Read the NOV ISSUE #96 of Athleisure Mag and see THE 9LIST 9CH3FS + THE 9LIST 9B-L-D in mag.
PHOTO CREDIT | Caviar Guacamole @ Casa Bond
We don’t know how we’re already in the holiday season, but here we are as we all begin to think about the Ball Drop, wherever you’ll be celebrating this year! These last few weeks are filled with a lot of activity and our gift to you is highlighting some great options that you can enjoy. Make sure that you check back as we will continue to add restaurants of note here in NYC as well as outside of it that are perfect for your Christmas Day, New Years Eve and even New Years Day plans! If you want to know more, make sure that you visit each restaurant either online or via their IG to see about their availability.
PHOTO CREDIT | Hortus NYC
For those who may be looking to dine in the NoMad where there’s so much do to this holiday season, as well as for those who enjoy Asian cuisine, Hortus NYC is the ideal dining destination for Christmas and New Year’s Eve plans. We covered Athleisure Mag back in our OCT ISSUE #94.
Diners can choose menu options a la carte or from Hortus NYC’s Christmas and New Year's Eve prix-fixe menu, served for both lunch and dinner.
The celebratory prix-fixe menu highlights the HORTUS Royal Platter, consisting of chilled lobster tail, tuna tataki, and shrimp cocktail, as well as the Truffle Ribeye-Cap with black bean puree, portobello mushroom, and pickled red cabbage.
Diners also have the option to choose one appetizer, including fan-favorite King Crab Noodle, fettuccine with mala cream sauce, shallot, and scallion, along with one entrée, like Truffle Donabe with wild mushrooms, cured egg yolk, and black truffle or the Korean BBQ Feast featuring prime center ribeye, smoked duck, broiled lobster tail with house-made ssamjang and special sides.
A special Christmas and New Year’s Eve dessert will be served, with the option to have an accompanied wine pairing.
The prix-fixe menu will be served on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, as well as New Year’s Eve. Hortus NYC will be open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., and dinner from 5:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
271 5th Ave Store
New York, NY 10016
IG @hortusnyc
PHOTO CREDIT | Sagaponack
For seafood lovers, Sagaponack, situated in the fashionable Flatiron District is a standout dining destination this New Year’s Eve. We had the pleasure of interviewing them in our feature, The Art of the Snack in our OCT ISSUE #94.
Sagaponack will serve a prix-fixe 4-course curated tasting menu by Executive Chef Phil Choy, coined the Salt Bake Special.
The first of 4 courses will be a Fluke Tartare topped with coconut, Marcona almonds, and tobiko, drizzled tableside with a sauce crafted from cucumber, cilantro oil, chili oil, and lime, followed by a Coconut Squash Soup with ginger coconut cream, pumpkin seeds, and aleppo pepper, a gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan option.
The main course will be a Salt Baked Black Bass, wrapped in banana leaf and marinated in lemongrass, Thai chili, shallot, garlic, ginger, and lime zest. Accompanying the bass will be a Thai Red Coconut Curry, made from baby bokchoy, roasted cauliflower, and fingerling potatoes, as well as Crab Fried Rice with lump crab, ginger garlic shallot confit, chili jam, and crispy garlic.
Dessert, to start the New Year’s off sweet, a Thai Milk Cake with cinnamon, pecan, and mango.
The curated New Year’s Eve menu will be served from 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.
4 W 22nd St
New York, NY 10010
IG @sagavibes
PHOTO CREDIT | Dressed East Coast Oysters at Blu on the Hudson
For those who may not be familiar with NY, many times, it’s fun to head out to New Jersey where you have epic views of the Manhattan skyline while having an upscale meal at a high-end restaurant! Within 5 minutes, you can take the ferry and have an amazing evening. Blu on the Hudson is a chicly designed, 30,000-square-foot, modern American restaurant with sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline in Weehawken, New Jersey and a picturesque six-minute NY Waterway ferry ride from Manhattan. The restaurant offers a bold seafood-centric menu accented by a top-flight steak program, homemade pasta, a one-of-a-kind cocktail program, and a soon-to-come rooftop event space.
A La Carte Dinner Menu All-Day
Some brunch items will be offered between 1-3 p.m.
Feast of the Seven Fishes: Four Course Dinner for Two: $150 per person (Pre-Reserved Only)
Availed starting at 4:45 p.m.
Hours of operation: 1-9:45 p.m.
Highlights include food stations, a live DJ, sparklers, stand-out Instagrammable cocktails, good vibes, and a champagne toast with screening as the ball drops at midnight.
Tickets will be offered in two tiers, which are as follows:
Tables
$500/ticket
Includes: three-course dinner, open bar, food stations and more
Available for 2-8 people
Entry Time: 8 p.m.
GA
$300/ticket
Includes: open bar and passed hors d’oeuvres
Does not guarantee seating; high-tops will be available on first come first serve basis
Entry Time: 9:30 p.m.
GA tickets are sold via Eventbrite and OpenTable, Table tickets are sold via OpenTable.
1200 Harbor Blvd
Weehawken, NJ 07086
PHOTO CREDIT | Pernil Pork Shank at Son Cubano
Son Cubano, a modern Cuban cuisine in West New York, New Jersey is adjacent to the BLU ON THE HUDSON. It has the most breathtaking, unobstructed, pristine views of the Manhattan skyline that spans from the Upper West Side to the Liberty Tower. The restaurant emits a vibrant ambiance with authentic Cuban dishes and a fusion of Latin flavors with dazzling cocktails and live entertainment.
A La Carte Dinner Menu All-Day
Hours of Operation: 11 a.m.- 9 p.m.
Brunch: A La Carte Menu
Hours of Operation: 12-3 p.m.
Dinner: A La Carte Menu
4-8:45 p.m.
Early Dinner: A La Carte Menu
4-6 p.m.
Late Dinner and Party: 3-course Prix Fixe Menu
Highlights include a live DJ, entertainment, specialty cocktails and VIP Bottle Service.
9 p.m.-closing
No Dining Limit
$150 Havana Room
$200 Vista
$250 Vista VIP
NYE Party Tickets (Bar Only)
10:30 p.m.
Tickets $75, Early Bird $50
Brunch: A La Carte Menu
Hours of Operation: 12-3 p.m. Dinner: A La Carte Menu
Dinner A La Carte Menu
4-8:45 p.m.
40-4 Riverwalk Pl
West New York, NJ 07093
IG @soncubanonj
VENTANAS is a Modern American, Latin, and Asian fusion restaurant and lounge in Fort Lee, New Jersey, minutes away from the George Washington Bridge. The restaurant offers a prolific menu of land and sea options, as well as an award-winning wine list and cocktail program, accompanied by live entertainment and a bustling nightlife scene.
Dinner: A La Carte Menu
Hours of Operation: 1:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Brunch: A La Carte Menu
Hours of Operation: 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Dinner: A La Carte Menu
Hours of Operation: 4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Brunch: A La Carte Menu
Hours of Operation: 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Dinner: 4-course Prix-Fixe Menu
Served: 4:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.
Early Seating: 4 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
$95 Prix-Fixe Menu
Second Seating: 9 p.m. – 10:15 p.m.
Second Seating: 9pm - 10:15pm
$195 Prix-Fixe Menu, including a champagne toast and entry to the masquerade ball
Final Seating: 10:30 p.m. – Close
$225 Prix-Fixe Menu, including a champagne toast and bottle service, as well as entry to the masquerade ball
Masquerade Ball
Hours of Operation: 10 p.m. – Late
Highlights include a Live DJ, Party Entertainment, VIP Bottle Service, and Live Performances
NYE Party Tickets (Masquerade Ball only)
$50 Early Bird until 12/10
$75 from 12/10 – 12/31
Dinner: A La Carte Menu
Hours of Operation: 4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
200 Park Ave
Fort Lee, NJ 07024
PHOTO COURTESY | Halifax Hoboken @ W Hotels Hoboken
We covered Halifax Hoboken at the W Hotel in Hoboken earlier this year in our feature Athleisure List in the AUG ISSUE #92. Yet another eatery that had epic views of NYC while being located in Hoboken, NJ. Their New Year’s Eve will be a culinary feast - with a seven piece band for the late sitting! Halifax Hoboken’s New Year’s Eve celebrations and menus showcase an array of delectable dishes crafted by Chef Seadon Shouse and Pastry Chef Joshua Coleman for 2 seatings.
For those who want to make it a getaway, consider a stay at the W Hotel. The second seating is $254 all-inclusive (tax and tip) and features a 7-piece live band by GROOVE. You can reserve your spot here.
New Year’s Eve Details:
What: New Year’s Eve
Where: Halifax Hoboken
When: December 31st, 2023
Cost: first seating a la cart. Second seating $254 pp
Includes: 4 hours premium bar, raw bar, hors d’ouvres, charcuterie & cheese, carving station, caviar, seven-piece live band by GROOVE
Time:
First seating: 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm - A La Carte
Choice of starters: clam chowder, poached pear salad, fritto misto, maine mussells, lamb meatballs, black sea bass tartar. Main course: squash agnolotti, saffron rigatoni, pan seared salmon, NJ Sea Scallops, Smoked Amish Chicken, Prime New York Strip, or Bone in Beef Shortribs. Choice of dessert.
Event starts at 9:30 PM - 1:30 am - Prixe Fix $254 pp all inclusive (tax and tip)
Stations 9:30-11:30: Charcuterie & Cheese (housemade and artisinal), NJ Clams, Maine Mussels on the Half Shell, Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail, Crab Claws.
Passed Hors D'ouvres 9:30-11: Tuna tartar panu puri, Caviar potato chips, Foie Gras Terrine, Risotto Balls.
Stations 10-11:30:
Carving station: with in-house dry-aged striploin with demi glace, butter roasted maine lobster tails, salmon roulade with shellfish mousse & lobster cream, truffle mash potato, fresh dinner rolls, squash salad.
Pasta station: Seafood risotto with scallops, shrimp, crab, clams, tomato, fresh orechiette pasta bolognese.
Slider & Flatbread: Halifax beef slider, crispy chicken slider, truffle mushroom fontina flatbread, squash and duck confit flatbread.
Dessert 10-12 am: Assorted mini desserts.
225 River St
Hoboken, NJ 07030
PHOTO CREDIT | Cochinita Pibil at Casa Bond
This Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, lovers of Mexican cuisine can enjoy refined Mexican fare at Casa Bond, a new, hot dining destination on the Bowery.
On Christmas Eve, Casa Bond will be open from 5 pm to 10 pm.
On New Year’s Eve, Casa Bond will have a DJ, party favors, and a Champagne toast at midnight. Casa Bond will offer their regular a-la-carte menu from 5 pm to 8 pm, then transition to two formal seatings for the prix fixe menu, offering seatings at 8 pm and 10 pm. The party will continue into the night after the midnight toast, and Casa Bond will close at 2 am.
334 Bowery
New York, NY 10012
PHOTO CREDIT |Beets at Restaurant Yuu
Restaurant Yuu, who was recently awarded one-Michelin Star, is the only new Brooklyn restaurant to receive a star. For Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Eve, Chef Yuu will showcase tasting menu, about 15 courses, which highlights a Wagyu Fillet Wellington with a layer of minced Wagyu with mushrooms, a layer of foie gras and a later of Wagyu filet, all wrapped in spinach and baked in a pie crust, served with Sauce Périgueux, a sauce made with red and port wine. We shared more about them in our feature Athleisure List in the JUN ISSUE #90.
Optional wine and tea pairings to the tasting menu are also available.
Executive Chef/Owner Yuu Shimano is a creative powerhouse and consistently showcases seasonal produce and proteins at the height of their seasonality, presented artistically with inventive French and Japanese flavor combinations through the lens of his vast fine dining experience.
In addition to its regular offerings, courses from the tasting menu include, but are not limited to are:
Consomme
King crab with celeriac and citrus
Uni
Langoustine
Abalone
Filets de Poisson en Écailles Croustillantes (Fish Filets with Potato Skin) using amadai fish
Abalone risotto
Strawberry dessert
Seating times are at 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. with 18 guests each. Reservations are available on Tock.
Restaurant Yuu is also offering stollen (“Christmas specialties like fruitcake and panettone”) which is available until Christmas Day.
55 Nassau Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11222
PHOTO CREDIT | Silver Cod Steaks at Chef Guo
Offering a regal dining experience this holiday, Chef Guo, takes diners on a cultural culinary journey. Chef Guo inflects his expertise on traditional Chinese dishes modernizing them and creating a healthier, more nutritious version, using organic and daily sourced ingredients.
Situated discreetly in the Randolph House luxury residences, diners are greeted by a server dressed in a traditional red robe and are transported to an intimate dining room that resembles an imperial courtyard.
The dining room accommodates just 10 for each seating, and the servers take their time to carefully explain each dish, its ingredients, and the story behind its invention, creating the atmosphere of a private dinner party.
The menu offers an exceptional 19-course Imperial Chinese Tasting Menu that features innovative dishes crafted for each seating.
Chef Guo has reservations for its 19-course Imperial Chinese Tasting Menu available, with exclusive seatings at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Years Day.
You can book your reservations here and see their full menu here.
135 E 50th St
New York, NY 10022
PHOTO CREDIT | Kintsugi
Kintsugi Omakase, an understated, fashionable sushi atelier that is tucked away in Soho, will be offering a one-of-a-kind Normandin-Mercier Christmas Cognac, which dates back to 1876, for the holidays. Edouard Normandin reserves one barrel for this special Christmas Cognac and produces 250 bottles each year. For more information on this very exclusive cognac, please visit the website here. The cognac will be served at $28 per glass.
For Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, Kintsugi Omakase, small jewel box sushi counter, will be serving two tiers of omakase:
Kintsugi Experience: 20-courses for $195
Soho Experience: 17-courses for $155
The tasting also includes a sushi chef’s choice of handroll, gourmet miso soup, tamago and a seasonal dessert. Executive Chef Victor Chen (formerly of New York Sushi Ko) creates imaginative starters with exciting flavor combinations and uses locally sourced fish, enabling for a broader selection.
Another holiday special being offered is a Winter Beverage pairing for $85 per person that features a five-glass paring of new sake and wine, which will rotate weekly.
Seating times are at 5 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
28 Grand St
New York, NY 10013
IG @kintsuginyc
PHOTO CREDIT | Tsubame
Tsubame, the Tribeca-based Kaiseki-inspired omakase from Michelin-recognized Executive Chef Jay Zheng, will be open to ring in the New Year.
Far from your typical omakase experience, Chef Zheng creates masterfully plated Japanese dishes derived from ultra-seasonal ingredients and fish sourced from Japan. Central to Chef Zheng's preparation is the rich culinary concept of Shun, the use of ingredients at their peak seasonal freshness, allowing each dish to be both the best-tasting and most visually appealing.
In a succession of 8 courses, Sakizuke – the amuse bouche – launches the meal. Chef Zheng’s Shiroebi Uni Shokupan is a big opener, housemade milk bread layered raw baby shrimp from Toyama and vivid uni from Hokkaido, garnished with shiso flowers. Luxuriously creative, it sets a tone for the meal that follows.
Another highlight of the Chef’s curated menu is the Futamono (lidded dish) an A5 Miyazaki Wagyu Shabu Shabu with udon made of pressed sawara (Spanish mackerel), in awase dashi, a tribute to the Chef’s family fish noodle. It is accompanied by a jidori egg in sweet shoyu (soy sauce) for dipping.
Tsubame is open on New Year’s Eve with two seatings at 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
11 Park Pl
New York, NY 10007
IG @tsubameny
PHOTO CREDIT | Bohemien Bar
As the festive month of December is in full swing, Bohemien Bar, the chic cocktail bar in Brooklyn Heights, is employing a “12 Days of Christmas” themed happy hour from 5-7 p.m., Sundays through Thursdays throughout the entire month of December. The happy hour will feature their Holiday Cocktails, as well as their Cheese and Vegetable offerings especially priced at $12, to commemorate the popular “12 Days of Christmas” holiday song.
Bohemien Bar, outfitted with cheerful holiday décor for the season, has a lineup of winter-themed cocktails, including, but not limited to:
O Sanctissima intricately blends Tequila, spiced cider, vanilla, lemon juice, and dehydrated carrots, served in a cute snowman mug.
Dulce Besos, served in a fun gingerbread man mug, is a hot-chocolate-based drink with mezcal, Madeira, cayenne powder, and toasted marshmallow.
New Order presented in a festive Christmas tree, mixes gin, apple brandy, quince, ginger, lime, and juniper smoke.
The Cheese selection highlights the Baked Brie with herbs de Provence, while Beet Dip with Labneh and Walnuts and Crispy Zucchini with smoked paprika aioli showcase the Vegetable section.
Bohemien Bar’s “12 Days of Christmas Happy Hour” is a get-away for all weary shoppers and those seeking to relax after a day of taking out-of-town friends and family holiday sightseeing.
97 Atlantic Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11201
IG @bohemienbar
PHOTO CREDIT | Li-Lac Chocolates
New York’s iconic Li-Lac Chocolates, is celebrating its 100th Anniversary and has been enjoyed by generations of locals, tourists and celebrities including Martha Stewart, Andy Cohen and Emma Stone among others. Manhattan’s oldest chocolate house, Li-Lac, has remained true to its tradition maintaining the same single-minded focus on product quality. Its confections are handmade daily in its Brooklyn Factory using many of the original techniques and equipment from 1923.
With the holiday season quickly approaching, Li-Lac Chocolates makes for the perfect gift idea. They have a broad selection of specialty molds and gifts, now offering more than 120 items making it one of the largest selections of gourmet chocolates in the world.
A few gift options, but are not limited to, include:
Christmas: Spectacular Christmas Basket: assortment of 12 gifts
Limited-Edition Vintage Recipe Gift Box: 1/2 lb. each of four original recipes created by our founder in 1923 (A special box created for its centennial celebration)
Chanukah: Treasure Chest Filled with Gelt: approx. 20 pieces of Gelt
New Years: Giant Champagne Bottle: 32’’ tall and weighs approx. 11 lbs
For those looking for an impressive business gift or a present for your special someone, Li-Lac allows you to create and customize your own chocolate mold here. To view a variety of gift boxes and baskets for any occasion, click here.
Store locations: Industry City/Brooklyn, Greenwich Village, Bleecker Street, Chelsea Market, Hudson Yards and Grand Central Market.
Ships: via FedEx in the United States and Canada.
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
We're excited for this month's cover as we have a powerhouse couple that is known for dominanting the beach and the water! We have Beach Volleyball great, Gabby Reece. We always enjoyed seeing her on a number of her Nike commercials, gracing the covers of Elle, and being in a number of shows appearing as herself. As someone who modeled, performed during her matches, is a TV personality, fitness/wellness expert and continues that passion of wellness with her podcasts, projects and is the Co-Founder with her husband Laird Hamilton with their brands that include Laird Superfood, Laird Apparel, and XPT (Extreme Performance Training).
Laird Hamilton is the ultimate waterman, pioneer in action sports (he is known for crossover board sports including being the co-inventor of tow-in-surfing, stand-up paddle boarding, and hydrofoil boarding) and big wave surfing legend! He is an inventor, author, stunt man (he performed the stunts in James Bond's Die Another Day in the opening sequence), model, producer, TV host, fitness and nutrition expert, and adrenaline junkie. His passion for wellness and nutrition, led him to him Co-Founding Laird Superfood.
Last fall, we talked with Gabby Reece and we knew then that we'd love to have her and Laird together to find out more about them, their businesses, their assortment, how they navigate their coupleship in business and their partnership.
ATHLEISURE MAG: It is so great to be able to chat with you guys! We had the pleasure of chatting with Gabby last fall and we were talking about power couples, so it’s great to have you both! As she knows, Athleisure Mag’s Co-Founders are also a couple so it’s good vibes all around.
GABBY REECE: Hello!
LAIRD HAMILTON: Well yeah, you know, mixing work and pleasure is always dangerous!
AM: It is always dangerous; it can definitely be tricky cocktail.
LH: It can be or it can be all natural!
AM: Well there are moments on each side depending on the moments we're caught in!
It’s exciting to be able to talk about Laird Superfood and the businesses that you both have together. I know that readers will be so excited as well. The last time I chatted with Gabby, we talked about her background and career. So to catch our readers up, when did you fall in love with surfing and what do you love about being an iconic waterman as you’re so talented?
LH: Well, I think that my relationship with the ocean and water happened very early. My mom had stories of me crawling towards water before I could walk. So I think that I was just drawn to water and I think that that’s pretty natural because we are water. So my kind of relationship with water started before I could remember and then my surfing, I think that I had my own board – I mean usually I had pieces of boards because in those days, there were no boards for kids. There were no boogie boards or anything like that. Usually, you got a piece of a broken board from an adult and then you made that your board! So, I always just thought in terms of swimming and surfing, that was what you did and that that was what everybody does. So if someone said, “I don’t swim,” when I was younger, I felt like saying that you don’t swim was like saying that you don’t walk.
AM: Right!
LH: Yeah, it’s like, “is there something wrong?” But yeah, it’s in my foundation.
AM: That’s amazing and what was the moment when you realized that you both wanted to launch these businesses together? How did it take place and how did you decide on who would do what?
GR: Well, in the case of Laird Superfood, well most of our businesses actually, were almost accidents. Laird Superfood was not on purpose. It was based on a drink that Laird was making in our kitchen and shared with his friends before they would train and go out in the water.
One of these friends would ask what’s in it and how much it was. One of our other friends who is the other Co-Founder, is a serial entrepreneur and he thought that if Laird benefits from it and he was feeling this, maybe we can create this for other people and so Laird Superfood was created in 2015 around the premise of Laird originally sharing something that was working for him.
LH: Yeah, and I think that our desire to have businesses had stemmed before that. I think that just being athletes and then I would kind of say, supporting other businesses as you evolve, I think that it is only natural that you would want to go into as I describe – being your own sponsor.
AM: Oh yeah!
LH: So once you build your brand to a certain level, it was like, “ok, we’ll go into business,” but like the businesses themselves came organically like Gabby said. It either came through a habit we had or some other practice that we were doing and that seemed the easiest given the authenticity. So, it was real authentic and it was not something that seemed like we were making something that was a departure from our philosophy and our beliefs which I think is really important because then everything becomes a lot easier because you’re not trying to learn how you’re going to support the business. You’re already naturally doing it.
GR: Our roles were almost an extension of how our everyday lives go. I think that we naturally have different strengths and things that we lean into and those showed up as well in the business. So on the business side, Laird is one of the gatekeepers and he is the creative and always curious and messing around with concoctions if you will.
LH: It’s like we built a house together and that can either get people to be in a deeper relationship or not be in one after depending on people’s roles. I think that it’s similar in that the businesses are similar to building a house. I’m all about the structure of it, how strong is it, where’s the drainage and Gabby’s into the aesthetics like in the situation of Laird Superfood, I’m about the function of the products. Gabby is about the flavor and the taste of it. She makes the house look pretty and taste good, it’s wonderful. I’m like, “ok, does it support me, does it do the thing and how does it all work?” Then there’s also some overlap, but that’s kind of the basis of our teamwork.
AM: Well I’m a huge fan of the Hydrate + Electrolyte Coconut Water packets and the Prebiotic Daily Greens. Those are my 2 favorites. I’m not a coffee drinker. How do you guys decide on the types of products that will be in the Laird Superfood assortment?
GR: Well, a lot of this was an extension. First of all, it’s always a commitment to the ingredients. So whatever it’s going to be – it’s going to focus on can we make this with a value, make it taste great, and still follow our guidelines for real ingredients. With something in the case of the Hydrate On the Go, and the greens they are good as there's a lot of gaps in people’s nutrition. We are huge advocates of being able to get everything from your food, that’s what we want from you. It’s pretty hard to do with the quality of our soil and hence, that’s the greens. Hydration is – a lot of times, things that are on the market are really loaded with sugars and things like that. So we thought, “ok, people are really looking for high quality hydration without a ton of added sugar. That made a lot of sense and that really stems from Laird’s deep relationship with drinking coconuts himself! He'd come in from surfing and literally cut a coconut down in Kawaii and hence, the freeze-dried coconut at the source and adding some of the minerals.
LH: And also the philosophy that the ratios in nature are perfect. When you start trying to play with those, I think that you run into trouble, so like Gabby said, I think that we implement the kind of values such as adding in whole food ingredients or food-based ingredients. Your body is more used to those things and so it’s not like, “what’s this foreign object?” It doesn’t have to pull away from and take away from your own body’s health in order to deal with it. I think that that’s one of the places in looking at areas where people are lacking in their diet. We’re looking at the convenience of it, how easy is it – you just put it in there and you drink it. We’re looking for areas in people’s lives where we can best benefit them so we look at their daily rituals. That’s the philosophy of the brand. It’s a daily ritual and you know that you’re going to have to hydrate, you know that you’re gonna at some point need some snacks. We’re going to make bars. I’m not a huge snacker myself, but people are gonna snack, so can we supply them with good things on a daily basis? Again, one of the values is if you’re doing something everyday, that you really wanna try to make that a good habit.
AM: Right.
LH: Because it’s a culmination over time. So a little bit of good over a long time is a lot of good! A little bit of bad over a long period of time is bad. I think that sometimes we think that it’s a little bit of bad so it’s not a problem because it’s a little bit, but then you’re like, “well yeah, a little bit all of the time can eventually accumulate.”
AM: It starts stacking.
LH: Yeah, there’s some stuff in there.
AM: As we’re in the fall and we’re looking towards the holiday, are there any products that are new that are going to be out?
GR: Well we have some incredible instant products –
LH: Ooo yes. So we make chai – we make Instant Chai, Instant Matcha –
GR: Pumpkin Spice –
LH: Pumpkin Spice will be the holiday –
GR: And then Peppermint Mocha.
LH: Peppermint Mocha, yes.
GR: We’ve got some grown men around here who swoon for that stuff, so the thing that I love about these products is that they’re seasonal and we want to honor that people really love these flavors and these traditions. Like it reminds them of the holidays, but we’re able to do it in a way that the ingredients are excellent and you don’t have to sacrifice that experience. So we have it in pumpkin, we have it in a lot of things.
LH: Multiple!
GR: We have it in instant products, a creamer, a bar, and our liquid creamer as well.
LH: We’re going hard after the pumpkin spice! I mean, it’s something that I really enjoy and I think that I may have eaten a few whole pumpkin pies during Thanksgiving over the years haha!
AM: What are your favorite foods that you like eating from your brand?
GR: Well for me personally, I’m not a matcha or a chai person, but our people who love matcha and chai – we have a high quality matcha and really great chai. But for me, I’m using obviously the coffees and creamers. I personally, go for the mocha, Laird is a turmeric guy.
“Because it’s a culmination over time. So a little bit of good over a long time is a lot of good! A little bit of bad over a long period of time is bad. I think that sometimes we think that it’s a little bit of bad so it’s not a problem because it’s a little bit, but then you’re like, “well yeah, a little bit all of the time can eventually accumulate.”
LH: Believe me, hers is not a coffee, it’s a hot chocolate that happens to have coffee in it, but you wouldn’t know it’s coffee in it.
