Personalitini

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Rooftop Bar

Brooklyn is Berry (Park) Good

Drinks, New American, Pub, Rooftop BarLizComment

A Rainshower Doesn't Get Me Down!

After brunch, Aish and I took the L train to Williamsburg. One of her Stern friends (that also recently graduated) was hosting a get together at Berry Park (http://berryparkbk.com/), a pub with a rooftop bar.

Earlier in the afternoon, it wasn't raining, so we enjoyed the open roof deck. After we had our first drink, it did start pouring, so it was nice that the outside area had a glass ceiling that could be closed.

At the bar, there is an alcoholic slushie machine from Kelvin Natural Slush Co. (http://kelvinslush.com/). It was featuring "Arnold Palmer" which is 1/2 tea and 1/2 citrus slush and vodka.

A Magical Machine

A Magical Machine

The drink was amazing - SO TASTY! I'm not a big fan of maraschino cherries, so I gave mine to Aish.

Arnold Palmer Slushie

Arnold Palmer Slushie

I'd like to come back here for brunch (it is 7 days a week till 4pm).

Cheers,

Liz

 

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

Drinks, Events, Hotel Bar, Outdoors, Rooftop BarLizComment

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!

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

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

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!

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

 

My Favorite Bar in Santiago

Drinks, Rooftop BarLizComment

Killer Cocktails Complement the Killer Views!

Whenever I'm in a new city, I'm determined to explore the best culinary and cocktail spots. During my stay in Santiago, I went with a group of new friends to the W Santiago (http://www.starwoodhotels.com/whotels/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1979). known for its rooftop views, fantastic restaurants and incredible cocktails.

WHAT A VIEW!

WHAT A VIEW!

Naturally, this wasn't the only photo we took. Heading into this trip, I didn't know many of the people on it. I'm glad that I went on it because I ended up making great new friendships.

Sophia, Frank, me, Asuka, Gabriel, Erin and John ("JBJ")

Sophia, Frank, me, Asuka, Gabriel, Erin and John ("JBJ")

A good looking group of people, right? The bar wasn't open on the rooftop, but we headed down to the W Lounge for cocktails! I got the Kappa Punch - a Pisco based cocktail with Grand Marnier and Pineapple Juice. So delicious!

Kappa Kappa YUM

Kappa Kappa YUM

We ordered some snacks at the bar before we headed to dinner. I got empanadas that reminded me of Totino's Pizza Rolls - so authentic!

Funs times with new friends :)

Funs times with new friends :)

If you find yourself in Santiago, check out this spot for a drink and a view!

Cheers,

Liz

 

Brass Monkey...

Drinks, Rooftop BarLizComment

...That Funky Monkey

 

Last night was apparently a birthday bonanza for Stern! Isaac was celebrating his birthday and picked the Brass Monkey (http://brassmonkeynyc.com/) as the meeting spot. I have heard about this spot for a long time but never quite made it over. I first saw it on The Real Housewives of New York when Bethenny and Kelly met to discuss their awkward "friendship". It is clear that Bethenny has moved on to better things, not including Brass Monkey. 

The venue reminds me of the type of place a ton of people end of going that don't want to deal with the hassle of covers and VIP lists but want to go to Meatpacking - such a hot spot. The crowd seemed to be heavily skewed to the B&T (Bridge and Tunnel) population, which is never a good sign. This crowd tends to be very annoying and a hallmark move is the always reliable "I have somewhere more important to go than you so I'm going to shove through the crowd with my massive purse and you're just going to have to f-ing deal with it because I drove here in my new outfit" move. It is super annoying. The bar lets in WAY too many people, so everyone is shoving and moving about, especially to make it up to the rooftop. 

It was nice once I escaped the frenzy of the first two levels. The rooftop had places to sit. It was also two other classmates' birthdays: Trent and Lilian. It was nice to catch up with each of them in an area that lent itself to conversation. It sounds like I'm asking for a lot, but I like to hear what the other person is saying during a conversation.

