Celebrating Follies 2014

A Mexican Fiesta at Agave

We had an incredible Follies this year - the Torchy Awards! We wanted to take the cast out to celebrate with a fun dinner. Naturally, I was all over planning this event and picking the restaurant. I chose Agave (http://agaveny.com/) because I love this place. The food, drinks and atmosphere are awesome.

We had a 7pm reservation and I arrived a bit early...so I ordered a mango margarita - my favorite here! Gotta love that happy hour pricing! BOOM!

Happy Hour!

Once we were all assembled, we had to take a group shot! What a beautiful group of funny people - so proud to be a part of this amazing cast!

THE CAST!

Naturally, we had to order the guacamole! It is so yummy here and served in an edible bowl. I love that they refill your chips - it is critical to maintain the right guac to chip ratio.

Oh, hey there - get in my mouth now!

We also got sweet potato fries to split - served with a chipotle mayo. I'm sure you are aware of my love of mayo, so this was so yummy!

I ordered the Enchilada Mariscos, stuffed with Gulf Shrimp, Lump Crab, sautéed cabbage, queso cotija and salsa verde. Yummy. I did have some meal FOMO when I saw what Mike ordered: the Duck Enchiladas! I sampled a piece and it was soooooo good. NEXT TIME!

Enchilada Mariscos

We ordered several pitchers of frozen margs - awesome call. We also got three desserts to share. My favorite was the molten chocolate cake! The banana thing was ok, but honestly, I'm not a huge banana person (unless it is the cupcakes at Sugar Sweet Sunshine!). The tres leches was good too, but nothing to write home about.

Banana Dessert

Molten Chocolate Cake - WINNER WINNER!

Tres Leches

You know I love Agave. If you trust my taste, do yourself a favor and visit! Come early for happy hour at the bar, then get seated for dinner.

Cheers,

Liz

 

Who Doesn't Love a Lunch Special?

Agave FOR THE WIN!

Last Friday, Melissa and I met up for lunch at Agave (http://agaveny.com/). The weather was turning around and Melissa researched places near campus that had outdoor seating and lunch specials. I had no idea that Agave offered a Two-Course Pre-Fix Lunch for $14.95! It is served with a fruit-infused margarita "tasting" (image below). We got a pomegranate and mango one. Clearly, this is a smart ploy to get you to order a full-sized one. I already know how good they are, so I was planning to order one anyway.

Margarita "Tasting"

I didn't snap a picture of it, but for my first course we both ordered the Mother Road Roadhouse Chili. I'm not typically a huge fan of chili, but this was absolutely DELICIOUS! It is a blend of braised beef & pork cooked in Dos XX and Chile. It is served with soft tortillas for dipping. Yum yum yum! The other first course option was a salad. We clearly made the best choice.

For the entrée, there were four choices. I got the chicken wrap, served with mango chutney and sweet potato fries.

Chicken wrap - SO GOOD!

My mouth is watering looking at that photo. The wrap was utterly fantastic. The fries were great too and served with a delicious chipotle mayo. I cannot rave about this enough!

Melissa ordered the steak wrap, which was served with regular fries.

Oddly cut steak wrap...is this sushi?

Poor Melissa really struggled with eating her wrap. I have no idea why they thought it would be a good idea to cut it up like a sushi roll. All the filling kept falling out! I felt the chicken wrap was much tastier.

When we were wrapping up lunch, we rolled right into happy hour ($6 margs down from $10). You can add the fruit flavor for $1 extra...so worth it! We both got mango!

Frozen Mango Margarita

I love Agave so much! The happy hour, lunch special and brunch special ($27.95 for two-hours of bottomless mimosas, wine or frozen/shaken margaritas) are hard to beat! You're doing yourself a disservice if you don't check it out.

Cheers,

Liz

 

Can You Samba?

If it is Happy Hour, of course you can!

After our wine happy hour at 8th Street Wine Cellar , Melissa and I were still hungry. Melissa suggested heading to Sushi Samba West Village (http://sushisamba.com/location/new-york/nyc-7). This restaurant has "SambaHour" which is a Happy Hour from 4-7pm and 11pm to close.

Naturally, we started with a cocktail. We both ordered the Nina Fresa. It is made with vodka, strawberry, grapefruit and guava shaken with rhubarb bitters, lime and sugar. Normally, it is $14 - on happy hour, it is $7!!

How beautiful is that lime?

Although we had the cheese plate at 8th Street Wine Cellar, we were still a little hungry. We each ordered one of the Happy Hour rolls. The Ezo roll is made with soy-marinated salmon, asparagus, sesame, tempura flake, and served with some yummy wasabi mayo on the side. Normally, it is $12.50 and I believe it was $6. It was really yummy although the ratio of salmon to wrapping was a bit unfavorable.

Let me see your Sushi Roll

This is now a favorite spot for Happy Hour! I can't wait to return.

Cheers,

Liz

Blind (Date) Tiger Ale House

Beers in the West Village

It is wonderful to write a post about a fabulous new drinking spot as well as meeting someone incredibly fascinating. I haven't had the best run of dates lately, but I was pleasantly surprised last night. The gentleman in question is a bit of a beer buff, so I suggested The Blind Tiger Ale House (http://www.blindtigeralehouse.com/) in the West Village. My Strategy professor at Stern is a huge fan of the spot, so I figured it was a safe bet. I suggested going during the Happy Hour (every week day from 11:30 - 8:00 pm, $1 off draught beers, cask ale, wine, prosecco or mead). We met at 7pm and the place was incredibly busy - a popular spot! We managed to find a quieter table in the corner and ordered the Brooklyner Weisse. It was lovely and we had several - yum!

Check it out - definitely during Happy Hour. It will please even the most discerning beer connoisseur. 

Cheers!
Liz

 

Margaritas with the Lux Ladies

Is That a Mango in your Marg?

Sometimes the best way to be productive is to take a break. At least, that is my personal philosophy. The past several weeks have been a tailspin with school assignments, projects, travel and my parents visiting. That being said, I love having a full-schedule, but sometimes a gal needs a break. A time to unwind. Initially, I thought of going home right after class and skipping out on what would be a fabulous evening with some Stern ladies. Katey, Catie, Connie and Sarah are truly wonderful and all members of the Luxury and Retail Club board at Stern. It was nice to unwind with such a great group!

Now, onto the review! I have to admit, this isn't my first time at Agave (http://agaveny.com/). This West Village Mexican gem is a favorite. The Happy Hour features $7 Margaritas (typically $10) with additional fresh fruit puree added for no up-charge (awesome!). I chose mango. I've gotten it before and it continues to deliver! Although the frozen margaritas are pre-made in a machine, they still taste fresh and not full of "mix" or "sugar" like others I have had. I highly recommend it. Also, there is a 2-hour bottomless brunch on the weekends. You can have as many of those Margaritas as you can handle (make sure to have a free afternoon!!).

Now...back to my Brand Strategy PowerPoint presentation!

xoxo,

Liz