New York Trivia Tuesday

FAO Schwarz is a classic holiday destination for both New Yorkers and tourists alike. All the way back in 1883, the toy store started featuring a seat for Santa Claus, where visiting children could request their Christmas wishes. Now, the store is especially known for its giant piano, where the movie Big was filmed.

The store was founded in Baltimore by a German immigrant, Frederick August Otto Schwarz, but was opened under a different name. What was the original name of FAO Schwarz?

a) Toy Bazaar
b) Toy Land
c) Kid Kingdom
d) Child's Play

Check back on Thursday for the answer to this week's trivia question!

Best of New York: Food Trucks

We're big fans of NYC street food, and we're not alone. With new food trucks arriving all the time, it seems that New Yorkers can't get enough of meals on wheels. But what trucks should you seek out while you're in the city? Here are our 5 favorite new food trucks to hit the NYC scene:

Korilla BBQ

Los Angeles has experimented with Korean-Mexican fusion for a few years, but this NYC-born food truck puts earlier attempts to shame. If you spot their tiger-striped truck, head over for an inspired combination: Korean-style barbequed meat and kimchis packed into a burrito or taco. Add a variety of sauces, from Korean hot sauce to a more traditional BBQ, and you’ll get one of the most flavorful dishes in town for less than $10.
Website: korillabbq.com
Twitter: @KorillaBBQ

Coolhaus

Ice cream sandwiches have been all the rage, so when the LA-based Coolhaus truck decided to expand to NYC, it was one of the most anticipated arrivals this year. And for good reason: The offerings from this truck quickly became one of our favorite ice cream sandwiches in the city. The massive cookies are soft and pliable, so they bend with your bite rather than breaking. But the best part is the ice cream: organic, perfectly creamy, and with unique flavors like butterscotch with rosemary, roast pear, and brown butter with candied bacon.
Website: eatcoolhaus.com
Twitter: @CoolhausNY

Souvlaki GR

They say that if you want Greek food in New York, you have to head to Astoria, but that was before the Souvlaki truck came to town. The street food classic of Greece, the char-grilled meats known as souvlaki are deliciously prepared here in the perfect sandwich: inside a pita, with tomato, onion, tzatziki and French fries served right inside the warm bread. It’s the best sandwich under $5 you’ll find in NYC, we promise.
Website: souvlakigr.com
Twitter: @souvlakitruck

Kelvin Natural Slush Co. 

You’ll have to wait until 2012 to try Kelvin Slush – they’re off the streets for the winter – but it will be well worth it. Voted the best new dessert food truck of 2010, the treats at Kelvin will both refresh and indulge. Here, the slushee of your youth goes upscale: Choose a base flavor, then pick a variety of fresh fruits and herbs to mix in with it. We’re already thinking of what new combination we’ll order when the truck returns for the spring.
Website: kelvinslush.com
Twitter: @kelvinslush

Frying Dutchmen

One of the newest additions in the NYC food truck scene, the Frying Dutchmen started making the rounds just this summer, and has already gotten some great feedback. Co-founded by Dave Martin, of Top Chef fame, the truck serves all manner of fried things but specializes in fries themselves: Belgian-style frites and sweet potato fries with over a dozen gourmet sauces. Forget the mustard or mayo (those come free). Try the pricky pear mustard or the white truffle and parmesan cream.
Website: fryingdutchmen.com
Twitter: @frying_dutchmen

What city has the oldest Thanksgiving Day parade in the US?

And the answer is ...

b) Philadelphia

Philly has New York beat, at least when it comes to Thanksgiving Parades; their festivities began four years earlier than NYC's iconic celebration. Originally run by the famous Gimbel's department store to attract holiday customers, it was the model for the Macy's parade, with floats, bands, and Santa Claus arriving at the end.

POGO Events wishes you a very happy Thanksgiving!

New York Trivia Tuesday

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is one of New York's most beloved traditions, one which began all the way back in 1924. But that doesn't make it the oldest Thanksgiving Day Parade in the country - it's tied for second with Detroit's parade. What city can claim to have the oldest parade in honor of turkey day?

a) Boston, MA
b) Philadelphia, PA
c) Chicago, IL
d) Buffalo, NY

Check back on Thursday for the answer to this week's trivia question!

Best of New York: Cheap Haircuts

When it’s easy to drop over $100 for a haircut in NYC – and that’s not including color, blowouts, or tip – where can you go for a cut that won’t break the bank? If you're looking for a new look this holiday season, you can impress your friends and family with a  fantastic haircut from one of our five favorite spots, and still have enough dough left over for presents!

Astor Place Hair

Down a flight of stairs in the middle of bustling Astor Place, this huge basement space is famed for turning out cheap, quick haircuts that look like they came from a fancy salon. Don’t be fooled by the no-frills setup and take a seat in one of the dozens of chairs and wait for the stylists to work their magic. A basic cut doesn’t include a wash or dry, but if you forgo them, you can be out with a gorgeous new ‘do in ten minutes.

Basic cut: $20

2 Astor Pl, Manhattan; 212-475-9854; astorplacehairnyc.com

Aveda Institute

You’ve probably seen Aveda’s botanical hair and beauty products at your nearest fancy salon, and their hairstylists are on the same high level. Haircuts in their New York outlets cost a pretty penny – but you can get a great deal by booking an appointment through their training institute. All the students here are closely monitored by their professional profs, so you’ll get a high-end cut at a low-budget cost.

