Summer Banks

If it’s not fresh, it’s not ‘dirty’ enough for Banks

Ever since my favorite Cup Noodles was removed from the intersection of Broadway and 45th, all the advertisements in Times Square do nothing for me except justify wearing sunglasses at night.

Pinter’s ‘Homecoming’ worth the mum & gown

By Summer Banks

Begin scene: soft mood lighting, late at night. His silk robe opens dramatically, as he pours her a tall glass of … water.

When in Rome, say ‘non sono americana’

By Summer Banks

Whenever I travel I tend to fall into a pattern of strategic lying.

Modern love concoction gender-bends with whiskey

By Summer Banks

As I took shots from a bottle of Jack outside last Saturday night, I suddenly came to the realization that I was acting like a man — at least according to Ms. Underwood.

Sustainable food confronts elitist past

By Summer Banks

BERKELEY, Calif. — The lush, creamy flesh of the date melts on the tongue, pairing perfectly with the locally grown tangerine’s fresh, almost fanciful flavor. Served by themselves with the leaves and stems still attached to the citrus, delicate tastes marry with remarkable textures to leave the restaurant-goer in a state of ecstasy. In other words: “Churchill-Brenneis Orchard Kishu tangerines and Flying Disc Ranch Barhi dates, $7.50.” Dinner at the Berkeley, Calif.-based Chez Panisse is more than just a rhapsodic gourmet experience.

Magic bullets and wonder pills abound, still no hangover cure

By Summer Banks

The Magic Bullet is a powder blue variation on a White Russian eerily reminiscent of the “Valley of the Dolls.”

Now you see it, now you don't

cultural property: past, present and future

By Summer Banks

Who owns, and should have access to, a work of art?

I am not a porn star; I am Stephen Colbert

By Summer Banks

The question of who I am is better left to the people who care about that sort of thing: philosophers, my overly-concerned friends and family, and the analyst I will pay $523.25 per hour during the OCD-breakdown phase of my mid-life crisis.