Saturday Night In SoHo

Saturday night, after my friend Cindy’s engagement party in Westchester, I returned to the city and headed downtown for another soirée – celebrating my fabulous cousin Carla’s birthday.

My cousin Carla and me at her birthday bash in SoHo

About a dozen of Carla’s close friends joined in the fun at SoHo nightclub Santos Party House, including her adorable colleague Seth.

A 32-year-old teacher, Seth spends his after-school hours working (and working out) at the gym and taking post-graduate classes toward his administrative degree. We talked about the charms of Long Island, where he grew up and still resides, and the merits of Stephanie Meyer’s popular “Twilight” series.

Upon deciding to get a drink, Seth took my hand and led me through the crowded bar area. I didn’t mind the brief wait for a cocktail -- it forced us to stand thisclose as the easy conversation between us continued. I’d almost forgotten how much fun it is to flirt when the chemistry feels mutual.

Seth and I are now Facebook friends and have emailed back and forth a few times this week. He’ll be joining Carla and me for drinks when I head out to Long Island on Saturday. I’m looking forward to seeing where our second encounter leads.

Up next…Time Out New York’s The Set showcases some of the city’s best rising stars and a singles schmooze fest for a good cause.

Long Island Girls Night Out

Friday, I ventured out to Long Island for a girls night out with my single and fabulous cousin Carla and her single and equally fabulous friend Amina.

Our evening began with a scrumptious dinner at Aji 53 in Bay Shore, a funky Japanese restaurant that my cousin frequents so much, the sushi chef and owner greeted her when we walked in. As soon as I tasted one of Aji's signature rolls, American Dream, I understood Carla's fondness for Aji 53. American Dream is a melt-in-your-mouth combination of rock shrimp tempura, spicy lobster and spicy kani with creamy sauce. There was a very pregnant pause in the conversation as I moaned in ecstasy over the explosion of flavor. Nobu's got nothing on this place.

While savoring every bite of Aji 53's superb cuisine, Carla, Amina and I reflected on some of the lessons we've learned as single and fabulous women -- the value of a three-date minimum for guys that seem to have potential, the sliding scale for male idiosyncrasies depending on what kind of potential they have (fling versus significant other), and the importance of being happy with yourself before undertaking any kind of romance.

Following our calorically and conversationally satisfying meal, we went to see Mamma Mia. The perfect film for a girls night out, Mamma Mia faithfully recreates the popular Broadway musical constructed around ABBA's greatest hits. A fantastic all-star ensemble cast--led by Meryl Streep (who knew she could sing?) and the positively luminous Amanda Seyfried as her daughter -- delivers non-stop fun. The eye candy (Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Dominic Cooper) isn't bad either. Mamma Mia's exhuberant finale will have you laughing and singing along like you're a member of ABBA.

Top-rate sushi, first-class conversation and an entertaining film. That's my idea of an ABBA-solutely perfect Friday night!