To much anticipated fanfare, Nordstrom’s has finally come to Manhattan albeit a Nordstrom Rack. The store occupies 32,000 square feet once occupied by Virgin Records at Union Square.

If you are a bargain shopper, Nordstrom Rack is for you, especially if you are looking for designer duds at discounted prices.

Nordstrom Rack sells clothing, shoes and accessories at 50-60% off the original price and carries many of the same brands as the regular Nordstrom stores. There seemed to be a gazillion racks of shoes and handbags. The best part about shopping at Nordstrom Rack is that they offer on-site tailoring, quite a plus for a discount store.

If you are in the mood for some bargain shopping and have the patience, head to Nordstrom Rack.

1 Union Square South
Subway: 4, 5, 6, N, R, Q, W to 14th Street

Wined Up bar and restaurant, located in the Flatiron district offers a fun and cool place to stop in for a drink or have a casual meal.

You might think you are in the wrong place or at best on a questionable mission to parts unknown as you walk up the steep stairs, passing the entrance to Punch restaurant.  But as you push through the heavy, velvet Harry Potteresque curtains, you will ultimately end up at Wined Up.

The curtains open up into a beautifully decorated area where you will be seated at a marble bar located in the back of the restaurant. I have only been the bar during the week and think that while there was room at the bar or room to stand, on busy nights, it probably is crowded and will seem like a small space for drinks.

The dining room faces the front as you would expect, is quite spacious, unlike other restaurants where you are literally sitting on top of one another.  One entire wall is lined with bottles of wine giving the room a very open and elegant effect.

I have been to Wined Up on several occasions both for drinks and dinner.

The Bar – While they offer wine by the glass, I would definitely recommend getting a bottle with friends as the pricing is so much better. Wine by the glass will run you $9 – $14. The wine selection  ranges from Riojas to Chilean wines. We enjoyed a delightful Rioja and a Malbec on the day that we went. The bartenders are always friendly and are more than happy to answer all your questions about the wine list.

The Restaurant – The variety of foods on the menu is sure to please, whether you are there for drinks and appetizers or low-key dinner with friends.

The appetizer menu includes an incredible cheese selection from the United States, France, Italy and Spain. There are cheeses on the menu that I had never heard of but the server will be able to walk you through all the different choices and help you pair them with your wine selection. Since we had just come for appetizers, we tried everything and were quite happy. Don’t forget to ask for more bread, there is definitely not enough bread for the cheese.  If you are into pizza, think about adding pizza along with your cheese appetizer options.  There is your basic pizza margherita along with unusual topped pizzas like truffled tomato (yummy.)

For dinner, there is a range of options that is sure to appeal all of your friends and even kids. The menu ranges from salad to pasta to steak. My friend and I, were feeling rather carnivorous the day we went to Wined Up. She ordered a hamburger while I opted for the cast iron hanger steak with spicy fries. The steak was just perfect. The portion size was generous enough to walk away with a doggy bag. The average entrees range from $13 – $20 which is pretty average for New York City.

So if you are wandering around Union Square or Madison Square, head “up” to Wined Up.

Again don’t be confused by the location,  you have to enter a doorway that is the same entrance to Punch restaurant but for you to get to Wined Up, you need to climb up the stairs to the second floor.

Location: Wined Up

913 Broadway between 20th and 21st Streets

Reservations: 212-673-6333

If you are looking for some old-fashioned Coney Island boardwalk-style fun, then look no further than Carnival brought to you by the same folks who run Bowlmor bowling lanes.

By day, the venue is kid-friendly and by night an amusing playground for adults

Carnival, a 16,000 square foot wonderland offers a dozen boardwalk games including chance dunk tank, fish pong, BB gun target shooting and basketball throw all under a huge, lit big top tent.

My daughter and I visited Carnival on a Saturday spending our time partaking in all the classic boardwalk games, even playing pool. There is nothing like Carnival in the city and it’s all contained which is great if you have children.

