The General

EMM Group, the people behind Catch and Tenjune, just opened their new spot The General last week.  Talk about getting the word out - I got emails about the opening from all sorts of sites such as Urbandaddy, Eater, and Thrillist.  All right all right, let's give it a go then shall we?

One of my dining compadres called earlier in the week to make a reservation for 4 people for Friday night.  We were told that only 6:30pm and 9:30pm were open.  Ok...looks like we're gonna have to go with 6:30pm on this one.  Late dinner reservations on a Friday really means an ugly Saturday morning so yes, lets eat first before kicking off any kind of Friday night festivities.  (Although, after we finished up and were leaving a bunch of tables were still open and available.  I will never know how these things work...)

Upon arrival, I was amazed at how big the space was.  There's a huge bar area up front with lots of tables and a decently sized dining room in the back.  The General had bold wall paper, funky lights, and modern chairs which added to the fun and super lush feel of the place. 

Given all the space and the scarcity of people rushing for 6:30pm dinner (just me huh?), I was surprised when the hostess tried to seat us right on top of the only other table seated.  No exaggeration, the chair of one of the girls at the other table was touching the chair at our table.  When we asked to be placed in any of the other 296 remaining seats, I was even MORE surprised when we were given push-back and left standing (!!).

Le Parisien

Last summer, as I headed to Cask Bar + Kitchen, I passed by the cutest restaurant front:

Le Parisien just exuded such a feeling that, for a moment, I got that "I'm not in NYC but in Europe" feeling.  As I walked passed and peeked into the window, I saw such a warm and cozy space that I immediately took this picture so that I could add it to my "to-try" list.  Fast forward a couple months, and I've finally managed to have a meal at Le Parisien! 

I'm embarrassed to admit that on the day of dinner, I was 30 minutes late to meeting my friend (for those of you who know me, I institute a strict 15-min rule).  However, the hostess at Le Parisien still sat my dining compadre before I arrived.  I love that - most restaurants in NYC won't even take your name unless everyone in your group has arrived!

The inside of Le Parisien is charming and filled with various knickknacks and pictures.  There is a small bar area with wine bottles sectioned off by labels written in chalk.  Really added to the charm of the restaurant! 

Wine selection with labels written in chalk (love!)

Inside of Le Parisien - never an empty table the whole time we were there!

Knickknacks, barrels, interesting wall decorations added to Le Parisien's charm

Rye

Hello Fellow Piggys!  It's been a while hasn't it?  So much has happened since I last posted, but the biggest of all is that it's now 2013!  Happy New Year!

I took some time to reflect on my 2012 and it was definitely quite a year for me:
- there was a break-up, a make-up, and a break-up again
- a best friend moved away, a best friend moved back
- I took plane rides to Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Las Vegas, Arkansas, Los Angeles and San Diego
- Sandy reminded us of our vulnerability
- I parted ways with my crackberry and finally got a fully functional smartphone (luuuuurv my S3!)
- and most importantly, I realized I almost let go of a dream

That realization was a hard one for me to swallow.  And so I didn't swallow it.  I decided to pursue it and here we are folks - its happening!  I know I'm being vague, but I will have explanations later.  For now, I'm only looking forward to what 2013 will be.  And what better way to kick it off on this blog than with a post!

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Rye in Williamsburg.  This restaurant has been on Piggy KL's and my list for a while now and we finally had the chance to scope it out!  A quick ride on the L train and a dark yet brisk walk from the Bedford station transported us to the Rye dining room.

We arrived around 6:30pm on a weekday and there were plenty of tables available, but by the time we left around 8pm it was definitely a scene!  They don't take reservations, but I believe you can call ahead and put your name down on the wait list on busy nights.

The menu was a simple one but it still offered something for everyone: