10014 Travel Guide
Tags: Pride Week / Gay Travel / New York City / Events / → All Tags
First Annual Village Pride Bar Tour: Because Crawls Are For College Kids
This year, the 40th anniversary of the raid on the Stonewall Inn in New York City, it's more important than ever to recognize the impact that gay and lesbian New Yorkers have had on the city. Everyone's going to be hitting the pride parade as usual on Sunday the 28th, but we'd rather plunk down a few bucks for the First Annual Village Pride Bar Tour on the 27th, an afternoon drinkapalooza beginning at the legendary Stonewall with specials for just a $10 ticket.
Hear the Gay Men's Chorus perform at the legendary Cathedral of St. John the Divine on Thursday, home of an original Keith Haring altarpiece, or see the New York Public Library get into the act with a free monthlong exhibition of photos from 1969 in its flagship Stephen A. Schwartzman building.
If you can't make it for Pride, NYC & Co's round-up of gay landmarks like the Broadway theatre where "A Chorus Line" premiered should give you a good idea on how to celebrate pride your own way.
Related Stories:
· NYC Survival Guide [NYCGo.com]
· NYC Gets a Big Gay Ice Cream Truck [Jaunted]
· NYC's Rainbow Pilgrimage Counts Down to Pridefest [Jaunted]
[Photo of a flag carrier at Queens Pride earlier this month: oquendo]
Tags: What Recession? / Restaurants / Food Travel / Jean-Georges Vongerichten / Meatpacking District / → All Tags
Keeping the Spice Alive in MePa
If we had to pick one neighborhood that we're OK with getting decimated by the great recession, it would have to be Manhattan's Meatpacking District, the former slaughterhouse site turned overpriced, overdressed, overhyped Sex in the City-inspired adult playground. Despite the quaint cobblestone streets and picturesque riverfront setting, the new "MePa" always felt more like a movie set than a real-life neighborhood.
But we walked around the Meatpacking District on a recent weekend evening and it appeared to be very much alive and well, with ultra-fashionable crowds still lined up and shivering in skimpy outfits outside every other restaurant and club. The epicenter of this scene is probably Spice Market—chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's massive eatery/hotspot.
Tags: Cheap NYC / Fashion Travel / New York City / → All Tags
How to Get a Free Haircut in New York City (And Maybe Become a Hair Model)
We hate, hate, hate spring cleaning and usually take the arrival of warmer temperatures and sunny days as our cue to commence with the weekend and day-tripping. Nonetheless, emerging from our winter hovels with pasty faces and limp hair usually calls for some personal freshening up, and this year we'd like to keep our spring beauty regimen cheap but classy. Enter Bumble & Bumble Hairstylists, a big name in New York and fashion, who surprisingly offer free haircuts, styling and color provided you pass their test.
For anyone visiting New York City for a week or more, the Bumble & Bumble Model Project is worth checking out, provided you're open and accepting of new hairstyles.
Tags: Brunch / New York City / Food Travel / → All Tags
Gourmet Gluttony On A Recession Budget at Perry St
So while we've already covered the best recession-friendly brunch in New York in terms of freeflowing booze, what about the flip-side: satisfying food that just keeps on coming? Finally, we have an answer, and it's as delicious and high-falutin' as it is surprisingly wallet-conscious.
Deep down in the West Village and on the western border of Manhattan, which is to say the Hudson River, sits star chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Perry St restaurant, somewhat small and removed if you consider his other big tables like Mercer Kitchen and Spice Market. In any case, the recession strikes again with extended prix fixe menu options across the board at his restaurant, meaning that for once, we were impervious to Perry St's pricing.
Tags: Brunch / New York / Food Travel / → All Tags
New York's Best Recession-Friendly Brunch is All-You-Can-Drink
Nothing washes down a hearty plate of eggs benedict better than a pitcher-full of free mimosas. If it were possible to make this a mantra, then the all-you-can-drink brunch at Nero in New York's Meatpacking District would have it covered with their recession-friendly brunch and lunch menus.
Located on one of the heavily-trafficked cobblestone corners of this area just south and west of Chelsea, Nero stands up to neighbors Hotel Gansevoort and Pastis with their offering of free-flowing cocktails through the late weekend mornings; $24.95 yields your choice of main course (like our favorites, the brioche french toast and portabello panino) and constant refills of champagne, bellinis, mimosas, Bloody Marys or screwdrivers. This is in direct competition to Pastis, the breakfast place across the intersection once immortalized in Sex and the City, but still overpriced and with a decidedly anti-free alcohol brunch cocktail policy.
Tags: New New York Restaurants / Restaurants / → All Tags
New NYC Restaurant: Cabrito
Cabrito literally translates to "roasted kid," but before you start getting all vegetarian on us, you have to try it at Cabrito, a new spot on Carmine Street. You'll recognize it down the block by both the hot pink goat hanging outside and the noisy din spilling onto the street.
It's delicious Mexican food, pure and simple. The menu features the classic roasted kid seasoned with sour orange, garlic and chili or you can go with something more familiar like tacos of braised beef tongue or beer-battered fish. The guac's spicy and expertly made, and the chips come warm from the fryer and not out of an industrial-size bag.
Cabrito's only downfall so far is its increasing popularity. You'd be wise to avoid it Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Stroll in on a Sunday or an early-in-the-week night and you're set for the perfect old school Mexican meal.
