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Wednesday
Aug252010

Diamond in the Ruff (Party 2)

Last night, animal lovers, royalty and other friends of author, animal activist and philanthropist Wendy Diamond gathered to toast her on her birthday at a private residence in Millennium Towers, overlooking Central Park. Guests included Prince Waldemar ZuSchaumburg-Lippe Nachod of Denmark and Animal Planet stars Victoria Stilwell (host of It’s Me or The Dog, seen with Diamond at left) and Lincoln O’Barry, whose three-part series, Blood Dolphins, premieres August 27. A special toast was given to Lincoln's father, Ric O’Barry, who starred in the Oscar-winning documentary The Cove.

Other guests included Scott Delman, Nunu Deng, Alex Goldberg, Melissa Breitbart Sohn, Robin Cofer, author Anisha Lakhani, Anita Sarko, Heidi Kelso, and United Nations Executive Director of Partnerships Amir Dossal, along with his wife, Tas, and son, Zecki. Last but certainluy not least was Diamond's Maltese rescue, Lucky, who had plenty of company thanks to the other four-legged friends who made it to the event.

For slideshow, click here.

Saturday
Aug142010

Diamond in the Ruff

Animal activist, author and New Yorker about town Wendy Diamond (center, left) hosted a birthday party at Philippe in East Hampton last night, complete with a fashion show by designer Richie Rich. The jubilant night was one for the dogs...literally, as proceeds from the party went to help the Humane Society of New York, one of Diamond's (forgive the pun) pet causes.

Also in the house was fellow animal lover Paul McCartney, who had popped into Philippe for dinner. No word on whether Macca was able to catch a scant glimpse of Richie Rich's scanty clothing line.

For slideshow, click here.
Wednesday
Aug112010

Pop Goes the Treat Store!

Gospel Uptown
From the Naked Cowboy to the studios of Good Morning America, Times Square has just about everything. (Except locals, of course.) But you now have one more reason to make the trek to the Theater District...a pop-up store dedicated to...Pop-Tarts!

If you thought the Hershey's Store was fun, just imagine the trouble you can get into while sinking your teeth into one of these wholly unhealthy, but wholly yummy breakfast treats. The store opened this week and will remain in business as a guilty pleasure at least through January.

Insider Tip: Try the Pop-Tarts Sushi. (Yep. You read that right.) Good news: There is no fish in Pop-Tarts sushi. To Visit: Head to 42nd Street, between Avenue of the Americas and Broadway -- though not on an empty stomach. (Don't say you weren't warned.)



 

Monday
Aug092010

Taking SPiN for a Spin!

I had such a blast at SPiN NYC I had to back for a second visit shortly after the first one! Whether you're a ping-pong afficionado or prefer to remain a spectator, this Madison Square Park hot spot is well worth your time. The staff is super-friendly, the food (by chef Will Horowitz) is fantastic and if you're lucky, you may even run into Susan Sarandon, who is one of the co-owners.

You can check out my Citybuzz video, complete with an interview with Chef Will, below.

Friday
Aug062010

Call Me a Cab!

How would you feel about standing on this floor tile at the brand-new Gansevoort on Park Avenue South?
The balcony of the property's sky bar (21 stories up, mind you) is filled with them!



Thursday
Aug052010

A Berry Good Time

Whether the crowd will ever be as starry (or stunning) as it was last night is open to question, but for at least one evening, the scene at the new restaurant owned by former Met/Yankee Darryl Strawberry was as glittery as anything going on fifteen miles to the west in Manhattan.

The Straw Man's still-considerable popularity was augmented by a battery of TV and sports notables, including recently engaged Bachelorette Ali Fedotowsky and her betrothed, Roberto Martinez; Dancing with the Stars beauty Karina Smirnoff (who graciously delighted both Strawberry and the NYPD--see here); Joanna Garcia, of Revenge of the Bridesmaids; Miss USA Rima Fakih; and the pop duo Salt 'n' Pepa.

Also in attendance, though sticking to the small VIP area and not doing nearly as much mingling, was Justin Timberlake. The former 'N Snyc frontman is a restaurateur, too, having attached his name to Southern Hospitality, the restaurant owned by Eytan Sugarman— co-owner of Strawberry's Sports Grill.

The Mets were on the road in Atlanta, but their presence was felt on the bar's sixteen flat-screen TVs and in person, too, thanks to Amazins alums Bobby Valentine and Dwight Gooden. Representing the American League thread of Strawberry's career were Yankees past (Whitey Ford, Mickey Rivers, Bernie Williams, Tino Martinez) and present (Nick Swisher, David Robertson).

Strawberry's Sports Grill (718-517-8787) is located at 42–15 235th Street, near 43rd Avenue in Douglaston. But as we warned you at the top of this piece, don't go expecting stars (or even the two busloads of super-attractive Manhattanites who were schlepped out to the site to glam up the opening party). Nonetheless, you will find plenty of great bar food and sports memorabilia--including Stawberry's locker from the old Shea Stadium.

For more pix from last night, including Darryl's dance with Karina Smirnoff, click here.

Monday
Aug022010

Don't Cry for Me, Argentina

Polo players and spectators alike made their way to the Meadowbrook Polo Club in Old Westbury, Long Island, yesterday for the Argentine Bicentennial Polo match, which benefitted charities Cruzada Argentina and HelpArgentina. Led by honorary host and team captain Nacho Figueras (the "David Beckham of Polo"), the match proved to be a perfect day to see and be seen on the green.  

The nearly cloudless blue sky served up perfect weather for riding horseback across the field and entertaining guests, including my pretty pup, Lucky, who stole the show posing with friends, fans and the polo players. Camilla Webster, Ayelet Rosenfeld and Diego Ferrari were also in attendance to watch the match and socialize at the private V.I.P. reception that immediately followed.

