Broken Syllables: An ode to NYC ...

What's in a weekend? Oh, the places you will go!

It all started innocently enough ... a last-minute visit to "La Grosse Pomme" ... traffic and beeping aside, it's true that the lights will inspire you. And when you're in good company, magical moments can seem to last forever.

Zoom up. Toll, toll. Surf the radio. We're here! Check in: W on Lex, sympa! Empire State peeking through the window. Quick shower and we're out on the town. First stop? Tummy grumbling ...

Graffitti, LES: Tiny. Unique. Spicy. Iron Chef Mehta creates miniature dishes with massive taste factor. Imagine green mint sorbet atop watermelon squares, green chile shrimp and mini grilled burgers with a kick of cumin. Sweeten it all off with a hazelnut cookie dough mousse cupcake. Who'da thunk?

Frenchie overload at Chloe, rats scurry into Decibel. On second thought, maybe not worth the wait. Calling it an early nite at 1am ... after a couple lychee martinis at Wetbar. Mmm.

Ah, good morning, sunshine! Crap, forgot Guccis in valet'd car. Too bad? Nah, $5 bucks in Chinatown for some label-less shades. Strolling down the streets of SoHo. Greek burgers at Bar 89. Wow, that was a lot of meat. Let's walk it off ... Hugo Boss, Paul Smith, Miu Miu, Michael, Kors, Prada, LV, lots o' cute little boutique w/ no sign. Whew! Nap time.

What's the plan for tonite? Waiting too long for world's best falafel at W. 53rd & 6th. Skip the line, go straight to Remi for 'Formaggio di Goat' (Grazie, Ale) and endless glasses of Tuscany's top red, Antinori. Magnifico! Story time with M and Ali. Humbling volunteer experience in the villages of Benin. Bridezilla moments. Good laughs. Ancora, ancora. Chin chin!

Wizz down to pack some meat at Standard. Champagne, sweet and bubbly (Merci, bb). Cosmo was not quite dry enough (Mi dispiace, cara). Gin & Tonic perfectly balanced (Enjoy, love to see you smile).

Hungry! Street vendor kebab dogs. Well done, pls. Pastis for dessert au chocolat. Miam, miam.

Since when is there cover at Bagatelle? Laisse tomber. Vento will do the trick to dance it all off.

Hailing a cab at 4am is always a workout. W signature Wonderful Bed. Fluffy pillows. Ah.

Light creeping in. No, don't wanna get up yet. Let's ...

Brunch at Hell's Kitchen, conveniently located in Hell's Kitchen. I love this city. Cash only. I love this city??

Unlimited Mimosas. Enough said. Six hours later, as the sun goes down, the guys are back from the game (vai, vai Roma!) and girltalk quiets down (already planning the next trip to catch up).

Tipsy walk back home, passed a few characters darting among the traffic. Instant live entertainment. Window shopping (ooooh, Ali, look at that one! Hail to Mr. Azria)

A warm breeze blows by as he takes me by the hand. I'm floating.

Evening falls, time to head back home - sweet, calm, home. Peut-etre le petit lapin est encore la?

Predictably, Jay-Z provides the soundtrack for our smooth ride. Almost there.

Monday - snap back to reality. Until next time, NYC.

FT @ DR

FT @ DR

 

Fall has never had it so good: It's you & the best friends, food, wine, music and tropcial views you've ever had ... 

French Tuesdays style.  

The legend of French Tuesdays was born one night in New York, when founders Gilles Amsallem and Pierre Battu noticed that the crème de la crème of the young, international professional crowd had better things to do with their weekends than to mingle with strangers in bars, but during the week they were quite keen on the idea of meeting up with fellow networkers to enjoy cocktails together in chicissime venues. French Tuesdays is members-only so everyone is connected through several degrees of separation, thus never a stranger at the party. Better yet, once part of the FT family, you can travel the world and continue attending these famous fêtes. 

Currently FT operates in the US in New York, Miami, San Fran, and LA. Paris, France is the newest addition ... I know, French Tuesdays in France, it took me a sec to catch on as well, but it totally works --Parisians and non-Frenchies alike love this fraîche new concept. Stay tuned this fall for the Sao Paolo, Brasil launch! Rumor has it by September 15th Rio will be quite jealous of its seaside sister city thanks to our French party crusaders. In between events, Gilles, Pierre and their fab team never sleep, it seems. 

