SoulCyclin' with Infatuation Nation

This morning, I took the plunge and attended my first SoulCycle class.

I’m not sure why it felt like a big deal, but it did.  I’ve been taking spin classes for over 2 years now, and everyone knows about SoulCycle. There are the SoulCycle faithfuls, who pour money into classes and apparel and talk about the “pack” mentality as if it’s a life-changing experience. There are SoulCycle wannabes, who wish they could afford the steep price tag for classes on a normal basis, but settle for taking a ride on a special occasion or far less frequently than they’d like. There are those in the fitness world who downright reject SoulCycle and its practices, citing poor form and more attention on a spectacle than actually getting in a quality workout. Then there are those that are intimidated by SoulCyle because of the fancy lingo and the “skinny bitches” (I hate that term) that pack SoulCycle studios across Manhattan. It’s kind of crazy how divisive SoulCylce can be in the fitness community. A quick Google search brings up articles with headlines like, “Joining the Cult of SoulCyle” and “I’d Rather Sell My Soul Than SoulCycle.” Then there is me. Who is still trying to decide where I belong on this spectrum.

So let me tell you about my experience.

I follow this amazing food blog online and on Instagram. They’re called The Infatuation and I trust them a whole heck of a lot when it comes to advice on restaurants in this fine city. When I went to Chelsea Market and had no internet, I was freaking out that I couldn’t look-up which taco they recommend at Los Taco No. 1 (thank god it eventually loaded and I got to experience the glory of the carne asada corn taco). 

(Thanks for the pro tip, Infatuation!)

Why do I trust them so much? I’m not sure. But it could have something to do with their writing style, which makes me laugh out loud when I read their reviews. I mean, they have literally written the line, “Calexico’s Lower East Side location is basically the grown up version of your favorite fast food joint, only here you can pollute your body with margaritas instead of Baja Blast.” They just make the most relatable references.  You know these guys are just like you. And you feel like you can depend on them.

So when they partnered with SoulCycle and announced that they would be offering free classes for their followers- I JUMPED for joy. The first time I tried registering, I got a sad email saying that all the bikes had been filled. But fortunately, they’re offering a bunch of different classes! And the second time I emailed them, success! I ran around the house my family was renting for vacation in excitement that no one quite understood. I’m going to get to try SoulCycle for FREE with other people who love food as much as me! 

(SUCCESS!)

I dragged myself out of bed at 5:45 a.m. on Friday, walked the 2483902 miles (really .7) to the 6 train, rode the 6 train for a half hour to Bleecker Street, walked 234280 miles (really .9) to the West Village SoulCycle studio and walked up to the door.

(An early, but beautiful morning!)

You walk in and BAM lockers. I’m used to a gym where the locker area is completely separate, so that was a little weird. The two women working at the desk were like superheroes getting the huge lines of people checked-in quickly. They were somehow simultaneously helping like 7 people. I was told to find my name on the list and initial it, but I wasn’t on the list. My stomach sunk when I was told that I was on the waitlist. What?! I got a confirmation email, which is why I had traveled an hour before work to make the class! I needed my endorphins gosh darnit! The woman told me to hang tight and assured me I would get a bike. So I got my complimentary smartwater (hooray!) and shoes and put my stuff in their high-tech lockers (you program it yourself, so you don’t actually need to bring a big bulky lock with you).

As promised, they started calling people from the waitlist and told me to go downstairs to bike 10. I get down to the studio and someone’s on bike 10. Luckily, one of the great staff ran upstairs and came back and told me to take 18. Then, she helped me get set up on my bike. Yes, I’ve taken many many spin classes but when it’s a new type of bike I like to have them help me out. That, and this is only my second time clipping in with spin shoes, and I’m pretty terrible at it.

I didn’t love the seats on the SoulCycle bikes, but throughout the ride they got more bearable. My handlebars felt pretty low, but SoulCycle really focuses on your core, and the lower the handlebars, the more of a core workout you’ll get. So that was OK with me- because abs.

The actual studio was a lot like most studios- dark with lots of bikes. There were three candles lit at the front of the room. Some inspiring quotes on the wall. Standard. 

(Eh, not sure about this stuff)

Our instructor (I can’t believe I forgot to make a mental note of her name) was energetic but not completely over the top like I’ve heard some SoulCycle instructors can be.

Things I liked:
-Although I realize there is some debate on its effect on form- I do like spin classes that feature sections on arms, abs, etc. In this class, our instructor had us do pushups, tricep pushups, oblique turns, crunches, and a song using the small 2 lb. weights stored in the back of each bike. We did some bicep curls, shoulder presses, tricep extensions, etc.

-I am a fan of the famous SoulCycle “tap it back” where you go from third position, to tapping your butt back onto the saddle, back to third. Kind of like jumps. It got me into the music and engaged my core. And again- abs. I want them.

-The lighting in the room is awesome. Much like Cyc’s studio- the light system is attached to the instructor’s little DJ station and the different settings can really have an effect on how you feel during each song.

-You cannot deny that you feel pampered at this place. Upon checking in, I got a piece of gum. I went to shower afterwards- and the bathrooms are fully stocked with razors, shaving cream, moisturizer, face scrub, etc.

Things I didn’t like:
-The instructor barely focused on resistance at all. I feel like in all of these trendy spin studios, everyone is flopping around their saddle, pedaling 189234 miles per hour. I’m all for light resistance and sprints being used in a class- but I like it to feel intentional. 30 second interval sprints after a long 8 minute hill makes sense in my head. But I feel like the rides designed at SoulCycle and studios like it, don’t think in the same way that other instructors I’ve had think. I like the instructor to explain to me how the resistance should feel- whether they refer to how heavy it is based on a scale of 1-10 or through description.

-For some reason, I feel like I just cannot mimic the way that people in these types of classes spin to the music. They look like their dancing, while I look like I’m riding a bike. Who is right?

-Before the last song of the class, the instructor had some inspiring speech about getting through this hill together and coming out stronger. Then she blew out the candles and dimmed the lights. It felt a little forced to me. I’ve had a similar experience at Cyc, where they shut off all the lights for the last song- but I feel like the intention there was to just let yourself go, give it all you had for the last song. I liked that mindset a lot better. No offense, but no, these people around me really aren’t helping me push through this last stretch. MY quads are doin’ the damn work.

-There is only one shower in the whole place? Luckily, I skimped on stretching (I know, I really shouldn’t be doing that..) and was only second in line for the shower. But there were at least 5 girls waiting after me.

-Had I been paying for this, I would not have liked the $35 price tag.

-I’m still getting used to clipping in and it’s still not the most comfortable thing in the world for me.

Bottom Line:
I still don’t feel like I fully belong in classes like this, despite having the utmost confidence in my athleticism and over-all fitness. I kind of like that. It’s different, and it’s challenging, and I leave sweaty. SoulCycle really highlights the reason I fell in love with spin classes in the first place- the dark room with the loud music, losing myself in endorphin-fueled cardio. The addition of weighted songs and crunches is overall a big plus for me. That being said, I am not completely head over heels for SoulCycle in the way that most people are. I can take it or leave it, and be just as content at a New York Sports Club spin class that focuses on form and hills and interval training. Yes, the lights and the sound system and the fancy bathrooms are nice every once in a while at studios like SoulCyle. But I will continue to go only when I have a chance to go for free or as some sort of special.

Next, I really would love to try Flywheel because I feel like the monitoring system is going to get me HOOKED.

In the meantime, back to Tuesday morning rides with Victoria at NYSC :)

(NYSC works for me!)

True Life: I Love Margaritas

So, looking through my pictures to remind myself what I still need to blog about, I came to a realization.

I drink a lot of margaritas.  Which is no surprise considering I have an entire section of my bucket list dedicated to them. So instead of individually reviewing each one in a separate post, I’m just going to write one big tequila-lovin’ entry about the many margs I’ve sipped this summer.

A recent discovery is Calico Jack’s Cantina in Murray Hill.  Every day, they have $3 margaritas (on the rocks or frozen) until 6 p.m. And the best part? If you order a drink- you can ask for chips and salsa and they’ll give them to you for free! 

