Great grapes, without the pretense.

The most exquisitely lavish tippling destinations.

A search party for new music.

A field guide to the Costume Institute gala’s fashion team-ups.

Remembering the Baggot Inn, where comedians went to chill after they killed.

For those in search of the next groovy thing, Taavo Somer, proprietor of Freemans and the new Rusty Knot, is the prey of the moment. His downtown anti-style wants to have it all ways all the time—ironic and earnest, neurotic and carefree, cool and cheeseball.

No pictures, please.

For one night last month, the Long Island village was the epicenter of fly. The Mary J. Blige–Jay-Z concert at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum brought out big boots, fat chains, and some amazing hoodie-and-hat combos. “Look Book” joined the party.

Not all secret bars, bottle-service clubs, and hidden speakeasies are created equal. A look at some of the city's truly tough doors, a few aspiring hot spots, and what it really takes to make it inside.

The Place: Weather Up, a casually trendy, slightly claustrophobic, $11-cocktail lounge in Prospect Heights. The Time: Saturday night, 9:42. The Mission: Chat up every person in the bar.