A day off and a day to look at beads and meet up with friends.

For the past two years I have made a trip with the lovely and very talented Suzanne Golden and Merle Berelowitz to a secret bead warehouse and this year is no exception. After a few hours digging through boxes and exploring rooms we all have our treasures and it was time for lunch and to move on.

The afternoon was spent walking the Brooklyn Bridge looking at the skyline change as the sun set. I took so many photosof the sights over the past two trips to New York that this year I'm mainly taking ones of the food and drink I come across. But if you want to see some nice scenery ones check out those I took last year.

After the walk we were tempted to stay home and sleep but decided to make the most of it and headed out for dinner to Saxon + Parole (mainly because their celery gimlet was the cocktail list we were using for recommendations).

Boy were we glad we did. Not only was the food amongst the best I have ever tasted (so good I completely forgot to take any photos) but the drinks were out of this world. I ate salmon tartare (hand-cut salmon tartare, fried capers, roasted peppers, soft-boiled quail egg) and Guinness and 5-spice glazed short-rib with cauliflower and gruyere cheese gratin. You practically had to roll me out of there at the end!

As someone who doesn't like sweet drinks, it was a joy to have a choice of non-sweet ones without having to just order a martini. The celery gimlet was sharp, sour, bitter, tasy and so much more. Probably the best cocktail I've ever had. I also tried a drink with peppercorns in it, which isn't on their main menu, and I can't for the life of me remember anything else about it other than it was very, very good.

When the desert menu arrived we agreed there was simply no room for anything else. And then we turned it over. Oops- I had forgotten that one of the main reasons for being here, apart from the celery gimlet, was to try the Spiced Pumpkin Flip. we'd read about it in this weeks Time Out in a 'Best winter cocktails in New York' article. So full or not we had to try it. And whilst we were at it why not order a 'Truffled hot butter rum'... I mean you only live once right?

When the drinks arrived- wow. The pumpkin drink was good but it was the rum which blew me away. I suddenly realised that although I have eaten many exotic things in my life, and Ithought I'd had truffles before, until I had this drink I'd never really had them. As soon as the glass appeared I was drawn in. The smell was almost indescribable, I wasn't sure if it was the best thing ever, or the worst. It was equal parts repulsive and mesmerizing. It smelt of damp, musk, musty nooks and crevices and bodies. I think this article sums it up better than I can.

The drink was warm, buttery and delicious. Every time I put the glass down, sure I couldn't consumne any more, I found myself lifting it up again for just one more smell and taste. I have never had anything like it.

Satiated beyond all description we headed home glad we'd taken a chance and not stayed in watching TV with a take-away pizza.