Categories
Dining Featured Indulgence

Holiday Cupcake Craze in Downtown NYC

Here in Manhattan, every holiday season is a grand miracle for everyone. Some of those miracles are made via dessert, especially cupcakes, since cupcakes are known as muffins that believed in miracles. Many ask where they can find a solid cupcake in the Big Apple throughout the holiday season. Fear no more, because Downtown Magazine has rounded up five bakeries that offer mouthwatering cupcakes.

Funny Face Bakery by Cupcake Market:

Although Cupcake Market changed its name to Funny Face Bakery due to the popularity of spot-on celebrity Funny Faces and realistic Custom Face Cookies, cupcakes are still sold and are one of a kind as they are literally dense and moist. These guys will provide you with that ideal bite of a cupcake and finger-licking good frosting that will make you smile from ear to ear. Not to mention that the frosting is so light that you won’t feel overwhelmed with the sweetness! The banana cupcake with strawberry icing topped with freshly diced strawberries is quite a favorite and is one to have you purchasing seconds!

Holiday Cupcake Craze in Downtown NYC
Funny Face Bakery

74 East 7th Street
New York, NY

Sprinkles New York- Brookfield Place

Yes, Sprinkles is a major franchise. The location in Brookfield Place, however, is like no other. This Sprinkles location is rather small and is conveniently nestled across the street from the iconic World Trade Center and connected to the Oculus and Westfield Mall. The walk-up counter is splendid for those who go through the city’s hustle and bustle due to the fact that they can get their sugar fix in a heartbeat before heading to their destination. These cupcakes are baked fresh in miniature batches throughout the day and are made from top-notch ingredients. What’s even better is that pickup and delivery services are offered at this location!

Holiday Cupcake Craze in Downtown NYC
Sprinkles Cupcakes- Brookfield Place

225 Liberty St. Suite 241
New York, NY

Little Cupcake Bakeshop

Little Cupcake Bakeshop’s story began in Brooklyn back in 2005. Nowadays, there is a location in the heart of Soho which is such a delight. This bakery doesn’t only concentrate on baking cupcakes, but all of the classic American desserts you can think of. All baked goods are baked by utilizing fresh and sustainable ingredients, which are locally sourced from farms in the Hudson Valley, Catskills, Vermont, and New Jersey. Baking is also done in small batches right at the bakery every single day. Of course, Little Cupcake Bakeshop paid homage to Downtown’s Old Little Italy by creating the “Mott Street” cupcake, which is their take on tiramisu. This cupcake consists of a vanilla bean cake soaked in Illy espresso and topped with homemade mascarpone frosting.

Holiday Cupcake Craze in Downtown NYC
Photo courtesy of Izumi Kira

30 Prince Street
New York, NY

Erin McKenna’s Bakery NYC

If you are trying to stay away from dairy, gluten, eggs, and all of that jazz…then Erin McKenna’s Bakery in the Lower East Side is the place for you to grab your cupcakes. Ingredients for cupcakes and other treats are selected in a responsible manner. Not to mention that natural sweeteners are used moderately. This bakery’s main objective is to
make vegan and gluten-free eating fun and tasty. One of the flavors that folks rage about is the Thin Mint Cupcake which literally tastes like a Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookie!

Holiday Cupcake Craze in Downtown NYC
Erin McKenna’s Bakery

248 Broome Street
New York, NY

Magnolia Bakery- West Village

You can’t go wrong with grabbing a couple of cupcakes from this New York City Classic. Especially from the West Village location. There is a variety of cupcake flavors and each one is charming in its own way as they have different stories to tell. Of course, the Classic Red Velvet or the Vanilla cupcake with Pink Buttercream that Carrie Bradshaw ordered in Sex in The City is a must!

Holiday Cupcake Craze in Downtown NYC
Magnolia Bakery

West 11th Street, 401 Bleeker
New York, NY

See More

Sir Henri Changes Things Up

Seaport Food Lab – a different gastronomic experience at a cocktail party

Brooklyn Chop House Celebrated its 1st First Year in FiDi

Mondrian Alpine Terrace is a cozy spot for the season

Categories
Beauty Culture Dining Entertainment Featured

3 Ways to Treat Yourself “Game of Thrones” Style

Are you counting down the days until the final episode of Game of Thrones? All of NYC is right there with you, especially these three spots offering GoT specials to help you cope.

