After having strolled through the city in the cold, you and your guests deserve to warm up with one of the city’s best hot chocolates.

Max Brenner is a chocoholic’s paradise, with more than 10 varieties of hot cocoa. Kids will love Choco-Pops ($4.50), a hot cocoa with crunchy chocolate wafer balls, and sophisticated adults can opt for the chocolate chai ($4.20), a chai spice blend infused with hot white chocolate truffle. 841 Broadway between 13th and 14th sts., 212-388-0030; 141 Second Ave. at 9th St., 646-467-8810.

City Bakery may serve Manhattan’s most well-known hot chocolate. The lines can be long, but the thick, rich cocoa topped with homemade marshmallows is worth the wait. 3 W. 18th St. between Fifth and Sixth aves.; 212-366-1414.

One of the city’s most celebrated chocolatiers, Jacques Torres Chocolate Haven serves up five varieties of cocoa. Try white hot chocolate with a hint of mint or the Wicked, a classic cocoa with a dash of ancho and chipotle peppers ($3 each). 350 Hudson St. at King St.; 212-414-2462.

City Bakery's hot chocolate. Credit: Jori Klein

By Emily Ranager
Special to amNewYork

Out-of-town guests flock to New York when the lights and tinsel go up. Escorting family and friends to major holiday attractions can make even the most cheerful hosts hungry. Here, amNewYork recommends convenient eateries that will keep you well fed while showing guests around, without breaking the bank.

If you're checking out the Rockefeller Christmas Tree:

Naples 45
200 Park Ave. at 45th St.,
212-972-7001
Watch your dinner get toasty at Naples 45, which serves classic Neapolitan cuisine prepared in a wood-fired oven. Thin-crust pizzas are the biggest draw, ranging from $32.50 to $34.50 for a half meter of pie (which serves 3-4 people). Try the Quattro Stagioni — topped with artichokes, ham, fresh mozzarella, eggplant, mushrooms and tomatoes.

Taksim
1030 Second Ave., btwn 54th and 55th sts
212-421-3004
Taksim is a cozy Turkish joint known for affordable, hearty stews and classic meze. Try eggplant salad ($5.50), stuffed cabbage leaves ($5), lamb casserole cooked in a clay pot with vegetables, or the seasonal vegetable stew (both $12). Turkish wines are $20 per bottle, so imbibe without breaking the bank.

Continue reading "Avoiding the tourist traps" »

By Emily Ranager

Dec. 7, Greens Holiday Party: The Greens, an under-40 group of James Beard Foundation members, will host their seventh annual holiday party. From 6 to 8:30 p.m., drink holiday cocktails and eat food prepared by some of the city’s top chefs, like Ricardo Cardona of Hudson River Café. The Beard House, 167 West 12th Street; 212-627-2308. $70 for JBF members, $85 for the general pubic.

Dec. 9, The Raw Milk Wars: Anne Mendelson, author of “Milk: The Surprising Story of Milk Through the Ages,” will give a talk about unpasteurized milk at this meeting of the Culinary Historians of New York. Beginning at 7:30 p.m., learn whether pasteurization is really one of the greatest life-saving public health initiatives of all time. Holiday treats will be served. National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park South; www.culinaryhistoriansny.org. $25 for CHNY members, $40 for the general public, $22 for students.

Dec. 11, SoHo Stroll: More than 100 bars, restaurants and retailers in SoHo will be open late and offering special promotions at this dining and shopping event to benefit New York City’s homeless. From 6 to 11 p.m., buy a bracelet to gain access to deals like 15 percent off your check at Moroccan restaurant and bar L'Orange Bleue and happy hour until midnight at Spring Lounge. Retailers like Kate’s Paperie and Maclaren will also offer discounts and complementary holiday hors d’oeuvres. Visit www.sohoholidaystroll.com for a complete list of participating locations. $20.

Through Jan. 11, Gingerbread Adventures: Learn about the different plant parts used to create this favorite holiday treat at a workshop at the New York Botanical Garden. During park hours daily, children can grind and examine cinnamon, ginger and other ingredients, decorate pots and plant wheat seeds. Bronx River Parkway and Fordham Road; 718-817-8700. Free with park admission.

