Recap: Art Strut 2015 Brought Together Soho Galleries and I Won Art!

I don't really need an excuse to wander around SoHo looking at art and drinking wine, but Art Strut 2015 gave me a reason to do just that last week.

Sponsored by lifestyle website Soho Strut, Art Strut reminded me of the once-upon-a-time community event Fashion's Night Out, but swapping fine arts for fashion and in a smaller sect of the city. My friend and I began at LUMAS (362 West Broadway), where we were greeted with refreshingly chilled white wine and a rocking performance by La La Lush. I loved the art at LUMAS because it was seemingly affordable and all pieces required no framing and were ready to hang.

LUMAS Gallery

La La Lush

Next stop was LIK Gallery (419 West Broadway) where we were enthralled with the travel and landscape photography of Peter Lik. I seriously wanted to head straight home, pack my bag, and grab a passport after being inspired by some of Lik's pieces. We also enjoyed the musical stylings of Jana Pelle and sipped on oaky chardonnay.

LIK Gallery

Jana Pelle

Stop number three was Martin-Lawrence Galleries (457 West Broadway) where we closed down the show--gallery hopping ended at 8--and listened to Benny Oyama sing some tunes.

Martin Lawrence Galleries

Benny Oyama

Then it was time to pick up our tickets in the form of limited-edition Moleskine notebooks...don't mind if I do!

Limited-edition Art Strut Moleskine Notebook

The party continued over at the pop-up gallery featuring local artists Barbara Thomas, Zuzanna Kozlowska, Linda Mason, Zigi Ben Haim and Laura Kaplan and live music by Cat, Cat, Cat, KT Mulholland and Lily Lane. Wine and whiskey was provided by The Handy Liquor Bar (where we also hung out at the after party).

Pop-up Art Gallery

Pop-up Art Gallery

There was also a silent auction benefitting ACE Programs for the Homeless, and I absolutely LOVE silent auctions--something about the rush, winning, and benefitting a good cause I guess.

Silent Auction (I loved the rose!)

I got in a bit of a bidding war over Rüdiger J. Vogel's Jetty, but ended up winning! I can't wait to hang it up at home and have a fun reminder of an "Awesome in New York" night.

Rüdiger J. Vogel's Jetty

I won the silent auction!

Stay tuned for more Soho Strut events--on Thursday, May 14th from 7-9pm, they are hosting 'Cocktails & Conversations' at The Handy Liquor Bar. Tickets are $20 are and include a cocktail.

AWESOME ALERT: Free Coffee from CUPS All Week Long!

Attention coffee fanatics: NYC coffee app CUPS is celebrating its first anniversary in the city and giving away free java all week long!

Check their Facebook page all week for details on which coffee shoppes around the city will fuel your caffeine addiction (20 each day!) and click here to download the app and top yourself off with a $10 credit to be used after this promotion ends.

AWESOME GIVEAWAY: 2 Tickets to Sway: A Dance Trilogy

I'll admit to not watching Dancing With the Stars religiously since I was in high school, but every now and again I'll catch an episode and am always blown away by the professionals' routines. This June, you will be able to experience ballroom dancing live, on-stage at Dance With Me presents “SWAY:  A Dance Trilogy.”

TV dance personalities including Maksim and Val Chmerkovskiy, Tony Dovolani, Peta Murgatroyd, Emma Slater, Artem Chigvintsev, Henry Byalikov, Jenna Johnson, and Serge Onik will perform with guest stars Olympic gold medalist Meryl Davis and world-class snowboarder Amy Purdy for 3 performances only at the Hammerstein Ballroom (311 W 34th St) on June 5 and 6, 2015.

Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Meryl Davis

SWAY is divided into three parts, each anchored by one of the stars of the show. You will be whisked through the timeless elegance of ballroom’s golden era, to modern dance fusion of today’s urban youth, climaxing with the heart pounding rhythms of the Latin night club scene. The show also features innovative choreography from two of ballrooms’ emerging standout artists: Joao Tiago Fernandes and David Thomas Moore.

VIP ticket holders will meet the entire cast and mingle with the celebrity performers at the exclusive post-show meet & greet, and Saturday night’s official afterparty.

All tickets can be purchased here.

Good news! I'm giving away a pair of tickets to the Friday June 5th performance at 7:30 pm. To enter, please use the rafflecopter giveaway form below. Be sure to follow all instructions, as those who do not leave the required comment on this blog will be disqualified.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mommy & Me Mani/Pedis are the Way to Go This Sunday

Nothing goes with Mother's Day more than manicures and pink lemonade, and UES spa Milk and Cookies (1196 1st Ave at 64th Street) knows that.

