Posh Up Your Closet at the Lighthouse Guild's Annual Posh Sale

Is your Spring wardrobe looking a little sparse? If so (or even if it's bulging at the seams), check out the Lighthouse Guild's annual POSH Sale this week for some amazing deals on fashionable finds.

Kicking off on today, Wednesday, May 13, the POSH Sale, is a 4-day event featuring thousands of new and gently worn couture and ready-to-wear designer clothing, shoes and accessories at unbelievable prices! (We’re talking Louboutin stilettos, vintage Chanel coats, brand new dresses from M Missoni and couture Oscar de la Renta gowns for just a fraction of the cost!). I've personally scored some great deals here over the years (disclosure: my office is in the Lighthouse Guild building), and recommend this sale to all of my friends.

All items are donated by stylish New Yorkers, celebrities and top designers themselves, and all proceeds benefit Lighthouse Guild; the leading not-for-profit vision and health care organization.

The sale starts with a not-to-be-missed special preview event today (tickets are $200, which include a 4-day pass and a $50 gift card), with public hours on Thursday, May 14th through Sunday, May 17th ($30 for a 4-day pass or $10 per daily ticket). All items are available at 110 E. 60th Street on a first come, first serve basis, so it’s highly recommended that you go early.

                       

To purchase tickets and view a selection of sale items, visit poshsale.org or call (212) 821-9445.

Take a Peek: Tour Historic Tudor City Homes Tomorrow

There's a TON going on this weekend, but if none of the other many events I've posted about this week have caught your eye, maybe this will.

Join Tudor City Greens for their 2nd Annual Home Tour tomorrow 5/2 from 11am-3pm. You will get a rare glimpse into a variety of private homes in the small historic enclave of Tudor City. Included are a studio turned glamorous by Nate Berkus and featured on "Oprah" to a penthouse triplex with wood-burning fireplace and gargoyle-graced, 300 square-foot terrace.

Tudor City is an historic neighborhood located between 41st and 43rd Streets east of Second Avenue. Built in the 1920s, the “city within a city” as developer Fred F. French called it is unlike any other.

Tickets are $45 for one, $75 for two, with 100% of the proceeds going to the care and beautification of the North and South Parks. Tickets can be purchased online through 1pm today or tomorrow from 11 am – 2:30 pm at South Park (E 41st and Tudor City Place).

AWESOME DEAL: Pay What You Wish at Just Salad Today

Wallet feeling kind of light? (Or even kind of heavy?) Just Salad, a fast casual restaurant concept serving healthy food--including, yes, salad--at 315 Park Ave South is allowing customers to pay what they wish for any salad or wrap at both lunch (12-1:30pm) and dinner (6-7:30pm) today 4/9.

All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Food Bank For NYC. Limit 1 wrap or salad (valued up to $10) per person and in-store only.

You Deserve More than a Boring Lunch

I don't know about you, but I get in the habit of being too busy at work to grab more than a boring salad or sandwich from the deli downstairs. Now that the weather is starting to get a bit (*fingers crossed*) nicer, I'm more inclined to want to walk more than 15 steps from my office building. So when the trusty lunch chain Pret A Manger contacted me to sample their new hot menu items (all under 500 calories), I was all in!

My go-tos at Pret have always been the egg salad and arugula sandwich and the almond croissants, and I've always loved their "Made today, gone today" motto--donating all their leftovers to City Harvest daily.

But on my last visit, I tried one of the new Hot Pots--Korean BBQ Pulled Pork to be exact, with only 460 calories. I loved it! It is made with antibiotic-free pork simmered in a sweet & savory sauce with red peppers, honey, ginger, garlic, and cilantro on a bed of red rice and quinoa. It comes with a fresh-made roll and I washed it all down with Pret's strawberry lemonade. Refreshing!

On another visit, I went with the new Spinach and Tomato Mac 'n Cheese and brought it back to my desk. Who ever heard of mac 'n cheese for only 420 calories!? And it was super creamy. I didn't feel like I was missing out at all. FYI, this item is fully vegetarian, but they also have a version with crispy bacon with only 470 calories. On this visit, I also tried Pret's blood orange seltzer.

So if you've never been to Pret, or just haven't been in a while (they're especially easy to find around Midtown), it's high time to check them out again and try one of the new menu items. You're right on track to never have a boring lunch again!

Editor's Note: Pret provided me with complimentary food for the purposes of writing this post but all opinions are my own.

Homemade Pasta for Your Pre-Theater Prix-Fixe

Anyone who has ever tried to find a delicious, non-chain, affordable restaurant in the Theater District for a pre-show meal knows that this isn't always an easy feat. Ninth avenue has some great options but storefronts change seemingly every week so you don't always know what to trust. Olive Garden is a definite NO. And Restaurant Row has become so overrun with tourists that you'd rather just avoid it altogether.

I was recently invited to try the newly-opened Torino Italian (1700 Broadway, entrance on 53rd Street) for my own pre-show meal (we saw Side Show...highly recommended!!), and it did not disappoint. A contemporary Italian trattoria open for a few months now, Torino is the vision of David Sasson, known for opening both Marseille in Hell’s Kitchen, Barbounia in Flatiron, and the new Pavilion restaurant in Union Square. At the helm is Consulting Chef Carlo Bigi, a Torino native who most recently worked at Il Principe at the Hugo Hotel and Sant Ambroeus.

Walking in, I was instantly intrigued by the decor. Unique chandeliers and light fixtures bounced ambiance off of curving wooden shelves lined with wine bottles. That said, the tables are arranged in a way that makes it very easy to plop a fellow diner on the head if you are carrying a large bag/coat (with my pack mule tendencies, that seems to ALWAYS be me). So just be weary of that.

