Viva Fajita: Rosa Mexicano NYC Menu Preview Event

By: Wela Quan and Ethan Shen 

The first time Ethan and I went to Rosa Mexicano was over a year ago for some drinks and appetizers with friends. We went to the Union Square location -- and we loved the restaurant’s high ceilings and open atmosphere because we’re both from places with wide spaces (Texas and Alberta). The margaritas were great, the guacamole passed our litmus test, and the menu looked solid, so we already knew we’d have to return someday to relax in the comfortable surroundings with a full meal.

Eating For Good at Share our Strength’s Taste of the Nation Boston

By: Jessica Cickay  

Share our Strength’s Taste of the Nation was a true test of my willpower. It was hard, but I mustered up the strength to sample and sip the bites and brews of nearly 70 restaurants and 30 breweries and wine purveyors in an effort to help end childhood hunger across the country. It may seem odd to eat yourself silly at the event given its charitable intentions, but Taste of the Nation is one of the best and biggest in Boston, expertly showcasing some of the city’s tastiest culinary artists and raising funds for a great cause.

Levy's Cupcakes

On Location: Away We Go to Legoland Florida!

By: Anne M. Raso

We recently were lucky enough to get to visit Legoland in Winter Haven, Florida--about two hours from West Palm Beach and even less from Disney World. (Let's note here that it's just minutes from Cypress Gardens in case you want to combine two theme parks in one day.) We took Jet Blue from LaGuardia to West Palm Beach because not only do they offer the most flights out of the NYC area to West Palm, but they have many flights under $300 and give you one piece of checked luggage complimentary. The planes always seem to be newer than the other airlines and they have almost as many cable TV networks on their in-flight TVs as most folks do in their homes!

Sons Of Essex: A Lower East Side Hot Spot Worth Checking Out

By: Anne M. Raso

So many hip restaurants on Essex Street and so little time--first there were the casual restaurants and stands inside the Essex Market, then just Essex Restaurant, then Beauty & Essex. Now, Sons Of Essex is the big hotspot. The refreshing decor combines old school decor featuring antiques and immigrant style photos mixed with distressed woods and modern tables. There is dim lighting, so you might want to ask for an extra candle for your table. The crowd is young, and when I went to visit, loud rap music was blaring--we hear that the background music is of all types, though! I was probably the only person over 30 and SOE definitely attracts the beautiful and hip--who happen to appreciate good food. The best way to start off a meal there is by trying the Grand Sachem ($13), which included Grey Goose Poire, lemon peel, lemon juice, spiced sugar and cardamom syrup.

Grand Sachem

The DL: A New Lower East Side Restaurant Not to Be Kept on the Down Low

By: Anne M. Raso

There seems to be quite a few hip “modern comfort food’ eateries popping up on the Lower East Side—or rather, they have been popping up for the past three years in abundance but one of my top choices in The DL. It’s definitely not a place you’ll want to keep “on the down low” once you taste executive chef Wesley Wobles’ unique creations, including the world class mac and cheese called “Ludlow Mac.” (In case you are curious, the name actually stands for Delancey and Ludlow, where the eatery is located—but the waiters will say that secondly, it stands for “the down low”!)

The DL Burger

Hip Hip Hooray! The Second Annual Varli Food Festival in NYC

By: Anne M. Raso

After the Rica Swim Party and Cobain Photo Exhibit, I started getting a bit hungry (all that traveling around town really works up an appetite!), so thankfully the last party of the night was the delicious Varli Food Festival. I covered the Varli Food Festival right here on the "pages" of financefoodie.com last year, but this year's event seemed a bit mellower--the music was not as loud and you could actually talk to the numerous Indian chefs and restaurant owners. Much of the proceeds at the door went to various children's charities, and as usual, guests got a coupon book full of $10 and more coupons off at numerous tristate eateries, including the wonderful new high end Indian eatery Junoon that I reviewed here a few months ago.

Come as You Are: Jesse Frohman's Kurt Cobain and Nirvana Photo Exhibition Preview Party

By: Anne M. Raso

Because NYC is all about hitting multiple parties every night, the same night as the Rica Swimwear launch, I went to the press preview party at the Morrison Hotel Gallery in Soho for a wonderful series of Kurt Cobain pics collectively titled "Come As You Are" by popular music photographer Jesse Frohman. The night was actually the 18th anniversary of the Nirvana frontman's death, so it was a bittersweet night. The large photos all taken in November 1983 are pricey (most are $12,000) and several are "colorized" a la the famous Andy Warhol style.

Splish Splash! Rica Swimwear Launch Hosted by Supermodel Jessica White

By: Anne M. Raso

Last Thursday, I attended the Rica Swimwear launch, which featured a Who's Who Of Supermodels at an event space called the Caravan Stylist Studio. I spotted Jessica White, Claudia Mason, Carola Remer, Jade Jackson and Molly Simmons--these supermodels as well as the girls actually modeling the suits kept me away from the hors d'oeuvres and hard drinks for sure! It was great that the models were willing to put on any swimsuit on the racks that a potential customer wanted to see.

Eating Engines Revved at the Huntington Westin Copley Place

By: Jessica Cickay

Although sunshine and 70 degree temps are wonderful, there’s something to be said about waking up on a Saturday, completely drained from a long week of work, and seeing cloudy skies and rain pelting against your windows. These unmotivating weather conditions are the ideal forecast to help motivate my tired behind to get to brunch, and in The Huntington at The Westin Copley Place in downtown Boston, I found the most delicious weekend spot to refuel, relax and reenergize for sunny skies to come.

Sake to Me at Haru New York

By: Wela Quan and Ethan Shen

When I was child, going to a sushi restaurant back home in Edmonton, Canada was a special occasion. By nature it seem so exotic and rare, I remember my dad would always order the beef tataki and sashimi while mom and I would opt for bento boxes. But here in the big city, the sushi restaurants have to work a little harder to impress and Haru delivered with trendy ambience, innovative cocktails, and an imaginative menu. There are 7 locations in NYC and Ethan and I opted for the Gramercy Park Haru.

Spider Monkey Roll