Labor Day weekend means the end of a lazy summer for many, so why not skip the messy grilling and sloppy counter tops this holiday. Enjoy your day off without chipping your nails. Check out one of these five ways to keep it oh-so-haute.

Hill Country Barbecue

For the Labor Day barbecue purists, Hill Country is the only place to head for a savory, fall-off-the-bone experience. Walk in, say “howdy” and feel like a real Southern roadie. You get to pick from cowboy classics like pork spare ribs and beef shoulder, and pair it up with gourmet comfort food like longhorn cheddar mac and cheese and sweet potato bourbon mash. And to complete your travel to Texas, you get your meat over the counter, wrapped in butcher paper.

Hill Country is located at 30 W. 26th St., Manhattan, 212.255.4544,‎ www.hillcountryny.com.

Mel’s Burger Bar

Nothing says long weekend like a succulent burger, and Mel’s Burger Bar dishes up something different from the ordinary. Brand new and open just in time for Labor Day, they’re dishing out your burger just the way you like it, whether you want it with double patties and cheese or topped with gourmet sauces ranging from béarnaise to chimichurry. Before you sink your teeth into the meat, you can nosh on some disco fries with lots of cheese and gravy, or get your serving of veggies with breaded zucchini and marinara sauce. Satisfy your sweet tooth with one of their monster milk shakes that come in flavors like mint Oreo or PB&J. The best part? You can get your shakes spiked.

Mel’s Burger Bar is located at 2950 Broadway, Manhattan, 212.865.7100.

Ditch Plains

Kick off your holiday with an oyster shooter, spiked with vodka or not, and move on to all sorts of grilled up goodies at Ditch Plains. The laid back eatery surrounds you with surfing paraphernalia and simple delicious dishes. Hot dog heaven is made with the “ditch dog,” the restaurant’s hot dog topped with a béchamel mac and cheese on a soft potato roll. Barbecue chicken legs spice up the menu; they’re grilled up in a secret house-made barbecue sauce and served alongside chunky homemade potato salad.

Ditch Plains is located at 29 Bedford St., Manhattan, 212.633.0202, www.ditch-plains.com.

Boqueria

Have a caliente end-of-summer celebration at Boqueria. The Spanish tapas bar gives diners a riff on Labor Day brunch favorites with dishes like the “huevos y brandada,” baked eggs with salt cod brandade and blistered peppers, or the “bocata huevo,” a soft scrambled eggs dish with bacon and crème fraiche. Whether you hit their swanky SoHo location or their always-packed Flatiron storefront, the food is bound to make your labor-less Labor Day muy delicioso.

Boqueria SoHo is located at 171 Spring St., Manhattan, 212.343.4255; Boqueria Flatiron is located at 53 W. 19th St., Manhattan, 212.255.4160.

Ed’s Chowder House

If you can’t make it to the beach for the weekend, this is your ticket to the shore. Ed’s brings you classic seafood-shack cuisine with that Upper West Side classiness. Ranging from rich, flavor-packed appetizers like the scallop ravioli with white wine sauce or tuna tartare with quail egg and waffle chips. You can choose from the “simple mains,” which are simply grilled selections of seafood and steaks. Or if you want the pizzazz of preparation, the “composed mains” include dressed up classics like an herb-crusted skate with horseradish mashed potatoes or a lobster roll with house slaw. Either way, it’s Montauk in Manhattan.

Ed’s Chowder House is located at 44 W. 63rd St., Manhattan, 212.956.1288.

Courtesy Barbuzzo

South 13th Street, that little ally of great home shops and food establishments snuggled in between Market and Walnut streets, is growing yet again. Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran, the dynamic duo behind many of the Midtown Village drag’s best bets, is back at it. With Open House, Verde, Grocery, Bindi and Lolita all under their belts, Wednesday will mark the opening of Mediterranean-influenced Barbuzzo.

The farmhouse feel is appropriate, as Turney is a known supporter of local farms and produce. A massive barn door from nearby Lancaster County serves as the artistic centerpiece of the dining room, paired with distressed brick and found chairs and even a few church pews for seating. In addition to the traditional tables, there will be outdoor, kitchen counter and bar seating available.

Dishes will include starters like roasted marrow bones and “piggy popcorn” — a gourmet take on pork rinds. Crispy pizzas, house-made pasta and a take on fideua (with smoked chourico sausage, calamari, shrimp, mussels, roasted shrimp noodles and aioli) also are on the menu. Turney is doing all the smoking in-house, so be prepared for melt-in-your-mouth smoked bacon, sausages and other charcuterie items. All pork is coming from Green Meadow Farms in Gap, Pa.

Barbuzzo will be the first restaurant by Turney and Safran to have a liquor licence, and they are stocking up on draft, bottled and canned beers, including Peroni from the boot, and a wine list.

Barbuzzo is located at 110 South 13th Street, 215.546.9300, www.barbuzzo.com

When you meet an artist on the rise to stardom a spark ignites. Some may call it spectacular excitement, others a natural buzz, but one thing is certain there is a captivating energy in the air inviting YOU to take part.

