Joseph Leonard

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Is it just me or do most brunch spots in Manhattan taste the same and remain relatively unimpressive? Eggs Benedict or French toast are basically the same anywhere you go, whether you're paying $10 or $20. But let's talk more about a little spot I tried this morning because a solid brunch spot is tough to find in the city or even worth the effort to blog about. Although I did not actually try their eggs benedict, I'm sure it's comparable to most places. But everything else I tried was tasty and creative. This little gem is located in the West Village on Waverly street.

Food

Let's begin by talking about their famous bloody caesar with an oyster and a brussels sprout wrapped in bacon. What an imaginative recipe. The oyster is an excellent way to start the day and get your sex drive going. It's fresh and delicious. I love brussels sprout and I love bacon, and together they are the perfect combination of healthy and a mild heart attack. Who would've thought to pair these two with the classic Caesar? It is well spiced at Joseph Leonard. The vodka is not the dominate player but rather a slight modifier that enhances the spices.

The fried chicken sandwich is one of their signature dishes. The chicken is tender and crunchy with a glaze of light honey. By default, it comes with chips, but I recommend substituting for brussels sprout with Siracha sauce—it is delicious, and a good balance.

Lastly, my favorite dish was the dessert, the monkey cake. It was literally an entire cake. Order it after you finish eating your entrees because they serve it fresh. It may look a bit intimidating at first, but I assure you, it is not OVERLY sweet. Thank god. The only part that's sweet is the coated white chocolate sauce, but the inside is left untouched, so you can control the sweetness level. The fresh strawberries and toasted almonds are an excellent complement to the cake. I highly recommend it.

Ambiance

The restaurant is very small and has a classic west village hipster ambiance. Before going, I always thought it was a very high-end brunch spot, but it's actually very chill and casual. The crowd is full of locals, yuppies, and chic grungy socialites. A spot that caters to foodies across the social spectrum.

Price

Joseph Leonard is comparable to any other brunch spot in the city. Roughly $14-$20 for an entree. Sides range between $4-$8. Drinks vary, but the bloody caesar is $16. It is on par with most places (by most places I mean good places of this caliber). I would expect to spend about $30-$40 (after tax & tip) per person depending on how hungry you are. But $40 is plenty, if not excessive.

Wait

When isn't there a wait in NYC? If it's any good, there's a line. Luckily this place is not yet overly commercialized on yelp or other mainstream media sites. The wait is reasonable for New York, about 45 minutes to an hour during peak times. I recommend going an hour before your desired eating time. There's plenty to do around the area. They will call you when your table is ready. So no need to stick around.

Overall, I think this is a great brunch spot that justifies its prices with solid food that is slightly differentiated from hot brunch spots. The charm of this location gives it the authentic West Village feel. One of my go to spots with really great food.

 

NYFW SS 15

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A good childhood friend of mine, Jaclyn Ling, invited me to various fashion week events. She is also the co-founder and CEO of Blynk, a fashion app that recommends outfits based on various images from bloggers and street style. It's essentially tinder for fashion where you swipe right if you like the outfit and left if you don't. After 10-20 outfits they provide a few recommendations. 


I had the privilege of attending Karolyn Pho's runway show with front row seats on Tuesday, an up and coming designer with an edge of experimental simplicity. I loved the bare space and the underground grunge chic house music. The minimalist sparkle with the light colors made me look forward to spring. Some of the models seemed to be struggling in the size too small croc like shoes. Overall, the performance was great and a few pieces were outstanding and unique.

Later that evening we attended Interview Magazine's after party at the Hills NYC. It was once Don Hill that closed down in 2011. They are reopening soon as the Hills. The venue ambiance is that classic 1970s grungy NYC feel with graffiti on the wall and high-end house music playing. Smoking is permitted. This is the nest of tall skinny models and leather jacket wearing socialites. This is my scene. A few notable guests included: Pamela Anderson, Heather Thomson from the Real Housewives of New York, and Kendall Jenner.

Santorini

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A few snippets from my recent trip to Santorini. One of the most beauitful places I have ever been. Food was surprisingly amazing and every meal had a spectacular view. Not a single meal was dissapointing. Everything was just so fresh and high quality. Although the vast majority of our meals were in Imerovigli. I'd say that we used TripAdvisor signs as a point of measure. I also recommend staying in Imerovigli as opposed to Oia, because everyone stays in Oia and it's more touristic and crowded. Imerovigli is much more intimate and equally scenic if not more. You can always take the bus to Oia which takes about 15-20 min or hitch hike. The buses in Santorini are also not crappy buses you'd find in America, but it's actually more of tour buses.

Food:

1) Pirouni - A great lunch spot, spectacular service and wonderful view.

2) Kapari - I recommend making a reservation in advance and dining here to watch the sunset, it was absolutely stunning. The food was beautifully presented and of a creative Greek style with a mix of modern and traditional. The service was fantastic. 

3) Sunset Taverna - This restaurant is located in Ammoudi Bay, I recommend making a reservation to watch the sunset right by the water far in advance. It's a lot pricier but the view is fantastic and the seafood was very fresh.

Activities:

1) Book a half day semi-private or private boat cruise

2) Climb on top of the volcano

3) Visit Thira, Firastefani, Imerovigli and Oia

4) Santos Winery

5) Red beach, white beach

6) Swim in the hot spring - BEWARE - do not wear a light colored swimsuit as it will STAIN.

7) Get a fish pedicure! - Though there are some discrepancies about its sanitation but do your own research before deciding.

Jeff Koons

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Jeff Koons: A Retrospective at the Whitney Museum

June 27, 2014 - Oct 19, 2014

Now at Centre Pompidou in Paris from November 26, 2014 to April 27, 2015

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Currently at the Whitney Museum of American Arts, situated in the upper east side on 75th and Madison from June 27th to October 19th 2014. Jeff Koons is the first artist to occupy the most space at the Whitney. Five floors are dedicated to his works throughout the years.

One of the best exhibits I have seen and a personal favorite. I was not too familiar with his works prior to the exhibit, aside from the famous balloon dog. His sculptures and exhibits are clean cut and well portrayed. His huge emphasis on precision and detail are shown in his works. I like his take on readymades and found objects, especially his "infatables" and "the new series" series, he was able to take such ordinary day-to-day objects and rebrand them into something nostalgic, beautiful and add value. His "luxury and degradation" series was also very impressive, he again utilizes the found objects and turns them into something extraordinary, a simple stainless steal coating changed the perception of these objects entirely. They became desirable and anything but ordinary. He almost takes a backwards approach of the original surrealist concept of a found object, in that, the mysterious object in its original found state is the marvel, but once you figure out its purpose, it no longer is extraordinary. But Jeff Koons takes the ordinary found object and turns it into something extraordinary.

What I really enjoyed about his work is the cleanness and professionalism. Most modern art these days in my opinion are overly cynical about the present and loses the traditional emphasis of a beautiful work of art, but Jeff Koons is able to incorporate his social commentaries in an aesthetically pleasing manner.