Flamenco Hoy Performance at the New York City Media Center

Why travel more than 3,000 miles to Seville, Spain to see a Flamenco performance when you can see one in New York City? Save yourself the $700 airplane ticket and spend anywhere from $35 to $85 to watch it at the New York City Media Center.

A friend saw Flamenco Hoy this past week and highly recommends it for people who want to change up their routine and do something different. However, you only have until this Sunday to watch it before it moves on to another city!

Not sure what Flamenco is? Flamenco is a style of music and dance which is native to several regions of southern Spain. Flamenco is popularly depicted as being the music of Andulusian gitanos (gypsies) but historically its roots are in mainstream Andalusian society. Below is a youtube video of the Flamenco Hoy performance.

Source: New York City Media Center website.

Flamenco Hoy, directed by celebrated film director Carlos Saura, is a spectacular showcase of flamenco with breathtaking dance, dynamic music, and soul-searing cante (song). Featuring twenty of Spain's most exciting artists from the new generation of flamenco, dramatic choreography by Rafael Estévez and Nani Paños, and musical direction by the electrifying pianist Chano Domínguez, this dazzling show takes the audience into the heart of Andalusian flamenco today.

The show runs for 2 hours and 10 minutes, with one 15 minute intermission.

Remaining Showtimes: Friday @ 8 pm ; Saturday @ 2 pm or 8 pm or Sunday @ 2 pm or 7 pm!

To buy your tickets, visit the Flamenco Hoy website here.

New York City Media Center
55th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues
212.581.1212

Jim Campbell - Scattered Light Exhibit at Madison Square Park - video

If you are walking by Madison Square Park at night, walk inside and you will see Jim Campbell's cool exhibit of scattered light that outlines people walking.

Tip: If you're there in person, make sure you are standing in front of the lawn fence, otherwise you won't see the outline of the people walking.

Jim Campbell's "Scattered Light" is presented by The Madison Square Park Conservancy and will be on display from October 21, 2010 to February 28, 2011.

UPDATED: After coming home and researching this project more, it becomes even more interesting.

Jim Campbell is an electrical engineer that created "Scattered Light" with 1,600 lightbulbs modified with LEDs and are programmed to display a low-resolution, moving image as individual pixels. The display is 50 ft long x 80 ft wide x 16 ft high x 16 ft deep, a 3-dimensional display.

From the website Switched, I found an interview with Campbell's interview talking about the exhibit and have included it below along with some excerpts from the article.

• Jim Campbell worked in Silicon Valley as an engineer and designed television chips that would convert "what's now called 'legacy' TV definition to high definition.
  
• He was intrigued by Leon Harmon's pixelated image of Abraham Lincoln in 1973 (which Salvador Dalí used as the basis for his 'Gala Contemplating the Mediterranean Sea'), and thought about applying the same principles of low resolution to moving images. "The most interesting aspect of these works is the movement," he says. "It's the movement that's giving you the information."
  
• Note: I've seen the Dali painting of Abraham Lincoln in Figueres, Spain -- and its pretty amazing ... maybe that's why I love this installation so much!
• "I believe from what I've seen and the little bit that I've read that there are parts of our brain that only deal with movement, only deal with motion, and they kind of decode that," Campbell says. He asked himself, "What can I represent in really low resolution that has any kind of poetics to it?" and decided that moving figures are recognized by "a more primal part of the brain" that relates to peripheral vision. Up close, the image displayed on 'Scattered Light' looks like nothing more than a series of oscillating bulbs, but the image comes into focus as the viewer moves further back."

There are TWO OTHER EXHIBITS THERE (which I missed, slapping my hand!)

1. Broken Window - is a facade of glass cubes, behind a series of LED that display footage of pedestrians walking through the city as cabs and cars drive past. There are 7 cubes scattered around the main panel act as pixels that have fallen out of the main display, giving abstract glimpses of the visual information coming through the facade.
2. Voices in the Subway Station - 20 glass panels embedded in the lawn that light up in synchrony with audio recorded inside the NYC subway system; they flicker in accordance with people's conversations, sometimes turning into a running stream of light as a train passes. No sound is played with the piece.

