Following some very successful wedding dress shopping for my friend Merri in New York City on Saturday, we headed back to her apartment to snack on some chips and guacamole before changing for dinner.
We had some very special plans on the agenda for the evening thanks to Merri’s fiancé Pete.
Pete planned a special birthday dinner for Merri at Craft, an upscale restaurant founded by chef Tom Colicchio in 2001. (You might recognize him from Top Chef. He’s the head judge!) Merri is turning 30 on January 1, so we wanted to be sure to celebrate when we were all together.
We arrived just in time for our reservations and were so impressed when Merri was handed a personalized menu that said “Happy Big 3-0!”
Such a special touch!
I cannot say enough fabulous things about the service at Craft. Our waitress was knowledgeable, attentive and extremely friendly. She recommended that our table share a few things from the items listed under first courses, main courses and side dishes and that’s exactly what we did.
The food was incredible. We laughed saying that our plates looked like Thanksgiving because they were filled with so many different delicious-looking dishes!
My favorites of the night included the chestnut agnolotti pasta, diver scallops, cipollini onions and the duck risotto. Oh my gosh. So good!
We also shared a couple of bottles of the most fantastic red wine.
I loved this wine! I’m already trying to track it down in Ocala…
Though we were already quite full, we had to say yes when our waitress asked us whether or not we wanted dessert.
They also surprised Merri with a mini cake!
Of the desserts we shared, the table favorite was the sugar and spice doughnuts served with chocolate sauce and burnt orange caramel. Unreal! You must order the doughnuts if you ever go to Craft!
After dinner, our group hopped in a cab and headed to Hudson Lodge for drinks.
Did you notice the snow behind us!?
Inside the lodge it was quite cold unless you were standing underneath a heat lamp, but the chill was worth it for the (foam) snow! Plus, it made it feel awfully cozy when you huddled close together with your warm drinks!
I ordered a Peppermint Pattie (basically a spiked peppermint hot chocolate) and loved every sip!
Eventually we had our fill of the lodge and wanted to head to bar with fun music, so we took the subway to Brooklyneer.
We had a great time ordering rounds of drinks, laughing, singing and dancing! I love these girls!
We didn’t get to bed until after 5 a.m. Yikes!
It was definitely a memorable night. I love NYC!
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That drink sounds so good! Peppermint mmmmmm. Jealous of the snow!
What a fun night! I love going to NYC or Miami where you can literally stay out all night!
i know!! when it was 2 a.m., i was like, “what time do we have to leave?” pssssh. child’s play. 🙂
I can’t believe you’re awake so soon after! I probably would still be sleeping. Ha Ha 🙂
i crashed HARD on sunday night. totally worth it though! 🙂
Last time I was in NYC around 1:30 I was like well, we better get our last round of drinks before the bar closes! And everyone was like um, no…we have a few hours to go before that happens haha!
Looks like you ladies are having a marvelous time! I love it when restaurants do the special little touches – like personalizing the menu. That is awesome. happy early birthday to Merri!!
If I didn’t go to be until after 5a.m I would probably need a week to recover! I don’t do well on minimal sleep! haha
That food looks fantastic and how cool that there was foam snow in the bar! Those hot drinks sound delicious. 🙂 I don’t remember the last time I stayed up that late! I get up for work at 5am. Hah!
OMG! My fiance and I ate there before he proposed! Loooove that restuarant!
NYC looks so beautiful around the holiday time, I’m sad I haven’t had a chance to make the trip up to view it in person! Boston is only a few hours away, so when I get the chance I’m going to make sure we check out the Lodge, I would love to be in a bar where it snows! 🙂
Craft is amazing! My brother worked at the one in Los Angeles and I got to eat there when we visited him; we practically had the whole menu on our table! It was delicious; I’d love to go to the one in NYC!
Haha my brother works there too. I just commented the same thing below!
Looks like you’re living it up! What a memorable trip!
Sounds like such a fun night with girlfriends! You guys all look gorgeous.
Even though I adore my girlfriends, I don’t know if I could stay out until five anymore!!
looks like an amazing night and I must say you all looked gorgeous!!! I LOVE how you all rocked the red lipstick…you started a trend Julie :):):)
What a great restaurant!! I ate there a couple years ago when I was in NYC for work – can’t remember what I ordered for dinner but I remember they brought out these little smore desserts – they were incredible! Still talk about it to this day 🙂
Is there anything better than 1. Merri’s jacket (loooove) and 2. A night out with your girls. You’re so lucky to be within a short flying distance of your bests. Looks like a blast!
