Unique Party Space NYC: 632 on Hudson

Day 3 of Design Walk 2012 focused on the west village, which included a tour of 632 on Hudson, a unique property available for photo shoots and all sorts of parties. This space is absolutely amazing, with a variety of opportunities to throw a memorable event. There are 5 levels to choose from, starting from a speakeasy below ground, a street-level gallery with doors that open onto Hudson Street, and an astonishing three floors above, boasting a 40-foot atrium leading to a wraparound roof deck. What’s exceptional about the space is that the facade is totally unassuming. The surprise hits on level 3, and the excitement builds as you tour each room, taking in the fanciful design—bohemian, cluttered—in themes of Indian, Asian, French, Deco—full of antiques acquired from a lifetime of travels. Bathrooms feature old-style tubs with authentic vintage hardware and accessories. See more details on the history (it was a sausage factory) on the website. I took tons of photos, which do not totally tell the story, it must be seen in person to fully appreciate. See the photos at this link.

Mihoko’s 21 Grams

A gorgeous blend of highly stylized Japanese and French elements work to deliver an evening of ultimate sensations. Mihoko’s 21 Grams, newly opened on 22nd street, is truly a unique and inspired restaurant, conceived by Japanese ballerina Mihoko. The visual feast begins as soon as you enter the restaurant, with a red carpet leading up to the front desk, aligned with beautiful objects for purchase. Designer Bruno Borrione decorated the large dining room with layers of overscaled French paintings, beautifully carved objects, decorative table surrounds, and Mihoko’s collections. Franco-Japanese cuisine dominates the menu, as well as an extensive sushi offering. Downstairs is a lounge, where cocktails by Raphael Reyes will be served with a bar menu. I was completely blown away by the design, service, and cuisine. Top photo shows the bar, which is in the center of the dining room, mirrors were once in Cartier’s mansion. See even more photos of our evening on my FB page.

 View from the bar.

 One of the amuses that arrived.

 Service comes in teams.

 A light dessert of passion fruit and coconut foam.

Petit fours with mini origami bird.

Summer Cocktails Launch at 2E Bar/Lounge at The Pierre

2E Bar/Lounge is offering infused, barrel-aged spirits in its summer cocktail offerings. Mixologist Sachin Hasan has come up with some unusual combinations for his repertoire including Ron Zacapa Rum infused with Vanilla Beans aged in the barrel for one week, Leblon Cachaça infused with date and figs aged in the barrel for 5 days and Old Overholt Rye Whiskey infused with orange zest and dried cherries aged in the barrel for one week. If you love super sweet indulging, try the Aged Beauty cocktail which starts with the rum, and adds rhubarb syrup and bitters. I would love to have this poured over vanilla ice cream. For those who like a bitter sip, Epitome of Elegance marries the cachaça with Aperol, Maraschino Liqueur, and Campari Bitters. My favorite of the night was Timeless Grace. The rye was mixed with Glayva liqueur and Lillet Blanc. A great spot for escaping the city noise (and now heat!), 2E also offers some tasty bites while you sip away. See more photos of our night at this link. And, if the cocktails inspire you to do some barrel aging of your own, you can order the barrels online at this link.

Bedford Cheese Shop in Manhattan

Only 2.5 hours after its opening, I happened upon Bedford Cheese Shop and am delighted to see such a spectacular store in the neighborhood. It is a one-stop party shop, which features an astonishing amount of cheeses, charcuterie, condiments, fresh bread, drink mixers, olives and more. Photos show only a partial peek at all the goodies, you must visit for yourself! Located at 67 Irving Place between 18th and 19th streets.

Spring Dining Highlights: The Toucan and The Lion; The National; Serafina MP opening; Acme; Fedora

As usual, NYC’s dining offerings do not fail to thrill and impress me. Plus there is a place to suit every mood and budget. The Toucan and The Lion is a bare bones east village spot, offering great bites at a great cost. Good spot to share a bunch of small plates. I find the bar offerings at The National totally cost-effective when eaten as dinners, especially the over-sized potion of delectable ribs. Serafina, now in meatpacking, even bottles their own wines to go along with their affordable, and wonderful Italian specialities. Discover 3 floors of cool, raw space with quirky art. If you are feeling adventurous, head to Acme, where the Scandinavian menu will surprise you as each plated item appears. I totally recommend the foie gras dish from the Raw menu (photo above), you will never forget the taste. Relax in the vast space with plenty of spots at the bar for dining (photo below). Fedora offers a slice of old New York atmosphere, with super friendly service, and really great fare. Go there to meet and mingle with other food afficianados, and you will also get a super cocktail. More photos on my FB page, click on the links for each place to see them.

