Restaurant Week

Mmm, hope you’re hungry: it’s time for Restaurant Week!  Restaurant Week is that magical time of year when you can enjoy some of the city’s hottest restaurants without breaking the bank.  Three courses might usually run you, what, $50?  More?  Not during Restaurant Week!  All dinners are $35 (and lunch is even cheaper, at $20), which is good, because once you start looking at menus you won’t want to stop.

Take Jamonera: start with some Spanish olives, then dig into smoked bacon-wrapped medjool dates, roasted pork shoulder and crispy pork belly with an orange-sherry glaze, and hazelnut bread pudding:

Classy, warm, sophisticated: just like the beautiful red and brown interior of Jamonera.  The Justine by Boutique 9 has a pointed toe, a killer 4.5-inch heel, and a metallic faux croc upper that just glows.  Also available in black or blue; your choice from Macy’s for $98.

Feeling more Caribbean?  Head over to Cuba Libre for guava BBQ ribs, arroz con pollo, and some tres leches de caramel:

Tropic-tastic!  The Koula by Michael Antonio has a bright abstract floral print upper, 5.25-inch heel, one-inch platform, peep toe, and yellow faux suede ties around the ankle.  They’re a DSW online exclusive, and are on sale!  $30 instead of $65!

How about Zahav?  They’ve got hummus, haloumi, kofte, and pistachio cake:

The Got the Hump by Dan Sullivan has a camel on it!  A legit camel, with two humps and a green and pink…saddle?... and a pink tassel at the head.  There’s a six-inch cork wedge behind the camel, by the way, and a two-inch platform under the peep-toe pump-style upper.  Also available in a green print, as well as sort of a metallic snake bootie that just happens to have a camel on it—the pumps will run you $350 at Irregular Choice.

Maybe a spring roll, Chilean sea bass, and cheesecake at Bleu Martini? 

The Sammy by Gabriella Rocha is a blue suede shoe (sing it, Elvis baby) with a pointed toe and small silver spikes across the heel.  Also available in taupe (with gunmetal), red (with gold), and black (with gold); all $39 from Zappos.

Restaurant Week runs through February 1.  Some restaurants offer their special menus on Saturdays and some don’t, but you’ve got the other nights too.  Go!  Dine!  Enjoy!

American Spirits

Time to get your flapper on!  The National Constitution Center has a new exhibit just open that bring the story of Prohibition to life.  You know what that means: booze and flappers!  In the “spirit” (ha ha!), here are some shoes straight out of the Roaring Twenties.

Let’s start with a T strap in a classic, lipstick-red patent leather.  The Shelby2 by Gabriella Rocha has some really lovely stitching curving up around the heel and the toe.  It comes in a ton of colors (gray!  grape!  burgundy!  nude!  camel, which is slightly different than nude!), has a three-inch heel, and can be found on Zappos for $56.

There’s something so “gangster moll” about the black and white on the Staci by J. Renee, isn’t there?  A 2.75-inch heel, contrast “T” up the front, and sass to spare.  Yours for $76 from Shoebuy.

The Maebry by RSVP is a lovely two-tone, with gray up front and black around the back and up the 3.75-inch heel.  And look at the hints of metallic trim!  So chic.  Also available in navy/black and latte/black; your choice for $49 from 6pm.

Of course I was going to finish with something completely covered in glitter!  The Violette by Bordello is all glittered out (in gold, silver, green, purple, red, teal, blue, black, or pink), with a rhinestone buckle at the ankle to finish the look.  So fun for the holidays!  Find them all on Overstock (whole sizes only) for $49.

Go and kick up your heels at the new exhibit, which runs through the end of April.  They’re having a ton of events, too—there are two on Thursday alone!  It should be a “roaring” (ha ha!) good time.

Happy Shoe Year!

