Posts Tagged ‘champagne’

New Year’s Eve in New York City: 2023

We’ve all had enough of 2022, right? And the awful freezing weather isn’t helping much. If you’ve already gotten rid of those bad memories at Good Riddance Day in Times Square, made your wish on the Wishing Wall for next year and you’re prepared to put your New Year’s resolutions into play, it’s time to party like it’s 1999 (apologies to Prince). Let’s say goodbye to the past and move forward with wonderful and festive memories.

Watch the Ball Drop at Home or with a Personal Escort (No, It’s Not What You think)

An online event for those who aren’t willing to join the hordes in chilly Times Square on New Year’s Eve, the New Year’s Eve celebration will be livestreamed along with non-stop merriment and music. Click here to get notified about details for the webcast.

Courtesy Brooklyn Delicatessen Times Square

The new Brooklyn Deli Times Square will offer live entertainment, a five-course prix-fixe menu featuring an elaborate buffet and an “escort” to view the ball drop in Times Square. Brian “Mr. Taptastic” Davis and his group of NYC Musicians will be joined by Broadway’s Haley Lampart (Kinky Boots) for all-night eats and entertainment.  Just before midnight, you’ll be escorted to watch the Times Square festivities from a less crowded location. To reserve, email newyearseve@thefiremangroup.com.

New Year’s Eve Midnight Run and Fireworks in Central Park

The Annual Emerald Nuts Midnight Run is ready to kick off again this year at midnight on New Year’s Eve.  Starting at 10pm, Central Park will be alive with DJ Music and Dancing, a Costume Parade and a spectacular Fireworks and Laser Show. Then, at midnight, the 4M Race winds its way through the park, finishing near the entrance to Cherry Hill. Dress warmly  and enjoy the festivities .Dancing and the costume contest will be held at the Central Park Bandshell, just south of the 72nd Street Transverse in Central Park.

Eat, Drink and Be Merry – International Style

New Year’s Eve in New York City is back and many restaurants have sent out invitations to come and enjoy in person. Here are some of the international options for you to consider.

Courtesy GG Tokyo

I miss Tokyo a lot, and the Golden Gai district is certainly one of the liveliest parts of the city. New York’s version, GG Tokyo in the Park South Hotel, invites you to celebrate the New Year with a party to remember. With its Japanese-inspired cuisine and cocktails, GG Tokyo will offer an open bar from 9pm to 12am with an extensive Champagne and spirit list, a Tarlant Champagne toast, hors d’oeuvres for the first hour, and a DJ to keep the spirits high. Tickets are available on Tock. The party will run from 9pm until 1am.

Courtesy Sushi by Boū

I can’t get enough of Japan and here’s an option to keep you feeling “bougie” à la japonais on New Year’s Eve. Modern speakeasy-inspired /omakase concept Sushi by Boū is offering a Bou-gie 17-course seating with a New Year’s Eve party package. At New York City locations in Nomad, Chelsea and Flatiron at 11pm, guests can enjoy an omakase experience that includes 2023 glasses, party hats, noisemakers, beads, and a Champagne toast at midnight.

Courtesy Sushi by Boū

For the ultimate experience, you can choose to ‘check in’ at Sushi Suite 1001 for a 17-course omakase at their 11:15pm seating that comes with a sake flight as well.

Balvanera - Photo Credit Mark Zhelezoglo

Argentina is known for its lively music and dance and Balnvanera does it up Punta Alta-style to celebrate New Year’s Eve.  Authentic dishes, special for the evening and created by Chef Fernando Navas, include New Year’s Eve langosta with Maine lobster, black trumpet butter, frisée salad; panqueques with dulce de leche; and other specials. There will be two seatings at the Lower East side restaurant: an early dinner starting at 7pm, and a second one at 8:30pm that takes you through the New Year’s Eve countdown with party hats and noisemakers.

Courtesy IXTA

For a Mexican fiesta, IXTA on the Bowery is holding a noche filled with Champagne, cocina mexicana and mezcal.  The trendy Tulum-themed restaurant and mezcal bar will celebrate New Year’s Eve with a DJ, live entertainment, three-hour premium open bar, passed hors d’oeuvres, a Champagne toast at midnight and live viewing of the Times Square festivities. Tickets can be purchased at Posh.

More Dining and Parties

Courtesy Blackbarn

At Nomad’s farm-to-Table, American restaurant Blackbarn, Chef John Doherty is once again teaming up with Executive Chef Brian Fowler to create a special New Year’s Eve menu featuring a la carte choices as well as a prix fixe menu with or without wine pairing. Menu highlights include foie gras terrine, Black Barn tomahawk steak for two presented tableside, Dover sole, and rum butterscotch pudding. The party continues until 1am.

Courtesy The Fulton by Jean-Georges

To ring in 2023, The Fulton by Jean-Georges at Pier 17 will be offering two seatings for their five-course prix fixe menu. Upscale choices include caviar service, white truffle tagliatelle and seared wagyu tenderloin. The waterside restaurant sits on the East River with beautiful skyline views of both Manhattan and Brooklyn.

9 Jones - Photo Credit Andy Stark

New York’s newest supper club, 9 Jones, will be ringing in the New Year with Champagne and caviar and an elegant prix fixe dinner with two seatings. Guests enjoying the six-course dinner will have with the option for Caviar Bump and a glass of Champagne or a bottle of Champagne and a two-ounce caviar tin served with accoutrements. The Cocktail Trolley will be available for bottle service with top shelf Champagne options served tableside. 9 Jones’s modern Greek menu includes options such as spice feta with warm pita, lobster bisque, grilled octopus, truffle butter pasta, and butter-poached lobster tail. Dress attire is elegant like the menu, and televisions at the West Village club will be live streaming the festivities all night with the ball drop.

