MAYBELLINE NEW YORK 2010

MAIALINO,
GRAMERCY PARK HOTEL
2 Lexington Ave (at 21st St.)
212.777.2410

Danny Meyer has transformed the Gramercy Park Hotel's darkly moody Wakiya space into a sun-splashed trattoria, with checked tablecloths, weathered beams, and marble counters laden with salumi, cheese, and pastry. The idea is to serve not only as destination restaurant, but as neighborhood canteen, a place to drop by for morning coffee and cornetto, or an afternoon tramezzino and quartino of wine. Rome is the inspiration but not the rule. Cheese and wine are strictly Italian though, keeping with the authentic trattoria venue.

ABE & ARTHUR'S
409 West 14th St. (off 9th Ave.)
646.289.3930

Tenjune crew takes over Lotus, drops large-scale American bistro. Eponymous Abe and Arthur (grandfathers of Michael Hirtenstein and Mark Birnbaum) look down over the main dining room. Vintage-modern getup, with clubby earth tones and lots of leather. Bi-level space really soars, watch it all from the sweet mezzanine perch. Kitchen masterminded by Franklin Becker, serving up new American with a seasonal slant.

RECETTE
328 W 12th St. (at Greenwich St.)
212.414.3000

When Chef Jesse Schenker, formerly of Gordon Ramsay at The London NYC, decided to open Recette, he wanted something a little more casual. His contemporary American food would be separated only into Snacks and Plates, each served in a "generous tasting portion." Diners are invited to design their meal how they would like. Schenker's menu is extremely versatile, with stuff like Kanpachi with uni, blood orange, jalapeno or Braised Pork Belly with rock shrimp, baby turnips, romesco and Sherry caramel sounding decadent but comforting.

PERMANENT BRUNCH
95 1st Ave. (btw 5th & 6th St.)
212.533.3315

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but brunch is the most important meal of the week. So in a city mad for brunches is some breaking news for the worshippers of Eggs Benedict with the opening of Permanent Brunch. Lesly Bernard's indulgent, brunch-only opus in the East Village. Know this: Permanent Brunch is more than just a diner (or a mantra for world peace). It's a fully formed restaurant with one aim: to free brunch from the ends-at-3pm shackles.

JOSEPH LEONARD
170 Waverly Place (at Christopher St.)
646.429.8383

Gabriel Stulman, last seen running the front of the house at West Village restaurants Market Table and the Little Owl, hasn't traveled far to open his solo project. His new baby: Joseph Leonard, a no-reservations "bar with serious food" named in honor of his grandfather. Stulman designed the space himself, in which half of the seats are clustered around a central zinc bar, and another two overlook the open kitchen. Chef James McDuffee, late of Bouchon Bakery, has crafted a French-accented American menu. Bon appetit!

ROBERT, MUSEUM OF ART and DESIGN, 9th floor
2 Columbus Circle (Broadway at 8th Ave.)
212.299.7730

In a city where satiating one sense is never enough, score a feast for your eyes and mouth at Robert, now open at the Museum of Arts and Design. Restaurant Robert serves American-meets-med cuisine from Chef Brady Duhame, formerly of Union Prime and Bouley. Rest your feet in the hot pink-colored lounge while enjoying a house-made cocktail like "the Isabell," which includes Prosecco and elderflower liqueur. Feast on comfort dishes like olive oil halibut or chicken cooked under a brick accompanied by diablo sauce.

THE BRESLIN
16 West 29th St. (btw Broadway and 5th Ave.)
212.679.2222

Think of the Breslin as the magical love child of the Spotted Pig, the Jane Ballroom and Campbell Apartment-everything about the high-ceilinged restaurant feels grand and old, in a vintage British-pub kind of way. There are dark-green leather booths, unfinished wood floors, butcher paper covering the tables and a two-story-high ceiling that's been pulled back to its original, fading 1904 glory. As with the Spotted Pig, there are no reservations-except for one impressive 12-person table.

LE CAPRICE
795 5th Ave (at 61st St.)
212.940.8195

After years of dominating the London restaurant scene, if you want a table at Le Caprice, you can also get it in New York. The New York version is in the Pierre hotel, at the bottom of Central Park, It's recognizably the swanky cousin of the original. This is all stuff you want to eat: fishcakes, bang bang chicken, and the fish and chips, made with New England cod, was better than most you'd get back in the UK.

