Kitten Lounge

Mingling Mondays ~ Ben & Jack's

KittenCouture — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 05:00:00 -0700

The Friday prior to Fourth of July, I was invited to Ben & Jack's Steak House which just opened on 5th Avenue. I love that Ben and Jack are two brothers that worked various positions within the restaurant industry and were waiters at famed Peter Lugar's. Now I have never been to their uptown location; however, I tend to enjoy going downtown to eat at sister restaurants as they tend to be less corporate which is a positive for me. On this Fri, my Food Editor, Paul Belobritsky, and I settled into the restaurant which was much bigger than I had suspected. I love that the main level looks back at the bar and a cute atrium. If you go upstairs, there is another spacious area where additional people can sit with another bar. But in addition to additional seating, there are rooms that can be rented out. This is perfect during Fashion Week if you want to take out your Creative Designer, PR Teams, etc as they are perfect for groups of 10 - 12. If you're doing a larger event, then maybe you would consider booking the entire upstairs area. Sitting on 5th Ave, this is the perfect area that's close to Madison Park, Flatiron, Chelsea, etc.

The first thing that I have to say was the best part of my experience is the fact that most of the staff was not aware that we were from Kitten Lounge. Typically, when people know I'm coming, we find the staff to be extremely attentive, we're offered items that aren't on the menu etc. We entered the restaurant and we were the recipients of genuine attention. I can't say how nice it is to have various staff attending to your table and never having to look up to get a refill of your water, extra bread and more. I felt that this attention was analogous to being on a cruise ship where people are very attentive without feeling like you're being intruded upon. Whether you're here for a dinner among friends or you're impressing your staff, this is a perfect place to consider.

To start out, we enjoyed the best Great Neck Oysters which were quite large and we had the Crab which was also refreshing. The Great Neck Oysters were my favorite as they didn't have a fishy taste and once again the size was perfect! This is a must to start off the night. For dinner, Paul had the Filet Mignon (which I sampled and loved the taste but I am not a fan of the rare that he requested) which he asked to be rare but felt that it came back Black and Blue. I enjoyed the Sea Bass which I was pleased to find that it didn't have the butter sauce with it as I find that to be a very distracting flavor. The sides are very generous and are family style. We had the creamed spinach - very tasty although not as cheesy as I'm used to and then the Mashed Potatoes which were heaven (as you know I love Mashed Potatoes). For dessert, I enjoyed a very generous portion of Raspberry Sorbet with their very own (made from scratch whipped cream) and Paul had Tiramisu with their whipped cream as well.

With a relaxed atmosphere and with the attentive staff, the dining experience is a must! I couldn't help but think of those in fashion and entertainment who want to have a nice dinner that is equidistant to those that may be coming all over the city in order to have a meal together. Whether it's a post Fashion Week, Coterie, Project or meal prior to a CD launch, Ben & Jack's Steakhouse is the perfect place to hold these functions and more without having that ultra corporate feel while retaining a gorgeous atmosphere. If you're visiting the city, this is a must as well! Check out the site and think about what you would love to have here and as always, drop by for a drink as this is a great way to see a restaurant by sitting at the bar and watching the crowd in general.

Ben & Jack's Steakhouse

255 5th Ave

NY, NY

Mingling Mondays ~ Miami Edition: Tapas y Tintos

KittenCouture — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:38:40 -0700

Live Music @ Tapas y Tintos

Flamenco Dancers @ Tapas y Tintos

Today is an interesting day! I'm flying back from South Beach (is it time to go back to NY already) and I have my last day of Internet Week coverage for Pepsico as well. This weekend I headed out to Miami to enjoy sun, good food and dancing. All of this was achieved and as you will see on Jetset Getaways in more detail, this is a new focus on the site. On Saturday night, I was excited to check out Tapas y Tintos which I knew they were known for their tapas and thankfully I came later in the evening to see Flamenco dancing!

Although it was raining a bit, we (in honor of Jetset Getaways, my traveling partner was Crystal, Associate Editor and baker extraordinaire of Tasty Morsels Bakery) found Tapas y Tintos to be packed and thankfully we snagged the last table. I love the intimate vibe and how helpful the entire staff was. I enjoyed the Gambas al Ajillo (shrimp sauteed with garlic) Paella de Mariscos (seafood paella) and we had Tortilla Espanola (an amazing potato dish as you know how much I love potatoes)! I also enjoyed the mojitos as well (which I had quite a few and spent most of my Sun recovering from them) - they were perfect. Although the food is amazing, the entertainment is definitely something that you don't want to miss! The live music (amazing guitar player) and the Flamenco dancers was such a treat! In this video here, I have a segment of these two women dancing and if you check Jetset Getaways, you'll see me on video getting up there and strutting my stuff - no I wasn't dancing Flamenco but I did put on a show after was brought up on stage. If you're looking for a fun night whether it's you and your girlfriends or a large group, this is a great restaurant! Then, go next door to Cafe Barcelona for a fun bar experience (yes I danced and the bar and no there isn't any video footage of that!) that has great music and such a fun vibe!