As if weekly and monthly parties in six world capitals of fun were not enough, Gilles and Pierre present to us an added bonus: a week in the Dominican Republic at Club Med for the first annual Food & Wine Festival where internationally acclaimed chefs, sommeliers and dj' convene to bring us the ultimate experience. And, whether you stay all week or just stop by for a couple nights, 207$ pp/pn is your ticket to paradise ... food and drinks included. 

(See below for a peek at the sched.)  

The Food & Wine Event's top sponsors are Travel & Leisure, Metro Wine, Sommelier Journal, Front of the House, Marky's Purveyors of Fine Food, Moët & Hennessy, and Evian. Not to mention the top chefs turning out for this party ... it's a veritable world-class line-up. Erik Peters, Club Med Corporate Chef welcomes fellow culinary masters to his kitchen for an unforgettable week:  

Californians Bernard Guillas joins us from La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club along with 

Stephane Treand of the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort at Dana Point Jean-Michel Bergougnoux of Absinthe in NYC, Leandro Diaz from Cookers and Friends Culinary Club, 

Louis-François Marcotte flies in from Montreal's Le Local with 

Toronto legend Ted Reader of Kingpin Bbq. 

Matthew Zubrod leaves one sunny spot for another at his restaurant Monettes on Hawaii Island, 

Philippe Ferret of New York's Allure Catering & Brasserie Julien, 

Russel Cunningham of Agraria in DC, 

Sean Bernal doesn't have to stray far from the Oceanaire in Miami, also close by is 

Stefano LaCava of Barton G Catering. 

And Timothy Grandinetti from Carolina's Twin City Quarter in Winston-Salem.  

Aside from eating well and drinking even better, thanks to French wine connssieurs galore and bubbly sponsor Moêt & Chandon, each day has a theme and ends in a night to dance away our gourmandises:

Sunday, September 27th: Welcome to a Week of Sophisticated Fun

Monday, September 28th: Senses of the Mediterranean

Tuesday, September 29th: Something Green

Wednesday, September 30th: The Best of Brazi

Thursday, October 1st: Discover the Dominican Republic

Friday, October 2nd: The Caribbean: Tuquoise, Tropical, & Lobster

Saturday, October 3rd: A Day in White

As you're drooling away and simultaneously thinking of how to keep that summer tan to fit right in when you arrive (also now doing crunches as you're scrolling through this article), don't forget that there's still a chance to party it up before the DR --right at home in your favorite FT city. New York, Miami, San Fran, LA and Paris await your presence in September before the big bash.  

For all the info, visit FrenchTuesdays.com

L'USINE

L'USINE

Step just around the corner from the eclectic Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris' artsy 4th district, on rue Quincampoix, and enter into a surreal ambiance of hip lounge music mixed with upbeat house, endless mirrors, LCD screens galore ... hope you're dressed in your best Puma Black Label runners and have your iPod Nano latched on tight because you are in for quite a workout from the gorgeous, built trainers waiting at the door, all smiles ...

Welcome to l'Usine, a hot new fitness center concept that is a refreshing contrast to the gym as we know it.

Once you pick up your hot-of-the-press fluffy white towel and bottle of Evian, head to the main exercise floor where elliptical machines are arranged cleverly in an egg-shape around a flower of flat screens showing the newest movies for your viewing pleasure; treadmills and bikes have their own mini programmable TVs. The free weight and machine room is surrounded with mirrors so you can see yourself getting buffer by the minute. Remember those gorgeous trainers you met at the door? If desired, they shall stay by your side and guide you along a personalised circuit.

Turn your friends green with envy after a few classes of hyper-toning Body Balance; it's basically 60 minutes of abs and glutes but somehow the time flies amid the groovy surround sound and emerald-tinted lights. In fact, the instructors modify the color scheme in the room depending on the level of intensity of each class. Yoga is a relaxing treat in soothing lavendar tones accompanied by nature-y tunes. You'll be asking yourself in no time: is there an iPhone app for this experience? Hmmm... I'm sure even busybee Jobs wouldn't mind a designer gym break every now and then!

Can't sweat no more? It's time for a little R&R, or 'détente' as the French appellation.

Descending a winding staircase of centuries-old stone into the cave-like (as in vintage wine, not vampires) spa and relaxation area below, you can climb the built-in solid oak the stretching ladder to let the strain out of sore muscles. Or, go straight to the hammam steam room (ladies and gents each have their own, of course) before taking a shower in what feels like a dewy rainfall in the dawn of a summer forest ... again, they've thought of everything: gel and lotion infused with essential oils are provided.

