Don’t get me wrong, I think Chipotle has a very good product.  I eat my fair share, that’s for sure, but a little competition never hurt anyone.  If by some rare chance someone working at corporate for Moe’s Southwest Grill or Willy’s reads this post, Columbus needs you!

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The ceremony was at a vacation home right on the water in Cambridge, Md. It was a short, non-traditional (read: hippie) ceremony. Short is the key word there. The ceremony was not more than ten minutes long and did not even require the guests to take a seat, in fact seats were not even provided for those outside of the wedding party. No complaints here, with the wedding out of the way we could get to the food and festivities.

First a note on attire, the dress was casual for the most part with everyone given instructions to bring clothes to change into as the activities would be almost entirely outdoors. On top of this the forecast was oppressively hot with a strong chance of rain. Summer + wedding = seersucker right? I stuck with this formula despite the warning of rain. The only change I made was ditching the white bucks for the more casual top siders.

• White OCBD shirt
• blue/white seersucker pants
• navy/green ribbon belt
• classic brown/white top siders

It was comfortable in the heat and given the nature of the wedding and the other guests, it was just formal enough without being overdressed. The beer is Yeungling for those that are curious and yes, it’s just coincidence that the bottle coordinates with the belt so nicely.

Things got decidedly more casual after the ceremony and when the crabs were brought out. The crab experience was pretty cool. It took some time to get used to opening them up but after a few crabs I wasn’t bad at it.

The crab feast works like this: the table is covered with paper for easy clean up, everyone is given a wooden mallet and a knife, and the crabs are pilled up in the center of the table. It is basically a free fall once the crabs out. Everyone grabs a crab, opens her up, and digs in. There was Old Bay and vinegar available for dipping. I wasn’t a fan of the vinegar but Old Bay is always appreciated.

Opening the crab wasn’t too hard once you learned the proper method. My hands were definitely sore after breaking apart the crabs but it was worth it. If you’ve never had fresh crab like this I recommend it. All the crabs we ate were Maryland caught. From what I heard they weren’t cheap either. Apparently Maryland crabs have been in rare supply over the last few years and a bushel was going for roughly $175! A bushel is about 7 or 8 dozen I think depending on the crab size.

It turned out to be a great trip. The weather held up with no rain. It felt terrific to be back near the water again and the drive was not bad at all. I was able to get the use of an Acura TSX complete with the navigation system and a sweet 6 speed manual transmission for the weekend which made the drive extra special. The crabs were tasty and I got to meet more of Sandy’s family. If you ever get an invite to a Maryland style crab feast I highly recommend attending.

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Our last day and a half included a Broadway performance of Spam-a-lot (featuring none other than Clay Aiken), more cheesecake, tea by Moby, 5th and Madison Ave shopping, and a sushi meal beyond description.

Clay Aiken was not too bad. His singing was on par and probably better than most of the other players but his dancing was awkward and somewhat uncoordinated. It was not even a dance intensive show either. He was tolerable though and did not detract from my enjoyment of the show in anyway. More distracting were the classless fans that would hoot and holler whenever Clay would take the stage. Why do middle-aged women love this man?

All that said Spam-a-lot was really a great show and a great Broadway experience. If you’re a fan of anything Monty Python then check this out if you get a chance. I know it’s playing in Vegas as well.

Fifth and Madison Avenue are fun to window shop and people watch along. It’s boutique and high-end designer after boutique and high-end designer. Everything from stalwarts like Tiffany’s (a very impressive store) to up and coming designers, everyone wants to be on one of those two streets. It was funny to see the women with their coffee and pastries doing their best Audrey Hepburn impersonations outside of Tiffany’s. I don’t think Miss Hepburn drank Starbuck’s though.
TeaNY, Moby’s cafe/tea shop in on the Lower East Side, got a mention on Single Guy’s Kitchen as well. It was a fun experience. We actually opened them up at a little after 10. I guess not eating meat makes you sleepy. It was a rather unopposing storefront and more closely resembled a hole in the wall then the restaurant of a famous musician. Moby has never been the loud, look at me type though so this is fitting in a certain light. The food was good and the tea selection was excellent. It gets my recommendation. If I ever go back I’ll be sure to pick up a tea pot and a cook book.
Sushi, like I said, was indescribeable. My sushi lexicon is pretty weak anyway. I usually trust Sandy on matters of sushi and I’ve been spoiled to the ultra-Americanized maki rolls. Basically I eat whatever she puts in front of me at a sushi restaurant and usually enjoy it. Maki, Sandy’s Japanese sister-in-law, selected the restaurant and gave us a recommendation on what to order. I wasn’t about to question anything when what we ordered ended up being a huge tray full of chunks of raw fish with no rolls in sight. We each ate sushi until we couldn’t think about putting another piece in our mouths. The restaurant was called Takahachi and we ate at the Tribeca location.

