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

Getting a buzz in Miami

So with the much anticipated Dream South Beach opening its doors this summer down Miami way, I thought it perfect timing to take a blip [that's a blog-trip] down to 11th Street and Collins Avenue.


Part of emersion into the culture of any city is taking a look at routine and ritual of the local landscape... and there is no more perfect starting place for that than your morning cup o' joe.


Miami is the land of cafe cubano [cuban coffee]. If you're looking for that morning jolt, there is no better way to jump start your day than a cafecito. One thing that you shouldn't expect though is a big gulp-sized tumbler of coffee. Cafe Cubano is all about packing a big punch in a small package. Here's the low down on how to get your buzz on Miami Style.


Cafecito or Café Cubano : Cuban-style espresso. Served in a small espresso cup, it is very strong and very sweet. Whether to sip it or down it like a shot is up to personal taste, so whichever way you prefer is accepted.
Espumita : The first few drips of cafecito are dripped into a pot with a few teaspoons of sugar. The person making the cafecito will whip this mixture into a sweet foam for the top of the drink. This foam is called espumita.
Colada : Being a social drink, cafecito can be ordered ready to share with friends. Order a colada and your drink will come in a large cup with a lid along with plastic espresso cups. After lunch, you will see stores and businesses all over Miami with shots of cafecito being passed around. Take a colada back to your office, and you will be surprised at the number of friends you have!
Cortadito : Cafecito with milk added. Each place you go uses a different ratio, so there really is no standard. Some places use only a few tablespoons of milk while others use half milk and half cafecito. Either way, it’s a great way to try Café Cubano for the first time to get the taste of it.
Café con Leche (coffee with milk) : Similar to a latte. You are served a cup of hot milk and a shot of Café Cubano in a separate cup. Just dump the coffee into the milk when you are ready for it. You usually won’t need sugar, since to cafecito is sweetened already.


And just a final word of advice to novices... since Cafe Cubano is about twice as strong as normal American coffee, use it sparingly at first. Think of it as a dopio with a latin american accent.
For a great Cafecito, visit David's Cafe at 1058 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach adjacent to the upcoming Dream South Beach (305) 534-8736 http://www.davidscafe.com/

Let the sun shine! Just make sure you have the right pair of shades

Wow...that's all i can say about this week's weather. What a difference a few days can make.

Spring has sprung out of nowhere... before you had the chance to be completely outfitted for it. And what's that big yellow ball up in the sky over the craggy Manhattan skyline? That's our friend the sun whom we must have insulted sometime late fall because that was the last time we saw him. He's a forgiving sort, so he's come back around finally to pay a visit. In honor of the sun god and all things fashionable, go out and get a new [or gently used] pair of shades.

In NYC there is a Sunglass Hut seemingly on every corner, but if you're looking for something a bit different and on the vintage tip, venture down to the East Village to Fabulous Fanny's. It's a sort of fashion timeline of eyewear...and the trip down memory lane is enough to make the venture worthwhile. Much of what they carry is dead stock [unsold merchandise that periodically gets unearthed for discount sale]. Check out these 1980's Swatch shades for instance:

Who knew Swatch ever made sunglasses?!?

Or how about these Cottet specs from the 70s:

There's something just a bit more fabulous about buying the design inspiration for current trend at a third of the price of the newly manfuactured version.

Fabulous Fanny's is located at 335 E 9th St between First and Second Aves (212-533-0637, fabulousfannys.com)

While you're down on that side of town there are a few other spec shops that deserve a look. Cross over Houston to the Lower East Side [or LES as the cool kids are calling it] and stop in at Naked Eye Optical for a highly curated collection of eyewear (192 Orchard St between E Houston and Stanton Sts 212-253-4935, nakedeyeoptical.com). For a bit of everything from one of the oldest opticians in the city, venture over to Moscot's just a few blocks away 118 Orchard St at Delancey St (212-477-3796, moscot.com) or on the border of the Village and Chelsea at 69 W 14th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves (212-647-1550)

Aspen, New York?

For those of us who have been trudging through the relentless onslaught of wintry mix hitting most of the map this season, you would think thoughts of snowy high country would be the last destination on the list, but the folks at Aspen Social Club are here to remind us that the mountains aren't just for Christmas anymore!

Just like its Colorado relative and namesake, Aspen on 47th Street keeps 'em coming for four beautiful seasons. Since much of the menu at Aspen Social Club consists of small plates, it's easy to keep it light while enjoying your cocktail [the Bison Slider and Colorado Lamb Lollipops are still the standouts here], and they've added entries from the lighter side as well including a few salad entrees [try the Nicoise...it's superb].

So, if you missed your opportunity to hit the slopes this season, fret not. Aspen has added another zip code and it's adjacent to Rockefeller Center.

