Tag Archives: Upper East Side

One of our favorite restaurant officially opened their 4th location in New York City! Piccola Cucina, in the Upper East Side, should definitely be on your to-go list!

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Dining Piccola Cucina Upper East Side Cabernet Wine

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We’ve been to Piccola Cucina a couple of times and we never hesitate to go back again and again, and again!

Celebrities like the mega influencer Chiara Ferragni and her husband Fedez, and other big names like Owen Wilson, Adam Devine, Katie Holmes, Cuba Gooding Jr, Duran Duran and so many others also love the spot! You might even bump into one of them!

Their 4th location was scheduled to open early March and now they were finally able to celebrate their grand opening….and obviously they did not disappoint!

As soon as we arrived, the outdoor seating immediately called our attention. Every detail and the careful treatment with all the details made the area super cozy and inviting.

Having recently opened, we were happy to see they were already pretty busy with old (and many new) clients having fun and respecting all safety protocols.

Well, we were excited to try their Upper East Side menu and this time, different from the previous post we wrote about them, we left space for their delicious desserts!

This is what we had:

Antipasti: Octopus Caprese with burrata cheese , tomato confit and basil
Main Dish #1: Pasta – Busiati with salmon and artichokes
Main Dish #2: Pasta – Spaghetti with seafood (mussles, shrimp and calamaris)
Dessert: Tiramisu
Dessert: Semifreddo Mandorla – an ice cream-like option!

We paired the meals with red wine and an Espresso Martini – to give it a twist! And, if you enjoy Espresso Martinis, they really know how to make this cocktail to perfection!

Chef Philip Guardione truly never disappoints and is always adding amazing new creations to the menu or the daily specials, so you can be sure to be surprised – regardless of which location you decide to go to!

And lastly, of course the staff and the entire team was extremely knowledgeable with all the dishes, super polite and friendly and most of all, very welcoming…making our night a perfect dinner in New York City! Bravissimo!

We can wait for our next time!

Location: 106 East 60th Street

Hours:
Sunday-Thursday: 11:30am – 11pm
Friday and Saturday: 11:30am – 12am

www.piccolacucinagroup.com

Photo Credits: ©Behind the Scenes NYC

Exploring New York Through Google Arts & Culture

April 5, 2020

BTSNYC

Social distancing can certainly be a challenge to many of us. But, with that in mind, businesses are being creative! Have you ever thought about exploring New York through Google Arts & Culture?

Google Arts & Culture was created back in early 2011 and is “an online platform through which the public can access high-resolution images of artworks housed in the initiative’s partner museums.

The project was launched through its Google Cultural Institute initiative, in cooperation with 17 international museums, including the Tate Gallery, London; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City; and the Uffizi, Florence.”

You’re able to explore some of the most wonderful museums and places, art collections and historical works in history! Some of the Categories this content is divided in are:

Explore the Collections: Museums, galleries, and institutions around the world
Explore in High Definition: Discover the details you might have missed
Explore in Augmented and Virtual Reality: Experience culture in 360˚ degrees
Being Basquiat
Explore by Time: From ancient artifacts to contemporary art
Explore in 3D: Get a new perspective
Explore with Street View: From backstage at the Paris Opera to the top of the Taj Mahal
Explore by Artist: Discover artists alphabetically or through time
Explore by Color: From serene greens in Impressionism to vibrant yellows by Van Gogh
Explore Culture Across the Globe: Discover food, fashion, magic, and more

https://artsandculture.google.com

Moreover, take a look at the New York City museums that you can explore through Google Arts & Culture!

1) The Metropolitan Museum Of Art

Culture Music Exploring NYC Google Arts Culture The Metropolitan Museum of Art MET — The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The MET) ©Behind the Scenes NYC

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, kindly known as The Met, is not only one of the most renowned museums in the world, but it’s also one of our personal favorites.

Getting lost in it is one our favorites things to do. Due to the current situation, with the Covid-19, we wanted to remind you that you can explore their collection online!

“The Met presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in three iconic sites in New York City—The Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Breuer, and The Met Cloisters. Millions of people also take part in The Met experience online.

Since it was founded in 1870, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. Every day, art comes alive in the Museum’s galleries and through its exhibitions and events, revealing both new ideas and unexpected connections across time and across cultures.”

Go explore!

2) The Cloisters Museum and Gardens

Culture Music Exploring NYC Google Arts Culture The MET Cloister — The MET Cloister ©Behind the Scenes NYC

Many people don’t know that The Cloisters is actually part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The museum opened to the public in May of 1938 and is focused on art and architecture of medieval Europe.

It’s located at Fort Tyron Park with a priceless view of the Hudson River – and I have the say, the sunset there is amazing!

“Located in a spectacular four-acre setting overlooking the Hudson River, the building incorporates elements from five medieval cloisters—Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa, Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, Bonnefont-en-Comminges, Trie-en-Bigorre, and Froville—and from other monastic sites located in southern France.

Three of the cloisters reconstructed at the branch museum feature gardens planted according to horticultural information found in medieval treatises and poetry, garden documents and herbals, and medieval works of art such as tapestries, stained-glass windows, and column capitals.”

Go explore!

3) Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

Culture Music Exploring NYC Google Arts Culture MoMA Museum of Modern Art — MoMA Museum of Modern Art – Photo Credit: Courtesy

Another museum, part of the list of most famous NYC museums, is MOMA – the Museum of Modern Art.

“Founded in 1929, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in midtown Manhattan was the first museum devoted to the modern era.

Today MoMA’s rich and varied collection offers a panoramic overview of modern and contemporary art, from the innovative European painting and sculpture of the 1880s to today’s film, design, and performance art.

From an initial gift of eight prints and one drawing, the collection has grown to include over 150,000 paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, architectural models and drawings, and design objects; approximately 22,000 films and four million film stills; and, in its Library and Archives, over 300,000 books, artist books, and periodicals, and extensive individual files on more than 70,000 artists.”

Go explore!

4) The Frick Collection

Culture Music Exploring NYC Google Arts Culture The Frick Collection — The Frick Collection – Photo Credit: Courtesy

Not many people that come visit or live New York have The Frick Collection on their To-Go itinerary. But, it’s definitely their loss, since it gathers a breathtaking collection!

“The Frick Collection was founded by Henry Clay Frick (1849-1919), the Pittsburgh coke and steel industrialist.

At his death, Mr. Frick bequeathed his New York residence and the most outstanding of his many artworks to establish a public gallery for the purpose of “encouraging and developing the study of the fine arts.”

Chief among his bequests, which also included sculpture, drawings, prints, and decorative arts such as furniture, porcelains, enamels, rugs, and silver, were one hundred thirty-one paintings.

The Frick Collection now houses a permanent collection of more than 1,100 works of art from the Renaissance to the late nineteenth century.”

Go explore!

5) Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Culture Music Exploring NYC Google Arts Culture Solomon R Guggenheim Museum — Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum – Photo Credit: Courtesy

The Guggenheim Museum is just a few steps from The Met, and part of the Museum Mile in the Upper East Side. It’s architecture has been the topic of countless discussions on modern and contemporary art, as well as within the architectural universe!

“Founded in 1937, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation is dedicated to promoting the understanding and appreciation of art, primarily of the modern and contemporary periods, through exhibitions, education programs, research initiatives, and publications.

The Guggenheim network that began in the 1970s when the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, was joined by the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice, has since expanded to include the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (opened 1997), and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi (currently in development).

Looking to the future, the Guggenheim Foundation continues to forge international collaborations that take contemporary art, architecture, and design beyond the walls of the museum.”

Go explore!

6) American Museum of Natural History

Culture Music Exploring NYC Google Arts Culture American Museum of Natural History — American Museum of Natural History ©Behind the Scenes NYC

This museum is not only for kids, but adults love it as well. It’s been the scenery in famous blockbuster movies and was obviously the star in the trilogy “Night at the Museum” with Ben Stiller!

We have to agree that seeing all the specimens and artifacts coming to life at night, was pretty cool, right?

“The American Museum of Natural History, founded in 1869, is one of the world’s preeminent scientific, educational, and cultural institutions. The Museum encompasses 45 permanent exhibition halls, including the Rose Center for Earth and Space and the Hayden Planetarium, as well as galleries for temporary exhibitions.

It is home to the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial, New York State’s official memorial to its 33rd governor and the nation’s 26th president, and a tribute to Roosevelt’s enduring legacy of conservation.

The Museum’s five active research divisions and three cross-disciplinary centers support approximately 200 scientists, whose work draws on a world-class permanent collection of more than 33 million specimens and artifacts, as well as specialized collections for frozen tissue and genomic and astrophysical data, and one of the largest natural history libraries in the world.”

Go explore!

7) Whitney Museum Of American Art

Culture Music Exploring NYC Google Arts Culture Whitney Museum — Whitney Museum – Photo Credit: Courtesy

Love love the Whitney Museum and every time, we get swept of our feet with the exhibitions they put on. “Roy Lichtenstein’s Entablatures” and “Andy Warhol’s From A to B and back again” are just two to name!

“As the preeminent institution devoted to the art of the United States, the Whitney Museum of American Art presents the full range of twentieth-century and contemporary American art, with a special focus on works by living artists.

The Whitney is dedicated to collecting, preserving, interpreting, and exhibiting American art, and its collection—arguably the finest holding of twentieth-century American art in the world—is the Museum’s key resource.

The Museum’s signature exhibition, the Biennial, is the country’s leading survey of the most recent developments in American art.Innovation has been a hallmark of the Whitney since its beginnings.”

Go explore!

Now, a few other collections on Google Arts & Culture you might like to explore:

8) Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Culture Music Exploring NYC Google Arts Culture Cooper Hewitt Photo Scott Rudd — Cooper Hewitt – Photo by Scott Rudd

“Cooper Hewitt is America’s design museum. Inclusive, innovative and experimental, the museum’s dynamic exhibitions, education programs, master’s program, publications and online resources inspire, educate and empower people through design.

An integral part of the Smithsonian Institution—the world’s largest museum and research complex—Cooper Hewitt is located on New York City’s Museum Mile in the historic, landmark Carnegie Mansion. Steward of one of the world’s most diverse and comprehensive design collections—over 210,000 objects that range from an ancient Egyptian faience cup dating to about 1100 BC to contemporary 3-D-printed objects and digital code—Cooper Hewitt welcomes everyone to discover the importance of design and its power to change the world.

Cooper Hewitt knits digital into experiences to enhance ideas, extend reach beyond museum walls and enable greater access, personalization, experimentation and connection.”

Go explore!

9) The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center

Culture Music Exploring NYC Google Arts Culture The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Community Center — The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Community Center – Photo Credit: Courtesy

More and more, we know and feel how important it is to share the story and lives of the LGBTQ+ community. Not only is the City of New York the home to the start of the entire movement, but today it gathers a beautiful, strong, proud, healthy community!

