Read the JUL ISSUE #91 of Athleisure Mag and see #TRIBEGOALS in mag.
This month we caught up with Sepideh Moafi who embodies her characters and really makes us see the world through her eyes and the storylines that they are involved in where it's thrillers such as USA's Falling Water, dramas that include HBO's The Deuce and Showtime's The L Word: Generation Q, and shows that look at our relationship with technology and who has the power to use them in our lives in her latest limited series, FX Class of '09!
You can currently binge the entire season of 8 episodes now on Hulu which looks at a group of FBI agents as we see them going through the academy in the past, in their present day in their career and in the future. We wanted to know more about how Sepideh came to being an actor, how she approaches her roles, and her thoughts on the paradigm between technology and humans intervention and those who decide how this is instituted.
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you realize you wanted to be an actor?
SEPIDEH MOAFI: I think I was about 23. I graduated from San Francisco Conservatory of Music as a Vocal Performance major at 21 and had started my career as an opera singer. While opera was (and still is) my first passion and finding my voice as a singer completely changed my life, I was becoming more and more curious about theater and exploring the full potential of characters without having to worry about hitting that high C, for example. I enrolled in a straight acting class with Bobby Weinapple in San Francisco (he taught an acting for singers class that I had taken at the conservatory) and he said I had “it”, whatever “it” means. I decided to audition for some plays and started booking roles like Juliet in Romeo & Juliet and Luisa in The Fantasticks, so I decided to apply to grad school on a whim and ended up getting a full scholarship plus grants to UC Irvine’s MFA Acting program. So I went.
AM: I have been a fan of your work from Notorious, Falling Water, The Deuce, The L Word: Generation Q, and currently The Class of 09! You always play characters that are dynamic and continue to reveal themselves in various ways. What are you looking for when you decide that you want to play a character?
SM: Thank you for your kind words. I think the reasons for taking on a part have changed for me throughout the years. I was more character driven before, now I think I’m more story driven. At first I was just so eager to do anything I could get my hands on. I even loved getting to play characters who seemed pretty two dimensional on the page because that meant I got to find the things that many people may overlook or miss and bring all of the complexity and nuance and heart to these characters and make them feel like full, multi dimensional human beings. Taking on any character allows you to gain insight and empathy for a range of personality types — people that are similar to you, people who think completely different from you — you get to explore a variety of career paths and life choices that maybe you’ve never imagined before. Acting is a beautiful way to explore humanity and empathy, and I feel so lucky to be able to learn and grow so much from my work.
I fortunately haven’t had to deal with typecasting; most of the characters I’ve played both on stage and screen are completely different from one another and their racial backgrounds aren’t necessarily specified. I remember having a long conversation with Remi Aubuchon (24, Stargate Universe, Silo), the show runner for Falling Water after I got cast. He gave me the choice to change my character’s last name (Alex Simms) to an Iranian last name if I felt compelled. I thought about this deeply. Representation is so important, but I kept asking myself if it would be more impactful to change her name to say, Alex Mohammadi or keep it as Alex Simms. I spoke to friends who encouraged me to change the name to a Persian last name, but my mom's words echoed those in my gut. She said I should keep it as it because we need to be able to separate our judgements and assumptions about who a person is, their background and what they look like based on their name. So I kept her name Alex Simms.
Something that has changed is that the more political I’ve become and the more humanitarian work I’ve done throughout the last decade, the more important it has become for me to be part of projects that I feel align with my politics and core belief system. We need healthy, accurate stories and representation of women, the LGBTQIA+ community, people from the SWANA (Southwest Asian and North African) region, and all marginalized communities but not with a superficial, checkbox approach to diversity. My face on screen makes a statement whether I like it or not, so I’d rather take control of that to make statements I can get behind. It’s important that whatever project I decide to do doesn’t play into toxic narratives about marginalized people and doesn’t veer from the kinds of stories and representation I want to support and think we need more of.
AM: How do you approach getting into character to bring their authenticity forward?
SM: I think different characters require diff kinds of preparation. For example, for Lauren McCauley in Black Bird, I spent a good two months doing research by reading, listening to podcasts, watching documentaries, reviewing documents from the real life case, speaking to various FBI agents on a regular basis, and reading the script every day. I quickly discovered that there’s no way in hell I could be an FBI agent in real life (I find it too difficult to control my emotions!), so the extensive research helped me acquire the confidence I needed to step into her shoes. Dennis Lehane’s (The Wire, Boardwalk Empire, Bloodline) brilliant script gave me everything I needed to play her, the research just helped me gain the confidence I needed in order to embody her truthfully. For Gigi in The L Word: Generation Q, I did speak to a few of my real estate agent buddies to gain some insight into her day to day work life, but that was kind of the extent of the research. I think every character prep is different. I remember doing so much prep work for Niki in The Killing of Two Lovers but once I got to set with our director Robert Machoian (Mother Mother, Strong Enough, The Foundry) and opposite actors Clayne Crawford (CSI, 24, Graceland), Chris Coy (The Deuce, The Peripheral, Accused) and the kids, I felt like all that prep went out the window. One could argue the prep was there as my foundation but I honestly felt like I was in a trance for the entirety of that shoot. The energy on set was abundant and infectious; we were like animals in the jungle playing with abandon. No matter what, I always start with the words in the script and my gut response to them. From there, I identify the tone, the world in which the character lives (their socioeconomic status, their relationship to their ethnicity and background, their gender, etc.) and that usually informs what type of work and research is needed. My only goal is to give all of myself to every role. If by the end of a film or show or play there’s still something in the tank, I haven’t done my job.
AM: What drew you to want to be involved in Class of '09 and what do you think about the past, present and future format of the show?
SM: There are a number of reasons why I was drawn to this show. The character being able to explore the breadth of anyone’s life over the span of multiple decades is a fascinating, eye and heart opening endeavor. This character, Hour, specifically being from a family that had to flee Iran felt resonant to me and her constant grappling with the dilemma of identity and belonging. The themes of the show — exploring AI, technology, surveillance, the fragility of humanity, and this dance between security and liberty. And lastly the cast, I felt very lucky to be able to have this unique experience with some of my favorite actors and human beings. We formed life long bonds (we’re still constantly texting on our group text!)
AM: We've been watching this every week and really enjoy seeing how everyone is connected with one another and how they evolve over various periods of time. What are the takeaways that you want viewers to walk away with after watching this series?
SM: Class of ‘09 is a limited series so the story is contained within eight episodes. But I hope this encourages the audience to probe at these deeper questions around the nature of security, surveillance, and willingly or unwillingly living in a technocracy. Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers, said “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” We are seeing increasing manifestations of major technological companies abusing their power with impunity and stealing our identities for profit. We’ve seen fuller expressions of this abuse in countries like China, Russia, Israel. We must always remember that our elected officials work for us and we cannot forget that it is our job to hold our elected officials and these major corporations accountable so that we don’t continue on this fast track towards a surveillance state.
AM: Are there upcoming projects that you're working on that you would like to share that we should keep an eye out for?
SM: Yes! There’s a film coming out called I’ll Be Right There with Edie Falco (The Sopranos, Impeachment: American Crime Story, Avatar: the Way of Water), Jeannie Berlin (The Night Of, Succession, The Fablemans), and Bradley Whitford (The West Wing, The Handmaids Tale, Get Out). I actually had the chance to work with Edie on one of my first jobs after getting my MFA. I booked a guest star role on Nurse Jackie a couple of months out of school and I flipped out because Edie was one of the reasons I decided to pursue acting. I remember telling myself to wait until the end of the episode with her to confess how big of a fan I was. I lasted about three hours before I exploded into tears and gushed about how much I loved and admired her. I felt like I totally humiliated myself but she was (and still is) one of the most gracious, humble, down to earth actors I’ve ever met. I’m part of an HBO Max animated series called Scavengers Reign coming out later this year too. I’ve wanted to be part of an animated project my entire life so this was one of those moments where the kid in me couldn’t believe it. Aside from that, there are a couple of other projects I’m developing, but I start work on a film called Wild Berries which will actually be my first Persian language speaking film, opposite award-winning Iranian actor Shahab Hosseini (The Salesman, Residents of Nowhere, Nargesi). It’s pretty much a two-hander so I’m very excited to dive into this world with Shahab and our director Soudabeh Moradian (Polaris, The Amber Thief, In Between).
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 98 + 101 9LIST STORI3S, PG 128 + PG 131 FX/Class of 09
Read the JUN ISSUE #90 of Athleisure Mag and see WHERE’S THE LINE | SEPIDEH MOAFI in mag.
One of our favorite series that we can't wait to see come back later this year for it's latest season is Netflix's Emily in Paris! We love the idea of leaving the US to work and live in Paris, navigating a job that you're great at but doing it in a place whose culture and customs are different than what you've grown up with!
When Emily Cooper (Lily Collins), comes to Paris she learns how to think on her feet in her personal and professional life and along the way we see how her colleagues interact with her. One of her Parisian co-workers is Julien, played by Samuel Arnold. We know that he too is a rising star who wants to make a name for himself and we see how he grows to accept Lily. We caught up with Samuel to find out how he approaches acting projects, Emily in Paris, the importance of hydration and his ambassadorship with Jovē.
ATHLEISURE MAG: You have worked in television and in film, what are you looking for when you're deciding on attaching yourself to a project/role?
SAMUEL ARNOLD: When starting a project I hope to be surrounded by passionate people who are in love with storytelling. I hope to be challenged by having to play a complex tri-dimensional character and I hope to have enough space to create and say what I have to say through my acting.
AM: Emily in Paris is an amazing show from the storyline to the fashion, and of course Paris, it's a binge-able treat. What drew you to the series?
SA: When I was asked to audition, I knew it was going to be something big when I heard Darren Star (Younger, Sex and the City series and movies, And Just Like That) and Lily Colins (90210, The Blind Side, Curb Your Enthusiasm) were the names attached to it. They are both the best at what they do and I want to work with people like that. And of course, I discovered Julien and I was dying to play this character after I read the script.
AM: Julien is such an interesting character that has been great to watch as he navigates his career and relationships with others. How do you approach playing him as he is that friend that you definitely want in your group of friends who will always keep it real with you?
SA: I have a very physical approach when it comes to playing Julien. Obviously I am enormously influenced by the wardrobe. It gives so much to the character, but also I found that dancing was working for me. So I’ve been dancing the character to life for three seasons now.
AM: We can't wait for the next season which will drop this year. What are you excited about that you can share with us?
