August 14, 2023

July Jiffs 2023

by Liz Heather in Beauty, Best of NYC, Food, Movies, Personal, Recipes

July was so busy that I barely had any time to loathe this awful time of year! Here’s what went down last month.

I started doing Summer Saturdays, which is a weekly roundup of what happens each week.
The best tweets of July can be found over here.
I can’t stop making this steak salad.
Went to the new Superiority Burger and the veggie burger was great, but the rest of the menu wasn’t anything terribly special.

Veggie burger at Superiority Burger, NYC

Appeared on Paul’s TikTok again!
Went to Shakespeare in the Park (Hamlet) for the first time and it was so, so good. Didn’t even mind the thunderstorm that happened mid-show, that’s how good it was. There was a gentle breeze of mild B.O that also wasn’t even that unpleasant. Had no idea that the Delacorte Theatre is closing after this season, so it’s especially neat that I got to go this year. ALSO I might like Shakespeare?? So many lines were ones I never realized were from Hamlet. And so many lines from Frasier too!

Currently living in these green Halara bike shorts with pockets.
The greatest chocolate cake recipe I’ve come across.
I physically can’t shut up about these great black bean muffins that I just add protein powder to in order to eat homemade protein snacks.
Always a solid experience at Amelie in the West Village.

With Jessie at Amelie in the West Village

Went bowling at Astoria Bowl 360 and it was great. They’ve updated it a bit so it’s not as grimy as it used to be, which I guess is a good thing.
Got the Natori bra that I’ve loved for years (and lasts years) at the Nordstrom sale.
Marla came to visit and we did as much as humanly possible, some highlights:
- Visited the MoMA and the new wing at the Natural History Museum
- Had the gluten free latkes and french toast sticks at Modern Bread and Bagel and everything tasted ungodly good
- Saw the Kusama exhibit in Chelsea
- Stopped by the weekly stargazing event on the High Line
- Finally ate at Rubirosa
- Rented row boats in Central Park
- Saw Six on Broadway and actually liked it (loved Marla saying before it started, “I don’t understand what they’re gonna do for *80* minutes.” Hahahahah)
- Drinks in the sky at Manhatta will always be a good idea

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The duck confit spring rolls at happy hour at Sojourn are wild. Gotta return.
For years I’ve wondered who the hell goes to the Uno or Applebees in my neighborhood when you LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY and there are a million better options. But for whatever reason, I found myself in one this month and I’m sorry but $7 martinis are the absolute main reason to go there. I forever remain on my mission to find the deals and drink the deals.
New favourite place to eat in Astoria: Figlia.

I went on a family trip to Scotland! Full post coming this week.

Some things I watched:
- The Summer I Turned Pretty - so unbelievably fun.
- Dave - so great! How have I never seen it before?!
- The new Indiana Jones - loved it, except for the end.
- And Just Like That - okay yes it’s still terrible, but Charlotte has really been shining in the latest episodes.
- Black Mirror - watched all the new episodes and I really don’t think Ayo Edebiri is a good actress. Loved Joan is Awful since it felt like a more modern Truman Show. And Josh Harnett? A god.
- It Should Happen To You - I saw this when I was so young and just fell in love with the idea of someone renting a billboard solely to just see their name in big letters. Great movie.
- Barbie - phenomenal. Would see again. Will continue to buy (almost) any merch.

Some things I’m looking forward to this month: I’ll continue to do things off of my summer list, I definitely want to try lane swimming at a pool in the area, I’m determined to get Baby Dog in a kiddie pool to see if she would like it and I’d love to go to a Jays game if timing permits.

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in June over here. And my summer highlights on Instagram can be seen here.

April 18, 2016

PsychoBarn at The Met

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC

Every summer, The Met has a different rooftop exhibit - you know this, because I've mentioned it before. Here's what's up there this year...

The project’s full name is “Transitional Object: (PsychoBarn)” and it's done by the artist Cornelia Parker. It is assembled at two-thirds of the scale of a real house and with only two finished sides, just like the film set of the 1960 Hitchcock film “Psycho” that gave Ms. Parker part of her inspiration.

The back of the project — which Ms. Parker doesn’t hide, but rather emphasizes — reveals it as fake, supported by metal scaffolding and tamped down with large black water tanks, providing ballast so it won’t blow over in a strong wind.

It'll stay up there until October 31st. Gotta go see this!

December 7, 2015

10 Christmas Activities In NYC

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC, Events

Are you looking for things to do to celebrate the season in New York City? Look no further, baby. These are a few of my favourite things to do in December in NYC.

1. The Holiday Train Show

2. Take a photo with the accurate-looking, old timey Santa at Macy’s, The Plaza or The Queens Center Mall.

3. Eat at The Plaza Food Hall (specifically for their Lady M outpost). Kids might enjoy the Rawther Fancy Teas with Santa, an hour-long tea party in the Eloise Shop (dates/details through the link).

4. Eat the frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity 3 or if you hate waiting in line, they also sell take-home versions that you can make at home.

5. See The Rockettes, finally.

6. Visit the Christmas markets at The Union Square Holiday Market, The Bryant Park Winter Village, and The Columbus Circle Holiday Market.

7. Visit the best Little Italy in this town, Arthur Avenue in the Bronx

8. Go ice skating in Central Park.

9. Holiday Train Show at Grand Central (yes, there are two train shows on this list - but this one is free and smaller than #1).