See a slide-show history of the Yule Log HERE.

Christmas in New York isn't quite complete without "The Yule Log," and WPIX will not disappoint this Christmas morning. "The Yule Log" will run from 9 a.m.-1 p.m on December 25, and at 1 p.m., the Laurel and Hardy classic "March of the Wooden Soldiers" will be back as well.

Ahh, that's Christmas morning as it should be.

But from 1990 to 2000, New York did without the tradition, which had begun in 1966. But WPIX saw the light of the log in 2001, bringing back the special after fan Joe Malzone lead an online effort to light the embers anew. Its return was heartily embraced by a city still reeling from 9/11, and it's been back every year since.

This year's Yule Log comes as PIX celebrates its 60th anniversary, and shortly after the successful return of another of its longtime traditions, "Chiller Theatre." And in keeping with the station's respect for its history -- and viewers love for the old Channel 11 -- the station has even revamped its identity, unveiling a tweaked version of its classic "Circle 11" logo, left, while re-emphasizing the classic "Pix" brand. (Who doesn't remember the on-air PIX video game?)

See the news release after the jump, which includes PIX's holiday schedule. You'll get a chance to see "The Odd Couple" Christmas show (and its rendition of a "A Christmas Carol") among other New York holiday favorites.

As an Urbanite plus, check out a Yule Log tradition that ran for many years along with the fire: station editorialist Richard N. Hughes' inspirational Christmas message. He is of the "what's your opinion, we'd like to know" fame. Read it HERE and see it HERE.

-- Rolando Pujol

Continue reading "Fire up the TV: 'The Yule Log' is coming back to PIX" »

By Scott A. Rosenberg
• An original manuscript of "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" is on display at the New York Public Library's Humanities and Social Sciences Library at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street through Jan. 4. FREE. Hours: Mon. and Thurs.-Sat. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tues. and Wed. 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Sun. 1-5 p.m.

Bookstores can expect a huge boost today as a new book in J.K. Rowling’s juggernaut “Harry Potter” universe is released.

“The Tales of Beedle the Bard” first existed as an invention of Rowling’s in the seventh and final volume of the series, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” The author then produced a real-life, ultra-limited seven-edition run, each hand-written and illustrated by Rowling herself, distributed to six friends. The seventh copy was given to her charity, Children’s High Level Group, which sold the book in auction to Amazon.com for nearly $4 million.

Continue reading "'The Tales of Beedle the Bard' from Rowling's "Harry Potter" series comes to NY Public Library" »

This poor soccer player gets owned by the ball after his opponent tries to show off. What's even worse is that the opposing team got the ball back. And then the kid shows off again!
To suggest a viral video, e-mail Sean Joseph.

Sanitation Enforcement Officer Sergio Romero gives out a summons for an unleashed dog. Photo by Alana Abel

By Jason Fink

Sergio Romero gets excited when he sees a dog begin that familiar, purposeful pacing that means it’s about to get down to business.

“He’s sniffing, he’s sniffing, that dog’s about to go,” Romero, 25, shouted recently from the driver’s side of the white Toyota Prius that serves as one of the Department of Sanitation’s official pooper scooper patrol cars.

On this occasion - a late afternoon last month near Bainbridge Avenue and 206th Street in the Bronx - the dog in question innocently lifted his leg and was done with it. However, such false alarms following careful surveillance make up the bulk of Romero’s daily eight-hour shift.

Romero — who’s with the sanitation enforcement’s K-9 unit - spends his days cruising the five boroughs’ quietest tree-lined streets and most forsaken industrial redoubts, hoping to catch a dog doing No. 2 and an owner doing nothing about it.
The task has carried more weight since Nov. 7, when the fines for failing to curb one’s dog went up to $250 from $100.

“Believe it or not, after the fine went up, parents now send out their kids because they know we can’t give summonses to kids,” Romero said, shaking his head.
The job can be monotonous, especially when the weather is lousy and people go for quick walks and don’t linger.

