Tag Archives: New York City

‘Grace’ on Broadway

For a few weeks now I have been wanting to share with you the details of a play I recently saw. I have been thinking about it for weeks — to say the least. I’m afraid that writing about it will only bring out controversial topics — and my light-hearted food/lifestyle blog is anything but controversial. But, I’m going to take a chance with it and tell you about this play — because it is one worth seeing, actually it is probably my favorite play on Broadway I have seen so far.

grace

Going to a Broadway show isn’t something that even the locals do all that often; tickets are very expensive and it’s just not something that is done on a weekly basis like happy hour or a night out with friends. The last play I went to was in the late winter of 2012 (maybe February or March?) to see “Death of a Salesman”. This play was long — brutally long — and brought back lots of High School memories from when I read it the first time. At least my boyfriend loved it. I, on the other hand, admired the acting but my attention span led me to doze in and out. The highlight of my night might have been when I stood in line for the bathroom and spent a few minutes chatting with Kate Burton (formerly known as Ellis Grey from Grey’s Anatomy — now, she plays Vice President Sally Langston on ABC’s hit show, Scandal).

But I’m not here to tell you about “Death of a Salesman” — I want to tell you all about “Grace”. Instead of using my own words to jump-start my thoughts on the play, I am going to share with you what the website says:

“Grace examines those elusive paradoxes: Believing vs. Knowing, Love vs. Loyalty, Coincidence vs. Fate.”

These words hit home on exactly what “Grace” is all about. Starring Paul Rudd, Michael Shannon, Ed Asner, and Kate Arrington — the play has a cast of actors that truly found their characters in the most intense and impressive ways! Without getting too into the controversial topics of the play — I wanted everyone to know the basis of the play. It’s about a husband and wife who move from Minnesota to the sunny state of Florida where they are hoping to open a chain of Christian motels. Their lives collide with their rocket scientist neighbor who just went through a devastating loss in his own life. Knowing you have small-town Christian couple interacting with a depressed scientist who questions almost everything in life, you can imagine the many ways believing vs. knowing, love vs. loyalty and coincidence vs. fate all come into play throughout “Grace”.

Through the acting you could feel the different types of pain every character was experiencing, you could feel their passion for what they believed in and you could feel their eagerness to live a happy life (and for each character a “happy life” was defined differently).

My thoughts keep going back to Paul Rudd’s character — he’s a hard-core Christian, a bit creepy, and on a constant Christian sort-of high — in a nutshell, he lives in an alternate reality. The word “brainwashed” is a quick and easy description for his character as well. After all, the play opens up to a murder and suicide scene — so you realize instantly, within the first 2 minutes of the play, that you’ll be watching a play with a character who has very twisted thoughts.

Ultimately, “Grace” was a play that kept me thinking for weeks after I saw the play. Overall, I owe a major Bravo to the actors and the writer who did a phenomenal job executing this Broadway play.

I encourage you to browse the play’s website and read a few reviews on “Grace”. If anything, it should intrigue you to question some of the topics listed above in your own life.

What’s to come…

I have lots of pictures, and lots of typing to do — you’ll see everything over the next couple of weeks in a variety of posts. Lets just say this — one month, 3 fabulous cities. That’s right, I am a dedicated New York City lover, but I ventured to new restaurants not only in my favorite city — but I did the same in Boston and San Francisco.

New cities, new restaurants, new adventures. And, my favorite part — exploring different food markets! We all know how much I love The Chelsea Market located in [the best neighborhood] Manhattan, but I was able to explore other gems, like the Quincy Market in Boston and The Ferry Building’s farmers market in San Fran.

In case you can’t wait to see my posts, feel free to follow me on Instagram to get a sneak peek of my pictures! Thanks to the setup of Instagram’s new web feature, you can follow my pictures via mobile or online!!! Plus, almost all of these photos aren’t shared on Twitter!

Pinterest

Also, be sure to follow me on Pinterest for other great foodie ideas!

The Manhattan Diet

For all you news gurus I’m sure you’ve seen today’s segments on the new diet book “The Manhattan Diet.” And while I am skeptical to ever put my body through a “diet” (whether I need it or not), I do believe that this book has some great key points that everyone should apply to their daily lives.

