Gastro Chic

Moving Day

2009-04-23T12:16:00.004-04:00

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Baoguette Cafe

2009-04-13T18:20:00.003-04:00

What should banh mi be: traditional or new-style? How you answer that question greatly affects which banh mi you'll like of the many new sandwich shops opening now. Just arrived in the old Bamn space on St. Mark's (RIP to that noble effort to revive the automat) is Michael "Bao" Huynh's new Baoguette Cafe, a follow-up to Baoguette, which opened in Murray Hill earlier this year. With its offerings of things like a "sloppy bao" with green mango and curried beef, Baoguette falls squarely in the new-style camp.

It's hard not to be of two minds about the new-old quandary. On one hand, experimentation should be part of any cuisine, but on the other, if you already consider banh mi to be perfection, how could any change be an improvement? As a traditionalist, I decided to go for the most middle-of-the-road banh mi on the menu, the namesake "Baoguette."

There's nothing kooky about the ingredients in this one - you've got the usual suspects of paté, terrine, pork, pickled daikon and pickled carrots. There's a nice burst of cilantro flavor when you first bite in. I asked for it spicy and could have withstood more spice had I added it from bottle of Sriracha hot chili sauce on the table. As it was, the spiciness was more of a slow chili-garlic burn. The paté has an earthy, almost nutty taste that adds another layer of complexity to this sandwich.

One banh mi purist in the NYT article, Andrea Nguyen, contends that the baguette shouldn't be chewy artisanal bread but just the frame for the sandwich. The bread at Baoguette is excellent, and that's the problem. Cheap, hoagie-style bread is easier to bite into and leaves the focus on the sandwich ingredients, while Bao's fancy bread from Tom's Bakery almost steals the show. Eating po' boys or banh mi made with expensive bread feels like ordering crab cakes at the ball game.

If you want to go the traditional route, try the Hanco's Vietnamese Sandwich and Bubble Tea that just opened in Cobble Hill. There the bread is toasty, light, and basically an afterthought. The drawback? The filling isn't quite as good as Baoguette's. If it's gourmet ingredients you're after, Baoguette will not disappoint.

Baoguette Cafe
37 St. Marks Place, at Second Avenue
New York, NY 10003
212-380-1487

Baoguette
61 Lexington Avenue, between 25th & 26th Streets
New York, NY 10010
212-518-4089

Sauces and even fresh jalapenos are on hand.

Baoguette's pho is intensely flavorful, better than many other Vietnamese places in the city.

Michael "Bao" Huynh works the phones
Photo murals of Saigon on the walls
The kitchen is in the same spot as Bamn's, but now it's an open kitchen.
Seating is super casual.

Baoguette Cafe menu

Adventureland Playlist

2009-04-13T18:00:00.006-04:00

Love, love Greg Mottola's new flick Adventureland. It's a grown-up version of a coming-of-age story, with complicated characters (think comp lit majors mixing with conservative Catholic girls) and side plots (doddering dad meets social-climbing stepmom). But there's no need to get philosophical about it: one of the best things about this film is the music. Tracks from Husker Du, Lou Reed, New York Dolls, the Cure and the Replacements will take you back, if you were born before 1990 (unlike actress Kristen Stewart - yikes).

The problem? The official soundtrack doesn't have nearly as many songs as the actual movie. Fortunately, Reel Soundtrack Blog got them all. Here's an abbreviated, alternative music version of the Adventureland soundtrack, after the jump - basically all the songs they weren't making fun of - with links to iTunes. Rock on.

Adventureland Songs (in order of appearance)

The Replacements, Bastards of Young
The Velvet Underground, Here She Comes Now
David Bowie, Modern Love
Husker Du, Don't Want to Know if You Are Lonely
New York Dolls, Looking for a Kiss
Big Star, I'm in Love With a Girl
The Jesus and Mary Chain, Taste of Cindy (Acoustic Version)
The Rolling Stones, Tops
The Velvet Underground, Pale Blue Eyes
Nick Lowe, So It Goes
Crowded House, Don't Dream It's Over
Lou Reed, Satellite of Love
The Cure, Just Like Heaven
Judas Priest, Breaking the Law
Yo La Tengo, Farewell Adventureland
The Replacements, Unsatisfied

La Superior

2009-04-13T11:10:00.006-04:00

One of the worst things about eating Mexican food in LA is coming back and eating it in New York. The New York version of Mexican food is almost sure to disappoint after you've had the vibrant, spicy food at a random hole-in-the-wall in an LA strip mall. Even the most successful NYC Mexican restaurants don't source traditional ingredients like goat, and they get the cheese all wrong - Vermont cheddar is surely not a staple south of the border. Most Mexican food in New York is what Italian food was here in the mid-'80s: dumbed-down Mexican-American, not authentic Mexican.

That's why it was such a relief to discover La Superior in Williamsburg after reading Pete Wells' $25-and-under review. As soon as the first dishes landed, we knew: they got the cheese right.

La Superior's requesón is a mild but cheesy cheese, fresh, with the consistency of a crumbly cottage cheese. Though it's said you can use ricotta as a substitute, I don't find the taste the same at all. (One close flavor you can sometimes find is Mexican Cotija cheese - not at high-end cheese stores, but at corner bodegas.) Here it is sprinkled on top of the flautas de pollo, which were very crisp and topped with bright, fresh greens and salsa that contrasted with the creaminess of the cheese.

Gorditas, typical Mexican street fare, are highly addictive little corn buns, split and stuffed with chorizo, lettuce, and more requesón. La Superior's taste a little like huitlacoche, the surprisingly tasty weird corn fungus. If you want to spice up the gorditas some more, the green salsa served alongside does the trick.

The quesadillas also come street-style, more like heftier empanadas than a mere fried tortilla. But for me this amount of bread overwhelmed the filling.

Their tacos are amazing little delights, each one a separate burst of flavor. (This too is where so many other NYC Mexican places get it wrong - all Mexican dishes shouldn't taste the same.) Clockwise from top, these are the camarón al chipotle (very spicy shrimp tacos), the carne asada (smoky grilled skirt steak), the carnitas (pork confit topped with sweet white onion), and the phenomenal rajas, roasted poblano pepper strips cooked with that fabulous cheese. This was a really intriguing combination. Usually you think of a creamy cheese as something to quell the spiciness of pepper, but when they're cooked together, the cheese has the effect of drawing it out.

Alas, there may be a shortage of authentic Mexican food in New York, but if you can locate Cotija cheese, here's a recipe for a Mexican salad for you. But if you're going to La Superior, here's your strategy:

Arrive early (7-ish). If there's a wait, you'll have to wait in line - they don't take cell phone numbers.
BYOB! There's a bodega around the corner with a good selection of beer.
Prices are crazy cheap.
Their idea of "decor" is a single string of colored lights. You're not here for the romance.
It's much easier to get a table on busy nights as a party of two than as a larger party.

La Superior
295 Berry Street
Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY 11211
718-388-5988

Mexican Poblano and Tomato Salad

2009-04-13T11:00:00.003-04:00

Mexican Cotija cheese isn't for sale at New York's fancy cheese emporiums, but you can find it in some corner bodegas. If your hunt for authentic cheese is successful, here's a recipe for a Mexican salad for you. It ran many years ago - in the LA Times, of course.

Mexican Poblano and Tomato Salad

4 poblano chiles
2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried Mexican oregano, crumbled
3 tbsp. chopped cilantro
3 tbsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 head butter lettuce
1/4 cup crumbled Cotija cheese
wedges of lime dipped in chile powder, for garnish

Roast the chiles on a gas burner or grill until charred all over. Place them in a Ziplock bag and close. Let them stand until cool, then slough off the charred skin. Core and seed them, then cut lengthwise into thin strips.

Toss the chiles with tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes. Arrange butter lettuce on four salad plates, top with pepper mixture, and sprinkle with Cotija cheese. Serve with lime wedges.

Serves 4.

Variation: If you can find requesón cheese, try substituting it for Cotija. Combine a 1/2 cup of requesón with the chili mixture, and instead of letting it all sit, heat it gently on the stove for about 5 minutes, until warmed through. Serve on top of cool butter lettuce, garnish with limes. Think of it as a salad version of La Superior's rajas.

TopShop Opening Day Photos

2009-04-09T13:25:00.009-04:00

There were a lot of trendsters in line on the opening day for TopShop - in fact, there was more fashion outside than inside TopShop, due to the sheer volume of TopShop fans.

The biggest trend? Jean shorts in a variety of washes and cuts, often paired with tights and Doc Marten's. New York designers may be channeling the '80s right now, but this generation definitely seems to be having its own 1993 grunge moment.

Denim shorts: first sighting.

A more tailored version of jean shorts.

First male TopShop fan in line. He was dressed a lot like the TopShop guys in their uniform of cropped pants.

Bright colors continue to be a big spring trend.

A variety of footwear. The heels are killer, but I would probably go with the other two choices for standing in line for two hours.
The official TopShop male uniform. Love the socks and the blazer with piping.

Sir Philip Green, left.

Kate Moss in a green dress, her own design, blocked from view by a cop who promised paparazzi he would move out of the way when the time came. Thanks, buddy.

Doc Marten's, first sighting. Very appropriate for this occasion since they're a British brand.

A glam rock look.

This look is sort of lazy-post-collegiate. Very artfully done.

A couple in plaid.

The floral, feminine dress belted with a rough-looking leather belt is right on target. It echoed several of the Kate Moss Liberty prints inside.

Doc Marten's and plaid.

Model Coco Young. Her blazer is perfection! The shoulders are just strong enough without being overwhelming.

More Doc Marten-esque boots, this time paired with a stretchy black miniskirt.

The waiting game.

The ripped denim shorts paired with ripped tights and Doc Marten's are classic early '90s - but the feminine blouse and cool headphones place the whole outfit in this era.

Kate Lanphear in Paper Mag

2009-04-08T18:30:00.001-04:00

There's an excellent photo of Elle editor and Gastro Chic style muse Kate Lanphear in this month's Paper Magazine in their "Beautiful People" issue, shot by Jiro Schneider. Here she poses with stylist Keegan Singh.

Look at this close up of her fabulous studded bracelets! From Hermes, naturally. The photo was styled with clothes and accessories courtesy of the mag, but this is true to what she wears in real life.

Love this portrait. For fashion week sightings of her, click here. And it's definitely worth picking up Paper Magazine to see the whole spread.

Lucali's

2009-04-07T16:00:00.005-04:00

Pizza, pizza: it's cheap, delicious, and in the news—even making it into Page Six today via a Jimmy Fallon incident at Posto—an enviable feat for any food item. (Even burgers should be jealous.) Every time we turn around, a new pizza joint seems to be opening: Emporio, Spunto, Ignazio's, Sora Lella, Scuderia, Kesté Pizza & Vino, Tonda—and that's just within the last month.

Before you go chasing after the latest speck-inflected wonder, however, don't forget the classics, because the one thing pizza shouldn't be is trendy. A hot oven (wood- or coal-burning), 00 flour, the finest, freshest toppings and the correct technique are what go into the ideal pizza.

I had a madeleine moment when I bit into the pizza at Lucali's in Carroll Gardens for the first time last week—it transported me to a rustic little pizzeria outside Florence, years ago. The Italians would drive for miles to get to this place. And so it is at Lucali, where even at 7:15, the wait for a table for two is two hours. Don't go hating on the reverse bridge-and-tunnelers like me, though, for the wait—most of it is due to local fans who put their names in, then happily go home and wait.

In Lucali's open kitchen, which, because of the wood-burning oven, is more of an open hearth surrounded by a white marble countertop, the chef grates the bufala mozzarella by hand. The choices for toppings are traditional, not trendy. One particularly sublime ingredient is the pepperoni, which, according to Serious Eats, comes from Esposito's around the corner. This plus the onion was a fantastic combination--the sweetness of the onion contrasting with the smoky spiciness of the pepperoni. An excellent pizza is all about balance: the crispiness of the crust versus the chewy pockets of air at the edges, the tang of the sauce versus the creaminess of the cheese, then the high notes of basil and a little garlic. Lucali's achieves this and then some, since all of the ingredients are potent and fresh enough to stand on their own. The attention to detail is particularly impressive: there's a scant amount of freshly grated Parmesan sprinkled on top to give the cheese the slightest edge.

The ingredients aren't the only thing here with an excellent pedigree. Slice reports that the oven comes from defunct Leonardo's down the street, and owner Mark Iacono, who was raised in this once primarily Italian-American neighborhood, uses recipes from his Italian granny and aunts.

And guess what? The candlelit restaurant is actually romantic. There aren't very many romantic pizza restaurants in NYC, and this one lets you BYOB, so our tab came to about $30 for two.

Lucali's Strategy

Go early and put your name in. The hostess will take your cell number and call when your table's ready.
There aren't any bars right near by. A good option a couple blocks away is Court Street's Minibar, which has a nice selection of wines by the glass.
Dress as if you'll be sitting outside for a half hour or more in the cold, because you very well may be.
There is nothing on the menu but pizza and calzones. Literally.
Don't forget to bring your own wine. Small corkage fee - $4?
If all else fails, Lucali's also offers take out!

