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DRINKING • DINING • DANCING
Cuisine by
CHEF DAVID BURKE
RESTAURANT • BAR • LOUNGE
W W W. H AWA I I A N T R O P I C Z O N E . C O M
NEW YORK
729 SEVENTH AVE. AT 49TH STREET
212.626.7312
H AV E Y O U R E V E N T W I T H U S !
T H R E E V E N U E A R E A S W I T H O P T I O N A L S E AT I N G F O R U P T O
1 5 0 P E O P L E O R C O C K TA I L R E C E P T I O N F O R U P T O 3 0 0 P E O P L E .
•MULTIPLE PLASMA SCREENS •30-FOOT VIDEO WALL •STATE OF THE ART SOUND •INTELLIGENT LIGHTING SYSTEM
F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N , E - M A I L E V E N T S @ H A W A I I A N T R O P I C Z O N E . C O M
Dinner took place at the Church of the Intercession.
Votive candles lined the steps to the church’s entrance.
Uptown Revival
THERE IS NO MISTAKING the entrance to the Hispanic Society of
America for anything less than majestic: Wrought-iron gates open to a
massive courtyard surrounded by the building’s towering Beaux-Arts architecture. It’s the kind of thing that wows guests. The only hitch: It’s really far
away. (Like 155th Street and Broadway far away.)
That didn’t keep away the Dia Art Foundation, which held its fall gala at
the society on November 12. “This is our first year in a three-year collaboration
with the Hispanic Society; we have a show in the museum, so it made sense
to have our gala here,” said Dia development associate Victoria Robinson.
“The courtyard is so beautiful. It’s big and it doesn’t feel like New York.”
Robinson offered these thoughts standing in an enormous 9,000square-foot clear plastic tent erected in the society’s courtyard, which served
as the cocktail-hour space. A minimalist design from Jeff Leathem, artistic
director from the Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris, allowed the courtyard’s
striking bronze statues and stone steps and (through the tent’s transparent
walls) the floodlit facade of the building to provide the bulk of the decor.
Additional touches included small tea lights on tall boys draped in white
linen and off-kilter arrangements of deep-red long-stemmed roses and calla
lilies in clear cylindrical vases. The tent, which took a week to put up, had a
very short life. “It’s two hours tonight and then off it goes,” Robinson said.
66 bizbash.com/newyork march/april 2008
The foundation’s 350 guests sampled hors d’oeuvres from Abigail
Kirsch, including spiced shrimp, mini mahimahi tacos, and potato coins
with caviar and peppercorn sauce, as well as specialty cocktails employing
Herb’s Aromatic cilantro and rosemary vodka.
Following cocktails, dinner was served across the street at the Church of
the Intercession. (Dia provided escorts to ensure that people found their way,
as well as buses to transport guests should they feel the need to be driven to
the other side of Broadway.) Inside the church, the unique setting once again
provided much of the ambience, surroundDia Fall Gala
ing guests with stained glass, stone arches,
Catering Abigail Kirsch Offand, of course, a high vaulted ceiling. White
Premises Catering
Lighting Strohmeier Lighting Inc.
linens, lilies, and hundreds of flickering
Printed Materials Work in
white candles topped tables, an arrangement
Progress
augmented by a central row of tulip bulbs.
Production MF Productions
Security Global Security Services
The locale of the gala didn’t seem to deter
Tenting, Flooring Stamford Tent
guests. Dia facilitated transportation with
and Event Services
buses from Advance Parking Concepts, and
Transportation, Valet Services
Advanced Parking Concepts LLC
set up a table for LimoRes.net at the entrance
Transportation LimoRes.net
to the church, where attendees could book
Venue Hispanic Society of
America
return trips home. —Mimi O’Connor
PHOTOS: JOE FORNABAIO FOR BIZBASH
The Dia Art Foundation hosted its fall gala in a big tent at the Hispanic Society of
America on 155th Street, then moved guests to a church across the street.
Guests could view Dia’s Fabiola exhibit by Francis Alys during cocktails.
Arrangements of white candles and lilies
with tulip bulbs graced tables.
Guests passed through a majestic courtyard to enter the event.
Abigail Kirsch served appetizers
including chorizo en croute.
Arrangements
of
Caption
TK
roses and calla lilies
added a shot of color.
Rose petals and candles decorated
the society’s entrance.
bizbash.com/newyork march/april 2008 67
Clodagh created a Zen-like space for Westin on one of the terraces, which featured
a wood-burning fireplace and rosemary and lavender bushes lining the perimeter.
Barclay Butera’s
library for Bally
was accented with
a fox-fur rug, a
flat-panel TV, and
wood furnishings.
Campion Platt designed Versace’s living room,
featuring the Björn Schülke’s sculpture
“Drone #4,” which took photos and videos
and played them back on its small displays.
Bachelors’ Complex
PHOTOS: ROBERT TRACHTENBERG
For the fifth consecutive year, Esquire magazine created an ultimate bachelor pad,
bringing in advertisers to brand a physical space for a series of events.
FOR TWO MONTHS, high atop a new, almost completely vacant highrise, on a block not typically frequented by event-goers, sat Esquire’s ultimate bachelor pad, dubbed “Esquire North: the New View.” With an opening gala on Thursday, September 27, the magazine brought its “Signature
Space” concept to New York for the third year, creating a temporary home
for hosting events and showcasing advertisers.
In 2006 the magazine took over a private home in California. This
time around, the show home was a three-story, 5,700-square-foot penthouse in Harlem (at 111 Central Park North) with striking views of Central
Park, 22-foot floor-to-ceiling windows, two 750-square-foot terraces, and a
high-tech glass kitchen.
In the two months Esquire North was open, the site hosted 10 events and
served as the setting for a Jay-Z music video. “We try to make the Signature
Space a living version of the magazine,” said Esquire’s marketing services
director, Scott Lehmann. “We represent our advertisers in every room, but
you don’t see any logos. The brands are showcased through their style.”
Pulling it all together took almost a year of planning and the combined efforts of the Esquire team—led by associate publisher of marketing
Stephen Jacoby—as well as developers the Athena Group and the City
Investment Fund, architecture firms RMJM Hillier and SLCE Architects,
and construction manager Bovis Lend Lease. In addition, Esquire brought
in 10 interior designers to fabricate distinct environments within the apartment for brands such as Louis Vuitton and Lufthansa. These included
Barclay Butera, who designed a library for Bally; Robin Wilson, who created the look for Rockport’s lower terrace space; and Kristin McGinnis,
who outfitted the home gym for Asics.
The rooms also incorporated plenty of technology, including KEF’s
massive aluminum Muon speakers (one of only 100 pairs in the world)
and flat-screen TVs from Pioneer. (An interactive Web site extended the
reach of the apartment with photos and videos from the red carpet, as well
as a virtual tour of the space.)
As in previous years, each event at the apartment had a charity tie-in,
supporting nonprofits—many of them Harlem-based—such as CARE,
Oxfam America, and the New York City Police Foundation. And to feed
guests at these events, Esquire enlisted Taste Caterers. Though minor alterations were made for each host, a panini station and a bachelor’s selection
of passed hors d’oeuvres such as pigs in a blanket and vegetable dumplings
served as the foundation of each menu.
Esquire North
The last event at Esquire North took
Catering Taste Caterers
place on Wednesday, November 21; scoutCause Brand Marketing Capian
ing for the location of the 2008 space has
Enterprises
already begun. —Michael O’Connell
PR Dan Klores Communications
Red lighting accented the dinosaur skeletons and the rotunda’s columns.
The museum’s signature dioramas
surrounded guests during dinner.
White lights lined the
stairs leading to the
dinner space.
