Nordstrom 57th Street New York City

The Men's store has a Milk Bar for quick purchases of Christina Tosi's unique and delish desserts. The cake balls are one of my most favorites! 

First, I must state "This is not a sponsored post". 

I am a HUGE Nordstrom fan, shopping online with them for many years and their store in King of Prussia, Pa. I have been longing for their store to open in NYC and last year, they finally did open. I was able to check out the gorgeous store, located at West 57th Street and Broadway, Columbus Circle area right before Thanksgiving. It did not disappoint. 

Nordstrom is famous for their customer service and I just love the selection they offer as well. When shopping online, free shipping and returns make me very happy. 

Founded in 1901 by Swedish American John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin, the company began as a shoe retailer and expanded its inventory to include clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, and fragrances. Many companies look to their views on customer service to mold their own employees. 

They had a great selection of Snoopy merchandise which I found fantastic! It made me smile! 

The main store has 5 restaurants, a Shoe Bar - a Coffee Bar - Oh Mochi! donuts - Clubhouse Bar 

A very cool selection, and on this day I visited their flagship restaurant, Bistro Verde. I started with some lobster bisque which was so fantastic! It came out quickly and the warm bread with olive oil and olives made me very happy! 

 WILD SHRIMP & SAFFRON TAGLIATELLE

spanish chorizo, white wine, roasted garlic tomato sauce, parmesan cheese,

lemon, parsley 22.5

My main course was fantastic too and I ended up bringing half home to enjoy the next day. I am excited to try their other restaurants, but from this experience cannot imagine they will be bad. A wonderful spot when in this area for a bit of shopping and dining in Columbus Circle!! 

Everyone needs a pretzel with eyes! 

Nordstrom NYC 

West 57th Street and Broadway 

Hours.

Mon-Sat: 10am-9pm

Sun: 11am-7pm

To be assured not miss a post, sign up for each one to be emailed to you HERE. Be sure to check for your Feedburner confirmation email, or your subscription will not be processed. Your email is not sold or shared with anyone. Thank you so much for visiting! 

Al Fresco Dining Has Arrived

Antique Garage  

The warmer months in New York City are always exciting just for the ability to dine al fresco. There are so many wonderful selections from sidewalk cafes, rooftops, gardens, and of course the food trucks. Many of the restaurants have windows that open when the weather is nice, so you can really enjoy the sunshine. It is also a wonderful way to people watch, as New York City has some of the most chic people you will find. Here are some fabulous spots to take a break, enjoy that sunshine with some good food, a glass of wine and the wonder that is New York City !

Restaurant Felix 

Bryant Park 

Organicoa  

Caffe Napoli 

Pappardella

Financier Pastries

Sofias Little Italy

So, where will you be making reservations ? I suggest try to eat somewhere different every time you are in the city, as so many great choices are available. Bon Appetit !!

10 Best Seafood Restaurants in NYC

I am a huge seafood lover. I really do not eat a whole lot of meat, but I love a good burger. There are so many fantastic seafood restaurants in the city, I felt it was good to do a top 10 listing. There really isn't much seafood I do not eat, love oysters, salmon, haddock, shrimp, scallops, calamari. Funny thing is lobster is not a huge favorite of mine, but I had a lobster roll at Cull and Pistol which was pretty fantastic. I think as long as the seafood is the freshest available, it will be quite tasty. We always had the Feast of the Seven Fishes at Christmas Eve and I looked forward to it each year.

Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Le Bernardin - Chef Eric Ripert's most elegant and tasty seafood restaurant

2. Lure Fishbar - Wonderful Soho location with yacht design, amazing raw bar here

3. Oceana - Fantastic American seafood and very extensive wine list

4. Marea - Italian seafood by Chef Michael White

5. The John Dory Oyster Bar - If you love oysters, this is the place to be!

6. Burger and Lobster - Combining 2 of the greatest foods!

7. Grand Central Oyster Bar - The oysters are amazing however very extensive menu.

8. A Taste of Seafood - Amazing fried seafood

9. Red Hook Lobster Pound - For all the lobster lovers

10. Cull and Pistol - Located in Chelsea Market, totally amazing seafood including fresh oysters

To be assured not miss a post, sign up for each one to be emailed to you HERE. Be sure to check for your Feedburner confirmation email, or your subscription will not be processed. Your email is not sold or shared with anyone. Thank you so much for visiting! 