Continue reading "Dirty job keeps city sidewalks clean" »

AP photo

By Jason Fink

The Giants tackled wide receiver Plaxico Burress today, sidelining the troubled star for the rest of the season as he faces charges related to his accidentally shooting himself in a Manhattan nightclub.

Burress, who has tangled with the team before, may have played his last game with the Super Bowl champions, who signed him to a five-year $35 million contract before the season began.

He was placed on the reserve non-football injury list and will be fined, though the amount has not been disclosed. In addition he will lose $823,529 in salary for the remainder of the year.

"As we have said since Saturday morning, our concern is for Plaxico's health and well-being," Giants president and CEO John Mara said. "This is an important time for him to take care of his body and heal up and also deal with the very serious legal consequences and other issues in his life. When I spoke with Plaxico he expressed great remorse for letting down his teammates."

“If they don’t penalize him to the full extent of the law then what does that mean for the rest of us?” said Luis Martinez, 32, of the Bronx. “When they’re paid millions of dollars I don’t think that they should keep getting away with it. For him to keep playing is absurd.”

Continue reading "Plaxico axed for season" »

BY MARLENE NAANES
mnaanes@am-ny.com

An off-duty cop was charged with brutally beating a man crossing the street after he almost struck the pedestrian with his car, officials said yesterday.

NYPD Officer Jamel Dennis, 32, was driving along Queens Boulevard on the afternoon of Nov. 17 when he just missed hitting Geoffrey Hollinden, 41, of Manhattan, near 109th Street, the Queens District Attorney’s office said. As the car passed him, Hollinden hit the back of the Infiniti, which was purchased four days earlier.

Moments later, Dennis got out, grabbed Hollinden by the waist, lifting him to shoulder height, and slammed him onto the pavement, officials said. Hollinden was knocked unconscious and spent three days recovering from bleeding on the brain, a herniated disc in his neck and a large cut to his head.

An eyewitness later called 911 with Dennis’ license plate number, prosecutors said.
“As a motorist — and more so, as a police officer — the defendant should have known better than to allegedly take matters into his own hands and elevate a minor traffic dispute into a felonious assault,” Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement.

Dennis was charged with second-degree assault and faces seven years in prison.
The officer also was suspended from the NYPD and received 30 days without pay, police said.

Dennis’ attorney did not return calls for comment.

No problem proving tramplers’ recklessness
Re “Trampled vic lacked training,” Dec. 2: In your article this morning about the young man who was trampled to death in a Valley Stream Wal-Mart, you quote Police Commissioner Mulvey, who said one problem with prosecuting those who trampled the man was “You have to establish recklessness or intent to harm.” The definition of reckless is “utterly unconcerned about the consequences of some action.” I don’t know what Commissioner Mulvey needs for proof of recklessness, if shoppers are willing to walk over and on a man on the floor in order to get to their precious bargains. He may have difficulty identifying the perpetrators, but proving recklessness should not be a problem.
— David R. Felton, Brooklyn

Is it too much to say ‘Merry Christmas?’
Re Dennis Middlebrooks’ letter, “There are other holidays besides Christmas,” Nov. 28-30: Middlebrooks says “holier-than-thou types” are offended by the greeting “Happy Holidays” and that Christians do not own the season. I don’t think Christians believe they own the season, but it seems to me that TV stations, etc., wish people Happy Hanukkah when that date arrives, a Happy Kwanzaa when that date arrives (both of which are appropriate) and when Dec. 25 arrives, it’s always “Happy Holidays!” Is it too much to say “Merry Christmas” on Dec. 25?
—Pat Maher, Mt. Vernon

It’s that time again.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and developer Jerry Speyer will flip the switch to the Rockefeller Christmas tree at 8:58 p.m. Wednesday during the 76th-annual tree lighting ceremony, featuring Beyonce, the Jonas Brothers and others. For the second year, 30,000 energy-efficient and partially solar-powered LED lights will adorn the tree, a 72-foot tall Norway Spruce from New Jersey.

