Entries in design (7)
Wednesday
Sep152010
September 15, 2010 What I Did This Summer: Part II
She Couldn't See Through the Bathroom Window:
Paint it Green:
Bullet the Blue Ceiling:
What a Little Muted Light Can Do:
Sanding in the Doorway Crying:
Trampled Underfoot:
With apologies to five of my favorite recording artists.
Monday
May312010
May 31, 2010 Falafel Found, Finally
Falafel is one of those foods you take for granted until you can't find it anywhere. In New York, there were a dozen little shops within walking distance of my apartment where, for about five bucks, you could get a pita crammed full of veggies, tahini sauce and delicious warm nuggets of fava beans and parsley. In Baltimore, falafel is a specialty item, mainly found at upscale mezze restaurants. An Arab lady briefly opened a gelato shop up the street from our church, and when we found out she made falafel on the side, we tried hard to keep her in business. Unfortunately, she closed after less than a year (probably because the Middle Eastern side of the menu was insider's information.)
But today, on a Groupon adventure, Rob and I found falafel. Tahina's is so well-designed and efficient, it looks for all the world like a chain restaurant; Rob dubbed it "the Middle Eastern Subway." I would say it's closer to Chipotle, as the ingredients are all fresh and beautiful. My research, however, turned up an even better scenario: it's a brand-new venture by a marketing firm who wanted to try out some of their tactics on their own business. They're calling it the "first of 300." Boy, do I wish I had enough venture capital to be number 2!
Like Chipotle, you choose a centerpiece (beef, chicken, or falafel -- and who in their right mind wouldn't choose falafel?!) and a presentation (pita or salad.) Then the fun begins.
There are a staggering number of vegetables (crispy fried eggplant rounds, red cabbage, sprouts) and salads (carrot and cilantro, cucumber and tomato, spiced chickpea) and sauces (baba ganoush, hummus, and yes, tahini.) You can also get slightly inauthentic toppings like pickles, cheese and honey mustard. As many as you want (my salad teetered precariously as I carried it to the table) for about $6 per entree.
The restaurant also sells fries; eggplant and sweet potato options are a nod to the Mediterranean, and a "sauce bar" is meant to evoke Belgium's frites shops, I think. After our falafels, we didn't want anything else. But we will be back. And you should join us!
But today, on a Groupon adventure, Rob and I found falafel. Tahina's is so well-designed and efficient, it looks for all the world like a chain restaurant; Rob dubbed it "the Middle Eastern Subway." I would say it's closer to Chipotle, as the ingredients are all fresh and beautiful. My research, however, turned up an even better scenario: it's a brand-new venture by a marketing firm who wanted to try out some of their tactics on their own business. They're calling it the "first of 300." Boy, do I wish I had enough venture capital to be number 2!
Like Chipotle, you choose a centerpiece (beef, chicken, or falafel -- and who in their right mind wouldn't choose falafel?!) and a presentation (pita or salad.) Then the fun begins.
There are a staggering number of vegetables (crispy fried eggplant rounds, red cabbage, sprouts) and salads (carrot and cilantro, cucumber and tomato, spiced chickpea) and sauces (baba ganoush, hummus, and yes, tahini.) You can also get slightly inauthentic toppings like pickles, cheese and honey mustard. As many as you want (my salad teetered precariously as I carried it to the table) for about $6 per entree.
The restaurant also sells fries; eggplant and sweet potato options are a nod to the Mediterranean, and a "sauce bar" is meant to evoke Belgium's frites shops, I think. After our falafels, we didn't want anything else. But we will be back. And you should join us!
Saturday
Feb062010
February 6, 2010 Recycling, Elevated
I understand that recycling should be automatic and done out of the goodness (and / or self-preservation instinct) of one's own heart.
I understand that even if we all recycled, it still wouldn't be enough -- we need to drastically curb, if not stop, our consumption of one-time-use goods.
I understand that we should be moving toward beverages that come from rivers and fruit trees and herbs, not bottles and chemicals and processing plants.
But I can't see something like this and not be encouraged. An Austin architectural firm has found a way to make recycling entertaining, and to help concertgoers work together to create a temporary thing of beauty, all while calling attention to a problem most people just don't want to think about -- the incredible amount of trash we generate and the lack of options about what to do with it.
Cup City, you just made my day.
I understand that even if we all recycled, it still wouldn't be enough -- we need to drastically curb, if not stop, our consumption of one-time-use goods.
I understand that we should be moving toward beverages that come from rivers and fruit trees and herbs, not bottles and chemicals and processing plants.
But I can't see something like this and not be encouraged. An Austin architectural firm has found a way to make recycling entertaining, and to help concertgoers work together to create a temporary thing of beauty, all while calling attention to a problem most people just don't want to think about -- the incredible amount of trash we generate and the lack of options about what to do with it.
Cup City, you just made my day.
Categories: Current Events | Virtues
Current Events | Virtues Tags: architecture, art, design, green living, nature
architecture, art, design, green living, nature Thursday
Nov262009
November 26, 2009 Toys for Thinkers
In honor of Black Friday (which I will celebrate not by going out and buying junk, but by staying home and sorting through all the junk I already own) I want to say a few words about toys. Please enjoy this delightful one-minute dose of nostalgia, posted by my cousins at Z Recommends:
That's what Legos used to be about: creating something unique, special, unexpected. That's why they were (and are) such a fantastic toy. On the other hand, if you're looking for Legos, you can also buy this:
As much as I think Frank Lloyd Wright's descendants deserve every penny they can milk out of his genius, I draw the line at paying $40 for a set of bricks that can really only build the Guggenheim Museum. More and more of the Lego lines are like this -- brand names like Star Wars and SpongeBob, with so many specialty pieces that there's no imagination involved, just a one-time setup so it can sit on a shelf and grow dusty.
If you must buy toys, please, please get something that requires thought and creativity to enjoy. I have several such toys in my studio, and they rarely fail to keep the attention of even the wiggliest little ones. Besides which, they're pretty. And they don't make any noise except the pleasant kind that comes from little hands going about the business of creation.
That's what Legos used to be about: creating something unique, special, unexpected. That's why they were (and are) such a fantastic toy. On the other hand, if you're looking for Legos, you can also buy this:
As much as I think Frank Lloyd Wright's descendants deserve every penny they can milk out of his genius, I draw the line at paying $40 for a set of bricks that can really only build the Guggenheim Museum. More and more of the Lego lines are like this -- brand names like Star Wars and SpongeBob, with so many specialty pieces that there's no imagination involved, just a one-time setup so it can sit on a shelf and grow dusty.
If you must buy toys, please, please get something that requires thought and creativity to enjoy. I have several such toys in my studio, and they rarely fail to keep the attention of even the wiggliest little ones. Besides which, they're pretty. And they don't make any noise except the pleasant kind that comes from little hands going about the business of creation.