Leighann "Like Rimes, if that helps you" F.'s Profile

Over the summer, one bright and sunny afternoon, I took a nap. This would be a totally ordinary and rather boring story except for one small, teensy detail:

I was getting a filling by D. Urtula at Emagen Dental.

Actually, make that two fillings. There I was, sitting in the dentist's chair, the recliner of hell to most people, watching The Bird Cage on a TV screen suspended just above my head, while Dr. Urtula and his hygienist Chang worked on my chompers, when suddenly I realized I'd dozed off. This is how things work at Emagen. This is why you should make an appointment no where else, ever again, with any other dentist on the planet.

Over the course of my many visits to Emagen, I've interacted with Jeff and Jessica (the lovely and accommodating office managers), Dr. Urtula and Chang (fillings, cleanings and molds for retainers), leaving me with a confident impression that everyone in this office really cares about each and every patient. Jeff has gone above and beyond in so many ways, while Jessica has been super communicative and following up with me regarding appointment times and scheduling. Each visit, I really look forward to chatting with Chang, who seems to remember every detail of our conversations while making each step of the procedure clear and continually checking in on my comfort levels.

Dr. Urtula's bedside manner and ability to explain even the most complicated of dental work in way that those of us without medical training can understand, is refreshing and reassuring. There will be no unnecessary procedures, no surprised on bill, no scolding about the current state of your teeth and no pain. The last part is crucial. I felt absolutely nothing during my fillings, so much so that I dozed off in the middle of the drilling.

Is it any wonder why I now look forward to going to the dentist?

I could almost move to Williamsburg for a place like Maison Premiere.  Almost. Just to sit at that bar, among the charmingly distressed decor and piles of fresh oysters, downing craft beers such as Pretty Things from a mason jar, conversing with fellow patrons and staff over well-crafted cocktails for hours on end as the bar fills up with neighborhood chums and dwellers from other boroughs.

Here, you'll find a fine selection of oysters from all over, offered at just a $1 a piece during happy hour. You'll also find a substantial beer list and a bevy of proper cocktails, served up by nice and knowledgeable staff members in a cozy atmosphere that lacks the pretension that can usually accompany these things when amassed together under one roof.

Visit. Sit at the front bar. Eat oysters. Drink to your heart's content. Be utterly charmed.

Giving credit where credit is due, Bellissimo is an immaculate salon with friendly technicians, a convenient location and a nearly nil wait time on any given day for a manicure. I've been here several times, walking away with a gorgeous manicure for $12, a price I'm more than willing to pay when in this neighborhood, even though my local salon charges only $8.

My most recent visit, however, was a wee bit disappointing. Walking in on a weekday around 4pm, there were 2-3 other customers in various stages of manicures and pedicures. I proceeded to choose my polish--in this case, a set of polishes to be painted in a gradient, lightest on the pinkie and darkest on the thumb. I've had this style several times in various salons and loved it! With Bellissimo's endless, updated and VAST polish selection, I was able to come up with a really pretty set.

As I sat down. I explained my idea to the technicians and she said she would probably have to charge me extra because, although it's the same amount of polish, it would take longer to do. I said that I thought that was kind of silly, because I've never been charged extra elsewhere, not to mention the fact that they were not exactly busy. The manager came over and told me that this was considered "a design" and that the extra charge would be $10. I thanked them both, left the salon and proceeded to go to my regular place in Queens, where they happily obliged my request for the regular price.

I love this salon, but don't appreciate the price gouging associated with a simple request. $10 for an extra minute or two added onto a regular service? It's a really easy way to lose what was a loyal customer.

You know when people say, "When you know, you just know?" Typically in reference to finding "the one," it's a look, a feeling or a single happening that fortifies that sentiment and forever encapsulates said person as that special someone.

From one Sunday Brunch, one specific meal, one sublime pig-out session with not one but TWO lovely ladies, I'd made I "just know" that M Wells is that special restaurant. Perfect in every way, only one visit and love is already in the mix. In love with the casual, sweet service. In love with the decor. Head over heels for every single bite I took and every single sip I savored.

Behold, the meal I shared with Jenn C and Lizz K:

Oysters with Coffee Zabiglione: a special for the day, imagine the richness of coffee cream sweetness mingling with briny, chilly oysters. A pairing that sounds odd but makes perfect sense in your mouth.

Poached Eggs & Hash: Yes, as good as everyone says, perfectly cooked egg, crispy asapargus and fluffy light potatoes and impossibly thick chunks of bacon.

Escargot & Bone Marrow: a match made in heaven, there was no chewy texture to speak of and the marrow was salted and seasoned perfectly.

Cuban Sandwich: at a Canadian diner? Hell yes. Soft bread with just a slight crisp to the crust, ideal construction with the pickles, ham and mustard.

