THE PEOPLE ISSUE
Urbanite
Roe
The art of DJ-ing requires a lot of patience, an innate sensitivity that is keenly in tune with a crowd’s temperamental emotions, along with the confidence and ability to recognize what will bring the masses pleasure on the dance floor—even when they themselves don’t know or aren’t quite sure. Put those skills into practice for [...]
Norwood
We think of New York as a city of skyscrapers. But nestled within the stature of it all is the exclusive Norwood Club, a London-style members-only establishment. This private club located in the heart of lower Manhattan is now part of the National Registry of Historic Places and the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. [...]
Sleeping on a Jetplane
In a country that’s famous for its bizarre experiential hotels— from the IceHotel in Lapland to the floating Utter Inn that features an underwater aquarium for guests to sleep in—comes a new take on the red eye flight. Arlanda’s Jumbo Stay hotel repurposes a retired Boeing 747 and turns it into a travel experience, offering [...]
Owen
Ten years ago, Manhattan’s Meatpacking District was in the process of gentrifying from a once desolate neighborhood—historically for slaughterhouses and derelict factories—to an emerging gritty-turned-glitzy, club and restaurant scene. In the 1980’s, the area was known for drug dealing and prostitution. With what seemed like an overnight regeneration, New York’s hippest hotels, like the Standard [...]
Huli Pau!
Scouring the globe for mixologists harboring the most exotic and intriguing cocktail recipes in their repertoire, SOMA stumbled upon this Big Island jewel. You won’t have to fly across oceans to feel transported. Just a sip from this tantalizing treat conjures warm, tropical breezes and sand beneath your toes. THE BIKINI MARTINI 1 oz Ketel [...]
Best Drinks
Inside the extravagant SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, the collaboration between celebrity chef José Andrés, world-renowned designer Philippe Starck, and retailers Murray Moss and Franklin Getchell is a eclectic undertaking, to put it mildly. Arguably, the four pillars that comprise this lavish undertaking are: Rojo y Blanca, a play on the traditional Spanish tapa-teria; the Patisserie, [...]
Salon Urbain
Albert Einstein said, “Logic will get you from A to Z… Imagination can take you everywhere.” Logically, creating a lounge-style area out of what used to be a parking lot next to a famous concert and music hall is a good idea. That was the general concept behind Salon Urbain at the Place de Arts [...]
The New Golden Age of Cocktails
Socially speaking, the cocktail is king. Few common customs will entrance and cause obsession in the manner of a properly mixed drink. Urbanites throughout the world scour their cities for the best Old Fashioned, the finest Last Word, often to realize beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
GP’s Neapolitan Elegance Romances Jersey City
After 34 years in the restaurant business, George Politis brings a bit of East Village flair to Jersey with GP’s Restaurant, newly opened at 236 Pavonia Avenue (second to his first location in Guttenberg, NJ). From the small classic dishes with fresh ingredients that make up Politis’ signature menu, to the modern design, his new restaurant reflects the East Coast romance vibe of the young neighborhood. With Politis’ contemporary twists on typical Neapolitan fare and his restaurant’s chic interiors, GP’s Hamilton Park takes classic Italian dining to another level.
SOMA and TOKYObay Salute Top Mixologists
JON GASPARINI 15 Romolo, Rye, Rosewood, Rye on the Road – San Francisco Designer-turned-serial-restaurateur Jon Gasparini keeps busy. With three bars (15 Romolo, Rosewood, and Rye) and an A-list cocktail catering venture (Rye on the Road), Gasparini also acts as a consultant all over, from local distillers to brands like Jim Beam Global, and [...]
Crème Brûlée On The Street
Castro and Market, a corner we San Franciscan’s are well familiar with, has another great reason to stop by. There, in the heart of leather and lace, sits what is becoming a sweet tradition. The Crème Brûlée Cart, with its array of growing flavors brings to life an adult’s fantasy of the ice-cream truck. With [...]
At Home on the Shore
Text by Vanessa DeLeon It’s easy to mistake the entrance to the subterranean playground that is Lure Fishbar for one of Manhattan’s many subway stops. Rest assured, the green iron stairs leading down to the yacht-like interior are loath to be stained with gum or city grime, instead replete with navy and ivory leather banquettes, [...]
