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Restaurants
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Tuesday, 06 January 2009 22:47 |
H and H Bagels
Okay, so technically it isn’t a restaurant. Technically the most memorable “wait staff” is the guy outside the door hoping you’ll spot him some change on your way out. Technically there’s no indoor seating, and the servers are particularly businesslike, or, one might say, New York friendly. But that doesn’t stop H and H from distinguishing itself as a twenty-four hour all-night hotbed of doughy deliciousness that turn it into a restaurant because you can’t wait to leave the factory-atmosphere ordering area before digging into your little paper bag and experiencing carbohydrate heaven. The bagels are baking around the clock so they’re fresh and hot in all your standard flavors – plain, onion, poppy, pumpernickel, blueberry, everything, salt, sourdough. No, they won’t put a spread on for you (you can buy a tub of cream cheese and some lox to take with you if you choose to be that awkward person constructing a meal on the sidewalk). No, they won’t toast it – chances are it’s already hot, silly. And no, there are no extras, no frills, and definitely no smiles. But there is deliciousness. And there is the sweetness of being able to stroll or stumble into H and H at any hour of the night. You’ll be through your first bagel before you get out the door, but that’s okay, since most likely you’ll be ready to join the line again to get another.
H & H Bagels, 2239 Broadway at W. 80th Street. A dozen bagels cost eleven dollars. |
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Restaurants
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Tuesday, 06 January 2009 22:46 |
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Amici II
The host that whisks you into this restaurant is so friendly, you really do give him a second look. Is that your second cousin on your mom’s Italian side? He may as well be. He’ll throw you kisses and he may even carry you to your seat as a fitting opener to a super-friendly eating experience. The old school Louis Prima songs rocking overhead will bring back memories for any Italian American of your mom playing records (yes, records) while she cooks sauce from scratch. And if you’re not of the Italian persuasion, no matter. The food tastes good to everyone. It’s classic, hearty and straightforward, without messing up the basics: pasta, bread, sauce, chicken, veal, seafood. Try the baked clams, mozzarella caprese, and the lobster- their specialty, or a hearty rigatoni dish to conjure of memories of feeling stuffed at your grandmother’s kitchen table. You might call it touristy, you might say it ain’t trendy, but the food is real, and that’s from someone in touch with her Italian roots. Enjoy the wine and check out some of the framed photos that wallpaper the entire restaurant: celebrities, local hotshots and ordinary guests. If you ask, they might snap one of you to add to the collection. After all, you’re part of the family.
Amici II, 165 Mulberry Street, between Mulberry and Broome Streets, Little Italy. |
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Home Furnishings - Shopping
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Friday, 19 December 2008 20:11 |
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Daisy Dog Studios designs porcelain tableware with fun and playful designs inspired by there name sake: Daisy the dog. Currently, they having a sale of on select items such as a 16 inch round platter for just $20.00 - Originally $150. Stunning saving if you ask me. Going out of business? Let's hope not.
Location
460 Hudson St., at Barrow St., New York, New York.
PH: 646-765-7658);
Hours: Daily (noon–6:30)
Web: http://www.daisydogstudio.com |
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Home Furnishings - Shopping
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Thursday, 18 December 2008 19:22 |
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Tuesday I attended the Christies - Elle Decor - Lexus young collectors event.
Essentially, this event is Christies way to action off misc. pieces from
larger sales at ridiculously low prices and win potential new clients.
That is where Elle Decor comes in. They invite select people from the
design industry. I did not have a direct invite, but went with someone
who did.
Anyway, the event took place on the second floor where the nights
collection was shown. It was motley affair of modern and classical
pieces. As this event was more of "high end swap meet" with low pretense
and no one else seemed to be taking pictures, I kept my camera tucked
away in my pocket.
However, I did find a few objects which I liked and may bid on. I
especially liked the 14th century bronze lion spout, as I collect small
"Gothic" pieces like this. In ten years, I've only found eight pieces.
I also liked the deco stools and table. Unfortunately, I need at least
three stools and I don't need the table. They are being sold as a set.
Bummer.
