Calling All Holiday Shoppers! (And Free Cocktail Lovers!)

Headed to the Renegade Craft Fair this weekend? More than 200 indie vendors will be hawking their handmade wares at the Metropolitan Pavilion (125 W 18th St) on November 15 and 16 and it's never too early to begin holiday shopping!

Even better, when your feet get tired and you begin craving a complimentary cocktail, head on over to the Ace Hotel on Saturday 11/15 from 6:30-8:30 pm for the official afterparty sponsored by Flavorpill and Sprout by HP.

RSVP here.

CancerCare 70th Anniversary Gala Recap

It's not often I go into a giant party and leave with not only a giddy buzz, but also a renewed feeling of hope and confidence in humankind. After attending CancerCare's 70th anniversary gala last week at Cipriani 42nd Street, I was able to observe first-hand the power of community and effective fundraising.

Waiting for my friend outside of the venue, I had a grand old time watching the fancy shoes click clack on the feet of philanthropists and cancer survivors as they arrived at the Spring gala. It was like a shoe fashion show! Upon entering ourselves, we were greeted with Cipriani's signature Bellini. We also sampled truffle mushroom tartlets and veal with marinara sauce. Yum!

The former bank was decked out in class, with the extensive silent auction wrapped around former teller windows and other monetary memories. In addition to Soul Cycle class packs and gift certificates to Casellula and David Burke restaurants, I spied a giant bottle of 1993 Dom Perignon (can you imagine the pressure behind that bottle's cork!?).

Katie Couric was the first to present an award. She gracefully told the story of how CancerCare came to her family's aid when her husband was diagnosed with cancer several years ago. I couldn't help but think a) how amazing she looked, b) how poised she was, c) how well she kept herself together while opening up an extremely vulnerable side of herself to a roomful of strangers. I am in awe of that woman.

Katie Couric

In addition, 13-year-old Maddy Gold, CancerCare's youngest advocate, told the extremely moving story of how her mom fell victim to cancer when she was only 6 years old and how CancerCare has provided support to her family. I felt goose bumps up and down my arms while listening to her speak eloquently and beautifully (and I'm getting them again just writing about her). I kept thinking, "How can this person be only 13 years old?!"

Maddy Gold

The live auction featured Sotheby's auctioneer Hugh Hidesley, who entertained the audience with his clever methods of raising auction bets and ultimately bringing in more support for the organization. Amazing prizes included an ultimate foodie trip to Paris and a private dinner cooked in your home by the one and only David Burke. Next time I have $17K to spend, I know where I'll go...

We didn't stay for dinner, but I can definitely attest to the bartenders' martini-making abilities. Up, very dry if you must know :)

Broadway Recap: Realistic Joneses and Bullets Over Broadway

April is one of my most favorite months because it means I get to see many of the new Broadway shows. This Spring is shaping up to be a celebrity-filled, comparatively scandal-less season.

One new show I saw, The Realistic Joneses, starred Toni Collette and Tracy Letts as a middle aged married couple dealing with life and their new "friends" played by Michael C. Hall and Marissa Tomei who enter their lives and stir things up. The play is an interesting take on the saying 'keeping up with the Joneses' because each of these couples has more traits to be repulsed by than jealous of. But maybe that's a statement on life? The grass is always greener, right? The acting was superb, but unfortunately the story was a bit hard to follow at the end. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to see Hall out of the serial killer role or observe a particularly chipper Tomei.

(The Realistic Joneses is now open at the Lyceum Theater; 149 W. 45th Street and tickets can be purchased here).

The second show I saw was Bullets Over Broadway, starring Zac Braff in his usual goofball but surprisingly charming and intelligent role. Originally written for the screen by Woody Allen, Bullets is a revival that's all glitter. Dance number after dance number, this show shines with pure entertainment and pizzazz. The plot revolves around a playwright (Braff) who needs someone to back his next show and a mobster who needs a way to please his showgirl girlfriend. Love triangles abound and lines are crossed. The two leading ladies, Marin Mazzie and Betsy Wolfe, are shining lights who perspire talent and really steal the show away from Braff, who is fantastic to watch but owns vocal chops nowhere near as amazing. There's a lot of Tony talk buzzing around this show so get tickets before they become a hot commodity.

