A New York City Christmas

My first Christmas in the city!  I don't think I've ever been more excited about Christmas, to be honest. But then again it's difficult to really have a say when there are Christmas stores with millions of lights in the window every other block or when there are guys camped out in front of my bank selling trees for the next week or so. AND the fact that I walked past one of those decked out stores the other day and got smacked in the face with a wall of BRILLIANT smelling chocolate. That may have been my favorite. It was definitely my favorite.

Yesterday marked the annual Rockefeller Tree Lighting Ceremony. I didn't care all too much for seeing the concerts and that fluff, but I decided I should check out the tree and what the fuss was all about. Fuss is a loose term, especially considering the protests this year which really closed things down early. I made my way over to 49th and 5th at around 8:30, right before the official lighting. After some elbowing and shoving my way through (which I later made up for by letting others go in front of me/taking pictures of some tourists because I'm all about that balance people, all about it) I finally saw the damn thing. Snapped a few shots and decided that the trouble, in alignment with my determination, was worth it. I don't think I would go on the day of the Lighting Ceremony again, but I'm pleased that I was able to cross the experience off my list. Got a pretty decent picture as well, if I may say so myself.

Merry friggin' Christmas, ya filthy animals.

The Times They Are A-Changin'

Nothing crazy to report on the homefront. It's been too long since I've posted, but that crazy work schedule has started to take ahold. My birthday and Halloween have already come and gone, and now Thanksgiving is only around the corner! Starting to get nice and chilly here in the big ole city though.... I'm sure I'll have muuuuuch to speak to once the holiday hits and the festivities really begin.

One of the latest restaurants I've been seen at that's worth mentioning is Pocha 32 (15 W 32nd St). Right in the heart of Korea town, the restaurant is located through an off-the-radar door and upstairs to a leveled venue. The space itself is rather small, but it makes for an authentic and intimate experience. Perfect for a group of 3-6. I've never even had Korean food before so I didn't know what to expect, but luckily I had some more experienced folk by my side who were able to order for the whole table. The restaurant is known for their large servings of stews/soups, so the trick is to order about 2 of those per table and split between friends.

The menu is pretty expansive (as can be seen by checking out the link above) so there's plenty to go around and a variety of dishes to suite even the most discerning palate. Our particular dish, shown in the photo below, had a whooole lot goin' on. This is a shot in the dark (it was a rough night) bu there are noodles, hot broth, sausage, tofu, and assorted veggies. Who knows what else. DELICIOUS flavor. 

To be honest, after a few of the drinks highlighted blow I probably would've eaten whatever they gave me. BUT, one of the coolest drinks I've ever had has to be their Water Melow Sawa. Served in half of a carved out watermelon, the cocktail is made of pureed water melon, soju (distilled alcohol from polished rice and barley), and Sprite. We obviously ordered a few of these bad boys: 

Pocha 32 is definitely a cool experience for those who like to venture outside their comfort zone and try some new things.

Wine Over Water

  "I like days when the only decision is red or white."

Got some great shots during Saturday's Long Island wine tour. About 25 of us rented a pimped out bus and visited three different wineries over the course of the day: Duckwalk Vineyards (shown in top right photo), Palmer Vineyards (top left and bottom left photos), and Vineyard 48 (bottom right). It was pouring all day long but we still got our full tastings in...and then some. I surprisingly didn't try a single white wine the whole day! Stuck with the reds--lots of merlots, cabs, and red blends. I had never been on a wine tour before but I would love to do one (or two, or three, or four...) again. The perfect way to make the most out of a rainy day.

Pumpkin Spice EVERYTHING

Tis the season for pumpkin pickin'! So although for the recipe I'll be sharing I didn't actually pick a pumpkin myself, it's still the thought that counts. I would love to go either pumpkin or apple picking this fall, but that's obviously a little difficult with living in the city now. I definitely wouldn't mind choosing a nice Saturday to venture to a spot outside of Manhattan though, so if anyone has any suggestions please let me know!

It's also clearly the season when girls go crazy for anything and everything pumpkin spice flavored. I like to indulge in the pumpkin and cider flavors for the traditional fall experience, but I keep myself to a reasonable limit. I also try to wait until the end of September/beginning of October before I begin participating so that I don't get sick of the flavor before the real heart of fall even begins.

