Frustrated, But Back

It’s been an almost solid 2 months since I last blogged, which is really kind of crazy when I think about all the things that have happened since my last post in December.

Of course I’ve been running, working out, and eating delicious, healthy foods. I made my own stuffed acorn squash, and found a new neighborhood Chinese takeout place with a special “health & diet” section!

(Homemade!)

(Tried Sweetgreen for the first time in DC too!) 

But I’ve also been traveling, drinking, and eating things like candied bacon and pumpkin doughnut bread pudding with bourbon ice cream. I also spent an entire day in bed, and only got up to go to a bar for football, beer and nachos.

(This dessert was unreal and one night we ordered 3 of them...)

I wish I could say the healthy lifestyle choices and green juices were outweighing the not-so-healthy choices, but in reality, last Friday I covered a 7-11 Boston Cream Donut in Nutella.  So there’s that. There’s also definitely some extra lbs thanks to my choices…

There’s also the fact that I’m in the process of moving, I was traveling for the majority of January, and have another trip coming up in February. Oh right, and that marathon training thing is happening (kind of, but more on that later). Excuses, excuses, I know.

(I really shouldn't complain about traveling when I get to see things like THIS!)

But I recently received an email that someone had commented on the blog, and that comment gave me the kick in my pants that I needed to get back into this blog. This commenter was a self-described new runner and food lover and they asked me to please start blogging again, because they had just discovered my blog. How could I not? So thank you, commenter, for letting me know that someone out there wanted to read what I have to say about two of my favorite things- fitness & food :)  

To be honest, nowadays running hasn’t given me that feeling of being on top of the world that it used it. In fact, most days at the end of a run I just want to scream and cry in frustration. Something that used to be effortless and enjoyable has become something that is painful and stressful as I try to train for a marathon that my body doesn’t seem to want to run. I’ll get into the specifics of my plagued body parts in a separate post, but needless to say, it’s been disheartening.

(Only 2 weeks into marathon training and I ended up HERE. Ugh)

Luckily, I am surrounded by positive people who make me smile and who share my love of not only exercise, but life. My running buddies have become so much more. They’re there waiting for me at Engineer’s Gate for a 5 mile run after a blizzard, they’re there waiting for me at Engineer’s Gate at 6:30 a.m. for some pre-work intervals, they’re there to walk 6 miles uphill with my mattress, bookshelves, and entire wardrobe, they’re there when I really need a freaking drink at the end of the week, and they’re there when I really need a mimosa Saturday morning at brunch.

(We like running)

(AND we like unlimited sangria and tacos!)

Having people like that makes it easier to handle life’s frustrations and stresses. And makes it easier to handle how, on some days, I am so dang ready I am to throw the towel in on this marathon.   

But like JackRabbit’s Instagram account reminded me this morning, “It’s rare when everything lines up and you feel invincible during your run. That happened to us today- and we want you to chase that feeling too.” And that’s what keeps me going. Because I have to believe that one of these days, everything’s going to click and I’m going to have a great run. Runs like that don’t happen every day, but I’ve had my share of them and I can still remember each and every one. It’s worth every single painful, difficult, shitty step for the feeling of one effortless, happy run.

(This was after my first 16 miler when I felt on top of the world - exhausted, but on top of the world. RAWR)

Here’s to hoping it happens soon. I could really use it! 

PXT (2) at Pure Yoga

The other night, I had the chance to take a PXT class at Pure Yoga East. It was different than anything I've ever done before, different than I expected, but overall a pretty great workout. 

Pure Yoga East is an absolutely beautiful studio. I mean, at $250 a month for membership, it better be a little bougie.  

Pure Yoga is 3 or 4 floors, with all different types of studios. Hot yoga studios, regular yoga studios- I'm not a yogi so I'm sure there are other types of studios and I just have no idea what they are. Either way. 7 is impressive. They also have tons of little lounge areas, a boutique, and a seriously huge and gorgeous women's locker room. 

I started the class of great- by getting yelled at for walking into the studio with shoes on - oops. After taking them off and leaving them outside, I re-entered and took in the setup. Everyone had a mat, a step and those little sliders you put under your hands and feet to torture your abs. The instructor told me to grab two sets of dumbbells (10 lbs and 5 lbs) and a 10 lb medicine ball. 

I was shocked to see that there would only be 5 of us in the class - it was like a private training session! 

As usual, I had done some research before showing up, and I knew that the PXT class would start with some yoga. Grumble grumble. If I must I guess I can do a few minutes of yoga as a warm up. We started slow, switching between the few moves and poses that I actually know (my yoga knowledge is limited, at best). I was a little stressed that it was going to get too complicated for me to follow and I would stand out like a sore thumb considered there were only 5 of us, but instead of adding a bunch of complicated poses to the flow, we just sped it up. Downward facing dog, chair pose, upward facing dog, warrior, vinyasa - by the end of the 10-15 yoga warm up I was actually starting to enjoy it! Minus the fact that the room was slowly getting hotter and hotter. Hey, I'm about to do burpees and squats and you're putting the heat up? What gives? I know, it's a thing. I'm just not sure it's a thing I like. Genius day to forget to bring water too, Lauren. 

This class really pushed me with some moves I had never done before- which I loved. Using the ab sliders was A LOT more challenging than I thought it would be. Pikes and walk outs and lunges- I was shaking! I also loved implementing the step for things like squats and step ups to knee holds. The instructor, Julia Stephens, was great at explaining and demonstrating each move and encouraging and motivating you to push until the end. We didn't stay on any one move for too long, so knowing that the end was near if you could knock out a few more reps was always helpful. 

After the cardio/plyo/strength section we moved into "partner abs." One person laid on their backs and grabbed their partners ankles while the partner got in the squat position and threw the other persons legs down- first to the left, then the middle, then the right. By the end of this, my abs were feeling it and I was looking forward to a break by being the "leg thrower." Well, stay in that squat position and pushing the legs down was more work than I thought, and I could feel it by the end of that too!

The next section was the "Coreball Countdown Challenge." Julia wrote 4 exercises on the mirror at the front of the room and we had to do 8 reps of each, then 7 reps of each, then 8 reps of each, etc. all the way down to 1. I wish I remembered exactly which exercises we did here, but I know burpees with the core ball was one of them, and that was rough!

We cooled down with a few more minutes of yoga and then we were done.

If you ever get a chance to go, or want to drop-in for a $35 class, I recommend it! This class is good for anyone who gets frustrated by an entire hour of yoga and wants something more intense. I loved the challenge, but I also wouldn't recommend it for beginners, as some of the moves may be frustratingly complicated.

Newest Obsession

This post has nothing to do with fitness or food, but I think you should read it anyway, especially if you live in New York City.

I've recently discovered, through my addiction to both Thrillist and Gothamist, the solution to expensive cab rides. At least from their operating hours of 6:45 a.m. - 9 p.m. Monday through Friday.

So no, it's not going to save you money when you're stuck trying to get back uptown after a crazy Saturday night of bar hopping in the East Village. But when it's pouring rain and you live a mile walk from the closest subway and you desperately want to hail a cab, but you're a poor twentysomething and rent is more important than keeping yourself dry, then it's going to save you money.

It's called Via.

Via is different than Uber or Lyft because it's a car share service. If the driver can pick up 5 passengers along the way, without going off-course from where you need to get, he will. So you're not guaranteed the car all to yourself. But you know what is guaranteed? The ride is going to cost you $5. Every time. No matter how long you're stuck sitting in traffic and no matter where you need to be (within their current parameters of 110th Street to 32nd Street). 

Once you connect your credit or debit card to Via, you buy in "credits." Each ride is $5. I'm not kidding. $5. You use the app to set your drop of and pick-up location and Via tells you how far away the car is, the number in the window, and where exactly it will pick you up (sometimes you have to walk a block or two, but never anything major). 

When you sign up for the app, you get one ride free. And be on the lookout for friends posting promo codes! I got $20 in free ride credits- that's 4 FREE RIDES! I used one the Wednesday before Thanksgiving- it was pouring rain and I had a huge duffel bag to bring home and instead of struggling to commute on the subway, I sat in a beautiful, clean Suburban, Escalade, whatever. It took 13 minutes for a car to get to me once I requested one- on a busy travel day, at rush hour, in the rain. Not bad at all if you ask me! 

When I got back to the city from Thanksgiving weekend, I had a Via car pick me up at Penn Station and the driver was so nice- his previous passenger had left her cell phone in the car and he was going to return it to her, but kept apologizing to me all because he had to make a 5 second stop. All the drivers I've had so far have been extremely friendly and professional- and anyone I've shared a car with has also seemed like a normal, young professional. 

Download the Via app and enter this promo code for $20 in ride credits: lauren5d3

Two More Trips to Two Tablespoons

Over the summer I wrote a review of a vegetarian pop-up shop at Madison Square Eats called "Two Tablespoons." I fell in love with their summer rice paper wraps and glass noodle salads with some of my favorite seasonal flavors.

(Not a bad view from Madison Square Eats!)

Since that initial review I've been back to Two Tablespoons twice- another time for their summer wraps and salads and more recently, for their updated fall menu at the Bryant Park Winter Village Holiday Shops.

Let's chat, shall we?

The second time I visited the Madison Square Eats stand for the summer menu I ordered the combination again- two wraps with a small glass noodle salad came to $13. I thought the value was pretty good for how filling the meal was! I didn't have any leftovers like the last time I had had it...but it's probably because I had run beforehand.

This time, I ordered the gluten-free, vegan corn, coconut and curry sauce summer roll and the tofu, quinoa and almond sauce summer roll. Both were delicious, and it was awhile ago so it wouldn't be fair for me to pick a favorite.

The salad I went with this time was the favorite of the woman working that afternoon- the cabbage, apple and ginger miso which was made up of glass noodles, red cabbage, carrots, apples. scallions, ginger, gluten-free miso and olive oil. It was so fresh tasty!

What I loved about the summer menu at Two Tablespoons was that everything was fresh and in season and it just made you FEEL like you were eating something summery. Both times I dragged myself up to my rooftop to enjoy my summer rolls and salad outside in the sunshine.

