The saying “less is more” has perhaps never been truer than it is at Porchetta (110 E. 7th St.) and Porsena (21 E. 7th St.). At both East Village hot spots, Chef Sara Jenkins has built a cult following by keeping her menus tightly focused rather than trying to do it all. Crowds gather at Porchetta to savor one specific thing: slow-roasted pork (served in varying ways yet always the central focus of each dish). At Porsena, they come for perfectly cooked artisanal pasta.
Jenkins’s straightforward approach reflects a distinctly Italian state of mind, which makes sense, considering her upbringing around Tuscany and Rome. Mario Batali summed it up succinctly when he called her “one of the few chefs in America who understands Italy and how Italians eat."
“I think Italians in Italy eat with a certain fairness that Americans and Italian-Americans don’t have,” Jenkins said, asked about what prompted Batali’s praise. “An Italian is perfectly happy with a perfectly cooked artisanal spaghetti with great olive oil and chilies, while an American would want to add three or four [more] ingredients.”
When Jenkins isn’t working in her own kitchens, she can often be found exploring other rich, delicious, and straightforward flavors around the city. Here are a few of her favorites.
For Italian (outside of Porsena): “I eat at Cesare Casella’s place on the West Side, Salumeria Rosi Parmacotto (283 Amsterdam Ave.). He’s a Tuscan chef who’s been working in New York for many more years than I have. He’s very authentic.”
For gelato: “Il laboratio del gelato (188 Ludlow St.). They have traditional and nontraditional flavors.”
For espresso: “Abraço Espresso (86 E. 7th St.) on 7th Street. They are maniacal about making it right.”
For wine or cocktails: “I like to drink wine at Bar Veloce (175 2nd Ave.) on 2nd Avenue. It’s an Italian wine bar that’s been there more than 10 years. It’s not over the top, not pretentious or precious. Just a great wine selection in a nice space.”
Check Groupon for deals on Italian restaurants in New York City.
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Tomasello Winery at Wemrock Orchards
Wine Tasting for Two or Four with Souvenir Glasses and Bottles of Wine at Tomasello Winery (Up to 54% Off)
Visitors can sip up to five award-winning wines at the vineyard’s tasting room, taking home souvenir wine glasses and a bottle of wine each
West Freehold
$75 $35
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The photos we leave behind may be the only way for future generations to see the styles and personalities we bear. That?s why the professional makeup artists and photographers at Glamour Shots strive to capture the true essence of a person with their shoots. Whether commemorating a milestone event or a successful trip to the grocery store, each session begins with the shop?s signature full airbrush and style makeover, which works to prevent unwanted shine while imparting a chic aesthetic. Makeup artists tailor looks to the purpose of the shoot, imparting children with a red-cheeked glow and boudoir subjects with a dark, seductive color palette.
Photographers encourage everyone to bring a few outfits and props from home, allowing them to give each photo shoot an individualized touch without snapping close-ups of their subjects? fingerprints. Clients get to see the photos immediately so they can approve the looks and order their favorite shots in the form of pictures, phone cases, or calendars. The staff then prints out the chosen items using a range of color finishes?including colorization to make one color pop and the company's signature Glamour Touch retouching?onto made-to-last Kodak paper.
3710 US Hwy. 9
Freehold,
NJ
US
The instructors and therapists at Yoga + Herbs strive to help clients lead healthier and more fulfilling lives by restoring a sense of balance between minds and bodies. To accomplish this, the center offers a variety of wellness approaches, including yoga classes that teach students how to develop a greater awareness of their body's capabilities. These classes range in physical intensity, from dynamic power yoga sessions held within a heated practice space to more tranquil classes that emphasize meditation and mindful breathing exercises instead of demanding asana sequences.
If yoga alone can't help visitors find the relief they seek, Yoga + Herbs also offers a variety of ayurvedic and naturopathic treatments intended to alleviate painful conditions by jump-starting the body's natural healing processes. Bodywork sessions?including everything from reiki therapy and reflexology to cranio-sacral massage and neuromuscular therapy?can help support these efforts as they target the sites of withheld stress and tension.
92 US Highway 9 N
Englishtown,
NJ
US
At Laser & Aesthetic Medical Center, PC, board-certified physician Dr. Kailash C. Singhvi personally administers each aesthetic and wellness procedure to ward off the effects of the aging process. With an arsenal of contemporary lasers at his disposal, he smoothens wrinkles from the face, reduces cellulite from the backs of legs, and destroys tiny Death Stars orbiting in front of the eyes. The youth-inducing beams can also remove hair or stimulate it to grow in areas where thinning has occurred. Injectables such as Botox and Juv?derm combat wrinkles, and Dr. Singhvi's wellness programs address internal maladies by identifying thyroid problems and hormones that may be causing weight gain. For ailments related to injury and sleeping on tables without face holes, Dr. Singhvi administers soothing massage therapy.
509 Stillwells Corner Road
Freehold,
NJ
US
It?s always nice to have talented friends. For more than 20 years, photographer Jeff Tureaud has been his friends? go-to person for capturing special events, and his growing reputation led him to start his own studio in 2007. Since then, the award-winning photographer has accommodated clients with wedding coverage, on-location portraits, in-studio appointments, and outdoor shoots on his acre of gardens.
Jeff?s individual and group sessions yield upward of 50 images, which he retouches in Photoshop, previews for patrons, and dispenses as digital images all on the same day as the shoot. In addition to capturing new memories, Jeff restores older ones with photo repairs, digitization services, and DVD slideshows that set up to 150 pictures to each customer?s favorite pop song or whale call.
41 Silvers Rd.
Freehold,
NJ
US
In 1928, Rose and Hy Littman opened a jewelry store that would evolve into a family legacy as it passed down three generations, from their sons, Herb and Len, to their grandsons, Gary and Michael. Today, these brothers operate one of New Jersey's largest diamond collections within the sparkling 6,000-square-foot showroom of Gary Michaels Fine Jewelry. Gary and Michael help patrons dazzle with a huge selection of pieces from popular jewelry designers and luxury watch brands, such as Cartier, Breitling, Roberto Coin, and Mikimoto. The shop also offers full repair and maintenance services to replace a broken clasp or give watches an oil change and tune-up.
55 US Hwy 9, Ste 800
Manalapan Township,
NJ
US
Starting in 1998 in the Philadelphia suburbs, the women behind Art of Exotic Dancing have strutted and hip-rolled their way to the forefront of a surge of interest in fun, sensual movement. Dedicated to fostering a comfortable space where all participants feel safe, the certified instructors proffer encouragement and reassurance as they teach dances that emphasize self-expression, personal power, and natural movement. Women learn to dance to a full song during the 90-minute CoreMoves class, while the Signature Workshop fortifies confidence via flirtatious techniques such as sensual walking and slow-motion winking.
231 Bennington Rd
Freehold,
NJ
US
