AWESOME DEAL: 6 Months FREE Membership to Warehouse Shopping Site Jet

We just came across a killer shopping deal and wanted to let you know right away! Jet, a new Costco-esque online shopping portal is launching soon and wants you to sign up so badly, they are offering free membership for 3 months. However, if you sign up by February 6 at 11:59 am ET, you'll get an additional 3 free months (6 months total!) and the benefits continue if you refer any of your friends.

But why should you sign up? Jet was founded by the same guy (Marc Lore) as diapers.com, soap.com, and wag.com--all sites dedicated to providing specific products at low prices to a specific market in the most efficient manner. The company's Hoboken warehouse will be stocked with the goods you need and shipped to you at a moment's notice without the hassle of buying in bulk. Think of it as Amazon meets Costco meets Delivery.com.

From the founder's blog:

"At Jet we will make use of the latest advancements in technology to create a new shopping experience that will empower customers like never before. Jet will bring unprecedented transparency and efficiencies to the overall e-commerce market, and as a result, will transform the customer experience in a way that, until now, has not been possible."

After your trial period is up, members will be asked to pay $49.99 per year for membership (still cheaper than that Costco card, and for most New Yorkers, much more accessible). Check out this Bloomberg article for more.

Thanks to Laura from 89th and Broke for sharing this tip! Also, full disclosure, the URL above is my own referral link.

AWESOME RECAP: Broadway Sings P!nk

After seeing Broadway Sings Justin Timberlake back in July (oh how I miss you summer!),  I knew that I couldn't miss Broadway Sings P!nk. So I grabbed a friend and went back down to (Le) Poisson Rouge for a night we knew would be memorable.

I've been a fan of P!nk's music for many years now, but I admit, some of her songs are hit or miss for me. They often come across angry and I think that turns a lot of people off. One thing I really liked about this concert was how the arrangements were often drastically changed in order to suit the singer's voice. In doing that, the lyrics were able to shine and some of them are pretty spectacular.

It was also a fabulous concert in that I dined over 3 fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk ($5) while listening. I'd highly recommend this treat!

Here are some photos from the event:

Lena Hall sings "Sober"

Chelsea Packard and Colin Hanlon sing "Try"

Kate Rockwell

Mike Schwitter

Ciara Renée

And thanks to Broadway sings, here are some videos:

Broadway Sings is hosting a "Best of" concert in March that will include 14 songs from all 7 previous concerts. It's sure to be a fun one! Who even needs pop stars when you've got Broadway?

Take a Trip Around the World...With Grilled Cheese

There are two kinds of adults in this world--those that think board games are meh and those who could literally spend all day playing them. We think that those in the latter category are, well, awesome and we have found the perfect new bar for all these cool folks to congregate, play games to their hearts' content, and munch on the best damn grilled cheese in Brooklyn.

We recently attended the press preview night for HENRI on Fifth (279 5th Avenue, Park Slope), which recently opened with an eclectic menu (grilled cheeses of the world!), a cupboard of all your favorite board games from Operation! to Hungry Hippos and Cards Against Humanity, and a comprehensive list of bespoke cocktails.

First things first, I sampled the Dirty Henri with gin, cucumber, and moscato. This drink was a little sweet for me, but I loved the freshness of the cukes. Friends who tried the other 4 drinks on the menu (one bourbon, one whisky, and one house-infused rhubarb vodka) agreed with me on the sweetness pattern, but that could all be attributed to the opening night jitters of a heavy-handed bartender. 

The stars of the night were the grilled cheeses. The owner told us that the restaurant was named after his little son, Henri, who inherited German and French heritage from his mother and Pan-Asian genes from himself. Therefore, the menu includes a mix of all these influences. For example, you can order a grilled cheese sandwich in 3 different ways:

• The Classic (American): Cheddar and fontina on pullman bread
• Le Classique (French): Gruyere and caramelized shallots on garlic toast with sherry thyme au jus
• Die Klassische (German): Muenster, sauerkraut and brautwurst on pretzel bread with beer mustard dip

All were amazing, but days after I still find myself craving the American version. Simple, cheesy goodness. The German, however, was definitely the most unique grilled cheese I've ever tried. All sandwiches come cut in fours (easier to share!) and with shooters of tomato bisque or butternut squash soup.

The Classic

Die Klassische

Other standouts of the night included the Sriracha Deviled Eggs and the Korean Bahn Mi Taco. 

Sriracha deviled eggs -- We could eat a tray of these

Bahn Mi Taco

Before heading out, we had to indulge in some board game action. I'd say we broke some sort of Jenga record...37 rows! Props to Dave from Barton's Bites for being an excellent player!

And just to make things even better, we found this on a shop near the bar. So it's a legit neighborhood :)

If we lived in the area, this would be a go-to spot. I can't imagine a better way to end a workday than with a Classic grilled cheese and a rousing game of Pac Man (they have the old school game tables!) followed by a epic round of Jenga.

Snow or No Snow, Hot Chocolate is the Key

The end of January is near and that can only mean one thing: THE CITY BAKERY HOT CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL IS BACK!

Awesome favorites from the past have been the caramel and darkest dark hot chocolates. But the great thing about this festival is that you can technically go back every day and try them all! Don't forget to add a handmade marshmallow. If you're looking for something to nibble on as well, we highly recommend the peanut butter cookies and the pretzel croissants.

City Bakery is located at 3 W. 18th Street, near Union Square. The festival starts Sunday 2/1 and continues through the rest of February.

