Karen "K" C.'s Profile

This was my first time having Cuban food and it didn't disappoint!

Got the skirt steak with chimichurri sauce and OMG - must try to recreate. The sauce was really fresh and tangy. Before I get ahead of myself, we started out sharing the sampler and calamari - everything was delicious. I especially loved the beef empanadas. Nice and crispy.

Prices are very reasonable - the entrees are big enough to share or have leftovers. They come with two sides - I recommend the dirty rice + yuca frita. The garlic sauce with the yuca is out of this world. Most entrees are around $12-19.

Would have been 5 stars but the service, while friendly, was a bit on the slow side. It's BYOB and they'll make you sangria or mojitos - the red sangria was delicious.

I wouldn't hesitate to come back!

I am a former gym junkie who gave up her membership to use the free work gym. It has worked out well except I miss one thing - SPIN!

Thankfully Groupon has come through a few times and that is how I found myself at Crunch.

So far I've been to 3 spin classes (or rather, The Ride, as it's called her) and love the instructors! I've had two different ones - Vladmir B and Mitch K. They are both high energy fab and Mitch is more like a DJ.

Equipment- a few of the spin bikes have seen better days but they are perfectly usable. Haven't used any cardio equipment but it looks pretty new. Stretching area is nice; weights area leaves a little to be desired for me. I typically use 8, 10, and 12 lb dumbells and have a hard time finding them here. 15+ lb ones are very easy to come by though so if you are that strong it will work in your favor!

Locker rooms - clean, very spacious. Only ONE hair dryer though. Are you kidding? I didn't have time to wait for it one morning and went out in the cold with my wet hair pulled back. The second time I raced through the shower after class to make sure I was the first one out.

Now, it's not very crowded here early in the morning before work, but ONE hair dryer seems a little odd, given the size of this location.

If I wasn't moving soon I would definitely consider joining. It is a step up from NYSC has instructors and classes on par with Equinox for less money. It's right in the middle, I think a membership is about $90/mo. ($145 Equinox, $70ish NYSC)

Wow...so crowded. Not sure if it is always like this or if the impending holidays had something to do with it but it was definitely a little tough to get around everyone and everything.

Other than that, it was a pretty fun place to walk around and kill a few hours. I didn't buy anything but was very tempted by the lady selling fancy olive oils and vinegars downstairs. Highly recommend sampling the peach balsamic.

There are ATMs upstairs if you need cash but a lot of vendors have credit card apps where you swipe your card through a plug-in to their phone. Pretty neat.

My friend was able to bargain on prices with some of the vendors so definitely try that.

Perfect ending is stopping at Blue Bottle Coffee for an iced coffee on your way out.

Came around 10PM on a Friday and didn't have a problem getting one of the tables with my group.

Cocktails looked good but everyone I was with wanted wine so we shared a bottle. It was a nice place to sit back and relax with our glasses of wine after a long week.  It was getting more crowded when we left about an hour later but that is to be expected!

I would come back.

Diners are generally not my thing but once a quarter I need to be at work nearby at 6:45 AM or so and then once I do what I need to do I am free until about 9. This is a good place to come for breakfast in between - lots of options and pretty cheap. Haven't had a problem with service.

Came here for happy hour and was not impressed - it was SO CROWDED and LOUD there was no way to be comfortable or hear anyone in your party when you tried to have a conversation. I think there was something going on at MSG that night so I am sure that is why it was so crowded but still, this reminds me why I generally avoid the west side/theater district.

My gym history is very back and forth - NYSC for a few years, Equinox for a few years, no formal membership and using the free gym at work for a few months (currently).

The ONLY thing I miss about a formal gym membership is spin class. I also refuse to pay over $30/class for the spin only studios in the city.

What's a girl to do? Buy gym Groupons to get my spin fix.

I returned to NYSC for a month to use a $24 Passport (ie any location) membership I bought on Groupon. This location is close to my apt and on my way to work.

The front desk person was actually very nice and showed me where the spin room was etc on my first visit. I have only come in the morning. 6:30AM spin instructor plays great music and class fills up. Doesn't look like there are lines for cardio equipment at this hour.

Weights area leaves a little to be desired - missing and mismatched dumbell sets on the rack, not a lot of space, a bit dim/dingy looking.

Locker rooms are nicer than I expected - on part with the CT locations I used to go to. I remember why I used to always bring my own towel to shower with - their towels are so rough/small/un-absorbent! I bring my own shampoo/conditoner/face wash but use the body wash provided and I actually kinda like it. In the morning everything is clean and there is plenty of room to get ready/dry your hair/put on makeup/etc.

Overall, this location looks nice from far away but when you get close you see the wear and tear. It isn't dirty or anything, just starting to show its age. I won't be signing up once my Groupon is done, but it served my spin class purposes perfectly.

My friend and I attempted to and were successful at hitting up one of the participating restaurants in the Port Chester/Greenwich Restaurant Week on the last night.

We strolled in a little after 6 on Friday and were surprised to see it pretty empty - its in a location with lots of hopping restaurants. We were also the youngest people there by about 30 years, but I'm glad we still gave it a chance.

After being given the regular menu, I asked about the RW menu which the waiter brought over shortly after. It seemed kind of like they were hiding it, so you have to speak up!

We both got the french onion soup and 8 oz filet. Soup was delicious. Perfect for a cool fall evening!

My filet was perfectly rare, although I was not a huge fan of the peppercorn sauce and next time would get it on the side or not at all. Sides were mashed potatoes and spinach. Both were good.

For dessert I got the cheesecake which was so good. Not something I order often because it is so rich but it hit the spot.

For $30/ea I was super happy. And full. They have a $55/pp 3 course menu so that would also be a good value for non-RW times.

Our waiter was really nice and checked in on us throughout the meal. At the end he gave us a 20% off coupon to be used by the end of November which all of the participating RW restaurants would accept. Sweet!

As a huge Top Chef (and Angelo) fan, I couldn't wait to try this place. Stopped in on a Thursday night around 7:30 and didn't have trouble getting a table. The place wasn't empty - but not packed either. Perfect.

Very happy to see one of my favorite domestic beers on the menu - Cigar City Maduro Brown Ale from Tampa.

Started out with the edamame fritters....holy yum! Could make a meal out of them! The boyfriend was a bit skeptical but I think the taste won him over. Think falafel flavor but edamame instead of chickpeas and a little runnier on the inside. Dipping sauce was out of this world. Wished there had been more than 2!

I couldn't decide what I wanted and changed my mind about 9 times before landing on the Hanoi burger. Came out perfectly medium rare, just like I asked. +1 for that!

The thing that blew me away about this burger was how zesty yet complementary and balanced  the flavors were - if that makes any sense. There was just enough lemongrass, mint, and cliantro in each bite to notice you were eating those herbs without being too overpowering. The portion was perfect - I left full but not stuffed.

Server was friendly and attentive, price wasn't too much (about $54 with tip for 2 beers, 1 app, 2 burgers), and the place was very....social. It was loud but not obnoxious. I liked the energy.

I had hoped to see Angelo but not such luck on my visit. I actually saw him outside early one Saturday morning a week or two ago but was just finishing my run and too self-conscious about being all sweaty to say hi! Next time!

Solid coffee joint and a nice change from the usual chains.

Looks a little sketchy/hipster from the outside but coffee is strong, employees are friendly, and the price is right.

My iced coffee was delicious - and at $2.50 or so for a medium (16 oz I think), right in line with the Starbucks and Dunkins.

There are a couple tables if you want to sit, I had no trouble scoring one when meeting a friend before work.