Surf's Up

Tropical Happy Hour in Hell's Kitchen

After our cocktails at Havana Central, we went over to Reunion. Their happy hour is Mon, Thurs and Fri from 5:30pm to 8:00pm. I would love to check out Taco Tuesday for some great taco deals.

The happy hour deal is great here - drinks are 50% off. Normally $12-$14, they are $6, What an awesome deal in such a great environment! I love the lighting and décor.

Interior Bar

I ordered a Frozen Mojito, the Mermaid! It was phenomenal! I enjoyed it so much I drank it way too quickly. Can you say BRAINFREEZE?!

$6 Frozen Mojito

I love the tongue-in-check signage around the bar. It really adds to the whimsical feel of the space.

#truth

I want to come back here for some food. Watch out Taco Tuesday!

Cheers,

Liz

 

The Best Hour is Happy Hour

$6 Mojito? Yes Please!

Melissa and her friend Dayna were going to catch a Broadway show, If/Then, so we opted to do happy hour in the Theater District. Melissa suggested going to Havana Central (http://havanacentral.com/) since the Mojitos are $6!

Normally, I don't give Mojitos the benefit of the doubt. I'm not the biggest fan of mint in my cocktails. Melissa convinced me to give it a shot and since I trust this lady, I let her be my "spirit" animal, pun intended.

Mojito!

I really enjoyed the cocktail. I loved that it was served with a stick of sugar cane. It absorbs the sweetness of the drink and it compliments the sweetness already in the sugar cane. It is tasty (but messy) to chew on.

I know Times Square can be SCARY but if you happen to find yourself in the area, this is worth your attention.

Cheers,

Liz

 

French? Oui, Oui!

A Lovely Restaurant Amid the HORROR of Times Square

I haven't seen my friend Ann in YEARS and we planned a dinner to catch-up. I wanted to pick a place that would be tasty, not too loud, and near the Port Authority (Ann commutes in from NJ). I did my best to avoid the hellhole of Times Square and found a great French restaurant, Marseille (http://www.marseillenyc.com/). I always appreciate the opinion of fellow Yelpers! to help me find somewhere to eat!

The restaurant has outdoor seating (I chose to avoid it because it can be distracting with all the people walking and cars). The interior reminds me of a French bistro - loved it!

Restaurant Interior

I got to the restaurant a little early and a cocktail caught my attention - Le Pamplemousse. This is a classy reinterpretation of a Greyhound. Made with Absolut Ruby Red Grapefruit Vodka, Campari, Elderflower, Fresh Citrus & Salted Rim. It was DIVINE. The perfect combination of salty and sweet!

Le Pamplemousse

Ann went with the Pomegranate Cocktail, made with Bacardi Silver, Amaretto, and Pomegranate & Pineapple Juice. I tried a sip - tasty but not as good as mine!

Pomegranate Cocktail

After reading reviews, I was pretty sure I would order the Lamb Shank (the signature dish of the restaurant). I changed my mind when the diners next to me said to get the Plat de Juor: Rack of Lamb. I asked our server and he recommended it as well - I was sold! I got it served medium rare - perfection! It was cooked to the exact temp and just lovely. I'm so glad I got it!

Rack of Lamb

Ann ordered the Beef Short Rib "Bourguignon" - she loved it too!

Beef Short Rib "Bourguignon"

We decided to split at dessert and since we both LOVE chocolate, we got the Warm Chocolate Cake. So good!

Warm Chocolate Cake

I really enjoyed this restaurant - especially the cocktails! I look forward to coming back soon!

Cheers,

Liz

 

A Battle Through Times Square for Happy Hour!

Gyu-Kaku has Deals all Day!

Recently, I met up with Melissa during the week to take advantage of Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ Times Square's Happy Hour (http://gyu-kaku.com/ny/timessquare.htm). This location has Happy Hour for lunch (11:30AM - 3:00PM) and dinner (3:00PM - 6:00PM & 9:30PM - 11:00PM). The drink deal during this time is 50% off select drinks. The meal deal is reduced pricing on most menu items.

I enjoy informative art

We ordered the steamed chili dumplings ($6, normally $8), bistro hanger streak ($5, normally $8), sukiyaki bibimbap ($6, normally $10), and chocolate lava cake ($6, normally $8). With a Yelp! check-in, we each got a free edamame ($4 value). Social media has measurable value people!

Steamed Chili Dumplings

Chocolate Lava Cake

I didn't snap photos of everything, but trust that it was yummy. The Bibimbap arrived in a hot stone pot. It is served with a raw egg and continues to cook. We didn't realize how hot it was and some of the rice started to get too crispy...nearly burnt. Next time, I'll need to make sure to monitor it more closely!

The dessert was super tasty. It didn't have any Asian twist to it (I love the Green Tea one at Spot Dessert Bar) but it was lovely.

I would recommend only visiting this spot if it is during Happy Hour, otherwise it is a bit pricey for what it is.

Cheers,

Liz

 

The Meal BEFORE the Meal

The Counter - Just Like in Charlotte, but Cooler!

After the musical ended, Courtney and I wanted a bit of a nibble. It was that awkward time in the evening (say 5pm) and we didn't have dinner reservations until later (8:15pm). Also, since it was at a super-hip restaurant, I knew we wouldn't actually eat until closer to 9pm. Like any rational person, we decided to have a mini-meal, a lunch-dinner or rather a linner.

While we were walking through hell (Times Square), we passed by The Counter (http://www.thecounterburger.com/), a burger chain that also had locations in my old city: Charlotte. I loved it when I was there and they had sliders, the perfect appetizer, so we went inside. I was pleased to see when I checked-in on Foursquare that there was an offer for a free small fries (regular or sweet potato) with your first check-in! BOOM! The value of social media. We went with sweet potato. They are served with a yummy horseradish aioli - soo good!

Sweet Potato Fries

I'm not a big beer drinker, but for some reason I was in the mood. Maybe it was the fried food and the promise of burgers. I ordered a draft Blue Moon. Yum.

The Orange Slice just MAKES IT SO MUCH BETTER!

We split an order of the sliders. It was the perfect amount of food to deal with our hunger!

They Taste as Good as They are Messy

This is great spot if you find yourself in the terror that is Times Square and need a quick bite! They also have really yummy Spiked Milkshakes!

Cheers,

Liz

 

I Love Your (Rum) House!

A Pre-Theater Cocktail!

Before our 3pm Broadway Show , Courtney and I ordered a cocktail at The Rum House (http://www.edisonrumhouse.com/) located at The Hotel Edison. I've gone to this place before with another close friend (Olivia) so I knew it would be a great place for a pre-show drink. Also, this spot has awesome hours (Mon-Sun 12pm - 4am). Many bars don't open until after 4pm or later, so keep this bar in your back pocket if in the area early in the day!

Don't You Love This Menu?

I checked Yelp! reviews to get some inspiration for my order. Based on some RAVES, I got the Tortuga, made with Brugal Anejo (a golden rum), Muddled Citrus, Fresh Ginger and Cinnamon.

The Tortuga!

If you examine the cocktail closely, you will see a large piece of candied ginger NOT an ice cube. I took a too large bite out of it - WOW! Packs a punch. The atmosphere of this place is very inviting and old-fashioned. Check it out!

Cheers!

Liz