Art Basel Miami Beach – Day 01
- Living in NYC is awesome— pretty late dinner at Kenmare and then breakfast bright and early at The Raleigh (Newark Airport still does not have creepy X-ray cancer boxes or nasty horny perverts trying to feel your goodies. Hooray!).
Spotted poolside: Julian Schnabel
- Tour of Art Basel Miami Beach at the convention center.
- Early dinner with friends at Sardinia (off the beaten tourist path and beloved by the locals).
- Drinks at John deLucie‘s The Royal "grand opening" reception at The Raleigh.
*See also (earlier):
• Art Basel Miami Beach – Day 02
• Art Basel Miami Beach – Day 03
PX This presents THE F&F REVIEW
Hey, sorry we couldn’t make it to "Friends&Family," we were out of town/ had to work/ not invited. We’re really glad we finally managed to come by, though— it’s so nice to see you!
What’s that? You would still like us to take the time to fill out the F&F survey, because you’d love to take advantage of all our vast experience, knowledge, insight, and expertise as long as we’re already here? Because you invited 75 people to F&F, and afterward all you got was 41 "Congrats[es]!" 22 "Awesome[s]!" 3 "Ciao[s]!" and 9 "Best of luck[s]!" ?
Of course, we’d be honored. Oh ha, yesss, we’ll be honest— brutally honest even, ha ha! After all, that’s what friends & family are for!
No no please, don’t send anything more, we’re stuffed, we can’t breathe, you’ll have to roll us out of here, ha ha ha… !
What was your first impression?
Oh sure, now you’re happy to see me. That’s pretty funny, considering it seems that usually I can’t get past the doorman at Hotel Griffou.
(Hee, kidding!) (But not really.)
Please rate the Bar:
It’s nice. Cute bartenders.
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
Outstanding. Really. (But they effin better be, at these prices! Holy cow.)
Please rate the Dining Room:
N/A. But the "lounge" area is nice, albeit small. Great view.
Please rate the BOH:
N/A again. (But on a semi-related note, I did try out the new chef at Hotel Griffou the other day. And I must say the food was very good.)
How was the staff?
Excellent. Everybody from the bellhops to the doorman (who’s apparently "not really a doorman doorman," in case you were wondering) to the cocktails waitresses were unbelievably gracious. Very impressive.
What did you eat?/ How was the food were the drinks?
White Russian something : Delicious.
Oh shoot, what was the other one? Tequila with fresh coconut milk something or other : OMG, so gooood.
What did you like?
Well, let’s be totally honest here. I love Johnny Swet and Larry Poston (yah, even when I can’t get in their fucking restaurant). Oh, and that David Rabin dude is okay too.
What did you dislike?
Nothing! No, really.
What was your last impression?
Did that nice security guy seriously run over here just to open the door for me? Crazy.
Would you come back?
Yup.
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
Thank you! Love ya!
PX This presents THE F&F REVIEW
Hey, sorry we couldn’t make it to "Friends&Family," we were out of town/ had to work/ not invited. We’re really glad we finally managed to come by, though— it’s so nice to see you!
What’s that? You would still like us to take the time to fill out the F&F survey, because you’d love to take advantage of all our vast experience, knowledge, insight, and expertise as long as we’re already here? Because you invited 75 people to F&F, and afterward all you got was 41 "Congrats[es]!" 22 "Awesome[s]!" 3 "Ciao[s]!" and 9 "Best of luck[s]!" ?
Of course, we’d be honored. Oh ha, yesss, we’ll be honest— brutally honest even, ha ha! After all, that’s what friends & family are for!
No no please, don’t send anything more, we’re stuffed, we can’t breathe, you’ll have to roll us out of here, ha ha ha… !
What was your first impression?
Snazzy!
Please rate the Bar:
Far out, cool cat. It’s very Mad Men, all right.
There are actually two bars— one at the entrance and a larger one in the upstairs lounge. Both are welcoming, commodious, and slick. Including the bartenders.
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
Typically Sasha Petraske— with handsome glassware, floating icebergs, gourmet olives, etc etc. The cocktails list is simple, mostly classics with just a slight twist. Very good.
The wine list is relatively extensive and eloquent, albeit just a tad on the expensive side. But, would Roger Sterling have it any other way? I think not.
Please rate the Dining Room:
Oh come on, you get the picture by now.
Please rate the BOH:
Is that Geoffrey Zakarian I see? In chef whites? He cooks?! Who knew? (Haaa, kidding! Sort of.)
How was the staff?
Excellent. Perfectly proficient, if not particularly ebullient.
But it’s too bad the cocktail waitresses aren’t dressed in bunny suits.
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
Calamari : Extraordinary. Already, I’m impressed.
Beef Tartare : Very good. Fresh, hearty, simple but great. Two for two…
Pork Ravioli : OK, I’m sold. Delicious and beautiful. Maybe just a tad salty, though (I say that, because I loved it. And not everyone shares my adoration for sodium).
Lambs Club Salad : Stellar execution of a classic Caesar salad. Yeah, hadn’t planned on a full dinner, and now I sort of regret it.
What did you like?
Everything was really quite good.
What did you dislike?
It’s in midtown.
What was your last impression?
I’m pretty impressed.
Would you come back?
Surprisingly, absolutely.
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
Thank you, it was a pleasure.
PX This presents THE F&F REVIEW
Hey, sorry we couldn’t make it to "Friends&Family," we were out of town/ had to work/ not invited. We’re really glad we finally managed to come by, though— it’s so nice to see you!
