Following the death of J.D. Salinger, stories about encounters with the author began to surface, putting him back in the public eye he had tried to escape. Notoriously reclusive, these stories of Salinger earlier in life—attending parties, going on dates—are intriguing, and The Paris Review has just published the latest. more ›

How many times have you arrived at a roof party only to realize that you left your Snuggie at home? Probably never, but just in case, this winter the rooftop garden bar 230 Fifth has you covered. Literally. Owner Steven Greenberg has purchased 1,000 Snuggie-esque fleece hooded robes for outdoor use at the Flatiron district lounge. He tells us this is the third year he's supplied them to guests; during the first season he bought 300, and by spring they were all gone due to theft. He then restocked with 500 last year, but by the end only 300 remained. But instead of lining the robes with GPS-rigged explosives programmed to detonate a block away, Greenberg just bought another thousand. So don't feel too bad if you wake up back at home still wearing yours. more ›

Your tax dollars have enabled the Health Department to conclude a groundbreaking study on the calorie counts of beverages at Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts. And what they found might shock you: Calories in blended coffee beverages are high. The report is the prelude to another study due out next spring, which is expected to show if New Yorkers were affected by rules requiring chains like Starbucks to display calorie counts. Back in 2007, the average customer consumed 12% of a 2,000-calorie a day diet on beverages alone. more ›

Since you subscribe to GothamList, our FREE daily events and deals newsletter, you already know about the two hours of free mojitos that will be poured out tonight at a certain Manhattan restaurant. And you probably also know that since today is National Brisket Day, another restaurant will be serving free Lone Star beer with every order of ultra-smoky brisket. But what about those poor, benighted souls whose inbox is not blessed by the money-saving tips brought by GothamList every weekday morning at cock crow? Should we just leave them for dead, senselessly throwing away their savings on overpriced cocktails and bad brisket? Probably. But as a gesture of good will, those savvy readers who have yet to subscribe to GothamList can do so now and get today's email newsletter (and mojito details) within minutes. Did we mention that it's free, just like Gothamist? Click here to get in the cut. more ›

Hudson Terrace: After operating as a private event space last year, this gorgeous bi-level aerie with the commanding Hudson River views opens to the public for the first time tonight with a Cinco de Mayo bash. Tented on rainy nights and featuring a heated floor to ward off any early-season chills, Hudson Terrace will now be doing happy hour parties on Tuesdays through Fridays, as well as Sunday brunch (from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.) with a menu from Vintage Irving's executive chef Jason Bunin. The happy hour deal is good for 2-for-1 specialty cocktails, and an extensive nightly appetizer menu includes duck confit quesadillas, crab and artichoke croquettes, and smoked salmon nachos. A rooftop BBQ grill will also round out the edible options (tempura chicken skewers, anyone?), while beverages run the gamut from wine and sangrias to margaritas, mojitos, and caipirinhas. Or just get two Jim Beams and Coke for the price of one and savor the sunset. 621 West 46th Street, (212) 315-9400 more ›

The Daily News talked to some bartenders and alkies about today's significance. 35-year-old Daria Dennhardt from the Bronx said she can't wait to squeeze into The Back Room for the "classic cocktails," adding, "Thank God it's still legal." Can't you just smell it on her breath when you read that? As a side note, have fun tomorrow with this website that calculates the calories in how much you imbibed, then shows you the (shocking) the equivalent in food. [Via Grub Street] more ›

With New York's obscene real estate market starting to look ever so slightly less obscene, real estate brokers are panicking like jocks on prom night stuck with dates who won't neck. The crack trend spotters at the Times report that brokers are plying their clients with hard liquor and expensive wine so as to wear down their resistance. "Alcohol brings everyone together," declared broker Kipton Davis while showing a group of bankers and traders around a $9.9 million penthouse—as they knocked back Chardonnay, Chinon, and Lagavulin ($77/bottle) whiskey. But no matter how much these brokers promise to respect their clients in the morning, prudes like 28-year-old banker Jeff Nelson are still throwing up the Heisman. Sure, he's happy to take the free drinks, but let's face it: "The way prices are going, there’s no way to know where these prices will be next year." That's right, Nelson; a wealthy young catch like yourself ought to make 'em beg for it. more ›

