Neighborhood Gem - Sweet Emily's

Terrence (back from the BJ League on his first visit during the off-season) and I discovered an adorable, below-street-level restaurant in my neighborhood with a menu so enticing that you need one or two rounds of drinks to decide what you want to eat.

Sweet Emily's is run by Emily and her husband (and head chef) on West 51st Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues. With its warm decor, flavorful plates and low prices, it is a new personal favorite among the Hell's Kitchen diamonds. Take advantage of reservation-less dining now before a feature in Time Out New York or a Zagat review change it from a local secret to a tourist headliner ... like Roberto Passon's once quiet brunches. But the city couldn't keep Roberto's $8 all-you-can-drink bellinis, bloody marys, mimosas and screwdrivers a secret for long.

POST UPDATE:
Oops. Too late: What to Eat at Sweet Emily's, Bringing Comfort to Midtown on Saturday

A Year Ago Today:Real Estate LOL - "Separate" Kitchens
Two Years Ago Today:Six Stiches of Separation

"Things I Love" Thursday - The Foods of New York

The Foods of New York on NBC's Today Show

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

"Things I Love" Thursdays are inspired by "I Love New York" (BNY, February 14, 2007).

A Year Ago Today: Nightlife Highlights of Late
Two Years Ago Today:
Phone Photo Ops - Subway Performers
BNY Updates

Food, Fun & Life in the Big Apple

Awesome Things About this Week*:

A good friend, and fellow anonymous NYC blogger, gave me a pair of sixth row tickets to Tuesday's Nets game, which I gave to my roommate and the girl sleeping on our couch. A proud and indefinite inhabitant of our Hell's Kitchen apartment since December 29, she's like our own Half Baked "Guy on the Couch" - without the plume of smoke. Since relocating from Phoenix, she's been looking for employment in the city, and though I'd love to use my blog to foster networking opportunities for her, I live in morbid fear of creepy cyber stalkers. However, if any of my NYC blogger friends - with whom I've developed legitmate relationships - have any leads, please email them to my personal email account. She has a B.A. in Elementary Education and is considering any teaching opportunities and nanny positions.

I went to see Wicked with my aunt and cousin, visiting from Upstate New York and Syracuse respectively. Add it to your Broadway must-sees. We also ate at one of my favorite Italian spots Roberto Passon and tried a sushi spot across from the Gershwin Theatre called Bluechili.

A quarter-of-a-million dollar house sat on my couch - in the form of a 5-carat diamond engagement ring (phone photo op below).

DrunkBrunch won a one-hour open bar at the Village Pour House on the Upper West Side.

My best friend was crashing at our apartment while she was in the city to consult with her agent, publicist, wardrobe stylist and hair and make-up artist regarding next week's red carpet premiere of Madea Goes to Jail, in which she plays in her first major onscreen role!

*Note: Results not typical of most weeks as a resident of New York City.

A Year Ago Today: "Things I Love" Thursdays - This Week in General
Two Years Ago Today: You Know It's Brrrrr

New York is My Washpot

Yesterday evening I was walking through the intersection of Varick and Franklin downtown in Tribeca to meet the Blogger Gals for our NYC Restaurant Week 2008 reservation at the upscale Vietnamese restaurant Mai House. As I walked unassumingly through a small crowd, I suddenly heard, "Action!"

I did a half-duck and hastened my pace across the street, realizing that I had just walked through a film set - whether it was for a movie or television production, I did not know. I did briefly observe a blonde girl in pink with her hair swooped to the left and pulled back in a neat ponytail. The director was frantically trying to get her to cross the busy intersection for his shot, and she was pointing to the passing cars and raising her arms in a questioning gesture. Assuming that the relatively small production crew was shooting an independent film of some sort, I took no further notice and continued on my way.

Later, Misguided Misadventures was able to ascertain that we each must have separately walked through a follow-up clip for America's Next Top Model or a recap for The Tyra Show on our respective commutes to meet at Mai House. The blonde in pink was Whitney, the first plus-size model to be crowned by Tyra Banks in Cycle 10.

