No matter what cuisine I am trying out in Manhattan, the one that I always seem to love more than anything is Mexican. I don’t know why, but as someone who grew up loving spice, it seems to resonate with my taste buds and a good cause for my happy faces as I have grown up. So naturally I was excited to try out La Gringa Taqueria, which has two super convenient locations on Christopher Street in the West Village and Grand Street in Williamsburg. [Read more…] about La Gringa Taqueria Spices Up Brooklyn & The West Village
Join Local New York EatWith Chefs for Thanksgiving
Not all of us are lucky enough to make it home for the holidays. Sometimes we are stuck in the city for business or whatever reason possible, and still want to do our best to enjoy the holidays to the best of our abilities. For any last minute people out there who still don’t have set plans for tomorrow night, let me introduce you to this great initiative prepared by EatWith.
What is EatWith exactly? EatWith is a global platform for home restaurants that brings local hosts, with a passion for cooking and entertaining, together with locals and travelers looking for an authentic and totally new dining experience. Connect with guests in a way that cannot be experienced at a restaurant. By creating the first home-restaurant community, citizens of the world can use EatWith to gain access to local culture, and enrich their connection to a destination by eating with people in their home.
So essentially, EatWith is looking to make the experience that much more personable while keeping the environment lively and the food just as delicious as you would get in any of the top restaurants here in New York City. There are two different events you can attend tomorrow night, with all of the proceeds going to La Concina. La Concina is a non-profit that empowers food entrepreneurs.
EatWith is also giving away a pair of tickets ($130 value) for another dining experience to 5 lucky winners! Simply like EatWith’s Facebook page, tag a friend in comments, include #EatWith and the winners will be announced on Facebook and Instagram by the end of the week.
Here is, in full detail, the events for tomorrow night-
WHEN:
Thursday, November 26 at 7:30 p.m.
$20 per ticket with all proceeds going to La Concina
WHERE:
Zuhra or Simon’s home!
MENUS:
A Nigerian Inspired Thanksgiving – Eat with Zuhra
A note from the chef: As a Classic Culinary Art student at the International Culinary Center, I started to create menus based on popular Nigerian dishes. Here, I have a Nigerian Inspired Thanksgiving dinner that will take you on an exciting trip to Nigeria without taking you too much out of America. You will leave my table having learnt not only about our food, but also our cultures, traditions and our incredible diversity. I look forward to the privilege of showing you a part of my country through food.
A Little Paris in New York Thanksgiving Dinner – Eat With Simon
A note from the chef: Thanksgiving may be an all-American holiday, but its traditional dishes lend themselves beautifully to French influences. With simple but elegant twists on the classic menu, a holiday meal becomes a transporting experience.
Happy Holidays Everyone!
Midtown’s Top Hotels Grand Gesture To Our Homeless This Friday
With all the craziness that is going on in the upcoming days, many of us forget how fortunate we are that we get to enjoy days like Thanksgiving in the comfort of our own home while there are several that don’t have that luxury. Fortunately for the homeless people in New York City, there is this amazing initiative that is taking place this coming Friday where they can feel that luxury and be apart of what this year is supposed to be about.
The Waldorf Astoria, New York Lotte Palace and Four Seasons New York (all competing hotels, mind you) are hosting Fare Share Friday, which is taking place at St. Bart’s Cathedral right here in New York City. On deck with Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness, and partnered with Crossroads Community Services, Fare Share Friday is an annual celebration where soup kitchen regulars, volunteers and supporters of Crossroads will share a special dinner prepared by Chef David Garcelon from The Waldorf Astoria New York, Chef Jacques Sorci from Lotte New York Palace and Chef John Johnson from the Four Seasons Hotel New York.
More information from the actual site– The dinner has 2 seatings at 4pm & 7pm, and is brought together by the kindness of volunteers, including the Les Clefs D’Or spoons. All proceeds from the event go to the Crossroads Community soup kitchen, food pantry and women’s shelter and their ongoing mission to erase hunger by uniting the community.
Tickets for the dinner are priced at $100, while those in need are obviously welcomed at no cost. All proceeds benefit the Crossroads Kitchen. The hope for this every year is that it will bring people who purchased tickets and members of the Crossroads community together because “we all have a place at the table”. I personally think it is a wonderful initiative that I hope all of you can support. For more information on Fare Share Friday, click here.