Breathe deep before heading out, a sensory memory: l'Usine's candles bring back memories from the Ritz-Carlton Spa in San Francisco, where Archipelago's Havana wafts through the air, filling the room with notes of rich bergamot, delicate ylang-ylang and musk.

Hope you've enjoyed the visit, 'cause tomorrow your calves, thighs and arms will surely remind you of all the fun you had! It's okay to wait a few days before going back for seconds ...

L'Usine  I  18 rue Quincampoix - 75004 - Paris - France  I  usineopera.com

6 & 8

6 & 8

In these two chicissime districts of Paris are two resto/lounges of note whose design ambiances complement perfectly their creative gastronomy and charming service.

 

(6) 

Alcazar

62 rue Mazarine, Paris 75006 I 01.53.10.19.99 I alcazar.fr

 

Making an entry is quintessential: at Alcazar, step lightly along the catwalk hallway as a light projector sends bright orange koi fish splashing at your feet. Then, up a light-studded staircase catch a glimpse of classic b&w films are on each wall as you settle into your smooth velvet seat on the glass mezzanine, a magnificent fresh flower centerpiece suspended from the skyroof catches your eye. Raw Asian cult art with brigh flashes of red interject the modern French décor ... and finally, all focus falls on the menu.

 

Recommended dishes? App with the tuna tartare à la mangue (glass of Chardonnay), followed by a succulent magret de canard in a bittersweet fig sauce (glass of Bourgogne) ... the millefeuille aux fraises is an endless stack of crispy pastry, rich cream and tangy berries. Mmmm! 

 

Monday evening is a real treat with live Opera sung alongside the baby grand centererd in the fine dining salon below. The tenor is quite the tempation for the ladies: not only is he a sweet swooner, but his cute dimples and chocolate-brown eyes are heart-breaking. Later in the week, visiting DJs spin jazzy grooves with a live sax accent.

 

For the best service in the house, ask for Mikael or Youssef by name; they are the life of the party and are sure to make your experience at Alcazar absoluement parfaite!

(8) 

Renoma Café Gallery

32 ave George V, 75008 Paris I 01.47.20.46.19 I renoma-paris.com

 

It's what Maurice Renoma calls 'une esthétique post-industrielle'. As pictures say a thousand words, I'll let the images speak for your personal interpretation of Renoma's magnificent creations.

 

In the couchy living area before the bar, leaf through vintage books and magazines chosen by Renoma's team of attentive, confident staff, conveniently recruited from the Mini Palais café in the Grand Palais: art & gourmet just can't get enough of each other!  

 

At lunchtime, Renoma makes a work of art out of a simple tartine: creamy white chèvre wrapped in fresh ham tinted with white truffle oil rests on top of mesclun speckled with drops of aged balsamic vinaiger from modena; the toasted baguette alongside poses nude until you become the artist to build your own goat cheese sandwich sculpture. To sip: a glass (or two, if it's lunch on a Friday ;) of rosé from St. Tropez. 

 

Again, we see the DJ theme pop up as evenings come alive at this open space of sensual wonders. Mid-week is best, as the hip Parisian crowd emerges from the woodwork of happy hours to top of the night with haute selections from Renoma's extensive champagne list. Chin!

Parisian Summer in Bleu Marine

Parisian Summer in Bleu Marine

Take a stroll through images along the pebbly streets of historic Île Saint Louis ... 

A lickety-sweet summer treat of bourbon vanilla ice cream at Berthillon, live jazz on Pont Louis Philippe & 

Of course the lovey-dovey couples embracing on a Seine-side bench. Ah, Paris!  

Chocorons

Discover CHOCORONS!  

Imagine a decadent 70% pure origin chocolate truffle & a succulent rose macaron get married and live happily ever after ...  

Brought to us by Sadaharu Aoki, pastry marvel from the Land of the Rising Sun.  

For now, boutiques in Paris & Tokyo ... hoping for plans of expansion across the Atlantic & Pacific!

Gray Matters

Gray Matters 

From the white fluffy snow of wintertime to the sleepless party nights of summer, there is that in-between dubbed spring. So what better way to transition than with THE gray tote of the season, a classic creation by NYC designer Kage. 

Meet Kage: a young brand from the heart of Manhattan in Gramercy Park. Kage is the beloved creation of Kristin Holstein, a blue-eyed beauty inspired by vintage accessories and her dear mom's love of horses --hence the charm that each lucky Kage fan gets with her bag ... available in select boutiques coast to coast in the USA and online internationally.