The Spotted Pig

After rating a few French fry places it was time eat some real food & what happened to be around the corner?  The Spotted Pig...yum!!  We settled for a burger with Roquefort cheese on top, it was delicious but towards the 3rd bite it became a little overwhelming.  

I would love to go back and try a few more of their dishes like their Pan Roasted Striped Bass with tomatoes & saffron, Fried Zucchini Blossoms with cherry tomatoes & basil and/or their Walnut, Chocolate & Amaretto cake for dessert.


It's a great place to grab a beer or wine with your friends & an excellent place to people watch.  Look out for their regular clients like Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Martin, Kate Hudson, SJP, & Jay-Z (he own's the building, btw)


The Spotted Pig
314 West 11th Street
New York, NY  10014
tel: 212.620.0393


-S&B

Try This!

Our friend Schwartz came over the other night and he kept blabbing about this amazing water bottle he just bought at Bloomingdale's.  After calming him down and listening to his spiel we checked it out and it's awesome!!!

I know you are asking what makes these water bottles so special, well:

• they purify water as you drink
• change the filter after 2 months or 40 gallons of H20
• the bottle is made out of recycled plastic
• to wash you just use hot water
• they come in cool colors
• they are $9.95

Honestly it's time to get off that paying for a bottle water...order online OR go to Bloomies!  Who knows maybe you'll start a trend...

-S&B

thanks Schwartz for the heads up on this awesome product!!!

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

Save the Date

Tonight Macao Trading Co. is having an open bar...HOOORAY!!! They host a monthly party called Drunken Dragon Night which starts at 9pm.  At 11pm a burlesque cabaret show begins hosted by Calamity Chang.

We'll be there...will you?


Macao Trading Co.
311 Church Street
New York, NY  10013
tel: 212.431.8642


-S&B

Save the Date

Tuesday, August 24th everyone better be here.

La Esquina

La Esquina is one of our favorite places to eat. Conveniently located in SoHo La Esquina offers 3 different locations the Taqueria, Cafe, and their secret downstairs location, the Brasserie.

They have so many delicious things at each location but the Brasserie offers the complete menu. Our favorite things are the sopa de tortilla, ceviche acapulco, tostadas contramar, taquitos de pollo rostizado & La Esquina mole negro. They recently acquired a new chef, Akhtar Nawab, and he's added more delicious fish options to the menu, like last night's special Sea Bass wrapped in banana leaf, yum! Sadly our favorite salad was taken off the menu, ensalada de nopales, which is a cactus salad w/jalapeños, onions & cotija cheese. He also fixed the dessert menu, THANK GOD!! He added a mouth watering pastel de chocolate - cafe de olla, it's a must have.

Overall it's a fun experience walking into the Taqueria & being greeted by a bouncer & doorman then walking downstairs in what feels like a storage unit. After walking down the stairs you give your name again to the hosts, walk through the kitchen and wala...the bar!

Spotted @ in the downstairs dungeon: Alicia Keys & John Mayer


Alicia Keys - Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart
John Mayer - Clarity

La Esquina - Must Try, NYC Hot Spot, Fun Experience walking into a the Taqueria.

106 Kenmare Street

New York, NY 10012

-S & B

Get Cultured!

The Daily Beast posted the 12 Coolest New Inventions, we had to share this with you since they are awesome.

Garden in a Box

"An energy-efficient fridge is one thing—a fridge-sized kitchen garden is an entirely different level of eco-consciousness. The Nano garden, designed by Hyundai Engineering & Construction in South Korea, is a garden that makes it possible to grow vegetables using hydroponics and artificial light sources, eliminating the need for pesticides or sunlight. The amount of light, water and nutrients can be monitored and controlled to determine the speed of plant growth. It also works as a natural air purifier."

-S&B

Philippe

"She's thinking Philippe, I'm thinking Wing Stop" Rick Ross (Ft. Gucci Mane) - MC Hammer

Okay no! We obviously prefer Philippe's chicken satay to Wing Stop's wings, sorry Rick Ross.  Philippe is one of our favorite places to dine in the city and Hamptons.  Mr. Chow's chicken satay is to die for, the creamy sauce loaded with calories, makes you want to down 5 of these delicious skewers.  Another must have are the chicken lettuce wraps, yummy.

