Fun Night in Chelsea, NY

Diana and I dashed into New York for a little fun. Italian Wine Bar, French Bistro, Spanish movie. Short of flying somewhere warm it just does not get any better than this.

Dropped our son, Pierce, off at a kid's party he was attending on West 26th street, parked the car and started wandering.

First stop Veloce Wine Bar.

Chelsea from 14th to 23rd, along 7th and 8th Avenues is a mecca of restaurants and bars. We headed down 7th Avenue thinking about going to Nooch the hot new Noodle Shop on 8th and 17th.

On the way we found the Chelsea location of Bar Veloce the hip Italian wine bar at 176 7th Avenue between 20th and 21st Sts. The impressive wine list, which is mostly Italian, included a delicious Sylvaner Reserve, Doamine Weinbach. We also sipped a Morellino di Scansano, Il Putone.

With the wine, olives and a tuna with white beans were ordered. All perfect together.

Frederick E. Twomey the man behind Veloce has certainly had accomplished his goal of "Bar Veloce to serve as a watering, feeding, and meeting point where people gather for a quick glass of wine and a superior bite to eat, simultaneously enjoying a sophisticated, comfortable space with attentive and professional service."

The bartenders and staff are outfitted in jackets and ties giving a nice touch of sophistication to an otherwise casual scene.

Decided to continue our adventure and a couple of blocks further south on 7th Avenue we encountered another irresistible spot. I love NY. You can find authentic dining experiences like the pure Parisian Le Singe Vert.

With a menu of bistro classics, fabulous wine list and effusive charm this restaurant will steal your heart away. Jam packed with tables, but comfortable nevertheless, you feel like you have been beamed to the Montmartre or the Left Bank.

We tasted a three great Burgundies. Learn about Burgundy here.

After dinner we headed to the Chelsea Clearview cinema for Pedro Almodovar's great new film Volver. He just keeps getting better. Penelope Cruz is at her best.