What’s that? You would still like us to take the time to fill out the F&F survey, because you’d love to take advantage of all our vast experience, knowledge, insight, and expertise as long as we’re already here? Because you invited 75 people to F&F, and afterward all you got was 41 "Congrats[es]!" 22 "Awesome[s]!" 3 "Ciao[s]!" and 9 "Best of luck[s]!" ?
Of course, we’d be honored. Oh ha, yesss, we’ll be honest— brutally honest even, ha ha! After all, that’s what friends & family are for!
No no please, don’t send anything more, we’re stuffed, we can’t breathe, you’ll have to roll us out of here, ha ha ha… !
What was your first impression?
WTF? No really though, this has got to be one of the oddest layouts for a restaurant I’ve ever seen. Way to break all the standard rules! (The hostess that’s supposed to greet you upon arrival is hiding somewhere way off in the corner… behind you, e.g.)
Please rate the Bar:
Uh, is this a bar? It seems more like a domestic-kitchen "island" outfitted with liquor. Gotta admit— you’ve seen homes that try to incorporate a professional commercial kitchen (for die-hard foodies), but I bet you’ve never seen it done the other way around before, ha ha aha!
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
I guess the drinks are still a work-in-progress, since as of now they only have one kind of vodka, for example. (Then again, it doesn’t seem like much else is going to fit behind that "bar.") They don’t have much in the wine department yet either— but if you opt for wine, you may just want to spring for a full bottle.
See, sometimes the problem with these newfangled trendy stem-less wine glasses, is that the bartender maybe thinks he’s pouring a cognac or something. I mean like for instance, our wine-by-the-glass was poured woefully short (just above where the outward curve of the glass starts to angle inward again) but ten minutes later I looked over at the table across the way, and somehow they got healthy "full" by-the-glass pours (above the "halfway" mark).
I’m just sayin’.
Please rate the Dining Room:
It’s small, but kind of cute I suppose. But again— by commercial dining room standards, it’s pretty nonsensical.
Please rate the BOH:
Lots of potential, but… (see: "How was the food?" below)
How was the staff?
They try hard, but they clearly need to work on their system or something. Also, the total lack of buspersons/backwaiters becomes sort of a glaring oversight when it starts to seem like nobody knows what the hell is going on.
Additionally, they’ve evidently been trained to utter the most bizarre food descriptions when delivering the dishes: "…with walnuts to add flavor" (get out) and "…fennel to aid digestion" (thanks, Doc). If that’s they way they really want to go on this, then they probably need to employ just a little levity to make it sound less pretentious.
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
Shrimp Ceviche : Good. Fresh. Sweeter than your traditional ceviche, but not cloying or overwhelming.
Goat chees, Crab, and Mushroom/Truffle Pizzette : Very good! Especially since: who ever thought crab and goat cheese would go so well together? The crust is fantastic too. Flaky and light, like phyllo. Delicious.
Foie gras with rasberry compote : Fine, tasty.
Ribeye with Fennel : Excellent. Tender, juicy, perfectly cooked— and although the fennel is quite dominant, it complements the steak really well. Impressive.
Pop Rock Oysters : Ohhh, god no! What is this mess? Oh right, it’s fucking Pop Rocks. Yes, the stupid candy from your youth that you’d happily thought had been banished forever. It’s on your raw oysters. Gah! Uggh, the nasty artificially-sweet chemical after-taste of those things stay on your tongue far longer than any funky raw oyster ever could. I repeat: WTF?!
But hey, you know, maybe it’s just me. If you’re one of those freaks who actually enjoy the taste of St. Joseph’s aspirin (mixed with raw oyster), go for it. According to the oddball description, it’s "to add a crackle on the tongue." (‘Cos yeah, that’s juuust what I want a raw oyster to do in my mouth.)
What did you like?
That pizzette was pretty great.
What did you dislike?
Take a wild guess.
What was your last impression?
Oh look, it’s Zaha Hadid.
Would you come back?
It’s not exactly in my ‘hood…
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
Thanks and best of luck to you.
Welcome to: Where I Spent My Weekend Off —by a NYC Restaurant "Insider"
So, what do you do in the industry?
I used to do lots of things. Now I do other things.
And how often do you travel on weekends, generally?
It varies, but my goal is every eight weeks.
What made you choose Miami Beach for this getaway?
It’s the sixth borough of NYC!
And where did you stay?
The W. I’ve already tried most of South Beach’s better hotels; it was next on the list.
How were the ambience, service, and amenities, etc?
Very good. Better than I expected. The rooms are spacious, sagacious, and chic.
And unbelievably quiet. So many of the "hip" hotels in this area have loud, rowdy weekend parties all night long— great if you’re a butcher looking for some meat; horrible if you’d just like to get some sleep.
The W is no exception; their poolside bar/lounge is pumpin til the wee hours. But the really impressive thing is that you just slide those massive glass doors shut and you don’t hear a single sound. No joke, I slept better this weekend than I have most places in my lifetime. Yes, even my own current apartment.
The other great thing is the balconies are huge and beautifully furnished. Even the ones in front of the building that face the parking lot are angled toward the ocean. I mean, how come nobody ever thought of that before?
It used to be The Setai (and then maybe The Fountainbleu, after renovation) was the only truly top-notch world-class hotel in South Beach. Well, believe it or not, The W in Miami Beach comes really really close. Generally, I’m not a fan of W hotels (although I remember the one is Seoul is pretty kick-ass). But I must admit this particular W has definitely got its shit together.
Even the service all over was excellent.
Any major glitches and/or disappointments?
Well, does it kinda irk me you pay about $600/night for a room, and they can’t even give you free WiFi? Sure it does; trifling nickel-and-diming bitches. Fortunately I’m always packin my own travel hotspot, so it wasn’t a major issue— but ya know, it’s the principle.