Aspen Social is located at 157 West 47th Street at Stay. [Hotel] where its guests get to experience high country cuisine en chambre. Call (212) 221-7200 for reservations or visit online at http://www.aspensocialclub.com/ http://www.stayhotelny.com/

Menu of a Geisha

The most underrated Japanese-ish dish in town resides on East 61st Street at Geisha. The most ironic part of the equation is that it took two Italians [Fabio and Vittorio of Serafina fame] and a Frenchman [Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin] to get there. It’s a bit of a culinary lightbulb joke.
While it is a fusion effort [Franco-Japanese], for whatever that word might mean to you, the menu stays firmly planted in fish thanks to the guidance of Eric Ripert and the execution of protégé Michael Vernon. Salmon marinated in a miso mirin and sake, skate in ponzu and brown butter and a chili-spiked lobster top the standouts here, but none stand out and above the sugarcane lollipop of coriander marinated shrimp. The fare does venture beyond fruit de mer into the realm of a lovely rack of lamb and a formidable fillet mignon.
A word to the wise though for newcomers to this stylish Eastside haunt… come early in Prada. Geisha is a first come, first serve restaurant [no reservations taken past 6.30pm] which makes it both egalitarian and a game of chance. If you set your watch timer while cruising through Barney’s [as referenced in the last entry of this blog], cash out by 5.45 there and head right across the street for some poisson japonais.

Geisha is located at 33 East 61 Street New York, NY 10021 Tel:(212)813-1113

http://www.geisharestaurant.com/ http://www.serafinarestaurantgroup.com/

The perfect day of shopping, Part Un (From the equator up | 42nd - 75th Street)

There are many approaches here and what is perfect for me, may be hell for someone else but I’ll do my best to offer you a blissful day of retail therapy to keep your other therapist at bay.
New Yorker’s don’t ‘do’ breakfast typically unless it’s a weekend and then it’s almost solidly ‘brunch’. Now you could begin your day with a sugary pastry and caffeine injection from one of the five or six dozen Starbuck’s in the midtown corridor, but that you could do that in Anytown, USA so I would suggest stopping in for a bit of local flavor at the homegrown favorite Financier Patisserie who have an outpost in Rockefeller Center West attached to the Fox Newscorp Building on West 48th Street. Perfectly roasted beans coupled with an artisanal pastry at about the same tariff as the next guy make it a better choice to get your shopping motor revved up.
With caffeine firmly clenched in hand, move directly across the promenade at Rockefeller Plaza to Saks Fifth Avenue. The behemoth fashion department store has been anchored in its current location since 1924 and for good reason. Directly across from ‘Prometheus’ in the Plaza, Saks draws tourists from around the globe through its Deco bronzed doors. A word to the wise, unless you’re in the habit of wearing 15 different designer scents at the same time, work the perimeter of the ground floor and peruse the implant boutiques to avoid the cosmetic cavalry on the way to the elevators in the back of the store. Saks is pretty straightforward in its floor layout and women’s and men’s floors are grouped. While the designer ready to wear items are current and well curated leave the trend driven denim and casual designer goods until your later stop at Barney’s up the road a bit. As a note, Saks does have an in house restaurant that opens at 11am by the name of Café SFA, but if you’re shopping on a schedule you’ll want to leave Saks by 11 to miss the lunchtime crunch from the nearby office towers.
Once you depart from Saks, head north on Fifth past St. Patrick’s. You’ll notice several big box retailers set up on Fifth, but most of them can be found in your local shopping mall and their trophy store locations don’t carry much that differs from their suburban sprawl brethren. There are, however, some stores worth a gander that you may not have in your neighborhood, namely Takashimaya, Ferragamo, Cartier, Brioni and the new Armani multiplex which carries all of the ubiquitous Italian designer’s brands in the same building divided artfully by floor. You will undoubtedly take notice of the Tiffany’s flagship store on the Southeast corner of 57th and Fifth. It is worth entering to take in the grandeur of the space and marvel at the jumbo-mortgage sized engagement rings, but the sterling silver floor is about as enjoyable as giving blood and the frenzy of activity on that floor will leave you just as light headed, so save those purchases for online.
Tiffany’s makes up one corner of what I refer to as the ‘golden cross’. Leading up to 57th and 5th you’ll see boutiques from the world’s top design houses stretching all directions on the compass rose. Gucci, Prada, Fendi, Bulgari, Harry Winston, and on and on. It also marks the cross street where the heavyweight brands shift over to over to Madison the continued stretch up through the mid 70’s. Before shooting off to Madison though, there are two more ‘department stores’ worth a peek. Henri Bendel and the [almost] incomparable Bergdorf Goodman. Bendel’s focus is entirely women, Bergdorf’s is split by 5th Avenue itself, women on the west side, men on the east.
Continuing up fifth avenue, keep walking until you pass The Pierre hotel and then make the right towards Madison Avenue off of 60th Street. There you will find the most civilized ‘department store’ experience in New York City, otherwise known as Barneys New York.
Barneys is cleverly divided into two towers: men’s and women’s. The side entrance to the men’s side is on 60th Street and the main store and women’s entrance is around the corner on Madison Avenue. The mantra at Barney’s is Luxury, Taste, Humor and that is exactly what you will find under Simon Doonan’s creative direction at the eponymous retailer. As au currant as it is urbane, Barney’s gives direction to the rest of the retail world and is surely the only location stateside where you will find certain brands comingling under one roof… the legendary malletier Goyard proudly calls Barney’s New York home.
Make sure to take a floor guide leaflet [conveniently located at the elevator banks] so that you don’t miss any of your plastic melting opportunities. Since Barney’s touts itself as a complete lifestyle store, it comes replete with a ‘home’ section known as Chelsea Passage on the 9th Floor. Here you’ll find the Assouline coffee table books currently gracing the waiting area outside of Anna Wintour’s office, along with assorted bar implements, Adrienne Landau throws and pillows and D. L. & Co.’s skull-shaped candles to complement any chic pied-a-terre. Also, while you are meandering through the python-wrapped martini shakers and Fornasetti vases, take a turn towards the Madison side of the store and venture into the baby and toddler section. You are guaranteed to find the perfect shower gift here for the stylish expectant mother.
Okay, at this point you will have probably burned through the caffeine from your morning pit-stop at Financier, so it’s time to eat. Send your haute house wares over to gift wrap and saunter over to the other side of the 9th floor to the restaurant where the power shopper meets the power lunch, Fred’s. What’s remarkable here is not really the food (albeit fortifying and there are a few standouts on the menu like The Focaccia Melt and Mark’s Madison Avenue Salad), but the scene that ensues. Try for a table against the windows, or you may just lose a limb from swinging black shopping bags coming at you from passing patrons. If you eavesdrop (which I of course never do), you will come away with some juicy tidbits about what’s coming into vogue next season for sure from an editor or buyer at the next table.
After your meal-ending dopio kicks in to combat the nap you probably have a hankering for after lunch, grab your items from gift wrap on the way out the door… you’re headed back out onto Madison and by this time in the afternoon, you’ll need the full metal shopping jacket as the ‘ladies who lunch’ are headed back onto Madison along with you (undoubtedly with Yorkies in tow).
The remaining stretch of Madison up through the mid 70’s is lined with boutiques from just about every important ‘house’ in the fashion industry.