For the full article from Switched, visit Switched's Website.

For more information on Jim Campbell and about the exhibit, look at Madison Square Park's Conservancy website.

President's Day Coupons - Barnes & Noble, Macy's, etc

I just received this Barnes & Noble 15% off coupon for President's Day and realized you can really just "google" President's Day Coupons and get a whole list of coupons! So I will use this posting if I get anymore ...

-- Happy Shopping!

p.s. don't forget the Loehmann's coupon.

After my google search here are a few that I found from some "coupon_" site.

• Macy’s - Use coupon code PRESIDENT to get free shipping on orders over $99 until February 15.
  
• Martin + Osa - Get 20% off and free shipping on your order online and in stores until February 15. Use coupon code 34197988 online or print the coupon.
  
• eBags - eBags is celebrating President's Day with 20% off all orders with coupon code COMJABE251.
  
• Disney Store - Use coupon code PRESDAY to get 10% off orders over $65, 20% off orders over $85 or 25% off orders over $95 until February 15.
  
• Aeropostale - $14 off orders over $50 until February 15 with coupon code 14FORU.

p.s.2 i just realized blogging can be a FULL TIME job. wowsers!

How does Borders Bankruptcy filing affect New Yorkers?

Many of you probably heard that Borders filed for bankruptcy and the general misconception of the word "bankruptcy" is that the business shuts down and you won't see any more of its stores. Not to get involved in too much bankruptcy law, but since it filed for relief under Chapter 11 - the company will "reorganize" and will later "re-emerge" out of bankruptcy with a better balance sheet that allows Borders to operate more competitively with its peers.

So what does this mean to you? As part of the Borders Group announced closure of approximately 30% of its nationwide stores, 3 out of 8 Border locations will shut down in New York according to The New York Times.

Border Location Expected Closures:

1. 461 Park Avenue - Park Avenue at 57th Street.
   
2. 576 2nd Ave. - Second Avenue at 32nd Street
   
3. 100 Broadway - Broadway near Wall Street.

Remaining Borders Stores in the city

1. Time Warner Center @ 10 Columbus Circle
2. Penn Station @ 2 Penn Plaza
3. Small shops at La Guardia and JFK Airports and express store on Staten Island

FYI: Borders announced that its rewards program and gift cards will continue to be honored.

Loehmann's 25% off Coupon

President's Day Sales are starting early. If you feel like braving some of the crowds, Loehmann's is a great place for women shoes, coats and dresses. I'm sure there are some good deals for men too.

Starting this Thursday, you can get an extra 25% off your entire clearance purchase! And guess what? That's on top of existing extra red (25%), blue (50%) and yellow (75%) sticker clearance items.

Click here for your coupon and here for your nearest Loehmann location!

Two stores in Manhattan:

Chelsea
101 SEVENTH AVENUE
NEW YORK, NY 10011
(212) 352-0856

Upper West Side
2101 BROADWAY
NEW YORK, NY 10023
(212) 882-9990

February Annual Hot Chocolate Festival at City Bakery

The City Bakery Annual Hot Chocolate Festival is going on now - pick a day and try the hot chocolate flavor of the day. A perfect place to grab something hot during these cold winter days!
Check City Bakery's website for updated drinks of the day!

From City Bakery's Website ... "City Bakery hot chocolate changed the hot chocolate landscape when the bakery first opened in 1990. Made from pure melted chocolate bars, this drink made the word "cocoa" forever obsolete when talking about hot chocolate. The City Bakery Annual Hot Chocolate Festival, held every February, is a celebration of a menu of hot chocolate flavors such as Banana Peel Hot Chocolate, Vanilla Bean Hot Chocolate, Malted Milk Hot Chocolate, Bourbon Hot Chocolate and Sunken Treasure Hot Chocolate. Twenty years after the first cup was poured, City Bakery hot chocolate is now available for your home in a package that's perfect, pure, liquid hot chocolate. This is not a powder or concentrate or mix of any kind. This is the exact hot chocolate poured at City Bakery in New York everyday of the year."

