January 29, 2014 · 11:14 pm

Greenwich Village Food Tour

I recently had the pleasure of doing a Greenwich Village Food Tour with Free Tours By Foot. We made 6 stops and learned some history along the way, which was a nice bonus. Below are the places we tried:

Our first food stop was Mamoun’s Falafel, a favorite among NYU students and for good reason: It is delicious and cheap.

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I sampled one of the falafel balls with tahini sauce, which was incredibly flavorful and warm.

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Next, we sampled ¼ of an Artichoke Pizza slice for $1, which was definitely enough! It was a slice of creamy, cheesy goodness, though I would have appreciated more artichoke pieces.

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Bantum Bagels was actually one of the places I didn’t know about. They sell bite sized bagels with cream cheese filling inside. I was tempted to buy one of each flavor, but realized that would be way too much so settled for two bagel bites: One sweet and one savory. Bleecker Street was a delicious mouthwatering little ball of cheddar cheese with a pepperoni on the outside and marinara mozzarella  cream sauce on the inside. The French Toast flavor is made out of a cinnamon nutmeg egg bagel and filled with buttery maple syrupy cream cheese. It was delightful, tasting of sweet toast, cinnamon and sugar.

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At Faicco’s we tried the risotto rice balls, which were mediocre. I wasn’t too impressed; it wasn’t flavorful and cheesy enough for me.

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Bleecker Street Pizza is a well known thin crust pizza establishment. We tried the basil cheese kind and enjoyed the fresh flavors.

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The last place we visited was Sugar & Plumm. Unfortunately, their ice cream parlor shop in the back was closed, so I couldn’t get a milkshake. I was quite happy with the hot chocolate actually- It was sweet and very rich with chocolate flavor. It was made even better by the addition of a huge sweet, thick and fluffy marshmallow. I also tried their salted caramel French macaron which was a bit too sweet for me. I would skip the macaron if you go; there are far better places.

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Overall, a very fun, delicious and informative tour… Also, it was very affordable- I ended up spending under $15 at all 6 establishments!

In order to go on this tour (as well as many others), please visit Free Tours By Foot, a walking tour company that gives free walking, food, bike, bus & shopping tours. They are also available in other cities such as London, Berlin, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington DC and many more.

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January 24, 2014 · 12:21 am

How to Add Color to Your Wardrobe: Radiant Orchid

Written By Fashionable & Fabulous Guest Blogger, Jackie Miller

Personal Wardrobe Stylist/ CEO of From the Closet Style

Website: http://www.fromtheclosetstyle.com

The new year is here and you need to update your wardrobe but don’t know where to begin and you’re on a super tight budget. Adding accents to your wardrobe can makes a big difference in building or updating your style. My top tip is by starting at http://www.Pantone.com and finding what colors are on trend the season.

If you have heard the latest buzz, Radiant Orchid is Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2014 which amazing shade of purple that speak volumes. Here are a few great ways you can fit this wonderful color in your life.

Basics

When starting to add this color to your closet start with the basics. Don’t spend a lot of money but keep it simple so it can easily be added to your existing wardrobe.

Radiant Orchid - Basics Under $50

Day to Night

With this look keep your basics that you can change your accessories. Effortless!

Radiant Orchid - Day to Night

Evening

For evening, this color is very versatile for any style. Don’t be afraid to choose a contrasting color when deciding your accessories.

Radiant Orchid - Evening

Weekend

The weekends are your days to have fun! Go for funky bold pieces and also be bold with your makeup. I kept the top neutral because you want everything to stand out. This is where you embrace your new favorite color!

Radiant Orchid - Weekend

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January 17, 2014 · 12:22 am

Otto Enoteca Pizzeria

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I recently received a gift card to Otto Enoteca Pizzeria (thank you, Chris!), one of my favorite Italian restaurants in the city. “Otto Enoteca Pizzeria is modeled after an Italian train station and located on 8th Street, in the historic One Fifth Avenue building,” … at the edge of Washington Square Park in the heart of Greenwich Village. Upon being seated, we were given a large, thick piece of bread wrapped in white paper and a packet of long bread sticks. The bread was decent, but would have been nice to have butter or olive oil and vinegar.

