Eff the Mimosas. We Goin' Straight for the Sangria.



 It was a beautiful sunny Sunday and my girlfriend had some Londoners in town, so we decided to treat these Brits to some real brunch rather than their traditional bangers and mash (while I'm sure it's tasty, something about it doesn't look quite right (Google for your pleasure)).  She wanted us to go to one of her favorite spots on the Upper Westide; a place where we can eat, drink and be Mary (Ellen).  People, welcome to Calle Ocho. 

It's impossible to get a brunch reservation here, but if you can, the food will make you happy. This is as relaxing a spot as any brunch spot in NYC, but then again, the Upper West Side is chill, in general. We got there at 11:30am and, after my girlfriend Debo'd some 72 year-old man for his spot (think "brace yourself, old man"), we occupied the front booth where we could people watch.



Debo - everyone's favorite neighbor"HOOD" bully.  Old man ain't want none of the hungry GF(disclaimer: Overdramatization of GF.  GF bears no resemblance to Debo.)


Calle Ocho runs a great unlimited sangria program, which has some strong work. My friends polished off about 4 rounds of sangria drinks,  but, because of my drunken escapes at a housewarming and at the Stumble Inn the night before, I only had one drink. Peep the set-up they've got goin' on:

My entree, vaca frita, was a tasty dish of fried skirt steak cooked medium (that's how I roll) with Latin fried rice, avocado, and scrambled eggs. Our friends shared an exquisite plate for 2 of Costa Rican soft tacos, scrambled eggs, chorizo, and home fries. 

Overall, I'm a fan of the spot.  Music is chill, environment is chill, and it's a great place to catch up with old friends and reminisce...

A Secret Rooftop on the Upper West Side

Now, I'm born and raised in the South Bronx, and sometimes I don't feel like going all the way downtown to hang out at 230-Fifth or Hudson Terrace to get my rooftop fix.  Frankly, I don't always want to spend the money!  It's nice to know that there are some hidden gems in the Harlem-ish area where I can kick back, drink some good cocktails, and, more importantly, just be me.  I went to a rooftop bar and grill call The Heights, which, contrary to its name, is actually located on Broadway between 111th and 112th of the 1 train. 


THE VIBE, YOU ASK? Extremely chill: Those jeans randomly lying on the couch and a t-shirt will suffice.  Ladies, let down your hair that you've had to wear up at your cubicle job and put on your favorite jeans and favorite halter top.

At times the music is a testament to the mid 90's - early 2000's era: Common and Lauren Hill were on heavy rotation. But the music is eclectic.

This is the perfect place for your group of friends to drink the night away while enjoying some decent-ish Mexican food.  Make this your Friday night place to unwind from a long week of work.

Peep the Happy Hour Specials:

Happy Hour
4-7 Daily
$4 drafts
$4 frozens
$4 glasses wine

Late night
11-close nightly
$4 drafts
$4 frozens
$4 well liquor

Sun - Wed
11-close
$2 Coors bottles
$2 Coors Light bottles
$3 Lions Head Pilsner drafts

An Italian Gem in Harlem!?!? YES!

Covo Ristorante- 701 W135th St & 12th Avenue

COVO RISTORANTE

I want to start of by saying that I'm an asshole when it comes to my sense of direction.  I put my so much trust in the Google Maps app on my iPhone (which is usually right) and even more trust in my abilities to follow those directions.  I say this so that you don't end up standing in front of the Hudson River being pimp smacked by torrential rains without an umbrella for defense :-/

I was like B.O. only without the Umbrella

THE SET-UP

I set up a double date with my girl and a co-worker of hers after my boys put me on to the spot following a 2-hour basketball run.  Since I was ill-dressed the first time (a sweaty cut-off T and shorts was not pimpin), I decided to come back and do it right.