Restaurant Associates provided catering for the 650-person gala.
Whale-Sized
THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY’S gala typically draws a crowd of some of New York’s power players, as well as plenty
of their dollars. The event on November 15—the museum’s largest fundraiser of the year—was no exception. In fact, as the institution’s senior
vice president for development and membership, Lynn DeBow, explained,
it was the most successful ever, drawing the most people and the most
money in the gala’s history. A crowd of 650 guests donated $3.2 million to
the organization’s science and education programs.
The evening included cocktails among the museum’s towering iconic
dinosaur figures (uplit in red for the occasion) in the Theodore Roosevelt
Rotunda, followed by dinner under the 94-foot blue whale replica in
the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life. The benefit also included a live auction
conducted by Sotheby’s C. Hugh Hildesley and performances by Amy
Poehler and Seth Meyers—on a break from Saturday Night Live due to
the writers’ strike—and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The evening
traditionally features comedy and live music components, the recruiting
for which DeBow credited museum trustees Tom Freston (former C.E.O.
of Viacom) and Saturday Night Live executive producer Lorne Michaels.
“They’re amazing. We count on them to get the best talent,” DeBow said.
Previous comedians and musicians who have performed at the benefit
include Conan O’Brien, Neil Young, and Paul Simon.
The museum brought in a new designer, Darryn Murphy, to style the
event this year. Decor consisted of arrangements of roses, peonies, berries,
and greenery, red accent lighting, and tabletops featuring hues of salmon,
brown, and pink. Restaurant Associates
American Museum of
served appetizers including tuna tartare
Natural History Fall Gala
and chicken crisps with orange glaze, as
Catering Catering by
well as the gala’s dinner.
Restaurant Associates
Alec Baldwin, Harvey Weinstein, Tina
Design Darryn Murphy Designs
Lighting Stortz Lighting
Fey, Tom Brokaw, Jimmy Buffett, and
Orchestra New York City Swing
Wendi Murdoch were just a few of the highVenue American Museum of
Natural History
wattage attendees. —Mimi O’Connor
PHOTOS: ALISON WHITTINGTON FOR BIZBASH
A sold-out crowd and top talent helped make the Museum of Natural History’s fall gala its most successful yet.
Make Your Next Event
Something to Savor
Our legendary Trophy Room will make your next business meeting, dinner or
private event a memorable one. Located on the second floor and featuring a
full, private bar, our wood paneled walls and extensive photo collection is
vintage NYC. Whether a sit-down dinner, buffet, or cocktail reception, we
will customize a menu to meet your needs and budget.
The Trophy Room is ideal for hosting press conferences, presentations,
corporate meetings, closing dinners, holiday parties, celebratory dinners,
cocktail receptions and more. Be part of the history that so many of
New York’s famous personalities have experienced.
Contact Cynthia Anderson, Director of Sales, to receive a media kit, take a tour
or for additional information at 212-957-2884 or [email protected].
Steak House
Since 1927
WHERE THE FUTURE OF BUSINESS
EATS USDA PRIME DRY AGED STEAK
228 W. 52nd St. New York, NY
Gobos evoking the movie title’s playful font
spelled out the seasons on the venue’s walls.
Seasons Greetings
EVEN FOX SEARCHLIGHT event chief Ruth Busenkell was surprised
at the response to the premiere and party for Juno on December 3. Four
days after the invitations had gone out—over the Thanksgiving holiday
weekend, no less—the R.S.V.P. line was closed and the 1,341-seat Mann
Village Theatre was overbooked.
“In all my years of doing premieres, this is the first time any filled up
this fast,” Busenkell said, adding her theory that the movie fills a niche
of light but not too light, and sweet, but wise, too: “The buzz on this film
has really caught on. It’s the only kind of movie of
FROM LOS ANGELES its type right now—fun, younger, less heavy than
some of the other things that are out, but also a little more sophisticated
than some of the family films.”
The guests who made it inside the screening seemed to agree,
laughing and clapping emphatically at appropriate times—even staying
seated clear through the end credits (a premiere-audience rarity) to listen
to a short set from the band the Moldy Peaches, who contributed to the
movie’s soundtrack. When they did make their way out onto Broxton
Avenue, guests were met by a team of runners in high school uniforms
reminiscent of those worn by one of the movie’s adolescent male leads.
About 800 people moved down the street to the Napa Valley Grille,
where a trio of seasons—inspired by the advancing pregnancy of the character Juno in the film—determined the decor. Outside, winter blanketed the
patio and a closed-off portion of the sidewalk and curb in the form of white
carpeting and faux snow. (Parking meters covered in white fabric seemed
almost imperceptible.) Inside, spring flowFox Searchlight’s Juno
ers formed an archway over one area, and
Premiere Party
autumnal trees towered by another doorway.
Catering, Venue Napa Valley
The menu from Napa Valley Grille
Grille
stuck with seasonal favorites, too, like savory
Decor, Design Greco Decor
flatbreads and dried fruit cobbler presented
Lighting Daylight
Production Namevents
in massive skillets. And the blue slushies
Red Carpet Coordination
favored in the film by the pregnant Juno
and Lighting Entertainment
were available from a tabletop machine.
Lighting Services (ELS)
Screening Venue Mann Village
Articulating what was clearly true, Busenkell
Theatre
said, “The party really ties back into the
Security Special Event
Management (SEM)
movie.” —Alesandra Dubin
PHOTOS: BIZBASH (RUNNERS), DALE WILCOX (ALL OTHERS)
The party after Fox Searchlight’s Juno premiere in Westwood featured spaces with distinct
looks evoking winter, spring, and fall—and the main character’s developing pregnancy.
The party’s wintry section took over the outdoor space, blanketing
the Westwood sidewalk in white carpet and faux snow.
Seasonally appropriate foliage decorated
each distinct area in the party space.
The menu from Napa Valley Grille included hearty seasonal
dishes as well as cheese and fruit spreads.
On their way out of the screening, guests
encountered guys in high school P.E. uniforms,
recalling the garb of a character in the film.
The BET Honors after-party
turned the Reagan Building’s
cavernous space into a
purple-bathed nightclub.
Royal Consorts
THE FIRST INSTALLATION of the BET Honors award ceremony took
over Washington on January 12, recognizing achievements in the AfricanAmerican community. California representative Maxine Waters was among
the recipients, as were Tyra Banks, Princeton University’s Dr. Cornel
West, and Janice Bryant Howroyd, C.E.O. of the Act-1 personnel company.
The invitation-only event, hosted by Cedric the Entertainer, took over the
Warner Theatre, covering the venue with BET’s insignia in deep purple.
Gladys Knight, Brian McKnight, and Wyclef Jean were among the event’s
performers. (Michael Jackson was a no-show, even though, according to
Examiner.com’s Yeas & Nays blog, the King of Pop had planned to celebrate
Thriller’s 25th anniversary at the show.)
The evening continued with an after-party at the Ronald Reagan Building
and International Trade Center a block away. To accommodate guests strolling between the venues, police shut down a section of Pennsylvania Avenue.
Once inside, revelers saw a new side to the cavernFROM WASHINGTON ous atrium of the Ronald Reagan Building, which
is usually used for more corporate functions and conferences. Covered in
purple details—from lighting to tufted bars and velvet banquettes—the
event transformed the space into a luxurious nightclub.
BET’s Lisa Purcell, Tonya Railey, and Sarah Storrs worked with local
event producer André Wells to orchestrate the evening. “BET chose purple
because it’s reminiscent of royalty,” Wells said. “We created a lot of little
lounges in the space, with the dance floor around the DJ to make it very
social. We were trying to club out the Reagan Building.”
