Sugar Rush

Spot Desser Bar, Manhattan, New York

There was a time when I used to call myself a 'dessert fan'. That was untill I discovered that 'dessert' does not equal 'chocolate'. Sigh! 

Now, towards the end of every meal, if Im asked, do you want dessert, my response more often than not is to shake my head horizontally (unless I know for certain, there's chocolate somewhere!) But what do you do when you land up at a an all-dessert bar, that is the talk-of-your-town, and that doesn't have *any* all-chocolate dessert? Guess, you find out over one disappointing meal that nothing, and I mean nothing, comes close to chocolate!

So there we were, at this Spot Dessert Bar, after a heavy dinner of Thai cuisine.  

Maybe the expectations were set too high - by the accompanying friends, the pictures of the desserts on the walls of the eatery or the reviews I'd heard/read. But I was left sorely dissappointed. Small bite-sized portions of fruit and a few chocolate shavings on a plate don't do anything to satiate my appetite for 'dessert' for sure. 

No complaints with Spot though. They did what they claim to do best - combine innovative Asian sweets with classic American dessert to creat one-of-a-kind desserts. Sample this - Soft Cheesecake (Pic in the center) which is essentially cheesecake cream topped with passion fruit foam and  served with walnut crumble, blueberry compote, and grapefruit; Coconut macaroon with nutella almond cookie (top right), ovaltine icecream with a topping of caramelized popcorn, orange jelly squares and what-not (bottom left), green tea ice cream (bottom right), coconut foam with blackberry (top left) and again some stuff I couldn't decipher even though the lady who served us mentioned it.

Full marks to the presentation and to the ambience too.

Just that...I miss my chocolate cake! 

Naked Cowboy - Neither naked, nor cowboy!

Times Square, Manhattan, NY

I spotted the Naked Cowboy and the Naked Cowgirl!! Okay, now I don't mean to make them sound like the endangered species of some exotic-looking animals, but you can give it to me for behaving a bit touristy when I am at the 'tourist capital of the world'

Each time I passed by Times Sq, I looked out for either (mainly the cowboy :D) but as luck would have it, always missed them. The other day while walking back, I heard someone play the guitar and on appraoching the sound, saw this tall and imposing albeit undressed personality stringing along.

For the uninitiated, the Naked Cowboy, is a street artist who performs at Times Square. Dressed minimally - cowboy hat, boots and only briefs, his guitar his placed strategically to make him appear fully naked. The Naked Cowgirl is similiar, only, she wears a bikini.

The original cowboy - Robert Burck, trademarked the 'Naked Cowboy' charachter and after a number of lawsuits, now operates it like a franchise. I didn't see Burck himself but one of the other cowboys and the cowgirl, possibly Burck's girlfreiend, Cindy Fox.

While everyone posed with them and clicked pictures, a though struck my mind - the naked cowboy is neither naked nor a cowboy! I wondered then, why does he do, what he does? There's only but one answer - what we were viewing as a source of entertainment, was just another man's profession!

The Naked Cowboy, for all the fun and glamour attached to his character, is actually just performing a regular job! A job that he needs to attend, even on days when all one wants to do is tuck in and sleep (i've heard stories of the naked cowboy walking around in snow-laden streets); a job that needs him to earn money and answer to a boss (franchises pay $500 to Burck every month), a job that demands that he put in hard work and effort (shows on their sculpted bodies); a job that requires him to put up with the good and the bad, and a job that stresses you out if your audience is not appreciative. A fact - simple but overlooked! I plead guilty!