Category: uptown

Cupcake of the Week: Dylan’s Candy Bar

Q: Ever wonder what’s really inside a cupcake?
Although Dylan’s Candy Bar renovated their upstairs cafe quite a bit, I never really had a reason to go check it out.  Or perhaps I was just waiting for the right company.

A: A gaggle of Lolitas. (picture courtesy of Crystal)
This weekend was Victoria’s birthday and we ended the night at Dylan’s Candy Bar.  At the back they had three giant cupcake seating for larger groups, and we were lucky enough to snag one. 

1011 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10065
Phone:(646) 735-0078

Impressionism, Fashion and Modernity 2/26 – 5/27

Women with Parasol – one of my favorite paintings.

Fashion and the Impressionism movement go hand in hand —  what with artists paying astute attention to how their subjects moves and particularly how their clothing moves before creating a more dreamlike vision.

The Metropolitan Museum opened up the exhibit to the public yesterday – “Impression, Fashion and Modernity.”  They pair various artworks with illustrations and actual pieces to examine how fashion greatly influences art and vice vera.  Already receiving good reviews, this is an event not to miss out.

Something to check out on a rainy day like today.

Impression, Fashion, and Modernity
Feburary 26 – May 27, 2013
The Metropolitan Museum
1000 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10028

Loli-Date with ParfaitDoll

Last Friday Victoria from ParfaitDoll was interested in coming into the city for an afternoon, so we decided to meet up for some lunch and shopping. She had a determined interest in visiting Ladureé‘s New York location, so I suggested Mon Petit Cafe.
 
Mon Petit Cafe was a restaurant I discovered with my husband as we were on our way to Central Park.  It’s a cute French cuisine bistro that I now take people whenever I have the chance to go uptown.  It’s also a good alternative for those who are unable to get into Alice’s Tea Cup Chapter II location as this place is just a few blocks down Lexington Avenue.

It was the first time I was there on a weekday at lunch hour and it was bustling with locals.  We were seated quickly, I chose an Omelette du Jour, which was red and green peppers with fries while Victoria went with a Croque-Monsieur.  Overall the meal was good, but I prefer their quiche than the omelette.  For a tea and meal it came out to under $20, pretty good for New York pricing.  Which that extra cash can be used for Ladureé.

Macarons in the window are not for eating, but the boxes are certainly for purchasing.

Ladureé, the inventor of the macaron, landed in New York two years ago and now you can often find the line out the door.  Thankfully we did not have to wait long and were able to browse with attentive shopgirls nipping at our feet.

Accidentally ate the rose macaron before I thought of taking a picture.

Macarons are $2.80 each and you can order it in a decorative box or a bag. The art on the boxes range from their classic Ladureé logo to limited edition box art featuring Hello Kitty, Tsumori Chisato, Disney, etc. So when in doubt, always go for a box.  They also sell truffles, chocolate, and gelato with a macaron, as well as a gift section with notebooks, scarves, candles and the like.

My growing Laduree box collection.

 Again also a few blocks away from Alice’s Tea Cup, and Laduree is my side trip place when I early for a brunch at Alice’s. On another note, I had the guts to ask about any news on their SoHo location, but for right now they could only say it could possibly open in the fall. Cross your fingers!

Then we strolled through Central Park and warmed up in UniQlo, eyeing the new Sanrio collaboration.  It’s nice to hangout with a fellow Lolita one on one, as well as get to show them some of my favorite places in New York City.

Sunday Brunch : Hi-Life

Hi-Life is a restaurant that has two faces depending on the time of day.  By night it is a restaurant that caters to the looking-for-a-good-time-involving drinks crowd; by day it is a family-friendly place for an Upper East Side brunch.

Last Sunday, a good friend had been aching to catch-up and my husband wanted to try their breakfast version of a bread basket (blueberry muffins and cinnamon toast) so we decided to meet up at Hi-Life.

The east side location of Hi-Life was closer to meet up so it was a natural fit.
With the 1930s decorating, Hi-Life seems more suited to a dinner crowd than brunch.  However the restaurant was still pretty full with strollers and small children, as well as young twenty-somethings trying to recollect their Saturday night. And unlike most brunch places if you arrive at noon you need to be prepared to wait, but we were quickly seated at Hi-Life. 

Bread baskets at its sweetest.

I do like the idea of complimentary muffins and toast in addition to a meal, but I felt the basket kind of lacking. Perhaps in a less economy-strapped time, these muffins would’ve been bigger and there would be more toast. Regardless everything tasted as it should – the muffins were cakey sweet and the toast was cinnamon sugary. The butter was actually a berry-flavored butter which was something different that I liked about Hi-Life.

Paul Bunyan needs at least two of these.

Hungrier than normal, I ordered the Paul Bunyan brunch special which consisted of scrambled eggs, bacon, and three silver dollar pancakes.  The silver dollar pancakes were more like regular-sized pancakes and was skeptically whether I could finish it all. Surprisingly I did – a rare feat that happens once in a blue moon.  Clearly this Paul Bunyan meal should be made double or triple if it’s to be suited for a man who dug out the Grand Canyon.

