Drinking on the Bowery isn't what it used to be.

Over the last ten years, the Bowery, once the place where dreams went to die - usually in a flophouse - has become the place where hotels and restaurants go to open. Several of my favorites are on or within a stone's throw of the Bowery (Peels, Five Points, DBGB, Acme), and now I can most definitely add the bar at The Bowery Hotel to the list. 

The drink that did it? Their Black Manhattan, made with bourbon, bitters, and Averna. Averna - an Italian liqueur made with herbs and caramel - replaces the traditional sweet vermouth, and does a super smooth job of it. 

And just look at this little dandy on their cocktail coasters. I can't quite tell if he's a gentleman or a Five Points gangster, but either way, I like his attitude.

Late summer supper.

A few weeks ago, my friends Nick and Louisa were in town, which always means I'm in for a few good meals. Even though they've swapped the wilds of rural Ohio for the wonders of Austin, they're still aiming to get a serious New York food fix whenever they visit. Their first night here, we met our friends Liz and Carrie for dinner at Prune, Gabrielle Hamilton's perennial neighborhood favorite, best known for its insanely delicious (and popular) brunch. 

I ordered a Junipero Gibson (a gin martini garnished with housemade pickled onions) and nibbled on fried chickpeas while I waited for the others to arrive. (They were coming from pre-dinner drinks at Ten Bells; I was trekking in from having my hair done by the lovely Holly in SoHo.) The cocktail was perfectly cool and crisp, and kept me company all through dinner (and for a while afterward, to tell the truth).

 I started with a special kale salad, which went so fast and was so delicious that I forgot to snap its photo.The kale was shredded and dressed with crumbly cheese, garlic and lots and lots of olive oil. I've had many kale salads, but this one was something special. My main was the grilled steak with a tomato and onion salad. The steak was perfectly cooked to medium rare, and the rings of red onion were just crunchy and spicy enough to set off the sweat, meaty tomatoes. A bit of bleu cheese butter rounded things out, and reminded me of one of the things I love about Prune: the food is exuberant, but not overdone. They know that all you need is a touch of cheese in each bite, not an overwhelming heap of it on the plate.

In another nod to disappearing summer, we ordered a side of peas for the table. They arrived, beautifully green, perfectly cooked (English peas, snow peas and - my favorite - sugar snaps), spiked with horseradish and topped with honeycomb. The horseradish accentuated the peas' natural vegetal bite, while the honey upped their sweetness. Peas, amplified.

Finally, dessert. We went a bit over the top here, ordering three different ones to try. A rhubarb bourbon bread pudding, a summer pudding with whipped cream, and a pound cake with fruit syrup. All three were wonderful (and the blazing color of the summer pudding outshone the rest), but the bread pudding was my very favorite. The perfect end to a late summer feast. Next time, squash and brussels sprouts will replace tomatoes and peas, and nothing will be quite the same.

Now there's an excuse to go back if ever there was one, right?

Lately.

Just a quick roundup of things I've eaten and sipped lately. First up, superlative green papaya salad from Wondee Siam II in Hell's Kitchen. This place has some delicious Thai and is a stone's throw from Ars Nova (my brother's theater), so we spend a serious amount of time here. (Also worth trying? Any of the curries.)

Speaking of curries, they come with a pyramidal side of fluffy white rice. As a rice lover, I hardly need any inducement to eat mine, but come on. That's too fun.

Shake Shack does day-of-the-week flavors, which change up once a month. August's Friday flavor is blueberry coffee cake: soft blueberry custard with coffee cake mixed in. It's pretty freaking good, and is delightfully redolent of cinnamon (my favorite compliment to the juicy blueberries of summer).

 

A gin gimlet at Ouest on the Upper West Side. These guys sling the most reliably delicious cocktails north of 59th Street, and I love spending an evening sipping and nibbling - the kitchen sends out regular batches of toasty warm gougeres.

