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In This Issue:
At the Top: Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler
 February is the month of carnivals—those wild, Pre-Lenten bacchanals that rank among the best parties on the planet. See Alan’s View below for a brief history of carnivals and his selection of the world’s three best celebrations. Of course, New Orleans, which has turned partying into an art form, holds the carnival crown in North America (check out Night+Day New Orleans). But many cities throughout the world offer their own interpretation of delirious revelry and abandon–from Rio’s electrifying explosion of samba, floats, and nearly nude bodies; to Köln’s clown costumes and relentless tavern-hopping; to Trinidad’s ringing steel pans and rhythmic soca music. Our Top 5 Events this month (at the left) are all carnival celebrations, including the most unusual and fabulous Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
The season’s celebratory spirit can be channeled anywhere. Look below and online for Night+Day’s new favorite nightlife venues, including a rocking live music hall in Chicago, a James Bond–style club in Los Angeles, and a sleek, celebrity-backed ping-pong lounge in New York. Our local writers have also tracked down headline events for the month—simply select your favorite destination on NightandDayGuides.com to see what they’ve found.
We think even the workdays should have some play in them. To help you mix business with pleasure, we’ve rounded up the Best Power Lunches in North America—from The Oval Room in DC for a quiet, private rendezvous; to elegant Perbacco in San Francisco for serious negotiations and casual meetups alike; to Miami’s Eos for impressing clients and celebrating signed deals in a spectacular setting.
As they say in New Orleans: Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler! Let the good times roll! |
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THE WORLD’S BEST Power Lunches
The days of the three-martini lunch may be gone, but some restaurants still buzz with the sound of wheels and deals in motion. Discreet alcoves hide the quiet rendezvous, suitably imposing menus impress VIP clients, and exquisite waterfront views set the scene for a celebratory toast. These power playgrounds attract all breeds of movers and shakers—from high-profile politicians and finance execs to media moguls and entertainment royalty.
D.C. • OVAL ROOM
 The Draw: With an evocative name, a proximity to the White House and to K Street’s law and lobbying firms, and New American cuisine that continues to wow, the tables are consistently filled at lunchtime, when seasoned servers expertly feed the (power) hungry.
The Scene: Aiming for a congenial atmosphere and gracious service, the Oval Room hews more toward the classic and reliable, rather than to the splashy sparkle of hipster newcomers. A central bar separates the two lovely dining rooms, whose walls are hung with contemporary art. This is a place for the quiet rendezvous, rather than the grand entrance.
Hot Tip: Ask for tables eight, nine, or ten (all in the corner) for private conversation and keeping watch over the crowd.
MIAMI • EOS
 The Draw: A spectacular setting in the new Viceroy Hotel and a menu of healthy Mediterranean cuisine and seafood make for an energizing, rather than draining, midday meal.
The Scene: Located in downtown Miami’s Brickell financial district, this 15th-floor space designed by Kelly Wearstler is stunning—black and white with gold accents. But it’s the view overlooking Biscayne Bay that makes the site extra impressive.
Hot Tip: Order from the power lunch menu—which includes market fish, ricotta ravioli, and tabouli salad, among other choices—and you’ll receive a complimentary glass of wine, plus free valet parking and WiFi.
SAN FRANCISCO
• PERBACCO
 The Draw: Centrally located in the Financial District, Perbacco lures stylish downtown denizens for business lunches that are at once elegant and comfortable.
The Scene: Major lunchtime negotiations go down in the formal dining room, where a conservative neutral palette is conducive to serious conversation. Booths in the lounge and numerous seats at the bar host more casual gatherings for a leisurely lunch or modish happy hour.
Hot Tip: Perbacco’s namesake may be the god of wine—and the restaurant certainly has an abundance of vino to choose from—but the cocktails here are truly delightful. Make like the regulars and order a Dieci (Campari, gin, and grapefruit) or the Notte Piccante, a spicy concoction mixed with Amber Liqueur.