Lucali's
575 Henry St
Brooklyn, NY 11231
718-858-4086‎

Breaking News: New Yorkers Don't Eat at Applebee's

2009-04-04T13:05:00.008-04:00

In a shocking discovery, the Times revealed today that no one is dining at an Applebee's in Manhattan: in fact, the restaurant is full of empty tables. The exact reason is unclear, but it may be because there are so many other similarly mediocre restaurants in the Times Square area offering up stiff competition, including Chevy's, Dallas BBQ, ESPN Zone, and Dave & Busters.

Top analysts concur that as the demand for bad food lessens, many restaurants serving bad food are vulnerable to closure. Applebee's franchise owner Zane Tankel once considered his only competition to be the inimitable Olive Garden, but:

“We’ll see some weeding out,” he said one recent lunch hour, sitting in a near-empty Applebee’s dining room overlooking 42nd Street. Noting a restaurant above him and another across the street, he said, “One of the three of us is not going to be here.”

Will Manhattan's dining scene survive without Applebee's? Where will local heroes like Plaxico Burress eat before putting a loaded weapon into the elastic waistband of their pants? If such pinnacles of New York fine cuisine fall prey to the recession, the future looks grim indeed.

NYT: Empty Tables Threaten Some Restaurant Chains

TopShop NYC Opening - Video!

2009-04-03T11:27:00.003-04:00

OK so this is the first Gastro Chic video ever, so it's a little rough. But I wanted to show you what it was like inside TopShop on opening day, April 2nd.

All That for an Ice Cream Cone Top-Shop

2009-04-02T17:02:00.007-04:00

I finally left TopShop at 4:32, 5 1/2 hours after I arrived to photograph the crowd (11am-12:20pm), wait in line (12:20pm - 2:30pm), shop (2:30pm-3pm), wait in the dressing room line (3pm-3:50pm), and finally try on clothes and check out (3:50pm-4:30pm). Note that the total time spent shopping was only 1/2 hour. All that for an ice cream cone top, three other items and the freebies: an "Everybody Loves TopShop" tote and a Union Jack tee.

TopShoooooop! Arghghghgh.

If I had to do it again, I would just buy clothes in my size (TopShop's run small - buy a size up from your regular American size), try them on at home, and return the rejects. You have up to a month to return your purchases, and unlike Forevs 21, TopShop actually gives you your money back, not store credit.

So here's the ice cream scoop top, one of four items bought. Kinda Sonia Rykiel-ish, but only $65. Was it all worth it? I don't know. But I did notice the ice cream cone top was sold out by the time I left, and it's not available online.

nah nah.....

More TopShop Waiting

2009-04-02T15:53:00.002-04:00

Waiting in line 50 minutes for dressing room. I could make clothes
myself in this amount of time. Even if I had to start with a loom and
some thread.

At least they're playing Lady Gaga?

In TopShop

2009-04-02T15:00:00.002-04:00

Got in at 2:30. Total wait 2 hrs 10 mins.

Crowd inside in a shopping-induced haze. Excellent DJs blast Belle & Sebastian and The Smiths. Free manicures on one floor, free updos on another. This is not your grandma's store opening. This is shopping as spectacle.

Sequins, fringe, acid wash: definitely not need-based clothes and accessories. Many items are over $100. Yet people are in line for the dressing room with 10 or more items. One woman strips down on the floor in front of a mirror and tries her clothes on there.

And the top floor of TopShop? Shopping nirvana: the shoes.

Cold TopShop

2009-04-02T14:13:00.003-04:00

Very cold standing in shade on Broome St. Should have worn fleece - f* fashion.

Wondering why there's more traffic out to the Holland when I realize: evening rush hour has started. Total time in line: 1 hr 51 mins.

Taco truck across the street. So. Far. Away.

The Wait

2009-04-02T12:55:00.002-04:00

Waiting in line. Am one of approximately three nonsmokers of the hundred or so people in line. Estimated wait time: 1 1/2 hours. Note to potential TopShop shoppers: bring food and water.

Inexplicably, the woman ahead of me buys a $5 TopShop gift card from someone...for $5.

Kate Moss Has Left the Building

2009-04-02T12:20:00.003-04:00

After a very disappointing paparazzi stake out that resulted in limited, blocked shots.

But it's always entertaining to hear the paparazzi's fashion and beauty commentary:

On a woman walking by in this season's red-orange lipstick: She looks like that bird from Florida.

On a not-very-attractive woman with bright purple hair: Because when you look that good, you wanna draw a lot of attention to yourself.

On a large lady leaving from the same door Kate would eventually come out of: That's not her!

TopShop Mania

2009-04-02T11:29:00.003-04:00

Location: new TopShop store in Soho

Scene: Very crowded, line wrapping all the way around the block down to Grand St. No sign of Kate.

Equipment: iPhone, 2 cameras, Flip video

Overheard: "I thought everyone was broke!"

Bright Spring Bags at Piperlime

2009-04-01T13:17:00.003-04:00

Refinery 29 has a good post today on bright spring bags--which reminded us, there are a lot of bright bags for $200 or less on Piperlime, a site that we've heretofore ignored but that seems to be getting better by the minute, mixing new brands with the tried-and-true. And it's almost always reasonably priced.

Check out this delicious Hayden Harnett Ibiza Convertible Flight Tote ($200) in saturated purple.

And this cheerful yellow "Emily Shopper" by Francesco Biasia ($198).

Convertible bags are all the rage now, and this Nine West Justine Medium Flap bag is only $89. Why? It's not made of leather, but it sure is hard to tell the difference.

It seems like designers are reinterpreting "flash," taking it from flashy logos and translating it into a flash of color instead. Note that all these bags make a statement with their shape and color - not their name brands. Bravo.

Opening in PM Space: Griffin

2009-04-01T12:15:00.000-04:00

After the total bust that was last night's NYLON party at the Thompson LES - where one solitary dude worked a door mobbed with people then declared the party closed at 9:45 - Nomes and I headed to a nearby swanky cocktail lounge.

Lo and behold, what should we discover from a source there but that a new club Griffin is opening in the old PM space in late April. It will have an "antiquey" theme with fancy, expensive cocktails - $18 for a regular drink, $26 for a "specialty cocktail" (because the $18 cocktails aren't special enough?). If the bartender training at Little Branch is any indication, Sasha Petraske seems to be consulting on the cocktail menu.

The PM space is a great one, but the question remains - will the same dude who usually orders five Ketel One and sodas instead opt for for two gin rickeys, two Moscow mules, and something made with egg whites for $18-$26 a drink when the crowd is three deep at the bar? Let's hope not.

Scuderia

2009-03-27T08:00:00.002-04:00

How much do you love Da Silvano? A lot? Really, really a lot? If so, you're in luck, because the enterprising restauranteur Silvano Marchetto has effectively colonized Sixth Avenue between Houston and Bleecker: first Da Silvano, then Da Silvano Bistecca, and now Scuderia.

Sure, officially, Scuderia is the brainchild of his daughter, Leyla Marchetto, who was once a fashion publicist--the perfect qualification for running a restaurant, since you know how those fashion people love to chow down. We don't know Marchetto junior by sight, but Silvano was definitely in the house, looking befuddled.

"I looked around, and I didn't see anyone I knew," he said, to someone he eventually realized he knew. He was even wearing the infamous $895 custom-designed Scuderia sneakers, which was molto Silvano of him.

It may be to early to tell how the food will shape up--at this point it's different on different nights. On the first night we went, everything was underseasoned--undersalted or underdressed, like this otherwise appealing-looking insalata di rucola, with baby rucola, tomatoes and shaved parmesan. The next time we tried it, it weighed in at "fine." The same goes for the beet salad, below, which was disappointing because it looked delicious. When we returned another night, someone seemed to have rediscovered the salt shaker.

One must-order on any snacky Italian menu is usually the arancini (fried rice balls). Scuderia's are served with a very tasty traditional ragu, in which meat is cooked slowly in tomatoes, then removed from the final sauce before serving. But--horror of horrors--the balls themselves were made of brown rice! This is highly unorthodox, and not in a good way. Please, please, do not let the insidious creep of brown rice into rice balls be the legacy of fashion affecting food. (For proper arancini that will rock your world, go to Manganaro's.)

The polpette, meatballs with fresh tomato, fared better, since there was nothing unorthodox about them, just a crunchy exterior, mildly seasoned interior, and a nice sauce. And the specials are usually good, like a bruschetta with tomatoes and olives.

On both nights, at this interlude between courses, we looked up and noticed that the entire room was full of women. The ratio of women to men was at least 3 to 1, and most of the men there had been dragged by women, cavewoman-style. "It's like a chick factory," J.Marciano quipped. "I'm suddenly getting my period...and so is everyone else in the room."

It was hard to have this conversation sotto voce, however, since you had to scream to make yourself heard. (J.Marciano actually lost her voice after dining here.) I've been in German beer halls that were quieter than Scuderia, and that's with an oompah band.

At least we were distracted by the food. Pizza is supposed to be the star player here, and expectations were running high because of the ecstatic ravings of commenters who attended sneak preview dinners. On the nights we went, the pizza ranked as good but not spectacular. Where was the crispy, thin, slightly charred crust we had dreamed of? Not to get all Gael Greene on you, but the ideal slice of pizza should stand up in your hand, not get all limp and floppy.

Scuderia deserves points for putting an egg on the yummy occhio di bue (eye of the ox) pizza, above, along with spinach, pancetta, and pecorino, but there was little crunch to the crust. The bianca al pesto, right, was quite good, however, somehow crispier and made with an addictive pesto dotted amid the ricotta.

(Side note: a surprisingly excellent pizza was discovered at the relatively touristy joint Three of Cups in the E.Vill--the Sicilia, with mozzarella, tomato and "a hint of anchovy"--look at the char below!)

Back to Scuderia, where they can make a mean fish sauce, as evidenced in the seafood stew and the squid ink pasta with seafood. Both had a fresh, intense seafood flavor that made us crave summer.

Raffetto's Pepper Pappardelle, served with a beef cheek ragu, was underwhelming. As at Da Silvano across the street, the actual beef trumped the pasta: the skirt steak was a better way to go.

If you get nothing else here, get the dessert pizza with Nutella and mascarpone--it's insane. Sure, it already exists in alternate form at Gemma, but this one isn't folded into an overwhelming calzone of oozing Nutella. It has just the right chocolate-to-bread ratio, and the slightly sour mascarpone cuts the sweetness nicely.

The prices are a lot gentler than Da Silvano--with wine, and they have several nice ones by the glass, the tab at Scuderia came to about $60 per person. The staff is great--fast and attentive. We loved our waitress Sorida.

So who's the market here, other than an overwhelming majority of women? Scuderia is more of a challenge to Bar Pitti than Da Silvano proper. The old people (read: over 40) and celebrities who frequent Da Silvano will probably have no patience for Scuderia--at least at nighttime. Why? At Da Silvano, food is obviously beside the point, but if I know old people--and I do, from personal experience--they like to hear themselves talk. Also, the intimate upstairs area at Scuderia, supposedly for celebs, can feel more Siberia than special, if Siberia were a deafeningly loud expanse of white tundra.

But there's one crucial factor here, as at Da Silvano: summer sidewalk seating. Will Scuderia have it? Because a bianca al pesto eaten al fresco would be a very nice thing indeed.

Scuderia
10 Downing Street, entrance on Sixth Avenue
New York, NY
212-206-9111

Minetta Tavern

2009-03-13T08:00:00.002-04:00

Finally! Minetta Tavern is open. Yes, that one, the place that's been around for 72 years.

Amid all the buzz about Keith McNally's new venture, there was always one thing that wasn't clear. Why had he chosen this crusty old place as the next incarnation of McNallyism? If you've lived in New York long enough, you know the Minetta Tavern because you've walked by it--often solely for the purpose of getting away, fast. Once the intersection of cool and the setting for Serpico, MacDougal Street and Minetta Lane is now only the home of Cafe Wha? (and the underrated Bellavitae) and has gotten as touristy as it once was cool.

Of course, there are exceptions. 124 Rabbit Club opened up across the street, and before that, underground jazz den Bar Next Door. So maybe the writing was on the wall.

But as soon as you walk into Minetta Tavern, the answer is apparent. There's an old school bar, murals and caricatures on the wall, the decor harkens back to an earlier age of the Village, and gorgeous Ralph Fiennes is sitting across from you. Is Minetta Tavern McNally's answer to the Waverly Inn? Certainly McNally had an unlikely rival in Graydon Carter, who never so much as dabbled in restaurants before, then came in to gather up the celebs in one fell swoop.

If Minetta Tavern is the next chapter, McNally has come up on top. He's wisely gotten away from Italian and back to his bistro roots, installing Riad Nasr of Balthazaar in the kitchen. The Pat LaFrieda burger (called the "Black Label Burger" on the menu) that has inspired so much worship appears here, and, as steak meat ground into burger form, it's exactly right for the times. If we like to have our steak and eat it to, this is it - and yes, it's all it's cracked up to be.

