Tuesdee Boozedee: PDT

I stole this picture from google image. 

Not to be confused with PYT, PDT is the next installment of our Tuesdee Boozedee secret bar tour! PDT stands for "Please Don't Tell," which is kind of funny considering it's probably the most well known "secret" bar in nyc... (reverse psychology, eh eh?)

You enter PDT through a phone booth (pictured above) in a dirty hot dog joint called Crif Dogs. You pick up the phone and if / when someone on the other side picks up, you let them know how many people are in your party and they'll give you a wait time. We went at 9 PM on a Tuesdee (naturally) and only had a 10 minute wait! Previously, I've gone there earlier on a weeknight and been given a 45 minute wait time... kind of ridiculous.  Though the waits can be annoying, the hostess is always gracious and will take down your number / call you if you decide to wait.

The reason why the waits pile up at PDT is because they make a point of NEVER packing the bar. There's no standing, only tables or bar seats. The atmosphere is extremely laid back and oh yeah, the COCKTAILS...

We ordered 3:
Victor's Secret - a strong concoction of whiskey, blood orange and... some other stuff that I can't recall.
Venus and Cupid - aromatic gin based cocktail with grapefruit, egg white and cardamom
The Shark - blue curacao, fruit juice, gin... some other deliciousness

The menu is extensive and changes by season. I normally never would have ordered the Shark but it turned out to be my favorite! The normally nasty color of blue curacao turned out a beautiful frothy teal... a little citrus slice and umbrella added just the right touch of playful kitsch to this drink.

One LAST detail about PDT... there are rules, including but not limited to the following: No PDA at PDT, No cell phones and no pictures. Just good ole' fashioned boozing.

Please Don't Tell

113 St. Marks Pl
(between 1st Ave & Avenue A)
New York, NY 10009

(212) 614-0386

www.pdtnyc.com

This'll make you dance!

Lykke Li's new album "Wounded Rhymes" was definitely a great purchase, but what I like even better is this video! Hope it makes you bop!

<3 C

Favorite Things: Part One

This ain't no Carrie Bradshaw necklace... compliments of the streets of Soho. If you don't live here, worry not. Just visit http://www.etsy.com/shop/MegsThreadsNYC.

Create your own (6 letters or less) with choice of gold or silver wire. As for what my necklace says: I know, I know...  I just had to. (Also, I apologize, as I am aware that this is my second potty-humor post...I'll give it a rest, I promise! : )
<3C

some places i've been

in the vein of the last post, i'd like to share with you some photos i've taken... they don't compare with the previous, of course, but let's indulge me for a minute! these are all places i enjoy... if we don't lose any followers after this, i'd like to share some photos of people i enjoy too.

1.

2.3.4.
5.
6.
7.

1,2: NYC
3: Berlin
4: Greenwich, England
5: Kyoto
6: Tokyo
7: Chicago

some wonderful images...

...i hope these help you get through the rest of the week!

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

1 from Of Another Fashion

2 by Kiyoshi Nakamura

3 by David Shrigley

4, 5, 6 by Toyokazu Nagano

xx

mukai

Boozedee at the Back Room + Free Music!

I CAN'T STOP LISTENING TO THIS SONG. Adele + Jamie xx + Childish Gambino AKA this fine specimen: 

Today's Boozedee Instructions: 

Download the above song HERE

Listen to it all day at work and get pumped up 

Go forth and Boozedee. 

Today's review of The Back Room continues the "secret" nyc bar theme... it actually took me so long to figure out what this bar was called and where it was, because every time I had gone there, it was in a post 4 AM haze and seemed like a fever dream where people serve overpriced tiny cocktails in teacups...  but alas! It's real!! 

Getting to the Back Room is the most fun part. Often times, you have to push aside one of those metal-gate-things to get into the alley... once in the alley, wander drunkenly to the back until you see a red toy truck. That's the sign! Climb up the steps and you'll find yourself at the entrance to the Back Room. 

This is a great place to take out-of-towners and new New Yorkers, but it's neither the kind of place I frequent nor the kind of place I'd go to on a special night. The cocktails here are standard, overpriced and tiny, but the teacups are cute. 