The Pleasures of Today
Text by William Blake Photography by Oleg March Today, you can enjoy a wine cocktail alongside a beer cocktail alongside a liquor cocktail alongside a cappuccino, next to a friend’s bowl of sculptural pea soup or a stranger’s stroopwafel. Today you might experience a ‘head-butt’ or a ‘turf-war’. Today, as in all days, you can [...]
Kyle Ford
Text by Eileen Chiang Dapper as Dan and thickly mustached in a gentleman’s three-button waistcoat, Kyle Ford is a callback to days where integrity stood behind the bar and delivered your libations with true craft and an authentic smile. Co-founder of Ford Mixology Lab with his wife and former high school sweetheart, Rachel Ford, Kyle [...]
Rachel Ford
Text by Eileen Chiang It is rumored that Graydon Carter used to spend his late afternoons in the offices of Vanity Fair carefully curating the private-line only reservations and seating arrangements of his A-list guests at his Midtown power lounge, Monkey Bar. The storied bar and restaurant has since allowed its exclusivity to ebb, though [...]
CATCH
A fitting name for a seafood restaurant, Catch made its debut on the New York restaurant scene in the fall of 2011, forcing the Meatpacking District to make room for yet another work of art in restaurant décor. The multi-level eatery is housed in a turn-of-the-century building, and was designed by the EMM Group, a [...]
SPIRITED TRADITIONS
It is a story of love and rivalry—as dense as the history of fortuitous circumstance and as dramatic as the earthquakes, shipwrecks, and charlatans that trace its evolution. It is the story of Japanese whisky, and it is a tale of perfection. To fully trace the origins of how this Western spirit made its way [...]
RÉMY MARTIN’S ROYAL ENDEAVOR
Cognac might be the most misunderstood spirit. It’s appeal, rooted in history, implies some degree of Francophilia, along with a highly sophisticated palette. Undoubtedly, it’s an area of intense connoisseurship. To that end, many of the world’s most rare and costly liquors are aged cognacs. There’s no doubt that stereotypes cling to cognac like socks [...]
DESIGN SOPHISTICATION
SEVVA, pronounced ‘savor,’ is not a Chinese word but is an Indian Sanskrit one meaning “to contribute.” SEVVA will deliver a unique, auspicious beginning and high-end, sophisticated restaurant experience. The vision came from the well known style icon Bonnie Gokson and was designed by Calvin Tsao of Tsao & McKown Architects in New York (awarded [...]
FALL SOIRÉE
On October 26th, San Francisco’s most beautiful party goers, hippest trendsetters and art aficionados gathered at 111 Minna Gallery for SOMA’s Fall Soirée. Against the backdrop of multi-media art installations, the guests mingled, sipped on delicious Stoli cocktails and danced to the beat of the DJ’s. Photography by Rieko Whitfield
A NIGHT AT YOSHI’S
On an evening in late September, a swarm of over 200 of San Francisco’s finest trendsetters, tastemakers and hipsters flocked to the legendary Yoshi’s — the city’s premier Japanese restaurant and jazz club — to celebrate SOMA’s Fall Fashion Issue. The beautiful crowd enjoyed the music and delicious Stoli martinis while mingling with their peers [...]
SILENCIO
Silencio, the latest opening on the Parisian club scene, was a legend before even existing. Unveiled last month on the historical rue Montmartre, the club borrows its name from the iconic venue dear to many a heart thanks to director David Lynch’s film Mulholland Drive. In the 2001 picture, the theater plays a central role [...]
BREWING IT RIGHT
If you’re a coffee enthusiast, you have boundless café options at your disposal. After carefully researching the most exciting spots to sip in of New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, we’ve found the following to be assuredly worth your while. DEMITASSE 135 S. San Pedro Street, Los Angeles, California, cafedemitasse.com Follow your nose to [...]
BUDDAKAN
As an interior designer who specializes in restaurants in New York City, I am constantly visiting some of the most revered restaurants in the world. The other night I decided to dine at one of my preferred eateries and experience the décor of one of my favorite designers Christian Liaigre. Liaigre is known for his [...]