The dance floor was the centerpiece, with DJ Sixth Sense fixed high
above on metal scaffolding. The large staircase behind him flickered with
hundreds of electric candles, each adorned with the BET logo. Wells filled
the rest of the space with clusters of chairs and purple velvet banquettes, to
accompany the purple drapery on the walls and the purple floral arrangements, including large branches dotted with flowers in tall white vases (all
provided by Volanni). Potted palms from Plants Alive also ringed the space,
while purple linens covered each table, with the same electric BET lights.
The space offered several bars, including one on the mezzanine
overlooking the dance floor. On the main level, the crowd spilled into the
circular V.I.P. room through large purple
BET Honors After-Party
curtains. Swathed in the same drapery and
velvet banquettes, the space was open to any
Audiovisual Production, Sound,
Staging Nomad Event Systems
guest, outside of a few reserved tables.
Decor, Staging A Vista Events LLC
The Reagan Building’s in-house catering
DJ Sixth Sense
Flowers Volanni
team provided the Caribbean-style food offerGifts Cartier
ings, which included mounds of jerk chicken
Lighting Frost Lighting
and sautéed shrimp with crispy plantain chips
Plants Plants Alive Inc.
Photography Davide DePas
sprinkled on top. And the crowd adhered to
Production, Design Events by
the black-tie dress code, including Wells, who
André Wells
surveyed the final product. “I think what BET
Rentals Party Rental Ltd.
Security BET Networks
is doing is great,” he said. “It’s wonderful that
Venue, Catering, Security
this kind of Hollywood-style event comes to
Ronald Reagan Building &
International Trade Center
Washington.” —Danielle O’Steen
PHOTOS: DAVIDE DEPAS
The BET Honors award show party offered the crowd a Hollywood-style evening in shades of regal purple.
A circular oculus space housed the event’s V.I.P room.
Guests including actress Vivica A. Fox (in
blue) took over the center dance floor.
The crowd danced to DJ Sixth Sense’s musical
lineup, which ranged from hip-hop to Motown.
Purple drapes covered the walls, and tufted lavender-hued
velvet bars amped up the party’s luxury quota.
Clusters of chairs and velvet
banquettes swathed in purple
hues dotted the main space.
PC_BizBash_Ad_3.indd 1
7/30/07 1:46:03 PM
BUSINESS ENTERTAINING 2008
Our annual guide to New York’s
top tables, private rooms,
and cocktail spots.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF ANDY RYAN PHOTOGRAPHY
By Andrea Strong
The main dining room of Haru Wall Street.
T-Bar Steak and Lounge
Dovetail
NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH
UPPER WEST SIDE Super-civilized Dovetail is
the latest project from chef-owner John Fraser,
who most recently wowed critics at nearby Compass. Here, Fraser’s work remains tethered to the
seasons, with local ingredients peppering a modern menu of dishes such as oysters Rockefeller
with pancetta, lobster knuckles, poached hen
egg, and champagne-caviar cream; crispy pork
belly with rock shrimp, braised kale, and oloroso
sherry broth; and rack of lamb with Indian spices
and burnt lemon jus. Matching the refined menu
is the elegant setting, a town house designed by
Richard Bloch with a dramatic central raw-brick
archway framed by double-height ceilings and
towering windows cloaked in sheer curtains; it
works for a quiet lunch or dinner, or even a proper
afternoon tea (served from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on
Fridays and weekends). There’s a 20-seat grottostyle sherry cellar on the lower level. (103 West
77th St., 212.362.3800, www.dovetailnyc.com)
COLUMBUS CIRCLE Those who live for chef Marc
Murphy’s braised lamb shanks, boudin noir, steak
frites, and flawless pasta carbonara are celebrating Landmarc’s arrival at the Time Warner Center,
giving this neighborhood—rich with haute, highpriced cuisine—a much-needed no-frills American bistro. Clodagh designed the space, which has
a factory-meets-urban-loft feel, with exposed brick,
hardwood floors, rebar, and rusted metals, as well
UPPER EAST SIDE What used to be the Lenox as walls of windows that allow daylight to stream
Room is now T-Bar Steak and Lounge, a stylish in at breakfast and lunchtime. Groups can request
eatery for carnivorous types with a downtown one of the genie-in-a-bottle booths or book one of
vibe: dark wood floors, warm sage upholstery, and two private rooms; each seats 45 and has audio80 bizbash.com/newyork march/april 2008
visual capabilities. (10 Columbus Circle, 3rd Floor,
212.823.6123, www.landmarc-restaurant.com)
MIDTOWN/THEATER DISTRICT Chef Kerry
Heffernan made a name for himself as the opening chef at Eleven Madison Park. His second act
is South Gate, a luxurious neighborhood perch
overlooking Central Park designed by Tony Chi to
feel timeless and to transition easily from morning patisserie to skylit lunch pad to evening dinner
salon and late-night bar. (The patisserie morphs
into a private dining room after breakfast has been
served.) Heffernan’s menu traces the seasons with
dishes such as seared foie gras with pears, tarragon, muscat, and pear wafers; pork with cider, star
anise, leeks, and kholarabi-bacon puree; and venison with fresh juniper, red carrots, and rosemary
fritters. (154 Central Park South, 212.484.4715)
MIDTOWN WEST/HELL’S KITCHEN This restaurant and wine bar honors the culinary province of
Nice—or Nizza, as the Italians call it. Chef Andy
D’Amico and his business partner Robert Guarino offer a menu that celebrates not only the
bright flavors of Nice but also the coastal cuisine
of Liguria, and the surrounding east bank of the
Riviera as well, with starters like Ligurian Swiss
chard and pancetta torta; fritto misto of calamari,
sardines, shrimps, and mussels; and a slew of
thin and crispy crusted pizzas like the San Remo,
topped with tomatoes, anchovies, capers, garlic,
and San Remo olives—in addition to entrées such
as wild boar lasagna and branzino with roasted
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF T-BAR STEAK AND LOUNGE, COURTESY OF DOVETAIL
cool backlit mirrors. While chef
Ben Zwicker is
clearly fired up
about meat—
there’s a T-bone,
a rib eye, a New
York strip, and a filet mignon from meat god Pat
LeFrieda on his menu—he’s also devoted to the
sea, with a smashing raw bar, a slew of fish tartares, and entrées like Mediterranean branzino
with shaved fennel and fresh herbs. If you’re looking for an affordable yet impressive lunch spot,
the $25 mix-and-match Lunch Box includes such
choices as Hudson Valley beet salad with goat feta,
citrus dressing, and pistachios, and turkey burgers stuffed with spinach and caramelized onions.
(1278 Third Ave., 212.772.0404, www.tbarnyc.com)
It’s an age-old question: “I need to meet so-and-so for
dinner. Do you know what’s good around ... ?” Here’s
our answer—a neighborhood-by-neighborhood guide
to new and noteworthy restaurants.
