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“Let Me Tell You” is a series of columns from our expert editors about NYC living, including the best things to do, where to eat and drink, and what to see at the theater. They publish each Tuesday so you’re hearing from us each week. Last time, Things to Do Editor Rossilynne Skena Culgan explored why Picasso is having a moment at so many NYC museums.

Nobody sings it better than Billie Holiday when she croons, “It’s autumn in New York. It’s good to live it again.” It sure is, Billie.

To make the most of these days with their “glittering crowds and shimmering clouds,” we’ve compiled two festive fall itineraries. First, there’s one if budget is no option and you want to truly treat yourself. In our second itinerary, we’ve prioritized free and cheaper options. Finally, keep scrolling for a bonus itinerary for those who’d rather stay in. 

Itinerary 1: Treat yourself

Ready to drop some coin and make this season a memorable one? From a stunning tea party to an elevated movie experience, add these to your calendar this weekend.

Afternoon activity: Tea at Mandarin Oriental

Spend your afternoon enjoying the finer things. Tea at the luxurious Mandarin Oriental Hotel is always a treat, and they’ve even tailored the experience for fall with seasonal colors. Plus, don’t miss the the Autumn Leaf, a handmade pastry with hazelnut meringue, praline cream and milk chocolate mousse. While the tea is as much a treat for the eyes as it is for the stomach, your gaze will also be drawn to the the windows overlooking Central Park where you can see the leaves in their vibrant finery. Afternoon tea costs $110 per person or $140 with a glass of champagne. Here’s how to book.

A stroll: Haunted Broadway walking tour  

What’s Halloween season without something a little spooky? During this two-hour Haunted Broadway Walking Tour through New York’s busiest part of town, you’ll learn about Broadway and Vaudeville Stars from the great beyond, dance the Time Warp, sing songs from Phantom of the Opera and visit legendary haunted theaters. The tour’s $50/person; book here.

Leaf peeping: Fall foliage boat tour 

Admire the jewel tone trees from the water on a cozy fall foliage sightseeing cruise with Classic Harbor Line. Climb aboard an elegant 1920s-style yacht for a front row seat to the colorful leaves in the Hudson Valley. In addition to gawking at the leaves, you’ll also get to see iconic landmarks such as the George Washington Bridge, the Cloisters, the Palisades and the Little Red Light House. Tickets start at $108/person, bookable here; some options for a slightly higher price include lunch or brunch.

Movie night: Rooftop Cinema Club 

For a truly elevated movie experience, head to Rooftop Cinema Club perched atop at midtown roof. Screenings this month include Rosemary’s Baby, Paranormal, The Exorcist, The Shining, American Psycho and other cult classics as well as family favorites like Coco and Monsters, Inc. That all leads up to All Hallow’s Eve’s screenings of Hocus Pocus and Halloween. Beer, wine, cocktails, popcorn, pretzels and nachos are on the menu. So grab a hoodie and get ready for the show. Tickets, available here, range from $19.50 to $28.50.

A sweet treat: Autumn Parfait

The newly announced Autumn Parfait has made its debut at Momoya Soho. Served in a wine glass, this decadent dessert layers whipped cream, fruit and sweet treats for a gorgeous and delicious delight. The parfait costs $28 before tax and tip. Make a reservation here.

A seasonal drink: Pumpkin Spice Cold Brew Martini 

Loreley Beer Garden on the Lower East Side goes all out for the holidays. This year, they’re serving beer in their traditional pumpkin kegs as well as Pumpkin Spice Cold Brew Martini with Tito’s, Rise Nitro Cold Brew, pumpkin puree, Baileys and Kahlua. Starbucks could never. It costs $20 before tax and tip. Book a table in advance.

Decorative gourds: Greg’s Great Pumpkin Patch 

It’s decorative gourd season, and you can pick from more than 4,000 pumpkins at Greg’s Great Pumpkin Patch in Williamsburg. You’ll find carving pumpkins, Greg’s Sugar Pumpkins, field pumpkins, Long Island Cheese pumpkins, Cinderella pumpkins, bright Lumina White pumpkins and teeny-tiny Baby Boos. Stock up to fill your home with some Pinterest-worthy seasonal decor. Prices vary.

Itinerary 2: Bougie on a budget

For those who want to save a little cash but still make some memories, we got you. With this list of free and budget-conscious ideas, you’ll be able to start saving up for holiday gifts without sacrificing any fun. 

