To Do List: Try Organic Sake On Tap at Pure Food and Wine

As it is most likely obvious, I love to eat. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't call myself a "foodie," but I am dangerously close to it. I'm easy company to eat with because when I eat out, I try only to eat at the best places (until a dive craving hit, but even then the food is damn good.)

One of my favorite restaurants in the entire Manhattan area is Pure Food and Wine. The restaurant is based on raw food principles, which means there's nothing cooked over approximately 118 degrees and the ingredients are all vegan: no meat, no dairy, no preservatives, nothing. Everything you love to eat on a non-raw diet is translated into dishes that are not only incredibly delicious, they're good for you. It's like the adult version of baking brownies with spinach: you're eating healthy without really being cognizant of such a thing. I adore it.

The food is one thing, the desserts are spectacular (ask for the ice cream sampler - to die for), but, of course you know I'm going to talk about the drinks. Pure Food and Wine is now the first restaurant in Manhattan to offer saké on tap, especially premium saké from the organic, domestic (made in Oregon and America's only) sakery, SakeOne. Saké on tap is earth-friendly; it costs less to ship and minimizes waste because it eliminates glass bottles.

The cocktails at Pure are simply amazing because they only use saké to craft them, in lieu of liquor. Everything is made from housemade organic pressed juices and created by in-house sommelier Joey Repice and even though saké isn't exactly raw, it's full of nutrients, rich in amino acids and is considered to be a bit of a love potion in its native country of Japan. Add to that the low-to-no-hangover factor and you can understand the mass appeal. When booking a table, go for the back garden: it's spectacular and a great place to curl up for drinks with friends or a romantic hideaway for a cozy date. Order my favorite, the Master Cleanse Tini. You won't be disappointed.

Links to the menu and the restaurant information are below. Make a reservation the next time you're in the area and maybe I'll stop by. I plan on spending A LOT of time here in the future and for those who want to live and drink as healthy as possible, it's kind of a must.


Pure Food and Wine
54 Irving Place, New York, NY  10003
phone | 212-477-1010
hours | lunch 12-4pm  dinner 5:30-11pm

Stylish Living: New York City Picks from Purple Lab NYC's Karen Robinovitz

  Karen Robinovitz inside of one of NYC's most enviable locations, her West Village closet.

Last time we got the hottest picks from Alice + Olivia's Stacey Bendet. I figured it was time to ask another girl about town for her favorite hotspots in NYC. I give you where to go, what to see and what to do from Purple Lab NYC's Creatrix, the lovely and amazing Karen Robinovitz. Hey, Karen, where do you:

(l-r) Virayoga, Clay Fitness and Spa

Do yoga/workout/exercise - Virayoga for Anusara yoga and Clay is my gym, though I need to get to Tracy Anderson's studio!

Dell'Anima

 

Eat - Nobu, Dell'Anima, Little Owl for amazing brunch, Aquagrill for oysters, Murray's for a cheese fest.

 

Lobby of NYC's Standard Hotel

Have a cocktail - I don't really drink so I never go out for cocktails (shhhhh, I'm secretly no fun.) If I had to pick, it would definitely be The Standard Hotel.

Hang out with your girlfriends - Home! I love having friends over and entertaining.

Kirna Zabete

 

Shop - Kirna Zabete, Curve, Resurrection Vintage, Jeffrey, Alexander McQueen, Barneys New York, Moss for home design.

Relax and unwind - Vital Ki Energy of Jungshim to get the chakras lined up and maintain balance. There's a great healing treatment for just $60 and afterward you'll feel like a million. 39 W. 14th St. The best place for a quick energy tune up.

Devachan Salon and Spa

 

Have a day of beauty - A facial with Nina at Paul Labrecque (the Upper East Side location). No one cleans skin like her. She has changed my life. And then hop down to Soho for curl love at Devachan, the only place I will let touch my hair! They have a beautiful spa as well. I have an amazing massage therapist named Eli. Having him over for late night deep tissue action would just make the day complete.

The sculpture garden at the Museum of Modern Art

 

Have a little peace and quiet - The garden of the MOMA. Nothing like sitting outside, next to a Richard Serra and journaling. There are also hidden nooks in my neighborhood (the West Village) with little gardens and benches where it's so nice to have a quiet lunch and read.

Party until dawn - I wouldn't know personally, but right now it's all about Boom Boom Room, top floor of the Standard Hotel.