(Delicious margaritas and FREE chips and salsa? Game on.)

Other best part? They use ROSE’S LIME JUICE – which is of course, the key ingredient to any quality margarita.  I’ve already been there three times in three weeks, so it’s safe to say they have my full support.  Plus, their playlist is usually killer AND Lady Gaga bartended there back in the day.  Rumor has it they have beer pong sometimes too.  So pretty much, I may end up becoming a regular.

While I have only positive things to say about the margaritas at Calico Jack’s, I was disappointed by the pitcher at Mexican Radio.  I had heard great things about this place, but at $50 a pop- so not worth it.  I was also excited to try the stuffed plantains there, and while they tasted good, they were nothing to write home about.  Sorry Mexican Radio, I won’t be back. 

(Unimpressive food and drink)

But somewhere I WILL go back to over and over again, is Blockheads and MotherBurger (they’re owned by the same people, along with Benny’s Burritos) for their Mexican Bulldogs.  Usually, I’m against frozen margaritas.  But these frozen margaritas are lethal and cheaper than ordering one on the rocks.  Add a floating shot of tequila and a Coronita? Your night is sure to be fun. And at $9 for bulldogs and $4 for frozen classic flavor margaritas, the price is certainly right.  

Although I don’t usually expect much from the food at these types of places, on my last visit I ordered the Vegetable Mother Bowl (salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, carrots, red onion and chick peas topped with a veggie burger) at MotherBurger and it was surprisingly delicious! 

(Eat all the chickpeassssssss)

(Fun night = guaranteed if you're drinking MotherBurger/Blockheads Mexican Bulldogs!)

The margaritas at El Rio Grande are some other level shit.  While they aren’t the absolutely tastiest margarita I’ve ever had, they more than make up for it with their potency.  I am ashamed to admit that after just half of an El Rio Grande Margarita (served in the classiest of plastic cups), I was all, “Whoah, time for some chips and salsa.”  Luckily, El Rio Grande is another one of those fabulous bars bestowing their patrons with complimentary chips and salsa.  And with drinks this lethal, it’s a damn good thing! El Rio Grande has a plethora of fun flavor choices- from lychee to prickly pear and everything in between. They’ll do any flavor either frozen or on the rocks (but since it’s the same price, I’ll judge you if you don’t get yours on the rocks).  They only downside to this place is the steep price ($12 per margarita) and lack of happy hour specials.  But the fact that you can be outside on their patio combined with the fact that you realistically only need one or two for a more than sufficient buzz, makes it totally worth it.  

(I’m convinced they use roofies or grain alcohol in these margaritas.  It’s what gives them their fluorescent glow!)

(Margaritas taste better outside. Proven fact.)

Though I drink a margarita pretty much anywhere I go, none will every compare to a margarita homemade by my dad.  Mitch’s margs = everything.  His secret? Rose’s Lime Juice and Grand Marnier.  Trust me.  Or trust Mitch. 

My parents went to a party recently where the centerpiece was a GIANT martini glass.  Because my sister’s 21^st birthday was coming up, and because my parents are awesome, they brought it home and my dad proceeded to make the world’s most epic margarita.  Truly.  Look!

(Bigger than my face!) 

(Like mother, like daughters! We love our tequila!)

Sadly, I can’t have Mitch’s margs every day.  So I will let you all know my favorite margarita in NYC (though I’ll never stop searching).  Bamboleo’s on Bleecker Street, a tiny, unassuming Mexican restaurant with a grand total of about 5 bar stools, serves $5 margaritas from 4 – 7 p.m. every night and they are GREAT! 

You don’t go there to meet other people, since it’s usually pretty empty, but if you want a solid margarita, get your booty to Bamboleo’s.  I own one of their t-shirts.  The bartender recognized my voice on the phone when I called to make a reservation on my birthday. Pro tip: like them on Facebook for a free tequila show.  You’re welcome. 

(The only place to start my birthday celebration!)

Restaurant Review: Mesa Grill Las Vegas

I’m really lucky, and get to go on a lot of fun trips for work.  At the beginning of this summer, I got to eat and drink for a couple days and nights in Vegas, baby! Somehow, I didn’t leave with a stomach the size of Caesar’s Palace.

The first night I was in Vegas I got to meet up with a friend from graduate school who was in town for a work trip as well.  We thought it was so funny that after months of trying to meet up for brunch or dinner- this is where we were finally able to make plans together! She knows I love food, so she was kind enough to let me take the lead on choosing a restaurant.

(Finally reunited, on the other side of the country!)

I was so overwhelmed with choices.  There are seemingly endless dining possibilities on the strip. Although I had eaten at Mesa Grill in New York many years ago, I couldn’t really remember it, I love margaritas, the menu looked delicious, and Bobby Flay is usually pretty good in my book (I had also just been to Bar Americain with my parents in New York, so I thought it would be a good comparison!) Mesa Grill in Caesar's Palace it was.

(Winner, winner!)

Of course, I started with a margarita.  It wasn’t a standout, but it was a pretty solid marg. 

(You needed this picture, right?)

I had read a lot online about Mesa Grill’s blue and yellow corn muffins (QU Bobcat colors!) and was super excited for them after the corn bread at Bar Americain.  After eating them though, I think I liked the corn bread at Bar American better than these muffins! There was some other delicious bread in that basket though and I am guilty of doing a little carbo-loading pre-dinner.

(Go bobcats!)

For an appetizer, I ordered the tiger shrimp and roasted corn tamale with cilantro sauce. Oh boy was this good.  Anything with corn is a go-to for me when it comes to Bobby Flay (the corn cake my dad had at Bar Americain convinced me of that). This tamale was delicious.  I’m not a tamale expert- in fact, this may be the only tamale I have ever eaten…but it made me a fan of tamales!

For an entrée, CORNmeal crusted chile relleno.  Stuffed peppers are kind of an obsession of mine.  My dad makes a mean traditional stuffed Italian pepper, I make a mean quinoa black bean stuffed pepper, and I’m in love with the stuffed pepper from V-Note that I ate earlier this year.  That being said, Mesa Grill’s chile relleno stuffed with roasted eggplant, manchego cheese, sweet red pepper sauce and balsamic vinegar held its own! It was a little overly cheesy for me (I know, I know- there’s no such thing as too much cheese) but the cornmeal crust added an interested touch to the dish and I was certainly digging the eggplant.

(Presentation points, big in my book!)

While I was a fatty and ordered an appetizer and entrée and devoured every last bite, my friend ordered the chicken and black bean quesadillas, barely touched them, and I helped her ensure they were finished.  They were a pretty basic quesadilla.

Overall, I really enjoyed this meal.  My mom’s complaint after eating at Mesa Grill in NYC was that everything was too spicy- and our waiter did say that the menu items in Vegas had to be taken down a notch for that reason.  So I am happy to say that my mouth wasn’t on fire after my meal.

I also liked that this menu had TONS of things I would love to try- so I may be back for more one day!

(Goodnight, Las Vegas)

Restaurant Review: Sacred Chow

I had yet another Groupon for a vegan restaurant that I got to use for a meal in the Village (I miss it there oh so much!) Sacred Chow specializes in “organic, vegan, Kosher and ethically produced foods).

It’s nothing fancy inside, just a cute little place with a few tables and one waitress working. 

The menu has a bunch of different options, from tapas, to sides, to paninis, salads, soups, etc. As someone who likes to try a lot of different things, I was instantly drawn to their 3 tapas for $19 deal (though I’m not sure how much of a “deal” this really is).

I had read a lot about their “nama gori” which is made in-house.  Nama gori was apparently invented when a Japanese tofu maker accidently dropped his tofu in the snow walking home one night.  The next morning, he went out and found it frozen. After thawing it out, the consistency had changed, and he was a fan! Instead of the typical texture of tofu, nama gori, tofu that’s been frozen and defrosted, is chewy. 

