Get Well Court!

Who are these hot chicks? Seriously!! Hehe...my bestest girl Courtney is feeling under the weather. Here's a pic to remind you of when you felt better and looked fab-u-lous, when you didn't have a runny nose and you actually did your hair!!

Love ya babe! Get better!

Restaurant Review - Asiate, Mandarin Oriental Hotel

Asiate - Mandarin Oriental Hotel
The views from this restaurant were spectacular! Located in Columbus Circle, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel is pretty swanky and definitely high-class (kinda like moi!, hehe).

We originally wanted to grab a drink at the Hudson Hotel, but because it was such a beautiful cool evening, the bar was packed. So, we decided to head over to the Mandarin and grabbed a drink at MObar before our dinner reservations. The first thing that struck me as we walked thru the lobby of the Mandarin were the floor to ceiling windows. Because of the location of the hotel, MObar, Lobby Lounge, and Asiate all had dramatic views not only of the city, but the beginning of Central Park. A truly fantastic view!

Another aspect that was pretty cool about Asiate was the walls of wine on display as you walk into the restaurant.

The food at Asiate was good, but definitely not jaw-dropping as WD~50. Dinner was a Prix Fixe menu and we started with the Smoked Salmon risotto and the Crab with guac and duo of gazpacho. For the second course we had the Wagyu beef (not as good as WD~50) with strip loin, smoked potato purée, braised short rib oxtail-yuzu koshou and the Lobster with cuttlefish noodles, pepperoncino, goji berries, shellfish reduction. Whew...what a mouthful!

Restaurant Review - WD~50

WD~50

I had the pleasure of eating at WD~50 a few weeks back as it's one of the many restaurant's that appear on the "List" that I've created with a friend. WD~50 certainly didn't disappoint!

Located at 50 Clinton Street, between Rivington and Stanton, on Manhattan's Lower East Side, the restaurant occupies a former bodega and comprises 67 seats with 7 seats at the bar. The chef, Wylie Dufresne, was formerly the sous chef at Jean Georges and most recently the chef at 71 Clinton Fresh Food where he was hired by his father, Dewey Dufresne when the restaurant opened in October of 1999.

We started with a duck appetizer on a rye crisp with purple mustard (??) and horseradish. Allan went all out and ordered the Wagyu beef while I had the Mediterranean sea bass; both entrees did not disappoint. What I found to be particularly fascinating was Wylie's interesting combinations of flavors and textures in his dishes. I joked and said it was like an explosion of flavors in my mouth with each bite! The Wagyu beef was paired with coffee gnocchi, that could have almost been a dessert itself. You can check out the menu at WD~50 here.

Definitely on the must-go-back list!