THE ART OF THE SNACK | SAGAPONACK

We enjoy going to the Hamptons during the summer and IYKYK that the best time to go is during the fall when it's a lot less crowded! But if you can't get out of the city, there are restaurants that still have Hamptons vibes that you can enjoy without the travel and getting sand in your shoes along the way! This month's The Art of the Snack takes us to Flatiron to Sagaponack where we can get our coastal fix year around. We took some time to sit down with their managing partner, Kyung il Lee, who shares more information about this restaurant that reopened last fall, his role, and of course what we need to think about when we come in to dine.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Can you give us some background on Sagaponack as we know the brand reopened back in Oct 2022.

KYUNG IL LEE: Back in October 2020, I, stepped in to run Sagaponack, a restaurant that was on the brink of failure. Originally, it was co-owned by Richard, my current silent partner, and another operating partner. They decided to part ways, and Richard then bought out the remaining shares, and instead of closing shop, he decided to give it another shot. That's when we crossed paths, and we decided to join forces to revitalize the restaurant.

I got involved just three weeks before we reopened. It was a bit chaotic, but somehow, we managed to quickly put together a team, come up with a concept, and create a menu. I even met the executive chef, who used to work with us, just three weeks before we reopened. It might not be the most glamorous start, but we rolled up our sleeves and made it work.

Over time, we made gradual improvements to our team, food, and overall restaurant experience. Then in October 2022, Chef Phil took on the role of Executive Chef, and together, we fine-tuned everything step by step.

AM: Tell us about your background leading up to coming to this restaurant.

KIL: I immigrated to the United States at the age of 7. Witnessing my parents' relentless hard work and their ongoing struggles has been the driving force behind my determination and resilience.

In the restaurant industry, resilience is crucial, especially for owners. I have a decade-plus of experience in this industry, starting from the humble role of a packer, where I would assemble fried chicken into boxes. Over the years, I've worn many hats - from busser and runner to server, captain, and bartender. I've even managed three different restaurants before venturing into ownership.

During my time managing Turntable 5060 in East Village, we witnessed a remarkable achievement as revenue doubled within the first 3 months. Similarly, when I took the reigns at Sagaponack under its previous owner, we experienced a significant revenue boost within the same timeframe. Another notable milestone was achieved when I managed Jeju Noodle Bar, which became the first noodle restaurant in the U.S. to earn a Michelin star.

After parting ways with Jeju Noodle Bar when we closed the restaurant during the pandemic, I initially considered leaving the industry altogether. Uncertain about the future, I reached out to Richard, who owns a catering company, with the intention of taking on some occasional catering gigs. However, our conversation took a different turn when he expressed the need for assistance in reopening a restaurant. I initially hesitated but eventually accepted the challenge.

What I initially viewed as a casual endeavor has turned into an opportunity for which I am profoundly grateful. It has been a tremendous learning experience for me.

AM: Prior to coming to Sagaponack, can you tell us about where Executive Chef Phil Choy went to school and kitchens that he trained and came up through?

KIL: Executive Chef Phil Choy, who graduated from the prestigious Johnson & Wales College of Culinary Arts, where he earned an internship at the Hyatt Regency Newport. He then moved to New York to begin his professional culinary career in Dovetail’s Michelin-starred kitchen under the guidance of Chef John Fraser, before advancing as sous chef in Daniel Boulud’s Lincoln Square hit, Boulud Sud.

AM: What can you tell us about the ambiance of Sagaponack and what guests can expect in terms of the decor of this restaurant with its Mediterranean meets Eastern Long Island meets Flatiron aesthetic?

KIL: The atmosphere exudes a retro Hamptons vibe, characterized by vibrant blue hues with subtle touches of gold. The structure itself evokes the charm of a Long Island restaurant. Given our status as a small business, we didn't have the financial means to hire a large design firm. However, this limitation has allowed us to maintain the intimate and personal feel of a small, independently-owned establishment.

Our venue boasts an artful touch, featuring the works of Kathryn Sheldon. She skillfully incorporates gold leaf accents into her black and white photographs, adding a unique and elegant flair to our decor.

AM: With an Asian and Mediterranean inspired menu, what are the ingredients and spices that one can expect when they come into dine with friends and family.

KIL: The ingredients consist Asian ingredients like yuzu, sesame, gochujang, trout roe, Koji, and more. As for Mediterranean ingredients or spices, you’ll see a mixture of Aleppo, sumac, Calabrian chili, ‘Nduja, Marcona Almonds, and more.

AM: Oysters are definitely a star to begin your meal for dinner. You offer them raw, dressed, or roasted. Tell us about the Asian-inspired menu.

KIL: Our seafood menu, inspired by both Asian and Mediterranean influences, offers a unique culinary experience, even in a diverse city like New York. Beyond drawing inspiration from Asian ingredients, our menu incorporates a rich tapestry of Asian flavors as well.

Our chef is a fan of exploring different restaurants, and he's particularly drawn to Asian establishments. He loves Korean, Thai, and Filipino food, and these visits inspire him to put his own spin on our dishes.

AM: For appetizers, what are 3 dishes that you suggest that we should try when sharing with friends and family?

KIL: The 3 dishes we recommend trying are Fluke Tartare, Gambas Al Ajillo, and Calamari.

AM: For our entrees, what are 3 dishes that you suggest that we should have?

KIL: The Paella is phenomenal, as well as the Shoyu Salmon, Ricotta Cavatelli, and ‘Nduja Mussels.

AM: When it comes to sides, what are 3 that we should enjoy for the table?

KIL: For sides, we recommend getting Brussel Sprouts, Chicken Bites, and Parmesan Fries.

AM: Dessert is always a must to end a meal even if it’s only meant to be shared, what are 3 desserts that you suggest?

KIL: Well… This is easy as we only have 3 desserts. The Thai Milk Cake, Carrot Cake Trifle, and Earl Grey Crème Brûlée.

AM: Before we delve into drinks can you tell us about Alex Parker who curated your beverage selection?

KIL: Alex Parker's journey in the restaurant industry began as a cook, and his passion for it has been unwavering since he was just 17. During our interview, I felt his energy and decided to hire him as a busser, even though he lacked front-of-house experience. However, his determination and passion quickly propelled him through various roles, including busser, runner, barback, server, and ultimately, our lead bartender.

I believe crafting cocktails requires an understanding of flavors and textures, as well as the willingness to research. Despite not having as many years of bartending experience as some, Alex's dedication and knowledge surpass that of many seasoned bartenders.

AM: Tell us about 3 beers pairings.

KIL: Sloop Juice IPA: A refreshing choice with a delightful juiciness that complements our Calamari without overpowering the palate.

Montauk Pilsner: Crisp and perfect for those enjoying our Chicken Bites, creating a delightful flavor combination.

Sunday Beer Lager: Light and refreshing, it's an ideal match for our Gambas, enhancing your dining experience with a harmonious blend of flavors.

AM: What are 3 cocktails you suggest?

KIL: Three cocktails we highly recommend: the Bateau Banane, Fiji Blue, and Seaside Sunset. Keep in mind that Alex loves to craft new cocktails with each season, so don't hesitate to chat with our friendly servers or bartenders. They can suggest something special tailored to your taste!

AM: You also serve lunch. Can you suggest 3 dishes that are only on the lunch menu?

KIL: For a satisfying lunch, our standout recommendations are our sandwiches. The Chicken Sandwich and the Fish Filet Sandwich are both incredibly juicy and delicious options. If you're in the mood for something special, don't miss our Lobster Roll, prepared Connecticut style with a warm twist and dressed in our housemade Korean chili jam. It's a flavor sensation you won't want to miss!

AM: Tell us about your Happy Hour and 3 items that you suggest.

KIL: Our happy hour is available Monday to Saturday, and we are closed on Sundays. It’s available for Lunch (11:30 AM to 3PM) and for dinner (5:00 PM until 6:30 PM).

Our Spicy Margarita is a beloved choice among our patrons. We take pride in using fresh ingredients and crafting our own spicy-infused tequila to give it that extra kick. Additionally, we offer a variety of options, including beer, wine, and a selection of cocktails that change with the seasons to keep things exciting.

Don't miss out on our oyster happy hour, where we feature the same high-quality oysters from our regular menu, rotating the selection daily. And if you're looking for a delicious deal, our Parmesan Fries and 'Nduja Mussels, available during happy hour, are absolute steals that have garnered rave reviews!

AM: Brunch is our favorite meal of the week, what are 3 dishes you suggest?

KIL: We offer a limited brunch menu but serve our full lunch menu during brunch. Our chef is always innovating and adding new brunch items. Brunch is available only on Saturdays, so expect a few exciting additions to our offerings.