Prices weren’t outrageous, which seems right with all the families and young foodies; actually very reasonable for the amount of food and the so-so brunch satisfaction.

Overall Hi-Life is a restaurant is okay for a quick brunch before starting your day of shopping and walking around Central Park, but only if you are in the area and unable to find another restaurant.

Hi-Life Restaurant – East Side
1503 Second Avenue
212-628-5433

Creatures of the Light: Bioluminesence 3/29/12 – 1/6/13

Jellyfish at the Monterey Bay Aquarium – 2010

When I was younger I was really fascinated by the deep ocean and the sea life you couldn’t see with the naked eye. My favorite was the angler fish with it’s glowing fishing rod. For those who aren’t familiar with this fish perhaps you remember the scene in Finding Nemo when Dory and Marlin chase after the scuba mask. The fish with the terrifying jaws and the glowing antenna was the angler fish.

On Saturday, March 31st, the American Museum of Natural History presents an exhibit about all the organisms who have glowing personalities. It will explore why they glow and for what purposes – if it’s to lure food, scare predators, attract a mate, or simply just for show.

This exhibit is going to be around until early 2013, but if you are eager like I am see it early before the crowds turn into mobs.  “Creatures of the Light” is an ongoing exhibit, so all you need pay is general admission.

Princess Jellyfish outfits not required.


Creatures of the Light: Nature’s Bioluminesence
March 31, 2012 – January 6, 2013
American Museum of Natural History
Central Park West at 79th Street
New York, NY, 10024
212-769-5100

What Lies Beneath: Victorian Unmentionables 2/18

There’s a lot that goes into a Lolita outfit, but the things that make or break an outfit is the bloomers and petticoats. And a good petticoat can make your Lolita

“What Lies Beneath” takes a look at what was actually underneath the bustles and the skirts and possibly why men were attracted to table legs.

On Saturday, February 18th, Christine Scott will be speaking about Victorian ladies other wardrobe and the actually process of dressing. There’ll be tea and cakes and lots of talk about underwear.

What Lies Beneath: Victorian Unmentionables
Saturday, February 18th, 2012
7-9PM
Our Savior’s Atonement Lutheran Church
78 Bennett Ave, New York, NY

(212) 923-5757

Sunday Brunch: Alice’s Tea Cup Chapter II

Alice’s Tea Cup is very reminiscent of childhood tea parties you use to have. Except instead of fruit punch you can have actual tea and real tea cakes. (Did I mention real cake?)

Chapter II is one of there most popular locations in New York City for lovers of pink and nostalgic for childhood fancies. As well as people who want a real tea party without the stiff and stuffy atmosphere.

Lolitas love to venture to Alice’s whenever they have the chance, and the wait staff are more than welcoming to those wearing dresses with maximum poofiness. With a short walk from Central Park and the popular shopping avenues–it’s no wonder that this place has wait times that are anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours. 

I had been several times before, but wanted to introduce the other half to the place. Luckily we had our chance on a late Saturday brunch with a short wait of 15 minutes!


He was a bit skeptical at the thought of Afternoon Tea. He presumed tea and cakes would not be a whole meal, fully knowing that afternoon tea was more of a snack time for adults when lunch was at noon and dinner was served at 8 o’clock rather than around 6 o’clock nowadays.

However when the 3-tiered tray (a Mad Hatter’s tea for two) arrived every questionable thought disappeared at the sight of so much food.

Alice’s is very accomodating for vegetarians and with the tiered trays  you can to choose what you want as opposed to being presented with something you probably wouldn’t like (and garnished with caviar).

The setup is pretty standard with sandwiches on one tier, tea cakes on another, and light sweets at the very top (since it’s the smallest and one can go overboard when it comes to noshing on too many). And for the amount of food versus the price, it is well worth the wait for a table.

Also the tea is magnificent for it’s extremely long list and wide variety – from classic English blacks to purer greens and whites to herbal and fruity there’s something for everyone. And Alice’s Tea Cup maintains it’s kitschiness with no two cup and saucers are the same at the table. It also helped we both each got and emptied a pot of tea.

The decor helps you feel at home if you’ve never taken tea what with the multicolored butterfly wings and interpretative pictures of Alice Liddell (that’s the name of the real Alice on the wall) along the walls.  It’s a place that you can never tire of and always find something new.  Being my second time, I noticed the tables were refurbished vintage sewing machines.

There is a limit to Alice’s Tea Cup and that is you will probably take something home, which is not exactly a bad thing. As you can see the bottom tier became a doggy bag of sweets.

Alice’s Tea Cup does take reservations and have private dining areas for parties and “un-birthdays”, but I find it more fun to drop in and see if there’s room at the Mad Hatter’s tea party.