AP News report, via the Houston Chronicle, reports that Ethel Tropez, a Hurricane Katrina refugee from New Orleans who lives in Live Oak, Texas, says in court papers she was badly burned and suffered scarring and disfigurement after being scalded while taking a shower on March 29, 2007, in the Hotel Chandler, New York. Tropez’ lawyer, Christina Panzarella, said the water was too hot for a shower. Hotel general manager Simon van Kempen said when asked about the lawsuit that he had “no idea about any of this.” He said he would look into it and respond later.

The Chandler, owned by Triumph Hospitality, was formerly known as the Le Marquis Hotel, and is located in Murray Hill. The newly remodelled Hotel Chandler is now a luxury boutique hotel conviniently located close to the Garment and Flatiron Districts, the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden and the Jacob K. Javits Center.

The hotel has 115 rooms, 8 junior suites and one ‘Chandler’ suite. Room rates start at $345, $595 for a junior suite and onwards. All the rooms have compimentary wi-fi and wired internet, ipod docks, wall mounted 32″ flat screen HD television, pay-per-view movies, 24 hour valet parking and concierge services, a stocked minibar and free delivery of the NY Times, along with nightly shoeshine services. In fact, the rooms look pretty snazzy and neat, and spacey, with ergonomic furniture, a work-desk and swanky lighting.

The hotel also has a fitness center and sauna, a business center with all the usual stuff including fax and copier. The dining comes NYC style, at the 12.31 lobby bar, with hanging lights and tall chairs reaching up to the curvy bar. The 12.31 offer complimentary wine and cheese, called the ‘Chandler Chin Chin’ (don’t ask), Mondays through Thursdays from 7pm until 8pm.

Info: 12 East 31st Street, New York City, New York 10016; (212) 889 -6363

So I was stuck on Staten Island over the weekend, because of the last minute rescheduling of an interview I had lined up at the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art in suburban Staten Island, and the thought of doing the ferry trip back to Manhattan and then back again to Staten Island on Monday morning was kinda depressing. So I poked around the hotels in Staten Island for a bit, until I bumped into the Hampton Inn and Suites, on South Avenue.

By NYC standards, the Hampton Inn & Suites was a sprawling huge structure, with expansive grounds and the look and feel of a federal building, rather than a dinky Hilton hotel. The lobby was as airy and opulent from the inside as the building looked from the outside. The Hampton has a bit of something for everyone, including tourists, families with kids, business conferences which expect luxury, a range of amneties and fast service, as well as budget travelers looking for some freebies.

The hotel is just minutes away from the sights and sounds of New York, including the financial district, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. So it’s a perfect location if you’re a visitor to New York looking for a quiet and comfortable place as headquarters for your excursions around the Big Apple. It’s in the middle of one of Staten Island’s numerous parks, so it’s also a good location if you have a thing for nature walks and hiking on trails.

The hotel offers double beds in rooms, cribs, high chairs and other kid-friendly amneties if you’re traveling with family, not to mention complimentary breakfast and drinks, a coin laundry and valet laundry services. For fitness freaks, there’s a pool, a jogging track and a fitness room with exercise equipment. For business travelers, the hotel offers comprehensive conferencing facilities, with meeting rooms, audio/video equipment, fax, printing and photocopying, and a public notary.

The hotel offers 107 guest rooms and suites, with a choice of a single King size bed or two Queen beds. The rooms, same as the hotel, are extra large with plush carpeting and a tinge of understated luxury. What I mean is that it has a downright easy and comfortable ambience, and you can make yourself right at home. Doesn’t mean it’s a dump. Just that the place looks nice, everything works just fine but its not like you’ll go ‘Wow! What a room!’ All rooms come equipped with a 32 inch flat screen television with complimentary high speed internet, coffee maker, hair dryer, iron/ironing board and a solid work desk and lap desk. The marble bathroom, again, was huge, with a swanky shower. Room rates start at $159, which if you consider the New York average of about $190, is quite fair, especially considering the size and spread of the accomodation, amneties and services.

