Grits in the City - discounts and faves

Hope you enjoy all these as much as I do!

birthday dinner at gato

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Having a Monday birthday is less than ideal, but the promise of a nice dinner to celebrate with T made it all good in the end. He did our usual, only giving a subway stop exit at which to meet him and the rest would be a surprise. I love it. Sometimes it’s close by, and sometimes a bit longer of a walk. The other thing we have is a shared list of spots we want to try at some point. It’s been a while, but he dusted off the list and picked some things from the list to plan the evening.

To start, T took me over to Copper & Oak, a spot we’d been wanting to try for a bit that apparently still has a functioning website even though it’s apparently now out of business. We made our way from there over to Boulton and Watt in the East Village, where we were able to grab spots at the bar. I recommend the Mexican Revolver. It’s like a spicy margarita, plus prosecco – a perfect birthday beverage.

Boulton and Watt - East Village, New York City

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they say it’s my birthday

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I like to think another year equals another opportunity to be an even better version of you. I guess I’m a bit spoiled that mine falls at least somewhat midway through the year, as I like to think it’s a bit of a mid-year chance to assess how the year’s going.

It’s been a pretty stellar year full of lots of big changes and amazing people. I really am blessed. I’m not fully letting myself off the hook though on all of those goals I had for this year that sort of were forgotten in the midst of wedding planning. Just means the rest of the year will be that much busier to compensate!

Lara Ziobro - NYC Lifestyle Blogger - Food Photographer - Food Blogger

Birthday Celebrations at Whitman and Bloom

To commemorate the occasion though, I celebrated by treating myself to one thing practical (this new blog domain and major face-lift, still a work in progress – you like?) and one thing slightly frivolous (hello pleather leggings – where have you been all my life?). [Read more…]

the quick scoop

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The finish line for the week is almost here… hold on. Just a few more hours to go!

Lara Ziobro - NYC Lifestyle Blogger - Food Photographer - Food Blogger

This Week’s Forty Carrots Food Truck at Bloomingdale’s

There’s lots going on over the weekend and the coming weeks in the food scene. The Feast of San Gennaro is back, which means there’s lots of tasty things to be had lining the streets in Little Italy. Only 11 more days to take advantage. This rundown helps you know what’s happening when. This weekend is definitely one for food festivals. You can have your pick of Pig Island (Saturday),  the Vendy Awards (Saturday – already sold out), Taste Talks Brooklyn’s All-Star BBQ with Quest Love (Sunday), TASTE Williamsburg Greenpoint (Sunday), and OysterFest (Sunday). [Read more…]

career charge into (almost) fall

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Lara Ziobro - NYC Lifestyle Blogger - Food Photographer - Food Blogger

Yesterday was a productive day. One of those days that come 6pm, having to leave the office a tad early to go to a free networking event felt more like a chore than a treat. I’m really glad though that I made myself do it. I knew nothing about wimLink, a networking group on Meetup, aside from the fact that it’s focused on women in digital. Usually more apt to attend events specific to social media, I thought it was a good chance to mix it up. The panel was an interesting mix as well, featuring Beth Buehler from Rodale, Megan Clarken from Nielsen, and Emily Susskind of Golden Seeds.

Most of the themes highlighted were things I have heard before, but something about hearing them again in early September felt right. Good time to refocus, get some perspective, and get some inspirational energy to charge through the almost last quarter to 2015. While it’s not fall yet, it’s fast approaching. As students are back in the classroom, it feels fitting to take a second look at all things career for the remainder of the year ahead. [Read more…]

white weekend

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White cover-up. White sandy beaches. Squeezing in all of the white! I had to wear white until the very last second, obviously. This morning, I have this song running through my head, even though the warm temps projected for this week confirm summer is far from over.