SA: I’m like everyone else when it comes to season 4. I have no idea what they have in store for us and I quite like that. I trust Darren and the writers to create something exciting and amazing like they’ve been doing so far. I can’t wait to see what’s next for Julien.
AM: The cast of this show is incredible! What are some of your biggest takeaways from being part of this show?
SA: Meeting all those beautiful and talented human beings was the best thing that happened to me on this show. We’re like family now. And we see each other as much as we can in between shoots.
AM: At Athleisure Mag, we believe in hydration as it's essential! You are the first brand ambassador of Jovē, which was announced at the Cannes Film Festival this year. Why is hydration important to you and what is the synergy between you and the alkaline brand?
SA: I used to be a professional dancer, and now I’m an actor. So my body has always been my main instrument. And to keep that instrument healthy and ready to go, proper hydration is one of the top things you can do. This partnership with Jovē comes at a moment in my life where I'm getting back to the gym and getting into a more healthy diet, so Jovē has been the perfect companion for the actor that I am.
AM: What does Deep Hydration mean to you?
SA: Deep Hydration is not only about quenching your thirst but it’s about hydrating every single cell in your body. Not only do you feel better on the inside and out, but Jovē is clinically shown to support skin and cellular health, supporting healthy hair, skin, nails and bones.
AM: Jovē has launched their Let Your Skin Do The Talking campaign, which focuses on skin health. Can you tell me about this and what will you do to amplify that message?
SA: Jovē’s Let Your Skin Do The Talking™ campaign amplifies the voice of what healthy skin would ask for — deep hydration at the skin and cellular level. My goal as a Jovē ambassador is to amplify this message and introduce Jovē all over the world as I travel because a high-quality product like Jovē deserves international success.
AM: How important is your personal well-being/self-care to you and what do you do to achieve that?
SA: As an actor, my main instrument is my body and it made so much sense for me to partner with Jovē, who hydrates and supports my instrument in a healthy way. It feels good to promote something that you love and believe in.
AM: You're an ambassador of Or Bleue which focuses on providing drinkable water to underserved communities. Why is being involved in this organization so important to you?
SA: Water is such a basic need, it blows my mind that some people don’t have access to it. I have it on tap and it’s easy to take it for granted. I want to make the world a better place and for me, it starts with drinkable water for everyone.
AM: Are there upcoming projects that you have that we should keep an eye out for?
SA: I shot a movie last winter in Canada where I played a character very different from Julien. I can’t say more about it but keep an eye out for it.
IG @superssama
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 102 + 103 9LIST STORI3S Netflix/Emily in Paris | PG 107 Jovē |
Read the JUN ISSUE #90 of Athleisure Mag and see HYDRATION IS KEY | SAMUEL ARNOLD in mag.
We're always looking for an extraordinary restaurant especially when we're able to combine an amazing menu, with a team, and also an experience, ambiance and a story that makes you want to come back and to continue to support it whether it's in your neighborhood or an area of town that you enjoy visiting!
We caught up with Chef Charlie Mitchell who is the Executive Chef/Partner of Clover Hill in Brooklyn and just won the Michelin 2022 NYC Young Chef Award Winner as well as is a James Beard Finalist 2023! These awards are amazing to be recognized for a life of dedication and focus. We wanted to find out about how he fell in love with food, decided to work in this field, his culinary journey, and how he continues to share his vision through Clover Hill. We also have the opportunity to chat about he approaches his culinary style as we get his chef insights which allows us to think about how the foods that we eat and the intentions behind the menus we enjoy.
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you fall in love with food?
CHEF CHARLIE MITCHELL: Um, I would say a long time ago when I was a kid to be honest. I tell this story all the time, but I just grew up around food and I grew up with a family that just cooked for any and every reason whether it was good or bad, you know what I mean? It wasn’t hard to fall in love with food when you saw it and were around it so much and to see how important it was to everybody.
AM: What was the moment that you realized that you wanted to work in this industry and to be a chef?
CHEF CM: A chef, I would say somewhere in high school, you know. I just cooked. I think that I wasn’t the most career oriented kid to be honest in high school right? I think that I wasn’t even thinking about it until maybe I got to that Junior year in high school and you’re kind of like, “let me figure out what I want to do.” And I think that because I was getting older at that point – I wouldn’t say that I was cooking anything serious or anything, but I knew that it was something that I loved to do when I was not in class at school. So I thought that I could do this for a living. You know, I was watching a lot of Food Network.
AM: Oh yeah!
CHEF CM: Yeah, Food Network and stuff like that. I mean it sounds corny now but Iron Chef was that one show that I would just say, “wow, this looks like some serious cheffing,” you know what I mean? When I would watch that show, I would say, “yeah, I want to do something like that.” But I had no idea how to be a chef at that time.
AM: What was your culinary journey in kitchens that you trained in on the way to coming to Clover Hill?
CHEF CM: I mean, it wasn’t a very typical journey at times, there were times where it was a little rocky. My first 3 years of cooking, I would say my foundation was in Detroit. My first cheffing at my first restaurant that I worked in I would say is where I got the most training. It was a lot of hours, a lot of cooking, a lot of on the job training, a lot of raw cooking techniques and then I moved to NYC to try to work in more fine dining kitchens in a bigger market and that’s why I came here. And that’s what I got. I was working at places like Betony and Eleven Madison Park and even in DC for places like Bresca and Jônt, those were like the most refined jobs that I had and that kind of shaped the way that I knew how I wanted to go about my approach to food. I mean, it has been about 10 years this year now.
AM: How do you define your style of cooking?
CHEF CM: I’m not really sure, I’m still figuring that out. I always say that I think that it takes chefs 20 years to really define their cooking style for great chefs. I look at myself and I consider me to be halfway. So right now, my focus on my style of cooking is to focus on the ingredients that we are using. Sourcing great products, great ingredients, caring about whether what we’re using is sustainable or not, who is growing our vegetables, and then from there, I like to focus on some techniques that some people may consider to be old school or very raw techniques. I like to make sure that the food feels like you are being cooked for, you know what I’m saying? We still cook our proteins from raw and we make sure that all our sauces are actually, hot, we care about those things like a person would care more for if they were at home, than if they were in a restaurant. If I had to sum it up, I would say that my cooking style is right now, a little raw and there is a lot of intuitive cooking. I cook the way that I want to eat!
AM: Which is a good place to start!
CHEF CM: Yeah, exactly!
AM: Well, you’re the Executive Chef/Partner of Clover Hill in Brooklyn. How did this come about?
CHEF CM: Well actually, so, Clover Hill, I was intro’d to Clover Hill when they first opened in 2019 because the original chef was a friend of mine. So I was actually introduced to the restaurant because I was in a transition and he was opening his restaurant and they needed some hands, some kitchen help. So I was around part-time/full-time working there 4 days a week for him and the COVID happened. So that was my introduction to Clover Hill and then time goes by and when the ownership was looking to reopen it, ironically, I had just moved back to NYC and they - Clay Castillo just randomly texted me and asked me what I was up to. I was standing there with my now fiancé and I was like, “yo, the owners of Clover Hill just texted me out of nowhere.” She was like, “okay, see what’s up.” So, maybe it was a day later or a week later, but we had coffee and we saw that our visions just aligned. With me being somebody that was in transition and him obviously going through it with having to close his restaurant due to COVID, he was very inspired to not give up. That was his message and I was in the same place and kind of young and kind of hungry and we just decided that we would go for it. Honestly, it was a very organic situation where he was in this position, I was in this position, and we had to figure it out together and that’s what we decided to do.
AM: Tell us about Clover Hill, what can people expect in terms of the ambiance of the restaurant as well as the menu itself?
CHEF CM: I think that the goal of the ambiance is that Clay will say this, to feel like home. It's a very homey approach which I know that that sounds cliché sometimes, but we look at it that way from the environment to the hospitality. It’s not just the décor, it’s about how you’re treated when you’re there as well. It’s to try to strip away some of the pretentious stereotypes of fine dining. We want people to feel comfortable which is what we mean by that, to feel accepted, and to be at a place where you can vibe, you can laugh, you can talk as opposed to some fine dining restaurants where you’re so intimidated that when you walk in, you see that it’s so bright and the tablecloths are everywhere -
AM: Which fork am I using first?
CHEF CM: Right! And you’re worried about your outfit and stuff like that. So we want to strip all of that away and make it about the food, the wine, and the service. The food has evolved as our price point has evolved. But it has always been very seafood focused as well as vegetables – so seafood first, vegetables second. You’ll see a little bit of meat here and there, so that is the primary focus of the cuisine. As far as what it always is, we change the menu 4 times a year. We do complete menu overhauls, but I use the food as well as Clover Hill as a means to further my growth, the restaurants growth and the other cooks as well. The food changes menu to menu, but it’s always very rooted in seafood, vegetables, and flavors that you know people either love or hate – it’s very seasoned food. The idea of it also being at home too is that, this is something that we pride ourselves on. Food is something that makes you feel like someone cooked it for you. It needs to have a sense of nostalgia to it, and it needs to have a sense of warmth to the food in every dish. So if it’s not delicious and it doesn’t remind you of something, if it doesn’t kind of bring you back to a place – then it kind of doesn’t work. So that’s in the DNA of the food.
AM: Congratulations on being the 2022 Michelin Guide Young Chef Award Winner and the first Black Michelin chef in NY which blows our minds even moreso that you are only the second Black chef in the US to do this! Honestly, we kept double checking ourselves in prep for this interview with you because we were shocked that it has been so few, but there we are! What does it feel like to win this award and in terms of representation, being able to have this distinction for yourself as well as for the restaurant that you are at?
CHEF CM: Well winning the award, to be honest, the Young Chef Award I had only heard about a day or 2 before the awards. I had never heard about it before. And then when I won, it was a complete surprise! I was just humbled and honored, mainly because so many of my peers and chefs that I look up to were also standing in this room and seeing me at that moment, so I just felt like that was just fucking cool to be honest! I mean to have all of those chefs looking at me when I was on that stage, that was just cool! For the Michelin Star too, me and Clay, I mean the whole team, but for us and the ownership, it was just like, what they went through with COVID and then closing down and then where I was at at that time and then kind of being in a position where I wasn’t sure what my next move was going to be. Just to see us put the work in for that year and a half, that validation and that visibility pushes everything. It means that what we’re doing is working and that the right people were seeing us, so that was awesome!
For me as a Black chef, that was also like a cherry on top, you know what I mean? It’s not like you’re looking to be the first or second of anything, it just kind of happens. But for me, it was kind of learning how to embrace it. Chefs and Black chefs that are older than me are looking at me like, “man, we did it!” Chefs that are younger than me are like, “how can I do it?” I’m just trying to learn how to embrace it and to be a resource which I think is the most important. Maybe it’s not full blown conversations or full blown FaceTime sessions with chefs, but it’s just about being available and a resource for questions or encouragement or just being somebody that they can see doing it so that they can do it! I mean winning it is great, the representation is great, and I’m honored to be someone to represent us in any kind of capacity that is in a positive way!
AM: Exactly!
To follow that up, to be a James Beard Finalist, that’s another one of those things that is so much of an honor. What does it mean to you to have this distinction also in terms of the recognition?
CHEF CM: I mean, it was great! I think that any chef that takes themselves seriously on any level whether it’s casual, fine dining, food trucks, or whatever – you take it serious. You put in a lot of work that goes into it, a lot of hours goes into it, and I think that some people may look at the last year and a half/two years of my journey and say, “ oh, it’s been so great – how does it feel?” For me, it felt like, finally! I’ve been doing this for all this time –
AM: So long!
CHEF CM: Yeah and it’s just the beginning. Some people don’t realize how many hours and how much time you put into something. So it’s just nice to be validated in any capacity – here’s this kid that’s at this restaurant that’s doing something that’s cool and good, had a good product, and they’re happy that I’m doing it. It’s encouraging – it encourages me to keep going. It encourages me to keep working as hard as we do. So that’s what it means the most to me.
AM: What I really love on your Instagram is that you talk about a lot of things. You talk about menu development and a number of nuts and bolts topics in the kitchen. For our readers that don’t know, what is menu development, what does it involve, and why is it so important?
CHEF CM: Well it’s hard! The reason why I share it is because – it’s been a new thing that I have been wanting to share because I think that some people have a misconception about how easy it is. I think that for me and having a small team, it’s just me. So it’s not like, oh does this taste good? It’s like, is it part of the vision, is it a part of who we are, is it on brand, and does it fit within our ethos? If we go here, where do we go from here? To constantly challenge yourself and your own ideas, it’s hard, you know what I mean?
AM: We love that you share it though, because, when people are thinking of a chef, they think of the restaurant and that there are partners and staff, but they don’t think about the hours, 14 hour days and these little things that you’re putting together to make a full picture. I think it’s awesome that you show it!
CHEF CM: Yeah!
I think that menu development is even something that I am just learning. I look at chefs that have been doing this for years! I reach out to them for advice and to see how they go about it. I think that the most important part about it is to just be curious about what you do, to be curious about food, and to continue to learn about food. I think that the hardest part of it is to continue to challenge yourself. Whether it’s your own ideas or old techniques that you have done before, and to not be too attached to a notion like, “we’re going to always cook the fish this way.” There may be a better way and you’re just going to need to be open minded to the journey of exploring, you know?
AM: Well, it’s interesting that you had a post recently that it is important to you that all of your dishes fall into your core values of good eats. What do you mean by that and what are those core values?
CHEF CM: When I worked at Eleven Madison Park, like Daniel Humm was kind of known for having 4 or 5 things that a dish had to have to fit in these boxes, which they don’t have to have – but that’s what he liked to say. For me, I am developing my own things for myself. So what I mean by that is – is it possible for a dish to go out as intended which is important. Is it meant to be cold – can it go out cold, is it meant to always go out hot? Some dishes, which sounds simple, but there are other factors with those dishes that we have to figure out in fine dining where you would know that it is not executable at this level. So being intentional is very important. Obviously, being very delicious is the most important. Is it visually appealing, but not to sacrifice if it is delicious or intentional, right? From there it’s, how does it make somebody feel inside when they eat it? Is it too spicy or spicy enough? Is it warm? Is it nostalgia? Is it a little thought provoking? Does it draw their memory? Those are the kinds of things that I focus on the most right now.
AM: What is an average day like for you at Clover Hill?
CHEF CM: Well it has changed so much now, I think that life now versus the first 8 months are so different that I feel like I should tell the story of how it was in the beginning beginning! But right now, it’s different. The learning curve right now is for me to learn to be an Executive Chef. That’s also what I want people to realize is that I teach my cooks that each level is a different learning curve. You’re a line cook, you’re a CDP, you’re a sous chef, you’re an Executive Sous Chef, you’re a CDC Executive Chef right, so now I’m like learning how to fall back a little bit and care about other things that I don’t know about. So right now, my day to day is still 12-14 hours but less cooking, more guiding, more teaching, more meetings with the managers and the ownership. We’re looking at how are we pushing this restaurant forward as far as cleanliness, design, organization, new plateware, new development, menu costing – for lack of a better word – visionary things.
AM: Yeah dealing with nuts and bolts of the business.
CHEF CM: As opposed to last year, I had less staff, I didn’t have a sous chef at the time. I was just cooking and keeping my head down and now I’m in the mode of focusing and actually running this restaurant as opposed to just working in the restaurant. Usually, the cooks' days start around 10 or 11am and they work until around midnight. My day starts around the same time and I work until around midnight/1am and then I do it all over again. The cooks right now, everyone on the staff, they work 4 days a week. I work a 5 day shift, they work a 4 day shift. I think that that’s a way that we try to give them a better live/work balance. Like you may work 4 long days, but you have 3 days off.
AM: Which is nice.
CHEF CM: Yeah it’s nice because it keeps you in that 40-50/hour range instead of that 60-70 hour range. So that’s what we’re trying to do right now. I know how mentally taxing that this job can be and I just want them to be able to be there when they are at work and to do the things that I need them to do. Then, they have enough time that they will be able to do what they need to do when they’re not here.
AM: After a night at work, what’s a meal that you like to cook for yourself when you’re at home?
CHEF CM: Nothing haha, I order takeout. To be honest, I’m a better eater at home now because I have Michelle to help me out without. I’m very simple. I like to eat very light at the end of the night for the most part. Just because, you’re about to go to sleep. So something like a protein, rice, and vegetables are my favorite things to eat.
AM: What are your go-to ingredients or spices that you always have in your pantry at home that are so versatile for you to make a number of dishes when you do decide to cook at home.
CHEF CM: Butter, garlic, and lemon. That can make anything taste good and then a cabinet full of spices. Anything from salt and pepper to curry spices, paprika, cayenne pepper, and all of that kind of stuff. But if you have butter, garlic, and lemon you can make anything taste good.
AM: When you’re not in the kitchen and you have time off, how do you take time for yourself in terms of self-care?
CHEF CM: Traditionally, I try to be as active as I can. I try to run, I try to workout. It also depends because sometimes the work week can get crazy and then I try to relax, spend time with mainly just me and Michelle hanging out all of the time to be honest. We just have to figure out days where we can sit on the couch for 8 hours. But in a perfect world, if I can just work out, recharge and watch some TV or something that’s great. As opposed to before where it was all about food 24/7. On the weekends, it was all about cookbooks and then I would go back to work. But now, I try to pull back from it all sometimes to just relax.
AM: That shows maturity where you give that balance to yourself just like you do to your chefs that you give 3 days off!
Do you have any upcoming projects that we should keep an eye out for. I know that last year, you were part of Chef Kwame Onwuachi’s Family Reunion which must have been an amazing time. Will you be doing any other events like that this year?
CHEF CM: Um, I don’t know. Hopefully. I think that the Family Reunion one we missed out on this year because we just didn't have time for it on the schedule this year. I know that we’re doing some charity events in October, we’re doing this Michelin event in Sept called Euphoria which will be pretty cool. Besides that we’re keeping it pretty low key. We’re just trying to figure it out and summer gets pretty light in the city and especially in our area of Brooklyn. So we try to figure out ways to stay busy and to put some things together.
AM: What do you want your legacy to be? You have done so many different things, you have gotten so many different accolades, and yet you have such a bigger road of the things that you can achieve. What do you want that to be seen as?
CHEF CM: I think that cooking is one of those things that is a passion driven career. We get into this because we love cooking and we have a passion about it. I love it and unfortunately, I love restaurants. That’s what I chose, I didn’t go out for private, catering, or anything like that. So for me, it’s about that I want to be known as the best chef foodwise and one of the best chefs to work for and/or with. I want to make sure that I’m a good leader and a good boss and a good employer for my people. Hopefully I’m one of those well known serious chefs that is one of the best known chefs in NYC and one of the best known chefs in the country!
IG @chuckgood
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 86 Clay Williams | PG 88 - 94 Natalie Black |
Read the JUN ISSUE #90 of Athleisure Mag and see THE PROCESS | CHEF CHARLIE MITCHELL in mag.
The summer really allows us to enjoy a number of sports and for many, there's nothing like a round of golf with friends. But with all the time that you spend on the course, it would be nice to have a mobile office that allows you to enjoy the game while also checking in when you need to!
We caught up with Jason Tartick who was a contestant on Season 14 of The Bachelorette (Becca Kufrin's season) and although he was eliminated in week 9, he would go on to date and get engaged to Kaitlyn Bristowe who was The Bachelorette for season 11! We wanted to know about his partnership with Wyndham Rewards, their Cubicle Caddie, his love for golf, what his experience in Bachelor Nation has been, meeting Charity Lawson, the current The Bachelorette (season 20 premiered Jun 26th on ABC), and his upcoming projects!
ATHLEISURE MAG: You've partnered with Wyndham Rewards to share The Cubicle Caddie. Can you tell us more about it and why you enjoy having access to it?
JASON TARTICK: Well, I’ve been a Wyndham Rewards member for the past few years and love how generous the program is, so when we agreed on this partnership, I knew it was the perfect fit. I’m usually balancing work while I’m on the go – and as an avid golfer, I love the concept of the Cubicle Caddie – it’s the best of both worlds. It’s essentially a tricked-out golf cart that helps golfers work from the green and includes essentials like a green screen complete with convincing office backdrops and all the things to actually help me do the job (like Wi-Fi and noise-canceling headphones).
AM: What was the moment that you realized that you enjoyed golf?
JT: Golf has always been a big part of my upbringing. I played with my grandfather, who has unfortunately passed, but the memories will always live within me, and playing with my father with is such a treat - We compete like no other. From my grand father, my father, all my friends and even and even with Kaitlyn - we go golfing all the time. But let me tell you, that girl is one hell of a putter! The Cubicle Caddie is such a nice addition with Wyndham Rewards because it allows me to get out on the golf course more often, to be able to take a call or two, and utilize the high-speed Wi-Fi Internet (which honestly is better than my actual office Wi-Fi). I love the game – to able to play with family and friends, it’s such a treat.
AM: What is it about this sport that keeps you coming back to it?
JT: It’s the comradery, the exercise, the social aspect – To be out and about, to compete. It’s the triple threat. There’s no game like it.
AM: Does Kaitlyn go out on the course with you and what are you guys up to this summer?
JT: Kaitlyn and I live right by a golf course, actually almost on the golf course. Sometimes, we will do date nights where we grab some wine and we go up to the golf course and do a little putt-putt competition. We’ll put bets on the line, bets like who’s going to pick up the dog poop for a week, who is doing the dishes or buying the next round of coffees. It’s a fun game for us and we get out often which is great.
The big thing that we are planning this summer is that pre-Covid, we had gone to Kelowna and spent time a ton of time in August, so I think that’s what we are going to do this August. We are going to head up to Canada to spend time with her family, and we are so looking forward to it.
AM: We always enjoy when the next season of The Bachelor/Bachelorette is coming back and as we wait to watch Charity's season premiering on the 26th, what was being on The Bachelorette like for you and what was the biggest takeaway that you had?
JT: At the CMA’s, I just had a chance to meet Charity. She is so sweet and kind, and I think this season is going to be absolutely remarkable. For me, I really enjoyed The Bachelor. It was such an amazing roller coaster of an experience. I got to meet so many people throughout the process and it was a once in a lifetime experience. From being on the show, almost every area of my life has changed. I’m forever grateful for the franchise and for the show.
I think the biggest takeaway that I have is that you just have to submit to the process and let yourself go. I found that the more people tried to control it, the quicker they would break because of the pressure. I think it’s so important that you allow yourself to let go, control what you can and not to worry about what you can’t.
AM: Tell me about your podcast Trading Secrets!
JT: Trading Secrets is a great podcast where we have on all different celebrities from all different industries come on and talk about where they made money, how they got money, where they lost money, and when and how they got to where they are.
Unfortunately, in our system today, we aren’t taught the things that we need to know about career navigation and managing finances, and that is the purpose of this podcast. It has been a top business charting podcast with over 100 episodes and over 5 million downloads. It has been so much fun so far and we have some really great guests coming up this summer. Some guests like Wells Adams, Macklemore, the creator of Entourage, and many more. It’s going to be a very exciting summer for Trading Secrets.
AM: You have a lot going on including a book - what can you tell us about this?
JT: Book number two is well on its way! Manuscript is in and the title is going to be: Talk Money to Me; 8 Questions Where the Answers are Numbers Because Stories Shift, Context Changes, but Numbers Don’t Lie.
In each chapter, you will be asked a question, and that question will be a number. We will then teach you how to get that number, what that number means, how to improve it, what that number means to your finances, how to have the conversation with your partner and asking them what their number is for that specific Chapter. The second reason why people are becoming divorced is because of financial infidelity. That being said, we need to get ahead of it and start having those conversations.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Wyndham Rewards
Read the JUN ISSUE #90 of Athleisure Mag and see ON THE LINKS | JASON TARTICK in meg.
We like a good thriller and Ruth Ware's Zero Days, gives us just that! Husband and wife team Jack and her husband Gabe are hired by companies as penetration specialists to break into buildings and to hack security systems. After being hired to do this work, the job goes wrong and when Jack goes home, she finds her husband is dead! Not only is he dead, but she knows that the police have her as a suspect. Now she's running against time and must clear her name as well as find Gabe's killer.
As she navigates this mystery, she has to reassess everything that she knows and figure out who she can trust to help her figure everything out!
The fusion dishes that are presented in Egg Roll & Sweet Tea: Asian Inspired, Southern Style allows us to bring Asian and Southern cuisine together with 100 recipes.
You'll find a number of dishes that hit our comfort food spot including: Fried Chicken Spring Rolls with Honey, Rainbow Black-Rice Salad, Okra and Tomato Stir-Fry, Black-Eyed Pea Hummus, Golden Milk and Sorghum Hot Toddy, and a number of several recipes for an array of egg rolls and sweet teas.
Natalie Keng is known for creating Asian sauces that take your dishes to another level. She created this cookbook as a way to combine her favorite dishes that she grew up with. She is focused on these core dishes, sauces, and drinks that allow home cooks to prepare and share these finds with friends and family!
There's nothing better then making a dish that you grew up with and being able to add a twist to it to make it healthy! In Southern Lights: Easier, Lighter, And Better For You Recipers From the South, Lauren McDuffie takes a fresh take on Southern-style cooking and shows how it doesn't have to be unhealthy and heavy - it is a reimagination of our favorite dishes!
This cookbook has you covered from breakfast, lunch, dinner, appetizers, snacks, desserts and so much more. We loved seeing Sheet Pan Catfish with Okra, Corn and Tomatoes; Chile-Soaked Watermelon with Smoked Almonds; Creamy Roasted-Garlic Mashed Potatoes; Pimiento Cheese Hummus and so much more!
Whether you grew up eating this or you've wanted to try it but in a lighter way, add this cookbook to your shelf!
Read the JUN ISSUE #90 of Athleisure Mag and see BINGELY BOOKS in mag.
It's been awhile but Black Mirror is back with 5 new episodes that let you think about connectivity, technology, interpersonal relationships and so much more! This season we're left with wondering about the extent of privacy and how by giving it out, we may be allowing more access to who we are then we ever thought! We also look at how much our love for True Crime may uncover secrets and behaviors that we never thought that those who we know have! It also makes us think about how the act of assisting someone or giving time to others can have adverse affects. We found that we were able to binge all the episodes in one weekend day and left our screens wondering about these themes as well as hoping that there would be another season to keep us pondering soon!
Fans of Sex and the City were treated to And Just Like That last year which picked up with the our favorite ladies of NYC. We returned to them last year in new circumstances as well as bringing in new friends to shake up what we knew about them and to diversify their lives!
This month, the second season is back with more stories to tell, more challenges to take on, and to to continue to strive to live their best lives with an array of nuances!
As you know, this show also has a podcast companion series which takes us into the writer's room to talk in depth about each episode as well as to talk about how they approached writing the episode, whose personal experiences it was based on and how it ties into art, styling and more. Episodes of this spin-off series drop weekly and if you missed anything, you can catch up on Max for this series as well as Sex and the City. Also listen to the podcast show on your favorite platforms.
We're enjoying another immersive audio drama from QCODE has been released and it takes us to the end and possible beginning of the world in Hidden Signal: Evergreen. Hidden Signal is an Anthology for QCODE and Evergreen focuses on a hand selected team of the world's greatest minds who are trapped in a subterranean biosphere. They realize that on Earth, an asteroid has destroyed the surface and that they are tasked to create a new society. Mistrust abounds among the group and the line between hero and villain is not easily seen in this fictional podcast. With so much uncertainty, can they come together and trust one another?
Read the JUN ISSUE #90 of Athleisure Mag and see BINGELY STREAMING in mag.
Restaurant Yuu is located between Williamsburg and Greenpoint in Brooklyn with a classic dining style at a beautiful black stone chef's tasting counter.
Chef/Owner Yuu Shimano trained at Tsuji Culinary Institute in both Osaka, Japan and Lyon France. He graduated in 2002. His first 12 years of his career was in France where he began at two-Michelin-starred La Villa des Lys at the Hotel Majestic in Cannes before becoming the Chef de Partie of Meats and Sauces at three-Michelin-starred Restaurant Guy Savoy in Paris. In 2017 he was tapped by Tokyo Restaurant Factory to open MIFUNE New York where he served as Executive Chef for 5 years and garnered a Michelin plate.
Their Pastry Chef Masaki Takahashi previously worked at two-Michelin-starred Narisawa in Tokyo. Chef de Cuisine Shuji Furukawa previously worked as Executive Chef at The Gallery by Odo. Sommelier Akio Matsumoto worked at the three-Michelin-starred L'Effervescence in Tokyo.
Their French 18 Course Omakase Menu focuses on traditional and classical French cuisine that they modernized creating new flavor profiles to impress guests. The 18 courses are served through 22 different dishes, as some of them like Trout (a smoked trout tartlet with fennel cream, finished with smoked trout roe) and Octopus (a bite-sized octopus fritter made from simmered octopus and shrimp croute and served with red) is the first course.
Three dishes that are the chef/owner's favorite is his signature Duck and Foie Gras Pie, a house made pie filled with duck breast and duck thigh, spinach, and foie gras, served with a black pepper cognac and duck jus sauce; Ayu, a young Japanese ayu fish wrapped in a shiso leaf then fried, served with shutou sauce made of fermented bonito cooked in soy sauce, and egg yolk; as well as the main dessert Plum, a miniature soufflé served in plumb compote with almond ice cream.
Their tasting menu is seasonal and will change every 3 months with the next menu launching at the end of July. The Duck and Foie Gras Pie is their signature dish so it will remain on the menu.
Their digestif offerings after the meal is a coffee and tea service paired with four mignardise: Pistachio Macaron, Chocolate Grand Marnier Muscadine, Kiwi and Tarragon Pate de Fruite, and Lemon Cream Tart. Their sommelier Akio Matsumoto can recommend a bespoke digestif of sake or fortified wine based on their preference of a dry or sweet after dinner drink.
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT | Dariia Neshama
Read the JUN ISSUE #90 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | Restaurant Yuu in mag.
This month, our JUN ISSUE #90 cover comes from producer, composer, singer/songwriter, 2X Billboard Latin Music Awards nominee, 4X Latin Grammy Award nominee and Premios Juventud winner, Ovy on the Drums! If you have enjoyed a number of Karol G's music whether it's her solo or collaborations that she has done with Shakira, Becky G, Future, and more - you have enjoyed the disctinctive sound that merges EDM, pop, and Reggaeton to make a sound all of its own. In addition to his work with this artist, this much in demand artist from Medellin, Columbia has also worked with Nicki Minaj, Steve Aoki, Bad Bunny, and Maluma to name a few.
While we wait for his much anticipated album as a solo artist signed to Warner Music, we wanted to find out a bit about how he approaches creating his music, how he got his start, sharing his sound and how we can define it, as well as working with Karol G.
ATHLEISURE MAG: You’re a producer and singer/songwriter, when did you fall in love with music?
