W42ST Issue 59 - The Big, Fat Food Issue

ISSUE 59 NOV 2019

IMAGINATION TAKES FLIGHT AT THE INTREPID MUSEUM

Photos: Erika Kapin; Collection of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

Discover history and science through our exhibits and innovative programs.

Visit IntrepidMuseum.org for a full schedule of events.

ON DECK IN NOVEMBER MILITARY FAMILY PROGRAM November 3, 12:30–3:00pm Created for current and former military service members and their families (ages 3–18), these programs include a hands-on tour of the Museum, experiments, and design challenges intended to engage the whole family. Join us before the program for refreshments and casual conversation. Free. Register in advance at IntrepidMuseum.org/Vets.

VETERANS DAY WEEKEND November 8–11 Celebrate with us and honor our servicemen and women at the Museum’s Veteran’s Day and Seats of Honor Ceremonies. Join us as we recognize their service, commemorate their sacrifice and honor them for defending our treasured way of life.

INNOVATORS November 8, 7:30pm (doors open at 7:00pm) Hear from NASA’s Steven González, who will discuss NASA innovations we take for granted every day and how NASA continues to share technology with the world. Beer and wine available for purchase with valid ID. Ages 21+. Free.

Register in advance.

INTREPID ADVENTURES November 9 & 10; 23 & 24 Intrepid Adventures are enrichment programs designed to provide children ages 5–12, their siblings and parents/ caregivers an opportunity to have fun and learn together. Free with Museum admission. Register in advance.

UPRIGHT CITIZENS BRIGADE: THE GEORGE LUCAS TALK SHOW November 13, 8:00pm (doors open at 7:00pm) Located in the Space Shuttle Pavilion, Star Wars creator George Lucas, performed by comedian Connor Ratliff, interviews special guest NASA’s Steve Howell, Kepler exoplanet researcher and astrophysicist. Ages 21+. Beer and wine available for purchase.

Purchase tickets online. $15 general/ $10 Museum members.

STORIES WITHIN November 14, 2:00pm Stories Within is a program offered for individuals with dementia and their care partners. Educators lead small groups on a multi-sensory experience, including historic photographs, handling objects, singing songs and sharing stories.

Free. Register in advance at access@ intrepidmuseum.org or 646-381-5158.

VETERANS JOB & RESOURCE FAIR November 15, Noon–6:30pm Join us for Intrepid’s first Veterans Job & Resource Fair. The Veteran community will be provided with the professional assistance and developmental resources necessary to find employment, or embark on a new career path. Open to Veterans and their spouses. The Veterans Job and Resource Fair is presented by Bank of America. Learn more and register at IntrepidMuseum.org/VetJobFair.

PIER 86, WEST 46TH ST & 12TH AVE intrepidmuseum.org

NOW OPEN!

NAVY CAKES: A SLICE OF HISTORY Dig in to Navy Cakes: A Slice of History, a new exhibition that celebrates these epic sweets and the hard work of the sailors who created them.

Explore recipes, photos, artifacts and historic footage that tell the stories of the elaborate confections baked onboard Intrepid and the submarine Growler.

Free with Museum admission.

LEARN MORE: IntrepidMuseum.org/ Cakes

U.S. military and veterans admission generously provided by:

2019 © Intrepid Museum Foundation. All Rights Reserved. Except as permitted under applicable law, this work may not be copied, published, disseminated, displayed, performed or played without permission of the copyright holder.

Friends. Family. A job I love. Sunny fall days. A cute apartment. Flirting with a sexy stranger.

Clean sheets. Dirty sheets. A miraculous, powerful body that moves and climbs and takes me where I want to go. Arms to hold the ones I love. A beating, passionate heart.

A cup of tea in bed with the Sunday papers. Laughter. Travel.

Seamless on a rainy day. A small, not exhaustive list of the multitude of things I’m thankful for. A list that wouldn’t be complete without genuine, heartfelt gratitude to you, for letting W42ST be part of your life. Happy Thanksgiving, my friends.

Ruth Walker Editor EDITOR RUTH WALKER

FOUNDING EDITOR SIMON KIRRANE

SENIOR ART EDITOR LEE CAPLE

phil@w42st.com (646) 267-9028

ruth@w42st.com (646) 847-9645

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR SANDRA MANGAN sandra@w42st.com

PARTNERSHIP DIRECTOR DREW DARGIS

lee@w42st.com

AMBASSADOR HERSHEY MILLER

drew@w42st.com (646) 896-9562

CONTRIBUTORS

DANE LACHIUSA KRISTEN JONGEN CLAUDIA CHUNG SOPHIA STRAWSER

CHRISTIAN MILES MICHAEL MUÑOZ ELIZABETH DURAND STREISAND CHELSEY HILL WES HART

November Edition

JOHN BOLTON CLAYTON HOWE ILONA LIEBERMAN ABBY FELDMAN NATE BOZEMAN CID ROBERTS

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used without written permission of the publisher ©2019. 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.

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PEOPLE

THE TEAM THAT BROUGHT YOU W42ST

PUBLISHER PHIL O’BRIEN

CONTENTS

10 WEST SIDE STORY

28 BAR BROS ARE BACK!

13 EVENTS

30 HOT! AND RUDE!

15 SOBER IN THE CITY

34 PIE TOUR

How Arnold Wilkerson makes a crust from pies ... with a little early help from Liza Minnelli.

Our pick of the big events you MUST see this month.

No drama? How dull!

16 BACK YARD CIDER

Broadway’s Wes Hart and John Bolton turn their attention to the colorful and mysterious history of the Singapore Sling.

Meet the most NY of hot sauces – from the multi-hyphenate couple that created it.

One actor’s country-wide pie diaries start with a purveyor a little closer to home.

First they bought their little dream place upstate. Next, they heard the siren call of the apple trees ...

37 CHIPS AND CHORIZO

24 LUNCH FOR $6?

47 FOLKSWAITING

Testing MealPal ... and other apps that could change the way you eat.

Confessions of an addict.

Street photography, with a little Oliver! twist.

GRATITUDE TO OUR BRILLIANT, VISIONARY PARTNERS

Their commitment keeps W42ST free for everyone else to enjoy. Please support them with your love and your business 34th St Partnership

Ensemble Studio Theatre

Gotham Mini Storage

Hell’s Creative

November 19

PRINT

The Dyksterhouse Team

555TEN

Fine & Dandy

Grace Wines

Intrepid Museum

NY Botanical Garden

Riverbank

The Press Lounge

Ardesia

Fountain House Gallery

Grand Central Partnership

Jadite Picture Framing

OrganizeNY

Scruffy Duffy’s

The Marshal

Baire Hair Removal

Frank M Burke

Hafetz & Associates

Mark Fisher Fitness

Ousia

TF Cornerstone

Title Boxing

Barcade

Fresh From Hell

Heart of Chelsea Animal

MCC Theater

Pekoe Group

The Ainsworth

Wells Fargo

Compass

Gavios Realty Group

Hospital

New Victory Theater

Perdition

The Artist Co-op

WNET

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58 GALLERY

Hashtag your Instagram photographs #W42ST to get involved.

66 LAST WORD

America – defender of the noble pie!

OUT

38 TURKEY AND PJs

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Coffee, imagination and pot luck – how Broadway stars celebrate Thanksgiving.

EAT

41 DAYLIST

A day in the life of a couple of neighborhood dog lovers.

42 THE KITCHEN GAILY

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The secrets to throwing the perfect, drama-free Friendsgiving.

45 PLAYLIST

An actor chooses his go-to places to eat, drink, and play when he gets off stage.

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LIVING

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48 PRIME PRODUCE

Inside the new neighborhood co-working/events space with a roof garden?

COVER

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Susan Saas is a milliner and freelance illustrator/

56 HOME COMFORTS

Lovely things to be thankful for.

received her BFA

STYLE

the Rhode Island School of Design and her millinery

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A dance teacher finds his new home.

craftsperson. She in Illustration from

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55 HEY NEIGHBOR!

certificate from the Fashion Institute of Technology. Her illustration work has appeared in publications from

The New Yorker to The Irish Times. susansaas.com

61 SPEED LIFTING

A workout you can fit into that crazybusy schedule.

63 NO MORE DIETS

When stopping all the restrictions has the most surprising effect of all.

PETS

64 WAGGING TALES

Two pages of Hell’s Kitchen’s most handsome pets. Get involved by emailing waggingtales@w42st.com.

it all checks out.

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WEST SIDE STORIES

DIGITAL EDITION

WEST SIDE STORIES

Theater in

THE ROUND He went from Broadway to baking, but Arnold Wilkerson never lost that sense of performance Photograph Christian Miles My West Side Story – via London and Europe

After I finished high school, I thought I should see the world. So I studied in London. I’ve always admired eccentric people, and the English give you eccentricity like nobody else (they also tend to want to give it you with a lot of drinking!). I lived there for five or six years. And when I traveled in Europe – the way food tasted! Steak au poivre!

Cheateaubriand! And the presentation!

That was a new experience.

My first play in New York …

It turned out to be a really big hit – it was Hair. And when you’re in a hit play, you have your foot in the door. But you can have your foot in the door of something and not really have your heart in it.

I decided that, one day, I would just give all of it up

... and focus on what I really wanted to do, which was bake. I had $250 in my pocket.

I quit my job. It was Independence Day. I went up to my apartment and started peeling apples.

Why pies?

I grew up in California, on a farm in the St Joaquin Valley. I remember going out and picking berries with my grandmother, and coming home and canning them that same day. We’d go out into the orchard and get peaches and plums and pears or whatever fruit was available, and then mother would

make pies over the weekend. It was just natural. Also, living in a city that called itself the Big Apple, it made sense that, if I wanted to do something, I should start with apple pie.

My first customer

It was at the restaurant that is now Esca, on W43rd St - 9th Ave. I took my pie there and said: “If you like this pie, just call me back – the next one you have to buy.”

That night Liza Minnelli, Chita Rivera, and Bobby Short were all there having pie. Of course, they called back the next day.

Buy, buy this pie!

I was working at a restaurant at the same time to support myself, and at night, if I had favorite customers, I’d wait at the door and give them a pie to take home. One of these ladies happened to be a friend of a writer from New York magazine. That writer wrote: “Buy, buy this American Pie” and put my phone number up there. The next thing I knew, the phone was ringing off the hook, and I had to quit my job.