 A scenic view of New Paltz

Spend time with your husband - Gallery hopping in Chelsea (we are super passionate about contemporary art and used to collect pre-Purple Lab - we can't wait to be able to collect again!) and getting on his motorcycle to jet to the DIA Center upstate. Speaking of upstate, we love weekends hiking in New Paltz.

Head out this weekend and check out some of Karen's picks for chic living and keep it here to FSB for more fabulous fashion, style and beauty news!

Celebrity NYC: New York City Favorites From Stacey Bendet of Alice + Olivia

When you live in New York, you tend to get recommendations of what's new, hot and fabulous from your friend, coworkers, colleagues or from the magazines and blogs we rely upon regularly. I thought it might be fun to ask designers, stylists and other tastemakers where they hang out in NYC. You saw the interview a couple of weeks ago with Alice + Olivia designer, Stacey Bendet. Here, the designer gives us her picks on what to do, see, eat and experience in her New York City. Hey Stacey, what are your favorite places to:

Eat? Sushi, or vegan food from Blossom.

Have a cocktail? Kenmare (in Nolita) or random LES margarita spots.

Shop?  Online, vintage, DEAR on the LES

Do yoga/workout? Ashtanga yoga with Eddie Stern

Relax and unwind? My apartment!

Have a day of beauty? Omg, who has time?!? I get a facial from Eloise’s banana-covered palms.

Have a little peace and quiet? Malibu!

Party until dawn? Kenmare followed by Boom Boom Room at The Standard.

Spend time with your daughter? She is my buddy! I take her everywhere! We love to go to Sundaes and Cones for ice cream for a treat!

Get out there and check out some of Stacey's picks from the city! And, of course, keep it tuned here for more fabulous NYC picks from amazing talent from around the worlds of fashion, style and beauty!

Stylish Snacking: Starbucks Ice Cream Releases New Flavors for Summer and a Fab Recipe!

There are certain rites of spring that we all live for: trips to the park, blooms on the trees and (most important) weather warm enough to eat ice cream. I was recently invited to a fabulous event where I got a chance to try  new ice cream flavors from Starbucks Ice Cream before they hit the market and I'm here to tell you: these are must-haves for the season.

The three new flavors, Vanilla Bean Frappuccino, Signature Hot Chocolate and Strawberries & Crème Frappuccino, are based on popular flavors of beverages available at their many locations. Let me just tell you right now that based on personal experience that if you are fans of these beverages, these ice creams taste like the real thing. They use real vanilla beans, chocolate and strawberries in them (respectively) and honestly, the taste is not to be believed. As someone who doesn't really have a sweet tooth (I know, I know - don't start), these are flavors that I will be purchasing and keeping in my own home. They're THAT GOOD. 

At the launch event, we were treated to some amazing recipes using the ice cream from chef Kristina Vanni, culinary expert and author of Kristina The Budget Diva. Here's a mind-blowing dessert recipe for a Mixed Berry Sundae: melt butter in a skillet, then toast two slices of pound cake until golden brown. Toss in some mixed berries until everything is nice and warm and buttery. Plate your pound cake and add a scoop of the Strawberries & Crème Frappuccino, (or Vanilla Bean Frappuccino, for those of us who like vanilla). Top with the mixed berries and serve. Mind-blowing and for those of you looking to entertain, a total crowd pleaser!

The new flavors are available by the pint (Vanilla Bean Frappuccino® is also available as a single-serve cup.) Prices range from $3.89 - $4.39 (single-serve cups have a suggested retail price of $1.29 - $1.39) and are available NOW at your favorite grocery store. Check their website for more information and locations.

Because it's that time of the season and you know how that goes: I'm screaming, you're screaming, we're all screaming for ICE CREAM. Starbucks has heard our cries and delivered what's bound to the treat of the season. Bon appetit!

Stylish Wedding: Introducing Dom Perignon Wedding

As you know, I don’t really cover wedding items on FSB but every once in a while I hear about something that’s so cool I feel you should know about it and honestly, since my favorite thing about most weddings is the open bar, this runs right up my alley.

Dom Pérignon has launched Dom Pérignon Wedding, a collection of twelve bottles of Dom Pérignon Vintage 2000 and an accompanying white lacquered box which holds an additional bottle of Dom Pérignon Vintage 2000 (kind of like the bonus round – I imagine that’s for your wedding night, you party animals, you). The thirteenth bottle has a unique silver label which can be personalized with your names and wedding date. It’s based on the fact that years ago Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles served the beverage at their royal wedding and had the bottle engraved with their names and date (see photo below). Three decades later, they’re going to lift the rules and allow you to do the same. It’s an elegant keepsake to commemorate your amazing day.

