Sunday, September 25, 2011

A BRAND NEW DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!......please check out SYBILBRUNCHEON.COM!


Darlings, Mummy is just as beaten down as anyone else with all the bad news and negativity and pessimism!!! We are surrounded by people, (some of whom we actually elect!) who tell us everything we can’t do, can’t accomplish, can’t BE!!! Well, I’m taking all the time and energy I have left and spending it celebrating the things in life that I love! I am using the SCENE'N'HERD page on my new website to promote people whose talent I respect, whose ideas give me joy, whose humor makes me laugh, whose food makes me fat…well…uh…you get the idea!!!!! This is a page dedicated to GRATITUDE and APPRECIATION!!!…I’m sharing the things I love with my friends!!! Welcome! And stay tuned!!!! xoxo, S.

A BRAND NEW START!!!!......Please check out SYBILBRUNCHEON.COM.

Well, my Dears, here’s the latest evidence that Mummy CAN join the 21st Century ( a whole decade into it, unfortunately!!). Please check out all the different tabs under the scrolling film…or just click on the film frames as they go by. You’ll find links to Youtube, my Blog, Twitter, Facebook (even if you’re NOT a Facebook member, you can still see MY page!), and all sorts of other treats. A monthly recipe from my personal collection will be posted in WHAT’S COOKIN’…and all sorts of advice in MRS. BUTTINSKI…..that’ll be coming too. The calendar in NITE’N'DAY will allow you to link right through to the websites of event producers…just click on the highlighted day, and “off you go”…and you can always come right back to our site when you’re done! If it’s all easy enough for Mummy, you’ll have NO trouble….after all, Mummy’s as dumb as a post!….so to speak……xoxoxo!

Thursday, September 22, 2011

6 MONTHS AGO!!!!! .....NEW BEGINNINGS!!!!....even in the FALL!!!!!!

CATASTROPHE!!!...and TRIUMPH!!!!: Six months ago, my alter-ego, John Burke was laid off from his corporate job of thirteen years with scores of others......He didn't know anything about social networking, have a blog, twitter, or a Facebook, or even own a computer!!!... I KNOW! I KNOW!!!! (no giggling please from the front row!!!). I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my radiant boyfriend for his love and support through all of this, all my friends and co-workers who encouraged and advised me through this tremendous transition (especially at THIS point in my life!), the new friends who mentored me into the technical world of blogs, Facebook, youtube, twitter, and website design with their knowledge and beautiful taste, my new Facebook friends who make me laugh, cry, think, and connect to a whole new world, and lastly...to the folks who threw me out. I am so grateful for the choices YOU made for me....I would NOT have chosen this....but YOU CHOSE FOR ME.......and I AM SO VERY LUCKY YOU DID!!!!! With love and gratitude to a Universe that continues to amuse, amaze, vex, and delight....I stand humble and filled with wonder!!!

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Sweater Weather.....

Sweater Weather By The Beach: Faded flannel shirts stretched over muscles. Tanned feet, faces. Everyone covering up. Almost sexier, in a way....

Sunday, July 31, 2011

FIRE ISLAND UPDATE!!!! TOP OF THE BAY BISTRO!!!!

