champagne

Happy Mother’s Day

May 10, 2015 by sk

Baby dinegirl terror twins with our beautiful, patient, stylish, classy, award-winning-cook and all around super-mom and our golden-child older brother T.

As any twin can attest to, growing up you’re often referred to as “double trouble”, “handful”, “expensive”, and a laundry list of other negative compliments and stereotypes. (Eye roll here). I never quite understood why people would think having twins was that big of a deal. We are two people, how is it any different than any other sibling situation? Then I started thinking back to some of our tasmanian-devil twin specific moments. Screaming matches, destroying anything in our path as babies (victims included innocent barbie dolls to bedroom wallpaper), stealing our brother’s Halloween candy, elbow fighting during piano duets, getting our car’s wing-mirror clipped by a taxi on the way home from the club at 18 (and hiding it from our parents for a year)….Wow, mothers of twins everywhere deserve a gold medal!! And throughout it all, our memories are full of amazing birthday parties with homemade Sesame Street cakes, dinner parties, bbq’s, travel, and lots of laughter. The common thread to all the happiness, and inspiration for DineGirl has always been memories of great food. Where would any of us be without our wonderful mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and all the other amazing women in our lives to inspire us?

Mother’s day is Sunday May 11th. It’s not too late to order the flowers, make brunch and dinner arrangements and book a spa appointment for all the fabulous moms out there who truly deserve a small token of thanks!

In case you’re thinking beyond brunch and flowers, we stumbled across this fabulous weekend-getaway any mom would love! A luxurious food and wine experience in Napa Valley. Maybe dad can pick up the tab……

The Le Creuset Experience at Auberge Du Soleil

Le rêve (dream getaways)

February 17, 2015 by sk

fabulous travel attire from plumprettysugar.blogspot.com

A visit to any doctor right now would result in the following diagnosis: “you need to get out of town immediately for some Vitamin D and/ or mental break from this misery” (Misery meaning the horrible weather). And since the snowstorms have been occurring like clockwork on Thursday and Friday, why not escape from Wednesday and actually make it to your destination?

Doctor’s warning: while a quick getaway out west to LA can be enjoyable, the side affect is that it will only reinforce that tiny inner rage of jealousy that a city (or “city”) within the same country (same continent no less! the nerve!) would actually be spared of the misery here in New York. So in order to cure this illness, the only way out is via passport……

La plage

Yes the approach (by plane or sea) is near death, but when you arrive you are actually as close to heaven as heavenly possible on earth. St. Barth’s is magical and spectacular in every way – from the mix of unique beaches to unbelievable restaurants, sailing and other activities, fun (tax free!) shopping – there’s something for everyone here. Go with your most special people and come back floating on air.

Come for sunset cocktails and stay for dinner at Bonito St. Barths.

Le ski

The best part about skiing is the aprés ski! Plus there’s no-guilt factor because you’re encouraged to eat the extra calories. After all, going down the slopes requires serious energy. Megève is a beautiful ski resort in the French alps, originally a prime destination for the French aristocracy and luminaries alike. It’s also a foodie’s paradise with several Michelin-starred restaurants, amazing wine selections and not to mention killer views.

We recommend this spot, the newly opened La Face au Mont-Blanc.

City break: Paris

I mean, it’s Paris. Paris is fabulous even in the wintertime. Instead of staying in a hotel, rent an apartment and live like a local. Your days should consist of sitting in a café for at least 2 hours sipping hot chocolates or wine, strolls through the markets, and a naughty visit over to Chanel on Avenue Montaigne to do some damage to the credit card. After speaking to the bank that “yes you meant to buy that $$$”, enjoy some oysters and an aperitif with your beau at a small bistro such as Le bar à huitres.

Steeped rich in history, Lapérouse is the perfect spot to wear your new Chanel dress and sip vintage champagne followed by a fabulous meal. A true affair of your own to remember…..

A non-purgatory Valentine’s Day dinner party!

February 11, 2015 by sk

If you’ve behaved badly during the past year, you might end up in what’s commonly referred to as Valentine’s Day Purgatory. This is whereby you’re seated (promptly at 7:30pm, then kicked out at 9pm for the next truck load) to a three course pre-fixed airline food “tasting course” dinner. You also get the pleasure of being sandwiched in between other couples who bussed themselves in from the outer boroughs and use this one night as a make-or-break desperate meal. Dinner is usually some lame, overly dressed sad salad, followed by an overcooked filet mignon. Crappy service from waitresses who are in the midst of a private meltdown only exacerbates the pain. By the time the heart shaped molten chocolate lava cake arrives, you’ve probably already kicked your date to the curb. So after years of overly pressurized terrible Valentine’s Day dinners, we have concluded that this is the one night that you absolutely must NOT go out.