Landmarc at the Time Warner Center
PHOTOS: QUENTIN BACON (LANDMARC), BRUCE BUCK (ADOUR), COURTESY OF AMSTERDAM BILLIARDS & BAR, JOE JR. ORECCHIO (TRIBECA SPA)
artichokes, potatoes, and olives. The blond-woodwashed space has an easy vibe that’s perfect for casual lunch meetings or dinners, with an affordable
and extensive wine list that includes 30 choices by
the glass and 100 by the bottle. (630 Ninth Ave.,
212.956.1800)
MIDTOWN EAST Replacing the venerable Lespinasse is no easy task, but Adour, the new Alain Ducasse restaurant at the St. Regis, has done it with
grace and respect. Named for a river in the southwest of France close to where Ducasse was born,
Adour is a showcase for contemporary French cuisine by executive chef Tony Esnault, formerly of
Alain Ducasse at the Essex House. But Ducasse
conceived of Adour with an eye toward wine education as well as culinary excellence: Wine novices
and aficionados alike will be wowed by Adour’s interactive wine technology at the wine bar and in
Adour’s 12-seat private tasting room. Sommeliers
activate the wine list by touching the tabletop, and a
screen projects the wine list onto the surface. Then
you choose the wine that interests you by tapping
one of the petals in its icon; each petal is keyed to
that wine’s essentials, from origin and producer
to varietal and grape. It’s a matter of weeks before
this hits the iPhone, no? (St. Regis Hotel, 2 East
55th St., 212.710.2277, www.adour-stregis.com)
CHELSEA Chef Daniel Angerer opened Klee
about a year and a half ago with modest ambitions:
to create a neighborhood place that would satisfy
competing cravings a few times a week. He’s succeeded, and then some. The restaurant feels effortlessly chic, with atmospheric golden lighting, a lean
bar-as-communal-table lit from below, and a slew
of oversize banquettes for party-size groups. Klee’s
diverse brasserie menu makes it a place that pleases both die-hard foodies and gimme-a-burger-and-
Adour
a-beer folks. Plat du jour such as Wiener schnitzel,
Viennese fried chicken, and house-made sausages
with smoky sauerkraut harken back to Angerer’s
Austrian homeland, but the menu reaches into
the realm of contemporary American with dishes
like Florida shrimp salad with avocado and herbs,
wood-oven-roasted chicken with fennel figs and
truffles, and Niman Ranch pork loin with red cabbage, apples, and mustard relish. (200 Ninth Ave.,
212.633.8033, www.kleebrasserie.com)
FLATIRON/GRAMERCY/UNION SQUARE Bar
Stuzzichini, a big and bustling Flatiron Italian restaurant, is not ideal for intimate tête-à-têtes, but it’s
perfect for a lunch or dinner get-together where
you’re looking for a place with a nice amount of
ITINERARY
A Serene Scene
SNOOKER ’EM
Where to relax and shoot some pool.
Amsterdam Billiards & Bar
Amsterdam Billiards & Bar, a pool
hall that opened in January 2007, can
arrange for pool-table rentals and an
open bar for groups of 10 to 20; parties of 500 can take over the entire
space. (110 East 11th St., 212.995.0333)
The uptown outpost of Pop Burger,
open since December, offers a thirdfloor billiard room for events. Decked
in red and black accents, the space
has its own bar and a private entrance. (14 East 58th St., 212.991.6644)
TREATMENT Treat the group to massages, body scrubs, or even acupuncture at the Tribeca Spa of Tranquility,
a new day spa recently named one of
the most relaxing spas in the world
by W magazine. Gatherings of 20 can
take over the facility. (462 Greenwich
St., 212.226.4141)
TEA After the treatments, head north into SoHo for a tea
tasting at Sanctuary T. Book the boutique café for a tea ceremony or an educational tasting, or reserve the 16-seat chef’s
table for afternoon tea. (337N West Broadway, 212.941.7832)
DESSERT Finish the day with a healthy helping of frozen
treats from the SoHo location of Pinkberry. One of the city’s
many outposts of this popular West Coast chain, this modernlooking spot serves yogurt, shaved ice, and smoothies until
11 p.m. on weekdays. (41 Spring St., 212.274.8883) —Anna Sekula
Tucked away in the Flatiron district’s
Borough Food & Drink is a semiprivate billiard room with striking
barn-red walls and objects salvaged
from old factories. The space holds
20. (12 East 22nd St., 212.260.0103)
Downstairs at Midtown restaurant
Azza is a gaming room with an
old-style club feel that has a billiard tables and a poker table. The
space holds 300. (137 East 55th St.,
212.755.7055 ext. 10) —A. Sekula
Centro Vinoteca
contemporary two-story space. At Centro Vinoteca, she’s come through, so much so that you’d
sit down to her goat cheese and pumpkin cakes,
handmade pici with sausage ragu, and brined heritage pork chop crusted with fennel pollen in a dark
basement if you had to. Luckily, you don’t—this
1920s building is wrapped in windowed French
doors, decked out in cool black-and-white accents,
and lit with solid glass and steel chandeliers that
resemble large icicles. Ask for a table upstairs if
you need a quieter setting, or stick to the street
level to take in more of the scene. (74 Seventh Ave.
WEST VILLAGE For their follow-up to Gusto, Sa- South, 212.367.7470, www.centrovinoteca.com)
sha and Alexei Muniak enlisted Mario Batali’s Iron
Chef sous Anne Burrell to create a menu of mod- MEATPACKING DISTRICT Los Dados brings the
ern Italian fare that would match their striking meatpacking district its first Mexican restaurant,
buzz. Beyond a long saloonlike wine and food bar
serving wonderful stuzzichini (small plates)—like
arancini, eggplant stuffed with ricotta, and Romanstyle crispy frizzled artichokes—by chef Paul Di
Bari (formerly of Wallsé), you’ll find a dining room
filled with clubby tufted black-leather banquettes.
The pastas are terrific, notably hearty bowls of
handmade gnocchi Amatriciana and sunny tangles of tagliolini alla limone with lemon, cream,
and a nutty shower of pistachios. (928 Broadway,
212.780.5100, www.barstuzzichini.com)
ITINERARY
Broadway-Bound
SHOW Directed by Mike Nichols, the revival of The
Country Girl opens this spring, starring Morgan Freeman as a has-been actor with a chance for a comeback and Frances McDormand as his anguished wife.
(www.thecountrygirlonbroadway.com; group sales:
212.302.0995, www.broadwayinbound.com)
DINNER Pretheater, make reservations at Insieme.
Sup on traditional Italian fare or on one of chef Marco
Canora’s more modern dishes, like the black-olive
tagliatelle with duck ragu. The restaurant has a 30seat private room. (777 Seventh Ave., 212.582.1310)
DRINKS After curtain call, unwind with drinks at the
Dream Hotel’s revamped lobby bar, Rm Fifty5. Select a
sake martini prepared with muddled cucumber and a
splash of peach liqueur, or the three-part Scotch tasting. The space can also be rented out for private events.
(210 West 55th St., 212.956.7020) —Mark Mavrigian
Rm Fifty5
with a menu of tacos and regional home cooking
by Sueños chef Sue Torres. Owned by meatpacking
denizens David Rabin and Will Regan (of Lotus and
Double Seven), the restaurant emphasizes scene
and atmosphere with gothic candelabras, walls
hung with Mexican artwork and candles, and a
communal table for large groups seeking out freshfruit sangria and margaritas by the pitcher. Cozy
booths tucked into nooks in the wall make for more
intimate group dining, and the menu is just right
for family-style taking and passing, with platters
of guacamole and handmade tortillas, tamarindglazed skirt steak with nopales en escabèche and
pasilla chile, and grilled shrimp with Yucatan pork
achiote tamal and ancho chile sauce. (73 Gansevoort
St., 646.810.7290, www.losdadosmexican.com)
EAST VILLAGE Belcourt is sort of the East
Village version of Balthazar, but with a little bit of Prune thrown in to keep things
real. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
(with free Wi-Fi for meetings that require
an Internet boost), this beautiful sunfilled bistro owned by Mehenni Zebentout
(Nomad) is filled with vintage pieces from
Parisian flea markets, with Deco lights
and floor-to-ceiling windows that give the
place an air of genuine charm. Chef Matt
Hamilton, who’s cooked at Prune and,
most recently, Uovo, is serving a rustic
menu of plates such as salt-cod stew with
brandade dumplings, purple potatoes,
and baby carrots; preserved rabbit legs
with fennel, mushroom, and chestnut
sugo; and lamb burgers with goat cheese,
spicy tomato sauce, zucchini pickles,
and fries. (84 East 4th St., 212.979.2034,
www.belcourtnyc.com)
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF BAR STUZZICHINI, COURTESY OF CENTRO VINOTECA, COURTESY OF RM FIFTY5
Bar Stuzzichini
DRINK UP
The latest places for fancy cocktails.
