3 days with my visiting friend Anel have just about undone about four weeks of working out at the gym. I look like one of those Chinese happy Buddha statues right now. Or a Teletubbie. Somebody is probably going to give up their seat on the subway for me tomorrow. I am Olympic champion of water retention. I would like to pop my belly like a zit.
There comes a time in every food writer's life when they have to decide if they're going to go the way of M.F.K. or the way of A.J. I know which way I'd like to go, but it's going to be a battle.
Meanwhile, at a pre-slaughter fattening dinner at Otto with nine people (I gotta say, except for the really loud music, that place is great for groups) we loved this Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, available at Astor Wines for $13.99. It's dark chocolate-y and smooth. In my very slow and barbaric wine education, I'm finding that I prefer the Italian wines.
just continue to embrace fitness as you embrace food - live the best of both worlds.
Really is a shame about Otto and the absurd blaring music. I think they're just trying to flip tables as fast as possible since it's mostly just tourists there now (the ones not willing to plump for one of Mario's real restaurants). Too bad, b/c I used to love that place.
Pardon my naivete, but who exactly is A.J.? I don't know if I want to go that way either...
A. J. Liebling, New Yorker writer, wrote about boxing (The Sweet Science, which I think SI called the best sports book of all time) and food, among other things. He was a man with a strong stomach. I want to take an alka seltzer just reading his food descriptions. Check out Between Meals.