wine and dine, your money is fine.

Wining and dining at the most fabulous places is a must for me. I live for exploring new nooks and crannies in the city, from small and adorably affordable cafes downtown, to bank-breaking bistros for a selective splurge. This morning, a relative of mine, who is very well aware of my recent increase in indulgent dining, sent me this great guide to recession dining. The deck includes listings of BYOB restaurants, weekly specials, happy hour recommendations, and general tips on maintaining a life of fabulous dining despite dips in the wallet. Check some of the places out, and use the money you save to do it all over again! And of course, don’t forget about restaurant week, which has been announced for July 12th-31st. Last year, I visited Butter and Il Cantinori for two beyond amazing meals. Butter was worth 500 more trips, so I definitely plan on making an appearance there again. Head to OpenTable ASAP to score your top picks! I hope to land a spot at Mesa Grill! The menu looks divine, but the reservation process resembles the wait for a Birkin bag circa the Lucy Liu episode on the show whose front woman just had twins via surrogate. (I love you, SJP, but those names?! Come on, honey.)

Continuing the sail on the Sale Boat that is my life, I have been one of the lucky ladies to win a free happy hour at the very place where AC hosted her fabulous evening a few weeks ago. What excitement! I’ve got a new dress ready to go, so let’s just hope it matches the magic bracelet that will feed me freebies all night…