It was around Thanksgiving, and I’d bought a bunch of timers, and asked the people on my floor of my apartment building if I could use their kitchens. I was able to time going from apartment to apartment, and bring out the pies. And the kids – they would be the delivery people, taking these pies around to different parts of the city. I turned the 43rd floor of Manhattan Plaza into a bakery. I ran through about four or five ovens – the

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building couldn’t understand why we were going through an oven every year.

My life as a B movie

I was working 18 or 20 hours a day. When I wasn’t delivering, I was baking. When I wasn’t baking, I’d sit there and cut apples.

And then, right out of a B movie, a banker was in the restaurant having my pie, and she said: “I want to meet this Arnold.” She made it possible for me to get my first loan to start my business. And, you know what?

Within a year, I paid that loan back.

What I learned in school …

I learned that no one is a star. It’s an ensemble. When we started in ‘85, my bakers were all dishwashers. I’ve seen them send their kids through college, through university, to have children, to buy homes.

I also learned about theater in the round – it’s about giving the audience more.

This is a company with all these people performing. There are no walls. We have five windows, and people stand and watch – it’s like an education in some ways. And I’ve always enjoyed that aspect of theater, where you are not just performing, but you are educating at the same time.

BIO

Arnold Wilkerson studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

He made his Off-Broadway debut in the original production of Hair, and starred alongside Dustin Hoffman and Rue McClanahan in Jimmy Shine on Broadway.

After working as a waiter in five-star restaurants in the city, he opened the Little Pie Company on W43rd St 9th/10th Ave in 1985, and now counts Sarah Jessica Parker and Whoopi Goldberg among his loyal clients. littlepie company.com

When I’m not making pies …

I’m still a meat and potatoes guy. I don’t go out that much, but I had one of those rare opportunities to see Porgy and Bess at the Met. I saw the first production by Texas Opera Company – it was unforgettable.

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What’s On

NEWS November 2019

Fires in the Mirror

for this revival of the Tim Rice/ Andrew Lloyd Webber rock opera, marking the 100th anniversary of Eva Perón’s birth. The short run ends November 24. nycitycenter.org

Michael Benjamin Washington stars in this revival of the Anna Deavere Smith play that charts the events following the deaths of a black American boy and a young Orthodox Jewish scholar in the summer of 1991. signaturetheatre.org

Ms Trial

Desire and consent are the central issues in this play in which two lawyers, who have always had sexual tension, spend a drunken night celebrating their big win – then the morning after, one of them accuses the other of sexual assault. mstrialnyc.com

Broadbend, Arkansas

An African American family grapples with decades of inequality, violence, and suppression in the South in this story that begins in the midst of the 1960s civil rights movement. transportgroup.org

Requiem

The Shed presents two interpretations of Verdi’s Requiem – on film, and in music, with a 105-member orchestra and 80-strong chorus. November 19-24. theshed.org

Jagged Little Pill

The hotly anticipated musical based around the songs on the seminal Alanis Morissette album comes to the Broadhurst, with previews beginning November 3. jaggedlittlepill.com

The Illusionists

New York Comedy Festival

Stephen Colbert, Nicole Byer, Randy Rainbow, Jenny Slate, Trevor Noah, and more get to work on your laughing gear at venues across the city, including the Town Hall, Beacon Theatre, and Caroline’s, from November 4-10. nycomedyfestival.com

ILLUSTRATION: DANE LACHIUSA

Emmylou Harris and Jackson Browne ...

And friends take to the Town Hall stage on November 6 in a benefit for migrant and refugee families seeking safety at the US border. thetownhall.org

A Christmas Carol

House of Cards’ Campbell Scott plays Ebenezer Scrooge in this new adaptation of the classic Dickens

Thanksgiving

November 28 is turkey day. Gather your family (or chosen family) around you and spend some time in gratitude. What are you thankful for this year?

tale. Previews begin November 7 at the Lyceum. achristmascarolbroadway.com

Slava Polunin. Previews begin November 11. slavaonbroadway.com

Kristin Chenoweth

George Lucas Talk Show

The Broadway sweetheart launches her new album, For The Girls, with a string of eight performances at the Nederlander, from November 8 through 14. officialkristinchenoweth.com

Slava’s Snowshow

The Stephen Sondheim Theatre hosts the magical, Olivier awardwinning show by Russian clown

DIGITAL EDITION

The Upright Citizens Brigade joins The Intrepid on November 13 as the Star Wars creator (aka comedian Connor Ratliff) finds out how the universe he created is strikingly similar to our own (including the existence of a real Tatooine). intrepidmuseum.org

Evita

Previews begin November 13

The Trickster, The Inventor, The Mentalist, The Showman, and The Manipulator dazzle with their acts of illusion at the Neil Simon Theatre from November 19. theillusionistslive.com

America’s Got Talent

If you sing. If you dance. If you juggle cats or emerge unscathed from a tank of sharks, having wrestled yourself free from chains.

This is your moment. The America’s Got Talent auditions are coming to Javits on November 23. americasgottalentauditions.com

The Abyssinian Mass

Commissioned in 2008 to honor the bicentennial of Harlem’s Abyssinian Baptist Church, Wynton Marsalis’s epic composition comes to Jazz at Lincoln Center for three nights, featuring a 70-person gospel choir.

November 21-23. jazz.org

ALL ARTS. ONE CHANNEL. WATCH FOR FREE POWERED BY PUBLIC MEDIA

ALLARTS.ORG

SOBER IN THE CITY

And … action!

A sprinkling of drama is the flavor that livens up the vanilla pudding of life. Kristen Jongen takes a bite

D

rama queens need not apply,” read the caption on a dating site profile.

I knew instantly that a drama king was at the other end of this request. The guy was bad news. Chaos obviously followed him everywhere. In my experience, men that publicly rebuke drama are frequently at the center of it.

That is not to say that my life is serene.

If involved intimately with me, a man might find himself inside of a tornado or two, just saying. I am a sober addict.

Drama is a part of my charm.

Obviously, I took his note personally.

I didn’t realize how dry I felt until last week when I entered a 12-step meeting, irritable, and in a melancholy mood. I had planned on leaving early until I noticed a bonafide drunk person in attendance.

My interest was piqued. Dude fell out of his chair and repeatedly interrupted people as they shared.

An older man sitting in the corner grumbled (interrupting is against protocol). It was exciting. Meetings lately had been dull. Too many

healthy people had been rattling on about their success and gratitude.

Blah, blah, blah. I needed something sick and gritty to sink my teeth in to.

An active addict was just the thing to remind me why I was there.

While stumbling drunks don’t usually hold my attention (I try to blot out those unsavory memories of myself), old guys who snap and yell for them to shut up, do; as do self-described crackheads who scream at said older men for being rude.

Add the fancy executives and homeless squatters alike yelling in various tonal qualities, and I was transfixed.

I wish I’d had popcorn. Some days I’m all zen, and some days I live for this shit.

I fucking love alcoholics.

On another note, I live in an artist’s co-op. My landlord may have anger management issues. On any given day, 36 emotionally sensitive artists take turns getting locked out, reporting ants, calling about water leaks, and complaining of mice. This past Sunday, my landlord threatened to contact the cops and block my neighbor’s phone

IMAGE: JULIO NUNYO

“I admire beretwearing ladies with walkers who yell at passing cabbies. I like the fact that all of my friends can kick an ass if necessary.”

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About

KRISTEN

An internationally recognized author, artist, and motivational speaker, Kristen has written and published two books. She is the voice behind Soul Soup Inc, inspirational books, prints, and greeting cards.

Follow Kristen on Instagram @KristenJongen, If you’re having difficulty with drugs and alcohol, find support meetings at nyintergroup.org

number when he called about his broken air conditioning. The next day she was all smiles and giddy as if nothing had happened.

What would we do without drama in our lives? How would we right ourselves on a planet of vanilla pudding?

Maybe, I AM a drama queen.

While I don’t endorse cruelty or abuse, I can appreciate a crotchety old fart. I admire beret-wearing ladies with walkers who yell at passing cabbies. I like the fact that all of my friends can kick an ass if necessary (I suspect they like that about me too). I won’t slash your tires or put a Snickers bar in your gas tank (I’m not tacky!), but I will clear my schedule for a good, date-gone-bad tell-all. I’ll nosily stay and observe a taped-off crime scene. I’ll move to, say, New York City without a solid plan.

The day I stopped pretending I was manageable was the day I became liberated. As the holidays approach, your family might be as colorful as mine. Perhaps the only way to handle the chaos is with detached endearment and a salty sense of humor?

Fuck that guy and his entitled sense of serenity! Now go help your Mom with the dishes.

Dramatically yours,

Kristen 13

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HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES?

A house bought in an internet auction. An abandoned orchard.

And an obsession that wouldn’t quit Words Ruth Walker

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Dear Hell’s Kitchen: Thank you for 10 great years!

Here’s to the next 10 & beyond!

510 West 52nd Street New York, NY 10019 @ardesiawinebar

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W

“I just started doing it for fun, and learning about it and I fell in love with it. I love the chemistry of it.

The alchemy.

The history.”

St and the rent was $225 a month – “bathtub in the kitchen, just a little toilet in a closet.

“Like most of us, I’ve had several lives,” he says. “I came to New York to be an actor, which I was for about 25 years. Then I transitioned into being a graphic designer and an art director,

Below: Seth escaped upstate, but he says he’ll never leave New York City; the deer fence around the orchard didn’t stop this little beauty getting through; home on the orchard.

first part-time between acting gigs, and then more and more full time.”

Yasemin is associate VP at FIT. In 2000, they started looking around for that weekend bolthole, and stumbled on a property in an internet auction. It was about three hours north of the city, where Vermont, Massachusetts, and New York State meet; a real fixer upper.

Their bid was accepted … and that was when the fun started. Because when they began to explore their new home, they discovered about 30 abandoned apple trees on the property.

“I say to people, ‘Be careful what your eyes land on.’ Because, really, when we bought this place it was terrible.

It was winter time, and I didn’t even know what an apple tree looked like.

I just saw these craggy, broken ... I mean, nobody had touched these trees in decades.

“And I just thought, ‘Yeah, I can do something with those.’”

IMAGE: CHRISTIAN MILES

e’ve all felt the siren call.

It usually happens around summertime, when the heat gets oppressive, you can cut the tension with one of those wooden coffee stirrers from Starbucks, and just taking the subway is enough to make you want to kill someone.

Let’s get out of here, you say to anyone who’ll listen. Get a little place upstate. A bolthole. A weekend escape.

