Vintage arcade games and gourmet grub. Barcade breaks the mold of your traditional bar, filling the entire space with old school arcade games; Ms. Pacman, Donkey Kong, NASCAR USA. Play all of your old favorites while sipping one of the twenty-five rotating micro-brews. Barcade found a decade of success in Brooklyn, and decided to expand to the popular Chelsesa neighborhood of Manhattan. Within a … Continue reading Barcade
A vintage dining car. In the middle of New York City. Revamped. Reworked. Ridiculously awesome. The “hippest diner on Earth.” When the iconic Empire Diner shut its doors on May 15, 2010, it seemingly marked the end of a staple feeding New Yorkers since 1946. After much real estate turmoil, Chef Amanda Freitag (most notably known for her role as a judge of Food Network’s Chopped), … Continue reading Empire Diner
My mom and I had the wonderful pleasure of attending New York Taste 2013 benefiting City Harvest. We both had never attended a food festival and really didn’t know what to expect. As it turns out, these kind of events, especially this one run by New York Magazine, are absolutely incredible and exceed all expectations. First of all, everything is included, open bar, limitless portions … Continue reading New York Taste
My youngest sister is spending the summer in Barcelona, Spain, enjoying lots of lavish meals full of paella, potatoes and of course, sangria. To say I was jealous about Amanda’s culinary adventurous is an understatement. I absolutely loved my time in Spain a few years ago, developing a serious appreciation for seafood paella and an undeniable weakness for patatas bravas. The one place I actually … Continue reading Socarrat Paella Bar
If you can’t afford a private jet to fly to Barcelona, Spain for Tapas, like myself, you are forced to find alternatives in New York City. This brings me to Tia Pol, one of my favorite, authentic tapas restaurants. The food served here is the real deal, with a variety of dishes that could easily grace any menu throughout Barcelona. Unless you live in Chelsea … Continue reading Tia Pol
Il Bastardo epitomizes drunk brunch. You enter the dark room in the back, where techno music begins blasting, neon lights dance on the wall and drinks are refilled constantly. Hoards of friends gather, usually to celebrate a birthday (like in my case), to dance, be silly, and completely forget that it’s only 1pm on a Saturday. My friends gathered at the birthday boy, Sagar’s, apartment … Continue reading Il Bastardo
Although Chelsea is considered a very hip area, the lack of decent bars seems to be evident walked down the streets. Especially right off the 1 train stop on 23rd and 7th, the options are extremely limited. My friend, Zac, had just gotten back from Belgium and Turkey (rough life) and we hoped to catch up over a few drinks. We headed to the Guilty … Continue reading Guilty Goose
My friend has been raving about the best brunch in the city at TBSP in Chelsea for weeks now. We entered the adorable restaurant around 1pm on Saturday, just in time for brunch. We wrote our names down and waited about 25 minutes until our table was ready. Samples of chronic brownies, blondies and scones with jam were set up in cloth lined wicker baskets … Continue reading Tbsp
Rye House epitomizes a fun, different bar scene on the outskirts of Chelsea. The dark lighting and dark wooden tables make you feel as if you’ve been transported to a secretive European spot. This funky, hip bar boasts one of the most intricate list of Whiskey and Scotch in the city. Their extensive menu can be overwhelming and confusing to someone who’s knowledge is limited to … Continue reading Rye House
On Friday night, my friend Zac and I ventured to Aldea in Flatiron for dinner. We walked inside to the gorgeous decor and very nice service. Glancing over the menu, I was explained that it was Portuguese and they had a dish on the menu that I have been dreaming about since my time in Lisbon in 2010. I so badly wanted to enjoy this … Continue reading Aldea
The Political Foodie 