Author: Julianne

Booze Buzz: U.P. (Unlimited Possibilities) in Manhattan

In the “Booze Buzz” series, we take you to the latest and greatest watering holes throughout the country. Today, we head to U.P. (Unlimited Possibilities), part of Dominique Ansel Kitchen, in Manhattan.

I’m not a morning person. Anyone who knows me knows that I sleep in on weekends and hit the snooze button at least once on weekdays (not a healthy habit, I know). So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I’ve never been able to drag myself out of bed for one of Dominique Ansel’s famous cronuts at 7:00 AM. I resigned myself to the idea that I’d never try one of those piping hot baked goods, a mystical cross between a croissant and a doughnut; I figured that if I couldn’t try the Holy Grail of desserts, then why bother visiting the bakery or tasting his other creations at all?

Fortunately, this misguided notion was recently laid to rest. Upon discovering U.P. (Unlimited Possibilities), an after-hours desserts tasting menu at Dominique Ansel Kitchen, and learning that these tasty morsels could be served alongside cocktail pairings designed in consultation with Jim Meehan of PDT (Please Don’t Tell) fame, Mr. Five O’Clock and I immediately booked a reservation for March 11.

Warning: spoilers ahead; if you don’t want to know what happens before you go, stop reading now!

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6 Things to Do in Bermuda That You Probably Never Considered

As a first-time traveler to the island of Bermuda, you may be tempted to park yourself in a beach chair, dig your toes in the sand, and stay put for an entire week. Don’t get me wrong: this British Overseas Territory has certainly earned its reputation as a top vacation spot, with those pink sand beaches and clear turquoise waters beckoning. But after visiting my brother, who studied abroad there, in October 2011, I can attest to the fact that there is so much more to Bermuda beyond its eponymous shorts and world-class golf courses. From spelunking to glow worm hunting, here are six can’t-miss things to do in Bermuda that will have you feeling more like a local.

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What the @#$! is Chartreuse, Anyway?

You’ve probably heard of gin, rum, vodka, bourbon, and tequila. If you’re a little more advanced in the way of cocktails and other spirits, you probably know your way around mezcal, vermouth, and absinthe, too. But there’s a host of other libations with strange-sounding names, like cynar and campari. What the @#$! is this stuff, anyway?

Today, we’re going to demystify Chartreuse.

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Booze Buzz: Le Boudoir in Brooklyn

In the “Booze Buzz” series, we take you to the latest and greatest watering holes throughout the country. Today, we head to Le Boudoir in Brooklyn.

I certainly have my share of guilty pleasures—some that I can readily admit (crack pie from Momofuku Milk Bar) and others that are probably best kept to myself (Monday night viewings of “The Bachelor”).

These, however, pale in comparison to my laughable weakness for themed dining and drinking experiences (just ask my parents, who took me to Rainforest Cafe countless times as a kid, or my co-workers, who mercifully agreed to a late-night dinner at the Ninja restaurant in Tribeca two months ago). So when an e-mail popped up in my inbox in early February about a Marie Antoinette-themed speakeasy that had just opened in Brooklyn Heights, I needed only .1755 seconds before deciding that I had to check it out.

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I am a Travel Writer Now

I was swimming in an aquarium of words, words, words.

It was past midnight, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how to arrange them, how to write punchier copy for my article about Arthur Miller’s play, “All My Sons.” Never mind that I had an organic chemistry midterm the next day; that had never stopped me from making sure that the theater and arts articles I wrote for my college newspaper were perfect. I’d be damned if this one would be any different. I thrived on the bylines, the late nights, the pressure to hit the next deadline. Journalism, and writing, undeniably made me feel more alive than learning how to titrate amino acids.

That was ten years ago.

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