Wednesday, December 23, 2009
La Vie Boh...mmm TOKYO Part 5 "The Fans"
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Loui's -Providence, Rhode Island
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Fong's Pizza Des Moines, Iowa
I think its the whole idea of Chinese food and cheese. Both very good things individually but not so great together. An old relationship of mine suffered the same problem. Both of us were great people separately, but not your ideal couple. Everyone around us questioned us constantly because they couldn't see why we were together. Did we? Yeah, for a while. We had such deep admiration for each other, although we knew deep down something wasn't right. We didn't bring out the best in each other...like french fries and ketchup. I think the main reason I stayed in it as long as I did was because I kept saying to myself "this is an amazing person. It has to work!" But the relationship, just like the pizza, wasn't as delicious as I wanted it to be. It just left a funny taste in my mouth.
So we ended our "Chinese Pizza" relationship and are now good friends. And, I learned something valuable... just because something is great, it doesn't mean that its great for you. Which is probably why you won't find cheese in the Chinese diet!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Love At First Sight at Aritsugu Knives Kyoto, Japan
One of the things I knew I must buy myself in Japan was a Japanese Chef's Knife. In preparation for my travels I watched Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" Japan which inspired the hunt for a great knife! But which one would I pick? How would I know which knife would be the right one? Knowing I'd have to live with my choice, the idea of picking a knife quickly became reminiscent of choosing a new lover.
While strolling through the Nishiki Market I came across Aritsugu, the most popular knife shop in Kyoto. As soon as I walked in it felt like the knife Mecca! All the beautiful gleaming knives showcased on the walls made me feel like they were flirting with their sharp smiles. It was like being fresh meat walking into a bar!
Like my grandfather was, I want to be a master in the kitchen. Nothing excites me more than the idea of not only loving food, but being able to prepare it for others with creativity and grace. I know that part of that would entail mastering my knife skills. I wanted to find a knife that was approachable, and felt like an extension of who I am. This is probably part of me finding my own identity in the kitchen. From tools to ingredients, I know that I want to be one with all the elements. I wanted the perfect companion.
My experience of picking a knife was very much like speed dating. I picked out a bunch from the showcase and then spent some time with each of them. "This one has a good handle...this one's is too intimidating...this one is too high maintenance" I thought as I made my way through all of them. And then there it was sitting there, the perfect knife! My new Japanese lover! It was the perfect size, it was durable, classic and inspiring! And I could engrave my name on it as well! SOLD!
They engraved my name, and wrapped up my new companion which even came with instructions on how to care for it. Ahh...If only dating were that easy. Wouldn't it be amazing!? And the staff at Aritsugu were so patient, accommodating and helpful with me making my choice. I was so excited!
My new knife is waiting for me at home until I'm done touring. In the meantime I fantasize about the day I get to unwrap it and master my skills with my new relationship. :)
My experience of picking a knife was very much like speed dating. I picked out a bunch from the showcase and then spent some time with each of them. "This one has a good handle...this one's is too intimidating...this one is too high maintenance" I thought as I made my way through all of them. And then there it was sitting there, the perfect knife! My new Japanese lover! It was the perfect size, it was durable, classic and inspiring! And I could engrave my name on it as well! SOLD!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Nishiki Market 錦市場商店街 Kyoto, Japan
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Expedition Eats: Climbing Mt. Fuji
I attempted to climb Mt Fuji all the way to the top.... I didn't make it. Here, you'll find no heroic story about a long and arduous journey that turns out victorious in the end. You will not find pictures of me celebrating at the summit of Mt. Fuji watching the sunrise with the wash of accomplishment over my face. I cannot report about all the goodies you may find to eat at the top should you one day decide to climb for yourself. In fact, I hear there is a great curry up there awaiting those who make it to the top! This is a story about what failure and giving up tastes like.
On one of our days off in Tokyo, myself and 4 members from the RENT technical crew: Timmy, Hector, T.J. and Jeff, decided to head to the great Fuji San and do an evening climb that would have us arrive at the the Summit just before sunrise. I know...crazy, considering that it was on my day off after performing 8 shows that week and I was already exhausted. But it was something that seemed like such a great idea and I had to do it.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Disney Sea, Tokyo, Japan