At Mai House, I selected the Green Mango Salad (Chile Oil, Cilantro, Red Onion), Glazed Spare Ribs (Orange and Scallion Salad, Chiles, Ginger Caramel), and the Holy Basil Chocolate Ganache (Passion Fruit, Kumquat) from their Restaurant Week three-course menu, which was served by a pretty and friendly waitress, who did not treat us like "Restaurant Week patrons". We were provided with courteous and prompt service and were not rushed out for the next seating. And as always, I enjoyed good conversation with City Wendy, DrunkBrunch, Fiesty Red, Misguided Misadventures, and Satire City.

Meanwhile uptown on a beautiful tree-lined street in Hell's Kitchen, the A-List comedian / former SNL actor was picking up my roommate in a red Ferrari (rather than a few of the Jaguars we rode in last week, including a brand new one, which prompted me to show him my brand new yellow MetroCard, fully loaded from the 50th Street station showroom). During their third date, he invited her to ... California to see one of his shows, a photo shoot for a leading entertainment magazine ... and, oh yea, a little something called the Emmys in September.

"It is a cliché that most clichés are true, but then, like most clichés, that cliché is untrue."- Stephen Fry, Moab is My Washpot

A Year Ago Today: Phone Photo Ops - True High-Rise Profession
Phone Photo Ops - Self Help
Two Years Ago Today: Good Luck & Oh Yea

Cuisine-ical Diversity

In New York, you're more likely to hear a coworker two cubicles down say over the phone, "There's this new Lebanese place down the street that looks super cool. We're going to go check it out this weekend."

I think I'll go to the Afghan Kebab place by my apartment this weekend. Just because I can.

Phone Photo Op - Kwik Meal

Today a coworker and I tried falafels at Kwik Meal, voted the #1 Street Food Vendor by New York Magazine, Best Falafel & Best Chicken/Lamb & Rice Cart by Midtown Lunch, and was a finalist in the Vendy Awards.

Brunching and Walking on a Sunday Afternoon

Brunching at Roberto Passon with friends, a new boyfriend in the crew and the french toast with the just-right wheaty texture and sugary consistency and the perfect ratio of syrup to eggs and butter ... and the $8 all-you-can-drink bellinis, bloody marys, mimosas and screwdrivers from noon to 3:30pm.


Proof that Mayra is pregnant
... other than the ultrasound photos

Cookies-n-Cream Hersey's bar in a croissant

Walking from 50th and Ninth to the start of today's
city walk at 110th Street and Broadway


Upper West Side cafés






Bars


Street fairs


Benches and tree-lined streets

What Do Guacamole, Brisé volé, and Hookah Have in Common?

My first time experiencing the New York City Ballet at a sneak preview for their Spring Gala program - following dinner at Picante and preceded by a girlfriend's birthday party at Kush Lounge - can be summed up with one of my cliché moments last Saturday night.

In the front seat of a cab racing down Madison Avenue, I turned around and said to my three friends in the back, "Aren't our lives fabulous? Where else can you have a night out with your girlfriends that includes awesome Mexican food, a performance by the New York City Ballet, and a private party at a Hookah bar?"

New York City's Definition of "Bar & Grill"

In North Carolina, when you see the words Bar & Grill, you might correlate the words "neighborhood steak house" and assume that there will be buckets of boiled peanuts on the tables and shells on the floor.

In New York, a bar and grill is more likely to look like this and dinner for two costs over half a grand. Ridiculous but oh, so delicious is this taste of the good life. And it's even more appreciated because it's not mine, but a sample of someone else's.

Last night, I went to Gotham Bar & Grill with a friend for a dinner I could never afford because I'm not an investment banker like him - or that maybe I could afford once in a blue moon if I wasn't paying a quarter of my salary before taxes to my landlord (or almost half my monthly cash flow after federal, state and city taxes devour my paycheck).

