04

Oct

Question. Paris & London Restos.

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@LoveIsTheNewBlk Asked:
Jetsetfarryn, what are some amazing restaurant recommendations in London and Paris? Thank you!!
Let’s do this.  

 

Social. Secure a reservation at La Société, an art-sprinkled, ultra-chic restaurant designed by Christian Liaigre and tucked away in a 19th-century building on Place Saint-Germain (Paris) 

Lunch. L’ Avenue. Sit outside and people watch at this perfectly Parisian lunch spot.Tres chic(Paris) 

Dish. Thoumieux. Anything Thierry Costes is social gold - as is the case with the revamped Thoumieux brasserie. (Paris) 

Try. Foie Gras at Terre et Soleil. Tucked away on a street closed to traffic in the Marais neighborhood of Paris, Terre et Soleil is home to an Italian twist on French Foie Gras. A hot plate of cavatappi pasta, tossed in a cream sauce studded with figs is served up with a fresh slice of house-made foie gras, a must for any France first-timer. (Paris) 

Stroll and Eat. Explore nearby Rue Mouffetard, a street that’s all about food and is home to one of Paris’s hottest street markets. (Paris) 

 

The Cool Crowd. For Michelin-starred Italian cuisine and a bit of a scene, try celeb-favorite Locanda Locatelli. Just a short walk from the hotel, it serves traditional Italian fare in a sleek and sophisticated setting. (London)

Chaat. Spice up your palate with some of the best Indian food in London. Bombay Brasserie has been around since 1926, and it’s withstood the test of time in a competitive spot for Indian cuisine. (London)

Mild. Suka at the Sanderson Hotel, run by star New York chef Zak Pelaccio, offers colorful Malaysian cuisine in a clean-lined, fresh-looking dining room. Try the spicy watermelon salad or Malaysian barbecue chicken. (London)

Dine It. The three-Michelin-starred chef Heston Blumenthal (of Fat Duck) has launched a restaurant that’s the talk of the town. Reservations at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal are booked six months in advance, so act early. (London)

Buy Burgers at Meateasy (unfortunatley closed). Devour Dumplings at Ping Pong. Snack a sandwich at Raison D’etre. Have your own suggestions?

20

Apr

Tidbit. The World’s Top 50 Restos

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I’d forgo a Petra-physique for the right plate. What can I say? I’m down with degustation. Every year San Pellegrino gives us a guide to world’s greatest restaurants with in-depth profiles, dishes and menu structure, a geographical range of the winners and more. Dive in. 

07

Mar

Manic (Month).

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My weeks in recap, from start to finish, go!
From the Thompson Hotel to Locanda Verde, The Bitter End to the Brooklyn Flea, NYC, Vail and Miami… 


David Chang Does Shabbat.
Friday. 10 PM. 

Peter Beard. Bob Marley. Wes Anderson. David Chang (aka owner of Momofuku Noodle Bar, Momofuku Ssäm Bar, Má Pêche, Momofuku Milk Bar and Momofuku Ko). Otherwise known as my idols and obsessions so you can imagine my elation when I was invited to experience Shabbat the Chang way (yes J.K. I owe you for life). Matzoh Ball soup, Challah, with a Korean twist. Shabbat Sha-lom. 

#Shabbat by David Chang… Can you imagine? #foodie http://plixi.com/p/76554915 


Rage. ATrak at LAVO, Sebastian Ingrosso & Tiesto at Webster Hall.
Friday/Saturday/Sunday. Twilight Zone.  

Ok, so it’s not exactly new to the blog. Yes, I saw ATrak (after a pseudo shut down by the po’ po. New York’s Finest, you weren’t fooling anyone); yes I saw Ingrosso (I’m a skeptic but your set was epic); and Tiesto (I thought you couldn’t be more fun, and then I went in my pajamas). Webster Hall proved why it’s the #1 club in the US - sorry LIV but seniority plays a role here. 

