pop-uporama

I’ve taken on a mission to manage a pop-up store over the next couple of weeks, starring pieces from the o so amazing designer Veronica B. Vallenes. (I basically want it all. Almost. Some pieces are simply too fashionable for a short legged, ice cream loving hamster, but they’re are heavenly good looking on all you long-legged blessed people).

So what the heck am I doing in a fashion store you ask?

Well obviously I pretend that I’m a natural stylista; in high heels, red lipstick and beautiful Veronica shirts (while eating my chocolate under the sales desk between the customer visits – like the pig we all know I am. YumYumYum….) If you happen to be in Oslo, I suggest you take your shoes on and come visit me for a chat and a cuppa’. You might even end up with your new favorite piece of clothing. Or not – shopping or chatting, I’ll share my chocolate with you if you’re cool. (But of course you are).

Pretty, yes?

You’ll find me under the palm tree:

…when I’m not taking shameless fashion selfies in the mirror of course:

(Wait, is it even called a selfie when it’s not a I-reach-out-my-not-so-long-arm-to-take-a-picture-of-myself-in-the-front-camera-photo? I gotta learn this stuff…)

Haha, you can tell I’m not a poser. #practisingiseverything #betteratfoodposing
Stop by, Oslo people. The sun is out and screams for you to get ice cream and designer clothes. (Bring the first and I’ll sell you the latter. To a good price if the ice cream is chocolate covered).

Aker Brygge Shopping
(Ved siden av Mark + Brandy og overfor Body Shop)
Oslo
//m

green goodness

HELLO WORLD.

I’ve been MIA for about 9 months and I deeply (seriously!) apologize. It’s been a crazy year and I’ve been scared as shit to blog again as the gap since last post got bigger and bigger for every day that passed. BUT, I’ve overcome my fear and I’m ready to give it all. So, let’s celebrate our reunion with a green and healthy super toast shall we?

 

This green machine is not just a health and nutrition bomb, but it also tastes absolutely delish. YUM. Packed with protein, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, and all things good – this fella is sure to make you full and energized for hours.

What you need for one glass:

• Spinach (handful)
• Avocado (half)
• Banana (half)
• Frozen Strawberries (4-6)
• Raw Almonds (8-10)
• Oats (4 tbsp)
• Cottage Cheese (2 topped tbsp)
• Oat / Almond / Coconut / Soy milk to blend. (I used oat milk in mine)

Mix everything in a blender, turn on your favorite tunes and shake-shake-shake your smoothie (and your bootie) til it’s thick and delicious. Serve in a glass or a bowl topped with nuts and fruits. Bon appetit!

 

ultimate list of new york’s best brunches

SPRING HAS ARRIVED!! (Weather Gods, please don’t prove me wrong this time!)

You can probably already tell I’m excited — but seriously; Sun, bare legs, outdoor hangouts, and ice cream are probably my favorite things in the whole wide world! Waking up to see people on the streets not wearing jackets makes me euphoric; It makes me want to dance errrryday, errrrrywhere.

But, I’m sure you didn’t click on this link to read a novel about how much pleasure warmer temperature gives me (if you did you should e-mail me and I’ll write you one). This post is about what might be my absolute favorite weekend activity: BRUNCHING. People have asked me to gather my top picks for runny eggs, bloody marys, pancakes and bottomless mimosas in one post — which I believe is just about the perfect kickstarter for spring arrival.

So here we go, my current favorite brunch places in New York City are as follows:

Le Barricou (Williamsburg)

Tucked away on the quieter Grand street lays a golden treasure that has been a fav ever since I first visited back in 2012. French, always packed, adorable, and perfect — with wooden interior, fireplace, killer bloody mary’s and New York’s biggest pancakes in one order. This is where hipsters and Brooklyn families collide under one roof to simply enjoy their afternoon hours over delicious food and fun filled glasses. If you haven’t been yet, you should put it on your list to go as soon as you get the chance. (Big fat plus for serving brunch 7 days a week!)

