NYC — Winter 2015: Pick-Ups & Deliveries (Part II)

And so the shopping saga continues. I did say that I did some heavy damage in NYC, and that included a plethora of non-cosmetic items as well. I never thought I'd ever become the type of person to spend an exorbitant amount of money on candles (and if I did, it'd surely be on Diptyque!), but I couldn't resist the allure of the ones at Ladurée. I am a compulsive shopper and am easily swayed by pretty things, so Ladurée's gift items are totally targeted towards suckers like me. Maybe it's because there are lit candles wafting delicious scents around their tea room, or maybe it's the exclusivity of these candles (only available at Ladurée!), but they are gorgeous and they smell amazing and I was just like, "These need to come home with me."

Ladurée Othello and New York Candles
Ladurée Othello and New York Candles
I smelled all the candles in the store (indeed, the girl helping me was really patient and very honest: "That one smells like cheap strawberry gum") and ended up getting Othello and New York (exclusive to the New York stores). Othello is meant to smell like "black tea leaves," and it does have that kind of smoky-sweet incense note to it, but more than anything, it reminds me of a really intense, really hot, really well-dressed guy (and really defined six-pack abs underneath, obviously)... but with an air of mystery and intrigue (like, you know, Christian Grey... or James Bond). I'm not usually into spicy, woodsy scents, but the thought of burning this in the winter is just divine. New York, on the other hand, is totally the kind of scent that I am usually drawn to: sweet, crisp, slightly tart apples that's fresh and lively, but with a kind of warm cinnamon-y note that keeps it comforting at the same time. Perfect for both Spring and Fall.
Vosges Super Dark Mini Bar Library and Mini Exotic Chocolate Bar Library
Vosges Super Dark Mini Chocolate Bars: Pomegranate & Goji (x 2), Coconut Ash & Banana (x 2), Açaí & Golden Berries, Reishi Mushroom & Walnut, Guajillo & Chipotle Chili, and Matcha Green Tea (x 2)
Vosges Mini Exotic Chocolate Bars: Red Fire Bar (x 2), Mo's Dark Bar, Bapchi's Caramel Toffee Bar, Mo's Milk Bar, Sri Lankan Coconut & Curry Bar (x 2), and Barcelona Bar (x 2)
I'm not a huge chocolate person, but there are times when I crave it (like, say, when I'm PMS-ing), and it's particularly intriguing to me when there are unique flavours being offered. There's a Vosges store in Soho that looks so pretty and mysterious, almost like an apothecary but with chocolates lining the deep purple walls instead of potions, that it's hard not to want to go inside and take a look. Since it was super-cold out, I decided to get a "Parisienne" sipping chocolate, which marries dark chocolate and vanilla bean; it's thick, creamy, and ultra-decadent — the way real hot chocolate should be. The vanilla bean sweetens the dark chocolate, but it's still deep and flavourful (which I prefer in chocolate), and an 8-ounce cup is more than enough to satisfy. While sipping on my drink, I perused their beautifully displayed offerings — Vosges is known for their exotic flavour combinations in chocolate, so I left with two "libraries" of mini bars, one featuring their best-selling milk chocolate bars (favourites are Barcelona with almonds and sea salt, and Naga with Sri Lankan coconut and sweet Indian curry), and one of their new Super Dark chocolate bars that are made with 72% cacao (my favourite is Coconut Ash & Banana). Figured they'd be nice to gift and share with other (more chocolate-loving) people.
Community Paradigm Parka and Uniqlo Ultra Light Down Quilted Blouson Jacket
Uniqlo Black Leggings Pants
Uniqlo Lounge Drape Pants
Muji Cut Cotton and Black Gel Ink Pens
As per usual, my only apparel purchases were from Aritzia and Uniqlo. I actually wasn't planning on even going into Aritzia because it's so widely available here, but we had time to kill while waiting for a table at Balthazar, and Aritzia's right next door. I had been eyeing the Community Paradigm Parka for nearly five months by then; I tried it on and really liked it when they first came out last October, but decided to wait until the holiday sales started. Of course, once Boxing Day rolled around, I decided to wait until it was further reduced because I knew that once their Spring stuff started rolling in, their winter jackets would have a more significant discount. It wasn't until I was in NYC, freezing from walking around all day in subzero temperatures, that I felt it was time to snatch that baby up. They had one left in my size (one that was in their stockroom, still wrapped and untouched), so I took it as a sign that it was meant to be. And now I'm wondering how I got this far into winter without having a parka. Later on at Uniqlo ('cause you know I can't go to NYC and not make a trip to Uniqlo), I bought a lovely ultra-light down-filled bomber-style jacket that is phenomenal for layering ($69.90 for a down jacket of any kind is a steal in my books), plus four more pairs of my favourite black Leggings Pants (I live in these), and three pairs of Drape Pants because I am always on the look-out for pajama pants with pockets (why is it that women's pajama pants don't come with pockets, but men's always do?). Finally, we made a quick stop at Muji, where I stocked up on their Cut Cotton (exact dupes of Shiseido's Facial Cotton, but for $2.25 instead of $12!) and a few of my favourite Gel Ink Pens.
NYX Powder Blush in Coral Dream, Apricot, Ethereal, Pinched, and Bourgeois Pig
NYX Butter Lipstick in Little Susie, Fizzies, Pops, Snow Cap, Fun Size, Candy Buttons, Lollies, Gumdrop, Taffy, and Razzle
NYX Butter Gloss in Madeleine, Fortune Cookie, Crème Brûlée, Tiramisu, Angel Food Cake, Strawberry Parfait, Sugar Cookie, and Merengue
NYX Butter Gloss in Éclair, Vanilla Cream Pie, Peaches and Cream, Cupcake, Maple Blondie, Apple Strudel, Peach Cobbler, and Cherry Cheesecake
A couple weeks before I went to NYC, I made two huge orders to be sent to my brother's apartment so I could pick them up while I was there. One of them was from NYX, because their website carries all of their products at the original US prices (not the seriously marked-up prices at Rexall), and it's free shipping within the US (they don't even ship to Canada). I took the opportunity to get five more blushes, plus ten shades of Butter Lipstick and a whopping 16 shades of Butter Glosses (at $5 a pop, why the hell not?) because I've been wanting to try them for so long. I figure this will be the only order I ever put in with NYX, so I'd make it count.

