MENA DOES FLEET WEEK IN NYC!

And what was I doing walking around with only a cell cam?

THE MAKING OF A SUBWAY STAR!


Willamena was right there ready to help me rip into the box when my new Gibson Les Paul Studio arrived.
She was however, a little disappointed when she realized the styrofoam popcorns weren't edible, and that the item inside was a treat for me and not for her. My only gripe is that it arrived just one day too late to try-out to be an official subway musician!

The day before, the MTA held it's yearly auditions at Grand Central. Only about 100 of those acts you see drumming and strumming and singing are recognized by the MTA.


There are 150 performances a week at 25 locations. The program began in 1985 and every year about 20 spaces open up.

That gives me just about a year to learn to play!



I told everyone when I won my Gibson in Vegas that I couldn't wait to get back to New York City so I could perform in the subway.
What do you think? John Mayer, watch out. I already have the face down. Now I just need the finger moves.


GETTING AXED

Before I could even pretend to play anywhere, I needed a shoulder strap. So







I went to the legendary Dan's Chelsea Guitars.
Owner Dan Courtenay had the perfect $7.00 strap for me, yet apologized his selection was low because some movie shoot had just nearly wiped out his supply. Then as he was showing me how to put it on, he looked at my Gibson and said, "If you are doing a photo shoot, you need a cool OLD instrument. How is this Rickenbacker?" "And take Matt, too."
A Ricky and a Matt!
He was so nice, he ended up giving me a few lessons, even teaching me 'G."

After returning Matt and the Ricky, we headed North to Strawberry Fields. People liked my sign, and I ended up getting both kinds of tips. Someone threw in a dollar. (I made her take it back.) And I also got some playing tips.

On Vacation, Dog gets Headshots

Willamena has always loved sniffing around on-location movie shoots here in New York City. Often to the production crews' amusement, I have to struggle to pull her away from the craft services set up.

I just thought she wanted the food. But now it seems she wants part of the action. While she was at her Connecticut vacation home, right across the street crews filmed scenes for an upcoming Barry Levinson movie staring Robert DeNiro, Stanley Tucci, Sean Penn, and Bruce Willis.

In hopes of getting a role, she had head shots made!
(She was staying with photographer Lori Golias, so I guess grasp the opportunity!)
I think it might be too late for this movie, but what do you think? Will any of these make Mena a big star?

Vacation is Great! Having a Mena-Colada!
Willamena is getting a break from her reporting duties in New York City as Heather attends the National Association of Broadcasters, NAB, conference in Las Vegas. Mena is staying in Connecticut with her boyfriend, Otis, and his mom Lori. She took the kids to the Cascades in Fairfield where they can run and swim off leash. When they got home, they got baths with coconut shampoo. Lori says Willamena smells like a Mena-Colada! I wonder if I can get one of those in Vegas?

A couple of things before Willamena goes on VACATION to her Connecticut home.
First, she is happy to announce the New York City Parks Department has decided to officially uphold its longtime practice of allowing dogs off-leash in certain areas of parks from 9:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. The announcement came this week. Click here for areas your dog can run free.

Second, Willamena turns nine this month. We're not sure what day, any suggestions? But as soon as her Connecticut vacation is over and she is roughing it again in New York City, she will have to slow down to celebrate. Currently a spa is planned. Grooming and a fancy pup-icure.

Willamena just found out May is national Hamburger month. She might do a tour and share some favorite burger joints. Wait, May is also national salsa month and better sleep month and national duckling month. Who knows what could happen?
In the meantime, she is still planning her Seinfield and Kerouac Tours.

Play Ball Eat Dogs!
Willamena's New York City Tour of Top Hot Dog Spots

Baseball season '07 is here!

Whether you are a Met or Yankee fan, or just can't decide, there is a dog for you.
Of course trips to both Shea and Yankee stadiums provide opportunity to pick up some of the best hand-holding culinary creations (unless you are a sauerkraut fan, which is difficult to find at both.) But you don't need a ticket or the 7 or 4 train to get a great dog in New York City. This NYC tour is for those of you who don't have the luxury of a backyard grill or season tickets, but still want the best in the league.

So let's play ball and eat!

