Material Archive

Beautiful New York

Loved the Bowery Hotel

Enjoyed a really lovely stay at the Bowery this past weekend. Great location, energy, design and very comfortable. Loved it!

Lunch at Jean-Georges

Last year, while in New York for a two week shoot, MB and I had our first lunch at Jean-Georges at the urging of our friend, who is a marvellous chef in Toronto.

It was such a great experience, that it was the only place that we decided to return to, this time around.

The Lunch Tasting Menu:

Toasted Egg Yolk, Caviar and Fresh Herbs
(the absolute best thing we had! It tasted like the most decadent grilled cheese sandwich)

Charred Corn Ravioli, Tomato Salad and Basil Fondue

Arctic Char, Spiced Jade Emulsion and Tender Celeriac

Pork Stack with Beets

Poached Pear, Sortbet, Custard, Apple Cake, Marshmallows, Macaroons

 

Dinner at ABC Kitchen

The decor at ABC Kicthen is very, very feminine and pretty – almost looks like it was feathered by a woodland fairy or sprite. Not sure many (straight) men would go of their own accord with a buddy, but I loved the look. It's likely better for a girls night out or lunch.

We tired the crab toast (our fav) and the kabocha squash toast, as well as a mushroom pizza, and pretzel crusted calamari (did not taste an ounce of pretzel). 

The only photo really worth posting is the dessert – which was the salted caramel sundae with popcorn, candied peanuts and chocolate sauce. It's not sophisticated in any way – it's just yummy.

I also had an order of their freshly baked cookies to go – but didn't like them one bit. Not buttery enough and very dry! 

 

 

Grace Coddington: A Memoir

So – what did I think?

It's an interesting read.

She's led a full life with many big fashion moments and collaborations. Some of which inspire massive eye rolls, and surprise at how much smaller the industry seemed in her early days, and others that are more quietly poignant and charming. The book is packed with name dropping and celebrities, so it's juicy enough on that front.

The idea of writing a memoir does make one pause though. It seems like an incredibly hard task to pull off without glossing over truly seminal events or over-indulging in others. The result can seem like a bit of a vain mess and not terribly dignified in the end. I sympathize, as I love the idea of a good biography, but they are rarely done well.

All that aside, if you're looking for a fun and light "fashion" book, this super quick read, will do ya. Took me one day to finish it.

 

Brunch at the NoMad Atrium

Every review of the Nomad menu in the atrium I have read, falls all over itself gushing about the famous foie gras and truffle chicken sandwhich. Which of course, I had to order.

Now, it was good, of course. But was it thaaaat good? Hmmmm. Not sure. Thankfully, it wasn't overwrought, given two very powerful ingredients. I find most people are heavy-handed with truffles and they can dominate instead of enhance.

The crab eggs benedict that MB tried were sadly very lacking in their namesake ingredient – crab, so that seemed a bit silly and cheap.  

The fries, however, were amazingly good. Very light and sprinkled with beautiful cripsy parsely and rosemary. Lastly, the small salad pictured directly above, had red cabbage and crackling, which was a nice contrast.

Not sure I would return on my next trip, but I'm glad we tried it. The light quality and the skylight in the space, is sort of pretty and the service was good.

Maison Kitsuné is also in the hotel, so when you leave, there's a nice little fashion pit stop to make. 
 

First visit to the Comedy Cellar: Chris Rock drops by

What's more surprising to this newbie than Chris Rock showing up at the Comedy Cellar unannounced? The fact that he totally and completely bombed! And when I say bombed, I mean crickets. The crowd was not sleepy or out of it – they were going nuts for the previous and following acts – which were all really good incidentally. Chris' material was just beyond rough.

To be fair, he did warn us that it wasn't going to be good, and we came to learn that this is how all comedians test their acts over time. Either way, it was fascinating to see how much he obviously works at the material that makes it into his recorded specials. I previously thought he just spoke and gold nuggets fell out, but he obviously polishes his insights like mad.

Bad set aside, it was still pretty amazing to see him though, as I'm a big fan. Sneaked a quick snap before getting yelled at.

If you go – make sure to make reservations onine first. The line-ups are long! 

