PX This.

joshua.david-stein’s (typically oblivious) grubstreet.com rumination on SHO ShaunHergatt today reminds me all about my visit there last week.

unlike joshua.david-stein (who, undoubtedly, has never even been to SHO but dislikes it intensely anyway), i really loved it— it’s my newest favoritist restaurant since Grayz and Maze.

yah so
originally i tried to go on a sunday night but they’re closed sundays (just so you know). so i went on a monday instead.
since i figured it would be a slow night, i didn’t bother to make reservations or anything like that. i’d also heard SHO was “gigantic” and “dead” so that only added to my confidence i’d definitely get a decent table.

and i sure did all right!
oh lemme backtrack for a second. firstly, i wanna say SHO is really elegant. it can be kind of intimidating, because it’s so grand and plush and swankeroo and whatnot— but the hostess (or maitre d’ or whoever) is very professional in that she makes you feel welcomed right away. she doesn’t say any of the unexceptional asinine things like “can i hellllp you?” or “do you haaaave a reservation?” which is the type of stuffs (as a former “professional”) that drives me up a fucking wall.
she just smiles all warmly and sweetly. even when you imply you haven’t yet decided whether this joint is worthy of your benjamins and you just “want to have a drink” first.

on the other hand, the bartender, for some reason, is a little timid and apprehensive. maybe she’s new.

anyhoo. one look at the menu (enthralling and reasonably priced!) will likely convince you it could be worth at least a benjamin and a half. it convinced me, anyways.
luckily, the warm sweetly smiling hostess is all too happy to accommodate your impulsive, presumptuous, spontaneous, classless ass. so good for you!

as she walks you to your table, you (also a consummate “professional,” yes?) cannot help but notice— homegirl’s got it all going on. she does the whole bit: the contrivedly and painfully sloooow but confident gait, the occasional glance backward (are you dimwits still there? have i lost you? have you paused midway to to take a phonecall or some shit?), the meticulous care not to clatter the floorboards with those sky high laboutins.
god damn, who’s the service coordinator up in this muhfuh?
either these people are all graduates of the University of Three Star Service, or somebody’s been working overtime to train these bitches.

ya know— i could go on and on about every other staffer i encountered at SHO, but i think you get the picture. these people are the shit. i was really impressed.
they were attentive without being overbearing, experienced without the attitude [see: Batali/Bastianich, BR Guest], and knowledgeable without the arrogance. in short, they were pretty much every operator’s dream staff, no joke.

secondly: the food (?!) my gawd, the FOOD
didn’t miss a beat.
can i ask you something? when was the last time you had a decent “mixed vegetable” side? i don’t know bout you, but whenever i see “mixed vegetables” offered on the menu, i want to guffaw like a jackass and hurl the menu out the window.
but NOW, i can say i have had the perfect side of mixed vegetables that can possibly ever be executed.
maybe that will give you some indication how good the food was.

lastly, the only other thing i want to comment is how i didn’t mind at all having almost the entire dining room to myself, but i did thoroughly enjoy the conversation drifting over from the big loud “mafia” table right smack in the center. until they started talking about all their bar mitvahs and yom kippurs or whatever and then i felt pretty stupid for stereotyping them.

Producer Zainab Jah and director Tim Naylor are currently in pre-production for the first eight-episode season of "PX This," created and co-written by Abbe Diaz, the "former maitre d’ to the stars." The new web series is based on Diaz’s published four-year (‘real-time’) diary of the same title, widely regarded in NYC as the "bible" of the restaurant world. Diaz, a 20 year veteran of the food/beverage industry, has manned the podiums for such illustrious and world-renowned restaurateurs as: Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Brian McNally, Jonathan Morr, and current Waverly Inn proprietors, Eric Goode and Sean MacPherson.

Producer Jah had heretofore intended to keep the project under wraps and was unwilling and/or unprepared to disclose any information regarding the series, until last week when, on October 14th, 2008, she discovered an article in Variety, which forced her hand. It seems CBS has just signed a development deal with Jason Jones and Samantha Bee ("The Daily Show") to pen an as-yet-unnamed series about the "behind-the-scenes world of a celebrity chef… and the two women who run his cooking empire."
[More information at http://www.variety.com/VR1117993924.html ]

The series treatment for "PX This" (registered with the WGA on December 7, 2007), which has been making the rounds of several Hollywood agencies, is strikingly and undeniably similar to CBS’s as-yet-unwritten concept.

