Beauty & Essex

Where, oh where is my favorite place in New York City right now...

 Emilie Gidley, Amy Hertenstein, Jessi Marquez, Kate Wilson and Sara Eisman

 The weekend of December 10th marked the opening of new restaurant and lounge "Beauty & Essex." Brought to you by the same people that own Stanton Social, Beauty and Essex promises to meet your standards and go beyond. 

On December 11th, my friends threw a "Welcome home" dinner party for me at Stanton Social. We enjoyed french onion dumplings and lobster rolls and debated where to go next. The manager then mentioned to us about his new lounge right around the corner. We decided to check it out. I am so glad we did!

The entrance is marked like a pawn shop, and the entrance is decorated beautifully with a very large chandelier and mirrored wall. The venue is literally HUGE. We made ourselves cozy upstairs and discussed how much we loved the place. 

Last week my friend Jessica was in town. I decided to make a reservation for us to try out their dinner menu. We were thoroughly impressed. Not only is the ambiance of the lounge enough to keep you coming back, but the food is amazing. 

After we finished dinner we decided to head to the ladies room to freshen up. In the bathroom was a bar and leather loveseat. The bathroom bartender then offered us FREE champagne. 

Beauty & Essex...job well done!

Look who appeared in the Vineyard Vines Fall '09 Catalog

With new fall fashion quickly approaching...I consulted my Vineyard Vines Catalog and came across some familiar faces...

When you speak to me, please speakeasy

If it seems like I have been off the radar lately, its because....well, I have been. Frequenting the Hamptons only a few times this summer, and doing a bit of traveling -isn't the reason why. I know during the summer, NYC seems to become a desolate place. However, it seems that the trend of nightlife has changed. It's no longer getting past the impossible door, but finding it.

In June, I had gone on a date, and near the end of the night he brought me to an apartment. I found this to be a bit presumptuous, but when he approached the door and knocked I became intrigued.

 A lean and long fellow peaked his head through the door and invited us in. 

Inside was a fabulous bar with the most AMAZING cocktails.
I am not listing this speakeasy because it currently is one of my favorites, but this lounge left me craving more.

The search began, 

and I began dressing in darker colors and tucking my Lilly Pulitzer dresses away.I ventured to the popular speakeasy "La Esquina" with a group of friends. After some convincing, we were led down through the employees only door, down a few flights of stairs, and rubbed elbows with the busy mexican kitchen staff. Once inside, we sipped on tequila that cost $40 a shot, and met men dexterous in name dropping. 

We ended the night at Southside, 

which is NOT a speakeasy but since its under the former

 diner/restaurant Martignetti's we can pretend that it is.

I have made a small list of my favorite speakeasy's of this summer- but remember, a good speakeasy is only as good as its guests.

1) PDT- Please don't tell

113 St. Marks Pl. , New York, NY 10009 

Come here for the best hot dogs and hotties ( that are warned to not creepily hit on you)

2)Milk & Honey

http://www.mlkhny.com/newyork/newyork.php

Find a member and try some of the tastiest cocktails in New York

3)Little Branch

22 7th Avenue S, New York, NY 10014

Let the bartender make your cocktail, depending on thing's that tantalize your tastebuds

4)The Back Room

102 Norfolk St (between Delancey St & Rivington St), New York, NY 10002

The adult version of tea time

5) 124 Old Rabbit Club

124 MacDougal St, New York, NY 10012

Great beer and very nice crowd

Enjoy- 

Jessi Marquez

http://newyork.joonbug.com/scenetracker/when-you-speak-to-me-please-speakeasy-scenetracker-new-york/mRK57tMfXad

Bachelor/ette Auction by WgirlsNYC at M2 Ultra Lounge

What were my feelings on one of the most anticipated events of the Spring charity season? AMAZING!!

Emilie and Jessi Marquez

May 28th, the WGIRLSNYC hosted the Opportunity Rocks” Bachelor/ette Auction to support the Opportunity Network’s valuable programming.

M2 Lounge 

Over 500 NYC young professionals gathered to mix and mingle at M2 Ultra Lounge to cheer on the lucky bachelor/ettes, and celebrate the start of summer!

To purchase your hot date, there was a silent auction as well as a live auction. The available bachelor/ettes walked around with blinking pins so they were quick to identify. 

If buying a date isn't your thing, the Wgirls also auctioned off weekend stays and gift certificates. 
Belvedere and HobNob supplied a fabulous open bar.  I may have had a few black raspberry martini's. 
Justin Ross Lee chatted with me before being auctioned off. We tried to guesstimate his worth...he figured somewhere near $25 K. He was a pleasure to speak with as always, and his "interns" were quick to refill our empty glasses.
The crowd was good looking and fun...and ready to spend there money on charity.
JR from MTV's "The City" was auctioned off live. Having met him a few times at Brother Jimmy's it was very funny to watch. My friend Emilie proceeded to purchase him for $450. It's for a good cause though, right?
After the auctions ended, the DJ cranked up the music and started a full on dance party. Girls of all ages danced on the stage and couches. Men in suits ordered bottles of champagne and toasted to a successful evening. Favorite line of the night..."I may not have bought you, but can I buy you dinner." CLASSIC

XOXO

Jessi Marquez

As good as its guests

DVF Fan of the Week

My friend Emilie won fan of the week for DVF....haha I had to post this!!