Don’t miss: Duck Confit Hash, Pancakes (order one for the table to share as side/dessert), Bloody Mary.
Reservations: No. Always a line so order that Bloody and hang out with the cool kids while you wait.

Beco (Williamsburg)

Whenever the sun is out and I crave Brazilian vibes, runny florentines, and pineapple-mint caipirinhas, I head to Beco Bar in Williamsburg to get my brunch fix; Laidback, vibrant, and with a badass kitchen. They offer an awesome prix-fixe brunch menu that includes an entree, a coffee of choice, and a drink for $14.95. (Hard to beat!) Don’t let the size of this place scare you though — the food is beyond amazing and the people working there make you want to dance to the upbeat music they play loud out their speakers. One of my most visited for brunch last summer. Ps. Cash only!

Don’t miss:  Feijoada (Brazilian dish with smoked meat, black beans ++), Eggs Florentine, Bife a Cavalo.
Reservations: No. Walk around the block and enjoy the sun while waiting for your turn!

(previous blog post here)

Café Mogador (East Village / Williamsburg)

Mogador is the kind of place that calms your soul and makes your tummy happy. With its pretty Moroccan interior and finger-licking good Mediterranean menu, this is the spot to take anyone you want to impress with a casual yet amazing brunch — it’s as suitable for your mother-in-law and your besties, as for the one night stand you’re just not ready to let go of yet. The restaurant is to find on two locations — both equally good and equally ready to satisfy your hunger. While the one in East Village has a cute outdoor seating perfect for people watching at St.Marks Place, the one in Brooklyn comes with an indoor backyard patio (picture) that’ll make you wanna drag out the brunch till forevah-evah.

Don’t miss: Middle Eastern Eggs, Falafel, Mint Tea.
Reservations: No.

Poco (East Village)

Did someone mention bottomless mimosas and lobster mac’n cheese?! Yes oh yes and sweet baby cheesus! At Poco in Alphabet City, 28 dollars will give you an entree of choice and 1.5 hours of constantly full glasses with bloody mary’s, red or white sangria, or mimosa — not to forget great and observant servers! The place is always packed with happy people and birthday groups on Saturdays and Sunday so call in advance to make sure your group gets a table. Perfect start to a boozy day!

Don’t miss: Lobster Mac’n Cheese and bottomless drinks (duh!)
Reservations: Yes!

Buvette (West Village)

Every once in a while I wake up wishing I am in Paris. (Don’t we all?!) I wake up wanting to do nothing except sipping on expensive wines, eat croque monsieurs, fluffy baguettes and buttery croissants; I want to listen to the Chanel dressed old women discuss nothing I would understand and watch mustached, artsy men purr on the young girls passing by — all while the soundtrack of Amélie is being played in the background. Whenever I have days like this I head over to Grove Street in the West Village to get my French fix. Stepping into Buvette will likely make you forget that the busy streets of yellow cabs and bankers are just outside the door, and for a good couple of hours, you might also end up believing you are actually having lunch on a corner in Montmartre instead of Manhattan. Not much to dislike about this place, other than maybe the line of people outside who also had a Parisian dream the night before.

Not to miss: Any of the Croques, Avocado Tartine, Belgian Waffle, Scrambled Eggs with Proscioutto.
Reservations: No.

(Previous blog post here)

Mud (East Village)

Oh — the comforting sound of Mudspot on 9th Street. Brick walls, backyard (covered), great coffee, cool servers, dimmed lightning, cozy vibes, and yummy nibbles — my go-to for social escapes (reading, writing, or life reflecting), casual daybreaks with coffee or beer, or laid-back brunches with people i like.  The weekend brunch is a $15.95 deal that gives you an entree of choice, coffee, and a glass of juice/beer/mimosa — pretty stellar in other words. This being said, they are awesome enough to have an all day, everyday breakfast menu on hand seven days a week; In other words, you now know where to run if you crave one of the city’s finest french toast at 6 pm on a Wednesday. Ps. it’s cash only!