The Stonewall Inn was the place where the gay rights movement kicked off in 1969, and there is a great deal more to learn and share!

“New York City’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center empowers people to lead healthy, successful lives. The Center celebrates our diversity and advocates for justice and opportunity.”

Go explore!

10) The Morgan Library & Museum

Culture Music Exploring NYC Google Arts Culture The Morgan Library Museum by Scott Kelby — The Morgan Library Museum – Photo by Scott Kelby

We love exploring the city’s libraries and we’re always sharing about the New York Public Library, But, The Morgan Library & Museum is gorgeous and definitely worth visiting!

“Just a short walk from Grand Central and Penn Station, the Morgan is a major exhibition venue for fine art, literature, and music, one of New York’s great historic sites, and a wonderful place to dine, shop, and attend a concert or film.”

Go explore!

11) Brooklyn Museum

Culture Music Exploring NYC Google Arts Culture Brooklyn Museum — Brooklyn Museum – Photo Credit: Courtesy

It’s no news that Brooklyn borough is becoming more and more part of the travel scene. Curious and demanding tourists (the ones that don’t enjoy exploring the saturated touristy scene) are flocking into the neighborhood. They falling in love with every business and every corner.

“The Brooklyn Museum, housed in a 560,000-square-foot, Beaux-Arts building, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the country. Its world-renowned permanent collections range from ancient Egyptian masterpieces to contemporary art, and represent a wide range of cultures.

The mission of the Brooklyn Museum is to act as a bridge between the rich artistic heritage of world cultures, as embodied in its collections, and the unique experience of each visitor.”

Go explore!

Lastly, you might want to see the Google Arts & Culture full list of partners that are part of the online Museum experience!

Have fun exploring New York and share your thoughts with us below!!

Photo Credits: ©Behind the Scenes NYC, ©2018 Scott Rudd to the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Scott Kelby, 2015 to the Morgan Library & Museum and courtesy of the Museums
Excerpts: Google Arts & Culture

Top 10 Romantic Hotels In New York To Escape To

September 9, 2019

BTSNYC

Hotels No Comments

New York City is an overwhelming place to visit but it can also be one of the most iconic vacation destinations. Take a look at the top 10 romantic hotels in New York to escape to this season.

Hotels In New York Romantic The Knickerbocker Hotel Couple Kissing — Photo Credit: Courtesy of The Knickerbocker Hotel

New York City is an overwhelming place to visit, but it can also be one of the most iconic vacation destinations. The city is called “the city that never sleeps” for countless reasons. On the other hand, when we talk about sleeping there are quite a few romantic hotels in New York that you should take a look!

Planning your trip is important especially choosing a vacation rental in NYC. In this article, we’ll take a look at the top 10 romantic hotels in New York.

Hopefully, it’ll help you plan your trip with someone special and make the most of the Big Apple!

Gramercy Park Hotel

If a hotel is romantic enough for Humphrey Bogart’s wedding, it’s definitely romantic enough for your vacation too. That’s exactly what you’ll get at the Gramercy Park Hotel.

Originally opened back in 1925, it had a two-year hiatus in the mid nineties, as it was renovated by art collector Aby Rosen and artist Julian Schnabel. Now, you’ve got a Boho-chic hotel that has one of the most understated atmospheres in the city.

And, we haven’t got to the facilities yet. An Italian trattoria, bars overlooking Gramercy Park, and a flip-down bar make for an unforgettable stay!

Location: 2 Lexington Avenue

www.gramercyparkhotel.com

NoMo SoHo

Hidden away in SoHo, almost bordering Little Italy, this small boutique hotel stands for nostalgic and modern, hence the name NoMo.

It’s a true hidden gem that you’ll be enamored with from the moment you walk under the forest of greenery in the hotel’s entryway. When you’re inside, you could be forgiven thinking that you’re in Santorini, which the blue and white décor will certainly put you in mind of.

A particularly great aspect of NoMo is that you can bring your furry friend – although you will need to pay an extra cleaning fee.

Location: 9 Crosby Street

www.nomosoho.com

The High Line Hotel

Coming in at the lower end of the price scale, The High Line Hotel is a great option if you want a vacation to remember, but understandably can’t justify the crazy prices of some NY hotels.

The tasteful décor throughout the reception and guest rooms come from the 1800s and early 1900s, and the Refectory will make you think you’ve stepped into a scene from Harry Potter, that is also on Broadway now!

If you’re traveling to NY in the summer, don’t miss your chance to enjoy champagne and oysters on the hotel terrace!

Location: 180 10th Avenue

https://thehighlinehotel.com

The Nomad Hotel

Not to be confused with NoMo SoHo, the NoMad hotel is a modern take on a Parisian flat. And where could be more romantic than the City of Love?! (except New York, of course).

In your room, you can choose between taking a dip in the clawfoot bathtub, writing a post card to your love at the French writing desk (presumably while they’re doing something else), or just admire the stunning artwork throughout.

When you get hungry, just head down to the restaurant where chef Daniel Humm works his magic in the kitchen!

Location: 1170 Broadway

www.thenomadhotel.com

The Bowery Hotel

Hotels In New York Romantic Bowery Hotel — Photo Credit: Courtesy of Hotel

In the days of punk rock, you certainly wouldn’t have the East Village on your list of places to stay. However, times change, and now the five-star Bowery is one of the top romantic offerings in town.

Explore New York to your heart’s content with free bike rentals, before coming home to ultimate luxury. Factory windows bathe the Turkish rugs and wool blankets in natural light.

If you spend all the time in the room though, you’ll miss the vintage bar complete with a fireplace. And you don’t want to do that!

Location: 335 Bowery

www.theboweryhotel.com

The Library Hotel

Hotels In New York Romantic Library Hotel — Photo Credit: Courtesy of Hotel

If you’re a book lover, there’s only one place you can even consider staying in the Big Apple. Each floor is themed on a category of the Dewey Decimal System, which is pretty cool.

Make sure you set aside some time to check out the Writer’s Den and Poetry Garden. It has sublime views of New York, and it’s perfect for getting those creative juices flowing.

The one problem with the Library Hotel? You might spend so much time lost in a good book that you forget to pay your partner any attention!

Location: 299 Madison Avenue

https://libraryhotel.com

The Knickerbocker Hotel

Said to be the birthplace of the Martini (although that hasn’t been confirmed), the Knickerbocker has over 100 years of history and is one of the largest hotels on our list – with over 330 rooms!

The French Renaissance style hotel, located in Times Square, is one of the best-known in New York City, but curiously doesn’t boast a swimming pool!

It can, however, offer superb high-end cuisine, a rooftop terrace, and in-room spa treatments.

Location: 6 Times Square

https://theknickerbocker.com

The Carlyle

Hotels In New York Romantic Carlyle Hotel Woody Allen Michael Tommasiello — Photo Credit: Michael Tommasiello

Whichever of the top 10 romantic hotels in New York you choose to stay at, you simply have to come to the Carlyle for one reason.

Benelmans Bar, on the ground floor, is one of the finest cocktail bars in the entire world. The restaurant isn’t bad either, offering French haute-cuisine!

But wait! The Café Carlyle is another great spot inside the hotel to try.

Why? The one and only Woody Allen plays with his Jazz band, every Monday! Be sure to book your table, because they obviously sell out pretty fast.

Tickets cost from $190.00 – $245.00, all ages.

It’s a great spot for art lovers as it’s just a 9-minute walk to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Location: 35 East 76th Street

www.rosewoodhotels.com

Soho Grand Hotel

Another option if your budget doesn’t stretch to five-stars every night is the Soho Grand Hotel. However, it’s also one of the most storied luxury hotels in New York, so don’t feel like you’re losing out on any of the experience of your romantic trip!

Velvet hangings on the wall, tasteful artwork, towering columns are just some of the things that add to this hotel’s character.

The 353 rooms mean that it’s possibly to get a late deal, although we would recommend booking with plenty of advance notice!

Location: 310 West Broadway

www.sohogrand.com

Greenwich Hotel

If you’re a film buff, you probably already know about this place and you already want to stay. Why’s that? Well, it’s only owned by actor Robert De Niro!

Hidden away in one of the most picturesque neighborhoods of New York, TriBeCa (Triangle Below Canal Street), the Greenwich Hotel does kind of resemble a movie set.

Although the rooms are supposed to resemble an Italian home, there are several Asian influences on the hotel too. One of the most enticing is the Shibui Spa, a real treat!

And there’s no food more romantic than Italian, so head down to the on-site Locanda Verde for a dinner to savor.

Location: 377 Greenwich Street

www.thegreenwichhotel.com

So, now you know about the 10 most romantic hotels in New York!

You’ll want to book up as they can go pretty fast!

For more information on the side of New York that not all tourists see, and to plan some off the beaten track/independent adventures, continue exploring our website! You’ll love our Tours & Experiences!

Photo Credits: Courtesy of all hotels and Michael Tommasiello (Woody Allen at The Carlyle)

NYC Food Trends Taking The City By Storm

August 27, 2019

BTSNYC

Dining No Comments

Yes, New York has every possible cuisine you can desire or imagine on Earth. That said, take a look at the NYC food trends taking the city by storm. Some are not super new, but probably came to stay!

Dining NYC Food Trends Insects Black Ant — How about a pair of crunchy insects in your dish? Lol! ©BlackAntNYC

New York is the restaurant capital of the world – just consider there are 24,000 eating establishments in Manhattan alone. So, we decided to talk about the upcoming NYC food trends!

It has been estimated that you if you ate at a different restaurant every day, it would take you over 22 years to dine at them all.

One of the reasons that NYC is so diverse for dining, is that there are influences and cultures from all around the globe. This means that there are always great new NYC food trends, which you can even try cooking at home.

Take a look at a few of the food trends below and let’s see how adventurous you are when trying new cuisines! Lol!

Glorious Grasshoppers

Dining NYC Food Trends Grasshopper Croquetes Black Ant — Croquetas de Chapulin: yucca-manchego Grasshopper croquetes with avocado and Chapulín salsa. ©BlackAntNYC

As we think more about sustainability and food ethics, insects are hitting restaurant tables in a big way. They are actually an excellent source of protein and delicious with a little spice.

If you head to Toloache, the Mexican restaurant headed up by Julian Medina, you can sample them in tacos, hot with chili and cooked with crunch.

The Black Ant, in the East Village, is another great eatery that is embracing grasshoppers. In fact, almost every item on their menu uses insects. The grasshopper-crusted shrimp however are a triumph.

If you want to have a taste at home you can easily buy grasshoppers online, they may even become a household staple.

Locations:
205 Thompson Street, Greenwich Village
166 East 82nd Street, Upper East Side
251 West 50th Street, Midtown

www.toloachenyc.com

Location: 60 2nd Avenue, East Village

www.theblackantnyc.com

Beautiful Baogels

Dining NYC Food Trends Baogel Black Seed Bagels — Baogel at Black Seed Bagels. ©BlackSeedBagel

The baogel is another wonderful cultural hybrid, featuring a soft pork belly filling, usually found in a bao bun, and of course combined with a soft, bagel.

