It was just a couple of weeks before Fashion Week would take New York by storm…. A had sent the 2+2 crew a group email with the details about the  Vogue CFDA Fashion Fund event during the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week and (eagerly) wanted to know if we wanted to attend. We had been unusually busy (which is becoming more usual these days), with events on the agenda nearly two or three nights per week, K+L+M didn’t anxiously reply to A’s zealous suggestion….but we were all quietly thinking about it.

About a week had passed, and A sent another friendly reminder about Fashion Week tickets… after much thinking, K decided…how could we NOT attend?! As devout lovers of all things New York, we realized participating in Fashion Week was essential. With the girls on board, L+M succumbed to their wishes and agreed to attend (A+K know they were secretly interested). And so it was… another 2+2 event was born.

With a 7:00pm start time, we didn’t quite know how we’d manage to get home from work, change into our evening best, drive into the city, park the car, and be seated when the lights went up. We traveled into the city separately on this evening, as A+L planned to head in earlier to pick up the tickets before the show. We hadn’t communicated since the early afternoon, as we were working diligently to be able to get out of work with enough time to do everything we had to do to make it to the show on time! K+M were certain they were going to be late, as traffic was aplenty, and parking karma is never on their side. We had just crossed over the 59th Street Bridge as it was approaching 7pm, and still had to cross town, whichwe know, can be a nightmare. A texted K to find out K+M’s whereabouts, only to discover neither was on time! Arriving on the West Side at just about the same minute, and with parking karma hovering above the 2+2-mobiles, we were standing just at the foot of the Metropolitan Opera by 7:02.

Fortunately for us, the Fashion world also runs on a delayed schedule (most likely Italian time), and according to their watch, we were early! A grabbed the tickets from the ticket window, while L parked the car, and then 2+2 united in the middle of Lincoln Center, took it all in, and then entered the tents! We were ready… and we even had a few minutes to take a loop around the main ‘plaza’ to check out some of the sponsors and Benz on display! We made our way over to our event, got settled, and waited for the show….

After a few speeches, thank yous, and congratulations to the designers… the lights dimmed…seconds later, the DJ got the party started with La Roux! Been there, done that, messed around… I’m having fun, don’t put me down… I’ll never let you sweep me off my feet...and the models were off! One unique style after the next gracefully glided down the runway. The energy and vibrance in the room were overwhelmingly incredible. Attending a Fashion Week event is a quintessential New York moment… for women and men alike. There is something truly wonderful about coming together to celebrate the art of fashion in our own backyard… one of the world’s capitals of fashion!

When the lights went down, and the music ceased, the room began to bustle again with furious whispers throughout the ‘arena’. We sort of just stood for a moment, still consumed with the dynamism of the experience, wanting more! Fortunately, Mercedes Benz Fashion Week will take over NYC again next year… and without a doubt, 2+2 will be there!

Realizing the overwhelming rumbling in all of our bellies, we brainstormed some ideas for a within-walking-distance locale for a bite to eat and a glass of wine. Just a few blocks north from Lincoln Center, is the centrally located Enoteca & Wine Bar… BarCibo. Based on K’s description, all were on board for some rustic small plates and hearty Italian wine. We were off… back into the bitter cold, migrating north, to BarCibo.

Nothing could instantly warm you up more than a quaint, rustic, dimly lit wine bar with a friendly welcome from a hospitable staff. Upon entering, we were seated immediately at a high, corner table. While perusing the menu, we rehashed our Fashion Week experience and shared our thoughts about the event.

Our server was more than willing to provide us with suggestions, and was patient with us as we decided on our selections…still in a fashion cloud, we were unable to devote our full attention to the menu. We were so hungry and everything sounded so delicious! It was only a matter of time before we began to unwind and get lost in our food experience and conversations about future adventures and endeavors. With a first round of red served, we were ready to order some appropriately paired cheeses, meats, and crostini. We love wine bars! In honor of fashion week, and after several additional glasses of wine, A+K finished off the night with our best Zoolander impersonations!

How amazing to be able to share these moments with one another… from beginning to end, we have nothing but fun, laughs, and authentically wonderful experiences. We can only hope that everyone, far and wide, have as much fun as we do! Oh, how we love New York!

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Activity- 2+2

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week

For nine days in the middle of the brutally cold, dismal days of winter, New York comes alive! Despite the hair raising wind and the heaps of snow, 4-inch stilettos are dusted off and ladies grin and bear it in order to see and be seen under the infamous ‘tents’. Recently relocated from the beautiful Bryant Park to the newly renovated Lincoln Center, all the festivities take place under a series of interconnected, massive, temporary, tent-shaped buildings.

Upon entering into the venue, you are greeted by Mercedes Benz beneath crystal chandeliers, champagne, make-up demos, and sponsor displays for companies like the New York Times, W Hotels, Starbucks, and Figi Water. Heading for our event, we traveled through the main room and passed the courtyard where smokers (and crazy people- it’s freezing out there!) watched live feed of shows beneath heat lamps in the bitter cold. The rich, famous, and beautiful line up behind red velvet ropes in front of the tent entrances for the 10 minute, high-energy extravaganzas.

Over 100 designers were showing this week. Notables among the ranks include Tory Burch, Diane Von Furstenberg, Vera Wang, Badgley Mischka, and Nanette Lepore, just to name a few. In addition, there were tons of speciality events like the W Hotel Global Glam Box and The Heart Truth’s Red Dress Collection. We visited for the Vogue CFDA Fashion Fund event sponsored by American Express, a celebration of the successes of those designers that have been sponsored by the Fashion Fund in the past, like Marchesa, Phillip Lim, and Derek Lam.