This diet is more like a way of life for many. The typical New Yorker isn’t jumping in their car and driving to the office in the morning — they are walking to the subway, climbing out of the subway and then walking the rest of the way to their office. I’m also a strong believer in never paying anyone to do something when I can do it myself. For example, as much of a pain in butt as it is, I’m lugging my groceries home. I look at it as extra exercise and saving money. Of course I’m not going to literally carry everything, that’s what granny carts are for! But the money I save really adds up — it’s about $7 to have groceries delivered and you need need to tip the people who deliver, so in the end it’s about $10 a week. So, $40 a month. Ultimately, $480 a year!

The Manhattan Diet talks about how New Yorkers are always moving. And this is true! Here’s what my “movement” was like yesterday (I used hopstop.com to calculate my calories):

Commute to work = 52 calories burned
Walk to have lunch with a friend (mesclun salad was my lunch) = 15 calories burned
Walk back from lunch with friend = 15 calories burned
Commute from work to bar (and I drank water) = 43 calories burned
Walk home from bar = 31 calories burned
Walk from home to the grocery store = 66 calories burned
Walk from grocery store to home = 66 calories burned

Totalled, these calories that were burned comes to 288. It’s not that much, and I didn’t include my daily exercise routine! But the trick is to keep moving which will help your metabolism!

Another key point from “The Manhattan Diet” is to be aware of portion control. I can’t tell you how important this is. Just start by eating slower — that way your brain will have a chance to tell you that your stomach is full. “Enjoy what you eat, but eat less of it,” is a great quote from ABC’s article on the new diet book. This is so true! Don’t deprive yourself of the foods you love, just don’t stuff your face in a piggish way. Do you agree?

In the end, I really think that this “diet” book isn’t exactly a diet, but it’s a way of life for many people out there. The tips for “dieting” this way are 100% doable and I hope that people are able to apply the healthy advice that’s given throughout the pages of the book.

Artichoke Basille’s, Chelsea Pizzeria

Every single time I go to the Chelsea Market, I walk by Artichoke Basille’s pizzeria. I’ve heard a lot about this restaurant and usually I hear all great reviews. That’s why I figured I would bring my mom here when she came to visit me the other weekend. My thoughts were: I always hear good things about this place, I love artichokes, the prices aren’t that bad, and it’s only a 5 minute walk from my apartment… SOLD!

We went rather early (about 6 p.m.) because I got out of work and all I could think about was eating dinner. Plus, my mom is an early-to-bed type of person and going to friday night dinner at the usual 9/9:30 time slot would never fly with her. When we arrived there weren’t that many people there so it was easy for us to get a table (I didn’t expect anything else). But I was rather surprised when I sat down and looked at the menu… The prices on the menu did not match in any way to the prices that were available online. I told the waitress this and she said that she would tell the manager. I mean, for an appetizer it was about a 4 dollar difference online vs the print version at the restaurant! I have never had this happen to me before, it’s seriously such a disappointment. I’ll tell you why too — because I was planning on having us order a few things so we would get a nice sample of what the menu had to offer. But, with the surprise of price increase we opted to order just a simple “half pie.” We easily picked the Artichoke Pizza option since it was our first time there and that’s what the waitress recommended.

pizza from Artichoke Basille

I was happy that the “half pie” sort of option gave us the perfect amount of food — two slices each. The slices were also fairly big so it was definitely a filling dinner. I guess I wasn’t prepared for the style of pizza even though I read the menu… “Artichoke hearts, spinach, cream sauce, mozzarella & pecorino romano cheese.” My eyes must have skimmed over the cream sauce. I love cream sauce, especially on my gnocchi or pasta but this was the first time I’ve ever had it on my pizza. It was delicious! My one complaint: the cream sauce wasn’t spread over the pizza evenly — so I had several bites that had way too much sauce, which was actually a bit unappetizing. Other than that all of the ingredients went beautifully together! I love spinach and love putting it on practically everything. And I love artichokes! What else should I have expected since the name of the restaurant is called Artichoke Basille’s?

The Highliner in Chelsea

It’s taken me so long to put up posts! So sorry everyone! The holidays have been crazy and time wasn’t exactly on my side when it came to blogging.

So… here’s a new post!

I love it when my mom and dad come to visit me in New York City — it means so much to me to have them here and to show them around the neighborhood I live in. My mom recently came to visit me (sadly, my dad couldn’t join) and we lucked out with 50 degrees and sunny for our Saturday weather! Such a gorgeous weekend to be in NYC!

