Cape Codder

I'm not even going to comment on the fact that for most of the summer, I haven't said much. I have been more inspired than ever before. I just haven't been writing about it. BUT Ta-da! I'm back.

The R train is a creepy train. No way around that.

I rode it home last night (as it's the train that takes me to Union street) after I had drinks at the St. Regis Hotel with my friend/co-worker, Adrienne. I ordered a vodka cranberry and didn't say "what's your cheapest vodka?" mainly because I was in a hotel bar...in Manhattan, and it's all expensive.

It was $17.

Our server kept re-filling our wasabi peanuts/peanut mix/pillow pretzel trio every time it was about halfway gone, and after about the fourth refill--it was just downright embarrassing. I wanted to say, "For God sakes! If you refill it, we will just keep eating!"

We ended up at the St. Regis because I had dragged poor Adrienne to Ruth Reichl's book-signing at the Columbus Circle Williams-Sonoma. I walked in and promptly wanted to leave. As much as I want to love book-signings, they only seem to make me overheat (as one is wont to do in a crowd) and say ridiculous things to famous authors who will (obviously, though I really want them to) never remember me.

I admit it. I didn't end up buying Gourmet Today...even though I really wanted to go up to Ruth and say something silly (something intelligent would be too much to ask) like, "You're fabulous!!" like I did to Ina Garten at Crate & Barrel last fall...all the while, I'm wiping sweat off my lip with one hand and balancing a mini red velvet cupcake in another. There was a line of 30 people? 50 people? I only got a glimpse of fabulous Ruth (certainly not enough time to talk about her stint at the commune), and Adrienne and I instead decided on drinks at the Mandarin Oriental (it was just so close!). There weren't any seats available by the windows (pfft. We would only pay for expensive drinks if we were going to be by the view), so we hoofed it back to the St. Regis, and ta-da. Adrienne (who obviously knows her classy hotel bars) and I found ourselves sipping $17 cocktails on a Tuesday.

Irony.

I spent the train ride home reading The Eleventh Hour by Graeme Base, which I had purchased earlier to send to Jamison for his first birthday (which is today!!!).

Tuesday, success and the usual blunders.

To hear more about the Gourmet Today and Ruth Reichl's take on the food movement, you can listen to her September 22nd interview on WNYC-The Leonard Lopate Show here.

In the meantime, I'm going to get back on track with TuesdayswithDorie. Get excited about the bake-along announcement for Rose's Heavenly Cakes.