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.

http://www.columbusing.com/?p=825

Alright, maybe not a “hot” destination but certainly a worthy one.  I’ve only been here for a couple weeks but I’ve enjoyed learning the area thus far and look forward to more exploring.  It has a lot more character than I expected.  As I spend more time here I’ll continue to relay my thoughts on the city and the people.

The weekends and what I wear to and from work is all my own (we change into the uniform once at work) so there’s no difference there for me. In fact it will probably inspire me to take my weekend and evening attire to a hirer level than I might normally (or not, we’ll see). Ohio has a different feel thus far than the South, a little more casual, more of a jeans and t-shirt kind of atmosphere. Augusta and The South in general tend to lean a little more toward the prep side of style. I’m still trying to get a feel for Columbus and I’ll have more thoughts on it later.

Enough rambling, the question at hand is is there any room for personal style with a uniform? The uniform consists of cotton work pants and a cotton button up mechanic’s shirt. This leaves the shoes, socks, belt, watch, and any other accessories up to the individual. What’s the preppy, trad, TNSIL, etc kinda guy to do?

Time to explore the casual side of things.

Shoes are probably the biggest personal selection. Most people wear tennis shoes and the rest some sort of work boot. Boots are required in some environment but are not typical. The potential for shoe damage still remains from chemical use or just plain dirty environments.  Penny loafers, longwings, park avenues, etc seem inappropriate given the rest of the attire. Bucks and blutchers are probably the way to go in this case. I’ve been wearing the AE Commuters that I originally picked up as good walking shoes for my NYC trip. Something like the Alden All Weather Walkers might be appropriate too. There’s also the just fit in and get some decent tennis shoes option too. I’m seriously considering just a decent pair of gray sneakers and settling the issue like that.

The belt and watch allow more flexibility. Ribbon and surcingle belts are natural options. Subtle, classic patterns are key though. I’ve yet to try the different watch bands like at Central Watch. Maybe this is a good time to pick up a cheap Timex and give it a shot? A nice navy and red or navy and yellow would look good I think. The two pictures below are good examples, taken from Tripreed and Squire at AAAC:

I think the watchband and different belts are my best options. Shoes have too much potential to get messed up to invest too much in it. Sometimes it is better to go with the crowd too. Overall I think this is something I need to just try and see how it feels.

Any thoughts?

Inseam is the biggest question for me when it comes to shorts shopping. I like a 7″ inseam. Some have called me picky, others particular, but I just like to think I know exactly what I want. The only place I’ve had much success finding 7″ inseam shorts is J. Crew and even then you must order it from the catalog for the not so low price of roughly $50 dollars. LL Bean and Lands End produce much more affordable shorts in a 6″ inseam but for some reason that extra inch makes all the difference to me. The rest of the world seems happy with either 9 or 10 inch shorts but not me. What’s a fella to do?

I decided to turn old pairs of pants into shorts. What you say? Cut the legs off perfectly good pants? Yes it might not be the simplest approach but it certainly works. Shorts are inherently casual things so using pants that have some extra mileage on them is not a concern. Have pants with worn or frayed cuffs? Even better! For my little experiment I selected three pairs of pants that while not that old or worn, were not getting much wear. Each is made of 100% cotton, but in a thin, summer weave. This made them cool pants to wear in warm weather but also made them impossibly wrinkly. I hate to iron so they never got much wear.

After a short stay at the tailor shop, my pants returned as three pairs of shorts. The best part: the inseam was just a matter of telling the tailor what I wanted. The cost was the same as finishing a pair of pants, certainly less than purchasing a new pair from J. Crew and it gave new life to three old items.

Is there any difference between these “shorts” and those purchased new? Not that I can tell. See if you can guess which pair in the picture below started life as pants:

The green pair was originally pants.  The khaki pair was purchased from J. Crew.  I’m not sure if this approach is economical if doing it with new pants but I guess it depends on the level of customization you want and how attached you are to a certain model of pant.  Some online sellers offer free hemming on their pants and I think some AAAC members have had success ordering their “pants” with short length inseams.  I have not tried this myself.

I think I’m set for the summer on shorts for now, but any pants that become too frayed to wear will received second consideration as shorts.

