Here Kitti(chai), Kitti(chai)

Boozy Thai Brunch

Melissa has grown to be a very close friend of mine over the past year. She recently celebrated her 25th birthday and invited some of us to the $25 bottomless brunch at Kittichai (http://www.kittichairestaurant.com/). She keeps me young - turning 30 in August. EEK.

I have heard rave reviews about it, so I was eager try it out. Thai is one of my favorite cuisines, so combining it with unlimited cocktails is always a good time! I started with the Bloody Mary. It had a weird taste to it, so I ate the olive to cleanse my palate and moved ON.

Bloody Mary - Just say NO!

Melissa invited both friends from Stern and beyond - I always love the opportunity to meet new people. Her other friends are really great, especially Dayna.

Dayna and Melissa, looking for refills, obviously.

In the picture above, Melissa has the Lychee Bellini in the cocktail glass. It was lovely - just the perfect amount of sweetness. I really enjoyed this one!

I also tried the Blood Orange Mimosa. It was ok. Based on the color, I doubt it was anything more than regular OJ.

"Blood Orange" Mimosa

The beautiful birthday girl - Melissa! Love her so much!

PUG!

After looking at the different brunch options, I decided to go the savory route. The Shrimp Pad Thai was delicious. Melissa commented that the portions used to be much larger. It was quite tasty, so I would have been happy to have eaten more.

Shrimp Pad Thai

We HAD to have a Stern photo shoot!

Melissa and Diana

Dipti and Hannah

This is a super hip spot but beware, since it is bottomless, some younger "just turned 21" folks come there that get super wasted and loud (at least that was our experience).

Cheers,

Liz

 

Happy Hour in the Deep Blue Sea

Mermaid Inn for the Win!

I love a good happy hour deal. Frank and I wanted to catch up and he suggested the Mermaid Inn (http://www.themermaidnyc.com/uws/). I had been to the East Village location once and loved the selection of snacks and cocktails. It is lovely to find a location that serves up fancy cocktails at happy hour pricing and not just basic drinks (vodka soda or rum and coke).

The happy hour is from 5-7pm daily. Cocktails are $7, Wine by the Glass is $6, and Beer is $5.

Entrance

Isn't the cover on the butter adorable?

I started with the Gone with the Gin, made with gin, grapefruit liqueur, thyme and lemon. It was refreshing and light and FAR TOO easy to drink! I highly recommend it!

Gone with the Gin!

Oysters are $1 each during happy hour - a great deal! We got a dozen to split. The two sauces served with them (cocktail and mignonette) offered a nice enhancement to the natural briny ocean flavor.

One Dozen East Coast Oysters

The Mini Mermaid Fish Taco is made with blackened tilapia, avocado, and smoked jalapeno. At $3 each, they were a bit pricey given the size! They flavor was wonderful though and the fish was super fresh.

Mini Mermaid Fish Tacos

We got an order of calamari ($7) which was served with a very unusual dipping sauce. Frank thought it may have had tamarind in it. I'm so used to marinara sauce that is was a change for sure!

Fried Calamari

For my second cocktail, I ordered the Kentucky Green, made with bourbon, apricot and green tea syrup. I loved how the green tea syrup brought out the flavor of the bourbon. An awesome combo!

The Kentucky Green

Frank ordered one grilled shrimp & avocado slider for $7. It seemed a bit overpriced for the small size. Frank did say the flavor was quite tasty.

Grilled Shrimp & Avocado Slider

The Yelp! Check-in deal is awesome - you get 1 free side even without purchasing an entrée! What a deal at happy hour! Naturally, we got the most expensive side: smoked gouda mac & cheese. It was rich and delicious...and FREE!

Yelp! Check-in!

When we were finished, we were surprised with a complimentary chocolate mousse! It was the perfect size and the perfect flavor to end our meal with!!

Perfect size!

Mermaid Inn gives you a Fortune Teller Miracle Fish when they present the check. It is a nice touch. Love it!

Your Future is in the Palm of Your Hand!

The happy hour here is wonderful! I encourage you to check it out at either the UWS or East Village location! Also, there is outdoor seating but it was too hot!

Cheers,

Liz

 

In the Zona (Rosa) for Mexican

Heading to Williamsburg for Guac!

After two weeks in Ireland, I was craving Mexican food. The various cuisines that we did try there (Thai, Moroccan, French) were fantastic, though I didn't manage to have any Guacamole and Tacos during my time on the Emerald Isle.