Despite doing my research on nama gori, I didn’t end up trying it on my trip to Sacred Chow.  Instead, I chose the following 3 tapas: 

1. Green Tapas- simple broccoli, collard greens and kale topped with their homemade Dijon sauce. 

Looking back- I’m not really sure why I was lame enough to choose this as one of my options. It was literally greens.  Clearly, I was trying too hard to be healthy that night.

2. Roasted Black Olive Seitan- Filleted & soaked in a rosemary marinade, then slow-roasted in a cornmeal spice blend until crunchy, chewy and tender.  Topped with steamed collards and a Dijon drizzle.

The waitress had highly recommended this tapas, and so I gave it a chance. Further proof that seitan is not my favorite (one day I’ll accept this and stop ordering it). Just like the description said, it was certainly chewy, which is what I don’t love about it. It wasn’t very crispy though.  But it was full of olive taste (a little overly salty, but that’s to be expected with olive-based dishes) and the Dijon sauce was good (I am a full-on honey mustard lover).

3. Root Vegetable Latkes with a date butter

This was also recommended and boy am I glad it was.  Basically, crispy, crunchy, incredible root vegetable waffles with a sweet date butter that was to die for.  My friend also loved these, but I was a brat and barely shared.  While the other two tapas were a bit of a letdown, these came out of nowhere to become one of my favorite things I’ve eaten recently.  Clearly, I had been trying to be healthy that night (I mean, I ordered broccoli and kale when I could have ordered smoky home fries). So part of me was like “Ah crapppp” when these golden, fried waffles came out on my plate. But as soon as I took a bite, the “Ah crappp” turned into, “Screw it, these are phenomenal!”

(These are my three tapas. See those things that look like waffles on the left? Yeah, they're root vegetable latkes and they are AMAZING!)

My friend and I also split a single tapas- the Indonesian tempeh,  because as much as seitan doesn’t impress me, I always loooove me some tempeh! This was served with warm kimchi and Russian dressing and was like a delicious Reuben salad! Thumbs up!

(The lighting here wasn't ideal for food pictures...sorry!)

As an entree, my friend ordered the soy meatball panini, which came on toasted ciabatta with smoky home fries.  The bread was crispy and delicious, but overall, it was just a pretty standard sandwich with some potatoes.

Overall, I think that Sacred Chow is a little on the pricey side for what you get. That being said, I would make a return trip to actually try their nama gori and to eat more of those root vegetable latkes.  I want alllll the root vegetable latkes.  And date butter.  Dates are a fruit, so it’s healthy, right? 

Restaurant Review: Blossom on Carmine

Before I jetted off to eat like a fatty in Las Vegas and Philadelphia, I had a few Groupon’s at healthy places that I needed to try before they expired.  The first was Blossomon Carmine- which made me really nostalgic since it was basically across the street from my old apartment on Bleecker St. that I miss so much!

Blossom on Carmine is super cute inside, and I am kicking myself for not knowing it existed when I lived so nearby! Not that I could have afforded to eat there on a regular basis.  Those were the days of $1 beers and pizza.  (Ok, if we’re being honest, my wallet says it’s still the days of $1 beers and pizza.  My taste is what begs to differ).

Blossom on Carmine is owned by the same people behind Blossom in Chelsea, Café Blossom on the Upper West Side (reopening in September) and V-Note on the Upper East Side (which I have already reviewed on this blog).

I was excited to try this place after an exception experience at V-Note. Like V-Note, Blossom on Carmine is a vegan restaurant- a lifestyle that I’ve been giving some serious thought to! If I could have Blossom provide my 3 meals a day, I would have made the switch already! The website described Blossom on Carmine as having “delicious, varied small plates meant to be shared and enjoyed with wine and cocktails.”

Luckily, my friend and I are pretty great at agreeing on what to order, and I love shared plates. We started with the eggplant lasagna small plate and the housemade marinara and daiya mozzarella created pretty convincing lasagna! The sauce was a little thin and soupy for me, but it made up for it with a solid taste.

(Eggplant Lasagna)

Next up for the small plates was the gnocchi. This was killer! This roasted pumpkin and sweet potato gnocchi, sautéed kale, golden beets and a sage cashew cream had me ready to say goodbye to dairy forever.  The gnocchi, besides combining potato and sweet potato which is always yum, was perfectly crispy on the outside with a fluffy middle. 

(YUM sweet potato and pumpkin gnocchi!)

A great thing about Blossom on Carmine is that they change their menu with the seasons, to ensure they’re using veggies that are in season! Currently, the menu features a green pea gnocchi with sautéed leeks and pea shoots, fennel, truffle butter and a cashew cream. Since I’m not a huge fan of truffles or fennel, I’m so happy I got to experience the heavenly pumpkin and sweet potato gnocchi.  I mean, it came with beets and kale too.  What more could I have asked for? 

For our large plate, we had a little more difficulty choosing.  Eventually, we settled for the picatta- pan seared seitan cutlets, lemon/white wine/caper sauce, truffle mashed potato and sautéed kale.  The more I eat at vegetarian and vegan restaurants, the more I’m coming to realize that I’m not the biggest fan of seitan’s consistency.  It’s a little slimy, or something? That took away from this dish for me, but the taste was pretty delish, and I always love mashed potatoes (and luckily they weren’t truffle-y at all). 

(Ok, this doesn't look very appetizing)

As a side, we went with our go-to…brussels sprouts! We’ve sampled a lotttt of brussels sprouts, and Blossom on Carmine’s, served with garlic and shallots, were just OK. 

(Sproutz)

At the end of the day, as a non-vegan (at least for now), I wouldn’t come back here without a Groupon.  It’s pricy for the amount of food you get, and I was only really impressed with one of the dishes (that gnocchi was damn good!) Usually, I wholeheartedly support the notion that vegan and vegetarian food is just as good as any other food.  But in this case, the seitan picatta had me missing chicken just the tiniest bit.

That’s not to say that the flavors here weren’t excellent. And if you’re vegan, I would definitely check it out.  But so far, V-Note still gets my vote (hey, that rhymes)!

  (*Also, take this review with a grain of salt- I ate here a pretty significant time ago, and am only writing the review now!) 

Restaurant Review: David Burke Fishtail

I have been reading menus and reviews non-stop in an effort to make the most out of this summer’s NYC Restaurant Week and so far have had 3 stellar experiences.

My fist trip was to a late lunch at David Burke’s Fishtail on the Upper East Side with two friends, because let’s be real, the more people you go with, the more items on the menu you can try!

(Three people = three apps!)

I had heard a lot about David Burke’s restaurants, and any place that specializes in seafood is right up my alley.  David Burke has a ton of restaurants in New York City, including David Burke Kitchen and Burke in the Box (located in Bloomingdale's). He’s also got restaurants in
Chicago and Foxwoods Casino.

With 3.5 stars on Yelp and 4 on OpenTable, and a menu that had me going back and forth on what I was going to order, I was really excited for this place. We got there and I instantly loved it.  It’s one of those New York City restaurants where you walk in and you feel like you’re someone for eating there.  That sounds ridiculous, and snobby, but whatever.  For me, food tastes better in an airy, well decorated, bright, fancy atmosphere.

As far as service was concerned, our waiter spilled an entire glass of sangria on my friend, mispronounced gazpacho, and generally seemed uneducated about the menu.  But he was really hot, so we were able to forgive him pretty easily.

We got three different appetizers. I ordered the lobster scramble and oh my word, it was such a huge serving! Typically, restaurant week servings are pretty tiny, but not this! I legitimately could have eaten this as my meal and been satisfied.

(Lobster scramble)

The lobster scramble was FULL of lobster that actually tasted like lobster, along with lots of fresh veggies, a tomato fondue sauce that was creamy and delicious, and a brioche toast that was phenomenal for soaking up my friends’ gazpacho.

I really want to come back here for brunch just to get the lobster scramble again.

Fishtail, from what I gather, kind of has a thing for lobster.  Every Sunday they offer a $40 prix fixe brunch called Lobster Louie, with all lobster-based dishes.

So naturally, one of my friends went with the other lobster appetizer and ordered the lobster dumplings.  The presentation was awesome, with the little claws sticking out so you could eat your dumpling like a little lobster lollipop.  I only had a small bite, but these weren’t anything spectacular to me.  They were a solid little lobster dumpling though.

