Out and about: end of January, early February...

• As I said earlier, Death & Co. in the East Village is a really impressive bar. The place keeps attendance restricted so that it doesn't get packed, which might seem snobby, but in truth, it really just makes it a much more pleasant place to enjoy a drink. I went over with three friends (including Cliff, who was visiting from DC) and they told us they'd send us a text message when they had a table opening. So we went a few blocks north to Sushi Lounge on St. Mark's for their $3 sake-tinis (and I had red bean ice cream) and then were back at Death & Co. within 20 minutes.
  
  I also said in my brief post about Death & Co. that this was the first time I'd ordered an overpriced drink and really thought it was worth it. The bartenders are very skilled, and when you take a look at the list of signature cocktails, you think "Okay, this is something I couldn't make on my own." (Unless you happen to be a highly skilled bartender yourself.) Plus, I spent my senior year of college slaving over the history of the early 1930s, so the ambiance of this bar really resonated with me. The music and décor were perfect, and the pinstripe-clad bartenders were a nice touch, too. Highly recommended.
  
  
• A few weeks ago, a friend of mine from college had a birthday party at Prey, which my nerdy self refers to semi-affectionately as "the mashup bar." The place is clearly trying to toe the line between a chic lounge and a warm, old-school bar, but ends up rather dichotomous because there's basically a "bar" section and various "lounge" sections sprinkled throughout. Personally, I think The Plumm does a much better job of putting together an atmosphere that's both trendy and vintage-cozy (hello, wood paneling!) but unfortunately, the crowd there kind of sucks. Or at least it did when I checked it out last summer.
  
  
• I was one of several reporters covering the Windows Vista launch for our company, and I think it's kind of funny how Microsoft sure knows how to throw a party (bellinis and sea bass at Cipriani? a performance by Angels & Airwaves?) but has had quite a few issues getting a decent operating system off the ground. I have a copy of Vista, but I'm legitimately afraid to install it because I'm scared it might sabotage my hard drive since I've heard so many horror stories. Kind of funny...
  
  
• I'm kind of a blonde now. Dark blonde, really.