Martini

2 ounces vodka 1 ounce triple sec Dash of lime juice 3 to 4 ounces of pomegranate juice Twist of lemon 1. In a martini shaker, combine the vodka, triple sec, lime juice, and pomegranate juice. Add ice and shake the mixture. 2. Strain into a chilled martini glass and serve straight up with a twist. Adapted from Mantra

Sometimes a place tries so hard to do one thing, it ends up doing another. Such might be the story of the five-year-old Exchange Street Bistro, a restaurant that aims to bring a bit of "Boston atmosphere" to Malden. Or so says its website. From the cocktail-glass motif throughout, to the spare style of its furnishings, the bistro does present itself as a trendy hot spot, complete with a full craft cocktail menu. There's seating by the front window and in the back, surrounding the well-appointed bar. The décor is minimal, with walls the color of sangria, a few plants here and there, dark wood...

Anja Schneiderheinze won a World Cup bobsled race Friday, leading a 1-2-3 finish by German women. Schneiderheinze and brake partner Lisette Thoene ended teammate Cathleen Martini's three-race winning streak. Jazmine Fenlator of the U.S. was eighth for her best World Cup result this season. The winners had a two-run time of 2 minutes, 17.84 seconds to edge Martini and Janine Tischer by 0.09 seconds. Sandra Kiriasis and Franziska Bertels were third, trailing Schneiderheinze by 0.21.

Anja Schneiderheinze won a World Cup bobsled race Friday, leading a 1-2-3 finish by German women. Schneiderheinze and brake partner Lisette Thoene ended teammate Cathleen Martini's three-race winning streak. Jazmine Fenlator of the U.S. was eighth for her best World Cup result this season. The winners had a two-run time of 2 minutes, 17.84 seconds to edge Martini and Janine Tischer by 0.09 seconds. Sandra Kiriasis and Franziska Bertels were third, trailing Schneiderheinze by 0.21.

LONDON - Charles and Diana were known to stop into Dukes Hotel for one of its famous martinis (Clarence House next door is the Prince of Wales' official residence), and Ian Fleming was a regular, even though Dukes bartenders refuse either to shake or stir. "It's a purer martini without the water from the ice that shaking would add," bartender Maurizio Schiavone says. He adds that stirring would only upset this perfect blend of gin or vodka and vermouth. As in a Japanese tea ceremony, presentation is vital; when the cocktail is ordered, a small table with chilled glasses, two...

Sometimes a place tries so hard to do one thing, it ends up doing another. Such might be the story of the five-year-old Exchange Street Bistro, a restaurant that aims to bring a bit of "Boston atmosphere" to Malden. Or so says its website. From the cocktail-glass motif throughout, to the spare style of its furnishings, the bistro does present itself as a trendy hot spot, complete with a full craft cocktail menu. There's seating by the front window and in the back, surrounding the well-appointed bar. The décor is minimal, with walls the color of...

La Boniche 143 Merrimack St., Lowell 978-458-9473 www.laboniche.com Open for lunch Tuesday-Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., dinner, Tuesday-Thursday, 5 p.m.- 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 to 9:30 p.m. Major credit cards accepted Handicapped accessible With a viewing of the movie “Julie & Julia’’ fresh in our minds, my review team was happy to try an evening at La Boniche, a bistro in downtown Lowell, which promises...

THE dining room at Cascadia — one of Seattle's top restaurants, with a cutting-edge chef, luminous décor and a cellar lauded by Wine Spectator — was empty. No one sat on the green banquettes, eating Alaskan king crab with white-truffle gnocchi under the coppery mahogany paneling, and empty wineglasses sparkled on white tablecloths. Only an occasional wandering waiter disturbed this stillness. Across a frosted-glass divider, however, Cascadia's bar growled with energy.

PITTSBURGH has undergone a striking renaissance from a down-and-out smokestack to a gleaming cultural oasis. But old stereotypes die hard, and Pittsburgh probably doesn’t make many people’s short list for a cosmopolitan getaway. Too bad, because this city of 89 distinct neighborhoods is a cool and — dare I say, hip—city. There are great restaurants, excellent shopping, breakthrough galleries and prestigious museums. The convergence of three rivers and surrounding green hills also make it a surprisingly pretty urban setting.

NORTH CONWAY, N.H. - North Conway is a White Mountain town of many faces. Outlet stores line Route 16. In the village, visitors stroll brick streets to find mom-and-pop stores in a world of chains. And there's the winter apres-ski scene with skiers and snowboarders descending on Main Street and beyond for places to unwind. Whether skiing, shopping, or sipping, North Conway offers plenty of choices. Snappy fedoras, smart newsboys, and other fashionable hats line the red brick-faced Aaron Hats . From $12 camo caps to a $3,700 special-order beaver and chinchilla Stetson with a...

