I Heart You….Punta del Este, Uruguay!

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Truly Julie

Truly Julie high on life in front of the famous La Mano sculpture on Brava Beach! screen-shot-2012-04-15-at-10-54-37-am Punta del Este is 5-stars!!! Or more like 5-fingers…given the obsession I have with the La Mano sculpture on Brava Beach. Punta is Argentina’s version of the Hamptons. From
screen-shot-2012-04-15-at-11-03-48-am January through March…Argentinians pour into this little Uruguayan beach town for some posh yet rustic fun in the sun. My sister Grace and I went late March…so we missed the sceney peak season…but we were totally OK with that because we got to meet really cool locals; and there was no reservation stress for restaurants and popular activities. Speaking of…it was activity galore in Punta. From riding a thorough bred palomino on a secluded beach like she’s my “Seabiscuit”…wine tasting on a charming
screen-shot-2012-04-15-at-11-28-52-am vineyard…visiting an island carpeted with seals…taking in the architectural marvel of Casapueblo…Punta del Este definitely lived up to if not surpassed its hype. We also explored the quaint surfer town of Jose Ignacio. While Punta at times has a hint of Miami…Jose Ignacio is rustic and unpretentious like Montauk. But in a splendid contradiction…Grace and I discovered the most futuristic hotel in Jose Ignacio. Playa Vik is a property that looks like something from the year 3000. It only has 7 or so “rooms” (which are more like mini-townhouses)…and every inch of this place rivals the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). Every painting…sculpture…furniture piece…tile in the bathroom…fork…is a conversation piece. We discovered Playa Vik as well as the Alto de Ballena Vineyard and Haras Godiva Horse Ranch through the one and only, Ryan Hamilton. I now call him “mi hermano”…simply because his warmth…genuine spirit…and dedication to show us all that Punta has to offer was soooooo “family”. Ryan runs The Wine Experience…and folks…I will not steer you wrong: this is a must-do. With a population of just over 3 million…and one of the lowest crime rates…and so much natural beauty…Uruguay is an absolute South American gem. I hope you get to see some of its sparkle through my picture gallery.

[Show as slideshow]

Don’t Cry for me Argentina….The Truth is I had the BEST TIME EVER!

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Truly Julie

Truly Julie in front of Floralis Genérica in Buenos Aires. The flower closes shut at night! screen-shot-2012-04-10-at-9-36-23-am

It’s important to stop and smell the flowers…especially if it’s a gargantuan metal one that moves:) I’m in the business of words/communicating…and yet…I’m having a hard time accurately describing the magic of Buenos Aires. Yes…as you’ve heard…it’s the perfect blend of Europe meets Latin America. But…it’s so much more! To me…BA is eating steak so tender that the server cuts it in half with a spoon (seriously!)…drinking buckets of velvety Malbec…tangoing till 3AM…hitting a beach rave till 6AM (only to have my new Argentinian friends boo me for leaving so early)…admiring the ridiculously good looking people everywhere (holy gene pool jackpot!)…and having men be so generous with their compliments that for a split second I thought I was _____ (insert celebrity crush of choice). I mean…the only downside to the constant praising and fawning is that once you return to the States…you feel like chopped liver. Every inch of BA is brimming with color. The plethora of graffitied walls are electric and beautiful in that pop art, urban way…you feel the
vibrance of people REALLY enjoying their life as you see the whole family including grandparents and toddlers enjoying 3-hour dinners that linger past midnight (it’s so bizarre seeing 2 year olds with pacifiers hanging out that late!). And the fashion among the younger crowd is a resurgence of the 80′s/early 90′s (think Depeche Mode/Cure/Erasure)…so lots of home haircuts (never seen so many crooked bangs…and asymmetric cuts since middle school!). And really…even if BA wasn’t 5-stars, I still would’ve had a good time because as the saying goes: it’s not where you go…but who you’re with. I got to experience this charming, passionate, gritty city with my sister Grace...who is just as ambitious as I am about vacationing right. We woke up each day with one goal in mind: how are we going to have the best time ever! And for 8 days…we did just that! I’ll always look back on my 4 days in BA and 4 days in Punta del Este, Uruguay in the fondest light. I’ll fill you in on Punta in a little bit but in the meantime…please enjoy the picture gallery of BA and my list of recommendations. You only live once…but if you do it right…you only need once. –Mae West

1) Stay in the Palermo neighborhood. It’s the “Soho” of BA with lots of cute cafes (my fav, Cafe Oui Oui, is in the pic gallery), boutiques, yummy eats, and a nice mix of bars/lounges/clubs. I stayed at the Palermo Place Hotel and loved it! The girls that work the desk…Florentina and Leticia are awesome.

2) Visit the La Recoleta cemetery and you’ll wish you were dead:) Yes, this is where Evita along with the who’s who of Argentina are buried. You’ll be amazed by the stunning grave stones that are more like mini-mansions. I charmed a grave keeper to let me take a peak
inside one of them and it was three stories…with a marble spiral staircase. I’m ALIVE and dreaming of a space like that! The Recoleta is a stone’s throw from the Floralis Generica sculpture (the petals close shut at night…and re-blossoms in the AM…so cool!) and it’s also walking distance from my new favorite shoe store, Comme il Faut. They have a terrible website, but an amazing BA store. You walk into a beautiful empty room…the women take one look at your feet and know your size and shape..then they just start rolling out 30 or so pairs. Proof of serious credit card damage in pic gallery. You should try to bang out these three together to be efficient.