Happy Holidays Everyone!
Black Friday & Cyber Monday Deals for Manhattanites
Black Friday and Cyber Monday is shortly approaching! For all of us Manhattanites, we want to get the best deals possible whether it is something for ourselves, friends, family or that special someone in our life. Lucky for all of you, Manhattan Digest has found some really great deals to get you psyched for the two biggest shopping days of the year! Check out the offers below.
HARD ROCK CAFE: NEW YORK
This year, Hard Rock Cafe New York is offering a FREE breakfast entrée from its new breakfast menu beginning on (Black) Friday, November 27th and extending through Sunday, November 29th, for guests who make a $40 retail purchase from the cafe’s Rock Shop.
Looking for the perfect holiday gift? Hard Rock Cafe New York has limited-edition gifts that give back as part of its IMAGINE campaign – the below options would make great stocking stuffers and proceeds support WhyHunger’s fight to end childhood hunger and poverty:
Bracelets – For a $2 donation, guests can choose from an assortment of colored bracelets with 100 percent of funds raised benefiting WhyHunger
T-Shirt – 15 percent of the retail price of the IMAGINE T-shirt, which features the inspiring words “IMAGINE THERE’S NO HUNGER” alongside a peace sign, will benefit WhyHunger
AHAVA
As the definitive Dead Sea Minerals beauty expert, AHAVA knows more than anyone else about the science behind the Dead Sea’s power to revitalize and brings this knowledge and innovation to every one of its products.
Black Friday/Cyber Monday – Special offers up to 50% off at ahavaus.com.
Special Promo Code– AHAVA would like to offer up to 25% off purchases made on ahavaus.com with select promo code ManhattanDigest. Valid 11/24-12/18. Offer excludes new products, sets and value sizes.
RETAILMENOT (www.retailmenot.com)
Before even entering the Black Friday door busters or logging in for Cyber Monday, arm yourself with the RetailMeNot app. Recent survey findings from RetailMeNot state almost 65% of consumers find their biggest financial holiday season stress to be the cost of gifts and turn to Black Friday and Cyber Monday for bargains.
RetailMeNot makes make it easy to save money when you are shopping online and in store by sharing hundreds of thousands of digital promotions and coupons from a variety of retailers on their site and app – West Elm, Best Buy, Target, Sephora, Frontier Airlines, Toys ‘R’ Us, Amazon, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s etc. Walk into a mall or shopping center and RetailMeNot will use geofencing to send you notifications with coupons at the stores closest to you.
ALTERNA HAIRCARE
Cyber Week Deal: Friday, 11/27 – Friday, 12/4
Caviar Moisture Trio – Travel-friendly Caviar Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner and Caviar CC Cream, this fan favorite collection is perfect for stocking stuffers or holiday traveling.
Price: $10, Available at Sephora and Sephora.com while supplies last
Repairx Trio – Help repair stressed strands with this trio that includes: Caviar Repairx Shampoo & Conditioner and Caviar CC Cream
Price:$15, Available exclusively at salons
ILUMINAGE
Cyber Monday Deal: Monday, 11/30
The first and only, personalized at-home permanent hair removal device FDA cleared for all skin tones and clinically proven for the widest range of hair colors. iluminage will be running a one day only flash sale—30% off all hair removal products.