Mingling Mondays: Think After Work

KittenCouture — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 05:00:00 -0700

After work you have so many thoughts on your mind but when it gets warmer, you only think about one thing - drinks! I love the fact you're more inclined to go all over the city just to get a great drink. Whether you're going to have one or a few, you still want to have a fun experience! One of my favorite places that's not only cozy but has an inventive menu is Cibar! I love that although this is a girly bar with its pink walls, you definitely see lots of people popping in and out! Take some time to check this out and I am in LOVE with their massive martini list!

Sippin Saturdays: Chicago Edition ~ Pops Champagne

KittenCouture — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 04:00:00 -0700

This weeked I'm in Chicago and if you are avid readers of the Kitten Lounge, you know that I covered Pops for Champagne in the holiday gift guide last year. Pops for Champagne is a super cute bar that has a number of champagnes available, a great crowd and a jazz bar that has music Thurs - Sun (I definitely want to come back to watch a show as I am a fan of jazz being the great neice to tenor saxophonist, Joe Henderson). Tonight, we enjoyed the Flat Bread Lamb which was an amazing combination of lamb, garlic puree, apples and this tasty melt in your mouth flat bread! This complimented our champagne which I am sad to say, I don't know the label.

This is the kind of place that you can test your champagne knowledge or put your tastebuds in the hands of staff that can find what works best for you and what compliments your meal the best. When it comes to a great night out to begin, end or stay - this is definitely a top place in Chicago to come to. I have to say, that I wish this champagne bar would be amazing to have in NYC and maybe one day it will come here (sorry Bubble Lounge). If you're in the area - come by and yes, you can still enjoy the game!

Mingling Mondays: Hang Out on The Beach With Friends With ...

KittenCouture — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 05:00:00 -0700

Gottex Silk Coverup Shirt $258 - Saks Fifth Avenue

Embroidered tunic $68 - Victoria's Secret

Vitamin A Women's "Paradise" Plunge V-Neck Caftan Cover Up $99 - Bloomingdale's

Milly San Remo Cover-Up $330 - shopbop.com

Vix Swimwear Drape Cover-Up Dress $165 - shopbop.com

I love picking bathing suits - but more than that, I love cover-ups. These should not be seen as an after thought but as something that is essential. I love that these are needed when you come off from the beach to get back to your hotel room, popping into the bar or more. These are some great looks to jazz up your suit and to look amazing as you pair this with your sunglasses and large hat! Take some time to check out these great looks! My personal favorite? The Vix draped cover -up is amazing and I love the dress like qualities.

Kitten Lounge Loves Lucky Shops

KittenCouture — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 09:31:10 -0700

There are certain times during the year that I absolutely love to be in the midst of shopping mania! One of them is when Lucky Magazine holds its Lucky Shops event! I love going and checking out a variety of items that are greatly reduced while enjoying some cocktails. Each fall that I have attended, the deals have been better and I have walked away with some great finds and awesome goodies to go with it (I am still giddy about my Tory Burch bag and the most amazing CK seamless panties - TMI I know but I love them so it's ok). This year, Lucky Shops will be at the Metropolitan Pavilion on November 7th and 8th. This year the denim bar is back thanks to Lycra and of course Singer will be there for complimentary hemming. Lucky's "The Lucky Guide to Mastering Any Look" will be available for purchase and I love that Benefit will have a Brow Bar. With so many giveaways available and more, you'll want to get your tickets to be apart of this. In addition, the lovelies at Lucky Shops want to give you a little love so we have a giveaway for the coveted goodie bag! One of you will win this bag stuffed to the brim with goodies by visiting the site and providing comments here on the following question: Tell me why you like Lucky Shops and what you hope to get while there from the vendors that will be attending this shopping event. Those with the correct answer will be randomly drawn. Winners will be announced on Oct 24th! If you're going let me know and I'm sure I will see you there!

