Another new-ish place in Brickell.

Balans in Mary Brickell Village.

I had an egg-white breakfast burrito and a strawberry/banana smoothie.  It was delish!

You can get breakfast all day, baby!  BALLER! 

The place is ALWAYS packed…we sat outside and we were lucky to have gotten a table.

I’m a pescetarian and extremely picky…and there were several things on the menu I could’ve chosen.

The only complaint is that the prices are a bit high, but so are most places in Brickell…so I guess it’s all relative.

All day brunch = I’m sold.

So, I tried this new French place in Brickell called Le Boudoir.

I was MASSIVELY disappointed.  It was adorable and chic and pink with bouncy pink leather couches.  OK, maybe I judged the proverbial book by its cover…but it was cute!

Anyhoo…it was breakfast so I ordered “Le Special” aka eggs, toast, homemade jam, cafe au lait.

What I got would have had Denny’s and IHOP shaking their heads in shame.

I got two RUNNY ASS EGGS AND ONE PIECE OF DAMP TOAST CUT UP INTO LITTLE SQUARES.  When I asked for more toast they CHARGED ME $3!!!!!!!!  UGH!  

The only redeeming thing about the meal was, again, the cute atmosphere.  

To add insult to injury–it cost $24!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  WTF?!

Le Boudoir?  Le pass.

My friend’s sister just opened up the Sports Exchange in Coral Gables–45 Miracle Mile to be exact!

Tell your boyfriends!!!!

It’s an upscale sports bar with an awesome bar and cool, chill, yet sophisticated and grown up atmosphere.

Put it this way: when your boyfriend drags you to a sports bar to watch a game, you actually won’t mind going!!!!

305=Miami Area code if you’re a little slow.

I went here with some friends in from out of town for happy hour.  

This place is brand new and sleek, stylish and sexy.

If swanky Miami poshness were a bar it would be Area 31.

This gorgeous roof-top bar is situated on the roof of the brand new EPIC condo/hotel.

Go–$5 appetizers and well drinks!!!!  I had some french fries and a random juice and rum drink with a Spanish name I don’t remember.  But I won’t soon forget the view!!!!

Enjoy your cheapy drinks/apps and enjoy the view of Miami’s skyline.

Both are absolutely breathtaking.

This is our new favorite spot and here’s why…

1. The Aroma on the Upper West Side has outdoor seating as well as indoor seating.

2. Aroma’s bathrooms are immaculate unlike Starbucks’, which have become synonymous with homeless shelters…

3. Aroma’s food is spectacular and high quality.

4. Aroma’s cups are cool. It looks like you get what you’re paying for. It’s definitely an upscale coffee shop but unlike Starbucks.

5. Aroma has freshly baked bread (white, light grain and whole wheat) for sandwiches and salads, which are made on the premises not pre-made and left in an inadequate refrigerator (ahem, Starbucks, what?).

6. Aroma gives you a little piece of chocolate with your coffee drink.

7. Aroma’s food is reasonably priced–a whole sandwich is $8 but they’re huge. I’m a pig and a half sandwich is plenty big. (To add chicken, roast beef, tuna, etc. is only an extra $1.25!) The salads, which are huge too are only $10.50.

The Greek is our fave–feta, olive tapenade and lettuce. We also add chicken. Yum! I had it 2 days in a row this weekend.

Roquefort Salad with Mushrooms is delish!

8. Aroma has fresh lemons for their delectable tea selection unlike ‘Bucks.

9. Aroma has freshly squeezed fruit juices (orange, carrot, and apple) not just Naked smoothies that they jack up the prices for.

10. Aroma’s baked goods are amazing and all baked on the premises too. Think chocolate filled croissants, danish and streudel. Yum.

