Way Down to Chinatown

Not since Milk & Honey in New York and the Curio Parlour in Paris have I been able to find a decent place for a yummy, fruity, splashy, fabulous cocktail in London. It's just not that easy to come by. Paris has recently started up on the trend, while New York has been a pioneer of all things spirits and fancy alcoholic recipes for at least a decade now. But look no more, Zesties, the latest and trendiest cocktail bar in all of London has opened its doors in none other than London's Chinatown. The Experimental Cocktail Club London, known by all the Paris loyals as the ECC, is just a month old but is already buzzying with Central London's most fashionable and exquisite people.

One of the main problems with London, I find, is that most pubs and bars inconveniently close between 11 and midnight. And whether we're talking crowds, music or strict door policies, clubs over here- they just don't cut it. Who wants to pay £££ for memberships to places you end up showing up to only fortnightly, and £££ more extra to pay when the tab arrives in your lap, no less. Cocktail bars and lounges aren't really crowding the streets either. Okay so you've got the uber-fancy-old-man-take-a-call-girl-out Connaught Bar in Mayfair- though I can't say it's my weekly go-to option, considering the Euro-Posh customer base and the up-market cocktail prices. In a nutshell, for any wide-eyed and bushy-tailed London expat like myself, that's just not going to cut it.

 

So when I heard about the ECC's arrival in London last month, after reading rave reviews of its original namesake in Paris, I jumped at the opportunity to book a girls' night out. I was not disappointed. Deliciously decadent, creative and innovative cocktails, like the Spicy Old Cuban and the Experience, coupled with  luxurious velvet sofas and gorgeous crowds in a cozy and romantic speak-easy room make for a delightful and unforgettable evening. No membership. No queues at the door. No maxed-out credit cards. Who could ask for more?

The Experimentail Cocktail Club

13A Gerrard Street

W1D 5PS

A Little Bit of New York Zest

New York has been pretty awesome, what with the Christmas season being in full motion and all. And I've also just really enjoyed walking around Central Park, the Upper West Side and Chelsea, eating at my fave restaurants, shopping at my fave shops, breathing in the Christmas cheer, going to my fave museums, and just taking in all the cool things I used to love about New York. This is my top 10 list of everything from food, shops, walks and cultural bits that make New York, for me, a special and unique place in the world.

1. Best skyline view/ sunset walk: The most beautiful walk and view in New York takes place on the Brooklyn Bridge. I used to recommend this walk to all my friends/family that would come visit. The coolest thing to do is to take the subway to the other side of the bridge and walk (or bike!) back towards the city, at sundown when the skyline is a multitude of colorful patterns, lines and curves. That view, in my opinion, is the best view of the New York skyline.

2. Best neighborhood for an afternoon walk/shop/coffee stop: the Lower East has, over time, climbed its way to my favourite places to shop, walk around and grab a late afternoon coffee or early evening drink. Rivington, Ludlow, Essex and Norfolk are among the many funky shop-filled streets of the neighborhood.

3. Best dress shop: Honey in the Rough: my lovely and bubbly friend Ashley Hanosh's quirky and secret dress and accessories shop on Rivington Street offers the most fantastic and unique pieces for ladies with style and sass. Stop by for a lovely shopping experience and you will not leave empty handed. And that's a good thing.

4. Best banana pudding/cupcake: The Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery on Rivington Street will leave you salivating for more. The sweet smell of icing and banana cream will knock you over with excitement. I've never tasted such heavenly banana pudding or red velvet cupcakes- and I'm no fan of bananas nor have never been one to go on and on about red velvet cake, mostly cuz I never got where that funky color came from.

 

5. Best 2 Italian restaurants: Bar Pitti on Sixth avenue and Houston (Soho) followed by Malatesta Trattoria (West Village) both offer some simple and inexpensive Italian dishes and pastas. Bar Pitti has the people watching, while Malatesta just has a kick ass tiramisu. Your choice.

Bar Pitti, Soho/West Village

 

 Malatesta Trattoria, West Village

6. Best brunch: Bubby's in Tribeca. Best green eggs and ham and eggs benedict south of Houston. This legendary joint has much more to offer than a mile long queue and Harvey Keitel sitting in the back room chatting up the waitresses and sipping on his beer. It's a lively place, really, with some good ol' Southern American food, but some normal American food as well. 

7. Best burger: Shake Shack at Madison Square Park and the Burger Joint at the Parker Meridien Hotel. New York's 2 unmissable burger places, both located in the lower to midtown areas.

Shake Shack, Madison Square Park

8. Best cocktails: Little Branch on 7th avenue and Leroy Street, serves the most funky drinks ( a la Milk & Honey) from the vamped up Pimm's Cup (go Britannia!) to the classic but sexy Mojito, Trinadadian style: The Queens' Park Sizzle.

9. Best manicure/pedicure: and this is for us Londoners who can't get enough of the Vietnamese style mani/pedi, just cuz it's quick and dirty, cheap and chic. Iris Nail on Broadway between 10th and 11th, does the job just fine. You get a little MTV reality junk, with a side order of NYU students' gossip. Love it.