Afternoon activity: Union Square farmers market

Sure, you could rent a car and drive up to the Hudson Valley for that rural feel, but you could also just head to the totally free Union Square Greenmarket. Hosted Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays year-round, this massive market offers fresh apples, flowers, root vegetables, plants and all the holiday decor you could dream of. While browsing is free, of course, we recommend bringing some cash for a cup of hot cider and an apple cider donut or two. 

A stroll: DIY Halloween decor tour

Let somebody else blow their cash on Halloween decor that you can admire for free. The Upper East Side is putting on quite a show this Halloween season with flying bats, technicolor skeletons and even creepy light displays. The blog UES Things rounded up some addresses of where to go for a DIY walking tour. 

Leaf peeping: Central Park 

Central Park makes leaf peeping easy with a free-to-download fall foliage map, plus a fall foliage tracker you can get via email. Whether you choose to follow the map or just meander on your own, you’re bound to witness spectacular colors this fall as many of Central Park’s roughly 18,000 trees transform into vibrant shades of yellow, orange and red.

Movie night: Free movies at Hudson Yards

On Friday nights in October, catch a free flick in Hudson Yards. On October 20, see The Witches; on October 27, see Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride. The movies are projected on a giant outdoor screen, so be sure to bring a blanket and a hoodie to stay warm. That’s a cheap date night right there. 

A sweet treat: Pumpkin Spice Pudding 

For fall, the beloved Magnolia Bakery released a pumpkin pudding flavor so delicious it might just rival the traditional pumpkin pie. It’s packed with cookie butter and flavors of vanilla, nutmeg, cloves and more. Pricing in-store ranges from about $6-10 depending on the size.

A seasonal drink: Oktoberfest beers at Torch & Crown

For a taste of Munich right here in NYC, Torch & Crown Brewing Company delivers. The Manhattan brewery’s serving two seasonal beverages: High Brau Festbier, a traditional Bavarian Festbier, and Low Brau Helles, a German Helles Lager. Try one (or both) at the brewery’s locations in Soho and Union Square. Drafts start at $10. 

Decorative gourds: Pumpkin Point on Governors Island

Bringing home a pumpkin to decorate your apartment is always fun, but bringing home a free pumpkin is even better. You can choose from thousands of free pumpkins at Pumpkin Point on Governors Island on October 21-22 and October 28-29. (A suggested donation is encouraged, just fyi.) In addition to picking your favorite pumpkin in the patch, the celebration also includes magic performances, a bubble show and pumpkin painting.

Bonus: The introvert’s version

Perhaps all of those activities make your head spin. We get it. For the introverts among us, we have a suggestion that might just do the trick. Adopt a cat or dog from our sadly very full local shelters and enjoy endless cozy cat naps or brisk dog walks this autumn. Bonus points for adopting a black cat. Billie Holiday was singing about skyscrapers when she said, “They’re making me feel I’m home,” but coming home to a pet will make you feel exactly the same way—and that’s a feeling that will last even after the leaves fall.

* This article was originally published here

The “World’s 50 Best Bars,” always at the center of the world’s boldest scare quotes, is back again, shaking up its list like the world’s booziest margarita and garnishing it with the world’s biggest grain of salt. 

The annually updated index is under the umbrella of The 50 Best Brand, which also produces scrolls of the supposed 50 finest bars on North America, and inventories of the globe’s purportedly greatest restaurants. That’s all in the grasp of the food and drink sector data and events business, William Reed. And this edition of the corporation’s compilation of the Earth’s most esteemed watering holes was arranged by what it calls The World’s 50 Best Bars Academy, which numbers 680 “drinks experts” from 28 geographic regions who shan’t consider any consumer experience dating farther than than 18 calendar months back, for voting purposes, per a press release.  

RECOMMENDED: This new Williamsburg restaurant has can’t-miss oysters and a dessert that’s literally fire.

Anywho, 2023’s honorees include just three from NYC. The Lower East Side’s Double Chicken Please—number one on the aforementioned North America roundup announced this past May— clucks in at number 2. Overstory (NA’s number 7) in the Financial District soars at number 17. And Katana Kitten (3) roars from the West Village in the planet’s 27th spot. In 2022, the trio was ranked at numbers 6, 34 and 9, respectively, and also joined then by Attaboy, Dante and Employees Only, each absent this iteration. 

This year’s top nod went to Sips in Barcelona. “The bar seamlessly translates contemporary innovation and technical precision into a playful cocktail programme, accompanied by the warmest hospitality, making it a worthy winner of The World’s Best Bar 2023 title,” 50 Best director of content William Drew is quoted as saying in the release. 