Christine suggested Zona Rosa (http://zonarosabrooklyn.com/), a fun spot in in Burg. I got there a couple minutes early and ordered a Modelo Especial. I drank a lot of beer in Ireland and it has grown on me. Who says you can't change?

Beer helps when you're sweating your face off. Thanks humidity.

We had to get guacamole. I was really glad we did - great portion size and the chips were hot and perfectly salted.

Ample portion of guacamole and chips - plus some salsas!

Christine ordered the Tamarindo, made with mescal and tamarind juice. She said it was great! The smoky flavor of the mescal complimented the sourness of the tamarind.

Zempasuchitll Tamarindo

We got two types of tacos to share. On the top, Tacos de Carnitas made with Braised Berkshire pork Mexico City Style and topped with onions and cilantro. On the bottom, Tacos de Carne Asada con Hongos y Queso. The pork ones were FAR better than the steak ones. I felt the steak ones were too fatty in texture. On top, they came with three salsas of various spice levels. I didn't use any of them though.

TACO TOWER!

This is a great Mexican spot. There is ample outdoor seating upstairs but, given the weather, we opted for air conditioning inside!

Cheers,

Liz

 

Eating at The Pavilion

A Ladies' Lunch to Celebrate my Graduation

My mom and I met up with my Aunt Shirley for lunch. The weather was cooperating so I was pleased with my restaurant choice: The Pavilion (http://www.thepavilionnyc.com/). I went here nearly 8 years ago when it was Luna Park (you may remember it from Sex and the City (Episode: The Monogamists) when Carrie went there and met Jared (the hot shot writer)and Big couldn't find the entrance).

It opened up three weeks ago and occupies a controversial part of Union Square. The photo below shows the stone structure that is part of the park. Opponents of the restaurant claim that it is "unfairly commercializing" public space. This battle has been fought for two years and the restaurant owner (Simon Oren, also the owner of Five Napkin Burger)  invested several million dollars to restore the structure. Oren has a 15-year contract with the city and will pay $300K per year to lease the space. Read more here: http://www.zagat.com/b/new-york-city/the-pavilion-in-union-square-park-is-finally-open

The Pavilion!

Doesn't the menu and glassware look like it just feel out of Anthropologie?

A celebration is not complete without Champagne!!! My mom and aunt ordered a glass and I opted for a unique cocktail. The waiter instead brought out three flutes - I was more than ok with that! Cheers! :)

Champagne

The Park-Side cocktail features light & dark rums, fresh mint & lime, guava "foam" and local pollen. It is a very unique drink - the guava foam has some seeds in it from the fruit. Also, you're not supposed to mix it up. So, don't drink it with a straw. In order to get all the flavors, sip it!

Park-Side Cocktail

I read a lot online about how great the complimentary bread basket was, especially the spread that comes with it. I'm not sure what the spread was, I should have asked, but it tasted delicious! I had to ask the waiter several times (maybe 5?) for the bread. The service is still lacking a bit. Hopefully it is just because the venue recently opened and isn't going to continue - this place is simply too great for poor service.

Bread - don't you love the ceramic fruit carton - again, Anthropologie for the win!

I ordered the Blue Maine Mussels & Fries. As you can see below, the fries are beautifully presented. They were SO tasty!

Delicious Fries

The mussels were delicious, prepared with white wine, garlic & shallot puree and butter.

Blue Maine Mussels

Our server recommended the Greek Salad, made with tomato, cucumber, peppers, onion, olives, croutons, local feta cheese & lemon vinaigrette. My aunt ordered it and I tried a nibble. It tasted really fresh and light.

Greek Salad for the win

I took some photos of the enclosed area of The Pavilion. The weather was nice so we chose to eat outside, also the inside area is a bit louder. The structure amplifies sounds so it can get a bit loud. This makes conversation with your mom and aunt difficult! I love the ceiling lights - white globes are simple and beautiful.

Inside of The Pavilion

The bar

I ordered a cappuccino. I was really disappointed when it arrived cold! If you're paying $5 for a cup of coffee, it better be piping hot. I asked the server to bring a new cup and it was hot! I think the issue comes back to the slow service - the coffee was likely made and just sat there. Get your act together on the service Pavilion! This is a great venue, so don't mess it up so early!

The replacement Cappuccino

Can you even handle all this beauty?

I look forward to coming back here for brunch or dinner and hopefully much improved service!