Death & Company
Rayuela
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF RAYUELA, BEN RITTER (DEATH & COMPANY)
LOWER EAST SIDE Fans of spirited Latin American cuisine flock to Rayuela, a stunning two-story
restaurant with a lofty lower-level bar featuring a
live olive tree that peaks into the swanky upstairs
dining room, which is marked by glossy hardwood
floors, sheer floor-to-ceiling curtains sectioning
off custom sofa banquettes, and walls of cast-iron
windows. Chef Maximo Tejada (Ola and Chicama)
serves a menu of what he calls estilo libre latino, or
freestyle Latino cuisine. This means a Pan-Latin
wave of fresh and fiery ceviche alongside paella,
arroz con pollo, and more contemporary combinations like sugar-cane-marinated duck breast with
duck confit, spinach, and pan-seared foie gras on
a yellow corn arepa. If you’re looking for a hip but
civilized place for an after-work drinks meeting,
the bar is ideal, with a spacious lounge and cocktails by Junior Merino that highlight single spirits,
such as the Mezcal, a smoky blend of Mezcal, ginger, pineapple, and Cointreau. (165 Allen St., 212
253.8840, www.rayuelanyc.com)
SOHO AND NOLITA Purchased last year by the
team behind Five Points and Cookshop, Provence
has been born again with a face-lift that includes a
beautiful marble bar, cozy café tables tucked into
French doors, lace and toile accents on the golden
stucco walls, and an enclosed garden room perfect for private dining. For lunch meetings, the
sun-filled space feels peaceful and serene, with a
menu of light fare including a Niçoise salad with
poached tuna, cucumber, cauliflower, olives, new
potatoes, and baby greens, and plump bouchot
mussels in an aromatic broth of garlic, scallion,
tomato, and chili. For dinner, the restaurant feels
lively yet civilized, with a selection of rustic dishes
such as braised rabbit, mashed new potatoes,
roasted peppers, and peas, and “label rouge” rotis-
serie chicken with rosemary, garlic, and a warm
frisée salad. (38 MacDougal St., 212.475.7500)
TRIBECA While the name Cleaverhouse may
bring back memories of The Sopranos’ Christopher Moltisanti’s debut film, this bright and airy
restaurant in the new Hilton has little to do with
gangsters and gore and everything to do with elegant French-American cuisine. The 4,500-squarefoot space was designed by Albert Angel and Elle
Kunnos to evoke a grand old train station, with 20foot windows, wrought-iron latticework details,
and black-and-white tiles and accents. Chef de
cuisine Mathieu Palombino (formerly of BLT Fish
and BLT Steak) features a large raw bar alongside
such signatures as tableside steak tartare, smoked
and braised prime cuts of beef, and simply prepared fresh local fish dressed with snippings from
the kitchen’s interior herb garden. The restaurant,
which has wireless Internet, does not have a private room but can be bought out for events; it seats
200 or holds 350 for receptions. (268 West Broadway, 212.244.6018, www.cleaverhouse.com)
FINANCIAL DISTRICT While Nobu may seem
like the only place for sushi below Canal Street
(indeed, it’s one of the best), Haru Wall Street
offers another surefire option for sushi-lovers in
the financial district. Located in the historic Beaver Building and designed by Chris Smith, Haru
sticks to the sleek decor of its seven other Manhattan locations, but this one offers two private
rooms that can seat 15 people each, equipped with
plasma TVs, audiovisual hookups, and free wireless Internet, along with a 17-seat sushi counter
and a full bar serving colorful cocktails like the
green tea margarita and the Komodo Dragon,
as well as an extensive list of mojitos. (1 Wall St.
Court, 212.785.6850, www.harusushi.com)
From David Kaplan and Ravi DeRossi,
Death & Company takes its name
from a Prohibition-era flyer warning
that drinkers would wind up in the
company of death. The bar is softly
lit by chandeliers and gilded pewter
wall sconces and filled with roomy
leather banquettes. Among the
handcrafted cocktails is the Company Buck, made of Gosling’s dark
rum, pineapple and orange juice,
homemade ginger beer, and fresh
lime. (433 East 6th St., 212.388.0882)
The Cuban lounge and restaurant
Socialista is washed in weathered
lime-green paint, with old paintings
and black-and-white tiled floors
lending a Hemingway-in-Havana
vibe, from former Bungalow 8
doorman Armin Amiri—with backing from Giuseppe Cipriani, Trudie
Styler, and Sting. The juices are fresh
in one of the city’s best mojitos
and the Fields of Gold (bourbon,
lemon, orange, and honey shaken
over cracked ice). (505 West St.,
212.929.4303, www.socialista.us)
PDT—Please Don’t Tell—is about as
secret a speakeasy as you’ll find in
New York. Reached through a door in
a 1940s phone booth in a neighboring hot dog joint is a low-lit, woodpaneled salon serving serious cocktails like the Prince of Wales (Hine
Cognac, Blandy’s Sercial Madeira,
and Moët White Star Champagne).
(113 St. Mark’s Place, 212.614.0386)
Sophisticated in a cool, low-key sort
of way, Smith & Mills has a 1930s
and ’40s vibe, with its vintage handhammered accents in a former
carriage house in TriBeCa. Cozy
and intimate, it’s perfect for quiet
conversation over a short list of classics: Manhattans, Dark & Stormys,
Americanos, and, to keep things
interesting, the Nathaniel Moore—a
nightly special. (71 North Moore St.,
no phone, no reservations)
The Townhouse
at Park Avenue
Winter
Grayz’s
Atrium Room
PRIVATE ROOMS WITH PERKS
ceptions), designed as a posh piedà-terre, has its own private entry,
front-hall closet, dining room, and
fully stocked porcelain-china liquor
cabinet. All rooms have iPod docks,
so you can bring your own soundtrack. (100 East
63rd St., 212.644.1900, www.parkavenyc.com)
cheesesteak sliders; and veal parmigiana heroes.
Beyond the bar, you’ll find high-backed leather
banquettes for as many as eight, with five flatscreen TVs each and private audio. The Dugout
is a private enclave outfitted with eight plush,
stadium-style leather bucket chairs, a fireplace,
private audio, and seven independent HDTVs, so
you can play DVDs and watch games at the same
A PHOTO FINISH You can leave the digital cam- time. The Skybox seats 17 with banquette seating
eras behind at the Smith, Jeff Lefcourt and chef and a dozen independent HDTVs. (157 Ludlow
Glenn Harris’s follow-up to Jane and the Nep- St., 212.614.1494, www.theblueseatsnyc.com)
tune Room. The bustling American brasserie
features high-end comfort food—salads, soups, FIRESIDE CHATS In the elegantly restored town
burgers, steaks, and the like—in an urban envi- house that most recently housed Aquavit, Grayz
ronment marked by subway tiles, vintage photos is the latest project from Gray Kunz, and lucky for
from the 1920s, and a long zinc bar. Downstairs you, his life-changing braised short ribs with grits
is a private dining room that seats 65 or holds 85 are served in all three private dining rooms. The
for cocktails, with hardwood floors and walls pa- Fireside Room offers intimate dining for seven
pered with Life magazine covers and prints from to 10 in full view of the open kitchen—and, natuthe ’20s and ’30s. Just outside the dining room rally, a fireplace. The Onyx Room (for 10 to 20),
is an old-school photo booth where guests can partitioned off from the main room by sliding
crowd in and document the good times. (55 Third glass doors, has a separate cocktail lounge and a
jewel-box dining room—and its own fireplace, too.
