frankyjco

Viktor & Rolf Couture 2019

Thu, 24 Jan 2019 03:49:41 GMT

Did anyone else catch this amazing Viktor & Rolf Couture 2019 collection debut? I love pretty things with powerful sayings on them. It makes the pieces that much more powerful and beautiful at the same time. I have selected some of my favorites for you all to enjoy.

August Restaurant Week 2018

Mon, 20 Aug 2018 17:46:08 GMT

If you all missed it, Restaurant Week made its way for the summer which is now called Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week which ran from August 13th to August 19th. Who comes up with these names? Or was this always the name? LOL! Anyway, I got to check out two restaurants last week and I'll fill you in on the differences of the two and what I liked or maybe even disliked about the two.

I decided to do a lunch with some of my coworkers and I hadn't ever been to this particular restaurant before. We all decided on Zaytinya which is inspired by Turkish, Greek and Lebanese cuisines. The decor of this place is hands down, amazing and well thought out and you're downtown in the mix of DC. I couldn't believe I had never been by before. The service was pretty on point and they kept the bread bowl pretty full. This is a four course meal which is pretty amazing and it definitely filled us up.

The first course was the Elies Tis Elladas which is greek olives marinated in oregano, greek olive, and oil is pictured above. These were delicious. I'm a sucker for all olives. The second course was the Kotopoulo Youvetsi which is chicken, orzo, tomato, and kefalograviera. This was my second favorite dish! The third course was the Crispy Brussels Afelia which is brussels sprouts, coriander seed, barberries, and caper yogurt. This was such an interesting combination but it worked and is apparently voted one of their best dishes. The last dish was dessert and this was my hands down, favorite! It was the Greek Yogurt and Apricots which is muscat-soaked apricots, vanilla yogurt cream, apricot sorbet, and pistachio powder.

I was highly impressed with this restaurant and would highly recommend to check it out! I will be sure to go back and try some other dishes here.

The next spot I stopped at last week was Kyirisan which is (pronounced kir-EE-sahn). I decided to come here for brunch with a friend of mine who is also a foodie. The set up of this spot is super cute and small so you probably absolutely need a reservation here and they don't use OpenTable. I took a look over the menu and so many things sounded great! The appetizer was dessert which was a little weird and anyone that knows me, knows that sweets are not at the top of my list but always open to trying it out.

This restaurant doesn't offer as much as the other with how many courses you get which I was a little bummed about. We started out with Doughnut Holes and Cinnamon Bao Bun. The doughnut holes tasted like they'd been sitting out for a while and were sooo heavy and not in a good way. I was a little disappointed in those. Now, the Cinnamon Bao Bun was AMAZING! It came out nice and warm as I was hoping it would.

I also ordered hot tea which is included with the restaurant deal and a bloody mary because I love a good bloody mary and theirs didn't disappoint. The main course was the Panko Chicken Sandwich which I was so curious to try because I had cooked with Panko for the first time ever two weeks ago. The sandwich was pretty tasty, I just don't think my body was in the right position for the grease at the time, but it was so much to the sandwich and the chicken was soo juicy. This sandwich comes with cheddar, avocado, and pickles with a side of your choice and I chose the garlic homefries which were so crunchy and tasty.

I thought that the service was mediocre here and the food got about a 7/10 but open to trying this place again when I'm not halfway feeling like crap. LOL! Also, I must say the decor was super cute!

Franky J Co Launch Recap

Mon, 30 Jul 2018 05:25:52 GMT

Those of you that may check my site from time to time might have seen that I had a launch party on July 12th for the official launch of Franky J Co. It was a lot of work but in the end so much fun! I wanted to create an event where it showcased a few of my talents such as shoots I've styled that you see throughout my website, and a small DJ set from me with DJ by the name of DJ Geena Marie leading the vibes for the night. I made sure that there was purple everywhere that I could put it since that's my theme for everything involving Franky J Co.

I held the event at Dacha Loft (be sure to tell Alexandra I sent you) in Washington, DC. This space is one of the coolest event spaces with it being pretty secluded, super artsy inside and the building is actually purple on the outside, what a coincidence, right! There were lite bites passed around during the earlier part of the event and a bar set up with just about everything you could think of. I loved the bar!