Finally, a pickle sampler from the new restaurant Jacob's Pickles. The biscuits are good; the pickles are awesome. From left to right, we've got dill spears, carrots, spicy beets and dilly green beans. More pickles than even this obsessive could finish.

Queenie's Treasury

Happy summer, everyone! (Well, everyone in the Northern Hemisphere. Happy winter to my readers from down under!) The season kicked off with a bang here in the Northeast, with a three-day heat wave of epic, brownout-inducing proportions. Things have cooled off a bit, thanks to a classic summer thunderstorm, and I'm headed out to the country today for what promises to be an epic birthday party, complete with a pool and a pig roast. I know.

In the meantime, let's look at some pretty!

'Tis the season for icy cold cocktails served in warm weather, which of course means we need to prepare for loads of condensation. Enter these gorgeous linen coasters from Linea Carta, which are not only festive (Cheers!), but also a perfect combination of coaster and cocktail napkin. I wouldn't want to use them on a precious wood surface, but they're ideal for a glass, lucite or otherwise more durable spot. And so cute!

Next up, something I'm a bit late in posting. No delay, however, could dim the excitedment I'm feeling about the New York Times' summer drinks generator. Just pick your ingredients and see what recipes it spits out at you - or, if you're brave, there's always the "Randomize" button. Maybe I should break it out at the party to come up some exciting combinations from the bar. Does Campari pair well with spit-roasted pork? I'll report back!

Last, but certainly not least, look at these awesome neon-spiked wooden bowls! I cannot get enough of the pieces from Wind & Willow Home. I already have plans for the paint-dipped wooden spoons, and I know a few people worthy of a salad bowl or two. And the little treasure pots! So cute! I can't get enough.

A not-so-short list.

Earlier today, I found out that a friend of a friend is headed for Austin and in need of some recommendations for the eating and the drinking and such. I've been itching to do a "My Favorite Austin Stuff" post for a while now (You can see all my Austin posts right here.), and so I'm glad to have the kick in the butt. Shall we begin at the beginning? (By which, of course, I mean breakfast tacos.)

Breakfast Tacos
Taco Deli
Austin is easily the breakfast taco capital of the world, and everyone has an opinion. My favorites can be had at Taco Deli, where the Jess Special and Vaquero are tops. My friend Louisa is especially fond of the Otto, and you can't go wrong by combining the chorizo with the Mexican mashed potatoes for one perfect, indulgent start to your morning.

Torchy's
Special mention to The Dirty Sanchez at Torchy's (pictured above), which is my other favorite Austin egg-based taco, though the rest of their menu - save the queso - pales in comparison.

Other Breakfasty Stuff
Magnolia
Go here. Order the migas and a side of sausage. Or the cornmeal pancakes with chocolate chips. (But, actually, just order the migas - and make sure they're of the Spicy Love butter variety.)

24Diner
Actually, 24Diner is open, well, 24 hours, and serves all meals. I'm partial to their breakfast, though, where I typically order the hash - veggie or non-. Their veggie burger is delicious, too, especially when topped with a fried egg. (Notice a theme?)

Elizabeth Street Café
They serve lunch and dinner here, too - and Louisa assures me that the banh mi rock - but I've only been for breakfast. The menu has French pastries and savory Vietnamese specialties (the sticky rice with ginger sausage is heavenly), and the coffee is out of this world.

Lunch and Dinner
Uchi
Uchi is possibly my favorite place on Earth to eat right now, for reals. It can be hard to get into, so be prepared to wait for a table. (If you're lucky, you'll wait next to Elijah Wood, like we did last time. And then Dominic Monaghan showed up. Really.) I can't tell you enough times to order at least one piece of the scallop sushi - and the foie gras ngiri isn't to be missed. Sounds odd; tastes amazing.

