THE SPRING ISSUE
Posts Tagged ‘urbanite’
The Other Watergate
Nixon Bar makes an alluring proposition to nightlife vultures Nixon Bar is perfect for the discerning Greek population in Athens as well as, vociferous nightlife critics and tourists on the prowl for something that belies sameness. Named after the disgraced president, the bar/restaurant/cinema is referred to as “Watergate” by the locals. But to be fair, […]
The Edison
Nostalgia-infused libations The Edison isn’t so much a replica of the Roaring Twenties as it is a re-imagining of a bygone era forever etched in history for its social, artistic and cultural upheaval. The bar and lounge encapsulates an Old World style and a refined sense of romance that once dominated the vibrant metropolis of […]
Bourbon & Branch
The noble experiment Long after Prohibition ended in 1933, the influence of the Capone Era still lingers in the historical Tenderloin District of San Francisco. Bourbon & Branch is a window into the 1920s, when the sale and consumption of alcohol was banned across the U.S. Hit the buzzer on its unmarked wall today and […]
Bar Centro
José Andrés’ molecular gastronomy 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 […]
Lola’s Sublime Infusions
Martinis are serious business at Los Angles hot spot Lola’s. The menu has over 50 variations on the cocktail. Shaken or stirred…it will certainly hit the spot. Fantasy Island ½ oz Malibu Coconut Rum ½ oz Island Blue Pucker Splash of Pineapple Juice Poor contents into shaker over ice, and give it a good shake. […]
Pure Sweetness
Jaime Hayon’s Pure Sweetness: The Refined Design of Baccarat’s Crystal Candy Set Jaime Hayon’s color-laden dream world, manifested in visual form, is a place where functional ceramic cacti, multi-legged cabinets, and green rocking chair chickens all co-exist and make perfect sense. His highly lacquered, visual language—code-named the Hayon Universe—oscillates between absurd, wildly optimistic, and flat-out surprising. Now, […]
The May Fair
London Luxury Without The Pretension Frequented by celebrities, brimming with business professionals and voted London’s best hotel bar by readers of The Guardian, The May Fair has all the makings of an institution keen on upholding the UK’s traditional class system. Yet, just like the details in the décor, this unique hotel and watering hole […]
Design, Redefined
Chaya Downtown marries whimsy with age-old tradition Los Angeles is a city of storytellers and image-makers. For L.A.’s many illusionists, graceful plot arcs extend beyond the screen and into the fold of LaLa Land life and dining. Narratives pervade the landscape on a daily commute, and flow into late night exploits. This is also true […]
Mission Creek Music Festival
The Mission Creek Music & Arts Festival: Evolving and Explosive A once-navigable subterranean creek, originating from the foothills of San Francisco’s Twin Peaks region and curving east towards Mission Bay, quietly flows beneath San Francisco’s Mission District. Above ground, indie kids, yuppies, and bohemians party and promenade on the bustling city streets, having no idea […]
Classical Music Finds a Home
Love letters from a revolution Art school boho-chic: meet the original acoustic sensation. Before indie rock, before punk, before rock ‘n’ roll; before anything you love right now, there was classical. And let’s be honest – old school revivalism has gotten a lot of play lately. But this music is old old school, and it’s […]
Neon Nightlife
Three international clubs reinvent the party scene Le Baron de Paris / Tokyo Hidden on a quiet stretch in fashionable Aoyama, Tokyo’s Le Baron de Paris is where the highbrow, design obsessed go for a little late night fun. Outside, a glowing neon pink “B” lets you know you’ve found it. Run by a diverse […]
Nur Kahn
Gatekeeper of Cool: Nur Kahn There are those who know how to work a room, and those who make the room work. Nur Kahn has made a science of this practice. Over the last decade, Kahn’s vision and concepts have set new precedents on the nightlife scene. He’s been credited with creating some of NYC’s […]
Skid Row’s Facelift
The Rebirth of Downtown LA has people asking, “Who’s LA’s Publicist?” Downtown LA was once a city of grime and Skid Row, crack addicts and street walkers; not to mention, the best place to buy a knock-off Rolex. But now, the historically-noir town has become revamped, its image transformed by cleaning up the streets and […]
