Queen of Quirky Takes Manhattan

Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of catching up with Queen of Quirky blogger and galpal Stephanie.

A Kansas City native, Stephanie and I clicked at the big BlogHer conference in Chicago last summer, finding we had both blogging and journalism-to-PR career trajectories in common. It was Stephanie’s first visit to NYC, so we enjoyed an action-packed girls night out on Saturday.

Girls Night Out: Stephanie and me at Buddakan

The evening’s festivities began with dinner at swanky Buddakan, site of Carrie and Big’s rehearsal dinner and one of my favorite restaurants. It never disappoints and this meal was no exception.

For appetizers, we indulged in chili rock shrimp, taro puff pork lollipops and wok hay frog legs. The gastronomic bliss continued with braised short ribs and shrimp and lobster chow fun, and for dessert, a carrot-ginger cake with cream cheese ice cream that was beyond heavenly. Steph is quite the foodie, not to mention a great cook, so I can’t wait to try her take on Buddakan’s braised ribs.

After dinner, we headed over to the Gansevoort Hotel, where we took in the dressed-to-be-seen scene at both the rooftop bar and Tanuki Tavern.

Big Drink: Steph with Tanuki Tavern’s oversized cosmo

Our last stop of the night -- Irish pub O’Flanagan’s, for some final cocktails and the sounds of cover band Planet Groove. We danced to some classic tunes (“500 Miles” and “Sweat--La La La Long” among them), toasted our friendship -- and talked about how Steph’s hometown will figure into my Grand 2010 Plan.

Stay tuned for the big reveal on Friday!

Central Park Date

There’s a classic moment on “Sex and the City” when Carrie and Big fall into the lake in NYC’s Central Park. Thankfully, I managed to avoid a similar fate here last weekend during my first date with Ali.

The Lake in Central Park: Carrie and Big got waterlogged at this romantic spot

The afternoon got off to a bumpy start when Ali turned up 45 minutes late -- without being too apologetic. Tardiness is one of my major pet peeves, but I opted to get past it given Ali’s two-hour trek in from New Jersey.

Following a quick snack, we rented a boat for a few hours. Along with learning that rowing isn’t as easy as it looks, I found out quite a bit about Ali.

A former resident of Canada and Colorado, Ali is into outdoor activities (skiing, tennis, water sports) and photography (he shoots weddings). We discovered a mutual affinity for working out. Ali said he struggles to gain weight. I admitted I would love to have that problem.

After our leisurely boat ride, we strolled around the park before parting company.

“You’re nice and I like spending time with you,” Ali said.

Even better, Ali said he won’t be late next time. We’re going out again next Sunday.

Auto Show Gala Preview: Part Two

Thursday night, the final hour of the Auto Show gala preview took a surprising turn.

As I mentioned in Friday’s post, Chris – one of three guys from UBS I’d met earlier in the evening – asked if I needed a drink. I soon learned that Chris was married and his newly-arrived friend Ted was engaged, while European-born colleagues Cedric and Patrick were both single.

Chris and I exchanged tales of wine-related travel (he and his wife favor Bordeaux and Napa, I recommended Australia’s Hunter Valley region). Then, the five of us headed into the showroom. Though I had already done a lap around it, I suspected doing one with men in tow might offer a different perspective.

Sure enough, each of the guys were boyishly smitten as they took a seat in several of the floor models. Patrick invited me to join him in a Viper convertible, where he launched into a 10-minute soliloquy about the merits of driving a stick shift.

Behind The Wheel: Patrick gushed about stick shifts while trying out the new Viper convertible

When we caught up with the rest of the group, talked quickly turned to dinner and reservations at Buddakan. Chris invited me to join them and I happily accepted.

For once, being unable to find a cab proved to be a good thing. We ended up leaving the Javits Center in a limo instead (economically priced as just $6 per person).

During the short ride down to NYC’s Meatpacking District, I found myself next to Cedric, who moved swiftly into flirting mode. He took my face in his hands and leaned in to kiss me.

“I’m not going to make it that easy for you,” I said coyly, pulling back.

He quickly got over my (temporary) rebuff, poking his arms through the limo’s open rooftop and waving at passersby.

Upon arriving at Buddakan, we were shown to a corner table downstairs, just past the Chinoiserie where Carrie and Big’s rehearsal dinner was held in “Sex And The City.” The sexiest part of the evening was still to come.

