Mad Men Exhibit Coming To The Moving Image Museum

In celebration of its final season, there's going to be a Mad Men exhibit (in Astoria!) at the Moving Image Museum (and running from March 14th until June 14th). 

The exhibit will feature large-scale sets (including Don Draper’s office and the Draper Kitchen), some of the crazy-memorable costumes (all I'm thinking of is that one red dress), hundreds of props, advertising art, video clips, and personal notes and research material from Matthew Weiner (the show's creator). 

I'm pretty excited to see this - it's such a great idea to do alongside the last season. Now if they could just get started on a new Banana Republic jewelry line, I'd be over the moon. 

The Manhattan Inn in Greenpoint, Brooklyn

I stumbled upon this piano bar recently and it is GORGEOUS. If I turned you off with the phrase "piano bar" - I completely understand. I'm usually turned off by them as well. But I swear this place is different (/better) than what you're imagining. Look at it.

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Entrance to the back dining area

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The back dining room

Those photos don't do the place justice, either. It's crazy dark inside and way more enticing in real life (there's a skylight and if that doesn't scream class to you, then get the hell out of here). This is the best thing I've been to in Greenpoint so far (with Pie Corps finishing a close second) so you should probably go.

You can read more about the place over here. 

Pies 'N Thighs Will Open On Canal Street

You see that sandwich? It's nuts. I ate it such a long time ago, but goddam do I remember how good it was. There's fucking HONEY on it. The only reason I haven't eaten it numerous times is basically 'cause I'm rarely in Williamsburg. I'm assuming that'll change now that they're gonna have a LOCATION ON CANAL STREET NEXT MONDAY.

The restaurant will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner on weekdays, and for brunch and dinner on weekends. The second location's at 43 Canal Street between Ludlow and Orchard Street and it opens on Monday. GO!

The Chocolate Babka at Breads Bakery

If you're unaware of what a babka is, let me break it down for you. It's essentially chocolate, hazelnut and bread BAKED INTO PERFECTION. 

They are sold by the loaf at bakeries around the city, but the best I've had so far is the one they have at Breads Bakery. And they're aware they have the best one.

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Harmeet, in agreeance with the sign

They bake about a million a day since they're so popular - you HAVE to try one. And I don't care what anyone says, the chocolate is eons better than the cinnamon.

The Holiday Train Show at The New York Botanical Garden

Heaven exists.

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I finally went to see the holiday train show - and once you get past the long lines, screaming children and Metro North ride, it actually makes for a great day. Here's a video of what it looks like once you're inside

One tip? Skip the NYBG tram ride. It's kind of funny that they even offer tram rides in December since everything is in a full-on state of UNbloom. It's probably a gorgeous ride in the nicer months, but take my word for it and skip it if you're there for the train show. Oh! And an even better tip? Call in advance for tickets. Otherwise you'll get there and you'll have to wait around for a few hours, hence the brisk tram ride undertaking. 

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Everything designed in the train exhibit is breathtaking. The detail and effort that went into it all is insane and if you've ever had any kind of interest in miniatures, you will love this place to pieces. And the trains, my God the trains! I've often said that if I were to ever have a child, then I would do everything in my power to make his/her room just like Casper's (in the movie Casper, with Christina Ricci). Remember how at the top of the wall in that room, there was an elevated train track, with a train that traveled around the perimeter of the whole room? That. I want that. Such a great idea for a kid's room.

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Anyhow, this was definitely worth the trip to the Bronx. Go, damnit!

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The exhibit runs until January 16th, 2023. You can purchase tickets here. 

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Real Mistletoe at Trader Joe's

I've never understood why it's so hard to get your hands on real mistletoe in the month of December. A few years ago, I walked into a flower shop and asked for some and the guy's response was, "Sorry, this isn't 1943." Seriously! I laughed, but cried a little inside, too. WHY IS THIS SO HARD TO FIND?!

You can imagine my delight when I saw that Trader Joe's packages and sells them for $2 a box. TWO DOLLARS A BOX! I wish I'd have found this out earlier 'cause then I would've bought a bundle and shipped them to all my people. Is there not a more romantic sight to be seen in your household than this hanging from above?!

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My house!

Love, love, love it. Then again, you already know that I'm a big fan of any kind of mandatory romance. 

