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Artist Uses Met Rooftop as Canvas

Imran Qureshi splatters red paint and hope on the Metropolitan Museum of Art's rooftop.

May 22, 2013

The floor of the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden at the Metropolitan Museum of Art served as the canvas (which viewers are welcome to walk on) for artist Imran Qureshi's latest work, The Roof Garden Commission: Imran Qureshi. In this acclaimed, site-specific installation, Qureshi explores his emotional response to violence around the world, but specifically in his home country of Pakistan. Yet despite the intense subject matter, at its essence, this project is actually a work of hope.

In splashes and spills of red acrylic paint, the piece is painted directly upon the nearly 8,000 square-foot surface. “The dialogue between life and death is an important element in my work," says Qureshi. "Leaves and nature, for example, represent the idea of life. And the particular color of red that I have been using in recent years can look so real, like blood. The red reminds me of the situation today in my country, Pakistan, and in the world around us, where violence is almost a daily occurrence. But somehow, people still have hope. The flowers that seem to emerge from the red paint in my work represent the hope that—despite everything—the people sustain somehow, their hope for a better future.”

Qureshi is known for combining Islamic motifs, symbolism, and techniques with the approach of conceptual modern art. His signature aesthetic references 16th century "miniature painting," a style of art popular in the Mughal courts of India at that time. The Roof Garden Commission is no exception: certain areas of red paint are worked into patterns of ornamental leaves—reminiscent of the Mughal courts of yore, but also present day Central Park. 

BY SIMONA RABINOVITCH 


 

Adam Richman Talks New Taste of the UWS

A former Upper West Sider, Richman will host the event which kicks off next Friday.

May 22, 2013

  
   

Along with Top Chef judge Gail Simmons, the Travel Channel's Adam Richman (Man vs. Food, Fandemonium) will host the sixth annual New Taste of the Upper West Side, taking place May 29 to June 1. With more than 70 participating restaurants (think Dovetail, Red Farm, Bar Boulud) this year's event honors Union Square Hospitality Group's Danny Meyer and Shake Shack CEO Randy Garutti. All proceeds from this community culinary festival benefit the Columbus Avenue Beautification Project and the O’Shea Wellness In Schools program. To get more insight on the event, and the neighborhood it honors, we chatted with co-host and former Upper West Sider Adam Richman. 

For the third consecutive year, you'll be hosting this Friday's Comfort Classics at New Taste of the Upper West Side. What do you love about this community food festival?
ADAM RICHMAN: I used to live at 104 West End. I'm a Brooklyn kid, but I sublet up there, and I feel the UWS is one of the last vestiges of true neighborhoods on the island of Manhattan. What the Upper West Side still has, a little bit, is that great Woody Allen aesthetic; it's very evocative of Brooklyn in many respects—because of that community. You start out with this cultural touchstone of Lincoln Center, in the sixties. You have Time Warner Center, which is really beautiful, [and] restaurants like Landmarc and great chefs like Marc Murphy, but then you can go uptown and find cultural institutions; places like Barney Greengrass that are as much a part of New York as the Empire State Building.

The UWS certainly is a unique neighborhood with its own spirit.
AR: This is one neighborhood that has a culinary identity that the world may not necessarily know about. That's a very special thing as a native New Yorker, to be able to say, 'Hey, I live here, I love it here, my love of food was fostered by being here,' and this event will hopefully let you know why.

What are the great restaurant gems of the Upper West Side, in your opinion?
AR: The UWS has got that great Chino-Latino thing that's really only maybe found in a couple of restaurants on the West End of 14th Street as you approach Meatpacking. From Flor de Mayo and La Caridad 78 to the touchstones of the Upper West Side like V&T Pizza, Koronet, Zabar's, these are the major icons that typify the [neighborhood].

