You vote with your dollar, it’s as simple as that. Every purchase you make – from sheets to heirloom tomatoes, from washcloths to pet food, what you buy dictates the future of our environment and the value, we as consumers, place on it. For months I patroned my local supermarket simply for the fact that it is located a few short blocks from my house, but soon I grew sickened by the fluorescent overhead lights, the wilting legumes, the roach-infested aisles, and I sought produce and chicken elsewhere. I became one of the many Brooklyn-ites to cart home bags from Whole Foods on the subway: pricey, but luxurious greens, free-range chickens, gluten-free breads – until I learned that I could save a significant amount of my grocery bill (essential in these precarious times of living as an artist, working freelance) but still get locally-produced, sustainable, or organic foods.

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For gals who simply don’t want to leave Brooklyn in order to enjoy a fabulous meal or for jaded Manhattan foodies who are seeking escape, check out Al Di La, a Northern Italian Park Slope eatery guaranteed to answer all your dining prayers. Inside, the decor is simply elegant, sumptuous and warm with the tile floor, the rustic tin ceiling, flowered wallpaper, mismatched china and silverware, the dramatic red velvet curtain at the entrance and co-owner Emiliano Coppa’s grandmother’s crystal chandelier from Venice. Mind you ladies, I haven’t even begun to dish on the food yet. With an ever-changing menu inspired by Veneto, a region flavored by Venice and the countryside that surrounds it, chef and co-owner Anna Klinger, formerly of Lespinasse, local patrons have been flocking to this charming trattoria since 1999.

Start with baccala mantecato (salt-beaten cod) with grilled polenta or the buttery carpaccio served with argula and shaved parmesan. For your primi, or first course, sample any one of their homemade, decadently rick pastas, such as poppy-seeded sweet beet ravioli, brown-butter-slicked squash tortelli, and airy swiss chard-ricotta “malfatti” (misshapen gnocchi with fried sage). And just when you thought your mouth couldn’t water any more, the char-grilled organic chicken served on a bed of fennel and mash potatoes guarantees to delight.

With a bevy of divine desserts (chocolate and hazelnuts anyone? or maybe some delish ice cream spiked with scalding espresso?) and a friendly, communal atmosphere, no doubt Al Di La will soon be your favorite Brooklyn eatery.

Tip: For patrons who want to snag a table, warning, Al Di La has a no reservation policy, but delight in waiting at their cozy wine bar located just around the corner.

Al Di La
607 Carroll St
Brooklyn, NY 11215
(718) 783-4565
Cross Street: 5th Avenue
Subway: F to 4th Ave-9th St; M, N, R at Union St

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Soho could very well make you mad. If you’re not dodging speed-walking shoppers and street vendors hocking anything from watercolors to beaded necklaces, you’re escaping trucks barreling down cobblestone streets. Soho is most known for chic shoppes and swank cocktail havens (Thom at 60 Thompson or Mercer Kitchen, anyone?) – places to see and be seen – not for soothing soups and leafy greens.

Enter Olive’s – a tiny soup and sandwich shop, so delish and tucked away, that most don’t know about it and passersby are always confused about the long lines snaking out of the shop. For fresh, locally produced produce used in salads and sandwiches (they serve up the simple to the mind-boggling complex: everything from fresh mozzarella and peppers in basil oil to harvest greens – fresh, crisp arugula with goat cheese, root veggies, pecans, grilled asparagus, and a creamy vinaigrette or sample the roast beef with aioli on a bed of greens, nestled between a fresh baguette) check out this local spot that should be in your know.

Be sure to duck in for market greens and wholesome grains and specials which change daily. For the heartiest soups (Caribbean chicken to a tasty butternut squash) to rustic, rich desserts (pumpkin pie encrusted with pecans or sample their homemade PB&J cookie!), food at Olive’s is always served fast but never falls short on flavor.