The Dodd cocktail - a tasty mix of bourbon and absinthe. Also - the wines. There's a great $9 Malbec that goes perfectly with the Black Label burger.

Mesclun salad with goat cheese.

This was quite tasty - and owed something to Jodi Williams, I thought. Stuffed calamari with salt cod, like a brandade. Delicious sauce and olives, too.

Comfort food alert: the Pommes Aligot.

The Minetta Burger - pretty darn good for a regular old cheeseburger.

Choux Farcis - stuffed cabbage.

The supposed Holy Grail of burgers, the Pat LaFrieda patty, was excellent. Really more like a ground steak than a burger, but we're not complaining. For God's sake, don't you dare put ketchup on it.

The back dining room, definitely a little more chill and quiet than the front.

The bustling front room. It's really hard to get in - literally - because of the log jam at the door. But the front of the house staff is very quick.

Caricatures on the wall.

Beautiful old bar (totally packed). There are lots of interesting little details like the mural of boxers (?) on top.

Looks quiet outside but wait until you get inside.

Old meets new? Minetta Tavern and Cafe Wha, two Village standbys.

Minetta Tavern
113 MacDougal Street, at Minetta Lane
New York, NY
212.475.3850

The John Dory

2009-03-10T08:00:00.002-04:00

The problem with seafood is that it's become another word for "diet." Just as diners have their "diet plate" section with the cottage cheese and fruit plate, nearly every restaurant now offsets decadent meat dishes with an obligatory light seafood dish. The ploy is so obvious that they might as well have an asterisk after these neglected fish entrees - "for the ladies!" And because a plain fillet of fish can't put up much of a fight against meatballs or pork belly, most non-dieters have been ignoring fish altogether.

Well, no longer. There's nothing remotely "diet" about the seafood at The John Dory. Chef April Bloomfield of the Spotted Pig has found the fat in fish, or when it's not there, added it in the form of butter aplenty. How unladylike! But if her goal is to bring hearty, pub-style seafood to New York, she has certainly exceeded it. The most exciting fish dish I remember eating in London would be the excellent fish and chips at Geales in Notting Hill.

The whole aesthetic of the place is very appealing: old school nautical, like a seaside restaurant you'd stumble upon in a tiny resort town. What makes it citified is the obvious expense that went into it, plus lots of visual puns like the lures "swimming" in the resin countertop of the bar, and the lighted tank of real fish doomed to watch their brethren being consumed - which may be why it's also the site of an infamous eel suicide incident.

The most difficult thing about the menu is deciding what to order, since there are so many appealing things on it. Marie Fromage and I started from square one, a mix of East and West Coast oysters, which were fresh, clean, alternately salty and sweet, and accompanied by an interesting mignonette made of peppers instead of the usual shallots.

If there were one dish that summed up the direction of the food, it would be the fantastic oyster pan roast with sea urchin butter crostini. First you have excellent quality ingredients - huge, plump oysters, salty-fatty sea urchin, and fabulous butter - then you have the technique. The oysters are submerged in a buttery sauce with a slight vinegar/lemon edge to cut it, like a hollandaise laced with fresh tarragon. It gives another meaning to "slow food" - the only way to eat it is slowly.

For the seafood equivalent of foie gras, look no further than this monkfish liver dish. This was seriously decadent and should only be attempted by true liver fans.

Of course we had to spring for the signature dish, the John Dory. The only problem is, you have to choose whether you want them to filet this fish for you ahead of time or if you want to do it yourself. This presented a sort of quandary, since I actually like to see (and photograph) the whole fish before I eat it. The alternative is rather disappointing, like carving a Thanksgiving turkey in the kitchen instead of at the table. And perhaps because the majority of the seating is at the bar, they don't offer to filet it tableside. When the waiter disappeared, leaving us with a whole fish staring back at us from the plate, I felt like a flailing "Top Chef" contestant, racking my brain for some memory of fish fileting technique.

When we did manage to hack it to pieces, it was quite good. The exterior had a wonderful char and the interior was light with an herbal perfume to it. The salsa verde was perhaps a little too acidic for the fish, but overall it was an excellent.

We visited the John Dory right after Bruni's review and were surprised he gave it two stars instead of three. The casual decor and open kitchen do seem at odds with the prices (our dinner cost $100 each including tip), but surely Bloomfield and Ken Friedman deserve points for the inventiveness mentioned in the lede. The best American seaside restaurants and London fish spots (including Geales) are also casually decorated - the prices match the fish.

The John Dory
85 10th Avenue, between 15th and 16th Streets
New York, NY
(212) 929-4948

Tindersticks

2009-03-09T08:00:00.002-04:00

Saw UK band Tindersticks this weekend, compliments of D., at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple in Fort Greene, which is a great place to see a show. It has the intimacy of a high school auditorium,

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if your high school were cool. Lead singer Stuart Staples has a haunting, hypnotic voice and moody, Smiths-like melodies, though the multi-layered sounds of the huge band are thoroughly modern. They got two standing ovations from the crowd.

If you missed them this time around, you can hear a few of their songs on My Space.

Marc Jacobs FS09

2009-03-08T12:00:00.004-04:00

Nowhere was the radical change in NY Fashion Week more apparent than at the Marc Jacobs show. Where last season Posh and JLo walked the red carpet hand in hand amid a crush of paparazzi, now there were just gates, strict warnings about invitations, a small group of editors and buyers going in, and one very disappointed paparazzo standing next to me. But the end result isn't that different from a (not much) earlier time before celebrities discovered fashion week, when it was actually all about the clothes.

Melissa Ventosa-Martin of T Magazine, right, in a fabulous feather (?) coat.

Anna Wintour arrived 25 minutes ahead of time, though she is even harder to photograph now that she comes with two very large bodyguards blocking the way. A result of the fact that 60 Minutes may be doing a story on her? P.S. This may be the only time that you'll ever see Anna Wintour and Ray's Pizza in the same frame.

Carine Roitfeld. She wore this coat several times during fashion weeks here and in Europe. It's a myth that the fashionably dressed "never wear the same outfit twice." In fact, it seems that when they're really in love with a piece, they'll wear it over and over. Certainly a more sensible (and economical) approach.

Cropped trousers like these will soon be everywhere for spring.

Brightly striped cardigan.

This mix of lurid colors looked quite jarring as this woman was going into the Marc Jacobs show; after it was over, however, it seemed prescient. Marc Jacobs showed a lot of loud '80s colors that injected a note of optimism for fall - photo below from Style.com.

Love the slash of bright red lips against the neutral gray of her trench.

A quirky haircut and funky blazer.

The fur flies as this woman runs to get to the show in time. Ever since the complaints about his show starting hours late a couple years back, Jacobs has been almost sadistically punctual.

An excellent menswear look.

More menswear style, this time on Roberta Myers, editor in chief of Elle.

Joe Zee in a Barbour jacket.

Her rolled up shorts fall into that "boyfriend"-anything trend. Also watch for camouflage and any army-navy-store type clothing - very recession-friendly.

A fellow photographer who looked to be a model-turned-photographer - very pretty and chic.

Love, love the dilapidated chic of this outfit. The scuffed loafers and Burberry trench look like relics of wealthier times.

It's true - bowl cuts are appearing on women. It doesn't seem like such a bad thing to try right now, but if you wait 30 seconds, it may get annoying.

Chanel bags are another totem of dilapidated chic. Since they're classic, you could have bought it years ago, or even got it from Mummy. Either way, it looks right.

A great mix of high-low with the fur jacket and jeans, plus the sparkly headband.

Glenda Bailey of Harper's Bazaar steppin' out in some hot shoes.

Kate Lanphear of Elle joking around with some guy friends. She was captured in a similar outfit by TopShop, which featured her in their newsletter - a fashion coup!

More colored fur.
Nina Garcia in all black.

Cecilia Dean in a striking black-and-white coat.

Meredith Melling Burke carrying a still-fab Chloe handbag.

Lynn Yaeger's mash-up vintagey style seems particularly a propos this year.

A detail shot of her amazing embellished Gucci bag - rabbits! - and knit scarf - cartoon characters!

Grace Coddington carrying a Stephen Sprouse Louis Vuitton bag.

The leopard print is great, but this model has amazing hair! Wavy-haired girls, this is your moment.

A model after the show, proudly sporting the '80s hair and makeup from the runway.

Another model in outrageous '80s hair and makeup. Where to go to show it off? Too bad Area is no longer.

Object Lesson: IKEA Cowhide Rug

2009-03-02T08:00:00.002-05:00

OK, it's not exactly necessary to use the hides of animals as rugs, especially now that we've discovered things like wool. (Demetri Martin has a great bit about bearskin rugs. Not only do we put an unnecessary pelt on the floor, we keep the head on because "we want to know who this was.")

But, as you may know from reading this blog, I'm so not a vegetarian, so...this new cowhide rug at IKEA is pretty fab. The "KOLDBY" is only $249, versus the usual $800 price tag you'd usually see at a fancy boutique. If you can manage to not spill red wine all over it, it would make a nice addition to a den or living room, especially layered over a plain rug like the HELSINGÖR ($99-$199), below.

Apiary

2009-03-01T08:00:00.002-05:00

Often it's the new restaurant right around the corner that you get to last. That'll be where you just stop in after a movie or a night out with friends, right? Wrong. The highly stylized and buzzed-about Apiary, right around the corner from me, was always fully committed when it opened in mid 2008. But obviously we're in a different landscape now, and places that were once booked to the hilt are now wooing diners with recession specials. For Apiary, it couldn't happen at a better time--it's become more accessible just as chef Scott Bryan returned from Virginia to take the helm.

It was a sad day when Bryan left Veritas, considered one of the best restaurants in town by certain industry insiders--and not just for the wine. So it's thrilling that he brought his signature American style inflected with French technique to Apiary, where you can find a similar quality for a gentler price.

Some think the decor here is a little chilly--we thought it was pretty fab, especially the laser-cut light fixtures. All the furnishings are by Conran. When the restaurant is full of people, as it was that night, it really does buzz.

We started with the endive and pear salad, which, although it looks bland on the plate, had a bright, sharp flavor and excellent crunch. The innovative plating--three large endive leaves propped together to form a sort of V that contained the rest of the salad--added a nice architectural touch.

The confit of duck leg was rich and tender, but it was the combination of celery root puree and French green lentils underneath that got devoured right away.

Bryan has real French flair with vegetables, as evidenced by the grilled pork loin, where it was turnips--turnips!--that stole the show. The pork itself was juicy and perfectly cooked, the shaved brussel sprouts were a nice accompaniment, but the turnips were sublime. My dining mate Marie Fromage described a French technique for vegetables--something involving cooking them very slowly under parchment with a hole on top--was that how he made them?

Fortunately, the chef himself came out later to check the night's receipts at the bar. The turnips, we asked. How did you do it? Chicken stock, sherry vinegar, and butter he said.

That's the kind of thing you've got to like about Bryan. Rather than being coy, he just out and says it--although without the technique, it would be hard to get the same end result. His cooking has the same refreshing directness. It's approachable, but once you're into it, there's a subtle complexity that keeps you coming back.

And now there's really no reason not to go back: Apiary has extended their $35 Restaurant Week prix fixe through Labor Day.

Jill Stuart FS09

2009-02-27T07:12:00.001-05:00

The Jill Stuart show took place at the main branch of the New York Public Library, where the attendees' spring clothes looked particularly fanciful against the austere, classical backdrop - a fitting send-up for the times.

This brightly-colored dandified look has got legs.

Edwardian gray, an important trend for spring, as reported in Bill Cunningham's "Gray Days."

In case you were wondering, no, it was not difficult to distinguish the fashion people from the usual throngs of tourists at the NYPL.

An adorable schoolgirl collar.

This bag is amazing. Who's the designer? Look for more graphic black-and-white or graffiti'd bags in 2009.

A structured, architectural coat makes a statement.

The tie-and-vest look, this time played down with a more casual jacket.

These funky, translucent-framed glasses play off an otherwise conservative look.

A good example of the '80s jackets we'll see in the fall: bright color, strong (but not over-the-top) shoulders, and a clean, sharp fit.

Vintage black-and-white coat paired with killer studded boots.

She always looks glamorous and a little goth.

A white cotton shift over black leggings--a nice transitional look as we head into spring.

Fabulous cinched coat, belt, and scarf.

Two women in all black talk to a photographer.

Bill Cunningham poses for a picture with a friend.

The combination of elements in this outfit is right on: Military coat mixed with feminine silk dress paired with tough studded heels. The deep blue is a nice change, too.

Different colored stockings--and this Stevie Nicks-style bangs haircut is popping up everywhere.

Two friends by an icy fountain. Notice the shiny black PVC leggings on the left.

Fashion Week FS09: Adam

2009-02-19T07:40:00.001-05:00

Valentine's Day is one of those holidays that can be either wonderfully charming or horribly tacky, so it seemed very apropos that it fell during Fashion Week. The ADAM/Adam Lippes show fit into the former category. Upbeat music set the background for a sassy collection with lust-worthy jackets and coats.

