Weekend Get-away: NYC

If you dread the advent of a foggy summer, you'll appreciate the tales of a wonderful *warm* weekend spent in New York City. Here are the highlights:

Shopping: Tall Girl 26 W. 39th Street for comfort and work clothing for tall and long-limbed gals; Right next door shop at Mai-NYC for woven hand bags and silk and jacard covered shoes - my personal favorite were the 2 pairs of silk kicks I picked up; C.O. Bigelow Pharmacy 414 Avenue of the Americas not only has all sorts of fun beauty lines but they also have brown hair ties (a rare find in SF); While you enjoy the beauty shop, your guy can shop at Kuhlman a few blocks away at 484 Avenue of the Americas. This fashion forward shop has closed its Northern California doors, so be sure to make it a priority stop in NYC; A trip to New York is not complete without a stop at Shanghai Tang, 714 Madison Avenue. A Hong Kong luxury goods atelier, exquisite shopping for men and women on three floors - plan to spend at least an hour trying on clothing and chosing between hang bags, wallets and shoes. Men look for their newest Chinese knot button-down dress shirts for summer (located on the 3rd floor); If you're nostaglic for San Francisco stop by Rizzoli Bookstore at 31 West 57th Street. Not only will you find a wonderful selection of international-language periodicals but the third floor is stacked with the latest international-language CDs and Italian-language books. Nearby Bergdorf Goodman 754 Fifth Avenue stocks San Francisco based Agraria products on the lower level. My personal favorite is the newest scent, Palma, home fragrance. I am anticipating the release of Palma bath and body products.


Knosh: Want a scene? Make a reservation at Tao Restaurant, next to the Four Seasons Hotel at 42 E 58th St. Say "yes" to the duck appetizer, spring rolls and sea bass entree. Bypass the longbeans and XO sauce with shrimp. Though they claim to make the XO sauce on site, it was a big disappointment followed by the obviously frozen shrimp. Don't play California girls who know their fresh seafood! Definitely hit up Gilt at the Palace Hotel, 455 Madison Avenue. What to eat? Everything!! Let's see... the bread service, hit the butter rolls several times (I indulged for 2 servings), the tuna tartare and crab appetizers were fresh and delicious, along with the treat of split pea soup. The halibut, bratwurst, lambchops and ricotta ravioli were amazing. My favorite was our ice cream "cones" dessert. Only the three best flavors, mint, chocolate peanut butter and banana brownie served in chocolate cones on a chocolate tray. I was practically rolled back to the hotel. Buddha Bar on 17 Little West 12th St perhaps a little overdone by now, but still worth the visit for the DJ music alone. My lobster 3 ways entree was pretty good as well. Nostaglic for San Francisco? Head to the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle for Brunch or Lunch at Bouchon Bakery. Need I say more? Need some budget options? Le Petit Quotidien and Europe Cafe are plentiful throughout the City, offering light or indulging options for breakfast and lunch.


Sip: The options are endless but here are a few places I recently visited and enjoy. Ava Lounge at the Dream Hotel offers a half-panoramic view of midtown from its penthouse level location. A fun mix of modern and earthy decor. Stick with basic orders at the bar. While the barmaids are friendly they had difficulty filling a Campari with a twist order. Uva Restaurant 1486 2nd Ave has a wonderful Italian wine selection. Stop by for a glass or two and some appetizers. Sit outdoors and enjoy the weather or at the bar and enjoy the awesome music selection.


While no city quite compares to San Francisco (despite the fog) its always fun to romp around in someone else's playground, "How you doin'?"