10. One more for the road- Best Borough Market New York equivalent: Chelsea Market (on 9th avenue between 15th and 16th) is the luxury version of a department store food court, offering a wide variety of different food joints, Lobster shacks, delis and grocery stores and also housing the famous Nicole Farhi store and restaurant, known to all us Londoners as 202. 

That's it for now, zesties. Heading to Paris tonight for some New Years celebrations. I hope the Christmas festivities were warm and fuzzy for all of you. Enjoy the New York Zest. In the meantime, LondonZest will be on hold til further notice:)

As My Friends Jay-Z And Alicia Once Said...

When you're in New York, you're in an Empire State of Mind...

In New York,
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of,
Theres nothing you can’t do,
Now you’re in New York,
these streets will make you feel brand new,
The lights will inspire you,
Lets here it for New York, New York, New York
Welcome to the bright light...

New York is beautiful and snowy and I couldn't be happier to be back home to celebrate Christmas with my family. I hope you feel the same way wherever you may be. Merry Christmas, Zesties! I will be back after the festivities with a little zest on New York. 

Christmas cheer and Christmas joy to all:)

Burger Mania

I miss New York. Especially right now, I miss New York. I miss the buildings, I miss the smells. I miss Central Park and I miss the leaves turning red. I miss my friends. I miss my favorite restaurants and  my favorite shops. I miss the pumpkin season. I miss Autumn. I miss the food. I miss my old flat. I miss the lower east side. I miss the people. Again, I miss the food. Yeah, I miss the food. A lot. I miss the burgers. I miss the Spotted Pig 's burger, I miss BLT's Burger , I miss The Corner Bistro's burger, I miss Shake Shack , I miss The Burger Joint at The Parker Meridien . Damn. I just miss those burgers. But why why why do I miss them so? It's not like I haven't been enjoying my fair share of burgers here in London. Or sunday roasts and fish n' chips. I mean, I've been to Byron, I've been to the Electric. Those were decent burger experiences. But for some reason, they just weren't good enough. They were good but they were not fantastic. I even caught myself several times comparing them to the New York burgers. Thinking about that one last burger I had at BLT, drooling over them in my thoughts, salivating a teeny bit into the corners of my mouth. Trying to remember why I ever left! In New York, it was kind of an obsession, finding the best burger in town. But that was how you did things there. You took part in the experience. You became a restaurant critic. And you blogged about it. I guess that's what I'm trying to achieve here right now, to no avail really. 

The point of this entry is not to bash London burgers. No no. On the contrary. I have decided to loudly voice my opinion of the best burger in town. And I'm ready to be hung. Flagellated. Tortured. I know, burgers are a topic of discussion that is very close to our hearts. So much so, that we may do things to each other we may end up regretting. So, let me just say, I come in peace. After countless burgers, after numerous tastings, I have found my favorite burger place in London. The Thomas Cubitt pub in Belgravia has me addicted to their burger. That's the truth ladies and gentlemen. London is back in the game and she is ready to fight for her right to burgerville. Last Saturday, I went again with a group of friends and we all had the burger. The look on every one's face was priceless. Oh My God. It was phenomenal. We all smiled. We were full of glee. The table went silent and we just ate, we devoured, we nibbled at every leftover piece on our plates. We wanted another one. It was just too good. Now let me also add that The Thomas Cubitt  on the adorable Elizabeth Street has been categorized in my book as a girl-friendly pub, which means that I give it a big thumbs-up for being clean, bright and full of cool people. In brief, all the more reason to go check it out. Order the burger and you'll forget everything I said about New York being better than London. That's a promise.

The Thomas Cubitt, Elizabeth Street, Belgravia

Salad Bar Magic in Covent Garden

There is one thing I have been missing here in London and that is a decent salad bar. New York, for example, is spoiled with them. If you're walking around midtown, you see them left and right. Not only the cheap delis offer them, but you can find them at places like Chop't, Tossed, Cosi or Cafe Europa etc. They are certainly not a luxury over there. And for some reason, London has not reached that point yet. When I worked in Midtown, I used to start jiggling in my office chair, counting the minutes til I could run downstairs to my usual salad place. This was the typical drill: pick a meat/protein: $2, pick a cheese: $1.75, pick a fancy veggie (avocado, asparagus): $2,00, then just add on at your leisure. Your salad would cost at most $8.50...$10 if you were really hungry. I miss that so much! Now I may not  be working here, but I've had my fair share of lunches outside of home. London just doesn't have them! And I have no idea why. Maybe the salad bar culture hasn't arrived yet on this side of the Atlantic...or maybe there are a couple, haphazardly sprinkled around town, and if there are a few, the costs certainly reflect that lack of demand. One thing is for sure though, the salad bar culture has definitely not colonized this town like it has New York.

Occasionally, I find myself in Covent Garden for the lunch hour. Covent Garden is so underrated. You just have to know it to like it. There is this one salad place that you just have to check out. It's called Kastner & Ovens. It is tucked away somewhere between Floral Street and Long Acre, and because there is no sitting area, it is best to take it away and back to the office or to pick a sunny day to go sit in a neighboring park and enjoy its pure deliciousness. They offer some wonderful salads and hot meals, from grilled aubergine and zucchini and feta, to chili con carne and beef stroganoff, which appear to be coming straight out of  a cookbook or your grandmother's kitchen. It certainly is no New York salad bar with salad bar prices, but it is worth your while if you're around the hood.

