Photo by Gabi Porter
The best time to claim a perch at Forcella Park Avenue's bar is right after work, when pesto-smeared bread is served gratis, and before the loud and hungry swoop into the dining room for chef Giulio Adriani's blistering flash-fried Montanara pizzas. Two-for-one beers might be this happy hour's biggest attraction, but knowing that Dushan Zaric -- of Employees Only and new booze brand the 86 Co. -- dreamed up the cocktail list, I splurged on the El Bloombito.
This elegant drink, at once bitter and bright, combines Santa Teresa "1796" Venezuelan rum with Campari, fresh lime juice and a touch of Zaric's own savory-sweet grapefruit cordial, the recipe for which he guards closely. "The rum holds the sweetness and the Campari together," Zaric notes. "It's a cocktail that keeps changing as you drink it." A mélange of anise, cinnamon, white pepper and sugar around the rim ensures a spicy depth to each sip.
Although the El Bloombito makes a fine prelude to the wine sure to be swilled at dinner, Zaric assures it's just as welcome a companion to pizza: "There can't be too much tomato sauce; you need meat, mushrooms or olives. It calls for something fatty."
El Bloombito
2 oz. Santa Teresa "1796" Rum
¾ oz. grapefruit cordial ( To make at home, Zaric suggests steeping 2 parts sugar with 1 part ruby red grapefruit juice)
½ oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
½ oz. Campari
Apply blend of anise, cinnamon, white pepper and sugar to the rim of a cocktail glass. Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass. Add large ice cubes and shake vigorously for a few seconds. Strain into the prepared cocktail glass and serve.
Hat tip to WNYC's "That Was a Hit" for calling attention to this rarely-repeated country-house fusion by British production duo the KLF and Tammy Wynette. Apparently Tammy couldn't join the group when they performed on "Top of the Pops," but at least there's a guitar-playing ice cream cone.
In this weekly column, MC/DJ Hesta Prynn pairs pop culture stories with an original playlist.
Oscar-nominated films have theme songs written by people like Randy Newman, Alan Menken or Andrew Lloyd Webber. Sure, we get a Three 6 Mafia or an Eminem from time to time, but only for every six Broadway standards and rarely in the Best Picture category. Wouldn't these dramas go down smoother if our heroes walked to Mötley Crüe or G 'n' R? In honor of the 85th Academy Awards, I've served up my top five Best Picture noms with their '80s power-ballad theme songs.
WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW!
1. Lincoln: "Something to Believe In" - Poison
Perhaps the most awesome power ballad in the genre, this smash hit from Poison would easily elevate the never-ending Lincoln from Most Boring to Most Awesome. I want to see montages of Daniel Day-Lewis contemplating the questions of the time over Bret Michaels's parting words, "Sometimes I wish I didn't know now, the things I didn't know then."
2. Les Misérables: "Love Bites" - Def Leppard
This film couldn't be more depressing. Its title literally translates to "the miserable." Poverty, unrequited love, the song every high-school girl sang for every musical theater audition ever - they're all in there. Instead of "On My Own" I'd love to have seen Eponine bust out this heart-wrenching Def Leppard jam.
3. Silver Linings Playbook: "Keep On Loving You" - REO Speedwagon
The lyrics in this song are a bit "off" and one might say that the songwriter was "not all there" when he wrote it. Maybe sort of like someone you would take out a restraining order against, kind of sort of exactly like Bradley Cooper's character in this film. This song plays during his episode searching for his wedding video in the attic, when he melts down and attacks his parents.
4. Zero Dark Thirty: "Without You" - Mötley Crüe
"Without You" is the codependency anthem, and Jessica Chastain's character and Osama Bin Laden are Zero Dark Thirty's Carrie Matheson and Sgt Brody. "Without you in my life I'd slowly wither and die/ But with you by my side you're the reason I'm alive." Clearly this song is meant to play at the end as she flies home in the helicopter wondering what to do with the rest of her life.
5. Django Unchained: "Love of a Lifetime" - Firehouse
My personal favorite of the group, Django Unchained is at heart a love story. The epic Western set in the antebellum South certainly boasts the most emotionally healthy couple of all of the nominees. I'd like to hear this song played when Django bursts in on Broomhilda at the Candie plantation after she believes him to be dead.
Welcome to our Friday GIF roundup, featuring a collection of this week's most important, amusing and/or newsy GIFs and GIF sets by Mike Hayes of BuzzFeed and GIF Hound.
It's Friday! Here's a flower. (BuzzFeed)
I wish I could high-five Eddie, the otter who dunks basketballs in a pool to help treat his arthritis. (ibid.)
