The B-List: Lincoln Ristorante

Matt did well last Saturday.  He surprised me by treating me to perfect evening at Lincoln Ristorante for Valentines Day per my special requests in "Intro" and "We Eat."  I was not expecting it at all, since we had been lounging most of the day when Matt casually suggested we go out for dinner.  I heartily agreed, not suspecting a thing until I saw him unpack his fancy pants and collared shirt, and take out the ironing board.  Still, I didn't think it was for any special reason.  Little did I know, this was the very night we would celebrate the day 'o Love, and we would be doing so at the recent object of my appetite's desire: Lincoln.

Pre-Lincoln

We entered Lincoln from the lower level entrance on 65th Street between Columbus and 10th Avenues (the alternate entrance is on the main/upper level in the interior of Lincoln Center).  We walked into a small foyer with nothing but a stairwell and an abandoned host's podium.  We weren't quite sure we were in the right place until we heard a high-pitched "Welcome! Do you have a reservation?" from the coat check room hidden off to our right. We didn't initially see the woman, so we were caught of guard and began laughing in surprise. She laughed with us, making us feel at once comfortable in this fancy establishment.  

We checked our coats and received a second greeting from another hostess who mysteriously appeared, and escorted us up a beautiful stairway (how can a stairway be beautiful, you ask? It had sparkly tiles which caught my eye -- I'm a sucker for sparkles). The stairway brought us into the main dining room where we were greeted again by three different hosts and led to our table.  Lincoln certainly does not skimp on attentive service.

The dining room was beautiful: dark wooden beams ran the full length of the high ceilings, and seamless glass panes enclosed the perimeter of the restaurant, granting us a clear view of Lincoln Center.  Dim lighting kept the room romantic, yet laughter and conversation at most tables made for an inviting atmosphere.  Immediately we noted the impeccable service: the staff staff were quiet and nonintrusive, yet knowledgeable, courteous and attentive.  

As for the main attraction, the food was delectable.  We began with bread service followed by mini bruschetta topped with herbed goat cheese, compliments of the chef. To drink we ordered from the Prosecco Bar. I chose Prosseco with peach puree and a strawberry liquor.  Matt picked a lime puree with a ginger liquor.  Tasty and bubbly, and lasted us through the entire meal.

For the appetizer, we chose the procsiutto di san daniele e focaccette: sliced prosciutto with cheese fritters and pepper relish.  The salty meat mixed with the cheese fritters (crispy on the outside, melty on the inside) was unbelievable (my mouth is watering now thinking about it). I've always loved prosciutto in red sauce, but only had it as an appetizer for the first time at Macelleria, an Italian steakhouse in the Meatpacking District where it was delicious.  Here at Lincoln, it also did not disappoint.

The main course for me was the capesante e biroldo: diver scallops with blood sausage, lentils and braised celery.  The scallops were so tender and almost buttery.  Matt ordered a pasta dish with lobster, mezzi rigatoni all'astice.  I liked mine better.

Although we were pleasantly full from the first two courses, we couldn't pass up a sweet treat so we ordered for dessert the affogoto -- gelato with espresso poured over it, paired with a zeppole.  Simply amazing.  

To top off the night, Raquel Welch was seated just two tables over from us.  Hearing her tell her eager table of listeners a few stories was quite entertaining and gave the restaurant a unique energy.  I particularly enjoyed watching the server attempt to politely interrupt Raquel to take her order.  He ended up waiting several minutes unnoticed. 

Tasting such delicious cuisine made me even more excited to one day dine at Per Se, since Jonathan Benno, the Chef of Lincoln, previously served as the Chef de Cuisine of Per Se. But until then, I have Lincoln in my mind:  Delicious meal, beautiful atmosphere and wonderful company. Thank you, Matt!

Choffy Date!

We did it! Today I received my free sample of Choffy thanks to a local distributor (that's the link to her particular Choffy site... so if you're going to order, be sure to order from that one:).  (See my original post for more info about my quest for Choffy)

Not only did I receive a 12 ounce bag of the Ivory Coast premium ground Choffy, the distributor also sent me a complimentary beautiful French press AND an amazing mug! Excited to try the new beverage and the press and mug, this morning I made Choffy for all of the roommates.  The opinion was unanimous: delicious! 

