Where to go: The new Rolling Stone Restaurant and Lounge in Los Angeles will make its debut on November 21 by hosting the VIP afterparty for the American Music Awards (AMAs). The event is a preview for the official launch event planned for early 2011. Rolling Stone/Los Angeles (RS/LA) marks the first-ever licensing of the Rolling Stone name for an American restaurant. The space was designed by Gavin Brodin (Crown Bar / Los Angeles, The Abbey / West Hollywood) and the 10,500-sq. ft. space has a “vintage chic” design. The restaurant is at the Hollywood & Highland complex and the upstairs dining room will welcome up to 140 guests, with an additional 40 on its patio.

What to eat: Executive Chef Christopher Ennis (Fig & Olive, One Sunset, Stout, Crown Bar, Vibrato Jazz Grill, Astra West) will serve upscale global fare with snacks including warm bleu cheese popovers with caramelized shallot butter; soft pretzel knots with beer cheese fondue; and three cured meats, cornichon, olives, three mustards, herb salad & grilled country bread. Starters range from tuna tartar with crispy potato, pineapple, coconut & spicy avocado; to sweet potato agnolotti with toasted marshmallow and pecan brown butter; to glazed pork belly & grilled shrimp with corn pudding and tamarind sauce. Main courses include pan-roasted wild striped bass with preserved lemon, capers & raisins; organic herbed chicken, cannellini beans, pancetta and spinach; pinot-braised short rib “osso bucco,” with whipped potatoes and chard. The full menu will be available in the restaurant, with small-bites served in the downstairs lounge.

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Levi’s® Meatpacking is finally open…I’ve been walking by this space for weeks now! The new premium concept store is 4,500 square-foot store and reps the ultimate expression of the Levi’s® brand, complete with an in-store concierge and tailor shop.

Levi’s Meatpacking: 414 West 14th Street

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Where to eat: I love to try new spots and this one did NOT disappoint! I loved the decor inside - very high ceilings yet an industrial type feel with a DJ overlooking the dining area and playing a selection of vinyl from the library lining the walls.

The food was amazing… Mono x Mono is a Korean-Sushi Bar that’s only been open for about a month (second location in Midtown). They have great cocktails, especially their Mojitos - six different flavors (we literally tried almost all of them) with the only one we missed being Grape. They’re all made with Soju, the coconut and the apple being my favorites!! If you’re not a fan of Mojitos, you can always opt for a beer as they have an extensive selection to choose from.

What to eat: You definitely have to start with the Holy Crab (fried softshell crab over arugula), the Salmon Yuzu Salad, and the Green Bean Pancake - which you can add toppings such as chicken, beef, or a variety of seafood. We tried the lobster and shrimp, which were both good - the lobster was my favorite! Their “special rolls” all looked great, but the decision to try the Golden Mango Tropical Roll was the right move!! We completely over ordered, but absolutely HAD to try the Monomomo Chicken which is touted as being their “Famous Korean Fried Chicken”…the chicken is super crispy, apparently deep-friend twice to burn off the fat which makes the skin papery thin - it’s then brushed with a soy-garlic or hot-spicy sauce. It’s very similar to Bonchon Chicken but not as spicy…really good, but I recommend ordering the appetizer portion so you don’t make your stomach explode from over-eating lol.

116 East 4th Street (Between 1st & 2nd Avenue)

Where to stay: I decided to try the new Mandarin Oriental during my most recent trip to Las Vegas this past week. Since it’s been over a decade of “attending the MAGIC Convention”, this is probably only the second time I’ve stayed in a hotel in Vegas without a casino! Located in the City Centre and situated next to Aria, gamblers can still walk over to Aria’s casino or shop at the nearby lux stores (Louis Vuitton, Dior, etc.).

This by far is the closest thing to a “boutique hotel experience” that you’ll find…I would definitely recommend staying here, the service is impeccable, the decor is beautiful, and the ambience including the three pools on the 8th floor, are amazing! This is only the third Mandarin property I’ve stayed at, but it continues to be one of my favorite hotels in the world…and let’s not forget the world class spa service available. Loves!!!

Above Allen is one of my favorite lounges and Hot Spots in NYC…the destination just amped up the style quotient a notch with a new collab by Nanette Lepore, who’s designing uniforms for this Thompson hotel’s lounge. The “LBD” looks super cute…and it look will also be rocked by the staff at the Hollywood Roosevelt in LA and the Donovan House in D.C..

Thompson LES: 190 Allen Street (at East Houston); 212-460-5300

Where to stay: The trip started off low-key…much needed girls weekend…we chose the W Hotel South Beach. The hotel itself is beautiful, the infinity pool is definitely impressive and I love the “Whatever, Whenever” feature…guests can indulge in whatever their “wish” is and the experiential offerings literally cover just about anything. I’ll let mine remain “private”….lol.

