Commitment Issues

Just as I was getting momentum back, life got in the way (again), and I find myself apologizing for lack of posts.  A summer cold, late hours at work, birthday celebrations, and lots of time spent going out on weeknights and on the weekends would lead one to think I'd have so much to write about that "daily" posts wouldn't be so hard to accomplish.

But alas, I have always been known to have commitment issues.

I'm leaving for a West Coast vacation in 12 days and can promise lots and lots of pictures to follow that adventure : )

In the meantime, know that I am alive and well (despite this cold).

Until next time,
LL

"B" for Best

finally found my way

I'll admit it.  I am a letter snob.

Thanks to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, every restaurant in the city has a big letter displayed in their window to show the world what "grade" their kitchen ranks in cleanliness.  Although the grade has no reflection on the quality or taste of the restaurant's food, it does weigh heavily on my choice to dine there or not.

I wander around the city proudly reading off "A"s from restaurants whose stellar scores impress me, and cast dirty looks while speaking in my most disgusted voice at the city's "B"s.  I can't recall any "C"s I've seen in person, but I hear they exist.  Also, "Grade Pending" is always a red flag for me.

A few months ago I posted The Burger List and named Corner Bistro as one of the burgers I wanted to try.  This Saturday, Brian and I found ourselves in the West Village and craving some meat.  To Corner Bistro we went!

Brian had dined there before and told me that he feels the great ratings and reviews and claims of being NYC's "best burger" have turned this once neighborhood-y WV staple into a bit of a tourist trap.  Considering we were the only ones speaking English in the dining room I'd say his prediction had certainly become a fact.  We both opted for the Bistro Burger - the Corner's version of a bacon cheeseburger, and 2 orders of fries.  The fries weren't bad, not great, but the burger, the burger was simply amazing.  I snuck a peek into the teeny kitchen and saw rows and rows of beef patties being broiled in an oven that looked like it's been there for decades - and never cleaned.  The burger had a true "burger" taste.  It was HUGE, and by the end, the bottom bun had disintegrated after soaking up all the juices.

At $7.50 a pop, I'd say it'd be tough to match a burger as good in quality and quantity.

With full bellies and satisfied appetites we walked back into the weekend heat to snap a few exterior pictures.  And    there    it     was, right in the window . . .

"B"


I was shocked.
I was appalled.
It was so good!  How, HOW could they have a "B"???

I'll chock it up to burger.  When a place has been named the "best" something, I'd like to assume that 110% of their efforts go toward maintaining that statement (and perhaps not the kitchen's cleanliness).

Corner Bistro most certainly has one of the BEST burgers this city has to offer.  They get an "A" in my book.

cheap drinks, hot day, happy lady

blurry, but you can def see the mountain of BACON

"BEST in NY"

Lovely

two words:  pork belly

This week's list of lovelies:

- walking through the farmer's market on the way to work this morning and smelling the fresh foods and flowers

- the gorgeous flowers that have been on my desk since Monday

- babysitting tonight and getting to see my favorite 2-year-old

- crossing everything off my To Do list (best feeling ever!)

- the weather lately (none of this 90-something-degree nonsense anymore)

- 21 days til vacation!

- getting to set-up my newly fixed iPod Touch - it's like getting it brand new all over again :)

- the awesome, green Skullcandy earbuds I scored for $8

- being eversothankful that S & S introduced me to the pork buns at momofuku

- finally getting a table (well, counter) at Peels and having fried chicken dreams every night since

- finding time to work on my blog (love love love)

If you're looking for a sweet treat this weekend, you MUST try the cereal milk soft serve with corn flakes at Milk Bar. To. Die. For.

I hope everyone had a week of their own lovelies.

Love,
little lady

Shmancy.

Restaurant Week seems like a good idea in theory.  You finally get to eat at that fancy place you've walked by a hundred times, sweaty palms pressed against the window, looking longingly at all those rich people eating caviar-this and truffle-that. 

The day arrives.  8PM reso for you and your closest friends. 

Bread basket:  Amazing.  Granted, I was famished.  I was about 30 seconds away from gnawing on the table legs.  I even said to one of my friends, "Is this one of those fancy places where you don't get bread?"
Appetizer:  Good.  Not great.
Entree:  Awful.  Had I ordered it during any week without "Restaurant" in the title I would have sent it back.  And listen, I don't send meals back.  But this was bad.  (See the episode of Next Food Network Star where Wolfgang Puck teaches Jyll to make risotto.  And I quote, "This is not a risotto.")
Dessert:  Itwasokay.

