Gotham Magazine

James Beard Awards

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:44:00 -0400

Stephen Fried talks to New York's best chefs on the red-carpet of the 2012 James Beard Foundation Awards.

Graffiti Artists Tag Restoration Hardware

Wed, 16 May 2012 10:45:00 -0400

Restoration Hardware is exhibiting two colossal pieces of graffiti art in The Gallery at Flatiron, located in the brand’s 22nd Street store, this month. The two 12- by 24-foot pieces, specially commissioned by Restoration Hardware chairman and CEO Gary Friedman, are a collaboration between graffiti artists CMENTONE (Matt Boal) and GE-OLOGY. Works are emblazoned with Japanese Sumi-inked tags of inspirational quotes written by Friedman to reflect the Restoration Hardware brand. “When we are open and giving of our light, we create an endless reflection that outlives our human existence,” reads one the two quotes, titled Endless Reflection. Edge and inspiration, isn’t that what all New York City abodes need more of? 935 Broadway, 212-260-9479

Dispatch: The Week in Parties

Tue, 15 May 2012 12:56:00 -0400

FROM LEFT: Tablescape and guestbook at Sir Mark Lyall Grand dinner party in the Queen's apartment

A Dinner Party at the Queen’s Apartment
On Saturday of last week, Sir Mark and Lady Sheila Lyall Grant held an intimate dinner party in an apartment fit for a queen. Sir Mark is the permanent British ambassador to the UN and the chichi dinner party on Beekman Place benefited Great Dixter House.

Actually, the party location was the Manhattan residence of Queen Elizabeth II. The Warhol portrait of her should have been the giveaway. Sir Mark and Lady Sheila have the dreamy pad with views of the East River on loan from Her Majesty.

Also at the dinner and perched on petite ballroom chairs were Nicole and Matthew Mellon, Hugo Guinness, Timo Weiland, and Aaron Bertelsen, house manager of Great Dixter, the family home of late, great English gardener Christopher Lloyd.

The soirée raised funds to conserve Great Dixter House & Gardens, and to assist a scholarship for gardeners. Cuisine ran the gamut from ginger-crusted Arctic char to mini pot au chocolate and raspberries in a brandied basket. Yum.

FROM LEFT: Beyoncé; Amy Adams and Giambatista Valli at the Met Gala

The Met Gala
On Monday, it wasn’t exactly back down to earth for Dispatches at the Met Costume Institute gala. I was close enough to Billy Norwich that when he asked Rihanna to turn for his live-streaming camera, I heard her snap back at him, “Why? Is that your good side?” I like her sass.

I clipped one of my wife's Schiaparelli earrings onto my tie. And, wouldn’t you know it, three quarters of the way up the stairs, I heard Janelle Monáe say, “Did anyone lose an earring?"

Designer Giambatista Valli, who wears the biggest pearls and jewelry you’ve ever seen, kindly brought Amy Adams over to chat. “I know her style very well,” said Valli, who dressed Adams.

And Jimmy Fallon had me in stitches. “There is Velcro on the pants, and this tux is really a T-shirt,” he kidded. “It’s my spring break outfit.”

When every last swell, including Mick Jagger and Scarlett Johansson, had gone into dinner, 20 minutes passed before former Gotham cover girl Beyoncé arrived. The dress was Givenchy and sheer enough that the bottom half of her derriere was showing. Schiaparelli would have loved it.

What to Expect When You're Expecting
The next night, Dispatches covered a screening of What to Expect When You’re Expecting. The event was a fundraiser for Jessica Seinfeld’s great charity, Baby Buggy.

Chris Rock was hilarious on the red carpet. Reporters were asking him if his wife in the film, Jennifer Lopez, still wanted kids. He shot back, “I might get her pregnant . . . you never know. I put some sperm in a tube and gave it to her—chilled!”

Chace Crawford said he might eventually want kids, noting that while they were filming he learned “that the umbilical cord stays on; you have to cut it.”

FROM LEFT: Jay-Z; Solange Knowles at Bacardi D'USSE launch

Bacardi D’USSE Launch
On Wednesday, Dispatches hit the Top of the Standard for the Bacardi D’USSE luxury cognac launch. All the little mirrored tables had big snifters and bottles of D’USSE (produced in Chateau de Cognac), including Jay-Z’s.

Solange and mama (Tina) Knowles stopped by to pay homage, as did Jake Gyllenhaal. And in the back, they had these machines that printed out Instagrams tagged to #D’USSE. Photo booths are now obsolete.

Kitchit Brings Top Chefs to Your Kitchen

Tue, 15 May 2012 09:37:00 -0400

Kitchit NYC dinner party launch

New Yorkers can now sign up for Kitchit, a luxury service that provides access to some of the best chefs in the nation. Instead of hiring a catering service, imagine if you could have Dan Kluger (ABC Kitchen), Floyd Cardoz (North End Grill), or Harold Dieterle (Perilla and Kin Shop) cook a "bespoke" meal for your next dinner party or special event.

Cofounders Brendan Marshall, Ian Ferguson, and George Tang have already launched the business successfully in San Francisco and Los Angeles. "We are very excited to bring Kitchit to New York, one of the world's leading food capitals," said Marshall. "We have an incredible group of chefs who are ready to take your dinner party to the next level." All you have to do is sign up for a membership, and Kitchit will take it from there.

Culture Watch: An NYC-Shot Instagram Exhibit

Mon, 14 May 2012 16:04:00 -0400

Instagram NYC, in partnership with W Times Square, is currently showing an Instagram exhibit featuring the artwork of six New York users: @astrodub, @bridif, @cxcart, @johndeguzman, @newyorkcity, and @uptowneastnyc. The show marks the first-ever Instagram exhibit.

The exhibit is the first of its kind, bringing photographers whose work is usually hidden in the social app into the spotlight. Appropriately, all of the photographs depict New York scenes, both classic and modern. The show can be seen in the Living Room bar at the W Times Square and will remain on exhibit until June 30. Take in some contemporary artwork while sipping the hotel’s signature Midnight Manhattan. 1567 Broadway, 212-930-7444

Maison Kitsuné Settles Into NoMad Hotel

Mon, 14 May 2012 13:34:00 -0400

Maison Kitsuné, a collaboration between musician Gildas Loaëc (who's toured with Daft Punk) and the architect Masaya Kuroki, has opened a new boutique in the bottom of the buzzy new NoMad Hotel. The shop has thrived in Paris, and throughout Europe, for more than ten years, but this is its first store in North America. With its simple white walls and Parisian artwork, stepping inside Maison Kitsuné is like being transported to France. As for the clothes, the style is French elegance meets American prep. Look for very clean, simple lines and fine fitting sweaters and pants. (Also, make sure to get a whiff of the brand’s line of candles.) After you’ve stocked up on breezy Parisian essentials, head to the hotel’s Library bar for a cocktail or two. NoMad Hotel, 1170 Broadway

Alex Kramer Designs City-Chic Essentials

Mon, 14 May 2012 13:00:00 -0400

Alex Kramer prepares for her fall collection in her Manhattan atelier

Like any designer origin myth worth its salt, Alex Kramer’s began with a quest—in this case, the hunt for the perfect tank top to wear with a pair of YSL pants. “I was always looking for a basic, beautiful, quality tank I could wear with nice tailored pants, and I just couldn’t find it,” Kramer laments. So the intrepid New Yorker did what any city girl would do: She decided to make one herself. She found a silk rib knit “that felt like butter,” whipped up a prototype, and the seeds for her future fashion brand were sown.

