Just as we’re getting a bit of summer heat here and there, it’s time to start mentally planning all your BBQ’s and trips to the beach. It would be a lie if we said we don’t drink alcoholic beverages at these gatherings, so why be the person that brings the usual drinks? Try on your hands on this new drink from 1800 Tequila, the 1800 Ultimate Pomegranate Ready-to-Drink Margarita. Created with 100% Agave 1800 Silver Tequila and blended with the flavor of pomegranate and Persian lime extract. The 1800 Ultimate RTD Margarita is one of the fastest growing ready-to-drink brands on the market, and is one of the few 100% agave tequila-based RTD’s on the market. 1800® Silver Tequila is already present in the 19.9 proof mix, taking away the hassle of measuring and mixing, and making the ease of portability and clean up the perfect choice for partygoers this season.

“The original 1800 Ultimate Margarita Ready-to-Drink has been hugely popular with our consumers, and we are excited to expand the brand with the inclusion of the new pomegranate flavor,” said Elwyn Gladstone, VP of Marketing for Proximo. “Our collection of quality spirits is ever-growing, and we are pleased to offer our loyal customers this new flavor just in time for summer.” The 1800® Ultimate Pomegranate Ready-to-Drink Margarita will be available in 1.75 ml bottles for $19.99.

Sure, you may still be drying off from the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, but good news is that you can get away with recycling your leprechaun costume again this weekend. We won’t judge. So, trash the fisherman poncho and neon galoshes and start makin’ plans.

Boston Restaurant Week — Through March – 19^th & 21-26th

Embrace your inner snob and duel it out for a reservation on Opentable.com for this season’s Boston Restaurant Week. From the South End’s Rocca to Cambridge’s Spanish tapa hot spot, Cuchi Cuchi, you’re bound to make both your stomach and budget happy in unison. Pre-fixed meals are just $33 at participating restaurants.

The Lion King on Stage — Until March 21st

Practice your best rendition of Wing A Way for Disney’s Lion King as it hits Boston’s center stage. This touring play has accomplished no easy task of depicting this classic tale on stage. Grab your tickets now.

Gardner After Hours — Thursday

Class up your usual happy hour at Isabella’s Gardner Museum this Thursday. On every third Thursday of the month, Boston’s young professionals meet up for some tunes, art, convo, and let’s not forget — drinks. Tickets start at just 12 bucks.

Ann Arbor: a Michigan college town with a degree in great food.

Meal after meal in this classic midwestern college town surprised me, rising far above the expected student mainstays of chicken wings, nachos and burgers. Sustainable, seasonal, organic and artisan were seen over and over on irresistible and affordable menus. Who would expect delicate small plates at a wine bar close to campus? Brewpubs with not only incredible beer, but excellent farm-to-table food? And fine Mediterranean fare in a strip mall? In Ann Arbor, there’s all that and more.

Vinology

Vinology is a downtown wine bar where the décor is as stylish as the food. Lighting fixtures at the cozy booths give patrons a little wine lesson that’s pretty and fun. 50 wines are available by the glass and 100 by the bottle from the beautiful bar they refer to as the Wine Library. And if you like a bottle or a glass you have at the restaurant, you can buy a bottle to take home for less than the menu price. Vinology offers a whole lot of artful small plates, cheeses, entrees and desserts – so there’s something for all tastes. My favorite was the delicate chicken wings (an homage to the students, but at an entirely other level) served with strawberry barbecue sauce paired with a glass of pink champagne. Continue reading “Ann Arbor Dining” »

Brooklyn over the last several years has blossomed into NYC’s biggest tourist attraction thanks to the beautiful folks that devoted their time and love to raising its beloved child to be the adult that it is today by being this metropolis of culture and swagger. The Brooklyn Hajj decided to give praise with a weekend of events celebrating the global Brooklyn phenomenon. The Brooklyn Hajj takes you on a secular pilgrimage to the mecca of Kings aka the global village of New York City. The Brooklyn Hajj aims to celebrate the “holy land of Brooklyn Culture ” and to promote established and emerging businesses and artists.

The Brooklyn Hajji Passport is the all-purpose pass to The BK Hajj, with a pre-ordered visa to participating retailers, restaurants, and bars. The Brooklyn Hajj Passport will be issued online at BrooklynHajj.com and visitors will be able to purchase a printable tickets to be redeemed at the participating retailers. The Passport will be honored by the participating between the hours of operation. The pre-determine time in which a visitor may use the redeemable passport is between the hours of operations of each participating vendor on Saturday, August 22nd and Sunday August 23rd.

