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Home Furnishings - Shopping
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Tuesday, 13 January 2009 00:00 |
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Months ago, I was on the quest for the perfect side table for my couch. My living room, like most in New York City, is small and my taste in couches is large, chaised, and down-stuffed. I wanted a piece that was sturdy solid wood, modern, and versatile. Ideally, it wouldn’t weigh a ton either, as I live on the third floor.
I found my match in an unexpected place -- Urban Outfitters. Say what you will about the clothes or the company, the L7 side table is a great find. A few design blogs online agree with me. Made of light, but strong, bamboo tops on stained wood frames, the table consists of squares that are super hip. The glues, stains, and sustainable bamboo are green, too.
Since my purchase, I’ve discovered a few other nice apartment finds at Urban Outfitters. The dishes are cute and inexpensive. Vintage-looking seating options could pass for something your grandma gave you, a look I dig. I have to say, most of the stuff I’ve seen does look better than what I’d find at Ikea.
Consider checking out Urban Outfitters if you’re looking for some affordable apartment furnishings and decorations. You might be surprised.
You can go to www.urbanoutfitters.com or one of these many NYC stores:
628 Broadway
374 Avenue of the Americas
999 3rd Avenue
162 2nd Avenue
2081 Broadway
526 Avenue of the Americas
166 Atlantic Avenue (Brooklyn) |
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Home Furnishings - Shopping
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Tuesday, 13 January 2009 00:00 |
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Achieving that eclectic, but elegant, framed display of art at home is tedious and could drive a perfectionist like me to madness. The Perfectpicturewall is a system for hanging frames in a precise way using preview templates that adhere to the wall. (The preview template includes many options for hanging pictures vertically or horizontally on the wall, even along a left or right staircase). You can determine placement and height of frames without measuring, and the templates have a unique leveling system so that all frames will be accurately positioned.
I can’t celebrate this part enough: The Perfectpicturewall only requires that you have a hammer. Everything else -- 10 wooden frames of various sizes, mats, plexi-glass, clear mounting squares, brass hooks, marking pins, and levels -- is included.
The end result is a beautiful, straight-out-a-design-magazine effect. The price might seem a bit steep at $349.00, but you can consider it the most hassle-free investment you’ll ever make in your living space. Once you have the templates, you can even buy your own frames and create the same effect.
The Perfectpicturewall is available at The Conran Shop at 407 East 59th Street at 1st Avenue. |
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Restaurants
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Monday, 12 January 2009 18:58 |
Pick a Bagel on Third by Martha Cooney
On a weekend morning, there will be a long line of eager breakfasters still rubbing the sleep out of their eyes as a result of racing to beat the crowd at Pick a Bagel, so you'll have to keep your own eyes wide open to snag one of the rickety high tables or tiny square seating areas that are hard to come by in the crowded space. I ignore the hordes around me by focusing on all that beautiful food behind the glass counter. There's every type of classic Jewish delicacy here -split open belly lox, Israeli salad, liver pate, all kinds of spreads including vegetarian and vegan options, and a case of mouth watering desserts as well that the out-of-towner might find exotic: almond horn; hamentaschen; black and white cookies. The range of options for having your bagel is vast, but my personal choice is the ultimate New York Salty Snack: an everything bagel with lox spread (and coffee, in your favorite We Are Pleased to Serve You Greek-style cups). Make sure you get extra napkins because the spread on the bagel is heavier than your own body weight. The clientele is entertaining to watch as you attribute stories to each (the couple that just met last night; the pair of elderly friends who've been coming here for thirty years; New Jerseyans). This place is not fancy, and I doubt anything has changed in twenty years. But whenever I'm near Twenty-Third, I find myself gravitating toward the Home of the Salty Snack. I once got a wisdom tooth pulled at NYU Dental Clinic, just blocks away from Pick a Bagel. My last meal before descending into weeks of Jell-o? What do you think?
Pick a Bagel on Third, 297 Third Avenue, between 22nd and 23rd Streets.