When it comes to indulging in the pumpkin spice flavors, I try to get creative as I'd like to keep it clean. I steer clear of the pumpkin spice lattes as a result of the ungodly amount of unnatural sugars, but I'd be lying if I didn't tell you I just ordered some Green Mountain Pumpkin Spiced Coffee for my morning brew. At least that way I can get the flavor without all of the sugar. The limited edition of Thomas' Pumpkin Spice English Muffins are also to DIE for (I can't find those anywhere here either!). Smear a little peanut butter on one those things and you're in heaven. I think I had recently seen a commercial for Eggo's Pumpkin Spice Waffles, but also haven't found those in stores. Both of these options contain enough whole grains to make them healthier pumpkin spice choices.

But, out of all of these, the following recipe is my absolute favorite (and healthy) pumpkin recipe for fall. Today marks my first Pumpkin Spice Protein Shake of the season!!

You can follow the link for the original recipe, but I tend to tweak it a little bit. My special formula looks like this:

1/2 cup almond milk and 1/2 cup water

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1/2 banana

1 tsp. pumpkin spice

1 tsp. cinnamon 

Dash of flax seed

4-5 ice cubes

Enjoy!

Dine Mile High: Destination London

Monday marked the first day of my career. After only 5 days, I've already found that working in PR has its perks. Last night I was able to attend my first real event, and it was absolutely incredible. One of our clients, Dine Mile High, opened their first pop-up restaurant here in the United States. The company is based out of London but came to NYC to showcase their work through September 24th-October 4th (there's still time people! Go buy your tickets!). At the last minute our company found out that we needed to fill a few more spots for Thursday night's dinner, so I snagged 3 tickets for myself and 2 other friends.

I wasn't too familiar with the culture of pop-up restaurants before hearing about this client, but after learning more details about the experience I was dying to go. Dine Mile High rents out a "pop-up space" that they decorate according to their featured destination. The theme of their entire project is supposed to embellish upon the idea of a luxury travel experience. Each dinner is set up as if you were boarding a flight and then flying to a specific location. Their destinations and themes change along with their venue, which remains a secret location until you purchase your ticket. Once I confirmed our attendance, I was given the address to a location on the Lower East Side. Our destination? London.

Upon arrival, we checked in at the "ticket gate" where we received our passports and boarding passes. Typically, tickets to the event cost $120 which includes two glasses of champagne and a stellar four course meal. Plus the experience as a whole, of course. Luckily for my friends and I, we were able to go for free (this is where the perks come in). Once you receive all your paperwork you're taken into the"boarding gate." The bartenders in the boarding area use your passport to stamp your two glasses of champagne.

Here at the boarding gate is where the entertainment kicked in. The waiters and waitresses were completely dressed to the T as flight attendants and never strayed from their performing act all night. This waiting period was MUCH more enjoyable than an actual flight. You get entertainment, glasses of champagne, and appetizers such as pork belly and beet soup! Personally, I think the major airlines of the world need to revert back and come up with some similar strategies...

Upon "boarding the plane," we were placed at one of two long tables which were set up to represent the long aisles of a plane. From here our four course meal was served!

All of the food was incredible and super fancy. Also very London themed to aid in the destination pursuit. The crew performed a few short skits between courses to ensure that the evening never got stale. Here's a glance at the menu:

Our favorite dish was the braised pork cheeks with lentils and watercress. The meat was so well cooked and the lentils were soft and flavorful. The pie was also phenomenal. And they were nice enough to pair dessert with a glass of Port so we could all toast upon a safe arrival in London. 

So thankful that things worked out last minute so that I was able to go. Definitely a once in a life time opportunity.

Cheers from London at Dine Mile High!

A Fajita Friday and Saucy Saturday

I've been doing a lot of going out for meals lately which isn't something I usually tend to do. So I was glad that Friday night was a quiet one in and I was able to try out a new recipe. I've never made fajitas before but I had an Oven Baked Fajita recipe that I decided to explore, and they turned out better than I expected. And the best part is the entire meal only cost me 13 bucks to make. I'd say that's a whole lot less than I would've spent had I continued my usual Friday night antics.