10. See The Phantom of the Opera before it’s gone forever.

November 4, 2015

Bananas Foster

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC, Food

“Bananas Foster is a dessert made from bananas and vanilla ice cream, with a sauce made from butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, dark rum, and banana liqueur. The butter, sugar and bananas are cooked, and then alcohol is added and ignited. The bananas and sauce are then served over the ice cream. Preparation of the dish is often made into a tableside performance as a flambé.”

— Wikipedia

This is my favourite dessert. Okay, my favourite dessert so far. If I ever come into a lot of money and chefs are lavishing my ignorant little eyes with baked Alaskas and souffles, then maybe we'll have a different story. But for now? Bananas Foster me away, baby.

I think I might love the dish especially because they're so hard to find. But I recently found one at Freeman's (a restaurant at the end of an alleyway in the Lower East Side) and it was heavenly. It was way too sweet to eat alone, so it's definitely perfect for sharing with a person. And that's coming from someone who rarely shares dessert (I mean, c'mon - it's 2015. A grown woman can handle a $10 dessert by herself). So if you've ever wanted to sample one of the greatest desserts out there, you now know where to find it. I do not apologize for not posting a photo of it because, well, it looks pretty unattractive. But that's not its fault. Most old-fashioned desserts have a tendency to look unappealing, I find.

(Speaking of food, I recently decided that my meal-before-execution dinner would totally consist of a steakhouse-quality Caesar salad, a steak Diane, and bananas foster -- all of which would be prepared tableside. Or cellside, whatever. How money would that be?)

November 3, 2015

The Poetry Brothel

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC, Events

“The Poetry Brothel is a unique and immersive poetry event that takes poetry outside classrooms and lecture halls and places it in the lush interiors of a bordello. Based in concept on the fin-de-siecle bordellos in New Orleans and Paris, many of which functioned as safe havens for fledgling, avant-garde artists, The Poetry Brothel’s “Madame” presents a rotating cast of poets as “whores,” each operating within a carefully constructed character, who impart their work in public readings, spontaneous eruptions of poetry, and most distinctly, as purveyors of private, one-on-one poetry readings in back rooms. For a small fee, all of the “poetry whores” are available for these sequestered readings at any time during the event. Of course, any true brothel needs a good cover; The Poetry Brothel’s is an immersive cabaret, offering a full bar, live jazz, burlesque dancers, painters, and fortune-tellers, with newly integrated themes, performances and installations at each event.

Poets performing at the Brothel are male and female, emerging and established, local and international, and they engage audiences in an immersive experience that flows seamlessly through the Brothel’s public spaces into its private poetry readings. Central to this experience is the creation of character, which for poet and audience function as disguise and as freeing device, enabling The Poetry Brothel to be a place of uninhibited creative expression in which the poets and audience can be themselves in private. Through the vehicle of the private reading, The Poetry Brothel offers access to a part of the artistic process that was previously restricted to individuals in already intimate relationships.”

— The Poetry Brothel

I started attending Poetry Brothel events early this year and it's really one of the most unique experiences that a person can have in New York City. I've photographed a few of their events, so I'll attach some of those photos below. They typically have an event once every month or two months (taking the summers off), so if you're interested in attending, you can find more details over here.

October 15, 2015

Burger Joint

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC, Food

I've been getting burgers at Burger Joint (inside the Le Parker Meridien hotel) on and off for years and I just realized - I've never told you about it. Yikes.

It's usually mentioned alongside other burger favourites in the city, so if you haven't been here before, you kind of need to get on that. Once you walk into the hotel, you have to search (depending on what entrance you come in from) for a huge red curtain. It's behind this curtain that you'll follow a hallway that leads you to this burger haven.

It's cash only and definitely worth the trip.

August 13, 2015

Greenwich Letterpress in NYC

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC

The other day (on my to Dominique Ansel Kitchen), I stumbled upon this card shop in the West Village that I'd never even heard of (and, if you know me, you should be well aware that I'm a dominant figure in the greeting-card-store scene*). They've had a storefront since 2005 and surprise, surprise - it's great!

They sell a lot of independently published greeting cards (ie. the best ones), some stationary, wall decor, etc. If you find yourself on Christopher Street, you should definitely stop inside.

*Yes, there is a greeting-card-store scene and no I'm not embarrassed to be in it.

August 11, 2015

Burrata Ice Cream

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC, Food

Dominique Ansel is famous for his cronuts, but this summer his burrata ice cream is the thing that has captured my heart. Here are the two current flavours available (in soft serve) at Dominique Ansel Kitchen.

I was so excited to try this that I had planned it all out. I intended on eating it slow and lovingly but since it's soft serve and the summertime, I needed to lick fast. And even as it melts through your hands and onto whatever you're wearing, it's still worth it. It really f-ing tastes like burrata. What the hell? Amazing. Such a good day. I even met the man himself!

He was nice as hell and he's a genius. If you find yourself in the West Village, you gotta try this soft serve.

June 18, 2015

Levain Bakery in NYC

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC, Food

The Chocolate-Walnut Cookie at Levain Bakery

I've been hearing things about Levain Bakery for years now, so when I found myself on the Upper West Side the other day - I had to see what all the fuss was about.

And I get it. These cookies are three dimensional and crazy good. The kind of crazy good that takes you two days to eat to completion.

I got the chocolate-walnut one for myself and the dark chocolate peanut butter chip one for Nathan (which to be quite truthful, took three days to devour). The shop itself is small and vaguely reminded me of the interior of the soup nazi's shop on Seinfeld. There's always a line that goes out the door, but they move so swiftly that waiting in that line is hardly an issue.

Definitely try these cookies if you find yourself nearby!