If you have years of catching up to do with someone, you need a bar where you can actually chat, without feeling like a piece of driftwood being tossed around on a sea of drunks. Excellent cocktails never hurt conversation, so Summit Bar fit the bill nicely. I was a little relieved, on walking in, that there were no bartenders in suspenders or tasteful antiques attempting to evoke a 1920s speakeasy, a trend that’s getting a bit tiresome. Summit Bar seems like a straight-up lounge, with an elegant, candlelit bar, long wrap-around sofas, heated patio, and a music selection trending toward Jimi Hendrix and Led Zepplin. Actually, I can never hear Robert Plant’s whiny bleating without a flicker of irritation, but this was soothed by our cocktails, which were quite good. Read more…

“Death of A Ladies’ Man” is the title of a spectacularly awful yet appealingly sleazy Leonard Cohen album, so it probably says something about you if, when you see this listed on a menu at a cocktail bar, you think “Aha, there’s my drink.” Significance aside, it was an enjoyable cocktail, mixing rye, Laphroaig, lemon, maple syrup, and tobacco bitters ($12). The addition of tobacco bitters was a new twist for me. The mellow smoky flavor elevated the drink beyond the usual whiskey/citrus combo. I also tasted the Black Book, with bourbon, jalapeno, honey, lemon, cinnamon, and cardamom. It had a slight spicy kick, though after some tongue-fuzziness settled, the herbal-citrus of the cardamon came through. This was the slightly less drinkable but definitely more interesting pick of the two drinks. Read more…

I’ve been to Mars Bar, but I don’t go there anymore. It’s dirty. It smells funky. The beer comes in bottles. The bathrooms have an especially bad reputation. Years upon years of hard-won grime coats the carved, hacked-upon bar. The regulars are the kind of seedy drunks you don’t see downtown much these days. They provide a sort of deranged entertainment, like a living Tom Waits tune. After sitting for a while on the exposed sponge innards of a ripped-up bar stool, I’d feel a compelling need to burn my clothes and take a shower. It’s that kind of place. Read more…

When it comes to beer I’m not that picky. There’s beer and then there’s good beer, and I drink the good kind. Good beer can be almost anything: a sour lambic, a chocolate stout, even the odd IPA. Something from a local or craft brewery that looks new or different is always worth a try. Just as long as it’s not a watery lager, which is what you’ll find trickling from the taps of most of the bars in America. Read more…

The puppies paraded through Tompkins Square Park in their Halloween finest this past Sunday, and once again I joined the camera clicking hordes eager to record the event. It seems I’m not alone in being unable to resist the spectacle of dozens of dogs dressed up as devils and bumblebees, and to those who claim to pity the creatures I say this: oh please. Your average dog in Manhattan probably lives better than people in some parts of the world, so trotting them through the park dressed as a big fat pumpkin one day out of the year is a small price to pay. And look how much joy it provides to people like me!

This was my fifth year photographing the event and I enjoyed spotting some perennial favorites, rocking always-awesome costumes. But if I had to narrow down the best costumes I’d go with these:

Woof with the Wind (up top and above)
Gracie the pug took top honors this year with this Scarlett O’Hara themed-ensemble (and when I say she looked like Scarlett O’Hara I mean it). As soon as I saw this I knew it was a winner: her tongue-out, bug-eyed expression was sheer perfection, and her owner actually wheeled her into the ring so it looked like she was walking in her little hoop skirt. If you had any doubt that Gracie is a diva, check out her Marie Antoinette costume from 2008. Clearly she is a force to be reckoned with come costume day.

Tron
Wow. Just–wow. Are you kidding me? The diaroama, the jumpsuit, the little plastic helmet… and timely too. Will everyone shut up about Daft Punk and Tron already? I knew it was going to be tough to beat this.

Antoine Dodson
Best internet meme costume ever, and this was the right dog for it because he looked really pissed off while everyone was taking his picture. Bonus points for creating something this good out of a simple wig and bandanna. Good thing they brought the sign though or I would not have figured it out.

Lobster Pot
Another simple and effective costume. Plus this pup seemed thrilled to sit in his pot while his owner carried him around. I think he was Oscar the Grouch one year. Clearly they are sticking with what works–dye the dog, stick him in some receptical, voila.

Bedbugs
Out of the bunch, this was really the only frightening costume, so kudos for that. These pups always seem to sleep their way through the parade. I think last year they were Snoopy and Woodtsock fighting the Red Baron with their powers of slumber. I would not be surprised if their owners were professional set designers from the quality of their costumes.

Dracula
The right dog for the right costume. Wickedly simple, but great attitude. Loved it.

Butter
Food-themed costumes are always big, but usually you see hot dogs and tacos. This costume cuts straight to the heart of the matter–butter really does make everything better. The little pat on the head was the perfect touch.

Kit-Kat
I friggin loved getting those fun-sized Kit-Kats in my bag of Halloween candy. These two looked a little nervous but were the perfect pair.

Many, many more photos on my Flickr.