 

Dinner at Balthazar

In all my years of visiting NYC, I somehow never managed to visit Balthazar and now that I have – I'm sad I didn't go sooner. Albeit a bit pricey for what it is, I loved it. Good service, absolutely great food and charming atmosphere.

The escargot, lobster risotto, oysters and steak frites were delicious. Skip the seafood ceviche - it was not on par with the rest.

 

Ladurée Obsession

Yup. As per usual – I went a little bananas in Ladurée.

And I know this is going to sound contro – but I really hope they don't open a location in the old TDot, because I like the fact that I can't have it that easily. Makes it more special, oui?

 

Dinner at Miss Lily's

We tried the jerk chicken (it had some heat!), the crunchy coconut corn on the cob, fish tacos and banana pudding and they were awesome! Such a fun restaurant – great crowd, fun vibe and good music. Will absolutely return for another casual dinner out.

Mast Brothers Chocolate – The Factory Visit

 

Paid a nice little visit to see the Mast Brothers Chocolate Factory in person.

Even though their line of chocolate has become so popular now that you can get them everywhere, MB and I wanted to see their operation firsthand – as we love their philosophical approach to their craft.

I also think I love it because their packaging design is a tastament to the power of branding. There are countless organic, fair trade chocolate brands on the market that insist on presenting themselves in stereotypical heavy-handed "green" looks. But the reality is, while those brands may be a fit on other ethical / production levels, they don't appeal to the child in us that wants a beautiful treat. Mast has struck the perfect balance between creating a great product in an ethical manner, while looking hand crafted and artisanal and also, very importantly, delighting the eye. 

 

Catbird Jewellery in Brooklyn

I started following Catbird on Instagram a while ago and as I've said before, when that social network is used well, it's an amazingly powerful selling tool.

Case in point, it got me to venture to Brooklyn to see Catbird in person, as well as Mast Brothers and another shop, coincidentally called Bird.

If you love delicate jewellery, have a look at their site. They carry a broad selection of thin, gold bands like the one pictured above that I got, as well as diamond pavé pendants and tiny earrings.

Super cute store.

 

Pies -N- Thighs in Brooklyn

Starting off my reviews with one of my favourite meals of the trip. MB and I ventured out to Brooklyn one afternoon (so fast on the M train!) to sample the fare at Pies -N- Thighs and we were not dissapointed one bit.

MB had the fried catfish (he loved it) and I had the fried chicken on buttermilk buscuit with a side of hushpuppies. Everything was just delicious and the charming atmosphere made for a relaxing meal.

The only bummer was that the food was so filling that we had no room for the peanut butter crunch pie. Next time for sure. 

Sweet Vacation: 7 Days in New York

MB and I had a wonderful time. The weather was mild and the sun even made a few appearences. 
In the next several posts, I'll cover off the restaurants and shops visited and our stay at the Ace Hotel.
 

Two Weeks in New York City: Dinner at Lucali

Lucali is succinct in it's vision and offerring. It is a small, humble venue that has one hell of a brick oven that pumps out delicious pizza pies by the minute. As per usual with many small places in New York, they don't take reservations – so you come by, put your name on a list and wait 2 hours in a nearby pub.

The wait does suck, but, on the upside, you can bring your own wine, spot JayZ and Beyonce, and get a second pie really quickly after you've gobbled up the first yummy one you waited 2 hours for.

Lucali 575 Henry St., Brooklyn, New York

Two weeks in New York City: Dinner at Beauty & Essex

 

WHERE: Beauty & Essex 146 Essex Street, New York

MOOD: Cool / fun / nostalgic / clubby. The facade is a faux-ish (you can actually buy stuff) pawn shop that you pass through to get to the restaurant.

PRICE: Mains are between $16-29

WHEN WE WENT: Tuesday night dinner and it was hopping! Packed to the gills as though it was a Thursday night.

WHAT: We ordered almost one of everything on the menu.

TRY: Honestly – it was all reasonably good. The Lobster Tacos stood out for me.

SKIP: Butterscotch Pot de Creme – sounds more impressive than it tastes

SERVICE: Fine. I never expect much in a club atmosphere.

REPEAT?: Sure! It's a novelty that can be fun. The environment is aiming for something in-between fine dining and club so the result is naturally a bit mixed-up but fun nonetheless. Go with a group of friends.

