Perfect for Winter: NY Vintners

2 Dec

Let's get this party started!

Vino-philes (and winos alike) listen up: if you’re anything like me, wine is something you really enjoy partaking in, but know very little about (other than how much we like to drink it!).  As such, when I find myself under pressure to select a good wine when I’m at restaurants and even in liquor stores – I usually just go with the cheapest bottle the safest choice.  Nodding your head right along with me?  Then you need to make a trip to New York Vintners.

NY Vintners is a liquor store in Tribeca (Warren St btwn B’way/Church) that doubles as a classroom for hungry minds looking to learn more about wine.  I recently went to a Wine 101 class with the lovely Megan M and upon our arrival at their classy showroom, we were greeted with glasses of Prosecco – now that’s my kinda kick-off to a day.   We were seated at a long communal table with cheese and cracker plates, along with many tasting glasses.  We tried 3 different whites and 3 reds (sometimes we had SEVERAL tastes).  Our teacher Daniel was funny and made the day interesting, but more than that, he explained the tastes and sensations of drinking each glass in a way that made it accessible to the entry level wine enthusiast.

In my happy place!

Classes start at $50 for a 2 hour course + MANY glasses of vino and range from Wine 101 to Food Pairings (they have a full kitchen for demonstrations).  The whole day was excellent and would be awesome for a date, a girl’s day out or for anyone who wants to be a little bit better prepared the next time they have to stare down an intimidating wine list.

Check out their website to book your class, or if it’s a little too pricey for you, wait for a Groupon to roll around (pay $25 for a $50 class!) – there have been 2 promotions this year, so we’re probably due for one soon.   Plus, after a class, you get 15% off bottles and cases – yippee!

For a full list of classes, click here.   Cheers!

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Tusc-Mex? Heck YES! Matilda Restaurant

1 Dec

Prosojitos!

Let’s take a trip to the crossroads of Italy (Tuscany, to be precise) + Mexico and try to imagine a happy place where these two very different cuisines intersect in a harmonious culinary collaboration.  It’s tough to picture, I know, but Matilda Tusc-Mex Restaurant, a funky East Village resto (on 11th St btwn Aves B/C) pulls it off beautifully.

While this sexy, modern spot that proudly blasts 80s/90 dance-anthems would make an awesome weekend night out, Tuesday night is where it’s at for the ladies.  The Ladies Night special includes not only 1/2 off all the specialty cocktails, but a FREE glass of wine (red or white) with your meal.  Sooo we started with Prosojitos (Prosecco + Mojito = AMAZING)… I got the original mint/lime and my dinner date Marissa had the fresh strawberry – it was only $5.50 (normally $11) for a big, delicious, muddled cocktail.  Awesome deal, in my book – they are so refreshingly wonderous (I recommend asking for less sugar, if you’re sensitive to sweets or looking to shave calories).

Eat a Lotta Burrata!

As an appetizer, we had the Burrata con Pomodorino which was a creamy mozz-ish cheese served with fresh made tortilla chips and brick-oven roasted cherry tomatoes.  So good, especially eaten with the complimentary basket of bread that was dense and had a cake-like consistency.

Next up, I cleansed my palate with the FREE glass of white wine (was actually quite good) and the Ruccola con Ananas e Ricotta Salada which is a mouthful to say, but is a very simple arugala salad with yummy chunks of ricotta cheese tossed in with pineapple and avocado.

Tortilla Pizza!

The main event was the tortilla pizza – you can make it with any of the toppings listed, but we went with our server’s suggestion and got tomato sauce, spicy veggies (OMG, so firey hot, SO freakin good!!!), mozzarella, and avocado.   It was the epitome of collaboration between Tuscan and Mexican dishes and was a fiesta in my mouth!

With a party-like atmosphere and awesome Tusc-Mex collabs that shame the average Tex-Mex dish, Matilda is fusion done right.  Plus there’s no arguing with a good price tag – with the ladies night special (go on TUESDAY girls) our bill was only $50 bucks.  I want to go back for more – who’s coming with me?!

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Sunday Supper @ Supper

29 Nov

Sunday Supper!

Sundays have long been claimed by the brunch gods (we all know I’m a big fan of that), but this Sunday I decided to change it up and do my dining later on in the day.  It only seemed right that my Sunday Supper resto of choice would be Supper Italian Restaurant.

Supper is an under-the-radar gem in the East Village (2nd St btwn Aves A & B).  The resto is usually busy but they own the space next door and made it into a sexy bar/lounge for the hungry dining masses to grab a pre-dinner drink while waiting.  Miss Taylor and I ate our Sunday Supper at 6:30pm and had no trouble getting a table – we had our choice of sitting at the bar which overlooks the kitchen or the communal dining table – both very cool options, but we opted for the communal table.

We got the beet!