So I was so excited when I realized that Two Tablespoons would be setting up a booth in Bryant Park for the holidays- a few blocks from my office meant I could easily get delicious, healthy, fresh lunches. And when I saw that their winter menu was going to focus on chili and loaded smashed potatoes? Excited is an understatement.

(Oh Bryant Park, you've always been my favorite!)

Check out this menu. It's safe to say ANY of these is a winning combination. The potatoes go for $7.50, the chili is $5.50 for a small and $8.50 for a large, or you can go big like me and get a combination- a potato and a small chili for $12.50.  This was two days of lunches for me.

The potato I decided to go with was the pumpkin, tahini, hummus.

By the time I got it back to my office, it needed to be reheated a little bit. It wasn't as big as I had hoped, but it was tasty. Not mind blowingly tasty though. What's with the duddy spuds lately?

The sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds added a nice crunch to the otherwise mushy components of the dish. The pumpkin hummus wasn't too pumpkin-y which I appreciated, because unlike almost every other female in my demographic, I am not CRAZY about pumpkin-flavored things.

The next day, I reheated my chili with hopes that this would make me forget about the not-so-impressive potato. It was definitely an improvement! I ordered the Chickpea, Spinach and Coconut Chili. It had curry flavors and was loaded with broccoli and tons of chick peas! 

Overall, I have to say that I like two tablespoons summer menu better- but I still have a lot of things to try and they all sound seriously awesome!

It Ain't Even Mah Birthday! Cake Cake Cake! Restaurant Review: Tompkins Square Bagels

If you follow enough NYC-based Instagram accounts, you'll start to notice that the same food tends to pop up again and again. Avocado toast from Cafe Gitane, the Salty Pimp cone from Big Gay Ice Cream Shop, the infamous cronut from Dominique Ansel, and recently, the birthday cake cream cheese from Tompkins Square Bagels. 

You read that right. Birthday Cake. Cream Cheese. 

In fact, Tompkins Square Bagels was just named as one of NYC's 30 most Instagrammed Restaurants thanks to its colorful, sprinkled cream cheese. Can't you see why? It's just so cheerful and delicious looking! 

(Some of my favorites from Instagram!)

Of course, when I found out that Friday's November Project workout was going to be at Tompkins Square Park and people were planning on getting bagels afterwards, I knew I had to go. Despite the fact that the Birthday Cake Cream Cheese looked great- I was hesitant to order it with other options like Peanut Butter Cream Cheese and Cookie Dough Cream Cheese on the menu! 

(What a lovely - freezing cold - morning for a workout followed by BAGELS)

We walked in and I was surprised at how big the place was- there's tons of seating in the back and even an outdoor seating area. I was also surprised that for such a popular place, they really didn't have their shit together! 

First of all, their register was broken so they couldn't give any change. Then someone ordered an espresso and they couldn't get the machine to work. Then, they were out of the wasabi cream cheese that like 5 people wanted to try. It was a slight disaster to say the least. 

But luckily I had a $5 bill on me and a bagel with a flavored cream cheese was $4.75. I decided to I had to see what all the fuss was about with the birthday cake cream cheese, and ordered it on one of their french toast bagels. You think I have a sweet tooth or something? 

(There she isssss)

I'm not going to lie. I was skeptical about this birthday cake cream cheese. I thought it was just going to be cream cheese with some sprinkles in it, and be more about the way it looked than the actual taste of it. Happy to report that this stuff highly exceeded my expectations! It really tasted like cake batter flavored cream cheese! Think funfetti. On a bagel that was warm and perfectly toasted, but still doughy enough for my liking. The flavor of the bagel was really great too- it really did taste like french toast! I feel like the picture does all the explaining- this bagel was no joke a french toast bagel. Look at that thing. 

It was amazing. I ate half of it there and brought the other half in to the office to eat a little later in the morning and I was seriously so bummed when it ended. I could have eaten like 5 more. It was so good, that if I were to go back to Tompkins Square Bagels (ok, WHEN I got back to Tompkins Square Bagels) I think I'll probably get it again instead of trying the PB cream cheese or one of the others! Crazy, I know. 

And of course, I got one of the classic bagel shots to Instagram. 

The Tompkins Square Bagel trend isn't all hype. 

Jump on that bandwagon. 

#InjuryDeck

Being injured sucks, obviously.

Last year, when I was diagnosed with a tibial stress fracture and told that I would need to use crutches for a month, which meant I  couldn't run, spin, row, elliptical- nada- I cried. Ugly, angry, frustrated tears on the car ride home while my dad tried to comfort me. But he couldn't. Nobody could, because in my mind, nobody else "got it." Nobody else understood how I was feeling. 

(Being a cripple commuting to Manhattan was no fun!)

But now that I've joined November Project, I've found a whole bunch of people who I know "get it." A whole bunch of awesome athletes who, like me,  have bodies that just don't feel like cooperating with quite their level of fitness fanaticism. Like me, they probably pushed the limits a little too far, and now they're being forced to face the inevitable, "No. You really need to stop for a bit." Whether it's a stress fracture, IT Band syndrome, or like myself, a killer case of shin splints. Tis the season to be injured. Fall marathons have been run and if there's ever a time that we running addicts can be convinced to take a chill pill, it's now. 

I've been trying my hardest to cut back on the running- focusing on other types of exercise whenever possible, because my shins have really been bothering me. Instead of running 5 or 6 days a week, I'm aiming for 2 or 3, max. 

That's why I've been opting to take part in the #InjuryDeck at Wednesday's November Project. #InjuryDeck is a fabulous group put together by Emma and led by Leanne where all of the hobbly NPers who can't run do something else instead. 

The first week of #InjuryDeck was a killer Deck of Cards workout that Leanne put together. Side lunges, bridges, sit-ups, dips, burpees, push-ups (SO many push ups)- this workout left us all sore the next day. 

This week, Leanne asked us to bring any recovery tools we had so she could show us a routine that can help PREVENT injuries in the future, and help us recover from our current issues faster. I dutifully showed up with my foam roller, stick and golf ball ready to learn.

(This is how I roll)

Because I have to admit. I suck at recovery. No matter how many times I'm told by people far more intelligent than myself that rolling and stretching are IMPORTANT I am usually too lazy to actually do it. I wish I had a better excuse than that, I really do. Inevitably I end up hurt- my shins end up killing me, my calves end up tight and I curse myself and I promise that from that day forward I will stretch and foam roll after every workout. I usually don't even last a week. 

It's pathetic, really. I have all the tools. I have space in my apartment. And thanks to people like Leanne, I have the knowledge. 

On Wednesday, Leanne showed me some things I had never known before- different muscles to roll that hit so many of my problem areas. I felt a little click in my brain- "Oh, THAT'S the spot that's causing that pain!" Maybe this little light bulb that went off in my head will lead to more consistent attention to rolling. 

Because it really is so important. 

Leanne led us through a routine that looked a little something like this: 

Self Myofasical Release/Stretch

Hold on trigger point/stretch for 0:30-2:00 each side or until release is felt

• Calves
• TFL (hip flexors)
• Adductor complex

Activation Circuit

Perform 15-20x each side

• Clam shells w/band
• Straight leg side raises with extension w/band
• Hip bridges w/band
• Lateral band walking
• Single leg touchdowns (to knee, shin, or ground)
• Plank, 0:30-1:00 w/ belly button drawn in, glutes squeezed, & hips posteriorly tilted (think: Miley Cyrus twerking forward)

You can read all about it on her blog, where she does a much better job of explaining the technicalities of these corrective exercises. 

I thought I would wrap this post up by showing some of the many different options out there for recovery- it can be a little overwhelming. But it's all about finding the right tool for you and your unique set of weaknesses/problem areas. In the future, I may go into more detail on each of these tools and what they're used for but for now- just take a look at some of the things out there and do your own research.

1) The foam roller

2) The stick

3) Trigger point massage ball (can also use a tennis ball, golf ball, soft ball, lacrosse ball, etc.)

4) ROLL Recovery 

5) Stretch Out Strap

6) Compression Socks 

Ballin' Restaurant Review: Bantam Bagels

I like to think that I'm up on the NYC food scene. 

A quick scroll through my Instagram reveals that I am following accounts with names like:
chekmarkeats
brunchcritic
shelovesfoodnyc
bellybible
grubshotsnyc
citytaste
eatingnyc
bigfoodiebitches
missnewfoodie
eatupnyc
hungrybetches
nycdining

That's the reason I can spout of deals and specials and the "must orders" at so many random places throughout the city. 

"The Friday workout is in Washington Square Park? You need to get breakfast at Oat Meals afterwards- ask for your bowl "Crazy Uncle" style so it's easier to mix!" 

"Oh you're craving guacamole today? Well you're in luck, it's Dos Toros' birthday and they're giving it away for free." 

"You better hurry up and get your butt to The Meatball Shop for their special turkey meatball before it disappears after Thanksgiving!" 

It's a little ridiculous. I realize this. I accept it. 

Staying up to date on the NYC dining scene via Instagram and websites like Gothamist, Eater and Thrillist is the reason that over 4 months ago, I bought a Groupon for a place called "Bantam Bagels." Fast forward four months, and Bantam Bagels were just named as one of Oprah's Favorite Things. Yahtzee! 

Bantam Bagels sits on Bleecker Street, and is nothing more than a takeaway counter, serving up an interesting spin on one of New York City's most beloved breakfast foods- the bagel. 

Bantam Bagels serves mini stuffed bagel balls. 

I'm going to let that sink in for a minute. See how it makes you feel. 

I was conflicted at first too, it's OK. Changing up the bagel is a very risky thing to do in a city that is known for them. In a city that LOVES them. As an avid fan of all things "filled," though, I was willing to accept the mini stuffed bagel ball - on the condition that the bagel was quality, the filling was sufficient and tasty, and the size was just right. A tall order, I know. But I am from Long Island- and one thing that I feel very, very strongly about are bagels. I was going to be very critical of Bantam Bagels. 

The first time I attempted to pick up Bantam Bagels was a failure. They had just closed. 