Courtesy Arlo SoHo

Arlo SoHo is transforming their entire hotel into a New Year’s Eve multi-floor extravaganza with a variety of experiences throughout with multiple DJs, dancers, acrobatic performers and robots as well as a four-hour open bar, endless bites and more. The evening also includes access to speakeasy Foxtail hosting a midnight balloon drop and rooftop lounge Art SoHo. Tickets are available via Eventbrite . The hotel’s lovely restaurant Lindens is available for a dining with a prix fixe menu including signature Parker House rolls, honeynut squash ravioli and roast chicken, offered with optional wine or cocktail pairings.

Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge - Courtesy TAO Group Hospitality

Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge at Moxy Times Square’s seasonal holiday pop-up, the Pink Winter Edition: Frosted Edition, offers a spectacular view of New York City and the Empire State Building along with white frosted details, a carousel glistening with more than 25,000 rhinestones, and a sparkling white gondola.

Courtesy The Cauldron NYC

The Cauldron NYC downtown has a crazy party night in store with a four-hour open bar from 10pm – 2am, two hours of passed hors d’oeuvres and witch hats. There will be a livestream of the ball drop, a live DJ, a drag show and plenty of additional tricks. The party doesn’t have to end when you leave, as you’ll be given a special potion and grilled cheese to take home or to your next destination. Standing tickets and table reservations are available. For table reservations, email nycbar@thecauldron.io.  For standing tickets, buy them online through Eventbrite.

Courtesy CHELSEA TABLE + STAGE

CHELSEA TABLE + STAGE will present a special immersive New Year’s Eve Celebration “The Romp on 26.” From 9pm until 1am. The soiree will feature The CT+S Follies, fresh from Burlesque Nights at the dining and music hot spot, with performances by Seedy Edie and more. Patrons  will enjoy an open bar, passed delights, and a midnight toast. General admission tickets include Burlesque performers, dancing to the music of DJ A Ball, a limited menu, passed hors d’oeuvres, and a bubbles toast at midnight with a balloon drop. Various packages are available with bottle service and tables offered.  Black tie suggested. 21 and over only . Tickets are available through Eventbrite.

Courtesy The Sandbar Rooftop

The Sandbar Rooftop will offer its second annual “Beach White Party” from 9pm until 1am. Come dressed in your best beach chic whites and ring in the New Year. Guests will experience views of Manhattan’s cityscape while relaxing in the Fashion District’s “beach” on the 23rd floor of the Hilton. Open bar, DJ and dancing,  a bubbles toast at midnight, and light bites are offered. 21 and over only. Tickets are available through Eventbrite.

Courtesy Paris Cafe

The newly revamped 150-year old Paris Cafe in the Seaport welcomes you to join their list of notable guests past and present including such luminaries as Thomas Edison, Teddy Roosevelt , Jimmy Hoffa and Lauren Bacall. For New Year’s Eve, the restaurant will host a “ Midnight in Paris” dinner party followed by open bar, bottle service and live entertainment along with a DJ, saxophonist, magicians, dancers and Champagne.

Courtesy Wiggle Room

For the late night party, Wiggle Room bar in the East Village will keep the vibes happening until 3am with sets by DJs Babybro and Ben Baker and an open bar for all-night dancing. Tickets are available through Eventbrite. Cocktail highlights the spicily named Hot Lava, made with Milagro tequila, Ayuk pasilla, pineapple, toasted sesame, lime and hot honey; and the Wiggle ‘Tini, a potent combination of Nordes gin, Ketel One vodka, cherry blossom vermouth and Champagne vinegar.

And for New Year’s Day

Courtesy The Poetry Project

The Poetry Project’s 49th annual New Year’s Day Marathon is live again this year, starting at 2pm on January 1 and continuing until 1am at St. Marks Church with non-stop readings and performances from more than 153 poets, writers, artists, musicians, actors and dancers around the world. Don’t tune out if you don’t like poetry — the event is filled with music sets, cooking segments, films and other theatrical bits to keep you entertained into the next day. The Marathon will take place over two five-hour periods with an hour break in between. The sections of the marathon will be ticketed separately with a limit of 300 tickets per section. Tickets are $25 per section in advance, $30 at the door.

To help with your hangover, these three  brunch specials at Mercado Little Spain will bring much-needed (and delicious) relief.

Lena Courtesy Mercado Little Spain

At Leña, a restaurant dedicated to paellas and grilled meats over live fire, enjoy scrambled eggs with roasted seasonal mushrooms and morcilla sausage and tortilla de patatas con caviar, a  Spanish potato and onions omelet served with caviar, perfect for soaking up whatever you might have imbibed the evening before.

Spanish Diner Courtesy Mercado Little Spain

Inside the all-day Spanish Diner, you can munch on Ibérico Benedict eggs, made with Ibérico hollandaise sauce and jamón Ibérico or mollete de tortilla de patatas, a Spanish potato and onions omelet sandwich served on a crispy bun with piquillo peppers and aioli.

La Barra Courtesy Mercado Little Spain

Tapas specialist La Barra serves up tortilla vaga con caviar, an open-face tortilla with potato chips and caviar and bikini de queso y trufa, a truffled Spanish cheese sandwich.

