Cheap Drinkin'

There are numerous reasons to love Yelp. My top reason for next week is the 2nd Annual Yelp Drinks! Basically a week-long happy hour across the city (even in Jersey!), Yelp Drinks includes some of my favorite bars (ie: Hotel Chantelle), some bars I've been dying to try (ie: Lani Kai), and some fancy bars too (ie: David Burke Kitchen). Each venue is offering 3 drinks for half off from Monday February 27th to Sunday March 4th.

The great thing about this promotion is that there are no coupons, secret codes, etc. -- just a plain ole' special menu and some awesome cocktails. Check out the list of participating bars in Manhattan here and let me know which cocktail you are most excited to try.

AWESOME ALERT: Free Awesome Concert Thursday 3/1

Attention readers! You may have seen me allude to the fact that big things were going to happen on the blog this month on Twitter. Well, now's the time you need to pay attention.

I can't give away too many details, but if I were you I'd clear your calendars on Thursday evening March 1 for the most epic concert of the year, happening right here in NYC. There will be some big names you will all recognize, and best of all, you can get in for free!

Stay tuned next week and I'll reveal more details. I will say this, while tickets are free, you still have to snag one. In addition to the 3 I'll be giving away next week, tickets will go "on sale" here on Monday morning 2/27 Tuesday morning 2/28 at 9:00 am EST (The link won't work until then but I thought I'd give you the heads up). Who's excited?

AWESOME DEAL: 15% Off at Pure Barre

I have never been a "fitness" person. When I work out, I want to have fun and not think about how much I'd rather be watching re-runs of Project Runway at home while snacking on Reese's Pieces (well, that's an exaggeration, but a girl can dream).

One thing I've loved about living in NYC is the vast availability of new "hip" workouts for me to try. A few months ago I stumbled upon an amazing offer on Gilt City for a 2-month unlimited class package at the newly opened Pure Barre in Columbus Circle. Having tried a sample class at The Bar Method last summer and totally trusting Gilt City because their recommendations are awesome, I roped a coworker into purchasing the package with me and we started classes after the first of the year.

The premise of Pure Barre (a national chain started by dancer Carrie Rezabek Dorr in 2001 with locations currently in 25 states) is using small isometric movements at the ballet barre to the beat of motivating music to lift your seat, tone your thighs, abs and arms, and burn fat. Hence their mantra: lift, tone, burn!

The first few classes, I'm not going to lie, were hard. Each class follows a rigid structure. First, you warm up your entire body using small weights, your own body weight, and the dreaded 90-second forearm plank. Next you move into thighs and then seat. Using only the barre and a small rubber ball, when you do the exercises correctly, your legs shake almost uncontrollably, but that's how you know "your muscles are changing," the bubbly instructors always say. From there, the class focuses on firming your core through a series of exercises at the bar and then on a mat. Lastly, you finish up with some funky "back dancing" to give one final push to the seat and thighs and then some relaxing stretching.

Six weeks in, and I can see a change in my body. My arms have more definition, my core is stronger than it's ever been, and I can do way more full (non on-your-knees) push-ups than I have ever been able to do before. My goal was to go 4-5 times a week, and this has been super easy because they offer plenty of classes at all sorts of convenient times throughout the day. The teachers are all very friendly and down-to-earth, the studio is clean (though it does get a bit hot and crowded sometimes), and the general vibe is very open and not snooty like I thought it might be.

The only real negative for me is the cost, and while I got an amazing deal on Gilt City (keyword: amazing), I have no idea if they plan to run another one any time soon. However, Pure Barre has generously provided me with a 15% off discount code for my readers good through the end of February: AWESOME. To use it visit their online store here, select the package you want and enter code AWESOME in the promotional code box. You should see the discount reflected before you purchase. After that, just sign up for the classes you want and have fun! Keep in mind that some of the busier classes end up with a waiting list, so it's best to sign up as early as possible.

Disclosure: Although Pure Barre gave me a free class for writing this post, I really and truly have become addicted to this workout and just renewed for another month of unlimited classes! The discount code AWESOME is good for all packages except the new client, baby bounce back and bridal specials and is good through 2/29/12.

The Namesake of Falafel

One thing any New Yorker can tell you is that there is NO shortage of falafel options in this city. Sometimes I look around and think I'm in Tel Aviv or something. From street carts, to hole-in-the-wall joints, chains to fancy $10 pita sandwiches, how's a girl to choose? While I'm all for the street cart (as long as you don't see any little critters crawling on it), I was recently invited to Chickpea to see what they are all about.

