An Art Lover's Dream-- a personal and private tour of the Frick Collection with Martha Loring, direct descendant of Henry Clay Frick and Frick Collection board member, plus $150 gift certificate at Le Charlot.

The Frick Museum, 1 E. 70th St., is located in the Frick Mansion in New York City, designed by architects Carrere and Hastings – the same two architects that designed the New York Public Library. The Frick mansion was originally built to outdo the Carnegie mansion, and it features a beautiful inner courtyard to relax and soak up the surrounding art collection. After the death of Mr. Frick at the beginning of the 1900’s the mansion was converted to an art museum. The museum takes up a whole city block and features prominent statues in the entranceway, painted frescos inside resembling those found in a Renaissance castle, 16th century antique furniture, rich wooden walls and floors, marble fireplaces and other luxurious furnishings of the time.

Before or after your private tour, redeem this $150 gift certificate to Le Charlot French Bistro, which is located 1 1/2 blocks from the museum (19 E. 69th St., between Madison and Park Avenues). This charming French bistro is open daily, noon to midnight. Roasted goat cheese in a rich flaky pastry and silky, full-flavored foie gras terrine lead the appetizer pack. For your entrée, consider one of the mussel dishes, especially the Thai variation with ginger, lemongrass and cilantro, or go straight for the succulent steak au poivre. (Pairing your meal with a good wine shouldn’t be a problem; the list is nearly 20 pages long.) Le Charlot’s desserts, which include profiteroles and tarte Tatin, do the classics justice.