W42st Issue 41 - The Food Issue

ISSUE 41 MAY 2018 FREE

T he SUNNY-SIDE UP

FOOD ISSUE - it's cracking!

INSIDE

TUCK YOUR NAPKIN UNDER YOUR CHIN AND CHOW DOWN ON THE BIGGEST NEW FOOD TRENDS, THE PEOPLE BEHIND THEM, how to cook them, AND THE PLACES TO TRY THEM. IT'S getting HOT IN HELL'S KITCHEN!

I’ve never been much of a cook. Don’t get me wrong – I’ll scramble an egg or rustle up a pretty adequate chili, but let’s just say my domestic skills lie in other departments. So when I arrived in New York, I embraced the delivery culture like it was a gift from God. Hallelujah! Now I could get any food my heart desired delivered to my door.

But woman cannot live by Seamless alone.

And the first time I was invited into someone’s home for Thanksgiving I almost wept with gratitude. There is a quite visceral joy to be had from breaking bread with friends. And I’m not talking a few cubes of cheese and hummus to soak up the alcohol; I’m talking about a home-cooked meal, made with love.

This month, David Porter invites us all over for dinner at his place ... he even supplies the soundtrack. We chow down on Chinese Chipotle, explore the side streets of Hell’s Kitchen with Manhattan Sideways, fill up on ancient grains, and dive into the complicated business of running a restaurant. And if you need second helpings, come see us in person at the Ninth Avenue Food Festival! We’d love to say hi!

Ruth Walker Editor, W42ST bit.ly/hellohellskitchen THE TEAM THAT BROUGHT YOU W42ST

PUBLISHER PHIL O’BRIEN phil@w42st.com (646) 535-4407

FOUNDING EDITOR SIMON KIRRANE AMBASSADORS KRISTIN NORIEGA HERSHEY MILLER OLIVER GUMMERT

EDITOR RUTH WALKER ruth@w42st.com (646) 847-9645

SENIOR ART EDITOR LEE CAPLE

lee@w42st.com

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR SANDRA MANGAN

PARTNERSHIP DIRECTOR DREW DARGIS drew@w42st.com (646) 896-9562

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR RON STERN ron@w42st.com (201) 774-2432

sandra@w42st.com CONTRIBUTORS

TYLER MOUNT KRISTEN JONGEN SAMINA KALLOO DAVID PORTER CARLA DUVAL JIM CARUSO VICKY KUPERMAN ILONA LEIBERMAN

CLAUDIA CHUNG EDUARDO PATINO BELLE BAKST

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used without written permission of the publisher ©2018. Please note: Every effort has been made to avoid errors, misspellings, and omissions in this publication. However, if you spot one please accept our sincere apologies.

CONTENTS May Edition PEOPLE 11 MY HELL’S KITCHEN

Meet Vash Boddie, actor, activist, foodie, and man behind progressive charity dinner HK Roulette.

12 EVENTS

Our pick of the ten events you MUST see and do this month.

15 VICKY KUPERMAN

A life-changing trip to Europe to perform for the troops.

54 GALLERY

Our Instagram picks of the month.

Hashtag your photographs #W42ST to get involved.

74 LAST WORD

Robert Redford has some opinions on healthy eating.

EAT

16 BING IT ON

It’s kind of Chipotle but Chinese – and it’s coming to a noodle bar near you.

20 EATING IN

There are fewer more sensual joys than cooking up a feast for friends in your home. It’s the new going out.

And it’s way cheaper!

24 THE SIDE STREETS

Move off 9th Avenue and you’ll find a treasury of small, independent bars, restaurants and coffee shops, each with a unique story to tell.

31 FOOD BUSINESS

Running a restaurant isn’t a job for pussies! We take a bite into the business of food.

16

46 62

32

52 COVER

57 32 GO FOR GRAINS!

Heritage grains – what they are, why everyone’s talking about them, and how the hell to cook with them.

OUT 36 FAN GIRL

Tyler Mount’s latest Broadway obsessions in his exclusive column for W42ST – including his hottie of the month.

39 THEATER INSIDER

There’s a hot new job on Broadway.

40 JIM CARUSO

New York memories from Jim’s favorite foodies.

43 IT’S SHOWTIME

Our at-a-glance guide to all things Broadway and Off-Broadway, including reviews by real people.

Zeren Badar is designer and artist who has lived in Hell’s Kitchen for 15 years. “It feels like a lifetime!” he says.

With his roots in fashion, he moved into conceptual photography in 2013, disillusioned with the direction the industry was taking. “Fashion was creative and exciting,” he says, “but it was becoming a very stressful business for me.

It’s a heavily corporate culture.

“But I love being creative. Making something new and surprising is very fulfilling.”

Much of his work – particularly his Accident Series, from which this month’s cover comes – features food (candies, cupcakes, Fruit Loops) against a piece of classic art. “It’s about creating peculiar juxtapositions,” he explains. “The idea behind this particular image was that a child accidentally dropped an egg on a masterpiece. But this accident created a totally different masterpiece and meaning.

“I’m hugely influenced by dada and neo-dada. I create three-dimensional collages with found objects, food, and cheaply printed old paintings. I then turn pre-existing works of art into Duchampian ready-mades and take photographs of them.

“In many ways, it’s a new type of still life – a modern classic.”

Zeren will be exhibiting his work at the AAA3A Gallery from May 16, and has a pop-up solo show in October. His daily work is posted on Instagram (@z_captures).

LIVING

46 FABRIC OF LIFE

Inside the magnificent loft apartment of the neighborhood’s quilting superstar.

52 INSIDE INSPO

Fittings and furnishings for our fantasy loft.

STYLE 57 EAT YOUR HEART OUT Our new style column starts with snack-inspired fashion.

59 ON A BUDGET

The learning curve to eating healthy when you’re strapped for cash.

61 SOBER IN THE CITY

Kristen has some sobering stats.

65 KTCHLST

Insider tips and the best of HK, from restaurants to bars to galleries. Contact drew@w42st. com to be on the list.

PETS 62 WAGGING TALES

HK’s most handsome pups. Email waggingtales@w42st.com.

9

MY HELL’S KITCHEN

Know someone cool who’d make a great subject for My Hell’s Kitchen? Put us in touch, we’ll do the rest. Email news@w42st.com

very quick stride. When people step out of doorways and into the flow of foot traffic without making sure there is a clearing, or they stop abruptly to check their phone or figure out where they’re going, it can create instant sidewalk gridlock. I’m forced to become like Neo from The Matrix — bobbing and weaving to get back to my full-leg walks. Sidewalk rage is real.

IMAGE: VANESSA R KESSLER

What is HK Roulette?

Four of us get together. We each have a score card, with one of four courses written on it – cocktail, appetizer, entrée, or dessert. We blindly select our course and write down the restaurant and item we want to enter into the competition. At the end of the night, we total scores and make a donation to the winner’s favorite non-profit. We have a blast.

Vash

BIO

Vash Boddie is an actor, reporter, storyteller, activist, artist, and foodie. This year, he launched HK Roulette, a monthly progressive dinner that raises money for charity. hkroulette.com

Why choose just one restaurant when you can have four? Let the game begin …

Serendipity brought me to Hell’s Kitchen I’d been developing some property on an island off the coast of Honduras when the weather forced me to take a break. So when a friend and longtime Hell’s Kitchen resident told me she was looking for a roommate, I jumped at the opportunity.

In an instant, HK became home. There is something about being here that makes me want to be the best version of myself.

These are the things I love about it The island boy in me loves that it is

bordered by water. This means a two to three-block walk has you at the water’s edge, able to experience some of the most beautiful sunsets. The journalist in me loves that everyone comes to or through Hell’s Kitchen – to eat, drink, see a show, or even to get out of town. I fantasize about interviewing them all and telling their stories.

But this bit’s kind of sucky The pedestrians (or tourists) on 8th and 9th Avenues. I’m 6’2” with very long legs and a

DIGITAL EDITION

VASH’S HK

The Stinger, W44th St 8th/9th Ave Qi, 9th Ave - 48th St The Harrow, 10th Ave - 49th/50th St Print, 11th Ave 48th St Añejo, 10th Ave 47th St Schmackary’s, W45th St 8th/9th Ave

I’ve eaten in a TON of restaurants As for my favorites… The Stinger makes some of the most sophisticated cocktails in the city, not just Hell’s Kitchen. Some of their selections are made with honey from their rooftop bees and I just love that.

Save the bees! Qi (formerly Chaan Teng) has a take on General Tso’s chicken that is absolutely unexpected and delicious.

The Harrow is relatively new and they have great food. I especially love their deconstructed bacon-wrapped dates.

And Print has the best octopus I’ve had.

Other favorites include the bar at Añejo during happy hour. And there is no greater joy than walking into Schmackary’s moments after they announce it’s BOGO. That’s Buy One, Get One Free, y’all!

Breaking the ice …

During cocktails, to deepen the connection, I like to use a question I learned in my first college sociology course. I ask everyone to complete the sentence “I am …” as many times as they can in 20-30 seconds. It is magical to see how engaged people are to hear another person’s life condition, goals, or achievements.

My HK happy place …

I love to sit in the window seat of my apartment watching the pulse of Hell’s Kitchen. I can almost tell what time it is by who’s walking by: kids on their way to school; day drinkers heading to Rudy’s or 9th Ave Saloon; musicians going to work on Broadway; drag queens going to the bars; drunk folks on their way home in the early am …

11

MAY

LET'S BE HAVING YOU,

Ten events this month you’re going to LOVE!

1

The Metromaniacs The Duke on 42nd St

It’s springtime in Paris, 1738, and poetry is all the rage. A young, would-be poet falls for a mysterious poetess (who happens to be a man) and all manner of scheming, verbal acrobatics, and mistaken identities ensue in this play by David Ives. Dark Mondays. redbulltheater.com

9th Avenue Food Festival 9th Avenue On the weekend of May 19 and 20, the entire avenue between 42nd and 57th St will be closed to traffic for the biggest, longest running food festival in the city. Come. Eat. Play. ninthavenuefoodfestival.com

Me and My Girl New York City Center Christian Borle stars in the revival of Me and My Girl, with the famous score by Noel Gay, including ‘Leaning on a Lamp Post’ and ‘The Lambeth Walk.’ Opens May 9. nycitycenter.org

180 Faces by Liu Wei Sean Kelly Gallery

George Salazar and Joe Iconis 54 Below Two soaring talents share the stage at 54 Below: one, a Drama Desk-nominated actor; the other, an award-winning musical theater dude, in an evening of showstoppers, new material, and unstoppable energy. May 14 and 31.

54below.com

DIGITAL EDITION

5

It’s the first time this Chinese artist has been shown in the US since 2000. This exhibition is made up of 180 “portraits” informed by anything from Chinese calligraphy to expressionism, each one contained in an ornate rococo-style white frame. skny.com

6

Dance Nation

Playwrights Horizons An army of pre-teen competitive dancers plots to take over the world. And if their new routine is good enough, they might even triumph in the Boogie Down Grand Prix in Tampa Bay. Ends May 27. playwrightshorizons.org

A Flawless Night The Town Hall

The Boys in the Band

A tribute to Jack Doroshow, New York City icon and legendary drag queen Flawless Sabrina, who passed away in November. This evening will include a screening of the movie The Queen, along with musical performances from Taylor Mac, Justin Vivian Bond, the House of LaBeija, and more. Thursday, May 10. thetownhall.org

Booth Theatre Jim Parsons and Zachary Quinto star in the show about a group of gay men gathering in a New York City to celebrate a friend’s birthday. But as the evening progresses, the cracks start to show. In previews, with opening night scheduled for May 31. boysintheband.com

Paradise Blue Signature Theatre Set in 1949, amid Detroit’s gentrifying neighborhood of Blackbottom. Blue, a troubled trumpeter and the owner of Paradise Club, is torn between staying or leaving, as the fate of his club hangs in the balance. Currently in previews, with an opening night of May 14. signaturetheatre.org

DIGITAL EDITION

Chasing New Horizons Intrepid A special event to launch the book by Alan Stern, who led the epic first mission to Pluto, and his co-writer David Grinspoon. May 4. intrepidmuseum.org

PEOPLE

PLANES, TRAINS, and the AUTOBAHN

After flying to a gig in a Black Hawk, Vicky Kuperman is never going back to the F train

IMAGE: PHIL PROVENCIO

O

n March 6, I landed at Pristina International Airport in Kosovo with four other NY-based comedians. Kyle Ocasio, Meghan Hanley, Joanne Filan, Robyn Schall, and I made up The Wild Women of Comedy tour. We’d spend the next 19 days performing at 15 US military bases across five countries and 1,628 miles.

Performing for the troops had been a dream of mine for over a decade, ever since I first stepped on stage at Caroline’s comedy club in NYC in 2007. If laughter is the best medicine, it has to be given to the people who need it most. In the 11 years I’ve been doing stand-up, I’ve performed in oncology units, nursing homes, and VA hospitals. Every single show was rewarding, emotional, and difficult. I thought I was prepared for a military tour.

But now I know nothing can quite prepare you for the intensity.

We first hit the stage at Camp CMLT in Kosovo, flown to our gig via Black Hawk (I can never go back to the F train now). Our second show in Kosovo was at Camp Bondsteel, where we met incredible servicemen and servicewomen who’d been stationed there for nine months; who hadn’t seen their children in close to a year. And I had a cuddle fest with a therapy dog named Wrigley.

This is where we started getting the hang of our first lesson of the tour: the shows were really fun, but the best parts were the meets-and-greets after, where we got to talk to the enlisted folks and the civilians who worked at the bases.

Day three involved a flight to Munich, an introduction to the sprinter van and driver we’d be spending the next two weeks in, and then of course, a Friday night show.