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Restaurants
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Monday, 12 January 2009 18:56 |
East
With every new customer that walks in, the chefs rolling sushi in the center of this Murray Hill restaurant shout "Yokoso!" ("Welcome!") as if to remind everybody that this is a party, damn it, and we love our guests, so enjoy yourself or else. The yelling is okay with me, because East offers my kind of New York (sushi) experience: fast, cheap and easy. There's a tiny bar studded with all-year Christmas lights to have a drink if you have to wait for a table, which may be likely, and I've experienced the full range of seating experiences here: twosome tables upstairs for a quieter meal; counter dining where you'll end up chatting to the fascinating character at the next stool (there definitely will be one, and be warned, he probably won't shut up). The best is a regular booth with more space for filling the table with miso soup and vegetable tempura and snitching all the ginger from the bottomless bucket on the side. If I can't be bothered to hold out until the wait staff arrives, I just grab one of the tempting plates right off the conveyor belt that carries freshly made sushi around the restaurant like it's Charlie's Chocolate Factory for grownups. Spicy tuna and Philadelphia rolls are standard, but the Dragon Roll is the best treat here with avocado and a heavenly sauce. Topped off, of course, by the perfectly chilled pre-wrapped red bean buns off the conveyor. You can't linger too long at this busy spot, but the prices are just delicious. East is one of those places to return to again and again. It's kind of like a boyfriend of many years: predictable... but in a good way.
East Japanese Restaurant, 366 3rd Avenue between 26th and 27th Streets. |
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Home Furnishings - Shopping
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Friday, 09 January 2009 03:32 |
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My New Year’s resolutions run the gamut. In the home décor category, I aspire to create a gallery of some of my favorite photos in the long, narrow hallway from my front door to living room and kitchen. |
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Read more...
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Restaurants
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Friday, 09 January 2009 01:19 |
Spice 60 University Place
Thai, Pan-Asian
Upon entering the small restaurant, you’ll notice that the interior is very different from the normal Thai restaurants around New York City. Rather than decorating with traditional Thai art, Spice is very modern and is only accented by yellow and white round lights. Everything else is very simple. Due to the proximity of this restaurant to NYU, there are a lot of students that frequent the restaurant and it is always crowded during dinnertime. Due to the high volume of the restaurant, Spice is changing their location to 13th street after the New Year. My major complaint about the ambiance of the restaurant is that it was way too dark. I understand that they were trying to set a mood, but when it’s too dark to read the menu without holding a candle directly above it then that’s a problem. I could barely see what my food looked like, which isn’t a huge deal but I like seeing the presentation of the plates.
Speaking of the food, even though I could barely see the food, I could certainly taste it. I ate with a friend and unfortunately did not have a large enough appetite to order any appetizers (although I hear that the summer rolls are not that good). I ordered the chicken panang curry and my friend ordered the chicken pad see ew (flat noodles). My main tic, before I even tasted the curry, was that there wasn’t nearly enough rice for the bowl of curry. The pyramid shape was attractive but you will have to get a second little pyramid to actually finish the meal. The curry itself was quite sweet with a nice spicy kick. The chicken was well prepared and the addition of peppers was nice although it probably would have been better if they used green peppers instead of red since the curry was already sweet enough. The portion size was quite large and I couldn’t finish the entire bowl. The pad see ew was a great portion for one person and spiced very well although it was a touch on the sweet side (seems to be the trend for Spice). The noodles were firm without being undercooked and the chicken was thinly sliced and a little on the dry side although the sauce makes up for the dryness. Despite these small complaints, the food overall was very satisfying and the service was exemplary. We were seated very quickly and our waitress was very attentive to us (although it wasn’t too hard since we didn’t order too many things). I especially enjoyed the fact that she left the kettle of tea since I am a huge tea drinker. The meal was also relatively cheap coming out to about $22 for two people including tip.
I give it a 3.5/5 |
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Restaurants
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Thursday, 08 January 2009 00:00 |
Friend of A Farmer by Martha Cooney
It’s not just that it was in the backdrop of one Sex and the City scene as the girls strolled down the streets of the East Side and immediately put the restaurant on the map. It’s not just that the food is scrumptious, or that the wide plank tables and seating, unlike so many other New York eateries, are roomy enough for your plate, glass, coffee, and, if you so choose, your elbows and your New York Times. The main appeal of Friend of a Farmer is the ambiance, a backdrop and décor that whisks you off to the heartland. The wooden staircase, down-home décor, and flowers make it easy to forget you’re in the city and pretend you’re at someone’s breakfast table in Iowa. And the table is loaded with food: old fashioned pumpkin pancakes, “Farmer’s Breakfast” eggs in endless different forms, chicken pot pies, open faced grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches, or, for County Eating Lite, the Gramercy Park salad with greens, pears, beets and blue cheese. Friend of a Farmer is a good brunch spot to take parents visiting from out of town, or even to treat a native New Yorker who’s never been.
