Searching For Sincerity

The BestBuy Sincerity (or lack thereof) Factor

2012-01-29T19:45:00.000-05:00

This is the first ever dual evaluation for the same business!
That's right I found a better deal at BB than at Amazon. I was both surprised and elated... I was about to save a significant amount of money, but I ran into a snag...

This is a copy paste of the conversation I had online with (the online division of BestBuy) Buy.com:

Jonathan Ellis: Trying to check out and set up an account, but the page will not accept any password.

Jennifer: Ok, I will be happy to assist you with your account

Jonathan Ellis: thanks

Jennifer: Are you getting an error message?

Jonathan Ellis: Password must be 6 to 30 characters and contain at least one number. Cannot contain spaces. Please try again to create a new password.

Jonathan Ellis: the passwords I have tried to use have all contained the correct specs

Jennifer: Ok, how many times have you tried this?

Jonathan Ellis: 3 or 4

Jennifer: Ok, are you sure you have 6 or more characters and at least one number?

Jennifer: No spaces.

Jonathan Ellis: yep

Jonathan Ellis: correct

Jennifer: This is for your Best Buy account correct?

Jonathan Ellis: Yes to create a bb account

Jonathan Ellis: I also just now got a rewards membership that seemed to go without a hitch

Jennifer: Ok, that is great!

Jennifer: What I would recommend doing is calling 1-888-237-8289 and asking for order support. They will definitely be able to resolve this issue for you.

Jonathan Ellis: thanks

Jennifer: You're welcome. Thank you so much for choosing Best Buy. We look forward to chatting with you in the future. If you need further assistance please contact us via chat or by phone at 1-888-237-8289. Have a great day!

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It seems simple, friendly and kind, right?? Right. I called the number and spoke with yet another Jennifer who was not able to resolve the problem in any other manner but to take my order by phone. That was when something very strange happened. The total that they came up with was nearly $30.00 more than what I was being charged online. Online I was about to pay $5.66 in tax and by phone $38.40! In light of the fact that I was being forced into the purchase with a higher price I requested that they fix it. Jennifer could make that happen so I asked to speak with a supervisor which is when Scott came on the line with lots of fast talk and no service in mind. it was a problem on the website and no problem of his. He literally said, "there is nothing that I am willing to do to have your business. I will not discount anything. The tax is the tax. if you don't like it there's nothing I can do about that. And you should know that when you shop online if if the site doesn't work right you have agreed per the user agreement that BB will not be held responsible."

"You said a mouthful," I replied, "please cancel my order."

I was back to square one. In the meanwhile the original online Jennifer without my request had gone the extra mile and sent me a link whereby I could create a brand new password, and it worked! I made my purchase (tax $5.66).

Scott can bite me. He needs to discover that the customer being right has real meaning (or it should) to a "Customer Service Supervisor."

Evaluation Online: Jennifer was Extraordinarily sincere!

Evaluation Phone: Other Jennifer was caught in the middle while Scott - well, You need to ask? Really?

Word Books, Brooklyn

2012-01-03T16:54:00.000-05:00

Luis Alberto Urrea signs Queen of America at
Word Books, Brooklyn. Photo courtesy of
WordBrooklyn.com

On a mild December night, I took my husband for a surprise visit to an independent bookstore in Brooklyn to give him his Christmas present: not just a hard-cover version of the recently released Queen of America by Luis Alberto Urrea, a book we'd been anticipating as the sequel to our favorite, The Hummingbird's Daughter, but a signed copy and a chance to meet the author.

Jon was delighted when he realized what his present was. We've been a fan of Urrea's for a long time and were both just thrilled to meet him. But we were also delighted with the venue in which this reading and signing were taking place - not a Barnes & Noble, not a Borders, or other Starbucks-ridden big-box behemoth, but a cozy, well-stocked bookstore in Brooklyn with a lovely children's section and a knowledgeable and friendly staff.

We were led into the basement where Urrea and his wife were setting up a slide show, we were offered refreshments and encouraged to enter a raffle for 18 signed books of all different titles offered by the bookstore. Then Mr. Urrea showed pictures of his real-life main characters upon which his historical-fictional novel is based. He answered questions, and finally did a memorized reading, more of an acting out, of a scene from Queen of America. The man should be on Broadway. Then my husband got in line to have his newly purchased copy signed and I had a great chat with a staff member about the book A Fearful Symmetry by another favorite author, Audrey Niffenegger.

And guess what...I won the raffle! However, that is not why I chose Word Books for this blog. They fit all the Sincerity criteria and then some (even providing lots of community outreach, according to their website). My husband came away feeling like he'd gotten the best Christmas present ever, and I walked off with a charmed impression of the shop. We don't have anymore independent bookstores where I live, Astoria, Queens, so Word Books is now my bookstore of choice. Merry Christmas to us!

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!
126 Franklin Street Brooklyn, NY 11222 | 718-383-0096
www.wordbrooklyn.com

Merry Christmas - Nice

2011-12-22T20:17:00.002-05:00

Yesterday my son Josh was sick with a terrible sinus headache which unfortunately expanded into throwing up all last night. Obviously, we had to postpone a planned trip by plane. Everything got crazy quickly if ya' know what I mean? He's starting school in January and finds himself between insurances (naturally), so we needed a reasonably priced doctor who would take care of him without an overwhelming pile of paperwork, governed by an even more overwhelming number of rules and regulations. I called the Community Healthcare Network in Long Island City. At first, all those things I feared would occur - did. However once I explained the dilemma and the situation, a woman named Crystal came the rescue. Basically, she bent the rules just a very small amount and made things happen fast. What a great experience. As I write this Josh is being seen by the doctor. What a relief to know that he is in capable and caring hands. This is what true sincerity is all about. Merry Christmas to all, etc...-)

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

Long Island City Health Center
36-11 21st Street
Long Island City, NY 11106
http://www.chnnyc.org/locations/lic/

Merry Christmas - Naughty

2011-12-22T20:16:00.002-05:00

209 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019, is the address of the Radio Shack where I purchased a simple wire to connect my IPod to the speaker system in my car. It worked exactly twice and then gave out. I took it back and the clerk sneered , "do you have your receipt?" I had to admit that I did not, but that I figured since it was their product they would easily be able to recognize that they had indeed sold it to me, and that is was new. I was Informed by the manager, who stepped into the conversation (who would not provide her name) - that for all she knew I had bought it months ago. "True," I said, "I've only returned to this store to con Radio Shack out of the $2.79 I paid for this thing. This isn't a hugely expensive (overpriced) computer. It's just a faulty wire!" As you might imagine - she was not amused.

As my 19 year old son asked in utter amazement when I told him of this incident, "didn't you already know never to shop at radio shack?" Okay, I guess I didn't know, but now I do. Really in my mind, even if the wire was a year old they should have replaced it. Sincerity is not to be found there.

Evaluation: You need to ask? Really?

They're everywhere...

Kid's Center, Tucson - the Anti-Big-Box

2011-12-19T16:36:00.000-05:00

Every time I come to Tucson, which is at least once or twice a year, I discover a new treasure. Sometimes, I re-discover a place I've known about since I was a teenager growing up here. A place I've loved, not since I was young, but since my son was a toddler, is called Kid's Center. This is a magical little toy store where we used to go to get parts for his Brio train set. Now, I guess, you can get them at Target, maybe even Walmart, but they used to be found only at higher-end toy shops because they were high-quality wooden trains and tracks from Sweden; these days, the company seems to have gone mega-corporate.

Anyway, I hesitate to mention those two evil big-box stores, Walmart and Target, because they don't belong anywhere near a sincerity blog. Especially when this particular blog post is about is about one of the most charming, sincere, mom and pop stores I know of in Tucson. I stopped by there today, six days before Christmas, to look for things that were on my niece and nephew's Christmas lists. I remember the year I did go to Target in Queens, NY to find things on their lists, and came out nearly sobbing with frustration and disgust. I've never set foot in one again. What a different experience today! I called ahead to find out if they had Sea-Monkeys and Art Kits, which of course they did, and not only was each item well under twenty bucks, but the art kit was %20 off today only. The lady in the store guided me to the higher quality kits, still only $16, and then I had fun picking out adorable and unique stocking stuffers that you wouldn't find anywhere else.

At Kid's Center they gift wrap for free, their toys are mostly educational or at least well-made, and the ladies who work there know exactly what they have and for which age kids, and are super-friendly. They also have a great selection of children's books. As I breezed by Walmart on my way home from successfully accomplishing my Christmas shopping for the kids, I stuck my tongue out at it and all the suckers slogging their way through that made-in-China, small town-killing nightmare. Do yourselves a favor people, find those sincere, local gems in your own towns and give them a chance again.

Kid's Center
1725 N. Swan Rd.
Tucson, AZ 85712
520-322-KIDS

www.e-KidsCenter.com

Shirley Mae's Diner

2011-10-27T13:44:00.000-04:00

Shirley Mae's...doesn't that name just conjure up images of fried chicken, ribs, collard greens and macaroni and cheese? It did for me and Jon, especially when we saw the words Soul Food under the name as we drove past the restaurant on 21st Street in Astoria. I stopped by during the week and picked up a menu, then called in our order last Saturday night. When we went in to pick it up, the friendly, dred-locked guy named Anthony, the only one on duty besides the cook, told us the place had just been open a couple of months and was doing pretty well. At that hour, around 6:00, there was only one table of little old ladies in the joint, but it seemed more a take-out than sit down place anyway 'cause it is quite funky. Apparently, it had been an Indian restaurant before, and had been decorated in a cave-like theme, with slightly erotic Aztec/Mexican art on the walls. We weren't sure why. But Anthony told us that his grandmother, who owned the place, liked it and so left it as is.

So anyway, for 5.99 a piece, we got the chicken and ribs special, plus a side of mac and cheese. Each meal came with 2 pieces of chicken and two ribs with a side of fries, and Anthony gladly substituted sweet potato fries for french at our request. A soda came with each meal. So we took our orders home, just a five minute walk, and discovered that, though he'd said the meals came with a thigh and a drumstick, and though he mentioned he'd had to substitute a wing in one, actually, together we had only one drumstick and three wings. That was a little disappointing, but the wings were big and meaty, and the chicken fried perfectly - not greasy at all, not a huge amount of batter and not salty. It was the epitome of homemade - just like my East Texan gra-ma used to make it. The ribs were good, a little sweet for my taste, and the fries just fine. The mac and cheese, however, was sublime. This stuff was really authentic. We didn't try the collard greens 'cause Jon doesn't like them, but maybe next time.

You cannot beat the prices, and, though I may not be black, this part-southern girl knows good soul food when she eats it. At Shirley Mae's, it's pretty dang good.

Evaluation: Very sincere

Shirley Mae's Diner
28-08 Astoria Blvd.
Astoria, Queens, NY
718-626-1404

The Most Sincere Pumpkin Patch

2011-09-17T18:49:00.000-04:00

Searching For Sincerity was inspired by the idea of Linus and his sincere pumpkin patch. Ever since our son was small, we've gone on "expotitions" (to quote Winnie the Pooh) each fall, to upstate New York, or Long Island, or some rural area in search of the most sincere pumpkin patch from which to choose our Halloween pumpkins. Forget the patches with the big, balloon pumpkins in front, the corn mazes, the haunted houses...we wanted the real experience, a farm with pumpkins that they grew, a place where we could choose the perfect specimens without the extraneous Halloween commercialism. Some years we had extraordinary success, other years our search ended at the handiest roadside stand available. We rarely went to the same patch...our purpose was to explore...to always be looking for the most sincere of the sincere. So obsessed were we, we began to judge everything in terms of sincerity: restaurants, shops, businesses of all kinds - hence this blog.

Finally, we have found THE most sincere pumpkin patch in the world. How do we know it's the most sincere? It's ours. I accidentally planted pumpkin seeds in our community garden plot, thinking they were butternut squash and they grew like mad. Sometime in July we realized they were pumpkins, not butternut, and we became excited at the prospect of raising our own Halloween pumpkins. Only once before did we manage to grow a pumpkin there, and that attempt ended in tragedy...see video: http://bit.ly/pmEluU

Jon with two pumpkins across the street from
Two Coves Community Garden

The only thing lacking today, this glorious September day that Jon and I went to our very own patch to pick FOUR beautiful pumpkins, was our son, who is now grown and no longer much interested in pumpkin patches. However, we gave one of them to our little one-year old neighbor Valentina, because we knew she'd like it, and the other three sit on our mantle awaiting carving, or eating, or whatever we're inspired to do with them. It's still a little early for Halloween, but they'll probably last 'til then. In the meantime, it looks like more pumpkins may still come out of our patch, and we now get to revel in our own supreme sincerity. Don't tell me that the fact that we deem ourselves sincere automatically makes us insincere. No, no. We've earned the distinction. Sincere we are indeed.
Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere! (of course)

Jon and Georgina's garden plot
Two Coves Community Garden
Astoria, NY

Napoli Pizza and Pasta

2011-09-16T14:39:00.000-04:00

My friend and guest writer on this blog, Teresa Barile, is restaurant critic extraordinaire, her once a week contribution to the Queens Gazette Newspaper in New York. When Teresa recommends a restaurant, take her seriously. Many of the eateries we've touted on Searching for Sincerity came by her suggestion. For years she'd been telling us to try this ultra cheap, super traditional Italian place in Astoria simply called, Napoli Pizza and Pasta. I'd driven by it many times and seen the sign but didn't connect it to the one she was talking about. It looks like your average pizza-by-the-slice dive. But duck under the inner doorway to the tiny, unadorned dining room within, and prepare for the wonders that await you: a crisp and saucy Caesar salad, melt in your mouth garlic bread, and, my choice of entree the night we went, a totally authentic pasta carbonara that was...$6.50, I kid you not. It was such a huge portion, I combined it with Jon's perfect fettuccine alfredo and took it home for leftovers. They serve wine by the glass, but don't expect the swill you often find in cheap joints. I had a generous glass of Montepulciano that was excellent and inexpensive. There's nothing gourmet here, nothing pretentious, just friendly service, great food, huge portions and the perfect spot to meet your writer friends, as we did that night. Thanks, Matt and Julie Posner for the splendid meal and company!
(Matt and Jon exchanged signed books that night and we took home a copy of Matt Posner's beautifully inventive, Harry Potter alternative, The Ghost in the Crystal from his School of the Ages series. I started reading it and couldn't put it down. You can find it and other writing and music of Matt's here:
http://amzn.to/pYSQPN)
Evaluation: Very sincere
(718) 472-1146

33-02 35th Ave
Astoria, NY 11106

Goode Company Seafood, Houston

2011-09-07T15:24:00.001-04:00

This post is long overdue. It was in June of 2011 that I was in Houston with my family, and my sister took us to this place called Goode Company Seafood, a local chain that also has BBQ restaurants, and I think she said a taqueria. I was expecting sort of a Spaghetti Factory type of feel. Not so, my friends. Oh, not so. You could smell the mesquite smoke from the parking lot as you approached the genuine railroad car exterior. The interior was kind of a cross between a diner and a seafood shack in an upscale sort of way. It wasn't cheap, as good seafood never is, but it was reasonable. The waitress was the kind of motherly, down-home type of lady you just wanted to snuggle (but I wouldn't take that liberty for fear of being slapped upside the head). When asked about foods that contain gluten (because right at the top of the menu it said to ask about it and we had some gluten sensitive folks with us) she was concernedly honest like any good mama would be, and very specific about what to order and not to order. I had the grilled Coho baby salmon and, it, the seafood rice, the veggies and the tastes I had of everyone else's catfish, hushpuppies, shrimp, fried green tomatoes etc., were mind-blowing.
Goode wine, goode fresh food, goode service, goode atmosphere and our own built-in goode company. What an aptly named joint!
Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!
http://www.goodecompany.com/

San Pedro, California, Friend of Sincerity (FOS) Post

2011-07-31T18:21:00.000-04:00

Downtown San Pedro - 7th Street Village

by Cara Bertoia

A few weeks ago my husband and I were visiting downtown San Pedro, which has a really neat collection of shops, antique stores and local restaurants. We made our trip on a Friday morning when there was a Farmer’s Market on Sixth Street selling fresh produce. We strolled past Williams’ Bookstore a family owned independent that that has survived 100 years in San Pedro. The future looked bleak when the mega bookstores located nearby, but they hung in there and now their future looks brighter since Borders will no longer be with us.