Also, I don’t understand why the lobby has to be below 40 degrees all the goddamned time. I guess it’s to keep all the meat fresh.
Any great standout experiences?
I did go to a new restaurant this time. Normally it’s all the usual suspects— The Restaurant at The Setai, Nobu, Mr. Chow, etc— but this time one of the beach-valet-whatever dudes recommended a Japanese place I’d never tried before called Daraku. Apparently it’s some sort of Rocky Aoki endeavor, and it was pretty good. Similar to Nobu but at half the price, I am not even kidding.
We were told the Ahi Poke was "to die for," but it actually turned out a wee too salty (drowning in soy sauce), but the Hamachi Tiradito was exceptional. The Rock Shrimp was okay (Nobu style, except with sauce on the side instead) and the Red Dragon Roll was very delicious. The rest of it was decent, and the ambience wasn’t bad either (if you don’t mind it kinda clamorous).
Supposedly it’s a big hit with the locals (read: the Miami Beach F&B industry) and it must be true, because it’s the only place I can recall in recent memory that didn’t include the gratuity automatically.
Oh! And I got to swim with the sardines!
I guess it’s the season for the Great Sardine Migration, and on the first day we watched from the balcony as a massive school of sardines traveled along the shoreline. The coolest part was when it looked like they were about to overtake this pelican that was just chillin on the surface of the ocean, but at the very last second, the sardines swam completely around the pelican!
Well, that’s exactly what happened to us too, the following day the sardines overtook us, they seemed close enough to just reach out and touch. There must have been millions of them— and right when it seemed a wave was headed straight for you and you were just about to get smacked in the face with a tide of flippery fish, they would all abruptly change direction and miss you entirely. It was one of the neatest things I’ve ever seen.
Oh but I don’t know if the poor sardines were lost or what, because one day they were heading north, but the very next day they were swimming south. So, figure that one out.
How much did you blow all weekend?
It was a four-day weekend so I guess about $4500-$5000 including airfare.
PX This presents THE F&F REVIEW
Hey, sorry we couldn’t make it to "Friends&Family," we were out of town/ had to work/ not invited. We’re really glad we finally managed to come by, though— it’s so nice to see you!
What’s that? You would still like us to take the time to fill out the F&F survey, because you’d love to take advantage of all our vast experience, knowledge, insight, and expertise as long as we’re already here? Because you invited 75 people to F&F, and afterward all you got was 41 "Congrats[es]!" 22 "Awesome[s]!" 3 "Ciao[s]!" and 9 "Best of luck[s]!" ?
Of course, we’d be honored. Oh ha, yesss, we’ll be honest— brutally honest even, ha ha! After all, that’s what friends & family are for!
No no please, don’t send anything more, we’re stuffed, we can’t breathe, you’ll have to roll us out of here, ha ha ha… !
Restaurant i @ The Charles Hotel
What was your first impression?
Uh, there were so many things at once, I don’t even know where to begin. But okay, my very very first impression was: What is this? But in a good way, I think.
Please rate the Bar:
Wellll… let’s just say I’d have done it differently. Otherwise we’d be here all day, and then I’d have to invoice it.
The bartender is amicable and proficient enough though, I suppose. But he really needs to re-think his technique or something. Look, with 15+ years of bartending under my own belt, I ‘get it,’ I’m neither naive nor anal. Sure, there was many a night I stuck my hand in the jar of olives or fingered the limes and lemons. But the very germane difference was I never did it front of the customer. Or if I did, it was too damned dark in the club (or you were too damned drunk) to see anything anyways. Plus, the DOH wasn’t as pervasive and stringent back then. This was also long before patrons even realized you could contract Hepatitis-A from a bartender (and my mama taught me to always wash my hands after a visit to the loo).
So, alls I can say is: thank your lucky stars I paid you a visit first, and get a fucking set of tongs, can you? (In the meantime, I’ll keep doing my best to strengthen my immune system and pray my personal hypothesis that strong alcohol kills cooties indeed holds true.)
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
It’s a hotel, and it shows. The drink list is typical (one look at the "calls" mentioned in the house-cocktail recipes gives a pretty good indication of the anticipated clientele), but relatively well-priced at $12 each. Decent beer list, and the wine-by-the-bottle selections are of the "safe" variety. I think you get the picture.
Please rate the Dining Room:
Not bad. Especially if you like rainbows.
Spacious and comfortable, but maybe a tad austere. Let’s just cross our fingers the kaleidoscopic color scheme works better for you than it did for Duvet, shall we?
Please rate the BOH:
Better than I expected. Particularly since the totally flavorless fried noodle "amuse" (paired with ketchup, of all things) didn’t exactly portend much promise.
How was the staff?
Overall, eh. Okay. But if you really want my honest opinion, the four owners or investors (or whatever they are) with the palpable overbearing presence— I think they’re just making everybody way too nervous or something. All the aura and fungshooey up in this muhfuh is just screaming for mercy, christ almighty.
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
Aforementioned Fried Noodle "Amuse" / Bar Snack : Bleah. Okay, free tip here, bitches: SHRIMP CHIPS. Come on, with all this psychedelic color in here, why not colorful shrimp chips instead? How fun. And unique. And better tasting than these shits.
Butternut Squash / Coconut Milk Soup : Mm, not great. Way too sweet, and I knooow me some yummy coconut soup, honey (Kittichai, Double Crown, Republic, in that order). Also, kinda watery.
Short Rib Steamed Bun : Good! But where’s the spicy? This is more like pickled cabbage than "typical" kimchee. So either stop being so scared and wishy-washy or I dunno, stop calling it kimchee maybe.
