Welcoming a New Bocca Di Bacco

On Tuesday I was invited to the grand opening party of Bocca Di Bacco's fourth location in Chelsea, in the old Il Bastardo space (191 7th Avenue). The restaurant is wide open and full of light, and definitely ready to party.

From the elaborate black crystal chandeliers to the rich wood ceiling beams and the pink banquettes to the exposed brick, the main dining room displays soothing luxury with a flirty urban opulence. The space is big enough that the restaurant plans to host corporate events and weddings.

We sampled one of the party's signature drinks, The Butterfly, with fig vodka, Champagne and raspberries. It was a bit on the sweet side, but would be a great brunch drink. Speaking of brunch, Executive Chef Kristin Sollenne assured us that Bocca Di Bacco will be keeping the tradition of the raucous brunch previously promoted by Il Bastardo.

As for the rest of the menu, this location will feature about 300 wines, including wines not usually available by the glass since the bar will be equipped with a high-tech Enomatic wine dispenser that keeps bottles fresh after being opened.

All of the food coming out of the kitchen smelled great, but some of the party guests were acting a little vulture-ish and so we didn't get to taste much. However, what we did taste--the mushroom and crab cake sticks, the mushroom and truffle flatbread and the risotto balls--were delicious.

The restaurant is officially open as of yesterday so check it out (I'm definitely curious about the brunch!) and let us know what you think.

Love Me Some Lobster

Lobster has and will always be a luxury food. So it's only appropriate that an event revolving around the crustacean would be in a luxury venue. Get your bibs on, the first annual Lobster de Mayo to benefit City Harvest will be held on Saturday May 10th at Capitale from 6-10pm!

An exclusive celebration of lobster and top-shelf tequila, Lobster de Mayo will be hosted by celebrity chef Katie Lee and will feature chefs from 20 of the city's finest restaurants, including Nobu, Marea, Gramercy Tavern and ABC Kitchen. The entire tasting menu will include inventive Mexican-themed dishes created exclusively for this event with all lobsters supplied directly from Main by Homarus. There will also be a silent auction.

General admission tickets are $295 and VIP tickets are $450 and include access to an exclusive second floor lounge and signed celebrity-chef cookbooks to take home. All tickets can be purchased here.

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!

Free Food from the Stonefire Authentic Flatbreads Truck Today!

There's no better news to kick off a weekend than free food right? Well if you're looking for something to do today, head to opening weekend of Smorgasburg to welcome NYC's newest food truck: Stonefire Authentic Flatbreads.

Stonefire is launching a nationwide food truck tour featuring some of their tasty looking dishes like Indian Pizza on naan, Gameday Naanchos, and a Chicken Naanwich with Pesto. They will be giving free samples from 11am-4pm starting at Kent Ave and N. 8th St. in Williamsburg followed by 14th St. Union Square and then 42nd St and 6th Ave near Bryant Park. Follow them on Twitter or Facebook for their exact location.

Increase Your Cultural Heart Rate at The Pulse Party

Need something to do tonight? The Rubin Museum of Art is throwing a pretty awesome party featuring electronic music and multimedia from 6-11pm.

In traditional Tibetan medicine, pulse reading is a complex form of diagnosis which requires physicians to listen deeply to the sound waves and vibrations of one’s heartbeat. In collaboration with Warper Party, the Rubin Museum presents PULSE, a museum-wide multimedia event  that invites electronic musicians and video artists to listen deeply and explore their own beats through inspiration from the new exhibition, Bodies in Balance: The Art of Tibetan Medicine.

There will be a happy hour from 6-7pm with 2-for-1 specials on all beer, wine, and well drinks. Also there will be a combination of free and ticketed events throughout the night (see the full schedule here), including a free tour of the new exhibition and tunes mixed by several DJs.

Sonoma in NYC

Last night I was invited to taste the best Sonoma, California has to offer at the Taste of Sonoma: On Tour event at City Winery, featuring more than 100 wines from 50 wineries throughout the region.

Wine glasses waiting to be filled

Having taken a trip to that region last year, I was really excited to see if there was anything I recognized and remembered. Adjacent to Napa Valley, Sonoma is known for full bodied Cabernet Sauvignons and rich Zinfandels as well as fruity Pinot Noirs and crisp Chardonnays and sparkling wines.

The food at the event featured cheese heavy passed hors d'oeuvres (I loved the carrot and ricotta crostini) and meat and cheese platters from Murray's Cheese.

I was happy to recognize some of my favorite Zinfandels from wineries I visited last year (Sbragia overlooking Lake Sonoma and Dry Creek Vineyards) as well as some new ones (Fritz was amazing).

As far as whites go, we liked the stainless steel-aged Chardonnay from Rodney Strong as well as the Wedding Cuvee from Iron Horse Vineyards. Francis Ford Coppola Winery, another one I visited, sampled both their Director's Cut Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 (YUM!) and their 2012 Director's Cut Pinot Noir. The most-interesting-wine-of-the-night award went to the 2009 Baker Lane Estate Vineyard Syrah, which we tasted against the same wine in 2011. The gal pouring told us that these wines are almost strong enough that they don't even need food, "meat and wine in a bottle," she said. And we agreed in the best way possible!

AWESOME GIVEAWAY: Pairs of Tickets to 2 Carnegie Hall Concerts

It's hard to realize how much of a gem both Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center are when you walk by them every day and they seem to blend into the general hubbub of Midtown. However, I cannot stress enough how important it is that you go to a concert at either venue if you have never been. Upon entering the majestic theaters, you will feel transported to a time when ladies wore gloves and men wore top hats to the opera and when orchestral music was commonly enjoyed by all.

I would like to highlight 2 upcoming concerts and...SURPRISE...giveaway a pair of tickets to each! Both giveaways will end at midnight on Tuesday April 8th. Make sure to follow the instructions in order to win :)

Vocal Colors: A night of unprecedented vocal technicality and talent
Saturday April 12, 7 pm
Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center

Featuring conductors Timothy Powell, Director Davidson Fine Arts School Chorale, Scott Buchanan, Director Indiana State University and Combined Choirs, and Horace Carney, Director Alabama A&M University.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you want to purchase tickets on your own, use the code DCIWEB to save 50% when you call CenterCharge at (212) 721-6500 or visit www.lincolncenter.org.

The Drop of Dawn: The Music of Christopher Tin
Sunday April 13, 8:30 pm
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, Carnegie Hall

Two-time Grammy award-winning composer Christopher Tin once again teams up with DCINY for a night of new music. Both Calling All Dawns and the world premiere of The Drop That Contained The Sea navigate diverse musical terrain with fusions of orchestral and world music, accompanied by 200 voices. “Baba Yetu,” the opening movement of Calling All Dawns, made history as the first piece of music written for a video game to win a Grammy.

Soloists: Mezzo-soprano Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek ,Indian Classical Vocalist Roopa Mahadevan, Singer Saum Eskandani, and Mongloian pop star Nominjin

a Rafflecopter giveaway
If you want to purchase tickets on your own, use the code DCD18795 to save 30% when you call CarnegieCharge at (212) 247-7800 or visit www.carnegiehall.org.