When I opened the bag of Choffy, the aroma of chocolate immediately hit me.  I brought it around to all the roomies for a whiff.  They all more than approved and became just as eager as I to taste the brew. I prepared the Choffy by pouring near-boiling water over the Choffy grounds in the French press (don't fret: if you don't have a French press, you can prepare in it a coffee maker as well). We let it steep for about 5 minutes before plunging down the press and pouring the cups. I added a splenda and some half and half to each cup.  

The Choffy was beyond my expectations. It tasted like a dark hot chocolate or mousse.  Knowing that it didn't contain sugar or chemicals made me feel like I was doing my body a mitzvah by drinking it. 

In short, I recommend Choffy to all! I will definitely be purchasing a few more bags to have in stock as well as for gifts.  Any chocolate or coffee lover (or both) is bound to enjoy it.  Go ahead and see for yourself! (or at least go 'like' them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter:      http://www.facebook.com/drinkchoffy;  Local Choffy Distributor on Twitter; Choffy on Twitter).

Thanks Choffy....You have made a loyal customer out of me! Now I'm going to go have myself another Choffy date :)

My gifts from Choffy! 

LINSANITY!

Last night I took Matt to the Knicks game for his V-day gift. I have to admit I got a little caught up in the Jeremy Lin-mania even though I'm not much of a sports fan (not one at all really).  But I got so inspired by the Asian Sensation that I even learned a new basketball phrase: alley oop. From Matt's explanation (and some post-game googling) I understand it to mean when someone throws the ball up close to the hoop, and another player jumps for it and dunks.  Am I right or am I right (or am I right?)? Lin and Stoudemire did it a couple times last night much to my liking.

Not as much to my liking, though, as were the Knicks City Dancers. I was really confused why people didn't clap for them more. I guess they just don't appreciate their skillz as much as I do. Speaking of words that shouldn't have a 'z' at the end...

Knicks City Dancers 

During the time outs they hosted a kids talent contest called Kidz Bop. I mean, really? Do we really need the unnecessary Z (ignore the fact that I used it above).  Anythewho.... 3 young girls between 12 and 14 years old demonstrated their musical talents. Two sang and 1 played piano. The pianist was phenoms; the singers, not so much. Too bad Mary J. Blige was in the audience.... they may have just ruined their potential future singing careers :( Whomp.

In other celeb news.... Al Gore and Whoopi Goldberg were also in the audience.  Too far from us, sadly, but the celeb-presence was one of the highlights of the night for me.  The other was the crowd of fans across the floor from us holding up sticks with huge Lin faces on them. They waved these around to distract the opponent (Sacramento Kings). For some reason I got such a kick out of this :) Gave me the giggs (giggles).

Lins on a stick

Hmm - what else? I think Matt was happy and surprised with the game (he didn't know about it ahead of time). Twas a good night overall. Enjoy some pics, and prepare yourself for some more Lin-teresting posts this weekend, particularly a B-list post about Lincoln Restaurant (quite appropriate in name, wouldn't you say? LINcoln).  Anyway, that is all. Good night all!

Besties and loves xoxo

We Fall in LOVE.

In honor of Valentines Day, this post documents my story of LOVE in the City. It's dedicated to my sweet Angel, Matt, who is my heart. (play song while reading: love song)

July 14, 2008, 11pm - "I know [love] is something I've always wanted, but I feel like it's for different reasons lately. Now I desire strength and protection. I think living on my own and having to be an adult makes me crave that. I just watched "Why Did I Get Married" and there's a scene where the wife and her husband are talking about their son who just died. The wife is blaming herself and crying because she's not strong enough to handle it. Her husband just holds her and says, "You don't have to be strong on your own - let me be strong for you." I want that."

December 29, 2008, 10:20pm - "Tomorrow I'm going to find a counselor to talk to. Not just about my parents but also about my belief in relationships. I want a loving relationship, but I don't know exactly what it would look like.  What's the purpose of commitment? At what point do you value the commitment over personal needs? What does a good dating relationship look like? What does a good marriage look like? What's the purpose of marriage?"

Dedicated my 2009 journal to love - front page reads "2009 - Year of Love" in a big heart :) It worked...

January 1, 2009, 11:26am - "This year i want to be even more open and unafraid of taking risks. I want to love and be loved like crazy. But not crazy. Always be true to myself."

January 31, 2009  8:26am - "I am ready for pure, beautiful, healthy, honest love. I am worthy of the best, healthiest, most quality kind of love and man."

