay close attention to my times, my speed, my running frequency (i.e. I write it on my calendar, document my mileage most of the time, etc).  I started running in 2004 when I went home to NC for the summer and became a regular visitor of the Cane Creek Middle School track a couple miles from my parents’ house.  Said track happens to be in one of the most spectacular valleys in western NC.  Lucky me!  Anyway, I had put on quite a few pounds during the last year of my Master’s degree, and was just feeling down about a lot of things.  Running seemed like a good way to kickstart feeling good again.  My dad was a runner all my growing up, which may have had something to do with my particular choice of exercise.  So I dabbled in running for the next couple years and then became quite serious about it around 2007-2008.  I reached my peak fitness last summer, 2010, able to run about 6.5 miles in just over an hour.  For a marathoner, that’s nothing; for me, that’s tremendous. Unfortunately, I’ve gone a bit downhill the last couple months, hence this manifesto to the importance of fitness, and more specifically, of running (if that’s your exercise of choice).

Running changed my life and continues to do so in every positive way imaginable.  If there is any space that I consider my own church or temple, it is the space I enter when I’m having a really good run.  A good running mix on the ipod is key — I have various visualizations I use depending on the song, what I need to keep myself going, etc.  My self-esteem seems to be directly correlated to how much I’ve been exercising; which really means, my self-esteem is directly related to how my body feels physically and the degree to which I’ve had a good dose of endorphins.  The mind-spirit-body connection is in its full glory with running.  I’ve had a similar experience with Bikram yoga, probably because it too is an extremely intense form of exercise…I love Bikram, but I prefer running.

A chubby kid who began dieting probably at age 9 (if not earlier), I’ve had my battles with body dysmorphic disorder and feeling unworthy physically.  As women in 2011, I think most of us have had to contend with socio-cultural expectations of how women are “supposed” to look, what is considered desirable, and so on.  And I admit, there was a time when I ran simply to “get thin,” and it is with a degree of embarrassment that I admit that.  But I say with total sincerity that my desire to be a great runner and to get my body in great physical shape goes so far beyond anything having to do with appearance.  Sure, I like to fit into my jeans without effort just as much as the next person; but running and the space that I enter when I’m running has to do with transcendence — transforming consciousness through intense physical activity, taking care of one’s body to live life to the fullest.  Running has also changed my relationship with food, because I think more about eating to fuel and nourish myself.  So I’m more diligent about considering foods’ nutritional value, rather than just how many calories or fat grams they contain.

I’m not one to get preachy (unless I’m waxing poetic about Tori Amos or something nutty like that), but I do think that exercise and taking care of oneself physically can and does change peoples’ lives.  I hope I will be one of those 75+ year-old women who you still see kicking ass at races — they are out there, no doubt.  So in the meantime, I’m going to get myself a new pair of running shoes, and continue on my goal to run a hearty half-marathon.

Enjoy these clips!  The first one is the American runner Shalane Flanagan coming in 2nd at last year’s NYC Marathon.  What an inspiration!  The second clip is from yesterday’s Boston Marathon.  Huge congrats to fellow American Desiree Davila coming in 2nd.

Some running mix ideas — these really get me through tough runs:

1. Pat Benatar’s “Invincible”

2. Y Kant Tori Read – “On the Boundary”

3. Almost anything by Nine Inch Nails

4. Bangles – Hazy Shade of Winter

5. B-52′s – Juliet of the Spirits

6. John Legend – Give me the Green Light

7. Kate Bush – Be Kind to My Mistakes

And as a cool down, try Sade’s “Smooth Operator”!  :)  Happy running!

1. Tori Amos, “Boys for Pele”: passionate, dark, improvisational, beautiful, innovative

“Don’t make me scratch on your door, I never left you for a banjo, I only just turned around for a poodle and a Corvette, and my impression of my best Angie Dickinson…”

2. Kate Bush, “Hounds of Love”: epic, symphonic, inventive, moving, revolutionary

“It breaks the cage, and fear escapes and takes possession, just like a crowd rioting inside.”

