Theater and Dining

...two of my favorite past times! I went to see "Love, Loss, and What I Wore" with some girlfriends tonight. What a splendid off-Broadway show with just the right dose of comedic relief. As much as I enjoyed the show, the highlight of the evening was the wonderful little restaurant we accidentally discovered following the show. Upon exiting the theater we established that we were all starving. We took a few steps west and found ourselves on the corner of 43rd and 9th Avenue. With blank expressions on our faces we all asked "where to?" At a loss regarding where to dine in the immediate vicinity, despite being fully aware that there were tons of restaurants in the area given that we were in the Theater District, we decided that our only requisite was that the restaurant be very close to where we were standing, as the night had taken a turn toward sub-zero weather! I looked across the street and saw a blurry red sign (despite being near-sighted, I choose not to wear my glasses unless absolutely necessary). So we ventured towards the sign. As we approach the restaurant, the sign reads "Rachel's... American... Comfort Food"... and comforting it was! Ordinarily an empty restaurant would raise a red flag for me... but hunger and body temperature took precedence tonight. 


I have to say that I was very happy with our selection. While the awning read "American," the menu was chock full of Italian comfort food. I opted for one of the menu specials- lasagna with chunks of sirloin, cheese, layered with spinach and covered in a delicious marinara sauce. The lasagna was a hearty, perfectly portioned, savory, comforting dish... well worth a repeat visit. My friends opted for a menu staple- Trenette Scampi (a black linguine-like pasta with sauteed shrimp, asparagus, and tomatoes in a garlic and oil sauce). I didn't taste the Trenette but the reactions (and lack of leftovers) were telling of my friends' entree experiences. 


At some point we realized we did not get bread when we were seated and one of my friend's immediately brought this to our waiter's attention. At which point, bread materialized. However, this is where Rachel went wrong. The bread was definitely not a winner. Then again, the bread should never be the deciding factor when rating a restaurant.


The dessert menu provided multiple options. In typical me fashion, I had the tiramisu, which was clearly homemade and absolutely delectable. Most of my dear friends know that I am a tiramisu snob and loathe restaurants that try to pass mass manufactured tiramisu for "homemade." This was NOT one of those establishments. My friends ordered caramel pecan pie and a special- coconut pudding. Both were devoured. 


Despite the bread oversight and subsequent lackluster bread experience... overall, Rachel's Bistro (608 Ninth Avenue between 43rd and 44th Street) gets two thumbs up. I thoroughly enjoyed the undivided attention (given that we were the only customers) and I'm sure the waiters equally enjoyed our dramatic and boisterous conversation. I would definitely visit Rachel's bistro again... perhaps after my next theater experience. 

Prick Me to Stress-Free Health

In an effort to move away from Western medical practice and attempt a more holistic approach to health, I decided to try out acupuncture. According to Wikipedia, acupuncture is:

"a practice in which needles are inserted into various traditionally determined points of the body ("acupuncture points") and then manipulated. It is based on a belief that flowing through the body is a kind of “energy” called “qi” (or "chi"). The acupuncture points are located on what are claimed to be paths ("meridians") where the qi is believed to flow. Its practitioners variously claim that it relieves pain, treats infertility, treats disease, prevents disease, promotes general health, or can be used for therapeutic purposes."

I figured that tiny needle pricks aside, it couldn’t possibly hurt (no pun intended) to give acupuncture a try. So I scheduled an appointment and anxiously awaited its arrival. I knew no more than the layperson and aside from visual memories from films and general media, I had no idea what to expect.

Yesterday was the big day. I arrived at a small office in midtown and was greeted by the receptionist who asked me to get comfortable and change into some slippers before handing me paperwork to complete. I was offered a glass of water which I immediately chugged since I’d just run over to the office after sitting in NYC traffic for what seemed like eons. I complete the lengthy documentation and was then greeted by my acupuncturist. We spent a chunk of time reviewing my healthy history, habits, and concerns. The acupuncturist says she wants to “feel my pulses” (yes, plural) and look at my tongue. I oblige. (I later learn these two steps are important diagnostic methods in Chinese medicine) I’m then asked to remove my socks and lay on a table (much like a massage table). The lower half of my body is covered with a blanket and the acupuncturist informs me she will start placing needles in specific points on my body. Like most acupuncture newbies, I ask whether it was going to hurt. She explains that acupuncture needles are less painful than shots, since vaccinations involve hollow needles unlike acupuncture needles which are actually quite thin. She added that most people don’t feel anything. The needle placement process ensues and I felt tiny pricks here and there but mostly felt nothing. Throughout this process I thought “so far, so good.”

Here’s where things got strange. After placing all the needles the acupuncturist informed me that she would be placing a mask over my eyes and a “space heater sheet” (I swear that is what I heard) over my body. So the mask is placed and this very light aluminum foil looking sheet is draped over me. The acupuncturist then informs me that she will be leaving the needles in and stepping out for 20 minutes. She told me to just relax and think happy thoughts. Easier said then done. I immediately start an internal dialogue questioning whether I was feeling anything, what the purpose of each step/tool was, and wondering why I couldn’t just be in the moment. Granted, I had needles in multiple parts of my body and was afraid to move for fear of the needles getting caught on my aluminum foil sheet, but there was relaxing music playing in the background and calming aromatherapy scents in the air. About ten minutes in, I start to feel very sleepy and next thing I know, the acupuncturist is waking me up. I will admit that I felt very relaxed post-acupuncture session, but I’m not sure if it was the music, the aromatherapy, lying on a massage table for 20 minutes, or the acupuncture itself. Regardless, I was relaxed enough that I’m toying with the idea of trying it again. There is something about the Eastern approach to health that draws me. I’m looking forward to reviewing the summary report that the acupuncturist is preparing which she claims will help me understand the disharmony in my body as interconnected, as opposed to the Western approach which views ailments via symptoms and treats them individually. (To be continued…)