NEW YORK CITY WINE FOOD FESTIVAL 2024

We had a great time last year covering the Food Network NYC Wine Food Festival presented by Capitol One. So of course we were looking forward to attending again this year for the NYCWFF presented by Invesco QQQ which had a wide array of events taking place in Manhattan as well as Brooklyn for the first time! Over the 4 days from Oct 17th - 20th, we enjoyed a number of events along with attendees that had access to Grand Tastings, culinary demos, pier parties, dining experiences, walk-around tastings, cocktail parties, live entertainment, lunches, brunches, and master classes.

All of these festivities and good vibes supports God's Love We Deliver which cooks and home-delivers nutritious, medically tailored meals for people too sick to shop or cook for themselves. To support the health of their clients, they provide ongoing nutrition assessment, education, and counseling. They serve people in need and their children and caregivers. To date, NYCWFF has raised $14.8 million to this essential cause!

There's nothing like interacting with your favorite Food Network stars, chefs at restaurants that have been your faves or new to be faves, culinary personalities, wine and spirit brands, restaurant groups, purveyors and culinary enthusiasts! There were laughs, surprises, discoveries and so much more!

SOUTHERN GLAZER'S WINE & SPIRITS TRADE DAY Hosted by Wine Spectator at Grand Tasting - Trade Day

We started our coverage with one of our favorite events that we attended last year, Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits Trade Day Hosted by Wine Spectator at Grand Tasting - Trade Day which was held at Invesco QQQ Campus located at Brooklyn Army Terminal.

Heading into this event, we knew that we were looking forward to vendors that we had enjoyed last year including Bareburger, Johnnie Walker, and Hampton Water which is owned by Jon Bon Jovi and his son, Jesse Bongiovi to name a few!

One of our favorite bites of the day took place in the center of the action at Modelo's tent, who paired their Spiked Agua Frescas with tacos by Taqueria Ramírez who is based in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

We also enjoyed swinging by Rosa Mexicano's booth as they had a fantastic pairing of Elote as well as a savory taco. We've had the pleasure of enjoying Happy Hour, lunch and dinner at this restaurant and it was great to see them getting in on the culinary fun!

We even swung by Food Network's large booth that served up a number of cocktals which was the perfect way to enjoy our dishes from Rosa Mexicano.

Last year, we had the pleasure of interviewing Chef Philippe Chow of Philippe Chow and as he participated again this year, we wanted to see what he was up to, why he was there this year, and to hear about his upcoming restaurant openings in Nashville as well as in Miami!

ATHLEISURE MAG: It was such a pleasure to interview you last year at this show. So I'm glad to see you again. Why did you want to come back to be at this festival today?

CHEF PHILIPPE CHOW: Last year was a success and I want more people to know who we are!

AM: Oh, amazing and what are you serving this year that everyone's getting to enjoy?

CHEF PC: Chicken Satay is my favorite!

AM: That’s great, I enjoyed it last year and am so glad that it is here as well!

When you're creating the menu for your restaurant what are the processes you go through to decide what will be on the menu?

CHEF PC: Every time I work on making new dishes, if I like it, it’s going to be something that will be on the menu!

AM: We know that Chicken Satay is your favorite dish! Are there two other dishes that you love having at the restaurant as well?

CHEF PC: Oh well, Peking Duck and another one is the Wagyu Beef Dumplings. That’s a new dish and it’s really good!

AM: Well obviously, we know the two restaurants that you have here in New York and the one that's in DC, but you're opening up one in Nashville as well as Miami! Are you excited about that? Why did you want to go to those two cities?

CHEF PC: I’m so happy! Those are 2 of my favorite cities!

AM: Oh wow! Well it’s always fun to catch up with you and we can’t wait until we dine again at your restaurant in the city and we’ll have to check out your new ones as well!

CHEF PC: Of course, we’re happy to have you!

IG @philippechow

THE BETTY BOOZE HARVEST HAPPY HOUR Hosted by Blake Lively

At the Betty Booze Harvest Happy Hour by Blake Lively (Gossip Girl, The Age of Adeline, It Ends With Us) attendees made their way to The Seaport at the Lawn Club to enjoy sparkling cocktails and of course to have great bites by a curated group of chefs. One of the restaurants that participated was Restaurant Yuu which is located in Brooklyn. Chef/Owner, Yuu Shimano talked with us about being at the event and what we can expect when we head to his restaurant this Fall.

AM: Why did you want to participate in this year's Food Network NYC Wine Food Festival?

CHEF YUU SHIMANO: The New York Food and Wine Festival is an important event for our industry. I also wanted to participate because it was for a good cause - God’s Love We Deliver, which cooks and home-delivers nutritious, medically tailored meals for people too sick to shop or cook for themselves.

AM: Tell us about the event that you were part of!

CHEF YS: Blake Lively and surprise guest Michael Kors hosted the Happy Hour event. It showcased the launch of Blake Lively’s Betty Booze’s gourmet cocktails, handcrafted by Lively herself.

It took place at the Lawn Club where guests could play lawn games and socialize and try Blake’s new product.

AM: What did you serve guests?

CHEF YS: I prepared a very French dish, which was a Corn Consommé with Duck Confit.

AM: What can guests expect when they come to Restaurant Yuu?

CHEF YS: Upon arrival, Guests are seated at a beautiful L-shaped 19-seat tasting counter; a carefully curated collection of classical and jazz music plays as the curtain opens, the lights go up, and a row of chefs inside a kitchen is revealed. I personally greet each guest then with the clap of my hands, my team members scramble to their positions for the show to begin. This is our way of welcoming guests and making them feel special. It is high-level while having fun with fine dining.

AM: As we're in the fall and looking forward to the holiday season, are there any events that are going on that we should keep an eye out for?

CHEF YS: We have an exciting event coming up on November 27th. We’re thrilled to welcome renowned Japanese bartender, Shingo Gokan for a special collaboration. Guests can look forward to a unique dining experience featuring a curated menu with exquisite cocktail pairings designed by Shingo for each course.

IG @restaurant_yuunyc

MEET CUTES NYC PRESENTS TACOS & TEQUILA HOSTED BY MICHAEL VOLTAGGIO PART OF THE PERDUE EVENT SERIES

We continued from the events earlier in the day to Wall Street at night for Meet Cutes NYC presents Tacos & Tequila Hosted by Chef Michael Voltaggio part of the PERDUE Event Series at Hall des Lumières. This is one of the later events on the schedule and perfect to enjoy on a Friday night! Knowing that we would be able to enjoy some of the best tacos in Manhattan and Brooklyn as well as an array of tequila and mezcal brands as well!

Chef Michael Voltaggio was the host for the night and he also launched his brand new tequila at the event, Marcado 28. Last year we had the pleasure of having him for our JUL ISSUE #91 cover, so it was great to catch up with him to find out about his participation in this year's festival, this tequila, and upcoming projects!

ATHLEISURE MAG: We enjoyed having you as our cover last year and it's great to see you at Tacos & Tequila! Before we delve into why you're at this event, we enjoyed the latest season of Bobby's Triple Threat. What do you love about this show and do you have a favorite episode from this season?

CHEF MICHAEL VOLTAGGIO: Bobby has created something very special with triple threat. We function as a team and he’s the best coach we could ask for. My favorite thing is the individual cooking POV’s that each chef challenger brings to the competition. Win or lose, we learn from every chef that walks into the club.

AM: You're hosting Tacos and Tequila! Why do you enjoy participating at Food Network NYC Wine Food Festival?

CHEF MV: Lee Schrager has been putting on both South Beach Food and Wine and New York Food and Wine for many years. As our industry continues to evolve, so does the festival year after year. I get excited every year to see what events we get to host and or be a part of. It’s always fun to reconnect with my peers twice a year as well as have the opportunity to eat, drink and party with all the fans.

AM: You just launched and debuted Marcado 28 today at Tacos & Tequila! Why did you want to partner in this tequila and how did this come about?

CHEF MV: I look at every project as an opportunity to learn something new. My goal is always to absorb as much information as I can, and the reward is getting to share this information and these experiences with as many people as possible. With Marcado 28, I was given an opportunity to learn everything from building a unique brand, to the history and production of tequila with a family that’s been doing it for generations. This is bigger than just a new spirit, it’s the spirit behind the spirit that I’m excited about. It’s the authenticity and commitment to creating something special that attracted me to this project and every partner involved has contributed their passion and expertise to create a tequila for everyone.

AM: You also worked with 2 tattoo artists to create the art for the labels. Why is this tequila also a love letter to tattoo culture and why is someone's tattoo story so important?

CHEF MV: More about the love letter of defiance. We all have something defiant about our personal stories and this is not to be dismissive of those stories, but rather embrace and share them in a communal and positive light, while having some fun.

AM: It's always fun to see what you're up to with your restaurants Voltaggio Brothers Steakhouse and Vulcania! Is there anything that we should keep an eye out for?

CHEF MV: My brother, Bryan and I are currently working on a new project in our hometown of Frederick, MD.

IG @mvoltaggio

@marcado28tequila

After chatting with Michael, we navigated a number of the restaurants participating, we also took in the immersive space that continued to change with digital art throughout the night which made you feel like you were in an art gallery.

We took some time to talk with Tiny's Cantina with a fun conversation with Chef Cenobio Canalizo and Mathew Glazier, President of the GlazierWorks which is a restaurant group that includes this property as well as iconic eateries including Michael Jordan's The Steak House in Grand Central Terminal, Strip House, and Monkey Bar to name a few.

We talk about Chef Cenobio's culinary journey, Tiny's Cantina, the flavors of Mexico, and why they wanted to participate this year at the NYCWFF.

AM: Chef Cenobio, what was the first dish that made you fall in love with food?

CHEF CENOBIO CANALIZO: Ooo that’s a question!

MATHEW GLAZIER: I want to hear this because I'm learning about you!

CHEF CC: No, no.

MG: We've worked together for 28 years.

AM: Ok, that’s a long time!

MG: That’s a question that I don't even know the answer to!

CHEF CC: Well, the first time, which I think I did was make homemade tortillas.

AM: Ooo

CHEF CC: Yes. In Mexico when I was eight years old.

That's the first that I learned. It was making tortillas and that's when I started cooking.

AM: Wow. And what was yours?

MG: It was probably pizza! I’m from NY so it probably has to be pizza! I remember when pizza was a lot less expensive then it is now.

CHEF CC: You know what’s crazy? So my partners, we come from Mexico and they used to go like out of state selling flowers, right? So one day I stayed with all my brothers and they said that I had to make the tortillas and I was like really? So I did it.

MG: They were much more authentic.

CHEF CC: The funny part is I got some avocados and there were 3 of them and that’s not enough for my older brothers. So what I did was chop the avocados and I made some guacamole and I added some water and I made some soup avocado! It was so good and you’re dipping the tortilla it was so good!

MG: He’s so creative!

AM: Tell us about your culinary background and how did you come to Tiny’s Cantina?

CHEF CC: Everybody asks me like, what school and where I came from and my answer is I learned in the kitchen. So, every restaurant I worked in, I learned from there! When I started working, I was a dishwasher in 1994.

AM: Wow!

CHEF CC: In 1995, like, I moved to the kitchen and I started learning like everything, like from scratch. Desserts, pantry, grill and all the way to chef!

MG: We actually do kind of the same thing now with the guys we have and it’s actually interesting to watch. It's not lost on him, you know his path and a lot of guys or women, you know, you start in the kitchen and you start from the beginning and, you know, it's a craft. You gotta learn like the right way. And it's very interesting for me to watch. I think if somebody, we just gave a raise to last week, he started as a porter and then he went to the line and now, he earned that position and, you know, hopefully God bless, you know, he becomes whatever he wants to be.

AM: That’s amazing!

MG: I don't think it's a unique story to us. It’s kind of still what's special about kitchens. But he kind of skipped over the fact that he had 2 Stars from the New York Times for the steakhouse.

AM: Which is amazing!

MG: We had a restaurant called Strip House and you're not old enough to remember working at a restaurant, called, Arizona 206, which was before that. I'm speaking for you so that I can give the concise version.

But then you also had, you know, Mike, who's the Head Chef of Michael Jordan Steakhouse Grand Central and then we, we actually sold a bunch of our restaurants to Tilman Fertitta CEO/Owner of Landry's.

And then we ended up doing a barbecue restaurant in Brooklyn. So that wasn't his craft, and then he turned it into his craft. He's the guy who smokes the meat. It's a labor of love because there's no shortcuts and then in 2021 right next to Morgan's there was a small restaurant which is literally why it's called Tiny’s. Some people insult me and say those are Tiny’s because I'm a big guy. No, it's Tiny's because the restaurant's small and I was speaking for him but you know we've known each other for a very long time. This is the opportunity for him to do like you make the ham tortillas and to make the things he's talking about, make his stuff that, you know, that he learned when he was younger, which is kind of kind of cool!

AM: Wow!

MG: He does the hard work. I'm the pretty face. But next year I do the hard work and he's the pretty face.

AM: Plot twist!

MG: We do odd and even years.

AM: Well, why did you guys want to be at this event? I mean, I love tacos, love tequila and mezcal. So why did you guys want to do it?

CHEF CC: I mean, I think this event is great. It's a great opportunity for the restaurant and for my company. To bring it in this event, it’s not just 100 people, it’s a lot of people! They’re going to be able to know about the restaurant a little bit more. Tiny’s Cantina, it's a small place next to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. So we want to spread the name and for people to try our food and to know more about our authentic Mexican food.

AM: Why did you want to do it?

MG: We have a Mexican restaurant and it's a Mexican restaurant event! No seriously, we've done it for years with different restaurants, you know, we have done barbecue. There are so many events that this festival has! This one's one of the fun ones! It’s late at night and it's a different type of atmosphere. I think you can take the food seriously without being too serious about it. When I look around at those who are participating, they're fabulous, and we’re people coming together and in a way providing the festival goers who are customers to let them have a good time. Let them get exposed to some restaurants! This year, they're focusing on Brooklyn, which is great.

AM: So great.

MG: So we're two Brooklyn restaurants right here and you know it's exposure. You know we've been playing in the barbecue world for a while. We have been doing these barbecue competitions for awhile and this event is special. Tonight’s event has a little bit of a party vibe and hopefully, everybody has a good time! We have a great space up here!

AM: So what are we eating tonight? What are you guys serving?

MG: I'll give the terrible English version – Birria De Res which we debated what does Birria De Res mean. If you want to hear where that came from –

AM: I would love to.

MG: So I was like, what does Birria De Res mean and he’s like beef. So I said, what the De Res part? And he was like beef. So, you gotta take it out of context. So how long do you roast the beef on the bone for?

CHEF CC: Ok so let me just explain a little about how we do it in the restaurant. So at the restaurant, basically we serve it with some consume and some marrow bones. Here, we serve it with some onions and cilantro. I braise the beef for 4-5 hours, I cover it and do not open it and you leave the whole piece of meat inside and that's the way how we cook it.

MG: I’m still trying to understand.

CHEF CC: Well basically Birria, you can do it with different meats. You can do it with lamb, or any kind. So the Res is the type of meat and that’s what we say in Spanish. So Birria is the Res and the Res is beef. That's what we're serving tonight with the 3 different sauces.

AM: Yum!

CHEF CC: We have avocado, which this one is mild. Medium is pumpkin and Chile de Arlo which is smooth and spicy!

MG: We did this event last year and throughout the whole event I was going, Pumpkin, but it's not seasonal. So we actually do it all year round.

AM: When we come to the restaurant, what are 3 dishes that we should eat and both of you need to share your picks!

MG: You give two and I'll give one.

AM: Okay!

MG: Because you're the chef and as I said, I’m the pretty face!

CHEF CC: Number one.

AM: Okay.

CHEF CC: Number one, do you want to start with an appetizers? If you want to start with an appetizer, we have a great Guacamole Tropicale. Why is it Guacamole Tropical? It’s because we we garnish with some mango, grilled pineapple, and pumpkin seeds.

For an entrée, I have a bunch of dishes but try the Birria Tacos it’s just special. It has that flavor with that Romero and the tacos that way that we do it with the tortillas, you need to try that. That's number two. My other entree try the Fajita! The Fajita has that smell and that flavor. When you bring it to the dining room with that smell and you have the aroma with the herbs.

MG: It's great. Our restaurant is so small when you sell one, people just keep purchasing it!

CHEF CC: We do shrimp, steak, and chicken.

Now the new one we have is a fajita and is a surf and turf we do it with lobster and steak for 2.

MG: My favorite is actually the least expensive Taco on the menu which is a popular thing to say. Well you know what it is?

CHEF CC: Yes, the Chicken Tinga!

MG: No!

CHEF CC: Which one?

MG: Taco al Pastor!

AM: Yes! I love Taco al Pastor!

MG: You know why? Because what he does to make these tacos, you should explain the culinary side of it.

CHEF CC: So the Tacos al Pastor, I started doing a little bit and you know, my daughter, she really knows, she's 16 years old. She really knows about these tacos because she travels to Mexico a lot and she really knows about good Taco al Pastor. Every restaurant we go to - she only smells it and says, “I don't like the stock, this is not the original,” but somehow I did it with my tacos at Tiny’s.

You know the way that we have the color, how we cook the meat! It's a killer and she loves it!

MG: It's fun. Actually you know so we've been doing this a while and, you know, this restaurant compared to most - the food's just good and there's no pomp and circumstance to it. We've all done fine dining. This is all about the food and it's, you know, like for me it's just very refreshing.

We had Strip House and I remember when I was doing side carving chickens table. Like, enough of that! This is coming into eat and to enjoy yourself. Hopefully you have 5 drinks and you're not driving and you go home. That's the nice thing about being a New Yorker and being by the Barclay Center.

Just enjoy yourself and it's not expensive. Mexican food is very competitive in New York. It just is and the market won't take very expensive. It's all very reasonably priced and it's just good food, enjoy it and get a little on your shirt and then go home. It’s very different than what we did before and I think that it’s very good to have fine dining. In that world, you care how many inches the fork or the knife is from the table. Like we're not driving ourselves crazy, right?

CHEF CC: Yeah!

MG: I really like that he puts in the work in the kitchen and I think that we have the easy job in the front of the house because we just have to serve it. It takes four minutes to serve and it takes five hours to make it.

It's fun. Actually, you know so we've been doing this a while and, you know, this restaurant compared to most - the food's just good and there's no pomp and circumstance to it. We've all done fine dining. This is all about the food and it's, you know, like for me it's just very refreshing.

We had Strip House and I remember when I was doing side carving chickens table. Like, enough of that! This is coming into eat and to enjoy yourself. Hopefully you have 5 drinks and you're not driving and you go home. That's the nice thing about being a New Yorker and being by the Barclays Center.

Just enjoy yourself and it's not expensive. Mexican food is very competitive in New York. It just is and the market won't take very expensive. It's all very reasonably priced and it's just good food, enjoy it and get a little on your shirt and then go home. It’s very different than what we did before and I think that it’s very good to have fine dining. In that world, you care how many inches the fork or the knife is from the table. Like we're not driving ourselves crazy, right?

CHEF CC: Yeah!

MG: I really like that he puts in the work in the kitchen and I think that we have the easy job in the front of the house because we just have to serve it. It takes four minutes to serve and it takes five hours to make it.

Look, t's fun. I don't think anybody really loves the way that I think of Tiny’s in my mind, but I think it's like a bar and everybody should walk and be like, oh my God, the food's good. It’s kind of under the radar. People are coming in for the games and we're packed for every event.

AM: Yeah, being by Barclays is such a great location.

MG: We only have like 10 tables.

AM: Wow.

MG: 18 bar stools and they're coming in. It just kind of blows you away. This is a very understated route, you know. It’s about the food. We're not all dressed up. We're doing what we like to do.

Being at the Barclays Center, and I’m sure a lot of places have this, but if Justin Timberlake is performing, we have that crowd, when the Liberty is playing we get that crowd and we have such a diversity of people that come to our restaurant and of course being on Flatbush Avenue is diverse by its nature!

You know, price - not everybody can afford to go out and spend on the million dollars. We've been in those restaurants where you're our average check, you know, is $125 per person. That's not everywhere and not everybody can afford to do that.

For some people and it's in New York, money is no object. That's not my customer on Flatbush Avenue. My customer may be going to the Nets. So I gotta make sure that we're providing a value, you know, you got to go in there and say that was worth it or else.

PF: How much is the surf and turf?

MG: That’s the most expensive item on the menu and it’s like $42,

CHEF CC: It’s for 2 people!

AM: Oh okay!

MG: We give you half a two pounds lobster. I know because I just bought them. A 2-lb lobster is $26 so that’s $13, a pound.

How big is the steak that is on there?

