ROMANTIC
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week has come to a close. But, to celebrate next season’s trends coming down the runway, SKYY Vodka has created delicious signature cocktails inspired by the season’s standout trends!
As the official vodka of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2013 Collections in New York City, SKYY Vodka has an exclusive on site presence at all official receptions and VIP lounges, serving up the sassy cocktails with names like ‘Catwalk Queen’ and ‘Enchanting Kiss’.
Fashion insiders were treated to four signature SKYY cocktails in the tents celebrating the 2013 Spring/Summer season’s trends: Classic, Romantic, Glam, and Progressive. Whether you will be front row at Lincoln Center or creating your own Fashion Week moments at home, be sure to try these trendsetting cocktails. See the fun recipes below. Cheers, everyone!
Dinner a deux doesn’t always need to be a fireworks-inducing gastronomic fête served up by the likes of José Andrés or Michel Richard. Save the excess (and the green) for your anniversary, and keep the first date just about you and the person you're with.
Keep it simple. The food should be good, but its cost and flair need not outshine your hot date (although, it helps from time to time). Book a reservation at a comfortable, slightly intimate spot and take advantage of the lighting - or lack thereof. And, oh yes, you may also want to make sure your date can sip something other than PBR.
It's that time again. Call it what you want—Valentine's Day, Single's Awareness Day, Monday—it's approaching fast. Chocolate, roses, oversized teddy bears, and candlelit dinners—it’s quite possibly the most cliché day of the year, but nothing beats the stale, unspoken dress code. We don’t know when it started, but everyone dusts off their red shirts, dresses, and shoes for the occasion. For such a vibrant color, red becomes pretty mind-numbing every February 14th. There are alternatives to avoiding the cliché while still looking romantic that every Miami girl can pull off.
With Valentine's Day just around the corner, there is nothing like a romantic dinner to set the mood. Ambiance is the key element for any outstanding evening. Here are three San Francisco restaurants that exude romance.
When you ask people about where to go for a dinner with that special someone, Fleur de Lys is a gauranteed mention. Chef and owner Herbert Keller has maintained the excellence of this French flagship for almost 25 years. Three, four and five-course tasting menus are available with a variety of choice in the menu to choose from. Keller also provides an excellent vegetarian tasting menu selection. All tasting menus come with the option of adding a wine pairing with each course.
Hidden within Boston's Intercontinental Hotel is a little known spot called Champagne Lounge. Red doors with golden handles in the shape of dancing nymphs slide open to reveal a room with glittering chandeliers, plush jewel-toned couches, dark wood paneled walls, flickering candlelight, and the promise of champagne kisses. Quiet and romantic, this intimate little lounge is ideal for a swanky night out with your date. Bubbly is not the only libation served—the rum selection is vast, which means that you can switch to their amazing mojitos once those bubbles start to burn. Note that Champagne Lounge is only open one Saturday a month, so make sure to call ahead before you go.
Champagne Lounge: Intercontinental Hotel, 510 Atlantic Ave Boston, MA 02210
It's likely that you've walked by Ranstead Room before. It's equally likely that you didn't know you were walking by it. And if a Red Bull and Vodka or a Top 40 soundtrack in what you're after, keep on walking.
The latest addition to nightlife impresario-cum-famed restaurateur Stephen Starr's empire is his version of a prohibition-era speakeasy, complete with a non-descript entrance, dim lighting, and authentic cocktails featuring hand-chipped ice and house-made mixers. Open since the spring, Ranstead Room has remained a well-kept secret among Philadelphia's nightlife crowd. Certainly the bar's hidden entrance (just off 20th and Ranstead, between Market and Chestnut) and inconspicuous signage has contributed to its exclusivity, as has a strict 46-person capacity.
Crêpes
Du Nord
17 South
William Street
New York, New
York 10004
(212) 422-9500
www.crepesdunord.com
Cuisine: French/Scandinavian
Price: Very reasonable
Hello, my culinary cherubs. What do we have today? Ah, yes: a nice little frolic in taste heaven with the crêpe gods! Affectionately bestowed upon us mortals from the owners and creators of Smorgas Chef, comes Crêpes Du Nord, a French-Scandinavian crêperie and wine bar, that's recently been charming the fancies of diners in the Financial District.
All the belts and waist emphasis were certainly overwhelming, but I couldn't help falling in love with the romantic and flirty Fall 2010 Tibi collection. The styling may have been a tad bit repetitive, with each model walking the runway with a big head of tight, flouncy curls and almost always a belt at the waist to cinch in their cardigan, coat, jacket, or dress. Nevertheless, each look was truly individual and completely captivating. Long sleeve crew necks appeared under corsets and sleeveless floral print dresses, and burgundy or wine colored tights kept the looks very fall appropriate. Beautifully draped dresses with a glamorous sparkle or sophisticated Grecian aesthetic also maintained the juxtaposition of delicate femininity and fearless femme fatale. Founder and designer Amy Smilovic says that her collection is inspired by "the romantic standard of masculine and feminine, hero and heroine, Napoleon and Josephine, Samson and Delilah."
Male view: Standing on the subway, it’s packed full of businessmen on their way to work, but my inherent style and the cut of my suit separate me from all the others. There’s a cute girl in casual clothes, reading a copy of Frankenstein half-way down the car. I give her an appraising look. She looks up from her book and catches my eye. Instant connection. She clearly likes the look of me. Then the train lurches to a halt, and in a daze, I realize it’s my stop. Shame for her, she’s missing out…
Female view: I’ve got a class first thing this morning on Romantic Literature. I’ve got to remember a few points to use in my presentation. I’ll just skim through the notes I made on Frankenstein. The feeling of eyes burning into my back make me look up. Half way down this crowded, cologne ridden carriage, some guy is checking me out. He has this creepy look on his face, like he’s already seeing me naked. Disgusting. He holds my gaze, and then gets off at the next stop. Weird.
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