GR: When we travel, we use our instant products. So, the instant latte, what’s great is that people who are now working in the office, all you have to do is add hot water. So, we have all of these incredible flavors and let’s say you’re on an airplane and you’re hungry, but you don’t want to eat that airplane food. It really curbs you.
LH: Yeah, the convenience of the powders, especially the instant products, makes it simple. You just get a cup of hot water. I’ll go into a lot of coffee shops where I know that I won’t be able to get a cup of really good coffee without just burying it in a bunch of sweeteners to cut how bad the coffee is. So, I’ll just get hot water and add that product to it. But the bars, the greens – Gabby is on the greens.
GR: I use the greens in the morning.
LH: All the time –
GR: I use the greens in the morning first thing. So, most of us are dehydrated in the morning because hopefully we have been sleeping for 8 hours. So, the way that I use the greens is that I put it in water first so that I can get that big glass of water which we need to do anyway. But because there’s no fillers in the greens and things like that and Laird mentioned the ingredients, your body does know what to do with it. I always feel like I’m on an empty stomach and I can just get everything in there.
LH: I like to use mine in a meal.
GR: Yeah, so, we’re opposite.
LH: Yeah, I like mine in a meal, because I’m already in digestive mode.
GR: Yeah.
LH: So, I’m going to digest and of course, the hydration products are always good after training, before training.
GR: That’s really important too for people to go to bed hydrated, especially women – hydrated. It’s hard on our hearts, literally to be dehydrated. The stress that it causes increases even more when we’re sleeping. It’s really important as a reminder in general however people want to be able to hydrate.
AM: Are there product categories that you don’t have now, but you are looking to add to the brand? Like if you had a wish me list?
LH: Well we’ve had, yeah, a list that we are considering like baked goods. It’s stuff that we have dabbled in before. So there are other areas that we are interested in. The truth is that we have a quite a few categories within what we have already to continue to develop. Because, you know, the greens, the bars, the creamers, the instant fuel products – there’s always another flavor too!
GR: And our coffees are excellent and also –
LH: Yeah!
GR: It’s been fortunate that that has been expanded so that we can add adaptogens and other nutrition into the coffee itself. So again, finding these little ways to sneak in the good stuff without compromising –
LH: We’re doing whole beans and ground. We’re already working on some samples for some instant coffees as well. We have the instant lattes, but we were also looking at the instant coffees as well just because of the convenience and I think that people really enjoy instant coffee because you get a faster absorption.
GR: Yeah. And we learned one thing from business for sure, which is to try to focus a little bit and to do a good job there. So, I would say that although we have all of these things that we really love, we’re also trying to offer and to educate our audience and to do a good job with what we have right now.
AM: We can imagine. Tell me about XPT. We were looking at it in prep for this interview and there are so many things that are around that and you have an event coming up – your retreat. Our readers would be interested in hearing about this as well.
GR: So XPT is -
LH: Sort of another one of those –
GR: It’s an extension of what we were naturally already doing with our friends at our house. A very close friend of ours that we work with said, “you know, we have to figure out how to condense this and you can share it with people over periods of days.” So, XPT was born and the pillars are Breathe, Move, and Recover. We would also put in there “To Connect.” That’s the thing, you can be perfect, and move everyday all day, but if you’re not connecting with other human beings, it’s a real no go to your health and sense of fulfillment. So XPT, we have incredible people that we work with and people come and see us for 2½ days. We do pool training, breathing, all mobility, and all of those things.
LH: Heat and ice!
GR: Yes, heat and the ice.
But now, they’ll be opening up XPT sort of recovery centers so that people wherever they live, they’ve been curious about seeing the heat and ice and some mobility.
AM: That sounds fantastic! How do you guys do all of this while being partners, married, and having children?
LH: We still don’t know if we’re going to survive! Right now, we’re just holding on.
GR: Like yesterday, we had a bumpy day yesterday –
LH: I had a bumpy day!
GR: You could just feel – I mean it’s we, it’s collective. You can feel that you have so much going on that maybe in Laird’s case, he’d rather and not be away from his family, but he’d rather be surfing or out in nature and not be running around on a freeway. For people like Laird, that takes a real toll on him. So it’s just – you know what it is about any relationship? How does each person get to satisfy their own sort of mission and calling and then how do you bring that together? But also how do you go about putting your children first and simultaneously still have that conversation about what you need. It’s just a dance.
“Yeah. And we learned one thing from business for sure, which is to try to focus a little bit and to do a good job there. So, I would say that although we have all of these things that we really love, we’re also trying to offer and to educate our audience and to do a good job with what we have right now.”
LH: Well, I think that, listen, we both have a certain work capacity so we have a certain volume of work that we’re capable of doing. When you take care of yourself, you eat well, and you train hard and you have good community and relationships and get along, you expand your capacity. So now, you can even handle more volume and then if you’re cutting out a lot of stuff that is unnecessary and you’re not putting in a lot of time –
GR: We say no. We say no a lot.
LH: Then if it’s not important to you, then you’re not concerning yourself with these things that would take up the volume. I think that that allows you to go in and to be more productive.
GR: Yeah.
LH: And then a lot of it is the quality of the the work too. I mean you could just take any one of these situations and put all of your focus in on it, but more isn’t always better right?
AM: Absolutely.
LH: It’s like having that high quality impact and then shifting to the next thing. I think that both Gabby and I by the nature of our careers have had to be very versatile and do a plethora of different things in order to survive. Then it almost becomes how you are. You know, you’re interests are such that you need that stimuli to keep you going and so in a way, for me, we wouldn’t be – we couldn’t not be doing it like this. This just seems natural and from the outside, you might be saying, “how do you do all of that stuff?” But you know, again it has to do with the fact that we have worked our way towards this. Gabby will say about our children, “that they’re such troopers and it’s amazing!” I go, “yeah, but it’s like we trooped them.” We took them and included them in the way that we have navigated our schedules and we’re the same way. We’ve been doing all of this stuff, flying around, we’ve been dealing with all of these things.
GR: We used to step on each other’s toes occasionally. And you’re always learning.
LH: Always.
GR: There are phases and chapters. So being adaptable and I also know that this is cliché, but it's about the best that you can in occasionally being able to get that distance so that you can appreciate either your life, or the problems that you’re solving, but also your partner and the fact that like on the days that it’s crazy, you go, “and everybody’s healthy!”
AM: Exactly!
GR: It’s just trying to constantly recalibrate and everybody talks about gratitude, but really to find ways to feel that and to experience it - it really makes everything easier!
LH: Yeah! And well getting sleep! Yeah – you know just pull it back for a second.
AM: Yup!
LH: Let’s eat good, sleep, workout and I mean get the foundation. Because that can really allow you to endure some stuff.
AM: It’s such an honor to be able to talk with both of you as we’ve been fans of yours for years and to hear how as a power couple you continue to inspire, fuel, and push the boundaries it’s been a great time hanging with you guys!
LH: Let’s eat good, sleep, workout and I mean get the foundation. Because that can really allow you to endure some stuff.
AM: It’s such an honor to be able to talk with both of you as we’ve been fans of yours for years and to hear how as a power couple you continue to inspire, fuel, and push the boundaries it’s been a great time hanging with you guys!
GR: Thank you so much!
LH: Absolutely and what do we say, Aloha!
IG @gabbyreece
PHOTO CREDITS | FRONT COVER Philip Dixon | PG 16 - 33 Courtesy Laird Hamilton + Gabby Reece | PG 34 + BACK COVER Anne Menke |
Read the OCT ISSUE #94 of Athleisure Mag and see FORCES OF NATURE | Laird Hamilton + Gabby Reece in mag.
We love this time of year as the fall is the best of both worlds in terms of weather, wearing fun layers, and enjoying the change of the seasons before the madness of the holidays! Here in NY, you also know that the Food Network New York City Wine Food Festival presented by Capital One, takes place over 4 days where you get to enjoy a series of events from signature events, Walk Around Tastings, Intimate Dinners, Demo & Dine, Master Classes, Cocktail Parties, and more! Last month in our SEP ISSUE #93, we shared the events that we would be attending and let you know that we would give you a recap of those jam packed days! In addition, we also had interviews with various chefs, from those that have restaurants here in NYC as well as some of your favorite chefs that are food personalities on Food Network as well as others.
We kicked off Day 1 of this festival at the Sip + Savor: A Happy Hour Hosted by Chef Antonia Lofaso (DAMA Fashion District, Scopa Italian Roots, Black Market Liquor Bar) and Chef Brooke Williamson (Playa Provisions, Food Network's Bobby's Triple Threat and Tournament of Champions Season 1 winner) at Harbor NYC Rooftop. We were able to try a number of restaurants as well as spirits and beer at this event. We had our eye on a number of dishes and restaurants, but before we got into it, we sat down with them to find out about how they enjoy being at this festival, the event they're participating in and how they keep their energy going between running their restaurants and hosting/judging/competing on a number of their shows!
ATHLEISURE MAG: It’s so exciting to be able to talk with both of you guys. Why are you excited to be at this festival?
CHEF BROOKE WILLIAMSON: I mean, what’s not to be excited about? There’s food, there’s beverages, there’s people, and there’s music! When you walk into a room like this, you feel that energy and it's like - you know that everyone is excited to be here! People have been DMing me for MONTHS that they have gotten their tickets and that they’re so excited to be here and that they will be able to be part of the festival and so it’s one of the most fun festivals that we’re able to do.
CHEF ANTONIA LOFASO: It’s one of those things where NY is so spread out. So the festival kind of just brings everybody together!
AM: Absolutely!
CHEF AL: Obviously there’s great food so to be able to celebrate that with all of the different people that are participating is such a great thing. It’s great that all of food is celebrated. I love seeing the mom and pop chefs, and yes there are big chefs with big names and that’s the draw. But there’s also an opportunity for young chefs and small brick and mortars all over from Queens to Brooklyn and all over to be able to showcase themselves!
CHEF BW: I think it’s so cool that we get to host an event and that we get to walk around and get to showcase the people that are local and they can enjoy our Shrimp Po Boy dish that we created!
AM: Well, our readers love both of you guys! They love seeing you on Bobby Triple Threat, Chef Brooke, and they love when they see you on Guy’s Grocery Games, Chef Antonia, as well as a number of other shows that you’re on!
How do you guys keep all of that energy to be on those shows cooking, competing, and judging people?
CHEF BW: We were actually just discussing a show that we are currently shooting and it really comes so naturally! We have this sort of inherent competitive spirit that brings it out of us! We both took a Red Eye here last night from shooting a show. We came in this morning, but like, the moment that we hear about some kind of news on what's going on, I want to be part of it! We want to know what we’re doing and how we’re part of it!
CHEF AL: I think our energy comes from an unnatural place!
CHEF BW: Oh yeah! For sure!
CHEF AL: I mean we’re talking with you which is an athletic magazine right?
AM: Yes Athleisure Mag is all about the intersectionality of athleticism, sports, fitness, style, food, entertainment, music, wellness, etc. We just have Chef Michael Voltaggio as our cover a few issues back!
CHEF AL: That’s awesome! We are also very big on taking care of ourselves and eating correctly, exercising and working out! Because honestly, to be able to keep the schedules, it’s impossible to do. I mean Brooke runs 50 miles a week.
CHEF BW: I do.
CHEF AL: Yeah, you do! I lift 400lbs.
AM: I mean …
CHEF AL: We’re on opposite ends of the fitness pole, but we get it in.
CHEF BW: It’s definitely necessary to keep our schedules on track by focusing on our fitness.
AM: Well we know that you’re a huge Peloton fan as we interviewed you a few years back!
CHEF BW: I actually graduated from the Bike and now am on their Treadmill. When the Treadmill came out I was so excited about that! I will say that it is the most motivating equipment that I have ever used!
AM: Since both of you have restaurants, what are 3 amazing dishes at your restaurants that our readers should be checking out for THE 9LIST 9CH3FS?
CHEF BW: Ha! Do you want to pick a dish from each of your restaurants?
CHEF AL: Yeah that works! I would say that if you’re going to Dama which is my Latin inspired place downtown, there’s the Seafood Tostada – it’s like octopus, shrimp, calamari, pickled chilis, avocados, and lime juice. For me, it’s refreshing, I love the seafood and the creaminess from the avocado. We have these really beautiful heirloom tortillas. Scopa’s got to be the Ricotta Crostini with housemade ricotta, rosemary, chili, olive oil, and ciabatta that’s the thing.
CHEF BW: Wait, you have to also add the Arancini to that as well!
CHEF AL: Ooo yeah, definitely Arancini is our giant rice ball, you can’t go wrong with that.
AM: Mouth watering!
CHEF BW: I have a seafood restaurant, but it also has a couple of different extensions so we have an ice cream shop, a whiskey bar, I mean, our menu is very seasonal. We just changed 7 items on the menu, but I would say that there are items that don’t change. One of them being the Fried Crab Claw Pop, it’s a big crab cake wrapped around a snow crab claw.
CHEF AL: And it’s fried!
CHEF BW: Yeah, it’s fried and it’s with our house hot sauce. We have ice cream flavors that change all of the time.
CHEF AL: Wait, you have the best Lobster Roll though!
CHEF BW: You think so?
CHEF AL: I love it!
CHEF BW: People have been coming for our Lobster Rolls since we’ve opened.
CHEF AL: Oh, I love it! I come for the Lobster Roll and your Shellfish Tower! If I’m going, I’m going to your restaurant, I’m going for your Seafood Tower! I like it and it’s the best!
CHEF BW: Well it does have those Peruvian Scallops which are the best and probably my favorite part of the tower!
