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A Beginners Guide to Willyburg!

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

My Grandma always said to me growing up, “There’s nowhere better than Brooklyn!” Even then, and still now, there was no possible way I could have disagreed with her. She saw the beauty in her hometown of Williamsburg, Brooklyn before gentrification was normatively associated with the area. In other words, Williamsburg was effortlessly cool before being branded so by the Hipster invasion. Some complain that the influx of Hipsters and the influence of their subculture will decimate an already existing culture. There is certainly some truth to that belief commonly held amongst natives, yet I’d like to celebrate and focus attention on the treasures of this area both new and long established. After all, if it were not for the newcomers there would never have been the much deserved attention and interest in Williamsburg. Here are five things to do and see in the urban paradise of Williamsburg, Brooklyn:

1. Eat Something Sweet

-Fortunato Brothers
289 Manhattan Avenue (between Ainslie & Devoe St)
Brooklyn, NY 11211

Fortunato Brothers is the ideal Italian pastry shop in the heart of a once predominantly Italian-American neighborhood. Here you can indulge and enjoy traditional Italian pastries like cannoli, sfogliatelle, and pastiche. Not only are their pastries great, but also Fortunato’s is well known for their homemade gelato flavors. I highly suggest sitting down with a friend for the café experience, order one of their heavenly hot drinks (cappuccino, espresso), and listen in on the Italian jabber of the older, dapper regulars.

Forget Neverland! Just take a trip to Greenpoint, Brooklyn and enjoy a scrumptious donut!

-Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop
727 Manhattan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11211

A celebrated Polish bakery that is so well know even Tina Fey of 30 Rock has raved over how amazing their donuts really are. Popular donut choices are the red velvet, coconut crème, jelly, and my own personal favorite, the classic white crème. They also serve coffee for a mere buck and the place has a cool, retro atmosphere as well. So I say sit on a swivel seat, have a cup of coffee, and enjoy a yummy donut! If you can’t make it to Brooklyn for the day, I suggest stopping by Just Sweet Desert House in Manhattan to get your sweet fix!

2. Enjoy the Great Outdoors

McCarren Park is a nice retreat from urban nuisances.

-McCarren Park
780 Lorimer Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211

McCarren Park is the place to be if you’re looking to spend the day outside, soak up some rays, and take part in athletics. The 35-acre park consists of a baseball field, soccer field, running track, and handball courts as well as bocce courts. On Saturdays the park becomes a farmer’s market filled to the brim with fresh produce and homemade baked goodies. This year the park will be the home base for the Northside Festival, which will ooze live music from artists such as: Wavves, Guided By Voices, and Beirut!

3. Check Out Cool Sounds

There are three premier record stores in Williamsburg and they are:

-Sound Fix
44 Berry Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211

The most organized of the three Sound Fix is an oasis for those obsessed with music. They have an extensive collection of both used and new albums from alternative artists that are both classic and contemporary. Also listening stations are available to customers so that they can preview albums.

-Academy Records
96 N. 6th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211

Academy Records is vinyl heaven in a nutshell. The vinyl collection at this particular record store eclipses both Earwax Records and Sound Fix. You can also find used CD’s at their cheapest here! It is a sort of “school” for the true record enthusiast!

-Earwax Records
218 Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11211

Although the most expensive, Earwax has the most variety of the three. They have a great selection of different artists and genres, which is a guarantee that you will walk out with just what you wanted. This place is bound to remove the wax from your ears and fill it with cool sounds for sure!

4. Dance with the Giglio! (July 6- July 17, 2011)

-Feast of Our Lady of Mount Caramel
275 N. 8th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211

An annual festival held by Our Lady Of Mount Caramel Church for over 100 years now is a guaranteed fun time with friends. You can eat traditional festival food (zeppole, sausage and peppers) and dance with the Giglio. The Giglio is a large statue carried by a large number of men while a band plays music and people dance. It is a tribute to an Italian saint Paolino di Nola and the feast is one of three Giglio feasts conducted nationwide. It’s not to be missed!