(My dumps, my dumps, my lovely lobster dumps)


Unfortunately, they were out of the other appetizer we wanted to try, the pastrami spiced smoked salmon with horseradish crème fraiche, mustard oil and watercress pancake.  So my other friend went with the other seafood option and got the gazpacho with crab salad, avocado and cilantro.  It was verrrrrry tasty, and that’s coming from someone who in general, isn’t a fan of her soup being cold.

(Gazpacho!)

While the appetizer selection was a little stressful, there was really only one entrée that anyone was interested in, and that was the grilled salmon.  One of my friends decided it would be silly to get three of the same thing though, so he ordered the steamed black bass that had a $7 supplementary charge.

The salmon dish was right up my alley and had so many of my favorite things! Red quinoa tabbouleh, hummus, giant grilled artichokes (which was probably my favorite part of the meal) and za’atar spiced naan. The za’atar spiced naan were actually just pita chips, if we’re being real.  And the salmon was a little undercooked/slimy, but overall, the dish was awesome. And the presentation was spot on, which always adds to the experience!

(MMMMMMMM!!!!)

My friends black bass looked beautiful on the plate, and tasted delicious too.  It was much more flavorful than the salmon, though I liked everything that came with the salmon better.  The black bass was served with green onion miso, chili, grapefruit and cucumber slaw, grilled spring onions and lotus chips (crunchy, salty and delicious).

(Presentation adds so much!)


At this point I was stuffed (again, lobster scramble = huge portion!) But I have the world’s biggest sweet tooth, so it was inevitable so I would stuff myself to an uncomfortable level by eating every last bit of David Burke’s incredible desserts. I had read online all about the cheesecake lollipop tree, which is meant for two people, so we ordered that first and foremost.

It came with 9 different cheesecake lollipops! 3 each! So sweet, so delicious, so rich, so fattening, so great. And I’m not even a big fan of cheesecake! The most interesting part of this dessert was the bubblegum whipped cream that it was served with. I don’t like bubblegum, and I don’t really understand where the idea of bubblegum whipped cream with chocolatey cheesecake pops came from, but it was certainly unique and tasted EXACTLY like bubblegum.

*My friend said if you eat dark chocolate with bubblegum the bubblegum disappears in your mouth- just in case you’d like to try it out.

(Awesome desserts!)

Shockingly, I passed on the peanut butter and jelly mousse bar because I had read that it wasn’t very peanut buttery or jelly-y for that matter.  Instead, we went with the salted caramel and roasted peach parfait and oh dear lord am I glad we did.  It was incredible. There was a little pot of salted caramel to pour over the parfait that was pretty much like crack.  And the ginger oat crumble on top? Also crack.

I was a huge fan of everything I tried here.  The atmosphere, the presentation and the food all were spot on, in my opinion.  And for the price, it was an absolutely steal.

If you visit David Burke Fishtail, which I recommend you do, make sure you take some of their peanut brittle on the way out! If you’re like me and like things that are almost sickeningly sweet, you’ll be a BIG fan.

Bravo Fishtail, you set the bar high for the rest of my Restaurant Week!

Nike Training Club

A friend inviting me to go to the Nike store for Nike Training Club gave me the extra push to get my butt there for the first time.  I had heard about it through social media, and was pretty excited because a) it’s a boot camp type class, which I love b) it’s outdoors and on a ROOF and c) it’s completely free!

I got to the Nike store and the front was set up with a bag check and you could even opt to take the class in a pair of Nike’s to try them out! Which I did, of course.

As it got closer to the time class was supposed to start, they took us up in the elevator to the roof.

Then, the waiting began.  6:30 came and went and it didn’t seem like things were about to start anytime soon.  Punctuality and schedules are kind of important in my book, so this didn’t sit well with me. 

Eventually, the instructor, arrived, looking like a perfect, Nike model. We spread out to warm up and I started to realize just how crowded this rooftop had gotten.  75 people? We pretty much did not have sufficient space for the jumping jacks we were supposed to be doing.

After the warm up, she split us into groups. Which took forever. She then tried explaining all the stations to 75 people.  Which took forever. And was highly unsuccessful. I probably knew what she said to do at only about half the stations. After a lot of standing around and being confused, it was time to start.

I took the class awhile ago, so I’m going to do my best to remember the stations. We stayed doing each one for about a minute or two before rotating.

• There was a little ramp on the side of the roof, which we lunged up and side stepped down. Good in theory, but it was super cramped with people going up and down at the same time.
• Jump squats. Ouch. Got my heart rate up, got my legs burning, got lots of reps in = successful station.
• Step ups on a bench. Our group decided to do a little leg lift action at the top of the step up for an extra challenge.  Thumbs up crew.
• Incline pushups against the bench. Again, felt the burn!
• Partner chest press weird things that I was highly incapable of doing but I’m pretty sure were the reason I was super sore the next day, so I guess they were alright?
•  Speed skater jumps – I’m a fan
• Russian twists – also a fan.

Then we took a break and by a break I mean it was time for a challenge- first partners to 20 burpees – pushup, high five each other, pushup, high five each other, jump up. Killer. We kept high fiving the wrong hands. We settled on regular burpees because we’re cheaters.

Then we went through the stations again with some modifications- backward lunges, decline pushups, sit ups, etc. The final challenge was 100 mountain climbers and then we took a sweaty group picture and were done!

Had NTC not been so crowded and a slightly better organized, I would certainly be there every week.  It’s a great way to meet like-minded fitness fanatics and it’s a well-designed circuit workout, if you’re able to do it continuously without having to stop all the time to listen for directions or wait for 75 people to get themselves situated.

Restaurant Review: Vegetarian's Paradise II

Vegetarian Chinese comfort food. That’s how I would describe Vegetarian’s Paradise 2, where I went with my roommate and his boyfriend to use a Groupon that I had bought. I had read a lot about their “chicken” fingers and so we all split an order of them. I hadn’t had fried food like that in a while, so they were delicious, but eventually gave me a horrible stomach ache.  The texture was a little strange, but that’s understandable since they weren’t actually chicken.

For dinner, I ordered two entrees and brought half of each home with me. I had the stuffed zucchini and one of the chicken dishes that came with a bunch of different vegetables and brown rice. 

(Stuffed zuchinni)

("Heavenly Chicken with Mixed Vegetables" wasn't that heavenly)

Overall, nothing here really impressed me. It didn’t taste healthy or fresh and the sauces were all super fake tasting. I did like my roommates orange chicken, but again, it was doused in sugary sauce. I'm really surprised by it's high ratings on Yelp.

If you couldn’t tell, I wasn’t a huge fan, and I doubt I would ever take another trip here. It’s a strange little restaurant too- pretty dingy and cheap looking inside. Sorry Vegetarian’s Paradise 2, you didn’t do it for me. 

bRUNch

Ask any New Yorker how they feel about brunch, and they will tell you that it is sacred.  I loved brunch before, but now, I have a new obsession: bRUNch.

Myself and two friends from JackRabbit had an amazing morning last month when we woke up, met at the store, ran 7 miles over the bridge to Brooklyn, and had a lovely brunch at the cutest little restaurant on Bedford Ave. Then we took the train back together!

I’m seriously considering starting a bRUNch club…destination runs to fabulous brunches in all the boroughs. Who is in? 

Summer is Gov Ball, Yankee Stadium & BBQ

So I obviously run and eat and workout. But sometimes I do other things. I mean, after all, I do live in the greatest city in the world and there is no lack of new experiences to be had. 

Over a month ago now (I'm really behind on this whole blogging thing), I had a fabulous reunion weekend with my friend Morgan, who goes to med school in Kansas City. A friend from work had been given two VIP passes to this year’s Governor’s Ball that he let Morgan and I use on the first night of the festival. 

I'm not really a huge music festival kinda gal, but it was such a fun night! After work we went back to my apartment, had some drinks, and walked over the footbridge to Randall’s Island. It was so strange seeing it all set up with stages and people everywhere, since I’m used to running around it early in the morning and only seeing little kids playing soccer…not full of half-naked intoxicated and high 20-somethings. 