While eating sushi we drank sake. This doesn’t sound out of the ordinary but I’m not used to sipping on straight booze while eating supper. The sake tasted like a really weak vodka but in a good way. For the record I hate vodka but this wasn’t too bad. I don’t think I want a bottle of sake with every meal but it was a new experience and a good one.

Our last meal in NYC was at the world famous Carnegie Deli. The Carnegie Deli is my most vivid and fondest memory from my first trip to NYC so we had to go back. It was the only restaurant I knew in the city. I covered the experience in depth at Single Guy’s Kitchen so I’ll direct y’all there.

We were sad to leave NYC but unfortunately our trip had to end. Our legs were tired and our checking accounts were empty. We had a wonderful time and started talking about a return trip on the flight home. Having knowledgeable, local guides definitely enhanced the experience as well as not planning too much. A lot of our time was left to just exploring and not worrying about a schedule or rushing to see a certain exhibit or attraction before it closed. Also get a good subway map and get comfortable with the idea of the riding it. The subway really is the best way to get around. Lastly, don’t bother with taking a cab if you come from JFK. As much as I bitched about the train ride into Manhattan, the cab ride out was more expensive and took longer due to traffic. I now think private car is the only way to go (Mr. Big style). Really just avoid flying into JFK if you can.

Thanks for reading and I encourage anyone who has yet to experience this city to start planning a trip.

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The day started off pretty normal. For breakfast we had whole-wheat pancakes (actually much better than they sound), scrambled eggs from vegetarian-fed chickens, and “soy-sage“. The “soy-sage” came in the form of Morningstar Farms Sausage patties. The patties were actually pretty good. They had a spicy flavor that reminded me of real breakfast sausage but with a distinctly “veggie” taste. It’s really hard to describe if you’ve never had a veggie burger or other types of fake meat. They patties had hints of real sausage flavor but in the end had their own unique taste, which I appreciate. If I wanted it to taste exactly like sausage then I would just eat sausage. That is something I never really understood about fake meat products. Why are vegetarians so concerned with food looking/tasting like meat?

Breakfast went by without a hitch. The pancakes were excellent, the eggs were just like any other eggs, and the soy-sage was actually quite tasty. I’ve got two patties left and those will probably be eaten sooner rather than later. One meal down, two to go. Well actually, only one meal to go. We had a large, late breakfast and an earlier supper. We were in the car on the way to Atlanta during lunch time and neither of us were hungry until about 5:00. I know missing meals is a horrible habit but well sometimes it happens.

I somewhat cheated at supper. We ate at Cafe Sunflower which is an all vegan restaurant in Atlanta. I had eaten there a few times before and it is one of my favorite restaurants in Atlanta period, vegetarian or not. I can’t recommend it enough.

I had their Sesame “Chicken” while Sandy enjoyed a veggie burger. We shared an appetizer of Sunflower nuggets (fake chicken nuggets). If I could eat at Cafe Sunflower everyday I could be a vegetarian. No questions asked, no other stipulations needed. I don’t know how they do it but remember how I was talking about fake meat having a meat flavor but in the end being unique? The chefs at Sunflower have perfected this. The sesame chicken is incredibly satisfying. Not only is the “chicken” really good but they always have the brown rice and vegetables done perfectly. The meal could not have been made better even with real chicken.

So my two vegetarian meals weren’t so bad after all. Eating vegetarian isn’t that difficult if you eat out. Cooking for a vegetarian can be difficult though. Thankfully Sandy loves beans and rice so I always have an easy out. Some of my roommates junior year did a whole month as vegetarians. It’s really not as difficult as it might seem. I just love pork way too much. Fake bacon does not even begin to cut it. I reckon fake bbq can’t be good either.

It is fun to try every now and then though. I encourage my readers to do a meal, a day, a weekend, or even a whole week as a vegetarian. Just try it. The cooking is a challenge and sometimes it can be frustrating but who knows, you might find something you like.

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Walmart has been making some environmental news of its own. They have vowed to be “good steward of the environment” by being more energy efficient and cutting down on waste among other things. Walmart has also made news with its product offerings from organic food and clothing to compact fluorescent light bulbs.

All that good press is one thing, but what does it actually translate to? What about your average Super Walmart in North Augusta, SC?