5. Experience Live Music

-Music Hall of Williamsburg
66 N. 6th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211

The Music Hall of Williamsburg is one of the many Bowery Presents venues in New York City. A young crowd flocks here primarily on the weekends to listen to live music, and the 21+ group has the added perk of a swanky bar on the lower level. I’ve personally seen live acts such as Wavves, Sonic Youth, and Best Coast. Every performance I’ve attended here has been a satisfying musical experience. If you’d like to get your mosh on (depends on the band) or just listen to some pretty darn cool music, here are some upcoming shows:

  • The Low Anthem, Wednesday 6/15
  • Flying Lotus, Wednesday 6/22
  • Peter Bjorn and John, Thursday 9/15

Anjelica LaFurno

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Do the right thing and check out these Williamsburg spots and for great student discounts visit  http://campusclipper.com!

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Posted in onEntertainment, onFood, onSavings, Out On The Town, Outside Manhattan | 1 Comment »

The Cuisine of Northern India on the Upper West Side

Tuesday, March 29th, 2011

street view

Located on the Upper West Side, “Indus Valley,” a cozy place that has been in business since the end of 2003, brings not only the food, but also the spirit of Northern India to New York City. A cute addition to authentic Northern Indian cuisine, which is, by the way, the most popular in India, the name of the restaurant shows good taste as well . Apparently, Indus Valley was the place where one of the earliest civilizations in the world was formed, with its own language, traditions and of course, food.

Besides the name, what pleases the guests right upon entering “Indus Valley” is warm and pleasant fine dining atmosphere. You can sit by the entrance looking out to the street from large glass windows, or proceed to the dining room, chic and especially bright in sun light, although it is also animated by candles later in the evenings. The tables are covered with snow-white tablecloths, and there are brass cups for water on the tables, which creates an impression that we are not in a restaurant in Manhattan, but in a modern and large Indian house.

Speaking of that, the staff makes the customers feel at home as well, with professional smiles and kind answers to any questions those who are not knowledgeable about Indian cuisine may ask. Believing that hospitality is the key to great service, the wait staff does a great job and encourages guests to come back for dinner some other day.

Since the food is essentially something everyone goes to a restaurant for, “Indus Valley” has a lot of things for you to try. Both chefs who run the kitchen are originally from Northern India, and the food they are making is something they grew up with, and it tastes a lot like homemade. The restaurant is therefore perfect for local families who don’t cook every day and tourists who stay in the hotels in the area, as you get a delicious meal for an affordable price (the cheapest entree is $11.95, and the most expensive is $20.95).

When ready to give it a shot and have a dinner at “Indus Valley,” you may choose to start with a soup, a salad, or an appetizer. Ask for the lentil soup, as this is the most favorite one of the restaurant’s customers (find out why when you try). You could get a Kuchumber salad with it as well. Despite its odd name, it’s really what it sounds like, a Julienne of cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, fresh coriander leaves and fresh lime juice. The salad is light and refreshing, and it’s a great beginning of the meal.

Tandoor at "indus Valley"

Another thing on the menu that you shouldn’t miss is the variety of home baked breads that are made in a traditional clay oven, Tandoor. A pancake-like piece of bread is put on the wall of the oven, and is being baked there for two or three minutes until it’s taken out, browned and mouth-watering, by means of a metal poke. With the choice of whole wheat and white breads, you can have yours with dry fruits and nuts, garlic, or even lamb. The breads can be served with a dip as an appetizer (yogurt, mint and cilantro, tamarind and onion relish dips are available upon request), or as an addition to your meal.

As bread is not the only thing that is made in Tandoor, you may also go for Tandoori specialties with chicken, lamb, halibut or sea bass. Vegetarian tandooris are also served if you fancy one. The average price for those dishes is $15, which isn’t bad for a dinner in a fine dining place, and the taste makes it worth it.

If your choice is not a tandoori, you have probably set your mind on having a curry, which means “gravy.” Meats or vegetables are cooked slowly with various spices, herbs and nuts, filling the gravy with distinctive flavors. The most popular choices in this category are Chicken Tikka Masala, boneless cubes of Chicken marinated and grilled in clay oven and simmered in a tangy sauce or light cream and tomatoes, and Kashmiri Roganjosh, lamb cubes in an exotic sauce of green and cardamoms, Kashmiri chilies, cloves, cinnamon leaves, mace, coriander, ginger, garlic, onion, yogurt and fennel. Try those or discover your own favorite.

To complete the meal in a pleasurable way, spoil yourself with one of the homemade desserts or a Lassi, a yogurt-based drink (mango flavored one is recommended as the most delicious).