What we enjoy:

B - Crispy Beef & Philippe's House Salad

Justinien - Chilean Sea Bass

Hamptons House - Crunchy Duck Salad, Vegetable Dumplings, Beijing Chicken, & House Me Mignon

Spotted @ Madison location: Shawn & Marlon Wayan and Jerome Bettis with crew

Spotted @ East Hampton: Chris Bosh

Philippe - Hot Spot, Must for the Hamptons, Group for Groups

33 East 60th Street

New York, NY  10022

East Hampton 

44 Three Mile Harbor Road

East Hampton, NY  11935

you'll be dreaming about Philippe's chicken satays; you're welcome

-S&B

*Hit - if you're in the East Hampton location pop into Lily Pond after for some dancing & house music

Thrillist Margarita Calendar

Who doesn't love a delicious margarita especially on a warm summer day?  Thrillist developed this awesome calendar with a bunch of amazing places that are participating in the month long fiesta.

Some of our favorite places to sip a margs are:

å Gonzalez Y Gonzalez

å Los Feliz - Every Monday from 5-10pm

å Revel - Sunday thru Friday from 5-7pm

å Toloache - Every Monday night

å Yuca Bar & Restaurant In. - Every Monday 1-8pm

*complete list click here!

Also sign up for Thrillist...it's awesome.

-S&B

Current Fashion Trend/Obsession

We spotted this trend last night & we liked it!

Is the evil eye making a comeback? The evil eye is supposed to protect those wearing it against ill-wishing, looks of jealously, and bad luck...yikes! Perhaps we should pick up one or two!

Many religions or countries have different means for the evil eye. In Judaism a "good eye" designates an attitude of good will & kindness towards others, someone who has this attitude wishes everyone well. An "evil eye" is someone who feels no joy and experiences distress when others prosper. In India a ritual called Aarti is performed to remove the evil eye spirit. In Islam to ward off the evil eye when a complement is given you say "Masha'Allah" which means "it is as God has willed."

Watch out for this trend. 

Barneys New York will be carrying this amazing bowls, vases, & candlesticks come the fall. Be sure to buy one or two.

Click here to read about the designers.

-S&B

Save the Date

It's Work-Out Time!

After 3 weeks of partying it was about time to cool down and work out. What a perfect opportunity to go spinning at SoulCycle which currently has 5 locations, UES, UWS, Tribeca, Bridgehampton, & Scarsdale. B tried the Tribeca location since Tribeca is fabulous! As soon as you enter SoulCycle you are greeted by a few lovely people who are all in shape...jealous!

After you sign in you get your spinning shoes and are given instructions for the lockers and locker room. The lockers are located in the hallway and bathroom is way down the other side. As B went to the restroom to change she heard the 6:30pm class cycling away to the most amazing music. The teacher was yelling, singing, & encouraging everyone to hold on. B was thinking this is going to be amazing & scary at the same time.

7:30pm...she stepped into the room which was dark and lite by 4 huge candles, no A/C. The instructor, Ayana, quickly came by to introduce herself and help B get her bike set up, she hopped on the bike....here we go!!! It started off slow in 1st position and then YIKES the music just started blaring and it was time to burn some fat. We did push-ups on the bike, then switched to up hill riding, 3rd position, up down up down, weights and then cool down. B was sweating = success!!!!

The atmosphere is amazing, the music gets you going, & everyone in your class will inspire you to keep going.

Spotted @ SoulCycle Bridgehampton - Chris Bosh

SoulCycle - a must, $$$$

Hint - Call for your first class it's only $20 and then jumps to $32, $36 in the Hamptons (not cool), $3 for shoe rental & $14 for socks

Tunes - Akon - Sexy Bitch, Kings of Leon - Sex on Fire, The Game - Higher

-S & B

Le Bain

Good morning everyone!! Let's start off the day with a lil' Kanye West, click to listen.

Alright let's get down to what happened last night since our twitter page was poppin' off.  B attended Cinema Society which was started by Andrew Saffir & Daniel Benedict.  Last night they did the premier party for the movie Twelve at the super hot Le Bain.  For those of you who don't know what La Bain is please read up on it! It's absolutely gorgeous up there and we swear that oxygen level is different, let's just say it oozes sex.

The attendees were gorgeous and included Mark Sanchez, Russell Simmons, Andre Balazs, 50 Cent, Chace Crawford, Michelle Trachtenberg, Blake Lively, Mickey Rourke, Ewan McGregor, among others.  It was definitely the place to be last night!

*Blake Lively looked stunning
*Russel Simmons had a new arm candy, per usual she was young, tall & tiny
*Michelle T was taking super cute pics with 50 Cent while enjoying the view

Check out pics from last night!

Le Bain - one word: fabulous

Day&Night Party - East Hampton

A summer must...Day&Night Party @ East Hampton Point. Derek and Daniel Koch, the twins, moved their famous day party to the Hamptons for the summer. It's the hottest spot to party during the day.