If you wanna give the dish a whirl, the recipe can be found here: Oven Baked Fajitas. The recipe was surprisingly very easy to make. I did stray just a tiny bit from some of the ingredients. I didn't have all of the spices, so I used cumin, paprika, and a southwest chipotle seasoning blend. I also couldn't find any diced green chilies so I instead bought fire roasted tomatoes. I still think it turned out to have some great flavor and even a kick to it. I also topped off each fajita with a dollop of guacamole. Duh.

Here's a sneak peek before they went into the oven:

And here it is (city)served up!

                                                

Saturday morning rolled around without a headache, which was a nice change of pace! Because I tend to get excited over the little things, I made WAFFLES!!!!! That's something that hardly ever happens. But it had to be done. I went across the street to Gristedes and grabbed some frozen waffles (okay, they were still Kashi brand with 24 grams of whole grain) and some syrup (lite, come on you guys) and cooked up a warm and wonderful breakfast. Breakfast was served with a side of fruit and some hot french vanilla coffee for one of the first days that felt like fall.

Since Friday night was unusually quiet and so was the Saturday morning breakfast, obviously something drastic was off course within the solar system. This could only mean one thing was in order: boozy brunch. We made a skip and a hop over to the East Village for a reservation at The Winslow (East 14th Street) for a birthday party celebration. I've been to The Winslow once before on a hanger whim (for those of you that may not be familiar with the term "hanger," it means when you get so hungry you are angry, offensive, moody, and simply not your usual, people-friendly self. A lot of bad things have happened and been said out of hanger. It is best to avoid it at all costs). Literally, that day I was so hangry if I didn't get a burger and a Bloody Mary someone may have been harmed along the way. I'm glad that on this trip to The Winslow I was able to enjoy the food and not just simply inhale it.

Our service was absolutely incredible, which put the cherry on top of the experience. We all went for the mimosa pitchers which for awhile there we thought may never end. The term "bottomless brunch" could not have been more accurate. I guess that's a good problem to have. They also had a great variety of dishes. The burger, egg sandwich, and chicken and waffles seemed to be the most popular choices. I ordered an omelette with goat cheese that came with potatoes and a side salad. With about 15 of us there for well over 2 hours, we each only paid a little over 20 bucks in total. The Winslow is most definitely a place we would return to in the near future. Those people sure hook. you. UP.

Never ending mimosas at The Winslow

Happy Friday!

 

NYC Cribs: Yorkville Edition

So my mom thinks I blog about drinking too much. I tried to explain that I'd rather label it as "restaurant reviews" but I don't think she's ever watched Anthony Bourdain.

BUT, since I'm a sellout and don't wish to "limit my audience," I'm going to take you inside my NYC crib. To be honest, I spent a lot of time planning on how I would convert a small space and make it look semi-hospitable. I'm not very crafty or creative when it comes to decorating. Although our space really isn't small compared to other New York apartments, it still helps to make the most of the room you have.

DISCLAIMER: This episode does not and will never feature Maseratis, Rolls Royce Phantoms, swimming pools, Jacuzzis, indoor movie theaters, or unfairly attractive individuals. Feel free to stop reading.

So moving forward, I'll start with my own personal living quarters. Since I live with one other girl and buying a two bedroom apartment meant sacrificing my first born child and the money I still have in my savings from my fifth birthday party, we decided to stick with a one bedroom and convert the living room into my space by putting up a temporary wall.

SO, I knew that I wanted to have a beachy feel to my room (because who doesn't love the feeling of a cozy beach house, am I right?). I went with a turquoise, tan, and white color scheme. But my absolute favorite part was my picture collage project. If you don't know me or aren't my Facebook friend, you won't know about my devotion to taking artsy pictures of wine or martini glasses or cool looking bars. I wanted to take the pictures and pieces of where I've been and construct them in a unique way to make my new room feel familiar. I bought about 18 picture frames of all different sizes and shapes in black, brown, and white and constructed them in a mix-and-match pattern throughout different areas of my room.