(Thank you, stranger, for capturing this great action shot!)

We headed over to one of the stages where my friend knew the band playing and it was awesome because we could go in the separate VIP area that was less packed and closer to the stage. We also had our own bathroom trailers and bars which was clutch. Without that, I probably would have been miserable. As it was, by the end of the night I just kept saying, “How do people live here for 3 days essentially?” My head was pounding and I definitely had a second-hand high. 

(Hooray for VIP!)

We drank some stackable wine and a Redd’s (mmm), wandered, chatted with drunk 18 year olds, caught Outkast, and stumbled into Fairway at 11:50 right before it closed to grab some dinner. 

(I like my beer to taste like apples)

(We shook it like a Polaroid picture) 

It was a really fun night, especially because Morgan and I hadn’t hung out in so long! I would have liked to try some of the food trucks there, because they have an impressive list, but maybe next year. 

(Tacos make everything better)

We woke up the next morning and I forced Morgan on the group run…proud to say she made it the 11 miles to Yankee Stadium and back!

Next, we ambitiously got our butts to Brooklyn for Smorgasburg. I’ve been trying to try something new every time, except then I went and couldn’t say no to Chickpea and Olive. That beet slider is just too damn delicious to deny. So to make myself feel at least a little better, I didn’t get the same slider- I went with the Polka this time! And again, it was heavenly. 

Seriously, you all need to eat one of these beet patties, I don’t care if you’re not a vegetarian! Don’t wanna hear it. Of course, my friend and I finished our day with, what else, a Goodwich from The Good Batch. World’s best ice cream sandwich. Bar none. And I’ve had some phenomenal ice cream sandwiches!

At this point, Morgan was questioning how I normally run a long run Saturday morning and then have a day full of activities- she was ready for a nap and I was bringing her to a barbeque, sorry Morgan!

My friend from college had a bunch of friends over for a barbeque at his sister’s apartment in the Upper West Side and when I got there, I was so excited because LOOK! SHE HAS A LITTLE BACKYARD! GRASS! 

(Grass angels > Snow angels)

I was so excited. It was great seeing everyone, playing beer pong in the middle of the city, barbequing…it was just fabulous. Such a fun weekend! 

(That's truly the sight of summer!)

Operation GET YOUR BUTT IN GEAR

So the other day, I realized something slightly disconcerting.  My first marathon is less than 70 days away!

Ok, so the realization was more like fantastically horrifying, considering I haven’t run more than 12 miles in quite some time.

And that training schedule I had made myself? It looks lovely hanging at my desk, but I don’t remember the last time I actually did what it said.

So my friend Tiffanie and I decided last week that it is GAME TIME. She’s running the New York City Marathon in November (for Hope for the Warriors,

help her

!), so she’s got a few weeks more than me to prepare, but we both needed a serious re-commitment to training.

We’re aiming to run 7ish miles two mornings every week together before work. And trust me, we are far from the only people out there in the park at 5:30 a.m.  

Then there’s Saturday long runs with JackRabbit, my Tuesday spin class, Wednesday November Project, a rest day somewhere, and trying to keep up on my weight training.  I know I should get some yoga flowin’ in my schedule too.

So it was with my recommitted mindset that I set out on Saturday’s Yankee Stadium run with the JackRabbit crew.   We had done this route a couple weeks ago, so I knew my way and felt comfortable leading the pack. I wasn’t very chatty on the run, which I felt kind of bad about, but it was more of a solitary running kinda morning I guess.

It never fails to crack me up how confused people in the Bronx are by a large group of people running.  Half of them are convinced we’re running the marathon.  The other half just yell at us to “GO! FASTER!”

For those of you who would like all the intimate details of my run, I had the lovely experience of getting my period around mile 6. Yep. That happened.  Luckily, I had supplies with me.

Not much else to comment on for the run, except that mentally and physically I was feeling good, and hoping to do more than the planned 11 miles.  I felt like I had

at least

a half-marathon in me that morning (I had even changed my party from Friday night to Saturday night to ensure a hangover free long run on Saturday- look, I’m getting so mature and responsible!) I was scared that I would make it back to the store, get my water (it was SWEATY out there) and then mentally feel like I was done.  But since I was the second one back, it made it easier to drink my water, start Map My Run, and head to Central Park to see what more I could do.

The longer I ran, the more I wanted to get my mileage UP. I couldn’t hear Map My Run, so I wasn’t positive how far I had gone, so I just kept going. A bridle loop and two reservoir loops and back to my apartment. 6.36 miles. And the Yankee Stadium route had come to just over 12 miles.  Meaning, I had reached 18 MILES! The last six weren’t very pretty. They were slow. And everything hurt. And they had me thinking, “I’m going to do this + 8.2 MORE?!” But I did it. And now I feel so much more confident that I can get through this training, do a 22 mile training run, and cross that finish line after 26.2 miles on October 4.  

(8:47 pace, OOOOF)

I got back to my apartment, opened up my yoga mat, grabbed the evil foam roller, and could barely move for the next half hour. 

The only thing that motivated me was the fact that I neeeeded food. I then took an hour long nap, and didn’t even feel guilty about it because it wasn’t that nice out anyway.

(Lion mane)

So I guess my lesson has been learned. If you want to be able to run 18 miles, you should probably not drink your face off the night before a long run. (Notice I said my lesson was learned, not that I would actually heed this advice on a regular basis). But I’m glad that I had made it up in my mind to make this run a good one and did what I needed to do to make sure it actually happened. 

High fiving myself, sorry. 

November Project- JUST SHOW UP.

Perhaps one of my favorite things in this world is FREE FITNESS.  Whether it’s my running group, the Nike Training Club, at home workouts or a free trial at a gym- I am all about proving that you can be in shape at not spend thousands of dollars! And lucky for me, NYC is just BURSTING with free fitness groups.  I swear, I discover a new one every day.

So it’s kind of amazing that it has taken me this long to #JustShowUp for November Project, which meets every Wednesday morning at 6:28 a.m. at Gracie Mansion (I am a fan of their punctuality). I can literally roll out of bed at 6:15, jog over, and be enveloped in a million sweaty hugs from this crazy awesome fitness family.

The first time I came to #WakeUpTheSun with November Project, it was a little intimidating. I’m not the world’s biggest hugger, and meeting new people isn’t my strength. But everyone was SO friendly, and I definitely have found that fitness-freaks like me have a special bond.

The first morning I went was “PR Day” where we basically ran “mansions” (laps around Gracie Mansion) and saw how long it took us to finish a certain number of them.

Everyone has shirts (#GrassrootsGear) and everyone is enthusiastic and motivating and badass. We start each morning jumping up and down and screaming “Fuck yeah!” I’m not even kidding. We are called a tribe. And our leaders? So inspiring- not to mention fucking hysterical. 

And I got to meet Ali, whose blog I have been following for a while now, and who works at my most favorite place- JackRabbit! The next morning I showed up, my friend Salim from JackRabbit was there! The fitness community in New York City is kind of crazy that way. November Project even has a special vocabulary and traditions and I’m all about that spirit-y stuff. I was hooked from the start!

(Look, I have lots of new friends!)

Every Wednesday, they announce the location for Friday’s workout- and I’ll admit, I’ve been lazy and only made it to one- on the Fourthof July! We met at Grand Army Plaza decked out in our patriotic workout gear and did a bunch of fun stuff like suicide relays and leaping over people planking.

Wednesday’s workouts are usually running-centered, with loops around the park alternating with different exercises like burpees (ugh), pushups, planks, tricep dips, lunges, etc. Not to sound like a snob, but one of my favorite parts about November Project is that these guys are no joke. The workout is hard, and you will be pushed! But it's also a great social atmosphere, and you laugh and smile while you're getting your butt kicked.

And did I mention there’s a photographer who stealthily captures you looking badass? Yes.  There is. And I’m vain, and I love checking Facebook every Wednesday afternoon to see if there’s a shot of me.

