Asian Week 2001 - NYC (March 18 to 26)

Just to let the unwared people know, you still have time to enjoy the Asian Week - more 5 days left!!

"Asia Week New York 2011 is an unprecedented collaboration among Asian art specialists, 5 auction houses, and 18 museums and Asian cultural institutions in the metropolitan New York area from March 18-26, 2011. Simultaneous exhibitions presented by 34 prominent Asian art dealers from the U.S. and abroad, auctions at Bonhams, Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Doyle New York and iGavel, as well as dozens of special events are planned for this period. Asia Week New York will co-host with Asia Society the opening reception and a mid-week reception with Japan Society. All exhibitions, auctions, and events are listed in a comprehensive 88-page guide with maps, available at the participating galleries, auction houses, and cultural institutions as well as on the Asia Week New York web site, asiaweekny.com. “As a result of our combined efforts, we are confident that this dynamic week will be stronger and more unified than it ever has been for the collectors, curators and scholars who converge here annually for a whirlwind round of gallery and museum exhibitions, lectures, auction sales, and private receptions,” said Asia Week New York 2011 Chairman Carlton Rochell."

Source: http://www.asiaweekny.com/

Condolence - NYC is mourning! Gray's Papay is gone!

New York waked mourning up 2 weeks ago. Some of its colors simply disappeared. As LCD Soundsystem predicted, New York I Love You but you are bringing me down (...) when you are shutting your stores...

Papaya's Dog shut down its doors due to problems with its landlord of its location @ 37th Street.

It is worth to remember that the store at 37/8 was it most famous one(!).

Gray's Papaya no longer lives on the corner of 37th and 8th

Sad...

According to NY Eater, which talked to a worker in the West Village location, "it was a rent issue and that it doesn't make sense to continue with a landlord who's charging more than anyone else in the area. They plan to reopen soon in one of three possible new Midtown locations."

Let's hope and pray.  In the meanwhile I will need to find another place to make a drunk pit stop between a bar/club and my apartment.

ps - the other two locations of Gray's Papaya are still open!!

NY Craft Beer & Food Festival - March 19, 20, 2011

This weekend will take place the NY's Craft Beer & Food Festival @ Altman Building (Flatiron District).

On Saturday there is only the first time slot available for ticket purchases, but on Sunday tickets are still on sale for all 3 sessions! Click here for more information and tickets.  

It is a magnificent chance to discover special foods and drinks.

"The centerpiece of the festival will be the Cask Bar, which will showcase 80+ cask ales from some of the nation's best craft breweries and homebrewers. Attendees can expect rare cask finds like Sierra Nevada Harvest, Green Flash Double Stout, Lagunitas Brown Shugga, Blue Point 10th Anniversary IPA, Ballast Point Sculpin IPA and Sixpoint Diesel."

"The festival will also feature local beers from Brewery Ommegang, Brooklyn Brewery, Greenport Harbor Brewing, Kelso of Brooklyn, Empire Brewing Company & Sixpoint Craft Ales.
Joining the mix will be several NYC beer-focused bars like Rattle N Hum, Jimmy's No. 43, The Stag's Head, Brickyard Gastropub, Idle Hands Bar and Manchester Pub, who will be at the festival serving up specialty beers and some bites."

Good Things to Know:

• Unlimited sampling of 80+ cask beers (preliminary list below, many more to come!) and a souvenir glass.
• Unlimited food samplings from 20+ NYC restaurants and food trucks.
• Admission to brewery discussion panels.