Real estate is so much cheaper out of the city … we could get a real bargain.

And then we go back to complaining, and sweating, and hoping our more prosperous, more fiscally responsible friends invite us to their upstate escape …

Seth Jones and his wife Yasemin were feeling that itch. They’d been living in Hell’s Kitchen since 1979 – their first apartment was on W50th

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FOOD ISSUE So began 17 years of an obsession, leading Seth down rabbit holes of research, and, ultimately, resulting in yet another change of career: that of master cider maker.

“Even 16 years ago, I had no idea.

It wasn’t until I went up to this event called Cider Days in Massachusetts, to meet a guy named Michael Phillips, who is sort of the guru of organic apple orchard growing. I honestly didn’t even know it was about alcoholic cider, I just wanted to hear him speak and meet him and ask him some questions. But when I got there, there were all these cider makers. Then I started looking around and realizing that this was a possibility.”

Even then, however, he only ever imagined he’d make a bunch of cider for their friends to enjoy. “You know, we’d make 20, 25 gallons, have it in the cellar, have parties. I just started doing it for fun, and learning about it and I fell in love with it. I love the chemistry

“The way I’ve come to make cider over many years is, I really leave it alone ... You pick the right fruit and then you let it make itself.” of it. The alchemy. The history.” And as his passion grew, so did the apples.

He’d discover old, abandoned farmstead orchards that had replanted themselves over the centuries. He personally planted around 700 trees. “Then we bought another property,” he laughs, “and I filled that with apple trees. But

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Below: Trudy oversees the hollow.

that’s the end of the expansion,” he promises To harvest them, they simply lay down tarpaulin and gently shake the branches. The apples fall down. Helmets are worn.

The skill then comes in blending the different fruit to create the perfect flavor. “When I first started doing it, I was adding yeast, I was adding cinnamon …” But the more he experimented, the more he realized that the apples were enough. He didn’t need anything else. So each bottle of East Hollow Cider contains nothing more than the apples from the tree, cold fermented for months … really, really slowly. “The way I’ve come to make cider over many years is, I really leave it alone. I don’t put a lot of input into it, I let it make itself. You pick the right fruit and then you let it make itself.”

If you want to talk pairing, it goes perfectly with cheese. And Thai

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food. “Any spicy foods,” says Seth. “It balances beautifully with pork, and fatty meat dishes, because the acidity cuts through that.

“I drink it with everything,” he laughs. “But that’s me. I happen to have a lot around.”

The business has grown sufficiently for him to give up the day job. But he won’t be giving up Hell’s Kitchen anytime soon. “I want to be here too. I love this city.”

They’ve lived in four different apartments on the same block of W50th St. “I’m a New York City addict,” he says. “I’ve traveled a lot and been in a

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“I’m a New York City addict. I’ve traveled a lot and been in a lot of other cities ... but I never saw another city I’d rather live in.”

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Above: Seth has diversified into beekeeping ... check out that honey cider!

lot of other cities, and I like other cities, but I never saw another city I’d rather live in.

“Even before I lived here, I’d come visit my brother and I say, ‘I’m home.

This is where I’m coming as soon as I can.’ And I did. It’s grueling. And as you get a little older, it gets a little loud. It’s a little jangly, I have to admit. But I still love it. I love New York City. I’ll never not be connected here somehow.”

East Hollow Cider is sold at 9th Ave Vintner, Clinton Gourmet Grocery, Casellula, As Is, and Beer Culture, as well as other retailers throughout the city (easthollowcider.com)

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IMAGE: CHRISTIAN MILES

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My

MEALPAL DIARY Breaking out of the lunch rut, Ruth Walker tests a way to get fed for just $6 a day

W

hat’ll we have for lunch today? The daily question was getting tiresome – and usually ended up with a variation on a predictable theme (some version of poke, or salad, or soup). And, damn, it was getting expensive. You don’t get a chunk of change from $15 for lunch in this town.

A new routine was called for. A friend recommended MealPal. In short, it offers a curated menu from over 1,000 restaurants in the city. I choose my lunch from the app, pick it up within a specified time period, and tuck in. The price for this convenience? $6 per lunch. That’s $6, friends. What did I have to lose? Here’s how the first 11 days looked …

never even noticed it. It’s a hole in the wall that really doesn’t look like much from the outside, but it’s clearly a popular joint. Despite the lunch rush, they make the falafel fresh, and it is without a shadow of a doubt the best I’ve ever tasted. I’m in love. It comes with creamy hummus and decent, fresh naan bread. If I could point any criticism its way, it would be that it’s on the light side. Great if you’re not ready to chew your own arm off.

Score: ★★★★★

Ahi tuna poke bowl

Tuna, sweet onion, mango, cucumber, jalapeno,

DAY 3 Meal: Chicken bento box Restaurant: Poke Bowl, 8th Ave 50th/51st St Food notes: This is the first meal so far that disappoints. The chicken is tough and the rice hardened into a solid block.

My guess is that it’s been made in advance and has sat waiting for me – I’m unlikely to be back.

Score: ★★★★★

edamame, seaweed salad, onion crisps

DAY 1 Meal: Falafel with hummus and bread Restaurant: Istanbul Kebab House, 9th Ave - 48th/49th St Food notes: OK, first off, I’ve probably passed this place a million times and

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DAY 2 Meal: Ahi tuna poke bowl Restaurant: Poke Inn, W49th St 8th/9th Ave Food notes: Hidden under the scaffolding at Worldwide Plaza, this is another place I’d have missed if MealPal hadn’t pointed me in its direction. Again, the bowl is prepared on the spot, with tender pieces of tuna, red onion, edamame, and warm rice. It’s not super fancy, but it’s tasty and satisfying.

Score: ★★★★★

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“Hangover. I need something to feed the pain.

Carbs, preferably. Lots of carbs. God bless Abitino’s meatball sub that would feed the entire office.”

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FOOD ISSUE once I track it down, I arrive to find the food ready and waiting. But, get this, it doesn’t feel old and stale. It’s a supertasty, super-healthy bowl of tender chicken strips and whole Brussels sprouts. A win.

Score: ★★ ★ ★ ★

DAY 4 Meal: Chicken/kale salad with hummus Restaurant: Kashkaval Garden, 9th Ave - 55th/56th St Food notes: This meal comes with a generous chicken kebab, a simple but tasty kale salad (it looks nothing like the pic), and more hummus than one human can surely eat in a single sitting. And I REALLY like hummus. It’s filling, but a little uninteresting.

Score: ★★ ★ ★ ★

DAY 6 Meal: Cauliflower burrito bowl Restaurant: Al Horno, W47th St 9th/10th Ave Food notes: Yum! Filling, flavorful, and healthy steamed cauliflower, pinto mash, cheese, brown rice, and hot sauce.

Al Horno is literally a block from my apartment yet I’ve never tried it until now. I’ll be back.

Score: ★★ ★ ★ ★

to feed the pain. Carbs, preferably. Lots of carbs. God bless Abitino’s, and their giant meatball sub that would feed the entire office. Seriously, this thing is HUGE. I basically inhale it. God is good.

Score: ★★ ★ ★ ★

DAY 8 Meal: Tagliatelle bolognese Restaurant: Aria, W51st St - 8th/9th Ave Food notes: Less tomatoey and more celery-y than I like my bolognese, but otherwise this is a tasty, generous portion of pasta with tons of sauce. And extra bread. Perfect for a cold fall day.

(It’s raining, so I send my work colleague out to pick it up – well, he’s headed in that direction anyway.)

Score: ★★★★★

PRO TIPS

Order in advance. You get a better choice the further ahead you can plan. Do it the night before for optimum options.

Be curious. Try restaurants you’ve never been to before.

You only have $6 to lose!

DAY 5 Meal: Chicken and Brussels quinoa bowl Restaurant: Hey Hey Canteen, Turnstyle, Columbus Circle Food notes: I’m delivering magazines up at Columbus Circle, so am introduced to a whole new selection of previously unknown lunch spots. I take a chance on Hey Hey Canteen and, first of all, I can’t find it, because they don’t tell me it’s in the subway station! But

Take advantage of introductory offers. And spread the love – refer a friend and you could receive as much as $100.

DAY 7 Meal: Meatball parm Restaurant: Abitino’s, 10th Ave 49th/50th St Food notes: Hangover. I need something

DIGITAL EDITION

Don’t get stuck in your own neighborhood. Next time you’re in a different part of town, check out what’s on offer.

Pick up your meal on time. Most places make up each dish to order, but you can avoid that floppy fries situation with better timekeeping!

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DAY 9 Meal: Roasted herb chicken poke bowl Restaurant: Poke Inn, W49th St 8th/9th Ave Food notes: Damn! I spot something that looks pretty tasty earlier in the day. But by the time I go back to order, it’s gone. You have to move fast to get the good stuff! I spread the net even wider, in the hope of finding something that will hit the spot, but end up going back to an old, reliable favorite. Tasty, delicately flavored chicken pieces with edamame, red onion, and kale on a bed of warm rice.

Score: ★★★★★

DAY 10 Meal: Chicken burrito bowl Restaurant: Cozumel, 10th Ave 57th/58th St Food notes: Again, a little spot I’ve passed a bazillion times … I was pleasantly surprised by this giant bowl

“Damn! I spot something that looks pretty tasty earlier in the day. But by the time I go back to order, it’s gone. You have to move fast!” of chicken, beans, rice, lettuce, corn, pico de gallo, plus sour cream and salsa on the side. Delicious. Enough for dinner. Enough said.

Score: ★★★★★

THE FOOD/TECH SANDWICH

You may not have heard of all of them, but these startups are changing the way we eat Dirty Lemon: Backed by Coca-Cola, the Instagram generation’s favorite beverage can only be ordered via text message and is not available at traditional stores (although they do trial new products at an unstaffed store in Tribeca). The emphasis is on health, with lemonade infused with ingredients including charcoal, matcha, and ginseng.

Resy: A restaurant reservation service launched in NY in 2014 by Ben Leventhal, co-founder of Eater.com, Michael Montero, formerly of CrowdTwist, and Gary Vaynerchuk. It specializes in getting its users tables at notable, hard-toget-into restaurants across the world, and was recently acquired by American Express.

Recess: CBD has been having a high old time lately. Say hey to Recess, carbonated water infused with hemp, which promises a can of calm. There’s an IRL pop-up in NoHo too.