Up next…Jennifer Hudson and Robin Thicke rock MSG and pre-tax day imbibing.

Flying Solo For A Night

For as much as I love an evening out with friends, sometimes it’s fun to fly solo and see where the night takes you. Last night, it took me down to NYC’s hip Meatpacking District.

After a quick bite at Chelsea Market, a vibrant arcade of food, wine and dessert shops, I went next door to Buddakan, the dazzling restaurant that hosted Carrie & Big’s rehearsal dinner in “Sex And The City.”

Carrie and Big: Like me, SATC’s star-crossed couple enjoyed a night out at Buddakan

As I sipped on a perfect cosmo at the bar, I found myself sitting next to a cute but frazzled-looking derivatives trader. He was anxiously checking his Blackberry and when seven of his clients appeared a few minutes later, I understood why. In this economy, if you’re lucky enough to have a job, it’s even more important to bring your A-game to it.

From Buddakan, I jumped on the subway and headed up to Midtown, where I strolled past a few women camped out (literally – with tents) in front of Barnes & Noble, hoping to secure admission to a Miley Cyrus book signing the following day. More power to them in this nippy weather. I would do the same to see my beloved Ricky Martin, though the longest I’ve lined up for him so far is 5 hours.

At home, following a 30-minute chat with the Match.com guy du jour, I continued watching the SATC movie with commentary from writer and exec producer Michael Patrick King. I smiled when the DVD cued up to none other than the aforementioned scenes at Buddakan. Filming for SATC 2 is scheduled to begin this fall – let the groupie activity begin!

Coming up…co-hosting happy hour at a hot Lower East Side nightspot and celebrating a friend’s birthday with a spa-dinner-karaoke trifecta.

SATC DVD Launch Party: Part One

Last night, Warner Brothers rolled out the Swarovski crystal-studded pink carpet for the “Sex and the City” DVD launch party. Held at the majestic New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue (site of Carrie & Big’s non-wedding), the swanky soiree began with celebrity arrivals under the media tent.

Lights, Camera, Action: Press Crews at the SATC DVD Party

Before the boldfaced names arrived, I found myself standing next to Giuseppe Santamaria, aka Cosmo Guy and one of my favorite bloggers (http://www.cosmoguyonline.com/). Giuseppe’s Sex and the City Movie Blog, launched in September '07, became the #1 go-to source for all things SATC and required daily reading for me as I staked out filming locations.

Bloggers In The City: Giuseppe and Me on the pink carpet

Toronto-based Giuseppe, who flew in just for the launch party and headed back this morning at 6am, is as fun in person as his online altar ego. We hit it off immediately, gushing about the movie (we’ve both seen it three times) and marveling at the spectacle before us, including models on stilts wearing replicas of Carrie’s Vivienne Westwood wedding dress.

Carrie wedding gown redux

In addition to the long line of TV crews and print journalists beside us, throngs of fans were standing by waiting for a glimpse of the glitterati. Around 8pm, the arrivals started. We spotted Evan Handler (Harry) and then Kim Cattrall’s adorable boyfriend, 28-year-old Canadian chef Alan Wyse, standing off to the side so Kim could walk the pink carpet solo…

Kim's cutie: Canadian chef Alan Wyse

Charlotte's hubby: Evan Handler (Harry)

Next up was adorable and charming Lynn Cohen (Magda), who graciously chatted at length with all of us at the end of the press line. She mentioned having initially met SATC writer and executive producer Michael Patrick King 25 years ago when they both acted in a local performance of “Hedda Gabler.”

Lynn told me her favorite SATC episode was “Anchors Away,” in season 5 when Carrie declares that she’s dating New York City. A native New Yorker herself, Lynn’s face lit up as she talked about being part of the SATC movie.

All Smiles: Lynn Cohen (Magda)

“Women get better with age,” she said, beaming when thunderous applause greeted the arrival of one of her co-stars was on the pink carpet.

“That must be [for] one of the babes,” she said.

Flashing us one last grin, Lynn headed into the party as Giuseppe and I settled in for more SATC celebrity hobnobbing.

Up next…SATC stars dish about the much-discussed sequel, and cosmo-flavored cupcakes and more at the DVD party.