It was tough choosing between Spaghetti Alla Carbonara and one of the pasta specials, which contained radicchio, pancetta and gorgonzola. My friend and I ended up sharing, so I was able to have the best of both worlds.

The pasta special was pretty good. The radicchio (leafy purple-ish vegetable with a slightly bitter taste) was a bit wilted but I liked the pancetta. The gorgonzola was overpowering though. Overall, this dish was a bit too rich for me.

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I liked the Spaghetti Alla Carbonara better, which had pancetta, scallions, black pepper, and egg. The pasta was cooked al dente, there was just enough black pepper (and salt), the pancetta added a lot of delicious flavor, but I couldn’t really discern the taste of egg and the consistency was a little gummy.

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Then, of course I had to get dessert! I’ve had the Olive Oil Coppetta before and it is incredibly delicious, but wanted to try something different so went for the Parfait Carotina, which is described as “carrot & cashew cake, cardamom orange caramel, ricotta crema, cashew brittle, carrot orange marmelatta, cardamom orange gelato.” It was completely different from what I was expecting… There were grated carrots on top of the cake and the gelato didn’t have a strong flavor of either cardamom or orange, though I did like the cashew brittle. The flavors were ultimately not pleasant enough for me enjoy, so I switched my order to the Black & White, which did not disappoint.

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The Black & White was truly delectable. It was a beautiful concoction of milk chocolate chip gelato + chocolate sauce (the Black), crème fraiche gelato (the White), and hazelnut croccante, topped with caramel crema and a crispy waffle wedge. While the caramel crema had a delightful light flavor of caramel, it was too much to eat just by itself. However, when combined with the rest of the dessert, it added an extra layer of deliciousness. The crème fraiche was light, fresh, divine and the milk chocolate (with actual bits of pure chocolate) was rich, creamy, wonderful, while the sugary crispy hazelnut brittle added a satisfying sweet crunch.

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It is a testament to the quality of this restaurant that I’ve come back to dine here several times. Also, the service is quite good and the prices are affordable.

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Otto Enoteca Pizzeria
1 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY

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January 11, 2014 · 5:48 pm

Studio Photo Shoot

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I recently had a studio photo shoot with photographer Ahmad Amin. I came with four fashionable, yet fundamentally different outfits. The first was a long hot pink gown to be worn during a more formal affair.  I picked it up while I was in New Delhi, India. It’s a gorgeous filmy fuchsia color with dark blue brocading (with gold detailing) in an intricate swirly design down the front and bottom trim. It was fun to twirl and swirl around in this beautiful dress that made me feel like an Indian princess. With it, I wore this with high heel black boots with sparkles.

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The next outfit was a more festive out on the town look: Forever 21 black skirt with shiny gold design, ruffly black top, paired with lacy cream white high heels with a large glittering brooch that I bought in Shanghai.

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Below, is a close up view of the outfit.

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The third outfit was a flirty fresh and light little number: Another Forever 21 skirt of sea foam green in eyelit lace with satiny underlay with a long sleeve white top that has a sort of older vintage style to it.

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The last outfit is a striped cowl-neck sweater dress with alternating stripes of dark blue and light blue. This is a great casual, fun look for winter!

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January 7, 2014 · 10:18 pm

Gorgeous Party Dresses

I know it seems a long way off, but before you know it, spring will be approaching, so party season will be in full swing. Now is the time to prepare beautiful dresses so that you’re ready to attend your happy parties. But what to wear? There’s no need to worry about this anymore… I will introduce you a professional online store that can solve your entire party dress problem!

The site is http://www.1dress.co.uk/. This shop specializes in various dresses for all types of formal occasions, such as prom, evening, office, ball, wedding and much more. Women of all sizes can find a fabulous dress! It doesn’t matter whether you are an hourglass, pearl shape, or round shape; each body shape has a large number of options here. You can also customize dresses to fit your shape. You will no longer have to worry about finding  a dress that fits your body perfectly.