Below is the account of my evening in camera-phone-photo essay form.

The night began with Poland Springs water in the car that my friend sent to pick me up from work (because finding a vacant cab in midtown between 5 and 9pm is maddening).


My signature drink (Kettle One and Soda) at the bar.


Studying the amazing three-course menu, which we enjoyed with a bottle of an Australian red wine.


Forgot to take a picture of my first course, which was the Black Bass Ceviche, but here is my second course, the Seafood Salad.


My third course, Juniper Spiced Muscovy Duck Breast.


Our desserts paired with sweet dessert wines.


And Sebastian Bach and his gorgeous wife at the next table (we pretended to be reading a hilarious text message on my phone while tackily snapping a celebrity photo).

Divinity in Edible Form

I have found the omelette of my life. The holy trinity of Sunday breakfast is a combination of eggs, cream cheese and smoked salmon. It's divine existance thrives within the quaint exterior and exposed brick walls of a Tuscan steak and wine bar on Seventh Avenue. Svette VII's Il Bastardo on the corner of 21st Street features a weekend brunch menu that stole our hearts and has been infinitely dubbed our Sunday brunch spot.

I will now spend six days a week in agonizing anticipation of Sunday brunches with my girlfriends - not yearning for the fellowship and conversation of my closest friends - but craving Il Bastardo's omelette with cream cheese and smoked salmon. Not to mention that the $15 all-you-can-drink Champagne, Mimosas, Bellinis, Screwdrivers and Bloody Marys have solidified its high echelon within our Sunday brunch clique.

Phone Photo Op - My Omelette with cream cheese and smoked salmon ($9.00) and Debasha's Eggs Benedict with Maryland Crabcakes ($12.00) and monster Mimosa

Ra joined me on today's city walk after brunch. En route to our starting point at Broadway and 14th Street, we passed by a film crew and browsed the real estate listings in the window of a Citi Habitats office. The latter gave both of us the remarkable urge to bang our foreheads through the glass or dig our eyeballs out with forks smeared with hot sauce. I don't know how else to describe the self-deprecating thoughts and suicidal tendencies sparked by New York City real estate prices.

Phone Photo Op - Film crew on Seventh and West 20th

Easter Brunch at L'Orange Bleue

My blog likes to masquerade as a food blog. I snap blog photos of my food so often, the posts should probably have their own label. But food is such an essential part of New York City culture, you cannot become a New Yorker without simultaneously becoming a foodie ... and a wine aficionado ... and a cocktail connoisseur. And you add a "brunch budget" to your monthly expenses.

Food and drink are a defining - if not symbolic - part of most societies, but it's the diversity of authentic cuisine within the five boroughs that makes New York distinct.

Today I joined my girlfriends for Easter brunch at L'Orange Bleue in Soho, where I ordered the Omelette Maxime and a mimosa from their brunch menu. A lazy Sunday afternoon passed us by as we enjoyed our usual brunch conversation: politics (a few jokes about Spitzer), finance (the latest news surrounding Bear Stearns), fashion, jobs, men, rent. Once all that could be eaten, drank and said ... had been eaten, drank and said, we went our separate ways - to Brooklyn, to Harlem, a sale at Steve Madden, and a city walk.

Debasha joined me for my first city walk of 2008.

Phone photo op - Cherry blossoms in L'Orange Bleue


Brunch Prix Fixe, includes the mimosa - only $12.95

Happy Easter!

India with Extended Family

Last night I joined the aunt from Syracuse and her family-by-marriage for dinner at Tamarind, an Indian restaurant in east midtown. Dinner was delicious, conversation was great, and having family in the city is fabulous.

David (the son of my aunt's second husband) works in publishing, and Charlene (David's wife) is a corporate event planner. Both based in Manhattan. Both very successful. And both full of New Yorker-isms.