(But any trip to my old stomping grounds is welcomed! Look at that building. So damn pretty).

So I made sure to go in the morning the next time I showed up. Like I said- this is not a large operation. It's a take-away counter. The worker was extremely friendly and helped me pick my flavors and let me know which were the most popular- something I always ask. 

Naturally, I was sure to use every cent of the Groupon that I could- which meant walking out of Bantam Bagels with 16 bagel balls. Before you judge me, I was taking them home to share with my parents...except then I ended up eating ~10 myself...

I said stop judging. Moving on. 

When I got these bad boys to the office, I opened a box and wafted. And then I stuck my finger in some cream cheese that had escaped from one of the bagel balls. And then I licked my finger. And then I got really excited- because I could tell that these things were gunna be GOOD. 

I somehow waited until the following morning to break into these with my parents.

[*Side note: I had gone to bed Friday night telling my parents NO EATING THE BAGEL BALLS UNTIL WE CAN ALL TRY THEM TOGETHER. I am the food Nazi after all, and there were specific flavors we each had to sample. I feel the judgement- knock it off. Anyway, I was rudely awoken around 9:30 a.m. Saturday morning by my mom peeking her head in my room and saying, "Lau...I couldn't wait...I ate two of the bagel balls." Me: *groan* Mom: "Are you gunna get up?" Me: "Not anymore!" I then slept another hour.]

The helpful man behind the counter had told me not to have him toast them if I wasn't planning on eating them right away, so we read the included heating instructions and popped them in the toaster oven for about 5 minutes. 

Then, the bagel ball tasting extravaganza began. We heated up 6 of them and gathered around, taking turns taking bites of each bagel. Hey, we're family. 

I wish someone had recorded this because it probably looked and sounded hysterical. The three of us huddled around a paper plate full of rolling bagel balls making exclamations like, "OMG" "I can't tell which one this is but IT'S SO GOOD!" "I think this one is my favorite," "Nope, wait- THIS ONE!" 

I swear, each one we tried was better than the next. 

I had grabbed a menu from the store and brought it home with me so we could hopefully ascertain which ones we were trying, but it proved more difficult than anticipated. Some of them were obvious, like the Bleecker Street which had a piece of pepperoni on top, and some were obvious because of the flavor (like the apple pie and hot pretzel) but it was harder to tell the difference between some of the other ones. 

Here is my overall review of Bantam Bagels:

Holy crap. Much like the filled donuts from Flex Mussels, myself and my parents were totally blown away by how great these were. There is some sort of inappropriate comment about filled balls here, but we're going to move on. For all of us to collectively agree that something is delicious, especially something we all care about as much as bagels, is huge. It helped that Bantam Bagels has a ball for everyone (balls on balls on balls). Sweet, savory- they've got you covered. 

The actual bagels were damn near perfection. I like my dough doughy and if I'm toasting it, the outside crispy. These were spot on. 

The filling to dough ratio was also WHOAH good. They have it down to a science- you can't even really tell where they've squirted the cream cheese in. Squirted. Ew. What an awful word. 

There were a few times we bit into the bagel and the cream cheese went all over the place, but for the most part, it stayed contained and I was impressed that it wasn't completely oozing and drippy considering they had been heated in a toaster oven for 5 minutes. My dad claims one of his was unfilled, so that was lame, but probably just a fluke. 

The most impressive thing about these bagels was that each cream cheese was packed with flavor. You can tell that Bantam uses real ingredients to create these specialty cream cheeses (which you can buy containers of, joyous!) 

Here are some descriptions of the standouts to get those salivary glands workin'. (Yes, I really just typed those words). 

1) Hot Pretzel. This is one of Bantam Bagels most popular bagels, probably because it's the one Oprah talks about. It's a salt bagel ball (sprinkled with some sea salt for effect) filled with a cream cheese that is undeniably flavored like cheddar cheese and MUSTARD. I'm sorry- was that too much for you to handle? Because it was almost too much perfect for my taste buds. 

2) The Bleecker Street. Another popular choice, this is a "pizza dough bagel" filled with marinara mozzarella cream cheese and topped with a piece of pepperoni for good luck. So. Pizza-y. So yum. 

3) Everybody's Favorite. What's in a name? The truth. I am never one to like the plain Jane option at places like this. Reading the description on the menu of "everything bagel filled with freshly chopped vegetable cream cheese" was a total snooze fest to me. But once I took a bite? Sold. Done. Give me a dozen of these and I wouldn't even be upset at the lack of variety. 

4) Apple Pie. This is the current special ball of the season and it was yum yum yum. Yum. Really. Yum. 

4) Box Lunch. Shockingly, this WASN'T my favorite, although it was still damn good. A plain bagel topped filled with peanut butter and strawberry jam. Mmm. 

I was really looking forward to some of the sweet options, because I have the world's biggest sweet tooth and all, but unfortunately, these were the ones where it was hardest to tell which one you were eating.  The cookies and milk, french toast and cinnamonster were impossible to tell apart. All of them were delicious, I just couldn't tell which was which. 

I'm pretty sure my mom hijacked The Hangover bagel ball that I was dying to try (GRR MOM, I know you're reading this!) but listen to this description: "Cheddar cheese and egg bagel topped with melted cheddar cheese filled with bacon cheddar cream cheese and a drizzle of maple syrup." Dead. 

Each bagel ball is 2-4 bites, depending on how HAM you decide to go on it. 4 balls costs $5 and is a satisfying breakfast. Of course, I ate 5 for breakfast. So I'm not saying you should get 6 for $7, but...you might want to get 6 for $7. A dozen bagel balls costs $13. And like I said, you can also buy their specialty cream cheeses. 

Now that Bantam Bagels has been listed as one of Oprah's Favorite Things, I'm sure we're going to be hearing about them a lot more. My family has already decided that my aunts and uncles and grandma in Florida NEED to have these shipped to them for a little piece of New York on Thanksgiving or Christmas morning.  Bantam ships- and you can order 3 dozen balls for $36 (the shipping costs are a little ridiculous of course, but that's to be expected). 

Go get these, people. 

Track Attack- My Fastest Mile

While I was home last weekend, I decided that since I'm not currently doing any super long runs, I would focus a little bit on speed.

I went to the track to see how fast I could run a mile- something that I've never really tried before, running just one mile really fast! I was curious about how it was going to go.

I did a 1.5 mile warm up and took off.

First lap? Wayy too fast. I immediately regretted it and suffered for the remaining .75 miles.

I ended up finishing in 6:28:26. No idea if that's good or not, but it's something to work on.

I finished up by doing a slow, easy 1.5 miles.

And then, made my mom take some pictures of me sprinting past her ;)

My shins have really been bothering me again, and for once I'm actually completely taking off from running for awhile and letting my body do the recovery it needs to do in order to start training again in January.

I'm really wondering if the shin issues are a result of this track workout. Has anyone else experienced that? Since I was running so fast, I feel like I was putting a lot more impact on my legs and it's also a surface I'm not used to running on. Hmm.

Guess What I Did?

So, last week I did something that I would like to share with the blogosphere.

I registered for my second marathon!

As soon as I crossed the finish line of my first marathon I knew it wouldn’t be my last. And why wait an entire year to train for another fall marathon? I immediately started researching spring marathons. I was pretty much convinced I would run the Long Island Marathon, despite everyone’s warnings of an incredibly boring course./

(Once definitely wasn't enough!)

But then my friend Erin came to me with an intriguing proposition. Run the Pittsburgh Marathon. There were a few things that gave me some hesitation.

1) Yes I wanted to run a spring marathon, but training through the cold winter months was (and still is) extremely daunting.2) Pittsburgh is not exactly in New York City’s backyard.3) Apparently Pittsburg is nicknamed “The City of Bridges.” Bridges = hills. And the elevation chart for this marathon is a LOT hillier than Wineglass.

(Guess which one is Pittsburgh...)

But in the end, here’s why I clicked that “Register” button and made a commitment to train for 4+ chilly months:

1) I am going to have the most fun training group EVER to get me to lace up my sneakers when it’s the last thing I want to do. A ton of November Project friends have dropped #verbals to run Pittsburgh which is going to make it SO MUCH EASIER.

(SUCH A GREAT CREW!)

2) Erin is running her first marathon, and I SO want to be there for it!

       3) We already have a place to stay that’s close to the start.

       4) Did I mention that I’m so excited for the group I’m training with ? We are going to have so much FUN- wild and crazy Friday nights spent in someone’s apartment as we relax and watch movies because we have long runs in the morning. Brunching after our long runs. Talking during our long runs.

      5) Road tripping to Pittsburgh together!

      6) Getting to see a new city!

      7) Friends from NY Running Co. are also running the Pittsburgh Marathon! Dave and Mack are both super awesome and are going to be able to teach me so much and give me such great advice throughout this training process.

       8) It’s a bigger marathon than Wineglass, and after seeing the NYC Marathon, I’m excited for more cheering/spectators/pizazz. It will be interesting to see which I like better!

      9) I am still scared of the hills, but I have decided that next FALL is when I will try to BQ at either Wineglass or another fast course. Pittsburgh is just to get another marathon under my belt for the experience and to make me a smarter racer and trainer. 

         10) I heard the medal is pretty sweet

      I’m using the next month or so to put on some weight, lift some weights, relax and enjoy life- the holidays, parties, drinks, all of that awesome stuff. Then, in January, it’s back to business.

  Right now, I won’t lie, it’s daunting, scary, and I’m feeling a little lazy. But hopefully by January I’m ready to go- I’ll have stuffed myself silly with holiday treats and done my fair share of lounging around by that point!

(Lots of this in my future)

I also want to give a huge shout out to my friend Kaitlin who ran her first half marathon when Andrew and I ran the Wineglass Marathon. Guess what she did? She just signed up for the Pittsburgh Marathon! BOOM! You’re awesome.

You know who hasn’t signed up? Andrew. He’s in denial that he’s running it. But he is. And Pete, you’re running the half. Just accept it. 

Let's do this Pittsburgh!

Transformation Tuesday: Why I'm Over My Abs

On this “Transformation Tuesday” let’s talk about the transformative power of strength training.