And we were off on the autobahn. We had seven bases to hit in Germany in seven days. No sleep for the wicked. Here, we were pleasantly surprised to see a lot of

“My relationship with beer now falls into two categories: before I tried Trappist monk beer and after.” women in our audiences; a mix of enlisted, civilians, and military spouses. We got incredible tours and demonstrations: highlights included a military dog training facility and a tour of an F16 hangar. We were able to stop for a few hours between bases in Heidelberg, Germany, and enjoy a breakfast in Stuttgart. The German countryside and cities were like fairytales.

And wow – the food! God, I miss German food. Spaetzle, bratwurst, schnitzel. And don’t get me started on the beer.

Speaking of beer, Belgium was up next, then The Netherlands. In Belgium, we got our hands on Trappist monk beer.

My relationship with beer now falls into two categories: before I tried Trappist monk beer and after. Not only was it the smoothest beer I ever had, but it only took about four sips to get me feeling tipsy. Perfect! I could save my calories for Belgian frites. Yeah, I had those on our

DIGITAL EDITION

ABOUT

Vicky

Vicky Kuperman is a Hell’s Kitchen resident, stand-up comedian, and co-author of the resistance book How to Spy on Your Neighbor: Your Survival Guide for the United States of Russia, which she co-wrote with Isabella Patrick, available at Domus or on Amazon.

first day off in 11 days in Brussels – along with mussels, Belgian waffles, Belgian chocolate, and a charcuterie plate for good measure.

Our longest travel day was driving from Brussels to Calais, France; getting on the ferry to Dover, England; and booking into our first of four bases in England. And so began five days of driving through the English countryside, including a day off in London and an afternoon in Cambridge.

Both fun, both rainy.

And before we knew it, on March 23, we had our last of 15 shows at RAF Lakenheath, where we had an incredible crowd and all got on stage at the end to say adieu to the most extraordinary experience of our lives. It was the most intense schedule I’ve ever maintained as a performer, but also the most rewarding.

I don’t think I’ve ever had so much adrenaline pumping through my veins for that long a time. And I can’t get those smiling, beaming, grateful faces out of my head. They kept thanking us, and we kept thanking them.

I always knew performing for the military would open my mind. But I didn’t predict how much it would open my heart.

Bless our beautiful soldiers and officers.

I’ll be thinking of each and every one of you – and the sacrifices you make – this Memorial Day.

15

FOOD issue

16

DIGITAL EDITION

FOOD issue

In the beginning, there was

BING There’s a new challenger to ramen, and it’s name is All The Food!

T

wo ingredients: flour and water.

Together, they make a "bing" – a small, soft Chinese pancake. But the same ingredients also form the basis of a multitude of Chinese dishes.

Which is why, in the earliest Chinese dictionary, the word bing can be defined as “all food.”

“A Mongolian guy on horseback would have this dough,” explains Lucas Sin, a chef and self-confessed food history nerd.

“He’d put it in his saddle and ride places.

Then, when he got to his destination, he’d light a fire and heat it. He might roll it out and put meat inside it then roll it up, like a dumpling. He might shave it as a noodle into a big pot of water. If he put sugar in it, it would become a pastry. And, rolled out really thin, with a tiny bit of oil on top, it becomes the bing we have today – the perfect little parcel for anything your heart desires.”

Similar to a crepe or tortilla, bings (and their noodle cousin, the less-soupythan-ramen ban mian) are the street food that could redefine how we think about Chinese cuisine. Leading the charge are Lucas, a former student at Yale who once hosted pop-up dinners in his dorm for up to 150 people, and Nicky Chang, an architect whose foodie escapades have included Dinner For Six, an exclusive dining experience in her Hell’s Kitchen home. Now they’re bringing a new breed of bings and noodles to a city always ravenous for the hottest new food trend.

Say hello to Junzi Kitchen.

If New Yorkers know anything at all about bings, it’s likely they’ve had

“Ingredients include lots of sheep’s heads, and there are insider tips on which direction to sleep when you’re tipsy.”

continued over

a drunken encounter with the famed jianbing while backpacking. “Jianbing is basically a crepe made of mung beans,” says Lucas. “Americans traveling in China go to the People’s Stadium, where all the clubs are. They’ll have this ridiculous time there, stumble out of the stadium superdrunk, and there’s only one exit, which is lined with hundreds of jianbing carts. It’s very much drunk food or breakfast food.”

“But we want to update the Chinese food story and tell it in a contemporary way,” says Nicky. “This is what I grew up with, so it’s deeply personal to me.”

“There is a ritual,” says Lucas, “that, on the first day of spring, families get together around a big table and you have these wraps. Then you put whatever you want in it, you wrap it, and eat it. That’s the original chun bing, and it’s the cornerstone of north-eastern casual Chinese food.”

Junzi Kitchen's three locations – in Columbia, Greenwich Village, and Connecticut – will, by the end of the year, be joined by a fourth, at Bryant Park. And each month, Lucas and Nicky go back to

DIGITAL EDITION

NOODLES AND BINGS

for beginners

Jaja mushroom, spring noodles Jaja is a take on Beijing’s zhajiang, a sauce of fried soy beans, which are the building blocks of northern Chinese cuisine. Three types of fermented black beans are cooked as a confit with aromatics and tossed – as per tradition – with bean sprouts and cucumbers. In lieu of minced meat, we prefer ours with stir-fried king oyster mushrooms.

Tomato pork, knife noodles Every Chinese mother makes tomatoes and eggs, usually as a stirfry for rice. make it northern Chinese style, as a sauce to toss wide-cut knife noodles in. The flavors are simple – ginger, scallion, and white pepper – but the nostalgia this dish conjures, less so. A favorite pairing is with braised pork hock or tofu.

Beef & cucumber, white bing On the first day of spring, families gather to celebrate around chun bing. In the middle of the table are a couple of stir-fries and braised meats. Matchstick potatoes with vinegar, bean sprouts with chives, shredded cucumber, and sliced beef shank are never missing. In one hand, you have a stretchy, flour bing. In the other you have your chopsticks, with which you assemble your chun bing.

Tofu & pickled peppers, wheat bing This is my favorite. We cook tofu on the grill with a sauce of fermented tofu, black vinegar, and aromatics.

It’s wonderful, a little charred, and quite savory, so best paired with the pickled peppers, matchstick potatoes, and bean threads.

Chef Lucas

17

A COMMUNITY FOOD FESTIVAL AT THE INTREPID MUSEUM Saturday, June 9 & Sunday, June 10 10:00am–6:00pm Free Public Pier Entry For more info visit www.intrepidmuseum.org/west-side-eats Brought to you by

FOOD issue

weird-ass

FOOD FACTS their pop-up roots with the Chef’s Table, an immersive dive into the deep complexities of Chinese food.

“April’s event was based on a 14thcentury book I’ve been reading,” says Lucas. “It was the first Chinese food therapy book ever and goes back to Mongol China, when a lot of the pharmacists were Turkish or Islamic and brought with them a philosophy of eating differently depending on the seasons. It’s one of the first empirical books on cooking as a science.”

Ingredients include lots of sheep’s heads, and there are insider tips on which direction to sleep when you’re tipsy (don’t face north, in case you’re interested).

“But the coolest thing about the book is that it has recipes, and a lot of these are the predecessors to super-important Chinese dishes. The main one is Peking duck – and the first version is a duck roasted with lamb’s stomach and dried fruits.”

Other dinners have looked at ways Chinese food mixes with other cuisines – one of Lucas’s favorites was a Chinese/ Dominican dinner. “There are some Dominican dishes that are exactly the same as Chinese dishes I grew up with. One is a sweet bean soup made with condensed milk. People in DR eat it for Easter, we eat it when your chi is too hot and you need to calm down your inner systems.”

There are collaborations with other chefs, or with artists like Tango Gao, an illustrator and social media star, and Michael Eade, who paints with egg tempera. “So we did an egg theme dinner,” says Lucas, “that visually responded to his work but technically was all created using eggs, with dishes like mushroom risotto and poached egg.

“It’s about encouraging conversation,” says Lucas. “All people need to bring is their curiosity.” junzi.us

Above: Things get fancy at the monthly Chef's Table.

Need an ice-breaker or two next time you’re at the bar? This little lot should do the trick …

The fear of getting peanut butter stuck to the top of your mouth is An Actual Thing. It’s called arachibutyrophobia.

1

One of the most popular pizza toppings in Brazil is green peas. What the actual what?!

2

In South Korea, the Dunkin Donuts stocks flavors including kimchi croquette and glazed garlic

3

The history of soup goes back to 6,000 BC. The ingredients?

Hippopotamus and sparrow meat.

4

An amusement park in Tokyo sells raw horse flesh-flavored ice-cream.

5

Most of the wasabi that comes with your sushi is not real wasabi at all – it’s just green-colored horseradish.

6

Castoreum, an ingredient used as vanilla flavoring in candies, is actually a secretion from the anal glands of beavers.

7

8

DIGITAL EDITION

Those red Skittles? The color comes from an ingredient

called carmine, made by boiling cochineal beetles.

When female wasps pollinate figs, they lose their wings and are then trapped inside. They die a slow, agonizing death, then the fig's enzymes dissolve the wasp. So, basically, when you eat a fig, you’re eating wasps.

9

10

Honey is the only food that will never go bad.

The two Ms in M&Ms stand for Forrest Mars Sr, of the candy giant, and Bruce Murrie, son of Hershey president William Murrie.

11

Before kale was hipster fare, the biggest wholesale buyer of the leaf in US was Pizza Hut.

12

Most of the baby carrots we buy in bags are just regular carrots cut down to size.

13

Ninety-five percent of the avocados we eat can be traced to a single tree, planted by a postman called Rudolph Hass in 1926.

14

Canned peaches were the first ever fruit to be eaten on the moon.

15

19

FOOD issue

Come on-a my

HOUSE

Can staying in be the new going out? Where we cook for each other, and listen to vinyl, and overstay our welcome? David Porter makes a case for the defense

T

he first time we lived in New York was back in 2005. My wife and I rented a two-room apartment on 71st St, east of West End. The kitchen was a sink and a stove, and we had to buy a butcher block table on wheels at Bed, Bath & Beyond to do any prep or serve a meal.

One night we invited a few friends over for dinner. My wife is Greek-Cypriot, and we made hummus and a village salad.

The meal was a success, but I don’t remember cooking anything else in that apartment. Like most New Yorkers, we usually ate out or ordered in, and we met our friends out. We rarely invited anyone over, and we were rarely invited over: It was easier to meet at that Turkish place, at that Starbucks, at the Met … going home is something you do in New York when the night is over. It’s rarely the setting for the night itself.

In 2008 we left for Cyprus. Our twobedroom apartment had a huge kitchen, with enough counter space to perform an autopsy, and a dishwasher. It was like I'd died and gone to Cyprus. I began cooking.

The food in Cyprus is inexpensive and everything is local. Your milk is bottled half an hour away from the bakery or supermarket where you shop, the pork and chicken and eggs are from nearby farms. Even more exotic produce, like spicy peppers and bananas, doesn’t travel more than an hour to the farmers market. I soon became a purveyor of classic American meals like tuna melts and macaroni and cheese to our friends and, like any American dad worth his Bisquick, on weekend mornings I whipped up banana pancakes for my son.

20

“I started cooking chicken tikka masala and chana masala, burritos and huevos rancheros, potato latkes and scallion pancakes … cooking became a superpower.”

I started cooking chicken tikka masala and chana masala, burritos and huevos rancheros, potato latkes and scallion pancakes … cooking became a superpower and, on special occasions, I’d spend half a day making eggplant parmesan. I cooked Christmas dinners, New Year’s brunches, creamy broccoli soups and homemade Bolognese sauces, even pork Florentine, and I served everything with homemade garlic bread.

My crowning glory was my first-ever cherry pie with a crust I made myself. My father-in-law is from a mountain village, Pedoulas, which is famed for its cherries, burgundy red and dense as super balls.

One summer I had a huge bag of them and decided to bake a pie. I found a recipe online and had at it. The feeling of adaptability and self-sufficiency was a thrill, and the pie was a dulcet duet of buttery crust and sugary cherry compote.

DIGITAL EDITION

Opposite: Load the table with salad, hummus, bread, get the gang round, pour the wine, leave the kids in front of a video ...

FOOD issue Our apartment became a café and commissary for our friends and their kids.

We hosted at least one dinner each week, parents on our patio, hidden from the street by the deep green leaves of the two eucalyptus trees in front of our building, children amok everywhere else, either destroying the bedrooms with magic markers or destroying the bathroom with liquid soap and toothpaste.

I fed the kids homemade chicken fingers or pan-fried hot dogs at a Kermit-green IKEA kids’ table in the living room; out on the patio it was red Cypriot table wine and roast pork and mashed potatoes. The cats disappeared, the dog suffered myriad indignities, and I had to stay up until the wee small hours loading the dishwasher and discarding broken toys and half-finished collages, Nice ’n’ Easy on my iPod in the living room. I didn’t mind.

We returned to NY in 2016, flushed from our island home by the country’s faltering economy. We once again crossed the Atlantic, this time with our heir in tow and the hope in our hearts that the streets would still be paved with gold, or that we’d at least find decent jobs and a good public school. We’re on the west side again, in an apartment with a loft and some counter space, though the sink and the stove are smack against each other.

I’ve decided not to give up the domesticity I honed in Cyprus. Inviting friends in – even if it’s a bit cramped, even if they have to schlep all the way uptown – isn’t just about the food. It’s about comfort and intimacy, about the joy I feel if even one of our guests asks for seconds, when someone declares: “I’m stuffed!”

