RED LEATHER TROUSERS

Anyone NOT want to rock red leather pants this winter???
http://www.loftinsoho.com/

Tattoo

I've been wanting a tattoo for quite a while, but never gotten round to it. Maybe I'm chicken shit, maybe I got an issue with commitment. But every year I've come a little closer to knowing what I want and where I want it. I've even picked the tattoo artist and parlour; Josh at East Side Ink http://www.eastsideinktattoo.com/

So, I had decided I wanted Lyrics. Music having influenced me, my personality, my mood, the people I actually like, the guys I date and the places I like to go to. But, whose music though is worth permanently marking your body for? Well, Dylan, Bob Dylan:

Who better than the greatest singer/songwriter of all time. What better lyrics than "Lay, Lady, Lay".

I was torn between, Pink Floyd's "We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl year after year", Joy Division's "Love will Tear us apart, Again" and Jim Morrision's "Light my fire". But Lay lady Lay is just so poetic,and will look great, under my pit, with a little side-boob, in handwriting style, like Dylan wrote  the lyrics on  my boob...  

Asia De Cuba

http://www.chinagrillmgt.com/restaurants-and-bars/asia-de-cuba-morgans
237 Madison Avenue (37th & 38th Strs)
212.726.7755

Asia De Cuba @ Morgans is our favourite little lunch/after work spot. Now, working in midtown, as horrid as Midtown is, we are actually spoiled for choice for lunch. Whether its breakfast,  brunch, lunch, after-work Hora Feliz, Asia De Cuba makes good on all levels. I had recently organised a going away lunch for a colleague (picture above) and it was the perfect venue to have a party of 16 sit together and enjoy good food and cocktails. 

Lets begin with what we, at the office, have come to deeply respect De Cuba for,  the Calamari salad. The portion is bloody ridiculous, its HUGE, and my trilby hat off to them . Lets face it, salads have become a bore,  however creative, by mid salad, after eating away at all the interesting parts; the juicy meats, fruits, nuts and cheeses, you'll be left with just greens, just a bowl full of greens. De Cuba manages to make each morsel of the salad tasty, and the portion, OY! Loving food as much as I do, certainly,  If there is one thing I dislike is pretentious little portions. Sure, sure, its as much as one SHOULD eat,  but I do not need to be patronised by restaurants by serving me tiny portions with big prices, screw you! If I Want to eat half the portion that's my prerogative, serve me a portion that a grown up can eat and should not remind me of my diet! I'm not Posh spice for goodness sake! I want an ample sized portion, one that can satisfy my sight as well as my belly. Well, that's my little hissy fit done with! Back to the topic at hand, Ah yes, the Calamari Salad  at Asia De Cuba satisfies both portion wise and taste, and, its above all its a salad, so diets still on, according to me.
Now, talking about huge portions, I'll skip to dessert, because the Coconut Cake's portion is actually beyond ridiculous; its The mount Etna of portions. Its heavenly, of course only if you love coconut, if you love Bounty; your taste buds will be in coconut heaven. A forewarning, this cake MUST  be shared, otherwise, the guilt you feel for devouring all of it will last for days, and beating yourself up at the gym isn't fair on your body, believe me, I learnt this the hard way. 

TUNE

MGMT

I loved them as soon as I heard "Kids". I even remember the day, I had the radio playing at work and the tune came on "de de de de deerede de de" (you know what I'm talking about) and I thought "WHO the hell IS this" I dropped the files I was filing, run to the radio saw 'MGMT' and youtubed, and then I saw the video, read the little story about the French president using it as his campaign song and not really paying them for it. THEN I heard "Electric Feel", I had officially fallen in love. Now, to be honest, the album "Congratulations" isn't up to par to "Oracular Spectacular", but how can it? The latter, is an album of some of the best tunes of this decade.

I just saw them 08.17.2010, alone, at Radio City Music Hall (picture above), eh, not my favourite venue for listening to a band, but, if you feel like you'd rather sit than not have your own space, and move around freely, then this is your sort of place.

MGMT, what a band.

Have a listen...

Schiller's Liquor Bar

http://www.schillersny.com/

131 Rivington Street (cross-streets Norfolk and Suffolk)
212-260-4555

Oh, McNally, How I love thee, let me count the ways, Schiller's, Pullino's, Balthazar, Pravda (though i heard through the grapevine that its being sold) and I am sure I will love thee for Minetta Tavern  and  Waverly Inn too (I just haven't the chance to go to either yet, I guess maybe they aren't places I can dine alone. I should suggest a boy take me there, but I always end up paying since I'm the invitee, so...SCHILLERS it is!). So let those hater's hate, but I love and  thank thee for Schillers, the cheaper counter part of all McNally's Resto-empires!