3) Stroll along Casa Rosada/Puerto Madero. This pink house is the Argentinian White
House. You’ll see the famous ledge where Evita (AKA Eva Peron) graced her people. I highly recommend you see it at night when it’s lit in pink lights. Much more dramatic. Right after…you can take a short cab ride to Puerto Madero. Gorgeous pier area with a cool needle sculpture and an old ship.

4) Feast at Parrilla La Cabrera. Best. Steak. Ever.

5) And I save the best for last….La Viruta tango club. The cafeteria-like space was an eyesore at first…but once they dimmed the lights…fired up the tango music…I was swept away. Literally and figuratively. This place was packed with local gentlemen who had enough tango swagger to make any rag doll seem like she knew what she was doing (i.e. me!). The early portion of the evening is a free tango lesson…fyi. I will cherish this night for as long as I live.

[Show as slideshow]

Truly Julie: A Proud New Yorker!

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Truly Julie

I’m back! Sorry for the pause in posts lately, but I was in Uruguay/Argentina for 8 days. I will definitely be sharing pics and stories from the trip soon so stay tuned. In the meantime…grab the April issue of New York Resident or checkout www.Resident.com…you may see a familiar face there:)

Knicks and Kimchi? Linsanity and Ladies? Truly Julie Breaks Down the Unique Pairings at MSG

Posted on March 24, 2012 by Truly Julie

Truly Julie and her nephew rocking Lin shirts!
My four-year-old nephew Odin may be pint size but he’s a HUGE Knicks fan. He can name the entire starting lineup! Come on…be impressed… Amare Stoudemire isn’t an easy name. I had the pleasure of taking Odin and my brother-in-law Ben to a recent game. WOW. This was my first visit to MSG since the renovation…and my first Knicks game post Linsanity. I couldn’t believe my eyes…or more like my taste buds. All around the 6th floor are gourmet food options…fancy cupcakes…popular BBQ chains…sushi, etc! The “Simply Chicken” stand brought to you by none other than Chef extraordinaire Jean George Vongerichten caught my eye. I had the chicken hotdog with kim chee kraut (love the Korean influence on an American classic)…and the chilled sesame noodles. Check out the picture gallery below for the food scene! Also new to MSG and the Knicks…middle aged Asian women. I have never seen so many ladies passionately watching basketball. Bravo to Jeremy Lin for making the game of basketball more inclusive and diverse! I also got to witness my colleague Tina Cervasio in action. She fills-in for sports on Good Day New York every now and then…but her full time gig is to report from the sidelines of every Knicks game. She’s an absolute asset to the team…and it’s always inspiring to see a woman thrive in a field that has been dominated by men for so long. Tina always brings her A-game…and lucky for us…so did the Knicks that night. Knicks: 106 Raptors: 87. Jeremy Lin: 18 points and 10 assists!!!

[Show as slideshow]

Bring it Boston!

Posted on March 4, 2012 by Truly Julie

Truly Julie shopping on the iconic Newbury Street in Boston.During my recent trip to Cambridge…I took a 15 minute cab ride into the heart of Boston. Newbury Street is to Boston…what Rodeo Drive is to Los Angeles…and Madison Avenue is to New York. Except here…all the stores are inside cute little brownstones. So even if you are walking into a Zara or a CVS for that matter…you feel like you’re shopping at a boutique. And thanks to my friend Eric Weinstein…I also ventured out to the southern burbs…right along the coast to the well manicured town of Hingham. Eric (on the right of me) and Johnny Alves (on the left of me) are the real life inspirations behind the characters “E” and “Drama” respectively on HBO’s Entourage. So yes…they’ve been BFF with Mark Wahlberg forever. Mark’s brother, Paul Wahlberg, is a talented chef…and is now the proud owner of Alma Nove and Wahlburgers. I had the absolute pleasure of dining at Alma Nove…and I kid you not…the best sword fish ever! I almost passed out after the first bite…I had no idea sword fish could be that meaty yet fluffy at the same time. The little neck clams were also divine…as well as the homemade wild boar ravioli. Get ready to salivate when you check out the picture gallery below! Oh…and the service was so exceptional that I felt like…well…part of the Wahlberg entourage!