"We are still hesitant to provide all the details," says Jah, "but we do feel confident and proud to divulge some of the names involved," which include such bold-facers as: Michael Imperioli, Steven R. Schirripa, John Ventimiglia ("The Sopranos") and producer Brian Grazer.

"Well, I guess CBS might have another ‘Cashmere Mafia’ vs ‘Lipstick Jungle’ situation on its hands," remarks Diaz, "but it’s all good. After all, CBS is a TV network, and we’re a web series. I mean, they’re not going to show on the internet, right?" she chuckles, "Why would they? Besides, I feel strongly going forward– at least I have true life experience, insight, credibility, tenacity, and passion on my side– as well as talent (referring to director Naylor and series co-writers Benjamin King and Fernando Gomes). Now we’ll just strive to be like Ratatouille‘s answer to No Reservations. Is that a restaurant insider joke?"

Jah laughingly adds, "And for all the naysayers, we have money, too. But not so much we won’t consider an offer from CBS, in case they decide they’d like to save some time and energy."

~

THE PREMIERE OF "PX THIS" [THE SERIES] HAS BEEN DELAYED DUE TO UNAVOIDABLE SCHEDULING CONFLICTS WITH OTHER IMPERATIVE PROJECTS, THE CALAMITOUS COLLAPSE OF THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL SYSTEMS, AND THE PERSISTENT DRUNKENNESS OF EVERY OPERATIVE INVOLVED. WE DEEPLY APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE CAUSED AND THANK YOU PROFUSELY FOR YOUR PATIENCE, ENCOURAGEMENT, AND CONTINUING SUPPORT.

SORRY WE HAD TO JUMP THE GUN AND ANNOUNCE THE PREMIERE OF THE "PX THIS" SERIES PREMATURELY. PLEASE BLAME IT ALL ON CBS, WHO EVIDENTLY FELT A DIRE AND DESPERATE NEED TO ANNOUNCE TO THE ENTIRE WORLD THEIR CURSORY PLANS TO PRODUCE AN AS-YET-UNNAMED AS-YET-UNWRITTEN TELEVISION SERIES (WHICH JUST HAPPENS TO BE STRIKINGLY AND UNDENIABLY SIMILAR TO "PX THIS").

[ SPEAKING OF WHICH, WHERE THE FUCK IS THAT SHIT? IF YOU’RE FEELING RATHER IMPATIENT, PLEASE BEAR IN MIND CBS HAS ABOUT A BAZILLION MORE DOLLARS AND RESOURCES THAN WE, AND YET SOMEHOW THEY CAN’T SEEM TO GET THEIR SHIT TOGETHER IN ALMOST A FULL YEAR’S TIME, EITHER. ]

ALSO FEEL FREE TO BLAME VARIETY, WHO CLEARLY FELT THE NEED TO TRIP ALL OVER THEMSELVES TAKING CBS’S EVERY FUCKING SNEEZE ANNOUNCEMENT TO PRESS, BUT YET SOMEHOW THEY CAN’T FIND IT IN THE GOODNESS OF THEIR HEARTS TO ALLOW A RELEVANT COMMENT TO BE POSTED AT THE ONLINE VERSION OF THEIR STORY — WHICH IS PRECISELY WHY WE WERE FORCED TO RELEASE OUR REJOINDER TO OUR GOOD FRIENDS AT NEW YORK MAGAZINE INSTEAD.

PLEASE REST ASSURED "PX THIS" THE SERIES IS COMING.
(OHHHH IT’S COMING, MUTHERFUKKERS.)

THANK YOU AGAIN. SO SO MUCH.

xoxo,
the producers, director, and writers of "PX This" The Series.

~

"… But this is okay. All of this is okay, and I will tell you why in two words:
Zainab Jah.
I have had the good fortune of seeing some truly great performances, and Ms. Jah’s work as Azmera gets a top spot on my list. This young actress is a revelation, turning in a stunning, startling, wrenching performance that no MRT audience member will soon – if ever – forget. She commands the stage with a power and presence like few actors I’ve seen; her luminosity fills the theater. She is the only actor in this production who is not only intimately and thoroughly in touch with her character but is also completely real, aware, and alive in every single moment of the play. Ms. Jah is, in a word, electrifying.
And for her performance alone, you should run – do not walk – to the Merrimack Repertory Theatre to see Tranced.
The play is adequate.
Zainab Jah, however, will move you." – The Boston Examiner

** UPDATED **
PX This: The Series

Finally! Hurrah!

