Posts Tagged ‘Oyster Bar’

Food Events around NYC This Weekend (and more)

Lately I’ve been bombarded with news of special food days.  It reminds me of those made-up Hallmark holidays, the ones used to sell cards, like Grandparents’ Day, Remember Your Teacher Day, and such nonsense.  Well, now it seems to be all about food.

So you won’t feel so bad that you’ve missed Pancake Day, Margarita Day and Decaffeinated Coffee Day, here are a few holidays and food events that you might want to mark on your calendar right away:

Macaron DayMarch 20 – A sweet one for sure, it’s Macaron Day. Note that the spelling is the French version, so that you won’t be expecting any of those Passover gems. This is the day that a slew of French bakeries and restaurants in the city give away free macarons a la Parisienne.  Places to check out in NYC for your freebie include Macaron Parlour, Sugar and Plumm, Epicerie Boulud and, of course, Francois Payard who modeled this event on Paris’s Jour du Macaron which falls on the first day of spring.  The full list is here and tell them you’re there for Macaron Day.  http://macarondaynyc.com/what_is-mac.html. This event happily has a charity component to it, as a portion of the day’s proceeds are donated to City Harvest.

DavosMarch 20 – Another one to celebrate the first day of spring (but I honestly don’t get the connection), is Ravioli Day.  Various Italian restaurants around New York City and the country are sprucing up their ravioli offerings, highlighting the new and different among the tried and true red-sauce versions. For example, Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse has whipped up a lemon ricotta ravioli that sounds more like dessert to me than pasta, along with a prosciutto ravioli that’s served as part of a special tasting menu just for the day. www.davios.com/nyc. If you happen to be in LA, STK LA is offering half-off its famous lobster ravioli if you order an entrée as well.

Seventh Annual Sunday Supper Event at Chelsea Market in ManhattanMarch 22 – Another charity event, James Beard House is organizing the Seventh Annual Sunday Supper Event at Chelsea Market in Manhattan.  Hosted by Jamestown and the James Beard Foundation, this is a benefit to raise money for not-for-profit organizations including the James Beard Foundation focusing on culinary education, Wellness in the School, and other charitable initiatives of the Jamestown Foundation. The seated dinner is a multi-course event, prepared by 20 well-known chefs and served family-style to 300 people in the middle of the market’s block-long concourse. For details and tickets, www.jamesbeard.org/chelseamarket. Cocktails begin at 5pm, with dinner at 6:15. 75 Ninth Avenue, between 15th and 16th sts.

OystersMarch 31 – The end of the month means it’s National Oyster on the Half Shell Day. Oh no! Did I miss Cooked Oyster Day? Regardless, restaurants like STK LA are upgrading you from a half-dozen of these pearls to a full dozen, gratis. That’s not bad at all.  And if you speak the magic words, “STK Loves Oysters,” you’ll get a side of Chef Robert Liberato’s “one night only mignonette.”  It’s a good excuse to check out Grand Central Oyster Bar no matter what. http://www.oysterbarny.com/, 89 East 42nd Street.

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Where to Drink Like a “Mad Man”

Mad Men doesn’t resume for a few months, and I’m in total withdrawal.  I couldn’t tell you if it’s the smoke-filled offices of Sterling Cooper, the vintage ads and campaigns, the mischievous plots of Pete Campbell, or simply gorgeous Don Draper that I miss most, but I think I’ve finally found a cure. You, unfortunately, can’t actually join Don and Roger over oysters at The Oyster Bar or drinks at The Roosevelt Hotel, but you can find some cocktail fixes throughout Manhattan that will make you feel as if you are.

Temple Bar: The glamorous oak bar in NoHo is known for its extensive drink list peppered with all the classics. Imagine yourself sitting with Don among the beautiful velvet curtains sipping an Old Fashioned or with Peggy Olsen as she tries a Brandy Alexander for the first time. (322 Lafayette St, 212-925-4242, http://www.templebarnyc.com )

Monkey Bar:  Enter the landmark Hotel Elysée (once known as the “easy lay”) where guests like Joe DiMaggio and Marlon Brandon used to stay and step inside this great piano bar just off the lobby with its iconic monkey mural.  You can just picture Roger downing a Manhattan or two before heading for a room upstairs. (Hotel Elysée, 60 E 54th St, 212-753-1066, http://www.elyseehotel.com )

King Cole Bar: Once a bastion of cigar-smoking power brokers or wannabes like Ken Cosgrove, the King Cole Bar in the elegant St. Regis Hotel is the birthplace of the Bloody Mary (known here as the Red Snapper). This classic bar also is known for its famous mural, “Old King Cole” by Maxfield Parrish. (St. Regis Hotel, 2 E 55th St, 212-753-4500, http://www.kingcolebar.com)

21 Club: Famous for its prohibition-era speakeasy status, this restaurant has attracted every president since FDR (except George W. Bush) to dine or imbibe. Come for a martini just like James Bond in 007 or try New York Magazine’s recommendation, a Southside, the rum and mint cocktail invented here. (21 W 52nd St, 212-582-7200, http://www.21club.com)

Campbell Apartment: This luxurious lounge in Grand Central Terminal will surely bring you back to another era. The space, once used as an office for New York financier John Campbell, still exudes the same sleek, refinement with its low lighting, rich woodwork and beamed ceiling. We’d recommend the Prohibition Punch for aptly named Pete Campbell. (15 Vanderbilt Ave, 212-953-0409, http://www.hospitalityholdings.com )

Bemelmans Bar: Some things never go out of style. Tommy Rowles has been the bartender here for 51 years and has even poured bourbon on the rocks for President Truman. Live piano music, enchanting murals of animals by Ludwig Bemelmans of Eloise fame, plus formally dressed waiters make this an Upper East Side landmark. The perfectly chilled and poured martini comes in a shaker with enough liquor for a potent drink and a half, and the banquettes are perfect for cuddling. (The Carlyle Hotel, 35 E 76th St, 212-744-1600, http://www.thecarlyle.com/dine4.cfm )

The Blue Bar at the Algonquin: Once the hot spot for literary geniuses like Dorothy Parker and Robert Benchley, The Blue Bar is filled with Al Hirschfield’s artwork depicting a variety of Broadway shows. The cozy bar with its blue upholstery is known for its Algonquin Cocktail, a mix of whiskey, dry vermouth, and pineapple juice.  It’s reputed that the literary ghosts of times past will even sit with you to provide inspiration and absorb the black-tie service. (The Algonquin Hotel, 59 W 44th St, 212-840-6800, http://algonquinhotel.com/blue-bar )

Sardi’s: Since 1921, this legendary restaurant known for the celebrity caricatures adorning its walls has served as the spot to head to before or after theater. It’s also a favorite rendezvous spot for Don Draper and his lady friends like the sultry Mrs. Barrett.  To behave like a true “mad man,” book a table on Thursdays and Fridays for jazz and cabaret and skip the cocktail; a bottle of Dom Perignon is more in keeping with the mood. (234 W 44th St, 212-221-8440, http://www.sardis.com )

The Oak Bar at the Plaza:  Originally filling the entire Oak Room restaurant space in the Plaza Hotel, the Oak Bar was conceived as a men’s-only enclave when it opened in 1907.  Now restored to its original glory surrounded by impressive “frozen in time” murals, the bar serves up a Classic Sidecar to enjoy with a menu of bar items until the wee hours.  (Plaza Hotel, 10 Central Park South, 212-758-7777, http://www.oakroomny.com )

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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