Giveaway Goodies: Mistral Soaps - Winners

KittenCouture — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 09:11:33 -0700

The responses were amazing! I am so glad that you guys shared your favorite scents when it comes to soaps. We have four winners and I have to say that I truly wish that I had more to provide you but each of you will receive a very fragrant bar of soap. I will contact you this weekend to get your mailing addresses. For those that didn't win or have yet to visit Mistral Soaps, check the site out and their soap for the week which is only $6 (as opposed to $8) is Milk, pictured here! I also agree that with the holidays coming up, yes we have to begin thinkin about them, I will definitely make some baskets from goodies on this site.

And now for our winners which I also loved checking out their blogs/site as well: Cindy S, Anna (of Shoe Smitten Blog), Nicole and Juliet (of JulRe Designs)!

Giveaway Goodies: Mistral Soaps

KittenCouture — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 12:34:23 -0700

This week the amazing and aromatic people at Mistral have provided four great bath bars that are available for this week's giveaway! (This Sandlewood Hazelenut bar pictured here is actually Mistral's soap of the week and is available at a reduced price. You'll want to sign up for their updates so that you will get emails on what they're up to). I have to say, the first time that I found out about this great brand was while I worked as a manager at Anthropologie. I came across so many scents that it was hard for me to find a favorite! I really love that they include Shea Butter which is always great to provide extra noursihment for your skin.

On Thursday, during our normal beauty segment, you'll find about something that I find to be a lot fun about this brand but until then, this week's giveaway includes four bath bars that four individuals will win. Simply let me know what your favorite scent is when it comes to soap! Include your comments within this post! My favorite scent is Pomegranate (fortunately this is available on Mistral) I look forward to the responses and four winners will be chosen this Fri!

Mingling Mondays: Mikie Squared

KittenCouture — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:15:43 -0700

Yesterday my boyfriend and I spent some time in Hoboken. If we are going to live there we had to get acquainted with some of the amenities which would be bars, restaurants and boutiques. We spent brunch at Mikie Squared and thankfully, due to the good weather, we were able to sit outside and do a lot of people and puppy watching! I loved the vibe and the $10 Sangria Pitchers were a great way to start the morning as well. I can only imagine being here on football weekends! If you're looking for a place with various screens, a great outdoor area and a fun vibe on the inside, this is definitely where you need to go!

Mikie Squared

616 Washington St

Hoboken, NJ

Sippin Saturdays: Crave Ceviche Bar

KittenCouture — Sat, 31 May 2008 07:42:42 -0700

When I was in South Beach, I fell in love with ceviche. This is a style of food that is Latin American food that typically has lime juices, chopped vegetables and more. It is refreshing and perfect to have with cocktails and wine. Well there is a place in Midtown East that has focused on this style of food! Crave Ceviche Bar brings SoBe to Manhattan and is refreshing! Earlier this year due to a crane accident, various shoppes and restaurants were affected and closed temporarily. Now that we are in half day Fridays, this is a great place to visit and to support as it has a great clean and minimalistic look and is perfect to go out with friends to relax. Take some time to check out their restaurant and visit their site to see what ceviche is all about.

Crave Ceviche Bar
946 2nd Ave
NY, NY 10019

Sippin Saturdays: Felice Wine Bar

KittenCouture — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 05:00:00 -0700

When the weather is amazing, there are no excuses to stay indoors! It's all about having a good time with friends and trying something out. You can always go somewhere to try something and then on to the next if you like. Felice Wine Bar is located on 65th and Lex and is an Italian Rustic wine bar that is definitely one that would be interesting to go to after a day at Bloomies or some of your other favorite stores in the Upper East Side. I definitely love the rustic vibe and I think it's fun to go somewhere where you intended to only stay for drinks and ended up staying well into the night. Fortunately for you, they also have an amazing menu which only guarantees that you will have a very long but full night!

Sippin Saturdays: THINK CITRUS ~ Blooming Teas

KittenCouture — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 15:29:52 -0700

From now until April 12th, The Kitten Lounge will be presenting a sampling of exhibitors that will be attending The 3rd Annual Coffee & Tea Festival NYC at the Metropolitan Pavilion from April 12th - 13th. Many of you know that I am a huge fan of Tea and for those that are Coffee lovers or enjoy the treats that come along with this, this is definitely going to be a fun event. What a great way to see the various tea shops that are throughout this area. One of the exhibitors will be Tavalon Tea Bar (which is a personal favorite).