Uchiko
Uchiko is Uchi's younger sibling, but is just as awesome. They have sushi on the menu here, too, but they feature what they call Japanese farmhouse cooking - things like grilled shishito peppers, crispy brussels sprouts and eggplant tempura. (All of which must be ordered.)

Madam Mam's
Some of the best Thai food I've had, hands down. They particularly excel at grilled meats, so order anything that comes from, well, the grill. Especially if it's served with pickles, lettuce or any kind of sauce. And the special beef curry is to die.


Justine's
Justine's is at the center of the East Austin explosion, and for good reason. It's a tiny little bungalow with as many tables inside as out, and the food is classic French brasserie - but with good, American-style cocktails alongside. I love the steak, the ratatouille, and the salade de crevettes, with butter lettuce, snap peas, and shrimp, all tossed with a creamy tarragon dressing.


La Condesa
Make sure you order the chicken salad. (The other food is great, too, but the chicken salad is magic.)

Barbecue
Franklin Barbecue
I don't really have anything to say, other than 1) you must go, and 2) get there crazy early, like 10:45 early.

Coffee, Booze, Movies, Ice Cream & Massages
Alamo Drafthouse
When I try to explain how awesome the Alamo is, people never have the reaction I want. So, you should probably just go and see what all the fuss is about. The beer is great, the food is terrible for you and delicious, and you get to watch a movie to boot. Try to go to a special show, like a Sunday brunch musical, or a Princess Bride quote-along. Oh, yes.

Jo's
They have a few spots around the city, and all feature the Turbo, which is possibly the only frozen coffee drink worth having, ever. It's insane. (When they showed up at the SXSW convention center concession stands this year, I nearly cried with joy.)

Amy's Ice Creams
Amy's is like Cold Stone - all the mix-ins, but with good ice cream, the kind that doesn't coat your mouth with that nasty sticky crud. It's delicious. And the hot fudge is insane. It's worth getting a cup of it on the side.

Midnight Cowboy
This Sixth Street cocktail bar used to be a rub-and-tug joint up until very recently - this winter, to be exact. It's since been power-washed and turned into a teeny, very dark spot for interesting booze. I didn't love all the cocktails, but it's worth a visit just for the atmosphere. Also, you could always just order a Manhattan - I'm sure it would be beautifully made. (You need a reservation, which you can take care of online.)

Milk & Honey
Consistently the best massages of my life. Truly. And way cheaper than comparable treatments in New York. Make a booking if you can squeeze it in; you won't be sorry.

Queenie's Treasury

Happy Memorial Day weekend, my doves! Summer has announced itself in New York with an appropriately warm, overly-humid day, and so I'm spending the afternoon inside with an iced coffee. (And a pot of strawberry-rhubarb compote bubbling on the stove.) While I mop the humidity from my brow, let's take a look at this week's Treasury, shall we?

I was thisclose to ending my subsrciption to Bon Appétit a year or so ago. I was riding out the tail end of the subscription Condé Nast had given me to fill up the issues remaining on my Gourmet tab, and I had been consistently underwhelmed. But then, in late 2011, they hired Adam Rapoport and went through their redesign, and I've been much happier with the magazine ever since. The recipes rarely rise to the level of Gourmet's, but the features have gotten much better - and are beautifully photographed. Case in point: this month's piece on interior designer John Derian, featuring his home in Provincetown. My brother and sister-in-law are in P-Town right now, and I hope they're eating as well as Derian's guests.

I've always been more of an individual cocktail maker than a punch preparer, but this bourbon, strawberry and lime punch from the folks at Prime Meats might just push me along the path to transformation. I'm thinking it's definitely going to need to make an appearance at my brother's 30th birthday festivities in Maine this July, when strawberries will be at their peak in northern New England. Yes, indeed. Fellow guests: prepare yourselves.