1.Old Homestead Steakhouse
56 9th Avenue

In a league where every dog is a hit with Willamena, she just can't bring herself to try the $19.00 Kobe dog at this Steakhouse.
Not because it doesn't sound delicious with its truffle infused mustard, Kobe beef chili, Vidalia onions and Chesire cheese, but what dog can pass up that cruncy delight that comes with most steaks here, the BONE. A fan of the $45.oo Gotham Rib Steak bone, she is waiting to try the $90.oo Porterhouse for two bone. (You can see how $19.00 is a bargain.)


2.Gray's Papaya
West 72nd & Broadway

From the city's most expensive to the dog to maybe the best deal. $3.50 gets you two hot dogs and a drink! There aren't any seats, and most likely you'll have to wait in line, but these are worth the drool.

You can also grab a coffee here for 25-cents from 6:00 to 11:00 a.m. Weird but the rest of the time Gray's doesn't have coffee.
Its open 24-hours so no craving comes at a bad time.
There are establishments with "papaya" in the name across Manhattan, but the original, Papaya King at 179 E. 86th Street, opened in 1932.

Here is another "Papaya" where you can down a dog for a dollar!
Chelsea Papaya
225 Seventh Avenue, near 23rd Street

3.Shake Shack
Madison Square Park, Madison & 23rd

You have two dog choices at this popular outdoor eatery. The Taxi Dog and the Chicago Dog. Taxi Dog sports kraut and onions while the Chicago dog is layered with neon relish, tomato, pickles, onion, cucumber, celery salt and mustard.
Since the burgers and custard and Pup-tini's (see Mena's previous blog entry) are also top rated, there is always a line here. You might want to check the wait via the live cam.


4. F & B
W 23rd Between 7th and 8th (seen here)
E 52nd Street between Lexington and 3rd Avenue

10 dog styles to choose from, including a smoked chicken dog with sweet corn relish. All in the two to three dollar range.




5. Brooklyn Diner

212 W. 57th Street (seen here)
155 W. 43rd Street

This $15.95 entree maybe should be up under the 20-dollar pick. This dog comes embellished with onion rings, homemade sauerkraut and sweet pickle relish.








6. Street Vendors
This one at 8th & 33rd near Madison Square Garden









And look, another on the very next block. 34th & 8th.
Dining with a view.
What more could you want? A deal? How about $1.50 per dog? Can you get a better deal in mid-town?







7. Nathan's
Coney Island, Brooklyn

Of course we didn't forget this famous place. And of course it's good, otherwise how could one person eat more than 50 of them in 12 minutes?
Being so busy preparing for baseball season, Mena didn't get to make it out to Coney Island, so I stepped in to help her out.
While April 1st is opening day of Baseball Season, it is also the first day of the season for Coney Island, though Nathan's remains open year round.
2007 marks history for AstroLand, as it will be its last. The Cyclone and the Ferris Wheel will remain, but the rest of the park will be closed for redevelopment.



*Bonus* Connecticut Favorite
Super Duper Weenie
Exit 24 off I-95, Fairfield, Connecticut

When Willamena visits her Connecticut vacation home, she likes to stop at Super Duper Weenie. This place started in a cart. It has grown into a regional favorite. The super smart sign also appears in various guide books and blogs.

What a weekend in New York City!

It is finally here! It is starting to feel like Spring. The outdoor restaurants in the parks are opening. Willmena visited one in Central Park as well as Shake Shack in Madison Square Park.

This is where you see her with her Pooch-ini. It is frozen custard, p-nut butter and dog treats.

This being the first open weekend of the season for Shake Shack, you have to have patience. The line around the park waiting for hamburgers, dogs, custard and drinks was almost as long as the string of drool that hung from Mena's lips by the time my buzzer alerted me our order was ready. Mena also sampled the Taxi Dog and Chicago Dog. She will write about those in her upcoming Hot Doggie Tour of New York City.

The Morning After.
After all her pre-St. Patrick's day touring (did you see her Connecticut Irish tour? Click here) and her frolicking in the new snow, McMena needs a day at the spa.
Actually, she took it easy St. Patrick's night, turning in early even though the dog upstairs barked all night and cheers and chants could be heard from the street all the way up to her 11th floor pad. The morning after St. Paddy's Mena was back out by 7:30am enjoying off-leash hours.
Okay, so there is one more thing Willamena likes as much as treats and the first morning after a snowfall.


SWIMMING.


This dog will try to swim in puddles, fountains and

even those little ponds some people have in front of their homes.
So this morning was a bit of a temptation for her. Again,

back when she was young, the taz-mena devil, she could never have been trusted off the leash by water. Actually, she couldn't have been trusted on leash by water. She would have pulled

me in here.