Remember the first paragraph about the Husdon River, monsoons, and no umbrella? Yes, that WAS me.  Cold and wet, I stepped into the restaurant on a Sunday evening only to be received by the compassionate eyes of a hostess and a laughing girlfriend.  I kept thinking to myself that scenes like this only happen in movies. A failed attempt to blow-dry my shirt with a bathroom hand dryer thwarted any chances of a Clark Kent-esque transformation.  Again, scenes like that only happen in movies (Side note: the movie industry is completely irresponsible for its depiction of the laws of science) Nevertheless, my friends still welcomed me with open arms :)

THE FOOD

The pasta is made fresh and the sauces are very flavorful.  The first time I was there I had the linguini nere,  A DISH OF homemade black linguine w/crab meat and spicy tomato sauce.  Since I'm greedy, I added shrimp.  The second time I indulged in the pasta bolognese.  The pasta was just as fresh, the sauce was neither too thin or too thick, and there were appropriate clumps of beef within the bolognese sauce.

Seafood there is fresh; the texture of the shrimp was succulent with a slight crunchy feel. 

They have nice thin crust pizza pies that are appropriate sizes for one hungry person.  I got a bite of the margherita pizza, which was a solid pick.

Booze is cheap there: you can get a bottle for about 35 bucks.  The four of us got two.

The desserts are AMAZING! I had a nice a aforgato dish, which consisted of 2 scoops of vanilla gelato smothered in a kiddie pool of espresso.  I got two orders. 

All-in-all,  Covo Restaurant is a fantastic experience in the fine art of Italian cooking.  Don't go in there expecting Il Mulino, but go in there expecting to be pleasantly surprised by this restaurant under the El train.

Pier-i A Getaway from the City

After hanging out The Central Park Boathouse (the ill cake-mode spot, fellas), I rolled over with my girl to my getaway spot on the Upper West Side.  The spot is called Pier-I  located on 70th street and the West End.  Sandwiched in between the Trump Towers residential skyline and the Hudson River, this place is a striking juxtaposition of the epitome of capitalism and  the edge of tranquility.  You can cop a bucket of coronas and some eats and watch the sun set over Jersey.

The spot is great.  I got a Corona and some fries and we pregamed for dinner for about an hour.  Despite being near the Trump towers, the scene is far from pretentious. You'll find runners and bike riders  who stop to relax, grad students looking for a tranquil place to study, and people who just want to get away from the commotion of the city.  

A Brunch Traveshammockery - El Arte Cafe

Labor Day came and went but not before I planned a great "framework" (I'm not much of a planner) of a day for my girlfriend.  You see, a man can never lose with chivalry, and keeping things interesting within a relationship is at the cornerstone of success.  Naturally, the day was full of our favorite pastime.. EATING!

We began our Monday in the mood for a wonderful brunch spot, and we decided to check out Arte Cafe Trattoria on 73rd between Columbus Avenue.  The website was extremely intriguing (Arte Cafe Trattoria) and we were all set for our palettes to be blown away.  However, what ensued was a harsh reminder that one should not be fooled by talented media.

I knew I had heard of the place before when my girl suggested it, and it hit me like a ton of bricks when I laid eyes on the place:  I had eaten there almost 3 years ago with my best friend Danielle and our moms (Side note:  We also fought this car for a parking spot.  A car refused to let us reverse and we refused to let the varmint drive in. A scene right out of Seinfeld!)

The place is reasonably priced for brunch with most entrees in the $12-$16 range.  Furthermore, an additional $14 entitles you to all the mimosas, screwdrivers, and bellinis you can drink. A great option upon which we chose to pass.

Since great minds think alike, we both ordered 3 eggs scrambled with cheddar cheese.  She got the sausage and I opted for that delicious swine (forget what y'all think.  That swine is divine!).  Since we were up late last night, coffee was in order.

Long story short, they showed disregard for our order (except for the coffee, which was a boldly roasted and pleasant surprise).  The food showed up completely devoid of any semblance of warmth; it seemed as if our waiter waited for all of the table orders to  be prepared before bringing any of them out.  They also forgot the cheddar!  When the waiter returned with our "corrected order", we bit into our food only to discover American cheese.   At this time, we were officially through with the whole establishment.  

After we were served, not once did any of the waiters or bus boys check to see how we were doing, while those who had ordered the unlimited alcohol were waited on hand and foot. Bottom line, our experience was terrible and they got a nice $0 and 0 cents tip with a paragraph explanation on service.


Moral of the Story -> Don't be fooled by fancy smancy websites.  Think about it: Google and Facebook designs are terribly simple and effective.  If you see all types of high tek bells and whistles chances are that you might be in for a traveshammockery.