We were famished after our drive and we wanted the perfect lunch spot. We spotted ‘Porky’s’ a small local place and we crossed our fingers. It was perfect; we had some great fried chicken and catfish, which is really hard to find in the West. As a Southerner I know homemade, it has to be crunchy and moist.

We were on our way to the Whale and Ale Pub, a favorite of ours, from our cruise ship days. It is a gathering place for Brits abroad, so if you fancy a game of darts or a pint of cider, you will find it there. San Pedro was the port where our ship docked, whenever it stopped in Los Angeles and Long Beach is just a few miles down the road. We also bought a t-shirt at the International and Longshoremen’s Union store, I really like to support unions.

Well the Pub is only a block from Sixth Street, and on the way we passed a store with the sign ‘Maritime Research Center’. Well since we both love to sail we decided to check it out. Well imagine our surprise when we found a store filled with cruise ship memorabilia. It truly is like walking in a cruise ship museum. I know all Cruise Line Fans would love this shop. There is a menu from the Queen Mary on the night Prince Charles wed Diana Spencer and a newspaper from the day the Lusitania sank. They have over a 1,000 pieces on display including art and ship models.

They also have nautical books, Scott F. Gray the owner has written books on the Queen Mary and the QEII. (And since it was such a good fit they are now selling copies of my novel Cruise Quarters – A Novel About Casinos And Cruise Ships. What better place to sell a novel about working on cruise ships?) The owners Katherine and Scott are also very friendly and love to chat with their customers. The address of the shop is: 301 West Seventh Street and the phone number is: 310-521-0175.

By the end of the day Downtown San Pedro reminded us of a time when every main street was a little like this one. But you can take a trip there and decide for yourself. San Pedro is about an hours drive south from Los Angeles.

Their facebook page is:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Downtown-San-Pedro-7th-Street-Village/135015866513407

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

Note from Searching for Sincerity creator Georgina: Please take a look at Cara's wonderful book, Cruise Quarters, a Novel about Cruise Ships and Casinos. It's a lot of fun!:

http://www.amazon.com/Cruise-Quarters-Novel-About-Casinos/dp/1461010470/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

Portland, Oregon

2011-07-17T16:56:00.005-04:00

As seen on the TV series: Portlandia

I am falling in love with Portland. When visiting family there recently, I was so intrigued by the place, I felt wildly compelled to rate the entire city as "sincere," but then asked myself, is that possible? Well, let's examine the evidence. First of all, it's beautiful: Mt. Hood shines down upon the city from the East, pine forests abound, and lush, green streets wind along the hillsides. Second, a very vibrant scene dominates its downtown districts. From what I understand, and a very limited understanding it is, Portland is divided into four sections, SW, SE, NW and NE, with the Willamette River dividing it by East and West. The portions of the city I visited, the very hip downtown on the SW side of the river, with great little restaurants and vintage shops surrounded by neighborhoods of cozy, old houses, particularly in the Hawthorne District, made me just want to pack up and move there. (The financial center is comprised of high-rises and quite notable architecture but perhaps a somewhat colder street life.)

Mt. Hood over Portland

One day during our visit, we spent several hours downtown at the Saturday Market, and what a scene that was! I mean, the rows and rows of local vendors and their crafts was all very nice, but it was the peripheral hangers-on that really gave it character. Hippies, young and old, swarmed the area, strumming guitars, crazily gyrating to real or imagined music, urging petitions to legalize pot, and, at times, overwhelming the delicious smells of the food vendors with their obvious aversion to deodorant. Could I live with all that crunchiness? Suffice it to say there are a lot of very "natural" people in Portland; it is, after all, environmentally the greenest city in the U.S. Which brings me to my third point: Portlanders are friendly - almost to a fault.

SE Portland's Saturday Market: the largest continually operating
outdoor arts and crafts market in the U.S.

Finally, Portland is the land of my grandparents, aunt, uncle, brother's family, and many cousins. It's a land of roses, lilacs, cedar, myrtlewood and rain. Certainly no city of its size can be considered entirely sincere, but I cannot help but deem my new love:
Pretty (darn) sincere

(If any Portlanders are reading this, and would like to add to or correct any of my information, please comment!)

Palatiano's Family Restaurant, Benson, Arizona

2011-07-08T15:50:00.000-04:00

We were on a mission. The whole family went out to the Wilcox Dry Lake in Arizona to scatter some of my dad's ashes. Why there? Why that middle of nowhere, big, dry mud flat that stretches mile after bleak mile? Because he loved it, loved to photograph it, loved the "reticulated" mud as he called it. We climbed up to the train track that runs through the vast expanse, and after a train rumbled by, we took a moment, offered him to the earth and sky in English and Cherokee (thank you, Susan!), and threw his remains to the whistling wind.

On our way back to Tucson, hunger decreed that we stop for lunch. My mom suggested a place in this little cow-town called Benson, though she could neither remember the name of it nor its exact location - just that it was "Italian sounding." No problem - there's only one main street in Benson. We were about two blocks along that thoroughfare, when we saw a sign for Palatianos Family Restaurant, Italian, Greek and American Food. That had to be it.

You never know what you're going to find in an "international" diner in the wilds of southeastern Arizona. But what we did find was a modest little place that accommodated all fourteen of us without question. Our smiling, good-humored young waitress patiently took our orders, adhering to all requirements of food allergies and separate checks, and in less than ten minutes served us our chicken fried steak, green chile cheeseburgers, etc., in huge portions. Everything was exceptional, and what we found lacking, like mustard or an extra pickle, the waitress retrieved in a blink.

We didn't try the Greek or Italian specialties, 'cause when you're in a place that isn't exactly known for its ethnic food, it may be best to steer clear. But based on the bite I had of my niece's plain linguini with meatballs, you probably wouldn't be sorry if you did. And just as you'd expect in the middle of nowhere, the prices were cheap!

New York City diners, you've got nothing on Palatianos! (except maybe location). I'm sure dad would be tickled to echo that sentiment.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!
520-586-3523
601 West 4th Street
Benson, AZ
www.palatianosrestaurant.com/

The Sandwich King of Astoria

2011-06-15T21:31:00.000-04:00

Over the door the awning proudly informs us that this is Sal, Kris, and Charlie's Deli. More importantly it declares that this place is the the fabled Sandwich King of Astoria - which is what Georgina and I have been referring to since arriving in Astoria some 12 years ago.

On the way to board a plane that no longer bothers (now that I think about it thankfully so) to even pretend to serve food ? - Let's stop at the Sandwich King. Road trip? Sandwich King. Spontaneous picnic? Sandwich King. Etc..

Why is this place the stuff of legend? How do they have the nerve to self-declare that they are the Kings of the sandwich? The truth is in the fresh baked choice of rolls, the delicious deli meats, the available peppers, tomatoes, lettuce with a nice slathering of mayo. It is in the way the guys greet you and work together behind the counter in a dance of flying knives, happy banter and a concentration on making the best sandwiches one can possibly imagine.

Hail to thee Sandwich King. Long may you reign! Huzzah!

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

33-12 23rd Ave, Astoria, NY 11102

(718) 278-9240

Sorriso Italian Pork Store - Astoria

2011-05-20T17:43:00.000-04:00

It was Good Friday. We'd spent the afternoon at St. Mark's-in-the-Bowery in Manhattan, rockin' out to the Good Friday Blues program in which Josh had performed. We'd planned an evening with Italian friends: Teresa, an Italian/American, and Elena, the real thing, who was going to cook for us at our house, after which we were all going to dye Easter eggs. But it was 4:00 and we were already famished. To complement Elena's meal, we decided to pick up some antipasti, and took Teresa's recommendation of checking out Sorriso, a neighborhood Salumeria, or "pork store," as they call themselves. We were unprepared for the extravaganza of homemade Italian delicacies that awaited us: fresh mozzarella - still warm - house made sopressata - spicy and sweet - fried ravioli and artichoke hearts, olives, prosciutto balls and Italian sparkling water. These were only the items we took home. We could have bought an entire "home cooked" meal of pastas, meats, salads and sweets, but we'd already spent a pretty penny. We weren't hungry any more though, as the proprietor had stuffed us full of samples. It was just the home-grown experience you'd expect from small town USA or Italy, but with every delicacy you'd expect to find in NYC...Queens that is. Manhattan may have it all, but I doubt it has anything to compare with Sorriso's combination of freshness, gourmet quality and friendliness.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!
4416 30th Ave
Astoria, NY 11103
(718) 728-4392

Parkland Theatre Entertainment Centre - Cincinnati Ohio

2011-04-20T19:00:00.008-04:00

Okay, I'm doing something today that is indeed a small bit outside of the nature of this blog... I am gong to give an evaluation to a place I have never been, based only on photos, and a conversation I had with the very interesting man who owns and operates the Parkland Theater, Ed Miller. What I immediately found to be extraordinary was what Ed has done with the old building you see in the photos. (I just snagged them from his website). As is clearly visable, his was a labor of love: he took control in 1997 of the stately old landmark building, "built as a vaudeville house in 1881 and converted to a silent movie house in the 1920's," turning it into something that surely is a matter of great pride within the community. That decision alone, to preserve and renovate the old gal, would be plenty enough for me to give him a well deserved vote of sincerity, but going above and beyond that high level, in charging his patrons a scant $3.00 admission price for all shows, well, you must already have a pretty good idea that I am giving this place a pretty darned great evaluation.
Oh, and one day you know we're goin' to the movies at the Parkland! - And, I can't wait!
Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

http://parklandtheater.com

513.600.7900

6550 Parkland Ave

Cincinnati Oh 45233

Rooz Cafe, Oakland, CA - Friend of Sincerity (FOS) Post

2011-04-16T18:10:00.003-04:00

The following evaluation of sincerity was sent to us by Beth Barany and is posted here exactly as written.

There are many cafes within walking distance from my house. My favorite one is Rooz Cafe on Piedmont Ave in Oakland. I like the art on the walls, the funky music they play, and their willingness to let me order off the menu. And that they know my name!

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere

1918 Park Blvd, Oakland, California

(510) 267-0110

Links to Beth Barany's Book: Henrietta the Dragon Slayer (Five Kingdoms)

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Nook | Smashwords

Thank you Beth

Lerua's Fine Mexican Foods

2011-04-10T20:43:00.000-04:00

There's a place in Tucson where my mom's been buying tamales for Christmas Eve dinner for as long as I can remember. As in many Southwestern towns, it is the custom to eat tamales on that night, and we supplement them with lots of other, good homemade Mexican delights because normally women who spend years in Tucson, Mexican or not, know how to cook some damn good Mexican food. It's not texmex, or Mexico City style (though I adore the latter), it's not Vera Cruzano or any kinda gourmet anything. It's Sonoran, border-style Mexican, lowly and basic and can be fantastic depending on where you get it. Anyway, the name of the place we go for tamales is Lerua's, but I've always heard it pronounced "Laroos."

You just cannot beat the tamales, especially the green corn - we live for them every year. The beef tamales are killer too. So it was with great anticipation that that I went with my mom a couple of weeks ago when I was in town to have lunch there. I'd only ever been in to pick up tamales, and never noticed what a warm, welcoming dining room it has. It's super-casual, almost fast food, but there's also table service that's quick and extremely friendly. I ordered a carne seca chimichanga, (dried, seasoned beef wrapped in a flour tortilla and deep fried) one of my favorite dishes at El Minuto Cafe in Tucson (http://searching4sincerity.blogspot.com/2010/07/el-minuto-cafe.html). At Lerua's it was not good. It was doughy, and soggy, and all black-peppery, which is not what I would call a traditional Mexican flavor. My mom ordered a carne seca tostada, (the same meat, plus cheese, lettuce, tomato etc. on a flat, fried, corn tortilla) and though she said it was good, I could see it was soggy as well. Imagine my disappointment. Perhaps their other dishes are good; I know their tamales are, but in spite of their obvious sincerity in every other regard, I'm not likely to go back for anything else.

Evaluation: Pretty sincere

(520) 624-0322
2005 E Broadway Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85719
www.leruas.com

The Legend of Tian at the Riverbank

2011-04-04T13:14:00.000-04:00

Thursday night Georgina and I went out seeking a legendary dance location. No, it's not that it's a legend in the community only spoken of in hushed voices... not that kind of legend, but rather the sort of swing-dance-community legend where word was passed around that a big band was playing in a somewhat obscure place (to us) that was expensive and flashy, but would not make you buy anything but a soda to try out the small dance floor.

We headed to the west side of Harlem with the voice of the GPS telling us in sullen tones that we needed to go over the Triboro bridge (Calling it the RFK Bridge sounds wrong to me) when we wanted to go over the Queensborough Bridge (Calling it the Ed Koch bridge is ridiculous, and I will never do it). Still we kept going, though our hopes were muted by endless shops, apartments, and chain stores that can be found anywhere in the city. Finally arriving at the corner of 145 and Riverside (all the address we had) was a bit of a disappointment. Nothing there that looks like a restaurant, and 145 dead-ends into Riverside State Park! We only chanced to see a driveway leading into the park. There was guard shack containing a guard. We stopped at the shack and asked in tremulous voices if there was a restaurant hidden somewhere down there. Lo and behold - he said, yes!

Tian at the Riverbank has free valet parking. In the darkness of the evening the restaurant's rounded face is elegantly lit, and, for those of us who are not made of money, just the least bit intimidating. The light emanating from the interior was tinged blue with electricity, and entering felt as if we just might be treading on ground reserved for the elite. That feeling ended as the doors swung wide and swing music washed over us. One of the hosts came and greeted us, asking if we wanted dinner. When we declined, without even a pause she directed us to a table near the dance floor. We found a few friends already there, some eating, others making use of the beautifully polished wooden floor. I ordered a glass of wine and Georgina ordered seltzer with lime. Making a quick calculation based on my surroundings, I figured we'd spend twenty bucks plus tip for the waiter and another few dollars for the valet. Seemed generally fair enough, considering. But the music! The music being delivered to our ears by the Harlem Renaissance Orchestra was fantastic, smooth and perfect for dancing. The people in the place, and I mean all of them. were welcoming, talkative and friendly. We had an amazing time, and we will be going back soon. The final bill was $8.00 - I left a generous tip for both the waiter and the valet and still came out way ahead. We checked the menu and the prices are actually very reasonable - the earlier talk of it being expensive notwithstanding - an urban myth it seems.

Now the legend is of the other kind, spoken of in revered (though not hushed) tones. We're telling our friends as I'm telling you - This place is, in my...

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere! - and I recommend it highly

http://www.tianattheriverbank.com/

Tian at the Riverbank

679 Riverside Drive

New York, NY 10031

Phone:

The Queens Public Library - Astoria Branch

2011-03-23T20:46:00.001-04:00

I go into the Astoria Branch of the Queens Public Library the other day looking for books on Italian history. It's just after school has let out and the place is packed with rowdy kids (the days of "shhh! this is a library!" is long gone). I look around for the research librarian to see him sitting at a table surrounded by children, patiently and kindly helping them with their homework. He's tall, thin and very pale - the perfect librarian. He looks too busy to interrupt. I ask someone else to help me but she directs me to him. I timidly let him know I don't want to interrupt and he says with a sweeping gesture, "This is my everyday existence. You are special today." I'm fairly certain they don't have what I want but he runs around looking anyway and we finally decide I should find a title online and see if they can order it. I take two books just to make him happy, check them out with the very surly librarian who's been there for 100 years and keeps the place from being too ridiculously sincere, and walk home musing about how I have that library to thank for helping me write my past two novels and will help me write my third. Little poor Astoria branch library, only open 1-5 Monday through Friday, has my sincere thanks.