It is the creation of Black Seed Bagels and Chinese restaurant Nom Wah Kuai, and usually served with a chili cream cheese on the side for ultimate dipping.

To try this at home, the pork belly cooks best in a sous vide machine, a beautifully gentle slow cook that will leave the pork tender and succulent, ready to be folded into bagel dough.

You can then return the bagel into the machine, to make a really soft baogel. This trend just goes to show how versatile water bath cooking is.

Locations: Several locations, see their websites!

https://www.blackseedbagels.com
https://nomwah.com

Raindrop Cake

The raindrop cake is a thing of simplistic beauty. Originating from Japan, it is a beautiful dessert that is made from water, agar and sugar.

It is served in bamboo, alongside a flour that is made from roasted soybeans. The dessert is vegan, has very few calories, but it a textural delight in the mouth.

It’s all about feeling that sweet burst of liquid on the tongue. Darren Wong, who originally brought this cake to Smorgasborg food fair said that he wanted the raindrop cake to be reminiscent of the Asian jelly desserts he ate as a child.

You can now buy kits to have a go at making the raindrop cake at home. They are delicious with a little syrup and some fresh mint on the side.

Locations: Smorgasburg has 4 locations.
Thursdays: BK Bridge Park, 6pm
Fridays: WTC, 11am – 7pm
Saturdays: 90 Kent Avenue, 11am – 6pm
Sundays: Breeze Hill, Prospect Park, 11am – 6pm

https://www.smorgasburg.com

New York is a special place for dining – if you can imagine it, the likelihood is that there is a restaurant serving it. These fresh, new ideas and NYC food trends are also changing the way that we consider our home cooking.

So, come explore New York with us and don’t forget to share your discoveries in the comments below! We’d love to hear about them, so we can also check them out!

Guest Writer: Cindy Trillo
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Black Ant, Black Seed Bagels and Raindrop Cake
*Last Updated on Feb/2020.*

The Hottest Fitness Classes You Need To Know

October 15, 2018

BTSNYC

Entertainment Fitness & Health 1 Comment

New York is a great city to find out the latest fitness trends! So, take a look at some of the hottest fitness classes you need to know while you’re in New York and, of course, if you live here! Lets get sweating!

Don’t think that New York is a place destined only to explore restaurants, museums, bars, nightlife, etc…

New Yorkers are extremely focused on health and staying fit, even during the super cold winter months. You can always see them carrying their gym clothes to work, so they had hit the gym when their day is over.

Yet, many of the early birds and prefer to start the day by sweating it out and getting energized for the rest of the day.

It’s a great city to find out the latest fitness trends! So, take a look at some of the hottest fitness classes you need to know while you’re in New York and, of course, if you live here!

Asphalt Green

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With two campus locations in Manhattan, Asphat Green is a paradise for the one that love “the burn”.

They have every activity you can possibility imagine – from aquatics to different sports and fitness classes.

If your into swimming and the pool feels like home, you can try their countless options. You can try their swim classes, private lessons, competitive swim, water polo, water exercises and more!

For the sports-addicts, you’ll find first-class instructional classes, recreational leagues and select competitive teams for all ages and skill levels. Sports are of all types: soccer, baseball, martial arts, flag football, tennis, triathlon and others.

Finally, if you’re more into fitness and love hitting the gym, you can sign up for classes like fitness training, spinning, yoga, group exercises, pilates, stretching, martial arts and the famous AG6.

The AG6™, was the one we shot in the video above! Yes, it was embarrassing, since I look totally goofy with no coordination. But, it’s “a high-intensity, circuit-based program and fitness experience like no other. AG6™ focuses on movement with purpose to uncover your athletic sixth sense and strengthen all major muscle groups, burning up to 1,000 calories in 45 minutes.”

I’m sure you’ll do better than me!

Locations:
555 East 90th Street – Upper East Side
212 North End Avenue – Battery Park City

www.asphaltgreen.org

Brooklyn Boulders

Fitness Health Brooklyn Boulders Student Climbing

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I’ve always loved rock climbing, but besides looking very easy, it’s really not. I’m not too good with heights either, but Brooklyn Boulders equipment makes you feel completely safe and tied up!

It’s surely not only a physical activity. I believe it’s even more a mental challenge, than physical.

They offer different classes that are 60-min long for all different levels, besides being able to have your own personal trainer and still, a fitness center too.

I loved the 4-week course, with 8 sessions, called Climb Like A Girl! It is “taught by women, for women. Train as a team as you improve your technique, gain climbing power and improve endurance. Each 2-hour session is progressive, carefully designed to holistically develop your abilities.”

Plus, if you have kids, they do have great options for them to have fun!

Let’s start rocking!

Locations:
23-10 41st Avenue, Long Island City
575 Degraw Street, Gowanus, Brooklyn

https://brooklynboulders.com

Inscape

Fitness-Health-Inscape-Waiting-Lounge

Fitness-Health-Inscape-Dome-Room

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Fitness-Health-Inscape-Store

We all have read and heard about the countless benefits of meditation and how it can significantly improve our bodies and mind.

This beautiful community space offers not only meditation and relaxation classes, but also mind opening events and a great store! You can browse and find some of the best modern wellness products.

As they explain:

Sessions are audio guided to create consistency in your meditation practice and transition your practice seamlessly between studio and app. A consistent voice enables you to turn your attention inward and focus on your personal meditation experience.
Consistency is the key to developing a regular habit. Trained meditation facilitators are available to help you get started, answer questions, and talk through any emotions that come up during your session.

Hours:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 11am – 8pm
Tuesday & Thursday: 8am – 8pm
Saturday & Sunday: 11am – 7pm

Location: 45 West 21st Street

https://www.inscape.life

There are countless other fitness activities and classes available throughout New York and new modalities showing up all the time.

So, be sure to follow our Fitness & Health page to stay tunes in the hottest fitness classes you need to know!

Are you ready to start the burn?

Videographer: Renata Meirelles
Photographer: Renata Meirelles and courtesy of Asphalt Green
Beauty: Leila Soldeira
Styling: Camilla Adão

36 Brazilian Restaurants in New York That You Have To Try

September 25, 2018

BTSNYC

Dining Our Bucket Lists No Comments

The New York food scenes is certainly overwhelming and you can eat practically anything you crave. We decided to immerse ourselves in the Brazilian culinary world and put together a beautiful list of 36 Brazilian restaurants in New York!

Yes, New York has it all when it comes to food and culinary experiences! And, it’s quite tough to know which restaurant to go next, since options are endless.

Since our Founder, Fê, is Brazilian, we decided to dedicate this post list all the best Brazilian restaurants in New York and a few other food businesses! And, of course, to all of our beautiful Brazilian readers!!!

We listed below 36 of the best spots to have Brazilian food and treats, spread throughout the boroughs of: Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. This list was done with the help of Yum City, NY.

So, if you enjoy the Brazilian culture, food, music and lifestyle & vibe, take a look below to pick where you’re going to explore next! It’s also a fantastic list if you want to know where to eat in New York on a budget!

Have fun in your immersion into the Brazilian culinary world!

In Manhattan:

Manhattan is the home of some of the best Brazilian spots. From restaurants in energetic neighborhoods like Greenwich Village, to bakeries, specialty stores and all you can eat upscale restaurants.

But, if you’re in New York on a budget, don’t worry, we have a great variety of places for everyone!

#1 Berimbau do Brasil

We love Berimbau do Brazil and we’ve written about them before. So, let’s refresh your memory and you can see a YouTube video at Berimbau we shot with Mario, the owner!

Berimbau do Brasil has been one of the small and trendy Brazilian spots in the Greenwich Village, since 2009. The restaurant is named after a very popular Brazilian instrument called “berimbau”, that has African roots and is used in the capoeira martial arts dance.

The restaurant is small, cozy, with a rustic décor, and great service (as most Brazilian spots have), plus, the food is truly fantastic. It’s loved not only by the meat eaters, but also vegetarians. Portions are very generous, so feel free to share different dishes and try a bit of it all.

What to try? The acarajé, Pão de Queijo (cheese bread) and pastel (a type of Brazilian empanada), as appetizers. For the mains, we love the picadinho carioca, bobó de camarão, the famous feijoada and the moqueca à Baiana. Dessert? The brigadeiro, of course – a chocolate truffle sweet loved by all Brazilians.

Location: 43 Carmine Street

www.berimbaunyc.com

#2 Tap NYC

Tap NYC opened not too long ago, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and has been attracting clients from all over the city, as well as visitors. With delicious variations of the famous tapioca – a starch extracted from cassava root, originally from the Northeastern part of Brazil – it’s become a to-go spot.

As they explain: “Tapioca is gluten-free, sodium-free, fat-free, and cholesterol free, with no added preservatives!” Sounds perfect, right?

The place is great, décor is bright and spacious!

Tapioca options vary from countless savory ones, to sweet ones. Plus, they still offer, salads, Brazilian bites, açai bowls, matcha drinks, juices, smoothies, teas. And, of course, great coffee like every true Brazilian loves.

Location: 267 Columbus Avenue

www.tapnyc.com

#3 Padoca Bakery

When you walk inside Padoca Bakery, a traditional Brazilian bakery, you are immediately absorbed by an incredibly irresistible smell of fresh baked goods!

Located in the Upper East Side, the place has great natural lighting, that is certainly a highlight. Their menu is fantastic for a quick breakfast, to a filling and healthy lunch. They have fresh pastries done in-house, savory ones too, cookies, brownies and açai bowls. Coffee is very good too!

In addition they also offer catering services and whole cakes for special celebrations, also freshly baked! We love the bolo de coco that is a very fluffy and moist coconut cake! Yum!

To read more about them, check out this post we’ve done!

Location: 359 East 68th Street

http://padocabakery.com

#4 Fogo de Chão

Ah! This is for the big carnivores out there! Fogo de Chão is one of the most famous and respected churrascarias in Brazil.

They’ve also gained international recognition “exporting” a great team of Brazilian meat experts to run the overseas locations. It is said that only their Brazilian team touches and cuts the meat since there is a special way to accentuate its flavor by doing so.

The side dishes are also to die for, from the arroz caipira (a type of rice), to the fantastic salad table with everything you can ever imagine eating.

The meat is served in a “rodizio” style, that means that you pay a fix price and eat as much as you’d like.

Waiters pass by the table with different meat options and you can choose the ones you’d like to try, or reorder more of the same. After you’re satisfied, you just signal you’re done by flipping a paper coin (one side is green meaning you want to be served / the other is red that means you’re done).

Location: 40 West 53rd Street

https://fogodechao.com

#5 Casa Restaurant

We love places that are able to host only a very small number of guests at a time. The intimate space definitely makes it an amazing experience.