Your upcoming NBC game show, Food Fighters, features home cooks. In this era of celebrity chefs, where do talented home cooks fit in?
AR: I think a lot of people throw that [chef] title around, and in a million years, I would never be arrogant enough to consider myself a chef. A chef is really someone who has dedicated themselves, that has studied and run restaurants . . . there's a degree of training that's commensurate with that title, and I just think I'm an above average cook, not just on the job, but I learned from my mom, my aunt, my dad, my grandma, and also my friends' moms, and my friends' grandmas. Maybe the Brooklyn in me makes me root for the underdog, because I respect home cooks, maybe because I'm categorically opposed to the exclusionary nature of being very precious with food. I think it's cool to show that these dishes have their own culinary merit—as do the people who make them.  

BY SIMONA RABINOVITCH   


 

Roche Bobois Opens on the UES

The European luxury home furnishings brand debuts a sprawling new showroom.

May 22, 2013

An exclusive slice of domestic luxury hits the Upper East Side in the form of Roche Bobois' brand new showroom. Born in 1961 France, Roche Bobois is known for European furniture and accessories, like its iconic Mah Jong modular seating created by legendary designer Hans Hopfer.

With 11-foot mirrored walls and ceilings, custom wallpaper, and a massive floor-to-ceiling multimedia screen, the stunning new space—designed by Hopfer's daugher, Jacqueline—showcases the best of Roche Bobois’ "Les Contemporains" collection. Furniture highlights include the Mah Jong sofa, available in a brand new fabric collection courtesy of Missoni Home; the sculptural Voiles dining table made from a single sheet of steel; and newly-launched accent pieces by designer Cédric Ragot.

On its multimedia screen, the showroom will present Roche Bobois' new commercial film, La Jubilation, directed by Christian Larson, who has done music videos for the likes of Sigur Ros and Swedish House Mafia. Since opening its first New York City shop in 1974, Roche Bobois' North American network has grown to 28 stores (this marks number 29) and 240 showrooms around the world. 207 East 57th St., 212-980-2574

BY SIMONA RABINOVITCH 


 

La Terrazza Opens; GoldBar Debuts Spring Cocktails

Plus: Dominique Ansel's "cronut" and Blue Ribbon's new LES beer garden.

May 21, 2013


La Terrazza at Lincoln Center

La Terrazza Opens in Lincoln Center: While it’s not quite on par with the piazzas of Italy, the plaza at Lincoln Center is one of our favorite spring lounging spots. And since Lincoln Ristorante opened La Terrazza for the season, the plaza is feeling more Italian every day. Stop by for a glass of prosecco and chef Jonathan Benno’s take on alfresco Italian fare, with a number of small plate and antipasti options. 142 West 65th St., 212-359-6500 

Spring Cocktails at GoldBar: Head bartender Tim Cooper has crafted a roster of new spring cocktails to match this Nolita boîte's gilded atmosphere. Mix-ins range from peach purée to lavender syrup to Muscato grapes while spirits run the gamut from Vida mezcal to Elijah Craig bourbon. Try the Bluegrass Fire, made with bourbon, pok pok apple vinegar, ginger syrup, and chipotle tabasco, among other ingredients. 389 Broome St., 212-274-1566

Blue Ribbon Opening LES Beer Garden: Just in time for the official start of summer (aka Memorial Day weekend), the Bromberg brothers’ Blue Ribbon restaurants expands this week with the opening of a beer garden on the Lower East Side. Expect a variety of barbecue and classic sides like coleslaw, cornbread, and black-eyed pea salad. Of course, beer will flow in the outdoor space replete with a ping pong table, board games, and music. Hours are 5 to 10 p.m. weekdays and noon to 10 p.m. on weekends. 190 Allen St., 212-466-0404

Dominique Ansel Debuts "Cronut": People are lining up at Ansel's Soho bakery for a taste of this hybrid croissant-meets-donut treat. Made of deep-fried croissant dough with vanilla cream filling and rose-flavored frosting, the "cronut" is chewy on the outside and flaky on the inside. Go early to try it—the new pastry has sold out every day it has been offered. 189 Spring St., 212-219-2773

BY BAO ONG 


 

Oscar de la Renta Launches Stationery

Paperless Post brings de la Renta's designs to your mailbox (and your inbox).