Don’t miss: Avocado Pressed Sandwich, Sourdough French Toast,  Coffee.
Reservations: No.

(Previous blog post here)

Reynard (Williamsburg)

I’ve yet to find something at Reynard that I don’t love; The high ceilings with floor to roof windows, the thoroughly detailed interior, the changing (and always amazing!) menu, the sweet looking view from the hotel bar upstairs, the Dutch Pancake (oh my, the dutch pancake *insertemojiiconwithheartsaseyes*), and the sound of people toasting, chewing, and “mmmm-ing” their way through their plates of joy. I get a feeling that I’m away somewhere good for vacation every time I dine here. Reynard may be a bit more upscale in terms of prices and scene, but just in the perfect “i’m spoiling myself because i’m worth it”-kind of way. As for the wallet — it’s so worth the extra dollars on your bill — after all, it’s the weekend, people!

Don’t miss: Dutch Pancake, Burger, + everything else. (They change the menu daily)
Reservations: Yes.

Radegast Hall & Biergarten (Williamsburg)

Every once in a while someone brilliant comes up with a crazy good idea to put together the best of all things into one place. This is what happened at Radegast; I mean, how can communal tables, beer in boots, fluffy ricotta pancakes, a grill, awesome bloody marys, live music, german bratwurts, and dancing people possibly make anyone anything else than happy? It’s basically the equation for happiness don’t you think?! Perfect spot for anyone who likes to have a little (or a lot) fun while devouring amazing food. So bring a friend or many and let Radegast jazz up your weekend hours!

Don’t miss: Pretzel, Pulled Pork Sandwich, Pancakes (add bacon!), Bratwurts, Bloody Marys.
Reservations: No. (Music starts at 3:00 so come in advance to get a good seat!)

(Previous blog posts here and here)

Two Hands (Little Italy)

For the days you need to swap out the mimosa (wait, what?!) for a healthy smoothie or a kick ass coffee — or just want a little quickie with your bestie (brunch, you perv!) — then Two Hands is the ideal site to smash some yummy afternoon treaties over some quality gossiping. Their menu consists of delicious items such as avocado toasts, corn fritters, baked egg rolls, and acai bowls — not to forget a pretty stellar plate of banana bread with ricotta cheese and honey. AH, yum! Cute as few with a perfect view to get some serious people watching done at Mott Street.

Don’t miss: Avo Toast (with egg), Banana Bread, Nice n Easy Smoothie, Coffee of any kind
Reservations: No.

(Previous blog post here)

Bluestone Lane Collective Café (West Village)

There are a couple of things Australians simply do better — producing good-looking surfer dudes and chocolate covered biscuits are among the well known ones. But then there is brunch — my oh my, Aussies know how to rock their brunches! Bluestone Lane Collective is a dope-di-dope downunder spot that’s sure to make your taste buds sing and foodie heart drop another beat. Runny yolks, buckwheat bread, baked eggs, and killer good coffees. That the place also features a homey atmosphere, a cozy backyard, and charming Australian servers don’t make it any less good; A treasure you can find on Greenwich Ave.

Don’t miss: Green Baked Eggs, Buckwheat Banana Bread, Avocado Smash, Coffee.
Reservations: No.

(Previous blog post here)

Self-Hosted Brunch (Anywhere you want!)

Best things about hosting your own brunch?
1. You get to choose the entire menu.
2. You have to taste the goodies throughout the making of them to be sure they’re perfect for your guests.
3. You can easily refill your glass of preferred beverage without having to wait forever for a server.
4. You make your mama proud.
5. You will be popular.

highlights

I’m buried in paperwork and less exciting office stuff these days and deeply apologize for my terrible blog behavior. I promise a damn fine brunch post is under construction and should show up here tomorrow. While waiting, here are some top moments since I last talked to you:

First day of spring called for neighborhood strolling and fire escape hang out:

A night uptown was spent with good people and Lobster Carbonaras:

A Sunday of gospel, waffles, and Harlem vibes:

To Brooklyn for brunch, babes, and bloodys:

Margaritas meet-up with top-notch mex on the Lower East Side.