Then Amanda Brooks, vice president and women’s fashion director at Barneys New York, admired an outfit Kramer designed and wore to a party, and snapped up the first collection, spring 2012, on an exclusive basis. Some of the first pieces Kramer sold were to Gayle King and Oprah Winfrey. “Her stylist saw the collection and wanted me to make something for her,” says Kramer. “I thought, I’m starting with Oprah—that’s cool!”

Kramer, a fixture on the Manhattan social scene, grew up dividing her time between her native New York and Europe (her mother is Yugoslavian), all while being surrounded by fashion legends like Diane von Furstenberg and Bianca Jagger, whose daughters, Tatiana von Furstenberg and Jade Jagger, were her schoolmates and good friends. She would have sleepovers with Jade, who lived at the Halstons’ residence for a while with her mother.

Her good fortune aside, Kramer’s ethos is more about old-fashioned hard work than working connections. She laid low during the fall New York readyto- wear shows, eschewing both the front row and any kind of presentation of the collection, which she created with codesigner and partner Brian Stanziale, a former fashion editor and fellow vintage fanatic who met Kramer at his former Soho boutique, Sloane. Instead, she introduced the newly minted label with little fanfare to a handful of editors. “I’m trying to distance myself from the socialite designer moniker,” says Kramer, a willowy blonde with a coolly patrician poise. “I really believe you should earn your way to a runway. I knew I loved designing and wanted to do it for myself, and in that regard it was an easy choice to make. But believe me, none of the rest of it is easy.”

For a fledgling fashion designer with no formal training apart from heading up a secondary collection for Brazilian designer Carlos Miele and working on his main line several years ago, Alex Kramer’s namesake collection is remarkably assured. The pieces—soigné cigarette pants with leather yokes, reversible floor-length two-tone silk jersey dresses, and of course, that perfect tank top in rich, complementary shades of ivory, onyx, mustard, indigo, and brick—have all the sexiness of Azzedine Alaïa meshed with the pared-down sophistication of Narciso Rodriguez. A sneak peak at the fall collection, which Kramer describes variously as “back to the future” and “urban warrior,” reveals showstopping fur-trimmed coats and divine details like a crocodile-skin print on a silk charmeuse T-shirt.

The pieces are all constructed with luxurious fabrics such as Italian ponte, 100 percent silk jersey, and lashings of butter-soft leather. “When I design I’m always thinking about how women actually wear clothes,” she says. “I try to think about how they will feel on. There are clothes for women in their early 20s and also for women in their 50s. Not everyone is 17 with a flat chest and perfect body.” (Kramer mentions that a buyer at that first Barneys meeting described the collection as containing “sexy workwear,” a phrase that slots perfectly into the category of “wonderful things you didn’t even realize you needed.”)

When asked whose style she finds inspiring, Kramer praises Nan Kempner, Audrey Hepburn, and Katharine Hepburn. “These fashion icons appeared timeless, effortless, and chic. They favored classic silhouettes, didn’t fall prey to trend-driven clothing, and most of all, they epitomized luxury,” she says. “I like that European mix. Style versus being a good dresser—they are two different things.” She would also love to dress actresses Cate Blanchett and Gwyneth Paltrow someday. “Women who like clean lines and have their own style that shines through.”

Kramer’s primary goal, however, is a humbler one: “To have a collection that I can wear from morning to night and not have to think about. I love the concept of a uniform.” Urban warrior women, take note. Barneys New York, 660 Madison Ave., 212-826-8900

Cocktail Hour at Jacques 1534

Mon, 14 May 2012 11:25:00 -0400

Golddust cocktail at Jacques 1534

In honor of its new spring menu, Jacques 1534 is offering a special happy hour that includes one cocktail and one appetizer for the namesake price of $15.34—perfect for an after-work drink.

Of the new cocktails, inspired by the flavors of the French colonies, the Golddust, made of Rittenhouse Rye, lemon juice, and ginger agave, can’t be beat. Frequenters of the bar may prefer to stick with the signature Way of the Dragon, which is made with bison grass-infused vodka, Thai basil leaves, lime juice, Calamansi syrup, and cayenne salt.

Both cocktails pair nicely with happy hour appetizers, such as Moroccan spiced chicken cigars and vegetarian spring rolls with mango sauce. If those drinks aren't to your taste, the bartenders can mix up anything your heart desires. Monday through Saturday; 5–9 PM. Jacques 1534, 20 Prince St. 212-966-8886

Bobby Flay Talks Food Network Star

Fri, 11 May 2012 01:31:00 -0400

Bobby Flay

This week, in advance of the season eight premiere of Food Network Star (Sunday, 9 PM), we spoke with super chef Bobby Flay about his new role as mentor and coach to the show's celebrity chef hopefuls. “I’d rather mentor than judge,” said Flay on stepping out from behind the judging table that he’s sat at for the past seven seasons of the hit show, which turns average Joes with a knack for sautéing and seasoning into bona fide celebrity chefs. (Case in point: Guy Fieri, the season one winner of Food Network Star.) Food Network executives Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson, along with various guest judges like Scott Conant and Geoffrey Zakarian, will send one contestant packing each week. And Flay isn’t the only coach. Fellow Food Network Star judges-turned-coaches Giada De Laurentiis and Alton Brown will also groom finalists in the hopes of having someone from their roster claim the ultimate title. But, after hearing Flay’s coaching strategy, we predict that one of his protégés will walk away with the big prize—their own show on the Food Network.

How did you choose the five finalists on your team?
BOBBY FLAY: We all watched the audition tapes, and then there were 20 or 25 people that I auditioned. Then I cut it down to five. Basically, I just handed them an egg and said, ‘Cook me something.’

Any New Yorkers in your group?
BF: I have somebody from Brooklyn. She actually cooks, or cooked, at a restaurant in Brooklyn. She’s originally from New England. I don’t know if she’s a true Brooklynite [laughs].

What was your strategy for having the last cook left standing?
BF: I wanted people that could cook. I picked the best cooks that I could find in the auditions, but they might not necessarily have the best camera presence. If they can cook, I can teach them how to be good in front of the camera.

Did any of the methods you used to hone your on-camera skills prove helpful in coaching your team?
BF: Probably not, because I would have been out of there. There’s no way I would have won. I had years to get better in front of the camera, and there’s no substitute for experience. They’re a lot more savvy than any of us who started at Food Network years ago.

Do you think your coaching style is tougher than Giada and Alton’s?
BF: I don’t think I’m more strict. I think of myself like a basketball coach. I try to inspire them in the very best way. I try to show them things instead of just telling them. I’m not really harsh on them. I definitely am not a screamer.

What was the most difficult challenge that the finalists faced this season?
BF: They had to open a restaurant as a team in a matter of a few hours. It’s really sort of early on in the season and they really didn’t know each other very well. So there were lots of challenges with that. Although, I would have loved that challenge.