First things first, Pimm's Cup, the first thing I order, the ever refreshing drink and it's one of the few places to offer it, as well as Brinkley's (Soho), but that place is just confusing.

Schiller's offers a simple menu for a chilled night out with a lively, cool, yuppie crowd. Cute looking women, cute wait staff, and as you can see from the pictures above its a great place to go out with the girlies (where I celebrated my 29th birthday party)

ESPERANTO

http://www.esperantony.com/
Now, this place is one of my favourite hang outs in my neighbourhood. I usually start at Esperanto ( see picture above with my two girls Endi (blondie) and Nicki (hat), AVE C and 9 and just hop down to Arcane (review a-coming, Ave C btw 6 and 7) stumbling into a few other bars on the way (for e.g. Sunburnt cow, Summit, Porch). I also like to pay homage to the most beautiful trees on Ave C and 9,  I think they are weeping willow trees, however, after a couple of capirnha's or sangria's they are just magical trees straight out of a mythical story.

Okay, Esperanto doesn't offer food to salivate round the mouth for, but it does offer a great night out with very tasty appetizers and cocktails with live music. The Tapas Plata (picture above), the Calamari Salad, Ceviche de la Casa and the Crab en Banana Leaf, is a delightfully tasty and a colourful foray of food,  its light and vibrant, along with a glass of capirinha or a pitcher of sangria should set the night off perfectly and one can still feel light enough to pop, crawl, swagger along to the other bars of Loisaida.
I prefer to sit outside on the sidewalk during spring and summer. For one, you can watch the crazies  and drunks of Loisaida go by, and secondly, the magical, mythical trees are singing and dancing the night away along with you. Inside is also fun; the music is louder and more enjoyable, the action at the bar is alive and kicking and the decor with  its vibrant blue and green give that Latin, warm vibe. Its a fantastic little spot to come with friends and of course on a date. Actually, its perfect for a first date, the music and the crazies can fill those silences perfectly. Although, beware of  the aggressive drunks and homeless who are there to talk  or sing all the night long, best not to pay any attention to them, one poor couple had to learn the hard way. 

Say hello to the mythical trees of Loisaida. Read east village eats review of Esperanto, he's another local of the E.Vill who loves the food as much as I do

Pylos

www.pylosrestaurant.com/

128 East 7th Street(Btw Avenue A and First Avenue)

212 473.0220

Trust me when I say this, THIS is DAMN GOOD Greek Food. Now, I don't know if you know, but I'm Greek-Cypriot. So what I am about to write should not be taken with a pinch of sea salt. Nor do I usually start a conversation with "I'm Greek-Cypriot", but I really want you all to pay attention to me on this one.

First of all, PRIME location. A Greek Restaurant in the E.Vill? how great is that? The area and Greek fine dining don't really mix, but it actually makes it just that much more special.

I've come here on two occasions, two different dates. The first time I was seated at the front, where there is little space between you and the other dating patrons. If you like to keep what you are saying between  you and your date, do not sit here. I, had the unfortunate experience of going on a date with a "Kosmo Kramer" type of guy; loud, never stops talking, clumsy, might fall on the floor if surprised, makes loud noises if surprised, scares other patrons. At such close proximity, he spat on me on more than a few occasions, food too came over my way, I even heard the couple next to me giggling about us.  Fortunately, a few days ago, I sat at the bar at the back, far more pleasant dining/dating experience, but a more civilised date as well. 

Now, what does one order? Let me tell you exactly, I'm an appetizer sort a girl, and one should just go that route in a Greek Restaurant (the Meze way). These dishes, my dear readers are a must, Xoriatiki Salata (Village salad), Poikilia (three dips of Taramosalata, Tzatziki and Melitzansalata, Saganaki tou Merakli (a melted cheese dish), Halloumi (my nations cheese, it is served grilled with grapes, I'm not at all biased when I say, the cheese is ONE OF THE BLOODY BEST cheeses. Barbouni (Red Mullet), Sardelles (Sardines), Ktapothi Scharas(octopus). All this for two people (or three probably as I just eat enough for two) and two glasses of Moschofilero Wine, and it will set you back only about 88 bucks my friends, not bad eh??.

Now the Immaculate Infatuation guys  whom I adore, and I take all they say with more than pinch of sea salt, but more by the pound, in their review they gave Pylos a 7.6 . Fair enough, but I give them an 8.0, given that I have, (and I'm going to sound obnoxious and or arrogant right now, so I apologise), been to Greek restaurants in Greece, Cyprus, London and all of bloody Astoria (Zinon, Aliada) and the City (Ammos, Avra, Kellari) and its my preferred Greek Restaurant till now. (in NYC of course, not the whole wide world). Maybe the Immaculate boys didn't go the meze route? maybe THEY had a Kosmo Kramer type girl  dinner-date experience, Maybe they should have gone with me?? ;)