Pana II & MILON

"Where chili pepper lights meet Christmas lights."

-Milon & Pana II website

If you are a big group looking to celebrate a non-classy/cheap birthday, a going away, a welcome back,  a WHATEVER.. Milon & Pana II are the places to go. These two Indian restaurants are located next to each other on 6th St and 1st Ave in the East Village. They both appear to be almost identical inside and out. They are jam packed with bright Christmas tree and chili pepper lights, adding to the slightly cheesball/charming ambiance. The music inside can only be described as "Bollywoodesque"... and beware for the lowering of the lights and the blasting of the music if it's your birthday.

These restaurants are BYOB (looking for a cheap wine to take? Check out Trader Joe's Charles Shaw wines- a.ka. the "two buck chuck") keeping the costs of the night down to a minimum. The Indian food is decent (depending on who you ask), and they can accommodate large groups.

For big groups I recommend getting the Tandoori dinner. It is $15.00 dollars per person and includes:

Soup, Pakora, Samosa & Papadum, Main Entree choice of any: beef, chicken, lamb, tandoori or tikka tandoori served with rice, dal, partha or poori and dessert tea or coffee.

Reservations are accepted.

**Disclaimer: Only go here with big groups. Food here is not quality Indian, but the wine will help!

The Spotted Pig

Odds are that at whatever time you go to The Spotted Pig there will be a wait. Expect to have the restaurant look more like a mosh pit than a casual dining establishment. If you can not find the host he/she is probably in hiding as this is one of the most popular places in town... and the hunt for the hostess's attention resembles trading on the floor of the NY stock exchange.

HOWEVER, do not let this scare you away. If so many people want to eat here, it's for a reason. And what's that reason? THE BURGER. The Chargrilled Burger with Roquefort cheese and shoestring fries is OUTSTANDING. Be sure to order it medium rare to experience the best "burgasim" ever. Other than the burger they serve seasonal British & Italian food using local ingredients when possible.


The charming pub-like ambiance, dark wooded and pig infested ironically gives it a very comforting feel. It feels like you have been transported to an old English pub on the outskirts of London. Only difference? You will be taking in your food with trend setting fashionistas and urban pop foodies. The pig ornaments and flea market type memorabilia makes for a visually entertaining atmosphere.

The restaurant is owned by April Bloomfield (the chef), Ken Friedman and some other investors including Mario Batali. The Spotted Pig takes no reservations, so get there early and book a table! This past Saturday I went there, we put our name down at 6:30pm and didn't get seated until 9pm...just sayin, plan accordingly!

The Spotted Pig is located at 314 West 11th St. It is open for:
Brunch: 11am-3pm(weekends)
Lunch: 12-3pm
Bar Menu: 3pm-5pm
Dinner:5:30pm-2am


Fun Fact: According to The New York Times article, the Spotted Pig was named after the allusion of one of his investors. Mario Batalli. Why so? "He's got freckles!" Mr Friedman stated.

Taken from here

The Steins Collect @ The Met

Straight from the Grand Palais in Paris comes The Steins Collect exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC....

Matisse and Picasso may be credited by many as the "inventors" of modern art, but at the beginning of the 20th century they were criticized more often than praised. People were not used to this "new" form of art.. abstract, figurative and transcendental. During this time, an upper-middle class Jewish American family bought up these painters earliest works, displaying them in their spacious Paris apartment. The family was well known in Paris and therefore they had a lot of influential people visit and observe these works of art in their home at 27 rue de Fleurus. They became very close friends with painters like Matisse and Picasso. One can even argue that this family discovered them.

Who was this family? Well let me tell you a bit about them. The family is composed of one sister and two brothers... Gertrude, Leo and Michael. Michael's wife, Sarah, was also highly involved in being a patron of modern art in Paris. During the first few decades of the twentieth century, the Steins collected hundreds of works of art that include work from Cezanne, Degas, Gaugin, Toulouse-Lautrec, Manet, Renoir, Picasso and Matisse.

This exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art is on display until June 3rd, 2012. It exhibits over 200 works of art that had been collected by the family. It demonstrates the close relationships that this family had with the artists and their friends. It shows the significant impact the Stein's had on the artists that today we deem as iconic. It shows the family's passion for the Parisian arts scene.

The Steins famously introduced Matisse to Picasso and made the Parisian avant-garde  movement available to many people. This exhibit is the story of this American family residing in Paris who became a pivotal part of the creation of art for years to come.

I was pleasantly surprised with this exhibition, and  HIGHLY recommend you go and check it out if you are in Manhattan. On a budget? No worries, at The Metropolitan Museum of art the price is only suggested... you can pay whatever you can.

Fun fact: The exhibition includes a sketch of Leo drawn by Picasso himself. It also exhibits portraits of Sarah painted by Matisse.

The Met is located at 1000 5th Ave.  Check out some of my favorite pieces below.. enjoy!

Henri Matisse

Boy with Butterfly Net, 1907

image taken from here

Pablo Picasso

Getrude Sten, 1905-1906

image taken from here

Pablo Picasso

Boy Leading a Horse, 1905-06

image taken from here

Stein Apartment

Miss Lily's

Imagine yourself on the beach in Ocho Rios sipping a pina colada and listening to some reggae.  Welcome to Miss Lily's!! A cute little island getaway in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Manhattan. Miss Lily's restaurant is located at 132 West Houston St. It is a Jamaican style diner on the border of the Village. Open daily from noon to 10PM.

At Miss Lily's you will be able to indulge in a manhattan approach to classic Caribbean island cooking. At the diner you will find everything from Jerk Chicken, Oxtail, Curried Goat and Curried Chicken to Callaloo, Plantains and Brioche French Toast.

Paul Salmon (owner of the award-winning Rockhouse Hotel in Jamaica) and the Jakupi brothers (partners in some of the most exclusive nightclubs in the city... Bungolw 8, 1Oak and the box) run and operate the restaurant. They hired Serge Becker, who has decorated places like Cafe Select and La Esquina, to decorate this island oasis... and kudos to him it looks great! The interior is very colorful and the walls are covered in Jamaican albums and the checkered floors give it that diner-ish feel.

My Reco: Grilled Fish Sandwich ($12.00) and for brunch the Brioche French Toast($12.00).

And don't forget to check out the juice box while you're there!! The annex of the famed Miss Lily's...

Brioche French Toast

Cindy Sherman @ MoMA

If you are in New York these days, do NOT miss the Cindy Sherman exhibition at the MoMA. It will be open to the public until June 11th, 2012.

Cindy Sherman is a widely recognized artist in contemporary art. She has worked as her own model for many years, and she has managed to capture herself embodying various personas, circumstances and time eras. The inspiration behind her photographs range from movies, magazines, art history, internet to TV; among others.

Sherman has managed to capture herself in so many different ways which manage to provoke the viewer with affecting, amusing and at times distasteful emotions. She takes on characters as they are perceived by the masses and creates stereotypes in a very creative and unusual way. Her images are made to make the spectator rethink history, mass media and stereotypes. To create her photographs she takes on the role as model, makeup artist, stylist, hairdresser and photographer. Her photographs range from the representation of women in society to images representing women in media.

Sherman tends to work in series, this is evident at the MoMA. All her works of are "untitled" to preserve that sense of ambiguity and different perception of the viewer. According to the MoMA website, on exhibition are more than 170 photographs ranging from the mid 1970s to the present.

Cindy Sherman currently lives in New York. Her works of art include some of the most expensive photographs ever sold.

Cindy Sherman's collection of photographs and videos are on display at The Joan and Preston Robert Tisch Exhibition Gallery on the sixth floor at the MoMA.The MoMA is located at 11 West 53rd St in Manhattan.

