Delicious Things I Ate Last Weekend

Woweeee! I ate like a queen last weekend! It's weekends like these that make me wonder why I don't weigh more than I do! (Must be all the running!). If you get food from any of these places, you'll be a happy camper, I promise!

Francesca

Ladurée

Roberta's 

Russ & Daughters

Other NY Fears Besides FOMO, Part 2

Remember last year when I delved deep into the world of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and other NY fears? That was only the tip of the iceberg! Unfortunately for us all, there is a LOT more to be afraid of in this city! Here are some more horrifying fears, let me know if I left anything out!

NY: Even the Old People Are Awesome Here!

Recently I witnessed something that kind of melted my heart. I was walking to work when I saw two old ladies (I'm allowed to say that now that I'm getting old myself!) get frustrated with the slow walkers in front of them, so they overtook them. It was in that glorious moment, I knew I was living in the right city (which I obviously already knew. Have I mentioned how many amazing places there are to eat here?)!

The NY Shoe Guy: A Hero to Many

It's not often someone can drastically improve your life for $10, but the NY shoe guy does it every day for desperate ladies all across Manhattan!! Heel fall off? He'll build a new one! Leather shriveling up? A bit of polish and it's as good as new! There's almost no problem you can throw his way that he would be able to tackle. 

With his unstoppable optimism and ability to salvage your old shoes, its a wonder shoe companies can even stay in business. And he's not just limited to shoes either! He fixes watches, bags. Pretty much any problem you have, he can help you!!

I'd like to take this moment to thank my shoe guy on 30th street between Madison and Park Ave. I wouldn't have been able to wear my favorite brown boots for more than five years if it weren't for him. He's my hero!!

Shake Shack-A Sob Story

Ahhh, the people I get along with best are those that love food as much as I do. That's why it was so fun having my good friend Abby in town from Chicago this past weekend. We ate like queens! Flex Mussels on Friday night. Shake Shack for lunch saturday. Yerba Buena saturday night. Luke's Lobster for lunch Sunday...There were also some slices of pizza mixed into our diverse culinary schedule. 

One of the most poignant (and hilarious) moments of the weekend was when I looked over at Abby just as she had finished her Shack Burger. She was completely devastated the burger was over, and looked as if she might cry. It's that good, people. You never want it to end! Abby, the fact that you almost cried over a burger makes you even more awesome than I already thought you were. Come back again soon please!

New York Baby Halloween Costume Ideas

costume illustrations by sam, baby pics via fumpt, TedsBlog, Lars Plougmann, jencu, mynameisharsha

Other ideas include: subway rat, fruit man, bag of trash, marathon runner, metro card, hot dog vendor, Wall Street bull...What else am I missing?

Happy Halloween, everyone! Did you know that thanks to this glorious holiday, you are contributing billions of dollars to the American economy (thanks for telling me about this, Dad!)? I did my part to support this crumbling economy by wearing a sexy tree costume. WOOHOOO!!!

Another Disgusting Cockroach Story

I know everyone loves a good New York cockroach story, so here's another one for you! A friend of mine was at her therapist, when she felt what she thought was her scarf tickling her neck. When she went to brush it away, she realized it was a huge cockroach. She jumped up and began screaming bloody murder. The therapist quickly got up too, and swatted at her patient while screaming "KILL IT!!! KILL IT!!!!". After a few minutes of frantic yelling and swatting, the cockroach finally jumped off my friend and onto the floor. The therapist opened the bathroom door and they both watched as the cockroach scurried through the doorway. The patient thought she might need an additional few years of therapy after this experience, but she turned out to be ok. It is New York after all, and unfortunately we're all used to a little cockroach action!

Reasons I Heart NY Vol. 8-Coney Island Edition

While my cousins were in town, we went to Coney Island, and boy did we have a GOOD TIME!! Here are some of the highlights:

-The Coney Island Freak Show: We all watched in amazement (and sometimes horror) as the following people took the stage:  A guy putting hooks in his eyelids (with a heavy anchor attached to the other end of the hooks); A woman who danced with fire and used her mouth to extinguish (and sometimes light) the flames...WARNING: DO NOT GO TO THE FREAK SHOW IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH!

-Family Portrait-This is one of my favorite things in the world to do!! You and your friends or family get together in the most cheesy pose possible, and have that portrait printed on all different sorts of goodies like posters, pins etc. This is a memento you will cherish forever, TRUST ME!

-Nathan's Hot dogs-To be honest, pretty much all hot dogs taste the same to me, DELICIOUS! And this hot dog was no different. But it WAS pretty cool to know Nathan's has been around since 1916!!