ColourPop Lippie Stix in Tipsy, BFF, Button, Cookie, Frida, Brink, Bound, Lumière, Wifey, Brills, Grind, and Leather
ColourPop Rebound Super Shock Shadow Set: One & Done, Too Soon, Ex, and Adios
ColourPop Megan Naik x ColourPop Super Shock Shadow Set: Onai, Lectra, Amira, and Farah
ColourPop Minx Society x ColourPop Super Shock Shadow Set: Girly, On The Rocks, Get Lucky, and Roulette
ColourPop Shaaanxo x ColourPop Super Shock Shadow Set: XO, Selfie, Deluxe, and Rebel
ColourPop Super Shock Shadow in Truth, Smash, So Quiche, Sequin, Cheeky, Game Face, On The Rocks, Bandit, Mooning, Hustle, Lace, Bae, Hammered, and Shameless
As you all know, I am an addict and a hoarder of all things make-up. So after reading all the rave reviews and looking up swatches of ColourPop (which have been having a moment of intrigue recently, showing up in a multitude of beauty blogs and YouTube videos), I decided to put in a huge order with them, too. I chose 12 shades of Lippie Stix plus a total of 30 shades of Super Shock Shadow, 12 of which are included in "foursome" sets (three of the sets are collaborations, but I have no clue who or what Megan Naik, Shaaanxo, or Minx Society is). Again, at $5 a pop and free shipping in the US, I could not resist. I technically didn't buy these in NYC, but I picked them up in NYC, so I figured they could be counted in this haul. And with that, I'm done. And so is my wallet.

Ladurée Soho398 W BroadwayNew York, NY 10012(646) 392-7868
Vosges Haut-Chocolat132 Spring StreetNew York, NY 10012(212) 625-2929
Aritzia524 BroadwayNew York, NY 10012(212) 965-2188
Uniqlo Soho546 BroadwayNew York, NY 100121-877-486-4756
Muji455 BroadwayNew York, NY 10013(212) 334-2002

NYC — Winter 2015: Pick-Ups & Deliveries (Part I)

So, to absolutely no one's surprise, I did some heavy damage while I was in NYC. I saved up quite a bit for this trip, but I didn't really know how much shopping I was going to do because our dollar is so low right now, but it's hard not to get caught up in the retail madness when there are shops everywhere. And, of course, that madness started at Sephora. Because we were staying right by Times Square, and the Sephora there closes at midnight. Midnight!