Join them for mommy and me pink lemonade spa manicures and pedicures this Sunday May 10 from 11am - 5pm for $44 a person. You and your little mini me deserve some downtime after all!

Turn Up for Tone House

If you've ever worked out at Tone House, you know they mean business! So one can only expect that their 1-year anniversary party will also unleash your inner party beast.

Join them on Thursday May 14th for an open bar, passed hors d'oeuvres, and an awesome raffle at the Ainsworth Chelsea (122 W. 26th Street) to celebrate 1 full year of unleashing inner athletes on the turf! Tickets are $25/person, and will be available for purchase at the door, with proceeds benefitting Memorial Sloan Kettering. RSVP to rsvp@tonehousenyc.com by Saturday May 9.

Skip Around SoHo with Art Strut 2015

Missing some art in your life? The folks at Soho Strut want to change that with some razzle dazzle.

Tomorrow night (5/7) from 6-10pm is the first annual Art Strut. From 6-8pm, over 20 galleries will be open to the public for free, many with live music and wine from The Handy Liquor Bar. Main galleries include AFA, Peter LIK, LUMAS, Martin Lawrence, and Michael Ingbar, but the full list can be found here.

Then the fun begins. From 7-10pm, there will be a pop-up gallery featuring local artists and a silent art auction to benefit ACE Programs for the Homeless. Pick up your ticket at Moleskine (436 West Broadway) or 28 Wooster Street, which includes a commemorative Art Strut notebook!

Tickets for the pop-up gallery are $35 and are available here. The live music schedule for the event is as follows:

7-8pm – Cat Cat Cat
8:15-9:15pm – KT Mulholland
9:30-10pm – Lily Lane

I'll be there bopping around. Anyone else planning on joining? Tell me what your favorite galleries are!

AWESOME ALERT: Win 2 Very Important Eater Tickets to Harlem Eatup!

Head's up food lovers! I just got an alert for a ticket giveaway for Harlem Eatup! 

This event takes place over May 14-17 and will include chefs like Marcus Samuelsson of The Red Rooster in Harlem as well as Jonathan Barbuto and Ken Oringer. The giveaway is for 2 VIE (Very Important Eater) tickets (valued at $175 each) and includes the following:

• One(1) ticket to The Experience at The Stroll on Sat, May 16, 12pm (access to the tasting tents for unlimited sampling, culinary demonstrations, and food carts, PLUS Meet & Greet photo moments with visiting celebrity chefs and TV personalities)
• One (1) EATS package for Sunday Afternoon In Harlem on Sun, May 17, 12pm (includes ten (10) tickets for food and non-alcoholic beverages only)

Enter here! (Note: this giveaway is in no way sponsored or affiliated with Awesome in New York)

What You Missed at Thrillist's 2015 Taco Knockout

Remember when I told you about an epic taco event taking place this past weekend? Well, it was flipping fantastic and indeed epic.

Thrillist's 2015 Taco Knockout drew more than 600 people to the Hudson Hotel's Tequila Park Taqueria on Saturday May 2. There were pinatas and sombreros and tons to eat with 10 different tacos from NYC restaurants all competing for the acclaimed Taco Knockout belt. 

The 2014 Taco Knockout belt

Armed with empty stomaches, my pals and I had a mission to try all 10 in the 4 hours we were allotted and we felt the mission was more than doable. We were given our cocktail tickets and a fancy blue chip in which to vote for our favorite.

First things first...Milagro cocktails! I tried the "Freshest Margarita" while my friends sipped on the "Paloma Milagrosa."

Then we got right down to it. Here's the listing of tacos in the order we tried them and our thoughts on their merits:

Chef Alfonso Ruiz & Chef Tom Casatelli’s Sunset Pork with chipotle pineapple pork, pickled jalapeno corn tortilla, picked red onion & chipotle crema: This creation from Ho'Brah was a fairly standard taco, but delicious nonetheless. The meat was cooked nicely but the flavor combination was nothing special.

Sunset Pork Taco from Ho'Brah

Chef Robert Cho’s Cho Nut Taco with smoked brisket, bacon, smoked kimchi, bourbon chipotle sauce, cheddar cheese, fried ramen crumble on a buttered fried tortilla with powdered sugar: This was a real flavor explosion from the chefs at Kimchi Smoke. They combined traditional Korean flavors with downhome-style BBQ deliciousness. The powdered sugar and fried ramen crumbles were unexpected yet welcome.