Were there any dishes from this season that you were particularly impressed by?
BF: Somebody did a checkerboard of beets and vegetables this season. It was not one of my team, but I thought it was incredibly innovative and they didn’t have a lot to work with. I thought it was really beautiful to look at—and it actually tasted great, too.

The Ultimate Picnic Basket

Fri, 11 May 2012 00:01:00 -0400

The sandwich basket at Andaz Fifth Avenue

Headed to Bryant Park and feeling peckish? Stop by Andaz 5th Avenue and order a luxe picnic basket. The hotel offers three different basket choices, all filled with delicious goodies. The sandwich basket ($35 per person) includes a prosciutto, chicken schnitzel, or grilled vegetable sandwich served with iced tea, water, or lemonade, as well as chips and fruit. A romantic wine basket ($45 per person) includes cheese, bread, jam, and seasonal fruit with your choice of a variety of wines priced from $28 to $120 per bottle. For special occasions (proposals!), choose the stately Champagne basket ($75 per person) stocked with Osetra caviar, blinis, and strawberries, along with a bottle of Champagne ($95 to $220). For the ultimate luxury experience, a picnic butler is available for $300. The butler will prepare the basket, choose a prime park spot, and set out a blanket before guests arrive. What a wonderful way to spend a beautiful spring day in New York. 485 Fifth Ave., 212-601-1234

Tried & Tested: Angelo David Full-Service Salon

Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Tucked just one block behind the bustle of Grand Central/42nd St. is Angelo David Salon’s treasure trove of indulgent beauty treatments. Everything from eyebrow shaping and manicures, to couture extensions and to-dye-for color is on the menu here.

The 12-year-old, unisex salon puts customer care at its forefront. Angelo David, eponymous salon owner and creative director, handles everything from cuts and color to providing a friendly chat with his many regulars and celebrity clientele. The sleek, neutral-hued space radiates a peaceful vibe; ditto for the wonderfully attentive staff who are happy to provide anything from a glass of complimentary wine or tea to pleasant conversation.

Personalization translates into AD’s signature treatment—couture hair. When it comes to couture color, the end result is always glossy, vibrant hues that last, whether you’re seeking an of-the-moment red or conservative gray coverage. Cuts are similarly well tailored.

But attention to detail is most prominent with the salon’s couture extensions and additions. After a personal consultation, extensions are designed, then custom-fitted and blended to the client’s natural strands. Each extension is comprised of 100-percent human hair and crafted on site. Private extension styling rooms are another testament to keeping client needs paramount.

Once strands have been styled to your liking, it’s time to focus on your face itself. Celebrity brow and makeup expert Julie Tussey colors, shapes, and plucks with the precision of a true artist. The carefully crafted eyebrows are complemented by Tussey’s application of makeup from brands like Laura Mercier, MAC, and more. And although her clientele includes celebrities like Katie Lee, Keira Knightley, and Whitney Fairchild, Tussey explains as she works, making it easy to take her techniques home and execute for your everyday look.

To round out your experience at Angelo David, choose from manicures/pedicures crafted with Essie or wear-for-weeks Shellac. The salon also boasts a bevy of hair products from boar bristle brushes to detanglers. 48 E. 43rd St., 2nd Fl., 212-883-6620

Weekend Recommender: May 11-13

Thu, 10 May 2012 11:52:00 -0400

Bateaux New York Mother's Day brunch cruise

In the Company of Animals
Friday, May 11, 10:30 AM to 9 PM
See The Morgan Library's new exhibit "In the Company of Animals: Art, Literature, and Music," which explores the ways in which animals have influenced great works of art. Inside you'll find artwork by Audubon and William Blake, and manuscripts by Virginia Woolf and T.S. Eliot, amongst others. Through May 20. 225 Madison Ave. 212-590-0300; themorgan.org

Billy Budd
Saturday, May 12, 9 PM
Catch the closing show of Benjamin Britten's opera adaptation of Herman Melville's novella Billy Budd, which recounts the evil and jealous nature of the tyrannical Claggart against a young and angelic Billy Budd on the high seas. The Metropolitan Opera, Lincoln Center, 212-362-6000; metoperafamily.org

Mother's Day Champagne Brunch Cruise
Sunday, May 13, 11:30 AM–2 PM
Celebrate mom with a Champagne brunch at Bateaux New York at Chelsea Piers this Sunday. All moms will receive a complimentary mimosa or glass of Champagne. The cruise includes a juice bar, a full brunch menu, and live music. West Side Highway near 23rd St. 866-817-3463; pyireservations.com

Zosia Mamet: One of the Girls

Wed, 09 May 2012 11:34:00 -0400

You may recognize Zosia Mamet from her brief but hilarious role as Mia Wasikowska's inappropriate pal in 2010's The Kids are Alright or as Peggy's cool cat lesbian friend, Joyce, on AMC's Mad Men. Now you can see her as Shoshanna on HBO's new hit show Girls, the anti-Sex and the City that's taking a very honest look at young women trying to make it in New York City. Produced by Judd Apatow and created by lead actress Lena Dunham, whose indie film Tiny Furniture was a critical success, Girls has received both positive and negative attention for its frank discussion of entitlement, sex, and friendship. We spoke to Zosia about the press surrounding the show, her famous last name, and her favorite places in New York.

How were you approached for Girls?
ZOSIA MAMET: I hadn't met Lena, and I hadn't even seen Tiny Furniture yet. I was working on a movie [The Last Keepers, not yet released] in upstate New York and I was super sick. I had pneumonia! We had been shooting outdoors in the freezing cold. I taped my audition video in a barn and I never thought I'd get the part in a million years.

Were you considered for any role other than Shoshanna?
ZM: No, that was the part they sent to me to read. It was supposed to be a guest spot originally, but it turned into a cast role.

The show has gotten a lot of press and critics have received it with mixed emotions—mostly positive, some strongly negative. What do you think is so provocative about the show and its approach to young women's lives in New York?
ZM: It was nerve-wracking for us. It's scary to have so many people talking about something that they haven't seen yet. Will they actually like it when the show comes out? I think a lot has been made about people in their twenties, but I don't think its ever been done in this honest way before. And I think that's why it's so provocative and illuminating for people, because it's honest. We're not skipping over the gritty parts.

Do you read reviews or do you ignore them?
ZM: I don't read reviews. My dad always told me: don't read them, because you'll just focus on the negative ones. It's a rabbit hole, really. I hear from people who are involved with the show and my friends, people whose opinions I care about, and I trust them to tell me what they really think.

Speaking of your dad (playwright and director David Mamet), you come from a big acting family. Has that helped or hindered your career?
ZM: It's definitely a mixed bag. It was harder when I was first starting out, to remove the comma from after my name. You know, everyone wants to be recognized for who they are, not their parents, but I'm also very lucky. It's very magical to grow up on a film set, and it's what I love. It's great to have a family that understands what you want to do.

You also star in Mad Men as Peggy's friend Joyce. What has it been like working on one very established television show in its fifth season versus working on Girls, which is just getting its start?
ZM: It's like comparing apples and oranges. It's totally different. Going on a show like Mad Men, where I'm a guest star, it's more like doing a job. Not to say I don't absolutely love it, because it's an incredible experience. But you're a visitor. There's something particular about working on Girls, where we've all done work but no one really knows who we are yet. We're creating something together, like birthing a child.

