It was horrible outside as my roommate and I headed to the newest comfort food haven in the West Village, Sweetipie, hoping that the promised mac and cheese made with aged cheddar, gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and tuna melts would make the trip worth our while.
What is most striking about Sweetipie is the décor. When you first walk in, it’s easy to wonder whether you’ve stepped into Gwen Stefani or Lady Gaga’s latest video set. Complete with a gold cage and faux red leather booths, Sweetipie is a kind of kitsch 50’s diner à la Serendipity, but with a more grown-up, naughty feel. It is a little disconcerting then, that Sweetiepie seeks to cater both to adults and to children. It tries to be the place you and your girl friend exchange sexual exploits over cocktails and dessert, the setting of your latest, oh-so-intimate date, and the go-to spot for Upper East Side kids’ 9th birthday parties. (The latter is accomplished marvelously with the help of the Star Wars clones on the mural of the inner room of the restaurant.)
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1 Comment | Posted on December 29, 2009 | Categories: Dining, From the Blog, Manhattan, Neighborhoods
tags: Claudia Sosa
As we approach 2010 with resolutions for a new year, bankruptcy and budgeting continue to rule our econ-system and remind us that no human hands can command the free market. Nonetheless, the ‘Holiday Spirit’ is a tradition older than Wall Street and everybody deserves a few blissful days of giving and receiving. So why not fill the interim between Religious Observances and New Years Eve with some free, decadent cheer? On Tuesday, January 29, the Empire Hotel and the Stephane Wrembel Trio invite all to enjoy the sounds of jazz on the roof terrace, free of fees and just for the sake of giving. To guarantee this freebie rarity, make sure to RSVP at the hotel’s website to ensure your seat at the event. Don’t fear the cold or the snow—the Empire rooftop is completely covered and equipped with fireplaces to make sure this holiday is happy, healthy, and warm. The performance lasts from 6:30 to 9:30, so register online for free and save your savings for drinks at the bar. If you can’t make it this week no worries, the Empire Hotel will be hosting the event every Tuesday evening through January, so that when the festive lights and family gatherings cease, the giving doesn’t have to.
-Julia Sourikoff
3 Comments | Posted on December 27, 2009 | Categories: Event-Related, From the Blog, Manhattan, Midtown West, Neighborhoods
tags: concerts, free, holidays, Jazz, Julia Sourikoff, music, night life, rooftop, Views
On a blustery Tuesday night, I set off for Alphabet City in search of a deal that seemed too preposterously good to be true. I could supposedly spend an evening sipping high-end alcohol and creative cocktails, all for free. Highly dubious of the whole affair, I stepped into Louis 649 to see what was the deal with this deal.
The warm, yellow light illuminates a chic but simple room: exposed red brick walls, a few paintings that include upside-down words, small tables in the back with quietly chattering couples. But the centerpiece of the room is the bar. Long and wooden, topped with bowls of enticingly vibrant colored berries (reserved for the drinks alas, not finger foods), the bar proudly showcases over 400 bottles of liquor. And that was why all of us were there. Read the complete post »
No Comments | Posted on December 26, 2009 | Categories: East Village, From the Blog, Manhattan, Neighborhoods, Nightlife
tags: alcohol, Alphabet City, bars, booze, classy, free
With the arrival of 999, Columbia University bar scene welcomes another contender for ‘best number-named’ venue that could knock 1020 out of the number one spot. After threatening its complete withdrawal from the community of quirky periphery nightspots scattered below 110th, 999 has emerged from the ashes of La Negrita with a new motto: “Bringing Downtown, Uptown.”
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No Comments | Posted on December 12, 2009 | Categories: From the Blog, Manhattan, Morningside Heights, Neighborhoods, Nightlife
tags: alcohol, bars, beer, booze, Columbia Corner, Julia Sourikoff
As the frigid weather sets in and the winter blues begin, you need to develop an appreciation for some kind of winter activity to make it through the cold. As it turns out, Bryant Park, at 42nd and 6th, is the perfect place to go for just this sort of thing. “The Pond” as it’s known, is open for ice skating from 8am until 10 at night, and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. And, here’s the kicker, it’s FREE! While it costs $12 to rent a pair of skates, admission to the rink itself is free of charge, so if you have your own blades this is a really cheap way to spend a really fun evening. Bundle up and hit the ice!