3. The Beatles, “the White Album”: imaginative, quirky, colorful, crafted, eclectic

“I look at you all, see the love there that’s sleeping, while my guitar gently weeps.  I look at you all, still my guitar gently weeps.”

4. Joni Mitchell, “Blue”: intimate, cozy, lyrical, nuanced, unforgettable

“Born with the moon in Cancer.  Choose her a name she will answer to.  Call her green for the children who’ve made her.  Little green, be a gypsy dancer.”

5. Pink Floyd, “Dark Side of the Moon”: trippy, atmospheric, memorable, nuanced, intriguing

“Forward he cried from the rear and the front rank died.  And the general sat and the lines on the map moved from side to side.”

I’ve already written (probably ad nauseum) about Tori and how awesome she is, but I really think the music speaks for itself.  I STILL think she is a phenomenal pianist, though I’m far more impressed with her material from the 90s – her live material, mostly – than from anything since Scarlet’s Walk.  But man, she is awesome.  Her playing, her voice, her timing, her originality of lyrics & compositional techniques (see: Springtime of His Voodoo, etc.) her natural feel for rhythm and nuance of phrase.  One word: superb.  Take this live clip from 1994…sorry, no Regina Spektor or (god forbid) Lady Gaga comes close.  (Trust me, I have FAR more respect for Regina than Gaga, no doubt, man!) http://www.hereinmyhead.com/sounds/files/bees/UpsideDown_LiveInBoston1994.mp3

I think the important thing to me, as a musician, is that no one sounds like Tori.  Her piano style and vocal style are totally hers.  Sure, sometimes her high range may echo Kate Bush or Joni Mitchell, particularly with the piano material accompanying it.  But really, they are all so incredibly different that the comparison may not really be fair.  Perhaps such a comparison is just cliche.

Who knows why Bjork is trendy with professional musicians & Tori is considered a little quirky & “uncool”

My sister did this as a CD cover.

.  Doesn’t seem like a fair evaluation, but the masses are a tricky bunch.  I would actually much prefer that jazz musicians NOT do Tori covers…oh geez, let’s pray that doesn’t happen (and I absolutely love many, many branches of jazz, so that’s no offense here)…but it would mean that Tori had indeed become…well, trendy.  So Bjork can hold that place, and that’s cool.  ;-)

Tori’s music speaks for itself…Nevermind the crazy, tribal dance at the beginning…and the scrunchy.  Tori rules:

A different era, but totally awesome:

One more clip; my favorite Y Kant Tori Read song and a great “running mix” addition.  80s Tori rules:

I did 12 years of higher education, 11 years of which were spent making money with a variety of colorful (or boring) jobs, most notably teaching part-time at 3 different music academies (these were not the boring jobs, trust me!), a couple music festivals, gigging, and doing a too-brief 3-semester stint as NYU adjunct.  None of the above brought me very much money, with the exception of a relatively small handful of gigs that were fun, rewarding, and quite memorable.  Now, money was never a reason for going into music.  It sounds cliche, but let’s face it — unless you want and actually have the ability to be Yo Yo Ma or Paul McCartney — the money may or may not be okay…maybe “decent” is a better word.  I went through a couple years where I was gigging and teaching a lot, and got enormous satisfaction from actually getting by as a “working musician,” all the while moving towards finishing my last degree.  So it’s totally do-able, and I know some musicians around my age who appear to be extremely successful at doing what they do best — being musicians.  So this blog is not to get dark on being a musician or to sound woeful about the difficulties of being a freelancer.  BUT…it’s a hard life for most of us, I’m not gonna lie.

But believe it or not, money is not the main motivation in my deciding to write this.  What bugs me beyond belief and is literally the bane of my existence?  SCHEDULING.  Scheduling anything!  Gigs, rehearsals, social plans, trips, time with my husband, time to see our families.  It’s all an uphill battle.  Now, granted some of this is because I had to take a very irregular “day job” (quotations are appropriate because I basically work the night shift at this freakin’ place), which has me on a different schedule every week.  But nonetheless, scheduling has always, always, always been difficult.  Why?  Because there has never — NEVER — been any sort of regularity with my schedule.  Sure, I taught Mondays for 5 years.  But other than that?  Forget about it.  Always different.  Always stressful.  A friend emails to get together?  Oh gosh.  So difficult scheduling things that are really, at the end of the day, so terribly important.

