Editor’s Letter: Get Out of Town

Just the thought of a summer issue put us in full-on beach mode -- daydreams of far-off places, sandy toes and tropical drinks. To that end, a truckload of black volcanic sand was hauled in, along with a passel of plush beach blankets, chaise lounges and striped umbrellas, for our cover shoot with the incomparable Marion Cotillard, who brought a touch of the French Riviera to Canal Street one day in early May. The Oscar-winning La Vie en Rose star is certainly on a whirlwind journey of her own, as she ascends from respected actress to international movie star.

Summer break is definitely a pipe dream for Cotillard, who has been working nonstop since her breakthrough moment. But that hasn’t stopped her from indulging in life’s pleasures along the way. When in Chicago filming Public Enemies with Johnny Depp, she got further into character by hanging out on nights off with the cast and crew at Al Capone’s old stomping grounds, iconic jazz club the Green Mill. And she got her dance on with her boyfriend Guillaume Canet while shooting The Last Voyage of Lancaster in the dunes of Morocco, where the two of them shook hips with the local nomads and their toddlers.

Another actress who is going new places, Maya Rudolph, takes a surprisingly lovely detour from her comedic path with a muchbuzzed-about performance in Sam Mendes’ Away We Go. Her co-star John Krasinski gives her a proper grilling. Elsewhere in the issue, the Parisian rockers Phoenix sent us postcards from the road, while other world travelers stopped by our offices in person. Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince of the Kills gave our walls their stamp of cool, in the form of some seriously awesome skulls.

Wherever you are, let a cocktail, or mocktail if you please, take you to exotic places. New York nightlife icon Amanda Lepore taste tests the luscious libations on pour at Chinatown’s mixology drink den, Apothéke. If you stop by, ask for her house special: The Happy and Horny.

Or hop on the Jitney and meet me in Montauk. I’ll be at The Gig Shack on Main Street, cold beverage in hand. Find out how to get there—and everywhere else worth going to—with the BlackBook Guides app on your iPhone. Bonus: Our new BlackBook Access program gets you great deals at the chicest places around.