It was 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Thank goodness we were late and didn't have to wait 20 minutes on the line outside. The first portion of the event, cocktails and canapes, was held downstairs. Everyone received a glass of 10 year Macallan upon entry. My favorite exhibit was the Macallan nosing station, where you could sniff four different types of whiskey. We had just settled into sipping our drinks, when the servers literally took them from us. Apparently we weren't allowed to

"I have a fundamental belief that we have as part of our social contract with our fellow citizens, that every person should cook." "If we were stuck on a boat with a bunch of other people, and there's a cook and a writer, who's gonna go over the fucking side first? You're keeping the cook around." Anthony Bourdain inspires me to no end. He's charismatic, funny, and just so damn likable. Best of all, he's real. He's himself. Thank you for showing us your view of the world,

Our group texts started out as usual, "Are we going to cosme tonight?" To which the usual replies were, "We're broke, but we can do a cheap eat." And so we decided to try Baby Brasa in LES. It's a pleasant three-block walk from the Delancey stop on the F train, passing by some of those New Allen street art walls. Swing a right and there it stands on the left side. I love restaurants that utilize big, open windows, and like most small ramen shops, just bar seating around the

​We definitely started backwards, which might be why I'm writing this with a hangover today. What was supposed to be a visit to Japan Fes (festival) turned into a great big food hop. The original plan was to try all the ramen at the Japan Festival, which was supposed to be a big block party in Midtown. But with one text of, "Are you working today," we decided to meet earlier for ice cream. After all, Indian summer arrived in NYC yesterday with a high of 80 degrees. What w

Spectacular! I love this venue! On a little street called Crosby Street, in the middle of Soho lies this gem. The vined archway and stone path leading up to the hotel should clue you into how wonderful the experience is going to be. The hosts and servers are all beautiful people, making you feel as if you've stepped into some kind of green wonderland. It's an oasis, a greenhouse where sunlight shines through the glass walls. And oh, the lights! The chandeliers! There's no

We pre-gamed foodie style. Ate first before eating again at the Yelp event. Read more about Jennie's genius idea to go to Baby Brasa and our night's food hopping adventures in the next post. The lower east side is the last remaining bastion of that hardcore, grungy, in your face artistry that a lot of New York City used to have. The last time I'd come to the Bowery was with my museum-loving buddy, and we were on a mission to visit as many little studios as we could in one

Upper East Side. The Carlyle. 'Nuff said. When Anthony Bourdain, my most favorite food personality of all time, visits a bar and says they have some of the best cocktails in the city, I absolutely have to go. Do not enter through the first door. It's the side door. Boy, was I embarrassed for a good five seconds. Instead walk straight through the Carlyle's lobby, down the short steps into the plush café, and swing a left into the darkened doorway. A server in a classic whi

We came for the sea urchin (uni), but discovered our latest favorite omakase in the city! [For those confused about omakase, it's when the chef serves you different dishes of her choosing. Trust me, you'll always be very grateful at the end.] Whereas Sushi Yasuda is the best in traditional dishes and Sushi Inoue is still discovering itself in trendy Harlem, Soto knows how to serve an excellent traditional toro (fatty tuna) sushi and then turns around and makes a cyu toro

Food court. Events like these always have an overpriced food court. We paid $4.00 a slice for plain cheese that was six inches from tip to crust. Thankfully, they were pretty good slices. Plus another $4.00 for what they called a large soda, but was in reality more like a medium. There were also hot dogs, popcorn stands, barbeque options, and other food kiosks you'd normally find at concerts. Now that the food part is out of the way, I can start from the beginning. It was

​​​​"Gonna hold your body close to mine. From this day on we're gonna be together. Oh I swear this time I'm never gonna let you go." Remember Sergio Mendez? Or Piano Man by Billy Joel? The Carpenters? Yup, that's the kind of throwback you'll find at Carnegie Deli. Along with the décor, unchanged probably since they opened, and even the aging clientele. I expected there would be a line, as this NYC institution is scheduled to close at the end of the year, and indeed I wa