The Back Room 

102 Norfolk St. near Delancey

New York, NY 10002 

212-228-5098

A DANCE FOR JAPAN!

Hey all! I posted earlier about ways to help Japan ... here's an update: 

I'll be working the door / collecting donations at this awesome party... which just so happens to also be a fundraiser! Come dance to awesome DJs like Lauren Flax and grab prizes from Surface to Air, Mishka, Aveda and other awesome companies! If you're not in NYC, I'll be sure to post some pictures after the event, and don't forget to donate to Japan Society or Red Cross (text 90999 to REDCROSS). 

Whaddya say, can you make it?

xx 

mukai

To smell or not to smell...

Surprisingly this is NOT a joke. Subtle Butt is a pad that you put inside your underwear to mask stinky farts! I know what you're thinking:" I NEED these!" I have yet to try this new product but I will definitely be purchasing them for every birthday, bachelorette party and Christmas gift in the near future. It's hilarious and I have to admit, totally practical! Picture this: You give it to a friend as a gag gift and everyone gets a good laugh out of it. The best part of it all is that you KNOW that the receiver of said gift is one million percent going to (secretly) use it! Since most women (or men for that matter) may not want to be seen buying this product,  it can be purchased online. If anyone happens to try this product, please leave a comment! 

<3C

http://solutionsthatstick.com/stinky-smells-7/

Opening Tomorrow: Bye Bye Kitty!

Makoto Aida "Harakiri School Girls" (detail), 2002.

Opening tomorrow at the Japan Society: "Bye Bye Kitty! Between Heaven and Hell in Japanese Contemporary Art"-- an exhibit that rejects the "cute" image that tends to exist about japan. 

From the Japan Society website:

50% of all admission sales will go to Japan Society's Earthquake Relief Fund.

Curated by David Elliott, founding Director of the Mori Art Museum, Bye Bye Kitty!!! is a radical departure from recent Japanese exhibitions. Moving far beyond the stereotypes of kawaii and otaku culture, Japan Society’s show features sixteen emerging and mid-career artists whose paintings, objects, photographs, videos, and installations meld traditional styles with challenging visions of Japan’s troubled present and uncertain future. Each of the three sections, “Critical Memory,” “Threatened Nature,” and “Unquiet Dream,” not only offers a feast for the senses but also demolishes our preconceptions about contemporary Japan and its art.

Previews from Hyperallergic

Kumi Machida "Relation" (2006)

Kohei Nawa "PixCell Deer" (2011)

Japan Society

333 East 47th Street
NY 10017
(212) 832-1155

Tuesdee Boozedee: Angels' Share

I love a good secret bar, even though a good secret doesn't tend to stay secret very long. Angels' Share places at the top of my list of "secret" NYC bars, which is why I'm reviewing it first! If you haven't been there yet, it's a must visit, though I suggest going there on a weekday as there can be a wait.

Let's start with entry: on that strange triangle in the east village where 3rd ave, 9th st and stuyvesant converge, you'll see a sign over some stairs reading "Village Yokocho". Up the stairs you'll see a normal Japanese restaurant. To your left, an unmarked wooden door. Go ahead, saunter in! You'll find yourself in an incredibly well decorated bar (see pic above).

The staff at Angels' Share is attentive and professional, the bartenders talented and the drink menu (or should I say book?) extremely complex. Don't come here if you want a casual beer. I'm not usually a cocktail drinker, but trust me, the ones here are something to write home about (if you're writing home to classy drunks). We had 3 cocktails: an aromatic spiced apple, a bitter green tea cocktail and a creamy dessert drink. In my opinion, the green tea cocktail was the best choice.

Let me put it this way: I'd be impressed if someone took me here on a date! Here's a little tidbit so you can impress your next date: the term "Angels' Share" refers to the alcohol that is evaporated during distilling... guess those angels like to party too, huh?

Angels' Share (no website)

Village Yokocho
8 Stuyvesant St
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhood: East Village

(212) 777-5415

For All Your Hair Removal Needs...

