The Gonzales Experience:

Restaurant Review: Tabaq Bistro gets 2 thumbs down

2009-01-31T22:58:00.002-05:00

and If I had more thumbs they would all be down for this "Trendy rooftop restaurant offering tapas-style cuisine for dinner and weekend brunch in the U Street Corridor" apparently there is a new trend in the D.C area restaurants - horrible customer service, bad food, shitty drinks, long waits, etc etc. I went to Tabaq Bistro http://www.tabaqdc.com/ recently for a friends birthday dinner party and it was probably one of the worse restaurants I have ever been. Their website does a good job at making it look "trendy" however the review on yelp gives you a better look at what kind of service and food you can expect at this place. I will not go into too much detail just because I get angry just thinking about it. We waited almost 1.5 hours to be seated even though we had a 9pm reservation, food was cold, and did not taste that great, it was dark and either too hot or too cold in the glass terrace. As if that was not enough glasses were eithe dirty or chipped! (We pointed a chipped martini glass to the manager and what does he do? puts it back on the shelve for the next sucker to drink out of!) After almost ruining my friend's birthday dinner with taking 30 mins to bring the cake she brought (which they wanted to charge $2.50 per person to cut?!) he offered "free" champagne which nobody dranked...is this really what they teach you at hospitality school? piss off a party of 12 people who are going to tell their friends, blog, review on yelp about the horrible service they received? their website is currently promoting a valentine's special..if you are reading this before that dont even think about going here..actually I would not go back even if it they were giving away free drinks and food

Jamaica Jamaica..my new favorite destination

2009-01-31T21:27:00.000-05:00

After years of my first visit to Jamaica ( Negril to be exact) I recently went back to Montego bay for my 30th birthday. My girlfriend surprised me with an awesome trip to the Riu Montego Bay resort..probably one of the best trips of my life..even though it was a short getaway I felt in love with the place, the weather, and the people. I loved it so much that I knew I would want to go back and ended up going back over inauguration weekend with my mom and stayed at the Iberostar Rose Hall resort. Both of these 5 star resorts are highly recomended with great service, food and drinks. They are both all inclusive which is what I recomend when going to the islands. If you are in the DC area I suggest you book your all inclusive vacation through AirJamaica which flies out of BWI, since their nonstop flights to montego bay take about 4 hours which is not a long flight at all. Not only is it a short flight but service was good and they even served a full breakfast and mimosas..good luck on getting anything more than a glass of water on other airlines. The only difference between the two resorts was the distance to the airport. The RIU is really close- 1.7 miles from the airport while the Iberostar is about a 20 min drive..so it all depends on your length of stay and flights..the Riu is def nice if you want to be drinking poolside within 15 mins of leaving the airport while the iberostar is more like an hour before you can say "red stripe" please.

Been back but no pics or video yet..stay put

2008-06-13T01:58:00.000-04:00

Been back for over a month from our trip to South America..unfortunately I have no pics or video yet to post..I know I said to expect those in late May but in between starting at a new job, and being in my dead bed because of allergies I have not had a chance to finish editing video.
in the latest news:
-I'm now over @ AOTA as the social media manager doing "web2.0" and introducing all kinds of edgy things into what some people consider an "old school" org. I'm enjoying it though being able to use some of these new tools like twitter and leverage them into the not so "sexy" space that non proifts are. My office is in Bethesda and I have a window an nice view of 355
-Lexi is going into obedience school..starting on the 18th every Wednesday for 8 weeks. Keep your fingers cross and keep her in your prayers.
-Jess got a new ride. the big bawler got a clk convertible while I'm getting rid of my S2000 since I dont drive to work. I have gone "Green" during the week and using public transportion.
-I've started playing golf again and are pretty into it right now. Got a new set, shoes, and even took a class. Already played once this season with Jmack and Adrian but I sucked. I hope to improve throught the summer. We'll see how I do this weekend when we play Redland in Rockville.

I think thats it for now..

EPIC Trip in April (Ecuador - Peru - Colombia)

2008-03-12T02:58:00.003-04:00

just a quick update on what's going on - and yes we are traveling again!

Jess named our upcoming trip to South America E.P.I.C (Ecuador, Peru, Colombia).

We originally were only going to visit Ecuador for a week for Jess's nephew baptism and her grandmother's birthday. We would then head south to Lima for the week for my grandfathers birthday, and some kick ass ceviche..(while Jess had been to Peru, she did not spend anytime in Lima) after talking about it and me being in between jobs we figured what the hell lets add Argentina or Colombia to the itinerary - we have now extended our stay and will be visiting Bogota, Cartagena and San Andres.. We'll be gone all of April...(March 30-April 29th to be exact) I'm excited but at the same time getting a bit stressed with all the prepping we'll have to do (I haven't been out of the country for that long (last time was in 06 when I visited Mexico,Brazil, Miami, and San Fran in the month of March but I came home in between trips) I have booked our flights inside Colombia to Cartagena and San Andres and now its basically picking hotels..I dont know how I got stuck with planning Colombia when Jess is the vacation planner of the two...Pics to come sometime in May!

New Shaving Secret..shhhhhh

2007-12-18T21:39:00.000-05:00

well its no secret that I shave my head about two times a week and neither is the product Im now using even though thats the name of it - Shave Secret ... I tend to think that I'm a pretty good product tester especially since I shave more than just my face. For most of my life I used regular shaving cream, then switched to shaving gel when I started shaving my head. They seem to do an ok job but I was still getting tha burned feeling. earlier this year I was @ bliss spa at the chicago W and got somehow sold an $18 "Bliss's Thermal shaving cream" how could I say no to the cuties that worked there? I forked over the $36! (because I also got sold the post shave cream )and while it gave me a nice shave it was not worth the $18- but I did come out of that experience liking shaving creams better than gels or foam. I still have the Bliss shaving cream but I also picked up edge's active care shaving cream and at ~$4 was a winner. So I have been using that for the last few months while I was happy I was still searching for a better solution, I looked throught websites and forums on shaving (yep they are out there!)

