Sunflower Seeds

First I would like to apologize for the extended hiatus!

Anyway, sometimes I feel paralyzed by all there is to do in NYC -- too many choices and too many obligations make decisions quite hard.  That was until my roommate Liz came across this Women's Wear Daily article on some not to miss NYC experiences going on this winter.  One event included is Ai Weiwei's Sunflower Seeds at Mary Boon's Chelsea Gallery.

On display are millions of hand-painted porcelain sunflower seeds, which add up to five tons!

Unbelievable, but this is only a small portion of the 100 tons displayed at the Tate Modern in London during the Fall of 2010.

Source: Purple.fr

Unfortunately, you only have a few more days to catch the exhibition (only running now through Saturday, February 4) -- so hurry!

Mary Boone Gallery
541 W 24th Street (map)
Tuesday - Friday: 10am – 6pm
Saturday: 10am – 6pm

Renegade Craft Fair

I honestly can not wait for this year's Renegade Craft Fair!  I attended the fair last in the summer of 2009 - I loved it so much I went two days in a row.

You might be thinking, "Not another street fair...," but goods sold here are definitely top-tier.  The fair will take place outside in McCarren Park and is free to attend.  Hundreds of artists (click here for a list of vendors) will sell handmade goods and artworks, each passionate and eager to answer questions about the pieces they have on display.  Last time, I purchased a handmade t-shirt, a tote for my mom, hand-printed coasters and earrings for a friend. 

In addition to browsing all of the inspiring crafts, you will also have the opportunity to participate in interactive workshops to make your own gift wrap, bags, accessories and more.

Although you can pick up some snacks from Hecho en Casa, Urban Rustic and Joyride's coffee bar at the fair you may want to walk over to Peter Pan Bakery for a doughnut to start your day.

Hopefully I will see you at the fair!

Renegade Craft Fair - Brooklyn
Date: June 11 and 12, 2011
Time: 11am - 7pm
Location: McCarren Park (map)

For more information visit the Fair's blog, Facebook and Twitter.

International Pillow Fight!!!

2011 International Pillow Fight Day in NYC!!!

Source: NYC<3NYC on Flickr.com

Date: Saturday, April 2, 2011
Time: 3:00pm
Location: Union Square, E. 14th St. & Broadway

Rules:

• Soft, feather-free pillows only!
• Swing lightly, many people will be swinging at once.
• Do not swing at people without pillows or with cameras.
• Remove glasses beforehand!
• Deposit pillows in donation boxes or take them with you.
• Pajamas welcome.

After the fight, pillows will be collected and donated to a no-kill animal shelter to make bedding for rescued dogs and cats.


An after party will be held - WHACK! @ Hiro Ballroom: Facebook / Reduced cover

Check out Pillow Fight Day 2011 to see where all the fights are taking place around the world.

Ease Your Pain

You know those Saturday nights when you don't have any plans?  I must say it is a pretty refreshing feeling.  The only problem with nothing planned, is choosing something from the about one zillion options outside of your doorstep in NYC.

Last Saturday night, my roommate Theresa and I found ourselves in just this situation and it was a perfect night - something necessary to take advantage of.  Theresa's friend Lauren had stopped by the bar Painkiller around 11:00pm on the Lower East Side, but said it was too crowded to get in.  Lucky for us, Theresa and I weren't even ready to go out until about 1:00am so we decided to take our chances (plus New York Magazine listed the Painkiller's Zombie as, the "Best Lethal Drink").

Source: nytimes.com

When we arrived on the quiet Essex Street block, we thought maybe we had written down the wrong address?  There was an unmarked bar with a door that read, "Tiki Bar," which turned out to be the right place.  Let me tell you, 1:00am might just be the perfect time to hit up this island themed oasis.  When entering, you are greeted by a superfriendly bouncer who could moonlight as Cee Lo Green and loves Charlie Sheen.  The bar was definitely not crowded, but it seemed most of the tables in the back were full of couples or good friends and the bar itself was just dotted with patrons.  Also, the bar is perfectly decorated to look like a classy tiki bar with its bamboo walls, masks and framed beach themed pictures.

We were a little overwhelmed by the amount of tropical sounding options on the drink menu, so we decided to just ask the bartender to ease our pain - aka bartender's choice.  What resulted were two colorful, beautifully crafted drinks ($12 each) - one made with vodka and one with rum, both topped with mountains of tiny ice cubes (think grown-up snow cones) and pipe-cleaner bird decorations.  I must say, we both could have handled something stronger, but the drinks sure were tasty!

I will definitely head back to Painkiller again sometime soon, especially next time I want to get a taste of the islands in both my drinks and my atmosphere.

Check out this video from Thrillist!

Painkiller
49 Essex Street (map)  
Hours:
Sun - Thu: 6:00pm - 2:00am
Fri - Sat: 6:00pm - 4:00am

A Beautiful Day Bite

Today is unseasonably warm in NYC - according to Weather.com it is currently 65 degrees! So, where is a great place to go just because it is nice outside?  One such establishment that quickly pops into my head is Gramercy's Bao Noodles.

