In preparation for his B.A.R. exam, Paystyle hosted cocktail parties, aka Happy Hour (how appropriate), at his place every Thursday for the last month. He invited folks from all over the city to trek to his spacious apartment in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, where he fully stocked the bar for this weekly affair. No one objects […]
Author Archives: Kayoko Akabori
October 5, 2010
Just Kill Me Now: La Fantasia di Fragola @ Locanda Verde (NYC)
Just got back from a long weekend in NYC. The trip killed me. I ran around all day, tried to see everyone, ate and drank myself into a tizzy, and literally collapsed in exhaustion. It made me feel old. That said, it really is an incredible city for eating. Like anywhere, there are some major […]
October 1, 2010
Letter From The Editor: Viva La Vida/ Viva Los Muertos
There’s something strange happening on Planet Umamimart. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there is a shift. I feel it. Do you? It’s approaching a whole new level, which is thrilling, but has me contemplating too. What is it? How did we get here? Where are we going? WHO AM I? Ha. […]
September 28, 2010
The Man in the Orange Crocs
Mario Batali‘s Del Posto restaurant in NYC was just awarded FOUR STARS by Sam Sifton of the New York Times. Usually I could give a shit, but this really excites me– mostly because I am a huge Batali fan, deep deep down. This makes Del Posto one of only seven restaurants in all of New […]
September 23, 2010
Baja Fish Tacos at Taqueria La Familia (Berkeley)
These are probably the best Baja/Ensenada-style fish tacos I’ve had since the epic Fish Taco Crawl in San Diego last year (Umamiventure #21). The FISH TACOS neon sign just kept screaming out at me whenever I drove past this little joint, on a busy strip where Berkeley and Oakland meet. I always order the fish […]
September 20, 2010
Heads Up – Umamiventure #29: A Bitter Cocktail Hour with Louis Smeby (NYC)
Bitters, bitters, bitters. I remember my first encounter with a bottle of Angostura was at The Royal Oak in Williamsburg about four years ago. I asked the bartender, “What the hell is that?” as he added a few drops into a mixing glass. He then tirelessly tried to explain to me what it was, but […]
September 17, 2010
Umamiventure #28: San Tung Restaurant (SF)
Sometimes, I pick a place for an Umamiventure just to regroup with friends, their friends, and loyal Umamimart readers. That’s what these trips are for, afterall: to meet + eat. Choosing a place, however, it is never an easy task– the restaurant must be delicious, relatively cheap (ideally $20 per person) and can handle a […]
September 15, 2010
Happy Hour: Paystyle Sabbatical
Paystyle will be out for the rest of September. Why, you ask? Here it is, in his own words: When I passed the California Bar exam, I told myself I’d never take another. Then a few years later I found myself in New York City studying at the library for the NY Bar. When I […]
September 3, 2010
Issan Style Thai at Sab-E-Lee (SD)
I was able to meet up with Kirk aka mmm-yoso during my trip to San Diego. What a true delight! It’s always a little awkward to meet fellow food bloggers in REAL LIFE– does he talk the way he write? what will he order? should I tell him I loved his post on that dim […]
September 1, 2010
Letter From The Editor: The Rs
I try to live my life void of time constraints. I don’t wear a watch, and I’m perpetually in a rush and am nearly always late for everything. I’m not proud of this, and it’s always something I try to improve, but it somehow makes me less anxious, not knowing what time of day it […]