Too Faced Soul Mates Blushing Bronzer in Carrie & Big and Ross & Rachel
Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Palette
Okay, so technically, those first two Too Faced blush-bronzers were bought the day before I went to NYC; they were Valentine's Day gifts to myself. Or, at least, that's my excuse because they're heart-shaped. But really, I just thought they were too damn cute to resist. I mean, Big & Carrie? C'mon, you know I had to. (I just couldn't decide between the two, so I bought them both.) But I figure I'd include it here since this will act as my February haul post (it's just that everything else I bought this month was from NYC, so I'm also listing this as a NYC post). The first item I actually picked up in NYC was the Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar palette. I was very tempted by the original Chocolate Bar palette that came out last year, but I'm glad I held out because I prefer the shades included in the Semi-Sweet. I might still get the original at some point because I'm a hoarder and an addict, but for now, I'm really happy with this one. And even though I can't smell my make-up when it's on my face, I kinda love just opening the palette to smell the chocolate scent.
Make Up For Ever x Fifty Shades of Grey Desire Me Cheek Set: 3 Artist Shadow Palette (I-526 Pearl Beige, I-808 English Pink, and S-748 Coral) and 150W Brush
Make Up For Ever x Fifty Shades of Grey Give In To Me Set: Graphic Liner Vinyl Pen Eyeliner, Smoky Extravagant Mascara, Lab Shine Diamond Collection Lip Gloss in D14 Indian Pink, Rouge Artist Natural Lipstick in N4 Pink Beige, and 4 Artist Shadow Palette (S-556 Taupe Gray, ME-612 Silver Brown, I-514 Pink Ivory, and I-628 Reptile)
Now, anyone that's been into Sephora at all this month will know that Make Up For Ever has teamed up with the Fifty Shades of Grey movie to create a limited edition make-up collection. The movie is in full promo mode (seriously, there wasn't a single block in NYC that didn't have a Fifty Shades advertisement), so the collection is right at the front of every Sephora store right now. Having read the books, I had a mild interest in the movie (which I went to see a couple days ago, and all I have to say is: Daaaaaamn, Jamie Dornan is fiiiiiiine), but I originally bypassed the make-up collection. It just didn't seem that interesting. Then my curiosity got the best of me, and I swatched. And, that was it. I had to have all the things. The Artist Shadows in both sets were the main draw for me: a variety of gorgeous, wearable shades that you can use all-year round. They're ultra-smooth, buttery, pigmented, and a total dream to work with; the Artist Shadow is the best product that MUFE has ever come out with, in my opinion. But the second thing that convinced me to get them was that the products are all full-size (except for the brush that comes in the cheek trio), and therefore an excellent value in these sets. Thirdly, despite the somewhat tacky Fifty Shades-inspired velvet bag and faux-leather case that they come in, the actual product itself is housed in regular MUFE packaging. But most importantly, there's nothing in these sets that I won't use. I mean, even without the Artist Shadows, the lipstick and lip gloss are pretty MLBB shades that I would've picked for myself, and the mascara and liquid liner (both black) are actually two products that I've been wanting to try out, so it worked out really well for me.
Urban Decay Naked Skin Ultra Definition Powder Foundation in Light Warm and Perversion Mascara
Becca Mineral Blush in Sweetpea and Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure
I went over to the Urban Decay section to grab a new tube of my favourite Perversion Mascara, and noticed that they came out with a new powder foundation. I was immediately intrigued. I'm always looking for something that can compete with my MAC Studio Fix Powder. It has the same coverage and finish as Studio Fix, but with a smoother, silkier texture. My issue is usually with the colour range because most brands don't make their products yellow enough for me, but Light Warm is perfect (note that these powders oxidize quite a lot — I am an NC30 in MAC so Medium Light Warm looks perfect in the pan but turns out significantly darker on my skin). I don't know if it's going to replace my Studio Fix because MAC is ultimately cheaper and I go through a compact every two months, but it's definitely a nice option when I want a change. Aside from a few more bits and bobs (e.g. a Jack Black Grapefruit & Ginger Lip Balm, a Drybar Lemon Drop Daily Detangler, a new tube of Philosophy Purity Made Simple Cleansing Gel), I also picked up two more blushes: Becca's Sweetpea and Hourglass' Mood Exposure. I seem to always have a penchant for buying bright blushes, but realistically, I use neutrals the most for day-to-day wear (MAC's Warm Soul is my most-used blush of all time), and these two just fit the bill perfectly.

