Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day Weekend came and went quicker than you can even say it.  As always, three-day weekends are never long enough, especially when you need to jam as much as humanly possible into those three days.  Fortunately, I was able to fit in the following:

Picnicking in Central Park

As Mike left for London on Saturday evening, I decided to be a good girlfriend and stay in the city until he departed.  After months of stating that we should picnic in Central Park, we were finally able to take advantage of the gorgeous weather and the empty city and do just that.

The city was surprisingly peaceful, as all of the hustle and bustle disappeared, and made their way to the Hamptons for the holiday weekend.   Fortunately, we were able to take full advantage, and buy lunch from a nearby market and sit on a queen-sized sheet on the park lawn and play Mancala.  You’d think that with Mike leaving for two weeks, I’d let him win… no chance.

Homemade dinner at Apt. 711

Lots of quality time with this QT

Several trips to my favorite frozen treat vendor, Ralph’s

Flavors purchased this weekend: Cotton Candy, Milky Way & Peanut Butter Cookie Dough

My very first 2011 trip to the beach club.

Finding out that my favorite summer fruits are back in season

Other weekend highlights included: my dad’s specialty swordfish and homemade pizza, a comfy bed, central AC, a big clean house, playing tennis with my parents, and lots and lots of green.  Perfect recipe for a relaxing Memorial Day Weekend.

This is not Real…

 

 

Do you think I can afford a beef jerky Chanel?  Eh, probably not…

I hate Whistling…

But I love Whistles.

If Whistles were sold in the U.S., I would be in serious trouble… Yet I’d be so happy, and I’d have the cutest clothes.

Maybe I’ll join my manfriend in London so I can purchase some (even one!) of the following… maybe?

The True Meaning of “Burger Heaven”

It’s a bold statement, but Shake Shack truly has the best burger/fries/shake combo I have ever had.

“London Calling”

So Mike is off to London again (sigh)… See you in two weeks!

Alta

No, not the ski area in Utah, but the tapas bar in the West Village.  Everybody talks about Alta, and after the ninth or tenth time somebody recommended it to me, I decided to check it out for myself.

With Mike leaving for London again on Saturday evening, we thought that this would be the perfect way to send him back across the pond.  As soon as we arrived at Alta, I loved it.  The cozy, vine-covered townhouse was alluring and inviting, and I love a good restaurant that doesn’t flash its name on the exterior.

Since we made a reservation, we were seated immediately, but the fine service stopped right there.  Our waiter was slow as molasses and even forgot about our order.  He claimed that “it was lost” in the kitchen.

We had a large table of businessmen sitting behind us, so our waiter paid us no attention, and focused all of it on the seven suits behind us (think he was in it for the tips, or what?).  Once we realized that everybody around us had gotten their food and drinks, we finally had to say something.  Even though we waited an hour for our food (at a tapas bar… are you kidding?), the waiter didn’t offer to comp any of our order, which left us with a sour taste in our mouths.

Our order included the following:

• 2 Jalapeno Margaritas

• Grilled Smoked Mozzarella Skewer

• Angus Beef Slider in Turkish Yufka Pastry

• Spaghetti Pepperoncini

• Enormous Whole Shrimp (aka a mutant squid infused with steroids.  You better believe I had one bite and about vomited).  See below for a visual.
  

• Skirt Steak

The margarita had a bit of a kick to it (obviously), but I enjoyed it.  The Grilled Mozzarella was tasty, as was the Angus Beef Slider and the Skirt Steak.  I didn’t mind the Spaghetti either, but the Enormous Shrimp was yes, enormous, and hardly edible.  Although I loved the feel and the decor of this restaurant, the terrible service we experienced will not bring me back anytime soon.

Memorial Day Essentials

With the rain we’ve had here in NY recently, I could use a nice, long weekend full of sun…

I’m extremely excited because ABC is officially opening up for summer, and these would all be great to bring along for the holiday weekend… that is, if the weather cooperates.

My iPod, Barneys Nautical Rope Tote, Christian Louboutin Almeria Wedges, floppy hat, St. James T-Shirt, J. Crew Capri Sandals, straw clutch, Missoni Bikini, Calypso Pom-Pom Tunic, the latest issue of Harper’s, Ray Ban Aviator Sunglasses, & Acne Sensational Shorts.

Holiday Weekend Forecast is Looking Up!

Affaire

Kind of an interesting name, but one of my girlfriends has been recommending this place to me for months.  So when it was my turn to choose the next spot for my monthly get together with my former HELLE co-workers- sorry, I mean, ELLE co-workers- I determined that Affaire, located at Avenue B and East 4th Street, would be the perfect spot for us to meet.

Wednesday night was beautiful, so I was beginning to regret my indoor venue choice, but fortunately, we were able to sit upstairs and enjoy the nice weather, thanks to the wall of open windows.

I was also a bit weary when I first looked at the menu (hello, I’m very picky), and I was told that I would “probably not like the truffled mac & cheese or the goat cheese pommes frites.”  SURPRISE… I loved them both, and probably ate 70% of the plates (woops, sorry!).  Looks like my taste buds are really maturing now that I’m almost twenty-five years of age.

We also decided to split a salad and two pesto chicken sandwiches, both of which I enjoyed, thoroughly.

What did we enjoy the most?  The Strawberry Gimlet Cocktail, which was delicious, and the perfect hump-day drink.

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying…

Hey, how’d they get a hold of my book in order to make it into a Broadway play?

Just kidding…

I went to see the revival of the 1960’s corporate satire musical, “How to Succeed in Business” last night, and it was absolutely phenomenal.  While Daniel Radcliffe, aka Harry Potter, is the main talk of the town, the entire cast deserves credit for making this one of my most memorable Broadway experiences.

So much of that credit is due to my mom’s cousin, Michael Passaro, the current Production Stage Manager on “How to Succeed“, who makes sure that everything runs smoothly behind the scenes, from the lighting to the stage layout.  He even took us backstage!

If this talented team doesn’t rule the Tony Awards next month, then I will be very disappointed (and surprised).

D. Rad (who has got moves, by the way) works 1,000x harder than his conniving character, J. Pierrepont Finch, who manipulates his way up the corporate ladder with little-to-no effort.

The pint-sized performer may bring in the throngs of tweens and “Harry Potter” fans, but the show and storyline will keep people coming for years to come.

Grade: A

Sneaking a picture of the very creative set

I know, it’s blurry, but I had to be quick and discrete.

Michael & me after the show