IG @chefbrookew
There were a number of intimate dinners that took place throughout the NYCWFF! One of the key events was a sit down dinner hosted by Alain Ducasse & Friends: Celebrating the 15th Anniversary of Benoit New York as part of the Air France Dinner Series. Chef Alain is known for having a collective of 20 Michelin stars and was the first chef ever to have 3 Michelin stars in 3 different cities at the same time. He invited esteemed chefs to celebrate the 15th anniversary of his his bistro, Benoit which is modeled after ithe original in Paris.
He invited Emma Bengtsson (chef of Michelin starred Scandinavian superstar restaurant, Aquavit), Jean Francois Bruel the corporate chef for Daniel Boulud), James Kent (Michelin two starred, Saga), Eunji Lee (acclaimed pastry boutique, Lysée), Pascaline Lepeltier (Guest Master Sommelier), Alberto Marcolongo (executive chef of Benoit), and Stefano Secchi (the executive chef of cutting-edge Michelin Italian eatery, Rezdora).
We wanted to talk with Chef Daniel Boulud who was at the event to find out about participating at a number of events this year at NYCWFF as well as his 9M3NU at Boulud Sud for THE 9LIST 9M3NU.
ATHLEISURE MAG: Why did you participate in this year’s NCCWFF?
CHEF DANIEL BOULUD: It is important to give back and it is always my pleasure to be involved in NYCWFF. Lee Schrager and his many years of support to God’s Love We Deliver and bringing us all together is what it’s all about!
AM: What event did you host/were involved in and what dish did attendees get the chance to try that you made?
CHEF DB: There were a number of events that I was honored to be part of! The brunch hosted by myself and extra special guest Martha Stewart at the Blue Box Café was such a treat! It was an honor to be part of the 15 year celebration of Benoit with a collaboration dinner with Chef Alain Ducasse and other amazing chefs! It was also great to host at Boulud Sud with a Mediterranean menu with bubbly pairings by Perrier Jouët. With so many dishes that were created, I’ll share the Pithivier of quail, squab, and duck that was at Benoit.
AM: Chef, we have had the pleasure of eating at your restaurants and we’re such a big fan of Boulud Sud as we love Mediterranean cuisine. What are 3 dishes that we should enjoy when we come in to dine?
CHEF DB: Three must-try dishes are the Mediterranean Mezze, Snake River Farms Wagyu Bavette, and our Gâteau an Miel.
Down in the Meatpacking District, Partner and Culinary Director of Fig & Olive, Chef Alain Allegretti and Chef Akhtar Nawab hosted another Air France Dinner Series. We talked with Chef Alain about being part of this year's NYCWFF and to share what we should enjoy when we come to visit Fig & Olive.
ATHLEISURE MAG: Why are you excited to participate in this year's NYCWFF?
CHEF ALAIN ALLEGRETTI: This is always an exciting time in New York City. NYCWFF always brings excitement to the city's culinary landscape while highlighting all the amazing and talented chefs with delicious food the city has to offer and I being a part of this is a great thing.
AM: Tell us about the event and dishes that you created that attendees were able to enjoy!
CHEF AA: For this year's event, I got to share the kitchen with my good friend and very talented Chef Akhtar Nawab. Guests were treated to a culinary journey that was Latin-inspired while embracing the flavors of the South of France.
For the entree I created a Riviera Stuffed Calamari with black ink rice, scallops & rice chicharròn, mojo picot and the dessert were French Macaron Ice Cream Sandwiches in salted caramel, pistachio and lemon saffron.
AM: As the the Partner/Culinary Director at one of our favorites, Fig & Olive, for our next visit, tell us 3 dishes that we should try or share with friends and family.
CHEF AA: Three must try dishes are the Amalfi Seafood Risotto, the classic Steak Frites and the 2lb Whole Bronzino.
Day 1 was a great way to ease into the first of 4 days. Day 2 took us to Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits Trade Day Hosted by Wine Spectator - Grand Tasting at Pier 76. It was a gorgeous day and we were there for nearly 5 hours sipping sake, wine, beer, spirits and a number of sweet and savory options. We kicked off the day talking with Chef Philippe Chow of Philippe by Philippe Chow. His namesake restaurant is on the UES and downtown in NYC as well as another location in Washington DC. We took a few moments to chat with him.
ATHLEISURE MAG: How excited are you to be at this festival today?
CHEF PHILIP CHOW: It’s so exciting to be here to see all of the people and for them to try my food! It’s a beautiful day and it makes me happy to see everyone’s smiling face.
AM: What are you making today that everyone will be trying?
CHEF PC: Today, people will enjoy our Chicken Satay!
AM: We’re fans of your restaurant and have had great meals there. For THE 9LIST, what are 3 dishes that you love that is at your restaurant?
CHEF PC: Well I like the Chicken Satay, the Peking Duck, and our Kung Pao Chicken.
It was an honor to talk to Chef Philippe Chow, a noted culinary figure and we'vewhere we've been to his restaurant a number of times. We were very excited to make our way to Archer & Goat's booth as we have covered them previously in our MAY ISSUE #89 of Athleisure Mag in our beloved feature, The Art of the Snack. As is the case when you're at the festival, there tends to be one dish that is served and thankfully, we were treated to the A&G Hot Chicken Sliders which is on their brunch menu in Harlem. We can't say enough about the dance between sweet and savory! There's something about pickled strawberries, arugula, and maple aioli. We paired it with our soju cocktail from iichiko Shochu. Although it was a substantial serving, you need to check them out at their restaurant for the full size! Clearly it was a favorite as they served over 2,000! So we had to find out a few things from Chef/Owner Alex Guzman of Archer & Goat.
ATHLEISURE MAG: Why are you excited to participate in this year's NYCWFF?
CHEF ALEX GUZMAN: NYCWFF is a great event that helps highlight the great diverse dining culture of NYC - we were proud to take part in the cornerstone event, the Grand Tasting, this year alongside a host of other very talented chefs. It gave us a great opportunity to showcase our unique cuisine in front of other food professionals, the media and influencers.
AM: We enjoyed waiting in line to try the dish you created! Tell our readers about the event you were in and the epic dish that you created that attendees were able to enjoy.
CHEF AG: At this year’s NYCWFF event, we served our hugely popular A&G Hot Chicken Sliders with pickled strawberries, maple aioli, and arugula on a potato slider bun … Spicy, sweet, tart with a satisfying crunch of the fried chicken, these sliders are a mini version of our Hot Chicken Sandwich that we serve for brunch.
AM: As you know, we enjoyed having you in our feature, The Art of the Snack! If THE 9LIST 9B-L-D were to come over to your house for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, what would be 3 dishes that you would make for us?
CHEF AG: I am not a big breakfast person, but love to start the day with an espresso or homemade chai with a freshly baked cookie to dunk. Nothing like a sugar caffeine buzz to kickstart the day! For lunch, I love to make sandwiches. One of my favorites is hanger steak marinated in chimichurri, with great crusty bread slathered with our panch phoran mayo. For dinner, one of my favorite meals to prepare is a whole roasted fish such as a red snapper or branzino, with a spicy, herby and lemony relish. A serving of buttery rice on the side because as a Latino, nothing feels more homey and soulful than a meal with rice.
The Grand Tasting had so many great moments, but one that stuck out was when we went by Dos Hombres' booth which was a cart where you could sample their mezcal - which is one of our favorite spirits. We happened to see Co-Founders, Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad, El Camino, Your Honor), and Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad, Westworld, Black Mirror) who brought in good vibes around! In addition, we loved that Bryan handed us a cocktail which hit the spot!
IG @doshombres
Another dinner series that people enjoyed attending was a dinner hosted by Chef Franklin Becker of The Press Club Grill and Chef Joey Campanaro of The Little Owl sponsored by Ferguson as part of the Air France Dinner Series. The dinner took place at The Press Club Grill. We have been long time fans of Chef Franklin and wanted to talk about his participation at the food festival and what we would have if he made us Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.
ATHLEISURE MAG: Why did you participate in this year’s NCCWFF?
CHEF FRANKLIN BECKER: When an event such as the NYCWFF supports groups as important as God’s Love We Deliver, it is important that we as chefs participate.
AM: What event did you host/were involved in and what dish did attendees get the chance to try that you made?
CHEF FB: This year, I hosted a private dinner at my restaurant, The Press Club Grill. I partnered with my dear friend, Joey Campanero. People went crazy for my take on Crab Rangoon and my Buffalo Carrots. They also loved our Prime NY Strip Steak.
AM: If THE 9LIST 9B-L-D were to come to your house, what dish would you make us for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner?
CHEF FB: Completely depends on what you would like to eat. As a chef, I am in the service business and believe in making what my guests want to eat. That said, if it were solely up to me, I’d prepare Bagels and Lox for breakfast, a delicious salad for lunch and probably some simple pan roasted scallops for dinner.
Day 2 was perfection with the perfect blend of weather, food, spirits, and good vibes! Day 3 had a bit of twist with quite a bit of rain, but it didn't dampen our excitement because we were very excited about the events and people that we were going to interview! We would find ourselves kicking off the morning with one of the most epic brunches at the Oyster Bash Presented by Barnegat Oyster Collective and Go Fish Co. Sponsored by Modelo and Hosted by Tyler Florence at The Standard Biergarten which is part of The Standard Hotel in the Meatpacking District and the venue is outdoors, but under the highline! No matter how hard it rained, we were perfectly dry!
We enjoyed trying raw oysters, oysters we that were taken to the next level with caviar, chimichurri and so many savory twists. There were a number of cocktails and of course Modelo to enjoy throughout the event. We even got the chance to learn how to shuck an oyster which we never thought that we would do that!
We left this event to make our way back to Pier 76 at the Grand Tasting as we were going to chat with Chef Andrew Zimmern after his cooking demo which was at the Hex Clad tent. We have been fans of his shows for years whether he's talking about eating and cooking foods that we may not have thought to eat or opening our world up to how people in this country cook various cusines that are indegenous to their regions. Of course we wanted to talk about his involvement in this festival which has taken place for 16 years and that benefits God's Love We Deliver which assists NYers by cooking and delivering medically tailored meals for people living with chronic/serious illness since 1985.
ATHLEISURE MAG: I’m such a fan of yours chef as I’m from the Midwest originally.
CHEF ANDREW ZIMMERN: Right on, where?
AM: Indianapolis and there were 3 Minnesota based chefs that we’ve always said we especially love to interview Chef Justin Sutherland as well as Chef Yia Vang and now completing the trifecta with you is awesome! I know you’re originally from NY, but as you have made it your home and have highlighted foods of that region, we’re so honored to have you!
CHEF AZ: Right on!
AM: Why did you want to be part of this festival that is happening right now?
CHEF AZ: I’ve been doing it since day 1, since there was a festival here in NY, I have been involved. So it’s kind of hard not to raise money and awareness through food for the most vulnerable New Yorkers and as a New Yorker born and raised here, I’ve always thought it was important. Food people show up wherever there is a need and I have grown up in this business and have been cooking since I was 14 professionally, That’s when I did summers, after school, and so I don't know any other place to be.
AM: What do you feel is your focus when you’re cooking. You’re known for being a sustainable chef in using the entire item that you’re cooking and really just enjoying the food as a whole. It was great watching your demo at the Hex Clad tent and we’re going to have to make your Ponzu recipe.
CHEF AZ: It was great to share the demo with everyone and I’m glad you’re walking away with great tips!
Well it starts out with a little bit of selfishness and self-care. Food to me is yoga, you know? I really believe very very very importantly that there is a way to let go of the day and to focus on nothing but the food. In doing so, I’m not thinking of my 15 problems or issues at work, or what’s going on with a family member – I can just focus on the food. So even if I’m cooking all day at work, I can come home at 7 o’clock after a 12 hour day of cooking 8 dishes for a video series – I cook because it’s my self-care and I get to get rid of the day and get to have that night time at home. So for me, food really is a yoga for me. It’s a spiritual practice.
AM: I love that!
We have been talking to chefs all throughout about their menus. What is a Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner item that you would make if THE 9LIST 9B-L-D were coming to your house?
CHEF AZ: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. Well breakfast at my house would probably be Dutch Baby, you know the risen pancakes. The Germans call it Auflauf. It’s sort of a fun thing to do. In terms of my daily breakfast, it’s an Egg in the Hole. I cut a hole in the toast and I hard fry an egg in it because it’s one egg, one slice of egg. It’s a little bit of avocado and a little bit of fruits so it’s like a whole breakfast. I’ll make you a Dutch Baby and I’ll eat my single egg!
For lunch, I’m a big sandwich guy. I love sandwiches and I happen to have recently become a big fan of Curry Chicken Salad. There’s so many great ones. I keep a lot of meatballs and sauce and I have started freezing them in little tiny quart bags flat so that I can make meatball parm sandwiches any time of the day! So it will either be a Curry Chicken Salad Sandwich or a Meatball Parm kind of situation.
Night time at my house, it’s probably my grandmother’s Roast Chicken along with a seasonal veg or whatever we have. This time of year, I’m still throwing eggplants on the grill and seasoning it with a good ricotta, lemon zest, chili oil and mint. So a nice piece of roasted or grilled chicken and keeping that simple with a really robust salad. We’re getting into citrus season so it will probably be an endive salad with citrus vinaigrette so it would be bitter and sweet. With dessert, we’re in the middle of apple season so you get Tart Tatin which is my favorite dessert to make.
AM: You have successfully made us especially hungry!
IG @chefaz
Chef Andrew Zimmern has such a passion for what he does and giving back to people. So it was an honor to be able to chat with him as we attended Autism Speak's Gala back in 2019 where he was the keynote speaker. So to have some time with him was a treat.
