(FORTUNE Magazine) – 1 Monogrammed Shirts

Back when people sent their laundry out, they needed a way of identifying whose was whose--and so, the monogram. Men traditionally have had shirts monogrammed in one of three places: on the chest, the arm, or the cuff, or just above the waist. We suggest you take an even more discreet tack and get it done on your shirttail. Think of it as something for only you--and your launderer?--to see. Thomas Pink (888-336-1192 or 212-838-1928), a shirtmaker with stores in New York, Boston, Dallas, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., did this bit of handiwork for us. It's on Pink's silky, new 170 line, a superfine Egyptian cotton that costs $195 when made into a shirt. --Erik Torkells

2 Hotel Bel-Air

Quiet money does, in fact, visit L.A., and it stays at the Hotel Bel-Air. While other hotels get written up in Vanity Fair, the Bel-Air was named best in the world by Institutional Investor. Hidden down a winding, wooden street, it has everything that makes 70-year-olds horny--afternoon tea, an 8,600-square-foot herb garden, a lake occupied by two swans who eat only hearts of romaine. The restaurant may be the only one in the greater L.A. area to require a jacket, and the bar, with its dark wood and bowls of nuts, is the only retro spot in L.A. that isn't actually trying to be retro. The 92 rooms, each different, are a little too precious, a little too pink, a little too Angela Lansbury. But after a day of pitching to Scott Rudin and Bob Weinstein, that's not such a bad thing. 800-648-4097 or 310-472-1211, www.hotelbelair.com. --Joel Stein

3-5 Having gained fame for his creative mixology at New York City's Rainbow Room, Dale DeGroff is sharing his wisdom the way a great bartender should. His handsome, authoritative book, The Craft of the Cocktail (Clarkson Potter), comes out next month. Until then, he's chosen three drinks that don't deserve to slip through the cracks--or off the barstool, as it were.

Bee's Knees

1 1/2 ounces gin 3/4 ounce honey syrup 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice To make honey syrup, combine a teaspoon of clover honey with a tablespoon of hot water; let it cool. Then shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. If you're not a gin drinker, try it with whiskey and call it the Bumblebee's Knees.

Brass Monkey

1 ounce vodka 1 ounce white rum 1/2 ounce Galliano 4 ounces fresh orange juice Build all the ingredients--with the exception of the Galliano--in a highball glass over lots of ice. (The vodka is for horsepower, not flavor, so skip it if you want.) Float the Galliano on top. Garnish with a slice of orange and a plastic monkey, if you can find one.

Dubonnet Cocktail

1 1/2 ounces Red Dubonnet 1 1/2 ounces gin Pour together over ice in an old-fashioned glass. Garnish with lemon peel. Ever since Schrafft's restaurants disappeared, this cocktail has been on the rocks--ahem--and it deserves a rebirth. It tastes great, and it's so easy it's downright bartender-proof.

6 Master Mind

It's a shame that Pressman Toy, after licensing the U.S. rights to Master Mind from Invicta in the early '80s, removed the ersatz Bond villain and his slinky henchwoman from the box. They gave a dose of Continental glamour to what was, really, a simple guess-the-color-of-the-pegs situation. Nevertheless, the game ($12.99), created in the 1960s by a professor in Israel, is still a lot of fun, literally for all ages. Invicta is said to be developing versions for PDAs and cellphones. --E.T.

7 Old Phone Rings

T-Mobile's new Pocket PC Phone has a familiar ring to it, even though it's one of those newfangled "convergence" devices that combine a mobile phone with Internet access, e-mail, and contact management, and a big color display screen. Deep inside the Pocket PC Phone's software, which was developed by Microsoft, is an optional "old phone" ring that sounds just like a desk telephone from the first half of the 20th century. B-r-r-r-r-r-innng! B-r-r-r-r-r-innng! T-Mobile's Pocket PC is one of the first "polyphonic" phones that can play rich, orchestral ring tones instead of those dopey beep-beep- boop-boops you tend to hear on most cellphones. It took new technology to make an old sound. Good call! --Peter H. Lewis

8 Ice-Cream Sandwiches

9 Solomon Burke

"What if the world's best songwriters teamed up with the greatest living soul singer?" asked our sister publication Entertainment Weekly in its recent review of Solomon Burke's Don't Give Up on Me, featuring original songs by Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Tom Waits, and Brian Wilson. The answer from reviewer Rob Brunner: "Stop dreaming ... the results are astonishing, with Burke's baritone breathing fire into 11 instant classics." Reviews in other magazines (including Rolling Stone and FORTUNE) have been equally flattering, leaving Burke, who despite nearly 50 years of record making has never had a major crossover hit, feeling "overwhelmed and thankful."