Bite Beauty Customized Lipstick and Agave Lip Mask
Bite Beauty Customized Lipstick
NARS Blush in Reckless and 413 BLKR
NARS Audacious Lipstick in Angela, Pure Matte Lipstick in 413 BLKR, Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Bolero, and Velvet Lip Liner in Anse Soleil and El Agua
Sephora aside, the majority of the shopping I did was in Soho, starting with our appointment at Bite Beauty Lip Lab (you can read all about my experience here), where I got to make my own customized lipstick (a brightened lilac-purple) and picked up a tube of their popular Agave Lip Mask. Right after we left the lab, I noticed that there's a NARS boutique literally a block away so, you know, we had to go in. And, of course, I couldn't leave without grabbing a bunch of goodies because, as I said, I have an addiction. The NARS boutiques in NYC are the only physical retailers who carry the 413 BLKR collection, which is named after the address of their original flagship store in New York on Bleecker Street, so I took the opportunity to swatch all the products. I ended up getting the 413 BLKR blush (brightened rose pink) and the Pure Matte Lipstick (muted warm rosy brown), as well as the new highlighting powder, Reckless (a sparkly pinked beige), from their Spring 2015 collection, an Audacious Lipstick in Angela (a brightened orchid pink, exclusive to NARS boutiques and Barneys), a Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Bolero (a milky peach) at the recommendation of the super-nice make-up artist helping me, plus two of their Velvet Lip Liners in Anse Soleil (a grapefruit pink) and best-selling El Agua (a lilac-mauve).

JINsoon Nail Lacquer in Farrago, Obsidian, and Epidote
Jo Malone Blackberry & Bay Cologne
After leaving NARS, we walked over to Broadway and found ourselves at Bloomingdale's, where I basically stayed in the cosmetics department because I was still on a make-up high. I went into the Space.NK boutique first because they carry a lot of fun niche brands, but ended up overlooking everything except for the JINsoon nail polishes and picked up three shades: Farrago, Obsidian, and Epidote. I originally went in to Bloomingdale's to look at Tom Ford's Lips & Boys collection, but the three that I ended up wanting were sold out, so I figured that was the world telling me that I should not be buying anymore lip products that day. But it just so happens that the Jo Malone counter is right next to Tom Ford at that particular Bloomingdale's location. So I took the opportunity to do some perfume testing. I had been debating over my next Jo Malone fragrance for a while, but after spraying on my top three choices, wearing them around for an hour, and asking five different salespeople (plus Austin) for their opinion, the unanimous winner was Blackberry & Bay. No regrets on my choice; it's light, fresh, fruity, almost juicy, but somehow not too sweet, and manages to last on my skin for over six hours. 
Sabon Body Scrub in Delicate Jasmine, Butter Scrub in Lavender Apple, and Shower Oil in Delicate Jasmine and Lavender Apple
Sabon Butter Cream in Lavender Apple, Body Oil in Lavender, Facial Toning Serum, and Hair Serum in Green Rose (x 2)
Our last cosmetics stop in Soho was Sabon, which is kind of like an old-school apothecary meets Lush. The moment you walk in, they ask if you want to wash your hands in their central washing fountain, which they use as a means to introduce you to their products by starting with a cleanser, following with a scrub, and usually ending with some sort of moisturizer. Every single person who works there is just insanely nice and super-knowledgeable; I had such a positive customer service experience in that Soho location (and they don't work on commission — I asked). The guy that was helping us was fun, honest, and enthusiastic, and you could tell he had a real passion for the company and the products. He was showing us around the store, trying all the things on us, and never pressured us to buy anything — which is, of course, why we wanted to buy everything. My favourite scents from there ended up being Lavender Apple and Delicate Jasmine, which is pretty misleading because neither of them smell like their namesakes (and I mean that in the best way possible, because I don't particularly like lavender or jasmine). So I picked up the products I was most impressed by (which, admittedly, is a lot) because they do not ship to Canada and I would have to wait until my next trip to NYC to stock up again. If you're into beautifully made, gorgeously scented body products in pretty packaging, Sabon is a must-visit.

