New York Restaurant Week is one of the most popular events in the city. This year, the event takes place from January 21–25 and January 28–February 1. During this time, you can enjoy three-course fixed-price meal ($24.07 lunches, $35 dinners) at over 200 top restaurants.

My husband had the 21st off for MLK day, so we went to luch at China Grill - New York, a popular, high-end Asian restaurant. It was great! First of all, the place was beautiful and the service was very attentive. The food was also very good. We loved our appetizer (spicy beef & scallion dumplings) and salad (crackling calamari salad). The family-style servings were very generous. The dumplings were served in a soy ginger sauce that was excellent. The calamari was cooked perfectly (not too chewy/not too greasy) and the lime miso dressing on the salad was so good that I went back for more (and I’m definitely not a salad person). The entree (sake marinated “drunken” chicken ) wasn’t as good as the appetizers (we normally find that to be the case) but it was still good. Our last course, the mango ice-cream dessert was also very good. It came with mango, vanilla bean and raspberry ice cream along with some cookies. It was a great ending.

Two tips in case you plan on going to Restaurant Week:
1. Be sure to ask for the official Restaurant Week menu when you are seated.
and
2. Save yourself some time in finding which participating restaurants are available at the time you’d like to make a reservation by going directly to OpenTable.com. (Our first choice, Tao Restaurant wasn’t available.)

Enjoy!

No Comments »

On Wednesday, my three year old son Michael took part in a focus group for an upcoming show by Little Airplane Productions, the creators of The Wonder Pets, Oobi and more preschool programming.  Beforehand, I told him that his "job" was to listen to the story and then answer the questions that he was asked.  He did exactly what I said.  He listened intently while the story was being read.  Then when the facilitator asked questions, he was quick to answer…too quick.  Michael is a lot like me in that he processes information really quickly.  As soon as the facilitator asked the question, he was ready with the answer.  The other little kids who were participating just repeated his answers until the facilitator started asking them what they thought first specifically by name.  We’ll have to work on giving others the opportunity to answer questions first before he goes to preschool next September.  I like that he grasps things quickly.  However, I hope that he isn’t like I was in school - I would learn everything really quickly, then get bored and talk for the rest of class, distracting the other students who didn’t learn as quickly - not good.  I never really got punished by teachers for acting that way but looking back, I see how unfair that was to the other kids.

Anyway, it was neat to see how Little Airplane does focus groups for their preschool programming.  They were really great at listening to the kids’ input in order to make the shows great.  I said that I would spread the word, so here’s the info:

"For those who have children ages 3 to 5, they are invited (with their parents or guardians) to the offices of Little Airplane Productions to listen to - and offer feedback on - potential episodes for current or future educational preschool shows.  Each participant receives a $25 travel stipend and a small gift. Sessions run 30-40 minutes and various times and dates are available; call or email Natascha to schedule an appointment. 207 Front Street, in the South Street Seaport. [212.965.8999; email: natascha@littleairplane.com; http://www.littleairplane.com] "

Later, I found out that Little Airplane also offers tours of their studio (all work on their shows is done in-house) for $10/person.  I think that would be fun for the kids to see a "behind the scenes" look at some of their favorite shows, so I plan to go back when the weather gets warmer.

No Comments »

(Yes, that’s a picture of me!)  I  took a beginner level Flying Trapeze class at Trapeze School New York (http://newyork.trapezeschool.com/).  It was amazing!  Initially, when I saw the school from across the street, I almost chickened out.  “What was I thinking” ran through my head as I hesitantly approached the Pier.  Fortunately, it looked a lot less scary up close and the school had the most beautiful views of the sky and the city.  “I can do this,” I kept telling myself.

When the class began, there was an instant sense of camaraderie amongst all of us first-timers. (Classes are small - no larger than 10 people - so that each person can get individual attention.)  Our instructor Jeff gave us some brief safety rules; demonstrated what we would (try to) do; and tightly put on our safety belts.  After marveling at my pre-baby looking waist, I realized that it was time to fly.

I volunteered to go first, so that I wouldn’t lose my nerve.  I climbed 23 feet up the ladder, jumped off the platform and hung on the trapeze by my hands three separate times.  It was scary to jump off the first time, but once I was off the platform, it was so much fun swinging back and forth and then letting go of the bar in order to fall into the net.  I was a little disappointed that I wasn’t able to do some of the other options (like the knee hang, flipping dismount or catching), but my goal is to be able to do some of those things the next time.

Overall, I was really excited to step out of my comfort zone…I was flying!  When I asked my fellow class members how they would describe their experience, they used phrases like “liberating”, “natural high”, “it helped me to let go”, and “an amazing experience”.  In any event, I highly recommend this class!

No Comments »

Yesterday, I took a bellydancing class at Serena Studios (http://www.serenastudios.com).  It was fun, but hard!  I thought that I’d show up with my pedicured feet (courtesy of Kris at Think Pink nails) — since it’s a shoes-off class — and my belly (courtesy of Sean Coleman, my son of three months); shake my hips and my arms a little bit and call it a day.  I was wrong! 

It was not “easy” and as one of the teachers said, “It’s not supposed to be.”  There were specific body positions and 8+ basic dance moves that were learned in this Basic Beginner class. I heard “drop your tailbone; lift your chest” so much that it’s now a mantra in my head.  Although the teachers were firm, they were also friendly and kind.  They said that I did “good” even though I didn’t (I’m an optimist, but I’m also a realist.) 