Happy New Year, everyone!  I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday and you’re ready to embark upon 2012.  And why not tackle you list of resolutions in new shoes?  Start off on “the right foot,” so to speak!  (Insert groans here.)  And a little informative factoid to help you get started: the color of 2012 is orange!  Yes, Pantone has selected Tangerine Tango as the color of 2012.  Time to get pickin’!

The Helen by Two Lips is stacked high with straps of orange suede, on top of a one-inch platform and five-inch stacked heel.  A zipper up the back helps you in.  It’s also available in a really lovely blue; find them at DSW for $70.

A little more suede, perhaps?

The Cupcakes Peep-toe Pump by Chinese Laundry is a suede slingback on a 3.5-inch heel, and is available in black, dark camel, and aquamarine in addition to pumpkin.  Find them all on Amazon for between $60 and $80 (though the orange are all $60).

Okay, enough suede.  Patent leather!

The Quilla by Gabriella Rocha has a round toe, lightly padded footbed, one-inch heel and 3.75-inch stacked heel.  Also available in black patent and gold glitter (with black heels), burgundy patent with a stacked heel, and purple with a purple heel—all on Zappos for $45.

Now for a party shoe:

The Vamp Sandal by Jimmy Choo has beautiful orange straps, a silver buckle at the ankle, a one-inch platform, and a 4.5-inch heel.  Too beautiful!  It also comes in fuchsia and nude patent as well as nude and black suede, but the orange is my absolute favorite.  Find them at Nordstrom for $750.

And a flat, since you can’t be in heels all the time:

The Hamilton Loafer by Michael Michael Kors is a leather beauty, with a half-inch heel and metallic accent at the toe.  If you’ve had enough of orange by now it also comes in brown, but either way they’re $110 on Amazon.

And in case 2012 isn’t all sunshine:

The Gingham Rainboots by Western Chief are too cute, with the orange and white checked trim!  Bright orange outside, soft white cotton inside, and a one-inch heel and eleven-inch shaft with a sixteen-inch circumference.  Yours for just over $20 from 6pm.

All of a sudden winter seems less dreary, doesn’t it?  So put your bright foot forward and greet 2012 in orange!

Shoes for Center City Sips

Summer in Philly: Phillies games, al fresco dining, trips to the shore, and Center City Sips! What’s not love about $4 cocktails, $3 wine, $2 beers, and half price appetizers to help get you over hump day? You still have a few more Wednesdays to enjoy it, and when you go, go in style.

For example, you could snack on chicken satay and sip an Aqua Princess at Aqua: Thai one on (ha!) at Aqua in the Giovanna by Gabriella Rocha. These beautiful T-strap sandals have silver studs, a double buckle, and a one-inch wedge under the heel. Whole sizes 5-8 and 8.5; yours for $49 from Zappos.

Maybe a Dark’n’Stormy and jerk wings at Rum Bar:

Get your pirate on with these flats. The skeleton girl on the front is so adorable I can hardly stand it, and look at the crossbones on the outside heel and on the red lining inside! Available in whole sizes 5-8 for $49 from Summit Fashions.

You could be oh-so-classy with a chardonnay and calamari at Union Trust:

  The Lace-Up Shootie by American Eagle is perfect for the beautiful old bank building that houses Union Trust: a brown faux-leather oxford on a stacked 3.5-inch heel. Find them at Payless for $35.

Sweet tea vodka and risotto balls at the Las Vegas Lounge, anyone?

  If you’re a size 7.5, Lady Luck is smiling on you indeed: the Lady Luck Heels are available in your size only! A black double-strap Mary Jane with chips stacked up the heel, card suits, a roulette wheel, slot machine symbols: your feet can’t get any closer to Vegas on the East Coast. Yours for about $84 from Etsy seller Tilted Shoes.

How about a White Russian and spinach artichoke fondue at Max Brenner’s?

  I love how the quilting pattern looks like the squares of a chocolate bar! The Brazen Pump by Naturalizer has a round toe, 2.25-inch heel, and patent leather upper with quilting design and bow. Also available in black, chianti, or gray from Macy’s for $69.

Cheers, Philly girls!