CHEF CC: 8oz. We serve it with a side of rice and tortillas.

MG: So that's probably one of our higher food cost items. So the tacos, I like the pork – the Tacos al Pastor is $13 on the menu!

IG @tinyscantina

@cenobiocanalizo

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Paul Farkas

Read the OCT ISSUE #106 of Athleisure Mag and see New York City Wine Food Festival 2024 in mag.

FARM TO TABLE | LE JARDINIER WITH CHEF ANDREW AYALA

We always enjoy an elevated dining experience from some of our favorite and soon to be favorite restaurants. When you have the opportunity to enjoy a restaurant outside of its normal setting, that takes the experience to another level. We sat down with Chef Andrew Ayala who is the Executive Chef of Le Jardinier a Michelin starred restaurant. We wanted to know more about his culinary background, restaurants he trained in, how he came to this restaurant, what Le Jardinier is like when you're dining there, and dishes we need to keep in mind.

In addition to the restaurant, we wanted to know more about his participation in Outstanding In The Field which takes place in a number of cities around the world by pairing sustainability, fine dining, and philanthropic partnerships/initiatives. These dinners are outside with no walls or borders that are indicative of a traditional restaurant space. The latest one will take place on Aug 29th on Governors Island where Chef Andrew Ayala along with his Pastry Chef Salvatore Martone at Le Jardinier. This meal will take place outdoors with an anticipated attendance of 150 people. Guests will enjoy a cocktail party followed by a multicourse meal. They will also get to know more about the host for this night's event, Billion Oyster Project.

We wanted to know more about how Chef Andrew Ayala connected with the team, why he enjoys participating and why this event is so important. We're also excited to enjoy this phenomenal meal to see the culinary meets sustainable initiative come together.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the first dish that you ate that you realized that you fell in love with food?

CHEF ANDREW AYALA: Thanks to my mom, I ate countless amazing things as a child, but I didn’t realize it at the time. When I was a bit older, I went on a trip with my parents to Mazatlan, Mexico during summer vacation. There, I had my first ‘Machaca” – a dried salty beef that is popular in the north that is paired with eggs for breakfast or other dishes. I remember this dish was when I became conscious of pairing salty, sweet, and sour and balancing a meal. That experience was really impactful for my love of cooking.

AM: When did you realize that you wanted to be a chef?

CHEF AA: I was introduced to the world of food and cooking from a very young age by my mother, who worked as a butcher for over 35 years. In high school, I began cooking at a small local restaurant, where I started learning the ropes of restaurant operations. Once I completed high school, I enrolled in audio engineering school, but I quickly realized that it did not fulfill my passions the way the restaurant world once did. I made the decision to leave engineering and enroll in Le Cordon Bleu.

AM: Where did you train and what have been kitchens that you have worked in?

CHEF AA: I trained at Le Cordon Bleu California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, where I was born and raised. Prior to joining The Bastion Collection in 2017, I worked at Restaurant DANIEL and Per Se, both located in New York City. Before moving to NYC, I worked at a number of restaurants on the West Coast including Chez TJ, Campton Place, and the restaurants within the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay.

AM: Tell us about the Bastion Collection which you joined in 2017 and why did you want to join this restaurant group?

CHEF AA: The Bastion Collection is an international restaurant group that has been awarded a total of nine Michelin Stars since 2019. Our team consists of award-winning culinary experts that operate a variety of concepts including Bar Bastion and Le Jardinier in New York; Le Jardinier and L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Miami; Le Jardinier, Tavola and Leonelli in Houston; Le Jardinier, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Stettler & Castrischer and Le Comptoir in Geneva.

In 2017, I joined The Bastion Collection because I was so impressed by the group's dedication to excellence and innovation within the culinary industry. I also knew that joining the Bastion Collection would mean working alongside and being mentored by the group’s Culinary Director, Chef Alain Verzeroli, who continuously sets the standard for outstanding leadership and has taught me so much since I started.

AM: You are a founding member of the Michelin-starred L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon and became Chef de Cuisine in 2019 at Le Jardinier and shortly after, gained a Michelin star only 5 months after opening! What does it mean to you to be a Michelin starred chef?

CHEF AA: I feel thrilled that Le Jardinier has continuously been honored with such a prestigious accolade, it’s certainly an accomplishment and privilege that every chef dreams about. We have been awarded a Michelin Star for every year we have been open. Of course, it could not have been done without the sheer talent and work ethic of our entire team. As a leading member of the team, it has been a rewarding experience to reflect on my career as a chef and become a mentor for my own team.

AM: Tell us about the restaurant and what guests can expect when they come in to dine?

CHEF AA: Le Jardinier is a culinary experience that celebrates French culinary technique, and is shaped by fresh seasonal offerings and impeccable fine dining service. Every plate featured on our menu celebrates the seasons and is complemented by our extraordinary dessert and pastry program from Chef Salvatore Martone.

We are located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, so we always aim to serve as an escape from the bustle of the city. It’s important to our team to create a serene atmosphere, where our guests can get a sense of calmness, away from their busy lives. Overall, every element of Le Jardinier comes together to craft a holistic and unforgettable experience for each and every guest.

AM: For those coming in for lunch, what are 3 starters that you suggest that we should enjoy when dining with family and friends?

CHEF AA: For guests dining at Le Jardinier for lunch, I always like to recommend starting the meal off with something light and refreshing, especially during the latest heatwave. Three starters I would recommend include our staple burrata dish, which is made fresh and paired with new accompaniments each season. During summer, the dish features sweet cherries, heirloom tomatoes, bee pollen and basil seeds. The second starter that I would recommend for lunch is our heirloom tomato gazpacho, topped with sourdough croutons and fresh basil. Lastly, for those looking for a meat option, I would recommend our crispy pork belly that is served alongside watermelon, cilantro oil, ginger and toasted peanuts.

AM: For an entree, what are 3 entrees that we should have in mind when coming in for lunch?

CHEF AA: Three lunch entrees that I would recommend include our must-try staple Carolina gold rice risotto, which changes each season to feature the most fresh ingredients possible. The Carolina gold rice risotto dish encapsulates the rich summer flavors by featuring fresh charred corn, grilled broccoli and mimolette. For those looking for a seafood-forward dish, our Maine lobster roll. This dish is the epitome of summer, served on a fresh, toasted brioche with pickled chili and Thai basil. Lastly, our grilled Montauk bass for a light, feel good meal. The dish features a fresh, premium grilled Montauk bass with summer squash and a lemongrass emulsion.

AM: In terms of dessert, what are 3 dishes that we should think about the complete our meal?

CHEF AA: For dessert, I would recommend guests complete their meal with the strawberry flower pot, which includes strawberry mousse, lemon curd, biscuit Joconde and avocado ice cream. This dessert is not only delicious, but breathtakingly photogenic. Second, our summer peach, which is a fresh roasted peach with almond crunch, vanilla chantilly, thai basil sorbet and cherry coulis. Lastly, our signature dessert at Le Jardinier, the Valrhona Guanaja dark chocolate crémeux with salty caramel sabayon.

AM: For dinner, what are 3 starters that we should have in mind?

CHEF AA: For dinner at Le Jardinier, some starters I would recommend include our fresh and flavorful Spanish octopus, which is served with green olives, romesco, haricot vert and smoked paprika. For something on the lighter side, we offer a delicate dish of heirloom melons with Jonah crab, mint and elderflower vinegar. Another wonderful option on our starter menu is succulent Maine scallops with chermoula spiced cranberry bean ragout and thai basil, which is perfectly seared to a golden crust with herbal brightness that lifts the dish.

AM: For our entrees, what are 3 that we should have in mind?

CHEF AA: First, the Ora King Salmon, which is served with smoked chili butter, bok choy, pickled gooseberries and lovage oil. For those looking for something outside seafood, I would recommend our ricotta caramelle with garlic scape pesto, Jimmy nardello peppers and sunflower seeds. For a fresh, summer-forward dish that’s perfect for sharing, I would recommend the grilled dover sole with summer squash, lemongrass emulsion and thai basil.

AM: Can you tell us about 3 cocktails that you suggest that we should enjoy?

CHEF AA: We are thrilled to have expanded our portfolio in 2023 with the addition of Le Jardinier’s sister concept, Bar Bastion. The bar is situated above the restaurant, where we have a menu of refined-yet-playful cocktails that nod to the seasons, along with bar snacks made by our culinary team at the restaurant. Our current beverage menu is a wonderful selection of summertime sips that include cocktails like Touch of Sunshine, which is made with tequila, dry curacao, mandarin shrub, lime and agave or the Gin O’Keefe composed of gin, freshly made blueberry lavender syrup and lemon juice, which produce a soft, purple O'Keefe-esque hue, both aesthetically and flavorfully pleasing.

At Le Jardinier, the beverage program also features seasonal cocktails like the Sunset Sipper, which includes tequila, watermelon juice, Cointreau, cilantro and lime juice. Spritzes are also having a moment and we have a great one at Le Jardinier – the Lampone Spritz made with Cachaca, raspberry puree, creme de mure, prosecco and club soda.

AM: Currently, there is a Summer focused menu that is available at Le Jardinier, what can you tell us about the kinds of ingredients that we can expect when coming for the fall?

CHEF AA: For fall, we’re excited to use pumpkin, chestnuts, apples, and spices. I love using apples from New York State – they are some of the best out there and have so many different varieties. I go to Hope Farms every year and bring back as many apples as I can.

AM: You have also supported the development of Le Jardinier in Houston and in Miami, what does that involve?

CHEF AA: Yes, I am very involved in the larger Le Jardinier brand and work directly with all locations. I was deeply involved in openings of each location and the menu development, and we now all stay in close contact to continuously collaborate and innovate. I am often in Miami and Houston working in the kitchens alongside the chefs of each location. We put a lot of emphasis on mentorship at The Bastion Collection. I benefited greatly from working alongside Chef Alain and now, as Executive Chef, I am a resource for all of the chefs within the Collection in addition to Chef Alain.

AM: We are looking forward to attending Outstanding In The Field when it comes to Governors Island this month. You had the opportunity to participate at this culinary event earlier this year in Miami. How did you get connected to this event and why did you want to be part of it?

CHEF AA: Yes! We did our first dinner with Outstanding in the Field this past January in Miami at Paradise Farms. The collaboration with OTIF came together quite organically as we share a deep commitment to ethical and local sourcing. When we heard about their events and their mission, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to combine forces in working to connect diners with the land in a culinary event that is as beautiful as it is delicious.

AM: What are the synergies that exist between Le Jardinier and OITF?

CHEF AA: We work very hard to source our ingredients locally and responsibly at Le Jardinier and share the same mission as OITF of connecting diners with what they are eating and where it comes from.

AM: With the upcoming event being days away, what kinds of preparation go into creating this kind of menu and how many people are estimated to be at this outdoor dinner?

CHEF AA: We’re expecting over 150 people at the event. When thinking of the menu, we really wanted to showcase New York’s bounty and classically New York dishes. We will be doing our interpretation of hot dogs for canapes and then will utilize the amazing ingredients New York has to offer. As we’re next to the Atlantic Ocean, there’s plenty of seafood to choose from, and we have so much great produce from upstate and Long Island.

AM: Logistically, what are the challenges of making a meal like this outside versus in a full kitchen?

CHEF AA: There are a lot of elements that make cooking outdoors challenging – from unpredictable weather, to using cookware we don’t use day to day, to not having the full range of equipment we are accustomed to. It makes for an exciting project that requires some out-of-the-box thinking. It takes a lot of prep and planning on our end to make it all seamlessly come together.

AM: What are the Summer ingredients that will be on this menu?

CHEF AA: We will be using tomatoes, corn, summer squash, eggplants and potatoes, all from New York.

AM: What will be some of the purveyors and farms that will be used to source this meal and how do you shop locally to make all of this come together?

CHEF AA: We are bringing in a number of local purveyors that Le Jardinier works with regularly including Norwich Meadow Farms, and Crescent Farm.

AM: In terms of seasonality in NY versus Miami, what is the difference when we're looking at the Summer and then the Fall?

CHEF AA: Local sourcing is at the heart of what we do, and it’s endlessly interesting to me to embrace the unique flavors of the surroundings in each location. In Miami, we have direct access to the Florida Coast for snapper, fluke and shrimp. We source a variety of fresh produce that stands out in Florida like lemon balm, green peppers and cucumbers. In New York, we use local microgreens and source our seafood off the coast of Long Island in Montauk.

AM: What do you want guests to walk away with after attending and enjoying this meal?

CHEF AA: We are excited to partner with OTIF on our collective mission to educate the public about the food they consume. Curating a menu for their event at Governors Island is an opportunity to engage with a broader audience and inspire a deeper appreciation for the origins of food, fostering a connection between consumers and the sources of their meals. We hope people leave with a closer connection to the ingredients that are on their plate.

AM: For those of us that want to take elements of these experiences into our own rooftops, decks, or backyards what are some tips that we should keep in mind when creating a chic dinner party?

CHEF AA: Use what’s in season! Go to a local farmers market and see what’s available that appeals to you. Now that we are in August, there is a bounty of fresh ingredients to use like corn, tomatoes, stone fruit, and zucchini. It makes for a highly delicious meal that is sure to impress your guests, and you are able to support local farmers.

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PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 132 - 137 Le Jardinier | PG 138 - 143 Outstanding in the Field/Adrian Blackwell

Read the AUG ISSUE #104 of Athleisure Mag and see FARM TO TABLE | Le Jardinier with Chef Andrew Ayala in mag.

CITI TASTE OF TENNIS

As we navigate the summer, there are a number of events that are always on our mind! With the US Open around the corner, Citi Taste of Tennis kicks off a series of events as well as the Grand Slam that gets everyone excited! At Citi Taste of Tennis, you're able to enjoy some of the best chefs and restaurants as well as seeing your favorite tennis players who will be playing at the US Open as well as veterans together! We've enjoyed attending over the years and look forward to attending on Aug 22nd at Gotham Hall with this year's host, Prakash Amritraj. We wanted to know more about this event as well as others that are part of Taste of Tennis. We sat down with AYS Sports Marketing CEO, Penney Lerner to get all the details.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we delve into this year's Citi Taste of Tennis, I wanted to know more about AYS Sports Marketing and who this producer is?

PENNY LERNER: Citi Taste of Tennis was created by AYS Sports Marketing, a woman-owned experiential marketing agency started in 1996 by mother and daughter duo, Judi and Penny Lerner.

AM: When did Taste of Tennis launch and why was this created?

PL: The principals at AYS worked with various tennis tournaments for many years and, in doing so, developed close relationships with tennis players, agents, and other industry insiders. With their fingers on pulse on the state of professional tennis, they identified an exciting and untapped opportunity. While tennis featured top-notch tournaments and A-list players, there were no high profile “off the court” events that were prominent in so many other sports. To fill this void, AYS created the Taste of Tennis in 1999.

In 2000, AYS hosted the first Taste of Tennis event in NYC headlined by Andre Agassi and celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse. The event combined food prepared by top chefs, celebrity appearances, entertainment and an Oscar's style red carpet. The event was instantly a hit among players, fans, sponsors and the media. Since then, the Taste has become a who’s who of tennis stars, culinary personalities and celebrities. Past attendees include Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Rafael Nadal, Coco Gauff, Mike Tyson, Eva Longoria, Marcus Samuelsson, Lana Del Rey, Naomi Osaka, Andy Roddick, John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, Olivia Culpo, Maria Sharapova, John McEnroe, Nick Kyrgios, Al Roker, Tamron Hall, Billie Jean King, Morimoto, Monica Seles, and many others

AM: We have attended Citi Taste of Tennis for a few years and have enjoyed them each time. In addition to NY, you have a Taste of Tennis London, Indian Wells, Washington D.C., and Miami. What do you look for when it comes to deciding on bringing a Taste of Tennis to a city as we assume that it involves doing it in tandem with a tennis match?

PL: Citi Taste of Tennis has occurred in many different cities over the past 10 years, from Melbourne to London to New York City to Toronto. We are always evaluating cities that have unique culinary offerings, have the potential for new digital content and most importantly, have tennis happening nearby!

AM: In terms of the upcoming Citi Taste of Tennis what does the calendar look like in terms of planning? Can you tell us what you are focused on when you're a year out, 6 months, 3 months, and a month away?

PL: Citi Taste of Tennis is a brand. We focus on it for 12 months of the year and are constantly evaluating new markets, rising chefs and culinary trends, up and coming tennis players, unique venues, inspiring digital content, social media, sponsorships and more. It’s a big undertaking, and we have a great team and after 24 years, hundreds of hours of digital content and 75+ events, we have a solid understanding of what the brand requires.

AM: This year, you are returning to Gotham Hall. Each year, these events blend players, fans, and cuisine. Can you tell us what we should expect this year?

PL: Guests will enjoy cuisine prepared by 20 leading chefs including Mischa Tsumura (No. 5 Best Restaurant in the World – Maido) and Antonio Bachour (World’s Best Pastry chef 2018, 2022). They will also be treated to special appearances by a number of top tennis stars including 8-Time Grand Slam Champion Andre Agassi, Qinwen Zheng (World #7) and Alexander Zverev (World #4). There will also be great food and fun promotions provided by our sponsors including Segafredo Zanetti Coffee, Scenic Cruises, Boar’s Head, Barbados Tourism Board, Liquid Death and Savas Health.

AM: Is there anything new being added to this year's event?

PL: We are producing a live cooking competition between Chef Mischa and Chef Antonio with WTA player Qinwen Zheng and ATP player Zhizhen Zhang which Andre Agassi will judge!

AM: Outside of the events associated with tennis tournaments, what does Taste of Tennis do throughout the year?

PL: Taste of Tennis started out as a 3-hour culinary event and has evolved into one of the most popular brands in pro tennis. In addition to the 3 North American events, we currently produce, Taste of Tennis is also an Official Sponsor of the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic at Hurlingham (UK). This year, we will also have a Taste of Tennis experience at the National Bank Open (Toronto). We have a full-time staff dedicated to managing all elements of the brand including sales, culinary, digital content, production, and public relations. Suffice to say it's a year-round program.

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Taste of Tennis

Read the JUL ISSUE #103 of Athleisure Mag and see CITI TASTE OF TENNIS in mag.

OUTSTANDING IN THE FIELD ON GOVERNORS ISLAND

We always love an immersive culinary experience where we enjoy great dishes as well as getting to know about an event or focus that will allow us to see the impact of our attendance long after a great meal is enjoyed. We’re excited to share that you have the opportunity to enjoy Outstanding in the Field on Governors Island on Aug 29th at 3pm. Executive Chef Andrew Ayala and Executive Pastry Chef Salvatore Martone from Midtown’s Michelin-starred French Restaurant, Le Jardinier by the Bastion Collection will have a one-of-a-kind meal that is not to be missed! This dinner’s guest oyster farm is Fishers Island Oyster Farm, the guest winery is Hermann J. Weimer Vineyard, and the guest beverage producer is Mountain Valley Spring Water.

We love that there are various components that bring this event together and as you can still get tickets to this event, here is some background. Outstanding in the Field is known as a roving restaurant that takes place in a designated city on a certain date where there are no walls. Many restaurants that we have interviewed within our issues are so proud of how they source their ingredients from purveyors, farmer’s markets etc. Since 1999, this organization arrives with their long tables in fields, orchards, and seashores - this is because this is where the harvested ingredients come from that will be part of your meal. They have done this in 50 US States as well as 24 countries in the world. The ability to truly connect farm to table and to showcase and celebrate those who labor to feed us is important.

PHOTO CREDIT | Adrian Blackwell

PHOTO CREDIT | Adrian Blackwell

In their effort to connect with local chefs, farmers, and artisans to create these unique experiences, it’s no wonder that the chefs of French restaurant, Le Jardinier will be participating this year! Executive Chef Andrew Ayala participated in the Miami ideation this past winter to showcase Florida’s produce and we’re sure that he will find inspiration for what the Northeast provides in the summer and sourcing seafood off the coast and experimenting with peak season ingredients.

The event will kick off with a cocktail hour and then will have a multi-course meal and the Manhattan skyline will serve as a backdrop on Governors Island which is only accessible via ferry. Tickets are still available for $425/pp.

This event is also in partnership with the Billion Oyster Project, an organization that engages local students and youth volunteers to restore New York Harbor’s lost oyster reefs. 

We’re looking forward to attending this event and will have details on it as well as interview with in our AUG ISSUE #104 which drops on Aug 30th.

Read the lastest issue of Athleisure Mag.

IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK | HOTEL COCAINE

We've enjoyed watching the screeners for Hotel Cocaine which is currently streaming on MGM+! We are transported to the late 70s and early 80s when Miami is in the midst of a shift from vacation and retirement destination to the epicenter of sex, drugs, crime, and a battle between those who are on opposing sides of the law while embracing disco, wealth, and more! The events that unfold are based on accounts by those who lived it that took place at The Mutiny Hotel which still exists today, but without the activities that made it famous during that time.

We had the pleasure of connecting with Creator, Showrunner, Executive Producer, and writer Chris Brancato (Narcos, Narcos: Mexico, The Godfather of Harlem) and Director, Guillermo Navarro (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn 1 and 2, Night at the Museum franchise, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey) who know how to bring these stories to life so that we can see the complexities, conflict, and humanity of the characters in their stories. We talk about their love for storytelling, working together, and framing this show in all of its nuances.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We are so excited to be able to talk with you! Chris, I know you created Narcos as well as Godfather of Harlem which I have been a huge fan of and Guillermo as the Director of Godfather of Harlem – once again, it is a fantastic show and you also directed Narcos, so it’s nice to see you guys working together on this show!

What do you guys love about storytelling in general?

GUILLERMO NAVARRO: Well, it’s a tremendous opportunity to actually reflect on life and to put our own ideas into it and to tell those stories. There is nothing better than that!

CHRIS BRANCATO: I love the process and the friendships that you make from the writing room where we create the scripts to the production people who put everything together, and then editorial where we make a “finished product,” so to speak! The goal is always to entertain.

AM: You guys came together for Hotel Cocaine which I have watched all 7 of the screeners and can’t wait to find out what happens in E8! The story is amazing. Why did you want to tell it and specifically Guillermo, what attracted you to this series and why did you want to be part of it?

GN: Well I have been partnering with this one for awhile and finally we reached and found a Latin story and so I completely just went for it. It was an opportunity to talk about the relationships of the Latin world with America and it focused on the drama of 2 brothers and the delivery of this and the story about what had to be happening in Miami to receive all of that input and to become what it is!

AM: In terms of creating the show Chris, what was your thinking? I love the characters, the complexities and the depth of them, and they keep unveiling themselves in different ways and it is shot so beautifully. How did all that come together?

CB: Well, it’s interesting. Guillermo and I did Narcos together. We first met on the show Hannibal and I realized he was a directorial genius – [Guillermo motions teasingly that Chris is going on and on buttering him up until Chris notices]

AM: Wait, you are and I have enjoyed seeing your direction in a number of programs so these are facts!

CB: Right? So effectively when I did Narcos, one of the actors that was a friend of mine came up to me and said, “you know, my father was the General Manager ager of the Mutiny Hotel. He said it was the Studio 54 of its day in Miami and it was the home to DEA Agents, drug dealers, movie stars, rock stars, and so the subject matter fascinated me and I knew that to do it right and to give it the proper Latin perspective, I was going to need to find a partner. I searched far and wide in the Latin world and I couldn’t find anybody other than him [Chris teases Guillermo by shaking his arm] so that is how we got stuck together!

AM: I love that story! Obviously, this story takes place in Miami but you shot it in the DR?

CB: Yes, because the Domincan Republic, we scouted Puerto Rico, Colombia, and the DR, but ultimately, we decided that the Dominican Republic had the best look of a 70s Miami because Miami is so overbuilt now, we could never replicate Miami in the 70s!

AM: Well I love the DR and I always love whenever I spend time down there regardless of the city!

What do you want viewers to take away from this show. I can’t say enough about how much I love how it was put together, the characters, the way it was shot etc. I can’t wait to see the finale to see how S1 ends.

GN: Well, that the impact of the drug world on society is real and it’s very profound. And that, I come from Mexico and the social tissue is destroyed by the drug world. For me, it was very important thing to talk about that every time someone consumes it, people die. So it’s about accountability and responsibility of something that is consuming entire societies.

CB: We like to deliver themes like that in a very shiny wrapping.

AM: Right!

CB: So the sex, drugs, disco, Latin music pel collars, bell bottom pants, and the Mutiny girls. So again, the goal is to entertain and put the nutritional value in a hidden way so that the kids don’t notice the broccoli!

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@hotelcocainemgm

Now that we have a framework for this series thanks to Chris and Guillermo we wanted to continue to frame this show as well as the lens that we should view as. We talked with Danny Pino (Scandal, Law & Order: SVU, Mayans MC) and Yul Vazquez (Magic City, The Outsider, The Godfather of Harlem) who play brothers Ramon Compte and Nestor Cabal in this era in Miami as they navigate the DEA, drugs, the Mutiny Hotel, past and present family dynamics and so much more!

AM: As a fan of both of your works in other shows as well as obviously in Hotel Cocaine, why were you attracted to this series and why did you want to be part of it?

DANNY PINO: Thank you for this question! Yul Vazquez! That is the short answer. I’m not saying that because he is here. But he is, he’s right here! The reality is that the first phone call that I got about Hotel Cocaine came from Yul. Yul and I, there are not a lot of Cuban Americans in Hollywood right? So whenever I would go to an event and I would meet other Cuban Americans, we would eventually land on, “have you met Yul Vazquez?” I’d say, “no I have not met him, I know of him and we have mutual friends. He’s a fantastic actor, but I have not yet met him.” Or I would go to a set and someone in the crew or in the cast would say, “well, you’re Cuban American, have you met Yul?” We’d have the same conversation! “I love his work and I haven’t met him.” Then, we happened to meet on Law & Order: SVU! And we became fast friends. It’s like when you meet somebody that you feel that you have known your entire life! I’m not talking about like your entire acting life, I’m talking about – were you at my 15s? Were you at my baptism? Because I feel like you must have been in the Catholic church with us!

The phone call where Yul calls me and says - look, I have been working on this show, The Godfather of Harlem with Forest Whitaker - the fantastic Forest Whitaker with Chris Brancato, the creator of Narcos and there is this show set in Miami, 1978, called Hotel Cocaine, based on The Mutiny and we’d be playing brothers. I said, I’m in! He was like, maybe you should read the script. And I was like, wait, maybe I should read the script! That’s the short answer to your question! Once Yul kind of set that up, I was already – the momentum and the inertia towards doing it was already in motion.

YUL VAZQUEZ: I mean, it was pretty much the same for me. Danny really was the only choice really for this. It was too perfect but you know sometimes when something is so perfect it doesn’t wind up happening?

AM: Right!

YV: This is a no brainer and then suddenly it doesn’t happen! But this was one of those times when the no brainer happened the way it was supposed to happen. I absolutely love working with Danny and he knows that that is the truth! I know that I can stand there with him and we can get through any scene no matter what the journey of the scene is and we can work around it and figure it out and we get to the end of the scene and I know that when he opens his mouth, I am going to believe everything that he says! That sounds like simple obvious things, but not always the case. Not always the case. I always knew with Danny, I am going to have a guy that was there today. Not a guy who decided that he was going to do this 3 weeks ago. You know, rehearsed it in the mirror because that is one thing that makes me insane. When I get somebody and I’m like no matter what you do, this person is going to do the same thing because they have locked themselves into this thing. We figured out this flow with this whole thing and we improvised a lot of things and we had the freedom from Chris Brancato, Michael Panes (Godfather of Harlem, Bull, Law & Order: Criminal Intent) and Guillermo Navarro which is a huge part of the design, the brains, and the engine of the show. He encouraged us by saying that we knew this world better than any of us are going to know. We know what it’s like to be a Cuban from Miami and so that’s what we did! It’s really what we did and I think that we brought a lot of ourselves into the thing more so then I think that I have ever done!

DP: You’re talking to a musician/artist. Yul would come at this scene with the same words, but in a totally different way! So to be present and to be able to play jazz with him all the time and you know, a lot of the script is written in English. We know as many Cuban Americans know, and many Latinos know, that we don’t speak in English all the time.

YV: Correct.

DP: Our probably chosen language or first language is Spenglish and so we would manipulate some of the script to have the same intention, the same wording, but to be able to go back and forward fluidly in Spanish to give the authenticity of what you would hear not only in that time period, but in modern day Miami!

PRESS POOL: As you reflect back to all the roles you have played throughout your career, what lessons have you taken from them that have helped you in your role in Hotel Cocaine today? How has it shaped you to be the actor that you are today in those roles?

YV: I think that every stitch is a stitch in the fabric of an actor’s career. You try to vary it as much as you can and then you try to decide the parts as much as who is involved and who’s hands it’s in. So I think that everything feeds everything. I also paint, I’m a photographer, and I am also a musician so everything feeds everything and I don’t think one thing takes away from another. I see everything as one orb. So, I think that everything in life feeds everything. Meet ing you and it’s the succession of events for me. That’s how I think that we arrive to where we are today.

DP: I mean, Yul is a renaissance man. He does everything incredibly well and for me, talking about different characters and how it now leads to Ramon Compte, the General Manager of the Mutiny Club and Hotel, I’ve played characters who were on the right side of the law – in fact they were the law. In 2 successive shows whether it’s Mayans MC or Hotel Cocaine, playing characters that you can potentially consider an outlaw – right? I think that what I find which goes to the heart of your question, the throughline for the characters is with great writing whether it’s Meredith Stiehm (Homeland, ER, NYPD Blue) on Cold Case; whether it’s Warren Leight (In Treatment, Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: Criminal Intent) on Law & Order: SVU; whether it’s Elgin James (The Outlaws, Lowriders, Little Birds) on Mayans MC; or Chris Brancato for Hotel Cocaine, all of those showrunners are fantastic at developping a character who rides the line between on the right side of the law and a potential on criminality.

All of those characters, whether it was Scotty Valens on Cold Case where he had some anger issues and would go back and forth on being able to control that or Nick Amaro who was also going back and forth on being able to control his anger and his frustrations and what not with his job and within his family, you can say similar things about Miguel Galindo and now we have arrived at Ramon Compte who also has to ride that line. It’s just like what Yul said, there’s a building and a learning from each experience especially when the writing is so dialed in and so challenging for an actor which is the best thing that we can have to be able to have that range which we can sort of carve through a performance and to go back in forth between scenes where you say, “I really love this guy, I could absolutely see myself doing the same thing – exactly what he is doing,” and then the very next scene saying, “how could you choose to do that? I hate this person!”

DP: Right? So that’s the currency that actors love to deal in.

PP: When we see the scenes that you guys have together at The Mutiny Hotel and this is a testament to who you are as actors, but when you have the club scenes there is so much going on with the dancers, the lights, and all of these things are happening all around you – as actors, how do you not get distracted by all of the things that are taking place in the background? What is your secret?

YV: It’s hard! It really is hard and sometimes let’s say that your patience it tested – yeah it is! It’s a great question and it is very very hard, for me.

DP: I think it’s one of those things where – and it is a fantastic question because a lot of people don’t realize exactly what happens. They play the music and cue us into the song so that the background artist can get the rhythm of the song that is going to be played and then they kill the song. So the background artist can continue with the rhythm so that we can say our lines in silence so that we don’t have to record the line over and over again for clarity. And that gets a little strange because you can still hear the heels and the platforms stomping on the dancefloor so it is a little distracting in that way. What helps is to have an actor like Yul. When you have an actor like Yul and you have words by Chris Brancato and Michael Panes, where you are engaging in a scene that matters and has life and death circumstances and ramifications, that tends to crystalize everything and you start to get that much more focused.

YV: Yeah, so Danny’s right. All we really have is each other and that helps! Having him helps anchor things for me! He’s right, exactly what he said. It becomes a very interesting challenge you know because it is all of the things that the audience never sees. You know the old saying, “you don’t want to see how the sausage is made.” That’s really true!

PP: For people who live in Miami, The Mutiny is such a staple and an icon of an era that created the backbone of what Miami is as a city from the glitz and glamour, to the element of crime and other things. Danny you’re a Miamian and went to FIU and you grew up there and you know the city. What does it mean to you to portray this era that shaped what Miami is nowadays?

DP: That’s a fantastic question and as we’re both from Miami, we talk about it all the time! We talk about not only the impact of The Mutiny, but the impact of the 70s, it was such a transformative period of our city! It really changed Miami from being sort of a sleepy retirement/vacation spot to a cosmopolitan hot spot. Then it changed when The Mutiny upped the ante on that and it became a hedonistic pleasure palace! Right? People were flying in all over the world to have an adult experience at The Mutiny. I have actually stayed at The Mutiny, it’s not what it was before, it is now much more lowkey. It’s like a hotel residential sort of establishment now, but the structure is still the same, the pool is still the same, and you still feel that if the walls could talk, you’d be hearing some fantastic stories and I think that that’s what our show does. The walls talk in our story.

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PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Hotel Cocaine

Read the JUN ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag and see IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK | Hotel Cocaine in mag.

WELCOME TO TANQUERAY FANCY HOUR

Sometimes you want to go out whether solo or with friends and enjoy a classic - a martini and fries. We think this is such a nice blend and is the perfect meal when you’re not looking for something heavy but you want that unctuous blend of flavors that provide you comfort while feeling well - fancy! We headed to The Wilson here in NYC to partake in this and you can too! Tanqueray Gin and Opentable have partnered with one another so that you can go to select eateries in NY and Miami to get the perfect pairing of a martini and fries from Jun 5th to Jul 31st. Of course, we had a great day as it happened to be in the midst of yet another heat wave and a busy day. We wanted to know more about Fancy Hour as well as Tanqueray the brand. We took some time with Christina Choi, Senior Vice President of Gin, Tequila, and Breakout Growth Brands at DIAGEO North America to find out more.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we delve into Fancy Hour. Can you give us some background on the ingredients that make up this classic gin?

CHRISTINA CHOI: Tanqueray’s iconic recipe, unchanged since the 1800’s and rigorous selection process of four botanicals, is what sets it apart from other gins. London Dry is the hallmark of the Tanqueray portfolio, known globally as the quintessential, classic gin. Distilled with the perfect balance of just four botanicals, Tanqueray London Dry gin has a sophisticated rich and sensationally smooth taste. It’s one of the most awarded gins in the world - winning the San Francisco World Spirits Competition Platinum Medal for the past two years and a 7-time winner of the bartender's choice by Drinks International.

Tanqueray was one of the early pioneers to curate a more approachable fresh, western, dry style of gin with the introduction of Tanqueray No. TEN - crowned “Best White Spirit” for three consecutive years at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, which helped lead it to ultimately become the first white spirit to ever be retired to the San Francisco Spirits Hall of Fame. Distilled in a small batch two-step distillation process, Tanqueray No. TEN is made with whole citrus fruits to capture its ‘citrus heart,’ which includes grapefruit, limes and oranges which is then added to the base of Tanqueray’s classic blend of juniper, coriander, angelica, licorice, and chamomile flower. The ‘citrus heart’ is crafted through a minute copper still, ‘Tiny TEN,’ giving the product its name, and then added with other botanicals into ‘Old Tom,’ the over 250-year-old still. The result is a beautifully crisp and iconic gin crafted to make cocktails bloom.

Tanqueray also has two variants of its trademark portfolio within the growing flavored gin category: Tanqueray Rangpur and Tanqueray Sevilla Orange. Tanqueray Rangpur is the perfectly balanced taste of Tanqueray London Dry Gin with a citrus zest. Made with real Rangpur limes, ginger and bay leaves in addition to Tanqueray’s base of four botanicals used during distillation, the result is a subtle and refreshing taste with a satisfying smooth finish. Introduced to the portfolio during the summer of 2021, Tanqueray Sevilla Orange tastes like sunshine in a glass. It is uniquely distilled, made with the delicious flavor of Sevilla Oranges and other fine botanicals that results in a bright, orange-forward taste.

AM: Why does that first drink set the tone of the night, when was the martini created, and why is the gin martini such a go-to?

CC: Tanqueray is the classic choice for any gin-based cocktail and sets the standard for a bold night ahead. In recent months, we’ve seen restaurant-goers begin their night with the beloved martini and fries duo as the pairing continues to emerge on bar tops nationwide. ‘Fancy Hour’ reservations claim this moment for Tanqueray and bring the experience to life with an elevated Tanqueray twist, presenting personalized tableside service with impeccably crafted Tanqueray martinis perfectly tailored to guests' preferences.

In its simplest form the martini is gin and vermouth lending itself to countless variations.

The exact origins of the cocktail aren’t clear, but it dates back to the late 19th century and believed to have evolved from the Martinez - a mix of gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and bitters. ‘Fancy Hour’ invites cocktail enthusiasts to elevate the occasion with a classic Tanqueray martini.

AM: Why did you want to have a Fancy Hour and partner with OpenTable and to run it from Jun 5th - Jul 31st?

CC: National Martini Day falls on June 19th and we thought the iconic cocktail deserved more than just a one-day celebration. In partnership with OpenTable, we were able to take National Martini Day and extend the celebration beyond just a day, highlighting the Tanqueray martini and showcasing how it sets the tone for your night.

Through the end of the month, drinkers 21+ can book a ‘Fancy Hour’ reservation at participating bars and restaurants in New York City, Boston, and Miami through OpenTable.

AM: People can look at participating restaurants here in NY, Boston, and Miami that are part of Fancy Hour, will there be restaurants and/or cities added throughout this promotional event?

CC: The partnership with OpenTable kicked off ‘Fancy Hour’ occasions, introducing a new way to enjoy Tanqueray. We will continue to bring experiences that appreciate the artistry of cocktails made with Tanqueray to cocktail lovers through future initiatives.

AM: For those that may not be able to get out to enjoy this promotion, how can they create a Fancy Hour at home with friends and family?

CC: There are two key components to enjoying 'Fancy Hour' at home with friends and family – remembering that ‘Fancy Hour’ can be defined on your own terms with a perfectly chilled Tanqueray martini.

Just because martinis and fries are taking over bar tops nationwide does not mean ‘Fancy Hour’ must be solely experienced at local restaurants. With just three ingredients, martinis are relatively easy to recreate at home and we hope ‘Fancy Hour’ inspires drinkers to become their own at-home mixologist. Whether hosting a movie night or a dinner party, with a Tanqueray martini in hand and whatever makes them feel fancy.

AM: Will there be other iterations of Fancy Hour after this particular activation?

CC: We will continue to inspire cocktail lovers to start their night with Tanqueray, setting the tone for the night.

AM: For Tanqueray enthusiasts, what is the difference between No. TEN and London Dry Gin?

CC: Tanqueray No. TEN is the ultra-premium gin in the Tanqueray portfolio. It is a Western Style Gin which means it deviates from the classic London Dry style by utilizing more citrus notes and putting less emphasis on the juniper. Tanqueray London Dry gin is a simple recipe of four botanicals - juniper, coriander, angelica and licorice - picked at the peak of their freshness.

Tanqueray No. TEN is citrus forward, crafted using whole fresh fruits in the distillation process. In addition to juniper, botanicals include coriander, chamomile flowers, white grapefruit, lime and orange, with grapefruit as the lead citrus flavor in Tanqueray No. TEN and what gives the variant its distinctive profile.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

IN THE KNOW | MICHELIN GUIDE

When we're thinking of where to eat and to stay, we're always looking for superb recommendations! The MICHELIN Guide is one of the most revered resources when it comes to finding a number of restaurants and hotels that you can enjoy in your desired city whether you're a local or traveling! We were honored to chat with them to know more about how this Guide from 1900 began in France; evolved; the criteria for restaurants and hotels that are included; who their Inspectors are; and the difference between being recognized versus receiving Stars and Keys!

We're so pleased that we got to find out this and more from the incredible team at MICHELIN who values the importance of focusing on your customer and seamlessly sends their teams in to evaluate the hard work that is done by restaurants and hotels that could be given honors.

ATHLEISURE MAG: The MICHELIN Guide was created in the 1900's. What is the correlation between MICHELIN Tires and the creation/purpose of this Guide?

MICHELIN: The story of the MICHELIN Guide began in 1900. At that time, before it became the international benchmark for restaurant and hotel guides, it was a 400-page guidebook containing practical information for travelers. It was given to motorists free of charge; its aim being to facilitate their travels and develop mobility. It started in Clermont-Ferrand in central France in 1889, when brothers Andre and Edourard Michelin founded their eponymous tire company, fuelled by a grand vision for the French automobile industry at a time when there were fewer than 3,000 cars in the country.

In order to help motorists develop their trips – thereby boosting car sales and in turn, tire sales – the Michelin brothers produced a small guide filled with information for travelers such as maps, information on how to change a tire, where to fill up on petrol, and for those looking for a respite from the adventures of the day, a listing of places to eat and to stay for the night!

For 2 decades, this information was available at no cost! That was until Andre Michelin arrived at a tire shop to see his beloved guides being used to prop up a workbench. Based on the principle that “man only truly respects what he pays for,” a brand new MICHELIN Guide was launched in 1920 and sold for 7 francs.

