the sneak peek

to simply put it: the sneak peek is a project conjured up by two New York City natives, Haruka Kuga and Carmen Hui. it was inspired from, not one, but several different occurrences during their accompliceship (mostly in the current year), from their late cab ride home after going to a show in the BK to a coffee rendezvous on a mid-summer day in the LES. the sneak peek officially became public fortuitously on 10.26.10. and ever since, they have been working hard to give the latest scoop on the beloved City they were raised in which they have grown to believe is just incomparable to anywhere else. using only digital technology, since Haruka and Carmen are supporters of the Industrial Revolution, the two of them snap photos of what they discover in the nook and cranny of the big City in hopes that they can preserve the fondest memories captured by art and the Internet.

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Recommended by a friend, LesVilles' dreamy vocals and lo-fi tunes on "Flow" make me yearn for a longer, more fulfilling album than the inadequacy of tracks on this short 15 minute EP. The man behind this, Dorian Koehring, reminds me of my other favorite dreampop/chillwave solo artists: Lotus Plaza, Washed Out and Memory Tapes. Every song is so cleverly composed that it creates this beautiful imagery in my head of what the title suggests. When listening to "Tr33s," I picture a green meadow, clear blue sky and a nice tranquil setting.. Just perfect as we await spring's arrival.

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A great spot for a party of two to four, nestled in the Southern part of Williamsburg, behind a shop that sells bags and other leather goods is Marlow & Sons. It is another restaurant that was on my checklist to try for quite some time now. It was a toss-up between that and Diner, the parent restaurant next door. And I am glad I settled on that because the potato tortilla I tried on the menu was absolutely delectable. What also caught my eyes was the Crostini, which was so popular that they had run out when we tried to order. But I guess that gives us a reason to return for another gratifying meal...!

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This might be a little late for Christmas, but it certainly gets me in the winter spirit!

Happy New Year, y'all!

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Catching up at Mama's Food Shop, Carmen and I booked a spontaneous date to go venturing off to the East Village, all the way on E. 3rd, between Ave A and B. Inside, we were greeted with booming beats and portraits of countless subjects on framed canvases of varying dimensions spanning across the right-hand side wall. I ordered the mac & cheese with a side order of brussel sprouts and carrots while Carmen chose the fried chicken with broccoli. Given very hearty portions, we left fully satisfied and good about ourselves having gotten our greens in along with our comfort food! Mmmm mmmm good! 

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The Maurizio Cattelan's All installation took over the rotunda at the Guggenheim when I visited two weeks ago. It consisted of 130 of Maurizio's most fascinating artwork from the early start of his career until now. Among the 130 pieces, I spotted the Pope, a coffin with President JFK, Hitler as a little boy, and Pinocchio. This left me in awe, as I am still trying to figure out the meaning of every object and the arrangement of it all.

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JJ Brine, also known as CodeCracker, is a project of my friend whose album, "President of Mozambique," will be released before the end of the year. I would describe his music as gothic/experimental rock and apparent influences are The Knife, Zola Jesus and Joy Division. This is a song that I have had on repeat on my iPod for the past couple of days since I've owned the album!

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Freemans can definitely be described as a restaurant “off the beaten path.” It is deeply tucked away between buildings, in a very narrow alley that can be easily missed as you are wandering past the boutiques and bars in the LES. I had heard a lot about the restaurant before coming to it for brunch on a Saturday afternoon. The pumpkin pancakes and scrambled eggs with links and potatoes made a delightful meal, accompanied by interesting decorations of taxidermy mounts and framed vintage photos. With no doubt, I will return to try their speciality drinks and the Pork Cheeks pot roast on their supper menu.

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My first attempt to try Café Moto was a couple of months ago when I arrived around noontime on a weekday to find that service doesn't begin until 6pm during the week and full hours happen only on weekends. With this lesson learned, I was able to come back today for brunch and try their Apple Pancake. The food was great, not to mention the décor was a complement to my whole experience. Inside, the vintage photographs, wooden furniture, strung-up lamps, and jazz performers clearly show that the place was inspired by the 1930s era, which distinguishes them from other places I have been to that also try to create this rustic ambiance, like The Smile and Epistrophy.

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Among the many small cafés on Smith Street in Carroll Gardens is Café LuLuc. Their menu offers a wide selection of food, everything from pancakes to hanger steak. What caught my attention when I stepped inside wasn't their collection of wines but the neat lineup of magazines along the wall (How many cafés have you been to which have provided literature with your meal?). After dinner, head next door to Clover Club which serves fantastic cocktails. My personal favorite was the Hemingway Cobbler.

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A few months ago, I finally caught “Hiroshima mon amour” on NetFlix after reading reviews and hearing much praise about it from time to time. The film has a seemingly simple plot - About a couple in a love affair separated by memory and shame. However, as can be seen in a lot of French cinema, the use of time is very important. As a fan of French New Wave, I have high regard for drawn-out story lines. In this particular film, the director’s use of flashbacks and the writer’s references of the bombing of Hiroshima reveals to us in 90 minutes the deeper connection between the feeling of loss, confusion and despair that one experiences from a broken relationship and from war.

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Korallreven: The Truest Faith

This is a great song to listen to while being on the road to somewhere sunny, warm and breezy.

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Our plan to explore Red Hook first started at the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition (BWAC, for short). We arrived on the very last day of the Wide Open 2 Exhibition where many, many different artists displayed their works and left visitors to judge the winner for a cash prize. Needless to say, there was an overwhelming intake of art for one day. This art space was not an easy trip. About 40 minutes away by train and bus, we were glad that we had planned an early day out. And we suggest that you do that if you plan on coming here so you can also visit other art galleries and enjoy a nice lunch in the area.

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An outing in Brooklyn for me usually wounds up one way or another within the boundaries of BBurg or Bushwick. However, today, my fellow blogger and I ventured out into a small community off the tip of BBurg: Greenpoint, which was little known to me before our adventure. Buried in local fast food restaurants and barbershops is Manhattan Inn, a dainty piano bar that has a nice crowd and the food doesn't disappoint, either. A pianist playing live music while you dine also throws in a few extra points and makes for a good time with a small group of friends, or with a date.

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A rose...

Atop the New Museum. As I approached it, my dad pointed the sculpture out to me, and it made me smile.

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In Pursuit of Tea, a place I've passed by a few times, which caught my eye, I went inside with my friend for the first time last week. It is a cozy spot, great for those who like tea and tea biscuits and need to take a few moments to relax. My friend had an Oolong white tea, the first time either one of us saw such a light Oolong, and I had Keemun Mao Feng, a black tea which had I had to try once I heard that it had hints of nutmeg. One of the founders of the place, Sebastian Beckwith, travels around Asia to scout out the different kinds of tea... Amazing! 

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Beat Connection : Silver Screen

A song I first heard from one of the playlists at work, the song really stuck. Their other songs are also great! "In the Water," "Sunburn," the list goes on.

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From the ferry to Governors Island... Lady Liberty herself. Gosh, I miss it. I learned how to bike ride there and ever since, feel forever grateful to it, along to my friends who had the patience to put up with my stubborn fear of lifting both feet off from the ground.