Coupled or not, it’s the perfect night to round up a gaggle of friends (preferably a mix of couples and singles) and throw a dinner party in the confines of your own home. Kicking them out at 9pm is optional.

Here’s a Valentine’s Day menu that’s been road tested with 150% success rate.

Starter: Avocado, grapefruit and arugula salad
Depending on how much you like your friends and the quality of the champagne they brought with them, you can add lobster to the salad. Simply dressed with a honey lemon vinaigrette, it is a great start to the meal.

Main: Beef Wellington
Beef Wellington (or the fancy French name – Filet de boeuf en croûte) is one of those uber romantic dinner dishes that you think should’ve died alongside duck à l’orange (pronounced in the nasal toned “or-AHHHNN-ge”) back in the 1970s, but it’s just so fabulous and amazing that your guests will be elevated to new heights. Perfectly paired with some fine vintage wines, be sure to dust off your finest china and crystal for this dinner. It’s truly worth it.

We recommend this recipe from Gordon Ramsay. It’s important to follow all the steps properly (dry pan for the mushrooms, chilling in the fridge) for the perfect results. Although not difficult, this is not a foolproof dish, and the little details make a huge difference.

The Game Plan
1). do the shopping / prep the day before
2). bake the cake the day before (but do not put the buttercream on until the day of)
3). set the table the night before
4). buy flowers for the table the morning of
5). chill all of the champagne, pull out wines. Decant Bordeaux the day of
6). decide on some simple canapés (store bought but beautifully presented)
7). work backwards and give yourself enough time to prep each step of the beef Wellington including chill time. Salad and veg can be prepped and finished right before serving
8). set out your outfit, make sure it’s wrinkle free / set aside some time to get ready

Just when your guests are saying that the dinner couldn’t get any better…. wow them with the most amazing chocolate layer cake!!! Ina’s cake is fool proof and a true classic. The perfect ending to the most commercial holiday of the year (besides all the other ones..)

When the champagne and wine are all finished, feel free to move on to a nice cognac which pairs nicely with your second slice of cake.

Little Treasures

November 12, 2014 by sk

What could be more Hollywood than vintage champagne coupes? For this reason DineGirl is obsessed! Sure, we do love the special Krug glasses made especially for sipping Krug, but there’s something timeless, chic and elegant when you bring out these vintage treasures. It’s like an homage to the past…. Hemingway, Gable, Dietrich, Bacall. Ultimate glamour.

1. Vintage etched champagne coupes from Etsy, 2. Rosy-Cheeked coupes, 3. Vintage glasses with gold dots

Vintage champagne coupes should have a permanent spot on everyone’s bar cart. They are surprisingly affordable as well! With the extra money saved, definitely splurge on the good stuff. (champagne of course, none of that ‘sparkling wine’ stuff here…) Bottoms up!

We recommend these vintages:
Krug Vintage 2003 or Krug Rosé
Dom Pérignon 2002 Magnum
Ruinart Blanc de blancs 2004
Louis Roederer Cristal 2006

Narcissa

September 22, 2014 by mk

We love André Balaz’s hotels. The Standards, Sunset Beach, and our fav — Chateau Marmont. All are uniquely chic, cozy, and anything but boring. There’s also that sense that something dangerous and illicit is percolating under the surface, which adds to the allure. Case in point when The Standard Meatpacking caused a huge ruckus with all the bonking brouhaha. You would think this wouldn’t have been such a big deal given the area’s scuzzy past, but I guess our beloved city has indeed evolved. Sigh… But an amazingly fabulous and tasty dining out scene is the silver lining to New York’s Puritanification.

On the Bowery looking north toward East Fifth Street—now the Standard East Village. Photograph by Brian Rose

Newcomer The Standard East hotel has settled in nicely on the Bowery, which has also (mostly) bid adieu to its gritty past. The hotel’s fabulous restaurant Narcissa is beautiful both on the inside and out. The garden is especially fabulous for summer into the best time of year which is now. There’s nothing better than a New York City fall. The front bar is perfect for a post-work cocktail or a casual (hopefully boozy) brunch with a friends, or even a lazy latte if you’re actually staying in the hotel. We managed to pull some strings and get an outside table for 8 in the garden, which was secluded and special. Highly recommend trying to snag this coveted table.

Onto the actual food…

Special tomato salad was incredible, as was the chicken for two (highlight). Also amazing was the steamed bass in aromatic French curry broth. Everything tasted fresh and unfussy, showcasing the quality of the farm fresh produce.

Our crew ended up camping out for a 4.5 hour dinner (partially due to the comfort of the lovely table) which was an amazing experience, washed down with several bottles of vino. Narcissa is a great all around spot and will be a new fixture for the neighborhood.

Narcissa
21 Cooper Square (5th Street and Bowery)
New York NY
t. 212 228 3344

champagne

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