*
… came into existence and utterly devastated nightlife, special guests of the clubs were given “drink tickets” as a token of appreciation for their patronage, decorum and all around magnificence. Indeed, the true mark of a PX was measured in the enormity of one’s “stack.” The drink ticket (stamped nightly on the back with varying images) was the one bestowable voucher that could conceivably make an individual more popular than the coke dealer.
Cheers to the good ol’ days.
*Thanks to Joyce Bagner Hetherington
OK, so I promised at some point I would go back to recommending movies with F&B related themes. Certainly, no F&B film appreciation repertoire is complete without three of the best movies ever made about food and/or wine— Vatel, Eat Drink Man Woman, and the more recently released, Bottle Shock.
Visually stunning, viscerally moving, and intellectually elevating, these three films will make you truly love food and wine all over again— because, let’s face it, after your long, laborious, arduous stints in some of the creepiest establishments on earth, you’re a little bit sick of food right now, aren’t you?
Well, if you don’t thoroughly enjoy these movies as much as I did, you’re no Foodist, damn it! You’re just some awful, ridiculous, pretentious Foodie or something! Eewww, Foodie! Get out of here, Foodie! Don’t make us have to break out the torches and pitchforks.
hey remember when i said everybody is travelling this month? well in honor of peoples gallivanting alls over the globe when they should really probably be back home honoring all their responsibilites and whatnot, PX This is proud to bring you the first installation of our new, ongoing TRAVEL SERIES…
… wherein some of the coolest and most important peoples in NYC’s F&B/Nightlife world share a bit of their glorious travel experiences with YOU. yay!
and when i say "coolest" and "most important," i’m not kidding. ha aha ahaa for serious now, if you don’t recognize some of the upcoming names of the contributors to the Travel Series— ummmm… well… you might kinda have to finally face the reality that you are decidedly NOT a PX in this town, mutherfukker.
[oh okay— there’s a possibility you totally are PX, but you just don’t recognize the NAMES, cuz you’re either too busy being self-absorbed, or your gracious hosts have just been too modest (and/or scared of you) to introduce themselves (and/or give you their real names). fair enough.]
so. without further ado, a treat for your eyeballs instead of your other senses (for a change) from the people who really truly make F&B/Nightlife/Hospitality the experience you so immensely enjoy.
Bali — by Mark Baker
Beach at Night — by Mark Baker
View from the Bagatelle Restaurant, Turks & Caicos Islands — by Jean-Baptiste Parvaix
Beach by Day — by Miye McCullough
Juicy — by Miye McCullough
Lizard — by Miye McCullough
• Urban Daddy does all you losers a favor by letting you know how you can finally get into theJane. Then the comments section of Down by the Hipster reminds you all again why it is exactly you are such a fucking bunch of losers. -Vanilla Ice
• Speaking of reminders, Joshua David Stein grabs another opportunity to exhibit how he is such a knowledgable and insidery genius, and that Abbe Diaz is just a "batshit crazy, angry, petty" person— by graciously informing you pretty much the exact same shit Abbe Diaz already told you. -Vanilla Ice
• Jennifer Aniston reports on Conan O’Brien that she wants to possibly maybe open a Mexican restaurant— because "usually a great night is had in a Mexican restaurant, no?" And also: "New York City needs a great [Mexican restaurant]."
OH SNAP! Ya hear that, La Esquina? All that hospitality you’ve been showing Jennifer (we’ve spotted her there with our very own eyes on two separate occasions, both times with John Mayer. And we hear she’s "there all the time") is only going to end up with her biting yer stilo and stealing your patrons, à la Graydon Carter and Ron Perelman.
So much for gratitude! -Vanilla Ice
• SPOTTED: Last week at BarPitti, all dining on the same evening— Tony Shafrazi (business), Carmen Kass (pleasure), and Mena Suvari (business/pleasure ?). Look out for the paparazzi pics of Mena Suvari somewhere (she was properly attired and bespackled for them) since the photogs were plentiful and relentless. (Carmen Kass they completely missed, however.)
• SPOTTED: Nightlife impresario Richie Akiva celebrating his birthday over Saturday (September 19th) brunch at Cercle Rouge— with three super-tall babes and one beefy bruiser in tow. And his little dog too.
Nobody sang for him (aww, booo!). And kudos to him for being the only at the table not too hungover and/or stoned to have to hide behind big bugeyed beblackened spectacles.
As they were departing after their meal, one model reprimanded Richie Akiva like his mom, "The waiter just said ‘Happy Birthday’ to you!" And Akiva retorted, "I said, ‘thank you’!"
Yes, he certainly did, and quite sweetly, too. So there.
"It’s been a remarkable year, but I have decided to continue pursuing my culinary education abroad," says Executive Chef Leah Cohen. So far, cursory plans include possible months-long stints in Spain, Italy, and Asia to further enhance her knowledge and technique, "I am very thankful for the opportunities that Sasha Muniak and his team have given me, but I do feel that now is an opportune moment to travel and study and continue to develop myself into a more well rounded chef."
"We are very proud of Leah and what she has accomplished for both herself and the restaurant," adds proprietor Muniak, "I have no doubt Leah’s enthusiasm in furthering her education will benefit her and her career immensely."
Current sous chef Richard Furey (formerly of The Grand Hotel Amrâth, Amsterdam) will take over control of the kitchen. "It’s been my experience that in transitional phases such as this, it’s best to prevent disruption in the kitchen as much as possible. I’ve been very happy with the success of Leah Cohen rising up from sous chef under Anne Burrell, and with Saul Montiel (Gusto Ristorante) taking over the kitchen after his ample experience as sous under both Jody Williams and Amanda Freitag."
Muniak further remarks, "Leah Cohen was very much in demand after her appearance on Top Chef. The team very capably handled her absence while she was called away to represent Centro Vinoteca in both off-site events and TV appearances. I am confident Richard and the team will competently live up to their new challenge."
Emmanuel Rouget Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru Cros Parantoux 1997
Cost: $150/bottle
Dining at the Café Panache, a fine French cuisine is always paired nicely with a great Burgundy. This was showing nicely with its dark cherry, herbal tea, underbrush, and damp earthy complexity. Slight hint of band-aid on the nose that blows up with some swirling. In the mouth, the acidity seems nicely in tune with the fruit and somewhat residual tannins. Good inner fruit persistence from front attack to the back palate gives this wine a juicy, rather ripe “California” like texture; although the nose is Burgundian.
Rating: 91
Peter Michael – Les Pavots 1994 Cabernet Sauvignon – Napa Valley, California
Cost: $85-110/bottle
An impressive performance from a mature “at peak” cabernet. 15 years from the vine and the tannins have resolved and are well integrated with the fruit and alcohol. Notes of leather and cedar, combined with currants, plum, and black cherry with a touch of anise/fennel. Very smooth and velvet like on the mid-palate with a fine, moderately full bodied texture. A great cabernet!
Rating: 97
150 VARICK ST @ VANDAM, EVERY SUNDAY
photographs by Kenny Kenny
Just watch it. If you like good compelling stories, and don’t mind the subtitles (what kind of illiterate jackass actually minds subtitles?), Just Another Love Story will have you on the edge of your seat, chewing your fingers off.
Later I may go back to recommending good movies with food and/or wine and/or other F&B/Hospitality related themes, but right now I simply want to share what was truly a great movie. What can I say – get over it!
PX This actually was about a lot more subjects than just restaurants and PXes anyway (filmmaking being just one blatantly very prevalent issue). But, of course, you already knew that!
= "personne extraordinaire"