NYC

Mah-Ze-Dhar Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

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I have been a fan of Mah-Ze-Dhar bakery since I was introduced by a friend in 2013. A lot has changed since then, including a new brick-and-mortar store downtown in NYC and one in DC, as well as some new delicious baked good products. Recently, I received their newsletter and was intrigued by their chocolate chip cookie dough — you freeze this huge log of dough that is over 24 cookies, and then bake them as you need. I instantly bought it because I looooove chocolate chip cookies. I froze it for a rainy day (or in this case, a grey and slow Sunday) and then wam bam thank you ma’am, cut, baked, and voila! So easy, and so delicious!

 

Directions — so simple.

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Blossr Flowers

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Sadly, one of my favorite flower companies in New York City is no longer in business. The Groh, which was hands down, my favorite flower place that delivered fresh flowers to my apartment every Monday, has shut down, a victim of the effects of COVID on the economy. I know it sounds silly — but The Groh was phenomenal. Everything about it — it was set up to be a middle man, so instead of me trekking down to the flower district, The Groh would go, and then bundle them up and deliver them to my house. It was waaaaaaay cheaper than a typical florist, and waaaaaay easier than me doing the leg work (yes, spoiled). I loved it so much and miss it already. So after hours searching for some kind of replacement for my Monday joy, I came across Blossr. It is a minimalist flower delivery service that sends flowers on (and only on) Friday. There are not many options, but man, are they gorgeous. I love them so much and I can’t wait to use them again.

 

Pink Anthuriums. Don’t they look fake???? So gorgeous and unusual.

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Goodbye, Barneys!

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Over the weekend, Barneys New York finally closed. After months of staying open despite a change of ownership, it closed its doors forever over the weekend. Truth be told, I did not visit the store in the past several months as it was too depressing and nostalgic. When I first moved to NYC, Barneys was my favorite store to shop for new dresses and clothes  and, ultimately, where I fell in love with fashion. And not only was Barneys an important part of my life, but the restaurant Fred’s was truly our second kitchen and a part of our everyday life. The matire d, waiters, staff, had been family to us and we felt truly at home. Although Fred’s is still currently open, it no longer has the ambiance and vibe of the past and it is too hard to visit. We spent countless Sunday night Family dinners, nacho parties, birthday parties, friend lunches, drinks, so much more…

 

Iconic building, no longer…..it will be interesting to see what replaces Barneys. It will never be the same and I will miss everything about it!

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Winter To Do List 2020

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I know Winter is almost over (or is that wishful thinking?) but here is a list of activities that I want to do in NYC in the next couple weeks (doesn’t winter feel like eternity?)

 

1. Groove (in my seat) at Hip Hop Dance Performance Off Broadway, Beyond Babel

 

Read about this performance in the NYTImes and I canNOT wait to go. I am buying tickets STAT.

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Skating at Bryant Park

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This past weekend, we found ourselves with zero plans. We originally were scheduled to go up to Pound Ridge for a cozy and relaxed weekend, but after a change of orthodontist appointments on Saturday and Ken needing to go on a business trip on Sunday afternoon, we decided to stay put in the city. This gave us an opportunity to be a tourist in our own city — and I am so glad we explored! We discovered Ice Skating at Bryant Park which was a great family activity. Unlike other rinks in the city, admission is FREE (rentals cost money, but if you have your own skates, then it is FREE!) and it opens up at 8 am! We drove downtown for breakfast and on our way back uptown, parked right in front of the ice skating rink to do some laps!

 

Bryant Park Winter Wonder Land — lots of shops, food, people watching, ice skating — truly, a winter wonderland.

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Nami Nori

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If you live in NYC, you have to RUN right now to Nami Nori, the newest Japanese restaurant in the West Village. Only one month old, it was created by three ex-employees from Masa (whose tasting menu costs $595 per person!!!!). This new restaurant is casual elegant with accessible prices specializing in Temaki (hand rolls). Absolutely everything about this restaurant is perfection: the zen Japanese vibe, the appetizers, the temaki, the desserts, the staff, everything! So if you live in NYC, make a reservation and GO! And if you don’t live in NYC, it is an excuse to come in to the city and eat!