Here's an example above my bed

The room also doesn't have the world's worst view either (NOTE: This only applies when you're lying down and looking up at the buildings so that you can't see the massive construction going on next door)

As for the rest of the apartment, it doesn't look too shabby either. I have to give major props to my roommate for bringing a lot of the decorations. And could it have worked out more perfectly that most of our decorations have a wine theme? I think not. Check out our dining area, for example:

Bonus points if you can spy the wine glass

And here's one last glimpse into our skinny kitchen. But can't complain since we have a full fridge, oven/stove top, and a microwave.

 Come join us for a party, you guys!

Bar Hopping Our Way Through Labor Day

The title speaks for itself. But there are two bars in particular that I wanted to review because they are absolute hidden gems.

First up is The Belfry located in the East Village (222 E 14th St.).  Since it lacks an in-your-face sign, one can easily pass it up. But if you're really paying attention to your surroundings, a simple glimpse inside will make you cancel your plans to meet at a bar across the street for the experience of stopping in for a drink. The joint is fairly small and skinny, but it extends back to an area with space for seating. But sitting at the bar gives you the ultimate experience (everywhere you go people, everywhere you go). The setup and decorations in itself are enough to make you giddy with it's prohibition era feel. And their old school playlist sets the scene perfectly. I'm not talking 90s, you guys...we're talking Righteous Brothers stuff. Only the good stuff.

With a wide range of beers and cocktails, anyone is bound to find their niche. I was feeling a Dirty Shirley and our bartender, George, was more than willing to accommodate (besides, I ended up setting a Dirty Shirley trend for the day so I'm sure he was pleased with the business). As the day progressed, we had more and more of our friends show up to engage in the festivities. Even as the bar started getting a bit more crowded, George was just as friendly and willing to please. Aside from giving suggestions for new drinks to try (a cheesburger shot? sure, why not...), he also let us sample some of their excellent pickled products. They have several pickled jars of extremely delicious varieties ranging from your classic pickles to pepperoncini, okra, string beans, and jalapeno stuffed olives.

Belfry is a wonderful place to spend if you're looking to relax after a boozy brunch and throwback a few tasty drinks. And if you get hungry, you've got jars of spicy pickles calling your name.

The next spot, Pil Pil, is one that I've been walking past for weeks now on my way to and from the subway. Pil Pil can be found on the Upper East Side (265 E 78th St.). I was struck first by it's location as it's sort of hidden on a side street. Looking more carefully, I could see some comfy pillows in the windows along with multi-colored lights behind the bar. It had a cozy feel to it, so I knew I wanted to check it out.

After snooping around their website, I found that Pil Pil is a Spanish tapas bar. I LOVE tapas so I was automatically in. To pursuade me even further, on Sunday's they have half off on ALL their bottles of wine. DONE. Are you kidding me? I think I found my Heaven. And it only got better....

I took one step into Pil Pil and knew that I'd be coming back on a regular basis. It's a small, dimly light restaurant/bar with impeccably unique decorations. First off, the bar....

From the picture you can see that behind the bar is decorated by wine bottles illuminated by some funky lighting. It totally works. And those branches up above? They are strung along the entire ceiling of the restaurant. They are accented by wooden tables and several trunks scattered throughout. 

The walls are made entirely of brick, but they do something unusual. Several spots in the wall are carved out and replaced with what looks like mini frozen waterfalls. Some of these spots are further decorated with wine bottles laying inside. I'm not entirely sure how that fits into their scheme, but I liked it. 

As for the food...awesome. They have an expansive menu of seafood, meats, vegetarian dishes, flatbreads, cheeses, and more. Additionally, they have a specials board that couldn't have had less than 15 plates listed. The tapas range anywhere from $7-15, making them very affordable. We started off with their Ceviche Shrimp, Tilapia, and Salmon special. The mixture was served in hollowed out lemons with chips used for scooping. For our personal dishes we got the Tortila De Patata (traditional Spanish egg and potato omelet with mixed green salad) and Coca De Chistorra (flatbread with chistorra sausage, roasted peppers and manchego cheese). Both were absolutely phenomenal.