Gossip and babbles over this Insta hotshot:

Double dating and late night wining with swordfish, steaks, and tiramisu:

(the tira’ was sublime!)

Mimosa and brunch party with egg muffins, pancakes, and yogurt parfaits. (Recipe post coming!)

A Sunday well spent with ‘laughing out loudings’, park strolling, swedish candy, and fro-yo’s for lunch:

Weekend finale with bar hoping and meatball eating:

Yum oh yum — highlights are the best.

xx

pizza is always a good idea, he said

A near someone of mine knows this guy who eats ONLY pizza. Yup, you read it right, the dude eats ONLY pizza with any meal, whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner. He claims he doesn’t care for anything else other than gooey dough and melted cheese. I mean, seriously, you would think this man is the number one expert in pizzas around the world by now, don’t you?! How he deals with the whole thing (or rather how his wife deals with it! ) I don’t know at all, but it sure is an interesting story. We can only hope he puts sushi and guac on top of a slice every now and then to change up a cheesy habit, but I have a feeling that’s not the case. (I wonder if he’s ever been to the amazing Rubirosa…)

As for me, I just love pizza like the rest of the world: yummy alone — much, much better when shared.

(…preferably in bed. with netflix. on a sunday afternoon.)

Aaaanyway, this post is not about pajamas or bed action of any kind (sorry), but that doesn’t mean its any less interesting. A couple of weeks back I finally got to catch up with the very cool and talented Malin over IPA’s and fat dripping slices of Italian love. The place we met up at has been on my go-to list since I moved out to Bedstuy last November. My attention got caught quickly as Yelp (and everyone else) raved about their “cozy interior”, “long lines” and “mouthwatering pizzas”. I could only hope they were right.

(Important note: The use of words like “mouthwatering” and “droolingly” are to be taken drop dead seriously and must not under any circumstances be misused. Good is good; Mouthwatering is out of this fucking world amazing. Let’s make this clear once an for all.)  

And so we went to check whether or not the three most mentioned descriptions were true.

1. Waiting?

Entering Saraghina at 7:30 on a cold Thursday night seemed to be a smart move. The line we were told was non-existant and we got seated and served right away. (Maybe hipsters don’t do cold. In that case I don’t blame them)

2. The never-want-to-leave atmosphere?

Dim-lit, cozy, warm, and with handsome fellas welcoming us like it was their own home — pretty much spot on.

3. (The most important part) Outstanding pizza flavor?

Thin-crusted, dripping, tasty, soft centered, crispy edged, chewy, greasy, and tempting. Was it the best pizza I’ve ever tasted? Probably not. But did I stop eating after reaching full and beyond satisfied? Oh hells to the no. We agreed that the pizza was more than just good and above any pizza average. The whole package combined made it worthy a label of “outstanding”.

And so we cheered to that.

While carefully picking up slices from our Margherita and Prosciutto & Funghi hoping not to loose too much of the cheese:

You want a pizza this, right?

…

We stayed for hours — chatting away over ham and cheese and several more glasses of  wheat and grapes — until we were finally kicked out as the last remaining guests.

I certainly had the best company to make this a hell of a night, but I’m sure the atmosphere, the service, and the flavors of Saraghina helped us make it perfect. And if you’re not ready to end the night when they are, head over to Liquid Love around the corner for live music and cocktails afterwards.

Pssst. They also do breakfast and brunch and stuff other than pizza that I plan to check out. And they have a bakery. Yes – Yes – yes!

Double psssst. If you ask the cute servers to maybe, just maybe, have a drink or two after they’re done working, they may or may not obey. Neighborhood spots at their best!

Saraghina Brooklyn
433 Halsey Street
(At Lewis Ave and Halsey)
Brooklyn, NY

it’s bananas!

B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

Sorry for getting Gwen Stefani stuck on your minds this afternoon — I’ll promise it’ll be worth it after reading this post; it’s one to go totally coconuts for!