Narrowing Down on Darrow's

If there's one thing we love around here, it's restaurant openings--ESPECIALLY when the kitchen and menu were designed by David Kupperberg of Pure Food & Wine, Taylor Thorne of Eleven Madison Park and Jean Georges (who needs no superlatives). Darrow’s Farm Fresh Takeout (115 E. 18th Street) also brought in nutritionist Julie Starr to ensure their food is nutrient-rich and 100% local and organic.

We were invited last week for their public debut and got to sample several of their juice and cocktail offerings as well as some salads and sides.

Darrow's from the street

Main level and menu

Kitchen staff hard at work

Main level and juice bar

Juice Bar-istas

Upstairs

Upstairs - I was a little obsessed with these farm-inspired crate lanterns

Upstairs - And I LOVED this living wall

The simple food all tasted great and you could tell it was meant to highlight the local and organic ingredients. First I tried the Black, Red, and Wild Rice Salad with dried berries, hazelnuts, apples, pomegranate, and spinach with Sheep's yogurt (talk about antioxidants!) and loved it. Other favorites were the Raw Curried Cauliflower with dried fruit and nuts and the Crispy Kale with chipotle tahini sauce.

As for libations, I could drink and drink their beet juice and I loved that they had Fever Tree ginger beer on the menu (a new Awesome favorite!)

Beet juice! (not blood)

This seems like a great lunch spot for those who work in the area. You can dine in (order and pay on iPads on every table!) or order to go. They have several vegetarian-friendly plate options for $11-$15 and you can add a protein to any of them for another few bucks. Juice prices are pretty standard at $9-$11. But I'll definitely keep this in mind as a place to hide away from the bustle of Union Square and go read next to the living wall while sipping a Fever Tree.

Your City By Drone

I came across this phenomenal drone-filmed video that captures all of NYC's 5 boroughs and just had to share. Not that I often forget, but it's great to be reminded of how awesome of a city we live in.

Note to self: I need to check out the graveyard of half-sunken ships in Staten Island featured around 2:40!

Bring On the Meat Sweats

I would venture to say that I eat more food in the last month of the year than I do in the entire first three months of it. Just the way of the world I suppose. Gotta roll with it...

Continuing the tradition of feasting, I recently was invited for dinner at the NYC location of Texas de Brazil Churrascaria (1011 Third Avenue). 

If you've never tried a Brazilian Steakhouse (and you aren't a vegetarian), you are missing out on a unequivocally amazing eating experience. The concept is this: You have a chip on your table which you flip to green if you're hungry or red if you've had enough or need a break. When you flip to green, servers called gauchos carrying large swords of meat come to your table and slice you off whatever you like. Rinse, wash, repeat. 

Texas de Brazil takes it to a whole new level. First, their huge space and upscale vibe make you feel like you're someone important as soon as you enter. The service is impeccable--your waiter will check on you constantly and proactively bring you whatever you happen to need. When you first arrive, you are treated to a basket of pão de queijo, or yucca and cheese rolls (gluten free!). They are served hot and steaming and we devoured the whole basket immediately. Usually I don't like to fill up on bread, but these were an exception.

 Pão de queijo

Next we took a trip over to the salad bar. It's really an injustice to call it a salad bar. I'd call it a Gourmet Bar. They had at least 50 different items displayed as they would be at a fancy wedding or buffet event; everything from lobster bisque (yum!) to smoked salmon, fresh mozzarella balls and fried provolone, prosciutto and sauteed mushrooms, bright red tomato slices and pineapple carpaccio.

The "Gourmet" Bar

Cheese and Fish

Parmesan!

My plate from the "Gourmet" Bar

Although I wanted to enjoy my salad plate first, my boyfriend was overeager for meat and flipped his chip as soon as we sat. No joke, within 60 seconds, a gaucho was at our table and we had bowls of garlic mashed potatoes and fried plantains brought to us. Honestly, I can't even recall ALL the meats we had. But I'll try...filet mignon, pork belly, Brazilian sausage, bacon-wrapped chicken, top sirloin, flank steak, pork tenderloin, parmesan chicken, beef ribs, garlic flank steak, and leg of lamb (at least!).

Our favorites were definitely the top sirloin and leg of lamb, but those were the more elusive cuts. Know that they will offer you the sausage about 15 times over the course of your meal, with chicken coming in second. YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY YES IF YOU DON'T WANT IT. In fact, I would recommend passing on the chicken dishes (semi-dry) and sausage (nothing special) altogether. You'll get more for your money if you stick with the better cuts of meat anyway. Also know that the meats tend to be a little salty so drink water accordingly.

When the meat sweats started to kick in, I flipped my chip. Nao, obrigado gaucho! (But actually, could I have another slice of that leg of lamb?)

But then they bring the dessert tray...

When I was a kid, I used to be enamored with dessert trays. Oh the possibilities! But at this point, I was a bit overwhelmed. Still, a little creme brulee never hurt anyone.

Creme Brulee

Now we were full AND happy :)

Texas de Brazil charges a flat rate for lunch ($38.99) and dinner ($59.99) for all you can eat. If you just want the salad bar, lunch is $23.99 and dinner is $39.99. Children 2 and under are complimentary, while children 3-5 are $5 and those 6-12 are half off the regular dinner price. Price does not include alcohol, featured items, desserts, beverages or applicable taxes.

Disclaimer: I received a free meal at Texas de Brazil in exchange for my review, but all opinions are my own.