I went into the North Augusta Walmart looking for a few specific things that are available at Publix and what I considered good indicators for green shoppers. I included food and regular household items. Here’s the list:

• organic milk
• organic produce
• veggie burgers
• natural peanut butter
• “green” cleaners
• recycled paper products
• compact fluorescent light bulbs

The results were disappointing. The only areas I were impressed in were natural peanut butter and compact fluorescents. Walmart stocked my favorite brand of natural peanut butter and had it at a lower price than Publix. They also carried CFL’s at a reasonable price. They had organic milk but it was more expensive than Publix and they had a little organic produce but it was all pre-bagged and looked pretty pathetic. That was it. Walmart struck out on everything else. I was especially let down by the lack of recycled paper products.

Here’s the breakdown:

• organic milk – yes
• organic produce – yes
• veggie burgers – no
• natural peanut butter – yes
• “Green” cleaners – no
• recycled paper products – no
• compact fluorescent light bulbs – yes

Now how much of this is dependent on location? The Walmart in a place like Asheville, NC would probably have a better stock of green products. This doesn’t even take into account other factors like shopping into pleasure either. It could be a nice, quiet day outside or a nasty thunderstorm; either way every Walmart I have been into felt like chaos. Once I get inside one I immediately want to leave. In contrast I could spend all day in a traditional grocery store. For the time being I’m a Publix man.

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The Greenwise products are 100% recycled paper with no added dyes, fragrances, or inks. They look like normal paper products and perform quite the same. The toilet paper is soft and easily as good as the comparable store brand or cheaper bathroom tissues. If you’re already buying the high end, aloe-filled, super quilted types you won’t be impressed. However, if you’re buying whatever is cheapest this might just be an upgrade. Like the toilet paper, the paper towels are just as good as the typical store brand. I’m something of a paper towel snob usually but I’m very happy with the recycled ones.

While using recycled paper products certainly makes a difference (especially for someone like myself that uses them a lot), the best way to save paper is to just reduce use altogether. I use a dish towel when possible to clean up in the kitchen and I’ve cut up old cotton t-shirts to use as small towels. Toilet paper will not be replaced anytime soon at my home (hygiene and sanitation take priority over the environment) but I’m trying hard to reduce my paper towel consumption.

I highly recommend the Publix Greenwise toilet paper and paper towels. They’ve replaced normal paper products in my home as long as the price stays the same or lower. Reducing paper use would be the simplest solution though. It would also be an easy transition for someone who buys the higher end paper towels or toilet paper since they could focus on simply cutting consumption.

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These products come at a premium though. I was able to compare prices on Seventh Generation’s offerings versus a major national brand while shopping at Publix this evening. Normally if I’m buying cleaners I’ll stick to the store brand so why not compare like that? This isn’t a comparison of national brands versus store brands, so I think it’s best to keep the playing field level and only compare Seventh Generation to a comparable national brand.

Seventh Generation was still more expensive across the board, sometimes by a significant margin. The largest margin was 60% and that was on automatic dishwasher detergent. On most products there was about a 20% premium for the Seventh Generation product. Here’s the breakdown:

So are Seventh Generation products better? It depends on your definition of better. They’re more than likely better for your health and the environment but they don’t always perform as well. I find this particularly true of the dish soap. I still have to keep some normal soap around for really greasy or caked up dishes.One thing is for sure though, their products are not cost effective which is unfortunate because they are about the only widely available off the shelf green cleaners.

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With the rising awareness of health issues, such as obesity in America, we understand that many people are looking for healthier food choices. That’s why Publix GreenWise Market is dedicated to bringing you a variety of wholesome, natural and organic foods and earth-friendly items. Publix GreenWise Market provides an array of high-quality produce, dairy, frozen food, vitamins, grocery items and sports nutrition products in a variety of package sizes.

GreenWise doesn’t stop with just products; they also produce a free monthly magazine and have plans to open standalone GreenWise Markets. The first is due to open in Palm Beach Gardens, Fl in September. The real question is, can the average person afford this stuff and live a greener life?

There are other ways to live green as well. Georgia Power offers blocks of renewable energy to its customers. “Green” cleaners are available or homemade ones can substituted for most commercial cleaners. One can replace typical incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents. It’s interesting to note that compact fluorescents are marketed based on the amount of money they’ll theoretically save on an electric bill and not their environmental impact.

American’s are not typically willing to spend any extra money even if it means a positive environment benefit. Radio personality Clark Howard has performed surveys on simple things like plastic grocery bags or compact fluorescents and people have almost unanimously refused to pay extra! This seems to point to the fact that most Americans only care about the environment if it doesn’t cost them anything. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that most Americans don’t give a damn about the environment, only their wallet (and of course I could go into how this implies that the environment is an economic issue more than anything but that’s another post).

