Eat-a-Sode 4: Fashion Friday Night

Spontaneity (along with variety) is the spice of life! Some of our best 2+2 moments have been completely unplanned, impromptu outings.... as was this particular Friday at Fashion's Night Out (FNO)! A few days prior we learned that Anthony Bourdain, among other chefs and restaurateurs were going to be at the Andaz Hotel in NYC, one of the hundreds of FNO events. How did we not know about this earlier? Next, we found out about a tasting event at Bloomingdale's that same evening. 2+2 began emailing each other about FNO events as we found them....one sounding better than the next. We hadn't made any specific plans for the weekend, but we felt we couldn't say no to all these fabulous happenings going on around New York City.

One of the best things about New York is being able to find free cocktails on almost any given evening....but for one night a year, you can find free cocktails and snacks at almost any retail store in any neighborhood! Sign us up! We had no agenda, but we knew we had to check it out! 

After some emailing back and forth about some particular MUSTs, we decided to meet around 59th Street and 5th Avenue. The traffic from the 59th Street Bridge to 5th Avenue was absolutely horrendous. The streets were overflowing with cars and people. To save time (and our sanity), we decided to just park in a garage, with our 15-minute wait-time limit to find parking. K+M arrived first and parked close to where we were planning to meet A+L (which later turned out to cost an arm and a leg). Then, we made our way to DKNY on 60th and Madison, as we waited for our +2.

We joined A+L shortly after, only a few blocks south at Gucci, where they had ventured into after finding a stellar parking spot close by. A+L always have the best parking karma! We had a short pow-wow about what other places we wanted to check out with our limited time. As we joined the throngs of people in the streets, we made our way around 5th Avenue...witnessing some truly interesting characters everywhere. Some stores were certainly more alluring than others. After stopping in several stores, we realized we had our fill of drinks, but hadn't really eaten at all. Once we knew our chances of getting into Bergdorf Goodman were hopeless, we figured we should start brainstorming some options for dinner.

We decided on the spur of the moment, to check out the nearby Accademia di Vino, a restaurant, wine bar, and enoteca on the Upper East Side. Everyone has passed this place on their way to or from the 59th Bridge.... and it was only a matter of time before it became a 2+2 dinner spot. We entered this Wine Mecca, and were seated immediately in the wine cellar-like dining area. We couldn't help but order a bottle of Tuscan wine, as well as a meat and cheese plate to get us started. After all, we were hungry after the previous hours of making our way through the crowds, browsing items we had no intention of purchasing (at least tonight!), and sipping on drinks. We shared yet another delicious dinner, and of course, dessert that was slathered with nutella. Some things, while unplanned, are always constant!

Activity- 2+2

Fashion's Night Out

5th Avenue and Madison Avenue at 57th Street OR Meatpacking District OR Soho

www.fashionsnightout.com

Hors d'oeuvres/ Champagne/ NYC (and Worldwide!)

Fashion's Night Out (FNO) has really taken off! In its second annual installment, FNO has gone from NYC only... to Worldwide. On September 9th, simultaneous events were going on everywhere... cities included Washington DC, Las Vegas, Paris, Berlin and Sydney, among many others. The brainchild of a Vogue editor has become a worldwide phenomenon.

The premise... keep stores open late, have events, free giveaways and celebrities and people will naturally come to shop! Well there where thousands of people, but NO ONE was shopping. Everyone came for the glitzy, glam and free champagne. There were so many people that you could hardly get close to the merchandise. This is a social event through and through... and a good one at that.

Three major parts of the city participated... uptown on 5th Avenue, the Meatpacking District and Soho. We figured uptown is the place to be and spent our time in the upper 50s. The streets were packed with people... they weren't officially closed, but no one cared and walked in them anyway. Strutting up 5th, you could stop in anywhere to get a taste of the action. Music was blaring from every store and everyone was dressed to the nines. 

Louis Vuitton had a hundred "dancers" dressed in tailor-type outfits, passing Louie bags throughthe front window displays, across the store and up the staircase. Tiffany's had models dressed like Audrey Hepburn taking pictures with patrons, and offered up a sweet tea concoction. DKNY had a great DJ and delicious Ginger Cocktails. Donna Karan was set to make an appearance as well! Henri Bendel was the liveliest with a great DJ, free glasses of Sky Vodka and hair and make up demos. 

But out of them all, Bergdorf's was the place to be. Hundreds sat on line out front, while watching various spectacles take place in the window displays... think midget/ dragqueen song and dance routines. Inside, events took place on every level of the store. Celebrity appearances by Sarah Jessica Parker and Victoria Beckham, fashion shows and live performances by the likes of Mary J Blige. Other department stores like Sak's and Barney's had similar line ups. You could take your pick from singing in a Karaoke competition hosted by the Olsens, playing air hockey with fashion designers or shopping... but who came to do that! 