“We thought you just ran lots of miles,” you’re probably thinking.

 Well, that’s true. For the past half a year, running has been my main focus. But now that I have some time before I need to start upping my mileage again in preparation for the Pittsburgh Marathon, I’m trying to get back into weights.

Yes it can be a little intimidating at first to step away from the treadmill and the elliptical and the safety of other girls like you, looking cute in your Nike and Lululemon.

But let’s be real. You dream of one day being that badass chick doing all sorts of exercises with the free weights with the guys.  (Or maybe you dream of being the badass girl all alone in your own corner of the gym because you’ve been that girl at the free weights with the guys, and they’re just obnoxious for the most part).

Well, I’m here to tell you that you absolutely should go for it.

There’s no excuse. You don’t know where to start? How to do the exercises? I’m pretty sure there are approximately 129308 ways to fix that. Google. Youtube. Pinterest. DailyBurn. BodyBuilding.com. There are literally infinite resources for you to find different exercises and study up on the proper form before you test them out yourself. More times than I can count I’ve printed out workouts, pictures, instructions and brought them to the gym with me. I’ve also watched YouTube videos with no shame.

Start simple, with a few basic moves. Get comfortable. The best part is that once you move to the weight area of the gym- you’re going to see people doing some crazy shit. And then you’re going to go home and try to Google it with weird terms like “crunchy side step weighted leg lift thing” and then say a prayer that Mr. Google somehow figures out what exercise the Hulk at your gym was doing. And then you’re going to research it. And then YOU’RE gunna do it.

Everyone in the fitness world says that cardio bunnies are doing it wrong. Sure, you can lose weight from doing a ton of cardio. I certainly lost weight when every weekend for 4 months consisted of running 15+ miles.

I was never sold on the idea that weight training was just as, if not more, effective in toning your body than cardio until my attention to weight training became almost non-existent. And now, I MISS MY MUSCLES :(

(I even used to have baby biceps when I wasn't flexing!)

At the gym a few days ago, I was doing ab exercises and was asked, “How often do you work on your abs? Your body is amazing.” 1) I thanked that person for the compliment and 2) Said sorry to disappoint you, but I barely ever focus strictly on abs at the gym.

Here’s me 6 months ago when I was doing a pretty good mix of weights and cardio. At this point, I was only dedicating 1 day a week to an ab-based workout. The rest of that came from all the core stabilization necessary to use free weights for shoulder, back, bicep, tricep, leg, and chest exercises.

I read about it all the time, and rolled my eyes. But looking back, it is so completely true.

So while most people use transformation Tuesday to show their progress- I guess I’m kind of doing the opposite. I have totally lost this strength, those obliques, that 2-pack. Those biceps. The triceps I worked so hard for. Gone. Poof. So sad. But I’m excited to get back into the gym to be reunited with dumb bells and kettlebells and squat racks in the hopes of getting toned back up. Looking at these pictures is rough because I know how much hard work I put into getting into that kind of shape, and part of me, of course, wishes I still looked like that.

But at the same time, RIP to that body. I could get it back. But I don’t think I want to. Now, or ever again.

Because that body meant saying “no” way too much.

No to delicious food, no to happy hour with friends, no to drunken nights as a single twenty-something in NYC, no to a coworkers birthday cake.

I was obsessed with never missing a workout. I was obsessed with seeing that definition when I looked in the mirror. Clearly, as demonstrated here, I was obsessed with taking selfies to track my progress (embarrassing…)

And for what? I don’t walk around in a sports bra my whole life. I don’t compete in fitness competitions. Quite frankly, it’s a waste of time and energy for me to look like this. It made me cranky and not fun. I like froyo. I like beer.

(#MERICA)

I also really like lifting weights and doing squats and learning new exercises and running and taking spin classes.

So I’m going to do all of the above. And what happens in terms of body transformation, happens. I am so over the days where my mood every morning was determined by whether or not I could see my abs. 

/transformationtuesdayrant. 

The Most Perfect Acai Bowl

About a year ago, I had the pleasure of making my first, real-life friend from LA.

She was completely opposite of all those Orange-County stereotypes that make NYers swear that we’re the better (best) city in the country. 

Despite growing up on opposite coasts, we had a ton in common. 

(Like, we were both total badasses)

One day, Emily was craving something from back home and asked if I knew of a place to find it in NYC.

New York City has everything- I was sure I could find her a place to buy whatever it was she was looking for.

So what was she looking for, you ask?

An acai bowl.

I had never heard of it, and she was shocked. She explained what it was to me, and I was quickly appalled that I’d never had one.

Next step in this acai saga was Googling where the heck I could find one in NYC. This was probably in December of 2013. I was right, of course, and she COULD find one in NYC- but there were shockingly few places serving something called an acai bowl at that time.

Essentially, Juicy Lucy Juice Bar and Juice Generation.

Fast forward to now, and acai bowls or similar “smoothie bowls” are being served in nearly every juice bar and health food chain you can find. Liquiteria, Jamba Juice and Organic Avenue all have their own versions, just to name a few.

Q: So what is an acai bowl?
A: An acai bowl is a healthy, sweet, delicious, amazing, perfect meal or snack or dessert. See how versatile it is? The writers on Huffington Post knew what they were talkin’ about when they described acai bowls as, “the prettiest, most colorful breakfast optionaround. In short, breakfast porn,” “parfaits on tropical, chilled steroids,” and “what breakfast dreams are made of.”

Here’s what it’s made up of:
-An acai puree/smoothie base that can contain different fruits and milks
-Topped with a layer of granola or nuts, or both 
-Topped with fruits for a burst of color, calcium, natural sugar and vitamins
Optional:
-Drizzled with honey
-Sprinkled with toasted coconut
-Enhanced with a dollop of peanut butter

Q: Why the heck am I just hearing about these now?
A: Acai bowls first gained popularity in Hawaii and, apparently, have been popular on the West Coast for a while now! Thankfully, they’re finally making their way to menus in this fine city!

Q: What is acai anyway? 
A: These berries are being touted as a “superfood” due to their high levels of antioxidants which can help lower cholesterol and do a bunch of other important things like fight out free radicals in your body or something- I really don’t know, and I’m too lazy right now to do the research- but acai berries are apparently good for you and they taste delicious too and that’s not too common so let’s just agree with the scientists on this one, k?

Acai berries may be a good source of antioxidants, fiber and heart-healthy fats.

Q: Ok, I think I’m probably pronouncing it wrong. How the heck do you say acai?
A: Ah-sigh-ee

Now that we got that out of the way, want to hear about the acai bowls I’ve tried? Of course you do.

After that initial Google search for Acai Bowls in NYC- Emily and I kept meaning to get to  Juice Generation to try one and see if it measured up to what she was used to eating in California.

I’m grateful that due to the fact that it was winter and freezing cold, we never ended up getting an acai bowl in the city, and my first experience with one was sharing it with Emily while watching the sunset on Venice Beach during my first ever trip to California. It was everything I had dreamed it would be!!

(Best work trip EVER)

We got it from a little stand along the beach, not because we were hungry, but because, “OMG ACAI BOWLS WHILE THE SUN IS SETTING AT VENICE BEACH!” That is reason enough. Hunger is unnecessary in instances like those.

It was perfect. The smoothie was super thick and delicious and there was peanut butter, granola, bananas and shredded coconut. If I could marry a moment in time, it might be this one:

It was a long time until I was ready to try an acai bowl back here in New York. In fact, I didn’t have another acai bowl for 8 more months!

Then, one night in September, I was looking for some healthy fuel after a long run and went with a friend to Juice Generation, to finally see how their version measured up. Juice Generation has tons of locations throughout NYC and they offer 5 different varieties of acai bowls that range in calories from 390-520.

Of course, the PB Acai bowl packs on the most calories at 520. Rude. All of them sounded so good though and after some back and forth I ordered an Aloha Bowl. The Aloha bowl has acai (obviously), banana, pineapple, bee pollen, almond milk and hemp granola. And I added some almond butter to it, because I’m a suck for nut butter.

(Juice Generation Aloha Acai Bowl + Almond Butter)

While the scenery and company weren’t the same as my first acai bowl, I must say that this was absolutely just as delicious as the one I ate on Venice Beach. The base smoothie was different- at Juice Generation it was more a smoothie and in California it was a lot more solid/frozen. I don’t have a huge preference either way, as long as the flavors are good. And the flavors from my Aloha Acai bowl at Juice Generation were bangin’. Not only did it taste amazing, it was totally filling and satisfying. Two thumbs up!

(I approve!)

The next time I had an acai bowl was from Jamba Juice- they’ve recently added an entire section to their menu called “Energy Bowls.” They’re offering Acai Bowls, Fruit & Yogurt Bowls and Simply Greek Yogurt Bowls.

My friend and I had a coupon for a half priced acai bowl, so we ventured there during our lunch break one day. Jamba Juice offers 3different acai bowls in 3 sizes- 12 oz., 16 oz. and 24 oz. The three options range in calories (for the 16 oz.) from 390-530, almost spot on with Juice Generation.

Our acai bowls came topped with granola, banana and shredded coconut.  They took FOREVER for the worker at Jamba Juice to make. We actually had to laugh it was so ridiculous the amount of time they spent arranging every slice of banana- I guess because we went when they were brand new and the guy had never made one before. They tasted great, although the smoothie was the most liquidy of the 3 I’ve tried, which I didn’t love.

(They put a lot of effort into this presentation...like 20 minutes worth!)

One thing to note about ordering acai bowls in NYC vs. California- the size/price comparison. The acai bowl we had in California was a freaking bucket and probably only cost us $5. At Jamba Juice, energy bowls cost at least $6, and at Juice Generation a 16 fluid ounce acai bowl is going to cost you around $8-$10 bucks. Rough.

Anyone have suggestions for delicious acai bowls in NYC? You know, now that it’s the perfect season for freezing cold smoothies?

The Search for the Perfect Donut Continues: Doughtnut Plant

As I’ve mentioned on here once or twice, I’m a big fan of fillings. Why eat a regular cupcake when you can have one that’s stuffed with more deliciousness? That (along with the warm, crispy, dough) is why Flex Donuts by far outranked both Dough and DoughLoco in my donut search.