MOST NOTABLE: The scene. If you want to see pretty / hip people, listen to music and eat dinner at the same time – B&E has it all.

ANYTHING ELSE?: You can get a box of donuts to go for when you have the munchies later.

Two Weeks In New York City: Dinner at Corton

 

 

Knowing the backstory behind anything always makes it a richer experience, so it was a special thrill to eat at Corton so soon after enjoying A Matter of Taste at TIFF. You can see my previous post about Paul here.

WHERE: Corton at 239 West Broadway, New York

MOOD: The look of the room is cool and dark – bit cave like at night with the lack of windows. Vibe in the room is quiet, intimate, yet friendly – not stuffy at all.

PRICE: The 9 course tasting menu is $155

WHEN WE WENT: Saturday dinner

WHAT: MB and I both had the 9 course tasting menu.

TRY: Whatever they put in front of you.

SKIP: Maybe only the chocolates, jellies and macaroons at the end because you might be ill from consuming so much. I indulged so excessively that by the end, I felt positively intoxicated with food. But, to be fair, I must disclose, that I did eat at Jean Georges earlier that very same day – so not entirely this menu's fault! I am a piglet! ;)

SERVICE: Consistent and pleasant but hard to understand the food descriptions at times given some softspoken staff.

REPEAT?: Without question, I will be visiting Corton on every subsequent visit to New York. It is a must. Side note: MB and I were walking through Tribeca a day after eating at Corton and saw Paul Liebrandt walking right in front of us (see photo above). I loved our dinner so much that I wanted to grab him and thank him personally but knew it would come across crazy, so I kept my distance and just smiled.

MOST NOTABLE: Being consistently surprised with every dish and the wonderful sense of discovery you feel as you try to recognize and deconstruct your beautiful and at times, abstract food. Paul's unshakeable commitment to excellence and creativity is so deeply evident with every new course presented – you can literally taste the devotion and artistry. The man is a genius. Am I gushing or what?!

ANYTHING ELSE?: Pastry Chef Shawn Gawle created a dessert that was so spectacular that I almost felt like crying while eating it. I realize how absurd and pretentious that sounds, but it was that good!

Please note that my photographs do not do the food justice!

Two weeks in New York City: Dinner at Mario Batali's Del Posto

WHERE: Del Posto 85 10th Ave, New York

MOOD: Traditional and formal

PRICE: Five courses for $115

WHEN WE WENT: Thursday dinner

WHAT: MB and I both enjoyed the 5 course tasting menu. I had:

• Beef & Truffle Carpaccio with Sunchoke Spuma, Sage Grissini & Sunflowers: Buttery!
• Tortello Puzzone with Taleggio Dolce & Black Truffle Butter: one of the best dishes I have ever had
• Spaghetti with Dungeness Crab, Sliced Jalapeno & Minced Scallion: In a word: delicious! Watch a great little video of how they make it here.
• Cacciucco with Burrida & Sweet Shrimp alla Buzara: the only item that I didn't hands down love as it was too salty for me.

At the end of the meal, a cheese grater was brought to the table holding various sweets which consisted of: chocoloate covered lollipops made with olive oil gelato, bomboloni - which are small doughnuts filled with vanilla orange cream, polenta crostata and candied grapefruit. All were wonderful but the candied grapefruit was especially surprising and smile inducing.

TRY: Tortello Puzzone – it nearly melted my brain it was so good.

SKIP: The Cacciucco if you are sensitive to salt

SERVICE: Very formal. An army of servers waited on us. One even brought a small chair for my handbag.

REPEAT?: YES. There's a reason Del Posto is the first restaurant in New York City to get 4 stars from the New York Times in the last 36 years – because it's exceptional.

MOST NOTABLE: The complex and intense flavours.

 

Some images are from here and here.

Two Weeks In New York @ The Westin & The W Times Square

I don't generally post about things I don't like on this blog. I tend to focus on the positive. But, given that I was in New York for this length of time, I feel compelled to mention where I stayed (client mandated & paid for) and give some brief but hopefully helpful feedback.

Don't stay at a Westin/W Hotel in Times Square. They are expensive and completely unexceptional in every possibile way. The decor is dated and cheap, the service is lacking and bored and the rates are ridiculous for what you actually get. They are simply put, tourist traps for the clueless.