The most awful bus driver in Britain (and anywhere ever in the world for all-time) was sentenced to 17 months in jail for using his bus to knock a cyclist to the ground. (@BuzzFeedNews)
Don't tell Funny or Die they can't manipulate your photograph, White House. Don't. (Funny or Die)
I know full well that anything I tried to make with the 3Doodler would come out horrible. I still want. (Colossal)
Blue Ivy Carter. She cute. (Fly With Me)
Wait for it. Wait for it. Keep waiting for it. Wait for it. (thefrogman.me)
And finally, Oprah advice. (Live.)
Also finally, this panda. He looks ready for the Oscars and the Oscars GIFs. Only approximately 48 hours until 48,000 Oscars GIFS :) (Sir Mitchell)
New Zealand-raised, London-based Sarah Kelleher worked as a gallery curator and audio engineer before adopting the name Misfit Mod and focusing on her own music. Last week, she released Islands & Islands, her first album of atmospheric synth-pop, on Brooklyn label Stars & Letters. In this video for the song "Cars," a stiletto-wearing streetwalker stumbles through a city at night; kaleidoscopic camera tricks disorient the viewer. The song is airy and sparse, with a loop of Kelleher's voice and a basic drumbeat as the only accompaniment.
Liu Wen - Model
Irina Kravchenko - Model
Anna Wintour - Editor in Chief, Vogue
Anna Dello Russo - Editor at Large, Vogue Japan 
Angelo Flaccavento - Writer
Bloggers
Murray Hill's Oscar Party
3) After selling millions of copies of Killing Lincoln and Killing Kennedy, Bill O'Reilly's next book will focus on the assassination of Christ with Killing Jesus. Kind of jumping the shark, aren't you Bill? Where do you go from there? [
4) Wow, we never want to be to be on Frank Sinatra's bad side. But we do want to pull on his hairpiece. 
6) Oh, yuck: A new survey shows that fish are usually not what their labeled as. That orange roughy you ordered last night? Probably a fish called "slimehead." [
From The Cut's "
Snaps in a Z formation to whoever's responsible for the Michale Haneke parody Twitter account. [
Wait for it ... (Then run away screaming.) [
Good news: Ewan Mcgregor gets you. [
This GIF is the reason for GIFs. [
Our new signature. [ThisIsntHappiness]
This KFC sign featured in the
Baby Jay-Z and Big Daddy Kane. Have a great weekend! [
Sex and the City-certified shoemaker Manolo Blahnik can't really tell celebrities apart these days. He 
Karl Lagerfeld did another one of his sketches for German mag Frankfurter Allgemeine Magazin. In honor of the 50th Anniversary of the Elysée Treaty (which ended the longtime rivalry between France and Germany) Karl depicted France and Germany as a lesbian couple with children -- personified France is on the left with Françoise Hollande as her child, and personified Germany is on the right with Angela Merkel. This is so weird but we're kind of obsessed with it. [via 
In other "oh god" news: DC Communication is making a glassy magazine devoted to nail art called...wait for it...
Jennifer Lawrence is looking very pretty (if a little boring and not very Jennifer Lawrence-y) in the new Miss Dior handbag ads. So basically: meh. [via Press Release] 
Friday, February 22
(Photo by Danny Krug)
Sunday, February 24
1. The Diagram prize for oddest book titles of the year is obviously a treasure trove of laughs, but our money's on Was Hitler Ill? Here's the shortlist below:
2. Find out your terrible tweet score. We're guilty of numbers 1 and 3 for sure and probably more. #InWhichWeAreSorry [via 
5. Everyone panic: the Brooklyn Flea and Smorgasburg will be moving over one block, from The Edge Williamsburg at North 6th and Kent to East River State Park at North 7th and Kent. They also just 
8. Liking 
Best New Dad: Yesterday, Wiz Khalifa, rapper and weed enthusiast, welcomed his son into the world. -- Rashard Bradshaw
Most "Surprisingly Hot" Person of the Week: 
Best New Meaning For the Lyrics "We Found Love In a Hopeless Place": 
Weirdest Nail Art Moment: The talons Azealia Banks recently debuted via Instagram. -- R.B.
Just everything last night was groan. Groan x Eyeroll to the make-it-stop degree. [
Jennifer Lawrence tripped on her way to accept her Oscar ...
Hugh Jackman tried to help but was too late... [
The Chicago number was so weird. It made our stomachs hurt. [
Like us, Jack Nicholson had no idea what was going on last night. 
Sandra Bullock made this face. [
Joseph Gordon Levitt and Daniel Radcliffe took this photo. [
Kyle MacLachlan wins Best Photobomb of the Night. [
Jeremy Renner checked out Chris Pine's butt on the red carpet. [t
Big, big night for long luscious locks on dudes... [
Make out, make out! [
Each week in our Off Duty series, we'll talk to some of our favorite
chefs and industry folk around the country to find out their secret
late-night spots where they like to grab a bite and a pint when their
kitchens are finally closed. Next up: Former 
What are the best things to order there?
Noah Ellis
How long have you been going there? 