But when I took a trip to Doughnut Plant, I knew that Flex Donuts would be meeting their toughest competition yet. You see, Doughnut Plant is known for their filled donuts, and there was one in particular on the menu that I was just dying to try.

Located on 23^rd Street between 7^th & 8^th avenues, Doughnut Plant is adorably decorated. They make a bunch of different types of donuts, so if variety is important to you, you’re sure to like this place.

(Doughnut pillows, guaranteed to give you SWEET dreams- ba dum ahhhh)

Here are the different donut stylings up for offer at the Doughtnut Plant:

1) Yeast donuts- on their website, these are described as light, airy, fluffy yeast-raised doughnuts, with a slight chew. Flavors include: Vanilla Bean, Valrhona Chocolate and seasonal flavors like Roasted Chestnut and Cranberry Relish.

2) Cake doughnuts- “Leavened with baking powder, our cake doughnuts have a texture somewhere near the intersection of a classic birthday cake and a buttery pound cake.” Flavors include: Tres Leches, Carrot Cake, Cinnamon Sugar, Wild Blueberry, Blackout Cake, Coffee Cake, seasonal flavors and more.

Stop right there. Even with just those two options, I’m having an inner struggle. Both of these sound so tempting…what’s a girl to do?!

On the one hand, I had already tried the Tres Leches cakedonut at my potluck brunch and fallen in love. But light, airy and fluffy sounded most similar to those heavenly Flex Donut balls I had almost wept over!

But wait. There are more options.

3) Filled doughnuts. Oh yeahhh.

3a) Their “original filled doughnuts” take a yeast donut and make it a square so that you’re guaranteed to have filling in every bite. That’s the kind of creativity and dedication I like to see! Square filled donuts include Peanut Butter and Blackberry Jam (hello, dying), Peanut Butter and Banana Cream, Vanilla Bean and Blackberry Jam, and Coconut Cream.

3b) Their other filled donuts are cake donuts- the blackout is a chocolate cake doughnut filled with chocolate pudding, dipped in chocolate glaze and sprinkled with chocolate cake crumbs. Say hello, chocolate coma. 

The tres leches cake donut is described as, “the sweet taste of the authentic “three milks” cake, delivered in our round cake doughnut. They should actually just use the word “crack” to describe it.

And last but not least, the carrot cake doughnut, packed with carrots, raisins, walnuts and spices and filled with a cream cheese filling.

4) If four types of donuts weren’t enough for you (cake, cake filled, yeast and yeast filled)there is yet another type- Doughseeds.

Sounds cute right? They are. “Mini, round filled doughnuts.” I was immediately reminiscing about Flex Donuts…

The doughseed flavors rotate and include: Rose, Hazlenut Chocolate, Matcha Green Tea, Peanut Butter & Blackberry Jam, Pistachio, Strawberry & Cream, Wild Blueberry & Cream and their most well-known donut- the Crème Brulee Doughseed.

So- let’s get down to the reviewing. What have I tried from Doughnut Plant?

-The tres leches filled cake donut. As I mentioned before, this donut was brought as part of a potluck brunch that I organized with friends from work. One bite into this donut and my donut obsession was born. 

(Serious about donuts...)

I can’t describe the flavor of “tres leches” to you except to say that it is amazingly sweet and creamy and heavenly. The cake donut was dense and buttery and biting through the glaze added a wonderful texture and consistency to the soft, inner dough.

(There she is <3)

I really don’t know how I resisted another tres leches donut on my solo trip to Doughnut Plant. But I was on a mission to try their most popular doughnut.

-The crème brulee doughseed. Like I said, I was hoping these doughseeds would be similar to the incredible filled doughnut balls from Flex Donuts. But sadly, the outer dough was not up to par- it was kind of crusty and pathetic, in fact- although the crème brulee filling was a sweet pudding like consistency that somewhat made up for the disappointment, though not entirely.

-My friend had requested that I pick one up for her and all she said to me was “make it choclatey.” Well then, Blackout Filled Cake Doughnut it is! I took a bite, and basically all I got out of it was WHOAH CHOCOLATE. Alright, but not much more than cacao craziness.

-I also got a peanut butter and jam filled donut and all you need to know is that I don’t remember much about it. That’s probably the worst thing I could say about something. To be a baked good containing peanut butter and jam and literally leave no impression in my mind is a sad, sad predicament to be in. Sorry, little doughnut.

(Left: Creme Brulee Doughseed and Right: PB & Jam filled doughnut)

Some closing thoughts:
-I hate switching between doughnut and donut interchangeable but it just happens so DEAL WITH IT, I’M SORRY!
-I loved the tres leches donut here SO MUCH and I’m so sad that the others didn’t live up to my expectations.
-Next time, I need to try a yeast filled donut, I think.
-Don’t come here if you’re looking for a cheap snack- I left here SHOCKED at how much I had spent on 2 donuts and essentially a munchkin sized donut ball. The donuts are around $3.50 each and the doughseeds aren’t any cheaper!

A quick note about Doughnut Plant that gives it serious points from me:
The ingredients they use are all natural, often times organic and made fresh daily. The menu has seasonal specials that are usually reallllly tempting. And all of those fillings? They make them from scratch. Doughnut Plant doughnuts have zero trans-fat, eggs, preservatives, artificial flavors or artificial colors. I don’t know about you, but I like that.

Bottom Line: The tres leches cake donut from Doughnut Plant made me fall in love with donuts. All kidding aside, it did make me reconsider donuts as an incredible dessert and sent me on my mission to try all different NYC donuts. It was really, seriously great. 

So Doughnut Plant gets my vote for the best cakey donut I’ve tried to date.

Flex Donuts still takes the prize for filled donut, hands down.

Light, airy, fluffy donut? Hit up Dough. 

My Spud was Kind of a Dud. Restaurant Review: Potatopia

Do you like Chipotle? Do you like potatoes? Do you like toppings? If you answered yes to one or more of those questions, read on. If you answered no to one or more of those questions…who are you?

(Any excuse for DRad to be on my blog.)

Fast casual restaurants are becoming more and more common, especially in metropolises throughout the country. (I just really wanted to use the word metropolis…)

Chains like Chipotle and Chop’t have found success because they’re quick, yet claim to offer customers with fresh, natural ingredients unlike those found at true “fast food” establishments.

 I won’t lie- sometimes, fast casual restaurants can overwhelm me. There are too many options. The menus are complicated. Am I building my dish as I go? Am I choosing from a pre-determined menu? Are you going to charge me $2 extra for each vegetable that I ask for? WHY IS THE GUAC EXTRA? There are people behind you in line who are clearly regulars, using terminology from secret menus that you one day hope to decode, and the workers are staring you down impatiently, judging you for calling that salsa “tomatoes.”

But despite my fast-casual social anxiety, I recently visited Potatopia- where you can customize your very own bowl of POTATOES.

I’m part Irish and therefore I LOVE potatoes! I remember over a year ago, when I was still living in the West Village, and I saw the Potatopia storefront pop up on 6th Avenue. I immediately texted my momma (that’s where my Irish comes from) and let her know that NYC was yet again proving to be the best city in the world, with a restaurant dedicated to potatoes. It’s a little ridiculous that it took me THIS long to get there- considering they have now expanded to two locations and have a third on the way.

(Seen on my walk to Potato-land)

What got me to finally check it out? Well, of course I follow them on Instagram, and they had an amazing special during the month of September (National Potato Month- who knew?) where a meal (sans protein) plus a drink was $4 after 4p.m.! They had a similar special for the Halloweek- $5 meals before 5 p.m.!

Let me break this down for y’all so you don’t get anxiety when you visit Potatopia.

Step Number 1: Choose your potato. 

Potatoes are amazing in many different forms, so this first step may cause a little bit of a struggle. I mean, you could go basic baked potato or get a little crazy with a smashed potato. Not mashed, smashed. There’s a difference, and if you don’t know it, you’re about 15 years behind the potato trends people! Get with it! Smashed potatoes, according Peter Hoffman in this New York Times article, means ''Basically, you give the potato a good kick inthe pants and send it to the plate.” Lumps, skin and all.

Feeling healthy? Go for the baked sweet potato, which they will make for you with or without olive oil, salt and pepper.

Prefer your potatoes fried? (Don’t we all?) They’ve got you covered there as well- skin chips, curly fries, shoe string fries, sweet potato crinkle and TATOR TOTS! Go big or go home with the au gratin potatoes- because cream, cheese and butter make everything better!

(Potato Porn- NSFW)

Depending on what Build-Your-Own Potato option you choose, your meal will cost $5.75-$6.95 to start.

Step Number 2: Choose your protein, if that floats your boat.
Want to get fancy and add some substance to that potato of yours? The answer should probably be yes. There are normal protein choices like chicken, steak, and bacon to add to your potato- but you could also choose shrimp, lox, vegan chili or a fried egg.

Careful on this step- each protein costs extra, and depending on which you choose, you could be paying between $1.00 (for the egg) and $3.50 (for the steak). 

Step Number 3: Toppings Time!
The best part about the toppings is that you can pick as many as you want and they’re all FREE! So go ahead, load up that spud bowl with your choice of cilantro, arugula, jalapenos, red onion, zucchini, black olives, corn, mushrooms, scallions, broccoli, garlic, parsley and sweet peppers. Or just say you want a little bit of everything…

Step Number 4: Cheese <3
Cheese. If you skimp on this part, I envy your self-restraint and also question your humanity. You can choose up to two cheeses, and after that, they charge you extra. While I think the menu would be enhanced with a goat cheese option- you’re still sure to find a fromage that tickles your fancy, whether it be asiago, parmesan, cheddar, swiss, pepperjack or mozzarella.