Here's what they wore to the show.

This look wins for "best of the bow ties," which have been particularly popular with men this season. The big, silky floppy style is more daring--especially for day--than a traditional bow tie. Beautifully paired with a dove gray velvet blazer.

Big drapey scarves and layers signal a different kind of luxury/coddling oneself, moving away from the It Bags that were the luxury item of previous seasons. Still, we can't totally abandon our bags, as this woman shows below. They're just downsized.

Fetishistic boots are still going strong--like these embellished with gold studs.

Just when you think you'll kill the next person wearing a fedora, someone comes along with such a cute look. She wears it jauntily. And the YSL canvas tote will probably get a lot of use.

A man in red Valentine's mode. This old-timey look of newsboy caps, blazers, vests, and pocket squares is the new Fashion Week uniform for men.

Kate Lanphear of Elle, always looking impeccably cool. Black Wayfarers are also de rigueur with the fashion set: The stark yet classic feel really resonates now.

This mash-up of patterns and colors creates a modern ragamuffin look that's quite charming, especially paired with retro sunglasses.

Fashion Week SS09: Oscar de la Renta

2008-10-20T08:00:00.000-04:00

A designer who dresses everyone from first ladies to megawatt stars, Oscar de la Renta draws a who's-who list from fashion, New York society, and Hollywood to his shows on Park Avenue. The expensive suit that landed Cindy McCain in so much hot water with the press was Oscar de la Renta.

Anna Wintour in a beautiful white coat. Underneath she cinched her silk dress with a leather belt.
Funky glasses.
Here's what black lipstick looks like off the runway--rather odd. If you took off the headscarf, this might be a good look. The gray dress on her friend is quite chic.
Conservative chic.
Black and white with a purple handbag.
Carolina Herrera in a white suit.
Sarah Rutson in slouchy harem pants and lots of necklaces.
Jamee Gregory proves that conservative does not have to equal boring. Love the Roger Vivier shoes.
Linda Wells looking very young and sophisticated in a LBD.
Winter florals in purple.
Meredith Melling Burke in a gorgeous black floral dress.
Virginia Smith, also of Vogue, accessorizing with an Obama pin on her handbag.
Rachel Zoe and sidekick. She actually looked really good in real life--perfectly put together. Now if only we didn't know what was going on in that head of hers.
Fashion has changed with the climate--there were many more white cotton dresses in September. Call it winter white right now.
Nina Garcia obviously knows how to pick out a dress, but sometimes we think she needs a stylist. Looking at this photo, don't you want to put her hair up? Unless you emphasize a long neck, puffy sleeves can create the football player effect.
There was a rumor about Jennifer Lopez that she uses Creme de la Mer as body moisturizer. Seen up close, her skin gives some credence that rumor--gorgeous!

Fashion Week SS09: Marc by Marc Jacobs

2008-10-14T08:00:00.001-04:00

There were lots of playful daytime looks among the ranks of people attending the Marc by Marc Jacobs show.

Black and white cape and a modified cloche hat.

Her colorful necklaces were echoed by similar looks on the runway.

She wears black wayfarer-type sunglasses and a shorts suit; he wears a collegiate blazer with crest of arms.
White cotton dress for fall and a cardigan with skull detail.

Velvet bow tie.
A beautifully sophisticated look--black satin for day.

Joe Zee in a suit, Kate Lanphear in gray high-waisted trousers.

Purple is popping up everywhere now, but stick to a deep, royal purple like this one or you'll look like a purple people eater.

An elegant suit gets a little edge from sexy sandals.

Black and white.
Ken Downing of Neiman Marcus in a skinny tie. Let's assume he had nothing to do with that Dallas Cowboys "wow gift" in the Christmas Book.

These super skinny jeans are in, but they must be paired with booties or heels, not the flats of years past.

Fuchsia houndstooth dress.
Male models leaving the show.
THE SHOW

Marc by Marc Jacobs is another show to watch for very practical purposes--to see what we'll all be wearing next spring. Here Jacobs took the mismatchy looks of the designer collection and translated them into pale neutral stripes, plaids, and tribal prints for his contemporary line. The hook? There's always a little mischief in a Marc by Marc Jacobs line. In this case it was the ultra short swingy dresses and fanny packs as accessories.

Men's mismatching in gray.
Pale ecru colors offset with strands and strands of Caribbean-esque necklaces.

Full, high-waisted, belted shorts were a theme of the collection.

Note the washed-out denim, which should be everywhere come spring. Lace-up flat booties add a pop of color.

He takes a utility-belt approach to the fanny pack, actually making it look cool. You can attach several colorful purses to this one wide studded belt.

A cute one-shoulder jumpsuit that flirts with the idea of androgyny. Note the layered belts and accessories that characterized this collection.

Beautiful metallic trench for day.

Men's looks included a lot of rumpled trenches and roomy colorful pants like these.

View the whole collection on NYMag.com.

The Neiman Marcus Christmas Book Is Here!

2008-10-11T10:00:00.000-04:00

Let's see, what happened this week? The Dow lost about 1,500 points, The New York Sun and Cosmo Girl both folded, Iceland teetered on the verge of bankruptcy . . . and Neiman Marcus launched its Christmas Book catalog!

Now if you know Neiman Marcus' annual holiday catalog, you know this is the first place to go when you're wondering how to blow all that extra cash you have lying around. Past catalogs have included such necessities as a personal submarine and a his-and-hers chocolate portrait. And the "wow gifts" in this year's catalog do not disappoint, no matter what may be going on in the so-called news.

Bad day at work? No worries. Just blow out of the office on this $110K Limited Edition Fighter Motorcycle. What better way to say "I already made millions before the sh*t hit the fan"?

This football season, why enjoy the game on a regular old TV when you could get this Dallas Cowboys Texas Stadium End Zone package? For a mere $500K, you can go to the game in a luxury suite and get your photo taken with Jerry Jones and cheerleaders. The $500K goes to the Salvation Army, but obviously getting a Dallas Cowboys logo spray-painted on your lawn is a lot better than just giving the money to charity. (Installation costs not included.)

Remember those old records Dad had sitting in the basement? Turns out you should have kept them, because now this Thirty-Five Year Collection of Top 100 45 RPM Records is now worth $275K--probably not what Dad paid for them when he was walking to school in the snow uphill both ways.

You know that awful feeling you get in a museum when you just want to buy stuff but it's not for sale? Well now you can, because these Medieval and Renaissance Era Rings ($25K-35K) can finally be sitting pretty on your finger, not in some stupid glass case at the Met.

This. Costs. One-hundred thousand. Dollars.

Because it's not really art unless it's a portrait of you, acclaimed artist Nathan Sawaya will make these HIS & HERS: Life-Size Replica in LEGO Bricks just for you for $60K. Sure to terrify small children for years to come.

When even the most exclusive golf club is not exclusive enough, turn to Jack Nicklaus to design this Custom Backyard Course Package ($1M). Finally, you can play golf alone. (Construction costs not included.)

One of the best things about basketball is it costs little or no money to play--it requires just cement, a hoop, the ball, and you. Now if only your kid were a decent player. Get some skin in the game for real with an on-court experience with the Harlem Globetrotters ($110K), who won't bitch and moan if you ask for a "do-over."

You always told your kids that marriage was about a lot more than love, it's about money. Show Daddy's little girl how much she's really worth with this $1.3M Luxury Destination Wedding Package at The Resort at Pelican Hill. Guaranteed to make the groom feel inadequate and ruin the young couple's sex life forever.

Ever wake up with that groggy feeling of "how much did I spend at the bar last night"? Well now you'll really wonder what happened when you get this $250K tab for this Authentic Guinness® Home Pub. Drunk friends who run up your bill sold separately.

Don't worry about the kids' college funds--they'll be fine by 2010, right? And besides, you could really use that $160K for a new car.

You know nothing about horses. Or racing. But it would be cool to be that guy on TV whose horse just won that race, what's-it-called. Because when you buy this 10-million-dollar Three Chimneys Farm Thoroughbred Racing Stable Package, "as the owner, you get to name your stable and any unnamed horses, design your own silks, attend races, pose for pictures, give quotes to the media." Because isn't that what it's all about?

Fashion Week SS09: Marc Jacobs

2008-10-06T07:17:00.002-04:00

Once populated mainly by artsy, rumpled Parsons students, the Marc Jacobs show is now a celebrity magnet where SUV's pull up and dispense perfectly styled glamazons. The Parsons students are still there, but fewer and farther in between, and at least the celebs are giving them a run for their money, style-wise.

One thing that hasn't changed, however, is the pure electric thrill of a Marc Jacobs show. This is where fashion transcends the mundane and becomes something that continually surprises, inspires, and opens your eyes.

Jennifer Lopez and Victoria Beckham, up close and personal. Beckham's main fashion statement at this show was her new haircut, which looked great in this playful pixie-ish state.

Padma Lakshmi. Not sure about the white silk jumper, but it is interesting to see more winter white right now.

Lynn Yaeger donned a glamorous cape for the occasion and mixed it with some funky pink leggings and gold shoes.

Sofia Coppola, another style muse of Jacobs.

Black dress, red lipstick, and a flower in her hair. He turns an otherwise conservative outfit up a notch with a hot pink belt.

Tiny ruffles.

Kate Lanphear--yes, those are horses emerging from the clouds on her tee, a la Clash of the Titans, 1981. This gutsy outfit actually looked great, especially with the tough layered leather bracelets.

Hilary Alexander in a statement necklace.

Model on a cell phone.

THE SHOW

The collection, "The Americans," was a send-up to all things American, with references from the Victorian era, 1920s, and 1940s mashed together, with a few obi sashes thrown in for good measure. Set to Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" (Leonard Bernstein's performance?), the theme seems almost poignant in retrospect with everything that's happened in the U.S. in the few weeks since the show.

One signature trick of Marc Jacobs is taking street trends and incorporating them into his collections. This idea of mixing patterns--florals, stripes, tweeds, and plaids--was first seen on the street earlier this year.

If you were to buy one thing from the collection, this ruffled skirt might be it. It has a Victorian bustle in back and was a recurring theme in the show.

Jacobs jazzed up traditional stripes and tweed by injecting them with metallic thread.

He takes the obi sash theme a step further with this look and goes fully into Japanese territory with a beautiful butterfly print.

This dramatic striped dress got a great reaction from the crowd. But note that the majority of looks for this collection were not dresses but separates--mainly high-waisted, mid-calf skirts.

A beautiful, whimsical print that seems pure Marc Jacobs.

See Style.com for the entire show.

Fashion Week SS09: Ports 1961

2008-10-01T08:20:00.000-04:00

And, after a Time-Warner-Cable-induced delay, we return.

It's not truly Fashion Week unless you go to at least one pod people show--you know, the kind where the outfits are so out there that the models look like pod people. Ports 1961, the label by Canadian Tia Cibani, was one such show, with its motif of tree-inspired dresses, painterly colors, super-wide high boatneck collars, and hats worn like tribal masks, all drawn from the paintings of the Canadian artist Emily Carr (1871-1945). But during a fashion week where nearly everyone else was playing it safe, her unchecked creativity was a breath of fresh air.

The show attracted a similarly creative crowd.

Patrick McDonald in all black-and-white except for one yellow pocket square.

Love the surrealist detail on his hat--an eye in the middle of a spiderweb.

More black and white--the pants are Yoshi Yamamoto.

Beautifully abstract tie-dye transitions to fall.

Mickey Boardman and his signature necklaces.

Love her wry look. Look out for candy-colored wayfarers like these in the spring. They also made an appearance on the runway of the Walter show.

The dramatic look of a white fox stole.

THE SHOW

If you can get past the theatrics of some of the looks, you'll see that Cibani was one of the few designers during New York Fashion Week to anticipate what the Wizard of Oz herself, Miuccia Prada, would be unveiling a couple of weeks later in Milan. Ports 1961's subtle metallic poplins are an exciting step forward in the same direction.

A favorite look of the collection. This delicate yellow hue appeared several times throughout. Necklace made of bone?

The play of colors here is amazing--Cibani uses sheers and reflective fabrics that are constantly shifting colors as the model moves.

A transparent striped tunic, silk palazzo pants, and statement necklace made of yarn.

Crazy hat-mask.
Gorgeous brown shimmery dress.
Look at the similarity to the Prada dress that appeared a few weeks later, though in typical Prada brassier form.
But back at Ports 1961, just when you thought Cibani might be getting too commercial, she whips out a pod people look. Yay!

View the entire show on NYMag.com.

Fashion Week SS09: Tracy Reese

2008-09-17T07:00:00.001-04:00

In transitional months like May and September, when you don't know what to wear, a good bet is black and white. That seemed to be the thinking this weekend as dozens of show goers dressed in absolutes. One of the biggest developments was winter white, right now--though they're usually packed away after Labor Day, white dresses were making an appearance in September.

