10021 Travel Guide
Tags: Recession Restaurants / Food Travel / Restaurant Week / Cheap Eats / → All Tags
L'Absinthe Introduces Permanent NYC Restaurant Week Menu
The disastrous economy has made New York's latest Restaurant Week even more popular than usual—and the powers-that-be are even considering extending it through February at all 250 participating restaurants. But for many of the struggling high-end restos, even that's not enough.
Fortunately for cheapskate foodies, many owners are taking it into their own hands, and L'Absinthe is the latest eatery to debut a full-time RW-style menu.
L'Absinthe, a high-end French brasserie on the Upper East Side, is serving up a three-course prix fixe dinner menu (available Monday-Friday) for $30.09. And it's not one of those extremely limited RW menus, either. There are four-to-five choices in each course, and with offerings like salmon tartare, pike quenelles in lobster broth, and fresh profiterolles with vanilla ice cream, you really are getting a meal that would normally run $50 or more.
So, not exactly one for the penny-pinching crowd, but if you're in town and looking for the full Paris-via-New York dining experience, this is one place where you can taste the high life and still afford a ticket home.
· L'Absinthe [Official Site]
· NYC Restaurant Week Now in Full Effect [Jaunted]
· Restaurant Week extended to February [Crain's]
[Photo: Great Restaurants Mag]
Tags: Recession Shopping / Shopping Travel / New York Stores / → All Tags
Clothe Yourself in Designer Labels from Ina
There are two ways a person may be dealing with stress of the recession--eating and shopping. We've been covering our favorite Recession Restaurants and now we're looking at some spots for Recession Shopping.
If you've got style-conscious friends who suddenly find themselves without a steady paycheck or you're finding yourself without one and still need to dress to impress at the holiday soirees approaching, head to Ina in NY. With SoHo, Nolita and UES locations, Ina's the ultimate in consignment shops and a perfect place to spend your precious pennies in the current economy.
Forget your common consignment/thrift shop beliefs (ie. "there's usually nothing decent left by the time I get there," or "this looks like an old Limited top and is not a designer label,") and enter Ina. The clothes and accessories are authentic designer labels, hand-selected and in near-perfect condition.
Tags: Recession Shopping / Shopping / Fashion / Fashion Travel / Recession-Shopping-Map / → All Tags
Saada
As Thanksgiving inches ever closer, we are immediately reminded of all the holiday shopping we have yet to tackle--and the budget we are lacking to tackle it with! Not to worry, we're back with this week's recession shopping stop in NYC: Saada, perched cutely on the corner of Second Avenue and 61st Street.
Saada means "happiness" in Arabic, and we have to admit that we feel pretty damn good after shopping here. There's almost always something fun in the window, and the store features tons of stuff for the best girlfriend/sister/co-worker in your life. One of the best parts about Saada is its reasonable prices: Rarely are items over $100 and they often have little-known designer sample sales and will sometimes slash prices if you ask... (You didn't hear it from us!)
Recently we scored two long sweaters, leggings, an offbeat necklace and bag for under $200. If you want to splurge, Saada also carries high-end lines like Sass & Bide, True Religion and Mackage. The two tables in front are usually covered with the items selling out the quickest, so be sure to triple check there before moving to the long racks down the wall.
The shop's salespeople are also very friendly and honest about sizes and fits. We just bought a long skinny sweater which we had an inkling would be snug and Saada called us back in a day to tell us the larger size was in and we could exchange it, no questions asked. That spells true recession retail happiness to us in any language.
Related Stories:
· Saada [NYM]
· Shopping coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Google Maps]
Tags: Table Crashing / Nello Balan / Restaurants / → All Tags
Table Crashing: Nello on Madison Avenue
Nello on Madison Avenue is a storied restaurant for the rich and famous. It's one of those places that always pops up in gossip columns and, when the weather's nice and celebs are chewing away on the sidewalk, the paparazzi-driven tabloid magazines.