DAY 11 Meal: Chicken salad Restaurant: Poulette, 9th Ave 52nd/53rd St Food notes: Tasty, fresh strips of chicken in a salad of lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers, with a balsamic vinaigrette. Super healthy. Tasty. Just.

Not. Enough. I’m buying a Twix at the bodega within an hour.

Score: ★★★★★ mealpal.com

DIGITAL EDITION

Hungry Root: A way to shop for healthy, nutritious foods without having to pore over ingredient labels in the store. A subscription service, depending on the plan you choose you’ll get enough groceries (think sustainably caught caponata tuna, shaved Brussels, zoodles, cashew cheddar) to make up to six meals for two each week, plus snacks.

GOffee: An eco-friendly coffee delivery service based in Hell’s Kitchen. Choose your favorite drink (there’s 25 to choose from) then get it delivered in insulated ceramic mugs, that are then collected and cleaned, ready for the following day’s caffeine fix.

Chicory: You won’t see the name, but Chicory provides the tech to make 4.5M recipes shoppable to about 80M consumers every month, on sites like Delish, Good Housekeeping, Bettycrocker.com, and 1,200 food blogs.

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DON’T MEAN A THING …

… if it ain’t got that sling – the Bar Brothers, John Bolton and Wes Hart, research the perfect “vacation in a glass” Photograph Ben Hartman

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alk into a bar today and order a Singapore Sling and you’ll get anything from a vodka concoction, to a rummy fruit punch, to a half-hearted gin with pineapple juice and grenadine. And you’ll almost always get a puzzled look. While this classic vintage cocktail achieved huge popularity in the postwar era, these days you’ll be lucky if your local pub even has the proper ingredients.

Created sometime around 1910 by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon at the legendary Raffles Hotel in (of course) Singapore, the delicious drink was his riff on the then-popular gin sling, a vintage term for any liquor mixed with sugar and water. Patrons at the hotel’s Long Bar lined up in droves to experience Boon’s unique cocktail, dubbed a “vacation in a glass.”

The original recipe was thought lost in the 1930s, but supposedly some diligent patrons had scribbled it down on cocktail napkins for posterity.

Skilled bartenders worldwide tweak the

FOOD ISSUE Opposite: The Singapore Sling – the way the Bar Brothers make it. Below: Wes and John on tour.

About the BAR BROTHERS

John Bolton and Wes Hart are two performers who met while starring in the original Broadway production of Anastasia (John as Vlad Popov, Wes as the doorman/ensemble and understudy for Gleb) and bonded over their love of the venerable old fashioned cocktail. John is now playing Horace Vandergelder on tour in Hello, Dolly! and Wes is appearing on Broadway in

Aladdin. @itsjohnbolton @weshartnyc

specs to make it their own, but Raffles continues to serve its “official” version today, where sidling up to the Long Bar for a classic Singapore Sling is a must for locals and tourists alike.

THE ORIGINAL RAFFLES HOTEL SINGAPORE SLING 1 oz dry gin 4 oz pineapple juice ¼ oz Bénédictine ½ oz Cherry Heering ¼ oz Cointreau ½ oz lime juice 1/3 oz grenadine 1 dash bitters Shake ingredients and pour over ice in a collins or hurricane glass. Garnish with a cherry.

Two ingredients essential to the Singapore Sling may be new to you, but don’t be daunted. Bénédictine (a French liqueur dating from the 1500s flavored with herbs, spices, and berries) and Cherry Heering (a 200-year-old Danish family recipe cherry brandy) are available at any liquor store worth its salt. Both can be used in other cocktails: Bénédictine features in the Preakness, a fabulous spin on the Manhattan, and Cherry Heering is in two classic, early 20th-century cocktails: a scotch drink called a Blood & Sand and a rye cocktail called Remember the Maine.

Given that the Sling has such a confounding history, we figured that gave us permission to adjust the ingredient proportions to find the alchemy we liked best. We encourage you to do the same. As they say, if you like what’s in the glass, it’s a great cocktail.

Neither of us are wild about the idea of 4 oz of pineapple juice that the official recipe calls for. It’s just too sweet and, when the drink is more than half juice, it covers up the wonderful

DIGITAL EDITION

and complex flavor profiles of the more interesting ingredients. To bring out the taste of the Heering, Bénédictine, and gin, we cut the pineapple juice in half. We also upped some of the other amounts, so the drink is lower in liquid volume, but higher in alcohol volume – just the way we like it. Here’s ours …

THE BAR BROTHERS’ SINGAPORE SLING 1½ oz gin (any London dry gin will do) 2 oz pineapple juice (half of the Raffles recipe) ¾ oz Cherry Heering (we recommend the original and no substitutes) ½ oz Bénédictine (the drier B&B –Benedictine & brandy – can substitute and is easier to procure) ½ oz Cointreau (regular triple sec will do but Cointreau is best) ½ oz fresh lime juice (about half a lime) 1/3 oz grenadine (we say it’s optional – it’s really just to punch up the color) 2 dashes Angostura bitters (we love bitters!)

Toss everything into a cocktail shaker with ice, shake for 10 seconds, and strain into a collins or hurricane glass filled with fresh ice. Go crazy with the garnish if you feel like it. A popular choice is a skewered pineapple slice and Luxardo cherry. Throw in a tiny umbrella if you’re feeling festive.

If you’re not up to playing bartender yourself, the Singapore Sling is the house specialty at the Hotel Pierre (E61st St - 5th Ave) and the expert bartenders at the Rum House (W47th St - 7th/8th Ave) offer delicious versions of their own.

We think you’ll love adding the Singapore Sling to your cocktail wheelhouse. Your grandparents will be proud.

Cheers!

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This side hustle is

SERIOUSLY SAUCY! How one colorful couple gave birth to a punk rock, multi-hyphenate baby Words Ruth Walker Photograph Phil O’Brien

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FOOD ISSUE

e used to scoff at the term ‘side hustle’,” says Marcy Harriell.

“Now we realize we have about half a dozen.”

The actress/singer/sewist/vlogger and her husband Rob, an actor/writer who also works in development at New York City Ballet, are feeding me fries for breakfast in their Hell’s Kitchen apartment. On the side are two dishes of Rude Red Slammin’ Sauce, which, like any self-respecting New Yorker, has a multihyphenate identity. Hot sauce. Barbecue.

Marinater. Punk rock ketchup. Mix it with mayo and you have a spicy aioli. This baby hustles for its rent.

“I started making this sauce, I don’t know, 15, 20 years ago,” says Rob, “just for cookouts, for us. And didn’t ever think anything about it other than I didn’t like anything else on the shelf – everything was too sweet, too hot, had too many chemical ingredients, or a combination of all three.

“My best friend since I was two years old, Chris Dill – he’s a chef – he was in town and I made barbecue. He said, ‘What’s the sauce?’ He ate some more in this morning, and said, ‘Dude, we’ve got to bottle this.’”

The Rude Red train gathered momentum – “we’ve just been garage banding really” – and before they had a chance to catch their breath, they were being sold in a ton of stores in New Hampshire and one in New York City.

“We can’t keep up with the demand.”

The ingredients are simple: apple cider vinegar, a little bit of tomato paste, a little salt, pepper, and spices … the secret is in the cooking, paying attention to get it just right, and nice and thick. “But it has this following,” says Marcy, “and people tell us everything they put it on: eggs, tacos, French fries, tofu, Brussels sprouts …”

Brussels sprouts?!

“Whenever we do a tasting, people come up with the weirdest stuff that they’re putting it on,” agrees Rob. “It is a multi-hyphenate, totally non-binary sauce.

It’s what you want it to be. We’re not going to put any parameters on this baby.”

Marinate your steak in it. Douse your

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FOOD ISSUE pulled chicken with it. “Last night Marcy put it on her pepperoni pizza,” says Rob. “I was against it at first,” she proclaims.

“Chris and Rob were like, ‘We’re going to make a pizza with some Rude Red,’ and I was like, ‘Don’t you dare. I will kill you!’

And now I will not eat a pizza without Rude Red on it. It’s so good.”

“Sometimes we’ll get Indian with samosas and we just dip them,” adds Rob. “Same thing with spring rolls.”

“My friend uses it as salad dressing,” says Marcy.

This playful attitude to food and ingredients began when Rob was just a whippersnapper, growing up in Fayetteville, Arkansas. “My mom was an amazing chef,” he says. “She was a stayat-home mom, and every night she would do something different.

“When we were five, she got these place-mats that had dishes from around the world, and she’d make them. The rule of the table was you had to try everything and give it an honest try. And then, if you didn’t like it, you didn’t have to have it again. So it made us extremely adventurous.

“There was an Iranian family that lived in town, and the matriarch of that family, the grandmother, came over. She barely spoke a word of English but my mom and she just kind of hit it off and that woman taught her how to make authentic Iranian dishes, which is astounding.

“So, flash forward, I was working in Paris with an acting coach and I had a blast with these Parisians. They took me all around and showed me the cuisine, and it opened up a new level of appreciation for food.”

He wooed Marcy with his cooking and, as early as their second date, he was whipping up a pasta dish with elegantly sliced vegetables. “I was helping him cut the vegetables and I went, ‘Why isn’t this knife cutting?’ I was using it upside down!

COOKING UP A STORM RUDE BUFFALO CAULIFLOWER Ingredients ½ cup Rude Red or Really Rude Red 1 head of cauliflower Salt & pepper to taste

“I’m not a cook at all,” she admits, “and had not grown up adventurous, so Rob really opened up the door to me.”

Meanwhile, both of them are busy with their myriad other creative projects. Rob has just finished a screenplay. Marcy was reading a play by Joe Iconis. They’re still working on Marcy’s wildly colorful dressmaking vlog, appearing on the red carpet at NYCB, and generally being the coolest couple in Hell’s Kitchen.

The common denominator? Joy. “Life is tough enough,” says Rob. “Whether it be through cooking or singing or writing or whatever it may be, can we just bring some joy into the world?” rudered.com

“People tell us everything they put it on: eggs, tacos, French fries, tofu, Brussels sprouts …”

DIGITAL EDITION

Above: Marcy, Chris, and Rob .. um, a few years ago. Below: Fries for breakfast.

Directions 1. Pre-heat oven to 375° F. 2. Chop cauliflower into florets, about an inch wide.

