Signature cocktail & a new fav, D’Lea w/ Ketel One Citroen, Chambord, Prosecco and Sugar Kissed Rim

This week Midtown Chap & I dined at Ayza Wine Bar NYC’s new location in the west village. Located at one 7th ave south, Ayza’s wine & chocolate pairings are a perfect match for a romantic Date Night. With a jazz singer performing, luscious signature cocktails being served & lighting perf for an eve with my beau, Ayza gets what date night is all about! Check out the dishes we tried below…

Cheese plate for a starter. Excellent for sharing!

Perfectly cooked Scallops w/ Kale purée, chili marinated jicama, strawberry and crispy kale – love KALE.

Yummy Waverly Place cocktail w / Bulleit Bourbon, Cointreau, Luxardo Cherry Liquor and Raspberry Purée.

Steak Tartare w/ Bitter chocolate and jalapeno, love the brush of chocolate on the side.

Braised Beef Short Rib w/ Dark chocolate, truffle cauliflower mash and hen-of-the-woods mushroom – this was INCREDIBLY delish.

Chocolate fondue, does it get any more date night perfect than sharing melted chocolate?

A wonderful evening with live jazz.

Dahlings, you can make rezzies for Ayza here. When was the last time you treated yourself to a romantic date night?

kissies,

Why is sushi an excellent choice for Date Night? Because you can share delish plates with your date! Haru Gramercy, located one block north of Union Square, features two full bars and lounges that are softly lit offering the perf ambiance for you & your date. Last night Midtown Chap & I had the opp to review their Modern Japanese menu. Here is what we dined on & why you need to try these dishes too…

Haru offers an array of delish tea-infused cocktails. I had the Green Tea Margarita (Patron, Citronge, green tea liqueor, sours) which blended sweet & tart flavors without being too overpowering – def recommend this. MC had the Tokyo Iced Tea (Absolut Wild Tea vodka, Art of Tea organic black tea, cranberry juice, Patrón Citrónge, sours).

For apps, we started with the Jumbo Asian Shrimp in a Massaman Curry sauce. Inspired by the Thai peanut sauce, this dish was chock full of flavor & cooked perfecty.

The Spider Monkey Roll with soft shell crab tempura, king crab and eel topped with yuzu tobiko and served with ponzu sauce, was delicately wrapped in fresh Daikon (also known as the Japanese radish), one of my fav veggies for its crisp bite.

I ordered the Chilean Sea Bass with ume plum sauce and mei fun noodles. This was absolutely delish x 100. The outside was crisp, the inside was light & tender and the plum sauce accompanied the fish excellently. This is a def must-try entree!

MC had the Sautéed Scallops with Black Truffle Wasabi Salsa, served over mustard greens, crispy tofu and plaintains. The wasabi salsa matched well with the tender scallops.

I ordered the Shiso Slim, made with vodka and Japanese mint – so delish & fresh, you must try this cocktail!

For dessert, we shared the an assortment of ice creams & below…

The Cheesecake Tempura – uber DELISH! This is another must-try

Haru Gramercy is located at 220 Park Avenue South. You can make date night rezzies HERE.

Dahlings, when was the last time you had sushi for a date night dinner?

kissies,

Tribeca is one of those neighborhoods where you often find hidden gems. Ristorante Aglio is one of them. Located on Church Street, Aglio offers a “Pan-Italian” menu featuring dishes from various regions of Italy. Take a peek at the dishes Midtown Chap & I enjoyed at their NYC Blogger Dinner Night…

Kanpachi Carpaccio

Proscuitto & Mozzarella Bocconcini Salad

Grilled Lobster, Sauteed Mushrooms in Balsamic, Roasted Beets

Grilled Colorado Lamb Chops

Enjoying  Olive Oil Orange Cake – yum!

With a romantic ambiance & cozy Italian fare, Aglio is a fab spot for your next date night. For more info, check their site here.

kissies,

In dating life, there’s that in between place where you’re past the first date cocktail stage but not quite ready to commit to a 3 course meal. This is where Magia fits in as a perf go-to spot. Filled with a fashionable NYC crowd & modern decor, Magia is located just off of Madison Park (one of my fav places) on 23rd St.

An Italian wine bar, Magia offers almost 60 wine varietals and serves tapas-style plates featuring authentic pasta dishes, salads and some of the best Italian Prosciutto & deli meats. Excellent for sharing with your date!

Magia is located at 27 East 23rd Street  & open daily from 11:30 am – 11:00 pm. For rezzies, call (646) 596-7864.

Dahlings, have you had an in-between date lately?  