Basically, it all comes down to company.  And I have a pretty amazing group of pals in which to not enjoy my meals with : )

Other than that, I think a 3-course meal for $35 in NYC still sounds appealing, but clearly you can't expect the same quality.

City on fire.

from a rooftop in Gramercy

Spent the 4th walking the High Line, cooking-out with friends in the East Village, and watching the fireworks from the roof.  Despite the heat, it was a wonderful holiday.

Closer to 30

I'm officially closer in age to 30 than 20 now.

Being halfway through my 20's, I can say with total confidence that this decade is shaping up to be the most difficult, the most fun, the scariest, the awesomest decade in my life. I cannot wait to say the same thing about my 30's.

Here's a shot from my fave plave in NYC during my birthday. Compliments of this guy.

c/o Brian

Show off

c/o Brian

With inspiration from one of my daily reads, I helped co-host a "Sunday sauce on Saturday" party and designed this delicious cheese platter.

I used leftover cardboard from a fresh direct delivery and made the little signs with toothpicks :)

The meatballs, sausage, and red sauce were def the stars of the show, but they didn't look as pretty as my cheese did.

xo, ll

Inspiration

c/o Brian

Okay, so here's what happens.  You work a day job where you aren't creatively stimulated.   You have lots of time to think.  Somewhere along the way you start to convince yourself that you have thoughts worthy of sharing with other people via a blog on the internet.  You struggle to choose a theme for your blog.  You may pick something you like, or in my case, you wait for it to unfold on it's own.  I happen to like food.  Actually, I love food.  Going out to eat is my favorite thing to do.  I thought it might be fun to document my dining experiences in New York City.  

Here's the problem with that though:  Going out to eat in New York City is expensive.  And since I chose the name "DAILY Little Lady", I was kind of forced to write every day.  Then my boyfriend of 3 years and I broke up, and I needed to save every penny to move into a new apartment.  Daily Little Lady eats out no more.

I haven't gone "public" with my blog yet or bothered to share it with everyone because, well, there was nothing to share. 

But then something else happens.  You get promoted at your day job and convince yourself you're too busy to indulge in some silly blog.   Until you realize you like to write, you NEED a creative outlet, and it doesn't need to have one theme or central idea.  There are no rules.  I live in New York City for pete's sake and I am blessed to have some freaking fantastic and absolutely amazing people in my life here and one of those people has provided me with enough inspiration (and gentle nudging) to pick it up again.

So, I'm going to write on this blog.  About whatever the hell I want to.  And I would LOVE it if you cared to read along.  You never know, you may just make a guest appearance (with a nickname, of course).  

And no promises, but I'll probably still write about food a few times here and there...

Faithfully yours,

little lady

M.I.A.

Hello!  I apologize for my absence the past few weeks but I have been busy (stressed annoyed anxious nervous excited worried hopeful depressed) looking for a new apartment!  Details to come regarding NYC apartment hunting and all that jazz...


I last left off heading upstate for the weekend (which was lovely as always) and since I've been back in the cit-ay I've tried a couple new eateries.  Unfortunately, I've been saving all (or as many as I can) of my pennies for the big move, so that has left me very few options when it comes to dining/ drinking out.


Last night I had drinks and dinner at Hillstone.  We went right after work so there was a wait for dinner and the bar was packed.  Luckily, a spot opened up at the bar and we ended up spending the whole night right there.  Highly recommended for post-work drinks, a nice dinner, or both.  Good company helps : )


I finally got to try The Meatball Shop and was very happy.  The coworkers I ate with (and who treated me) have had every single type of ball (with or without meat) and sauce they offer and were unanimously satisfied.  Try it!


Super Bowl Sunday consisted of my all-time FAVE dip from Trader Joe's, lots of chips, and wings from Village Pourhouse.  Go Pack!


Dropped by Think Coffee off Union Square on my way home from apartment hunting in 14 degree weather the other night because I saw the word "SOUP".  Left with a massive container of sweet potato soup (for $6) and a hunk of fresh bread.  One word: yummy.  Also left realizing why I never stepped foot in there before when I've been living 3 blocks away for over a year.  One word: hipsters.


Been craving chicken pot pie lately.  Must be the cold.  And although I still say Maxwell's in Hoboken has the best chicken pot pie on the planet (I'm not joking), The Smith comes at a close 2nd.  I've been out to eat there twice in less than 2 months and gotten it both times.  Mmm.  Want.