Overall, Brass Monkey will not be on my list of places to return. There are far too many other great places to go to in the city that aren't jam-packed with people. I'd rather pay $15 for a cocktail at a nice spot than return here for a vodka & soda (all they can really make) that I will likely spill on myself because of the B&T move described above.

Cheers,

Liz

 

Blue Ribbon Bonding

Beer, Biergarten, Rooftop BarLizComment

Back to School Beers!

 

Two wonderful people in my block, Michelle and Mike, had the bright idea to organize a drinking occasion after our "first last day of school". It is hard to believe, but I'm already into my second year of business school! 

They suggested a relatively newish rooftop beer garden that opened, Blue Ribbon Beer Garden (http://www.blueribbonrestaurants.com/rests_beer_garden_main.htm). I'm not a huge beer drinker, but figured I would order that vs. a glass of wine ("When at a Beer Garden"). I got a bottle of Sapporo Light for $7 - it seemed a bit overpriced and wasn't that cold - wahhh. I do realize that at these places you're really paying for the location - an awesome rooftop setting in the Lower East Side. Some of the people in our group played beer pong. Not really my thing, but play on players. 

I'm not sure if I would go back since there are so many other places I still need to discover. 

Cheers!
Liz

 

Stopping by the Rooftop of the McKittrick Hotel

Drinks, Dinner, Wine, Rooftop BarLizComment

Gallow Green - AMAZING!

To celebrate the end of our incredible internships, my good friend Olivia and I went to an awesome spot: Gallow Green (http://mckittrickhotel.com/gallowgreen/) at the McKittrick Hotel. We had visited the hotel last year to see the interactive Macbeth performance of "Sleep No More" - this was certainly a different experience!

The venue is gorgeous. I highly recommend visiting it for drinks (the live music is fantastic) and/or dinner (the food is also lovely). I am a huge fan of large format cocktails, so we started with a bowl of boozy popsicle punch. It was made with Ketel One vodka and absolutely splendid! There were two fresh fruit popsicles inside - one pineapple and one watermelon - and a large square ice cube. The shape of the cube allowed it to melt slowly (chilling without too much diluting). As they continued to melt, they added to the taste and profile of the punch.

Once we finished the punch, we moved on to more cocktails! I ordered a glass of rose Champagne. It was served in a couple glass - how lovely! 

I strongly believe that glassware can influence the taste of a cocktail. My Grandma always said this and it has stuck!

After we finished up at Gallow Green, we went to The Heath (one floor below the rooftop). It was AWESOME. Great live music and dancing. I ordered a twist on a vodka lemonade, it was tasty. The credit card machine wasn't working though, so it was a bit annoying with cash/ATM fees.

You must check out this spot! A real "wow" location in the city.

Cheers,

Liz

 

Checking in at the Wythe Hotel & The Ides Bar

Drinks, Hotel Bar, Rooftop BarLizComment

Great View with Cocktails to Match

I'm a big fan of Williamsburg. I figured a great way to kick off my friend's first visit was with an introduction to the Wythe Hotel (http://wythehotel.com/) and its rooftop, The Ides Bar. I had been meaning to go but hadn't visited it yet - what better day than the Fourth of July? 

The rooftop didn't open until 2pm, so we ordered a cocktail at the main level bar. I got a Tom Collins. It was quite tasty! I've been on a gin kick lately. The cocktail is made with gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and club soda. The weather was super hot so this was the ideal way to cool down. 

The Ides Bar has a fantastic view of the city. I was shocked by how pretentious it seemed downstairs. There is a whole process of waiting in a roped line and having a hostess check IDs and then usher up groups up people to the elevator. It seemed a bit too Manhattan for the neighborhood. I can imagine it is a popular spot, but maybe it is getting too popular for its own good.

Once upstairs, I ordered a traditional daiquiri - not your frozen type. The basic recipe (that every bartender should master!) is rum, fresh squeezed citrus (typically lime) and sugar (natural is best). The drink wasn't as good as the one I loved at my work bar, but then again, the rum used was Zacapa - which is amazing!

I also got a glass of rose, but that is not exciting, so no picture!

Cheers!

Liz