McDonald's
You know what sucks? Being a vegetarian on a road trip. McDonalds. Burger King. Subway. KFC. The signs speed by on the highway as your stomach growls and your mind races—will I live on french fries and ice cream mix variations for the day? Please, someone, fan me. I feel faint.
As truly delicious as the above meal option is, it cannot possibly leave you satisfied. In this new generation of health-conscious eaters, you’d think that fast-food restaurant chains would tap into the burgeoning market of vegetarians. Unfortunately, the truth is that market isn’t overwhelmingly plump, if you will, and as my meat-eating friends would say, “these places aren’t made for people like you.” Well, luckily for “us,” some places have decided to prove those carnivorous, easy-going, spontaneous “let’s just grab a bite at this exit” friends wrong. Need I remind you that vegetarians have desires, too, and they should eat happy as their friends chow down on chicken nuggets and cheeseburgers?
Last weekend I went to New Orleans for Mardi Gras and naturally ended up at Burger King for a quick lunch. I prepared myself for the usual order of french fries and extra BBQ with an extra large, extra filling iced coffee, until I saw it—the *New BK Veggie Burger*…the… the…WHAT?! This is where my quest began to seek out all the vegetarian options at the fast-food restaurants that specialize in meat (unarguably the most common kind out there). This will help me eat cheaply and quickly anywhere, ESPECIALLY in the priciest and speediest of cities, NYC. Read the complete post »
No Comments | Posted on February 27, 2009 | Categories: Dining, From the Blog
tags: Delusions, Flavor, Ideology, Liberal Guilt, Meat, Vegetarianism
Today’s mini-adventure features yet another local venue: that place next to the Hungarian Pastry Shop that hungry Hungarian patrons sometimes go to when they don’t want to eat a pastry or walk very far: P & W sandwich shop.
Corner of Amsterdam and 111th
This is going to be a pretty straightforward chapter. P & W is a great little place. They make a good, fairly affordable sandwich, which you can take next door to eat with your bottomless coffee and macaroons (all of which will cost you only about $10). The Reuben is not their best sandwich, but for Morningside you could do a lot worse.
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No Comments | Posted on February 27, 2009 | Categories: Dining, From the Blog, Manhattan, Morningside Heights
tags: cheap, reubenquest, reubens
Dale Talde
Growing up in New York City, I have had my share of celebrity encounters: Mary-Kate Olsen in Barneys, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard on the street in Brooklyn, James Franco in the Columbia library. While each of these encounters invoked a level of star-struck excitement, this initial reaction only lasted for a few moments—a temporary high. The kind of celebrity encounter that is lasting on me—the kind that warrants a text message to each friend and family member—is an encounter with anyone who is affiliated with Top Chef.
Last month I ran into Gail Simmons (one of the judges on Top Chef, if you didn’t already know) on the street and shrieked. She and her husband appeared more stunned by my reaction than I was by her presence. Granted, I did shriek. But, I mean, come on—it was Gail Simmons.
This past summer I experienced the ultimate Top Chef encounter: I was at a bar with my friends when Dale Talde, a contestant from the fourth season, walked in. Despite my enthusiasm, I was convinced to remain calm. After all, I wanted him to notice me not as a spastic fan, but as someone whom he would want to approach and engage in conversation with. As the night carried on, I was disappointed by the lack of development in our relationship and eventually agreed to leave. On our way out, I noticed that Dale and his party were leaving as well. Somehow our two parties ended up mingling outside the bar. One thing led to another…and Dale and I were finally talking. The next morning I received a Facebook message: “Hey nice running into you last night we should grab a drink.” Amazing. Read the complete post »
No Comments | Posted on February 24, 2009 | Categories: Dining, From the Blog
tags: Top Chef
Valentine’s Day in New York. What could be more romantic? Lots of things. Paris, for example. Or most of Italy. In Europe, how far in advance does one need to make a dinner reservation for a Saturday Valentine’s Dinner? In New York, if you want to eat at a reasonable hour and not in New Jersey, the answer is: more than a week.
Elegance
Alas, reader, I did not have more than a week. I did not have a week. I had six days, which was, remarkably, just far enough in advance to scare up an 11:30 reservation at Kittichai–a romantic midnight feast. An INY favorite, Kittichai does Thai cuisine by way of the Bangkok Four Seasons; that is, with a heavy dose of French. In the name of love, they were offering a 6-course prix fixe menu for $65 per person. Pretty good deal, right?
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No Comments | Posted on February 20, 2009 | Categories: From the Blog
Much like the bubble tea craze in the 90s, frozen yogurt is becoming the new fad in food culture. And I am going to say right now, like many others have probably said before, that this is going to die out. Though bubble tea is still popular, it does not hold the same “cool” status as it did almost ten years ago. The same will go for frozen yogurt, where the market is currently being saturated with all the Red Mangoes and Pink/Blue/Green/whatever-color-berries opening up around the city. Within a ten block radius around 14th Street, there are at least 7 different brands of frozen yogurt, not including their several branches within those 10 blocks. From the established franchises of Pinkberry and Red Mango to the self-serve 16 Handles and Yogurtland, to the totally rip-offs like Oko and /eks/, I tried a little bit of each to see which one really had the best to offer, and which ones that would have to go. Read the complete post »
No Comments | Posted on February 20, 2009 | Categories: From the Blog
Yeah, I quoted R. Kelly.