AM: Do you have any fall or holiday events that we should know about?

KIL: We are working on a few holiday specials. We always do something special during the holidays season as it slows down around this area. Chef and I are planning on something for Thanksgiving week.

IG @sagavibes

PHOTOS COURTESY | Sagaponack

Read the OCT ISSUE #94 of Athleisure Mag and see THE ART OF THE SNACK | Sagaponack in mag.

BEAUTIFUL CUISINE | CHEF PHILIPPE MASSOUD

When you're enjoying a meal, each bite creates a memory of the sights, sounds, and occasion that is taking place. But in other cases, each bite creates a bridge to culinary and cultural history as a means to ensure that a heritage and dedication to flavors lives on. This month, we sat down with Chef/Owner Philippe Massoud of one of our favorite restaurants, ilili here in NY. We have made our own memories at this restaurant and enjoyed a number of meals here as we have our favorites when we dine here.

The name ilili translates to "tell me," and in each bite, Chef Philippe is telling and building an intricate food storytelling canvas that connects us his to his people from centuries ago. In our discussion with him, he took us on a vivid journey of how growing up in a culinary family in Lebanon that navigated war, while also offering hospitality to its guests, led him on a quest to maintain a connection to his culture by recreating dishes that we are now able to enjoy here in NY as well as in it's DC location. We talk about his passion for hospitality, commitment to food, the flavors of Lebanon, bringing authenticity of the cuisine to those who may have been previously unfamiliar, and the impact of his legacy.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you fall in love with food?

CHEF PHILIPPE MASSOUD: I fell into food before I fell in love with it. Being in a family who has been in the business since back to the 1800s, both my paternal grandfather and paternal grandmother were in their respective families, into food. They started, my grandfather used to walk from his village to go work as a cook in the home of the rich and the famous as a prep cook. Then subsequently, he traveled with his brother to Alexandria, Egypt which back then was the hub, the capital of the aristocracy, nobility, and the pizzazz. He went and worked in palaces and hotels or what have you. They they came back to Lebanon and they opened a restaurant in downtown Beirut in the 1800s. Him and his 3 brothers actually brought in Austrian pastry chefs to teach the Lebanese how to do pastries, ice creams and chocolates. In that restaurant, you had a little chocolate stand, an ice cream stand, and a pastry stand, and you had the restaurant which also did a lot of catering.

So long story short, fast forward to when I was born, I was born into that DNA. My father used to cook for us every Sunday and we used to have these glorious meals and food was always a topic of conversation. When the war broke out in Lebanon, I ended up becoming a refugee in eventually what became our family business which was a hotel. The family grew from a restaurant to my grandmother and grandfather doing a Bed & Breakfast in the mountains of Lebanon. My grandmother sewed all of the bedsheets and the curtains. My grandfather ran it and eventually, they sold that, bought a piece of land and had the courage to build one of the first beach resorts in Lebanon which was called the Coral Beach. So when the war broke out, we were coming down from the mountains and we said, “ok, we can’t go home. It’s not safe. Let’s go to the hotel and then we’ll go home as soon as the quarrels stop.” We never went home. We lost our home in Beirut and we lost our home in the mountains. They were robbed, pillaged, and burned because we were from one religion and our homes were in an area of another religion. All religions behave really badly unfortunately.

So living in the hotel because we were confined to the hotel on many occasions, and because the hotel also became the refuge of many refugees, the hotel became my little park. My alternate world, my world of stability and to escape from the bombs, the bullets, the death, and the destruction. So I used to walk into the kitchen and to the patisserie and to steal petit fours and eat them. I would enjoy the tempered chocolate that was resting on the top of the baking oven of the patisserie and just eat spoonful’s of sugar and chocolate and grand patisserie and what have you. I did not know that this would be my calling at the time, but I think that that’s where my formation started. Because I was exposed to that and I loved eating, I loved tasting, and subsequently as a little kid, my first experience really – we had a French restaurant in the hotel that was a Michelin level restaurant where we had the gueridon and with it the steak au poivre table side with the sommelier table side – Baba au Rhum and Crepe Suzette. We had all of the French classics of the time. So, watching the maître d working the pan and sautéing the filet and then putting the cognac on and all of that, it was mesmerizing to me.

So, I asked one of the maître d’s to teach me to do that as a young boy. I don’t know I think I was 6 or 7 or maybe even 5. I dabbled with it right? Subsequently, during the war, but things had subsided a bit as we had gotten used to living with the war, we moved to an apartment and all of a sudden, I find myself in this apartment going food shopping with my mother in the super market and buying ready made cakes from Duncan Hines or whatever it was called back then. I’m appalled by how they taste because I was eating all of this freshly baked stuff that was freshly made and all of that. I wasn’t going to have any of it. I started calling the chef at the hotel and I said, “listen, I want to do this. How do I do it? Can you share a recipe with me?” So as a young 8 year old, I started baking cakes, crepes, figuring out how to make pastries, sweet cream, and understanding why the pastry cream wasn’t rising. In essence, it was because I had lost the access to all of this amazing food that I needed to have that food; therefore, was compelled to learn it and to figure it out at a very young age.

Then when my parents would be hosting guests, we would do catering from the hotel and I would spend my time in the kitchen with the chefs helping them plate because I loved all of this multi-tasking, 4 different pots on the stove, the hustle and bustle and all of that. I watched and I developed a palette and a taste at a very young age. Subsequently, when I became a teenager, I would be the one that would cook for my friends. When we went out, if we were out late after hours, I was the guy that would bring out the pan and would start cooking and setting up at 4 o’clock in the morning to drown all of your alcohol so to speak! That went on and at the time, my father didn’t want me to do any of that because he wanted me to get a degree like all parents want – to be a lawyer, a doctor, or become a neurosurgeon. This industry is back breaking and is difficult.

Subsequently, when I came to the US and I experienced Lebanese food as it was being served and reproduced, I was having none of it. It was so far from the foods, it was so far from the authenticity and I could not for the life of me understand why it wasn’t being reproduced correctly. I knew how to do it and I would even quarrel with my aunt whom I was living with at the time. I came as a tourist and then my parents called me and I was 14 years old and they told me that I could not come back home and that I needed to stay in the US because it was no longer safe in Lebanon. Therefore, I became a refugee. I was accepted in the public school system thankfully and I am extremely grateful for this country giving me the opportunity and therefore, I missed everything that made me who I was which was the food. I started cooking again and my aunt would cook and I would say, “this doesn’t taste like the Coral Beach.” She would then ask me what I would want to do and then I would say that we should do this or do that. She would say that it would take too much time and then she’d say, “if you don’t like the food, don’t eat it.” She was fed up with me because I was complaining all of the time!

All along, I took notes in a little recipe book that I kept – just basic stuff and all of that. I went to Cornell University and I studied for a degree in Hotel and Restaurant and Resort Management. Part of that program is that you have to do kitchen training, you have to understand food production and what have you. I discovered the recipe card and when I saw the recipe card, I thought, “oh my God I never thought about food this way.” I realized that at the end of the day, a recipe in a way, is a mathematical equation. It’s a balanced equation between the flavors, the textures, and the technique. I love that! So I started putting my little scratchy notes with my chicken shit writing into the recipe card and I started experimenting because I missed the food. There was a restaurant on campus that was kind of a fast casual at the time serving the food, but the food was really not there. Every morning before class, I would stop by and quarrel with the chef and beg him and say, “listen, we can do this better. Why don’t we do it?” Unfortunately, with a lot of immigrant cuisines, because our industry is so back breaking, they’re ok bending the flavor profile, bending the textural profile because they are doing the best that they can. The audience does not know the difference between the authenticity and not. This is where for me, it was an absolute no no because why are we teaching people how to eat this food incorrectly? Why are we modifying it? It’s really good, it’s really delicious and we should be serving it unadulterated in its authentic form and in the right way.

So while I was in college, my father got killed and the hotel that I thought that I would eventually go to work in got sold because we had to sell it under the gun. We were pretty much kicked out of the region that we were living in because we were Christians at the time. The same thing happened to Muslims on the other side. It’s not like Christians were behaving better than the Muslims and vice versa. Everybody was misbehaving and being evil. I found myself orphaned of a destiny that I thought was already written for me. I realized that I didn’t see myself working as a front desk manager in a hotel. I don’t see myself doing housekeeping. I really see myself working with this cuisine and correcting its path. I decided that I was going to jump into the food and jumping on the bandwagon, enhancing and elevating Lebanese cuisine. So I started really developing a menu and then all of the different ideas that I had. I started developing recipes for them based on my memory and what it was that I ate as a child. Don’t get me wrong, I failed and failed and failed. I burned and it tasted like crap and it gave me a stomach ache and it took me a long time. But I am a Capricorn and I have horns and I don’t give up easily and there is nothing such as failure in my vocabulary or my drive. I subsequently decided to prove to myself that I could cook the food and that I could really do it right.

While I was in college, I did 2 things. I did co-ops, my practical training that I had to do every semester. I did it in hotels in Spain. I worked in restaurants in Spain in the kitchens and worked in the pastry department, the savory department, prep departments, and it was back breaking. Back then, we didn’t have clogs and Birkenstocks and whatever. I was working in moccasins like all of the Spaniards were.

AM: Oh wow!

CHEF PM: It was not fun! But I loved it. I was working in very busy hotels - 250 rooms. So I understood and it was natural to me. It’s not like I was out of my element because unbeknownst to me, it created a lightbulb moment! You know when Malcom Gladwell talked about the 10,000 hours of training that you get to really become an expert in your area or what have you. I got a lot more than 10,000 because my entire life was in that.

I went to Lebanon and there was a famous – one of the top Lebanese restaurants at the time - called Bourj Al Hamam whose owners had worked with my grandfather in the past. You have to realize that a lot of the chefs in Lebanon and a lot of the pâtissiers when you’re talking about the 1800s and 1900s, had either worked, collaborated, or trained or did their internships with a business in which my grandfather had been involved because it was a very small country. My grandfather was like the Danny Meyer (Blue Smoke, Manhatta, Gramercy Tavern) of his times or the Stephen Starr (The Dandelion, Barclay Prime, Parc) of his time in Lebanon. They opened up the doors for me like it was my own restaurant.

I had my chefs pants and white coat from college. I had a video camera and I filmed everything and tasted everything. I wanted to reconcile what I had produced in the cuisine from my own experimentation with how it had been produced in the restaurants. I was like, “wow I got it!” I really got it going. Obviously, I didn’t know all of the little tricks that help you do things better, I didn’t have the technique to chop down 30 cases of parsley into tabouleh and all of that, but I knew where the flavor was. I spent about a month or so in that restaurant and I went to another restaurant and I trained in the art of making shawarma. Basically, how to butcher the meat, how to skewer it, how to cook it, how to shave it, how to make the perfect sandwich, the perfect prep, the balance between the meat, the greens, the tomato, the tahini sauce – how all of them have to be perfectly balanced to really give you the right flavor. All along, I’m taking notes and correcting my own recipes and what have you.

Then I decided that I wanted to see how Lebanese food is produced outside of Lebanon and I ended up going to Paris and I worked there for 3-6 months if my memory serves me right in all of the top Lebanese restaurants in Paris. I learned how to make all of the Lebanese pastries – the baklava, powdered creams, the canape, the cookies, semolina cookies and what have you. Also, I was able to see how a concept that had multiple creations creates a consistency and stability. So having seen all of that, I thought, “you can do it my man, you can do it!” So it was time to put my ring into the hat. That’s what I decided to do. Now mind you, I tried to open a restaurant in the city from ‘94 – ’98 and every time I called the landlord, they asked me if I had ever run a restaurant or owned a restaurant in NY and I would say no and they would hang up on me saying who the hell did I think I was?

Subsequently, I got called from a restaurant owner in DC. The owner of Capital Restaurant Concepts who owned Paolo’s, Georgia Brown, and Old Glory, J. Paul’s and Georgetown Seafood. He said, “listen Philippe, we’ve heard about everything that you have been trying to do in NY, we want to do the same. Why don’t you come and develop the concept?" At the time, they had the Executive Chef, they had the whole corporate structure. Obviously, I was 29 years old and to make a long story short, we opened that restaurant with the chef, I was concept director so I did both front of house and back of house. It wasn’t my restaurant. I tried to do the best that I could and I elevated the food up to what I was allowed and it was a great success. It was called Neyla in Georgetown on Main Street. 4 restaurants had failed in that location and everybody thought that we would fail, and of course, we succeeded and then in 2004, I resigned because I saw that there was no more growth and I was frustrated that I couldn’t express myself artistically the way that I wanted to. I took a year off to try to figure out what I wanted to do and one of my current investors contacted me and said, “hey listen, we used to drive from NY to DC to go eat in the restaurant that you were running in DC because we knew that we would be well taken care of and that the food would be as good as it would be. Why don’t you come and open in NY?” I was like, “are you kidding me? I haven’t been in NY in 5 years, I’ve lost contact with everybody. I don’t know any sous chefs, any cooks, bartenders, managers." I felt like I was going to pass out from anxiety right there and then.

So I took a leap of faith and I went to NY and when I walked into the location which is where ilili is, it’s as if the skies parted and the Gods smiled and the organs played and the angels came down and I felt that that was the space. At the time, my mission was very simple. I knew that to change the conversation about the cuisine, I needed to do something very big. The cuisine was very disrespected because it was always associated with street food, casual food, and I wanted to change that discourse. I wanted to change the conversation and I knew that we could because it’s a beautiful cuisine and I knew that it had a tremendous potential.

At the time, I was attacked for being a lunatic and who was this crazy guy that was opening a 10,000 sqft restaurant in Flatiron which is the most destressed neighborhood in NY and who do you think you are? But hey, I’m still a Capricorn -

AM: With those horns!

CHEF PM: Right, watch me do what I want to do. There I was on opening night with 80 Americans and me being the only Lebanese. 80 Americans who had never served, eaten, or cooked the food and they all knew what it was that I was trying to do. They all became American Lebanese because they understood the story and they believed in what it was that we were accomplishing and we did it! ilili is an homage to my heritage, it’s an homage to my culture, it’s an homage to 3 generations of Massoud’s that have been in the food and beverage business. I have family that is in the wine business. All my other cousins are either the equivalent of the Dean and Deluca’s of the high end groceries or super markets in Lebanon. The entire village is in the food industry. They are either chefs or in retail foods because of my grandfather. They saw that my grandfather succeeded. So that’s really what ilili is and it’s telling that story. Because I am telling my story, I wanted the whole restaurant to be about telling your story, having fun, celebrating each other, celebrating your guests, celebrating the moment - that's what we do.

“At the time, my mission was very simple. I knew that to change the conversation about the cuisine, I needed to something very big. The cuisine was very disrespected because it was always associated with street food, casual food, and I wanted to change that discourse... it’s a beautiful cuisine and I knew that it had a tremendous potential.”

— Philippe Massoud

AM: I think that’s amazing. I’m originally from the Midwest. So coming to NY, I came here in 2002, and the diversity of foods and flavors, we didn’t have that in the Midwest at that time that I was aware of. So I spent the first 2 or 3 years tasting all of these different things that I had never had including hummus, tabouleh, but I would go to the East Village and all of the places to get it. I loved it, but I always wondered if there was more to this cuisine than just street food. Although it was really tasty, I wondered what it would be like when elevated and I didn’t really known anything beyond that.

Then your restaurant opened. I think it was in 2008/2009 when I went and I was blown away. It became a place that if people asked me for a business meeting where I wanted to go – ilili, NYFW – ilili, my birthday – all the occasions. My family, they loved it. We’ve had our business meetings there! Just the food and the warmth, the space is so large and the hospitality that is shown just makes it such a beautiful place. I’ve been introduced to more beautiful foods in this cuisine because of your restaurant that makes it a place that I always want to go to.

CHEF PM: Thank you!

AM: Yes, so thank you for that!

CHEF PM: That’s very kind of you!

AM: Yeah!

CHEF PM: You asked me about why the staff is so customer friendly driven. So when we were in the hotel, every guest was a family member. They were all in their homes and our homes. We took care of guests in a way that whatever the request, whatever needs, met whatever anticipation that we could think of! We had a box of cigars that we would pass around to the big spenders and they got complimentary cigars from the maître d. If one of our employees had an apple grove in his village, we would bring apples from the village and distribute them and send them by car to every guest. We really went out of our way to be almost extended members of the family of our guests. Besides being in a war, that was the level of hospitality that we had grown up. I made it very clear to our staff that there was was no no in ilili and that every guest matters and a grace and a hospitality are fundamental to the cuisine as well.

Now the mere fact that you’re not having a linear experience in the context of an appetizer, main course, and dessert, and the fact that you have Thanksgiving every time that you’re eating here. That helps also! It breaks the ice, it’s more festive and you’re less guarded. The tension at the table is substantially subdued because the celebration starts the moment that you sit down and you’re getting all of these different plates that are coming down. So the concept helps, but it also has to do with the company culture. We take care of our employees in NY the same way that my grandfather and father did in Lebanon. We married our employees, we helped them buy their first homes, we helped send their children to college, we helped a guy propose to his wife! These are the things that we did. So, I consider my staff as important to me as my guests. I go out of my way to do the best that I can in that environment in the hopes that they pay it forward to the guests. It works. Don't get me wrong, we have days where we fall flat on our face – we’re not perfect and people have bad days, so what, it’s not the end of the world. we're human beings we're not robots.