You can get a sense of how awesome the event was from the photos, enjoy!

To see more of the photos from the launch, you can click here .

I want to thank all attendees for coming and celebrating my launch with me! You all were one of the most important parts of this event!

I also want to give a special shout out to all of the amazing sponsors
Char's Cookie Jar
District Running Collective
Doll Circa 1930
Johnee Lightning
Luxy Bombs
The Regal People
RUNGRL Co
SipCity
Vita Coco

Event and Networking Etiquette

Thu, 14 Jun 2018 20:44:35 GMT

To Shut Up or Not to Shut Up?

We are now in full throttle of summer. This is the time of the year when we want to go out, meet people and network, but the question is, when is it time to actually be quiet or talk?

I've been in the game of networking since I started blogging in 2009 so I have always put myself out there to go out and network and meet people. Every scenario is different with these types of outings. I'll go through a few different places you may go and how you should play the game.

Panelist Event

I think with this type of event you should come with possible questions to ask the panelist if they have a q&a apart of the panel. Most panelist events have a cocktail hour before and sometimes after. This is the time to get all the talking you need to do out, pass out a few business cards, so that during the panel, you are attentive, phone is on silent, brightness is down and you are ready to engage in what's going on in front of you in silence. I think it's totally unacceptable to be at a panelist event on your phone or having side conversations, this is when you excuse yourself and step out. You must keep others in mind that are there to really listen and engage in the panel.

Networking Event

This is an event where I think phones should be used at a minimum. You are clearly here to meet someone, be it for a collaboration, a job, or you are there because it's hard as hell to meet people where you are and this just made it a little easier. This is an event you should absolutely have at least 10 to 20 business cards to give out. Sometimes Instagram pages are appropriate to give out if it feels right to do so. This is also a time to really listen to others speak and not interrupt or try to talk over the other person. You are both there to network so hear the other person out. Depending on if this is more corporate or a little more casual, you can might be able to relax a little and have fun. A lot of after hours events, try to make you feel a little more comfortable. Most of these events have food and alcohol. I say to always know your limit with this type of event.

Pop Up Event

This event was created for you to have fun so have your phone out, snap as many pictures as you like. This is where you can wear that outfit you were trying to figure out an event for. Here is your chance! You should pass out business cards because you are all there because you must all have similar interests in whats going on. Most pop ups have music, food, and drinks. This event is where I think you can really let loose a little and enjoy yourself.

What to wear to these types of events?

I think it all depends on where this event is taking place and if it's a panel, who will be on the panel. Is this more of a corporate, fashion, or artsy type of event? This helps you to decide on what's best to wear. Why are you at the panel? Are you looking for a job, to collaborate, to represent your personal brand; the list goes on. I think these things help to know what to wear. I'll also include some images on what might be most appropriate.

Corporate Event Looks

Fashion/Pop Up Event Looks

I hope this is information that you can take with you to help you take full advantage of all of these amazing events that go on in the summer and throughout the year.

Royal Wedding Best Dressed

Tue, 22 May 2018 17:20:12 GMT

I, unfortunately, but more so fortunately slept through the Royal Wedding because it came on just a little too EARLY! LOL! I did catch some of the looks throughout the day and there were tons! The hats were definitely the talk of the wedding. I loved all of fascinators as well some of the non-traditional hats. The men looked so dapper with their tail coats. I picked some of my favorite looks from the wedding. Who were your favorites?

The Weekend Recap

Mon, 14 May 2018 16:26:02 GMT

New Hair, DC Funk Parade, Mother's Day and More

What a weekend!!! I didn't expect to get so much rest while also having so much fun. LOL! This weekend was filled with so many happenings be it in DC as well as personal outings with family. Saturday was a full day and night of the Funk Parade festivities. I was only able to make it out for the night portion since I got my hair colored and anyone that has done that before knows that it takes some hours to complete so I'll include a photo from after the Funk Parade showcase at the Lincoln Theater with my new do.

Before I made my way to food, I decided to get my mom her Mother's Day gift as well as my sister's birthday gift. I found two cards but I had to find the rest later that night while out on the town (shouts to Rite Aide on U street that has everything that you can imagine. LOL!).