OVY ON THE DRUMS: How did I fall in love with music? Well, the truth is, I fell in love with music... I had never really thought about becoming a music producer or dedicating myself to music, but one day I discovered the program I currently work with and use for all my productions, which is FL Studio. I believe that from that moment on, I fell in love with this whole music thing, creating rhythms, and beats. Since the first day I discovered this program I've felt a passion and love for creating music.
AM: From your love of music, to creating your music. How did you initially break into the into the industry?
You have a creative partnership with Karol G as you produced all but one song on her debut album Unstoppable, Ocean, KG0516 and you were one of the producers on her 4th album, Mañana Será Bonito. How did this partnership come about and what do you enjoy about working with her?
OOTD: Once I started making beats and fell in love with music well, in terms of the industry itself, my first steps were thanks to the university where I studied a bit more about music.
I met some friends called "La Compañía" from San Andres, a beautiful island in Colombia. It was thanks to them that I had a strong approach to the music industry. They opened the doors of their studios to me, and it was through them that I also met Karol G. I am forever grateful to them because it was there that I had my entry into the music industry.
AM: What do you like about the sounds and beats associated with reggaeton, hip-hop, pop, and EDM?
OOTD: Well, what I like the most about the sounds themselves are the percussion and the changes, the cuts that each genre has. I really enjoy analyzing the slicers in each song and the different types and changes in percussion.
AM: You’re a producer and singer/songwriter, how do you define the Ovy sound?
OOTD: The sound of On the Drums today, in any of its three facets, is going to have a very distinctive sound that I have been evolving and refining for a long time. Right now, I consider my sound to be very minimalist, a very simple sound. Within the few elements I use in a production, I strive to make it sound grand.
It has been a bit challenging because, initially, my productions were very saturated, overloaded with sound. Over time, I have learned to select certain sounds to avoid saturating it too much in a production.
AM: When you begin working on a song, where do you start first?
“Well, what I like most about the sounds themselves are the percussion and the changes, the cuts that each genre has. I really enjoy analyzing the slicers in each song and the different types and changes in percussion.”
OOTD: When I start working on a song, most of the time I like to begin with the melody. Before creating a song, the first thing I do is sit at the piano and let it convey or evoke whatever mood I'm feeling at that moment. It's what guides me. That's why I love starting from there.
AM: You have worked with several artists such as Karol G, Nicki Minaj, Becky G, Bad Bunny, Ed Sheeran, Steve Aoki, and Maluma to name a few. Where do you get inspiration when it comes to creating music for the artists that you have worked with?
OOTD: I believe that inspiration should always come from within the artist. It starts with creating a rhythm or sound that I personally enjoy and being able to convey that beautiful energy I'm creating musically. Transmitting it to the artists I've worked with is important to me. I want them to appreciate what I do, connect with what I'm creating, and work together as a team. That's how I flow, and I think it's the key to finding inspiration when creating music. It's about transmitting that energy, whether I'm with the artist or working alone, and sharing it with others
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Ovy On The Drums
Read the JUN ISSUE #90 of Athleisure Mag and see START WITH THE MELODY | Ovy on the Drums in mag.
One of our shows that we can't wait to watch is FX's Mayans MC which is a spin-off of Sons of Anarchy! This series focuses on the Mayans biker club, the Galindo Cartel, complicated relationships that are generated in a number of ways and fighting to stay together by any means necessary!
We sat down with Sarah Bolger to talk about being part of this cast, the series finale, her character Emily Galindo, what she learned about being part of this show, what we can expect for the final season, about relationships that were established between cast and crew, and upcoming projects!
If you have not watched the previous seasons or have missed some of the episodes of this season, spoiler alert, we will be talking about plot points that include the previous seasons as well as up to episode 3 of this season. Catch up on Hulu and watch each week on FX.
ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the moment that you realized that you wanted to be an actor?
SARAH BOLGER: Oh my God, so I started acting – well, to answer your question, I don’t remember! I started acting when I was 5!
AM: Oh my God!
SB: My first feature film was a little Irish/UK co-pro film called, A Love Divided. That’s when I was 6 years old. That’s when we filmed it! But I will say that around the age of 13/14/15, when high school becomes more important and when it becomes a thing where one says, that one must be in school – one must pay attention – one must not miss class – it became really apparent to me that I missed acting. Like, this is every child. No child wants to be in school I’m sure; however, for me, it literally was a thing where I’ve never felt more at home in a place, than on a film set. That still remains true to this day as sort of woo woo as that sounds! It’s so true and it’s just one of those things that I have always felt really comfortable with and that I have always felt really confidant in. I have always felt that something about it was just the right place for me. So yeah, it was early on as mad as that sounds!
AM: We love hearing that and we love that even in doing it such a younger age, you were able to reconnect with it again which is awesome!
SB: Yeah, thankfully, I have been able to do a bunch of little parts back in the early days and then I did a film when I was around 10 that ended up bringing me to LA because it got nominated for a couple of fun things and proudly, that project was something that was really beloved and it was so interesting. I can look back on that today and it’s one of the few things, it was called In America, it’s one of the few things that I can actually rewatch because I’m so young in it! I don’t remember it and it’s a different person than me!
AM: You have been in some of my favorite shows from The Tudors, Once Upon a Time, Agent Carter, Counterpart and obviously, Mayans MC, what do you look for when you’re deciding on whether you’re going to audition for a role?
SB: I know when Mayans came along, there was a history of a couple of roles where I was playing a princess if I am going to be honest. I remember loving how opposite Mayans was to any of the worlds that I had been able to portray or to live in before artistically and I thought, this fascinates me. Not only in that the predecessor show was so amazing, it was more of that, “ok, this is just a world of violence and gangs and California, and modern day and family and culture! It’s just so wonderful and exciting and important – with Mayans in particular, it just felt so different than any other show that I was able to do before. Specifically, I didn’t have to wear a corset which I thought was great!
AM: That was a relief!
SB: Yeah, my ribs took a break, you know?
AM: Exactly!
You said that what attracted you to playing Emily. How do you approach playing her?
SB: Well I think that what’s so beautiful about having 5 seasons of a show is that every season, I have to approach her a little differently, because she has grown like I have grown! We all change and I’m not saying that we change so drastically year to year, but in circumstances to which Emily has lived in, being part of the Cartel which is stressful, I can only imagine how it is so stressful! It’s stressful to act in – not only to be in real life! Things like that and her having a child. These things that I personally as Sarah have not been something that I have experienced – it was just a lot to her that I felt that I had to do my research on and really learn her and change her as her circumstances changed as the stakes got higher. As it got higher and the show progressed, it got really clear that Emily was a person that was very dependent on changing herself to fit into whatever circumstance that was. Whether it was her ex-love, using people as crutches, whether it was hiding behind organizations, or her husband – I think that what happened with Emily which was so cool to be able to do is to remove herself from that sturdy position that she had put herself in and it kind of made her very wobbly and made her make a lot of mistakes and made her very unsteady and very uncertain. That’s kind of very cool and very human – very very human.
AM: How do you feel that she’s kind of connected between two very different characters – between EZ (JD Pardo) and Miguel (Danny Pino). How do you feel that she perceives that balance that she is always having to walk between the two because she’s inextricably tied to them constantly?
SB: Totally and well said! I think that for Emily it is the balancing act of secrecy and lies. She has this person, EZ, who is her childhood crush, who is the love of her life potentially, who by the way she knows that she can never be with. He’s progressed in an avenue of his life where she can no longer catch him. She has progressed to an avenue in her life that he couldn’t fit into. So it’s not like there is this long lost yearning for what could be.
I think that when it comes to EZ, Emily reverts to childhood, reverts to help me, she reverts to “I need you,” save me – she reverts to these things that happens to younger loves.
With Miguel, if people were to ask me if I think that she loved him, I think that she beyond loved him. I think that without him, she wouldn’t have Cristόbal (Obadiah and Benjamin Abel), her child and as much as she fears him or hates him, there is a constant and truthful admiration maybe for him, for the love that they shared in that pocket of time that gave them their family. It gave her hope, it gave her security, and that gave her a future.
I think that between the two, it’s like fragmented love. Emily has almost no lover for herself because she keeps part of her love for EZ and she keeps part of this love for Miguel, but really, she is lost in and of herself. So I think that if you were asking me, she is in between these two people, but it’s tearing her apart!
AM: Right!
SB: It’s only ruining her, it doesn’t ruin the other two.
AM: It’s so interesting to watch and we see your face and we see all the emotions!
SB: She’s just so sad!
AM: Last week’s episode was just oh my gosh – this is awful!
SB: I know! Are you up to episode 3?
AM: Yes, yes!
SB: I had to check ha!
AM: I mean on one level, they’re on the swing set together and they’re saying so much, but neither can go back because too much has been done!
SB: No! There is no going back for either of them. I know that I’m definitely pulling from history here in terms of the Emily and EZ story. Even though their story is very different, they have kind of had a little bit of a mirror life. They both had this trajectory of escapism, escaping their history, escaping their family, being together, going to college, getting degrees, getting jobs, and they were both crumped by EZ’s prison sentence. In truth, it sentenced them both to a life that they didn’t intend to lead. That’s not necessarily talked about because Emily – that’s not something that she has on her shoulders all the time. But me as Sarah looking from a distance, I’m looking at the show thinking that their actual trajectories are very very similar. They both have had to dig down and they feel that they are almost left with no choices right? Whether it’s the cartel of the MC, it’s these things that they had no intention of ever being involved in, but now they are so deeply involved in that the only way out is down!
AM: Yeah, it’s just heartbreaking because the puzzle pieces can’t fit.
SB: Right and of course, who knows how they will end, but I just know that for me, the storyline for me has not been about her trying to get back to EZ, but actually just having Emily get back to herself.
AM: Absolutely.
We’ve watched Emily do this over the past 5 seasons. For those readers that may need a bit of a refresher and to catch up, where did we leave Emily in season 4 and where are we picking her back up again this season?
SB: At the end of season 4, Emily had removed herself from her husband, had gone on the run, had taken – sort of kidnapped Cristόbal, her son, as it was and with the aid of her sister, was able to escape and with the help of her knowledge of certain criminal behavior, she was able to get a passport with a different name. She was able to steal Miguel’s additional cash and sort of go on the run and hide from him and people were convinced that Miguel had died, but she was never convinced of that. She took a job working in a restaurant, just so she could send money back to her sister and her child just to feed them. I think that the point of season 4 for Emily was that any life was so much better, even if it was a dingy apartment with cockroaches, it was so much better than that castle which was just a prison. She had been on the run and the final episode of season 4 is Miguel finding Cristόbal – killing – well we don’t know who necessarily kills her sister in terms of which hand, but the organization kills her sister and Emily being asked maniacally by Miguel to return home and that all is forgiven, and that they need to be a family again. Emily is without choice, she’s without options, without funds and without her child – so there was no other choice for her, but to return back to really just be close to her kid again.