I had read that shaving oils did a better job than all of the above but had never seen them at the stores. So I kept an eye out for them and this past week while shopping at walmart for a heater I saw shave secret on the "shaving isle". I had never seen it before so at $3 I figured what the hell. I shaved this morning and it was probably one of the best shaves I've had. with just 5 drops my head was completly smooth with no scrapes, bumps and "burning" sensation. its 100% natural oils and has a hint of Eucalyptos/menthol, its small little bottle which is great for people who travel like myself... who wouldve known that something in such a small package and pretty affordable would be so good. Im throwing away everything else and staying with the shave secret for now..

Dinner @ Talulla in Arlington VA

2007-12-06T16:09:00.000-05:00

we celebrated my good pal Adrian's birthday with dinner @ tallula in Arlington. This was my first time but even by just looking at the website I knew I was going to like it - His wife Anne set the whole thing up as a surprise - it ende up being like 16 of us and they even had his own menus printed with adrian's name on it. it was a prefixed menu so we had some options and I decied to go with the "Vande Rose NY Strip : crispy polenta, salsa verde, cabernet wine jus" and it was a good choice - and what complimented it even better was the wine - Im usually a cabernet drinker but this argentian malbec stole my heart. the Tittarelli Malbec (which I took a picture with my phone to remember it) shows as deep red/purple color with red fruits, spicy plum, herbs, and eucalyptus flavors. Complex and textured, the oak aging of this reserve adds considerable depth to the wine. pick up a bottle of tittarelli and let me know what you think - one local wine bar did not have it - I'll have to check the other one.

mini sweet turkey burgers ala biggie [cooking for uno]

2007-12-06T15:48:00.000-05:00

As you'll evenutally catch on alot of my cooking is very spontaeous and an invention on their own - ill start cooking and just go through what I have in the fridge and pantry and pick whatever I think would go nicely together. This recipe I call "ala biggie"because my good pal Aaron smutz puts honey in his burgers and boy does it make a difference. like me he also cooks for himself - so I will try to get him to guest post.. but for now here are the ingredients

Ingredients:

-ground turkey
-honey
-dry red pepper flakes
-salt and pepper
-dried basil
-worcheister sauce
-peanute sauce
-lettuce
-white onion
-olive oil

I put the turkey in a bowl, and on a separate dish I mixed in my condiments (salt, pepper, red pepper, basil, honey, worcheister) on about 4 tbsp of olive oil, I poured it into the turkey and mixed it. I then made mini burgers and used a pan to grill them. when ready I had a plate with the thai peanut sauce and some lettuce - with a dash of sriracha hot sauce - this took no more than 15-20 minutes.

my new series: Cooking for Uno

2007-12-06T15:40:00.000-05:00

translated into spanish - La cocina para Uno - basically cooking for one person or yourself - this has always been a challenge for me - I live alone so I cook for just me but I eat out quite a bit which has probably not helped my figure - I have put on around 20lbs in the last 2 years and totally lost my six pack! not only is cooking for one a challenge but also buying groceries. I tend to buy too much and then it goes bad - it was very tough at my last job where I traveled a bit and then I also traveled for fun so there were times when I didnt even bother grocery shopping since I was home for just one or two days - so whats the solution. what Im hoping is that this not only help me but also others- if you have tips -share them and feel free to email me so I can post them as well. my first recipe is coming up

BODIES...The Exhibition

2007-10-10T22:44:00.000-04:00

went to check out the exhibit at the dome in Rosslyn this past weekend..all i have to say is wow..

amazing how our bodies are these complex machines.. a very cool exhibit.. even though at first i was worried that it would smell weird (i took anatomy in high school and the smell was horrible) but none of that - I guess the process they put these bodies through gets rid of it (acetone to get rid of the water from the body and then a polymer /silicone to preserve the muscles)

the entire exhibit was amazing but looking at the lungs of a smoker is a shocker for sure. there are exhibits worldwide so get to one before it leaves your town

for more info visit http://www.bodiestheexhibition.com/intro.html

Best Spa of 2007 award

2007-08-24T11:02:00.000-04:00

Of the spas I've been to this year.. here are the top 3..

#3- MGM, Las Vegas: Grand spa & health Club
#2-Caesars Palace, Las Vegas: QUA Baths & Spa (the roman baths and artic ice room are wicked, especially after a night of drinking)
#1- Boca Raton Resort & Club, Boca Raton FL: Spa Palazzo (must try the ritual bath and hang out at the private pool in the garden for the full treatment)

Flying Virgin

2007-07-20T09:18:00.000-04:00

brand expansion of Virgin - Virgin America is looking really dammmm good to me.. I travel alot for pleasure and work so I have been on pretty much all airlines.. but when I read some of the awesome things VA has.. I was sold.. how does a standard 110v power outlet sound? ethernet for broadband? and usb outlets at every seat? maybe not that great for you non-geeks out there.. cause I would have everything plugged in like always.. while jess just sits back and chills.. anywho for those kind of flights I would feel like having a martini cause the mood lighting that changes throught the flight makes it look like a lounge out of NY.. even if you didnt bring entertainment with you there is plenty to do on the flight.. Satellite TV, Payperview, 3000 mp3s to listen to..but the coolest feature has to be the seat to seat chat client-An airborne social network!!

so far they are only flying out of a few airports..SF, NY, LA ..DC was listed but I could not get a fly to Vegas yet (which Im going on Aug 9th and this woulve been booked here) but flights from LAX to JFK came to $ 280 which is not bad at all.. Service out of DC to SF or LA starts in sept 26th and oct 24th of this year! birthday Trip!

life after death as a diamond?