March 29, 2009, 11:48pm - "I will go on a date soon with a cute single guy. I will get hugs and loves because that's what I want. Someone who is good, safe, kind, handsome.  We'll have good talks, go for coffee, dinner dates, and snuggle."

March 12, 2009, 10:08pm - "From a Coldplay song... 'My song is love, love unknown. And I'm on fire for you, clearly.'  I feel like it's close..."

March 26, 2009, 10:18am - "I really like Lynn [my cousin] and Brandon together. It gives me hope for a good relationship. They look like they enjoy and love and like each other. She is so comfortable with him and they are friends. There's no clinging, but true enjoyment of the other person. He's helpful and attentive to her, speaks gently and encouraging, and stares and smiles at her."

And then I met my own Love, Matt, on August 27, 2009....

The night we met <3

September 2, 2009, 7:20am - "I've had two dates with Matt D. I'm really looking forward to Saturday.. not sure what we'll be doing but hopefully will be nice. He's sweet, adorable and I like him."

October 4, 2009, 12:43pm - "Matt and I went out to get pizza, which we ate down by the water until it started to rain. Then on the way home, he held the box over my head in the rain the whole walk until we came upon a homeless man. Matt gave him the last slice. :)"

November 18, 2009, 12:10am - "Sunday night Gilburt [my kitty] had a bad accident and Matt was awesome.  He made the situation light-hearted yet helped come up with the solution. Seems silly but was actually amazing. That amped up how much I value and care for him. I may have decided I love him."

May you all feel the same love.  Happy Valentines Day.

Turn me ON

No this is not a dirty post! Just a lure to get you to click and watch Matt Ferguson's awesome video remix of David Guetta's "Turn me On"... love it!!

Video link:  TURN ME ON by Mattstache

Choffy

I know, I know. You probably think I can't spell coffee. Or that I'm making up another word (as per we abbreve).  Not the case, my friends (although I do appreciate the punny nature of this product's name)!

Choffy is a brewed chocolate beverage I read about last night in Natural Health magazine.  This chocolatey brew consists of premium cocoa beans, roasted and ground to perfection! It's brewed just like coffee, only it doesn't contain the crazy caffeine levels of coffee, yet it supposedly has the same flavor of a rich hot chocolate. Choffy is also chock full of antioxidants (even more than blueberries!.. these help to detox the body), and helps improve blood circulation.   

The skinny: Calorie free? Not quite, but close -- each serving contains about 20 calories.  Not too shabby! The price point: A 12-ounce bag ranges from $15 to $19.95.

I haven't tried Choffy yet, but I'm hoping to win a free sample via Twitter (they haven't yet responded to my plea).  Won't you join me in convincing Choffy to send me a sample by following them on Twitter? @choffy.  You can also 'like' them on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/drinkchoffy?sk=wall

I'll be sure to follow up and let you know how this Choffy truly is once I try it. Who knows, I may end up giving up coffee yet :)

We ABBREVE! (and make up words)

Glossary of abbreviations and made-up words/phrases commonly used by me (some are not originals so don't get all high-horsey on me). This will surely aid your reading of past and future blogs:







Abbreve - abbreviation, to abbreviate

Supes - super

Jelly bean/jelz - jealous (ie, "I'm a jelly bean!" or "I'm so jelzzzz!")

Sauce - suffix for any adjective (i.e., 'awesome-sauce!' or "supes sauce!" for a double abbreve).. this has died out over the years but has remained a fave.  Speaking of which...

Fave - favorite

The Gags - Lady Gaga

The Biebs - Justin Bieber

Celebs - celebrities (derrr!)

The Fames - famous people

Sorrs - Sorry

Kundalini - dormant potential force laying at the base of the spine (I used to say this to myself while waiting for the subway in hopes that the doors would open directly in front of me... and if the doors open right in front of me, in my head I would yell "Kundalini!")

Birtch/Birtcheenie - b*itch (this is a classic used for females only)

Dirk - d*ck plus jerk plus birtch (male version of a birtch)

Demon Ferosh - ferocious demon; birtch

Probs not but defs poss - probably not but definitely possible (shout out to Erica!)