Haven Spa GoT Spa Treatments

The luxurious Mercer Street spa is offering treatments for anyone looking to decompress from the stress of remembering what happened eight seasons ago on GoT. The Mother of Dragons Pedicure includes Dragon Fruit enriched scrubs and lotions for super soft and hydrated feet. The Dragon Glass Manicure features shiny chrome gel polish that looks just like dragon glass. The White Walker Body Scrub is a CBD scrub that helps you get rid of your dry, winter skin. The Fire & Ice Facial uses medical-grade masques and anti-inflammatory botanicals to leave you with skin like Khaleesi. The Geek Massage is a combination of therapeutic stretching and deep tissue work focusing on the upper body to relieve the tension caused by dragon riding (or television bingeing). Combination packages are also available. GoT inspired services, like the show, will only be around for a limited time so be sure to book yours today!

Poulet Sans Tête x Hill Country Game of Thrones Menu

Photo by Ethan Covey

Laurence Edelman of PST along with Chris Stark and Matt Miluk of Hill Country came up with GoT inspired menu items, available for pick-up and delivery exclusively at Poulet Sans Tête from 5-10pm every night of the week. Fans can order via Caviar, Seamless + PST’s website along with pick-up at Left Bank (117 Perry Street). The Gold Crown Chicken Chili features PST’s signature rotisserie chicken in Hill Country’s white sauce, Lord of Light Chicken pairs PST’s chicken with Hill Country’s special spiced chicken rub, and Fire & Ice Pickles add a sweet and spicy bite to your meal from sister restaurant Hill Country Chicken. Pair your dishes with White Walker BBQ Sauces for the ultimate feast.

Sprinkle’s Game of Thrones Cupcakes

No viewing party is complete without dessert! The limited edition Dragon Fruit Lemon cake is topped with Ice Blueberry buttercream frosting and Black Cherry Candy Dragon Glass and features a custom Game of Thrones decoration and sword. Bakeries will also offer dozen boxes with tons of GoT logos, including custom Targaryen, Lannister, and Stark decorations.

Categories
Dining Events Featured

10 Spots That Are Ready to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

Don’t go too hard on Derby Day because Cinco de Mayo comes right after! These bars and restaurants are ready to help you celebrate with specials all weekend.

Clinton Hall

Head to NYC’s favorite beer hall for tons of specials this Sunday. All locations are offering $25 taco and margarita flights featuring three types of each, $25 buckets of Corona, and the Crunch Sombrero burger, which is topped with Oaxaca cheese, avocado mayo, pico de gallo, and Fritos and available for the whole month of May. The 36th Street and Williamsburg locations will have a Piñata shaped like their Gigawatt Canned beer filled with mini plastic tequila bottles for customers to hit as the evening kicks off. It will be hanging in the venues all day for photo ops. Multiple Locations.

Due West

Head to Due West for Cinco de Mayo and celebrate with lively music, house bottled Palomas, and Mexican Boilermakers, which will ensure a good time. 189 W 10th Street.

Infamous Bistro

Photo by Molly Tavoletti

This Cinco de Mayo, Upper West Side favorite Infamous Bistro will be serving their Infamous Palomas for $8 all day! Beverage consultant Milos Zica of Employees Only has put a special spin on his Cinco de Mayo Paloma. The spicy, smoky version of a classic cocktail uses mezcal rather than tequila, with fresh grapefruit juice, a chili-salt rim, and grapefruit garnish. It’s the perfect thing to enjoy on their chic outdoor patio this weekend. 1012 Amsterdam Avenue.

The Flying Cock and The Horny Ram

Photo Courtesy of Farmhouse Hospitality

In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, both The Flying Cock and The Horny Ram will be offering a beer bucket special that includes 6 cold beers for $36, available all day. The Horny Ram will also offer freshly made $13 margaritas that will be $7 during happy hour from 4:00-7:00pm. 497 3rd Avenue, 951 2nd Avenue.

Taco Dumbo

All week, from 5/5 to 5/9, at Taco Dumbo, 24k Gold Leaf Tacos will be given out randomly to guests during happy hour from 3:00–7:00 PM at all of their locations. Some lucky winners will receive 104 taco bucks, entitling them to two tacos a week for a year! The gold taco is made with an organic blue crunchy shell, black bean mash, Impossible taco meat, vegan queso sauce, a crunch garlic and rice mix, and 24 karat gold leaf. Multiple Locations.

