8/10/11

It's Not Summer Without Baseball

I recently attended my first Yankee's game and was playing around with the panorama feature on the camera of my new phone. Check it out!


Have any of my awesome readers been to a Yankee's game before? What's your favorite part? I loved my Italian sausage with peppers and onions, although I was eyeing the much-anticipated Meatball Parm sandwich from Torrisi Italian Specialties. However, at $15, I figured I could go straight to the source in Little Italy any time. 

Run, Awesome! Run!

So you'll note the blog's been a tad sparse in the past few months, and I do apologize to my loyal readers for this. However, I think you'll forgive me when I tell you exactly what I've been preoccupied with.

In junior high, I was one of the kids who would get mini-panic attacks the period before gym on the days that we would have to run the mile (not just a mile, but THE mile). To me, this was one of the most arduous tasks you could ever ask me to complete. So imagine my surprise when I agreed to partake in the NYRR Queens Half Marathon on July 30. This was back in March when I was tired of being cooped up in the gym and I thought a little running around the city could be fun. Plus, some friends had committed to this crazy scheme as well. We established a training plan and more than 175 miles of training runs and several gallons of coconut water later, we were ready to take on Queens.

The night before, we all met up at one of my new go-to pizza/pasta places, Il Forno, in Gramercy. They have an all-you-can-eat pasta special for just $6.99. That's an unheard of deal for NYC, especially since it includes  five different sauces (I love the pesto!) and all different noodle shapes. Also, if you bring in your receipt from last time you visited, they give you an additional 10% off your entire bill. Love it.

There aren't many times in life when you truly deserve all-you-can-eat pasta.
The day of the race, the 7 subway wasn't running in Manhattan, of course, so I woke up extra early (4:30 am to be exact) just to make sure we would get to Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in time for the 7 am start. It's not often you see a jam-packed subway so early in the morning, but when we made it on the 7 in Queens, not only was this car filled to the brim, but everyone was in running clothes and full of pre-race excitement.

My pre-race breakfast
8000 people waiting to go to the bathroom before the race
Having never been to Flushing Meadows-Corona Park before, with the exception of a few visits to the Queens Museum of Art, I was excited to check it out. The park was the site of the World's Fair in 1939-1940 and 1964-1965 and was originally home to the offices of the United Nations until 1951 when they moved to Manhattan. The famous Unisphere was built for the 1964-65 World's Fair as a symbol of the fair's theme of unity. The New York State Pavillion and Observation Towers, also built for the 1964-65 World's Fair, still stand in the park as well, although it doesn't seem like the structures are well-maintained anymore. Currently, the park is home to the aforementioned Queens Museum of Art, the New York Hall of Science, the USTA Billie Jean National Tennis Center (where the US Open is held) and it abuts Met's Stadium.

And we're off!
The Famous Unisphere - We ran around it a total of 3 times and the spray from the fountain was most welcome.
The Observation Towers at the New York State Pavillion
The New York State Pavillion
One thing I would not advocate thinking about, if you are in fact thinking about doing a half marathon, is doing a half marathon at the end of July or any time in August. Even with such an early start time, the temperature was higher than it was on any of our other long training runs and it really took a toll on me. Thankfully they had sprinklers and guys with fire hoses about every mile, and water and Gatorade aplenty, but at the end, I felt more beat up than ever. Even so, I finished in a steady 2:16 and I'm very proud of what I accomplished.

Finish Line!
Love my coconut water
One thing I loved about running so much was that it gave me a new way to appreciate the city. I started my short runs in Central Park, and by doing that, I really got a feel for Central Park. I think that New Yorkers who don't run or bike will often walk into that great abyss of a park and very easily get lost. Working my way up to the full 6-mile loop gave me not only endurance, but a glimpse into the only real nature in the city. I can't even tell you how many birds I heard chirping and the sheer abundance of wildflowers in the spring was awe-inspiring.

In addition, we made our way around the city for our longer runs. For the 8-miler, we started at my friend's place in Astoria and ran around the entire perimeter of Roosevelt Island. There's a lighthouse at the tip - who knew! Perhaps my favorite run of all was the 11-miler. I started at 23rd Street and FDR on the east side and was able to go south all the way around the tip of Manhattan and hug the perimeter up to 72nd Street on the west side. Let me just say that I'm in love with Battery Park and all of the waterfront recreation space they have.

Now that I'm done with a time-intensive training schedule, I'd still like to continue running, but I'm looking forward to introducing more variety into my fitness routine. However, when the weather gets a tad cooler again, you'll see me running along the West Side Highway or the Central Park Reservoir. And I'm definitely looking forward to dedicating more time to blogging!

IL Forno on Urbanspoon

8/4/11

AWESOME GIVEAWAY: 4 Tickets to Follies on Broadway!

If there's one thing I don't like about summer, it's the lack of new Broadway shows. However, the fall season is revving up and I'm getting uber excited. The Broadway revival of Follies, Stephen Sondheim's classic musical, is set to begin previews this Sunday, August 7 at the Maquis Theater on 46th Street and 7th Avenue.