Not satisfied with that? Ask a server for everyday specials. Also, if you stop for lunch, there is a prix fixe menu, which includes a soup, a salad or a samosa with vegetables of the day and a dessert. On the weekends, there is a buffet for $13.95, so you can pay one price and eat whatever you want. And if you are in college, there is a student discount for you, so check out the coupon at the end of the post and save yourself some money.

With affordable prices and authentic dishes, stopping by “Indus Valley” should not hurt even the tightest student savings plan, so check it out and see if this will be your “must-go” spot on the Upper West Side, worth a train ride even from Downtown Manhattan.

Ekaterina Lalo

Visit my blog at http://nycvalues.blogspot.com. Check out www.campusclipper.com for amazing deals and coupons for students and follow us on Twitter @CampusClipper and “Like” us on Facebook.

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Eating Out and Vegan: Incompatible?

Tuesday, March 8th, 2011

image credit: animalsuffering.com

New York City: a going out paradise with lots of student discounts on food, entertainment, books and clothing. If you wish, you can try different cuisine every day. There is such a great variety of cultures here: Italian, Thai, Cuban, Dominican, Moroccan and what not. However, where do you go if you are strictly vegan?

Always being a passionate carnivore, I have never faced this problem. However, I suddenly decided to take on a challenge: Christian Orthodox religious fasting that I was always supposed to do, but never cared to limit my diet to vegan only. Eating is just one part of the fasting, but it seemed overwhelming to cut back on milk products especially, as I love them so much.

But the time came, and I felt like doing it for the first time in March of 2009. I enjoyed it a lot, as fasting made me feel healthy and energetic, and my favorite part was that I had to cook for myself all the time because I didn’t trust food from outside (who knows if it’s really vegan).

There came the problem: I had a hard time going out with my friends and my boyfriend. I have experience working in restaurants, and I didn’t want to be a pain in the neck for the waiters asking, “Is there cheese in my spaghetti?” Once my boyfriend persuaded me to eat at a small Chinese-Latin (what a combination) restaurant, and I ordered a plate that was specified on the menu as “rice, lettuce, tomato and fried plantains.” When I actually got my food, there were pieces of pork and shrimps in it (I never eat either of them even when I’m not fasting), and I felt bad. When I complained, the waiter replied that the dish comes with it, took it back and brought it within 2-3 minutes, which made me come to the conclusion that the kitchen staff merely took out the meat and send the plate to me (did they use gloves, at least?). I didn’t eat anything there but plain white rice that came with my boyfriend’s dish, and I never went out while fasting again.

The whole experience was embarrassing. There are a lot of products that I refuse to eat because I don’t like them, for instance, seafood and yellow cheeses (sounds crazy, right?), but I’m not used to being extremely picky while ordering a meal at a restaurant. There always happen to be a steak with mashed potatoes on the menu for me. I rarely ask for more. But with the fasting in mind, this choice is automatically excluded. I was at a loss about where to go and I felt terrible for the people who have to (due to allergies or something else) or choose to eat vegan all the time.

The most difficult thing was to get around my sweet tooth, as most pastries contain eggs and dairy. I would wander around my college cafeteria studying the labels and always finding “eggs” there. The good thing was that I learned how to make pancakes from just flour, yeast, water and vegetable oil. They were delicious, even though people who tried them said they were “too healthy.” The bad thing was I didn’t have time to make them often.

But as the fasting continued, I started hearing about different vegan places in the city, and I talked to a couple of people who gave me useful advices on where to find those products I could eat. I realized that it was so difficult because it was my first time and I had no clue about vegan culture in the city. Now I feel more confident about going out and I learned to like salads a lot more than during my first fasting session, and I found out that a lot of vegan places also offer student savings menus or give discounts to those in college.

There I was yesterday, my Easter fasting 2011 day one, sitting at Whole Foods cafeteria drinking a fresh squeezed orange juice and munching on vegan cookies (no eggs and no dairy, hurray!), feeling happy and wholesome. Therefore, if you are a vegan like me (whether temporarily or permanently), life in the city is a little bit more difficult for you (if do your research, though, it will become easier), but not impossible.

Ekaterina Lalo

For more about my experience with Christian Orthodox fasting, read http://hubpages.com/hub/Healthy-Body-Healthy-Mind

Visit my blog at http://nycvalues.blogspot.com.

