I Went To NYC's Newest Supper Club And It Was Like Sexy Dinner Party Meets Cirque Du Soleil

 

Casa CeCe is turning Midtown into the most unexpected party destination

When I heard about a new "immersive supper club" opening in Midtown Manhattan, I was skeptical. We have all seen the rise of "experiential dining" that's basically just overpriced small plates with some ambient lighting. But Casa CeCe at 315 W. 35th Street is actually delivering on the hype. From the moment you walk in, you know this isn't your average restaurant. The space is stunning with a backlit curved bar that looks like a sculpture and a two-floor layout with a mezzanine that gives you prime views of the action below. The dining tables are at the perfect height to eat AND watch performances. The bar top is literally reinforced for dancers (yes, dancers). The ceilings are rigged for aerial acts. This place was built to evolve from dinner to full-blown party.

The food is designed to be shared while you're watching performances and vibing to music. Some of the highlights from the food and cocktail menu included Thai Chicken Kabobs and CeCe's Dream (Beluga vodka, green tea, elderflower, lemon, egg white). They also have low ABV options.

Starting Thursday through Saturday at 11 PM, DJs turn the place into a full nightclub. But the real draw is their immersive show "Diamond Moon" (created by the team behind MoonRise), which transforms the entire venue into what they describe as "divine femininity, performance art, and sensual cabaret." Without spoiling too much, expect aerial performances, theatrical storytelling, and moments where you're not quite sure if you're at dinner or inside a fever dream. Definitely recommend that everyone checks it out!

Splattered: A Beat The Bomb Story

 Neon lights, pulsing music, and groups of people suiting up in sleek white hazmat gear. Welcome to Beat the Bomb.

I’d heard the rumors: Beat the Bomb wasn’t just an escape room. It was a full-body video game. A mix of spy mission, team challenge, and pure chaos, all ending in one of two ways: victory or a six-gallon paint explosion. Naturally, my friends and I couldn’t resist.

The lobby looked like a cross between a laser tag arena and a futuristic nightclub—neon lights pulsing, walls glowing, and groups of people suiting up in white hazmat gear. A staff member handed us our mission: survive four high-tech game rooms and earn enough time to defuse the final bomb in the final mission. Fail, and we’d get blasted.

Of the 3 games available, we opted for the Paint Bomb Misison. The first room featured glowing computer terminals, each flashing cryptic symbols and color codes. We had to relay instructions across the room to unlock a system, but with everyone shouting different things at once, it was pure chaos. Eventually, we found our rhythm, passing info like an elite code-cracking squad. Every second counted; every mistake cost us time for the final bomb.

Then came Room 2, and instantly, I felt like I’d entered a spy movie. The walls shimmered with red laser beams, and we had to weave, crawl, and leap through without breaking them. Easy at first...until the lasers moved. I felt like a clumsy cat burglar in a Mission Impossible outtake, but when our timer buzzed and we made it across, we all high-fived like champs.

Room 3 took an interesting turn - it was all about sound. We had to listen to rhythmic beeps and recreate them by scanning RFID readers placed around the room. It felt like a bizarre musical memory test meets a rave. When we finally nailed a perfect sequence, the room lit up, and the speakers boomed, “LEVEL COMPLETE!” I couldn’t help but dance a little.

In Room 4, it was all about movement. The floor transformed into a glowing grid, and we had to stand on specific symbols while dodging "fireballs" flying across the screen. The motion sensors tracked every move. Jump too slow, and you’d lose points. We shouted instructions, ducked, and dove like maniacs. By the end, we were laughing and gasping for air.

And then came Room 5: the Paint Bomb Room. This was it. All the time we’d earned was ticking down as we drove a virtual robot through a digital maze to capture a 10-digit code to deactivate the bomb. My hands were shaking on the joystick, and everyone was yelling directions—“Left! No, other left!”—while the clock counted down.

Then BOOM! As the clock hit zero, we were blasted head to toe in a rainbow explosion of paint. Pink, blue, neon green dripping from my goggles. We screamed, laughed, and posed like victorious superheroes in a paint apocalypse.

As we peeled off our suits, we could already see our slow-motion replay on the screens outside—our glorious failure immortalized in full color. The best part? Beat the Bomb sent us all the photos and videos for free.