A study in contrasts--the white says spring/summer while the black tights signal winter.
A bow blouse and flouncy skirt.
She is always a presence at Fashion Week and is never one to shy away from outrageous hats. Before the show, she had to describe to a friend on her cell phone what she was wearing ("hot pink, red, and green!") because the friend couldn't identify her in the crowd. Hilarious.
Winter white right now.
A gorgeous statement necklace.
Admiring Kate Lanphear's blouse. From far away, it looked like winter florals, but it was actually an abstract polka dot pattern--in black and white. Also note that while she rocked the gladiator sandals last Fashion Week, Lanphear has put them away in favor of tough-looking open-toe booties. And of course platforms are par for the course.
This outfit, also captured by the Sartorialist, is not just insanely stylish but also quite comfortable-looking on Sarah Rutson, fashion director of Hong Kong's Lane Crawford. Yes, even the bondage-insprired animal-print stilettos, which are second nature to a fashionista.
Tough chic.
Claiborne Swanson and Virginia Smith of Vogue. Swanson is wearing the boyfriend blazer that will be everywhere next spring; Smith wins for shoes, which also caught Bill Cunningham's eye.
Gorgeous green and white wide-legged pants.

Celebrating the outrageous.

Love her black-and-white bow-neck blouse.

Robert Burke, fashion consultant extraordinaire, in his usual dapper blazer.
Katrina Szish in the most dramatic bow blouse of the day.

Curly hair was one of the biggest beauty trends this fashion week. Put away your straight irons!

It wouldn't be Fashion Week without this guy. He selects the fabric for his suits himself and commissions them, and for the past year or so he's had cute sidekicks. Today's fabric of choice? Black and white.

Two editors from Vibe Magazine.

THE SHOW

Andre Leon Talley was seated front row at the Tracy Reese show, which started with a number of playing-it-safe muted solids before developing into her usual festive prints--phew. If even Tracy Reese had gone the conservative route, this would have been a sad Fashion Week indeed. This season Reese's colorful patterns became more abstract, perhaps the product of new high-tech printing processes.

A winner of a trench coat in raw silk.

This Asian-inspired open-cut tulip skirt was a continuing motif in the collection.

An abstract print.
The jury's still out on harem pants for spring, but when you see looks like these, it gives you more confidence in the trend. This outfit is both chic and infinitely wearable.

An elegant open tulip cut cocktail dress in a mustardy chartreuse for spring.

See the whole collection on Style.com.

Fashion Week SS09: Rosa Cha

2008-09-16T07:30:00.000-04:00

Or: Après Cha, le deluge.

It was a category five clothing quandary: What to wear for a hurricane during fashion week? The answer: The same thing you'd normally wear, of course. Nina Garcia gave some very practical advice through NY Mag: opt for platform shoes. "I've learned that it's about the biggest platforms you have so that you can go over the water."

Red lipstick.

Great boho pants. Paired with the necklace, they telegraph Brazilian chic.

Miss USA Crystle Stewart, who looked very cool in her own cross necklace before her handlers made her take it off to put on a boring sash. Boo!

Two young women in all black. The "Anglomania" tee is Vivienne Westwood.

Liked her defiant use of white shoes after Labor Day. This outfit is somewhat practical: umbrella and platform shoes as hurricane preparation plan.

THE SHOW

One of the biggest trends in swimwear has been the return of the one-piece suit, which should keep going strong next spring and summer. Rosa Cha showed a number of one-pieces, many of them in very sexy cuts that belied the idea of one-pieces as conservative.

This simple suit in a tomato red Chevron pattern got a great reaction from the crowd.

Here Rosa Cha designer Amir Slama turns the conservative element of a one-piece on its head, injecting it with peekaboo bondage elements.

This dress in a gorgeous green pattern is actually a pantsuit. Super wide palazzo pants floated down the runway. Let's hope this design becomes the new standard for glam beach coverups.

In what would be a recurring theme with several designers this season, there were brown looks for spring, including this sheer cocktail dress.

Brown for spring: a natural progression from winter florals? The whole idea of seasonality is in question right now--especially because it was the first time in recent memory that a hurricane came to New York Fashion Week.

See the whole show on NYMag.com.

Fashion Week SS09: Walter

2008-09-10T08:20:00.001-04:00

In the whirlwind of fashion week, it can be easy to forget why you're going to show A versus show B. But there was a very practical reason to go to the Walter show: to see what we'd all be wearing next spring!

This accessible line is sold nearly everywhere now, but it's still a favorite of the fashion set--the show was sponsored by Elle and Style 360. Like Erin Fetherston, Walter was selected as a LU Style Award Winner. (Not quite sure what that means, but LU makes those delicious biscuits with the chocolate schoolboy on top, and blessedly, they're a sponsor of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. Power bars be damned.)

Love her style--a combination of punk and femme.

Gorgeous silver leather jacket.

Ruffles and high-waisted jeans.

Three chic women.

THE SHOW

We dread seeing lots of bland clothes on the runway because of the economy. So it was a relief to see that Walter didn't shy away from prints, because the general appetite for them is far from sated. Here there were plenty of florals and super-saturated colors.

A signature floral print for spring in high-waisted pants with exposed zippers.

High-waisted skirt and shorts that build on the short poufy skirts popular right now.

This long flowy dress looks beautiful in motion and deserves a trip to St. Barth's.

An eye-catching orange print maxi dress.

You can find full coverage of the show on WWD.com.

Fashion Week SS09: Charlotte Ronson

2008-09-08T08:00:00.003-04:00

The crowd at the show always says something about the designer. At Charlotte Ronson's show on Saturday, industry heavy-hitters mixed with stylish gamine types. And no wonder: Ronson, who currently has a great diffusion line at Urban Outfitters, is one designer who possesses both street cred and commercial success.

A fashion week power duo - her look is casual chic, mixing a classic white shirt with layered statement necklaces.

Love the Chanel bag with the long strap worn cross-chest mixed with a plaid shirt, shorts and gladiator heels. This outfit strikes just the right balance between dressed down and dressed up for a Saturday morning fashion show.

Black Ray Ban Wayfarers look just right again for this fall--especially paired with a LBD.

Another short, poufy bubble skirt. The shiny silk in a black floral print is spot-on.

Head-to-toe Charlotte Ronson. The jacket--a gray denim take on a motorcycle cut--is particularly covetable.

More schoolboy charm. Note how he balances it out with hair and sunglasses that clearly say "city" not "country" to give the outfit some edge.

THE SHOW

There are two schools of thought about how to design during tough financial times. One is to play it safe, going for a "classic" look to create something the consumer could potentially wear for several seasons. The second is to exaggerate trends to make last season's clothes look outdated--a defining strategy during the last few years in fashion--so that people will keep spending. How many eras have we visited in the last two years? Victorian, '50s, '70s, '60s boho, futuristic styles, Art Nouveau? It's enough to make your head spin--or give up buying handbags, which is exactly what the industry doesn't want.

Charlotte Ronson started off this season's show by playing it safe with lots of gray and dusty pink--a logical transition from this fall's all black looks. The music rocked, naturally (thanks to Sam?), and Lindsay Lohan was seated front and center.

Ronson's gray denim clothes were nicely tailored and more than presentable, but they wouldn't pop--on film or in real life. It would be a shame if we all reverted to true recession wear (think early-mid nineties) and dressed in a uniformly gray way.

Not so the later looks in the show--a blue and white striped cotton cardigan was dip-dyed in blue. Now this is a recession-proof look we can live with: fashion that improves on the current season's trends (cardigans, nautical, dip-dye) and takes them to a new level of creativity.

You can see more Getty images from the Charlotte Ronson SS09 show here.

Fashion Week SS09: Erin Fetherston

2008-09-07T11:20:00.001-04:00

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week kicked off Friday in the Bryant Park Tents. One of the most anticipated shows was Erin Fetherston's. This indie fave designer of the fashion set was tapped by Target last year for a diffusion line that launched in November '07.

A model poses--gorgeous hair and gold cuff bracelet.

One of the biggest trends this fashion week is shaping up to be the poufy short skirt. It brings ballerina charm to 20-something girls with nice legs--but it's a lot more forgiving than a bandage dress.

She too wears the poufy skirt cut, this time in dress format. Love his tongue-in-cheek prep-school look with the newsboy cap, bucks, and blazer complete with a coat of arms.

A great transitional look--taking a floral (poufy skirt) dress, cinching it with a black belt and pairing with a little black blazer.

Two guys in bow ties, one with high-octane silver shoes.

Lynn Yaeger, always in style. The bag with an illustration on front is Lanvin.

Many cute boyish elements--the fedora, the shorts, the pseudo wife-beater, add up to one chic, feminine outfit when paired with T-strap heels.

A model and her handler. As she passed by, she said, "I have about 20 pounds of gold chains on my neck!"

A dress made almost entirely of zippers, by one of New York Fashion Week's sponsors, YKK Zippers.

A girl with a pinstripe bustier over a white button down--Mad Men 2015?

This is not the most flattering photo of Kate Lanphear of Elle, but she is a style icon, so we must document what she is wearing! Note the structured shoulders of the tuxedo jacket, the skinny black jeans, and tough-looking open-toe booties. The gray metallic python bag isn't too shabby either.

Sfoglia Nantucket

2008-09-03T08:30:00.004-04:00

If anything can be termed "hot" on Nantucket, an island where miniskirts are still revolutionary, Sfoglia is it. Impossible to get into last July 4th weekend, it had calmed down somewhat by this year's Labor Day weekend--because at eight years old, Sfoglia is still considered "new."

The waiting area, where the bench is an old buggy seat (New England was never known for comfort), can get crammed with a mix of regulars and people who make a pilgrimage here. Inside, though, the restaurant doesn't feel overly crowded, even at the height of the night. Open and lofty, the interior is furnished with antiques, and why not? There sure are a lot of them around here. The floors are puritan plank and the whitewashed walls are inlaid with interesting details stashed into bookshelves--island memorabilia and vintage books. A new room off to the right is dominated by an arched marble-topped bar.

The theme is Italian, but this is a new kind of farmhouse Tuscan that would have had the old masters scratching their heads. If you take the Italian principal that every edible local element--from eggs to coxcombs--is potential fodder for a meal, however, Sfoglia stays true to Tuscan ideology. Drawing from Nantucket's substantial farming and fishing resources, Sfoglia combines spaghetti with melon and tagliatelli with sea urchin. The results are intriguing and unusually good.

Dishes that look simple are actually the result of a lot of effort and technique, like the seafood spiedino, skewered scallops that are poached in wine then chilled and garnished with fried capers and a salsa verde. They're not just throwing some shrimps on the barbie here. The afffetati misti was as plain and simple a salad as they come, but also true to Italian cuisine, it was perfectly dressed.

Back to that tagliatelli with sea urchin: Chefs Ron Suhanosky and Colleen Marnell-Suhanosky, a husband-and-wife team who settled on the island after stints at Il Buco and Gramercy Tavern, are obsessed with pasta, so much so that the restaurant was named for an uncut sheet of pasta. The pasta that arrives at our table could compete with the best--we were reminded of Alto--and we're out on "the Rock," not in a major metropolis. Tender, eggy, and springy under a fork, the tagliatelli is simply but lavishly dressed with olive oil, roasted grape tomatoes, parsley, and chunks of sea urchin. Bite into that element and you'll think you've discovered the sea itself.

For traditionalists, every sort of pasta on the menu, including gnocchi and pappardelle, can be made with a basic "scuie scuie" sauce of San Marzano tomatoes and basil. With this one the chefs get down to the essence of the thing and capture the flavors of summer at its peak.

Freshly caught sea bass is a special that night. It arrives at the table as a thick steak cut--not what my delicate friend was expecting--but it's excellent nevertheless, redolent of smoke and char and perfectly cooked. Again Sfoglia turns to fresh local vegetables--in this case Swiss chard and fennel--as groundwork for the dish.

Sfoglia's chicken al mattone--chicken under a brick, the waiter explains--has rightfully earned its title of house special. The skin is buttery and crispy, but the bird also tastes of the light lemony sauce that surrounds it. It's a little spicy from the crushed red pepper, but not too much so. All in all, a beautifully balanced dish.

One of the worst things about traveling is that you can come to crave a dish that's only served hundreds or even thousands of miles away. New York's Sfoglia is no longer considered "new"--it opened way back in 2006--but the Manhattan branch has many of the same dishes on the menu. Not that tagliatelle with sea urchin, however--for that, we'll have wait for another summer and another trip to the Rock.

Sfloglia Nantucket

130 Pleasant Street

Nantucket, Massachusetts

508-325-4500

The Third-World Photo Shoot Returns

2008-07-18T08:45:00.001-04:00

After all the hoopla about the all-black Italian Vogue, which underscored the lack of black models in magazines and fashion shows, American Vogue retaliated this month with a single article featuring all black models--not exactly mind-blowing. Issues of race have infiltrated fashion in other ways as well. The late '80s/early '90s practice of photographing fashion models in third-world countries against a backdrop of native people has returned without much noise from the critics.

