NY Barfly

An Actual Good Deal for Valentine's Day

Let’s be honest – if you know anything about the New York bar and restaurant scene, you know that Valentine’s Day is a night to be avoided at all costs. Restaurants around town serve shitty fixed-price menus, and diners are trying so hard to have a “romantic” time that they don't realize what's in front of them is gross. Barf.

Well, we’re glad to see that one of our favorite eateries is switching things up. Boqueria in SoHo is, according to marketing materials, “not asking for a commitment.” Yep –the restaurant’s SoHo location isn’t serving a special menu or silly pink drinks – they just want you to drop in. The normal a la carte offerings will be served, and you don’t need a reservation. If you do want to deal with all of that – well –check out the Flatiron location of Boqueria – which will be serving a fixed-price menu for $75 per person. Ah, love…

A Low Calorie Mixer For the New Year

Yeah, yeah - we know you're spending the first few days of the New Year focused on your waistline (Did you really have to pound down those three fruitcakes over Christmas break? We didn't think so). Well, you probably want to avoid beer until you get back to your desired weight - and those calorie-packed standard mixers are a no-no at this point as well.

We just learned about Sparkling ICE, a new beverage on the market that's billing itself as a low-calorie mixer. That and vodka, and you should be good to go (never mind that you also resolved to drink less). The stuff comes in flavors like strawberry kiwi, pink grapefruit and black raspberry. Yeah, the stuff isn't exactly at the pinnacle of the modern mixology movement, but they will do in a pinch. Check out a couple recipes that utilize the stuff below, and read more about it here.

Kiwi Strawberry Ice

1 oz. Stoli Vodka

2 Blackberries

Splash of lemon

Splash of white cranberry juice

Topped off with Strawberry Kiwi Sparkling ICE

Pink Grapefruit Ice

1 oz. Beefeater Gin

4 Cucumbers muddled

2 Drops of lime juice

1 oz. Blueberries muddled

Finished with Pink Grapefruit Sparkling ICE

One Stop Shop for New Year's Eve Parties

Ok kids, we know you’re already exhausted by Christmas and stressing over where you’re going to have dinner and how you’re going to deal with your family for so long. Well, as soon as that’s over, it’s time to start dealing with New Year’s Eve. FML. Well, it’s that time of year again. Joonbug has been around for a LONG while, and the one thing they’ve mastered in the world of nightlife is curating New Year’s Eve party selections. There are over 60 parties listed on the site, and it’s your one stop shop if you want to have a low key last day of 2011 (think the $55 open-bar package at SNAP in Chelsea) or if you want to live like a true baller and spend every last one of your hard earned dollars (yes, you really can spend $15,000 at Pier 36). To make your New Year’s event planning easy, check out this site: http://joonbug.com/newyork/newyearseve. Hurry, 2011 is ticking away faster than you can say “ball drop.”

Roosevelt Hotel Adds Billiards Room to Lobby-Level Bar

We’re all familiar with the Billiards Room in a kind of nostalgic way (watch out for anyone wielding a candlestick if you find yourself hanging out in one). Well, fans of old-school style will want to head over to the Roosevelt Hotel for a game or two. The property is currently undergoing a huge renovation, and the first thing that was finished is this new Billiards Room, which is located within the Madison Club Lounge on the ground floor of the hotel. The room, which features a single table, will be open for pool, bites and cocktails from 4 PM to 1 AM. Miss Scarlet, care to head on over?

The Roosevelt Hotel is located at 45 East 45th Street.

New Year's Eve Party Alert: Jazz and Cocktails at Silver Lining

Forget Christmas, we’re counting down to the New Year. It’s best to start planning your party-going now, as it takes a long time to sort through all the events that are bound to be shitshows (and then, by the time you work your way through, you’ll find that the good ones are already sold out). We just found out about one par-tay that is bound to keep it classy. Tribeca cocktail lounge Silver Lining will host an evening of cocktails and jazz that will take you forward into 2012 by taking you back to the early Twentieth Century in the Big Apple.

