American - Breakfast/Brunch - FOOD - "The Delicious" - Mediterranean

The Little Owl in the West Village

December 30, 2010

Little Owl

Inside

No, it’s not just you. It just occurred to me too that I’ve been spending a lot of time in the West Village lately! I’m making no excuses for it though — it really has some of the cutest restaurants.

I’ve been wanting to check out The Little Owl for months now, and finally had a chance to go there for brunch a few weeks ago. It’s cozy, chatty, vibey and there’s something very lax about the ambiance. The first thing that caught my eye when I walked in was this elevated bench in the corner where people were sitting and having drinks on a Saturday morning. It’s right next to the Christmas tree that had — yes — a little owl perched on top. A birds-eye-view of the place and an owl…points for the non-false advertising.

Bird-eye-view seating

Spotting the little owl

We started with beignettes, which are pretty much like little sweet munchkin doughnuts but these are served with nutella and raspberry sauce. Give me anything with nutella, and I’ll be in a very happy mood. Usually when I go to brunch, I like splitting something sweet and salty with my friends. This is a nice appetizer to share with the table in case you like something sweet with your food too:

Beignettes

I ordered their spicy chicken dish — probably not the ideal breakfast but it sounded too good to pass up and it really was:

spicy chicken breast with brussels sprout homefries, lemon and dijon

My friends were a little underwhelmed with their dishes, especially the smoked salmon and eggs dish. The poached eggs weren’t bad though:

smoked salmon and eggs

Poached eggs

On another note, I do have to say the latte I ordered was a little watered down, but not a deal breaker for me.

Latte

cute mugs

One thing I really appreciate are the little unique touches at these NYC restaurants. For me, it was the guestbook they give you at the end of your meal with the check…people just write silly messages or a short anecdote of what brought them there. If you ever get a chance to stop by, let me know if you find our message :).

Guestbook

Restaurant Info:
The Little Owl
90 Bedford St.
at Grove
New York, NY 10014
(212) 741-4695
West Village

x
Shy

Beauty - "The Lovely" - Eyes - Face - Gift Guide - Lips

Hot Cocoa and Makeup at Napoleon Perdis’ Apartment

December 28, 2010

Me and Napoleon Perdis!

Sounds heavenly right? Celebrity makeup artist, Napoleon Perdis, invited us to his stunning apartment in midtown for hot chocolate and makeup touch ups. I have been a huge fan of his line for his Auto-Pilot Primer — I mean, he DID coin the phrase “not to prime is a crime.” It’s actually the first primer I’ve ever used (and still use now and then). In case you’re wondering, you would use a little to your face before applying makeup so it sets better and lasts longer.

Eyeshadows galore from Napoleon Perdis

Art work and makeup kits!

Napoleon Perdis Siren Lip Gloss Pack and Great Escapes brush pack

After he did our own makeup (that’s me with him above after a session in his makeup chair), we were introduced to some of his newest makeup kits including The Siren Lip Gloss Pack (which comes with five shiny glosses), Bronze Bombshell (bronzing powder and lotion).

Great Escapes Brush Set in teal and Tropical Heat set in Coral

My favorites though were The Great Escapes Brush Set, an 8-piece travel size brush set available in teal or cobalt (normally $80), and the Tropical Heat multi-kits, that come in three variations with eye shadows, blushes, lip gloss and mini applicators (normally $39). The reason why it’s the best time to check them out on his website RIGHT NOW is everything is up to HALF OFF until 1/30.

With all the weddings I have lined up to attend this summer (I think I’m up to five and counting), his double-edged Mesmer-Eyes waterproof mascara will be going with me everywhere. I love comb mascaras, since they really separate and elongate. This is even better because it has a thin and thick comb on the end to add volume while it lengthens! I’ll write another post showing you what I mean soon…

Check them all out at napoleonperdis.com.

Anyone else use Napoleon Perdis makeup?

x
Shy

American - FOOD - "The Delicious"

Westville in the West Village

December 27, 2010

After having a few great eating experiences at Westville East on Avenue A, I thought it would be cool to check out their original outpost in the West Village, simply named Westville.

Westville

It’s probably half the size of their East Village location, but I think the food here is even better. It’s a lot cozier too, but be prepared to WAIT. Well, we went with a party of six, and probably waited a good hour before we got seated. Factor in how cold it is outside (considering the size of the place, you’re gonna wait outside), and an hour feels way longer. It’s worth it though, especially when you’re in the mood for some feel-good, yummy food.

Buffalo Wings

Starting with the buffalo wings, which you HAVE to order if you can. I’m not normally the biggest fan of messy wings, but the chicken practically fell off the bones on its own…it was THAT tender.

Corn chowder soup

Turkey burger

Burger

The soup and smokey mac and cheese didn’t disappoint (and once again, the mac and cheese has a really smokey taste so if you’re not into that, you might not like this dish). Also, one thing we missed but I would definitely bee-line for next time is corn on the cob (with lime, cumin and cotija cheese). The people next to us ordered it, and it looked divine. The only exception, at least in this instance, were the burgers– I thought Westville East’s was a little juicier than the ones we had here. I had mine again with cheddar — it was still good enough, just not the best I’ve had.

Chocolate souffle a la mode

Chocolate souffle a la mode with mint chocolate chip ice cream

We ended the meal with two chocolate souffles a la mode, one with vanilla ice cream, the other with mint. I’d suggest the vanilla, unless you’re into the toothpastey-taste thing. Probably the most surprising thing was the bill after our three-course meal…we didn’t get any drinks besides some pop, and I don’t think we paid more than $20 each. Another reason this place is one of my favorites.

Oh and, I GUESS I’ll add this picture of the buffalo wings + Sacko’s hands. He really wanted it in the post. He’s creepy like that:

Creepster

Restaurant Info:
Westville
210 W 10th St.,
btw Bleecker and West 4th Street
New York, NY 10014
(212) 741-7971
West Village

x
Shy

Beauty - "The Lovely" - Lips - Product Review

CoverGirl’s new NatureLuxe Gloss Balms

December 26, 2010

Taylor Swift playing with her CoverGirl NatureLuxe goodies

Taylor Swift was just named the face of CoverGirl’s new NatureLuxe Collection (hitting stores next month). I was curious about the line and was sent over a few items from their collection to preview. Their new Gloss Balms are seriously worth raving over.

CoverGirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balms in Peony 220 (top) and Marble 255

You know how when it gets cold, some lipsticks aren’t moisturizing enough and glosses are too goopy? I think these are a perfect in between and also have some gorgeous colors.

Wearing Marble 255 (sorry for the fuzziness...the cold fogged up my camera lens!)

CoverGirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm in Peony 220

OH, and this will probably be super helpful for you too — but I just discovered CoverGirl’s Color Match tool on their website, which is what I used to pick these shades and I really think it’s amazing. All you have to do is answer a few questions about your features and they will take the guesswork out for you by highlighting what shade will compliment you the most (that goes for every CG collection on their site). Pretty nifty.

Anyway, back to NatureLuxe…these also have SPF 15 and are infused with shea butter so it’s a nice, light balm with color. Check it out when it comes out in January! They will be available at drugstores nationwide for $6.50.

x
Shy