@jetsetfarryn: Ok finneeeee @Atrak, I’ll go through the kitchen to get to you. Sooo demanding, jeez http://plixi.com/p/76612175

@Tiesto in my PJ’s, on a Sunday, at @WebsterHall… Happy Valentines Day to meeee

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22

Jul

Top 5 Thursday: No Rest for the Restos

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I’ve been scouring the city for new spots; some hidden gems, random oldies and buzzed about babies. Make no mistake, I’m not a foodie - but my curiosity, and hungry friends, keeps my meals interesting. In honor of Restaurant Week, here’s whats on my resto radar… what’s on yours?

Dinner/Brunch. Pulinos.

There’s something simple about a staple like Gemma - a place where you can have your bread and drink wine too… but as I sat, pinned up against the bar at Keith McNally’s new resto in the Lower East Side, I realized that Pulinos might not have that same ease about it. Sure, you can make a reservation, unlike its compadre at the Bowery Hotel, but don’t expect for it to be honored. It’s only Wednesday, and it’s packed, and my reservation was for 35 minutes ago.

Downtown actors mix with Uptown bankers inside the deceivingly new space; it looks like it has been here for years, with exposed brick, tin ceilings and vintage light fixtures casting that signature McNally golden glow. But if you can make it past the gate, the simplicity of Pulinos becomes clear: you come here to eat, and watching the people while you wait is just part of the experience. Pizza is the main event, served out of the open kitchen; four varieties of prosciutto, five types of bruschette and a variety of breakfast items such as the Salsiccia pizza, with eggs, bacon, white cheddar and sausage, served until after midnight. Give in to the calories, just don’t give up your spot at the bar. 

Brunch. @Clinton Street Bakery.

Like every other New Yorker, waiting on line, hung-over at Clinton Street Bakery proved to be very ineffective. Solution: find two strapping, young, Lower East siders, send them there around 10 am and leisurely make your way back over around noon. Thus far it has worked swimmingly, arriving at the door of CSB like a well-respected regular and simply snagging a seat.

Husband and wife Neil & DeDe had no clue what they were in for when CSB first opened in 2001. Their mission: to make some killer, hand-made baked goods for the ‘hood. Little did they know that their pancakes (specifically the famous blueberry batch), buttermilk biscuits, muffins and pies would be named the ‘Best in NYC’, along with their entire brunch and breakfast menu. Think brioche French toast with roasted pecans, caramelized bananas and warm maple butter (tastes like caramel); truffled fried eggs and asparagus with roasted artichokes, bacons lardoons and truffle vinaigrette; or the classic country breakfast with three eggs any style, ‘cure 81’ ham steak, hash browns and a biscuit.  If you can’t find a swain-on-hand, head back at night when the line thins and the light dims. Yes, that means pancakes after dark… 



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20

May

Top 5 Thursday: Go to Ko

Since its introduction into the New York food scene, Momofuku Ko has brought both a feeling of fear and exhiliaration to my otherwise settled stomach. T-Minus 24 Hours: Mental preparation begins. T-Minus 12 Hours: Starvation. T-Minus 0 Hours: Show. No. Fear. 
                         It’s all just preparation for the Amazing Race. 

1. Fair
There is no phone. There are no favorite patrons.  There are no special dishes. There are 14 bar stools and a prix fix menu. You can’t get a Sprite (although I did witness someone try) and you can’t request substitutions. There are so many rules that there are really no rules at all. Well, except one. Come hungry and open-minded. 


2. Amuse
Before you even begin your nine course journey, Ko serves up a mind-blowing black pepper biscuit with mirin glaze, a translucently thin slice of pickled Japanese turnip, head cheese with shiso lemograss and parsely and a a togarashi-dusted chicharon aka very spicy fried pork skin. 


3. Egg
Many come for the egg, and what an egg it is. Imagine a smoked soft-boiled egg (cooked sous vide), Osetra caviar spilling from the yolk, a sweet potato vinegar and crisp crown of tiny potato chips surrounding it. The caviar. Oh the caviar. Oh the egg.