Tavalon Tea Bar has these amazing Bloom Teas that you place the pods into a container and not only can you enjoy the aromatic smell but you can also see them expand and "bloom" in front of your very eyes. This blend is the Vesuvius Sunrise which includes green tea, hibiscus and lavendar. Available at Tavalon within their super cute shop on 14th street or on their website, this is a great way to enjoy tea in a different way. Take some time to visit them virtually, at their shop and of course - make sure that you go to the festival as well. If you would like to go, you can check out the website to reserve your tickets OR you can also win one of 2 tickets right here on Kitten Lounge which will allow you and a friend to attend to see exhibitors, sample beverages, attend classes, shop and to enjoy the Java/Tea Lounge which will have music and entertainment! To win one of these passes this week, add a comment onto this post letting us know your favorite tea spot or blend. One person will be randomly chosen next Saturday.

Tavalon Tea Bar
22 E 14th St
NY, NY 10003

3rd Annual Tea & Coffee Festival NYC
Metropolitan Pavilion
125 West 18th St
NY, NY 10011
April 12 - 13th
11:00AM - 6:00PM (Sat)
11:00AM - 5:00PM (Sun)

Mingling Mondays: THINK CITRUS ~ Amai Tea & Bakehouse

KittenCouture — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 05:00:00 -0700

Today's installment of Mingling Mondays brings me to one of my favorite places. Originally, I found out about Amai on a trip to Tavalon Tea Bar on 14th street which has a variety of teas and carries baked goods that are from various bakeries. I had the best Green Tea cookie (since people know that I am such a fan of anything that has this in it). Thankfully, Tavalon Tea Bar provides information about who made such a delicious treat that I Googled it and came across the blog LovesCool. There I found that Kelli, was the owner of Amai and at the time, they were sold at area retailers. I let her know how much I loved her cookies and posted about it on a blog that I ran at that time. I loved that her blog was focused on desserts and I always checked in. Then I found out that Kelli was actually opening her own shop and was so excited that I could get these cookies and more. Amai Tea and Bake House opened late October and they have definitely been on the lips of area residents, celebs and she was also nominated in Time Out NY as well which is amazing.

Not only can you visit the shop (which is perfect for mingling) but you can also order the Green Tea Tea Sweet Cookies and additional sweet treats from the site. In terms of THINK CITRUS, the perfect treat would be the Lemon Grass and Ginger. If you buy the tins of cookies, you can reuse the container to store your tea which is perfect (and they are super cute)! Support this talented dessert shop and check out her blog as well.

Amai Tea & Bake House 171 3rd Ave (Btwn 16th/17th Sts) NY, NY

Sippin' Saturdays: Pomegranate Toddy

KittenCouture — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 10:40:02 -0800

I love a nice beverage that warms you up (hello it's 30 dePomegranate Togrees out this morning) and has a great flavor. Today on was Cocktail Times and found a great drink that is absolutely perfect for this season. How cute does this drink look in this glass? I also love that you can enjoy a variety of teas witihn this beverage; therefore, there is a bit of choice that this drinks allows. Nothing is better than making sure you have a warm drink with a little spice in to enjoy after ice skating, walking around the city, etc. I love finding different alcoholic beverages that can be enjoyed at various times beyond the bars/lounges, Take some time to visit Cocktail Times to find more drinks that are just perfect for you.

Pomegranate Toddy:

- 3 oz brandy
- 1 1/2 oz Pama pomegranate liqueur
(or substitute with 2 oz pomegranate juice and 1/4 oz simple syrup)
- 3 oz Darjeeling tea with cloven
Garnish: cinnamon stick and orange peel

Brew tea first. In an Irish coffee mug, pour brandy and pomegranate liqueur. Pour hot tea and stir. Garnish with cinnamon stick and orange pee

Mingling Mondays: Xai Xai Wine Bar

KittenCouture — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 08:00:00 -0800

People always like to know about a great spot. You want to go somewhere where you know you can find a table, has a laid back vibe, a few nibbles and a great space. My goal in terms of going to a great lounge is knowing that no matter what day you choose, it's always perfect. My pick for this week (and any other) is Xai Xai Wine Bar. This bar recently opened and is NYC's only South African Wine Bar. I love that in terms of "nibbles" they have tapas and cheese plates which are perfect. If you're looking for something to do on Friday after work, Shandy Fridays just started. For those of you that aren't as familiar with this, it's beer and sprite together. I think this combo is great for those that aren't really into beer but would like to learn more about it. Of course when I went last weekend, I enjoyed their selection of Shiraz and loved the very earthy natural vibe. Visit the website and enter your name so that you can hear about all the new events that are going on at Xai Xai Wine Bar.

Xai Xai Wine Bar

365 West 51st St

NY, NY