J. Crew keeps actual Moroccans mostly out of the picture in their newest "Morocco" catalog, like the blurred sheepherder in this shot (click on the images for larger versions):

The one time they do incorporate native Moroccans, we get an unintentionally hilarious shot--notice where the "local guerrab (water man)" is looking!

You would think Vogue would stay away from controversial images involving race considering the criticism they recently endured for their LeBron James and Jennifer Hudson covers. This may be why they cast black Ethiopian model Liya Kebede in their photo shoot in Mali (an unfortunate reason to cast a black model). But does it erase the elitist overtones when you use a model of color?

The piece is breathlessly narrated by Sally Singer, who writes of Djenne that "everyone in this bustling market town looks as if they've stepped off the Dries Van Noten catwalk." Riiight. The contrast in expressions and attitudes between the women in the marketplace and the model, despite the similar prints on their clothes, is what fascinates about this photo:

There is another strange photo whose caption reads "Malian children mix traditional textiles with items recycled from the West--'a testament to a visual culture that's profound and inclusive.'" It seems doubtful that the boy in this photo ordered his stained Beaver Creek Colorado sweatshirt from Net-a-Porter trying to mix and match. Aren't these Western clothes castaways donated by American charities?

It's hard not to see the colonialist overtones in this next photo: the traditional outfit, the sherpa walking several paces behind the model, carrying a tiny leather handbag. Notice how many cars are waiting in this ferry line to Timbuktu. The narrator has just informed us that while native Malians wait for hours and hours to be ferried across, the photo shoot crowd simply left their cars with drivers and "hired a boatman to row us across in a long canoe."

Given the number of global, particularly African, influences in fashion this season, it's not surprising that fashion editors would choose to set photo shoots in Africa. But the resulting photographs raise issues that were easily forgotten in the sanitized, rock-music-fueled environs of an Oscar de la Renta show. Where are these prints from, how did Western designers end up appropriating them, and what does it all mean? Are Americans any better than the Europeans who became infatuated with Orientalism at the turn of the last century, or have we merely adapted the same attitudes to a different continent, 100 years later?

Macondo

2008-07-14T07:00:00.003-04:00

Tom Tom and I stopped into Macondo the other evening for a drink or three. Though it would be cruel to subject a place to an official review just a couple of days after it opened, Macondo is already showing some winning traits.

The decor verges on the kitschy, with rope baskets slung above the bar holding bananas and pineapples, but it's also creative, since rope netting is used elsewhere as a screen to separate the dining room from the bar area. One side of the room is tricked out in the grocery-staples-as-decor trend, this time focusing on a Latin theme, while the other side of the room is a long bar. At 5:30pm when we visited, the four bar stools outside on the street were already taken for al fresco cocktails. LES shopping break, anyone?

We came more for the cocktails for the food, but the food at this pan-Latin spot, brought to you by the folks behind Rayuela, more than stands up to the drinks menu. The humita, a sweet corn tamal dressed with a black bean sauce and surrounded by generous hunks of morcila, a spicy sausage I haven't seen on these shores before. The spicy thread continued with the zingy ecuatoriano, a shrimp ceviche made with rocotto cheese, a hidden pepper ingredient, and lots of citrus. Fortunately for the non-spicy Tom Tom the carne empanada was a nice counterpart to the heat.

There were a ton of specialty ingredients in the cocktails, some of which were unfortunately not available, like the guanabana-coco and rum frozen cocktail (Zaya rum, Kahlua Sour SOP, coco, and lime), alas. Next time? When asked how they could possibly source all these ingredients, the bartender confided: Whole Foods. Of course! We should have known the comprehensive wackiness that is Whole Foods' buying strategy would pay off in the cocktail world.

Banana + Cachaca was as good as an alcoholic smoothie, though the chunks of banana made it hard to swallow. Acai + Ron might have been my favorite: a mix of pomegranate syrup, acai juice, mint, Bacardi Razz rum, and Sprite. Thankfully they aren't above using Sprite at this cocktail bar.

All in all, Macondo looks like a promising place to bring friends, especially that bizarre breed of friend that always wants to meet at the dinner hour "for drinks." Here the unsuspecting friend could be easily tricked into ordering food, even anorexics posing as vegetarians, since there are many vegetarian dishes here as well.

Cocktails for a liquid diet, food for everyone--what more could you ask for? Macondo should be around for the long haul.

Macondo
157 East Houston Street
between Eldridge and Allen Streets
New York, New York
212-473-9900

Commerce

2008-06-03T08:30:00.001-04:00

Sometimes it seems as if the whole of one's existence—trying new restaurants, admiring retro-modern interiors, sampling overpriced local ingredients, hanging out in the West Village, referring to oneself as "one"—could be summed up as Stuff White People Like. Commerce restaurant in the West Village is no exception. On a recent evening, we witnessed dozens of white people shelling out top dollar for expensive food in a casual setting, yet none of them seemed to mind. Why?

For one thing, the food is good. It may be all over the map, with Thai curries mixing with French bistek all on the same menu page, but it's consistently well executed. It's worth noting that Grange Hall had to close because the low prices of their locally-sourced food couldn't cover the rent in this historic space, even when the place was packed every night, but now when a new restaurant comes in with fancier, higher-priced fare, it's criticized as too lofty for its britches. These Commerce Street britches may be casual, but they sure ain't cheap. You can't really fault Harold Moore and co. for their strategy.

Jib Girl, the Sea Wench, and I visited Commerce after the Bruni, so chef Harold Moore, who was in the kitchen at Montrachet before, might have had some more time to work out the kinks. The infamously addictive breadbasket was just as tempting as promised, with all sorts of little buns in different flavors. That night's market special mixed an asparagus and artichoke fricasse with mushrooms, truffle and, according to the menu, poached "hen" (not rooster) egg with fabulous results--all the flavors of spring were perfectly represented here.

The Sea Wench and I split Beau Soleil oysters with green apple gelee, mint, and lemon ice--these were as inventive as something Josh DeChellis might have whipped up at Sumile. The sweet-and-sour tang was interesting, but, as a white person (see photo, right), I secretly wished for something more boring: plain old oysters with mignonette sauce, so that we could better taste the oysters.

"Ragu of odd things"--the "odd things" being oxtail, trotters, and tripe--had the real earthy depth of a good stew. Served with homemade orecchiette cooked perfectly al dente, this was an excellent, rich pasta dish.

If other restaurants serve "elevated comfort food," Commerce seems to take comfort food and turn it up to eleven. Each dish starts as something expected and then gets thrown for a loop. Mushroom and fontina ravioli sounds normal enough, until you keep reading and learn it's served with caramelized salsify (the French "oyster plant" herb) and parmesan emulsion (read: foam). While this sort of culinary sleight of hand can be confusing to white people, we like to be kept on our toes, especially if we can feel like we're taking a risk. Here the risk pays off with an end product that tastes reassuringly familiar and satisfying--this dish is essentially gourmet cheese ravioli.

Both Jib Girl and the Sea Wench went for the snapper as an entree. Oddly for something served in a nouveau-speakeasy setting (though less so when you realize Commerce's secret weapon is chef de cuisine Snir Eng-Sela, formerly of Blue Hill, also responsible for the bread basket), this was one of the best Thai dishes any of us had had in recent memory. The fabulous green broth had real flavor and gingery kick, the snapper was perfectly poached, and the eggplant and charred scallion offset the other elements beautifully.

Again going way out on a limb for a white person, I ordered an entree that featured bone marrow...in the bone. Outrageous! Fortunately, the experimentation involved in eating this rich, gelatinous substance was rewarded with comfortingly familiar food, sliced sirlioin steak. It was hard to believe that this hadn't been cooked on a charcoal grill in some West Village backyard, the char was so nicely redolent of smoke.

By this time, we were stuffed. The various appetizers, the decadent entrees, and a couple pricey bottles of wine meant the tab added up—about $100 per person. You may not find a bargain at Commerce, but you'll find a fabulous meal and a convivial atmosphere. Who knows? With a formula like this, Commerce could be more than just stuff white people like and become a real destination restaurant.

Commerce
50 Commerce Street, between Bedford and Barrow Streets
New York, New York
212-524-2301

Benoit

2008-05-12T19:35:00.000-04:00

It can be terrifying when someone decides to tinker with a place you know and love. Such was the case several years back in Paris when the Alain Ducasse group took over Benoit, a beloved institution in the local dining scene, and injected it with new blood in the kitchen and a face lift in the dining room. Purists in Paris quibble that it's a little too slick and international now, but at least it's still alive and serving excellent food, unlike so many other traditional bistros there.

So what would happen when the Ducasse group decided to airlift the Benoit concept over to the United States? It seemed like there was no way they couldn't mess it up in this town, which, due to the McNallification of the dining scene, equates "bistro" with loud music, subway tiles, and unisex bathrooms--several things that would never fly at a traditional bistro in Paris.

What a relief, then, to walk into Benoit in New York and find a little slice of authentic French food and dining culture. There is no music; there are no candles on the table. The lighting is not quite as bright as it is in Benoit Paris, but it's dully uniform, just as it is in bistros there. It's the idea of restaurant-as-stage-set, where your only choice is to pay attention to the food on your plate or the scene, and what a scene it is. Former patrons of La Côte Basque, mainly well-to-do Upper East Siders, have returned to the old location. On a recent night, an elderly lady done up in an exquisite black and white dress (Chanel?) and her elderly husband both sat on the banquette, facing the crowd. A large party of young, glamorous couples stopped in for a late dinner at 9:30; one woman walked down the aisle in a pencil skirt done up with bows above the high-cut slit in the back. Trés chic. As Florent Morellet has said, arrange your seating just so and you'll create a veritable catwalk, just like they do it in Paris.

The staff, which was polite and attentive, started us off with a round of gougeres that arrived at the table straight from the oven. These seemed to have the maximum cheese-to-non-cheese-ingredients ratio and were some of the best in the city. Marie Fromage, JP Morgan, and I started with the escargots, since there are very few places where you know you'll get them fresh, not out of a can, and Benoit is one of them. Have them fresh and it's like tasting real French fries after eating frozen Ore-Ida's - what a huge difference in quality. Benoit's escargots were just as buttery and garlicky as anyone could desire, and crusted on top with a thin crispy layer of breadcrumbs.

The lobster bisque was beautifully presented--a dollop of buttery, tender lobster meat and creme fraiche in the middle, which the waiter then surrounded with the bisque, poured from a pewter boat. The soup itself was a little too salty--the saltiness would be our main critique of the food here--but traditional French cuisine is generally much saltier than any nouvelle cuisine that has followed. Suck it up for tradition's sake?

Lamb chops had a wonderfully smoky char, and the meat was lean, clean, and tasted of spring herbs. Quenelles, breaded flaked fish patties dressed up with sauce, aren't something you often see on a menu--indeed, Marie Fromage remarked that she hadn't seen them since culinary school. These were fluffy and light but decadently rich in flavor. The Spanish version of this dish, thought to be introduced by the Romans, is brandada de hacalao, found at Boqueria.

At my place arrived the true test of authenticity: the cassoulet. Benoit in Paris had the best cassoulet I've ever tasted--could the New York version compare? The perfectly tender white beans floated in a broth that was a little more watery than expected, but in the end this turned out to be a blessing, because the flavor was so intensely meaty (and admittedly salty) that a denser texture would have been overwhelming. Beans concealed a spicy lamb sausage and--surprise--an entire duck leg. This was over-the-top delicious, definitely on par with the Parisian version and almost certainly the best cassoulet in New York.

Wine aficionados will find a lot to like on the wine menu, which, like the food menu, includes many reasonably-priced, high-quality options. We really enjoyed our $10 glass of Bourgogne, a V. Girardin Cuvee Saint Vincent--and couldn't believe it was just $10.

We managed to find about two cubic inches of stomach capacity left to tackle dessert, which we ordered because of its clever name, Mister Mystere. But there's no mystery about it: this iced hazelnut mousse was refreshing yet rich, dressed up in melted chocolate, the perfect "light" ending to an excellent meal.

Benoit
66 West 55th Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues
New York, New York
646-943-7373

Not Quite Dead Yet

2008-04-17T12:40:00.001-04:00

Sorry for the long absence. As you may have read in the Times, I had a heart attack. Just kidding! I've been writing for Shecky's, covering things like the trend of jewelry-made-of-natural-materials.

Click through to the article on natural jewelry to find out what's what. We also have some fashion coverage on ec0-friendly totes that aren't ugly, in case you've been wanting to rip that "feed" bag out of Lauren Bush's hands and stomp on it.

Bon appetit!

Bobo

2008-03-02T22:00:00.001-05:00

It's hard to be taken seriously with a name like "bobo." Wharton business major Carlos Suarez found he kept using the word, coined by David Brooks, when describing his plans for a new restaurant. Only a Wharton business major or Mary-Kate Olsen wouldn't pick up on the inherent insult in a word that means "half yuppie-bourgeois and half hippie-bohemian." No matter: Like Mary-Kate Olsen and many a business major, bobo succeeds anyway.