Essex Restaurant - Bar at Night, Brunch by Day - $20 Brunch served with 3 Alcoholic Beverages

Did you just have a late night of clubbing in the Lower East Side? No? Well, if you want a little taste of it, come to the Essex Restaurant for brunch on Saturday, where you'll feel as if you just walked into a nightclub -- except its daylight. Yes, the sun is shining through the beautiful glass panes and onto the bar that is now serving Mimosas, Screwdrivers and Bloody Marys ... ah, yes, the best cure for a hangover -- bloody mary's!

And as you take a look around the restaurant, you notice, the music is on and the place is packed with people who look as if they went home and decided to come back for brunch. Ok, perhaps, not that extreme, but I would say the crowd is a close resemblance of the crowd who visited Essex the night before, when it was a bar. And if you didn't know any better, you wouldn't know that Essex was a restaurant during the day.

So what's on the menu ? Too much to describe, but to make it simple - they have a $20 brunch that includes one entree and three, yes three drinks. Can you guess which drinks? Yup, you guessed it - Mimosa, Screwdrivers and Bloody Marys !

(L) 3 Eggs any style with Chicken Apple Sausage (M) Mexican Matzo Brei (R) Eggs Benedict with Canadian Bacon

They have the regular brunch fare - pancakes, french toast, eggs whatever style you like, eggs benedict, bagels with lox and more. We ordered the following three entrees:

• 3 eggs any style with fresh fruit & choice of bacon, chicken apple sausage, breakfast sausage, or tempeh bacon
• Mexican Matzo Brei – scrambled eggs with tortilla crisps, monterey jack, avocado, black beans & pico de gallo
• eggs benedict with canadian bacon, salmon gravlax or spinach

Of the three entrees, the Mexican Style Eggs (forgot the name of the entree) was by far the best, followed by the chicken apple sausage in the 3 poached eggs entree. Most entrees come with home fries and salad, unless notated on the menu. If you're not in the mood for brunch, Essex Restaurant also offers sandwiches and other hearty meals. And, yes, you can still order the Mimosa and Bloody Mary's for $4.

Overall, the food was okay, nothing too exciting -- but why so busy and why wait 30 minutes for a table? My bad guess is that there are limited brunch spots in the LES, or the more likely reason is the 3 alcoholic beverages that comes with your brunch. By the way, I forgot to tell you BRUNCH IS CASH ONLY ... So, the million dollar question - would I come here again? Probably not -- Essex Restaurant is too busy and is busy for the wrong reasons; I prefer busy with good food, so I would suggest trying other restaurants in the neighborhood before Essex. I've listed a few other restaurants below.

Other brunch options around Essex Restaurant:

- Clinton Street Baking Company - 4 Clinton St (awesome brunch, but get there early)
- Little Giant - 85 Orchard Street (been here for dinner, was good)
- Schiller's Liquor Bar - 131 Rivington Street


If you're inclined to pay the place a visit, the address is below:

Essex Restaurant

120 Essex St
New York, NY 10002

(212) 533-9616

Homemade BBQ Chicken Pizza - Made your own way!

Homemade BBQ Chicken Pizza (iphone photo)

For Valentine's Day, I thought it would be fun to make pizza... If you haven't made pizza before, it's a really fun thing to do with another person and it's super easy! The best thing about making pizza is you can choose whatever you want as your toppings and each person can individualize it to their liking!

As for me, I decided to make one of my favorite pizzas - BBQ chicken pizza.

So what do I need? 1 Chicken Breast, KC BBQ sauce, sweet onions, cheese and ... pita bread! Why pita bread? Pita bread saves you time from making dough and even saves you time from rolling pre-made dough bought from Trader Joes. Pita bread also toasts very well in the oven and gives you this extraordinary crunch with every bite. So, make your life easy and buy pita bread, and make it healthy with whole wheat pita! :)

Before you do anything, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Slice half of an onion and cut it in pieces and then halves (sort of look like half smiles)

Now, cut the chicken in cube-like pieces -- the chicken breast is usually pretty thick, so to save cooking time, I slice the chicken breast in half and then cut into cube-like pieces. Now you can cook the chicken in a hot pan. Since I will marinate the chicken with KC BBQ sauce later, I lightly season it with salt. Depending on the thickness of your chicken chunks, cook it for 3-5 minutes on each side or until the meat's white inside. When done, put the chicken in a bowl and marinate with the KC BBQ sauce.