Seared Salmon and Tuna Salad : Very good. Great presentation. Tasty, fresh, light— delicious. Too bad the tuna being so refrigerated is kinda killing the flavor a bit (yeah yeah, the DOH, I know).
Lamb Burger with Feta and Yogurt Sauce : Outstanding. Succulent, juicy, and beautiful. But I mean, how come so determined with the burger temperature (nobody offered me an option, i.e.) but so gutless with the kimchee? It’s kinda confusing.
What did you like?
The burger was my favorite.
What did you dislike?
Uhh… the idea of people persistently pouring vast amounts of money into venues that make no fucking sense? But ya know, that’s just me.
What was your last impression?
Ha ha ahaa. Well, I really was kinda very tempted to offer the four poor antsy dudes some help on my way out, but the honest straightforward approach never works. Everybody wants to learn the hard way.
Would you come back?
Siiigh…
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
Thank you and best of luck.
PX This presents THE F&F REVIEW
Hey, sorry we couldn’t make it to "Friends&Family," we were out of town/ had to work/ not invited. We’re really glad we finally managed to come by, though— it’s so nice to see you!
What’s that? You would still like us to take the time to fill out the F&F survey, because you’d love to take advantage of all our vast experience, knowledge, insight, and expertise as long as we’re already here? Because you invited 75 people to F&F, and afterward all you got was 41 "Congrats[es]!" 22 "Awesome[s]!" 3 "Ciao[s]!" and 9 "Best of luck[s]!" ?
Of course, we’d be honored. Oh ha, yesss, we’ll be honest— brutally honest even, ha ha! After all, that’s what friends & family are for!
No no please, don’t send anything more, we’re stuffed, we can’t breathe, you’ll have to roll us out of here, ha ha ha… !
What was your first impression?
First impression? Oh, huh. Smaller than I thought— I’d heard it was gigantic.
(And then I was given the full tour later on, and holy cow, it’s gigantic!)
Please rate the Bar:
Well, there are a lot of them, but they’re not all fully open just yet. But the big one with the naked swimming girls is the nicest.
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
Good. High quality, nice volume, hotel prices. (It’s the Gansevoort, you see. So, yah— like that.)
Please rate the Dining Room:
Uhh, N/A? Although they do serve food pretty much everywhere.
Please rate the BOH:
Better than I expected! Pretty solid, actually. And the menu is huge.
How was the staff?
Great. Our waitress was friendly, sweet, and conscientious, and the army of runners/bussers were amicable and super efficient.
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
Tuna Sliders, Lobster Sliders, Kobe Sliders, and Veggie Sliders : Delicious. All of them. But the veggie turned out to be the most impressive, because absolutely nobody expected a veggie slider to be that tasty.
Chicken Tenders : Nice. Who doesn’t love a good chicken finger?
French fries : Very good! Like Thomas Keller Sysco frozen fries good. No, seriously.
What did you like?
The food was really outstanding. And the drink presentation is excellent.
What did you dislike?
Urrgh… this location…
What was your last impression?
That was a lot more pleasant than any other Gansevoort Hotel I’ve ever been to. No joke.
Would you come back?
Sure. The best part? It’s open all day! Apparently, you can even "have a nice coffee in the morning or a relaxing sunset cocktail…" And that is where I’m sold. (Unfortunately, the pool deck is "for guests of the hotel only" during the day. Boo.)
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
Thank you, it was a pleasure.
PX This presents THE F&F REVIEW
Hey, sorry we couldn’t make it to "Friends&Family," we were out of town/ had to work/ not invited. We’re really glad we finally managed to come by, though— it’s so nice to see you!
What’s that? You would still like us to take the time to fill out the F&F survey, because you’d love to take advantage of all our vast experience, knowledge, insight, and expertise as long as we’re already here? Because you invited 75 people to F&F, and afterward all you got was 41 "Congrats[es]!" 22 "Awesome[s]!" 3 "Ciao[s]!" and 9 "Best of luck[s]!" ?
Of course, we’d be honored. Oh ha, yesss, we’ll be honest— brutally honest even, ha ha! After all, that’s what friends & family are for!
No no please, don’t send anything more, we’re stuffed, we can’t breathe, you’ll have to roll us out of here, ha ha ha… !
What was your first impression?
Wow, the hostesses (an army of them!) are really friendly.
And also: Huh, this is… different? Especially for this part of town.
Please rate the Bar:
Not bad. Spacious, clean, commodious. If I lived and/or worked in the area, I’d come here.
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
Fine, I suppose. The cocktails list is relatively diverse, if not exactly inventive. Odd choice of "calls" mentioned in the recipes, though. Then again, it’s a W— so there is that.
Oh damn, I forgot to look at the wine list (the space isn’t quite conducive to it). Then again, it’s a W— so I’m sure I’ve already seen the list in some other hotel.
Please rate the Dining Room:
I gather there must be a whole other dining room upstairs, because the "dining room" downstairs is rather small (the bar takes up most of the expanse).
But as for downstairs, I rather like it. Personally, I find the artwork doodles on the walls really appealing (very Mama Shelter. Or ya know, Trattoria Bagutta maybe).
Please rate the BOH:
Very good. Sorry, Laurent! I was wondering if I’d detect your umm "absence," but uh… no, I don’t. Granted, the menu is hardly creative, but the execution is outstanding (particularly for a place that just opened). It’s probably not everybody’s cup of tea— if you only dine out once a month or less, it’s likely not the place for you. If, however, you eat out nearly every day, it’s perfect. Any place that has the balls to serve sandwiches for dinner is OK by me. (Then again, it’s a hotel… and a W no less, so maybe I’m giving the BOH too much credit for their courageousness). But seriously though, I don’t know how many nights I’ve said to myself, "I wish there were a nice quality place where I could go and just have a really good sandwich (and no, I don’t mean a fucking burger) and a solid first-rate drink. In a cool environment." I defy you to come up with a place. E-mail me if you think of one.