Yes..Yes...The food! The food was my favorite part! I have never seen so many different and interesting types of food at a theme park. They had your typical hot dogs, fries and burgers, but also had gyoza sausage buns, spiced chicken legs, apricot fritters, meat pies, churros, delicious mexican food and of course, sushi!Also, scattered throughout the park were different flavors of popcorn..caramel, black pepper. curry, sea salt and our favorite, strawberry! It made the whole experience incredibly adventurous and satisfying. You never knew what was around the next corner!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Tsukiji Fish Market-Tokyo, Japan
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Epcot Food and Wine Festival with "67 Days of Smiles"
67 Days of Smiles
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Im retiring my chopsticks and heading to San Fransisco!
After 2 amazing months in Asia, RENT- The Broadway Tour will be playing the Curran Theatre in San Fransisco for 2 weeks starting October 6, 2009.
I have so much to share with all of you...Tokyo and Seoul blew our senses away! I'll be spending the next 2 weeks we have off laying by the pool, editing videos and uploading posts from our culinary adventures through Asia. And,To kick off the next leg of RENT- The Broadway Tour, the first of many "La Vie Boh...mmm" episodes from Tokyo will be premiering on opening night in San Fransisco. I am so excited about these new LAVBM episodes! I'll take you on my expedition to Mt Fuji, Cast weekend trips to Kyoto, Disney, and Okinawa, wandering through markets in Tokyo and Seoul and lots of backstage footage from our amazing stay in Asia.
In the meantime, a little research...San Fran! Where are all the good eats??? Where should we go!? We have 2 weeks to explore the tastiest recommendations you may have....
I have so much to share with all of you...Tokyo and Seoul blew our senses away! I'll be spending the next 2 weeks we have off laying by the pool, editing videos and uploading posts from our culinary adventures through Asia. And,To kick off the next leg of RENT- The Broadway Tour, the first of many "La Vie Boh...mmm" episodes from Tokyo will be premiering on opening night in San Fransisco. I am so excited about these new LAVBM episodes! I'll take you on my expedition to Mt Fuji, Cast weekend trips to Kyoto, Disney, and Okinawa, wandering through markets in Tokyo and Seoul and lots of backstage footage from our amazing stay in Asia.
In the meantime, a little research...San Fran! Where are all the good eats??? Where should we go!? We have 2 weeks to explore the tastiest recommendations you may have....
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Deadly Delicatessen: Eating Scorpions!

Our second battle of the Deadly Delicatessen was an impromptu event on a rainy day off in Tokyo. We began our night with raw eggs and anchovies served over Caesar salads, and plenty of drinks with friends at the Mermaid bar in Akasaka. Then we moved back to the hotel for Mario Kart and Chu Hi, a delicious and potent blend of soju, soda water, and a citrus of your choice.


Saturday, September 12, 2009
Deadly Delicatessen: Fugu! Can Eating Blowfish Kill You??
Written by RENT the Broadway Tour Company Members: Greg Bober (Sound) and Tracy McDowell (Ms. Cohen)

While in Tokyo my epicurean equal and I discovered a new food fetish. Deadly Delicatessen. Foods that if not prepared properly could kill you.
First we decided to tackle the poisonous blowfish Fugu! While Tracy first learned about Fugu from Anthony Bordain on the travel channel, I first learned about it from Homer Simpson, and if its good enough for Homer, its good enough for me. Lucky for us there was a restaurant specializing in this deadly fish between our hotel and the theatre. “Fugu me!” We kicked off our shoes and slipped into our private Fugu chamber, not really sure how to make this happen. We hoped the chef was in a good mood and not hungover like the rest of us, and presented our coupon for a 4 course plus all-you-can drink meal.
First we had Fugu fin hot sake. The Waitress brought it out in a square cup inside a square coaster covered by a small lid. She lit a match, lifted the cover and set the sake ablaze! After a few minutes we took off the lid and out poured the stench of hot feet in seal tank! If the smell wasn’t bad enough, the taste was even worse, plus there was a grilled fin in our sake. But we drank it fast and moved on to the skin and scallion salad. The blowfish skin was chewy, almost the texture of a stale gummy worm, but tasted really good. Tracy swears her mouth started tingling from the salad, which we had heard could happen, so we ordered cold sake. Next was the Fugu sashimi, super thin sliced blowfish meat accompanied by scallions, radish, and a vinegar soy sauce. Umi! More sake.
Next heaven on a plate was served; beautiful golden brown southern fried side of blowfish. It was the most amazing, perfectly fried piece of fish we had ever had. Sake and beer. Then the main course! A hot pot was placed on the burner in the middle of the table and a brine was set to boil. Served on a platter with tofu and various vegetables came meaty chunks of the body, mouth and cheeks topped off by a piece that was still fluttering! Tracy asked if the pulsing piece was the heart still pumping and the waitress replied “No, it’s the brain.” She added all of the ingredients into the pot and Tracy said that if anything was still moving when it came out of the pot that I had to eat it. We ate the contents of the pot, cheeks and all, with a sweet soy sauce and of course more sake and beer.
Finally when the waitress came to clear the table she also said that she would bring us dessert. We asked what blowfish dessert consisted of and she said “marrow.” We briefly tried to figure out how they were going to serve marrow, but were surprised when she returned with two plates of melon. Damn language barrier! While we sat and continued on our seemingly endless supply of sake and beer, we were pretty sure we heard someone whispering Tracy’s name. Are we hallucinating? Is this the first step in losing our battle with the Fugu? No. We are winners. Then the door opened and in walked Justin Johnston. Turns out we weren’t the only ones interested in tempting fate that night. So we ordered him the sashimi and fried fish. He loved it! And as quickly and mysteriously as he had arrived, like a ninja, he snuck away into the night. More sake and beer.
In the end we left with full stomachs, a good buzz, and a win in our first battle with deadly delicatessen.