Date night kissies,

Oh, how I heart a good date night. Last night Midtown Chap and I had the pleasure to attend a NYC Food Blogger dinner at Manhattan’s Zero Otto Nove, an Italian restaurant from chef Robert Paciullo located in the Flatiron district. With rustic Italian decor in the background (including romantic lighting, perfect for a first date), our dinner began with classic Neapolitan-style pies draped in delish toppings and rounded off with a soft and chewy thin crust.

Margarita Pizza: Tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, parmigiano & basil

Pizza Special: Mascarpone cheese, Burrata, Capers, and Arugula.

Dahlings, instead of having dessert at a restaurant, enjoy a romantic date night at home with a luscious wine pairing & dessert tasting. Set up a beautiful table-scape in your living room with flowers, candles & mood lighting. With both a bottle of red & white wines, add complimenting desserts with each wine to enhance the flavors & senses.

Share an evening of deliciousness & luxury at home, with your significant other.  Sounds good, right?

When was the last time you dolls had a Date Night at home?

kissies,

View from outdoor terrace

I decided to celebrate this Father’s Day with my fam at Bryant Park Grill bc:

1. I haven’t been there in forevz &

2. It’s a 10 min walk from my apt…fabulush.

Even though it wasn’t offish a date night, it was still a date with my parents. And, it would have been a sin to waste such a gorgeous NYC Sunday sitting indoors. So, the bf, parents & I arrived at the resty around 5pm and after ordering a round of cocktails we chose the following for entrees… 

I had the super yum Free Range Australian Lamb Chops w. sautéed spinach, purple Peruvian potatoes, braised lamb shank reduction

Mom ordered the Grilled Salmon Filet w. crispy ginger and pine nut rice cake, spring vegetables, yuzo tomato vinaigrette.

BF ordered the Sea Grill w. grilled whole lobster, sea scallops, jumbo shrimp, saffron tomato rice, herb butter sauce.

Step dad ordered the Piccolino Olive, Rosemary & Lemon Chicken w. baby carrots, asparagus spears, arugula, crème fraiche, smashed potatoes.

And, bc I checked into FourSquare, we had a delish plate of gourmet cookies on the house.

With delish food, an amaze view of the park & a prime Midtown location, Bryant Park Grill gets the MG Stamp of Approval for Date Night!

P.S. – I just joined FourSquare as MidtownGirl (obvs) – feel free to add me, my dahlings<3

kissies,

Sooo…after fixing a broken zipper (which I totes didn’t notice was a prob when I initially bought these) and losing some foot fat, I was finally able to rock these booties on an uber-pretty NYC eve with my adorbs BF…

We enjoyed fabulush cocktails at The Crosby Street Hotel Refuel Bar…

Dahlings, Refuel Bar & Restaurant is definitely a chic Date Night Spot. Don’t forget to try their “Trophy Wife” cocktail.

kissies,

photo: source

I had the opportunity to attend the opening of HASH 55′s new Upstairs Lounge on 55th St. and I was totes impressed. With a hookah lounge that lasts all night & super luscious cocktails to match your chicness, this spot blends the nightlife appeal of the hottest cocktail lounge in the meatpacking district with that of the hidden local hookah gem of the L.E.S. 

You will definitely impress your date with this gorgeous spot!

HASH 55′s Upstairs Lounge: 47 W. 55th St. b/w 5th & 6th

www.hash55.com

P.S. You must try their mini brownies (and yes, they’re regular brownies – not the funny kind, ok!).

kissies,

Formerly known as Bistro Bagatelle (my fabulush b-day brunch spot), Brasserie Beaumarchais re-opened last week with a revamped French bistro menu by resident chef Nicholas Cantrel (who recently won an Iron Chef battle against Chef Marc Forgione). I had the wonderful opp to check out the new digs & dinner with the bf, during their Friends & Family preview.

Check out the delish dinner we had that eve…

Gnocchi A La Parisienne: homemade gnocchi with black truffle pesto filling and truffle butter sauce

Calamars A La Plancha: calamari a la plancha, shishito peppers, ginger, cilantro

Pommes Frites

Coquilles Saint Jacques Au Caviar: pan seared sea scallops, leek fondue, beurre blanc sauce topped with caviar

BEST EVAH*** – Carre D’Agneau Grillees: grilled lamb chops, potato and goat cheese gratin, black olive sauce

And…this resty always attracts a fabulous & beautiful NYC Crowd -

For reservations: Brasserie Beaumarchais / Twitter: BeaumarchaisNYC / FB

Brasserie Beaumarchais is one of my abs favs NYC Date Night Spots – and, please be sure to order those lamp chops on your next visit!

kissies,