We had one more event for the day which took us to ASPIRE at One World Observatory for Steak & Whisky Presented by Mohegan Sun Hosted by Robert Irvine. We've had the pleasure in chatting with him before, but we couldn't wait to taste what he created as well as to catch up with him again!
ATHLEISURE MAG: We’re so excited to interview you again! We’re big fans of yours. Why do you love being at this food festival?
CHEF ROBERT IRVINE: Well, I think that it’s the first food festical that allows people to get close to you and they’re the people that watch you on TV! The more that you get to interact with them, I think that this event sells out every year in about 12 mins! I want to be amongst the people so that they can tell me what they feel and what they think, right? I have a lot of fun. I work hard and I play hard, but I play for them!
AM: Right!
CHEF RI: They are my people and that’s why I love it!
AM: What dish are people trying that you made for tonight’s event?
CHEF RI: We’re making a Smoked Espresso Dry Rubbed Brisket. It’s a 16 hour slow smoked brisket on a parsnip puree with a charred scallion chimichurri sauce.
AM: THE 9LIST 9B-L-D has been delving into chef's favorite menus whether it’s at their restaurant or at their homes. So what would be a Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner that you would create for us if we were at your home?
CHEF RI: So for me, I’m not home very often. I travel 345 days a year. So if you get to my house, you get oatmeal in the morning, then we work out and you get eggs. Then you get some kind of soup and salad. Then you get some kind of a protein in the afternoon and then we get fish at night. So, I mean, that’s how we go and again, I travel so much that my wife does most of the cooking.
Tomorrow (Oct 16th), I’ll be on the USS Eisenhower to Israel.
AM: Your schedule never stops!
CHEF RI: Yeah, one of my things is taking care of our military and our first responders. We’re in a sad time right now and we need to make sure that we bring the morale of those troops up! That’s why I’m going.
AM: Without a doubt!
Are there any upcoming projects that you would like to share that we can keep an eye out for?
CHEF RI: I will tell you that Restaurant Impossible is not dead!
AM: We were hoping to hear that Chef as we love that show!
CHEF RI: We may have left Food Network, but it is coming back in a bigger, better form on another network!
IG @chefirvine
Without a doubt, this event was so much fun from taking the elevator up and getting a virtual aerial view of what's in Lower Manhattan to being able to enjoy a number of steaks, whisky, and more! At one point Chef Robert became the life of the party by literally getting the attendees into the fun by doing push-ups, shots, and dancing! It was also great to connect with brands such as Old Parr and STK to find out more about them.
The final day, Day 4 still had amazing events that we were excited about attending! We made our way to the French Bistro Brunch presented by Grey Poupon and Hosted by Geoffrey and Margaret Zakarian back at The Standard Biergarten. It was a lot of fun to enjoy classic brunch bites from a number of restaurants as well as to enjoy cocktails that paired perfectly with it. It was nice to be in the area on a sunny day so that we could really take it in.
We were really excited about our final event at The Intrepid, Bacardi Presents JJ Johnson's The Cookout: Hip Hop's 50th Anniversary Celebration Featuring DJ Cassidy, Rev Run, DJ Ruckus, Ice-T, DJ Mick, Tamron Hall, & Angela Yee.
This event was truly about good vibes only. Of course there were a number of fantastic bites and sips, but the ongoing dance party was major as we celebrated coming together, food, and Hip Hop! It was a full on 3 hour+ party where we were all singing along, people busted out with the Electric Slide and you really felt how we were all there to be at an epic cookout.
It was 4 days and yet, it felt like we took a number of journeys. To be able to enjoy the culinary artists, chat with our favorite food personalities, to see a number of those who we have covered to catch up or to meet for the first time - it was an amazing event and we're excited to go again next year to do it all over again!
We enjoyed talking with these chefs and immediately following this portion of the feature you'll want to know a bit more as you plan your next meals and visits!
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 104 = 109, 113 - 114, 126 -131 Getty Images/Food Network New York City Wine Food Festival | PG 110, 121 - 125, 132 - 141 Paul Farkas | PG 117 Courtesy Archer & Goat IG | PG 118 Kimmie Smith |
Read the OCT ISSUE #94 of Athleisure Mag and see FOOD NETWORK NEW YORK CITY WINE FOOD FESTIVAL in mag.
When you're covering a multi-day event, you're already seeing the city in a different light due to different locations, fun activities and in this case, a lot of food! When we knew we'd be attending an array of events at Food Network New York City Wine Food Festival presented by Capital One, we wanted to add a staycation component to our coverage and reached out to our friends at Concorde Hotel as we like that this hotel is focused on ensuring that you have a great stay by focusing on wellness and have only 4 rooms on each floor which provides you a suite experience as well as great views over the city. Being able to wake up to as well as to see the Chrysler Building out our wrap around windows each night was a lot of fun.
We also liked the ease of being able to head out easily whether we were hopping in an Uber or taking the subway since the stop was right there. We wanted to find out more about the hotel, amenities, and the neighborhood so that we could share with you what you need to know when you're planning your next stay! We sat down with Carlos Casanova, General Manager of the Concorde Hotel to find out more.
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did Concorde Hotel New York open?
CARLOS CASANOVA: In 2018, the Concorde Hotel became the newest boutique hotel in Manhattan’s Midtown East.
AM: The Concorde is an oasis in Midtown. Can you tell us about the design aesthetic of the hotel, common areas where guests can gather, who designed it, and the ambiance?
CC: Designed by Anthony M. Salvati, the hotel is categorized as a ‘sliver style’ building due to its tall and slender design. The design itself is 37 stories high with 4 rooms per floor. Our spacious rooms offer city views and a real taste of contemporary New York style.
AM: Tell us about Bonsai Tapas & Wine Bar. How does it change from the daytime to night?
CC: Bonsaii Tapas & Wine Bar is a new café in NYC located on the first floor of the Concorde Hotel New York. In the morning, you can find coffee and light fare. In the evening, the cozy café transforms into a chic NYC wine and tapas bar.
AM: What are other amenities/offerings that the hotel offers for guests in the common areas?
CC: The lobby bar lounge and outdoor terrace is a public area to all our hotel guests providing our guests a relaxing place to escape and enjoy a cup of morning coffee before work or treat yourself to an after-work drink with colleagues or friends. Our newly modern innovative state-of-the-art meeting room is located on the 3rd floor and is available to all corporate clients to rent during their stay for private meetings, zoom conference call or for social gatherings.
AM: Tell us about the gym.
CC: Our newly renovated gym is located on the 4th floor. It is fully equipped with Ellipticals, Spinning Bikes, Treadmills and strength machines.
AM: Your hotel positions itself as a wellness destination, tell us about the kinds of rooms that guests can stay in when staying with you?
CC: Surrounding the hotel are New York City’s top restaurants. Each guest is able to take advantage of this unique construction with all rooms including both a rainfall shower and a soaking tub.
AM: What amenities are offered in the rooms?
CC: Guests can enjoy:
• Unlimited premium high-speed wireless and hardwired internet access.
• 2 telephones, with two phone lines, computer data ports and private voice mail
• 50” Flat Screen TV with complimentary HBO, CNN, ESPN, and Satellite programming.
• Four Fixture Bathrooms with rainfall shower and separate soaking bathtub feature individual Molton Brown personal care amenities.
• I-Home clock radio with USB and Bluetooth capability in guest rooms.
• Nespresso single cup coffee brewers including complimentary coffee and teas.
• In-room laptop safes.
• Iron and Iron board
• Bathrobes and bed slippers
AM: For the holiday season, what are events or promotions that we should know about to share with our readers?
CC: We have a few packages that your readers can know about.
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• Stay 4+ Nights, Save 20%
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Breakfast Package
Whether you are traveling for business or pleasure, treat yourself to our breakfast package that energizes you for the start of your day.
• Breakfast at Bonsaii Cafe Includes:
• 2 prefix breakfast vouchers
AM: Can you tell us about the neighborhood your hotel is located in and things in the area that guests can enjoy?
CC: Our hotel location is very spectacular as we’re within walking distance of iconic New York locations like Rockefeller Center, Central Park, Grand Central Station, Radio City Music Hall, St. Patrick's Cathedral and Fifth Avenue.
AM: How can guests customize their stay whether enjoying an anniversary, engagement, or girls night out?
CC: They can email us at guestservices@concordehotelnewyork.com and our staff will assist with any special request.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Concorde Hotel
Read the OCT ISSUE #94 of Athleisure Mag and see Concorde Hotel in mag.
A few years ago we were introduced to orange wine and it has now been something that we keep an eye out for! So when we heard about Doreen Winkler, a leading wine sommelier and consultant who has a passion for orange wines, we had to reach out to find out more about her wine store as well as her wine event that takes place on Nov 5th!
ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we delve into your event and store, we'd love to know more about your background as a leading wine sommelier and consultant. Where did you train and what restaurants did you work in as we know that you worked at Aldea as well which we had Chef George Mendes as a cover a few years ago!
DOREEN WINKLER: I completed a 3 year hospitality apprenticeship in Germany and then worked in Switzerland, where I quickly became a floor sommelier and then back to Germany where I started as a server at the Atlantic Hotel. I was training at the Wine Institute of Germany and quickly replaced the hotel’s sommelier. Then worked in the U.S., Sydney and Cyprus before ending up in New York in several wine director positions including the 2 Michelin starred Aska where I created an all natural wine list in 2013. This was when natural wine wasn't very common. I also was a sommelier of Tocqueville, Prime Meats and Aldea in New York City.
For the past 7 years, I’ve been managing the wine programs in a consulting role for several restaurants including Sel Rrose Montauk, Sel Rrose NYC, Moby’s, Trappizzino.
AM: Wine is such an interesting category. For those who are not familiar with natural wines, what do we need to know about this?
DW: All the orange wines that we sell are natural. Natural wine is the romantic fantasy of how we wish all wine was made. It uses no chemical growing or plowing solutions, only ripe grapes are handpicked, there are very low to no added sulfites, and only indigenous yeasts are used. Natural wine has no additives of any kind and isn’t filtered or refined. What you get in the glass is as close to what’s in the vineyard including all the notes of the grapes and the conditions of that year's vintage.
AM: Years ago at a press trip in Vermont, we had the pleasure of enjoying a chef's table and the somm poured our first orange wine from Donkey & Goat! We were fans from that first sip!
What are orange wines and how are they made?
DW: Orange wine is also called skin contact and amber wine.
Orange wine was made in the Republic of Georgia thousands of years ago and brought to the rest of the world by two Italian winemakers Josko Gravner and Stanko Radikon who wanted to explore this winemaking style about 40 years ago. Today, there are around 3,000 wine producers or wineries that make orange wine along with other styles. Orange wine is made from white grapes that macerate on their skins which can take anywhere from a couple of hours up to one year.
AM: Why do you love orange wines?
DW: I love the wide range of styles of orange wine that you can find, both sparkling and still. The wines are so versatile and pair well with a wide range of cuisines. There’s also so much new stuff happening in the category like new vessels and new countries like Japan now making orange wine.
AM: You have your own wine store and subscription devoted to orange wines - how did this come about?
DW: I found myself putting lots of orange wine on wine lists and the staff really digging it and selling it. I shared it a lot with my friends and people were asking for more. I wanted to do something personal so I created my own wine subscription, which took off. The store was just a natural evolution and yes I always want to be the first!!!
AM: If this has not been answered already. Why are orange wines called "skin contact?"
DW: Orange wine is made from white grapes that macerate on their skins for a period of time - hence skin contact.
AM: As an orange wine expert, why is this so popular?
DW: Orange wine goes way back to 8000 years ago, but it was only 40 years ago that it was reintroduced outside the Republic of Georgia. This tradition has reached wine drinkers around the world thanks to the efforts of producers, distributors, and sommeliers who have been spreading the word about this exciting style. The range and versatility of this wine has made it a natural fit for many wine lists, tables, and picnic baskets.
AM: In terms of pairings, what are 3 dishes that it pairs well with?
DW: Fried chicken with sparkling orange wine.
Creamy washed rind cheese with a medium bodied floral orange wine.
Spicy tonkotsu ramen with a full bodied ramato style orange wine.
AM: Last year, you launched Orange Glou Wine Fair, why did you want to be the first person to have a wine fair dedicated to orange wines?
DW: It is my mission to share orange wines with as many people as possible and to educate drinkers about them. A lot of the time wine fairs and tastings target primarily folks in the industry and I really wanted to share it with consumers, to give them access to taste an amazing selection of wines and talk to inspiring winemakers. The Orange Glou Fair is a one of a kind opportunity to do so.
AM: This year, it will be held at the Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg. What can attendees expect at this event?
DW: Attendees will be able to taste over 100 of the top orange wines in the world, from sparkling to still, in regular bottle and magnum sizes. They will have the chance to taste wines that they would never have anywhere else and to meet winemakers from around the world to ask them questions, learn about the soil, the vessels and the grape varieties.
All the wines at this fair are stunning and some bottles are not even imported yet so you can’t try them anywhere else in the U.S. Some are so limited that Orange Glou can’t even buy them, some are special magnum fillings, some are wine club only wines from the winery, you’ll get to taste aged wines, etc.
AM: Who are 3 wineries that we should keep an eye out for?
DW: So many, it’s not fair to pick as we love them all. But there are three wine regions that are popping right now and should not be missed. We are especially fond of Czech wineries - Orange Glou launched a collaboration with Nespor & Rajsky which you will get to taste at the fair. We have over 10 different Georgian wine varieties to taste and the Greek wines are definitely worth seeking out.
AM: If someone enjoys the wine that they are tasting, can they purchase it on-site?