Would be thrilled if you gave me a follow here: 

Instagram / Facebook/ Bloglovin/ Pinterest 

10 Best Museum Restaurants in NYC

The Museums in New York City are some of the best in the world. I feel very lucky to be so close to visit these whenever I feel like it! The fact that they hold some of the best cultural items, their restaurants are pretty much top notch too. You will find first class food, very talented chefs and unique offerings while you brush up on your history. I listed Russ and Daughters because when it does open, it is a must visit. I am sure they are opening very soon at the Jewish Museum. I have to say my 2 personal favorites are Cafe Sabrasky and Robert. The first for the amazing food and the second for the amazing views of Columbus Circle. Restaurants and Museums are both linked below for you.

In no particular order:

1. Cafe Sabarsky in the Neue Galerie 
2. The Morgan Cafe in the Morgan Library and Museum 
3. The Modern at MOMA 
4. Robert at the MAD Museum 
5. The Petrie Court Café at the MET Museum 
6. Untitled at the Whitney Museum 
7. Café Serai at the Rubin Museum
8.  Russ and Daughter's at the Jewish Museum (as of 12/26/15 not yet opened)
9. Tarallucci e Vino Cafe at the Cooper Hewitt Museum 
10. The Wright at The Guggenheim

To be assured not miss a post, sign up for each one to be emailed to you HERE. Be sure to check for your Feedburner confirmation email, or your subscription will not be processed. Your email is not sold or shared with anyone. Thank you so much for being a reader of this blog! 

Instagram / Facebook/ Bloglovin/ Pinterest 

10 Best Pre Theater NYC Restaurants

Broadway shows are something that I do not do very often. I tend to find that there are so many other things I rather do when in the city. I have been to a few really good ones however, and dinner before the show is something many folks need to know. You will find quite a few of the restaurants have a special pre-theater meal, which is usually a very good deal for 3 courses. There are so many restaurants in the area of the Broadway theaters, but I find these to be the top 10 choices, ranging from inexpensive to expensive. In no particular order:

1. Juniors 

2. Oceana 

3. Carnegie Deli 

4. Thalia 

5. Sardi's 

6. City Lobster and Steak 

7. The Lamb's Club

8. Toloache

9. Becco 

10. Don Antonio 

Instagram / Facebook/ Bloglovin/ Pinterest / Twitter 

10 Best Classic NYC Restaurants

It is amazing to me how many restaurants in New York City are 100 years old. Many of the shops on Mulberry Street in what is left of Little Italy have been there that long as well. What a testament to their cuisine to be around for so many years! This top 10 list is different than all others in that it is in order of oldest to newest restaurant! Be sure to check out all of these great places when you are in the city. They should be on your "to-do" list, as they are on mine!

1. Pete's Tavern 1864
2. Peter Luger Steakhouse opened in Williamsburg 1887
3. Katz's Deli 1888
4. Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden 1910
5. Grand Central Oyster Bar 1913
6. Nathan's Famous Coney Island 1916
7. Totonno's Pizzeria Napolitano 1924
8. 21 Club current location since 1929
9. John's of Bleecker Street 1929
10. Carnegie Deli 1937

Instagram / Facebook/ Bloglovin/ Pinterest / Twitter 

HallStreet Travel Website

One of the things I love about being a blogger is being introduced to new products and websites. I was recently contacted by HallStreet to share with you their website. This is a sponsored post, but as you know, I do not do many of these, only for products I really believe in. HallStreet is a very cool website for the traveler, or even those who do not travel. They provide you information for events, hotels and restaurants to be displayed all on one map. I think that can be very handy when traveling for sure. When I first pulled up the website, it gave me information about events/restaurants/hotels within my hometown.

Here is some information from their website:

Whether you are going to a conference, festival, your best friend’s wedding or just a weekend getaway, we're here to make your trip planning experience easier, faster and funkier.

HallSt is in the business of creating total travel experiences by linking events, hotels, restaurants, travellers and points of interests all on one map, so you can get a real bird’s eye view of the city, compare and book hotel and tickets at standard or peer-to-peer rates, get directions and find out what’s happening around you.

We’re also the first travel community that lets you take part in the sharing economy. At HallSt you will get paid for sharing your insider tips with us by creating your own city or event maps.

Some of the features that stood out to me:

• All events, hotels, restaurants on one master map 
• Sell hotel reservations 
• Sell spare hotel beds 
• Endorsed by my favorite Trip Advisor 
• Worldwide Locations 
• Compare and book hotel, tickets to events 
• Insider tips from those who are familiar with various cities 

I would highly suggest you check out HallStreet for your travel needs. I think they offer some great options, and I love the maps idea. When you travel, you want to make things run as smoothly as possible, and HallStreet can assist you in this way. 

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. The company who sponsored this post has provided compensation to me for this article. Regardless, I only recommend products and/or services that I have personally used or feel will be of interest to my readers.