• Long Suffering Trad
• TNSIL
• Ivy League

My first stop was J. Press at 380 Madison Ave. I’d never step foot in a J. Press before, only ogled the catalogs. I had never even purchased anything from them before (my budget typically won’t allow it). I had spotted a nice looking long sleeve Madras shirt in the catalog beforehand and was also interested in a gold tie bar, so I had a shopping agenda on this visit. I’m a fan of gold accessories. What is everyone’s infatuation with silver or stainless items?

I was surprised when I first walked in. It was all very white and very bright. The racks were full of tweed, navy, flannel, and all those other “frumpy, old man” styles but the rest of the decor screamed of an upscale Gap or J. Crew. I was expecting old dark wood, paintings of the store’s founders on the wall, and maybe even an old crotchety fellow in a bow tie smoking a cigar in the corner. I was disappointed. I’ve heard the other Press locations are more traditional.

My shopping time was limited but the clothing selection was overwhelming. I had no idea where to even start. I could have spent all day in there trying on blazers, suits, etc. Unfortunately I think Sandy would have strangled me. The store was crowded also (it was Friday evening). I was helped by a busy but still attentive salesmen. He directed me toward the madras shirts (they didn’t have what I had seen on the website) and helped me with a tie bar. I did not purchase a tie bar though and instead I decided on something more practical. I picked a scarf, specifically a wool “schoolboy muffler.” It is made in England of 100% wool and in a yellow and navy stripe specifically for St. Anthony’s Hall at Yale. I have no affiliation with Yale or any Ivy League for that matter, but pale yellow and navy looked good to me and seemed most appropriate for my alma mater.

The scarf was immediately useful. My combination of a pea coat, sheltland sweater, and oxford shirt was not cutting it against the miserable NYC cold and wind. It even snowed later that night. It was on sale too so no complaints on my end. That scarf has probably turned out to be one of the more rational and better clothing purchases I’ve made as far as need and use. It’s up there with my Bean boots. I wore it the entire time we were in NYC.

The next stop was a Brooks Brothers at 346 Madison. I’ve been in Brooks Brothers many times (there are stores in Raleigh and Atlanta), ordered from the catalog, and purchased their clothing at thrift stores or off eBay. 346 Madison is the flagship store and it is an impressive experience. When we walked in we were greeted by a gentleman who I’ll refer to as “Steve” who described himself as the “Brand Ambassador” (his business card even says this). He inquired what we needed today and after telling him of my pilgrimage from Georgia to see the flagship store he stopped everything and proceeded to take on us on a grand, hour long tour of the store.

The store is 10 stories and steeped in history. Each floor has a slightly different theme and decor based on the items sold on that level. I believe he said the sixth floor is the runway used for all fashion shows and product releases. We saw everything, from the goofy, expensive Thom Browne collection, called “Black Fleece” to your typical OCBD (oxford cloth button down). A guide is almost a requirement to find anything because the selection is so extensive and separated by floor.

Steve was quite enamored with all of it himself and took great pride in showing us the most expensive items even though it was readily apparent we had no interest or even means of purchasing most of the items in the store. It meant a lot to me to be treated as though I could and given the same level of service. I have to give Sandy a lot of credit also. She kept a smile on her face despite the fact she was ready to leave as soon as we stepped in. I thought she was going to flip out when Steve started showing us the high end gator luggage, bags, and belts. Sandy is a vegetarian. She was a trooper.

I had not really planned to buy anything in BB but did end up purchasing a yellow OCBD. I wanted a slim fit but all they had in “must iron” was the traditional fit, so I settled. I almost felt obligated after the level of service we were given. I imagine it would be a treat to get fitted for a custom suit there. Apparently they have a little room where they can take all of your appropriate measurements digitally. It was being used while we were on the tour though so I didn’t get to see it.

Before we left we were also given a few handy little pocket maps of the subway and the city (pictured above with my scarf) as well as bottles of water, and a bound Brooks Brothers guide to the city. Steve even gave us a weather report on our way out and thus was affectionately known as the “Brooks Brothers Weather Man” the rest of the trip. He called for snow though and it did snow as we were leaving dinner late the evening.

I wish I had more time and budget in each of these stores but unfortunately neither of those things were on my side. I feel somewhat accomplished now that I have actually visited a J Press store. It would have been nice though to try on a few jackets to get a feel for size for online ordering. I guess I’ll have to do some traveling whenever I want to purchase something. Despite being familiar with Brooks Brothers stores, 346 Madison was worth the experience. If you are a fan of traditional men’s clothing and happen to make your way to NYC, consider the Madison store a tourist attraction. It almost is.

