BLOCHO'S TACOS

What initially drew me to tacos was their versatility.  You can put anything into a taco.  The classics are, well, classic.  Yet there are more and more adventurous taco fillings that have been popping up and delighting diners everywhere. Breakfast taco. Lobster taco. Choco taco.... Thanks to The Daily Mail, you can now learn about all the insides and begin drooling. http://www.thedailymeal.com/eat/guide-almost-every-taco-filling Provecho!

I work in Times Square.  Beyond the tourists, the Elmo/Cookie Monster/Spider Man/Topless Ladies asking for photographs and tips, it's also a bit of a dead zone for delicious easy going lunch options. There are some gems nearby -- Le Pain Quotidien near Bryant Park, City Kitchen (the Smorgasburg of Midtown/Theater District Eats), and if you're down to take a walk to 11th Avenue, you can always indulge at Gotham West Market. I typically eat a salad for lunch and will run out to grab something and bring it back to my office. However, the $8 salad from the place across the street is getting old. Out of laziness and a desire to walk out of the office with only my cell phone, I looked on LevelUp to see where I could go and pay with my phone. [Much more can be said about "mobile wallets" and loyalty programs and how are phones are changing our behaviors.  Another time.] So, I open the app and see what's around and BAM. Lenwich (the new Lenny's) is on Lev...

My best friend/neighbor has a dog named Nellie.  Over the past few months I've attended Nellie's birthday party, walked through the Farmer's Market with her on Saturday mornings, spent countless hours snuggling on the couch with her, and even invited her to sleepover when her mom was away. This is Nellie! This morning, I saw Nellie across the street and when she noticed me her entire body reacted.  Tail wagging ferociously, she tried to bound into the street without care for the cars zipping by just to great me.  When she finally made it over, we spent about 2 minutes saying hello.  Watching the progression from walking, seeing me, anticipating our reunion, and experiencing it was a lesson in the beauty of raw and unbridled emotional expression.  Dogs just do what they want. I started feeling a bit like Nellie later in the day.  My heart was pounding and my body temperature was rising.  As a thin layer of sweat coated my hands an enormous s...

Shabbat Shalom.  TGIF.  Weekend kick-off. Today is Friday. Feeling in need of a mental detox post-work and pre-weekend, I decided to walk along The High Line.  In college as a Project Wildcat counselor, I led groups of incoming freshman on multi-day backpacking trips through Minnesota.  We encouraged our campers to go on a solo hike or a pair hike.  This was one of the only times on the trip when they had the chance to really decompress, reflect, get to know themselves or another person, and just be. On my solo hike in this urban jungle of New York City I did just that. Lots of thoughts crossed my mind.  I decided I wanted to become a famous Instagram personality.  And take a photography class.  And buy an apartment.  And move to Australia.  And become a regular at some hip NYC restaurant.  Those are a few of the many ideas that sprouted on my walk.  I relished this time to just let go and let be.  The thought that...

I really love tacos.  The soft corn tortilla, the warm and flavorful meat, the endless options of "toppings" -- cilantro, onion, guacamole, salsa, pomegranate seeds, mustard (yes, try the Short-Rib Pastrami taco at Empellon Cocina ),  Sometimes, when I want to spice things up, I order Tostadas.  It's a completely different experience.  Crispy. Slightly messy.  Usually with beans, guac, and/or sour cream. Well, today I discovered (via Instagram and The Infatuation), Taqueria Diana .  When you first open their website and the menu page, it looks like they only serve chicken and tostadas.  I got really really excited.  A place with only  tostadas?! That's like a Taqueria revolution. Quickly came to realize that their menu contains more than that, but I'm excited to go and try their tostadas!