Hermes, YSL, Dolce & Gabbana, Bottega Veneta, Calvin Klein, Luca Luca, Carolina Herrera, and Valentino top the list. All offer custom fittings in a private setting, of course at a private setting price so window shopping is recommended for all but the truly committed shopper.
If you are lucky enough to have the weather on your side there is something special about just walking the avenue and taking it all in, which incidentally doesn’t cost a dime and can be just as fulfilling. At the end of the day, I always refer to New York as a giant open air shopping mall. Almost everything is for sale and sometimes finding the things that are not can make you smile more than the things that are.
By now, your legs are probably a bit wobbly as most non-New Yorkers don’t realize how much walking can be involved in getting around our fair city. I would implore you though to push on for just a little bit further. If you are staying in midtown at one of the four VIkram Chatwal Hotels [and midtown is ‘back’ by the way], the best way to end your day is to stroll back down Fifth Avenue on the park side of the street. By 5.30 you’ll notice the tenor of the city beginning to change a bit. Sure, it gets a bit frenetic with the evening rush as everyone who made their way in from the outer buroughs and the ‘burbs heads home for supper, but if you stick to the park sidewalk, you can watch it all in wonder and pay a visit to my favorite pretzel vendor at the intersection of 59th Street and Fifth Avenue . Getting a New York street pretzel is required at the end of a really good shopping day. It’s my way of reminding myself that not everything has to be packaged with the full weight of a global branding machine behind it. Some things, like a good New York pretzel, carry a brand of authenticity that goes far beyond what any advertising could convey.

