Trust the Crust at Plum Pizzeria and Bar

I'm embarrassed to admit how rarely I go out to eat in the East Village. Given where I live and where I work, the East Village isn't the first neighborhood that pops into my head when I need to pick somewhere to meet up with friends for dinner. But after attending a press dinner at Plum Pizzeria and Bar, I realize just how short-sighted I've been.

Antique Store Find

One of my favorite weekend activities, aside from going to brunch, is browsing through the items on sale at my neighborhood antique store. If the store happens to have an abundance of kitchen items on display (they change what's on the floor pretty regularly), then I tend to linger a little longer. I love knowing that all of the pieces in the store have their own story, a history.

Wordless Wednesday: Before I Became a Foodie

But I don't like pasketti, Mom...

Mexico on My Mind at Maya New York

Last month, I attended a press dinner at Maya New York featuring dishes created by Chef Richard Sandoval that were designed to help the attendees celebrate Mexican gastronomy. Printed on the inside of our tasting menu were the words "Mexico: The Place You Thought You Knew," the slogan of a targeted ad campaign in the United States and Canada that was initiated by the dinner's sponsor, the Mexico Tourism Board, in order to inspire visitors from those countries to explore the cultural diversity within Mexico.

Leave the Cannoli at Le Figaro Cafe

What do you do after having dinner with friends in Greenwich Village? You settle the bill, bundle up, and take a stroll around the neighborhood until you decide where you want to have dessert, of course.

NYC Restaurant Week - Winter 2011

(Image courtesy of NYCGo.com)

Is anyone else as excited as I am about the start of NYC Restaurant Week next Monday?

Saying Buh-Bye at Boyd Thai

I know that with the start of a new year comes change, or the hope for change, but as January rapidly surges forward toward February, I'm realizing that a lot of this change means having to say goodbye to good friends. After living in New York City for as long as I have, I've come to understand its transient nature. The landscape changes in the blink of an eye, and people come and go even quicker. If you've managed to hit the five-year milestone as a New York resident, you might as well etch your name into stone under the heading "Lifer." Yet despite this, I somehow manage to take it for granted that my friends would always be close by. I tried not to sound too hurt or disappointed or jealous when they told me, one by one, that they were packing up and leaving New York behind, to go off and explore new opportunities or to truly begin building their lives as adults.

Idea for Valentine's Day: Wine and Chocolate Tasting

Now that Valentine's Day is less than a month away, my Inbox is absolutely cluttered with emails about the "perfect Valentine's Day gift" -- chocolates, wine, spa specials, romantic getaway vacations. Honestly, it's a little out of control. While I do have a sweetheart, we don't go crazy when it comes to finding the perfect Valentine's Day gift for one another. For us, the couple who has been enduring a long-distance relationship FOR-EV-ER, spending time together is truly the best gift.

A Feast of Seafood at The Waterfront Crabhouse

I've been living in Long Island City for over two years, and I'm embarrassed by how long it took me to eat at The Waterfront Crabhouse. Even though the restaurant is just steps away from the Water Taxi Beach, it's not located on my usual route to/from work or near any of the shops I frequent on the weekends. So, when I was extended an invitation to dine there for the purpose of writing a review, I accepted and invited my friend Kym out to join me for the fun.

Brunch at Il Bastardo

It's not every day that I get to spend exploring Manhattan with members of my family. Most of the time, visits with family involve me babysitting an overstuffed bag full of my dirty clothes on a train to Connecticut. (I've lugged a suitcase that weighs almost as much as I do to my father's house on multiple occasions in order to take full advantage of the free-to-me laundry facilities.) So, when my older brother agreed to come into New York, I immediately started researching brunch spots so I could share one of my favorite weekend activities with him.