RED VELVET LOUNGE
174 Rivington St. (btw Attorney St. and Clinton St.)
212.673.5020

Meet the latest project from the owners of the Eldridge and the Yard. The idea is simple: take mini booze-soaked cupcakes from Baked by Melissa, and pair them with drinks from mixologist Charlotte Voisey. Among the alcoholic confections are Jameson-spiked espresso cupcakes (coupled with a Jameson-espresso martini), and rum-laden vanilla bites topped with a ginger-cookie-crumb frosting (served alongside a matching tipple of rum, ginger and fresh apple and lemon juices). Talk about a girly drink!

BAR HENRY
90 West Houston St. (at West Broadway)
646.448.4559

Introducing Bar Henry, a cozy new bistro, wine haven and destination for casual romance in the Village. Housed in the cellar of a 19th-century townhouse, the one-story descent takes you to a simpler time: painted tin ceiling, century-old wooden bar, checkered marble floor. Moving under the rich copper canopy of the back room, you'll sink into your red velvet dining chair (salvaged from the Plaza Hotel ballroom) and drain decades worth of red Burgundy over the same candlelight and jazz standards of your dinner-dating forefathers.

BOOM BOOM ROOM
The Standard Hotel, New York
848 Washington St., (at West 13th St.)
212.645.4646

Feast your eyes on the Boom Boom Room, a throwback to '70s carefree decadence and the latest fun pit at Andre Balazs's game-changing Standard Hotel. The space is split into two modern-retro rooms, but you're going to want to start by setting up camp in the main area, filled with wavy cream-colored leather banquettes, golden fireplaces and starburst chandeliers. For the Studio 54 of the new milennium, the Boom Boom Room will certainly not disappoint.

THE CROSBY STREET HOTEL
79 Crosby St. (at Spring St.)
212.226.6400

Soho has evolved over the decades from scruffy art haven to luxury goods showroom, but this is still where John Lennon and Yoko Ono once celebrated free love. Now The Crosby Bar struts and preens in this nouveau hyper-chic scene, hiding from history behind a tall glass wall, handsome lobby desks and some very well-attired people. Imagine a hotel bar where, just by visiting, you're sent on a journey. Drop in, sip a drink, and text a friend-just don't get attached.

THE CABIN DOWN BELOW
110 Avenue A (at 7th St.)
no phone

Walk into a small East Village pizza shop and make your way to the secret basement bar below, which is where you will discover the Cabin Down Below. Think of CDB as a rockier, Jack Daniel's-ier version of nearly-neighbor PDT-with pepperoni replacing deep-fried mayo. A crew of natives that makes great people watching. Best for a late, post-rampage, East Village nightcap, swing by after the witching hour for a shot and a Bud before fading out into the night.

JULIET SUPPER CLUB
539 West 21st St. (btw 10th St. and 11th Ave.)
212.929.2400

Be prepared. This is the explosive Technicolor world of Juliet, a new mind-bender of a restaurant and lounge located on an abandoned section of W. 21st in Chelsea. Everything in the smallish space is reflective and mirrored, from the disco-ball-tiled floor and walls, to the geometric reflective ceiling and mirror-covered columns. You'll want to come with a large group of movers, the plush blue booths and electric-blue tables are built for parties of up to 15. It's gaudy, glamorous and grandeur, all at once.

675 BAR
675 Hudson St. (entrance on West 13th St.)
212.699.2410

A sprawling, subterranean barroom which is augmented with five unique hobbit holes for drinking. Spread along a main corridor, two of the rooms are mostly-exposed (the Boardroom with wood panel walls & conference table), while three are largely cloistered: the Parlor (poker table), the Wardrobe (foosball table), and the Library, armed with a sofa and a bookshelf organized by cover color. 675 Bar is like your best friend's place, only with more space, better music, and stiffer drinks.

MAYAHUEL
304 East 6th St. (at 2nd Ave.)
no phone

Walking in through the low-slung door of Mayahuel is like stepping into a tiny Mexican monastery where everyone worships at the altar of agave. Before you notice the church pew benches, the confessional booths for two or the dark wood and bright tiles everywhere, a glistening wall of backlit tequila will call out to you, and you will be powerless under its spell. Slide up to the bar and order one of master mixologist Phil Ward's new creations before finding your way upstairs for tacos.

