Save the Date

Tribeca: Macao Trading Co. hosts Calamity Chang's “Drunken Dragon Night” on October 4 from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. The free event includes a Burlesque Cabaret show and an open bar until 11 p.m.


who's in....WE ARE!


-S&B

Battle for the Best...Food Truck

Finally our first food truck!!  August 24th was National Waffle Day and Wafels & Dinges gave free waffles away to those who drew a waffle or the truck, so we did it!  The waffle truck was delicious and such a great treat for a 4pm snack.  We got 3 since - 1) nutella, 2) banana w/nutella, 3) strawberry

Rating: 
Easy to find - 5 out 5 (they tweeted 52nd btw Lex & 3rd and they were there)
Options - 4 out 5 (2 standard types of waffles w/whole bunch of toppings)
Crew - 5 out 5 (super nice & funny & took our drawings seriously)
Food - 4 out 5 (yum!)
Rate of Return - 3 out 5 (high chance if we're craving a waffle)

-S&B

DBGB Kitchen & Bar

Food Network's show "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" recently featured DBGB as one of the best places in NYC for meat.  It was obvious that it was a place that we had to check out, so B rallied up Justinien & Schwartz, two meat lovers.

Daniel Boulud the mastermind behind DBGB was once a chef at Le Cirque and then moved to open his own place called Daniel in the UES, then opened Cafe Boulud and DB Bistro Moderne (it's obvious that Mr. Boulud loves his name).  The whole idea behind DBGB is that they make their own sausages in house; there are 13 different types listed on their menu.  I personally loved the decor inside: concrete floors & walls, see through kitchen, steel & more steel, it's very LES chic.

Here's what we ordered:

Starters:                                                                        

Chop-chop Salad w/romaine, avocado, carrots, watermelon, & ginger sesame dressing

Jim's Matzoh Ball Soup

Special for the night - Heirloom Tomato Salad

Entree:

Roasted Chicken Breast w/spring vegetable

DBGB Hot Dog w/sautéed onion, mustard, ketchup, 299 relish, & fries

Pan Roasted Atlantic Salmon w/baby leeks, house made gnocchi & arugela

Dessert:

Chocolate-Chocolate w/truffle, chocolate chip cookies, cocoa nib crunchies, caramel sauce & whipped cream

The review:

Personally I thought the heirloom tomato salad was the best thing I ordered.  The matzoh ball soup lacked salt and it just didn't taste like my grandmothers, however I did enjoy the parsley infused in the matzoh balls.  The DBGB hot dog was the only type of "sausage" I could order off the menu because everything else had pork, honestly I'll stick to Hebrew National.  It tasted like rubber and if it wasn't for the relish I don't think I would have finished it.  The chocolate dessert was beyond amazing and every bite had surprise to it.  One bite would be all ice cream then the next would be a cookie, & then crunchies...yum.  Schwartz roasted chicken fell off the bone & a must try if you venture there.  Justinien enjoyed his salmon but really enjoyed the homemade gnocchi.

DBGB Kitchen & Bar - great booths for groups, lot's of energy, LES feel

299 Bowery

New York, NY  10003

tel: 212.933.5300

NY Times Review - 2 stars

NY Mag - 1 star

-S&B

Corsino

Oh Corsino! B was so looking forward to dining here ever since she walked passed it one March afternoon. It looked like such a great place to eat & it's sister restaurant Inoteca is delicious. A few weeks ago she went to dinner with her girlfriends JC, JP, & KB...they all walked away disappointed.

To start we ordered a few crostinis: ricotta & orange honey, cannellini bean & artichokes, and olive tapenade. We also ordered a formaggi platter (pic to the left) with cow's milk ricotta, parmigiano reggiano & fontina val d'aosta.

Entrees:

Heritage Brisket Meatballs

Chicken Piccata w/cippolini & cauliflower

Linguini w/cockles, hot peppers & oregano

Tagliatelle w/lamb

The olive tapenade was very disappointing considering it tasted like anchovies, but the ricotta & orange honey is a must. The sweet honey with the cheese is the perfect mix. Our cheese platter wasn't disappointing...it's cheese, who doesn't love cheese! On the other hand the entrees weren't the best. B's meatballs were too salty, hard, too much pepper, they just weren't like Savanna's, sorry. JP's chicken piccata was actually delicious, order this if you go. Both the pasta dishes were too buttery and missing in flavor. KB reviewed it herself: "my dish was good the lamb was well cooked however, I felt the radicchio was an unnecessary accompaniment and didn't add anything to the dish but a bitter flavor."

Corsino - night outdoor seating, good wines & cheeses, not like it's sister restaurant Inoteca

-S&B

Battle for the Best...French Fries

Bill's Bar & Burger

Ratings:

Level of Crispness - 3 out of 5 (fried veggies, yum, not all of them are crispy since you can't really fry broccoli )

Oil Amount - 3 out of 5 (it's fried, let's not kid ourselves)

Flavor - 4 out of 5 (veggies add the flavor to each bite)

Salt Level - 2 out of 5 (you won't be needing a glass of water after each fry)

Presentation / Experience - 3 out of 5 (looks like how any normal burger joint would serve fries, nothing fancy)

Dips - served with ranch dip

Price - 1 out of 5..$4.95 totally worth it

They go great with a burger & a definite must.