Cantina Rooftop

On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Mexican hotspot Cantina Rooftop is offering a cubetazo special: 6 cans of beer for $36. On Sunday, the restaurant and lounge will open at 11:00 AM for brunch and 5:00 PM for dinner and will feature music by NYC’s own DJ JAVI. Stop by for margaritas with a view! 605 W 48th Street.

Sprinkles Cupcakes

The only thing that rivals a margarita is a margarita cupcake. Sprinkles has created two different flavors in honor of the holiday; a classic key lime flavored Margarita cupcake and a NEW Strawberry Margarita offering. Both are topped with frosting that is infused with ultra-premium blanco tequila and finished with a fleur de sel rim. They are available now through May 5th nationwide. Multiple Locations.

Chopt

Chopt is offering customers an indulging way to celebrate by offering 20% off the Mexican Caesar Salad exclusively on their website with the use of the promotional code: SaladCinco. The Mexican Caesar Salad is offered year-round and is aligned with Chopt’s mission of bringing creative-inspired flavors, ingredients and food cultures to the world of salad and bowls. The fan-favorite includes refreshing ingredients that are sourced from local farmers, artisans and small businesses including Cotija Cheese, Jalapeno Peppers, Tortilla Chips, Romaine and house-made Mexican Caesar Dressing. Multiple Locations.

Haven Rooftop

Haven Rooftop is throwing a two-day bash starting at 4:00 PM complete with tequila shots, Tecate, Modelo Negra, and flavored margaritas specials. Guests can also enjoy a selection of food specials including ceviche, quesadillas, guacamole & chips, nachos and tacos. As an added bonus, Salsa dancers will be on-site to give free dance lessons! 132 W 47th Street.

Categories
Dining Featured Living

What to Do with Kids of All Ages This Holiday Season

Looking to fill up some of those days between Christmas and New Year’s? We’ve got fun holiday activities in New York City for all ages!

Under 10 Years Old:

 

The Rink at Brookfield Place

 

Head to the mall for whole family fun! The Rink at Brookfield Place offers open rink time, skating lessons and rentals (including skate aids for the little ones) every day in December.

 

Sprinkles’s Cupcakes Holiday Flavors

 

When you’ve worked up your appetite, wander upstairs to Hudson Eats for some festive snacks! Along with their usual delicacies, Sprinkles has a few limited edition holiday flavors including Christmas cookie, chocolate peppermint and gingerbread.

 

Kids Eat Free at Brother Jimmy’s

 

Walk under Brookfield Place to the World Trade Center and hop on the 4/5/6 train to Brother Jimmy’s in Murray Hill where kids eat free every day with the purchase of an adult entrée. Play games like skee-ball, cornhole and pop-a-shot basketball and be sure to order the fries, they come on a complimentary frisbee!

 

10–16 Years Old:

 

Introductory Class at Gotham Archery in Chinatown

 

Gotham Archery offers hour long introductory archery courses at their Chinatown location multiple times a day, Tuesday through Sunday, for archers ages ten and up. Be sure to sign up for an intro class online to ensure you get a spot. Don’t forget to brush up on your skills by rewatching The Hunger Games or Robinhood before you go!

 

Lunch and Julian’s Sundae at Aunt Jake’s

 

When you finish shooting, take a short walk to Aunt Jake’s for homemade pasta and this show stopping dessert. The menu features individual and family sized portions as well as a make your own pasta section to satisfy even the pickiest of eaters. Definitely try the Julian Sundae before you leave; it consists of fudgy chocolate ice cream surrounded by a bubble waffle and topped with an obscene amount of whipped cream, fruity pebbles and chocolate sauce all in a glass frosted with Oreos. Good luck finishing it!

 

16 and Up!

 

Knife and Axe Throwing Class at Gotham Archery

 

Archery not thrilling enough for you? Gotham Archery offers 90 minute knife and axe throwing classes on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. Instructors are highly trained and will have you sticking your throws in no time. Make sure you sign up for the class online in advance.

 

Dinner at Ivan Ramen

 

Impress watchers of Chef’s Table with a reservation at Ivan Ramen on the Lower East Side. Don’t skip appetizers like the unassuming pickled daikon and be sure to order one of the non-ramen specialties.