AM: In looking at the 3rd episode of this season, it was really interesting because it’s looking at the complicated nature or relationships. Not just between Emily and EZ, Emily and Miguel, but more importantly you have Filipe and Miguel – there’s this whole crazy thing going on!
SB: I know! He has this whole thing for brothers.
AM: It’s crazy because at the end of the day, you ask yourself where does Cristόbal hang in the balance on all of this? It’s such a big family network, but it’s not a known family network yet – so it’s a lot of plot twists. What can you tell us about what we can expect as we continue to watch this season as I know you can’t really give spoilers, but what should we be looking out for?
SB: I think that family has always been a really big theme of the show. It’s been an important theme whether it’s the blood you come from or the blood you create. It tears us, it humanizes us, and humbles us and I think that knowing how important family is, I feel that this will be an important story developing from that, but also I think that even for Emily, I wonder if Emily ever gets all of that information and what would that do to her and her family? I guess we will see.
AM: We will see!
SB: We will see!
AM: What have you enjoyed the most about playing the part and also being part of this cast? What’s the biggest takeaway that you’re going to have once this show completely wraps?
SB: That day, my last day on set – I know that the end of a job is emotional for everyone. You’ve literally spent 16 hours a day, 5 days a week and mostly at midnight with this community and with this crew, and with this cast! They know when you didn’t sleep, they know if you have a headache, they know that the rain is miserable and we’re all soaked together or the heat is crazy and we’re all overheated together. There’s so much that you share and there is so much by osmosis that they learn about you and that you learn about them. There is just this element of the familiar – every day you’re like, “don’t worry, I’ll see you next year.”
Episode 10 wrapped and you’re like, we’ll get another season. There wasn’t that this year. Not being able to say, “hopefully, I’ll see you in 4 months,” was really gut wrenching for me. For both, our cast and our crew. I mean this so sincerely, our cast is insanely talented, but we have the best crew in the world! From the camera department to the AD, to the transpo unit, to costume – they work so hard! Again, we spend so much time together! I won’t have that tomorrow, I won’t have that next year. It makes me so sad because they were a huge part of my life for the last 6 years! It’s 5 seasons but it’s 6 annual years.
AM: Yeah, that’s a long time! It’s a significant chunk.
SB: Oh my God, I feel like, you know – we find ourselves in our mid to late 20’s – that’s when I started the show! I grew up there! I have become a woman who’s paid attention to taxes through the show!
AM: Facts!
Do you have any upcoming projects that we should keep an eye out for?
SB: You know, there’s a show that I am attached to and it’s called Rematch that is all secret except that I know that that piece of information has been released. It’s about Garry Kasparov who is a famous chess player and that’s the blurb that has been released so that’s all that one can say and hopefully that will be released sometime very soon. But that’s very excited and I really enjoyed filming that in Budapest.
IG @sarahbolger
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 156, 158, 161 + PG 176/179 63MIX ROUTIN3S FX/Mayans MC
Read the JUN ISSUE #90 of Athleisure Mag and see END OF AN ERA | Sarah Bolger in mag.
When we're out in Las Vegas, we know that when it comes to have an epic, over the top night out, you have to head over to the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and do it up at Tao Group Hospitality's Hakkasan Nightclub! This premier venue is a world-class destination for top DJs and artists for an experience that you won't want to miss!
When the Denver Nuggets won their hard fought NBA Championship, we found them here for their victory celebration! NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter, Bruce Brown, Aaron Gordon, DeAndre Jordan, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and the rest of the team started their night with dinner at Hakkasan enjoying signature dishes before they continued their night at the nightclub which was packed with a massive crowd who also joined in on the celebration!
The team kept the party going by sitting at their VIP tables that was on the stage. DJ Pauly D and Justin Credible were in the booth and their win was toasted with a 3-liter bottle of Perrier Jouet Brut Champagne.
Obviously, this was a great place to enjoy their massive win, but even when you're not rubbing elbows with your favorite athletes who are world champions, you can enjoy the nights that Hakkasan has to offer by organizing your night with dinner at their restaurant and then coming in to enjoy your favorite DJ who happens to be there for their set from a number of genres that you have on your playlist.
For those navigating how to get to the nightclub you walk from the front of the hotel through the casino and take a left toward Whiskey Down. Walk past it, The David Copperfield Theatre and TAP and Hakkasan will be on your left.
If you're on The Strip, Hakkasan is located near the entrance of the Las Vegas Strip. Once you walk into MGM Grand, take a right and you'll be at Hakkasan for an epic night ahead!
PHOTO CREDITS | Sam Marshall for Tao Group Hospitality
Read the JUN ISSUE #90 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | Hakkasan Las Vegas in mag.
We're always thinking about the song of the summer or a series of songs that we can identify with this time of year when we look back! There's nothing like a series of songs that you can dance too, have great energy and have a number of memories that you can attach to them whether you're solo or with friends and family!
We caught up with Romanian singer/songwriter INNA who is known for this kind of music as well as creating fun videos that are filled with dancing. We wanted to know more about how she came to the entertainment industry, how she goes about creating and collaborating with her music, her latest songs, Dance Queen House and the fact that last year, she croosed over to having over 10 billion views and streams! She tells us all this and more!
ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the first song that you remember that made you fall in love with music?
INNA: Hmm, most likely Romanian songs sung by my mother, grandma, grandpa. I was born and raised in a family where music was an important part of our lives. But some of the artists who had a big impact on me when I was a child were Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston.
AM: When did you realize that you wanted to be an entertainer?
I: From the very first years of my life. I was singing all the time: in the church choir, for my family and friends.
AM: How do you define your style of music?
I: Dance music, energetic, uptempo, about love, friendship, having fun, enjoying life.
AM: When you’re creating new music or a project, how do you get inspired?
I: I find that Inspiration comes from everything around me: my life, my friends lives, my memories, my experiences.
AM: How does your creative process change when you collaborate with other artists?
I: We establish sessions, we start talking about different stuff, we think of a concept, of an idea and we start developing on it.
AM: You have worked with a number of artists from Sofi Tukker, Daddy Yankee, J Balvin, Alok and more. What do you look for when it comes to those that you want to work with?
I: Sometimes a song brings artists together, sometimes the idea of “let’s collaborate, I love your music and I respect you as an artist.” It goes both ways.
AM: You’ve released a number of albums and have received a number of MTV Europe Music Awards, as well as others throughout your career. Last year, you crossed over to having over 10 billion views and streams! What did this mean to you to cross that benchmark?
I: It was and it still is surreal! It’s out of my imagination. I didn’t dare to dream it might happen to me. I am truly grateful to my fans, to people listening to my music and to my team, of course!
AM: You kicked off 2023 dropping Yummy, tell me about this song!
I: Yummy is a sexy song I teamed up with Stefflon Don and Dhurata Dora and it kind of sounded like a banger. It’s a nice collaboration, I enjoyed the female energy and the fans enjoyed it as well.
AM: Tell us about the Dance Queen House Album as this seems like an interesting concept in terms of how you go about creating albums that are released in this name.
I: Last year marked the third season of Dance Queen’s House, a session that lasted for 16 days while I was isolated in a house with producers and songwriters from Global Records, my record label. We work on new music, we have fun, we shoot the entire experience and at the end of these days, we release vlogs on my YouTube channel and of course, the album.
This is something I started doing in the pandemic, because I wanted to stay in touch with my fans and since I couldn’t tour, these vlogs and new music were the perfect way of staying close to them. After these three seasons, I managed to release 3 albums Heartbreaker from the first season, Champagne Problems in two parts and Just Dance in two parts as well.
AM: What’s it like to create your songs for albums that are part of Dance Queen House?
I: It’s very nice I get to share the entire process with my fans and also do a lot of activities.
AM: You also dropped your 9th studio album, Just Dance which was released in 2 parts, why did you release it this way and what songs are you excited about?
I: We worked on a lot of music in a very short time, just 16 days, songs that needed time to be produced to sound good. And also, there were lots of songs, so I felt we had to share them separately, so that my fans get to enjoy them.
AM: Tell me about your latest release with Gamuel Sori, Party Songs and how did this record come about?
I: My manager played me the song, I liked it and I jumped on it!
AM: Why is this song going to be on summer playlists this year?
I: Party Songs is the perfect party anthem, with summer flavour and amazing energy!
AM: Do you have any routines that you do before you hit the stage and do you have anything that you do after doing a show to relax or to come down from all the energy?
I: Before the show, I rest for a bit, because I’m usually travelling the same day. After that, I enjoy a coffee to get me energised, I start doing my make-up, my hair and I am getting ready for the show. After the show, I usually spend time with my team, we talk about the show and after that, I have to sleep a lot!
AM: Do you have any upcoming events or projects that we should keep an eye out for?
I: It will be a summer full of shows and festivals and I cannot wait! Stay tuned and check out my socials for updates!
AM: We like asking celebs about how they stay fit. As a singer and dancer, what are 3 workouts what do you do to stay in shape?
I: I’m walking 10 000 steps daily (or more when I have more free time).
I go out with my skateboard
I workout at home, with different routines, depending on the mood that day.
Or I go to the gym and I work out with my personal trainer.
AM: We’re always looking for new dishes that we can add for our meals and we hear that you cook for your friends and family and are vegan! What are 3 vegan dishes that you enjoy cooking for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?
I: Hummus, guacamole for breakfast (although, most of the times, I skip breakfast)
Melanzana (eggplant with tomatoes, basil, tofu and vegan parmigiana) for lunch
Pasta for dinner
AM: In addition to all of the amazing things that you have done musically, you are an advocate and support an array of causes from being a human rights activists, participating in campaigns against domestic violence, supporting children’s rights, supporting the LGBTQIA+ community and raising funds for Ukraine. Why is it important to you to use your platform to support these diverse causes and to make your following aware of this?
I: I believe it’s important to use my voice to do good and help people in need, support causes that need awareness. This is something I won’t stop doing for the rest of my life.
AM: What do you want your legacy to be known as?