Born in Philadelphia and now based in L.A., Bishop Burke, an ordained minister, keeps busy, preaching regularly at the Miracle Theater while looking after another 160 churches across the country. He was involved with a chain of funeral parlors--he's a licensed mortician, as are two of his 21 children--and continues recording soul and gospel from his two studios. Burke recently took a call to discuss the new CD and life beyond it. --Norman Pearlstine

How did you link up with Fat Possum, a Mississippi blues label, and Epitaph, best known for recording West Coast punk?

I was in Portland, Ore., for two concerts, and this tall guy in the audience kept yelling "Hey, I'm Andy [Kaulkin] with Fat Possum and Epitaph, and we have to talk." I had never heard of either--I thought Fat Possum might be a new sports team--but we got together, and I thought his idea, getting writers to select songs they thought right for me, ingenious. When I asked how he'd pull it off, he said, "I have no idea," but he did it.

What happened next?

Andy introduced me to Joe Henry, who was to be the producer. We met at Solley's deli. Joe ordered scrambled eggs, cheese, and hash browns smothered in onions, and then asked for some fried pork chops with a little brown gravy on the side. I figured anybody who could order and eat like that [Burke himself weighs well over 300 pounds] must have some kind of soul, so I said, "Let's do it." Billy Preston was supposed to accompany us on organ, but he got sick flying back from Europe the day we were to go in the studio. So I called Rudy, the blind, soulful organist at my church, who came right over and joined in. I told the guys I would take the lead, and that Rudy should follow and, just like a train, the other guys would come in. The last day of the session, the Blind Boys of Alabama came into the studio. They had won a Grammy the night before. They came in with about 100 pieces of fried chicken, and even though I was on a diet, I thought we were going to party. But they cut the record and left.

You've been doing some touring.

Yes, played New York a couple of times and returned to Philadelphia, which I left in 1958, and got an award from the mayor. In November I'll perform with the Rolling Stones in L.A.--they didn't write anything for the album, but they covered my "Everybody Needs Somebody" 11 times.

Who were you close to coming up?

Sam Cooke. He could have done anything. I was with him just before he was murdered. I discovered Otis Redding in Macon, Ga. I couldn't understand what he was saying, but he was soulful. I took him and his band on the road with me for two years. I met Elvis a couple times. I told him about my tailor in Philly, and Elvis bought all the guy's gold cloth, and I couldn't get any more suits from him after that.

Is there a female Solomon Burke?

My daughter Melanie, if I could get her in the studio. Aretha, of course. Patti LaBelle, who has not been recognized for her greatness, is remarkable. I would love to do an album of Dinah Washington's songs.

Anyone coming up whom you respect?

Usher is fantastic, and a hip-hop group from Philly called the Roots has a great message and great instrumentation.

We can't finish a FORTUNE interview without asking about the economy and the stock market.

It is a special time. If you can buy, especially real estate, buy. The stock market makes people too anxious, so I am not in it, except for some shares of McDonald's for the grandchildren.

10 Photo Booths

In recent years technology has brought a bonanza of advances to photo booths: There are ones that add funky backdrops or borders, ones that merge your image with your significant other's (so you can see exactly how ugly your child will be), ones that put your face on a famous figure, and ones that let you try on different hairstyles (because if you think I ever looked like this, you're nuts). But even if you only have access to one that takes a strip of four grainy black-and-whites, the joy is the same: looking at yourself having fun. --E.T.

11 Rolodex

12 Fresca

Search hard, and you just might find a can of Fresca, the calorie-free soda with the grapefruit taste that was introduced in 1966 and appealed to a lot of people who are dead today. They didn't die of the drink--it didn't have that much kick--but it did seem to be the preferred beverage of people who were once called the Establishment. Lyndon B. Johnson gave up alcohol in his White House years and guzzled gallons of Fresca. You can, too, but the Fresca you find now--Coca-Cola distributes it in select markets--won't be quite the same. It was reformulated 17 years ago with aspartame. --David Shribman

13 Military Watches

San Diego-based War Timers, with a quarterly catalog, has vintage watches from World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars. "A lot of this stuff brings back memories," says War Timers president Mike Rivkin. "Hopefully good, but at least vivid memories." This wind-up Smiths G10-98 ($399)--nicknamed after the British army requisition form necessary to get one--is from the Falkland Islands campaign in 1982. Gone now, Smiths was, in its time, a preeminent maker. The crow's foot on the face is the acceptance mark for the Ministry of Defense, still used today. 800-225-9417 or 619-287-9860, www.wartimers.com --E.T.

14 Horse Racing

Five reasons horse racing rules: It's perfect for those with a short attention span. Thirty minutes of downtime to just two minutes of excitement--it trumps even baseball!

--People, especially older people, still dress up to go to the track.

--You can win even if your horse comes in third.

--If you get bored, you can always bet more money (or on more horses).

--Exacta. Trifecta. Quinella. Even the words sound old. --E.T.

15-19

Trying to get designer Michael Kors to come up with a list of five things that never go out of style, we told him we'd gladly let him include one item from his first full men's collection (available at Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman). He gave us the list but declined to shamelessly plug himself--illustrating once again the timeless elegance of restraint.