I’ll have to admit, the service isn’t “amazing” during the weekends…crazy packed and the pool staff is NOT flexible or accommodating in any way shape or form. I would recommend reserving a cabana or bed if your plan is to be poolside - waking up at 7am to save chairs isn’t really my idea of a vacation. The W is situated directly on the beach, so that’s always an option. The food is pretty good, little over-priced, but it’s Miami so what do you expect?? The rooms themselves are beautiful - two flat screens, large bathrooms, etc. Not really understanding why they don’t have the Heavenly Beds in the rooms, that’s just odd and not very Starwood of them! Also, keep in mind…while they have wireless available in the rooms, you can’t use it on the balcony or poolside (not business friendly).

Let me first start this off by saying that the ACE Hotel NYC is a great backdrop for photo shoots…the hotel lobby, the event space, staircase, and loft, all make for great set-ups! The vibe is very rock/hipster/camping/Americana etc…I’m also a big fan of their bar scene and the drinks are amazing. However, after having just stayed there for the night, I wouldn’t be the first to recommend this hotel for anything more than the scene, a drink, or even the occasional Breslin Burger, from time to time.

Where not to stay: The service here is horrible…clearly that is not what they are known for. This is definitely not my idea of “lux” by any means. I’ve now seen all their rooms, and although the loft suite is the largest in the hotel, the amenities are really underwhelming. Considering I had to call maintenance to repair my tv, dialed housekeeping for five hours to get a set of towels, then back to maintenance to fix the shower (at 1am) AND room service forgot utensils?? I’d have to say it gets a NO GO on my list of where to stay…I could probably go IN a bit more, but i’ll give it a rest since I happen to like the management staff AND “the list” at Breslin is official. Just have the Lamb Burger and call it day…

Where to eat: More of a “gastro-pub” then your typical restaurant, the “Pig” is a very hipster type spot…Since they don’t take reservations, I tend to drop by this here for lunch or late-night for drinks and snacks. I personally love the atmosphere, a very “London-type” feel - plenty of celebrities spotted here as well:
Jay-Z (who is also an investor), Beyonce, Rihanna, Lindsay Lohan, and Kate Hudson to name a few…

What to eat: Gnudi, Shoestring Fries, Deviled Eggs, Chargrilled Burger.

314 W. 11th St. at Greenwich St. - Manhattan

After dealing with a massive headache from consuming way too many shots the night before, I motivated enough to make it over to the Sheraton for a quick lunch. Ran into Chingy plus a few other people before heading back over to the Jordan Brand 23/25 Experience. The technology was insane inside: Mosaic 23/25, an online experience that allowed fans of the brand to share their photos and become a digital part of the 25th anniversary of AIR JORDAN and the brand’s iconic game day shoes. Thousands of submitted photos were compiled together to form an interactive image of a milestone moment in Michael Jordan’s career. Other highlights of the digital space include an interactive wall featuring a touch screen experience that walks the consumer through the history of the franchise.

I started the night with a great dinner at Nobu located in the Crescent Hotel - spotted Kobe and a few other players…then stopped by the ESPN party which was at Ghostbar (again)…thanks to my DGI fam for hooking me up with tickets, DJ Rashida was amazing as always. The event itself was a “bit corporate” so I didn’t stay long, but headed over to MJ’s private event next to the Hotel Joule. With major “names” in attendance, too many to name, drinks were flowing…it was unbelievably fun.

Where to stay: The Joule Hotel, a part of Starwood’s Luxury Collection, is simply fabulous…great ambience, the rooms are chic and the staff is extremely friendly. If I ever find myself back in Dallas, I would definitely stay here.

I’m not quite sure how I actually made it into DFW from JFK since flights were being cancelled left and right due to the blizzard…but I did!! After landing and being alerted that my initial driver had “driven into a ditch”, the owner of VIP Limo in Dallas, personally came to pick me up (niceee!).

Started out the trip with quick stop by the Jordan Brand “23/25 Experience” at Victory Park…the installation was crazy…more on that during “Day 2″, needless to say, the Jordan fam and my folks at Project2050 did not let me leave the space without consuming the largest shots of Patron i’ve ever seen (everything is bigger in Texas - that is not a lie!).

Next stop…the EA/NBA Live party at Ghostbar in the W Hotel…by far one of the best events of the weekend. Mick Boogie and Pete Rock - what more can I say??!! The party was packed…not a lot of “riff raff” since so many flight were cancelled. Tons of “names” in attendance…Pretty official - thanks Glen Chin, had a great time!!

More Patron…yikes!!! I really should know better than to kick off the trip so hard the first night. When will I ever learn to pace myself. Ouch!