I: An artist who brings joy in people’s lives through her music, an artist who loves people and who loves to spread good energy.
IG @inna
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 78 - 79 + PG 144 9PLAYLIST INNA
Read the JUN ISSUE #90 of Athleisure Mag and see JUST DANCE | INNA in mag.
As we mentioned last month, Governors Ball settled into it’s new home Jun 9th-11th at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. In our conversation with the founder of NYC’s music festival that kicks off the summer season. Last month Tom Russell shared with us how he created this 3-day festival and how this location is the best one that allows music enthusiasts to enjoy 3 stages of their favorite artists while being surrounded by a park environment! Over 100,00 people got to see the festival's new home completed with the iconic Unisphere. It’s exciting to see what upcoming years will look like as we continue to flock to this destination. This season there were so many options from enjoying the stages that showcased various genres of music, food and beverage that allowed for diverse appetites courtesy of food partners that includes Queen’s Night Market and of course, Instagramable moments that we’ll remember for many years to come.
As soon as we saw the lineup that included 60 artists, we started sketching out what we wanted to listen to as there was something for everyone whether you listen to hip-hop, EDM, and pop. We also knew that we wanted to see this immersive environment that really allowed you to feel that you transported to what we love most about attending music festivals! Here are some of the moments that we were excited about this took place over this weekend.
If you’ve caught Ice Spice perform, you know that she tends to have more of a relaxed presence when she’s on stage, but she definitely had a lot of energy when she hit the GoPuff stage on the 1st day of Governors Ball. As she rapped across the stage, she was in sync with her dancers and had a fluid show that was really a fun experience to watch.
Friday afternoon, we looked forward to hearing Eladio Carrion’s set. We enjoyed hearing his latest release Coco Chanel, as well as Mi Error and No Te Deseo el Mal.
When it comes to bringing drama to her performances with a side of education, Lizzo always makes it a point to take her time on the stage to share songs that we all enjoy while also providing a state of the union of sorts as she talked about anti-LGBT laws, the environment, and diversity.
We also enjoyed when Odesza hit the stage while the large crowd were entertained with this duo's set as well as digital and literal pyrotechnics. This larger than life performance was a perfect way for Saturday night's headliners to take their set to the next level!
Hands down, we were excited about seeing Kendrick Lamar as he closed out the 3rd night of the festival. He took his time on the stage to have a set that included songs that he has created across his career. His cousin, Baby Keem also came out to perform one of our favorites, Family Ties. Of course, at the conclusion of his set, fans were treated to fireworks and pyrotechnics to close out this successful festival.
In addition to these favorites, we're including some of our other favorite acts as well.
IG @govballnyc
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 112, 121 + 123 Roger Ho | PG 114 + 122 Deanie Chen | PG 116 Alive Coverage | PG 118 Charles Reagan | PG 120 Okay Nicolita | PG 124 Nick W NYC |
Read the JUN ISSUE #90 of Athleisure Mag and see GOVERNORS BALL 2023 in mag.
There's nothing like a summer day whether you're at Yankee Stadium or you're watching it from home. Watching a baseball game, hearing the stories and of course eating all of our favorites is the best way to enjoy America's Pastime! We still have a lot of the season ahead of us and we were excited to sit down with New York Yankees shortstop and second baseman, 2X All-Star player, Gleyber Torres! His debut in the MLB and on this team began in 2018.
He talked with us about his journey from playing baseball in Venezuela, joining the team, what it means to be on this team with its known heritage, how he approaches his games, what he does prior to and after, his recent collaboration with Kings Bred, and navigating fatherhood.
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you fall in love with baseball?
GLEYBER TORRES: I remember when I was 4 years old, my parents took me to the field, one day a weekend and after that, I played every day. I would go to school and I would practice in the afternoon and I would play on the weekends as well. I don’t really remember too much when I was really young but I know that when it was raining or when they would cancel the games, I would start crying. I just really wanted to play a lot and when I started growing up, I would watch it every day on the TV and would watch Omar Vizquel and I just knew that it was a sport that I really wanted to be able to play.
AM: When did you realize that it was something that you wanted to do as a profession?
GT: When I was 12 or 13 the academies started noticing me and they gave me the opportunity to practice with them. My dad and myself, we realized that maybe I wouldn’t just play this sport as a hobby or something I enjoyed doing, but that I could be a professional baseball player. It was a long conversation with my dad and my mom. From the beginning, my mom didn’t want me to do this as I would have to move from where I was from to another city so that I could practice every day. I really wanted to focus on this and my dad wanted to give me every opportunity that he could to see what I could do to play baseball. So, after a couple of hours, we decided that I would have to go there and to see what my future would be there and how it would all change.
AM: As I mentioned at the top, I have been a Yankees fan since I was 6 years old. You’re the first Venezuelan player to join the team. What does it mean to you to be on the Yankees?
GT: First of all, it’s an honor! I mean, the history of the Yankees, many championships, many good players, many really good numbers. Just playing here is amazing, the city, the fans, all the history is just really inspirational. It’s just something that’s really special and I feel like, as a player, everyone wants to play with the Yankees. I got that opportunity from the beginning and I’m just grateful to be with all of the boys on the team. Of course, I want to try and bring another championship to the Yankees!
AM: Absolutely and the season is well under way, what are you focused on and looking forward to this season?
GT: We don’t start like we did last year. We’re playing really good right now and everybody is healthy and we can play better. We’re going to try to win the most games possible. I think that we’re in the 3rd place right now, but we still have a lot of games right now and I think that everybody is on the same page and we’re staying focused on doing really good this year and if everyone stays healthy, we can do really good things.
AM: We always like knowing what our favorite athletes and celebrities do when they hit the gym. So, obviously, in addition to playing, what are 3 workouts that you do in the gym?
GT: I have a special thing that I like to do when I’m just working out. I like to do heavy weights, and I do a lot of stretching with yoga. I stretch my legs, my hammys, my quads because I don’t want to get injuries during the game and I also like to use the medicine ball as well. Then I just go to the cage and go through my routine. I go to the field as well to be out there. Then about 30 minutes before the game, I go back to stretching again, back to the cage – back to the routine. I’m that guy that believes that if I do my routine, I will play better.
AM: When you look at your workouts for in season versus off season, is it different or do you do the same things?
GT: Oh yeah, it’s different. During the off season, I get like heavy weights, I run a lot, I do a lot of bicycle, cardio, and those kinds of things. I’m just trying to get more muscular. When I start the season, I’m just trying to get healthy. So I’ll workout on legs and I’ll workout really well and I do the same routine, but not too much heavy weights because that would be bad for the shoulder and I don’t want to get tired from the workout.
AM: You know, you were talking a little bit specifically on Game Day, are there things that you do and they don’t necessarily have to be fitness or athletic oriented that you do to get your head ready to play? Are there things that you do once the game is over that you can come down from all of that energy?
GT: Sometimes after the game, I go to workout just to rest, we have a sauna and I just go in there for 10 or 20 minutes to try to relax myself. Of course, I also rest. So much during the game is stressful and there is so much anticipation so after the game, many times, I’m just so excited I try to have cold water or sometimes hot water in the sauna to relax myself so that I can come down from the game.
AM: How do you take time for yourself when you have a day off so that you can check in with yourself and be ready for when you do have to be back out there?
GT: Sometimes, I’ll just have a lunch or a dinner with my family. I’m the guy who’s a huge movie guy. I spend most of my time at the movies. I love doing that. I like to check who the guy is that I will be playing with the next day. I’m always ready to head back to the field so that when I get there, I know that I’m rested and I’m ready to play.
“First of all, it’s an honor! I mean, the history of the Yankees, many championships, many good players, many really good numbers. Just playing here is amazing, the city, the fans, all the history is just really inspirational. It’s just something that’s really special and I feel like, as a player, everyone wants to play with the Yankees. I got that opportunity from the beginning and I’m just grateful to be with all of the boys on the team. Of course, I want to try and bring another championship to the Yankees!”
AM: You have the collaboration with Kings Bred x Gleyber Torres collection which has 2 hats with your signature colorway of beige and brown as well as the iconic Yankees colors. How did this project come about and what was the creative process like for you?
GT: I used to wear the hats when I was 19. I really loved the hats and the style and also the inspiration from the guys that made the hats. After I was 19, I got in touch with the guys who make Kings Bred and we got a really good connection, we figured out a way to get a collab and it’s really amazing because we’re using this as a way to inspire the people from Venezuela and we know how hard it is for baseball players to come to the big city! The colors of the hats are amazing with the dark color and then of course the white and navy that matches with the Yankees. I think that this collab is really amazing for the people. We’re showing some love for the fans.
AM: The hats look amazing and I know that in launching this collab, you had a pop-up store event as well where fans of the brand, will be able to meet you and to see the collection. What are you looking forward to in this event?
GT: Basically, I want the fans that are coming to enjoy themselves and for me to be able to talk with them! I want to show them the hats for sure and to explain to them about the collab and for the people to buy the hats. For those that buy the hats, I want them to be able to go out in NY and share that inspiration and to be able to show everybody this!
AM: In addition, your bat sponsor, Marucci is also part of the collaboration, so you have Kings Bred x Gleyber Torres x Marucci – what was it like to work on this part of the project and to have this available as well?
GT: I mean, Marucci supported us on that part of the collab. I have really loved Marucci from the beginning, I have never used another bat – I have always used Marucci. So it’s huge for me and also for the company of the brand to get that opportunity for us and for sure it’s going to be awesome. I'll also get to wear the hat as well as the special edition of the bat.
AM: Are there any other projects that you have coming up that we should keep an eye out for? Obviously, in addition to watching you play for the rest of the season!
GT: Not yet! We’re in the midst of conversations and maybe later, we’ll bring another hat. We’re waiting to see how this will go and after that, we will figure it out!
AM: You’re also a dad and being an amazing athlete as well, what do you want your legacy to be seen as from an athlete standpoint or just as a dad with a family?
GT: That I tried to do the right thing. Now, everything is different. I have a child and I have a lot to learn about everything with that! I just want to try to be a good dad which is a new experience for me. I enjoy everything from that to playing with my son to my son being able to watch me play after the game. He’s always waiting for me and he gives me the motivation to be able to play better and better. I want to show my baby everything that is possible.