Evaluation: Very sincere

Queens Public Library - Astoria Branch
Astoria Blvd. and 14th Street

Publishing a book through CreateSpace

2011-03-17T13:57:00.000-04:00

So, what I'd really like to do is go on and on about my own weight control book If I Can Lose It..., (but that's material for another blog) and it would really be insincere of me, wouldn't it? Okay, okay if you insist here's a link to buy a print copy directly from the source https://www.createspace.com/3499086.

Now that, that's out of my system what I'll focus on here is my experience with CreateSpace as a publishing destination. I have to say that, in general, dealing with any large corporation is often annoying at best, and let's be clear, CreateSpace is a part of Amazon, but I have to say, no matter what the problem, they were amazingly quick to help me solve it. They have a button on the help page that you click to have them call you, and they do it immediately. You end up speaking with a real human being who speaks English clearly, and who actually cares about the job they're doing. Want an example? After making minor corrections, I'd received a second proof of my book that had about two thirds of the pages missing! I spoke with them about it, they apologized, and sent out a replacement overnight at their cost. The replacement copy however came out in the same condition as the first. I called in a bit of a panic because by then I had ordered a batch of copies, feeling sure that all my changes had been implemented - since I could see them in place even in the corrupted copy. The representative I spoke with did this: calmed me down by simply being a caring person, assured me that the glitch was indeed in their system and that it could be corrected, checked to see if my shipment had actually left the warehouse (it had not but was on the shipping schedule for that day), and then let me know that, as soon as our call was finished, she would get up from her desk - walk over to the warehouse and inspect that shipment before it went out. Needless to say, I felt better. About twenty minutes later, she called me back to let me know that after inspecting the materials, she could see that all of the books contained therein were also messed up. She put a stop on the shipment, and got the tech people involved. They figured out what the problem was, and had the entire order reprinted. The representative then arranged to have the entire order shipped to me UPS Overnight at their additional expense. Can I say I was impressed? Are you kidding!

By the way since I delivered all the necessary files to them fully formatted it cost me nothing but my labor to create my book. There was no minimum order, no fees, no hidden costs. OMG!

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

https://www.createspace.com/

Astoria Performing Arts Center

2011-02-23T18:32:00.000-05:00

Pictured left: Janine Ayn Romano and D. William Hughes in APAC's 2009 Production of Ragtime. Photo: Jen Maufrais Kelly

Sincerity isn't necessarily measured in talent, skills or ability. Especially in the case of art, all the sincerity in the world will not result in a masterfully rendered product. Equally, I've known some pretty, darn insincere artists: hateful, stuck up, pretentious, condescending, addicted or just plain sociopathic, whose work is inspired. Therefore, it is when I encounter artists who are not only good at what they do, but are nice people whom you want to spend time with and who give back in the face or their success, no matter how modest it may be, I feel that their sincerity should be particularly noted.

Astoria Performing Arts Center, led by Taryn Sacramone and Tom Wojtunik, exemplifies what I'm talking about. There's no use in me reliving the drop-dead incredible shows they manage to produce in a humble church auditorium in Queens: I'll link my reviews for that. It's just that they do these groundbreaking pieces at the highest level of quality conceivable, they treat their actors and crew really well, by all accounts, they give back to the community in the form of youth and senior programs, and the two of them, as well as everyone else I've ever met connected with the organization, are just really, really nice.

I'm just a humble blogger, and reviewer for a local rag with probably a pretty modest readership. So, if it matters at all, let me shout it from the highest building in Astoria: APAC is...
Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere

www.apacny.org

http://www.qgazette.com/news/2010-11-03/Features/Milk_Milk_Lemonade_Begins_APACs_10th_Season.html

http://www.qgazette.com/news/2009-11-18/Features/The Pillowman_Is_World_Class_Theater_From_APAC.html
http://www.qgazette.com/news/2009-02-11/features/022.html

The City of New York - Money Woes Equal Unethical Behavior.

2011-02-11T16:34:00.001-05:00

Georgina would tell me that everyone knows that the city is not sincere and would suggest that I chose some other place to write about... but Georgina isn't here at the moment, and I just got a notice from the city that has really gotten me angry. A while back, when there was nothing like snow on the ground taking up parking spaces, I received a ticket in Brooklyn for parking in a bus zone. The photo on the right is one that I sent along with my not-guilty plea. That's my white Honda in the distance. It was so ridiculous that I figured the cop had somehow lost his mind for a few minutes and had gotten it totally wrong. I took photos. My friend took photos. I sent in my obviously not-guilty plea.

Admittedly, I included the following: As is clearly shown in these three photos my car was not parked in the bus zone. I was parked legally in every way. If more photos are needed to prove my point they are available. With all due respect I consider this to be a waste of taxpayer money, a waste of paper, a waste of stamps and postal service gasoline, and a waste of time. The officer who issued this ticket might benefit from additional training.

Well, the judge found against me. I appealed that decision and received a form letting me know this" "upon review of the entire record we find no error of fact or law. The judge's decision is upheld." What can I do about it now? Nothing! Other than write about it here which does serve to make me feel somehow better. I mean, I get it - the judge didn't like it that I said what was on my mind. Still, judges are paid to uphold the law not make it up as they go along. If you're interested, this link Parking Ticket Blackmail contains all of my communication with them, and their automaton responses. Am I still pissed off you ask? Sure, I am, but you've made me feel so much better.

Be careful out there. The city of New York is raising money and they don't much care about how they go about it. To those in charge we represent dollar signs.

Evaluation: You need to ask? Really?

Reverend Billy and the Church of Life After Shopping

2011-01-29T11:09:00.000-05:00

Okay, I will admit that Reverend Billy (or in real life, Bill Talen), his wife Savitri Durkee and their baby daughter Lena are people I consider close personal friends. Our lives have intersected over the last several years in a variety of ways, but my involvement with them is essentially based on the work they do as activists with a group called The Church of Life After Shopping. What? After Shopping? Does that mean after I go shopping I go to church? No, it means there is a life that does not revolve around shopping, and that's what they're about - to try to get us to slow down, for God's sake, our incessant shopping that we THINK is driving our economy but is really just driving us all further into debt and into the greedy hands of banks and corporations. Yes, you will note that this blog is based on a principle that was essentially inspired by their work: to glorify the local, the small business, the earnest proprietors that seek to make their own communities better, and sometimes to point out the glaring opposites.

Along with the activist work the Church of Life After Shopping does, a large portion of which is environmentally driven, they put on a kick-ass show, a parody an evangelical preacher gone Elvis with a full scale gospel choir. Starting Jan. 30th, 2011, you will be able to see that show, "The Church of Earthalujah," every Sunday at Theatre 80, St. Marks Place, at 7:30 pm, until, more or less, June. It is always funny, always inspiring, always a great time, and their no-one-turned-away policy exudes sincerity. In essence, the Talen family, the choir, and all the activists involved are just really good, really talented people, puttin' it on the line every day.

Here are a few links to check out:

http://www.revbilly.com/
http://www.revbilly.com/work/what-would-jesus-buy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq-6fe817fo
and friend them on Facebook: Reverend Billy Talen

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

Fraser's Trading Post - online

2011-01-16T15:04:00.000-05:00

Yes, I admit it! I did swipe the images from their site, and though I looked for a photo of the actual location, I did not find anything verifiable. Nevertheless, this is the place Georgina and I purchased last year's Christmas exchange for one another. So what does everyone need and want more than anything else during cold winter days and nights? Why, warm slippers of course! I have to say, I'm wearing mine right this minute on a brick floor in my office, and my feet are warm and toasty.

Hallelujah!

Their website is not very sophisticated. It shows that they accept PayPal and various credit cards, but there's no shopping cart! You actually have to email or, horror of horrors, call them and talk to a real living human being to place an order. I chose to call, and spoke with a very nice woman who inquired if I would like to have the packages gift wrapped. I said sure and waited for the additional charge... there was none. Both Georgina and I agree: these are the best slippers we've ever had.

If you live on the East Coast, you're buying a locally made product. No sweat shops. No children's fingers in jeopardy. No trendy logos. Just slippers that every one who sees them wants to own.
http://www.frasersfur.com Now you know.

Evaluation: Very sincere

Fraser's Trading Post
Toll Free 1-877-746-3938
Phone: (207) 746-3938
E-mail: sales@frasersfur.com

Fourth Ave., Tucson

2011-01-07T20:47:00.000-05:00

The window of Pop Cycle on 4th Ave

Tucson is the town of my misspent youth (actually, it was quite well spent, but that doesn't sound as poetic), much of it whiled away on Fourth Ave. It was there that I punked out at dives like Tumbleweeds and Choo Choos, pogo-ing to favorite locals bands such as The Pills, The Pedestrians and The Giant Sandworms. The only "vintage" shops on Fourth Ave back then (always just "ave," not "avenue") was a cavernous thrift shop called Value Village, where you could find used saddle shoes and skinny ties for just a buck or two. There were a couple of good restaurants on Fourth Ave at the time like Caruso's, an Italian eatery, (obviously) and Delectables - too pricey for me and my friends back then. But then there was always the Food Conspiracy Co-op where you could pick up a hummus sandwich for lunch if you could make your way through the homeless hippies in front banging out Neil Young tunes on their busted guitars. Oh yeah, and there was a Dairy Queen.

Now, 4th Ave is a mecca for vintage shopping and excellent, natural-food restaurants. Most of the vintage shops price their stuff appropriately while offering up great finds; the restaurants as well. The Food Conspiracy hasn't changed a whit, hippies and all. (see my blog on it: food-conspiracy-co-op-tucson.html) It's actually amazing that the street has managed to become even more of a destination without losing it's essence, though Tumbleweeds is long gone, and Choo Choos has changed names and owners a hundred times. Caruso's and the Dairy Queen are still there, though Value Village is now Beacons. There are some shops that are obviously trying too hard, like Hippi Gypsy - please! You will also find a few corny western shops, or new-agey places, but there are plenty of independent stores that are worth popping into, such as Pop Cycle that sells great, unique clothes and other items, as well an amazing music shop, Toxic Ranch Records, just off the Ave on 6th Street that has stood the test of time.

Though the interesting establishments are too numerous to name, it's so satisfying to go there when I'm in town, check them out and find that Fourth Ave feels almost the same as it used to - just a little less scuzzy.

Evaluation: Pretty sincere

http://www.fourthavenue.org/

Reward: for the return of the Christmas Lights of 30th Ave - Astoria, NY

2010-12-30T20:09:00.000-05:00

Have you seen Steinway Blvd. in Astoria, Queens this year? It's all decked out in a brand new array of glittering orbs, putting throngs of dedicated shoppers into the financially correct Christmas spirit. Music blares from strategically placed speakers, and a world of high end shops warmly welcomes anyone with plenty of cash in their pocket.

Message? Merry Chri$tma$ to one and some?

Am I the only one who remembers last year and the year before when there were other areas of Astoria where pretty light display swags were installed for the wonderment of children and adults, rich and poor alike? Those lights were of the twinkling white variety, and they gracefully lined every other lamp post along opposite sides of the larger streets.

Something has changed this year. Things are different now. There are random nasty ol' lights strung up, looking left over from the Great Depression. What sort of message is being delivered to the citizens of Astoria? If you're not shopping on Steinway you don't need real Christmas lights? Can anybody explain to me exactly what "SEASON6 ylFIdGS" means? Is it a secret code telling everyone if they really want to see lights they'll need to take their chances on Steinway, or wander down into the lower East Side where there are currently displays of light swags strangely similar those used to grace our streets?

Let me just say this: $EA$ON6 ylFIdGS and Merry Chri$tma$ to all. And to all a good night!

Evaluation: You need to ask? Really?

Estrada's Mexican Rest.- Escondido CA - Friend of Sincerity (FOS) Post

2010-12-06T14:02:00.001-05:00

The following evaluation of sincerity was sent to us by Bill Josh Young and is posted here exactly as written.

I remember the Mexican food that was available in Tucson from the late 1930s to the 1950s–it was the best!

Over the years the food quality has been tempered by substitution of non-fat ingredients and the demands of tourists from New York and other eastern cities. It is no longer the same.

However, since 1957, there has existed in Escondido CA an unpretentious Mexican restaurant that is quietly serving the most delicious and purest of traditional Mexican food -- without a trace of colloquial influence. Every time I visit Escondido, I make a pilgrimage to Estrada's to satisfy my Mexican food addiction.

The restaurant has passed from the older Estrada family members to the younger members without missing a beat, nor has the quality of the food deteriorated. If anything, it has improved.

The price for # 1 on the menu -- 1 shredded beef taco with small, diced bits of potato mixed with the beef, a bean & beef tostada, refried beans and fried rice, plus ice tea is only $8. Their gorditas are to die for as are the chili rellenos -- all the food is unpretentious, but first class in quality and taste.

Most of the diners are of Latino descent, but a number of enthusiastic Anglos can be found among them. The Anglos always appear smug, as if they had discovered a great culinary secret that they just might share with the world, or maybe not.

Do not be put-off by the modest appearance of Estrada's -- both inside and out. It is truly a world class restaurant.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

Estrada's Mexican Restaurant
246 S. Quince St.
Escondido CA 92025.
Phone (760) 746-3441
Owners: Guillermo & Lily

El Boqueron Tapas Bar and Restaurant

2010-12-04T19:37:00.000-05:00

El Boqueron has been on the same funky corner in Astoria for ten years. Right next to the elevated train, between two subway stops, it doesn't necessarily have the ultimate location for an upscale Spanish restaurant. Yet it's a well-traveled corner, and El Boqueron's beautiful awning catches the eye of the passerby. This is a place you go for a creative Sangria, delectable Tapas, and traditional Spanish main courses. It ain't all that cheap - yet priced within reason for a fancy Astoria joint. They've hung on through the difficult economy and have earned the distinction of a neighborhood institution. The owner and his kitchen staff pay fierce attention to freshness, authenticity and also innovation (I recently had a grilled mushroom and squid crostini-type tapa that knocked my socks off). And the garlic, oh, the garlic. Almost everything is infused with it in heady, magical ways. I cannot imagine finding better food in Spain itself though I've never been there. The staff is friendly and professional and the interior is gorgeous. Go hang out there for lovely wine and appetizers or a first class dinner - they even do lunch!

Evaluation: Very sincere!

31-01 34th Ave.
Astoria, NY 11106
718-956-0107
www.elboquerontapas.com

Two Coves Community Garden

2010-11-23T18:22:00.000-05:00

This is a place of wonder and relaxation. It is a green oasis contained in the midst of the community endlessly bustling around it. Trucks and cars whiz by, some slowing down to view the riot of colors provided by flowers. Kids wander home from school and, whether they know it or not, are influenced by the beauty provided by their neighbors. These are neighbors who have come together to form something very special. This is not a park, though the Parks Dept. has provided some welcome support such as drinking fountains and a few benches. This is not a project promoting exclusivity but rather one that offers a chance for people from the surrounding blocks to create a synchronicity of cultivation. All of these unique urban farmers, some highly experienced and some who are, for the very first time, plunging their hands into fresh soil, find themselves on a mission: growing things that they can take pride in, display as centerpieces, and serve as fresh produce that they personally have a relationship with.

