Invictus: A truly Inspiring Story

This is one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. I was truly inspired and soothed by the constant affirmation "I am the master of my universe"

I'm so glad we were able to catch the movie possibly in it last week of showing. We stopped at CPK in Scarsdale on the way for a quick bite before the movie. Though I was disappointed to see favorite pizza (mango Tandoori chicken) off the menu, I think I found a new favorite with Chipotle chicken.

Back in cold NY!

We are back after a wonderful vacation in Sri Lanka, which included lots travelling around the country in addition to a side trip to Singapore & Kuala Lumpur. It hasn't snowed even once since we got back and I'm getting pretty used to the 40F temperature. So can't complain about the NY weather even though I want to!

I've been recovering for a prolonged cold/sore throat for the past week. So with the exception of going to dinner and the movies on Friday we stayed in for the most part. On the way to the theaters in Hawthorne, we stopped at Gasho of Japan for dinner. The restaurant was very spacious and we were seated at a Hibachi table with one other couple. The chef was very entertaining and was very generous with the portions of veges and shrimp appetizer. I really enjoyed my shrimp and teriyaki salmon, while Nelson had a steak and salmon combo. The seafood & meat were followed by mushrooms and bean sprouts which was a nice addition. Hence we ended up with more leftovers than expected. Unfortunately they didn't offer any Asian desserts. I'm sure I would have made room for some had they any interesting offerings.

We watched "Up in the Air" and it really lived up to its good reviews. The acting and the screen play were outstanding. But I would have liked a little bit more at the end. However, it is a must see movie this season.

A weekend in Tarrytown

Our plans for last Friday had been the works for a few months. We were really excited that Brian Regan, one of Nelson's favorite comedians was going to be performing at the Tarrytown Music Hall. It was really great to be able to such a show without heading all the way to NYC. So we decided to head to Tarrytown early to ensure getting street parking without much hassle. Then we stopped at Santa Fe, a Mexican restaurant right next door to the music hall. It was an easy choice because we had wanted to try this restaurant for a while and due to the blistering wind, we wanted to the least amount of walking. The restaurant was so much bigger than it appeared from the outside and we were seated immediately. The complimentary nachos with salsa and a good bean dip was exactly the starter we were looking for. The menu offered typical Mexican fare and I ordered one of the seafood burrito special of the day. The portions were big (actually too big for me) and the food tasted great. Even though I was full, I got a peak of the dessert menu and ordered the coconut custard pie. That was delightful end to a nice meal with great service. Though the food was a little pricey for its kind, it's to be expected from a restaurant located in central Tarrytown.

Then we headed to the comedy show right next door. The theater was old as expected but maintained well. There were snacks drink sold up front and they were also announcing a relatively new wine & beer bar on the third floor. The seats were hard wood and took a few minutes of getting used to. We were there for the first show at 7pm and it was a sold out show. Brian Regan put on a great show. His brother, Dennis Regan who opened for him was as funny without any antics. It was really great for me to see Nelson roll over with uncontrollable laughter throughout the show.

Next day we were back in Tarrytown again, running some errands. We headed in to Chiboust for a late brunch. I had read some good reviews about the place but the delectable dessert counter really pulled us in. We left an hour and a half later after a three course meal. One favorite were the tastings of the corn fritters and the chicken liver pâté that we got as starters. There were lots of fresh greens as sides and the food seemed to prepared and served with attention to great detail. We couldn't resist having the flourless molten chocolate cake and the crème brulée as dessert. It was really cozy restaurant, a perfect place to enjoy a great Sunday brunch.

Shopping in White Plains

White Plains is one of the closest shopping areas accessible to us at Ossining. Our main destination is "The Westchester", one of the nicest malls in the area. It is quite spacious and has a good mix of high and low end brands as well as specialty stores. The ambience is calming and even during busy times, I've never felt the mall to be crowded. There is also plenty of seating area in the middle for idle husbands or tired kids. My only complaint about this mall is the food court which is rather basic. This could be the reason for the very long lines at P.F. Chang's one of the main restaurants at this mall.