Russian Quaalude Cocktail carries a interesting name; The Quaalude – second part of “Sex, drug, rock ‘n’ roll!!!” is unique culture forming medcines. Some interesting facts about this pharmaceutical phenomenon you can read here. The recipe isn’t anything too special, the Russian Quaalude Cocktail has a sweet and creamy taste and can be considered in relation the White Russian drink… but with a bit more kick.

Russian Quaalude

20 ml Vodka
20 ml Kahlua
20 ml Amaretto liqueur
30 ml Cream
Shake and strain into a rocks glass.

Recipe via Science of Drink

I found it by accident on the southwest corner of 14th and 8th on a cold Friday night. Not planning on hitting a club that night, I stood near the door, dressed rather relaxed in a pair of multi-colored sneakers, jeans, and a matching t-shirt. Meanwhile, a mostly urban crowd of black and Hispanic gay men in their early twenties flashed there ID’s and entered a club with no name on the door. I decided to follow suit and see if this would perhaps be my new favorite hotspot for my Friday nights. The music echoing up to meet me consisted of some of the newest and hottest tracks in hip-hop. A good start, I thought to myself as I walked past the bouncer. I should’ve known better when I followed a flight of stairs down into what appeared to be a red-lighted basement. Continue reading “In the Pit of Plumm” »

1800 Tequila launches Essential Artists Limited Edition Bottles

Your best friend on a Friday night should be shots of Tequila, so next time you’re at the bar ask your bartender for the limited edition 1800 Tequila Essential Arts bottle.

1800 Tequila have announced an international campaign, commissioning nine artists to design limited edition bottles for the premium tequila brand. A unique mix of palette and palate, Essential Artists celebrates the talents of artists from the United States and Mexico; allowing for up-and-coming artists to showcase their visions on a unique medium offering an exciting perspective beyond the art world.

The nine artists commissioned to design these collectible limited edition bottles include Jorge Alderete (Mexico City), Jeremy Bacharach (Chicago), Glenn Barr (Detroit), Will Chambers (Chicago), Chris Dean (Detroit), Kim Dosa (Atlanta), Josh Ellingson (Oakland), Hannah Stouffer (Oakland) and Urban Medium (Atlanta). Only 1,800 bottles have been produced with each design and they will be available for $34.99 at high-end liquor stores.

The commissioned artwork will be unveiled as part of an $8 million outdoor advertising and promotional campaign across the country — a new-generation museum that brings art to the people.

In addition to the Essential Artists campaign, 1800 fans will be able to design their own bottle and enter a competition to be selected for the 2009 billboard campaign. As an added bonus and in collaboration with GourmetKickz, consumers will be able to create their own pair of custom sneakers at www.1800Tequila.com using artwork from the 1800 Essential Artists series.

We’ll drink to that!

Minetta Tavern

Though its closing left you a bit in the lurch, here’s hoping Keith Mcnally’s resurrection of Minetta Tavern will be like saying hello to an old friend.

You fancy yourself as a traditionalist so when the former Hemingway haunt closed in April, you had a hard time letting Minetta Tavern (especially their Tortellacci) go. But before you turn your cheek, give Keith Mcnally’s interpretation a try. The restaurateur has already taken over everywhere from Soho to the Meat Packing District, so it was only a matter of time before he tried his hand in Greenwich village. But before you think the iconic Minetta (pictured) is going to get a completely new facelift, some familiar names (chef and co-owner Riad Nasr and Lee Hanson) will be in house. You’ll still recognize the original bar, tin ceiling and artwork, but expect new furniture and tile. The menu boasts Pat la Frieda’s “Black Label” Glamburger and roasted marrow bones, you can bet on some comfort eats. you’ll think it’s all the ingredients for some stick-to-your-ribs success.

Minetta Tavern
113 Macdougal street
between Bleecker and West 3rd
212.475.3850
Minetta Tavern Website

Metro Bistro

Opened on Jan. 20th, it’s hard to trump a historic day like that. Introducing Metro Bistro, Miami’s first-ever pub and organic restaurant located within a car wash, now open at Karma Car Wash.

Designed by an Arquitectonica alum, the bold vision is like a high-design clubhouse—polished concrete floors and soaring ceilings give you the sense that anything is possible.