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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How to Survive Dry January This Year

Have you made a resolution to eat healthier, drink less and get into better shape… just like last year? It’s that time when we need to reverse the indulgences of the holiday season and our pandemic binges over the past two years.

Some add vegan eating to this clean-up effort, but I’d suggest that you focus first on one of our guiltiest pleasures, drinking. In this case, the concept is Dry January to reinvigorate a healthy lifestyle for a month by abstaining from alcohol.  And, frankly, if it works for you, there’s no reason not to make at least some version of this a permanent part of every month going forward.

Courtesy Trinchero Family Estates

To kickstart this “new you” process, I’ve put together some suggestions that will fill in the blanks with taste and variety leading to the psychological and physical rewards you’ll experience after you complete your foray into clean living. You may not know it, but if you’ve turned into a pandemic insomniac, this might actually be your ticket to a better night’s sleep and better-looking skin!

Bars and Mocktails

Bars in New York City are jumping on the wellness bandwagon (not just for Dry January), tuning into our desire to scale back.

Le Crocodile ©Meryl Pearlstein

Concord Hill in Brooklyn invites you to dabble in innovative drink and flavor combinations with a deliciously fresh and spicy mocktail named Cruel Summer. Blending mango and orange juices with simple syrup gives a sweet contrast to the chili-based Chamoy hot sauce and Tajin rim. Williamsburg’s Le Crocodile mixes Ghia non-alcoholic aperitif with soda, Fever-Tree Mediterranean tonic, rosemary and grapefruit juice. Brooklyn’s Bohemien Bar expands their cocktail offerings this month with a curated N/A cocktail menu. Welcome to Paradise blends fennel juice and pomegranate molasses. Using a base of Ritual Tequila, The Roselle adds bitter orange cordial, lime, and hibiscus to create a margarita-like alternative.

Courtesy Spiritless

For a wintry cocktail at home, you can create your own bourbon-ish drink with the popular Kentucky-made AF spirit, Spiritless Kentucky 74, enjoying the caramel, vanilla and oak flavors on the rocks, or combined with AVEC mixers and cherries for a Faux Old Fashioned.

Courtesy Greenbar Distillery

Thanks to California’s Greenbar Distillery, you can stock your refrigerator with a range of canned mocktails. Bitters + Soda lovers will enjoy the Earl Grey version made with black tea and bergamot orange. For hard spirit substitutes, try the UnRum + Cola or UnGin + Tonic.

Elixirs, Mixers and Sparkling Water

Courtesy Curious Elixirs

Curious Elixirs are complex booze-free cocktails, handmade in the Hudson Valley with all-organic ingredients. Instead of adding sugar, the drinks are infused with adaptogens. The seven-bottle series has versions of classic drinks like a pomegranate negroni, a spicy margarita, a dark & stormy fusion, the craftily named Curious cucumber Collins, or a more refined Champagne cocktail that has a base of Chardonnay grapes.

Courtesy HOP WTR

Offered in three flavors, Classic, Mango and Blood Orange, HOP WTR is a non-alcoholic brew of crisp, bold hops, sparkling water and mood-boosting adaptogens and nootropics crafted without calories or sugar. The tasty beer alternatives are bright and refreshing, perfect for Superbowl parties or anytime during Dry January or beyond.

Courtesy FREE RAIN

FREE RAIN is a line of adaptogenic sparkling waters that will become your new go-to when it comes to grabbing a drink with your meal. FREE RAIN comes in four fun flavors: Focus: Blood Orange Ginger with Ashwagandha for a clear mind, Arousal: Pink Grapefruit with Maca for a frisky feeling, Calm: Blackberry with Passionflower for a mellow mood and Energy: Cherry Lime with Siberian ginseng for energy.

Courtesy Found Bubbly

A newcomer to the sparkling beverages category, Found Bubbly is said to be the first sparkling water created through Earth’s “naturally occurring mineralization process.” Packed with minerals and electrolytes, the beverage has been “dropping” new flavors sequentially so you can look forward to another flavor in February. For now, you can try natural, cucumber minty, elderflowery, lemony and watermelon.

Courtesy Casamara Club

If you’re a fan of Italian amaros, you don’t need to sacrifice the bitter state of an after-dinner digestif if you’re observing Dry January. Casamara Club is a club soda crafted like a cocktail, mixing amaro bitters made with botanicals with citrus, salinity and a touch of sweetness. The five flavors, Alta (like a Negroni), Como (like a traditional amaro with mint), Onda (an herbaceous lemon drink), Isla (like a rum and ginger ale) and Fora (a strawberry and spice mix), are refreshingly different.

Courtesy AVEC

For a wide range of mixers that double as mocktails, AVEC mixers offers five canned cocktails: spicy marg AVEC ( jalapeño and blood orange), paloma AVEC (grapefruit and pomelo, vodka soda AVEC (yuzu and lime) mule AVEC (ginger), and cran vodka AVEC (hibiscus and pomegranate).

Courtesy Shrubbly

Shrubs, vinegar-based infusions, have been the rage on health-oriented drink menus for years. Now you can have them at home, too, with Shrubbly, a new non-alcoholic beverage full of flavor (shrub base, high antioxidant berries, and a few bubbles) and wellness (prebiotics, apple cider vinegar and wellness shot ingredients). Try the lemon-ginger and pomegranate flavors. Each is 100% organic, gluten-free, fat-free and low in calories, sugar and carbs.