There’s a certain beauty – restaurants are a snapshot of life. It‘s an amazing ecosystem where you have one table that’s celebrating, another table that’s mourning, another table that just met, an employee that had a bad day. The amount of psychological energy that exists in a restaurant is just amazing and we try to keep it light and fun and the food helps to do that.

AM: It definitely shows. I used to be a person that could never eat by myself for lunch and I would have such anxiety about it. I remember one day, I was really craving going to lunch at your restaurant it was during NYFW and I was in between shows, but I was alone. The care was so sweet that it actually broke the issues I had with solo dining when I wanted to eat alone.

CHEF PM: That’s so sweet!

AM: Haha yeah I don’t know I think when you’re growing up as a kid, you never wanted to eat by yourself, but there are times when you’re in the city that you’re not going to be able to have someone with you. I didn’t know if it was going to be weird, but the staff was amazing and I really enjoyed it.

CHEF PM: Yeah and also, the fact that you’re not eating only with a fork and knife, you have the pita and you can scoop the food, and you have the lettuce and you scoop on the Tabouleh, that interactivity breaks down some of the rigidity of the dining experience. This is why we open the door to the cuisine and we planted the flag. I’m so happy now that there are plenty of restaurants in this field that are serving this cuisine.

I think it’s because society is shifting a little bit. So small plates and what I like to call, the Thanksgiving Effect, is something that we crave now. We’ve become a lonely society and so our only friction points with our fellow human beings are when we go out dining. It’s really – if you think about it, you used to go out shopping and you rubbed elbows with people. You're ordering everything online. You used to go to the super market, everything is online – at least if you’re in the big cities. Because you don’t have time to go. At 3 o’clock you have done your shopping list – you don’t have time to go there for 45mins. So, restaurants, in my humble opinion, are the last and only area to feel human warmth and to have human friction which is so vital and important to our collective wellbeing when you think about it. It’s becoming a big problem and COVID has proved that to be a 1000th multiplier. So yeah, what better way to do it than to share food?

AM: Absolutely!

What are the spices and ingredients that are indicative of Lebanese cuisine for those that are not familiar?

CHEF PM: Allspice, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, sumac, and aleppo pepper are generally used. You then have coriander, ginger, and of course, all of the herbs. But in sticking to spices, usually, you’ll have wherever you have allspice, you’ll have cinnamon that’s right behind it. There’s just a bit of hint of it. It’s never like cinnamon only. That’s usually what you will taste taste in a lot of the vegetarian stews, whether it’s okra stew, eggplant stew, or string bean stew. Remember, the cuisine originally is a vegetarian cuisine.

People did not have money to buy beef or to slaughter a goat or a lamb frequently. You slaughtered a goat or a lamb on the rare occasion that you could afford to do it or if it was a religious holiday. So people were eating an overwhelmingly vegetarian diet. So, all of those stews would be made with these spices.

The way that I like to do it to make it simple for the readers out there, whenever you have 1 part allspice, you’ll have half a part cinnamon, you’ll have 1/4 part clove, and 1/8 part nutmeg. So if you do that blend, then you’ll get yourself there if you want the Lebanese palette when it comes to the seasonings. Now keeping in mind that Lebanon was on the tailend of the Silk Road. The caravans used to buy spices, seasonings, and silk. Lebanon was a silk exporter and the economy fundamentally at that time was silk. So, you have a lot of movement between Asia and the Lebanese coast going out to Turkey and Aleppo, Syria so eventually, we did get stuff that were influences from China and it’s quite interesting that for example, we have a bread that we make on an inverted wok and I’m always scratching my head to wonder if we got that from the Chinese or did they get it from the Lebanese – who took it from whom? Or who borrowed it from who?

But usually in our cuisine, seasonings are behind the ingredient. They are not ahead of the ingredient. They let the ingredient sit on the throne and if you want, the seasoning comes as a caress and a whisper, but not as a punch. That’s what makes the cuisine light. Don’t forget that if you over season, it’s not so good for your digestion. A lot of people have allergies that they are not aware of. They don’t understand that sometimes they go to restaurants and eat and they feel light, and then others it’s like they just poured a pound of concrete in their stomach. Well, it’s because of the balancing act that you have to do and I myself, you know, suffer from a lot of digestive issues. So, everything I do, I consider myself the Guinea pig. So if this works for me, it will work for my guests. I really take care to ensure that I am giving you the lightest and most tasteful version of the cuisine, keeping in mind your wellbeing as well.

“There’s a certain beauty - restaurants are a snapshot of life. It’s an amazing ecosystem where you have one table that’s celebrating, another table that’s mourning, another table that has just met, an employee that had a bad day. The amount of psychological energy that exists in a restaurant is just amazing and we try to keep it light and fun and the food helps to so that.”

— Philippe Massoud

AM: Well for the restaurant that is here in NY, what are your favorite dishes that you feel that people should try when they come by?

CHEF PM: To be honest with you, it all depends on the day of the week. Our roast chicken is a huge favorite. People just don’t understand how it can be so succulent and tender with so much flavor.

AM: I’m people!

CHEF PM: Mind you, it’s marinated in almost 14 different ingredients, right? It’s cooked to order and that’s why it’s so juicy and tender. It’s not pre-cooked, it’s not part cooked and then reheated. It’s cooked from scratch. So the roast chicken I love. The lambshank is a dish that I really adore. If I want to do the South of France or a Mediterranean experience, I’m going to order a bottle of rosé, I’m going to order the whole Bronzino, the Black Island Shrimp, The Octopus, a Hummus, a Salad and I’m good to go! I just took a trip to the French Riviera or the Puesta de Sol or Beirut right? That’s the fun part of ilili, in the sense that you can do that one day and the next day, you want to go meat centric and have that delicious California, Lebanese, or French wine and Leg of Lamb and you can have that robust meal just as well. You can also go with the chicken and get yourself a delicious white wine. So that’s the fun part about the concept. You really have a beautiful dish that stands on its own and can really give you the dining experience.

And of course, the Mixed Grill, who doesn’t want to go and have a little barbecue flavor? A little kebab that has all of the aromatics. But then there are moments when I really really jones for the Steak Tartare – Kibbeh Naye Beirutiyyeh. Eating it, I have so much fun with it. Sometimes I add cilantro leaves to it, I’ll add the Harissa and paint it on it so that it’s nice and spicy. So really, I don’t have a favorite. It’s about the day of craving and what I have a target for when I come in. If not, then I will go some place else and not go into ilili. Don’t get me wrong, I love pasta too!

AM: What led you to open another ilili in DC?

CHEF PM: Well because I had lived in DC and I had a great time and fell in love with the city and because we had created memorable times in that restaurant that I led, people today still have memories of Neyla. At the time, when I was in DC, it was crazy. I was DJing, I was cooking, I was maître d’ing – I’d finish working the grill, change my chef coat, put on civilian clothes, sit at the bar with my Radio Shack mixing table and DJ every Fri and Sat. It was crazy! We had a line out the door. All around the block. We were spinning music and people were dancing.

So, I had really beautiful memories of DC. When The Wharf approached me, and I visited The Wharf, I was mesmerized by the transformation of the area as I remembered what it was like back then! I really liked it and I said that it was a no brainer. We had been in NY long enough and it was time to grow. Why not DC as the next step?

Now little did I know that COVID would come and we would all undergo the trauma that we did. But we built the ilili in DC during COVID. We used to drive almost every week for 4 hours because we couldn’t get on a plane and it was a nightmare. There were supply chain issues and what have you. DC if you want, was all about celebrating life. In DC, the space when I walked into it with Nasser Nakib our architect, we were like, “wow this is a Navy area, this is a greenhouse. This is like a courtyard in the old world. We need to transport people into that moment of time.” We were all coming out of COVID and we wanted to flip COVID the bird so to speak and to say, life is good, life is vibrant, and things are coming back. I mean, it was dark! NY was very dark. I’ll never forget. I laid down on the street in 5th Ave for 15mins and there was nobody and nothing. I was just lying down and serene.