Here’s how we see the scene playing out. If your car just needs a quick once-over, drop it off with the cleaners and belly up to the bar for a cold one—there’s Dogfish Head and Chimay Tripple on tap. But if a leisurely meal is more what you’re looking for—and why wouldn’t it be; you’re at a car wash, after all—toss the keys to the guys for a full-detail job, then head to the teak tables and comfy couches of the outdoor patio, thoughtfully outfitted with plenty of Biscayne-buffering plants.

The menu is mostly organic, from the baby arugula tossed with chives and goat cheese to the ahi steak sandwich served on organic beer bread. Yes, beer bread.

Metro Bistro
7010 Biscayne Blvd (between 70th and 71st),
Miami, Florida 33138
305-751-8756
Metro Bistro Website

Frugal Fridays at Craft

Yes, we know you have a full schedule. And we know how quickly your weekends get booked.

Which brings us to Frugal Fridays at Craft. No doubt, you’ve probably heard of, and even indulged in Tuesdays with Tom—the Top Chef’s private and alternating unique dinner service. Inspired by the feedback and your patronage, Colicchio brainstormed with executive chef Damon Wise, and together they created Frugal Fridays: a Friday night program serving up small plates under Wise’s discretion complimented with beers and cocktails to match—all under $10 each.

Nevermind the intimate setting and guaranteed palate-pleasing that has built Craft’s reputation; the beauty of this movement lies in the fact that Chef Wise will be on hand prepping, cooking, and explaining the concept behind each dish, from Salt Cod Fritters with Piquillo Marmalade to Griddled Pork Belly with Braised Peanuts & Cranberry Mostarda.

We trust that watching Wise wax poetic on his various Meat on a Stick plates, might be worth the price alone.

Frugal Fridays at Craft
47 East 19th Street (at Park Avenue)
Tel: (212) 780-0880
Craft Restaurant Website

Nu-Kitchen

Think of Nu-Kitchen as two parts personal chef, one parts delivery service and one part Pandora-style meal ordering. Nu-Kitchen makes gourmet meals from scratch and delivers them to your door each day, so you don’t have to spend time preparing food, cleaning dishes or even putting on pants. All the meals are 100-percent fresh and well-balanced, and include tastiness like hibiscus turkey with sweet potato mash, and orange-chile tilapia with black “forbidden” rice.

Of course, you have better things to do than wait around all day for tilapia, so Nu-Kitchen lets you schedule where, when and how often you want the meals. You can also select your meals yourself, or let them choose for you based on taste preferences. And no matter what you get, it’ll arrive in individualized, reheatable containers.

Which should come in handy on those nights you get home hungry from the bar. Sorry, we mean the gym.

Nu-Kitchen Website

The conceptual architect Zaha Hadid unveiled two contemporary projects in one venue last week as her ongoing collaboration on dynamic footwear with Lacoste was projected in the space-age new interior for London’s historic Home House. Drawn from inspiration of a concept racing car, this bar and lounge was crafted with sculpted metallic surfaces finished with car paint or with silvered leather, which gave a dynamic impressive backdrop for the futuristic shoes.

In March 2009, 1,000 pairs of limited edition Lacoste-Hadid shoes will go on sale, followed by a 10,000-strong diffusion line in May.

Swiss artist Sylvie Fleury has  created a limited edition of 999 sets containing 2 glasses and vintage bottle of Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 1998 . With imprints of a pair of lips on wine glasses revealing her artistic expression with special numbering and her signature. Available now from Colette.

View more after the jump Continue reading “Dom Pérignon Rosé for Sylvie Fleury Box Set” »

Ambiance is everything once you step into Apothéke, the new, opulent former opium den-turned-cocktail-temple in Chinatown. From the aromatic light sconces floating the scent of Absinthe, to the intense level of detail in the decor, Apothéke (that’s German for apothecary) exudes a different kind of high. Pull up a seat at the marble bar, and peruse a grand drink list divided by apothecary categories (Stimulants, Aphrodisiacs, Euphoric Enhancers), and House Cocktails.

Try the Five Points, a mix of Brazilian sugar cane rum, grapejuice, Italian bitters, Australian Elderflower, and Chinese herbs; or an Opium Uplifter, a potent blend of bitters and South American herbs marinated in rum…then get a cab.

Apothéke
9 Doyers Street, (between Bowery & Pell Street)