I can't wait to come back and try more plates. Which I plan to for their Sunday Brunch. Get this: Unlimited sangria. Choose a region from Spain and enjoy three different tapas for......you ready?....... ONLY $14.95. You know where to find me on any given Sunday.

PS. We got a half off bottle of Cab. Yum. Cheers!

I'm On A Boat

And now, I am FINALLY caught up to last weekend's festivities. Just in time before Labor Day weekend rolls around (4 PM to be exact, not like I'm counting or anything...) There's barely a soul in the office besides myself right now. So writing about what I did last weekend (I know you don't actually care) sounds like the best and only approach at this point...

Friday night was really not very noteworthy. Unless you get as excited as I do about lounging alone doing nothing expect for your laundry and watching sappy movies and eating Skinnypop, then you probably don't want to hear about it. So I'll skip ahead to the fun stuff.

BUT FIRST, I obviously have to talk about the weather. It's only been the best conversation filler since the beginning of time. It's a comfortable, safe topic, so let me start here by making you feel relaxed. Saturday morning I went for my usual run along the East River. It was about 65 degrees and cloudy in the middle August, which is rare for an NYC summer. Since it was so nice, I decided to take a little stroll though the nearby park (Carl Schurz Park) before heading back to prepare for the heavy drinking that was soon to follow. If this picture doesn't scream fall in August, I don't know what does. Kind of amazing actually...

For brunch we went to Brass Monkey located right off The High Line on Little West 12th Street. We made a bee-line straight towards the stairs which led us to their rooftop beer garden. The area is pretty small, but it's big enough to hold just the right amount of people so no one has to sit on top of one another or scream over other people's conversations. It was reaaaaal chill, you guys. Their brunch menu isn't very extensive (and it actually differs from the wider range of options they advertise on their website, unfortunately), but they had a great Breakfast Flatbread with pesto, arugula, and fried egg. Also gotta give them kudos for serving their drafts in jumbo mason jars.

Next comes the fun part, and something I've been wanting to do ever since I moved to NYC. I knew it had to be done ASAP or I'd have to wait until next summer. We took a stroll along The High Line until we reached.....The Frying Pan! Everyone around here has been talking about it, and it sounded to me like the popular hangout spot for the recent college grads of New York. The Frying Pan is a huge historic ship that's been permanently docked at Pier 66 Maritime (West 26th Street in Chelsea). The ship has been converted into a bar and grill, so there are multiple tables and bars set up all over the deck of the boat. 

Not only was this cool in itself, but it only got better the more that I was able to explore. It actually wasn't until I went to the bathroom that I was able to truly adventure "below deck." The inside of the ship was so authentic but also really quirky. I loved it. There were random, single tables with flowers scattered throughout the under part, and even single rooms where I assume larger parties could rent out to do some private raging. There were more "secret bar" areas down here also, and if you go down one flight of stairs further you're hit with blaring tunes and colorful lights. It's almost like there's this entirely secret club located in the middle of the ship, but everyone up above is oblivious to all that the ship has to offer.

Although below deck was awesome, we spent the majority of our time up on deck with the rest of the seafarers. While enjoying your buckets of beers, The Frying Pan offers a really nice view of the Hudson River and the Freedom Tower. The ship is also conveniently located close to a helicopter pad, so we were able to enjoy watching the Christian Grey's of NYC coming and going to The Hamptons. One day people, one day... 

The West Village Romp

Obviously the craziness of the job kicked in and I haven't been able to stick to my regular blog posts as promised. But at least I'm still making an effort!

Apart from the craziness of working a temp job and also running around all of Manhattan interviewing for a permanent gig, I've surprisingly been able to find some time to enjoy the city and all of it's many wonderful and unique neighborhoods.

My absolute FAVORITE area is Greenwich Village/The West Village. Everything about it appeals to me. Not only is it fairly clean, quiet, and cozy compared to the rest of Manhattan, but it has arguably the best restaurants, bars, and shops. While the stores may be a bit high-end and too expensive for a broke recent college grad such as myself, it doesn't hurt to window shop.

