Round-up: Downtown Manhattan

Here is a round-up for this week's Wall Street (and general downtown Manhattan) news.

Nightlife: In light of the Financial District's growing liveliness and recent rise to popularity, FiDiDigs.com reports the first sign of homosexual nightlife arriving on the scene.

Policy: A new law prohibits tourists from buying knockoff designer handbags by imposing a $1,000 fine and possibly one year in jail.

Crime: Last week's alleged subway pen stabber, Coroberto Cordero, has been indicted for assault and possession of a weapon and marijuana.

Cat: The beloved cat who mysteriously washed ashore on Governors Island has already started building its brand — through several spoof Twitter accounts, such as the pun-loving @GovsIslandCat.

Dining: Top baristas and bartenders from all over downtown will be teaming up this week for a coffee cocktail contest, the winner of which will receive a $1,000 cash prize.

Wedding: DNAinfo.com provides a list of its favorite spots downtown, from which one can witness the royal wedding.

ELLE Encounter: Jordin Sparks

Two nights ago, American Idol winner and In the Heights star Jordin Sparks, attended a private media breakfast to discuss the launch of her first-ever fragrance, ‘Because of You.’

Sparks posed proudly with her new fragrance.

The starlet showed up to a loft up on the 25^th floor of New York’s Bryant Park Hotel, donning a hot pink, one-shoulder satin dress and strappy black stiletto heels. Over breakfast with guests, she touched upon a range of topics, from her favorite beauty buys and her obsessive hygienic tendencies, to living in New York City and performing on Broadway.

'Because of You' is a smooth, sweet and floral scent.

‘Because of You’ opens on notes of clementine, white imperial currant and orange blossom, while the base notes are vanilla bean, sheer musks, Baltic amber and blond woods. Also featured in the perfume are traces of nectarine, sharry baby orchid, and coral charm peony.

Sparks said she named the scent in honor of her fans. She also hopes to launch a new unisex fragrance and cologne.

As for her most beloved beauty picks, Sparks listed Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate, MAC Lip Glass Lip Gelée, and Ouidad hair products among her current favorites.

And what mascara did she wear? Sparks opts for false lashes instead.

“I love them,” she said. “I think these are Red Cherry, but usually I just go to CVS or Walgreen’s and buy the $3 lashes they have there.”

After a few more minutes of shoptalk, she switched gears to chat about her musical In the Heights.

“I kind of didn’t really think about doing a show eight times a week,” she sighed. “I just thought, ‘No problem! It’s fine.’ But it is kicking my butt. It’s definitely insane but it’s been so much fun.”

Despite being so used to the spotlight, Sparks said that when it came to seeing herself on TV, she shied away at every opportunity.

“I freak out. I have such a hard time watching myself,” she said. “It comes on and I’m just like, ‘Why am I making that face?’ I still have a hard time, even with music videos and stuff.”

Growing up in Arizona, the songstress never thought she would live in New York City.

“I’m from Arizona so I’m used to wide open spaces, mountains, deserts, and then I came here and it was just like overload. So it’s definitely been different,” she said. “I’m still learning about trains and subways and all that.”

On her time spent on American Idol, she reminisces, “It literally changed my life,” she said. “It took me by the heels and emptied out all my pockets and everything I knew. I don’t know that I would be where I am right now without it. I just don’t know that I would be on this level yet.”

When asked if she still kept in touch with anyone from the show, Sparks said she still hung out with several producers and contestants, including Melinda Doolittle, Chris Richardson, Sanjaya Malakar, Blake Lewis, and Phil Stacey.

‘Because of You’ will be priced at $9.50 during the first month of its launch at Dots and will cost up to $14.95 at Target in November.

Ana Mandara

Of all the places to dine in San Francisco, Ana Mandara is without a doubt my favorite. Found right on Ghirardelli Square, the restaurant is literally a five-minute walk away from where we stay at Fairmont. An upscale dining spot, the cuisine there comprises mostly modern Vietnamese dishes — all mouth-watering and exotic. But what I really love about the place is the ambiance and the decor ... and, of course, the dessert.

The Cham Bar at Ana Mandara

Here's a little excerpt from the SF Chronicle: "The 170-seat dining room resembles the lush courtyard of a colonial plantation. A large stone-like entrance looks as if it could lead to the main house, but actually leads upstairs to a 70-seat bar that features live jazz Thursday through Saturday. Theatrical lighting adds a romantic glow."

