The Lion

I love Sunday night at The Lion because it is so cozy, and more importantly, because I can never get a reservation there Monday through Saturday so it is my only option.  We sauntered in last Sunday the minute it opened, no later, and sidled up to a leather booth in the bar area.  I ordered the garden salad, which sounds boring but was decadent (I swear), and their signature hamburger.  My boyfriend, who has a knack for always ordering the most expensive thing on the menu, opted for the steak special.  It was 100 dollars (apparently it was infused with truffles).  I personally would have preferred a Vince tank top on the side for such a lofty price, but it was in fact a very good steak.  Minus the truffle steak trip-up, it was a great Sunday night meal that made for a much less gloomy Monday morning.  A bonus Russell Simmons sighting with a fashionable chippy at a table near by also added to the fun.

Leaf Peeping!

According to Wikipedia, 'Leaf Peeping' is an autumn activity in areas were foliage changes colors.  This creepy phrase feels a little bit like you are watching leaves undress from an apartment building across the street, but, judgement aside, admiring fall foliage is my fave October pastime.  So, we journeyed up to the Mohonk Mountain House in upstate New York to peep, hike, and mountain bike for the weekend.

The leaves were beautiful, the mountain house had a fire burning in every room, and hot apple cider and cookies were served at 4PM every day.  Yet, after three days of hiking every trail on the map, mountain biking, and canoeing around the lake - these New Yorkers were ready for some action back in the big city! 

Although we did take back with us some of the Mohonk Quaker good cheer courtesy of Bill, the mountain bike instructor.  He regaled us with tales of his love for his job, being outside, and his hope to make Employee of the Year.  Of course we asked - what do you get if you win?  A big bonus? A promotion? A trip to Hawaii?  Bill looked at us like we had gone batty and said "No you get a really nice big plaque...and a meal ticket, in the main dining room at the lodge! "

And that's enough - or at least it should be.

 

Sexiest Shoe of the Year

Went to the Womens Wear Daily Sexiest Shoe of the Year Party Thursday night.  What a great occasion for a party.  Of course, there should be a sexiest shoe, and we should be drinking champagne in its presence!  The fab crowd was mostly ladies in their own sexiest shoes (and probably the most painful), and a few men in some pretty fierce loafers.  The grand unveiling of the shoe of the year revealed a racy Louboutin with bedazzled flames up the side.  Lucky winner, below.  I personally prefer something a little more subtle (I voted for the lacey peep toe with the bow embellishment, sexy Connecticut, if you will).

 

Since the party took place on the 8th floor of Saks (the floor with its very own zip code), there was some late night open bar shopping available as well.  I walked out strongly advising a lady to treat herself to the $2000 Chanel boots she was trying on over a glass of Sauvingon Blanc.  At the time this seemed like life-changing advice.  Note to self, hand over your credit card before drinking and shopping!

Donkey of the Week

There were many donkeys this week, so I will have to call a tie between GOP Congressional candidate, Rich Iott, and candidate for Governor of New York, Carl Paladino.  Rich, donkey candidate number one, was caught dressing up as a Nazi and happily posing for pictures with his Nazi-impersonating friends.  It gets better - apparently, he is a part of a special club of freakish Nazi sympathizers called Wiking, which has been dubbed a World War II historical re-enactment society.  Sounds fun!  Donkey candidate number two, Carl, has been awkwardly back-tracking from a string of homophobic slurs said this past week.  This loose-lipped budding politician said homosexuality is not a '...valid or successful option' and then continued to spout nonsense regarding the Gay Pride Parade in New York:

"I don't know if you've ever been to one but they wear these little Speedos and they grind against each other and it's just a terrible thing."

You never know, our next political hopeful may very well be one of the members of that Midwestern cult that was staging an uprising against the U.S. government back in April.  Throw on some army fatigues and run around like a looney while being politically incorrect and you just might land yourself a nomination!

Weekend Eats

I could eat heirloom tomatoes every day for the rest of my life, which is why I love love the Heirloom Tomato Salad Simply Dressed at Morandi.  It’s the best in the city and it’s seasonal - so go get it while you can!  Admittedly, this recommendation comes from the girl who brought tomato and mayonnaise sandwiches to school every day growing up (I was never popular in the lets trade lunches category), but even the tomato skeptics will love this salad. 

I also swung through Commerce last weekend for a Friday night bite with my besty.  We ended up waiting at the bar for 30 minutes, but this scored us a free round of drinks and more time to catch up over cucumber and mint martinis (my fave, as you already know).  The hot braided rolls were scrumptuous, and the sweet potato tortellini with hazelnuts and pomegranate is also a must!

New Beginnings at 'The End'

Montauk is referred to as the End by locals and tourists alike because it is the furthest Eastern point of New York.  It is the hardest to get to Hampton and because of this fun fact,  the most peaceful.  Lets just say Fort Pond Bay is a far cry from 30 dollar beers at Nellos and after parties at the Axe Lounge (there is nothing sexy about deodorant, lets just pretend its still called Dune).  Montauk was also the destination of choice for our two close friends to tie the knot, lets call them Matt and Lesley.  Matt and Lesley's wedding was one of the first in our group of friends so instead of repeating a dress and calling dibs on a Crate and Barrel blender, we decided to go all out.  The wedding weekend started at Barracuda Bar at The Montauk Yacht Club, where we kicked off the festivities with champagne and more champagne.  A few of us didn't make the best first impression on family from out of town (someone, no names, fell asleep in front of the automatic door which triggered it to open and close repeatedly and rendered a subsequent visit from management), but we had Saturday night to make up for it. 

The ceremony and reception were held at The Surf Lodge, which was the epitome of beachy chic.  The bride decided to buck tradition and wore a knee length dress, but stayed sassy with a pair of hot pink Louboutins.  The groom and groomsmen also looked dapper in preppy colorful ties and navy suits with boat shoes.  We danced the night away to a mixture of live music from Steve Acho (he's the best, download his music on iTunes) and a DJ.  Tiers of cupcakes were served instead of wedding cake, and Havaianas flip flops were handed out to everyone so we could really get down with our bad selves on the d-floor.  Dancing reportedly continued into the early morning as we all held on to one last night of summer.  I'm sure this wedding is already lighting up the blogosphere, but I had to impart a few short words because it was just perfect - a great night with great friends.  Congrats again to Matt and Lesley!