Now, let me show you some dresses I really enjoy…

Dress 1 Sweetheart Asymmetrical Tulle Sheath/Column Prom Dresses
This dress is famous for its front and rear asymmetrical hemline. I also like the rhinestone embellishment. And the tulle material will make you like a fairy.

Dress 2 Strapless Trumpet/Mermaid Sleeveless Chiffon Floor-length Prom Dresses
A long dress is the classic party dresses. For this style, no matter what color you choose, it will look amazing on your body. Pair this with a shining necklace and all eyes will be on you.

Dress 3
A-line Strapless Ruffles Sleeveless Knee-length Chiffon Dress
This green dress is fresh, sweet and flirty. It’s perfect for spring and if you like something more colorful.

Dress 4
Sheath/Column Elastic Woven Satin Strapless Floor-length Lace White Evening Dress
Last but not least, I strongly recommend this dress. Black and white colors are the eternal classic fashion colors. And the detail of black lace makes this dress even more classy and elegant.

You want to see more, right? Then come to this shop to have a look around. Dress up your curves and find a style that you love! May you have a great shopping time!

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January 3, 2014 · 1:16 am

New Year’s Eve

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Flying from CA –> NYC on the Red Eye with a stopover in Atlanta, arriving back on the East Coast afternoon of New Year’s Eve and realizing that my luggage was not at JFK. Apparently it was still in Atlanta! Thankfully, it wasn’t a big issue because I had all my necessary items (including my NYE dress) in my carry on. After ensuring that I would get my delayed luggage delivered to my apartment, I headed home for some much needed rest before going out for New Year’s Eve celebrations.

So, what did I wear? Hot pink & silver glitter, an Enfocus Studio dress with filmy light pink V-neck top with black skirt bottom & sparkly black sequined middle, paired with black high heel boots that have silver sparkles.

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On the way to the venue, I ran into a friend who was going to the same party, which was great timing (also because he didn’t see me fall on the little pothole in the concrete). The venue was beautiful- Wood floors, high ceilings, glittering golden drapes, strung up blue twinkling lights, a stage with large projector and a gorgeous view of the beautiful New York City skyline, with the Empire State Building resplendent in flashing colors, front & center.

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As soon as we walked in, there were waiters with appetizers on trays. My favorite was the chicken filo cups- The chicken was shredded and had a hearty flavor, while the filo cups were flaky and wonderfully crispy at the same time. There was also smoked salmon stuffed cornbread. The cornbread was perfectly soft and buttery, with a slight flavor of salmon. I liked that the flavor of the salmon was not overpowering. Last, there were tomato basil mozzarella cheese balls. It was light, juicy and tasty. Then there were long tables beautifully arranged for a sit down dinner, with gold glitter down the middle and candles.

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For dinner, we had the choice of tomato basil soup or salad. I had the soup, which was not warm and tasted mediocre in my opinion. The entree more than made up for it though. It was stuffed pork tenderloin with a side of wild rice and asparagus with sliced almonds and Parmesan cheese. I really enjoyed the stuffed pork- It was wrapped with bacon, and so deliciously tender and full of great flavor. The wild rice was also quite good, with the right consistency and flavor.  The asparagus were cooked well and the almonds and parmesan combined together was a yummy touch.

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Then, we had some live entertainment and got to see some amazing singers and dancers perform. I enjoyed the heartfelt performances and the last song sung was “Twist & Shout” to get us all up and dancing. It worked. We danced for the next few hours with a live feed of the Times Square celebrations in the background.

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We took a break from dancing to raid the dessert/candy buffet, which had various pastries, yellow cake with cream and fruit, cookies, chocolates, marshmallows, chocolate + yogurt covered pretzels, white covered peanuts, golden gumballs and more!

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Before we knew it, it was the countdown to midnight! Champagne toast, shouting, hugs, kisses and love. I had such a wonderful time ringing in the new year dancing up a storm in the company of some great friends! And I even got a ride home. How I ask for a better New Year’s Eve?

