This 13-story hotel provides 208 guestrooms and 20 suites, all whimsically modern and luxurious. Tech-savvy amenities include Bose radios, 37-inch plasma televisions with digital cable, laptop-compatible in-room safes, high- speed Internet access and pre-loaded iPods. Other amenities include high thread count Egyptian cotton sheets, ultra-plush feather duvets, Cashmere bathrobes and complimentary overnight shoeshine service.

A glass elevator in the center of the lobby takes guests below ground to the Chopra Center New York, which provides Ayurvedic healing arts as taught by Deepak Chopra. Dream's rooftop lounge, Ava, named after movie star Ava Gardner, is an eclectic mix of 1950s retro and French Riviera styles. With sculpted walls, bench seats and black-and-white floors, the lounge includes a wood-planked seasonal terrace offering panoramic views.

Dream is also home to Serafina, a Fellini-inspired restaurant designed by the Rockwell Group and featuring upscale Italian cuisine. Also available is Subconscious, a subterranean lounge with a labyrinth of alcoves, and Epernay and Lobby Bar, a vibrant lobby space designed by architect Mark Zeff.

Room service is available 24 hours, and Dream provides express check-out, valet parking and a modern meeting/screening room for up 200 people. Other hotel amenities and services at Dream include a 24-hour fitness center, unparalleled concierge service, complimentary newspapers, turndown service, same-day laundry service, personal shopping services and pet-friendly rooms.

To book this hotel, click here!

Additional information about the Dream Hotel:

Nearby Attractions

• Ed Sullivan Theater (0.09 miles)
• NYC's Visitor Information Center (0.14 miles)
• Rose Museum at Carnegie Hall (0.15 miles)
• Time Warner Center (0.27 mil...

Continue reading HOTEL REVIEW: THE DREAM HOTEL after the jump

Seen outside Dean & Deluca

POLITICAL RUMINATION OF THE DAY:

I like that both David Remnick in his defense of the New Yorker cover (on Charlie Rose) and Obama in his overall campaign message (if not in his response to the New Yorker cover) both assume and appeal to the intelligence of the American citizen. This is obviously the right rhetorical position to assume--and is, in every respect, superior to the prevalent assumption that what Americans need is a good dumbing down to. However, that said, this belief or attitude stands in some dissonance with the consistently disappointing (indeed, muteness-inducing) evidence of the polls. Recent findings indicate that 37% of Americans don't know that Obama is a Christian--with 13% claiming he is a Muslim, 17% claiming they've heard he's a Muslim but are not sure and, my personal favorite, 7% claiming they just don't have enough information to be sure. Combine this with reports that 43% of Americans still believe the Iraq attacked us on 9/11 and it is virtually impossible not to take the respect for American's intelligence as anything other than a cynically calculated rhetorical posture. Or a beautiful and necessary myth. Again, who really knows how the questions were phrased etc. But my goodness, it really makes the notion of an informed democracy seem about as preposterous as a world of steroids-free sports.

But perhaps, this ignorant, inert and ill-informed public is as much the consequence of low expectations as a rationale for them.

And with that most tentative of hypotheses, let's turn to our:

CRUEL REMINDER OF THE DAY:

Al Gore's Kennedy'-esque visionary challenge to wean ourselves entirely from oil within 10 years. Bold and wonderful for sure, but it just reminds you so acutely how different (and, of course, indescribably better) the last 8 years might have been had be been in office rather than the Ass Clown Prince aka Pretender in Chief. Imagine a president who r...

Continue reading UNNATURAL SHOCKS, THE BEST TENNIS MATCH EVER, REFLECTION ON THE INTELLIGENCE OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC, AN AMAZING THEATRICAL MOMENT, THE HEARTLESS MURDER OF THE GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY ETC. after the jump

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

While we can't promise an answer for eternity, on July 26, the AIWF declares the egg came first, and as such is celebrating with an egg-themed brunch at acclaimed restaurant davidburke & donatella on Saturday, July 26, 2008 from 11:00 AM - 1:30 PM. Tickets are $75 for AIWF members, and $85 for non-members. You can purchase tickets online at www.ticketweb.com. Questions: (718) 522-6688

Egg Menu

1st Course
Organic Ostrich Scramble

2nd Course
davidburke & donatella Eggs Benedict

3rd Course
Polenta, Braised Short Ribs & Slow Cooked
Duck Egg

Dessert
Egg-stravaganza Dessert Trio

Bellinis will be served with all courses.

All beverages donated by Southern Wines & Spirits of New York.