While you are cooking each side of the chicken pieces, you can start preparing the pita. Place the pita on a cookie sheet and coat one side of the pita with BBQ sauce (spread it over the pita). Place some onion halves, cheese and the mixture of marinated bbq chicken on top of the pita. Add more cheese if you like. Then place the cookie sheet in the oven and cook until the cheese is melted (less than 10 minutes, but keep an eye on it since your oven may differ from mine)... Let the pizza cool, then eat!

The entire process will take you less than 30 minutes -- you can't beat that!

Topping Alternatives:

In lieu of cooking chicken, you can substitute it with rotisserie chicken meat (shred a few pieces). And of course you can use other types of meat such as spicy sausage or pepperoni.

In lieu of BBQ sauce, you can buy pizza sauce/spaghetti sauce/tomato paste and use that for the pizza base.

Ah, cheese - I didn't mention which cheese I used - I used what I had -- Parmesean, but feel free to add mozzarella, asiago, romano, or provolone. OR, make it taste better and mix all of them together (however, if on a budget, just one of them is sufficient -- it just won't be as cheesy)

and last, instead of onions, you can add all sorts of other vegetables - mushrooms, bell peppers, olives, etc. However, just be mindful not to use too many vegetables because as it cooks in the oven, the vegetables will release some water which can and will dampen the bread. So be creative, but smart, especially if you want a crunchy pizza!

If you can't decide what type of pizza you want, take a look at a pizza menu from your local pizza parlor, Dominoes or Pizza Hut!

Well, that's all folks - homemade BBQ pizza that can be a fun night for you and your significant other, or with your friends!

So happy eating!

Interested in Guitars, more than just playing the game Guitar Hero?

For a limited time, The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a new exhibition focusing on guitars. Many of you may think you know how to play a guitar from the Guitar Hero game, but do you know anything behind the history of it? Well, here is your chance!

Here is the excerpt from the museum...

New York City and nearby New Jersey, Long Island, and Westchester County have been home to a vibrant Italian American population since the late nineteenth century. Within this community, a remarkable tradition of lutherie (stringed-instrument making) has flourished. Italian American craftsmen have produced an enormous variety of musical instruments, from traditional European-style violins, mandolins, and guitars to newer American instruments such as archtop guitars and mandolins and even electric guitars. Since the 1930s, makers from this tradition in the New York region have become especially well known for their extraordinary archtop guitars. This exhibition examines the work of three remarkable craftsmen from this heritage—John D'Angelico, James D'Aquisto, and John Monteleone—their place in the extended context of Italian and Italian American instrument making, and the inspiration of the sights and sounds of New York City.

1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street
New York, New York 10028-0198
Information: 212-535-7710

Tuesday–Thursday: 9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 9:30 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
Sunday: 9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Monday: Closed (except Holiday Mondays)

Bon Chon Chicken Discount - 50% off in New York City

Discount at Bon Chon Chicken? Really? For free? Yes, REALLY, for free - but you have to act now, as in RIGHT NOW. Click on the link and check out this site -- SCOUTMOB ... The offer gives the holder a 50% discount, but you must apply for it before midnight. So once you're in the kewl club, you can use this coupon until 05/15/2011.

Any catch? The discount is limited to up $12 -- max. Only 1 allowed per check and you can't combine this with any other offers. Your number/email will likely receive other offers from ScoutMob in the future.

So, now your $21 large plate of chicken that includes fourteen wings and four drumsticks with three sides of rice will cost you $10.50 + tax, or $0.60 per piece of chicken. Still a bit outrageous, but much better than the ~$1.20 per piece!

