Could this be a preview of what’s to come this weekend during the NBA All-Star festivities???This video is pretty funny but you never know. The slam dunk contest could very well come down to King James and Dwight “Superman” Howard. Tune in to the various NBA All-Star Weekend events starting this Friday, February 12th!!!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Because it’s Restaurant Week in NYC!!! Well, in all actuality, it isn’t really a week. The city wide extravaganza for all us “foodies” starts tomorrow, January 25th, and ends on February 7th. But wait, there’s more. Select restaurants are actually extending their participation all the way through February 28th! Some of you may be wondering, “What the hell is Restaurant Week and how do I get there?” And to that I say, “Good question.” Restaurant Week (RW) is an amazing opportunity for people to visit a large selection of participating establishments and eat for only a fraction of the normal prices. It’s a time to try new restaurants, especially the ones that may normally be out of your budget. But this year, NYC Restaurant Week is better than ever. Not only because of the fact that some restaurants are extending their dates, but also because of the Restaurant Week Truck. NYC is big on food trucks and stands so it’s only right that there are soups from 24 of NYC’s best restaurants riding around the city. If you decide to participate in this years RW, which you should, hit us up so we can know where the best food is. We can make a shindig out of it and have some fun! I’ll be back in NYC on the weekend to indulge my fat side! For more info on NYC Restaurant Week, click HERE. Don’t forget to work out daily!

There is always talk of where to get the best pizza in NYC. I personally don’t think there is a best. It’s all relative. Sometimes, the Papa Johns in Bedford Stuyvesant is the best place for me. Other times, it may be Ray’s Pizza in the village. I’m sure there are better pizza spots in NYC I’ve never even heard of. That’s why I try them all. In addition to being a growing boy, I’m also just curious. Hence why you may see me in Union Square one weekend with a group of strangers. Well I’m actually always in Union Square with a group of strangers. But now I have a reason. The Slice of Brooklyn Pizza Tour has begun! What is that you ask?! Well it’s a 4 hour tour of Brooklyn on which you will be stuffed with knowledge on Brooklyn monuments and celebrities. But you’ll also be stuffed with pizza from two of the best pizza shops known to man. Yea I said it. The tour starts in Union Square and proceeds to head over the Brooklyn Bridge to Grimaldi’s brick oven thin crust pizza shop. This place ALWAYS has a line a block long but the pizza makes it all worth it. I haven’t been there in a while but I will be going very soon. From there, the tour goes deep into Bensonhurst to  L&B Spumoni Gardens pizzeria where the specialty is the Sicilian slice. Check out the Slice of Brooklyn Pizza tour on Friday through Monday, starting today through the Spring. Dress comfortably because the tour begins at 11am and doesn’t end for at least 4 hrs. Click here for more info.

It’s that time again. You know, the time when the trees are completely bare, the turkeys are cooking, and everyone is shopping as if their lives depended on it…It’s Holiday season!!! For many, this is a very hectic time of the year because it involves multitasking at its best. But there are ways to ease the stresses that anyone who steps foot out of their house and partakes in anything that has to do with the Holidays will encounter. Check out the list I’ve compiled of things that could probably help you out this holiday season.

1: Black Friday savings tend to lighten up the load a bit when it comes to holiday shopping. Stores open sinfully early to allow people to come in and bargain hunt. A lot of the stores that actually participate in the Black Friday sale are usually very packed so if you aren’t in the mood to fight over the last DJ Hero video game for your kids, try shopping online. According to an article on MSN Money, sites like Best Buy and Walmart will have some of the best deals you can possibly find on Friday. Check out the article here and be sure to click the link within it that direct you to money saving blogs and other sites that may come in handy. Also, you may want to head to your nearest outlet mall. They already offer amazing deals so you may be able to find some things for thrift shop prices on Black Friday!

2: With Thanksgiving being just a day away, and everyone being so swamped with work or just the procrastination bug, dinner is a big issue and usually very stressful when cooking for a family. So me being the nice guy that I am, decided to do a little research on quick, tasty recipes to cook up and have ready for tomorrow. In my research, I came across a great article on Yahoo that had a few great recipes in it that I may even try myself. The currant glaze for turkey and the fresh cranberry relish were my two favorites. Check out the article here. I cam across another via MSN that held the recipe to a great five-ingredient stuffing and a pear and apple crisp to end a meal the right way. You can view that article here. See how easy finding a recipe is? If you happen to be a vegetarian, here’s a link for those recipes too! Happy Turkey Day folks…

3: Restaurants tend to be closed on Thanksgiving which sucks because maybe you’d like your favorite dish cooked and served by someone else. Or maybe you’re not home for the Holidays and want to still have a happy Turkey Day. Well, there is an easy solution for that. A lot of restaurants actually DO stay open on Thanksgiving just so you don’t have to cook and a lot of them actually serve traditional Thanksgiving meals. You no longer have to miss out on mom’s stuffing or sweet potato pie. Restaurants like Atlantic Grill in NYC, Chicago’s Firehouse Restaurant, and Clyde’s in DC are serving up amazing dinners for people who aren’t celebrating at home. I, for one, will be home in DC so if you’re in the area drop by and get your grub on!

