Sotto 13, the Italian hot spot which recently opened in West Village, offers 2 varieties of delicious margaritas. Their signature Watermelon Margarita is made with watermelon-infused pavoneo blanco tequila, fresh watermelon juice and citrus squeeze. Also on the menu is their Mango Margarita, with pavoneo blanco tequila and fresh mango puree. Both can be purchased for $12. The 40/40 Club, Jay Z's upscale restaurant and sports lounge, offers mouth-watering margaritas made with Jose Cuervo tequila and come in passion fruit, peach, strawberry and mango. The bar reopened last year following a $10 million renovation and expansion to include stadium style seating, 5 exclusive lounges and gold plated baseball bats lining the wall. 40/40's margaritas can be purchased for $13. Lantern’s Keep, the intimate cocktail salon located inside the historic Iroquois Hotel in the Theater District is a dimly-lit secret gem that serves perfectly-crafted artisan cocktails. Celebrate National Margarita Day with their Tequila Maid, made with tequila, lime, shaken with mint & cucumber for $15. Hakkasan New York is celebrating this momentous day with their signature Bird's Eye Margarita for $17. The fun cocktail is made with bird's eye chili-infused llegal Joven Mezcal, Pierre Ferrand dry curacao, lime juice, agave nectar, pineapple juice and creole bitters. Enjoy the tasty cocktail in their Ling Ling Lounge or with a meal in the main dining room. Spice Market will be celebrating National Margarita Day by serving its signature Ginger Margarita pitchers at half price, just $24. The boozy concoction was created by Jean-Georges Vongerichten and includes Sauza 'Hornitos' Reposado Tequila, ginger, lime, and ginger salt. You can even make it yourself, with this recipe.

French 75 (Courtesy of Spice Market)
1 oz. St. Germain
½ oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ oz. Plymouth Gin
1 ½ oz. Cava Dibon

Chill St. Germain, Lemon Juice and Plymouth Gin, strain into Champagne Flute, top with Cava Dibon, garnish with lemon twist. Enjoy!

¾ oz. Cognac

½ oz. Cointreau

¼ oz. Maraschino

¼ oz. Lemon juice

4 oz. champagne
Zeppole Sparkler

4 oz. MARTINI Moscato d’Asti
½ oz. of BACARDI Gold Rum
Dash of lemon juice
Rim the glass with cinnamon sugar. In a prepared champagne glass, place all ingredients. Stir once and serve.


Port of Mischief Punch 3 oz. Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
1 oz. port
2 oz. pineapple juice
2 oz. simple syrup
1 oz. fresh lime juice
2 dashes (per serving) anise bitters 2 dashes (per serving) house bitters
Combine chilled ingredients in a punch bowl over one large block of ice. Garnish with lime wheels and freshly grated nutmeg. Serve with a ladle and small glass tea cups.

Cooking for the holidays can be stressful, especially on Christmas Eve. The best bet is to throw in that apron and have someone else do the work for you. Take the pressure off with one of these amazing prix fixe deals in the city.

Spice Market is offering two prix fixe menus for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Both menus are priced at $55, with dishes such as shrimp tod mon pla, soy cured salmon and lobster tail and pineapple sticky buns. Colicchio & Sons is offering a four course ($135) and seven course ($225) prix fixe dinner in the main dining room, as well as the Tap Room. Highpoint Bistro & Bar offers guests a festive three course menu for just $44 ($19 for children) from 4-9pm.

Christmas is right around the corner and will be here before we know it. The best way to get prepared, besides shopping, is celebrating the holiday season with plenty of boozy treats. Check out the recipes below to serve up at your X-mas shindig, all inspired by America's holiday treat - candy canes!

Candy Cane (2 servings) 2 oz. BOLS Peppermint White
2 oz. BOLS Creme de Cacao White
2 oz. milk
2 scoops vanilla ice cream
½ oz. grenadine
Blend all ingredients and pour into glass.

Chocolate Peppermint Cookie
¾ oz. Partida Blanco Tequila
1 oz. Peppermint Schnapps
¾ oz. Godiva Liqueur
1-1/2 oz. Cream
Rim martini glass with chocolate syrup and crushed candy canes. Shake ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into martini glass.

Black Friday specials shouldn't only apply to holiday presents. Amidst your shopping frenzy, take a break to refuel at one of these great spots:

Bill's Food & Drink: The newly opened eatery will be hosting a special lunch preview for shoppers in Midtown from 11:30am-5pm, along with an abbreviated dinner menu. Regular lunch service does not begin until December 3rd, so it's your chance to snag some before it gets too crowded.

Bill's Food & Drink is located at 57 E. 54th St.

Spice Market: Take a walking and shopping break and try the specially created Holiday Bento Box for $34, which includes six savory dishes along with two sweet dishes, such as butternut squash soup and a five spice duck confit spring roll. The bento box will be available from 12-4pm.

Today we pay homage to the melon of all melons...watermelon! Restaurants and bars around the city are whipping up dishes and libations made specially from your favorite fruit.

Two very special dishes will be added to Anthony Ricco's menu at Spice Market in celebration of this special day. Try out their Thai-inspired Watermelon Gazpacho ($8.50) with watermelon, Thai chilies, tomatoes, cucumber, and red wine vinegar. They are also serving delectable Chocolate Covered Watermelon Slices ($8) dusted with crushed, spiced almonds.

Tequila might te-kill-ya, but it is nonetheless an important staple in anyone's drinking repertoire. That is why today we celebrate National Tequila Day (Cinco de Mayo just isn't enough tequila!). In honor of this boozy holiday, we are providing you with a fantastic list of bars around the city offering up delicious tequila-based cocktails. And for those who can't make it out today, there's even a DIY cocktail recipe. Cheers!

A.G Kitchen, the new Upper West Side restaurant by lauded Executive Chef Alex Garcia, looks to Southeast Asia for inspiration when crafting the Thai Me Down, which stars tequila infused with pineapple and Thai basil. The drink also incorporates fresh pineapple juice, fresh lime and green chartreuse – an herbal liqueur made by monks.

If you happen to be heading to London to catch a glimpse of the 2012 Olympics, you'll surely be looking for tasty local bites. And like all worthy travelers, it's best to be well equipped with the knowledge of where to eat. Whether you're on a budget or looking to drop the big bucks, we have several recommendations in all price ranges. Watching all those athletes can really work up an appetite, afterall! Luckily for you, we've done the research so you don't have to. Check out these three hot new restaurants in between the games!

Duck & Waffle: This place opens in August right in time for the Olympics. From the creators of Sushisamba, this new restaurant will amazingly be open 24/7, just to make sure all you travelers pack in the fun every minute of your trip. Chef Daniel Doherty offers an array of dishes designer for sampling and sharing that emphasizes a modern take on European cuisine. The menu items include rustic, local, seasonal, and sustainable (say that 5 times fast) ingredients. So stop by between the discus throw and javelin to have a great meal.