kristine r.'s Profile

This was just about the friendliest bar I've ever been to.  It may have helped that we stumbled upon Plan B on the night of the Yankees' Game 6 clincher of the World Series, when everyone was so hopeful and excited for a 27th Championship.  Everyone from the bartenders to the patrons was incredibly polite and welcoming, not something you'd expect from a local sports bar.  There was no pushing or elbowing despite the fact the place was filled to the brim - only "Excuse me's" and "Go right aheads".  It was almost eerie, actually.  

It was a pretty mixed and diverse crowd too, which was really nice.  So that when the Yankees did finally win, there were hugs all around from the unlikeliest people.  The champagne shower (and free flutes of it) that the bartenders gave us was a fitting touch, too.

We didn't get to try the food, but we wouldn't have had any place to eat it anyway since we stood for most of the game.  But it sure did smell good!  And now that I've read the Yelp reviews, I'd love to come back and try some of the grub.  My companions drank beer and didn't have any complaints about the price.   In all, this turned out to be the perfect place to watch the last game of the World Series.  And made me wish that I had a great local bar like this in my own neighborhood.

The Asian American Writers Workshop, now celebrating its 20th year, is a wonderful organization that highlights and promotes all genres of literature by Asian American writers.  It also provides a community and space for writers of all levels to convene, learn and hone their skills through their varied workshops - everything from poetry, non-fiction and comedy writing.  I have attended many book launches and readings throughout the years, and am always impressed by the caliber of talent they showcase.  I commend them for being able to host events year-round with a small staff that I'm sure is underpaid due to its not-for-profit status.

This past Saturday I attended their first Pageturner Literary Festival.  From 11am - 5pm, they hosted two panels every hour, with topics ranging from immigration to queer fiction to internment to representation of Asian Americans in today's culture.  More than 40 writers were on hand for these readings and discussions, including David Henry Hwang, Ed Lin, Jennifer 8. Lee, and lastly, Pulitzer Prize winner, Jhumpa Lahiri.  The breadth of topics covered, not to mention diversity of writers featured, was remarkable.  For an inaugural festival, they really started off with a bang, and I look forward to what they have in store for next year.  The day culminated in their annual Literary Awards, where they honored Lahiri (fiction), Sesshu Foster (poetry) and Leslie T. Chang (non-fiction).

If you're interested in Asian American literature or perhaps want to take a workshop (even if you don't consider yourself a writer), I highly recommend checking out AAWW.  The yearly membership is $45 and gives you discounts to their workshops, events and books in stock.  They say that if you take two workshops, the membership fee pays for itself.  If you're unsure about committing to a workshop, they'll allow you to attend the first class and give you a refund (less a fee for the first session) if you don't like it.  At the very least, sign up for their e-newsletter to be alerted of their many upcoming events.

In economic times like these, it's imperative that we continue to support the arts and our cultural communities.

Now that there is a considerable chill in the autumn air, I am already bemoaning the fact that I'll have to wait until May of next year to revisit the lovely, idyllic and tranquil Governors Island.  Of course, depending on what changes and additions they make to the island in the off-season, it might not be so tranquil and idyllic anymore.  I sincerely hope that they preserve the details that make Governors Island seem like a special getaway that only a select few know about.

The really cool thing about Governors Island is that it provides so many perfect picnic spots, whether you want a wide open grassy knoll, a view of the water, or a place that makes you feel like you're back on a college campus.  There are hammocks, forts, churches, beautiful houses, and thanks to the Water Taxi, a beach.  With so much variety of space, you really can't go wrong.  And if you bring a bike (or rent one from Bike & Roll - free on Fridays), you'll quickly be able to explore all the nooks and crannies of the small island.

You can even have an outdoor wedding there, as my fiancé and I once saw.  The reception was on a patch of grass overlooking the Statue of Liberty, and the couple made arrangements for all their guests to have a free bicycle so they could roam around the island on wheels.  We thought that was a very clever way to celebrate their nuptials in such a unique setting.

My hope is that Governors Island remains a place where you can feel like you're miles away from city life without actually going too far.  There are very few places in New York that I would describe as quaint and serene, but Governors Island is one of them, and I'm thankful for my proximity to it.