The event was hosted by Nacho and the New York Chapter of HelpArgentina, whose members are Marina Michelutti, Jeannette Ayerza and Natalia Saba, with the collaboration of Soledad Torreta. The dedicated planners are already talking about the 2011 event.  —WENDY DIAMOND

Tuesday
Jul272010

Many Tales to Tell

Last weekend, New York City’s top artisanal bartenders embarked on a 1,000-mile long pilgrimage to the Gulf Coast. No, not to help contain the BP oil spill. Rather, they were at Tales of the Cocktail, one of the world’s biggest imbibing events, held annually in steamy New Orleans. For five days, our city’s best drink-slingers held court with their international peers and thousands of cocktail enthusiasts at in-depth seminars and cocktail technique demonstrations. They also dispensed oceans of drinks, at countless booze-soaked parties. It was not for the faint of heart…or liver.

Top Players
It was a true who’s-who of the cocktail scene, attracting spirituous, Gotham-based luminaries including Dale DeGroff (formerly of the Rainbow Room), David Wondrich (Esquire Magazine), Paul Pacult (The Spirits Journal), Audrey Saunders (Pegu Club), Julie Reiner (Flatiron Lounge and Clover Club), Jim Meehan and John Deragon (PDT), Phil Ward (Mayahuel), Dushan Zaric (Employees Only), Jason Littrell (Death & Co.), Giuseppe Gonzalez and Richie Boccato (Painkiller) and Darryl Robinson (The Cooking Channel).

They were joined by follow mix-masters James Menite (Porter House New York), John Pomeroy (recently of The Hideout), Tad Carducci & Paul Tanguay (The Tippling Bros.), Aisha Sharpe and Willy Shine (Contemporary Cocktails) and Jonathan Pogash (The Cocktail Guru).

Coming to Their Senses
The daytime seminars delved into topics ranging from the sensory analysis of how we taste drinks to the recent return of the tiki bar. Others explored the “Dark Ages” of bartending (and the awful drinks of the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s), as well as techniques for decoding ancient mixological recipes. The seminars began bright and early, and were accompanied by “stimulating” beverages. Simultaneous tasting rooms featured boatloads of rums, vodkas, gins, cachaças, Scotch whiskies, Irish whiskeys and even legitimate moonshine to sample both straight and in well-mixed quaffs.

But when the sun went down, the real partying began. First off was the Beefeater Welcome Reception, held at the New Orleans Contemporary Arts Museum, with transportation provided via an authentic double-decker bus straight out of London. Hundreds crowded the museum’s three levels to imbibe cocktails by Audrey Saunders, Franky Marshall (Clover Club) and others, amidst décor and roaming characters vaguely reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland on acid.

Tourney Time
For those inclined to watching live late-night sports, Pernod Ricard sponsored a Midnight Pétanque Tournament that featured 13 bartender teams, with Big Apple participants such as Sasha Petraske, Don Lee and John Deragon. An entire street was lined with sand to create the playing surface, and giant lanterns illuminated the humidity-laced night sky. There was professional competition as well, with the Spirited Awards gala dinner, which recognized leaders of the imbibing world. Hosted by Ann and Paul Tuennerman, the founding couple behind Tales, it featured a ’60s Mad Men vibe, hand-carved ice spheres and roaming cocktail carts with heavy-handed pourers. Death & Co. walked away with Best American Bar and World’s Best Cocktail Menu. Agave spirit-obsessed Mayahuel snagged the award for the World’s Best New Cocktail Bar. The ceremony was followed by a solemn New Orleans-style funeral procession—in pouring rain no less—to bury the unredeemable “Sex on the Beach” cocktail.

Breakfast, Anyone?
For those still able to amble, the final bash was the annual Plymouth Bartenders breakfast, which heated up around midnight. While biscuits with egg and sausage were thoughtfully provided, it was the liquid offerings that drew boozehounds to a dark and cavernous space in the artsy Soho-esque Warehouse District, which featured boasted lively bars and live music. Lower East Side tiki mecca Painkiller caused a near riot with irresistible frozen drinks served in hollowed-out pineapples by co-owners Giuseppe Gonzalez and Richie Boccato. It was a night to remember, if only one could.

Thankfully, the hooch marathon came to an end, with everyone slightly worse for wear. While detox and clean living are now the order of the day, at least for a few days, most folks have already set their sights on returning to the Crescent City in 2011. —MICHAEL ANSTENDIG

For more pix from the weekend, also by Michael Anstendig, click here.
Monday
Jul262010

Gimme a BLT

The W Hotel downtown opens its new restaurant, BLT Bar & Grill. For more pix from the party, click here.

Friday
Jun252010

Same Name, Different Game. 

 

There’s a lot to like about the new Red Egg. For one, the space meshes the most notable aspect of Chinatown – a source of authentic, delicious food – with the comforts of a thoughtfully designed, chic and modern lounge.

Inside the big metal doors is a dark sparkle of fuchsia, crimson and copper highlighted with Tom Dixon light fixtures and 88 (for good luck!) exposed light bulbs swimming like koi fish above your head.  Underneath flows a crowd of the well-dressed and well-heeled, busy losing their past stresses with every pulse coming out of a central DJ booth. 

The night we were there, it was manned by the saucy DJ Stacy Stylez (above), whose fashion choices enhance her musicality, keeping the room as beautiful as it sounds.

It’s quite a successful transformation.  The restaurant that was now owns a new heartbeat that gets louder the later the night gets, as the adjustable cocktail tables get lower. It’s fresh in ways that traditional clubs and speakeasies had always hoped to be.

Oh, and did we mention that they serve dim sum (some of the city’s best!) at every operating hour? For more pix from the party, click here.

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