Can't imagine what this event will be like next September. It will only be more crowded and more fabulous! Next year, an early arrival should help with the lines and yield plentiful glasses of champagne and more tasty bites.

A: Boy did I feel silly when I was talking to the saleswoman at Chanel and had no idea what Fashion's Night Out was! It turned out to be quite an event... lots of flashing lights and champagne... it was so New York!

K: I had been getting emails for weeks about FNO from various stores and event groups that I receive daily or weekly newsletters. I hadn't really read the details about FNO until days prior to the event. It sounded like a blast! Free cocktails and passed hors d'oeuvres at some of NYC's best store? Yes! It was slightly overwhelming...so many venues and so little time. The crowds in the streets were larger than I've seen (outside of Times Sq). DKNY was definitely my favorite spot by far....great music, cocktails, and energy throughout the store!

L: I don’t love or hate fashion, but throw in some free drinks and food and I lean more towards the love side. The whole experience was kind of like shopping Christmas Eve except that no one was really buying anything. Just being in the area meant being part of the scene.

M: I don't normally like shopping and going to any of these places, but having drinks and Djs in the shops should be the norm. Made the whole experience a lot better, DKNY had the best drinks and Dj that night. I even picked up a pair of glasses from there store. I guess the marketing worked. Next time need to head in earlier to get into more places and get more free drinks.

Our Ratings...

• The Scene- True New York Fashion, Swanky, See and Be Seen 
• Food/Drinks- 2: Edible- Freebies were advertised, but we didn't see much. 
• Coordinates- 5: Block- Fun is right next door. You couldn't be more 'in the middle of the action'! 
• Return Rate- Green light... but next time arrive earlier... no one wants to wait on line. 

Dinner- 2+2

Accademia di Vino- Restaurant, Wine Bar, Enoteca

1081 3rd Avenue at 64th Street, NYC

(212) 888-6333

www.accademiadivino.com

Italian/ Wine/ Manhattan

In the mood for a couple glasses of wine? Maybe you have not eaten all day and need a full meal? Accademia di Vino has it all. Walk in, make a left and sit down at the wine bar and choose froman endless wine menu. We were hungry, so we headed straight downstairs to the wine cellar and dining room. After trying to read through all the choices of wines, we finally decided to start with some Tuscan wine and the meat and cheese plate. The main course selections consists of simple and traditional Italian dishes. Everyone agreed that the meals were fine but the highlight of the meal had to be the meat and cheese plates that paired so well with the wine. To end this simple meal in true Italian style, order some glasses of Limoncello and espressos. CIN CIN!

What we ate...

Drinks

• Rosso di Montalcino, La Fortuna Zeta, Toscana 2005 (2+2) 
• Limoncello (A + K) 

Appetizers

• Salumi Board- pick 3- Soppressata, Prosciutto di Parma, Bresaola (2+2) 
• Formaggi Board- pick 5- Taleggio, Pecorino Foglia di Noce, Coach Farm Triple Creme Goat, Parmigiano Reggiano, Robiola (2+2) 

Entrees

• Chicken Milanese (A) 
• Mussels, Manila Clams, Chilies (K) 
• Bavette Cacio e Pepe, Virgin Olive Oil, Cracked Black Pepper, Pecorino Romano (L) 
• Spaghetti Pomodoro e Basilico (M) 

Dessert

• Pizza alla Nutella with vanilla gelato (2+2) 

A: I've passed this place hundreds of times as I get off of the bridge and always thought it looks so charming. The food was tasty and had good ambiance... lots of good snacking to be had here.

K: This was my third timing dining at Accademia di Vino. The food and wine are always consistently great! The mussels here are among the best I've had in NYC...and what sets them apart from the rest are the chili peppers; what a great addition to a plate of mussels. This place has a great ambiance... you really feel like you are dining in a wine cellar!

L: It was the best Cacio e Pepe I have ever had even if it was the first time I have ever eaten it. Thick, cheesy and the perfect amount of olive oil. I even sopped up the sauce at the bottom of the bowl with the bread on the table. On a side note, I would like to come back here to sit upstairs at the bar. It looked relaxing in there.

M: The Cheese plate, the meats and Spaghetti was good, wine was even better, everything was going great and I couldn't wait for the Nutella Pizza, and then... a little bit of a let down. Burnt Pizza bread... Not good. Go with something else next time. But the coffee saved it! No sugar needed, that’s always a plus.

Our Ratings...

• The Scene- Large in size, but intimate in feel. 
• Food/Drinks- 3: Pleasantly surprised 
• Tip Worthy- 3: Gratuity included 
• Coordinates- 3: 10 minute ride to fun 
• Restaurant Return Rate- Yellow: If we are in the area 
• Price per person- $30.00