SOHO survival guide!

It is always great fun to have an excuse to enjoy NYC without having to wear the usual "I'm slightly bored and unamuzed" look that is a must when walking around Manhattan.

Kaya was in town this weekend to entertain HighContrast and I. I mean, we were entertaining her... right, that's how it was... Anyway, the weekend was a blur of laughter, psychoanalysis, serious shop browsing... and of course food and drinks!

Here is what I suggest if you have an afternoon in NYC in which you just want to relax and have the sights pass you by (instead of you passing by to see them).

SOHO will provide you with plenty to laugh about on any given weekend afternoon! But keep in mind you'll need plenty of colorful drinks to help you handle the constant FLOW of people up and down Broadway.

So here is what you do: forget Balthazar for Bruch, there is honestly nothing super special about it, yes, the food is great but do you really want to be waiting outside for at least an hour to be seated!?!??? Come on! What is this? We are not in a town with only one IHOP on the main street. Just walk around the block and you can treat yourself to an excellent breakfast/brunch at an Indian chutney house (Hampton Chutney). There is a yummy selection of Dosas that will come with a fresh made chutney, and you can sip your cardamom coffee for complete bliss!!

We went there and it was SOOOO GOOOOD!!!!!!



















Its not posh inside or anything but the food is delicious, you don't have to wait for hours nor will you be spending millions of dollars on breakfast! (You will still spend that money in all the boutiques though!!!)

For a quick drink pop into Cafe Bari and sit either downstairs on the bar stool and watch the crowds pass by, or go to the upstairs bar and grab a seat near the window for even more of a view! I had a Kir Royale, Kaya had a mimosa and HighCon opted for a Coka-Cola in one of those pretty vintage bottles. Here is the view from above.



















After more shopping, more walking, etc etc etc... you'll not only get thirsty (again) but also be ready for some lunch. I say you go to Bar 89 on Mercer street (as in 89 Mercer st). Beautiful space with high ceilings to help you relax your eyes after browsing all those shops. Wonderful drinks and good eats. Do not forget to check out the bathroom upstairs! Transparent doors!!! (Fear not, as soon as you close the latch the window magically turns smoky white and you can pee in peace!).
















Now, since we are hardcore shoppers (and drinkers) we went for yet another drink (6 more drinks actually- EACH), at Antique Garage, just down the street. Cozy and cute. (Unlike my hangover today.)


In Soho!

Hampton Chutney - http://www.hamptonchutney.com/
Cafe Bari, Broadway and Spring street
Bar 89 - http://www.worldsbestbars.com/city/new-york/bar-89-new-york.htm
Antique Garage - http://www.antiquegaragesoho.com

Read more...

YO YO!

Happy Friday!!!!
I'm at Highcontrast's and we're sipping champaign as we wait for Kaya to make her way over here from being delayed for 5 hours!! But like I said, we're drinking champaign, we can hold on for afew.

And now a word from Highcontrast himself.

"I would like to give a shout out to all my old female bloggas: Alana, my homegirl Jazz, of course Cadiz in the dungeon, or "home" as her gmail notifies.." ..."wassup b***chessss"

um.. his words, I call my girls "Princesses".

This afternoon I had ANOTHER very special treat! Got to meet up with VespaRosso!!! She is super adorable!!! Gosh, I just love to surround myself with super adorable people! Anyway, we were totally channeling "Ladies that Lunch" as we went to Cristanello for some sopa di giorno e tramezzini! Followed by espressos and a piccolo fruit tart. Was good to catch up!! In "real" life.
We discussed everything from men to murano grass necklaces! What great fun!

My fingers are beggining to numb... which means I should either drink more champagne or less...?

Well see ya, Highcon is about to do a "special dance" for me... and as for you all- you better be having fun!
Baciiiiiii

Read more...

For some strange and unknown reason, all day today I had this ardent desire to pick a fight with Nico.

I'm totally baffled, there is really no reason for this! Needless to say the day was spent in my avoiding opening my email account and hiding the blackberry on the top shelf in the office so that I don't accidentally send any nasty communications accross the ocean. I won, but maaaan that was weird.

