Spontaneous Stops at Blue Ribbon & Royal Crown

Lazy Sunday, a little off kilter with the extra hour and all. Late start and slow moving, we somehow missed breakfast and started the day with a take out lunch from the local Royal Crown. The best bread in New York, we used them exclusively at Va Beh' but the food at this bakery is fantastic too. Jada dove in to an eggplant parm sandwich that was literally bigger than her head. Asia blew through an arancini the size of a grapefruit. Mike went with his usual, the roasted chicken. I had a little bit of everything, picking from everyone's plates.

After naps, we headed to Brooklyn to drop off Asia. Dinner? A spontaneous stop at Blue Ribbon, for old times sake. They never let us down. The food is always great. Family friendly, the atmosphere is better than relaxed. They make us feel at home. And we had the best of the classic American fare that they offer, standards like the fried chicken and the tomato soup.

I'm relishing every New York minute, before we head back to Hawaii. I won't miss the weather or the crowds, but I will savor memories like the ones we made today.

"Red, Red Wine" and Reggae at the Barclay's

Last week, UB40 headlined the first reggae concert at The Barclay's. Michele had ordered premium tickets for us before the arena even opened so he was super excited. He has always loved reggae. It is his favorite music. Me? Not as much, but like a good wife, I went along for the ride. 

And what a ride it turned out to be! Maxi Priest opened the show and warmed up the crowd with classic songs like "You're Body Can't Lie to Me" and some of his new material, which was actually very catchy. Shaggy went on next and ripped a hole in the place. He literally changed the energy in the room with strong performances like "It Wasn't Me" and "Boombastic" sprinkled with funny, dynamic interludes. Even I was on my feet.  He was charismatic and  funny and entertaining and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed his set. Beres Hammond came on next.  He's an old-timer.  His set was more subdued with classic loves songs, but full of energy and emotion. Couples were slow dancing in the aisles. 

By this time, it was 11pm. The concert was an hour behind because of technical difficulties and too much time taken between set changes. The crowd was coming down from their high and many were  walking out of the arena before the headliner, UB40, even got on stage. It was a shame because the band bore the brunt of the production issues. Their set began abruptly and was shortened dramatically and their unhappiness about this was clear. They rushed through their material without any real attempt to engage the crowd. The more they sang, the more people left until there was a continuos stream of folks heading towards the exits. I have never seen anything like this at a show, a headliner crooning not just to an uninterested crowd but to a crowd that was leaving in droves as he sang to them. It felt like that last, never-ending song at the end of a church service that gives everyone permission to say their "God bless you's" and head out. We walked out at the start of "Red, Red Wine", their last song.  It was a sad, colorless version of the dynamic song that we all grew up hearing on the radio. 

Later, we sat over our own glasses of red wine at Blue Ribbon Brooklyn, subdued and puzzled about how a show that had started so strongly could end so dismally. Still, we had a great time and I ended the night liking reggae a little bit more. 

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Lately, date night has been a quick drink at Blue Ribbon Brooklyn, at the end of a long Friday or Saturday night shift at Va Beh'. The bartender there makes the best French martini in NYC, beautifully balanced, just strong enough with only a blush of Chambord and a hint of pineapple. Michele has a classic Stoli orange on the rocks. Both are usually ready on the bar before we can even have a chance to place our order.

We're usually holding hands as we sip our drinks but we probably chat more with Dan and Sean and the other bartenders, managers and customers than we do with each other.  It's that kind of place,  "where everybody knows your name" and all that, the perfect little detour before we finally head home.