Two Coves opens doors where none existed before. Communication amongst its members is as precious a commodity as the foodstuffs they place on their tables. Fall is upon us and Winter is on the way so the garden will soon begin to sleep and replenish itself. Come the Spring, life will begin reassert itself again with new greenery, and the air will fill with the scent of renewal. Together then, we will all move forward, growing together, sharing an experience of incredible depth and fulfillment.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

Subway System - Greatest-City-In-The-World

2010-11-23T18:14:00.000-05:00

As Georgina and I troll the world searching for that somewhat elusive quality, we more often encounter its exact opposite. Such is the case when we use the subways here in NYC (practically every day). In the midst of what could be one of the least sincere business ventures around, there's something that stands out to me as being below and beyond the threshold of insincerity: the MTA escalators, carrying hundreds of thousands of commuters from one level to another, are equipped with speaker-systems presumably to keep travelers informed of delays, scheduling changes or whatever other important information needs to be conveyed. They are used more regularly however to deliver a message. A woman's mechanical voice repeats, "Have - A - Nice - Day" in an endless loop of disingenuous good wishes.
Although there is, of course no one there, I feel somewhat compelled to respond in kind, "Thank - You - Very - Much - For - Your - Thought-ful-ness. - By - The - Way - Your - Guard - Rail - Has - A - Terr-i-ble - Squeak."

Evaluation: No Comment

Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden

2010-11-14T17:14:00.000-05:00

Georgina and I have been heading over to this place on Sunday nights for a good part of the summer, practicing our moves on the dance floor for what is officially noted as Swing Night. A lot of the time the place is rockin and we love it. There's no cover charge and no drink minimum. Some of the bands have been really fantastic, while some of them - not so much, but what the heck? Ya can't complain all that much when you're getting free dance time, right?

Well, let's talk about that, shall we? Although Sunday nights are designated as Swing Night, no one in the management seems to know exactly what swing music is, and consequently some of the bands on stage appear to be rather taken aback that swing dancers aren't all that thrilled with cool jazz, and other such un-dance-able stuff. Sure there are a few show-offs who can dance to pretty much anything, but come on, the very least we need is 4/4 timing...think Bill Haley instead of Miles Davis

I'm not saying that everything is all bad because that's simply not true, but I am saying that swing is swing and not anything else. The beer is good, the prices are fair. I've not yet eaten in the place but I hear that the food is very good. But this isn't a review is it? This is an evaluation of sincerity. Last Sunday was Halloween and there was to be a big Swing Bash with prizes for the best costumes etc... A nice idea in the abstract, but as things turned out it was cold on Sunday, really cold. We arrived around 7:30 and were astounded to find that the event was being held outside. This is a place that just happens to have a huge dance hall inside that was not in use, though it was warm and inviting. Georgina asked one of the people in charge why she had been told that the party was going to be held inside when she inquired last week...no answer. Could things be moved inside? No. Why not? No answer. In the meanwhile, other people were stopping by, checking out the situation and leaving. Just in the time we were there, possibly a hundred people or more simply left. One bartender suggested that the only way to keep warm was to dance. Well yeah, but what was to happen when you stopped and stood sweating in the 42 degree weather? No answer.

Evaluation: Kind of sincere (What can I say? If I ever wanted a sincere attitude from anyplace - it's this one. One can only hope for a brighter and warmer future)

29-19 24th Avenue
Astoria, New York 11102

Mon-Wed: 5:00pm - 2:00am

Phone: (718)274-4925

Thu- Fri: 5:00pm - 3:00am
Sat: 12:00pm - 3:00am
Sun: 12:00pm - 2:00am

http://www.bohemianhall.com/en/Index.php

The Sock Man

2010-11-11T19:49:00.001-05:00

Such a basic necessity, socks. Few businesses, though, specialize exclusively in that lowly commodity and related leg-ware. Enter The Sock Man - a tiny store and sidewalk table that has been a presence on St. Mark's Place in the East Village for as long as I can remember, and that's a mighty long time. Notable, when so many other St. Mark's institutions have gone the way of gentrification. Is it the cheapest place to buy socks? No, but some pretty good deals can be had on the sidewalk table where you'll find the more basic gym variety and such. Walk inside and you'll discover walls and counters crammed with every conceivable style of hosiery available, from the sexy to the hip. This is where I've encountered tights and leggings that, for about $10.00-$20.00 a pop, have lasted me, literally, for years (they sell these mid-weight cotton tights that are the bees knees). The help is super friendly, and the music, well, let's just say that if I don't know what's playing, I ask. Go Sock Man!

Evaluation: Very sincere

www.thesockman.com
27 Saint Marks Pl
New York, NY 10003-7813
(212) 529-0300

VestaTrattoria and Wine Bar

2010-10-27T21:15:00.001-04:00

Recently, two lost, bedraggled Texan ladies staggered through the streets of Astoria, Queens, trying to find their way to the home of their sister/step-aunt who cruelly was not answering her cell phone. Determined to be strong, they found refuge in a quaint wine bar called Vesta until said sister/step-aunt could be reached. There they found sustenance in a couple of lovely glasses of wine and, lo and behold, a friendly Texan bartender. They had miraculously stumbled upon one of Astoria's little treasures.

They had no way of knowing that they were only two blocks away from me, sister to one, step-aunt to the other, who's cell phone had died. But as soon as I got home and plugged it in, I was able to guide them on their way. Well, they were in no hurry. Vesta is cozy and pretty: dark woods and cheery windows, not more than ten tables in the whole place. If they'd stayed for dinner, they would have been treated to fresh, seasonal food, much of it locally grown, Italian in theory, but with an international flair. The menu is small and changes now and then. The staff is indeed the friendliest you'll find anywhere in NYC and the prices are affordable.

Jon and I were thrilled to see a place like Vesta open in our humble neighborhood, and other like-minded establishments soon followed. Yet somehow we don't feel we're being gentrified, just grateful to have such a nice place within walking distance. Those two Texan ladies will attest, Vesta is:
Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

21-02 30th Ave
Astoria, NY 11102
7 1 8 - 5 4 5 -5 5 5 0
http://www.vestavino.com

Tacos Mexico, Las Vegas

2010-10-22T17:06:00.001-04:00

Where to begin...

If I were asked to rate the cities I've visited as to which was the least sincere, the one that would immediately jump to mind would have to be Las Vegas, Nevada. To be fair, I've heard of other cities that might to step up to possibly vie for the honor, but I've somehow managed to avoid them.

Nevertheless, there is one place in Las Vegas that stands out, even within the sprawling insincere splash across the Nevada desert that is Las Vegas; one that literally exemplifies sincerity. It's just a little taco joint on the corner of Sahara and Valley View Blvds, where the tacos are inexpensive and absolutely authentic at the same time. The people working there take pride in what they are serving, and as far as I can remember, there are no slot machines in the dining area.

Alas, the last time we visited my parents (yes, they live in LV) the place was closed. Judging by the photo that I snagged from Google Maps, it looks to me as if that continues to be the case. Perhaps in the swamp of insincerity, it was just too much to expect that such an odd little oasis could be expected to survive. But maybe the photo was taken at an off time, or during a vacation or whatever. It looks like in might have been recently painted, so perhaps there's hope after all.

The fact is, at least in memory, Tacos Mexico was a shining example of a local business that glimmered brightly amongst the over-the-top lights of a city that long ago forgot what stars actually look like in the ink black of a desert night sky.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

3820 W Sahara Ave,
Las Vegas, NV 89102
(702) 444-1171
‎

Sandra Cameron Dance Center

2010-10-13T10:25:00.001-04:00

When we first started taking Swing classes at Sandra Cameron Dance Center, we weren't compelled to comment on its sincerity or its lack thereof. I mean, we immediately liked the teachers, but otherwise it just seemed a business like any other: good service, but dedicated to the dollar - not that there's anything necessarily wrong with that. Our one month of "Basic Swing," a terrific deal for $80.00, was so much fun we repeated it a second month. Then, we were hooked. We went on to pre-intemediate, when the price jumped to $90.00 for one class per month, and you have to take, like, 6 sections of pre-intermediate before you move up to intermediate/advanced, but they do give various discounts which helps. We're now into our fifth month of classes and have found that we love Swing dancing on about the same level that we love kayaking - which is a lot. The good thing about dancing is that there are a lot more opportunities for it in NYC than kayaking. I mean, you can't kayak in your living room. There are, however, lots of cheap or free venues for Swing dancing in this town.

But I digress. I now feel Sandra Cameron Dance Center deserves an evaluation.

The teachers are beyond dedicated. They've invited us to participate in performances, giving extra time and energy to working with us, and at the same time they're fun and funny and superb, superb dancers. I get the sense that the same applies to the Salsa, Tango, Ballroom, (etc.) teachers there (though I haven't taken those classes) because the place is so dang popular. Once a month, they have a guest night and invite the public to take free Salsa and Swing classes, view performances and attend practice dances. When we checked out another school's guest night recently, we were struck by its lack of sincerity as opposed to SCDC. First, they charged $10.00. Second, it was all sell, sell, sell, and third, the music stank. So, especially after having had a chance to compare SCDC with another studio, we realized that it's indeed worth evaluating and deem it:
Evaluation: Very sincere

Sandra Cameron Dance Center
199 Lafayette Street
NY, NY 10012
212-431-1825
dance@sandracameron.com

Socrates Sculpture Park

2010-10-05T21:25:00.000-04:00

Sitting in the warm, breezy summer air watching a foreign film under the stars, or wandering through exhibits of displaced subway mock-ups, this is a place of peaceful wonderment. The art changes with a certain amount of regularity, but the welcoming atmosphere is always in place. The people who run the show are generally in the background, not seeking praise or glory, they seem content to let visitors have their own experience.

There used to be an exhibit of wind-blown bells that would fill the air with subtle tones of wind-chimes taken to another level . I've seen everything from the eviscerated body of a whale made of plaster; a greenhouse-like bedroom, enclosed behind windows; a recreation of an ancient city that never existed; a delicately balanced metal tower, and a kitchen complete with all appliances, plunked down at a hazardous angle as though snagged up by some giant hand and dropped from the sky.

Children come to play around, and sometimes in and on the works being displayed. Animals are welcomed with open arms, and available poop containers. People from the neighborhood mingle with visitors from across the various waters of the world.

For our family, it's just around the corner and we visit it often. It's just up the block from the Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum which is also an extraordinarily beautiful place to visit, but the difference between the two is substantial.

Socrates is free.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

socratessculpturepark.org

3205 Vernon Blvd
Long Island City, NY 11106
(718) 956-1819

The Local Farmstand

2010-09-29T18:49:00.000-04:00

Over the past few years it seems that the local green markets have become more and more sophisticated and unfortunately more commercialized. Vendors vie heatedly for spaces, and pay rather large sums to be included in what once was one of the most sincere of trade methods: the farmer bringing his produce to the marketplace and selling it for a reasonable price directly to the customer. No middle men involved. It was nice, right? It felt as if we were somehow hearkening back to an earlier time when the community had not become so monetized.

A couple of evenings ago, Georgina and I ate at a popular dive in Manhattan where we ordered watermelon juice. It was so delicious and refreshing that we talked animatedly about making it ourselves. Wouldn't you know, the very next day, back in Astoria, we chanced upon an actual farmer selling his New Jersey grown produce in front of the home he had grown up in. He spoke of how he felt he was somehow completing a circle, selling from this location. I don't know if the city condoned his activity, and I didn't care when I purchased a perfect watermelon for $4.00. I did not take his photo. I did not write down the address. Let's just say if you're over by the Post Office on Twenty-First Street between 30th Ave. and Astoria Blvd, and you see a man selling produce under a collapsible awning in front of a home that's been there for a good long time, do yourself a favor and pick up on what the experience of sincerity is all about.

Watermelon Juice: place half of a small watermelon in a blender. Fill to the top with water. Spin to a froth.

It tastes exactly like Summer.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

Curious Frog Theater Company, New York City

2010-09-25T12:49:00.002-04:00

Romeo and Juliet

What has no office, gallery, theater or headquarters and yet manages to exists as a unique and inventive organization? Curious Frog Theater Company of course. This tiny group has two people in leadership roles, Nic Musolino and Artistic Director Renee Racan Rodriguez, plus a handful of staff members. All of them, it seems, mostly run things out of their homes. However, it is their ideals that make them stand out from all the myriad off-off Broadway theater companies in New York, renting space as needed or just plunking themselves down in a park somewhere. We've seen maybe six of their productions over the past three years, and not only was each one just plain, damn great, but each stayed ultra-true to the company's mission: "to present new, modern and classical works with the goal of showing a new, multicultural perspective through non-traditional casting that does not hinder understanding or believing a work, but rather enhances the work in an innovative manner and fosters fresh perceptions."

They embrace this ideal, they live by it, they use it to inform all the work they do and they never veer from it, ever. So this, and the fact that they have the vision to unfailingly hire the most intriguing actors and excellent crew while keeping ticket prices low, or free, such as their summer Shakespeare in the park productions, makes them Extraordinarily sincere!
You can check out some of my reviews of their shows if you want to:
http://georginapress.blogspot.com/2010/08/magical-marvelous-midsummer-nights.html
http://georginapress.blogspot.com/2010/04/curious-frogs-maids-review.html
http://georginapress.blogspot.com/2009/09/romeo-juliet-and-greek-comedy-great.html
http://georginapress.blogspot.com/2009/05/urious-frogs-theater-cos-true-west.html

www.curiousfrog.org

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

Vesuvio's Bar - San Francisco - Friend of Sincerity (FOS) Post

2010-09-21T16:48:00.003-04:00

The following evaluation of sincerity was sent to us by Rich Mattiello and is posted here exactly as written.

If one were searching for sincerity in San Francisco, one could do worse than a visit to Vesuvio’s, a bar in North Beach on Columbus, near the grand intersection with Broadway.

Vesuvio’s is a time portal, unchanged since at least the late 1960s. The walls are packed with all sorts of hippie and beatnik kitsch, intricate dreamy murals and framed art posters. An ancient Kodak slide projector shows Victorian postcards on a screen over the bar. The street level has the bar, tables in mahogany booths, and is usually populated by locals, making it an authentic neighborhood bar. Not being a local, I always go upstairs to the loft where there are more tables, and sit in the front near the big windows that look out over Columbus and Broadway, or along the side overlooking the Mexican ‘Paz’ mural across Kerouac Alley on the wall of City Lights Bookstore, itself a most sincere bookstore, long-owned by famed beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti and where Allen Ginsburg ‘Howled’.

From your perch in Vesuvio’s you can people-watch the endless parade of characters, locals, tourists and ‘what is THEIR story?’s bustling by. Diagonally across the intersection you see Carol Doda’s, which I supposed is sincere in a tawdry kind of way, or at least sincerely tawdry. It is a tourist trap, but so original and quaint that you could say it is a sincere tourist trap. It’s claim to fame, emblazoned all over the front, is that it is ‘the place where it all began’, meaning strippers taking their tops off. At one time of course this was quite scandalous but the world has moved on and Doda’s hasn’t, so it now seems a quaint relic from a more innocent past.

On the corner to the left is a four story building, the top three of which are a MAGNIFICENT mural of jazz musicians that dominates the area. You can almost hear them playing over the cacophony of traffic.

The corner to the right holds a solid, sober bank building, built back when banks were built to last. The bank of course is long gone, and for years there was, sadly, a Carl’s Junior there. It seemed out of place inside a bank building, and even more out of place at that particular intersection, because it made North Beach seem like another Disney attraction, like Fisherman’s Wharf. Today, however there is a fine expensive Italian restaurant that seems more fitting.

You can take this all in, as well as a terrific view of downtown SF with the TransAmerica Pyramid towering over it, while sitting by the windows at Vesuvio’s, ideally with a pitcher of Anchor Steam on the intricately tiled table before you, next to a book of poetry from City Lights. If you are really lucky it will be a typical San Francisco summer day, cold and foggy, and the under-dressed tourists will be shivering.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

vesuvio.com
Vesuvio

255 Columbus Ave
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 362-3370

Hour Children - Thrift Store, LIC, NY

2010-09-14T20:48:00.004-04:00

There are some of these kinds of stores that are just filled with junk lying around in corners. There are some that are set up to mimic large department stores, and then there is Hour Children, which has a flavor all its own. The prices are very reasonable, their cause is just, and the people running the place are so kind and gentle that its a pleasure to walk in and wander around.

