Made in Manhattan

I’m back in NYC, y’all. The weather in LA was beautiful, but I’m glad to be home with the hubs! On my way back to Brooklyn, I made a PITT stop in Pittsburgh to see my family and friends for my birthday and had the best time. I also shopped my little heart out. I don’t know why, but I bought these pants. I also made my mom take me to the fancy mall in Pittsburgh to pick up a pair of my favorite jeans and this cute top. Whenever I’m knee deep in work, I always think I deserve to treat myself and it just sucks for my finances that I’m never not knee deep in work :)

To honor my homecoming, I decided to make this Manhattan and of course, I couldn’t make it without a touch of the steel city. NYC and Pittsburgh will always have me torn and this happens every time I go home - I get very confused about where I want to be. It also doesn’t help that I have a life partner now. I’m hoping that one day we’ll both wake up and have a plan, but until then I’m just going to live in the moment and think about sipping cocktails al fresco as soon as the weather is nice!

So, cheers to 15 days to Spring!

• Ice
• 2 parts Wigle whiskey
• 1 part sweet vermouth
• 1 to 2 dashes bitters 
• Orange peel
• Maraschino Cherries (Don’t judge, but I used the ones from the jar - this girl ain’t got no time to make the real deal, though it’s much preferred)

Place ice in a cocktail shaker. Add the whiskey, vermouth and bitters. Rub the orange peel around the rim of the cocktail glass and strain the drink into the glass. Add 1 to 2 cherries.

NYC Guide - Harlow

There are three things that people love to ask me about - directions, restaurant/bar recommendations and boys. I don’t know what it is about me that attracts these questions, but I’m all for it. So I thought to myself, why not talk about these things on the blog?

Every Tuesday, I plan to share my NYC Guide post - a guide to life in this crazy city combined with a guide of my favorite spots. And if you live here, you know that this place is all about three things - drinking, dating and drama. When you’re over this, it’s time to leave and head upstate. To measure these very important elements, I plan to institute a rating system so you always know what to expect. 

First place we need to talk about is Harlow. I have a special place in my heart for this midtown gem. It’s the brainchild of Richie Notar, Danny Ye and Sean Dillon, all of whom I worked with during my four years at Nobu. If there is one job that I would highly recommend to young girls who just transplanted to the concrete jungle, it’s a hostess/coat check gig. Not only did I eat for free, walk away with a decent amount of cash money and learn to love food, I also made some pretty awesome friends. Some are scattered around the world at other Nobu locations and others are killing it at their own spots like Danny and Sean. 

Harlow offers an unexpected hip vibe that’s hard to come by on the Upper East combined with the usual suit-and-tie scene. It’s a place that’s actually bearable if you’re like me and easily annoyed by clean-shaven men and pearl-dripped ladies. The menu  makes your mouth water and the old Hollywood glamour decor is stunning. Even the bathroom smells heavenly!

On to the rating:

Drinks - I give this place 4 stars for drinks. A. because the bar manager (what up Max!) is at my apartment right now watching football with my husband and B. because they are strong. Drinks are pricey though, but comparable to other high-end restaurants in the hood.

Dating - 4 stars here. If you’re on a date, make a reservation and sit in the main dining area. I would suggest this place early on in the relationship because it’s expensive (girls will understand that one.) If you’re on the prowl, the lounge/bar area is a watering hole for successful men. Best nights are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. 

Drama - 5 stars. Like I said, the drinks are strong and that only leads to heated disagreements about the next mayor or a heavy flirting sesh. It’s definitely a who’s who kind of place, so the egos are up there. This fact mixed with fancy cocktails and sexy tunes is always a recipe for drama. If you’re looking for some excitement in the 50s, this is your spot.

4, 5, 6, N, Q, R to 59th Street