                               Kastner & Ovens in Covent Garden

                                                                    

     

Don't go home or back to the office without making a detour via the adorable Monmouth Street, where you can grab the best coffee in town at Monmouth Coffee Company (you can also find it at Borough Market).


                            The Monmouth Coffee Company

My Quest for London Zest

I hail from New York City and I have been in London for exactly a year! Can you believe it?! I am now a Londoner...or am I?

New York at first, felt like a cold cold place. Large avenues, with tall high-rises, of which you could hardly see the tops. Fancy fifth avenue shops crowded with fancy fifth avenue coop-owners and not-so-fancy midwest American tourists. Long long winters and cold cold autumns. It is, I must say, one of the most unwelcoming places on earth. But after much time and effort spent there, I finally made it mine. My New York. I searched hard and long, but the reward was priceless! The best part was: I found the gems and treasures of New York by being curious, and I was determined to feel at home. Needless to say, I uncovered my New York gems! From Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery on Rivington Street and Billy's Bakery on Ninth Avenue, where the Banana Pudding and the Red Velvet cupcakes melt in your mouth; to Honey in the Rough, THE one dress shop on Rivington, where my friend Ashley Hanosh, exquisite woman and boutique owner, has created a gem of a boutique, where you will find the most delicious dresses and accessories for an experience that is at once friendly and professional; my impression of New York changed once I set foot in these second homes. It is with great pleasure and excitement that I embark on a new journey to discover London's hidden gems and sterling secrets, in an effort to make London my new home away from home.

Billy's Bakery on Ninth Avenue and 21st Street, New York: Oh Yum!

I now live in Notting Hill, well Bayswater to be precise, and I spend hours walking around not only the neighborhood but the whole city, sniffing for the perfect gems, the perfect shops with the perfect stories to tell.I don't find myself in Islington very often. But if I do manage to drag my bumm up there, all the way up from Notting Hill- er I mean Bayswater- I'll make sure I make it a special experience. And it starts all the way from the top of Upper Street by the Highbury tube stop to the very bottom of St Johns Street. I'm not kidding, this is the best 20 minute walk in London (or hour and half depending on if you get lucky!). And this is why: the adorable, magical vintage boutiques of London are all located there, polka-dotting the Islington sidewalks left and right, so much so that you won't know where to look and what to do with yourself.

My journey begins in Islington, where the vintage boutiques and second-hand shops flourish by the minute.

My number 1: Labour of Love on Upper Street. I just love, love, love it! As my friend Liz Lemon from 30 Rock would say (and no she is not my namesake... "Lemon Zest???")... I want to go to there! I swear, you'll love it too! It has everything from one-of-a-kind costume jewelry, and nowhere-else-in-the-world fancy tops and dresses, to awesome repetto-imitation jazz shoes, for great prices! Plus the shop is so tiny, you'll feel like Alice and Wonderland after she's eaten the magic mushrooms.
 

Labour of Love, Upper Street, Islington

My number 2 has to be My Sugarland on St Johns Street.
Now this shop is for pros. The shop owner is a stylist called Zoe Lem and she has a gift. She can pick out fantastic pieces and has created such a beautiful place to display them in, that everything just works wonders. As I was strolling down St john Street, I took a peak inside this attractive boutique, and all of a sudden, found myself to be lured in by all of the fantastic colours, hats, gloves and tights that were on display, and before I knew it, I was touching everything! My fingers were caught in a whirlwind of beautiful vintage dresses and scarves and... I fell in love. The prices are not as kind as you'd hope them to be, but if you're lucky enough and it's sale time or if you happen to find a piece you know or think is calling your name, don't let it go. It's a sign from above!

My Sugardland on St Johns Street, Islington










My number 3 is called Dress for Less on St Johns Street and it is a charming spot. I walked in yesterday and I was completely smitten. The place is a whole in the wall and you probably wouldn't see it if you didn't know about it, but it is perfect! Walk in and find
a rainbow of vintage designer and second hand clothes, jewels and accessories, from the essential Burberry trench to the occasional Jigsaw necklaces and delightful Sonia Rykiel jumpers, all at a price you will not believe! The shop owner is an adorable woman who calls you sweetheart, luv and cheesecake, or something like that, and she makes her bazaar as cozy as your home. You can just walk in, unload, try on a thousand things at once and she will never cringe! It is truly a find and you must go!

Dress for Less on St Johns Street, Islington                  














Dress For Less Necklace, £20

After some intense shopping, walk down St Johns Street and make a right onto Myddleton Street towards Exmouth Market, where you will navigate your way through the fantastic smells of the food stands and go straight down the finish line to grab some green curry like you've never tasted. Finish your day by warming up with a delicious cappucino or latte and a piece of delectable chocolate pie or crunchy meringue from "Sweet Boulangerie and Patisserie." You will not regret it.