Rey of Sunshine

Today is Fat Friday.  Not only did I sample decadent macarons from Macaron Cafe (I'm not sure what flavor I tried, unless there's a flavor called super sweet and yummy), I ate my weight in Mexican food. 

Today, Midtown West became Midtown Best as El Rey del Sabor opened another permanent location at 49th and B'way, conveniently near my office.  El Rey del Sabor is one of my favorite street carts and one of the few serving Mexican in the city.  You would think I'd love that the original location is situated by Bloomingdales, so close to my apartment, but since it is only around during the week, I never get to take advantage of it.  Now that I can, I went crazy. 

Mexican food is supposed to be down and dirty.  If it's wrapped up in a pretty bow, I don't trust it.  There's something about watching two sweaty guys crammed in a cart that makes the food taste better.  Though hot dogs and gyros are the norm in street food, the fact that this necessitates a knife and fork does not make it exempt.  My food was delicious and I only mildly regret the amount I consumed.  I couldn't decide what I wanted, so I just kept ordering.  A tamale, small side of guac, and 3 tacos later (beef, spicy pork, and chorizo), my tummy is sooo happy.  These fellas know their way around a spice cabinet.   I also got a glimpse of the burrito my friend Pat ordered.  It was no smaller than my calf and was apparently quite tasty.  If you happen to live work in the area, make it a point to stop here for a cheap, filling, and flavorful lunch.

In The Year 3000

Wednesday was a big day in my world, aka the print advertising community.  With the introduction of the iPad, is this the future of the publishing realm?  I think so.  The Kindle was close, but Steve Jobs just took it five steps closer.  I, myself, am not a big fan of the e-reader.  I love my books and magazines in their original forms.  I love the smell, the textures, and the proud feeling I get when displaying their spines in my overstuffed bookshelf.  However, while slightly averse to change, I understand that times are a changin.  What's next?  A chip in my brain tat will automatically upload info?  Maybe.  For now, I'll continue to flip the actual pages of Oprah's latest book club pick.

iPad is a shiny new toy.  Though I do not plan on spending $500 on what is basically a flat-style computer, I think it's cool...or at least I did until someone made me realize the name sounds like a feminine hygene product.

Two other things that were cool about Wednesday: 1) Queen Latifa opened up my company's State of the Union event and 2) on my way there I spotted Matthew Settle (aka: Rufus Humphrew on Gossip Girl).  Though we both attended Us Weekly's Hot Hollywood party last year, he didn't seem to remember me.

It's On - Groupon

Gather 'round the computer screen kiddies as I tell you all about a fantastic program called Groupon.  Here's how it works: each day, the site features an amazing deal that you only get if enough people sign up (ergo GROUPon).  I've thought this was a great idea ever since hearing Matt Lauer and The Today Show hailing it several months ago as a great way to save money in tough economic times.

While they feature incredible, too-hard-to-pass-up kind of deals each day, I have limited funds so I waited - like a tiger stalking its prey - for the perfect deal.  Finally, last Thursday, I found it.  $25 for a $50 gift certificate to Poco.  Check out the menu.  I would go here with or without a coupon; but now when I go, I can FEAST.  Stay tuned for the restaurant recap.

Most importantly, I urge you to sign up for your local Groupon update.  The deals are awesome and there's a new one each day.  Everyone's a winner eventually!

Let The Games Begin

I consider myself a sort of trivia buff.  I know scads (yes, scads) of random factoids and I'm usually the ringer at any bar's trivia night (if anyone wants to start a monthly or bi-weekly game, let me know).  So when two girls who sit near me at work were trying to figure out as many fast food chains as possible in a time crunch, I felt obligated to lend my expertise.

Only after completing the challenge did I ask why we were doing this.  They then opened my eyes to Sporcle, a website filled with quiz games on every topic imaginable.  Start off easy by trying to name all your 3 lettered body parts; then move on to naming European cities or Famous Simons.  I concede, it seems a little stupid at first, but as an obscure knowledge junkie, I was soon captivated.