Sephora1500 BroadwayNew York, NY 10036(212) 944-6789
Bite Beauty Lip Lab174 Prince StreetNew York, NY 10012(646) 484-6111
NARS Cosmetics124 Prince StreetNew York, NY 10012(646) 356-0423
Bloomingdale's504 BroadwayNew York, NY 10012(212) 729-5900
Sabon123 Prince StreetNew York, NY 10012(212) 982-0968

NYC — Winter 2015: Bite Beauty Lip Lab

One place I knew I had to visit during my trip to NYC was Bite Beauty Lip Lab. Yep, there is a store in Soho where you can create your very own Bite Beauty lip product. We originally went on Monday, but they were fully booked for appointments, so we made one for the next day. When we walked in, we were greeted by our Lip Lab Artist, who seated us at one of their stations and promptly took out a sterile clear plastic sheet and wrote my name down on the top. She asked me what I wanted to make that day, and I told her a lipstick. She handed me a swab of their Agave Lip Mask to condition my lips first, and then asked me what kind of colour I was looking for.


Going in, I had originally wanted to do something nude-ish, an MLBB. But then I thought it was too boring, and I have way too many of those types of shades as it is. So I scrapped that idea, and decided on a purple; something that was brightened, fun, but still wearable, and unique. Something that I wish were on the market without having to mix two or more products. So I told her that I wanted a kind of cool-toned, brightened lilac colour, something that was lighter, less pink, and less bright than their Violet High Pigment Pencil or MAC's Up The Amp, but definitely not in the pastel category. She originally mixed a kind of pink-mauve shade, and I wanted it darker and more purple. So she mixed in some more blue and a bit more red. It was a touch too dark and too pink, so she mixed in a bit more white and a touch more blue. When I tried on that final third shade, I knew that was it: she nailed my perfect colour. For reference, my shade is lighter, cooler, and less pink than Bite Beauty's Violet and MAC's Up The Amp; lighter, brighter, and more pinked than NARS' Dominique; warmer and less blue than Lime Crime's Airborne Unicorn; and darker and more pink than Colour Pops' Brills. 

When she asked what finish I wanted, I asked for a creamy matte, so it doesn't make the lips look dry or chalky but is more matte than satin. Luckily for me, that's really the only kind of matte they make. We then moved on to flavour/scent, which I knew I wanted. ("Scentless" basically means "plastic" in my books, and that's a big no-no for me.) They have six different flavours to choose from, all natural food grade (as you can expect from Bite Beauty); you can choose one or any combination of the six. I decided to choose equal parts citrus mango and vanilla, resulting in a lightly sweet Creamsicle flavour. She put the correct amounts of several different colour blocks to create my shade, as well as the scent/flavour oils I chose into a container, and then put that into a machine that heats and blends all the ingredients together. About two minutes later, the concoction was ready to be poured into a lipstick mould. 

While the mould set, she asked which tube I'd like for my lipstick. There are four tubes to choose from, and they are all designed to look like how people wear down their lipsticks: one is slanted on one side, one is slanted on two sides, one has a minor curve, and one has a steep curve. I chose the one with a minor curve, since that's the way I wear down my own lipsticks. Finally, the mould was set, and she inserted it into the tube. We waited for another couple minutes before she put the cap on, and voilà, my very own custom lipstick! The price for this whole endeavour? A mere $36. I had a most amazing experience at Bite Beauty Lip Lab and I will definitely visit again next time I'm in NYC (I was tempted to make another appointment on the trip, but alas, our days were numbered and our time was limited). I whole-heartedly recommend a visit to Bite Beauty Lip Lab to anyone and everyone who loves lipstick. 

Bite Beauty Lip Lab 174 Prince Street New York, NY 10012 (646) 484-6111

NYC — Winter 2015: Don Antonio

I had a few restaurants in mind to go after watching The Book of Mormon (which was excellent, by the way, and totally exceeded my expectations — then again, it's the winner of 9 Tony Awards and a single ticket could've bought me many pretty things at Sephora). I knew we'd be in the Theatre District, so I had looked up some "Best of" lists to see what was good to eat around there. We originally wanted to go to Ippudo Westside (the second Ippudo location since their original one, with two-hour line-ups, proved much too busy to be housed in a single space) for their highly-acclaimed ramen, but when we got there around 10:00, it was a packed house with an hour wait for a table. I mean, I love my noodles, but I'm not that desperate for 'em, especially since we have so many great options in Toronto. So, for our last meal on this trip, we decided to have something that is quintessentially New York: pizza. Also to make up for the shitty pizza we had at OTTO the day prior. Hence, we walked over to Don Antonio.