If you've been before and dismissed bobo because of the lackluster food, it's worth a revisit. Former chef Nicholas Cantrel left and has since been installed at Bagatelle. In his place are chefs Rick Jakobsen from Red Hook's 360 and Jared Stafford-Hill of Hearth. How convenient! All this time I've been to lazy to schlep out to the famously good 360, now tragically closed. One can only hope that the new incarnation of bobo can channel what was before out in Brooklyn's Red Hook.

If you can find this nearly-unmarked West Village townhouse, you'll walk into a beautiful, low-ceilinged, candlelit English basement level space with exposed beams, a long bar upholstered with a houndstooth pattern, and a black upright piano stacked with vintage LP records. They may be bobo touches all, but the records aren't just for show. We heard the Beatles and Led Zeppelin the night we were there, complete with a few pops and scratches and the uncompressed, rich sound of old vinyl records.

It's an appropriate soundtrack for a place that strives to keep it real, as much as a bourgeois bohemian can. Bobo is one of a growing number of restaurants that, for environmental reasons, does not offer bottled water. Instead, they make their own purified and seltzer water and serve it in carafes.

It was a lively gang that night, perhaps because Knucklehead, Menudo, and Annette had already spent several hours at Smith & Mills before heading uptown. High Maintenance ordered the winter squash soup with pear, cranberry, and smoked duck - hold the pear, cranberry, and smoked duck (don't ask). The spartan soup that remained held up well on its own, however, and it came served in pretty vintage bone china.

My tuna, white bean and arugula salad arrived as a salad alongside a massive hunk of tuna that must have been prepared in some high-tech way. Was it grilled then sous-vide'd? Grilled then preserved in a crystallized format somehow? Either way, the resulting tuna, though visually appealing, was oddly rubbery and bland. As Sara Jenkins pointed out, why do male chefs insist on treating the kitchen like a science lab? But the white beans were wonderfully toothsome and the arugula nice and peppery.

Menudo's winter vegetable salad was exactly as advertised and came with a delicately tangy lemon dressing. Raw scallops and grapefruit, beets, and fennel came together in Knucklehead's dish, the best of the appetizers. The scallops had a wonderfully clean, barely saline taste, delicious with the bitter sweet juicy crunch of the grapefruit. As we saw at Momofuku Ssam, scallops pair particularly well with fruit, and a sprinkling of fennel leaves gave Bobo's a tingling herbal taste.

Surprisingly for a place that's not even Italian, much less a serious pasta joint, Bobo has a ricotta ravioli that could contend with the best. Huge, plump, generously portioned ravioli were already decadent before getting dressed in butter, parmesan, and meltingly soft winter vegetables.

The chicken was just the sort of elevated comfort food we were craving on that rainy night. Crispy skin, tender meat, and a buttery flavor throughout. It had been seasoned just enough, but not too much to overwhelm the rich flavor. A mixture of polenta and black cabbage topped off the homeyness of the dish.

Supposedly there was a basic steak dish at the previous incarnation of Bobo, which I never visited. The current entree takes steak to the next level, topping it with oxtail soffrito and caramelized cippolini. Here again Bobo straddles the line between comforting and outright decadent and succeeds with flying colors.

Pot au feu gets a tweak with lamb substituted for beef as the starring meat. I can't imagine why I've never seen this dish before in a New York restaurant. Lamb makes the pot au feu so much more flavorful, and the vegetables were still al dente, done in the Dan Barber haute barnyard style.

There are so many iterations of Annette's Berkshire pork entree with cabbage, potatoes, and pinot gris in the city now that it was hard to set this one apart, but his had prettily carved baby potatoes in the French style.

As for the desserts, we wished the chocolat pot de creme had gelled a little bit more - it should be firm, not gloopy. But it was nice to see a good old-fashioned upside down cake, this time in pear, on an urban menu again. Definitely worth the post-prandial calories.

A trip to the restroom revealed a gorgeous second floor dining room on the townhouse's parlor floor. All the details have been well thought-out here, from the octagonal book nooks to the dramatic chandeliers to the Victorian wallpaper and brass swan fixtures in the powder room. Now, it seems, bobo's food is finally following suit. If liking Bobo makes one bobo, then consider me guilty as charged.

bobo
181 West 10th Street at Seventh Avenue South
New York, New York
212-488-2626

Fashion Week FS08: Marc Jacobs

2008-02-25T22:00:00.001-05:00

Finally, the last installment of fashion week: the Marc Jacobs show. Sorry for the delay!

As always, there was excellent people watching to be had at the MJ show. These photos were hard to whittle down.

Gretchen Mol channeled true Hollywood glamour in a white coat.
Hamish Bowles, always ahead of the curve, mixed plaids a week before everyone saw the same trend at the D&G show.
Ellen Pompeo looked gorgeous in the deshabille MJ look for spring.
Richie Rich in black nail polish and rhinestone-encrusted owl thingy.
Luxe velvety layering in a Bloomsbury look.
Rachel Zoe is shocked to learn that the show started without her. Funny, they waited for Anna Wintour.
This girl (Interview Mag? Not sure.) is always On Trend. Black funky glasses, shiny tights, and leopard shoes.
It takes panache to pull off mauve. Somehow this looks really good, especially paired with pea green.
Lynn Yaeger: but of course Bloomsbury is in!
Anna Wintour and her equally elusive husband J. Shelby Bryan.
This dress has a machine gun print! Love.
Neon florals plus biker jacket. A good bet for spring in New York.
Bill Cunningham was beside himself when he spotted these two girls with silk flowers in their hair. Turns out they work for Marc Jacobs.
I had no idea that Ukrainian PM Yulia Tymoshenko was a fan of Sonic Youth. Kidding, people. Still, I like that this hairdo has staying power.
Nice biker jacket and beautiful hair.
MIA. I'm not sure I like what she's wearing, but here's her picture anyway.
Another flowy dress that hit below the knee - a trend for fall. Nicely mixed with the fur scarf and belt.
They say dark red lips are in for spring, but doesn't candy apple red feel spring-ier? Also note her clutch and the diamond band on middle finger, seen several times during fashion week. Her friend rocks the chunky cocktail ring, still going strong.

A MJ rhinestone dress that Selma Blair also wore.
Proof that a guy can have long hair and a beard and still look polished and sophisticated.

Fashion Week FS08: Project Runway

2008-02-11T13:56:00.001-05:00

The Project Runway show was tons of fun. The glamour! The suspense! The novelty of watching a fashion show with people who are still enthusiastic about fashion!

Thoughts on the show itself, which had five finalists and is up on NY Mag.

Sweet P - lots of purple, cute tailored suits, and the kind of dreamy music you'd associate with Sweet P.

Chris - lots of drama, but what's up with the crushed velvet? The 90's aren't back yet.

Jillian - definitely the most commercial collection. You could just imagine this in the windows at Barneys. Beautifully cut, lots of sweaters and cigarette pants to balance out metallic evening wear. References to Balenciaga, Michael Kors, and of course, Ralph Lauren. Upbeat, fun music that made it feel like a professional show.

Rami - I just don't like his style, especially in teal. No one clapped for this outfit. It screams Russian mafia bride to me. Lugubrious music.

Christian - brilliant as usual, if totally impractical. His label should be called "Dry Clean Only." Copious amounts of ruffles, which he did in a horizonal ombre in one stunning belted cocktail dress. References to Prada and Alexander McQueen. A soundtrack like something Kelly would write. Let me borrow that top!

And here's who came to the show.

Love the kohl eyes and platinum hair on the left. Fur jacket paired with PVC leggings a la Kate Moss. Toggle coat on the right.
This is actually a short sleeved black and white coat paired with long gray wool gloves. Skirt with zipper detail - how apropos.
Great accessories and hair.
A pop of spring color.
Pinstriped suit with motorcycle gloves. The red was what stood out.
Really digging this mix of drab greens with bright reds and pinks.
Basic but not boring.
Great colors mixed with neutrals.
Feathered fedora and a sparkly top. Beautiful makeup.
Full highwaisted skirt in cute black and white plaid. We'll forgive her the Coach bag. These are fashion newbies!

Fashion Week FS08: Milly and Michael Kors

2008-02-10T17:05:00.002-05:00

Hoardes of fashionable people converged upon the Bryant Park Tents for the Milly and Michael Kors shows.

André Leon Talley, leaving the Michael Kors show. Of course he can pull off a flowing fur scarf.
Beth Ostrosky with big purple bag.
Melania and the Donald leaving Michael Kors.
Blue tights and accessories.
Sweaters and blazers - seen at Marc by Marc Jacobs and already working its way into wear.
An interesting color combination of mustard and electric blue. And don't forget the cute pompom hat.
Very Hedi Slimane.
Long on cardigans for men. Expect to see more and more of them.
A nice mix of textures - silk dress plus suede jacket plus leather belt and rocking boots.
A variety of neutrals adds up to a polished, sophisticated look.
The Michael Kors aesthetic.
This guy is always very dapper - and very tan.
Love this mix of the cherry red lips with the moss green shawl. And check out the seals on her coat. Very boarding school.
Jamee Gregory et al leaving Michael Kors.
Electric blue shoes and a high-waisted coat. She is wearing nude pantyhose, but because they are so, so sheer, they actually look good.
Purple sunglasses.
Combining a black-and-white Milly dress with a brown cardigan and black belt.
Kate Lanphear, Senior Fashion Editor at Elle, sticks to her black-on-black guns as the rest of the fashion world goes color. Why mess with your signature look?
A beautiful pattern.
Hint of spring. Floral dresses like this one will be everywhere.
Another floral dress, paired with a sweater to winterize it.
Hey bitches! It's William Sledd of Ask a Gay Man! Love him! Spotted here with man bag.
Neiman Marcus' Ken Downing has been wearing impeccable suits all week.

Fashion Week FS08: Halston

2008-02-06T21:00:00.001-05:00

A supercool crowd showed up for the relaunch of Halston. Not sure yet about the collection - very drapey. Some of the drapey pieces could become iconic Halston items, but other day wear outfits... It's alarming when pants make even the models look fat.

Fortunately, the people-watching alone was worth the trip.

Anna Wintour arrives.
Severe military chic - a Karl Lagerfeld level of cool.
Silver jacket.
A model promoting Members Only jackets. The bomber styles are the best sellers, but I like her fitted Balenciaga-esque one.
A good hi-lo mix of Brit wear and Converse sneakers.
Hamish Bowles and Voguette.
Meredith Melling Burke has been wearing a lot of flowy dresses. This one looked particularly good in animal print mixed with the neutral gray coat.
Kate Betts and compadre.
Another example of mixed neutrals - black plus brown bag, plus the red scarf that pops.
Whispering. I totally made that same gesture in junior high and thought no one would know I was whispering in class.
Carine Roitfeld and Mickey Boardman. Love her booties!
A cool downtown look.
Worth noting the stirrup stockings with heels. It's been spotted a couple times now at the shows...
Running to make the show.
Two well-dressed friends.
The one on the right may win my vote for fashion icon of the week. Very consistent, catchy, rocker chick style. Skinny black jeans with platform boots.
Padma Lakshmi: gastro chic?

Fashion Week FS08: Carolina Herrera

2008-02-05T08:50:00.001-05:00

Carolina Herrera's fall collection was a WASP fantasy writ large: lots of swingy tweed jackets paired with cigarette pants tucked into riding boots and fanciful fedoras adorned with enormous peacock feathers. All of it was ever so slightly deconstructed and the materials mixed up for a magpie effect. Release the hounds!

The usual coterie of socialites, editors, and buyers attended, plus a celeb or two.

Angie Harmon - stunningly beautiful in real life.
Aerin Lauder bundled up against the cold.
He multiplied!
And he's a trendsetter.
Layers and necklaces.
Hilary Alexander in Russian look.
A popular black and white coat.
Rrreow! This outfit is fierce.
Acid-bright colors.
Pulled together from head to toe.
A mixture of gray, brown, black, and a navy bubble skirt.
Definitely the cutest accessory at the shows.
Gorgeous scarlet dress with a blue sheen to it. And look how she's paired it with an old man sweater. Brilliant.
Late for the show.
The high glamour quotient of wide legged white trousers.
More winter white.
Two women in hats.
Intriguing jeweled stockings.
Truly distinctive personal style.
Tinsley Mortimer and friend.
A flash of bright yellow - even better in plaid.
Very dapper in a suit with white piping.
Cheetah fedora and a feathery necklace.

Fashion Week FS08: Hervé Léger

2008-02-04T07:50:00.001-05:00

Max Azria, who relaunched the bandage dress for Hervé Léger, is at it again with a fall collection that incorporated billowy chiffon skirts into bandage bustier evening wear.

For a view of the collection, check out Style.com. Here's who came to the show.