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December 30, 2013 · 3:09 pm

Benihana Birthday Dinner

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I received a $30 gift certificate for Benihana for my birthday through joining The Chef’s Table (which is free) and had a lovely dinner at the Benihana in Monterey, California. We were seated with another group, which is usually the case at Benihana if it is busy, so it was a little cramped but still enjoyable.  I selected the Samurai Treat entree meal. We started off with a clear mushroom soup, which had a nice light flavor to it, as well as some salad.

Then, since we knew one of the waitresses, she brought over two different plates of sushi: Shrimp tempura with avocado and California roll. The shrimp tempura roll were little bites of yummyness- Slightly crunchy, drizzled with that wonderful brown sauce and great flavor. The California roll was also good, but the shrimp tempura was better.

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After that, our chef, Joshua came out. He was both skilled and personable. He gave quite a show, juggling the utensils and below he is creating the chicken fried rice right in front of our eyes! He shaped the fried rice into a heart and started making it look like it was moving, while flicking the lights on and off. That was pretty awesome. The fried rice was very tasty, with slightly browned chicken, along with onion and other vegetables. There was great flavor and everything combined together wonderfully.

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Then, the chef started on the meal, cooking the zucchini, onion, mushroom and shrimp. He cooked everything with butter and used a couple of different sauces. He served the shrimp first – There were two different types. One was colossal shrimp grilled with lemon and butter and the other was a smaller size shrimp that tasted just as good. The shrimp was juicy, succulent and very flavorful. As for the vegetables, he stacked up the onions to look like a volcano and poured water over it so that it looked like it was erupting. The vegetables tasted fresh with a soft texture.

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The filet mignon, grilled to perfection, completed the meal. It was melt in your mouth tender, rich with flavor and full of deliciousness! I also really liked the teriyaki beef julienne. The teriyaki sauce was divine- The right combination of sweet and salty, and the beef was also incredibly tender. And I loved the sauce so much that I would’ve loved it to coat the filet mignon!

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Our meals came with ice cream, so I chose rainbow sherbet which was a beautiful bright pink and came with a cute little candle. The sherbet was okay, but a little too sweet. I also got to try the green tea ice cream, which was lovely and light. The staff at Benihana did their traditional birthday routine: Singing Happy Birthday in Japanese while drumming. then leading the Happy Birthday song in English.

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This was a wonderful meal…. Quite the visionary and culinary experience!

 

Benihana
136 Olivier St + NYC Midtown location
Monterey, CA
Benihana

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December 26, 2013 · 2:41 pm

Holiday Dinner Party

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We recently had a lovely holiday dinner party with great company and loads of delicious food!

MENU

Appetizers

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  • Arabic mini-spinach and za’atar bites (Left hand side in photo above)

*Za’atar is a Middle Eastern green and bright yellow spice mixture that is a blend of herbs, sesame and salt. I thought the Za’atar wrapped bites were tastier than the spinach ones.

  • Cheese & Crackers
  • Assorted Vegetables & Dip
  • Shrimp Cocktail with Spicy Red Sauce

Entrees

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  • Honey ham with Pumpkin

*The ham was wonderful– Full of flavor, tender, slightly caramelized. The pumpkin didn’t actually cook fully in the time it took to cook the ham, so I would suggest substituting the pumpkin with pieces of potatoes and/or onion.

  • Parisian Salad with Walnuts, Cranberries, Feta Cheese & Balsamic Dressing
  • Fresh Crab with Ginger Soy Sauce

*Very delicious and since the crab legs were already cracked, easy to get to the meat.

  • Nian Gao (Sticky Noodles) with Chicken, Carrots, and Mushroom

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  • Kung Pao Chicken with Red Peppers
  • Eggplant and Garlic
  • Fish with Ginger Teriyaki Sauce

Desserts

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  • Chocolate-Raspberry Noel Log

*This was my favorite dessert– Decorated beautifully and tasted heavenly. The chocolate was incredibly rich, smooth, and pure. The bit of raspberry swirl complemented the cake well.

