Crumble in the Bronx | Personal

Our mini trips from NJ into NYC included a first time visit to the Bronx Borough for me as well as good eats at old time favorites.


We got some awesome cookies from Madonia Brothers Bakery in the Bronx. I can assure you that no stick of butter was spared in the making of these crumbly cookies.


A local meat market in the Bronx


This deli looked like a dungeon and the air was really humid. I had to step out in fear of inhaling a mold spore.


We were fortunate enough to get into the Bronx Zoo for free as most of the animals were either missing or hiding from the inclement weather. The highlight for all of us was the sea lion feeding.


Nat demonstrates how a sea lion eats fish








No trip to NYC is complete without a meal at Joe's Shanghai


Din Tai Fung is no match for Joe's crab xiao long bao.


Frozen Hot Chocolate at Serendipity


I finally got to see Patrick's dorm at Columbia University.


Ah, the good ol' days in the tiny dorm room where you kept your clean and dirty clothes in a pile. Now that I live in a house I keep my clean and dirty clothes in separate piles in the bedroom.


Only in Times Square will you find Elmo and Spider-Man competing for the attention of a hot woman.

Garden State Foibles | Personal

I'm not going to dump on the state of New Jersey anymore because I've come to realize that people will adapt to the idiosyncrasies of daily life wherever you live. The only problem here is that "adaptation" left me more exhausted on my return than when I left. All I can say is that it's sooo great to be back in California.


At least Nat got some sleep on our red eye flight into Newark. Sitting in coach on a United flight is no fun when you can't fall asleep and the person in front reclines all the way.



We were fortunate enough to be able to stay in Heather's friend's home in Fanwood, NJ.



The weather never got cold enough to don our hats outdoors.



You can still find nice sunsets in Jersey.



Nat was thoroughly entertained with the aquarium in the lobby floor of Legal Seafood.



Bridges and Traffic go hand in hand into Jersey.



First decent meal in Jersey was at the Mitsuwa Marketplace in Edgewater. I'm pretty sure I scarfed down my bowl of ramen in 3 minutes flat.



NY skyline from Edgewater, NJ



We located a Grimaldi's Pizzeria in Hoboken, NJ



Our pie was unfortunately not up to par with the Brooklyn location or our newly beloved Emilia's Pizzeria. I'm not sure why it was so soggy.



Only in Jersey will you find a milkshake bigger than your head. But in retrospect I think the milkshakes had a hard time competing with the size of most patrons at this establishment.



Harold's Deli in Edison, NJ made some awesome pastrami. They also claim to have the largest pickle bar in the world. It really wasn't that big.



Harold's cakes were cartoonish.



I tried to find some interesting things to do during the day with Nat as Amy was in work conference all week during the day. I ventured to Edison, NJ one afternoon only to find the most pathetic memorial to Thomas Edison. It took me half an hour to drive 5 miles to get here and it was closed.



Rain and more traffic were unkind on the Jersey roadways.



The interior at Bobby Flay's burger chain was really nice.



$16.95 for an original crunch burger, mango milkshake, and sweet potato fries at Bobby's Burger Palace. It was pretty good but are you kidding me? Bobby - I'm ready for a burger throwdown anytime



I've sat in my fair share of traffic jams but I'll remember the night of 11/5/2009 as being one of the worst commutes I've ever experienced anywhere. On top of all this hubbub you better make sure you're in the right lane to pay toll. Tourist driving in New Jersey = FAIL Good times. Good times.

I've got another update coming soon for our ventures into NYC. Stay tuned...

Stuck in New Jersey | Personal

I just spent the last 2.5 hours driving 30 miles on the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey. This poor soul was caught in a minor fender bender in the midst of the ridiculous traffic tonight in 45 degree weather. As to why he was so fashionably dressed in a blazer, boxers, white socks, and black New Balance shoes - who knows. I somehow think the accident is the least of his problems...

Stay tuned for more photos of majestic New Jersey and why I will never come back here if I can help it!

Phyllis & Ben - San Francisco, CA | Engaged

I headed over to San Francisco to meet up with Phyllis and Ben, on what was, without a doubt, the most beautiful day so far this winter. They are so sweet together and I think that really translated in their photos. Phyllis and Ben initially said they felt awkward but they worked the camera like they had been doing this their whole lives. By the end of the shoot I hardly had to give any direction!

Here are some of my faves from our session:







































At the end of our shoot Ben wanted to do a jumping shot. What better way to show that hangtime than by animating it? See how fun they are? I'm sooo looking forward to shooting their wedding next June!

Phyllis & Ben Teaser | Engaged

Check back in a few days for more highlights from Phyllis & Ben's e-session!

Emilia's Pizzeria | Food

Last Friday I seriously had the best NY-style pie west of Brooklyn at Emilia's Pizzeria. My expectations were hyped up after reading this article and I wasn't disappointed. Berkeley has bred some excellent pizzerias over the years and if you're in the mood for something other than Zachary's or Cheeseboard, head over to Emilia's and give pizzaiolo/owner Keith Freilich some love. (FYI, I am in no way affiliated or compensated by Emilia's Pizzeria for this post - just passionate about good pizza!)

2 caveats: 1. Check out Emilia's site for updates as they do tend to run out of dough. 2. Be patient - Emilia's has only been open a week and so far he seems to be running the place solo. In any case, his pies are worth the wait.


Nat was a little groggy/cranky when we arrived.


pizzaiolo/owner Keith running the show solo. Look at the line!



We literally got the last 2 pies of the night. Here we are occupying 2 out of the 3 tables in the cozy dining area.


sausage and roasted red pepper. Our second pie was pepperoni - which was even better, if that's possible. It was so good that we scarfed it down before I could get a shot.


Stellar pizza turned Nat's frown upside down pretty quick!