Basic cut: $20

233 Spring St, Manhattan; 212-807-1492; avedainstituteny.com

The Beehive Salon Brooklyn

This Williamsburg spot is a favorite among both locals and Manhattanites who come over the bridge for a new look. Although cuts with the salon's top staffers can top out around $100, on Mondays and Wednesdays you can stop by for a consultation and cut with one of their junior stylists for less than half that price. The team has also opened a beauty parlor around the corner, so you can get a mani-pedi while you're at it and make your transformation complete. 

Basic cut: $40

115 N 7th St, Brooklyn; 718-782-8376; thebeehivesalon.com

Tomcats Barbershop

For a throwback to the vintage barbershops of yore, head to Tomcats in Greenpoint. At $20 for a basic cut, the price is what gets you in the door, but the vibe is what keeps people coming back. With a 1940s/early noir feel, the shop feels like it stepped out of an earlier era, with hospitality to match (if you have to wait, you'll probably be offered a beer while you do). Kick back and relax: you'll start to feel right at home here.

Basic cut: $20

135 India St, Brooklyn; 718-349-9666; tomcatsbarbershop.com

Maria's Hair Salon

Is Maria's the best deal in New York? It's definitely high on our list. This Polish outpost in Greenpoint rings in at only $15 a cut; with a wash and blowout, it's still just $35, far less than what you'd pay for the minimum treatment at most other salons. Best of all, reviewers praise the way stylists Maria and Kasia actually listen to your preferences: Ask them to take off three inches, with layers, and that's exactly what you get.

Basic cut: $15

119 Meserole Ave, Brooklyn; 718-389-3324

Best of New York: Macarons

Macarons are the hottest desserts in New York right now: They’re being called the cupcakes of 2011. Crispy on the outside, soft and pillowy on the inside, they are a couple bites of bliss if done right. And with the opening of Paris import Ladurée in Manhattan, the bar has been raised for quality macarons In NYC. Here are our 5 picks for your pastries.

Ladurée

Paris is the capital of macarons, and Ladurée is the macaron capital of Paris. When they opened a New York store this year, they still decided to fly them over from the homeland, so all the macarons here are made first in France. You’ll have to wait in a line, but it’s worth it for the airy texture, perfect crust, real ingredients and clean flavors that are just sweet enough without being sugary. Try the salted caramel – it’s our favorite.


1018 Madison Ave, Manhattan; laduree.fr

François Payard

There are some hits and some misses at Payard, but we included it in our best macaron roundup because it has one of our favorite flavors in the city: passionfruit. Although the exotic fruit has become a classic macaron flavor, nobody does it better than Payard. The pleasingly tart taste melts on your tongue, letting you feel like you’ve indulged yourself without the heaviness that comes from a stouter flavor like chocolate.

116 W. Houston, Manhattan; payard.com

La Maison du Chocolat

But if you DO really want to indulge, this is the place. All of La Maison’s macarons contain, as you might expect, chocolate. And with practice comes perfection. All of the chocolate combinations - including chocolate raspberry, chocolate caramel, and just plain chocolate - are creamy and decadent, without the chalky flavor of lesser macarons. Like Ladurée, the cookies are made in France first.

864 Madison Ave, Manhattan; lamaisonduchocolat.com

Mille-feuille

With a baker who trained at the legendary Pierre Herme in France, these macarons are made at home in NYC but come with a fantastic pedigree. Although they're denser than most, the flavor really packs a punch. Take a look at the salted caramel: There are even flecks of caramel on the outside of the cookie, for that little extra that takes the traditional macaron to the next level.

552 Laguardia Pl, Manhattan; millefeuille-nyc.com

Vendome

But maybe the best macarons in NYC aren't made in France at all. They're made right here in Brooklyn, by chef Taryn Garcia. Garcia's fell in love with macarons on a trip to France, but she merges her French inspiration with New York sensibilities, having trained at both Ecole Superior de Cuisine Francaise in Paris and the French Culinary Institute here in NYC. With unique flavors like campari and grapefruit, or thai basil and kaffir lime, eating one of Garcia's creations is a lesson in what a macaron could be.

Sold at Charbonnel et Walker in Saks Fifth Avenue, 611 Fifth Ave, Manhattan; vendomenyc.com

Who Was the Lipstick Building's Most Famous Tenant?

And the answer is ...

d) Bernie Madoff

The Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff leased several floors of the Lipstick Building, before his scheme was discovered. He's now the iconic building's most infamous ex-resident. 

New York Trivia Tuesday

It's not one of NYC's most iconic buildings, but 53rd at Third, otherwise known as the Lipstick Building, has its own reasons for standing out. The building, which was finished in 1989, is shaped like a lipstick tube and is made of red enameled granite, giving it an unusually glamorous vibe.

The Lipstick Building is largely occupied by a local law firm, but has had one particularly notable tenant. Who is it?

a) Barry Diller
b) Donald Trump
c) Graydon Carter
d) Bernie Madoff

Check back on Thursday for the answer to this week's trivia challenge!