I order from SeamlessWeb a lot when I'm too busy to leave for lunch/ too cold/ too lazy and they are offering free coffee all over Manhattan!  Caffeine!  Plus, you can win $100 if you Tweet a pic of your free joe.  Net/net = win/win.


Back to Craigslist I go, where the apartment hunt resumes.  Wish me luck.


Here's just one of the MANY gems I have come across in my search:


"I'm looking for a female roommate who will occasionally not wear clothes when I ask in exchange for free rent."
  

country mouse

I love my job.  I have the best coworkers on the planet.  This morning, someone brought me a latte from 'wichcraft.  A few hours later, someone brought me a cafe con leche from Lena.  Someone else brought me a bagel with cream cheese.  Not to mention, the agency provides Dunkin Donuts every Friday morning.  I have not eaten a donut (yet) but I did drink both coffees and eat the entire bagel.  Iambouncingoffthewalls!


This might also be because I am going upstate this afternoon to spend the weekend at my parent's and I am so excited!  As much as I adore the city, I can really appreciate the country now.  It snowed a bit more up there than it did here so I can't wait to see how beautiful my parent's farm is going to look.  My dad sent me this picture last weekend and it brought me to tears with longing...

And I get to kiss this face

See ya Monday, NYC!  I'll miss you ;) 


**Update**

This book was actually in my parent's bathroom.  Makes NYC feel 90,000 miles away.

on Broadway

So pumped to see Memphis tonight!!!


I want to give a HUGE shout out and thank you to my coworker for all his help with this blog.  It means so much to me!


Also, found a decent lunch special at Guy & Gallard today.  Half a sami and a medium soup for less than $7 - can't really beat that!


Weather is crappy again today.  Managed to make it to the movies with friends last night though.  I'm seeing the show tonight, going to Iggy's tomorrow night, then heading to my parent's for the weekend after work on Friday so it is turning into quite a full little week.  Busy, happy, lucky little lady <3

singing in the rain

Coming into work this morning after 3 days off was not an easy task. 


Wind + snow + rain + umbrellas turning inside out + ICY sidewalks + delayed trains = 100% MISERY


Not to mention, this weather brings out the stupid in people.  I'm convinced.  (As I'm watching someone pull at the locked door marked "Please use revolving door".)


I had friends over this weekend, went to the gym, watched football, made tacos, slept until noon every day, and was supposed to go to The 13th Step but decided to be a bum and stay in.  I also skipped the usual brunch at Moonstruck and opted for tea and toast at home.  (Not that I didn't WANT to bury my face in a stack of pancakes and a pile of bacon...)

via adozeneggs.com

Not sure what I'm eating for lunch today but I have a feeling it will involve something being delivered to my desk.  I've had just about enough umbrella-stabbing-dodging for one day.

I WANT

the bacon wrapped figs from Pipa but we can't get a reso until Sunday!  So bummed.  Instead I think we'll try Boqueria - which doesn't take resos for small parties but has bacon wrapped dates on their menu!  Must compare! 


Wishing you bacon-wrapped joy on this frigid Friday night :)

via redwhiteandfood.blogspot.com

*Update*
Had a great time at Boqueria but unfortunately their dates couldn't hold a candle to Pipa's figs!  However, their croquetas cremosas where out of this world.  I mean, no joke, anything that tastes that good should be illegal.  We had to wait about a half hour for a table but it was 7:30 PM on a Friday night so that was to be expected.  Well worth the wait :)

The Cuban List

Just had the most AMAZING lunch from Tina's, thanks to one of my fave coworkers who had it delivered unexpectedly for me!  The roast pork sandwich (pernil) was perfect.  I will absolutely order from there again and have been recommending it to people in the agency since I took the first heavenly bite.  Here's a couple other Cuban places worth checking out:


Agozar - tres leches, tres leches, tres leches
Havana Central - whatever you get, order a batido as well
Calle Ocho - go for brunch (unlimited sangrias), but make a reso!


And if you find yourself in Montclair, NJ, you HAVE to go to Cuban Pete's!  Be prepared to wait though unless you make a reso.  BYO wine for their sangria choices.  You will be so happy you did.  Also, I could live off of their vaca frita.  And that is not an exaggeration.

polar bear

Braving the 20-something degree temps outside to do happy hour at Stout with coworkers.  (Technically Stout doesn't offer a happy hour and it can be a bit pricey, but the sweet potato fries are to die for, the beer list is huge, there's a free coat check, and the place is 3 floors, clean, and always hoppin'.  Also, if you love chicken pot pie, like I do, you'll love theirs.  However, if you are in the bar area(s), expect to be hit on by drunks who come in after the game at MSG.)