So we went with a celebration approach, we went with what does the space want to be? This is why I’m not a cookie cutter, I’m doing restaurants that tell the story of the space that they’re in, the geography that they’re in, and the culture that they’re in. For example, this is why we have the Hummus with the crab meat, the falafel, and a little bit of Old Bay because I wanted to do a little bit of an homage to the neighborhood that we’re in. That’s why the menu is a little bit different and I wanted to elevate things a little. DC is smaller so it’s much easier to elevate it a little bit. I don’t know if you know, but every piece that we have in DC is custom made from the floor tiles, to the chairs, there is nothing to the exception of the table bases that we bought in the US – everything else was imported from Lebanon and put together by yours truly and the rest of the team that was there. That’s because we care deeply about the story that we are telling and we don’t want to cut corners, it’s not about the dollars and cents, and it’s not about the return on investment. Yes it’s important and it counts, but it’s about really putting your heart and soul into the space and hoping that your guests when they come into your space, that you have really given your all for their pleasure. That’s what we try to do in DC.

AM: Well we have not gone to that one yet.

CHEF PM: Oh, you’re going to love it!

AM: I looked at the pictures and the location is beautiful. It’s different than NY but I love the vibe.

CHEF PM: They don’t do it justice!

AM: I imagine!

Do you plan on opening in other cities as well?

CHEF PM: Yes, we have been looking at Miami for quite sometime but the market is so hot that it has been hard to find the right location. We love Miami, there has been some interest in Los Angeles, but we need a local real estate partner as we need the right space. I’m not going to grow for the sake of growing. And I’m very happy to stay where I am and to grow what I have. But I want to do transformative restaurants and when the right location comes, we will do it!

Yes, Miami is important, Chicago – these markets are soliciting us, but we haven’t found the perfect – well not perfect as perfection is the enemy of progress, the right location has not been found.

AM: What is an average day like for you? I can only imagine that your hands are in so many pots.

CHEF PM: I’m not going to lie to you, I have taken a bit of a backseat to empower my leadership teams to do more. I used to work 80-90 hours a week, 7 days a week pretty much. I am trying to be more disciplined and do 5 days a week – but I do 5.5/6 days. I usually wake up around 6am in the morning, I have my Espresso, read the news, catch up on everything, I am at the restaurant anywhere between 8 o’clock and 9 o’clock depending on whether I slept a bit later. I come in, I read all of my emails, I’ll go down and check in on the kitchen and now we’re doing a bit of R&D so I give some instructions to make sure that things are prepared. I start doing versions of the recipes so that we reach a point where we are happy with the product. I’ll taste with the rest of the team because I like to be collaborative. There will be a good hour of R&D and cooking. Then meetings – with the management team. We have a lot of managers so we have to spread them over a period of time. We go over financials, mentoring, creating transformative moments, and I’m usually done around 6/6:30 sometimes 7 – sometimes I leave at 5. Then I start all over again the next day!

AM: Oh wow!

How do you take time for yourself just so that you can relax?

CHEF PM: I meditate. I like sound therapy. I find it to be really beneficial and wonderful. I like to cook. Cooking at home in my apartment is my way of calming down and relaxing. My team is very surprised because this year I have cooked in my apartment more than I have cooked in a very long time. I don’t know what’s happening to me, but I’m feeling very creative! So, cooking, meditating, walks – I love going on walks and going out around town with friends celebrating!

AM: That’s amazing.

If we were having brunch at your home, what would you cook?

CHEF PM: Well, I like to make a mean Benedict, I’m not going to lie to you. So if you were that kind of crowd, I would do that. Otherwise, I usually make olive oil poached eggs. The secret to these delicious eggs is very easy and I encourage your readers to try it. I usually do 3 eggs Sunnyside Up, I put them in a pan in olive oil – enough olive oil for the egg to sit on the olive oil, but not so much that it’s like drowning in it. You want to have an 1/8th of an inch in the pan. You crack your eggs and then you put your burners on the minimum. So if you have a gas burner, you put it on the absolute minimum where the flames are very light. You put a timer anywhere between 8-10mins, and you let the eggs and the whole pan all come up to temperature together. That will create the creamiest, most delicious egg that you have ever had. Of course, a bit of salt and pepper, I like to toast some sourdough and put that on there. So there would be eggs, there would be Labne, there would be mixed olives, sliced tomatoes, probably some fresh mint and there will of course be bagels or homemade bagels and home-cured salmon depending on the crowd! Whether it’s going to be beet cured salmon or fennel cured salmon. Let's see what else, I'm not going to lie to you, I'm a sucker for really good Almond Croissants from the neighborhood baker and maybe some berries!

AM: You come from such a great legacy and you’re continuing that here, what do you want your entire legacy to be known as?

CHEF PM: That I did the best that I could to touch the people that I work with and the people that eat my food in a positive way! Simple as that.

IG @ililirestaurants

@ililidc

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 64, 69 - 82 Courtesy ilili | PG 66 + 84 Scott Morris |

Read the JUL ISSUE #91 of Athleisure Mag and see BEAUTIFUL CUISINE | Chef Philippe Massoud in mag.

S1. E9. | ATHLEISURE KITCHEN WITH NO KID HUNGRY'S JENNY DIRKSEN + CHEF ELIZABETH FALKNER

On today's episode of Athleisure Kitchen, we share an organization that we have covered a number of times over at Athleisure Mag and is in the Nov issue. We have enjoyed sharing initiatives that No Kid Hungry creates in order to ensure that childhood hunger is not an issue that has to be a concern in this country. In the past, we have interviewed Bryan Voltaggio and Duff Goldman, both who have participated in a fundraising event known as Chefs Cycle. We have also covered the spatulas that include the creativity of various celebs, food personalities and chefs that are sold at Williams-Sonoma. Right before the holidays, we caught up with No Kid Hungry's Jenny Dirksen who is the National Director of Champion Engagement and Chef Elizabeth Falkner and talked about a variety of programs that No Kid Hungry is involved in throughout the year. Of course, with Holiday festivities underway, we delved into what we will find on their dinner tables this year! This episode was recorded at one of Athleisure Kitchen's favorite whiskey destinations, The Flatiron Room here in NYC.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE WHISKEY EXPERIENCE WITH TOMMY TARDIE & DARRON FOY

As the holiday season means that we have a lot more on our plates than usual, the need to find a place to take a moment is key! We made our way to NYC's whiskey destination, The Flatiron Room which is known for its staggering amount of whiskeys that are available, cocktails, entertainment and an experience that's not to be missed. We sat down with Tommy Tardie the founder of the Goodnight Group LLC which is comprised of The Flatiron Room and Fine & Rare to talk about what led to creating these spaces, the importance of cultivating these environments as well as how he stays inspired in the hospitality industry. We also took some time to chat with his head bartender, Darron Foy who lets us know about cocktails that we should try there, his interest in working in this space as well as what we need to have on hand when we try our hand on making cocktails at home.

ATHLEISURE MAG: So before The Flatiron Room, what was your background?

TOMMY TARDIE: My real background and what I went to school for was advertising. I used to be the Creative Director in advertising before I got into hospitality and once I ventured into hospitality, I started with a small lounge, had moderate success with the first lounge. I thought, wouldn’t it be cool if I could charge even more for the same drink and that’s when I went into the nightclub scene. I opened up a couple of different nightclubs and they were very profitable. Margins in nightclubs are pretty high, but it wasn’t a lifestyle that I really enjoyed and I decided that I wanted to stay in hospitality. But if I stayed in hospitality, I wanted to stay in a place that I enjoyed going to. A place that kind of put me as the demographic and that was kind of the genesis of The Flatiron Room. I looked at it and rather than doing field research, I said that I would build a place that I would want to hang out and that I would want to take my friends to.

AM: For those that have not come here, let our readers know what they can expect.

TT: I think the key word is an experience. We want guests to have an experience when they come here. We want there to be theater in the overall experience. When I say theater, people that come here equate that to the music that we have here on stage. The theater is really the whole dynamic of the room! When you walk through the room, of course you’ll see people that are on the stage – that’s part of the theater. But the way that our servers are trained and even the way that they pour their drinks at the table, the way that they climb up and down the ladders, the way that they crush ice from a 1920’s ice crusher – that’s all part of the theater and the choreography of the room.

AM: How many whiskeys do you have here?

TT: Well, that’s a great question and I can’t give you an accurate answer, but I would say around 1,200 – 1,500 unique expressions and that was a journey in and of itself. When I first opened, I thought 250 would be a respectable number. I wanted to have that amount and thought having that would be great. At the time, I thought that I knew a lot about whiskey and over time, I realized that I knew nothing about whiskey! As I started purchasing them, I got into conversations with those that were engaged and knew about the whiskeys and that’s when I went down the route of needing to get more indepth into the knowledge of the whskeys. Prior to working in hospitality, I was a creative director and I tend to be visually oriented – very right brained. So I traveled around a lot to learn about whiskeys and I went a fair amount to Scotland and just met with the distillers and saw how it was made. It really helped with my knowledge a lot. Coming back from these trips, I would come with new whiskeys and 250, turned into 300, which turned into 400, and then 500. What I quickly realized was that once you became known for whiskey, you have a responsibility to guests to have all the new whiskey when it comes in. It wasn’t something that I had factored into my algorithm. The more people came in – I had an obligation. They would say, “oh you haven’t gotten the new release from Glenmorangie?” I’d say, “oh we have to get it.” Then we breached 1,000 and there was no turning back!