Now that Greenmarket season is back in full swing here in New York, I thought it was time to remind you all of the truly awesome blog Lucy's Greenmarket Report. Lucy visits the Union Square Greenmarket pretty much every day it's open, then posts a digest of what's available and what's on the way later in the week. If you're wondering if snap peas will be on hand yet, or if rhubarb is completely played out, Lucy's is the blog to check before heading out to shop for that dinner party.

They have Manhattans in Boston, too.

And I highly recommend the one they pour at Drink, Barbara Lynch's cocktail bar on Congress Street. It was ridiculously well-balanced and satisfying.

Plus, they make sure you have plenty of water to go with your booze, which is, in my opinion, the mark of a place that wants you to enjoy your drink as opposed to wallow in it.

Drink
348 Congress Street
Boston, Massachusetts
617.695.1806

In the neighborhood.

When I moved to the Upper East Side, it wasn't because the neighborhood was a happening hot spot. I needed a place in a hurry, and a friend's cousin was subletting her super-cheap studio. It seemed like kismet, and I moved in a week after I first visited the place. Seven years and two apartments later, I'm still here - mostly because it's a ridiculously easy commute (to work, to the East Village, you name it) and pretty cheap, in Manhattan terms. But, of late, it's turning into a halfway exciting place for food and drink, too.

Spigolo has been a big part of the neighborhood's self-improvement plan. It opened a few years back, and has been serving delicious Italian food to standing room only crowds ever since. Every time I visit, I realize I don't go often enough.

On my most recent trip, I started with a house cocktail, the Bulleit Burlesque. A mixture of rye, cherry and ginger (I honestly can't remember the exact ingredients), it was a spicy take on a Manhattan - so of course I loved it.

For my starter, I ordered Spigolo's take on the Caesar, a half head of romaine topped with anchovy dressing, Parmesan and piping hot, lightly fried rock shrimp. I loved the flavors in this, but it was a bit overdressed. I ended up pushing about half the sauce to the side - but nothing could ruin the contrast of the plump, toasty shrimp with the crisp, cold lettuce.

On my insistence, Kyle and I split an order of the Romano potatoes. From what I can tell, these bad boys are boiled, then smashed, coated with a bit of cheese and salt, and crisped on the grill. They are, in a word, ridiculous.

I was lucky enough to visit early in the evening, before the restaurant sold out of their house-made chicken and broccoli rabe sausage, which was split, grilled and served on top of a cold farro salad. The sausage - unlike so much chicken sausage - was moist, flavorful and a perfect texture. And the salad was a little creamy and peppered with roasted tomatoes and cold cucumber. So, as you can imagine: I loved it.

Dessert at Spigolo is particularly good - the co-owner is also the pastry chef, and she does a fantastic job. My favorite of the two we sampled last week was the sticky toffee bread pudding. I'd even go so far as to say that the sticky toffee sauce was as good as my own, and I loved the whipped cream/mascarpone combination that topped things off. (So much so that I might copy it.)

Over the next few weeks, I'll be offering up a few more reasons why the Upper East Side isn't seeming like such a bad place to be these days. Stay tuned! In the meantime, get your butts to Spigolo before they take that bread pudding off the menu.

Spigolo
1561 Second Avenue
Between 81st and 82nd Streets
212.744.1100

Something new.

 

 Last Friday, Anica and I paid a visit to a  tiny new cocktail bar down at 9th and Avenue C, called The Wayland. I'd first passed it a couple of weeks ago, and made a mental note to visit as soon as possible. Anica is as obsessed with a good cocktail as I am, so I knew she'd be the perfect partner in crime.

We arrived close to opening (7 PM), and the petite space was already filling up. By the time we left for dinner, around 9, it was packed with people. And for good reason. The vibe is incredibly chill, and the cocktails are delicious.

 

For my first drink, I tried the Bermuda Black, a concoction made with white & black rum and fresh ginger & lime juice,  topped off with a smidge of dark beer. It was sweet, yes, but also sour, tangy and rich. Definitely a summertime sipping drink, a sort of dark and stormy for those of us who like a little more citrus in the mix.