For less than $20 I can make an elephantine stir-fry with brown rice and fresh broccoli and carrots, some extra-firm tofu, everything sautéed in garlic and onions and ginger and topshelf olive oil and soy sauce, everything bought from the guy with the produce cart in front of Whole Foods and from Associated. After dinner I can make you a hot cup of coffee or a lemon green tea or just a plain old black tea with milk and sugar.

And I’ve got a turntable now, and piles of records, so we can listen to Aja and Swing Easy and The Magical Golden Hits of the Platters, and you can take your shoes off and put your feet up and stay as late as you want. You can even sleep over.

I’ll make breakfast.

DIGITAL EDITION

Dust down the

VINYL

Or, less old school but still effective, download this food-themed playlist Come On-A My House, Rosemary Clooney The Coffee Song, Frank Sinatra Cleaning Windows, Van Morrison Let Me Put My Love Into You, AC/DC It Should Have Been Me, Ray Charles More Songs About Chocolate And Girls, The Undertones Home At Last, Steely Dan Black Cow, Steely Dan Black Coffee in Bed, Squeeze Pulling Mussels (From the Shell), Squeeze That’s Amore, Dean Martin Somewhere Along The Line, Billy Joel Is This Love, Bob Marley My Finest Hour, The Sundays Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off, Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong Cheeseburger in Paradise, Jimmy Buffett The Fever, Southside Johnny and the Abury Jukes Twistin’ The Night Away, Rod Stewart Loving Cup, The Rolling Stones Ice Cream Man, Van Halen Come On Home, Everything but the Girl California, Joni Mitchell A Case Of You, Joni Mitchell Tupelo Honey, Van Morrison The Milkman of Human Kindness, Billy Bragg Everywhere I Go, Jackson Browne Lost in the Supermarket, The Clash The King Is Gone (So Are You), George Jones Sugar, Stevie Wonder Lips Like Sugar, Echo & The Bunnymen The Supermarket Strikes Back, Mull Historical Society Anniversary Song, Cowboy Junkies Christian Street, Marah Having A Party, Sam Cooke I Can’t Help Myself, Four Tops Red Red Wine, UB40 http://bit.ly/comeonamyhouse

21

Bit on the side FOOD feature

Get off the avenues and explore the small businesses on the side streets – from the restaurant that inspired The Godfather to a baker who makes pornographic cakes

Patsy’s Italian Restaurant W56th St - 7th/8th Ave Patsy’s is truly a family affair. It only takes a few moments before we are greeted by many generations of the Scognamillo family: Joe – whose father started the restaurant in 1944 – stands alongside his wife, and their grandson, Joe junior. Shortly after, an uncle emerges from upstairs, then we are joined by Sal, Joe senior’s son, and the chef and current face of the legendary Patsy’s.

The founder – Sal’s grandfather Pasquale, renamed Patsy at Ellis Island – came to the US from Naples in 1928 and spent his first few years driving a Macy’s truck. Later, he became a busboy, and eventually was able to open his own restaurant, Sorrento, in 1942. Although that was short-lived, two years later, he established Patsy’s. By the mid-50s, it was thriving, enabling him to purchase the entire building, doubling the size of the restaurant.

In the last seven decades, Patsy’s has borne witness to the multitude of changes the city has undergone.

“Everything’s changed, everything,” Joe says, pointing out a photo of the block in the 1940s, when the building that now houses Patsy’s belonged to Atlantic Records. “Eighth Avenue was the end of the earth back then.” The street was largely populated by car dealerships, and there was a gas station on the corner.

24

Throughout it all, Patsy’s has endured – a constant in a sea of change.

They still buy their cheese from the same place, New York institution Di Palo.

And have employed many of the same workers for generations. The night porter, an 80-plus-year-old Argentine man, still lives upstairs. “If you become our friend you’re in trouble, because you’re our friend for the rest of your life!” Sal says.

The family-oriented nature of Patsy’s is only part of what makes it feel like a flashback to a much earlier time. Even at noon, the lights are low, patrons are dressed formally, and the atmosphere is hushed, with soft conversation, glasses clinking, and classical music playing. At the front of the restaurant, a bartender

DIGITAL EDITION

Above: Sal Scognamillo (right) is the grandson of Patsy, the original owner who arrived in New York in 1928.

in bow tie polishes glasses. Scattered throughout the two floors, there are photographs of celebrity clientele, from Frank Sinatra to Frankie Valli and Michael Bublé. According to Sal, Tommy Dorsey brought Sinatra into Patsy Scognamillo’s first restaurant sometime in the early 1940s, reportedly saying: “I’ve got this skinny kid from Hoboken you’ve gotta fatten up.” Patsy’s would become a favorite of Sinatra’s; Sal remembers bringing the singer in through a hidden side entrance in 1975, when Sal was just 13. Today, a statue at the bar memorializes Sinatra, and Joe wears a pin in his lapel that Nancy Sinatra gave him after Frank’s death.

The menu still features Sinatra’s favorite, veal Milanese, along with dishes like eggplant parmesan, spirali al filetto di pomodoro, artichoke with a garlic and anchovy sauce, and classic spaghetti and meatballs.

Mario Puzo reportedly drew inspiration for The Godfather’s Don Corleone from people he encountered at Patsy’s. And when the second Godfather movie was being filmed, Francis Ford Coppola wanted to shoot a scene where a man is stabbed then choked to death at Patsy’s front bar. Joe respectfully declined. “You think people want to think about that guy dying at the bar while they’re eating their spaghetti?”

FOOD issue

Uncle Vanya Cafe W54th St - 8th/9th Ave Igor Reznik welcomed us with sweet kompot, house-baked bread with garlic oil, and bowls of steaming borsht. The feast of traditional Russian dishes continued with pelmeni, blini, and salmon kulibiaka (salmon, mushrooms, and onions in a puff pastry). Many of the recipes were developed by the owner’s grandmother and, according to Igor, others were created by the former cook who, in her 67 years, without a formal education, had absorbed Russian culinary culture in a way that is not done anymore. Duck is another big

Above: Igor Reznik presides over the bar ... vodka anyone?

favorite at Uncle Vanya – slow cooked for three hours in its own juices with apples and onions so that it is very tender.

But what sets it apart from other Russian eateries? Igor says it’s “that New York conversation you can make here. This city is so dense, you’re forced to talk to people – that conversation that can only exist here and nowhere else.

Proudly, for better or for worse, we take our part in that culture. There are many places you can go but there’s none that are as real.”

Cakes ’n’ Shapes W51st St - 9th/10th Ave It’s not unusual for Edie Connolly to make up to 40 cakes each week.

Originally from Holland, she came to New York in the early 1970s to work as an au pair and had never especially loved cooking. Baking cakes was just something she “fell into” in the 1980s after she and her American husband divorced. Thirty years later, the children whose birthday cakes she once baked now hire her for their own children’s cakes. And the front wall of her tiny shop is emblazoned with photos of

Below: Edie Connolly isn't much fazed by anything these days ... she's even been asked to make a cake from breast milk.

celebrities who have commissioned pieces from her over the years.

Her stories range from the woman who tipped $500 on an order of three dozen cupcakes, to the man who tried to order a cake made with breast milk.

And occasionally, the photos people ask her to scan on to their cakes are a little shocking.

“Sometimes people will warn me before they send me the photo, and then I open my email, and go, ‘Whoa!’” she laughs.

DIGITAL EDITION

Kee’s Chocolate W39th St - 8th/9th Ave In 2001, Kee Ling Tong went to Paris for a three-month baking internship before returning to New York to decide her next move.

She found baking unsatisfying because “everything is so precise” and it didn’t allow sufficient room for creativity. Within a month, the September 11 attacks struck the city, and she was relegated to her home with “nothing to do.” So she began playing with chocolate.

After a few months, she opened a shop in Soho, and W39th St was opened in late 2012. Everything is made by hand, and contains no cocoa butter which, she says gives some commercial chocolates a waxy aftertaste. Flavors range from champagne and passion fruit to the Asian-influenced chili sesame, green tea, and lotus.

Kee is as much artist as candy maker. But she doesn’t even like chocolate! “I simply adore working with it,” she says. “I love the texture and the smell of it, but, honestly, I am more of a savory person.”

25

3 5 8 W 4 7 TH S T, N E W YO R K , N Y 10036

FOOD issue

Bodega

OR DELI? Do you know your local bodega from your deli, and your deli from your corner store? Elie Y Katz delivers the lowdown

Delmonico’s Kitchen W36th St - 7th/8th Ave Founded in 1837, the original Delmonico’s is one of the oldest dining establishments still functioning in the country today.

It is responsible for a series of firsts in the hospitality world: originating the Delmonico cut of steak as well as eggs Benedict and baked Alaska. It was also

the first restaurant to have a printed menu and a separate wine list. Today, the signature dish remains the Delmonico steak, a 20oz boneless ribeye served with fried onion rings, but they are also proud of their salmon served with charred miso sauce and the eggs Benedict crab cake.

As New Yorkers, we pretend to know a lot, especially about this city we call home. We roll our eyes when tourists or out-of-towners ask for directions and tut loudly when they won’t get out of our way. But it’s surprising how many of us don’t actually know the difference between bodegas, corner stores, and delis. Each has a distinct, rich history, telling the stories of Hispanic and other immigrants making their way in New York. Here are some signs to help you differentiate between the three.

1

Cats. Bodegas tend to have cats. These felines are the subject of blogs and Instagram accounts and serious artists. But they’re not just for decoration – they’re a necessary, non-poisonous way of keeping rodents out.

“Bodega” is the Spanish word for “warehouse.”

Meat sandwiches. Corned-beef and pastrami sandwiches are deli trademarks. Delis prepare the food for you, usually have a beverage case, and sometimes even a few tables. While bodegas offer hot foods, sandwiches, and to-go prepared food, these aren’t their main selling point.

Fresh produce. Corner stores are known for their fruit and veg. Bodegas and delis may sell all that stuff, and corner stores also stock other bits and pieces, but their MO is the green stuff.

Awnings. Especially back in the day, bodegas were recognizable by their red and yellow awnings. Although almost all bodegas were privately owned, because of their matching awnings, they appeared as a chain. In fact, the awning was a way of protecting vegetables, and the red and yellow colors were simply a way of grabbing attention.

If you see one, it’s a sure sign of a bodega.

Groceries. Bodegas primarily sell groceries but many also offer cigarettes, alcohol, calling cards, and other products. Most items are packaged, but the bodega may also have a small sandwich and prepared foods counter, in which case, as long as these aren’t the main focus, it would still be considered a bodega.

2

Old Country Coffee

3

W34th St - 9th/10th Ave

4

At first glance, Old Country Coffee seems out of sync with the massive construction around Hudson Yards. But that, it turns out, is precisely manager Jesus Guerrios’ objective. “Our goal,” he says, “is to provide an oasis in this industrial, commercial area.” And indeed, once inside this small coffee shop, with floors and ceiling made from Pennsylvanian oak, the door closes, it’s almost as if New York ceased to exist outside.

5

All stories and photographs are from Manhattan Sideways, a project dedicated to celebrating the small businesses on the side streets of the city.

On Tuesday, May 15, readers are invited to the opening of its latest exhibition, A Photographic Journey Through Hell's Kitchen, at the Artist Co-op, 500 W52nd St, 5pm-8pm. The exhibition runs through June 30 (sideways.nyc).

DIGITAL EDITION

Of course, you’ll have already grasped that there’s an overlap between all these stores, making proper classification difficult even for the most seasoned New Yorker. But no matter what you call them, you’re supporting a small, local business – and if it’s a bodega, you may even make a new furry friend along the way.

Elie Y Katz is president and CEO of National Retail Solutions, whose merchant services help more than 5,000 bodegas and small retailers compete against big chains.

27

SPONSORED BY

Belle Isle Premium Moonshine is made in small batches in Richmond, VA, using 100% organic ingredients. Learn more at www.BelleIsleCraftSpirits.com

Pretty Baby Ingredients 2oz Belle Isle Ruby Red Grapefruit Moonshine 1oz rosemary-infused vodka 3oz fresh grapefruit juice Soda water 2-3 basil leaves To make 1. Salt the rim of a mason jar and fill with ice.

2. Build with moonshine, vodka and grapefruit.

3. Finish with soda, and garnish with basil.

Mixologist: Yvonne Edwardsen, Perdition

Cold Brew Corrected Ingredients 1.5 oz Belle Isle Cold Brew Coffee Moonshine 0.75 oz Rakomelo (honey cinnamon Greek liquor) 0.5 oz simple syrup 0.5 oz Cream 2oz cold brew coffee

A Peach Struck

by Lightning Ingredients 2 oz. Belle Isle 100 Proof Moonshine (house infused with peaches) 1oz lemon juice 0.5oz demerara syrup 1 sprig of mint, plus 1 sprig for a garnish To make: 1. Place 1 sprig of mint in a shaker and muddle.

2. Add moonshine, lemon, and demerara syrup.

3. Add ice and shake.

4. Strain into a Collins glass filled with crushed ice.

5. Garnish with a mint sprig.

To make 1. Fill all ingredients in a glass with crushed ice.

2. Top with more ice.

3. Grate fresh cinnamon on top.

Mixologist: Topher Bertone-Ledford, Seamore's

Mixologist: Johnny Livanos, Ousia

LINE 'EM UP!

Line them up and try each flavor of Belle Isle moonshine – Honey Habanero, Cold Brew Coffee, and Ruby Red Grapefruit. Every weekday, 3pm-6pm, Hellcat Annie's will have a Belle Isle happy hour, with $4 for a shot. Which is your favorite?

28

DIGITAL EDITION

SPONSORED BY

April Showers Ingredients 1.5 oz Belle Isle Honey Habanero Moonshine 1 spoon of Beth's Farm Kitchen Marmalade To make 1. Muddle, shake, and serve in tall glass mixed with 3oz Schlafly white lager.