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT | PG 25, 26 + PG 172 for 63MIX ROUTIN3S Kings Bred | PG 28 Justin Berl/Incon Sportswire | PG 31 Clif Welch/Icon Sportswire | PG 32 with Gleyber Torres and Aaron Judge Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire |
Read the JUN ISSUE #90 of Athleisure Mag and see FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME AND FAMILY | Gleyber Torres in mag.
The latest Fast and Furious movie is out now! Fast X along with its spin-offs have taken us around the world to see amazing cars, maneuvers, and interesting storylines! We have watched Jordana Brewster throughout these movies and had the chance to talk with her about becoming an actress, being part of this franchise that shows no signs of stopping, what we can look forward to in this movie, another movie that released this month and how as a mom she incorporates post-game routines with her children who are active in sports!
ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the moment when you realized that you wanted to be an actor?
JORDANA BREWSTER: I grew up in Brazil watching soap operas and so I realized that at the age of 9 years old, I really really wanted to be an actor as a career.
AM: We’ve enjoyed seeing you throughout the Fast & Furious franchise. What attracted you to this show?
JB: I loved the role of Mia, I felt that she was really strong and had a really specific point of view. I also loved the culture of street racing. I thought it was – we weren’t necessarily the good guys, we weren’t necessarily the bad guys either so I was intrigued with that culture and that sort of grey area that we were exploring.
AM: Did you think that you would still be part of this franchise after all of these years and why have continued to be involved?
JB: Never! I thought it was going to be a really fun summer job because I was in college when we started shooting Fast and it came out over the summer. So I thought that it would be a fun summer gig. Never did I think that it would go over 22 years and 10 movies!
AM: You play Mia Toretto, can you tell us about her and why you enjoy playing her?
JB: I love her strength. What attracted me was her strength and that is what I love exploring now. But now, I love the physicality of it. I love the fight scenes, I love training for the fight scenes, I love the stunts, it’s challenging because I want to be able to prove to everyone that I can do it.
AM: What can you tell us about Fast X for those that have yet to see this film?
JB: For those of you that haven’t seen it, I think that Jason Momoa (Game of Thrones, Aquaman franchise, Dune: Part One) is a fun and interesting villain that almost makes it so hard to hate him. He’s sociopathic and to see that in a Fast and Furious movie, was really fun.
AM: What do you want to see in future Fast and Furious films?
JB: I would love to see a female spin-off with Helen Mirren (Catherine the Great, 1923, The Good Liar), Nathalie Emmanuel (Game of Thrones, Die Hart, Maze Runner: The Death Cure), Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road, Atomic Blonde, Bombshell), Brie Larson (Captain Marvel, Avengers franchise, Lessons in Chemistry), and Michelle Rodriguez (Machete, Avatar, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves)! That would be so much fun and I think that there are so many strong female actresses in the franchise now that it would be awesome to have a female spin-off.
AM: You have another movie that’s out, Simulant, tell us about this movie and why you wanted to be part of it?
JB: I think that now with the headlines of AI and how far we have come now with Artificial Intelligence, Simulant will resonate with audiences because I play this widow, Faye who brings her husband back as a robot and has to grapple with what that means. I think that that possibility is not too far in our future. I think that audiences will love Simulant and I had a really fun time filming it! It’s also directed by a female director, April Mullen (Imposters, DC's Legends of Tomorrow, The 100) who’s super super talented.
AM: When you’re not on set, you’re on the field with your kids! What do they play and what is it like getting them prepped and your post-game routine for them?
JB: So my kids, they’re very very active. They love playing football, lacrosse, Jiu Jitsu, soccer – there’s not really a sport that they don’t like. So there are tons of uniforms and tons of sweat so they get really really stinky. What I have learned that has really helped me in their routine is Lysol Laundry Sanitizer and what I have also realized is that it is the bacteria that makes the clothes so so stinky. Luckily, Lysol kills 99.9% of that so I just add that to my routine and they come out smelling fresh and clean and ready to play again.
AM: Tell us about Lysol’s Labs Tour.
JB: I will be visiting NY in about a month and I will do the Lysol Labs Tour and we are going to teach people how to use the Lysol Sanitizer and how to add it to their step. I think that it’s going to really streamline a lot for moms and it’s really going to help them. I think that the kids are going to be grateful too because they are no longer going to be stinky.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 136 Peter Mountain/Universal Pictures | PG 138 Lysol |
Read the JUN ISSUE #90 of Athleisure Mag and see THE SAGA CONTINUES | Jordana Brewster in mag.
This month's The Art of the Snack takes us to Goa New York, an Indian restauran that takes our taste buds to another level with their savory dishes! We had the chance to catch up with Chef/Owner and Restaurateur Hemant Bhagwani who has opened a number of restaurants in Canada! With Goa New York, he brings his vision of Indian food here in NY for us to enjoy. We wanted to find out more about his culinary background, how he got into the industry, opening Goa, and what we can expect when we come in with our friends and family for an amazing meal!
ATHLEISURE MAG: Can you tell us about your background and culinary journey?
CHEF HEMANT BHAGWANI: I was born in India and got my hotel and culinary management degree in Switzerland. I then put my learning to use in Sydney and Dubai, getting involved in every stage of a restaurant from start-up operations to turning around struggling ones to taking successful ones to new heights. I landed in Toronto in 2000 and launched my Canadian career. After adding a professional sommelier certification to my qualifications, I decided to set out on my own in an effort to get Indian cuisine the recognition and respect it rightfully deserves. Since 2002, I have opened 57 restaurants.
AM: You are a celebrated Indian chef/chef restaurateur in Toronto and have opened a number of restaurants in Canada. Why did you want to open your first U.S. project?
CHEF HB: I have long wanted to bring my style of Indian food to the U.S., and I am very excited to start with New York City. This is truly where it's at! Getting Indian food recognized for its range, flavors, variety, and array of ingredients is what I have always strived towards. The logical next step for me after Canada was the U.S.
ATHLEISURE MAG: You're known for channeling the vibe of Goa. Can you tell us about this and what that means?
CHEF HB: In 2017, feeling burned out from many years in the restaurant industry, I sold my company and took a six-month sabbatical. I spent those six months in Goa, where I fell in love with the place, the culture, and most importantly the cuisine. Goa is not just a place. It's a vibe. It's colorful, vibrant, and pulsating with energy. It's unlike anything and any place else! Goa is India's happy place or as I call it the 'Miami' of India.
AM: You launched Goa New York in Tribeca in Feb, from an ambiance standpoint, what can diners expect when they are coming for their next great meal?
CHEF HB: Goa New York is a luxurious space that draws its inspiration from nature as its palette. When you step through the doors, you are greeted by the sight of two peacocks that were custom designed for the space. Whimsically, we call them Melody and Mayura (peacock in Hindi). As you continue further inside, you will see our interpretation of the Tree of Life, inspired by the century-old banyan tree in Arambol, Goa. The wallpaper is also evocative of nature scenes with flora and fauna. We aim to combine the ambiance with exquisite food and drink offerings, and music, to bring a sublime experience every time.
AM: What ingredients and spices are associated with Indian cuisine?
CHEF HB: Indian cuisine is actually many, many different regional cuisines. But religion also plays a role in how the same dish might be prepared. Broadly speaking, and just to name a few spices, Indian cuisine uses turmeric (also recognized worldwide now for its health benefits), cumin, coriander, garam masala, fenugreek, asafetida, and Indian red chili powder (which is brighter and hotter than paprika), as well as ingredients such as cinnamon, bay leaf, mace, nutmeg, fennel seeds, carom, cloves, mustard seeds, curry leaves. What my restaurants specialize in is using locally available high-quality ingredients and giving them the traditional Indian treatment. The result is what you will experience when you visit Goa New York.
AM: Your menu reflects your culinary journey across the world. Why was it important to bring this modern, playful, and interactive take to the food that is offered here?
CHEF HB: One learns from one's travels! I have been traveling, learning, and evolving since I left India right after high school. Along the journey, my skills have been honed, my repertoire has expanded, and the learning continues, of course. This is the very reason I am here, to bring MY take. That includes the modern aspect, and the playful and interactive take. I believe that when you come to my restaurant, you are my guest as much as you would be at my home so you get to have the full benefit of my experiences around the world.
AM: What are 3 appetizers that you suggest that we should have when we come in?
CHEF HB: I recommend the Shrimp Balchao Toast Tiger Shrimp in a spicy tangy spicy sauce, red radish, prawn chili oil, on Japanese milk bread toast; Goan Style Slaw Goan Salad with 16 ingredients, green chili, salted star fruit, and plum dressing; and Hamachi Ceviche Coconut Broth, kokum dressing, crispy puffed rice, and chili salsa.
AM: What are 3 entrees that we should have with friends and family?
CHEF HB: Great for friends and family are the Goan Prawn Curry with okra, drumsticks, coconut, kokum, dried mango, Portuguese chili-garlic oil; Pork Tenderloin Sorpotal an essential pork curry from Goa, slow cooked, with caramelized onions, roasted kohlrabi curry; and Laal Maas 8-hour slow-cooked, bone-in goat leg in Rajasthani red chilies. I also recommend the Butter Chicken because I do think we make the best butter chicken in NYC - it's charcoal smoked.
AM: What are 3 sides that we must have?
CHEF HB: Some of our great sides include the House Baked Sourdough Poi Bread which we serve with a choice of chorizo butter or balchao butter; Shakuti Chicken Pao white chicken massaged with coconut and then cooked in a spicy tamarind curry, served with pao bread; and the Rawa Fish Fry with granulated wheat chili crisp, pickled red cabbage, green chili chutney. The chicken and fish are listed as appetizers, but I love to have them as sides! The portion size is perfect to add as a side to any dish.
AM: In terms of cocktails, what are 3 that we should have?
CHEF HB: The Goan Paradise a classic Goan-Portuguese cocktail from the 1920s with coconut feni (Goan spirit), fresh lime juice, spicy syrup smoked on the table; Kokum Margarita with Ginjo-shu tequila curry leaf, lime juice, kokum salt, agave nectar; and the Goan Shandy with ginger wine, ginger cordial, lemon juice, wheat beer, ginger matchsticks - are all great options!
AM: Dessert is a great way to end a meal, what are 3 that we should share with friends and family?
CHEF HB: I recommend the crispy Jalebi Rabdi, which we serve with Moscato; Bebinca Goan layered coconut cake paired with sherry; and the Cumin-chocolate Fondant with tawny port.
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PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Michael Tulipan
Read the JUN ISSUE #90 of Athleisure Mag and see THE ART OF THE SNACK | Goa New York in mag.