What a fun bar! I love a good spiked peppermint hot chocolate 🙂 Enjoy the rest of your trip!
How fun!! The past few nights I’ve gone out I haven’t been to bed until 5 either…feels like I’m back studying abroad in Europe!
Looks SO fun! I cant wait to go for NYE this year with my husband. How was the weather?
Sounds like such a blast! I’ve been to Craft and — you’re right — it’s amazing. I hadn’t been to either of the bars you mentioned, so I’ll have to check it out!!!!
Wow! Sounds like quite a night! I hope you’ve recovered!
All of those desserts at Craft sound absolutely amazing!!
5 a.m. huh? I can’t remember the last time I stayed up past 2 or 3 a.m. 😉
Sounds like a blast! I have now added Hudson Lodge and Craft of places I need to go in the city!
What an amazing and fun trip! 😀 I’ve been to NYC many times as a child, but I want to go back to experience it as an adult. The bar with the snow sounds awesome! I wonder if there’s something like that here in the Bay Area… Must. Research. That. Stat. 😉
That looks like so much fun, but I honestly don’t think I could make it till 5 am! I am really wanting to try that peppermint pattie though. Sounds delish!
What a nice evening! I have been really wanting to go to the Hudson Lodge. Maybe I’ll go with my sister 🙂
Sounds incredible! Next time I’m in the city I should check that out 🙂
Looks like you are having such a great time! Although I’m in the city often, I’ve never been to any of those places! I’ll have to check them out!!
Sounds like a lot of fun!
OMG! That looked like such a fun night!!!!!
5am! Haha that sounds like a big city kind of night, glad you had so much fun with your friends!
What a great night! Love the city… headed there this evening!
Sounds like quite the FUN evening! These recaps are making me miss NYC so very much!
My body always impresses me when I can stay out that late! NYC, Vegas and Miami always get the best of me 🙂
After 5 am? Holy cow, party animal!! haha I LOVE the off the shoulder shirt you’re wearing! So pretty!
What a fun night!
You can order the wine on amazon 🙂
I love your top/outfit!
What a fun night with friends–that dessert /the doughnuts sounds soooo good!
All I could think of when seeing the title of this post was that line in Sweet Home Alabama where Reese Witherspoon goes “Look at you, you have a baby…..in a bar!” Haha looks like such a fun and festive night!
ahhh snow! NYC sounds like a beautiful and fun place to be at during Christmas season! And Craft sounds amazing–I wouldn’t mind having a bite of the pasta and duck risotto~as soon as I read that my mouth kind of watered. 😀 And I can’t imagine how cool it would be to eat at a restaurant established by a famous chef!
I lived in NYC for two years & never heard of the Hudson Lodge – I think if I’d found it, I would never have left, what a wonderful winter wonderland! And I have to say, I love going back for visits, but it is nice to HAVE to go to bed at a somewhat reasonable hour b/c everything is closed…gosh that made me sound so old!
I think I may be glad bars in Boston close at 2am!
I was out with my girlfriends until 1am on Friday, and I felt like Poop on Sat! (but then again, I am alot older than you…it gets harder to get up and rally the next day!!)
What an awesome time! I cant wait to go to nyc soon! All that food looks amazing!
You guys look like you had a fabulous time! Gorgeous group of ladies 🙂
I’ve never been to Craft but I LOVE TOM on Top Chef 🙂 Everything sounds divine. I <3 NYC
Yum! Your whole meal sounds amazing! I love when restaurants go that extra mile with those little touches. Definitely makes them more memorable and more special!
Are you doing a fashion post on that outfit? Cause, for real, I need that grey jacket!! So cute.
Holy moly I am SO jealous you got to go to Craft, I am obsessed with Top Chef and love Tom! Your night looks ridiculously fun, and although I love the idea of snow in a bar, I think it would be a little too chilly for me haha. Glad you had a great time!
FUN night!! Don’t you love those nights you go to bed when you would normally wake up?!! haha! Totally worth it every once in a while!
please send some cold weather & snow my way!!!!!
The city that never sleeps and so damn hard to sleep when you are there as you want to make the most of every minute!!!
sounds like a perfect girls’ night! I want to go to NYC so badly! And when I do…I must hit up Craft. All sounds so good.
Wow I cant wait to go to NYC sometime!