Fashion Week begins!
Shoes.
Stockings.
It's easy to get dressed up for the shows, but what do you do if you play it casual? This guy got it right.
High-waisted skirt.
Two women in hounds tooth.
Fashion icon of last season's shows. She's telling me that I dropped my jacket.
Man with murse.
And you think it takes you forever to get ready in the morning.
This mustard color really stood out in the crowd. Expect the untraditional when it comes to spring colors this year.
Très chic.
Knits.
Head-to-toe Chanel.
Funky black glasses and shiny tights.
The gaucho tie may be a little over the top, but nobody could accuse these guys of not having A Look.
Plaid coat and sparkly leggings.
This chick has been rocking the bob way before Victoria Beckham did.
Puss n boots?
Unexpected color.
Black and white.
Experimenting with color.
A cropped fur jacket was just the thing for these high-waisted jeans.
Fashion show fatigue is already setting in for some of the younger crowd.
Love the summery frill of white cotton lace peeking out from under a black wool coat.
More black and white.

Bar Boulud

2008-02-01T16:15:00.000-05:00

When Knucklehead was going to be too late to join us at a recent dinner at Bar Boulud, High Maintenance suggested he meet us afterwards at the bar.

"Oh no," I said. "There's not actually a bar there."

Therein lies the conundrum of Bar Boulud - and many other new places about town. Dining at the bar, which started as a solution for the reservation-deprived at places like Babbo, has now superseded drinking at the bar. So much so that you can't even get a damn drink. What is the world coming to?

For one thing, the bar-less bar makes waiting awkward. At Bar Boulud, you're standing uselessly at the edge of the room, like the kid left out of the slow dance during a school mixer. Add to that the lack of alcohol, and you have the entire junior high feeling. Fortunately, there are plenty of cool people to ogle here, like Sandy Weill, Martha Stewart, and Thomas Keller, all of whom were under one roof on the night we visited.

After a brief scuffle between High Maintenance and a hostess, we were led away from the drafty tables up front and past the long bar, which is inlaid with a lit glass display of hunks of meat in a Damien Hirst-like effect. Definitely ask for a table in back. The front area shouldn't even be a seating area in the winter - for one thing, that's where everyone's standing around waiting. Daniel Boulud, why not put a foosball table and a TV in your bar instead? They have foosball in France...

We were greeted by glorious gougeres. These were supersized to tennis ball dimensions, light and fluffy, with just the right tang of cheese.

Bar Boulud, where Gilles Verot is the chef de cuisine, has just opened and is one of the most anticipated new restaurants of 2008. The menu is extensive, impossible to cover in one visit. We couldn't try many of the dishes, but many of the ones we did still needed some fine tuning.

High Maintenance ordered the mushroom salad without the mushrooms - don't ask - so that one can't be covered here. Gibson's Mom went for the mesclun provencal salad, which was quite nice. The small tomatoes were carefully blanched and peeled to bring out a true tomato flavor in the middle of winter.

The St. Jacques au chou, grilled Maine scallops, were disappointing. They did not seem to be overcooked, yet they were rubbery and stringy. This was particularly strange since scallops are in season now. The accompanying Orleans mustard winter slaw is a sort of sauerkraut, but ironically, I liked the Guss' Pickles sauerkraut at Fette Sau better.

At least the cuts of meat were excellent. Black Angus sirloin had just the right mix of char and juiciness, and it was accompanied by delicious frites, beautifully presented. Unfortunately, someone had forgotten to salt or pepper it before putting it on the grill. This cardinal sin of cooking shouldn't be overlooked just because the chef is taking the high road. There is even a folklore tale or two about how much meat loves salt.

The roasted chicken breast suffered the same saltless fate, though it too was a juicy cut of meat. Garlic mashed potatoes were subtly garlicky and quite satisfying - we ate them right up. Cauliflower gratin was served in a little cast iron dish. All it needed was some salt. And there was none on the table.

There was one star among our entrees, though: one of the signature dishes of this high-end charcuterie, the boudin blanc. This was perfection. Meltingly tender, this white sausage was made with a subtle but effective seasoning of herbs. Bar Boulud definitely owes a debt to Kurt Gutenbrunner, who's been doing sausage right for years now at places like Blaue Gans. But as Boulud points out in the menu preamble (yes, there's a preamble), he's the sausage king of Lyon. Bar Boulud is like a Gutenbrunner place pushed to a new level of culinary esoterics and flashy interior design.

The wine list bears mentioning - it's extensive, resourceful, and gently priced, with classics balancing out sommelier Daniel Johnnes' new finds. Service was quite good - our waiter seemed like just a charming young guy, a little scruffy, until he broke out in perfect French. While it's famously hard to get a reservation here now, we noticed that a couple tables were no-shows, and there was availability after 9:30 (even at the bar!).

Would we go back? There's a catch 22 here: by the time the kitchen finds the salt, the celebrities may be gone. If you're after the scene, go now. If you're going for the food, wait.

Bar Boulud
1900 Broadway between 63rd and 64th Streets
212-595-0303

Young Collectors' Night at the Winter Antiques Show

2008-01-28T18:00:00.000-05:00

A well-dressed crowd showed up for Young Collectors' Night at the Winter Antiques Show at the Armory. Shimmery fabrics and metallics looked especially good against the rich colors of the furniture and art. Some of the most stylish attendees were the antiques dealers themselves.

James Mischka and Mark Badgley, sponsors of the event.

Pure rock-n-roll glamour: sparkly tights paired with ankle boots, silver minidress, and a super cropped fur jacket.

One of the most elegant looks of the evening: midnight blue silk dress cinched by a black patent belt.
Gold from head to toe.
An antiques dealer in a chalk striped suit and salmon silk tie.
A lot of women wore open-toe shoes, despite the January cold. Accessorize with Town Car?
A gold circle pattern dress that blends with this antiques dealer's wares.
Shoes and bag.
Tatiana Papanicolaou, one of the chairs of the event, in red and lots of diamonds.
Harbinger of spring? Dress in a wild botanical print.
An antiques dealer in a silver-studded coat and matching silver flats.
Three women.
Cheetah loafers and a suit with unfinished edges.
Stylish trio. Bow ties are just the thing for an antiques show - that or a velvet blazer. And love her booties.
More booties, black paired with navy tights.
A dapper couple that's almost color coordinated. Notice her shiny tights - the next wave after shiny leggings?
Beard and Belgian loafers, plus a debonair look with scarf.

Dovetail

2008-01-23T16:40:00.000-05:00

Normally I don't even try to go to popular new restaurants on the Upper West Side, considering it an exercise in futility. I could never get a table at 'Cesca when Tom Valenti was cooking, and by the time I got to Aix, it could have been called "eh." It might be the Upper West Sider's uncanny ability to plan ahead - all that booking of Met and Carnegie Hall tickets - but here's another theory why, with apologies to Jessica Hagy of Indexed.

Dovetail aims to be a neighborhood place: the side street location on the ground floor of a limestone townhouse in the West 70's makes that clear. But this new place by chef John Fraser shouldn't be the property of neighborhood residents alone. Run, don't walk, to Dovetail before the entire city is flocking to the Upper West Side for this fantastic new restaurant.

The only things keeping this from N.F.P. status may be the decor. Sleek to the point of moody minimalism, done in shades of gray, brown, and browngray, Dovetail reminded me of a starkly decorated residence of a lifelong bachelor, the kind who would rather unplug and move one lamp from bedroom to living room rather than buy an extra lamp, much less artwork (true story). Muted moss green chairs are as exciting as it gets.

Canada, the Master Orderer, Marie Fromage and I were greeted with amuse bouches of caviar, fried capers, sour cream, and vodka gelee. Very decadent, like something out of the Master and Margarita, and the vodka added an intriguing, slightly bitter element to the salty-creamy mix.

As expected, the Master Orderer triumphed with his choice of the gnocchi with veal short ribs, foie gras butter, and prunes. The gnocchi were light and retained just a hint of riced-potato texture inside. Veal short ribs turn out to be a very meaty but elegant cut, not as fatty as beef short ribs. The sauce was significantly richened by the foie gras butter. Though the food here could be called "New American," Fraser's use of French technique significantly deepens the experience.

As with the veal short rib sauce, he often takes a familiar recipe and turns it up a notch by refining the key ingredients in the mix. Terrine was made not with pork but with rabbit - again a leaner, lighter meat that takes this countrified dish up a notch. Perfectly seasoned and ground, the terrine was also at the right temperature - not too cold, just slightly cooler than room temperature either. A too-cold country pate reminds me of leftover meatloaf straight from the fridge - not good.

The mildest of the appetizers, the brussels sprouts leaves salad, was lightly citrusy, an elegant winter salad with a nice crunch and a smattering of prosciutto and pears.

After the veal gnocchi, our other favorite appetizer was the pork belly, maitake mushrooms, kale, and egg, which the menu calls a "hen egg" (as opposed to a rooster egg?). I love a coddled egg, and here it was sandwiched next to kale that had been brought to the point of nori-like crispiness. Mixed with the succulent pork belly, the whole thing was a fabulous conflation of flavors.

Moving on, we managed to order all meat courses, though there are some excellent fish choices on the menu as well, including the requisite fish-n-bacon combo. The Master Orderer - we must always check in with this bellwether first - went for the roasted sirloin and beef cheek lasagna. Here's another food trend I'm liking: serving up the animal in various incarnations (apologies to Buddhists). In this case, the nicely aged and grilled sirloin was better than the lasagna, which was actually just mushrooms and beef cheeks stacked to resemble lasagna - gyp.

Each of our entrees - the sirloin, the grilled venison, the pistachio crusted duck, and the rack and leg of lamb - was notable for the quality of the meat itself and the wonderful sauces, which seemed to have a demiglace base. That night we didn't have the problem that Alan Richman had of the meat being dried out - quite the opposite. Too often now not enough attention is paid to the star player on the plate, and restaurants just hope you get swept up by the sides, as I sometimes do. But even without the chestnuts, tangy-sweet stewed cabbage, and cute little marshmallows that decorated the plate, the cut of slightly smoky, tender venison itself would have been a star.

"Now that's how venison is supposed to taste," Marie Fromage said.

"I don't get the marshmallows," Canada said. Indeed, they were cutesy.

But the Master Orderer said, "Marshmallows are always good."

The pistachio-crusted duck was flavorful and bird-y, not gamey, the dish a refined French preparation that involved lots of beautiful slow roasted vegetables like endive.

The menu description of "rack and leg of lamb" with "Indian spices, winter tabouleh, and yogurt" conjured up a very specific idea. A whiff of the exotic, plus the comfort of the known, with the enticement of tabouleh reinterpreted for a different season. One of the best things about Dovetail is that it delivers on your expectations and then some. The cut of lamb was so delicious and perfectly cooked to medium rare, the rub of spices so fragrant but unobtrusive, the hominy-like texture of the warm bulgur wheat tabouleh so good against the tang of yogurt. One bite and you're transported away, maybe not as far as India, but at least as far as Morocco.

Fortunately the portion sizes are not overwhelming, because we still had room for dessert. The best was Canada's order of the banana brioche with a bacon-flavored wafer. Don't be afraid: there's only a hint of bacon compared to the richness of the brioche. Delicious. Another good pick on that night's dessert menu was the cheesecake ice cream.

The only downfall of the night was weird little beet jelly petits fours presented at the end. Even if you were a beet fan. As Marie Fromage put it, "They're trying to challenge you, and at this point of the night you don't want to be challenged."

Prices were reasonable for this caliber of food, though the wine list does not feature enough bottles under $100. There's a $125 tasting menu, including wine pairings, which I would do on a second visit. Service was very attentive and smooth, though we did have to wait forever for the check, and I think I terrified the waitress when I whipped out a camera to photograph the food. God knows why, since I am just a blogger, and they'll probably have many more.

Afterwards we couldn't say enough good things about this place. Canada and the Master Orderer are going back "with friends." (What are we, chopped rabbit?!?) Let's hope John Fraser will be considered for the 2008 Food & Wine Best New Chef awards. In the meantime, diners from all over the city should head to the Upper West while this great new restaurant is still in a very exciting stage - when the star chef is in the kitchen, cooking.

Dovetail
103 West 77th Street between Columbus and Broadway
New York, New York
212-362-3800

Times Square and Environs

2008-01-21T10:54:00.000-05:00

Despite the presence of the Conde Nast building, which no one ever seems to enter or leave, Times Square is pretty much a fashion wasteland. If you want to see what was "in" two or three years ago, go here.

Still, a few people managed to stand out in the crowd here and on the slightly more stylish Sixth Avenue.

oversize hoodie jacket
orange and camouflage
Everything about her outfit works: the slouchy purple coat mixed with a brown bag, the boots, the tights with a little shimmer in them, the funky necklace, and the Pat Benatar haircut.
Fur hoodie jackets haven't gone away, they've just gotten bigger.
Conservative plaid scarf in nonconservative colors.
This look was punk in a Rent kind of way. Taking a homeboy trend of the printed sweatshirts and spinning it to mean wearable art.
White belted coat.
Plaid coats are everywhere - they look particularly interesting in boxy or bubble cuts.
Very daring. A nice hi-lo mix of the trapper hat with the fur jacket and Vuitton bag.
Toggle coats are everywhere on guys, particularly worn this way with the flipped collar and scarf.
I keep coming back to this coat, because it's so ugly it's mesmerizing. Jolie laide. She wears the hood like you'd sunglasses, as a way of hiding when you're walking down the street.