Thursday, August 28, 2014

The America’s Got Talent BBQ: Games, Good Food And Great Talent!

By: Anne M. Raso

About 50 journos descended upon the legendary NBC Studios Commissary (now named NBC Studio 9C) last night for a fabulous BBQ that included games, prizes (that included AGT merchandise), classic BBQ food and show talent.
Howie Mandel

Monday, August 18, 2014

Flying High at Aerial Acrobat Entertainment

By: Finance Foodie

Feeling bored of our usual gym routine of never ending treadmills and free weights, the Mister and I decided to try something a little different for our daily workout. So last Thursday night, we ditched the Big Apple and crossed the river to Jersey City for a beginners trapeze class with Guinevere DiPiazza, owner of Aerial Acrobat Entertainment .

Friday, August 15, 2014

Lois Lowry's The Giver Gives...And Then Some!

By Anne M. Raso

Not being a fan of science fiction, I was skeptical about seeing The Giver but I quickly fell in love with it--it transcends the genre of sci-fi and teaches the lessons of love, tolerance and forgiveness via depicting a future society that's not so pretty. I had never read the book by Lois Lowry even though it is HarperCollins' top-selling "young adult" e-book of all time. There is mega-star power in The Giver including Meryl Streep as the Chief Elder and Jeff Bridges as The Giver, and it is possibly Jeff Bridges who steals the show as the one "elder" who doesn't act like a robot in a black and white world where everyone is alike in every way and issued orders on how to behave. Love isn't a concept in this new world--everyone just goes about their daily business with assigned jobs and roles in society, live in identical housing, eat identical food for dinner and even have assigned children that come from a stark baby laboratory where defective babies are done away with via shots and disposed like garbage down a shoot.
The entire cast

Tips for Making Money Made Simple

Express Yourself and Profit Off the Things You Love! 

Make Money Your Way explores some innovative ways to add valuable dollars to your bankroll. Enjoy money management advice that makes sense. Here’s a truism that will confuse some people: you don’t need brains to make money. There – I’ve said it. But before we get ahead of ourselves, it’s important to understand precisely what is required. As a preface to this expose, I challenge you folks to take a look at some of the biggest success stories in the world: Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Michael Dell and scores of others. Notice that all these people – and the list is extensive – have one thing in common: self-belief. Even if nobody believes in the merits of your idea, your determination to bring a useful or innovative product or service to the market will pay dividends. If nothing else, you will grow immeasurably and learn invaluable lessons in the interim. Take for example those self-starters involved in the casino games world. Sheldon Adelson is the 10th richest man in the world, but he has no formal education since he dropped out of City College in New York. All it takes is an iron-will and plenty of hunger for success. Surround yourself with the right people and you will be able to reach your goals, even if you’re not the Ivy League type!

Thursday, August 7, 2014

You’ll Fall In Love With The Love Café and Bar

By Anne M. Raso

The one type of restaurant Manhattan has a shortage of these days are ones with a comfy feel—at The Love Café and Bar at 24th Street and Second Avenue, you’ll feel like you are in your grandmother’s living room although owner Margarita Abramov has pretty great taste in the unusual items that decorate the walls, including old window sills and Russian folk art. There are flowing white curtains on the front windows and a “no rush” atmosphere. Margarita’s husband and daughter can be seen hanging out there, and Abramov—a native of Odessa in the Soviet Union—kind of serves as a den mother for a large group of Russian models who miss food from the old country. It’s great to know that foodies do not have to trek all the way to Brighton Beach for “real deal” Russian eats these days.
Interior

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Villagio On The Park: An Italian With “A Little Something Extra”!

By: Anne M. Raso

I recently ventured out for dinner in Villagio On The Park (the former site of the longstanding Mickey Mantle's). In a chic spot with a view of Central Park, I expected small portions and outlandish prices but I got just the opposite. If you dig down-home Italian in giant portions that you can share (even though it's not a "family style" restaurant) and waiters that bring you "extras," you must try Villagio. It's the golden combination of quality AND quantity! The affable David Fuentes planned out what I was going to try (as opposed to letting me order) and I was very glad about it. I got some of his favorite dishes to try and a secret dessert that was not really on the menu that night! I loved the light airy feeling of the Villagio space--the floor to ceiling windows in front are open when the weather's nice, so diners have the choice of dining al fresco, "half in and half out" or totally indoors. Dozens of modern clear cube shaped lamps hang from the ceiling and the speckled marble modern bar has a clean, chic look.
Interior