A hangover is a sure-fire indicator that perhaps you should give your liver a rest. At least, give it a pause.  I never used to get them in my 20’s, when I was young, fresh and spritely.  You can’t call me any of those things now. Unfortunately. But, it sure doesn’t stop me from enjoying a few adult beverages.

Last night at Lure, I was hungover.  Bloody Mary please. Please.  And have to say – it was a lovely sight – that big ol’ shrimp, 2 olives stabbed into a stalk of celery, and a proper oyster shot to go along with it.  And since it’s a  meal and drink in one, I thought that it’s not a bad way to start the night.  Oh and the chicken lollipops (with blue cheese dressing), 2 steamed lobster tails, dozen oysters, and asparagus w/’shrooms (fiber) and oh yes, the deviled eggs (because they’re eggs and they’re deviled), made for a grand time. 

142 Mercer Street (at Prince)

212.431.7676

Sake Barrels at Nobu 57

I refrained from wine or cocktails all weekend so by Tuesday, I was parched.  I mean, 6P was rolling in and I was jonesing for a beverage.  So since I’ve had success at Nobu 57 in the past, I met with my girls at the bar.  Food was yum – can you really go wrong at Nobu?  Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeno.  Rock Shrimp Tempura w/creamy spicy sauce.  Oyster tempura.  Damn.  And 5 Cucumber Martinis later, all was well with the world. The question I have is, wouldn’t 5 Cucumber Martinis count as at least one serving of vegetable?  The dynamic bartending duo agreed with me, but I think they’re paid to do that.  God bless ‘em.

Nobu 57
40 West 57th St.
New York, NY 10019
212-757-3000

I’ve been a lazy ass.  That’s right.  Too lazy to write shit.  I’ve been dining at the bar, damnit.  OK, maybe more like having liquid dinners at the bar.  There’s nothing wrong with that.  In fact, the laziness is the core reason why I love dining at the bar. Close proximity to the booze. Immediate attention from the bartendar. 

That being said, I’ll be better. I swear.  Less drinking, more writing.  No really (fingers crossed). 

By the way, in keeping with my less lazy-ass-ness, I’m going to throw in that the bar menu at Eleven Madison Park is righteous.  Astronomical in price, but can’t go wrong.  Never had a bad experience.  And check out the view of the dining room with the soaring ceilings and Martha Stewart. That’s right, Ms. Thang was there last week and I almost screamed out, “Work it, Ms. Stewart-if-you’re-nasty!”  Almost.

Food. Wine. South Beach. Need I say more?I just returned from a weekend at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival.  A long weekend wine, food, music, good times.  It’s my second time and not to be the last.  I’m lucky I got out. I thought, eh, a little snow, a little ice, whatever.  Seems as though every flight was canceled or delayed.  I would have started walking down there.  I land in Miami and it’s 86 degrees. Please.    The fun began at the Bubble Q that Friday night. The event, presented by Moet & Chandon, and hosted by Giada De Laurentis, was my favorite for the weekend. Hours of champagne?  Seriously. Some ne-ked woman in a bubble? Uh-not sure, but interesting. The go-go dancers with the Chewbaca boots – they worked it. God bless them. The Public Grand Tasting on Saturday – not impressed. I wish I liked it better. It was hot and there was no reprieve from the sun because the tasting tents didn’t open until 1PM.  And unlike the last time I went, there lacked any memorable food – just wine and spirits distributors and a smattering of local restaurants with mediocre crap.  The demonstrations did feature some Food Network talent, but constant thanking of Food Network was tiring. So, walked around with wine glass lanyard around my neck (which, by the way, gave me a dumb tan line) and filled up as best I can with  wine.  I took it easy that night and the following morning. It’s Miami and I did feel some guilt for not whooping it up – but how much whooping can you do when traveling alone?I did wish that the Maison D’Azur restaurant at the Anglers Resort, where I stayed, had better service.  Look, I can appreciate a good scene, but frankly, it’s about the food and the service. Don’t try to sugar coat crap with a dumb as dirt, but good-looking staff. And know your f-cking menu.  And for chrissakes – get a bigger bar.  A spitball is bigger than that bar.   I’ll stay at the hotel again, but not visit the restaurant – even if I saw the Take Home Chef there – who, by the way, is truly yummy in person.But aside from that hiccup – a good time.

My favorite-st thing in the world is sitting at a fabulous restaurant, taking in the atmosphere, the ambience.  Perusing the wine list.  Contemplating the tasting menu. All at the bar. The thing is, sitting at a table can be stuffy, perhaps a little rushed, sometimes.  At the bar, you get the best of both worlds – which hopefully, is great food, great drinks – that’s a bit more casual than the main dining room. Now, if you can snag a table for 4 at Per Se, you cannot sit at the bar.  But I highly suggest that you sidle up to the bar for your next meal.  Cheers!