TheBronxRocks.com

ROMPE PUESTO - A PINATA-THON!  at The Bronx River Art Center

 (Photo of Risa Puno, Disco Ball Pinata artist, courtesy of Talisman Brolin)

Bronx artists strike again! Rompe Puesto, brainchild of Blanka Amezkua (featured by TheBronxRocks here and here) and Ronny Quevedo turned out to be an enormous HIT - 23 of the most fabulous and creative pinatas you can imagine! What an ingenious and wickedly delicious way to throw a party where every guest (kids and adults alike!) gets to squeal with laughter and delight and is rewarded with outrageously fun party gifts: condoms, mini booze bottles, organic tea, outlandish make-up, lingerie, pregnancy kits, and so forth! Fun, fun, fun! (And oh yeah - tons of candy and toys for the kids as well) An open bar (thanks Brooklyn Brewery!) and great music spun by DJ Juan Mapu added to the reverie….Brilliant! (*List of participating artists below)

 

Extraordinarily hospitable bartender Regina and local Maureen.

Fenwicks is the place with the black awning

And oh yeah - be prepared to hike these stairs if you come by bus or subway!

COALS, Morris Park
NY Times Review  / Daily News Review
I love, love, LOVE this 2007 Zagat-rated eatery. What  you’ll find: a delicious and original take on pizza (hint: they’re grilled!) I had the Rustic (anything flavored with truffle oil has me at hello!), the tomato and pepperoni Dean Martin was a hit with my friend as well as the two tables we were sandwiched in between, and the appetizers and desserts (Nutella Pizza - Hello!) looked just as scrumptious.  The service was unbelievable - the uber-friendly Christine (pictured below) and Lynette were the sole wait staff for the packed Friday night crowd!!! The decor and overall atmosphere is hip, cool and casual, but thoroughly unassuming and without that trying-too-hard feel!  Customers, I’m told, are mostly locals and med students from the two nearby hospitals.   Unfortunately, I had to borrow a friend’s unfamiliar camera, so the quality of the photos suck - I will definitely return to snap some more.  This place is a HIT, in every sense of the word!

Thanks for posing, Alfonso and Raphael!!

I have to admit being surprised at all the sushi places I have seen just in the last few weeks in the Bronx - from Mott Haven to Throgg’s Neck to City Island and even a temporary sushi bar this month at The Bronx Botanical Garden.  And those are just the places I have seen first hand.  I look forward to finding others to add to the list. 

 

PATRICIA’S II, Throg’s Neck

Gotta love a good brick oven when it comes to pizza.  Read my Boogiedowner review “When The Moon Hits Your Eye…” to learn more about Patricia’s.

MoveOn.org Obama Calling Party - Parkchester

It’s that time again! Time for another Save the Date for this month’s Revolution! party in Mott Haven at the Bruckner Bar & Grill.  (See past party photos here)  

Check out these great photos from last month’s party where Kissy Kamikaze, William Control (NSFW) and others performed, courtesy of Richard Scott:

Yes, Sangrias…and great Mexican food!!! You have NO IDEA how fired I am about finding fresh and AUTHENTIC Mexican food right around the corner from my apartment! Growing up in Southern California, I crave this cuisine just about every other week and the many Dominican and Criolle eateries to be found in the Bronx just don’t always do it for me.  (Even in Manhattan, great Mexican cuisine is hard to come by). Taqueria Tlaxcalli (run by a former Mexico City resident - Mauricio), therefore is to die for.  And by the customers packing the place tonight, I’m obviously not the only one who believes they’ve just discovered a little slice of Heaven!  (Read some other favorable reviews here.) And pssst….don’t pass up the fabulous Sangrias!

 Judy (Go Fordham!) and Howard - Regulars at Tlaxcalli

Owner Mauricio - on the right - and his very talented kitchen staff.