(Bullets Over Broadway is now open at the St. James Theater; 246 W. 44th Street and tickets can be purchased here)

Before I saw Bullets, I was invited to the Lantern's Keep, a hideaway of a cocktail bar tucked into the lobby of the Iroquois Hotel, for a pre-show blogger reception. I tried their signature cocktail, The Glass Door, with gin, lemon juice, cucumber, apple and sugar. Yum! We also sampled some of their bar bites, including candied nuts, olives, pancetta wrapped white asparagus, risotto balls (seriously one of my favorite foods!), lamb carpaccio on a potato chip, peanut chicken satay, and ceviche on a cucumber. All was delicious! I'm definitely going to have to remember this place as a pre-theater time filler :)

Stay tuned for more Broadway recaps and be sure to give us your full reviews of any of these shows in the comments below!

Unleash Your Creativity with Simon Doonan

Who doesn't love a good Spring gala? Better yet, who doesn't love a Spring gala where you get to don Tyvek jumpsuits over colorful clothing and create a masterpiece 4 easels down from the world-famous Simon Doonan?

Benefiting the educational non-profit Publicolor, Stir, Splatter + Roll will take place Tuesday 4/22 at 6pm at Martin Luther King, Jr. High School (122 Amsterdam Avenue, just behind Lincoln Center). All proceeds go towards Publicolor's mission to engage disconnected students in their education, while teaching them strong and transferable work habits so they are prepared to be productive in both college and career.

Stir, Splatter + Roll 2014 will be co-chaired by respected architect Gene Kohn and award-winning menswear designer Jeffrey Banks and emceed by Simon Doonan. The event will celebrate, among others, Michael Kaiser, President of the Kennedy Center + Founder of the DeVos Institute for Arts Management and long time supporter of Publicolor. Benjamin Moore, Publicolor’s corporate sponsor, has donated every single drop of paint used at Publicolor and Gary DeBode of Edison Properties.

The first half of the event will feature fun-filled party where guests paint alongside some of the city’s leading artists, designers and architects while sipping cocktails. The high-energy fete takes place in a Publicolored school and will draw dynamic New Yorkers and luminaries in the worlds of business, fashion, politics, design, education, and philanthropy (anyone for swapping watercolor tips with Bloomberg?). The second half will be a sit-down dinner and awards presentation. There will also be a silent auction of limited edition tote bags created by top designers.

To purchase tickets and see photos from last year's event, check out the event website. Look out for a full Awesome In New York recap after the event!

Update: Sadly Michael Kors will no longer be attending. Sad face.

Take Me Owwwwwww-oooooooot Tonight!

(Anyone catch the Rent reference? If not, it's all good.) This past Saturday night, I was invited out with my friend Meredith to try Take Me Out's mixology tour. I consider myself pretty well versed in the NYC bar scene, but I jumped at the chance to be chauffeured around in a limo (YES A LIMO), sped through the lines (NO WAITING IN THE COLD), and seated at a reserved table (NO STANDING AROUND EYE PULLING THE BARTENDER TO SERVE DRINKS).

Inside of the swanky limo

The night started in Union Square where we were grouped with a pair from England, two friends from Philly and Chicago, and a foursome out celebrating a birthday. Our guide for the evening was Connor, a model who was jetting off to Europe in a few months to walk in fashion week runway shows. Don't we all wish. Anyway, we were immediately served some sweet concoction of Champagne, vodka and St. Germaine. Not totally my cup of tea, but hey it was free.

Our first stop was Bathtub Gin, a speakeasy-style bar hidden behind a coffee shop in Chelsea. I had heard all about this place before, but a) never would have found it myself and b) loved the fact that I didn't have to look like a fool who didn't want to mistake a coffee shop for a bar. It's all about what you know after all.

Here we took a cue from the name (yes, we split drinks to cut costs) and tried the Bathtub Gin Martini with extra olives of course ($15).