Romantic, indeed. The main room glows with the soft pink and orange hues of tall, lotus-shaped lamps. The whole place reminds me of an elegant courtyard supposedly reminiscent of the lavish islands of South Vietnam. The name itself, Ana Mandara, means "beautiful refuge" and is based on an ancient Vietnamese tale of two star-crossed young lovers who were doomed to be apart. Like the ancient Southeastern Romeo and Juliet, I suppose. And to top it off, every dish on the menu is poetically named — from Whispering Waves to Fragrances of the Forest. From Dreams of Sea and Fire to Delightful Dew Drops and Paradise Found. My favorite dish at the moment is something called Ocean of Dreams — a platter of mesquite-grilled skewered prawns, Thai basil and garlic marinade, and garlic noodles with special house sauce. Quite ethereal and simply delicious.

And as for the dessert? Chocolate lava cake. The most delectable, sensational — if I may be so bold, "orgasmic" — chocolate cake on earth. And it's usually served with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, giving it that perfect balance of hot and cold. The kind that just melts in your mouth.

Mmm...

So if you're ever in the city on a nice evening out and feel like indulging in the delights of a savory pan-Asian experience...

I recommend you give this ethereal eatery a try.

On a side note, the restaurant is also co-owned by actors Don Johnson and Cheech Marin.

In the City of Chocolate and Fog

Welcome to the land of Ghirardelli chocolate.

Over the weekend of July 10, we spent five days in Ghirardelli Square — one of San Francisco's main touristy hot spots and the capital of Ghirardelli chocolate! My family owns a fractional there, which is supposed to be something like a timeshare, where we have to fulfill a quota of staying there for 21 days each year. At first, I thought it was a bit strange and impractical — why not purchase a vacation home some place farther away? A tropical island, perhaps? At least somewhere that would take us over a one-hour car ride to get to.

The original Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop.

A delectable mint chocolate shake.

But after having spent so many weeks there over the years, now I love it. It really does still feel like a vacation, a get-away, even though it's only an hour away from home. Even though it basically is home. I have lived in the East Bay for nine years and I often still feel like a tourist in the city of San Francisco. The quaint streets bristling with the gusto of tourists and locals alike, the bejeweled boutiques glowing on every street corner. Silks and scarves spilling out of every market stall. Not to mention the weather. I always say that in San Fran, there are four seasons in one day. In the morning (though I'm hardly ever awake that early), the air is harsh, wintry and bitter — probably because of the fog. The afternoon brings with it a fresh meld of spring and summer warmth. And in the evening hangs a gentle breeze — a kind of light autumnal cool.

The city has its other quirks as well. Strange men seeking out spare change in exchange for a few measly minutes of poorly carried out card tricks. And the charmers — like the man who sits in front of Ghirardelli Square all day, cleverly concocting rhymes out of the names of passersby, managing to at least acquire a few laughs and casual conversation if nothing more.

"Please don't go! Gimme some dough!" he chimes. Yet for a homeless man, he seems to harbor the brightest, sunniest disposition I've ever seen. Californians for you, I suppose.

As for the trip itself, we stayed at Fairmont Heritage Place, in a lovely two-story loft that had a skylight and — my favorite part — an upstairs "window" overlooking the downstairs living room. Naturally, we had to stop by the Ghirardelli Ice Cream & Chocolate Shop at least once during our stay there. I think I had some white chocolate and caramel swirl confection. Apart from that, we had dinner at my favorite restaurant in SF — Ana Mandara — and went on an early-morning hot air balloon ride. But since I've given you enough to read for now, I think I'll save those two for later. Stay tuned!

P.S. If you first read the title of this post as "In the City of Chocolate and Frog," you're not the only one. It's an unintended HP reference :)

On the Nature of Blogging

The dreaded four-letter word.

So for my first post, I figured I would address the nature of the beast itself: the nature of blogging. Whenever someone has suggested that I start a blog, I would cringe at the thought because (with all due respect to fellow bloggers) it just seems like such a narcissistic thing to do. Writing all about yourself and what interests you, and then making people read it. Why would anyone be interested in my life? Haha. But then again, I suppose we do live in an increasingly individualistic, egotistical society and that is something we are just going to have to make peace with. Facebook, Twitter, Myspace — all of these social networking tools serve to promote the self. To establish a presence online.

Cogito ergo sum?

In a way, this takes me back to high school English ... Specifically, to George Orwell's essay called "Why I Write," in which he describes all forms of writing as narcissistic, as self-centered. Writing is simply one of the many ways to relish your own voice, to savor your own opinion.
  

"All writers are vain, selfish, and lazy, and at the very bottom of their motives there lies a mystery."

And so I write on, hoping to unearth that mystery.