Cask Beers

• Dogfish Head 75 Minute Johnny Cask
• Stone Brewing Sublimely Self Righteous w/ Amarillo Ale
• Dieu du Ciel Peche Mortel
• Stone Brewing Smoked Porter w/ Vanilla
• HeBrew Bittersweet Lennys RIPA
• Coney Island Vertical Jewbelation
• Die du Ciel Corne du Diable IPA
• Ridgeway Quercus
• Fullers ESB
• Fullers London Pride
• J.W. Lees Harvest Ale (Port Cask)
• RCH Old Slug Porter
• Burton Bridge Festival Ale
• Harvey's Lewes Castle Brown Ale
• Williams Bros Fraoch Heather Ale
• Williams Bros Joker IPA
• Willams Bros Midnight Sun
• Williams Bros Scottish Session Ale
• Thornbridge Merrie
• Great Divide Titan IPA
• Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout
• Great Divide Hercules Double IPA
• Great Divide Belgica
• Two Brothers Cane & Ebel
• Two Brothers Resistance IPA
• Two Brothers Heavy Handed IPA
• Victory Yakima Glory
• Blue Point 10th Anniversary
• Sierra Nevada Northern Hemisphere Harvest
• Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale
• Oskar Blues Mama's Little Yella Pils
• Green Flash Le Freak
• Abita Red
• Troegs Nugget Nectar
• Troegs Pale Ale
• Defiant Little Thumper
• Defiant IPA
• Greenport Harbor Disorient IPA
• Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA
• Firestone Walker Pale 31
• Bruery Saison De Lente
• Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA
• Lagunitas Imperial Stout
• Lagunitas Censored (Kronik)
• Sixpoint Oyster Stout
• Sixpoint Righteous Rye
• Sixpoint Chocolate Rye
• Sixpoint Bengali Tiger IPA
• Left Hand Black Jack
• Lagunitas Pale
• Lagunitas maxiPus
• Lagunitas Hairy Eyeball
• Thornbridge Hall Country House Brewery Jaipur Cask
• Thornbridge Hall Country House Brewery Kipling Cask
• Harviestoun Brewery Bitter & Twisted Cask
• Harviestoun Brewery Shiehallion Cask
• Ballast Point Big Eye
• Ballast Point Sculpin
• Double dry-hopped Wolaver’s IPA
• Otter Creek Double dry-hopped Black IPA
• Troegs Pale Ale
• Oskar Blue's Dales' Pale Ale  

A good time at Pastis - The Manhattan Experience

I went to Pastis two Sundays ago for a Manhattan. Pastis is a nice French bistro located in the corner of 9th Ave and Little W 12 St, and it is from the same owners of Balthazar.

I went for the bar and asked for a Manhattan. The waiter (Jimmy) with no snobness create a better Manhattan than his 'friend' from the Blue Bar. A really straight forward Manhattan, not too sweet. Still I would like it a little bit more dryer. However, it was a good Manhattan.

Suddenly, the other bartender (Jeremy) ask him which whisky he used, and Jimmy answered back "rye whisky" as the client asked me.

Then they started to discuss the Manhattan and they I thought to myself - they really are bartenders!!
Just after that, Jeremy came to me with another Manhattan, made by him, with a special vermouth. A really special, spicy Manhattan. Dryer than the one made by Jimmy, and almost perfect (will I once find the perfect one?). He used Makers Mark (bourbon) instead of rye whisky.

Final grades: Pastis - 9 (claps...claps..)
Jimmy - 9
Jeremy - 9.25

Perfect Color and Excellent Taste Manhattans at Pastis!

p.s. - with all the discussion about the Manhattans, I forgot to take the picture of Jeremy’s Manhattan.. I am really sorry!

Corner Bistro - The Home of the Bistro Burger

A long time before restaurants started to cook hamburgers as gourmet food, Corner Bistro was there. Treating hamburger as hamburger, but giving to it the taste and the place as it deserves.

Figuring on 10 of 10 lists of best burger in NYC, Corner Bistro remains untouchable. It is just a perfect spot for a perfect cooked hamburger or a Bistro Burger (as it is called there). The Bistro Burger is actually a bacon cheeseburger, with artisanal hamburger cooked the way you like it.

My way? Medium rare.

Bistro Burger with Fries and Dark Mc Sorley's

The side fries are amazing! Crunchy and not a deposit of oil, it makes your meal special.

What more I could say? BEERS!

With a good variety of beers, my top choice is a $2.5 Mc Sorley's Dark (they have the ale as well).  Mc Sorley’s is a local Brewery established in West Village in 1854 (http://www.mcsorleysnewyork.com/).

Corner bistro is located at: 331 W 4th St (at corner w/ Jane Street)

(212) 242-9502
http://cornerbistrony.com/

Just one more thing to remember: They don’t accept credit card, so bring money!

How many bars have glasses with shape of beer?

Don't ask for the menu - Look at the wall.

Union Square Holiday Market

The Union Square Holiday Market (http://www.urbanspacenyc.com/union-square/) just started 2 weeks ago and it will go on until December 24.

It is located in Union Square (of course) just on the opposite side of the Union Square Farmers Market. With over 100 merchants and diffent kinds of products, it is a good option for those who are still deciding for holiday gifts and presents.

It happens everyday, from 11 am to 8 pm. Below are the directions. I went during the weekend, and don't expect an easy crowd. The "streets" are narrow, and difficult to circulate, but up to now there is "fighting" to shop on the tents. Everybody can have his/her space.