You’re probably already aware of my addiction to smoothies, acai bowls, and quite almost everything that comes freshly smashed out of a blender. Considering that I believe that balance is the highway to happiness — these are some of the healthy treats that help even out my lifestyle equation of pancakes, champagne, and ice cream Sundays.

People have asked me to add recipes to this blog, so now that I actually live in a house where cooking is possible, I thought I’ll share with you my very first homemade favorite — so delicious and so, so easy to make! Though I believe that you should never feel bad for eating anything that made you smile, it’s still worth mentioning that this cup of joy is completely guilt-free and packed with nutritions your body will love you for feeding it. PB Colada Smoothie? So much win.

What you need:

• 1 Frozen banana
• 1 Handful frozen pineapple chunks
• 1/2 Can of coconut milk
• 1 Tbsp Peanut butter (no Skippys please)
• A few chunks of frozen peaches or mangos (optional)
• Topping of your choice

Simply put the frozen fruit, the coconut milk, and the nut butter in the blender and mix it up on high speed. As I like my smoothies to be thick I always start with less milk so I can constantly control the thickness. You can always make it thinner, but to thicken it means you have to add fruit and invite friends because you’ve made a lot more than you wanted. (Although that sounded pretty nice..)

Stop the blender, spoon up a mouthful to see if you want to add anything (I tend to crave more of the peanut butter), and if your taste buds start singing you simply pour the delicious blend into a glass or cup of choice and top it with your favorite healthy snacks. (I used shredded coconut, goji berries, seeds, nuts, and dates for this one).

Enjoy it with a spoon (or use a straw if you made it drinkable) and feel ready to take on whatever challenges the world will send you throughout the day. Healthy, protein packed, and simply amazing. I promise you I’d marry a smoothie if I could. (Wait — can I?)

So long, party people.

last week’s treats

Here’s a summary of the top seven eats of week 10:

1. Curries and Fries a’la Thai in the Village.

2. Pizza, gossiping, and tequila shots in Brooklyn.

3. Fancy Friday lunch with chopsticks and wine.

4. Guac, street corn, tacos, and talks.

5. Smashed avo and runny eggs to celebrate the first day of spring!

6. Peanut Butter and Sea Salted Caramel froyo — because sea salted caramel and peanut butter….. gaaaaah ❤

7. Rounding off another weekend with oysters, skate, and roasted squash in the West Vill.

1. Ngam
East Village

2. Saraghina
Bedstuy

3. EN Japanese Brasserie
West Village

4. Mesa Coyoacan
Williamsburg

5. Bluestone Lane Collective
West Village

6. 16 Handles
Various Locations

7. Jeffrey’s Groceries
West Village

taco ’bout yum!

Happy Friday, favorite people.

I’m currently starving at the office between breakfast and a lunch date and thought I would give you a quick little tip for a quick little lunch in the West Village. We’re talking samba, mamba, and a whole lot of sushi caramba. You might sit still during the meal but I’ll promise you that your taste buds will be dancing!

So, let’s just get to the buz.

The place is really not a quick bite place, which I think makes it even cooler to recommend it as one. If you do have the time for a long and bigger meal, then of course, be my guest and go ahead and do so. But it’s cool to know that a quick bite doesn’t necessarily need to be a slice of pizza from the corner spot. (Forgive me, Pizza, you know I love you).

So the order for an afternoon quicky at SushiSamba in West Village for two people is the following:

Edamame to start. (Soo good with the big flakes of salt on… yumyumyum)

¨

Crispy Taquitos with Yellowtail or Lobster to follow. (I always double the yellowtail and skip the lobster. The lobster isn’t as dope as it sounds like.)

And the Seabass Skewers with miso glaze and peruvian corn. (Now, THIS, is simply outstanding!)

Squeeze the lime,

Smile a little to the camera,

And dig into the awesomeness.

My three favorite items devoured at Sushisamba within 40 minutes a weekday in February. So good, so easy, and so crushing the one dollar pizza slice from the corner shop. (Maybe).