Cho Nut Taco from Kimchi Smoke

Tequila Park Taqueria Executive Chef Geoff Rudaw’s Chicken Vindaloo Taco with mango chutney, raita & crispy mee krob noodles: This was my favorite hands down and the one I voted for. I love it when flavor combinations from different ends of the world meet and this taco epitomized that concept. The only thing we wanted was a bit more heat.

Chicken Vindaloo Taco from Tequila Park Taqueria

Executive Chef Jesús Nuñez’s Taco y Olé with beef oxtail, fried egg cream, piquillo pepper, crispy jamon Serrano, herbs and pickled veggies: This taco, from Socarrat Paella Bar was another flavor fusion. We also appreciated how colorful it was, and I was a big fan of how the sauces mixed well in each individual bite.

Taco y Olé from Socarrat Paella Bar

Chefs & Owners Eduard Fraundeer & Wolfgang Ben’s Crispy Chicken Schnitzel Taco with ramp remoulade, radish and Austrian pumpkinseed salsa: "I love ramps," my friend exclaimed as she took a bite into this taco. The chefs from Edi & The Wolf really threw a curve ball with this taco, both because it was the first hard shell we had tasted and also because...schnitzel!?! It was much enjoyed, especially because of the ramps.

Crispy Chicken Schnitzel Taco from Edi & The Wolf

Chef Thomas Kelly’s Smoky Carnitas Tacos with manchego, crispy tortilla strips, corn salsa & creamy chipotle: Food truck cum storefront Mexicue went all-out comfort food with their taco. All together I thought it tasted reminiscent of a cheeseburger, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. My only complaint about this taco was how much liquid spilled out whenever I tried to take a bite. Definitely not something to eat on a first date.

Smoky Carnitas Taco from Mexicue

Chef Barry Frish​’s Buffalo Chicken Taquitos with family secret buffalo sauce and bleu cheese/ranch dip: When we first saw these creations from Taquitoria, a conversation was instantly sparked on the glories of Costco taquitos my friends and I apparently both devoured in middle school (those were the days). These babies were served with a combination sauce that had a bit of a big kick. The glory of the dipping sauce was though that you could control how much you wanted. Thanks for the walk down memory lane Taquitoria!

Buffalo Chicken Taquitos from Taquitoria

Executive Chef Adrian Ramirez’s Mahi Mahi BLT Taco with grilled mahi mahi, chipotle-piloncillo bacon, shredded lettuce, lime pico de gallo, agave cilantro aioli: Frankly, I'm surprised we didn't see more fish tacos. This version from La Esquina was perfect for me and almost earned my vote although my friends thought it was a bit too spicy. The thing that most impressed me about this taco was that the chefs were making the tortillas right in front of us. Talk about fresh!

Mahi Mahi BLT Taco from La Equina

Executive Chef Sasha Shor’s House-Cured Smoked Pork Belly Taco with poblano lime ranch and hot pink pickled onions: Talk about flavor! This taco from Tres Carnes was the ultimate in mega-rich taco with homemade pork belly that melted in your mouth. I also got a kick out of the hot pink onions.

House-Cured Pork Belly Taco from Tres Carnes

Executive Chef Brian Tsao’s Beef Bulgogi Tacos with wonton skins, Asian pear, kimchi slaw, toasted sesame & scallion: Last but not least, this taco from Mira Sushi & Izakaya wins the award for most likely not a taco, but it was still good anyway. The crispy wonton shell gave it an interesting flair and the beef was flavorful.

Beef Bulgogi Taco from Mira Sushi & Izakaya

Other scrumptious food items available throughout the event were super-creamy guacamole from Rosa Mexicano and all sorts of churros (some with bacon bits and dulce de leche and there was even a chocolate fountain!).

Guacamole from Rosa Mexicano

Churros!

There was also fantastic entertainment by DJ Dirty Digits, percussionist Jimmy Lopez and flash mob performances by the Northeast’s finest mariachi band, Mariachi Tapatio de Alvaro Paulino and folkloric dance group Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Nueva York. 

Mariachi Tapatio de Alvaro Paulino

Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Nueva York

Where can I get one of those dresses?

As the event wrapped up and everyone yearned for their stretch pants, Mexicue was awarded the 2015 Thrillist Taco Knockout belt for their Smoky Carnitas Taco.