May 20, 2013

Oscar de la Renta has partnered with Paperless Post to bring the timeless elegance of his Fall 2013 bridal and ready to wear collections to stationery. The gorgeous new collaboration is replete with 30 original wedding designs, and soon to come later this year will be children's entertaining, general entertaining, and personal stationery.  

Available on engraved and letter-pressed fine paper, digitally-printed card stock, as well as on web, mobile web, and iPhone app options, the Oscar de la Renta for Paperless Post wedding collection is inspired by the designer's personal style, his home in Punta Cana, and of course, the stunning prints and embroideries seen on his latest runway looks. Showcased in the collection are de la Renta's famously delicate Chantilly, Alençon, and guipure laces, plus some of his prints and plaids. And with some items being an exact match to the lacework on the designer's bridal gowns, you can even match your wedding invitation to your dress. Now that's something to write home about.   

by Simona Rabinovitch

 

Prince Harry Takes Greenwich

The prince and Nacho Figueras hit the field at the Greenwich Polo Club.

May 17, 2013

Prince Harry, HRH Prince Henry of Wales, dazzled guests and spectators this week when he visited the Greenwich Polo Club in Connecticut for a luncheon and an afternoon of polo sponsored by St. Regis Hotels and Resorts to benefit his Sentebale charity.

Third in line to the British throne (at least until Kate Middleton gives birth), the prince charmed guests with a short, heartfelt speech before lunch, describing Sentebale's efforts on behalf of Lesotho youngsters' education and healthcare. 

Every table in the tent, specially set up on the polo club grounds, was packed with New York socials and designers including Valentino Garavani, Giancarlo Giammetti, Jason Wu, Indre Rockefeller, Gayle King, Amanda Hearst, Hayley Bloomingdale, art collector and Greenwich Polo Club co-founder Peter Brant and his wife Stephanie Seymour, and Prince Harry's compatriot Torquhil Ian Campbell, the Duke of Argyll. 

The prince, captain of the Land Rover Sentebale team, tore up the playing fields. He scored the winning goal, defeating Nacho Figueras' St. Regis team for a final score of 4 to 3.  

 

by Catherine Sabino

 

Brunch Plans: The General

Chef Hung Huynh churns out cereal-stuffed donuts, peking duck hash, and more.

May 17, 2013

BY JULIET IZON

 

What We're Reading

Richard Wagner's New York, Sofia Coppola at Cannes, an epic Versace party at the Armory...

May 17, 2013


Donatella Versace and J.W. Anderson 

Bullet's Fiona Duncan attended this week's launch party and runway show for J.W. Anderson's capsule collection for Versus Versace (Donatella's project) at the Lexington Ave. Armory, and lived to tell the tale. The late-night party featured performances by Grimes, Maxwell, and Angel Haze. And apparently, she says, Woody Allen was in the house. [Bullet] 

While British folklore often paints gin (aka "mother's ruin") in a depressing light, New York Times Magazine writer Rosie Schapp sings the praises of this spirit's summertime value, from gimlet to martini. [The New York Times Magazine] 

As Cannes is in full swing, Sofia Coppola's new flick The Bling Ring stars Emma Watson in a surprising performance (as in "tramp-stamped" and "wild child"), writes New York magazine's Kyle Buchanan on Vulture. [New York] 

In honor of famed composer Richard Wagner's 200th birthday on May 22, The New Yorker's Alex Ross offers up a fantasy walking tour of Wagner's New York —had the German composer ever made it to the new world. [The New Yorker] 

—Simona Rabinovitch
photography by Rabbani and Solimene/wireimage.com

 

Q&A: Daniel Boulud on 20 Years of Daniel

"It’s the restaurant I wanted to reach the top with," says Boulud of his culinary crown jewel.

May 16, 2013


Daniel Boulud

Daniel Boulud’s restaurant empire extends from Bowery favorite DBGB Kitchen and Bar to the elegant Maison Boulud in Beijing. But it was on New York's Upper East Side that Boulud made his name with Restaurant Daniel, which is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary. Over the past two decades, the iconic restaurant's kitchen relocated once, garnered all stars from acclaimed critics, and most of all, sewed itself into the fabric of New York. Here, Boulud reflects on the milestone and ensures that Daniel—the restaurant and chef—is here to stay.   