We had lunch in Madison Square Park, at Shake Shack of course! And we spent the entire day walking around the city. Since I live in Manhattan, my weekends don’t include walking around all day and getting stuck in the touristy sections of the city. I’m on a schedule, I have errands to run, I have to go grocery shopping, and cleaning my apartment is always on the list of things to get done on the weekend. So it was a treat to be outside on a sunny Saturday gallivanting around town with my mother.

For the first year while living in Chelsea, the old Empire Diner had been boarded up. It was such a miserable looking spot to walk by… it looked as if the famous diner was abandoned and the never-will-be-forgotten landmark would be lost forever. Then, this past summer it was reopened, not as the Empire Diner (so sad), but as The Highliner. On the outside of the restaurant the original letters that spell “Diner” were kept, but the word “Empire” was taken down. The outside has stayed the same — a vintage diner look building, with silver lining that frames the building. The inside however has changed. The old school looking furniture — diners’ chairs, round spinning stools at the breakfast bar, and classic vintage diner tables crowd the petite restaurant. But with a modern update, everything is brand new.

The Highliner brunch

My mother and I shuffled in rather early on a Sunday to sneak in some breakfast/brunch before she headed home. Luckily, we made it before the brunch rush (we got there at 9:30 a.m.) and we had no problem getting a table… actually there were so many open tables we could pick our seating location ourselves! I still can’t believe I was awake at 9:30, let alone groomed and at a restaurant!

We both ordered the same thing, and why wouldn’t we!? The Egg-In-A-Hole, which described on the menu is “asparagus. mushrooms. goat cheese fondue.” And for only $9, how could you go wrong?

The egg-in-a-hole came quickly. The bread was clearly sliced fresh, it was nice and thick and fluffy and housed a perfectly cooked egg right on the inside. It was fully cooked, no runny anything! And it was placed on top of the goat cheese fondue. I would cut into the egg and bread and scoop up some of the creamy cheesy fondue and spoon on top some of the chopped asparagus and mushrooms. All of the flavors together made for one heck of a rich bite. If it wasn’t for the goat cheese fondue, the dish would be just a simple bland unoriginal plate of flavors I could have made at home. Everything was perfectly cooked — the veggies al dente and the bread perfectly seasoned with a nice crisp crunch on the outside.

The Highliner also brews one heck of a tasty cup of coffee too! And I promise you their lattes will wake you right up!

Honestly, it’s tempting not to go every morning!

P.S. I will admit I’ve had their burger, I had it when they first opened this past summer and I was not a fan. The meat wasn’t highend like it should have been. I didn’t want to give up on the diner and I have discovered their breakfast/brunch menu is the best. Maybe one day I’ll give their dinner menu another chance.

The Smile on Bond Street

The Smile meatballsWalking into The Smile, I walked in from a chilly Manhattan to a cozy cabin-style decor restaurant where it seemed like everyone wanted to be on a cold winter evening. The rustic wood, the holiday mantel decor all added to the style of the establishment.

I wasn’t all that hungry when I was here, which is unfortunate because when I opened up the menu I couldn’t decide what to order — everything sounded so fresh and tasty! I ultimately ordered just a small appetizer portion of the Lamb Meatballs. The taste of lamb brings back so many memories because my grandmother used to often cook with lamb. And of course The Smile spiced them the same way my Nannie used to — with mint! Drenched in a spiced red sauce, these meatballs were impeccable. Actually, The Meatball Shop should take some pointers because their meatballs are nothing like this!

Hopefully I will return soon, this is a place my boyfriend will love. What else will I be trying on my next visit? I have my eyes on their pasta dishes — which apparently change because the one on the website is different than what I saw the other evening. The menu is very reasonably priced and is definitely a great place for a person to go if they are on a tight budget.

Location-wise this is a fantastic place to go to if you are over by the Washington Square Park area or looking to make your way out of Soho after some shopping. It’s only a couple of blocks off of Broadway and is very easy to get to.

Union Square Art Work

The Union Square Holiday Market is officially here! It’s set up every year during the month of December and I always head down to the market once or twice each season. Be sure to see more tomorrow on my food adventures at the market! And more to come next week as well after I venture to the market a second time with my friend Erica from Hershey, Pa.