Do you live in Los Angeles?
ZM: Yes, I do, I have a house. When people ask me where I'm from I say L.A. I grew up here, so it's my home. I love New York, though. I'm moving to New York next week and I'll be staying in Brooklyn this summer. I'm really excited about it.

Do you have a favorite restaurant or bar you like to frequent when you're in New York?
ZM: There's this place on the Lower East Side, called Brown—whenever I stay with people in New York I always go there. So yummy. When my father's in town we always go to Nello.

What's next for you?
ZM: We start shooting the second season of Girlsnext week. That's why I'm coming out to New York. I'm staying in Carroll Gardens, actually!

You have to go to Frankies.
ZM: I've been there! My co-star, Jemima [Kirke], that's her favorite place. I love that place. I'm just so excited to get to hang out in Brooklyn. I’d love to do a play in the fall… We shall see.

Décor Pop-Up: Liz O’Brien at 1st Dibs

Wed, 09 May 2012 10:26:00 -0400

Sofa by Liz O'Brien

Twentieth century design expert Liz O'Brien will celebrate the debut of her new furniture collection tonight from 6 to 8 PM at 1stdibs in the New York Design Center.

In her twenty years of experience as a gallery owner, O'Brien has worked with New York's best architects, interior designers, museum curators, and personal collectors. Her new collection, called Editions, marks her first foray into upholstered pieces, case goods, mirrors, and lamps. The theme is modern with deep jewel-tones of purple and blue, curved lines, and luxurious lacquered surfaces.

About 80 percent of the collection is new, but there are vintage pieces as well. Suggested retail prices range from $5950 to $8285 for sofas, $2800 to $4250 for chairs, $2975 to $7071 for tables, $3000 for lamps, and $3550 for mirrors. O'Brien classified the collection by saying, “These are the keepers. At the end of the day these are the pieces I want to have in my own home.” Open through June 4. 200 Lexington Ave., 10th floor

Taste of Tribeca Melds Philanthropy and Gastronomy

Tue, 08 May 2012 15:00:00 -0400

On Saturday, May 19 from 11:30 AM-3 PM, Taste of Tribeca brings back its 18th annual festival of local bites and beverages. With more than 70 area restaurants on the roster, the outdoor event on Duane Street expects 7,000 attendees to taste and test for a good cause—all proceeds from Taste of Tribeca support the arts and enrichment programs at local public schools PS 150 and PS 234.

The festival promises plates from renowned chefs from neighborhood staples like Sarabeth’s, Tribeca Grill, and Nobu. New to the area—and festival—spots such as Kutsher’s, Super Linda, and Tre Sorelle are also of note. Buzz-worthy bites include Sarabeth’s crabcakes sandwiched between two toasted buns and bedecked with a dollop of cream of tartar; Kutsher’s juicy house-cured pastrami on rye plated alongside refreshing cucumber salad; and Grandaisy Bakery's mini Roman pizzas topped with tomato sauce or mushrooms. Mini cupcakes from Billy’s Bakery, a strawberry and elderflower cup from Blaue Gans, and Bubby’s apple brown Betty are anticipated desserts.

Food isn’t the only fun at the festival—a family-friendly Kid’s Zone will be on site, and drinks of both the alcoholic and non-alcoholic sort abound. Wine enthusiasts can complement their tastings on a Tribeca wine trail. Four local spots—Frankly Wines, Chambers Street Wines, Tribeca Wine Merchants, and Maslow 6—will offer self-guided tours and special discounts. For teetotalers, options range from Fizzy Lizzy to Honeydrop Tea, New York Spring Water (V-blast drinks) to Bruce's Ginger Ale. Guests can also enjoy live entertainment from City Winery.

Two pre-festival happenings are set to whet appetites and raise excitement for the main event. Sarabeth’s will hold a seven-course wine dinner for $150 on May 10, while Macao Trading Co. touts a cocktail event with exclusive drinks and small plates for $80 on May 15. Both come with a Taste ticket.

Regular general admission tasting cards with six tastings are available prior to May 18 for $45 and $50 at the event. Premium Ticket Market Table Seats start at $175 each and entitle the holder to a personal food runner, reserved VIP seating, and gifts from festival sponsors. A Premium Table may be purchased for $950 and includes reserved seating for six in a special area, a personal food runner, two Taste of Tribeca t-shirts, and gifts from festival sponsors. Tickets are available on tasteoftribeca.com.

The Ultimate Sneaker

Tue, 08 May 2012 09:55:00 -0400

Missoni has debuted a new collaboration with Converse to create a pair of luxury sneakers that are stylish, comfortable, and perfect for the transition from spring to summer. This collection, which includes two women's styles and one unisex style, marks Missoni's fifth collaboration with Converse. Each pair costs $200. You'll find them at any Missoni store, at Jeffrey's (449 West 14th St.), and Aloha Rag NYC (505 Greenwich St.), or shop online at converse.com.

Mother’s Day Brunch Picks

Tue, 08 May 2012 01:39:00 -0400

For Adventurous Moms
Spice Market will celebrate Mother's Day with a special prix-fixe brunch ($66) created by chef Anthony Ricco. The four-course menu is studded with options like lobster rolls with a Sriracha emulsion, shrimp Tod Mon Pla with cucumber and peanut relish, grilled strip steak with garlic, coriander, and sesame, and lychee raspberry opera cake for dessert. New cocktails include a refreshing French 75 or a Yuzu Lemon Drop. Spice Market, 403 West 13th St., 212-675-2322

For Moms with Little Ones
Chef Julian Alonzo will prepare a special brunch buffet ($55) at Brasserie 8 ½ for the whole family. The menu includes pizzas, crepes, and macaroni and cheese stations, and both hot and cold buffets. In addition to barbecue pulled pork and jumbo shrimp, take full advantage of the dessert buffet, stacked with peanut butter pie and chocolate éclairs. Moms can enjoy a complimentary Kir Royale cocktail.9 West 57th St. 212-829-0812

For Moms Who Deserve a Day’s Rest
Why not go all out and send mom to The New York Palace for a night? Book her a room with the Morning Glory package and she’ll check-in on Saturday and awake Sunday to breakfast in bed treats like cocktails, pastries, brioche bread pudding, an egg white frittata with heirloom tomatoes, asparagus, artichokes, and herbs, a Greek yogurt parfait, and more. She’ll also receive a welcome of red wine and chocolate, a gift-basket from the spa, and 20 percent off any treatments during her stay. The package price begins at $428. 455 Madison Ave., 212-888-7000

For Trendy Moms
Lavo will serve up Southern Italian cuisine in honor of mom this Sunday, complete with specialty cocktails and desserts. Brunch specialties include red velvet French toast and Lavo’s signature white polenta pancakes. If mom is in the mood for something savory, there's the seafood plateau, piled with jumbo shrimp, oysters, and little neck clams. Cocktails include the Uva Blanca, a delicious mixture of green grapes, white grape vodka, elderflower liqueur, and lemon juice. 39 E. 58th St., 212-750-5588

For Casual Moms
Havana Central executive chef Stanley Licairac has created a Latin Mother’s Day menu featuring dishes like fried red snapper topped with salsa criolla; pork chops with pineapple rum sauce, sweet potato plantain mash, and sautéed spinach topped with port wine reduction; and zarzuela, a mound of lobster tail, clams, mussels, and more simmered in tomato-garlic lobster sauce. Don’t forget to order a tropical fruit and rum Havana Momma cocktail. 151 West 46th St., 212-398-7440; 2911 Broadway, 212-662-8830

Lunch Plans: Mile End Sandwich Shop

Tue, 08 May 2012 00:01:00 -0400

Beloved Brooklyn sandwich shop Mile End has finally crossed the bridge, recently opening in NoHo. The shop specializes in Canadian deli sandwiches, which have caught on hard in Boreum Hill, where the two and a half year-old eatery originated.