The Galleria which is the other mall at stone's throw distance is the polar opposite. Most stores which are small in size are separate by narrow hallways thereby creating a packed atmosphere. Among the more regular franchises, this mall has a string of random clothes stores, all of which carry cheaper versions of Forever 21 type clothing. Our main reason for visiting The Galleria is to make a quick trip to Macy's as the department stores available at The Westchester are the more upscale Nordstroms, Nieman -Marcus and Barney's. Though I love shopping at The Westchester is it certainly convenient to have more affordable options close by.

Brothers: A disappointing watch

I was very excited for this movie. The previews set the bar high about a romantic triangle between the bothers (played Tobey McGuire & Jake Gylenhall) and Natalie Portman. I was disappointed to see that the all the key scenes of the movie were already seen on the previews. The only surprising fact was that we see the transformation of the soldier’s characters a result of being captured by Afghan terrorists. The two little girls who portray the daughters were absolutely adorable. Good acting by star studded cast tried to redeem the weak screen play and the lack of a good ending.

This time we avoided the crowds in White Plains by heading to the theaters at Mohegan Lake. On our way we had Thai food for dinner at Bangkok Spice at Shrub Oak. This place offers basic food at reasonable prices and seems more suited for the lunch time.

Sporting NYC

I've always said NYC is a tale of two cities, depending on what season it is. During the summer there is a ton to do, and many things to randomly discover while strolling from one place to the next. However, the Winter is all about hustling from one place to the next, and finding something cozy to do (or eat) indoors. An event at Madison Square Garden qualifies, and the long Thanksgiving weekend was punctuated by an evening trip to the city to see a hockey game at MSG. Beforehand we hit some Mexican food with some friends near Times Square. Of course, being near such a tourist trap meant the food at Toloache was pretty expensive, but wow it was quite good! Afterwards we headed to MSG to root for Cornell against BU in their annual hockey clash.

MSG is a pretty cool place to see a game, and it was great to get into the old Cornell chants. Shouting "RED!" during the national anthem has been programed into me for a few years now! Cornell dominated the scoring early, and it was great to stick it to the BU fans after a power-play goal made the score 3-1. However, many mistakes and a couple of fluke goals by BU ended the game in a 3-3 tie. OH well.....

On the way back to Grand Central for our train (not touching NYC traffic during holiday season!), we noticed a new installation in Bryant Park. It's a free skating rink and craft village, similar to the craft village near Columbus Circle this time of year. There were a lot of people there, and it was pretty cool to see something new to do in the Winter in NYC (though pretty corporate looking). I guess Winter still does hold some surprises in the city!

Bollywood Calling

On Sunday, I was very anxious to head to the city to watch Kurbaan, the latest Bollywood release. It wasn't the Saif-Kareena pairing that attracted me to the movie but the comeback of sorts of the supporting actor, Vivek Oberoi. I had really enjoyed the movie New York that released earlier in the summer, which dealt with similar themes of Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism. So I was really looking forward to an emotional thriller. But this movie experience didn't go anyway as planned.

Firstly, I was disappointed that this movie was not being screened at the smaller theater near Union Square, where we usually watch all Hindi movies. So we decided to go to AMC at Times Square. Being at such a centralized location must mean that poor customer service goes unnoticed, and everything about this place was infuriating. There was only one attendant at the counter despite how long the line was and no one attended to the people lined up at the theater until after the supposed start time to tell us that the movie was going to be screened at a different theater. Then the movie it self was disappointing with a weak and unoriginal plot.

Then we headed to Curry Hill on 28th & Lex to brighten up our evening by having some great Indian Chinese cuisine at Chinese Mirch. The food can be quite spicy but I love the blend of these two cuisines. The chilli panner and Manchurian vegetable balls remain my all time favorites. I wish I had taken a picture before I devoured the food that made our trip to the city completely worthwhile.