I bought a couple of shirts there some days ago, and after a quick run through the laundry (they were already clean but I wanted them pressed) they were absolutely perfect. I paid six bucks for the two, and felt like I'd scored, which is how one should always feel when having purchased something from a thrift store. Also the woman running the place on the day I went in is was so much like a favorite character from a book I was reading, Into The Beautiful North by Luis Urrea, that I took something else home with me when I left... a sense of family.

I love this place!

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

3554 11th St
Long Island City, NY 11106-5043
(718) 433-4724
hourchildren.org

A contest to see who can be the least sincere?

2010-09-14T11:13:00.000-04:00

This get's my vote!

I'll not even bother to reveal the name or location of this place. I'm sure that anyone with a ounce of sense would avoid it on sight of the nicely designed sign proclaiming their sincere expression of thoughtlessness and insincerity.

Evaluation: You need to ask? Really?

Governor's Island, NYC

2010-09-08T20:05:00.000-04:00

The blogosphere is abuzz with comments on the disaster that was the Parked Food Truck Festival at Governor's Island, NYC, September 5th, 2010. My job, however, is to comment on the sincerity or lack thereof of the experience. Until that fateful Labor Day weekend, I had never been to Governor's Island but had heard a lot about the events there and how nice they all were, though from whom I can't quite remember. So Jon and I, in the interest of having a new adventure and not sitting on our butts all weekend, decided to check it out. My assessment is as follows:
The ferry ride to Governor's Island at approximately 3:30 p.m. was spectacular and we didn't wait long to board though there were tons of people (which should have given us a clue as to what awaited us). I love a good boat ride, so I was a happy camper. It takes about 10 minutes to get there from South Ferry - there's also a Brooklyn Ferry. Evaluation of the ferry: Very sincere

Once we arrived on the island, we discovered that The Parked Food Truck Festival we'd come to enjoy was a horror-show: hundreds of people in each line, the vendors and promoters, MeanRed, obviously overwhelmed, and many visitors ending up not eating at all - including us. Evaluation of the festival: Not even in the ballpark
Governor's Island as a whole was not as lovely as I'd expected - just kind of a big park with lots of official-type buildings and...tons of people. We did end up going to an art fair there, a kind-of multi-tiered gallery with some rather good art displayed, but in general, I felt my Sunday afternoon was wasted. That and the lack of food made me way crankier than I like to be on a beautiful long weekend. It made me wonder: when is a good time to go to Governor's Island? When would it not be crowded? On a weekday? It's only open Fri-Sun. When the weather's bad? Why bother? My overall evaluation of the Governor's Island experience so heavily promoted by our fair city: Not sincere at all

Mystic Pizza

2010-09-04T17:19:00.001-04:00

Why evaluate a place that has been reviewed like a million times? Because my friend, this is not a review... This is an evaluation of sincerity.

The surprise was that this restaurant, as overloaded as it was with photos from the movie that helped make it famous - Julia Roberts pics, various other movie and music posters, and videos playing in every corner - turned out to be quite low key. Our waitress was friendly and laid back. Whatever our request, she was ready and able to grant it. the food was great and Georgina described it as possibly the best American Style pizza she'd ever tasted. It was a Sunday, so parking was not a problem (we parked in the bank lot next door in a spot that declared we'd be towed if we weren't bank customers, but then, by definition, banks are never sincere.) We went in and accepted that there'd be at least a fifteen minute wait. Five minutes later we were seated. The service was fast and casual, and we had a great time.

It must be said that the town of Mystic has very likely changed a lot since the time of the movie, since it's pretty much Disneyland Main Street USA all over again, with every emphasis on shopping and how to extract dollars from visitors, but the pizza of this all blown-out-of-proportion town was reasonably priced and delicious.

Evaluation: Very sincere

Mystic Pizza
56 W. Main Street
Mystic, CT 06355
www.mysticpizza.com/restaurants.aspx

The New York City Tenement Museum

2010-08-30T15:34:00.000-04:00

In the heart of the Lower East Side of Manhattan, where huddled masses of immigrants teemed a hundred years ago, a testament to their lives and their struggles beckons. It is called the NYC Tenement Museum. To go there is to time-travel to an era and a place which, if one had their choice via time machine, one would probably not choose to go. For it is at the Tenement Museum that you experience the cramped conditions, the lack, the desperation, but also the pervasive hope and determination of many of our ancestors and remember that, after all, we are a country of immigrants.

You have to make an appointment to visit the Tenement Museum and you go on your tour in a small group. You choose the experience you wish to have - to learn about one particular family, be it Irish, Jewish, Russian, Greek or Italian, and their struggles. In my experience, the best one is the Confino Family tour where you meet a young actress, flawlessly portraying a Greek/Sephardic immigrant from early in the 20th century, see her home and ask her questions, which she answers completely in character. On the other tours you go with a guide through a family's restored apartment in this once condemned building and he or she explains the family's history and the artifacts therein.

Admission is a little steep: $20 for adults and $15 for students and seniors, but they're pretty generous with discount coupons. They also do public school tours for a much lower price and they provide free tours to ESL groups. For all the grand museums in New York City, this small, rundown brick building on Orchard Street is for so many reasons, in my opinion, truly the most sincere.

Evaluation: Very sincere

http://www.tenement.org/
108 Orchard Street
New York, NY

Porto Rico Importing Company - Coffee

2010-08-23T17:38:00.000-04:00

We've all seen the cartoons where the little mouse is carried along by the very sinuous and slinky odor of a block of cheese. The mouse is lifted from his feet and there's music heard as he's wafted along by that enticing smell. We all now associate that music with snake charmers ( research let me find "Dance Of The Snake Charmer") from old black and white movies. Or maybe you know it as the melody to elementary school songs that had to do with France and ladies without pants? Anyway, there was no music (that I can remember) as I walked by the entrance to Porto Rico that day with Georgina on my arm. What I do remember is that she kissed me, and went on to work whilst I was lifted from my feet and carried by the aroma of roasting coffee into this little store. Honestly, I had no choice. I ordered a large iced coffee. They charged me $2.00. I commented on the stunning perfume of the coffee out on the sidewalk, and the one other customer in the store agreed heartily, and informed me that I just happened in at a perfect time since under typical conditions the place would have been packed with other mice such as myself. I was indeed thankful for my good fortune. The woman behind the counter was kind and helpful. The coffee was delicious. What more might I want? Well, since you ask, I just happen to like agave nectar or chocolate soy milk as condiments for my brew, and they did not have them, but I'm forced to admit that such exotic elements are generally found to be available only in my home where the coffee is just as good. Still, there's nothing like finding something so wonderful as a freshly made cup of coffee served by pleasant people, available at my whim as I wander the streets of Manhattan. This ain't no starbucks. This ain't no disco. This ain't no foolin' around. This, my friends, is the real deal.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

PORTO RICO IMPORTING CO.
201 BLEECKER ST.
NEW YORK, N.Y. 10012
212-GR7-5421
1-800-453-5908
http://www.portorico.com/store/

Beacon's Closet - Williamsburg, Brooklyn

2010-08-17T18:38:00.001-04:00

I love it, I need it; I resent it, I denounce it. Such is the schizo relationship I have with Beacon's Closet, a hipper-than-thou used/vintage clothing store in Williamsburg. Williamsburg is having a more and more difficult time remaining sincere and it knows it and doesn't care. Don't dare walk down the street in Williamsburg unless you are dressed to impress the hipster elite. That said, Beacon's Closet is situated in the perfect locale, though there's one in Park Slope I understand. I've not been to that one, but several times a year I hie over to the store in Williamsburg, huge and garishly pink, and subject myself to the unlistenable music they blast, in order to revel in the racks and racks of great finds, all color coded. It is there I found a brown, wool, vintage dress, empire waist and form-fitting, Like It Was Made For Me - $18.00. A pair of mahogany-colored boots, so beautiful a woman once actually stopped me in Union Square and said, "those are the most beautiful boots I've ever seen, where did you get them?" to which I replied with an attitude that made me loathe myself, "they're vintage" - $30.00. Cashmere sweaters, one of a kind skirts and vintage sun-dresses, usually for well under $20.00.

Pants are sometimes more, but it doesn't matter because you won't fit into the pants. Even if they're marked size 6, they are really size 0, which makes me think that the hipsters that sell their clothing to Beacon's Closet are normal-sized on top, with little, teeny, tiny bottoms. And that brings me to the subject of selling clothes. They'll make you feel like crap for deigning to bring your hideous clothing, which they'll paw over and ultimately reject. And if they do buy something, for store credit or cash, it's for way less than you expected. They'll take the stuff they don't buy and "donate it to charity;" so save the humiliation and just take it to the Goodwill bin yourself.

The dressing room staff is snooty, the cashiers don't know the meaning of the word, "smile" and no matter what you wear or buy there, you'll never be good enough for them. And yet, I adore it with all my heart.

Evaluation: Not sincere at all (but you should definitely check it out)

williamsburg
88 n 11th street
brooklyn, ny 11211
(718) 486-0816

park slope
92 5th avenue
brooklyn, ny 11217
(718) 230-1630

http://www.beaconscloset.com/

Cemberlitas Hamami - Istanbul, Turkey - Friend of Sincerity (FOS) Post

2010-08-17T10:50:00.003-04:00

The following evaluation of sincerity was sent to us by Teresa Barile and is posted here exactly as written.

I had the pleasure of luxuriating in a traditional Turkish bath, called a “hamam” in Istanbul. The
Cemberlitas hamami was built in the 16^th Century but lies just next to the column of Constantine, built by the eponymous Roman emperor in the first century, A.D. It’s located in the historic Sultanahmet section of Istanbul in walking distance to the Haga Sofia, Blue Mosque and Topkapki Palace.

If those walls could talk, they’d tell tales of sultan princes, wealthy merchants from the orient and the servants who bathed them. Today, it serves the tourist population who come to sit on the heated marble slab, while water drips from the 450 year-old dome above. Men and women are separated and served by people of the same sex. On the women’s side corpulent Turkish women, scantily clad, I might add, come with buckets of soapy water and an abrasive mitt, whereupon they scrub you senseless, first on your front, then with a smack on your butt, you turn over so they can do your back. Next, your hair is shampooed while water from the fonts is poured over you. How does it feel? I’m drooling just thinking about it. I’ve been back several more times on subsequent trips to Istanbul and have brought friends. Follow your scrub down with a dunk in the hot bath, cool bath or a facial mask and stay as long as you like. The hamam is open until midnight and it’s best to go late in the evening, when it’s less crowded and you’ll have more attention during the scrub down. Afterward, in the central meeting area, refresh with a glass of freshly squeezed pomegranate juice while you plan your next visit.

On a sincerity level the Cemberlitas Hamami itself is Very Sincere. The women who work there…..pretty sincere. But you can’t blame them as they’re probably tired of scrubbing lily-white tourists from Western Europe while they struggle to gain entrance into the E.U.!

Evaluation: Pretty sincere

http://www.cemberlitashamami.com.tr

Ad Hoc Art

2010-08-12T12:22:00.002-04:00

This is perhaps one of the more challenging evaluations I've posted, the reason being that Ad Hoc Art is something more ethereal than what we usually address on these pages. Ad Hoc Art is the organization we originally contacted to assist us in making the Welling Court Mural Project happen. When Georgina and I were originally introduced to the gallery owners, Garrison and Alison, also known as the art entity Buxtonia, there was a physical location for their highly creative endeavors, but now that earth bound caterpillar (though quite beautiful and compelling all on it's own), has become more than the sum of its parts. It has gone thorough a synchronistic metamorphosis.
Alison and Garrison continue to do exactly as they have always done, in that they are a focal point and a guiding force for the creation of public art by both up-and-coming and internationally recognized artists. They have an uncanny ability to bring disparate people and thoughts together into works far beyond what might occur without their subtle intervention. They are organizers and soothers in a highly chaotic and tumultuous world through which artists pass, create within, and are free to explore their newest visions. Ad Hoc assists in making it safe to be an artist in a consumerist environment that has identified this particular art style as having no value: works on the bricks of the local bodega cannot be monetized (OMG!) and are possibly even a bit dangerous. This sort of art often pushes people's buttons, though to my mind that's what art should be doing.

So it is that with the help of Ad Hoc Art, the world is slowly coming around to the understanding that there is a significant difference between the thoughtless and angry expression of gang-taggers, and graffiti artists. This art form originated here in NYC, and has since expanded onto the international stage with massive gatherings in Paris, Rome, and Amsterdam. Ad Hoc has very quietly allowed and encouraged many of those same artists, who now display their works on walls as well as in major galleries around the world, to return to where it all started, to pay homage to their beginnings, and it has done so with utter and complete sincerity.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

http://adhocart.org

Ristorante Giggetto - Rome

2010-08-09T09:33:00.000-04:00

There is a place, in what used to be the Jewish ghetto in Rome, a place you get to by wandering through the cobbled back streets of that ancient city's historic district, that serves a thing as near to heaven as you'll get. It is a fried artichoke - one of Da Giggetto's specialties. Actually, everything we tried in this Roman Hostaria, or Inn, was spectacular, when eight members of my family and I went there a few years back, but none of us could get enough of the Carciofi alla Giude: artichoke in the Jewish style. The restaurant has been there since the 1920's, and is now run by the original owner's grandson. That man's nickname was "Giggetto," but you can read about all of this on their beautiful and informative website, http://www.giggettoalporticodottavia.it/.

Ristorante Giggetto is a gorgeous space wherein you feel the history of the Jewish ghetto come alive. The wait staff tolerated our large group of Americans with patience, though they could not find a table big enough for us all to sit together. To this day, we all dream of that fried artichoke, though none has found another place in or outside of Italy that prepares anything like it.

Evaluation:
Pretty sincere

Ristorante Giggetto al Portico d'Ottavia
Via del Portico, 21/A • 00186 Rome

Viva El Mariachi - restaurant

2010-08-06T18:31:00.003-04:00

Over dinner last night, Georgina and I were talking about this project. We realized that the idea of searching for sincerity is really as much about stumbling into a place that somehow delivers that extra something that compels us to want to share its existence here, as anything else. Clearly, we've been very lucky in our encounters. The place where we were eating last night (a "Latino" restaurant in Jackson Heights) actually had very good food, our waiter was pleasant, and the atmosphere was nice enough, however it just didn't deliver the goods. On the other hand, Viva El Mariachi, little dive that it is, does. Why is that? Well, that's always the point on this blog isn't it? - We really don't know the answer, but we do know when it's there and when it isn't. Mariachi is a place that very often has loud Mexican rocanrol, delivered via jukebox, blasting from big speakers at either end of the place, and simultaneously broadcasting an ongoing Spanish language soap-opera on each of the big flat screens that adorn the front and back of the dining room. The food is stunningly good, reasonably priced and nicely presented. The waitresses bemusedly tolerate my bad Spanish, and delights at Georgina's perfect Mexico City accent. There's no host nor hostess, and everyone just chooses a table that they feel comfortable at. Coming from the Southwest, we're always on the lookout for good, authentic Mexican food, and trust me this place is the bomb! Service is quick and friendly and no question about it, Viva El Mariachi is decidedly sincere.

Evaluation: Very sincere

www.astoriamexicanrestaurant.com/
3311 Broadway, Long Island City

(718) 545-4039

The Food Conspiracy Co-op, Tucson

2010-08-04T16:32:00.000-04:00

Once upon a time, health food stores were dank, dark hovels where you would find bins of mouse-gnawed, burlap sacks harboring bulk quantities of odd sounding comestibles such as "Bulgar Wheat," and "Rose Hips." Or such was my impression back in the '70's when, with trepidation, I set foot with my slightly older hippie friends into the Food Conspiracy Co-op on the hip Tucson strip, 4th Avenue. The bins of bulk were there, as were organic yogurts and "kefir;" loaves of heavy, dark bread and "granola." It smelled like roasted coffee beans and patchouli. I was intimidated and intrigued.

