If the duties of a brand ambassador seem a bit vague, consider the task appointed to Hendrick’s Gin delegate Charlotte Voisey. At last night’s Hendrick’s burlesque party, held at the New Orleans Roosevelt Hotel (N.B. This is the birthplace of the Sazerac cocktail), we found her dressed in a winged fairy-princess costume, which she wore for the duration of the event. TONY would never do that to us. Oh wait. Read more »

Macao Trading Co. (Photo: Roxana Marroquin)

TONY gives two out of six stars to Pranna, where the food isn’t enough to compensate for the “head-splitting racket” or the “beat-heavy music” that “floods the back dining room.”

We also award four stars to the tipples at the erotically charged Macao Trading Co., where “the bustling crowd and enticing decor are fine distractions, but once your drink arrives, good luck focusing on anything else.”

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La Barra's guacamole (Photo: Roxana Marroquin)

At Macao Trading Co., the “one-menu, two-cuisine theory” fails to win over Randall Lane, but “a great cocktail menu and a sexy environment” earn the exotic eatery three out of six stars. [TONY]

La Barra Cevicheria proves that Peru doesn’t hold a monopoly on acid-cured fish. The “snug Mexican small-plates eatery” earns three out of six stars. [TONY]

Even though “there is no bar to belly up to” at Raines Law Room, we are impressed by “each drink’s diamond-sharp execution” and give the semispeakeasy four out of six stars. [TONY]

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That is so totally Jean-Georges. No, it really is.

Oh, it’s a doozy. This week’s issue should set you up nice and good on where to eat for the next little while, we think. The Eat Out Awards 2009 winners take up the most valuable real estate in the mag, with 25 Readers’ Choice victors (that’s you, reader!), 25 Critics’ Picks, and some pretty incredible shots of your favorite chefs in iconic New York City roles—David Chang and Christina Tosi manning the Mister Softee truck, Jean-Georges refilling coffee at Primeburger and more.

In our regular Eat Out programming, Randall Lane takes Macao Trading Co. for a spin and finds that the coexisting Portuguese and Chinese dishes do not add up to one great menu. Our critics also visited La Barra Cevicheria and Raines Law Room. Read more »