Late August Soundbites from CAFE DRAKE

LibraryThang: No the books you see listed in the far right column of Cafe Drake are not attempts at extra revenue; though God knows we could use the change, not a penny is earned by this site no matter how many times you may click and buy from Amazon. Rather this is our latest feature - a random listing, updated daily, from LibraryThing.com. We think it's the niftiest new idea on the internet - in 5 seconds and for no money you can sign up and catalogue your home library through their quick entry system. Besides finally seeing in a friendly format just what is on your actual shelves (and under the bed and in closet boxes behind the sleeping bags), LibraryThing connects you with the home collections of all other members, cross-references you to readers with similar tastes and makes eerily accurate recommendations for authors and titles you may also enjoy. Of course there are chat rooms and online reading groups galore, but you'll find plenty of fun just browsing and having the OCD relief of your very own card catalogue. Sign up - no cards, no addresses etc - and visit Cafe Drake for our full selection (we've only gotten a couple of hundred entered so far but this is a longterm project, friends).

What Else We're Reading Presently:

The Bikeriders (1968: reissue by Twin Palms Press) : A glorious photo book by lens master Danny Lyon, capturing the renegade biker movement of the early 1960s, pre- Devil's Angels, well before everything got dirty and long-haired. B/W portraits of these voluntary outcasts from "normal" society provide such insight into the human soul itself; artfully constructed but also deeply revealing, the pictures testify to a rogue glamour with more than an air of danger. As Lyon says in his introduction:

"If anything has guided this work beyond the facts of the worlds represented, it is what I have come to believe is the spirit of the bikeriders: the spirit of the hand that twists open the throttle on the crackling engines of the big bikes, and rides them on racetracks or through traffic or, on occasion, into oblivion."

Portrait of a Failure (1968), Marie-Jacqueline Lancaster : Who doesn't love a tale of the charming loser? Aesthete Brian Howard reigned supreme in English literary society Between the Wars, popping from party to raging party, sharing drinks and gab with the likes of W H Auden, Christopher Isherwood, Rosamand Lehmann and Evelyn Waugh (who based a number of characters around Howard, including Sebastian of Brideshead Revisited). His life ended tragically and prematurely after years of alcohol and drug abuse, seemingly wasted but certainly not unremembered.

Out and About in North Brooklyn: We're enjoying a (relatively) new neighborhood restaurant that despite its bland moniker - Parish Diner (218 Richardson Street, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, 718/383.8200) - offers food and drink that is anything but boring. Massive brunches ($16) include a morning cocktail, coffee and bread basket bursting at the seams; French Toast with a side of smokey bacon was especially tasty. And even better, on difficult weeknights cafe Drake can walk a mere 4 blocks to a daily changing Hungry Man Dinner ($14), riffing on frozen TV meals of yore, the dinner comes complete with protein, veggies, a starch and even dessert. Tuesday's Southern-inflected Fish and Chips is our favorite thus far. Also recommended are the Carrot Cupcake served with a scoop of Guinness ice cream and the Blackberry Lemonade ($10) spiked with Wild Turkey 101 (yes the extra kick provided by overproof bourbon is well worth a couple of extra bucks).

One of the stingy few pleasures to be had in NYC's muggy August days is a stroll to the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory (97 Commercial Street at Manhattan Avenue) at the water-front tail end of sprawling Manhattan Avenue. Flavors are basic for now but hand-crafted in the shop and frozen dessert guru Mark Thompson uses only the highest quality of ingredients: the vanilla is a cold replica of a slightly sweetened vanilla bean, while butter pecan is suitably rich and densely swirled with caramel, toasted nuts.

Hope Lounge (10 Hope Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, 11211) is among the near-dozen of new bars to open in Summer 2007 in rapidly overcrowding Williamsburg, but the forlorn side street location means the teeming weekend crowds won't overwhelm you upon entering or leaving. Cafe Drake popped in recently to celebrate the (mysteriously unnumbered) birthday of Jorge Manahan, and enjoyed the sprawling outdoor patio filled with tables, a few booths, DJ station, a grill serving hearty fare such as BBQ short ribs and an al fresco mini-bar. The Sangria proved agreeably fresh and fruity and a relative bargain at $8 for a pint. Let's all wish Jorge a HAPPY BIRTHDAY and best wishes that Hope Lounge has a successful run making it into the 5th decade just like J.