This week in New York life is like a box of chocolates – on steroids. (Mmmm, chocolate steroids.) The wicked masterminds behind the 10th annual International Chocolate Show decided that this year the usual three day, 40,000 square foot cocoa orgy just wasn’t going to cut it. So they’ve gotten a number of area restaurants to collectively boost the city’s blood sugar levels by declaring the next six days Chocolate Week. Some notable New York... more ›

ART: Affordable art is the best kind, so good thing there's a whole fair dedicated to it. Today 70+ artists worldwide will be selling their work at prices ranging from $100 and up. Get something to cover up those bare walls and support artists all at the same time. more ›

April 5: Italian Festa to celebrate the paperback publication of George deStefano's An Offer We Can't Refuse: The Mafia in the Mind of America. A reading and signing, followed by a Sicilian wine tasting, with antipasti served. Free. Hunters Point Wines and Spirits, 47-07 Vernon Boulevard, Long Island City, Queens. more ›

Time for a major sugar rush. Head over to the ninth annual Chocolate Show for chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate, with some culinary demonstrations and art thrown in for good measure. $25 tickets, for one day's admission, are available online (via Ticketmaster.com or calling 212-307-7171), and will also be on sale at the door (cash and checks only at the door). Metropolitan Pavillion & Altman Building, 125 West 18th Street. Friday, November 10: 11am to 9pm, Saturday, November 11: 10am to 8pm, Sunday, November 12: 10am to 7pm. Children under 5: Free; Children, 5 to 12: Free, but you're limited to 2 children per adult. Each additional child (5-12): $8. more ›

Well not exactly, but there is an entire philosophy of making wine that revolves around the Cosmos. Biodynamic winemaking is partially based upon the idea that the earth and plant life have rhythms in respect to their position to the sun, moon and stars. It is believed that the cosmos and constellations have influence on the different aspects of the plant’s growth, therefore the work done in the vineyard and cellar correspond with these rhythms. Oh, we know, it sounded crazy to us too. We could almost picture the winemaker in the vineyard on their cell phone with Dionne Warwick asking if the stars were aligned for harvest. As it turns out there is no 1-900 number, and while the principles of biodynamic winemaking may seem eccentric and untraditional, the results in the bottle are converting skeptics to drinkers. more ›

November 6: NYC Marathon Brunch at Central Park Boathouse more ›

The Chocolate Show is coming! The Chocolate Show is coming! We know where we'll be camped out this weekend . . . more ›