Saturday, September 5, 2009
"Pocky? You never call me Pocky!"
We kept a table right by our dressing rooms were we would drop off our edible gifts and share
I also loved this little mound of rich yumminess (pictured on the right) that I have no idea what it was. Can anyone tell me? I want a whole cake made out of that!
It was also really great to see so many faces I recognized from doing RENT over the years. Thank you for welcoming us so warmly to your wonderful country. We really feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to perform in Japan. Arigato Gozaimasu! We miss you!
LAVBM EPISODE TOKYO, KYOTO AND BOSTON COMING SOON!!!!!
Friday, September 4, 2009
Ninja, Tokyo, Japan
To start off, even if you know where the restaurant is located it’s still hard to find. The Ninja of Japan used to put great importance on invisibility and misdirection making them appear magical. Once you walk in there is someone to guide you through dark corridors and secret passages until you reach an old ninja village hidden inside the building. This is where you eat! Amanda and I were lead to a room inside an old house where we were shown menus made out of scrolls for our drinks and food courses. I have to say that everything we ordered had flawless presentation and tasted great!
Amanda ordered a spicy sake that was served in a large, bowl-shaped glass garnished with what
The icing on the cake for me, however, was the Eel Sushi with Camembert Cheese. I have never tasted sushi that good. We ordered it twice. For dessert we shared an apple gelatin with vanilla ice cream on top. Again, something I had never tasted before, but quite good.
After paying for the meal we were lead through a “short cut” which brought us to the front of the restaurant and were met with a fond farewell from the staff. Amanda and I have not stopped talking about our experience ever since. I’ve heard this restaurant also exists in New York City, but if you want the most authentic experience you must visit Tokyo, Japan and take a subway to Akasaka. Only there will you experience the magic, mystery, and delicacies of Ninja.
Monday, August 31, 2009
McDonalds, Japan
Yes! I saw the movie "Super Size Me" and it broke my heart. I did lay off of the cheeseburgers for a while...but within time the cravings kept coming back. Of course they would, it is so deep seeded into my psyche and tied to so many childhood memories that I cant stay away! Everytime we went on a family road trip the best part of the trip was stopping at McDonalds. One particular trip from Disney back to Miami I remember quite well. Growing up I used to fight over dumb things with one of my sisters and this time it was the pickle in the cheesburger. See, I didnt like pickles, but when my sister asked me for mine I said "no" to get her back for teasing me earlier on. Everyone knew I hated pickles but I was'nt going to give her the satsifaction of having it! My mom insisted I give my pickle to my sister knowing very well I didnt like them, but I stood my ground claiming my new found love for them, clearly lying. To my dismay, once we got home, mom brought out the jar of pickles, sliced them up and put them in my cheesburger. She stood by my side and made sure I ate up every single one. I suppose thats when I developed a liking for pickles!?
My favorite growing up was Chicken McNuggets. I remember when they first came out. They were like little nuggets of gold, except for the dark meat ones. I was very happy when they introduced the all white (bleached) meat version. Even on the few rare occasions I wake up early enough to have McDees breakfast it is so rewarding. Sure I feel like poop afterwards, but those first few bites are heaven. I dont know how many cheesburgers I indulged in when McDonalds opened across the street from the Nederlander in NYC. And when traveling abroad, you can always find salvation in the golden arches when craving something familiar.
Today, McDonalds is a special treat I give myself every now and then...and I'm not the only one is the cast!
Like any other city in the world, McDonalds is also found on every corner all over Tokyo. And the rumors are true! Its better here than in the US! Not only does it taste better, but the sandwiches look like the ones in the pictures! Remember when they used to deep fry the apple pie? They still do in Japan! It really is tastier deep fried...I know, what isnt!? In this post you'll find some of the menu items we don't see in the US. Click on the photos to see them up close.
My favorite growing up was Chicken McNuggets. I remember when they first came out. They were like little nuggets of gold, except for the dark meat ones. I was very happy when they introduced the all white (bleached) meat version. Even on the few rare occasions I wake up early enough to have McDees breakfast it is so rewarding. Sure I feel like poop afterwards, but those first few bites are heaven. I dont know how many cheesburgers I indulged in when McDonalds opened across the street from the Nederlander in NYC. And when traveling abroad, you can always find salvation in the golden arches when craving something familiar.
Today, McDonalds is a special treat I give myself every now and then...and I'm not the only one is the cast!
Remember when the Egg McMuffin had an an actual egg with a yolk?
Delicious, black pepper fried chicken.
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