4. 
Foie Gras
Foie Gras has always been a foe of mine. Yet this sheepish, dainty, rose-colored dish seemed harmless. A bowl of shaved, salty, frozen, pink foie gras torchon with White Riesling gelée, bits of pine-nut brittle and litchi = out of body experience.


5. Braggin’ Rights
I made it through head cheese. carpaccio. fluke. bone marrow. lamb. foie gras. chicken sausage. trout. egg. caviar. Doesn’t that count for something? Well, no, not really because you’d be insane to skip one bite of David Chang’s genius-ness. And in that way, Momofuku is like a train wreck - you know you shouldn’t look, but how can you resist? Snagging a reservation is a feat in itself, so be sure to tell everyone you know about how you, went to Ko. 

NOTE: No photos were allowed so thanks to those I borrowed from.

07

May

Tidbit.

A young Danish chef edged out the top two “molecular” restaurants to win the S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurant award at a chef-studded ceremony in London
- @WSJ

The World’s Best 50 Restaurants. Count ‘em up. Just don’t count the calories. 


26

Apr

Manic Monday

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Weekend recap from start to finish, go. 

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22

Apr

Top 5 Thursday: Providenciales, Turks & Caicos

1Bagatelle Bistro.
For New Yorkers, there’s nowhere else to party at noon like @Bagatelle Bistro. This T&C outpost is a bit more refined, offering a great place to people-watch over Spanish influenced cuisine.

Note: Bring your ipod. If you’re lucky, they’ll let you plug it in. “Stereo Love” by Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina is the perfect party starter. 


2. Provo Turtle Divers.
Turks and Caicos boasts some of the best diving in the Atlantic. On Salt Cay it’s possible to dive with whales or head to Molasses Reef off West Caicos Island to peek at one of the oldest European shipwrecks. Provo Turtle Divers has got you covered, whether you’re a first timer or an experienced adrenaline junkie.



3.
The Veranda at Grace Bay.
Inspired by the white-picket fences of coastal locales like Nantucket, The Veranda at Grace Bay offers a chic, casual allure that will even excite the kiddies. The Veranda Resort has thought of everything- and if they haven’t, your personal concierge can surely find it. 


4. Parallel 23.
The glamorous restaurant, Parallel 23, offers a romantic setting to dine al fresco.  German chef Torsten Rumprecht arrived at the Regent Palms from St. Martin’s La Samanna, and he has a knack for  innovative dishes (the menu lists every last ingredient, literally). A state-of-the-art display kitchen with wood-burning oven and boutique wine list make it one of the islands best. 



5. Somewhere Beach Cafe.

Somewhere on the Beach Café is the perfect pit stop for margaritas and salsa. Take a left out of the Gansevoort and stop when you smell the tequila. Walk it all off with a sunset stroll along the beach.   




 

09

Apr

Follow Friday

Round-up of my favorite things this week…. follow it, don’t judge it.





Photographer. Eleanor Hardwick.
At age twelve, this brilliant Brit photographed Japanese fashion dolls for fun. Now, she’s adding a sense of surrealism to the likes of British Vogue, Blackbook and ELLE Korea. Did I mention she’s only 16?



Hotel. The Mondrian, Los Angeles.
Modern Philippe Starck aesthetic. Check. Unrivaled views over Sunset Boulevard. Check. SkyBar scene. Check. The recently revamped Mondrian is perfect for a pre-or-post Coachella pit stop (and if you’re beat from the beats, opt for Asia de Cuba room service). Check it out on Jetsetter - Sunday April 11, 3 P.M.

The Mondrian

The Mondrian



Restaurant. Corsino, New York City
Three bottles of white wine, doors open to Hudson and delicious crostini and affettati proved to be the perfect combination for a Thursday night gathering. Thanks @JFSica @Jhsisk @RuthieFrieds @RamonaMark for the inspiration (and cheese plate). 

Corsino Cantina