DW: Attendees will be able to place orders for some of the wines for pick up or shipping later in the week. (Editor's Note: It is not legal to sell bottles at events.)
AM: There are 2 sessions for this event - can tickets still be purchased?
DW: Yes, tickets are available for purchase online for both sessions at www.orangegloufair.com
AM: With this being the second year of the event, what are your plans for future years and will you expand to other areas?
DW: I have a dream of bringing this to L.A. I have many other wineries to include in the future too so no event will be the same!!
AM: In terms of your boutique, are there any tastings that you have or other events coming up that we should know about especially with the holiday season being around the corner?
DW: This time of year we get pretty busy with company holiday parties. The calendar is filling up but you can still book us for an event at the shop, offsite or virtually. We also host free small tastings every Friday night 6-8pm at the shop, customers can come in to taste something new and pick out some wines for gifting or the holiday table. In January, we’ll get back to hosting our monthly Deep Dive orange wine parties on the last Friday of the month and we’re always available for private events to celebrate any special occasions.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Orange Glou Wine Fair
Read the OCT ISSUE #94 of Athleisure Mag and read ORANGE PARADISE | Doreen Winkler in mag.
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.
We truly enjoyed catching up with new and old friends while we covered the Food Network's Wine Food Festival! What do you do after being able to enjoy some of the most amazing bites? You check out a fantastic restaurant that has been on your list for awhile to continue to enjoy the positive vibes that a great meal can provide!
We found ourselves at Hortus NYC here in NYC where we knew that we wanted to try their amazing Tasting Menu as well as cocktails that include one of our favorites, soju! The laid back ambiance and cool tones was a great way to decompress after some hectic days. We wanted to find out more about what we eat and the restaurant itself. We took some time to chat with Suhum Jang, Managing Partner of Hortus to find out more.
ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we delve into Hortus NYC, tell us about when the restaurant opened as well as a bit about the ambiance in terms of the design aesthetic!
HORTUS NYC: Hortus NYC opened in 2018. The name Hortus NYC, Latin for garden, reflects the emphasis on freshness, and the theme of the garden runs through the interior. The restaurant is divided into four distinct areas, the first floor is dedicated to bar dining with an open kitchen and a Chef’s Table. The second floor contains an adjoining glass-enclosed hidden garden oasis complete with lights hanging above for a warm and intimate glow in the evening as well as the main dining room, which offers exquisite views of the illuminated stained-glass windows at the Marble Collegiate Church across the street.
AM: Tell us about who the chef of Hortus NYC and what is his culinary background?
HN: Chef Geo Park initially served as the opening sous chef at Hortus NYC in 2018 and moved on to work in the kitchen at Michelin-starred Jua. He returned to Hortus NYC in the spring of 2023 and is using the techniques he has learned from his other posts to add his own touches to the menu at Hortus NYC.
AM: You received a Michelin plate in 2020 and the menu is an interesting blend of cuisines that come together beautifully, what can you tell us about the countries that you draw from in the menu?
HN: We have blended the cuisines of many Southeast Asian countries, including China, Thailand, and Korea, to design a unique menu that combines the flavors in unexpected ways, expressed through out European techniques. This is part of our mission to reinvent how we approach modern Asian cuisine.
AM: We had the pleasure of enjoying the Tasting Menu - can you tell us more about this?
HN: The Hortus Tasting Menu allows guests to curate their own experience and is not a set tasting menu. It begins with The Hortus Royal Platter, which includes chilled lobster tail, hamachi crudo, and a shrimp cocktail, with an option to add a dozen oysters, paired with gochujang and a lightly sweet, tart plum mignonette. It is followed by a choice of an appetizer, main course, and dessert from our dinner menu, which allows diners to curate their own tasting menu and enjoy various dishes from our a la carte menu.
AM: Are diners able to pick menu items a la carte?
HN: Yes in addition to offering the Hortus Tasting Menu and Prix Fixe options, diners can order dishes a la carte.
AM: That's great! We definitely love the Tasting Menu and found that we added a few items as well. What are 3 appetizers that you suggest that the table can share?
HN: Three appetizers I would recommend, that are also great for sharing are: the Hamachi Crudo in a yuzu kosho sauce with cucumbers, pickled pepper, and orange segment; Crispy Rice, topped with spicy tuna, quinoa, and sriracha truffles; and King Crab Noodle, fettuccini in mala and cream sauce with shallots and scallions, which is a house favorite.
AM: Tell us about your 3 favorite mains that you suggest that we should try upon our next visit for dinner?
HN: A few favorites from our dinner menu are: Sea Urchin Donabe, a clay pot filled with rice infused with nori puree, topped with, ikura roe, a cured egg yolk, sea urchin, and freshly shaved truffle; our Cod, which has a gochujang crust and is served over lobster risotto accompanied by charred Spring onion; and the Truffle Donabe, probably our most famous dish composed of wild mushrooms, cured egg yolk, black truffle, and an option to add short rib, served over rice in a clay pot.
AM: You have 3 desserts on the menu - we enjoyed the Yuzu Panna Cotta as well as the Matcha Tiramisu! Can you tell us about all 3 desserts?
HN: All of our desserts blend Asian flavors with traditional European desserts. For instance, the Matcha Tiramisu uses matcha in place of espresso and cocoa; Our Panna Cotta uses Yuzu, an Asian citrus fruit, to add a new flavor profile to the classic dish; and Mango Bread Pudding, which was inspired by the classic bread putting, using more exotic ingredients to add a twist.
AM: The cocktail menu had a number of options that included soju and sake. What are 3 drinks that you suggest that we should enjoy for our next visit?
HN: I would suggest: the Pear Affair, made with Hummy Seltzer, pear, and soju; and Piña, jinro, lychee puree, and Lunar Seltzer; for dinner. For brunch-goers, I would suggest our Yuza Aperol Spritz, consisting of Prosecco, Aperol, yuza, and orange.
AM: For those that are looking for wine, beer, soju, or sake what are 3 bevbeer, soju, or sake what are 3 beverages that we can enjoy by the glass to enhance our meal?
HN: Our wines by the glass rotate seasonally and currently feature: Chardonnay, Louis Moreau 1er Cru from Chablis, France and Pinot Noir, Morgan, from Santa Lucia Highlands, California.
For beer, I would also recommend a current Hortus seasonal pick, the Rydeen Pilsner from Japan. It is slowly fermented in low temperatures, making it easy to drink, with an emphasis on aroma and a clean finish. The rich malt flavor, refreshing bitterness and aroma of hops expand gently in the mouth.
AM: For those coming in for lunch, can you walk us through the menu?
HN: Our lunch specials are offered for both take-out and delivery, as well as dine-in, and included: Spicy Pork, pork belly marinated in a spicy Korean-style sauce; Miso Cod; and grilled Short Rib in a Korean galbi sauce. Each lunch special is served as a set with seasonal Ceviche, a Nokdu-Stick, Fried Calamari, a side of Rice, and Seasonal Vegetables.
AM: We're always excited for brunch. Tell us about this as it seems like there is a focus on sharing plates.
HN: The brunch menu is designed for parties to share five plates, that includes three appetizers for the table and a choice of two entrées. The experience is priced at $30 per person and the team at Hortus NYC will adjust the portion sizes to ensure each guest is well fed.
The appetizers are: Mochi Pancake, with Kimchi jam, buttercream, maple syrup Yuzu, with an option to add Maple Yuzu Bacon for an additional $3; Burrata & Beet, marinated in a tomato vinaigrette, served with a tomato medley and basil; and Fruit Salad, cucumbers and fruit medley in yogurt, finished with chili oil.
Entrée choices include: Poached Egg (Korean Style) served with house-made hash browns and a seasonal mixed salad dressed with rice vinegar soy sauce; Prime Meat Ball Sandwich filled with galbi marinaded beef meatballs, pickled mushroom, and red onion with an option for to add Truffle $10; and Yuzu Bacon Rose Pasta, rigatoni in a rose cream sauce with yuzu bacon.
AM: We're in the fall and eventually will be focused on the holiday season, will there be additional dishes added to the menu that are seasonal in nature?
HN: New for the season is our just-launched Bar Menu, that is available at our 10-seat bar, facing our open kitchen. It adds a new dimension to our restaurant by providing diners with the choice to enjoy small bites paired with our low-ABV soju and sake based cocktails as well as our wines by the glass. The bar menu includes: Steak and Shishito Pepper, with house-made lemon soy and crispy garlic chips; Fried Calamari and Nokdu Sticks, with mung beans, kimchi, and house soy sauce; Chicken Sausage and Cheese with pickled mustard seed and green and red aioli; and Korea-Galbi Chicken Wings.
AM: Will you have any events during the holiday season that you would like to share with us?
HN: Each year we offer Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dining specials, and host a New Year Eve Party complete with a complimentary glass of Champagne for a toast.
IG @hortusnyc
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Hortus NYC
Read the OCT ISSUE #94 of Athleisure Mag and see JOURNEY OF FLAVORS | Hortus NYC in mag.
We've been fans of Gaby Dalkin for a number of years and always enjoy seeing when she has new products that come out with Williams Sonoma which takes our tastebuds to the next level. A few years ago during the pandemic, we caught up with her to talk about her brand and products that had recently launched, so when we had the opportunity to touchbase with her again ahead of the holiday season - we had to catch up with her as she always has something going on, dish on grilling, getting her tips on how to navigate the holiday season when you're hosting from preparing, cooking, and of course cleaning up! We also wanted to see how we can be ready for all the planning of holiday gatherings whether we know in advance or an impromptu get together makes itself known!
ATHLEISURE MAG: We have had the pleasure of interviewing you a few years ago as you had introduced various seasonings that would take our brunch and breakfast to the next level so clearly, we know you have ideas when it comes to Thanksgiving as well! Before we get into the upcoming holiday, what have you been up to and tell us about your new cookbook!
GABY DALKIN: The new cookbook is called Grilling and it comes out next May! There are recipes that are definitely Thanksgiving-adjacent – we live in California so obviously we grill all year round, but there are a ton of grilled salads and root vegetables that can easily translate to Thanksgiving.
AM: With its focus on grilling, tell us what you enjoy about grilling?
GD: I have a California state of mind at all times – I think it’s a really healthy way to live and maximize time outside. I’m always looking to get outside and grill because the flavor that comes to your food from grilling is extraordinary. It’s the same as roasting, which we’ll be doing a lot of this Thanksgiving. I also love that you can have a lot of people around you when you’re grilling and be entertaining while cooking but I think what I’m most excited about is to break into a very male-dominated world of grilling as a female!
AM: In many ways, Thanksgiving has many dishes that are staples for many of us while also having the ability to have various twists on it. Tell us a recipe that we can include as we prepare for the holiday season!
GD: I’m a stuffing girl through and through and this recipe for the Ultimate Cheesy Herb Sourdough Stuffing that I did for Finish® is quite possibly the best stuffing you’ll ever make. I’m obsessed with it – it’s bubbly and cheesy and bready and everything about it is what you want on your Thanksgiving table. And you don’t have to worry about clean-up because if you’re stocked with Finish® Ultimate dishwashing tabs like I am, those tough to clean, burnt-on stains from the stuffing will come right off in the dishwasher.
AM: Thanksgiving has a lot of moving parts and we have talked with a number of culinary experts and chefs on what that timeline looks like as it begins prior to Turkey Day! What should be our timeline that we incorporate when it comes to purchasing items, prepping, etc to reduce the stress that this holiday can create.
GD: Funny you should ask! Finish® and I put together The Ultimate Thanksgiving Timer, an epic timeline that has everything you need for Thanksgiving – from when you should start shipping, when to start the table, when to start various dishes, it’s got you covered. If you go to UltimateThanksgivingExperience.com, you can sign up and it’ll send you reminders on what to do on certain days and keep you on track. I’m sure most hosts out there can relate, but I love making lists and crossing things off, so it’s a great tool to make things easier on such a hectic day.
AM: When you're hosting Thanksgiving at home, what are things that we should have on hand and how should the actual day be constructed so that we're getting meals on the table that are hot and on time, while also still being able to be with friends and family!
GD: I have three parts to this answer – first is to make sure your pantry and fridge are stocked with every ingredient that you need. Make your list and check it twice and do as much of your grocery shopping as you can ahead of time.
Next is to set the table a day or two before Thanksgiving. You can pick out your glassware and have different platters selected that you’re serving on and save yourself a step Thanksgiving morning.
The third part is to make sure your cabinets are stocked with Finish Ultimate – it works in the toughest conditions to take care of burnt-on stains so that when you’re done cooking and entertaining, clean-up is a breeze and you’re not spending hours cleaning your kitchen.
AM: The clean up is always that segment that seems the most daunting as you want to clean throughout, but it seems no matter how you stay on top of that, you're still left with a lot to do after the big feast, what are some tips that you can share with us?
GD: I always say to clean as you go. For me, loading my dishwasher and running it in the morning after I’ve completed as much prep as I can and then unloading it and having it ready to go for people’s arrival is a huge pro tip. Make sure you have Finish Ultimate and Jet Dry loaded in your dishwasher as well so everything comes out sparkling and ready to be put away or used in some fashion. This may also be controversial, but I’m very particular about how my dishwasher is loaded, so I’ll allow my guests to move their dishes to the counter and I’ll load it – it makes my life easier because then I don't have to worry about people's loading habits. So choose your clean-up plan of attack wisely!
AM: Thanksgiving kicks off a myriad of holiday events all the way into the New Year! What are things that we should have on hand in order to be ready for impromptu gatherings that we may host or to bring with us to thank those for having us?
