Fine Dining New York Style: Glamming it up for the Holidays
The chill weather brings out the holiday hot streak in many a New Yorker, and so no time is better than now for a gawk and awe.
Early this morningon a northbound train…I was surprised to see a woman, probably about sixty years old, wearing four inch stiletto heels, fish net stockings, miniskirt and silk wrap blouse. First, it was cold outside, so I doubt that the fish net functioned well as an insulator. Second, it was 7AM. Where does one go in fish net stockings at 7AM? She sat down across from me,
her skirt almost up to the hip joint, her big earrings and necklace all a-jiggle as she struggled to pull it down a tad. Yes, I had to gawk & awe. So I did. Other than her French manicure looking a little tired, and her lipstick color (a blood-red seen only in Disney films)clashing with her shiny purple blouse (which matched exactly the lining of her bolero blazer), she was
completely put together. I had to believe that she was dressed up in anticipation of a later soiree, not just another day at the office. Of course, she might just work in a very interesting office.
Where are they headed….we ask ourselves when we see a glammed-up pack of huntresses out on the town. The other night, a moving wad of like-aged, minded and attired females stood clumped together at the top of the stairs at Union Square, shrieking in delight. They were animated as they gave each other a final once over, readjusted their bras and skirts, and then tried to descend the stairs in their tall, Tall, TALL metallic shoes. For a brief second, I thought I might witness an ankle injury.
The tallest one, The Strategist, outlined the plan for the group.
"Okay, so, we’re going to get off at 8th Avenue,” she said.
/>" But, isn’t it like, far?” another asked.
"It’s a block,” The Strategist replied.
“An avenue block.”
“It’s far. Can’t we take a cab? I don’t want to walk that far.”
“It’s stupid to take a cab one block,” The Strategist said.
Her friends all pleaded with her through there heavily made up eyes.
“Okay, but it’s totally stupid.”
“Where are we going anyway?” another asked.
(I leaned forward hoping to hear…)
“That place that that guy told us about.”
(Drat! I really wanted to know! It would
have been fun to drop in and check out the scene.)
Dressed up for
dinner…All the Babettes in town have already purchased their holiday outfits and have made reservations out their collective ying-yang in hopes of finally bagging that friend-of-a-friend or, with luck, some Independent Film Project Director. This year’s hottest Babette-looks are (besides collagen in the lips) gold and silver lamay shoes, orange tans and peacock-blue velvet. Ah, nothing says the Holidays like orange and blue. I think a cool look would be a silver lamay suit with its own rotating lights, rather like those old Christmas trees from the 70’s. But, I suspect that when I do see a Babette out at dinner, she will opt for a Baroque-style frilly blouse with peek-a-boo cleavage, some chocolate brown velvet and a leg-n-boot. Or, a simple back dress and heels for emphasis on her Channel accessories. But the important thing to note is that people are dressing up to go out, and that is a nice thing to see. It’s good to enter a dining room that isn’t filled with
sneakers or unfinished pedicures.
Where are they
going? While most restaurants see an increase in attendance during the Holidays, there are some very busy parts of town that you may want to hit or avoid, depending on your preferences.
Union Square/Gramercy: Ever evolving in response to guestimated demographics, Union Square is ready and waiting for you. Blue Water Grill, Candella, Union Square Café, Eleven Madison, Dos Caminos, Gramercy Tavern, BLT Fish, Basta Pasta, Barcç18, Craft, and others will be packed with merriment. With an increase in the foot traffic and lots of positive news from the Mayor et alii , this part of the town will be throbbing.
Meatpacking: This zone is already so full of buzz that Vice is about to put the whole place on lock down. But the holidays bring out a new level of glitter here, one that rivals the Christmas lights on display in the residential “outer-boroughs”. Look for Vento, Level V, Markt, Ono, Spice Market, the Maritime, the Gansevoort and others to be so full of glitter and glam that they are visible from space.
SoHo: Always more refined and just so-so sooooo SoHo will also be jammed packed with glam and glitter and lots of holiday cheer. Look for refined (but LOUD) crowds at Zoe, Balthazar, Blue Ribbon, Raoul’s, Fiamma, Boom, Bar 89 and more. But don’t expect to see too much animal print down here. If you want to sparkle or to be sparkled at, cab it on over and strut.
TriBeCa: Still renegade in some very important ways, Tribeca will defy us to discover its glitter spot. We may have to work on it for a while. Odeon, Bouley, Danube, Scalini Fedeli, Landmarc and others will tempt us. But then so will Nobu, Thalassa, Tribeca Grill and Montrachet. If you really want to see some serious putting on the glitz for Christmas, pop into Le Cercle Rouge, which tends more towards Meatpacking than Tribeca.
Theatre District: Already the center of holiday attention, the TD is gearing up for that famous public orgasm – the Dropping of the Ball. The foreplay leading up to this moment is infectious. Look for the neighborhoods glam spots to go full tilt boogie. Blue Fin, Pierre au Tunnel, China Club, Pigale, Chez Josephine and even Carmine’s should be looking as though they got a good night’s sleep and are ready for anything.
No matter where you go, take a moment to spiff up in the mirror before heading into the night. Be festive. Try something new. Ask for the wildest thing on the menu. Have a cocktail that looks like a painting by Monet. Please don’t just wear sneakers and denim and order a Bud Light. Please.