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Breakfast Is a Must

Monday, February 28th, 2011

image from dealbase.com

Even if you were studying all night before or couldn’t fall asleep pondering where to get more student discounts on food and clothing, you still have to wake up early enough to have breakfast. I know, it is so easy to make (or even buy) a cup of coffee and run off to college. But do you realize that having or skipping breakfast has a direct influence on your mood and the way your day will go?

Believe it or not, it does.

First of all, when you are hungry, you have no desire to learn or do anything. All you can think of is a loud purring of your stomach, which is so embarrassing in the silence of a class when the only voice heard is the professor’s one. “Where is that apple that I left in my refrigerator?” you think, reproachfully, “It may have been so useful right now.”

Secondly, while you are struggling to concentrate on what your professor is saying, your stomach acid is working hard on the walls of your stomach. I am sure you have heard that if you don’t eat, the acid that is meant to digest the food that is not there still does its job, and your stomach gets hurt. Why do it to yourself if even small things like a bowl of cereal or a cup of fruit helps to avoid it?

Third, food gives you energy. When you don’t eat, you usually feel powerless and what’s even worse, you bring your bad mood to people around you. You feel easily irritated, angry with others for no reason and probably, do something you will later regret. This, too, can be easily avoided if you eat before you leave home.

You may argue, of course, that you don’t feel hungry when you wake up. If this describes you, then you are, in most cases, guilty of snacking late at night, when your stomach is not prepared to digest food. When I learned that the food is broken down easier during the day than throughout the night, I made it a rule to eat no later than four hours before I go to sleep (it’s good to never eat after 8pm; however, if you study in the evenings and come home after that, then make sure that you don’t have dinner right before you head to bed). My problem is also that when I fill my stomach, I suddenly become active, and I often have a hard time falling asleep. Just by giving up late snacking, I managed to lose a couple of pounds, improved my sleep and became accustomed to waking up in the morning craving for breakfast.

Let’s say this was persuasive enough, and you are now convinced that your breakfast is a must. What should you eat? It all depends on how hungry you feel and whether or not you like to eat a lot in the mornings.

Note that the best strategy is to include a piece of fruit into your every meal, and breakfast is no exception. Your other options may be a light sandwich or a toast with butter, jelly or a slice of cheese, or a cup of oatmeal. I got so used to making quick oats that I hardly ever bother to cook hot oatmeal anymore, even though nothing is easier than that. All you have to do is to bring some water or milk mixed with water to boiling, and then stir oats into the boiling liquid. Make sure to stir thoroughly while cooking, and then cool off your culinary masterpiece, and enjoy it. It is much healthier to make your oatmeal from scratch rather than boil water for an instant one, but if you have little time and no other option, that will do as well.

By the way, quick oats are usually more expensive than those that you have to cook, so if you make it a habit to make your breakfast in the morning, this may add up to your student savings. Not only is it cheaper to buy a big box of farina (it’s a great breakfast meal as well, if you like the taste), it also saves you from buying a danish or a doughnut while at school, which are fattening and expensive on campus.

Another quick morning meal you can easily make is an egg platter. Two or three eggs your way with sausage, salami, or a beef frank is my usual choice. The greatest discovery for me was Hebrew National salami, as if you go to your local deli and ask them to slice it a little bit thicker, you can fry it on a pan with no oil, in its own fat. Brown it for two to three minutes and serve with eggs or on a toast.

As far as toasts are concerned, if you have a toaster, you can always brown your bread and eat it dry or with butter. If you don’t have the equipment, though, you can put some milk into a bowl (you can mix an egg into it as well), and then dip a slice of bread into it. After doing this, brown your bread on a pan, and it will be soft, fresh and tasty.

From my experience, pancakes usually take a long time, so I usually make them when I’m not in a hurry, as I am not a big fan of quick mix packages. I mix flour, two eggs, a tablespoon or two of vegetable oil and a half cup of milk adding some yeast to it. It is best to let it stand for an hour, and then start cooking. It is a time-consuming breakfast, though, and I seldom have time for it.

All in all, no matter what you prefer to have, you should always eat something in the morning before leaving. Just remember that breakfast is a must, as a good start defines the way your day will go. Therefore, begin your morning with something you and your stomach enjoy, and energize yourself for great deeds.

Ekaterina Lalo

Visit my blog at http://nycvalues.blogspot.com.