Anyway, you can see the entire collection at Christies. As you browse,
do NOT be frightened by some of the prices. Many of the items have NO
RESERVE, and so, even if an item says its $1,000.00, try bidding
$200.00. If no one out bids you, you win. Nice, eh?
Image at the top of the page:
AN ITALIAN POLYCHROME-DECORATED AND GILTWOOD CARVED BUST OF A WOMAN,
19TH CENTURY
23in. (58.5cm.) high, 21½in. (54.5cm.) wide.
Estimate
$1,000 - $1,500
No Reserve.
A NORTH EUROPEAN BRONZE FIGURAL SPOUT,
POSSIBLY FLEMISH AND 13TH 14TH CENTURY,
modeled as a lion head, probably previously mounted on a fountain
3in. (7.5cm.) high
Estimate
$700 - $1,000
No Reserve
Boris Deutsch (AMERICAN, 1892-1978)
Three Heads
signed 'Boris Deutsch' (lower right); and signed again 'Boris Deutsch' (on the reverse)
oil on canvas
30 x 25 in. (76.2 x 63.5 cm.)
-Sold-
$1,250.00
AN OAK BAR TABLE,
AFTER A MODEL BY PIERRE CHAREAU,
together with a pair of oak and wrought-iron bar stools
The table 35in. (89cm.) high, 19¾in. (59cm.) wide, 13¼in. (33.5cm.) deep; the stools 32in. (81cm.) high (3)
Estimate
$3,000 - $5,000
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Home Furnishings - Shopping
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Wednesday, 17 December 2008 20:16 |
Domino: The Book of Decorating: A room-by-room guide to creating a home that makes you happy is almost as beautiful on the outside as it is inside. If you’ve ever flipped through Domino magazine and liked what you saw, I highly recommend this book. Authors Deborah Needleman, Sarah Ruffin Costello, and Dara Caponigro highlight eclectic design that works in rooms of various sizes. Early pages of the book help readers determine what kind of style and layout they want and how they can get it as affordably as possible. There’s even a section about specific solutions for apartment renters, which is what I flipped to first.
While the magazine is definitely targeted at younger readers who are designing on a budget, I think Domino: The Book of Decorating is inspirational to anyone looking for easy ways to make their home more beautiful, livable, and unique.
The book is full of eye candy design photos and hand-drawn illustrations accompanied by text that gets right to the point. I must stress that the book is a design guide rather than a how-to encyclopedia. Readers learn about design options, from patterns to light fixtures to furniture, and can evaluate how others have implemented them. The Domino effect is design inspiration.
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Home Furnishings - Shopping
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Wednesday, 17 December 2008 19:48 |
I picked up a copy of Todd Oldham’s Handmade Modern: Mid-Century Inspired Projects for Your Home when I moved into my one-bedroom apartment in June. I finally had a real living room and was ambitious about design, namely marrying my own style with some of the mid-century design elements I love.
Alas, I’m not made of money. Maybe you’re in the same situation.
Handmade Modern is ready to solve that problem, provided that readers have tool box basics, including saws and staple guns, and access to (and elementary mastery of) a sewing machine. The book’s projects are divided by room and are rated one to four by difficulty. Oldham’s finished products are showcased, and they look amazing. The bold pieces definitely call to mind Eames and Nakeshima, to name a few. The Sweet Dreams Suite section includes instructions on creating a bevy of furniture and accents, including level two color copy wallpaper and a level four illuminated wood tile headboard. Ambitious indeed!
Each process is thoroughly depicted in text and pictures documenting every step. I don’t have the tools or expertise for the big projects, but I’m thinking of making a hand-quilted pillow sometime soon. Dare I say, I’m even browsing hand saws.
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Home Furnishings - Shopping
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Tuesday, 16 December 2008 07:12 |
Making a rented apartment feel like home can be tricky, and FLOR carpet tiles make dressing up a floor affordable, fun, and flexible. The modular carpet system works like this: For about $11 per 19.5 inch square, tiles can be put together to create a rug of any size or even wall-to-wall carpet. Tiles come in a variety of patterns, colors, shapes, and textures and warm up any room. There are also collections designed by Martha Stewart, Alexander Girard, and Disney.
Should a tile need some cleaning, it can be pulled up from the floor and washed in the sink.