-S&B

Battle for the Best...Treats

Baked by Melissa


Tiny cupcakes, slightly larger then a quarter equate to delicious bites.  


Rating:


Moist - 4 out of 5 (tastes like cake! hooray)

Flavor - 4 out of 5 (perfect amount of flavor for each cupcake; unique flavors like PB&J, tie-dye & smores)

Presentation / Experience - 4 out of 5 (loved the lil' box; larger orders come in pizza boxes)

Price - 3 out of 5 (3 cupcakes are $3, 6 cupcakes are $5.50)

Notes:
-They started to make flavor of the month - August - Sundae
-If you are in SoHo go to their walk-thru to order


-S&B

Fashion Week

Some shows to catch...

Michael Angel (show)

Friday September 10^th

12pm

Lincoln Center-The Studio (Enter Columbus Ave 63^rd Street)

CH by Carolina Herrera (new store opening)

Friday September 10^th

6-11pm

802 Madison Avenue

(Between 67^th and 68^th)

Preen (show)

Sunday September 12^th

11:30 am

Milk Studios

450 West 15^th street 2^nd Floor

Between 9^th and 10^th Ave

Erin Fetherston (show)

Sunday September 12^th

7pm

Milk Studios

450 West 15^th street 2^nd Floor

Between 9^th and 10^th Ave

Herchcovitch; Alexandre (show)

Monday September 13^th

5pm

Lincoln Center-The Studio

Dennis Basso (show)

Tuesday September 14th

3pm

Lincoln Center- The Stage

-S&B

Fashion Week

Fashion Week

So it begins...

Some of the best days in NYC are during Fashion Week.  The city vibe changes completely and everything is just amazing.  Follow us this week as we post our favorite designers, show times, parties, etc.

-S&B

Sharing Is Caring

Are you feeling the love today? 1 more...

75% off is bananas.

-S&B

Sharing Is Caring

Another we just had to share..

LivingSocial deal for $15 bucks you get $30 to spend at the delicious pastry shop. Buy it here.

-S&B

p.s. don't ever say we never spread the love <3

Sharing Is Caring

Book your table today!!

Our picks:

• BG - Bergdorf Goodman -  dessert off the regular menu
• a casa fox - mini chocolate empanadas with dulce de leche
• Cavatappo Grill - chocolate fondue with fresh fruit & almond cookies
• Michael Jordan's - MJ's 12 layer chocolate cake
• Philippe - red velvet cake
• full list click here.

-S&B

TURNTABLE TUESDAYS! PART DEUX

How could we forget to mention the Electric Zoo Festival this weekend?

2 days of amazing music located on Randall's Island, only a hop skip away, will feature some of the best DJ's in NYC/World minus David Guetta :-(

Axwell one of our favorites who is 1/3 of Swedish House Mafia will be performing on the 4th.  Listen to Axwell's new hit Nothing But Love

Other amazing artists, The Chemical Brothers, Chuckie, Major Lazer (Pon De Floor), Pretty Lights, ATB, Moby, etc etc.  Check out all the artists here.  Tickets are a little pricey, 2 days $157, 1 day $96 but it's the perfect way to end the summer, sadly.






We'll be there...will you?

-S&B

Barbuto

Barbuto located in the West Village is a great place to people watch and that's about it really.  Jonathan Waxman from Top Chef Masters disappointed our plates.  Located on the hot corner of Jane & Washington Street you would expect to have this delicious dinner that would blow your mind since Cafe Gitane is literally around the corner along with Standard Grill.  They have a good space with a huge outdoor seating, but keep in mind if it's hot out, they don't have A/C, so don't bring a date here unless it's 70 degrees!

Starters:

Insalata Caprese

Mussels

Entrees:

Pollo al Forno (roasted chicken) w/salsa verde

Spigola ai Ferri (black cod) w/endive, leeks, & mushrooms

Special of the Day - Red Snapper in tomato sauce

Patate (fingerling potatoes) w/calabrian & rosemary

Dessert:

Raspberry Gelato

Chocolate Sundae

B's Review:  I was excited to try a Top Chef Master's restaurant since they are "the best" in world, but was disappointed with a few things, first the A/C condition.  Mind you I love to people watch and I am known to stop a conversation just to watch someone cross the street or put a bike in their car, but on an August night having no A/C is not fun.  I love the garage feel look as it makes it a comfortable environment...perfect brunch location.  2nd disappointment was the amount of oil on the insalata caprese. The tomatoes & cheese on this salad were outstanding as we learned that the chefs go to the market everyday and pick out fresh ingredients that is why the menu changes everyday, but the salad was drenched in oil.  My chicken was outstanding since it was moist, but it lacked that kick, that flavor.  It was also HUGE; they actually served me a 1/2 chicken, so if you want to share a dish, this is the dish.  My girls ordered the fish plates and the black cod was amazing and buttery, the side salad...gross.  The red snapper was hardly touched since it was too sweet and the combination didn't go together.  Sadly I don't think I'll be venturing back there...sorry Mr. Waxman.

