230 FIFTH Rooftop Bar (New York - Flatiron District)

New York's most beautiful people secret to warm weather drinking in June - head up to 230 Fifth at The Rooftop Garden Bar and, literally, you can drink in the view (one of the most impressive in New York City).

Bar food is pricey and not that great but their cocktails are potentially strong.

If the weather permits, you must, sip their expensive cocktails and sit in awe watching the sun drop and the lights around NY come alive - awesome sight. If it gets a bit chilly, they have blankets that you can use to keep you warm.

And if you end up staying all through the night, go downstairs to The Penthouse Lounge for dancing.






230 FIFTH
230 5th Avenue corner 27th St.
New York, NY 10016
212-725-4300
$$$$

Penthouse Lounge

HAMGURGERS (San Francisco - SAUSALITO)

HAMBURGERS ... It's not just the burger, it is also the name of one of the tastiest flame broiled burgers in Northern California! It is located on the main street of Sausalito by the waterside, be watchful cause it is a hole-in-the-wall burger stall with a green awning. Follow your nose ... That delicious smell will lead you to the promise burger stall!

I always, and I mean - always, buy one whenever I am in the area ... Cheeseburger with everything for $6.60, not bad. The meat patty is about 3/4 of an inch to an inch thick ... and very juicy. Note: I order mine medium rare. They do have chicken burgers, too.

Enjoy your burger by the park waterfront ... best seat in the house.

HAMBURGERS

737 Bridgeway Blvd.

Sausalito, CA

415-332-9471

$ ... If this was McD's, I'd just put the bar without the S.

HOG ISLAND OYSTER CO. (San Francisco)

APHRODISIAC!!!

One of the freshest oysters you can find in San Francisco, raw or cooked, is in HOG ISLAND OYSTER CO.

Slurp it or gulp it and enjoy the Embarcadero view with a glass or two of your favorite vino. Happy hour is from 5pm-7pm, Mondays to Thursdays for their $1 oysters ... pretty good deal!

Atmosphere:
Confortable, with great views of the bay. Inside and outside seating available. Chaotic during lunch hour and happy hour.

Service:
A long wait especially during happy hour. You might feel being rushed to inhale it down since happy hour is only 2 hours. Get there early if you can.

Food:
Ofcourse the oysters! Must try the Grilled Cheese Sandwich and The Oysters Sampler Plate.

Price:
If it's not happy hour, it's a bit pricey.

Thoughts:
When I want fresh oysters, there is no other place but HOG ISLAND OYSTER CO.

HOG ISLAND OYSTER CO.
1 Ferry Building #11A
San Francisco, CA
(415) 391-7117
$$$

TAO RESTAURANT (New York)

Tao Restaurant (New York) has all the pretensions of a high profile restaurant from the moment you enter and see the 20's, 30's and 40-somethings from tourists, to working joe's, to wall-street types, models and all mingling at the bar sipping their $15 cocktails. The decor is nicely done with their impressive four-storey Buddha that seems to be watching over every patron, or their very posh nicely lit bathrooms.

The bar gets packed easily and is a good place to people watch while waiting for your table or just enjoy their pricey potent cocktails. If the bar downstairs is full, go upstairs to the 'secret' second bar, it's less crowded.

Picture: Mizo-Glazed Chilean Sea Bass with Wok Vegetables

Atmosphere:
Stunning! High energy and high decibel place sorrounded by loud bass boom of woofers. Great to impress friends, people watch or to meet and mate. Has become very touristy of late but still very trendy, has great music and a lot of fun.

Service:
Impersonal, sporadic and rushed but attentive. Even after making a reservation be prepared to wait and wait and wait.

Food:
There are only a handful of good pan Asian fusion dishes - Crispy Tuna Sashimi Roll with Edamame, Sashimi of Kobe Beef with Fresh Wasabi Sauce, Mizo-Glazed Chilean Sea Bass with Wok Vegetables, Crispy Coconut Shrimp with Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce, Banana Pudding - tempura bananas with fortune cookie crust, Giant Fortune Cookie filled with white & dark chocolate mousse.

Recommendation:
Dress to impress. Great for NYC newbies, group of friends or for happy-hour.

Price:
$50.00 minimum per person without drinks

Thoughts:
Will surely return to Tao Restaurant. More so for happy-hour!


TAO RESTAURANT (New York)
42 E 58th Street (between Park and Madison)
New York, NY 10022
(212) 888-2288

$$$

Clockwise: Crispy Tuna Sashimi Roll with Edamame, Jumbo Shrimp Tempura with Garlic-Chili Sauce, Banana Pudding - tempura bananas with fortune cookie crust, and Chocolate Spring Rolls with Kalamansi Sauce.