Fast forward a few decades. There the Co-op still sits, defying the Whole Foods and Trader Joe's of the world. It still smells exactly the same but now features items that I recognize and need: agave nectar and Fair Trade organic chocolate. The staff is kind, helpful and rather attractive - the vibe, loving.

In my neighborhood of Queens we have a few, great little health food markets that deserve shout outs: Sai Organics, Fresh Start Organic Market, Vitality and Health Organic Market...but my first health-food-store love is and always will remain that standard bearer and fore-runner of them all, the Food Conspiracy Co-op.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

412 North 4th Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85705-8443
www.foodconspiracy.org

Bisbee, Arizona

2010-08-02T10:54:00.003-04:00

Yep the entire town. For anyone who's touristed around Arizona you know that there are a couple of things you can count on all over the state, especially in towns like Sedona (a well known "arts" community). The first thing is that everything is somehow related to cowboys, or to be more accurate the media myths of cowboys. You know, god-like men of honor in white hats protecting the local village from black hatted villains? And secondly trinkets... from gee-gaws that resemble saguaro cacti to over-the-top turquoise or lapis jewelery and, of course, bronze sculptures of - you know it - cowboys.

And then there are other towns, like Bisbee, where the focus is not on what they can sell you, but rather how to make your visit there memorable. The place is not fancy. In fact it's just a little run down. There are certainly a few places that would perhaps be better located in Sedona, but overall, this is a community that has been locked in time. The time that it is locked into is one of a less consumer oriented point of view. There is a ride you can take but it is not a roller coaster nor is it on a scenic railroad. Rather, it is down the mine shaft. This was a mining town that ran out of copper, but the area was so beautiful that folks decided to stay around. Those early settlers built their homes on either side of this tiny valley, and that's exactly what you encounter today. There is clearly a historic oversight committee that makes sure that even if McDonald's wanted to open shop (I can't imagine why they'd want to since there aren't enough people around to attract them, but you never know) they would be met with solid resistance to all that such a mega-corp represents. The 16 or so restaurants that are there have for the most part been around for a while, and the food they serve actually has some character that has nothing to do with extracting the tourist from every dollar they have, and everything to do with the simple pride of a community that has the integrity to care about itself.

Evaluation: Very sincere

Bisbee Chamber of Commerce

It's only pizza, right?

2010-08-02T10:53:00.004-04:00

What you see in this image is a restaurant called John's Pizzeria which (let me state for the record) I have never been to, and two doors down is a Papa John's Pizza (where I have no interest in going). So what's my point? The John's Pizzeria has been in that location for as long as I've lived in Astoria, while the Papa Johns opened shop about a year and a half ago. As I see it, this was a deliberate and callus attempt to suck business away from a local establishment that presumably has a following of loyal customers - a calculated move done solely in the name of, "business" (and when I place the word business in quotes I fully expect you to read it as an explicative). When free enterprise is demonstrated as nothing more than a money grubbing drive to run the other guy out of business - something has gone terribly awry.

This is not an evaluation.

John's Pizzeria Restaurant
2339 Astoria Boulevard, Astoria
Phone: (718) 721-6904

Papa John's Pizza
2333 Astoria Boulevard, Astoria
Phone: If you really want to call them after my tirade - look 'em up in the yellow pages.

Pangea and Virage - Manhattan

2010-07-30T18:32:00.006-04:00

Pangea and Virage: they sound like casinos in Las Vegas. They are, in fact, two restaurants within a few blocks of each other in the East Village, a place where many of our reviews are centered because we tend to hang out there a lot. So do a number of friends of ours, in particular, one charming gentleman, Jerry Long, who suggested we review these two establishments. It had never occurred to me to do so before, because, though I've been to both on more than one occasion, neither particularly stood out. However, I don't frequent them as much as others, and I have a feeling that those who do have a lot of fond things to say about them.

To me, Pangea conjures up Sunday brunch with a large group of friends on New Years Day: patient waiters catering to each as we stumble in one by one, each of us politely refraining from ordering until we are all assembled, so by the time we do, we're so starved everything seems delicious. I also remember late night glasses of red wine with another group of friends, the staff allowing us to meet in the back, in a dark, mysterious room to mull over our urgent conversations. So, Pangea: flexible, solicitous, open when you need them. Sincere? Sure.

Virage is brunch central. A particular friend likes to meet us there because it's literally half a block from her apartment. The food's fine, the prices OK, the atmosphere pleasing. Otherwise, nothing stands out good or bad, for which reason I probably wouldn't have posted about it unless it had been suggested. Sincere? Maybe.

I urge those with stronger opinions about either locale to post a comment. Let us know where they stand on your sincerity barometer.

For now I evaluate them both: Kind of sincere

Pangea
178 2nd Avenue
New York, NY 10003
(212) 995-0900
www.pangeanyc.com

Virage
118 2nd Avenue
New York, NY 10003-8303
(212) 253-0425
www.viragenyc.com

Astor Bake Shop

2010-07-28T12:13:00.002-04:00

Yes, I admit it, going in we wanted this place to be sincere. It is, after all, around the corner from our house, and it's the only thing like it in the entire neighborhood. Georgina, it must be said, had already gone in with a friend of hers a day or so before, and was already over-the-top about the place. Let me put it this way, she was bringing along a fresh tomato from our garden for the owner. Does that tell you anything? I insisted that the tomato not be given until after we had eaten lunch and paid, so that there would be no undue service or sincerity given in thanks for such a valuable gift. Given all that, I went in with a show-me attitude, and I can only say at this point that I was indeed shown.

There was one very friendly guy behind the counter (which sported in-house baked goods that continuously called out to me in siren voices throughout our lunch). I had coffee, which was very good, and we both opted for the "Slow Baked Chicken Sandwich." It was a good thing that we both ordered that, otherwise there might have been an altercation of epic proportions over who was going to eat it. Fantastic is the only adjective that comes to mind when describing that sandwich...juicy, smokey slabs of chicken, caramelized onions, avocado and Swiss cheese, on hot, house-baked Portuguese rolls...God almighty. The owner, George, came by to say hello to Georgina, (he remembered her from the other day) and to introduce himself to me. He's very easy going, and immediately made me feel welcome. The decor is beautiful, simple and clean. Bottom line on this one is that no matter where you live, a journey to the Astor Bake Shop is a must. Oh, and did I mention that Chicken Sandwich?

(One more thing about the cakes etc. in the display counter - if only there were one or two things that were sweetened with unrefined sugar or fruit juice, Georgina and I would be at this very moment slapping on a couple of pounds and feeling inspired to head off to the park to work them off. Just sayin'...)

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

12-23 Astoria Blvd

On one corner of the 5 point intersection

joining 14th St, 28th and Astoria Blvd

Astoria, NY 11102

Phone 718.606.8439

Fax 718.679.9360

www.astor-bakeshop.com

Think Coffee - Manhattan

2010-07-27T10:35:00.005-04:00

So, after visiting the Yippie Cafe, we desperately needed something to eat, it being around 11:00 p.m., us having spent an hour and a half earlier in the evening at our swing dance class (yes, we're taking
swing dance - very insincere of me to mention) and there not being anything palatable at the Yippie. So we wandered outside and into a place called Think Coffee that I had dismissed, when we'd passed it before, as looking like a yuppie (as opposed to yippie) haven next door. It so wasn't.

Relaxed, with wood floors and benches, little cafe tables and chairs, a high ceiling and walls of windows, they served vegan desserts and a variety of sandwiches, fair trade teas and coffees, beers on tap, and wine. Folks sat around chatting or working on their computers in a rather Starbucks-esque scenario, except for one little difference: THIS IS WHAT STARBUCKS CAN ONLY ASPIRE TO BE! I'm sure that way back in the day, in Seattle, the first Starbucks was like this, and then they chose mega-globalization, driving places like Think Coffee out of business, instead of just being satisfied with a few hundred stores across the country.

Anyway, we ordered a grilled cheese sandwich and split it, cheddar on hearty sourdough bread, delivered to our table by the cute, cheerful counter girl. It was so, unbelievably delicious. As we ate, we admired the compost and recycling stations, the subtle signage indicating the sustainable sources of their coffee, and that they donate 10% of their profits to charity. Enjoying the sixties pop music they were playing in the atmosphere of zero pretension, we suddenly realized, in searching for sincerity at the Yippie Cafe, we ultimately found it right next door.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

Three locations (just don't go all Starbucks on us)
248 mercer street
1 bleecker street
123 4th avenue
www.thinkcoffeenyc.com

Yippie Museum Cafe and Gift Shop

2010-07-25T09:50:00.005-04:00

Dude! We went in search of sincerity last night and, by suggestion, we stopped first at the Yippie Cafe. We were greeted cordially enough by a bleary-eyed bearded guy, who paused long enough from playing roulette on his ancient computer to accept our donation. Pushing back a paisley curtain, we found that we had time traveled into a coffee house in the approximate year 1967. I felt like I'd been here before in some other when... Strewn about were overstuffed couches and chairs. A few tables were placed before a small performance space at the far end of the long room. A counter with several stools held a few pastries, a selection of coffee and tea, and a cooler that held a few bottles of cold fizzy stuff. Georgina and I shared a mineral water, but had to ask around for an opener since the bartender had misplaced the one he might or might not have had at one time or another. A kindly denizen produced a usable tool attached to his key chain. There was a man performing on the guitar and singing songs he had obviously written. He was the best thing about the place. He was very good. I won't bother to give you a history on this place (a link to their site is provided below) but I do want to point out that, as a "museum" as well as a cafe, it's underwritten by the State of New York, and I really see no other way it could exist.

But the question remains - was it sincere? Well, in the sense that all seven people in the place, (including the bartender and the performer) aside from ourselves, were so laid back as to each be living in a world of their own that just happened to connect within the confines of the Yippie - like it was synergy-in-action, man - then yes - it was ultimately sincere. On the other hand, did I come away from the place with the feeling that I'd really like to go back some day, and that the people running the joint were having a blast (admittedly this is perhaps not the best choice of words here) doing what they were doing? Then no.

Let me put it this way, unless Green Day decides to schedule a small venue (read: tiny) concert at the Yippie, I will very likely never go back. Will the people running the place care whether I show up there again or not? Nope. It's possible that they won't even remember if they were there.

Evaluation: (strangely enough) Kind of sincere

yippiemuseum.org/

9 Bleecker Street

(between Bowery and Elizabeth)

CALL 212-677-5918.

Bra Smythe - Manhattan

2010-07-23T11:38:00.003-04:00

This one is for the ladies. You know how hard it is to find the perfect bra? Well, some of us do, for our own particular reasons. A friend of mine registered for her bridal shower at an upscale little shop in Manhattan called Bra Smyth and, inspired by her faith in them, I went there in search of that perfect brassiere. I was prepared to spend money – whatever it took to find the garment that would be the answer to all my prayers.

I was a little intimidated going in – after all, this is where rich women shopped for their lingerie. The snooty French saleswoman snagged me a few items to try on, and I finally settled on one that seemed to fit well and was pretty. I laid out 75 bucks for it – twice as much as I’ve ever paid for a bra, but I figured, you've got to pay for quality. Once I got it home and wore it a couple of times, I realized that it was uncomfortable under the arms, so I brought it back, and they, not entirely cheerfully, offered to alter it. I left it for a couple of weeks and came back, tried it on, it seemed okay, and I left with it. It wasn’t okay, though I kept thinking I could break it in like a pair of shoes. No. So, after a few days, I trudged back to the Upper East Side in the cold, wanting an exchange or refund. Oh no, it was lingerie and I had worn it. Well, of course I’d worn it; it was a bra, stupid. No. No refund. They could try to fix it again. I sighed, brought it home and managed to alter the damn thing myself. But I never loved the way it looked under clothes and eventually when it lost its elasticity, I tossed it in disgust. Never again will I pay that much for a bra. Instead, I recently went to a Macy’s clearance sale (a store I am not in the least condoning for its sincerity) and bought two lovely bras for a total of 20 smackers. As much as I want to support the local business over the chain, Bra Smyth can bite me.

Evaluation: Not Sincere At All

905 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10021
212-772-9400

There's another location in Manhattan and one in N.J.
apparently you can get stuff off their website too:
I'm sure they have some nice crap:
www.BraSmyth.com

Whiskers Holistic Pet Care

2010-07-20T10:41:00.006-04:00

We live with two cats, Thisby and Renfield. Thisby we retrieved from a cat-lady out near Coney Island. She (the cat) tends to be heavy, and occasionally resembles a wedge when she sits in the kitchen staring at us with that look of disdain. Or is it reproach? Renfield was found one Halloween night several years ago. Renfield is a cat completely at home with himself in the belief that he is the king of all things. He is also the creature who has incurred a couple of medical bills that caused a certain vet to rub his hands gleefully together whenever he saw us come in the door. This is how and why we discovered Whiskers Holistic Pet Care. The vet, in his great wisdom, had prescribed a particular dry cat food (Hill's Prescription Diet® k/d® Feline) that could only be purchased from him, or as I discovered after paying that exorbitant price a couple of times, through an online source that nevertheless insisted on seeing that damned prescription (clearly someone was afraid that I might eat that very special food for the high!). So Georgina and I asked a woman at Whiskers what could be done. The first thing she said was "don't feed your cats dry food." What do you know? It turns out the cats have been correct in their assertion that they are just smaller versions of their ferocious-snarling-beasts-of-the-jungle cousins. They need meat. They are thriving. We don't need prescription cat food. Whiskers gave us straight from the hip knowledgeable information. The cats are happy. We are happy. The vet? His Mercedes payments are late.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

Two locations:
235 East 9th Street, New York - (212) 979-2532
1925 Ditmars Boulevard, Astoria - (718) 626-8590

whiskers.com

Burgerville, Portland Oregon

2010-07-18T14:39:00.006-04:00

Though we tend to reject chain stores and restaurants as inherently insincere, we were introduced to one that breaks the mold when we visited my family in Portland, Oregon two summers ago. It's called Burgerville and it can be found throughout Oregon and Southen Washington. Doing some research on the web, I found some recent lousy reviews, but I assume the quality changes from location to location. What stands out about Burgerville is that they use mostly local ingredients and are conscientious, as far as I could tell, about how these local sources grow their food and seem to generally strive towards sustainability in their business practices.

On our visit there I had the Wild Smoked Salmon and Hazelnut Salad, featuring those locally grown and caught items as well as local Tillamook Cheese amongst lots of fresh greens. It was reasonably priced and very yummy. I did not indulge in things like the Pepper Bacon Cheeseburger which features, like all their burgers, locally raised, antibiotic and hormone-free beef nor the Oregon marionberry or blackberry shake, in- season berry lemonade or Walla Walla Onion Rings, but I was assured all were spectacular. The atmosphere was cute and old fashioned, the staff - well - I don't remember, but certainly not surly, and I remember wishing that more places like it existed.

When I think of our visit there, more than anything, it makes me think fondly of Portland in general - one of the most sincere cities I know. I believe it is officially the "greenest" city in the U.S. Even the airport is a delight. I'm sure there are tons of good and sincere restaurants in Portland, but until we can return for more investigation, Burgerville will have to do for now. Big shout out to Portland! We love you!

