THANK YOU FOR MAKING OUR '06 NICE
Your '06 Fix
The Year's Best and Worst
<em>Try to contain your disappointment...we're off next week. We'll be seeing you in the brand newyear.</em> <em>Before then, though, we leave you with a modest list of our best picks of '06, along withsome of the more hope-crushing flops</em>—<em>but all in all, we'd have to say, not a badyear.</em><br />
PINK ELEPHANT
We love the dancing, the high energy, the scent machine. Frankly, it's just nice-smelling and fun in the new Elephant.
THE ROSE BAR
It's moody, it's sexy, it's understated in spite of the hype. And still has one of the smoothest door hosts we've come across.
DITCH PLAINS
Oyster shooters, mac and cheese on a dog. Good times are never far away when you start here with a half-bottle of wine or two.
BUDDAKAN
Yes, it's big, it's loud, it's a little past its prime, but we still dig the decadent Grand Hall to throw down our edamame dumplings.
IZABEL GOULART
The newest Vicky's Secret girl on the block grew up this year with some tasty ads and singlehandedly doubled business at Bowlmor and Gyu-Kaku. We'll always love you, Iza.
DICTIONARY OF CORPORATE BULLSH*T
Ridiculous year-end bonuses the same year you're equipped with a book to translate corporate BS...a coincidence? We think not.
FREEMANS SPORTING CLUB
Sharp bespoke suits, a barber shop and a hidden archery range—normally we aren't good at multitasking, but this we can handle.
AND THEN YOU CAN'T WIN THEM ALL!
MANOR
You had us at bearskin rug. Unfortunately, while hope springs eternal, we should have known better.
JAPONAIS
We were so excited about the rubber-ceiling-Frenchified-Japanese-name-foam-ball-tree combination. But the
food kind of makes us forget it all. We still like the tree, though.
MR. CHOW
TRIBECA
In spite of the madly dashing pics of Christopher Walken, the 'tude and food ended up making this a
stay-away.
IPOD TIE
Shirt with cigar slots—oddly kitsch enough to work. Tie that holds your iPod—another reminder your iPod just needs to stay in its holster.