For the first time, it included a list of hotels in Paris, lists of restaurants according to specific categories, as well as the abandonment of paid-for advertisements in the guide. The brothers also recruited a team of mystery diners, now called restaurant inspectors as we know them today, to visit and review restaurants anonymously.

In 1926, the guide awarded stars for fine dining establishments and they were initially marked with a single star. In 1931, the hierarchy of zero, one, two, and three stars were introduced and in 1936, the criteria for the starred rankings were published.

The MICHELIN Guides now rate over 30,000 establishments in over 30 territories across three continents and more than 30 million MICHELIN Guides have been sold worldwide since. Due to the foresight of the founding Michelin brothers, the company maintains its mission and relevancy that it has had since 1900 to make driving, tourism, and the search for unforgettable experiences available to all.

AM: Can you tell us about the MICHELIN Guide Inspectors and what are the qualities or background that you look for in terms of finding those individuals who contribute to the Guide?

M: These former hospitality professionals all have at least 10 years of experience, which ensures that they have a precise and technical knowledge of the field. They also receive two years of training in the MICHELIN Guide’s methodology, which is based on objective and universally deployable criteria.

The team, which includes local and international inspectors, are fully capable of evolving in international gastronomic scenes and finding the best talents. MICHELIN Guide Inspectors enjoy complete independence in choosing the restaurants they visit. Only their knowledge of the local gastronomic scene – through research, monitoring and documentation – enable them to find their way around.

No one can tell the difference between a regular customer and a Guide Inspector. Their identity, when they are visiting, and where they are all kept secret. They pay their own bills, just as any other restaurant-goer.

Consistency is very important when awarding MICHELIN Stars, so we need to be sure that the customers will receive the same high standard of cooking whenever they visit. Various Inspectors will visit throughout the seasons: for lunch as well as for dinner, both at the weekend and during the week. We try to eat as many dishes as possible over the course of the year, as we do need to try as much of the chef’s food as we can. We have to be sure that all the dishes that come out of the kitchen are of a consistently high standard. Sometimes we eat alone, sometimes in pairs, and occasionally even as a group. Once several inspectors have eaten at a restaurant, they can discuss their experiences as a team in order to make a final decision.

AM: Do the Inspectors work throughout the year to visit restaurants and hotels around the world?

M: Yes, the MICHELIN Guide selection is provided annually, based on the anonymous and independent dining & travel experiences of the inspection team, and they are re-evaluated each year.

AM: In looking at the US, The MICHELIN North American Guide first launched in 2005 starting with New York, Chicago debuted in 2011, Washington DC followed in 2017, California started with San Francisco in 2008 and it was statewide in 2019, in 2022 Miami/Orlando/Tampa, FL launched, Toronto joined in 2022 along with Vancouver, and both Colorado and Atlanta launched last year! How do cities in the US that have yet to be included go about getting MICHELIN's attention for their restaurants and hotels to be considered for inclusion?

M: The MICHELIN Guide inspection team is always evaluating new destinations for the Guide, around the world. MICHELIN decides whether to have its anonymous inspectors conduct a destination assessment. Once all the conditions are present to highlight the quality of the culinary scene in a given city, region or country, the MICHELIN Guide begins its process. Only the inspectors, based on their expert research, choose destinations.

AM: We have had the pleasure of interviewing a number of chefs that have received MICHELIN stars. Can you tell us about what each star means and what the criteria is?

M: A MICHELIN Star is awarded to restaurants offering outstanding cooking.Any restaurant of any style and cuisine type can qualify for a Star. We take into account 5 universal criteria: the quality of ingredients, the harmony of flavors, the mastery of techniques, the personality of the chef as expressed through the cuisine and, just as importantly, consistency both across the entire menu and over time.

One MICHELIN Star is awarded to restaurants using top quality ingredients, where dishes with distinct flavors are prepared to a consistently high standard.

Two MICHELIN Stars are awarded when the personality and talent of the chef are evident in their expertly crafted dishes; their food is refined and inspired.

Three MICHELIN Stars is our highest award, given for the superlative cooking of chefs at the peak of their profession; their cooking is elevated to an art form and some of their dishes are destined to become classics.

If the restaurant is currently in the MICHELIN Guide then they don’t need to apply for a Star, as all restaurants in the guide are re-assessed regularly. If we feel that the cooking at a restaurant is no longer at the same level that it was, then we would not re-award the Star the following year. Any restaurant can ask us to consider them for inclusion in the MICHELIN Guide and we love receiving recommendations from our readers too.

AM: We know that the first star came in 1926 and between 1931 and 1933 there is the 3-star system. Do you think that there will be a point where an additional star may be added to the system?

M: At this time, we don’t have news to share about the star system being extended.

AM: We talked about the MICHELIN Star. What is the difference between a Green Star and a Bib Gourmands?

M: The Green Star is our newest award. It was introduced to the MICHELIN Guide France in 2020 and is now featured in every country covered by the MICHELIN Guide. It is awarded to restaurants that are role models when it comes to sustainable gastronomy.

The Bib Gourmand is our award for great value, and highlights simple yet skillful cooking at an affordable price. (But we should also say that we are looking for a high standard of cooking just for a restaurant to be recommended in the MICHELIN Guide).

AM: Why do MICHELIN Guides have different times that they are awarded in terms of destination?

M: The MICHELIN Guide distinctions are awarded annually for each destination. The selections are revealed at different times throughout the year based on event planning, which is done in partnership with MICHELIN and the destination marketing organization.

AM: What advice would you give to a young chef?

M: There are three things:

• Great cooking starts with great ingredients, so use the best produce you can find – whether that’s a tomato or a chicken.

• Take pleasure in cooking for your customers, rather than cooking to try and win awards.

• Eat out as much as you can, but also eat your own dishes – sometimes it’s not until you’re halfway through a dish that you realize it’s not quite right.

AM: The MICHELIN Key is a new distinction that is available to hotels! Can you tell us more about this and on Apr 8th the first Keys were announced for hotels in Paris, when will they be announced for other guides like those in the US?

M: The latest addition to the MICHELIN Guide accolades is the MICHELIN Keys which highlights establishments in the Guide’s hotel selection offering the most exceptional stays. The first selection of MICHELIN Keys were awarded in France with a selection team that is based on anonymous stays or visits, independent of existing labels, tourism stars, and pre-established quotas. The MICHELIN Keys are becoming a new international benchmark for travelers helping them to find accommodations that stand out for their unique hospitality concept, distinctive character, warm welcome and very high level of service. These hotels can be booked on its digital platforms.

In this very first list, 189 hotels and ac commodations, among some 600 establishments already recommended by the MICHELIN Guide France, are honored with 24 Three MICHELIN Keys, 38 Two MICHELIN Keys and 127 One MICHELIN Keys.

Just like the famous Stars, that, in the MICHELIN Guide restaurant selection, indicate establishments offering the best culinary experiences, the Keys reveal accommodations in the Guide’s hotel selection that offer the most outstanding stays. They are a new benchmark for travelers, qualifying the experiences in broad terms, rather than focusing solely on amenities.

One MICHELIN Key: A Very Special Stay – This is a true gem with its own character and personality. It may break the mold, offer something different or simply be one of the best of its type. Service always goes the extra mile and it provides so much more than similarly priced establishments.

Two MICHELIN Keys: An Excellent Stay – Somewhere truly unique and exceptional in every way, where a memorable experience is always guaranteed. A hotel of character, personality and charm that’s run with obvious pride and considerable care. Eye-catching design or architecture, and a real sense of the locale make this an exceptional place to stay.

Three MICHELIN Keys: An Extraordinary Stay – It’s all about astonishment and indulgence here – this is the ultimate in comfort and service, style and elegance. It is one of the world’s most remarkable and extraordinary hotels and a destination in itself for that trip of a lifetime. All the elements of truly great hospitality are here to ensure any stay will stay long in the memory and hearts.

France is the first country to unveil its honorees of 189 establishments. After France, the MICHELIN Keys were announced on Apr 24th for the United States (Atlanta, California, Chicago, Colorado, Florida, New York, and Washington DC.) Spain followed on Apr 29th, following with Italy on May 7th, and Japan on Jul 4th.

AM: You can also book hotels through the MICHELIN Guide, why should we do this here when we are organizing our next trip?

M: All of the MICHELIN Guide hotel recommendations can be found free of charge on the MICHELIN Guide website and app. On these digital platforms, all of the recommended hotels can be booked at the best available rate. To assist travelers throughout their stay, the MICHELIN Guide also provides a concierge service offered by a team of travel experts, employed by the MICHELIN Guide.

AM: Last fall, there was a MICHELIN Guide Ceremony that took place in Tribeca for New York, Chicago, and Washington DC to celebrate restaurants and professionals on one night! Chefs were invited to see if they received a Star. Will there be a ceremony this year that is like this?

M: The MICHELIN Guide selections are awarded annually for each destination. We don’t have news to share on the the format of the ceremonies for New York, DC or Chicago at this time for 2024.

AM: The MICHELIN Guide App is really informative in terms of seeing those restaurants that have varying distinctions or simply being recognized/listed, having access to articles, being able to book hotels/connect to restaurants etc. As we continue to navigate 2024, will there be additional offerings on the app for users to be able to enjoy or utilize?

M: You can stay tuned to our website guide.michelin.com for information about any new features regarding the apps. Updates will also periodically be available via the app store as they are released.

IG @michelinguide

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 114 One White Street/Gary He | PG 116 MICHELIN

Read the APR ISUE #100 of Athleisure Mag and see IN THE KNOW | MICHELIN GUIDE in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | JETSET PILATES

JETSET Pilates was founded by Tamara Galinsky in 2010 in Miami Beach and has grown to become an internationally recognized brand with a growing, loyal community devoted to the unique 50-minute modern Pilates workout that challenges body and mind.

This studio has 8 locations throughout South Florida - Coral Gables, Downtown Miami, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Brickell, South of Fifth neighborhood in Miami, Edgewater, and Sunset Harbour. There our 20 in-development studios include NYC (multiple locations), Tampa FL (multiple locations), North Miami, West Palm Beach FL, Orlando FL, and Melbourne Australia, to name a few!

JETSET's custom-made reformer is designed to elevate the pilates experiences. With a unique configuration of seven springs, each varying in weight, this reformer offers unparalleled versatility in resistance exercises. When working at the front, the springs seamlessly assist movements, providing support tailored to individual’s needs. Conversely, shifting to the back intensifies the challenge as the springs add resistance, ensuring a well-rounded and dynamic workout. The reformer's platforms and carriage are equipped with strategically placed leverage straps and pockets, enhancing stability and control throughout the session.

Their private sessions offer an exclusive 50-minute class, delivering a signature total body workout with the added benefit of personalized attention. With a dedicated instructor at your side, the session is entirely tailored to fit clients' unique needs and body, ensuringa workout that aligns seamlessly with goals. Private sessions are offered either in private pilates rooms as a single or duet (two clients) in select studios or in the main studio space.

JETSET's Arms and Abs class is a 50-minute session that zeroes in on sculpting the upper body, center core, and obliques. They're also rolling out more specialty classes such as Fundamentals and lower-body focused.

Pre/post-workout, they have cold water in eco-conscious packaging and pre/post-workout drinks such as Amino Lean. Some studios feature a selection of local juices available for purchase. You can also purchase JETSET Pilates apparel and accessories as well.

JETSET PILATES

110 Washington Ave

Miami Beach, FL 33137

For your nearest location or studios that are opening in your area, visit their website.

jetsetpilates.com

IG @jetsetpilates

PHOTOGRAPHY | JETSET Pilates

Read the FEB ISSUE #98 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | JETSET Pilates in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | PASTA

Pasta is co-founded by the talented husband-wife duo Juan Manuel Umbert and Janice Buraschi in 2019 and embodies a love story interwoven with culinary passion. Their love for open kitchen concepts is inspired their need to create simple, fresh ingredients, and passion for the culinary arts. Juan Manuel and Janice’s dream of creating a pasta dining experience came to life first in a 25-seat eatery in Lima. Now, they are thrilled to bring this authentic pasta journey to Miami's vibrant food scene.

The restaurant is not Italian-Peruvian cuisine, but is focused on traditional pastas by Peruvian chefs. Guests will not find Peruvian Italian pasta, but they can expect to see the synergy between the two cuisines and a respect for it!

The chefs are passionate about pasta and it was also something that was missing in Lima when they opened their first location. It also is what blew their minds the first time they visited Italy. There is something so rewarding about making something that appears to be so simple yet so complex with your hands and making people happy with it.

They opened their restaurant in Italy with much success, but with the pandemic and the political crisis in Peru, they wanted to go abroad. Miami is an amazing city that has been increasing their restaurant openings. The chefs also have relatives and friends there as well.

The Miami location has an open kitchen and a rustic, modern, and minimalistic vibe. The menu is the same as what is in Lima with ingredients that are found in the US. They are also excited to have ingredients from Italy brought to Miami.

We suggest for appetizers: the housemade Stracciatella with their housemade sourdough bread, the razor clams with nduja salsa verde, and the bruschetta with housemade nduja, honey, and 24-month Parmigiano Reggiano.

For their signature dishes, we have our eye on: the pici cacio e pepe, pappardelle with 15-hour braised beef cheek ragù, and the mushroom agnolotti.

To conclude your meal, these desserts are a great way to enjoy something sweet: Pistachio tart, tiramisu (made with their housemade mascarpone) and their tarta de quesos.

Cocktails that are perfect to pair with your meal include: Milano Torino or a spritz as an aperitif, and great Italian wines will pair with everything.

PASTA

Choquehuanca Street 611

San Isidro

– Lima – Peru

PASTA

Wynwood, Miamia - coming soon

pasta-restaurants.com

IG @pasta.pe

@pasta.wynwood

PHOTO CREDITS | Pasta

Read the JAN ISSUE #97 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | Pasta in mag.

THE STATEMENT | ANDREA SALAZAR

Style is a very personal thing as it reflects how you feel and how the world sees you. These styles set the scene which in many ways we showcase in our photoshoots! SETA is a line that balances edgy cool that can work whether you're looking to have a dramatic or an ethereal look. It can be dressed up or down. This month. we hosted our THE 9LIST® Holiday Event where we sat down with Andrea Salazar, Creative Dir of SETA and finalist in Prime Video's Making the Cut S2. We talked about her passion for design, her creative process, being on the show, the brand's vision, and her suggestions for NYE depending on where you'll be watching the ball drop!

ATHLEISURE MAG: We are so excited to be able to talk with you as I have been a fan for the past few years and I know our readers will love hearing more about you, competing on Making the Cut, and of course NYE finds that we can take into ending the year and kicking off to the next! For those that are joining us, Andrea Salazar is the Creative Director of SETA and she competed and was a finalist in Season 2 of Making the Cut which you can stream now if you haven’t done so!

ANDREA SALAZAR: Thank you so much for having me! Where is your magazine based?

AM: We are based in NY. Athleisure Media is our baby and we have Athleisure Mag which is released monthly and you will be in our 96th issue and we have one of our heritage features that we really love which is THE 9LIST. It’s really about those must haves of shop, discover, and experiencing. So when I thought about a brand in thinking about my hat as a Co-Founder/Creative Director as well as being a fashion stylist and an Accessory Expert, your brand is amazing as its great materials, is embellished, has an edgy style to it, and it had accessories too. So having you in THE 9LIST Holiday Event made perfect sense so that we can get to know more about you and our readers are able to understand the brand and of course, show the looks, that they can shop their favorite finds as well! This is amazing and I enjoyed your time on Making the Cut as well!

When did you realize that you wanted to be a designer?

AS: I discovered my passion for design when I was young. I came from a family of fashion lovers! My mother is a fashion designer, my grandmother was a fashionista in her decade! So fashion has been in our blood.

When I was a teenager, I had the opportunity to live in London and I fell in love with the street style as well as European fashion. So since then, I knew that I wanted to be in the fashion industry absolutely!

AM: How did you hone your skills from where you trained or apprenticed?

AS: I have an International Business Administration degree because I always knew that I wanted to do that and to open a business. I knew that I needed to know how to manage it. Then I did Fashion Design in Marangoni in Miami. They opened their doors 4 years ago and I was one of the first students there. Then I also did Visual Merchandising and fashion courses in Milan, Italy. I also did styling courses with stylists in Miami. I did pattern making with a university in Columbia that had those courses online and so I have done different aspects of fashion as it’s what I love!

AM: I love that you love the business and you know it from the design, but also the structure of it and how to plan it.

AS: I think that it’s very important to know about the business first and then to specialize in the fashion part as well. It’s another thing about the business that is important.

AM: How do you approach designing upcoming seasons?

AS: So, I have inspiration from different sources. I love to travel and it’s one of the ways that I get a bit of therapy. When I travel, I am inspired in this way the most. So, I love to go to museums to get in touch with art, culture, and history. I also have personal experiences, friends who love the brand, so I love to be at the stores so I can be in touch with the customer. Their opinion is important for the feedback to see which pattern is working and which isn’t, the fabric, and fit! We always try to do cohesive collections, timeless pieces so you can shop in different seasons. But at the end of the day, they are timeless pieces that you can use all year long.

AM: That’s something that I have loved over the last decade or so that brands are focusing on a timeless collection that can truly be worn year around! You were talking about how you get inspired which is amazing. How would you describe your design aesthetic which I am so obsessed with!

AS: Oh thank you!

As I said, inspiration can come from different sources. My design aesthetic, I’d say that it is an element of sophistication and also a little bit edgy as well. It’s timeless and I try to be classic too! It’s a very eclectic brand where you can find romantic style, classic, rocker, boho – it’s a mix of things like a clash. So when we are with our customers, we try to tell them to take that risk, wear that jacket, be the center of attention as this will make you feel beautiful. We love to celebrate every woman and it’s about them enjoying their self expression too! We want them to express themselves with the pieces.

AM: Tell me about how the brand came about and what is the meaning behind SETA?

AS: The meaning behind the name SETA is S from Salazar because that is my last name. Also my second last name is Zapata so we wanted to get together the S and the Z. When I do my initials, I always do the ASZ and so I have S and Z always in my last name. It’s also an acronym, S – Sophistication, E – Edgy, T – Timeless and A – Attire.

AM: Oh, I love that!

AS: Yes, that is the acronym.

AM: What would you say is the ethos of the brand?

AS: Are ethos for this brand is that we strive to empower individual women to express their uniqueness through fashion. We offer pieces that not only standout, but embody quality and craftsmanship. I’m super focused on craftsmanship, items that are handmade, very unique pieces – we say that they are treasures from the closet.

AM: Love it.

I first became aware of you and your brand from your season on Making the Cut. Why did you want to be on the show and what was it like navigating those competitions?

AS: So, Making the Cut, was a very big decision on my career. It was an opportunity to be on a global stage and at the end of the day, if I didn’t do it, I would never know what would happen! I’m a woman that loves to take risk. I loved the first season, the judges, the way that they produced the show, and it was done very well in a high-end way. So, I think it was a very good platform to be on and it was a great way to learn professionally as well as personally. It was actually a great resource.

AM: Being able to get insights from Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn which we have interviewed previously, that must have been such an amazing resource. What did you learn from doing the show in working alongside them as well as the other designers?

AS: Working with industry icons like Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn was invaluable! It was a big opportunity – the feedback, the mentorship, these things were very important in staying true to my vision – that is what a real designer is. Also, Jeremy Scott says that the life of a designer is tough and you always have to be creating. You launch a collection, you’re already thinking of the next one. It is a non-stop industry that is also very competitive. It was also great to be next to big designers too that had a vision. We were all super different, no one was similar. So it was super interesting to have this cast and I really enjoyed it.

AM: It was so cool to watch you throughout the season as well as the other designers. Since the show, how has your brand grown?

AS: It has really grown! The presence has increased, we have a new clientele, the exposure opened our doors to have our own online channel, we also have Amazon Fashion as a customer. It was great growth and it has been a great year for us. Not only in exposure and publicity, but also for sales. Even after COVID and various things, we have really had a very good result! Being on Amazon has been a vision beyond borders. It’s just been a great opportunity.

AM: I really love that your brand, it has high visual texture, amazing embellishment that takes place and you really lean into that! Then there are the accessories which really rounds it out. Where does your love in those 3 areas come from?

AS: We love elevated looks! I don’t know, you can be a classic woman, but if you put on a belt, you’re already elevating that look.

AM: Yup!

AS: Accessories are the seal of the look. We really love that. That's something that we import because they are statement pieces and the belts are made super well and are handmade leather. We are very focused on that. We love the boots and the shoes and it’s a great way to diversify the business beyond just the clothing.