The dining ain’t so bad either. Lorenzo’s Restaurant, Bar and Cabaret, a massive 150 seat diner serving free breakfast and coffee to hotel guests, along with daily lunch and dinner. The cuisine is Italian and continental, with exceptional service and a lobby lounge for after dinner entertainment and drinks. In fact, Lorenzo’s is more of a location for private and wedding parties, rather than just a simple restaurant. They pull out all the stops here, including live piano music, a cabaret show on Saturdays and a jazz brunch on Sundays. Hiroshi Yamazaki was playing live on the piano, and well…Let’s just say, for once, the heavens were smiling down on me, and I happened to be in the right place at the right time. 

Staten Island provides a nice balance between the mad rush of the City and the sedate rurality of the rest of New York. And if you’re looking for a realxing weekend getaway minutes away from downtown Manhattan, no place like the Hampton Inn and Suites.

Info: 1120 South Avenue, Staten Island, New York NY 10314; (718) 477-1600. 

Web links: Staten Island New York - hotels, visitors, restaurants, Staten Island Ferry

Buffalo, NY lies at the confluence of Lake Erie and the Niagara River, 400 miles northwest of New York City and 100 miles southwest of Toronto. And a few blocks north of downtown Buffalo sits the Anchor Bar, at 1047 Main at North St., home of the ‘Buffalo Chicken Wings’.

It was here, way back in 1964, that Teressa Bellissimo deep-fried some wings, covered them in a special secret sauce and served them to her son’s friends along with blue cheese dip as hors d’oeuvres. Before that fateful day, chicken wings were either used for soup or simply thrown away. Today, Frank & Teressa Bellissimo’s Original Anchor Bar Buffalo Wing Sauce has launched a thousand variations across the globe, and Buffalo Wings are now a staple at eateries around the world, not just in Buffalo or New York.

The Buffalo wings at the Anchor Bar are deep fried chicken wings, served with hot sauce, celery stalks and blue cheese dressing. Here’s the original Anchor Bar Hot Wing recipe, create by Teressa Bellissimo, and brought to you via Totally Hot! The Ultimate Hot Pepper Cookbook.

4 to 5 Lbs chicken wings, freshly ground black pepper, salt (if desired), 4 cups vegetable Oil, 4 TBS butter or margarine (1/2 stick), 5 TBS Louisiana-brand hot sauce or Tabasco sauce (use Franks Red Hot), 1 TBS white wine vinegar

Chop off the tip of each chicken wing, and discard it. Chop each wing in half (cutting at the joint) to make 2 pieces. Grind on fresh black pepper and sprinkle with salt if desired. Heat the oil over high heat in a deep skillet, Dutch oven, or deep-fat fryer until it starts to pop and sizzle (around 400F). Add half the chicken wings and cook until they’re golden and crisp, stirring or shaking occasionally. When done, remove them to drain on paper towels and cook the remaining wings. Melt the butter or margarine over medium heat in a heavy saucepan, add the hot sauce and the 1 TBS of vinegar. Stir well and remove from the flame immediately. Place the chicken on a warm serving platter, pour the sauce on top, and serve.

Today’s Anchor Bar & restaurant serves not only the famed Buffalo wings, but also splendid Italian and American cuisine using original recipes. Try their stuffed hot peppers ($6), served with bread, and stuffed with Italian sausage, cream cheese and romano  cheese, or the combo plate for $7 with two potato skins stuffed with ham and mozzarella cheese, two chicken fingers and two pizza logs served with sauce for dipping. For dessert, try one of their New York style cheesecakes ($4.50).

The Anchor Bar is also good for a quick bite to eat, with an assorted variety of hot and cold sandwiches, pizzas and tacos , washed down with a cheap beer. The food here is tasty, filling, cheap and its historic. It’s what we call a New York experience. Must visit if you’re a foodie in New York.

Besides, Buffalo has a lot of things, other than Niagara, to do and see. There’s the Albert Knox Art Gallery, Wilcox Mansion (site of Theodore Roosevelt’s historic amd improvised inauguration ceremony), The BUffalo Naval Park and the Buffalo Zoo, among others.