Would be thrilled if you gave me a follow here:

Instagram / Facebook/ Bloglovin/ Pinterest 

What Type of Tipper Are You ?

SURVEY OF AMERICAN DINERS FINDS TIPPING HABITS VARY CONSIDERABLY BY DEMOGRAPHIC

Young adults are more thrifty than older adults and women are less likely than men to be big tippers

 GREENVILLE, S.C. (June 4, 2014) – On average, Americans say they usually  tip 18 percent for good service when dining out, according to a recent online survey by Harris Poll that was conducted on behalf of  Michelin—a company known for its tires and celebrated restaurant guides.  

According to the survey that included more than 2,000 U.S. adults, 70 percent of Americans overall say they usually tip between 15 to 20 percent for good service when dining out, and one in ten Americans say they typically tip more than 20 percent, with men more likely to say this than women (12 percent compared to eight percent, respectively).  Thankfully, just one percent of Americans say they leave nothing for good service.

A closer look at the survey’s demographics shows that younger adults, more than older adults, say they usually leave tips well below the national average.  Thirty percent of Americans age 18-34 admit they normally tip less than 15 percent for good service, while only 16 percent of adults 35 and older admit this in the survey.

Geographically, there are also differences. According to the survey, diners in the Northeast are more charitable when tipping than other regions of the country. For example, 22 percent of diners in the South say they normally tip less than 15 percent. In the West 24 percent say this, and in the Midwest it is 26 percent. Only 15 percent of Northeast diners say they tip this sparingly, and the overall average tip among this geographic group is above the national average at 19 percent.

The Harris Poll survey for Michelin also asked Americans what was the most they have tipped for good service. Surprisingly, one in three Americans said they have left 30 percent or more for good service.

In the very big tipper category, 12 percent of diners say they have left 50 percent or more in gratuity. And while there were some small differences between men and women in normal tipping habits, when it comes to the largest tip ever, men are considerably more freehanded than women. In the Michelin survey, men are more likely than women to have tipped 30 percent or more (39 percent versus 24 percent, respectively), and men are also more likely to have splurged 50 percent or more (16 percent versus eight percent, respectively).

Michelin’s famous restaurant guides

When it comes to dining expertise, Michelin has a long and storied history in publishing guides with restaurant advice. The company’s founders, brothers Andre and Edouard Michelin, created their first travel guide with dining and hotel recommendations in 1900 to promote early automobile travel and thereby sell more tires. Today, the Michelin Red Guide is recognized internationally as the standard for restaurant and hotel information. The Michelin Red Guide is published in 23 countries, covering three continents.

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of Michelin from December 11-13, 2013 among 2,019 adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

About Michelin

Dedicated to the improvement of sustainable mobility, Michelin designs, manufactures and sells tires for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy-duty trucks and motorcycles. The company also publishes travel guides, hotel and restaurant guides, maps and road atlases. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America  employs more than 22,000 people and operates 19 major manufacturing plants in 16 locations.

The amazing Pigalle restaurant where I have left a few tips in my time!! 

 This brings some very interesting information. I know tipping here in the US is always a hot topic. I myself really feel to leave a tip is a thank you for good service.  I have heard of some restaurants adding the tip automatically, no matter the size of your party, I don't agree with that at all. If I do not receive good service, I have at times, not very many, not left any tip. I usually leave the 20% unless the service was really stellar, then I may leave a bit more. What are your thoughts on tipping? I would love for some good conversation on this topic! 

Subscribe Us

Get free daily email updates!

Follow us!

Photo Gallery Tuesday " Murray's Cheese"

Murray's Cheese Shop on Bleecker Street in the West Village is an institution. If you have never visited, be sure to have this on your list for your next visit. Founded by Murray Greenberg in 1940, they will ship cheese right to your front door! The monthly cheese club brings different selections to you each time, what a great idea !! They also have classes available, which is something unique to do if you feel you have done all the "touristy" stuff in the city. 3 doors down from the shop is their new restaurant called Murray's Cheese Bar and it is always highly reviewed. 

So, what is your favorite type of cheese? I like all the Italian ones, but of course, you probably already knew that!! 

STORE LOCATION

254 BLEECKER ST.
(BETWEEN 6TH & 7TH AVE.)
NEW YORK, NY 10014
(212)243.3289
FAX: (212) 543.5001

STORE HOURS

MON - SAT: 8AM TO 8PM
SUNDAY: 9AM TO 7PM

DIRECTIONS view map 

Sign Up for Daily Emails

Enter your email address: Delivered by FeedBurner