Frenchie-Tastic on the Upper East Side

Brasserie Julien

This is our favorite local restaurant. We go here all the time, for every occasion! Here you will find the best, juiciest, tastiest mussels in the city (unlimited refills, if you need more!) Friday and Saturday nights enjoy live jazz. For a birthday or other special occassion, call ahead and reserve the special golden curtain enclosed "chef's table" in the back (5-10 people).

We like to eat:

-tuna tartar
-escargot
-bison burger
-mussels (Regular white wine style available every day, plus one special selection. Fridays take advantage of "curry" style, and Saturday order the mussells cooked in Stella beer.)

YUM!

They are also very well known for their fondue (cheese and chocolate versions) Lots of Frenchie wines to choose from, but beware of seemingly innocent champagne cocktails (don't have more than one!)
PS. Wednesday night is Ladies Night 50% off champagne! How sophisticated!

Brasserie Julien
1422 3rd Ave (bt. 80 & 81)
(212) 744-6327
www.brasseriejulien.com

Recipe: Fabulous Perfect and Easy Guacamole!!

Make this delicious guacamole. Nothing could be tastier. Pick nice ripe avocados (hopefully from California!!), lemon juice can be substituted for lime juice, you can use either red or yellow onions and cilantro is optional, depending on your mood! But, please note, garlic NEVER goes in guacamole (despite what you see in NYC "Mexican" restaurants!!)


2-4 large haas avocados,
1/2-1 red onion, diced
1 lime, squeezed
salt (I like sea salt)
freshly ground pepper
cilantro (optional)
diced tomato (seeds removed--Roma works well) (optional)


I like to make huge vats and serve at parties. You can use as many avocados as you feel necessary! I also like to serve with blue and regular corn chips (baked, unsalted). Enjoy!!


Fun Twist:

Try substituting mint for the cilantro and serve with jicama slices instead of chips.

Recipe (From the CAS Archives): Summer Spritzer a la Stephanie (SSS for short!)

1 shot vodka
1/2 shot Creme de Cassis (only a delicious one from Dijon, of course!)
fresh mint (roughly chopped)
fresh raspberries
Pellegrino

In stemmed glass, smoosh/mangle/manhandle/dismantle (whatever you so choose) 5-6 raspberries (per glass). Add mint, Creme de Cassis and vodka. Fill to top with Pellegrino. Enjoy with good friends.


Black Magic

Same recipe as above--just substitute blackberries for raspberries.

Art and Nature in East Hampton

LongHouse Reserve

This place is super fabulous and worth the drive from any other area in the Hamptons you may be staying... Around every corner is a new discovery of interesting plants and crazy art. One of my favorites was a huge metal sphere sculpture with massive holes--kind of like a huge soccer ball that you can walk inside of and look up through. Another were chairs with backs that were growing trees, Yoko Ono's oversize white stone chess set ("Play it By Trust", 1999) and colorful Chihuly glass sculptures punctuating a calm pond. Pictured here, bronze sculptures on exhibition by Peter Voulkos.

LongHouse
133 Hands Creek Road
East Hampton, NY 11937
(631) 329-3568
www.longhouse.org

Recipe: Arugula Salad with Grapefruit Dressing

SALAD:
-Baby arugula
-Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

DRESSING:
-chopped shallots
-1/2 grapefruit
-1/2 lime
-1T white balsamic vinegar
-2T olive oil
-spoonful of honey
-fine sea salt
-freshly ground pepper

TO MAKE:
Add dressing ingredients to a bowl and squeeze in grapefruit and lime. Whisk ingredients and let sit.

Arrange baby arugula in a salad bowl. Toss with dressing. Slice Parmesan cheese over top.

You can also add slices of grapefruit over the top (from the other half you did not juice) or grilled steak.

A Tiny Place to Drink Wines in Hell's Kitchen

Riposo 46

This is a fabulous little wine bar. They have a great selection of wines by the glass from varied regions and countries. The wine list is full of inexpesive bottles as well. Try to grab the table right along the window in nice weather and watch people walk by while you eat and drink. I wanted to order everything on the menu (interesting flatbreads, paninis, and salads) and was completely content with my baby arugula and grapefruit salad (paired with a Sicilian red and followed with a South African Pinotage.)

Riposo 46
667 9th Avenue
(212) 247-8018

Drink Cocktails and View Art With Other Interesting Young People

Apollo Circle at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Join this group of 21-39 year-old members at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Enjoy a year of private art viewings, curator talks, cocktail receptions, parties and access to other member benefits for $1,000. A membership allows you to bring a guest to each event and you can bring multiple guests for a daytime museum visit. A fun thing to take advantage of with your new membership is dining in the Trustees Dining Room, which is great for taking relatives from out of town. The Met is by far my favorite museum in the city, with a gorgeous space and a great collection of all kinds of art.

Apollo Circle
Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue (82nd Street)
New York, NY
(212) 650-2371
http://www.metmuseum.org/member/me_apollo.htm