-Allison Poirier
No Comments | Posted on December 11, 2009 | Categories: Attractions, From the Blog, Midtown West
tags: Allison Poirier, holiday, ice skating, seasonal spotlight, winter
“REAL MEAT. REAL, FLAVORFUL MEAT.” That’s all my cohort could say, bite after bite, as we savored the tender pieces of chicken and beef sprawled before us. Once I took a taste, I was in wholehearted agreement—our icy 10 block trek down Amsterdam on the first cold night of the month had certainly not been for naught.
Approaching 106th Street at the tail end of our numbing journey, we sighted our destination: a maroon awning with white block lettering that read“AWASH” and a warmly lit interior that appeared inviting and heated. My companions and I were ushered to a spacious table, where we surveyed the prominent paintings of Ethiopian emperors on the walls and the low-hanging, wood-carved lamps with inlaid, illuminated panels of figures. We almost overlooked the small, five-stool bar hidden in the back, which blends in amidst the Jackson Pollack-style hand-painted walls. The feel was trendy but still very authentic—exotic enough to impress a date but comfortable for a group of friends. This particular night, the 60-person dining space seated a group celebrating girls’ nights out, a couple enjoying their anniversary, and a few older locals looking to escape the cold. Read the complete post »
1 Comment | Posted on December 10, 2009 | Categories: Dining, From the Blog, Manhattan, Morningside Heights, Neighborhoods
tags: Ashley Shaw, Columbia Corner, Ethiopian, ethnic, Food
Brooklyn Flea-goers, rejoice: you can skip the horrors of Saturday G train service and get your goods at Brooklyn Flea Presents Gifted: A Holiday Market. Sponsored by Lucky magazine, the Flea moves from outer borough obscurity to the heart of NoHo, where dozens of vendors pack inside the tiny space on East 4th that once was home to the Tower Records Outlet. This, friends, is the closest you’ll get to one-stop holiday shopping without having to resort to Amazon or the madness of the Manhattan Mall. Read the complete post »
No Comments | Posted on December 8, 2009 | Categories: East Village, Event-Related, From the Blog, Manhattan, Neighborhoods
tags: accessories, artists, Asian food, Brooklyn Flea, Desiree Browne, holidays, NoHo, shopping
As a student on a budget, my meals usually consist of pizza and breakfast sandwiches. It’s a special treat to veer outside the cheap and easy cheese-and-carb diet, and on those rare occasions, eating becomes bliss. So when I heard I could get lobster for the same price as my typically pitiful meals, I had to try it.
Located in a small shack in the East Village, Luke’s Lobster offers the “most affordable lobster and seafood rolls” in the city. With lobster rolls running at $8 for a “snack” portion (about a third of a sandwich) and $14 for a full roll, you can eat like a king on the budget of a student. If you do take the snack route, don’t be alarmed by the small portion you’ll be served. Quality trumps quantity, and these bites are deceivingly filling.
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No Comments | Posted on December 7, 2009 | Categories: Dining, East Village, From the Blog, Manhattan, Neighborhoods
tags: Alessandra Gotbaum, cheap, Food, lobster, lobster rolls
A revival of the Rat Pack era has debuted in Manhattan, paying tribute not to jazz and acting, but rather to the art of the cocktail. As the 20s Prohibition-themed speakeasy pioneered by Milk and Honey is approaching its climax with a slew of piggybacking impersonators, partners Hamid Rashidzada and Greg Seider of The Summit Bar are spearheading the resurgence of 60s Sin City Vice, rapidly building popularity by its following of industry-heavy patrons. Read the complete post »
No Comments | Posted on December 6, 2009 | Categories: From the Blog, Lower East Side, Manhattan, Neighborhoods
tags: alcohol, bars, booze, classy, cocktails, Julia Sourikoff
While most responsible college students were doing whatever it is that responsible college students do on a Monday night (no idea), my roommate and I were relishing our youth in this great city by prancing around Brooklyn. We had golden tickets to one of New York’s hippest music arenas, the Music Hall of Williamsburg, where we would see the ragtag leader of folky, mellow, neo-hippie musicians everywhere: Devendra Banhart.
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No Comments | Posted on December 4, 2009 | Categories: Brooklyn, Event-Related, From the Blog, Neighborhoods, Nightlife, Williamsburg
tags: brooklyn, Claudia Sosa, concerts, music, music hall of williamsburg, music venue