AM: Just looking at this room, it’s amazing to see all of these cabinets where people can store their own whiskey – tell us about this.

TT: The idea behind this – I call it Bottle Keep. Before moving to NYC I lived in Hawaii and when I was there, I was into surfing a lot and a lot of my buddies were Japanese. We would travel to Japan quite a few times and I was younger then and we would go to this nightclub district known as Roppongi. I remember that it was such a cool concept that they had these bottles that were stored. At the time I just thought it was really cool and it must have stuck in my longterm memory. So when I opened this, I thought that having been in the nightclub business that I understood Bottle Service. Bottle Service wasn’t something that I wanted to do, but I thought if there was a way to take that concept and maturing it which made me think about my trips to Japan and I thought it would be cool. Also, bottles look cool when they’re displayed and when you hit them with the light as you’re a visual person so you uplight them and they look stunning. Also, in NYC, space is a commodity and I wanted to incorporate the bottles into the architecture. I allocated all this space for the bottles and it was a hard road initially because we had all this space. The first night we sold 3 with friends and family that purchased them. I was like, “wow we have like 800 more to go before this place looks legit.” Over the years, it grew and now, we have more demand than supply. In the manager’s office, we have an actual room where we store extra bottles.

AM: What are your favorite go to whiskeys?

TT: Oh gosh. They change, but I think that anybody that knows whiskey – I mean I could throw it back to you and you’d probably have a hard time answering because it’s very situational. Whiskey is based on the season, time of day, the mood – fortunately I have over 1,000 to choose from for my many moods. I will say that some of my hands down favorites that I tend to revert back to are: Glendronach 18 as my go-to favorite. I love a good Bowmore – if I go with peat then I like to go with something that has a nice balance of Sherry to get that smoky sweet elements and because I’m American, I have to throw in a bourbon. I tend to like bourbon’s cask strength E.H. Taylor is a full proof whiskey. Bourbon – I love Michter’s, Buffalo Trace – some of the Buffalo Trace antique collections are always good. It’s not as affordable as it used to be.

AM: What cocktail do you suggest that our readers should make sure to ask for when they come by?

TT: The one that we’re drinking now is called our Smoking Old Fashioned. We talked earlier about being theatrical and this is one of those kinds of cocktails, but it’s not all fluff. The smoke that’s put in the cocktail – the phenols that are attached to the liquor it gives a residual smoke in the flavor. I like this cocktail because being a visual person, I say that the first drink is with the eyes, the second drink is with the nose and the third drink is with the mouth. So this delivers on all three and when it comes across the room you see the smoke in it. You lift off the cap and it has that wow moment so that when people smell it they say, "wow what is that?" But it delivers on the final product because it happens to taste as good as it looks and as good as it smells.

AM: In terms of pairing whiskeys with various items offered on your menu, what do you suggest?

TT: It’s somewhat of a subjective question. I have been to a lot of tastings where they have paired items with things that people would not normally expect to pair with whiskey. For me, I like to pair cheese with whiskey. It has this creaminess and richness and it coats your mouth first. Having the alcohol interact with the viscosity in your mouth – it does something really special and brings out flavors that you normally wouldn’t expect. I will say that if I am drinking something really old and really fine, and I just want to focus on that, then I don’t want to complicate my palette at all. I don’t want to introduce other flavors in there. If it is something that is moderately priced sure I can experiment with it. But if someone is pouring me a 25-year or a 35-year whiskey – then I just want to enjoy every aspect of that from every subtle nuance. For me, a good whiskey is something that develops on your palette. A lot of people think that you have a sip of whiskey and that’s it. But if you really go in deep on the flavor of whiskey – it evolves – what initially hits your mouth when the alcohol starts to burn off and new flavors will appear, grow and resonate on your palette. I think that’s why it’s such a great sipping drink. You take a sip and sit back and let it have its way across your palette and you just enjoy it.

AM: We know that The Flatiron Room is a great place to come to and with the holiday season upon us, what events can guests come to?

TT: The 4th quarter for us – the holiday season, we have a lot of guests that come in from out of town. Unfortunately, they see that we are closed for private events – it’s the season and many times we’re closed for that. I always recommend that people call in advance to make sure that we are open. With that said, we do have some events that are open during this time where guests can come in and bring their friends and family from out of town so that they can get a taste of old New York. During Thanksgiving we had a great feast which was a prix-fixe dinner. On Christmas Day we have another event. For NYE, we’re throwing a great party and we have a tremendous band – Carte Blanche that will be performing live here. We have a number of great things taking place if you have guests that are in from out of town.

AM: Do you still do inspirational travel when you're looking for new whiskeys?

TT: Yes! It’s one of the best things about the job and getting inspired. I get to go to Scotland quite a bit when I’m over there meeting with people, the distillers, learning about new expressions when they come out. It’s funny because my knowledge base has developed so much and every year, I think that I know a decent amount about whiskey, but then the following year I look back and I think, “gosh I didn’t really know much.” Today if you asked me if I knew a bit about whiskey, I would confidently say yes. If we had the same conversation next year, I’d probably look back and say, “oh wow I knew nothing.” But it’s fun and it’s a fun journey and I love learning as well as traveling and it works out.

AM: What are 3 things that you put in your carry-on when you’re traveling to make the flight easier, or to feel that you’re at home or when you’re relaxing after having copious whiskey tastes?

TT: Great! Headphones for sure, Melatonin is my go to because if I’m traveling to Scotland it tends to be an overnight flight and that gets me there. Also a flask - they're always fun and of course when I come back, I tend to come back with one as well!

AM: You can’t have them get lonely! Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers to let them know about The Flatiron Room?

TT: If you haven’t experienced us yet, please come down and experience us! I think it’s a unique experience especially if you’re a New Yorker and people love those New York Moments. If you haven’t checked out my other property, it’s called Fine & Rare (9 East 37th St NY, NY 10016) and I recommend going there to try that out as well. It’s a similar vibe that is a little more food focused, we also have a large dynamic selection of whiskey!

IG @TheFlatironRoom

@FineAndRareNYC

@GoodNightGroup

@TommyTardie

We find out more about this incredible space from Head Bartender, Darron Foy.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you know you wanted to be a bartender?

DARRON FOY: I think it’s when I came to NY. I bartended for 8 or 9 years before that in Scotland where I’m from. It was admittingly more for financial gain as I was studying at University and I needed extra cash. I very quickly fell in love with the kind of interaction that you can have with the public. It wasn’t so much about the drinks or the crafting of the cocktails. It was actually the interaction and the evolving communication that I had with the public that grasped my love. When I moved to NY, I just noticed that the bartenders in NY – it was cool and you felt like almost important when you are working behind the bar. It was your fortress. So, I really started to delve into cocktails. As a Scotsman, we’re much more happy with a single dram, a gin and tonic or a vodka. But I started to notice very quickly with my background in music and in art that I really enjoyed crafting cocktails. So when I finally applied to come to The Flatiron Room, I had learned the NY basics of cocktails from the Manhattan, Sazeracs etc. I came here and I was immersed into the cocktails that we did at this bar. When I came to NY, I knew this was what I wanted to do to be in engaged with the public, to learn more and to educate. I wanted to perform and it’s a constant back and forth with the public.

AM: What is a shift like here?

DF: It can be anything. Tommy mentioned the word subjective in your interview a few times which I think is the perfect word to use when talking about the hospitality sector! We can have a beautifully nice relaxed night here with fantastic cocktails and great music. We can be slammed to the rafters. You can spend an entire evening not talking to your fellow bartender because you’re flying cocktails out. It’s constantly changing and by being in this – it keeps you on your toes. No day is the same; therefore, you have to be prepared for whatever comes. You may have a great customer, you may have a slightly argumentative customer. You may spend 20 minutes making a simple cocktail and they praise it to the heavens. So everyday in my opinion is a new day! I think again going back to the fact of why I like being a bartender. It’s not monotonous.

AM: What are your 3 favorite cocktails that we should have when we come to the The Flatiron Room?

DF: Normally when customers ask this, I do say whiskey as we have a fantastic collection and as a whiskey lover myself. We showcased the Smoking Old Fashioned – visually again, it’s just a fantastic cocktail. As Tommy said, you drink with your eyes and your senses and we’re trying to create a sensory enjoyment. I believe that Rye Old Fashioned with the Smoking Old Fashioned is just being elevated. Your adding the savory wood tones with the Rye Old Fashioned itself and it becomes a lot more than a simple cocktail.

