Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I really like Lederhosen on Grove Street. The bar is small and the people who go there are mostly locals or already in groups and likely to leave you alone. In general when I want a drink and I'm alone, I go to a restaurant with a bar. People in the restaurant tend to be there on another mission, e.g. dinner at the bar or to meet someone else. I like the bar at Artisanal, especially.

almost any bar bar in manhattan (no clubs/serious lounges/patron factories) is fine under the right circumstances, so my advice is to just walk around and give it a shot. when i want to go garbo -- which is often -- i often go early both in time and in the week. it should also be pretty bright so you can whip out that book you have, if you need or want to.

but when it comes down to it, it's all in your attitude while at ANY place. if you look like you're happy on your own, you won't be bothered. don't cower and look like you're thinking, "dear god, i'm alone!", which many women do, and then they complain that they're getting hit on by putzes . . .

Pegu Club, which is a classy mixologist's type of bar that is owned by a female cocktail mixing expert, Audrey Saunders:

http://www.peguclub.com/flash/

What don't I serve?

With a group of people, I really like making kabobs. You can easily make lots of different types of meats and marinades, and then just grill them up when people are ready to eat. Also throw some vegetables on there and you have a nice balanced meal (...thinking of getting kids to eat their veggies).

Check out my site for some other grilling ideas and recipes:

http://blog.meatwave.com

I've found that flank steak is very popular with the younger set, and if you buy it at your local warehouse club it's very affordable for a crowd. I've found this Soy-Marinated Flank Steaks recipe a flavorful option that works well when you aren't sure what everyone will like. I'd serve this with corn on the cob with regular and herb butter, and a nice pasta or maybe even a panzanella salad (depending on the crowd).

For dessert a make your own ice cream sandwich bar is always a treat. If you have time you can make the cookies and ice cream yourself, something a teen host might like to help with. But if you're pressed for time as most parents are, you can buy all of the fixins at your local grocery and still have a hit. Don't forget fun toppings to roll the sandwiches in - it takes them to a whole new level.

Lots of cold salads - chopped salads on platters, pasta salads using whatever's in the fridge or pantry, torn romaine with vinaigrette, tomato and mozarella with basil. Pasta salads I'm taking to a bbq potluck this afternoon: Dreamfield's penne with artichoke pesto and sun-dried tomato strips and orzo with roasted corn, black beans, green onions, cilantro and halved tiny tomatoes with a dressing of white wine vinegar, cumin, garlic and olive oil flavored with a drop of orange oil.

Sangria is a summer must here in So TX, so I am also bringing my "crocodile tears" - a white sangria with lime, lemon, orange and fresh pineapple. I make it with very dry cheap white wine and serve in a 2 gallon glass jar with a spigot.

We are going to have all of this with New Braunfels beef sausages grilled and rolled up in fresh flour tortillas, chicken thighs, and birthday cake with strawberries and Romanov sauce.