We’re also exploring the beauty industry – we have our fragrance. We want to do more research on this as we’re already a brand. We want to have candles and other kinds of products as well. So this will be something that is coming in future seasons as well.

AM: Tell me about your boutiques as I know you have a few – walk us though them.

AS: Our boutiques are carefully curated so it has the essence of the brand. From the moment you enter, you are immersed into the world of SETA. You’re surrounded by crafted garments and accessories. You can find our physical stores in Miami, Medellin, and Bogota. Those are our 3 stores. We have projects to open more and to franchise coming soon. But for now, we’re super good with these and of course, we’re available online too!

AM: That’s amazing and I hope you one in NY as that is where we’re based!

AS: We actually did a pop up last year there during NYFW!

AM: What’s your travel schedule like as I’m sure you personally maintain a presence in all 3 stores frequently?

AS: Oh yes. I think that that the pop ups are a very good resource to try different markets and we’re always looking at where the next place will be to open. But NY, that is our next target.

AM: That aesthetic for many of us in NY is just perfect!

AS: We feel the same way!

AM: Tell me about the SETA Gallery at the Sagamore Hotel in South Beach. It’s been fun to see the images on your IG.

AS: We really had this opportunity to have the space in this hotel. It’s a very traditional hotel in Miami Beach. It’s full of tourists and is in the touristy area of Miami Beach and we wanted to make it different. They wanted to expose art - different art pieces and to have it as a fashion exhibition. We are celebrating 10 years in the industry as a brand so that celebration allows us to showcase our most iconic pieces from the beginning! You can find our first pieces of the brand, it tells our story, and you can scan the QRCode and see the story of the piece and they are unique one of a kind pieces. It’s like an exclusive escape where they can see our pieces from our trajectory.

AM: What would you say are 3 core pieces from the brand that are essentials for people to have in their closets?

AS: So 3 essential pieces from SETA is definitely our classic Legend Military Jacket. That jacket has been a classic from the beginning and it’s a must. It’s very well fitted, it’s a statement. It’s good for the winter and the fall. It’s for that girl who loves to travel, so it’s a must. In our suit pants, we have our Baggy Suit Pants which are super super studded and they’re amazing too. They are showstoppers. A belt in general is a must. As I have said, a very classy woman wears classic pieces or basics, a belt adds that extra.

AM: You have a collab that you’re involved in. Can you tell me more about this and how it came together?

AS: Right now, we’re pitching some different shoe and accessory brands. I think that it’s very good to have a marriage and different strategies. But we have also had them in the past, we worked with a Spanish boot brand and we did a runway show in NY in 2022. We were sold out on all of the boots. People loved them and we had collabs with influencers in Columbia and from Latin American. It was amaz ing because they had their own influence and their own clientele. So we also sold super fast with those as well! We can tell that collabs work very well.

AM: In looking at your line, I love the color palette. Do you ever envision other colorways coming into the brand?

AS: Yeah, actually we do try to be more flexible with the colors. But to be honest with you, we only do that with little capsules. It can be a bit of a shocking position when we have colors in the brand and it’s a challenge because it targets a different kind of clientele. But why not?

This year for the holidays we did a bit of a lilac for the embellishment. People love it!

AM: It was pretty cool.

AS: A bit of a hint of color can make a difference.

AM: I can’t believe that we’re talking a few days out from the beginning of the year and when this is in our issues, it will be 2 days before New Year’s Eve!

AS: It’s unbelievable!

AM: For those that may still be planning what their NYE looks will be, I love that for this night, we all do different things.

AS: Yeah, I know it’s fun!

AM: So we reached out to you to give 3 NYE events and to present 3 looks that could be worn with accessories from SETA! So we’ll walk through each of the shown looks and get your thoughts on them (See the event stream here)!

The first one, we thought was amazing for a NYE Loft Party if you’re here in NYC or a roof top if you’re celebrating in warmer climates like Miami! I love that this look is really easy – tell us more about it.

AS: I really love this one because it is perfect for the winter. It’s a Mesh Turtleneck and pants and I love to put this bralette on top so that you can have that shimmery addition to your outfit. The mesh turtleneck, I’m wearing that right now.

AM: Loving the mesh!

AS: It’s like a layer and the Lumino Bralet – love it. The Luminous Collection is for Fall/Winter and is perfect for NYE. The cut, color, this one has the little lilac sequins that I talked to you about earlier. It’s a new color and the Lumino Pant is super comfortable and has a baggy style. It can be comfortable, yet beautiful for a rooftop or a dinner! It’s a very balanced look for the New Year.

AM: We also have a 2nd look that would be great if you’re doing New Years at home!

AS: Oh yeah, amazing!

AM: Not to say that you can’t dress whichever way you choose when celebrating at home, but I love the idea of still putting a great look together whether you’re enjoying it with friends or your significant other. It’s really fun with how relaxed it is – walk us through this one!

AS: It’s flawless. This is our Oversized Shirt in black, we also have it in white. I know a lot of people love to wear white for NYE. But we picked this one. This Alquimia Short is super baggy and is a bit of a Bermuda Short style. It’s embellished and it also has that lilac sequin that we’ve been talking about. It’s very special and these boots – you can wear hosiery or pantyhose with it if you’re looking for more coverage. But it’s the perfect outfit to be at home.

AM: I love this Rocker Boot! Does it slouch or fold over fully if you want to?

AS: Yes you can slouch them!

AM: It’s a sick boot!

AS: Yeah when you slouch them it has a great look!

AM: It looks like you’d have the perfect scrunch with them.

When we’re talking about the classic NYE bring it down with that epic night out, tell me about this!

AS: This is my favorite!

That Luminous Faux Coat! It’s perfect!

AM: Right?

AS: For NY it’s perfect and that catsuit, it’s my favorite of the season because I just posted a video using it and I was in NY because I went to Heidi Klum’s Halloween party and it was chilly. I wore it and I love it! I talked to the people and they loved it and it’s time that we shine in our own skin! People are loving this catsuit, it’s amazing because it’s all crystal and it’s super trendy right now.

I mean Kim Kardashian’s collaboration between SKIMS and Swarovski, I was happy to see that because I knew I was ahead with mine!

AM: When I saw the pieces from their drop, I instantly thought of your catsuit which you’ve already had! You’re so right that this is trending.

I must tell you that I really love your campaign shoots and videos as it lets me step into your world truly! Right now if you look at your IG table we see the pieces juxtaposed to glam elements of a tablescape with dinner plates and candelabras which is stunning. It ties back into the brand and is amazing!

AS: Thank you so much! You’re so sweet and thank you so much for all of this love! I think that when we do the things that we love, everything flows so we are really passionate and SETA is like our baby and it’s like our little daughter that never grows! We take care of her all the time and it’s our life project! It’s like a baby because we have been seeing all of the growth and we still have a lot to do.

It’s a lot of learning, it’s a lot of sacrifice, it’s a lot of bumps in the road but I love it – the success and the failure. It’s up and down, but it’s like life, but we love it as it’s the passion and it’s amazing to do what we love!

IG @seta_apparel

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | SETA

Read the DEC ISSUE #96 of Athleisure Mag and see THE STATEMENT | Andrea Salazar in mag.

THE ARTISAN | DOMINIC CIAMBRONE "THE SURGEON"

If you've been collecting sneakers and have a passion for some of your favorite Nike, Gucci, Lanvin's etc that are deconstructed, reconstructed and customized with premium and exotic skins, Dominic Ciambrone, a.k.a. The Surgeon is the legendary creative mind that is at the forefront of taking our sneaker game to the next level! His work has been coveted and collected by Justin Bieber, LeBron James, Odell Beckham Jr, DJ Khaled, Canelo, and more. In addition he has worked with Bentley Motors, NBA, NFL, Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, Heineken, Reese's, Glenmorangie, 7-11, and a number of other brands. We wanted to find out how he got into and pioneered this space, what his work entails, his projects, working with luxury brands, SRGN Studios, SRGN Academy, his passion for sports, The League, and additional projects that he is working on.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you realize that you wanted to be a shoemaker?

DOMINIC CIAMBRONE: When did I realize that I wanted to be a shoemaker? I would say when I was 19 years old. From the age of 15/16, I was painting shoes, but I realized that to actually be a shoemaker, I needed to take my craft a step further. That realization came I think when I met one of my mentors, Michael Anthony who hand makes western boots.

AM: What was that journey like to be able to be self-taught and learning all of those elements?

DC: It was a long road! I started with painting shoes and then I learned how to sew on top of them – I learned sewing in high school. Then I met my mentor who made western boots so I got to watch him make boots and then I realized that that’s what I wanted to do with sneakers. I wanted to make the highest end sneakers in the world and it took many years working for free and just doing stuff to learn about machines and tools. It was a lot of missteps and a lot of learning. I did paint, I did shoe repair, fixed purses and bags. I mean, I did all kinds of things just so that I could learn.

AM: Back in 2011/2012, I had a collaboration with Sebago and I had a line of their boat shoes and we sold it on HSN, Bloomingdale's and a few select retailers and I was so excited. But my background at that time was in apparel and jewelry as opposed to shoes. I remember reading an article about you and your work when I was on my flight heading to the factory in the Dominican Republic. After reading it, I felt that in hearing your story, how you approached your work etc, that if I could take that same approach and focus on the materials and create another way to highlight this style of shoe much as you do with sneakers that I could do it! So reading about you and just thinking about it in a different way saved me from freaking out on my flight I just wanted to say thank you for that!

DC: That’s awesome!

AM: Why do you call yourself The Surgeon?

DC: I was 18 years old in a hotel in NYC for the first time trying to figure out what to call myself, the brand, and what I was doing. I just wrote down a bunch of things and I was just trying to figure out what do I do to sneakers? What do I do to the shoes? I was like, “surgery,” and that’s where it got birthed – The Surgeon. Now that we're expanding the business, we've taken "Shoe" out of the name and go by SURGEON. Our creativity isn't limited to sneakers and you're going to see that more and more next year.

AM: When you’re customizing shoes, where do you start in that creative process when you’re making sneakers?

DC: I mean it changes. I don’t have one set process. For me, I have always been able to build something to life straight from an idea. I love sourcing materials, I’m really big into materials, I think that I’m mostly a materials person. I mostly just love it so much. You can turn something into a product and that’s a beautiful thing.

AM: I’m also a fashion stylist and an accessory expert, so I’m constantly talking about and believe that when someone is purchasing a handbag, jewelry, or shoes, you’re buying what the designer intended in making that item as well as what the wearer puts into it after wearing it and wanting it. Ultimately, that connection between the person who purchased it and the product creates its own history and meaning. When people are buying your shoes, what are they getting?

DC: I mean, ha – they get a piece of my soul. They get a piece of something that’s my entire life and they get a piece of shoemaking history that dates back all the way to Ancient Egypt! I mean, there’s those hieroglyphics on the wall that I looked at recently and some of the oldest ones have people making shoes!

AM: You have been worn and collected by so many people from LeBron James, Justin Bieber, Drake and more. What’s it like when you’re collaborating with them on specific ideas and incorporating your concepts together?

DC: Sometimes they give me the full range to do what I want and then there’s some that have a couple of ideas and I help bring their ideas to life where they will give a little bit of direction and I’m able to go back and forth. I think that a true collaboration is a very beautiful thing. You have 2 energies that are coming together to create something magical.

AM: You’ve also worked with so many brands whether it’s Gucci or Lanvin or Nike or Reese’s, what does it feel like to be able to work with these types of brands and to bring your creativity and artistry into what their lexicon is?

DC: I mean, it’s a beautiful thing. At the end of the day, I just – a friend of mine told me that I’m making commercial cool right? So a lot of the stuff that I get to do is that I get to make cool commercials and I didn’t look at it that way. People just reached out to me for my craft and my artistry and what I have been able to build from my Instagram to just a true foundation where I hold a high value on my quality and my artisanal work with the team so it’s really cool to be able to be part of it.

AM: You’re SURGEON X Bentley partnership last year where you had the limited edition shoes as well as Surgeon-ifying their car, what did it mean to you to work with this brand and to create in this way?

DC: Bentley is one of, if not the most, prestigious car company in the world. So, to be able to fly to Crewe, England and sit with the makers there and to see how they produced one of the highest quality cars in the world was a very humbling experience and it was so amazing to be able to do that because that car is the top of the top!

AM: Oh yeah!

The materials that you use – the leathers, the exotics are amazing. Have you also used sustainable materials like banana leathers, mycelium and things like that?

DC: Oh yeah, I’ve been using different ideas of sustainability whether it’s even recycled materials. I actually flew to Brazil, developed an Elephant Ear plant material and we have used that on shoes and right now, I have a shoe that is launching that the sole is dyed with turmeric, the swoosh is mushroom, pineapple leather, grape leaf leather – I mean, it’s a really cool shoe.

AM: What has been your favorite project that you have worked on?

DC: I don’t really have favorites …

AM: You’re like me – I don’t have favorites, but there are a lot of things that I vibe with!

DC: I think it’s myself – really working on myself is beauty and I never looked at it that way until recently. So to be able to work on myself and to be able to translate that to my children, the work will speak for itself. myself is beauty and I never looked at it that way until recently. So to be able to work on myself and to be able to translate that to my children, the work will speak for itself.

AM: When you started, this industry and the market didn’t really exist in this way and you definitely have left a mark on it. Where do you see the industry in the next 15/20 years?

DC: That’s a great question. I don’t know. I don’t think like that because shoes and the custom industry was something that I think that I really helped pioneer and now for me, it’s way bigger than that. I’m working on architecture, interiors, car design, and so many other things. So just for custom shoes as an industry, I think that more people will respect the process more. I think that some will try it and most won’t like it because it’s a lot of work. I do think that a lot of things will be going to automation and easy to do things.

AM: Tell me about SRGN Academy which you have in LA, Las Vegas and at the Seaport here in NY.

DC: The SRGN Academy was started 8 or 9 years ago now. Growing up, I didn’t have a class or a school that I wanted to go to so I wanted to offer a trade school that you learn how to make a pair of shoes from scratch and at the same time, it’s not just about the shoes. It’s about going through something for yourself and doing something positive for yourself.

AM: Then there’s SRGN Studios, why did you want to launch this and what does it entail?

DC: SRGN Studios and even SURGEON Worldwide, is just a company that I have been able to build. The studio is like my fantasy factory where we have sports and all things under one roof. Not until you’re able to come into the studio do you really get a feel for it. You can only see so much through social media and online. So it's just a way for people to be able to have fun and live life. Life’s too short. I wanted to create a safe and fun place for people.

AM: Tell me about The League.

DC: The League started out of – well my business partner Dallas Imbimbo, he plays basketball and I play soccer. So once we got into our newer space, we just started playing pickup games and then we were like, “oh, let’s do more.” So we turned it into a league and it’s been very competitive, and fun, and a great outlet for me to not just be creative – but athletic and to compete in a healthy way.

AM: It seems like you have a full schedule. Will you ever have versions where you go to other cities like here in NY or in Miami.

DC: Yeah, we’re working on it.

AM: A few minutes ago, you were talking about how your passion extends beyond just shoes as you’re working in architecture, interiors, and cars. Will you have a clothing line, will we ever see a hotel that you do?

DC: Yeah exactly! I’m working on all of those things. I think that the hotel is definitely something that I love. I’m passionate about traveling and experience is something that is very meaningful to me so a hotel is definitely ideating.

AM: Here at Athleisure Mag, we love talking about food, it’s a great love that we’re constantly covering. You have the Canevari’s Ravioli Factory & Delicatessen – tell us more about this.

DC: My dad took over this deli 12-15 years ago and growing up my whole life, my dad was a chef. My mom cooked and my dad, when I was going into my freshman year of high school, they opened a restaurant and I got to see them live out their passions by just opening up a restaurant. At the time, I took it for granted and I didn’t understand it. I thought that it was normal and it was just my normal. Now that they have the deli, I have helped them remodel it, help brand it, and to get the right eyeballs on it to continue to grow it. It’s helped my dad and I to become closer.

“They get a piece of my soul. They get a piece of something that’s my entire life and they get a piece of shoemaking history that dates back all the way to Ancient Egypt! I mean, there’s those hieroglyphics on the wall that I looked at recently and some of the oldest ones have people making shoes!”

— Dominic Ciambrone "The Surgeon"

AM: What do you do in terms of working out as we like to know. So what are 3 workouts that you do that we should consider to add into our routines?

DC: Play soccer! Play soccer! It’s such a good workout. I mean and then, steam room, sauna, and I also meditate which is a workout for the mind to relax and physical therapy. I think a lot of people don’t realize how important physical therapy is. We wait until we’re hurt or we need to recover to get to it. But it’s like, if you can be preventative, then you’ll always be good. Mobility workouts are great. It’s less about weight and going crazy, it’s about the body and being really kind to your body and figuring out how to open it up so that you can have it for the longevity of your life.

AM: Totally agree. I turned 40 a few years ago and prior to that I wasn’t as focused on recovering the body post workout and mobility. When I started adding it in, I wondered why I had never done that because your body needs it and you can feel it over time.

When you’re not working, how do you take time for yourself?

DC: How do I take time for myself? I have a life coach that I work with every week. You know, I would say that playing soccer is time for myself even though it is in the studio. It’s really the only time that I ever shut off unless I’m in a meditation or workout. Hiking, traveling, and then working on myself for my children.

AM: Are there any upcoming projects that you would like to share?

DC: Ha! I’d have to ask my team! I can’t even keep up. We’re moving into the new studio, another 20,000 sq ft. We have a collaboration with Allen Iverson that launches next month. I mean, there are so many, I can’t even keep up anymore.

AM: You have so many projects going on and dropping. When a project comes to your attention, how do you decide if that is something that you want to add to your schedule?

DC: We have built such a great team to help manage this stuff so that we can continue to grow and that for me as a creative, I can continue to explore new things. So, it just depends. There are so many great things that we’re working on and a lot of the things that I’m working on is the stuff for the future.

AM: You’re also an advocate and you speak about the importance of mental health which is something we believe in. Why is it so important to you and what do you feel is the connection between mental health and physical health?

DC: As a kid, I went through a lot of mental health challenges, and I don’t think that I knew of it that way. At 24, I ended up jumping out of a window when I was making shoes for Justin Bieber, and I was diagnosed bipolar and I didn’t really know what that meant. Then when I started doing more self-research and figuring more things out, it’s so important – mental health and physical health are one in the same and you need to do both. When you take care of your physical health, your mental health will be better. It’s just true in the same and so it’s very important to physically take care of yourself for your mental purposes and with mindful workouts which is meditation, positive self-talk, it's mindfulness and so many things. And yeah, there’s so many people with how the world is going where people are pushing you know, different types of medicines. There’s something so much more easier about being able to get up and going for a walk, being in the sun, and taking care of your mind, body, and soul.

AM: I heard you like to rap in the office!

DC: HAHA I like to make people laugh! Growing up, my dad always rhymed, more like Dr. Seuss than a rapper, but I do it for myself and also to help people around to laugh. My kids pick it up to and it’s so funny because if I try to start rhyming and rapping, my daughter’s like, “dad, stop!”

AM: I could see you dropping a mix tape!

DC: I mean, I’m working on music more for exploring it. It’s less about rapping and more about just creating!

IG @ciambrone

@thesurgeon

@srgnstudio

@srgnacademy

@srgnnyc

@canevarisdeli

PHOTO CREDITS | FRONT/BACK COVER, PG 20 + 9DRIP 42-45 Bryam Heredia/SRGN Studios + Grooming/Stefanie Guerra | PG 16-19, 22-41 SRGN Studios |

Read the NOV ISSUE #95 of Athleisure Mag and see THE ARTISAN | Dominic Ciambrone “The Surgeon” in mag.

THE HEAT | DANIEL AUUSTIN

This month, one of our favorite shows came back for its second season, HBO's Rap Sh!t which follows the journey of Shawna (Aida Osman) and Mia (KaMillion) as they navigate the music industry. Their relationship and journey is loosely based on City Girls. We learn about the music scene in South Florida, the Haitian community and what they do in order to survive along their ride to the top! One of the main characters, Maurice is played by Daniel Augustin who we have enjoyed in ABC's Grey's Anatomy and Hulu's How I Met Your Father! We wanted to find out more about this entertainer, how he approaches his craft, and what we can expect from this season of Rap Sh!t.

ATHLEISURE MAG: It’s so good to sit down with you as I have been a fan of your work and I love your character Maurice in Rap Sh!t and of course, the show is amazing! So I’m excited to talk with you!

DANIEL AUGUSTIN: Thank you so much! Thank you so much for saying that! It’s very exciting to hear and I’m excited to talk to you guys too!