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.

From breakfast it was up to former World Trade Center site or “ground zero” (NYCers hate this term by the way). There’s not much I can really say about it. It’s more or less a construction site now but it is still primarily just a big hole in the ground. I still wanted to see it though and I’m still glad I did. It was just something I felt I needed to do.

After the WTC we took a walk on the Brooklyn Bridge and experienced some amazing views of the city. There is a nice walking/bike path right up the center of the bridge that made it an easy walk. We walked the entire length and back. I had my feet in Brooklyn for a few moments and then back to the safety of Manhattan. It is interested to note that the section of Brooklyn under the bridge is a hip little area referred to as “DUMBO” or “Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass”. It’s full of lofts and other hip, overpriced living quarters.

After the bridge we ventured out into the Village with Jeff, Maki, and Billy. We stuck to the West Village primarily and after trying to get tea in “Little Britain” at a place called Tea and Sympathy, we made our way over to a tea room called Atrium in the Meat Packing district. Afternoon tea was a new experience for me but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I especially liked the scones and clotted cream. Sandy and I enjoyed it so that we had tea and scones our last day in NYC and I’ve since gotten her a small teapot. I’m waiting on her to supply the scones.

The night was spent with a couple of Sandy’s friends from the Jersey days. We saw a comedy show that wasn’t really worth mentioning but had a pleasant evening out afterwards. We walked a bunch, had classic NYC cheesecake at Junior’s near Times Square, drinks at a BBQ joint in the Village, I learned the term “gayborhood”, and we found ourselves at a hole in the wall, prohibition style watering hole.

It was called The Rabbit Club and it was located down off the street in the West Village. There was no sign and any other indication that the establishment was a bar. There was just a black door and a buzzer. Ring the buzzer for entrance and you were greeted with a gritty little bar, worn exposed brick/stone walls, an impossibly narrow walk way past the bar, and minimal seating. The noise level was manageable for such a small place though and the beer list was impressively European. The Rabbit Club just clicked with me. It was exclusive but not elite. You had to know someone who had been before to find it and ringing the bell took some nerves but once inside the atmosphere was friendly and welcoming. The bartender was courteous and helpful. The entire mood was jovial. It’s the kind of bar I’d like to spend a lot of time at.

Bluegrass fans and certainly Tennessee folk should recognize the lyric above from the classic, Rocky Top. Why a bluegrass lyric about mountain living to start a story about NYC? When people think city most think New York City. It’s THE city to a whole host of Americans. No one thinks the HBO series, Sex and The City, takes place in Chicago, LA, Atlanta, or Boston. Most people associate the term, “the city”, and certainly the city life with New York City.

I’ve been to NYC once before. I was up with my Dad and sister so she could visit NYU (did every teenage girl go through an “I want to go to NYU and study psychology” phase?) but being in the city was a totally different experience this time around. Sandy and I went together, leaving from Charlotte early Friday morning and returning Monday evening. One of her older brothers lives in lower Manhattan and she had not seen her nephew yet so it was a perfect excuse to go up. It was a full, tiring, but very satisfying weekend in the city.

Obstacle 1: Riding the Subway. I’m not anti-public transportation, I’m just not used to it. I’ve never lived in a place for any significant period of time that had a decent, usable rail system. MARTA in Atlanta is only useful for getting to the airport and possibly Braves games. The Skytrain in Vancouver was nice but I never had to truly commute on it. I hate buses, those are awful anywhere, but train or rail systems aren’t bad in general. So perhaps obstacle is the wrong word, maybe “new experience” is a better one. Public transport is best left for short trips in my opinion. Riding the A-train from JFK to lower Manhattan was not a pleasant experience. For getting around the island throughout the day, it was great.

The A-train, soon to be our go to rail line, was crowded, long, and cold on Friday morning. Combine this with the fact that we were dragging along our luggage and were both fighting runny noses, and you have a not so enjoyable experience. On the runny nose issue, I don’t think I’ve ever used more hand sanitizer in a weekend than I did that weekend. Part of it was trying to limit the spread of my germs and a distinct feeling of disgust after touching anything on the subway or in the station. Luckily I was wearing gloves most of the time and I eventually got comfortable with the grime.