Margherita
What Don Antonio specializes in is Neapolitan pizza, which is my favourite type of pizza, and for all intents and purposes, is what I refer to as New York pizza, even though there are subtle differences between the two (you can read about the differences in pizza styles here). We ordered two different pies to share: the classic Margherita, and the more eccentric Pizza del Re. There is one main thing that makes the pizza here sing, and that is the crust. It has a nice crisp exterior with visible charred spots (almost like a leopard), but the interior is moist, almost fluffy, with a good chew and lots of flavour. There might be no such thing as the perfect pizza crust, but the one at Don Antonio is damn close. The mozzarella is incredibly fresh and homemade, and the toppings are generous and evenly distributed. The Margherita here is a must-have by any and all pizza lovers; you just can't go wrong with this classic. Along with the perfect crust and delectable cheese, the tomato sauce is fresh and lightly sweet and doesn't overwhelm any of the other flavours. 
Pizza del Re
The Pizza del Re actually has a combination of toppings that I've never had before: truffle cream, homemade mozzarella, mushrooms, prosciutto di parma, and basil. The mushrooms are the real star in this particular pie; they are cooked perfectly so that they are both crisp and plush, and there is an abundance of it, layered just underneath all that fresh mozzarella. The smoky-salty flavour of the prosciutto works beautifully with the earthiness of the mushrooms, and the truffle cream is just a genius replacement for tomato sauce in a pizza (it's controversial, but I actually prefer non-tomato sauce pizzas, so this was perfect to me). Both pies were fantastic, and it was the perfect New York meal before heading home. (And yes, it more than made up for the extremely disappointing pizzas we had at OTTO.) Don Antonio has over 40 varieties of Neapolitan pies and is lauded as the best pizza in Midtown and one of the best in Manhattan as a whole; a must-visit if you're in the area or just looking for some damn good pizza in New York.

Don Antonio 309 W 50th Street New York, NY 10019 (646) 719-1043

NYC — Winter 2015: Doughnut Plant

Not being really hungry after our lunch at The NoMad, but knowing that we wouldn't be having dinner until after watching The Book of Mormon that night, Austin and I decided to get a snack at Doughnut Plant. I have wanted to check this place out for several years, but never seemed to get a chance to (I usually go to NYC with my mom, and it was just never on our agenda), so I made sure to stop by on this trip since Austin is a doughnut lover. There are multiple places that sell Doughnut Plant's offerings, but we wanted to go to a freestanding store to have the most options available, so we made our way to their Chelsea location.

Clockwise from left: Peanut Butter & Raspberry Jam Doughnut, Chocolate Hazelnut Doughseed, and Crème Brûlée Doughseed
They offer many varieties, but not being a huge fan of cake doughnuts, we focused solely on their yeast ones. We decided to get a square-filled one and two smaller filled doughnuts charmingly called "doughseeds" (they are bigger than typical doughnut holes or Timbits to my fellow Canadians, but smaller than a regular doughnut). It was a difficult decision because when you're in the shop and the smell of sugary baked treats is wafting around you, you kinda want everything. Ultimately, we decided on the peanut butter and raspberry jam filled square doughnut, a pillowy yeast doughnut filled with their housemade raspberry jelly, glazed with salty-sweet peanut butter and topped with a flurry of peanuts; a chocolate hazelnut doughseed, a mini chocolate hazelnut-filled yeast doughnut glazed and topped with hazelnuts that's perfect for any and all Nutella fiends; and their signature crème brûlée doughseed, a plush mini vanilla custard-filled yeast doughnut with a crunchy caramelized sugar glaze that is their most popular doughnut for a reason. All of them are delectable — soft with a nice chew, the perfect amount of filling in each bite, and just the right amount of sweetness; you can't go wrong with any of these. If you're a doughnut lover and find yourself in NYC, this is a must-visit.