Official Hank, an emerging and soon to be pop icon, recently started his “Let’s Make It Official” fundraising campaign for his upcoming album on KickStarter.com.

Official Hank held an intimate launch event to celebrate the campaign and raise awareness several weeks ago at Bistro Chat Noir, a quaint hotspot on 66th and Madison in the Upper East Side, known for it’s celebrity clients like ehem… Anna Wintour.

Official Hank, Heather Holley, Christina Aguilera

Supporting the launch were New York based multi-platinum songwriter and producer Heather Holley, Ben Affleck, Dina Fania of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Pop-culture and celebrity blogger Jonathan Valdez. In an acoustic style fit for only the most intimately subdued evening, (the kind where celebrities wine and dine without the flash of paparazzi), Official Hank cleared the center of the room. He parked a stool and sang lyrics that truly made New York City an honor to call home.

With a goal of 20k by October 4 for his upcoming album, I invite YOU to take part of the initiative. Check out more details at Let’s Make it Official.

(Pictured: Cat Deeley, Michael Sheen and Nigel Lythgoe)

Actor Michael Sheen is a pure chameleon. First he’s Tony Blair, then David Frost and now…himself!

Sheen and various other Brits showed up en masse to celebrate BAFTA LA’s annual (and the eighth year running) Tea Party last Saturday on the eve of the Primetime Emmy Awards.

There were numerous other non-Brits in attendance, including Glenn Close and Aussie co-star Rose Byrne, Evan Handler and Madeline Zima, nominee Jesse Tyler Ferguson (“Modern Family” aka the winner of Best Comedy Series) Cherry Jones (of the now defunct “24″) and Shohreh Aghdashloo, Anna Kendrick, Julia Ormond (who won last night for HBO’s “Temple Grandin”; “CSI: Miami’s” Eva La Rue, “90210’s” Jessica Lowndes.

(Glenn Close and Alex Boorstein share a laugh)

(Madeline Zima and Tony Curran)

Following the 2010 Emmy Awards, HBO held an invite-only party at The Plaza at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood. HBO had plenty to celebrate, especially after earning eight Emmys, the most out of any of the networks.

Guests included David Strathairn, who won for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie, and Claire Danes, who won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie, both for Temple Grandin. The HBO made-for-TV movie was overall the night’s biggest winner, bringing home five Emmys.

Also in attendance were Entourage stars Adrian Grenier and Perrey Reeves, the cast of True Blood, and Aaron Paul, from Breaking Bad, winner of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and Jim Parsons of The Big Bang Theory, winner of Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

To view more photos from the after party, visit Haute Living’s Events Gallery.

On Friday, Aug. 27, Entertainment Weekly held its annual pre-Emmy party at the Restaurant at the Sunset Marquis Hotel in West Hollywood. Sponsored by L’Oreal and in conjunction with Women in Film’s TV and Media Committee, EW honored the female Emmy nominees while paying tribute to all the talented women in the television industry.

“It was such a smash success [last year] that we wanted to do it for the second year in a row,” EW’s special projects editor Lisa Simpson told Extra. Guests sipped on specialty drinks and enjoyed passed hors d’oeuvres while mingling among some of Hollywood’s finest.

The guest list was loaded with both new and veteran celebrities including Anna Paquin (along with her new husband Stephen Moyer), Carrie Preston, and Lindsay Pulsihper from True Blood, Emmanuelle Chriqui and Jeremy Piven from Entourage, Jayma Mays and Jessalyn Gilsig from Glee, Julia Ormond, who won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Movie, and Aaron Paul who won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a drama for Breaking Bad.

To view more photos from the celeb-studded party, visit Haute Living’s Event Gallery.

Our Haute 100 list details the accomplishments of the most influential people in each of our markets—Miami, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. These people continue to make moves, so rather than waiting for the next Haute 100 issue to come out, we thought we’d provide you with regular updates on those Haute 100 members who are making headlines. In today’s business news, rumors are flying about whether former Walt Disney Co. C.E.O. Michael Eisner can save the troubled Tribune Co.

Michael Eisner

Category: Thinkers

Industry: Media

Company: The Tornante Co.

What Made Him Haute: He saved The Walt Disney Co. when he stepped in as chief executive officer from 1984 to 2005. After leaving, he founded the Tornante Co., an investment firm that aids and incubates companies and opportunities in media and entertainment. In ’07, Tornante launched a studio, Vuguru, to produce and distribute videos for the Internet, portable media devices and cell phones.

What Makes Him Haute Now: After saving Walt Disney Co. in the mid-1980s, Tribune Co., which owns the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, KTLA-TV Channel 5 and other television, publishing and media properties, is looking to Eisner to do the same for its company, which is currently under bankruptcy-court protection. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the former chief executive at Disney is rumored to become the new chairman of the sinking media company, taking the place of Chicago real estate titan Sam Zell. Discussions about the new executives at Tribune are still preliminary, but Eisner, who was first approached about stepping on board by John Angelo, has reportedly been buying debt in the Tribune Co. After stepping down from Disney, Eisner started his own firm, The Tornante Co., in addition to owning Topps, in partnership with Madison Dearborn Partners, and creating Nickelodeon’s animated series, Glenn Martin, DDS. Eisner’s new book, Working Together: Why Great Partnerships Succeed, will be released on Sept. 14.

