Archive for the ‘Nouveau Nosh’ Category
Dollar to Pound Conversions
Beware the Dollar Menu
Ok, sure, this seems obvious, but I know I get roped into deals every now and then. Subway has its five-dollar foot longs, Mickey D’s offers a dollar menu, and even Chipotle guarantees a huge, filling meal for a few bucks. I know we all claim to avoid fast food like the plague, but I also know that all of my friends secretly eat it. Sometimes, the concept of cooking or going out is just too much work. But, consider this; the less the food costs, the worse it is for you. Hot dogs and burgers for a dollar are probably not even made of recognizable meat, ditto the processed turkey or ham in the sub sandwich. Chipotle’s ingredients aren’t inherently bad, but piling on the sour cream, cheese, and guac isn’t exactly going to help you LOSE weight.
I know how hard it is to make myself go to the grocery store- then, I buy a few fruits and veggies, and pay $50 for the privilege. I’m not going to totally stop sneaking fast food items anytime soon, but I am more mindful of the fact that my recession-busting bargain might become waistband-busting too, if I’m not careful!
The Key to the City
Membership to Quintessentially Not Required
Throughout most of the year the Amex Platinum concierge enthusiastically recommends only one restaurant in New York City: Tao Midtown. Great if you are in Vegas or an NY tourist, not so much if you live in here.
We have asked for Nobu (the real Nobu), La Esquina, and of course Babbo.
No Dice.
Last week, we tried again; just for sport. It’s fun to try. And you will not believe this: we scored a Saturday night res to Babbo. Seriously. Not Bobo; Babbo.
We fully intend to use the sheckles that we are saving by doing a half-share this summer to take advantage of the carte-blanche to score excellent reservations. Recession or No, we are pretty sure this won’t happen in the fall.
Da Nouveau Poor
- 257 Sixth Ave between Bleecker and W Houston
Every NP Girl loves Da Silvano…there is a certain je ne sais quoi about dining alfresco; even on 6th avenue. We must admit that the, gulp, slightly pricy eats may be a bit extravagant for an NP summer night, and that is where Scuderia comes in.
Silvano’s daughter, Leyla, opened a younger, more casual (read, less expensive) version of her father’s restaurant across 6th avenue from Da Silvano. The people watching is great (if you have binoculars you might be able to spot the celebs across the street), the food is serviceable, and you don’t need a black belt in velvet roping to score a decent table. The waiters are even nice.
While we are not concerned that Scuderia will ever replace the original, it does seem well suited to the nouveauconomy. We are reservedly contented to sip our bellinis from this perch for the next few months.
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Kristie Huang is a recent college grad, attempting to find a solid career in the recession, while remaining as put-together and on top of trends as always.
www.facebook.com/kristiehuang