So a “9-5″?  Now, my future “9-5″ does not involve my being in a cubicle or spending excessive time on the computer (at least, I don’t think so) or sitting alone for long periods of time under florescent lights.  It’s music-oriented, has me taking my cello to work, teaching, playing, working with people, that kind of thing, which sounds so wonderful to me.  I was hired because of my qualifications, so there’s automatically a nice feeling of having been hired for the “right” reasons.  But what is a key thing I am most looking forward to?  A friend calling me to get together and here is my response: “I’m back in the city by 5:30-ish Monday-Friday…oh!  And I have Good Friday off, so why don’t we get together then?  Or maybe the following Wednesday around 7:00?  8th Street Wine Cellar?  Perfect, let’s do it!”  Or someone calls me for a Saturday gig.  My answer: “Sure, I’m always free Saturdays!  And ya know what?  Your group should play at my new place of work!  I’ll try to work that out!”  Omg.  Could it get any better?!?!

My husband and I have occasionally knocked 9-5-ers I think because we’ve viewed that lifestyle as “settling” in some way.  Like it’s boring or it doesn’t represent the “artistic life” or the “passionate life.”  There may be some truth to that, I’m not gonna lie.  But I think everyone reaches their limit on unpredictability — what will January look like?  What will April look like?  Well, we just don’t know, do we?  Ugh, I’m over it!   I’m a Taurus, I know, but still!  So stressful!

I’ll re-evaluate my “9-5″ after I’ve been in it for a while, but in the meantime, I am VERY excited about the prospect of a new way of life, and I feel very, very lucky right now.  And I think my free time will be creatively utilized, thanks to these scheduling regularties…  To be continued…

Every element of this record is beautifully crafted.  Not sure I’ve ever heard a song as beautiful or moving as “Other People’s Photographs” and “Travelling III” (Sitting with My Distance Reprise) makes me happy to be a string player.  Everyone sounds absolutely beautiful on this album.

I’m normally pretty verbose with my writing, but all I have left to say is…listen to this record.  You won’t be disappointed.  And “like” it on facebook if you have a sec.  Enjoy!

listn.to/BlueBottleCollection

http://bluebottlecollection.com/

Musicians:

“Blue Bottle Collection is singer-songwriter Daniel Zaitchik’s unique, multi voiced, dream inducing band. Daniel (voice/piano) is joined by Jeremy Bass (voice/guitar), Nathan Tysen (voice/guitar/harmonica), Carey Anderson (voice), Whitney Bashor (voice), Jody Flader (voice), Emily Walton (voice), and Chris Sullivan (beatbox/percussion.)  Also featured on our first EP, This Evening, and our upcoming album, Summer of The Soda Fountain Girls, are violinist Kate Mollica, cellist Lauren Riley Rigby, bassist Rob Jost, and percussionist/guitarist Michael Croiter.”

Our fat & festive tree...plus glowing cat eyes at right.

Rather than therapeutically writing about the inevitable “post Christmas blues,” which undoubtedly will befall many an individual in just a week or so from today, I’ve decided to revel in the beauty of the season by creating a “best of” list for this Christmas.  If you’re looking for a new cookie, a new Xmas CD, a new festive drink, a new holiday scented bath product, a new holiday date spot, (oh, and a way to possibly beat the post-holiday doldrums) look no further!  Well, at least here are some ideas…

1.  Music: John Erickson’s “A Feeling of Christmas” is one I highly recommend for peaceful piano tunes most likely in the jazz category.  There are a couple cheezy renditions, but for the most part, I absolutely love this record, particularly his versions of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” “Greensleeves,” and “Lo, How a Rose E’re Blooming.”  Our bass-player friend Patrick Williams gave us the record last year…and he’s on it!  :)

