Sweets News

• If you are indisposed to leaving the apartment but must have a Jacques Torres chocolate bar within the hour, this service promises to deliver one to you!

• In other chocolate-related news, the 92Y is holding a "For the Love of Chocolate" book signing, interview and chocolate tasting with Max Brenner on November 15. For more information, please visit the 92Y Website.

• Don't forget about the most exciting chocolate event of the year - the annual Chocolate Show! It's back at the Metropolitan Pavilion this year, from October 30-November 1.
  

Destino

With its clubby, congenial atmosphere, Destino seems like the local restaurant that's been around for years. It's only been open for three, but the meatballs have already become legendary, and live jazz at the bar helps to nurture a loyal clientele. (What a rarity live music has become in this city!)

We were lucky to get in without a reservation; a large birthday party was dispersing. The menu contained all the traditional Italian favorites: veal marsala, chicken cacciatore, scampi, pasta with clams in red or white sauce. One of us pleaded for fried zucchini, although it wasn't on the menu, and a large, lightly-fried portion soon appeared. Our appetizers also included a garlicky Caesar salad, a salad of beefsteak mozzarellas and fresh mozzarella, and those delicious "Mario's Meatballs"... plump specimens smothered in a tasty tomato sauce. (I looked around, and almost everyone had some on their table.)

I had been leaning towards pasta (you can order spaghetti, angel hair, linguine, orecchiette, rigatoni, fusilli, penne, fedelini or shells!), but instead went with Dover sole meuniere, which arrived with lots of crisp slivers of toasted almonds. Also on the agenda were a gargantuan veal chop and branzino with asparagus.

We finished with 20-layer cream crepe cake and mixed berries with fresh vanilla whipped cream. Destino really knows how to please a customer! Make a reservation; you might not get lucky like we did.

Destino: 891 1st Ave., (212) 751-0700.

Stumptown Coffee Roasters

Dapper young gents in ties and newsboy hats fix sharp espressos and velvety cappuccinos at this heralded new coffee place. The adjoining hotel lobby, where most of the customers sit, is a very picturesque room in which to take coffee - as we sunk into comfy chairs, my friend and I admired the detailed mosaic floors and antique library desks. We also admired our Mast Brothers chocolate bars and the assorted pastries - big salty pretzels with a pocket of butter, apricot danishes, brownies, and the wonderful spicy stout cakes (I wish I'd bought two of them).

Stumptown NYC: Ace Hotel, 18 West 29th St.