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Your Next Favorite Burger Eatery: Pauls’ Da Burger Joint

Monday, February 28th, 2011

View from the street

On the verge of its 22nd anniversary “Paul’s Da Burger Joint” located at 131 2 ave (at the corner of 2 ave and St.Marks), a family-run business that was established in 1989, keeps serving delicious and affordable burgers to the neighborhood diners who know all the servers and managers in the place and feel at home amongst welcoming tablecloths with red and white checkers on tiny tables, and also tourists appearing at the joint during different seasons looking for the best burger in town.

And here they find it, indeed.

Being the house specialty, ½ pound beef, turkey or vegetarian burgers make up 90% of all food orders. Just looking at the juicy patty tempts one to bite into it right away, ripping apart the soft fresh bun that serves as a great body for the meaty “soul.” Choose the right cheese, add lettuce, tomato, and onions – and you got yourself a filling lunch or dinner. The size is just right: it neither lets you go home hungry nor leaves anything to bring home in a doggy bag. Once you bite into it, you will not stop chewing until it’s gone, so good it is.

Irresistible taste

And the price is just right as well: $7-8 on average for a burger depending on what you prefer to have on it. Out of the house’s large variety you may be willing to try St. Marks, a special cheeseburger topped with mushrooms and fried onions, or the diners’ favorite Eastsider, a bacon cheeseburger with ham, mushrooms, tomatoes and onions; those will be a little fancier and more expensive.

Even though food prices increase as we breathe, the owner, Matt, insists on keeping the cost of burgers on the same level. “I’d better have more customers and make less money than have less people and charge them more,” he says. It is believed at “Paul’s” that the main thing is to supply the customers with high quality burgers that don’t cost them an arm and a leg.

Understandably, though, not everyone is a burger lover. There are plenty of choices left for you, if you are one of those. For instance, you may opt for a chicken or fish fillet sandwich, or an Italian sausage hero with peppers and onions, or a beef frank with sauerkraut. Having a lot to choose from, you may be sure to find something that will satisfy your empty stomach. And if it’s big and craves for more, accompany your sandwich with a side of curly and slightly spicy cajun fries, sweet potato fries or crunchy onion rings.

And if you are a student, there is a new special just for you, so you should put it on your student savings list. If you visit “Paul’s” on a Tuesday or Thursday at any time, buy any burger and show your student ID (what can be easier), you will get a complimentary milkshake. Choosing between vanilla, chocolate or strawberry, you might as well go for a “Michael Jackson,” the mixture of the first two. The milkshake is the greatest student discount you can get anywhere, as it is a creamy, delicious full-size dessert that will complete your meal and satisfy your sweet tooth for free!

Having started as “Paul’s Palace,” the restaurant is definitely not the dwelling of kings, but it may become your next favorite eatery on the East Side. After all, it takes only one try to make it your regular stop-by.

Ekaterina Lalo

For more of my reviews, check out http://reviewfix.com/author/katrina-lalo/

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Reserve: Unforgettable Thai Experience

Sunday, February 27th, 2011

Walking into Reserve, on 3rd Ave between 28th and 29th, I felt all the chaos and exhaustion of my day melt into the warm, red walls. A low light hovered over each table, with wine bottles stacked in every which direction. Even the bottoms of bottles protruded from the walls around the bar in the back, somehow without cluttering the small restaurant, but tinting the ambiance with the theme: a Thai inspired wine bar. While Thai restaurants are known for spicy foods in cozy nooks, Reserve adds an unexpected twist to the Thai experience: wine. I’m sure you’ve been to a number of Thai restaurants and been remiss about the quality of beverages, well, partner Luck Watanasuparp felt the same way. Luck’s family owns a number of Thai restaurants throughout New York, including All Luck and Thai Select, but this is her own venture in the restaurant business, at which she is doing amazingly well and loving it. Luck wanted to pair the four flavors of Thai food: Spicy, sweet, sour and salty with fine wines that would enhance each other when combined. The restaurant serves over fifty different wines, all within affordable ranges with a few higher priced bottles tossed in.

Reserve has been open for less than a year now in the Gramercy neck of the proverbial woods. Tucked among hot clubs and loud joints with drunks bouncing and stumbling out the doors or shouting from in between the cracks in the walls, Reserve is an oasis. It’s small, quiet, and personal. This is the perfect place to bring a date, or close friends when you want to sit down with a little background music and a lot of great food.

