Tag Archives: New York
The Commodore
What would you do for a great plate of fried chicken? At the original Pies-N-Thighs in Williamsburg a couple years ago, fried chicken fans had to be willing to wait. The line snaked out the door, and service was glacially slow – think Duane Reade with more piercings and tattoos. But then, perhaps even because it took 30 minutes to get to the front of the line then 10 minutes more to get your food, the chicken seemed breaded with manna from heaven, perfectly seasoned and perfectly crisp. So what if you had to eat it while crouched on a curb next to a trashcan?
If you were willing to endure the old Pies-N-Thighs (the new one is a larger, more restaurant-like place), you may want to try the Commodore, helmed by Stephen Tanner, previously of the chef at Pies-N-Thighs, and also in the kitchen at Diner and Egg. But be forewarned: if you don’t have the stamina of a 21-year-old and a love of crowds, you will end up feeling aged, cantankerous and starving – not unlike Mimi Sheraton cast into the wilds of Brooklyn. (more…)
Posted in American, food, New York restaurants, restaurants, Southern, Williamsburg
Tagged bars, Brooklyn, fried chicken, New York
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Cinched-Waist Parka, Madison Avenue
As much as we love coats – camel coats, winter white coats, print coats, belted coats – it is the parka that gets the most play when the weather drops below freezing. But the Norma Kamali sleeping-bag style of years past has been feminized. This winter’s parkas, like this one in army green, often feature cinched waists, even flared skirts. Best of all, they’re fabulously warm.
Posted in fashion
Tagged leopard, Madison Avenue, military jacket, New York, street chic, women
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Rye House
Of all the qualities you can manufacture in a new restaurant – flattering lighting, good music, a smoky barbecue smell – the most elusive is fun. The other ingredients can come together perfectly, but if that feeling of good times is missing in the center, the final product can still fall flat.
Rye House in the Flatiron District is a relatively recent addition to the scene, but it already feels like a lot of good times have been had here. This may be largely because of the bar, which dominates a spacious front room and is manned by Lynnette Marrero and Jim Kearns, formerly of Freeman’s. Classic cocktails and a large selection of beer on tap draw in a big after-work crowd of the Park Bar variety – i.e., lots of guys. (more…)
Posted in American, Flatiron District, food, New York restaurants, restaurants, Southern
Tagged bars, beer, gastropubs, New York
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Pendleton Coat, Madison Avenue
This photo was taken on Monday, when the high temperature in Manhattan was 18 degrees. As the weather gets colder and colder, the throwback to the glory days of outdoor gear by Pendleton and L.L. Bean makes sense – though this outfit takes true grit to wear. Kudos to this guy for gutsiness.
Fedora
As much as we hate to see old icons of the New York dining scene disappear, let’s face it: not every place is worth saving. Take Fedora, the gay bar on West 4th Street that’s been around since before gay bars were even legal. The atmosphere: fabulously decrepit, as was much of the clientele. The food: questionable. Fedora was a restaurant in the vein of the bygone bohemian Greenwich Village depicted in Mad Men, a style that only lives on in such stalwarts as Gene’s on West 11th Street.
Fast forward to 2010, when new owner Gabriel Stulman of Joseph Leonard took over the Fedora space and reopened it this January. He kept the name and the iconic neon sign outside. A long wooden bar spanning one side of the spare, black and white room looks antique, but it’s actually a new, custom-made bar that incorporates parts of the old Fedora bar. It feels as if it’s been here forever, as does the impressive collection of black and white photos on the opposite wall. Even some of the original Fedora’s regulars are now regulars here. Though Stulman’s following is pretty straight, the original regulars can’t be displeased by the eye candy in this good-looking, stylish crowd. (more…)
Posted in American, food, French, New York restaurants, restaurants, West Village
Tagged bars, duck, Gabriel Stulman, marrow, New York
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Messenger Bag, Broadway
Messenger bags have come a long way since their Manhattan Portage days of the ’90s. Now available in a huge array of styles and at a variety of price points, they are an essential part of the modern male wardrobe.
Color in Winter
After seeing so much black and gray on the streets of New York, it’s a genuine pleasure to see a colorful outfit like this one. Next to her, he wears one of the knit animal hats that have become a huge trend this winter – probably because they’re easy to buy from street vendors when the mercury drops.
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Tagged color, New York, street chic, Union Square, women
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Lotus of Siam
CLOSED
There are several accursed restaurant spaces in New York City, and 24 Fifth Avenue is considered to be one of them. Upscale wine restaurant Cru closed after only a couple years in this oddly laid out, bilevel dining room, and before that, Washington Park floundered in this space, even though it marked the return of celebrity chef Jonathan Waxman to the NYC culinary scene.