3. In a mixing bowl, drench cauliflower with your Rude of choice.

4. Place cauliflower on a lined baking sheet.

5. Bake for 30 minutes (check periodically for browning).

6. For a crispier “fried” texture, finish under broiler for a minute or two (be careful not to burn!).

7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

8. Enjoy with a side of dipping Rude Red or Really Rude Red. Great as a fried “chicken” sandwich.

RUDE PULLED PORK Ingredients Rude Red or Really Rude Red 1 pork shoulder or pork butt (6-10 lbs) 1 tsp each salt & pepper (or to taste) Directions 1. Pre-heat oven to 300° F. 2. Salt and pepper all sides of pork, and place, fatside up, in an oiled roasting pan.

3. Cover with tinfoil or lid and bake for 3-5 hours.

4. Remove from oven, and shred pork with two forks.

5. Slather with your Rude of choice.

6. Enjoy alone, or on your favorite bun.

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PIE CHART

ver the next eight months, I intend to devour, and share with you, the best pies this country has to offer, while connecting with great humans across this great nation I’m Clay, and in our time together, I’ll be traveling to 45 of the 50 continental United States on the national tour of Waitress The Musical as Earl (the affable but mostly dislikable husband of Jenna).

Born and raised on Long Island, I grew up a very curious person and got to share a lot of that curiosity through storytelling and performing. Now I get to portion it out to you through pie. Humans are our best resources, and what better way to bring people together than with pie?

As a result of many inquisitive conversations, a friend of mine suggested I should record them and,

thus, my podcast, Entertainment(x), was born. With over 100 episodes to date, the lessons have been numerous, but here are the top three: 1. Be kind to people for no reason.

2. Where focus goes, energy flows.

3. Happiness is a choice.

This month, I’m starting out right here in Hell’s Kitchen at the Little Pie Company, on W43rd St 9th/10th Ave. Although the shop is small, the aromas are huge, so you really can’t miss this place when you walk by.

“We are living to make a contribution,” says creator Arnold Wilkerson (read a full interview with him on page 10). And what a contribution they are! The warming, rustic slice of Americana is apparent when you enter the shop. Wilkerson’s place feels like you’ve entered a pie shop on the outskirts of New York City. I sat at the bar for about 10 minutes, and no one approached me (I LOVED that). No one was pushing me to order – they let the flavors speak for themselves.

I ordered the five-inch pumpkin pie because – well – fall. And also indulged in a sour cream apple walnut pie at their recommendation.

When the very kind waitress

“Although the shop is small, the aromas are huge.”

DIGITAL EDITION

About

CLAYTON

Clayton Howe is an actor and the host of Entertainment(x): a podcast that gets to the soul and drive of top performers in entertainment.

Look out for his vlog, which will accompany his pie tour of the country. waitresstour.com @inclaynation

said it’ll be $20 for two of the five-inch pies, I puckered. For me, 20 bucks is a serious commitment for dessert.

First up, the pumpkin pie, served warm with a dollop of whipped cream. It looked perfect and had a great consistency. The flavors were incredible – not overwhelmingly pumpkin or sweet. Just a great pie.

Next up, the sour cream apple walnut. If possible, this was even better. Now, I’m not a huge fan of sour cream, but could see why it is a best-seller. This pie didn’t have too much sour cream or apple in it – the balance was perfect. The crust was light, flaky, and not over-baked.

Most importantly, there were no soggy bottoms on either. Both pies were excellent; however, the pumpkin is seasonal so just available for the holidays.

Tune in next month, when I’ll be sampling the pie offerings from my Waitress visits to Boise Idaho, Vancouver, Calgary, Demonton, and Palm Desert.

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MAIN IMAGE: CHRISTIAN MILES WITH THANKS TO THE LITTLE PIE COMPANY

O

Clayton Howe begins his tour of the nation’s pie purveyors with a visit to one much closer to home

EAT

Chorizo Chips and

The two greatest loves of her life are bad for her – Abby Feldman practices restraint

S

“You really just need a vehicle for the oil and salt. At least deep-fried underwear has some fiber. And is a good source of iron …”

ome days, my single greatest triumph – the thing I consider my finest acomplishment – is not eating chips. As a vegan, gluten-free, caffeine-free, drug and alcohol-free person who practices yoga and meditates daily, I don’t have as many vices as, well, probably you, stranger reading my words while you use the pages of this article to wrap your coke bricks. But the vices I do have? Boy, do I have them. And by them, I mean chips. And Latin men. Both are flavorful and satisfying in the moment, but never give me the nourishment I truly crave. Nonetheless, I can’t resist either, even though I know they’re going to aggravate my hemorrhoid.

So if I can go a day without Lays or lays, it’s a feat. Meditation helps, mainly because for at least five minutes a day I’m not eating chips.

Potato chips are my favorite “food.” I don’t think they’re actually food because when they fall on the floor, dogs don’t even try to eat them, and dogs eat the

crotches of underwear. Honestly, I think if you deep-fried underwear crotches, it would be healthier than potato chips.

You really just need a vehicle for the oil and salt. At least deep-fried underwear has some fiber. And is a good source of iron, depending on where you are in your cycle.

The thing with vices is that they give us tiny, intense morsels of pleasure to ease the discomfort of human existence.

Do I want to eat chips right now? Of course I do. Do I hope Miguel “u up?”s me tonight? Duh. But I know that I feel best when I turn inward and let my mind take refuge in my heart and breathe and remember that all the sensations I experience externally truly take place within me – all the pleasure and joy and satisfaction in the world are mine whenever I want.

I simply think of the good feelings I get from eating chips and chorizo* while detaching from the objects of my desire and simply basking in the deliciousness within. You can do this too whenever you desire. How divine! Now excuse me, I’ve got to go lick potato chip crumbs off Jorge’s fingers.. Adios. *this is an innuendo, I’m still a vegan

About ABBY

Abby Feldman’s new solo show of stand up and original songs Life Is Amazing is on November 6 and 12 at 7.30pm at The Slipper Room (slipperroom.com)

DIGITAL EDITION

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GO STRAIGHT TO HELL Reach the hottest New Yorkers at home in Hell’s Kitchen

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OUT

IT’S

SHOWTIME! Time off for the holidays? Not Broadway. Elizabeth Durand Streisand finds out how the stars still manage to cook up a party

W

hile the rest of us gear up for time off, Broadway gets ready for the busiest time of year. With eight shows a week and little to no break,

38

Illustration Chelsey Hill performers have to get creative when it comes to celebrating the holidays.

We caught up with seven of our favorite stars to find out how they’ll spend Thanksgiving this year, and why you better wash your pajamas ahead of time.

DIGITAL EDITION

Kevin James

The Illusionists “I love to play and experiment in the kitchen,” says Kevin. “I almost always get a turkey about a month early and make a big Thanksgiving dinner – for me it is so much fun. I always wanted

OUT to go to formal culinary school, not to do as a profession but to just make amazing things for friends and family.

It’s hard to cook when I’m on the road, so cooking in my own kitchen is truly one of the things I miss most when I’m on tour. I love big family dinners.”

L’eau Est La Vie Camp is fighting to protect the precious Mississippi Delta from devastation by the oil and gas industry. You can find them, and other indigenous environmentalist groups like them, on social media, and they really need your support.”

Ryan Knowles

Rick Younger

The Lightning Thief “My best friend has a tradition of having an expat Thanksgiving feast for all us not out of town,” Ryan, who plays Chiron in The Lightning Thief, says. “It’s a fun potluck with lots of friends and indigestion!”

Chris Giarmo

Mean Girls Baltimore or bust! Rick Younger, who plays Mr Duvall in Mean Girls, leaves the kids at home (well, kind of). “Fortunately, I’m originally from Baltimore, MD, so I’m only a few hours away from my family. I’m able to drive down, spend some time with them, leave my kids there for the weekend, and go back to do the show.”

“It will most likely be me, my boyfriend, and our cat for the morning.

Sleeping in.

Drinking coffee.”

David Byrne’s American Utopia “I definitely don’t celebrate Thanksgiving the way I used to,” says Chris.

“Yes, I plan on spending the day with my family (I might even bake a pie if I have time), focusing on being together, and grateful for all we have, but part of that is accepting how fortunate I am because I’m a white cis man. Indigenous people in our country are the survivors of systemic racism, institutional discrimination, and genocide. To celebrate Thanksgiving without acknowledging our sordid past as a nation, as well as the incredible work indigenous people do at the frontlines of environmental activism, would be remiss.” He adds: “In my current home-state of Louisiana, a group of water protectors called

James Davis

Oklahoma!

Some of the best celebrations don’t require leaving the house. Just ask James Davis. “It will most likely be me, my boyfriend, and our cat for the morning. Sleeping in. Drinking coffee,” the Oklahoma! star says. The couple will get out eventually, though. “We’ll make a Thanksgiving side dish then bring it to a friend’s place, who is having a small gathering in a cozy apartment kitchen.

I’ve made a good sausage stuffing the last few years.”

Humphrey in The Great Society, is quite the party host. “Georgiana and I have dinner at home, with whatever configuration of our seven grown children are able to be there,” he says.

“We entertain anywhere from eight to 24 guests – many of whom return over the years. We make my maternal grandfather’s turkey recipe, and his special stuffing, and strong giblet gravy, home-made cranberry sauce, rotating sweet potato recipes, and a seasonal salad. Dessert is brought by friends. The wine is American, as is the music on the stereo. We’re grateful for the blessings and the people in our lives.”

Sharon Wheatley

Come From Away “I will cook a late afternoon feast for my kids and my wife and probably a few other friends or family members (whomever shows up, we have a big table!),” Sharon says. “The Thanksgiving theme in my house is comfort. We throw a Pajama Thanksgiving, and the only rule is you need to be clean and the pajamas need to be clean. That way we can move straight from the eating phase to the board game phase, which is how we roll over here. I’m lucky to not have a show on Thanksgiving this year so we will probably only leave the house to run over to the parade. We light a lot of candles and play all night. It’s very fun and not at all stuffy.”

Richard Thomas

The Great Society Richard Thomas, who plays Hubert

About ELIZABETH

Elizabeth Durand Streisand is the CEO of Broadway Roulette, the fun and easy way to see Broadway shows. Pick a date and number of tickets, give some info about what you like (and don’t!), and spin the wheel for a surprise show matching your criteria – all for just $49/ ticket weekdays and $59/ ticket weekends. And now you can add a brunch or dinner reservation to your spin! broadwayroulette.com

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PEOPLE

A dog lover’s

daylist 7.30am

Hudson River Park In a typical day in our lives, Mike gets up and takes our dog Charlie for a long walk down W42nd St and out to the West Side Highway. Charlie is sometimes tired and resists his morning walk, but on the way home he gets very excited as he knows he’ll be rewarded with a treat from one of the doormen in our building.