  • Japanese Mochi with Red Bean Filling
  • Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
  • Traditional Christmas Cookies with Raisin, Nuts & Sugar Filling

*It’s one of our family traditions to make this delightful treat during the holiday time. They are crispy-chewy flaky morsels of sweetness and topped with red & green sprinkles for the season.

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I hope that your holiday was filled with much food, family, friends and festivities! Here’s to a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays & Happy New Year!

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December 20, 2013 · 3:12 pm

Dinner & Cannery Row

My family and I went to a friend’s place for a delightful and delicious dinner the other night. We started off with some appetizers of pork spring rolls with lettuce and a sweet/sour sauce that accompanied the spring rolls perfectly. We also had shrimp chips and a wonderful fruit drink that was made fresh that day, thanks to their juicer

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The main course was noodles with beef with cabbage and spinach in a slightly spiced soup. The beef was incredibly tender and full of robust flavor. The vegetables were fresh and crunchy.

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For dessert we had mashed sweet peas with a dollop of whipped cream. It was a unique dish but I really enjoyed it. The consistency was soft and the whipped cream gave the sweet peas an added layer of yumminess.

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After our dinner, we all took a walk along Cannery Row, which was beautifully lit up and quite a few stores still open. We stopped into Ghiradelli and other chocolate/caramel apple shops.

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We also passed the Cannery Row Christmas Tree,  which was tall with blue, green, yellow lights and a brightly lit blue star on top.

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December 17, 2013 · 12:11 am

Evening in Greenwich Village

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My last evening in New York City before heading home to California for the holidays was mostly spent in Greenwich Village. Though, first I stopped by Tory Burch in SoHo to use my $50 birthday gift card. I picked out a classic Tory Burch shiny hot pink bracelet (the kind that wraps around twice) with gold circle detail that has the Tory Burch logo etched on. It definitely cost more than I would normally spend on jewelry, but the gift card definitely helped.

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After the Tory Burch shopping excursion, I headed into the Village to meet my friend for a free birthday dinner at Slide. On the way, I found a cute little gift shop called Kado so I walked in and found myself in the middle of a fun, festive holiday party to promote Nicole Magazine. There was wine, snacks, wraps and goody bags! I left to check in at Slide and found that it was closed – Seized by the landlord! So, I had my friend meet me at the shop so we could enjoy the holiday atmosphere. I even got a bit of gift shopping in—Kado sells a plethora of cool merchandise, from deliciously scented candles, to bath & body products, to interesting books, to unique and whimsical plush stuffed animals…

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After Kado, my friend suggested dinner at Café Espanol which was conveniently just down the street. It’s a cozy little restaurant and decorated with plenty of holiday cheer. We decided to order from the prix fixe menu ($21.99) which was quite good, however did not cover dessert much to our dissatisfaction.

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I started off with Caldo Gallego Soup, which is white bean soup with cabbage, greens, potato and pork. I enjoyed it for the most part, but I didn’t expect the beans because the waiter’s description was quite vague.  Overall, it was pretty tasty and very hearty.

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I then had the Croquetas (chicken and Serrano croquettes) for an appetizer. There were six croquetas total which was a lot more than I was expecting. And they were delicious! Little fried balls with chicken and ham inside, with béchamel white sauce. It was crispy on the outside and soft, meaty, flavorful on the inside. There was so much of it that it almost ruined my appetite for the main course. I said almost.

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For the entrée, I picked tilapia filet with saffron rice. The tilapia was a nice large portion and seasoned well with pepper, herbs and a light sauce. It was decent, but would have liked it more if it was cooked more to a crisp. I did enjoy the saffron rice with peas and mixing it with the sauce that came with the fish.

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After our meal, a waiter came over with a tray full of delectable looking desserts (flan, crème brulee, tres leches, cheesecake, chocolate mousse cake) which looked very tempting, but for once we were too full to partake in any dessert.

It turned out to be a truly lovely evening, despite the fact that Slide was closed. The Kado holiday party and dining at Café Espanol more than made up for it.

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Café Esponal
172 Bleecker St
New York, NY
Cafe Espanol

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