How was the staff?
Very good. Overall, enthusiastic, proficient, and conscientious. Everyone. Even the busboy.
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
Deviled Eggs with Tabasco : Scrumptious. Fresh. Flavorful. And not a bad price at all for three (overstuffed) halves.
Caesar Salad : Oh, be quiet. Caesar Salad is a great way to evaluate a BOH’s standards. You would be amazed (or not) how many places can fuck up a Caesar Salad, and badly. Especially hotels.
But, this one passes the test with flying colors. I mean, are those actually finely chopped white anchovies mixed into the dressing? I was starting to think they threw out that recipe in all the culinary schools.
Even the croutons are good.
Tuna Tartare : Yah, are you seeing the pattern in the menu here? Whatever, it’s delicious. Very fresh. A little overkill on the ice platter maybe, but I can live with it.
Strip Steak : Very good. Nice quality, tender, perfectly cooked. Tasty "cognac green-peppercorn sauce." Pretty fairly priced at $34.
Sauteed Creamy Spinach : Not so creamy actually. The only item that didn’t quite impress me. Decent flavor but too-mushy texture. I mean, come on— anybody who orders creamed spinach is obviously not afraid of cream, butter, or calories. Don’t get all scaredy-cat and wishy-washy with the stuff. Better to offer the options of "with cholesterol" or "without" instead.
What did you like?
It was pretty much all satisfactory.
What did you dislike?
It’s sooooo far away! What the hell is Albany Street?
What was your last impression?
Oooh, Paul Liebrandt! Third time now…
Would you come back?
If it weren’t so far away, I’d probably come once a week. No, seriously.
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
Thanks, it was a pleasure.
PX This presents THE F&F REVIEW
Hey, sorry we couldn’t make it to "Friends&Family," we were out of town/ had to work/ not invited. We’re really glad we finally managed to come by, though— it’s so nice to see you!
What’s that? You would still like us to take the time to fill out the F&F survey, because you’d love to take advantage of all our vast experience, knowledge, insight, and expertise as long as we’re already here? Because you invited 75 people to F&F, and afterward all you got was 41 "Congrats[es]!" 22 "Awesome[s]!" 3 "Ciao[s]!" and 9 "Best of luck[s]!" ?
Of course, we’d be honored. Oh ha, yesss, we’ll be honest— brutally honest even, ha ha! After all, that’s what friends & family are for!
No no please, don’t send anything more, we’re stuffed, we can’t breathe, you’ll have to roll us out of here, ha ha ha… !
What was your first impression?
cute.
Please rate the Bar:
N/A— in a way; the bar is essentially more like a "to go" counter that happens to store liquor. good thing they have lots of tables (in the summer, that is).
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
the cocktail list is a bit contrived in that hotelesque kind of way; it’s trite but sorta tries to pretend otherwise. also, opt for wines by the glass instead of by the bottle— a glass of ChateauMinuty e.g., is $9, but the bottle is $60. so ya know, figure that one out. no wait don’t bother, save your brain energy, i’ll just lay it out for you. it’s HotelGansevoort— in the meatpacking district. make sense to ya now? yah i thought so.
Please rate the Dining Room:
i kinda like it. it’s simple but aesthetically pleasing. spacious, comfortable— and it’s a pretty nice view.
Please rate the BOH:
it’s very… hotel. all the tourist favorites are here— caesar salad, turkey panini, lobster club, burger etc, with the unique addition of crepes. the presentation is hardly creative (except for maybe the dried strawberries in the side salads), but it’s not bad. and the prices are pretty reasonable.
How was the staff?
nice. amiable, professional, conscientious.
personally it’s my opinion the host should maybe rein it in just a wee bit addressing all the passersby. i realize it’s the Gansevoort but hello— this aint miami. if you want to give our fair visitors the true downtown new york experience, you have to be a little more haughty and elitist than that, come on now.
but overall i’d say they get a B+ or perhaps even an A-
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
i tried the turkey panini, pat-lafrieda "cafe" burger, and spinach/mushroom crepe. and it was all okay— rather european in the execution actually. certainly none of it is earth-shattering, but that’s likely not their intent anyway. it’s perfectly fine hotel fare, but it won’t exactly compete with its neighbors at this level. luckily for them, it probably doesn’t have to.
What did you like?
the ambience.
What did you dislike?
nothing really. but i mean— i didn’t have very high expectations.
What was your last impression?
it’s a very pleasant place to relax for a drink.
Would you come back?
if i were in the area already? sure.
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
thank you and have a good day.
Welcome to: Where I Spent My Day Off —by a NYC Restaurant "Insider"
So, what do you do in the industry?
I’m a restaurateur/operator for several F&B enterprises in [downtown/midtown Manhattan] NYC.
And you have how many days off a week, generally?
I usually take a half day on Saturday, and on Sunday I try to limit work to about an hour or two.
What did you do for breakfast yesterday?
We had breakfast at Sunset Beach. We normally stay with friends whenever we visit the Hamptons (I sold my own house ages ago), but this time we decided to try something different. Even though the weather forecast wasn’t great, we figured we’d get out of the city anyway. I’d called Sunset Beach at the last minute, and (presumably due to the forecast) I had no trouble booking a room the night before.
Breakfast was good— nothing too fancy, but a nice eggs benedict with spicy hollandaise and a mushroom frittata with a side of apple-smoked sausage. The coffee could have been better, though. I have noticed this before— even awhile back when I used to stay at The Raleigh in Miami Beach, the coffee always sucked. Not an AB Hotels strong point, I guess.