The atmosphere at Bao, which specializes in traditionally Vietnamese cooking (something I actually never had before eating here) is extremely laid-back and relaxing.  Diners sit at huge wooden booths, and when the weather is pleasant (like today!) the entire front of the restaurant is opened, which definitely contributes to the calming experience of eating here.

Source: nymag.com

I first came to Bao because a friend was visiting from LA and felt like eating something healthy, yet satisfying.  We settled on the Vietnamese dish Pho.  At the time he made this decision we were wandering around Williamsburg and the one place we wanted to try wouldn't be open for another few hours, so we hopped on the L back into Manhattan and Bao appeared to be the closest place with Pho, so we decided to try it out. We were parched from all of our wandering and were immediately intrigued by the Sunday beer specials (something like $3 pints).  I opted out of Pho (the guys said theirs' were awesome) but decided on the Bún chả giò chay (vegetable spring rolls on rice vermicelli with lettuce, bean sprouts, fresh herbs and soy sauce) - let me tell you - I really felt fantastic and healthy after consuming this meal.  They also serve different Bánh mì sandwiches, seafoods, curries and appetizers.

Source: michele cat on flickr.com

If you haven't made plans yet for this beautiful night check out Bao for some great tasting (and feeling) food in a truly laid-back environment.

Bao Noodles
391 2nd Ave # 1 - at 23rd Street (map)
Hours:
Sun - Wed: 11:30am - 11:00pm
Thurs - Sat: 11:00am - 12:00am
*cash only

The Perfect Snack

One day, my friend Eitan and I decided to go on a marathon walk around the City - I am not really sure where we started and where we ended, but I know we covered most of lower Manhattan.  A little into the walk Eitan was hungry and looking for a snack; he wanted pizza maybe, but not a whole pie and couldn't think of a great place for a slice.  We weren't far from Sullivan Street, so I suggesting going to a place called Grandaisy Bakery, which turned out to be the perfect place to grab a snack (we actually ended up going to two of their locations throughout the day!). 

Grandaisy Soho is actually pretty close to my work, so sometimes I avoid walking that way during my lunch hour because it is just way too tempting to pass up.  They have a plethora of freshly baked breads (pick up one if you are making dinner or having a picnic), which they also use to create different pre-made panini.  However, definitely try some of their Roman-style pizza that is sold by rectangular slice - just like in Italy!  The sea salt, olive oil and rosemary Bianca slice ($1.50) is reminiscent of the sciachatta that I used to eat for a snack in Italy, but my favorite is the Bianca con pecorino ($2.25).  Another interesting one is the Potate ($3.25) - imagine pizza dough covered with paper-thin sliced potatoes, rosemary and olive oil.  The slices are served at room temperature in easy to carry pouches, but they will warm them up if you ask nicely.

Source: Yelp.com

Now onto the best part - the sweets!  My hands-down favorite thing from Grandaisy is their Cornmeal sweet bread ($3.00), which is dotted with blueberries during the spring/summer or raisins and pinenuts in the fall/winter.  Another great treat is their butter cookie with nutella filling ($2.00).

Source: Arancia Project on Flickr.com

It is a good thing Grandaisy has multiple locations - you never know when you might need the perfect snack!

Grandaisy Bakery
Locations:
Tribeca:
250 West Broadway (map)
Hours: Mon-Sat 7am-7pm and Sun 9am-5pm

Soho:
73 Sullivan Street (map)
Hours: Monday-Sat 7am-7pm and Sun 7am-5pm

Upper West Side:
176 West 72nd Street (map)
Hours: Every day 7am-8pm

Cave Dancing

Quite a few of my friends have asked me to suggest a place to go dancing.  It seems, many people just want to go out and dance but they do not want to deal with the lines and the pretentiousness of Meat Packing or Chelsea clubs.  I say - head down to the Lower East Side, and once you get there head way down into the depths of La Caverna.

I have been to La Caverna many many times for all different occasions - birthdays, girls night, but mostly to just dance.  Some interesting nights ended at La Caverna with my friend Jason, who unfortunately now lives in Singapore (Jason used to make La Carverna what seemed like a weekly routine).

Source: Yelp.com

Entering La Caverna mimics the experience of entering an actual cave (make sure to let everyone know where you are before entering because you can forget about cell service once inside).  After you walk down a very steep staircase you realize that the walls and ceiling have been molded to look like rock formations inside of a cave and honestly, I think they did a great job.  The other people at this bar usually have their party gear on and the DJ plays an awesome mix of music from the 80's to today.  One cool aspect is the bar is in the center of the space so everyone has to congregate in the middle to get drinks (no tap beers, just bottles).  Also, if you do not feel like dancing, there are plenty of couches surrounding the perimeter and they offer Hookah in a variety of flavors (many people are willing to share if you just plop down next to them for a break).

La Caverna
122 Rivington Street (map)
DJs from 11pm - 4am, never a cover

Just danced for 5 hours and now you are starving?  Jason and I used to feed those hunger pangs with wraps from The Three Monkey's, which is just around the corner (99 Rivington Street, open until 4am or later).