FINALLY! *A Bathing Ape Releases Something Worth Buying!

Besides a few (a few meaning 2) tees, Bape hasn't released anything this season that says "wow I need this now". Well, they still haven't but they're getting closer. *A Bathing Ape just released their Bape STA "Lame" Collection. This release consists of 4 Bape STAs, each in their own colorway. Bape released a red, blue, white and brown colorway. But the best part...they brought back patent leather Bape STAs!!! You can get them now at any Bape store for $208 but be quick, they're already sold out in all sizes on Bape's online store.
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Pastis & Balthazar

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This weekend was a food lover's paradise for me. It consisted of: On Saturday, Pastis for brunch (after being turned down by Merkato 55, but I did have to make a reservation at Pastis just for a back up), then Buddakan for dinner (in the main dinning room!). Then the next day, while nothing interesting for lunch, I did venture off to Balthazar for dinner. First I'll start with Pastis. Pastis is your always packed casual-elegant French restaurant. Reservations are 100% necessary as if you walk in the wait time can easily exceed 45 minutes. But, once sat in this small yet Meatpacking District chic French restaurant, there are no gimmicks...just great food. Once seated you will notice you have two menus, one on your table, and one written on the mirrors. I told my server I was allergic to peanuts and all nuts, and the was knowledgeable enough to tell me right then and there, that Pastis uses peanut oil to fry their fries. So that eliminates Steak Frites. So instead, I had the Eggs Benedict, and for a person who dislikes eggs, they were very good. The portions are big and worth the price, which is actually moderate for the Meatpacking District ($17 for Eggs Benedict). To drink, I had this beverage called citron press, which is a shot of pure lemon juice, water, and sugar. You basically make your own lemonade, which I thought was a pretty good idea. I didn't have desert, but I'm actually regretting not ordering the crepes (only $8). All and all Pastis is a great spot for brunch and I'd definitely return in the future. Final bill for a brunch for one: $23 w/tax.
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Balthazar (located in SoHo), is Pastis' sister restaurant. Balthazar is the less crowded, more typical French restaurant. This place is much bigger than Pastis which could be why it doesn't seem as packed as Pastis. The ideas are basically the same however, cook good food in a chic environment and don't make it too overpriced so we don't have to rival Le Cirque. The main difference is Balthazar's clientele seemed a bit older than Pastis' young Meatpacking District crowd, but never the less its still a great place to go with friends for a good dinner. Balthazar also cooks with peanut oil, but they are very attentive and alert in altering your meals and making sure that your food doesn't have any allergens. Just putting this out there, Balthazar's bread is not anything special, just so you don't get disappointed when the bread isn't spectacular...because it just isn't and Pastis hypes it up WAY too much for what it is. Now on to the real food. For an appetizer I had the Seafood Ceviche, which was basically a chilled seafood salad. A bit peppery, but the seafood (lobster, shrimp and squid) was very tasty and fresh. For an entree I had the Duck Confit. The portion was generous and the confit was very moist and tasty. The potato chips (fried in the duck's fat instead of peanut oil), complemented the dish very well. Desert, well, wasn't possible as everything had some form of nut in it, but I did enjoy my cafe au lait. Balthazar is worth a visit, but isn't the best place to take your friends on a Saturday night if you're under 30. Final bill for dinner for 2: $126 w/tax.
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And as for Buddakan, I've been there in the past (and have also posted a review on this blog if you care to check it out) and I'm in love with this place...and want my room to resemble their main dinning room. Everything last night was phenomenal. The food, atmosphere, crowd, and service was spectacular! And I finally got to sit at the giant communal table that seats over 30 people! Final Bill for dinner for a party of 2: $202 inc. tax (4 appetizers, 2 entrees and 2 deserts).
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Top 5 Hardest Restaurants to Get Reservations To

Okay, this list isn't counting restaurants of a very high caliber such as Per Se, Daniel or Jean-George, but this is a list of restaurants that recently have been impossible to book a reservation to.

#5: Buddakan: Even for a party of 2, Buddakan usually doesn't have any space in their restaurant big enough to seat 200+ people before 6:45 PM, or after 11:00 PM. Call at least 2-3 weeks in advance for a reservation.

#4: Balthazar: At least Buddakan has space for 2 at 6:45 PM, If you call Balthazar on a Monday for that Saturday (and sometimes Pastis, but Pastis isn't nearly as problematic to get a reservation to) even for a party of 2, they only have space no earlier than 11 PM. Anyone up for a late dinner? But the great part, Balthazar's restaurant number and their reservation line are two different numbers! Balthazar's reservation line is 1-212-965-1414 (be ready to wait at least 5 minutes to speak to a reservationist). Call a minimum of 2 weeks in advance.


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#3: The Stanton Social: I've been looking into the Stanton Social for a while, and they seem to only have 5:45 PM and earlier if you call 2 weeks in advance (this is for a party of 4) and if you call 3 weeks in advance, they only have 7:00 PM or earlier for a party of 4. Good luck! Call a month ahead minimum for anything later than 7:15 PM!

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#2: Bagatelle: I called Bagatelle for a reservation for 2 on a Monday for that Saturday and they were completely booked! Opentable.com never has any open reservations for any time slots, no matter the party size. And their brunch parties don't accept reservations! Honestly, walking in is your best bet. Call a minimum of a month in advance.