If you’re looking for something exciting and loud, why not head to Reserve for dinner as a calm before the storm?

The service is four star, with the shock of street cart prices. Before glancing at the menu, I assumed that it would be a stressor on my limited funds, but was pleasantly delighted to find that it’s cheap. I don’t mean New York City cheap, which is irrelevant to the rest of the world, but Kansas cheap, Mississippi cheap. I once ate a large, amazing meal at the Ajax Diner in Oxford, Mississippi for eight dollars, and this brought me back to the economy of the south, inducing a school girl giggle at the prices. I’ve spent more money on dirt, have I made my point?        

I brought two close friends of mine with me for dinner, and we lived like kings. We started with a Losen Bockstanz Resiling, a sweet wine, and paired it with spicy beef, duck wraps, and crab cake tapas. Everything was tender and cooked to perfection. The duck wraps, rich, fatty duck wrapped with fresh veggies in a flour tortilla roll, sushi style, was paired with a thick, sweet sauce. The large crab cake, enough for the three of us, was surrounded by three elegant sauces. The spicy beef was mixed with equally spicy and salty sautéed veggies. We indulged in a mango salad, larb pizza (with chicken and melted Mozzarella) and a curry green pizza. We ate slowly, discussing the flavor combinations and our awe at the portions. For very little money, the three of us left full, but not overstuffed, and feeling like we ate a healthy meal that tickled our tastes. Our cheeks blushed from the sweet wine as we walked out in a euphoric daze.

If you’re feeling bogged down by the sometimes treacherous city, tired of the rain and cold, and never having enough money to go out, Reserve is the place to go. It will pick up your spirits without draining your bank account. Long Island or Jersey commuters can even walk from Penn Station on their way home from work or class. Keep Reserve on your list, because you simply can’t miss out on all it has to offer for the economically challenged taste buds that require more refinement.

Written by Ashley Teal, Campus Clipper Blogger

See my Blog, Still Life With Teal

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Appearances Deceive: Stromboli Pizzeria

Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011

The view from the street

Looking historical and shabby, “Stromboli Pizzeria” located at 112 University Place does not attract new customers… until they actually try the pizza. How many times have you been told: appearances deceive? They have authentic pizza with variety of toppings and now new student discounts – two things that would definitely draw you to the place had you known about them.

What’s the student savings deal? How about $2.00/slice or $16/pie for a plain and $2.50/slice and $19/pie for one topping with your student ID? How about a fountain soda for 95c? Note that this includes tax as well. Knowing that the students are a category always willing to save money, the pizzeria’s management caters not only to their stomachs, but to their wallets as well.

How good is the pizza? The place was open since 1966, and the recipes haven’t changed, even though there is a new owner. The dough is soft and fresh, whether you choose white or whole wheat, the fresh mozzarella is yummy and ricotta is so tender that its texture seems to be close to that of whipped cream. Most pizzas are made with homemade marinara or tomato sauce, or, for pizza topped with ricotta, no sauce at all. Whole wheat pizzas come plain with cheese or topped with vegetables keeping the healthy trend. You can order mushrooms, spinach and broccoli and extra sauce if you’d like to make it juicier. Contrary to the popular opinion that whole wheat pizza is not as tasty as regular one, Stromboli’s whole wheat dough is just as delicious as white one, so if you, like me, switched from white to wheat bread long ago, this is the way to go.

Whole wheat pizza with mushrooms, spinach and broccoli

Interested in trying new flavors? Try Pizza Pesto, a slice with ricotta, fresh basil and homemade pesto sauce, juicy, cheesy and flavorful one, or Caprese with fresh mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, fresh basil and tomato sauce (most ingredients are fresh, so don’t be surprised). For good quick snack, try the house’s invention, “the wheel,” a small palm-size roll filled with mozzarella and ricotta. It comes vegetarian with spinach or, for carnivores, with ham and pepperoni, and it’s perfect to snack on if you are short of time or are not really hungry. You can eat it as it is or request some marinara sauce for dipping.

If you not a pizza lover, you can go for a hero or calzone, or get delicious garlic knots made of soft pizza dough with fresh garlic on top. Don’t forget to satisfy your thirst with a Snapple, a special-priced fountain soda, a cane sugar Coca-Cola or Ginger Ale from Boylan. If you are craving unusual flavors, try a Key Lime, Cherries’n’Cream or Cream Soda from Stewart’s.