Shake Shack Teams Up With Big Gay Ice Cream for Layer Shakes

We're all aware of my feelings on Shake Shack as well as Big Gay Ice Cream. So I think it's safe to say that I will be ALL OVER THIS CROSSOVER.

These limited-time "layered shakes" cost $6.50 and are on sale from November 21 to 23. The one on the left (above) has got Bryan Petroff and Doug Quint's eggnog-flavored soft-serve at the base, then some Shack signature frozen pumpkin custard, shake-ified, on top, with a layer of La Newyorkina graham-cracker crumble in the middle. That order is flip-flopped on the right — it's eggnog shake atop pumpkin custard — and both are 16 ounces.

I'm not a huge fan of nog, but I'm still extremely pumped about this ludicrous concoction. 

NYC's First Cat Cafe Opens Next Month

On December 15th, Meow Parlour (in the Lower East Side at 46 Hester Street) will be open for business. It'll be offering rentable half hour slots to scratch, pet, and play with some (I'd assume only adorable) cats whilst having some sort of hot beverage. Pretty sure the cats will be adoptable, too. Visitors can secure their spots ahead of time online, if they so wish. 

You can get half hour slots for $4 with the option to stay up to five hours, making use of their wifi and baked goods. The idea of eating food and being surrounded by cats seems to contort my face a bit, but I looked into and it says that "you can bring food into the cat area but not vice versa" so I suppose that's something.

Gimmicky as it may sound, places likes this are a pretty sweet opportunity for shelter cats to be surrounded by people who want to pet them a ton before they're (hopefully) adopted by cafe patrons. These cats come courtesy of KittyKind, a nonprofit rescue group, just one of many organizations dedicated to helping homeless kitties. All the more reason to help fund NYC's other potential cat cafe, which hopes to open next spring.

Thanksgiving Poutine at Mile End

This baby consists of rosemary-and-thyme challah stuffing, smoked turkey, cheese curds, chicken gravy and fingerling potatoes. Mile End (the Montreal deli/poutine place in NYC and Brooklyn) will be offering these limited time poutines in honour of American Thanksgiving this month. Though, since they're a Canadian-run restaurant... shouldn't they have done this last month? Anyway, I'm willing to overlook that fact since I want to eat this thing bad. 

Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria

The Museum of the Moving Image is probably my favourite museum in New York. The main reason for that? It encourages interaction (ie. there are things you can touch and do there). And the exhibits are constantly changing, which I love. They had the tiny door from Being John Malkovich last year! And Walter White's undies! 

The current Chuck Jones exhibit is even a great one to see.

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Chuck Jones exhibit, November 2014

Even their permanent collection's great. Some people may not consider it the classiest of museums, but its focus is on movies and television so my question to those people is, "You think you're better than getting to see Robin Williams' fat suit in Mrs. Doubtfire?"

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Fat suit from Mrs. Doubtfire

Who wouldn't want to get a glimpse at the intricacies of The Elephant Man's head? 

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The Elephant Man's head

There's even a (classic) video game arcade area WHERE YOU CAN ACTUALLY PLAY THE GAMES. Why is this happening?! I feel like this place is a kid's version of what a museum should be.

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Frogger

And of course there are areas that detail the history of cameras, television, etc. but I tend to briskly walk through these rooms (partially 'cause I've already learned about all that stuff the first time I came to this museum and partially because I know where I need to go to get to the fun).

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The Film Cameras

The best part of this place? This spot right here (below).

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Stop Motion Animation station

You can sit down here and make your own stop motion animation that you can email to yourself. It seems like it might be just for kids - but since there are no signs informing me of that silent assumption, I'm more than happy to plant myself here for at least twenty minutes to craft my masterpiece. It's way more fun than I'm letting on. Or wait, am I accurately emphasizing how fun it is? I feel like I might be.

There's also a sound booth station where you can go in and alter existing movies with your own voice. If that doesn't sound neat, I'm not accurately describing it - 'cause it's neat.

Anyway, I love this museum. I feel like it should be the gateway museum for when you're taking a kid to a museum for the first time. Actually, no! It'd be horrible to take a kid here for their first museum. It'll ruin them for all the others that exist in the world where you can't touch anything. Yeah, don't take them. Also, they tend to hog the animation table props whenever I'm there, so it's probably best to keep them at home.