Rainy days and Mondays

Well, it's April and usually that means a bit of rain in the NYC forecast. This year we've actually been spared to an extent with one of the lowest April rainfalls on record, but on this particular Monday it is gray and wet so what better time to talk about one of my favortite things to do in New York when it rains [or snows or is generally unpleasant outside]. Museums ... this is one area that New York has over any other American city [with the possible exception of D.C]. No matter what area of art, history or culture you are into, there is a museum to satisfy your interests. Here are some of my favorites:

• MoMA The Musem of Modern Art . This, the mother of all modern art museums, is a good overall introduction to contemporary art for all levels of education and interest. With a constant rotation of installations and a robust educational series, MoMA now has two outposts in NYC since it reopened its doors in Manhattan in late 2004 after extensive renovations [the other location is that of it's temporary set up come permanent installation in Long Island City at PS1]. Currently MoMA is hosting a lifetime retrospective on Marina Abramovic's work on the 6th floor that has the city abuzz due to its use of live nude models as performance art. Marina Abramovic : The Artist is Present runs now through May 31st at MoMA
• The Whitney Museum of American Art. Finding its final home [designed by Marcel Breuer in 1966] on Madison Ave and 75th Street, The Whitney was established when Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney lost patience with the time it took The Metropolitan Museum of Art to make their decision to open a new wing to house her collection. Since then, it as become synonymous with bold twentieth century artists that push the boundaries of more conventional museums in a sizeable collection housing more than 18,000 works. Currently the Whitney Biennial is in play through May 30th.
• The New York Transit Museum. This may seem like an odd one, but there is some fascinating history to the way we move about our city, both above and below gound. The museum is an easy trip to the center of Brooklyn Heights at the corner of Boerum Place and Schemerhorn Street [acessible by the 2, 3, 4, 5, A, C & F trains] and has a groovy gift shop with some very clever NYC paraphernalia for the next birthday on your list.
• The American Museum of Natural History. This was my favorite place [in the whole world] when I was a kid. Not much has changed since then in the main exhibit halls. The towering dinosaurs are still in place and the same goofy dioramas are there in the Hall of Human Origin, but if you have a little one in tow, it's worth the visit. The Rose Center for Earth and Space offers some pretty spectatcular shows along with an IMAX theater to keep things interesting. The American Museum of Natural History is located at Central Park West and 79th Street. Visitors can access the museum via the C train at CPW and 81st Street.
• The Museum of Sex. Yes, it is exactly what it sounds like... an unflinching look at sex from every angle. Obviously this is not for children or the faint of heart, but I encourage everyone [of majority age] to go. Go with a good friend or your better half. Once you get past the initial giggles [if you are so inclined], you'll probably learn a thing or two. The permanent exhibits explore everything from stag films to sex toys. If you are titilated enough by your visit, you are even invited to leave an your own bawdy entry on one of several computers set up on the upper floor. The Museum of Sex is located in Fifth Avenue at 26th Street. Take the R or W train to 26th Street.
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This is the grandaddy of the NYC art scene. There's not much more to say about it than that [or so much that I couldnt possibly enumerate all of it here]. I can't go here today as they are closed on Mondays! Visit their site for more info : http://www.metmuseum.org/visit/ The Metropoolitan is located at 1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street [take a taxi for this one as no subway line is easy].
  
  
  

Run for your life... or at least a great bottom line!

So it's that time of year when layers of clothing start to be peeled off like layers of the onion...
The question is then, "do you like what's underneath?". I'm not talking philiosophically [we all should be happy with our insides], but about that extra layer of winter insulation we all tend to pack on during the harsh winter months.

While many folks head to the gym to shed the unwanted layers, there is no time like spring to take advantage of the out-of-doors and see a bit of the city landscape. Here are a few of my favorite routes to run.

The first one is going to seem like a bit of a 'no brainer', but it's worth noting because of the many different ways you can slice and dice your running experience. I'm speaking of course of Central Park. I typically run the whole park drive, making pit stops at the Reservoir for water, but there are about a hundred ways to vary your route through the only sane part of Manhattan. Since there are too many permuatations to list here, I'lll simply link to the convenient Central Park Running Map the Centrak Park Conservancy has so thoughtfully posted online.


