Mama Mexico

Mama Mexico is vibrant - the colors, the flavors, the sounds, the clientele. Make a reservation so you don't have to wait in line with the rest of the crowds jamming the door on weekend nights, and don't be overwhelmed by the Bible-length menu. Get some combination platters to share with the group and try it all. Chips and salsa and tableside-made guacamole are essential, and there's something for everyone's taste: seafood enchiladas with lobster, calamari, and salmon; carne asada platters with all types of meat; classic burritos, taco combos, chimichangas, fajitas and chiles rellenos, and tons of vegetarian options. You'll be stuffed with the big portions, but just take leftovers home for a reincarnated meal tomorrow. They do Mexican brunch on weekends and there's endless drink options, including the cactus pear margarita or, for the bold, a tequila martini. Tres leches cake (sponge cake made with three different milks and a sweet cream sauce) and fried ice cream are just a sampling of a long dessert menu, if you can fit it in.

The staff is super friendly and welcoming, and a fully costumed mariachi band ups the volume with cheerful songs right at your table. Southwestern colors pop on the walls - bright yellows, oranges, greens and blues among vibrant paintings and fresh flowers. The hustle of all the staff, conversations all around and Mexican music in the background add to the atmosphere. This is a great spot for a birthday or any group gathering when you want to get in the mood to celebrate.

Mama Mexico, 2672 Broadway, at 103rd Street

Even from outside the window of Buttercup Bake Shop you get the feeling that the girls inside know what they are doing. They're wearing proper aprons and "Buttercup Bake Shop" bandannas on their heads like some kind of Southern church picnic dessert swat team. They're showing mastery of the spatula as they frost real layer cakes - right in front of you. The lighting is bright, there's cozy tables to sit down and savor your treats, and you can get a nice tall glass of milk, if you want to go all the way in channeling your inner child. Ah. Bliss.

The best treat here is the cupcake, of course - buttercup golden with vanilla icing would be the classic choice, but there's also chocolate, "devil dog", German chocolate, and for the adventurous, peanut butter and jelly. My personal favorite is the red velvet, with a perfectly smooth cream cheese icing, but I'm also a sucker for the classic buttercup golden. Everything is as pretty as it is tasty: the frostings are the most dreamy pastel colors dotted with candy sprinkles, and have been slathered on in thick whips and peaks like some kind of weight-gain advertisement. Everything is done the old-fashioned way, which is why it looks and tastes so good: real frosting that makes store bought or supermarket cakes look pathetic.

Along with cupcakes, treat bars and seasonal pies, beautiful layer cakes are displayed behind the glass like some kind of culinary museum exhibit. Coconut, buttercup golden, lemon, and German chocolate are some of the flavors to choose from if you want to bring what will be the most popular addition to any gathering. Cakes run thirty to fifty bucks, but cupcakes are a reasonable two dollars each. You can take away or order in advance from Buttercup, but I recommend sitting in and hearkening back to the childhood pleasure of a homemade, old fashioned baked treat with all the fat and sugar that makes it so delicious. Sure, The Cupcake has become one of those annoying New York Trends, but don't let that taint your enjoyment of it. And oh, how sweet it is.

Buttercup Bake Shop, 141 West 72nd Street, between Amsterdam and Columbus

This uptown landmark embodies all that is great about New York City: the variety, diversity and a range of options - but with personality to spare. Coogan's, an Irish bar-restaurant in Washington Heights, is a melting pot for everyone in the neighborhood and visitors as well: you'll see local politicians, doctors from nearby Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, construction workers, neighborhood artists, young and old, Irish, Dominican and everything else you could think of. You can come to Coogan's for a nice sit-down brunch (steak and eggs and tablecloths, oh my!) and for dinner with a group or date (there's tasty and reasonably priced calamari, quesadillas, chicken dishes, pastelitos and phenomenal garlic bread, and the "Smallest Sundae in the World" is actually the perfect size for sharing). But Coogan's is also an ideal spot for getting the crew out for a few drinks to watch the game or laugh with the enthusiastic karaoke performers: share a Coogan's Sampler platter of bar style appetizers with great wings and zucchini wheels while knocking back a Corona or the special watermelon margarita. It really does feel like your table. The community atmosphere of Coogan's is reflected by its neighborhood involvement, including sponsorship of the annual "Salsa, Blues and Shamrocks" run. The spirit of Coogan's? That name says it all.

Coogan's, 4015 Broadway at 169th Street.