Some items are overprice, but it is just a matter of searching. For example, a cup of hot apple cider inside the Holiday Market was $3.50, and in the Farmers Market I was able to find hot apple cider for a buck. Nevertheless, a lot of shops have high quality products and since there is many stores, perhaps you can find there presents for everyone, skipping the obligation of going to different places (which in this time of year can be a a real burden).

Have Fun!

Directions:

South end of Union Square, at West 14^th Street.

Subway: N, R, Q, L, 4, 5 or 6 Trains to Union Square/14^th St.

Little Branch - A nice place with a nice Manhattan

This weekend I stopped over Little Branch, a nice little Bar at 7 Ave S on West Village. If you plan to go there you must really be aware of two things:

Becareful to not miss the place

First, pay attention, since there is no sign on the wall. Little Branch is at the Corner of 7 Ave S and Leroy Street, and there is just a small sign on the door and a big line that starts after 9:30PM.

And the second, is to avoid the line, especially during the cold winter days. Since the bar is not so big, after a certain hour, they just let you in once somebody gets out (1 to 1 rule).

They are really into coktails. One option is the "bartender's choice".

The Bar is downstairs, in the basement. Once inside you will find a very nice place, specialized in cocktails, with a jazz/ Caribbean/ reggae sound, not so overcrowded, and with a mixture of New Yorkers and foreigners. For sure is a good place to go.

Since I was by myself, I just stayed at the bar and didn't order a table. At the bar, as usual, I ordered a Manhattan to Lucinda (the bartender).

The result was a really good Manhattan, very classic, and (perhaps because of the vermouth it was used) with a cinnamon and clove taste.. approaching more to sweet than to the dryness or bitter, still a good Manhattan.

The score: 9.  I didn't give a higher grade because could be a little less sweet and a little more dryer, but the spice taste of it (and still on its classical shape) worth every dollar spent on it. And the place was really the final touch.

Congrats Little Branch! And I sure recommend it!

New Years Eve - What you gonna do? - NYC Options

For those who will stay at (or come to) NYC during New Years, it is sometimes hard to find a place to party or go out with friends or family.  I was used to spend the new years on a hot weather, many times at the beach, open space, finishing my night by jumping into the ocean, which for sure is not advisable in NYC.

The freezing weather makes you stay inside a place, where you can countdown the seconds or maybe see the ball dropping on a TV.  The weather is not the only problem, in a city famous by its taxis, it is almost impossible to find one during the new years eve, and pray the snow doesn’t come.

Despite the fact that thousands of people go to the ball dropp, it is not recommended.  The cold, the crowd, the lack of restrooms, the restriction to drink alcohol, among other things, make this event an absolute non-sense.  The result: last year, I avoided the Times Square ball dropping and I don’t regret.

With all my family, I spend the new years eve in a very nice restaurant, which, like the majority of the restaurants, had a fixed priced menu for that night.  In addition, they have djs and other stuff to entertain the guests.

However, if you are young and with an young crowd, I wouldn't recommend that for you.  Instead, you should go for a real party. Nonetheless, it is difficult to choose, since the majority of the venues rent their space for private companies who organize the parties. So, how to choose?

Lot’s of New Yorkers make their own private parties, inviting friends and by that avoiding the “annoying” tourists.  Yet, there are lots of great parties in the city, it is just a matter to chose the right one for you.  In case you are with more than 4 or 5 friends, it really doesn’t matter the place, since everyplace will be a party for you and your friends. Still, you want some place nice and fun.

Pacha (http://www.pachanyc.com/) is one of few venues that organizes its own party, but you have to be in an electronic-house music mood.  Other options for those who like good electronic music will be Infected Mushrom at Shpongle at Hammerstein Ballroom, and Steve Angello at Roseland Ballroom.

The other options are Hotels or places around Times Square (but I wouldn’t suggest due to the overcrowd location), or those organized by JoonBug (http://joonbug.com/newyork). JoonBug is recognized for organize parties on special events, like Halloween and New Years Eve.  With more than 60 different events, open bars, djs, different kinds of music, etc., maybe you can find one that fits on your taste and budget.

Best Cocktail Bars in Manhattan

Following my search for the best Manhanttan, I started a search for the best cocktails bar of Manhattan.  The next step is to drink a Manhattan on each one of them, to have, then, my final veridict.

