Hurricane Storms into NYC

Feeling in the mood for a little tiki but also think it's a little tacky? Get yourself to The Hurricane Club, the brand-new bar and eatery from the Fourth Wall Restaurant Group (the same folks behind Quality Meats; Park Avenue Spring/Summer/Autumn/Winter; and the Post House).

It's too tempting to resist saying that I was blown away by The Hurricane Club, particularly in the way it achieves such a cozy elegance despite its large scale. The soaring main dining room is buttressed by several smaller "cave rooms," which despite being on the sidelines still provide great people-watching.

The tiki touches are subtle but fun; most of the Polynesian design elements require close inspection to suss them out, which makes the Hurricane Club experience all the more intriguing. Don't miss the ten-foot-high barnacle chandelier suspended--not in the entryway, but in the single-person bathroom in the seahorse-sconced Lagoon Lounge. The cocktails are plentiful...so much so that they are numbered rather than named, with your choice of poison coming in everything from drilled-out coconuts to large bowls for sharing.

Watch out for a swank, still-to-be-named lounge next door as well as a private space called the Volcano Lounge. Let the lava (though not the lava lamps!) flow.

For my Citybuzz tour of the Hurricane Club, including our interview with Fourth Wall owner Michael Stillman, click below.

Autumn Comes Early

Like sands through the hourglass, these are the....seasons of our lives.  As summer departs with some of the most glorious weather New York has seen in months, Manhattanites are nonetheless gearing up for autumn. Park Avenue Autumn, that is. The chameleon-like restaurant, which changes its décor and menu every three months, has taken the wraps off its fall 2009 look and we think you're going to like what you see. (And taste.)

Unlike the seasons, however, which arrive gradually, Park Avenue Autumn went from summer to fall virtually overnight. (Forty-eight hours to be exact.)

And while design geniuses Avro-KO were working magic in the dining room, chef Craig Koketsu was working magic in the kitchen, dreaming up a fall lineup filled with seasonal dishes such as local diver scallops with lemongrass and honeycrisp apples, fig carpaccio with hoja santa goat cheese, lamb shank with saffron cauliflower, mint and pistachios, and grilled swordfish with roasted acorn squash. If you're in the mood for something more familiar (but with a twist, of course), you might try Kentucky fried quail and waffles (left). Were he still around today, the Colonel would be beaming.

There's plenty of dessert to choose from, too, but for our liking, we're saving calories for the carrot cake and brie fritter with chai-tea ice cream.

The crisp-weather inspiration extends beyond the cuisine, of course, with cocktails taking on the spirit of the season, including a drink called the Prime Meridian (Manuka honey-infused vodka, Martinelli apple cider, Equator green tea and tapioca pearls).

Get a jump on the the autumnal equinox by making your reservations now. But don't wait too long. Park Avenue Winter marks its arrival in November.

And to see "Gossip Girl Crazy on Park Avenue," an episode we shot earlier this year at Park Avenue Winter, click here.

How Sweet it Was!

Last Saturday night, after a full schedule of eating par excellence, it was only fitting that New York's fooderati finally got their glucose on. In connection with the first-ever New York City Wine & Food Festival, dessert-lovers in the know descended on the West Chelsea event hot-spot la.venue (a sprawling, cavernous and gorgeous space, in case you have not yet had the pleasure) for Sweet, a showcase of confections prepared by forty-five of the city's most talented pasty chefs. Among the masters whose sugary work was available in more than ample quantity were Dominique Ansel (Daniel); Marc Aumont and Patrick Clark (The Modern); Pauline Balboa (Kyotofu); Jansen Chan (Oceana); John Fraser and Vera Tong (Dovetail); Heather Fratangelo (Spigolo); Brooks Headley (Del Posto); Johnny Iuzzini (Jean Georges); Michael Laiskonis (Le Bernardin); Richard Leach (Park Avenue Autumn); John Miele (Eighty One); Nancy Olson (Gramercy Tavern); Pichet Ong (P*ONG); François Payard (Payard Bistro); and Alex Stupak (WD-50). Sweet's invite promised "the greatest collection of sweets ever found in one location," and it did not disappoint. The delicious description further enticed with teasings of "frosted layer cakes with filling flavors you’ll love; dark chocolates infused with exotic spices that will ruin you for everyday candy bars; cookies crafted from the finest ingredients and resembling works of art; and ice-cream so rich and creamy you will dream about it for days." Indeed, it's been four days since Sweet and we're still dreaming. And dreaming. The goodie-laden evening was sponsored by Ferrero Chocolates, Perrier Jouët Champagne and Absolut Vodka. An after-party, sponsored by the Macy's Culinary Council, was held at Xchange next door. Congratulations to Lee Schrager, the mastermind who brought the the Wine & Food Festival to New York and to all of his team who helped make the inaugural event such a resounding success. We're already dieting in preparation for next year's extravaganza. In the meantime, bring on Miami Beach!

For more photos, click here.