When I arrived 40 minutes late because of late-night publishing/ advertising blah, resulting from a morning of ribbon-tying for an upcoming event, followed by the frustration of trying to find a cab in midtown between 5 and 9pm, they were forgiving and armed with wine. When I had confimed by cell that I was five minutes away, Charlene had said, "That's New Yorker speak for 'I'm at 96th and West End.'"

Despite the fact that David and Charlene live in Brooklyn with their adorable son (of whom I have only seen adorable photos) and Charlene sent me a welcome gift while I was living on the air mattress in the living room in the Bronx (the title of that post is "Cockroaches Not Welcome Here" but that's not what she sent), it took a year and a half for us to get together ... and for me to get my New York State driver license.

David said something that I wanted to make the "quote of the evening" in my blog, but the wine haze has clouded it over. If I ever remember what it was, I'll have to update this post.

I decided I liked Charlene immediately, but fell in love with her when she refused dessert and then told her husband that he needed to order the cheese cake. Any man, who has been in a relationship with a woman for longer than five minutes, knows what that means.

Since Terrence is still in England and wasn't present to order a dessert for me to eat most of nibble on, here is a camera phone photo of my flourless chocolate cake with raspberry filling.

Restaurant Week Winter 2008 - Aspen

I met with Annisha, Gina B., Debasha and Tasha at Aspen last night to enjoy their $35 Prix Fixe Menu for NYC Restaurant Week Winter 2008. I chose the Warm Goat Cheese & Arugula Salad, Tasha and I shared the Pan Roasted Chicken and the Wild Salmon, and I ended up eating the remainder of everyone else's desserts ... so Snow Capped Cupcakes, Sorbet/Gelato and Pumpkin Flan. Add a few bottles of wine and lots of laughter. Equals another one of those New York nights that I always wanted.

At some point, as the last bottle of wine was drying up and some were on their third or fourth glasses of sangria, and I was picking the dessert crumbs off of everyone’s plates, I suddenly thought of Annalisa. I’m not sure why, but I remembered a promise I had made to her via a blog comment. I had promised that I would have a drink for her one night in New York City.

“So guys,” I said, as soon as there was a break in the laughter. “There is a woman in California, who reads my blog [this sounded super nerdy to say out loud, but none of my friends snickered or raised an eyebrow] and has always wanted to live in New York, but she began a life as a mother instead. I promised her awhile ago that I would have a drink for her in the city. So can we toast Crazy Mom of Three?”

"Sure!" everyone said. Odd requests are generally not questioned by my crew once the adult beverages begin to flow.

I raised my glass and my friends raised their glasses without hesitation.

“To who again?” Gina asked, her eyes glazed over by her sangria.

“To Crazy Mom of Three,” I replied, holding my glass aloft.

“To Crazy Mom of Three!” we all said in unison.

We live in a world where technology has the capability to connect across continents people who have never met. It’s kind of amazing. So are my friends.

Phone Photo Op - Dinner in the Dark

Enjoying exotic food by candlelight last night courtesy of my club promoter friend and the fabulous dinner parties she throws each week.

I'm not sure what I ate, but it was good. It might have helped if I could see, but the dim lighting set the mood, and everyone looks more attractive in the dark.

South of the Border Prep for X!ine

So I met up for drinks last night with Christine, blogger of X!ine's world, before she ended her three-month stint in New York City. A former Corporate (and Native) New Yorker turned wedding photographer living in Mexico, we somehow got connected through our blogs and decided to meet a few months ago while she was apartment-sitting in Harlem. It was surreal to meet her in person after months of reading about her life. It was like we sort of already knew each other, and we had to admit that it almost felt like meeting for a first date through eharmony or match.com - not that either of us have profiles on those sites. Ha!

