Posts tagged ‘cheap’

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November 2, 2010

Aspen: CP’s Burger

Aspen needs some mid-price places to grab a quick bite, so I was thrilled to hear about CP’s Burgers, downtown next to the ice rink. We headed over one evening to check it out. It’s not cheap, but it’s relatively well priced–for Aspen. The presentation is gorgeous:

Burgers at CP's Aspen

Burger, tuna burger, parmesan truffle fries, sweet potato fries

But I have to admit that’s where the fun stops. EatAspen reported the meat was local, but at the restaurant they were certain that it wasn’t in fact local. So a burger was out for me, leaving me with the tuna burger as my only option.

Tuna Burger at CP Burger Aspen

The tuna burger (sans bun), while pretty, was nothing special. Not even the exciting-sounding wasabi mayo was good, and it was barely spicy. The fries were good, but again nothing out of the ordinary. We couldn’t taste the truffle in the parmesan truffle fries, though the parm was good. The sweet potato fries were a great, crispy texture but otherwise unremarkable.

Their adult milkshakes are highly touted, but at $11 seem a bit, erm, stiff. They have creative flavor combos, so perhaps I will give them a shot in the future.

Others have liked CP’S Burger far more than I did. But for me? I’ll stick to Belly Up’s amazing double burger and fabulous sweet potato fries, J Bar’s uberexpensive but astoundingly delicious burger, or making them myself (did you know Clark’s puts their old free-range meat on sale for $4/lb on Sundays?!).

Posted in Eating | 5 Comments »

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October 22, 2010

Wow, more shopping/deal sites!

Yo, did you guys know about SteepandCheap.com? Because I sure didn’t, but apparently everyone else within 1,000 vertical feet of snow did. It flashes a new item every 30 minutes or until it sells out, whichever comes first, and its got tons of mountain-y gear like skis, accessories, clothes, hiking gear, shoes, packs, camping stuff, you think REI and they have it.

Also new to my life are Left Lane Sports and 118 Boardshop, both “invite-only” shopping sites more akin to RueLaLa, ideeli, or Gilt but with less frequent sales that sit on the site longer. They also focus on the outdoorsy stuff, though 118 Boardshop is a skate-culture shop.

You know what else is cool? My first ski boots:

They go really well with my hot pink skis. OF COURSE I got hot pink skis!!

Posted in Shopping | 2 Comments »

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October 4, 2010

Aspen: Well hello Matsuhisa, nice to meet you

The holy grail of Aspen food is UNarguably Matsuhisa. As in celeb-heavyweight Nobu’s little pet sister restaurant, the one Chef Nobu only opened for fun. You wait for someone’s rich parents or tourists to invite you to dinner there, and then you feel awkward the entire time because it’s so expensive and extravagant that you can’t possibly let them pay but they have to because you can’t possibly pay. Unfortunately for hoity-toities, I am here to dispell this uber-exclusive reputation.

The people at Matsuhisa are NICE. And accomodating. And helpful. They move tables so you can see Monday Night Football. They smile when you order three orders of $5 fried shrimp (I mean, tempura rock shrimp, natch … pictured above). They love to bring you more $10 sake, brewed EXCLUSIVELY for Matsuhisa in Japan and quite possibly the only sake I ever want to drink again. Seriously delish sake.

We went for the Monday Night Football specials … but here’s the secret: the Matushisa bar menu is reasonable. Like, Austin reasonable. Think Piranha Sushi prices. Amazingly reasonable for Aspen.

For instance, this is from Matsuhisa’s bar menu, not their MNF menu. It’s $18 for a Chef’s Choice sushi special – 5 pieces of sushi and a spicy tuna roll.

This was 4 pieces of raw fish for $5, which is pretty cheap but does not satisfy a tall Vermonster man.

We ended up ordering several rounds of sushi and sake, so we barely kept the tab under $100 with tip for two people. BUT for Matsuhisa, and fresh, delicious sushi in Aspen, we were happy. A packaged grocery store sushi roll at Clark’s will set you back $10, it’s worth it to get the freshness from Matsuhisa.

Matsuhisa: the secret is the bar menu.

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September 19, 2010

Rent the Runway

I could have sworn I’d written about Rent the Runway before, but a quick search of my own site reveals that I am mistaken. Lately I’ve taken to composing mental emails and then asking my poor staff writer at EndlessBeauty.com why she didn’t respond. Um, because you never sent them, crazy lady?

Apparently I also only mentally composed a post about Rent the Runway, and then sat smugly back as it blew up and said to myself, “I always know when things are cool before everyone else” (or, at least my friends do and let me in on the secrets).

But alas, as I didn’t ever compose said post in the flesh (type?), I have no proof that I am as cool as I thought.

Anyway, Rent the Runway is an awesome not-new-anymore company that RENTS you badass clothes. Like clothes from the, ahem, runway. And clothes that hottie new girl Juliet (Katie Cassidy from the new but cancelled Melrose Place) on Gossip Girl wears to impress Nate. Like the thing Jennifer Hudson did in the first Sex & The City movie when she was Carrie’s assistant and she wanted a designer bag.

