On a recent Friday night I trekked to Hell’s Kitchen and dined at Ember Room, the fairly new (opened in February), sleek high-concept restaurant from food-world veterans Todd English and Ian Chalermkittichai. Theatre-goers, those on first dates and other diners will swoon, not just over the waitresses wearing off the shoulder black shirts, but over the food, too. This is Asian-American BBQ with a twist and in a unique atmosphere: the ceiling is covered with 4,000 gold bells and the open kitchen has an oven made of volcanic ash.

I can’t recall how many times I walked by Spitzer’s Corner and Los Feliz, both on the Lower East Side, and didn’t go inside. I sort of regarded them as bars first and foremost, but these are drinking establishments with great food, so enjoying a multi-course dinner along with local beer (Spitzer’s beer list is wildly appealing) and cocktails (made with homemade infusions) is not only possible but welcome.

A box of chocolates is always a safe bet for a Valentine’s Day present. And when it’s from Chocolat Michel Cluizel, a France-based chocolate company, you’re sure to impress your loved one. The mid-town store even serves a dessert-only dining experience, with cocktails, hot chocolate, desserts and of course chocolates—certainly a sweet Valentine’s date idea. Here, we spoke with Jacques Dahan, the President of Michel Cluizel’s USA Division, about Valentine’s Day and his favorite NYC destinations.

New Italian restaurants are forever infiltrating the New York restaurant scene, but the most recent one is also noteworthy: Spasso, which opened at the beginning of January. This cozy, rustic restaurant sits on a charming West Village corner and is quickly becoming a favorite among locals. And it’s no wonder, there’s an expansive wine list, house cured meat and homemade pasta. Although it’s a perfect date place to commingle over a candle-lit table for two, you may also want to sit at the communal bar in the kitchen for a first-hand peak at Chef Wallen’s magic.

If ever there were an elegant dessert, it’s the macaron, a delicate confection that comes in a variety of flavors and pretty colors. And New York has a cafe (with two locations) that offers an authentic version of this French sweet. At Macaron Cafe, where the macaron has been touted the best in New York, choose from such flavors as cassis, Nutella, espresso, pistachio and dark chocolate—all of which make an impressive gift or after-dinner treat at your next dinner party.

What do you get when you gather the best team of bartenders? The alluring Cocktail Collective. This group of bartenders concocts cocktails for various bars. Their latest project is Forty Four at The Royalton Hotel. For Forty Four’s cocktail menu The Collective focused on pre and post Prohibition drinks served over crushed, cubed and freshly chipped rocks of ice: You may want to try the gin-based “English 75” or the “Hocus Pocus”, or the soothing Rye based “The Reconciliation.”

Need dinner plans this evening? Want to mingle with other food lovers during a communal meal of beer, brats and pickled tongue? Join Chef/Owner Jason Weiner (shown above, on the right, with his brother) of Almond Restaurant for a family-style Belgian beer dinner. Sit around a communal table, drink unlimited Stella Artois, Leffe and Hoegaarden […]

Chef and event planner Linnea Johansson has been throwing parties for some of the biggest names in show business including Jennifer Lopez, Justin Timberlake, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sean Combs, Sienna Miller and Julianne Moore. She is the author of “Perfect Parties: Tips and Advice from a New York Party Planner” (Skyhorse Publishing) in the United States, which was awarded Best First Cookbook from the Swedish Gourmand World Cookbook Award.

On my recent and first visit to La Fonda del Sol, I couldn’t find the restaurant initially because it’s not often I find myself on Vanderbilt Avenue. But I was so relieved to find it (it’s on the Western side of Grand Central Station), this oasis for Midtown during the lunch rush: the mid-century furniture, the orange/brown color patterns, the blonde furniture, the not-too-noisy dining room that sits a few steps up from the bar area.