By guest blogger: Kelly Will
(Freelance writer for the NY Daily News and NY Times)

What happens when you drop a New York City party girl into the wilds of Buenos Aires, Argentina? She falls in love with the food, of course! I'm secretly an eater, though far be it for me to out myself in such a public forum…oops! Not only am I drinking inexpensive, yet muy delicioso (very delicious) red and white wine at every opportunity, I'm devouring asado (steak), chorizo (sausage) and most importantly, dulce de leche.

I'd like to introduce you to my good friend, dulce de leche - she is a milky caramel, made with sugar, milk and fresh vanilla. It is one of the most addictive substances I have ever craved. I have eaten it with helado (ice cream) - which I believe is its best form, on cookies and rolled right into crepes. You might consider it the Argentinian form of peanut butter. A truly all-purpose snack that can be eaten right out of the jar with a spoon.

They say you can have anything you want in New York, but I know I won't be able to call up my local heladeria (ice cream shop) and have them send a bike messenger over to my apartment with a Styrofoam gallon of freshly made dulce de leche helado. Therefore, for a few lucky friends, I am bringing back the purest dulce to share, La Salamandra Dulce de Leche. You can even order it yourself.

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[Oper8tor]

Note from GofG: Observant, cultural theorist, and opinionated on everything from fashion trends to cheap beers. Live and Direct from the Planet of Brooklyn, Oper8tor has joined the team at Guest of a Guest to bring the insight and knowledge that, not going into the city on weekends or ever venturing above 14th St, deliberately brings.

It's clear that BK (that means Brooklyn y'all) is pretty much the the epicenter of what is avant-garde, new, I could even say hip, these days in New York. From my first meeting with the gofg crew, I could tell I was dealing with an overly posh, refined bunch, that could use a bit of my flavor lying just across the bridge and over the river. That means more art and culture from the people who dress, look, and do things a bit funny, and a little bit dirtier, but all in the name of New York.

[All Posts by Oper8tor]

["Down the Rabbit Hole" by DG Illustrations]

Note from GofG: Early twenty-something recent college graduate "The Hyphenate" is a recent addition to New York's population of more than 8 million people, and so far has been loving every minute in The City That Never Sleeps. (You would too, if you had been taking a two-hour train ride from the 'burbs every day.) Represented by the quarter as a symbol of all things "quarter-life".

"The Hyphenate," or someone that excels in multiple professions or crafts, has become the big thing the past few years, with all those model-singer-songwriter-actor-producer-director clothing designer-restaurant promoter-club owner-future astronauts that dominate news and gossip headlines. For the sake of us little people, as well as our lungs when we try to get all these titles into one breath, I hope it's becoming passé. But what about us hyphenates on the other side, the ones who haven't made names for ourselves yet but have some great potential, us pen-pushing-ink-slinging-fast-typing-writer-blogger-journalist-aspiring editor-underpaid freelancer-professional interns that are going to conquer the world one day? More»

Note from GofG: After a year and a half in Manhattan, our little undergrad still gets caught staring, and, often while walking around the villages, falls victim to sample sales and kitschy bookstores, while only occasionally showing up for classes at NYU (for creative non-fiction and foreign language). Eves and eyes-dropping are The U's favorite pastimes, preferably in dank dive bars or on the benches in Thompkins Square Park. The goal being to obtain an enlightened perspective of mankind, or, failing that, some good stories. If you have any, send them on over. The U will reward you with kisses and cocktails, or at least a nice email.

A Violet's Anatomy
I chose NYU for New York first, and the University second. Most of us Violets do; the ones who don't, leave. New York is not a setting to be ignored, but, embraced, it makes for a great teacher. The city is our campus, and though the majority of our buildings huddle around Washington Park, our extra-curriculars, both wholesome and less-so, tend to sprawl all over Manhattan, and into Brooklyn. NYU is very different from the average university in that it's not a reality buffer, a four to ten year postponement. When you go to NYU, your world may be, and often is, a cosseted one, but it's real.

We walk to classes alongside moguls, models, single mothers, school children, and the clamoring cups of the homeless. Our days are long, not from studying, but from internships, jobs, and the ceaseless pull of the nightlife here. We do and see as much as we can; we know what's going on, where to go, and where to avoid. Money flees us; sometimes we kiss it goodbye. We haven't seen a keg since high school, but we can fill up a mixology chart in minutes. Our jeans are painted on, and we smoke, snort, and scurry down countless blocks to fit in to them. We aren't famous, or twenty-one, but you can find us dancing to Samantha and Leigh alongside Lindsay. When, after four years and $200,000, our college days are up, we segue seamlessly into full-time versions of our part-time pasts, with nary a need for wardrobe renovations.

[All Posts by The Undergrad]

Note from GofG: Queen Samantha is a corporate lawyer at one of the country’s biggest firms. After a stint Washington D.C. and another in one of Wall Street’s largest investment houses, Queen Sam is clearly on a mission. A mission to bring you everything a girl needs to know about power and luxury, that is. Whether she’s traveling the world, shopping for the finest money can buy, or just looking for the best mid-day pick-me-up in midtown, Queen Samantha always has something to say. Tune in as the Upper East Side meets Midtown (and sometimes Chelsea) in Queen Sam’s humorous reflections on luxury, gender, news, and more.

Being single, successful, sexy, wealthy and female in one of the greatest cities in the world isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Just kidding! We know the pitfalls of corporate greed and civic irresponsibility, we laugh at frivolity and political corruption, social and moral ills confront us at every turn – it’s all very troubling. Very troubling, indeed. Sometimes, all we are left to do is keep our heads on straight, take the world for what it can offer us, and make the best of a mildly untenable socio-political environment. That’s where power and luxury come in. Life feeling overwhelming? Take a spa holiday. Have an impromptu, mid-week dinner with girlfriends at Nobu. Buy the Missoni dress that you can’t get off your mind. Visit your mentor who transferred to Paris. But first and foremost (and this is especially pertinent to the ladies), if life is feeling overwhelming, take control.

If you have something to say, say it. If you have something to do, do it. And if there’s someone in your life who doesn’t make it better, forget it. Just think of me as your resident expert in “existential capitalism”. And if you like made-up theories and phrases like “existential capitalism,” there is a lot more where that came from – for starters, read my posts on GofG then check out my site, Queen Samantha’s Weblog. Feel free to contact me directly at qn.samantha@gmail.com. Comments are always welcome, as are tips and story ideas. In the meantime, be strong, stay fab.

xx,

Queen Samantha

[All Posts by Queen Samantha]

Note from Guestofaguest: Karl Marx had it wrong about religion…power is the true opiate of the masses, which makes media the syringe. Don’t worry, this won’t hurt a bit! Maddy Madison, our newest contributor, is a recovering media junkie with a track record to prove it. As the latest addition to the team, Maddy will be keeping Guest of a Guest plugged into the music, film, and culinary scenes with a regular dose of gossipy goodness with a smidgen of spice, and heavy on the snark. With so many socialites and celebrities devolving into walking punchlines, Maddy is always in on the joke. Though given entrée into some of the most exclusive corridors of power in town, she prefers to worm her way into the media machine through a side entrance.

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