To start, we had the Roasted Beet Salad with Robiola cheese (which is somewhere between mozzarella and goat)… it was simple, but a great, lighter appetizer to share.  With the appetizer, they brought out the complimentary bread which is crusty and warm and coupled with spicy white beans in olive oil that were absolutely awesome.

Pasta Mouthgasm

Next up, we split 2 different pastas that were both happiness in every bite.  The Spinach Gnocchi alla Aglio d’Orato was by far the BEST gnocchi I’ve EVER had.  Sadly, it was only a daily special, but fear not – there’s some sort of gnocchi on the menu daily – TRY IT.  Our other dish was on the regular dinner menu but was anything but regular – it’s called “The Timely Priest Stranglers”.  The pasta was a hybrid of spaghetti and ziti swimming in homemade marinara and was perfectly complimented with a dollop of ridiculously fresh ricotta on top.  All this and a few glasses of wine clocked in at about $75 bucks, not too shabby!

Supper is really all about the dining experience, from grabbing a glass of wine at the swanky lounge next door while you wait, to the mouth-gasmic pastas they’re knocking out daily.  If you’re looking to go to out for a gourmet Italian dinner that will impress your foodie friends without making a crazy dent on your wallets, look no further than Supper!

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Gobble Up: Thanksgiving Week Suggestos

23 Nov

Are you spending the long holiday weekend in NYC?  If so, and you spend the rest of the year here, then you already know you’re best off avoiding midtown and any other bed bug tourist traps (Macy’s Day Parade, anyone?).  As for my downtown weekend “to-dos”…

What I would recommend above all else is to head to Union Square.  Stop at the holiday market that’s built right in the park square itself – they have awesome gifts and some great seasonal eats too.  While you’re down there, you may want to look into some of the great prepared sides and dishes at Whole Foods – esp if you’re cooking for Thanksgiving.  Most importantly, though – stock up on your favorite variety of 2 buck chuck (it’s $2.99/bottle) @ Trader Joes Wine Shop – they have a new Red Blend that sounds just right for the weather!

If you’re going out to eat, a great east village resto doing the work for ya is Back Forty (Ave B/12th St) – their 3 course prix fixe is only $50 and includes options for meat lovers, pesky-tarians and veggie fiends alike.  Make sure to make a reservation (212.388.1990); they’re doing seatings from 2 till 8pm.

As for the rest of the weekend, hit up some brunch spots you’ve always wanted to try.  This may be your weekend to check out Penelope, or get your boozy brunch on – my favorites are Diablo Royale, Philip Marie, and Essex (fear not – review to come soon).

Finally, if you’re looking to brighten your holiday at the expense of others, look no further than the Sticky-Note Confessions of Awkward Thanksgiving Moments – click here

Whatever you decide to get into, enjoy!  I’ll be back with more recommendations before you can figure out why your pants won’t fit…

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My Mimosa Runneth Ova: Philip Marie

22 Nov

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood!

***UPDATED 2/5: For a classy, delicious restaurant like Philip Marie, the place is so good that people are going to go, deal or no deal.  So what amazes me is that every weekend this West Village resto still opens their doors to the hungry (and hung-over) masses for an all you can drink (AYCD) brunch that’s $24.95.

A few things to note… there’s usually a mob of people outside – but don’t let that scare you off, they seem to have a quick turn over time so you won’t wait too long. It was so nice out that we ate outside and had no wait at all!  As for the drink specials, they say Saturdays are AYCD Mimosas and Sundays are AYCD Bloody Marys but I saw them coming around to tables with pitchers of both, so I’m thinking there are exceptions to the rule.  Also, do not underestimate the Mimosas – Jessica (my brunch date du jour) and I were skeptics because the mimosas were looking a little too orange for my taste, so I thought – ahh, weak drinks – that’s gotta be the catch, right? WRONG!  I’m 97% sure they’re lacing those babies with champagne AND vodka.  They are STRONG and I’m a weekend brunch warrior – don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Fill me up, Scottie!

I had the veggie lover’s omelet which was fluffy and covered with cheesy cheddar goodness on top. They really know how to fill a plate – there was toast, the parmesan-dusted potatoes on the side were great, as well as the black bean salsa, plus I appreciated that they gave some fruit too.  Jessica had the 1/2 pound steak burger with a stack of huge waffle fries which looked just awesome.  She added cheese to her burger and said it was delish to the Nth degree. It was all really solid food (full menu here) which can sometimes get sacrificed with a great brunch deal.  Booyah.

If you try brunch and are looking for more Philip Marie face time, go for dinner!  The food is really great (I have dreams about the Grilled Beet Napoleon) and still affordable, especially if you go in armed with a Restaurant.com coupon (purchase here – as always, don’t buy it till there’s an 80% off sale, which there almost always is).

Philip Marie in the West Village (Hudson @ W 11th St) –  go for brunch, go for dinner – just GO!

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