To finish up, I ordered a Manhattan, which came garnished with an orange peel. It was perfectly balanced - not two sweet, not too spicy - always a good sign of a quality bartender. After all, fancy custom cocktails are one thing, but proving you can tackle the classics? A must.

The Wayland
700 East 9th Street
(Corner of Avenue C)
212.777.7022

Ramps: a debrief.

Well, folks, I'm pleased to say that the ramp-alicious dinner party went off without a hitch! We sipped our Gibsons, nibbled our toasts, slurped up our pasta and devoured our lamb. (And the strawberry-rhubarb crostata wasn't half-bad, either.)

Most of what I made last night were tried and true favorites, starting with the Gibsons, which I garnished with pickled ramps in lieu of cocktail onions (click here for the recipe) . (Gibsons are just Martinis with onions instead of olives.) I enjoy a wet Gibson, with four parts gin to one part dry vermouth. A couple dashes of bitters don't hurt, either. The slightly sweet, sour ramp pickles go gorgeously with the spicy gin and herbal vermouth - altogether a truly elegant cocktail.

The Gibsons worked very nicely with the only new recipe I cooked up for this dinner: ramp toasts with Parmesan. The toasts are based on a favorite recipe of mine from the Gourmet cookbook, which is one of the easiest, most basic, most delicious concoctions known to man: finely chopped sweet onion mixed with mayonnaise, spooned onto cocktail bread, topped with cheese and black pepper and toasted in the oven for a few minutes.

I subbed in ramps for the sweet onion and decided to go all out and leave the ramps raw rather than blanch them. The result? A spicy, pure-ramp flavor and general awesomeness. One of these goes a long way, which is really what you want from a cocktail nibble, right? (The new recipe is all yours at the bottom of this post!)

Next up came my personal favorite, fresh fettuccine with ramps and bacon (I left the egg off of this version, since we had small, appetizer-sized helpings.). I made the sauce ahead of time and just warmed it up and tossed it with the freshly cooked pasta when the time came. Super easy, and a huge crowd pleaser, especially when topped with dangerous amounts of Parmesan cheese.

Earlier in the day, I marinated a boneless leg of lamb in olive oil, salt, pepper, smashed garlic and a splash or two of vermouth. I roasted it while we drank our cocktails and ate our pasta, then served it topped with some ramp compound butter and alongside some sugar snaps. (I blanched the sugar snap peas in salted water in the afternoon, then warmed them up in some of the ramp compound butter and a handful of minced chives before sliding them onto the plate next to the lamb.)

After a simple green salad, we moved onto dessert: strawberry-rhubarb crostata with some softly whipped cream. (I threw some dark brown sugar into the cream before whipping it, the better to complement the rhubarb's tang.) This crostata is one of my favorite desserts of all time. It's insanely easy to make, presents beautifully, and is really, truly satisfying to eat. The only change from my original recipe? I subbed in vodka for half the water in the crust recipe, which definitely helped keep things tender and flaky instead of tough and chewy. I'm a convert.

I sent everyone home with a little container of ramp compound butter for their own personal, private consumption, though what we really needed were entire rolls of Certs. Ramps: delicious and delightful, though possibly not for the person sitting next to you on the subway on the way home.

Ramp Toasts
Adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook

2 bunches ramps, well washed and the root ends trimmed
1 cup mayonnaise (Hellman's is my favorite for this; homemade is too thin)
1/4 tsp salt
25 slices cocktail bread
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice the ramps crosswise, as thinly as possible. Place in a medium mixing bowl along with the mayonnaise. Stir to combine until the ramps and mayonnaise are evenly mixed. Mix in the salt.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, then fill with as many slices as cocktail bread as possible. Top each slice with a tablespoon or so of the ramp-mayonnaise mixture, then top that with a generous pinch of the cheese. Finish each toast off with a few grinds of pepper.