Step Number 5: And to top it all off… SAWCE
Only one sauce is included so choose wisely…

By that I mean just choose one. They all make my mouth water! Ranch Aioli, Chipotle Ketchup, BBQ, Chili Pepper Aioli, Melted Cheddar, Chipotle, Garlic Aioli, Sour Cream, Truffle Aioli, Ketchup, Savory Bacon Aioli, Parmo Aioli, Roasted Pepper Aioli…

Step Number 6: DIG IN

I loaded my sweet potato with veggies, some parmesan and a fried egg with some of the roasted pepper aioli on the side.

Overall, this wasn’t phenomenal, yet I was still a fan, in the end. Let me explain.  The potato was cooked fine, but then the toppings are added and they are raw, which I didn’t like. Cold toppings on a hot potato. Raw broccoli? Meh. Once I got it home and heated it on my own, it was improved. The sauce was so yum.

I would love to see more vegetable options and the ability to have my vegetables cooked along with the potato. Some roasted carrots and cauliflower on top of that sweet potato would be a game-changer.

At the end of the day, choosing to do Potatopia the healthy way was probably my downfall. I would have been better off making a homemade sweet potato with my own toppings (uhm HI, this dish that I made was amazing!) and choosing the fries and cheese and bacon while visiting Potatopia.

(My loaded sweet potato > Potatopia's?)

Still, having a place where you can load a healthy carb up with vegetables and protein is a step in the right direction, and when they offer deals like $4 meals after 4 p.m. and $5 meals before 5 p.m., it’s worth it if you’re in a rush and need to grab something.

Plus, it photographs really well.  

(Everything looks fancier with a fried egg on top!)

I’ve been back for a return visit, which says something!

If my wonderful breakdown of the ordering process isn’t enough to calm your fast-casual social-anxiety- the folks at Potatopia have come up with a few signature meals of their own, so you can just walk up to the counter and say, “I’ll have the Lower East Sider please,” and they will present you with a beautiful bowl of tator tots, scallions, salt, lox, cilantro and sour cream.

The best thing about Potatopia is that you can either make it a healthy meal, or do a complete 360 and make it a carb-heavy, cheese-laden belly bomber.

As you wish, my friends. 

A Lecture + Restaurant Review: Al Horno Lean Mexican Kitchen

For the most part, I bring my own breakfasts and lunches into the office. I work smack dab in the middle of Times Square and Rockefeller Center- so you could say that the food options in these parts tend to be a bit overpriced.

(If you don't agree that Aladdin is the best Disney movie, and that Aladdin is the hottest cartoon character...bye.)

Look at it this way. An egg sandwich + a coffee for breakfast probably sets you back at least $6. A standard sandwich or salad for lunch at a Metro Café type joint goes for around $8- without a soda or a bag of chips or any other extras. Bye bye $15. Do that 5 days a week- bye bye $75. That’s $300 a month on breakfasts and lunches. No thanks.

At the beginning of each week, I buy myself 5 Greek yogurts (Key Foods always has one brand per week that’s on sale for $1), 5 bananas (4 for a dollar from my neighborhood fruit stand man outside of the subway station) and a box of granola (free, if I’ve recently visited my Grandma, or $5 for a box of Kashi Go Lean Crunch that lasts me 7 days). Total cost? Around $12. 5 fruit and yogurt parfait breakfasts #BOOM. 3ish days a week I’ll get a $1 McCafe coffee instead of making it in the office (Don’t judge…the stuff is actually pretty good!) So instead of spending $30 a week on breakfast and coffee, I spend around $12. Instead of $120 a month- $48.

Math is fun, no? $1,440 is the price you could pay to buy breakfast and coffee every weekday morning (yeah, we’re not even getting into your weekend spend habits here…). Me? I’ll spend around $576.

Lunch, obviously, is even more expensive- both to buy ingredients for if you’re making your own, or to purchase out somewhere. It’s also harder to plan something quick and easy to bring in from home, and therefore, from time to time, I do find myself looking for some healthier grab and go options in the midtown area.

While browsing LivingSocial, which I’m guilty of doing more than is probably normal, I came across a deal for a place called “Al Horno LeanMexican Kitchen.” Lean? Mexican? And in midtown? That was definitely happening.

For $6, I received a $12 gift card to Al Horno Lean Mexican Kitchen. After a crazyyy 11-day work week, I decided to treat myself and walked over to 417 West 47^th Street (between 9^th & 10^th Avenues) for some delicious, healthy, Mexican lunch. At least, that’s what I was hoping was in store for me!

(The walk over was so pretty!)

I had perused the menu plenty before I went, always wanting to be prepared! The best part about it, is that it is so customizable. Any of their burritos and vegetarian burritos can be made into a salad or rice bowl- hold the tortilla! Brown rice can be substituted for quinoa!

There are an overwhelming number of options- and a lot of them are really similar, which gets confusing. There are also build your own burrito and salad options, “plate” options, tacos, soups, quesadillas, tortas, smoothies, shakes AND a juice bar. Yeah, I told you it was slightly overwhelming.

In the end, I decided to go with the Baked Falafel burrito bowl with quinoa instead of brown rice and served over greens. I know, mixing up my Mediterranean and Mexican themes- but I’m a sucker for falafel. In addition to the falafel, quinoa and kale, this came served with avocado, black beans, roasted corn pico and a chipotle sauce.

Was this dish healthy? I think so. Was it delicious? Not so much. It was extremely bland- and I can 100% vouch for the fact that these two things are not related. Healthy food does NOT have to be bland- a fact that is proved by many of the other restaurants I’ve reviewed on this blog.

Unfortunately, Al Horno Lean Mexican Kitchen just didn’t deliver. The falafel was dry and crumbly and none of the vegetables had any flavor. Not even the chipotle sauce could do much to help this sad little plate.

I was so disappointed- usually something with so many of my favorite things (avocado! Falafel! Black beans! Quinoa! Kale!) would have been a guaranteed grand-slam. But nope. I won’t be making a trip back to Al Horno, especially when there are so many places still left to try.

Yo Yo Yo Lemme Talk About Yogurt

Let’s talk about yogurt.

Yes, yogurt.

Ask my parents, and they’ll tell you that I have always loved yogurt. They never had to force me to eat this healthy food - I grew up downing Breyer's fruit on the bottom cups like nobodies business. None of that Trix shit for me! (Although I did get treated to YoCrunch every so often...chocolate in my yogurt?! Yas.)

(This is making me oddly nostalgic...)

 And now, yogurt is the official snack of New York! I kid you not, people! 

All joking aside- the yogurt industry has exploded in the past few years, and it’s a seriously fascinating study in food trends. You can spend hours reading articles on the internet devoted to yogurt. But since most people aren’t as strange as me, and don’t necessarily care to use their free time reading about a dairy product, I’ve gathered some interesting information for you. You can thank me later. With yogurt treats, preferably. (Fage is my preference, FYI).

1) Think you can go to the store, pick up a container of yogurt, and pat yourself on the back for eating healthy? Think again. So much of the yogurt on store shelves today are LOADED with artificial flavors and TONS of sugar. If you’re eating yogurt that’s named “Raspberry Cheesecake” and thinking that it’s all-natural and good for you, think again. 

There are tons of articles online that compile some of the “healthiest” yogurts on the market, but at the end of the day, I say keep it simple! Much like oatmeal, yogurt is extremely versatile and you can make it delicious without buying containers that come with their own sugary “fruit” mix-ins.

Buy plain yogurt. “EW” you’re probably thinking. I know, I used to be the same way. But when you add cinnamon, honey, raisins, strawberries, and other fresh fruit- you can transform plain “meh” tasting yogurt into deliciousness!

(Perhaps not the most convincing pictures...it's yummy I promise! And yes, I put PB in my yogurt. Are you really surprised?)

2) There are still a ton of options when it comes to plain yogurt, and it’s still important to know what to look for on labels. Keep in mind that 0% fat yogurt will be lower in calories than other options, but the fat found is yogurt shouldn’t be feared!

When looking at labels, remember that yogurt has naturally occurring sugars in it already- so you can subtract those from the total grams of sugar listed. Really looking to cut down on sugar? Buy Greek yogurt.

3) The hype about Greek yogurt isn’t nonsense. Greek yogurt is strained to remove liquid whey, lactose and sugar- which is why it’s so thick. For the same amount of calories, Greek yogurt can have up to double the protein and half the sugarcontent as regular yogurt! Cray.

4) Think I was exaggerating when I said the yogurt industry has exploded in the past few years? According to this article, since 2010, 671 new yogurt products have come out in stores.

(Go yogurt, go yogurt!)

5) Plain Greek yogurt can be used in so many different ways. I mean, just take a look at this handy little chart Chobani has created!

I use plain Greek yogurt as mayo when I’m making tuna fish, as sour cream on top of a potato, as dessert if I freeze it, etc.

6) Speaking of Chobani- did you know they have an entire restaurant dedicated to yogurt?! Oh yes. And it is absolutely one of my favorite places in the city. Everything I’ve tried there has been so delicious. It will most certainly get its own blog entry at some point, but for now, I’ll just mention that they make creations like yogurt with avocado, mango and blue tortilla chips. Drooling yet? 

7) Froyo is like an entirely different beast all together, but it has the word yogurt in it, and I just feel like mentioning that it is quite possibly my favorite thing. And it seems like the rest of the country agrees!

(I would like to publicly state that I have yet to cross this line in my froyo obsession!) 

5 Reasons This Week Rocked

This week was a pretty great week. Here are some reasons why:

1) Halloween this year was so amazing- I got to see so many of my friends that I haven’t seen in SO LONG and reuniting so many QU bobcats warmed my heart!

(I don't think my apartment is meant to hold this many people, but we made it work!)

Also, my costume was the world's most comfortable thing. As I looked at the girls in heels and minimal clothing, freezing, I smiled in my hoodie and converse. Ok so I was lacking in the pants department. Whatever. We were adorable and comfortable. 

(Alvin and the Chipmunks!) 

2) On Sunday, I got to run a few blocks on 1^st Avenue with my marathon training partner, Tiffanie, as she ran in the NYC Marathon. 

I was feeling like death that day. I was supposed to be volunteering and I’m ashamed to admit, I quit. I couldn’t take the cold, and I was more exhausted than I had ever felt in my entire life.

