I don’t know about you, but if someone asked me to choose between baseball or foie gras, it wouldn’t be too long before I’m comfortably sitting at a quaint restaurant savoring the delectable French delicacy and saying, “Yankees, who?” But that’s just me.

This week New York restaurants are feeling the heat when it comes to losing their Yankee fan customers. Some of the most exclusive high-end restaurants are empty during games and they are assuming it has something to do with their lack of sports.

“It’s a great night to call in and snag that 7:30 p.m. reservation,” David Burke, owner of the Townhouse on East 61 Street says, acknowledging his establishment’s disadvantage may come from not owning a single television. “A certain percentage of those that go to the game are customers of mine, damn Yankees,” he jokes. Last night when the Yankees played, the gourmet restaurant had 80 reservations. The night before, sans Yankees, Burke reports more than 150 reservations. The ensuing battle between baseball and fine dining is certainly turning out to be quite the show of personal preference.

Burke notes that, should the Yankees make it to the 2010 Series, he may set up a few TVs and offer a “ballpark-inspired menu of mini-hot dogs.” As a fan of foie gras and fine-dining in general, I beg Burke to reconsider—there must be others like myself who would love to fill his dining room while baseball season is here, preferably without the constant buzz of a sportscaster screaming plays through the big screen.

Maite Arguelles, general manager of Milo on West 55 Street seems to agree with me. “In the ‘90s we were always down because of the World Series, and now we are seeing it again. Some customers have asked for private rooms with a TV, but we don’t do that. We are a fine dining establishment.” Amen.

On the other hand, New York City sports bars love the start of the season, and so they should. As a firm believer of “there’s a time and a place” for everything, sports bars are great places to enjoy a game with a beer and a burger. To each his own; and there’s no harm in enjoying a quiet dinner before passing by the local sports bar to catch the score on your way home. After all, it’s one thing to love foie gras in New York; it’s another to be completely clueless about the Yankees. It’s all about balance.

Via: New York Post

WHO: David W. Streets, Fine Art Advisor and Appraiser of Beverly Hills, now featuring the photography work of Gray Malin

WHAT: Just in time for the holidays, Gray Malin, one of the finest young photographers on the market, is now available only at David W. Streets Gallery. His images capture fashion, style, and a story that he tells with humor. Select pieces include the “Vintage de la Renta Dress Series” and “A Converted Gas Station in the Heart of Texas Houses Prada,” framed, signed, and numbered.

WHEN: Now through November 10, 2009

WHERE: David W. Streets Fine Art Gallery
9407 & 9411 S. Santa Monica Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310-275-3464

HOW: Call the gallery to place an order or to see the entire collection.

In a quizzical move by philanthropic organization Best Buddies (the group praised for their work at integrating special needs citizens into everyday work environments) the non-profit affiliation has announced the stars expected to attend the 13th Annual Best Buddies Gala November 20th in Miami, and BB has enlisted R&B bad boy abuser Chris Brown as the highlight and musical entertainment (insert head scratch?).

Additional faces noted to appear at Anthony Kennedy Shriver’s do-gooder organization include Mini-Me (Verne Troyer), Marcia Brady (Maureen McCormick), Lisa Rinna (LOVE her dance workout video), and Olympic medalist Carl Lewis. Amazing that fifty- percent of those people were on Vh1’s Surreal Life, am I right?

Support for the cause’s “Spread the Word to End the Word” campaign culminates with Brown’s performance, and I really can’t fathom the logic by booking someone as notorious as Brown for his Rihanna-related indiscretion, other than maybe giving Brown a chance for redemption and showing there possibly  is a heart under all those muscles.

Via: The Miami Herald

In what may seem like a flashback to Brat Pack days, Charlie Sheen was among throngs of pubescent girls over the weekend. Only this time, it wasn’t fulfilling his duties as teen heartthrob, it was as a distinguished and mature brother-in-law to Sydney Wolofsky, little sister to wife Brooke Mueller Sheen (who is how old?!). Another distinguished Charlie present Palm Beach pubescent’s bat mitzvah? Crist. As in the Governor.

Wolofsky had quite the Jewish-rite-of-passage fete over the weekend at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, with all the teen queen elements firmly in place–a pink carpet for guests to enter the banquet upon, a pink throne to be touted around in, and of course, Sheen and Crist for Wolofsky and some 70 classmates to gawk at.

In addition to the Palm Beach Day Academy students, over 200 family and friends flew in from all over the world, including locales like Australia, Hungary, Puerto Rico, Aspen, the Hamptons, and of course, Los Angeles.

Wolofsky aspires to be an actress one day, and her dreams seem well within reach considering some of her Hollywood connections; displayed via video shout-out. Familiar faces wishing a happy birthday to the teen were Sheen’s co-star, Jon Cryer, Martin Sheen, Regis Philbin, and McSteamy (aka Eric Dane) and wife Rebecca Gayheart. Also bringing the Hollywood glam was Bring it On cheerleader Rachele Brooke Smith, who gave a surprise dance performance.

I wonder if MTV has considered My Super Sweet Bat Mitzvah?

Via: Page2Live

It looks like nothing more than a typical Hollywood Boulevard storefront from the street.  In fact, it looked at first like something to avoid at all costs.  The King King club on Hollywood Blvd (too close to Highland for comfort, really) is a treasure that, while not exactly hidden, is underrated.  In the unlikeliest of places, it is an escape from the everyday of Hollywood and its surrounds.

The darkness of the club, its inviting leather booths, the red brick walls, and the backlit velvet curtain all invite you to commit dark deeds or at least watch them being enacted.  It’s a large space that they don’t necessarily fill and Mario Melendez, the club’s owner, has handpicked some very talented performers to entice your every whim.