#1: Merkato 55: Merkato 55 wins hands down. Number one, their dinner hours are awful. The kitchen opens at 9 PM only on Wednsdays, Fridays and Saturdays. If you call Merkato, pray the lines aren't busy, or hope they're working. But the worst is yet to come. In order to make a reservation for the famous Merkato 55 Day & Night Brunch, you can't make it through the phone. You need to email the reservationist (reservations@merkato55nyc.com) and hope they email you back. Here's the kicker, they only look at their emails from 12:30 PM-3:00 PM and their brunches get filled up at least 2 weeks before they occur so you need to make your reservation at least 3 weeks to a month in advance. Oh, in order to walk-in to the brunch, you need to get past the doorman at the front of Merkato. But from what I've seen, the hastle is completley worth it, for brunch at least.

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On the other hand, these restaurants are actually pretty simple to get a reservation to:

#3. STK: To get a table for 9 at 7:15 or 8:00 on a Saturday by calling just 5 days before, something's got to be up...maybe its the recession...but Tenjune is doing just fine next door.

#2: Tao: Party of 6 on a Saturday at 7:30, isn't too difficult to get...even by calling the week before.

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#1: Buddha Bar: No matter the party size or the time, Buddha Bar will have the reservation...I almost guarantee that.

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Jordan I "Hare" Release

Jordan is said to drop a new pair of 1s on April 11th. They are the Jordan I "Hare"s. These "Hares" make us of the Air Jordan Bunny logo and throw a simple colorway onto these dunk looking Jordans. They are going to be sold for $110 at local Jordan dealers. Personally, the Raging Bull Jordan Vs are a better buy, but if you like the 1s, these aren't too bad as well and are better than anything Nike SB has released lately!
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Ice Cream Gets Real Original

If you've checked out Ice Cream's Online Store lately, you may have noticed some new releases. A hideous BBC tee, and a familiar looking Ice Cream tee. The Double Circular Cone Tee has been released before! It was released season 6 in the same colorways, just with different tags! I'm fully aware that BBC reuses some designs, but this takes it to a new level. This basically takes an old tee and changes nothing but the tags. This shows how promising season 8 is! Oh, and sorry about the picture looking like nothing on the background!
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Shake Shack

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Yesterday while in Union Square, I decided to deviate from my usual plan of lunch at Wildwood BBQ, and chose to venture off to the Shake Shack. I tried to go last saturday, but the line was at least a 45 minute wait so I decided to go at a non-peak hour so the line wouldn't be as long. The Shake Shack is in a gorgeous location, right in the heart of Madison Square Park in Gramercy. The Shake Shack...its litterally a shack, don't expect Tao. But the burgers are one of the best in the city and are most deffinetly on par with those of the Burger Joint. While J.G. Melon has the best fries between the Burger Joint, and the Shake Shack, the Shake Shack's fries weren't too shabby. The best part, lunch cost me $8.75 (one burger, an order of fries, and a coke). Not too bad for an upscale burger. What really makes it though is the location, eating one of the best burgers in the city while gazing at the beauty of Madison Square Park, is just phenominal. The Shake Shack is a great place for lunch, it won't cost you an arm and a leg, and you'll eat well.

Halfsteak & Bagatelle

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On Saturday, I happened to be in the Meatpacking district and was in search of a place to have dinner. Now my first choice was Merkato 55, but they were still in Brunch Party mode when I went (around 5:45 PM) so I couldn't get a table. Pastis was packed and had a 30 minute wait for a table for one. Bagatelle had a line out the door as they also were in brunch party mode. Buddha Bar (who is undergoing a "secret" name change) was empty, except for about 10 tourists. STK was empty as well and I'd assume One would be as well. Son Cubano was a busy as well, but nothing like Merkato. So I decided to talk a 2 block walk down to Craftsteak and eat at the bar (now known as Halfsteak). Halfsteak is chef Tom Collichio's response to the recession. They serve dishes amounting to no more than $14.50 and they're basically have portions of what you'd normally get (hence HalfSteak). But the portions are beyond half...more like a quarter. I ordered the fluke as an appetizer, and while it was tasty, was no larger than a half dollar. The halfsteak, was a 6 oz NY strip with fries. While very good, it kept me wanting more...and left me hungry. In conclusion, HalfSteak is a great place if you're with friends and just want to order small dishes to share. If you're hungry and expect a full meal, head over to to the back of the restaurant, where Craftsteak serves full steaks...but also at full price!
After my halfdinner, I had sometime to kill and decided to go for coffee. Walking down Gansevoort, Merkato 55 was still blasting music and actually had a small fire. STK was still empty (but I'm sure it gets packed at around 7:30 I mean come on, its next to Tenjune). I walked into Pastis in hope to get a table for one. The host told me there was a 25 minute wait for a table for one. I left just after hearing that. Then I said to myself "hey, why not walk around the corner to Bagatelle". Now, Bagatelle must have just finished their Brunch Party as when I walked in it was empty and there was a shift change going on. But that was fine, I basically wanted just to sit, have a coffee and leave. The place is pretty and looks much nicer than in the pictures (the two Marilyn Monroe pictures they have hung up give the restaurant more of a hip vibe rather than a classical look). The staff is nice and attentive as well. Now, after being there for about 20 minutes, it went from empty to the bar looking something like this: "model, model, business man, model, me alone in the middle of all this, business man, and 2 "regulars" at Bagatelle"...and I'm completely down for that type of scene. I'd definitely go back, perhaps in a group so its not just me packed in the middle of everyone, but its definitely a place to visit if you're in the Meatpacking District...or can't get into Pastis. Oh, and for a $5 latte and $3 cup of coffee, Bagatelle's coffee surpassed Starbucks'.