Before the official lighting, several stars will perform starting at 7 p.m. during a program hosted by Al Roker and Jane Krakowski of "30 Rock.” The NYPD is urging spectators to take mass transit and said drivers should avoid the area because of traffic and street closures.

The 80-year-old and eight-ton tree will be lit from 5:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. daily except Christmas Day when it will be lit 24 hours and New Year’s Eve when it will be lit until 9 p.m.

The lights will be turned off and the tree will be taken down on Jan. 9.

Photo: via fickr's wallyg.

By Erin Lindholm
Special to amNewYork

Check your local dairy case: The yogurt section is in the midst of a serious turf battle.

Organic, soy, imported, and sheep and goat’s milk yogurts are vying for shelf space in an increasingly diverse market. But no yogurt has managed to capture attention — or shelf space — quite like Greek yogurt, that dense, silky variation out of the Mediterranean

Continue reading "Explore a different ‘culture’: Go Greek" »

Heidi Klum, left, and Alessandra Ambrosio at the Victoria's Secret fashion show in Miami. The show airs Dec. 3 at 10 p.m. on CBS. (Getty)

By Julie Gordon

Forget a rabbit’s foot or a shiny penny. For supermodel Heidi Klum, good luck comes in the form of red lingerie on New Year’s Eve.

“I’m picking already some new red undies for the new year, ” Klum told us Tuesday at the Victoria's Secret Lexington Avenue store opening. “It has to be red. It’s a good luck thing.”

Besides donning good-luck underwear, Klum said she, her husband Seal and their kids plan to “hang in our pajamas for days.” We’re guessing that part doesn’t include red lace.

At yesterday’s store opening, we also chatted with the other VS models about their favorite ways to feel sexy.

Continue reading "Victoria's Secret Angels: Heavenly at Lexington Avenue store opening" »

There is a reason why basketball players shoot balls into hoops, not themselves.

The Rink at Rockefeller Center

It’s time you stop ignoring all the signs that Christmas is around the bend — decorated store windows and peppermint mochas galore — and accept that Christmas is around the bend. Among the best ways to get in the mood is to ice skating. Here’s a list of hot spots around the city to match your personality:

If you’re: The hotshot
The Rink at Rockfeller Center
The “world’s most famous ice skating rink” with its scenic setting is the ideal place to show off. You’ll stand out for sure among the stumbling children and awkward tourists.
Cost: Until Dec. 8: Admission is as much as $14, skate rentals are $8
Contact: (212) 332-7654
Note: The tree lighting is Wednesday night!

If you’re: The romantic
Wollman Rink at Central Park
This spot is best for carefree gliding with its skyline of uptown buildings and trees. It’s a date destination, so be certain to wear those couples’ "smittens" to make the occasion extra gag-worthy.
Cost: Admission is as much as $14, skate rentals are $6
Contact: (212) 439-6900

Continue reading "Where you’ll find the nicest ice" »

We here at amNewYork often receive samplings of new foods (tough job, I know). Last week, we were hand-delivered Build Your Own Pizza kits from Upper East Side all-natural, organic pizza spot SLICE (Second Avenue, between 73rd and 74th street).

The kits, which come with two whole wheat crusts, tomato sauce, cheese and can contain two topping variations — sauteed triple mushroom and free-range chicken sausage — are being sold in specialty markets around the city, including Gourmet Garage, Fairway, Zabars and Garden of Eden (they start at $7.99).

The verdict: They're good. While I wouldn't necessarily choose one of the whole wheat pizzas over, say a classic Ray's slice, they are certainly a tasty healthier alternative. The mushroom topping was particularly good (and they tasted better than canned mushrooms) and the low-fat 100% organic mozzarella cheese was tasty too.

We suggest warming up the crusts first so that they get nice and crispy before it's time to melt the cheese.

The only gripe: there wasn't quite enough sauce or and we could have done with some more cheese.

Regardless, our taste buds (and waistbands) were satisfied. And the pizza-making project is certainly a fun, healthy activity for kids. Bon apetit!