An Action-Packed Halloween

New York always puts on a quite a show for Halloween – and this Saturday was no exception.

For the first time in years, I opted to join the costumed ranks by dressing up as a gypsy. A rhinestone-crusted headscarf and some fake eyelashes, and I was good to go.

Sala One Nine: Great tapas in a cozy, candlelit setting

First stop -- dinner at Sala One Nine with good friend Leila. Over some delicious tapas (ham croquettes, cheese plate, shrimp in garlic and olive oil), we had a good laugh thanks to our two servers. One was dressed as the cowboy from the Village People, another as the grim reaper.

Afterward, we caught a glimpse of the colorful crowd lining up to watch NYC’s legendary Halloween Parade. Along with an assortment of devils, cats and pinstriped inmates, I spotted a bloody health care patient and a pregnant smoking nun. Only in New York.

Trick Or Treat: Sara (left) served up plenty of Halloween goodies

Leila and I headed to the Upper West Side for our friend Sara’s intimate Halloween bash. Sara outdid herself with homemade treats. Among the creations she spent 12 hours preparing were pumpkin cake, meringue kisses, Rice Krispie treats, apple cake, chocolate chip cookies and vanilla and chocolate cupcakes.

Once I had eaten enough to go into a sugar coma, I made my way back across town to meet up with galpal Heidi at UES bistro Baraonda for “Scaraoke.”

All Dressed Up: Heidi and me at Baraonda

It was an endless parade of great costumes at the party, from Alice in Wonderland characters and hippies to a drag queen emcee and – my personal favorite – a cereal killer (get it?) wearing a knife and blood-stained Cheerios.

What A Crowd: Colorful costumes reigned at Baraonda’s bash

While waiting to submit my Karaoke song (Whitney Houston’s “So Emotional”) to the DJ, I chatted with her cute assistant and cowboy-for-the-night Tim. Later, as I was leaving the party around 2am, Tim asked—

“Can I walk you home and make out with you?”

Laughing, I said that he could walk me home but there would be no making out.

“But, it’s Halloween,” he insisted.

“Technically, it’s not Halloween anymore,” I said.

Ghoulish excuses or not, it was fun to flirt with a cowboy – as any good gypsy would do.

Coming up…a date with my favorite HurryDate guy and a swanky party some of NFL superstars.

Girls Night At Shabu Shabu

Earlier this week, my friend Cindy and I caught up over dinner at Shabu Shabu, a Japanese eatery on the Upper East Side with an impressive 30-year history. This was my first visit to Shabu Shabu and, for the most part, I enjoyed it.

Shabu Shabu: This laidback UES eatery delivers decent sushi and service with a smile

While my appetizer choice (shumai that stuck to the bowl) was underwhelming, I enjoyed a tasty fatty tuna roll along with eel and white tuna sashimi.

Cindy and I eyed with curiosity another table of diners enjoying the Japanese art for which the restaurant is named. Literally meaning “swish swish,” Shabu Shabu refers to the process of cooking beef and vegetables by dipping them in boiling water. A small butane stove is brought to the table, topped by a pot of liquid in which diners dunk morsels presented on a platter.

Over dinner, Cindy and I talked about the Renaissance of Atlantic City, the challenge of coming up with creative Halloween costumes, and some of the surefire ways to drop 10 pounds in a jiffy -- including breakups or, as I recently discovered, foot surgery.

My only regret of the night was not trying Shabu Shabu’s eponymous specialty. Next time.