Here’s where my fashion passion joins the fun: to commemorate the launch, Dom Pérignon is using a previously never seen image of supermodel Claudia Schiffer, taken by none other than Karl Lagerfeld.
We all know that Dom Pérignon is quite the favorite for posh occassions and it’s made it way around the reception of many a famous person: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, even Claudia Schiffer herself has toasted nuptials with the starburst beverage.

If you’re planning your own special day, Dom Pérignon Wedding can be purchased only by special order at Crush Wine and Spirits in New York and at other fine wine purveyors nationwide. Retail price will vary by state, but I’d definitely work this one into the catering budget. Talk about the ultimate in wedding luxury!

Holiday Gift Idea: Crumbs Cupcakes

When I was a kid, one of the best presents I remember getting every year had to do with food. Other than a fruitcake that can double as a doorstop, I'm into any gift that allows people to get together and eat. Popcorn tins are so last...decade. How about sending a little lovin' from the oven that will REALLY have them raving for years? Ladies and gentlemen, if you want to collect your award for The Best Gift This Season, send cupcakes from Crumbs Bake Shop.

An institution in NYC and Los Angeles that sends many of us squealing into any gathering like tweens at a Jonas Brothers concert when they arrive, Crumbs cupcakes are some of the most amazing confections that have ever been allowed to be created on Planet Earth. I mean, you could send basic vanilla and chocolate and still have them screaming with delight, but let me just throw some of the flavors from these oversized drops of joy: Chocolate Covered Strawberry, Caramel Apple (my personal favorite), Cookie Dough, Chocolate Pecan Pie, Fluffernutter, Oreo (as in the real cookies), Peanut Butter Cup (again, with real peanut butter cups on top) and so many more I don't have room in this post. I get giddy walking past the store every day and to know that I can share this love with you across the country, my friends? I weep with happiness.

You can create your own custom Six Pack of these delicious cupcakes and they will ship your little box of heaven on dry ice anywhere in the country, where the darling confections will thaw in 3-4 hrs after being removed from their travel vessel. Afterwards, I suggest you try not to break your arm patting yourself on the back after all the amazing "Thank You" cards, phone calls and offers to bear your children start pouring in.

Send them wherever you want this holiday season or, Hell, send a box to yourself. It's been a rough year and we all deserve a little treat this season. No matter what the occasion, there's always one amazing gift solution that can be delivered with the click of a mouse: Crumbs cupcakes.

Fun Friday Foodie Moment: Ode to Mister Bee Potato Chips

I know what you're thinking. I've done all these things about diets and exercise and how I'm trying to lose weight to get into a pair of jeans, blah blah blah. Why in the world would I do a post on potato chips and what in the world does this have to do with fashion, beauty or the world of style?

Because they're so good that, in the proper portion size of course, these potato chips should be THE cheat of everyone's diet (or part of your daily diet, hey, I don't judge). I don't care what your denim size is, I don't care how you do it, everyone needs a cheat every now and then and my Dietary Weapon of Mass Consumption has to come all the way from my home state of West Virginia. Yes, people - I'm talking about Mister Bee Potato Chips.

No, this isn't an advertisement and no one from the company knows I'm even talking about them, but I feel it's time to tell the world that the perfect crunchy, salty, savory chip is from my home state. Every time my mom sends me a box from home with a bag of these sent-from-Heaven chips in it, I writhe on the floor in ecstasy.

I request them as part of my Christmas presents. I want them served at every cocktail party, if I ever thought I'd get married, I would want them served at my wedding, and I want it written into my will that they be served at my funeral. I personally believe that if these chips were served as part of the G8 menu, we would already have world peace. As far as fashion and style goes, part of the art is breaking the rules and every person on earth has a vice. Mister Bee Potato Chips just happen to be mine.

If you want to try a bag of the world's most perfect chip, I strongly suggest you head to their website, call them up or email them and see if you can buy them direct and have them ship them to you. All I know is that if loving these chips is wrong, I don't wanna be right. Life is not worth living without good food and as we say at home, "These are some good eatin'."

I've traveled far and wide and Mister Bee Potato Chips are still the best chip I have ever tasted. Period.