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.