2007-07-03T14:11:00.000-04:00

I dont know how I came accross this one.. (a magazine probably ) but it was an interesting option... lifegem creates diamonds from the carbon of deceased loved ones..

they are not cheap either ..options start at about $3500 for a .20-.29 carat size to $25k+ for 1.50 carat..so if you want to weare some bling from your someone you loved..now you have the option..

Sopranos!

2007-06-12T09:00:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday was probably one of the best episodes and the worse (because of the ending) at first much like alot people we though the cable box went out.. since it was a good few minutes of silence and black screen..I wasnt a hardcore fan until last season I think.. before that I watched a few episodes here and there.. so when I read this post from friend Osta.. it made sense.. here it is..if you are a true sopranos junkie who has followed it since the begining this may make sense to you:

"The guy at the bar is also credited as Nikki Leotardo. The same actor played him in the first part of season 6 during a brief sit down concerning the future of Vito. That wasn't that long ago. Apparently, he is the nephew of Phil. Phil's brother Nikki Senior was killed in 1976 in a car accident. Absolutely Genius!!!! David Chase is truly rewarding the true fans who pay attention to detail. So the point would have been that life continues and we may never know the end of the Sopranos. But if you pay attention to the history, you will find that all the answers lie in the characters in the restaurant. The trucker was the brother of the guy who was robbed by Christopher in Season 2. Remember the DVD players? The trucker had to identify the body. The boy scouts were in the train store and the brothas at the end were the ones who tried to kill Tony and only clipped him in the ear (was that season 2 or 3?). Absolutely incredible!!!! There were three people in the restaurant who had reason to kill Tony and then it just ends. This was Chase's way of proving that he will not escape his past. It will not go on forever despite that he would like it to "don't stop". Not the fans!!! Tony would like it to keep going but just as we have to say goodbye, so does he."

Take a beer bath..literally..

2007-06-11T09:42:00.000-04:00

If I ever make it to Austria, I definately want to check out the Starkenberg brewery ...Im sure the beer would be pretty damm good but they also have the world’s only ‘beer-swimming-pools’ the site states "The included hops have a calming impact on body and soul" isnt that what beer does when you drink it too? .. supposedly Cleopatra not only took baths in milk but also in beer to get a clean and tender skin.. this could be a dangerous place for a college fraternity though..

New town centers

2007-06-11T09:33:00.000-04:00

town centers seem to be the popping evewhere in moco.. I just drove throught he rockville town center yesteday and it looks pretty nice.. they have some good restaurants which means we wont have to drive to bethesda to get a decent bite.. but even closer to home there is a new town center in the works - watkinsmill town center about a mile from my house..this means only two things..more traffic due to the new residential space..and another starbucks..

Back Pain Relief -Myofascial massage

2007-06-08T10:06:00.000-04:00

I suffer from back problems.. alot of it is stress driven, bad posture, and right now being 10lbs heavier... I use to see an acupuncturist and a chiropractor too.. recently I've only been seeing a chiropractor but usually my schedule conflicts with the visits and Im spending too much $$ on visits..I recently learned about myofascial massage using a foam roller.. Myo refers to muscle, fascia to the tissue that surrounds the muscle fibers. By putting pressure on tender areas along the muscle tissue, the golgi tendon organs help trigger the relaxation of the muscle spindles, helping to dissipate the adhesions, increase blood flow, and enhance overall movement.

I decided to give it a try and I purchased a PB elite molded foam roller from perform better.com the website was recomended by my chiropractor. I decided to go with the 1' long 6"round elite model(black) rather than your regular roller(white) because it last longer and it was only a few more bucks.. so far its been great, I use it in the mornings and whenever I feel i need a stretch... there are multiple uses for the foam rollers but Im mainly using it for my back..

Ice Ice baby...

2007-06-06T20:31:00.000-04:00

Ice louges are always fun at parties..at least thats what I remember from back in college..but Im older now and "sophisticated" and who wants to deal with that mess and they arent cheap either..I came accross icejacket while reading club systems magazine..and even though its not a louge its a preety cool add on to a cocktail party..not only does it look nice but also keeps the vodka nice and cold and its not as messy since it melts right into the tray

whats new? Im sick

2007-06-04T15:38:00.000-04:00

Ive been sick for about 2 weeks now.. F&*#ing allergies! have turned into a sinus infection..I went to the Dr today and got some antibiotics..hope to be 100% soon..this sucks!
this past weekend I was in bed...pumping myself of drugs to get better.. last weekend was A&A's wedding! which Im glad I was not too sick for..we had a blast! this weekend hopefully I will be fully recovered! and the weekend after that I'll be in chicago!
ok that is all..Im hurting...wish me luck

Philly weekend with the guys

2007-04-20T11:35:00.000-04:00

what a weekend.. went up to to philly for Adrians Bachelor party.. the usual suspects joined..Biggie, joey, jonny and adrians friend from philly markus..
we drove up friday afternoon and made it in about 2 hours, checked in at the LOEWS downtown and headed to continental midtown which was my favorite place in philly..great food, nice decor and drinks were good too.. make sure to check out the rooftop patio and the bathrooms..the mirrors are a trip.. we headed to another bar after -chestnut room which was good times as well.. and to end the night Pat's for a cheeseteak..we took it "easy" that nite..Saturday we had a segway tour setup of philly..this was my first time riding these things and it was pretty cool..if they were not $5k i would get one.. we grabbed some food at the market and dranked a few bottles of wine back at the hotel..we also lost a soldier..joey was out of commission for the weekend-I will leave details out.. We headed to POD restaurant for dinner..where the sushi was preetty damm amazing..the place reminded me alot of dragonfly in DC..got picked up by the limo at 10 and headed to delilahs for some drinks and usual bachelor stuff...then headed to cuba libre for mojitos and ended up at blue martini.. sunday was a rainy day but we all made it home after stopping by little italy to pick up some fresh pasta and cheese..... had a blast though and it was fun to get away with just the guys.. I definately want to come back to philly during the summer and do some more sightseeing

Its been a few months..