Toast for 5-7 minutes, checking occasionally, until the bread begins to darken and the cheese is melted and golden-brown. Serve immediately.

Makes 25 toasts.

Lately.

A few drinks I've been enjoying recently. No particular order, but there is a theme: delicious, delightful booze. (Yum.)

Lemonade shandy, courtesy of Nick. Louisa's patio, Austin.


Applejack sidecar, courtesy of me. My living room, Manhattan.


Tawny port. The Vanderbilt, Brooklyn.


A Plantation cocktail (grapefruit, gin and basil). Frank's, Austin.

Refreshments.

One of the delights I've discovered during my trips to Austin over the last 18 months or so is the Michelada, a sort of Bloody Mary, but with beer. It's a savory daytime cocktail, and Wikipedia claims that - not unlike the Bloody Mary - Micheladas are good for hangovers. I happen to agree.

Last year, we paid a visit to SXSJ, the Hotel San José's annual music fest, held in their parking lot. The Micheladas we had there were really, really freaking good. So this year, when we had to skip SXSJ (it was rainy and gloomy and blah), we made sure to pick up supplies for a batch of our own when we went to Central Market for dinner groceries.

I did a bit of research beforehand, and discovered that the Hotel San José's recipe was published in Garden & Gun. Its genius element? A dash of soy alongside the Worcestershire and Tobasco.

We tinkered with it a bit; I added a salt & pepper rim, and added a bit of tomato juice for umami and body. The result? An altogether satisfying cocktail that sticks to your bones, cures what ails you, and goes marvelously with breakfast tacos.

Queenie's Michelada
Adapted from the Hotel San José

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
Lime wedges, for garnish
2 oz. lime juice
2 oz. tomato juice
1/4 oz. soy sauce
A couple of dashes of Worcestershire
A couple of dashes of Tobasco
1 12-ounce beer of your choosing

Mix the salt and pepper on a plate. Slit one of the lime wedges and run it around the rim of a 20-ounce glass to coat it with lime juice. Place the glass, rim-down, in the salt mixture and twirl to coat evenly.

Fill the glass 1/3 full of ice, then add all the ingredients (except for the beer). Stir to mix well, garnish with a lime wedge, and serve with an open beer. Folks can mix their own as they go, you see.

Serves one.

Chillin'.

A cocktail (a signature Queenie's Gimlet) and a pup - not a bad way to spend an afternoon or two, don't you agree?

I knew you would. Look at that punim!

A quick cocktail.

Hudson Buck at The Vanderbilt in Prospect Heights. A bit sweet for me (it had cider and ginger), but tasty nonetheless. If you go, make sure to order the Brussels sprouts and the shishito peppers. And the merguez sausage.

Watershed moment.

On the Saturday night I spent in Chicago, my friend (and hostess extraordinaire) Ellie took me to a cocktail bar called Watershed, which is hidden below a Champagne bar at State and Ohio. The name is a nod to the bar's focus on local beer, liquor and wine. The room is lovely and warm, with generous banquettes and little tables, and the staff were so freaking friendly in that unpretentious Midwestern way.

I ordered a Manhattan made with a local rye: Lion's Pride Dark Rye, which is distilled just a few miles north of the bar, right in Chicago proper. It was rich and a bit sweet, and made a delightfully old-fashioned (pun not intended, but not edited out, either) cocktail.

On my next trip, a distillery tour is most definitely in order. Or maybe a class about distilling? So many options! Chicagoans, go forth and make some whiskey!

When in Rome.

My friend Nicholas is headed to New York for vacation, and asked me to suggest some places where he simply has to eat and drink. Places that fall into the category of "quintessential NYC, on a budget." Well, Nicholas...ask, and ye shall receive. Here are some ideas!