ANTHONY
Cyber Week Deal: Wednesday, 11/25 – Monday, 11/30
20% off on most items, exclusive of kits and jumbo-sized products
BEAUTY.COM
Find the perfect gift for every beauty junkie on your list
Cyber Week Deal: Monday, 11/23 – Monday, 11/30
More than 50 gift with purchase options at Beauty.com
Click here for updates on daily gift with purchase options from favorites such as bliss, bareMinerals, Caudalie, Deborah Lippmann, Laura Geller Origins, and Too Faced, amongst others
These amazing deals are only available while supplies last
BLISS
Black Friday Deal: Friday, 11/27 – Monday, 11/30
30% off all products at blissworld.com by using the code: Dazzle30 at checkout
Deluxe gift with purchase – free with any $150 purchase, this is kit includes: micromagic microdermabrasion treatment, triple oxygen ex-‘glow’-sion, fabulips sugar lip scrub and fabulips softening lip balm in a limited edition Kate Spade cosmetic bag (valued at $176)
Holiday beauty gift bag free with any purchase of $75 or more. Use brilliant15 at checkout
Available at Blissworld.com
Spa Only Members
Treat your feet with a pedicure: 30% discount and a FREE full size Foot Patrol product
Personal shopping– Give bliss your shopping list and price points and bliss will have your gifts ready for you when you are finished with your service. Available in all NYC locations
Cyber Monday Deal: Monday, 11/30
Save an additional 50% off 10 of bliss’ best-selling bundles. Customers can use the promo code brilliant15 or DELUXE at checkout to get one of our free gifts
bliss fabulous foaming face wash set of 2; Price: $28 ($48 value)
bliss triple oxygen radiant energizing serum & energizing vitamin c day cream; Price: $99 ($170 value)
bliss lemon + sage body butter set of 2 full retail value; Price: $29 ($58 value)
Available at Blissworld.com
BLUSHINGTON
Blushington Makeup & Beauty Lounge is the premier makeup service destination lounge that started in LA, opened in Texas and has opened its FIRST NYC outpost. Think of it like the DryBar for makeup. Located inside the Underground at Le Parker Meriden, Blushington is the first of its kind and truly the original concept. It transforms the experience from a special occasion luxury to an everyday necessity. There’s a variety of services offered that include (and extent beyond) makeup… full face makeup application, eyelash extensions, faux lash applications, brow maintenance, tinting and extensions, touch-ups and more.
Black Friday Deal: Friday, 11/27- Monday, 11/30
20% off ALL products + services for Friday only. *Not applicable to gift cards or memberships; Valid in-store only
CAUDALIE
Black Friday Deal: Friday, 11/27
Don’t miss amazing savings this Black Friday! Spend $100 at Boutique locations and receive two travel items of your choice plus a Caudalie Makeup Pouch
Value: $25 – $47
Cyber Monday Deal: Monday, 11/30
Tier 1 – Spend $25 to receive Caudalie Winter Duo (Lip Conditioner, Hand and Nail Cream 30ml); Price:$12
Tier 2 – Spend $75 to receive Caudalie Winter Duo + Beauty Elixir 30ml and City Girl Tote; Price: $50
Tier 3 – Spend $150 to receive Caudalie Winter Duo + Beauty Elixir 30ml + Moisturizing Mask 25ml, Foaming Cleanser 50ml and Weekend Bag; Price: $93
ERNO LASZLO
Combat dry skin and any other skin concerns this winter with multiple deals and savings from ErnoLaszlo.com to keep you fully loaded with all your skincare essentials.
Cyber Week Deal: 11/23 – 11/30
Spend $225 and receive: 3-piece Firmarine gift including: Firmarine Moisturizer SPF 30 (15ml), Firmarine Night Cream (15ml), Firmarine Serum (5ml)
Spend $350 and receive: 3-piece Transphuse Gift: Transphuse Day Serum (5ml), Transphuse Night Serum (15ml), Transphuse Line Refining Cream (2ml) + the $225 Firmarine Gift
Spend $450 and receive: 3-piece Repair Gift: Timeless Skin Serum (15ml), Phormula 3-9 Repair Balm (30ml), Phormula 3-9 Eye Repair (1ml) + the $350 Transphuse gift + the $225 Firmarine gift
JUNE JACOBS
Cyber Week Deal: 11/23 – 11/30
Make sure to stock up on all the June Jacobs favorites (and include gifts for any skincare junkie on the list) with promotions on JuneJacobs.com that last throughout all of Cyber Week. Starting Monday, November 23rd until midnight on November 30th, receive 24% off on all orders. Free shipping and a free full size Neroli Mist will be included in any order of $50 or more, while supplies last.
Available on JuneJacobs.com
KENNETH COLE BLACK
Black Friday Deal: Friday, 11/27 – Saturday, 11/28
Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Kenneth Cole brand, Black is a sexy and sophisticated masculine fragrance that reflects the elegance and style of the city. There is an opulence that only Black conveys – it evokes an undeniable presence that’s as masculine, modern and timeless and the color itself. With its invigorating blend of mint and mandarin combined with masculine notes of incense, exotic woods and black suede, this fragrance is a modern combination that’s both fresh and sensuous at once. Kit includes: 3.4 oz EDT, 3.4 oz After Shave Balm and 2.6 oz Deodorant.
Price: $40 ($110 value); Available at Macy’s
KÉRASTASE PARIS
Black Friday & Cyber Monday: Thursday, 11/26 – Wednesday, 12/2
Enjoy savings on luxurious haircare products and deluxe gifts from Kérastase!