Last night's festive Bastille Day celebration at the Tribeca Grill included not a drop of wine or Champagne, for the legendary brewmaster Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery hosted an unforgettable evening pairing his special selections with Chef Stephen Lewandowski's renowned cuisine. After passed hors d'oeuvres with Brooklyn Summer Ale, Oliver began the evening's program by reminding us that we have only recently "dug ourselves out of the hole" with beer and food in the United States. Most of the prepared food items we see in the supermarket, he reminded us, are made of neither fresh nor pure ingredients. "A loaf of bread does not stay fresh in a bag for two weeks. It does not look like bread, or taste like bread," Oliver continued. Speaking of a certain well-known bakery item commonly referred to as "bread," he asked the audience: "So what is this thing that has 40 ingredients? A chemical sponge, a food facsimile. This thing has almost no bread attributes." Oliver went on to remind us that artisanal bakers, who largely disappeared after World War II in this country, were not the only victims of industrialization and convenience. "The same thing happened in this country with cheese. What these things technically are is edible plastic; the first edible plastic was Crisco. The mass market American beer is an amazing technological product. The same thing is true of bread," Oliver went on to remind us. "You cannot make a loaf of Wonder Bread at home." We admired Oliver's self-restraint in not discussing the mega-merger of the day, the sale of Anheuser-Busch to Belgian InBev, creating a distribution network of gargantuan proportions. While InBev said it will keep all 12 of Anheuser-Busch's North American breweries open, previous mega-me...

Continue reading A BREWMASTER DINNER WITH GARRETT OLIVER AT TRIBECA GRILL after the jump

17 MORE UNNATURAL SHOCKS THAT FLESH IS HEIR TO: (Only 907 to go!)

-Head-on collisions between text messaging pedestrians. (Thanks, Abner).
-LEGO-shaped fun snacks--to confuse kids everywhere about what to put in their mouths and what not to!
-The permanent campaign model of the Presidency.
-The walking cane as ironic hipster accoutrement.
-Jeans with holes in them costing more than jeans without holes in them.
-The use of Glade as a drug.
-The fact that amputated legs of albino human beings are now considered a good luck charm in Indonesia.
-McCain's applause line "smile" aka rictus aka facial misfire.
-Impeachment for lying about a blowjob but not for lying about a war.
-Paying $11 for the right to watch a half hour of promos and ads in the movie theater.
-A man auctioning off his life on Ebay.
-A very conventional production of Hamlet with an entirely unscripted ending.
- That some black people are evidently considering voting for John McCain.
-The Chrysler Building and the Flatiron Building being foreign-owned.
-A Pregnant Man.
-Ron Paul ending his presidential campaign.
-Doc Rivers outcoaching Phil Jackson.
-Athletes using Viagra as a performance enhancer.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2008/06/09/2008-06-09_source_roger_clemens_host_of_athletes_po.html

(And I thought that whole "I take it so I can score whenever the manager puts me in the game" business was metaphorical!)

LFAQs:

Hmm. How do you run with an anvil in your pants?

Weird thing. I see on intrade that Hillary being the Dem. Nominee is still trading at 5% likely. Is there any way to read that other than translating into a 5% likelihood of Obama being assassinated?

Is it racist to suggest that any black person in America who votes for McCain should cease to be considered a...

Continue reading SHOCKS BOTH NATURAL AND UNNATURAL IN A SHOCKINGLY LONG AND LONG OVERDUE POST. after the jump

Once again old world met new last night with the splendid products of Northern Italy featured at a Seminario Del Gusto, or tasting dinner, hosted by Francesco Bettoni, president of Confagricoltura Lombardia at the Flatiron District's Bar Stuzzichini. With four courses prepared by Chef Paul Di Bari, some intriguing D.O.C. wines from Franciacorta and Oltrepo'Pavese were presented by noted wine expert David Lynch.
Obviously no Lombardy event would be possible without enormous wheels of Grana Padano, which was served with Crostini di Bresaola and a refreshing Cá del Bosco Franciacorta DOCG Brut NV. With 75% Chardonnay grapes, this Cá del Bosco has undergone a dramatic transformation, perhaps due in large part to its repackaging as well as the rebranding of its distributor over a year ago from Paterno to Terlato Wines International. The Cá del Bosco is well-paired with summer appetizers such as Bruschetta con Crema di Ceci (chickpea cream) or a heavy grilled polenta with melted DOP Gorgonzola. (More on the Gorgonzola later.) Here we spotted our old friend Lou of Di Palo Fine Foods, a tireless champion of Italian products and a stalwart presence in Little Italy. Lou informs us he will be expanding his store and feature Italian wines in a brand-new shop next door later this summer.

A first course of Risotto di Carnaroli DOP with Zucchini Flowers reminded us that the Pinot noir of Italy, much of which is unavailable in the United States, deserves closer attention. Lynch noted that 4000 hectares of Pinot noir can be found in Italy, and the Oltrepo'Pavese, approximately 30 miles south of Milan, is the third most productive DOC in Italy. Lynch does not exaggerate when he calls the Oltrepo'Pavese "one of the best P...

Continue reading SPECIALTIES OF LOMBARDY: CONFAGRICOLTURA LOMBARDIA AT BAR STUZZICHINI after the jump

Seen across from General Theological Seminary.

Q: But will the DOT asphalt truck and Sanitation truck make realistic loud noises in front of your apartment building at 3 a.m.?

Seen on West 22 Street