The Hanger Bar was a beloved dive on East Third Street with a pool table, DJ booth and a vintage clothes for sale up front. It closed some months ago, and owners Jay Schneider and Natalka Burian have given the place a serious face lift while keeping the drinking/clothing consumption combo. Bespoke men's suits will now be sold, but even more eye-catching is the antique sewing machine they've turned into a beer tap. For the curious, it's named Elsa after Italian-born fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli, who lived in New York during Prohibition. more ›

This is the third Manhattan location for Bar And Books, which first opened in 1990 as a clubby lounge for cigars, scotch, whiskey, vintage port, wine, and other spirits. (They also have a couple in Prague.) This outpost is located on First Avenue and 50th Street, and features a back room for smoking, a front room for breathing, complimentary cigars for ladies on Mondays, and discount whiskeys on Tuesday nights. There's an impressive cheese and charcuterie platter, and every night is James Bond night, with decidedly un-bookish Bond flicks on the flat screens. So if you ever need a place to backslap your cronies as you cackle about your plans for global domination—and the Yale Club's booked—keep this in mind. more ›

Milk and Honey, the dimly lit railroad bar on Eldridge Street with the fastidiously-prepared cocktails, "reservation only" policy, and unlisted number, blazed the trail for the city's current wildfire cocktail craze and speakeasy-style bars. In recent years, as owner Sasha Petraske has expanded his footprint with Little Branch, The East Side Company, new absinthe-centric White Star and that Community Board pariah Mercury Dime, Milk and Honey has also only gotten more popular, with the secret phone number posted on message boards and blogs as fast as Petraske can change it. more ›

The dark and discreet cocktail lounge The Randolph at Broome was deemed one the top ten bars of 2007 by the nightlife editors at Citysearch. But co-owner Hari Kalyan wasn’t satisfied with all the buzz, so he shut down for renovations and reopened in May with an even darker, more mysterious aesthetic, livened by a piano player, DJs and an excellent specialty cocktail menu from Matty Gee, a bartender from the Milk & Honey school of high-end drinks. Gee recently answered our questions about what sets his cocktails at The Randolph apart, and also divulged one of his favorite drink recipes, the Strawberry Cucumber Fizz. Pictured after the jump, it does look appealing, but if you happen to stop by The Randolph don't miss The Gershwin – made with their signature cold gin, it's one fancy cocktail that manages to justify its steep price. more ›

Tomorrow marks the first anniversary of that horrible steam pipe explosion in midtown that left one woman dead and others seriously injured. And Public House on 41st Street has some theme drink specials tonight to commemorate the occasion. We're talking $8 Car Bombs, $6 PipeBomb Drinks, and a “Taste Bud Explosion Platter” with wings, nachos and calamari. This is going to be the best steam pipe explosion anniversary party in town! more ›

Any Greenpoint residents still speculating about renovations to the cavernous space on the corner of Franklin and Green – the one with the big silver garage door and the new lights along the northern wall – now have their answer: A bar called t.b.d. Co-owner Diane Foley explains that she finally gave up trying to come up with a name and just went with what she was using for all the paperwork. more ›

With street-side Christmas trees going for more each year and the average apartment size decreasing, we propose the adoption of a new holiday standard: Enjoy your Christmas Tree in a highball glass. To wit: Clear Creek Distillery’s Eau de Vie of Douglas Fir, 375 milliliters of pine flavored brandy, found at Red Hook booze and esoteric spirits emporium LeNell’s. This small, $45 bottle is cheaper and has a lesser environmental impact than deforestation, and will definitely last longer than most trees (at least if used sparingly). Made in Oregon from the actual buds of Douglas Fir trees, the Eau de Vie has a faint green color that’s not surprisingly “all natural.” Sample cocktail: Substitute some Douglas Fir brandy for half the amount of rum called for in a traditional mojito recipe. Keep the mint and the lime, and call it a Tannenbaum. Start a new household tradition today, but enjoy responsibly – this tree could burn your liver down. more ›