2. Drink!

Mixologist: Nico Kiefer, Dianne and Elisabeth

• Ardesia Wine Bar W52nd St 10th/11th Ave • AS IS 10th Ave - W50th St • BarBacon 9th Ave W54th/55th St • Cafeteria 7th Ave - W17th St • Dianne & Elisabeth 10th Ave W45th/46th St • Friedman's 10th Ave - W35th St • Green Fig @ YOTEL 10th Ave - W42nd St • Hellcat Annie's Tap Room 10th Ave - W45th St • Lucy's Cantina W34th St - 8th Ave • Ousia W57th - 11th/12th Ave • Perdition 10th Ave W48th/49th St • Seamore's @ Gotham West Market 11th Ave W44th/45th St • Grand Cru Wine & Spirits 11th Ave - W43rd St • Odyssey Wine & Spirits 10th Ave - 37th/38th St

See the location of each bar, restaurant and liquor store on the map, page 72.

DISTILLED FROM GOOD TIMES AND 100% ORGANIC CORN Belle Isle Premium Moonshine is in a category of its own. Distilled to a lower proof than vodka but higher than whiskey, our spirit is handmade in small batches using 100% organic corn and quadruple filtered making it remarkably smooth and sippable. Enjoy Belle Isle Premium Moonshine on its own or as the foundation of your favorite cocktail.

Choose from: • Original Premium • Honey Habanero • Cold Brew Coffee • Ruby Red Grapefruit • 100 Proof

DIGITAL EDITION

29

FOOD issue

Pie in the

SKY

Con Ed

City planning

Wages

When you open up a restaurant in New York City, everyone wants a piece of you …

A

restaurant closes – it could be an old favorite, a place where everyone knew your breakfast order or comped you drinks. One minute it’s there, the next, all that’s left is a hastily scrawled sign on the door.

No sooner have you mourned the loss of yet another diner or coffee shop or Turkish place than the brown paper goes up on the windows, work starts … and someone else’s dream of owning their own restaurant starts to take shape.

But the behind-the-scenes business of food in New York City is a minefield of planning, insurances, licenses, and nightmare delays.

When Mike Bergemann opened Corner Slice in Gotham West Market a year ago, it happened relatively quickly – within just three months – thanks to a combination of good fortune and experience gained over the course of opening nearly 15 restaurants for other people.

“Some restaurants are delayed for a year or more,” he says, “not through any fault of their own, it’s just the reality of opening here. That makes it impossible for small business people to open without a massive amount of backing.”

Utilities are usually the biggest hold up, he says. “Say you want to add a stove – just a stove, and more likely you’re going to do full plumbing work, venting, gas, but this is just one piece. You have to do a full plan review, which can take up to three months to be approved.

“That means, from the time you select the space and you get it, to having plans done with your architect, your designer, your contractor – which on its own

“Some restaurants are delayed for a year or more, not through any fault of their own, it’s just the reality of opening here.” could take three months – then you have potentially three more months of a plan review … that takes you to six months. And the most generous landlord in New York will only give you six months to build out.

So you’re already paying rent before you’ve opened. And who knows what Con Ed has in store for you.

“When Con Ed shows up to upgrade your power or add a meter or whatever and they decide they can’t do it because it’s raining out and they’re going to push it for another month, what can you do?”

It is this, in part, that has led to a proliferation of certain styles of restaurant over others, he says.

“What’s driving poke restaurants, for instance, is not that there’s this overwhelming demand for poke, although it is a very nice food. It’s that you don’t need a vented kitchen – you just need basic electrical to cook some rice. The start-up costs are really low.”

Even when you finally open, however, the costs of doing business in Manhattan are astronomically high. “I have a friend who delivers for Stumptown coffee who told me

DIGITAL EDITION

Rent

Seamless Above: Slicing up the profits doesn't often leave much for the small business owner with a big dream.

they have a payment plan with the city for parking tickets, and it was something like $3m last year. So all these costs are passed on to the restaurant owner.”

Add to the accounts skyrocketing rents and an increase in the minimum wage, and restaurant owners are now appealing to the mayor for permission to add an “administrative fee” to diners’ checks to ensure their financial survival.

But, hey, those Seamless orders? They should be good for business, right? Not necessarily – some of the delivery portals slice as much as 25% off the top.

“Companies like Seamless and Grubhub – which are the same company – Uber Eats, Caviar, and Chow Now are like real estate brokers,” says Ray Park, of Red Poke, “they’re in the middle and take commission.

“We need to use them. Delivery is getting more popular and we’re relying on the business a lot, so we don’t have a choice. But we encourage customers to go to our website and use Chow Now – they don’t charge commission per order, they charge monthly, so it’s better for us.”

“We sometimes do delivery orders that can be as much as a full sales day,” says Mike, “so that’s a big deal. But a single order, by the time you pay all the fees, we’re not making a ton off that at all.”

So – um – why even bother? When the road to success as a restaurateur is so riddled with potholes, why even start?

“I started as a dishwasher," says Mike, "worked my way up, cooked for ten years, opened restaurants for other people, and it's always been the idea – to have my own place. The possibilities are endless.”

31

EAT

32

DIGITAL EDITION

EAT

JUSTIFIED and ANCIENT Step aside kombucha. Charcoal and cauliflower, take a seat.

The grains our ancestors ate are coming to take your healthy eating crown.

Samina Kalloo gets her freekeh on

B

efore kale took over the world and invaded everything from our yoghurt to our baby food, the biggest commercial buyer of the curly green leaf was Pizza Hut. Proving, if you needed proof, that there really is nothing new about food trends, just a different way of looking at them.

And while kale shows no sign of falling from favor (though it has surely lost some of its cool cachet – I mean, come on, baby food?), it has some challengers snapping at its heels.

First on that list: ancient grains. Unlike modern grains such as wheat, corn, and rice, these grains our ancestors supposedly ate have never been processed through hybridization or genetic modification and are grown just as they were thousands of years ago, with low levels of fertilizers, irrigation and pesticides.

Packed with nutrients, they boast benefits to digestive health and support blood sugar control. Many are also gluten free.

And while their exotic names may sound intimidating, most are as easy to cook as pasta and can be on the table just as quickly.

Amaranth With a long and colorful history in Mexico and rumored to be a major food staple of the Aztecs, amaranth is gluten and wheat free, and contains more than three times the average amount of calcium of other grains. It’s also high in iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium.

How to use it: Measure the grains and water, boil water, add grains, then bring back to a gentle boil with the occasional stir for 15-20 minutes, drain, rinse, and you’re done. It makes a delicious warm breakfast cereal with a drizzle of maple syrup and berries. Try making a crunchy topping using popped amaranth mixed with seeds and spices.

“Packed with nutrients, they boast benefits to digestive health and support blood sugar control. Many are also gluten free.”

Millet While it’s a staple in many Asian and African countries, millet is known in the US as bird food – but it’s not just for parrots! It is stuffed with minerals, vitamins, fiber, and phytochemicals, with the potential health benefits being comparable to that of major cereal grains like wheat and rice.

How to use it: Millet makes a great substitute for rice in pilafs or stir fries and is excellent as warm porridge. You can also substitute up to 30% millet flour in your favorite baking recipes.

Teff Cultivated in Ethiopia for nearly 3,000 years, teff is gluten free and loaded with calcium. In fact, one cup of cooked teff has about the same amount of calcium as half a cup of cooked spinach. It is also high in resistant starch, a type of dietary fiber that may support colon health and improve insulin sensitivity.

How to use it: Teff flour can be used to make everything from waffles to banana bread and the sweet, toasted flavor of the whole grain makes a tasty porridge.

Spelt Not only is this wholesome grain rich in fiber and protein, but because of its high water solubility, its vital nutrients are

DIGITAL EDITION

Left: Print restaurant serves up a savory tengrain porridge for breakfast and brunch every day.

A mix of winter wheat, spring wheat, rye, spelt, oats, corn, millet, and flax seed is cooked in a vegetable stock with parmigiano, roasted maitake mushrooms, and sauteed spring onions, then topped with poached eggs and drizzled with olive oil.

Samina Kalloo RD, CDN

cookingfortots @ SaminaKallooRD

quickly absorbed into the body.

Spelt is not gluten free, however, people with wheat intolerances can usually tolerate it because it’s easily digested compared to other forms of wheat.

How to use it: Spelt flour makes a great substitute for most recipes that call for wheat, and the whole berries can be cooked on the stovetop and used in salads, soups, and even as risotto.

Farro Dating back to ancient Rome, farro is rich in minerals such as iron and magnesium and contains about 8g of protein and 5g of fiber per one cup cooked. It’s not gluten free, but contains less gluten than modern wheat and may be more tolerable for anyone sensitive to gluten.

How to use it: Farro is similar to brown rice, but nuttier and pleasantly chewier.

Cook it in water or low sodium broth and it’s ready in about 25 minutes. Then you can use it in salads, soups, or combined with beans, breadcrumbs, and veggies to make burgers.

Kamut A trademarked name given to khorasan wheat, but with more protein, vitamins, and minerals compared to modern-day wheat.

How to use it: The whole berries can replace most whole grains in recipes and can instead of rice or wheat berries in pilafs and salads. Kamut flour can also be used as a 100% replacement in most recipes calling for wheat flour.

Sorghum A whole grain that is inherently gluten free, sorghum originated in Africa thousands of years ago and spread to the Middle East, where it remains a food staple in India. It adds a healthy dose of antioxidants, protein, iron, B vitamins, and dietary fiber to recipes. Also, since it’s low on the glycemic index and slowly

33

EAT digested, it helps keep you full and prevents dips in blood sugar levels.

How to use it: Sorghum makes a great addition to salads, pilafs, and can even be popped as popcorn.

Freakeh Pronounced freek-uh, this is wheat that’s been harvested while still young, and originates from the Middle East around 2,000 years ago.

How to use it: In salads and side dishes.

It is high in fiber and iron and is a good source of niacin, vitamin B6, and magnesium.

“Quinoa has been designated a ‘super crop’ by the UN for its potential to feed the hungry poor of the world.”

Quinoa Versatile, gluten free, and one of the only plant foods that is a complete protein containing all nine essential amino acids. It originated in South America, high on the plateaus of the Andes, where it was honored as a sacred crop by the ancient Incas. It’s also been designated a “super crop” by the UN for its potential to feed the hungry poor of the world.

How to use it: Ready to eat in just 15 minutes, quinoa is delicious in stir-fries, soups, and salads, while the flour form produces a tender, moist crumb for gluten-free baked goods. Just be sure to rinse it well before cooking.

Buckwheat Buckwheat has been providing essential vitamins, nutrients, and fiber to humanity for approximately 8,000 years.

It contains high levels of zinc, copper, and potassium, and is a quick-cooking gluten-free grain that you can have on the table in 10 minutes.

How to use it: You can find buckwheat as flour, hot cereal (milled groats), or as the whole groats, which can be baked as granola. The hot cereal is delicious topped with fresh fruit.

Now cook it!

Spelt banana bread Ingredients 1 1/2 cups spelt flour 1/ 4 cup finely ground flaxseed 1 tsp baking soda 1/ 2 -1 tsp ground cinnamon (depending on how cinnamon-y you like it) 1/ 4 tsp salt 3 ripe bananas, mashed well 2 tbsp 100% pure maple syrup 1/ 3 cup unsweetened applesauce 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 eggs, whisked

Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a loaf pan with parchment paper so that some of it sticks out on the sides like handles.

2. In a medium-sized bowl combine spelt flour, cinnamon, flaxseed, baking soda, and salt and whisk until combined.

3. In a separate bowl, combine mashed bananas, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla

and applesauce. Whisk well and add to dry ingredients.

4. Whisk batter just until wet ingredients are well incorporated into the dry, but do not overmix.

5. Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan, and bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.

6. Lift the loaf out of the pan using the parchment paper “handles” and let it cool on a cutting board or cooling rack.

Farro salad Salad 3 cups water 1 cup farro 1/ 4 tsp salt 2 tomatoes, chopped 1 cucumber, chopped 1/ 2 red onion, chopped 1/ 4 cup fresh chives, chopped 1/ 4 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves, finely chopped Dressing 1 large garlic clove, minced 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar Freshly ground black pepper Dash of salt 1/ 4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

DIGITAL EDITION

Directions 1. Combine the water and farro in a medium saucepan.

2. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the farro is tender, about 25 minutes.

3. Drain well, and transfer to a large bowl to cool.

4. Add the tomatoes, onion, cucumber, chives, and parsley to the farro, and toss to combine.

5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, vinegar, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Add the vinaigrette to the salad and toss to coat.

35

OUT BROADWAY ACTOR ZACH ADKINS

I’m blowing my cover by publicly admitting I think I have a crush. His voice. His hair. That smile? Jury’s in and Jesus spent a few extra minutes on this dude. (PS He has a puppy.)

BROADWAY ACTRESS TAYLOR LAUDERMAN

Taylor is Broadway royalty and coming back with a vengeance. She is the badass b*tch we all wish we were in high school (minus the backstabbing, terribly awful human being she plays in Mean Girls).

#FANGIRL The life and obsessions of Tyler Mount

E

I don’t really enjoy reading all that much (other than a Playbill).

But let me tell you – I could pick up the hobby if I got to hang out with these tall drinks of water.

TYLER IMAGE: NACHO GUEVARA

BROADWAY SHOW

YOUTUBE VIDEO

MEAN GIRLS

36

OK. I have an issue.

I was on a deserted (literally) Bahamian island you have certainly never heard of, and while at the pop-up daiquiri table I heard this song come on the radio. I screamed to my boyfriend: “SHAZAM THIS SONG!” And the rest is history.