Cheers,

Liz

 

Uno..Dos (Caminos)..Tres!

Mexican in Meatpacking!

After our evening at the Dream Hotel, Christine and I headed to Dos Caminos Meatpacking(http://www.doscaminos.com/) for dinner. After several hours of cocktails, we were due for actual food!

At Stern, I served as a Launch Captain (helped with Orientation for new students) and I got a gift card for the family of restaurants that owns Dos Caminos. I keep forgetting to use it, but happened to have it in my wallet. This was the perfect occasion!

Whenever I get to a restaurant, I check Yelp! and Foursquare for check-in deals. You'd be surprised on how many perks you can get just by "checking in"! On Yelp!, I noticed there was "1 free Prickly Pear Shot" with check-in. I had no idea how big it would be, but I assumed it would be a small serving of the frozen Prickly Pear margarita.

Yelp! Free Check-in Drink

I liked that it was served in a Champagne flute - it seemed more elegant. We didn't want to order any more alcoholic beverages, so this was a nice sweet treat. Naturally, we had to get the guacamole. A visit to a Mexican restaurant without it seems like a sad visit!

The STAR!

Salsa Trio

The guac here is great, but not as good as Rosa Mexicano. That place is the BEST. We split two tacos. The Carnitas is slow-roasted pork with green chile salsa and pickled red onion. There was an aggressive amount of onion, so I picked some of it off. We also got the Mar y Tierra, with grilled marinated skirt steak, Tecate battered rock shrimp, Sriracha aioli and BACON (!!!!!) guacamole.

Carnitas!

Mar y Tierra - SURF AND TURF

Rice and Beans!

It should be no surprise that I preferred the steak & shrimp tacos - who doesn't love sriracha mayo AND bacon AND guacamole? YUM!

This is a great restaurant and if the weather is nice, you can sit outside! I love people watching and seeing everyone dressed up  getting ready to go out on the town. Great vibe!

Cheers,

Liz

 

The MBA...was it all a Dream (Downtown)?

Last Chance Beer Blast!

Last week was Senior Week and it was SO much fun! Our final event was Last Chance Beer Blast at the Dream Downtown (http://www.dreamhotels.com/hotels/new-york/new-york/dream-downtown/hotel-overview).

We worked with a company, Host Committee (http://www.hostcommittee.com/), to set up the event. Out of the graduating class, we had several hosts responsible for promoting the party to our community. For $25, each attendee got access to a 1-hour open bar and then could stay afterwards. I decided to be a host and it was a great idea!

Swanky Set-Up!

As a host, I had a designated seating area for people that RSVPed under me. I also got a handwritten note from Host Committee, some small desserts, "props" and a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label (not cheap "sparkling wine")! As a host, I had to get 10 people to sign-up for the "Perks" of the table - it was a great way to incentivize me to promote the party and then split the bottle with my guests!

The party got real CRAY

I didn't snap any pictures of it, but as you can imagine, people jumped in the pool! Instead of diving in, I dove into this paper popsicle!

Paper Popsicles have no calories

Christine and I headed out after a couple hours to dinner. Stay tuned for my post! When we were walking to the restaurant, I saw this cute PUG poster. I cannot get enough and wanted to share it with you.

Rasta Pug!

If you're organizing a party, Dream was an awesome spot - especially if the weather is good - and Host Committee worked out really well! They even take professional photos of the event and share them with you!

Cheers,

Liz

 

Out of the Fire and Into the Frying Pan!

School's Out - Party Time

I often feel like a bad New Yorker...especially when I haven't visited certain drinking institutions, such as The Frying Pan (http://fryingpan.com/site/). It is an historic floating lighthouse docked at Pier 66.

It is easy to figure out when you've arrived!

As part of our Senior Week activities, we had a happy hour here. Although it was a bit chilly, the weather cooperated and there was no rain - whew!

We had a tab, so I'm not sure the exact cost, but we got several pitchers of white sangria (maybe $35 each?). It is topped with seasonal fruit - this time peaches and mangoes. SO GOOD. This is some dangerous liquid - it creeps up on you!

This counts as a serving of fruit, right?

We passed the time playing a fun game - Bananagrams! It got super heated - when you have a bunch of drinking MBAs, what could you expect? I had so much fun - woot!

Beth is READY to play!

This is a great spot - it definitely has the potential to be super fratty, so you're warned.

Cheers,

Liz