EVENT: Julian Schnabel will be screening clips from his latest flick, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly tonight. Lou Reed, who Schnabel recently documented in Lou Reed’s Berlin, will also be on hand. 7pm // Apple Store [103 Prince St] // Free READING: The Desk Set's "Drinks with an Author" series continues tonight at Greenpoint's WORD. This evening chat with Kara Jesella and Marisa Meltzer, authors of How Sassy Changed My Life: A Love Letter... more ›

This week in the Times, Bruni goes to Korean restaurant Moim in Park Slope, awards the restaurant one star. Says, “Many of its dishes, distinguished by a beautifully modulated and lingering heat, are compelling. Most are at least satisfying.” Prices are reasonable as well, he says, though service less than attentive. more ›

READING: It's the first Tuesday of the month, which means...there's a Sci-Fi reading! "Now In its 19th year, the New York Review of Science Fiction Reading Series has showcased some of the most prominent and upcoming authors in the genre. However, the series' commitment to providing a venue as an ongoing science fiction reading series in New York City, is open to all works of speculative fiction, whether they be works of fantasy, magical realism, horror, or science fiction." 40 years ago, Samuel R. Delany narrated a radio adaptation of his novella, The Star Pit, for The Mind's Eye Theatre, Baird Searles' ongoing series of radio dramas at New York's listener-sponsored WBAI-FM. Tonight the anniversary of the broadcast is celebrated with Delany himself. more ›

BEER: This one is pretty simple...there will be lots (58!) of New York beers, and a few bands to soundtrack your drinking them, at the Seaport tonight. Go, imbibe, enjoy! more ›

Back when we were little, we once ate lunch at the automat. We remember how cool it was to see all the food lined up in little cubicles, waiting for someone to pop in a quarter (or two). more ›

EVENT: The only thing better than a tag sale is a swap sale. It's pretty much like going through a friends closet and taking what you fancy. Tonight, free up some of your own closet space and bring down all the clothes you want to get rid of to Thrift On! Others will do the same, and you'll likely go home with some goodies to fill up all that newly found closet space of yours. more ›

Okay, so we really liked the name - we'll admit it. This and every Saturday, you can watch a kung fu classic while eating The Den's traditional southern food with a twist. The karate chops start flying at 8 p.m. Drinks are $4 during the movie, and cover is $5 after 10 p.m. The Den, 2150 5th Ave. between 131st & 132nd, Harlem, 212-234-3045. more ›

Until we were twenty-three or so, New Year's Eve meant one thing: getting out-of-control drunk, vomiting in the streets, and passing out face-down on a table at some diner at 3am. Paaaaaaarty! If only we had access to this amazing post from Russian Blog, explaining how Russians manage to put away a couple of litres of Vodka and maintain verticality: more ›

- Cash Only more ›

ART: For The Garden of Unearthly Delights, Gary Baseman taps into the id, the psyche of primitive impulses. Influenced by “The Garden of Earthly Delights”, a renaissance masterpiece by Hieronymous Bosch, Baseman creates what he calls "pervasive art". He uses both the channels of mass media TV, Film, Print, and fine art. [Right: Anita 11" x 8.5" Ephemera, mixed media] more ›

This video still of the surveillance footage the NYPD captured of First Tiger of Harlem, Ming, is awesome. No sign of Al the Caiman Alligator. While it's sad Ming had to leave New York, wide open spaces are probably best for him. more ›

Howard Dean & NY Young Professionals
Last night, Gothamist went to an "event for young professionals honoring Governor Howard Dean." more ›