Sunday, May 9, 2010

I'm back from my hiatus

Forgive me for not updating this, but I'm happy to report that I've been too busy living my life and sadly for my blogs sake, not writing about it. I've had some wonderful experiences over the past few weeks. Stacy has been keeping up with her blog more frequently so check out her blog, Jargon, for a great description of my recent activities. We basically spend all of our time together so essentially her blog is my blog. Same same, but different as Stacy would say.

Cinco de Mayo, one of my favorite holidays, started my lively week of festivities. Blockheads on everyone's favorite Mexican celebration is absolutely crazy on May 5th. Luckily my friends and I were able to get a table and catch up over multiple margaritas, chips and salsa and a few puffs of our neighbor's cigar. A first for all of us and an activity that none of us are planning on making a habit.

Thursday was far from my typical night, but one of the most special nights I've experienced since my move to the big city. Jess Slevin and I met after work at The Surrey, where she provided me with an all access tour of the incredible property. This hotel is breathtaking! An Upper East side gem with equal parts swank and class. We culminated our tour in the hotel's Bar Pleiades. Our bartender, which is possibly the worst word to describe this amazing cocktail concoctionist, provided us with exceptional recommendations and drinks that followed suit. Inventive drinks accompanied by savory appetizers made for two very happy girls. Upon completion of this incredible experience, Jess and I wandered over to Daniel for canapes and champagne. Daniel is a restaurant that I believe everyone should experience at some point in their lives. Daniel Boulud is quickly gaining Steven Starr status in my book. The canapes were delightful and the champagne never stopped flowing. As if that wasn't enough, we were then offered free dessert and a private tour of the kitchen. Needless to say, this entire experience was exceptional. Thank you Jess for making wonderful connections with Daniel's maitre d'. I have a feeling this will not be our last trip to Daniel.

Friday I have now dubbed "Foodie Friday" and I'm making a point to reserve this as my culinary adventure day every week. I made reservations for Maddie, Jessica, Nicole and I at DBGB for 9:45. DBGB is another Daniel Boulud restaurant, which surprisingly specializes in sausages. Sausage fest jokes aside, this place was great. We ordered four appetizers to split and wine to wash it all down. The restaurant's decor is very aesthetically interesting. I pulled this description off of the restaurant's website: "The interiors take their cue from the Bowery's history as New York's industrial restaurant supply neighborhood. Floor to ceiling shelving stocked with the restaurant's own tools, tableware and dry goods overlook a partially open kitchen. In the bar, the writing is-quite literally-on the wall. Boulud's favorite culinary quotes fill the mirrors, providing food for thought to accompany a menu of bar bites." I'll make sure to take a picture next time I'm there. After dinner, we hopped over to Minetta Tavern for our 11:15 reservation for dessert and drinks. Minetta Tavern is known for being a place to see and be seen. The vibe is very old school speakeasy with an eclectic crowd of people. We enjoyed a chocolate souffle and hazelnut crepes for dessert. Absolutely delicious! We walked out of the restaurant around 1am exhausted and ready to call it a night.

Saturday started as a rainy, dreary day, but cleared up early enough to motivate Stacy and I to meet Aisha and Lauren for an adventure to Brooklyn. I have a minor obsession with all things hipster and Williamsburg is hipster heaven. We wandered in and our of vintage stores and flea markets searching for the perfect dresser/cabinet for Stacy. After a few hours searching we gave up and decided to walk the Williamsburg bridge back to Manhattan. The view from the bridge is stunning and I found it very inspiring. New York City is truly a place like no other and I am so driven to be successful and happy in this marvelous city. I've only been here 6 months, but I've grown so much already. I can only imagine how far I will have come by my 1 year mark in November.

I'll leave you with this quote about New York that I found online. It perfectly sums up my life in the Big Apple.

"You come to New York to find the ambiance that will evoke your best. You do not necessarily know precisely what that might be, but you come to New York to discover it."

1 comment:

  1. Ahh I just relived Thursday by reading this :) amazing night, and definitely the first of many more like that to come. And LOVE your Foodie Friday idea, too cute. See you tonight!! xo

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