About nine months ago, Built by Wendy converted its Williamsburg boutique into a full-time outlet stocked with past-season men’s and women’s merchandise.. Now the outlet is closing, which means it’s time for a blowout sale. From Thursday, January 26 through Sunday, January 29, the brand will be cutting prices in half. Since everything’s already marked at 60% off, that translates to some great deals. A metallic striped button-down with a Peter Pan collar, for example, will cost just $20, down from $166. And a wool felt hunting jacket will be $81, down from $371.

While the outlet’s final day will be January 29, the flagship store on Centre Market Place in Manhattan will remain open. That only carries current season merch, though, so this is your last chance to buy older pieces from the quirky little label, which—believe it or not—just turned twenty this year.

Happy Hour: Cienfuegos 

5-7 M-F $5 Punch of the day & Apps

Let me preface this by saying this is probably one of the better happy hours I’ve been to in a long time. 

The happy hour here is from 5-7, which is decent, but really? Who actually gets off at 6? Your boss of course wants you to forward her one… more… thing… once you have your coat on. I had arrived there at around 6:15 on a cold Friday night. Up the stairs I went to find a fairly empty space, about 4 tables or so. The decor was very, Cuban Hollywood Regency. They had white leather tufted walls and high back chairs to match. It was mixed with well worn wooden stools and faux gas lamp sconces. The walls were a washed aqua with art work of Hispanic origin. It was all very sexy and intimate. (My pictures may make it look like a chic jail, but here are some better ones). This would make for a sexy, cheap date spot. Maybe some dessert at Spot after?

M was already seated and with her first (of 4) glasses. Hotel Nacional (Apple-n Esta. V/X Rum, pineapple, lime, apricot liqueur, champagne) was the Punch of the Day ($5, usually $14). It had a nice tart flavor to it, delicious. But let’s face it, sweet, tart, spicy, salty… it’s a $5 cocktail… I’ll take it! As the waitress came around, I noticed her little spanish themed outfit. She must have been the head waitress cause she was the only one in that outfit… Any how, M and I pretty much ordered the left side of the menu (all $5 each):

Plantain Chips with Avocado Puree and Spicy Black Bean Dip  
fried green plantain chips with creamy avocado dip and spicy black bean dip

Yucca Fritta  
crispy batons wiith curry mustard

Croquetas de Jamon (four croquetas)  
ham & cheese with sofrito aioli

Empanadas de Vegetales (two empanadas)
mixed vegetable turnover with fresh avocado purée

Empanadas de Carne (two empanadas)
beef turnover with chimichurri sauce

All of the food was excellent and all portioned for sharing. I was especially surprised at the guacamole there. It was REALLY good. Not quite Dos Caminos good… but really good.

7pm was fast approaching, and we were still waiting for S. At around 6:50 she arrived to happily find that we had already ordered her some drinks. All in all I think we ordered 15 drinks before 7, with no judgement from the waitress. We had also ordered the half cuban as well. By the time we had finished it was about 9 and the joint had filled up, and so had our bellies. Our wallets were still pretty full as well.

Shot out to S&M for the grub!

Cienfuegos
95 Ave A
New York, NY 10009
(212) 614-6818 

I haven’t been here, but it sounds awesome because there is a total lack of inexpensive seafood “shacks” in NYC. (I’m sure fishermen in Maine would find the term “shack” laughable in NYC). It seems like a great date spot, if you can find where the heck Greenwood Heights is. Here’s an excerpt of the review of Sea Witch:

That argument is supported by a visit to Sea Witch, 703 Fifth Avenue (21st Street), Greenwood Heights, Brooklyn, (347) 227-7166, a pub named for a fabled 19th-century New York merchantman. Watery touches here include a phantasmagorical undersea mural and a mesmerizing fish tank.

You could sit all evening sipping craft drafts (grassy Avery Ellie’s brown ale, citrusy Victory pilsner) watching those fish. But you’ll get hungry at some point. There aren’t much more than hot sandwiches on this menu, but, boy, are they tasty. Tops is the clam roll, a neat little bun dressed in a caper tartar sauce and iceberg lettuce, then loaded with just-fried clams ($11). They’re small next to Littleneck’s monsters, but they’re briny-sweet with just the right balance of creamy clam to crisp crust. The bun makes it feel like fast food — but fast food of a high order.

Just as delicious is the kielbasa ($6), a nod to the neighborhood’s Eastern European remnants. Supremely garlicky and smothered in raw onions, mustard and sauerkraut, it’s not date food, but who needs companionship with a sandwich this good? Pork schnitzel ($6.50) is juicy and tender, its richness cut by tangy whole-grain mustard and pickles. The cheeseburger — a high-fat mix of short rib, brisket and chuck — is thin and satisfying ($5.50). The fries ($3) are hot, freshly cut and well salted. Even the Indian-spiced fried vegetable cutlets please ($6), with an expertly done coriander chutney.

There is no waiter service — cooks emerge with food straight from the heat. Despite the paper plates and limited menu, what they bring is such great bar food, you’ll feel like one lucky sailor.  

Most people swoon over celebrities on the street. Living in NYC, I’ve seen quite a number of them… maybe fewer because my eye line is shorter than the average person. I did see Dustin Hoffman, but that only reinforces my point. Generally I just say (in my head), “there goes so and so”. But when it comes to chefs… I go as gaga as Gaga. I’ve gone up to Anthony Bourdain and told him how much I loved his show, towering over me as he cooly dragged on his cigarette on 55th st. He casually replied “Thanks”. I mean really, he just got done eating at Michael’s and would like to kill himself in peace (no judgement). It was the first season of his show and I’m pretty sure middle America had yet to discover his inherent NY snarkiness. I’d like to think that he appreciated that comment as much as he enjoyed eating raw baby seal.

