NYC has culinary gems like I have never seen. The best part is, there are the great classic restaurants, but there are also always new diamonds in the rough popping up to challenge the classics– keep em honest if you will. The art of creating a sublime cocktail is, in my book, a very culinary, focused, and difficult process to master– a truly astute cocktail is every bit as impressive as the plated delights. Mike Arauz has transferred his appreciation of finely crafted adult beverages into his newly launched site, The Lush Life: Guide to Manhattan’s Best Cocktail Bars. It looks like Mike is setting his site narrowly and with the utmost discretion, focusing on only his all star team of establishments, probably chosen through some sort of secret scientific method he’s concocted. But who knows, maybe he’ll add some others after we flood his inbox with tips of our own favorites. May I start with my own recommendation? The Randolph at Broome– most insane cocktails I encountered in the city.