2007-04-11T22:27:00.000-04:00

since I last posted anything here.. just been mad busy with work and I guess more work.. that even my main blog has suffered.. anywho as far as trips
I was recently in San Jose CA for a few days and then hung out in San Fran with Jess for the weekend hitting up all the tourist places like alcatraz, fishermans wharf, golden gate park, japanese tea garden, de young museum, golden gate bridge..the things we didnt get to do due to the weather were muir woods and napa..so for next time..
our dining experience wasnt the greatest..we went to blowfish which was highly recommended but it wasnt that great - the drinks were nothing crazy and the sushi was just ok.. and we also had dinner in chinatown at an "original" place but we left disapointed.. the hightlight as far as meals were the italian restaurant in little italy and the bread bowl of chowder from fishermans wharf..we stayed right in union square @ hotel union square which was a really good deal for the location..and the hotel was nice and the location was the best part..right on powell a block from the trolley station...so I highly recommended...
this weekend Im off to philly with the guys for Adrian's bachelor weekend.. so that should be a good time.. the next month is going to be a busy one.. got Mike and Aritza's wedding, then JohnyMacks cinco de mayo party, Adrians wedding..and other events..

Back from Vegas

2007-02-13T19:07:00.000-05:00

Just got back from vegas this past weekend...had a great time ..here s a quick recap
arrived friday - we stayed at Caesars this time which was nice.. got us an upgraded suite with an excellent view - but i lost my brand new polo sweatshirt in the proces of moving rooms.. I guess thats the price of the upgrade! ... chilled out in Johny Mack's suite a few floors below us and then went out to eat to sushi roku @ caesars.. ehh Ive had better.. we did have a few bottles of an excellent pinot noir "flowers" ($150 each!) and got us some comped appetizers and round of drinks at the bar.... we dediced to head over to body english @ hard rock where we were listed so we skipped the line but caughed up $30 each.. ehh it was worth it I guess.. they had a fashion show so there were plenty of hoochies on stage....saturday we hit up qua @ Caesars- best $35 spent to detox and fully relax.. then even though I wanted to do nothing but veg out in my room.. we went over to StripSteak @ Mandalay for some very expensive cuts of meats.. stopped by Aureole too..
Aaron smutz pic's here
Margo's Pics here
Jessie's pics here (email me for password)

can you tell how exhausted I am?

Restaurant Week: Silver Spring MD

2007-02-06T20:26:00.000-05:00

..you dont have to go all the way downtown to enjoy a great meal.. Ive been to some of these and can vouch that their food, drinks, and atmosphere is almost as good if not better than being "downtown"
Participating restaurants will feature prix fixe lunch ($12) and dinner ($22 or $30) menus from Monday, February 5 to Sunday, February 11.
one of my favorite ones is gallery .. its too bad its already wednsday and we leave for vegas friday AM.. and tomorrow I have a company dinner to attend.. otherwise I would be eating out all week.

Jonny Mack's Sangria Recipe

2007-02-02T04:54:00.000-05:00

I was looking through my Entourage inbox..and found this recipe from Jonny Mack..who makes the best freaking sangria in the world.. is practically a food group.. anyway here is the recipe..enjoy!

Madrid Style Sangria

1 bottle (750 ml) dry red wine, preferably Spanish
1 cup of gin
1 cup of cognac
1 cup of sugar, or more to taste
1 whole lemon
1 whole orange
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
3 cinnamon sticks (each 3 inches)
ice cubes for serving

1. Combine the wine, gin, cognac, and 1 cup sugar in a pitcher and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Cut the peel, including the white pith, off the lemon and orange, exposing the flesh. Cut the flesh into 1/4 inch dice. Discard any seeds.
2. Stir the diced fruit, fruit juices, and cinnamon sticks into the wine mixture. Taste for sweetness, adding sugar to taste. You can serve the sangria right away, but it will be better if chilled for an hour or so, to "ripen".
3. Serve the sangria in wine glasses over ice.
Serves 6

Bonus Drink recipe:

This next drink reminds me of a sangria and tastes real good. You can vary the recipe to meet your needs and for a larger quantity.

Cactus Berry

1 1/4 oz tequila
1 1/4 oz red wine
1 oz triple sec
6 1/2 oz sour mix
1 splash lemon-lime soda
1 dash lime juice

Shake with ice and pour inot large salt rimmed cocktail or margarita glass. (I some times will add some oj and cut up some fruit like apples, oranges, asian pears. I also do not serve this beverage with the salt on the rim.)

Wine and Cheese @ the Mack's

2007-01-28T19:54:00.000-05:00

Attended the Mack's annual wine and cheese tasting party yesterday..good times! ..even though I woke up with a hangover mixed in with soreness from working out and feeling a bit under the weather.. had to get some pho today to shake it off.. as you can see below we had 20 bottles to taste.. Here is the list -lots of good wine from Argentina on the list.

