June Restaurant Round-Up

Jul12012

                              

  

Brad and I go out on a date night every Wednesday. We have a standing babysitter so we plan these dinners out way in advance and love to try the latest and greatest on the NYC scene. Here’s some of the places we went to in June…

Torrisi

Amazing. Ranked one of the best new restaurants by NY Mag for 2012. You choose between either a 7 or 20 course price fix menu. We went with the 7, but I totally could have done the 20! You start off with a bunch of antipasti type dishes, then move into the main and a small dessert (we actually ordered an additional dessert and then stopped by Rice to Riches on the way home since we were in the neighborhood – pigs!). Oh, and Oprah, Gayle, and Diane Sawyer sat at the table next to us. We have one lousy picture that Brad took while trying to be inconspicuous. This is a very small restaurant and reservations can be tricky, so call early!

Bar Boulud  (brunch)

This place is right around the corner from us and we seriously go there once a month. This time we took the kids after church for brunch and sat outside. This is a great place for outdoor seating since it’s pretty spacious and you are far away from the traffic. If you have an event at Lincoln Center this would be the perfect place to go before/after. Your typical french fare, but I especially love the steak and fries. Insider tip – if you can’t get a reservation, they have a long bar that’s for walk-ins and is totally comfortable to sit at.

Not our first (or last!) time at this spot. Marcus Samuelsson’s unique take on comfort food in the heart of Harlem. It’s worth trekking up there for the people watching alone! All the dishes we’ve had from here have been stellar, but you must get the cornbread. We actually order an extra portion just to take home for leftovers. If you can’t get a table (and reservations are hard to come by), the outside seating is a great walk-in option and provides even better people watching. Be sure to try the sweet potato doughnuts for dessert as well.

An upper westside gem. Great seasonal menu with really fresh and inventive dishes. Intimate atmosphere and really friendly staff. Nothing pretentious about this place, just consistently great food. I always get a fish dish for my main course and usually get the dessert special, which was a peach and blackberry clafoutis this time – delicious.

Beauty & Essex (brunch)

Yet another place we have frequented a handful of times. Great for a fun night out with friends. The scene is second to none in the city and the food is really exceptional given how cool this place is. Inside tip – yes, the weird looking storefront is the entrance. You just walk through it and into the door in the back. Not sure if they actually sell anything there, but it definitely threw me off the first time I went (we actually followed up that night by trying to get into a cab that was part of a movie scene – what a tricky city this is!).

I took Brad here for Father’s Day brunch thinking that a babysitter and adult beverages were exactly what he needed. I’ve always loved the food here for dinner and brunch was more of the same. Inventive bites meant to share. Everything is very flavorful. Even the cocktails were unique and packed a bunch. Must try the beignets and the fried chicken biscuit bites. The lobster tacos and spiced fries (they taste like bbq chips) are also great for either day or night.

Ditch Plains (brunch)

Done by the same people as Landmac (where we go or order from almost weekly). There’s nothing revolutionary about this place, but I mention it for all the parents out there. The UWS locations has TVs in each booth. Oh yes. It’s the best form of babysitting there is. Although I have seen strollers at even the most expensive restaurants in nyc, it’s always nice to be able to eat with both a fork and knife while the kids are entertained. And the food is actually really good. A diverse menu so everyone is happy.

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· Filed Under: Restaurant Reviews ·

Rylan 3 Month Summary

Jun62012

 Time seems to be flying by since Rylan was born. Life with a newborn can be chaotic, but throw a toddler into the mix and it seems like every minute is filled with some kind of craziness. In an effort to remember these times that are so easily forgotten (what with the lack of sleep and insane amount of effort it sometimes takes to make it through an hour let alone a day!), I’ve decided to do periodic updates on the kids. 

Rylan turns 3 months today. Sometimes I feel like we just had him, but most of the time I can’t even remember what our lives were like before he arrived. He’s the perfect little addition to our family. He’s generally a very happy baby, especially in the mornings. He will wake-up all smiles, regardless of the kind of night he’s had. This has given us a bit of reassurance as we recently sleep trained him. Letting him cry was really difficult, but seeing his bright happy face in the morning let us know that all was forgiven and forgotten. Though usually not for long, this kid can really scream when he wants something. He reaches octaves we never heard with Brandon. The fact that he calms right down the minute he gets what he wants and pastes a big smug grin on his face has Brad and I a little nervous about his manipulation skills. Lord help us in the teenage years!

In the past few weeks he has started grasping small items, like a rattle and has also rolled over from tummy to back a few times. He’s moving around so much in his crib that we actually had to put bumpers on to keep him from hitting his head! He loves to watch Brandon, but he especially likes the tv – ugh! I don’t let him watch it but for the 30 minutes that Brandon watches Elmo or Special Agent Oso. Rylan actually had a long “conversation” with the Oso stuffed animal the other day. It was very cute.

Here’s a typical rundown of his day:

7am – wake-up and bottle of BM, get dressed and hang with mom as she finishes dishes/laundry
7:30 – sit in bouncy chair as we get Brandon up, fed and dressed
8:30 – out for a walk or trip to the park in the bjorn or stroller – will sleep the whole time
11 – bottle and tummy time, look at the mobile in the crib while mom showers
12:30-3 – nap at some point and play time with mommy
3 – bottle and play with Brandon once he’s up
4:30 – nap
6 – sit in bouncy chair at table while the family eats dinner
6:40 – bath
7 – bottle
7:30/8 – bedtime!

* Last week was the first time he went all night without a bottle. He would wake-up 1 or 2 times in the night and cry for a few minutes for a few nights, but now he’s sleeping solid for at least 10 hours. If he wakes before 7, we will turn on the mobile and let him chill in the crib while we finish getting ready.

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· Filed Under: Baby Summaries ·

Hello world!

Jun52012

Hi, I’m Ashley! I have two fabulous little boys (Brandon – 2 yrs & Rylan – 4 months), an amazing husband and one adorable-but-noisy dog, all in NYC. Everyday is something new – whether we are playing, cooking, out for a run or trying a new restaurant, life as a mommy is never boring!

Back in my pre-mommy years, I blogged over at Culinary Wannabe. I will periodically be moving over some of my favorite recipes so that you can enjoy them here.

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· Filed Under: Our Family ·
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