INSTAGRAM OBSESSION @HOTDUDESREADING

very month, Broadway’s most brilliant vlogger brings you his favorite things, whether it’s his #1 tune on Spotify repeat, his latest crush, or neighborhood recommends. We’re hanging on his every word …

This movie is hands down one of my favorites of all time, which means the Broadway musical had a lot to live up to.

It is just as funny, and even better than before because it’s, well, a musical. Two thumbs up, totally fetch.

MUSIC OBSESSION 2012 (IT AIN’T THE END) by JAY SEAN

COURTNEY, TAKE YOUR BREAK!

This is as niche as niche gets, but if you appreciate a compilation of high school actors playing Salesgirl #2 from Legally Blonde: The Musical saying: “Courtney, take your break” over and over as much as I do, we can be friends.

Broadway ACTOR

DIGITAL EDITION

OUT TELEVISION SHOW

Local

NAILED IT!

RESTAURANT

I am crylaughing at the thought of this show.

Finally, something on TV that highlights people with my talent in the kitchen: non-existent.

MUST-HAVE BEAUTY/ WARDROBE OBSESSION BONOBOS SWIM TRUNKS

Whenever you come out and apply for your gay card, this is the standard issue swimsuit they give you in your gift bag.

Sure, it may be owned

by Walmart, which I consider to be an awful, greedy corporation, but at the same time, they fit really well and look ridiculously cute.

LOCAL BAR INDUSTRY

I don’t know if I’ve ever been to this bar sober, so I may be thinking of a different place, but from what I can remember I had a blast. Flashes of drag queens, vodka sodas, a comfy couch, and dancing on a stage with strangers come to mind and it seems like a good night all around. I might go back and try to remember this time.

LOCAL RESTAURANT BRICIOLA

I went to this restaurant on a blind date, which was awful. Not the restaurant, the date. I recently returned and had such an incredibly positive experience. They even gave me ice cream for desert without me having to ask. 10/10.

"Whenever you come out and apply for your gay card, this is the standard issue swimsuit they give you in your gift bag."

Above: Second time's a charm with Briciola.

HOTTIE OF THE MONTH ADAM PERRY

#THROWBACKTHURSDAY CAPRI SUN

Capri Sun was to me in 4th grade what vodka soda is to me now: the elixir of eternal life.

Nothing was cooler than kicking back with your Strawberry Kiwi juice pouch and watching all the haters from a safe distance.

OBSESSION GRAB BAG IN & OF ITSELF

OK. Listen carefully. I have seen MANY shows

in my day. I have been impressed MANY times in my life. But NOTHING compares to what I felt after seeing this show.

A poignant narrative enhanced by the most insane illusions you may ever witness in person. Run, don’t walk, to catch this show. I’ll probably be there still crying.

Hottie of the month He’s on Broadway. He’s wickedly talented. And unfairly attractive. He should sell a Broadway-themed calendar because I would certainly purchase it.

ABOUT TYLER Broadway fan girl turned YouTube Star, Tyler Mount, is the creator of the wildly popular web

series “Playbill’s The Tyler Mount Vlog”. Seen by over two million people in 168 countries, former guests include Gloria Estefan, Jerry Mitchell, Anthony Rapp, Todrick Hall, Perez Hilton, Laura Osnes, Andrew Keenan-Bolger, and many more of Broadway’s biggest stars. New episodes every Monday & Thursday at noon - Playbill.com/Tyler | @TylerGMount

DIGITAL EDITION

37

SATURDAY & SUNDAY MAY 19TH & 20TH 2018

IMAGE: EDUARDO PATINO

OUT

Two current hit musicals aren’t just serving up delicious singing but tasty pastries, too. Waitress, at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, and the much-celebrated Tooting Arts Club revival of Sweeney Todd, at Barrow Street Theatre, both feature so many pies, the pastries are practically featured players. Sadly, ovenbaked goods are not yet eligible for Tony or Drama Desk Awards.

Enter a new kind of theater star: the pastry chef!

Stacy Donnelly, right, a former dancer turned pastry chef, and her team at Cute as Cake make those little mason jar pies you can buy at Waitress. Donnelly also consulted on every pie you see made onstage, and admits: “I never thought my credit in a Playbill on Broadway would actually be ‘pie consultant’ but it has been and is. It’s been lifechanging!”

Meanwhile, down in Greenwich Village, former White House pastry chef Bill Yosses (who Obama dubbed the “The Crust Master”) makes and serves meat pies to audiences before Stephen Sondheim’s grisly Sweeney Todd unfolds in the theater, which has been repurposed as a replica of London’s old “Harrington’s Pie Shop.”

Sweeney Todd isn’t meant to be an appetizing show – if it makes your mouth water, we have a problem – but the chef’s pre-show pies have won rave reviews so he himself is no Mrs Lovett (who makes “The Worst Pies in London” as the song goes).

This chef’s pies aren’t just found at the Barrow Street Theatre. He also runs Perfect Pie and their pastries ship nationwide.

Pie consultant THEATER BEHIND THE SCENES:

In our series on Broadway’s unsung heroes, Nathaniel Rogers of Showscore gets the inside track on theater’s new dream job DIGITAL EDITION

39

FRIENDS with benefits

What’s your relationship with food? Jim Caruso asks some of his favorite people where they stand

F

ood. You gotta have it. But there’s a big difference between need and want. I need sustenance. I want an entire box of Dots. My relationship with food is fairly basic, and I can’t say I’ve developed a particularly sophisticated palate. To me, heaven is a good table at Joe Allen, where I can watch the comings and goings of the post-theater crowd while digging into a plate of meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

Thankfully, I know a bunch of fabulous Manhattan foodies who stopped noshing just long enough to rave about their favorite dining experiences.

Jim Caruso

Below: Someone order Jim a plate of meatloaf and mashed potatoes!

Janis Siegel

Singer, Manhattan Transfer As a NY native, I’ve had more than my share of incredible and unique food over the years, from the four-star Michelin experience to Papaya King. But the place I loved most was Shopsins. When I moved into my digs on Morton Street in 1981, Shopsins General Store was still a grocery on the corner of Bedford St and Morton, but at lunch time they would make the most incredible sandwiches.

Every day a turkey and a roast beef would be oven roasted, the rolls would be from Zito’s bakery on Bleecker, the rye bread freshly baked. Local residents, construction workers, and Fed-Ex delivery people would be lined up halfway down the block for one of Kenny Shopsins’ creations.

Kenny soon moved into the full-time restaurant business and Shopsins became a neighborhood hang, where you could meet your neighbors, argue politics, take your kids (since Kenny & Eve had five of their own, there were always kids’ toys and games and penny candy lying around), listen to the great ‘30s and ‘40s swing music that played in the store, and even get set up for a lifelong friendship (Kenny introduced

ABOUT Jim

Jim Caruso is a MAC award-winning singer, dancer, and nightclub host. Every Monday, he presides over Cast Party at Birdland.

DIGITAL EDITION

IMAGE: CHRISTOPHER BOUDEWYNS

OUT

OUT me to former Morton Street resident filmmaker Steve Lippman because he thought we would like each other.)

The food was extraordinary and Kenny was a bonafide creative genius in the kitchen. The menu was about six pages long, yet I never remember them being out of anything, even if one ordered the Nigerian dumpling curry soup or the Jamaican falafel.

I remember passing by Shopsins with my three-year-old in a stroller clutching his Barney doll (you remember … the big purple dinosaur?) Kenny was outside sitting on a fire hydrant in a grouchy mood after the lunch rush. As we passed, he grumbled directly to Gabe: “Barney sucks.” My son looked him in the eye and said: “But Barney still loves you, Kenny.”

Paige Davis

Host, Trading Spaces, TLC I love Blue Hill on Washington Place. The food is phenomenal, all sustainably grown on their farm at Stone Barn, and it’s very intimate. I’m a sucker for any kind of authentic farm-to-table experience. The Blue Hill in Manhattan is spectacular, but if you ever have the opportunity to eat at the original Blue Hill at Stone Barn, run, don’t walk. It is a sacred, delicious journey you will never forget.

Zac Young

TV pastry chef & carb commentator Who doesn’t love free samples?

Growing up, I’d have to remind my father that the produce section of the supermarket was not an all-you-can-eat buffet.

This civility went out the window when I moved to New York and discovered Tasti D-Lite. Where else could you get a suspiciously low-calorie treat for nothing? The workers there knew the drill and it didn’t matter if you were on the Upper East Side or East Village, EVERYONE went there to sample. Yes, I was broke. Yes, I was on the Tasti D-Diet.

If I did purchase, I’d turn it into a meal by

adding granola. This would hold me over, at least until it was time for dinner … at Murray’s Cheese. (You know you can ask to try the cured meats too, right?)

Last week, somewhere on the Upper West Side, I walked by perhaps the last Tasti D. Sadness and loss washed over me. Like the peep shows of Times Square, or the guy who makes margaritas from his backpack in Sheep Meadow, my frozen freeloading would soon be another piece of NYC history.

Zachary Schmahl

Owner/ Cookie Master, Schmackary’s I’m a big fan of the food at The Marshal on 10th Ave. The ambience is great and the menu changes every day. They source their food from local farmers, the wine from local wineries, and liquor from local distilleries, reducing the amount of carbon emissions from shipping.​Their drinks menu is spot-on and, since they only have a few tables, it’s a great, intimate date-night spot.

Alison Lee

Founder, CraftCast.com Leave NYC! That’s right. At least for the afternoon.

Jump on the Metro North and take a quick jaunt to Westport, Connecticut. Oh yes, there’s the Westport Playhouse, where something wonderful is always happening on stage, plus lots of great shopping and dining. But before you leave the train station do not pass up Donut Crazy. I’m obsessed. They’ve taken over the north side ticket station and turned it into a fantasy donut parade headquarters. You’ll find an overwhelming assortment of donut concoctions with names like Cake Batter, Do-Fetti, Thin & Minty, and Coco Loco.

Please don’t miss the Maple Bacon or the Butternut Blueberry. You’ll thank me.

Make sure to remember to bring some home. You’ll be glad you did.

DIGITAL EDITION

Below: Where does Zachary Schmahl eat when he’s not baking his famous cookies?

Liz Paley

Framework Consulting In early February of 2017, while dining at one of my all-time favorite restaurants – Union Square Cafe – the manager brought a single pastry to the table along with the desserts we had ordered. It was buttery and flaky, soft in all the right places and crispy in all the right places. He said it was called a kouign amann and that it would be among the offerings at the soon-to-open Daily Provisions cafe right next door.

I was among those in line just a few days later when Daily Provisions shared its first official kouign amanns with the world … and I daresay I’ve had my fair share since that time. Oh, and when you go (which you will) kouign is pronounced like “queen,” and for all we know these are exactly what Her Majesty keeps in that purse of hers.

And remember when sun-dried tomatoes were a thing and avocado toast wasn’t a thing? Me neither. Now that we can’t possibly turn back the clock and avocado toast is here to stay, it’s important to know where to find great avocado toast. Gotan in Tribeca has an outstanding version. Lightly toasted sourdough bread brushed with olive oil, piled high with mashed avocado, dusted with cumin and sea salt, and then topped with sprouts.

Thank you, Australia.

Rodrick Covington

Storyteller, Once On This Island My absolute go-to for food three of four times a week is Ruby’s Café on Mulberry Street. It’s an Australian-infused place that uses local produce that melts in your mouth and leaves your soul feeling yummy.

I’ve had every single salad on the menu and their breakfast is next level. The crispy grain bowl and kale salad are my faves. The green eggs bowl is my lover.

You literally can’t go wrong. Ruby’s has food from the earth that is mixed so well that it becomes a symphony in your mouth.

41

AND NEW FOR 2018

ONLINE DELIVERY

DAILY HARVESTS TO HELL'S KITCHEN FROM LOCAL FARMS

SUSTAINABLY GROWN FRUITS, VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, AND MORE OPEN: 9-9PM 7 DAYS A WEEK FARMACYNYC.COM

One the New York Clty’s most talked about restaurants and a Hell’s Kitchen landmark. On 9th Avenue since the late 1800s, and still a family tradition.

Home of the Hero Boy – a six-foot hero sandwich containing seven layers of cold cuts, veggies, and assorted cheeses.

In house restaurant, sizzling party menu, and outside catering.

9th Ave - 37th St 212 947-7325 HeroBoy.com

OUT

IT’S SHOWTIME! NO INGREDIENTS REQUIRED

The 72nd annual Tony Award nominations are announced on May 1 with the big televised ceremony to follow on June 10. Make sure to see these shows audiences are raving about before the big night. Who will you be cheering on come Tony night?

TOP FIVE

SHOW SCORE

1. THREE TALL WOMEN

This revival of Edward Albee's Pulizer-winning play stars Glenda Jackson, Laurie Metcalf, and Alison Pill. Sally 5 says: “Run to see this!” and Susan 608920 says Jackson is “a force of nature!”

90

2. ANGELS IN AMERICA

Tony Kushner’s epic two-part “gay fantasia.” Chatter says this “terrific production of an iconic play still feels relevant” and Hannah 29 calls it “one of the best pieces of theater I’ve seen."

90

3. ONCE ON THIS ISLAND

The first full Broadway revival of this beloved 1990 musical about a young romance in Haiti. Christopher G calls it “a gem of a show, with superlative direction, and a bang-up cast.”

88

4. THE BAND’S VISIT

This critically acclaimed new musical stars Tony Shalhoub. Emily Beth describes it as “an unconventional musical with strange and beautiful songs and a heartwarming story.”

83

5. MEAN GIRLS

Tina Fey’s classic high school comedy gets musicalized with a fresh young cast. Ninwall says it is “full of energy, snarky humor, and catchy songs.”