The list is below:

Name	Location
Babbo Restaurant	110 Waverly Place, New York
Tropica Restaurant	200 Park Avenue, New York
Flatiron Lounge	37 West 19th Street, New York
Temple Bar	332 Lafayette Street, New York
Milk & Honey	134 Eldridge Street, New York
Bemelmans Bar @ Carlyle Hotel	35 E 76th St, New York
Blue bar @ the Algonquin Hotel	59 West 44th Street, New York
King Cole Bar @ St. Regis Hotel	2 E. 55th Street, New York (Invented the Bloody Mary!)
Angel's Share @ Village Yokocho	8 Stuyvesant Street, New York
Little Branch	22 7th Ave S, New York
Employees Only	510 Hudson Street, New York
Old Homestead Steakhouse	56 9th Ave, New York
Brandy Library	25N Moore Street, New York
East Side Company Bar	49 Essex Street, New York
Pegu Club	77W Houston Street, New York

* M&H will be hard to go, entrance is by referral and appointment only, by paying an annual fee of approximately U$500. Perhaps one of this days I call London and convince Jacqueline to let me in (http://www.mlkhny.com/new-york.php).

Manhattan - HK Restaurant.. and that is a Fault!

Against the common sense I went to the Hell's Kitchen Restaurant for a Manhattan. I am saying that because during the weekends they have a fix price for Mimosas, Belinis and Sparkling Wine (as mentioned in the post about the Hell's Kitchen Flea Market).

The place is really nice. The first floor remembers a restaurant in Sao Paulo called Spot (which I think it was inspired by HK but I am not sure of that).

During the summer days they literally open the walls so you almost get into the street (which is closed for the Flea Market). The second floor is a very interest roof top, perfect for warm weather days as well.

Now about the Manhattan, I seat at the Bar and asked Ina (which was using a costume, due to Halloween weekend) for a "straight up Manhattan". The first time she didn't understand. So I repeat: "straight up Manhattan". Oh a "manharan"..  she said.. and so I complement it.. "yes, straight up please".

Suddenly she appeared with a Manhattan on the rocks(!)(!)(!)... What the hell?!?!

Manhattan on the Rocks!
Not the right one!

Since this is a challenge, I didn't complained, I just drunk it. She used Jack Daniel's on it...

The good thing about that was I really noticed that the liquor can really alter the taste of it. The Jack gave a more strong flavor. At the end, it wasn't a bad Manhattan.. but it was just the wrong one!!

That said: 4.00 for HK's Manhattan.

Ina, this isn't the right way to do it! :)

Hell's Kitchen - Best Flea Market in the Bed Bug City!

l's

Hell's Kitchen Flea Market Entrance at 39/9

The Hell's Kitchen Flea Market (HKFL), located at 39th Street, between 10th and 9th Aves, is just 2 blocks from my house. As it is advertised, it happens all year long, with sun or rain. Regardless the wonderful location of it, HKFM is able to have great prices, differently from what happens in flea markets located in the Village or Upper East, or even Brooklyn.

There is a tiny line dividing old from junk, isn't it?

Normally, flea markets located in 'trendy' places mean high prices, especially now that New Yorkers became "vintage lovers". And since HKFM is close to Port Authority, maybe they don't think walking close to the Lincoln Tunnel is 'so cool'. I still think is great, close to subway lines, nice restaurants (if very affordable prices) at the same time you can avoid the tourist crowd, it does worth.

Maybe this is the reason I walk over there every weekend, just to check out the "old stuff".



Need money? Sell some stuff!



Another especial thing about HKFM is that they have a really very broad range of merchandises. Over there you can find almost anything; it goes from steel chains, furniture, cloths, jewelry, watches up to collectible itens, maps and even a good and cheap chinese back massage (yes, those guys are everywhere). There is place for everything, you just need time to search. There are some "stores" that are there every week, others just comes and goes according to their mood.

In addition, the tents are not very closed from each other, which give the public space enough to circulate and research.

I would recommend go for a walk and maybe you are able to buy, or even sell, something along the way. If you are really into a drink after, stop at the Hell's Kitchen Restaurant, a nice option to eat and drink at the corner of 39th with 9th, and for fixed $12 you can drink as many Mimosas, Belinis or Sparkling Wine as you want... and after that, go straight to your bed for a siesta!!



 

Do you need some old fashion tools?





Crates, Crates and Crates.
Real Crates from the XIX Century






Philco Television from 1949.
According to the owner he has a guy who converts it into digital
Now, explain it to me: Why?

 


Darth Vader Mask - This is a Collectible Item!!