I’m pumped because tomorrow, we’re meeting at Randall’s Island and I’m finally going to have my own #GrassRootsGear. If you read up on November Project, it’s a really amazing story, and thinking about it always gets me pumped to set my alarm early. These people are SO dedicated- sometimes running over 8 miles just to GET to the workout. And November Project is in 17 different cities already!

Thank you to my friend Tina for getting me involved in this awesome group. Everyone reading this- we want YOU to join us! Just show up!

(Ayyy)

Restaurant Week: Summer 2014

It’s Restaurant Week in NYC!  Or should I say, “Restaurant Almost-Month.” The summer restaurant week runs from July 21 through August 15- and I’m about to drop a sizeable chunk of change to try some restaurants that I couldn’t normally afford.

But with over 300 restaurants participating, it’s no easy task deciding which places you’d like to tackle.  Here are some questions you can ask yourself to make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck, while also ensuring a worthwhile culinary experience (sounds fancy, huh? It is).

(This was my friends entree at David Burke's Fishtail. So pretty!)

Is there a big difference between the lunch and dinner menus?
At some restaurants, the lunch menu, which is $25 for three courses, is identical to the dinner menu, which is $38 for three courses.   You do the math. Often, the lunch menu is offered until 4 p.m., and with the amount of food you get- it’s definitely possible that you could pull an “80-year-old in Florida” and make it your dinner.

Save the Restaurant Week dinners for places that either don’t offer lunch, or offer a lunch menu that you’re just not feelin’ (But I’m telling you, the lunch menu is almost always very similar.)

Am I getting the goods?
Sorry, but I’m not dropping $30 on a lunch if my best appetizer option is a kale Caesar salad and the best entrée is some chicken with vegetables. You can keep your “assorted gelatos.” But anywhere giving me seafood options, lamb, duck, creative desserts, etc., I’m all in.

Will I actually experience the restaurant? 

Are they actually offering signature dishes from their typical menus? Or are they offering lame dishes made “special” for restaurant week? If there’s a dish you’ve been dying to try at a place, but it’s not offered on the restaurant week menu- save the trip, and splurge on that special entrée you’ve been eyeing.

Can you eat here another time for around the same price?
If this is a restaurant you can typically afford anyway, don’t go during restaurant week.  I usually look at their price rating on Yelp or similar websites.  If they’re a $$$$ restaurant- the chances I’m treating myself to a night there without it being restaurant week are very slim.  But $$, I can manage on my own at a later date.

Do they have regular prix fixe menus?
If the restaurant offers a prix fixe year-round, and it’s affordable, save it, and go to a restaurant without a regular prix fixe option.

A few more tips:

• It’s also important to consider whether or not you plan on drinking, how much the restaurants cocktails typically go for, and if you are a dessert person or not.  If you would rather get a cocktail or two and not order dessert, maybe the prix fixe restaurant week option at that particular restaurant isn’t for you.
• Be adventurous- don’t make reservations at 4 Italian restaurants or 3 different sushi bars.  Chances are, the options, given the smaller menus, will be very similar among restaurants with the same cuisine.  So why not try sushi one night and Indian the next? You live in NYC, the options are endless.  Get out there and try new things!
• Take notice of supplementary charges on the restaurant week menus- a lot of times, signature dishes will cost an extra $7-$12!
• If you're like me, and love Instagramming your food- #NYCResaurantWeek is giving away gift cards to the best pictures! Get your X-ProII on and arrange those plates!
• Plan ahead, and make reservations.

What are my plans for the remainder of Restaurant Week, you ask?

Dovetail, mas (la grillade), Tamarind – Tribeca, Lure Fishbar. And I went to Fishtail on Sunday (review to follow!)

Leave me comments if there's any other places I NEEEEEED to try :) And happy eating! 

Review: Two Tablespoons

Food markets, fairs and festivals in New York City are so wonderful. Entire streets blocked off for all different types of food vendors. Typically, I’m completely overwhelmed.  But when I visited Madison Square Eats, for once, I knew exactly what I was there to get! A vendor called Two Tablespoons- specializing in making delicious vegetarian food with organic and locally sourced ingredients. 

(Lovely setting for a food festival!)

I had been following them on Instagram for a while, and salivating at their colorful, fresh looking pictures on an almost daily basis. It was time to see if Two Tablespoons could please my taste buds as much as it pleased my eyes.

I ordered my food to go, and for the entire 45 minute trek back to my apartment, my stomach growled and I SO BADLY wanted to be that person eating on the subway. But I persevered and waited until I could sit outside on my roof with fresh spring rolls and salad. Ahhh, perfection.

(Look how colorful!)

First, I had the Lentils, Beets and Goat Cheese spring roll- filled with lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, beets, lentils, goat cheese and a citrus vinaigrette.  Wow. Everything was so fresh, and how can you beet eating something with all of these beautiful colors? (Did you catch my pun?) I’m a sucker for goat cheese, and paired with the pop of citrus vinaigrette, it was a wonderful combination.

The second spring roll I ordered was the Corn, Coconut and Curry Sauce. This one was filled with lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, corn, quinoa, pickled onions, coconut, almonds and curry sauce.  I loooove anything curry, so I was a little disappointed in this roll because the curry flavor was lacking a little bit. But overall, it was delicious and fresh!

Lastly, I ordered one of their glass noodle salads.  I chose the Lentils, Market Greens and Masala Dressing (again, love Indian-inspired flavors!) At first, it looked like a giant pile of lentils. But once I mixed it up, I saw the delicious glass noodles, carrots, onions and capers mixed in with the lentils.  It was a little bit of lentil overload after the lentil, beet and goat cheese spring roll, but still, delicious.

If I had to choose, I would definitely say the lentil, beet and goat cheese spring roll was my favorite part of this meal, but everything was delicious! I definitely plan on ordering from them again before they leave their current site, Broadway Bites in Greeley Square.

I’m dying to try their other menu items!

Biggggg thumbs up to Two Tablespoons. Not only was it healthy and delicious, but the price was right. 2 spring rolls are just $7.50 and let me tell you, they are filling with the lentils or quinoa! You can also try one of each spring roll for just $10! That’s less than a Chop’t salad! The small salads are only $5.50 and a large is $10. The two spring rolls + small salad were PLENTY to eat and I even had some leftover that I enjoyed with lunch the next day.

I will certainly be following them wherever they set up shop! It’s the perfect summer meal. 

Drunk Food Confessions: Guac Guac Guac Everybody!

I'm starting a new feature on the blog- where I come clean about all of the ridiculous food I decide it's OK to eat while drunk. 

I would like to publicly acknowledge the fact that recently, in one weekend, my friends and I ordered 10 guacamole burgers from Jackson Hole. Which is a record, even for us.

The Jackson Hole menu was drunkenly opened after many drinks and many rounds of Cards Against Humanity. And as people started making suggestions, my friend grabbed the menu back and declared, “You’re all getting GUAC BURGERS. You’ll thank me."

And we did.

(We also may have gotten chicken parm and an egg sandwich. Because drunk cravings cannot be ignored.)  

Queen of Hearts

Usually when I’m playing cards, I’m drinking. But recently, I’ve switched it up a little bit. My new favorite type of workout for days that I’m not concentrating on certain muscles or cardio is the deck of cards workout. It’s such a great way to mix things up, keep yourself interested, keep your body guessing, and you can make them as difficult as you want.  

The first one that I did was a couple of weeks ago. For the most part, I used Pumps & Iron’s Cardio Deck of Cards Workout, with a few tweaks.

Here’s what it looked like:

Clubs- Push-Ups/Renegade Row

Diamonds- Jack Jump Planks

Spades – V-Up Crunches

Hearts – I altered this, because I was doing the workout outside and didn’t have a treadmill.  I did :30 high knees, :30 butt kicks, :30 jumping jacks, :30 pretending to jump-rope.

The number = the number of reps (aces are 11 and face cards are 10). 

(Pictures taken from Pumps and Iron!)

I had planned on doing another circuit routine I found online after this, but by the end of the deck, I was poooooped! And it took a while to complete!