12.30pm

555 TEN dog park, 10th Ave - 40th St Every day during the week, Charlie gets picked up for an hour-long play session in the middle of the day. The people from Throw Me A Bone come to our apartment to take him to the dog run on the 12th floor of our building. It’s a great way to get him additional time outside as well as socialization and exercise time with other dogs.

2pm

Finn’s Bagels, 10th Ave - 36th/37th St On the weekends, we take Charlie for a longer walk and, afterwards, head to Finn’s to get bagels with salmon lox – also one of Charlie’s favorite foods.

4.30pm

Pure Paws Veterinary Care W42nd St - 10th/11th Ave It’s been great to have a vet so close to where we live. With Charlie still being a puppy, unexpected issues can arise and it is nice to be able to stop by for a quick visit when needed.

8pm

IMAGE: PHIL O’BRIEN

Gotham West Market 11th Ave - 44th/45th St This is one of our favorite places in the neighborhood – we love going there to eat at Seamore’s or Dell’anima, which have seating outside when the weather is nice. It also means we can bring Charlie with us.

Christine and Mike Stehle, and their dog Charlie have lived in Hell’s Kitchen for a little over a year and have lived in NYC for over four years. Mike works in real estate and Christine works in investment management.

DIGITAL EDITION

EAT

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EAT

FIVE WAYS TO CARVE OUT THE PERFECT

FRIENDSGIVING

With multiple Big Gay Thanksgivings under his (loosened) belt, Michael Muñoz knows how to host a drama-free turkey day

I

’ve always had mixed feelings about Friendsgiving. First off, whose grand idea was it to invite a bunch of people, with little to no cooking skill, over to your house with food that was prepared in God knows what kitchen or with what ingredients?

On the flip side, there’s nothing like the warm sensation you get when a group of friends comes together to celebrate each other, the year’s accomplishments, and the holiday itself. Plus, there’s the added incentive of a family-drama-and-politicsfree holiday.

I used to be the queen of Friendsgiving.

I come from a small family with its fair share of drama and, many years ago, found myself longing for that picturesque Food & Wine magazinestyle Thanksgiving. From this longing, Big Gay Thanksgiving (BGT) was born.

BGT was the Friendsgiving to end all Friendsgivings! A four-day shopping, prepping, cooking, sweating, planning, self-inflicted mishegas that produced some of the greatest memories ever.

It was pretty simple in design, but sometimes a nightmare to execute. I cooked the entire three-course meal.

Guests brought the booze.

Over the years that BGT happened, I carried turkeys, cooked and raw, in cabs, moved my entire kitchen from Midtown to Queens, and even made it work out of my 120 sq foot apartment that has two burners and a convection oven for 18 people. (We ate on the roof

Photograph Kristin Camping that year.) Unfortunately, BGT grew too big, too laborious, too stressful, and ultimately too expensive, and I had to give it up. Fortunately for you, I have all the experience under my apron to give you the best tips and tricks to throw your own fabulous Friendsgiving.

1

HAVE A PLAN If you’re having a potluck, create the menu of your dreams and send it out to let people pick what they want to make or delegate which of your friends should bring each dish. This way, you can separate the great cooks from the ones who are putting in their best effort and there’s no chance you’ll end up with six apple pies. Plus, make sure you have the booze, and lots of it, covered

2

THE TURKEY If you’re hosting, you’ll obviously be making the turkey. Because, take it from me, it’s no fun riding crosstown in a yellow cab, going 40 mph with a scalding hot turkey in your lap. Make sure you start to defrost a couple of days before and, please, season the heck out it! I don’t care if you wet brine, dry brine, don’t brine at all, but the poor thing gave up its life for you, so you might as well do it a solid and season it well. Heck, throw some bacon on top of it while you’re at it too. I’ve always been a low and slow kinda guy, no matter what anyone says.

That way, by the time the guests arrive you can pull it out to rest as your guests’ dishes go in to heat up. This is important

DIGITAL EDITION

Opposite: Michael

offers some final tips: “Invite friends from different walks of life and arrange the seating so the extroverts are near the introverts. It makes for great conversation. Also, I always used to invite “a stranger” – someone I’d just met. Having someone no one knows heightens the vibe and extends the gratitude of this holiday.”

About

MICHAEL

A home-trained cook and university trained performer, Michael makes food fun and accessible through his blog,

The Kitchen Gaily.

And things get downright saucy in his podcast In

Yo Mouth.

as you want to be done with the cooking so your guests can utilize the oven/ stovetop space on arrival.

3

TASTE EVERYTHING Have essentials in your pantry/fridge.

Butter, cream, sugar, cheese, and an array of seasonings etc. As the food comes in, give your guests a drink and help them reheat or finish their dish. They’ll most likely ask you what you think and, that way, you’ll be prepared if the dish needs a little help or if they forgot something!

4

ALTERNATIVES In this day and age, when everyone is on a diet or allergic to something, you must think of alternatives. So if there’s cheese on something and it can be put on the side, why not? If there’s alcohol in another dish, make a version without for your sober friend. Dishes that are simple in nature but well made and seasoned also cover those pesky picky eaters.

5

HAVE FUN Just because it’s Thanksgiving doesn’t mean it has to be traditional.

One year I made traditional TG foods but in a Chinese take-out style, including a General Tso turkey and winter vegetable lo mein. Another year I did my Big Gay 60s housewife TG where all the foods were casseroles, aspics, and definitely from a can! Who doesn’t love a theme or a bit of variety to spice up a boring ol’ holiday? You can do traditional with the fam!

43

eat right, feel great

OR ORDER ON

PEOPLE

A cooking actor’s

Playlist Burrito Box

9th Ave - 57th/58th St The best burrito I’ve had in NYC – period – as confirmed by several of my Latin friends.

Ardesia

W52nd St - 10th/11th Ave This is the perfect date spot. Nice eats, wonderful drinks, and outstanding service.

Head over and hide out with friends, special and otherwise.

The Meatball Shop

9th Ave - 53rd St Call me basic, but I like delicious meatballs.

You get exactly what they advertise and it’s always incredible.

Tacuba

9th Ave - 53rd/54th St I do love me some Mexican food. This is a spacious joint with yummy food and great drinks.

Casellula

W52nd St - 9th/10th Ave Wanna get your wine on? Run to this spot.

They also have an assortment of cheese plates and will even help you pair them with wines if you’re like me and know nothing.

Playlist

Boys - Lizzo: This is in our pre-show music at Seared. Lizzo knows how to get the body moving and I’m not mad about it.

100 Days, 100 Nights - Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings: These guys are awesome and if you don’t know, now you do.

John Williams, Ramin Djawadi, Danny Elfman: Seriously, I love movie scores. I listen to a ton of them because they inspire me and make me feel like I live in a film.

Maggot Brain - Funkadelic: This joint will make you feel sexy, hip, and like a true music head. It’s pretty long so it always gets me in a good head space.

Pretty much anything by Megan Thee Stallion: I’m really feeling my hometown right now.

W Tre Davis has appeared in multiple OffBroadway plays, as well as on screen on shows include Valor, Orange is the New Black, and Shades of Blue. He is currently starring in Seared, a critically acclaimed play about a hot-headed chef in an NYC kitchen – complete with actual on-stage cooking – at MCC Theater (mcctheater.org)

DIGITAL EDITION

See SEARED, dine in Hell’s Kitchen

When you purchase tickets to SEARED at MCC Theater enjoy special offers on food and drink at these fabulous Hell’s Kitchen establishments.

STARTERS Ardesia Wine Bar - pop in and get complimentary popcorn Ousia - get a complimentary spread Seamore’s - get a complimentary guacamole dip for your party

MAINS Casellula - 10% discount Empanada Mama - buy one empanada, get one free Kashkaval Garden - 10% discount Landmark Tavern - 10% discount Marseille - 10% discount Nizza - 10% discount Nykkei - buy one featured robata skewer, get one free The Marshal - 50% of any bottle of wine with dinner

DESSERT Ample Hills Creamery - two for the price of one scoops

Check out these and more offers at mcctheater.org/tix/seared/ Brought to you in partnership with

w42st

THE BIG FAT

FOOD ISSUE

FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD... ... Cold pizza and bagels, while we’re in the mood, halal dogs and tacos. A bite-sized slice of

PHOTOGRAPHY NATE BOZEMAN @FOLKSWAITING

Nate Bozeman’s street photography series

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LIVING

PRIME OF LIFE A building that once housed a construction company has been transformed into a co-working space with a higher purpose … Words Ruth Walker

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C Previous page: Yoga room happiness.

This page (clockwise from top): Sofas in the bullpen; Qinza Najm’s work hangs in the entrance; the soon-to-open cafe; getting crafty with milk crates.

LIVING

o-working community.

Sustainable cafe.

Mushroom farm. Events space. Gallery. Artists’ studio. Friend of the bees. Neighborhood cultivator. What exactly is Prime Produce?

“Big picture,” Jerone Hsu explains.

“This building is a nexus point for a lot of different communities that are trying to affect positive social change in different ways.”

It is run in true cooperative style, with each member collectively governing, maintaining, and programing every facet of the building. “We choose what our policies are,” says Jerone. “If we all decide one day that we want to raise the dues, that’s something that we can do collectively. Everyone is here, ostensibly,

“What brings us together here is the idea that we can help each other elevate our craft of service.”

IMAGES: ILONA LIEBERMAN

to support one another in whatever their practice is.”

Members work in areas including social enterprise and nonprofit. They’re creatives and artists and industry leaders. Dr Home Nguyen, for example, is the founding CEO of MindKind Institute, a company whose mission is to train leaders and teams to lead with wisdom and love. Qinza Najm is a Pakistani-American artist whose bold, textural work hangs in the reception space, and focuses on gender dynamics and sexuality. And Michelle Jackson, of Seeds to Soil, has a background in community gardening. She’s the resident rooftop cultivator and bee whisperer.

“But what brings us together here is the idea that we can help each other elevate our craft of service,” says Jerone.

The main space in the W54th St building – the “living room” – can

DIGITAL EDITION

51

Design • Decor • Organize Home • Business • Life

OrganizeNY

Juli Oliver Professional Organizer

organizeny.com juli@organizeny.com 315.559.4845 New York, NY Where There Is Balance, There Is Success.