Browhaus is the place to be! The staff was super friendly and immediately made me feel welcome. My hair-removal guru, Michelle came to meet me at the front lobby. She showed me to a sectioned off station with a big comfy chair where I received a consultation on my brows and what services would work best for me.  I chose the threading and tweezing, which I was told would be more precise and better for the skin. Prices are moderate, ($20 for threading brows- see website for more prices and menu) but first time customers have the option of buying a "4 sessions for the price of 3" deal. I was so happy with the results that I didn't even think twice about buying the package.

Michelle spent 30 minutes perfecting and grooming my brows. I felt like she was giving them a sassy hair do!! She threaded, then trimmed, then tweezed, then cross checked, measured, and cross checked some more! My brows were like "Oh, thanks girl!!"

http://www.browhaus.com/us/

Browhaus
56 Spring Street
New York, New York 10012

Smart Ways to Help Japan

Carina and I were both very affected by the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on Friday. We are both half Japanese and have family in Japan. If you've seen the harrowing footage, you know how important relief efforts are.

Japan relief has reached $12 million. In the crucial first 4 days, Haiti relief reached over $150 million, Katrina relief over $108 million.

This is why Carina and I are organizing a fundraiser in NYC, with profits going to the Red Cross Japan Relief. We will give you more information as it develops. Even if you can make it to our event, we urge you to help in other ways.

This simple yet heartbreaking poster was available on the Signalnoise store, with all profits going to Japan relief. It is now sold out, but the image is a haunting reminder of our responsibility.

This leather bracelet's red button also mimics the rising sun... It's simple, unisex, and only $20. All profits go to Red Cross Japan Relief. From Corter Leather.

Lady Gaga has already raised over $250,000 for Japan relief by selling these bracelets for $5 through her website.

Edit: More affordable art for Japan Relief (via Flavorwire)

Or do what I did and text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation via your phone bill.

Have any suggestions you'd like me to add? I'd love to hear them! Post them here or email anywednesdayblog@gmail.com

xx
mukai

I heart Nihon (^-^)/

Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone in Japan. <3

Sunday Mix

please enjoy this cute dog

A big thanks to everyone who made it out to "Drink for the Kids" last night! But just in case you didn't, here's a short mix with some tracks you may have heard last night.

1. Anything New - Bibio
2. Houdini - Foster the People
3. Greenleaf - Generationals
4. Do It Again - Holy Ghost!
5. The Look - Metronomy
6. Real Love - Mary J. Blige
7. DJ Go - Rye Rye
8. I Got a Man - Positive K
9. Swoon (Boys Noize Remix) - Chemical Brothers

DOWNLOAD!

xx
mukai

New Design + Weekend Event

I hope you're as infatuated with our new design as we are! We owe it to the super talented and all-around awesome Pete Sparrow. I'd also like to take this opportunity to plug a great event-- "DRINK FOR THE KIDS"! It's free to attend and all bar proceeds + tips go to Wigs for Kids and the Angel Hair Foundation. We'll both be there and one half of us (mukai) is DJing from 10-11pm. Any requests?!

Welcome to Tuesdee Boozedee!

Every Tuesdee, Mukai and I will feature a drink or a sweet bar that we go to. As of today, the weekly Tuesdee Boozedee tradition begins! No matter where you are, join us on this day and celebrate! Plus what better day than Fat Tuesday to start us off?

We were in BK and decided to stop into Camp for our weekly drink date. I was in the mood for something sweet, which is unusual. (My usual drink of choice is something I like to call "Orange-flavored Nail Polish Remover- Orange Stoli and soda: tangy, but definitely not sweet) I ordered a Dirty Girl Scout to satisfy my sweet tooth. Thanks to a generous pour and two gigantic marshmallows, this drink really hit the spot. We sat at a low table surrounded by camp fires in what appeared to be a massive tent while listening to the DJ spin a mix featuring Little Dragon, Prince and Biggie. I even got my drink on while playing one of my favorite games: Scrabble! I didn't get around to playing Big Buck Hunter or eating a S'more, but I will definitely be back for s'more camping fun! (Sorry, bad joke.)

Camp: 

179 Smith St
(between Warren St & Wyckoff St) Brooklyn, NY 11201

Current Obsession: TINY WINGS

If you have an iPhone and are a human being, you must have Tiny Wings. It's a simple yet highly entertaining game where you are a bird who wants to fly... but your wings are too tiny. You must use the hills and your tiny aerodynamics to navigate the beautiful cartoon landscape! Collect coins, fulfill goals, win rewards and advance from level to level.