AM: It’s clear that you’re definitely an entertainer. You’re an actor, director, producer, and a musician. When did you realize that you wanted to be in this industry?

DA: I think that I realized that I wanted to be in this industry before I knew how to be. That was around the time when I was watching Hannah Montana.

AM: Oh!

DA: The TV show, yeah! I didn’t know how to be an actor at that time because all I could do was the community acting in South Florida. South Florida didn’t have anywhere near the industry. I think in South Florida there were some Nickelodeon shows, but nothing along the lines of what I was seeing on Hannah Montana. I remember Hannah Montana’s (Miley Cyrus) brother on the show whose name was Jackson (Jason Earles) - I remember hearing he was 28/29/30 and he was playing her high school brother. I remember thinking how many opportunities must come from being able to portray characters at different ages. I just remember watching that show and that it sparked my imagination as to what’s possible and to no longer seeing what I see on TV as solely impossible.

AM: Right.

DA: I mean, she was even doing a bunch of stuff like being dressed up and nobody knowing that it’s her and all she’s doing is just wearing a different wig! That show did a lot for me and I think that at the time that that came out, I was probably 14/15 and that’s when I felt that I wanted to do it. Before that, watching people like Martin Lawrence (Martin, Boomerang, Bad Boys franchise), Jamie Foxx (Ray, White House Down, The Amazing Spider Man 2), Marlon Wayans (Scary Movie franchise, Respect, Air), and Will Smith (Men in Black franchise, Suicide Squad, King Richard) in their sitcoms that they had at the time – those guys raised me essentially and I think that that’s where I found my sense of charisma and playfulness with people. But I don’t think that it was until I saw the Hannah Montana show that I started to think that anything could kind of be possible. This guy is 29 years old and he’s playing someone in high school! That’s when I started to think about how I could go about doing this.

AM: That’s really cool and it’s interesting to see where inspiration can come from.

Earlier this month, you released Movie. Why did you want to take on this project?

DA: Movie means a lot to me because I have not been releasing music in years. I started releasing music when I was maybe 10 years old. So I think I stopped around 2018 as I had made a very hard pivot towards film and TV so I have not been recording, I have not been writing, and I hadn’t really been finding my way to sonics in the way that I would as a recording artist. I was very excited about doing this because when the SAG strike happened, I wasn’t nervous about anything, but I thought about how much control of my career that I don’t necessarily have per se. I don’t want to feel like I don’t have control of my life. So I started to pivot and focus on writing again and I started to focus first on screenwriting. I wrote a pilot, I wrote about my old high school football coach and I’m writing a feature film with my wife, Sh’Kia Augustin that we’re collaborating on. But there was still something that I didn’t feel like I was activated in a very theatrical way and in a way that moves through my body. So, I started to team up with the guys – a majority of those that I did when I was young. So I started in a Christian rap group called Mav-7 and I started reaching out to those guys that were in that group. Alvin Lewis is the main one who is servicing as all forms of A&R, helping me find music/songs and people to work with. Steven Guy, Channel Aria Sound, that’s just 3 names off the top and these guys were helping me craft my sound again. They were helping me craft stories and they were helping me see myself in an entertaining way that amused me and in a way that I felt would be entertaining to others and that I would want to be behind it.

I think that the strike had a lot to do with it and it offered me a lot of time to actually find another form or way to express myself.

AM: You also released Kinfolk: The Series which is 6 episodes and is also your passion project. It was also recognized and selected in Tribeca’s 2022 Creator Market, what led to that coming about?

DA: Kinfolk is another form of taking control of my career. I didn’t film it and you know work on it just to take control of my career. I started as a production assistant and I learned so many skills as a production assistant. I think I started in 2012 working at this small production company called As Seen On TV. They do these smaller commercials for products that you’ll see in Walgreens and Walmart. The commercials will go on late at night, but this gentleman, Laszlo Rain, he would do such an amazing job at making sets to make it look like it was a much bigger professional production. I was always enamored at that and I was always enamored at the magic behind what it took to make it look good. As an actor, I see the part that I play, but there are so many parts that go into the process.

Around 2010, Kanye West had come out with My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy album that he did and I also remember High School Musical. High School Musical really changed the way that I saw creativity as a whole. From that point on, I wasn’t the guy that was just making the songs, I wasn’t the guy that was the actor, I wanted to turn my songs into a script. So it went from, I want to make music and to feel the rhythms – it turned from that to wanting to be able to turn this into more of a narrative. My wife and I, who was my girlfriend at the time, she helped me get my first camera. It was a Canon 5D Mark III. We bought that camera and we started shooting. I still didn’t know that I wanted to do all of this stuff yet because I wasn’t good at it. I wasn’t good at directing, I wasn’t good at editing, I wasn’t good at coloring, I was bad at it – I was bad at all of that stuff actually.

But we just kept doing stuff, kept shooting stuff and people kept asking me for stuff. They’d say that they had a wedding on Fri and if I could help them, and I would. That would allow me to have a new lesson on a Fri that I hadn’t expected to get. So upon doing Kinfolk, I think that that was a culmination of a lot of different years of being creative and just just being in front of the camera. That’s not to say that being in front of the camera is not creative. But you see how much more creativity goes into pre-producing a project and then the post-production of a project. I think that by doing pre-production, post-production, and feeling the sense of gratitude for completing the project, I started to really feel like I was more than the person who waits to be picked and on set. A lot of the people that I worked with on set, those actors would tell me how much they appreciated the opportunity because a lot of those people were those that were super talented, but they weren’t booking stuff. Booking is not that simple. It’s hard and it feels like a lottery sometimes. It feels like you’re just not going to win! Upon working with other people and other actors, who just really want to be able to go out and do this, I started to appreciate it more because I think that I started to get more value out of my days because I was able to service more people than myself as opposed to just waiting for an audition. I know I started to appreciate that process more and more and I think that that’s where it all started.

AM: That’s really interesting and because of that, you and your wife, have your production company Augustin Productions. What are the kinds or types of projects that you’re looking to do under that company?

DA: Right now, all of the projects, when I think about it they’ve all been in alignment with very family oriented stories or family away from family kind of stories. I think that that’s what I have been coming to terms with – how much is family really part of all of our lives. Kinfolk in particular is so family centric, but aside from that, I worked on a short film that I believe made it to the Toronto Black Film Festival called TIFI {LITTLE GIRL} in creole Tifi means girl. It’s about this young girl and her family. This young girl wants to play soccer. So I think that if I can tie it into one word – cultural. Augustin Productions works on projects that have very cultural and specific minded objectives and narratives. I don’t know if that makes sense on how I just phrased that – but it makes sense to me – very cultural.

AM: No, I definitely get where you’re going with that and how the work ties itself into that category.

DA: I like that it’s family and culture based. In Kinfolk, we don’t have any Haitian characters in there, but there’s a lot of things that I think that Haitian families can relate to even though that story has more African American in it than anything else. So I think that the culture always stands firm more than anything I’m directing, shooting, editing, but also there’s family tied into it very heavily which I think helps people relate so much more when they’re watching.

AM: As an actor, what are you looking for when you’re thinking about accepting a role and what’s your creative process when you are becoming that character that you will portray?

DA: What I’m looking for – when I’m looking at a role, it’s how can I actually add value to the role? I’m looking to see where I can actually add that kind of value because I can see who the person is on paper. But when I start to speak for the person, the paper can only serve as a blueprint now. So I tend to look for everything that’s not on the paper. The paper serves solely as a blueprint, but that blueprint tells me things that sometimes, you can’t fit on the page. So I start to make choices for the actor that I believe and the writers may change some things and they’re more than welcome to – I just start to make choices for the actor based on what the blueprint tells me. If the blueprint says this character is going to say this in this scene, I’m going to take that to mean that they said that, but there is a reason why they said that, and that’s not necessarily off the page. So I’m looking to see if what they have given the actor can lead to images in my head. If it doesn’t lead to images in my head, then there might be somebody else who is best served for that role. Because I need to be well informed in how I can bring something to that role almost like a BYOB. I’ve got to bring my own bottle and food to the party. So I’m looking for something that will let me know what ingredients that this character may need so that I can sizzle off the page.

As far as how I prepare, a lot of times I think that I lead in with some kind of music. Like after I read the role, I almost always can have a soundtrack in mind. Preferably, it’s something without words, I always try to have a soundtrack in mind and I just let it play as I start to prepare. So there’s 2 types of preparation. There’s the audition and then there’s on set. If it is an audition, I’m still going to have music playing while I’m preparing, just because it almost feels like that music speaks to the character and what I’m about to do as well.

So for my role on Rap Sh!t – for that role, before I even did the audition, I had the music going in the background just playing and it was probably a very specific song based on where that person is in their life. The character Maurice, where he was in life at the beginning of the show in Season 1 is not where he is going to be in Season 2. In Season 2 by the finale, he will have gone through stuff that I don’t think that people would have assumed would be what he is going through.

So for the first season, all the songs that I was listening to were so so flirty, playful, seductive, and sensual. But in Season 2, I get into a lot more. So on my way to work, if we’re shooting in Culver City in LA or if we’re in Miami and I’m on the plane, I already have a playlist prepared to have him start to speak to me and to speak for me and these people have already gone through all of these things. One of the songs in particular, I hope it doesn’t give away any information -

AM: ooo

DA: I’ll give you 2 songs. 1 song that I would always listen to on the way to work was Michael Franks’, When Sly Calls, that’s a jazz sound. The other is The O’Jays’ Back Stabbers.

AM: Ok now!

DA: Haha so I listen to those songs on the way to work. These people have lived through that stuff already so by the time that I get into work, I feel like I have downloaded some energy before I come into work. Because what’s going to go on the screen, can’t be what’s on the page. Because on the page is literally my blueprint and for me to come in and color things onto the page so that we can fill the page with more than that black ink, I need something else that has been downloaded into my system that I can now give and bring to this party. I need to be able to bring my own bottle, to bring my own food, and I think that I get that a lot from music! I do other things too. I study in a very particular way as I’m sure that every actor does, but I kind of always have music in the background playing when I’m studying. So even when I put the script down for a second, I’m catching this person’s energy and it’s staying with me when I’m on set. It’s not just me, it’s kind of like, you know the work is us, but it’s bigger then us too.

AM: I love how you’re using music in that way!

I love this show, I’m such a huge fan of it from the words, the characters, the visuals and more! Of course, as we all watched the series finale of HBO's Insecure, to know a few months later that we could get excited about her newest project, Rap Sh!t the anticipation was real! What drew you to this series initially?

DA: Well initially, it was the fact that it was based on Miami – that was 1. He’s Haitian – that’s 2! He wasn’t Haitian at first as it just said, that he was either Haitian or Hispanic when I first saw the breakdown. Haitians are a huge part of the culture in Miami so that drew me in heavily. Lastly, and there’s more than this, but my character starts off working at a hotel in Miami. When my parents first came to South Florida from Haiti, they both came from Haiti, they were immigrants, and they both worked at hotels in Miami. My dad was a concierge and when I saw that role with him being a concierge, it was like a spiritual connection for me in a sense where it was just something small and cute that I can appreciate about this character because a majority of times, usually not everything connects.

Sometimes, you’re trying to see where you can connect this or that. I had a character on How I Met Your Father who moved to Australia. I had never been to Australia, so that was something for me that for me to be able to connect with it, I was watching documentaries of Australia and the Great Barrier Reef and stuff like that! When I saw those things and that he was Haitian, living in Miami, and a concierge, automatically it started to sit very well with me.

AM: Wow!

DA: There’s so many other things in it that are icing on the cake for me! But him being Haitian and from Miami was great! I’m from Fort Lauderdale, but we’re neighbors and that was something for me that was very very special to see. I don’t see that on every audition. There are definitely more Haitian roles and I’ve seen that uptick in the past over the past or 3 years for Haitian roles and Haitian representation. But, seeing Issa Rae’s name, I’ve always been a fan of hers especially just based on how she uplifted her community, she’s done so much creatively speaking, and how she has done so much for independent creators. I’ve always been a huge fan of hers so seeing that she was behind this and HBO – I’m a huge huge huge fan of this as well. So seeing all of these things was like, alright it’s such an alignment that for me to be able to have this role it’s just one of my most proudest achievements of my life to date.

AM: How would you describe Maurice?

DA: I would describe Maurice as indescribable, but I will still explain that. I feel like he’s all of us in a way as he’s very human individual, he’s just also a very, by any means necessary kind of guy at the same time. In spite of his by any means necessary approach, he’s able to be playful and fun. He’s flirty and supportive. I think that he’s one of the most diverse characters I’ve seen on screen because I think that there’s so much to unpack as it pertains to his character, his culture, how he communicated with women, because I think that when people talk nowadays and they talk about dating, they tend to talk about how difficult dating is. But I don’t think that it is difficult, just because it’s hard, it’s difficult because we’re not all good communicators, we don’t always know what we want, and sometimes when we do feel that we know what we want, it’s not very clear. I feel like he’s misunderstood, but he’s one of the most supportive individuals that I have seen on screen, almost to a fault.

AM: For those that may need a refresher where did we leave Maurice last season and depending on how much you can tell us, where do we pick up with him again heading into this season as it just started earlier this month?

DA: Last season, he was bathed in mystery. The season ends off with him essentially letting Shawna know that they need to cool off and they need to lay low because they got caught and they’re in trouble, but he’s playing it off like it’s ok. Because I think that he has been in these kinds of scenarios before.

Me personally, I have experienced a lot of what Maurice has experienced because when I was younger, I had a lot of friends that were in what you say in creole, the jwett – it’s a play, it’s a game and so I was on the outside looking in for some of it, but when I didn’t have a 9-5, I had friends that were doing what Maurice was doing and they would try to pull me in and sometimes, they’d get me to come in because I was trying to figure out how to pay bills or how to pay for studio sessions and so on and so forth. So, I’ve been in the situation where Maurice has been in where you’re in trouble, but you have to have confidence that you’re not in trouble so that you can actually get out of trouble.

So he’s been in a headstrong space where he’s seemingly way too cool about it and I think that it is creating an unease for Shawna because of how cool he is about it, she doesn’t necessarily know how to be easy because she doesn’t know and hasn’t had the kinds of experiences that he has had. He ends up letting her know that they’re in trouble, that she is ok, that nothing is wrong, and nothing is going to happen. Ultimately, when she goes back to work, something has happened, the cops come, and they want to speak to her. She doesn’t know how to handle it and she doesn’t know how to be cool and she runs. The season ends with her trying to run off from the police! We end up leaving it off in this space that is a bit open ended and we don’t know what is going on with Maurice and Shawna and she doesn’t know what happened nor does she know what is happening between the two of them.

Essentially I think that Shawna is going to continue to be left in that space of not knowing what is happening more that anybody. For Season 2 as we continue, I think that we’re going to play more of a game of that space and not knowing with Maurice. It’s a mystery and sometimes it’s going to be poured onto Shawna and I think that they are going to go back and forth and so I don’t want to say too much!

AM: Oh wow! We’ve been watching a few seasons and of course, we’re hooked and can’t wait to see how the season continues to evolve and unfold! When it ended last season, I wanted to know what was going on and thankfully we’ll get more answers over the next few weeks and I know our readers will feel the same way!

DA: Yes! It’s going to be a seesaw of emotions in Season 2!

AM: When you’re not on set, how do you take time for yourself to relax or to indulge in self-care?

DA: Man, man – how do I? When I’m not on set, lately what it’s been is that I have been doing therapy lately. That’s been very useful for me to figure out what self-care even looks like? So that’s been one of the things because sometimes, even when I’m not on set, I’m still working on stuff! I’m still writing scripts and I have been doing that a lot. I’ve been working with script consultant, out in London, by the name of Dominic Morgan, very helpful. I’ve been working with a script consultant here in LA called Pilar Alessandra and her program is called On The Page. It’s hard for me to call that self-care, but I have been trying to figure out too – what self-care even is.

Some of the other things that I have been doing self-care - wise is I have been watching more documentaries lately and reality TV as opposed to narratives. It’s just so I can cool off a bit on all of the story stuff that I am constantly involved in. Just so that I can have a bit more fun with it. I’ve been recording again. That’s been a lot of fun and I flew out to South Florida and recorded a lot of music with Alvin Louis and Steven Guy.

And there’s been yoga -

AM: Nice!

DA: There’s been creating even though that’s not necessarily a super chill thing to do. It does feel like self-care to me because it makes me feel like I am taking care of myself creatively and professionally as well. Last one that I will add to that is reading! I’ve been doing a ton of reading!

AM: Are there any upcoming projects that we should keep an eye out for that you will be releasing soon that you’re able to share?

DA: Oh wow, so, there definitely is. There’s some stuff that has happened that I have not been allowed to talk about!

AM: As always is the case!

DA: Yeah, so I’m trying to see if I can sneak something off about it. Let’s just say, there’s going to be something going on in the near future where it will be super hero related. I’m not saying that I will be a superhero.

AM: Okay.

DA: But it is something superhero related in the pretty near future. I just don’t have control over dates. I did just release a music video for Movie and that one was just one part of what I will be sharing with fans. There’s going to be some BTS coming out about that and also a ton of other videos that I shot. 2 more videos here in LA that were directed by Jacob Rink and I shot 2 videos in South Florida. So there is going to be a lot of music and I’m trying to see if the feature film that me and my wife are writing, I wish that I could talk about it, but I’m scared to say what the topic is of the film as I think that it is so synonymous with all of us here. For that one, I’m trying to see if we will be able to self-produce it and to shoot it on our own. I don’t know if we are going to be able to self-produce it just yet, but that’s a goal as well. So right now, I’m going to say that those are the main things that are on the forefront of my mind – music, self-produced content and a superhero thing that I am holding out for that I am hoping will come out soon. I look forward to be able to talk about that and I would also like to be able to say a Rap Sh!t Season 3!

AM: We are all hoping that there will be a Rap Sh!t Season 3! It’s been fun over the years to see you on Grey’s Anatomy as well as How I Met Your Father! In terms of you and this show, I’m always a fan of the concepts that are talked about, looking at how people navigate getting into the music business, learning more about the vibe of South Florida and anything that is missed from the show, catching up with Jessie Woo and Zach Campbell on Chat Sh!t fills in the rest of the gaps I enjoy hearing immediately after I have watched!

DA: Yeah!!!!!

AM: So I definitely hope there are more seasons to come and you continue to do what you’re doing!

DA: Thank you, I appreciate you for saying that!

IG @danielaugustin

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 158 - 162 Ben Cope | PG 165 + 166 Alicia Vera/HBO Max | PG 169 + 170 Erin Simkin/Max |

Read the NOV ISSUE #95 of Athleisure Mag and see THE HEAT | Daniel Augustin in Mag.

THE ART OF THE SNACK | A FISH CALLED AVALON

In this month's The Art of the Snack, we made our way down to Miami's South Beach which is known for a number of their iconic eateries that have been included in some of our favorite films. Years ago, we had the pleasure of catching a meal at the iconic A Fish Called Avalon which is located at The Avalon in South Beach's Art Deco Distrct on Ocean Drive. We love the good vibes that are felt here whether you're eating inside of the restaurant or outsideso that you can also take in the sites and sounds that are around you!

Known for their seafood and good vibes, we talked with Giorgio Riccobono, who is the General Manager. He tells us about the Art Deco District, The Avalon, its place in pop culture and of course the kinds of dishes that we should keep in mind when it comes to our next visit!

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did A Fish Called Avalon open?

GIORGIO RICCOBONO: 1989

AM: Tell us about the Art Deco District that it resides?

GR: We are located in the heart of the iconic South Beach Art Deco district. Nestled on the corner of Ocean Drive and 7th St, The Avalon and A Fish Called Avalon are one of the most prominently recognized Hotels and Restaurants on the strip.

AM: The restaurant is located in The Avalon hotel. What can you tell us about this iconic hotel as it has been in films and video games?

GR: The Avalon has made its appearance in Scarface, Miami Vice, Bad Boys for Life and has many references in the video game Grand Theft Auto.

AM: With Harrison Ford, Emilio and Gloria Estefan and Guy Ritchie and more frequenting this hot spot, can you tell us about the recent renovations that have taken place and what can guests expect whether they are eating inside or on your outdoor dining patio?

GR: The Hotel and Restaurant have undergone many recent renovations. All rooms have been updated with new hardwood floors, mattresses, new furniture and larger TVs. All new carpeting within the hallways. The restaurant has been updated with new furniture and dishware.

AM: We love the Oldsmobile that is in front of your patio dining.

GR: Yes, she is our Mascot. The most photographed car in the country.

AM: What kind of cuisine is served here and tell is about the background of Executive Chef Kal Abdalla?

GR: We are a seafood concept with locally sourced fish and shellfish, international flavors and extensive wine list.