Frankies Spuntino

You all know how much I love the Frankies. (If not, all you need to know is this: it's a lot.) You can't come to New York without eating at least one Italian meal, and these guys do it right. The menu is incredible, the wine list wonderful and reasonably-priced, and it's open for breakfast, lunch and dinner - especially good when you're on vacation and have so many opportunities for deliciousness. Go, and make sure that at least one of you orders the cavatelli with browned butter and spicy sausage. And the escarole salad.

Momofuku Noodle Bar

Another one of my obvious favorites. The Momofuku empire encapsulates the most recent evolution of the New York dining scene, where casual has replaced sumptuous as the go-to model. You may sit on wooden stools, use paper napkins and bump elbows with your neighbor at Noodle Bar, but you'll also eat some of the very best seasonal dishes around.

Café Sabarsky

This cafe is meant to recreate fin de siècle Vienna on the Upper East Side, and it pretty much achieves its goal. Set in a paneled drawing room in a Fifth Avenue mansion-turned-museum, it's filled with Thonet chairs and adorned with Hoffmann sconces. The savory food is good, but the sweets (especially the linzertorte) and the coffee (especially the einspanner) are the best part. Go early to avoid the nutty lunch crowd that inevitably gathers on weekends.

Two Little Red Hens

Some people will tell you that the city's best cupcakes are to be found elsewhere. Those people are, in a word, wrong. Just...wrong. The Hens make the best cupcakes - not too sweet, full of quality ingredients and bursting with flavor. All that said, their breakfast pastries (scones, muffins, sticky buns and - my favorite - cinnamon rolls) and non-cupcake sweets (date bars, fruit pie, cream pie) are my usually choices. But I do have a weakness for their mini chocolate-peanut butter cupcake, too.

And lest this become a novel of truly epic proportions, I'm going to list the rest of my recommendations a bit more briefly. In no particular order...

Balthazar
Head to this classic SoHo bistro for breakfast. You'll save some dough (lunch and dinner can be pricey here), enjoy delicious pastry, and spy on many a power diner.

The Breslin
Another great place for breakfast. You won't have to wait for a table, and you'll enjoy one of the best breakfasts in the city. After all, isn't eating breakfast out one of the great pleasures of vacation?

Ceci-Cela
Best croissants in the city. For reals.

The Dutch
My favorite things here are the cocktails, the oysters and the brunch. Go for drinks or go early.

Five Points
This place isn't new, but it was one of the flag-bearers in the local-and-seasonal-but-not-obnoxiously-self-righteous movement of the early-to-mid aughts. Fantastic cocktails and really great emphasis on seasonal veggies. The kale Caesar is to die.

Acme
My new favorite restaurant - also a great place for a drink. New Nordic cuisine with local ingredients and really cute waiters.

Sripraphai
First of all, this will get you out of Manhattan. Second of all, it's the best Thai food in the city. Take the 7 to Woodside and make sure to order the papaya salad and the pork with chili and basil.

PDT
Really delicious cocktails in a quiet bar. Entering through the phone booth in Crif Dogs only makes it more fun. (You can order hot dogs to your bar stool or booth, too.)

Queenie's Treasury: The under-your-cocktail edition.

I have a (relatively) new coffee table these days, which of course has led me to the conclusion that I need loads of lovely coasters to protect my precious baby. All of this to say: today is coasters day on the Treasury.

First up, these lovely, uber-feminine floral numbers from the eternally awesome Rifle Paper Co. I can't get over the gorgeous colors or swoopy botanicals, and I think they will make it onto my 2012 hostess gift list, even if they don't end up winning a spot on my new table just yet.

Next up, some punchy, oh-so-New York coasters from one of my very favorite tastemakers, Kate Spade. I love the colors (robin's egg blue, bright orange, pink, grey) and the simple gold typography. And, obviously, I love New York. So there's that.

Finally, some summery, nautical coasters that make me (a devoted winter enthusiast) yearn for summer. They're perfect for putting under a gimlet, but might not be quite right for a Manhattan. What say you?