Fairly new venue that hosts theater, film and art shows.  It's so fresh and so...green!  It's the first theater in the city I know of that was consciously built as a green-friendly space.  It's a very small theater at less than 100 seats, but it doesn't feel cramped.  The cushioned seats are quite comfortable, actually!  If you've ever been to the Daryl Roth/DR2 theaters, it's a lot like that, with stadium seating that looks down onto the stage.  If you're in the front row, you'll be quite close to the action...just don't trip the actors!

There are two bathrooms with toilets that have new-fangled water-saving technology.  Flush upward for #1, flush downward for #2 (I kid you not, there are instructions on the toilet!).  I'm sure most people are simply used to flushing downward, so it actually forces you to be more conscientious about your water usage.  If that were my toilet at home, that would definitely take some getting used to.

But I digress.  They also offer some beverages (alcoholic and non) pre-show, although I'm not sure if you're allowed to bring them into the theater.  It's such a beautiful clean space, I wouldn't want to dirty it up with spilled liquids, etc.  It's always so encouraging to see new theaters crop up around the city, especially when they're clean, comfortable...and yes, so green!

I love my TDF membership!  For a mere $27.50 a year, you have access to discounted theater, opera/classical, dance and music tickets if you're a student, teacher, union member, arts professional, not-for-profit employee, senior citizen (62+), or member of the armed forces (phew, that's a mouthful!).  All you have to do is send in proof of your eligibility and you're good to go.  

I'm in it primarily for the theater tickets, and there is no shortage available for shows around the city (and even in the greater Tri-State area).  Keep in mind, they don't offer tickets to shows that are perennial sell-outs (i.e. most B'way musicals), but there is generally a wide range of tickets available to Broadway and Off-Broadway plays.  The most I've paid for a B'way show was $36.50, and I'm usually still seated in the orchestra.  And now they've just started offering off-off-Broadway tickets for a mere $9 with no service fee ("off-off @ $9")!  Yes, that means you can see live, quality theater for less than the price of a movie.

They update the online listings daily, and they often offer shows that are still in previews but will surely be popular once officially open.  Keep an eye out for those b/c they come and go like the wind.  For tickets not listed under "off-off @ $9", there is a $4 service fee per show, not per ticket (you can order up to 9 tickets per show, based on availability).  It's a small price to pay for deeply discounted tickets.  Keep in mind that while TDF runs the TKTS booths, they are separate entities.  You can, however, purchase gift certificates for use at the TKTS booths.

So if you love the performing arts and you're eligible, what are you waiting for?  It's so worth it.  And if you're an artist like me, take heart in knowing that you don't have to be starving for great entertainment.

Considering how much time I spend in Hell's Kitchen trying to figure out where to eat, it's odd that I've waited so long to finally eat at Island Burgers and Shakes.  It's been pretty hyped up on Yelp, so perhaps I was afraid that my expectations would not be met.  Well, I won't say that I was disappointed, although I can't say I was wowed either.  I'll just say I was satisfied.

The menu is quite overwhelming, and I appreciate the option to have chicken instead of beef for any given burger combo.  I ordered the beef burger with mushrooms, onions and mozzarella (can't remember the name) for $9.50.  It's almost an unwieldy piece of meat b/c it's quite thick.  I ordered it medium and it was a little red in the middle and very, very juicy.  My bun was pretty much soaked halfway thru eating it, which I really don't like.  I want a bun that's going to hold up to the juice - soggy, squishy, bloody bread is quite unappetizing to me.  

No, they still don't serve fries, just bagged chips or baked potatoes. Let's be honest here - everyone has their little routine of how they eat burgers, and fries are a given in the equation.  I ordered the chocolate shake to compensate for this loss, and it was deliciously thick.  It almost made me forget not having fries.  At any rate, fries and a shake would have been overkill for me, so perhaps it was for the best.

It's cleaner and nicer inside than I always imagined since the sign looks kind of homely and gives a hole-in-the-wall vibe.  There isn't a ton of seating, but if you go late enough, it won't be crowded.  Two years ago, when it seems that burgers were capped at the $8 price, I would have said it's a really great deal for the amount of beef you get.  But now, the listed burgers are more like $9-$11, depending what you get on it (extra toppings are 75c each).  So paying almost $10 for a burger sans fries isn't such a hot deal to me.  But if I am craving a burger in the neighborhood, it's nice to know that there's a good, no-frills spot to satisfy the need.