Info: Anchor Bar - 1047 Main Street Buffalo, New York 14209; (716) 884-4083, www.anchorbar.com

Web links: Buffalo, New York - hotels, visitors, Niagara USA

Are you sick and tired of the wall-to-wall election news coverage? I Am. Who cares what Hillary Clinton’s senior staffer said about Obama’s senior economist? Why should I listen to what some 83 year old in Philadelphia with one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel has to say about Clinton’s health plan? Or for that matter, what some 17 year old teen with freckles has to say about what the audacity of hope means (probably has something to do with grades not tanking inspite of spending all your time at political rallies shouting ‘Yes We Can’).

Point is, is there any place in New York safe from this barrage? Yes there is. The Casablanca Hotel in Times Square. The hotel is offering a special with the appropriately named promo code of DETOX, for election weary citizens in urgent need of rehab and relief from all the political news, valid for reservations made before April 30th with stay scheduled for a period between Memorial Day and Labor Day 2008.

You book under this package, and all your news channels will be blocked, and you also qualify for a discount of between $10 to $50 and a free Red, White and Blue turndown service which consists of brie and salt water crackers, garnished with blueberries and honey and served with red wine. “Our Red, White and Blue turndown service is a light and nourishing bedtime snack especially designed to give our weary travelers the relaxation and rest they deserve,” says General Manager John Taboada.

Only one question. Is there anyone who still reads newspapers and watches television news? What about the internet? The hotel can’t filter it, right? So how can you offer political rehab if you’re offering a room with wi-fi internet, with access to all the idiotic blogs and news websites, and worst of all - Youtube! Anyway, let’s just see what the hotel has to offer, in terms of rooms and amneties and dining.

The Casablanca is a family owned boutique hotel in midtown Manhattan, in the Theater district, with 48 luxurious rooms and suites, and the famous Rick’s Cafe on the 2nd floor. At Rick’s, European style breakfast buffet is served each morning, with assorted teas and international coffees, cookies and fresh fruit throughout the day, as well as a complimentary wine and cheese reception each evening from 5pm-8pm.

It kinda looks like a movie set home of a rich Arab sheikh or something, with quaint Moroccan decor featuring archways, lazily rotating ceiling fans, ornamental moldings, tapestries, paintings and murals hanging on the walls and corridors. In addition to Rick’s Cafe, there’s also an an adjacent courtyard called the Blue Parrot for guests who prefer to enjoy their cappuccino or Prosecco alfresco.

For fitness freaks, there’s a sports club with pool, sauna, weights and exercise machines. For business travelers, the hotel offers a conference room with space for upto 12 people, equipped with all the latest gizmos and business presentation hardware, along with fax and photocopier machines, same day laundry and dry cleaning services.

Normal room rates start at $319 plus a tax of $46.17, which makes it a whopping $365.17 for a one night stay. And the hotel claims their rooms are immune to a lot of things. Smoke free, sound proof and election-news proof (if you go for the DETOX package).  All the rooms and suites are equipped with complimetary wi-fi internet, tv with 36 cable channels, mini-bar packed with drinks, hairdryer and signature bath products.

One thing I have to say for the Casablanca. Somebody at the hotel has either a great sense of humor, or some very big delusions of grandeur. Everything has a distinctly pompous touch, with the ornate decor and the European style breakfast and the stiff necked and courteous staff with massive chips on their shoulders. The whole chilled champagne bucket on arrival thing is so yesterday now. But then, if you’re an NYC resident, or even a standard issue visitor to the Big Apple, there’s no way you’re going to shell out 400 bucks for a one night stay at a New York hotel. So I guess if you’re a rich Arab sheikh with a suitcase full of petro-dollars, you should feel right at home at the Casablanca.

Info: 147 W 43rd St New York, NY 10036; (212) 869-1212. Specials: For political rehab package with news free rooms, use promo code DETOX. Bookings before April 30th for stays between Memorial Day and Labor Day 2008.

Except for the sizzle and sauciness of deep fried Southern cooking, it amazes me how unsatisfying American cuisine is for your taste buds. The tastes and culture and customs of most other countries seem so deep and vibrant, that it comes of no surprise that most immigrants are downright miserable and totally fed up with the Big Apple. Of course, it doesn’t help that New York is a heartless city that will stomp on you and spit you out if you don’t have a thick skin. As my new and good friend Stuart says, NYC hates you right back with a visceral passion.

