PROOF POSITIVE

PURUS VODKA

By SARA LIEBERMAN
October 12, 2008 - The newest member of the green spirit club comes from the Piemonte region of Italy, and everything - from the 100 percent organic wheat used to create its velvety smooth sip, to its recyclable bottle and soy-based inks on the label - are environmentally friendly. Additionally, since its debut last November, Purus has been working with American...

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ASIAN INVASION

TWO NEW VILLAGE EATERIES UPDATE KOREAN AND JAPANESE DISHES

By ANDREA STRONG

Boka 9 St. Marks Place; 212-228-2887 St. Marks Place is known for a lot of things: tattoo parlors, NYU cafes, trinket shops, among...more >

THE FERNET EFFECT

By CARLA SPARTOS
October 8, 2008 -
IF bartenders were to form a fraternal society, a shot of Fernet Branca might be their version of the secret handshake. "It's bitter, kind of gross and has a certain ritualistic aspect,"...more >
CHOOSE YOUR PATTY!

GIVE US YOUR FRIED, YOUR BROILED, YOUR FLAME-GRILLED BURGERS

By CARLA SPARTOS
October 8, 2008 -
WHEN the first New York City Wine & Food Festival rolls into town this weekend, no event will be more closely watched than Rachael Ray's sold-out Burger Bash on Friday night. With 16...more >
LE CIRQUE'S PERKS

COMFY BAR, CAFÉ REAL DEALS

By STEVE CUOZZO
October 8, 2008 -
A young woman watching the Sarah Palin-Joe Biden debate at Le Cirque's Wine Bar Lounge last week was fed up with Girls-in-Groups yakking and politely asked one table to pipe down. She was put in...more >
PROOF POSTITIVE

NAVAN LIQUEUR

By SARA LIEBERMAN
October 5, 2008 -
ANYONE with a sweet tooth knows it only takes adding the oft-required teaspoon of vanilla extract to your own homemade cookies to give Betty Crocker a run for her cookbook royalties. The stuff is...more >
CHILL FACTOR

ZEN OUT OVER SOUTHEAST ASIAN FARE AT TWO NEW EAST VILLAGE SPOTS

By ANDREA STRONG
October 5, 2008 -
Hea 145 E. 13th St.; 212-982-1688 This new Zen-inspired restaurant is named for the Hong Kong expression for feeling chilled-out. Chef Heng Meng Kong's menu features home-style Southeast Asian...more >
BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS

BOOZY BRUNCHES CAN GET THE DAY STARTED RIGHT

By CARLA SPARTOS
October 4, 2008 -
IF brunch in this town were really about eggs, you'd be cracking them in your studio, not waiting on an insanely long line for a pricey omelet. No, brunch is about socializing. And people...more >
GOO, GOO, BAD, BAD!

DINNER'S A TAD TOO TOT

By STEVE CUOZZO
October 1, 2008 -
THERE'S popcorn on the plate with lamb "julep" at new Bloomingdale Road. It isn't a bar snack, but a $24 "main" dish. Welcome to Dining Out 2008, an ordeal that can...more >
'DOUBLE' THE PLEASURE

FEAST LIKE A MOVIE STAR ON THE BOWERY; SIP WHISKEY IN BKLYN

By ANDREA STRONG
September 28, 2008 -
Double Crown 316 Bowery; 212-254-0350 Owned and styled by AvroKO (the visionary design team behind Public), Double Crown feels like a movie set in the glamorous world of Shanghai or Bombay. From...more >
PROOF POSITIVE

ULTIMAT VODKA

By JUSTIN ROCKET SILVERMAN
September 28, 2008 -
In a land of countless vodka brands, Ultimat stands out as the lone liquid of its type made not only of potato, wheat or rye, but a blend of all three. The result is an utterly smooth spirit with an...more >
BLISS ON A BUN

MEET THE NEW BURGER KING

By STEVE CUOZZO
September 24, 2008 -
Five Napkin Burger 626 Ninth Ave., at 44th Street 212-757-2277 FIVE Napkin Burger came along just in time for the End of the World as We Know It. No $40 rabbit or ostrich "3 ways." Just...more >