     Darlings, Mummy got back from Provincetown a few weeks ago from a vacation of "Food, glorious food!" there at the end of Cape Cod! For years, travelers and locals alike knew that you couldn't get a bad meal in P-town (as the in-crowd calls it!) because the competition between the restaurants was so fierce! Fresh seafood EVERYWHERE, and brilliant chefs pouring in from Boston for the Summer to bludgeon each other with their talents, made for a veritable gourmet-get-away-by-the-sea!....and although a lot of the folks up that way are of self-denying Puritan and pilgrim stock, their 21st century descendants deny themselves nothing when it comes to lobster in rich sauces, fried clams and oysters, and scallops the size of silver-dollars with the tenderness of BUTTAH!
     Well, after a week or two in P-town eating....and eating, (and gaining 20 pounds!!!), I returned to NYC to reminisce, (and JOG!)......Sated, but wistful! Sure, we have fabulous restaurants all over Manhattan, and a delectable concentration of them in the Village, but what to do when out by the seashore....particularly on Fire Island?!........ You know...Once upon a time, Cherry Grove, the gayest of the 17 towns on that 32 mile long sandbar,(and rivalled only by the Pines which is now ruled much more by money than merriment!), had a wide assortment of eateries which included the widely renowned MONSTER. Folks from all the other towns would beat a path to the MONSTER for it's terrific menu and cozy (and eccentric!) ambience. Celebrities from Broadway, television, and Hollywood would drop in with no fanfare, and the MONSTER's reputation spread like a case of poison ivy at Summer Camp!....but in a GOOD way!!
      One of the MONSTER's rivals was the restaurant with the best view of the bay, so named the TOP OF THE BAY. It was much beloved by the townsfolk for its homey atmosphere, hearty food consistently good and well priced, and its Wednesday night "employee specials" for the local workers. Walking into TOP OF THE BAY, even on a weeknight, you'd always be met by a festival of bawdy jokes, raucous laughter, and show-tune and top 40 sing-alongs....and of course, the food!.........Well the world, and the MONSTER, have come and gone since those heady days of the 60's and 70's......but TOP OF THE BAY is still here!!!... (cue Sondheim's anthem from FOLLIES. You're on Miss DeCarlo!!!).
     With a complete, and classy facelift by owner Ron King, the new TOP OF THE BAY BISTRO still has its original drop-dead views of the bay, especially sought after at sunsets when the crowds burst into spontaneous applause as the sun sinks below the Western waters...(eat your heart out Key west!). The weathered grey/silvery green and white interiors, soft lighting, and newly installed lounge area with comfy wrap-around banquettes add to the glamour, but its the food that is bringing the crowds. Chef Stephen Daniello has created a menu of fusion with a Cajun flair! No worry for the milder palates out there!! Nothing is going to send your tongue to the burn unit at Columbia/Cornell!!! My fave-raves include the corn chowder appetizer with chunks of buttery corn bread floating on the surface.....this is more like a dessert than an appetizer! Last night, Steve surprised all of us with Lobster Sliders...cute little "burgers" on the fluffiest buns (no giggling, please!), and a generous scoop of fabulously creamy lobster salad at just the right temperature. (Sounds like sex, doesn't it? Well, it WAS!).You get three of them, and it almost spoils your dinner it's so rich.....but don't give up! Just let your tummy settle for a minute and order the Rigatoni Bolognese, sumptuous and perfectly al dente!....I know, because my dinner companion, Fabio Gorgissimo, an al dente snob, literally RAVED!!! Just as he did when he ordered the Chicken Parmigiana on a bed of perfect linguini!!! The tomato sauce was both sweet AND tangy, the cheeses blended wonderfully, and the chicken was miraculously moist!!! (How many of us dread Chicken Parmigiana because the meat is a fossilized wallet under a bed of plastic and dead ketchup??) My Duck Breast with orange/cherry wine sauce was tender, smoky, and wonderfully complex...and the sweet potatoes and braised Endive and asparagus were an inspired counterpoint! Homemade Cherry Pie was irresistable, even though it required us to be rolled home in a wheelbarrow by local roofers! The regular menu includes the chowder, Bruschetta with lobster/shrimp scampi, and the Shrimp and Grits!...one of Steve's most brilliant creations! I've watched entire tables of diners, each with a portion of the Grits analyzing and trying to decipher just how it's done, like a forensics team on CSI.
      This season has proven to be even more of a triumph for Ron and Stephen and the wonderful staff including Regis, Joe, Todd, Joseph, Charity, Chris, and manager Roque! Even with the economy on the fritz, and restaurant revenues teetering back in the city, this boite on the bay packs'em in!...so don't go thinking you can coast in on your good looks and easy manner. Most nights, reservations are necessary!!! TOP OF THE BAY BISTRO in Cherry Grove...Run! DO NOT WALK! See you there, mon cher! xoxo, Sybil.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Mummy!! Where have you been?!?!

