rethinking amy winehouse

Don't they say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery? No? No? No?



This video came my way via Pedro who brought Club Nice Nice, one of the new vibe spots in the recently redone downtown area, to fruition. This place is so hip that reservations are made only via text message; if you don't have the number (and it changes monthly), well, you probably don't belong. There is no door, just a velvet rope guarded by holographic images of Angelina Jolie and Wesley Snipes. Both are armed.

I made it past the velvet rope one day doing an impersonation of a bicycle delivery person and found myself in a kitchen where the sound of basement bongra was almost as loud as the pungent aroma of garlic. The Executive Chef was suspended over the kitchen in a cage and everyone once in a while would throw peeled potatoes at the service staff when they couldn't accurately describe the merits and nuances of the day's prix fixe.

In my few minutes in the kitchen, I witnessed the sous chef go through her paces to prepare for the luncheon rush of 75 plates. She downed in quick succession, a coffee shooter (recipe below), immediately followed by a 540 (recipe below), and then a finishing flourish of Christopher Elbow bon bons.

Pedro and I do share a common love for the absurd, the difference being that he's been able to make a living using it to his advantage while I toil under its infinite mask.

Coffee Shooter
Pour 3 double espressos in a martin shaker full of shaved ice along with 3 packets of turbinado sugar.

Shake vigorously for 30 seconds.
Strain contents in a frozen martini glass.
Down in one gulp.
Contains 480 milligrams of caffeine and 12 grams of sugar.
-----------

Immediately follow the coffee shooter with a 540.
The 540.
In the same martini shaker!
One can of 180.
2 shots of 360 vodka.
2 espresso beans.
Shake vigorously for 30 seconds.
Strain contents in a frozen martini glass.(Use the same one!)
Down in one gulp.
Contains 90 milligrams of caffeine, 33 grams of carbs, 25 mg of sodium, and 4 ounces of alchohol.

The Flourish. Chocolat avec caramel et fleur de sel.







Sharpen your knives and you are ready for anything.
elsewhere
club nice nice

Cards to replace LaRussa with teetotalling midget dwarf

ok back to baseball. It's really early to be talking about baseball, the temperature is still way too cold here, it's rainy, so I won't really talk much about baseball. Instead let's talk about substance abuse and baseball. You heard it here first. Before the season ends, the Cardinals will have a new manager. Tony, who has his own problem with the sauce and with anger management issues won't last through his sentencing hearing, all the ugly revelations that are bubbling to the surface like a Boulevard Dry Stout over the last few days of Josh Hancocks life, and lack of contention by the defending World Champs in August. Hancock had 2, count ém 2, automobile accidents, whereby his car was totaled in the span of 3 days. One at 5:15 am and three days later the final one at 12:30 am. The Cardinals can hire the Defense Dept. to spin this one and eventually the story will emerge. Friendly fire indeed. Pat Tillman, meet Ira Louvin.

"The first time I hear insincerity, man, I'll start swinging this fungo bat" said LaRussa during a press conference when asked if alcohol was involved in the accident. Threatening fungo bats to a reporter's head for asking probing questions sounds like defensive posturing and one of the first steps and it isn't going to help his situation.

Walt Jocketty the Cards GM, who today stated the organization wasn't responsible for the actions of it's players (except when they are winning pennants) will change his mind if attendance suffers. And it will. People are fickle. They will drink at the game and then drive home. They will laud the conquering heroes, they will let the conquering heroes drink and drive, but when the conquering heroes show fraility they will disavow any knowledge of those actions and pillar them and spend their supplemental money at the bowling alley, softball park, or horse track if only for a summer.