master of love

Today was freaking cold. By the time I arrived to an obscure town formerly  known as New Berlin, it was -9'5 C. Even if it is still autumn time in the Northern hemisphere, in this forgotten -for good reasons- location of the Offtarian geography, it feels like the winter has already arrived for good with a generous dose of nasty temperatures.

The only reason to be there was a great concert, which somehow ended up being close to magical. In this phenomenal evening, the "Victim of Love" turned out to be a "Master of Love".

Yes, no other than Charles Bradley was able to make such a miracle happen.

down to TO

Flying back from La Guardia on a clear day provides a pretty neat view of Ontario lake, and most of its surroundings. Just a few minutes before landing, I was able to take a photograph of what apparently happens to be the fourth biggest city in North America.

Down there is where sometimes I feel the urgency of having a little bit of fun in the kitchen. And if I have the chance to find fresh produce from not too far away, then there is a real extra motivation.

onglet of the year

We spent November 30th in Montreal; a fast and unforgettable day. We stayed at the superb Gault, which by now almost feels like home: extremely nice -but not fake- service, spacious architecture and delicious crêpes with sirop d'érable and berries for le petit déjeuner. This time we got room 450, a highly recommendable corner; the one with light at the top.

The purpose of this trip was checking a show at Place des Arts, again. The music was not quite my cup of tea. In fact it gave me a severe headache; the first one in years. The dance element was far more interesting, but still not my thing.

My hungry stomach was ready to revisit L'Express on St-Denis -a classic-, where we had a reservation at ten. 

sushi of the year

Before our simple and delicious dinner at Roberta's, we had an outstanding meal at Neta. This time we seated at the sushi bar, where we could follow the fascinating action behind the counter.

Víctor, our skilled waiter from México DF, took really good care of us, and the last drink he offered was mind blowing: "Tobindori Shizuku" Saké Daiginjo (38%), brewed by Kaika Saké.

roberta's charm

An entertaining visit to the Brooklyn Academy of Music last month made us hungry. From such a glamourous building we moved into a more basic construction, which in corrupt sPain could easily be called "chiringuito".

Our cab driver, original from Guinée, got kind of lost before finding our destination. Once we got there it felt like we were in the wrong place, in one of those unknown locations you would not like to walk around a little before midnight. In fact, it first reminded me of my night visits to Blokosso, by the Ébrié lagoon, a few decades ago. 

I know Ivory Coast it too far away from Brooklyn, not only from a geographic perspective, but from that first view it was hard to identify major differences.

boogie christ extraordinaire

Last week was the one and only boogie time of the year; in my world it could perfectly be named the boogie easter or the boogie xmas. 

It started with Brian Setzer at CitS, and it finished with Joseph Arthur at the Drake. Radically different shows, but similarly captivating. Last time I saw Mr. Arthur it was in Montreal, just a few weeks ago. That show was great for underlining his natural talent to perform under all sorts of ongoing tech limitations.

Last Friday he played his second concert as part of The New Professionals, which I would happily call The Über Professionals, since they literally nailed it.