Paul, Jon, Barbara, and Steve

Brandy Library is the perfect place to head to for an after-dinner cocktail or digestif, to keep the buzz going. Paul’s cousin Barbara and her husband Jon are the perfect dinner and drinks couple — fun, outgoing, adventurous. We all had a great meal at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station before hopping in a cab and heading here. Perfect timing got us the table by the fireplace. And the staff was superb. They surprised us with a complimentary dessert!

Saturday night at 44 & X in Hell’s Kitchen

Saturday night at Brandy Library in Tribeca

A Stinger, at Brandy Library

2 parts brandy or cognac

1 part white crème de menthe

chill and strain over ice, garnish with a mint leaf

Steve and Matt

Paul and Daniel (making the same goofy face)

Matt and Daniel

Grey Goose Gardens, a Martini at 44 & X.

Matt and Daniel moved in with each other recently and their apartment is like an episode of Small Spaces, Big Style: great color choices, perfect placement of objects, a sense of whimsy in the kitsch-en and bathroom — all creative, low budget, but expensive-looking. We decided to have a drink and some apps, al fresco, at one of the new and trendy Tenth Avenue restaurants, 44 & X, where the specialty cocktails all have Broadway-themed names: our choices . . . A Chorus Lime (with Cachaça), Les Mis Fizz (a peachy delight), Company “Side by Side” Sidecar (with lime juice instead of lemon), and the Grey Goose Gardens (see pic above). Our waiter was pluckish, puckish, and the food made us wantin’ more. We then moseyed on up to a Mexican restaurant where the service-with-a-smile was fantástico, but the food . . . well, let’s just say we didn’t stay for dessert.