Aly "editrix" W.'s Profile

Rumor has it, this is the same owners as Ginos of Howard Beach - one of my favorite Italian restaurants in the history of the world. I believe it - I stopped in for the first time today and got the house salad to go - and it is EPIC. HUGE, fresh mozzarella, chick peas, chopped fresh veggies, delicious dressing - and the pizza smelled amazing.

I am so excited to be the first review of my new favorite place. (And not only because as of today I have achieved FourSquare mayorship as well!)
At the risk of sounding...uncool...this place has been open less than a week and I"ve already been here 4 times. It's just a bagel store, yes. But it's one that's open until 8:30 PM nightly (i.e. you can have DINNER here if you wish) - they are cheaper than my old local standby (which was delicious in its own right) - quality bagels and coffee, FREE WIFI, endless satellite monster ballads on the radio, super clean, a bathroom, tons of outlets.
It's basically the cafe I always crave to write in throughout the day, but with good food and prices to go with it. Seriously, I'm hooked. In fact, I'm writing this from there right now!
Other things I love: They have non-traditional bagel store options, like whole wheat pancake and fresh squeezed juice. If you  have your puppy with you, you can call ahead and they will bring the food to the door for you. They have custom chopped salads and Hale & Hearty soups! AND they have mini bagels - which means you can indulge and not feel fat!
OK, i'm gushing...

I haven't yelped in quite some time -- I feel badly about that -- but once in a while, an epic experience happens, and I just can't help myself.
Friday afternoon, my friend and I decided to kick off Labor Day weekend with weekday brunch in my Park Slope hood - we had no idea where we'd go, so I gave her the instructions to "wander" as she got off the subway and I'd come and meet her - minutes later, I get a text "5th and 1st. Now." - $8.95 lunch special is what drew us in (a salad or soup and then a choice of panini or entree dish) - the food and lovely service is what kept us there.
As a lifestyles writer, I have traveled all over the world - and let me tell you, I had the best pesto of my life that afternoon. The pasta was a perfect al dente, and the pesto was sublimely vibrant -- sweet Basil combined with just the right amount of pepper, garlic, grated cheese, toasted pine nuts and fruity olive oil.
Truth be told, the portion is overwhelming, but we sat with delicious wine ($5 for champagne! GOOD champagne) - and chatted with the bartender, slowly working away at it. We were so moved by the brunch experience that when we finally left, people were entering for HAPPY HOUR, but we took the invitation to return the next day...where my friends enjoyed open faced fritattas, and me -- well, more pasta -- as we took advantage of the bottomless bellini. ($12.95 = dish, latkas (yes, latkas! Allison G. was besot) and unlimited champagne cocktails) - we'll be back. The problem is...we fear we will never again be anywhere else..

I should begin this review with a disclaimer: I am a beauty editor by trade, and therefore have the extreme fortune of being able to go to just about any spa/salon I want and review it for my column.
So, it's super rare for me to go ANYWHERE more than once. And this goes for everything from my hair to my brows to my facials.
However, I've been getting my brows shaped and tinted by Gail at Wow Brows every three weeks for about three months now...and I have no plans on going anywhere else any time soon. I love her so much that I have walked a mile in the snow to visit her. That, too, is something that I normally don't do for...well, anything that doesn't involve nookie or cocktails.
Why? Well, Gail is amazing. My hair is very tightly curly - and yet fine baby hairs - so difficult to do evenly and fully. She intricately designs, and shapes, one tweezed hair at a time, until her vision is complete. She trims, she works on you a very long time - this is not one of those 10-minute threading joints - all my visits to Gail are around 45 minutes...and she does an amazing job. My brows are evenly shaped, and grow evenly...something I couldn't say at some of the city's priciest, most exclusive salons. And her tinting is the perfect shade for me.
What I also love is that she's at an extremely affordable price point - making her an obvious choice over city counterpoints. And she has a frequent user card that rewards her loyal customers - which I hear is a growing bounty!
Def. visit Gail - and tell her Aly sent you!

I lose my Filipino food viriginity at Pandan, and have been back a few times since.
One of my best friends lives in the area, and when I visit, this is  a must-stop for us. I am crazy for their pork BBQ (and I'm a girl who normally does not eat pork), and it's super affordable and intimate, and has huge delicious portions. Even the rice is delish!
Tonight, I was feeling a little more health-conscious and tried the Fresh Lumpia, it's Sautéed vegetables with chicken wrapped in a spring roll wrapper and covered in a peanut sauce - so so good.

A friend and I recently came here for dinner and while initially intimidated by its seemingly pretentious interior, were pleasantly surprised by their impressive dinner specials.
For $20, you get a salad, pasta dish, dessert AND coffee! This is not to forget fresh baked bread and bruschetta placed on the table, and a very reasonable wine list. We feated on homemade pasta with mushrooms in truffle oil, pear salad, and gelato (oink), and including a well-filled glass of wine each, spent under $30! Def. will be back to experience their unlimited mimosa brunch.

I've died and gone to coffee heaven.
Had this place had wifi, I'd likely never go anywhere else again.
Yesterday afternoon, I stopped by here to grab a quick coffee. I ordered a skim latte - and on a whim, a vegan peanut butter chcoolate chip cookie.
The cookie was fine, good, but nothing spectactular. (And at over $2...unnecessary.)
The latte though, quite seriously the best I ever had and puts Starbucks to shame. I regret getting the small (it is only about a 60 cent difference from the large), but what I did have was expertly created by pro barista, and was delicious , well-decorated, strong (but not bitter), rich, and creamy, and I want...so....so...badly to go back right now.

My friend warned me against this place: Apparently a friend of a friend had been there eating, and had her wallet stolen out of her bag...as she sat at the table.
However, as I walked along the slope strip today, and realized that there's a takeout storefront attached, I decided to give it a shot.
I AM SO GLAD I DID.
First of all, my favorite eat-out-habit is to fool myself into thinking I'm eating health, even when I'm eating a huge plate of naughty. There's tons of health-esque options here. I got the veggie burrito (one of them, there's a few to choose from) with sauteed spinach and brown rice, in a whole wheat tortilla. It comes with sour cream or nonfat yogurt, but you can replace that with guac (as I did) and it's HUGE. So huge that I feel like I might have a huge lunch left for tomorrow, too!
Even better, this huge burrito runs you around $8...which is not bad at all for two meals!

My friend and I came here for dinner on a whim tonight - we were attending a party in the area and it was the first non-bar we passed.

Small and casual (but with decent and cheap wine), we shared the steamed veggie dumpling appetizer, and then she had the veggie pad thai (seemed appropriate there) and I had the tofu pad kee mao.

Huge portions at great prices - our whole meal, including one glass of wine each, came to about $20 each. The food is pretty good - not as spicy as I would have hoped, but good for the value, and quick, friendly service.

I came to Southpaw to see Spiraling last night, and what a great surprise! I have lived in Brooklyn my whole life, and pass Southpaw all the time, but never before have had a reason to go inside...to see one of my fave bands though, the time was perfect.
A large space with a friendly staff, reasonbly priced well-mixed drinks and comfortable surroundings (including a sexy downstairs lounge!), it is actually way cooler than a lot of the city venues - but super easy to get to from just about every subway line. The sound is good, the lines weren't too long (and moved quickly) and the band was awesome (as always). I can't wait till my next show!