They are doing a fab contest with Rachel Zoe where you can win an $1,000 gift card, a Missoni gown worn by Rachel (it’s adjustable and fits sizes 0-10!), and an autographed copy of Rachel’s book (she’ll personalize it).

Enter here: http://www.renttherunway.com/rachelzoertrfashiongiveaway … then share with friends!

*If you do sign up for the site, please use my link and I get some $$ when you rent your first dress! And then I can rent myself a hot Black Halo dress that I have nowhere to wear. Because I tried one on (a Black Halo dress) at Neiman’s and it was smoking hot and only $70 on super-clearance but I couldn’t justify buying it without anywhere to wear it.  Damn.

Posted in fashion | 1 Comment »

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September 17, 2010

Aspen: Off-Season Eatin’

One of the best things about off-season in Aspen (the time between summer and winter where no one comes here because it starts to snow but not enough to ski, so it’s supposedly just miserable … I’ll keep you posted) is the amazing deals the usually too-expensive-for-my-budget restaurants have. Check out EatAspen‘s full list of specials, but here are all the ones I want to try:

- Ellina Modern Italian Restaurant is offering a $30 Prix Fixe every evening. Choice of appetizer, main course & either a glass of wine or a dessert. (a friend says this is the best meal he’s had in Aspen …)

- Il Mulino Prix Fixe $20 Lunch or $30 Dinner for Autumn Harvest menu! (a friend’s friend owns this restaurant and I CAN’T WAIT to try it!)

- Brexi offers a $34 prixe fixe – appetizer, entree, dessert (me & the Vermonster’s fave restaurant in Aspen)

- LuLu Wilson offers a $35 prixe fixe – appetizer, entree, dessert

- Takah Sushi is offering $6 sushi rolls & 1/2 priced atomic shrimp & sake

- Syzygy Restaurant offers a 3 course prix fixe for $39

- Silver Queen is now open–don’t know if they’re doing any specials, but definitely want to check it out!

Then, Viceroy Snowmass is offering Colorado residents a special rate of $95 per night per room, including parking.  The Spa at Viceroy Snowmass is also offering 25 percent savings on all spa services!! For Viceroy Snowmass’ spa, call 970.923.8007.

Hear of any more deals? Let me know!

Posted in Beauty, Eating | 1 Comment »

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July 13, 2010

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Rich Rocks NYC

… and so does Serena! Me and my fave Gossip Girl gal now share a pair of FABULOUS earrings:

I rocked these Rich Rocks NYC ‘Oversized Hanging Smokey Faceted Dangles’ earrings–fancy talk for smoking hot faux-crystal huge sparklers–to a birthday party this weekend and got a TON of compliments. Everyone loved them.

They’re only $75! I mean, could I love anything more?! I now have them in this smoky color AND the clear version, which I rode biking to town. Gotta look glam no matter what you’re doing, I say.

Here are the other goodies I got in the mail:

The necklaces are the super hip collar-style but are really, really lightweight. They’re both statement pieces, perfect for glamming up a simple tank or tee. (Left, $100, Right, $75)

Plus check out the bedazzled ring and earrings, which look super expensive but are actually totally affordable at $45 and $75, respectively!

I love how all the earrings are dangly and sparkly, which elongates the face and shows off cheekbones! :-)

One of my most glamorous and amazingly sweet friends turned me on to these goods. She says: “Me and all my friends literally live in Rich Rocks. It’s the best stuff and so affordable. Perfect for every day and going out. I even wear some of her fancier stuff for black tie and everyone thinks they are real. When I tell them they’re like $80 they have me email them the website on the spot!”

I love this stuff! Snag some under-$100 jewels for every day and for special events!

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June 10, 2010

Austin: Crystal Nails

Mama and I have long experimented with finding a good nails place — a place that was cheap but not dirty, easy to get in to but not scarily empty, and produced a decent mani & pedi. When we found Embellish (a post from before I’d even had a mani there), we were pretty much done with our search. But when we wanted to get our nails done on a Sunday, we had to start anew.

Good thing mama wanted to be a detective in a prior life, between the Enso Nails mixup and the joint being listed as an electronics shop on yelp, I don’t know how she did it, but we found Crystal Nails at 5501 N Lamar. We made an appointment for 3pm and proceeded to spend TWO HOURS at the shop, getting massaged, scrubbed, filed, trimmed, lotioned, and polished. We were seated immediately and the two women working with us spent tons of time on everything. They were meticulous. My technician, Nahn, even wore gloves.

Maybe the best part? The deluxe mani-pedi combo was a cool $45. SO WORTH IT. My toes have so far survived a run and a soccer game in perfect condition, and my fingernails have chipped a little, but no more than you’d expect. Mama was bummed about a lack of luster on her buff (she forgoes polish on her fingertips) and her technician may have scrubbed too hard at her heel (there’s an obvious crack), but otherwise she’s happy too.

I’d point you to a website, but, well … give ‘em a call 512.454.2875

Posted in Beauty | 3 Comments »

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June 3, 2010

Flash Sales – $$$

Deals sites, sample sales, flash sales, designer sales … it’s all about getting the limited-edition hot deal these days. Below I’ll list the companies I have invites to if you want to join, but first, some nerding-out business news about these sites.