Be that as it may, there are some bright spots. Immigrant communities have established their own cultural beachheads in this faceless concrete jungle of skyscrapers and high-rise apartments. So if you miss the olives of Greece and you’re stuck in New York, here’s a list of Greek restaurants, clubs and hotspots in NYC, where you can feel at home.

Periyali: With more than two decades of experience serving authentic Greek food to New York, the Periyali restaurnat, in the Flatiron District, provides a cozy, comfortable and upscale environment with hanging wines and shades of white and service with a friendly smile.

The charcoal-grilled octopus marinated in red wine and lamb chops are recommended, with spanakopita as an appetizer. The total tab for a meal is highly reasonable, considering the quality of the food and the generous portions served, not to mention the fact that side dishes with brocooli or couscous are a part of the entree, rather than being seperately charged. Info: 35 West 20th Street New York, NY 10011; (212) 463-7890.

Anthos: A more hip and happening establishment, in contrast to the staid Periyali, the Anthos is run by the vivacious Donatella Arpaia and the talented and hyperactive Michael Psilakis. With a balance of delicate pink and chocolate brown decor and artsy furnishings, the Anthos aims to offer more than just Greek cuisine. It’s more of an experience, a place to meet, and a place to be seen, by the young and the famous on the Greek cultural circuit.

While Anthos serves a bevy of Greek dishes, the one which is most authentic is probably the charred orange flavored Octopus with lobes of garlic. Also recommended are the pink, salty lamb chops with cinammon flavored moussaka. Info: 36 west 52nd St, between 5th and 6th; (212) 582-6900. 

Other noted and recommended Greek restaurants in New York include:

Molyvos - 871 7th Ave, between 55th and 56th St, New York, NY 10019; (212) 582-7500
Avra - 141 E 48th St, between Lexington and 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10017; (212) 759-8550
Agnanti - 19-06 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria, NY 11105; (718) 545-4554
Eliá - 8611 Third Ave, Bay Ridge, NY 11209; (718) 748-9891
Kefi - 222 W 79th St, New York, NY 10024; (212) 873-0200
Estiatorio Milos - 125 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019; (212) 245-7400

Now you might not want to miss Agnanti, considering its location in Astoria, Queens, which has more than its fair share of Greek establishments and has long been considered as a ‘Greek neighbourhood’. The Titan Foods supermarket has every concievable thing a lost Greek soul in New York could possibly want for. A stroll through this market will make you forget which country you’re still in - A dazzling selection of olives at the olive bar,  anchovies in the refrigirated section, stacks of aromatic olive oil cans, Greek desserts such as baklava, canned and bottled Greek groceries - You name it, and if it’s Greek, Titan Foods has got it. In fact, a whole day off in Astoria might not be such a bad idea.

If you’re looking for late-night entertainment, you might want to consider the Zodiac Cafe, on 3015 Newtown Ave Astoria, NY 11102-2126; (718) 726-3995, which is one of the most happening nightlife hotspots with live Greek music and dancing. During the day, you’ll see a lot of Greeks at Zodiac’s restaurant and bar, digging into traditional mezze with spinach pie, feta cheese and stuffed grape leaves, as also kebabs, sandwiches and pasta dishes.

Another option, with a slightly more New Yorkish crowd is the Cavo Cafe Lounge, located at 42-18 31st Avenue, Astoria, Queens; (718) 721-1001, which is huge and has everything from a restaurant and lounge bar to a vast dining room which serves slightly modernized Greek cuisine with marinated grilled octopus, sweet roasted peppers, baby arugula and olives, along with Greek tapas, including keftedes, a Greek sausage, baked shrimp with stewed tomoatoes and feta and a host of other deliacies. After 7.30 in the evening, the fun starts at Cavo, with dinner and live flamenco’s. It’s a wild party, with a youngish crowd and blaring music.

The places mentioned here should be more than enough to cover a full fun filled Greek weekend in New York. And if you’re the artsy type and you hate the glass and steel monster buildings in NYC, you can always visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a taste of Hellenic architecture and sculpture, and wander around the newly renovated Greek gallery.