In fact, its restaurateur, Nello Balan, is perhaps just as well-known in Manhattan as some of his customers. First, there was the incident about an alleged bribe to Page Six (hence the gossip column presence.) Then there was the incident with the model who took his limited edition $1,000 umbrella and didn't return it, thus prompting Balan to publicize it in Page Six. (Full circle?)
With all this sort of superficial, lives of rich people in Manhattan type of drama, does anyone even know what the food is like? We table-crashed the place to find out.
Tags: Restaurants / New New York Restaurants / → All Tags
New NYC Restaurant: T Bar Steak & Lounge
Add another steakhouse to the list of places to try this fall or winter. On the Upper East Side, in the former Lenox space, comes T Bar Steak & Lounge. The name leaves a little bit to be desired, but we hear it's a "new spin on a classic steakhouse", meaning it gets creative with a raw bar and steaks of all kinds, including salmon and tuna. Finally, a serious steakhouse where carnivores can dine alongside their veggie friends.
Chef Ben Zwicker keeps things hip and the crowd here tends to be stylish and young. This means if you're craving protein after a night out on the town, you can order from the lounge menu until 2 a.m. Though be sure to bring extra cash, it's definitely in line with neighborhood prices.
Related Stories:
· T-Bar Steak & Lounge [Official Site]
· New New York Restaurants [Jaunted]
[Photo: taichi16mon]
Tags: Pizza / Pizza-in-New-York / → All Tags
Pizza in New York: Slice, The Perfect Food
Finding Good Pizza in Manhattan Map
If you think all NYC pizza has to be greasy and fattening, think again. Or just head to Slice, the Perfect Food, a homey, healthy alternative to the standard pizzeria on the UES.
You can dig into the freshest, organic ingredients and even partake in soy or rice cheese or organic mozzarella on unbleached, herbed crust. We know, sounds interesting, but take our word for it, its delicious. Slices are close to $4, but well worth it. Your cholesterol will thank you and your do-good genes will too. Its best to order out - the shop is pretty tiny and its just as delicious at home, without the pools of grease that seem to result from normal pizza delivery.
Know a can't miss pizza place in New York City we should check out? Hit us on the tipline.
[Photo: Special*Dark]
Tags: Pizza / Pizza-in-New-York / → All Tags
Pizza in New York: Delizia
Finding Good Pizza in Manhattan Map
It's always a mixed sign when a New York pizza place is crowded. Can the slices really be that good, or is it late night on a weekend and everyone's desperate? Thankfully, at Delizia, the pizza's really is that good. Baked at just the right temperature, the crust is adequately thick and the cheese is real - not that artificial, salt-laden frozen stuff many other NYC pizzerias try to pass off. The tomato sauce is just the right mix of sweet and tart, and it seems they're always taking a fresh pie from the oven the moment we walk in.
Popular with the locals, Delizia is often full of families, and its hidden back room camouflages kids' birthday parties nicely. At any time of day, you might encounter the corner construction crew rubbing elbows with UES yuppies home from a tough day at the office. You can get everything else here too - salads, chicken parm, meatballs, antipasto - we highly recommend the pinwheels. Hard to resist, these pizza dough rounds ($1.85/each) are full of cheese and veggies and perfect for snacking on if you ever actually have to wait for a slice here.
Know a can't miss pizza place in New York City we should check out? Hit us on the tipline.
[Photo: tiarafoto]
Tags: Restaurants / Sushi / → All Tags
Destination: Umi Sushi
We're going to let you in on a little sushi secret today, Umi Sushi, on NYC's Upper East Side. The interiors won't excite you, but the menu's delicious, and the weekly special rolls never cease to delight. A tip: The snow ball roll (salmon and avocado topped with super white tuna) seems to melt upon mouth entry, and the spicy tuna's also delicious.
The staff is patient and the serving sizes are generous, just be warned not to order the fountain drinks (always completely flat) and avoid the basement bathroom. Don't worry about reservations or a wait: it seems that no matter how crowded it gets, they always manage to make "5 minutes" mean just that.