10% off all online orders
Free deluxe sample of Chronologiste Parfum Oil
Free shipping on orders $75
Visit Kerastase-USA.com/SpecialOff-Show for details
LAURA GELLER
Stock up on Laura Geller favorites for every beauty junkie on your list with a variety of deals, multiple gift-with-purchase options, and free standard shipping on all orders over $50 throughout Cyber Week on LauraGeller.com.
Black Friday Preview: Monday, 11/23 – Thursday, 11/26
25% off all orders with code: PREVIEW25
30% off orders over $100 with code: PREVIEW30
Laura Geller Fabulous Favorites 3 Piece Gift With Purchase ($34 Value) on orders of $50 or more. GWP features a travel size Baked Bronze-n-Brighten in Medium, Mini Color Drenched Lip Gloss in French Press Rose and the Spackle® Under Make-Up Primer in Original
Black Friday Deal: Friday, 11/27 – Sunday, 11/29
25% off all orders with code: FRIDAY25
30% off orders over $100 with code: FRIDAY30
Laura Geller Black Friday 3 piece Gift with Purchase ($30 Value) on orders $50 or more. GWP features a Mini Fortifying Lashes Eyelash Primer, Mini Color Drenched Lip Gloss in Café Au Lait and Mini Spackle® Original Under Make-Up Primer (0.50 oz.)
Cyber Monday Deal: Monday, 11/30 (offers below can be combined for one day only)
50-75% off select products
45% off orders $135 or more with code: CYBER45
Free Large Foundation Brush and Deluxe Spackle® Supercharged Sample (1 oz.) with orders of $50 or more
PETER THOMAS ROTH
Black Friday Deal: Friday, 11/27
Buy a Peter Thomas Roth Mega Rich Body Cream and get a free CC Eye Correcting Concealer; Price: $18.00 ($42 value)
Cyber Monday Deal: Monday, 11/30
Buy a Peter Thomas Roth Ultra-Lite Anti-Aging Cellular Repair and get one for free; Price: $52.00 ($104 value)
RALPH LAUREN FRAGRANCES
Cyber Monday Deal: Monday, 11/30
Throw in an extra gift for any man on your list this holiday season. On Cyber Monday only, customers will receive three travel-size bottles (7ml) of Polo Red, Polo Black, and Polo Blue with any Ralph Lauren Fragrance purchase of 3.4oz or larger.
Available exclusively at Macys.com
SKIN LAUNDRY
Skin Laundry is a simple, smart and safe laser skin treatment solution designed to make maintaining healthy skin both accessible and convenient. The signature 10-minute medical-grade treatment uses modern technology and advanced non-invasive lasers and light therapy to vaporize the dirt, debris, pollutants and toxins in the skin and deep within pores for brighter, cleaner and clearer skin. Regular treatments will visibly improve skin’s smoothness, evenness, tone, texture, radiance and clarity, while diminishing the appearance of acne, pores, hyperpigmentation, reducing the look of lines, wrinkles and restoring firmer, tighter skin.
Black Friday Deal: Friday, 11/27
Skin Laundry is offering an exclusive week-long in-store promotion from Saturday, November 21st through Sunday, November 29th at each of their locations in Los Angeles, Scottsdale and New York City. Free Starter Kit includes full size products: Gentle Foaming Wash, Clarifying Toner, Advanced Protection Daily Moisturizer SPF 35 and Restoring Night Serum ($110 value) when you join the Laundry Club and sign up for the 4 treatments per month membership.
Cyber Monday Deal: From Thursday, 11/26 – Monday, 11/30
Save an additional 25% online on all products in their extensive collection
STRIVECTIN
Stock up on all your skincare essentials with 20% off site-wide and with any purchase at StriVectin.com from November 21st until December 1st.