T. Anthony canvas luggage in purple or red. American no-nonsense design gives a subtle wink and tells everyone you're part of the right club.

Hanes ribbed tank tops in a three-pack. From Brando to Flashdance, they transcend everything.

Ray-Ban aviator sunglasses. If they're good enough for Steve McQueen, they're good enough for everyone.

L.L. Bean canvas totes. Honest, rugged, and the perfect complement to crocodile accessories.

Birdwell Beach Britches. You feel like the Big Kahuna even if you're not.

20 The Orient-Express

When Agatha Christie's 1934 novel, Murder on the Orient Express, was brought to the big screen in 1974, the studio was forced to use old cars to convey the elegance Christie had described. A few years later the train was taken off the tracks and sold at auction--among the high bidders was businessman James B. Sherwood, who bought a few sleeping cars. Smitten, Sherwood set out to recreate the legendary train. When his new and improved Orient-Express debuted 20 years ago, you could picture Ingrid Bergman sitting next to you. It may not be the Dynasty-on-the-rails these photos suggest, but the romance endures today. Think French crystal, inlaid wood, monogrammed towels, exotic itineraries. Venice Simplon-Orient- Express, 800-524-2420 or 630-954-2944, www.orient-expresstrains.com. --Laura Begley

21-37

Aske the Experts

In his tasty new memoir, Between Bites: Memoirs of a Hungry Hedonist (Wiley), James Villas sounds off. When he was asked to list a few things he thought were overlooked in the food world, the longtime food and wine editor of Town & Country and author of many cookbooks was only too happy to oblige (for maximum pleasure, the following should be read with a Southern accent):

Iceberg lettuce. Canned tuna. Biscuits. Literally, as I'm talking to you I'm writing a book called The Biscuit Bible. I'm enraged that the staff of American life has been forgotten. I'm also finishing a big, 500-page book about casseroles. What ever happened to casseroles? Stews? They've been shoved on the back burner, and it's inexcusable. I'm telling you, all these chefs go home and eat burgers, casseroles, stews--they like real food. What ever happened to Loire wines? Alsatian wines? The wonderful little roses of Provence. The Friuli wines from Italy. I'll tell you something else. Go to Boston: You cannot find Boston baked beans anywhere. Go to California: You cannot find a real Cobb salad, a classic Cobb salad like the one at the Brown Derby. They have to go and "improve" it. What ever happened to a simple gin martini? Go to a bar: Who even knows what a Negroni is? As you know, my drink is a bourbon Manhattan. Bourbon! Who drinks bourbon anymore? In restaurants what I really miss is a true restaurateur. A front man like, yes, Sirio at Le Cirque, a lady like Lidia Bastianich at Felidia. Someone who controls the restaurant with an eye and arm. Not some failed actor and some bimbo. And where can anybody get real German cuisine? Real Hungarian cuisine? What gives? Now everything is New American. Or Cuban-French-with-a-touch-of-Asian. And I'm desperate. You want to know the absolute crowning blow? Last week the New York Times wrote about a restaurant in California--a nest of nuts--with no stove in the kitchen. Stoves are out. Cooking is out. The new thing is noncooking. So what ever happened to stoves? We don't need them anymore.

38 Revolving Restaurants

Like the moon, a revolving restaurant is predictably reassuring. You will enter a hushed, climate-controlled environment, glittering like a cocktail ring torpidly rotating on QVC. There will be wan shrimp cocktail. The martini won't be cold enough. The gilded mediocrity will be matched only by the first-class cabins of third-rate airlines. Be sure to wear Sansabelts. A buffet may be involved. --Joshua David

Encounter Restaurant Los Angeles 310-215-5151

The Equinox San Francisco 415-788-1234

Sky City Seattle, 206-905-2100

Skylon Tower Niagara Falls, Ontario 905-356-2651

360 Restaurant Toronto, 416-362-5411

Top of the World Las Vegas 800-998-6937

Top of Waikiki, Honolulu 808-923-3877

The View New York City 212-704-8900

39

The Morgan Plus 8

Waiting times are down--seize the moment, reads the headline from the Morgan Motor website. Thanks to production efficiencies and the soggy economy, you can now get a new Morgan Plus 8 in four months instead of four years. Of course, "new" is a relative term when it applies to the British-built Morgan. The design dates back to the 1930s, the V-8 engine is derived from the 1961 Buick, and the frame for the aluminum body is made of ashwood. At $61,000, the antique Morgan is no bargain compared with modern two-seaters like the Porsche Boxster and BMW Z3. Still, it's a true neck-snapping, kidney-jarring, wind-in-your-face ride. If your role models include Lord Peter Wimsey and Sebastian Flyte, this could be your car. www.cantab-motors.com or www.morgancars-usa.com. --Alex Taylor III

40 Tuna Fish

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