Courtesy SomethingElse

Tea lovers will enjoy this new aroma-focused collection from SomethingElse, masters at creating non-alcoholic beverages using the expertise of chefs and sommeliers. Kally is an innovative blend of teas, fruits, herbs and spices with acidity similar to most alcoholic drinks. The beverages are designed to pair with food and come in four varieties, No.11 Jasmine Spice, No.23 Orchard Sage, No. 70 Vanilla Smoke and No. 93 Berry Fennel.

AF Wines and Beer

Luminara wines © Meryl Pearlstein

Love California wines? Then you’ll enjoy FRE alcohol-removed wines by Trinchero Family Estates. These wines are made using traditional winemaking methods, but then the alcohol is gently removed. You can try their nine varietals including Moscato, White Zinfandel, Rosé, Chardonnay, Merlot, Red Blend and Cabernet Sauvignon and two sparkling versions also available in cans, a Brut and a Rosé. Drink them straight or invent a winter-perfect, alcohol-free libation like Mulled Wine using Fre’s Cabernet Sauvignon as a base. Trinchero also has two new upscale Luminara wines, a Chardonnay and a Red Blend, produced with 100% Napa Valley grapes.

Courtesy Surely

Sonoma Valley also has a lovely alcohol-free wine collection. Surely’s non-alcoholic wine is also made from wine with the alcohol removed. A favorite in their line is their Non-Alcoholic Cabernet Sauvignon, bold and full-bodied, and made with 100% Sonoma Valley grapes.

Courtesy Prima Pavé

For a quick alcohol-free trip to Italy, Prima Pavé Alcohol Free Sparkling Wines are made with a mix of varietals, adding to their complexity and designed for harmonious pairing with food. Handcrafted in Italy with no sugar or chemicals added, Prima Pavé showcases terroir and an intoxicating depth of flavor. Dealcoholized through a proprietary, all-natural process, the sophisticated bubblies come in Rosé Brut, Blanc de Blancs and Rosé Dolce.

DRY Reserve Courtesy DRY

DRY Botanical Bubbly Reserve is perfect for any celebratory toasts you have. The sophisticated alcohol-free Champagne-like beverage ups the flavor game, too, with Lavender 75 and Spiced Pear. More than typical sparkling wine or sparkling apple cider, these two options will look beautiful in your Champagne flutes.

Courtesy Clausthaler

Clausthaler craft non-alcoholic beers taste just like the real brew. The German brewery has the pedigree, too, as they are an exclusively N/A brewery in existence for more than 40 years with a patented process for making beer that doesn’t create alcohol. There are dry-hopped beers, IPAs, and, for a kick, try their new grapefruit beer or their special holiday Santa beer.

Courtesy Bravus

Brewed in California, Bravus alcohol-free beer is a line of flavor-filled, no-alcohol beers that span the range from IPAs and amber ale to dark peanut butter and oatmeal stouts. You can order a set and try them all. Bravus produces craft beer styles taste exactly like their alcoholic counterparts but with less than .5% ABV, thanks to a proprietary brewing process.

Courtesy BrewDog

You’ll never run out of choices with BrewDog’s creatively crafted and creatively named non-alcoholic beers. The brewery has versions continually coming online, some limited like the Ganache AF cherry stout, and others that are mainstays like the flagship Nanny State. Don’t limit yourself – buy a four-variety bundle and sample a bunch.

Courtesy GRUVI

For the dabblers out there, Denver’s GRUVI offers a line of beers AND wines that are all alcohol-free. You can mix it up and have an AF IPA, Pale Ale, Stout, Sour Weisse or Golden Ale one week, then switch over to wines and sparkling beverages with their non-alcoholic dry Seco, dry Bubbly Rosé, or Seasonal Red Blend (which conveniently comes in a can). Or have a beer one day, a wine the next, and so on. Dry January is meant to be fun and tasty. I’m excited about this one, as I love sour beers and this is the first non-alcoholic one I’ve seen.

Travel to Mindfulness

If you’re seriously lacking motivation and could use a bit of non-Zoom, in-person fitness instruction as well, perhaps these alcohol-free resorts in the Berkshires will motivate you.

Courtesy Kripalu

Kripalu is a popular choice for those desiring a no-alcohol, no-frills, all-vegetarian well-being retreat. Days are filled with activities like yoga, dance, forest bathing and spa treatments. Seminars can include lessons in healthful cooking and mindfulness. Beautiful plant-based food choices also include beverages like hibiscus-lavender iced tea.

Courtesy Canyon Ranch

Canyon Ranch offers January programming with learning sessions, fitness classes, healthy meals, mocktail hours and more. The no-alcohol wellness resort also has vegetarian and vegan dining to help you stick to your January resolutions. The resort offers life-enhancing “pathways,” curated programs of varying lengths that include mindfulness, fitness and spa treatments.

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Plan an Anytime Romantic Celebration at Home with These Great Choices

This year is an especially good time to keep the Valentine’s Day momentum going with romance and love.

Have Brunch in Your Pajamas

Marky’s Caviar - Courtesy Marky’s

Chef Budda Lo presents HUSO’s Champagne Brunch, from the speakeasy hidden behind third-generation caviar purveyor Marky’s Caviar. With a breakfast spread of private stock caviar from the group’s own domestic aqua farm, poached eggs, croissants, elderflower Bellini’s and Valrhona chocolate-covered strawberries, you’ll be motivated to stay in PJ’s the entire day.

Bring on the Aphrodisiacs

Courtesy Grand Army

Your at-home Champagne indulgence doesn’t end there. After a post-brunch interlude and perhaps a nap on the sofa, Grand Army brings on more bubbly and presents the consummate aphrodisiac, oysters. Part of a seafood indulgence, Blue Point oysters come with mignonette sauce, littleneck clams, shrimp cocktail and a pair of lobster rolls. Add a finishing chocolate note with creamy chocolate cremeux for dessert with strawberries. Book in advance but pick up your shellfish during the day so the oysters can be freshly shucked.