Black Friday Deal: Thursday, 11/27 – Saturday, 11/29
Receive a Holiday Travel Treats ($45 value) set with any $75 purchase. The kit includes three deluxe samples of the SD Advanced™ Intensive Concentrate for Wrinkles & Stretch Marks, Advanced Retinol Intensive Night Moisturizer, Instant Retexturizing Scrub
Cyber Monday Deal: Monday, 11/30 – Tuesday, 12/1
Receive a 24/7 Skin Facial Fix Trio ($35 value) set with any $75 purchase. The set includes: three deluxe samples of SD Advanced™ Intensive Concentrate for Wrinkles & Stretch Marks, Advanced Retinol Intensive Night Moisturizer, StriVectinLABS 5-Minute Weekly Glycolic Peel Duo Packette
Available at StriVectin.com
URBAN DECAY
Black Friday Deal: Thursday, 11/27 – Friday, 11/28
Crush Your Gift List with 20% off site wide on UrbanDecay.com. Score cult favorites for the holiday season including the latest addition to the NAKED palette franchise, NAKED Smoky, plus limited-edition must-haves, like Vice 4, that will fulfill the color craving for the makeup junkies on your list.
Cyber Monday Deal: Monday, 11/30
Bust out the laptop charger and cozy up to your wireless router – Urban Decay has got a killer Cyber Monday deal and you’re not going to want to miss out…the Naked Vault Volume II is coming back. Sold out in just mere HOURS when it first launched earlier this month, this blockbuster set includes EVERY SINGLE PALETTE in the NAKED franchise: NAKED, NAKED 2, NAKED3, NAKED Smoky, NAKED Basics and NAKED2 Basics.
Price: $165, Available at UrbanDecay.com
An Interview with Lesli Margherita: The Queen is a Broad
If you happen to be Christmas shopping for Broadway star Lesli Margherita this year, here are a few helpful hints: Science fiction books rate high on her list of favorites, along with the music of megastars Celine Dion, Cher, Barbara Streisand, Bette Midler, and Janet Jackson. Hip-hop also gets her vote. When it comes to clothing, Marchesa gowns grab the eye of this self-proclaimed, “fashion whore” who also prefers to mix and match higher end apparel with simple, everyday, Forever 21 pieces. But do not even think of bringing her reggae or any music of the folk genre. “It’s too hippy-ish and it’s just not sparkly enough,” said the Olivier Award winning actress who originated the role of Mrs. Wormwood in Broadway’s Matilda. “I’m so gaudy. I’m so tacky. I’m so Italian. The more rhinestones or bling, the better,” she joked recently in a sit down interview at the Helen Hayes theater where she stars as brassy diva Mona Kent in Dames At Sea.
The inexhaustible actor prepared for her current role while she was still performing in the smash hit Matilda, located across the street in the Shubert theatre. For three weeks, she went back and forth between rehearsals and performances. “I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, but that scenario just never happens,” she said. “I knew that my last week at Matilda would be my 1000th performance and I really wanted to be there for it.” Her energy prevailed, however. As the over the top, scene stealing mother in Matilda, Margherita had kept herself in top physical shape with spin classes. Now, she is shaking her wicked legs in the tap heavy Dames At Sea in which she single-handedly opens the show with a solo song and dance number. Although her recent shows hadn’t focused on tap-dancing, the skillful triple threat- who had started tap dancing at the tender age of 4- wiped the dust from her tap shoes and quickly reacclimated to the form.
On Monday November 30th and December 7th, Margherita will appear in a more intimate venue as she takes to the stage at Birdland for her new solo show, Broad, which explores sultry and sassy women who have made Lesli…Lesli. With a 5 piece orchestra, she’ll be performing songs of Sophie Tucker, Jessica Rabbit, Judy Garland, and other personalities who sang banned lyrics from past decades. It’s a bit of a diversion from her usual material, All Hail the Queen, a show based a persona she adopted from childhood. “I called myself a Queen growing up,” she explained. “And when I thought about putting a solo show together, I wanted to create a character similar to Bette Midler’s Divine Miss M, so I came up with the idea of “Queen Lesli’ (also her current twitter handle). As an uber diva, things are constantly going wrong for Queen Lesli so in reality, the shtick relies more on self-deprecation than superiority. “It’s not that I think I’m better than anyone. My message is ‘rule your own kingdom. Be the king or queen of yourself and don’t let anybody rule you’. It’s a positive message.” It’s also a popular one, as Margherita’s twitter feed provided the basis for her book, Neck Punch and Carry On, available here.
“I’m glad I didn’t call myself ‘Fart Leslie’ or something like that”, she laughed. We are too, Queen. We.Are.Too.