I decided that Mark's Kitchen would be my best bet for variety as well as something tasty and I was right! I originally had a taste for sushi because of how hot it was outside but their sushi chef wasn't in so I settled for a salmon club with sourdough bread and OMG! I will be back for that soon.

We will now fast forward to the later portion of the day when it was a complete struggle to make it out the house to the Funk Parade showcase due to the torrential down pour of rain, but I made it! I got there to the sounds of DJ Native Son killing it! I love seeing local DJ's kill it. The next performance was of an artist with a live band that I had never heard of before, but apparently toured with Jidenna. The artists name was Mannywellz. He really brought some amazing energy! Next was DJ Underdog which is out of this world with his DJ style. He added in a little go-go which I appreciate! Last was Ari Lennox, who had a voice that doesn't necessarily match her look. Her voice is one of someone much older and maybe even of another time period. Her voice is beautiful!

The night continued by stopping at super random clubs throughout the night and then ending up at El Tamarindo because what else is open at 3am, other than jumbo pizza spots? I thoroughly enjoyed my burrito. One recommendation with the burrito, have them add all the sides in while making the burrito before you receive it to devour. Thank me later! *wink*

Sunday was a day of recuperating. I actually missed a scheduled personal appointment that I was thankfully able to reschedule. My body needed rest and I didn't fight it. I went to dinner with family to celebrate Mother's Day and my sister's 30th birthday so that was a good time, we had fun!

I hope you all had just as much of an action packed weekend as me and I also hope you all had an amazing Mother's Day!

The Met Gala

Tue, 08 May 2018 01:18:43 GMT

I hope you all tuned into the 'Heavenly Bodies' themed Met Gala. This theme was referenced from the 'Heavenly Bodies' exhibit which had catholic inspired looks but more glam. There was so much to pull from with this theme while still staying cohesive. I think this might have been one of my favorite themes where so many celebrities actually followed the theme. A few had me lost, lol, but for the most part it was within the theme. I choose some of my favorites for you all to check out!

Oscar 2018 Favorites

Mon, 05 Mar 2018 15:44:42 GMT

Did you all watch the Oscars last night? I'll have to say that I more so watched for the fashion, the funnies, and the amazing ever changing stage. This was probably one of my favorite stage set ups of the Oscars ever. I wanted to show you all some of my favorite looks from the Oscars.

She's Another Year Older

Thu, 01 Mar 2018 20:15:38 GMT

I turned 32 last week on February, 22nd. YAY and YIKES! LOL! I had a full week of events and parties throughout DC. I put on a 90's themed birthday party which was so much fun! There were vibes anywhere from Clueless to Tupac to Run DMC! GOOD TIMES!

Also, sidenote, I know I haven't been the most present on my new site, but there are a lot of final touches needed to get everything going. Not to worry, it's coming a long! I appreciate all of the support with what I have to come.

Valentine's Day

Wed, 14 Feb 2018 14:28:57 GMT

Where to Go?!

Valentine's Day is here and some of us might not have completely locked in plans. These plans could be for those lovebirds looking for a place to go or if you're just looking to do a galentines day, that works also. Either way, you must go somewhere fun and if you happen to get a deal then it's a win, win! I'm going to fill you in on some places I think would be worth your wild and your pockets will thank you.

El Techo - 606 Florida Ave NW
This place is a hidden gem but also such a cute, casual spot. I feel like you can wear just about anything here and you'll fit right in. They are doing a Valentine's special of chips and guacamole, a seafood-filled paella, flan, and bottle of win for $50. This is a NO BRAINER! Grab your significant other or your friends and get your butt there!

Claudia's - 1501 K Street NW
This place is like the cutest most grown and sexy place ever. This place also does a happy hour everyday of the week. What planet does that exist on? LOL! So, if you're looking to do an early meet up or dinner, the happy hour goes from 2pm to 8pm. The hours are INSANE! They have a great selection of cocktails, wines, IPAs, and small plates.