Chickpea in the CitiCorp Building is PACKED at lunch time

A NYC mini-chain, Chickpea has 7 locations throughout Manhattan with an 8th opening soon on the Upper East Side and potentially a site in Brooklyn in the future. Named for the main ingredient in both falafel and hummus, Chickpea was born from the concept that food should be healthy, fresh and innovative. Sure you can get your standard falafel and hummus on a pita, but if you're in the mood for spinach broccoli falafel with jalapeno garlic hummus on a whole wheat pita, they can hook you up too. Another thing that makes them different is that all their falafel is baked, not fried like it usually is. The salad bar is also one of my favorite parts because you can load up your pita or platter with fresh veggies and tahini.

Falafel choices

Hummus choices

In addition to falafel, Chickpea offers meat options like chicken schwarma, lamb kebab, grillled steak and the inventive schwafel (the best of both worlds!).

Chickpea workers

For my lunch, I ordered a schwafel sandwich on whole wheat pita with red pepper hummus. It came in this little cute box that seems like it would make eating falafel on the run an easier task.

When I took it out of the box, it looked like a much more manageable sandwich than some other's I've eaten before. The pita is cooked in a way that makes it more like a taco than a blorb of a meal (I don't know if blorb is a word, but you know exactly what I mean).

One thing I was concerned with was the fact that the falafel was baked, and I thought that might make it really dry. However, I was wrong. The entire sandwich was moist (and not in a soggy pita kind of way) and tasty. The salad that came with it was constantly surprising me with new veggies and the red pepper hummus gave a nice flavor kick.

Moist falafel

The sandwich was the perfect size for a lunchtime meal, not too filling, but the guys at chickpea threw in a piece of their homemade honeycake which I saved for later. I don't usually buy things like honeycake, or any dessert for that matter, with lunch. However, if you find yourself at Chickpea, do yourself a favor and ORDER THE HONEYCAKE!

I'll admit it doesn't look that impressive all wrapped in cellophane, but this moist concoction was jam-packed with so much honey, yet it wasn't sticky. The coconut on top played to another one of my favorite flavors and the texture was cakey and bready at the same time. I guess what I'm saying is Chickpea's honey cake is like the love child of corn bread and tres leches cake, and at only $3.25 it's a steal.

Honey cake close up shot

What I once though was just a standard lunch option is now definitely in my top 10.  Not only was the food tasty, healthy, and wholesome, but the philosophy behind the company and the workers really struck a chord with me. If you have a Chickpea near you, I would highly recommend a schwafel and a honey cake for your next lunch, and if you don't have one near you, I would highly recommend finding one for dinner.

Don't Be a Square, Go Cuban

Ok, I'll admit the title is a little cheesy, but with the breadth of different flavors present throughout the NYC cuisine scene, I find good, authentic Cuban to be underrepresented. Good thing I found Cafecito in the East Village to quench my craving for fried plantains, mojitos and bistec empanizado.

Owner Manny Garcia invited me and a guest to check out his menu, all recipes crafted by his mother and slightly updated for modern times, on a recent Tuesday night. A tell-tale sign that a restaurant is good is obviously a wait. When we arrived, not only were people waiting for tables at 8:30 pm, but the bar area was packed with folks sipping mojitos and other concoctions. The only thing missing was the live music, although this place is tiny even by NYC standards, and I have no idea where a band would even go.

We were welcomed with mojitos (yum!) and seated once the crowd died down a bit. For an appetizer, we sampled the Saboricito De Cuba (which I'm assuming means "taste of Cuba") that came with a papa rellena, 2 empanadas, a frita cubana and 2 croquettas de jamon mariquitas. There was a lot of fried happening on this plate, but it was all delicioso. The papa rellena was my favorite, but honestly everything was superb.

Saborocito de Cuba

For entrees, I ordered the cod special with yellow  rice and fried plantains and my guest had the house special Churrasco with chimichurri sauce, lime cured onions, yellow rice and black beans. Though slightly oily, the cod was tasty and light. The rice was moist and who can dislike fried plantains? Really? These were amazeballs. The churrasco was slightly overcooked and chewy, but also tasty. The beans and rice together were a classic combo and I kept stealing beans because they were so yummy.