What's the big deal about a Canadian sandwich? Canadian meats, that’s what. Selections are smoked and cured in-house, topped with spicy mustards and pickled vegetables, and encased in perfectly baked bread.

The new Manhattan location will debut a few new sandwiches in addition to the classics, and yes, the infamous poutine (fries with cheese curds and gravy) is offered at all times. Breakfast and vegetarian options are available as well.

Go for the standard deluxe sandwich with smoked meat and mustard on rye, or try something crazy, like the smoked mackerel, with bitter greens, pickled mustard seeds, and tartar sauce on a sesame roll. Wash everything down with some Stumptown Coffee, and you've got yourself a perfect New York lunch. Mile End Sandwich, 53 Bond St. 212-529-2990

Dispatch: The Week in Parties

Mon, 07 May 2012 13:15:00 -0400

FROM LEFT: Leelee Sobieski and Emma Roberts at The Shops at Target Launch Party

Tuesday: Friends of the High Line & The Shops at Target Launch Party
I was late to The Shops at Target Launch Party event, because I had to stop by the fab Friends of the High Line gala across the West Side Highway first. Bronson van Wyck lit the long walk to cocktails with candles in hurricane cylinders. At the bar, in a kind of faux park with grass and trees, Sarah Jessica Parker wore L’Wren Scott. Dinner tables were loaded up with fried chicken and watermelon. Van Wyck had hooked a faux sun up on a track that ran the length of the dinner room. The machine turned all the different shades of sunlight as it moved.

Across the highway, at the Gehry-designed IAC building, Target had strung summery merchandise from its store in the air, like a cloud of must-haves.

“I do like Target,” Leelee Sobieski mentioned on her way into the event. Sobieski had on a slim-cut blue jacket. “My friend Laure [Laure Heriard Dubreuil, The Webster] made my blazer for Target,” she said. “Super-affordable.” Other fashionable stars in attendance included January Jones and Emma Roberts.

FROM LEFT: January Jones at the La Revolution Bleue screening; Chloe Moretz at the Hick screening

Thursday: Two Celebrity-Studded Screenings
It was off to a screening of La Revolution Bleue, a documentary on artist Yves Klein, at the Paris Theater held by La Mer and Christie's. A portion of the proceeds benefited ocean advocacy organization, Oceana.

Oceana Ambassador and event host January Jones wore a frock by Mary Katrantzou. “I had my doula zip me up,” said the new mom. Jones finds her work with Oceana, bringing attention to the plight of sharks, rewarding. “I’ve enjoyed being in the water, swimming with sharks,” she said. “I get very emotional about it.”

Downtown, The Cinema Society screened Hick at the Crosby Street Hotel, with a dinner at Ken & Cook—a cool new space with brick walls painted white. Emma Roberts wisely got right into the food line when she arrived. Chloe Moretz, her mom, and her very tall brother, Trevor, took a long table along the far wall.

Olivia Wilde, Jimmy Fallon, and Emma Stone at the EIF Revlon Run/Walk

Saturday: Charity Runs, A Clubbing Couple, and the Kentucky Derby
Emma Stone hosted the EIF Revlon Run/Walk for cancer research that started in Times Square. She finished in 1 hour and 20 minutes. Olivia Wilde clocked in at 1 hour and 7 minutes.

In Vegas, Pink and her hubby Carey Hart—whose ripped abs have a tat that reads “Vida Las Vegas” —hit XS nightclub. Hart had received the Legends & Heroes Industry Leader Award at the Supercross finale that night. They arrived just after 1 AM to catch dance maestro DJ Tiesto.

Did anyone else spot Tom Brady at the Kentucky Derby? He wore Tom Ford: white pants, no belt, dark shirt, dark tie, collar pin, dark glasses, and slicked back hair—a kind of Gatsby metrosexual look. Team Gisele.

Fern Mallis with Calvin Klein at Pratt Institute

Another Note: Fashion Icon Honored
Pratt Institute honored Fern Mallis recently, with Calvin Klein himself giving Mallis the Pratt Institute Fashion Industry Lifetime Achievement Award. She not only revolutionized Fashion Week when she was the executive director of the CFDA, she is also a generous friend and saved my rear end on many occasions by giving me the seat next to her at fashion shows.

Helmut Lang, the Sculptor

Mon, 07 May 2012 12:12:00 -0400

Though Helmut Lang is an old pro at putting on a show, the celebrated fashion designer will make his New York art-world debut with a series of sculptures this Wednesday. The show (through June 15) will take place at a makeshift gallery in Greenwich Village at 24 Washington Square, a place run by Lang's friend Mark Fletcher. The space itself is an intimate living room, a perfect setting for the personal nature of the show, which is made possible by Sadie Coles, a London gallery-owner, and Neville Wakefield, an art curator. Lang has created these sculptures using rubber and plastic materials from tires and other industrial products, reworking them into new objects. Also in the show are pieces made from scraps of clothing salvaged from a 2010 fire that ravaged Lang’s studio archives. These pieces, too, have that personal feeling of metamorphosis and change.

Shop Watch: Five Story Opens

Mon, 07 May 2012 11:29:00 -0400

Father and daughter team Fred and Claire Ditzenfeld have opened a beautiful boutique in a classic Manhattan townhouse at 18 East 69th Street. Mr. Ditzenfeld serves as the head of Luxury Accessories International, and Ms. Ditzenfeld has worked in galleries all over the city.

Five Story features two and a half floors of luxury men's and women's apparel, accessories, jewelry, and shoes along with a section for kids and home goods. The store has a decidedly cozy vibe, designed by Ryan Korban, who brought in an iron-balustrade that leads from the garden level to the second floor.

Ms. Ditzenfeld was inspired by the beautiful townhouse to curate a collection that focuses on New York glamour. The opening reception featured cocktails and snacks by Mr. Chow with DJ sets by Cleo Le Tan and appearances from some of fashion's biggest names, like photographer Ellen von Unwerth, model Anja Rubik, and girl about town Annabelle Dexter Jones. 18 East 69th St., 212-288-1338

Mariano Rivera

Mon, 07 May 2012 10:12:00 -0400

The recently injured Yankees pitcher and Gotham cover star talks about what he's grateful for.

