Best Weekend Ever 6.14.07

The summer wind, came blowin’ in…



THE ULTIMATE CHAMPAGNE SERVICE
Nothing says luxury quite like Mandarin Oriental’s premium label table-side champagne service. Available daily in their 35th Floor Lobby Lounge, this decadent service offers patrons a choice of Dom Pérignon or Krug blended with a choice of fresh, homemade fruit purée (choose: kiwi, passion fruit, Mandarin orange & lychee, or mango & Indonesian lime). A mere $75 gets you a glass of Dom or $175 for a half-bottle of Krug.

Mandarin Oriental New York, 80 Columbus Circle, 35th Floor Lobby Lounge, (212) 805-8800, mandarinoriental.com/newyork

THE GORGEOUS SHOW
Leggy, blonde, flexible, and funny. Do you need another reason to hit Aspen for Candis Cayne’s cabaret performance, The Gorgeous Show? Vamping around to music by DJ Marco, Miss Candis has been known to draw a celeb crowd, so get there early. Drink specials all night. Mondays at 10 p.m.

Aspen, 30 West 22nd Street (Fifth & Sixth Avenues), (212) 645-5040, aspen-nyc.com

SURF’S UP
Garden dine in the East Village. The Mermaid Inn’s new menu includes Sautéed Shrimp Scampi with Chickpeas and Salsa Fresca. Lunch mate doesn’t like new? The raw bar still offers the old faves.

The Mermaid Inn, 96 Second Avenue (5th & 6th Streets), (212) 674-5870, themermaidnyc.com

MONKEY BUSINESS
You’ve heard enough, it’s time to see (and taste) the new Monkey Bar for yourself. Monkey murals grace the walls and house-infused exotic fruit vodkas pair with a menu from Patricia Yeo (Sapa). Try bar bites like Mini Potato Knishes. Save room for Banana Baked Alaska.

Monkey Bar at Hotel Elysée, 60 East 54th Street (Park & Madison Avenues), (212) 838-2600, theglaziergroup.com

MAKING SCENTS

Every nose knows that great food has as much to do with what’s above your mouth as what you put in it. Join Chandler Burr, Scent Critic for T, The New York Times Style Magazine and author of The Emperor of Scent: A Story of Perfume, Obsession, and the Last Mystery of the Senses, for a scent-sational dinner at The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel. Each course features scents and spice found in some of your favorite fragrances, like the dessert: a delectable vanilla rum milkshake reminiscent of Tom Ford’s Black Orchid. Monday (6/18), 7 p.m. Call (212) 570-7192 for reservations.

The Carlyle Hotel, A Rosewood Hotel, 35 East 76th Street (Madison Avenue), (212) 744-1600, thecarlyle.com

START YOUR ENGINE
Ferrari. Lamborghini. Bentley. Aston Martin. Call shotgun on Father’s Day. Book Dad a room at Mandarin Oriental, and Gotham Dream Cars will set him up with a luxe ride for the weekend (heck, they’ll even toss in road maps with the precious keys). If Dad’s booked, get him a room between June 26th and 28th for the Dream Car Tour, a custom test drive of six sporty speedsters. Besides the memory, Dad walks away with a certificate and digital pics. Now, who’s the good son?

Mandarin Oriental New York, 80 Columbus Circle, (212) 805-8800, mandarinoriental.com

UPTOWN EXPRESSED
Views: check. Outdoor dining: check. Ceviche, caviar, raw bar: check, check, check. And, don’t forget Hudson River Cafe’s cocktail list, which includes local tributes like the Sweet Cotton Club Mojito (Hendrick’s, strawberry-infused gin), and the Sugar Hill Martini (Milagro Silver, Grand Marnier, cinnamon, pineapple).

Hudson River Café, 697 West 133 Street (Twelfth Avenue), (212) 491-9111, hudsonrivercafe.com