Our Haute 100 list details the accomplishments of the most influential people in each of our markets—Miami, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. These people continue to make moves, so rather than waiting for the next Haute 100 issue to come out, we thought we’d provide you with regular updates on those Haute 100 members who are making headlines. On our Haute 100 New York list is hip-hop heavy weight Jay-Z.

Jay-Z

Category: Entertainers

Industry: Music

What Makes Him Haute: More than just a hip-hop icon, the former CEO of Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella co-owns the New Jersey Nets and the 40/40 Club. One of the highest paid artists in his field, Jay-Z signed a $150 million contract with Live Nation in April — one of the largest contracts ever awarded to an entertainer.

What Makes Him Haute Now: Brooklyn-bred rapper and business tycoon Jay-Z is set to join singer Bono and U2 on the Australian leg of the band’s 360 tour. Widely popularized as the hautest show Down Under, the tour is the first concert to be promoted by Live Nation Australia and will take place in five different cities. Tickets go on sale Sept. 3, but if you are not planning a trip Down Under in the near future, a live concert CD will be available stateside.

As if the hip-hop mogul is not busy enough with touring the world, he also has a memoir entitled ”Decoded” due out this September. The book will be a first-hand reflection of his life and career.

Our Haute 100 list details the accomplishments of the most influential people in each of our markets—Miami, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. These people continue to make moves, so rather than waiting for the next Haute 100 issue to come out, we thought we’d provide you with regular updates on those Haute 100 members who are making headlines. On our Haute 100 Miami list is A-list actor and philanthropist Matt Damon.

Matt Damon

Category: Entertainers

Company: LivePlanet

Industry: Film

What Makes Him Haute: The A-list actor (named “Sexiest Man Alive” in 2007 by People) settled down in Miami Beach with a former bartender from a South Beach hot spot. The couple has two girls, and Damon is also stepfather to another from his wife’s first marriage, meaning he’s the only male in his household. Maybe that accounts for the action-packed, explosion-riddled flicks he stars in, such as the Bourne series and his latest film, The Green Zone. In addition to being a box-office draw, the Harvard-educated Damon is a liberal activist, philanthropist, and Miami triathlon competitor. He co-founded LivePlanet production company with Ben Affleck in 2000 with the mission of creating media that can be enjoyed across a variety of platforms, and while the company has been “resting” for a bit, in February, it was announced that the two Oscar winners are teaming up again to produce films for Warner Bros.

What Makes Him Haute Now: Singer/songwriter and philanthropist Barclay Martin has partnered with Water.org, a non-profit organization co-founded by Matt Damon and Gary White. The Kansas City-based musician is taking part in the clean water project in rural Kenya alongside Damon.

Water.org is responsible for the transformation of hundreds of communities in Africa, South Asia and Central America by providing access to clean water and sanitation. “One in eight people lack access to safe drinking water — and two in five people don’t have a sanitary toilet. These two deficits are the leading cause of disease and death in the world,” says Damon. “This is the good news: we know how to bring people clean water. Solutions are simple, affordable, and readily available. Together, we can end this crisis,” he adds.

New partner and advocate Barclay Martin will debut “Pools That Swell With the Rain” at the historic Folly Theater on Sept. 24. A portion of proceeds from the album will help fund new wells, sanitation technologies and health education in the Kyuso District of Kenya.

Our Haute 100 list details the accomplishments of the most influential people in each of our markets—Miami, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. These people continue to make moves, so rather than waiting for the next Haute 100 issue to come out, we thought we’d provide you with regular updates on those Haute 100 members who are making headlines. Today, the press, analysts, and the salivating public are guessing what Steve Jobs will unveil for the new generation of Apple at a special event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts on Sept. 1.

Steve Jobs

Category: Billionaires

Company: Apple

Industry: Technology

What Made Him Haute: You don’t need us to tell you the background about why he’s haute. What he’s been up to in 2010 to keep his haute factor relevant is the ongoing teasers, official announcements, and updates regarding Apple’s new iPad. Only time will tell if Apple can once again deliver on its hype.

What Makes Him Haute Now: Can you keep a secret? Steve Jobs certainly can, although Apple’s guitar-imprinted invitations, which went out to the media and analysts inviting them to a special event in San Francisco on Sept. 1, sent a clue as to what Jobs has in store for Apple devotees. With bloggers and analysts playing into the hype, rumors are swirling about what the big announcement will be. According to Forbes, Apple shares have been up an average of 12 percent every September for the past five years, excluding 2008, due to the release of new iPod models. Following the release of the iPhone 4, a new version of the iPod Touch equipped with a forward-facing camera and FaceTime video chat is much anticipated. A cloud-based iTunes service is also expected, as are the introduction of the new $99 Apple TV, bearing the name iTV, and 99-cent TV episode rentals.