Results tagged “fancy”

Just as Tyra Banks discovers gourmet food vendor trucks, Blackbook has joined the growing backlash against their trendy proliferation. It's yet another article that looks at the turf wars between the arriviste artisanal food trucks and the old-school hot dog and kabob guys. But at least this one comes with a clever neologism: "vendrification," which is what happens when the new upscale trucks start "shaking up the culinary terrain of the streets."

     

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.

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.

   

Those retro TV dinners with the pre-formulated portions aren’t just for Eisenhower-era loners anymore; the factory-made frozen meals have been cleverly revived for big city sophisticates dining at the Regency Hotel's 540 Park restaurant. The first Swanson TV Brand Frozen Dinner sold for 98 cents in 1953; at the Regency it’s been brought up to date for $30.