10 Top-Tier Interior Design Emporiums

Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Poltrona Fau turns 100 this year

ABC Carpet & Home
The luxury home goods flagship, open since 1897, has amassed an array of styles that are “instrumentally inspired by indigenous culture and design and [then brought] into a modern context,” says creative director Paulette Cole. This spring ABC opens Raw, an area of the store featuring stripped-down vintage and antique pieces from around the globe. 888 and 881 Broadway, 212-473-3000; abchome.com

DwellStudio
Christiane Lemieux’s moderndesign brainchild opens its first, highly anticipated store in May. The label has “a unique point of view in textiles and upholstery,” says Lemieux, a former fabric assistant for Isaac Mizrahi. “When you combine that with the gorgeous lines of the furniture, the result is very special.” 77 Wooster St., 646-442-6000; dwellstudio.com

Elizabeth Bauer Design
“I only buy pieces that I would put in my own home, so it’s a very eclectic group of things that I collect in my travels,” says Elizabeth Bauer of her namesake boutique. Browse through blown glass, Parisian Deco leather chairs, midcentury lamps, and multifunctional vintage bar carts. 43 Greenwich Ave., 212-255- 8625; elizabethbauerdesign.com

MacKenzie-Childs
“Our style might be best described as ‘bending tradition,’ as designs are often based on traditional English antiques, to which we add our touches,” says creative director Rebecca Proctor. The theatrical and whimsical pieces marry color and pattern, often with floral motifs, to liven up any bath, dining, or living room. 14 W. 57th St., 212-570-6050; mackenzie-childs.com

Nest Interiors
This unassuming Chelsea boutique offers a unique collection of vintage, art, furniture, and modern tabletop knickknacks created by local artisans or sourced from around the globe. The small shop is a favorite among stylists and designers. 172A Ninth Ave., 212-337-3441; nestinteriorsny.com

Nova Studio
Sleek, contemporary, high-end European designs are on display in this Midtown showroom. With a selection of Italy’s Arclinea kitchens, Tre-Più doors, and Lema furniture as well as Belgium’s Kreon lighting and Extremis outdoor furnishings, Nova Studio offers fine pieces to complete an entire home. 150 E. 58th St., 212-624-1400

Poltrona Frau
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the company best known for its soft, luxurious leather. Its 1930 Vanity Fair chair is still available today, a testament its timeless aesthetic. 145 Wooster St., 212-777-7592; frauusa.com

Restoration Hardware
The historically inspired designs within Restoration Hardware offer enduring appeal. This spring the label introduces a line of wares in hues of blue, adding a new dimension to its traditionally neutral palette; it’s also launching a collection of smaller-scale furniture. 935 Broadway, 212-260-9479

Royal Botania
“Ergonomics dictate the lines of every collection,” says Thierry Herbert, president of the outdoor furniture company. The contemporary furnishings, some of which appear almost futuristic, include hammocks, dining sets, and loungers, ideal for your terrace, rooftop, or Hamptons poolside. 394 Broadway, 212-812-9852; royalbotania.com

Tui Lifestyle
Known for the brisk installation of its home design solutions—a process that typically happens within 72 hours of purchase—Tui Lifestyle assures instant gratification. Designer packages completely make over a room with handcrafted, custom-installed furniture and accessories. 136 Greene St., 212-300-7046

Bentley Reveals Luxe SUV: EXP 9 F

Fri, 04 May 2012 13:05:00 -0400

Bentley made a statement the night before the Geneva International Motor Show during VW’s Group Night, where each of the parent company’s brands showcased their latest and most spectacular vehicles. The British luxury maker wowed the crowd with its first SUV concept, EXP 9 F.

Massive 23-inch alloy wheels; the signature bold Bentley grille; a powerful 6-liter W12 engine that can make up to 600 horsepower; an 8-speed transmission; a fold-down champagne cooler; and luxury tailgating fit for the Kentucky Derby, seem to overly exceed expectations of consumers looking to purchase an ultra-elite SUV. Bentley’s sports utility vehicle is in competition with other luxe cars like the Range Rover and Porsche’s Cayenne Turbo. While the design and composition keep all the usual Bentley trappings, it is unknown if this foray into SUVs will be met with negative or positive feedback.

Brunch Plans: Vinatta Project

Fri, 04 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Five-month-old Meatpacking spot Vinatta Project adds another reason to visit with its recently unveiled brunch menu. The bar’s custom cocktail draw stays central despite the 11:30 AM-4 PM Saturday and Sunday time slot—a $65 prix-fixe menu gets you an entrée and a bottomless pitcher of the bespoke cocktail of your choice, or pay $22 for an entrée and one tailored drink. Menu options organized by “from the egg” and “from the garden,” with a slider bar and sides to round things out, speak to all tastes.

Sweet tooths will happily sink into lemon ricotta pancakes plated with blueberry compote and cream Chantilly. An array of egg dishes includes the hearty fry up, featuring two eggs fried to perfection, baked beans, ragu mushrooms, tomatoes, brioche toast, Vermont bacon, and hash browns. Lunch fare ranges from seared hanger steak, served with arugula, Parmesan, and roasted tomato; to tuna tartare, alongisde corn tortilla chips, guacamole, and cucumber salsa; to splurge-worthy sides like truffle fries.

When it comes time to create your bespoke cocktails, Vinatta’s amicable servers lean in and jot down your drink preferences, like doctors taking copious notes. Just as with any seasoned medicine man, the end result is a truly personalized prescription. Cocktails are offered a la carte for those not paying homage to hair of the dog, and a wine vending machine is another means of consumption.

The darker atmosphere—wrought so with wood paneling, modern mobile lamps, and black banquettes—is perfect if you’ve enjoyed too many tipples the night before. Patrons seeking sunlight should ask to be seated at the bar’s front two tables, prime for people-watching well-dressed Meatpacking shoppers. The best part is the bar’s proximity to the south end of the High Line; if your indulgence in the aforementioned pitchers and plates has you feeling full, you’re in a prime spot for a 20-block stroll on the scenic outdoor route. 69 Gansevoort St., 646-398-9125

Richard Gere Interviews Mariano Rivera

Thu, 03 May 2012 09:00:00 -0400

Cashmere cardigan, Brunello Cucinelli ($635). 683 Madison Ave., 212-813-0900. Dress shirt ($365) and wool pants (part of suit, $3,045), Ermenegildo Zegna. 633 Madison Ave., 212-421-4488. Chambray tie ($140), Alexander Olch. Bergdorf Goodman, 754 Fifth Ave., 212-753-7300. Oyster Perpetual Datejust II, Rolex ($8,600). Wempe, 700 Fifth Ave., 212-397-9000. Suede loafers, Canali ($595). 25 Broad St., 212-842-8700

New York has the world’s finest art galleries, restaurants, and theaters, but best of all, it is home to the New York Yankees. All one needs to do to capture the soul of the city is go to a game where a Mariano Rivera pitch in the ninth inning can be as captivating as the last, lingering note of the New York Philharmonic.

As Rivera enters the second year of a two-year, $30 million contract, he is ignoring retirement talk and focusing on his 17th year in pinstripes. Just after our February visit to Tampa, Rivera threw two scoreless appearances—a further demonstration of his competitive nature. Here, actor and lifelong Yankees fan Richard Gere—who threw the first pitch to open the Yankees’ spring training in 2011 and requested Rivera’s autograph for his son Homer, a Little League pitcher—interviews Rivera exclusively for Gotham as he aims to add to his MLB-record 603 saves and secure another World Series title. Will this be the season Rivera puts jersey number 42 permanently into retirement? No matter what he decides, it’s just a matter of time until Rivera takes his next position—in the Hall of Fame.

