Last weekend I narrowly escaped the monsoon that sacked New York City for a few sunny, spectacular days in New Orleans. While the damage wrought by Hurricane Katrina is still evident, the city’s unique, irrepressible spirit is as alive and well as ever (how ’bout those Saints!), pulsing through the bars, restaurants and general merriment of this one-of-a-kind town. Here, some scenes and recommendations from the Crescent City. My traveling companion and all-around partner-in-crime, Shelby, first suggested the Terrell House as our home base for the weekend–and as usual, she was right on the money. Originally built in 1857 and…

As spring draws nearer, and the weather allows for some much-needed outdoor recess, I’ve started making a list of things that I can’t wait to do. Among the top orders of business: playing beach volleyball, laying out in Central Park’s Sheep Meadow, and, with some help from Peanut Butter & Co., having a “peanut butter picnic” in Washington Square Park. With sandwiches ranging from The Fluffernutter® (freshly ground peanut butter and gobs of Marshmallow Fluff®) to The Elvis (peanut butter, bananas, honey, and bacon), Peanut Butter & Co. has become a Greenwich Village hotspot for those of us who love…

As I continue moving into my new apartment this month, I’m especially on the lookout for great interior design ideas. Moreover, the sudden warmer weather—giving us a very welcome preview of spring—has put me in a mood for brighter, even…daring colors (Maybe I’ll submit for next year’s HUE awards?). This is all the backstory to a bizarre, “what a small world” moment I had recently. I was enjoying dinner at one of my favorite sushi bars in midtown—Bamboo 52—and in between some really great rolls, my friends and I were taking in the art. One of my favorite pieces featured…

My love affair with sushi dates back seven years, when my little, high-school hands picked up chopsticks for the first time. Needless to say, I swallowed my pride and requested a fork…but will always remember my introduction to Japanese cuisine. Fast forward to February 2010, when a group of friends and I heard about a Japanese izakaya in Manhattan’s East Village—Kenka. I was given the following description: “It’s fun, it’s wacky…it’s totally us.” With menu items ranging from grilled eel to okonomiyaki (fried rice omelet), octopus to cow tongue, Kenka boasts a spread that spans the most adventurous and daring…

Let me count the ways this chocolatier (conveniently located just a few blocks from the V+P office) amazes, amuses, and inspires. 1.Couture chocolate creations make for the best gifts ever. Exotic truffles, caramel marshmallows and bacon chocolate chip pancake mix will send corporate clients, puppy sitters, family-members-who-have-everything and adventurous valentines into paroxysms of pleasure. Thoughtful, luxurious packaging makes even the smallest nibble impressive. 2. Though its e-commerce site is extensive, a visit to the tiny, tucked-away boutique is the ultimate pick-me-up. Forget martinis: my incognito friend and I recently capped off a crazy week with an ancho-and-chipotle-chili, cinnamon-and-vanilla-bean drinking chocolate…

This seemingly interminable winter weather has me (and, I imagine, virtually the entire Eastern seaboard) dreaming of steamy, sunny climes…and fantasizing about a long-weekend escape. My favorite easy-to-reach, tropical destination? Playa del Carmen, Mexico. A bit over an hour’s drive south of Cancun, Playa boasts all of Cancun’s gorgeous beaches and festive flavor, minus the urban sprawl and Spring Break insanity…or the lion’s share of it, anyway. A popular hangout for stylish European sun-seekers (translation: it’s not yet completely overrun by Americans), it’s the perfect place to soak up rays during the day and slurp margaritas on Playa’s Avenida Quinta,…

The glittering hearts and heart-stopping roses from our second annual Bloggers Bash may be gone, but the memories will live on! Tuesday’s event brought together more than 25 blogs from the architecture, design, sustainability, home and fashion arenas to mix, mingle and make out…well, there was no making out, but we had a romantic “make out room” just in case, in keeping with the silly spirit of our Valentine’s Day theme! Thanks to all who attended. We had a great time sipping the party’s signature pomegranate “love potion” and noshing on heart- shaped grilled cheese bites and the like from…

So everyone knows Sin City is a hot bed for glitzy, shiny, over-the-top hotels, casinos and nightclubs. But when I hit Vegas for the International Builders Show last week, I got a chance to check out the newly completed City Center — a conglomerate of modern design and architectural displays unlike anything Vegas ever has seen. And for all the hype, it really is spectacular. Set back from the Strip, the grand entrance to Aria, the newest mega-hotel that opened last month, is breathtaking. Waterfalls greet visitors to this 4,000+- room hotel that also features 16 restaurants, including two by…

Lately, I’ve been trying to incorporate Middle Eastern and Indian dishes into my repertoire at home, and the recipes often call for hard-to-find ingredients. Amchoor powder? Tamarind concentrate? I’ve never gone home disappointed from the world’s greatest spice shop/exotic grocery/deli, Kalustyan’s. Located in New York’s “Curry Hill,” Kalustyan’s stocks an astounding array of spices and sauces, coffees and cheeses, olives, dried fruits and nuts and prepared dishes and desserts. The experience begins on the street, with an incredible, spicy aroma that wafts from the entrance and draws you inside à la Pepé Le Pew. If you can make it past…

If you’re headed to Las Vegas this week for the International Builders Show, as I am, and you’re on the lookout for a dining option that is neither a buffet nor an offshoot of a NY or LA hotspot, hop in a cab and proceed directly to the Peppermill. Part diner, part cocktail lounge, it’s a 100% Sin City original, from the vaguely psychedelic, Planet Pandora-inspired décor of the dining room to the “romantic flaming pool” of the Fireside Lounge. Chow down on a tasty chicken quesadilla and banana split (c’mon, indulge–it’s Vegas, baby!), then slip next door to quaff…