Germany's Thomas Florschuetz and Kevin Kuske won a World Cup two-man bobsled on Saturday to maintain their lead in the overall standings after three races. Olympic silver medallist Florschuetz finished 0.24 seconds ahead of Switzerland's Beat Hefti and Thomas Lamparter for his second win of the season. Latvian duo Oskars Melbardis and Daumants Dreiskens were third. United States pair Steven Holcomb and Curtis Tomasevicz finished in 13th, while John Napier and Justin Olsen finished tied for 14th.

The idea of digging into the cocktail archives has become de rigueur in recent years. For Gargoyles owner James Conforti and bartender Paul Christie, that was the plan from the get-go when they opened in 1996. Back then, martini and cocktail culture wasn’t as prevalent as it is today. One of the easiest ways to get that concept on the map, they decided, was by going big. “I first met James back in 1995,’’ says Christie. “He kept stressing that he wanted the restaurant to be known for its martini.

La Boniche 143 Merrimack St., Lowell 978-458-9473 www.laboniche.com Open for lunch Tuesday-Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., dinner, Tuesday-Thursday, 5 p.m.- 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 to 9:30 p.m. Major credit cards accepted Handicapped accessible With a viewing of the movie “Julie & Julia’’ fresh in our minds, my review team was happy to try an evening at La Boniche, a bistro in downtown Lowell, which promises...

NORTH CONWAY, N.H. - North Conway is a White Mountain town of many faces. Outlet stores line Route 16. In the village, visitors stroll brick streets to find mom-and-pop stores in a world of chains. And there's the winter apres-ski scene with skiers and snowboarders descending on Main Street and beyond for places to unwind. Whether skiing, shopping, or sipping, North Conway offers plenty of choices. Snappy fedoras, smart newsboys, and other fashionable hats line the red brick-faced Aaron Hats . From $12 camo caps to a $3,700 special-order beaver and...

PITTSBURGH has undergone a striking renaissance from a down-and-out smokestack to a gleaming cultural oasis. But old stereotypes die hard, and Pittsburgh probably doesn’t make many people’s short list for a cosmopolitan getaway. Too bad, because this city of 89 distinct neighborhoods is a cool and — dare I say, hip—city. There are great restaurants, excellent shopping, breakthrough galleries and prestigious museums. The convergence of three rivers and surrounding green hills also make it a surprisingly pretty urban setting.

LONDON - Charles and Diana were known to stop into Dukes Hotel for one of its famous martinis (Clarence House next door is the Prince of Wales' official residence), and Ian Fleming was a regular, even though Dukes bartenders refuse either to shake or stir. "It's a purer martini without the water from the ice that shaking would add," bartender Maurizio Schiavone says. He adds that stirring would only upset this perfect blend of gin or vodka and vermouth. As in a Japanese tea ceremony, presentation is vital; when the cocktail is ordered, a small table with chilled...

The idea of digging into the cocktail archives has become de rigueur in recent years. For Gargoyles owner James Conforti and bartender Paul Christie, that was the plan from the get-go when they opened in 1996. Back then, martini and cocktail culture wasn’t as prevalent as it is today. One of the easiest ways to get that concept on the map, they decided, was by going big. “I first met James back in 1995,’’ says Christie. “He kept stressing that he wanted the restaurant to be known for its martini.

A couple of weeks ago I received an e-mail from someone named J.G. Ekizian. I immediately assumed it was a fake name, and a clue to a mystery that I probably wasn’t going to be able to solve without some help. I made this assumption because when I got the e-mail I was in the middle of rereading Vladimir Nabokov’s “Lolita,’’ and it seemed to me that “J.G. Ekizian” was a highly Nabokovian name. This is what that great novel does to you: It makes everything in the world seem as if it might be part of it. In other words, the novel, which is about impaired...

THE dining room at Cascadia — one of Seattle's top restaurants, with a cutting-edge chef, luminous décor and a cellar lauded by Wine Spectator — was empty. No one sat on the green banquettes, eating Alaskan king crab with white-truffle gnocchi under the coppery mahogany paneling, and empty wineglasses sparkled on white tablecloths. Only an occasional wandering waiter disturbed this stillness. Across a frosted-glass divider, however, Cascadia's bar growled with energy.

It began in the dorm rooms of Cambridge and the parlors of Portland, Ore., but in the decade since its inception, Pink Martini has gone global. Started by pianist Thomas M. Lauderdale and fronted by singer China Forbes , who met at Harvard, Pink Martini 's multi-culti mix of French, Italian, Japanese, Filipino, Croatian, Portuguese, Spanish, and, oh yes, English-language love songs and party favors has won the 14-piece orchestra raves in more countries...