Olive’s
120 Prince St | Btwn Wooster & Greene St
New York City
Subway: N/R to Prince Street; C/E to Spring Street; F/V/B/D to Broadway/Lafayette

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Want to dine like a celebrity or just get treated like one? Tempo, a sleek Park Slope eatery promises all the savoir fare of Manhattan dining without all the attitude. From the cream-colored stucco walls and crushed silk draperies, to the warm wooden tables and soft candlelight, the owners (all three working partners, veterans of Manhattan’s eminent restaurants, including chef Michael Fiore (of famed Babbo, are intimately involved in all aspects of the dining experience from the decor to the wine list) seek to offer a comforting environment and elegant fare.

Whether you chose to dine at the 20-foot-long cork-topped food and wine bar, or dine in one of the two stylishly appointed dining rooms, a night at Tempo will quickly become your weekend (as well as weekday) hot spot. Well-trained sommeliers are on hand to help the amateur enthusiast on their wine picks as well as the more adventurous connoisseurs and with an extensive wine list boasting a variety of grapes from regions in Italy, Spain, France and the U.S., diners won’t be wont for ideas.

Primarily Mediterranean, the menu is influenced by Tuscan flavors. I savored the organic chicken served with okives, preserved lemon, saffron, ginger, coriander leaves, along with chick peas fries. Alongside a creamy polenta appetizer and a special butternut squash soup, the food was complex in seasoning and preparation, sumptuous and elegant in presentation. All the while, the attentive staff always ensured our wine glasses were tapped and our needs were always met. I left feel incredibly pampered and ultimately satisfied.

In Park Slope? Make Tempo your essential eating stop.

Tempo Restaurant & Wine Bar
256 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Between Carroll and Garfield Streets
Subway: R to Union Street

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Yoga studios in New York are much like Duane Reade and Starbucks – they’re everywhere. One can walk through the streets without spying yoga bags and Be Present pants. With so many studios selling scented oils, WAH! cds, mats in fuchsia and baby blue, and a philosophy that guarantees to change your life, a new student can be overwhelmed and frankly, intimidated.

After five years of practicing yoga (considered a short time in yoga years), I continue to search the city for studios that focus on alignment and awareness, without being overly dogmatic and serious. So it’s with great pleasure that I stumbled upon Yoga Mandali, New York’s first and only center devoted to Anusara, a school of yoga founded by John Friend, in the vibrant and fashionable Soho area. Studio director, Phil Di Pietro says, “While based in a philosophy to engage in the deepest desire of the heart, Anusara Yoga looks to three elements of practice that are distinctive of yoga: Attitude, Alignment and Action.” Anusara’s remarkable popularity is due in large part to its uplifting philosophy, epitomized by a “celebration of the heart,” that celebrates the good in all people and all things. Students of all levels of ability and yoga experience are honored for their unique differences, limitations, and talents.

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Where to go for the obscure designer handbags, cigarette pants, and Jackie O glasses, but you’re seriously short on cash and living on box pasta to prove it? Don’t fret, New Yorkers have been flocking to Tokyo 7, an East Village staple for years. This hip, popular vintage clothing store resells some of the hottest designers around – including Gucci, Miu Miu, Chanel, Alexander McQueen, Heatherette, and others for a fraction of their original price. Regulars know the store is a hit or miss – some days I’ve scored a Cynthia Rowley cashmere sweater for $30, along with Dolce jeweled slides for a mere $80, but you’ve got to dig and be patient amongst the swarm of downtown hipsters rapidly sifting through the racks.

New goodies arrive daily, and unlike the other sleek, upscale consignment shops that dot the west village and uptown, replete with fashion editors cast-offs and model hand-me-downs, Tokyo 7 caters to the more street smart, avant-garde scenester. Think Chloe Sevingy, think Imitation of Christ. Think undeniably hip. Think deconstructed blazers, leather pants and studded handbags – BEFORE studs were all the runway rage.

And who can possibly resist Paul & Joe pants for $40!!