Everyone in attendance is hot and ready to party. It starts off as a normal brunch place overlooking the water. Everyone is eating their salads, oysters, eggs, etc etc. 3pm comes around and it's a whole different story. The music starts pumping, rose' starts flowing, and champagne bottles are popped.

This past weekend was so much fun. It was Celebrity blogger Micah Jesse and our friend Dani's birthday. We arrived at 4pm after getting lost, ooops! As soon as we walked in the door, W was greeted by DJ Cassidy & Micah who quickly started jumping up & down and blowing his whistle. We gravitated towards Dani's table where we were poured rose' out of a 3/4 empty magnum. After 3 glasses, B accidentally knocked a glass of rose' all over herself, oh well...patron swig right out of the bottle was required to forget about her damp dress. Next...champagne for everyone at the party!!! We sipped on champagne & watched the other tables get crazy. As Stereo Love & Memories were played more champagne was popped and everyone started to dance like crazy. Our friend Dani ordered Cristal to end our brunch party...yum! It was the perfect way to start the day!!!

Definitely recommend going to Day&Night if you're in the Hamptons. Make reservations and get ready to have a blast. GiltCity currently has a kick ass deal, check it out. Read this article if you're still not sure how fun this spot is.

Spotted: Celebrity blogger Micah Jesse and DJ Cassidy

-S&B

NYC Restaurant Week - July 12th - 25th

B finally had the chance to experience restaurant week. She made the trip down the financial district to the uber famous Delmonico's. A little history about this restaurant, it opened in 1837 as America's first fine dining restaurant and it is the birth place of Delmonico Steak, Delmonico Potatoes, Eggs Benedict, Lobster Newburg, & Baked Alaska dessert. The menu was off the hook and definitely worth $35.

Starters:

-Grilled Asparagus & Frisee Salad w/summer citrus fruit, poached egg, black truffle vinaigrette

-Chilled Sweet Pea & Roasted Corn Soup

-Torchio Pasta w/broccoli rabe, roasted tomato, red chili & aged pecorino

-Seared Sea Scallop w/corn pudding, ham & basil

-1867 Lobster Newberg w/brandy, cream & caviar (additional $10)

Entrees:

-Delmonico Steak Frites w/butter & twice fried french fries

-Classic Chicken a la Keene w/butter noodles

-Pan Roasted Cod w/crisped tomato leek fondue, capers, black olives & spaghetti squash

-Filet Mignon w/vegetables

-Delmonico Steak w/potato hash & brussel sprouts (additional $15)

-1867 Lobswer Newberg (additional $20)

Dessert:

-Meyer Lemon Tart w/pine nut brittle & lemon curd

-Chocolate Mousse w/salted caramel creme fraiche

-Classic Baked Alaska w/walnut cake, apricot jam, banana gelato & meringue (additional $5)

Wine:

$28 bottle or $9 glass - White wine from Chile or Red from Argentina

Review: I had the grilled asparagus salad...delicious. The dressing was the key to this dish. KL & I ordered the filet Mignon and it was cooked to perfection. The potatoes below the filet add a heavenly taste to the dish. NW had the cod, yum! The fish dissolved once your fork hit it, the only side note is that the fish is covered in butter, obviously that's what makes it so delicious. For dessert we each ordered something different and shared. I personally enjoyed the banana gelato & meringue from the Classic Baked Alaska, I could have done without the walnut cake & jam. The chocolate mousse was surprising. It tasted like a peanut butter cup and each bite included a crunch. The lemon tart was good if you are into the citrus desserts. The environment was very old school and you could smell the hedge fund and investment bankers in the air.

Delmonico's - NYC Must, Bankers, Old School Feel

56 Beaver Street

New York, NY 10004

tel: 212.509.1144

-S&B

Blue Hill at Stone Barns

Blue Hill is spectacular!! There are currently two locations Greenwich Village & Tarrytown, NY. All the produce is brought in from surrounding farms & their farm.

The Greenwich Village location allows you to choose from a menu of wonderful things like Wild Striped Bass w/string beans, currants, curry & pine nuts and This Morning's Farm Egg w/fava beans, dandelion greens, pancetta, & almonds.

Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Tarrytown is completely different. You are given the option between 8 course tasting menu or 5 course tasting menu. The waiter describes the menu as be up to the chef and really your dislikes and likes, aka if you do not eat pork none of the dishes will have pork. Each dish will wake up your palate and hit you with flavors you've never eaten before. We were served fresh veggies on a stick, mini-pea burgers, zucchini fried w/sesame seeds, summer vegetable salad, wild striped bass w/artichoke dressing, potato & ricotta gnocchi, homemade bread w/butter and vegetable salt, grass fed beef, strawberry chilled soup w/sorbet, and....honeycombs w/chocolate covered almonds. It was truly a culinary experience and an experience that can not be written about. You have to enjoy it for yourself.

We almost forgot to mention how romantic this place is. Imagine pulling up to this gorgeous brick farm at night surrounded by candle light and bright stars in the sky! The bar has this old school feel yet modern at the same time. Also, the staff knows their stuff! They know the produce, what's in season, the right wines, and they listen to your dietary constraints, they also order your car once your meal is over! How amazing!?!?

Blue Hill at Stone Barns - Must go, Foodies will enjoy, long long dinner, $$$$, go early and walk the farm

630 Bedford Road

Pocantico Hills, NY 10591

tel: 914.366.9600

Blue Hill Greenwich Village

75 Washington Place

New York, NY 10011

tel: 212.539.1776

Book reservations at www.opentable.com

-S & B

Save the Date - Alanna Bess Jewerly on Gilt Groupe

We love her stuff! Be sure to check out Gilt Groupe at 12pm Friday, July 23rd.

She makes the most amazing cuffs, necklaces, rings, & bracelets. Check it out!

-S&B

Buy With Me!

A new group power buying company! We love these since they offer everything on the CHEAP!

Check out their deal for today - Bubble Lounge - $25 for $50. mmm Champagne!! This ends in two days - hurry!

Here is your personal referral & sign up!

Now the question is, who wants to buy this and take us out?!

- S&B

Try This!

Okay people let's help save the environment. Currently we rock these hot canteens to work...why wouldn't we? Here's a few reasons why you should make the switch:

1) you'll feel awesome saving the environment

2) you won't have to get up from your desk every 20 minutes to refill your cup - this is not exercise

3) you won't be blamed for contributing to that massive landfill in the middle of the ocean

and

4) they come in cool colors!

Where to buy them? Whole Foods, Klean Kanteen, grocery store

-S&B

NYC Restaurant Week - July 12th - 25th

One of our girls tried hot spot Shang for restaurant week, she wrote this kick ass review. We hope you enjoy!

A little snip-it about BK - She's a nut about restaurant week and usually goes to 3 or 4 restaurants per season and make this nasty (in a good way) Excel spreadsheet that evaluates the menu, regular price of the restaurant, whether they usually have prefix menu, and if it's generally worth it. For example, $35 for a menu full of pasta = not worth it.

Being a huge Top Chef fan, honestly who isn't a Top Chef fan, she was hoping Shang was on there and it was! Susur Lee was a finalist on Top Chef Master. She went with her fabulous roommate & foodie friend. The menu was the following:

Starters:

Salt & Pepper Calamari w/habanero chili dip

Vegetable Spring Roll

Singapore Slaw w/salted plum dressing

Entree:

Top Chef Chicken

Marinated Skirt Steak

Cantonese Wok Fried Pearl Noodles

Sushi Plate (5pcs)

Dessert:

Mango Panna Cotta w/double dark chocolate mousee

Asian Pear

BK's opinion:

The Venue: Very chic. They have beautiful, huge golden lanterns when you walk in. It's a great place to grab a drink by the bar and then order food, which is served family style. There is a terrace outside which is an awesome feature and a great place to catch some fresh air.

The Food: To start, my roommate and I both ordered the slaw, our friend, J, ordered the spring rolls. I know this sounds kind of unimpressive, but I do have to rave about the slaw. The slaw had 19 different ingredients in it and was such an interesting combination of flavors - especially the ginger and some sort of flower petals that complimented the plum sauce nicely. The presentation of it was also beautiful, as it almost looked like a bird's nest full of different ingredients.

For the second course, I ordered the Top Chef chicken (I remember when he made it, it looked so good), while the other 2 ordered the skirt steak. Both had a kick to them and were great, but I think I made the better choice with the chicken. The chicken was complimented by a mint puree (and I usually hate mint, but it was oddly sweet) and curry, and had candied cashews over it with a light sauce. This was definitely the right choice. The flavors went so well together and it was a totally different take on chicken than you normally see. Susur did not disappoint.

Last was dessert. It was tasty, but it is everything you would expect from the description. I have a huge sweet tooth and I found it to be too sweet for my liking, so take what you will from that.

Shang - great food, great atmosphere

-S&B

p.s. thanks BK for the fabulous review!