New York City Archives - Page 13 of 16 - My Healthy, Happier Life

Happy Monday friends!

As promised, I want to share the rest of our celebratory weekend with you. After a relaxing and productive Saturday, the rest of the weekend was filled with two delicious meals, lots of dancing, and an unhealthy amount of alcohol. :) I mean, living in New York City is all about moderation, right?

Our cab ride quickly took us to the night’s dinner location, Valbella. We chose Val Bella on a whim, Saturday afternoon, after Lavo refused to expand our reservation from 4 people to 5 to accommodate our friend Michael. Luckily, Zagat and Open Table came to our rescue and suggested this when we searched for restaurants in the Meat Packing district so we’d be close to the evening’s next stop.

Upon arriving, the service was the first thing which stood out. They quickly escorted us over to meet our friend Michael who was already at the bar, waiting for the birthday girl with a rose and chocolate. Proof, that chivalry still lives strong!

The restaurant’s spiral staircase in the middle of the curved bar really adds to the atmosphere. The restaurant had a great deal of style ranging from the hardwood and white walls to the simple arches.

Luckily, we received a wonderful table on the side wall of the restaurant, positioned perfectly in the center which allowed for wonderful people watching.

Throughout our experience, the service is what stood out more than anything. They happily charged Meg’s phone in the coat check when she noticed it was dead, they made her feel like a princess the entire dinner, and they even provided a used Pellegrino bottle to serve as a vase during our meal for Meg’s yellow rose.

The restaurant was the place for birthday celebrations Saturday night as there were four people who celebrated while we were there. This is our table neighbor, smiling with his birthday soufle and the birthday girl!

How do I begin to describe the wonderful food we enjoyed. Each dish was better than the last and luckily we were a friendly group, everyone open to sharing bites of our dishes.

Our stand out dishes of the evening included a mix of specials and regular menu items.

An appetizer special that night, a rare mozzarella, flown in from Italy 2 times per week, served with arugula, roasted artichoke, and prosciutto.

Medaglioni Di Aragosta Con Brie baked brie cheese crusted with spanish almonds, topped with lobster medallions and served in a grand marnier sauce

The best dish of the night, hands down, was a scallop dish with a delicious pistachio reduction.

The boys enjoyed their special filet, a rare bone in filet grilled to perfection!

Last but not least, what birthday celebration would be complete without a candle and a wish.

Luckily, the rest of our evening included dancing the delicious calories away at Marquee! We saw a special on Gilt last week, and new it was a perfect way to celebrate the birthday.

$210 special for VIP Bottle Service at Marquee including table for four people, 1 bottle of vodka with mixers, and hours of dancing.

Even better, they let our fifth person, the birthday girl, in free! We spent four hours dancing the night away in the packed club, enjoying more than one vodka cocktail, and catching up on all the newest club fashions, dance moves, and music. I had so much fun, that I actually frowned and said I wish we didn’t have to leave when they turned the lights on at 4am.

Such a wonderful way to ring in the big birthday with the best sister-in-law a girl could ever have!

Question: What is your favorite way to celebrate a birthday? Intimate dinner? Party with friends? Club?

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Living in New York has it’s highs and lows. It is definitely a high stress environment that can get the best of you if you let it. But, it’s also an amazing city with lots of fun events and activities. In fact, one of my goals for this year has been to take advantage of as many activities as possible, including weeknight events. This time last year I rarely left the office before 8pm and went straight home, exhausted from the day.

This year, I’m working more efficiently while at work and I’m practicing a healthy work life balance. I left work at 6:15 in order to meet Theodora, Grace, and Meg, Bo’s little sister, for a special event at Florence Gould Hall.

More than 300 women and men came together to hear Tory Burch talk about her time in the industry as part of the French Institute’s Fashion Talks.

I honestly have a girl crush after tonight’s event. Tory was poised, family focused, inspiring, and is very self aware.

(Thanks Theodora for this crystal clear picture!)

While the event only lasted 45 minutes, her insights and comments have left me thinking far longer. Here are a few of the highlights from tonight:

Tory had no fashion background in college
She has built her brand from the ground up in 7 short years
Her mother, Reva, was the original inspiration behind her lifestyle brand
Her goal was to answer an unmet need for quality fashion at an affordable price
“If you find something you’re passionate about, that’s a great thing.”
“I get to be a business person but also be creative”
Her original 5 year plan was to have 5 strong stores. She had 45 by the end of the 5 years and will have 60 by the end of this year.
Her flagship store opened during Fashion Week in 2004 and sold $100,000 during the first day alone.
She attributes her success to her time management skills
They look at the web as their largest store and know this is where they make their first impression to the consumers.
This September, Tory Burch will have it’s first fashion show. Up until September 2011, they’ve always had presentations due to cost constraints.
She was a tomboy growing up in Philadelphia suburbs, but her first fashion memory is her YSL prom dress and her parents’ impeccable style.
She chose her logo from a list of 250 options a design firm provided her after she requested they build a logo around her initial, T.
She is very focused on her family of three sons, three daughter in laws, and her husband. (See video here where she addresses phones during dinner.) Tory Burch at Fashion Talks

She understands the importance of social media; and has even used Twitter to pitch product ideas to loyal consumers. Their first great success from Twitter was the Tory Travel Socks.
Her #1 fashion necessity which every woman should own is a classic trench to “cover it all up.” I’m not sure why she’d want to cover her gorgeous clothes but it doesn’t stop me from lusting over her Quincy trench!

