Delicious Deals

found while running through the Eastside

Let me preface this post by confessing; I am not a runner. I am more of a seasonal walker who, at times, is inspired to pepper those walks with short outbursts of girlish, arm-flailing jogging. Nevertheless, on my last said outing, I windedly passed by two delicious deals I couldn't resist sharing.

While exiting the East River at 34th street, I passed by the insanely tasty El Parodor and was shocked to find that a three-course prixe fix lunch at the Mexico City inspired "roadhouse" would only set me back a flat $20. For those more interested in a liquid lunch, the bar is also offering $5 margaritas and half-priced appetizers from 3-6pm. With gourmet delights like a 24-ingredient mole chicken, mussles with cornbread, and warm cinnamon salsa; El Parodor gives a great reason to knock off the day a few hours early.

Moving downtown I stopped to steal a whiff of the sweet aromatic Indian-Americana fusion that is Tabla. After staring longingly, and likely creepily at the patron's plates on the cozy outdoor patio that overlooks Madison Square Park, I spotted the second deal of the day; the Tabla to-go lunch cart. This is probably the most flavorful and thoughtful street cart food one will find in the city. Offerings include tandori roasted chicken with mint chutney, and black peppered roasted lamb with pickled peppers. The best part -- all menu items are under $10!

Bon Appetit!

Celebrating Mistakes: Everything I know about launching an agency I learned in my first six weeks in business

This week, we celebrated the arrival of our agency’s first schwag in the mail by taking a bite of humble pie and reminiscing on our favorite business blunders so far. Our top 5 Tim Gunn-inspired “make it work” mistakes are below.

1. We really heart Chuck Scarborough. Only an insider or incredibly observant viewer might have noticed that our client Chef Ryan Brown’s first TV interview was as amusing as his first print quote (more on that below). The anchor, David Ushery, was so engrossed in his guest, he had no idea the close-up of the gift certificate was actually made out (per our direction) to Chuck Scarborough, who had called in sick that evening.

Cuttlefish Ink Mugs Have Arrived!

The sweat and tears that go into starting a new PR agency has its moments -- and for us, one of them happend today when we saw our Cuttlefish Ink logo on our new agency mugs. We can't wait to thank our wonderful clients, Chef Ryan Brown of Choice Cooking Company, Chef Antonio Frontera, co-author of "Chicken Soup for the Soul Kids in the Kitchen," and Chef  Fermin Bello of Itzocan Cafe for the opportunity to partner with such amazing businesses and people.
As we take our first sips, we're reflecting on some of our favorite moments in our first six weeks in business.  Stay tuned for our top 5 to be posted tomorrow.

MediaBistro After Party: Pizza Bash, the New Pizza by the Slice in Union Square

Yesterday at the MediaBistro women in media event at Underbar, we fell in love with the blueberry martini (thanks @jkeefe for the tip) and had a great time meeting new friends who accepted our hand-cut business cards.  But all the sugar went straight to our hunger bones.

Just our luck - a new pizza by the slice opened in Union Square East - across the street from the W.  We were a little skeptical when we walked in- not a customer in sight (The guys at Pizza Bash report that in the 3 months they've been open, "not everyone knows we're here yet").  The fact that our only choice for crust was whole wheat, only furthered the gut feeling.

However, we're pleased to report - if you like thin crust, this slice surpasses the "it's as good as whole wheat crust can be" bar.

Giorgio's of Gramercy: Inventive Italian in a Warm Place

Despite everything you read on this blog, we're actually creatures of habit, who when not given an assignment tend to draw back on the same favorite places- typically Virage, Itzocan and the occasional Murray's falafel.

Boy were we surprised when we made a bet on Georgio's of Gramercy.

The restaurant is so nestled into 22nd Street we almost walked by the door.  The front bar had a somewhat divey feel on a Friday at 10, which surprised us after the person on the phone who assured us he had a table self-identified as a maître d'.

Floral Drinks in Dive Bars

Edible floral cocktails may have been all the rage last summer but we think they're back.  Yesterday after celebrating a fabulous birthday party for Luther Vandross thrown by the very fabulous Seveda Williams at BLVD, we headed over to Vig bar - where Chris the bartender made us this lovely drink.
We barely managed to finish it before running home to beat the expected doorman strike but can vouch that it's worthy of heading in to give it a try on a Tues or Thurs when we are told Chris, the inventor of this concoction, works the bar.   

Our friend, Michelle Borboa over at SheKnows.com has collected some of this year's hot floral concoctions.  Enjoy!

Deliciousnes in Rockafeller Center: Morell's

Gearing up for our trip to the NBC headquarters for Chef Ryan Brown's segment on WNBC's New York Nonstop, we prepped at Dean & Delucca. But once it was time to celebrate we were ready for some booze and a few tasty treats.  We were pleasantly surprised with Morell Wine Bar - which despite its location smack in Rockefeller,  offered an amazing meal without the tourist prices you'd expect in this neighborhood.

So what does a chef eat over a vodka soda celebration drink?  "Steak tartar," Ryan tells us - "I have to order it anytime I see it on the menu."