According to WWD, the leading four members-only shopping sites are HauteLook, RueLaLa, Gilt Groupe, and ideeli. Today, HauteLook reveals that they are receiving $31 million in a third round of funding led by Insight Venture Partners, bringing total funding to $41 million (Gilt Groupe has raised $83 million in funding). The company launched in 2007 and became profitable earlier this year. It does not buy inventory, but has 175 employees (2 of which are recent hires in Arthur Lewis, former SVP of adult merchandising for Old Navy, and Tim Lewis of Neiman Marcus) and more than 2.5 million members.

ideeli also has around 2.5 million members (it has more than doubled from one million base in December ’09), largely from households with an annual income of upward of $100,000. They have 100 employees and expect to surpass $150 million in revenue this year.

Envite.com is the most recent one I’ve signed up for, and it aims to stand out by shipping items within 24 hours.

There’s also the site for wine, which, if I had more money, I’d buy and never have to the leave the house. Winery Insider.

Invite to Hautelook
Invite to RueLaLa
Invite to Gilt Groupe
Invite to ideeli
Beyond the Rack: enter code NLA09083B57 at Registration
Invite to Billion Dollar Babes
Invite to Envite.com

[UPDATE] Here’s a link to join Daily Candy’s Swirl!

The flash sales trend is crazy … beyond shopping for clothes, accessories, and other luxury gear, there are tons of companies doing it by city, with restaurants, salons, and adventures like whitewater rafting. Even Aspen is getting in on the action with a mobile coupon that texts you a deal once a week! Aspen Deals

Groupon and Living Social are the big dogs, with deals in Austin, Denver, and more. In Austin-only sites, there’s Adealio and Localiter.

If you know more I haven’t heard of, post in the comments!!

Posted in Beauty, Good people/services, Shopping | Leave a Comment »

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May 20, 2010

Aspen: 50% off Kenichi TONIGHT and 520 Grill Opens!

Austinites, I know we have one too, but this ONLY applies to the ASPEN Kenichi. From EatAspen Blog:

Kenichi Sushi is hosting a fund raiser for Mountain Rescue (you know the crew that may just save your butt) Thursday night May 20th. Make any dollar donation to Mountain Rescue and you get 50% off your food, sushi, and sake.

—-

Down the road (because everything is down the road in Aspen, as downtown is about 6 blocks squared), the brand-new 520 Grill is opening today too, in the old Noodles by Kenichi (ha?!) spot at 520 E. Durant.

520 Grill will offer half-pound, hand-crafted burgers using buffalo, beef, or turkey (with bacon ground INTO the meat on bacon burgers!!), and hot dogs (all-beef kosher franks and turkey dogs), plus not-your-average salads like kale-and-quinoa and chipotle Caesar. Fresh-cut fries and homemade potato chips round out the new menu, created by two young locals with experience all over Aspen.

The pair plan to serve lunch and dinner daily from 11a to 7p. Hopefully the hours will extend soon, 7p doesn’t seem very late!

Aspen Times article here.

Posted in Eating | Leave a Comment »

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May 10, 2010

Giveaway Alert: Arthouse 5×7 Art Splurge + Social

Hipsters and art patrons alike are coming together for the 11th Annual 5×7 Art Splurge, and the art series is adding a cheaper Social event too. With nightlife kingpin James Moody charing the event, the Arthouse event pulled off quite the coup, because while cool, the art-patron organization just doesn’t have quite the same reputation with the hipsters as Moody’s Mohawk nightclub …

So the suddenly-hip Five x Seven features more than 1,000 5-inch by 7-inch original works of art generously donated by over 900 emerging and established artists with strong ties to Arthouse or Texas. The tricky part: the 5x7s are displayed anonymously and buyers will discover the creators of the works only after the pieces have been purchased. All 5×7 pieces are $100. A full list of participating artists may be found at www.arthousetexas.org.

Event One: ART SPLURGE with food by Kevin Williamson and Ranch 616 and music by DJ team Lean & Bounce.

Thursday, May 13, 7:30-10p /  The Whitley Building, 301 Brazos St, Austin, TX 78701. Tix $125, online at www.arthousetexas.org or 512.453.5312.

Event Two (the new one):  FIVE X SEVEN ART SOCIAL with music by Balmorhea (you can bet that’s Moody’s influence), food by Frank and drinks on hand. Tix are $30, and 5x7s are still $100, but the Splurgers will have gotten first pick… Friday, May 14, 8 – 11pm /  The Whitley Building, 301 Brazos St, Austin, TX 78701

Event three: Saturday and Sunday, May 15-16 from 11a to 6p, the exhibition at The Whitley Building will be open to the public for free admission, where art patrons can still purchase the remaining 5×7 artwork for $100.

Giveaway: 2 tix to 5×7 Art Social!

How: leave a comment by 5pm on Wednesday with what you’d put in a 5×7 blank canvas up for sale for $100. Winner will be chosen by me, not randomly, by what is my favorite answer. No it’s not fair, but I don’t care. Be creative!

Posted in design, free, Going Out, One-time event | 10 Comments »

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