Word to the wise - if you want to get into Serena’s classes, arrive 10 to 15 minutes early to get a good space.  Serena is a great bellydancer and she has a very calming, gracious personality.  Speaking with the various students, I learned that there are different instructors to fit different personality types/ goals (i.e. some have hard abs while other have more stereotypical bellydancing "bellies").  In any event, my class was a great workout…there were lots of arm, stomach and hip movements.  It was also a great feminine bonding experience (despite the student who pushed me out of her way, instead of just asking me to move!).  There were moments when we were all shimmying our hips and floating our arms in unison…I felt so feminine and strong, thinking “I am woman. Hear me roar!”  All in all, I highly recommend this class…especially for those who have the time to “master" the body positions and basic dance moves.

No Comments »

One of the last things that I wanted to do before giving birth was go to one more high/afternoon tea (one of my favorite things to do).  That’s exactly what I did last Saturday with a close friend of mine.  We went to the St. Regis Hotel.  It was a little pricier than other teas in the city ($45+ per person before tax & gratuity) but I figured that it would be a really good tea.

Unfortunately, I was wrong.  The interior was nice, but since we were seated near the door we received a blast of cold air every time someone entered the area.  The tea selection was pretty minimal….I ended up with chamomile tea.  We received an assortment of bite-sized sandwiches which were fine, but nothing exceptional.  The scones and cream were good though, so that made me happy. None of the assorted pastries looked especially appetizing, so I (and my friend) skipped that portion.  Also, the presentation was confusing…it was a combination of English and Asian looking.  (The finger sandwiches and scone sides were served on long, narrow rectangular dishes?!)  The best part of the tea (besides catching up with my dear friend) was the attentive service.  Our waiter was great…it wasn’t his fault that the meal wasn’t great.

In any event, I would not recommend the St. Regis for high tea.  My friend and I rated our favorites (thus far).  Her favorite is Alice’s Tea Cup.  My favorites are The Plaza (I hope that they still have high tea when they reopen in the Fall!); Alice’s Tea Cup; Tea & Sympathy; and The Harlem Tea Room in that order.  If you’re a tea person, you can also find pretty accurate reviews of NY tea places at http://www.teamap.com/states/state_NY_Name.html.

If anyone else knows of any great tea spots in the city, please drop me a line at kcoleman@mominthecity.com.  (I’ve also heard that Lady Mendl’s has a great high tea…I’ll try them next.) 

No Comments »

We’re back from our much anticipated Sesame Place trip.  It was a lot of fun for the most part.  My son’s favorites:
-Elmo’s World: Peek-A-Bug
-Cookie Mountain
-Grover’s World Twirl
-Monster Maze
-The Slide

Least Favorites:
-Elmo’s World: Blast-off (it made his - and my - stomach drop!)
-Rock Around the Block Parade (he loved the characters from afar, but was overwhelmed when they touched him!)
-Breakfast with Elmo (same reason as above)

No Comments »

I’m a foodie. Now that I’m pregnant (probably for the last time), I’m a (justified, in my mind) foodie. Tonight, my husband, son and I were walking through Madison Square Park and we noticed the Shake Shack. I had read a couple of articles about the kid-friendliness and good food AND I had a French fry craving so we all went there for dinner. At first my husband was hesitant because the place recently had been written up in the paper regarding health code violations. The smell of the fries and the long lines convinced us (ok, especially me!) to give the place a try. We had a hot dog, a cheeseburger and the French fries and we were all pleased. The hot dog is exceptional and my husband loved it until the last bite when he noticed the green sauce on it (it’s a visual thing). The French fries were great and well-priced for the portion size. The cheeseburger was really good too, but it was a little small. All in all, we really liked the restaurant and we will be back again. (I already have their cheese fries and crème brulee custard on my “food treat” list!)

Lastly, I checked their website (http://www.shakeshacknyc.com/) and they have passed their health re-inspection…

No Comments »

If you are a mom who loves dessert (more than dinner at times!), read on… 

"The newest addition to the niche restaurant scene is the dessert bar. Room 4 Dessert (New York), Espai Sucre (Barcelona) and our most recent spotting, ChikaLicious (New York), limit their menus to creative concoctions that satisfy even the most ardent sweet tooth.

A tiny 20-seat eatery in New York, founded by husband and wife team Don and Chika Tillman, ChikaLicious offers a 3-course menu for USD 12, consisting of a sweet amuse, the customer’s choice of main course dessert, and petit fours to top it off. The menu features dishes such as Honey Parfait in Blackberry Soup with Tarragon and Lace Crisp, and the signature Fromage Blanc Island Cheese Cake.

The owners explain: "The idea behind an all dessert restaurant was something that we’d been thinking of for quite a while. Here in New York City, if you want a really fine dessert that’s taken seriously, you have to go to one of those fine restaurants. We wanted to create a place that would allow you to go have noodles across the street and then come here for a very nominal price to have a wonderfully treated dessert."

A fun idea that lets adults live out their childhood fantasy of skipping dinner and going straight to dessert. The dessert bar is also a welcome addition to regular restaurants that work with tight seating schedules and rush customers from appetizers to cheque. Less need to hurry through dessert if it can be enjoyed at leisure elsewhere. A delicious opportunity if there every was one!

Website: http://www.chikalicious.com"

Source: www.springwise.com

No Comments »

You may begin to notice that I write about laundry services fairly often. That is because as a Manhattanite, I didn’t do my own laundry for four years. Now that there’s a laundry in my building, I’ve run out of excuses (and it turns out that I actually enjoy getting out stains!). For those who still have a reason (or the extra funds) to send their laundry out, I recommend Flat Rate Cleaners (https://flatratecleaners.com/). Not only do they have (relatively) reasonable rates, but they also pick up baby items for donation to Room to Grow (www.roomtogrow.org) … one of my favorite charities!

No Comments »