I'm so glad that I was able to make brunch reservations on Opentable b/c when I arrived, there were at least 15 people waiting to be seated.  Don't you just get that giddy, happy feeling when you walk up to the hostess table to check in and then are immediately taken to your seat, bypassing all the hungry chumps who didn't have the foresight to call ahead?  Sorry, is that petty?  Point is, make a reservation!

As big as Cookshop is, it was definitely packed.  The noise level was lively bordering on raucous, so I don't think this would be a great date night spot, but it's perfect for Sunday brunch with your pal(s).  My friend and I were having difficulty narrowing down our choices for entrees after we both agreed upon the ricotta beignets (4) with plum compote.  So we did the only reasonable thing and decided to split our orders - best of both worlds, hooray!  

I got the Cookshop scramble (3 eggs w/crème fraiche, caramelized onions, apple smoked bacon), which came atop a homemade biscuit (warm, buttery, moist!) and a side salad.  The eggs were flavorful and fluffy, and the biscuit was a perfect companion to them.  My friend got the french toast, which was sprinkled with slivers of almonds, blackberries and powdered sugar - it hardly needed the maple syrup, but what's a little overkill amongst friends?  The slices were very thick and soaked up the syrup quite nicely.  The beignets were good, but definitely not as transcendent as the ones you get in New Orleans, and we both thought the compote was superfluous.

It turned out to be quite a lot of food, but we were both determined to finish every last morsel.  It helped that service was really good about leaving us alone and never rushing us. We spent a good hour and a half eating and catching up, which meant not feeling like totally overblown whales by the end of the meal.  I'll be back for more!

P.S.  There are two extra bathrooms around the corner.  People were being very helpful about pointing this out to each other, but keep it in mind anyway.

Sweet!  This Whole Foods now offers FREE wi-fi!  That very fact bumps them up on my Write Spot list.  (Did I also mention the abundance of outlets?)

Also, they've just expanded their hours as of Sept. 14: they're now open until 11pm daily.

The food was plentiful and delicious.  The drinks were tasty and not overly sweet.  The servers were all really cool, friendly and able to handle the vulture-like attacks of hungry Yelpers.  Malik was especially fun to watch work the room.  It definitely pays to make friendly with the servers (and stand right by the kitchen entrance) b/c they made sure we never went more than 10 minutes without a bite of scrumptious food in our mouths.  I was impressed at how well the servers handled the event - they were cool, efficient and gracious.

The lady from Megu (didn't catch her name) came by and chatted with us a couple times - once to get us to enter the raffle for the Vendy Awards, and another time to talk up their "recession specials", which all sounded like great deals.  I was super impressed at how much food they kept bringing out - ten minutes before the end of the event, they were still bringing out full platters of sushi rolls!

All in all, it was a great Yelp event.  The Yelp lunchboxes were also a really fun giveaway.  I've been in want of a new thermos, and now I have a cool Yelp one!  Thanks for putting it together Jane, Peter & Team Yelp!

Studio Square is a casual, fun place to spend an afternoon hanging out with your friends and having a few drinks.  I haven't come here in the evening, and I'm not sure I really want to.  During the day, there's never a problem finding space for a small group, and the vibe is pretty low-key and not rowdy.  I also like how diverse the crowd is - you get everything from young couples with their children to middle age folks and everyone else in between.  

They've got a lot of beer on tap, including gluten-free and non-alcoholic.  They allow you to sample the beers before ordering, which is really helpful.  The sangria on tap is also pretty good, not to mention strong!  

The food is also pretty tasty and reasonably priced ($10 for entrée plus fries).  I had a burger once, and while it was a tad underseasoned, it still hit the spot.  The chicken tenders have a light crust and are more filling than you expect.  The fries are perfect - thin, crispy and salty.  They even make some decent sushi ($6 for 8 pieces).  My only wish is that they had more snack options besides the fries and jumbo pretzels.  

My only complaint is that it's cash only, so you can't even set up a tab at the bar.  So be prepared with a stuffed wallet...and you'll be sure to leave with a stuffed beer belly.