Almost famous

It's always strange meeting people after only hearing about them; through friend connections, I was able to share a casual chocolate fondue and dessert with Kevin and youtube star Dave Yoon.

  

I'm always pleasantly surprised when I meet someone who is unperturbed by the fame and recognition they receive. As Andy Warhol put it,

"A Coke is a Coke and no amount of money can get you a better Coke than the one the bum on the corner is drinking."

Rich or poor, we are ultimately all human inside, and some equanimity is formed when sharing the same meal. Apparently Max Brenner in the heart of Union Square, NYC is famous for the sheer variety and amounts of sugary desserts. But I found their presentation to be satisfyingly more elegant, demure, and understated than contemporaries such as Cheesecake factory.

Whenever visiting a new place, try ordering a sampler, or a plate with small bits of different dishes; this way, I'm never disappointed. Here, we ordered the Sharing for Two Fondue, which includes: chocolate syrup in an erlenmeyer flask, banana tempura, chocolate wafer balls, fruit and cream on sugar waffle, milk & white chocolate bark, chocolate fondue. Do you have a strategy for first-time dining?

  d a n i e l l e

 ps. wishing you health and happiness on what is apparently the most depressing day of the year.
pps. I must rave for a bit about my new favorite photo filter. It's black and white with a bit of warmth. It reminds me of newspaper print. I call it, "not quite sepia."