Margherita became hooked on performing at an early age after witnessing a clumsy orphan in the stage version of Annie in San Francisco, close to her home in nearby Fremont, CA. “I saw this kid in the cast mess up some steps and I was so irritated! The next year the tour was coming through the area again, so I auditioned.” The determined youngster was told by her parents that she might be cut and they warned her not to be too upset if that happened. After hours in the audition room, she walked out, looked at her mom and said, “Well, I got it!” She soon climbed the ranks from “random girl” to playing the title role. Margherita hasn’t looked back.
Immediately after graduating from UCLA, she was cast in a television show and shortly thereafter, the stage beckoned . When Matilda was offered, she instantly made a geographic transition to the east coast. While she misses her car, the beach, and the laid back vibe of California, she admits to liking New York more than she thought. “New York has really been nice to me,” she said with a broad grin. Incidentally, that sentence has been used by absolutely no one else I’ve ever talked with, but when two Broadway shows are vying for one’s participation, it makes perfect sense.
Those who have seen Queen Lesli in either Matilda or Dames At Sea can attest to the originality, talent, and flair she brings to each role. She took home an Olivier award for cryin’ out loud! That’s british for “big freakin’ deal”, folks.
Fans will have a chance to see her in an all new light when she’ll bring those same winning qualities to Birdland on Nov. 30th and Dec. 7.
Rhinestones welcome, but not in lieu of the modest cover charge. After all, a broad’s gotta eat!
Lesli Margherita at Birdland (West 44th between 8th and 9th) , Mondays Nov. 30 and Dec. 7 at 7 PM ET. For tickets and information visit Queen Lesli’s Website
For tickets to Dames At Sea (Helen Hayes Theater West 44th between Broadway and 8th), click here or walk your bad self to the box office.
Black Friday & Cyber Monday Deals At The Library Hotel Collection
Two of the biggest holidays are right around the corner! No, I am not talking about Thanksgiving and Christmas… I am talking about Black Friday and Cyber Monday! My favorite hotels in the city… The Library Hotel Collection, are each offering some fabulous discounts for their customers as we head into the busy holiday season. All of these hotels offer something unique, special and amazing and I would recommend staying at any of them! These deals start at midnight on Black Friday. More details for each are below, with links to book. Happy Travels everyone, and a safe shopping holiday for all!
Hotel Giraffe
Book your 2016 NYC getaway now and save 25% off their Best Flexible Rate at Hotel Giraffe! Enjoy their lowest rate available and lots of wonderful free amenities with no deposits and no blackout dates! Cancellation policy: 30 days notice required to avoid any charges. To access the special offer, please click “book here” or use Promotional Code: CYBER. Book here!
Hotel Elysee
Plan your 2016 NYC getaway now to take advantage of their biggest sale ever! Save 25% off of their Best Flexible Rates on any room or suite, and enjoy lots of wonderful free amenities plus a bottle of wine on arrival. Conditions: No deposits required and no blackout dates apply. Cancellation policy: 21 days notice required to avoid any charges. To access the special offer, please click “book here” or use Promotional Code: CYBER. Book here!
Casablanca Hotel
Book your 2016 NYC getaway now for the best deal they have ever offered! Save 25% off our Best Flexible rate and enjoy lots of wonderful free amenities at one of TripAdvisor’s top NYC hotels. Conditions and Cancellation: No deposit is required until 30 days prior to arrival. To avoid being charged, please advise the hotel of your change of plans prior to that date. Blackout dates are: December 1–17 and 27-31, 2016. To access the special offer, please click “book here” or use Promotional Code: CYBER. Book here!
Library Hotel
Book your 2016 NYC getaway now and save 22% off their Best Flexible Rate at the award winning Library Hotel! Enjoy their lowest rate available and lots of wonderful free amenities plus a Library Hotel signature tote bag with no deposits and no blackout dates! Conditions: The promotion will not apply to the Love Room and Mythology Room. A minimum stay may be required. The Library Hotel signature tote bag will be limited to one (1) reservation only; one (1) tote per room. Cancellation policy: 21 days notice required to avoid any charges. To access the special offer, please click “book now” or use Promotional Code: CYBER. Book here!
Instapour’s On Demand Premium Cocktails for Thanksgiving!
