The Friday prior to Fourth of July, I was invited to Ben & Jack's Steak House which just opened on 5th Avenue. I love that Ben and Jack are two brothers that worked various positions within the restaurant industry and were waiters at famed Peter Lugar's. Now I have never been to their uptown location; however, I tend to enjoy going downtown to eat at sister restaurants as they tend to be less corporate which is a positive for me. On this Fri, my Food Editor, Paul Belobritsky, and I settled into the restaurant which was much bigger than I had suspected. I love that the main level looks back at the bar and a cute atrium. If you go upstairs, there is another spacious area where additional people can sit with another bar. But in addition to additional seating, there are rooms that can be rented out. This is perfect during Fashion Week if you want to take out your Creative Designer, PR Teams, etc as they are perfect for groups of 10 - 12. If you're doing a larger event, then maybe you would consider booking the entire upstairs area. Sitting on 5th Ave, this is the perfect area that's close to Madison Park, Flatiron, Chelsea, etc.

The first thing that I have to say was the best part of my experience is the fact that most of the staff was not aware that we were from Kitten Lounge. Typically, when people know I'm coming, we find the staff to be extremely attentive, we're offered items that aren't on the menu etc. We entered the restaurant and we were the recipients of genuine attention. I can't say how nice it is to have various staff attending to your table and never having to look up to get a refill of your water, extra bread and more. I felt that this attention was analogous to being on a cruise ship where people are very attentive without feeling like you're being intruded upon. Whether you're here for a dinner among friends or you're impressing your staff, this is a perfect place to consider.

To start out, we enjoyed the best Great Neck Oysters which were quite large and we had the Crab which was also refreshing. The Great Neck Oysters were my favorite as they didn't have a fishy taste and once again the size was perfect! This is a must to start off the night. For dinner, Paul had the Filet Mignon (which I sampled and loved the taste but I am not a fan of the rare that he requested) which he asked to be rare but felt that it came back Black and Blue. I enjoyed the Sea Bass which I was pleased to find that it didn't have the butter sauce with it as I find that to be a very distracting flavor. The sides are very generous and are family style. We had the creamed spinach - very tasty although not as cheesy as I'm used to and then the Mashed Potatoes which were heaven (as you know I love Mashed Potatoes). For dessert, I enjoyed a very generous portion of Raspberry Sorbet with their very own (made from scratch whipped cream) and Paul had Tiramisu with their whipped cream as well.

With a relaxed atmosphere and with the attentive staff, the dining experience is a must! I couldn't help but think of those in fashion and entertainment who want to have a nice dinner that is equidistant to those that may be coming all over the city in order to have a meal together. Whether it's a post Fashion Week, Coterie, Project or meal prior to a CD launch, Ben & Jack's Steakhouse is the perfect place to hold these functions and more without having that ultra corporate feel while retaining a gorgeous atmosphere. If you're visiting the city, this is a must as well! Check out the site and think about what you would love to have here and as always, drop by for a drink as this is a great way to see a restaurant by sitting at the bar and watching the crowd in general.

Ben & Jack's Steakhouse

255 5th Ave

NY, NY

After work you have so many thoughts on your mind but when it gets warmer, you only think about one thing - drinks! I love the fact you're more inclined to go all over the city just to get a great drink. Whether you're going to have one or a few, you still want to have a fun experience! One of my favorite places that's not only cozy but has an inventive menu is Cibar! I love that although this is a girly bar with its pink walls, you definitely see lots of people popping in and out! Take some time to check this out and I am in LOVE with their massive martini list!

This weeked I'm in Chicago and if you are avid readers of the Kitten Lounge, you know that I covered Pops for Champagne in the holiday gift guide last year. Pops for Champagne is a super cute bar that has a number of champagnes available, a great crowd and a jazz bar that has music Thurs - Sun (I definitely want to come back to watch a show as I am a fan of jazz being the great neice to tenor saxophonist, Joe Henderson). Tonight, we enjoyed the Flat Bread Lamb which was an amazing combination of lamb, garlic puree, apples and this tasty melt in your mouth flat bread! This complimented our champagne which I am sad to say, I don't know the label.

This is the kind of place that you can test your champagne knowledge or put your tastebuds in the hands of staff that can find what works best for you and what compliments your meal the best. When it comes to a great night out to begin, end or stay - this is definitely a top place in Chicago to come to. I have to say, that I wish this champagne bar would be amazing to have in NYC and maybe one day it will come here (sorry Bubble Lounge). If you're in the area - come by and yes, you can still enjoy the game!

There are certain times during the year that I absolutely love to be in the midst of shopping mania! One of them is when Lucky Magazine holds its Lucky Shops event! I love going and checking out a variety of items that are greatly reduced while enjoying some cocktails. Each fall that I have attended, the deals have been better and I have walked away with some great finds and awesome goodies to go with it (I am still giddy about my Tory Burch bag and the most amazing CK seamless panties - TMI I know but I love them so it's ok). This year, Lucky Shops will be at the Metropolitan Pavilion on November 7th and 8th. This year the denim bar is back thanks to Lycra and of course Singer will be there for complimentary hemming. Lucky's "The Lucky Guide to Mastering Any Look" will be available for purchase and I love that Benefit will have a Brow Bar. With so many giveaways available and more, you'll want to get your tickets to be apart of this. In addition, the lovelies at Lucky Shops want to give you a little love so we have a giveaway for the coveted goodie bag! One of you will win this bag stuffed to the brim with goodies by visiting the site and providing comments here on the following question: Tell me why you like Lucky Shops and what you hope to get while there from the vendors that will be attending this shopping event. Those with the correct answer will be randomly drawn. Winners will be announced on Oct 24th! If you're going let me know and I'm sure I will see you there!