One that is on the menu right now that I crafted is called the Cardamom Blossom. I’m very proud of this cocktail. It’s a link to my wife’s family and my Scottish background. It’s using cachaça, my wife’s family spent some years in Brazil and once I moved to NY we all met up finally. One of the first gifts that I got was a bottle of cachaça – I was very interested in the flavor. It has a sugar cane note and my wife’s brothers and cousins would make me Caipirinhas – a classic cocktail. I wanted to change it and I noticed that we never had a cachaça cocktail in the bar. So it's a mix of blended scotch whiskey, cachaça, and using orgeat syrup which is an almond syrup which has a nice baking taste to it. We added lemon juice, bitters, some honey and adding cardamom. It’s an egg white cocktail that I love to make – I adore egg cocktails because I like the viscosity of it and the way it looks. But it’s also very light and very plain. I’m proud of it because I think that it is a very elegant drink.

Finally, I personally feel that a very well made Manhattan is such an easy cocktail to create and very easy to muck it up. One of the things that I like to do when I go to a new bar is to order a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned because I want to see how they make it. I’ve had Old Fashioned filled with chunks of orange, cherries and I just like to go back to the classics because to me, that’s not what it is. A well made Manhattan which I think in my opinion, we do well we do well here is just an elegant and standard classic cocktail.

AM: You just shared the Cardamom Blossom that you crafted. How do you go about obtaining inspirations for creating other drinks?

DF: I think that that goes back to communication. Talking with the public, your fellow bartenders and servers. I have a music and artistic background so I feel that I have been creating from the second I could see over the stove, my mother in Scotland had me cooking. I love to cook and I love creating things. I think that I have that artistic ability where I take great pleasure in creating things. I think that people tend to be cautious when trying new things and I hope that people realize that that’s not the way to be. You have to dive into trying new things. So a lot of my experience comes from bar diving with my wife and trying new things from receiving a new whiskey at the bar and smelling it and trying new flavors and what would work with it and it’s a constantly evolving process.

Communication is great and when you talk to fellow industry professionals and why they chose certain bitters or garnishes, it helps to evolve your own personal ability. Communication is key in terms of creating new cocktails.

AM: So for the people who want to make whiskey cocktails at home, what are the things that they should have on hand as many may be a bit hesitant to do this at home?

DF: First of all having the correct tools – strainers, cocktail shakers and stirrers. Even things like good ice. You go back to the very basics when you’re crafting a cocktail. If you’re using broken up ice and it’s breaking into the cocktail, it’s diluting it too much. If you’re wanting to present it a certain way, are you using crushed ice, blazened ice, ice rocks? In terms of experimenting, you know your own palette – again maybe step away from that. If you know that you like a certain flavor and you know you can craft a good cocktail, why not remove that entirely and try something new. You might not like it, but it may open your eyes and head to more ideas and more experimentation. I think good mixers, good bitters can help the process and having a variety of good scotches, whiskeys, ryes, and bourbons etc all promote different flavors and therefore reacts with the palette differently. I love the classics such as the Angostura Bitters and the Peychaud’s Bitters. I mean, 20 years ago especially when it came to Angostura, any recipe that required a bitter would come from this brand! Nowadays, we have a fantastic array of companies, different bitters – the Fee Brothers have a fantastic range with Cherry Blossom, Aztec Chocolate, Almond Bitters and really amazing flavors. You have to experiment! You have to try these things and it’s the same as cooking. You’re not going to know unless you try. So good tills, proper ice and an open mind. You have to go in there with no prejudice and try something new. You may fail, but just pick yourself up and try it again. You can tweak it here and there and then become more confident in your ability. Once that confident grows, it’s easier for you to continue to experiment.

AM: You’re here working with so many different people that come to The Flatiron Room and being so creative. What do you do to take time for yourself when you’re not here?

DF: My wife and I are big foodies. We’re here in NY, we live in Brooklyn and where I live, we have German Beer and where I live, we have German Beer Halls, Japanese joints, I have everything there. We tend to try to find new places for food. I experiment quite a lot on my wife, she’s my biggest critic. I ask her about the cocktails if they are too strong or too sweet. When it comes to down time, it’s probably walking my dog. He’s a little pain, but I do love the little guy. Generally, just relaxing because you’re in a high strung environment. So you need to take time to recharge and I laugh at this, but as bartenders, our time off tends to be in bars because that is where we are comfortable. Even in the house, my wife laughs because she says that I’m stir crazy if I’m sitting down for more than 20 minutes not doing something and I will head to the bar. Maybe it’s the Scottish in me that is more comfortable sitting in a place with alcohol around me, but I feel that bartenders are hermits, we like what we like. We try new things but we gravitate back to the bars that we like. I mean I do go to the gym from time to time but – good food, good drink and just generally recharging your batteries so that you can come back and do your job which is important!

IG @TheLiquidArtist

Hear The Flatiron Room's Owner/ Restaurateur Tommy Tardie and Head Bartender, Darron Foy on our show, Athleisure Kitchen which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multi-media podcast network! Make sure to subscribe to find out when the episode drops. You can hear it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Google Podcasts and wherever you enjoy listening to your favorite podcast.

Read the Dec Issue of Athleisure Mag and see The Whiskey Experience with Tommy Tardie & Darron Foy in mag.

ATHLEISURE BEAUTY

Read Athleisure Mag’s Sept Issue and see Athleisure Beauty in mag.

THE ART OF THE SNACK | EATALY

SHOPPING THE MARKETS OF ITALY OR GRABBING A MEAL?

When it comes to culinary destinations, Eataly is one that allows you to purchase your favorite Italian treats, meats and wines in their market. It also has a number of restaurants whether you're popping in for a quick bite, doing takeout or simply want to sit down to a decadent meal. We sat down with Dino Borri, Eataly's USA's VP of Global Partnerships to get the rundown on their Flatiron property, charcuterie boards and summer wines.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us about your background and how you came to Eataly?

DINO BORRI: I currently serve as Eataly USA’s VP of Global Partnerships. I was born and raised in Bra, a small town in Piemonte, Italy, and the home of the Slow Food movement and the world’s first University of Gastronomic Sciences. I got my start in the food industry in 2000, when Slow Food hired me to organize and coordinate all of our gastronomic events. In 2008, I started collaborating with Eataly Torino, where I soon became the person in charge of opening new Eataly stores all around the world. I lived in Japan for one year, where I curated the opening of all the Eataly locations in Japan. In 2010, I moved to America to launch the first US location in New York City’s Flatiron District. Living and breathing high-quality food and Mediterranean lifestyle, I am now concentrating on developing key partnerships and relationships with like-minded Italian brands abroad for Eataly.

AM: What is the purpose behind Eataly and how does this destination allow shoppers and guests to connect with the various regions of Eataly?

DB: Focused on providing high-quality, sustainable products for all, Eataly is the largest Italian retail and dining experience in the world, transforming the way consumers experience food, beverage and, culture. At Eataly, guests have the unique opportunity to experience Italian culture through markets, counters, cafés, restaurants, and educational offerings that explore the best food and beverage options Italy’s 20 regions and the world has to offer. Since Oscar Farinetti first opened Eataly Torino Italy in 2007, his philosophy – to provide high-quality food, celebrate biodiversity, and create a place to eat, shop, and learn – has spread to 39 stores across the world, including our US flagship NYC Flatiron (2010), Chicago (2013), NYC Downtown (2016), Boston (2016), L.A. (2017), Vegas (2018), Toronto (opening in 2019), and Dallas (opening in 2020).

AM: Why is Eataly a great destination for those that are popping in to enjoy a number of your restaurants or to shop its market?

DB: Eataly offers traditional and authentic Italian food in a vibrant ambiance. At the store, customers can eat what they shop and shop what they eat. One of the best aspects of Eataly is that all of our restaurants, counters, products, and experts, have a story to tell. Each time you come to Eataly, there is something new to explore and learn, no matter whether you’re sitting down to a relaxed meal or simply buying your evening groceries.

AM: Does Eataly have a different vibe or offering depending on which location you go to?

DB: Yes. Each Eataly is customized to its local market and unique from any other store. The stores all have different restaurants, layouts, products, and counters. In addition, we work with local producers in each city in addition to our Italian producers.

AM: With the summer being upon us, what are 3 items that you would suggest we should incorporate into our Charcuterie boards?

DB: Culatello di Zibello DOP - Culatello is one of the most prized salumi in Italy: mentions of this delicacy date back to the 15th century. Culatello is produced in the flatlands located north of Parma, near the Po River, and Eataly is the first to be able to sell this delicacy with DOP status imported from Italy.