Friend of A Farmer, 77 Irving Place, east of the Union Square Farmer’s Market between 18th and 19th streets. |
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Restaurants
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Wednesday, 07 January 2009 22:25 |
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Mama Mexico
Mama Mexico is vibrant - the colors, the flavors, the sounds, the clientele. Make a reservation so you don't have to wait in line with the rest of the crowds jamming the door on weekend nights, and don't be overwhelmed by the Bible-length menu. Get some combination platters to share with the group and try it all. Chips and salsa and tableside-made guacamole are essential, and there's something for everyone's taste: seafood enchiladas with lobster, calamari, and salmon; carne asada platters with all types of meat; classic burritos, taco combos, chimichangas, fajitas and chiles rellenos, and tons of vegetarian options. You'll be stuffed with the big portions, but just take leftovers home for a reincarnated meal tomorrow. They do Mexican brunch on weekends and there's endless drink options, including the cactus pear margarita or, for the bold, a tequila martini. Tres leches cake (sponge cake made with three different milks and a sweet cream sauce) and fried ice cream are just a sampling of a long dessert menu, if you can fit it in.
The staff is super friendly and welcoming, and a fully costumed mariachi band ups the volume with cheerful songs right at your table. Southwestern colors pop on the walls - bright yellows, oranges, greens and blues among vibrant paintings and fresh flowers. The hustle of all the staff, conversations all around and Mexican music in the background add to the atmosphere. This is a great spot for a birthday or any group gathering when you want to get in the mood to celebrate.
Mama Mexico, 2672 Broadway, at 103rd Street |
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Restaurants
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Wednesday, 07 January 2009 22:23 |
Buttercup Bake Shop
Even from outside the window of Buttercup Bake Shop you get the feeling that the girls inside know what they are doing. They're wearing proper aprons and "Buttercup Bake Shop" bandannas on their heads like some kind of Southern church picnic dessert swat team. They're showing mastery of the spatula as they frost real layer cakes - right in front of you. The lighting is bright, there's cozy tables to sit down and savor your treats, and you can get a nice tall glass of milk, if you want to go all the way in channeling your inner child. Ah. Bliss.
The best treat here is the cupcake, of course - buttercup golden with vanilla icing would be the classic choice, but there's also chocolate, "devil dog", German chocolate, and for the adventurous, peanut butter and jelly. My personal favorite is the red velvet, with a perfectly smooth cream cheese icing, but I'm also a sucker for the classic buttercup golden. Everything is as pretty as it is tasty: the frostings are the most dreamy pastel colors dotted with candy sprinkles, and have been slathered on in thick whips and peaks like some kind of weight-gain advertisement. Everything is done the old-fashioned way, which is why it looks and tastes so good: real frosting that makes store bought or supermarket cakes look pathetic.
Along with cupcakes, treat bars and seasonal pies, beautiful layer cakes are displayed behind the glass like some kind of culinary museum exhibit. Coconut, buttercup golden, lemon, and German chocolate are some of the flavors to choose from if you want to bring what will be the most popular addition to any gathering. Cakes run thirty to fifty bucks, but cupcakes are a reasonable two dollars each. You can take away or order in advance from Buttercup, but I recommend sitting in and hearkening back to the childhood pleasure of a homemade, old fashioned baked treat with all the fat and sugar that makes it so delicious. Sure, The Cupcake has become one of those annoying New York Trends, but don't let that taint your enjoyment of it. And oh, how sweet it is.
Buttercup Bake Shop, 141 West 72nd Street, between Amsterdam and Columbus |
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Restaurants
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Wednesday, 07 January 2009 22:22 |
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Coogan's
This uptown landmark embodies all that is great about New York City: the variety, diversity and a range of options - but with personality to spare. Coogan's, an Irish bar-restaurant in Washington Heights, is a melting pot for everyone in the neighborhood and visitors as well: you'll see local politicians, doctors from nearby Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, construction workers, neighborhood artists, young and old, Irish, Dominican and everything else you could think of. You can come to Coogan's for a nice sit-down brunch (steak and eggs and tablecloths, oh my!) and for dinner with a group or date (there's tasty and reasonably priced calamari, quesadillas, chicken dishes, pastelitos and phenomenal garlic bread, and the "Smallest Sundae in the World" is actually the perfect size for sharing). But Coogan's is also an ideal spot for getting the crew out for a few drinks to watch the game or laugh with the enthusiastic karaoke performers: share a Coogan's Sampler platter of bar style appetizers with great wings and zucchini wheels while knocking back a Corona or the special watermelon margarita. It really does feel like your table. The community atmosphere of Coogan's is reflected by its neighborhood involvement, including sponsorship of the annual "Salsa, Blues and Shamrocks" run. The spirit of Coogan's? That name says it all.
Coogan's, 4015 Broadway at 169th Street. |
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