In nine short days, you'll inevitably resolve to do things differently in 2010—get in shape, watch your diet, stop smoking, write that erotic novel already. But that's a long way away. In fact, you've got more than a week to get all that vice out of your system. Here, some humble suggestions…
It's admittedly tough to improve on peanut butter cheesecake. But pork products are a nice start. On the heels of their successful bacon cupcake, this Alexandria sweetshop starts with cheesecake in a chocolate crust, and tops it with an applewood-smoked bacon-peanut butter mousse. Now if you could only get cheesecake into breakfast...
You've dropped by this subterranean Dupont hideaway for its mean Lyonnaise omelet, but your focus here should be on the liquid: unlimited Bellinis that you can customize with your choice of sparkling wine, fruit purée and liqueur (Domaine Canton, St. Germain, Crème de Cassis, Licor 43). By the time you're done, it will almost be cocktail hour.
With so much focus on comfort food, family style and pub grub these days, go against the grain and dig into 11 courses by one of the country's top chefs. A quick sample: pho soup, lobster burger, 72-hour short ribs, chocolate pear tart…and hopefully another lobster burger.
No, you can't rent a luxury downtown hotel room by the hour (not that you've tried), but throw in a massage and you can come close. This two-room suite, adjacent to a private couples-spa treatment room (you wouldn't want to get lonely), rents for 48, 24 or 12 hours. We'd prefer the 8pm to 8am time slot.
For this meal-ender, chef Logan Cox starts with a creamy pistachio custard. So far, so good. But here's where it gets inspired: He then coats the whole thing in funnel-cake batter and deep-fries it. And the "Molten Pistachio" Beignet is born. Like an unholy alliance of New Orleans and the Pennsylvania Dutch.
This package of stogies takes you back to a simpler time when cigars were shipped in barrels—and you could smoke in bars. These miniature barrels contain 20 Hoyo de Monterreys, which continue to age in the wood until it's time to light up. Enjoy them with a spirit...preferably something cask-aged.