FLOR carpet tiles can be purchased online at www.flor.com (where you can also order samples cut from full-size tiles or a catalog) or in-store at Vitra (29 9th Ave.) and CB2 (451 Broadway). Shopping for FLOR lends many mix and match possibilities that fit any décor or budget. Once you have your FLOR solution, it's easy to buy a few new carpet tiles when the mood strikes to create a different look. Now there's no excuse for your feet to freeze when you get out of bed. |
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Restaurants
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Monday, 15 December 2008 12:03 |
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El Rancho Jubilee NYC Food Review by Martha Cooney
El Rancho Jubilee might go undiscovered if you’re too distracted by glitzy downtown restaurants backed up with reservations, but it would be a shame to miss. This spot uptown on the border of the Washington Heights and Inwood neighborhoods of Manhattan offers a delicious taste of Dominican food in a neighborhood with the authentic flavor of the Dominican Republic. The atmosphere of the restaurant with its tiki-hut style actually makes you feel like you are on an island, and sitting up at the bar with its thatched roof will do the trick as well. Presidente beer and delicious starters like tostones (fried plantains) will do you right at the bar, where the servers remember you after your second appearance and other visitors are friendly. Or bring a big group for a sit down meal at long, family style tables for food that is as memorable as it is flavorful. The shrimp and avocado salad with its mix of olive oil and vinegar with chopped onion is perfection, and an order of seafood soup is literally swimming with hearty delicacies: mussels, scallops, crab and real lobster tail all enrich a delicious broth. Dominican style steak, sautéed with thin white onions is best paired with pork, beef or chicken mofongo (mashed yucca), or go for a fish dish that comes with a garlic, Creole or coconut sauce. It can be hard to decide among dishes and flavors, so sharing is a good idea, but don’t hold back on the Presidentes – you can join in on karaoke nights at Jubilee, open til 2 am nightly.
El Rancho Jubilee, 10 Hillside Ave, 10040, between Nagle Ave and Bogardus Place, open Mon- Fri 7 am – 2 am, and 24 hours Saturday and Sunday. |
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Restaurants
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Monday, 15 December 2008 11:45 |
The Spot
417 Prospect Place
Brooklyn, NY
(Park Slope)
For those that enjoy exploring off the beaten path, The Spot is a great restaurant nestled in a mainly residential area of Park Slope. It's not a large restaurant, it probably only seats 20-30 people, definitely a great date spot. The lights are unobtrusive and the layout and design are very minimalistic. The food, though, is delicious especially for the prices that you can pay. There is a nice mix of expensive and medium priced meals on the menu with pastas ranging from $9.95-$12.95 and entrees starting at $11.95-$18.00. Everything on the menu sounds delicious, and after trying the calamari appetizer, jumbo crab cake entree and stuffed chicken entree (dinner for two people), I can almost imagine that everything on the menu is as good. We started off with the calamari, which came out promptly. It was a bit on the salty side and the "spicy marinara" is just marinara sauce with crushed red pepper flakes, a slight disappointment. The calamari on the whole, however, was well cooked and the right freshness. The older squid gets the more rubbery it becomes. The squid here was a tad rubbery, but nothing that made a noticeable difference. The portion that came out was a little large for one person, but was perfect for two.
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Read more...
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Home Furnishings - Shopping
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Sunday, 14 December 2008 21:52 |
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Deeply Madly Living Furniture Sale
Deeply Madly Living is having a sale through December 31st with prices reduced 60 - 80 percent. They offer mod furniture and home accessories. 255 W. 36th St., nr. Eighth Ave., Ste. 502 (212-564-1530); Mon.–Fri. (9–5), Sat.–Sun. (by appointment only).
I liked the following the Ring Side Table. It was $540, but now is just $216. Seems like a great price for welded steel. Though it only measures 17.71"H 11.81"D 25.59"L, I think this would be perfect as an entertainment center for a my flat screen tv. Currently, I have the cable box, dvd player and surround sound all stacked on top of one another. The Ring Side Table would surely clean up that mess. Only problem is the color. The dominate colors of my living room are brown leather and shades there off. Of course, this might be cause to start over with more steel and black leather...hmm. Santa, add this to my list. |
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