Saturday May 15th

10:00pm

155 Varick Street

City Winery is a truly a hybrid of a space –  you can purchase a barrel of private-label wine, order a case for delivery, take a class, dine in the private cellar, have brunch or dinner in the main dining room upstairs, sip wine at the bar or attend one of the many weekly events. A friend emailed me about a Burlesque Show there, and always up for something new we purchased tickets (a mere $10 each). We arrived early to grab a glass of wine but were turned away until 11pm because the earlier show was still clearing out. When we returned the line moved quickly and we were able to choose our own seats for the show. Given the amount of people the service was surprisingly spot on. The only downside was due to the event the menu was limited to the “Concert Series” selections which was a paired down version of the regular dinner menu and wine list. All in all it was a great night – where else can you enjoy a glass of Cava and a cheese plate while watching a master roper yielding whips followed by Miss Coney Island performing her seductive routine.

Note: City Winery is the brainchild of Micheal Dorf who also started the Knitting Factory.

Wine

• Cristalino Cava Brut

Concert Series Cheese Tour

• Petit Billy, Taleggio and Roncal

Good for: Owning your own private label barrel, Wine, Brunch, Dinner, Events, Dining in the Private cellar, Taking a class, Cava paired with Burlesque

Sunday May 9th

3pm

656 Avenue of the Americas (6th Avenue)

Only in NYC can a church be transformed into a night club and then years later reinvented again into an indoor marketplace. The Limelight Marketplace recently opened this past Friday and I couldn’t wait to check it out. The 3-level 25,000-square-foot space features a variety of shops, ranging from retail (Havianas), to chocolate (Mariebelle), to tea (Miss Tea), to a variety of gourmet and specialty food purveyors and a green market in the courtyard. As if all of this wasn’t enough Grimaldi’s pizza will soon open an outpost here, which in addition to a dining room, is slated to be open 24/7 serving slices to-go from a takeout window on 6th Avenue. Brilliant!

Note: Hours are Monday – Saturday 10am – 10pm and Sunday 11am – 8pm.

The Sweet Room:

• The Cupcake Stop
• The Little Candy Cake Co.
• Maribelle Express
• Mari’s New York
• Wannahaveacookie

Gourmet Food:

• Jezalin’s
• Grimaldi’s (opening soon)
• Gastropub (opening soon)
• Peak Season Green Market (located in the courtyard)

Specialty Food:

• Baci Gelato
• Butterfly Bakeshop
• Carter & Cavero
• Miss Tea

Good for: Gourmet and Specialty food, The anticipation of 24/7 Grimaldi’s slices in Manhattan, green market

Wednesday May 5th

5:45pm

625 Broadway

Cinco de Mayo in NYC means one thing – everyone wants a margarita at a Mexican restaurant and you will be waiting on line. Fortunately a friend and I arrived at Gonzalez y Gonzalez a bit early, entered under the light-up, larger than life sombrero that hangs over the entrance on Broadway, and put our name down for a table for 6. We had about an hour wait ahead of us so we grabbed a frozen margarita from the back bar  - it took almost 20 minutes to get a drink and since happy hour ended at 5pm that day drinks were back up to full price ($10 each). Normally the happy hour specials are half price Monday – Friday from noon until 7pm and includes $3 drafts and $5 house margaritas. The kitschy space is large and filled with tchotchkes from floor to ceiling. Shelves are lined with Mexican wrestling masks, piñatas and sombreros hang from the walls and ceilings and chile pepper lights adorn the front and back bars. To add to the Cinco de Mayo mood a Mariachi band made it’s way to each table. The menu is standard Mexican fare, and surprisingly our food was spot on given the crowd that night. We didn’t stick around for the Salsa dancing, but there’s dancing and live bands (or DJs) every Thursday – Saturday night.

Side Note: Gonzalez and Gonzalez is part of Ark, who also operate the Columbus Bakery, Bryant Park Grill, Pinch & S’Mac, Canyon Road, El Rio Grande, Red (avoid this one), Sequoia and The Grill Room (great views from WFC).

Cocktail:

• Frozen Margarita

Dinner:

• Chips and Salsa for the table
• Chicken Quesadilla (enough for two servings) – served with guacamole and sour cream

Good for: Margaritas, Mexican Food, Salsa Dancing, Live Bands, Late Night

Wednesday May 5th

12:30am
9 9th Avenue

After spending the evening across the street at the rooftop of the Gansevoort for a French Tuesdays party the group decided to grab one more drink before heading home. Pastis is not only a spot for classic French Bistro dining and brunch – it’s also got a great late night bar scene and the kitchen is open until 1am (2am on Thursday and Friday, 230 am on Saturday) featuring a paired down supper menu. The late night scene is dark and candle lit with a very laid back vibe. You can grab a seat at the bar if you’re looking to make new friends, or get a table if you’re looking to enjoy an order of Moules Frites or an omlette with fresh herbs. Owned by restaurateur Keith McNally chances are you’ve been to one of his other locations which include: Pravda, Balthazar, Schiller’s Liquor Bar (my personal favorite), Morandi and most recently Minetta Tavern. Pastis also offers outdoor seating, which in the Meatpacking District guarantees good people watching.

Cocktail

• Mojito – served in a tall glass over crushed ice with fresh mint, possibly the best one I’ve had in NYC

Good for: Late Night, Mojitos, Dine at the Bar, Outdoor Seating, Brunch, Dinner, Business Lunch, People Watching