Girls Night Out X 2

Tuesday night, I enjoyed a girls night out double header that began at the Empire Hotel’s rooftop bar, where I caught up with new galpal Amy.

Amy and I connected at an ADL gala back in October and discovered we’re both regulars on the charitable event circuit. Having lost my number one wing woman to the throes of marital bliss, I was excited when Amy volunteered to hit the town with me.

Over drinks, we talked about upcoming events we’re planning to attend and the importance of looking your best when catching up with an old flame.

Vintage: this chic Hell’s Kitchen lounge has a fabulous martini menu

After Amy and I parted company, I headed down to Vintage bar in Hell’s Kitchen, where I enjoyed a few cocktails with fellow dating bloggers Simone and Lost Plum.

The three of us traded observations about the mommy blogger mafia’s hold on corporate America, and the perils of dating men with high-powered jobs and a penchant for text messaging.

“That sounds like my last five relationships,” Simone quipped.

When it comes to sassy, candid takes on singlehood in NYC, it doesn’t get any better than Simone and Lost Plum. Do yourself a favor and check out their fabulous blogs.

Thursday Double Header

Thursday night, I headed over to swanky event venue Hudson Terrace for C Squared Group’s Fall Entrepreneurs networking mixer.

Hudson Terrace: C Squared group took over the swanky space for its fall event

More than 150+ people from a variety of industries filled the space, which boasts nearly 360-degree city views.

HR consultant Patrick and I talked about what makes a great vodka gimlet and why, in his view, “American Psycho” is a must-see/read. Sourcepad CEO Joe filled me in about his company, which is a great online resource for hiring freelance IT professionals that you can work with using live video.

Joe also told me the delightful story of how he met his wife -- during a Scrabble game at a friend’s place.

“She was beating everybody, and I’m terrible at Scrabble,“ he said with a laugh. “She took pity on me and started to help me, to the chagrin of everyone else.”

A Scrabble aficionado myself, I loved this tale of finding love across the game’s lettered tiles. As I’ve discovered with previous boyfriends, wordplay can be a great prelude to romance.

After having my fill of schmoozing, I met up with galpal Rachel at one of my favorite Hell’s Kitchen eateries, Cara Mia.

Over a delicious dinner (grilled calamari, spinach fettuccini in vodka sauce), Rach and I reflected on the multi-step process of getting over a big love -- and the importance of keeping busy along the way with good friends and meeting new people.

Speaking of new people, I filled Rach in about HurryDater E and how much I enjoyed my first date with him. Up next…details about equally exhilarating date #2.

Girls Night Out: Whiskey Trader

Tuesday night, after seeing “Superior Donuts,” I headed over to the Whiskey Trader in Midtown for a happy hour hosted by The Lost Girls.

Bartending Goddesses: (from left) Lost Girls authors and bloggers Amanda, Jen and Holly

While enjoying a couple of cosmos mixed perfectly by Jen, my Divalicious friend Heidi and I talked about male profiling -- i.e., making assumptions about men in suits. She presumes they’re dull and conservative, I think a suit usually spells sophistication.

Speaking of assumptions about the opposite sex, I decided to vet my theories on texting versus calling with a couple of friendly guys at the bar.

When I said that texting to make plans is less considerate than making a call, both men balked. They maintained that it’s hard to know when is a good time to call a woman, and one even tried to liken texting and emailing to the lost art of letter writing.

With all due respect, I think these are just excuses for not taking initiative and picking up the phone. As DatingRevolution founder Ross Felix puts it so well in this blog post, guys need to man up here. A quick call goes a long way toward making a girl (this girl, at least) feel courted.

Coming up…a look at Broadway’s sizzling “Burn The Floor” and an action-packed night out in Hell’s Kitchen.

Saturday Night Date

Last night, I my first date in two months with H. Over the past year, H and I have drifted in and out of each other’s lives, primarily because he’s my ex’s best friend. Fortunately, we were able to put that little wrinkle aside and have a delightful evening.

Our date began with a movie in Times Square, “Righteous Kill.” Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino rise above the occasionally weak script to deliver an entertaining, edgy thriller with a clever twist at the end. It’s worth the price of admission just to see these two acting powerhouses on the big screen together.

Huddled close under an umbrella, H and I ambled over to Hell’s Kitchen for dinner at Delta Grill, a laidback eatery that serves up a taste of New Orleans, with Big Easy staples like Po Boys, Chicken Gumbo and Beignets. While H indulged in shrimp creole, I opted for crab-stuffed tuna, saving room for an exhilarating dessert indulgence, bananas foster. Flaming bananas drenched in syrup topped with vanilla ice cream -- heaven on a plate and even better when shared.

Our last stop of the night was neighborhood bar Social, to watch USC’s football team crush Ohio State. Though I’m not exactly a gridiron girl, it was easy to get caught up in the fever of being surrounded by men cheering at the TV -- especially since one of them had his arm affectionately draped me the entire time.

Coming up…opening the vault to a week of romance in England’s capital and Celine Dion’s return to the Big Apple.