(I feel ya, Arnold) 

It took everything I had to crawl out of my bed when my tracking app told me that Tiffanie was close. But I am so glad I did!

As I saw her coming up 1^st Avenue in her yellow shorts I couldn’t help myself. I couldn’t simply stand there and wave.

(In my brain: "I know her, I know her! That's Tiffanie, my amazing, perfect, incredible marathon training partner! I know those are her most favorite shorts because I have run with her in them so many times! She is the best!  We run in this very spot together all the time! I can't just stand here, let me in!")

I jumped into the street and started running with her, despite being in Uggs and 7 million layers of sweatshirts and jackets. She was absolutely killing it- and went on to BQ with an incredible time. She truly is my inspiration, in so many ways- not just running!

(I look ridiculous but then again, mid-running selfies are hard and I have yet to master them!)

When I realized how easy it was to just jump into the marathon, I stuck around and waited for my friend Nina to come by and did the same thing with her! It was awesome. Nina was powering through some cramping but, as is typical of November Project people, smiling and staying positive!

(Cramps ain't got nothin' on this girl!) 

(How come the ladies running marathons look better in these pictures than me?!) 

I’ve said a million times to countless people that I have no desire to run the NYC Marathon because it’s too much of an ordeal and a hassle.

HA, who was I kidding? My city, my streets. Being out there on First Avenue (which, hi, I didn’t even realize I basically live ON the marathon route), it was just energy energy energy- non-stop. Bands, music, posters, cheering, happiness, emotion. Just absolutely incredible. And now I know that I NEED to be a part of that one day. No questions.

3) My roommate Luciano and my friend Edgar from New York Running Co. both made me SUPER HAPPY by coming out to their first November Project workout on Wednesday morning. They dropped a #verbal and they stood by their word!

(Everyone knows that breaking a #verbal is even more of a no-no than breaking a pinky promise! You can break a finger. You can't break a #verbal. Or something like that?)

(At work on Tuesday, Edgar champed up with a #verbal so I gave him a sticky note with strict instructions to be at Gracie Mansion at 6:28 a.m. Recruiting papers, where you at?) 

The first words I heard Wednesday morning at 6 a.m. were “I fucking hate you,” but as I left the apartment for work after PR day, Luciano thanked me for inviting him, so I forgive him for his not so kind morning greeting!

(I also forgive him because he's awesome, and has this shirt...)

Luciano killed PR day with a time of 15:56! And Edgar, my Meatball Shop loving counterpart, was McAwesome as usual.

(He doesn't really hate me!)

(YAY Edgar with his NY Running Co. and NP-crazed co-workers)

Thanks again both of you! You were a part of history! On Wednesday, November Project reached its goal of 3014 members before the end of 2014. On Wednesday, November 5 the tribe was 3,934 members strong across 16 cities! The New York tribe had its most attended workout with, wait for it, 172 members! Thanks to people like Edgar and Luciano who are motivated to get up, get out and get sweaty!

(We did it guys! We got a standing O from Oprah! See what I did there? Standing O? Oprah? Gahhhd I'm good.)

4) I got to meet MEB! I don’t know why, but I can’t just write his name Meb. It is MEB. All caps is necessary whenever the topic is MEB!

(MEB MEB MEB!! Kiss those streets! You own those streets!)

He came to do a Q&A and meet and greet at the store and I totally got swept up in the MEB craze. I’ll admit I didn’t know a ton about him prior to Tuesday night, just that he was a super awesome crazy fast marathoner. But after hearing him speak, coming to terms with just how awesome his 2014 Boston Marathon win was, I totally have a new role model.

Since Sunday, he has made tons of appearances, yet he was completely present and tuned in during his time at NY Running Co. He was friendly, a great speaker, and funny as hell. He was scheduled to wrap up at 8:30 and he stayed until 9:30 so that he could get to signing and taking pictures with every single person.

I’ve been going on and on about how I want to qualify for the Boston Marathon eventually, but I’ll admit that my reasons were purely speed-based, not because I had any strong desire to run the Boston Marathon. Well, that changed when Meb referred to the Boston Marathon as the Olympics of mainstream marathons. “You have to earn it,” he said. Now, I want to BQ not only to achieve that specific pace goal, but to be able to run in the Olympics of mainstream marathons.

MEB signed my picture "Run to Win." I love that. I love MEB.
 

(I'm pretty sure MEB LOVES ME TOO!)

5) I went to a JackRabbit Union Square run on Thursday night and ran 6.5 miles with the crew that started it all for me. We took selfies. We met an awesome couple who were visiting New York from Milan and had run in the marathon on Sunday. Awesome couple was awesome. I gave them some vegan restaurant suggestions. You know how I do. Food food food. Restaurants restaurants restaurants. Running running running. 

When I run in the city at night, it can still take my breath away every single time. I can't believe that when I got out for a run, I'm passing sights that people literally spend their whole lives dreaming of visiting. 

Review: 

-November Project continues to bring so much happiness to my life.
-Running in general continues to enrich my life. (I feel like the use of "enrich" on this blog feels out of sync with my normal writing style but it's just really the word to explain what running does for me!)
-I’ve decided that I need to run both the Boston Marathon and the NYC Marathon. How cliché of me. 

How Not to Race

Well, I can officially check “run a 5 miler on 3 hours of sleep” off my bucket list. Oh wait, that was never on my bucket list. And yet that’s exactly what I did two Sundays ago. It was probably one of the most jam-packed weekends I’ve ever had. I’m exhausted just thinking about it.

As I mentioned, I’ve been working at NY Running Co. quite a lot, in addition to my real job. Hi, let me just voluntarily and semi-unnecessarily work 60 hour weeks. Because why not?

So two Fridays ago, I was once again closing at the store. I got home around 10:30, made my dinner and crawled into bed because at 8 a.m. on a Saturday morning my alarm was going off and I was headed to Carl Schurz Park to do some volunteer mulching of the Mayor’s lawn with November Project! 

(But first, let me take a selfie on my walk over to Gracie Mansion...)

3 hours of manual labor is no joke people! I had been feeling guilty about not waking up earlier to get a run in before volunteering, but by the end, I felt pretty confident that I had earned my brunch! 

(The women in charge MAY have complimented my technique multiple times. I mean, I'm just saying...)

It was a beautifulllll day out, and once we were done turning over the ground and spreading the mulch, we headed to Supply House for some brunchin’!

(Such a beautiful morning to give back to the community!)

I ordered the Huevos Rancheros and LOOK AT IT! So delicious. Like. Ridiculously good. Plus a Bloody Mary, obviously. The tribe is all about hydration. 

Your first brunch cocktail is included in the price of your entrée, too! Some of the brunch cocktails not included sounded so delicious that I was almost persuaded to spend the extra money- I mean, a Ruby Red Mimosa? It’s like they created this morning beverage for me- Grapefruit, champagne and St. Germaine!

After brunch it was off to work the 4 p.m. – closing shift at the store.

As soon as we closed, I changed into my Great Gatsby costume and it was off to the most epic Halloween party I’ve ever seen! Laura took me and when we got to the building, I casually found out that Justin Timberlake lives in the penthouse. They had ordered 16000 balloons to fill the first floor of the apartment, which was so. gorgeous. They had a full-service open bar and a PHOTO BOOTH!

(I mean, maybe I'm a little bit of a camera whore) 

 I was in heaven.  People had great costumes. And did I mention they ordered beef, chicken and cheese arepas? This was my first time eating an arepa (ok, first, second, and third time eating arepas…since I ate one of each…) but it certainly will not be the last. They were incredible. We were having such a great time at the party that oops, I finally crawled into bed after 4 a.m.

(Such a fabulous night- THANK YOU LAURA!)

I think it’s more accurate to call what I did that night “napping” instead of “sleeping” because my alarm went off at 7 a.m. (yeah, hi, that’s three hours MAX) and I laced up my sneakers and ran to packet pick-up for the Poland Spring Marathon Kick- Off 5 Miler in Central Park. Yeah, I ran to the race.

(Hi, Central Park.)

Clearly, I had no intentions of this being a particularly enjoyable or successful run- after all, I was functioning on 3 hours of sleep and had tequila, arepas and pumpkin pie shots still sloshing around my stomach. But as I normally do, I got competitive towards the end, pushed myself a little harder than I had planned, and ended up finishing with a time of 38:41 for a pace of 7:45 mile/min. Not bad, not bad.

(This is what we call a forced smile...)

I crossed the finish line, grabbed an apple and a water bottle and started my run to NY Running Co. for shoe training 9 – 11. Thankfully, there was coffee there. Which I drank a LOT of. And Mary brought peanut butter, which I smothered my apple in. For a while, I was riding a caffeine and race high, learning about shoes, learning about insoles, lovin’ life.

(Never underestimate the power of caffeine and peanut butter)

Next up was Marathon Volunteer Training in the park at 12:15. I also ran to that. But as soon as I got in that tent, I was crashing. I stuck around for the station manager portion of training, but there was no way I was lasting until 3:30.

I ran home from training too. Why? Because it’s faster than walking. And faster meant I would be in my bed faster.

I ate lunch and somehow managed some cleaning and preparing for the week ahead before collapsing into bed for some America’s Next Top Model marathonning.

Now that my recap is done, can we rewind to the fact that on three hours of hung over sleep I raced a 7:45 pace and placed 15^th in my age group out of 207? I might just need to step up my speed work, tempo work and hill work game and take this running stuff a little more seriously! 

(See the girl behind me? She's smiling because she probably slept more than three hours the night before. Also, she probably wasn't emitting alcohol from her pores. But guess what? I'm in front of her ;)

Peloton Cycle a Major Win!

It’s been a Spin-o-Rama over here at PeanutButterIsMyBoyfriend! I know I’ve been writing a lot of posts about spinning, er, “indoor cycling,” but here’s one more for ya- recently, I took a class at Peloton Cycle and absolutely fell in love. While some people go gaga for SoulCycle and others are head over heels for Flywheel- I am [insert cliché here] about Peloton Cycle.
When Peloton first came to NYC, I snagged 3 free ride credits. After far too long, I finally put my first one to use and got my butt to their beautiful studio on 7th Avenue between 26th & 27th streets.
Peloton’s studio is white and airy and spotless. First, you walk through their boutique with lots of pretty workout gear that I’m assuming is overpriced. Standard. Next, you get to the check-in desk and get a pair of cycling shoes and a water bottle. Not necessarily standard. A lot of studios charge extra for shoe rentals, despite having bikes that require you to clip in! The fact that Peloton’s shoes are included in the class fee, along with a water bottle, is definitely to be applauded. 