Evaluation: Kind of sincere

www.Burgerville.com

El Minuto Cafe

2010-07-13T12:03:00.004-04:00

When we go to Tucson, we always go to El Minuto (along with Bookman's) mostly because of the drop dead fantastic Carne Seca Chimichanga, which, by the way, I notice is now listed as Shredded Beef on the menu. No matter what you call it, this the very best of the best. Certainly there are other restaurants in Tucson that are worth going to but this is one of my favorites. The owners and wait-staff are all business but friendly. The service is quick. My father-in-law is fond of the tacos, but clearly he has no idea of what's really good (in spite of the fact of his being a life long resident of Tucson...some people...). Anyway, this little place is located in an older section of the city that's really maintained the feeling of what Tucson must have been like in the early days before the influx of corporations imitating home town America. The people of the neighborhood have every right to be proud of what they have created and El Minuto is the perfect accent for authenticity. It was first opened in 1939 and I would bet that what it was then is pretty much what it is now.

Evaluation: Pretty sincere

elminutocafe.com
354 S. Main Tucson, Arizona
(520) 882-4145
11am-10pm MON-THU
11am-11pm FRIDAY/SATURDAY

Cliff Cottage Tea Garden & Fish Restaurant (and B&B) - Lyme Regis, England

2010-07-11T14:48:00.004-04:00

The main purpose for our journey to England a few years ago was so that I could connect with my Anglo roots, and visit the places where my darling Jane Austen lived and that she wrote about. (I didn't really care if Jon and Josh wanted to go; they were along for the ride) And now for a shameless and insincere plug: little did I know at that time, that I would go on to write my first novel, The Time Baroness, about a time-traveler who goes to those same places, in the year 1820, for largely the same purpose. It was a good thing, then, that I had visited, on that trip, the charming, ancient town of Lyme Regis on the Dorset coast. This is a place made famous by a segment of Jane Austen's Persuasion. However, you wouldn't know that fame had ever touched the quiet environs of this lovely place that spring when we visited. Perhaps during the summer season it really bustles, but as we drove down the steep road into the heart of the village and stopped at a pay phone to call about availability at a B&B that sounded intriguing, we just felt lucky that they had a room on such short notice.

And what a room. We found the Cliff Cottage B&B perched on a hill directly overlooking the ocean and the Cobb. Ah, the Cobb. This is the stone structure that juts out into the harbor and makes a kind of break-wall to protect the beach and the fishing boats. It is the place where a pivotal scene in Persuasion takes place; also the point on which the tragic French Lieutenant's Woman, gazes out to sea - both of which I highlight in my book, The Time Baroness - oh, did I mention it already?

Anyway, we were led down a little stone path through a garden to a small bungalow in which we found a beautifully appointed space, white, eyelet down cover on the bed, everything fresh and clean and a little, pull out futon for Josh, as well as a full bathroom. The owners were an older couple, very funny and friendly, and in the morning, before our walk on the Cobb, they fed us one of those full "English" Breakfasts that Americans appreciate so much. The whole experience couldn't have been better, and I hope they're still there, with their "pet" seagulls they named Albert and Victoria, and that if you go, the bungalow is available. Oh, and don't forget to bring along The Time Baroness for some appropriately themed reading.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

Cobb Road Lyme Regis DT7 3JP 01297443334 - not to be confused with the "Cliff Cottage Holiday Guest House," also in Lyme Regis!

Main Street - Disneyland

2010-07-08T11:03:00.005-04:00

To be clear about what sincerity is - let's look at what is possibly the exact antithesis. We all know this place. It's part of our cultural psyche much like macaroni and cheese. It presents a welcoming facade of sincerity while behind the scenes children in third world countries work in sweat-shop conditions producing stuffed Mickey Mouse dolls for our own little darlings. Everyone here smiles. Everyone is glad to see you. Many of them make pretty good money. Life is perfect, a bowl of cherries and a bouquet of flowers sprinkled with magic fairy dust. We walk open mouthed and dazzled through the gift mall before we are allowed to ride the Tea Cups.

Evaluation: You need to ask? Really?

Strand Bookstore

2010-07-06T11:13:00.004-04:00

They like to say that they have 18 miles of books. Frankly it's quite possible that the number of miles is underestimated. Yes, this store is enormously larger than Bookman's in Tucson and one would be doing a disservice to say that this enormous New York institution could be anywhere close to the same level of sincerity as that fairly good sized gem in Arizona, but as it happens the Strand comes pretty close. The two stores operate in much the same way. They are both local chains, and they tend to hire friendly people who actually give a damn.

My recent experience: having accidentally purchased two copies of the same book (don't ask me why) I needed to return one. It was just no problem at all. They asked if I wanted to exchange it or if I would like my money back. I ended up using a combination of the two. No manager needed to be called. there was no overt inspection of the book to see if had been read by George Costanza in a public restroom.

Let me make this comparison: I once purchased a bag of chocolate chips from a health food store that I've been going to for years (and choose not to evaluate in this blog). Those chips were so old that they'd turned gray! Naturally, I took them back for a simple exchange. After several levels of buck passing and inspection of the product the manager hesitantly agreed to the exchange. I accepted my fresh bag and was left to slink off into the night like the thief that I so obviously was. Why do I go back? So far they have the best selection and they are a local store. But I continue to look for true sincerity in a health food store, and when I find that perfect combination of selection and sincerity - this one will be history.

So the Strand isn't perfect (it's just too gigantic for that) but it is superior, and they make a real attempt at hometown authenticity in our huge metropolis. They manage to walk a fine line and must be admired for that.

Evaluation: Pretty sincere

http://www.strandbooks.com/
828 Broadway
New York, New York
(Corner of 12th Street and Broadway)

Cure Thrift Shop - Manhattan

2010-06-29T19:41:00.004-04:00

A few months ago, I was sitting around having a high-flown discussion with a group of friends and artists around the theme of Value and what it meant to each of us. We came to the question, what is the one thing you wish you had but you would never buy for yourself ? My answer was: a really, nice bag, one of those purses that costs hundreds and ends up being a staple for years to come. I don't care about designer labels, but I've always thought that a really high-quality bag would be a classic addition to my vintage-based wardrobe. With the Value and Vintage themes in mind, I went with my husband to Cure Thrift Shop in the East Village, a place he had stumbled upon in his wanderings around town. He remembered what I'd said about the bag and he noticed they were having a big sale on purses. With very low expectations, I went, and there I found maybe a hundred bags of all kinds. I sorted through them, again with low expectations, until I began to notice that there was genuine Prada and Coach (even used out of my price range), but I realized that my chance was within reach. And then there it was. A brand new, pristine, Via Spiga bag, reddish brown leather, simple, understated, elegant, just the right number of pockets and just the right size. It was 35 bucks. I snagged it. (Later, I checked on line and found that the value of the bag, even on e-bay, was around $250 - very insincere of me, I know.)

Cure Thrift Shop doesn't always have that "bag event," running, but it's always a cool and interesting place to find clothes, furniture and other stuff. I found a beautiful Italian skirt there for $20, a linen blouse for $15, and though the selection isn't huge, I'd say they have just the right idea of the word Value. And your purchases go towards the cure for Diabetes. You can't beat that.

Evaluation: Very sincere

www.curethriftshop.com

111 East 12th Street
New York, NY 10003
(212) 505-7467

The Modern Snack Bar - Aquebogue, New York

2010-06-28T10:07:00.003-04:00

You know that fork in the road we wrote about earlier? Well, eventually those two roads come together continuing on into the North Fork of Long Island, and one of the great things about that drive (and there are many) is The Modern as we are fond of calling it. What you need to know is that the lobster-salad rolls are the best, there's a great kids menu (along with plenty of crayons), and that the ambiance of the place is worth walking in the door for. There is that sense of walking back into the era when places like this were commonplace, where waitresses wear white uniforms and stiff hats like old-time nurses. The place was perhaps quite modern when it first opened its doors 60 years ago. but what has happened since that time is a kind of stasis... What was truly modern at the time is now quaint and interesting: it's a visual pleasure, the waitresses are friendly, service is good and the selection of pies is beyond belief.

It's a local favorite haunt that we stumbled into by chance, and now feel inclined to go back to whenever we're out that way. A couple of times we've ended up out there when the Modern happened to be closed, so we went to other seemingly likely joints that for all appearances looked comparable. That has never turned out for the good (with one notable exception that we discovered recently) which will of course show up in a later posting. Sorry, you'll just have to wait.

There is one thing to watch out for - and that's ordering stuff that is clearly out of season (don't do it!) since they continue to serve it because people (not those in the know) ask for it and the Modern folks want to be helpful... But hey - that's not the reason to go to this place. Really - go for the lobster rolls, and maybe an old-fashioned-modern root beer float.

Evaluation: Very sincere

Route 25 * Aquebogue, New York 11931
(631) 722-3655
http://modernsnackbar.com/
Tuesday - Thursday.. 11:00 am - 9:00 pm Friday & Saturday.... 11:00 am - 10:00 pm Sunday..................... 12:00 noon - 9:00 pm Closed Mondays, Easter Sunday, & Thanksgiving Day

Wo Hop Chinese Restaurant

2010-06-23T13:01:00.003-04:00

This is one of those places in the city that you just have to go to in order to understand the allure, and strangely there are two uniquely different locations in the same spot. There is the upstairs restaurant - on the street level where you can walk in - sit down and and have some average Chinese food that you can probably get just about anywhere, and then there's downstairs where the food is freakin' amazing! The waiters are not all that friendly, but the service is good and the kitchen is fast. We've asked about the difference in food quality only to be stoically informed that everything comes out of the same kitchen!

I kid you not - the guy at the cash register, who passed us this bit of information, didn't so much as grin or blink at the blatant lie, but I'm telling you - the truth is in the chop-sticks. Whether you take my word for it or not - upstairs and downstairs the prices are the same - which is to say very reasonable. But the thing is - if you do go downstairs you will most certainly want to write home and tell mom about it. Also, one other thing: in the world of home town sincere advertising you can buy a Wo Hop t-shirt in white or black sporting a v-cool red dragon on it (next best thing to a red dragon tattoo without the needles) for a mere $6.00

Evaluation: Pretty sincere

17 Mott Street, New York - (212) 566-3841

The Tai'r Bull Inn - Brecon Beacons, Wales

2010-06-23T08:45:00.006-04:00

The evening Jon, our son, Josh, and I went to the Tai'r Bull Inn, in the mid-Wales county of Powys, it was on a recommendation from the hostess at the B&B/Sheep Farm we were staying at. It was spring, and we'd been wandering around on the farm all afternoon, looking at the adorable little lambs, so when we arrived, good and hungry at the Tai'r Bull, (vegetarians avert your eyes) all Josh and I could think of was a nice roasted lamb on a platter - and that's what we had - the most sublime shank of lamb you could imagine.

We don't expect you to be running around in the wilds of Wales anytime soon... necessarily. But if by some chance you find yourself in the mountain region of Brecon Beacons, you must, must, must go to the Tai'r Bull. I have to admit, it was a few years since we were there, and in that time they've changed management, so their website says. But let us assume that they still serve, as their site confirms, the freshest, local lamb and other meats, roasted vegetables in season and an array of Welsh cheeses that will blow your mind. You will find a setting that is quaint and comfortable, attentive service, a full bar and a great selection of wines.

So, hie you to the motherland, well, my motherland; find the Sheep Farm if you can, (we found it by asking at the Brecon tourist information center - the owner's name is Mary) and make the Tai'r Bull the centerpiece of your visit. Mmm, those yummy little lambs.

Evaluation: Very sincere

Libanus, Brecon, Powys LD3 8EL Tel: 01874 625849
www.freewebs.com/tairbullinn

Starbucks in Capital One Bank in Starbucks in Capital One Bank

2010-06-20T11:43:00.004-04:00

When I was about ten or so my friend and I (both of us avid Mad Magazine readers) laughed uproariously as we speculated on a new business we called, Bob's Bank and Grill.

Evaluation: Words Fail Me (WFM)

Welling Court - neighborhood

2010-06-19T17:34:00.004-04:00

So you might well be asking yourself, "what the hell? Isn't that the street you live on?" The answer is, yes it is. Yes! We're giving ourselves a well deserved pat on the back.

This is indeed the street we live on, and I can say without reservation that it is quite possibly the most sincere neighborhood in NYC if not the entire USA. How do I arrive as such a bold statement? How about this: a few weeks ago we held a block party in celebration of the 40+ internationally recognized artists who came to paint the walls of the neighborhood. The artists came because they were invited by our wonderful corroborators in this effort Ad Hoc Art Gallery, and permission had been obtained from all the owners of all the wall spaces. The community came because this is were we live together, people of all ethnicity and all backgrounds celebrating our neighborhood. But it was more than that: when the artists began to arrive, individual neighbors from all up and down this small street began to bring them juice and food and ice. They offered paint and donated whatever they could to support the transformation. They stood and watched the progress of individual works. they were inspired. This was a community of people with a uniting common interest: a better more beautiful place to live, and that interest was coming alive right before their eyes.

The artists were moved. The people were moved. The residents of this formerly somewhat forgotten and obscure little neighborhood helped each other to grow that day. The artists came together in that growth as well. Ask any of them.

Everyone here stands just a little taller now, and when we speak of home - that home is not located on a grungy little street tagged with gang-graffiti anymore. It is located on the best street in Astoria, New York. Welling Court.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere! (What else?)

Check it out - search the net, "Welling Court Mural Project."

Village Style Vintage Clothing Store, Manhattan

2010-06-17T20:04:00.005-04:00

Buying used or vintage clothes is not only good for the environment but it's a way to support local businesses and have great style on a budget. Enter Village Style, a terrific little vintage shop in Manhattan's East Village that not only has lots of good stuff but prices it appropriately. Let's face it, vintage clothes, are still, after all, used clothes, and I object to places that price vintage items like they're made out of gold. At Village Style, you can find the cutest 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's dresses you've ever seen priced from about $20 to $40.00, plus skirts, blouses and plenty of great men's shirts, T-shirts, belts and pants. They also sell a handful of accessories like hats, shoes. cowboy boots and purses. It's not a huge store so you don't spend a lot of time pawing through rack after rack, but can find what you're after quickly and easily. Sizes vary too - they aren't all just teeny-tiny. I wouldn't exactly call the staff friendly; after all, they do have to maintain a certain level of cool, but they're nice enough, and once gave me a discount just because they recognized the dress I was wearing as one they'd sold me.

Evaluation: Pretty sincere

It's located at 111 E. 7th Street, between 1st Ave. and Avenue A. Even knowing the address, it's oddly hard to find, but don't give up! It's worth the effort.

Build It Green - Building Supplies - Astoria, NY

2010-06-17T19:30:00.006-04:00

This amazing place is right around the corner from my house and I'd heard about it for a while before taking a walk over to see what the buzz was all about. There was no way the buzz could possibly do justice to this handy-person's paradise. I started by wandering around open mouthed at huge lots of doors, windows, bathtubs, sinks, dressers and all sorts of other things that very few people outside of studio prop-masters could possibly have an interest it... I kid you not, the last time I went in there were like six coffins available. Were they used? Recycled? I dunno I never asked. So, Georgina and I decided to replace our medicine cabinet because the one we had was made of plastic, falling off the wall, and generally crappy. We wanted something like the sort of cabinet we grew up with - you know, those solid metal things from the 50s and 60s? Well, we found just the one - exactly what we wanted. It cost 20 bucks and the super helpful guys who priced it for us - asked it as a question. $20 okay? OMG - this is so not Home Depot.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

www.bignyc.org

317 26th Avenue
Astoria, NY 11102
(718) 777-0132

The American Visionary Art Museum - Baltimore

2010-06-17T18:48:00.013-04:00

In my opinion, there are a lot of sincere museums in the world, though some moreso than others. A few are downright insincere because they are snooty or pretentious or expensive or display bad art - though I realize that last category is subjective. The American Visionary Museum in Baltimore, MD is none of those things and succeeds in being sincere for a whole host of reasons. Let's start with the art. What makes it "visionary?" Well here's a definition from their mission statement:
"Visionary art as defined for the purposes of the American Visionary Art Museum refers to art produced by self-taught individuals, usually without formal training, whose works arise from an innate personal vision that revels foremost in the creative act itself"
When we visited there about a year ago, I kind of saw it as the OCD museum because so much of the artwork was made up of teeny tiny things like matchsticks or buttons - things that you'd kind of have to be OCD to have the patience to deal with. However, all of it is really, really cool. Everything is interesting or beautiful or fascinating. There are also lots of amazing interactive things. You can go there with a kid or not - all ages will appreciate it. The staff is really nice and informative and though it's not cheap, it's not the most expensive museum I've been to and it's free on Martin Luther King Day - you gotta love that. Located in historic downtown Baltimore, it's a fantastic experience overall, including the gift shop, which is awash in little interesting, wonderful things, all very inexpensive.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

www.avam.org

Tecolote Cafe - Santa Fe, NM

2010-06-14T09:18:00.005-04:00

This is simply the best place for breakfast in Santa Fe, and perhaps anywhere. Friendly is what best describes the atmosphere. It was one of our favorites, and when we lived in SF we went often. Bill and Alice would make it a point to come around to say hello and spend a few moments to share what was going on in their lives, and to find out what was happening in ours. This was not a sales ploy but rather a genuine interest in who was visiting their cafe. It always felt very much like visiting the kitchen of dear friends. Of course these friends made sure to place a large basket of freshly made muffins (lovingly baked by Alice) on every table, and when breakfast was delivered by staff members who clearly loved their jobs it was always perfection on a plate. (Just give me eggs and green chile and I'll be happy...) True, we haven't been there in a few years, but our friends in town continue to go and rave the reviews continue on. Tecolote is nothing less than a legend, and when in Santa Fe it is quite simply - a must.

