Pic of the Day: The San Martin Restaurant

I was looking out of my hotel room window in Manhattan one afternoon and saw this little spot down through the narrow canyons of buildings. I never managed to get to it, and don't know a whole lot more than the image shows. But it's a wonderful little oasis of color in an otherwise drab cityscape.

Pic of the Day: Cornucopia

Gourmet stores can be a lot of fun. I usually visit them while on the road, which pretty much ensures I can't take a whole lot of things away with me, But it's fun to dream and sample and get just a little bit for back in the hotel room.

Happy Fourth of July

Happy Fourth of July.

And for all of my countrymen who seem to have forgotten what we, as a nation and as a people, are all about:

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

May the meaning of "Being an American" never be truly lost in our hearts or minds.

Pic of the Day: Date Night

As any regular reader will recall, I collect martinis. Don't let the wine glass fool you, this is a martini picture taken at the OXO Brasserie in London (South Bank). 

But more than that, I wanted to capture the casual night out of the couple at the table next to us (carefully silhouetted to preserve anonymity). They seemed to be friends, but a bit more than that. Their relaxed and animated conversation indicated a familiarity and fun that belied a simple night out.

For the purists who follow my martinis: OXO Brasserie/London, UK/Belvedere vodka

For the rest of you, it's the couple in the background who I find the more fascinating.

Pic of the Day: Gone to Market

The Chelsea Markets, New York City. I was surprised at how relatively small the overall marketplace was, though the vendors were uniformly top notch.

I had expected a bit less "organized chaos" and a bit more unbridled Pike Place Markets (in Seattle). 

Which goes to show you really shouldn't go into any new experience with expectations....