A Night Out At SD26

Wednesday night, I headed down to SD26 in NYC’s Flatiron District for galpal Rachel’s 29th birthday celebration.

Cheers: Rach and me at SD26

Located opposite Madison Square Park, SD26 is the perfect combination of swank and low-key friendly charm -- as Rach and I discovered when we informed affable bartender Renato it was her birthday.

He immediately concocted a round of delicious Bailey’s and vanilla vodka-infused shots, insisting they were on the house. Nice.

After a celebratory toast, Rachel and I joined about a dozen of her friends in a cozy anteroom.

IT trainer Angela told me how envious her friends are that she resides in New York, that she has to disabuse them of the notion that life in Gotham is always as it appears in “Sex And The City.”

I also chatted with Noam, a friendly environmental lobbyist-turned-physics professor. We talked about our respective stints in small town USA -- Noam spent years in Maryland while I’ve lived in Bangor, Maine and Southern Illinois. We agreed that New York tends to spoil you for living anywhere else.

There’s still nowhere else I would rather be.

Friday Night In The Flatiron District

Friday night, my friend Leila and I met up in NYC’s Flatiron District for dinner and some bargain shopping.

Our evening began at hip home goods boutique Fish’s Eddy, which drew us in with the following sign – Economy Sucks Sale. Sure enough, there were markdowns galore. My favorite find of the night was a $32 pink pitcher on sale for $8.

Fish's Eddy: colorful housewares at recession-friendly prices

If you’re looking for fun gifts this holiday season (think polka dotted plates and Brooklyn-themed mugs) that don’t break the bank, Fish’s Eddy is the place to be.

Having satisfied our inner recessionista, we headed across Broadway to Lunetta, a cozy Italian bistro that retains an intimate feel with leather banquettes offsetting a majestically high ceiling.

As I enjoyed duck-filled agnolotti and chicken with lemon and rosemary, I shared with Leila my joy over being (almost) fully mobile after foot surgery two months ago. We also talked about the tricky conundrum of taking initiative yourself versus allowing a man make the first move.

Our verdict -- don’t be coy when dealing with a shy guy, but let him close the deal and ask for a date. After all, some ’rules’ are worth hanging onto.

Coming up…a review of Baz Luhrmann’s challenged yet riveting epic “Australia” and a new addition to the Upper East Side’s crowded Japanese restaurant scene.