the seahorse tavern

"Seahorses are truly unique, and not just because of their unusual equine shape. Unlike most other fish, they are monogamous and mate for life. Rarer still, they are among the only animal species on Earth in which the male bears the unborn young." Another fun fact from National Geographic? "Food passes through their digestive systems so quickly, they must eat almost constantly to stay alive."

Must be kind of nice to be a seahorse, huh? I'd agree, except for the fact that their average life span is only 1-5 years. Anyway :) last night I had the utmost pleasure of meeting my roommate Catherine and our friend Nihara at The Seahorse Tavern.

I've walked by this casual neighborhood gem a million times, but it wasn't until I noticed it featured on ScoutMob (with a 50% off deal) that I decided to dine here for a special weeknight meal with friends. Silly, silly girl.

They aren't kidding when they claim to serve the freshest of locally sourced seafood. The owner, Karl Feldmann has practically spent his entire career working with it. For almost ten years he was the head of a full-service fresh and frozen whole fish purveyor, then he became the Director of Buying for The Lobster Place NYC, and eventually, he founded The Seahorse Tavern with others.

To start, we shared a half-dozen fresh oysters of assorted East/West coast origins. The largest one is a Blue Point oyster which Catherine so bravely defeated...

For my entrée, I enjoyed the Atlantic salmon (pan roasted salmon, wilted kale and wild mushroom ragout with braised leeks and violette mustard sauce). It was, in a word, sublime. Nihara and Catherine's dishes were incredibly good too:

[Yorkville Burger (fresh ground sirloin, grilled to your specifications, served with roasted tomatoes, choice of cheese, and tavern fries)]

[Mussels Muniere (the New England classic of Prince Edward Island mussels served with white wine and garlic butter), brussels sprouts side]

By the end of the meal, we were comfortably satisfied (and on our third glass of wine) so when the waiter asked if we wanted dessert, we decided to split one. Unfortunately, our otherwise lovely dining experience became tainted by a less than stellar mixed berry trifle. Fortunately, the restaurant did their best to redeem themselves by removing it from the check and sending over a round of shots. Yes, shots. Would you believe me if I told you it was the second time this has happened to me in a week? They were completely unnecessary, yet we took them all the same. Our four-hour visit to The Seahorse Tavern made for a very happy Tuesday.

Honestly though, I woke up with a headache this morning. I haven't mentioned it but it's probably because I really, truly have far too much on my mind. As such, I am going to end this post with two tokens of wisdom from Grey's Anatomy's Meredith Grey, "however you feel is okay" and "at some point, you just have to let go, move on, because no matter how painful it is... it's the only way we grow." Phew, change is scary. Let's just keep swimming, okay?

to alicante by way of bogotá

Have I ever told you about VIF club? It's "an organization that tries to foster greater understanding among the different people of the world by sending our students on exchange program and hosting exchange students from other nations." 'Twas a popular one at my middle/high school and my involvement with it (those many years ago) really paved the way for my cultural curiosity. 

Now, it's my younger sister who's participating. At the end of the summer, she will be spending six weeks in Alicante, Spain with a host family as somewhat of an exchange student. What's more, two weeks following, my younger brother will be taking her place in the Spanish port city for a year-long study abroad experience.

I really hope to visit. Although I toured Spain as a high school student and spent a weekend in Barcelona while studying abroad in Europe, I've never been to the region of Valencia. I hear it's absolutely beautiful. Plus, Alicante is one of Spain's fastest growing cities with a Mediterranean climate and numerous examples of 14th-18th century architecture, in addition to a fun and lively beach scene.

What's funny, I suppose, is that the first photo you see is not of Alicante at all, but of Ibiza, an infamous party island off the coast of Alicante. I have a feeling my little brother's going to be able to show me a good time ;). Another detail I failed to mention until now is that the first photo is K's. She went there in 2010, and also happens to be the last person I enjoyed authentic Spanish food with.

More than a few months ago, her, Julie, C, Dani, and I dined at Socarrat. Gosh, I love that place. We enjoyed sangria, croquettes del día, garlic shrimps, a bottle of Spanish wine, and a seafood paella. It was delicious, as Spanish cuisine often is... and the memory just solidifies my desire to make it to Alicante. If not for any of the glorious reasons above, then for this fact alone: about 15% of the population is foreign, most of them immigrants from Argentina, Ecuador, and Colombia who've arrived in the previous 10 years. Yes, I am also on a Colombia-kick and so, so excited to be there in just 6 days! And, the title makes sense now :).

hysteria & the great mechanical man

Happy Monday, m'dears. I have to admit, I kind of like this day of the week. I know it's often viewed negatively, but think about it: it's refreshing to come back from a nice weekend, it's comforting to have a new chance for a good week, and it's kind of nice to have this one day of the workweek when it's accepted to warm up leisurely. How's my "case of the Mondays" optimism? Annoying yet? ;)

I thought it about time that I reflect on the Tribeca Film Festival. I was lucky enough to see two in theaters and watch one from the comfort of my own home. Each was unique yet moving in its own way, not to mention beautifully done.

• Hysteria: I love stories based on true events, especially when they take place during a time period as interesting as 19th century London. Maggie Gyllenhaal gave an impressive performance, the costumes were amazing, and the story was timely. On the surface, the amusing tale unfolds as the invention of the electro-mechanical vibrator, but it also digs deeper into questions of modern medicine (and its advances), women's health, sexual desire, and, of course, the concept of "hysteria." Even today, I feel as though women are too often classified as crazy for feeling, doing, or saying anything less than agreeable. It's not okay, and this film manages to display just how much while also being infinitely entertaining.
• Booker's Place: A Mississippi Story: Viewing this film was first significant because it was my first solo movie theater visit; second because of how deeply touching it was. It was ultimately a documentary about a documentary about racism in the South that most notably featured a revolutionary interview with African-American waiter, Booker Wright, about living in a racist society. Filmmaker Raymond DeFiltta (son of the original documentary's filmmaker) examines the repercussions of this interview with a visit to the Mississippi town and conversations with Booker Wright's family and friends. It was a strong civil rights piece that I'm honestly still digesting, but I highly suggest it all the same.
• The Giant Mechanical Man: Sometimes I just want to watch a quirky romantic comedy with a relatable takeaway; this film was just that. One of the two main characters is a street performer who, unsurprisingly, dresses up as giant mechanical man. The sweetest part is that he does this to show people that he feels the same monotony and sense of being lost in our modern world. "I'm born into this life and I'm supposed to know what I'm doing, I'm supposed to have it all figured out... but I don't." This resonates completely with the other protagonist (Jenna Fischer), and the love story begins. Oh, and believe it or not, she played a role in a simultaneous real-life romance too. "In a way, I think the movie helped us fall in love, and our falling in love helped the movie." They are now married with a child. Adorable.

Words by D.Alvarez, Photo by K. Ottomanelli