Courtesy Red Hook Lobster Pound Facebook

There are no oysters in Red Hook Lobster Pound’s seafood soiree but you’ll get plenty of shellfish love with the Brooklyn seafood shack’s Lovester feast. Expect the full New England treatment with this extravaganza — two cooked lobsters (crackers included), mussels, clams, Dungeness crab, shrimp, sausage, corn and potatoes. Add a choice of a crab or shrimp cocktail, a bottle of William Hill Chardonnay and two mini chocolate mousse cakes and you have an instant trip to Maine.

Courtesy Fornino

A “Pizza Love Fest” might be more to your liking, and Fornino in Greenpoint has it ready for your home enjoyment. Pretty and classically Italian, the feast includes a cheese and fruit plate, salad, two mini pizzas, tiramisu, strawberries and a bottle of wine. Brooklyn knows pizza, and Fornino does it right.

Courtesy o.d.o

Michelin-starred kaiseki restaurant, o.d.o transports you to Japan with a special, limited-edition Gift Box for two. The creation of talented Chef Hiroko Odo, the box itself is an intricately designed collectible, hand-made from the fibers of mulberry tree bark known for their strength and flexibility. The elaborate kaiseki meal features a selection of A5 Wagyu beef jerky, snow crab, roast beef marinated in sake lees, blowfish and Spanish mackerel in addition to assorted nigiri sushi, futomaki and a sake pastry box. The meal is accompanied by a set of Suntory whiskeys and Murakami × Perrier limited edition bottles. Enhancing the meal’s Japanese sensibility, the box comes with a music playlist curated by Academy Award-winning composer and musician Ryuichi Sakamoto plus Japanese-designed coasters, incense, incense holder and glass.

Courtesy Sushi Noz

You won’t be lost in translation with Michelin-starred Sushi Noz’s DIY Temaki hand roll kit, even if it doesn’t come with Bill Murray-endorsed Suntory whiskey. Meticulously styled with Japanese attention to detail and precise instructions for preparation, the kit includes seasoned rice and sheets of seaweed served with heart-shaped containers of Japanese uni and house-cured ikura. A long-stemmed rose from a Japanese florist graces the package. To ensure absolute freshness, the kit must be booked in advance on Tock for pick-up in person at the restaurant.

Dessert Any Time

Courtesy Chocolate Fondue Box

One of the prettiest dessert kits offered, Relish Catering’s Chocolate Fondue Box has everything you need for an indulgent and fun fondue experience. You’ll get a fondue pot with long-stemmed strawberries, red-velvet-rose cakes, butterscotch fudge sparkle pops, rice crispy treats, hazelnut-dark chocolate biscotti, candy hearts and other romantic dip-ins.

Courtesy Black Tap Soho

You’ll have a chance to try out your own pastry artistry, too, thanks to Black Tap Soho. In partnership with Magnolia Bakery, the restaurant-soda shop’s Red Velvet Cake Shake Kit includes all the essentials to make two Red Velvet Cake Shakes. The kit includes red velvet cake batter shakes (pre-mixed), cups with vanilla frosting and sprinkles, red and white sprinkles, two slices of red velvet cake, chocolate sauce and cherries. If you’re feeling rather lazy, you can opt for the photo-ready Classic Red Velvet Cake Batter Shake, pre-made with whipped cream, chocolate drizzle and a cherry on top. No preparation required.

Courtesy Senza Gluten Cafe & Bakery

Greenwich Village’s Senza Gluten Cafe & Bakery will deliver a gluten-free and equally sensuous basket with heart-shaped shortbread cookies and red velvet cupcakes filled with chocolate ganache. The basket continues the chocolate theme with bakery favorites dairy-free chocolate crinkle cookies, chocolate walnut mini cubbies and classic chocolate chip cookies.

Courtesy MR All Day

You can pick up Pastry Chef Camari Mick’s takeaway treats at MR All Day, the Musket Room’s pop-up cafe operating out of a vintage 1962 International Harvester van. It’s worth the trip to Nolita just to see this – but go early, rising chef Mick’s treats sell out quickly. For the holiday season, he’s offering bonbons, macarons, love potions, Tahitian vanilla and mocha mousse and more.

Courtesy Mochidoki SoHo

Mochidoki SoHo offers a special holiday collection including pretty-in-pink Black Forest made with cherry chocolate mochi, Chantilly cream, dark chocolate gateau and dried Morello cherries. The Japanese mochi range has been further enhanced with hazelnut Rocher, cinnamon mocha, chocolate strawberry and limited-edition cherry chocolate mochi, a delicate and artistic sweet with black cherry and vanilla ice cream swirled with dark chocolate chips.

Courtesy Angelina Paris NYC

With its very-French flair, recent import Angelina Paris NYC offers pure romance in the form of a pastry “Love Letter.” The elegant red-and-white yogurt mousse pastry is shaped like an envelope and includes a creamy vanilla, blackcurrant berry, raspberry, financier biscuit and crispy white chocolate.