Discover the Best Power Lunches in other Night+Day cities. |
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INS and OUTS
(NIGHT+DAY’S Latest Recommendations)
CHICAGO • LINCOLN HALL • Performance
lincolnhallchicago.com
This rocking live music hall fills—and renews—the premises of the vacated and decrepit
Three Penny Cinema, which sold cheap popcorn and was frequented by indie kids who didn’t care about sagging seats. Newly minted and polished, Lincoln Hall brings in on-the-verge and nostalgic bands (Soul Coughing played opening weekend) to its standing-room-only space.
full review
2424 N. Lincoln Ave. (Fullerton Pkwy.), 773-525-2501
LOS ANGELES • MI-6 • Nightclub
clubmi6.com
Sam Nazarian is back, reviving a shaken nightclub scene that’s seen its fair share of closures. The ever-evolving space along the border of West Hollywood and Beverly Hills is now called MI-6 after the British Secret Intelligence Service (aka MI6) and conjures up James Bond–style wish fulfillment. full review
Hours vary.
9077 Santa Monica Blvd. (Doheny Dr.), 310-859-8369
MEXICO CITY • EVE • Nightclub
A shrine to vanguard design, this über-hip hangout feels more like London or New York than DF. Expect DJs spinning pop and lounge and an eclectic, candlelit-library feel, complete with a fireplace and a pool room. Outside, the terrace features a stylish retractable dome, so smokers aren’t left out in the cold. full review
Thu–Sat 10pm–4am.
Av. De la Paz 39 (Insurgentes Sur), 55.2646.5292
NEW YORK • SPiN • Lounge
spinyc.com
Just when you thought you’d seen it all, New York nightlife manages to surprise you again
with yet another concept bar. At SpiN, it’s all about ping-pong. This massive nightspot features 15 ping-pong tables, Olympic matting, and locker rooms—along with a long bar where you can imbibe and nibble between serves. The founding backer of this zany spot? Susan Sarandon.
full review
Sun–Wed 11am–2am, Thu–Sat 11am–4am.
48 E. 23rd St. (Park Ave.), 212-982-8802
TORONTO • SWIRL WINE BAR • Wine Bar
swirltoronto.com
Hidden on a second floor, this wee boîte feels like a friend’s house party, with eclectic décor sourced from local vintage shops and friendly faces from the area. A wide selection of old- and new-world wines in the $25 to $65 range are on offer, as well as tasty accompaniments (marinated goat cheese, charcuterie, pâté)…full review
Tue–Thu 5pm–midnight, Fri–Sat 5pm–2am.
946 1/2 Queen St. E. (Carlaw Ave.), 647-351-5453
The Night+Day Promise
Night+Day writers and editors use the same high standards in selecting and researching venues to be included in our Ins and Outs updates as we do for our books. Our local correspondents determine which new hot spots are the real deal and which are simply hype—just as you’d expect from Night+Day—to provide the kind of reliable information you need to make the best possible choices. |
 As executive editor of the Night+Day series, and as someone who has spent a lifetime in travel, I certainly influence our selections and recommendations. But our guidebooks reflect a collaborative effort involving local writers and experienced editors.
So I welcome this opportunity to share my very personal views and experiences. I sincerely hope you find them somewhere between interesting and extremely helpful (life-altering is probably too much
to ask). As always, I very much welcome your comments.
Click here to send me an email.
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ALAN’S VIEW, February 2010
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ASD Picks: The World’s 3 Best Carnivals
The Egyptians have given travelers three things for which we should be forever grateful: First, one of the greatest excuses to travel, the pyramids; second, the origin of paper, papyrus, so we’re able to write home about the pyramids; and third, if scholars are to be believed, the launching of what have become some of the greatest parties on earth.
Egyptians recorded the first carnival more than 4,000 years ago as five days of “time outside of time,” an annual chronological hiccup and a party that completed their 360-day calendar. The Roman Catholic Church (which gets credit for inventing the name carnival–the Latin roots vale and carne mean “farewell” and “flesh,” respectively) got involved a few thousand years later to call a truce after failing to thwart the ancient pagan festivals, highlighted by masks, costumes, and dance. Co-opting the celebration wasn’t difficult: To anyone living under the restrictive rule of medieval Catholicism, liberating internal repression and sinning boldly was a decent trade-off for having to pray regularly and abstain from eating meat during the 40 days prior to Easter.