Hey neighbor!

Join the W42ST community and unlock news, events, the best happy hours in the hood, and weekly giveaways Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and each Friday you’ll receive a New York City insider’s guide to everything that’s happening in Hell’s Kitchen and beyond, plus ticket giveaways and other cool stuff, all direct to your inbox.

Go to w42st.com and subscribe for free

LIVING

be adapted for anything from general co-working, to galas, panels, breakfasts, and four-course seated dinners. It’s a flexible area, with milk crates, modular furniture, and room dividers on wheels.

The cafe, also on the ground floor, will hopefully open later this year. Expect sustainability to be a big theme.

Winding upstairs, there’s a light-filled meditation and yoga room, conference rooms, a cybernetic library “meticulously organized by an interdisciplinary team including technologists, architects, designers, academics, activists, and artists” … and, in the corridor, a homemade mushroom incubator, built using an open-source design from items anyone can pick up in Home Depot.

The main co-working bullpen is a shoes-off situation, with more desks, sofas, and lots of light.

And to the roof – filled with a labyrinth of milk crates holding ‘mums,

buddleia, sweet potato, sage, rosemary, echinacea, grasses … and the buzz of neighborhood bees. Butterflies, too, are drawn to the roof. They’ve even seen a hummingbird. At the moment, it’s a magnet for pollinators, but they hope to start planting produce next year.

“This project has been in the works for a long time,” says Jerone. “We started the renovation process in 2013. Before we were here, it was a construction company on one side and, on the other side was retail and then an office space.

“As part of the renovation, we [re-]connected the two buildings. It was very intensive, especially because the downstairs is zoned for public assembly, which means there’s a lot of important safety fire code stuff that we had to do, as well as adding a lot of bathrooms. So that meant there was a lot of plumbing, a lot HVAC that had to be done. It was supposed to be a year, but ended up

DIGITAL EDITION

Above and below: Bees, butterflies, and other pollinators are drawn to the roof garden.

taking us four years.” He describes potential members as “people who would want a place to work from, or a place to cultivate whatever their practice is, whether it’s performing arts or whether it’s visual arts or conceptual art or organization-building or enterprise.

But also people who are interested in cultivating relationships. We really want people that are showing up here looking to be a part of it and not just be like a client.” But they’re also open to the neighborhood, for anyone with a hankering to host a large dinner, game night, or movie night.

The location, says Jerone, and the building in particular, “just spoke to us.

Logistically, it’s centrally located. The double footprint of the building made it plausible to have a meaningful events space. Then you have the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, one that is storied, and that does feel like a neighborhood.” primeproduce.coop

IT’S THE LAW!

One of Prime Produce’s longest running initiatives is PreProBono, which aims to affect social justice by changing the representation of JD [Juris Doctor degree] holders coming out of top-tier law schools.

“A lot of people that hold seats of power are lawyers,” explains Jerone.

“But if you look at who’s actually graduating from these places, they are, by and large, privileged white men.

“So PreProBono cherry picks high-aptitude students from underrepresented backgrounds and we support them to get into law schools.

“We provide them with LSAT instruction, admissions consulting, and they connect with a group of like-minded individuals so that they can stick to their values as they matriculate the law school.”

The program started in 2008, they started a special fellowship in 2011, and Jerone estimates it has touched a couple of thousand young people. preprobono.org

53

Love thy neighbor...hood

MEDICARE

APPROACHING 65 OR OLDER?

Talk to a specialist for:

Medicare Overview Personalized Plans Rate Comparisons

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Call Amanda Reese at (866)944-2338 ext.107

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TheDyksterhouseTeam

Jeffdnyc

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Compass is a licensed real estate broker with offices at 90 Fifth Avenue, 3rd Fl. NY, NY 10011. All information furnished regarding property for sale or rent or regarding financing is from sources deemed reliable, but Compass makes no warranty or representation as to the accuracy thereaof. All property information (including square footage measurements) is presented subject to errors, omissions, price changes, changed property conditions, and withdrawal of the property from the market, without notice. To reach the Compass main office call 212.913.9058. Equal Housing Opportunity.

and Associates

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

LIVING

Hey

neighbor!

From the UWS to the heart of Hell’s Kitchen … thanks to a little steely Russian determination

IMAGE: CID ROBERTS

Timofey Shalnev

Profession: I own the Fred Astaire dance studio in Midtown.

Moving from: The Upper West Side.

To: A one-bedroom apartment in 505 W47th St - 10th/11th Ave. Why: I was interested in finding somewhere closer to my dance studio.

Also, I was in a long term relationship and it finished so I had to move out.

Budget: I was looking for something under $800,000. But I entered into a bidding war because a few other people wanted the same place. Even my broker

Above: Tim’s favorite thing about his new apartment? Check out that roof!

said: “Tim, let’s take a look at something else.” But the Russian side of me was like: “What do you mean?! We won Trump the election, we’re going to get this apartment!” So I ended up spending a little more than I’d planned, but I’m happy, because it’s something I really wanted.

The broker experience: I worked with my own broker, and with Jaclyn Treinkman, who represented the seller.

I really enjoyed working with her – we made a connection right away. And, because she lives in Hell’s Kitchen, she would be like: “Oh go to this restaurant, go to this bar.” It was great to have

DIGITAL EDITION

recommendations from someone who actually lives here.

On the check list: I definitely wanted daylight, because my old apartment was a little on the dark side. Another thing that was important to me was closet space – and this unit has walk-in closet.

I also liked the idea of an open space, with the kitchen connecting to the living room, so I could entertain guests.

What sealed the deal: I really enjoy the rooftop. It has this kind of quiet, private vibe – most of the time there’s nobody there, so you feel like it’s yours.

My new favorite thing about living in Hell’s Kitchen: I love the restaurants, the culture … the sense of neighborhood. It’s all there. I have a couple of amazing local bars, like Hardware, which is literally around the corner, so I can go there in my pajamas or after long day at work if I need emergency drinks. If I’m on a date and I want to impress somebody, I’ll go to Press Lounge – it has such a beautiful view, and unbelievable sunset.

I know where to go to get a little crazy – for fun night life. But I can also escape, and feel like I’ve left all the craziness behind.

VITAL STATS 505 W47th St # stories: Seven # units: 108 $ one-bed apartment: $865,000 Built: 2007 Amenities: Common garden, 24-hour doorman and concierge, fitness center, and rooftop deck with dining areas and barbecue grills.

Pet friendly? Yes 505west47th.com

55

LIVING

Secret ingredient

For the shrinking violet in the kitchen, this oven mitt will take care of all objects that are too hot to handle. $14.95, delphiniumhome. com

Thanks for the memories

The Stork Club reigned supreme among NY nightclubs from 1929 to 1965. Relive its glory days with a classy piece of memorabilia, from cocktail stir sticks to cigarette holders and ashtrays.

From $19, fineanddandyshop.com

Let the

FEAST BEGIN

Whether you’re surrounded by family, friends, or a mixture of both this holiday, may it be a time of love, patience, and a whole lot of gratitude Kitchen to table

This pumpkin-shaped cocotte travels from oven to your Thanksgiving table in perfect fall fashion – and because it’s cast iron, it’ll retain the heat. Good for soups, stews, sides, and roasts, it comes in multiple sizes and colors. But, come on, the burnt orange is best, right?

From $179.95, williams-sonoma.com

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DIGITAL EDITION

Gold comfort

What was that we were saying about maximalism?

Ramp it up another notch with a set of gold cutlery – luxe style with a touch of class. $39.50 for set of five, teaandlinen.com

LIVING

Anyone for pie?

Emile Henry’s gorgeous, burgundy clay pie dish goes from freezer, to oven, to table without chipping, cracking, or scratching. Which is more than we can say for our manicure! $29.96, surlatable.com

Glass act

The holidays are not a time for minimalism.

Seriously! The more color the better – these Depression erastyle glasses come in four autumnal colors, for maximum impact. $24 for four, aprilcornell.com

Boom! Kapow!

When the family comes to blows, use these pillows – hand-embroidered in Guatemala! – to deflect the insults. $89, domusnewyork.com

Grate stuff

Cool turkey

This stainless steel and copper turtle, made in Tokyo, will get to work on ginger, garlic, and wasabi, and can even create a fine paste by grating the veg in a circular motion. The Thanksgiving turtle may not be a particularly well-known mascot, but we’re doing our bit here to raise its profile. $46, november19market.com

Nothing wrong with tradition. Nothing whatsoever. But sometimes even the venerable turkey needs a bit of a facelift. These salad plates come adorned with four alternative gobblers. $29.99 for four, pier1.com

Runner stunner

No overloaded Thanksgiving table is complete without a runner. You may not need reminding that you’re blessed this year, but this design gives you a little nudge anyway. $27.99, wayfair.com

DIGITAL EDITION

Put a ring on it

We don’t always get to appreciate the fall colors when we live in the city.

So what if these leaves and berries are artificial? We’re still digging the warmth. Plus, we can dust down the wreath year after year for repeat duty. $49.49, target.com

57

GALLERY

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

Feeling the fall colors, friends?

This month, you've been chilling on rooftops (and fire escapes), doing handstands on street corners, biking across town, and meeting your idols. Hello, Julie Andrews! *swoon Did you know that anyone can be featured on these pages? Just tag your images #W42ST and you could be the one whose photograph ends up in the next issue.

58

DIGITAL EDITION

GALLERY

DIGITAL EDITION

59

START STREAMING BROADWAY’S BEST NOV 1 THIRTEEN.ORG/PASSPORT #BroadwayOnPBS

Top: ©Matthew Murphy; Bottom: Margaret Odette, Tiffany Denise Hobbs, Olivia Washington, and Danielle Brooks in the Free Shakespeare in the Park production ofMuch Ado About Nothing, directed by Kenny Leon at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park May 21-June 23, 2019. Photo by Joseph Sinnott.

Top: ©Matthew Murphy; Bottom: Margaret Odette, Tiffany Denise Hobbs, Olivia Washington, and Danielle Brooks in the Free Shakespeare in the Park production of Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Kenny Leon at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park May 21-June 23, 2019. Photo by Joseph Sinnott.

Midtown and Hell’s Kitchen’s only upscale plant-based restaurant and craft-cocktail bar.