Starring an award winning cast including Bernadette Peters, Jan Maxwell, Danny Burstein and Ron Raines, Follies focuses on the lives of two couples and tells the story of a reunion of a group of performers from the Weismann's Follies (based off the Ziegfeld Follies) in a theater that's scheduled for demolition. The women were once showgirls in a production in the same theater between the two World Wars and have now come to see life and love in different ways. The 28-piece orchestra and ensemble cast of 41 will enthrall audiences I'm sure throughout the limited engagement.



All my readers are in luck! I'm giving away TWO pairs of tickets to see Follies! The tickets are good for any Tues, Wed or Thurs evening performance from through the end of September. There are 5 easy ways to win and each comment counts as an entry. Please include your email in any comments so I know how to contact you if you are the winner.

1) REQUIRED - 
Subscribe to this blog by email, using the submission box in the right panel and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

2) REQUIRED - Leave a comment below letting me know why you want to see this show.

3) Follow this blog by clicking on the button on the right panel and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

4) Follow me on Twitter @yaelleah and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

4) Tweet or blog about this event and let me know with a link to your tweet or blog in a comment below.

Two winners will be chosen using Random.org on Tuesday 8/9. You have until Monday 8/8 at 6 p.m. EST to enter the contest. Good luck!



Winners have been chosen! Congratulations to Sarah P. and Eunice H.! You have each won a pair of tickets to see Follies on Broadway. I hope you each have a great time and be sure to come back and tell us how you liked the show!

If you can't wait for the end of the contest to grab tickets or just want to know about a good discount, visit Ticketmaster or visit the box office using code 2BUDDY before October 2. You will be able to find Orchestra and Front Mezz. seats for $89 (normally $135/$125) and Mid. Mezz. seats for $65 (normally $95/$85).

Brooklyn Suds

Something that had been on my list of things to do in NYC for, say three years, was to visit the Brooklyn Brewery in Williamsburg. Maybe it was the foreign concept of taking the L or maybe I've been too consumed with wine, but I finally can check this activity off my list and tell you all to do the same.


The Brooklyn Brewery was founded in 1987 by a war correspondent and a banker who decided to quit their jobs and devote themselves full-time to the art of brewing. They started operations upstate but in 1996, took over an abandoned warehouse space in Williamsburg and it became the first successful brewery in New York City since 1976. Today, Brooklyn Brewery beers are sold all over the world.

Tours are free but I would recommend making a reservation for a small batch brewery tour from 5-7 every weeknight. Those tours are limited to just 25 people, and for $8, they include beer samples. You'll also get to see where the beer is actually made instead of just the large warehouse they show you on the free tours.




After your tour, I would invite you to stick around and throw back a couple. You can purchase beer tokens for $4 or 6 for $20, and glasses range from 1-3 tokens depending on the beer. The event space is great and open to the public Fridays 6-11 and Saturday and Sundays from 12-6. While they don't serve food, you can bring in your own or even have it delivered, just ask the bartender for their stash of menus.

Brooklyn Brewery event space
Lobby
The day I visited, I tried three different beers: Brooklyn Lager, Brooklyn Pilsner and Brooklyn Brown Ale. They were all excellent and I'm sure very fresh. From time to time the brewery will also showcase seasonal beers, so keep an eye out for those. 


Brooklyn Brewery Beers
And don't forget to check out the brewery's collection of old beer bottles from NYC brewery past.

These date back to more than 100 years ago!

Madison Square BBQ

Note: Don't you hate it when you start something and then get too distracted to finish it? Unfortunately that non-awesome situation happened to me with this post. It's a tad delayed but still super delicious. Enjoy!

When I think "New York," I don't usually think of "finger-lickin' good" (with the exception of an experience at Hill Country). However, for one weekend every summer, Madison Square Park becomes charcoal grilling, hickory smoking and pork 'n beans central wend the Big Apple BBQ takes over. At $8 a plate, patrons can gorge themselves with the best BBQ from across the country. All proceeds benefited the Madison Square Park Conservancy.


It was a slightly cloudy day, but that didn't stop the masses from donning their bibs and nibbling their ribs from a selection of more than 15 pitmasters, each with their own unique styles. All sorts of BBQ specialties were represented, including St. Louis Style Ribs, Pulled Pork Shoulder and Smoked Sausage.





Yup, that's a whole hog

We kicked off the event with a visit to the pop-up beer garden within the boundaries of the park. Goose Island was the beer sponsor, and I was a happy camper with a glass of their refreshing IPA.


After completing a once-over of all of the food options up and down Madison Avenue, we decided to try two different types of ribs. Ultimately this was decided by the which booths had the shortest lines. The smart folks had paid for an event fastpass well in advance. They were able to have special access to visit each of the booths from behind and skip all the lines and hullabaloo I had to wade through. Definitely doing that next time.