GD: I would say have a handful of cheese and crackers is always helpful. If you’re going to be serving drinks, have a stocked drink fridge and cool ice prepped and ready to go in your freezer. I would always have some puff pastry in your freezer and a wheel of brie in your fridge so you can whip up a baked brie in a moments notice - that’s never going to upset anyone! And make sure you have cocktail napkins, Finish® Ultimate and plenty of paper towels.
If you're in the midst of planning your Thanksgiving meal or other holiday gatherings, we couldn't let Gaby go without finding out about how to make her Ultimate Cheesy Herb Sourdough Stuffing.
ULTIMATE CHEESY HERB SOURDOUGH STUFFING
Ingredients:
1 loaf Sourdough bread with crust cut into 1-inch cubes (roughly 8 cups)
10 tablespoons butter
2 shallots, finely sliced
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 bunches green onions, thinly sliced
¾ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 large eggs
2 cups chicken broth
6 ounces coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread the ripped or cubed bread on large rimmed baking sheet. Bake until bread is dry, about 15 minutes. Cool.
Melt 10 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and celery and saute for 5-6 minutes. Add green onions, all the herbs, garlic, salt and pepper and sauté until celery is tender, 6 to 8 minutes more.
Generously grease a large skillet or ceramic baking dish. Place bread cubes in very large bowl. Add warm vegetable mixture; toss to combine.
Whisk eggs and ¾ cup broth in medium bowl. Add egg mixture to stuffing and toss to coat. Mix in Parmesan.
Add more broth (about ½ to ¾ cup) to stuffing if dry. Transfer to skillet or ceramic baking dish. Cover with buttered foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil; bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Serve in baking vessel or transfer to a serving platter.
PHOTO CREDITS | Matt Armendariz
Read the OCT ISSUE #94 of Athleisure Mag and see PREPPING FOR THE HOLIDAYS | Gaby Dalkin in mag.
We're always on the lookout for great vegan bites and founder, Brenda "Chef B" Beener had always cooked for her family and when her husband went plant-based, that's when her vegan journey began. In 2010, she opened a 6-foot table inside of Lee Lee's Bakery in Harlem. She would later open Harlem's first full-service vegan restaurant with her son Aaron Beener in 2014 for 9 years before closing earlier this year, with the quick-service eatery that opened in the East Village on Aug 23rd. Fans of Seasoned Vegan have included Stevie Wonder, Danny Glover, Cory Booker, Colin Kaepernick and most recently in its newest location, Yara Shahidi has swung by.
The beauty of Seasoned Vegan is that dishes pull from the family's New Orleans roots. Clearly, the sandwiches are a great way to have a gratifying meal! The BBQ Craw is great with a unique protein made with burdock root. It was a fan favorite in Harlem and now that it’s made on the flattop grill, it’s even better. The new SV Nugget Sandwich came from customers constantly asking them to make a fried “chicken” sandwich. The tangy sauce on it is one of the items they stopped making during the pandemic shutdown so a lot of people are excited that it’s back! And lastly, the Craw Pretzel Boy Sandwich is a twist on their old Po Boy Sandwich - now served on a pretzel bun.
Their famous Seasoned Vegan Fries are also back (they were discontinued for a few years in Harlem and have returned) - they’re extra crispy shoestring fries with a delicious Cajun seasoning that’s a must try.
We're excited to share that the team at Seasoned Vegan has revealed in this eature for the first time, 2 fan favorites that are now available! In addition to enjoying their fries, another great side that is returning to the menu soon will be fan favorite - Seasoned Vegan Mac and "Cheese." Although it was not on the original menu at their new location, hands down it has been the most requested item! We're glad to hear that it's back! Another great item has made its way to the new location. Their Raw Kale Salad was at he original table at Lee Lee's Bakery and was never available at the Harlem location, so it's exciting to know that you can order it in their new home in the East Village!
You should definitely keep an eye out for additional items that will be added as there are savory as well as sweet items that are in the works! Whether you're popping in or checking out your IG, there's more to come for sure!
To complete your meal, Chef B's vegan cupcakes is an absolute home run!
PHOTOGRAPHY | Michael Tulipan
Read the OCT ISSUE #94 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | Seasoned Vegan in mag.
We always love a BRAVO Top Chef moment and this month's Athleisure List comes from Season 12 Finalist, Chef George Pagonis and his brother, Nicholas. They wanted to bring Greek cuisine to Tribeca since they had looked for the perfect space and finally found the one they fell in love with in this neighborhood.
Paros comes from memories that the brothers enjoyed when their family would visit their home in Paros, Greece as they had a summer home there. It was a no brainer to name the restaurant after the source of these great memories.
The restaurant's ambiance is warm and welcoming. As a family-owned restaurant, they treat their guests as if they are part of that family. The restaurant's interior is a direct reflection of Paros' allure, capturing the essence of Cycladic architecture and the island's streetscapes. Stepping inside, you're immediately transported to Paros' tranquility.
We suggest that 3 appetizers that you should have on your mind are their Grilled Octopus (fava, roasted peppers, onions and capers), Lamb Kleftico (slow-roasted lamb shoulder, shallots, Grecian cheese blend, wrapped in filo), and Kolokithokeftedes (crispy zucchini fritters, lemon yogurt).
For your entree when you're with friends and family, we suggest their whole fish - specifically Fagri (pink snapper from Aegean, with full flavor and firm texture), Lamb Shank Youvetsi (slowly braised lamb shank in tomato sauce, orzo and mlzithra), and Filet Mignon Kebab (marinated and grilled, harissa toast, crispy fingerlings, chimichurri).
We love the idea of pairing these dishes with Gigantes, Brussels Sprouts, and Lemon Potatoes.
To complete this meal, you can't go wrong with sharing a Baklava, Portokalopita, or Cheesecake.
We love a great cocktail and we suggest that you enjoy their Grecian-Tini (Grey Goose Vodka, Skinos Mastiha, mint, cucumber), Hellas Word (Ford's Gin, Yellow Chartreuse, vyzina cherry syrup), and The Mr Tony (Old Forester Bourbon, fig syrup, walnut bitters). If you want to enjoy Greek spirits, Mastiha, Ouzo, and Tsipouro are on the list!
Although they currently only have dinner service, in a few weeks, brunch will be available and a few weeks after that, they will have a lunch service as well!
For those that are thinking about the holiday season, they plan on being closed for Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. They will have a NYE party!
PHOTO CREDITS | Paros Tribeca
Read the OCT ISSUE #94 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | Paros Tribeca in mag.
Read the OCT ISSUE #94 of Athleisure Mag and see THE 9LIST 9B-L-D and THE L9LIST 9CH3FS in mag
PHOTO CREDIT | Phillip Dixon
In this month’s issue, our front and back cover story is with Pro Beach Volleyball Athlete, Gabby Reece and Ultimate Waterman, Co-Inventor of Tow-In Surfing, Laird Hamilton. Both have been models, TV personalities, producers, etc and are Co-Founders of Laird Superfood. We talked with them to find out more about Laird Superfood as well as XPT, products that they are focused on as we continue into fall and holiday, and how they balance their coupleship with the work that they do. We also interviewed the first African American principal at ABT, Misty Copeland. She talks about the sport, how she uses her platform to amplify ballet voices, and more.
This month, we have a number of culinary stories that we're so excited to share with you. We covered Food Network's New York City Wine and Food Festival presented by Capital One. We give you an inside look on the events we attended as well as including interviews we have with Chef Brooke Williamson (Chef/Owner - Playa Provisions), Chef Antonia Lofaso (Chef/Owner - DAMA Fashion District, Scopa Italian Roots), Chef Andrew Zimmern, Chef Robert Irvine, Chef Philippe Chow (Chef/Owner - Philippe by Philippe Chow), Chef Franklin Becker (Chef/Owner - The Press Club Grill), Chef Alain Allegretti (Partner Culinary Director - Fig & Olive), Chef Alez Guzman (Chef/Owner - Archer & Goat). We also cover the Concorde Hotel as they were a great partner in this story as we enjoyed a staycation there while covering this food festival.
Our food coverage continues with Hortus NYC in addition to this month's The Art of the Snack which brings the Hamptons to the city, Sagaponack. This month's Athleisure List comes from Paros Tribeca which makes you feel like you're enjoying a Grecian getaway, along with Seasoned Vegan which has opened recently in the East Village. We also caught up with Gaby Dalkin who is known for her take on food to tell us a bit how we can prepare for holiday entertaining as the season is around the corner as well as her latest cookbook. We also talked with Doreen Winkler, a noted sommelier who will bring orange wines to her 2nd Annual Orange Glou Fair. We talk about her boutique, her passion for orange wines, the event, and mroe.
This month’s 9PLAYLIST comes from EDM DJ/Producer, Miley Cyrus. Our 9LIST STORI3S comes from EDM DJ/Producer, Honeyluv and from DJ/Producer/Rapper/Singer/Songwriter, Jesse McFaddin. Our 63MIX ROUTIN3S comes from icons Laird Hamilton and Chuck Norris.
Read the OCT ISSUE #94 here.
PHOTO CREDIT | Wheelhouse Creative
Fans of Netflix's Bridgerton are very familiar with Regé-Jean Page and avid readers of Athleisure Mag know that we have shared Seedlip before when we interviewed Celebrity Event Planner, Mindy Weiss last holiday season! The non-alcoholic brand announced their first major marketing campaign for the brand in over three years Choose Different, a series of compelling content that encourages people to taste more in every occasion. We’re sure that there will be a number of recipes that will take your mocktails to the next level as we navigate the fall and the holiday season.
This month, we make our way outside of DC in Washington, Virginia to Blue Rock! When it comes to a reset, we suggest being a guest at their inn or luxurious farmhouse that reminds you of an English countryside as well as enjoying fantastic meals! Whether you're staying on the property or simply coming in to dine at their restaurant or to check out their Tasting Room, we had to take a moment to talk to Chef Bin Lu about his restaurant, their menu, the property, and more!
ATHLEISURE MAG: Chef Bin Lu, before we talk about Blue Rock, we'd love to know more about where you went to culinary school and kitchens that you trained and worked in prior to coming to this restaurant as we know that you were the former Executive Chef of 2-MICHELIN starred Pineapple and Pearls.
CHEF BIN LU: Immediately before Blue Rock I was at Pineapple and Pearls. Before that, I was on the opening team at Manresa Bread, Citzyen, Clifton Inn, and Bourbon Steak. As well I spent time as a stage at Manresa, Attica in Australia, and Castagna in Portland, Oregon. I didn't go to culinary school and started working in restaurants immediately out of college.
AM: What drew you to Blue Rock as we love the fact that this is just outside of DC, and has an Inn as well as a Farmhouse where people can immerse themselves in this area.
CHEF BL: Honestly, the timing worked out well as they were looking for someone to run the culinary side at the same time I had started looking for a next place to land. I was attracted to the setting, and how remote it was compared to the cities I had always worked in.
AM: How do you define your style of cooking?
CHEF BL: I'm not really sure the best way to describe it succinctly. I'm always looking simple and concise dishes, but with strong and clearly defined flavors. Whenever possible we source locally, but we don't ignore amazing product just because it has to cross some distance.
AM: What is the cuisine that is offered at Blue Rock?
CHEF BL: We offer a casual menu in the tasting room, featuring our burger and super popular fried chicken along with other small plates. In the restaurant, we offer a 4 course prix fixe menu with choices at each course.
AM: Is the restaurant only open to guests?
CHEF BL: The restaurant is open to the general public along with inn guests
AM: Tell us about how you approach the menu as we know it is seasonal and it changes from week to week. What are the things that you're thinking about as you create the menu?
CHEF BL: I'm looking for inspiration anywhere I can find it. Sometimes it's due to a specific ingredient that is or isn't available, an idea or technique I'm interested in exploring, or even just a particular flavor I'd like to spend some time working on.
AM: What are ingredients that are specific to the region that you enjoy including in your menus especially during this transition from summer to fall time of year?
CHEF BL: Our local farms are able to provide wild product with incredibly short seasons that wouldn't work in a menu that was less static. Things like native persimmon, paw paws, and spicebush berries are unpredictable in availability, and you have to work with what you have.
AM: Can you tell us about the ambiance of the restaurant and what the decor is like?
CHEF BL: We aim to retain the feel of a country farmhouse, but have updated decor throughout that we feel keep it contemporary. Our property is quite large at 130 acres with a pond and vineyard that look west towards the Blue Ridge mountains, and every seat in the house has a view across all of this towards the sunset.
AM: Guests who enjoy dinner at your restaurant can look forward to a prix fixe 4 course meal for dinner which is the only option. What options do you generally focus on for the first course, second course, third course, and fourth courses?
CHEF BL: Generally, every course has a vegetarian and non-vegetarian option. The first course is an appetizer, the second course is pasta or starch-focused, the third course is the main protein, and fourth course is dessert or cheese.
AM: September is a great transitional month as you have elements of summer items as you also onboard those for the fall. What are the kinds of ingredients that you're beginning to focus on more of as we continue into the fall?
CHEF BL: We're inundated with tomatoes right now and doing our best to keep up and starting to think about root vegetables and hopefully ready for them once they arrive.
AM: In addition to 4 courses, there are also additional items that people can add to their meals at an additional cost. What kinds of items tend to be included?
CHEF BL: Add ons include things like caviar or a cheese plate to start the meal, our house-made olive oil ciabatta, and seasonal luxury specials when we have them (Truffle-related dishes, for instance.)
AM: People can also have a wine pairing with their meal. Can you tell us about the kind of wines that are available and if there is a focus on local wineries?
CHEF BL: We aim for a balanced wine list that is currently over 350 selections. The wines we use for the pairing are often hard to find and unique wines that we want to put in front of the guest to turn them onto new producers or styles they may not have tried before.