St. Supery – Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 – Napa Valley, California
Cost: $64/Bottle off the menu at Johnnie’s HideAway in Kissimmee, Florida (Retails for about $30 to $35/bottle)

Recommended by the waiter, this is my first taste of this winery, and I must say it was superb. This dark plum red colored wine is medium bodied with a smoky oak, burnt firewood nose that eventually reveals black currants, anise spice, blackberries, and vanilla extract. Dry but balanced keeps this wine open and tasty with a moderate finish. Lingering flavors along with the rather fruity nose and subtle hints of oak and anise are refreshing. Worth looking for when I get back home.

Rating: 91

HA HA HA HA HA HAH HAAH SNORT. That is all.

visit for a moment with our friend, James “Milkman” Mielke (NYC F&B industry veteran, talented dude, and all-around cool guy), won’t you ?

we love him lots, and we think you will too.

:)

It’s about time you watched Dinner Rush again. Remember Dinner Rush?

Dinner Rush is arguably one of the best films ever made about the restaurant industry. And do you know why? Because it was produced by restaurateurs / "industry veterans" Phil Suarez and Bob Giraldi (Giraldi directed, as well). As a matter of fact, look out for the character "Fitzgerald" the pompous art dealer (seemingly based on Larry Gagosian), and played by Mark Margolis— who just happens to look a lot like Phil Suarez.

Actually, the film has a lot of "characters" you’ll probably recognize. One of them is probably even you.

[ **Fun fact: One of Zainab Jah‘s acting credits is Bob Giraldi’s 2000 resto cult-classic, Dinner Rush (co-produced by Phil Suarez).
On her way to audition for a small role in the film, Jah was curiously approached by a man who claimed to be "Jean-Georges‘s business partner", who remarked on the book Jah coincidentally happened to be reading at the time (and clutching in her arms)— Jean-Georges’s latest cookbook, Cooking at Home with a Four Star Chef.
That man turned out to be Bob Giraldi.
Zainab Jah scored the 2-minute, 1-line role of "Adrian" in Dinner Rush. ]

yesterday i got another one of those e-mails where peoples ask me random things like i actually know what the hells i’m talking about. (it’s really flattering!) so i decided every now and again i should answer a question out loud so i don’t have to answer it repeatedly, thereby admitting my ineptitude merely once instead of multiple times. yay!

Q: "what’s the deal with the hamptons? …is it really all that or is it all hype?"

A: i have no idea.

oh okay, some if it is “all that” and some of it is “hype.” there are nice houses in the hamptons so if you get to stay in one of those, the hamptons are pretty awesome. and the beaches are good. and it’s relaxing to get away sometimes— you have to jump in the ocean to get rid of evil spirits, you know. plus there’s an andre-balazs hotel there and who doesn’t love those?

the rest is eh. all the restaurants are kinda overpriced (i don’t know about the stores cuz i’ve never shopped there and i don’t also don’t know anything about the clubs— get serious). and there are only a few good ones at that. i think i have maybe been to about a dozen or so restaurants in the hamptons in my lifetime and there are only two i like: SantAmbroeus and Silver’s.

obviously you already know alls about SantAmbroeus. it’s pretty much the same at the beach, but the one at the beach has a gelato/dessert stand too. and everybody gets all dolled up after their day on the beach to go there. it’s expensive— more expensive than the one here in the city. and it’s pretty much the same type of crowd as you would expect (they even have some of the very same staff). i saw barbara-walters there once.

Silver’s is this great bistro type joint that serves delicious lobster rolls, and the bestest crab cake i have ever tasted in my life. they also have these monster sized burgers and BLTs and whatnot, but i’ve never tried any of those cuz i always order the same things (that other stuff looks good though). they have a good decently priced rosé by the bottle from provence too.
the only annoying thing about Silver’s is they stop seating at 3:30pm and they’re not open for dinner at all! what the hells.
the owner/chef is a really nice guy named gavin-ellins (?) oh geez i forget now i’ll have to ask again next time i’m there. his son works as a waiter in the dining room and he’s sweet too. sometimes the staff gets a little abrupt around closing time, but overall i think Silver’s is really great.
i guess they must do just fine only opening like three hours a day so good for them. but it is kind of a bummer.

that’s pretty much all i know about the hamptons.