I just had to share with you an adorable piece of art I bought as a stocking stuffer for my boyfriend. Before my boyfriend moved to NYC he had a long haired dachshund named Byron. Him and his friends loved the dog so much, but sadly when the guys decided to leave Los Angeles, they had to find Byron another loving home (which is exactly what he did). So whenever my boyfriend sees a dachshund he always gets a big smile on his face. When I saw this silly piece of art work at a stand at the Union Square Holiday Market, I knew I had to buy it for him. It was only a few dollars but it will look adorable on one of his shelves at work. I love the overall theme: New York City. You can see a map and subway lines on the bottom, the city sky line, and of course the Brooklyn Bridge. Even though there is a lot of pink used, I still think there are plenty of other colors, allowing this to be a cute gift for a guy who loves dachshunds.

Union Square Holiday Market Art
Stay tuned to see more on the Union Square Holiday Market! Get excited….

New York City Holidays

christmas cards
This year I am sending out a few different types of Christmas cards. One packet of cards I bought from an unexpected place — the Fat Witch bakery in the Chelsea Market. I loved the New York City theme combined with the classic Christmas song “12 Days of Christmas.” Even though they used the idea of the Christmas song, the actual card wasn’t saying “Merry Christmas,” rather it was saying “Happy Holidays.” It is literally the perfect card to send to anyone — whether they celebrate Christmas or any other holiday!

So, from me to you — Happy Holidays! I hope everyone has a healthy, happy holiday season! And I hope everyone is able to be with those they love!

Little Muenster Grilled Cheese

grilled cheese restaurant
You may be wondering how an entire business can focus on a childhood favorite like grilled cheese… It’s easy! The grilled cheese sandwiches at Little Muenster are not your stereotypical white bread meets American cheese. The chef at this restaurant has amped-up the simple sandwich into a sophisticated one by combining high-end cheeses with other ingredients to compliment them. For example, I ordered the #4 — which is Asiago, Parmesan and Muenster cheese with butternut squash and sage brown butter on peasant bread.

When hot, the Muenster cheese was perfectly stringy, the peasant bread was buttered and perfectly cooked until golden brown which ultimately created the perfect crunchy texture, and the butternut squash had a smooth, thick texture in the sandwich. The sage brown butter added the perfect sweetness in addition to the butternut squash. Would I order this sandwich again? You betcha! The entire menu is grilled cheese, although you are able to order a soup or salad on the side as well. I have been told their tomato soup is to die for, but I was perfectly satisfied with the grilled cheese.

My friend Stefanie and I had planned to head to Little Muenster on the Lower East Side — and we both couldn’t wait to go! For both of us, it was our first time going and I don’t know about her, but I was shocked to see how small the restaurant was. The space probably could comfortably fit maybe 15 people. So we ordered our sandwiches and had to wait a few minutes for people to finish up eating. This place is not a great spot to go to if you are looking to sit down and take your time eating. Once you order, it takes maybe 15 minutes for your food to be prepared. (I know, 15 minutes may seem like a long time for a simple grilled cheese to cook. But remember: some cheese takes a longer time to melt than others.) Next to the Meatball Shop, this is a fantastic place to find your favorite comfort food!

Note: this is the way I will make my future children’s grilled cheeses. No more dinky sandwiches… I now know how to spice it up at home!

Click here to see what Serious Eats has to say about Little Muenster!

Candied Cashews in Manhattan

Nuts 4 Nuts, candied cashews made at a food cart in New York City.

Food being prepared and served at street carts always grosses me out. The carts are so dirty and the street meat makes me wonder where the meat has been. But one thing I will admit, all of the food smells delicious!

The nuts being candied on the streets are actually the best smelling sweets I have ever inhaled. I can’t tell you how many times I have walked by these nut carts and I take in the fantastic smell — and I never purchased a bag of cashews, almonds or walnuts. It wasn’t until friends were in town the other weekend when I finally got a taste of how delicious the nuts are.

We were walking on Broadway in Soho and passed by a cart, my friends insisted on getting some so of course I had to take a bite. Before I knew it, I ate half of the bag before we even walked a full block. Since then, I have bought a few bags of candied cashews here and there. The prices on the street range, it all depends where you are buying them because the food vendors have more of a charge depending where they set up their cart. So, the candied cashews might cost $2.00 in Soho, but they will cost you $2.50 on Fifth Avenue (that’s also a sign that tourists that only shop on Fifth Ave. are being ripped off)! The nuts are always served nice and warm and some times the melted sugar is still hot! They are never burned and have the most perfect crunch. Eat them right away because the warmth in your mouth is incredible — plus, when the cashews are warm they are also crunch on the outside and softer on the inside.

What could be better than that?