Like one of my blogging brethren has written "sometimes you need to get away from Central Park"... and although I don't often share this sentiment, the hoards of people thaat flood Central Park on a partiularly spectacular day can be overwhelming [a bit like running through a pinball machine]. On these days, a nice westside alternative is Riverside Park if you are above the 59th Street waistline, or the Hudson River Park if you are downtown.

Both offer fantastic views of the Hudson River and will give you that much needed dose of nature so uncommon amidst the concrete and steel that adorns most of the city.

Sometimes it's nice to get a completely new perspective on things and so, just to mix it up, I'll jump onto a subway [yes, only in New York would you commute to go on a run] and head down to Battery Park. The uncommon perspective on the city is reason along to make this trip. The southern most tip of the city brings Governors Island, Ellis Island and The Statue of Liberty into view and if you take the path all the way up the West Side, you can overlap with the Hudson River Park route and run all the way up the west side.

I know at this point it looks as though I've neglected the East Side a bit... and well, that's because the runs aren't quite as scenic [in my opinion] as the West Side, but it shouldn't be ruled out as a nice alternative to dodging traffic in Midtown. The East Side Promenade run can take you from the Roosevelt Island Tram at 60th Street all the way to the Triborough Bridge [recently renamed the RFK Memorial Bridge]. It's a nice straightline run if you want to do an uniterrupted 10k without many diversions... and the view of the East River, although a bit more industrial in flavor, does offer some interesting distractions as you ramp up to full endorphine rush.

Any of these jaunts about the city are a great way to get some fantastic people-watching in and get some much needed therapy in addition to getting you in shape for the upcoming bathing suit season. Also, if you're one of our single followers it's a great way to meet people...just be sure and take your headphones off, smile and say hello to your fellow runners.

By the way, if you're in need of new running togs or neglected to bring them on your trip there is an outpost of the New York Running Company in The Shops at Columbus Circle at the Time Warner Center that can outfit you in whatever you may need [conveniently located a few steps away from Dream New York].

Vrrrroooooom

Okay, so you may wonder what a car fanatic is doing living in a city where cars are [with the exception of escaping] unecessary...

I am a gearhead, so you can be sure that I made my way this week to the annual New York Auto Show at the Javitz Center. My favorite thing about going to the show is that it's like going to a dozen different car dealerships at the same time and there are no pushy salespeople. The nice folks over at the Javitz Center have also made it much easier to get in and out unscathed and unexasperated this year with the introduction of credit card ticket kiosks which makes entry a breeze [tickets are $14 per adult, so about the same as a night at the movies].

The first thing that struck me as funny upon arrival is the marketing gimmick that Jeep has employed just outside the main entrance to the show. It's basically an adult version of one of those jalopy-car-on-rails rides that they have at your local amusement park, but with a new 4 door Jeep Wrangler as the car. 'Thrillseekers' go around a tiny oblong track with a hill built into the middle. The most astounding part of it for me was the length of the cue to go on this 'ride'. Really?

Beyond that little bit of sillines [and I might add a clever marketing presence for the flagging Chrysler Corporation], the main floor holds most of what I come to the show for. Upon entry to the main show floor, I can feel my pulse pick up with that spark of adrenaline that comes from seeing your highschool crush, or in this case the new Porsche Panamera. The Panamera is the latest entry into a new grouping of luxo-touring cars [joining the Maserati Quattroporte] that can boast that they can move 4 adult occupants [seated in pretty plush surroundings] from 0-60 in under 5 seconds... now even for a non-enthusiast tha has to be at least a tad bit exciting. Now, if the Panamera had me at 'hello', it said goodbye to me with the pricetag. At around $150k, it feels far too precious for me to be jockeying for position with yellow cabs on the streets of Manhattan.