Question: What would you ask Tory Burch if you had the opportunity?

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I think Theodora says it best in her post today, but she’s right, I really do love the internet. Most of my friends in New York City were originally met through the blog or a blogger meet up. In two weeks, Bo and I are spending three days in Vermont for a long weekend with 15 other friends, 9 of whom we originally met through the blog. It really is an amazing way to make connections which can sometime evolve into deeper friendships.

This morning I spent an hour catching up with these lovely ladies (Theodora and Emily) while completing the first half of long run #4. Central Park’s path was still a bit slushy and the hills were tedious, but the company made it all worth it, including the early start which was even more difficult due to last night’s spontaneous plans.

After a long week of stress, Bo surprised me with a dinner date last night. He took the initiative, found a restaurant, and made reservations for the two of us which was the sweetest gesture. I’m so glad I was able to get excited about the evening. At first, I told my friends at work that it wasn’t the best idea since the restaurant he chose is known for their drinks which wasn’t a perfect match due to my early morning running date. Luckily, my friends quickly knocked some sense into me and we enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the Hurricane Club.

The restaurant’s decor immediately transports you to the South Pacific upon entering through a huge wooden door. Through palm frawns, contrasting wood, and beautiful floral arrangements, the space quickly made us forget the cold New York City weather outside. We arrived a few minutes before our reservation which gave us time to enjoy their bar area. In fact, I think the bar is their waiting area as they directed everyone in the same direction upon arriving.

Unfortunately the bar area was too crowded to snap a picture of our cocktails but Bo enjoyed a dark and stormy while I sipped on a Corona Light. It was the perfect way to toast a Friday night. I want to return to the Hurricane Club just to enjoy some of their liquor based drinks as each of them looked amazing! Just check out the drink menu below. While it looks like something you’d find in a Florida tourist trap, it features everything from drinks served in hallowed coconuts, adult Jell-o shots, and tropical beers.

By the time we were seated we were both famished but happy to be in the main dining room versus a bar area two top. The main dining room was decorated with mirrors, tropical flowers, and dark leather, reminiscent of something you’d see on a cruise ship.

The menu was absolutely gorgeous and every item sounded more delicious than the last.

We had read in reviews that Chef Koketsu wants to allow New Yorkers to enjoy his take on Polynesian cuisine and the menu reflected that perfectly. Each pupu (appetizer in Hawaiian), wrap, salad, and entree took the Polynesian theme on a fresh trip, bringing back a delicious bite of textures and flavors.

We chose quickly, due to our hunger levels. Luckily, in our haste, we chose well!

We ordered 1 item from the pupu platter section, Peking Duck sandwiches for Bo. They were rich, crisp warm sandwiches. I chose the flowering shrimp wraps from the summer wrap section and was thoroughly impressed. These could have easily come out looking and tasting like a P.F Chang wrap but instead they were deconstructed and the shrimp, or prawns, were huge and fresh!

We shared our main course, the 20 oz miso glazed lobster tail. I was shocked when they set it in front of us due to the sheer size. Cooked shell-on and then finished with a sweet mizo glaze, it looked delicious. Needless to say, a few bites later we were thankful we took our waiter’s advice when we ordered. This was cooked perfectly and some of the best lobster I’ve ever enjoyed!

Next time you’re looking for a place to escape the hustle of New York City, grab a group of friends and enjoy a fun dinner at The Hurricane Club. Warning, if you go any later than 9pm you want to dress for the occasion. When we entered at 8pm my jeans and sweater were perfectly acceptable attire. When we left the bar and lounge were definitely a scene!

The Hurricane Club

Location: 360 Park Avenue South (Flatiron District)

Price Range: Most main dishes under $40 (large portions)

Last but not least, congratulations #34:

liane Says:
28. January 2011 at 11:56 AM e

I love Jo Malone I have a few different of her fragrances and I mix and match and layer them!

Please email me your mailing address (healthyhappierbear at gmail dot com) and I will send your new DDF Revolve 400x your way!

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Ain’t No Party Like a Diamond Party: Part 2

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An Evening with Tory Burch

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Long Run #4 and The Hurricane Club

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