Doughnut Plant 220 W 23rd Street New York, NY 10011 (212) 505-3700

NYC — Winter 2015: The NoMad

What a lot of people don't realize when visiting NYC is that a lot of upscale restaurants offer prix-fixe lunch menus at a set value price that is significantly lower than their dinner menus. This is mostly to boost their lunch-time business, of course, but it doesn't mean the quality is any less, or the dishes any less exquisite. One such example is our lunch on Wednesday afternoon at The NoMad, a restaurant that is run by the same duo who run Eleven Madison Park (a very popular, much-lauded fine-dining restaurant that offers "upscale American tasting menus") in a slightly more accessible, less formal environment located inside The NoMad Hotel. I have wanted to try this place for quite some time (since I saw this review in The New York Times a couple years ago), so when we were choosing where to make reservations on this trip, The NoMad was the first on my list.

Focaccia bread
In lieu of amuse-bouches or a bread basket, The NoMad offers a warm focaccia loaf laced with potato, onion, and rosemary, still steaming when you pull it apart. The crust is crisp and delicate, with softened butter melted right into the bread, and big enough to be considered a course on its own. This is not bread that you ignore on a side plate; this is bread as an event, and every morsel should be devoured. You will see that no one at any given table leaves any piece of this bread behind.
Gingered-Ale and The Cease and Desist
The NoMad is also known for their cocktail program; they have won multiple awards and are consistently named in Best Bar lists. That having been said, I don't drink, and it was also 1:00 in the afternoon. Enter soft cocktails. Yes, The NoMad has four non-alcoholic cocktails that are imagined and crafted in the same fashion as their alcoholic counterparts; that is, with care and creativity. We chose the Gingered-Ale, made with ginger, lime, demerara sugar, and sparkling mineral water; and The Cease and Desist, a concoction made with orange juice, cream, and orange blossom water. The Gingered-Ale is like a silky, sophisticated version of a ginger ale, with a hint of tartness from the lime, and a spicy kick from using real ginger. Aside from being tasty, it's actually great for digestion, too. The Cease and Desist is like a grown-up version of an Orange Julius, though less vanilla-based and with a more fragrant after-taste; I would recommend this more as a post-meal drink, perhaps in lieu of a dessert if you're too full. Both were excellent, though, so if you're like me and don't drink alcohol (or you're not in the mood to drink in the middle of the day) but want something more interesting than pop or water, The NoMad's soft cocktails are definitely worth trying.
Tête de Cochon
Started just this past December, The NoMad now offers two courses for $29 for lunch, which is an excellent deal by any New York standard, especially at an upscale restaurant. Your choice of one appetizer, and one main. Obviously, as a charcuterie lover, I had to get the tête de cochon. The terrine is served with frisée salad, pickled vegetables, and pommery mustard with a side of buttered grilled rye bread, beautifully presented on thick wooden planks. The terrine is firm, flavourful, and smooth; cut a piece, place atop a piece of toast, smear a dab of mustard, and you've got a perfect marriage of flavours and textures. I always love the pickled vegetables that are served with terrines, too; the onions were my favourite here, and provide such a nice contrast to the salty, smoky flavours of the terrine. 
Chicken Burger
For my main, I decided on the chicken burger. And no ordinary chicken burger, mind you, because it's The NoMad. Mixed with black truffle pâté, topped with foie gras spread, black truffle mayonnaise, Gruyère, and frisée in between a toasted brioche bun infused with lemon zest, Gruyère, and even more chopped black truffles. It's served with gorgeous thin-cut fries and addictive crispy fried parsley. Could we get any more indulgent at lunch? The meat is soft and tender and perfectly cooked, and the mayo adds just the right amount of creaminess — adding other condiments to it would be blasphemy. It's rich and decadent, but is just the perfect size so that you never feel like it's too much. I would have expected no less from celebrated three Michelin star chef Daniel Humm. Service is outstanding, of course — polite, friendly, and attentive; the restaurant itself tries to evoke Belle Époque decadence, with rich colours and fabrics, dark panelled walls, brocade prints and gilded mirrors. Everything about The NoMad screams luxury, and yet it's not pretentious. I had an amazing experience and would definitely come back again — I still have to indulge in their famed whole-roasted chicken for two. But for those who want upscale on a budget, you can't really beat The NoMad's $29 lunch service.