Related Stories:
· Cabrito [CitySearch]
· Cabrito [BlackBook]
· New New York Restaurants coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: BlackBook]
Tags: Celeb Travel / Eli Manning / Amani Toomer / Super Bowl XLII / → All Tags
Eli Manning's Glorious Offseason
Yeah, it's old news: The Super Bowl is over, the Giants won, you're bored already. You know who's not ready to stop celebrating? Quarterback Eli Manning seen here with his fiancee and college sweetheart at New York's Tenjune nightclub. Eli will stop partying when he's ready to stop partying!
You can't blame a guy for wanting to enjoy himself after robbing a rival NFL team of the coveted perfect season. But when are we going to spot him at Disneyland? (The Super Bowl MVP already missed one event at the park thanks to a ticker tape parade held in New York in his team's honor, only to face a delayed flight when he did have a ticket to California.)
What's next for Eli? Maybe he'll join teammate Amani Toomer in some Caribbean travel. The veteran receiver recently jetted down to the islands to check on his investment in the new Ritz-Carlton sprouting on West Caicos.
Related Stories:
· Super Investor [NYP]
· The Giants Parade Through Manhattan [Jaunted]
· Super Bowl XLII coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: PageSix.com]
Tags: New New York Restaurants / Restaurants / Wine Bars / → All Tags
New NYC Restaurant: Gottino
If there's one thing that's a perennial favorite on the restaurant scene in New York, it's a well-done wine bar. Enter Gottino, a new enoteca in the far West Village.
Michael Bull and Chef Jody Williams (of nearby Morandi) have just opened Gottino, which offers a seemingly mile-long bar, candlelight, exposed brick and wine options scratched on chalkboards. It's all very rustic and dim, with a cool crowd.
Dig into the platters of meats and cheeses or the menu, with its small plates like grass-fed beef carpaccio with black truffles, broccoli rabe crostini and shaved Brussel sprout salad. The place is open till 2 am and ready to serve the late crowd, but don't expect any mixed drinks: Gottino serves wine and beer only.
Related Stories:
· Gottino [StrongBuzz]
· Gottino [NY Mag]
[Photo: Eater]
Tags: Celeb Travel / Restaurants / → All Tags
Can You Get Into The Waverly Inn?
You know that memorable moment when your neighborhood diner or taco stand gets popular overnight and suddenly there's no place to sit and you don't recognize any of the regulars? When Mariah Carey went out to eat at New York's exclusive restaurant The Waverly Inn, paparazzi were waiting for her outside but the A-list patrons already there were none too friendly.
Gawker reported that regulars were calling her "Britney" and "Lohan" after she stalled entering the restaurant so more flashbulbs could pop before she went inside.
New York Magazine called the food "not bad", but let's face it, you don't go to the restaurant co-owned by "Vanity Fair" editor Graydon Carter for the food. Tried to get in as a clueless walk-in hunting for $55 truffle mac'n'cheese? Let us know.
Related Stories:
· Eating Out: Mariah Carey Snubbed at Waverly Inn [Gawker]
· Vanity Fare [NYM]
· New New York Restaurants coverage [Jaunted]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Oh No They Didn't]
Tags: Brunch-Places-In-New-York / Restaurants / Brunch-Places / Brunch / → All Tags
Best Brunches in New York: Deborah
We love the West Village brunch spot Deborah for a few reasons--not the least of which is its friendly staff. We're used to the typical actors and actresses who pepper Manhattan's morning weekend scene--the ones that rarely crack a smile and too often serve up a hefty portion of attitude instead of that tasty side of crispy bacon. (Maybe it's because they were out until sun-up the night before?)
Deborah's staff is attentive without being overbearing, and the restaurant's laundry list of offerings, from syrupy sweet challah French toast to spicy eggs rancheros, makes it the perfect stop for when you can't decide on an answer to the eternal brunch question: savory or sweet?
Related Stories:
· Best Brunches in New York [Jaunted]
· Deborah's [Official Site]
[Photo: About.com]
Tags: Late-Night-Eats-In-Manhattan / Meatpacking District / → All Tags
Late Night Eats In Manhattan: Florent
Owner and legend Florent Morellet smiles and shakes his head when people refer to Florent, his unpretentious diner in the once unpretentious Meatpacking District on the west side of Manhattan, as an "institution." Aren't those places reserved for the insane? According to the restaurant's website:
When he originally opened in this decidedly unfashionable spot, it was to give New Yorkers a reliable, round-the-clock eating establishment away from the hype and glitz of the "scene." Things change, but Florent's beliefs haven't. Good food. Good people. And, as we're French, some good, strong opinions to keep it all bubbling.
And deliver opinions he does. Euthanasia: good; overpopulation: bad. The menu is served 24/7, and options range from burgers to duck mousse.
Related Stories:
· Late Night Eats in Manhattan [Jaunted]
· Late Night Eats in LA [Jaunted]
· Restaurant Florent [Official Site]
[Photo: Flickr]
Tags: Restaurants / → All Tags
Destination: Fig & Olive
A serene, uncrowded kitchen and tasting bar in NYC's Meatpacking District? Not too good to be true! Check out Fig & Olive - Downtown on West 13th Street. After you duck away from the hordes of B&T kids outside, you'll find a clear, stunning space with an insane olive oil menu and impressive wine list.
We shared an extra dirty martini with perfectly ripe kalamata olives that provided a great combo with bread and dipping sauces. Walls are bedecked with candles (extinguished each night) and fresh herbs grow from whitewashed planters to separate the galvanized metal tables.
Dinner starts with three different oils for tasting, and you can move on to menu options like Thyme and Sage chicken, or Sole filet and infused mashed potatoes. All in all, a relaxing haven for sensitive taste buds and olive lovers alike.
Related Stories:
· Fig & Olive [Official Site]