* This article was originally published here

Just a few months after the “Georgia O’Keeffe: To See Takes Time” exhibit wrapped up at the MoMA, Bar Calico at 23 Lexington Avenue by 24th Street, inside the Freehand Hotel in Gramercy, has added a new cocktail inspired by the iconic artist to its menu.

Dubbed Prickly Pair, the drink pays homage to the late O’Keeffe in more ways than one. As explained in an official press release, visually, the sip reminds of the floral motives that characterize many of the painter’s works.

The name is also a reference to her marriage to Alfred Stieglitz, responsible for her very first show in New York.

“The relationship was complicated, due in part to O’Keeffe’s career eclipsing Stieglitz’s,” reads the press release, “enter the ‘Prickly Pair.'”

Prepared using a vodka base, the cocktail features a sweet prickly pear puree, which is actually a watermelon-like fruit that grows in the arid climate of the Southwestern desert, near New Mexico, which is where O’Keeffe owned a house that she used as a private escape. See what they did there? 

Bonus points: Bar Calico will donate $1 of every Prickly Pair ordered to the Breast Cancer Alliance throughout the month of October.

Head to the drinking den to enjoy a freshly made version of the cocktail right now or, perhaps, concoct your own at home. Here is the full recipe:

Ingredients:

1.5 oz St. George Basil Eau de Vie
.75 oz Absolut Elyx Vodka
1 oz prickly pear juice
.75 oz lime
.75 oz Orgeat
Egg white
Lime zest

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a shaker without ice first and shake to emulsify the drink. Next, add ice to the shaker and shake to dilute. Strain into a nick and nora or coupe. Garnish by grating lime zest over the cocktail.

* This article was originally published here

Mads Refslund, chef and co-founder of the Copenhagen restaurant Noma, the “World’s Best Restaurant,” just opened ILIS, a new wood-fired kitchen and restaurant in Greenpoint, and if there’s one thing we can say about it it’s that they’re offering New Yorkers a pretty unique dining experience.

And, considering Refslund has been working on the restaurant for years, we wouldn’t expect anything less.

ILIS, from the Danish words for fire (“ild”) and ice (“is”), focuses on plants, seafood, and wild and sustainable North American bison and venison, the only four-legged animals you’ll find on the menu.

The ingredient-forward dishes will be served raw/chilled (incorporating the “is”) or cooked over a large open fire  (bringing in the “ild” aspect).

What makes the space unique is their dining policy–guests are required to order at least five dishes (a minimum of $150) in the dining room.

It’s not exactly a tasting menu, however, as there’s flexibility on choice of course, manner of preparation (i.e. hot or cold), and length of the dining experience. Whether a guest wants to dine for 1.5 hours or 4 hours, Refslund doesn’t want them to feel trapped by a set menu or time.

To begin the dining experience, carts of seafood and produce are presented tableside. Afterwards, guests select the ingredients of their choosing as well as deciding whether they’re prepared hot or cold (or both).

Opening menu dish examples include Shigoku Oysters with green almond and cucumber, a Surf Clam fashioned into a flask, sealed with beeswax, and filled with a chilled clam drink with tomato water and smoked dashi, and BBQ Eel “On The Cob,” wild caught and brought to chefs live, brined for 48 hours, then smoked. A marigold flower is used by the guest to brush it with tare (a savory Japanese glaze).

There will also be a shared dish for the table, which is only served in one preparation (such as a whole roast wild duck). Each dish is delivered personally by the chefs.

As for the restaurant itself, it’s housed inside a 4,500-square-foot former rubber factory warehouse. The open concept space features a 14-seat bar and a lounge situated at the entrance and a large open kitchen in the center with 58 wrap-around seats.

According to Mads and the team all the best dinner parties wind up in the kitchen, and that’s exactly what they want ILIS to feel like.

Aging compartments for meat, game, and fish, as well as temperature controlled compartments for plants and flowers can also be found in the space, and plants and flowers will be dried on workstations and hanging from walls and the ceiling beams, doubling as eye-catching art pieces.

Reservations can be made on ILIS’ website, and a very select amount of lounge tables are available for walk-in. The bar is also fully walk-in.

A casual Saturday service will eventually be offered, and a 1,500-square-foot private dining room space adjacent to the restaurant is set to open later in the season.

150 Green Street, Greenpoint

Tuesday – Friday, 5:30 p.m. – 12 a.m.

The post Co-Founder Of Noma, The ‘World’s Best Restaurant,’ Opens New Brooklyn Hotspot appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here