Creepy Plaza (Creeps Plaz for short) - the south side of 43rd street between 9th and 10th Avenue; every time you walk down this strip I can guarantee you will see at least 5 creepy people/things going on

Ball change, sucka! - take that! (Matt E. and I were big on this for a while)

Kick ball change - a common dance move involving a flick of the foot and then a quick weight-shift between feet; phrase easily used as a nonsensical filler in almost any lull of a song (i.e., "We found love in a hopeless place [kick ball change]") .. try it.. it really works!  Best enjoyed if you physically do a kick ball change while saying "kick ball change."

Warning: There may be a part two of this because I'm sure I'm leaving some out.

What are some fun phrases that are uniquely you?

Nite! xoxoooooo

We SPEND.

In light of my recent infamy on a certain website (the name of which I won't mention as I don't want my 5 minutes of fame to turn into 10) in which I was misquoted about a financial issue, I decided this was the best time to air all my dirty laundry on the hot topic of money.  What the heck? The damage has been done so I might as well let it all hang out now.

$2,000.    $1,500.     $1,130.    $1,535.  These are the monthly rents I've paid in four different Manhattan apartments over the past 4 years.  The cost of learning personal financial responsibility while living in Manhattan: Priceless.

In New York rent expense is high.  So are grocery expenses.  So is the cost of eating out.  Life in general is expensive here.  According to a cost of living calculator on CNN Money.com, if I moved from NYC to Philadelphia, housing would cost 66% less, groceries would cost 16% less, health care would cost 18% less, and so on and so forth.  You get the picture: life is expensive in Manhattan.  That coupled with the challenge of learning to be financially independent can make for a potentially messy money situation for a young college grad.  That's what happened to me.  Here's my story. Don't worry, there's a happy ending (not that kind... get your mind out of the gutter!).

During my first 6 months in the City, I lived in a furnished studio owned by a friend of my mom's friend's dog's uncle's friend (or something).  The owner had just become engaged, was moving in with her fiancé, and needed a month-to-month tenant.  In October while I was in my last semester of school in Florida, my mom and I visited the city to check out the apartment, and I signed a lease to start mid-November.

Money Mistake #1: Don't pay rent for 1.5 months before you actually need to move into the apartment!  At the time, signing a lease so early really did seem like the best idea.  Not only did I get caught up in the excitement of getting my own apartment in Manhattan, but I was also overwhelmed by the prospect of having to find an apartment in a few short weeks if I left the task for December.  Little did I know that a few weeks to find an apartment is actually more than enough time by Manhattan standards.  On the upside, my family had a place to stay when we spent Thanksgiving in NYC. Bonus! Nonetheless, it was money out of my pocket which could have stayed there a bit longer.

Money Mistake #2: Don't pay more than you can afford!  The first few months of learning how to manage my cash flow (I had never before had a steady monthly paycheck in addition to steady monthly bills) were a bit tricky. Although my parents helped me out by purchasing many of my domestic starter supplies (bedding, towels, etc), I was on my own with the rent and all other living expenses for those first 6 months. Here's a glimpse from my journal:

4/9/2008, 10:00PM: "This evening I'm feeling a bit upset. I think I've identified why. I lost an          $80 metro card, I owe $300 to Dina [landlord] for utilities which I can't pay til after 4/15 when I get paid, I have to do laundry (but first put money on my card), I need water [I was drinking only bottled water at the time since the tap water was a murky grey], and I don't have a spring jacket. So overall it's things I need to buy/pay for that are making me upset. Plus, I want to take some dance classes this weekend but they cost money too."

Realizing I was in over my head in terms of monthly rent, I embarked on finding a less expensive apartment.  That brought me to a 1-bedroom, prewar walk-up on the Upper East Side.  Not only was the new place bigger, it was also cheaper. The reduced rent, plus a little help from my parents for a short time, plus a raise at work made for a much better money situation. But apparently I still wasn't totally on course...

5/25/2008, 8:30AM: "I am on my way to achieving the goals I mentioned yesterday... I want to be a better steward of my money. A few examples of how I spent too much money impulsively: buying Nike sneakers (that I didn't need), buying the Guess bag (that I didn't need).  Tonight I'm making a list of purchases I'll need for the new apartment. That way I'll have a plan and won't buy impulsively."


Sounds like I was on a good track, right? Wrong! That very week I bought living room furniture from Macy's (I had to sit somewhere), on a store credit card without any special financing offers.

Money Mistake #3: Don't make a big purchase on a store credit card, especially if there is no incentive (i.e., no interest for a year, no payments for a month, etc)! The furniture was not on sale, and there was no financing benefit.  It took me many months to pay off the balance, and the payments were LOADED with interest (meaning I wasted a bunch of money).

