Cocktail of the Week

Okay, so originally we thought we'd do a 'Wine of the Week' Feature. But, why oh why would we discriminate against all of the other fabulous libations there are in this world? So, in this grain, here is our featured Cocktail of the Week. We've been dutifully sampling Elderflower Liqueur whenever we get a chance, so it's safe to say we know what we're talking about... At any rate, indulging in this treat is a great way to start your weekend off on the right foot!

Elderflower White Cosmo

2 ounces vodka

1 ounce St.-Germain elderflower liqueur

½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice

1 ounce white cranberry juice

Shake Ingredients and Strain Into a Chilled Martini Glass

Note: Elderflower liqueur can be sort of difficult to find and pricey when you do!

So, if you want to substitute Triple Sec or Cointreau that's cool too, it will still be tasty. As for garnish, you could do a raspberry or maybe a few pomegranate seeds. Or, if you want to be super schwanky you could freeze some real elderflower blossoms in ice and float one in the drink!

And PSST! to all of you brides... this makes a fabulous specialty cocktail for your big day. It's a classic clear martini (super chic) and is a bit more original than the usual champagne!

Restaurant Week...

Well, it's that time of year again... Restaurant Week in NYC!

For those of you who may not be familiar with this fantastic event, here is a quick breakdown. Twice a year (once in July and once in January) some of New York's most fabulous restaurants give their patrons a treat and offer three course pre-fixe lunch and dinner menus for $24 and $35 respectively. The menus usually consist of a few options for each course - appetizer, main, and dessert. It's a great opportunity to visit those restaurants which you otherwise might never try (mostly because on a regular day, you can barely afford to walk in the door)!

Amongst our copious reservations were a dinner slot at Brasserie 8 and 1/2 and a lunch reservation at Mercer Kitchen. Both were very memorable, albeit for very different reasons. If you haven't been to Brasserie 8 and 1/2, let's just say you're not missing much. The cavernous basement space is far too large to really pull off what we think was an attempt at an intimate French style cafe. Everything about it just seemed a bit lackluster - from the enormous booths, the too-big tablecloths, the ugly artwork, our constantly empty water glasses, to the service staff that all seemed completely unhappy to be working there. There was a bright spot though - a 'crispy hen's egg' that accompanied a piece of roasted suckling pig. This egg was so intriguing we had to ask to see the chef to figure out how he made it!

I'm sure we'll be stealing that idea... stay tuned.

While we indeed mired in our culinary disappointment overnight, our lunch the next day more than made up for it! Ah, Mercer Kitchen. Another basement space, but this one so captivating that the food could have been dismal and we probably would have enjoyed our experience anyway. With a unique palette of greys, blacks, and soft lavender, the designers made excellent use of a probably less than desirable spot! The natural light coming in from the sidewalk grates overhead only make your lunch more special, and the extremely attentive waitstaff pulled it off without a hitch! And the food was absolutely lovely to boot. We tried a few things, most notably the chestnut and celery root soup and the Niman Ranch sliders, both of which paired nicely with the lemonade with vodka and thyme. All in all, it was a perfect lunch, and a great way to end our trip to 'the greatest city in the world'!

So, if you're up for a trip to the big apple, we recommend scheduling it during one of the two Restaurant Weeks. We made our reservations on Open Table - it's super easy and you earn points towards gift certificates just for eating out!

Style Us Pretty!

We are so very excited to announce that we have been asked to join the very prestigious Style Me Pretty's Little Black Book of the Best Wedding Vendors! This is truly an honor, as Abby Larson (the site's founder) takes caution to actually hand-select each and every vendor on their list. If you haven't seen the website, please take some time to peruse. There are a bevy of talented vendors - photographers, event planners, and florists - many of whom we've had the pleasure of working closely with! While it is certainly geared towards the blushing bride, there are plenty of interesting tidbits on style in general. We love the site and couldn't be happier!

Wine of the Week

This past weekend was the Mohegan Sun Wine Fest. A few of us made the trek in the freezing cold, and boy was it worth it! The room was packed with different wine vendors - from large distributors to independent wineries. We saw a lot of wines we already know and love {some a little too much!}, but there were a few that were new to us - did you know that Ed Hardy {skull and diamond encrusted $80 t-shirt extraordinaire} is now producing a line of wines? We tried a few and they're pretty terrible, but what a novel idea for such a global brand.

Anyway, the star of our show was definitely the 2004 Cycles Gladiator Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon. This is actually a blended wine, with 15% Merlot and 85% Cabernet. It is very smooth and easy to drink - a great cocktail wine. And the label is gorgeous {we definitely don't subscribe to that old adage 'don't judge a book (or wine!) by it's cover}. The best part, however, would have to be the very recession-friendly retail cost of just about $10 a bottle. Check it out at your local purveyor's and let us know what you think!

Welcome to 2009!

Ah, a new year has arrived. We don't know about you, but we are on that ubiquitous DIET!

Everyone here at GG is slimming down and shaping up for the new year. And how you might ask? In addition to all the yoga, swimming, and running one can do, we're changing our (sometimes bad) eating habits as well! Here is a great recipe to inspire you - a very yummy, low calorie, low fat dinner that's just about easy as pie (mmm, pie.)

Seared Chili Rubbed Salmon over Refried Black Beans with Mango Salsa
Dust 6 oz of salmon with your favorite cajun spice (preferably one without sugar!) Sear it in the pan until it is just done... about 12 minutes or so. Meanwhile, saute a clove of garlic in a tsp of olive oil (no, we don't say EVOO, ala Ms. Ray) and add one can of organic black beans. Mash with a wooden spoon until it reaches desired texture (we like ours nice and lumpy). For the mango salsa, simply chop up a mango and add some finely diced red pepper, a bit of grated garlic, red onion, tomato if you want, cucumber, maybe some jalapeno if you're feeling spicy.
Dress with lime juice and olive oil, and a few leaves of cilantro, salt and pepper to taste.

Voila! Healthy, easy dinner. Enjoy!