We all know how crazy hectic the holidays can be, especially with this upcoming week now that Thanksgiving is only a couple of days away. Whether you are hosting a party with family or doing a ‘Friends-giving” type situation, it is always important to keep the guests happy and one thing that keeps a smile on their faces is delicious drinks for them to devour and enjoy. Instapour, which launched only a couple of months ago here in NYC, is being touted as a premium, on demand cocktail delivery service, will be offering some great packages for customers both in our area, Los Angeles and nationwide to enjoy for this coming holiday weekend.
Instapour will be offering the Caliche Rum Spiced Apple Sour and Pomegansett Punch cocktail packages from November 25th to November 29th! If you are ordering nationwide outside of New York City or Los Angeles, it must be done 3-5 days beforehand, so get on that as soon as possible! For us Manhattanites and LA people, the free delivery will be available within the hour between 9am-8pm EST (for NYC) and PST (for LA). So in case you have a shortage, want to try something new or just enjoy a delicious cocktail, Instapour will guarantee delivery and yumminess in an hour and will add to the enjoyment you will be having.
Included in this article are recipes on what to make with the Caliche Rum package you will receive. I tried the Apple Sours with Caliche Rum over the weekend and it was simply divine and amazing. The perfect drink for this fall weather we are having. All of the detailed information is below. Have a safe and Happy Holiday and don’t forget Instapour when you want to enhance your party experience!
WHAT: Fall Caliche Rum Cocktail Packages by Instapour available nationwide for the holidays!
WHEN: Nationwide: Wednesday, November 25th – Sunday, November 29th (**limited cities may not be included
due to liquor delivery restrictions)
New York & LA: Available within the hour in NYC between 9am-8pm EST and LA between 9am-8pm PT
HOW: Order at www.Instapour.com (mobile friendly)
Nationwide: Pre-order cocktail packages 3-5 days in advance for nationwide delivery
New York & LA: Enjoy this unique cocktail experience and order cocktail hour for delivery within the hour
PRICE: FREE DELIVERY | | $39 – $59 Monthly Cocktail Box Subscription | $59 Start an Instaparty per-hour
SOCIAL MEDIA: @Instapour.Cocktails, @CalicheRum, #DrinksOnDemand, #InstapourFavor, #DaiquiriDelivery
Magnolia Bakery Opens Up New Shop In Penn Station
As someone who frequently commutes back and forth from Long Island to New York City, I was thrilled to see that one of my favorite cupcake places had opened up right inside Penn Station- Magnolia Bakery! Magnolia has been a favorite of ours at Manhattan Digest, and we have done a couple of features on them before. Check out one of them here. Here is some more information about the opening below, including a signature cupcake that is exclusive for this location!
Located on the lower level, near the A,C,E subway station, the new store will serve their wide variety of freshly baked desserts, including cupcakes, cakes, pies, muffins, scones, banana pudding, cheesecakes, cookies and brownies, as well as a range of coffee beverages and tea.
In addition to their classic desserts, they’ve introduced a signature Penn Station Cupcake in celebration of the new location. The chocolate cupcake is topped with an all new white chocolate buttercream and chocolate disc depicting the 34th Street subway station. The cupcake will be available every day exclusively at their Penn Station store for $4.00.
Perfect timing now that the holidays are in full swing and Penn Station is busier than ever! They also open early and close late so you can’t miss your chance to try out what they have to offer (Banana Pudding at the top of my list!) Go see what all the fuss is about and check out the Penn Station location today! Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
York Theatre Honors Dame Angela Lansbury
How much would you pay to dine with Angela Lansbury? That was the question posed by actor Richard Kind this past Monday evening in front of theater aficionados at Manhattan’s posh Guastavino’s. Kind led an auction which raised funds for the York Theater Company. Stage and screen celebrities were gathered to honor Dame Lansbury, who turned 90 years old last month. With her extensive Broadway credits, it was only fitting that she be honored with the Oscar Hammerstein Lifetime Achievement Award.
The term “legend” is used so often that its meaning has become diluted. Few would argue, after watching Monday’s line-up however, that there is hardly a more appropriate descriptive. The answer to Kind’s question turned out to be a total of $6,800 (2 separate parties bid $3,400 and they decided to share a meal).
Following the dinner and auction, Something Rotten star Brad Oscar kicked off the evening with a parody of “It’s Today” from Mame and introduced the evening’s emcee: Lansbury’s former Sweeney Todd co-star and silver haired heartthrob, Victor Garber. Brian Stokes Mitchell followed with a rich and stirring version of “This Nearly Was Mine” from South Pacific.