ICFF: Top Picks from the Show

In mid-May Manhattan got a dose of furniture and accessories design influx from around the globe. As usual, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair did not disappoint. View highlights below...

Salt and Pepper grinders from Nick Munro. Can be purchased through the website, or at Bloomingdales. He also has a wonderful smoked glass ice bucket to dress up the bar.

Puff Buff, designers from Poland, created this airy, bubble-like structure out of inflatable spheres with  LED light points inserted. I want one!

Be-jeweled sinks from Linkasink. The jeweled stopper can be attached to the top of existing drain pieces and removed and cleaned in a dishwasher. Novel!

Porcelain Dinnerware from Daniel Levy in soft pastels. I like the contrasting shapes.

Marc Trotereau, on the left, stands below his green light frame. He devised a way to weld 3 pieces of wire together, see his lights on the back wall, center photo. Also in this booth, Pierre Ospina created a sensual, organic pole lights, wrapped in silicon, with LED bulbs seen in close up on the right.

Trove Wallpaper features some very cool designs and some innovative manufacturing methods. The “paper” on the right is made from powdered marble and limestone, thus saving trees from being cut. Their eco-friendly process also uses no water (so no wastewater pollution). The surface is smooth, like suede, and cool to the touch.

Al-Hamad Design featured a super geometric parallelogram duet. I love the spirit of this.

The Luxury Planter Collection’s Sorbet Collection in gorgeous pastels. Planters are stainless steel coated in automotive paint.

Lightweight aluminum planters from Phase Design help to support and frame plantings.

Stickbulb lights by Rux Design take a single unit and position it in a variety of ways.

Dishes from Tse & Tse went from vintage to modern. From France.

Comical and colorful lamps from Ameico.

Glass-blower Tracy Glover poses beneath her dreamy light.

John Beck blasts his sheet of steel before forming it into the Beatty Light. The bullet holes create pretty pinlights for a subtle effect.

SUMMER SIPPING: Greek Wine

I was not a big fan of Greek wine until I tried this one. Santorini from Santo Wines is 100% Assyrtiko, which has a lightly citrus quality, balanced by dry, mineral tones. Imagine a wine as beautiful as the island it comes from. Around $20 a bottle.

SUMMER SIPPING: Organic Prosecco

Start summer off without any chemicals in your wine. Pizzolato Fields Prosecco is made from handpicked 100% certified organic Prosecco Grapes. Dry, crisp and refreshing, with some honey and citrus notes, it costs a mere $13.99 a bottle. The wine is imported by Natural Merchants Selections who select superior wines from Spain, Italy, Austria, Germany, France, Greece and Portugal, which are grown in unique organic terroirs. Check out their other selections at the website.

March Un-Madness: Alison Eighteen

The crazy month of March included 80 degree weather and many adventures. One of my favorite new discoveries is Alison Eighteen. I stopped in early one evening on my way home and was delighted to find an expansive, subtlety designed space and a wonderfully-warm staff. My eye did catch the charcuterie carving station on my way in, so I made sure to have a sampling, including some Mortadella (one of my favorite indulgences). This is definitely a spot where you can chill out after work in a low key environment, and enjoy some excellent food. Appetizers include an ample portion of mussels in a slightly creamy broth—the perfect bar snack. The front of the restaurant has a lounge area in front, long bar with banquettes opposite (and enough space in between). The dining room in the back (photo above) has perfectly spaced tables and sweet appointments. The crowd seems to like to dress up a bit, adding to the elegance of the atmosphere. Opening soon, is an enormous downstairs lounge with piano, available for private parties or for just hanging out. Also in this month’s report: a super dinner at Super Linda, Bob’s birthday at A Voce, a delightful diversion at Bowery Diner, an excursion to Darien, CT, and a viewing of fabulous art. See more photos at this link. Photo below: 18th street between Irving and Third Avenue in full bloom.

Austin in 4 days

A wedding brought me down to Texas in mid-March, the same time the SXSW festival was going on. Loved the area and plan to go back when I have more time to explore—and when there is less craziness. Due to hotels being booked a year in advance had us to staying outside the center of the action, so we were only able to catch a few glimpses of the downtown, but managed to squeeze in a few treats around the wedding festivities. A pre-wedding Latin dinner was had at La Condesa (photo above). Rehearsal dinner was held at Chez Zee, a cute spot north of the city. Recovery brunch was appreciated at Moonshine (photo below). It was a beautiful time to visit, the weather was ideal, just warm enough to not wear a coat, just cool enough to make it comfortable. Pretty Bluebonnets (the Texas state flower) were seen all over the place. See more photos of the trip at this link.