This weekend while I was home, I got to go to my old gym for my absolute FAVORITE class- Boot Camp! The instructor, an old family friend, is super intense and puts a lot of thought and effort into each workout, which I love.  This week, she had a deck of cards workout planned! We partnered up and every group of two got a deck of cards to try to complete before the end of class. 

Clubs – Box Jumps
Spades – Pike-Up/Push-Up on the medicine ball
Diamonds – Sprints
Hearts – Weighted lunges

For this deck of cards workout, Jacks were 11, Queens were 12, Kings with 13 and Aces were 14! A joker meant you had to go through all four exercises doing 14 reps.

Good stuff! 

Ramblings of a Runner

A few weeks ago at the last minute I decided to go to the USQ Tuesday social run. It was a gorgeous day, and someone had chalked the route (someone from the store goes out and draws chalk arrows around the city for us to follow!) I love that, because then I don’t feel like I need to stay with the group because I don’t know where I’m going (my navigational and directional skills are poor at best). I was wearing my Nike’s, not my running sneakers. But it ended up being one of those runs where I was close to tears at how amazing it felt. I. was. flying. I wish I had had a watch because I reallllllly want to know what my pace was. I’ve never felt so fast in my entire life. It was nuts. I finished so far ahead of everyone else that I felt kind of bad. I was totally in the zone, didn’t want to talk to anyone, just wanted to sprint and sprint far and fast, and I did. And it was amazing. The other night I ditched the group too because I was in a bad mood and needed to run it out on my own. It’s crazy how much like therapy it can be for me.

It got me thinking about my running preferences and how much they can change on any given day. Most days, I love running with other people. I love the camaraderie and I love the conversations that take your mind off of whatever happened that day (or the fact that you’re sucking wind up a hill). 

(Hooray to running with friends) 

But some days, I need to just run alone and mull things over in my head without anyone else around. Just me and my sneakers.

And then there are the days that I NEED to run with someone. Usually, these are my long runs or early morning runs.  I will admit, sometimes I dread a run.  There, I said it. I don’t like admitting that. I like to think that running is my happy place, and training for this marathon is going to be sunshine and rainbows because I love running, right? Yeah, well.  Sometimes I don’t feel like waking up at 5:15 to run 12 miles before work. Why do it then? Because without fail, if I do it, I feel better afterwards. I need to accept the fact that training is going to feel like work at times.  Hard work. But I’ve read enough marathon recaps to know that if I can successfully cross that finish line after 26.2 miles, all of those miles thinking, “This sucks I want to stop” will be distant memories.

I also know that I’m going to have plenty of runs where I need that friend to be waiting for me at 5:30 so that I don’t shut off my alarm and go back to sleep.  And I’m going to need that friend who says, “Just 3 5Ks left and we’re done!” And I’m going to need that friend who says, “Pick it up Wolman, I know you can do better.” And I’m also going to need that friend who says, “Don’t be stupid, you’re going to hurt yourself.”

Another big thing I’ve noticed about my running preferences recently is that I haven’t worn headphones in ages! I’m either with people talking or running alone and thinking- and both of those things require no music! I still like to have music during a race in case I need it for that extra added “umph” but for the most part, I think I’m a music-free runner now. 

And those are my runner-ramblings for now. 

A New Foodie Happy Place

I have found my new foodie happy place. Smorgasburg is my first true love. But sometimes, it’s not the perfect day for lounging outside while eating delicious food. Sometimes, it does this annoying thing where liquid falls from the sky and makes me sad.  And sometimes, it’s not the weekend (I know, ew, right?) So when it’s not a beautiful Saturday or a beautiful Sunday, it’s a relief to know there’s somewhere else I can go with an overwhelming number of incredible food options that I eventually need to try.

Chelsea Market.

Probably the coolest building I’ve ever been in. You need to check it out. If you are somehow not enticed by the amazing food I’m about to tell you about, you should still go just to walk around and see the inside of it.

My friend and I went and did a lap (complete with all the free samples we could get our hands on, which was a lot) while contemplating how on earth we would make a decision about what to eat. It was like all the NYC food blogs I read had taken their top picks and plopped them into one building. Every place I passed I felt like I had read about. 

(Overwhelming number of options!)

We decided that instead of us each picking what we wanted for lunch, we should pick two things we both wanted and split them so we each got to try two things- teamwork at its best.

I was so happy that we both wanted Beyond Sushi, because I cannot tell you how long I have been DYING to try it. We got a combo which came with a roll and two single pieces- we got the fiesta roll, a mango piece and a tofu piece. We found a place to sit next to a cool fountain thing and I began to photograph the shit out of my beautiful vegan sushi rolls. I mean, look at it.  This stuff is art. Tasty, tasty art.  

There’s not much description I can think to give except happy taste buds. So happy. It came with some orange saucy thing in a little squirt container and I pretty much doused each of my pieces in it. Soy sauce shmoy sauce. Unnecessary with fresh flavahs like these.

Next it was time to get our taco on at Los Taco No. 1.  I’ve read a lot about these guys- one from Mexico and one from California- promised to be one of the most authentic tacos in the big apple. I spent forever waiting for Immaculate Infatuation to load so I knew which taco to order- I trust those guys big time, and if they tell me the way to go is with a carne asada corn taco, you better believe that’s what I am going to order. 

(Menu = unnecessary when you have The Infatuation as your guide!)

In hindsight we both should have gotten our own instead of attempting to split it. 1) Because it was a very messy endeavor and 2) Because half of this taco was NOT ENOUGH. 50 of these tacos would not be enough. It is impossible to ever have enough of these tacos. Upon first biting into this taco, I’m pretty sure our eyes may have rolled back in our heads. The sounds we were making were probably concerning to people. It was very close to a sexual experience we were having with this taco. We couldn’t get over how amazing this taco tasted. What do they put in it? Crack. Go get yourself some Los Taco No. 1 now. What are you waiting for? Go.

The only way to finish off a lunch of sushi and tacos is with some raspberry Ample Hills Creamery ice cream right? Oh yeah. I had a coupon for a free cup from filling out a survey on Chelsea Market’s Instagram so we split a small cup to top off our adventure. It was ice cream. It was yummy. 

Chelsea Market, I have only scratched your surface. We are going to be great friends. 

Thank You JackRabbit!

In exciting, running related news (some of you out there may think that’s an oxymoron) I have updated my sneakers! An expensive but worthwhile venture.

I was back and forth on whether I wanted to buy my shoes online or in the store at JackRabbit. I could find them much cheaper ordering online, but I have such an appreciation for JackRabbit and all they do for me and other runners in New York City that I decided $120 on a pair of new shoes was a price I was willing to pay as a token of my thanks to them.

If you think about it, I owe them much more. They have provided me with:

-A running group that I can participate in for free, in multiple locations in the city, almost every night of the week.

In a typical week, I run at the UES store Monday, USQ store Tuesday, choose between UES and USQ on Thursday, and long run at UES on Saturday morning. If I wanted, I could also run UWS and Brooklyn runs.

-New and exciting routes that I never would have discovered on my own.

Wake up in the morning and don’t feel like doing the same boring loop of Central Park? That’s ok, I now know how to run to Randall’s Island for a tour.

Brooklyn over the Manhattan Bridge? Easy. You can run to Yankee Stadium? Sure you can!

 -

Friends.

And in New York City, sometimes a nice, normal friend with similar interests is a lot harder to find than you might think.

-Knowledge.

This goes along with the friends and running group. It’s crazy how long you can talk about running related things, and how little I knew when I first started. Cadence? Splits? PR? My mind is now filled with running lingo. How do I make my IT band stop hurting? Running friends to the rescue! “You need a foam roller!” “A foam what? Ow, fuck.” I can sleep in compression socks but never compression sleeves. Got it. CEP are the way to go, medical grade bitches! See, I sound smart, and it’s thanks to JackRabbit!

(Thanks for introducing me to this torture device...)