But the service was good and friendly, especially for so early in the morning (by young NYers in the Hamptons).
Lunch?
Silver’s in Southampton. My Hamptons lunchtime staple. It’s hard to get there sometimes, because they close at 3:30PM, and obviously, if you’re on the beach, it isn’t easy to get there on time. If Garrett [Wellins] is around, he’s usually more accommodating to the regulars, and you can get a seat closer to 4PM. But if not, forget it; it seems the staff starts turning people away at 3:15.
Normally I go for either the lobster roll or the lobster salad, which are the best I’ve had anywhere, but this time I opted for the crabcake and was not disappointed— it was excellent. My wife had the burger, which is also one of their specialties (it’s the size of your head) and that was really delicious too. It’s not hard to imagine how Silver’s manages to stay in business working 3 hours a day 6 months out of the year. The quality of the food is truly superb.
And afterward?
Just walked around and did a little window shopping… and stopped in for a gelato cone from Sant Ambroeus.
Then back to Sunset Beach for a sunset drink. It really turned out great that the weather forecast was so bad, because it was unusually serene— normally it’s a madhouse. But the weather actually turned out okay; by 6PM the sun was peeking out and the temperature was perfect. We had a chance to chat with all our pals who are running the place this year; generally the staff is running around like chickens without heads it’s so busy. So it was really very nice lounging relaxedly with a nice bottle of rosé and a very good platter of crudité. I liked the olive tapenade so much, I’m stealing the idea for the crudité I serve in my own places. Between all the locations, we must have barrels of tapenade, but nobody ever thought to serve it with the crudité.
Dinner?
We hadn’t planned on leaving the island again, but then we got a call from friends who happened to be staying in Sag Harbor for the weekend. So we decided to meet them for dinner at B. Smith’s on the marina.
Ugh, it was horrible. The service was OK, but the food was awful. Since I’d missed my usual lunchtime lobster roll at Silver’s, that’s what I ordered, and my wife chose the "special" lobster salad. Plus we had Blue Point oysters to start.
Well, the oysters were pretty bad; they have a terrible shucker. He let all the natural juices drain out and there were shells shards everywhere. And the lobster was a joke. Overcooked, over-refrigerated, tough, and chewy like rubber— which for the Hamptons especially, is a real travesty; you’d think there’d be great fresh seafood everywhere. And don’t even get me started on the wine by the glass.
The waffle fries were good though.
And afterward?
Just back to the hotel, and by this time the bar seemed to really be pumping. Not nearly as packed as usual, but definitely pretty crowded. We were tired so we just went back to our room, which was essentially pretty nice. Simple and unadorned but clean and cozy and comfortable. The bathroom is small, but everything else is pretty good. And the balcony is spacious and pleasant.
How much did you blow today?
Including the room? Probably about a grand.
PX This presents THE F&F REVIEW
Hey, sorry we couldn’t make it to "Friends&Family," we were out of town/ had to work/ not invited. We’re really glad we finally managed to come by, though— it’s so nice to see you!
What’s that? You would still like us to take the time to fill out the F&F survey, because you’d love to take advantage of all our vast experience, knowledge, insight, and expertise as long as we’re already here? Because you invited 75 people to F&F, and afterward all you got was 41 "Congrats[es]!" 22 "Awesome[s]!" 3 "Ciao[s]!" and 9 "Best of luck[s]!" ?
Of course, we’d be honored. Oh ha, yesss, we’ll be honest— brutally honest even, ha ha! After all, that’s what friends & family are for!
No no please, don’t send anything more, we’re stuffed, we can’t breathe, you’ll have to roll us out of here, ha ha ha… !
What was your first impression?
it looks good…
Please rate the Bar:
it’s small, particularly given the total square footage of the space and las vegas’s proclivity for massively sized things. the bar/lounge area overall however is spacious and comfortable, which is nice. personally, i feel it’s much more appealing than the main dining room, which seems far less welcoming and dispassionate in comparison.
oh but for the love of gawd what is with the fucking slop light almost everywheres you go? welcome to las vegas— no self respecting restaurateur in NYC would ever…
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
sake! well that’s a noteworthy twist. ha ha ahaa for all the love the chinese get in vegas (seriously, just for a goof— go anywhere and ask for a cup of tea. and then watch them scurry to proudly bring you the "tea menu"), the japanese are clearly the second-class asian around these parts.
admittedly, i was so distracted by the sake, i completely forgot to look at the wine/cocktail list. but i mean, it’s a steak house, and it’s wolfgang-puck— exactly how disparate do you think they’d be, really.
Please rate the Dining Room:
typically big, and kinda "corporate." i like the anteroom much better.
Please rate the BOH:
dude, it’s wolfgang-puck. so, ya know— like that. a step above USHG… maybe somewhere in the DinexGroup stratum. (fourth day straight of F&F las vegas reviews; i’m getting a little tired of using the same adjectives over and over and over again.)
How was the staff?
dude, it’s wolfgang-puck. so, ya know— like that. a step above B.R.Guest… somewhere in the USHG stratum. (fourth day straight of F&F las vegas reviews; i’m getting a little tired of using the same adjectives over and over and over again.)
