PAPPARDELLA, New York

Devin and I couldn't decide what we were in the mood to eat, so we kept walking until something struck our fancy. It was a beautiful night for a stroll, our goal being to try a place neither of us has visited. We came upon Pappardella. It's a cozy restaurant that we discovered serves wonderful Italian food in a very warm and friendly environment. Our dinners were delicious; I especially loved my lobster ravioli. If you find yourself on the upper west side with a craving for Italian cuisine, definitely visit this restaurant.

Papparella
316 Columbus Avenue at 75th St.
New York, NY 10023
Ph: 212-595-7996

HI-LIFE, New York

Being a Sinatra lover, this is a great place for me to relax with the perfect martini and think about what it must have been like to experience lounges "back then". In addition to the 1930's decor, there is an authentic sushi bar. The menu is broad and caters to requests from steak, to pasta, to seafood, to sushi. Something for everyone. The demand is great for a neighborhood hangout, it sometimes takes us more than one visit to get seated. Devin and I got lucky last weekend and wrapped up a great day in the "hi life".


HI-LIFE
477 Amsterdam Avenue
at 83rd Street
New York, NY 10024
Ph: 212-787-7199

LIMELIGHT MARKETPLACE, New York

I love walking around Chelsea. Aside from great restaurants, the streets are filled with galleries and places to shop and miscellaneous sites to see. Looking at this picture, would you guess that it houses shops? It was especially surprising to me considering last time I stopped in, someone was using it for a sample sale, not to mention it was one of my dance club haunts in the late seventies. Once inside this very old structure, you enter a very sleek and modern market place filled with a variety of shops offering goods and services. A treat for everyone, but especially those who have seen this building go through some changes.

LIMELIGHT MARKETPLACE
656 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10011
Ph: 212-359-5600

CALLE OCHO, New York

Sunday was a perfect day! Or should I say perfecto? I got to New York in time to enjoy one of my favorite brunches with Devin and Christopher. I love Latino inspired restaurants. The music is upbeat, the food is delicious, and don't even get me started about good sangria. This neuvo Latino restaurant is decorated beautifully, the music is just right, the food and drink are delicious, and the service is great. Notice in the picture that it also has a chef with a sense of humor! I always get the same thing, a Cuban version of steak and eggs. Loved it! And, as usual, I visited the sangria bar and chose my favorite roja. The bar is a table featuring about eight pitchers of sangria, blancas and rojas. You can pour as many times as you like which is very easy to do if you're riding the subway and not driving. Sunday Brunch begins at noon and the restaurant is filled in a very short time. Reservations way in advance are a good idea but the experience is definitely worth the wait!

Calle Ocho
446 Columbus Avenue
New York, NY 10024
Ph: 212-873-5025

OUTER BANKS, NC

Every year six of us have a fun week together in the Outer Banks in North Carolina. We always vacation together the same week and until this year, we've been pretty lucky. I took this picture the day before we were evacuated because of the threatening Hurricane Earl. We arrived late in the day on Sunday and packed up and shipped out under a mandatory evacuation on Thursday morning. In between, we had three very fun-filled days and nights. Our trip may have been cut short, but our friendships can weather any storm!