The Leopard at des Artistes is a restaurant with updated Southern Italian fare in a space decorated with historic murals located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. I don’t know how many times we walked by this restaurant and said we have to come here for dinner and yesterday was the day we finally did. We had a table reservation and asked for a quiet nice table, away from the door – I always ask for these kind of tables because I simply do not enjoy getting interrupted from arriving or leaving guests all the time. New Yorker restaurants are always crowded and it was nice to find this hidden jewel almost empty. We arrived at 9:00 PM during the week and it was a perfect timing. The menu offers in season menus with a three course tasting menu. One of our seasonal dishes was the seafood risotto and we both decided to get it. It was delicious. Creamy rich, with different kind of seafood including scallops, octopus and mussels. A beautiful restaurant which is different compared to the dishes, the style and the ambience and we really enjoyed it. It felt like traveling back in time.

Before we moved to the Big Apple I always imagined myself walking through Central Park. It is my favorite “escape” of the concrete jungle without leaving the city. You can find so many hidden and secret places and enjoy quiet moments just for yourself. Besides the many different lakes and movie scenery locations there is so much more to explore, one of my current favorite locations is Shakespeare Garden. A rather less-frequented attraction of the park and one of the perfect places for a relaxing afternoon. Stroll along its winding paths amidst the lovely seasonal flora, which is particularly vibrant and lush in the springtime with a romantic atmosphere and covers four acres of plants that change according to season.

San Carlo Osteria Piemonte, an elegant, contemporary restaurant specializing in refined fare from Italy’s Piedmont region. I definitely have a thing for Italian food, especially pasta, and after a little research for delicious restaurants in Soho I found this place: San Carlo Osteria Piemonte. Friends of mine where in town and we decided to go there for dinner and we did not regret it. The service was really good, wine on point and the food super delicious. The restaurant offers seasonal and different pasta courses which are authentic northern Italian cuisine. The ambience inside combines Italian simplicity with the typical SoHo brick-walled setting.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We all know it, we all do it, every single year, over and over again: new years resolutions. Let’s be honest, how many times were you thinking about something and definitely planning on doing but then ended up not achieving it? I know it’s frustrating and we’ve all been there at some point. Many people actually plan on changing their life: trying to live a healthier and more active lifestyle, or signing up for a gym membership, etc…but when spring comes around the corner, well let’s say it is not our number one priority anymore, right? But how can we change something that actually lasts? Are we able to create new habits and how does it work?