-Other Fitness Related Awesomeness

. A free spin class at the trendy new Cyc studio in David Barton Gym that would usually cost me $30? Heck yes I’ll be there! Oh, you’re going to give me armfuls of free OatWorks smoothies afterwards? Sweeeeeet. Free yoga? Free HIIT workouts in the park? The chance to sample and run with a new GPS watch? A free gel for every Saturday long run? (Those things ain’t cheap, people). Through JackRabbit and people I’ve met there I’ve also had a chance to run for people in a NYRR 4-miler and in the Brooklyn Half Marathon! 2 tech shirts! 2 amazing days! 2 PRs! Oh, did I mention once I got two free pairs of UnderArmour underwear for the day we ran to Times Square to participate in breaking the world record for most people in their underwear? They’re super comfy underwear too.

(OW OWWW ;)

-Beer and Burgers.

Yes, JackRabbit has even provided the new Jack to Jack running group with pitchers of beer to celebrate a hard 3 miles through the park.

They are that awesome. And their monthly Shake Shack runs? Free shake or beer or beverage of choice (and the first week, they let us order WHATEVER WE WANTED TO EAT TOO).

So although I say it all the time, THANK YOU JACKRABBIT.

Let’s go back to my exciting story about new shoes, shall we? We shall.

It was definitely time to replace my Guide 6’s. A lot of non-running friends have been asking how I know it’s time to get a new pair and I can’t really give them an answer except that I just KNEW my sneakers were dead.  My legs were hurting more than they should for the miles I was doing, my calves were tight. The time had come to say goodbye to my blue and pink babies.

I had been out on a few runs recently in my Nike’s (bad for my shins but they were unplanned runs, sorrrrry legs) and actually loved how light they felt. So when I had John helping me figure out what to buy, I told him:

-I’m looking for something lighter

-I had a stress fracture

-My shins sucks

-I’m a 7.5

Things I also should have said but didn’t:

-I’m probably only going to pick a pair of sneakers if they come in pretty colors…

John brought out 3 different pairs and said they were each lighter but still supportive enough for my problematic legs. The first were an orange pair of New Balance. I ran a little on the treadmill in them and they felt pretty good. John said I was running fine in them, my right leg a little more wonky then the left but nothing to worry about (yes, I just used the word wonky, one of my gran’s specialties).

Second were a pair of Mizuno’s I’d been eyeing because they are SO PRETTY. Like, look at these. But sadly, they had a weird cushiony front piece that my big toe was mashing into- John said a lot of people complain about it. And I ALWAYS end up busting my toe through the top of the shoe as it is (another way I know it’s time for a new pair) so those weren’t going to work. So sad, because they were beautiful.

Third was a pair of Brooks that I loooooved the feel of.  They were like hugs on my feet.  They felt snug in a good way.  But they were ugly, and had the least amount of cushioning and support.  John explained that that also meant I would have to replace them a lot more frequently, which I can’t really afford.

That’s when I asked, “Can I try on the Guide 7’s?” D’oh.

Of course, when I hopped on the treadmill in the Guides, my feet were like oh, yeah, that’s right- because they’re what I’m used to. And they come in pretty colors. And last more miles. But they aren’t really “new” for me and they definitely aren’t lighter! But, as I am a creature of habit, and scared to make changes especially when it comes to running given my track record with injuries, I bought myself another pair of Guides. Here they are, ladies and gents, my new kicks: 

Restaurant Review: Bar Americain

I typed this blog entry as I flew across the country to Las Vegas for work. It has been a crazy month or so, both in my personal life and at work. I haven’t had nearly the time I wish I had to dedicate to writing, hence the complete lack of posts.  But I haven’t forgotten about PB Is My Boyfriend, and I am not quitting on it! I’m determined to keep this blog kickin’ and in order to do that, I need to keep going out in the city, exercising, finding new workout groups, eating delicious food- it’s hard work, but someone’s got to do it, and I’m up for the task. Since I last posted, I have done SO MANY fitness and food related things that I can’t wait to eventually write about…in time I hope to be caught up and back on track.  So where to start?

How about the night out at Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain with my parents- not my usual healthy fare, and not my favorite, but it had its high notes. We had planned to go to Momofuku’s Times Square restaurant, Ma Peche, but last minute decided that since we were out to celebrate my mom’s birthday, we should probably go somewhere that we knew she would like.  Plus the a la carte style of Ma Peche was a little daunting. I was crankily asserting that Times Square is THE worst place in Manhattan to try to find a seriously good restaurant, and calling Gato every 5 minutes to see if they had any last minute reservations available because I WILL get there one day, but in the end Bobby Flay’s other restaurant, Bar Americain, is where we decided to go.  Overall, I was pretty pleased with the choice.

The night kicked off to a good start when the bartender was able to make my favorite cocktail, stolen from China Grill, the China Blossom- St. Germain elderflower liquor, gin and grapefruit juice. A+.

Then, the bread basket contained CORN BREAD. I have a strange love for cornbread, and this cornbread was crispy and buttery- thumbs up.

(Corn bread STICKS)

Our waiter totally suckered us into an unplanned appetizer when he said, “Would you like some chips?” The bread hadn’t come out yet, so we thought he was offering complimentary chips.  My dad, whose been there before and had their potato chips, said we HAD to try them anyway so it was fine.  The homemade chips came out and while I didn’t think they were anything special- the blue cheese dip that they’re served with is another story.  Holy yum. 

(Magical, artery clogging cheese dip)

My dad eventually asked for the recipe and it’s something ridiculous like blue cheese, another type of cheese, heavy cream, butter- it’s basically a clogged artery in the form of cheese dip but it was the creamiest cheesiest most delicious thing. We all had to restraint ourselves from just eating spoonfuls of it. Every time the waiter asked to clear it away we were like absolutely not.

We also ordered two appetizers, though I’m sad to report, I wasn’t a fan of either of them.  The first was a crab avocado tower thing (crushed avocado, blue crab, hearts of palm, hot mustard and trout roe to be exact). It’s really hard writing reviews of restaurants to long after the fact, because a lot of the details are hard to remember.  I can’t remember specifics, just that  there was some taste in this appetizer that wasn’t doing it for me- usually I’ll just eat stuff because it’s there, but this I was able to just stop eating because I really didn’t like anything about it.  Weird, considering there’s not many seafood and guacamole dishes I’ll say no to. Maybe the problem was that it was bland? I don’t know. Either way, eh.

The second was an escargot appetizer that my parents made me promise I wouldn’t say anything bad about in my review because they assured me that it was incredible- they loved it (happy guys?)  I won’t say anything bad except that there were definitely truffles used in this- and I hate nothing more than that taste, so this appetizer was also a no go for me.

(Pat and Mitch promise it was delicious)

For dinner I ordered the lamb entrée, because I love lamb, and it came with carrots and quinoa!! The meal was lamb loin with a pinot noir barbeque sauce, charred carrots, quinoa and mint. Sadly, to me, the lamb was fatty, though my dad insists that it wasn’t fatty, just poorly cooked.  The veggies, sauce and quinoa were tasty though. 

In hindsight, I would have enjoyed my mom’s meal much more- she ordered the special of the night which was fish that had a delicious black bean sauce and avocado…I ended up eating a bunch of it! 

(Momma did well with her choice!)

My dad got the rabbit, so I got to try bunny for the first time, HA. I really liked it, it was like delicious dark meat chicken. My favorite part of dinner was the corn cake that came with my dad’s meal. I don’t know how to describe except it was a crispy flaky little pie filled with creamy delicious corn. I ate the entire thing. 

I also had made my parents order a side of sweet potatoes au gratin. Mmmm cheese and sweet potatoes how can you go wrong? This was also delicious. 

So overall, the highlights of the meal were my mom’s fish entrée, my quinoa, the sweet potatoes, and that dreamy corn cake! I wish I could have combined all of those elements to make my own entrée but, c’est la vie!

For a midtown restaurant, Bar Americain is good. For a New York City restaurant, it’s average. I will say that it’s a really spacious, pretty restaurant and the service was excellent.  The food left something to be desired for me, but there were definitely standouts that made the meal worthwhile. Bobby Flay, you’ve done alright with Bar Americain, but my hopes are much higher for the night I finally get a table at Gato! 

But by far the best part of the night was the company :)