Soundbites I (courtesy of Cafe Drake)

Time to Pay the Band or, Living with Hangovers

Fred Astaire spoke for many when he crooned lines from his Depression-era classic "Let's Face the Music and Dance": "There may be troubles ahead / but while there's moonlight and love and romance / Let's face the music and dance". No doubt the timely sentiment was a reference to the nation's troubled economics, but at Cafe Drake we extrapolate upon the meaning to include The Morning After. Lucky for us Sundance Channel has targeted our demographic with the day-saving Hangover Cinema on Sundays at noon. Just in time for you to drag yourself and a couple of Alka-Seltzers onto the sofa, by the time you've half-watched, half-snoozed through the feature, the worst should be over and you can set about your day. Best Idea? Grab a late brunch and a hair or two of the beast from the night before. Still feeling too ill to emerge in daylight? Indulge in one of life's perfect dishes (recipe below).

SOFT SCRAMBLED EGGS

1. Beat two-three large eggs with 1 T. of heavy cream and salt and black pepper.
2. Heat 1 T. of butter and 1/2 T. of olive oil in a non-stick skillet over VERY low heat.
3. Add the egg mixture and stir slowly, reducing the heat further if the eggs should begin to set within 5 minutes. Keep stirring fo ranother 10 minutes while nothing seems to be happening in the pan.
4. Within 20 minutes the eggs should begin to form curds. Raise heat only slightly and stir until the mixture resembles a thick oatmeal of sorts.
5. Serve with plenty of hot buttered wheat toast.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JENNIFER!!

Birthdays are always special events, and a time to show our appreciation and love for those who deserve to be honored at least once a year. We recently joined with friends to celebrate Cafe Drake regular Jen Lazzaro's ThirtySomething Birthday at Casimir (Avenue B & 7th Street) in the East Village. Jen's traditional restaurant of choice, Casimir has, over the years, gone from New Bistro on the Block to the Resident Classic, and the kitchen has remained consistent. There are now two choices of house red wines, and both are exceptionally priced and full-bodied. The Manhattans ($9) possess a pedigree, confident in their status as untweaked, professionally mixed standards. A special soup, Moroccan Lamb Broth ($8) was tepidly spiced, but redeemed itself through a hefty inclusion of moist shredded meat and chunks of oil-cured olives. The New Orleans burger remains amongst the best in town - medium cooked, no annoying char on top, and dolloped with homemade tartar sauce and slices of thick-slab bacon, it's also a remarkable value at $12 (the massive burger is sided with Belgian-style fries and a watercress salad). Our favorite is the entree portion of Steak Tartare ($16), and its size makes it the ideal dish for sharing.