Brunch, Lunch, Dinner and Late Night menu available Daily happy hours from 3pm-6:30pm, and 10pm till close

246 West 48th 212-651-7247 ps-kitchen.com

STYLE

BEAT THE CLOCK A weights-based workout that’s done in less than an hour? Count Sophia Strawser in

I

’ve talked about lifting before, and have been keeping up a regular routine of it. But sometimes I have less than an hour to spare, which can prove too short a time period when I’m doing my own (easily distracted) workout. Enter Liftonic, which offers lifting classes coming in at 50 minutes.

I’m all about a beat-based cycling class. I mean, hello! I’m a millennial. So, when this ended up being beatbased too, I said a little “yasss,” and took a sip of my green juice.

It worked for every level of fitness, which can be hard to find when it comes to lifting. The sheer pace meant

Above: Check out those arms! You been working out, girl?

“The music covered my grunts, the darkness covered my sweat, and the benches meant some tasteful seated resting between sets. All around a win-win for interior design.”

it was great for toning; less so for those who are looking to be the Hulk and lift so heavy they need spotters. The moves were challenging, but there was always the option to lower (or raise) weights between sets. Each move was demonstrated as well as talked through, which not only helped me perform safely but also gave me a moment to catch my breath between cycles. And knowing that break is coming helped me push harder.

The music was loud, the space was dark, and simply decorated with plain benches. The music covered my grunts, the darkness covered my sweat, and the benches meant some tasteful seated resting between sets. All around a winwin for interior design. Remember when gyms were well lit and rather quiet? No? Me neither, because back then I was not working out (and, like, 12 years old, so there’s that).

There’s a multitude of classes and schedules, meaning you won’t have to do two leg days back to back. I’m already out there walking like an 80-yearold woman after leg day, so I highly appreciate their strategic scheduling.

Until next time, @SophieStrawser.

DIGITAL EDITION

What: Liftonic Arms and Abs class, Meatpacking District, 5.30pm.

Who (takes the class): Your average super-hip, super-fit Chelsea dweller.

If I’ve never lifted a weight will I survive? For sure. I’d

recommend one of Scott’s classes, since he demonstrates everything, and also walks around the room to make adjustments as needed. Ain’t nobody going to put that pressure in their lower back with Scott in charge.

What should I expect? Think

Richard Simmons but with weights: a little music, a little rhythmic motion, and a few pairs of shorts that are a tad too short.

What’s the damage? There’s a

newbie membership special of $59 a week, unlimited (liftonic.com).

61

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STYLE

The

DESSERT DIARIES Free from dieting, Claudia Chung is no longer denying herself anything

IMAGE: ILONA LIEBERMAN

A

muffin a day keeps the bitchy away. I’ve been abiding by this self-made rule for the past few months.

I eat toast for breakfast (lox and cream cheese, poached egg, bacon and avocado). I also eat a sandwich for lunch, and some sort of meat, vegetable, and rice for supper. And I have dessert after every meal, even breakfast.

There are zero rules to what, how, and when I eat. And I haven’t gained a pound. Not a single, stupid pound. As a matter of fact, I’ve lost a few.

When I started to eat “forbidden” foods like fried dumplings and chocolate cake, I was terrified. I waited for my body to start inflating like a beach ball. I waited some more. Nothing happened. Then I doubled down. I started to carb load with bagels, croissants dipped in chocolate, and plates of sushi rolls.

I lost three pounds.

At first I was happy – it was a dream come true. Then I got confused.

And finally, when everyone in my life started to tell me how great I looked, I got furious. WTAF?! All those years dieting – eating mock chocolate cake, consuming only cream cheese for three days – it was for nothing. In the end, I always gained weight. Not to mention how exorbitantly expensive it was. It turns out that, for the past three decades, I could have eaten anything I desired, when I desired it. It was almost unthinkable.

This concept of freestyling what

you eat is not new. In fact, it’s super old and scientific. The theory is called “The Observer Effect.” It’s the idea that energy goes where attention flows. In other words, if I keep denying myself chocolate cake, at some point, I’ll go bonkers and eat it. So, when I wage a war on sugar, fat, and carbohydrates, the more I focus my energy on what I don’t want, the more the momentum for that very thing grows until it becomes what I was afraid of: a dozen chocolate eclairs with a side of fried rice in my tummy. And eventually my butt.

For most of my life, I’d considered sugar and carbs forbidden. But it was a little like hiding cigarettes from a rebellious teenager – when I banished something, it only made it more tempting. And there were many times when, having refrained from eating the bowl of rice I so desperately desired, I’d eat a dozen chicken wings to compensate.

Now I don’t put much thought into what I eat.

I consider my mood, hunger level, and what’s available. If I feel like a banana for breakfast, I’ll have that. But if I feel like eating a banana nut muffin, I’ll have that instead. I also take into consideration that, as a human being,

DIGITAL EDITION

Below: What’s Claudia thinking about? What flavor muffin to have for breakfast?

I need fruits and vegetables. So, I eat them daily.

Contrary to popular belief, healthy eating isn’t about limitations. And I’m sick and tired of thinking about food.

Aren’t you?

MY BIG WEEKEND EATS Saturday 7am-noon Coffee, coffee, coffee (with half and half) Avocado on sourdough toast x 2 Half a pumpkin muffin Handful of vegetable chips Noon-5pm Coffee and chocolate biscotti Middle Eastern chicken with turmeric rice and salad Half a banana nut muffin 5pm-sleep Mini clementines x 5 Sunday 7am-noon Coffee, coffee, coffee (with half and half) Avocado on sourdough toast Pate on sourdough toast Half a pumpkin muffin Chocolate biscotti Noon-sleep Six air-fried pork dumplings Eight air-fried wings Coffee and half a pumpkin muffin Dark chocolate with almonds

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PETS

Wagging Pacey

Human’s name: Marci.

Age: 10.

Breed: Yorkshire Terrier.

What makes me bark: The food delivery man. Even though I know it’s for my mom, I hold out hope she’ll share.

Three words that describe me best: Lovable, smart, stylish.

Confession: I love to suck on my toys, and then I fall asleep like a baby.

Instadog: @pacerracer

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Leonardo and Annabelle

Gigi

Humans’ names: Max and Jocelyn.

Age: Leonardo is four and Annabelle is two.

Breed: Pembroke Welsh Corgis.

What makes us bark: Leo: Animals on TV. Annabelle: Squirrels in the yard.

Three words that describe us best: Clowns, intelligent, active.

Confession: We secretly love each other.

Instadog: @leonardothecorgi

Human’s name: Tatyana.

Age: Ten months old.

Breed: Labradoodle.

What makes me bark: When I can’t get my ball from under the couch.

Three words that describe me best: Soft, friendly, clumsy.

Confession: I chewed up all of mom’s throw pillows.

Instadog: @goodpupgigi

DIGITAL EDITION

tales Lance Humans’ names: Alain, Marci, and Lia. Age: 12 and a half.

Breed: Black Lab. What makes me bark: When Dad’s getting attention and I’m not.

Three words that describe me best: Loving, sly, and a huge foodie.

Confession: In the middle of the night I’ll give Mommy the “I need to use the bathroom” face. And when she gets out of bed to get the leash and her coat, I’ll take her spot on the bed.

Kobe Beef Human’s name: Stacey.

Age: Three years old.

Breed: Shih Tzu. What makes me bark: Blowdrying my hair.

Three words that describe me best: Friendly, derpy, loving.

Confession: I have a soft spot for chihuahuas.

Instadog: @kobebeefchung

DIGITAL EDITION

PETS These camera-happy cuties took a time out for a quick Q&A with W42ST

Take a

bow-wow

So many of you have contacted us, asking how your own happy hound or cute kitty can be included in Wagging Tales. Well, we’ve heard your pleas, duly considered them, and thought, hey, what the heck, why not? (We must have been barking mad not to have thought of it sooner!)

This all means, of course, that you can now send us the finest photograph you can find of your furry best friend, answer the questions below, then cross your paws you’ll be included in our monthly column of local canine (and kitty) celebrities.

Your name: Pet’s name: Breed: How old?

What makes your pet bark or purr?

Three words that describe them best: Naughty confessions (dish the dirt – not literally, of course!): And are you an Insta-animal?

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

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LAST WORD

“It is utterly insufficient [to eat pie only twice a week], as anyone who knows the secret of our strength as a nation and the foundation of our industrial supremacy must admit.

Pie is the American synonym of prosperity, and its varying contents the calendar of the changing seasons. Pie is the food of the heroic. No pie-eating people can ever be permanently vanquished.”

B

New York Times, 1902

ack at the turn of the century, there really were few things more American than pie.

We’d eat it, in all its many variations, for multiple different meals, multiple times a week – until an Englishman deigned to suggest that was simply too much. But his suggestion that we restrict our consumption to just two days a week was met with this strongly worded editorial from The New York Times

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putting the man (and the role of pie) firmly in his place.

However, while apple pie is synonymous with the US, its origins are in Europe. The first recorded recipe came from England and was written in 1381. As well as apples, the ingredients included figs, raisins, pears, and saffron. And the pastry was generally inedible, intended only as a container – called a coffin – for the fruit.

Apples themselves are native to

DIGITAL EDITION

Asia, and were introduced to America by early European colonists, who brought tree cuttings and seeds with them to plant on their new land. The fruit was more tart than the apples we now know and love, and was used to make cider. But later varieties became sweeter and, by the 1800s, apple pie was officially a thing.

The most polarizing issue affecting the nation now? Whether you eat yours with ice cream or a slice of cheese.

Happy Thanksgiving.

G R AND O PENIN G

EA TERY - COCKTAILS & S PORTS BOOK YOUR BIRTHDAY TODAY “ Free Bottle of Champagne” with all B-day parties over 6 people

Book your holiday party or corporate event at Ainsworth Social and mention W422019 for 10% off your event booking

The Ainsworth Social Experience: - Great signature cocktails - Savory snacks & eatery - Fun and Lively atmosphere - Social lounge Area - Private dining options - Music and live acts Come Drink and Eat with us & watch your favorite game or favorite event on one of our 20 HD screens throughout the restaurant and lounge.

RESERVATIONS: 212-234-0090 EMAIL: HEIDI@PAIGECONCEPTSNY.COM 645 9TH AVENUE (CORNER OF 45TH AND 9TH)

This holiday season, come one, bring all!

Tickets start at $22

Photos: Maike Schulz

December 6 – January 5

A MENAGERIE OF MECHANICAL MARVELS

For everyone 5 and up

THE NEW VICTORY® THEATER NewVictory.org

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646.223.3010

209 W 42nd Street, just west of Broadway

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