Well, today, I try my hand at restaurant reviews. No, this isn't exactly Zagatquality, but hey, worth a try. Y'see, before the Coldplay concert, my family decided to splurge on a nice dinner, which brought us to a nice homestyle Italian place in the Hell's Kitchen district of Manhatten called Becco.
Word of warning: This is probably the most upscale dining place I've ever been to. We're talking an $18 minimum per person, most entrees in the $20-$30 range. So don't go for it unless you're willing to splurge on good food.
The word Becco is derived from the Italian word beccare which means to peck, nibble, or savor. I don't know about the first two, but I did quite a bit of savoring. The restaurant is best known for its savory, home-inspired cuisine of its owner, Lidia Bastianich. It's signature dish (which I ordered) is called Sinfonia Di Pasta, and features a trio of pastas with unlimited portions, along with an appetizer. The pastas are handmade fresh each day, and there is a different pasta for each night. Great quality.
I found myself with an Antipasto Misto, a seafood appetizer beautifully presented with fresh vegetables and seafood. For the first time, I tried monkfish and... octopus, the latter of which is surprisingly chewy and, well, fishy.
The main course featured spaghetti with tomato basil sauce, a penne bolognese, and a Swiss chard ravioli. All were absolutely fantastic, and had a unique bite to it that, I'm told, was a result of its handmade nature. I finished them all, with seconds.
In conclusion, if you're looking for authentic homestyle Italian cuisine with a nice modern decor, Becco is definitely a great choice. I award this one a mutant three thumbs up.
Becco • 355 West 46th Street • New York, NY 10036 - Telephone: 212.397.7597
Well, I just got back from seeing Coldplay at Madison Square Garden last night, and I am bushed. The concert was absolutely amazing. Here's the low down:
Coldplay opened up a contest on their website for people to win free tickets to a show at MSG. I didn't win, but a friend of mine did, and being awesome, he gave me the tixx. So, my family and I took the train into Penn Station, and went to the arena. I also got a stylish t-shirt beforehand.
The concert was... AMAZING. Extremely energetic - 10,000 screaming Coldplay fans make for some powerful singalongs. They played some old hits, including Clocks (complete with lasers), God Put a Smile Upon Your Face (very powerful), and Fix You (hugely powerful). They had some really sweet new songs, including Viva la Vida (huge singalong), Lost! (with lots of handclaps), and Lovers in Japan, the closer. There were some cool things included, too. The band moved to the middle of the arena and played two songs there, which was way cool. Then, later, they moved up into the seats and played a two-song acoustic set: A heartbreakingly beautiful version of Yellow, and a new song where the drummer sang. Also, lots of tech: Laser lights, confetti butterflies, and six giant magic balls that were huge spherical video screens.
What impressed me the most was how with the crowd Coldplay was. They actually messed up certain parts(beginning of Chinese Sleep Chant, end of Lost!, and some lyrics on Fix You), and handled themselves well, joking with the crowd and ad-libbing lyrics. At one point, with some technical difficulty, the lead singer said "Fuck it, we're cancelling the show. No refunds!" which got a huge laugh. He even made new lyrics on Fix You when he forgot a part. Either way, it was a magical night. They were amazing. You can read my full review here, or if you don't trust me, search Google.
Back from NYC. Carnegie Hall is undoubtedly the most amazing and magical music place in the United States. At least, that I've ever been to. The acoustics were ridiculous. It was so cool being able to play there as a high schooler. Someone once told me that the odds of playing in Carnegie Hall are 1:73,000. Guess I beat the odds.
While there, I also walked around Times Square... Couple of interesting pictures for you guys to take a gander at. Hopefully, that'll keep everyone busy enough while I go get some much needed sleep. >.<
From top left, counterclockwise: Roryx!, M&M's World (greatest place on Earth), weird Target-sponsored rave at the top of the Rock, THE Carnegie Hall, Sunset from the top of the Rock(afeller Center), Exploding cars at the Guggenheim Art Musem
Alright, Roryx and I are off to play Carnegie Hall on Monday, leaving for NYC on Sunday. So, you won't be hearing from us for a few days. To fill you in: Carnegie Hall is sickly famous, 'n I'm going with my high school elite orchestra as the only male member. Rockin'.
Wish us luck: We're competing in the National Band and Orchestra Festival! Seriously, we're gonna kick ass, though.
In the meantime, to keep you amused while I still have you here, check out this useful Public Service Announcement/freakish cult following on SkyMall!
Well, congratulations to any and all who read this blog. Since the beginning of the blog, you've managed to vote in the poll a phenomenal 12 times! Wow!
The results say that my cello's name is now Ishmael, by a vote of 6-5-1. However, my own opinions have prevailed, and thus, he shall be known as Roryx the Cello now and forever. I needed to name him, though - I'm playing in CARNEGIE HALL in New York this Monday with the high school orchestra elite, and I ampumped.
On that note... check out this vid: A friend of mine made it. I knew he was white before, but this confirmed him as the whitest guy in Pennsylvania.
I'm Jon. I am a master of musical instruments, hitting small green balls, and debating the pants off of people. I like good friends, good music, and long walks on the beach. Also, I've long since realized that life is worthless without a good sense of humor, so: Live, love, and laugh. Life is too short to be wasted without laughing at yourself.
Well, today, I try my hand at restaurant reviews. No, this isn't exactly Zagat quality, but hey, worth a try. Y'see, before the Coldplay concert, my family decided to splurge on a nice dinner, which brought us to a nice homestyle Italian place in the Hell's Kitchen district of Manhatten called Becco.
The word Becco is derived from the Italian word beccare which means to peck, nibble, or savor. I don't know about the first two, but I did quite a bit of savoring. The restaurant is best known for its savory, home-inspired cuisine of its owner, Lidia Bastianich. It's signature dish (which I ordered) is called Sinfonia Di Pasta, and features a trio of pastas with unlimited portions, along with an appetizer. The pastas are handmade fresh each day, and there is a different pasta for each night. Great quality.
I found myself with an Antipasto Misto, a seafood appetizer beautifully presented with fresh vegetables and seafood. For the first time, I tried monkfish and... octopus, the latter of which is surprisingly chewy and, well, fishy.