Casa Restaurant, located in the West Village, is one of these great spots. With a very traditional Brazilian menu, they offer some of the best Brazilian comfort-food selection.

As appetizers, our top picks are the: pão de queijo, pastéis (or empanadas) and mandioca frita (yucca sticks).

A great dish to start from, if you’ve never tried Brazilian food, is the well-known Feijoada – black bean stew with prime meats served with white rice, fresh oranges, collard greens, farofa and vinaigrette sauce.

Their sandwiches, also very typical, are fantastic. Which ones to pick? Try starting with the bauru de carne made with pita bread, steak, melted cheese, lettuce and tomatoes.

Now, if you enjoy a good cocktail, the traditional caipirinha (cachaça, sugar and lime) is always our cocktail choice.

Location: 72 Bedford Street

www.casarestaurant.com

#6 Empórium Brasil

Located in the heart of Manhattan, Empórium Brasil’s food has been compared, by Brazilians, to their mom’s or grandma’s food. Always a good nostalgic feeling, for sure!

They are known for having a great service and very friendly staff. Definitely a plus, right?!

As always, never skip ordering the appetizers. They are very unique and delicious.

One of their top signature dishes are the short ribs, but we particularly love the famous camarão na moranga. This is a quite unique dish made from fresh acorn squash stuffed with shrimp, hearts of palm and catupiry cheese. Yes, this is one of the top Brazilian dishes that is considered a “national passion”! Very, very flavorful.

The vatapá is also a great pick. It’s a typical dish from Bahia, a state in the Northeastern part of the country. It’s basically made with purée of bread crumbs and smoked shrimp with peanuts and cashews flavored with coconut milk and palm oil.

Their menu is very diverse, with everything from grilled steak and poultry, to seafood and pastas, but you can’t really go wrong.

Location: 15 West 46th Street

http://emporiumbrasil.com

#7 Oca

UNFORTUNATELY THIS RESTAURANT IS PERMANENTLY CLOSED!

We love Tapioca! Why? As Oca, located in the neighborhood of NoLita, says: it’s gluten, dairy, GMO, preservatives, fat, sugar, cholesterol and guilt FREE!

All the ingredients used at Oca organic and very fresh, purchased from local farmers. Hence, many ingredients are seasonal, but that just makes it more exciting.

Besides the tapioca crepes, they have appetizers like the famous pão de queijo, a few different salads, a few wraps, the to-die-for açai bowls and some tasty desserts. Plus, they offer not only Vegetarian option, but Vegan ones too!

To drink, their cashew nut shakes are delicious and we like the avocado one, or apple + cinnamon. Like every good Brazilian, coffee is a biggy. They have a good variation. The Hot Vegan Nocciolata is an interesting pick!

Location: Their Mott Street store is closed. Stay tuned for updates on their new secret location, still to come.

#8 Cafe Patoro

This café, located step from the Brooklyn Bridge, in the East part of the Financial District, also known as South Seaport, is a great upscale option to go for breakfast, lunch or an afternoon snack.

The place is well-known for the love for the famous Pão de Queijo (PDQ). They explain what it is: “PDQ is a small gluten-free cheese-bread roll. Featuring a perfect balance of crispy outside and chewy inside, PDQs are the most delectable when hot, right out of the oven.” It’s actually hard to explain, so I guess you’ll have to get one and try!

They offer a few variations of the mini PDQ sandwiches, something that is not so easy to find in New York City. This is surely one of the specialties you must try.

For the bigger bites, try the empanadas, the Brazilian grilled cheese and the corn bread.

Talking about sweets, we are fans of the brigadeiro cake – a variation made from the famous brigadeiro, a type of chocolate truffle made with condensed milk. Also try the flan and the carrot cake.

Location: 223 Front Street

www.cafepatoro.com

#9 Brigadeiro Bakery

Opened in 2014, this SoHo sweet shop offers 17 different flavors of Brigadeiros truffles, including passion fruit, coffee, dulce de leche and Oreo.

It’s a snug space with minimal seating, but it’s open seven days a week. So, you’ve got plenty of time to stop by in case the lines are too long.

If you’re going to celebrate a special date, they offer great catering services, as well as beautiful packaging or gifts. And trust us: it will be the best gift ever!

They offer a free brigadeiro when you check in on Yelp too! Ha!

Location: 156 Sullivan Street

www.brigadeirobakery.com

#10 Churrascaria Plataforma

Churrascaria Plataforma, located in the Theater District, is called the The New York Yankees of Brazilian Steakhouses. Raved about by legions of fans and the best known food critics.

A New York Daily News writer once wrote:

“I’ve been asked a lot over the course of the year which New York restaurants I’d be most likely to visit out of personal choice rather than professional responsibility. The name I heard myself uttering in response, more than any other, was Churrascaria Plataforma.”

As they explain: “Churrascaria (choo-rah-scah-ree-ah) is the name used to describe a restaurant that serves meat, mostly grilled. A rodízio style restaurant uses the method of serving different cuts of meat that originated in the south of Brazil in the early 1800s.”

If you love to experiment with drinks, go to their bar and let the waiter guide you through the options!

Location: 316 West 49th Street

https://plataformaonline.com

#11 Favela Cubana

A Brazilian-Cuban hybrid in the Greenwich Village.

As they share on their website, Favela Cubana is a place where food, music and culture converge.

Brazil’s frango Ipanema and Cuba’s arroz con pollo are amongst the delicacies featured on the menu, and fresh tropical cocktails such as their tantalizing “orange basil mojito” highlight the fully stocked bar.

It’s a great mixture of two fantastic cultures: Brazilian and Cuban! The result: Festival, for sure!

Go check them out and let us know your thoughts!

Location: 543 LaGuardia Place

www.favelacubana.com

#12 Via Brasil

Via Brasil has been serving authentic Brazilian fare since 1978, so you have to assume they make some pretty delicious food. Located in Midtown West, it’s a quite easy commute coming from different parts of the city.

Robert Sietsema, from Eater’s, exclaimed that: “rarely has New York seen such a lush rendition” of the feijoada, the Brazilian national dish. Sietsema also noted that the Brazilian restaurant is “a notable paragon of relaxed dining, a place where you can feel like you’re on vacation.”

You’re able to find everything from the heavier dishes, like the Feijoada, to lighter ones with seafood. So, there is something for everyone, regardless of your daily-crave.

Location: 34 West 46th Street

www.viabrasilrestaurant.com

#13 Ipanema

Also located in Midtown West, Ipanema gets raves for its bitoque and picanha steak dishes.

The bitoque, a Portuguese staple, is an aged New York strip cooked in a garlic and beer sauce and topped with a fried egg. The picanha is an aged top sirloin served on a sizzling platter.

Drooling already? We are!

They explain that: “Brazil is a rich well of culinary diversity, blending the ingredients and techniques of the native South Americans with the cooking techniques of its Portuguese, African and Asian immigrants.”

Ipanema is in the heart of New York City’s Little Brazil Street. The restaurant’s owners are not shy about the quality of their food and claim to run the best Brazilian restaurant “in all of New York City.”

Location: 43 West 46th Street

http://ipanemanyc.com

#14 Zebú Grill

UNFORTUNATELY THIS RESTAURANT IS PERMANENTLY CLOSED!

Located in the Upper East Side, Zebú Grill features a meat-heavy menu and specializes in churrasco dishes and caipirinha cocktails.

Their standout meals are the ultra-tender carne cozida beef dish and the feijoada, a plate of lean cuts of beef, pork & sausages in a black bean stew accompanied by rice, collard greens & farofa.

Try sides the banana milanesa (fried bananas – so good!), the farofa and the vinagrete.

But, you’ll be able to choose from the menu great traditional options that are very typical in the Brazilian cuisine!

A terrific spot for family dinners or a low-key date night.

Location: 305 E 92nd Street

#15 Samba Kitchen & Bar

This casual Hell’s Kitchen Brazilian venue features traditional Brazilian fare & cocktails, plus live bands in a cozy ambiance. The yucca fries, feijoada and picanha get a lot of love from the clientele.

Clients have said “who doesn’t want to eat, drink and listen to live music at the same time?!” They do have a point, right?

Live music happens every Wednesday night and Sunday brunch, in case you were wondering! Oh! And there is no cover charge!

Location: 661 9th Avenue

www.sambakitchenbar.com

#16 Petisco Brazuca (Delivery Only)

If you have a particular passion for coxinhas, the Brazilian version of the chicken croquette, look no further than Petisco Brazuca.

Chef Vanessa Pedreira and Ricardo Rosa started this delivery-only shop to share their passion for salgados, a type of Brazilian snack food, with New Yorkers.

They have a large Brazilian following and have earned praise from numerous Brazilian media outlets.

Plus, they’ve worked with clients like Google, Nike, Michel Kors, Melissa, Samsumg, Yahoo and Chase Bank.

They can deliver it to your door and you can order online, or through their app!

www.petiscobrazuca.com

#17 Galeria

UNFORTUNATELY THIS RESTAURANT IS PERMANENTLY CLOSED!

Located in the Lower East Side, Galeria serves unique bowls of Brazilian food made from organic, local and fresh ingredients. It’s literally a mixture of food, art and drinks!

They use all ingredients within 48 hours of delivery. The serving presentation is exquisite and is quite distinct from most other Brazilian restaurants in the city. In fact, their presentation is exceptional compared to New York City restaurants in general.

They’ve made believers of the folks at Gothamist, who remarked that the eatery’s bowl concept “sounds cliché at this point, but it’s hard to get too cynical about it when everything tastes this good.”

They even have a Concept-Store inside with articles from clothing to décor, for sale!

Location: 43 Clinton Street

#18 Tapas Bites

UNFORTUNATELY THIS RESTAURANT IS PERMANENTLY CLOSED!

Tapas Bites serves, you guessed it, Brazilian tapas and desserts.

The small eatery is located on a happening East Harlem block with some other cool spots to eat and chill.

Diners love the coxinhas, pão de queijo, bolinho de bacalhau, bolinha de queijo and for dessert chocolate or flaky coconut brigadeiros.

Location: 2337 First Avenue and 352 East 120th Street

#19 Gomi

Gomi is an interesting mix! It’s New York City’s only Korean-Brazilian wine bar.

Located in Alphabet City, their strength is their wine, not necessarily their food, but they’ve got some tasty bites, if you need something to follow your drinks!

Some of the favorite dishes are the cornish hen, gyoza and the picanha, among the numerous other tapas on the menu. Likewise, the “Brazilian-Meets-Korean” steak is a standout.

On the wine side, rose is the star.

Location: 186 Avenue A

www.gomikoreanwinebar.com

#20 Rice N Beans

Rice N Beans has been serving authentic Brazilian cuisine to New Yorkers for over 25 years. Located in Hell’s Kitchen, its namesake ingredients, rice and beans, stand out from other Latin American eateries because of the culinary talents of Executive Chef Carlos Roberto Inácio.