The other chef I creamed over (get your mind out of the gutter… we’re talking food here!) was David Chang of the Momofuku empire. When I tasted his pork buns (again with the gutter), they were gastronomically life ‘chang-ing’ (excuse the pun). So when I actually saw him I embarrassingly geeked out. I was mindlessly texting in front of the door of Saam bar and this hulking white bear figure reaches around me… almost a bit rushed and rude. But when I looked up, I loudly exclaimed “OMG, it’s DAVID CHANG!” and then covered my hands with my mouth, out of embarrassment. He looked down at me, smiled, and shook his head. He was probably thinking “Oh, another one of these crazy foodie chicks that probably think my penis is made of pork belly… (but I wish it were!).” I saw him today, the love of my culinary life, sitting at the bar of Coliccio & Sons. Chang sat there, happily undisturbed by the likes of crazed fans (namely me), drinking a beer and chatting with fellow chefs and hot hostesses. So on that note, watch Chang drunkenly tell you why and how he’s drunk, and why and how you should be too.

Photo via Eater.com

In an effort to always provide you the best deals that sit in your in-box (ahem, Gilt City, etc.), I have scoured them for you and plan to only bring you the best of the best.

Today’s deal comes from dude-centric blog, Thrillist.com. When I read it, it felt almost too good to be true. I mean, one cocktail, from just one of these establishments can set you back about $9. So it goes without saying, that 2 nights out will easily set you back $29… and that’s without dinner. I went about and read the details… I was sold. I was also thinking this could make for a great speed dating night. Buy 2 tickets, and you control the voucher. Meet one person for cocktails here… a bite to eat there. I’m sure you can tell a lot by the date by doing this.

1. You can see how picky they are.
2. What kinds of foods they like.
3. If they consider you cheap, or resourceful. (I’d consider you resourceful… but that’s just me.)

Check it: 

Unlock a wide world of food & drink with Thrillist Rewards’ Small Bites & Drinks Passport: a 2-month visa for snacking/sipping all over the city, yours for just $29. This document will get you by pesky customs (like the one about having to pay after being served) anytime for a small bite or cocktail pour at each of these ports-of-culinary-call:

Salón Hecho * 1534 * Waterfront Ale House * East Village Meat Market * d.b.a. brooklyn * Mac Bar * Tavern on Jane * Poco * Jimmy’s No. 43 * 4Food * Loreley Biergarten Williamsburg * Coppelia * Traffic Hell’s Kitchen & Midtown East * Idle Hands * Two Door Tavern * The Mussel Pot * City Crab & Seafood * Manchester Pub * Spice Market New York * Minor Arcana

Travel to the destination(s) of your choosing on any day, and present your pass to receive that establishment’s handpicked specialty (full menu here), from snacks like crab cakes, spicy chicken samosas, and kielbasa, to beverages like jalapeno & ginger margaritas, pints of Palm & River Horse Tripel, and specialty stuff like the Whynatte Whippet: an Irish Car Bomb-aping tipple that’ll leave your well-traveled ass totally whipped.

Winter is upon us in NYC, and right now, a mere hat is not cutting it. I suppose you can get a pair of Burberry ear muffs… but where’s the fun in that? Why not get a pair of headphones that double as earmuffs? Genius, I know (rocket science? perhaps).

I have soft spot in my heart for weird little Japanese gadgets and fancy headphones. So AC Gears fulfills both those fixes.

cheapskat:

Panasonic has the Lumix DMC-GF3 12.1-Megapixel Digital Micro Four-Thirds Camera in Black, model no. DMC-GF3CK, Red, model no. DMC-GF3CR, Brown, model no. DMC-GF3CT, or Silver, model no. DMC-GF3CW, bundled with a 14 mm Lens Kit for $449.99 (699.99 - 250 instant savings) for…

Two words that will get our butts into the seats of pretty much any restaurant: unlimited beer. Well, 508 GastroBrewery in the West Village has put together a pretty awesome dinner deal that includes all the brew you can drink. The restaurant has launched a new beer-pairing menu on Sunday and Monday nights, which will be served from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. The deal will hook you up with three courses of fare like slow-roasted goat sliders or a wild boar smoked sausage flatbread, and the dishes will be paired with house made brews like a Brazil Nut Brown Ale or a 508 Belgian Wit.

 

The all-you-can-drink supper will only set you back $39 per person – which is not too shabby considering you spend that much on beer pretty much every night. If you want to check it out, the eatery is at 508 Greenwich Street at Spring.

(Source: nybarfly.com)

cheapskat:

Original Penguin is offering 50% off everything sitewide, including sale items that have already been reduced by as much as 70%. To get discount, use the coupon code: OPPRIVATE50 at checkout. Shipping is Free for orders $50 or more (post discount). Coupon expires January 20, 2012.

NYC Classic and Kraut Dog (Photographs: Eric Harvey Brown)

On Tuesdays (today) and game days (yes, I am ready for some football), Bark Hot Dogs is offering $2 Sixpoints, $3 dogs, and $5 burgers. I haven’t eaten here yet, but the dogs do look delish. And everything is locally sourced and it looks pretty date worthy inside (they have 2 50” flat screens as well (to watch the 49ers kick the Giants’ ass).

Check it, and let me know what you think!

Bark Hot Dogs
474 Bergen St
(between 5th Ave & Flatbush Ave) 
Brooklyn, NY 11217
(718) 789-1939