Guidebooks Galore

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

WHERE TO WEAR 2006 BOX SET: FASHION SHOPPING FROM A TO Z
By Jill Fairchild, Gerri Gallagher, Julie Craik, Where to Wear, $49.99

Guidebooks make most things easier — whether your objective is getting around town, shopping for leather goods, or hunting down imported cheeses. But such books are also good gifts themselves. Featured below is a selection of resourceful guides that succeed in combining the practicality with readability. No matter if you’re buying for yourself or giving a gift, information is an invaluable companion.

This authoritative collection bears the hallmark of its creator, fashion legacy Jill Fairchild. A daughter of the founder of W magazine, John Fairchild, Ms. Fairchild began the “Where to Wear” series in 1999 with a single volume on shopping in New York. Together with veteran Condé Nast editor Gerri Gallagher, marketing maven Julie Craik, and an informed team of fashion journalists in 14 cities, the publishing heiress brings the breezy tone of a magazine editor to this guidebook. The brightly packaged four-volume box set includes guides to the world’s fashion destinations: New York, Paris, London, and Italy (with sections on Rome, Florence, and Milan). The guides offer useful indexes including lists of in-store restaurants, alteration services, and day spas. Colorful maps can simplify navigating the tube in London or flitting across Paris’s arrondissements. Also helpful is the inclusion of store hours, size conversion charts, and a style glossary for the uninitiated. Entries for destination vintage stores, chains, high-end flagships, and buried-treasure boutiques are updated yearly and stocked with insider tips, details on the current season’s collections, and exquisite descriptions of shop interiors.

86 RECIPES NEW YORK: RECIPES FROM TOP RESTAURANTS FOR THE HOME KITCHEN
Multiple contributors on printed cards, Savannah Productions, $24.95

This boxed collection of recipes is wish fulfillment for anyone who has dreamed of being a top chef. Creators Chris Foster and Dan Kennedy commissioned executive chefs from restaurants including Daniel and Lever House to poach from their daily menus. Among specialties are tuna tartare with mango chutney from Brasserie, the roast duck breast on cassava chips with soy dressing from Public, and buttercup squash flan from Eleven Madison Park. The set is constructed as a twist on the recipe tins of the 1950s; individual cards identify the chef, type of cuisine, ingredients (in some instances with suggestions of easier-to-find alternatives), complementary wine pairings, and instructions for presentation, among other details. On the reverse of each is basic information about the restaurant, including a photograph, map, and pricing information.

THE BEST THINGS TO DO IN NEW YORK: 1001 IDEAS
By Caitlin Leffel and Jacob Lehman, Universe, 384 pages, $18.95

Organized by themes such as Arts & Culture, Eating & Drinking, 24-hour Fun, and the Classics, this comprehensive book aims to help you make the most of the metropolis. Sharing a pint of Stella Artois at the White Horse Tavern on Hudson Street is enjoyable enough, the authors suggest, but it is the knowledge that poet Dylan Thomas frequently lunched here that makes for an experience singular. The ideas range from the timeless — a trip to the observation deck of the Empire State Building — to the original, such as a 20-minute nap in a reclining pod courtesy of MetroNaps once you get to the top of the building. At FAO Schawrz, an overnight party for up to 15 guests can be had within the toy emporium for $25,000. The hefty guidebook spans the five boroughs and includes detailed entries for the museums beyond Museum Mile, lesser-known sights, and outdoor parks and rinks.

ZAGAT SURVEY 2007 NEW YORK CITY MARKETPLACE
Edited by Carol Diuguid, Zagat Survey, 301 pages, $14.95

This pocket gastronomic bible offers a sprawling guide to the marketplace, including listings for top quality bagels and bialys, caterers, greenmarkets, and caviar and smoked fish. This democratic resource encompasses gourmet organic, exotic herb, and spice shops and landmark ice cream parlors like Eddie’s Sweet Shop in Forest Hills, Queens — one of few places where an authentic malted can still be had. For those who simply can’t take the heat, a list of the best restaurants at which to throw a bash or catered affair is appended in a special features section. As is the case with the popular survey series, everybody’s a critic, so more than 5,400 local foodies contributed comments to this year’s book.

ZAGAT SURVEY 2007 NEW YORK CITY SHOPPING
Edited by Catherine Bigwood, Randi Gollin, and Troy Segal, Zagat Survey, 368 pages, $14.95

An indispensable book for lovers of fashion, the New York City Shopping guide covers 2,000 stores that range from Tibetan Crafts in the West Village to the Tory Burch outpost on Elizabeth Street, where visitors will find the designer’s coveted Reva ballet flats with signature “T” medallion. As readers familiar with the Zagat Surveys will recognize, retailers are ranked by a cadre of avid shoppers according to a scale of 0-30 on criteria including quality, service, and presentation. Shoppers also will find that trendy Brooklyn neighborhoods such as Park Slope and Cobble Hill, with their hipster boutiques and children’s wear shops, have a real presence in these pages. A special section at the back of the book offers a streamlined glimpse at the edition’s “Avant-Garde” and “Noteworthy New Comers.

ANTHONY DIAS BLUE’S POCKET GUIDE TO WINE 2007
By Anthony Dias Blue, Fireside, 385 pages, $15

Few things inspire more trepidation than being presented with the wine list at dinner, a wine and spirits editor at Bon Appétit magazine, Anthony Dias Blue, writes. But would-be oenophiles can consult this accessible guide. The author distills and distinguishes varietals from blends, reds from rosés, from among the hundreds of grapes grown commercially for winemaking. The first half of the guide is devoted New World wines, and he makes the case for the wealth of American wineries. He also offers profiles of the best- and best-value wines in Europe, as well as emerging wine countrys such as China and India. Mr. Blue is quick to indicate the guide is not intended for a connoisseur, but rather for a casual drinker or novice unsure of why, for instance, most cheeses are best consumed without a glass of red wine. (Answer: the creamy consistency makes for a pasty palate when chased with a dry red.)


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