-Disco Bumper Cars-Need I say more? THIS WAS SO MUCH FUN!!!! (Although at one point, we were scolded by the guy who worked there for just driving around in circles and not bumping each other enough. I guess that's what happens when you get older. You're more civil in bumper cars. Don't worry, we soon made up for lost time and bumped the hell out of each other!)

-Rides: Ok, so the truth is, we didn't actually go on the Wonder Wheel. Instead, we went on this spooky ride for children (that actually scared the bejesus out of us) involving being jerked around (to the point of almost wanting to throw up) in almost complete darkness while scary skeletons and strange objects popped out at us (and the whole time, I thought someone was actually going to jump out and kill me, because I watch too much Dateline). FUN!!

One of the Most Heavenly Foods In New York

lobster pic via jasonlam

Mmmmm! If you have never tried the lobstery goodness that is Luke's Lobster, you need to stop what you're doing, and GO NOW!!! SERIOUSLY NOW!! There is nothing that could be more urgent (Well, unless you are waiting to get a table at Frankie's. That is also an incredibly important mission).

It is impossible for me to think of the words "Luke's Lobster" without salivating. I'm talking huge chunks of juicy lobster fresh from Maine, smothered with the perfect amount of glistening butter and a bit of mayo, on a perfectly toasted bun. MMMMMMM!! It will make you happy. SOOO HAPPPY!! You will never want to eat anything else again, because it couldn't possibly be as good. GO NOW BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE (I have no idea what that means, but just GO! Why are you still reading this? GO!)!!

Lucky for you, Luke's has shops in the E. Village, UES, UWS, Financial District (and even D.C.!). You can also follow their food truck on Twitter (@LukesLobsterNY) to find out where it's parked each day.

By the way, I was double checking whether the word "Heaven" is capitalized (I still don't know the answer! Does anyone know?), and I stumbled upon this hilarious response which mistakenly thought the question had to do with capitalism (not capitalization) in Heaven. Gosh, there are some characters out there!!

How To Get Your Ramen at Ippudo Without Waiting

What I'm about to tell you could change your life forever... You know the NY ramen restaurant Ippudo? The one that ALWAYS has a huge wait to get a table? Well, I'm going to tell you how to stroll on in there and sit right down to eat. I know what you're probably thinking: "But Sam, if you tell millions of us your secret, won't that ruin your trick? You are such an amazing altruistic person. I'm so lucky to know about your blog. May wonderful things happen to you in return for your generosity. An angel you are, Sam! Sent directly from up above! You must have wings, Sam. Straight from heaven, Sam!". And you know what? That's probably all true. Except the wings part, ewww, gross! But back to my trick....If I can save you the wait at Ippudo, it is well worth it! That's just the kind of person I am. You can thank me later (by sending me a check, or finding me a husband, or baking me cookies etc).

So here's the secret: GO EARLY! I'm talking early bird special early! If you get to Ippudo by 5:30pm on a weeknight (doesn't work on the weekends), you will most likely be seated immediately. Fine, maybe no one really wants to eat that early in the evening, but trust me once you have that scrumptious bowl of heaven sitting in front of you, you'll feel hunger like you've never known! I recommend the Akamaru Modern ramen (make sure you order with a soft boiled egg. It's $2 extra, but it might be the best $2 you ever spend in your life!), it is dreamy! 

You're welcome. You owe me one!

An Amazing Portrait of an Even More Amazing Person

Last weekend, I did something I have never done in all of my life: I got my portrait drawn in Central Park!! I had just been innocently walking along, minding my own business, when I crossed paths with an artist named Zhihou.

Zhihou conentrates while my friend Michelle (to the left) and random people observe

Having my portrait sketched by Zhihou was JUST like that scene in "Titanic" when Jack sketches Rose, but with a few minor differences (less nudity, slightly less expensive jewelry etc). The whole experience was a hoot! Passersby stared as Zhihou furiously scribbled away at what I expected was going to be an amazing portrait of my timeless beauty. The final product was slightly different than I had anticipated...Let's just say I won't necessarily be using this image for my next online dating profile pic!

 

The weirdest thing happened later than night. I went to see the movie "Friends with Benefits" (which I LOVED by the way!), and in the movie, the main characters had their portraits done in Central Park. What are the odds? Weirdest coincidence ever!! I guess great minds think alike.

Reasons YOU Heart NY-And the Winner is...