Bathtub Gin from the outside...what's all the hubbub outside a coffee shop late at night?

Back in the limo we all went, where Connor had a bit of fun popping some corks and passing out shots of vodka. This is about the time of the night where I've learned enough in my life to not say yes just because it's free.

Next stop was uptown at the swanky Stone Rose Lounge in the Time Warner Center. This is not a place I ever would have visited in a million years on my own (hello hidden elevator that also takes you to the same floor as Per Se and Masa and $16 well drinks). However, it was fun to grab a couple of couches in the corner and watch the lights of Columbus Circle. The people watching at the bar was also unique and let's just say very James Bond, if you're into that kind of thing. We tried the Spicy Paloma ($16) with casamigos blanco tequila, thai chile aperol, grapefruit and soda.

Piling back in our stretch carriage, things began to go wrong for some of our friends. Moderation is key everyone. En route to our last stop in the Lower East Side we had to make a pit stop for some of our companions and thus Meredith and I decided to head on home before the limo turned back into a pumpkin before our very eyes.

At $150 a head, this tour is not for the casual nightlife seeker, although I've heard they offer Groupons at half off. You are essentially paying for the convenience of not having to plan your night (and the ease of getting into popular places and having a table), a 3-hour chauffeur, and some cheap drinks you're likely not going to want much of in the limo. I could definitely see this as a fun thing to do for a bachelorette party/birthday if you can fill the whole limo (so as not to have to deal with strangers with drinking habits that might derail your night). All in all we had fun, but this definitely would not be for everyone.

Alabama in NYC

When you think of Alabama, what is the first thing that comes to mind? I won't fault you if you draw a blank. However, after being invited to the Art of Alabama Food photography and tasting event last week in Chelsea Market, I can definitely say that this southern state ranks high on my culinary list! And no, not everything was fried!

I love a good food event, and this one certainly did not disappoint. I was initially apprehensive that I was going to walk into a room full of good-enough-to-eat photographs without a single edible morsel to nibble on, but thankfully my worries were nixed when I walked in and found several representative dishes and a full open bar.

First up was a Sassy Slider from Lulu's (Gulf Shores, AL), which I wish I a) took a better photo of and b) had room for 5 more! These things were not your typical slider. The beef was fresh and tender and it was topped with bacon, bbq sauce, and pimento cheese (that was the kicker for me). I thought the pickle and tomato on top was awful cute as well.

Lulu's Sassy Sliders

Next up was a BBQ Chicken Stuffed Potato Skin with Alabama White Sauce from Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q (Decatur, AL). Now, I've always known BBQ sauce to be red or brown, but white?! This took things to a whole other level. The chicken was moist and I mean, who can resist a potato skin with bacon and cheese? But the white sauce, which was very peppery, truly rounded out the dish. I would highly recommend you scope this out.

BBQ Chicken Stuffed Potato Skin with Alabama White Sauce

A dish I most certainly associate with Southern-style cooking, Bouillabaisse, made an appearance courtesy of the Hot and Hot Fish Club (Birmingham, AL). This was a fairly typical dish, except for the addition of the only-available-in-Alabama tiger shrimp--those puppies were LARGE! The crunchy bread with spicy rouille was also vital for scooping up the remaining broth.

Hot and Hot Southern Bouillabaisse with Spicy Rouille

I only had a bite of the next dish because I can't really eat raw red onions, but the West Indies Salad with crab from Compleat Angler Seafood Grille & Bar (Orange Beach, AL) was just so pretty!

West Indies Salad

Last on the savory list were the raw oysters with celery root whipped cream and caviar from TRUE (Montgomery, AL). I like oysters, and you know they have to be fresh. TRUE's take on serving these bivalves was unique, although when you swallow an oyster whole, I don't like to get too fancy with toppings in general.