Ave., 212.420.9800, www.thesmithnyc.com)
Downstairs, the Atrium Room (which seats 70 or
A VIEW OF THE GAME—OR SEVERAL GAMES holds 150) is the most dramatic of the three, with
Forget tiny TVs, pitchers of cheap beer, rickety seven-story ceilings and huge windows looking up
stools, and sticky floors. The Blue Seats, named to the sky. The sleek, modern space features a confor where loyalists used to sit at Madison Square necting speakeasy-style lounge for cool cocktails
Garden, is a 2,000-square-foot spot serving up- like the Agava Agava, with Herradura silver tequiscale bar food including fresh mozzarella, toma- la, agave, lime, elderflower syrup, and mint. (13-15
to, and basil; scallops wrapped in bacon; Philly West 54th St., 212.823.6332, www.grayz.net)
POWERPOINT WITH STYLE The farmhousestyle New American restaurant Irving Mill, from
Gramercy Tavern alumnus chef John Schaefer,
has already been pegged as the locavore’s It spot,
with a rustic seasonal menu crafted from ingredients sourced at the nearby Union Square Greenmarket. The lower-level wine-cellar-inspired
dining room (with room for 50 seated, 75 for
receptions) has a separate stairwell, allowing for
complete privacy, and its high-tech features—
wireless Internet access and a wide pull-down
screen—make it ideal for showing movies or
presentations. (116 East 16th St., 212.254.1600,
www.irvingmill.com)
A HOMEY VIBE A religiously seasonal eatery—
the menu, name, and decor all change with the
seasons—Park Avenue Winter/Spring/Summer/
Autumn offers three private dining options, each
with a different allure. The Archive Room (which
seats 75 or holds 90 for receptions) offers a rustic, contemporary vibe and an adjacent gallery for
cocktails, while the 10-seat kitchen table provides
a temperature-controlled, glassed-in room with
a view of chef Craig Koketsu and his team. The
Townhouse (which also seats 75 or holds 90 for re-
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF PARK AVENUE WINTER, THOMAS MOORE (GRAYZ)
Where to take a group for
more than a meal.
ROOMS FOR
DESSERT
Where pastry chefs and their artful
presentations are in the spotlight.
The menu at Tailor, the SoHo eatery
Sam Mason opened in September, is
made up of sweet and salty plates.
Innovative flavor combinations
from the former WD-50 pastry chef
include pork belly and miso butterscotch, and chocolate cream with
squash sorbet and basil meringue.
(525 Broome St., 212.334.5182)
P*ong
Pichet Ong, formerly of Jean-Georges
Vongerichten’s Spice Market and 66,
opened P*ong last April. The intimate
West Village eatery offers unusual
dishes including foie gras torchon
with chocolate, brioche, ginger red
pepper jam, and persimmon. (150
West 10th St., 212.929.0898)
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF P*ONG, COURTESY OF ANITA LO, COURTESY OF BAR 44
Hell’s Kitchen dessert bar Kyotofu
is known for its soy-focused dishes,
including sansho pepper tofu
cheesecake. The pretty spot, which
has soft lighting illuminating the
padded white walls, seats 30 in its
dining room; a 15-seat bar overlooks
the glass-enclosed pastry kitchen.
(705 Ninth Ave., 212.974.6012)
In November, chef Will Goldfarb partnered with Chocolat Michel Cluizel
to open Dessert Studio at Chocolat Michel Cluizel at ABC Carpet &
Home. The intimate 40-seat space
serves Goldfarb’s innovative items,
such as warm chocolate bubbles with
espresso Jell-O and fresh milk foam,
as well as chocolate-inspired cocktails. (888 Broadway, 212.477.7335)
Jehangir Mehta, previously pastry
chef for Aix, Jean Georges, and Vong,
struck out on his own in September
with Graffiti Food & Wine Bar, a bistro and bakery serving the Bombayborn chef’s inventive street food. The
18-seat space is available for buyouts;
Mehta also caters events. (224 East
10th St., 212.677.0695) —A. Sekula
WHAT’S COMING
The most anticipated restaurants of 2008.
Anita Lo
Chef Anita Lo, best
known for her elegant
seasonal American fare
at Annisa, will open
Bar Q this spring. The
funky, modestly priced
Asian-American barbecue restaurant will feature a raw bar serving
shellfish and creative
sushi, as well as sweet
and sticky barbecued
and grilled “comfort
food.” She’ll keep the
bar stocked with lots of sake, beer, wine, and
Asian-inspired cocktails to match the cuisine.
(308 Bleecker St.; for more information, call
646.638.0771)
The casually elegant West Village spot 10 Downing brings together former Quilty’s toque Katy
Sparks (consulting chef) with 71 Clinton wunderkind Jason Neroni (executive chef). This dynamic
duo aims to create a seasonal menu of American
cuisine with Mediterranean influences. As for
decor, expect stained-wood banquettes and sweetheart chairs, and a marble food bar perfect for
peering into the open kitchen. (10 Downing St.;
for more information, call 646.638.0771)
From Steve Hanson comes the latest local smoke
joint, Wildwood Bar BQ. Designed by David
Rockwell, this clean and polished restaurant (no
vintage wood or hokey license plates) will feature
a menu by pit master “Big Lou” Elrose (formerly
of Hill Country), with regional barbecue recipes
and wood-smoked ribs, briskets, poultry, and fish.
At the 100-foot-long bar, you can assault your liver with beer, cocktails, and a BBQ-friendly wine
list. (225 Park Ave. South, 212.533.2500)
These days, Daniel Boulud seems like the Francis Ford Coppola of the restaurant business. After long-running Godfather-like hits Daniel and
Café Boulud, he’s back in action this year with
the opening of Bar Boulud, a wine bar and bistro
featuring housemade charcuterie, and in October he’ll open an as-yet-unnamed Bowery restaurant featuring creative burgers and gelato, with a
dozen beers on tap. (299 Bowery; for more information, call 212.327.3434)
You may have thought Jeffrey Chodorow was
done with steak after opening Kobe Club—but
you’d be wrong. He’ll open two more temples of
beef this year. The first is Maxim Prime (18 Ninth
Ave.), which will replace Ono in the Gansevoort
Hotel in late March. And Center Cut (44 West
63rd St.) will open in the Empire Hotel this summer, in the former West 63rd Street Steakhouse
space.
From the man who turned a spotted pig from a
farm animal into a hipster hotspot (that would be
Ken Friedman) comes John Dory, a fish house
and restaurant in the style of London’s J Sheekey.
Chef-partner April Bloomfield will help turn out
two menus: one for the pub, with a raw bar, fish
cakes, cockles, and mussels, and another for the
dining room, offering whole fish to be filleted
tableside. Groups of 12 to 14 can reserve the elevated private room, hidden from the main dining
room by a huge fish tank. (85 10th Ave.)
ITINERARY
Basketball and Beef
DINNER Start with an early dinner in one of Primehouse
New York’s two sleek private rooms. Order the 65-dayaged rib eye and take advantage of the restaurant’s extensive wine list. (381 Park Ave. South, 212.824.2600)
GAME Head over to Madison Square Garden to catch
a Knicks game before the season ends in mid-April. The
Garden offers single-event suites with comfy seats, a
great view, and a private entrance for as many as 16
guests. (4 Penn Plaza, 212.631.5253)
DRINKS Wrap up the evening with a nightcap (like the
Regal Manhattan—Maker’s Mark, tea, and sweet vermouth) at the tony Bar 44 at the remade Royalton Hotel.