2.  More music: Frank Wallace’s “Joy: Carols & Songs for a Season of Light.”  Peaceful, Renaissance-influenced guitar music.  Absolutely fabulous, beautiful, peaceful…

(I still think Vince Guaraldi’s Charlie Brown Christmas is my fave of all-time…)

3.  Cookies/treats: the famous Riley Holiday Nuggets (top secret recipe), but I will share a recipe I recently acquired from my good friend, Angie.  Sandwich a peppermint patty between 2 Ritz crackers; coat with melted chocolate (preferably “almond bark,” which is apparently better for coating and NO, it does not have almonds in it).  Let the cookies dry on wax paper and store in an air-tight container.  They don’t sound like my kind of thing AT ALL – I mean…Ritz crackers??? – but these are…in a word…superb.  TRY THEM!  Or at least take them to a Xmas or New Year’s party when you don’t have time for in-depth baking.

4.  Candles: holiday scented candles from Bath & Body works.  Ever since Illuminations went out of business a couple years ago, I’ve been searching for a truly wondrous scented candle.  Look no further, Bath & Body Works is the way to go.  They also have these beautiful ceramic shapes — pumpkins, acorns, apples, pine cones.  They’ve been gracing chez Rigby since October.  They had some pretty sweet sales online recently, so check it out.

5.  Drink: Riley Cranberry spice tea with Jameson.  3 parts cranberry, 1 part water & a splash of OJ if you have it on hand.  2-3 Constant Comment teabags and or mulling spice sack.  Sliced oranges.  Cinnamon stick.  Liberal sprinkles of nutmeg, cinnamon, &  whole cloves.  This is fine without the booze as well, but nothing warms a winter night like Jameson.  You could also use Maker’s Mark, of course.

6.  Decor: Strands of white/clear Moravian star lights.  This is our favorite piece of holiday decor.  You can hang them anywhere.  Since we do colored lights on our tree, we take the Moravians off the lights on which they come and put them on the colored lights.  (See photo.)  Ours came from the Winterthur catalog maybe 3-4 years ago, but I’m having a very hard time finding them online.  I’m sure they’re out there, so it’s worth the search.  Moravian stars in general are just gorgeous, so I think every home should have one.  :)

7.  Arts/dance/theater: the 1977 version of the Nutcracker with Baryshnikov & Gelsey Kirkland.  This is the one I grew up watching…as many of us did!  :)  Kirkland looks bizarre, but I really think this is THE quintessential Nutcracker.  Almost all of it is on youtube, but I think this is a DVD worth owning.

8.  Movie for all ages: Polar Express.  I have a rather lengthy list of holiday favorites, most of which I’ve been watching since the 80s, but Polar Express is one of my relatively new faves.  What a beauty!

9.  Movie for little ones: Emmet Otter’s Jug Band Christmas.  This is a fantastic, fun, imaginative film that Jim Henson & his ingenious team did back in the early 80s as an HBO special.  It is just wonderful!  I still have such fun watching it.  And be sure to watch the special features.  Frank Oz (Miss Piggy, Yoda, etc) originally did the voice of Ma Otter.

10. Beauty: Holiday scented shower gels & hand soaps from Bath & Body Works OR Philosophy.  I highly recommend Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin & Twisted Peppermint from Bath & Body Works…and just about anything from Philosophy (available at Sephora or philosophy.com).  Superb!  Also, any holiday scented handmade soaps off ebay.  They are easy to find…and cheap!

11. Manhattan holiday date-spot: Bin 71 or Barcibo (and/or the soon-to-open Bar’rique).  I found myself unexpectedly at Bin last night & it was just super cozy & candlelit & I ordered one of my favorite wintertime meals — meatballs in a lemon broth with crusty bread.  I can’t speak more highly of these places & they are so wonderful in the wintertime.  Cozy up to your sweetheart & enjoy!  Bin is on Columbus & 71st (SE corner) and Barcibo is on Broadway & 69th (NE corner).  The soon-to-be-open Bar’rique is on Bleecker & Cornelia.