You then walk through their lounge area which is just the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. It’s got the perfect vibe, with couches, chairs and tables to relax at before or after your class.  They have a counter that sells Jack’s Stir Brew coffee, cold-press juices and tons of different healthy snacks.

Next stop? The locker rooms. Again, so white and clean! And the lockers are all electronic so you don’t even need to bring your own lock with you. The locker rooms have a bunch of different creams and q-tips and other things that you would probably never need but they’re their- just in case.
And finally, the actual studio where you’re going to get your sweat on! It’s similar to many cycling studios with an awesome lighting system and all that jazz. As soon as I walked in, someone was there to help me set up my bike.
What makes Peloton unique are their bikes. They sell them, to have in your home. And if I were a much wealthier individual, I would totally buy one. Peloton STREAMS THEIR CLASSES LIVE to people who own their bikes. You could be in your living room in Idaho but feel like you’re in the Big Apple taking a class. Each bike also comes with a monitor that lets you log-in and track your ride- including resistance percentage, cadence and calories burned.

My favorite part? The leaderboard. I can’t help it. I’m super competitive. And you better believe I’m going to bust my ass if there’s a chance for me to move up that leaderboard! At the end you can also share your workout via Facebook. Heck yes, social media.
Peloton offers 4 different classes: 

Pure Peloton- The Peloton ride at its core. Perfectly balanced. Our signature ride, there for you whenever you crave a solid, sweaty, energizing Peloton ride. Expect to climb up hill, race downhill, work in and out of the saddle, strengthen and tone with weights, and get the most out of every minute.

Peloton Endurance: 60 minutes or more. Challenging hills. Dig deep and challenge yourself to a full 60 minutes or more of Peloton goodness. With a focus on metrics and a healthy dose of resistance, this class is guaranteed to make you push yourself to your limits—and enjoy the ride.

Peloton Power- High-energy. Speed + strength. Life begins out of the saddle. And that’s where you’ll spend the majority of this class. Speed is the name of the game with this fast-paced, heart-pumping workout—perfectly complemented with a side of strength and toning work. Intermediate to advanced.

Pelotone- Heavy on weights and resistance. Sculpt and tone while you ride. Complete your Peloton experience with a class dedicated entirely to sculpting your body into its best shape. Be prepared for weights and upper body movements, all carefully designed to strengthen and tone your entire body and leave you ready to conquer anything that comes your way. 

I took a Peloton Power class with instructor Jon Miller and it was pretty good! We did one song using hand weights, some pushups, and a lot of running out of the saddle (my favorite).

I’m in shape- but a lot of the time the cadence and resistance levels he was giving us to maintain were a little out of my league. It was frustrating to have to take it down a notch from what he was suggesting, but also made me want to push harder and continue going back for more classes to see if I could improve. He was motivational- calling me out a few times for sitting front and center- and also using some usernames from the leaderboard to cheer people on. He also continually gave verbal nods to the individuals riding along at home! 

(Seriously such a cute studio- this is part of the lounge!)

The leaderboard and competitive nature of this studio was definitely why I loved it so much- combined with the great value (taking into account the going rate of spin classes in NYC) and beautiful amenities. 

After each class, you get a free coffee or tea and piece of fruit from the lounge, too! I sat down with my apple, tea and free “pipcorn” sample and was perfectly content and BEYOND happy that I still have 2 free ride credits at Peloton! 

(Free snacks after class? Heck yes.)

Get your butt over there and into a saddle!

Update: Exciting news! Peloton is offering 40% off 5 ride packs! Use the code fb40 at checkout! $84 instead of $140! 

Spinning vs. Indoor Cycling

A topic that’s been interesting to me lately is the question of whether or not there’s a difference between Spinning classes and “indoor cycling” classes like Flywheel and SoulCycle.

As someone who has taken both- it seems obvious to me that there is, in fact, a difference.
However, after Googling around quite a bit, I wasn’t able to find much literature on the topic apart from the differences between indoor cycling and outdoor cycling.

The one article I found was actually a blog post, written by Pumps and Iron, and made perfect sense to me. I thought I would share it so that you could have the same “AHA, totally” moment that I did.

Aside from the fact that “Spinning” is a trademarked name, here’s how I like to break it down after reading Pumps and Iron’s blog post. 

Spinning: 
-“Traditional” 
-Meant to imitate an outdoor biking experience
-Focus on heart rate, training zones, etc. 
-Different types of rides, similar to training for a road bike race- strength rides, recovery rides, endurance rides, etc. 

“Indoor Cycling:”
-These are the boutique classes you pay $30 a pop for at places like Flywheel and SoulCycle 
-Every ride is designed to get you drenched in sweat- no recovery rides or focus on staying in target training zones here 
-Non-traditional moves like crunches, squats and pushups done on the bike 
-Sometimes feature sections using light hand-weights  

Of course, everyone has their preference. There’s a lot of debate out there as to whether or not these “indoor cycling” classes can be harmful with all of their crazy moves. But then again, they’re fun and total calorie-blasters.

What’s your opinion? Do you prefer Spin classes, or trendy “dance in the saddle” cycling classes? 

Restaurant Review: Quintessence

I’m so far behind in restaurant reviews that it’s almost not fair for me to do write ups since I ate it all so long ago. But I have a pretty good memory- and I also have plenty of pictures to remind my taste buds about my meals.  A few weekends ago, I used an awesome Groupon to go to Quintessence in the East Village.

Quintessence specializes in raw food- and while I’ve eaten my fair share of vegan and vegetarian meals- raw was something new to me! In addition, Quintessence is organic, vegan and gluten free!

I sat down at the little bar stools along the window with a trendy glass bottle of tap water and a beautiful sunflower, complete with buzzing bee. The waitress handed me my menu and to my surprise, it was a tablet! You could go through the menu reading descriptions and looking atpictures! Each menu item also listed all of the ingredients. It was a little slow to load, so I eventually asked for a print menu as well, but it was pretty cool and I loved being able to see the pictures, especially since eating raw was new and I wasn’t completely sure what to expect.

(So cute)

For my appetizer I decided to order the Chipotle Pate roll, described on their menu as, “amazing sweet, smoky, hot citrus dip takes this wrap south of the border for a deep flavor explosion. Cooled down with cucumber, bell pepper, avocado, and romaine lettuce, all wrapped in raw nori for a perfect balance of heat, intense flavor, and cooling juiciness.”

(Menu picture of the Chipotle Pate roll)

This was a little disappointing to me- it was pretty much just seaweed stuffed with the dip- which was very flavorful but also very spicy. My mouth was burning, nose was running, and all I was tasting was “ouch that’s hot” in my mouth. I hoped my entrée would be better.

(Mine! Accurate menu picture is appreciated!)

After some back and forth the winner wassssss: Portobello Steak Burger with Chipotle Cheese Sauce. I guess I didn’t put two and two together that the chipotle pate and the chipotle cheese sauce were the same thing- oops! Luckily, this sandwich was heaps better than the nori roll- the chipotle sauce didn’t overwhelm the other flavors. The Portobello was marinated in a delicious sauce and was definitely juicy- the onions were probably my favorite part.

(Menu picture)

The choice of “sprouted kamut bread,” “coconut squash bread,” or “grain-free veggie bread” was a tough one for me as I hadn’t tried any of those options before. I asked my waitress, and she steered me towards the sprouted kamut bread. It was…interesting. Definitely not the consistency of regular bread- it was like a very thick chewy sponge, but it was kind of cool, and tasted fine!

(Mine!)

The good thing about Quintessence is not everything they serve is raw. My Groupon was for a good amount of money, so I decided to get two more dishes to bring home for dinner the next two nights. Both of these weren’t raw dishes, and I ended up liking them a lot more.

The first was the Bibimbap! The menu describes it as, “Inspired by a popular rice dish in Korean cuisine, this version has all the flavors expected from Bibimbap, and is completely vegan. A large bowl is filled with shitake mushrooms, spinach, mung bean sprouts, zucchini, dried fofu cubes, and carrots served on a bed of slow-cooked sprouted quinoa seasoned with our spicy homemade Korean red chili pepper sauce (aka Gochujang).”

(Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of mine for comparison!) 

This tasted fresh, healthy and delicious.  Nothing mind blowing, but a solid meal of veggies and grain that I added my own avocado to. The best part was by far the Gochujang sauce, which I used every single ounce of. So full of flavor that I didn’t even mind the heat.

According to the website, this sauce is made of Birch Xylitol, Korean Chili, Miso, Salt, Vinegar, Sesame Oil, Garlic, and Onion. First, I need to figure out what Birch Xylitol is and then, I need to make me some of this sauce.

The second dish I brought home was one of the “small plates,” the Miso Veggie Stew! This was “A scrumptious vegetable stew... kabocha squash, burdock root, daikon radish, yellow squash, kale, carrots, and red bell pepper, seasoned with brown rice miso."

(Menu photo)

And indeed it was scrumptious! As you can see in the pictures, it wasn’t really a stew- not much liquid or broth to speak of! This was hearty and filling with the squash, roots, kale and brown rice! And only $5!

(Not the prettiest picture of my meal...)

The other dishes I got were much more expensive- the Bibimbap was $14, the Portobello Burger was $15 and the nori roll was $7- this Miso Veggie Stew was one of my favorites, $5, and plenty filling. For $15, I felt that the Portobello Burger should have come with some sort of side dish!

I’m not sure I’m sold on raw eating- the nori rolls were disappointing and the kamut bread was a little strange…but dishes of healthy grains with lots of veggies and delicious, all natural sauces like the Gochujang sauce- that I can get behind!

Afternoons in the East Village trying new foods are always enjoyable :)