Christine was running a little late coming back from downtown and I was exhausted from the long day in Central Park so we agreed on a spot near my apartment per my suggestion. I had never actually been inside this particular local hangout before and little did I know the ramifications of cultural disparities associated with my choice. The comical phenonema of our evening have been included below:

1) We received Coronas with no limes and cold papas fritas and no ketchup.
2) When we asked the waitress if she could calentar the fries, she replied, "La cocina esta cerrado ... closed," but we were finally able to convince her to put the fries in the microwave.
3 The music was so loud we felt like we were in a night club; actually I don't think the music is even that loud in Tenjune.
4) It took about 10 minutes to heat up the fries, during which time, we continued to watch plates of steaming hot food delivered around us.
5) The owner later confirmed that the kitchen was still open and tried to compensate with two free beers.
6) Our microwaved fries returned; however, there was only one bottle of ketchup in the entire place so we had to wait for the waitress to bring the one bottle from another table.

As I am adding the bulleted list detailing our evening to my blog, I'm realizing that it may not sound as funny as it seemed to us last night. But we had a good laugh, and today Christine texted me, "The bar sucked but it was great to get to hang out! Looking forward to reading about your life."

I'm looking forward to reading about hers, too.

The Good Life, I mean, Night

Things That Would Only Happen to Me in New York
- Meet a friend who works for a top five securities firm at an exclusive midtown restaurant.
- Be ushered up to our table even though we were late for our reservation (because of an extra drink at the bar) - while another man argued with the host over his reservation being bumped back.
- Hide my embarressment while my friend ordered for us since I had no idea what most items on the menu were.
- Watch him pay a half-a-grand check after consuming over $500 dollars-worth of lobster salad, shrimp tempura, sushi, kobe steak and sake.
- Chat with the restaurant's event planner, who discretely pointed out the celebrities dining among us, and who also caters many events for my company's founder and former celebrity CEO.
- Ride home in a black Mercedes with a driver and watch the canyon of buildings streaming overhead through the full-length moonroof.

Things to Remember as I Continue My New York Journey
- Don't get used to - or expect - all of the above
- Remember that the good life is an illusion
- Enjoy it for a night anyway (and take camera phone photos)

Easter Brunch & Libations

"Shall we partake in libations?"

That was Jamario last night after an amazing dress rehearsal of Drama Group 36's showcase, in which every actor broke many, many legs. The Juilliard seniors will take their showcase from New York City to Los Angeles over the next few weeks, and I'm looking forward to following the careers of my (bias-based) favorite Juilliard class. But for that moment, it was Easter, it had been a long week for all, and the night was ours.

I had joined Tokii, Jamario and his girlfriend Stephanie for Easter brunch yesterday afternoon at Mobay Uptown, a Caribbean restaurant in the heart of Harlem. You know a restaurant is good when you're looking over the menu and already planning the next meal for your inevitable return. I love coming upon the hidden treasures of the city. The almost clandestine entrance - that one might easily overlook - conceals a dimly-lit, rich ambiance creating a trendy and comfortable chill spot suitable for a formal brunch or a casual evening with friends. I'm sure Mobay Uptown will be a favorite of mine for years to come.

"It's places like this that actually make me like New York," Tokii - the L.A.-bound, anti-most-things-NYC - said.

"I know. Places like this are such ..." I began to agree, searching for eloquent words to complete the thought.

In signature goofy-Tokii style, she interrupted me with eyes bulging: "A burst of fruit flavor!"

One probably wouldn't guess it from the above description of her guess-you-had-to-be-there hilarious intrusion, but she is one of the most beautiful women that many people might ever see in real life. In fact, when showing pictures of her (taken during a city outing) to my family in the Philippines, my tita would say, "And this is Katie's friend, the one who all the men kept taking second and third glances at on the street."

Beautiful, extremely funny and extraordinarily talented - even among the company she keeps at Juilliard. But my description is somewhat subject to a best-friend bias.

Following my afternoon city walk and their evening dress rehearsal, I went with Tokii and her classmates to Dallas BBQ on West 72nd Street, where I had the biggest, best wild berry pina colada ever. I think it will be my new favorite drink.

A lot of new favorites yesterday in my favorite city ... keeping in mind though that I have a lot of biases regarding the people and places that I love.