Borgatti’s

The Bronx’s Little Italy is such a short bus ride from my home in Parkchester that I can’t believe I didn’t take advantage of it the first year and a half I was here.  It was only doing research for TheBronxRocks, that I finally figured out where it is (in between Parkchester and The Bronx Botanical Gardens, which I have been visiting regularly since I moved to this borough).  I posted about two fabulous restaurants early on here. But now I have to rave about the other shops one can enjoy during a stroll down Arthur Avenue.  I coaxed my friend Isabelle to join me last weekend and being Swiss-Moroccan and having spent her early years in both Paris and Switzerland, I knew she would appreciate this little enclave.  Reminiscent of the fromageries, boulangeries, chacuteries of the streets of Paris and other European villages, many of the shops of Little Italy specialize in their own…well, specialities – meat, cheese, bread, pasta, seafood and so forth.  Our favorite (and something neither of us had seen before) was Calabria Pork Store where the ceiling is literally filled to the brim with hanging salamis and sausages! After lunch at Tino’s Delicattessen and capucinnos at a bakery close, by we shop-hopped all the way down Arthur Ave for supplies to have an evening picnic-style dinner. French baquette, camembert, grapes, figs, olives, sundried tomatoes and a bottle of wine? Heaven!

Calabria Pork Store

A Little Taste Of Cuba

Blanka Amezkua immediately reminded me of an artist channeling the spirit of the great Frida Kahlo. I had the good fortune to make a pilgrimage to Kahlo’s home in Mexico City (Casa Azul) years ago, and Blanka’s Bronx Blue Bedroom Project had the same feeling of the artist’s living space becoming an intertwining extention of the art and artist herself. The idea behind the BBBP is to showcase a different artist every month – giving them the run of her Tiffany-box blue bedroom as a gallery. They in turn bring dinner, snacks and drinks for the guests who show up.  The artist this past Wednesday was the delightful Melissa Calderon.  (Send me those pics, Melissa!) But Blanka’s own work is definitely worth a visit in and of itself.  How often do you see in one collection a sculptural collage made entirely of multi-colored pipe cleaners, a figure made of several disparate and seemingly tortured doll parts and a framed thorned brassiere?!? 

I highly suggest you visit this unique artist’s home, studio and gallery – I promise it will bring out the inner-bohemian in all of you!

 (Following photos courtesy of Blanka’s Website)

The very amiable Alphonso from Rino’s Ristorante (an establishment in business since 1983). As I only had a cappucino (delicious!), I can’t vouch for the food, but judging by the regular patrons - I’m sure the food was just a yummy as the service was friendly.

 And since I’m such a sucker for those “Awww….” moments, I just had to interrupt this father and son game of catch to snap their photos.  As are most every Bronxite I come across for TheBronxRocks, they were very willing and happy to pose.  Thanks guys!

 

Just a few members of Joe’s friendly staff! Thanks guys for a great evening!

(Photo courtesy of Elle Perez)

MOTT HAVEN - SoBro

For all you young and hip underground rock fans - here’s a SAVE THE DATE for you:

A REVOLUTION! Party - Friday, September 26th at  Bruckner’s Bar & Grill

Connected with the same group that brought you the Bronx Underground (NSFW), Revolution! has finally brought the dance party scene to the South Bronx! Here’s what one of the organizers, Anita Colby, has to say: “Produced by a collective of Bronx native musicians and artists with a vision to mix live bands, art, nightlife and Bronx authenticity; the Revolution! Party exploded onto the scene this July”.  And yes, Anita, we agree with you when you say that “The Bronx is burnin’ indeed!” She also says that this will be a monthly event at the Bruckner Bar & Grill! We think that’s great news for Mott Haven (and, of course, the Bronx in general)! You not only get great music, a fresh and hip party scene, but you get Bronx prices as well - A $7 cover and $3 shots! Show me any where else in NYC where you are going to find that combination! Yeah- I didn’t think so!

Take a listen to a few past and present acts from a Revolution Party: Fire and Reason, The Scene,
Kissy Kamikaze, and William Control. (NSFW)

Photos by Elle Perez from Revolution!’s last event:

Malikka Style

THE BRONX EQUESTRIAN CENTER

Horses in the Bronx?!?! Shut Up! That’s exactly what I said when I passed the BEC on my way to City Island a while back.  Located on Shore road next to the Pelham Split Rock Golf Course and surrounded by the beautiful woods of Pelham Bay Park, this equestrian facility will take you out on the trails, give you lessons, offer your little ones pony rides and even board your horses. An hour ride through the woods is a mere $30, and I popped for an additional $10 to take a lesson just to be able to get up to a trot and cantor. It is a wonderful way to spend the day (especially with kids as the families below can attest to!)

Isn’t there just SOMETHING about little girls and horses!

The family below was up from Manhattan for lessons.   And all I can say about the little boy on the horse is….awwww!!!!