Forager’s City Grocery

This little grocery makes me wish I still lived on the west side. I popped in on opening day (March 9) to investigate what goodies would be available and was not disappointed. There is a fantastic array of fresh organic vegetables from the Foragers’ micro-farm in Canaan, local meats aged in-house, charcuterie, pantry items, cheeses, herbs, and teas. But, like most New Yorkers, I was delighted to see a vast selection of prepared take-away foods, like rotisserie chickens, foccaccia (the mushroom came home with me, as I had guests stopping in for a glass of prosecco later), and lots of cute sandwiches. Adjacent to the grocery is Foragers City Table. Chef Douglas Monsalud, known for his whimsical approach to farm-fresh cuisine at Kitchenette, Fog City Diner and Betelnut in San Francisco is taking advantage of all the grocery has to offer. He and Executive Chef de Cuisine Ross Gill will focus on a modern interpretation of classic Asian dishes. Inventive cocktails, local beers and an eco-minded selections of wines on tap will be on hand to go with the food. Foragers City Table is now open for dinner only, but is gearing up to serve breakfast, lunch and post-work bar snacks soon. See more photos of the grocery at this link. I will follow up with the cocktail report asap. Located at 300 w 22nd st @ Eighth Avenue.

Le Palais des Thés Cocktails for Spring

I love the idea of using tea as an ingredient in cocktails. First off, you have the ability to create gallons of mixes, straight out of your cabinet. Secondly, the antioxidants and subtle flavoring make for really nice combinations. As a bonus, the teas from Le Palais des Thés come beautifully packaged, and would be a standout presence on your bar or table. The company Le Palais des Thés began life with fifty tea enthusiasts wanting to guarantee the freshness and quality of their teas. They make regular visits to their tea estates to maintain local farming methods and to appreciate the rich cultures surrounding them. While traveling the world in search of rare teas, they discovered the leaves for making Fleur de Geisha in Japan, a refined green tea flavored with cherry blossoms, and Thé du Hammam in China, a green tea flavored with berries, rose, orange flower and green dates. Both these teas have a delicate balance of fruitiness, and work well in a cocktail. Important note: when brewing the teas, do not let the water come to a boil, as it will create a bitter tasting tea. If you are a tea enthusiast, I highly recommend purchasing Cuisinart’s temperature controlled tea kettle. Otherwise, keep an eye on your pot. When bubbles just start to form at the edges, remove from heat and prepare your brew. Photo above: the Fleur de Geisha cocktail, below: Champagne with Thé du Hammam

Fleur de Geisha Cocktail
This tea was inspired by the Japanese Hanami tradition of viewing cherry trees in bloom. Sho Chiku Bai Ginjo Sake was used to make this cocktail, but you can substitute any other that is meant to be chilled, with a fruity smooth taste. The bottle does have the cuteness factor. 
About 5 servings
4 rounded tsp (or 4 tea bags) Le Palais des Thés “Fleur de Geisha” tea
12 oz spring water
2.5 oz sake
2.5 oz pink grapefruit juice
3½ TB cane sugar
1.5 oz Triple Sec
ice
pinch of ground ginger
Infuse the tea in the simmered water for 3 minutes. Filter the leaves, let cool, then chill in the refrigerator for a half hour. When the tea is chilled, place into a cocktail shaker along with the sake, pink grapefruit juice and cane sugar. Shake. Add Triple Sec and a few ice cubes. Shake vigorously until the outside of the cocktail shaker appears wet. Garnish each glass with a tiny pinch of ground ginger and serve immediately.

Champagne with Thé du Hammam
The flavors in this tea evoke the characteristic fragrances used in a hammam.
About 5 flutes
3 rounded tsp (or 3 tea bags) Le Palais des Thés “Thé du Hammam”tea
10 oz spring water
10 oz Champagne
2 TB  peach liqueur
Infuse the tea in the simmered water for 3 minutes. Filter the leaves, let tea cool, then chill in the refrigerator for a half hour. Put chilled tea and peach liqueur in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously. Pour into flutes about half way, and top off with well-chilled Champagne.

FFerone Glasses: The Revolution Collection

Place your beverages on a different kind of pedestal. The award-winning glasses and bowls from Felicia Ferrone’s Revolution Collection create perfect geometric worlds for wine, water, soup, or ice cream. Flip each one over to get a different capacity (one way to assert portion control!). The pieces are hand-blown borosillicate glass, made in the Czech Republic, a material which is oven, microwave, freezer, and dishwasher safe. Items can be purchased directly through the website, via an ultra cool interactive photo. Wine glasses, $84 for a pair, Champagne Flutes, $79 for a pair. Photo above shows part of the collection, photo below, Felicia Ferrone at the Gift Show standing before her design.