Just before writing this I discovered, with great sorrow, that Bill passed away just a month ago in May as a result of an earlier fall. What a loss to the community. We shall keep Alice and the rest of their family in our thoughts. I'm sure that under the family's sure guiding hands Tecolote will continue to be what his vision first inspired in June of 1980.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

www.avam.org
1203 Cerrillos Rd
Santa Fe, NM 87505
(505) 988-1362
http://www.tecolotecafe.com/

Ristorante La Giara, Sarteano, Tuscany

2010-06-10T18:48:00.007-04:00

When you just happen to be out town-hopping in Tuscany, don't forget the lovely, ancient town of Sarteano, near Chianciano. Lots more to be said about the town in general, but for a great eating experience, go to La Giara on Viale Europa, basically the main drag in Sarteano, for everything from pizza to delicious main courses of meats, fish, and pastas in the typical Tuscan style, including a wonderful list of native wines. Indoors is a bit cavernous - fine for parties and events, but like us, when we went a few years ago, you probably will be a small party looking for a wonderful meal in a friendly atmosphere, and if the weather is warm, will want to eat outside on the patio. It's not fancy - just comfortable - and they don't mind a few loud Americans. The owner, whose name I wish I could remember, a charming Signora, personally took our order and catered to us. I think she appreciated that I spoke Italian, but her English was quite good and she was just as kind to those who didn't speak her native tongue. The only issue we had occurred on our second visit, with some German friends: their teenage daughter wanted the prosciutto and arugula pizza with the toppings cooked, which isn't how they serve it, and they didn't want to do that, but she insisted, we were embarrassed, and they did it. It didn't prevent them from effusively urging us to come back someday, which we assured them we would - and we will.

Evaluation: Very sincere

Viale Europa, 2
53047 Sarteano SI, Italia
0578 265511

Spider Rock Campground - Canyon de Chelly, AZ

2010-06-10T17:37:00.009-04:00

The thing about a place like this is it's almost sincere by definition. On the other hand there are some things that make the experience of being in a place that is simply jaw-droppingly beautiful and wondrous even more compelling. A few years back we packed up the car, brought along a small tent and went out to rough it for a few days in the wilds of Arizona. We arrived at Spider Rock Campground near Canyon de Chelly, (pronounced "shay") spent a while talking with the very pleasant Navajo man who ran the place, set up the tent, and headed out to view the rock. Nothing I could ever say about that monolith could possibly prepare anyone for actually being on the edge of the canyon looking for themselves. You just have to go. That's it. What could make that experience better? The human touch. When we returned to our campsite a few hours later it was dusk. We discovered that the man running the campground had heaped a generous supply of firewood right next to our tent. It was a simple thing, but the cost of the wood back in "civilization" would have been more than cost of staying on those grounds ($10.00). It was welcoming, generous and really beyond anything we might have expected. He called it a blessing. He told us, "the fire is life." That night we slept like babies warm from the fire, blessed by the wood, and bathed in starlight. A blessing indeed.

(By the way, Canyon de Chelly is much more than Spider Rock. A fantastic hike into the canyon to the river at it's base provides some of the most spectacular scenery you will ever see, including the ancient cliff-dwellings that exist in niche of a sheer rock face, hundreds of feet high.)

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

Spider Rock Campground

Barb's Veggies - Rt. 25, Long Island's North Fork

2010-06-10T15:40:00.004-04:00

When you get beyond Riverhead, driving along the North Fork of Long Island, you pass numerous vineyards and farm stands between little towns such as Aquebogue, Cutchogue and Mattituck. Great is the temptation to stop at any or all of these during the warm months and check out their sumptuous local produce. But beware - not all are sincere - nor even totally local. We became aware of this on a pumpkin picking excursion one year. Yes, we were searching for, "the most sincere pumpkin patch." Those that boasted Corn Mazes and Haunted Houses were to be avoided. They were essentially tourist traps for people with little kids that needed entertainment. Fortunately, all our little kid wanted to do was find an exceptional pumpkin. So after a few run-ins with these insincerities, we were attracted by a humble little stand on the side of the road with no gigantic Halloween decorations - just vegetables, and an impressive line up of pumpkins. Behind it stretched the empty furrows from whence they came. Delighted, we chose just the right pumpkins at just the right prices, along with some sweet corn and other succulent items, and the friendly owners helped us without a lot of unnecessary gab.

Now, child all grown up, we still make it a point to stop there in the summer for melons, berries, lettuce, squash, corn or whatever else entices. No home-made pies, no pots of chowder, just fresh, homegrown produce. Amen.

Evaluation: Very Sincere

Located between Pindar Vineyards and the Southold Police Department after the town of Cutchogue, on the left, heading south (or the east side of the road).

Bookman's Used Bookstore - Tucson, AZ

2010-06-08T09:44:00.003-04:00

Okay, this is a local Tucson chain and we've made it an absolute must destination whenever we hit this Arizona town. But why? - you might ask, since living in New York offers such places as the Strand which is of course a really great source of used books. The reason can be summed up this way: A couple of Christmas' ago we were spending a couple of weeks in the desert, and went into Bookman's to pick up a bit of reading material. It was my first time in the store and I was wowed by the extensive Science Fiction section with such great prices. Anyway, we gathered up our choices and got in line for the checkout. Our total purchases came to somewhere around $30.00 and Georgina handed over our debit card. Well, something strange was happening with our bank and for some unknown reason the card was declined! Suddenly we were in Tucson and had no access to our money! You know that sinking feeling? Yeah, that's the one... All our cash and credit cards were back at the house. There was panic in the air. But get this: without hesitation the clerk made a simple decision on the spot... he said "don't worry about it." He placed all our things in a bag and said, " Merry Christmas." There was no charge! He absolutely would not hear of our returning with the money. Unbelievable! Now when we go to Tucson we always make it a point to visit this great store that breathes and even defines - sincerity.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

6230 E. Speedway Blvd.
Tucson, AZ 85712
http://www.bookmans.com/our-stores/tucson-speedway

Shore Towers - Condo - Astoria, NY

2010-06-07T18:04:00.010-04:00

Vast stretches of bare paint-gray concrete surround a building that hogs some of the best views of Manhattan from Astoria. When this monstrosity went up, it blocked about 50% of the view from Astoria Park. A "public" walkway along the river is scrupulously monitored to keep us riff-raff out...

Evaluation: You need to ask? Really?

Off the Vine - Astoria / Banville and Jones Distributor

2010-06-07T16:07:00.003-04:00

Now, I must admit I've never actually walked into Off the Vine, which usually would mean it's not qualified for this blog, but I had such an amazing phone experience with them, as well as their having been recommended by a good friend, that they've earned a high place on the sincerity index. Here's the story: a friend was having a bridal shower and had registered for a particular wine at a Manhattan wine shop. I went to their website to buy it, but the site didn't work each time I tried it over several days. The day before the party, I was frantic. I called the store, they said they could ship it for 12 bucks, practically the same price as the wine, or I could come in and get it though they're on the Upper West Side and I live in Astoria. I knew I'd have no time before the shower to do that. So I called Off the Vine, based on my friend's recommendation. They didn't have it, but were very friendly over the phone. They gave me a website to go to to locate the wine in NYC. The website took me back to the Manhattan shop. I called Off the Vine again, by accident, thinking I was calling another store. The man I spoke to then personally looked through his database to find the distributor of the wine and told me to e-mail him. I did so, and the distributor, Banville and Jones, (big shout out to them!) personally delivered the wine to me at my house that evening at no charge. Between the two of them, that's service!

Evaluation for Off the Vine - Very Sincere for phone service and could go higher once I have the chance to go in and check the store out.

Evaluation for Banville and Jones - Extraordinarily Sincere!

Sapporo East Japanese Restaurant, Manhattan

2010-06-05T18:40:00.003-04:00

This is the first place I ever ate Sushi, back in the mid-1980's. The fact that it's stood the test of time in a NYC neighborhood that's constantly changing, is a testament to its great food, low prices and really friendly staff. No ultra-hip, too-cool waiters here, though the occasional rock star does drop by. It's exactly the same restaurant it was when I first went there, except that I believe it's no longer open for lunch and the prices have risen with the market. But it's still the place I go if I want authentic Japanese food, (and cousins of mine who've spent lots of time in Japan confirmed that) but don't want to pay a bundle. I also feel like I can walk in, dressed however I want, and have a fun, casual and delicious meal. Not fancy, just 100% great.

Rating: Extraordinarily Sincere!

10th Street and 1st Ave, New York, NY

The Pink Adobe - Restaurant - Santa Fe, NM

2010-06-04T16:21:00.004-04:00

This is the place where Georgina and I met, so naturally we have fond memories. When we were members of the staff it was a very friendly place to dine. When we went back a couple of years ago we couldn't help but notice that the environment was much more structured and we did have the feeling that a good deal of emphasis had been placed on "turning the tables" meaning get them seated, feed them, and get them out so that the next batch could come in. Still the food continues to be very good, particularly the Steak Dunnigan (a sixteen oz monster smothered in green chili and mushrooms) is simply not to be missed. Rosalie Murphy, the original owner (friend to tons of celebs) is gone now, passed away (though I still do a pretty good impression of her - being bitter) as are all of the amazing people we worked with. At this point it seems like the template of what was is still in place, but home town flavor, alas - that's gone now. This is one that walks the line in my mind, so I am compelled to give this...

Evaluation: Kind of sincere

406 Old Santa Fe Trail
Santa Fe, NM 87501-2770
(505) 983-7712

A Fork in the Road on the Way to Riverhead, NY

2010-06-04T15:27:00.006-04:00

Everyone has a choice about which way to go. We all make these choices every day. In this case the choice is car dealerships, fast food restaurants, strip malls, Walmart, K-Mart and all sorts of places with one thing in mind - how to separate the consumer from their money with high level marketing expertise, going-out-of-business sales, fast talking sales clones and anything else that can be thrown into the mix, or a quaint little main street where they recently held an event titled the Street Mosaic. You choose.

Oh right - that big red circle in the middle of the forks... that's the Tanger Mall.

Note: we know that there are a couple of banks etc on the sincere route, but overall it's just so much more...well, sincere.

Evaluation: Depending on your choice - from Get Me The Hell Out Of Here! to Very Sincere

Dave's Not Here - Restaurant - Santa Fe, NM

2010-06-04T11:09:00.003-04:00

Right, so we don't live in Santa Fe anymore, and have not lived there for like eleven years. Nevertheless some things endure in memory (and taste buds), and this is one of those places. The burgers are big and sloppy. The fries are exactly what you should never put in your body. The service is fast and generally friendly. However some-days you'll have to stand in line outside in the warm New Mexico sun to await a table. It's not a tourist destination. The green chili is, of course, a must and a small amount of blue cheese on that burger is always a good idea.

The Dave Story: Dave was a beloved local chef who worked for another restaurant in town who branched off to claim his own small bit of local fame with this little place formerly called - you got it - Dave's. Unfortunately, with instant fame came a growing habit that got him in deep trouble. So deep that he had to give the place up. The folks who took it over however paid deserved tribute to his ground work by keeping everything the same but for that slight alteration of the name.

Evaluation: Very sincere

1115 Hickox St, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(505) 983-7060

Abarrotes Gabriel - Authentic Mexican Market - Astoria, Queens, NYC

2010-06-03T20:53:00.003-04:00

Don't try to pronounce it unless your Spanish is good, however you don't have to speak the language to go into this tiny little Mexican market and find choice items that all pretty much come directly from that country south of the border. There are shelves and shelves of snacks, yummy, salty, greasy, chile and lime flavored snacks. There are Mexican candies stacked practically to the ceiling, a whole wall of dried chiles, tons of salsas and hot sauces stocked behind the counter, and refrigerator cases full of chorizos (Mexican and Spanish sausages) cheeses, Mexican "crema" (a cross between sour cream and creme fraiche) and sodas. Corn tortillas are waiting in packages by the cash register but no flour tortillas - they just aren't that authentic. The more you know Mexican food, the more you'll like it, but even if you don't know it at all, go in and explore. The caballero who runs the place is always there and is as charming and friendly as can be, even when my husband makes his halting attempts to communicate in Spanish, though the man speaks English quite well.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily Sincere!

Located on Broadway in Astoria between 42nd and 43rd Streets.

Arturo's Coal Oven Pizza - Manhattan, NYC

2010-06-02T19:32:00.002-04:00

I first starting going to Arturo's in the mid-80's. It was the first place I ever had fried calamari. Even though their standard Italian fare is a little lack-luster, their pizza is mind-blowing, especially the pepperoni. They have a terrific wine list, which is the only thing that adds to a slightly higher bill, because the food is totally reasonable. The atmosphere is funky, super-casual and a little noisy It's often crowded but not with tourists and they usually seem to be able to find you a table. In the evenings they have a bluesy piano going which adds to the over-all downtown, bohemian atmosphere. And yes, the staff is friendly, but in that New York City kind of way.

Evaluation: Very Sincere

Houston and Thompson Street

Bare Burger - Astoria, NY

2010-06-02T19:07:00.004-04:00

Bare Burger opened about a year ago and it's our ultimate destination for shakes and fries after theater, movies or our son's various performances. Also great for lunch, dinner, you name it. It rates the highest on the sincerity index because the food is all organic, including the free-range meat, the interior is all made from recycled materials, and the take-out packaging is all compostable or biodegradable. (Actually, I've been experimenting with composting their cups and a year later they're still completely intact, but I'm willing to be patient.)

Beyond that, the food is ultra-delicious, and the staff couldn't be friendlier. They are a little too enthusiastic about opening up the moveable walls to the outdoors regardless of the weather, but it's all a part of their zest to be outdoorsy.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily Sincere!

31st. Ave. and 35th Street., Astoria, Queens, NY

Sleepy Hollow Restaurant - Oklahoma City

2010-06-02T12:43:00.005-04:00

Admittedly, this very first posting has to do with our dinner there some ten years in the past. That in itself makes Sleepy Hollow the standard bearer of all things sincere.

We encountered it on our move from Santa Fe, New Mexico to New York City (but that's another story). How sincere is it? It was recommended to us by a man who came to fix the AC in our hotel room. We still talk about the experience to this day... Friendly service, fantastic cooking, large portions, gravy that Georgina talks about swimming in. An experience worth traveling across the country for.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

1101 Northeast 50th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73111