Melissa Errico performed a medley of Anna’s songs from the The King and I, a role which Lansbury played for a very brief time in the 1977 Broadway revival. Later, John McMartin read a letter written by an absent Stephen Sondheim. Sondheim wrote, “If Oscar Hammerstein would have lived long enough to see you play Anna, he’d have written a sequel.”
Lansbury made her Broadway musical debut in 1964 in Sondheim’s Anyone Can Whistle. The fresh faced Yale Whippenpoofs vocalized on a lovely arrangement of the title song.
Composer Alan Menken was particularly moving as he sat down to the piano and recalled the day when Lansbury and the late Jerry Orbach shared the recording studio for Disney’s Beauty and The Beast. He then sang the title song, made popular in the movie by Lansbury’s character, Mrs. Potts.
Klea Blackhurst, Karen Ziemba, Judy Kaye, Karen Mason, and Marilyn Maye all payed individual homage through song to the octogenarian. Maye sang a beautiful rendition of “If He Walked into My Life” from Mame and told the audience that her birthday is next month. “I will be as old as there are keys on the piano,” she said. Then continued, “Usually I’m the oldest person in the room. Thank goodness for Angela Lansbury!”
Len Cariou, who originated the title role in Sweeney Todd, wound down the evening with a musical mash up tribute parody, but not before James Earl Jones took to the microphone to offer some words about his Driving Miss Daisy co-star. “When you drive someone to the Piggly Wiggly eight times a week, you get to know them quite intimately,” he quipped. He then went on to lavish praise on Lansbury citing the fact that in spite of her age, she remains “younger than springtime”
A visibly touched and humbled Lansbury expressed her gratitude, both for the award and for everyone who has ever supported her career. Those in attendance could surely echo Auntie Mame’s jubilant observation: “I know that this very minute has history in it, we’re here!”
The York Theater Company will continue to celebrate the joys of musical theatre with the New York premiere of the Stuart Ross charmer, Plaid Tidings, beginning December 8th and running through the 27th. For tickets and info, click here.
Head To Christopher Street And Enjoy Dominique Bistro
It is always good to welcome a new neighbor to the block, especially one that is as iconic as Christopher Street happens to be. This new neighbor happens to be one that is quite delicious, and will hopefully be staying around for quite some time to spread its tasty flavors and great atmosphere. This place is Dominique Bistro, who just opened their doors a mere two weeks ago.
Located at the intersection of Christopher and Gay Street, Dominique Bistro boasts delicious Parisian style food with French finesse, elegance and so much more. It is bistro style in terms of size, with beautiful wood furnishings throughout and dim lighting at night to enhance the mood and essence of the location. This location was originally called Whynot Bistro but has been rebranded as Dominique, so I was excited to see the variety of foods that they had for me and my friend to try out.
Here are some good recommendations for when you go. For their French Market section, generally the appetizers, I would recommend trying the Steak Tartare (prime beef, shallots, cornichons, quail egg) and their Mussels (PEI mussels, saffron, cherry tomatoes, fennel) as a starting off point. The Tartare has a great taste and texture to it, especially with the Quail egg, and the Mussels have this amazing broth that you can dip your bread into. The fennel and saffron also enhances the flavor of both. They also have other traditional dishes in this part of the menu like Foie Gras & Escargot if that strikes your fancy.
If pasta is what you are in the mood for, they have a couple of great dishes for that as well. I tried their Fettuccine (chanterelles, burgundy truffles, brown butter), and thought it was simply divine. Anytime you add brown butter to something, you will have me hooked, and the combo of the fresh pasta with the chanterelles and truffles with the butter was quite tasty. For their entrees, they have several different seafood and meat options that would fit even the peskiest of eater. For fish I would recommend their Salmon (North Atlantic salmon, sun dried tomatoes, spinach, white beans, pesto). The Salmon was cooked to perfection and paired well with the assortment of vegetables that went along with it. They also have two amazing duck dishes, Duck Confit and Duck Cassoulet, as well as great beef dishes such as Beef Bourguignon and Chateaubriand for you to devour.
I would definitely recommend trying Dominique Bistro out. They also have an amazing brunch that happens each weekend, so if brunch strikes your fancy then check out the menu here. This also includes all the different menus and anything you need to know regarding Dominique Bistro. If well cooked Parisian food with a flare piques your interest, then this is the place to go.
Happy Eating Everyone!