So don’t be afraid of appearances, as Stromboli is going through a renovation, and soon the pizzeria’s exterior with match the quality of the food, appealing to both your physical and visual taste.

"The wheel"

Ekaterina Lalo

For more articles written by me, check out my blog: www.nycvalues.blogspot.com

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Tanti Baci: A Romantic Italian Experience

Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011

The Love Nest

One glance at the Tanti Baci website, or menu clearly indicates a “love nest” perfect for sharing dinner and a glass of wine with any loved one. (The restaurant’s name even means “lots of kisses” in Italian.) But I was most drawn to the effortless way Tanti Baci provides an escape from the well-beaten sidewalks and bustling streets to your grandmother’s living room.

There are snatches of tables along the brick walls and corners of the dining room. The pink twinkle lights of the window display give a rosy hue to the entire restaurant. Simmering sauces and aromatic garlic made promises from the kitchen.

My first visit to Tanti Baci was with my boyfriend Valentines week and I immediately saw the date-potential for any pair of pasta lovers. The owner, Sam, greeted us warmly and handed us menus part English, part Italian with flowing script.

I started off the meal with an arugula salad with sweet slices of pears and salty slivers of parmigiano cheese. When I asked Sam what the best entrée to order was, he told me that all of the pasta listed on the menu were hand-made and that I could not choose wrong with any of them. The chefs use original Southern and Northern recipes from the old Italian country. The pastas are part of the year-round menu, where the list on other entrees such as grilled polenta and sausage, chicken breast sautéed in lemon cream, and vegetable lasagna and are updated daily.

In addition to the list of pastas, the menu has an ornate list of sauces that may seem overwhelming, But never fear! The waiters are prepared with friendly suggestions of what best compliments each other.

While waiting for the main courses my boyfriend and I couldn’t help notice the Italian love ballades that were playing on the speakers. I again felt that I was in the home of my make-believe Italian grandmother and that I was hearing her watching her stories in the kitchen while making our meal.

My Ricotta Cheese Ravioli arrived peeking through the bright red homemade tomato sauce. The sauce was incredible. I could taste the sweet from the carrots, freshness from the basil and the time and affection the chef gave the sauce.  My boyfriend ordered his pasta in the Bolognese sauce, which came out creamily pink and I could clearly taste the meat it was simmered in.

We finished the meal splitting a homemade Tiramisu with coffees. The portion was perfect for two and the ladyfingers with mascarpone cheese left me feeling lighter than the coco powder on top.

Many Kisses are not a guarantee in bringing a date to Tanti Baci, but you will find an ideal meal and setting to cozy up with someone you love.

Click here for more information on Tanti Baci.

Laura Brown, guest Blogger for Campus Clipper

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MAN TESTED, LADY APPROVED

Thursday, February 10th, 2011

Agreeing on a flick for a night at home shouldn’t be a terribly difficult decision for most couples, but sometimes a girl needs a little warm and fuzzy happy ending romantic comedy and no amount of rhetoric can make a guy settle down to some tear filled giggles. Then, there are the guys who agree to a chick flick and suffer through ninety minutes of watch checking and sighing, waiting to cash in their newly earned brownie points. Ladies, take it easy on them, and especially with Valentine’s Day around the corner.

Here’s a list of chick flicks, man tested, ladies approve:

Knocked Up: It’s criminal to have never seen this flick, or not to find it a source of quotable, comedic material. Seth Rogan and Katherine Heigl play a pair whose one night stand ends in conception and begins a whirl wind relationship where, like their child, everything is unplanned. Warning: may temporarily kill libido, best watched with committed partner.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s: Guys, don’t write this one off just because it’s got Audrey Hepburn in it. This is a staple in everyone’s film diet, and should not be ignored due to media attention and age. Nothing blows up, but this Truman Capote adaptation involves two escorts, Holly Golightly and Paul Varjak, jaded and living in New York, avoiding love and trying to make it. The score is amazing, and once you hear it, you’ll notice it popping up everywhere, even in Minority Report. If you have to choose between Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Casablanca, for a movie night, Breakfast at Tiffany’s is the more lighthearted choice.