Chef Barry Frish from Mexicue wins the Taco Knockout

And lastly, here are some snaps of my and my friends with our taco-eating hats on...literally :)

Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone! Celebrate responsibly, please!

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).

Get Your Tickets for Thrillist's Taco Knockout this Saturday--Unlimited Tacos, Cervezas and Churros!

Still looking for ways to fill your Cinco de Mayo weekend? I know a place where you can stuff your face with tacos, cocktails and cervezas in addition to help select the next belt-winning taco chef.

Thrillist is hosting their annual Taco Knockout this Saturday May 2 from 2-5 pm at Tequila Park Taqueria at the Hudson Hotel (356 W 58th Street @ Columbus). There are 2 ticket options: general ($65) which comes with unlimited tacos, cervezas, and churros as well as 1 custom cocktail and especial ($80) which adds on early entry (1pm) as well as one additional custom cocktail. Pretty much no matter how you shake it, it's an amazing deal.

Last year's event looked like a fine fiesta--and featured taco flavors like sriracha lamb and duck chorizo--so I can't wait to see what they cook up this year. I'll be there with my taco hat on so come say hi if you decide to spend your afternoon feasting al fresco with Thrillist!

Celebrate the New Whitney Museum With a Block Party

Looking for something to do this weekend? The Whitney Museum of American Art is finally opening at its new location in the Meatpacking District (99 Gansevoort Street) and they want you to come check them out!

The Whitney will offer free admission from 10:30 am to 10 pm on Saturday, May 2 and host a block party on Gansevoort Street sponsored by Macy's. You can check out the inaugural exhibition America Is Hard to See as well as enjoy hands-on activities and participatory events. Throughout the day, booths designed by a diverse group of contemporary artists and community organizations will offer activities for a range of audiences, including karaoke, map making, and performance workshops. Large-scale acts on the main stage will include all-ages performances, including puppetry, dance, music, and poetry.

No tickets are required for the Block Party. Free admission tickets to the Museum for May 2 may now be reserved online and reservations are recommended.

Get Your Daily Dose of Clever News With theSkimm

We've all got our morning routines, but I have a suggestion of something to add to yours. theSkimm is a free daily email service that covers all the need-to-know news issues you need to start your day off right. Best of all they do it with a dash of wit and a sprinkle of cleverness.

Case in point, a quote of the day from last week:

I can't even tell you how many times tidbits I've gleaned from theSkimm in the morning have come in handy during conversations throughout my day. Plus they make super informative, but easy-to-read guides to everything from elections to the Citizen's United decision to the Iran nuclear issue.

To subscribe, click here and get ready to know everything*. (*No promises, but you'll definitely know more!).

Earn Money From Unloved Clothes in Your Closet (And Here's $10 to Shop!)

If you are anything like me, you fill your closets to the max (it is NYC after all and every inch of real estate counts!). However, if you're also like me, you've obsessively read about Japanese organization guru Marie Kondo's method of organization. While her book is still on my NYPL waiting list, I've taken a few of her own-only-things-that-bring-you-joy approaches to heart and done a considerable amount of domestic purging lately.

But I didn't want to simply throw away perfectly good items of clothing (that may or may not still have the tags on)...I wanted to make some money! There was always eBay, but I don't have the patience for that. Then I heard about thredUP.

thredUP brands itself as a "recommerce" company. How it works is you create an account on their site, order a bag free of cost and it will show up in your mailbox in a matter of days. You then stuff it full of worn, but like new items (bonus if they still have the tags on and were never worn) from dresses to shoes and handbags to accessories. At this time they only accept women's, junior's and children's clothing, sorry gents! Here are their rules and here is a video that explains more:

You can then drop your bag (pre-labeled for FedEx shipping) at any FedEx location. thredUP will contact you and let you know which items they are going to resell and how much money you will get back from them. I earned $125 for one bag! For a small fee, thredUP will even send you back the items they don't sell; otherwise, they will give the clothes away for you.

I opted to receive my money via PayPal (and paid a nominal fee for it), or you can choose to spend your money in thredUP's marketplace--chock full of amazing finds that other people like you have sent in. I have also done this and managed to score a brand new Coach leather purse for under $70.

Want to check it out? Create an account through my link and get $10 free to spend in the thredUP marketplace. I'll get $10 too, but once you place your first order and/or submit your first bag, you will want to tell all your friends about this site.