83

$

$39

FROM THEATERMANIA

$209

FROM SHOW-SCORE

$89

FROM TODAYTIX

$49

FROM TODAYTIX

$49

FROM TICKETMASTER

SIP ’N’ PAINT Love wine, painting, and showtunes? Uncork your inner theater greek at Broadway Sip N’ Paint. Once a month at The Paint Place (243 W72nd St) you can have a glass of wine (or two) while a facilitator walks you through painting an image inspired by a famous musical. On Thursday, May 10, you’ll sip and paint while that singular sensation A Chorus Line plays. On June 14, the topic is Miss Saigon. Art supplies are provided.

Visit Show-Score.com for details.

Show-Score.com is the ultimate guide to NYC theater. All the shows. All the prices. All the reviews.

Sign up and start sharing your opinions of shows for chances to win tickets.

DIGITAL EDITION

43

DETAILS CORRECT AT TIME OF GOING TO PRESS

B

abette’s Feast, a new play at the Theatre at St Clements, is based on the same short story that inspired the Oscarwinning film of the same name, about a French refugee living in a religious Danish village in the late 19th century.

It takes a very different approach than Waitress or Sweeney Todd to its central edibles. There is no literal food on stage, the lavish title meal is entirely pantomimed!

Showscore member Talkin’ Broadway praises Karin Coonrod’s “often resourceful and highly inventive direction.” TheatreScene.net finds the show ultimately rewarding, describing it as “demanding and challenging in the way that theater used to be before expensive sets and costumes left nothing to the imagination.”

WHAT TO SEE BEFORE THE TONYS

Pull up a chair

Select furniture from the comfort of your apartment.

Free design services & 30-day love it or return it guarantee

visit monroeandkent.com

LIVING

46

DIGITAL EDITION

LIVING

QUILTY pleasures

You want space? The loft Victoria Findlay Wolfe has called home for nearly 20 years is a New York City fantasy Words Ruth Walker Photographs Ilona Lieberman

T

iny apartments are legendary in New York. Take the chef who lived in 100 sq ft of prime Upper West Side real estate with NO WINDOWS (and a $1,000-a-month rent).

And, possibly the most micro of micro apartments, the 78 sq ft space in Hell’s Kitchen, whose tenant, an architect, had to share a hallway bathroom with three other people.

So I’m sure Victoria Findlay Wolfe will forgive us all a moment of deep, longing apartment envy. The vast loft space (complete with wraparound balcony) on W38th St she shares with her art dealer husband and daughter is the sort of stuff our cramped shoebox dreams are made of.

The celebrated quilter – whose studio, a Mecca for the craft’s fans the world over, is just a couple of doors up the same block – bought the apartment back in 1999, when the neighborhood was still decidedly seedy and theirs (a former sweatshop) was pretty much the only residential building on the street.

“None of these residential buildings were here,” she says, “it was still all Garment Center. So it was busy and noisy on the street and everything dried up at 5pm. Nobody wanted to live here.

When we were looking for an apartment to buy, we wanted as much space as we could afford, and this was the first place that we saw. We made an offer on it, then they took it off the market for a year. We kept on looking all over the city and you would get half the amount

DIGITAL EDITION

“None of these residential buildings were here – it was still all Garment Center. Nobody wanted to live here.” of space for the price – or more! We compared everything to this space.

“Then, after a year, they put it back on the market.” The couple snapped it up for, she says, “way, way under a million.”

The neighborhood has evolved around them – there are around five new residential buildings going up on their block – and their view has changed somewhat. But they’ve never been tempted to move.

“The kind of space we have, we’d never be able to afford it anywhere else. But the convenience of being here, close to Times Square, for getting around the city – my daughter goes to school downtown, my husband works on the Upper East Side – everything stops at 42nd St. And for the business, it’s perfect. Everyone comes into Port Authority or Penn Station and we’re right here. There are quilters all over the world and they know my name. They come to New York City, they’re going to want to come and say hey. I’m convenient and

47

LIVING

easy for them to find.” Which makes the ongoing conversation about moving the Garment District to Brooklyn all the more contentious.

“Don’t even!” she says. “I don’t want to know that. I don’t want to hear that. I see an article every once in a while – it seems they’re trying to force everybody out. But nobody’s going to go to Brooklyn.”

Quilting, however, wasn’t even her first career choice. That wasn’t the plan at all. Victoria went to school as a painter – she has a fine art degree in painting and sculpting – and came to New York in 1994 to be an artist.

She had a studio and was having some success with gallery shows. But when a flood in her building destroyed her entire body of work, she too was destroyed.

“That kind of sucked the creative life out of me for about two years,” she says. “I floundered around like a fish out of water.”

In the meantime, she got married ... got pregnant. And what do Minnesota farm girls do when they’re waiting for a baby to arrive? They make a quilt.

“My grandmother was the quilter in the family,” she says. “She was making

quilts in the 1970s out of double-knit polyester Crimplene, all that nasty stuff we wore in the 1970s, and that was pretty much how I learned.

“My mom was a seamstress for Fingerhut, my dad also had an upholstery business on the farm.

Everybody sewed.

“So when I was pregnant, I made a lot of quilts, trying to make the perfect little quilt for my daughter.”

There is, she adds, no such thing as the “perfect” quilt.

“A friend came over and said, ‘Those are really cool, I’ll pay you for that.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, there’s an idea …’

“I found that I could play with my fabrics very much in the way that I could paint. My designs are filled with color and shapes, and I push the color around just as I would if I were painting on a canvas until I have it the way I want it, then I sew it all together.”

She started off working very much in the way she’d been taught at her grandmother’s feet, but as she discovered blogs on modern quilting, she began to create patterns and new designs.

“I was like, ‘Oh my God, I could totally do that!’ I was kind of inspired by the

DIGITAL EDITION

49

MEDICARE

APPROACHING 65 OR OLDER? WORKING OR RETIRED?

Talk to a specialist for:

Medicare Overview Personalized Plans Rate Comparisons

All for no additional cost to you!

Call Jordon at (866) 944 2338 Ext 201 - 311 West 43rd St.

and Associates

Group / Individual Health Insurance Group / Individual Life & Disability Individual / Group Medicare

LIVING

knowledge I’d been missing all those years. Because of my background – I came from working with scraps, my mom making clothing without a pattern or my dad recovering furniture without a pattern – it didn’t occur to me that you’d need a pattern to make a quilt. I would always just cut stuff up and put it together, so my early pieces are very freeform.”

But if you’re picturing quilts like your own grandma used to make, you’re way off. “Some people say, ‘It’s got to be quilting cotton,’ and I’m like, ‘No, there’s an opportunity in just about everything. I still use doubleknit polyester, linen, denim, stretchy embroidered sateen …”

And when she can’t find a fabric she wants, she just designs her own.

Her signature style is of bold colors and patterns ranging from chintzy flowers alongside a hunky guy print; pop arty ice-cream cones next to kimono silk.

But while her quilts are boldly colored and patterned, in person, she’s a quintessential New York girl.

“I’m all about the black,” she laughs.

“Why do I have to dress like my quilts?” vfwquilts.com

Above: Victoria at home, wearing a rare splash of color for our photographer!

DIGITAL EDITION

51

LIVING

s n o i t i b m a Lofty art, bold bits of If we had a loft, we’d fill it with original modern pieces furniture, and adorable, mid-century

SPICE MAGIC

Who has room to store pesky spice jars in their teeny tiny apartment?

These magnetic ones will stick to a metal panel on your wall or on your fridge, leaving room in your cupboard for the things that really matter. Like Fruit Loops.

And wine. $155 (for 24 jars of spice and stainless wall plate), gneissspice. com

ENJOY LIFE

In case you needed reminding … Fishs Eddy is on hand to bring a smile to your day with this cute dish towel. $16.95, fishseddy.com

BOOM TIME

We all know NY apartments are kind of short on storage.

So this mid-century boomerang credenza ticks all kinds of boxes, with its nine – count ‘em! – drawers inside. All from a vintage showroom steps from Herald Square. $762, furnishgreen.com

GIVE A GIFT THAT SUCKS

Deli roses are so meh. This company wants to change the way we give flowers, and designs succulent gardens and glass terrariums as gifts.

Sure, they cost a little more – but they last a lifetime! $100, backstage-botanicals.com

52

DIGITAL EDITION

LIVING

TABLE TALK

Modern apartments can be a little hard around the edges. Soften things up with the Stamford coffee table in lush, distressed brown leather. Double duty tip: it also works as an ottoman. $1,289, sitdownny.com

SPIKE UP YOUR LIFE

The spiky ceiba tree is sacred to the Mayan people, and appears widely in their art. This modern take, by design team MT Objects, was produced in Mexico City by a group of young artisans – each spike hand-cast and carefully angled and applied to the central bowl by hand. Ten per cent goes to the charity SAFE, which supports LGBT elders. $500, maison10.com

THE GAYPRON IS HERE!

Victoria Findlay Wolfe is fond of a print or two – and we can’t get enough of this camp, retro cowboy pin-up fabric by Alexander Henry. Good for cooking or, you know, just fooling around … $42.41, etsy.com

ANOTHER PLANT

OK, confession: we LOVE TJ Maxx for homewares. We hunted down this set of six succulent napkin rings. And even though we only ever wipe up our mess using scraps of paper from the local deli, we’re kind of fantasizing about doing a proper dinner, with REAL napkins and metal cutlery. The food will still be takeout though … $9.99, tjmaxx.tjx.com

INTERESTED?

Buying original art is kinda pricey, right?

So we’re feeling the love for Art Money, who let you pay for a piece to hang on your wall in ten payments, no interest.

And you get it home instantly. Yay! This Dan Asher oil stick on paper work (26 x 19 in) is from our blue period. $12,000 (or $1,200 per month for ten months), artmoney.com

EVENING MOOSE

HELLO PETAL

An elegant glass cloche encases a metallic flower in this pendant light fitting – suddenly it starts to feel like spring! $99.95 –$249.95, anthropologie.com

Obviously the idea of a real animal head on your wall is not entirely modern – we’re lovers, not hunters, here at W42ST. Which is why we love this very obviously faux taxidermy, made from black and gold resin and celebrating the glorious wildlife that is native to New York state. $110, wallcharmers.com

DIGITAL EDITION

53

GALLERY

#W42ST Hashtag your Instagram pics and they could star in the mag!

It's been a long time coming, but spring is finally here. It must be true.

Our Instagram family has captured the blossom to prove it! You've been getting out in the sun and drinking all the margs. Because that's just how we roll. Remember, anyone can be on these pages. Just tag your images #W42ST and you could be the one whose photograph ends up in the next issue.

54

DIGITAL EDITION

GALLERY

DIGITAL EDITION

55

STYLE

SPLURGE or save The weather lately has left us completely out of whack. You might be wondering what you could possibly buy that would make sense in your everyday closet and arm you for the current climate. The answer? A trench coat. It’s the perfect transitional piece you need right now. It can be worn over virtually anything, from spring dresses, to jeans and a tee.

Wear it to brunch with the gang, or for date night as your top layer.

There’s no going wrong with this classic staple piece.

Eat your

heart out In a new style column, Belle Bakst brings you some tips on handling the bonkers weather, and some not so cheesy pieces to amp up your wardrobe’s appetite Bring the joy of the movies with you everywhere with these stylish, beaded popcorn sandals. $125, Modcloth.com

Turn heads this spring and summer in a 100% cotton fruit print front-tie shirt. $15, forever21.com

This refreshing watermelon slice coin purse will make a splash in your handbag, or on it’s own as a mini clutch. $11, bando.com

Stretch in style with this cheeky yoga mat! $40, modcloth. com This skater skirt will be the cherry on top of any warm weather outfit – got to love that infectiously happy cherry print $26 asos.com

SPLURGE

Burberry The Kensington Heritage trench coat, $1,900

SAVE

Asos classic trench coat, $103

About Belle

Belle Bakst is a fashion stylist, womenswear writer, and Hell’s Kitchen girl. She lives on W42nd St with her husband Brendan.

Her friends `know her for her rainbow color coordinated wardrobe and bookcases. She can almost always be seen with an iced coffee in hand. Belle’s favorite place in the neighborhood is the Salvation Army on 46th street (between 10th and 11th avenue) but will happily meet you at Bergdorf Goodman too.

DIGITAL EDITION

57

STYLE

THE UNDIET HABIT As a new widow, Claudia Chung was at her skinniest. Now, in a drastically downsized life, she needs a fresh way to lose weight Photograph Ilona Lieberman

O

nce upon a time, I was traveling around Italy when I made my way to Milan. There, in the fashion capital of Europe, I fell madly, deeply, and viscerally in love with a dress.

It was absolutely everything. A black Moschino spaghetti-strap number with pleats in the back that made an elegant dress into an iconic dress. But more than the actual design was was how it made me feel: like the most beautiful girl in the world. The minute it enveloped my body, it was as if every tear, heartbreak, and disappointment was endured and overcome just for this one special moment. And it was worth it.

I paid over a thousand American dollars but left feeling like a million bucks.

Fast forward to present day. I was in the Salvation Army on W46th St - 10th/11th Ave and a faint but clear inner voice ordered me to the third floor and straight into the dress section. Call it divine intervention, but within 15 minutes, I’d found it. A navy blue Moschino tuxedo dress. The exact same one I’d admired on Michelle Williams once when she wore it to a premiere. It was in perfect condition and the same size as my epic tea dress from Milan. But instead of paying a thousand dollars, I could own it for $17.

The price of a bucket of fried chicken.

I bought the dress, and left feeling like a million bucks.

When I got home, with much anticipation, I opened my plastic grocery bag, stripped off my clothes, and tried it on. I was utterly shattered.

Here’s the thing no one tells you about those big life situations – break-ups, divorce, death. While it’s the least and last thing on your mind, you look beautiful.