The Luck of the McMena! If there is anything McMena loves as much as a treat, it is the morning after a snowfall in Central Park. Here it is, St. Patrick's Day '07, in the park around 8:00 a.m. Dogs can be off-leash from 9:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. in New York City parks. Recently, though, this non-posted guidline spurred a lawsuit which, thank McMena's lucky shamrocks, failed. However, the end result is expected to create official regulations granting off-leash hours. We'll hear something next month, I'll keep you posted.
McMena doesn't like it when it's raining or snowing, and she doesn't like walking on the salt-treated or sludge covered sidewalks to get to the park. But once she sees several inches of fresh powder (in this case, kinda fresh pellety) she trembles. Her ears shake, her smile widens, she runs faster than when she was that one-year-old tasmanian devil that had to be locked in a seperate room when people came over.
New York City area children were also lucky this weekend. They got a an extra day off because almost all schools called Friday a snow day.
Happy St. Patrick's Day!

McMena's St. Patrick's New York City tour of Irish hangouts.
Upper East Side:

(Map coming soon. In the meantime, read on! - Click on pictures to enlarge.)

An Irish pub in New York City? That's hard to find. A internet search reveals there are more than nine-thousand in the area! Mena can't make them all, but click here for links to some of the most popular. In the spirit of the Willabeast's Haunted Tour of NYC, McMena stakes out the Upper East and West sides for places that at least have an Irish feel.


1. Finnegan's Wake
1361 1st Ave At 73rd St

I'm assuming they have good whiskey here. It was the cause of both the fall and resurrection of Finnegan.
You can also order Bangers & Mash, Steak & Kidney Pie, Shepherd's Pie and Fish & Chips.
However, Willamena was intrigued by the green sign looking behind the awning of Finnegan's Wake. So let's zoom in.


Shamrat
1365 1ST Ave

Kinda funny being in the search for Shamrocks we find Shamrat.
Seriously though, a nice alternative to whiskey or the pint any time is Chai. Shamrat has it listed on the menu as Indian spiced tea.
While Willamena hasn't had the Shamrat version, she highly recommends trying it at any Indian place. Her favorite, however, is still at the Cosmic Cafe in Dallas.

2. Cork & Fin
1374 York (between 73rd and 74th)

This place is wishing you a Happy St. Patrick's Day. That's what it says on the door.
Mena was just here too early. She was told by a cute irish looking boy on the corner eating a sandwich that it is usually open. A check of the hours reveals it opens at noon Monday through Friday, but not until 6:00 pm on Saturdays.
Check out choice with your chips: Whiting & Chips, Tilapia & Chips, Cod & Chips, Catfish & Chips, Chicken & Chips, Shrimp & Chips, even Crabsticks & Chips. You can also get Teriyaki and sushi rolls.

3. David Copperfield's
1394 York Avenue at 74th Street

Just a half block from Cork & Fin a Guiness sign screams at you from David Copperfield's. Okay. So Charles Dickens was English, and this is an ale house. But it does serve Irish fare including Bangers & Mash and Shepherd's Pie.

Plus just how happy the four of us look. Proof people in Manhattan are friendly and you can hand your camera over to strangers who ask if you want to be in the picture with your dog.


4. Doc Watsons
1490 2nd Avenue (between 77th & 78th)









McMena had a thing for this Menu. Check out her smile. While you are at it, check the Brunch deal. (Click on the photos to enlarge.) $10.95 includes an entree, such as Baked beans on toast, and TWO drinks. Ten bucks is what one drink will cost you at some NYC brunches.

5. McKeown's
1303 3rd Ave (between 74th & 75th)

This place is all Irish. It offers traditional fare, including Irish Stew and even Irish-style chicken curry.
There is a fireplace as well as stained-glass window detailing inside.




6. Phoenix Park
206 E 67th At 3rd Ave

Check out his lounge the newshound sniffed out. Its menu lists burgers and traditonal Irish fare. Actually, its the first place on this tour to have Corned beef & Cabbage on the menu.
(Even though Patrick Hogan, a Connecticut chef and restaurant owner born and raised in Ireland, told me he never had corned beef in Ireland. He says it became a substitute for Irish bacon here in America. Read his recipe for something he did eat in Ireland, Bubble and Squeak. )
Phoenix Park in Dublin is the largest urban enclosed park in Europe. It is bigger than NY's Central Park.
Has Mena done a Central Park tour yet? Stay tuned.