We visited the booth of the famed Gramercy joint, Blue Smoke for their Texas Salt n' Pepper Beef Ribs. Having never experience this kind of rib before, I was pleasantly surprised by how moist they were. Not only did the meat fall right off the bone, but they were full of flavor. We also tried the Baby Back Ribs from Rack & Soul, also in NYC. The sauce on these babies was out of this world, and they came with a side of BBQ beans that left me in BBQ heaven. In the end, I think the consensus was that Blue Smoke's ribs were better.

Rack & Soul's  Baby Back Ribs and BBQ Beans
Blue Smoke's Texas Salt n' Pepper Beef Ribs
This event puts Madison Square Park even higher up on my awesome list. For such a small park (in comparison to others...ahem...Central Park...), the conservancy does a great job of jam-packing it with wonderful activities, interesting art pieces and stellar events. The Shake Shack doesn't hurt either...

7/18/11

Not Your Typical Deli

Summer is a time for exotic revelry, but every so often I just crave simple comforts. After being invited to the Summer in Soho event at Delicatessen, I knew I was in for a slice of both. 


Especially in NYC, when you hear the word deli, you think of warm pastrami, matzah ball soup and perhaps some Dr. Brown's cream sodas. If you're in the mood for some of that, I'd say hit up Katz's, however, if you'd like a bit more ooh-la-la to your outing, I'd highly recommend Delicatessen on Prince and Lafayette in Nolita. The event I attended featured selected items from the new menu courtesy of Executive Chef Michael Ferraro and Pastry Chef Kate Cowan.

The party was held in both of Delicatessen's private party rooms -- The Courtyard, with it's awesome glass ceiling we watched the sunset through, and The Minibar, a dark cavernous, yet sexy space with, well, a bar. It was in the Minibar I was poured the signature drink of the night. The Tilly as they called it was my kind of summer drink -- muddled strawberry and lime shaken with Satisfaction vodka and pomegranate juice. I loved how the sweetness and tang melded together. And what a pretty color!

The Tilly
Looking up from The Courtyard
View of The Courtyard
The food was WAY better than standard deli fare. My favorites included the Flash Fried Tuna Avocado Rolls, which were just crispy enough for some nice texture but the smoothness of the tuna and avocado still came through, and the Tomato and Mozzarella Salad. The latter was definitely not your go-to caprese, rather the cheese was fried with tempura and the tomatoes were marinated. I could have had an unlimited amount of those puppies. Other delicious bites included the Smoked Chicken Tacos, Pork Mole Tacos and Sweet Sesame Chicken Lettuce Wraps.

Flash Fried Tuna and Avocado Rolls
Tomato and Mozzarella Salad
Sweet Sesame Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Smoked Chicken Taco
Dessert was a whole other wonderful experience. Three words: Maple Bacon Beignets. Three more words: Bourbon Creme Anglaise. I seriously could have eaten a whole tray of these, but they were in such high demand that I only managed to snag two. Good thing the two other dessert were just as much fun. I was weary of the Chocolate Layer Cake because they always look so good but taste so dry. This version was super moist and the frosting was not overly sticky sweet. The fresh berries on top were also a nice touch. The other clever dessert was a cheesecake lollipop coated in chocolate - yum!

Maple Bacon Beignets
Chocolate Layer Cakes
Cheesecake Lollipop
Besides bumping into friends, my favorite part of this event was finding out about a cool venue with some very unique food. I will definitely be back for some trendy comfort sometime very soon!

7/13/11

AWESOME GIVEAWAY: 2 Tickets to Phantom of the Opera

Phantom of the Opera, a quintessential musical and shame on you if you have yet to see it! One of my all-time favorites, Phantom weaves a beautiful story of love, acceptance, trust and life in the French opera 100+ years ago.



Celebrating 23 years on Broadway and 7 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Phantom of the Opera offers several affordable ticket options. Tickets in the last two rows of the Rear Mezzanine are priced at $26.25 for Monday through Thursday performances. These tickets may be purchased through Telecharge or at the box office. Also, Standing Room tickets are available for $26.25 at the box office only, only when the performance is sold out. I would also recommend checking TKTS for day-of tickets.


All my readers are in luck! I'm giving away a pair of tickets to see Phantom of the Opera! Whether you've seen it a thousand times or if this will be your first experience, you WANT to win this contest. The tickets are good for any Tues, Wed or Thurs evening performance from Sept. 13-Oct. 27. There are 5 easy ways to win and each comment counts as an entry. Please include your email in any comments so I know how to contact you if you are the winner.

1) REQUIRED - 
Subscribe to this blog by email, using the submission box in the right panel and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

2) REQUIRED - Leave a comment below letting me know why you want to see this show.

3) Follow this blog by clicking on the button on the right panel and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

4) Follow me on Twitter @yaelleah and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

4) Tweet or blog about this event and let me know with a link to your tweet or blog in a comment below.

One winner will be chosen using Random.org on Wednesday 7/20. You have until Wednesday 7/20 at 12 p.m. EST to enter the contest. Good luck!




A winner has been chosen! Congratulations Rebecca! She was the 21st commenter and wins two tickets to see Phantom of the Opera! Thanks everyone for entering and stay tuned for more awesomeness.

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