Your eyes are huge, dark, and dilated from all the crying. Your hair is full and beach-wavy because you haven’t washed or brushed it. But mostly, weight just flies off. Everything (even your skinny skinny

“I need it. Like I need to believe that one day Clive Owen will knock on my door and demand we have sex immediately.” skinny clothes) fit impeccably. Then you come back up for air after months of being immersed in your own tragedy. Life starts to normalize and you slowly but surely move on. And so do your eating habits. Upon waking up from my coma of despair, my body suddenly feels heavy, wobbly, and cumbersome.

My first attempt to lose weight was to go low carb. I’ve been doing it for years.

And while it works to a degree, it also severely bums me out and I’ve had enough sadness for a lifetime.

I’ve tried portion control but it made me fatter.

Then I came across intuitive eating, or mindful eating. The undiet. The shut-the-fuck-up-andlisten-to-your-body diet. I was in.

There are many tent poles to this method, such as honoring your hungry, making peace with food, and finally feeling full. But I zeroed in on the primal aspect of it. You’re going with your gut instincts.

Listening to your intuition.

Letting your body tell you what it needs, not some man in a lab coat diddling around with mice all day.

And my body screamed: “I’m not

DIGITAL EDITION

Below: Claudia has tried going low-carb ... but a girl can only handle so much misery in her life.

your bitch! I’m the captain now. Listen to me!”

To get started on this new undiet, I’ve used the same columns I have for men.

Musts, would-be-nice-to-haves, and deal breakers.

Men example: Must be kind and have a job. Would be nice if he were funny and a good storyteller. Inconsiderate and smokers are deal breakers.

Food example: Must be able to eat bread, rice, and dark chocolate. Would be nice to eat a steak and a baked potato on the same plate. Deal breakers are mangos and papaya because I am deathly allergic.

Having embarked on the undiet, I’ve come to realize some preferences that are now daily habits. I love pâté and smear it on toast like butter for breakfast.

I’m willing to spend $100 a month on smoked salmon.

And – the most outlandish – my matcha collagen powder to make lattes every morning. It’s terribly expensive and the promise of great skin, hair, body, and mind are wishful thinking at best. But I need it. Like I need to believe that one day Clive Owen will knock on my door and demand we have sex immediately.

Right at this moment, as I type this column, my weight loss is at zero. In fact, I’m fatter. I can feel it.

But as they say, it takes time. It’s been so long since I’ve listened to my body, its voice is barely a whisper.

In all honesty, I may never be able to fit into those two dresses again. But I’m learning that’s not the point. It was how the dresses made me feel at the time I bought them: freedom. And while I am not there yet, I’m working on it.

59

Injuries & Illnesses Physical Exams

In-House EKG, Labs and X-ray HIV & STD Testing

Vaccinations PrEP and PEP Work Related Injury

LGBTQ Health

Pediatrics

715 9th Ave, New York, NY 10019 Email us: AskMiDoc@gmail.com Call us: (212)-757-2015 Monday - Friday Hours: 8:00 AM - 10:00 PM Saturday & Sunday Hours: 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM

STYLE

Sobering

STATS

Better sleep, better sex, better looking … and you’ll be richer! Kristen Jongen crunches the numbers in the case for sobriety

F

riends, this month, rather than engage you with my linguistic prose, I did the dirty work of researching addiction and sobriety statistics. Only for you will I scour the dark web.

Did you know: 20-30% of individuals who identify as LBGTQ battle addiction compared to the roughly 9% making up the rest of the population.

Whites and Native Americans have a greater risk for alcohol use disorders.

However, once alcohol dependence occurs, blacks and Hispanics experience higher rates than whites of recurrent or persistent dependence.

Asian ethnic groups (ie, Korean Americans, Filipino Americans, and Japanese Americans) have higher levels of problem drinking.

The use of cocaine, meth, and other stimulants occurs at similar rates in men and women. However, women tend to become addicted more quickly and suffer more damage to their health.

The bottom line is that we are all screwed.

However, Sober in the City has not come

. . . .

this far to leave you hanging in despair.

Fabulous sobriety has some statistics of its own. For example, sober people: Have improved relationships – blah blah blah …

Are more focused – blah blah blah …

Look ten years younger. Wait, what?

It turns out that sober folks have more hydrated and less swollen skin. Conditions such as eczema and rosacea improve. Additionally, we smile more and have fewer wrinkles.

Heightened senses.

You thought drunk sex was fun? Sober organs are acutely sensitive.

You might shed your inhibitions at the juice bar.

Drunk dialing and wasted hook-ups are reduced by a whopping 100%.

Weird, eh? (Note: Idiotic sober dialing, manic Facebook

. .. . .

IMAGE: JULIO NUNYO

ABOUT Kristen

Kristen Jongen is the artist, author, and speaker behind Soul Soup. She writes books on grief, healing, and transformation, and is in long-term recovery from alcohol and drug addiction (www.mysoulsoup.com; kjissoberinthecity@gmail.com). If you’re having a hard time with drugs and alcohol, you can find support meetings at nyintergroup.org

Below: Look at that bright skin, those twinkling eyes ... either Kristen got lucky last night, or she just has a great night’s sleep!

“Drunk dialing and wasted hook-ups are reduced by a whopping 100%.

Weird, eh?

Note: Idiotic sober dialing and Facebook stalking are still possibilities.” stalking, and compulsive texting are still possibilities.)

Better sleep. Alcohol and drug use are not conducive to a good night’s sleep.

Sobriety resets your natural inner clock.

No need for a Nap Club membership.

Nature’s got this.

More money, honey! New Yorkers spend an average of $498 annually on NOT being sober. Hey, five hundred bucks is five hundred bucks. Instead, go buy yourself something cute.

Better eating habits. It’s fascinating what transpires when we are conscious of what we put in our mouths. I digress ...

More fun! It’s true. Being present provides a better time all the way around.

Become a fun sponge.

Add more hours to your day and therefore your life. Drunk time is wasted time. Fun fact: apparently, if you read about your favorite subject for one hour per working day for seven years (that’s a PhD. and one post-doc position), you will be a world expert on the subject. A real expert.

For FREE! Now that’s a goal!

While I joke about the banality of relationship statistics above, I jeer with the basic understanding that at the fore of any examined life is a chance at a genuine relationship with our loved ones and a connection to the universe within ourselves.

See the stars, Your friend,

. . . . .

Kristen DIGITAL EDITION

61

PETS

Wagging tales

These camera-happy cuties took time out from the morning stroll for a quick Q&A with W42ST

Eve

Lulu

Jinxy

Human’s name: Katie.

Breed: Cairn terrier mix – I’m a shelter dog found in the Bronx.

Age: Five.

What makes me bark: The neighbor’s laundry when it hangs outside.

Three words that describe me best: Gentle, playful, affectionate.

Confession: Sometimes when there are tissues in an open trash can, I’ll take them out and tear them up.

Human’s name: Sharon.

Breed: Jack Russell terrier mix with chihuahua and basenji – I’m a Waggytail rescue.

Age: I’ve just turned two.

What makes me bark: Squirrels.

I’m obsessed with them and love to case them.

Three words that describe me best: Good, sweet, and gentle Confession: Sometimes when we’re hiking I don’t come when I’m called (I’m waiting for a treat).

Human’s name: Patricia.

Breed: Miniature dachshund.

Age: 11 years old.

What makes me bark: When my mommy comes home.

Three words that describe me best: Loyal, comforter, happy.

Confession: I use my peripheral vision when I see mommy getting ready to go somewhere, in the hope that she’s getting my things to go with her.

Instadog: @Jinxy_the_dachshund

Want to see your pup on this page?

DIGITAL EDITION

Boogie and Marcelo Human’s name: Candy.

Breeds: Pug and chihuahua.

Ages: Six and seven.

What makes us bark: Breakfast and dinner.

Three words that describe us best: Sleepy, hungry, cuddly.

Confession: Marcelo: I love to hump. Boogie: I snack on cat poo.

Instadog: @boogiethepug @marcelothechi

Send it to waggingtales@w42st.com and we’ll do the rest.

63

this month

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PURPLE PUPPET (YES, THAT’S RIGHT!); BEATING FACEBOOK’S ALGORITHM, AN INDISPENSIBLE HK DIRECTORY, QUOTE OF THE MONTH, AND EVERYONE’S FAVORITE MAP. PHEW! DIGITAL EDITION

+ EAT, DRINK, PLAY, DO

w42 st

EATING & DRINKING Annabel

Chez Napoleon

9th Ave 53rd/54th St

W 50th Street - 8th/9th Ave

A neighborhood

Hyper-traditional Hell’s Kitchen landmark French

Rotating local craft beer on tap, easy

a while. The menu features artisan

restaurant open since 1960 and still

drinking lawnmower beers, cocktails,

pizzas, New American appetizers &

dedicated to serving classic comfort

sandwiches & shareable appetizers.

entrees & homemade desserts.

food dishes. Leave your diet at home!

Happy hour 3pm-6pm Mon-Fri.

www.annabelnyc.com (212) 245-2215

www.cheznapoleon.com (212) 265-6980

www.HellcatAnnies.com (212) 586-2707

map reference

3

map reference

Ardesia

5

wines, happy hour, cheese boards,

A wine bar and restaurant in the

and cocktails. Come for wine social

heart of Hell’s Kitchen, serving

on a Saturday 2pm-5pm for off-the-

dinner & brunch made from locally

list wines and menu favorites.

sourced ingredients.

www.ardesia-ny.com (212) 245-2215

www.dianneandelisabeth.com (212) 247-3039 4

map reference

map reference

a rotating selection of drafts and cask. Fill up a house growler or bring your own. Knowledgeable staff.

www.beerculture.nyc (646) 590-2139 4

map reference

Hudson for sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline.

www.hudsonsnyc.com (212) 630-8840 8

map reference

Cavernous, low-key taproom known

Kashkaval Garden offers a relaxed

for its wide variety of craft beers, plus

environment to enjoy good wines,

burgers & bar bites..

specialty cocktails, and Mediterranean

www.beerculture.nyc/gebhards

inspired food & fondue.

(917) 639-3420

www.kashkavalgarden.com (212) 245-1758

6

map reference

In HK since 2004,

9

map reference

cuisine with unique flavor and spices.

Influences come from The Middle

walls and chandeliers lighting up

East, North Africa’s Maghreb region,

Josephine Baker portraits.

and southern Europe.

www.chezjosephine.com (212) 594-1925

www.greenfignyc.com (646) 449-7790 7

map reference

9th Ave 37th/38th St Our 60-year anniversary! The original six-foot Hero will feed 30 to 40 people.

Large restaurant: eat in, take out, catering. Reasonable prices!

www.heroboy.com (212) 947-7325 13

map reference

The Marshal 10th Ave 4th/45th St Locally sourced food, wine, and liquor at a restaurant where sustainability and support for the community are at the heart of everything we do.

www.the-marshal.com (212) 582-6300 14

map reference

Method Japanese Kitchen and Sake Bar

specialty brick

10th Ave - 50th/51st St

oven pizzas and a high quality selection

Bringing a multi-cultural New York

of rotating crafts at fantastic prices.

approach to authentic Japanese

Always interesting draft cocktails and

cuisine.

wine on tap.

www.kiabaccabar.com (212) 649-4675 10

DIGITAL EDITION

Manganaro’s Hero Boy

Featuring 20

Modern Israeli

Paris, with a blue tin ceiling, red velvet

map reference

10th Ave 45th/46th St

10th Ave 41st/42nd St

Return to the joie de vivre of 1920s

6

Kiabacca

Green Fig

W42nd St 9th/10th Ave

map reference

a large deck. Short sailings on the

9th Ave 55th/56th St

Chez Josephine

2

and cocktails served on a multi-level yacht with

W72nd St - Amsterdam/ West End

A huge selection of bottles and cans, and drink from

www.lansdowneroadnyc.com (212) 239-8020

Surf ’n’ turf, tapas,

Kashkaval Garden

W45th St 8th/9th Ave

This neighborhood sports bar is a great place to gather for tasty pub food, wings, and a wide selection of beers while watching your favorite team. Back bar for parties.

Pier 83, 12th Ave - 43rd St

Gebhard’s Beer Culture

Beer Culture

10th Ave 43rd/44th St

Hudsons

10th Ave 45th/46th St

International

1

map reference

Dianne & Elisabeth

W52nd St 10th/11th Ave

Lansdowne Road

10th Ave - 45th St

restaurant that invites you to stay for

1

66

Hellcat Annie’s Tap Room

map reference

www.kitchensakebarmethod.nyc (212) 582-2146

15 map reference

EAT

Randy’s DAYLIST 7:30 AM

WHOLE FOODS

FRIEDMAN’S W47th St -

RANDY is a bald, purple puppet who has headlined with Neil Patrick Harris,

starred on his own Netflix show, and been nominated for the Australian equivalent of an Emmy. He’s performing in Randy Writes a Novel at Theatre Row’s Clurman Theatre until June 10 (randywritesanovel.com).

Two ways Facebook’s new rules are impacting small business

T

he world has been shaken

by Facebook’s data breach.

Some 87 million users’ data was affected and that number continues to rise. It is now putting into place new rules in a bid to protect users’ data going forward.

Here are two ways these new rules impact small businesses.

1. Advertisers now have less data to create target audiences It’s no secret that you are the product for Facebook. They sell your data to advertisers, who create

CHINA XIANG W42nd St - 8th/9th Ave After my show, I like to wind down with a hot Chinese tea and a plate of sauteed Shanghai baby bok choy with garlic.

This place is super close to where I’m performing and the wait staff call me Bennie for some reason. I love it.