Two Weeks in New York City: Lunch at Jean Georges

WHERE: Jean Georges  at 1 Central Park West, New York

MOOD: The mood is calm and pretty – thanks in no small part to the lovely dining room – which is beautiful for a few very specific reasons: 1. The light quality during the day is great because the room has windows around 3 sides and when the sheers are drawn, what you see through them are lovely tree silhouettes dancing around in the breeze. This reason alone is enough for me to choose lunch service over dinner. 2. The seating and view is very comfortable in almost every spot in the room. The configuration and layout has been optimized for maximum comfort and view, resulting in almost no bad seats – which is pretty impressive! 3. The room is quiet even when it's full so you can really concentrate on your food and conversation.

PRICE: For the value and quality – I think this place is actually a steal. We had a 6 course tasting menu for $98.

WHEN WE WENT: Saturday lunch

WHAT: MB and I both enjoyed the 6 course Autumn tasting menu. Our choices from the vast list consisted of: Scallop Sashmi, Sea Trout, Yellowfin Tuna Ribbons, Sea Scallops, Peekytoe Crab Dumplings, Comté Risotto, Sweetbreads, Beef Tenderloin and two desserts – chocolate cake and a chocolate peanut butter ganache, plus macaroons, chocolates and marshmallows.

TRY: The tasting menu. The experience of eating over 3 hours in that lovely setting is a wonderful experience. A few stand out items were the Yellowfin Ribbons, the Crab Dumplings, the Sweetbreads and the Tenderloin.

SKIP: Nothing. Order all of it!

SERVICE: Attentive and formal.

REPEAT?: Absolutely! This restaurant is now in my top 5.

MOST NOTABLE: The quality of the entire experience. Loved it!

 

Two Weeks in New York City: Quickie Intro

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I recently spent 2 glorious weeks in New York shooting an upcoming campaign for a client. During my "free time" there, I took the opportunity to indulge in two of my favourite past times – shopping and eating – and what better city for it!

This post is just a little preview of some fun stops. In later posts, I'll get into more detail about the specifc restaurants I visited.

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I have literally seen Ghostbusters enough times to actually recite the majority of the film from memory. Heck, my Mr. Stay Puft action figure is watching over me right now as I compose this post! So, you can imagine the unique childlike thrill MB and I had when we randomly walked by the original fire station from the film, while strolling through Tribeca. :)

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The new Uniqlo flagship store on 5th Avenue is ridiculously big. So large, that I actually was overwhelmed and felt lost on more than one occasion. Despite that, I still managed to find several great items to bring home. One of particular note was a great wool and cashmere trench coat.

Their prices are so reasonable, I really had to calm myself to not buy a whole other suitcase's worth of clothing.

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Wow – the Christian Louboutin store on Madison Ave is intense! When I arrived at 5pm on a Friday after work, I was greeted by a line-up of other patrons and a massive body guard! According to Mr.Big, a wait time to get into the store is a normal daily occurence. I noted that no other luxury retailer on the street had the same traffic.

When I got inside shortly after, I was met with an unusal scene. Picture: upper crust ladies who lunch, sitting next to hardcore rapper type dudes (all trying on majorly tricked out sneakers I have never seen the likes of before) and then working girls like me. A very odd mix indeed!

Regardless, all were very happy – especially this girl! Why? I had called ahead and secured the last brown Simple Bootie in size 40 anywhere in the whole bloody world after weeks of looking, calling and visiting every retailer that carries CL  – major shopping victory!

The staff were really great too and recommended that I get my soles reclad in red rubber – see below. That's one of them holding his colleague's boot to show the non-slip red rubber add ons. It's a brilliant idea, as the signature red does wear off pretty quickly in my experience.

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I had a pretty productive visit at Prada as well. A new winter coat, bag and wallet were amongst my newly adopted cohorts. :)

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Some random snaps I took during breaks while working at the photography studio...

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A quick visit the to the MET on the weekend recharged my creative inspiration batteries!

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Coming up over the next several posts: reviews and photos of Jean Georges, Corton, Del Posto, BLT, Gramercy Tavern, Nobu, Lucali – amongst others!