Entering the show, the night all became real. The blacked out room, glowing runway, flashing projection screen, and pumping music painted the scene that you’ve viewed on TV so many times before. The bleachers of people conversed as we waited for the action to begin… which is usually a considerable amount of time as runway shows are notorious for having a late start.

Shortly thereafter, the welcomes began… then darkness… then runway lights and ‘Bulletproof’ by La Roux started thumping and we were off. Girl after girl strutted down the illuminated floor in all types of ensembles. The fabulous thing about this preview was that you got a taste of the styles of so many designers with clear and deliberate separation in styles. We saw everything from elegant, classic evening gowns to an outfit made of burlap with an obvious boy scout inspiration… it’s the amazing thing about fashion. The lights flashed from every direction, as picture taking is no longer left up to the professional photographer; cameras were in the hand of almost every attendee. After about 20 minutes (long for a fashion show), every model paraded out for the final bow, then the room went dark and it was all over. Fabulous! On to the next one!

A: My first real fashion show! Having experienced the exhilaration that comes from watching designs displayed ‘under the tents’, I now realize that the other runway shows I’ve seen were certainly not ‘real’ in comparison. Wow! A must do!

K: What a great experience! I loved the energy that filled the room… it was so exciting. This needs to be a yearly event on my personal calendar.

L: An interesting event.  I had no clue there were so many tents and shows going on at one time.  The crowd was really into it which added to the experience.

M: Didn’t know what this was going to be like. Thought runway shows were long. Now, I know that they are not. Glad I finally did it once. Though it was cool to see, the best part for me had to be the DJ.

Our Rating Scales…

• Scene- Stilettos and flashing lights!
• Coordinates- 4: Neighborhood- Centrally located!
• Return Rate- Green light!

Dinner and Drinks- 2+2

Barcibo Enoteca

Who doesn’t love Italian wine? This wine bar specializes in just that. K has been here more times than she can count. M had come here with K three or four times before, and he, too, always loves coming here when visiting the UWS.  It was cold…. we were hungry, freezing, and didn’t feel like walking too far from Lincoln Center.  This place was perfect for just that equation.

We walked in from the chill to the low lit, cozy,  warm bar where we  were greeted right away by a cheerful staff. We immediately sat down and started to peek at the long list of vino italiano. The waitress was more than willing to help with the tough choice of which wine to start with. Not only do they have a ton of great wines, but the small Italian dishes that they offer are all very good. On this night, we, of course, started with three salame and three cheese selections. All of our taste treats paired perfectly with our wine choices.

After devouring the cheese and meats, we then ordered a few of the great Crostini: Proscuitto, Imported Buffalo Mozzarella and Pesto Crostini; Burrata, Oven Roasted Tomato and Basil Crostini; and Shrimp with Artichokes, White Wine and Lemon Crostini. All were very yummy and just enough for us to share. L had ordered the zuppa di giorno (soup of the day) as well, which was one of the stand-out dishes of the night (at least for L and M). After a couple of glasses of vino, great conversation, some silly pictures (featuring A and K),  sadly it was time to go. We wished it wasn’t a week night so we could have had another glass and more time to enjoy this authentic, little Italian wine bar. Fortunately, BarCibo isn’t going anywhere any time soon… so it is definitely a staple UWS spot on our list!

What we ate...

Drinks

• Chianti Classico, Farnatella Colli Senesi 2007 (A)
• Monica Argiolas Perdera 2007 (Sardegna) (K)
• Teroldego, Rotaliano Foradori 2007 (L)
• Monica Argiolas Perdera 2007 (Sardegna) (M)

Food

• Salame Selections- Salame Rosa Framani, Proscuitto di Parma 24 mos. (2+2)
• Formaggi Selections- Reggiano 24 months, La Tur, Quadrella di Bufula (2+2)
• Shrimp, Artichokes, White Wine and Lemon Crostini (2+2)
• Proscuitto, Imported Buffalo Mozzarella and Pesto Crostini (2+2)
• Burrata, Oven Roasted Tomato and Basil Crostini (2+2)
• Zuppa di giorno  (L… and M had a little)
• Sicilian Pistacchio Gelato with Poached Pears (2+2)

A: This place was great! A tasteful, dimly lit bar with yummy snacks and great service. I will definitely be back for more. So relaxing and fun.

K: I appreciate the consistency of BarCibo so much. Every time I have been here, I have had the same outstanding service, delicious Italian snacks, and tasty wine. It’s so nice to have a reliable wine bar on the Upper West Side to go to! The only weird thing about this place is that the tables are just a tad bit too high…. I always feel like I need to sit on a phonebook!

L: The chicken and tomato soup was fantastic and inspired a home cooked version a few night later.  The meal was inexpensive given the amount of food we ordered.  The wine list was well organized and our server gave some good suggestions. Everyone working there seemed to have a smile on their face.

M: Been here with Kristen a couple of times. Love the lights (classic edison bulb). The small plates never disappoint me. Tried the soup for the first time here and now know what to get for next time.

Our Rating Scales…

• Scene- Intimate wine bar
• Food/Drinks- 3.5: Pleasantly stellar!
• Tip Worthy- 4: Double the tax and then some
• Coordinates- 4: Neighborhood- Centrally located.
• Restaurant Return Rate- Green light