A white picket fence and pristinely sculpted topiaries are the last thing I expect to see as I tromp down 14th Street. Nonetheless, they are the welcoming adornments that face visitors to month-old restaurant Gin Lane. Blending in with the topiaries was the Afro of a bow-tied door man (one of two permanent gatekeepers) who immediately gave me the once-over and asked if I had a reservation. Yes I do, thank you very much, and I hope you enjoyed the eyeful because I look hot tonight!

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I started learning the intricacies of the food industry about a year ago through friends in the industry. It was the first time I heard anyone referred to as a “foodie” and I thought it was slightly amusing that there was an entire industry around food and that it could be just as prestigious as the fashion industry, if not more. I decided I wanted to learn more and began to immerse myself in this new world by reading the different food reviews in magazines, attending dinners with chefs to get their opinions on other chefs’ meals, watching Kelly Choi speak with Chefs on her show Eat Out New York, and reading the different foodie blogs. Eventually I felt like I had achieved a certain level of confidence in my palate, which led me to jump at the chance to attend a dinner at the mecca of all foodies: The James Beard House.

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Hi, my name is Erica, and I am a Broadway-aholic. Well, actually a few years ago I was much worse than I am now, as I used to see at least one show a week. It’s been several months since I last saw a show, so I think I may be growing out of my (expensive) obsession (were it not for student rush and standing room, I’d be broke). But whenever the word “free” precedes the word “ticket,” I jump on it. My good friend and theater connoisseur Meredith offered me a ticket to a preview of comedian Martin Short’s new show Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, which is scheduled to open on August 17th. After scanning my calendar, I immediately accepted.

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I met up with Glamourites Lola and Jasmine at a new little restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen called Riposo 46 and upon entering, that age old saying “good things come in small packages” came to mind. Riposo 46, located on 9th avenue between 46th and 47th, is a quaint hole-in-the-wall place that reminds me of a wine bar in Italy. A long wine bar up against the exposed red-brick wall takes up the back area with a couple of small tables interspersed throughout the surrounding space.

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Sunday was just one of those beautiful days where you did not want to be inside, so when I was offered the chance to see the closing night of Shakespeare in the Park’s “Macbeth,” of course I went for it. Two of my friends arrived in line at Central Park’s Delacorte Theater around 5:00 AM - a time of day I have not seen recently.

Despite the early hour, they dragged themselves out of bed a little after 4:00 AM (!!!) and faithfully waited in line until the box office began handing out the free “golden” (well, actually green) tickets at 1:00 PM. Now that’s dedication.

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Talk about meat markets, nothing was more packed in MePa last Friday than my schedule. Scuttled to the district so (in)famous for its transition from dead cows and tranny call girls (another kind of meat packing entirely) to high-end art galleries and celeb sightings at Pastis, a little shiver coursed through my low-budge boots as I braved the beauties and the beasts of Little West 12th Street.

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