Try as I might to avoid Coupledoom, at times I find myself suffering from the nasty side effects of a long-term relationship. These include—but are not limited to—large, unsightly butt imprints in my couch cushions, overdoses of Chinese take-out and a hefty cable bill from renting too many movies On Demand. Not one to be held down, I often make it my mission to ensure that being one half of a pair doesn’t leave my favorite sex-kitten stilettos lying in my closet collecting dust.

When I recently set out to plan a date night for my other half and me, I wanted to find the perfect middleground between nights spent on the couch watching bad TV and nights that end with me stumbling past the doorman at 4 a.m. with a bag of McDonalds in hand. After polling my crew of NYC foodies and scouring the Internet, I decided that dinner would be at the new East Village eatery Degustation. Next to buying my first pair of Choos, this was perhaps the best decision I have made in my entire adult life.
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Ever since discovering at 16 that I don’t have a voice like Whitney and a singing career was not in the cards for me, I’ve been looking for other ways to steal the spotlight. So when my Inbox dinged and notified me of an opportunity to appear on the Isaac Mizrahi show, I was one thousand percent in. The premise was this: I would be attending a cocktail party hosted by Isaac. After chatting with Mr. Mizrahi about cocktail party style, two other ladies and I would storm through his on-set fashion closet (my pura vida) and become transformed and ready for drinks!
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The hotel’s plush sitting nooks begged for socialite gossip. The lobby filled with whispers and left-right kiss salutations. The crowd was obviously heavy with anticipation for 2005 International Designer of the Year, Jamil Khansa’s, reveal. Men sporting fur coats over pressed tuxedos brandished their portfolios and dignitaries were greeted with acknowledging nods as models fitted in couture gowns scattered backstage. International Couture Fashion week brought the usual fashion dichotomy of diplomats and divas together at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in February.
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Face painting, cotton candy and sensual trapeze dancers? Sign me up! I attended the 29th annual Big Apple Circus gala at Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park. As I was greeted by clowns and top-hatted gents, I began to wonder where else in this crazy, mixed-up city I could sip Checker Cab Blonde Ale and munch popcorn while watching children frolic around the big top.

Before the show began, Mayor Michael “Big Top” Bloomberg delivered a witty address, nearly stealing the show from the clowns themselves. A Big Apple Circus organization official announced that the night had brought in $1.7 million. Then the evening’s entertainment began, accompanied by a gourmet boxed dinner, including a chicken roulade, herbed couscous, salmon and an apple-date crumble.

The forces of the universe conspired to lure me into a dark hotel with strangely masked men as November expired. To clarify, JuliB.com lured me to the Night Hotel with complimentary Rioja wine for a Masquerade party. AKA; A not-so-well disguised orgy of event planners and party-hoppers.

Given the night’s mysterious vibe, I was not surprised to catch lingering glances exchanged through decadant masks. As the deep bass pounded, more and more men arrived in charcoal suits and the number of women in litte-black dresses increased. Slowly, the world seemed to evolve into a monochromatic underground layer for VIPs only.
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How do you describe L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon? I’ve heard “exhilarating”… “precocious”… “deluxe”… even “sublime”. And they’re all true. As for me, I’d happily describe the new restaurant in the same way as Goldilocks: Just right.

The French gourmand chef, who launched same-named restaurants in Paris, Tokyo and Vegas, opened his much-fêted New York City location at the Four Seasons Hotel late this summer. I had the pleasure of taking in lunch this past Wednesday. From start to finish, it was a treat.
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