Chef Kal Abdalla is the Executive Chef at A Fish Called Avalon. He started his culinary career at the age of 18. He is a native of the Syrian island of Arwad where he grew up with an appreciation of the eastern Mediterranean's bountiful fish, seafood and organically grown fruits and vegetables. He background is in French classical cuisine.

For over 4 decades, he has a vast experience in preparing haute cuisine, is a master of delivering beautifully composed plates that focus on simple, fresh and perfectly prepared ingredients.

Chef Kal offers diners a satisfying range of styles, ingredients and cooking techniques. These reflect his broad experience abroad European and American cruise lines, and the sophisticated techniques and tastes he absorbed during travels to countries including France, Argentina, England, Ireland, Morocco and Japan.

Prior to being here, he was the Executive Chef at The Forge Restaurant in Miami from 1983 to 2003. He has accumulated significant honors including multiple DiRoNA Awards (Distinguished Restaurants of North America), Wine Spectator’s “Best Steak in America” and the Miami chapter of Chaine des Rotisseurs’ “Best Restaurant of the Year” award.

During that period he had the honor of preparing dinners for both of President Ronald Reagan’s inaugural galas, and participated in Johnson & Wales University’s The Distinguished Visiting Chef series. His most recent accolades come from his peers in the culinary industry, who have voted him among the prestigious “Best Chefs America” for the last three years. Under his leadership since 2010, A Fish Called Avalon restaurant continues to be recognized for the superb dining experience that has made it a culinary legend in South Beach for 26 years.

AM: You offer Happy Hour nightly. Are there 3 dishes that are on this menu that you suggest?

GR: Definitely. Bang Bang Shrimp with brown sugar butter, curry & turmeric, cucumber mint yogurt and pepper relish.

North Atlantic Wild Mussels with tarragon, fresh herbs and Pernod.

Burrata with tomato coulis, micro basil and garlic Parmigiano crostini.

AM: What are 3 appetizers that you suggest that we should have when visiting?

GR: Grilled Spanish Octopus with fennel salad and squid ink Madeira.

Bang Bang Shrimp with brown sugar butter, curry & turmeric, cucumber mint yogurt and pepper relish.

Seared Jumbo Sea Scallops with charred leeks and asparagus coulis.

AM: For a main course, what are 3 dishes that you suggest as we know that you have 3 main categories - seafood, meat and poultry as well as vegetarian options.

GR: Our Most famous Seafood dish is the Macadamia Crusted Snapper with spinach risotto and a raspberry Beaujolais Beurre blanc.

Pan seared Filet Mignon with rapini, leek potato mash and a shitake Madeira reduction.

Grilled ½ Chicken with truffle sweet potato mash, garlic ginger haricot verts, gorgonzola cream.

AM: What are 3 desserts that you suggest that we should enjoy when dining?

GR: We are still reigning national Key Lime Pie Champions. Ours is served with a pecan crust and fresh whipped cream.

Our Coconut Crème Brulee with fresh raspberries.

Grand Marnier Chocolate Mousse served in a maple pistachio tuile.

AM: What are 3 cocktails that we should think about enjoying and sharing on our Instagram feeds?

GR: Havana Super 88, a new twist on a negroni and named after our Oldsmobile which combines, Brugal 1888 Dark rum, Aperol and Perfect vermouth. Served in a mini replica of the Oldsmobile.

Maracuya, a passionfruit martini with orange infused vodka, dry curacao, passionfruit juice and pressed pineapple, garnish with a perfect marigold.

Boomshine, a spicy margarita with jalapeno infused tequila, cilantro, agave, and goslings 151 float and jalapeno salt.

AM: For those that are making plans for Easter dinner, do you have a special menu for that?

GR: We will serve our a la carte menu and have some exquisite specials that have yet to be determined.

AM: As we’re moving from the winter and beginning to think about the Spring, are there any live performances that you would like to highlight that are coming up?

GR: We have live music 7 days a week. Our current roster is Salsason, Neo Big Band, The French Horn Collective and Tony Cruz.

IG @afishcalledavalon

PHOTOS COURTESY | A Fish Called Avalon

Read the MAR ISSUE #87 of Athleisure Mag and see THE ART OF THE SNACK | A Fish Called Avalon in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | ESCAPE

When you're on vacation, you think about where you want to stay whether it's staying with friends, a hotel or having a house to yourself! Escape is a luxury rental service that allows you to unmatched privacy and an elevated experience. Being able to enjoy your space with those that you invited and not having to share spaces with overpopulated crowds is a plus! As opposed to spending $400 to $10,000 a night on average in a 4+ star hotel room, this luxury rental is $1,500 to $30,000 per night for an entire property! You receive personalized amenities such as tailor-made services from butlers, private chefs, private masseuses, and more.

Escape offers 13 hand-picked properties, ranging from exquisite Mediterranean-style homes to ultra-modern villas. Most are waterfront properties.

Properties are on boarded via a thorough check system that evaluates every aspect of a property, including location, aesthetics, features, linen, cleanliness, security, pool, appliances, price point, and even the character of the homeowner. This ensures that every property that is offered meets Escape's high standards and provides an unforgettable experience to the guests.

Miami is a hotspot that has a number of activities where travelers visit for Art Basel, Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, Miami Swim Week and Ultra Music Festival. For guests staying at the villas, they have access to a curated experience tailored to the purpose of their trip. Escape's guest service team takes the time to get to know their interests and personalities so that they can create an itinerary that exceeds their expectations during their stay.

In addition to having access to a luxury property for your next stay, Escape also offers you the ability to rent a yacht complete with your own ownonboard private crew. There are a number of options for you to choosefrom. Just like when you're on land, your concierge team will co-ordinate activities that you can enjoy onboard from private chefs to massage therapists. For those that enjoy participating in watersports, you'll be able to enjoy snorkeling, jet skis, water floats, parasailing, water slides, and more.

ESCAPE

1800 Michigan Ave Ste 700

Miami, FL 33139

escapelux.com

IG @escapelux

PHOTO CREDITS | Escape

Read the MAR ISSUE #87 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | Escape in mag.

SERVING UP SELF-CARE | SLOANE STEPHENS

As we close out 2022, we're already thinking about what we're going to do in the New Year personally and professionally! In the midst of all this activity, we need to take time and to enjoy the moments along the way!

This month's cover is Grand Slam US Open 2017 Champion, Sloane Stephens. She has made impressive moments at the French Open, Australian Open, Wimbledon and a number of matches and won an ESPY for Top Female Tennis Player in 2018 and because of her philanthropic work with the Sloane Stephens Foundation, she was nominated and a finalist for the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award in 2019.

We have had the pleasure to connect with her in previous issues, but this month, we're talking about her upcoming tennis season, self-care and what she does while traveling! She definitely knows a thing or two about juggling a busy schedule while also taking the necessary time that she needs.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We had the pleasure of interviewing a few years back and then right before the US Open, you took time out of your schedule to share your 63MIX ROUTIN3S with us about what you do Morning, Afternoon and Night. With the season starting Jan 1st, what are the weeks like for you between now and the start of the season whether it’s training, relaxing, enjoying the holiday season, etc?

SLOANE STEPHENS: I’ve had one of the best off-seasons I’ve ever had this year! I started out by freezing my eggs at Kindbody. I’ve wanted to freeze my eggs for a while and the timing was finally right to commit to the process. From there, we went to Iceland to celebrate Jozy’s birthday and spent a few days as a family at the Retreat Hotel at the Blue Lagoon getting spa treatments and soaking in the hot springs. Iceland is only a 5 hour nonstop flight from Boston, so it was an easy trip! The day after Thanksgiving, we left for Africa. We went on the most incredible safari in South Africa at Londolozi and saw a gorilla trek at Virunga National Park. This was my first trip to Africa and I cannot wait to go back. I’m now back in Boston doing a training block with my trainer before heading for a tennis training block in Cabo through Christmas. From Cabo, I’ll fly directly to Auckland, NZ to begin the season!

AM: What tournaments are you looking forward to this year?

SS: Red clay is my favorite surface, so I always look forward to the European clay court season in the spring, which culminates at Roland Garros. As an American, any time I can play on US soil is extra special, so I’m looking forward to playing at Indian Wells, Miami, the US Open, and a new tournament in Austin.

AM: What is your routine before and after your matches?

SS: Before I play, I usually eat some pasta and a piece of lean protein like a chicken breast or piece of fish. I typically go into the locker room and put my headphones in and spend some time thinking and mentally going over the match plan I outlined with my coach the night before. About 30 minutes before my match, I’ll break a light sweat on a stationary bike and go through some fitness drills to make sure I’m starting the match with quick feet and dynamic movement.

After the match, I’ll do a quick cool down and shower before handling any mandatory media commitments. Once I’m done with that, I’ll either get a massage on-site or go back to my hotel and get some treatment from my physio. Depending on the time of day, I’ll then head out to dinner and prepare for the next day.

AM: How important is recovery to you after working out or after a match? What are the kinds of things that you do after these activities?

SS: Recovery is a critical piece of both the fitness and recovery process. Cooling down and taking the time to stretch and flush out muscles is really important for recovery and preparing for the next day and next match.

AM: Many of our readers are balancing hectic schedules – you got married at the top of the year to Jozy Altidore, an international soccer star – how do you make sure you give time to yourself, being with your husband and family?

SS: I make a lot of effort to have a very structured schedule and communicate my boundaries and commitments to my team. When it’s family time, it is family time and the phone is away. When it’s time to train, I’m training. When it’s time to work on my Foundation or on my outside businesses and investments, I’m fully there. I’ve also learned the things that bring me the most joy and fulfillment and prioritize those activities. When I’m home and able to spend time with my family, I take advantage of every single second of that time we’re together.

AM: In your sport, you spend a lot of time traveling 40+ weeks of the year! You kick off the season in Australia with the Australian Open. Also via your IG feed, you travel for fun – you’re South African trip looks amazing! How do you make your spaces feel like home when you’re traveling?

SS: I try to keep some consistent products and activities in my routine so that I can rely on those consistencies no matter where I am. A super easy way to do this is with bringing a candle from home - I find that having the same scent is really grounding and helps me feel in control of my environment.

AM: When it comes to choosing what hotel you like to stay at and to help our readers that may be planning their next trip, what are the things that you look for?

SS: For most tournaments, there is an official tournament hotel, so I just stay wherever I need to. In some cases, like in Paris and New York where there are endless options, we get to pick our own hotels. I love to stay at The Langham in New York and Hotel Vernet in Paris. I love when a hotel has a good breakfast, it’s just one less decision to make in the day. I also love great showers and friendly concierges.

AM: In terms of your suitcase, what are some of the important things that are must for you to pack so that you have your necessities as well as options for the unexpected?

SS: The most important thing in my suitcase is my passport. If I have my passport, I can pretty much figure everything else out as I go! Of course, I also need my tennis racquets to do my job! I travel with a lot of skin care products because I love the sense of calm and order that a consistent routine brings.

AM: What are some of your travel hacks that have proven to work for you that we should know?

SS: I cannot overstate the importance of hydrating during travel. The entire travel experience is really drying - the plane air is dry, hotels can be dry, the change in climates can be tough - it’s a lot. Hydrating inside and out helps your body adjust to new situations and new timezones and it is so simple to do. I think a lot of people are hit with a double-whammy when it comes to dehydration because they’re drinking a lot of caffeine to try and stay awake during travel or they might be having some alcoholic beverages while they’re away, and both of those things are also really dehydrating on the body, so it’s all the more important to hydrate.

AM: Do you have anything that you do before, during or after hopping on a flight whether it’s a beauty process, self-care, etc?

SS: I’ve started wearing WHOOP’s new Blue Light Glasses to avoid disrupting my circadian rhythms with too much screen time - it makes a huge difference when I’m trying to sleep the next night. I also try to get up and walk around on the plane to keep the blood flowing and prevent blood clots or feeling super stiff when I land.

AM: When you arrive in your designated city, whether it’s for work or fun, what are the things that you look for in terms of restaurants, activities and shopping that you want to explore?

SS: When I was first starting out on tour, I rarely ventured out. I stuck close to the hotel and always went back to the same restaurants. There are already so many variables at play when traveling for work and needing to compete, so I never wanted to risk an upset stomach or having any sort of issues. Now that I’ve been traveling to the same cities for 15+ years, I have a great mix of my tried and true staple spots but have also really enjoyed researching and trying new spots. I think being locked down during Covid made me appreciate the incredible opportunity I have to travel the world and made me look forward to getting back out and exploring.

AM: Do you have separate beauty routines for daytime versus night time?

SS: Yes! I wake up and drink a huge glass of water. I brush my teeth and then wash my face with a gentle cleanser like the iS Clinical Cleansing Complex. I sleep with various moisturizing layers, so I don’t want to take that all off and dry myself out again. I usually head right to practice or training, so I put Neutrogena sunscreen on my face and sometimes I’ll use the Dr. Barbara Sturm Anti-Pollution Drops under my sunscreen. I sweat pretty much every day and am always wearing sunscreen, so I like to do a body scrub in the shower at night to scrub that all away and feel like I’m going to bed super clean. For the record, I love piping hot showers, the hottest the dial will turn - boil me!! After I get out of the shower, I layer on the moisturizers - I start with a lotion and then will layer a body oil on top if I’m feeling extra ashy in certain spots. I go through the same routine every day and it helps my body and mind recognize that it is time to start unwinding and preparing for bed. None of the products I use at night have any energizing scents like eucalyptus or lemon verbena - it’s all fragrance free. If I want a relaxing scent, I’ll turn on a diffuser or light a candle. I always travel with diffusers or candles.

AM: How important is mental health and self-care to your training and state of being whether you’re working in your sport or just being out and about?

SS: There is an undeniable link between mental health and physical well-being. Both parts have to be working in harmony. Tennis as a sport inherently requires a lot of mental energy - it’s just you out there and everyone is looking at you, so I find that taking care of my mental health is just as important as how I take care of my body. It is encouraging to see this sort of discourse make its way into more mainstream conversations and I hope that more people are encouraged to find the practices, tools, and therapies that help them.

AM: Why does the wellness space mean so much to you and what can you tell us about your new brand that you are launching next year as we know you may not be able to say too much!

SS: The wellness space is so important to me as both an athlete and as a woman. I've always loved to try new products and am constantly in pursuit of the best ways to take care of my skin and body. I will be venturing into the wellness space myself next year, so stay tuned!

AM: We know how important The Sloane Stephens Foundation is to you. Are there new projects or initiatives that you are focused on that you would like to share?

SS: Thank you for asking! The Sloane Stephens Foundation is actually celebrating our 10 year anniversary in March 2023 - I cannot believe it’s been 10 years! I wanted to use tennis as the vehicle to keep kids in school, keep them healthy, and keep them physically safe. Tennis has given me so much in my life but I know that it can feel very unapproachable, especially to people from under-resourced communities who might not be able to afford the equipment or coaching, or to underrepresented communities where they might not see a lot of players that look like them. I sought out to change that. We work with over 15,000 kids each year across the Compton Unified School District and provide tennis, academic, mental health, and financial literacy programs. One of the things I’m most proud of us that almost all of our coaches are actually graduates of our programs who have decided to come on as staff members while they pursue their college degrees. It’s very much a big family and it feels very sustainable to have programs designed and implemented by the community and for the community.

IG @sloanestephens

@sloanestephensfoundation

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | FRONT COVER + BACK COVER, PG 28 9DRIP Courtesy of Sloane Stephens | PG 16 - 19, 22 + PG 82 9PLAYLIST BNP Paribas Open | PG 21 John Cordes/Icon Sportswire | PG 25 Masha Maltsava | PG 26 Federico Pestellini/Panoramic/Icon Sportswire |

Read the DEC ISSUE #84 of Athleisure Mag and see SERVING UP SELF-CARE | Sloane Stephens in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | MR. C MIAMI COCONUT GROVE

Since 2019, guests have enjoyed staying at Mr. C Miami Coconut Grove as its amenities are worth taking in. We suggest BēAtala, a wellness suite (spa complete with their products), private sauna, treatment rooms, a rooftop pool and private cabanas. Guests can enjoy a fitness center featuring Technogym equipment, personal trainers, and yoga classes. They also have a ballroom for weddings and private events.

The award-winning architecture firm, Arquitectonica, conceived the exterior design modeled after the pier-like Stiltsville structures located off the Florida Cape. Mr. C overlooks Sailboat Bar (also known as Schooner Bay in the days of Miami's beginnings) the largest marina in the South.

Naval architecture is a large part of the Inspiration of this property. In addition, the Cipriani family hails from Venice, the city where one travels by boat, they have a love for those beautiful Riva Yachts of the post-war era. Then insert Coconut Grove, famous for its lush tropical setting, and its enormous Banyan trees engulfing the main highway to complete the ambiance.

AD100 interior designer, Martin Brudnizki created a nautical vibe and designed the 100-room, 6-story boutique property overlooking Biscayne Bay. The nautical look of the resort, as shown by its azure and white-colored terrazzo floors and glossy wood paneling, is influenced both by coastal Italian culture, and the sleek interior of a yacht or cruise ship.

The signature Bellini rooftop restaurant's vantage point has views of the bay, coastline and the horizon. You can enjoy the soft breezes of the southeast Trade Winds that provide a perfect temperature for outdoor dining.

At the base, Il Giardino is a secret tropical garden set in a courtyard for casual dining. Guests are surrounded by large blue umbrellas away from the energy of the streets of Coconut Grove.

A third venue is the street side cafe, a lively setting for people-watching under the monumental stilts that support the building 25 feet above.

This summer, check out upcoming events such as Cinema Nights, Concert Series and Art Exhibitions.

Mr. C has achieved a Silver Certification from the FGBC (Florida Green Building Coalition), the equivalent of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for an environmental sustainability as well as green energy -efficient lighting. They also received the Travel Sustainable Badge from Booking.com

MR. C MIAMI COCONUT GROVE

2988 McFarlane Rd

Miami, FL 33133

mrchotels.com

IG @mrchotels

PHOTOS COURTESY | Mr. C Miami Coconut Grove

Read the FEB ISSUE #74 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | Mr. C Miami Coconut Grove in mag.

THE POWER OF FOOD | CHEF RICHARD INGRAHAM

We took some time to chat with Chef Richard Ingraham. We wanted to find out how he took his talents in the kitchen to a career that has led him to being the private chef to power couple, Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union and creating a private chef network whose clients are those in the NBA, NFL and entertainment industries. We also talk with him about Grown Southern, his upcoming projects and his partnership with CIROC.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you realize that you wanted to be a chef?

CHEF RICHARD INGRAHAM: I’ve always loved cooking. I started making omelets, cookies, and milkshakes at the age of 10. During that time, I had no desire to become a chef. I was doing it because I loved creating. My family cooked all the time and it just rubbed off on me. It wasn’t until my mid to late 20’s that I decided that I wanted to become a Chef.

AM: Where did you train and what has your culinary journey been?

CHEF RI: I received my formal training at The Art Institute of Atlanta. My first job was at the Buckhead Diner where I was a line cook. I worked at the diner while I was in culinary school. As if I didn’t have enough on my plate, I got a second job working across the street at the Corner Café, where I learned all about pastries.

After I graduated, I became a Sous Chef at a restaurant called the Bubble Room. I left the Bubble Room and moved on to Insigna where I was a Sous Chef and Executive Pastry Chef.

AM: How would you define your style of cooking, and have you always been focused on sports nutrition?

CHEF RI: That has always been a difficult question to answer. Difficult because I'm influenced by so many different cuisines. If I were backed into a corner, I’d call my style “Eclectic American.” I really didn’t become focused on nutrition, until I started cooking for Dwyane Wade and other athletes.

AM: What led you to becoming Dwayne Wade and Gabrielle Union’s private chef?

CHEF RI: A friend of mine who just happens to be Dwayne’s Business Manager, Lisa Joseph Metelus, asked if I would like to cook for a NBA Rookie that was just drafted. I asked her who it was. She said that it was Dwyane Wade. After I did my research on who he was (I wasn’t a big basketball fan, so I didn’t know who he was) I told Lisa I’d like the opportunity. The day of the tasting, I arrived at his home with 10 prepared items. I made him everything I could think of, from smothered turkey wings with mashed potatoes to my grandmother’s lemon pound cake. Even though I’d prepared all this food, Lisa wanted me to prepare something fresh so that Dwyane could see that it was me preparing these dishes. He liked it and the rest is history.

AM: Can you share 3 go to meals that they enjoy eating?

CHEF RI: Gabrielle: Bhindi Masala; Pasta Alla Checca; Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes over Heirloom Tomato; and Quinoa Salad with Lemon Honey Vinaigrette.