Yum, bon chon chicken on sale! :D


NOTE: Photo above from Bon Chon website.

p.s. I'd give you the code I received, however, they were smart and only issued one "CODE" per submission.

Food Gallery 32 -- The New Food Court in K-Town; Hanok Food Reviewed

Hanok's Jyuk Dupbop
photo with iphone.

Food Gallery 32 ; 7 Food Stalls; An Abbreviated menu is provided.

Watch out Woorijip, the new Food Gallery 32 may give you a run for your money! Last night, a friend and I checked out the new Food Gallery in K-Town and although we loved the food, we were overwhelmed by the vast-amount of choices on the scrolling food boards. Just to give you a sense of the place -- there are seven food stalls and two dessert stalls located in this three-story building.

The layout of the international food emporium is as follows: Ground floor - seven food stalls , Red Mango, and an ordering station; Second Floor - lowered ceiling seating area with a MetroPCS mini-retail shop; Third Floor - Crepe-making dessert station and additional seating.

Even though I will give you a precursory of what to expect inside this food emporium, make sure you take a walk inside, otherwise the list below simply does the food court an injustice:

SEVEN FOOD STALLS

1. Boon Sik Zip - Menu is orientated towards Korean Appetizers/Snacks with Kim Bob (Yummy korean-style sushi-like rolls), Fried Vegetabls/Squid/Sweet Potato, Dduk Bok Ki, Bo-Ssam, etc.
2. Pastel - Menu is more Asian-Americanized foods with Japanese infusion of Pork/Chicken/Fish Cutlets, Hong-Kong infusion of Seafood/Tomato Spaghettis, and Korean infusion of Kimchi Omlet Rice...
3. De-ppangi - Japanese Style foods -- with Donburi's, Teppan-Yaki and Onigiri's...
4. Bian Dang - Taiwanese Food - also has a food-truck selling taiwanese lunch boxes -- I had this at the Food Truck Drive-In last year and it was good.
5. Big Bowl - serving all sorts of ramen!
6. Hanok - Traditional Korean food-fare, including Haemool Pajun, Jap Chae, BiBimBop, Kimchi chigae, Mandoos, Jeyuk Bokum, Chicken/Beef Bulgogi, and Kalbis! (Read review below!)
7. Jin Jja Roo - a mixture of Chinese and Korean together -- with Jja Jang Myon (Ja Jiang Mien), Lo-Meins, Ma Pa Tofu over Rice, Deep Fried meat served with vegetable and sweet & sour sauce

DESSERT

1. Red Mango - SURPRISE! The new red mango has changed its business model to "SELF-SERVE" similar to 16 Handles in Lower East Side. It has a lot more yogurt flavors for you to try! It starts at 49 cents per ounce.
2. Crepes - Didn't catch the name, but there is a creperie on the top floor...
   

HOW DO YOU ORDER YOUR FOOD?

Did you want to order some food here? Well, let me save you some time and frustration by letting you know that you order your food at the entrance to the food court. Seems a bit strange since your instinct is to walk-up to a counter and place your food order there... but, nope Food Gallery 32 had to be different from other food courts in the world. :D But, to be fair, and if I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt, I assume the food court is trying to save space at each stall and/or to keep the exchange of "dirty" money to a minimum, especially since food is being handled. So, think of the process of paying for your food like buying a ticket for a ride at the carnival... You pre-order your food at the entrance, walk-up to your stall and hand them your ticket to get on the ride -- its the same process to order and pick up your food (well, you pick up your food once the machine they give you vibrates).

So my recommendation is to walk around the food stalls, figure out what you want, and then go back to the food ordering station to order. Inefficient? Yes, but what are you going to do?

Also, as an FYI -- make sure to order your drink at this station, otherwise, you'll have to go back... And if you're not interested in ordering a drink for $1.50 (water/can soda) there is water on the second floor.

PROS/CONS OF FOOD GALLERY 32

PROS:

I like the variety of foods here -- although most of the food IS Korean (but what do you expect?, its in k-town), I do like that there are a few other Asian cuisine options -- such as Taiwanese and Japanese. As a side note, I was pleasantly surprised that I could order Taiwanese food here and not have to trek to Chinatown for pork chop over rice! (sorry, a bit biased here since I'm Chinese - at least I'm being honest!).