If you are going with your adult friends for an evening of fun and games, there is ample seating and table tops to hangout while you play the games.

Carnival also is available for birthday parties.

Carnival
110 University Place (btw. 12th & 13th Streets)
212-255-8188
CarnivalNYC.com

New York offers tons of activities for children from museums to Broadway which are well-known but there are so many undiscovered family-friendly entertainment options. Recently, I discovered New York University’s Big Red Chair Family Series when I was looking for birthday events for my daughter. We ended up attending “Darwin“, a touching story of Darwin the Dinosaur and his encounters with flowers and pre-historic birds, acted out by cartoon-like characters only seen by their outlined lit bodies, all set to a moving and entertaining soundtrack.

While Darwin the Dinosaur, is no longer playing, there are two shows left in the 2009/ 2010 season that should prove entertaining to both children and adults.

Michael Moshen
Mr. Moshen is a juggler but not just any juggler. He combines the magic of light and movement to change your notion of juggling.
April 17 @ 7:00PM
Recommended for all ages

The Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences on Tour presents Nobody’s Perfect
Based on the children’s book by Marlee Matlin and Doug Cooney, whose main character is Megan, a deaf fourth grader. Megan is at odds with a new student Alexis is who not exactly nice to her making, Megan wonder, “Does she not like me because I am deaf?” The girls discover from having to work together on a science project that “Nobody’s Perfect.”
May 8 @ 2:00PM
Recommended for ages 8 and up.

Skirball Center for the Performing Arts
566 LaGuardia Place (at Washington Square South)
212.352.3101
www.skirballcenter.nyedu

Since I moved to New York, I have been dying to get to Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. According to some, it has the best Italian food in the area.

Recently, I had the opportunity to eat at one of Arthur Avenue’s landmark restaurants, Mario’s Restaurant. The Migliucci family has been cooking traditional Neopolitan dishes since 1919. The restaurant’s interior is very old school with pictures of Vesuvius and Naples scattered throughout the room with the chandeliers lend an air of old world charm.

Since there were four of us, we ordered a variety of food so we could sample the menu. We started with appetizers which included calamari, antipasti special and stuffed mushrooms followed by penne with broccoli, lasagna and veal marsala for the main courses.

So how was the food? There was just a tad bit of inconsistency across our selections, ranging from very good to fair. The anti pasti and stuffed mushrooms were very good while the
lasagna and veal marsala were fair.

Would I go back again? Yes, because the restaurant has charm, atmosphere and while the food was inconsistent, it’s worth it if you are adventurous and find yourself near Arthur avenue.

If you are planning to go, I would recommend making reservations. We arrived late Sunday afternoon which is prime family hour and had to wait for 30 minutes for a table.

Mario’s Restaurant
2342 Arthur Avenue
Bronx, NY 10458
(718)584-1188
http://www.mariosrestarthurave.com

Although, the holidays have long passed, you never know when a fun and interesting gift idea will present itself. While out wandering Chinatown, I happened upon Yunhong Chopsticks on Mott Street. As you can tell by the name, the store sells nothing but chopsticks and not just any chopsticks. The store carries a wide assortment of styles (e.g. sandalwood, stainless steel, mother of pearl.) Prices start at $1.99 for plain plastic chopsticks to $500 for gold-tipped chopsticks. Of course, there are hundreds of affordable styles that will fit those of us on a budget.

Be unique and pick up a pair or a ten-pack for an upcoming birthday, graduation, wedding or anniversary. Each pair comes in a beautiful gift box that will ensure your gift stands out from the crowd. Of course, you can also treat yourself to a pair, maybe crystal perhaps, for all those asian-inspired meals you have at home. There is also, a starter pair to help your kids learn the fine art of using chopsticks.

Yunhong Chopsticks
50 Mott Street
New York, NY 10013
www.happychopsticks.com
Subway Stops:
6, J, M, N, Q, R, W, Z at Canal St.