Just a few weekends ago I spent all of my Saturday hanging around The West Village. I love bar hopping there. It may be most preferred thing to do on a wide open Saturday afternoon/evening. I started off at Daddy-O's located at 44 Bedford St. This spot is one of my regular stompin' grounds. Everything about it is perfect. It's a cozy bar with a wide variety of food that entirely surpasses your typical bar grub. They serve everything from fresh salads to flatbreads, tacos, and kick ass sandwiches like their Moroccan Spiced Chicken Breast (Pan-roasted Moroccan Spiced Chicken Breast on Toasted Ciabatta with Shredded Lettuce, Red Onions and Cherry Pepper served with their absolutely DELICIOUS Caper Mayo, Cucumber, Red Onion, Yogurt, and Mint Salad). Additionally, they also always have a large board filled with daily specials and other yummy treats.

BUT, the best part of Daddy-O's is no doubt their bartenders. Every single one of them not only makes the best drinks, but they are the most personable, friendly staff I've ever encountered, and they are truly what keeps me coming back on a regular basis. They make sure to attend specifically to every person at the bar, and they are more than happy to make you a personal drink depending on what you're feeling. I needed a light and refreshing cocktail, and within seconds I had one of the best East Side's in front of me. Later on (obviously as the drinks started flowing) I was made a cocktail called The Last Word, and it was basically a delicious gift handcrafted from the heavens.

Here's a glimpse of my East Side and a Manhattan served up (no, surprisingly I was not double fisting):

Daddy-O's was only a pregame to the fun, romantic dinner that was next on the list. I spent a 3 year anniversary at Aria Wine Bar located on 117 Perry Street. It also was a smaller, cozier space, but it was packed with character. Aria Wine Bar is an Italian restaurant that specializes in small plates, which was perfect since I had spaghetti and meatballs on my mind. We posted up at the bar (duh....I'm definitely a bar-sitter) which was composed of classic looking black and white tiles. The waiters also catered to the theme by wearing sharp black pants, white button down shirts, and black suspenders. 

Both the plates AND the drinks were very affordable. I was able to get a nice glass of Sangiovese for 8 bucks a pop. For an appetizer, which comes at $10 for a healthy portion, we got the Datteri E Gorgonzola (gorgonzola stuffed dates wrapped in speck) and mussels. All of the above was incredible, ESPECIALLY the dates. For my main course I obviously ordered the classic spaghetti and meatballs. The portion, which was absolutely the perfect size, came in at only $12. Aria is undoubtedly a cozy (and importantly affordable) date spot that I would definitely make plans to come back to.

After scarfing down our food and drinks, we made a pit stop at one last favorite joint, that being The Spotted Pig. Since it was just around the corner and is located at the very top of our list, we stopped in for one of their famous Manhattans.

All was right in the world. 

Well, This Was Unexpected

So, I never was really a fan of the whole "blog" idea. I considered starting one in the summer of 2012 when I was traveling throughout Europe. But at the end of the day, I knew I didn't want to be confined to a screen and a keyboard when I could be out in the thick of things. I wanted to be actually, entirely, wholly invested in the journey itself and my own personal experiences rather than wrapped up in the idea of relaying that to other people.

And yet, here I am! A recent New York City resident shipped over from good ole Cleveland, Ohio. My love for writing and editing has been an important aspect of my life, and although I'm mostly doing this in part because apparently it's "in" and "the thing to do now," according to The Man, I also like the idea of not giving up what I believe in. And what I've been told I'm good at. So here's to you fine people. I thought it'd be easier to get started on this before life gets crazy and a 9-5 takes up all of my time (and arguably creativity).

My goal for this blog is, simply, to stick with it. I know it'll be difficult to update on a fairly regular basis, but I don't like to start things that I can't finish or where I can't follow through. I love exploring, so therefore most of what I post will be recaps of places I've been, with bars and restaurants being the most frequently visited (no shame admitting that). Like any sane person, or maybe just when I'm not posted up at the bar swimming in a nice martini, I enjoy reading and watching movies. So some reviews of my latest literary and cinematic indulgences can also be expected.

CHEERS from Madison Ave, where this temporary office job is just boring enough to convince me to start a blog. 

Here goes nothing.