Our first day was a full one. We had gotten up at 3:30 that morning to catch our flight out of Charlotte and were beat by the end but we made the most of it. We got our bearings for the city, walked a ton, visited the Museum of Natural History, had our first of many slices of pizza, our first of several slices of cheesecake, I purchased a much needed scarf, visited the mecca for classic American style, met Sandy’s adorable nephew, and enjoyed a knock out dinner with Sandy’s brother and sister-in-law.

Our agenda for the trip was pretty simple. Sandy wanted to see her family and a close friend from Jersey. I wanted to eat cheesecake, meet more of Sandy’s family and friends, and visit two stores, Brooks Brothers and J. Press. We both also wanted to just take in the NYC experience.

After arriving at about 9:45 am in Tribeca (southwest Manhattan), at her brother’s apartment, we got to see her six month old nephew, Billy, and sister-in-law, Maki. From there it was into the streets to find a good slice of pizza in nearby Little Italy. Little Italy was certainly nearby, in fact we ended up over shooting it. We had a vague idea where it was but took extended tours of Soho and Chinatown on our way. After encountering a few places not yet open for lunch (who isn’t open for lunch by 11:30?) we settled in on a little hole in the wall called Rudy’s in the heart of Little Italy for a couple slices of pizza.

After lunch we hopped on the subway to the upper west side to visit the Museum of Natural History. After a complete but not exhaustive tour of the museum we decided it was time to eat again and cheesecake was what we wanted. We had planned to visit Zabar’s as Sandy had talked them up and they were just a few blocks from the museum. Upon arriving we found out they had no fresh cheesecake so we hit the streets again. We didn’t know exactly where we were going but decided we would know it when we found it.

Walking on 83rd we came across, Cafe Lalo. It looked like a nice little cafe and Sandy thought it looked familiar, almost like the cafe in the Tom Hank’s movie, You’ve Got Mail. It was one in the same. They had pictures from the film and little note outside by the entrance. Inside it was small and tables were jammed right up against one another but it created a cozy feel rather than a crowded one. The dessert case in the front was massive and had an extensive, mouthwatering selection of different cheesecakes, pies, and cakes. The menu was very impressive with a nice selection of hot and cold cafe-type drinks and a dessert list large enough to occupy a few months worth of sampling. It even included a list of alcoholic hot chocolate specialties.
We each had a huge mug of hot chocolate and slice of something sweet. Sandy had some sort of chocolate banana cream pie and I had the brownie chunk cheesecake. Both were great. The cheesecake was not as firm or dense as the typical cheesecake. This was probably a good thing though as we were both over halfway to a sugar-induced coma by the end of the meal. We were impressed though. The petite Asian girl sitting next to us polished off two large pieces of cheesecake without even blinking an eye. This place seemed to have some die hard fans, always a good sign.

After the cheesecake, we strolled over to Madison Ave where I purchased the aforementioned scarf at J Press and visited Brooks Brothers‘ flagship store at 346 Madison. This was an experience in its own and one that I’ll write about separately.

After the brief shopping experience we tiredly made our way back to Tribeca to Jeff and Maki’s apartment. From there we showered, recuperated briefly, and then set out for dinner. It was really amazing to me, but our best meals weren’t but a few blocks walk from Jeff and Maki’s apartment. NYC has phenomenal food in every neighborhood. No matter which part of the city one lived in, a fantastic meal is probably not more than a couple blocks away. I could get used to that. Easily.
We ate at ROC, a modern Italian restaurant with a wonderful atmosphere, great service, and of course excellent food. Sandy had a clam dish and I enjoyed a nice piece of salmon over a bed of mushrooms and other vegetables. Those that know me are probably shocked by this. I generally don’t care for mushrooms. It’s not a flavor issue but more of a texture thing. Somehow the texture issue was eliminated in this case and the mushrooms were a great addition to the fish. Sandy and I agreed that while not the most flashy, this was probably our favorite meal of the weekend. Great food, company, and wine; what else does one need?

It started to snow while we were enjoying our meal and we ended up walking in a light snow/sleet mixture. Sandy and I were dead tired. We had an incredibly full first day but I could not imagine a better way to have spent it.

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.