Category: Lifestyle

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My first Jewish Christmas

This Christmas we celebrated the family Christmas as they do in Eastern Europe and the Dominican Republic – on Christmas Eve – and reserved the 25th for my first Jewish Christmas! Honoring my 1/16th heritage, I made an early start to the new year with a new experience. Never had I realized that the burgeoning non-Christian population doesn’t just hunker down for indoor hibernation during other religious holidays: they keep NYC the City that never sleeps!

We started at Katz’s famous deli, best known for the filming of When Harry Met Sally, commemorated by a sign that reads “I hope you have what she had!” dangling above their table. The line was non-stop, but we lucked out with seating within 5 minutes of arrival, between the breakfast and lunch waves. Their pastrami never disappoints.

Katz's deli is always hopping from counter end to counter end

Katz’s deli is always hopping from counter end to counter end

Next we hopped a cab to Herald Square to catch a movie. The Greatest Showman was indeed the greatest show! From there we were a short walk from the new 7 stop on 34th Street, which took us straight to Flushing for some epic dim sum. There were enough people out that I had to navigate the sidewalks midtown style. Our restaurant had the typical buzz of a Chinese restaurant, with green tea flowing and rapid service keeping the traffic moving. After a 15 minute wait, we were seated and ready for some duck, scallion pancakes, pork dumplings, and other deliciousness. Many belly-fulls later we contemplated whether to double down on more movies and food. The group split in two then, half for the Transit Museum exhibition in Grand Central and half for home and hot cocoa. Much like Friendsgiving, we were filled with warmth from a grateful day – and the repeated cold-to-warm transition that marks the start of winter!

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Big data for local pizza

I first read about Slice last summer and their impressive registry of 7,000+ pizzerias, banding together to take on mass-produced monsters like Pizza Hut, one pepperoni pie order at a time. I guess as a New Yorker, with a pizzaria every block or two, I never thought it too inconvenient to hop on the phone and dial in an order. But I have been troubled at the sights in smaller cities where people default to *shiver* Dominos… and like it! I want to preach to my peers “No, it’s not real pizza!” And Slice CEO Sela’s heart went out to the local shops that just don’t know how to throw up a good website. He’s incentivizing loyalty and sharing customer data with the mamas and papas outside of Papa John’s. Pizza for the people. I dig it.

Love for the local pizzaria

Love for the local pizzaria

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An addendum to Christmas tree arbitrage

Last holiday season I followed the pine needle trail to find different Christmas tree pricing from block to block. The good news: there are still arbitrage opportunities! The bad news: average prices are up by 50%. Supplies are short, so don’t throw too much shade at the tree farmer hustle, they want to buy Christmas gifts too. I’ve seen some excellent minimalist millennial tree substitutes as well, exemplar below.

Book tree - and there were books to spare! A true thespian's West Village nook. Book tree – and there were books to spare! A true thespian’s West Village nook.

So cozy up with your book tree, pine tree, or just the Captain Morgan’s spiced rum, and remember that it doesn’t have to be pricey to be festive.

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Positive Cyc-ology: Peloton and the cultural sweep towards Positive Psych

Peloton seems to be rolling into every media stream from the Tim Ferriss podcast to TV ads to Classpass – so of course I had to give it a whirl. And what I found was not just the club vibe of Soul Cycle but the positive psychology messaging that has permeated our media even more than their marketing.  “Leave everything else outside and bring your best” was my instructor’s charge early in our session.

It reminded me of my first Daybreaker, where the MC told us “love yourself… and let your hips go. Love yourself…and let your hips go.”

Daybreaker NYC - bringing the good vibes to your day Daybreaker NYC – bringing the good vibes to your day

In these days of social comparison via Instagram and Facebook, there’s a parallel movement in academia, non-profits, and now businesses to remind people that self actualization cannot be sourced from external affirmation. I kinda dig it – marketing that is catchy and urging on a better you rather than a needier you. I can’t say I’m going to give up my precious NYC apartment real estate for a Peloton bike (think about the opportunity cost per square foot!) But live classes, that I am up for. Preach on Peloton!

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It’s hot cocoa time!

Nature has flipped the switch from 70F to 40F – which means it is high time for hot drinks! I do regret that mulled wine isn’t an American winter staple, although Hot Toddies are a decent substitute. But if it’s too early in the week or day for that, there’s nothing more pleasing that a hot cup of cocoa. And if you’re an east coaster who has discovered Ghiradelli Hot Cocoa, there really is no substitute. But the grand question of several years ago is, what happened to their distribution? Why did Stop & Shop stop carrying it? Did it not sell as well as Nesquik? Were the comparative margins of chocolate bars so much better that grocers changed their SKU strategy? I do grant that a package of hot cocoa takes up a lot more shelf space. Thankfully as with all even moderately niche products, e-commerce has filled the gap. And the everything store (a.k.a. Amazon) sells it in bulk. Thanks, Amazon, for filling my cup!



Ghirardelli Hot Cocoa, Premium Indulgence, 1.5-Ounce Envelopes, 15-Count

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Five favorite robots of 2017

We all know that the robots are coming – in fact, they’re here! From self-driving cars to Alexa, they both take our jobs and improve our lives. Right now we’re in the honeymoon phase where the former situation has not upended New York, so I will share my favorite robots for their success in the latter – incremental conveniences to our busy modern lives. I use the term robot loosely to include technologies that reduce labor.