Would I do it again? Absolutely. Next time, though, I’m disarming that bomb.

My Experience With The Mirror Glaze Cake Workshop At AnnTremet Cake

 I recently attended the Mirror Glaze Cake Workshop at AnnTremet. If you have ever seen those ultra-shiny, polished cakes that look like glass and wondered, “How do they do that?” this is definitely an experience worth trying.

I have been following AnnTremet on Instagram for months now, mesmerized by those impossibly glossy mirror glaze cakes that look more like works of art than dessert. When I saw they were offering a hands-on workshop in their West Village kitchen, I knew I had to sign up.

The workshop takes place right in AnnTremet's kitchen on 8th Avenue. No sterile classroom vibes here - this is where the magic happens daily. The space is intimate and welcoming, and I loved that they kept the class small enough that everyone could get personal attention. When I arrived, they had everything set up. And here's the best part: they don't make you bake the cake from scratch during the workshop. The 7-inch mousse cake base is already prepared (and let me tell you, it's absolutely delicious). This means you can focus entirely on learning the mirror glaze technique without worrying about whether your sponge rose properly.

The instructors walked us through the entire mirror glaze process step by step. I learned about temperature control, color mixing, pouring techniques, and how to achieve that signature smooth, reflective finish. What I appreciated most was that they didn't just demonstrate, but let us get our hands dirty and actually do the work ourselves.

Beyond the glazing, we also decorated our cakes. I went with fresh flowers, berries, and some gold accents. And honestly? I was shocked at how gorgeous it turned out. It looked professional and bakery-quality.

While we worked, they served us small sandwiches, scones, and some of AnnTremet's signature desserts, along with drinks. It felt less like a class and more like a fun afternoon with friends who happen to be teaching you incredible pastry skills. And of course, you take your entire 7-inch cake home with you. It serves up to 8 people, and let me tell you, my friends were very impressed when I showed up with this stunner. Worth noting: the cake contains pork gelatin, so keep that in mind if you have dietary restrictions.

This was hands-down one of the best workshop experiences I have had in NYC. Not only did I learn an actual skill (I'm already planning my next mirror glaze cake), but I left with something beautiful and delicious. The instructors were knowledgeable and warm, the setting was authentic, and the whole experience felt special. If you've ever looked at those gorgeous mirror glaze cakes and thought "I wish I could make that," stop wishing and book this workshop. It's worth every penny, and you'll have Instagram-worthy proof of your skills to show for it.

Mission Accomplished: My Day as a Spy at SPYSCAPE NYC

 This immersive espionage experience reveals your secret agent potential - and it's surprisingly accurate

Walking into SPYSCAPE on 8th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, I wasn't sure what to expect. A spy museum? A theme park? An escape room? Turns out, it's something entirely different, and far more fascinating than I imagined. SPYSCAPE isn't just about looking at spy gadgets behind glass. It's a deeply personal journey through the shadowy world of espionage that somehow manages to reveal things about yourself you didn't know.

The heart of SPYSCAPE is a series of interactive challenges that test different aspects of your personality and skills. I moved through high-tech galleries testing everything from my risk tolerance and pattern recognition to my empathy levels and decision-making under pressure. Each challenge felt purposeful and I found myself genuinely curious about how I'd perform. One station had me analyzing facial expressions to detect deception. Another tested how I'd react in morally complex espionage scenarios.

I also tried SPYGAMES, which is a completely different beast. This 50-minute team experience was created with CIA and Special Ops operatives. My group of friends navigated high-tech game rooms filled with physical and mental challenges that tested our communication, agility, and ability to work under pressure. Think laser grids, timed missions, and a lot of frantic teamwork. It's pulse-racing and genuinely fun, especially if you have a competitive streak.

The space itself is impressive: modern, immersive, and thoughtfully designed. Everything from the lighting to the sound design pulls you into the spy world. There are also genuine artifacts and exhibits about real espionage history woven throughout, which adds depth to the experience. For anyone who's ever wondered "What kind of spy would I be?" SPYSCAPE delivers an answer backed by actual psychological research. It's part museum, part personality test, part interactive adventure, and somehow it all works beautifully together. Whether you go solo to discover your spy persona or bring a group for SPYGAMES, it's one of the more unique experiences NYC has to offer.