Related Stories:
· Umi Sushi [MenuPages]
Tags: Restaurants / Hippies / → All Tags
Destination: Good Health
It sounds strange, we know, that "Good Health" can be a destination, but it's a damn delicious one. We have a thing for decent veggie burgers, and Good Health's got 'em. Laden with portobello mushrooms and mixed with a spicy pepper chop, they're also topped with yummy vegan mayo and guac. They're so delicious that we often forget they're meatless.
Crammed into a teensy tiny storefront on the UES, Good Health is strangely serene, with just a few tables and an orange hue. Burgers are served with tasty whole grain tortillas, and other menu items don't disappoint, like sweet edamame dumplings and BBQ Tofu Teriyaki.
The prices are also reasonable, so if you're in town visiting friends, treat them. You can also rely on Good Health's delivery, which always turns up in eco-kind brown paper bags.
Related Stories:
· Good Health [MenuPages]
Tags: Restaurants / → All Tags
Destination: Annie's
Are you as sick of the whole wait-in-line for brunch thing that happens every spring Sunday in NYC as we are? We thought so. By the time you get to sit and eat, you're so hungry, you've given up on brunch and are ready for dinner. Enter Annie's, a cozy homey UES place that's perfect for the post-brunch set (Think 3pm on...) You can dig into a plethora of pancakes (black & white, pumpkin, pineapple & blueberry), a trio of mini-burgers (all with different toppings), salads and sandwiches. Just be warned, the kitchen closes at 4pm for brunch, but you can order up until 5-of.
Don't miss the Bloody Mary's (perfectly spiced) and the fries. The dining room can be loud but if you score a round corner table, you'll be fine. It's worth the brunch postponement to an hour where you can walk in and get a table for 5. Trust us.
[Photo: Susan S.]
Tags: Restaurants / New York City / → All Tags
Destination: Per Lei
If you're getting sick of the standard Tuscan-farmhouse "family-style" (translation: you're trapped next to strangers) Italian restaurant options in New York, head uptown and check out the white, bright, airy Per Lei. Right on the corner of 71st Street, Per Lei (meaning "for her") is totally whitewashed, but bright orange chairs and a kitschy, gleaming chandelier keep the dining room cool.
Menu options include tasty salads like artichoke hearts with avocado, fresh parmesan, and lemon juice, and main courses such as penne with tuna, Gaeta black olives, capers, fresh oregano and tomato sauce. Basic, but it gets the job done. Per Lei's real gem is the staff. Always welcoming and friendly, the servers rib guests playfully and are never overbearing.
One of the best times to head there? Weekend brunch, when the crowds thin out and the brunch menu is all-American, including eggs benedict, french toast, and steak and eggs. You'll have better lighting (and strong Italian coffee) to admire artist Fabrizio Musa's Pop-Art paintings hangings on the walls. A downtown feel keeps this uptown spot fun and novel.
Related Stories:
· Per Lei [Official Site]
Tags: Travel Gear / TSA / Airport Security / Kip Hawley / → All Tags
Kip Hawley In Cahoots With Sprayco
At least someone's making money off this. A pet peeve of ours--well, besides the fact that we had to go searching to begin with--is that we've never been able to find empty 3-ounce plastic bottles with which to appease the TSA gods. We're big fans of the Container Store, but after a trip to every one in New York City, plus at least a half dozen drug stores, we found that everyone makes 2-ounce containers, 4-ounce containers, and 6-ounce containers, but 3-ounce ones? Notsomuch.
If we're going to play the game, we at least want to bring as much mouthwash with us as we can without having to worry about a smackdown at Newark.
Finally, while on a routine trip to Bed Bath & Beyond to buy, of all things, a surge protector, we stumbled upon the guys pictured above. Sprayco, some company based in Detroit, has started to manufacture and distribute 3-ounce bottles. These necessary evils come in a variety of shapes. The labels read: "Ideal Size For Airport Carry-On," "Very Clear Dispensing Bottle," and "On The Go!," which might be the product name.
Oh yes, there's even a little airplane cartoon on 'em. And just in case you start to get questioned, "3 oz/89 ml" is embossed on the plastic. Available at least in the Harmon store sections of Bed, Bath & Beyond.
Related Stories:
· Another TSA Snow Job [Jaunted]