(44 West 44th St., 212.944.8844) —Lisa Cericola
Bar 44
AVANT-
GARDE
ENTERTAINERS
On the hunt for an original act? Here’s a collection
of offbeat performers who can amuse, shock, and
intrigue an audience. By Lisa Cericola & Mark Mavrigian
UP IN FLAMES
A REAL BUZZ
Nelson Loskamp provides “Electric Chaircuts,” a performance that involves taping
volunteers into a chair and, armed with scissors and clippers outfitted with
microphones to pick up the cutting sounds, cutting their hair—providing anything from
trims to Mohawks. (Consider it a high-art take on a sales leader’s typical “I’ll shave my
head if you meet this target” motivational stunt.) The New Yorker has performed at
London’s Horniman Museum, at the Siren Music Festival, and at events for Paper and
Intercoiffure magazines. Rates start at $2,500. (718.230.1744, www.chaircut.com)
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF STU JENKS (FLAM CHEN),
COURTESY OF JASON GRAHAM (ELECTRIC CHAIRCUTS)
Flam Chen, a Tucson-based pyrotechnic theater troupe, uses fire
and theatrical effects such as cluster balloons and elaborate
costumes in its performances and installation-art-like displays.
The group’s “Rites of Spring” show merges modern dance with
oversize insect sculptures that erupt into flames. The troupe has
performed at festivals such as the Electric Daisy Carnival and for
corporate clients like Tucson-based Angel Charity. Customized
shows start at $8,000. (520.409.1519, www.flam-chen.com)
A COUTURE CIRCUS
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF BRION TAPOLSKI (LUCENT DOSSIER),
COURTESY OF LUMA, SCOTT DEWAR (MAGNETIC POETS)
Lucent Dossier Vaudeville Cirque incorporates wild costumes,
modern dance, and imaginative sets to put a twist on
acts like aerial performers, fire breathers, and stiltwalkers.
The Los Angeles-based troupe has toured worldwide with
bands such as Aerosmith and Panic at the Disco and has
played for corporate clients including BCBG and video-game
manufacturer Activision. Customized performances start at
$10,000. (310.755.5959, www.lucentdossier.com)
POETRY IN MOTION
A LIGHT SHOW
Using light, color, and motion to create dramatic effects, Luma’s performers (each clad
entirely in black) dance and spin to create high-tech effects that are surprisingly not
computer-generated, producing displays such as spiraling DNA helixes or a galaxy of
stars. Luma has entertained audiences at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,
and corporate clients include the Sci Fi Channel and Mercedes-Benz. Industrial Artist
Management handles booking; rates start at $17,500. (212.343.0956, www.lumatheater.com)
The Magnetic Poets create live music videos with hightech instruments that allow the group to improvise video
production. Founder Christopher Hedge, a two-time Grammynominated recording artist, leads the five-person group,
which is based in the Bay Area. Content ranges from an
interpretation of Web traffic converted to music and video
waveforms to original branded images and music for corporate
presentations. The Magnetic Poets performed during the
2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, and their corporate
clients include Cisco and Oracle. Depending on the scale of
the project, rates range from $18,000 to more than $200,000.
(650.583.3632, www.magneticpoets.com)
Plat du Jour
A bar area—decorated with an
illuminated backdrop—was left
mostly bare, allowing guests to
relax with plates full of food.
With the help
of the Rockwell
Group and
Restaurant
Associates,
Bon Appétit
transformed
the former Hard
Rock Cafe into
a temporary
restaurant.
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THE MICHAEL ALAN GROUP (PEDICAB), ALISON WHITTINGTON FOR BIZBASH (ALL OTHERS)
Meshing its experience in
restaurant and theatrical design,
the Rockwell Group created a
stylish take on a modern café for
the promotion’s main room.
The public could purchase books
from celeb chefs at the pop-up,
as well as treats like Fralinger’s
taffy and Gary Poppins popcorn.
Green walls marked the area where consumers purchased lunch items. The café
used biodegradable cutlery and plates made from organically grown bamboo.
P
op-up promotions are ephemeral by nature, but few have looked around the perimeter. Restaurant Associates provided staffing, bringing in
less temporary than Bon Appétit’s Supper Club and Café. Open kitchen support, servers, bartenders, and cashiers.
Finding and building the ideal place for the promotion was a challengto the public for a two-week stretch (from Tuesday, October
25, to Friday, November 2), the working eatery hosted chef ing task, and after months of searching (with the aid of a real estate broker),
demos and book signings during the day and became a site for Smith and her team chose the former Hard Rock Cafe. “We needed someprivate events (including a post-screening dinner for The Kite thing that was set up as a restaurant but could function as an event space,”
Runner and designer Douglas Hannant’s 10th anniversary party) at night. Smith explained. A crew of plumbers, electricians, carpenters, and general
Terri Smith, the magazine’s executive director of creative services, headed contractors brought the abandoned venue up to code—getting permits from
up the planning team, which enlisted the help of the Rockwell Group and the city, setting up a fire protection system, and being inspected by various
agencies, including the fire department and ConEd. With a commercial-grade
Restaurant Associates, among others.
“Every magazine wants to bring its pages to life, and we thought this kitchen (Restaurant Associates provided help), the pop-up essentially became
a restaurant, without the need to acquire
would be a unique way [for Bon Appétit] to
a permanent liquor license or make
do so. It was about bringing out-of-town
arrangements with food purveyors.
chefs into town, and people without resGetting chefs to participate wasn’t
taurants, like Giada De Laurentiis, to the
as difficult a task. Working in tandem
public,” Smith said of the concept. “The
with the magazine’s editors, the events
supper-club idea really embodies Bon
team put together a hit list of chefs and
Appétit’s accessibility and has an up-closestarted assembling the schedule based
and-personal element to it.” It also proon who was available.
vided an opportunity for the magazine’s
If the celebrity chefs and modestly
advertisers to interact with consumers.
priced food weren’t enough to reel in the
Held in the former Hard Rock Cafe
crowds, the magazine had more stratespace on 57th Street, the supper club and
gies up its sleeve. Special projects direccafé consisted of several areas: a front
tor Wendy Lauria hired the Michael Alan
café area with sandwiches, salads, and
Group to put together a guerrilla marketsoups; a main dining room; and a lounge
The event included numerous demonstrations for guests—
ing initiative that involved branded Buick
space upstairs. Designed by the Rockwell
some of whom were shuttled to the venue in pedicabs. The
Enclaves (Buick was a sponsor) and pediGroup, the main dining room was decked
mag also used branded Buicks to bring clients to the restaurant.
cabs. Street teams handed out menus
in shades of blue and purple, with colored
and information during lunch, with the
lighting and white high-top tables and
cars as mobile ads. Aproned pedicab
stools. Overhead was what looked like a
drivers circled Times Square, Rockefeller
deconstructed chandelier made from thin
Center, and Columbus Circle, providing
reflective panels strung on fishing line;
free rides to and from the pop-up.
white bungee cords, reaching from the
The promotion drew between 600
ceiling to the floor, enclosed the space.
and 800 people a day, and when we
In the casual café at the front, cusasked Smith if there are plans to return
tomers could buy packaged salads, sandnext year or to take the concept to other
wiches, soups, and desserts from chefs
cities, she said, “We are already talking
such as Michel Richard, Will Goldfarb,
about it. Nothing is definite, but I don’t
Cat Cora, and Govind Armstrong.
think this is the last you’ll see of the Bon
Upstairs, sponsors like Häagen-Dazs
Appétit supper club.” —Anna Sekula
served nibbles from small stations set up
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
Selected from www.MasterplannerOnline.com––the only source for thousands of
exclusive fund-raisers, openings, and major events planned for the upcoming year.
