The one with Death & Co.

Tonight, I was taken to a bar with one of the most consistently authentic & intensive atmospheres which I've ever seen. Death & Co. in the East Village is a destination to be experienced!

Death & Co. does not take reservations. When they open at 6pm, a sharply dressed doorman will walk out & take parties on a 1st come 1st served basis. If they do not have accommodation for you, he will take your name & mobile number, & call you once a table is open. Once you enter the assuming & dark door you're transported into another era. This is an atmosphere which is controlled & intense. There are no windows within, deep mahogany ceilings reflect from the mirrors behind the bar. The entire place is steeped in shadows as lighting is low with only one small oil candle on each table & 3 small chandeliers over secluded table spaces. The seating is likewise low & all gives to an air of seclusion & mystery. The Bartenders wear 3 piece suits or suspenders over a sharp button-down & tie while the waitresses all wear black dresses, black stockings, their hair pulled back with daring red lipstick donned.    

Jazz & folk music play with the sounds of Ratata & Goyte softly lingering in the air to the same decibel of the shakers which the Bartenders wield. Looking around I found myself forgetting exactly when or where I was, I contemplated several times whether I had been transported to a 1920's speakeasy rather than a NYC bar.

We had several drinks, but one was by far my favorite: The Joker's Wild. It was like no drink I had ever had! It's pictured above & is a combination of a dry anise-flavored liqueur (Pacharan) as well as vanilla syrup, lemon juice, & absinthe, topped with an egg-white & seltzer froth. I was skeptical, but it is addictive-ly good -- as is how simply being in Death & Co.! 

I was likewise amused by the quotes used within their menu, such as my favorite below. If there's one thing which Death & Co. is good at doing besides their drinks, it's providing a flawless experience. I can't wait to go back! 

The one where it's Summer in Chelsea

Let me begin by saying that Chelsea is one of my favorite areas of Manhattan; many people may knock it, but I will continue to showcase the blooming flowers among the thorns which is the remnants of the meat-packing district.

One such place is the Chelsea High Line: this used to be nearly 1 1/2 miles of freight railroad before it was slowly converted & opened in 2009 as an open-air walkway/park above the streets of the lower-west side.

It's an idyllic little place, almost like a secret garden. It is progressive in that traffic moves along the walk; however, along the way there are many little sitting areas, bird-houses, theater-like seating, & lounge areas which seamlessly blend together. I think the most remarkable thing, is the way in which the design allows both urban & wild to co-exist & nearly merge together. It's a wonderful spot to chill, walk, enjoy the sun, chat with friends, or just escape for a while. They even have performances along the High Line: Autumn Crossing. Regardless of your reason, I will suggest over & over that you check it out, it's a fun community of sorts.

We stopped by Chelsea Brewing Company, which is a little-known-spot which I used to adore. Sadly, the menu has changed & my favorite items (gourmet burgers & sweet potato fries) have been evicted. I was thrilled to experience their new item -- Prosciutto bread -- this ingenious bread has pieces of prosciutto baked into it, with a garlic & parsley dipping oil!! YUM! Needless to say, it's still a great spot, with brewed on the spot beer, water-front setting, & a chill atmosphere. A relaxed dinner for a warm summer evening!

Later as we took the subway uptown, we encountered the most obnoxious human in Manhattan, yea, we found him. I had the urge to pose this question "Exactly how many times in a day do you get slapped? On Average?" I truly had to remind myself to be a good person in order to refrain.

No friend afternoon would be complete without trying on ridiculous outfits together. To the left is 80's reincarnate (stay-tuned for the work-out video) & on the right is a magenta kangaroo in dress-form.

The train ride back from the city was the picture of any NJTransit advertisement. Divouring gourmet cupcakes (Chocolate fudge w/mocha icing) & drinking individual bottles of rose wine! Sure Grand Central has God's view of the heavens, but Penn Station sells cold-single-serve Wine!! Childish-Adult fun at it's best!

The one with MET-foolishness

Today I met up with one of my girlfriends & my cousin in the City to check out the MET - specifically the Alexander McQueen exhibit: Savage Beauty. I was enraptured entirely by his brilliance; though, it did have to be audibly noted while praising him, that this is the type of genius which can only occur when directly preceding an artistic demise. I can best detail the exhibit as a whole, by stating that the "Jack the Ripper stalks his victims" collection was able to capture his unraveling: it was the collected calm drive of a man who knows his fate and knows the actions he must consequently take. Atmospheric tension simply walking through tickled my imagination & lifted hairs upon my arms. Even now, late in the day, his work which I saw this morning floats about my mind.

Once we had successfully see what we had set out for, the rest of the day was for gaiety. Via pictoral dialogue we learned the following thigns to be true:

Dirty street pretzels make me inexplicably happy - always with Starbucks!

Sculptures placed on the top of the MET were put there strictly to play with!

We were clearly NOT Egyptians in a past life

This guy understands the meaning of Pain

Whether Thai, Italian, Hummus, etc. Grom is hte best ending to any meal -- Perfetto!

No matter how gorgeous the heel, you're not making it more than 2 hours in the concrete jungle.