MoMA dates: February 26th- June 11th, 2012

                                      Taken from the MoMA.org site Cindy Sherman Gallery (link below)
                                  Untitled #463. 2007–08

Eileen's Special Cheesecake

"Cheesecake is one of those quintessential New York foodstuffs that in some circles is thought of as unsophisticated. Certainly its name does not roll off the tongue like tiramisù, or tarte Tatin. But cheesecake at its best is a perfect sweet -- a smooth, creamy confection with only a hint of tart."  The New York Times on Cheesecake

I think every New Yorker would agree when I say that Cheesecake is one of those New York quintessential foods, alongside pizza and hot dogs. Finding the best cheesecake place in NY is a difficult task, as every restaurant probably offers their variation of the New York Cheesecake. Many would argue that Junior's is the best cheesecake place in the city. Junior's has been known for over 50 years as the "restaurant that is known to be the home of the best cheesecake." However, I am going to go ahead and make a very strong statement (many will contradict this) that the best cheesecake I have found in New York is at Eileen's Special Cheesecake located at 17 Cleveland Place in NoLita. 

Eilleen has been baking for nearly 40 years as one of New York City's top bakers. She started baking in her apartment back in 1973. Her fabulous cheesecake started selling by word of mouth. In December 1975 she opened her bakery at the current location. Soon word starting getting out that Eilleen had the best cheesecake in town. They eventually began shipping cheesecakes overnight to anywhere in the US. According to ESC's site " Eileen has been praised as New York's Best Cheesecake by Celebrity Chefts, The Zagat guide, WOR Radio, and nationally recognized food critics."

My suggestion: Mini-cheesecake to go: Original ($3.50). Not in the cheesecake mood? Try the White Chocolate Raspberry Mousse (6": $18.00)

FUN FACT: Eileen's original cheesecake recipe was her mom's. 

Eileen's is open every day Monday-Friday from 9AM-9PM; Saturday and Sunday from 10AM till 7PM.

Feel like contradicting me? Please do! I am the biggest cheesecake fan... i don't mind trying as many as it takes! However, I am sure that the cheesecake will be from NY. New York is definitely the world capital for Cheesecake.

"In a city of constant ethnic flux, cheesecake is itself a constant, offering something for everyone." The New York Times 

Tertulia

Tertulia, a new Spanish gastropub in the city, is on the top of every New Yorkers "where to eat list". Since it open its doors in August 2011 it has been getting AMAZING reviews. Seamus Mullen's new Spanish taverna in the West Village has been causing quite a sensation. They do not accept reservations (unless you are a party of 6 or more), only walk-ins... you will be lucky if your wait is less than an hour.

I do have to say snaps to chef Seamus Mullen's new hotspot. Mullen, although originally for rural Vermont, has managed to successfully capture the true Spanish food essence. Mullen made his reputation in partnership with other restauranteurs in New York City serving at popular spots like Boqueria, in the Flatiron district. Nowadays you can catch Mullen as a featured judge on the Food Network's show, "Chopped".

The little taverna is located at 359 6th Ave ( lower 6th Ave, just above West 4th St). The small bar as you walk in serves varieties of cava, cider (poured from a wooden barrel), wine and beer. The narrow restaurant is divided by brick archways. The decor reminded me of an old farmhouse you would find in the Basque country, complete with a rustic chimney style oven used to cook the delicious tapas served at this place.

The menu offers everything from tostas (appetizers served on top of a white bread) to sartenes (smaller sharing dishes) to tapas and larger plates. Everything is meant to share, including the pitchers of Sangria. Being a Spanish food snob myself.. i HIGHLY recommend this place.

Some of my favorites:
Tosta Huevo Roto y Jamon Iberico (crushed egg, potato, iberico ham) $11.00
Croquetas de Jamon Iberico (Iberico ham croquttes) $11.00
Coles de Bruselas (crispy bussels sprouts with pork belly) $9.00
*** And try their specials

FUN FACT: 359 6th Ave used to be a speakeasy in the prohibition era.

"At 11PM on a Friday there's still a wait, because this is where Manhattan is eating right now. Rightly so." Bloomberg

                                                                 @TERTULIA