That leads me to an observation on the show this year that I found maybe a bit unexpected... with all of the bellyaching the auto industry has been doing over the last few years, I noticed an inordinant amount of cars being introduced at the highest end of the market... almost starting to blur the already fine lines between a luxury car and a Maybach [or Bentley or Rolls if you prefer]. Take the new Jaguar XJ for instance. What was a simply a lovely luxury touring sedan has now transformed into a super saloon of near epic proportion... and it feels a bit like that at every one of the European marks. The Audi A8, the BMW 7 seriest, the S class and even Range Rover have all upped the ante with their offerings this year [the Range Rover Autobiography is a study in overindulgence...nobody really needs that much truck. I can't think of the last time I ate caviar while traversing the Himalayas]. I guess the reason I find this unusual is that i am surprised by the perceived appetite that exists in the marketplace for this type of luxury product considering the economic tailspin that we are all trying to pull ourselves out of. I guess Wall Street is back.

The other developments this year seem to be in the area of, you guessed it, a greener tomorrow. Even the luxo-cruisers are stepping into the foray [the Merc S 400 hybrid, the Bimmer 7 series ActiveHybrid]. The horse race between bio diesel, hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell technology seems to be getting more and more heated, but one thing is for sure. If you currently have a car parked in your garage that get's less than 30 mpg, get ready to be ostracized. Maybe not this year or next, but soon and forever after. I wonder what the car equivalent to a PETA member throwing blood on a fur coat will be for high petrol-consumption vehicles will be?

As I left the Auto Show and went to grab a cab back to civilization [Javitz is all the way over to the western edge of the island], I noticed that my cab was a hybrid and I felt pretty good about that... until i realized that I am in one of the few places in the world where almost everywhere I need to be is within walking distance, so I decided to use the legs god gave me to walk home. You can thank me for lower carbon emissions later.

The New York International Auto Show runs through Sunday, April 11th at the Jacob Javitz Center in Manhattan.

Mastering the art of [eating] French cooking

Julie and Julia. That's the inspiration for this entry. This is not to say that I am endeavoring to cook her 524 recipes in 365 days [anyone who has met me will tell you that that is not in anyone's best interest].

What I can do however, is tell you the best way to experience French cuisine in New York.

• Balthazar. This is the one that started the trend of brasserie-mania. Although Balthazar is sometimes said to have the ambience of a bustling railway station, that can be part of its charm (it is SoHo after all). Having said that, the rest of the picture is pretty spot on to the classic French brasserie of the early 20th century complete with red banquettes, properly weathered mirrors with wine selections emblazoned on them and a lovingly abused wooden bar. The food is also classic bistro featuring the requisite whole-roasted chicken for two, steak frites and a shelfish bar to put most others to shame. The wine list boasts more than 200 wines and the adjacent Balthazar bakery does the providing for authentic french breads. Reservations are still tricky after all these years, so a word to the wise...call in advance... they take reservations within 30 days of your anticipated arrival. Balthazar is located at 80 Spring Street [at Crosby]. 212-965-1414 www.BalthazarNY.com


• Cafe Luxembourg. Moving swiftly uptown to the Lincoln Center area, we now find ourselves at the first bistro I made my way into when I moved to New York. This staple is still serving up solid, yet adventurous bistro fair in a deco setting replete with zinc-topped bar and the required aged-mirrors. There are reasonably priced three-course prix-fixe lunch and weekend brunch menus, as well as a pre-theater menu. After the opera or theater, a supper menu is offered that features omelets, sandwiches, crispy frites and other satisfying fare. Cafe Luxembourg is located at 200 West 70th Street [between West End and Amsterdam Avenues]. 212-873-7411 http://www.cafeluxembourg.com/


• Cognac [or Brasserie Cognac de Monsieur Ballon]. Just down the Great White Way from Cafe Luxembourg is the newest entry in the French Brasserie game at the north east corner of 55th Street and Broadway. Cognac is brought to you by the clever Italian duo Fabio Granato and Vittorio Assaf of Serafina fame [which is incidentally located acoss the street at Dream]. They did bring the right pieces together to make this formula work including a Rockwellian interpretation of Parisian brasserie decor in addition to a well-trained kitchen. Executive Chef Florian V. Hugo’s unique and exciting creations include Stripped Bass with Champagne Sauce, Fine Lobster Bisque, the Tartar Royal of Corn-fed Filet Mignon with Caper Berries and Dijon Mustard and decadent Truffle Croque Monsieur and delicious Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart. Chef Hugo uses the the restaurant's namesake liqueur in a number of recipes, as a pairing to many dishes, and in a tableside flambé. Cognac is located at 1740 Broadway [at 55th Street]. 212-757-3600 www.cognacrestaurant.com


