Giorgio’s of Gramercy – Modern Italian Cuisine
Giorgio’s of Gramercy
27 East 21st Street (between Broadway and Park Avenue South)
New York, NY
(6 Train to 23rd Street, exit station via 21st side)
212-444-0007
*Reservation is necessary so make sure you call in advance to reserve your seat!
Ever wanted to eat out at a fancy restaurant but not having to compromise the money in your wallet? Well one solution to that is Restaurant.com. On this website, you can choose a restaurant on their list and buy a certificate for a fraction of the actual face value and use it at the restaurant! How neat is that. For example, you can buy a $25 restaurant certificate for Giorgio’s of Gramercy which can be found by clicking here that only cost you $15. Now if you are a Fatwallet.com member you can get 24% cash back! And for now there is a 40% instant discount if you visit the following link: Restaurant.com Coupons. So after the coupon and receiving the cash back, you will spend only $6.84 for a certificate that is worth $25! Now the catch is that each restaurant will have their own restriction in regards to the maximum amount you can purpose the certificate, the day and time to use it, a minimum that you will have to spend, and used only certificate per table/party.
Having said that, my friend and I decided to try Giorgio’s of Gramercy since they had such great reviews on Yelp, NY Mag and Zagat.
Via Emilia Restaurant – Modenese Cuisine
Via Emilia Restaurant
47 East 21st Street
New York, NY
(212) 505-3072
*Try to make a reservation before you come because it can get packed.
Via Emilia Ristorante Modenese Restaurant
The awareness started when one day my friend Tiffany, pulled me aside in a hallway at work and told me the most delicious Italian dinner she has had in New York City. “The food is sooo sooo yummy! You must try it when you get the chance . The pasta is so fresh and delicious! I know you will loveee it!” Sure enough I was convinced to go just because of her sheer enthusiasm. I mean like, how many people do you meet that exhibits that kind of passion and enthusiasm? I sure as heck don’t encounter any so I was convinced to go. Now she did bring to my attention that it’s cash only. As a joke, I asked if the owner was Chinese because a lot of restaurants in Chinatown only takes cash. She gave a light chuckle, but told me that she honestly doesn’t know, but told me to give it a shot I told her I definitely will and will feature it on my website.
Now here I am.
Before I begin to explore my experience, just a quick background about Modense Cuisine:
Cafe Astoria Bakery – Belarusian Marshmallow Candies
Cafe Astoria's Belarusian Marshmallow Candies
Cafe Astoria Packaging for Belarusian Marshmallow Candies
As I was making my rounds at work during my lunch break, my co-worker Tina stops me by her department and generously offered this mysterious looking pastry to try. At first I thought that it was glutinous rice flour with walnuts, but when I took a closer look, it was not made of that material. Tina, told me that her mother bought her this from Taiwan and asked whether I had tried this before. Of course I did not, and when I tried it, all I can say that it tastes like a powdery marshmallow with walnuts. There was something unique about it. It wasn’t oozing with flavor, it was a simple desert that literally is a combination of walnuts and marshmallow. Somehow I enjoyed it and it was a unique eating experience. Now whether this was a Taiwanese specialty or not, I had to find out.
Cafe Astoria is located in Taipei, Taiwan.
7, WuCheng St, Sec 1
(02) 2331-7370
Hours: 8:30 am-8:30 pm
From what I learned from the above website and on the Wall Street Journal page, this gourmet cafe is known for their marshmallow candies and great over a cup of coffee. The owner who was from Belarus, opened their first shop in Shanghai and then moved to Taipei. This candy is a Belarusian treat and it is very light and fluffy. Eating this is like eating a piece of cloud. At least that’s how I’d imagine it to be.
If you are fortunate to be in the neighborhood, stop by and share your eating experience there!
Until next time,
<3 FCG
Day 3 – Nature’s Path Organic Flax Plus Pumpkin Raisin Cereal & Taco Truck
I like to emphasize how important it is to have a healthy breakfast. There are a lot of people out there, including some family and friends that I know that skip breakfast because either they don’t have the time to eat or think that they can lose weight by eating less. The rule of thumb, I believe, is to have a heavy yet healthy breakfast that offers you a combination of fiber, carbs, some proteins and lots of vitamins that your body will sorely need to power through the morning. This is the energy that your body needs the most to get working at burning fat. Key: Fat burning, not fat storing is important. And you do this by eating right. Yes, eating healthy will get your body burning the fat. Once you skip a meal or not eat at all, your body has nothing to work and therefore start storing this fat. So remember to eat! And eat healthy!!
By mid morning of course you can have a snack like a fiber one bar or some nuts or yogurt if you haven’t had that for breakfast and then throughout the day you can consume less. The more fiber you have, the less cravings you will have. I have personally learned this from my dear friend who has exemplified the physical embodiment of a healthy body and mind and also through Jillian Michael’s book, Master Your Metabolism.
Just remember, again, the human body is like a furnace. The only way it will start burning is when you give it some fuel and then it will burn faster and stronger over time.
Now, just like most working individuals, sometimes I don’t have time to eat as much as I want. So in the mornings, I find a way to eat a healthy bowl of cereal like this one:
Nature's Path Organic Flax Plus Pumpkin Raisin Crunch cereal w/Omega-3
The Famous CoalFire Pizzaria and Restaurant in Chicago, IL
Coalfire Pizza
1321 West Grand Avenue
Chicago, IL 60642
(312) 226-2625
Reservations not necessary as it is first come first serve!
Coal Fire Pizzaria and Restaurant
Front shot of Coalfire Pizza
Is Coal Fire really the best pizzaria in Chicago of 2008? According to the Chicago Reader it is! I personally try not to let reviews give me a bias opinion of the restaurant because then it might disappoint me if my expectations aren’t met. That has happened one too many times before so I figure that it’s best not to take reviews seriously, except for this one of course! But in all honesty, a lot of good reviews to me means a good recommendation and it makes me want to find out myself.