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Still Haven’t Found a Place for NYE in NYC? The Big Apple Has Lots of Choices

The Big Apple is a place to celebrate diversity of people, diversity of cultures and diversity of experiences.  Keeping that in mind, New York City offers a panoply of evening experiences so you can choose the type of New Year’s Eve to call your own: staying at home in your apartment or hotel room, attending an elaborate party, enjoying a luxe dinner, or finding a venue that puts you in the center of NYC’s proprietary grand fête, the Ball Drop in Times Square. If you’ve found yourself without a place to go, it’s not too late to book these wonderful options that will get you out and about as you start the new decade. Remember, New Year’s Eve lore says that where you are and who you meet first on New Year’s Eve set the stage for the year ahead. So, if you’ve already gotten rid of those bad memories at Good Riddance Day in Times Square and you’re prepared to put your New Year’s resolutions into play, kick off the future with a special night to say goodbye to the past and move forward with wonderful memories.

Good Riddance Day

New York City is Never Lacking When it Comes to Parties

Plado Tasting Bar

Lively Plado Tasting Bar in the East Village is perfect for a friends-and-family gathering with its shared plates menu. The new Mediterranean-focused tapas restaurant invites you to a Festo de Tapas, brought to you by charming Chef German Rizzo. Come hungry as you’ll enjoy a set menu of 10 selections including wagyu carpaccio with truffles and pecorino,  taro gnocchi and lobster ravioli. The two three-hour seatings also include unlimited beer, wine and sangria. If you’re there when the clock strikes twelve, there’s a midnight toast and party favors.  https://www.pladonyc.com/

Zuma

If a Midtown location is easier for a meet-up with your friends, Zuma has a New Year’s Eve soirée that will keep everyone dancing.  . Set in the restaurant’s swanky second-floor lounge, adorned for NYE with a flashy red carpet and balloon-covered ceiling, the party kicks off with a welcome glass of Champagne and geisha dancers to get you moving. Then the creativity is up to you as you pose for pictures in the NYE-themed photobooth and dance the night away to Zuma’s resident DJ. Handcrafted seasonal cocktails, a midnight Champagne toast and viewing of the ball drop are part of the festivities. You can choose to have dinner, too, with omakase menu choices in the main dining room before the party. Contemporary Japanese dishes like lobster tempura with spicy ponzu and wasabi; thinly sliced sea bass sashimi with yuzu, truffle and salmon roe; and wagyu tataki with ponzu and fresh white truffles are special choices for the evening. https://zumarestaurant.com/locations/new-york/

Cote - Credit: Gary He

For New Year’s Eve, Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse Cote has a prix fixe dinner starting with caviar-adorned “steak and eggs,” followed by seven different cuts of steak, noodles with A5 Japanese wagyu and other festive dishes prepared by Chef David Shim. The meal includes a Champagne toast as well as a giant Champagne tower pour at midnight.  The party continues downstairs at Cote’s cocktail lounge Undercote. There, it’s a throwback to the 80s with a Miami’s Vice-themed event. The evening includes a premium open bar with themed cocktails by Sondre Kasin, an array of special snacks, a Champagne toast at midnight and a DJ set. Dress your Miami Vice best with pastels, structured shoulders, sequins, cutout dresses, white suits and belted waistlines and get ready to dance to DJ music.  https://www.cotenyc.com/

NIGHT MUSIC

Vegans aren’t left out on New Year’s Eve at NIGHT MUSIC in the East Village with all-vegan Indian-inspired cuisine by Ravi DeRossi. From 6pm-10pm guests can enjoy a four-course dinner with a Champagne toast. After that, the restaurant transforms into a cocktail party with an open bar.  www.nightmusicny.com/

HUSO - Marky’s Caviar

For a luxe celebration where caviar is synonymous with New Year’s Eve rather than with party hats and noisemakers, you’ll want to reserve a seat at HUSO, the caviar bar hidden behind a velvet curtain at Marky’s Caviar retail store on Madison Avenue. New Year’s Eve diners will be treated to caviar service of Beluga di Venezia, Russian Royal Osetra and private stock Sevruga; canapés; a demi bottle of Champagne; and an eight-course caviar-filled tasting menu from Eleven Madison Park alumnus Chef Buddha Lo. https://www.markyscaviar.com/

I Want to Be Somewhere Where I Can See the Ball Drop, or Maybe the Fireworks

If the thought of joining the millions of people who fill the outdoor corrals around Times Square  makes you recoil in horror, there are ways to see the ball drop in comfort, albeit for a price.

W New York-Times Square

W New York-Times Square has a NYE-dedicated space to keep you warm and comfy. In the hotel’s neon-lit Living Room Bar you can cuddle up in a private indoor cabana with bottle service, an open bar, midnight Champagne toast, live screening of the ball drop and live DJ music. The festivities start at 6pm continuing well into the new decade. You can still step outside to watch the ball drop in the cold air, or just stay inside and enjoy the privileged setting. The price is $2,250 to reserve a cabana for up to six guests. General admission tickets are available for less and include the four-hour open bar, party favors and a Champagne toast at midnight. Stay inside – you’ll be able to pick up leftover confetti on the streets when you leave.  https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/nycwh-w-new-york-times-square/

701 West - Credit Liz Clayman

For superlative views of the ball drop this New Year’s Eve, check out the extravagant celebration at 701 West, Michelin-starred Chef John Fraser’s fine dining jewel at The Times Square EDITION Hotel. The restaurant on the hotel’s eleventh floor is hosting a glamorous, black-tie bash unlike any other in town. Most of the details are a mystery so prepare for anything! Welcome cocktails and canapés in the Salon cocktail lounge set the tone before a six-course dinner, with selections such as eel with upland cress and foie pressé with kumquat mostarda and brioche. A wine pairing by Advanced Sommelier Amy Racine accompanies each course. There’s also a five-hour open bar with a curated wine and cocktail list. But, here’s the best part: you’ll get an exclusive view of the Ball Drop from the heart of the action – the location and specific details will only be revealed to guests that evening.  And, of course, there’s a Champagne toast. Throughout the evening, you can look upon Duffy Square, the northern part of Times Square, from your lofty perch on the outdoor terrace.  Your ticket also includes entry to the hotel’s Paradise Club dance party starting at 8pm. Tickets are $1200 per guest.  https://www.701westnyc.com

For something more casual but still with views of the city’s New Year’s Eve celebrations, check out the celebrations at these two Times Square restaurants and one within sight of the city’s fireworks.