• Cafe Benoit. Inspired by the landmark Paris bistro originally opened in 1912, Alain Ducasse, with the help of his talented Chef Pierre Schaedelin, has brought a snapshot of the original Benoit to 55th Street. Escargots eaters will love the Benoit version: each plump and nicely cooked escargot hides under a crouton hood. Main dishes include an ultra-tender, lemony chicken and a mustard-encrusted braised pork shank. The day boat scallops, cooked to bring out the buttery goodness, is always a good bet. Don't skip dessert while you are there either as the chocolate fondue is worth the indulgence... and of course the wine list is well chosen and offers solid selections for virtually any budget. Cafe Benoit is located at 60 West 55th Street [between Fifth and Sixth Avenues]. 646-943-7373 www.benoit-newyork.com

Now go out an enjoy a little bit of Paris in NewYork, and be glad it wasn't me who did the cooking.

Laugh, cry and dance on Broadway [but not necessarily in that order]

"I'm going to New York... gonna catch a show or two."


The Great White Way is so entrenched in New York culture that a trip to the island of Manhattan is hardly complete without attending at least one broadway performance... and there is a whole fresh crop of shows, both new and revival, that make an evening of live theater a requisite part of your next visit.

Here are a few of my top picks:

• A View from the Bridge. This Arthur Miller masterpiece is set in Red Hook, Brooklyn in the 1950s and is brimming with sexual tension. The performances turned in from Liev Schreiber [Eddie Carbone], Jessica Hecht [Beatrice Carbone], and Scarlett Johanssen [Catherine, their 17 year old niece] as directed by Gregory Mosher are so perfectly balanced [which is unusual given Schreiber's usual stage-tilting performances], that the audience can sense the emotions of the characters almost before the characters do. Contemporary tragedy plays out on stage as immigrant cousin houseguests crowd and already crowded living situation and brings 'what lies beneath' to an uncomfortable surface. A View from the Bridge is running at the Cort Theater on West 48th Street for only a few more weeks, so get your tickets before the actors take their final bow.



• Promises, Promises. This revival of the stage production derived from the Billy Wilder film farce 'The Apartment' takes on new relevance as it questions the hipocracy of some heterosexual marriages in the face of post-milennial marriage inequality. This show is a hot ticket that is sure to be a hit. Brought to you by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron [the guys responsible for the film adaptaptions of Chicago and Hairspray], this production features Sean Hayes and the effusive Kristen Chenoweth [fresh off her Emmy win]. With a storyline from Neil Simon and music by Burt Bacharach, think of it a as stepping into a time machine to a much simpler time...or was it? Previews begin Saturday, March 27th with general audience production coming April 25th. Promises, Promises is at The Broadway Theater at 53rd Street and Broadway.



• Fela. This show is an interesting one as it can be viewed on several different levels depending on the audience member's level of understanding and interest in the subject matter. Fela is loosely the story of Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Nigerian musician and activist, set to music from and inspired by his life. Though somewhat disjointed in storyline, the audience will get a basic understanding of the bio... but that's just one level. Another level [and reason enough to see this show alone] is the music. Fela is a show that moves you to move. In many ways it's a shame that the show has to be set in a traditional theater in that it would be better to lose the seats alltogether. You could categorize this show as a 'jukebox musical', but I think it would be wrong to pidgeonhole it. Whatever you call it, call for tickets as this show produced by Jay Z, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith. It's worth the price of admission and then some. This show also offers special package rates with overnight accommodations included at the neighboring hotel 'The Time' and Serafina Italian] offers a 20% discount to Fela ticket holders around showtime. Fela is playing at the Eugene O'Neill theater on 49th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenues.