The Watergate Hotel - 2650 Virginia Ave SW
You might be thinking, a hotel?! Yes, this hotel is not like any other that I can think of. The best place to go at this hotel is the Top of the Gate which is their rooftop bar and their ice skating rink that is open from 5pm to 10pm. The skating costs $20 per person but what a fun way to do something out of the norm. They have cocktails and light bites available. The drinks could run about $16 each, but this is all for a special occasion, so enjoy yourself!

The Capital Wheel - 165 Waterfront Street National Harbor
I'm personally afraid of heights, but this could be something adventurous to do as well to be able to see a beautiful sunset. This ride only costs $15 plus fees, so fairly inexpensive. If you want to add on to the fun, you can stop by one of the bars or restaurants in the area.

Restaurant Week Winter Edition 2018

Thu, 01 Feb 2018 20:15:34 GMT

Sushiko

Are you all sick of my Restaurant Week posts yet? Lol! This is the last one for the winter edition this year and I'll get into some other topics. The last restaurant on my list was Sushiko. This was another restaurant that wasn't necessarily apart of the plan, but plans changed and a friend was open to check this spot out.

If anyone knows me, they know that I just love sushi. Sushi has to be prepared a certain way, it should taste fresh. I personally love raw, fresh sushi. It just brings me joy!

This was another restaurant that offered a four-course meal and they didn't skimp like some restaurants, I won't name. I decided to start out with a drink and the Ginger Champagne was perfect. This drink contains sparkling wine, ginger, and a lemon twist. Everything on the menu sounded so good! I started out with the Otsukuri which is the chef's finest selection of sashimi of the day.

Next was the second course which was called Karage. This was flash dried marinated chicken, house pickle, and ginger caramel. This tasted so flavorful and for those not so adventurous with sushi, this is a good option for you. I can still taste this now it was so flavorful.

My third course was chef's finest selection of nigiri of the day and element roll. This dish was almost too pretty to eat but was so good once I took my first bite. I was so impressed with the element roll paired with the semi-spicy dipping sauce. The nigiri all had different flavors to them as far as fresh or smokey and I loved them all.

Last, was dessert, which was green tea ice cream. I've never been a big fan of green tea ice cream, but a great way to clear your palette after so much sushi.

This restaurant was my favorite of the three, hence why I saved the best for last. The service here was amazing, super knowledgeable waiters, and every dish kept getting better and better and better. They also offer a happy hour at this spot, DAILY. I'll most definitely check that out!

Restaurant Week Winter Edition 2018

Wed, 31 Jan 2018 18:26:47 GMT

La Taberna del Alabardero

I was apparently on a restaurant week tour this weekend, lol! I was put up to the challenge to find something different. I wanted to make sure we got bang for our buck by finding somewhere that we wouldn't normally eat but is still highly rated. This is when La Taberna del Alabardero came up as a choice.

La Taberna del Alabardero is an award-winning restaurant of Spanish cuisine. As I dive into the dishes, you'll see why. This restaurant offers a 3 course dinner for restaurant week. They offer 3 tapas for your appetizer, one entree, and three mini dishes for dessert. This restaurant is also known for their sangria.We started out with red sangria which out of the three of us, we were able to get about two glasses which wasn't too bad. One of the three appetizers I started out with was the Gazpacho Andaluz which is Andalusian tomato vegetable soup. This soup tasted very close to a version I made myself from scratch. Another appetizer was Patatas Bravas which was golden fried potatoes with spicy mayo. The last of the appetizer trio was the Calamares Fritos con Allioli which is fried calamari and aioli sauce.

The main entree was something I decided to be a little adventurous with. The dish is the most popular dish at this restaurant which is Paella Valenciana. This dish contains traditional Valencian paella with organic chicken, rabbit, butter beans, and seasonal vegetables. I couldn't tell what the rabbit was, so this was easy to just eat and enjoy all the amazing flavors that came with it.

Last, but not least, was the dessert. This came with three small sample size desserts. The three options were flan, rice pudding (my personal favorite), and dulce de leche.

The service here was like no where I had ever been before. Our water glasses never got half full. If we needed assistance, there was always a waiter nearby. They were also great with helping us make selections. This restaurant gives me more of a special occasion vibe with the prices along with the red painted walls and vintage furniture. They have a happy hour here Monday through Friday for anyone that wants to try it out and not spend an arm and a leg.