So from this perspective, let’s not call it “green living” but a more efficient way of living. Efficiency means good economics as well so no paying three times extra for organic this and that just for the hell of it. This is an ambitious project but one that I’d like to pursue. Over the next several weeks I’ll be giving updates and thoughts on this project along with the usual postings. I’d appreciate any help that the readers can provide. One thing that I could really use would be a good list of products where organic really matters and products where it simply doesn’t make a difference health wise. I’m excited though and hopefully something useful will come out of this.

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West Egg Cafe is an interesting little place. They’re probably best known for their cupcakes (I’m fond of the Coca-Cola ones) but the rest of the menu is worth checking out as well with breakfast served all day and a good selection of sandwiches and other lunch options. One thing that stood out to me was the integration of fried green tomatoes into a number of dishes. I had heard good things about their fried green tomato breakfast wrap but seeing as how it was lunch time, I decided upon the fried green tomato BLT with a side of brunswick stew.

The fried green tomato BLT was not your usual BLT, this one featured field greens, pimento cheese, bacon, and of course fried green tomatoes. The doors were open and we enjoyed our lunch inside with nice breeze and view of outside, but safe from the hot sun. The stew was good, edging on the sweet side of brunswick with a little barbecue flavor despite being made with chicken rather than pork. The BLT itself though was the star. The green tomatoes were tart but the pimento cheese and bacon added a creamy, salty, sweetness that balanced everything out. I highly recommend dipping it into the brunswick stew for the ultimate experience.

Dessert? A Coca-Cola cupcake of course.

Check out the West Egg for a reasonable, enjoyable lunch if you are ever in west midtown… or least drop in for a cupcake.

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*A side note about Decatur: Since a large majority of my readers are not in Atlanta, they are probably wondering how I can live right by downtown Atlanta and downtown Decatur at the same time. This took me a minute to figure out too when I first came to Tech. Normally when one thinks inside the perimeter (I-285), one thinks Atlanta. However, just to the east of downtown but still inside I-285 lies Dekalb county whose seat is Decatur (click for map). Decatur is interesting, it is a small town and it has a welcoming small town/mild suburbia feel to it… but it is still inside the perimeter, amazing! At least this has been my impression since I started living close enough to Decatur to visit it. The other plus side… the bars are open later in Decatur!*

Watershed is an interesting restaurant. In some ways it tries to be a nicer restaurant and in other ways it has the feel of a casual place. It is largely unfinished inside but has a beautiful bar and wine storage area. The tables have white tablecloths but they still have a top sheet of paper on them for easy clean up. The furniture itself is a little eccentric too. The restaurant is very dimly lit (at least our table was) giving it a more upscale, romantic feel. The drink refillers were in classic white button up with black pants attire, while the wait staff and the hostesses were in Halloween costumes (we were served by an incredibly cute Punky Brewster). All in all, I dug it.

The reason we came was the fried chicken. The fried chicken special comes served with mashed potatoes, sauted green beans, and two small biscuits. The sides were of normal (probably small by today’s chain standards) sized servings, but they did not skimp on the main attraction. Each plate contained a wing, leg, thigh, and breast. The chicken itself was excellent. It tasted like it came out of someone’s kitchen, like some old grandmother had brought it to a church picnic, it was damn good chicken. The breading was not overly thick and it had more a skillet fried taste and feel to it rather than a deep fryer, but hard to say for sure. The sides were good too but the chicken was the star.

There were only two downsides. I asked for iced tea and was given a glass unsweet tea with an array of sweeteners (at least they had Sweet-n-low). Any restaurant in Georgia (or anywhere in the South for that matter) should bring a glass of sweet tea when you order iced tea. They only served unsweet tea though, I’ll chalk that up to upscale identity of the restaurant. A lot of nicer restaurants only serve unsweet tea, I don’t like it but it is an unfortunate reality in the restaurant world. The other downside was the price. The fried chicken was good but $19 good? That remains to be seen. Most of the other main dishes ranged in the $15-$20 range, so be prepared budget wise when you go.

The service was excellent, the food was great, and I found a pleasant surprise for dessert. They offered a cream cheese pound cake. It reminded me of my Mawmaw’s sour cream pound cake that I loved so much. The pound cake at Watershed tasted very similar to pound cake I grew up with with the notable exception that my Mawmaw iced hers. I was actually somewhat glad mind was served plain though, I’m not sure if my stomach could have handled icing after cleaning my fried chicken plate.

Do I recommend it? Definitely. The price of admission is high but I think it is worth it, at least just once for the experience. I hadn’t been out for a decent supper in awhile so it was a nice treat. It seems like a good place to take an out of towner to as well (Tuesday or not). Also interesting, this is the second Indigo Girls backed restaurant that I’ve been to in Atlanta (well greater Atlanta). The other is the Flyin’ Biscuit which I highly recommend trying.

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