“I used to observe my mom cooking in (the Brazilian state of) Minas Gerais, so I learned how to cook in a different way, how to bring special seasoning to the dishes”, Chef Inácio explains.

The result is represented in a traditional Brazilian cuisine with intense flavors of garlic, onion, tomato, and coconut.

You’ll want to try the bolinho de queijo (cod stuffed croquette), the feijoada, the coxinhas and guava & passion fruit caipirinhas.

As they say, it’s a “no-fuss” place, so everything is pretty casual, but very tasty!

Location: 744 9th Avenue

www.ricenbeansnyc.com

#21 The Coffee Shop

UNFORTUNATELY THIS RESTAURANT IS PERMANENTLY CLOSED!

We love this place! It’s always very busy and loud, but nonetheless, it’s in our hearts!

The Coffee Shop is an iconic all-night Brazilian eatery that’s been around for decades and is open 23 hours a day. Located at Union Square, it’s fun, it’s noisy and it’s full of the pretty and the hip.

It’s famous for the sidewalk people watching tables, sort of like a classic Parisian bistro.

The service can be hit or miss, but many of the servers are aspiring models, actual models or could pass for models – which may make up for the slow service for some.

The herb fries are particularly popular, but The Coffee Shop offers plenty of other choice fare, like the pão de queijo. Likewise, the shrimp Baiano, a shrimp stew from Bahia, that comes with kale, fried plantains and plenty of white rice, is utterly delicious.

You might also want to try the granola bowl with fresh fruits and yogurt that is pretty good too and well served!

Location: 29 Union Square West

In Brooklyn:

Brooklyn also have a few Brazilian spots that we really enjoy. Some of them you’ve probably seen quite a few times on our Instastories, like Beco Bar!

Why? Well, it’s one of our Founder’s favorite spots to hand out and chill with her friends!

#22 Beco Bar

This is one of the Brazilian spots we love the most in Brooklyn and we’ve written about them a thousands of times! Beco Bar is a small Brazilian-style pub located just a few blocks from McCarren Park in Williamsburg.

The place is certainly the hot spots where the cool Brazilian (and local) crown hangs on weekdays and weekends. Brunch hours are always very full and tables are coveted by the trendiest people in the neighborhood – but, many commute from Manhattan and even other close by cities!

They offer very traditional dishes like the feijoada, PF (aka prato feito) and the bife a cavalo. Appetizers like the pão de queijo (Brazilian cheese bread) is a must-eat, as well as their coxinha – a fried croquettes filled with shredded chicken breast.

Their sandwich options are various and we recommend the also traditional, Bauru with sliced filet mignon, queijo prato (cheese) and tomatoes on a baguette.

For drink we’d say, try them all, but the famous caipirinha, of course, and batida de côco are our top picks!

Ah! They have live bands on Sundays at 5pm playing traditional Brazilian music, and also DJs on other days.

Location: 45 Richardson Street

www.becobar.com

#23 My Sweet

As Paula, the Founder, beautifully explains: “My Sweet is a Brooklyn based artisan brand where every sweet is handmade to order. We only use high quality, natural ingredients and we like to support local producers. We don’t use anything artificial.”

Their store is located in East Williamsburg, but you can buy the sweets online. They also offer catering services, so be sure to make your next party memorable, ordering a sorted selection!

Customers love the bite sized desserts made on premises.

We’ve also written about My Sweet before, feel free to read and see more pictures.

Location: 57 Porter Avenue

https://mysweet.com

#24 Miss Favela

If you like to party like Brazilians do, this is the place for you!

Here’s how the owners describe their menu:

“For nostalgic and curious palates, the restaurant features a menu filled with dishes as Moqueca de Peixe,Tutu a Mineira, Feijoada, among others. Also part of the menu Brazilian appetizers- coxinha, frango a passarinho, bolinho de bacalhau, pão de queijo, and the traditional drink, the Capirinha, that is offered with typical fruits as açaí, among others.”

They have long lasting parties, with loud music and Rio-inspired décor. What you’ll listen to? The typical Brazilian rhythms of Forró, Samba and Pagode.

During the warmer months, they have all the doors and windows open, with quite a few outdoor seatings.

As they say: “After all, life is about it, taste, love, friends and celebration!”

Location: 57 South 5th Street

www.missfavela.com

#25 El Mate

Located in Carroll Gardens, El Mate is a Brazilian-Argentinian fusion restaurant. Quite an interesting combination, considered the rivalry both countries have in the field while playing Soccer! Ha!

The guys there share that:

“From our delicious milanesas to our selections of empanadas to the most complexity of flavors of cuts of beef – like bife de costilla or tira de asado or the exotic Brazilian cut picanha na tabua we are dedicated to serve our food with passion which you can enjoy every bit by sipping with our handcrafted selection of house cocktails featuring all natural Yerba Mate tea.”

But wait! The Yerba Mate is a popular tea in both Brazil and Argentina that you actually mix with spirits, so you’ll be sure to have a fantastic time there!

For dessert, try a delicious maracujá mousse – known to us as passion fruit!

Location: 550 Court Street

www.facebook.com/elmaterestaurant

In Queens:

We have the biggest selection of restaurants located mostly in Astoria. Why? Astoria is the neighborhood with the biggest concentration of Brazilians! The community there is huge and definitely vibrant.

Many don’t even have a website, but you can always Google them!

# 26 Beija Flor

Customers rave about this place’s ambience! Beija Flor is located in the upcoming neighborhood of Long Island City! We love explore that part of Queens, and so should you!

Commuting is quite easy and there is always something new to explore!

The restaurant is cozy, but lively serving traditional Brazilian cuisine in an elegant yet unpretentious fashion. Located on a quiet Long Island City corner, the unfinished wood, sisal rope, and natural cloth used in the tasteful decor creates a true rustic ambiance enhanced by clay pots and cast iron skillets.

The restaurant uses ingredients sourced from the finest purveyors, featuring many local and organic products. On weekends, live music invigorates the atmosphere and inspires people to dance while they enjoy signature caipirinhas.

Location: 38-02 29th Street

#27 Kilo Astoria

Kilo Astoria is a Brazilian churrascaria that is loved by customers for its hot buffet, low-key atmosphere and friendly staff.

Equally as important, the prices are also very reasonable. It’s a place for a more casual meal, with dim lighting and quite simple and rustic décor. But, the food is just so well done and tasty, that it’s all goes unnoticed.

And, as we said above, the staff are so polite, that you’ll definitely want to come back again, and again, and again!

Oh! It’s so good that customers don’t even want to share that much about it online, so it won’t go viral, hahaha!

Location: 31-27 Ditmars Blvd

#28 Villa Brazil Café Grill

Dining 36 Brazilian Restaurants In New York Villa Brazil Cafe Grill Dragan Lojpur — Photo Credit: Dragan Lojpur

Similar to other restaurants we’ve mentioned here, Villa Brazil Café Grill is another buffet style restaurant.

Let us tell you why! Self-serving restaurants is actually very common in Brazil, even in a few more high-end ones. You literally get your table, and go serve yourself with everything you can possibly want. Take your time to find the most exotic and different options! Everything there is calculated by weight.

The barbecue meat is one of the highlights, as well as other options like the hanger steak, sirloin steak , beef ribs and sausage.

If you’ve never had Brazilian food, it’s a great place to start, since you can try a bit of everything!

Location: 43-16 34th Avenue

#29 Favela Grill

This Queens wine bar has received raves from the likes of Gothamist, Village Voice and New York Magazine.

Customers love the coxinha de frango (chicken croquettes), churrasco and costela bam bam (a Flinstone-style short rib on a bone).

Other standout dishes include the moqueca de peixe, a seafood stew made with herbs, vegetables and coconut milk and served with a side of bacon fat cassava; as well as the feijoada, a beef stew served in a miniature cauldron and the salgados pastries (savory).

They’ve been open since 2006 and continue to be a to-go spot in Astoria for great food. They also have a few different areas to host private events which are quite nice! Oh, and they offer buy-outs, with capacity for up to 75 people.

Location: 3318 28th Avenue

www.favelagrill.com

#30 Beach Bistro 96

Beach Bistro’s tapioca was named one of the “85 Best Dishes & Desserts” in NYC. It’s been open for only a couple of years, but this Rockaway Beach eatery has proven to serve some of the city’s finest Brazilian cuisine.

Oh, for those that don’t know, Rockaway Beach is considered part of Queens. Yup!

Besides their beautiful, delicious tapioca (similar to crepes), Beach Bistro 96 serves excellent coxinhas, pastéis, picanha and feijoada. The husband and wife team that run the restaurant also make fresh juices like maracujá juice, an incredible passion fruit concoction, and guava juice.

Whether you’re about to hit the waves, or you’ve just finished a surf session, Beach Bistro 96 is a great spot to satisfy your craving for authentic Brazilian food.

Location: 95-19 Rockaway Beach Blvd

www.beachbistro96.com

#31 Aroma Brazil Restaurant

Located in Jackson Heights, Aroma Brazil is a cozy pay-by-the-pound spot that features all the Brazilian classics. You get to eat for a fraction of the price you would at the larger Manhattan Brazilian restaurants.

If you go, make sure to order the picanha (sirloin), the coxinha (croquette), feijão (beans) and farofa (cassava).

They serve lunch and dinner and have everything from salads and pasta, to beef, chicken and a whole variety of traditional Brazilian dishes.

Location: 75-13 Roosevelt Avenue

www.facebook.com/Aroma-Brazil-Restaurant

#32 Copacabana Brazilian Grill

Copacabana serves delicious Brazilian barbecue buffet style, and charges as little as $7.49 per pound depending if you go for the meat (and is at most $10/pound).

Besides offering traditional Brazilian style meat, they also offer an excellent cut of lamb.

This Astoria spot has a legion of fans who rave about the food there, on countless websites. Just like their Queens competitors, Copacabana’s prices are modest compared to Manhattan Brazilian spots, but the quality of the food is comparable.

Location: 31-13 36th Avenue

#33 Rainhas Churrascaria

Rainhas Churrascaria is a popular all you can eat Brazilian steakhouse near Citi Field, in the neighborhood of Corona.

Best known for the picanha and the roasted pineapple. The interior is quite spacious and ornate, and features a waterfall panel on the windows.

Servers bring an array of meats – over 30 in fact – to your table to choose from. It includes pork, different cuts of steak, prime rib, spare ribs and lechon, among others.

Customers also really enjoy and talk about the service and the drinks.

Location: 108-01 Northern Blvd

# 34 Casa Theodoro

Casa Theodoro is a pizzeria and eatery in Woodside. They are famous for their Pizza Rodizio which, once again is a prix-fixe, all you can eat style. They also have a Pasta Rodizio.

The Beijinho is a Brazilian sweet made of condensed milk and coconut flake, but there they actually made a pizza with it! So, it can be a great option to try for dessert! Other options are Nutella, banana, merengue with strawberry and Nutella.