 

The appetizers: FRIES, spicy tuna on crispy rice, shishito peppers, and nori chips (oh my god, the best).

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The Magician at the NoMad

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Recently, I heard a lot of chatter about the Magician at the NoMad hotel and how amazing the performance was. So, since I am on a big kick of entertainment-is-better-than-dinners-out, we went with some friends on Friday night. To say HOLY SMOKES is an understatement. It was absolutely incredible and a must see. HOLY SMOKES! Amazing, ridiculous, smart, and oh so magical. It was unclear what to expect, but I knew that the Magician, Dan White, is widely respected, and therefore, I was hopeful for a good show. And indeed, it was a good show. And has left me thinking about it since the performance. Regardless of how Dan makes the magic happen, he is a genius and oh so smart.

 

Not only brilliant, but also funny, charismatic and compelling. A+ performer. Would go again in a heartbeat.

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Eataly Rooftop – Serra on the Roof

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While running family errands this past weekend, we stopped in at Eataly’s rooftop for lunch. Ken and I had been there during early summer years ago and loved the ambiance, decor, and food so much. Newly decorated for Autumn, it was the perfect place to grab a bite to eat in a beautiful setting. The rooftop restaurant, Serra on the roof, serves Italian cuisine and drinks. The food is simple and great, but the DECOR, my god, it is so beautiful! My daughter (who didn’t love her lunch) was so in awe of the space that she kept saying she wanted to have her birthday party there.

 

Magical.

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Lizzo Concert

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One of the items on my Fall To Do List was to see more live concerts, and this week I did! I convinced my biffle from Oakland (California) to fly out to come see Lizzo with me at Radio City Hall, an iconic venue for an unbelievable performer. For those of you who don’t know Lizzo (which means you are behind on reading my blog posts :)), she is a must listen to and must watch in person. She is a true musician and incredibly talented. She also is relatable, fun, warm, and interactive (future friend?). 100% Goddess.

 

As I get older, I realize I love shows, but I want them not too long and not too short. And this was a perfect amount of time. #Goldilocks

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To Do Fall 2019

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SUMMER DON’T GO, but since you are, in fact, *gasp* gone, here is what I want to do this Fall…some repeats to last year, but as a lover of lists (and planning), I like setting goals for the season. Here they are:

 

1. Be more current and attend more live concerts.

 

Live concerts….so much fun to go to. And I don’t go often enough.  We are going to see O.A.R. in Port Chester in November, but otherwise need to get live music on our calendar.

 

2. See more theatre.

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Bar Pisellino

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On a beautiful summery day last weekend, we went with friends-that-are-family to Bar Pisellino, a bar that I had read about and was so excited to try out. If you know me, I have been obsessed with Aperol Spritzes for the past 12 months, and Bar Pisellino not only serves them, but has them on TAP. YUP — Aperol ON DRAFT.

 

Nothing better than summer nights in Manhattan….especially with epic and gorgeous skies as documented by @ken.natori

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Ralph’s Coffee

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After months of hearing about Ralph’s Coffee, I finally made it inside. And it is even more divine and fabulous than I ever imagined — chic, beautiful, and old school glamorous. Located inside the Ralph Lauren flagship store on 72nd and Madison , Ralph’s Coffee is a relaxing and delicious place to grab a drink and snack (Ralph Lauren partnered up with the team at La Colombe to create Ranph’s Coffee’s signature blend). It also helps that the people inside are just as beautiful as you would expect, making for great people watching.

 

Sidewalk art signage. Although the store does not open until 10 am, Ralph’s Coffee opens at 8 am. I can’t wait to go back!!!

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Prince Street Pizza

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I was introduced to my new favorite pizza place by my out-of-town-brother this past week and now I am dreaming of the pizza nonstop. My brother is one of those people that knows everything about a place even when he doesn’t live there. He also loves food, reading about food, and is always right. So when he was visiting this past weekend and suggested trying Prince Street Pizza — I knew that it was going to be good and worth the trek down. And YUP, sure enough, this tiny little pizza shop is where it is at. I can’t wait to go back.