What sets apart Daniel from your other restaurants? 
DANIEL BOULUD: Daniel was the first restaurant I wanted to open. It’s the restaurant I wanted to reach the top with. If I had one choice, this would be the restaurant I would open. Daniel developed to be more contemporary in some ways, but it has the foundation of classic cooking and evolved and adapted to being in New York with having all these wonderful sources of ingredients. You could say, ‘Born in France, made in America.’

Does any one moment stick out in your mind in Daniel’s 20 years?
DB: I didn’t see them passing by. I have enjoyed every year of those 20 with excitement, with sometimes stress, sometimes joy, but always with a sense of accomplishment. I feel like we can’t change everything all the time, but we can change ourselves all the time. In those past 20 years, maybe 50 percent of the staff has been with me for more than half of those 20 years. They’re loyal to me, and I try to be loyal to them.  

Is there a dish that truly personifies the restaurant?
DB: For 20 years, the paupiette of sea bass. I created that dish at Le Cirque, moved it to Daniel, and kept making that dish perfect. After 15 years, a chef said we need to change it. We had changed the look of the restaurant, the direction, etc., so I said yes and said we will change the dish, but I wanted to keep the components of the dish.

In celebrating your anniversary, you’ve talked a lot about the team of people supporting you. Has this always been your philosophy?
DB: I worked with chefs in France, who really have a sense of community and camaraderie. There’s a sense of fraternity. A sense of caring. I try to have the same type of relationship with everyone associated with me on the team.

What have you aimed to teach the generation of chefs that have worked in your kitchens?
DB: To really learn how to cook properly. Learn what it takes to be a great chef. They also need patience and confidence. Some kitchens, there may be a lot of cooks, but they may not have the opportunity to learn everything. I think at Daniel the good thing is those who succeed in the first task, we will keep training them over the years.

What do you want to achieve in the next 20 years with Daniel?
DB: To continue to maintain a high standard. To continue to evolve with Daniel. To continue to make it one of the best restaurants in this country. There’s a serious commitment on our part to do it. I’m sure five to ten years from now, we’ll be a little different, but we’ll very much still have the DNA of Daniel. Every restaurant has to find its identity, its personality, its image. Also, it’s not about being like the same guy next to me but to be myself. We believe in what we do.

—BAO ONG

 

The Ultimate Summer Rosé

A non-conformist pink Champagne for elegant spring entertaining.

May 16, 2013

Did you know that Champagne is one of the most versatile wine pairings in the world? Festive, refreshing, and elegant, a good Champagne is therefore your dream date while entertaining during this season's special occasions. So with that, we recommend Krug Rosé, a fine pink Champagne with an aromatic bouquet. 

Aged for a minimum of six years and made from three different grapes (and several different years) this surprisingly dry Champagne's structure and volume can be traced to Pinot Noir wine. In terms of its texture, taste, and color (a pale salmon), this rosé is a non-conformist. Which begs the question? How does a host treat this unique Champagne right?

First, be bold. "Ignore the classic stereotypes," says Carl Heline, Krug's U.S. Director. "Contrary to popular belief, Champagne is best when served in an all purpose wine glass, rather than a flute. A flute tends to mask flavors. Its design is more focused on showcasing the bubbles, thus hindering the wine from breathing. A wine glass lets the wine fully come to life and breathe."

In this same non-conformist spirit, Heline points out that colder doesn’t always mean better. "One of the worst possible things to do is serve Champagne super cold," he attests. "When frosty, Champagnes become shy and the personality is lost. (An inside tip is to take the Champagne out of the refrigerator 20 minutes before drinking.) And finally, remember, Champagne is meant to be shared among friends and family. It may do its own thing, but Krug Rosé was created, like all Krug Champagnes, with the philosophy of pleasure and conviviality.

—Simona Rabinovitch

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Cover shoot: May/June 2013 issue of Gotham magazine.
 
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