And still, the famous Romeo & Juliet, very traditional in Brazil, made with cheese, guava pasta and catupiry cheese.

For the folks that live close by, they also have 10% off if you order online! Check their delivery range online!

Location: 54-18 31st Avenue

www.casatheodoro.com

#35 Point Brazil

Point Brazil was founded back in 2009 by the Ribeiro sisters and was chosen, in 2011, as a New York Times’ Critics Pick.

Elzi and Erli Botelho Ribeiro are originally from Bahia, one of the most famous states in Brazil, in the Northeastern part of the country. They offer buffet style and a la carte menu. It’s a great place to start off the day with a nutritional healthy breakfast.

Plus, you might also want to consider checking out the daily baked cakes from orange cake to gluten free banana cake. Yum!

Location: 38-01 31St Avenue

www.pointbrazilrestaurant.com

#36 New York Pão de Queijo

Last, but certainly not least, New York Pão de Queijo is truly authentic Brazilian food.

As you saw above, all these traditional Brazilian spots serves this “national passion” called: Pão de Queijo. In other words, the famous cheese bread. It’s hard to explain exactly what it is, so the way it actually trying one! Here, you’ll actually be able to order even ones with filling! Yum!

Disclaimer: They are addictive, so beware!

Clients commute from Manhattan and other spots to eat at this spot and continue coming back again and again!

Top picks are always the green sauce, the pão de queijo (obviously), the sandwiches and the burgers.

In addition, they recommend: “Reinvigorate yourself at our Brazilian restaurant with an Açaí bowl, composed with locally sourced fruits and a fresh blend of juices from strawberry, papaya to pineapple mint.”

Location: 31-90 30th Street

www.newyorkpaodequeijo.com

So, as we said, if you love Brazilian food and the culture, or if you want to know know where to eat in New York on a budget, explore these places!

Enjoy, and let us know in the comments below, which one you loved the most!

Photo Credit: Courtesy of the venues and Dragan Lojpur
*Last Update on Feb/2020.*

The Current 7 Best Art Exhibitions In New York

February 21, 2018

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Come explore the current 7 best art exhibitions in New York, curated exclusively for Behind the Scenes NYC by the art expert, Gisela Gueiros!

Our friend, contributor and art expert, Gisela Gueiros, sent us a list of the current 7 best art exhibitions in New York!

Take a look below to see what you love best, or…just go explore them all!

Tarsila do Amaral – MoMA

“Tarsila is one of the most important figures for Latin American modern art history. The show at MoMA is her first in the US and features her work from the 20s and 30s. Pay special attention to the painting ‘Abaporu’, 1928.”

Tarsila was born in 1886, in São Paulo, Brazil. In her early 20’s she moved to Paris to study at the renowned art school, Académie Julian. During these years she has to opportunity with working with important names like Fernand Léger, a renowned French painter, sculptor, and filmmaker.

The exhibition is named “Tarsila do Amaral: Inventing Modern Art in Brazil” and…

“…focuses on her pivotal production from the 1920s, when she navigated the art worlds of both São Paulo and Paris, and charts her involvement with an increasingly international artistic community, as well as her critical role in the emergence of modernism in Brazil.”

The exhibition unites over 100 paintings, photographs, drawing, sketches and historical documents.

Tarsila painted “Abaporu” in 1928 for her husband and famous Brazilian poet, Oswald de Andrade. It’s explained that:

“This landmark painting inspired the Manifesto of Anthropophagy, and became the banner for a transformative artistic movement, which imagined a specifically Brazilian culture arising from the symbolic digestion—or artistic “cannibalism”—of outside influences.”

Live through: June 3^rd, 2018

Location: 11 West 53^rd Street

www.moma.org

Gordon Matta-Clark – Bronx Museum

“Totally worth the trip to the Bronx, ‘Gordon Matta-Clark: Anarchitect’ examines the artist’s pioneering interventions in urban spaces. It features more than 100 works including rarely seen materials from his archive.”

This New York-born artist was born in 1943 and became well known for his site-specific art works in the 1970’s. He passed away at a very early age of pancreatic cancer, in 1978 (35-years old), but left a remarkable legacy.

Gordon went to Cornell University to study architecture, spent a year at Sorbonne in Paris, studying French literature and documented his work through videos and photography.

He’s best known for his unique series ‘building cuts’ (1972 – 1978), where he removed entire structures, carving them out and eventually naming these transformations “Anarchitecture”.

Live through: April 8^th, 2018

Location: 1040 Grand Concourse

www.bronxmuseum.org

Dan Flavin – David Zwirner Gallery

“From 1963 on, Flavin would only use fluorescent light to create installations – or “situations,” as he preferred to call them – of light and color until his passing in 1996. The show examines his production during the 60s.”

The exhibition is named “Dan Flavin: in daylight or cool white”. Flavin was born in 1933, in Jamaica, New York City.

His minimalistic aesthetics was recognized and celebrated throughout his career and his work with fluorescent lighting truly shaped it.

Live through: April 14^th, 2018

Location: 537 West 20^th Street

www.davidzwirner.com

Ellsworth Kelly – Flag Art Foundation

“Curated by his widow, photographer Jack Shear, the exhibition focuses on Kelly’s works in black and white, including drawings, paintings, photographs, and sculptures made in the first and last decade of the artist’s career.”

Ellsworth Kelly was born in Newburgh, New York in the year of 1923.

He served during World War II and when he returned to the US, he concluded his studies at Boston Museum School, then headed to École des Beaux-Arts, in Paris.

Jack Shear is currently the President of the Ellsworth Kelly Foundation and continues his photography work, while living in Spencertown, New York.

Live from: February 23^rd – May 19^th, 2018

Location: 545 West 25^th Street, 9^th Floor

http://flagartfoundation.org

Zoe Leonard – Whitney Museum

“Opening soon, this show will be a must see! Zoe Leonard is one of the most remarkable artists of her generation. The exhibition looks across Leonard’s engagement with the history of photography, gender and sexuality, loss and mourning, migration, displacement, and the urban landscape.”

“Zoe Leonard: Survey is the first large-scale overview of the artist’s work in an American museum. The exhibition looks across Leonard’s career to highlight her engagement with a range of themes. More than it focuses on any particular subject, however, Leonard’s work slowly and reflectively calibrates vision and form.”

Leonard was born in Liberty, New York, in 1961. Her work primarily focuses on photography and sculptures.

She dropped out of school at an early age and moved to New York City to start shooting. It was the perfect place for her to shoot graffiti, apartment buildings, street, sidewalks and other details that captured her attention and her keen eye.

Leonard is known for her work as an activist in AIDS advocacy and Queer politics in New York.

Leonard’s Speech at the Highline, starts with “I want a dike for President…” Definitely worth reading!

Live from: March 2^nd – June 10^th, 2018

Location: 99 Gansevoort Street

https://whitney.org

Thomas Demand – Matthew Marks Gallery

“It is hard to believe that all that you see in Thomas Demand’s work are sculptures made of paper, he then photographs. Each Daily depicts an everyday scene originally captured by the artist on his cell phone re-created in paper and cardboard.”

“On a pair of separate video monitors suspended from the ceiling, two short films play on continuous loop. The films were created through a similar process, starting out as paper models before being photographed and animated in stop motion.”

In this upcoming exhibition, divided into two different rooms, you’ll be able to witness 7 new photographs and 2 new films, that Demand creatively presents as an installation.

Live through: April 7^th, 2018

Location: 523 West 24^th Street

www.matthewmarks.com

Richard Diebenkorn and Wayne Thiebaud – Acquavella Galleries

“This beautiful show features twenty landscapes by California painters Richard Diebenkorn and Wayne Thiebaud who were also close friends. Themes explored include their use of vibrant color, painterly texture, sense of light, and aerial perspective.”

“Richard Diebenkorn & Wayne Thiebaud: California Landscapes”, is the first joint exhibition with these two artists, that we also pretty close friends.

“Themes explored in the show will include their use of vibrant color, painterly texture, sense of light, and aerial perspective.”

Diebenkorn was born in Portland, Oregon back in 1922, while Thiebaud was born in Meza, Arizona in 1920. Diebenkorn is well-known for his work of abstract expressionism and the Bay Area Figurative Movement.

Thiebaud, on the other hand, is associated primarily with Pop Art, but also New Realism and, as Diebenkorn, the Bay Area Figurative Movement.

This exhibition is a beautiful collaboration, offering a hardcover catalogue with a critical essay by John Ya, a distinguished curator and art historian.

In addition, it also includes an interview between Museum Director Philippe de Montebello and artist Wayne Thiebaud.

Live through: March 16^th, 2018

Location: 18 East 79^th Street

www.acquavellagalleries.com

So, if you enjoyed Gisela Gueiros’ 7 best art exhibitions in New York, she will be presenting her own curated show with opening night on March 8^th!

It will happen at Bird Williamsburg, with art work from great names like: Alice Quaresma, Lisa Schilling, Polly Shindler, Talita Zaragoza, Bia Monteiro, Julia Brandão, Sandra Jávera, Cela Luz, Maíra Senise & Ana Bial.

More details to follow, so stay tuned!

www.giselagueiros.com

For the art lover that loves exploring the endless NY art scene, you’ll certainly enjoy our exclusive art tour. Guests uncover the best off-the-beaten-path contemporary art galleries in the city.

Or even, book private art tours to explore a few open air museums upstate, during a priceless day trip. For Corporate Experience with your team, or to “wow” your clients, let our experts cater it all for you!

Photo Credits: Courtesy of Collection MALBA, Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires. © Tarsila do Amaral Licenciamentos; Installation View, Gordon Matta-Clark: Anarchitect, 2017. © 2017 Stefan Hagen; Dan Flavin; Ellsworth Kelly, Broad Street Studio, New York, 1956.© Onni Saari, courtesy Ellsworth Kelly Studio; Zoe Leonard – CC BY-SA 4.0; Matthew Marks Gallery – Thomas Demand; Wayne Thiebaud, Green River Lands, 1998, Collection of Matthew Bult Art, © Wayne Thiebaud, Licenced by VAGA, New York, NY and Gisela Gueiros.
*Last Update on Feb/2020.*

New York Through The Eyes Of The Tech Entrepreneur: Graham Mann

January 31, 2018

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Curiosities Insider Interviews No Comments

New York-based Tech Entrepreneur, Graham Mann, shared with us his 7 top tips in New York! Check out where the cool tech crowd hangs out!

Graham Mann is cofounder of Lean Systems, a logistics startup with offices in New York and Montreal, a graduate of Techstars NYC, and recipient of the 2017 Startup Canada Young Entrepreneur award. He grew up in Nova Scotia, Canada, and did his undergrad degree in engineering at McGill University in Montreal.