Restaurant Week Winter Edition 2018

Tue, 30 Jan 2018 05:28:36 GMT

Farmers & Distillers

If you all didn't know, last week was Restaurant Week in DC. I made sure to take FULLLLLL advantage of it. I made my first stop at Farmers & Distillers . This restaurant is one of my favorites for various reasons; amazing and attentive waiters/manager, food/portions, and the DRINKS, the drinks.

This restaurant wasn't actually originally on the list of places to go. I found out a day prior that a friend that now lives in Norway was in town so I had to try my best to make my way. This restaurant offered a pretty good menu with a starter of bread and butter or the parmesan pound cake. Because of the large party, we started with both. The bread and butter was the best of the two.

Next was the appetizer, which could have been any small salad or dumpling. I went for the Kung Pao Chicken dumpling which was really good! For my main course, it had to be anything $24 and under from the menu which gave me a wide range of choices. I decided to push it and try the Fisherman's Pasta because I wouldn't normally spend $23 on one dish, but yolo for restaurant week, LOL! We ended our meal with the donuts which were between three choices, but the only decent kind was the warm, glazed donut.

I, again, thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere, service, and the food is pretty much always on point.

Grammys 2018

Mon, 29 Jan 2018 04:47:18 GMT

BEST DRESSED

I hope you all were able to tune into the Grammys. I was a little late with tuning in due to getting my last bit of Restaurant Week (stay tuned for those posts). Here are some of my favorite celebrity lewks, yes LEWKS!

Katie Holmes

Sza

Eve

Janelle Monae

Anna Kendrick

Donald Glover

Lady Gaga

DJ Khaled

Beyonce Jay-Z & Blue Ivy

A Day Without a Woman

Fri, 10 Mar 2017 04:56:00 GMT

But did you die?! I’m just kidding, but I, unfortunately, had to work. I did, however, make my day count. I wore red, ate somewhere that supported the movement, and donated some clothing for a great cause.

I knew I had to work, so I wanted to make in impact in my own way. I found one of my favorite red dresses, no pictures, unfortunately. I then did some research on who in Gallery Place area was supporting the cause. I found Centrolina which has a woman as a chef and she is phenomenal.

Centrolina offers authentic, regional Italian cooking. Chef Amy Brandwein’s CityCenterDC Italian donated 10-percent of sales in the market to Running Start, an organization that supports young women entering politics. Woo-boo!

I went solo and it was nice to just sit and read and totally ditch social media. I observed my surroundings because this place was just so beautiful. Lots of men in very nice suits and sprinkles of women in red there probably for the same reason as me. I saw most employees there be it a man or woman wearing some type of red. It felt great to be there.

I ordered the Paillard which is made with grilled herbed chicken, quinoa & mustard leaves with lemon vinegarette. This dish was so flavorful and appreciated the fact that the chicken wasn’t shredded on top. It was a huge piece on the bottom and I almost thought I might not have been able to finish it. The dish was also $19 which was a major splurge for me but all in the name of greater good, I did it.

I ended the evening with a a Trunk Club team outing at The Smith . This is like our go-to spot because it’s so close and the food so good! The mac & cheese is just done so beautifully. They have other great dishes and drinks. They have Riesling on tap and some of the best I’ve ever had.

Well this concludes my ‘A Day without a Woman’. How did you all spend your ‘A Day Without a Woman’?

China Chilano Review

Mon, 06 Feb 2017 19:28:00 GMT

So, the last stop on the restaurant week leg was China Chilano. Sunday was the last day for restaurant week, but, don’t worry, it will be back in the summer. This spot is one of the infamous José Andres restaurants. I got to check out lunch at this spot. The idea behind this restaurant is that in the 19th century, Chinese and Japanese settlers travelled to Peru and made it their home. They brought with them some of their amazing cooking traditions and that’s where the multi-cultural Peruvian cuisine arose.

The service was top notch here. My cup of water never got less than half full which was impressive in my opinion. The food all very well curated and you got various flavors throughout the dish and it worked well.