 

Located in Nolita, on Prince Street, this tiny little shop is c harming, crowded, busy, and has oh so delicious pizza.

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Basquiat Exhibit

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Last week, on a beautiful Spring day, I was fortunate enough to be able to visit the new Basquiat exhibition at the newly opened branch of The Brant Foundation in the East Village. Tickets are free, but you must register beforehand, and unfortunately the exhibition is currently “sold out.” That said, if you are interested, put yourself on the waitlist, and chances are you will be able to get a ticket. Not only did I find the exhibit special, remarkable, beautiful, and different, but the building itself is incredible.

 

The exhibition starts on the 4th floor of the 16,000 square foot townhouse. The room itself is unbelievable, with a gigantic sky roof with water flowing on it to give beautiful waves and light.

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Ole & Steen

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The Scandis always know how to do everything right. Especially bakeries. One of my nearest and dearest friends is Norwegian, so when we decided to meet last month for coffee, she told me about a new Danish bakery, Ole & Steen. And holy shmoly, is it unbelievable. Everything about it is perfection; the breads are to die for, the pastries, the porridge, the coffee, EVERYTHING. I am not sure what exactly it is about their baked goods, but they are beyond delicious and my new favorite thing to eat.

 

I dare you to go in to the bakery and try to buy one thing. Impossible.

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Dreamland Roller Rink

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Last weekend, we went to a new roller skating rink in Brooklyn: Dreamland Roller Rink in Industry City. On the weekends, they have family skate times from 1-5pm (at night, they have adult only times) and it is unbelievably fun for the whole family. Even Ken put on roller skates for the first time EVER and skated around the rink. It is a great winter activity (when you need to stay inside) or even in the summer to do something different. I am excited to venture back to the rink and have more fun out there. It is crazy how fast the time flew by and how much exercise we all got!

 

The only three people in the whole place who brought their own roller skates

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Pier 17 Winterland

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This past weekend, we went with our biffle squad to discover a new ice skating rink in the city, Pier 17 Winterland, which opened up in December. AND HOLY COW it was oh so fun and amazing. At first glance, it is tiny, but the surrounding views of the city and Brooklyn Bridge are amazing. There is also a restaurant which is cozy, beautiful, and extremely friendly.  Even on a super cold day, the kids had so much fun and before we knew it, we were there for three hours.

 

I run by this location ALL the time, and yet I had no idea there was a secret skating rink in there. In the summer, it will be a concert summer stage — can’t wait to check it out. And then this Spring, new restaurants are opening up by David Chang and by Jean-George. Definitely will be checking those out…..

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Battle! Hip Hop! Met Museum

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This past Friday, a friend invited me and the kids to join her and her daughters to see a Battle of Hip Hop dancers inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art. And holy smokes — it was amazing. Riveting. Exciting. Enchanting. Incredible. Ridiculous. One of my all time favorite activities I have ever done. Period.

 

First of all, I love street dancing and hip hop so much — always have — and this was a performance of an urban dance organization “Dancing in the Streets” of the South Bronx. They have perfected a series of dance battles, which are now held inside The Met’s Arms and Armor department — truly remarkable — both the location of the performance and the performance itself. The freestyle dancers wore armor, battled between each other, and gave an amazing show. I felt incredibly lucky to be able to attend this event (and for free!) and the kids were mesmerized and in awe of the whole show.

 

Location

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To Do Fall 2018

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Almost October, so that means there is only 1 and a half months before it becomes Winter in NYC. Fall is a very short lived season and there is so much to do between now and then! Here is what I want to do this Fall:

 

We still have green leaves on the trees, but sooner rather than later, the colors will change and then the Park will be orange / yellow hues…

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Brooklyn Crab

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Back in the early 2010’s, we used to spend our weekends driving out to Red Hook (in Brooklyn) to grocery shop at Fairway, gaze at the Statue of Liberty, eat cookies at Baked, and pretend like we lived in the outer boroughs/suburbs. We were religious about this weekend ritual and tried to keep it up as long as we could. But then Fresh Direct (and a second child) came along, which made it impossible to drive 30 minutes just to grocery shop. This past weekend, we decided to go back. And now I can’t wait to go back and make it a monthly ritual — Red Hook is a special and unique neighborhood and I just love it so much. The highlight was our brunch at Brooklyn Crab. I want to have a big blow out party there. The food is delicious, the views are great, and it just screams FUN PARTY.