Soooo I’m back in D.C. for school, which starts at 8:30am daily. I don’t know about you, but I’m not much of a morning person. I usually wake up too late to indulge in a proper breakfast at home so I tend to have to eat out or wait until lunch time to get a jolt of energy via food. Yea I know. Old habits die hard. But I have found a solution! Baked and Wired is my latest discovery and soon to be addiction. The name is so fitting because they specialize in baked goods, like cookies, pies, and bread as well as coffee. Click here for more info. They are located in Georgetown so if you’re in the area, the banana bread is surely worth the trip!

This past sunday, the fam took me to brunch for my birthday. My mother decided to take a chance at a place we’d never been called Cheryl’s Global Soul and we were throughly satisfied. The crowd alone was a testament to how popular this place is and it was no surprise why. The food tastes great and everything is fresh made from scratch.The prix fixe brunch menu had a variety of breakfast items that you’d expect but all with a twist. I had the poached eggs over salmon hash, which was amazing. Other table favorites were a Lox and scallion scrambled served with home fries and a fresh spinach and mushroom omelet. I devoured the food so fast I didn’t even have a chance to photograph any of it, lol. Plus, of course mimosa’s and bloody mary’s were on deck. We sat in the backyard seating area which was great since it was such a nice day. I think the part I liked the most is that you get seated by Cheryl herself, which keeps it personal and neighborhood eatery like. Kudos to this spot, another great reason to not have to travel into manhattan. It’s located at 236 Underhill right off eastern parkway, a 2 sec walk from The Brooklyn Museum.

Although I wanted to fully experience restaurant week and try an array of venues, scenes and tastes, I only ended up going to one place, but I loved it. Me and my homegirl Jamila went to ‘The PostHouse’ located at 28 E 63rd St between Park and Madison. We had a reservation so we got a table rather quickly but the place was pretty packed. Since it was my first time there I wasn’t sure whether the crowd was because it was Friday, because it was restaurant week or whether that was the normal scene. Either way, as with all venues that participate in restaurant week there was a prix-fix menu that included an appetizer, entree, and dessert for a set price. For an appetizer I had the ‘Tuna Tartar’ which was delicious. I had never had it before but it reminded me of sushi in that the tuna was served raw, over fresh avocado. It came over ice and had a vinaigrette of some sort which brought out the flavor more. For my entree I had the rack of lamb, medium well, that came with sauteed spinach. It was seasoned nicely and cooked to perfection. I had the cheesecake for dessert which was pretty standard. All in all I had a great time and would probably go back, they also had a pretty robust wine menu. The prices were somewhat more than what I’d pay for an average night out, but it seemed like a nice place for a special occasion or a special person.

I don’t know about you, but I was practically going through Summer BBQ withdrawal prior to Independence Day weekend!! I hadn’t heard of any going on so I took it upon myself to have one at my house out in Springfield Gardens, Queens on July 5th.  It was a relatively small gathering but the food was great (the delicious food in the photo was thanks to me) and the drinks were flowing (also thanks to me). Chef Nicky Famous was in full effect that day and I was commended for my hard work on everything from Italian sausage to the grilled corn. Stay tuned for an M&N BBQ as well as other events before the summer is over!!! And for those of you thinking of holding your own  outdoor social gatherings this summer, check out Real Simple Magazine’s 30 tips for making it a huge success!!

Dining out is a major industry in almost any big city. Saving money on dining out is even more major! Make sure you participate in the summer NYC restaurant week starting on July 12 and get some great food for less. It’s a good time to taste a type of food you’ve never eaten or visit a restaurant you’ve always wanted to try. Hit the NYC Restaurant Week site for a list of participating restaurants.

If you don’t have any solidified warm weather hang out spots, consider this a favor. Habana Outpost, located in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn, is one of the best places to be  when the sun is shining and the temperature is above 70 degrees. Between the networking opportunities with the people that frequent it, the food, and the refreshing frozen drinks, this is the best place to start your day in my humble opinion. They host tons of events during the Spring and Summer months and they had KRS One perforat their block party recently! And if that wasn’t enough, they also open up their establishment as a market place on Saturdays for vendors to come and sell their goods. You can find anything from artwork to clothing. Not to mention you can find me in there talking to as many beautiful ladies as my mind can manage! Come through to mix and mingle and buy me a mojito. Check out the pics from my recent Habana Outpost visits. You’re welcome!!!