I don’t think we could have asked for a more perfect Labor Day weekend. Clouds were non-existent, sun was plentiful, and the temps were high. Yesterday, we woke up earlier than I do on workdays (5:30AM?!) to make the long trip out to Robert Moses Beach, located on the western-most part of Fire Island. It’s possible to get out there from the city sans car, but it is admittedly a bit involved. If you’re going, this vacation package from LIRR is the way to go, which includes round-trip LIRR fare as well as a round-trip bus ticket for the S-47 bus at Babylon. We spent the day napping in the sun, surrounded by friends.

Lara Ziobro - NYC Lifestyle Blogger - Food Photographer - Food Blogger

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al fresco picks for labor day

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I’m not going to use the words “last call”, because let’s be real – there’s no need to be dramatic (yet). Labor Day may mean the supposed end of all attire in lovely summer white, but it doesn’t mean it’s all the sudden crisp cool fall temps and leaves falling at your feet. That being said, I was noticing the cooler walk into work this morning, reiterating that turn is near. It’s definitely a perfect time to think about all those wonderful outdoor NYC spots you meant to go to and haven’t yet. Here are some of my faves as you’re thinking about what to do around the city over this upcoming long weekend.

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Take the long trip out to Brooklyn Crab. Yes, it’s a bit of a pain to get there. It’s either a long walk from the F/G or a ride over on the Ikea NY Water Taxi. Once you get there though, a spectacular view and crab caked with Old Bay awaits. If there’s a bit of  wait, fret not. This spot comes with built in entertainment. Head to the back for some mini golf to pass the time. Come late afternoon, sit outside, and you’ll have the perfect spot come sunset. [Read more…]

cobbler-ing with the ‘rents

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Summer is for fresh fruits and cobblers. This Southern girl will never feel like a Northern zip code means changing anything about that. This weekend, thankfully I was able to get my fill.

My parents went this past week and picked some fresh peaches at a spot in New Jersey. Peaches from the local store – or, better yet, local market – works as well.

The best thing about cobbler is it is incredibly easy. You don’t need to spend a ton of time perfectly rolling out or chilling your crust layer. Nope. Skip that silliness. Cobbler has you covered. And the end result is equally tasty.

My mom found this easy recipe from Southern Living. The longest part of this prep time was peeling and slicing up the peaches (you want to make sure to cut out any bad spots and, of course, the tougher spots leading up to and including the pit). Once that was ready to go, the rest went quickly.

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar, divided
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 cup milk
  • 4 cups fresh peach slices
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • Ground cinnamon or nutmeg (optional)

First, melt the butter in a 13″ x 9″ baking dish.

Separately, mix up the batter by combining the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt and then adding the milk. You will want to stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Then pour batter over butter, but do not stir.

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a magic night at la vara and clover club

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I first went to La Vara not too long after it opened, and enjoyed it so much what we vowed to come back before too long. At the time, T lived close by, so in my mind, it was a no-brainer. As is often the case though, time continued to pass by and we didn’t return – not until January 14th, a day I’ll never forget.

Small plates are the focus at La Vara, which we enjoy since it means we really get the chance to try as many different menu options as we’re prepared to eat. They change them up often, which can be good (yay, more things to try!) or bad (wait, where’d my favorite go?), depending on your POV. We’d recently started to do one “fancy date night” a month, and January, our destination was La Vara.

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new year’s eve at rose water

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I’m well-aware that I’m a tad tardy on sharing the food side of New Year’s. It’s more than justified, but that’s a story and explanation that will come later. Besides, I’m a believer it’s never too late to talk about a fabulous meal.

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True to what’s become our tradition, T and I made reservations for a nice dinner in Brooklyn. This year, we opted to visit Rose Water in Park Slope, having previously only been there for brunch. We were both big fans, so I took a bit of a leap of faith, booking us a spot for two menu unseen. Hey we’re serving a six course paired tasting menu just for the evening. A quick email to the manager confirmed that they could accommodate a mushroom allergy, so other than that, we had no idea as to what to expect when we arrived. [Read more…]