Read more...

I want to vacuum. Like, now!

I feel like I'm in a vacuum. I don't mean the outer space kind, I mean a vacuum, like for vacuuming your house. I feel very focused and thankfully a strong "wind" is blowing me into the right direction. Actually scratch that. I feel like I'm in a leaf blower! Pretty soon I will be propelled out into the right direction! Ok, that's a better imagery, I obviously don't think getting sucked into the vacuum cleaner is the right direction to go.

I'm the kind of person that just CANNOT "float" through life. I work best either when I have to fight against the flow, or have a strong jet stream bring me to where I need to be going. But it may be noted that I always have to have some kind of GOAL and preferably a deadline. Otherwise, I literally cannot function. I'm not proud of it. I don't think there is anything particularly wrong with just floating and enjoying life. But I personally can't function unless there is something ahead of me that I need to accomplish.

I can directly correlate the times of my life in which I was the busiest to the times when I undertook extra hobbies, extra sports, boyfriend(s), and had the highest grades. This would explain why I always overloaded on courses in college and graduated early anyway. But this is very very sad, because the only bragging I can do stoppes with college. After that, everything was just one big unseasoned mashed potatoes mush. Just plain nothing bla.

The good thing is that now I feel very focused on a new task, and precisely that is helping me to start setting up for accomplishing my other goals. Though everything is still moving at what seems to be turtle speed. Even when I go running in the evenings I tend to sprint like a mad woman because I feel the need for speed.

I realize this is a bunch of abstract mambojumbo. So we're going to put together a list of things to actually DO right now:

1. Shopping for jaw dropping outfits for my trip.

2. Increase my mad woman dashings to twice a day.

3. Get a pink leather passport cover that says: "Princess"

4. Find a proper Album for my PICTURES!!!!!

That's not enough, but lets concentrate on geting this done well.

Ciao!

Read more...

Closet blues

Less then 20 days till my trip... and I realized that...

I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR!!!

update (Sunday 7.42pm): ... um... STILL NOTHING TO WEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Read more...

Wallstr and I had a fabulous time sipping our beautiful martinis (hers: pomegranate, mine: dirty with three olives). The place has an unbelievable view and is more or less quiet where people can carry on nice intimate conversations and get all romantical. (NOT that that's what Wallstr and I were doing!) PiuPiu are you taking notes?? :) Here is the link.

This weekend promises to give me time for various activities that I've put off for months and years... for example putting my pictures from a trip I took 3 yrs ago into an ALBUM!!! We'll see... And I'd like to cook a new dish from my wonderful Beautiful Mediterranean Cookbook, no really, that's what its called.

They say a way to a man's heart is through the stomach, so I'm just trying to cover all ground. Plus, a girl's gotta eat too you know!

Oh, and MAJOR news flash: Kaya (aka the Bali Princess) is coming to town!!! She is not really from Bali, but she is so exotic she could be... Anyway, in accordance to her royal and exotic status she has gotten herself a FIRST CLASS ticket!!!! I just love surrounding myself with exotic and royal friends that fly first class! :) We'll try to keep our heads firmly screwed onto our bodies, because when the three of us get together: Highcontrast, me and Kaya things tend to get... loose... guys... I still have guilt pangs about robbing coffee joints... and kinko's...

Read more...

I was going to say how I've had a headache for two days in a row... or how everytime I walk into the Staten Island Ferry terminal and see the crowd of morning commuters and it makes me remember a scene in Godzilla where the main characters discover thousands of hatched godzillas all slobering green slime from their mouthes... But I won't talk about it! Because here at Sempre Primavera everything is ALWAYS perfect! ;)

SO! Instead, we are going to talk about the trully glamorous life that I lead. (Apart from green slime slobbering godzilla offsprings that I have to see everyday...)

Anyway... Just a few short weeks from now I'll be in the land of flowing chocolate and beer!!! Where the chocolate (and beer) will be... flowing!

Lets see some visuals:
























Yeah I guess not only beer will be flowing...

Read more...