The grand, aristocratic masked balls of the French laid the groundwork for today’s carnival traditions, but the mayhem of entrudo, the name given to the festival in Portugal (and used to define the beginning of Lent), still influences many Latin American carnivals. It started with people throwing just about any non-solid substance at each other, and morphed into musical and costumed parades representing various districts or interests.
For African slaves, who were typically given short holiday periods just once a year, carnivals were an ideal forum for their ancient traditions of song, dance, and percussion. The opportunity to parody members of high society no doubt also held special appeal. In the Americas, exuberant African rhythms have dominated the syncretic festival evolution process.
The carnival season can begin as early as the day after Christmas, and peaks over the long weekend (Friday through Tuesday) before Ash Wednesday, which, this year, is February 17th. Carnivals today, more so than virtually any other celebrations, are transformative of both the cities in which they occur and the people who participate. If there ever needed to be a reason to invent the word “fun” it would be to describe the experience of carnival.
1. Trinidad and Tobago Carnival
With its trademark steel-pan, calypso, and soca music and limbo dancing, Trinidad and Tobago’s annual carnival has become a model for celebrations around the world, the best of which take place at different times of the year (so as not to compete?), such as Toronto’s Caribana, Barbados’ Crop Over, Nassau’s Junkanoo and the Notting Hill Carnival in London. Show up Monday at 4am for the J’Ouvert kickoff, where revelers bathed in mud follow their soca trucks, and I promise you one of the peak experiences of your life. Tuesday morning at 8 o’clock the parades begin a 24-hour marathon, with costumes, music, and dancing that will exhilarate and exhaust even the most experienced carnival-goers.
2. New Orleans Mardi Gras
While there are some great Latin-influenced carnivals, most notably Rio’s Carnaval and Köln’s Karneval, the overlay of a certain southern frat-boy exuberance makes New Orleans ground-zero for letting it all hang out. With its glut of beads, bands, booze, brilliant floats, and balls, New Orleans should have exclusive rights to the name Mardi Gras (which means “fat Tuesday”). While both Katrina and the economy have taken a toll on the excesses, the New Orleans Saints’ participation in the Super Bowl (first time ever) has re-energized the city, and Mardi Gras 2010 promises to be one of the all-time best. Win or lose, not only will the Saints have their own parade—they’re still trying to figure out where to fit it in among the parades already scheduled by more than 50 Krewes)—but parade grand marshals for four of the biggies will include quarterback Drew Brees (Bacchus, 2/14), owner Tom Benson (Endymion, 2/13)), coach Sean Payton (Orpheus, 2/15), and former player Ricky Jackson (Zulu, 2/16). With so many Krewes, even the Saint’s water boy is sure to be invited to headline a parade. All of which gives new meaning to “When the Saints Come Marching In.”
3. Venice Carnivale
It’s as if Fellini looked at all the carnivals in the world and said, “no!” Venice is by far the most otherworldly of celebrations, where thousands of the most original and gorgeous costumes are paraded before hundreds of thousands of “extras” scattered about one of the most beautiful and intriguing spots on the planet. If you are new to the game, or don’t have room in your suitcase for an elaborate costume, you can buy masks and rent the full regalia—which you must do if you are going to enjoy the highlight of this event, attending a masked ball in a Venetian palazzo. Major hotels will host events in their ballrooms, but they won’t measure up to Casanova’s Ball (2/12, 2/13) in Palazzo Zenobio, Il Ballo del Doge (2/13), or Mascheranda (2/14) in Palazzo Pisani-Moretta. While these balls are pricey ($400–500 per ticket, plus costume), the costume parades and the experience of just standing in San Marco Square are free, and, as with most carnivals, though festivities begin on February 6, the most memorable occur during the last long weekend before Lent.
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