[Show as slideshow]

Spice it up for Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Truly Julie

Truly Julie hoping to spice it up at The Brooklyn Kitchen.
I’ll admit it. My kitchen skills have become emaciated throughout my years of being a Manhattan working girl. Yes…I’m that girl that houses closet items in her oven. I have plenty of excuses….I live in SOHO where every other door is a yummy restaurant…there’s no legit grocery store…it’s not time nor cost effective when you’re cooking for one…etc. But this Valentine’s day…I’m going to try to make an effort to love myself and those dear to me by cooking more (well… honestly…cooking period!). Eating out all the time is not healthy…and cooking is a life skill that brings people together. And now you can make learning to cook a hot date! The Brooklyn Kitchen which sits right at the border of Williamsburg and Greenpoint has cooking classes 7 days a week (special couples’ themed cooking classes on Valentine’s day). And since it’s a storefront as well…you can grab many of your necessities right there. I got this idea from HowAboutWe.com…a dating site that focuses on unique experiences rather than algorithms. I grew up in a house where my mom cooked amazing meals multiple times a day…so I’ve always equated preparing a meal for someone as the ultimate act of endearment. I hope this post marinates with you enough to go sweat over the oven! Who needs cupid when you can be the chef spreading the love!

Happy Lunar New Year!

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Truly Julie

Truly Julie with stylist and friend Niki Hall at Chinatown Brasserie! It’s the year of the Dragon…so let out your ROOOOOOAR! Perhaps simplifying life as opposed to piling things on will light our inner fire versus smother. I heard this straightforward yet profound blurb through a friend…(diagram also provided):)

**Photo Cred: Grace Sun

Truly Julie’s Winter Winners

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Truly Julie

NYC got its first dose of snow this weekend! Maybe it’s the Michigan girl in me…but there are quite a few things I love about winter. Well…first and foremost…it gives me hope that not all polar bears are drowning in the arctic. Plus…there are fun…delicious ways to beat the winter blues. Here are my “ups” when the mercury goes down.

1)Moon Boots! If I could wear these everyday…I would. They’re like walking on pillows…plus…they have super grips on the bottom so you don’t slip. Sure…you look like you’re 5-years-old waiting for the school bus…or a hardcore Napoleon Dynamite fan…but I guarantee you will be the only one not complaining about cold feet!

2)Korean soups! On your left is Sam Gae Tang (whole chicken ginseng soup) at Arirang Restaurant in Koreatown. On the right is Yuk Gae Jang (spicy beef stew) from Kang Suh.

3)Infinity scarfs and fun hats! Fashion Front: Grace Sun cashmere infinity scarf, Saks Fifth Avenue cashmere hat.

4)Indoor hobbies. I’m obsessed with playing my guitar…and if there’s ever a drum set within 50 yard radius…I’m there. Superhero Arts & Crafts with my nephew is always entertaining. Oh…I also love to knit! so I hit the yarn store Purl in Soho and have my mom…a knitting genius…help me with my projects…i.e. my white hat with the fun grey pom-pom.

Yo…only in Tokyo!

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Truly Julie

Truly Julie with some trendy Tokyo natives….striking the ultimate Asian pose. screen-shot-2012-01-07-at-7-28-56-pm Last year while I was visiting Korea…I decided on a whim to go to Tokyo by myself. It’s only an hour flight from Seoul…so why not?! I stayed in the hip Shinjuku area where girls with dyed blond hair and those oversized-Lady-Gaga-esque contact lens wobbled around in their sky-high heels. Japan is the ultimate juxtaposition of tradition and modernity. And most of all it’s so extreme. If someone decides on a look or style…they go the full nine yards. If you’re going to be a Harajuku girl..then doggone it…you’re going to be most colorful…Fleetwood Mac meets Gwen Stefani meets Hello Kitty…bombshell. If you’re going for the rasta look..then you will stick a wad a gum into that slippery Asian hair and tangle it into a dreadlock somehow. Every time I visit Japan…I come back inspired beyond measure. I just feel like they do everything with such conviction. And my golly…the cleanliness of the entire country. You could…and I would…eat off their subway tracks. Check out my photo gallery below and enjoy your vicarious trip to Tokyo. Arigato!

[Show as slideshow]

Farm-to-Table Dim Sum?! Brilliant!

Posted on January 3, 2012 by Truly Julie

My family does not play around when it comes to food. In fact…in the Korean language…there’s no direct translation for…”How are you?”. So often times…people will ask…”What did you eat today?”. I guess it’s because being able to eat well and enjoy good food is a sign of health. Up until my dad passed away…the first words out of his mouth when he called me were…”Did you eat today..and was it yummy?” I love that. My family and I recently enjoyed an AMAZING dim sum (which is Chinese brunch) at Red Farm. The above left picture is there delish pork buns. Red Farm is not your cornstarch gelatin…super greasy Chinese food. It’s farm-to-table so the ingredients are organic and fresh…and they don’t drown it in oil so you can actually taste the freshness. My personal favorite was the pork belly rice noodle salad here on the right. The ambiance of the West Village eatery is quite charming…farm accoutrements hanging here and there…plants in mixed matched pots…lanterns hanging on a wire…very charming. But the best part is the food! Starting top left, clockwise: Katz’s pastrami egg roll. I know…waaaaaaat. They also have several different kinds of dumplings on the menu including crispy duck and lobster. My mom pulled a rookie move with the soupy dumpling. You’re supposed to gently place in spoon and eat it in one bite so you get the sealed-in soup broth in your mouth…not on your plate. Oops. And last but not least, my family too busy pigging out to give me a decent picture:) To their health!