My apologies, Everyone!!!! I have been very naughty for NOT writing in my blog regularly...and what can I give as an excuse???...the "down" feeling of getting back from an enchanting time on Fire Island and Provincetown with gorgeous weather, fabulous food, and delightful adventures with fascinating friends???..well, yes!...And coming back to a grueling heat wave and endless pontificating from extremists about why millionaires and oil companies shouldn't be taxed!!!!! Just yesterday, it poured in NYC, and it was such a relief to everyone, that I saw Madison-Avenue-boys in their $5000 suits just strolling through the rain chatting as if nothing was happening!! People standing on corners, looking at Blackberries, window shopping, playing basketball, pushing strollers...ALL THROUGH THE DRIVING RAIN!! Fascinating!!...and oddly reaffirming in these extraordinarily self-serving times!!!

Saturday, July 9, 2011

PROVINCETOWN UPDATE!!! Miss Richfield 1981 is FABULOUS!!!!

PROVINCETOWN UPDATE!!! Darlings, Mummy went to Miss Richfield's show at the Crown and Anchor last night!!! Funny and smart in past seasons, she has apparently started consuming vast quantites of ginkgo biloba, because she has moved into the genius rank!!!! The audience (sold out!!!) was convulsed within the minutes of her entrance onstage, and continued to laugh right over subsequent jokes and punch lines throughout the sketches. She brought a couple of delightful audience members onstage for more of her antics, and her throw-aways had folks falling out of their chairs. What does a talent like this command at contract-signing time I wonder????....more than Mummy ever got out of LB at MGM in the 30's!!!! Miss Richfield is truly one of the greatest comediennes to ever blaze across the starry skies over the Cape!! Run..DO NOT WALK to this show!!!!! xoxo, Sybil.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

PROVINCETOWN UPDATE!!!

Provincetown Update: Ladies (and I use the term LOOSELY!), and Gentlemen! Had dinner last night at Jimmy's Hideaway (169 Commercial St.)! Unbelievably good! Owners, Jimmy McNulty and Raife Menold always make you feel right at home in this cozy little....little....well HIDEAWAY!!! You really have to look for it with all the hustle and bustle around it! But THAT'S what makes it so special!! Our waiter David was both handsome AND attentive, ( a deadly combination....David, WILL you marry me???)...and the food????....OUTSTANDING! My Vichyssoise was delectable!...sadly, I had to explain to the bodybuilder at the next table that it was meant to be "cold".....(poor dear, he was going to send his back to the kitchen!). My filet mignon was a mile high!!...and you didn't need a knife! Which was a good thing, because I put the whole thing in my mouth!!!! The peppercorn sauce was positively SEXUAL.....I put a small take-out container in my Lulu Guinness purse for "later"......and Key lime pie for dessert!! Hey! What the Hell is going on in P-town!?!? Is EVERYBODY in a Key lime pie contest???? The next thing you know, children will be selling it at their lemonade stands on the sidewalk!!!!! More later, Darlings!!!! xoxo, S.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Darlings! Read me NOW!!!!

Darlings! Mummy is in Provincetown....( Massachusetts, for the totally "out-of-it" crowd!), and as many of you know, she has ALWAYS been a foodie! I ADORE great food!....well..Foodie Bulletin!!!! Run, DO NOT WALK to ENZO'S at 186 Commercial Street. The lovely manager, Jennifer White, and waiters like the suave Yves Lessard will make you feel right at home in the gorgeous dining rooms or out on their beautiful sidewalk terrace overlooking the handsome strollers making the scene on a balmy evening on the Cape. After watching all the freshly tanned boys, I was inspired to order the truly life-changing wild mushroom and lobster bisque...it was exactly the same shade of burnished copper as the boys, and it arrived in a chic white porcelain bowl that looked a lot like the barber's basin in MAN OF LA MANCHA. The (several!) chunks of lobster were sweet and tender, and the combination of mushroom and lobster was divinely tormenting!!!!....do I order three more servings, or proceed to the entree????? I decided on the sole piccata, a generous portion pan seared with lemons, capers, garlic and served on a lush pile of tangy (and refreshing!!!) fettucine done to perfection (al dente...my uncle's name was Al Dente!) and the best, best, BEST Swiss chard that I've had in.....well...too many years to repeat here!!!! The chard was so good....no, GREAT!..that it almost served as a dessert! Yes, dear, DESSERT!!! It was that scrumptious!! But after letting my tummy settle, I forced myself to have the most delightful, (and I'm sure, non-fattening!) slice of Key Lime Pie this side of the Mason Dixon. ENZO'S, Darlings....ENZO'S!!! Say it 30 times before you go to bed tonight...and have Yves bring you his favorite cocktail on the menu, the Ruby Red Dress Martini!!!! See you there, Mon Cher!!!! xoxo, Sybil!

Sunday, June 19, 2011

THE AGE OF COMMUNICATION!!!!

OKAY! You can all laugh….Mummy just got hooked up to Facebook, and is actually linking her new bog…er…BLOG to Facebook, and both of them to her website, and all of them to…..oh, NASA for all I know. (A lot of good that’ll do me!) Please go to sybilbruncheon.com for news and updates, (still under construction….oh I hope the handsome workmen wipe their feet before they tramp through my video library!), or to Facebook.com and look me up there for general silliness and people leaving all sorts of things on my wall! (It reminds me of the old USO appearances I did with Martha Raye when the soldiers would leave “souvenirs” on our tents!)……is that why Martha would always yell at them to “Stand at ATTENTION!!”?????

Miracles in Greenwich Village!!!!!

Well Darlings, after what seems like years in Greenwich Village, (has it only been about ten?!?!?), the process of corporate yuppification of the businesses in the neighborhood seems to be slowing! Bleecker Street, which used to be the bastion of the entrepreneurial and one-of-a-kind shops and cafes, underwent a sudden (and appalling) transformation into a Madison-Avenue-South. If you weren’t part of a major fashion or restaurant chain, your time was up!!!! Forget the fact that the new glam-stores might be empty after their initially big openings!!! There was absolutely no room on Bleecker for the folk art and antique shops, the Mom-and-Pop cafes, the little boutiques, etc., etc.
Well, what to my wondering eyes did appear????? The Ralph Lauren stores, which I believe were the first to invade, were closed up as of last week!!!! Windows soaped over and everything….just like an old episode of  The Twilight Zone!! I think I even saw Rod Serling wandering around in the back through the old returns section!!! And as Ralph always leads the way, is this a sign of everyone else again following suit and beginning to trail on out of the Village and return it to its bucolic past???
I’ll tell you one sign that I’ve found of a rebirth down here below 14th…..after the closing of some of the oldest and best loved restaurants in the Village (remember the Beatrice Inn, Sazerac House, Le Metarie, Bruxelles, and on and on????)…..well there is a whole new crop of little boites springing up just like those wonderful,(and brave!) little crocuses in the Spring that let us know that grumpy old Mr. Winter is on his way out!!!
RUN!! DO NOT WALK to Meme on the corner of Hudson Street and Bank!….more to follow shortly!!!!

Bonjour Everyone!!!!

Well Darlings….Mummy is trying to join the modern 21st Century world! I actually have a BOG….er…BLOG!!!..(it only took me ten years to get a cell phone!!!!!….and it was that early Zenith model that was the size of a 4-slice toaster…you know! With the rotary dial and the horn that dogs would always tip their heads into and listen???!!!) I shall be writing to you all sorts of helpful hints, recommendations, and pieces of gossip, or fact, that I feel need to be shared, and I invite all of you to send me things that are important for you to get off your collective chests!……well, here goes…..cursor on “Publish” and ….GO!