Tuesday nights normally aren’t ideal for “partying” due to my 9AM class and the general lack of social scene. However this Tuesday night brought me to the Coventry after party at Goldbar on Broome Street (yep, a bar where almost everything is gold). I didn’t know what kind of crowd to expect since I didn’t go to the actual Coventry fashion show, but when I met up with my friends it was clear that the swiftest move would be to grab one more free drink and leave. Having voyaged all the way downtown in platform heels, I was relieved when my friends had a full night planned…
Our next stop was the Adidas SLVR store opening on Wooster Street. They hired male models as coatchecks/bartenders/servers, which made the streamline store space seem a bit more–fleshy. I did the “single ladies” routine with a random man and it was time to leave, heading for yet another after party for a show I did not attend. It was the Trovata show after party at Anchor Bar where they served tequila sunrises and had one of the best dj’s ever– she spun Biggie back to back with “Jessie’s Girl.” It was great. But when we heard Ed Westwick (who was supposed to be there) was a no show, it was time to pick up my dancing shoes and say goodbye. Read the complete post »
No Comments | Posted on February 20, 2009 | Categories: Event-Related, From the Blog, Nightlife
No matter the weather, the fashion week train doesn’t stop for anyone…. unless they’re giving away free shit. Literally the only times I’ve seen the determined Bryant Park barbarians stop—or even hesitate—are when they’re delving into free samples or taking pictures of famous people. And, I admit, I’ve been pausing quite a bit for these perks as well over the past few days. Sue me.
On Sunday, I went to the Thuy show. Thuy is half of United Bamboo and very reminiscent of the line. There were lots of metallic frocks and drop crotch trousers, silks in chartreuse and cobalt, and a beautifully detailed cream coat for the finale piece. Aside from that, the tent was filled with freebies: free McDonalds coffee (I recommend the iced mocha), free Havaiana flip-flops, free hair treatments, free SmartWater, and (goody!) an open bar sponsored by hot nightspot Tenjune. Oh, and free caramel flavored Viactive chews that America’s Next Top Model’s Melrose liked. I think I actually heard her say the words, “I was obsessed with these vitamin chews!”…right. Read the complete post »
No Comments | Posted on February 19, 2009 | Categories: Event-Related, From the Blog
Dave Martin
Known for his loud, sassy, and frenetic personality that often created drama among his competitors, Dave is probably the most memorable contestant from Top Chef. His food, praised for its flavor, was always creative and received positive feedback from the judges (he was one of the final three contestants in the debut season). So when word came out that he was opening his own restaurant Crave on 42nd Street in New York City, I was there opening week (and have returned a few times since).
When I walked into the restaurant on my first visit, I was greeted by chef and owner Dave himself. It was awesome. I wish I could say that I maintained my composure, but I definitely freaked out. He was bubbly and frantic, just like he was on the show.
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No Comments | Posted on February 17, 2009 | Categories: Dining, From the Blog
tags: Top Chef
Catherine Holstein and models, photo taken by Refinery29
My first week of fashion week had everything I was looking for: an open bar, beautiful clothing, falling models, and free candy.
On Thursday, I attended Catherine Holstein’s fall/winter 2009 show and Built By Wendy’s fall 2009 show. Catherine Holstein presented a line of sheer gothic elegance. Set against a brick loft building, Holstein’s models slinked and pouted, occasionally trapezing back and forth. The clothes were flatteringly pleated or draped with a masculine edge. High wasted purple trouser pants and floppy brimmed hats paired with chunky black heels, dark lips and delicate cream dresses rounded out the collection.
Later on, I had the opportunity to talk to Catherine Holstein, who explained that one of their major battles in preparing for the show was easing the cost of the clothing for consumers. Although she used imported fabrics from Italy and France, the domestic work allowed for the prices to stay relatively low for their quality (a well built winter jacket priced at just $350). After hitting up the sponsor stations—Orbit gum, some vodka company, Sebastian hair products, and Fiji water—I commuted across town to attend the Built By Wendy show on Mulberry and Kenmare.
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No Comments | Posted on February 16, 2009 | Categories: Event-Related, From the Blog
Craque
I’m addicted to Craque. Yeah, I said it. But before you jump to conclusions about my habits and my pretentious Francophile spelling of “crack,” let me explain.
Craque\krak\n.: Bite-sized pieces of chocolate and peanut butter in crunchy shells covered in powdered sugar. Packaged in small plastic “drug” bags. Not to be confused with its namesake, crack-cocaine.
If you’re looking for your fix this Valentine’s Day, or any day for that matter, look no further.
When Freida Orange, a Montgomery, AL, native, came to New York, she was surprised to discover that her lovely apartment, which happens to be located in Alphabet City, used to be a crack-den. Some might take this news as a sign to relocate, but Freida used it as inspiration for the hottest new candy enterprise. Read the complete post »
No Comments | Posted on February 13, 2009 | Categories: Dining, From the Blog