Raw oysters with celery root whipped cream and caviar

Desserts were on the mark at this event; seriously, I took seconds of each of them! First was a PB&J in Phyllo from Cotton Row (Huntsville, AL); a dish which originated with the chef forgot to bring dessert to an event and quickly improvised using ingredients in the client's kitchen. The result is stupendous and ooey gooey! Next was Chevre Cheesecake from Belle Chevre (Elkmont, AL). OMG! You think you've had cheesecake before, but you really haven't until you have tried this. I'm still going to put ricotta cheesecake at the top of my cheesecake preferences, but using goat cheese give a whole other flavor palate which is super intriguing and the candied lemon blends perfectly. It took all I had not to ask for a pie to take home.

PB&J in Phyllo

Chevre Cheesecake

Serving the Chevre cheesecake

Drinks were fairly representative of the South, but I'm not exactly sure what made them Alabama-specific (does it even matter?). The first I tried was the Donnie Draper with Bootlegger Rye, bitters and orange, essentially an Old Fashioned. I also had a few sips of the Bloody Mary made with Lulu's Perfect Pepper sauce and garnished with pickled okra and an olive. Can't say I've ever had a Bloody Mary outside of brunch hours, but it was very tasty.

Donnie Draper

Bloody Mary

Here are a few shots of the event, complete with an energetic jazz band:

  

The Art of Alabama Food exhibit will be traveling the country, but until you can get your fix, I'd recommend checking out their website, which will direct you to some excellent restaurant recommendations and even recipes!

A Mr. Popper Moment

Two nights ago the most amazing thing happened--I took a pictures with a penguin in a photobooth. No joke, here's the proof:

How awesome is that right? As jealous as you all are of my avian encounter, I'm sure you're wondering why and how this is relevant to your lives. Let me back up a bit. My friend Stephanie invited me to wine hour event at NIOS, inside the Muse Hotel. The back room of NIOS is having an identity crisis and the restaurant had an event to launch their re-naming contest. The contest will run through Friday, May 17, with entries themed to two categories: Greek and Wine. The winner will receive a cocktail party for up to 25 people in the newly-named space. You can enter to win by submitting your Greek and/or wine themed entries through the hotel's Facebook and Twitter pages or by stopping by the restaurant.

Photo Courtesy of NIOS

The Muse Hotel is part of the Kimpton Family and they have a policy that if you can walk in the door you can stay at the hotel. Hence, the Columbus Zoo was visiting with a real live penguin! Even better, there was a photobooth to document the penguin's visit! I was so excited that I couldn't even control myself and I think I was grinning ear to ear for the rest of the night.

You can check out Kimpton's pet policy as well as some adorable animal photos here.

You Want to Visit the Park with Tequila in Its Name

Last night I went with my friend Jen to check out the grand opening of Tequila Park Taqueria in the Hudson Hotel. It was a tad chilly by the time we got there, but with my jacket on it was a super enjoyable night at a rooftop bar.

The place is very large by comparison to other similar venues, and the vibe is definitely downtown meets uptown ($16 for margaritas?! Holy cow!?), yet nostalgic and whimsical (hello strings of lights, fake grass, and foosball tables).

In all honesty, their menu looked super interesting. I started with the Horchata Apple Blossom Margarita with Riazul Reposado and apple blossom honey and Jen got the Smokin' Apple with Corzo Reposado, ginger, mezcal and red sea salt. These couldn't be more different apple margaritas if they tried. Mine was on the sweeter side while Jen's had quite the kick, but I enjoyed them both.

Horchata Apple Blossom and Smokin' Apple Margaritas ($16 each)

For food we split two orders of tacos, one from the "common" side of the menu--the crispy 48-hour pork carnitas ($8 for 2)--and one from the "uncommon" side of the menu--sriracha cheesesteak ($12). Both were served on homemade tortillas and the latter packed quite the punch with the sriracha. Would highly recommend both!

Crispy 48-Hour Pork Carnitas Tacos ($8)

Sriracha Cheesteak Tacos ($12)

No visit to Tequila Park is complete without at least 3 rounds of foosball (best of 3 wins of course!). We played 4 and yours truly won 2, leaving with sufficiently sore arms. I forgot how much fun those little men on poles could be!!

Ready, set, foosball!!

It's definitely the start of rooftop bar season, so what do you think? Will you check out Tequila Park?