Tokyo 7
64 E 7th St (btwn 1st/2nd)
Manhattan, NY 10003
(212) 353-8443
Subway: 6 to Astor Place

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I admit it, I’m an unabashed downtown snob. I get nosebleeds traveling above 23rd Street; I’m of the belief that if I want haughty East Side stroller moms and college kids barhopping, I can frequent some of the uber-trendy areas of Brooklyn or Battery Park. However, with the lure of a dear friend moving to the Upper West Side and the promise of a fabulous burger, how could I resist?

It was a soaking day outside and our party of three fled inside the cozy, chic eatery, SQC, brought to you by renowned chef, Scott Campbell (Windows on the World, Union Square Cafe, Le Cirque with Daniel Boulud, QV with Joachim Splichal, Montrachet, and his nearby Avenue). Bringing French technique with his American sensibility and passion for hospitality, the menu is a celebration of New American cooking that includes elements of Californian cuisine, classical French accents and influences from Asia and the Mediterranean-a tribute to the melting pot that has become this country’s collective cuisine. But on a rainy day, all a girl wants is a cheeseburger with fries. And good converation.

With outstanding presentation, organic produce and beef, we settled for three hours in the most coveted booth – a place to see and be seen. And the food was delish. And there were no pesky waiters obsessing over table turns. And my tea was brought to me in a cute cast iron pot. Clearly, SQC is a winner for this snob who now might venture uptown a little more often.

SQC
270 Columbus Avenue
between 72nd & 73rd Sts.
Nearby Subways: C,B: 72nd St./Central Park West; 1,2,3,9: 72nd St./Broadway

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Scottadito, the sumptuous Tuscan organic eatery, is quite easy to miss while you’re breezing by after your long shopping trip at the coveted Park Slope Food Coop. However, a chalkboard announcing salads made from the produce of local organic farmers and free-range/organic chicken specials, attracted me to this cozy osteria toscana. And did we mention the two magic words: Pre-Fix? Fabulous for anyone on a budget.

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Let it be known that I’m not privy to unnecessary, pricy pampering. My home is my day spa with my do-it-yourself facials (oatmeal and mint) and back massages replete with wooden spoons and lavender oil. However, after a week of the city’s torrential rain and a hectic schedule that simply hasn’t let up, I broke down and slipped into one of my favorite girl spots in the city: Rescue Beauty Lounge. And besides, it was a Friday and what better way to hail in the weekend with a lux manicure pedicure session. Evian bottle war, organic Dr. Hauschka products, et all.

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Sometimes it’s necessary that a girl kicks her heels off after a long day of drudgery to indulge in a glass of fine wine in a sweet spot that evokes lazy late afternoons in Bordeaux. So it was downright imperative that a bunch of us stressed-out gals meet for some crisp whites and some spicy reds at winebar, a new hotspot in the East Village. The built in walls are lined with pristine bottles, and the cavernous atmosphere, replete with candles and comfortable seating, renders this a must-visit spot.

Consider White Zinfandels and merlots a thing of the past, and sample the vast selection of premium vintages and affordable wines ($8-$14 range, although many are priced around $8) along with tasty finger foods. Whites and red hail from the, yawn, usual suspects: Italy, France, Spain, but how surprising to find Turkey, Lebanon, Greece, obscure regions in western, as well as eastern Europe. I tried a crisp Sav Blanc from Greece and a Vina Sastre from Spain and found the white smooth with a hint of apple flavor and the red pretty spicy.

winebar’s staff is exceptionally attuned to the latest trends in wine, and they’re quite eager to offer information on vintages, a particular grape’s season, and they’ll recommend up a new flavor if you’ve grown tired of the same old Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. Fab for wine snobs but not intimidating for those that don’t have discriminating palates, winebar is a sleek, chic stop before you board the subway home.

winebar
65 2nd Ave,
New York City
Btwn 3rd & 4th St
212-777-1608
Subway: F/V to Second Avenue

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