Among the performances not to miss at the King King is Cati Jean’s “L’effleur des Sens” every other Thursday night.  Here’s the catch: tonight is the last performance of 2009!

“L’effleur des Sens” is a French cabaret-style show complete with classically trained dancers (read: models) and a very French host who may or may not come down and ask the audience a couple of spine-tingling questions to keep the momentum going.  Numbers to look out for are “Caged” and the finale. They’re Fosse-esque, they’re witty, they’re sexy, and those girls can dance.  Sidle into a booth and introduce your senses to some professional French flirts.

London and Swiss-based yacht design studio, Lila-Lou has just revealed its latest project: the new Ankida yacht.  This magnificent superstructure is shaped in a bow-like arrangement designed to optimize wind efficiency.

The unique design allows wind direction and conditions to be optimized by way of fully automatic positioning of the large surface-area sails. To gain the best performance and speed, the center mass is adjusted for maximum efficiency, however, when the boat is at rest, the booms automatically rest joined and facing in line with the straight center mast.

Should it be necessary, the Ankida is able to operate under one sail, which allows for the unique option of a portside sail. To ensure a safe sail as well as a smooth one, the Ankida is also equipped with an advanced software package capable of aiding crew with weather, navigation and operations on board.

The beautiful yacht is not only easy on the eyes, but it’s easy to maneuver, ensuring every sail is as pleasant as the last.

Via: Born Rich

WHO: Kenneth Cole

WHAT: Designer KENNETH COLE will be visiting San Francisco for what is sure to be an incredible event. The exclusive SILVER EDITION 925 TECHNOLOGY footwear collection is designed to wear from 9-2-5.  This patented cushioning system has already revolutionized the fashion shoe industry by providing the most comfortable shoes that a woman ever looked good in.  More than 1,500 women waited in line outside the Kenneth Cole Rockefeller Center store in NYC to pick up their pair, and under 3 hours, the store had completely sold out of key styles.  To date, more than 6000 pairs of shoes have been pre-sold.

On the heels of this groundbreaking shoe launch, Kenneth Cole will appear at his Grant Avenue store location in San Francisco with a new shipment of “925” styles and will be signing soles for shoppers.

WHEN: Thursday, November 5
5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Kenneth Cole Store
166 Grant Avenue
San Francisco, CA

HOW:  RSVP to 415.640.8971

For more info, check out the NY launch of Silver Edition 925 Technology.

“Elk Song Ranch” offers numerous ways to indulge your passions, whether you wish to skate or play hockey on the large frozen pond, ride your horse on the many trails throughout the ranch, relax on the sun-drenched deck next to the elegant swimming pool, snowmobile or cross country ski around the property, or simply curl up to watch a movie in the intimate theater. The luxurious living accommodations include 7 bedrooms, 7 full baths, 3 half-baths, approximately 20,000 square feet, gracious foyer with grand staircase, large great room with sunken bar, floor to ceiling windows, gourmet kitchen with top of the line appliances, formal dining room, fully equipped exercise room, game room with billiards & pinball, and expansive master suite with his and her bathrooms, abundant closet space, cozy sitting area, attached office, and inviting outdoor space with hot tub. The expansive outdoor patios are perfect for entertaining, whether hosting a large dinner party, wedding reception, corporate meeting, or something a bit more intimate. Breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and open meadows complete the package!

Offered @ $49,750,000 Fully Furnished

Contact Doug Leibinger @ 970.379.9045 or doug@AspenAreaProperty.com. Or visit www.AspenAreaProperty.com.

A beautiful Traditional home, south of Quaquanantuck Lane on 1.2 plus acres with beautiful gardens, a heated pool with electric pool cover, patios and a pool house. The 7,000 sq. ft. home offers six bedrooms, four full and two half baths, four fireplaces and bright open interior spaces all well appointed and detailed. Great room with gourmet kitchen, butler’s pantry, wine cellar, formal dining and living rooms, sitting room, and screened porch. Minutes to the ocean beaches.

Offered @ $5,995,000

Contact Tim Davis @ 631.283.7300 x 211 or  tgdavis@corcoran.com. Or visit www.corcoran.com.

Even though February is still four months away and Thanksgiving is right around the corner, thousands of football junkies across the nation have touchdowns, not turkey legs, on their minds. Miami, the lucky home of the 2010 Super Bowl (and all the revenue it will bring to our city) , is gearing up for the stampede of drunken pigskin fanatics ready to rock the newly-renovated Land Shark Stadium. If you are one of the many who covet the opportunity to engage in one of America’s favorite pastimes, you must be asking yourself an extremely important question: where do I stay?

Given the reality that Super Bowl weekend is, by far, one of the most jam-packed, crazy events our city will see in 2010, it would be wise for you to secure your accommodations as early as possible. The problem? The NFL has been known to lock up almost every available hotel room in the city until right before game day, then give the green light to your favorite luxury hotel to unload all of their rooms at an exorbitantly inflated price, a seemingly wise money-making tactic on their part (though we’ll see this year, given the state of our struggling economy).

Lucky for you, one luxury brand is feeling extra generous this season.  The Loews Miami Beach is offering a Super Bowl contest through a Facebook promotion that will award one lucky winner a four-night stay at the hotel from February 4–7, 2010, and include two tickets to the game. All you have to do is become a fan of their Facebook page before December 15 to enter yourself in the running. So for all of you social networking naysayers out there who vowed to never fall prey to the ever-omnipresent lure of Facebook, suck it up and go sign up.

Via: Hotel Chatter