Dos Caminos Times Square

Ring in 2020 in the heart of Times Square with a special fiesta at Dos Caminos Times Square with an open bar, live DJ, party favors and a Mexican dinner menu. The margarita-filled party goes from 7pm to 1am with delicious desserts to add a sweet touch before New Year’s including mini churro ice cream sandwiches, Mexican hot chocolate shooters, mini tres leches cake and mini coconut key lime pie. Yum! https://www.doscaminos.com/nye-timessquare/

Blue Fin

Seafood lovers should head to Blue Fin in Times Square where the restaurant’s New Year’s Eve bash includes an open bar, a menu of Blue Fin favorites, raw bar and sushi, live entertainment and party favors. Arrive starting at 7pm and stay until 2am. To celebrate 2020 in style, VIP tickets are also available which include bottle service, private servers and more.  Tickets:  https://www.bluefinnyc.com

Estuary

If you’d rather be in Brooklyn, Estuary in Brooklyn Bridge Park brings you a fireworks-filled celebration with live music. Michelin-starred chef Danny Brown will offer the likes of chestnut ravioli, foie gras terrine, duck breast à l’orange and tournedos Rossini as part of the dreamy New Year’s Eve menu. As midnight approaches, resident pastry chef Christophe Toury will serve his version of a ball drop, a chocolate dome accompanied by a Grand Finale surprise. From the waterfront eatery, you’ll have a view of the New York Harbor fireworks while you listen to live music.  https://www.estuarybrooklyn.com/

The 2020 Year Celebration Means a Look Back to the Parties of the Roaring 20s

Brooklyn Cider House - Taproom

Get your flapper dresses and newsboy hats ready for the last night of 2019 at Brooklyn Cider House where the Taproom transforms into a 1920s speakeasy. While it coincides with the 100th anniversary of Prohibition (which started in January of 1920), this Roaring 20s celebration will NOT be dry. From 10pm to 2am, guests will enjoy an open bar with the Cider House’s signature ciders, beers on tap, well drinks and specialty cocktails. There will also be open barrels for unlimited cider catching, three DJs, screening of the ball drop, and a Champagne tower toast. You can nibble your way through the evening with party bites or book a dinner-and-party combination. https://www.brooklynciderhouse.com

Valerie

Midtown West’s Gatsby-Golden Era restaurant Valerie will go all out with their Prohibition-themed Roaring Twenties Centennial party with dining, four hours of bottomless cocktails and a midnight Champagne toast. Entertainment by magician Devonte Rosero and a live six-piece jazz band will keep you in the mood from 9:30pm-1:30am and set the stage for posing  in front of a vintage car with a cocktail from the restaurant’s signature Gin & Tonic cart. All guests will leave the party with a bag of favors to ring in the 2020 new year!  https://www.valerienewyorkcity.com/

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Where to Eat Now in New York City: Healthy and Not So Much

Hawaiian poke is a newish trend in New York City – it’s healthy, fresh, and relatively inexpensive.  Try Pokeworks on 37th and 6th, next to a restaurant that’s anything but healthy, Chick-fil-a. You start by picking your fish – tuna, salmon, shrimp (or even chicken), add toppings like seaweed, pineapple, and garlic flakes, and create a personalized bowl that’s far superior to those quinoa or salad bar things.
Sushi Nakazawa and O-Ya – two splurge-y restaurants for sushi and fish.  You can request no meat dishes and have an outrageous omakase (chef’s choice) meal.  Sushi Nakazawa is on Barrow Street in the Village.  O-Ya is in Murray Hill. Both feature superstar food talents, Chef Daisuke Nakazawa, a protégé of Japan’s acclaimed Jiro Ono and the O-Ya team from Boston,  Tim and Nancy Cushman.
Chicken is high on everyone’s list for healthy foods.  Le Coq Rico in the Flatiron District is Antoine Westermann’s tribute to the bird.  He brings his French-Alsatian expertise from Paris to NYC with chicken sourced from the farms of New York.  Roasted, it’s a healthy alternative to that breaded or fried version. I’d save my calories for Chef’s wonderful Ile Flôtante. For pure, unadulterated rotisserie chicken in a luxe setting, visit Rotisserie  Georgette on East 60th Street, where the owner’s many years of experience working with Daniel Boulud is in play at this sophisticated midtown restaurant.
When I’m craving something decadent, I love ordering fried chicken. It’s not something I do every day, and I realize that’s it less-than-healthy, but it’s always wonderful. My go-to is the tiny, quirky Birds and Bubbles on the Lower East Side. You go down a narrow metal stairway to a very narrow restaurant where Southern food is the star. Sarah Simmons, most recently of City Grit fame, has brought her North Carolina upbringing to NYC and paired her amazing dry-brined, fried chicken with Champagne. Who would have thought? It’s pure brilliance.