1. Vin D' Alsace-Barth Rene, Gewurtztraminer-Roemerberg 2004
2. Williamsburg Winery LImited-James River White2005
3. Williamsburg Winery Limited-Arundel-Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
4. Clos Du Bois-North Coast-Chardonnay 2004
5. Sierra Grande-Central Valley, Chile- Sauvignon Blanc 2006
6. Burrton Special Selection-Sonoma Coast-Pinot Noir 2004
7. King Estate Vin Glace-Oregon-Pinot Gris 2004 (sweet wine)
8. Spier Anno 1692 Private Collection-South Africa-Pinotage 2004 (this one was the biggest in flavor,**this one was one of Jon's favs)
9. Kaiken-Mendoza, Argentina-Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 **(this one was Margo's fav. Great value and smooth for 15.99)
10. Kaiken Ultra-Mendoza, Argentina-Malbec 2004
11. Pascual Toso Barrancas Vineyards Reserve-Mendoza, Argentina-Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (**this one was Sam and Jon's Favorite)
12. Stonestreet-Alexander Valley-Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
13. Terrazas Los Andes-Mendoza, Argentina-Malbec 2005 ( Bottle I brought)
14. Pumari-Monteray Co.-Syrah 2001 (Tom Mack's Dog Wine)
15. Truth Lindsay's Cuvee-California 2003 (Best Art Bottle-M.C. Escher)
16. Montoya-Cabernet Sauvignon-2004
17. Steltzner-Napa-Claret 2004
18. 120 Santa Rita-Chile Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 (my second bottle)
19. Avalon-Napa-Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
20. Anselmann-Dornfelder 2005

DC is not a state..

2007-01-24T06:39:00.000-05:00

according to Colbert...being from the DC metro area.. this was the funniest video ever.. I have not laughed this much in a while.. colbert rules!

Adrian's 28th bday - dinner and bowling in DC

2006-12-10T21:27:00.000-05:00

it was my buddy Adrian's bday celebration this past friday... started it off with dinner @ matchbox - a really nice cozy warm place to start off and warm up for sure... we started off with drinks at the bar -they have their own infused vodka and house drinks so I tried those.. I had a berry blast that I shared with Jess which went down too fast but delicious.... Once seated we started it off with their famous 3 6 9 mini burgers which were really good- make sure to let them know to lay off the salt though.. and then pizza from the wood- fired masonry oven were delicious. For dessert you have to try their banana bread pudding.. after dinner we headed down the street to lucky strike for bowling and drinks.. definately a fun nite!

Blast from the past...

2006-12-02T13:55:00.000-05:00

got to love holidays like thanksgiving when you sit down and go through old photo albums.. well we did just that and jess got to see some pretty funny pics of my brothers and I when we were little..here is one I scanned... me as batman and my brother as robin..and the other on first day of school...one day when I retire I hope to digitize all my pics..until then this will do

28th Birthday Recap...

2006-10-26T22:02:00.000-04:00

Oct 24th came and went...and now Im 28th.. feeling great..no complaints.. this year was without a question the best one yet.. this past weekend Jess surprised me with a getaway to Berkeley Springs WVA .. a small town in WVA..We arrived Friday afternoon and checked into the Inn on Fairfax which was a very nice B&B - the owner Nancy made an awesome breakfast each morning..Friday Afternoon we walked over to the main street which was only 2 blocks and walked around for a bit before Jess revealed surprise # 1 - "Perfect Harmony" @ the Bath House..well the name said it all..Perfect harmony consisted of an aromaspa treament and craiosacral massage.. We tried having dinner at Lot 12 which was the most highly recomended restaurant out of the few in the town.. but unfortunately it was booked solid friday nite and saturday! even my "its my birthday and I drove from maryland"pleads didnt work...we went over to another popular spot Tari's but it was pretty busy and the only seating available was by the smoky bar...we ended up having mexican @ mi Ranchito - which was surprinsingly good mexican for west VA..
Saturday there was a Studio Tour taking place of some of the artist shops & exhibitions so we walked around and checked some of the local art....surprise # 2 was another spa treatment over at Atasia Spa where Jess dropped me off for almost two hours of deep tissue massage and a reflexiology treatment..which was out of this world.. I got done right in time for our 5pm dinner reservation over @ Panoroma at the Peak ..we had a really good table and got to enjoy an awesome view of the sceneary and sunset.. ohh yeah and the crab cake dish wasnt bad at all either.. food was outstanding!...Sunday we had our last breakfast @ the B&B then headed to the local market and picked up some local produce...lastly we went to the berkeley state park to enjoy a relaxing roman bath (750 gallos of mineral water in a private tub heated to 102 degrees) not a bad way to end the weekend before heading home!...we got one in about 1.5 hours which was not bad at all because berkeley springs feels like a far away little town but its not..
on Tuesday the 24th.. when I didnt think there could be anymore surprises.. Jess surprised me with dinner @ filomenas in Georgetown with a bunch of my friends...boy was I shocked! an awesome surprise and the best gift ever..dinner & wine with my closest friends and Jess..
like I said.. this seriously was an awesome birthday week..ok thats all.. Im 28.. here are a few pics from the nite..more to come when Jess returns from her trip..

Back From San Diego..

2006-10-15T14:46:00.000-04:00

Im Back Home! .. I caught the redeye home which I wasnt looking fwd to but I slept pretty much the entire flight.. arrived in DC around 6AM and got home by 7.. slept in till about noon and then Jess had the entire day planned out ..so I had a few visits to starbucks..but still the entire day I dragged..and it wasnt until sunday afternoon that I was recovered..
while In San Diego I attended a cool little networking event held at the terrace of convention center which was sponsored by one of the companies at the conference I was attending..On Thursday nite I had an outstanding meal @ Blue Point and then headed to Sidebar which was around the corner, met some cool peeps there and closed it out with buddy Juan and John...
found some pics on NapkinNights as well..

thats it for now..next weekend I will be out of town for my birthday but I dont know where its a surprise by jessie..

quick update..

