A mellow vibe at the Gramercy Park Tavern.

“We need to go celebrate,” she said.  “This is such an exciting time for you!”

I was in New York City for my book launch.  My first book launch, such that it was.  DIRTY MINDS: HOW OUR BRAINS INFLUENCE LOVE, SEX AND RELATIONSHIPS had come out a few days before.  And I was definitely in the mood to celebrate.

So why not hit the Gramercy Tavern–a place that has been consistently rated as one of the city’s best restaurants?  I was all for it.

We were seated in the Front Room, the place to see and be seen for lunch.  I arrived 15 minutes early.  At first, I was the only patron, quietly sipping on iced tea and staring out the window.  I took the opportunity to snap a photo.  But by 12:30pm, the joint had filled up.  It seemed to happen in the blink of an eye–folks just appearing until there was not an open seat in the room.

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A mac'n'cheese for everyone!

Imagine, if you will, a restaurant that serves only the best of hangover remedies.  And by hangover remedy, I mean mac’n'cheese.  Yummy, creamy, cheesy mac’n'cheese.

Imagine a place that is tucked away in the midst of the big, bad city–New York, perhaps–and would likely be missed by the casual observer.

It’s a small restaurant with only a few tables.  All orders are made fresh to order.  You can grab your favorite iteration of mac’n'cheese, made with only the freshest, local ingredients, to go or hope for a seat to open up.

You can munch on hot, creamy noodles mixed with lobster, ground beef, duck or veggies.  Any way you want to play it, really.  It’s all about you.

It sounds like a dream come true, no?  Yet, this is no fantasy.  This is the wondrousness of Macbar, a small restaurant cum food stall on Prince Street.

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Wow! Welcome To Wegmans...

When I was a young girl, I lived in Pittsford, New York. I enjoyed my time there immensely because it was a great place to live with a great neighborhood full of kids, places to play and lots of snow days. Because we moved away after a few short years, I was too young to truly appreciate the fantastic grocery store chain, Wegmans, which originated right down the road in Rochester. Wegmans is so heralded that out-of-towners make a point to visit their stores when they are in the area. So when the first of two planned Wegmans opened a half-hour from my house here in the Boston suburbs this year, I knew I needed to take a trip down memory lane.

With a Christmas Eve party to host, I figured that would be the perfect occasion to give Wegmans a whirl and see how they stood up to a full shopping load of everyday and more uncommon grocery needs. With my baby in tow, I also needed to test the efficiency of the store’s layout. When I arrived, I was struck by the massiveness of the square footage. So was my little boy. With lots and lots of bright shelves, counters and bins to look at, he was easily entertained while I made my way through our grocery list.

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Ostego Lake View In Cooperstown

If you are planning a trip to Cooperstown, New York for the Baseball Hall of Fame Induction weekend, you should know that it gets crowded, but in a friendly sort of way. Being on your feet with lots of walking to and from the induction ceremonies and making your way through every inch of the Hall of Fame itself can be tiring for even the biggest fan. What you need is a nice spot to rest your weary tootsies in front of a picturesque and cool slice of water with an even colder beverage in hand. Where you should go is the Lake Front Motel Restaurant & Marina.

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