 

Looks like you are on the coast of Maine, but NOPE, in Brooklyn!

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La Colombe Black and Tan Coffee

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Last week, one of my biffles introduced me to La Colombe “black and tan.” And now, I can’t stop thinking about it. Literally, every morning and afternoon, I dream of getting a black and tan from La Colombe.  Although there are 30 locations nationwide, and 8 in NYC, none are in my neighborhood.  So when I was talking to her the other day complaining about how much I wanted this drink, she said that I should take the canned version and create my own version of it. And then she made fun of me about how I was going to make a blog post out of it — and even got the exact phrasing and thought process of how I write blogs. And so, YEP, she knows me well. And so here we are, and I am doing exactly that. I am writing a blog post on my new favorite drink and thanks to Fresh Direct, I can create it without going downtown. Thanks, B, for being my editor, content contributor, and supporter of my caffeine intake and the Josie Girl Blog.

 

Dynamic Duo.

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NYC Moment

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For many, the end of the school year is extremely busy, hectic, time consuming, and stressful. Especially when my work involves working in schools and tutoring students, the days seem to be marathons with a long list of to-dos. So, it was especially joyful and happy when a couple months ago, I discovered a neighboring apartment that had a statue that gazed out on to the street. This statue wasn’t just any statue, but one where the owners would frequently rotate the hats that the statue was wearing.  For some reason, this was exciting and something I looked forward to every day.

 

The hat on the corner apartment of the building across the street.

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OurHarvest – Organic Grocery

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Every September when I move back from the West Coast, I make a list of Fall goals. Every year, I say that I am going to go to the Farmers Market to get fresh, local produce, fruit, and any other random goodies. And yet, every year, I fail miserably and never make it to one.

 

Way back when, Good Eggs, existed. But that was short lived in NYC and didn’t last long (and it didn’t deliver to the Upper East side of Manhattan). So I was thrilled when I randomly came about (via instragram stories, nonetheless) OurHarvest. It is an online New York farmer’s market and gourmet grocery with local, farm-fresh, organic ingredients in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Long Island. It has existed in NYC since 2014, and even though I am late to the game, I am  so thrilled to have found it NOW! IT IS AMAZING bold italic exclamation point. It is coined Manhattan’s Farmers Market, and I get it. It is a farmers market that delivers throughout Manhattan. GENIUS.

 

The prices are good, the selection incredible, and the products themselves are the best. And the online platform is super easy, beautifully laid out, and great to work with (unlike instacart which I hate with all my might). There is so much to choose from and everything is fresh and local. You can get meat, fish, dairy, produce, fruit, pantry items, baked goods. Anything and everything.

 

I can’t get to a store without getting a fake sweet. Meaning, I love dessert, but want to curb my sweets so anytime there is a date sweetened goodie, I am a sucker for it.

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Vintage Denim Jacket

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As of a few months ago, I had not bought something at a vintage store since High School (when I was a regular at our local Goodwill to buy denim). Fast forward to this spring when I was on a mad and unsuccessful hunt for the perfect denim jacket.  I was looking for something perfectly weathered / cropped / and that fit like a glove.  Wherever I looked or asked for help, I had no luck. Then, at the recommendation from a stylish friend, I went to 9th Street Vintage, and bought my new favorite piece of clothing, a vintage denim jacket.

 

This jacket is from the 30s! How cool is that! Almost 90 years old — and so supers stylish and cool. GAWD I love it.

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To-Do-Spring Wish List NYC 2018

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Despite the fact that it still feels like winter in New York, it actually *is* Spring. Since I love planning new adventures and outings each season, here is what I am currently hoping to do this Spring in New York! Take a look!

 

1. See Hamilton again….because it has been two years since I first (and last) saw this magical performance.

 

I had the opportunity to see the original cast in April 2016 and it was truly one of the highlights of my year. I am still listening to the music nonstop and can’t wait to go back….

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