With an annual production of 30 million bottles of wines distributed in over 120 countries, when Georges Duboeuf (a.k.a. the King of Beaujolais) says that the “2009 Beaujolais is the vintage of a lifetime,” wine lovers everywhere are taking notice. I was one of the lucky dozen invited to a private tasting dinner at the…
Question: When does anything these days exceed your expectations? Well, this grand Dame sure did. The hotel literally blew us away. With a 35 million dollar face lift (that buys a whole lot of Botox) the hotel had just finished freshening up its’ previously somewhat staid interior with several dramatic but pleasing make-over’s. The impeccably…
Early this month, during a familial conference call, my NYC sis started whining, “It’s so wet and monsoonish here on the East Coast.” Then mom chimed in, “Try living in Seattle, my dear. It’s cold and dreary and totally depressing. I’d love some sun.” I was then commanded to come up with a getaway plan….
This Sunday forgo the usual “all- you- can- drink Bloody Mary Brunch” and hop over to Pier 94 in Manhattan. Sip good wines, taste from a number of the Big Apple’s best resto’s ( Buddakan, Illili, Centrico, Kittichai, ) sample from gourmet food folk like Murray’s Cheese and Bella Cucina, while viewing some amazing party…
Lambert Bridge That evening, as I drove cross the old trestle bridge and caught my first glimpse of the winery nestled into the hillside, it’s stone and rough wood lodge-like tasting room surrounded by an old-fashioned wrap-around porch (a perfect spot for sipping the afternoon away) it brought to mind a Rockefeller Great House. Two…
A few weeks ago I received the following invitation from a friend of mine, Tony Giovanzana (the Director of Retail Operations at Dry Creek’s Lambert Bridge Winery): I would like you to be our guest at a very special, once-in-a-lifetime dinner that we are hosting here at the winery. We have partnered with Paula Le…
Time for a Spa break: After a day of power-shopping, museuming it or just wandering through the different nabes, a little R & R at either of these spas should prove a welcome break. Oasis Day Spa To find the hidden Oasis Day Spa at 1 Park Ave. you first descend down a flight of…
Come de-stress while helping those in distress. Healing Arts for Haiti will be held on February 12th at the Grand Hyatt, NYC where caring citizens can receive services from the healing arts community with donations to help Haiti. This brilliant idea was hatched by none other than Oasis Day Spa’s Bruce Schoenberg, who generously organized…
Agua Dulce Agua Dulce serves “Pan-Latin cuisine incorporating an abundance of flavors from all Latin regions including the Caribbean, Central and South America”. I’m quoting this straight off of their website because recently there was a big hooplah about a scathing Time Out review questioning the “authenticity” of Agua Dulce’s food. Executive Chef Ulrich A….
Smorgas Chef This hidden gem recently appeared inside the contemporary art-filled Scandinavia House in Murray Hill. The bright, open, Ikea-ish space is filled with a kaleidoscope of colorful plastic chairs, flowers, lanterns, even a big white tree plunked right in the middle of the dining area. Fun, lively and festive year-round, it’s a go-to choice…
Capsouto Freres Thirty years ago three brothers opened a chic French bistro in some godforsaken area called TriBeCa and I’m happy to report that it’s still as popular as ever. We went on one of the coldest days of the year, when the last thing we wanted to do was shag all the way downtown,…
Now that we have the sleeping arrangements taken care of, who’s hungry? Here’s some of my fave eateries that you might like to try: Travertine, a smoldering, sensual, Italian/Med hot spot opened just two months ago in a surprisingly local (edge of the Bowery) but Top Chef alum, Manuel Trevino is already knocking them dead….