12 Months Of Prep

This past weekend Anthony made an appearance at a prep themed MBA party in Chicago. Ironically, he’s not pursuing an MBA but that’s neither here nor there. Regardless, while packing he seeked out prepster sartorial advice in me. Long story short, Anthony went dressed as Eric Yang, or what he claimed to be any given page of a J.Crew catalog. Insult or compliment? Probably both.

That got me thinking about J.Crew’s Tie Of The Month Club. It doesn’t really require any explanation other than you’ll receive one simply designed yet overengineered J.Crew tie per month over the course of a year. Some preppy, some dressy, some casual. All 100% J.Crew.

Cost: $475 Per Year - Call 866.739.5844 To Register

Also See: J.Crew Tribeca Men’s Shop At The Liquor Store | Max Benjamin Mini Cigar Bar

Restaurant Review

Dinner? Breakfast? Lunch? Yes.

Its gastro-pub ambiance hides the fact that The Spotted Pig here in New York’s West Village, helmed by April Bloomfield (chef and principal owner) is a traditionalist’s delight. That traditionalist being me. I am a self-professed antagonist of the modern-day bloated über-restaurant, something major metropolitan areas are teeming with. The Spotted Pig’s menu features traditional pub/bar fare, but executed with fine and fresh ingredients. It sounded worthy of Gear Patrol scrutiny.

Attending for the requisite New York weekend brunch, after an unavoidable two-hour wait we ordered the Chargrilled burger with Roquefort Cheese & Shoestring fries and Two Fried Eggs with Homefries, both perfect fodder for our photograph. The food was delicious, the wait was not. For my next visit, I’ll be going during a weekday lunch. Swarms are not for me.

The intersting facet of The Spotted Pig is that it is far from swanky in theme or ritzy in demeanor. There’s literally a bar that serves cask brews and French press coffee within arms reach, you’re piled on top of your neighbor whether you like it or not and the selections range from comfort food to comfort food with a Michelin Star earning twist. And they have earned that star, four years running. It’s all quite charming yet insane and I loved every bite.

The Spotted Pig | 314 W. 11th St. at Greenwich St. New York, NY 10014 (212-620-0393)

Also See: House of Nanking | 10 Best Sandwiches In America

182 Timepieces For 6,000 Miles

The 2009 Dakar Rally takes place in South America, January 3rd. A 6,000 mile grueling route (see the route) who’s winner won’t be determined until the finish. That means two things: we’re bound to see some incredible moments from the rally and we’re presented with an official watch. A fine watch it is.

Limited to 182 pieces, the Wyler Genève chronograph uses a unique shock-absorbing case with a movement sealed in a titanium container held in place within a carbon-fibre resin frame on sprung titanium screws. This results in a completely suspended movement, no easy feat. It also uses tantalum (a material rarer than gold) giving the blue-gray sheen you’re unlikely to find anywhere else

Diamond-like carbon coating, sand-colored detailing, Arabic numerals, black rubber strap, and PVD-treated foldover clasp all lend to its dessert ruggedness. [As seen on Professional Watches]

Are you a Bomber or a Technician?

While putting may be universally accepted as the most important aspect of golf, I believe that driving is the key to enjoying golf. Poor driving puts tremendous pressure on the rest of your game. Yes, missing a short birdie putt makes you sick, but a poor drive precludes even having that chance. Thankfully, technology has gotten pretty good which means longer, straighter drives. Always a good thing. This Fall TaylorMade Golf unveiled their drivers for the 2009 season and here’s my take.

Don’t assume you can only benefit from one or the other. Last year in the same tournament John Daly played the r7 SuperQuad (technician) while Fred Funk played the ’08 version of the Burner (bomber).

My recommendation is to hit them both and let your ball flight speak for itself. An extra 15 yards or a controlled draw comes from practice not what you see at the store. Pick the club that gives you the most confidence when you tee it up. You should buy clubs that play on both your strengths and weakness.

More about the difference between the drivers after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

Dessert has a New Dress Code

The next time a female house guest develops a craving for late night sweets, serve it on one of these guaranteed charmers.

Made of fine china, each plate is printed with a bow tie in various states of knot-assembly and perfectly captures the haberdashery look only Ralph Lauren could pull off. Hint: the steps for tying are the same for untying. So if your guest is a quick study, she’ll get the hint in no time. It’ll only help your case if chocolates are involved as well.

Editor’s Note: Since this is fine china, make sure you wash with care. Having them licked clean doesn’t count.

Cost: $75

Also See: Insideout Collection Liquer Glass Set by AMT | Crate & Barrel Bar Tool Set

Never Take A Knife To A Gun Fight

The last thing my leaves ever saw.

Leaves. In my yard. Everydamnwhere.

To make matters worse, rain was bearing down on my position from the West. Such a tempest was sure to whip the unruly fronds that littered my property into an unrecoverable mess. Thus, I made the fatal mistake of setting out with only my two bare hands and a rake that I’m pretty sure was manufactured sometime before I was born. As you can imagine, it took hours of arduous effort to bring that amorphous allergic amalgam under control. Even at that, the leaves were merely contained; they are corralled in the back corner of my yard into a mass of approximately 576 cubic feet (yes, I calculated it) and threatening a jailbreak at any moment.

After this traumatic episode, I equipped myself with the proper armament for this annual chore. One could do much worse than the Stihl SH 86 C-E Shredder Vacuum Blower. If you’ve never had the pleasure of wielding a Stihl power tool, let me tell you that Stihl is a purveyor of fine-tuned beastly contraptions.

Of course, they offer a full line of both handheld and backpack blowers, but I’d choose the SH 86 C-E for its ability to vacuum and destroy those airborne invaders that find residency on my lawn, roof, and driveway.

The Stihl SH 86 C-E boasts a 14 to 1 mulching ratio, perfect for significantly reducing the size of my leaf collection (repeat: 576 cubic feet). Throw in the fact that it easily converts to a handheld blower generating up to 190 mph of air velocity, and you’ve got yourself a very versatile wingman in the war on yard waste. Take it from me; you don’t want to go it alone.

Cost: $270

Also See: Leatherman Genuis Landscape Multi-Tool | Garlick Saw Company Lynx Rip Saw