2006-10-09T07:57:00.000-04:00

its been a few since I posted anything here..I blame it on my new phone..its been keeping me occupied..but anyway here I am..
lets see.. this past week weather was awful but yesterday made up for it.. weather was great which called for a bbq at my place, we had some ribs, and burgers and smores on the new fire pit... lots of fun.. as far as traveling Jess came back from Mexico in one piece even though her flight delays and cancellations would've killed anyone.. this week I will be in San Diego through Saturday..then I think Biggie may be in town.. next on the calendar is my birthday is oct 24th and I think Jess has a surprise getaway for that weekend (oct 21-22)..
she then leaves for the phillippines on the 26th for 2-1/2 weeks..thats about it

Virgin Fest & Vino Fest recap

2006-09-25T20:02:00.000-04:00

this past weekend was packed of festivals...Saturday was Virgin Festival which was a bit disapointing..We got there around 5pm, parked on the wrong side so we had to walk around to get to will call where my tickets were - Jess was walking in brand new shoes and had blisters at this point..it gets better, we get to the gate and jess had left her ID behind and two tickets were under her name..we eventually got them with a signed Coach receipt....Saw the killers first and then walked around to the other two tents...lots of hippies and drunk people though. We sat down to see Thievery Corp which was good...we then walked to the dance tent where Digweed was supposed to be playing but that was not well attended for any of the djs..it could've been that since Tiesto cancelled this gig people decided to check out the other tents...we didnt get to see the red hot chilli peppers either...at around 730 we were pretty much done so Jess, Joey and I left peter to have some fun...its a good thing these tixs were comped and I did not pay the $100 each...especially after we heard they were being sold for $20 at the gate. ...
Sunday we went to different type of festival..The Great Grape wine festival @ the Tarara winery in Leesburg VA..it was a group of 8 us that went and even though we encountered some rain and wind we had a good time....we tasted a total of 8 wines starting off with whites, Viogneer and Charval...next were the reds that were a bit too dry for the girls....but I think everyone enjoyed the semi sweet dessert wines. I personaly liked the Cabernet Sauvignon..a full bodied wine with a long, spicy finish with aromas of cherry, cinnamon and black pepper. A few of us liked it so much we bought a bottle to drink at the festival..Virgina isnt Napa valley but for only being an hour drive from home it has some nice wines.

Virgin Music Festival Sat @ Pimlico - Baltimore

2006-09-21T07:38:00.000-04:00

The Line up is preety sick not only in the band arena but also in the Dj tent.. carl cox, john digweed, and tiesto.. John Digweed has been on the road promoting his transition cd which I blogged about in June Thievery is an other act Im looking fwd to seeing as well..so saturday jess and I and two lucky winners will be attending..its going to be hectic, she has a baby shower and I have to make sure promotions are set up at the festival..how are we going to do it? stay tuned for the next episode...for info on the festival check http://www.virginfest.com/

Restaurant Review: Piccolo Nido in Boston

2006-09-15T08:06:00.000-04:00

went to Piccolo Nido while I was in Boston for VON Fall with the nextone crew.. and the food was outstanding and so was the service.. the owner, Pino himself sits you and makes sure your experience is as close to Italy as possible.. the restaurant is in the heart of the north end.. and while its a small restaurant its very cozy and comfortable.
we started off with "CALAMARI ALLA GRIGLIA and BRUSCHETTA CLASSICA " which were delicious..the basil on the bruschetta was super fresh.. for my main dish I had the "PETTI DI POLLO CAROLINA" ...a Breast of chicken sauteed with fresh artichokes, lemon, white wine, roasted peppers and capers.... and for dessert we had creme brule which had a nice sweet burn crust on top... along with the meal with had a few bottles of red wine and some limoncello to finish off which nicely complemented the dinner..this is definately a place I plan to come back to next time I'm in Boston.. keep your eye out for Pino and his restaurant as they will be featured in an upcoming movie coming out later this year.. visit www.piccolonido.com for info

Its good to be home...back from Boston

2006-09-15T07:42:00.000-04:00

Im back from Boston.. where I was this past week.. with not much time to post anything.. hung out with Joey and Aaron for 2 days and had an awesome time .. other than that I was there for an IP communications conference so I didnt really go sightseeing..weather was nice..but it did get chilly.. Im exhausted today but got to head to the office..looks like this weekend we'll be chilling here.. weather will be nice so hopefully my patio furniture will get delivered as promised..so a bbq on sunday is probably taking place.. Im still waiting for my new phone that hasnt been shipped..so Im bummed out about that.. here are some pics from my e680.. and here are some from Biggie's camera @ smutz2k

Joey peekin in to "the littlest bar" literally it is the smallest bar Ive ever been to.. fits 20 max..cool irish bartender though

Wi-Fi hot spot while pounding away @ local pub TAM

Late nite eats in Sommerville MA...

The smutz brothers helping out the Fedex lady..

3 dudes @ the coach store in boston???

this is what happens when cell phone geeks hang out..@ a bar in sommerville

this Weekend...

2006-09-09T08:53:00.000-04:00

Well labor day weekend was a bit rained out... didnt get to do much of the things I had on my list :) mainly was a bum with Jess...but had a great time @ Adrian and Anne's BBQ on sunday...
this weekend my buddy Niel is in town with his wife to celebrate their recent wedding in Cali..here with friends and family.. so we'll be attending that this afternoon and maybe going to see Ryan aka kaskade who is in town playing @ mosaic in Baltimore..thats pretty much it... Im heading up north for VON Fall through thursday.. looking fwd to hanging with the smutz brothers and geeks @ von..next weekend we maybe going to lake anna to take the jetskis before it gets really cold.... ok thats it..