What's your fave happy hour joint??


If you're in the Herald Square area, which happens to be near my office, I would recommend Galway Hooker for their $4 happy hour, especially since The Ginger Man is always too packed and Slattery's isn't anything special - although, the one and only time I was there we all got a free shot with our first drink - not sure if that is a regular deal or not.  I also really like Legends.  They have a happy hour special (on Tue & Wed) and the food is pretty good too.

I WANT


The Meatball Shop for lunch.  But, I'm broke.  Add it to the To Do list!

via NYDailyNews.com

mouthiswatering

Have you noticed...

...more female cabbies than usual?  You go, girl! (?)


Honestly, I don't care who's behind the wheel as long as they get me home in one piece (or at least the same number of pieces I was in prior to getting in the cab - a.k.a, I uuusually only take a cab in extreme conditions: too drunk to walk, not sober enough to stay awake on the subway, way too much of a chance I'll end up in another bar or at a pizza place or a McDonald's, heels too high, too cold, too hot, feelin' rich).  Other than that I use the ever-loving crap out of my $89 $104 unlimited metrocard.


Taking cabs in the city has become something I really enjoy (when I remember the experience), and I hope that little, baby, tiny feeling of awesomeness associated with it doesn't go away any time soon.

The Burger List

Bacon & egg cheeseburger from STAND

With inspiration from one of my fave blogs I've been searching for the best burger for quite some time now.  Here are the places I would say to try if you said, "I could really go for a burger"...


STAND - saw it on Food Network, HAD to try it, GLAD I did
Shake Shack - #1, nothing compares yet in the city
Heartland Brewery - perfect every time
Burger Creations - love love love


On the To Do list:


5 Napkin Burger
Burger Joint
BLT BURGER
Corner Bistro


Wish these would open in NYC:


Bobby's Burger Palace - hands down, best burger I have ever had
Carl's Jr. - de-lishhh


Do you have any burgers to add to the List?  Comment, comment!

a year in new york

In 3 days I will have officially lived in the city for one year (bridge and tunnel girl prior to that).  It only seems fitting that this morning I was rocking a killer hangover from drinking too much on a Tuesday night with the girls.  As we danced in the snow and sang "Smooth Criminal" down E. 19th St. all I could do was smile.  I have the most amazing people in my life.  And I have made truly incredible friends here. 


Two pitchers of white wine sangria and consuming my weight in tapas at Pipa (followed by Petron shots at The Hill) only helped to solidify my feelings about my friends and about living in this city.  I am one lucky little lady. 


Here's to another year.


Oh, and if you try Pipa, which I HIGHLY recommend, do yourself a favor and get the Piggy Back Dates.  Phenomenal.

cookie tin

Some families have cookies jars but we had a cookie tin - a round, Christmas-themed cookie tin that we used every single day for well over a decade.  My mom would come home from grocery shopping and I would immediately fill the tin with all the new cookies.  Often times, an entire container of Oreos or two whole sleeves of Chips Ahoy wouldn't fit in the tin, despite my best re-arranging efforts.  Nights when the tin was empty would result in my dad grumbling under his breath and me adding Ovaltine to my already poured glass of whole milk.  (Now the only milk you'll find in my parent's fridge is low fat and organic - not that I'm complaining.)  Sometime when I was in college, I think, the cookie tin disappeared.  Oh sure, there are always cookies in the pantry, way more and way better than when I was growing up, but they never make it from their original containers to a tin.  I have no idea what happened to that Christmas cookie tin, and I wonder if my parents would have any clue if I ever asked them.  I don't know why I found myself thinking about that tin this morning, but it gave me inspiration to start this blog.


Everyone has their own cookie tin story.  A place that they've come from.  Somewhere they miss.  I struggle every day with making a home out of NYC...  

So thanks, cookie tin.  I think I miss you.  (And I blame you for my unhealthy obsession with Christmas.)

Hi, blog. I give you the gift of life.

"There is something in the New York air that makes sleep useless. Perhaps it is that the heart beats faster here than elsewhere." - Simone de Beauvoir, from America Day by Day