Cod Special with Yellow Rice and Fried Plantains

Churrasco

At this point we were already on round 2 of mojitos and our stomachs were verging on way-too-full. However, Manny would not let us leave without dessert (a man after my own heart!). He brought out both the Flourless Chocolate Cake and the Flan. I used to have a thing with flan; didn't like the jiggle. However, it's come to grow on me, and this was a prime example of great flan. The caramel glaze on top was a nice touch--not too sugary. While not Cuban per se, the chocolate cake was our favorite. It was served with ice cream and dulce de leche and was so light that it just melted as soon as the fork touched my lips.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Flan

To top everything off, Manny sent over two small glasses of tres leches liqueur. The milky drink was the perfect digestif to end this meal; it was like drinking cake. I'm going to have to find me a bottle of that sometime very soon.

From the substantial crowd and relatively affordable prices (apps. $5-$14, entrees $14-$20), to the wonderful selection of Cuban sandwiches and the fried plantains, I'd give this joint 2 thumbs up. You can catch them on Scoutmob for a $10 discount through June (check the coupon on the app for details). For the negatives, expect to wait a while for a table even if you make a reservation, and be weary of consuming a lot of grease and fried foods.

If you're really feeling like you need some more Cuban in your life, Manny wants to share his Cuban Bread Pudding recipe with all my awesome readers. If any of you make it, be sure to come back and let everyone know how it came out!

Cuban Bread Pudding

The raisins should be soaked in the rum overnight, or at least for several hours. You

can use individual ramekins or a single taking dish.

1 cinnamon stick, ground

6 tb raisins

1/4 c aged anejo rum

1 c sugar

1 vanilla bean, split in 1/2 lengthwise

1 qt heavy cream

1 whole nutmeg ground

10 egg yolks

2 c cubed slightly stale Cuban or fresh bread

3 tablespoons sugar

To prepare the bread pudding: Soak the raising in the rum overnight. Place 1

tablespoon of the sugar on the work surface. Scrape out the vanilla bean seeds onto

the sugar and smear around to coat the seeds. Place this sugar-vanilla mixture in the

saucepan and add the cream, vanilla bean, nutmeg, cinnamon, and 1/2 c of sugar.

Bring the mixture to just under a boil. Remove immediately from the heat and let steep

for 20 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining sugar until

thick and pale. Slowly whisk in a small amount of the hot cream mixture to temper the

egg mixture, stirring continuously to prevent the eggs from cooking. Add a little more

at a time until the egg mixture is warm. Slowly pour the tempered mixture into the

remaining hot cream and whisk until smooth. Pass through a fine strainer.

Strain the rum from the raisins, reserving the rum. Sprinkle the raisins in the bottom

of (whichever container you are using) add the bread cubes on top of the raisins, and

sprinkle the bread with reserved rum. Allow to sit for 15-20 minutes before baking.

While resting occasionally push down the bread lightly with the back of a spoon so it

absorbs more of the custard.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the mixture in a baking pan lined

with a towel (to prevent the pan from sliding). Add enough boiling water to the pan to

come about halfway up the sides. Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil.

To serve, sprinkle the top with about 1/2 tablespoon sugar. Using a handheld propane

torch, caramelize the sugar all over the surface (alternatively, place under a very hot

broiler).

Remove the pan or ramekins and allow the tops to harden for a minute.

Want an Extra Fifty Bucks?

Buy your groceries at Citarella? Frequent the make-up counters at Bloomingdale's or Macy's? Fancy a bagel with lox from Russ and Daughters? If you do any of these things and/or enjoy Broadway shows, shop at H&M, visit The Museum of the City of New York or The Met, dine at Dos Caminos or Plein Sud, you best pay attention.

American Express has launched their Get More NYC statement credit promotion and it's pretty simple. You spend $200 at at least 2 participating NYC merchants during the month of February and you get a $50 statement credit! They have limited the promotion to only 20,000 registrations so I'd highly recommend registering today. Once that's done, you can start planning what damage you are going to do at Banana Republic, Anthropologie, Ricky's NYC, etcetra, etcetra. Now the only question is, what will you do with that extra $50 in your pocket?

It's Baaaaaaaaack

It's February 1st and that can only mean one thing. Time for the 20th annual Hot Chocolate Festival from City Bakery! It may be pushing 60 degrees today, but that's certainly not going to stop me from salivating over delicious flavors planned for the month like caramel hot chocolate (2/11), beer hot chocolate (Brooklyn style 2/17 and Dublin style 2/24) and the mysterious leap year hot chocolate (2/29), all with a giant, fluffy, homemade marshmallow of course.

Check out the full calendar of flavors here and comment on which one you can't wait to try. Also don't forget to sample their peanut butter cookies (my favorite for only 75 cents!). Happy sipping!