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
burrata and prosciutto di parma : good. very fresh. quite a large portion. but not particularly astounding.
bone marrow flan : nice. tasty. maybe needs jussst a little touch of salt— until you try it with the mushroom marmalade. then it’s really absolutely delicious.
fava bean salad : good. light, flavorful, slightly tart. nice texture composite.
new york sirloin tasting : i guess— perfect for anybody in las vegas who really likes steak but doesn’t necessarily want to eat one the size of one’s head. usually, i’m a porterhouse and/or bone-in ribeye kind of girl, but this menu pretty much scared me. i mean, i knooow vegas is a fatty meat lovers’ paradise (and they have their own way of doing things here), but personally i’ve never a seen a place actually brag about corn fed beef before.
anyways, of all the beefs on my plate (japanese wagyu, american "kobe style," and USDA prime dry age) the wagyu was far and away the standout. of course.
creamed spinach with fried egg : the waiter recommended this as his "favorite side," but the spinach was way too pureed for me. spinach mush. but flavorful enough.
What did you like?
the wagyu was really quite good.
What did you dislike?
umm, the slop light drives me nutso?
What was your last impression?
i once told emeril-lagasse Delmonico is my favoritest steakhouse ever. should i have gone back there instead? it’s been so long…
Would you come back?
maybe.
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
thank you.
PX This presents THE F&F REVIEW
Hey, sorry we couldn’t make it to "Friends&Family," we were out of town/ had to work/ not invited. We’re really glad we finally managed to come by, though— it’s so nice to see you!
What’s that? You would still like us to take the time to fill out the F&F survey, because you’d love to take advantage of all our vast experience, knowledge, insight, and expertise as long as we’re already here? Because you invited 75 people to F&F, and afterward all you got was 41 "Congrats[es]!" 22 "Awesome[s]!" 3 "Ciao[s]!" and 9 "Best of luck[s]!" ?
Of course, we’d be honored. Oh ha, yesss, we’ll be honest— brutally honest even, ha ha! After all, that’s what friends & family are for!
No no please, don’t send anything more, we’re stuffed, we can’t breathe, you’ll have to roll us out of here, ha ha ha… !
Guy Savoy – Bubble Bar (Las Vegas)
What was your first impression?
huh. this is kinda… ugly, actually. i mean, the little fireplace thingie is sort of nice (?) i guess, but the polar bear head encased in the plexiglas is just a bit silly. and the crates stacked in the corner aren’t quite as cute as i suppose they’re meant to be.
Please rate the Bar:
the bar itself is underwhelming, unwelcoming, and uncomfortable. there’s no bartender— it’s up to the (lone) hostess to serve you.
now, i totally "get" it’s a champagne bar, but believe it or not, there is a difference between simple and ordinary. here’s a hint: at least one of those shouldn’t cost millions to build. when it does, it’s beyond "ordinary" or "simple"— then it’s just stupid.
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
cocktails are n/a. and since i’m not such a fan of champagne generally, i opted for a glass of sauvignon blanc (from sancerre) off the sparse ‘by the glass’ menu. i was a bit surprised when i’d turned my head for a moment and then turned back realizing both our glasses had been fully poured without a taste first (i’m not fussy, but i mean, this is GuySavoy, right?) but then i remembered the poor girl had to leave her post at the hostess stand for this and was perhaps unaccustomed to serving wine at all. well, it ended up being unfortunate, cuz the wine had turned already. i felt a prick of compunction at returning two full glasses of wine, so i asked for a sommelier to come and confirm the wine had indeed gone bad. the hostess was very nice and replaced the glasses immediately, but it did make me curious… no sommelier at Guy Savoy? or is the Bubble Bar simply unworthy?
Please rate the Dining Room:
not my style. at all. which is why i opted for Bubble Bar in the first place.
as a person who’s spent 20+ years within the industry and currently dines out nearly every night of my life, a subdued grandiloquent four hour dining experience is nothing short of sheer torture for me. but i’d heard such good things about GuySavoy, i figured it might be travesty to leave las vegas without at least a sampling.
sigh…
Please rate the BOH:
like i need the fucking hate mail from hysterical foodies, right? puhleese, spare me that much.
alls i’m a say is: personally, i wish i’d gone back to Sage instead.
How was the staff?
she was a perfectly proficient hostess/bartender/waitress, but maybe just a wee icy. but it was rather amusing how the back waiters from the dining room who occasionally came to fetch the table accoutrements (all the fancy salt and pepper ramekins for the tables are stored behind the bar, bottom shelf, below the row of cognacs) seemed rather unnerved by our presence.
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
the oysters in ice gelée, the "mosaic" of poularde, foie gras, and black truffle, and beef tartare with little potato croquettes. yessss, i realize these are hardly the world renowned signature "colors of caviar" or whatever the hells (bad me. bad me.) but umm— foie gras and tartare— these just happen to be the same things i ate last night at Sage. and yah, Sage was better. so maybe if i hadn’t dined there the prior evening, i would have enjoyed GuySavoy more? i’m not sure, quite frankly.
What did you like?
that now i get to say i’ve been here.
What did you dislike?
overall, i can’t exactly say it was an enjoyable experience. although it was interesting…
What was your last impression?
i’m rather glad i didn’t opt for the full dinner. (and the professional in me can only conclude the Bubble Bar, as ill-conceived and ill-managed as it is, could very well be the bane of their endeavors.)
Would you come back?
i’m afraid not, but thank you.
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
well that’s sweet of you to say. good night.
PX This presents THE F&F REVIEW
Hey, sorry we couldn’t make it to "Friends&Family," we were out of town/ had to work/ not invited. We’re really glad we finally managed to come by, though— it’s so nice to see you!
What’s that? You would still like us to take the time to fill out the F&F survey, because you’d love to take advantage of all our vast experience, knowledge, insight, and expertise as long as we’re already here? Because you invited 75 people to F&F, and afterward all you got was 41 "Congrats[es]!" 22 "Awesome[s]!" 3 "Ciao[s]!" and 9 "Best of luck[s]!" ?
