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Hibiscus Margaritas and Chocolate (mole) Duck

Given our adventurous nature and love of food, returning to the same restaurant for dinner can only mean two things: its great and we’re starting to become NYC residents. Our first experience returning to a spot for dinner was on Thursday night when we frequented Papatzul for the second time in one month! Located in SoHo, this gem is a great value for any person or group who desires an evening with great atmosphere, drinks (the margaritas made with hibiscus and the sangria come highly recommended), and authentic mexican food without breaking the bank. This week we decided to share two appetizers and one entree which was the perfect amount when you also indulge in their amazing chips and guacamole. Our two favorite entrees are the duck enchiladas with mole sauce and the seafood enchiladas (see photo). The only negative thing we can say about this restaurant is that we feel for the poor soul each night who has the task of being the ONLY waiter/waitress in the establishment. Yes, you heard us right! There is one waiter and one bus boy working the whole restaurant which results in some drink orders taking longer than one would desire. That just means you should order a pitcher! 🙂

Our Review: Definitely a bear
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Vintage Technology

So, the bears started their wonderful three day weekend on Thursday night at Columbus Circle. The book signing at Borders was a wonderful experience (different topic all together) but relevant to our topic, the weekend started at Clo Wine Bar on the fourth floor of the Time Warner Center. The draw here is that the entire bar is a projection touch-screen menu with which one may scroll through the offerings and learn about each of the wines. The patron then uses a “Clo Card” (our term, not theirs) which is essentially a credit card that may be used to purchase a four ounce pour of any wine. The wines are displayed around the perimeter of the bar in glass refrigerators (see picture above) and each one has an automatic dispenser. Although this is an innovative approach to wine tasting and is certainly a place to be seen given the the location right next to Per Se, we found the bottle to be more impressive than the wine. The bar was too small, the staff wasn’t particularly friendly and hors dourves selection was extremely limited and disappointing (think 2 ounces of cheese for $20).

The Bears give it a: Salmon

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Physique 57 for the non-New Yorker

Good afternoon!

I’m so glad to be back in Manhattan! Last night, the fiance and I got met each other at Physique 57 after my class and walked home together. It was great just catching up, chatting, and holding hands like teenagers as we walked through the streets of Soho and Tribecca. It’s amazing how quickly i’m becoming acquainted with the area since i’ve started walking more. A few weeks ago I made a pact that as long as it was safe, i’d walk everywhere whenever possible instead of hopping in a cab or even the subway. I’ve fallen in love with Google Maps walking option and will frequently map my walks before I leave. This week i’ve walked to Physique 57 two times (1.5 miles each way), Tribeca Whole Foods 2x (.5 mile each way), and tonight i’ll walk up to Columbus Circle for a book signing with Kate Jacobs who wrote Friday Night Knitting Club, Comfort Food, and Knit 2. I highly recommend her books if you haven’t read them yet. Her character development is wonderful and the first book takes place in NYC! I’m actually going to another book event next week at the same Borders. Missy and I are going to catch the famous Lisa of Hungry Girl next Tuesday night. I’d LOOVVEE some samples and i’m excited about the new book. While I don’t agree with everything they recommend some of their substitutions are great like Shirataki noodles, Fiber One, etc.

But, back to last night, we came home and cooked dinner together (salmon, roasted veggies, and huge salads) and relaxed. But, then the night turned for the worse as I had to stay up an extra hour doing last minute preparation work for my customer call today in Harrisburg. Needless to say it’s already been a long day as I was in my car by 5:30am and just got back to NYC. For the first time in ages I packed all my food with me today and it worked perfectly! I microwaved the oatmeal ahead of time and put the bananas on it before sealing it for the ride. In addition I packed an apple and celery sticks w/almond butter for snacks. Prepping all my food at the beginning of the week made packing lunch a sinch: open Rubbermaid, insert chicken breast, top with 1/2 c rice, top with veggies and some seasonings. I ate all of this during the drive to and from Harrisburg! It’s amazing how much shorter the ride seems when you don’t have to stop for coffee, breakfast, lunch, snacks, etc. I spent time during the drive thinking of ideas for the blog and quickly realized that if I want to attract new readers beyond the few awesome NYC gals I need to give everyone something they can use. So, today I present to you…(in collaboration with YouTube)

Part 1: The PHYSIQUE 57 WORKOUT for the NON-NEW YORKER

For today’s first installment you will need nothing other than your body and a yoga mat or carpeted area. This segment focuses on your abs and legs. I highly recommend watching the segment once through before you attempt it. Also, during last night’s class I was given some great critiques that i’ll pass on to you, my readers.
1)Whenever doing ab exercises you MUST continue to breathe. If you are holding your breath you are pushing your abs out which will result in firm abs that protrude versus flatter abs. The instructor said that breathing during ab exercises insures that you are using the abs evenly.
2) During any exercise that engages your core focus on bringing your belly button in to your backbone versus “sucking it in”. This will work more muscles.

Saddlebags Workout

Famous Thigh Dancing

The Rockette

Get your hand weights ready because tomorrow’s post will focus on the arms! 🙂

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