PEPE GIALLO

253 10th ave// btwn 24th & 25th

cutest restaurant, perfect for friends, or family, but for me they are the same thing. for our 2nd weekly thursday dinner, my best girls and i, went to pepe giallo. it's a modern italian restaurant with the best prices you'll probably ever find in nyc, or at least midtown, for such a tasty and memorable meal. anyone reading eat pray love, in which all 4 of us are, can compare it to how you would imagine one of the many italian restaurants off of elizabeth's check list. there is an option for indoor seating as as well outdoor seating in the garden. for those under agers out there, you can get loose off the BYOB option they offer, but for an unfortunate price of a 20 dollar corking fee. but for my fellow legal winers, indulge in the average priced wine list. carafes are also available and don't be fooled by there failure to the mention the half carafes, they exist. ☮ carly

BROOKLYN BAGEL

286 8th ave//btwn 24th & 25th street

this morning i was leaving my OLD FRIEND, marie's apartment in astoria, off to my make that invisible, intangible hard earned dough that us interns in the work force make. speaking of dough, i approached brooklyn bagel to my right on 30th ave and was ever so tempted to bust through it's doors, but my internship awaits. so like a good commuter, i put up my blinders and headed for the subway, although i wasn't quite sure i was even headed in the right direction. ever since marie moved to astoria, i have unintentionally taken the liberty of researching her new stomping grounds for her and conveniently get completely lost anytime i enter the perimeters of the neighborhood. what a pal. so i make my way up the subway stairs right as the N pulls in (the gods of travel were throwing me a bone.) walking down 8th ave, i find myself punching in the letters B-R-O-O-K-L-Y-N (space) B-A-G-E-L. sometimes my fingers have a mind of their own but i like the way they think. perfect! 24th street and 8th ave. just 5 blocks down from my location and 2 blocks out of my way from my final destination. i guess my feet have a mind of their own as well, because before entering bagel heaven, i found myself signing my receipt for 2 iced chai lattes from brown cup (8th ave btwn 27th and 26th, go there) one for me and one for my fellow intern. 3 blocks later i am introduced to the pearly white gates of the bagel kingdom. still keeping in mind that i am in a time crunch i order my default bagel, sesame, and choose to not get it toasted (when i go back later today, i have all the time in the world to roast that baby.) staying true to my vegan pledge, i go with the plain tofu cream cheese, although i was a little hesitant about the sound of it. i hightail it out of there after paying myself some dough, where we will meet again at my desk. the second i dove in, i knew i will never look at a bagel the same. yes, new york has the best bagels, but as of right now i have found it's number one. it was like going to the best italian restaurant you know that serves the perfect pre-dinner bread and then perfected bagels with the same recipe. and the cream cheese, i can't even explain... but 'll try because thats what i do. it was as if it was injected with fluffy white clouds and then whipped up by angels. it is 7 and a half hours since i had this experience of divinity, and now the clock ticks with torture as i await the striking of 5 o'clock, the hour most people refer to as "happy hour," especially on a friday, but i'm not normal,this is now crowned as my "bagel hour." although that certainly doesn't mean it can't get washed down with some happiness afterwards. ☮ carly

yummin to do list

below are the food locations underlined... and below it is what i'd mainly like to stuff my face with from there.

curly's lunch:

-vegan milkshakes and rootbeer floats

caravan of dreams:

-vegan cuisine and live music

blossom:

-everything on this vegan menu

cocoa v:

- every dessert at this vegan sweet spot, starting with the cupcakes

babycakes nyc:

- um everything... am i that transparent that i miss dessert.

bonobo's vegetarian:

- dranks and smoothies

franchia:

- sush

...and my first damn falafelll, brang it chickpeas!

☮ carly

University Pita!

ATTENTION!: WE HAVE A FOLLOWER!

i would like to take this opportunity to announce our first follower: Cintra Worthy! now Cintra may be our first official follower, but we know there are still some of you who are tuning in but are just being a closet eater (closet eater: (noun) a follower of yummin' who doesn't officially come out and state they are following.) so be more like cintra and sign up for yummin' sake, we need followers... we're trying to get jackets next season- kevin g? mean girls? no? ☮carly

dos caminos

675 hudson st // btwn 13th & 14th

dos caminos is a mexican chain restaurant and the one i went to specifically is nestled in the heart of the meatpacking district. 3 of my best friends (cintra, marie and mel- shout out!) and i had a girls day and chose here for brunch (served sat & sun/11:30-4). before the waitress could even think to recite her greeting, we ordered the guacamole (serves 4-6)to start us off, which is how we basically start every meal, and the meals in between those meals (don't judge, avocados are a good fat!) once that was devoured we moved onto the entree and drinks (complimentary with brunch meals)- cintra / chicken tacos / prickly pear- marie / mexican chopped salad with shrimp/ bloody mary- mel / mexican french toast / prickly pear- me (carly) / don francisco beef burger / mimosa (note: pre-"skinny bitch" days and i was curing a hangover). meat lovers or not i

wouldn't recommend my meal, but most normal people wouldnt order the only american thing on a mexican menu. i didnt try cintra's or marie's but mel'ssssssss, let me tell you. i've been waiting to get to this part and drooling the entire time. the mexican french toast is topped with rum and caramel roasted bananas, but the icing on the cake (literally) was the caramel mousse-like whipped cream on the side. it was paradise on a platter. its rare to find me at a loss for words but that meal does it for me (and by meal, i mean the one bite i had) the astmosphere of dos caminos' in meatpacking really makes quite a getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city with your best girls. // visit http://www.brguestrestaurants.com/ for more locations. ☮carly

introducing melissa berman! she is quite the tiny chef herself and wants in on yummin', so here's her debut! mel is an avid food

network watcher/magazine subscriber/ wanna-be employee, so keep an eye out/down.

skinny bitch

so i've been hearing all the buzz about this book "skinny bitch" and how it changes lives, it slightly sparked my interest. then one day when i was at the nail salon at the drying station, i saw lea michele (from glee.. obsessed) on the cover of women's health mag, so i flipped to her article and she name dropped "skinny bitch" and how it changed her life too. when i came back home, i bought the book for a summer read, not knowing i would have it read from cover to cover in 24 hours.

i've been a member of peta for a over a year now, but pretty much been a hypocrite since i ate meat but still believed in animal rights and routinely donated to the cause. after reading the book tho i put that belief into action. i haven't touched/eaten/craved meat or dairy since. keep in mind its been a week but its been real easy and i have every intention on continuing, besides i agreed to the "pledge to be veg" for 30 days petition on goveg.com.

but animal issues aside, the book discusses your health and what you think you know but really don't know about the food industry.. its all revealed. and the lades who wrote it have such a wise ass way of stating it in black and white. even if you choose to not believe it, it at least gets you thinking. the writers have also come out with a follow up book called "skinny bitch in the kitch," which is a book of "kick-ass recipes for hungry girls who what to stop cooking crap-and start looking hot." so if i come across any keepers, ill be postin them.

...if any part of this sparks your interest, i'd give it a go!

☮carly

http://www.meat.org/

http://www.goveg.com/

http://www.peta.org/