RICHARD GERE: The interviews you’re giving make it sound like you’re retiring after this year.
MARIANO RIVERA: Richard, I don’t know. But I’ll tell you one thing: It’s been a great journey, but I do miss my kids a lot. It’s hard seeing your kids, then you’re separated for a few weeks, but at the same time you have your passion, your love for the game, that drive that’s always there. New York has been a blessing for me and my family. But it’s a decision to be made, and hopefully we made the best one for everyone.

RG: It’s not just New York that loves you; it’s all of baseball. Other pitchers and other relievers, like [retired Hall of Fame closer] Dennis Eckersley, these guys all freely say that you are the best. It’s very rare to see that kind of generosity from people you are competitive with.
MR: I know, it’s amazing, but I never feel like I have done anything. When people say that, it makes me uncomfortable because I’m not that kind of person. I just go out there and try to do my job.

RG: Do you feel that “Mariano” is gone when you’re in your space on the mound?
MR: I don’t feel that Mariano has gone, I feel like it’s just me and the catcher—I don’t even see the hitter. I feel like everything is gone—the noise, the fans. I’m in kind of like a tube, and it’s the catcher and me. There’s nothing that can take me away from that peace. I told the guys, and they said, “You don’t hear anything?” I said, no, I don’t hear, I don’t see. I have friends that have told me they were right there, above our dugout. They are sad because I ignore them. I say, no, it’s not that I ignore you. I’m so locked in that I don’t see you, and that will happen again, so don’t get mad at me.

RG: Do you go through any kind of conscious mental routine to get yourself into that space, or is it totally natural at this point?
MR: No, all I do is pray. Every time before I throw my first pitch, I am praying. And not only that, in the bullpen I am praying. I know there are millions of people praying for me, and I strongly believe in prayers. I know who I am, I know what I am capable of, I know who I trust. I don’t have control over everything; God has control over everything and I trust him, so I don’t worry.

RG: I’ve watched you pitch many, many times, and as everyone knows, 99 percent of the time you succeed, but one percent of the time you don’t. The way you deal with the blown save is the difference between you and most players. The mental strength that you have to let it go, to keep your mind clean, and start fresh every time—how are you able to do that?
MR: I learned early in my life that sometimes I’m going to lose. I don’t like it, but I accept it, meaning that I understand it’s going to happen. But I don’t see it like defeat; I see it like a learning process. Then if there’s nothing to learn, I move on. I’m going to give you a good example. It’s a big one, but it’s good. It’s the World Series, 2001, Game 7. We were winning by one run in the ninth inning against Arizona. I’m going out for my second inning, and we lost the game. I was sitting there in my locker and I wouldn’t say I was devastated, but I was hurt. But I accepted it. I remember that Mr. George Steinbrenner was there, and I looked into his eyes and said, “Boss, I did my best; my best wasn’t enough today.” And he just hugged me and he said, “You’re okay, son.”

RG: Was that the hardest one to deal with?
MR: The hardest one was ’97 because we lost the playoffs against Cleveland. I didn’t lose the game, but I gave up the home run to tie to Sandy Alomar. To overcome that I spent a few weeks thinking I should have done better.


	Dress shirt, Joseph Abboud ($128). Bloomingdale’s, 1000 Third Ave., 212-705-2000. Wool pants, Ermenegildo Zegna (part of suit, $3,045). 633 Madison Ave., 212-421-4488. Oyster Perpetual Datejust II, Rolex ($8,600). Wempe, 700 Fifth Ave., 212-397-9000

RG: That was with Joe Torre. How did Torre deal with that?
MR: He was the best. He just grabbed me and said, this is going to happen. You just learn from it and move on. And I said, what did I do wrong? Well, I missed my location. Okay. I have to make sure I don’t do that again.

RG: Who was the hardest hitter to get out?
MR: [Laughs] I think the hardest hitter, Richard, is retired, thank God…. It was Edgar Martinez.

RG: Edgar Martinez—he killed you, didn’t he?
MR: Oh my God, I don’t call that killed—I call that massacred. That guy, he was amazing. He was a great, great player and a great person.

RG: What did it feel like when you knew you were coming out there to pitch to him?
MR: It was a horrible feeling. First of all, I would hope there was no one on base. But I always got him to two strikes. Always. Quick too. But the third strike never came. If I could move the right fielder behind second base, I would have gotten him out every time because that was the line that he always hit.

RG: Let me ask you a few questions about how you got into baseball. When I received my first job as an actor, I felt that the next part of my life was taking off. What was it with baseball for you? Was there a moment when all of a sudden you realized that’s who you’re going to be in this lifetime?
MR: First of all, I wasn’t even looking for baseball. My main game was soccer; my second game was baseball. All of a sudden when I was 17, 18, soccer started going down, and baseball started gaining priorities because I was getting hit a lot on my knees and ankles. I didn’t want to get to the point that I couldn’t play baseball too, so I let soccer go a little bit and started playing more baseball, but I played for fun. I was really naïve when it came to professional baseball.

RG: How did that first professional contact happen?
MR: I was playing the outfield in Panama, and our best pitcher was getting killed. We had no more pitchers, so I ended up pitching, and we won the game. Two weeks after, I was coming from the beach with my parents and my wife—back then my girlfriend—and I see my two teammates, my catcher, Claudino Hernandez, and the centerfielder, Emilio Gaez, who told me, “We found you a tryout with the Yankees as a pitcher.”

RG: Unbelievable.
MR: A week later I was signed for the New York Yankees as a pitcher. God has opened doors that amaze me. I was signed [to the Yankees’s minor league system] February 17, 1990. That same year I went to Tampa not knowing what I was doing. As a matter of fact, I was talking to the scout that signed me about two days ago….

RG: This is Herb Raybourn…
MR: Yes, Herb Raybourn, he fought for me. [The Yankees] wanted to release me. I was too old—I was 20 years old—and they wanted to send me to the Dominican Republic. And he said, no, he’s staying here, he has the potential. That year, Richard, I pitched about 52 innings and gave up one run. And on top of that, I threw a no-hitter in the last game of the season. I won ERA Champion for all the minor leagues.

RG: You’ve stayed in touch with Herb Raybourn? He must be an older guy now.
MR: Yeah, Herb is old now, but [an interviewer] was asking him, what did you see in Mariano and why did you sign him? He says, Mariano was relaxed and had a strong arm, though he wasn’t throwing hard at the time, but I knew that with his frame and free arm delivery, he would get it. I signed him not to play in the minor leagues; I signed him to play in the big leagues. But that’s when I say God used him to bring me from my hometown to Tampa, to start helping me through all my career. Five World Series, All-Star Games, state record—if somebody told me that I would accomplish all these things, I would have said that you are crazy. I was happy with five, six, years in the big leagues—that was my mentality, I wasn’t asking for much. And here it is 17 years later, I’m still in the big leagues.

RG: I assume that if you started that way, you didn’t have any curveballs; you probably just had a fastball.
MR: Fastball. Sometimes I threw a slider or something that I invented. The teaching, all that stuff came later. I didn’t know much, but God had a good plan for me.