$3,500. Chaired by Rachel Hovnanian,
Cynthia Lufkin, Calvert Moore, Allison
Rockefeller, Burwell Schorr, Mark
Gilbertson, and Andrew Roosevelt.
3 Brooklyn Museum
Black tie. By invitation only. Museum
Brooklyn Ball 2008. 6:30pm. Celebrating
of the City of New York. (212) 534-1672
the work of Takashi Murakami and an
March of Dimes
exhibition of his work, “Murakami”.
Million Dollar Beauty Ball.
Black tie. The Brooklyn Museum. (718)
6:00pm. Cocktails, dinner, musical
501-6423
performance, and auction. Hosted
7 New York Women in
by Vanessa Williams. Chaired by
Bernd Beetz and co-chaired by Vera Communications
Wang. Cipriani 42nd Street. (212)
2008 Matrix Awards Luncheon.
353-1143
11:30am. The Waldorf=Astoria. (212)
297-2133
13 Frick Collection
APRIL 2008
MARCH 2008
3 School of American Ballet
Winter Ball. 7:00pm. Dinner, dancing,
and student performance. Chaired
by Coco Kopelman, Gillian Miniter,
Elizabeth Miller, and Liz Peek. Black
tie. New York State Theater. (212)
769-6609
5 New York City Opera
Spring Gala. 6:00pm. Cocktails,
performance of “King Arthur,”
dinner, and dancing. Black tie. New
York State Theater. (212) 870-5622
6 Billboard
7th Annual Music and Money
Symposium. 8:00am-8:00pm. Includes
panel discussion. By invitation only.
The St. Regis Hotel. (646) 654-4660
PR Week
2008 Awards Dinner. 6:30pm. Cocktail
reception, dinner, and awards. Tavern
on the Green. (646) 638-6059
7 Young Friends of Save
Annual Young Fellows Ball. 8:30pm.
Black tie. The Frick Collection. (212)
547-0706
15 Inner Circle of City Hall
Journalists
2008 Inner Circle Show. 6:30pm.
Dinner and entertainment by
political reporters. $500-$750.
Black tie. New York Hilton. info@
innercircleshow.org
Venice
17 St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Annual Iridescent Masked Ball.
8:00pm. Cocktails, dinner, and
dancing. By invitation only.
Metropolitan Club. (212) 737-3141
11:00am. Fifth Avenue, 44th Street
to 86th Street.
9 International Restaurant and
15th Annual Expo Opening Day.
10:00am-5:00pm. Jacob Javits
Center. (978) 475-4441
19th Annual Media Awards. 5:00pm.
Cocktail reception, silent auction,
dinner, awards show, and after
party. From $400. By invitation only.
Marriott Marquis. (646) 519-7904
10 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Foundation
22 New York International
Auto Show
2008 Induction Ceremony. 6:45pm.
Honoring Leonard Cohen, The
Dave Clark Five, Madonna, John
Mellencamp, and The Ventures. The
Waldorf=Astoria. (212) 484-1757
Opening Day. 11:00am. Jacob Javits
Center. (800) 282-3336
Foodservice Show
12 McGraw-Hill Companies
2008 Media Summit Opening Day.
8:15am. McGraw-Hill Building. (212)
352-9720
Advertising Women of New
York
Woman of the Year Luncheon.
11:30am-2:00pm. $125-$1,750.
Honoring Lisa Caputo. New York
Hilton. (212) 221-7969
Museum of the City of New
York
Director’s Council Winter Ball.
7:30pm. Dinner and dancing. $500-
Gay & Lesbian Alliance
Against Defamation
8 Breast Cancer Research
Foundation
City Harvest
The Practical Magic Ball. 6:30pm.
Cocktails, auction, dinner, and
dancing. $750-$2,500. Honoring
BlackRock. Cipriani 42nd Street. (917)
351-8778
16 The Advertising Club
12th Annual New York Magazine
Day. 8:30am-2:00pm. Seminars and
luncheon. Marriott Marquis. (212) 5338080 ext 210
New Yorkers for Children
Fool’s Fête. 7:30pm. Cocktails, silent
auction, dinner, and dancing. From
$500. Mandarin Oriental. (212) 294-3580
The Hot Pink Party. 7:00pm.
Cocktails, dinner, and concert. The
18 New York Comic Con
9 BizBash Media
20 United States Conference
Event Style Awards. 6:00pm. Awards
followed by cocktails. Nokia Theatre
Times Square. 212.764.6505 ext 14
Papal Public Mass. 2:30pm. Yankee
Stadium. (301) 853-4517
11 International Vision Expo
East
Opening Day. 9:30am-6:00pm. Jacob
Javits Center. (800) 811-7151
13 National Multiple Sclerosis
Society
2008 Manhattan Multiple Sclerosis
Walk. 9:30am. South Street Seaport.
(212) 463-9791
14 Big Brothers Big Sisters of
NYC
Exposition Opening Day. 3:00pm.
Jacob Javits Center. (888) 605-6059
of Bishops
23 Tribeca Film Festival
Opening Day. Festival of screenings,
workshops, and events. Locations
throughout Lower Manhattan. (212)
941-4000
24 Archdiocese of New York
Bicentennial Celebration. 6:30pm.
Dining and entertainment hosted by
Cardinal Edward Egan. Ellis Island.
(212) 371-1011 ext 3270
28 P.E.N. American Center
Sidewalks of NY Annual Awards
Dinner. 6:30pm. Cocktails, dinner,
and awards. From $1,000. Honoring
26 Scope Art
Angela Burt-Murray, Michelle Ebanks,
2008 New York Art Fair Opening
Day. 6:00pm. Damrosch Park, Lincoln and Brian Roberts. Black tie. The
Center. (212) 268-1522
P.E.N. Literary Gala. 7:00pm. Chaired
by Tina Brown, Joan Jakobson and
Laurence Kirshbaum. Black tie.
American Museum of Natural History.
(212) 629-8748
27 American Advertising
Film Society of Lincoln Center
Federation
59th Annual Advertising Hall of
Fame. 11:00am. Cocktail reception,
luncheon, and awards. The
Tribute Gala. 7:00pm. From $175.
Dinner, and program of highlights
and accolades honoring Meryl Streep.
Chaired by Bernard and Irene Schwartz.
Black tie. Avery Fisher Hall.
Spring Gala. 6:00pm. Cocktails,
performance, and supper ball.
Chaired by Barry Friedberg, Charlotte
Moss, and Veronique and Bob
Pittman. Black tie. New York State
Theater. (212) 870-5585
30 Design Industries
Foundation Fighting AIDS
15 Bomb Magazine
30 American Institute of
27th Anniversary Benefit Auction &
Gala Dinner. 6:00pm. Cocktails, dinner,
and silent auction. Honoring Mary
Heilmann and Elizabeth LeCompte.
Bowery Hotel. (212) 868-8450 ext 209
Architects New York Chapter/
Center for Architecture
Dining by Design Opening Day.
11:00am-5:00pm. Wine, food
tastings, and viewing of celebrity
designed and decorated tables.
Skylight Studios. (212) 727-3100
29 New York City Ballet
2008 Design Award Luncheon.
11:30am. Chaired by Roger Duffy.
Cipriani Wall Street. (212) 358-6118
View the entire advance calendar—updated daily and custom searchable
www.MasterplannerOnline.com

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