Dwyane: Blistered Cherry Tomato and Shrimp over Angel Hair Pasta; Pan Roasted Sea Bass Sweet Potato Puree; Sauteed Spinach and Ponzu Ginger Sauce; Stewed Chicken Thighs with Chickpeas.

AM: What are 3 ingredients that you always like to have on hand that are versatile to use in several dishes?

CHEF RI: Creole Seasoning, Five Spice, Cumin, Red Pepper Flakes and Smoked Paprika. I know you said three, but I couldn’t help myself. lol

AM: When you’re a private chef to a celebrity or a family, what are the challenges that you're navigating when creating meals?

CHEF RI: In my case, I have 7 individuals who all eat differently. So, I must create meals for each of them that are creative, flavorful, and still help each person achieve their goals. If you’re a Chef who cooks in a restaurant you have a set menu that you execute daily. You may create daily specials which would give you some variety. Whereas I must come up with something different each day for each meal - Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. Not only do I think about the food, I also pride myself on maintaining an elite level of service for my clients. I do everything from making sure their glasses are never empty to inquiring about personal health issues, to preparing and executing a menu for 75 guests on Christmas.

AM: You created Chef RLI, a network of Private Chefs that work with celebrity clientele. How did that venture come about?

CHEF RI: One day Dwyane and Gabrielle came in the kitchen and mentioned that Chris Bosh was looking for a private chef. They told him that I had a company that had chefs for hire. When they told me that, I couldn’t believe it because I had no such company at the time. I just had a few chefs helping me with the meal prep service. Well, they told me that I needed to figure it out because they had already put me out there. So, my business partner and I created Chef RLI, and began placing some of the chefs who were helping with the meal prep as private chefs.

AM: You partnered with Michelle Bernstein and Michael Schwartz during former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Chefs Move to Schools White House Initiative. Tell us why you wanted to be involved?

CHEF RI: The First Lady’s Initiative was such an important one because it helped spotlight the problem we are having as a nation bring healthier food options into our schools. As a former educator, I’ve seen first hand how the lack of nutrition stunts the scholastic growth of our children, especially in our lower income communities. So, when I was asked to join this initiative in support of Miami Dade County Public Schools, I jumped at the opportunity. The Chefs worked with Superintendent Alberto Carvalho and cafeteria managers to create healthier dishes using what was already in the school’s inventory. Of course, we had to take into consideration the differences in culture and eating habits of each school. As an alumnus of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, it was incredibly rewarding to support my community.

AM: You released Eating Well to Win. Tell me more about it and why you wrote it.

CHEF RI: Eating Well to Win is a cookbook for everyone. I found that when we talk about eating better or healthier, we seem to think that the only thing we can eat is food that is bland or out of reach for us. This book shows that you can take some of your favorite foods and by just changing a few ingredients make it better.

Because I’ve had so many different careers, I feel that I can speak on the importance of eating healthier and better. Whether you're a teacher standing in front of a class full of students, a sanitation worker running your routes, or a 3-time NBA World Champion, what we put in our bodies helps us perform better.

AM: Will you release another cookbook?

CHEF RI: Yes, I’m currently working on my second book.

AM: Tell me about Grown Southern!

CHEF RI: Grown Southern is a restaurant concept we developed in collaboration with Grown Restaurant, owned by Shannon Allen. It features organic southern inspired soul food prepared with passion and care. We have great menu items like our Crispy Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich, Old School Mac & Cheese, and Red Velvet Cake with Rich Cream Cheese Frosting.

AM: You're constantly working as a chef as well as giving back to others – why is this important to you?

CHEF RI: When I started working with Dwyane, I was still teaching culinary arts at a high school as well. My classes were held at a homeless shelter called the HAC (Homeless Assistance Center). The student demographic of my classes consisted of the homeless population of the center, as well as students that were bussed from various high schools. So, every day I would see both sides of the spectrum.

I would go to work in the morning and see broken people trying to put themselves and their families back together. Then in the afternoon, I would drive to this massive estate, where life couldn’t be better. Seeing this each day made me realize that we are all one mistake from our lives becoming entirely different. That experience keeps me honest with myself. It keeps me hungry. It has made me more compassionate towards others and their struggles and instrumental in motivating me, to find a way to help them.

AM: Tell us about your partnership with CIROC and how you became involved.

CHEF RI: I’ve been working with CIROC for about a year. I was featured in their CIROC Stands Black Excellence campaign in 2021. They profiled my story through a mural in Wynwood, FL. painted by local Miami artist Mojo. Then in November, I collaborated with them to create delicious Friendsgiving recipes and cocktail pairings with their CIROC Pomegranate. Now, I’m excited to be back with CIROC Pomegranate as part of the Love Squad. Our goal is to give one lucky winner a one-of-a-kind experience for them and their loved ones.

AM: We enjoy CIROC when we're celebrating or relaxing at home. We have a feeling that you may have a recipe that you can share and how we can pair it!

CHEF RI: Of course, I have recipes!!!! One of the cocktails that I created using CIROC Pomegranate is called “The Ingraham.” It’s my take on the classic sidecar. It consists of CIROC Pomegranate, Orange Liquor, Lemon Juice, and Cinnamon Simple Syrup. It’s the perfect cocktail for my Asiago and Herb Crusted Rib Eye Roast.

AM: Are there upcoming projects that we should keep an eye out for?

CHEF RI: I’m going to be in Miami for the South Beach Food and Wine Festival from February 24-27. I’ll be hosting a brunch at Grown in Miami Beach on February 27. I'm also working on potential show ideas as well.

AM: We love your statement eyewear! What do you look for when it comes to your frames of choice?

CHEF RI: Listen, I said to myself a long time ago 'If I’ve got to wear them, they have to be FLY!!!' When looking for my frames I look for a statement piece that evokes conversation. I love large frames with color or interesting patterns. I use my glasses as a part of my total look. I would love to have my own eyewear line one day.

AM: Being on the move constantly, how do you take time for yourself?

CHEF RI: It’s difficult to carve out time for myself while taking care of my family, Dwyane and Gabrielle’s family, and Co-running my businesses. There aren't enough hours in the day. So, I give myself more hours by waking up around 4 each morning and working out. This allows me time to gather my thoughts and organize tasks for the day. It gives me a sense of accomplishment that helps me get the day started. Being in the kitchen all the time is murder on my hands and feet. So, I make it my business to get manicures and pedicure regularly.

IG @chefrli

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | CIROC

Read the FEB ISSUE #74 of Athleisure Mag and see THE POWER OF FOOD | Chef Richard Ingraham in mag.

SUPER BOWL LIV

The big game takes place later on tonight, Super Bowl LIV. Whether you’re cheering for the San Francisco 49ers or the Kansas City Chiefs, all eyes have been on Miami for the past few days as football enthusiasts have descended on the city. Tonight’s game is bound to have great plays, amazing commercials that will have us talking tomorrow as well as half time performances that will be exciting! We can’t wait to check out everything so get prepared for a number of pre-game shows, comforts foods and after the game, getting ready to kick off the week tomorrow.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

ENJOY ALWAYS WITH GIANLUCA VACCHI

This holiday season we had fun catching up with Gianluca Vacchi, business magnate, producer, global DJ and Instagram star. Like many, we have been fans of his after seeing his infamous yacht dancing and stylish travel clips dubbed #GVLifestyle. In our chat, we learn about his business background and how he is enjoying his second life to the fullest each day. He dishes about how he started his music career, working with music labels, and his practice of healthy eating and daily workouts. Quickly in, we recognized this is also a man to learn from, and we're fortunate to share his message to be diligent to earn success, feed curiosity and enjoy.

ATHLEISURE MAG: How do you define the #GVLifestyle?

GIANLUCA VACCHI: The world is my playground, enjoy life, every minute of it.

AM: You caught the world’s eye about a year and a half ago dancing on your yacht – you attribute your passion to dancing due to your abuela who was in Argentina – where do you attribute your ability to produce and DJ?

GV: Music runs in my family, that definitely helps. I followed piano lessons when I grew up in Bologna. My close cousin grew up to be a contemporary composer, so this also influenced me when I was younger.

J Balvin reached out to me via Instagram, that’s how we became friends and he, together with my other close friend Luis Fonsi, began to offer me advice to start a new career in music. And that’s what I did!

AM: Prior to being an entertainer, DJ and social media star – you enjoyed a successful career in business. How did you transition from the corporate world to one that allows you to showcase your fun style?

GV: When I was 45, I was still a financial guy, an entrepreneur. I still am. By that time, I had joined twelve different sectors with many different companies – travel, video games, machinery production, plastic watches, among others. But after a certain point, that kind of life just didn’t move my curiosity any more. I am not driven by an accumulation of money. It was important to me when I was 20, because most young men want to accomplish something. Though it may not be a sole target, it can be a reflection of and a result of things done well.

AM: Via your Instagram, we know that you are all about enjoying life which is also the title of your book - #ENJOY how important is it to have this concept within your life?

GV: I’m now enjoying my second life and it’s an amazing experience. When I was 45 I realized I had achieved everything I wanted, it was time to find other ways to spend the rest of my life. The world is my playground and I live life to the fullest, I enjoy life every day.

AM: We love that you never refuse impromptu advice to people and that definitely makes you a role model in our book. About your view that life is a loan and people need to dream more – what are some tips that you have about achieving goals, staying curious and not just surviving?

GV: To answer this, I need to start by speaking about my philosophy on life. It’s very important, because it’s the foundation upon which I base how to live. I consider myself a guest of my own life. It’s like it was borrowed, or it’s a loan. I'm going to give it back; I just don’t know when. Every time I feel myself starting to get tired or bored, I try to change something. Life is a huge privilege. I believe in respecting others, but first I need to respect my desire, my dreams, and myself.

AM: Earlier this year, you signed with Universal Music Latin Entertainment Group and are on Capital Records Latin how important is that in your career as an artist?

GV: It’s very important to work with a label that supports you, especially when you’re a beginning artist like me. Universal is a major label who can help me develop myself as a producer. I’m very happy to be working with them.

AM: What is it about latin music and reggaeton that inspires your work?

GV: Latin music is amongst one of my favorite music genres. The rhythm of the songs are really catchy, music you can really dance to. And you know I really love to dance.

AM: You travel frequently, what are 3 must have items that are always in your bag regardless of the city that you are in?

GV: I travel so much, I actually only get to spend about 60 days a year now in Italy. The constant change is keeping me alive. When I travel, I never leave without my headphones, glasses and phone!

AM: With 2019 around the corner, what festivals and/or residencies are on your calendar that we should keep an eye out for?

GV: There are so many good things coming in 2019, I can’t wait to share with all of you. We will kick-off in January with gigs in NY and Miami and of course I can’t wait for the summer season to start again. For the future I really plan on further perfecting my skills as a DJ and producer. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but there are definitely some great things coming up.

AM: You have collaborated with Luis Fonsi and have had producers such as Andres Torres and Mauricio Rengifo who have worked on your music. Who else will you be working with that we should keep an eye out for?

GV: In one of my videos you see me dancing with MC Fioti, that’s all I can say for now...

AM: With the year coming to a close, what are the good things that took place this year that you enjoyed, what are items that you felt would be taken care of this year but will be tackled next year due to time and what items will be released next year that you can share with us that we should keep an eye out for?

GV: I look back at 2018 with a big smile on my face. So many good things, like my own party Vibra! At Amnesia in Ibiza and releasing Sigamos Bailando and Love with Sebastian Yatra. Every year I try to improve myself and work on further perfecting my skills as a DJ and producer to DJ and produce even better in 2019. So many good things to come in 2019, stay tuned!

AM: We know that you spend a lot of your time in Miami – where would we find you grabbing a drink/meal, shopping and working out?

GV: I love Miami and I love being here during the winter in Europe. It is very hard for me to pick a favorite place to eat, drink and shop, since there are a lot of good places in Miami! But a new hotspot I really love is restaurant Swan! Great restaurant with a modern cuisine. There are so many good gyms in Miami and sometimes I go for a run at the beach.

AM: What is a typical day like for you when you know that you will be playing a set?

GV: Every day I work out, so also on the days I have a performance. Afterwards I prepare my set and go through all my music. I still practice a lot, since my goal is to get better and better. Before the show I like to have dinner with my crew, so I have enough energy for my performance.

AM: What workouts and eating choices do you to maintain such a great body?

GV: I maintain a very healthy lifestyle, I love to work-out and try to do this daily. From time to time I share some work-out video’s on my Instagram account to share the type of work-outs I like to do with my followers. Being fit gives you a great feeling of power and strength.

AM: How many tattoos do you have and how do you decide what will be the next work of art that will appear on your body?

GV: I have more than a 100 tattoos and they are all connected to my personal life. I got my first tattoo when I was 33, now you see people getting tattoos at the age of 15, but you first need to experience life and translate that experience in a tattoo.

AM: Your pajama and swim trunk game is pretty strong, describe some of your favorites in your collection.

GV: Fashion is important in my life. I’m Italian so we do take our time when it comes to fashion. I own like 40 different tuxedos and I have 100 different hats. I guess you can say that these items belong to my favorites.

AM: We hear that you are becoming an actor, can’t wait to see that happen – do you have any upcoming projects that you can share with us and who are you looking forward to working with?

GV: I am always open to new things and challenges. Keep an eye open for 2019, new and big things are coming!

IG @GianlucaVacchi

Read more from the Dec Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Enjoy Always with Gianluca Vacchi in mag.

WHEN YOU'RE A #BOSSINHEELS

In today's age, whether you work for yourself or are looking to climb the corporate ladder, there are so many things that you have to juggle in addition to being skilled at what you do. Having someone that can ensure that you're well rounded by providing confidence and direction are essential skill sets that may not come natural to you or need to be tweaked. We sat down with Heather Monahan to find out how she got into this business, how she empowers, an exciting partnership with Perry Ellis' line - Rafaella and how she juggles this in addition to being a single parent.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us about your background and how you came to be a life coach and business expert.

HEATHER MONAHAN: Growing up poor, I had limited access to resources and mentors. Through sheer hard work, I muscled my way to the C-suite in media. What I realized once I got
there was, it didn’t have to be so difficult. Unfortunately, I had never had a female mentor along the way to help me and teach me the tips that I needed to advance so I took a much harder route. The more successful women that I encountered in business were cold and more concerned about holding women back instead of mentoring and advancing others. I realized that other women must be in the same situation that I was in. Once I realized this, I became dedicated to sharing my insight and offering the same mentoring that I provided for the people that worked for me and for others. This is how and why I launched my website initially and my social handles. Being qualified to be a business expert is a testament to my work experience and the various business segments that I have worked with or collaborated with over the years. In high school and college I, worked in the restaurant/bar business; after college I got into the
Wine/retail business; and finally into radio. What I was able to accomplish in radio was gaining insight into other industries and helping them to drive revenue in their respective industries. This opportunity to partner with so many companies in different industries really allowed me to see the commonalities in business that were necessary for success in any vertical. I had never
thought of myself as a life coach until Elvis Duran called me one on his show. The “life Coach” title came as a natural evolution from me advising businesses and then people on how to advance at work. The natural progression from advancing at work leads to how to advance in life in general and overcome adversity. This taps into my own personal life experience and is grounded in my transparency in my own struggles and fails.

AM: What does your job entail and how do you assist businesses and those who work within them to put their best foot forward?

HM: After 22 years in corporate America, I have finally taken the leap into entrepreneurship. My track record in business has attracted companies looking for my consultation on how to drive revenue, create a positive culture and connect with and win better talent. As my schedule allows I also work one on one with those trying to identify their superpowers, find their voice, get promoted, launch a personal brand or otherwise. My primary goal is to share what I have learned over the past 43 years with those looking to advance or get ahead at work and in life.
I recently finished my book on how to build confidence and leapfrog the villains along the way. My hope is to empower others to sidestep the landmines that I walked straight into. My job
entails identifying the right corporate partners for my brand to enable me to extend my reach and help more people achieve their dreams. I evaluate partnerships daily against my overarching strategy of empowering others to advance themselves. Every day there is a larger amount of companies looking to empower their employees and customers and impact change, creating an experience is the new way of doing business and this is what I am bringing to market.

AM: Tell us about #BossInHeels, why you're focused on this and what its purpose is.

HM: “Boss in Heels” means a few things to me. When people hear the term “Boss” often times they think of a male stoic figure. To me, “Boss in Heels” is representative of being you and for me that means celebrating that I am a woman while still commanding respect and delivering results in the workplace. “Boss in Heels” is about treating employees, partners and clients well and having a vested interest in their success. “Boss in Heels” is a more modern way of leading. I focused on this initiative because for me what I saw in leadership roles were older men or cold, frigid women. I didn't see leaders that looked different, we're open and transparent and rocked their own vie with confidence. I was always my own person and by not following traditional guidelines I found my superpower. My purpose is to help others find their superpower and through that, make the world a better place.

AM: Right now, the culture of women in the workplace, whether in film/TV, corporate ladders and even those that are entrepreneurs, are coming to light in the challenges that many of us have faced as we work in the space as well as advancing - how does this affect your work and guidance to women seeking your advice?

HM: It is amazing! I launched my initiative two years ago and now to see the world ready to receive and discuss these topics is overwhelming. Every day I wake up to some new opportunity and potential collaboration, this is a constant reminder to me that putting your best foot forward with good intent will always pay dividends. This timing has allowed me to have a much broader conversation that otherwise would have been limited to my social handles and my website. Media is not only open to the topic, they are looking for ways to address it daily. I am so appreciative to all of the women in the world that have started this movement and continue it daily. The outreach that I have received from various women has escalated over recent months. It truly is the domino effect where one story has allowed for the next, and now it is up to us to keep this momentum going to ensure we change the landscape moving forward.

AM: We know that you're partnering with Perry Ellis with their line, Rafaella - tell us about the line, partnership and what we can expect from this union?

HM: I am so excited to share this with you! Rafaella is all about fit, style and comfort which for me has been elusive most of my life. I will find brands I love that have fantastic style, but that
don't fit in a way I feel comfortable or confident in. Much like a recent conference I had in NYC when I put on my new and stylish designer pantsuit only to have the seam rip before I left the
hotel room. Comfort and fit are paramount! Rafaella shatters this story by bringing a form fitting, stylish line to women to empower them to feel and look their best. With sizes ranging from 4-24. Rafaella has built their business on the belief that women feel their best when they are in clothes that fit them best. Most importantly, Rafaella finds a way to do this that doesn’t
break the bank and makes it possible for women to invest in themselves. Our partnership is focused on bringing to life the element of empowering women which is so deeply ingrained
in both of our brands. I am proud to have the opportunity to represent the line and create content on their behalf while speaking to women on the power of our own choices in fashion and otherwise. Helping to create an experience around this heritage brand and bringing this concept to life is one of my most exciting opportunities for 2018. This is going to be an amazing partnership which I am hoping you will follow over the coming months because
you will LOVE IT!

AM: What do you feel are the biggest challenges or perceived obstacles that face women and what advice do you give to those that need a little push to take charge of their lives?

HM: The biggest challenge or perceived obstacle any woman faces is herself. The advice that I give to those needing to take charge of their lives is to accept that truth that they are the ones creating their lives and are to blame or to applaud for the life they have created.

I understand that some will say that is harsh, but I have been there on food stamps in awful situations and I have worked my way out of them, then I have gone through divorce, then I have reached the highest level of success and been fired, I have some experience in this whole thing and in understanding standing the role I play in it all. At the end of the day we are the
hero in our own story or we can be the villain that causes us to fail. We all have choices, they may not be easy choices, but they are our own and up to no one else. I suggest firing the negative people from your life, claiming responsibility for your life, stopping the blame game, picking your head up to see where it is you want to go and building a plan to get there. I suggest taking action each day to do something you are scared of and writing it down, what is
the worst that can happen? In order to change you need to do something different, why not start today?

AM: What philanthropies/charities do you give your time?

HM: City Year has been my preferred charity since I have lived in Miami. I have also worked with various charities across Florida to help those in need including Children’s Home Society among others.

AM: As someone who works on so many projects and is a single parent, how do you take time for yourself and how important is this?

HM: Getting divorced, while having been difficult, has forced me to make time for myself. When my son is with his father, I find myself free at night to go out and do things I want to do, which is fantastic. I now realize that making myself my number one priority is key to my success. When I was younger, I saw this as selfish, now I realize it is my job, If I am not happy and feeling
healthy and excited, how am I going to loft those around me up? Today, I put the oxygen mask on me first before I give it to everyone else. The airlines wouldn’t stay in business if they were
wrong.

Photos courtesy of Heather Mohahan

Read more from the Jan Issue and see When You're A #BossInHeels in mag.