Labor Day Weekend in the rain

2006-09-02T04:12:00.000-04:00

yes thats a bus in someones backyard..most likely as a result of the heavy rains we were experiencing earlier friday... which looks to be like for this labor day weekend rained out.. we were planing on going camping at Watermelon park in VA but that was scratched .. the Jetskis are operational too and we just picked them up yesterday..but doesnt look like it will be getting any usage this weekend (maybe sunday if it clears up?) there is also A&A's BBQ on sunday...anyway rainy weekends are sometimes nice..a chance to catch up on movies, bum out, eat pizza and do absolutely nothing (or close to it) we started off the weekend pretty well already..with papa johns and that 70's show rerun marathon...since it will be a very chill 3 day weekend the only 4 things I hope to acoomplish or at least start..
-Set up my office
-look for new couch and mattress (good sales weekend)
-catch up on reading
-play with joeys new nokia e61

Shakira..Shakira..in DC

2006-08-30T06:35:00.000-04:00

Went to see Shakira last nite with Jessica..@ the verizon center (formerly known as the MCI center) which I still refer to as.. it was a sold out show but we had some really good seats... below is a few pics from my phone.. while I didnt know all the songs from her latest cd ORAL FIXACTION - I can say the songs are hot like her moves ..and it was the last song with Wyclef -Hips dont lie that got the crowd going nutz! catch her on the road- Oral Fixation tour - powered by Verizon wireless

Punta Cana Slide show

2006-08-25T06:33:00.000-04:00

I havent had a chance to do my post trip review and post pics yet but here is Jessica's slide show she put together.. full review and more pics coming! check bak

Slo-Mo Home Depot

2006-08-24T07:08:00.000-04:00

Im back from Punta Cana.. a review and pics coming tonite or tomorrow..
but while you wait I came accross this prnak through Digg and though it was pretty funny..check it out slo mo prank @ homedepot...

To Bring or Not To Bring?

2006-08-15T22:09:00.000-04:00

That is the question... with the recent terrorist threats last week and the banning of certain liquids on carry who knows whats allowed and what isnt.. You can definately forget about brining that cafe latte to sip on your flight as all beverages are banned.. if you are flying anytime soon check the TSA website to make sure you know what to bring and not to bring on your carry on..Im flying this friday to DR and Im sure it will be an interesting experience as the only thing I can sip on is Breast milk...
all kidding aside this is going to affect more than a few freqent travellers,
- Duty free shops.. liquor and perfume sales are shrinking
-Drug stores are making $ as more people replenish things they had to leave
-Makers of carry on baggage -less need and usage of carry ons
-Amtrak train- carry all you want...

Nightlife - Music Marketing at its best

2006-08-07T07:54:00.000-04:00

I was asked the other day by a new start up record label on some marketing advice..they dont have a huge budget either so they couldnt really afford to bring my firm for consulting ..but being the nice guy that I am..I gave them a few tips.. one of them was simple, yet very important.. Finding your local photographers/blogger that are out at these event snapping pics all nite.. they usually have a good website with lots of traffic and a solid following (everyone likes seeing their pics online - its a fact) sideshow bob , pixorave by dj Genna, and high rezolution are good examples of what I mean.. I included a few pics below taken NOT by me (Thats me on the first one with Sandra Collins) but by one of these guys..if you look at the pics you'll notice something in common in all of them.. no its not that they are all world famous djs..its the Posters placed in specific locations that result in very cool shots (my favorite is probably Sander K -2nd below on his Everybody Tour) so see doing something as simple as this can help any release campaign especially when one of these websites tracks thousands of visits

Solomons Island Slides

2006-08-01T13:45:00.000-04:00

more pics..here is a slide show jessie put together yesterday..

Solomons Island: Sunday

2006-07-31T10:16:00.000-04:00

We started off sunday with lunch @ Solomon's Pier (their Crab cakes are huge!) and then headed back to the beach for a few more hours of jetsking, jellyfish hunting and beer drinking before heading home.. it was a fun weekend which we'll do again before the summer is over probably since the water stays warm even into fall..next time we'll probably stay at one of the local bed & breakfast, visit AnnMarie garden and the local winery which we didnt get to do this time.. next trip on the calendar is Lake Anna on August 12th..this coming up weekend I hope to get my sailboat out sunday..pics of me sinking it and drowning will probably be up next monday

Solomons Island: Saturday Night

2006-07-31T10:00:00.000-04:00

After a few hours at the beach we cleaned up and headed out to dinner..our first choice was Solomons Pier Restaurant, but by the time we got there they were already closed.. the next suggestion took us to The Badfish Dock Bar and Grille..where you must try sea scallops wrapped in bacon and their house cocktail - seafoam (which rob ordered and I could smell the 151 from accross the table)...After dinner we stopped by the Tiki Bar for a few maitai's and hung out there for a bit and then headed back and called it an early night..we had another full day ahead of us tomorrow.

