Remember when The Paramount was the slickest, chicest hotel in town? (I’ll forgive you if you don’t; it has been a while.) Along with Morgans it started the craze for the now ubiquitous design-forward, boutique hotel experience. The pioneer eventually became a victim of its own meteoric success as new hoteliers came on the scene and pushed the envelope even further. Good news to report, however: the theater district stalwart is in the middle of a 40-million dollar re-imagination. And while I can’t speak for the guest rooms – which were always disparaged for their lack of elbow room – or Billy Rose’s Diamond Horseshoe, which will reopen in fall 2013 after a 61-year hiatus, I can say that the Paramount Bar & Grill is a welcome return to stylish form. Dramatic lighting brings the restaurant to life and raised banquettes with a view of the restaurant set the stage for an intimate dinner. Or lunch. There’s an extensive wine list but it’s the craft cocktails that whet my whistle, most notably the Moscow Mule, a mix of Citron vodka, fresh lime and ginger, which – like a proper Mint Julep – comes in its own metal cup. The deceptively simple food from Executive Chef Jason Kallert – late of Le Cirque – is equally attentive to detail: classic American bar and grill cuisine with modern twists, like tuna tartare enlivened with curry, a perfectly dressed not-too-chopped chopped salad, and grilled whole branzino with old-style salsa verde atop roasted fennel. I was tempted to keep yesterday’s visit a secret; we wouldn’t want the crowd at the W Times Square up the block to spoil things for the rest of us. But sometimes a good thing is too good not to share.
June 2 1953, Elizabeth II was crowned at Westminster Abbey in London. Six decades on, England is celebrating her 60-year reign with a range of events across the country, from river pageants and big lunches to concerts and a royal appearance by a miniature monarch. As if I needed another excuse to visit the UK, here are just a few of the celebrations fit for a Queen. The Coronation Festival, Buckingham Palace, July 11 – 14: This one-off event in the gardens at Buckingham Palace will see over 200 companies with the prestigious Royal Warrant of Appointment exhibiting. By day, visitors will be able to explore the Buckingham Palace Gardens, which will feature four areas showcasing the very best of Food & Drink, Design & Technology, Homes & Gardens and Style, Pursuits & Pastimes. By night, visitors will be taken on a musical tour of the Queen’s 60-year reign, with performances by the National Youth orchestra, the English National Ballet, Katherine Jenkins, Russell Watson, Katie Melua, Laura Wright and The Feeling. Rowing Regatta, Windsor, June 15 – 16: Her Majesty The Queen has given permission for a unique regatta to take place on the River Thames at Windsor Castle to celebrate the Coronation anniversary. Rowing crews will race side-by-side over a distance of 1,000 meters between Prince Albert and Queen Victoria bridges, and spectators will be granted entry into the normally private grounds of the castle to watch the race. This special event will be the first regatta on the Thames at Windsor for 44 years.
Spring comes on a plate at 
Despite its roots in restauranteur Danny Meyer’s nostalgia for St. Louis, 
Buzz can be a great thing for any restaurant that’s finding its sea legs, but it really puts the kibosh on the element of surprise. Since opening in the spring of 2010, Rich Torrisi and Mario Carbone’s homey 
Bao, for the uninitiated, are steamed, filled, bread-like Chinese buns. You’re most likely familiar with that pillowy staple of Cantonese cuisine, the steamed pork bun. At 
Ramps, the surest signs of spring’s reluctant arrival, finally made their debut this weekend at the Union Square Greenmarket. I’ll leave it to others to wax rhapsodic on the all too brief appearance of these tender wild leeks which herald the start of the growing season in the Northeast. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan; but the advent of ramps has a deeper, much more spiritual meaning to me: fiddleheads aren’t far behind.
My go-to Japanese has long been 
Part of the allure of 