Prices are not outrageous, and I would say mildly less expensive than sitting at a formal Korean restaurant (for example: ordering Jeyuk DupBop @ Woorijip is ~ $5.50 w/ soup; @ Wonjo ~ $8.95 during weekday lunch specials; and @ Hanok in the food court ~ $7.95... albeit the food court lacks all the pan chon you would get at the restaurants)...

Overall, Food Gallery 32 is a great spot to grab a quick and good meal ... and is a great spot to meet up with friends for an easy, inexpensive meal and to hang out afterwards. Food Gallry 32 has ample seating and I can see this as an ideal spot for college kids, tourists, overspill from Kunjip and Woorijip, and people on a budget who want good food for their money.

CONS:

I wasn't a fan of the ordering system. I would have preferred to order my food at my food station, especially since images of the foods are located at the stalls. If you aren't annoyed by the scrolling food menu board at the ordering station, then I would say you're a patient person... When ordering, I would recommend picking up the printed menu and make your selection from there (that is, after you've taken a walk around to see what food items you want). I just hope the inefficient ordering system won't be the "downfall" of this good food court -- especially since this place just opened and the "buzz" of a bad ordering system could potentially deter impatient/not-so-smart people - for the Food Gallery 32's sake, lets just hope it doesn't turn out to be a Kyochon disaster. As a "p.s." the ordering location is right at the entrance and could prove a bit chaotic when the place is extremely busy!

Separately, for some reason I thought the black trays were a bit heavy -- especially if you have to carry your food up to the third floor to eat - so I would suggest getting not so heavy trays (but i'm sure it serves a purpose -- i.e. it doesn't flip over as you walk it up to the third floor).

Lastly, patrons are encouraged to leave their food behind because bus boys are expected to come by and clean up the tables... however, we were there late night and there weren't that many bus boys cleaning up the tables and I can imagine how messy that could turn out to be.

Overall the cons are not noteworthy enough to deter me from the Food Gallery, especially since I thought the food from Hanok was good!

SO WHAT FOOD ITEM DID I TRY?

I visited Hanok and ordered the Jeyok Dupbop, which is Spicy Pork with Vegetables over rice. It was $7.95 and included seaweed soup (yum!) and mini-dishes of mung beans and kimchi -- all of this was more than enough food for anyone to consume in one seating. For food court style food, I was pleasantly surprised that there was TASTE in the food and a good serving size. When compared to Woorijip, which is across the street, this is definitely better than its competition -- and mind you, this is made-to-order and is not sitting in a heating case. In my opinion, I think the quality of the pork is better here than at Woorijip.

(L) photo of the Hanok stall (R) Jeyok Dupbop on tray (the black tray was heavier than normal trays)
taken with iphone

As a departing note, I liked the food I tried at Hanok and am willing to overlook the ordering system to eat here again. If it wasn't for the ordering system, I would say "hands-down" that this Food Gallery would be a better place to eat than Woorijip -- especially since you are getting "better quality meat" than at Woorijip... but something has to be said about the convenience of Woorijip's pick up and pay model that we shall see whether customers will go for CONVENIENCE or BETTER FOOD.

In due time, we shall see if the food court will take-away business from the neighboring restaurants or not ... who knows ... but I do know that restaurants that serve Korean Fried Chicken, such as Mad for Chicken, Bon Chon and Kyochon will be safe ... for now.

Until next time, Happy Eating!

Food Gallery 32
11 W 32nd St
(between 5th Ave & Broadway)
New York, NY 10001

Freebies in NYC? -- Pizza, Coffee and Pisco Sour

Just read on Grub Street that Tresanti in SoHo will be giving away one 12-inch pie to everybody who walks in from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. this Thursday.

And two other freebie mentions were free coffee offers given away at participating restaurants via Seamless Web ... and a free pisco scour at Summit Bar or Hop Devil if you register for a voucher by clicking here.