Most stress-relieving robot: Dyson 360 Eye Robot Vacuum

Dyson has far outdone the Roomba with its 360 Eye Robot Vacuum, with its efficient floor coverage and app controlled system. I come home to a spick and span house every day, even when I was dog sitting a cute but sheddy dog. And you get to name it in the app 🙂


DYSON 360 EYE RB01NB Vacuum Cleaner – International Version (Japan)

Most predicted robot: Amazon drone delivery

In their continue quest to own all things logistics, Amazon has already got the downstream operations nailed with their patented drone friendly shipping labels. While drone delivery may sound over the top, it is undeniably uneconomical and slow to ship to a number of rural parts of the U.S. – so this will be a step towards better connecting all parts of the world to modern convenience.

Most user-centric designed ‘robot’: Google/Levi’s ‘smart’ jean jacket

Google and Levi’s have developed a new commuter jacket that integrates with your phone. While you might initially question the utility of talking to your jacket, if you’ve ever been a Citibike commuter trapped listening to a boring podcast, the swipe functionality on this could be a real boost to your West Side Highway bike path experience. Kudos to Google and Levis for rising above the fray (see what I did there 😉

Most societally enhancing ‘robot’: driver’s ed VR

Imagine if teens could log 50 or 100 hours of challenging driving experiences before ever hitting the road. Aceable’s got our budding teen drivers covered with their VR drivers education platform. I’m not sure if that will help their insurance premiums, but it will definitely help the rest of the drivers on the road!

Cutest robot: TeleRetail driverless delivery

If my driverless delivery vehicles look like the unimposing TeleRetail, then please do send! Only in Switzerland now, and perhaps no match for SUV owning Americans sharing the road, but we can hope.

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One Shoe to Rule them All

We’ve all had to face up to the moment when our favorite pair of shoes is no longer wearable and, worse yet, is out of production. What if we had a way to extend shoe life? Well Mime et moi has cracked that nut with their interchangeable heels!

Options are endless, from funky to functional for the same flexible sole. Options are endless, from funky to functional for the same flexible sole.

This solves sooo many challenges: the day to night, client to off site, and general space constraints of a small urban apartment. Magnifico!

The German fanbase clearly feels the same way - look how happy this lady is! The German fanbase clearly feels the same way – look how happy this lady is!

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You’ve been Cronutted

Being (admittedly) one step behind the foodie trend, I was mightily pleased when I came across an Upper West Side food fair with a bold banner announcing “CRONUTS”, the flakey croissant-like donuts that somehow seem to come up in every weekend conversation with my hard-core foodie friends.

I picked out a juicy Nutella and creamy coconut pair and glanced at the name “Jolie’s” in small print in the corner of the banner, not thinking much of it…only to learn upon presenting my +1 with his trophy donut that I’d been duped by a copy cat! Well, I was still really excited to eat the donut, so I actually didn’t feel that bad. But I was certain that such a catchy name had to be trade marked, lest other chefs take advantage of the hard won innovation. While Wikipedia says “yes”, the NYC bakery market says, “You think a patent and trade-mark can stop us?” While no big players have been so brazen as to steal the exact name, nothing else is sacred. Yes, D&D is in on the action.

So how does that make all the entrepreneurs feel about where their blood, sweat and tears are going? Eh, it’s par for the course really. Did you hear about the lady that invented these now ubiquitous spinners? That’s right, no, because Chinese-built knock-offs flooded the market once her patent expired. In the land where IP is thought to be sacred, you may not always be much better off. But on the upside, for us consumers, more donuts of 80% the quality!

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Meeting you at your level: NYC Sandwich Board Marketing

My eyes tilted downward at my phone as I traverse the streets of Manhattan, sandwich boards turn out to be perfect marketing height! Like a good PowerPoint presentation, the best boards are not text heavy, and speak without words.

Any given hole in the wall can punch above its weight with an emotive graphic promising a delicious sensory experience.

Let’s be real, even the trendy little spots might barely be making rent, so no need to splash out on a fancy awning that only gets weather-worn. Keep it fresh, keep it innovative, and keep it at iPhone level 🙂

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Sharing is Caring: The Waitstaff Workaround at Westville

Here’s a familiar picture for a Saturday brunch: You sit down to an assigned waiter that scurries off with your drink order before you can follow up with your food request. Fifteen minutes later you make your claim to Eggs Benedict but forget the side of muffins you’d wanted to add. You flag down the nearest waiter who, instead of punching in your order, says he’ll find your assigned waiter to help you. Then once you’ve eaten, you tap your fingers for ten minutes until your waiter notices you again and brings the bill.

Not in one special establishment. There is a place where the waiters, servers and buss boys all tag team seamlessly, and with their powers combined, they are Westville! What inspired Westville to be different and, in fact, much more efficient and service-oriented than the average restaurant? My theory is fairness.

Many of you may not be aware of the crazy NY rule that precludes tip sharing with the cook staff. What Westville seems to have done is take tip pooling to the next level and leverage a clever loophole in the policy by making the cook staff also the bussers. So your food comes out super snappy, and the back of house doesn’t get shafted on pay. And since all the tips are pooled, waiters are motivated to help you quickly to maximize client flow rather than their individual tip at a given table. This model is perfect for mildly impatient New Yorkers! 

NY is by no means unique in its bias against kitchen staff. And many Americans have unfortunately been conditioned to think in fuzzy accounting terms and, thus, to prefer a tipping system that fools them into buying based on sticker prices rather than final prices. But other restauranteurs, like the famed Danny Meyer, have made a smashing success of no tipping: his flagship no-tipping restaurant The Modern has been flooded with both diners and staff applications since the pronouncement, and the rollout is scheduled to continue across his various hospitality locations. You can’t put a price on a genuinely friendly waiter interaction, not fueled by hopes of remuneration.