12.  Asheville, NC holiday date spot: the lobby at the Grove Park Inn…or (if you’re lucky) a ROOM at the Grove Park Inn!  (wink, wink…)  I’m unfortunately only in Asheville a handful of times a year, but this is a go-to spot for hanging with friends and loved ones, esp. at Christmastime when GP goes all-out with its decorating.  There is also a beautiful spa there as well as shops, Christmas stores, restaurants, etc.  It’s an Asheville gem!

13. International Christmas destination: York, England.  The most Christmasey place I’ve ever been to!  Jason and I went there on our honeymoon and it was like stepping into Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol.”  Beautiful, charming, interesting medieval town…they know how to do Christmas there.

14. Swanky gift-buying spot for gals & metrosexuals: L’Occitane.  This is my new favorite beauty supply place, though I really can’t afford anything there.  But…if you need a luxurious, swanky gift with absolutely gorgeous holiday gift wrap, check out L’Occitane.  They’re usually generous with their samples as well, which one can certainly pocket.  For more CRAFTY gifts, check out etsy.com.  Esp. the tattoo tights!  :)

15.  Beating the post-Christmas blues: I really don’t have a fool-proof solution for this except to create things to look forward to in the new year.  This year for me they are: SNOW, starting up ballet classes again, maybe starting riding again, SNOW, becoming a stronger runner, seeing lots more of my family…oh, and snow.  :)

Merry Christmas!

1.  If you’re looking for something of “a deal” price-wise, you really can’t beat walking into the Tavern, GT’s front room (a bit more casual than the dining area in the back) and ordering 3 courses for $38.  For the incredible quality of the food & service, I don’t think you can beat that.  You can also do a la carte, which is by no means off-the-charts price wise.  I think GT is the deal of the century considering the amazingness of the food.

2. The food is number one, don’t get me wrong, and they have a beautiful wine list & some really interesting & fun cocktails!  But the DECOR.  Omg!  This was the second time I’ve been in the fall – luckily, because their pumpkin/birch tree/bittersweet/candle arrangements are absolutely out of this world gorgeous.  Even the flower arrangement in the bathroom was autumnal and stunning.  GT is hands-down my favorite place for decor.  (One year we went for J’s bday around Christmastime and they were decorated accordingly.  However, I had one of the worst sinus infections of my life, and had trouble swallowing.  Not a good evening to go to GT.  I think I was so distracted by my throat that I barely remember anything about the evening.)

3.  Lovely service.  Nothing snooty-patooty here.

Quick menu overview.

For appetizer, I ordered the Red Kuri Squash Soup with Brussels Sprouts and Fried Oysters.  Jason ordered the Fish Croquette with Heirloom Beans, Arugula and Lemon.  This was our favorite course, I think.

For main course, I ordered the Hanger Steak with Fingerling Potatoes, Red Russian Kale and Bourbon Sauce.  J ordered the Meatball with Fontina, Potato Puree, and Red Wine Onions.  Deliciousness all around.

For dessert, we shared the Butterscotch Bread Pudding with Pear Sorbet.  Amazing!  Autumnal!

Wines: I ordered (via waiter’s recommendation) a glass of the Aligote Derain (2009) from Burgundy; J ordered a glass of the Barolo (1999), which I eventually ordered as well since it was INCREDIBLE.

I should also add that if you do any sort of no-bread diet (South Beach, etc), sorry, but you CANNOT pass up the bread at this place.  Soft yet crusty multi-grain goodness with the most amazing butter…even a little side dish of sea salt.  Omg!  Heaven!

If you’re doing a walk-in for the Tavern, I recommend getting there early.  We were there around 5:15 on a Monday & it was pretty packed shortly thereafter.

This place is amazing.  Am thinking maybe we’ll do our 5-year wedding anniversary at GT next year in their regular dining room.  The whole place is perfection!!

Happy NYC dining!

http://www.gramercytavern.com/