Quattro Portoni Casatica Cheese - This is a semi-seasoned cheese with a flowering crust, and pearly white, soft center. Made with buffalo milk, the flavor is delicate and creamy with a velvety texture.

Lingue Di Suocera – light, crispy, and made from all-natural ingredients, these long flatbreads – in fact, their name translates to “tongues” thanks to their shape – are a flavorful vehicle for the salumi and cheeses on your antipasto board.

Il Mongetto Cheese Condiment Set - Sweet additions like the fig, pear, or quince jam in this condiment set are a perfect compliment to soft cheeses and savory cured meats. This set by Il Mongetto is made with top quality fruits and artisanal production methods in Piemonte.

AM: In terms of wines and sweet treats, what are 3 items that we should keep in mind?

DB: Spritz Bianco – Made with Sangiovese Bianco, St. Germaine, Soda Water, FarmOne Basil. The Spritz Bianco is a refreshing alternative to summer’s most popular cocktail. This Spritz is offered at SERRA FIORITA by Birreria within Eataly NYC Flatiron, our seasonal restaurant on the roof that now reflects the Italian countryside in the summertime.

Riesling Borgogno - Langhe DOC Riesling – Made from young Riesling vines in the Langhe valley by one of the oldest winemakers in Piemonte, the crisp freshness and pleasant acidity of this white make it a versatile wine that pairs well with summer dishes like fish and vegetables.

Mandarinata - Made by Ligurian producer Niasca Portofino, Mandarinata is a pleasantly sweet and refreshing soda made from concentrated juice of mandarins from the Tigullio Gulf. Excellent on its own, this soda also pairs perfectly in a cocktail for a classic Italian aperitivo.

*Please note that all of these products listed can either be found in one of Eataly’s stores or online.

PHOTOS COURTESY | EATALY

IG @EatalyFlatiron

Read the July Issue of Athleisure Mag and see The Art of the Snack in mag.

S1. E4 | ATHLEISURE KITCHEN WITH MICHELIN STARRED CHEF, GEORGE MENDES

On today's episode of Athleisure Kitchen, we headed to the offices of Chefs Club in Soho to sit down and talk with Michelin starred chef and restaurateur, George Mendes, who was also the cover for Athleisure Mag for the June Issue about Aldea located in Flatiron as well as his pop up concept AMAR which is in residency at Chefs Club Counter through the end of August. We talk about the importance of Portuguese cuisine in his food, his passion for food and a number of his partnerships that allow our palettes to know more about Portuguese food.

You can stay in the loop on who future guests are by visiting us at AthleisureStudio.com/AthleisureKitchen and on Instagram at @AthleisureKitchen and @AthleisureStudio. Athleisure Kitchen is hosted by Kimmie Smith and is Executive Produced by Paul Farkas and Kimmie Smith. It is mixed by the team at Athleisure Studio. Our music is "This Boy" performed by Ilya Truhanov.

ATHLEISURE LIST | SOULANNEX

We've been fans of SoulCycle for years and were excited when we heard about SoulAnnex, the next evolution in fitness and wellness. The Flatiron location is where top instructors are piloting the latest and most effective off-the-bike classes. The focus of this platform is about elevating the way you move off the bike by strengthening, dancing, stretching and moving the body in a whole new way.

Classes are offered 4-5 days and provide a full 360 approach to training that compliments their on-the-bike programming at SoulCycle. The classes focus on three key training areas.

MOVE: Feel the beat, embrace the rhythm, and experience how energy and momentum can take your workout to the next level. Every move you make is done with and for a purpose:
Choreography, set to epic playlists, revs your heart rate and tones muscles from head to toe. The result is an incredibly fun workout that leaves you breathless and happy.

DEFINE: These total-body sessions utilize body weight, free weights, resistance bands and more to sculpt strong muscles. Drawing on varying modalities like high-intensity interval training and plyometrics, instructors will coach you through each rep to help you unlock
your inner athlete and achieve your highest level of physical fitness.

ALIGN: The perfect balancing supplement to your cardio and strength sessions, our restorative classes stretch, lengthen and rehab overworked muscles. Drawing on disciplines like yoga and Pilates, you’ll release tight hips, glutes, and more while improving core strength. Each session integrates mindfulness and body awareness for a 360-degree experience that replenishes you mentally as well as physically.

During the first week of SoulAnnex's opening, we took Fundamental Flows with Eve which was a vinyasa workout that is a balanced mind-body experience where your breath, mantras and
movement come together on the mat and beyond. As you transition from Inner Warrior to Warrior II, each person finds the shapes that awaken your muscles to find clarity, strength and
flow.

Prior to and after class, guests can enjoy complimentary studio amenities that include hair care products by Ouai and 100% organic tampons by LOLA. SoulAnnex features a lifestyle boutique
with SoulCycle's original performance and athleisure collections, as well as a capsule collection that features the signature triangle logo of SoulAnnex.

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SOULANNEX
32 W 18th St NY, NY 10011

Read more from the Nov Issue and read ATHLEISURE LIST | SOULANNEX in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | INSCAPE FLATIRON

INSCAPE is a new meditation studio that taps into your senses during your session at its Flatiron location as well as on the app that you can download.
The former founder and CEO of Intermix, Khajak Keledjian, had his company acquired by Gap for $130 million dollars. 

Although he's quite active as he has invested in compaines that include Proenza Schouler, Flywheel, We Work, Aloha and more - meditation has been his way of finding happiness from within and his aim is to extend his love of various yoga and meditation practices that he has given his fashion friends over the years to the masses.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Why did you choose NYC as your first studio space?
 
KHAJAK KELEDIJAN: The first INSCAPE studio is in NYC because I live here, and I know first-hand the noise and over-stimulation that comes from an urban center like Manhattan. Also, this city is a true melting pot. Where else can you have so many different variables – lifestyle, age, occupation, income, background, schedule – in one place? If we can reimagine meditation here, and create a cohesive community and bring together like-minded individuals in an anonymous city like New York, we can do it anywhere.

AM: Who designed the space? How did the collaboration come about?
  
KK: Winka Dubbeldam designed the space. We first met when I was at Intermix about 10 years ago. A year and a half ago, I called her to ask if she knew any designers who would be interested in this project. I thought it was too small for her, but she was actually inspired by the idea. Turns out we have parallel interests in yoga and meditation – Winka’s been meditating since her early 20’s. She naturally recognized the interplay between aesthetics and meditation. We designed the space together, thoughtfully. Working with someone who authentically understands not only the design you’re imagining, but its essence, is invaluable.

AM: What is the meaning behind the name INSCAPE?

KK: I want people to focus inwardly which is why I called it Inscape. I  wanted to create a space that was safe, grounded, calming and a place that members could come to anytime. 

AM: Describe the studio. What’s unique about the studio? Why did you focus so much on the physical environment?
 
KK: Our intentionally designed 5,000 square-foot studio is a quiet space away from the distractions of everyday life, offering fully immersive group experiences for meditation and relaxation. The studio is an experience, not just a destination, and incorporates elements that address all sensory touch points - sight, sound, smell, temperature, light and taste.

Sound, light and temperature need to be precisely balanced (they can make you feel safe and enveloped like you’re in a womb) without distracting from the concept and feel of the space. 

AM: What is the layout? What are the separate areas like?
 
KK:The Studio – we’ve created a transitional space to just “be.” You can read, meditate, sit reflectively. On one hand, the area has no Wi-Fi, encouraging a tech timeout. On the other hand, we’ve created an interactive art installation that might inspire some selfies to capture that feeling of awareness and clarity when you finish a session … so you can remember it when you look back at the image.

The Dome – The room is circular to symbolize wholeness, lifecycles, togetherness, equality. The dome has a woven ceiling like ancient temples in India, a dreamcatcher, a mandala – like all of INSCAPE, meditators can interpret how they see it.
 
The Alcove – This area is inspired by the philosophies of Burning Man – self-expression and inclusion. It will transform seasonally to represent how we are also constantly changing.

AM: Who are your teachers?
 
KK: We’re reimagining meditation: we’re merging traditions with modern thinking & technology to create a new experience that's focused on the meditator.

Our work with teachers was completed prior to the sessions in our content development process. Our content was highly researched and tested in order to create our optimized experience. The sessions are audio-guided, rather than a teacher, so that everyone is an active participate in their own personal experience. We’ve created a neutral space where our facilitators empower the meditator to build their skills. By delivering our content via audio guidance, we bring a level of consistency otherwise impossible, since so many classes can vary based on which instructor is leading. Additionally, this innovative approach allows us to further marry our app and studio experiences.

INSCAPE FLATIRON

45 W 21st St NY, NY 10010