Breaking in some of the new furniture.

Money Mistake #4: Don't keep it a secret... tawlk ta ya Motha! Despite those traumas, I still had lessons to learn about managing my cash flow and not impulse buying.  During that second year in the city, I ended up over-using my Amex card. When I got the bill each month, somehow I was completely surprised at the total and was often unable to pay off the full balance. I ended up racking up an overdue balance, resulting in phone calls from Amex.  This was totally stressful and scary and I didn't know what to do.  So I handled it like any young girl would do: I casually slipped it into conversation with my mom during one of her visits to the city.  She flipped! But after flipping, she helped me devise a plan to get out of the trouble (thank you Mommala!).

My smart mother and me. :)

After that, things started to brighten up in the money realm. I moved in with some new roomies to a fab apartment.  Living with roommates DEFINITELY helps save money. I got my rent to a manageable place, and gained much better control of budgeting, cash-flow, etc.  Don't be fooled by all the mistakes above... I don't have any student loans or any credit card debt, so I couldn't have been all wrong. But we all have room to learn and grow.. and hopefully grow our bank accounts right along with it :)

The B-List: Carlo's Bake Shop

So this was not originally on my NYC bucket-list, but not until yesterday when we ventured to Carlo's Bake Shop (a.k.a. the bakery from TLC's "Cake Boss") did I realize I had actually been wanting to visit.  I have since added it to the original Bucket List entry (is that cheating?? I don't know all the blogging rules yet).  Also, Matt had never been to Hoboken, so the trip to Frank Sinatra's home-town was a first for him as well. 

The ROUTE

Matt and I trekked from Hell's Kitchen Manhattan to Hoboken via the 9:40AM bus #126 from Port Authority on 8th Ave.  We took the bus down to 1st and Washington Street in Hoboken.  It was quite easy and only took about 15 minutes.  At that time of day the bus was pretty empty... just me, Matt, and an Indian woman who smirked to herself the entire ride while eerily staring out the window (creeps-mcgeeps!).  

The SCENE

Once we arrived in the 'Boken (or Hoboke-Shaboke, as I affectionately call it), we only had to walk about 1 block before we spotted the famous Bakery.  Well, to be more accurate, the first thing we spotted was the long line of people waiting outside. 

Fortunately, Matt had placed an order online a day in advance (baby, you so smart!), so we were able to skip the line.  As we walked up to the shop, past the line of adoring fans, and straight into the bakery, I'm not going to lie, I definitely felt like a VIP celeb surpassing the line at a hot nightclub (for more on my obsesh with celebs and famousness, refer to: We Talk to Strangers and We All Want to be on Broadway).   You know I was thinking about how the visiting tourists were jelly beans (jealous) of us walking straight into the shop, like we had the connex or something.  Anyway, I digress.

FINAL DESTINATION

When we opened the door, a young, post-pubescent Italian kid greeted us and ordered us to step inside to pick up our order.  This only further strengthened my fantasy that we were being allowed VIP entry by the bouncer into the exclusive cake-club.  Upon entering the Shop I was very surprised at how quiet and organized the store was on the inside after just coming from the chaos on the outside.  Carlos' Bake Shop looked like a regular Italian bakery inside, nothing fancy and not at all commercialized, which is what I had expected given the Cake Boss show's popularity.  And, despite the crowd of people waiting outside the shop, only about 6 or 7 customers were allowed in the shop at one time.  I also got the impression that they didn't appreciate loitering and wandering around, so I stood in our designated spot as we were instructed while we waited for the cake.  

Some pretty standard cakes. The fancier ones were on the wall behind.

We were in and out in about 5 minutes.  Overall, the calmness of the Bake Shop was a pleasant surprise.  The cake was delicious as well (we ended up getting a vanilla and chocolate combo cake, with pink fondant, decorated with a chocolate fondant bow and polka dots), though I had previously tasted the Cake Boss cakes for various birthdays (thanks to Ty, our group of friends' token Hoboken resident :)).  

If you're ever in Manhattan and have a few hours to spare to indulge your sweet-tooth and reality show-obsession, definitely visit Carlo's BakeShop.  Just get there early to avoid the line. Or if you want to feel famous like me, order something in advance online, get there a little later to ensure a long line of admiring fans, and walk in like you own the joint. Works like a charm. 

With the loot.