Weekend Recap: Soul Cycle, Spa 57 and Le Bontaniste
I was nervous/excited to take my first Soul Cycle class since I sprained my ankle in August. I played it safe and stayed seated the whole time (if you’ve done Soul Cycle before you know there’s a lot of standing on the bike). Still got in a great sweat- nothing better than starting the day with a fun workout!
After class my boyfriend and I walked over to Le Bontaniste in Soho. At the entrance it reads “Let food be the medicine”. When you walk in you’re welcomed by employees dressed in lab coat stirring soups and stews in colorful pots. Instead of ordering from the “Menu” you order from the board of “Prescriptions” (how cute!). We were lucky enough to meet the chef who was sipping coffee at a high-top table in the back (and occasionally listening in on his employees explain the food to his new customers). He told us that all of his food is vegetarian, organic and gluten-free and EVERYTHING is made from scratch. From turmeric onions to young coconut cerviche he is very thoughtful about all the ingredients and seasonings he chooses. We got the superseed avocado small plate, the chickpea and peanut butter stew and the green pea hummus to share. I made a DIY bowl with tofu, red cabbage, turmeric onions, carrots and a drizzle of their Ginger Velvet dressing:
Everything tasted so fresh and clean! The stew had a brown rice base and it was topped with broccoli so it made for a super hearty dish for my boyfriend. The tofu was delicious and had a great texture, so I didn’t miss the meat.
We were feeling SO good afterwards that we also hit up Smile to Go for a bone broth drink. We always add ginger (great anti-inflammatory and great for the digestive system). Warmed us up from the inside out as the temperature started dropping the the late afternoon.
That evening, we went to Cafe Cluny for dinner (FYI great place to get lucky as a walk-in on a Saturday night). Started off with our usual dirty martinis before enjoying a delicious bottle of French wine. For appetizers, we ordered the cauliflower soup, hamachi crudo and the frisee salad aux Lardons. He got the short ribs and I got the salmon and we shared the chanterelle mushroom special as a side (drowned in herbed butter, but oh-so -good). Great meal and great service.
This morning we went to Spa 57 in midtown. If you’re interested in going, there are ALWAYS Groupon or Living Social deals – look for one beforehand to save some cash. The saunas were super clean and nice and big. You could lay down in a few of them which I really liked. We tried four of the saunas, then I popped into the igloo room (45 degrees!). I expected it to be freezing, but it felt great after being in the heat. After spending some time in the sauna, we went to get 30 minute massages. Highly DON’T recommend the massages here. We were on the floor and it hurt my neck to have it turned on one side the whole time. He kept putting too much pressure and it felt like my ribs were going to crack (I like a lot of pressure, but man it hurts when you’re on the floor). Save your money and go to Equinox in Soho instead.
Always looking for great spas. Let me know if you have any recommendations in NYC!