Of course, we’d be honored. Oh ha, yesss, we’ll be honest— brutally honest even, ha ha! After all, that’s what friends & family are for!
No no please, don’t send anything more, we’re stuffed, we can’t breathe, you’ll have to roll us out of here, ha ha ha… !
What was your first impression?
isn’t this elegant.
Please rate the Bar:
nice. tasteful, welcoming, capacious, very comfortable. and the bartender is charming, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic. humorous even.
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
very healthy and diverse list of wine and beer— impressive and reasonably priced. brief cocktails list is comprised mostly of classics with a refined touch. sophisticated selections all around; i’d say arguably one of the most superlative bars in las vegas.
Please rate the Dining Room:
i like the front bar/dining area better, as the rear dining room seems a bit more austere— and personally i think the ample square footage could have been utilized better. it simply lacks the warmth and seductiveness of the anteroom. feels vaguely corporate.
Please rate the BOH:
excellent. we chose Sage because it was recommended by a friend in the las vegas F&B industry as "the best of all the restaurants at CityCenter"— and after having tried it, i wholeheartedly believe it. i would go so far as to say Sage ranks as one of the best restaurants i’ve experienced anywhere, ever.
hell, even the bread service was distinctive.
How was the staff?
good. highly proficient but perfectly at ease. adroit but unceremonious.
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
the slow-poached egg, the yellowtail crudo, the wagyu beef tartare, the foie gras custard brulee, and the roasted sweetbreads, and everything was quite exceptional (and tremendously rich)— with the foie gras and the tartare being the stellar standouts. only the fussiness of the crudo made me apprehensive, but after one bite i got over it quick.
undoubtedly one of the most spectacular meals i’ve ever had, and technically, i didn’t even have an entree. alas, so many restaurants to try and so little time…
What did you like?
pretty much everything.
What did you dislike?
i’m too stuffed to eat anything else.
What was your last impression?
i’m so glad i came.
Would you come back?
absolutely.
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
thank you, it was a pleasure.
PX This presents THE F&F REVIEW
Hey, sorry we couldn’t make it to "Friends&Family," we were out of town/ had to work/ not invited. We’re really glad we finally managed to come by, though— it’s so nice to see you!
What’s that? You would still like us to take the time to fill out the F&F survey, because you’d love to take advantage of all our vast experience, knowledge, insight, and expertise as long as we’re already here? Because you invited 75 people to F&F, and afterward all you got was 41 "Congrats[es]!" 22 "Awesome[s]!" 3 "Ciao[s]!" and 9 "Best of luck[s]!" ?
Of course, we’d be honored. Oh ha, yesss, we’ll be honest— brutally honest even, ha ha! After all, that’s what friends & family are for!
No no please, don’t send anything more, we’re stuffed, we can’t breathe, you’ll have to roll us out of here, ha ha ha… !
What was your first impression?
what an odd façade… but i guess, not for vegas!
Please rate the Bar:
nice. certainly welcoming, that’s for sure. and comfortable and commodious. typically vegas in vastness, clean.
the bartender is enthusiastic but not particularly warm or amiable. competent— in that very zealous mixologist kind of way [read: sloooow]. not quite an adept multi-tasker.
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
best margarita i’ve had in all of las vegas. you would think vegas’s relative proximity to mexico would yield some truly inspired margarita concoctions everywheres you go, but you would be wrong. unfortunately, las vegas is closer to disneyland than mexico (seriously, don’t even get me started on my quick stop at dosCaminos with the "triple sec already in the mix" — mhmmp).
the wine list, too, is more adventurous than most i’ve seen here. eclectic and diverse with a nice range of options at reasonable prices.
Please rate the Dining Room:
a but strange— what with the whole bit of overlooking the lobby and all. nice view of the… reception desk? a bit too "day at the mall" for my tastes— but the more private tables in the rear aren’t exactly preferable either. but whatever, just go with it. you’re in las vegas fer chrissakes.
Please rate the BOH:
very good. impressive. nice artful twists on simple classics. better than i expected (especially given the strange lobby/cafe-esque design of the space). truly first-rate.
How was the staff?
fine. proficient and cordial if not exactly conscientious.
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
we tried the white ceviche, the grilled calamari, chicken and bechamel croquettes, sauteed padron peppers, and creamy wild mushroom risotto and they were all quite exceptional. what a masterful execution of straightforward dishes. rich, flavorful, fresh with an adroit but uncomplicated presentation. really excellent.
What did you like?
the food was outstanding.
What did you dislike?
nothing really.
What was your last impression?
well now i’m kinda regretful i never tried Picasso; i always just assumed it was a tourist trap what with the big fuss over the dancing waterfalls and whatnot. and now that it’s so past its prime… (oh, haa! past… Prime, get it? i didn’t even do that on purpose, i swear.)
Would you come back?
yes.
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
thank you, it was a pleasure.
… Are you ready for the sunshiiine? Are you ready for the birds and beeees, the apple treeees, and a whooole lotta foolin’ around… - The Camp Northstar Kids Chorus
PX This presents: The Sunset Beach Diaries
• Day 1 – May 6, 2010: On my way to Shelter Island…
• Day 2 – May 7, 2010: Do you see my new view?!
10:00 AM meeting, then breakfast tasting at 4:30PM. Setting up Open Table system now— Yikes!
• Day 3 – May 8, 2010: 8:30AM! Ahh— I used to go to sleep at 6AM. What a change.
Duck Paté lesson at 10PM
• Day 4 – May 9, 2010: 9:30AM Brrr! So cold! Where’s my coat?!
= "personne extraordinaire"