Finding a coffee shop where you can actually find a seat to meet someone for coffee, a little nosh or having a meeting is hard to find.

If you need a place near Union Square, check out 71 Irving Place. It is a casual and relaxed alternative to the chain coffee shops where you may be able to get coffee but are never able to find a seat.

The coffee selection ranges from your basic cup of Joe to the more sophisticated espresso/lattes.

Depending on your hunger level, you should be able to find something that satisfies your palette from croissants to sandwiches to desserts.

Locations:
71 Irving Place between 18th and 19th Street
Monday – Friday 7:00 am to 11:00 pm
Saturday/Sunday: 8:00 am to 11:00 pm

After years of waiting, Peridance has finally opened in new location. The Peridance Capezio Center is now open on E. 13th Street. My daughter has been taking ballet at Peridance since she was four years old but unfortunately at less than ideal, rented space while the renovations took place at the E. 13th Street location.

The new location is three floors with open windows so the parents can watch their little ballerinas dance away if they so choose or wait upstairs in a cafe area. The downstairs waiting area is filled with toys for younger siblings to occupy themselves along with a locker room for dancers to store their things.

Peridance offers a very robust child’s program that ranges from the traditional ballet class to the more stylized, modern dance like hip-hop and jazz and even offers the youngest dancer a place to dance. The Young Movers Program takes in children as young as 18 months.

For the adult set, Peridance is renowned for the depth and breath of the teachers and classes offered. The types of dance offered includes, salsa, limon, Graham &Taylor based, Afro-Caribbean and many more.

Spring Session is about to begin February 1.

For more information on classes, times and prices:

Peridance.com
Peridance Capezio Center
126 E. 13th Street b/w 3rd and 4th Avenue
212-505-0886

If you are wandering the Meatpacking district on your way to Highline Park or in need of break after visiting the  Apple Store, stop into Pastis for breakfast or lunch.

Pastis has been around since 1999 and is one of restaurants opened by Keith McNally of The Odeon, Balthazar Restaurant and Nell’s fame.

Pastis has everything you are looking for in a restaurant: good food, interesting location, great people watching and exceptional service. The French Bistro decor serves up what you would expect and fancy writing on the mirrors and placed everywhere throughout the restaurant.

Recently, I went there for lunch with a friend where we both ordered the Steak Frites (medium rare) and were not disappointed.  It was delicious. The entree comes with an amazing and surprisingly light Bernaise sauce which I loved for dipping my steak.

As usual, the place was bustling and packed but as always, the service was just right. What I love about Pastis is that they really don’t bug you about lingering. I enjoyed my latte for a good 10 minutes so I could finish catching up with my friend without that “do you need anything else, nudge, nudge” that you get at a lot of busy restaurants.

And if you are in the mood, check it out for breakfast.

Pastis
9 Ninth Avenue
New York, New York 10014
(212)929-4844
www.pastisny.com

This week, Baked by Melissa opened up a new location near Union Square.

Baked by Melissa offers miniature-stuffed cupcakes the size of a quarter. Whether you are looking to satisfy a sweet tooth craving or stock up for a party, Baked by Melissa offers 9 flavors that are sure to tantalize your taste buds.

Flavors include Cookies & Cream, Cookie Dough, Peanut Butter Cup, Smores, Tie Dye, Red Velvet, Cinnamon, Peanut Butter and Jelly, and Mint Chocolate Chip.

Prices range from $3.00 for 3 cupcakes to 100 cupcakes for $70.00.

Every cupcake was just plain yummy offering mouth watering flavor, all packed into a bite-size morsel that is guaranteed to cheer you up on any given day-good or bad.

Locations:
529 Broadway @ Spring Street
7 E. 14th Street @ Union Square West
212.842.0220
www.bakedbymelissa.com (for deliveries and orders)