Our fingers were crossed that the critically-acclaimed, Vegas-based Thai restaurant Lotus of Siam could reverse the ill tides of feng shui here. At least the lively crowd in the dining room, lured here by the good early reviews, brings good vibes to the setting. But the rooms are still awkward, and now they’re decorated with unidentifiable copper wire sculptures and wall hangings of artistically draped dried chili peppers. Dimming the lighting should have helped, but the universally low wattage has created not sexy mood but cafeteria gloom. Oh well – chances are you didn’t come here for the ambiance anyway, but for the authentic Thai food. (more…)
Pixie Haircut and Plaid Scarf, Union Square, January
Call it the Michelle Williams/Emma Watson effect, but pixie haircuts are looking particularly fresh right now. Sheared locks are such a nice harbinger of spring when cotton dresses are still a distant dream.
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Tagged haircuts, New York, pixie haircuts, plaid, street chic, Union Square, women
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Russian Fur Hat and Military Jacket, Union Square, January
Eric Wilson of the Times Styles section included trapper hats as one of “10 Looks We Never Want to See Again” post-2010. (Also included: anything with studs or skulls.) Very well, but what happens if you have to spend hours outside in sub-freezing temperatures?
Trapper hats are infinitely practical, but you could put them away in favor of their Russian cousins, the huge fur topper, for similar warmth. Insulated faux fur will work just as well. Paired here with a navy blue military jacket, the look is sharp and timeless.
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Tagged fur, hats, military, New York, street chic, Union Square, women
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Ciano
CLOSED
Shea Gallante is perhaps best known as the former chef of Cru, the now-shuttered restaurant with a hefty tome of a wine list and prices that went into the thousands. The only thing more starched and staid that the atmosphere was the clientele, consisting mostly of older men murmuring reverentially over their wine. If you paid attention, you could hear a bleating side-note: the food was quite good. But it almost seemed inappropriate to mention the fare, as long as it went with that Bordeaux.
Mirroring the trajectory of the New York dining scene, Gallante decamped from Cru after the crash to open a new, more casual place. Italian, of course. If the sky were raining hellfire, New Yorkers would immediately head to the nearest homey Italian restaurant for comfort food. But don’t expect to find a cozy afterthought of a meal at Ciano. (more…)
Downtown Couple, Union Square, January
The downtown/Brooklyn crowd has really embraced a retro preppy look of Bean-type snow boots, Pendleton jackets, and toggle coats for winter. Kudos not just for the style but for the practicality of this look – though I doubt Leon Leonwood Bean ever would have envisioned his rugged clothes as an urban must-have.
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Tagged L.L.Bean, men, New York, Pendleton, preppy fashion, street chic, toggle, Union Square, women
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Eataly: A Strategy
If agoraphobia is a fear of crowds, and claustrophobia is a fear of being trapped small places, then what is that particularly New York fear of being trapped in a mob of people, as at Macy’s at Christmastime? Whatever the name, this is exactly the emotion that Eataly elicited during the first few months of its opening, widely touted not just in New York but apparently in every tourist brochure.
If you could make your way through the door when Eataly opened this fall, you would be caught up in a mob of Italian food enthusiasts, swept past a Lavazza espresso station, past aisles of cheeses, olive oil, chocolate and dried pasta, and deposited somewhere in the vortex of this new mega food court by chefs and television stars Mario Batali and Lidia Bastianich. The line just to put down your name for a table took 10 minutes the first time we visited – the wait for an actual table was two hours. The four casual restaurants – La Pizza, La Pasta, Il Pesce and Le Verdure – looked promising, but when they’re oversubscribed to this extent, we had to say “basta!” and head out the door. (more…)
Posted in Flatiron District, food, Italian, New York restaurants, restaurants
Tagged Mario Batali, New York, seafood
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Fur Coat and Knit Hat, Madison Avenue, January
In the mid to late ’80s, possibly the last time fur was as popular as it is now, the typical socialite look was a lavish mink worn with no hat, just a blowout and heels. This time around, fur coats come in a variety of forms including faux, they’re worn by a variety of people, and they’re often paired with more casual accessories like knit hats – a downtown spin on an uptown classic.
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Tagged fur, Madison Avenue, New York, street chic, women
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Fair Isle Hat, Prince Street, January
For men, a good example of how to wear fair isle and still look cool. Just a little of this whimsical pattern is enough.
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Tagged fair isle, men, New York, street chic
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