As the Catwalks Clear
Hitting the haute post-show enclaves of fashion’s cognoscenti Every great runway show must come to a close. But where one glitzy fête ends, somewhere in the city, another inevitably begins. In fact, as any industry event-goer in the know would insist, it’s precisely after the last bulbs pop that the real festivities commence. And revel […]
Flippa K Soirée
San Francisco’s favorite fashionistas fêted at Philippa K’s holiday soiree at the new store on Kearny Street in Union Square. The crowd was out, the music was rockin’ and the Sagatiba Cachaça was flowin’ as customers and party goers alike enjoyed the festive fashion atmosphere. Photography by Laura Hollabaugh Photography by Nima Nouri
In the Town of Wannabes and Has-Beens, Everyone’s an A-Lister at Café Was
Text Natalie Shirinian & Michelle Peerali A rare and chic dining experience has arrived in the town notorious for once-hot-and-now-nots. Ivan Kane, the man behind the burlesque hot spot, Forty Deuce, in LA and Las Vegas, has gone in a completely new direction. Café Was, in its prime location in Hollywood on Vine, is a restaurant […]
Rooftop Cinema: Down Under’s over the top viewing experience
Text by Fiona Killackey Photography by John Gollings Melbourne, Australia is a city renowned for its hidden laneways, out of the way bars and heralded boutiques that are nearly impossible to locate. Living by the motto, “the harder to find, the better the reputation,” Melburnians have made it their mission to keep the positions of […]
Entrepreneur Extraordinaire Sam Nazarian
Text by Michelle Peerali & Natalie Shirinian As writers and native Angelinos, we have tag-teamed on many projects, encountered an array of characters, relished our palates in fine dining, stayed at five-star hotels, and watched an alluring display of apparel showcased by prevalent designers during fashion week. However, our latest challenge was to get a […]
The Imaginative Opulence of SLS Hotel
Text by Natalie Shirinian & Michelle Peerali Hotelier SBE has done it again with the debut of the beautiful SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills and The Bazaar, located amid all the glitz and glamour of LA. This hotel offers opulence at its best with an imaginative touch. Its exquisite layout and dimly lit interior, designed […]
Celebrating Cinema: Two SF watering holes that hold a fascination with film
Text by Gabriel Cothes Foreign Cinema —— For ten years the Mission district’s Foreign Cinema has melded the worlds of film, libation and cuisine. This restaurant and movie house has survived economic highs and lows, shrugged off the latest trends and has become a fixture in the SF dining scene. Friends, couples, and lovers gather in the […]
Old World Glamour Meets Modern Charm
Text by Natalie Shirinian Who would have thought that tucked away in this corner of Palm Springs and just a two-hour drive from LA, you’d find the historical getaway that is the Colony Palms Hotel. Originally built in 1936 by gangster Al Wertheimer, who named it the Colonial House, the property boasted a basement casino, […]
Dive Inns
The Hemlock Tavern in San Francisco, California. Complicated times call for simple drinks. They need not be bad, just simple. Exotic ingredients, lengthy infusions and little blenders all contribute to the pleasure of drinking, but do they add to the fun? Can these elements give us all we need in these crazy days? We are […]
A Rendezvous with Dèja Vu
Text by Mindy Benner Quietly nestled within San Diego’s Mission Hills District, the Starlite radiates with a jovial amber glow, perfectly poised for the holiday season. One of Tim Mays’ most recent ventures to excite the senses, the Starlite is a self-proclaimed “neighborhood hideaway” with a nostalgic, swinging ‘60’s feel. A prominent creator on San […]
Steven Oliver: Go-to Industry Guru
Driving up Post Street you can easily miss the turn onto the narrow backstreet of Cosmo Alley. This unassuming location is hardly the place you would expect to find the grandiose building that is Le Colonial. This sprawling urban oasis has been a landmark in San Francisco for over ten years, and General Manager and […]