Cost: $0.99
Recommended for fans of: Angry Birds, Doodle Jump, Fruit Ninja
Tip: Play your first round with the sound ON!! You'll thank me later.

How to get in shape without going broke

Before I start this review, let me tell you a little about my workout habits. I've never belonged to a gym. I get winded going up the stairs. I have nice yoga pants but I wear them to watch TV and eat chinese food (they're so stretchy!). BUT I'm actually trying to turn things around in a DIY, wallet friendly way.

STEP 1: I need sneakers!!

The Nike Free TR Fits cost $85, which I must admit, made me wince a little at first. (I could buy these for less than that!) But I decided to pony up after reading the great reviews. I even asked a friend of mine who is a personal trainer what he thought of these and guess what! He was wearing the mens' version. These babies are seriously versatile- good for all sorts of exercise, comfy and super lightweight. You'll feel as though you're not wearing shoes at all, without the unfortunate side effect of wearing those nasty toe shoes.

STEP 2: Apps, apps, apps

And no, I don't mean appetizers. I started out with two iPhone apps (available on iPod touch, too) that I've heard some buzz about.

Walk N Play

Cost: Free!
What it is: Smart pedometer-like app, tracks how many calories you burn from walking and compares with your friends / world average.
Pros:
Has different settings for where you keep your iPhone - handbag, jacket pocket, pants pocket, etc and can adjust readings accordingly.
Lets you set your own goals.
Fun competitive aspect.
Able to sync with Twitter... if you want to share that kind of thing...
Cons:
App must be running for it to track calories, so it doesn't work well for those like me, who often talk, text and email while walking.
Easy to forget to use.
Doesn't do much in the way of encouraging extra activity, mostly just lets you know how much you're already doing.
Rating:
5 out of 10.

Nike Training Club

Cost: Free!
What it is: This is really the complete package. A portable package of workouts that you can do anywhere for weight loss, toning, muscle building, etc.
Pros:
Text instructions AND videos on how to do every move.
Workouts come in different lengths and difficulty levels.
Exercises you can easily do at home, at the park, anywhere.
Lets you choose an album or playlist from your iPhone/iPod.
Records your progress and gives you rewards.
Cons:
I found even the beginner level cardio workout to be taxing.
The shortest workouts are 30 minutes... I couldn't make it through a whole one!
Having to hold the iPhone/Pod while working out is kind of awkward.
Rating:
9 out of 10

Step 3: Watch for deals!

I think we all know that the easiest (and most expensive) way to get in shape is by using a gym and going to classes. If you're like me and can't afford that kind of commitment, do what I do! Sign up for emails from Groupon, LivingSocial, BuyWithMe and LifeBookerLoot. All of these sites offer fantastic deals on gym trials (usually 1-2 months) and classes including yoga, pilates, kickboxing, krav maga, interval training and more.

Now that I've got my first 3 steps down, I'll be continuing on the quest to whip myself into shape the economical way! Have any tips for me or any apps you'd like me to review? Leave a comment here or email them to us at anywednesdayblog@gmail.com

Fabricly Launch

(photos from Fabricly.com. From top, Delicious Tacos served in VeeDubs!,The fashionable Binki Shapiro DJ'ing with her bf ***pronounced "beef"*** Fabrizio Moretti, and... Peeps.)



Described as a "Record Label" for designers, Faricly's aim in to bring up and coming designers straight to your doorstep with an easy to use online shopping website. They provide everything a designer needs (sample making, production, PR, etc) to get their current or new designs out there and available to the good shoppin' people like you all! Kind of genius, right? They are currently featuring MONO LAKE, designed by Molly Girard. Love the simplicity and easy to wear designs. (Brett Dress, Yes please!) The launch party, DJ'd by Binki Shapiro, (whose closet I'd die to have as my very own) was a blast. Tacos and Tequila (or my first ever Horchata and Vodka...) within walking distance to me (in Soho) was reason enough for me to celebrate.







http://www.fabricly.com/shop