RG: Obviously you have enormous natural talent, but where did this drive come from to be at the absolute pinnacle of your job, of your art?
MR: Richard, I think God gave talent to different people in different areas. And since I was a little one, I was real competitive. I never give up. If you beat me, you have to beat me one, three, four, five times, and I still don’t give up.

RG: This might have been one of the first times you were away from home.
MR: It was the first time ever in my life that I left Panama. The language, it was a giant for me. My first year, when I was in Tampa, my second year in North Carolina, it was no English. I cried, because I couldn’t communicate with my teammates, with my pitching coordinator, my manager—I was frustrated.

RG: You were a fisherman’s son, and you lived in this very poor but very beautiful little fishing village. What was it like growing up there?
MR: Puerto Caimito was a wonderful village— white sand, a nice breeze, sun, mango trees, the people were gentle and friendly. We didn’t have much, but everybody knew each other and we helped each other. My mother worked with us, taking care of the kids and the house. My father fished and brought food to the table. We didn’t have much, but whatever we had we were happy with. I wouldn’t change it for anything. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t change it.

RG: Describing your mother and father, what are the pieces of your mother that you are? The pieces of your father that you are?
MR: The piece of my mother, I have the gentleness, the worries, making sure everybody is okay. Then my father’s side is the one that wants to protect, that no matter how long it took to catch that fish, he would get it done. From my father’s side I got the strength, the mental toughness, the heart, the courage. But my grandfather from my mother’s side was the person that really, really, put a lot on me, because he always was around me. He worked a lot with sugarcane, and he used to make charcoal. He would go to the—I don’t call it the jungle, we call it manglares— where you go and cut the trees. It was a lot of work, a lot of work, but my grandfather was gentle, he was careful.

RG: You came up through the organization as a starting pitcher and didn’t have a great time of it, so they made you a long reliever. When they moved you up to be the setup man, did you feel that was going to be your career, in that spot?
MR: When they made me a setup man, I felt comfortable. I was happy because we accomplished something that every major league player wants to, and that’s winning the World Series. I was assuming that I would be doing exactly the same the following year.

RG: They felt strongly enough about you that they let [closer John] Wetteland go.
MR: Oh my God, Richard, to me that was a crazy move. When I found out that they didn’t sign Wetteland, my first question was, well, okay, who is going to close?

RG: It didn’t occur to you that it would be you.
MR: Never, never, never. It never went through my mind.

RG: Do you remember how much money you were making in the very beginning? When you first started with the Yankees?
MR: In the minors, I wasn’t making anything. I was making, like, [between] $400 a month and $800, something like that. I got to the big leagues and I started to make a little bit of money. I think the minimum was $109,000 at the time.

RG: That was a huge amount of money for you.
MR: In my little mind, Richard, I thought if I played five, six, seven years in the big leagues making this kind of money, I’m okay. I’m set.

RG: What did you do with that first money you made?
MR: I saved it. I saved everything. I was living with my mother-in-law at the time, but I was saving money. I had the opportunity to build a small house for me and my wife and my kids.

RG: When did you and your wife start The Mariano Rivera Foundation, which does community outreach in Panama and New York?
MR: The foundation started like this. We were making good money. Whatever I made was tithed to a church I was a member of—10 percent of my salary. I was giving a lot of money, so I decided to put this into a fund so we could help many churches, many people, in need. The foundation was just private—my wife and I, we did it alone.

RG: Now you’re partnering with The Guidance Center in Westchester, giving out food for kids?
MR: Yes, but the biggest is—and this is where my heart and soul is—that I wanted to help the young kids who have a lot of talent. Not necessarily the A-plus students, but I would say the B students that have tremendous talent but don’t have tremendous opportunities because those go to the A-plus students. I was one of these kids—I didn’t have much, but I had opportunities, and thank God I took advantage of them. But many of these kids don’t have the same opportunities. I want to be able to help these kids go through college and be good leaders in the community.

RG: I hope the Yankees are helping you with that too.
MR: [Laughs] They are, they are. A lot of people are.

RG: I know the Yankees are very, very generous that way.
MR: I think that Mr. George, I learned a lot from that man. That man always was giving, and he didn’t want anyone to know. That was the most important thing to me—that he didn’t want anyone to know. That man, to me... was one of the best.

RG: What are the Yankees like without him?
MR: His presence is definitely missed. The Yankees are trying to do the best, but he was the New York Yankees. We definitely, definitely miss Mr. George.

Sip and Be Seen at Experimental Cocktail Club

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:04:00 -0400

When the first Experimental Cocktail Club opened in Paris, it received much attention from Parisians and Americans alike. Its French owners were inspired by the varied options available to cocktail drinkers in New York and sought to bring American libations, like the Memphis Sour and the Old Fashioned, to the City of Light.

Finally, after five years of success in Paris (with three separate lounges, a wine bar spin-off, and a location in London) the Experimental Cocktail Club has come stateside, debuting on the Lower East Side earlier this week. The menu offers about fourteen different cocktails created by bartender Nicolas de Soto and inspired by the history of the neighborhood.

The nearby Fat Radish will supply a menu of snacks, such as Scotch eggs and cheeses. Given its location and Francophile appeal, the narrow, den-like cocktail spot is sure to fill up fast. Reservations can be made via e-mail, at madameandmonsieur@experimentalcocktailclubny.com. The bar is open from 6 PM to 4 AM daily, but you won't find a menu on their website—these concoctions are meant to be a surprise. 191 Chrystie St.

Weekend Recommender: May 4-7

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:01:00 -0400

Dances Patrelle

Dances Patrelle
Friday, May 4, 7:30 PM
The DiCapo Opera presents “Dances Patrelle,” a show that blends opera and ballet, with performances of choreographer Francis Patrelle's Gilbert & Sullivan and The Ballet! $35. 84 E. 76th St., 212-288-9438; dancespatrelle.org

Derby de Mayo at Virgil’s
Saturday, May 5
Sport your best Derby hat and begin the day by watching the races and brunching on barbecue, Maker’s Juleps, and other Southern cocktails. At 7 PM, switch gears and celebrate Cinco de Mayo with tacos, panko-fried shrimp rellenos, and a fresh watermelon Margarita. Virgil’s Real Barbecue, 152 W. 44th St., 212-921-9494; virgilsbbq.com

Gatz
Saturday, May 5, 3 PM
If you missed the first run of Gatz, you’re in luck: theater company Elevator Repair Service has brought it back. In this stunning production, F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel is read in its entirety, retold and reinterpreted in a gloomy office setting. Be prepared for a transcendent but lengthy experience—run time is over six hours. $160. The Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St., 212-539-8500; publictheater.org

Gregor von Rezzori’s Bukovina Trilogy Talk
Sunday, May 6, 1 PM
Writers Michael Cunningham, Deborah Eisenberg, and Edmund White discuss Gregor von Rezzori's Bukovina trilogy, a series of novels about the author’s life before, during, and after World War II in Austria, as part of the PEN Festival. The New York Review of Books editor Edwin Frank moderates. $15. The Museum of Jewish Heritage, 36 Battery Place, 646-437-4200. For tickets, call the box office at 866-6811-4111; mjhnyc.org