Gotta run to another lunch. Japanese this time. See you soon!
Sushisamba
87 7th Avenue
Bt. Barrow & Grove Streets
New York

ding-dong-deliveryyyy!

I’m like a kid when it comes to getting packages on the door. I just love it! Even if I am expecting them or have ordered them myself. It feels a little bit like Christmas every time the door bell rings dingedi-dong package time!

Don’t you agree?!

So being a where-to-go-an-eat blogger I often get the question if I ever cook at all. And though I have to admit that moving to New York made my ordering skills a lot better than my kitchen counter skills, I still like to believe that I can make some magic over the casseroles when I want to.

So when I was asked if I wanted to get fresh ingredients and recipes delivered to my door, I quickly responded with a big fat yes and thank you. And a few days later, these buddies showed up in the hallway:

Now, before you think that signing up for Blue Apron a week means no more space in the fridge: have in mind that these boxes were for two of my roomies as well. By signing up you get one box of stuff every week (unless you choose to skip a delivery that is).

You might sit and think that this is just another modern stupidity for people that are too lazy to go to the store and buy food, and even though you’re right in that you do get to skip the grocery store line (hallelujah!) it’s far-far-far away from being stupid. First of all, the box contains all the ingredients you’ll need to make three killer meals for the week. Secondly, the recipes are inventing and cool (and super easy to follow!). And thirdly, you’ll most likely be introduced to some ingredients you’ve never ever heard of before. (Like last month I met foods that sound more like fancy workout classes at Equinox than edible items. Well, hello there, tatsoi, gai lan, and kumquats — I can’t wait to sear you.)

Enough babbling, here’s how it’s done:

Starting with choosing a dish of the three and reading the descriptive front page.

Unpacking the items listed:

(Giggling as you unwrap the most exciting find: the bag of cute little knick knacks!)

Flip the page to find instruction steps.

and going ahead, following them to make some magic:

The cooking part is fun and inspiring, but it sure wouldn’t be as cool if you never reached the grand finale:

I mean, who are we kidding? Eating is and will always be the best part of any cooking game if you were to ask me.

Enjoyed to House of Cards, the Korean-Style Tteok was my first meal out, and it was deliciously yummy. I especially liked the Asian rice cakes that for some reason I thought was going to be all crispy, turned out to be more like a gooey gummy pasta variant. Chewing them was seriously half the joy of eating the bowl!

Here are some of the other dinners I put together:

Banana Leaf-Steamed Cod:

Within top three favorites for sure!

Pan-Roasted Salmon Ramen:

 

The meals come in portions of two and two — perfect to share with a hungry cutie!

As I was making my last one, I really just wanted a vegetarian and a smaller bite and decided to put the chicken thighs in the freezer for later.

And certainly didn’t regret as I found out that the Freekeh Salad for this dish was probably one of the better grains salads I’ve ever had!

I think it was the bites of almonds and pecorino cheese in this dish that made it beyond amazing!

After trying out two weeks of Blue Apron I have to admit that I am pretty hooked on the whole concept. These people take care of the thinking, the shopping, and the hassle of the cooking game, while leaving the credit behind for you to take as you’re serving good-looking plates of creative awesomeness to your someone special. All you have to do is to cross out your preferences (omnivore, vegetarian, no pork, no shellfish etc.) and fill out your address. As for the price? Probably half or more of what I usually spend on three (less creative) dinners for two in a week: $59.94. You can’t argue that’s not a steal!

So what’s the catch, you ask?

Well, as far as I’ve experienced there are none. Except maybe that I in order to stay true to you and give you restaurant tips won’t be able to do this every week. But you, you should. So step up your cooking game and impress somebody!

(pssst. I wouldn’t mind coming home to this situation… #takenotesguys)
Sign up for a box of Blue Apron here if you want to check it out. Remember that you can always cancel a delivery or sign out!

(If you’re a traveler staying in an apartment in the states for a week or more I’m sure you can sign up to have a box delivered to your Airbnb rental as well!)