Pack lightly but carry a big suitcase

If you are anything like I am (and you probably are to some extent since you are reading this column), you’re likely a bit flighty. I know… you generally have it together, but regardless of how many checklists you make for a trip, you’re bound to forget something. I’ve actually forgotten to pack my underwear before (just so you know who you’re dealing with).
In this instance though, I am going to suggest that you purposefully forget items…whole days' worth of items. Here’s why:
Trips to places like New York, South Beach, and Bangkok should be about adventure, regardless of what purpose actually took you there. They should also be about emersion. Nobody ever goes to New York wanting to look like they’re from Wisconsin unless they’re in a touring company of Our Town. No, unless you have a stylist who can plan your wardrobe for you, or you travel to New York at least 12 times in a calendar year, you can’t really be on top of what’s en vogue at Vogue. Bring an empty suitcase (with one extra pair of undies just in case) and have an adventure… you’ll be glad you did. And if you use the Guide to the Perfect Day of Shopping - Part Un coming in the next installment of this blog, you’ll have a plan of attack for flexing some credit muscle.

Skyscrapers and a close shave

There’s something about the sheer density of skyscrapers in midtown New York that draws tourist traffic all by itself. Anyone who has been to New York knows what I am talking about. First-timers walk down the avenues looking up rather than ahead. To those of us that call New York City home, it can be, well, annoying at times, but after a breath or two even the most jaded Manhattanite can take pause in the ingenuity that stands behind every bit of brick and mortar and the miles and miles of glass and steel. Somewhere in all of that glass and steel is a good bit of nostalgia. The stuff that shows like “Mad Men” draw from when people dressed for dinner and the theater [even the movie theater] and went to the barber for a shave. Somewhere in all of that glass and steel, that still exists.
One of my favorite throw-backs to that era of deco-luxe is the real, honest-to-goodness barber. Probably the truest to the time when men went for a regular hot towel shave is Paul Mole [ http://www.paulmole.com/ 212-535-8461]. Just a up a few blocks from the midtown frenzy on the Upper East Side [Lexington and 73rd] is the barber that has been doing it since 1913 [okay, so it’s not the same man cutting your hair as your great granddaddy, but the current generation of barbers still have their stories to tell and know how to use a straight razor with all of the no nonsense care that their predecessors did].
If you’re in more of a hurry than a trip to Paul’s might entail, there’s an alternative that may not carry quite the same charm of the good Mr. Mole, but is a no lesser of a New York institution. A visit to Roma’s Barber Shop takes you to a location halfway down the stairs to the 1 train at 50th and Broadway. Roma’s is as no nonsense as it gets in the most Russian proletariat of ways, but a precise clipper cut and eyebrow trim in transit for less than twenty bucks is still a bargain and if you have to wait [which is never very long], you can get your bluchers shined for a mere three dollars. This old standby is a regular stop of mine when a bit of clean up is required before a meeting and I don’t have to digress off of my commute one step… and although the underground barber is a dying breed, there are still a good number of these hidden friends of the hirsute to keep you well groomed on most of the major subway lines.
Roma’s is just steps from all of the Midtown Vikram Chatwal Hotels and is open Monday through Friday from the morning to the evening rush.

Spring has sprung, but you can still hit the ice

Every year in New York there are a few spots on the calendar where the seasons seem to converge perfectly. One such time is rapidly approaching… that time when the doldrums of winter start to fade and Spring starts to come into view. While there are a million things to do when this convergence happens, the best of them happen out-of-doors.
It has long been said that Central Park was created to ensure the sanity of all New Yorkers, like a giant zen garden of sorts. What is truly special about this time of year when winter and spring shake hands is the seeing the remnants of the snow from the ‘Februaries’ being pierced by the Cherry blossoms on the Park Drive. For the most agile of us, there is no better way, and surely no better time to take a glide at the Wollman Rink at the bottom of Central Park [www.wollmanskatingrink.com ]. All of what is quintessentially New York seems to converge [in chorus with the seasons] at this New York landmark with the midtown skyline below and the stretch of green to the north. What makes this time of year perfect for the rink is that most New Yorkers and tourists alike have either forgotten about the rink after months in the cement tundra or assume that it has closed for the season. The rink stays open however through the beginning of April [around the time that the tax man comes calling] and with just a sweater and about $20 in your pocket, you can have the rink virtually to yourself and a few dollars left over for a cocktail at the other requisite stop in the park which is The Loeb Boathouse [www.thecentralparkboathouse.com ], just off of the East 72 Street entrance on the park drive.
Once again, this rare window in time opens for the rare few who think to take advantage of the spot before the competing throngs of locals and tourists take over like a drunken ant hill in late spring to summer. Set on a perch overlooking one of the park’s many ponds, The Loeb Boathouse offers full restaurant fare in a setting reminiscent [some would say] of a Merchant Ivory film complete with paddle boats and hanging moss. If you hit it before May Day, you might even have a shot at a table right on the water and without the fraternity antics that can ensue later in the season.
All four Vikram Chatwal Hotels properties in midtown are walking distance from Central Park and our well-seasoned concierge staff can help you navigate the landscape like a native. Please visit http://www.vikramchatwalhotels.com/ for more on our unique offerings.