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!