Going the Distance: Don’t let the cover deceive you! The case for this flick looks like a made for TV movie, but it’s nothing if not brilliant. This star studded cast includes Drew Barrymore (on her A game), Justin Long, Charlie Day (Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Jason Sudeikis (30 Rock), Christina Applegate, & Jim Gaffigan. Barrymore and Long play a couple attempting a long distance relationship from New York to San Francisco. While the plot is easily identifiable, the candid conversations will keep you, and your beau, stifling laughter so you can hear the next line. I would easily label this as the best romantic comedy of 2010, hands down.

When Harry Met Sally: This is another must see for all movie goers. If you haven’t seen it yet, you’ll recognize a lot of other films imitating this one, monumental chick flick. From writer Nora Ephron (You’ve Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, Julie & Julia, etc), the queen of romantic comedies, is the story of a twenty year friendship that tackles the crux: can men and women be just friends? Be wary of the debates this will bring up, as it’s known to cause an argument or twenty, but if you take it with a grain of salt, this one is sure to keep you giggling.

Life as We Know it: This Katherine Heigl film takes off in the comedic department where Knocked Up left off. An unlikely pair are given custody of their mutual friend’s child after the couple passes away and they struggle to find where they fit into their new lives. This one is smart, funny, and on the girlier side, so choose wisely. Ladies, be prepared to shed a few tears in front of your movie partner.

If you and your other half are tight on cash, why not pick up some take out and rent a movie for Valentine’s Day? Keep things light, funny, and romantic with one of the choices above, and take it easy on the fiscal expectations.

Written by Ashley Teal, Campus Clipper Blogger

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Getting the Finest Coffee at O Café

Wednesday, February 9th, 2011

This past Friday, I had the opportunity to review a newly opened café on 6th Avenue. The address, formerly home to Joe Jr.’s coffee shop that has been a mainstay of the neighborhood for years, is now open as a different breed of café called, O Café. Owner and operator Fernando Aciar’s vision was to create a unique space dedicated to sustainable and ecologically responsible practices, including sourcing coffee and other ingredients from fair trade and organic growers, as well as furnishing the café with reclaimed and energy efficient materials—all in an effort to minimize the environmental impact of business while empowering local farmers and food artisans. Certainly, it is not the counter and pie coffee shop of yesteryear.

But, although many people have grumbled and lamented the loss of Joe Jr.’s, O Café is a bastion of the new type of coffee shop—one that preaches carefully selected products to ensure the highest quality and freshness possible. When I met with Fernando, he explained to me his past working as a cook, until he started his own café in Rio de Janeiro, also called O Café, and how he wanted to bring the quality ingredients he knew local farmers were growing all around Brazil here to New York City. The Minas region of Brazil alone, Fernando went on, is the single largest exporter of coffee in the world, yet is unrecognized as a place known for growing gourmet coffee as most of it is exported at a cheap price to support a small amount of artisanal growers. In sourcing his coffee and chocolate from the finest farmers in Brazil, O Café hopes to expose all the great products of the region with local businesses and farmers alike.

But enough about the political ethos, and more about the actually coffee and goods you can enjoy at O Café. Two of the signature snacks at O Café are Pao de Mel and Pao de Queijo. Pao de Mel is a honey cake with Brazilian walnuts, and spices, and then is covered with chocolate imported from Bahia, Brazil. Pao de Queijo, or cheese bun, is a popular cheesy-bread snack that is typical from rural farms in Brazil, and offers a more savory bite compared to the sweet honey bread. O Café also offers an assortment of thin, crispy chocolate bars that are loaded with various nuts, as well as cookies and other pastries. Coming this spring, O Café will begin selling fresh fruits from Brazil like acai, and other goodies like iced-coffee and freshly squeezed juices.

But, the ultimate test of a café is of course the quality of its coffee. As you could imagine, O Café only offers the finest coffee beans grown from small, dedicated growers. There are two styles of coffee at O Café: French press and pour over. The pour over method involves an intricate system of continually pouring hot water into a cone filter with freshly ground beans—it’s like a handmade version of a drip coffee pot. Coffee varieties rotate regularly, but rest assured, the quality of the beans will always be exceptional

If you are looking for an alternative to the Starbuck’s nightmare that is quickly consuming every available block corner in this city, walk into O Café for a unique experience that will remind you of the finer things in life.

Written by Derek Parsons, Campus Clipper Blogger

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