[ from now ons, you can ask any questions you like in the brand new "just ask. just tell." section of The Forum @ PX This. membership/registration is not required for this section, so hopefully somebody out there will be able to answer your question better than i. hooray! ]

Just… wow.

But you probably aready knew that from experience, right? Well, here’s even more confirmation.

Recently, former nightlife impresario Steve Lewis blogged about one of his many friends and acquaintances (as is his wont). Normally, his work is of the ‘take with a grain of salt’ nature – most preposterous and controvertible to those in and around the nightlife industry (comprehensibly), and most credible and tenable to – well, everyone else, I suppose (perceivably).

GoldBar’s Jon Lennon was the subject of the day on July 15, 2009. Steve Lewis’s article starts, "Nightclub 101: the door is everything." LOL! Yea, as you can well imagine, it only goes downhill from there.

The column proceeds with Lewis’s typical flotsam and bullshit jetsam, most notably in the precise words "consummate pro" to describe Doorman Lennon. It culminates with these sentiments, expressed by Lennon himself in a Q&A interview:

SL: Tell me how you educate a person.
JL: I just have a brief conversation with them. I even have taken people to the side to do it, where I say, I know you’re a nice guy, your girlfriend is very beautiful, your two friends I can’t do….

SL: You wake up in the morning and you’re doing the door, and you’re thinking…
JL: Always. That’s my personality anyway, thinking about it. I try to remember, “you’re a doorman, as much as you’re in a powerful position, you’re still just a doorman, you’re everyone’s equal.” It never gets to my head because I’d rather be a rock star…

From what I gather, this is where a certain reader (we happen to know) lost her shit. She addresses Steve Lewis via Facebook, stating:

[Abbe Diaz at 5:42pm July 15]
um, excuse me? "consummate pro"– OH RILLY.
sorry, i would never ever ever ever in a million years define telling a prospective patron [at 10PM]: "well, if he owns seven restaurants in manhattan then he can afford to take care of ME. is he asking ME for a favor? then he needs to take care of ME."
(and yes that’s a DIRECT QUOTE)
as the act of a "consummate pro."

The rest of the exchange, including Lennon’s (pedestrian and idiotic) response is here.

Yeah yeah, OK. A doorman is a stupid idiot. It’s because you couldn’t get in, right? Loser! What’s your point, Vanilla Ice? I’ve got the Media holding on Line 1, and they want to know where’s the newsflash already.

Hey, did you read the title? My point is Jon Lennon is a Tool Box. I just wanted to brag again about how brilliant I am (I’m also the "Trollai Llama" in case you didn’t know) and point out how absurdly, hilariously (and contemptibly) it all played out [scroll down the comments, starting with abbe diaz’s on July 29, 2009 4:54PM].

L O fucking L. God bless teh internets.

Sunce Winery and Vineyard – Zinfandel 2007 , Sonoma County, California
Cost: $14.99/Bottle

It’s been quite awhile since a zinfandel impressed me to this extent. This Sunce Zinfandel really bowled me over. I tend to host wine tastings on Fridays in the afternoon… offering my co-workers an opportunity to taste wines. This event has now drawn folks with whom I work to bring their wines along as well to taste… and this one was introduced to me by a good friend and trader, named Mijo. This was utterly stunning. Initial notes of smoky oak and toast along with saddle leather evolve to reveal a luscious ripe raspberry and blueberry fruit which evolve again to include pie crust, graham crackers, and more raspberry jamminess, while always having that rather slight hint of leather and smoke lingering. In the mouth, it shows that ripe, lush fruit balanced with just the right level of glycerine, yet never being too sweet and with balanced tannins and acidity. This is quite impressive– and made from grapes sourced in the famous Russian River Valley in Sonoma. Worth seeking out, especially at $14.99 a bottle…. I bought a case the next day and opened up a second bottle with consistent notes. I would have no problems pairing this wine up with more expensive zinfandels costing in the $60 to $75 range, waiting to see eyes pop when it is revealed how this wine can easily blow the competition away. Oh my!

Rating: 94