Happy Thursday!

burger lunch and wine cellar fridays

Sooo, my weekend overall hasn’t been the most eventful for several reasons. Friday though, ended up being somehow pretty stellar thanks to great people, lots of wine, and crazy good banana splits.

After hours of work at my new office (wee!), I finally met up with this pretty lady for prosecco, burger, and non-stop chatting at one of my favorite spots for hang-outs and meetings. With a voice recorder on, she loaded her question gun and I fired back with constant rambling.

Only to be silenced shortly by biting into this little fellah:

Cheddar, dijon, bacon, jalapeno, and smashed avocado. Perfectly paired with its shoestring frie(nd)s. Definitely a burger worth digging into. I’ll give it a 3.8 out of 5.

You might wonder what the interview is for, and I’ll make sure to tell you soon; it sure is pretty exciting!

This place on the other hand is called Marlton Hotel and is located in Greenwich Village on 8th Street and 5th. I love coming here to work, talk, read, or toast. It’s the perfect spot for any laid-back, yet still classy meet-up. The lobby has an amazingly relaxed setting with couches, cushions, adorable interior and an espresso bar that makes you want to stay in forever. A few steps further in is a cocktail bar and their beautiful restaurant Margaux. As you can tell, there’s a lot to like about this hotel, but my absolute favorite thing about it got to be the fireplace. So perfect for cold and grey and non-outdoorsy hours — any time of the day!

We chatted our way through the glasses and our cuppa joes. Perfectly happy for the weekend to be here:

And whit the sun set and Friday in mind, I stumbled my way from one babe with wine to another:

This time at Blue Ribbon Bakery Kitchen in West Village — waiting for a bunch of good people to come and join us for dinner in the wine cellar downstairs:

The table can be reserved for ten people or less…

…or you can squeeze in another five and make it cozier with fifteen like we did.

The head of the dinner ordered a hella lot of wine, which just can’t go wrong on a night like this.

And as for the food, one word is worthy enough — yumyumyummmmm!

I got the tuna:

Definitely good, but not delicious. I ended up having food envy with Christine’s choice of the evening:

Red Trout with mushrooms, bacon, and almonds. Yes and hallelujah!

People also got the Strip Steak, the Filet Mignon, and the Duck Breast. I got to steal a bite of the ladder and it tasted heavenly!

I still think about the waiter who probably thought he’s gonna serve a normal table set of ten people or less. With a bunch of talkative mouthes we were far from the quiet, easy group.

Impressively enough, the guy managed it all perfectly. And after more wine and before we even knew it, the dessert was delivered:

Banana Splits (way too underrated!), Crème Brulee, and a Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding Hot Fudge Sundae (!) that I didn’t even manage to sneak a picture of before it was gone. Good though? Oh yes.

The yummy meal (or should I say the wine?) also got us this happy and good at taking pictures:

I especially like the last two that was meant to include all three of us.. Hah.

But the photographer made it at last.

…or well, almost that is:

It must have been the end of the banana split that made me this sad.

The night went on with more laughs and jokes, before we ended up dancing at the roof of Dream Hotel after. I would say it was unfortunate that we didn’t take any more pictures, but after looking at the very last ones I’m sure we can both agree that it was probably for the better.

If you’re a group of fun people looking for a semi-private place to wine and dine and sing out half-loud, call reservations and ask to book the wine cellar table downstairs. It’s a bit of a splurge, but most definitely worth it. Perfect for any kinds of celebrations!

Thank you, Sebastian and Christine for having me at your table. It sure made my day a much more pleasurably one!

ps. you might remember me talking about Blue Ribbon before. You’re totally right! But that was their sushi location in Soho. Same people behind, different place and kitchen, but nonetheless just as impressive! Check it out again here if you missed it.  

Marlton Hotel
5 W 8th Street
(bt. 5th and 6th Ave)
Greenwich Village
New York

Blue Ribbon Bakery Kitchen
35 Downing Street
(bt. Varick and Bedford Streets)
West Village
New York