Throwback Thursday.... Doing Three Things I Have Done Before

On Thursday, I decided to experiment with the concept of solo dining. With plans already in place to visit my boyfriend at work (and see a show) where is a sound guy at Mercury Lounge, I headed to one of my favorite brunch spots in the city, San Marzano. I love pizza and they offer unlimited mimosas at brunch (+500 points). I have been there several times before for my favorite brunch (in case you didn't get the gist), dinner and/or late night snack, so it remains unsure that what follows can be considered a review as I already know San Marzano is the shit.

I rode into lower Manhattan feeling like Swan from The Warriors because the J train I was on seemed to have crawled out of 1970. After trying to decipher decades old graffiti and being amused by two dudes who got on the wrong train at Marcy Ave, I arrived at my destination. I plopped down at the bar and ordered my favorite, the Caprino: fontina, goat cheese, caramelized onions, shitake and button mushrooms, roasted garlic, thyme and white truffle oil. I always order this one with honey on the side for dipping, as per a suggestion by a good friend with whom I went to San Marzano for the first time. Every time I order this dish and ask for honey, the waiters seem confused and always say something like "that's interesting." Perhaps they should try it, and then I have no doubt in my mind that it would become a staple and then I wouldn't have to special order it. I had barely read one chapter of Game of Thrones before I was able to have this calorie fest.

I ate the whole thing by myself.

Next, I headed west towards my favorite bakery in the entire world, Sugar Sweet Sunshine. They need no introduction with better cupcakes than Magnolia at half the price, and banana pudding that will literally knock your socks off. I couldn't get a good shot of their cases because the sun was setting and they have pretty ambient lighting inside, but I did notice this blast from the past that they were using to hold straws. Love it.

Cupcakes in hand, I headed over to Mercury Lounge. Some crappy band blaring and the new bouncer didn't know who I am. Finally, around 11pm, the reason I ventured into Manhattan, Reggie Watts took the stage. I spent my college years in Lower East Side basement comedy shows produced by my friends. Reggie Watts was often an opening act and I had seen him several times before, but it was super interesting to see him in a sold out venue where many of these people were obviously huge fans. His set was fun, but at 5'4" and stuck in the back next to the sound booth, this was what my view looked like.

The show was fun, but Reggie performed for nearly two hours. I was over it after 90 minutes. After a post-show bag of bbq pop chips and three shots of tequilla, with my boyfriend and his work friends, it was time to call it a night.

San Marzano - 71 Clinton St, NYC

Sugar Sweet Sunshine - 126 Rivington St, NYC

Mercury Lounge - 217 E Houston St, NYC