Tasty, Tropical Turks & Caicos

 Sometimes a girl's got to get away. Who knew the Turks & Caicos is just a 3 hour jaunt from NYC?

 It's hot in the Turks & Caicos. One might consider bottled water, but we eschewed H2O for Rum Punch hydration. You may only have a small fire escape from which to enjoy it, but here's an easy recipe to make at home:

Rum Punch
1 cup Bacardi 151
1/2 cup Myer's dark rum
1/4 cup Malibu coconut rum
2 cups each orange and pineapple juices
1/4 cup lime juice
3 tablespoons grenadine syrup

Mix all ingredients together in a (hopefully tropical-looking) punch bowl. Pour over ice cubes in any type of glass. We went for plastic (pictured) since it's safer for drunken dancing on the beach. Serves 1 very thirsty individual but makes quite a few drinks.

Wondering what the local island specialty is in the Turks & Caicos? 

 Really, it's all about conch. You can have it fried, frittered, curried or made into chowder. You can take it as a shot, some say it's an aphrodisiac, but isn't the whole island kind of one? Eat that versatile conch with rice and plantain fries. YUM.

And while every hotel offers conch in some variation, you simply must go to Da Conch Shack. Sure, it's a bit out of the way (near the airport) but you'll be watching your conch get pulled from the turquoise sea with your toes in the sand. Check out all the conch shells below!

 If you've had too much punch, sober up with a locally made Turk's head lager. Cheers!

Spotted: Top Chef Tiffani Faison, Home on the Range

Guys and dolls...it's been a while.  But things have been banging.

Want to know where we've been?

Montana, y'all. AKA Man-tana. That's right New York ladies, the ratio of men to women in Big Sky country is something like 4:1 and the drinking age is seemingly as soon as you can ride a horse. (Which is like, 5 or something.)

That means a lot of eating, drinking and...fire-making.

And while we were not there to let any cowboys take us away, we did have the pleasure of attending the Montana Master Grillers weekend at The Resort at Paws Up (a luxe resort known for glamping) over Memorial Day Weekend, where Top Chefs Tiffani Faison and Ed Lee competed in a Bad Ass Burger Dash, created wine, beer and cider-paired dinners and engaged in highly imaginative karaoke acts. We respectfully chose not to post a video.

We think all that protein inspires greater range. Yeehaw!

Where is the Hawaiian Sweet Bread?

After returning from a nice (albeit rainy) trip to Cali to see the familia, I was reminded of a Left Coast fave: King's Hawaiian sweet bread.

After putting two rolls of the stuff into my purse (lol) for the flight, I realized that this product is seriously addictive.

Once you start eating it, seriously, you kind of can't stop. So I searched four delis and three major grocery stores, and so far I've come up empty handed. Where can you find Hawaiian sweet bread in NYC? I mean really, is this too much to ask in a city where you can get whatever you want whenever you want?

It doesn't even have to be the King's bread. I would take the Lord Privy Seal of Hawaiian bread if that makes it easier to find.

Never Leave Me, NYC! Get Your NYC Eats Elsewhere

Ahhh, the Big Apple.

We can't live with you, we can't live without you. Or your delicious restaurants. Even when we travel somewhere else, we sometimes get cravings for your signature dishes or drinks (read: pomegranate margaritas at Rosa Mexicano).

We know, we know. It's like the reverse of tourists who visit New York, only to eat at Applebee's.

Go figure!

amNY had me round up some of those signature eateries, and where you can find them on the go. Click on the image to get the full story.

Best Russian Nightclubs Brooklyn NY

You've heard about them...those crazy Russian nightclubs in Brooklyn NY.

And you've always wanted to go, lured by the promise of tasty Russian dishes, crazy Vegas-style shows, and of course, copious amounts of vodka.

amNY had me investigate the best Russian restaurants in Brooklyn, calling upon the advice of our stylish guide, Elle Glazman, owner of Jaime Day Spa (Manhattan), and a regular on the Russian nightlife circuit.

You can find more about Jaime Day Spa here.

Elle knows her way around the best Russian nightclubs and restaurants in "Little Odessa," so check out the story. We promise you won't be disappointed...and it beats a plane ride to Moscow.

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