Celebrate Valentine's Day at The Sugar Factory Times Square

This was my first time having dinner at Sugar Factory Times Square and it did not disappoint! Located at 694 8th Avenue, Sugar Factory just launched their Valentine's Day menu, filled with creative signature cocktails and seasonal delights. Whether you are planning a Galentine's Day get together or a dinner date, you'll enjoy the Valentine's decor and ambiance for a fun night out. 

Since I love bubbly drinks, Love Bubbles was the perfect cocktail for me - a mix of Tasha Rose and coconut rum, with vibrant notes of fresh strawberries and pina colada, topped with a pink cotton candy cloud. In addition to cocktails, Sugar Factory has decadent shakes and hot chocolate to share. 

The menu has a great combination of sweet and savory dishes, and the generous portions make them easily shareable. The presentation of the food is so cute, instagrammable and on point for Valentine's Day, with food appearing in pink or red. I loved the Romantic Waffle, with red velvet Belgian Waffle baked with white chocolate chips, topped with strawberry ice cream, with pieces of red velvet cake, drizzled with cream cheese glazed.

If you love sweet dishes, then I'd recommend the Hot Honey and Pepperoni Flatbread with mozzarella and fresh basil. If you have a craving for fried food, then I recommend getting the Be Mine Valentine's Sampler, with cajun dusted tenders, mozarella sticks, sweetheart mac pops, and onion rings. The mozarella sticks and the onion rings were my favorite from the sampler platter.  

I'm a dessert lover, so I couldn't leave without getting the Heart Tower of Sweets, including dark chocolate covered strawberries, cookies, brownie bites, chocolate covered pretzel sticks and chocolate candies. 

If you've never eaten at Sugar Factory, this is the best time to go and experience this special menu, available through Valentine's Day.

 - Kim Weling

Fogo de Chão Now Open at Willowbrook Mall in Wayne, NJ

Have you ever dined at Fogo de Chão (pronounced fo-go dée shown)? Fogo de Chão is a Brazilian steakhouse where gauchos (trained chefs in the art of churrasco) provide an amazing dining experience, carving up signature cuts of fire roasted meat. 

I was so excited Fogo de Chão opened up a new restaurant location at Willowbrook Mall in Wayne, NJ. This is the second Fogo location in NJ. The first NJ location opened up earlier this year at Garden State Plaza in Paramus. 

Be sure to arrive hungry and pace yourself! I started off with the chilled lobster and shrimp seafood appetizer, and then made my way to the Market Table, which has an extensive selection of salads, vegetables and charcuterie. There are also tasty side dishes such as Feijoada - black bean stew with sausage served over rice, and Warm Pão de Queijo - cheese bread. 

Fogo de Chão also has great cocktails! My favorite is the Strawberry Hibiscus Caipirinha, which is one of the $10 all day happy hour South American Cocktails.

Then it was time to flip over my two-sided card to green to enjoy unlimited meat. When I needed a break, I just flipped my card over to red. I was so excited to try everything, including picanha (signature sirloin), ribeye, fraldinha (bottom sirloin), cordeiro (lamb) and more! 

You do not want to miss the dessert so make sure you save some room for it! It's hard to choose just one but they are also great for sharing and you can always have it boxed up to take with you. I recommend the Chocolate Brigadeiro or Tres Leches Cake. If you love cheesecake, try the Açai Cheesecake!

Fogo de Chão is a great place to go for holidays, special occasions or celebrations, for a date night or for a gathering with family and friends. I took my brother with me to celebrate his birthday and we both really enjoyed the food and atmosphere. Thank you Fogo de Chão for having us for this VIP experience. I grew up in this area so I'm happy this opened up here! The gauchos and staff were very hospitable and attentive! They were also happy to answer any questions. I can't wait to go back! 

Check out my highlight reel of my dining experience.

- Kim Weling

Little Bar in Hoboken: Hot Spot for Craft Cocktails and Small Plates

Little Bar is a new hot spot that just opened up this month in Uptown Hoboken at 1401 Hudson Street. This new restaurant and bar is a collaboration of partners Weng Lee, Chef Seadon Shouse and Michael Barry, serving up craft cocktails and small bites with a speakeasy vibe. The Euro-style restaurant really is a little bar, at 500 square feet and a capacity of 25 people so I do recommend making a reservation. The intimate setting makes it easy to have a conversation, so it's a great spot for a date night or catching up with a friend. 

I really enjoyed the She's-So Lim-n Lychee specialty cocktail and the small plates served as boards were so delectable and perfect for sharing. My favorite dish was the Duck Liver Pate, which I will definitely be coming back for! I also loved the Kaluga Caviar served with house made potato chips and crème fraiche and the House Made Maple Smoked Salmon. I always have a sweet tooth, so the Chocolate Pot du Crème with Espresso Crumble was the perfect way to end my night. 

Above Photos by Joshua McHugh

Here's a look at the small plates from my culinary experience:

Keluga Caviar with house made potato chips and créme fraiche

Duck Liver Pate

House Made Maple Smoked Salmon

Panna Cotta with Blueberry Jam

Chocolate Pot du Crème with Espresso Crumble

- Kim Weling

Speakeasy Dining with Chef Simon at Loft 29

LEIBZIGER ALLERLEI P crab/oyster mushroom/edamame/carrots/asparagus/alba truffle sauce Bürgerspital, FRANKEN, Würzburger Pfaffenberg Silvaner 

If you are looking for a unique, dining experience, you'll want to make your next reservation at Loft 29 hosted by Chef Simon Cordes. This speakeasy restaurant indulges guests with elevated, modern German cuisine in an intimate dinner setting. Chef Simon prepares a curated 5-course tasting menu and wine pairing (wines provided by Wunderwein) that changes weekly. The historic, restored space is in a private loft with wood accents and exposed brick walls. 

Having traveled to Germany for the first time last summer/fall, I recently started to miss German food and this experience just brought it all back for me! The herring and apple strudel were my favorite dishes of the evening, and sincce I love sweet wines the dessert wine was my favorite!

WHITE ASPARAGUS GF, VT saffron aioli/speck crumble/chives/ marinated radish Freiherr Von Gleichenstein, BADEN, Grauer Burgunder Gutswein trocken 

HERRING P, GF housewife sauce/rösti/pickled onions/dill/trout roe Gut Hermannsberg, NAHE Riesling Sekt Brut 

SAUERBRATEN RHINELAND STYLE GF chive-mashed potato/glazed pearl onions/braised red cabbage/demi-glace Battenfeld-Spanier, RHEINHESSEN, Spätburgunder 

APPLE STRUDEL cinnamon whipped cream/raspberry coulis Bürgerspital, FRANKEN, Würzburger Rieslaner 

This is a great way to spend an evening among friends or for a date night out. For reservations, visit www.chef-simon.com.

- Kim Weling