9:30 pM

PETS

Bizlist

GREEN SYMPHONY W43rd St - 7th/8th Ave 11:47 pM

SCHMACKARY’S W45th St - 8th/9th Ave Absolutely love their maple bacon cookies – this is a great place for a cold cup of milk and cookie with a warm atmosphere.

LIVING

7th/8th Ave By this time the beetroot juice is usually giving me significant stomach cramps, so it’s over to Friedman’s for an avocado mash and a variety of fried potato dishes. I’ll usually crack out my laptop here and spend a couple of hours working on my film script or watching YouTube fail compilations.

2:43 pM

OUT

8:15 aM

STYLE

MARKET 6th Ave - 42nd St I usually start my day by staring into the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes, questioning my life choices as my kneecaps gently cool. Then I walk to my nearest Whole Foods and get a beetroot, carrot, lemon, and ginger juice and a handful of Clif bars to see me through the day.

I religiously swing past Green Symphony at this time for a shot of wheat grass and a homemade vegan pecan square. I enjoy talking loudly with the staff about my ethical food choices and awkwardly high-fiving other customers.

ads based on various data points that make up the demographic of who actually sees them. Until now, the platform has been leveraging other data points beyond its own to make ad buying on Facebook more sophisticated. With the newest “scandal,” Facebook has begun to cut off relationships with the providers of these other data points, making the audience advertisers have to choose from less sophisticated.

2. Prioritizing content Facebook has started to prioritize

DIGITAL EDITION

HELL’S CREATIVE is a digital ad agency founded by two millennials at Gotham West Market.

Interested in having your business question answered and featured in a future column? Reach out to info@hellscreative.com with your request.

longer, text-based content in its newsfeed. It explained recently that the goal of was to create discussion.

Its data suggests the longer a post, the more comments it garners.

Here are two things you can do to adapt and thrive in the new algorithm.

1. Get more creative Although Facebook has cut tons of data points, you can still get clever with your target audience.

Start by going back through your previous ads to find insights. Maybe

by focusing in on a tighter age or interest description, you will see better results 2. Invest the time to write long It will come as no surprise to find that writing a two-sentence post is easy and writing a fiveparagraph post is more difficult.

But Facebook wants to encourage discussion. So try posting less about a promotion you have.

Instead, ask a thought-provoking question alongside a video, interview an employee, or share an inspiring story.

67

+ EAT, DRINK, PLAY, DO

w42 st

EATING & DRINKING / SHOPPING & SERVICES Eduardo Patino

Print Restaurant

Ñaño Ecuadorian Kitchen

11th Ave 47th/48th St

10th Ave -

W39th St 9th/10th Ave

A professional

47th/48th St

Farm-to-table restaurant dedicated

photographer for over two decades,

An authentic NY experience, one of the

Ecuadorable! Quaint eatery serving

to seasonal, sustainable cuisine,

serving an international clientele

city’s oldest flea markets. Year round,

traditional dishes with modern flair.

with fresh ingredients featured daily.

spanning the world of publishing, the

each weekend, you can find antiques,

Family recipes make Ñaño special.

Located in the Ink48 hotel.

performing arts, and the corporate

vintage clothes, collectibles and more.

www.nanobarnyc.com (646) 649-4678

www.printrestaurant.com (212) 757-2224

arena.

info@hellskitchenfleamarket.com www.annexmarkets.com

11

17

map reference

(917) 414-2199

eduardo@epatinophoto.com

map reference

North River Lobster Co

Stile’s Farmers Market

Pier 81, 12th Ave - 41st St

9th Ave 36th/37th St

4

map reference

Elizabeth Saunders Voice Studio

Hafetz & Associates Medical insurance

7th Ave. -

A full line of farm fresh fruits,

28th/29th St

An independent insurance agency,

vegetables, eggs, pasta, fresh ground

Private, individualized voice/singing

specializing in Medicare Supplements,

coffee, nuts, dried fruits, breads, and

lessons..1st vice-president: New York

Advantage, & Rx plans while offering

atmosphere – no reservations.

more. Family owned since 1953. Also

Singing Teachers Association. Gender

superior customer and broker

www.northriverlobsterco.com (212) 630-8831

at W52nd St - 8/9th Ave.

non-conforming clients welcome

services.

(212) 868-7070

(860) 874-7184 .

NYC’s only floating lobster shack.

Fresh seafood, mason jar cocktails, buckets of beer & raw bar. Casual

12

map reference

19

Perdition

map reference

U

10th Ave 48th/49th St

UT47 MANHATTAN

www.ElizabethSaundersVoice.com

UT47

Fine & Dandy

W47th St 8th/9th Ave

W49th St 9th/10th Ave

Hell’s Kitchen. There is room for everyone in this sleek bar, from the corporate world of America to the exhilarating youth of Manhattan.

www.perditionnyc.com (212)-582-5660 8

map reference

The Press Lounge 11th Ave 47th/48th St NYC’s premier

Specialty coffee & tea, brunch and Korean fusion dinner.

U

(917) 265-8629 www.instagram.com/ ut47manhattan UT47 MANHATTAN

20

map reference

10th Ave 46th/47th St Custom framing & art, conservation

Ties, bow ties, pocket squares,

framing, canvas stretching & mirrors

neckerchiefs, tie bars, cufflinks, money

a specialty. We exhibit contemporary

clips, and much more.

and international artists.

www.fineanddandyshop.com (212) 247-4847

jaditeart@gmail.com

David Ryan Salon Medical insurance Our mission is provide the highest quality service

seasonal cocktails, an extensive wine

to all our guests with the utmost

list, seasonally inspired small plates,

professionalism. Our staff is dedicated

and welcoming service.

to all aspects of beauty and style –

www.thepresslounge.com (212) 757-2224

helping you feel and look your best.

map reference

Jadite Galleries

accessories for dapper guys.

1

rooftop lounge, with dramatic views,

9

hafetzandassociates.com jhafetz@srhafetz.com 1-866-99-HAFETZ (994-2338)

Handmade

Somewhere between heaven and

68

Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market

www.epatinophoto.com

www.davidryansalon.com (212) 956-1830

DIGITAL EDITION

map reference

(212) 977-6190 5

map reference

Fountain House Gallery

Manhattan Kayak

9th Ave - 48th St

Pier 84, W44th St - 12th Ave

Our gallery exhibits and sells original, affordable

The city’s paddle sports center

art made by local artists living and

with kayaking and stand up

working with mental illness.

paddleboarding, scenic tours, and

www.fountainhousegallery.org ariel@fountaingallerynyc.com

lessons in the heart of New York City.

2

map reference

manhattankayak.com (212) 924-1788 5

map reference

EAT

Marc Tumminelli’s playLIST

MERCEDES CLUB W54th St - 10th/11th Ave You don’t need to live in the building to work out there. I’ve been a member for almost six years and the classes are great – body conditioning with Karen every Wednesday. Then Fika for a coffee.

IMAGE: CHRISTIAN MILES

ARDESIA W52nd St - 10th/11th Ave

MARC’S PLAYLIST 1 2 3 4 5 I Don’t Think About You Kelly Clarkson It All Fades Away Bridges of Madison Country Where We Go P!nk What Baking Can Do Waitress For Forever Dear Evan Hansen

LIVING

for a decade, helped young artists learn their craft from Broadway’s biggest names – people like Ben Platt, Darren Criss, Sutton Foster, Cynthia Erivo, Megan Hilty, and many more. The spring production of Sweet Charity takes place at The Baruch Performing Arts Center, June 1-3 (BroadwayWorkshop.com).

CHA PA’S NOODLES AND GRILL W52nd St - 8th/9th Ave When you are ready for some cheap carbs, look no further. Get some spring rolls and any of the pho soups.

OUT

MARC is the founder and director of Broadway Workshop, which has,

IL MELOGRANO W51st St - 10th Ave The food is delish and the guys who work there are the nicest.

The chicken Milanese is pretty much perfect, but who doesn’t love fried chicken and a big ol’ salad on top? No one! Go there!

The absolute best wine bar in HK. And now they have a full bar so you can get your martini on. The ricotta crostini is living your bagel and cream dream.

STYLE

FIKA 10th Ave - 54th/55th St They have the best coffee and baked goods in the hood. Also, if you stop in for lunch they have a killer chicken salad sandwich.

PETS

Our 2 Locations:

352 W. 52nd St. New York, NY 10019 (212-582-3088) / 476 9th Ave. New York, NY 10018 (212-868-7070) We carry a full line of farm fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, pasta, fresh ground coffee, nuts, dried fruits, breads, and more. We except all major credit cards and EBT. Stile’s Farmers market is open all year round. Our prices our considered the lowest in NYC. We wholesale fresh fruits and vegetables to hotels, restaurants, bars, and other establishments across hell kitchen and the surrounding area.

Family owned and operated since 1953.

Follow us on Instagram @stiles_farmers_market Email stilesfarmersmarket@gmail.com 69

+ EAT, DRINK, PLAY, DO

w42 st

SHOPPING & SERVICES / OUT / LIVING Manhattan Plaza Health Club W43rd St -

Ensemble Studio Theatre

The New Victory Theater

939 8th Ave, Suite 207

W52nd St 10th/11th Ave

W42nd St 7th/8th Ave

9th/10th Ave

Come enjoy a workout within our

Building original, provocative, and

Amid the hectic pace of mid-town

historic walls where Pilates began.

authentic plays from the ground up,

Manhattan there is an escape to

Join us at the original Joseph Pilates

from readings to workshops to fully-

a calm, peaceful environment,

Studio, check our website for class

staged production.

committed to fitness and relaxation.

schedule.

(212) 563-7001 mphc.com

www.rolates.com (212) 247-9603

www.ensemblestudiotheatre.org (212) 247-4982 2

NYC’s premier non-profit performing arts theater devoted to kids & families.

See international theater, dance, circus, opera & music at affordable prices.

www.newvictory.org (646) 223-3010

map reference

6

map reference

Mark Fisher Fitness

Rufskin

W39th St 9th/10th Ave

2002, Rufskin

Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum

is celebrating

Pier 86, 12th

Group kettlebell classes and semi-

their 15th year as a men’s fashion

Ave - 46th St

on, hop off sightseeing cruise. You’ll

private training offered in a fun,

label. The lines include denim,

Experience the legendary aircraft

see the Empire State Building, Freedom

inclusive “Ninja Clubhouse” by a team

sportswear, swimwear, underwear and

carrier Intrepid, the first space shuttle,

Tower, Brooklyn Bridge, and more. Don’t

of ridiculous humans.

accessories. California lifestyle is at

Concorde, and the submarine Growler.

forget your camera for an up-close

membership@markfisherfitness. com

the essence of the brand’s philosophy.

www.intrepidmuseum.org (212) 245-0072

photo of the Statue of Liberty!

212-356-0020

Established in

www.rufskin.com

MiDoctor Urgent Care 9th Ave 48th/49th St We are open 365 days so we can provide the best care you need. If you want to see a physician, no appointment is needed. Just walk in and we will take good care of you.

midoctoruc.com (212) 757-2015

tarot advisor. Individual and group readings.

www.theneyorkmedium.com marina@thenewyorkmedium.com (347) 486-4996

Pier 82, W42nd St NYC’s favorite hop

www.nywatertaxi.com 7

map reference

map reference

Lena Simpson

Title Boxing Club

Irish Arts Center

W37th St 9th/10th Ave

W51st St 10th/11th Ave

Compass real estate Your Hell’s Kitchen real estate

Music, dance, theatre, film, literature,

again and we can’t wait to share our

and exhibitions that tell the evolving

experience with you. Empowering.

Irish story. Plus classes in Irish

Exhilarating. Addictive.”

language, history, music, and dance.

developments. Call me today. Let’s

www.titleboxinf.com/nycmidtown-west (212) 564-1700

www.irishartscenter.org (212) 757-3318

lena.simpson@compass.com

The Circle Line Pier 83, 12th Ave - W43rd St

61 W62nd St Certified psychic, medium, and

3

New York Water Taxi

“The oldest sport in the world is new

The New York Medium

70

Rolates Pilates

NY’s oldest and largest provider of scheduled and chartered sightseeing and special event cruises. Operating since 1945.

www.circleline42.com (212) 563-3200 1

map reference

DIGITAL EDITION

4

map reference

expert. Specializing in sales, rentals, investment properties, and new start the conversation!

(917) 664-6617

Get your W42ST here: Balloon Bouquets of New York

Coco and Toto

Hair & The City

11th Ave - 51st/52nd St

W47th St - 8th/9th Ave

Castillo Theatre

Epstein’s Paint Center

Kilo 9th Ave - 55th/56th St

W42nd St - 10th/11th Ave

W52nd St - 10th/11th Ave

W43rd St - 9th/10th Ave

W43rd St - 9th/10th Ave

Pan Aqua Diving

plus at any of our advertisers

DIGITAL EDITION

DIGITAL EDITION

LAST WORD

“Health food may be good for the conscience but Oreos taste a hell of a lot better.”

Robert Redford

A

h, who doesn’t love the notso-humble Oreo? It’s been the US’s best-selling cookie since it first appeared back in 1912, when the first one was sold to a Hoboken grocer.

Developed and produced by the National Biscuit Company (now known as Nabisco), the Oreo was born in

74

Manhattan, in Chelsea, to be precise, on the spot now occupied by Chelsea Market on 9th Ave - 15th/16th St. The block has now been renamed Oreo Way. The cookie, much like the neighborhood it was brought up in, has evolved over time. The ingredients have changed to reflect public concern over transfats, while special varieties have come and

DIGITAL EDITION

gone, including the birthday cake Oreo (launched in 2012 to celebrate the cookie’s centenary); the cookie dough, red velvet, root beer float, and s’mores flavors.

In 2013, researchers at Connecticut College investigating the effect of the cookies on rats revealed they could be as addictive as cocaine.

You have been warned.