If you're bored at work, this just may be the site for you.  I also have no doubt that multiple drinking games could be based around these games - enjoy!

Soup for Haiti

I just picked up a great piece of news.  Since mobile cuisine has gained widespread popularity in NYC, as part of 2010 Winter Restaurant Week, the city has commissioned a Restaurant Week Truck, featuring daily soup selections from 24 Restaurant Week participants.  Week 1 just happens to be right next to my office (B'way between 50th and 51st), and since next week the truck will be parked too far from me (5th between 18th and 19th for the first half of the week and Greenwich between Warren and Murray for the second half), I plan on taking advantage of all the truck has to offer while I can.  How can I pass up gingered sweet potato and lobster bisque from The Sea Grill on Thursday?  Today I plan to grab some of City Crab's famous New England Clam Chowder.  Yum.

For only $6 including bread from Tom Cat Bakery, it is nearly impossibly to pass up.  This foodie event combines two of my favorite things: Restaurant Week and food from a truck/cart.  I have no problem eating something sold on the side of the road.  In fact, I believe it usually tastes better that way, and I have no problem eating street meat even when I'm not drunk.  But the best part is that $1 from each sale is donated to Haiti relief.  That kind of soup will warm your belly and your heart.

Gentlemen, Start Your Engines

Twice a year, New York City organizes a wonderful event: Restaurant Week.  Don't let the name fool you, Restaurant Week is actually two weeks long, and I consider it a major holiday.  Beginning yesterday, for a short window of time, us little people are able to see how the other half lives by dining at the city's swankiest restaurants at discounted prices.  Since I work and am not fortunate enough to be one of those ladies who lunch, I am usually unable to take advantage of the $24.07 lunch and instead focus on the $35, 3 course, prix fixe dinner.  Then again, if I was a lady who lunched, I prob wouldn't have to wait til Restaurant Week to check out these places.

Since these 2 weeks of bliss will fly by, choose your restaurants strategically.  A few tips:

• Get the most bang for your buck.  I'm poor.  To me, $35 can still be a lot of money to drop, so choose wisely.  Let's think about this.  Some types of ethnic food don't lend themselves to desserts.  Asian food doesn't typically excel in this area.  You don't want to feel screwed by enjoying 2 courses and winding up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.  Boring - and nothing I couldn't do in my own kitchen with the help of my friends Ben and Jerry.  Stick to Italian, Continental, and French cuisines and you won't be disappointed with any of your courses.
• Check out the menu first (most participating restaurants will post them on their websites).  It may seem like the stars have aligned when you see the nicest restaurant in all of NYC on the list.  But some restaurants put more effort than others into their Restaurant Week menu and you don't want to feel like you got the shaft when a fancy restaurant slapped a couple of boring dishes on the plate and clearly returned to focus on the high-paying customers.  
• Grab a drink first.  Take advantage of happy hour at a nearby bar before going to the restaurant.  You don't want to psych yourself up for a cheap dinner only to get an expensive bill after tacking three $14 martinis onto the check.

There's a slew of newcomers this year, including my top choices of SD26, Braeburn, and A Voce.  If anyone's looking for a buddy with whom to check out any of the Restaurant Week offerings, consider my hand raised.

When in Rome...

Last night I had the privilege of seeing an advance screening of "When In Rome", the new film starring Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel.  Let me take that back; it would only have been a privilege had I enjoyed the movie.  Of course I wasn't expecting anything mind-blowing, but I usually enjoy a light rom-com - this one just didn't really do anything for me.  The acting was fine and the first half of the movie was sort of cute, but after that, it was just kinda blahhh.  I spent most of the film admiring Kristen Bell's wardrobe and commenting on how pretty she is.  The flick hits theaters one week from today, but allow me to save you $12.50 by listening to me when I tell you to wait til you can rent it on Netflix.  Another downside to the movie: while watching it, I ate an entire bag of popcorn myself - probably not a good idea.