I am very excited to announce the winner of the very first "Reasons YOU Heart NY" Sweepstakes! I'll admit, it was not easy to pick someone. I received so many funny, touching, unique, amazing submissions. All week, I agonized over the decision. I finally decided that instead of choosing my favorite, I would pick a name out of a hat (ok, so there was no hat, but I did select a name at random). And the winner is.....the one person out of everyone who entered that can't actually use Forever Stamps: Elizabeth Y. from Melbourne, Australia! Elizabeth, thanks so much for your amazing ideas! I loved them so much, I made a whole post out of them. And since you are unable to use Forever Stamps in your country, I was thinking I could treat you to a Shake Shack burger and fries the next time you're in town (works out to the same price as forever stamps, can you believe it?). Up to you! Thank you to everyone else for your awesome entries. I will definitely be using those as well in future posts. Here are the reasons Elizabeth loves NY:

-being able to dress up and even wear a hat without feeling like a wanker

-having license to act as neurotically as you want because you momentarily forgot you weren't in a woody allen film
-feeling like you're literally adding hours to your life by using wash and fold
-sometimes feeling like you're on holiday in spain and then being pleasantly surprised that everyone speaks english
-not being asked where you're from, because everyone assumes you're from somewhere else

New Yorkers Have Plenty to be Afraid Of

Have you heard of FOMO? It's an adorably catchy acronym for something not so cute: Fear of Missing Out. Which, as a single New Yorker, is something that constantly haunts me (I could meet the man of my dreams at that Improv Everywhere prank if I could just motivate myself to go! What if my prince charming is the subway conductor on that train? If I stay in, I'll never cross paths with him! etc). This got me thinking about all the other things in NY that cause stress and worry. Here are just a few (the acronyms might not be as snazzy, but I hope you will find the ideas extremely relevant nonetheless):

Marian and the Cockroach

Ahh, NY and cockroaches. Unfortunately, they go hand in hand. So I was not surprised to hear the story my twin sis Marian told me last week, although I was amused and horrified. She was recently shopping at Bloomingdale's when she picked up a shirt to check it out. She loved everything about it, except the cockroach pin so she asked a sales associate if the pin was removable. And he said, "THAT'S A REAL COCKROACH!!". AHHHHH! Only in NY!!!

My Daily Commute Reminds Me a Lot of "Paperboy"

Every day, my walk to work is like a scene right out of that classic 80's video game, "Paperboy". Without fail, it consists of 20 minutes of skillfully dodging all different sorts of crazy shenanigans. You lose points if you are unable to avoid any of the following:

Doormen spraying hoses, pigeons flying towards your face, construction scaffolding (and sometimes blowtorches), moms with strollers, dogs (and their poop), cars, trucks, puddles (sometimes mounds of snow depending on the season), fruit men, slow walkers, smokers, bagel cart lines, air conditioner drippings, homeless people begging for money, piles of smelly garbage, snow, sleet, hail, heavy winds, ice, crazy people talking to themselves, cat calls, people you know but don't feel like having small talk with, bicyclists, crossing guards, people asking you if you care about [fill in the issue] in order to get you to give them money or sign a petition, crazy cab drivers, buses...It is a miracle I make it to work in one piece every day!

On a side note, what's up with all the weird games from my childhood? Why does any child want to spend his free time delivering newspapers in a video game? And what about Oregon Trail? Hmmmm, Hunting and fishing to prevent starvation, and trying your damndest not to die of Dysentery...Sounds like a good time! Operation and Perfection: Both involving completing some task (a surgery and fitting pieces in a puzzle before the game explodes, respectively) to avoid getting the crap scared out of you. Gosh, the kids nowadays have it so easy!

"Reasons YOU Heart NY" Sweepstakes-ENTER NOW, Win Big!

For months now, I have been writing posts about why I love NY, and I'd love to hear what YOU have to say! Sooo, today I am thrilled to announce the start of thesupergreat's "Reasons YOU Heart NY" Sweepstakes. Tell me what you love most about this city!

I will pick my favorite ideas and include them in my next post about why this city rocks (along with your name, if you wish). The grand prize winner (the person with the BEST idea, as chosen by me) will win something very very exciting: a booklet of forever stamps (total value $8.80). Ironically, I will send you your prize in the mail.

Please feel free to submit as many entries as you'd like. The more you submit, the better your chances are of winning. Unless all of your ideas stink, in which case, probably nothing can help you! But seriously, no idea is too silly, I can't wait to hear what you think!

Email your ideas to ReasonsYouHeartNY@thesupergreat.com. Feel free to repost this contest on Facebook or Twitter! Contest ends Wednesday July 13, 2011 at 11:59 pm.

Check out some of my favorite "Reasons I Heart NY" posts: Vol. 7, Vol. 5 and Vol. 4.