Celebreality on an island

The isle of Manhattan is one of the few places where you can see celebrities roaming around in their 'natural' habitat. It all comes down to numbers... The island is only 13 miles long from stem to stern and only 2.3 miles across at it's widest point around 14th Street, so with just shy of 10 million people odds have it that you're going to get celebritized at least once a week.

Here are a few tips on how to increase those odds:

• Central Park. I know this seems like an obvious one, but on my [ahem] daily run on the park drive I see a notable virtually every day. Most celebs put stock in keeping fit [with the exception of the likes of Rush Limbaugh and do you really want to see him in running spanks?]. Just the other day I had a triple dip of Chris Noth [Mr. Bigg, or the Good Husband] and his ripped from the headlines real-life model Elliott Spitzer [not together] and Christine Baranski [also not with Mr. Noth, but the coincidence of it all was rather spooky].


• Hotel bars. Not the cheesy lobby bars of yure, but the living-room-with-an-edge, vibey, loungy haunts offered up at the boutique hotels in the city. Por ejemplo: in the last month Madonna [with Jesus in tow], Jessica and Ashley Simpson, Pete Wentz, Eva Longoria, Joan Jett, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, Robin Thicke, Michael Buble and The Black Eyed Peas have all been spotted at the stylish Inc. Lounge on the second level at The Time Hotel in Midtown west. These spots allow the celebs to hang out, do interviews, etc without having to leave the environs of their home away from home [and the dim lighting and selective door policies keep the paparazzi at bay].


• Barneys New York. I ran into Candace Bergen on two consecutive trips to this retail staple [I think she thought by the second time around I was stalking her]. On the same day as my second Candy sighting, I rode the elevator down from the men's co op to the ground floor with none other than 'The Boss', Mr. Springsteen himself.






• Balthazar. After some 15+ years, they still keep coming. Further west the same is true of Pastis.


• The Broadway stretch. If you happen to be walking around in the theater district this season, keep an eye peeled around the 6-7pm hour. Broadway is rife with big stars this year and they often walk into the theaters just like the rest of us [sans shades and a hat of course].




• The dog run. Just like everyone else with a pooch, the celebs love spending time with their furry friends outdoors. I saw James Gandolfini at an East Village dog run a few weeks back [black and white retriever mix in case you were curious].

You get the picture. Manhattan is easiest navigated on foot and most celebs who spend any amount of time here know that, so get out there and feel the fresh spring air and bump into somebody famous, or maybe better yet just an old friend.

Milan in Miami

Miami has a somewhat dubious reputation when it comes to fashion. I've always believed that it had something to do with the mix of cultures coupled with the high ratio of retirees affected adversely by party drugs and sultry heat. Whatever the reason, Milan Vukmirovic is a man on a mission to change the current perception of Miami as the last hold out from the disco era... and it's with a serious pedigree that Mr. Vukmirovic comes calling on the South Beach market. You see, Milan has been down this road before as the creative juice behind the now ubiquitous Colette, has held the helm at Jil Sander and now has the wheel at Trussardi as Menswear Designer.

This time around though, it seems his formula on the retail front will be entirely focused on the serious business of fashion. Whereas Colette was about total lifestyle emersion and ran the gamut of price ranges, The Webster promises to be all about the clothes, and right off the runways. Expect to see the labels of such venerable houses like Lanvin, Balmain, Maison Martin Margiela, YSL and Tom Ford [whom, incidentally, Vukmirovoc worked alongside at Gucci]. Think of it as Fred Segal/Ron Herman, meets Intermix (done at higher level of curation) set in 20,000 square feet of Florida Deco.

If the labels weren't too rich for you to digest, The Webster also features an outpost of Caviar Kaspia which cleverly features a 'Shopper's Lunch Menu' and a 'Business Lunch Menu', both at a surprisingly palatable prix fixe price point.

To read about the 10 items that Milan Vukmirovic can't live without, see his list from a past interview on Style.com

To read more about The Webster, please go to their website at http://www.thewebstermiami.com/ or visit them in person at 1220 Collins Avenue [12th Street and Collins Ave, adjacent to the upcoming Dream South Beach], or ring them up at (305) 674-7899.

For more on Kaspia Miami visit http://www.kaspiamiami.com/ (305) 674-7899