He still leads the non-profit organization he founded, called Sail All, which provides sailing opportunities for youth in his home province of Nova Scotia, and mentors new entrepreneurs whenever he can, particularly for Founder Institute Montreal and Startup Weekend.

In his spare time you can usually find him on or near the water, sailing, windsurfing, or attempting surfing and kiteboarding, or out taking photos.

He writes regularly on his blog, and just launched a podcast called Starting Stories, where he interviews entrepreneurs, creatives, and more to talk about how they got started, and the habits and tools that led to their success.

Take a look at his 7 top tips in New York:

For Pizza: Lucali

Curiosities Insider Interviews Graham Mann Lucali Pizza

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“I discovered Lucali through a cousin living nearby, and it’s known to locals for good reason: their pizza is delicious. They only serve pizza and calzones, and have different ingredients every day. It’s also BYOB – go to Henry Street Wine down the street for some super-friendly advice on which wines to get. Go early as there’s no reservations, and it’s cash only.”

Their first and only location in New York is Carroll Gardens, in Brooklyn. The restaurant is specialized in pizzas and calzones, but also offers appetizer salads and fresh sides. Their thin-crusted pizzas and home-made sauces are loved not only by their neighbors, but by guests that come from all over NYC. Hence, the house is always full, as Graham mentioned above.

If you’re into craft draft and bottled beers, they have a good selection, as well as a wine menu with low production Italian wines.

Who’s the mind behind this all? The pizzaiolo Mark Iacono and he also has a location in Miami.

Hours:
Monday – Thursday: 5pm – 12am
Friday – Sunday: 1pm – 12am

Location: 575 Henry Street

www.lucalibrooklyn.com

For Cocktails: Brooklyn Social Bar

“After pizza and wine at Lucali, you can stop by Brooklyn Social Bar on your way back to the subway. The atmosphere is great, cocktails are delicious, and the bartenders are super friendly. Go on an off-night and get to know the bartenders.”

Located in Carroll Gardens, this spot was the former Society Riposto, a private member’s Sicilian Club. This group started back in the early 1900’s, and only in 1967 they actually rented out this spot.

They had private gatherings and parties led by Isidoro Parisi and his group of Italian friends.

After the memberships slowly dissolving throughout the years, 3 30-year old Brooklyn residents decided to purchase and renovate the place.

Many of the decorations are still the original ones with amazing, vintage pictures and ornaments, allowing it to keep its original vibe.

It’s surely a place that will take you back to the past, as in you entered another place on Earth.

Hours:
Sunday – Thursday: 5pm – 2am
Friday – Saturday: 5pm – 4am

Location: 335 Smith Street

http://brooklynsocialbar.com

For Those Interested In Travel: Voyager HQ

“For anyone interested in, working in, or looking for a job in travel, you should be hanging out at Voyager HQ. It’s where we work in New York, the staff are super friendly, and they hold lots of great events. If you’re interested in travel, you should be there.”

We have to agree! We love everything that VoyagerHQ does and we are there quite often!

The place is great and the crowd is perfect for networking. They say they are “A Club for Travel Innovators”, so if this at all calls your attention, you should pass by.

In addition, they host some pretty cool events from breakfasts with industry professionals, to pitch nights with fantastic start-ups urging to change the world!

Location: 137 West 25th Street

www.voyagerhq.com

To Escape the City (sort of): Roosevelt Island

Curiosities Insider Interviews Graham Mann Roosevelt Island Mc Gutty — Photo Credit: Mc_Gutty

“One of my college roommates grew up here, and I’ve spent quite a bit of time in Roosevelt Island. It’s right next to Manhattan, yet you’d never know it when you’re there, given how peaceful and quiet it is. Take the tram or subway there, go for a run, grab a coffee, or check out the beautiful new Cornell Tech campus.”

Yup, Roosevelt Island is a “life apart”, even though it’s nestled in the middle of the East River.

It’s a great place to go explore during the weekends!

If you have to pick a way to get there, we do recommend the tram. The journey will start with a spectacular view of Manhattan Island, Queens and the East River.

You’ll most certainly capture breathtaking Instagrammable shots!

The island has only one main street, called Main Street, ha, and a few additional side roads! But you can always walk towards the water through the path – that’s there the best views are.

If you’re the adventurous type, be sure to explore the Smallpox Hospital, also known as the Renwick Smallpox Hospital, in the Southern tip of the island.

Place to Take a Canadian: New York Islanders game

“For Canadians, there’s no better way to spend an evening than at a hockey game, but given how popular it is in Canada, you’re lucky to get seats for a reasonable price. Take them to an Islanders game and they’ll love it, and for bonus points take them when they’re playing their favorite team.”

Canadians do love Hockey, but his is literally an activity for anyone that enjoys sports.

Moreover, if you or your friends have never been to a hockey game, we have to agreed you HAVE TO go to one.

Live hockey is definitely a thrilling experience and it’ll be a night of fun!

www.nhl.com/islanders

For Whisky: Caledonia Bar

Curiosities Insider Interviews Graham Mann Caledonia Bar

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“I got more of a taste for scotch after spending two weeks traveling Scotland last spring, and Caledonia Bar has the best selection I’ve found in New York. The atmosphere is as good as the whisky selection, and it’s a great place to take a date.”

Caledonia Bar has two locations in Manhattan. One is in the Upper East Side and the other at the Upper West Side, of Manhattan.

They have a great drink list, a few food options that vary a bit in each location and, a fantastic list of House Rules!

Wanna know some of them?

Five percent off for Tinder dates, you need to prove it by showing us your initial awkward messages
No credit card minimum, but if you keep swiping your card all night you are wasting paper, killing trees and in the long run killing all of humanity you selfish bastard. Start a Tab!
Gentlemen, this is a lady friendly bar, if it’s clear that they are not interested in you then stop talking to them. Obviously this rule does not apply to me.

Ha! So fun! Anyway, enjoy your scotch night out!

Hours:
Upper West Side: Monday – Sunday: 4pm – 4am
Upper East Side: Monday – Thursday: 5pm – 4am and Friday – Sunday: 4pm – 4am

Locations:
424 Amsterdam Avenue, Upper West Side
1609 2^nd Avenue, Upper East Side

www.caledoniabar.com

For Shopping: Everlane

Curiosities Insider Interviews Graham Mann Everlane NYC Store Interior

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“I generally try to avoid shopping in person as much as possible, but Everlane makes the experience enjoyable. I love that their simple, classic lines don’t overwhelm you with choice, and their commitment to ethical factories and transparent pricing make them a brand you can get behind. They currently only have two brick-and-mortar locations, and one is in New York.”

Located in the super cool neighborhood of Nolita, in Manhattan, Everlane believes in “Exceptional quality.
Ethical factories. Radical Transparency.” Totally up our alley!

Plus, their collections and products are timeless pieces that will be part of your wardrobe for a long time. How? Well, they source the finest materials and aren’t too focused on trends.

Oh! And still, they let the customer know exactly the true cost of materials, labor, transportation, taxes, etc…for the item they are purchasing. We love it!

They offer a complete line of products for men and women that believe, like them, that “we can all make a difference”.

Hours:
Monday – Saturday: 11am – 7pm
Sunday: 10am – 5pm

Location: 28 Prince Street

www.everlane.com

Thank you, Graham, for sharing these 7 top tips in New York! We are sure you will enjoy them all!

Finally, if you enjoyed this interview, we are positive you loved all the places that David Yarus, the Founder of the app JSwipe, shared with us! He listed 5 NYC spots that you’ve probably never been to! They are all surely worth the visit, so check them out!

Photo Credits: Courtesy of The Associated Press for the Washington’s Top News, Mc_Gutty, P_Nali and the venues
*Last Update on April/2020.*

A Filmmaker, Digital Storyteller And Travel Expert Named Kristen Kellogg

January 2, 2018

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Kristen Kellogg, a filmmaker, digital storyteller, and travel expert shares with us her 7 best NYC tips for exploring New York City. There is nothing better than learning with travel experts, right?

Curiosities Insider Interviews Kristen Kellogg Camping Ithaca New York — Kristen Kellogg glamping in Ithaca, New York!

We love all different types of interviews and the ones with travel experts are always quite amusing. We not only love all the tips, but we also end up finding out more secrets about our own beautiful concrete jungle.

Read about Kristen’s explorations and see her 7 best NYC tips for exploring New York City.

Exploring rugged to refined, filmmaker, digital storyteller, and travel expert Kristen Kellogg has designed her life for life on the road. Her Wanderlust Website + Content Creation Agency, Border Free Travels, produces and shares highly engaging lifestyle stories and brand campaigns through film, photography, and innovative media tied to travel.

In addition Kristen’s work and words have been featured in AFAR, MSN, Refinery 29, Daily Mail, Yahoo, and Travel Channel, and Islands Magazine, among others. Some of her recent clients include Skype, Thailand Tourism, The Outer Banks, Visit California, and Rosetta Stone for whom she produced a new travel video series.

On this adventure, Kristen journeys through Mérida, Mexico getting “Lost With Locals” while touring markets with a local chef, practicing Spanish phrases with strangers, and even picks up some local dance moves.

Kristen lives on Nantucket, has an obsession with cheese, loves talking to strangers – in person and on Instagram, and feels most at home when she’s not.

A Nantucket Island resident, when she’s not on the road, she finds inspiration by literally running around exploring her own backyard. She frequently visits NYC between travels in and out of the country.

So, take a look at Kristen Kellogg 7 best NYC tips for exploring New York City:

Helicopter Tours

“The best views of Manhattan I’ve ever seen were in a helicopter – doors off! Everyone should do this once in their life – I’d go again in a NYC beat.

And we have to agree with Kristen! As we’ve said before, we know we are obsessed with New York City and one of the best views of the city is from high up in the air!

Plus, it’s incredible to see our concrete jungle and all the boroughs from this perspective.

Take a look at this Helicopter Tour and book now!

The William Vale

Curiosities Insider Interviews Kristen Kellogg William Vale Hotel Photo MarkyMarc13

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“Sunset drinks and apps at the Westlight atop The William Vale hotel. This is the best view looking back on the city!”

Brooklyn is certainly the most up and coming area in New York and so much is going on, on that side of the bridge. New restaurants, stores, nightclubs, coffee shops, events, etc!

The William Vale is one of the newest additions to the neighborhood and has become an immediate hotspot.

Its rooftop offers a priceless 360º view where you can see the 5 boroughs.

So, if you want to stay in one of the trendiest hotels, in a super cool location and mix with an energetic and stylish crowd…then this is the place for you!

Location: 111 North 12th Street

www.thewilliamvale.com

Matcha Bar

Curiosities Insider Interviews Kristen Kellogg Matcha Bar Lunch

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“If you have a thing for matcha and Instagram, you’ll find your prefect match at Matcha Bar, with two addresses in Manhattan.”

Founded by the brothers, Max and Graham Fortgang, in 2014, Matcha Bar is the perfect drink if you’re looking for energy, focus, paired with powerful antioxidants.