THE MUSEUM AT FIT
"American Beauty: Aesthetics and Innovation in Fashion"
7th Ave. at 27th St.
212.217.4558

This is the first exhibition to examine the relationship between the "philosophy of beauty" and the technical craft of dressmaking in the United States. Curated by deputy director Patricia Mears, the exhibition features approximately 80 garments by a highly selective group of American fashion designers.

MUSEUM OF MODERN ART
"Tim Burton" (through April 26th)
11 W. 53rd St. (btw 5th and 6th Ave.)
212.708.9400

Taking inspiration from popular culture, Tim Burton has reinvented Hollywood genre filmmaking as an expression of personal vision, garnering for himself an international audience of fans and influencing a generation of young artists working in film and art. This exhibition explores the full range of his creative work, tracing the current of his visual imagination from early childhood drawings through his mature work in film. Come and see a lifetime career of work from one of the world's most quirky minds of today: Tim Burton.

SPiN NEW YORK
48 E. 23rd St. (at Park Ave.)
212.982.8802

SPiN New York is a 13,000 square foot table tennis social club on Park Avenue in Manhattan's Flatiron District. Backed by Susan Sarandon, the club offers unparalleled table tennis courts with Olympic quality cushioned flooring and 13 individual tables, including a stadium-like center court. In addition, SPiN New York houses a pro shop, lounge, and bar. Because what could be a more fun way to 'get your drink on' then alongside some world Ping-Pong champions?

A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE
Cort Theatre
138 W. 48th St. (btw 6th and 7th Ave.)
212.239.6200

In A View From the Bridge, Arthur Miller's most passionate drama, Liev Schreiber plays Eddie Carbone, a Brooklyn longshoreman obsessed with his 17-year-old niece Catherine, played by Scarlett Johansson. When Catherine falls in love with a newly arrived immigrant, Eddie's jealousy erupts in a rage that consumes him, his family, and his world. Directed by Broadway veteran and TONY Award winner Gregory Mosher. Not for the faint of heart, this show promises to shock and entertain in this roaring realist classic.

INVEN.TORY
237 Lafayette St.
(btw Prince St. and Spring St.)
212.226.5292

Welcome to the new Inven.tory, a coed gonzo fashion warehouse and permanent sample sale in Nolita. New York fashionistas hail Inven.tory's current nook of a boutique as their favorite place to cheat the fashion system and come out looking their rakish best on the other side. Run by a crew of fashion and nightlife misfits, they're taking their new industrial funhouse, decked it out and brought in more designers for the picking!

HAUS INTERIOR
250 Elizabeth St. (btw Prince St. and East Houston)
212.741.0455

Joining the throngs of interior design and furniture shops just south of Houston, this affordable addition stocks glassware, pillows, and dishware from all over the globe. Owner Nina Freudenberger set up shop in June 2009, aiming to sell high-quality decor at recession-friendly prices-almost every item in the store is under $300. She decorated the hall-like space in natural shades of gray, brown, and white, with modern zigzag tiling. Freudenberger runs her own design firm, also called Haus Interior, and sources items from the shop.

BERGDORF GOODMAN
754 5th Ave. (at 59th St.)
212.753.7300

The powerhouse of designer department stores, this New York landmark has been popular with the ladies who lunch, the trendy fashion student, and everyone in-between, since it moved to its plush 5th Ave location in 1929. All the best designers are carried there, and with a restaurant and bar overlooking Central Park, there's really nothing missing to compliment your most extravagant of shopping experiences. Whatever you get, it will be worth it because it's Bergdorf's.

BARNEYS NEW YORK
660 Madison Ave. (at 61st St.)
212.826.8900

Barneys has long been the benchmark for sophisticated-but not stuffy-designer department stores. Since first opening its doors in 1970, Barneys has maintained its ability to attract both Upper East Side old guard and downtown's fashion elite. Barneys industrial style Co-op department and stand-alone stores feature edgy, funkier styles and accessories for men and women and have spawned scores of imitators.