I always like finding the small bistros that really make you feel at home.  Little Frog sits quietly on busy East 86th Street, an authentic French bistro from people you should know from their time at Balthazar, and also from Minetta Tavern.  Order all seafood – try their amazing oysters — or splurge on the fab coq au vin, and you’ll have a wonderful cozy meal. It’s a quick walk from the new Second Avenue subway stop, too.

Indian cuisine has always been notable for offering wondrous vegetarian dishes, and NYC has a Michelin-starred one that takes Indian cooking to a new level.  Tulsi, on East 46th Street, brings cooking from Goa, mixes it up with street food, resulting in a showcase of unusual takes on somewhat familiar dishes.  Here, it’s worth saving room (and calories) for dessert as well. The creations from Chef Eric McCarthy (yes, that’s really his name and he IS from Goa) are anything but ordinary.

Finding a good restaurant after going to Carnegie Hall just got a little bit easier with the return of Jams to New York City. The original California cuisine restaurant of the 1980s, Jonathan Waxman’s Jams is now on the West Side walkable from the Theater District as well as Carnegie Hall. The airy room is a great choice for sampling their signature Jams chicken and pancakes with caviar and smoked salmon, both from the menu of the original restaurant.

For that special-occasion, serene but sensational dinner, book a table at Gabriel Kreuther.  The former chef at The Modern, Chef Kreuther serves up a meticulous menu of Alsatian dishes that are as beautiful as they are delicious. If you don’t want to have the full set menu every night, there’s a separate bar with its own menu where you can order the tarte flambée, a pizza-like creation with sweet onions, smoked bacon and fromage blanc that put this chef on the map.  The restaurant is an oasis across from Bryant Park and has an extraordinary wine list, too. Walk next door to the amazing new handcrafted chocolate shop.

And speaking about wine, how about a wine bar and a tapas bar that’s so small that you’re advised to arrive by 5:30?  Desnuda on the Lower East Side on East 7th Street will thrill you with its tiny space and its chef’s prowess and creativity. Tea-smoked oysters are sensational — it looks like they’re being cooked in a bong — as are the ceviches.

Photo By: Daniel Krieger

If a scene is more your speed, head to the back of the NoMad, to the NoMad Bar in the city’s newly coined NoMad district (north of Madison Park), where the bar is lively and the menu is pure comfort.  In cold weather, the perfectly indulgent chicken pot pie with foie gras and truffles is a knockout, as is Chef Daniel Humm’s Humm dog, a hot dog unlike any you’ve had before. Trying to eat healthy?  The carrot tartare, originally on the menu at sister restaurant Eleven Madison Park, is an exceptional vegetarian dish, with the consistency and ingredients of its meat-based counterparts sans the meat.  Add a touch of caraway seeds, horseradish, apples and … because we’re talking about carrots after all.  It’s pretty and delicious.

And, finally, one of the newest “hot” restaurants on the Manhattan scene is in Midtown, just behind Bryant Park. Coffeemania is NOT a coffee shop.  Rather it’s a Euro-Russian-American eatery that’s chic and has unusual choices in both beverages and food. The menu is so creative that you can eat healthy (or not, as you wish).  I love the hamachi tartare (very healthy) but also the bone marrow (definitely not healthy) and the warm borscht. Teas from around the world are as creatively curated as the wine list.

Happy eating!

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Enjoy Bitters and Champagne? Try These Specialty NYC Bars

With summer in full swing, kick back and relax with your favorite drink of choice at some of NYC’s finest specialty spots. Start your journey with the lighter offerings from these single-liquor venues, where you can indulge in the current craze for bitters or toast the night away with all the bubbly you’d ever want.

Bitters

Amor y Amargo: Welcome New York City’s first bitters-centered bar, the brainchild of the famous bitters company Bittermens and Ravi DeRossi, father of other great liquor bars Mayahuel, Cienfuegos, and Death & Co. The intimate space features popular favorites like the 8 Amaro Sazerac and bespoke cocktails such as Negronis, Manhattans and Old Fashioneds, served dealer’s choice (they decide on the ingredients) or drinker’s choice (you decide). An indulgent tapas menu is served as well.

443 East 6th St; 212-614-6818; http://amoryamargony.com/

Amor y Amargo

Champagne

The Champagne Bar at The Plaza: Overlook the Pulitzer Fountain and Fifth Avenue as you enjoy your favorite champagne, caviar, and wines at The Champagne Bar. The bar, set in the lobby of the legendary Plaza Hotel, evokes the same old-time elegance and pristine as the original Champagne Porch opened in 1907. Order by the glass or the bottle, or sip one of the bar’s distinctive champagne cocktails including the Imperial Plaza, Rose Club Sparkle, and Imperial Tea Blossom.

Fifth Avenue at Central Park South; 212-759-3000; http://www.theplaza.com/dining/champagne-bar/

The Champagne Bar at The Plaza

Flûte: Flûte Gramercy and Flûte Midtown bring the same glamour to Manhattan as their counterpart in Paris. The sexy champagne bars sparkle with champagne bottles as a backdrop behind the bar as well as with candle-lit tables, fireplaces and original artwork. Enjoy popular favorites such as Veuve Clicquot by the flute or any of the triple flight selections. Flûte also takes a spin on other classic drinks with its cocktail menu including the Bellini-tini, white champagne sangria, champagne pisco sour, Dark and Stormy, and champagne mojito.

40 East 20th Street; 212-529-7870; http://www.flutebar.com/location/new-york-gramercy/ and 205 West 54th Street; 212-265-5269; http://www.flutebar.com/location/new-york/

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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