Barbuto

775 Washington Street

New York, NY 10014

tel: 212.924.9700

-S&B

We had to post this...

NYMag list of New Notable Places to be seen or try...will you be spotted at any of these locations?


Fulton Grand - 441 Grand Ave, Clinton Hill, BK 

Culture Fix - 9 Clinton Street, near Houston

Irish Exit Saloon- 978 Second Ave, near 52nd Street

no pic

Minor Arcana - 706 Washington Ave, Prospect Heights

Night of Joy - 667 Lorimer Street, Williamburg, BK

Theater bar - 114 Franklin Street, near West Broadway

Try them out and write a review for us, email us at SBRunThisCity@gmail.com

-S&B

Battle for the Best...French Fries

Bill's Bar & Burger

Ratings:

Level of Crispness - 4 out of 5 (classic American Fry)

Oil Amount - 2 out of 5 (crunchy, perfect)

Flavor - 4 out of 5 (classic American Fr)

Salt Level - 2 out of 5 (you won't be needing a glass of water after each fry)

Presentation / Experience - 3 out of 5 (looks like how any normal burger joint would serve fries, nothing fancy)

Dips - served naked

Price - 1 out of 5..$3.50 totally worth it

They go great with a burger & a definite must.

-S&B

Get Cultured!

If you are in Beverly Hills from September 22 to November 6 check out this amazing exhibition called Contraband.

Counterfeit BMW hood ornaments from China

A little bit about the artist and exhibition:


Taryn Simon lived in John F Kennedy International Airport from November 16 through November 20, 2009. JFK processes more international passengers than any other airport in the United States. Contrabandincludes photographs taken 24 hours a day of over 1000 items detained or seized from passengers and express mail entering the U.S. from abroad. Over five days, in both the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Federal Inspection Site and the U.S. Postal Service International Mail Facility, Simon documented items including counterfeit American Express travelers checks, overproof Jamaican rum, heroin, a dead hawk, an illegal Mexican passport, deer penis, purses made from endangered species, Cuban cigars, counterfeit Disney DVDs, khat, gold dust, GHB concealed as house cleaner, cow manure tooth powder, counterfeit Louis Vuitton bags, prohibited sausage, undeclared jewelry, steroids and an ostrich egg.

-S&B

Cask

Cask Bar+Kitchen recently opened on 33rd between Lexington & 3rd Avenue.  If you live around the neighborhood this is definitely the spot to call you "neighborhood bar."  They have a great bar scene for an after work crowd and an even better party room downstairs.  This is not your typical Murray Hill bar which is so refreshing!  The crowd looked to be 25+ and everyone was dressed well, no frat boy look...sorry.

Starters:

Frommage - White Cheddar, Gorgonzola, & Pepper Crushed Goat    

        

Dinner:

Wild Mushrooms Flatbread - Spinach, Fresh Mozzarella, Parmesan & Truffle Oil

Coriander Crusted Salmon - Crispy Potato Cake & Garlic Sauté Spinach

B's review: The food was great.  The cheese platter was presented very well and came with olives, grapes, jam, & crackers.  I would definitely order the frommage plate again without the gorgonzola cheese - just not a fan.  It's a great way to start the meal.  The mushroom flatbread was amazing! The fresh mozzarella & truffle oil made the dish.  The salmon was good, cooked perfectly & had lots of flavor.  The potato cake tasted like mashed potatoes that had been fried on top...yummy; the spinach = not a fan.  I would definitely go back there.  It was a great place to grab dinner.  It had a great scene, excellent service, & great food options.

Cask Bar+Kitchen
167 East 33rd Street
New York, NY 10016-4641
(212) 300-4924


P.S. they have a Country Style Brunch Saturday & Sunday with homemade muffins & breads, roast sirloin beef and whipped potatoes.


-S&B

Battle for the Best...French Fries

The Spotted Pig

Ratings:

Level of Crispness - 4 out of 5 (these shoe string fries hit the spot)

Oil Amount - 4 out of 5 (just look at the pic)

Flavor - 4 out of 5 (salty & a few garlic chips are thrown in there)

Salt Level - 3 out of 5 (water please)

Presentation / Experience - 2 out of 5 (there's nothing like getting a plate of overflowing fries )

Dips - served naked

Price - 4 out of 5..$7 bucks, it's a lot but look how many fries their are

Definite must if you are craving fries, especially if you are in the West Village & looking for a good bar scene.  Once you taste one you'll find yourself eating the whole plate...watch out!!

-S&B