Tomorrow- Not For Tourists 2011 Book Release Party at Brass Monkey
Review-Rooftop Hoppin'
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| At the Press Lounge on the rooftop of the Ink 48 Hotel. |
We'll start with one of the first places I went to this summer, the Empire Hotel Rooftop. I was introduced to the Overtime Group earlier this year (remember this post where I gave tips on how to successfully take advantage of their open bar? ) and through them I was introduced to this rooftop venue. Once you get past the fact that the lines are astronomical because no one in NYC turns down free alcohol and you have to wait to take the elevator up, well then you double up on drinks and enjoy this view:
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| Picture I took with my IPhone on the Empire Hotel Rooftop |
Pros: A little Manhattan oasis, Lots of outdoor seating, Great view of Manhattan sunset
Cons: Waiting on a line for almost an hour to get in, Expensive drinks, Vibe dies after the sun goes down
Bottom Line: Wouldn't have gone here if there wasn't an open bar. Go right after work for the view and free booze. Get in and get out!
The last time we went to the Empire Hotel, we actually planned for a place to go afterwards since we knew from experience it would fizzle out. Latitude is one of my favorite low key bars in the city because they're super cheap, have great food and a great laid back ambiance, which is an important option to have after downing drinks at a chaotic open bar!
Pros: Great food, Good music, Cheap drinks, Unpretentious rooftop
Cons: Rooftop closes at 10pm because of neighbors...LAME!
Bottom Line: Come straight from happy hour, get the wings and fries with the trio of dipping sauces and stay on the rooftop until they kick you out!
Right across the street from Latitude is High Bar. Now, don't get me wrong, the place is gorge, they have a great view and when I went there for a Thrillist party, I had a blasty. That being said, I have nothing good to say about this venue!
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| Photo courtesy of Sunny Norton for Blaq List |
Pros: Great view and decor, some of the door staff
Cons: Insanely expensive drinks, horrible service if you can find someone to serve you, and I'm talking even at the bar, crowd is super sketch once the sun goes down, most of the staff and the list goes on and on and on!
Bottom Line: If you must go here and it's not for a corporate sponsored event, get A drink before the sun goes down, otherwise you're risking getting an STD by being in close proximity to the crowd that shows up! Also, don't go if you are with a group of guys, you'll wait on line forever unless you buy a bottle or sell your soul.
Now, onto my favorite of the rooftop bars that I found, the Press Lounge at Ink 48. I've wanted to check this place out since it was covered in Time Out New York, and finally got an opportunity to once my roomie and I set aside time in our outlook calendar! The picture in the beginning of this article was taken there and had breathtaking panoramic views. You're going to want to get there early since a line does form as the night goes on.
Now, onto my favorite of the rooftop bars that I found, the Press Lounge at Ink 48. I've wanted to check this place out since it was covered in Time Out New York, and finally got an opportunity to once my roomie and I set aside time in our outlook calendar! The picture in the beginning of this article was taken there and had breathtaking panoramic views. You're going to want to get there early since a line does form as the night goes on.
Pros: Amazing panoramic view of NYC, young sophisticated yet unpretentious crowd, great decor, cool lighted pool in the middle of the modern space.
Cons: No music outside (whaaaat?!), drinks are kind of expensive ($14 for a flute of Prosecco), and if you get there too late you risk not getting a place to park.
Bottom Line: Go before 11 and you'll be fine, but this is not a place to dance up a storm!
Review: Shecky's Toasts & Tastings
A few weeks ago (...yeah, I'm a little behind, Blogger kept freezing when I tried to save!) I was lucky enough to receive an invite from one of my friends, Pas Niratbhand, Director of Creative and Event Services at Sheckys, to attend their first ever Toasts & Tastings event. I remember thinking to myself when I received my tastings card, which you use very much like tickets at a carnival, that 25 tastings was not going to even hinder my insatiable appetite. I was very wrong!
Because of Shecky's connection in the industry, they had very popular trendy brands, Ciao Bella, Honest Tea and Pop Chips serving up their most popular goodies. In addition, they had Solerno and Frangelico liquor brands whipping up cocktails that perfectly complemented the sweet and savory options that were available, while we waited to get into the wine tasting. (If I had one gripe, it would be that there were more sweet than savory options.) Since I came straight from work, I decided to start with the savory options. Little did I know that those options would offer both savory and sweet options and be my favorite picks for the night!
Tartinery was one of the first stations I tried that I was really impressed with. (We actually passed the restaurant's location a week or so ago and it is GORGE!) I wasn't really versed on the whole idea of tartines, but saw the options as similar to food I would like to be offered in a spa! Some of the options we tried were the Saumon Fume, Mozza, and later on when we hit up the table again, a banana and nutella option that is not on the menu
Our favorite of the night, due to the innovative concoctions, delectable presentation and of course delicious taste factor that cost us multiple worthy tickets, was HighPoint Bistro and Bar. The table was host to Chicken Salad Cones, Creme Brulee Egglings and The Caramel Experiment, a big block of Himalayan rock salt, and caramel, melting together in sublime dessert harmony!
One we filled out stomachs on the multiple dessert stations with cupcakes, cheesecakes and cookies galore, it was time to go downstairs for the grand finale, the wine tasting, that was also included for the event.
The wine tasting was a great learning experience to learn about certain notes that are present in different types of white wines, such as chardonnays, rose`s, and pinots. Not to mention we had the opportunity to learn from a New Zealand Sommelier, see picture below!
Overall, I'd say the event was a success considering it was Shecky's first time throwing the event. We left full of knowledge and food. Even with the first night they hosted the event, they were already adjusting the transitions between the wine tasting sessions to make the switch between sittings more seamless. I'm hoping for the next tasting event they are able to secure more tastings of upcoming restaurants, since I feel learning about new restaurants I would not have known about otherwise was an invaluable experience. The price point of $35 for tickets, I also feel was well worth it when tickets for tastings usually go for $150 and upwards in the city. I'm excited to see what is in store next for this event!
September 20-25- Goldstar Offers Free Tickets to the NY Television Festival
Running Wilde is one of four new shows that Goldstar has received exclusive free tickets for. With their fee, it ends up being $5, but isn't Will worth that?! RSVP: HERE
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