Green Salad: of all the decadence, what is this doing in here? The simple yet flavorful salad has a place with bits of mint and basil, tossed with buttermilk dressing.

Doughnut: even if you just get one to get your belly ready for the impending feast, this is not to be missed. It's cake-like and moist, with a slight yeast taste that make it almost like easting a lighter, sweeter version of a soft pretzel.

Maple Pie: Complete and utter satisfaction after a savory meal. Here is a version of pecan pie, minus the pecans, with a consistency reminiscent of custard with a thick, egg texture and a flaky crust.

This was an excellent amount of food for three people. We finished nearly everything, with  just a small bite of the sandwich lingering. We were sated, but certainly not stuffed. And I can't wait to go back and try everything else on the entire menu, including all of their very legit cocktails.

Lazy Sundaes is the quintessential, small-town, neighborhood ice cream parlor, complete with all of the adorable attributes that make a sweet shop so wonderful:

-Friendly and attentive high school kids working Summer jobs
-Cute decor, with outdoor seating
-A menu of cones, sundaes, milkshakes and root beer floats
-Customers base of locals and weekenders alike
-Tons of toppings
-Oodles of flavors
-Affordable prices

We could walk here from our weekend rental house, procure a delicious cool-down treat and enjoy it on our stroll back. If only there were more ice cream shops like this around!

A local to set the bar for all other locals, this divey, worn, dark little bar beckons you in from the street with sense of belonging and welcome for the the casual drinker. Settle yourself on a stool or in a cozy little booth and enjoy cheap beer and an easy environment for low conversation.

Skeptics can test drive this dive for little dough: happy hour till 9pm places any tap beer or shot in your hand for a mere $3. Get nice and saucy in preparation for a night out or make this your mainstay for the duration of the evening.

A gorgeous gateway to Cape Cod, the Sagamore Bridge is lined with beautiful views and ease of passage to a weekend gateway.

There is nothing to think about. I like strong coffee and they serve it. I don't need my hand held through my order, though some general friendliness and courtesy from the employees wouldn't kill them.

Seating. Yes.
Pastries. Yes.
Convenient location. Yes.

Do I come here often? No, but in Union Square it's a nice option for coffee over Starbucks, a simple meeting location, a temporary office or just respite from the day with a book and a some caffeine.

When a colleague/friend/family member visits you in NYC, you should feel personally responsible for steering them clear of commercial tourist crap and guiding them to genuine local businesses that represent all this city has to offer. If they end up at Olive Garden in Times Square for dinner or Cheesecake Factory for dessert, you have FAILED as a New Yorker.

In the dessert department, what better way to localize your out-of-town guests than with a visit to The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck. Find me something MORE NYC than a rainbow-loving, sweet-purveying mobile machine of frosty love and I'll buy you a creamery. Seriously.

On a breezy, 80-degree day, I suggested to my brand-spanking-new colleagues, in from outta state, that we take a stroll to Union Square and hit up The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck, to which one replied, "Is that really the name?" Oh yes it is, sister. Allow me to introduce you to soft serve topped with everything from cayenne pepper and elderflower syrup to dulce de leche with sea salt and chocolate or coconut and curry. This is New York and we don't mess around with our frozen treats or our food trucks. They immediately loved the idea.

Two Salty Pimps and a CocoCone later, and we'd arrived in a cold, creamy heaven that's not easily reproduced anywhere in town. Yogurt, custard and Italian Ice has its time and place, but nothing can quite match the taste of old-fashioned ice cream made new with innovative, mind-boggling, mouth-watering and just-plain-crazy toppings mixed together.

Worth the wait, which can be long. With the trip to Union Square, no mater where you live/work. Worth the $3 for cone or $5  for a dish. Now appearing in the Summer rotation for my cool-down consumption in the city.

Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co makes my knees weak and my heart race. A cocktail list that reads like a hot, steamy novel, all sass and no trash, I had a hard time catching my breath as I ran my fingers down the list, hungrily eying the list of cocktails and their ingredients:

orgeat syrup, green chartreuse, carpano antica, jamaican jerk bitters, black tea syrup, batavia arrak, absinthe, averna

Broken up into clever headings that denote the contents: classics, lighter drinks, heavy hitters and a whole slew of punch served by the glass or by the bowl, you'll find yourself mesmerized at the options, lost in a sea of liqueurs and bitters. Once you've ordered and your selection arrives, you'll be cleansed of crappy gin and tonics, washed free of bad beers and sour mix, made anew with properly measured ingredients, carefully crafted tinctures, balanced booze equations adding up to the most legit sipping in all of Philadelphia.

Transport Franklin Mortgage to a city like New York, San Francisco or Boston and these folks can shake, strain and serve up classic cocktails with the best of them. Hats off, Franklin. I'll be back for more.