For dinner, we started with two appetizers: Meatball Crostini served in a cast iron pan ($9) and the Insalata Torino with kale, ricotta salata, fennel, olives, and cherry tomatoes ($15). The meatballs were pretty perfect, and I loved how they were served, with plenty of melted parmesan and crispy bread to scoop everything up with. The salad was super refreshing. I recently learned from my boyfriend's Italian family that fennel has a special palate cleansing place on in a meal so it fit right into this delicious salad.  

Meatball Crostini ($9)

Insalata Torino ($15)

For the main course, I opted for a classic. Cacio e Pepe ($16) is one of my favorite ways to have homemade pasta prepared as you can really taste the quality of the noodles without having to fight through a heavy sauce. This version was perhaps a little heavier than I would have liked (more like an alfredo sauce), but I enjoyed every last bite of the al dente pasta. My friend had one of our waiter's favorites, the Lasagna di Melanzane ($19) with eggplant, tomato and provola. Talk about decadent! This dish came out steaming hot--and remained that way throughout most of the meal due to the insulation of the serving dish--and had a great balance of richness (cheese) and flavor (tomato).

Cacio e Pepe ($16)

Lasanga di Melanzane ($19)

We had to run to our show so didn't get to sample dessert (although honestly I was so full, that was likely a good thing). However, if you leave a little bit more time and room, try their newly launched prix-fixe menu:

Lunch: 11am-4pm (includes 2 courses for $24 or 3 for $29)

Appetizers:

• Insalata Torino (Kale, ricotta salata, fennel, olives & cherry tomatoes)

• Meatball Crostini (veal & beef, tomato sauce, parmesan & toasted ciabatta)

• Soup of the day

Entrees:

• Oven Roasted Rosemary Chicken (lemon caramelized stuffed with rosemary, spring vegetables)

• Fusilli Pesto (string beans, potatoes, toasted pine nuts)

• Salmone Scozzese (asparagus, mache farro salad, pickled red onions)

Dessert:

• Choice of dessert from the regular menu

Dinner: 3 courses for $39

Appetizers:

• Insalata Torino (Kale, ricotta salata, fennel, olives & cherry tomatoes)

• Meatball Crostini (veal & beef, tomato sauce, parmesan & toasted ciabatta)

• Crispy artichoke

Entrees:

• Hanger Steak (sautéed broccoli rabe, polenta & pepperoncino)

• Oven Roasted Rosemary Chicken (lemon caramelized stuffed with rosemary, spring vegetables)

• Fusilli Pesto (string beans, potatoes, toasted pine nuts)

• Salmone Scozzese (asparagus, mache farro salad, pickled red onions)

Dessert:

• Choice of dessert from the regular menu

For reservations call 212-757-2233 or visit torinoitalian.com.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a complimentary dinner for 2 in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own.

Get Your Pink On

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and to kick things off right STK is throwing the perfect party for you to get your drink and your pink on, all while raising money for a good cause!

On Tuesday September 30, the steakhouse will teamed up with The Global Party for a night of donating, dancing and a specialty “drink pink” bar featuring the STK signature Strawberry Cobbler composed of Belvedere Vodka, freshly muddled strawberries and finished with a graham cracker crust. Guests are encouraged to donate $20 upon entry to the VIP cocktail party.

Here are the deets:

Where: STK Midtown (1114 Avenue of the Americas)

When: Tuesday 9/30, 6:00-8:00pm

Attire: Business/Casual, Cocktail (wear pink!)

RSVP: Jennifer@thisismission.com

In addition, during the month of October, all STK locations across the globe will be donating 100% of the proceeds from their Strawberry Cobbler cocktail to breast cancer research so guests can continue to help such a worthy cause all month long.

It All Went On Like You Like It

Last week we wrote about a special, star-studded, one-night-only concert event of Like You Like It at 54 Below. The evening was the epitome of a perfect night out in New York. There was great food (try the risotto!), wine, and lively entertainment by some of Broadway's top talent.

Here are some photos from the event:

Rebecca Faulkenberry sings "Be a Little Wild"

Sam Underwood and Jenna Leigh Green sing "Easy Way Out"

Dana Steingold and A.J. Shively sing "Creating a Monster"

Lyricist Sammy Buck talks about the show

Real life husband and wife duo Laura Osnes and Nathan Johnson sing "All of the Above"

Laura Osnes and Nathan Johnson

We weren't kidding about the chocolate dessert! Try the Dark Chocolate Tart!

Between the Bread: A New Favorite Midtown Lunch Spot

Last week I was invited with my coworker Stephanie to try the Midtown lunch hotspot and catering company Between the Bread. We arrived to a bustling storefront of hungry workers on their lunch breaks hankering for a plateful of healthy, fresh, local fare.

On the menu were a wide array of sandwiches ($7.95-$8.95), salads ($2.95-$4.50), soups ($3.50-$5) and entree portions of chicken, shrimp, or fish, each served with 2 sides ($9.95-$13.95). Menu items change on a daily basis so you'll never get bored eating here.

Sandwich selection

Entrees of the day

Soups

I tried the herb salmon with Parmesan roasted cauliflower and grilled veggies while Stephanie had the grilled chicken with fennel green bean and potato salad and tomato salad. First off, the portions were GINORMOUS. My plate was definitely enough for two meals, which makes it a great value. Also, everything was super delicious, yet healthy. I could have eaten a plateful of that cauliflower alone and I really liked the wide array of grilled vegetables, including beets and sweet potato on top of squash and bell peppers.

There really isn't a place to eat inside the restaurant, but we took our food down the street to an outdoor pavillion (yay almost Spring!) and enjoyed our lunch al fresco. I definitely want to come back to try Between the Bread's other entrees and their baked goods. Yum!