The NoMad 1170 Broadway New York, NY 10001 (347) 472-5660

NYC — Winter 2015: OTTO Enoteca Pizzeria

As we were still full of cupcakes for most of Tuesday evening, we didn't go out for dinner until 10:00. I decided it was a good opportunity to check out OTTO in Greenwich Village, which was on our restaurant list. I read great things about Mario Batali's "upscale pizzeria," and having had great experiences at both Babbo and Eataly (two other Batali operations), I thought it'd be the perfect place to try out casual, authentic Italian food at reasonable prices (it's an average of about $12 per dish).

Caprese salad
To start, we decided to share a Caprese salad. So, what is that baby poop-looking stuff you see in that photo above? Apparently, it's OTTO's "winter version" of a Caprese salad. We were so baffled by its appearance that we actually flagged down our server to tell him that they gave us the wrong dish. But he explained to us that it's what they serve in the winter, when there's typically "no fresh tomatoes or basil." Ummm, what? I think every other Italian restaurant in the city can get fresh ingredients for a goddamn Caprese salad, even this time of year. Basically, this version is pesto over a bed of canned tomatoes with a big slice of buffalo mozzarella embedded in it, and a sprinkling of pine nuts. Aside from the mozzarella, which was actually fresh and tasty, this "salad" was a serious flop and a major cop-out. We expected a fresh and simple salad of sliced tomatoes, basil leaves, and mozzarella, but were presented instead with this monstrosity. $9 for fresh Caprese salad is a good deal. $9 for this shit is highway robbery.
Potato, Anchovy, and Ricotta Pizza
Quattro Formaggi Pizza
After that salad disaster, we were looking forward to our pizzas. I mean, if you're going to get one thing at a pizzeria, it's pizza. So we decided on one that sounded more "eccentric," and one that was more classic. Thus, the potato, anchovy, and ricotta pizza. The crust was decent — thin and on the crispy side — but the flavours just didn't work well together. Separately, they're great, but potato and ricotta are extremely mild flavours to begin with, and so the pizza relied too heavily on the anchovy, making the pizza as a whole taste like pure salty fish. It was seriously hard for us to finish the whole thing; I think we both left a whole slice uneaten. The four cheese pizza was much, much better in terms of flavour: mozzarella, taleggio, cacio, and ricotta over tomato sauce. I mean, it's pretty hard to fuck up a cheese pizza. I will say, however, that there wasn't enough cheese overall (I know a lot of Italian pizzas don't have the amount of cheese as, say, American pizzas, but look how stingy they were!), and it wasn't evenly distributed. You see up there, how there's a full slice with barely anything but tomato sauce on it? Like, how hard is it to place cheese evenly? 
Pistachio Tartufo
We were already quite disappointed with the dinner, so we were hoping dessert would make up for it. We decided to share two items: the pistachio tartufo, and the olive oil coppetta. The tartufo here isn't quite a traditional tartufo, but it's still incredibly satisfying as a dessert. The pistachio gelato could have had more of a nutty flavour, but it was rich and creamy, sitting atop a bed of chocolate brownie-like pieces with a dark chocolate shell surrounding it, and topped with a flurry of crushed pistachios. On the side is a sour cherry sauce which we had initially overlooked, but actually ended up being the ultimate binding ingredient. The tartness of the cherries amps up both the dark chocolate and pistachio flavours. Without the cherries, the tartufo is good, but add the fruit, and it's great.
Olive Oil Coppetta
The winner of the night, however, was by far the olive oil coppetta. OTTO has become known for their olive oil gelato, and the coppetta includes their infamous gelato with tangerine sorbetto, pignoli rosemary brittle, lime curd, blood oranges, and kumquats (these change seasonally). Five intense flavours all harmonized by their lightly sweet, addictively mellow olive oil gelato. If there is one thing to get at OTTO, it's this. It almost redeemed the pseudo-salad. Almost. Service was polite enough and efficient (though it was nearly midnight by the time we left and only two other tables there), and ambience is romantic and cozy (it's described as "Italian train station decor"), but overall, it's nothing to write home about. I'm seriously wondering if there's a secret to ordering food here because, olive oil coppetta aside, it was really quite disappointing. Either way, if you're interested in dining at Mario Batali's restaurants, I would skip OTTO, and do Babbo for upscale or Eataly for casual instead. 

OTTO Enoteca Pizzeria 1 5th Avenue New York, NY 10003 (212) 995-9559