Solomons Island: Saturday

2006-07-31T09:09:00.000-04:00

We were down at Solomons island this past weekend.. it was only about a 1.5 hour drive from home so we could've been in the water pretty early but the mapquest directions didnt quite give directions, We checked in at the local holiday inn which was pretty nice regardless of the reviews on tripavisor and we also we had lunch @ a really good bbq place called boomerangs off route 4 before heading to the water.. We had access to this private beach courtesy of Tadi..(first pic with Jessie-Thanks Tadi).... it was a sand ramp which I love to drop jetskis off.. but we had a little help getting pulled from a few guys in their jeeps..after all that we enjoyed a great day of warm sun, warm water, and lots of fun

Vegas Sunday: REHAB @ Hard Rock

2006-07-29T04:44:00.000-04:00

Jessie's Birthday @ Punta Cana DR in August

2006-07-11T13:24:00.000-04:00

we'll be celebrating Jessie's birthday in Punta Cana...We'll be staying at the Allegro Punta Cana Resort Aug 18-22 which is an all inclusive resort.. Im definately looking fwd to white soft sand, cristal clear water and all the activies like sailing (since I cant find any time to take my sailboat out here) horse back riding, windsurfing and scuba diving.. but most of all I'll be taking full advantage of their "Unlimited local alcoholic beverages " and hopefully get to catch up on reading.. I'll do a post trip report when we return August 23rd...

4th of July - Ocean City

2006-07-05T23:47:00.000-04:00

4th of July- Ocean City II

2006-07-05T07:01:00.000-04:00

John Digweed Presents: Transitions

2006-06-20T09:30:00.000-04:00

Renaissance presents John Digweed: Transitions is the latest release from the man himself.. Im handling the marketing in the DC area for this release under my AMP agency
John is also on the line up performing in Baltimore at the Virgin Festival sponsored by Virgin in september along with other acts like thievery corporation, Red hot chilli peppers, Carl Cox, Brazilian girls and more!
listen to the mix before it hits the street on june 27.. click here

Vegas- Saturday night

2006-06-13T10:30:00.000-04:00

We arrived in vegas, checked in and off we went to RAIN.. I ended up running into Evelyn there on her last nite in vegas, the club was ok but the music left me very unhappy..even though we got vip access thanks to my many connections :)

Hoover Dam..Vegas here we come

2006-06-13T10:09:00.000-04:00

On Saturday after hanging out some more at the lake we packed up and got on the road back to vegas.. on the way we stopped by Hoover Dam since Jessie had not been before.. ( I had made it out here a few years back on a trip to vegas) the actual tour center was already closed and it was quite windy... we took a few pics.. streched our legs and got back in the truck to keep on truckin..

More pics of Lake Havasu

2006-06-12T21:04:00.000-04:00

Visiting Lake Havasu AZ

2006-06-12T20:43:00.000-04:00

Jess and I visited Lake Havasu right before Vegas to visit her friend Leah...Jeff and Leah (Jessie's friends) were nice to pick us up in Vegas and take us back to Lake Havasu where they live...We were there from thursday 6/10-saturday6/12..it was nice to relax before heading to vegas where we would probably not be sleeping much..we got to relax out in the lake do some wakeboarding and see some awesome boats..

Italian Embassy Gala

2006-05-07T08:48:00.000-04:00

On Friday May 5th Jessie and I stepped onto Italian soil for a very special and elegant evening at the Embassy of Italy! the night included
1) ITALIAN CUISINE BAR
2) DANCING TO A SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 3) OPERA PRESENTATION
4) CONCERT
5) MOVIE
6) DJ DANCING
this was a Black Tie event so it was good to dust off the old tuxedo for a night. ... here are a few pics of the night

a few days in Acapulco..

2006-02-14T07:58:00.000-05:00

Im im acapulco for the weekend before heading to Mexico city...here are a few pics from the beach in ..these are from my phone so quality isnt greatest..but you get the idea

Wine Tasting @ the Macks..

2006-01-29T11:51:00.000-05:00

This past weekend Jonny and Margo hosted the annual wine tasting party at their house.. a much anticipated event by all of us that has become sort of a tradition... this year my selection was actually enjoyed by everyone where last year it was almost thrown out..now if only I could remember what I brought
here is the list of the featured wines, and all get two thumbs up:

1. 2004 Riesling -Scmitt Sohne, Qualitatswein b.A.
2. 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon-Domino de Malpica, Osburne
3. 2000 Tempranillo-Monastrell, Terra Unica (Reserve)
4. 2003 Cotes du Ventoux-Bishop's Selection, Rhone Valley (Grenache & syrah varietals)**I heard that the only place that sells this wine is Iron Bridge Wine Co.
5. 2003 Pinot Noir-Ramspeck Napa Valley
6. 2003 Fiykot-Barbera D'Asti Prunitto
7. 2000/2002 Cabernet Sauvignon-Clos Du Bois, Sonoma County
8. 2004 Merlot-Domaine De Saint Antoine, France
9. Santorsola Brachetto d'Acqui, Italy (champagne)
10. Porto Wine-Quinta De Ventonzelo-Portugal

2005 Birthday Bash

2005-10-26T07:06:00.000-04:00

A few pics from my birthday bash @ 5 this past weekend... good times... from what I can remember

Birthday Bash weekend!

2005-10-17T10:41:00.000-04:00

come out to 5 this saturday for my 26th bday bash... Miguel migs is on the line up along with hanik..

Coming to an ear near you...

2005-07-01T11:00:00.000-04:00

Here are some of the latest releases that I'm working on (under my music agency) and highly recomend to soothe your ears..play it loud!

Deep Dish returns with a very anticipated artist album featuring tracks like "Flahsdance" and "Hello". Out July 12th

Want to be hypnotized? then check out Colette's latest release on OM, a hottie with true talent..

If you've never been to Ibiza. Now its the time to go.

more @ www.ampmanagement.us

ChiTown...

2005-06-11T09:49:00.000-04:00

Pics from my last day in Chicago.. I had a few hours to kill before heading to the airport so I got on one of those double decker tour buses and got to see most of the city until I felt asleep on the bus and almost missed my flight home..

WMC 05 miami

2005-04-01T08:02:00.000-05:00

Just returned from my annual miami trip to wmc.. I think I only made it to the beach once this year and the rest was invite only pool parties...a few pics from the phone