Sure, advertising makes the world go 'round, but it also makes me get up and head to the kitchen to fetch a snack. And yet, there are some commercials that are just so well done that they're actually worth watching, and Heineken's cinematic ad "The Date" certainly falls into that category. Composed of one long tracking shot that follows a rakish young hero and his sexy date as they enter a surreal banquet hall, encounter a host of strange characters, and celebrate with a couple of cold bottles of Heineken (don't they have glasses at this party?), it's marketing at its finest. And since the date looks like a lot of fun, Heineken came up with a way you can experience it yourself, sort of. 

On Sunday, the most important sporting event in the world will be held, assuming by "world" you mean "United States." This year's Super Bowl is particularly significant, as it pits the Giants of East Rutherford, New Jersey New York against the Patriots of Foxborough, Massachusetts New England, two of the biggest television advertising markets most historically rich cities in the country. A list of Boston sports bars can be found here. As for my fair city, New York is filled with sports bars, but there are a handful of particularly upscale joints that break the lager-and-wings mold with fancy cocktails and haute cuisine - particularly important if you're trying to make a date of it. Here are a few of our favorites. 

Park Slope, Brooklyn is a lovely, if simplistically-named neighborhood. There's a park, there's a slope, there are about 8 billion kids under the age of ten, and there are countless businesses that cater to them and their families. There aren't very many truly exciting restaurants, at least compared to Manhattan, but that's starting to change, if the opening of Talde on Seventh Avenue near the F train stop is any indication. Top Chef All-Star Dale Talde's new restaurant - which he opened with partners David Massoni and John Bush of nearby Thistle Hill Tavern - began welcoming diners on Sunday, and judging from the crowds that have flocked to the place since then, the sleek Asian-American restaurant has already won the neighborhood's heart. 

ACME (Noho) - Shifting from Cajun to "new Nordic," beloved Noho eatery gets new lease on life.

On January 7, music fans around the world celebrated the birth of Jay-Z and Beyonce's baby daughter, who wasted no time in becoming the youngest person to ever appear on a Billboard-charting song. At a mere two days of age, Blue Ivy Carter contributed a vocal track to "Glory," an emotional tribute song her dad released on his website LifeandTimes.com. But while I'm sure nobody had anything but warm and fuzzy thoughts for the newborn, there were a few hurt feelings around Lenox Hill Hospital - which the music industry power couple allegedly put on lockdown - with stories of beefy security guards preventing some parents from visiting their own newborns in the neonatal ICU. Enter comedian Rob Ryan, who, on our suggestion, recut "Glory" into "Lenox Hill Glory" with lyrics that recognize the plight of those frustrated moms and pops. 

This news story about Alaska cops cracking down on people being drunk in bars (yes, in bars) got me thinking about how America's always been weird about booze. The country started out as a place where you could throw off the shackles of your original place of birth and drink as much as you cared to. But that was an era when most Americans knew nothing stronger than 2% beer. Then distillation got popular, and a lot of people went nuts with it. As I learned from Ken Burns' brilliant documentary Prohibition, by 1830 every American older than the age of 15 was drinking the equivalent of 88 bottles of whiskey a year. That's a lot!

Australian singer Gotye takes stock of his sudden success.

Here is a partial list of places I have brought and used my pocket liquor flask: the New York Aquarium at Coney Island, my friend's kid's 2nd birthday party, my office, Prospect Park, the guest room at my teetotal in-laws' house in Boynton Beach. I plan to expand this list significantly in 2012, since one of my resolutions is to be a worse person. And that's one of the gifts a hip flask bestows upon you: outlaw status. Because unless you're using it in the comfort of your own home (and why would you do that?), brother, you are breaking a law that's a bit too broad. Good for you. 

Vikram Chatwal is truly at home in the world. The founder and visionary behind Vikram Chatwal Hotels - which include the Dream, Time, Night, and Stay brands - might wake up in New York, where he owns five upscale properties, including the new Dream Downtown. Or he could find himself in Miami Beach, where his Dream South Beach recently opened. Or perhaps he'll roll out of bed in Los Angeles, Mexico, Thailand, or India, depending on whether he's dealing with hotel business, acting in a movie, or spending time with his family.

It's impossible to pin down exactly what makes some New York restaurants successful where so many others have failed, but whatever the secret is, Frank Falcinelli (left) and Frank Castronovo (right) are in on it. "The Franks," as they're affectionately known, are the owners of Frankies 457 Spuntino, Frankies 17 Spuntino, Prime Meats, Cafe Pedlar, and the new Frankies 570 Spuntino, each one of them beloved by critics and casual diners alike.