The lack of fresh seafood to buy in my neighborhood makes the prospect of a great dish from the sea all the more appealing and The Mermaid Inn, which has been on my list to try since I was able to pay for a nice meal out, is a great spot to indulge in the craving.

We shared oysters to start, a nice selection of East and West coast, the best we've had in a while. I have to give particular praise also to my hot and dirty cocktail – an ingenious combination of a dirty martini and hot sauce, complete with a banana pepper garnish. Why I've never thought of it before is a mystery, but it is certainly a drink I'll be making myself in the near future.

The space is warm and naturally lit with a staff that perfectly balances upscale service and genuine personality. It's little wonder that the restaurant is a neighborhood favorite, everything is just about right from the food to the price – which is maybe a little high for everyday grub, but far less than comparable places.

They even have a recession deal (before 7pm) that knocks the classic lobster roll down to twenty dollars plus a free Blue Point beer. Jim was psyched. My equally good meal of a perfectly pink, big salmon was set off by excellent accompaniments: asparagus, yellow squash, tomato hollandaise, yummm.

The meal was finished with an off the menu complimentary chocolate pudding with cream and the cute signature freebie of a Fortune Telling Fish that told me I was “in love”.

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Posted on May 25, 2009

There are days in my little life that go down forever in my personal shopping history (remember the $5 sale at that weird Off Fifth in Worcester, Stacy?) and Tuesday was definitely one of them. Odds Costume Rental is closing its doors, a sure tragedy in many respects, but the warehouse wide sale that accompanies the bad news is one of the most mind blowing and heart stopping experiences for fans of costume and vintage. I am indebted to Diane for the tip and am thrilled to pass it on to you.

From 1930's evening gowns, to layered embroidery gypsy skirts, from police uniforms to Carmen Miranda hats, the place will make your head spin with the possibilities. There are even racks and racks of men's stuff, though I didn't peruse them with any detail.

The prices are not dirt cheap, but extraordinarily reasonable for the exceptional quality and uniqueness of the garments. The only downside of the experience is that “insiders”, mostly performers and friends, seem to get slightly better deals than people like me that just wear this stuff on the stage of life. It was a little heart breaking to see one of the in crowd get lots more than me for the same price, but hey – $85 for a fully beaded flapper dress, $30 for the cutest, weirdest 80's poof dress this side of Betsy Johnson?I really can't complain can I?

There is a dressing room, in which you must be prepared to bare it all with a gaggle of other shoppers and it's only right that you put back the pieces you decide not to buy – I can't imagine the head ache abandoned dresses give the boisterous ladies who run it. Plus, they'll yell at you if you make their day more difficult.

The sale goes on until July 1st, and if I had infinite cash and time (and arm muscles – hauling this stuff still has me shakey) I could go back every day until then. But, fortunately, I do have some self control, and I'll just send everyone I know there every day instead.

Phew, I'm still buzzing from the thrill.

See more: Spend a Couple Hours Midtown West Shops Vintage

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Posted on May 25, 2009

Parks and Recreation is by no means perfected; it's a little too aware of its faux documentary feel and, even though I like Amy Poehler a lot, she's a bit too broad for the kind of subtle pathos that makes a similarly structured show like the Office so successful, it almost feels like it's hard for her not to treat every scene like an over-the-top SNL sketch. But it is pleasant to watch and I laughed way more than I expected to.

The show gets better and better with each episode, and you can now watch them all in a row on the Prime Time on Demand channel (if you have Time Warner here in NYC). The cast is strong; I love Aziz Ansari and he's great here playing a character who is harmlessly sleazy and really lazy. Rashida Jones is as adorable as ever as the straight man to Poehler's wild naif and her lay-about dude of a boyfriend is played to perfection by Chris Pratt.

My favorite character, though, is the anti government government official (a man who, like all true Libertarians, wishes all public parks were owned by private companies – in the pilot episode he explains that he thinks Chuck E Cheese would do a much better job administrating parks… he goes on to eventually admit that he'd much rather work for Chuck E Cheese) played with wonderful subtlety by the furrowy browed, manly mustached, and seething with hate for his ex-wife Nick Offerman (who is hopefully more happily married to Megan Mullalley off-screen).

It's a raw show that needs some time to grow, but already some really great dynamics between characters are developing and, as is true with most ensemble comedies, more laughs and a deeper sense of sympathy are evoked the longer you just spend time with them. I hope the show's given a chance to evolve and grow an audience.

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Posted on May 25, 2009

This flavorful dish owes its pizzazz to the multi-spice rub that includes brown sugar, cumin, cinnamon and lemon. Part sweet, part spicy, with the simple addition of thinly sliced onions to cook in the juices, this recipe of Indian Spiced Salmon won over even Jim, who is no particular fan of the popular fish.

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Posted on May 25, 2009

Maxine de la Falaise's obituary reads like a dream: she grew up in a family that “were the highest of haute bohemia”, as a child in school, “her clothes – Rhoda's (her mother's) discarded Schiaparellis or bespoke oriental ensembles – were awesome”. Later, shipped off to the US to find a wealthy husband, “She hung around Vogue in New York, was introduced to Elsa Schiaparelli, whose couture house had reopened… as perfect in her lanky loucheness to wear and sell for the house in its last years, and she was also photographed as a model for Dior, whose rise finally eclipsed Schiaparelli.”

She counted Louis Malle and Max Ernst among her lovers before becoming “an influential hostess among the Manhattan creatives” and a food columnist for Vogue. She was great friends with Andy Warhol and I know her well from his camp classic Blood for Dracula. Yves Saint Laurent, who claimed her daughter Loulou as a muse, was also enamored with Maxine and she both modeled for him and acted as his licensing consultant.

She was a gorgeous and fascinating woman who left her own, unique stamp on the world.

See more: Style Icons: Female Actors Designers Models Muses

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Posted on May 25, 2009