HotelChatter

And while we love a place with a cool vibe, we're more interested in sampling the menu. Among the gourmet bar eats, we will go all carnivore and gobble down the "truffalo" wings served with ranch dip; the smoked prime rib nachos doused with Gloucester cheddar and heirloom tomato salsa; and the grilled Kobe beef sliders with miso onions and wasabi cheddar on a sesame brioche bun. For some variety, we'll end the meal with the housemade s'mores fondue.

If we have to have some fruit and veggies, we'll take them in our cocktails. Okay, that's stretching it, but it gives us an excuse to have three helpings in drink form: the cucumber pepper margarita with Milagro tequila, cucumber, bell pepper, lime, agave and jalapeño; the watermelon caiparoska with Finlandia grapefruit, watermelon, lime and sugar; and the basil tangerine gimlet with Finlandia tangerine, basil and lime. With that much alcohol, we might not be able to stumble our way to Roof for the after-party.

Bar Novo is open Monday through Friday from 4pm to 2am and Saturdays from 11am to 3am. Sundays are open from 11am to midnight.

[Photo: Urban Daddy]