Guests will get to enjoy classic cocktails dished out by the top-notch mixologists at the bar, while a jazz band will play tunes to carry you though the night. Small plates will be served – while pretty much everyone is expected to have a hangover on New Year’s Day, putting something into your stomach will at least keep the pain to a minimum. The party starts at 9 PM and the band will play on until 2 – all for the relatively cheap price of $125 per person. For open bar and some kickin’ entertainment, that’s not all that bad. This is one soiree that’s sure to sell out, so get off your butt and get some tickets here.

Holiday Gift Guide For The 1%: $26,000 Cognac

This holiday season, the 1% can still spend ridiculous amounts of money on presents that no one actually needs, but they can heed the calls of the protestors and do at least a little good by purchasing the Louis XIII Cognac that’s currently being auctioned on charitybuzz.com. The spirit is housed in one of 100 handmade crystal decanters dubbed “Le Jeroboam,” only one of which is being offered in the United States. The three-liter vessel is valued at $26,000 – at least you get a good share of booze for that amount, which is equivalent to a down payment on a house for some people. Although it seems like needless luxury, the sale will benefit the Ruby Peck Foundation for Children’s Education – which raises funds to provide children with access to important educational programs. The liquor is available through December 19^th, if you have a few grand lying around you can bid on it here.

Holiday Stress Leads to 27% More Boozin'

Here’s a non-shocking statistic for you: holiday stresses lead to 27% more drinking. Yep, it’s not just all the parties that cause folks to tipple more this time of year. The study comes from Denver-based Alcohol Monitoring System – and they aren’t keeping track of Santa’s “nice” list. This Big-Brother-style company uses a device to monitor all the naughty little peeps out there, and found that violations from offenders jump 27% between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Maybe the drinkers feel that the “holiday spirit” will be enough to mask the smell of booze in their perspiration, which is tested every 30 minutes by AMS. Nope. Moral of the story? Don’t get yourself clamped down with one of these devices – stay on Santa’s (aka the governments’) good side..

Sleep No More Throws Epic New Year's Eve Party

The bar in the McKittrick Hotel is sexy, surreal and one of our favorite new nightlife venues in the city – never mind that it is all part of immersive theatrical experience Sleep No More. Coming off a successful Halloween-week run of parties in the space, Sleep is throwing what promises to be the most epic New Year’s Eve party in town. What better way to ring in the dawn of 2012 than by wearing a Venetian mask and drinking way too much Champagne. The entire hotel will be celebrating – which probably means those characters will be a little more wily (aka touchy) when you follow them around the corridors during the show. In addition to the full scale performance, guests can choose to join for a pre-show banquet (cocktails will be served!) and a post-show party that will rage until 4 AM.

The only catch? It’s pricey. Tickets to the banquet, show and after party are $600 per person, while tickets to just the show and party are $250. But, it should be well worth it – this may be the only New Year’s Eve party in NYC where it’s guaranteed you won’t be surrounded by douche bags. Get more info here.

Film, Food and Beer at Nitehawk Cinema. Can it Get Any Better?

Newly opened in Williamsburg, Nitehawk Cinema is New York’s first movie theater to be legally allowed to sell booze. Events like the upcoming Brooklyn Brewery: The Director’s Cut is exactly why this is such a development. On Tuesday, December 6th at 7:30 PM, guests will be able to enjoy a series of films that will be complemented by five courses of beer and food. Turns out that the Brooklyn Brewery’s Garrett Oliver went to film school before he got into beer. He’s joining forces with film buff John Woods and chef Saul Bolton to put together this epic tasting / movie going experience. Tickets are $90 in advance and $105 day of. You can get more information about the shindig here.

A Liquor Company Wants to Tattoo You

File this one under the wacky liquor promotions. We've all heard about the poor schmoes who go out, drink one too many, and then come home with a tattoo that they barely remember receiving. Well, Tuaca wants to makes sure that the tattoo you get is top notch. They've partnered with celebrity tattoo artist Corey Miller for a pretty kick-ass giveaway. We're not too up on the world of tattoo artists, but from what we understand it would be hard (and way pricey) for a civilian to get inked by Miller, so if you were thinking of getting that design stamped on to you , now is the time.

All you have to do is hit this website to enter. Oh, and in addition to the ink, you'll get a two night stay in Los Angeles and some spending money. If you're afraid of the needle, just think of how much fun the vacay will be.