As they explained, they “became fixated on the idea of bringing this ancient tradition into the modern metropolis they call home”. And they did!

Their matcha is sourced directly from an independent family farm in Nishio, Japan.

www.matchabar.co

Miss Paradis

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UNFORTUNATELY THIS RESTAURANT IS PERMANENTLY CLOSED!

“I love Miss Paradis in SoHo – prefect for catching up with a friend or two. Nosh on small plates and sip on rose — it adorns the walls of the place. I love the burrata!”

Miss Paradis opened just a while ago, in November of 2016. The place is beautifully designed by Philippe Starck and serves super healthy, seasonal food. Moreover, the dishes are works of art and creatively presented.

They are well-known for their Rosé labels, so we do recommend trying the cocktails on their list. And, as they say: “don’t expect to skip dessert!”

“Miss Paradis is a timeless temple to the glory of the fruits of Nature.” ~ Philippe Starck, Créateur

Location: 47 Prince Street

Takoyaki

In New York city, you’ll find surprises around every corner, especially when it comes to culinary treats, such as this popular Japanese snack called “Takoyaki.” What is the most interesting street food you’ve tried?
Posted by Rosetta Stone on Thursday, December 1, 2016

UNFORTUNATELY THIS SPOT IS PERMANENTLY CLOSED!

“I stumbled on this gem of a Takoyaki stand on Doyers Street in Chinatown. You’ll get hungry watching the video I made (above).”

If you go to New York, you have to be opened to trying the different street food you’ll find along your way. Plus, if they are literally a hole in the wall, it’s even better.

Hidden in one of Chinatown’s most famous streets, Takoyaki opens only for a few hours during the weekends, so you need to be sure to pass by.

What to try? Maybe a little of everything! Their octopus dumpling is on the top of our list. Prices are super fair, so don’t worry.

Hours: Saturday & Sunday: 12pm – 6pm

Location: 5 Doyers Street

KIIN Thai Eatery

Curiosities Insider Interviews Kristen Kellogg Kiin Thai Eatery Tamarind Half Duck

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UNFORTUNATELY THIS RESTAURANT IS PERMANENTLY CLOSED!

“I’ve traveled three times extensively through Thailand and always have a tough time finding those same tastes in the states. If you want authentic Thai food, KIIN Thai Eatery is IT! Every bite will have your mouth watering. This place is best for atlas for people – you can order half of the menu this way and try it all.”

KIIN, in the Greenwich Village, in Manhattan, serves authentic central and northern Thai cuisine, with recipes that dates back centuries, but are still current.

Ingredients are all very fresh and tasty, challenging everyone’s taste buds and offering a true Thai experience.

Location: 36 East 8th Street

Sisley Spa

“If you’re in need of a time out, stop at the Sisley Spa in the Rosewood Hotel and treat yourself to a unique treatment – the Phyto-Aromatic Replumping Youth Facial with Rose. The esthetician gently moves rose quartz around your face – so relaxing I fell asleep.”

Not really a “behind the scenes” experience, but nonetheless, super worth exploring, specially after a long and tiring day exploring New York.

Moreover, it’s located inside The Carlyle hotel, in the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

Treatments are customized according to you needs and desires, so you’ll be sure to leave completely relaxed and ready for more NYC adventures!

Location: The Carlyle – 35 East 76th Street – 3rd Floor

https://thesisleyspa.com

Thank you, Kristen, for being part of our Insider Interviews and for sharing your 7 best NYC tips for exploring New York City!

Photo Credits: Courtesy of Belly Adventure, Marky_Marc13 and all the venues.
*Last Update on April/2020.*

Antonia Greco: A Love Guru Uncovers NYC’s Dating Scene

August 7, 2017

BTSNYC

Curiosities Insider Interviews No Comments

Lets talk about Dating in New York City?! Everyone knows about the “rumors” about NYC’s dating scene and how different it is from the rest of the world! Antonia Greco tell us about the best spots to hang out, if you’re single!

Curiosities Insider Interviews Antonia Greco NYC Dating Expert — Photo Credit: Courtesy of Gary He

If you’ve just moved to this beautiful, tireless city, or if you’ve been in New York City long enough, you will notice two topics that will always (and we mean, always!) come up during dinners or bar conversations:

RENT! It’s amazing how people are eager to know how much you pay for rent and all the amenities you have in your building to justify the high prices. Note: It does not matter if they just met you, they WILL boldly ask…
DATING! The “Dating Scene” in New York is, without a doubt, unique and different from anywhere else on this planet! It’s a battle to figure out all the do’s and don’ts, right? So, after you do, and everything seams to be flowing well with your beau…BOOM! The guy dumps you…

With the Dating topic in mind, our Contributor Ari Crane interviewed Antonia Greco from Loved Tapped. She is a NYC-based Dating and Relationship Expert. She is also the co-author of “Who Lies More, Men or Women? 6 Ways to Succeed in Dating, Relationships, and Life”.

Over the past eight years, Antonia’s worked one-on-one with clients of all ages to help them meet partners, date successfully, and has had a helping hand in several marriages.

In her spare time, she likes to run, fuss over cute dogs, play piano and bake pies.

“A question I often get asked by singles is ‘Where can I go to meet people?’ — Simply put, you can meet people anywhere you go. It’s just a matter of having the guts to open the dialogue and/or be approachable. That said, it’s beneficial to pick places that reflect something about your lifestyle, your passions, or something new you’d like to try.”

Here are Antonia’s top picks in the City! Do check them out and, who knows, maybe you’ll find your partner in crime, for life.

Hu Kitchen

“If working out and being healthy are your thing, then get ready to be excited by Hu Kitchen. Everything is delicious and wholesome sans ingredients that you can’t pronounce. And the clientele, well, they’re exceptionally good looking, in shape, and healthy. Not to mention, the layout of the tables is conducive to striking up a conversation very effortlessly. Rotate this place into your weekly lunch or dinner schedule and be sure to treat yourself to the house-made Almond Butter truffles!”

Not only all the ingredients are fantastic and super healthy, but they also produce their own delicious chocolate bars.

They have a huge list of “What they don’t have”, but there are just a few, so you get the vibe: NO Conventional Sweeteners, NO Gluten, NO Soy, NO GMO Corn, NO Commercial Lecithins, NO Preservatives…

Hours:
Monday – Friday: 7am – 10pm
Saturday – Sunday: 9am – 9pm

Location: 78 5th Avenue (at 14th Street), Midtown

http://hukitchen.com

B-Cup

“Whether you’re “working remotely” or in the mood for a chill place to enjoy some coffee, look no further than B-Cup. This hip little haunt is tucked away in Alphabet City and is the “office” for many singles. With free, reliable wi-fi and iced coffees served in carafes, this friendly space is a mix of funky and accommodating. Bonus: Most people come here alone so it’s the perfect place to table share during the busier hours!”

Alphabet City is part of what most people know as the East Village. The area is very residential, but it is the home of several bars, cocktail spots and super cool restaurants. The area is filled with life and great spots to uncover.

Their park is called Tompkins Square Park. You might recall it from the post we wrote about a Feeding Program our Founder coordinates, feeding 200 homeless every week!

The area has also a significant Puerto Rican community, that definitely brings an uplifting vibe. After all, we know how cheerful Puerto Ricans are, right!?

Location: 212 Avenue B, Alphabet City

www.bcupcafe.com

Printed Matter

“Printed Matter is a metropolis for the creative minds. If you’re someone who has an appreciation for rare work and unusual finds, then this should be at the top of your “must visit” list. No need for pickup lines here, the sheer amount of conversation pieces alone will make banter inevitable.”

As they explain, they are:

The world’s leading non-profit organization dedicated to the dissemination, understanding and appreciation of artists’ books.

It is definitely a place to go and meet interesting people, creative minds and mingle with a super cult crowd!

Be bold and go see what they have to offer!

Location: 231 11th Avenue, Chelsea

www.printedmatter.org

Cooper Hewitt

“If you find museums to be boring, then maybe Cooper Hewitt will change your mind. The interactive environment – especially in the Immersion Room – is the perfect place to strike up conversation with others, all while interacting with art and design. When you’re done, grab a coffee from the cafe and head to the garden!”

The museum was founded in 1897 and was named “Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum”.

It’s dedicated exclusively on historical and contemporary design, making it the only museum in the US with this focus.

Therefore, it has “more than 210,000 design objects spanning 30 centuries.

From ancient textiles and works on paper to icons of modern design and cutting-edge technologies, Cooper Hewitt’s collection serves as inspiration for creative work of all kinds and tells the story of design’s paramount importance in improving our world.”

They have a great outdoor area and garden, where they host different events, so be sure to see what’s on next!

Location: 2 East 91st Street, Upper East Side

www.cooperhewitt.org

Niketown Running Club

“Running is a great way to unwind all while staying healthy and I love the Nike Run Club! Regardless of your pace or athletic level, this is a good place to meet others – especially for those that are tired of the bar scene. Don’t be discouraged if the guy to girl ratio is not in your favor. One thing singles tend to forget is that ANY person you meet may have a single friend, relative or coworker that would be a fit for you!”

The Nike Run Club it not only for professional runners, but also for the amateur and aspiring runner!

Don’t be intimidated. It’s a great place to find like minded people.

You’ll have professional coaching and experts to help you out at any time of the day – from 5am through 7pm.

Plus, you can do a one-time test in Nike’s new shoes, register your evolution through their APP, run with the best lists on Spotify and also choose from 100 different workouts by Nike Master Trainers.

Location: 6 East 57th Street, Midtown East

www.nike.com/nrc-app

L.A. Burdick

“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. And where there is chocolate, there are women! Don’t be fooled by the small space at L.A. Burdick. This charming little chocolate shop pumps out some of the best hot chocolate in the city as well as adorable handmade treats. Hint: most people have a sweet tooth around 3pm so it’s a good place to stop in during that time!”

And, we have to agree. Chocolate is always a good idea!

With only 1 store in SoHo, they have some of the most loyal customers. People can’t hesitate and do come back for more, and more, and more.

Founded in 1987 by Larry Burdick, it all started back in the late 1970’s. His curiosity and passion for everything related to the French culture took him to Paris and Switzerland.

In a few years, he learn about hand-made delicacies, with a great focus on chocolates.

His stores serves not only the chocoholics, but also those that enjoy fruits and nuts dipped in chocolates, pastries like cakes, maracons and tartes. And still, people that love a good coffee or hot chocolate!

Today, they only 1 location in New York, but do have a few stores in other cities.

Location: 156 Prince Street, SoHo

www.burdickchocolate.com

For further information about Antonia and her work, check our her Website. Or, maybe even schedule a Free Consultation!

www.lovetapped.com

Photo Credits: Portrait by Gary He, Courtesy of Iwan Baan for Medibank and of the venues.
*Last Update on March/2020.*