How to Express Yourself Using Emoticons-NYC Edition

Ahhh, New York and emoticons...Two of my favorite things!! There are times you want to communicate an idea about this grand city, and words don't do it justice. That's when emoticons come in handy! Here is a little guide I put together to help you express yourself effortlessly. I am thinking of submitting it to Google for use in Gmail, but we'll see!

And for those of you that have the same problem as me, the inability to suppress emoticon usage, here is an extremely useful article.

Reasons I Heart NY-Vol. 7

-Nuts 4 Nuts-Those nuts vendors on lucky Manhattan street corners-They give off the most magical smell I've ever known. If I could bottle that smell and sell it to New Yorkers living overseas, I'm pretty sure I could make millions. (If you're wondering, the nuts don't even taste half as good as they smell, but they're still pretty darn good!)
-Joe's Shanghai-Sitting at a communal table with your friend and about 4 random people, slurping on delicious soup dumplings-it doesn't get any better than that!
-Signs alerting people to when/where movies and tv shows will be filmed...posted in advance...(required by law, I think?): Making it easier than ever to stalk your favorite celebrities!

-Shady people lingering on the east river that motivate me to run faster on my river jogs (so as to show them they shouldn't try messing with me)
-Apotheke-a hidden apothecary style bar we stumbled upon (with a little help from our iPhones of course!) in Chinatown. Amazing ambiance! Bartenders wear white coats and prescribe cocktails to suit your needs: Health and Beauty, Stress Relievers, Aphrodisiacs etc. Just what the doctor ordered (You don't know how long I was waiting to say that! Couldn't resist!).

Reasons I Heart NYC-Vol. 6 [Union Square Edition]

Ahhh, Union Square, it's one of the strangest parks I know (besides Washington Square Park, which I'll address some other time!). Here's what makes it awesome:

-Groups of people doing weird things and lots of people standing around watching them (Saturday, I saw a large group of people hopping around in these).
-The Mysterious Clock at the south end of the park-No matter how many articles I read about it, I will never fully understand this clock. But it sure makes a great conversation piece! (Example: Tourist says "What is that clock for?", I reply with "Not exactly sure, but I think it keeps track of every time a couple from Match.com gets married")
-People soliciting things (free hugs, asking you questions about your hair (so they can convince you to buy a salon package from them. These people drive me CRAZY!!))
-Union Square Greenmarket-Need I say more? It's packed with people, so it's a claustrophobic person's worst nightmare, but it is full of delicious fresh fruit, vegetables, (and MORE!) straight from the farm.
-Chess Players-Why do people feel the need to set up Chess Games in every park in the city (does this happen in other cities too?)? I don't get it at all, but I still love it!

Staten Island: Harry Belafonte, Amazing Food, the Ferry

Well, last Wednesday was my first time in Staten Island, and I have to say: I LIKE!!!

Transportation: And they say you can't get a free ride (Or do they only say that about free lunch?). Well I got one last Wednesday: The Staten Island Ferry! It was magical, breezy, and FREE! And I passed Lady Liberty along the way. What more could you want?

The Event: My friend Emi and I were heading to the opening night of the Staten Island Film Festival (her short film, "The Retreat" was in it). The new Harry Belafonte documentary, "Sing Your Song" was being screened, and lucky for us, Harry himself was there to answer questions after the film. Very cool!

The Food: The screening was over by 10pm and we still hadn't eaten dinner. We were STARVING! Luckily, we stumbled upon this adorable little Italian restaurant, Enoteca Maria, RIGHT next door to the theater. And BOY was this place authentic. Pretty much everyone that works there is from Italy, including the chefs who are actual Grandmas (or Nonnas) from all over Italy. I was pretty sure this was going to be the best Italian feast I had eaten all week/ever (Sorry, Frankies! You're pretty darn good yourself)! At first, I had some difficulty actually procuring food (the waiter told me they were out of both dishes I tried ordering (not until AFTER after he raved about them though! DO NOT MESS WITH HUNGRY SAM! It is not pretty!). Once the food started coming out I was transported directly to Italy. It was definitely worth the wait!

A postcard from the Enoteca Maria. Those are the Grandmas acting like the Beatles!! Awesome, eh?

Favorite Part of the Night (besides seeing Harry Belafonte, eating amazing Italian food, and having the most amazing hair day ever): As we were walking back to the ferry at the end of the night, a garbage truck flew around the corner at an alarming speed. Emi screamed "NOOOO! I can't be hit by a garbage truck in Staten Island. That's not how i want to go!!". Hilarious! Perfect way to end to a magical night!