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My visit to Ladurée New York

Well, let's be honest, it's not like being in Paris. But, it is nice to be able to get a quick Ladurée fix while trapped in North America ;)

The store sadly does not carry any pastries, chocolates or Langues de Chat (which I expressly came for), but, it's packed to the gills with macaroons, tea, candies and even ice-cream.

I left with the most glorious oval box filled with everything I could get my greedy mitts on. :)

Stuffing my face with delicious caramels as I write this...

 

 

A Matter of Taste: Serving up Paul Liebrandt

 

 

Quite enjoyed this little documentary about Paul Liebrandt. His absolutely tireless determination and passion made me perma-smile throughout the whole film. I never tire of watching people that care so deeply about something. And unlike the recent El Bulli doc, this one is full of commentary and personal disclosure.

Read a fun article about when Paul came to cook for Jeffrey Steingarten at his home for 2 weeks here.

Louis Vuittton Travel Guides: The Perfect Gift

 

 

 

 

 

Faced with finding a fun gift for a friend this weekend, I remembered an old stand-by that always pleases. Louis Vuitton City Guides are a fool proof option for friends that love to travel in style – concise, compact, reliable, useful and so pretty.

I bought my first set in 2000 and carried the Paris edition in my handbag the whole time I lived in France.

Found some charming video excerpts here about Paris & New York:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pop Bar New York

Haft2Know just reminded me of Pop Bar. It was on my list of places to visit during my last trip to NYC, but I sadly ran out of time. It's definitely on the To Do List for my next juant! Food on a stick is the best – especially when it's made with gelato and premium toppings... drool.

One to watch: Bill Cunningham New York

A documentary about New York's original street style photographer from Zeitgeist Films.

My Stay at The Ace Hotel, NYC

 

There is definitely a reason Wallpaper presented The Ace Hotel with a design award – it is very considered. Every detail has been worked over and it shows – it's a singular vision of hipster chic and a welcome change to an expected and pervasive (W/Hudson) hotel aesthetic that has become so ubiquitous, that urban travellers may forget where they are at times.

The darkly lit main foyer (you'd sware it was 11pm at night all the time) and seating area were packed no matter what time of day with a steady stream of intriguing, artisitc types all bathed in the glow of their digi-devices with friendly ACE staff milling about.

I enjoyed several very competant meals at the hotel's restaurant, The Breslin, and happily geeked out at No. 8a, the totally awesome and quirky gift shop – where I bought a bunch of cool Kaweco fountain pens.

The room was fun – it made me feel like a 18 year old boy with it's very heavy handed masculine vibe and hip, street accents crossed with vintage Americana. The massive King bed was very comfy but, again, the lighting was so dark, I could barely find anything in my luggage or see my face while putting on my make-up in the morning. The fully loaded, not to mention full-sized Smeg fridge screamed: "Party!!!" , which obviously reinfored the whole super cool dorm room mood.

Overall, I liked it. I'd recommend trying it for a night or two at least – it has it's charm.

All images courtesy of Wallpaper except for the first Hipstamtic – that one's mine ;)

P.S. Their website doesn't do the rooms or the hotel justice. Google other images to get a real sense of the space.

Nibbling on Mast Brothers Chocolate

 







Picked up some Mast Brothers Chocolate (fleur de sel and almonds & sea salt) while in New York this weekend.

Naturally I was drawn to the eclectic packaging, as it has a similar sensibility to the system I designed for my own firm several years ago now.

Above is a fun little video about them.

Today I bought: Giles & Brother Archer Bangle

 

Picked up this beauty at Opening Ceremony today – which incidentatly, I can't say enough good things about. I keep coming back everytime I visit New York because the staff there are lovely and the product mix is very thoughtfully curated and fun.





 

Donut Plant Visit

Alison was right, the carrot cake donut (far left) was the best.

Erie Basin

 


 

Erie Basin is an extremely charming and tightly curated store (in Brooklyn NY) and online boutique that sells 18-20th century jewelry and collectable curios. "Ranging from Art Deco engagement rings to 18th century mourning jewelry to American folk art, the collection is varied, but carefully constructed" and very beautifully photographed I might add. Owner Russell Whitmore has a very sharp and refined eye!

Paris vs NYC

Cute comparisons from http://parisvsnyc.blogspot.com