So, y’all know I’m a girl of few words… this restaurant rocks. There are few places in NYC that I’ve returned to over 5 times in the past 4 years since there are so many places to try and if I’m going to spend some money then I’m going to want to try somewhere new–Il Bagatto is the exception to the rule. Its food is delectable, ambiance is romantic, its wine selection is plentiful, it takes reservations (unlike Supper down the street) and its prices are CHEAP! The pastas are delicious and stay true to their Italian roots (no cheese on pasta with seafood–seriously, they won’t give it to you!). The calamari is my favorite appetizer, grilled with lemon, herbs and spices.It’s heaven. There are always tons of options made with the freshest seafood ingredients.

Bruschetta is $5.50, Calamari is $12, Pastas range from 12-15. Just be careful when ordering specials because sometimes they tend to be pricier, which you may  not guess due to the reasonableness of the rest of the menu. Just ask though, the staff is great.

Added bonus, the upstairs is open in the summer and the basement is romantic and covered in twinkle lights in the winter. There is also a DJ downstairs spinning great tunes. Perfect place to take a date! The wine is also very reasonably priced (don’t remember the prices, shoot).

192 E. 2nd St., New York, NY 10009 near Ave. B

Buon Appetito!

We were dazzled last Friday night when we met one of our fave people out for a romantic dinner date. Chef Leah Cohen (of fame from Top Chef) has created a fantastic menu.

The intimate dining room downstairs (they have an upstairs as well, think less bustle more romance) was crawling with people at 8pm on Friday when we got there. We put our name down (20 minute wait) and grabbed a signature cocktail from the bar.  I don’t remember what they were called (a true testatment to how strong they were) but they were both delicious and about $12 each with tip.

Once seated, priority number one was to peruse the wine menu. Loving wine but being somewhat less than a connoisseur we were stumped. After noticing our puzzlement, we were greeted by wine specialist, Sean. He explained to us the restaurant’s philosophy on vino–it doesn’t have to be expensive here to mean you’re going to get high quality. They hand pick all their wines and ensure that even reasonably priced bottles taste like they’re a vintage private label. He recommended a bottle that was absolutely exquisite. Dum de Dum of course I don’t remember what it was. My girlfriend, as I informally call her, GF, wears the pants in our relationship and is in charge of selections like these.

Next we were on to my favorite part–the feast. GF, who is a Centro Vinotecchie (the restaurant is so good they have weekly neighborhood regulars who I have now deemed Centro Vinotecchies) recommended that we share several small plates in order to sample the binge-worthy cuisine. We indulged in:

Fried cauliflower wedges, parmigiano crust & agliata 6
Mushrooms stuffed with pork & pancetta 7
Zucchini & parmigiano fritters, spicy tomato sauce 5
Escarole salad with mushroom chips, hazelnuts, pecorino & sour apples 10
Potato gnocchi with maitake mushrooms, bacon, sage & mascarpone 19 (AMAZING!!!!!!!)
Cannoli- I don’t remember the details. Sorry!
Sweet Tarallucci with salty caramel (Essentially butter cookies with delicious caramel dipping sauce with sea salt–I’m usually a chocolate person but this dessert really tickled my tastebuds! The perfect end to our meal. Truth be told, we didn’t even order this delicious little morsel, Sean, who had assisted us in our wine selection overheard my GF and I arguing over the dessert selection and ultimately insisted that I taste it and brought it on the house!).

This restaurant is the perfect indulgence for you Smartypanties that are not raking in the dough but want to treat yourselves to a fun, delicious meal where you feel like you’ve really wined and dined yourself –but without breaking the bank. Our meal with drinks and tip ended up to be about $50 a person. Not cheap by any means, but it’s great food, delicious wine, dessert and let’s face it–no average Jane needs to order as much food as we did! But that’s what’s so great about this place. You feel like you’re a high roller- you can order basically everything on the menu–and still afford it. I wouldn’t dare dream of ordering this much food at Babbo or Il Mulino. I’m a big fan of overindulgence and gluttony so being able to go out and enjoy myself, order what I want without calculating if I’ll still make rent is a must. Not to mention–the only thing here you’re scaling back on is price–the food is just as fantastic as any 5-star restaurant.

And added bonus–the chairs are super cushiony!