AM: What are 3 cocktails that we should try when stopping by for dinner that are classic cocktails of the area?
CHEF BL: I wouldn't say the area has its own classic cocktails per se, but we do have a lot of Virginia whiskey producers that are worth trying, like Copper Fox and Michter’s.
AM: Are there 3 cider or beer options that we should think about enjoying?
CHEF BL: We keep lots of small Virginia beer and cider producers. Right now, the Cobbler Mountain Cider and Lost Barrel Irish Red Ale are both quite good!
AM: We'd love to know about your flights as you have them for wine as well as spirits.
CHEF BL: Our flights are a great way to taste through a few different beverages that carry a common thread. We keep a premium bourbon flight for any aficionados out there, and always feature a Virginia wine flight along with a special theme flight - right now we're featuring island wines (think Sicily, Santorini, and the Canary Islands), which also happen to great wines to drink in hot weather.
AM: As we look ahead to the holiday season, is the restaurant open on these days and how do you approach these menus?
CHEF BL: We'll be open for a special "Friendsgiving" the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, but closed Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving day, and we'll be closed Christmas Eve and Day but open New Year's Eve. We do special set menus for the week of these holidays, where we invite guests to enjoy a special menu built around the holiday theme.
AM: Are there events coming up for the remainder of the year that you would like to share that we should know about?
CHEF BL: Friendsgiving on Wednesday, November 22nd, our Christmas menu December 21-23, and our NYE menu December 28-31!
AM: Blue Rock definitely looks like a retreat that we'd all like to go to. Tell us about when it opened and can you give us some background on its location as it is 90 mintues from DC and is in the Blue Ridge Mountains and Virginia Wine Country?
CHEF BL: We're in Rappahannock County, just a few miles east of Sperryville with easy access to VA wineries and hiking in the Blue Ridge. Our building was originally a working Farmhouse, with records going as far back as 1912. We opened in October 2021.
AM: This Inn feels like you're in the English countryside and has an Inn as well as the Farmhouse. Can you tell us about these portions of the property from the ambiance, decor, and amenities?
CHEF BL: Our Farmhouse has more of a modern, transitional style, while the Inn takes on more of an updated English Country inn feel.
AM: You also have a Tasting Room as well. Can you tell us about this?
CHEF BL: Our Tasting Room includes our expansive patio, lawn pods, and firepit. We're open for lunch on Saturdays and Sundays in just the Tasting Room, along with dinner Thursday through Sunday. Guests can find casual fare along with small plates perfect for relaxing and enjoying our scenery.
AM: Can those not staying on the property enjoy the Tasting Room?
CHEF BL: Yes! We're open to the general public.
AM: Are there events coming up at The Inn that you would like to share with our readers that they should know about?
CHEF BL: Friendsgiving, Christmas, and New Year's, but anyone interested in keeping up should follow us on Instagram our sign up for our mailing list!
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Blue Rock
Read the SEP ISSUE #93 of Athleisure Mag and see THE ART OF THE SNACK | Blue Rock in mag.
As many of you know, we're in the midst of Fashion Month with the beginning of Sept kicking off with New York Fashion Week, which makes us think of a number of our favorite models, shows, campaigns, and more.
Somali-Canadian model, Ubah Hassan, who lives here in NY has worked with a number of top fashion designers including Ralph Lauren, Gucci, and Oscar de la Renta to name a few! In addition, she is a business woman who launched her own brand of hot sauce, UBAH HOT, a few years ago! She recently partnered with one of our favorite eateries in the city, Serafina with a pizza that includes her sauce that will be on the menu over the next few months.
We wanted to talk about her background in fashion, creating her hot sauce line, being long time friends with the founders of Serafina, and of course being part of the cast of Bravo's The Real Housewives of New York with a rebooted cast that definitely gives us the taste of the city with these women who blaze trails in their industry and with one another!
ATHLEISURE MAG: Ubah, we have been fans of yours for years from your photoshoots, campaigns and extensive modeling career! When did you realize that you wanted to be a model and what do you love about it?
UBAH HASSAN: I didn’t realize I wanted to be a model, a photographer approached me and it kind of came to me naturally. After I started I realized it had everything I loved – working with different people, traveling around the world, my industry is like the United Nations in one little basket and I love that different diversity, different culture, etc.
AM: We've also love seeing you in the cast of Real Housewives of New York, not only is the cast great, but we always love how you bring your style every time you're on screen. Why did you want to be on this show and how has this season been for you?
UH: Bravo is an incredible platform and I thought it would be good for me and my branding to gain a different audience. It has also been amazing because I have bonded with the other girls and displayed myself really well. Seeing yourself on TV makes you learn a lot about yourself.
AM: What did you learn or love the most on being on this show?
UH: I learned that whatever you say has been recorded so you better remember everything you said. I loved bonding with the girls and understanding people in depth and understanding you should never judge a book by its cover.
AM: We also love that you're always sharing your love of food and glad to see you talking about UBAH HOT! We've yet to try this, but tell us about it and why you wanted to create it.
UH: I was so frustrated of always having to eat healthy food without flavor. I needed something to spice up my steamed vegetables so I would make different hot sauces to spice up the flavor.
AM: Before we get into your collaboration, what do you suggest that we should put UBAH HOT on?
UH: Anything you don’t want to eat. Putting hot sauce on your steamed veggies can taste like lasagna real quick.
AM: We love Serafina and have a number of favorites and have been going there for years! What do you love about Serafina and what do you enjoy eating when you're there?
UH: The pizza of course! I also enjoy their salads, their Foccacia Alla Nutella, Gnocchi and Lemon Pasta with Shrimp.
AM: How did your partnership between UBAH HOT and Serafina come about?
UH: Vittorio and Fabio have been longtime friends of mine. My favorite restaurant is Serafina and I eat there all the time. I am selective about the collaborations I take part in but felt that this would be a natural fit. Vittorio and Fabio are very selective about their ingredients flying to Italy to find the perfect tomatoes, olive oil, etc. As well as great to their employees that remain loyal to the Serafina brand.
AM: Tell us about this pizza that will be at Serafina locations as well as the soon to open Serafina Restaurant & Wine Bar which we can't wait to go to!
UH: This new pizza collaboration is a spicy take on a margherita pizza using habanero infused san marzano tomato sauce, fior di latte mozzarella, finely sliced habanero and basil julienne. The pizza will be available at all 13 of Serafina’s NYC locations. Serafina Restaurant Group is opening their first ever restaurant + wine bar concept. The restaurant is set to open in early October and will be located at 110 University Place, New York, NY. Similar to its traditional restaurants located throughout NYC and the world, the menu will offer Serafina classics such as their beloved pizza and pasta dishes. Making this wine bar location unique, the bar will offer over 100 hand selected wines by owners Vittorio Assaf and Fabio Granato from all the regions in Italy and around the world. The wines will be high-quality but affordable for Serafina’s diners. With an extensive wine-pairing menu, guests will be able to learn and try about the different wines that compliment Serafina’s classic menu items. Think wine-tour without the hefty price of a plane ticket to Italy.
AM: Will this pizza be available for a limited time or will it be something that will stay on the menu?
UH: The pizza will remain on the menu for a few months!
AM: What are other projects that we should keep an eye out for that you're working on that you would like to share with us?
UH: Working to create a mocktail – more to come soon!
IG @ubah
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 52 + PG 53 Serafina | 9LIST STORI3S Bravo/Real Housewives of NY |
Read the SEP ISSUE #93 of Athleisure Mag and see BRINGING THE HEAT | Ubah Hassan in mag.
Pasta Corner is a modern and cozy eatery that's fun with details like pink neon signs, vintage black and white photos, pasta themed prints, mirrors, even a swing! Guests can see fresh pasta being made in the window before they enter. The front area has fresh pasta, pastries and other gourmet items offered to stay or to go. The dining area has exposed brick walls, comfy black banquettes and tabletops, and leads to the open kitchen counter.
The idea for Pasta Corner came during the pandemic when LA bakery owner Vincent Benoliel and his longtime friend, the French popstar Matt Pokora (married to Christina Milian) were sharing a house and cooking during the lockdown. They cooked a lot of pasta based on Vincent’s family recipes. His grandmother owned two restaurants including a Mediterranean one in Antibes in the south of France where Vincent worked and learned before coming to NY. Paris born, Vincent has French pastries in his blood. His LA bakery Michelina, an artisanal boulangerie and patisserie at The Original LA Farmers Market, is a favorite of Padma Lakshmi, who loves their croissants. They combined the two by opening Pasta Corner's first location in LA and now here in NY.
For breakfast, we suggest their signature Hazelnut Praline Croissant, and the Classic Butter Croissant - all made with butter from Normandy, France.
For lunch, we're getting appetizers that include the Cheese and Charcuterie Platter, Eggplant Parmigiana, and the Garlic Bread.
For pasta, Vincent's personal favorite is the bestselling (at every Pasta Corner location, including LA, Paris and NY) Lumache Pink Vodka, a snail-shaped pasta with vodka sauce, red pepper flakes, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and fresh parsley. Matt Pokora’s favorite is the Black Truffle Tagliatelle with truffle sauce and fresh truffles shaved on top, as well as the hearty Beef Ragu Pappardelle.
Complete your meal with their housemade desserts - the Tiramisu, New York Cheesecake, and gluten-free Chocolate Mousse Praline are not to be missed.
For Sunday brunch, there is a large buffet with selections of pastries, charcuterie and cheeses, lots of vegetables, deviled eggs, pasta salad, and for dessert tiramisu, bread pudding, and more. There is an egg station for hot egg dishes and guests can add truffles (for an additional cost) to them.
Pasta Corner is a hybrid restaurant and grocery, guests can purchase high quality fresh pastas by the pound made with Italian Caputo flour, pastries, antipasti, charcuterie, and house made pasta sauces, along with gourmet products like olive oils, balsamic vinegar, spices, chocolates, caviar and fresh truffles.
PHOTOGRAPHY | Pasta Corner
Read the SEP ISSUE #93 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | Pasta Corner in mag.
This summer, Nomad Girl was opened by hospitality veterans Alex Cesaria and Rich Simeone. Alex opened his first restaurant, Il Piccolo Ristoro in Chelsea in 2017. Rich Simeone has been in the restaurant industry for over 25 years with a portfolio of more than 30 casual and upscale restaurants in Florida, California, Colorado, and New York.
Chef Fernando Baez collaborated on the menu which is Milanese style cuisine that is modern Italian dishes that use authentic Italian ingredients. It's set in a modern and stylishly designed space. The ambulance has a casual, chic vibe where young professionals can enjoy an all-day café menu. Then, Nomad Girl transitions into an elegant full-dining restaurant.
For breakfast, we suggest their Good Morning Little Piggy, fried eggs, Prosciutto di Parma and toast; their French Toast, with maple syrup, and fruit, as well as Oh My Pancakes, which is made with fresh lemon zest.
Pair your breakfast with Dell'Aria Coffee, the first Italian Coffee Roaster in NYC, pulled through an Astoria Tempesta—the official espresso machine of the World Barista Championship.
For brunch, we suggest their Steak & Eggs, prime organic skirt steak, fried eggs and home fries. We also suggest a variety of egg dishes, paninis, pastas and salad. There is a boozy brunch option and other alternatives.
When it comes to lunch, start off with a salad to begin your meal. The Bufala, which comes with tomato, mozzarella di bufala and basil is great to share. For an entrée, they have a selection of Piadinas, a rustic Italian sandwich made on flatbread flown directly from Italy. The Romagnola Piadina, Prosciutto di Parma, stracchino-cheese, arugula and salsa Nomad is loved by many diners. Diners should order the Tiramisu as it is a light end to the meal.
For dinner, start your meal with the Wagyu Carpaccico, arugula salad, shaved parmesan and mustard sauce, which is perfect for sharing. For pasta lovers, the Trofie Pesto e Burrata, basil pesto and cherry tomato as well as the Tagliatelle Bolognese, fresh Tagliatelle with freshly made veal Bolognese sauce. We also suggest dishes like USDA Prime Organic-certified Skirt Steak, served with arugula salad and shaved Parmigiano and Sesame-Crusted Tuna served with a mixed green salad with onions, avocado and cherry tomatoes. Finish your meal with their Nutella Piadina.
Nomad Girl serve classics including the Negroni made with Gin, Sweet Vermouth and Campari, which will make you feel like you are dining in Milan, along with specialties such as El Paraiso, Mezcal, passionfruit syrup, triple sec, lime juice, and muddled jalapeno. A unique dessert cocktail on the menu is Express Yourself, Nutella and pistachio espresso martini, made using Dell’Aria espresso.
PHOTO CREDITS | Nomad Girl
Read the SEP ISSUE #93 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | NoMad Girl in mag.
The Food Network New York City Wine and Food Festival presented by Capital One takes place starting today on Oct 12th - Oct 15th! During these days, there will be a number of signature events, Walk Around Tastings, Intimate Dinners, Demo & Dine, Master Classes, Cocktail Parties, and more! Events will include some of your favorite chefs and Food Network Stars such as Michael Voltaggio, Marcus Samuelsson, Duff Goldman, Eric Adjepong, and Brooke Williamson, who we have included in previous issues of Athleisure Mag!
You'll also find a number of our favorite restaurants and chefs that are involved this year from Rosa Mexicano, The Standard Grill, Buddakan, STK Steakhouse, Pig Beach, Shake Shack, Archer & Goat, 5 Napkin Burger, Little Owl, Serendipity3, Boulud Sud, Fig & Olive, and Lamia's Fish Market to name a few!
Be on the lookout to meet your favorite chef, to taste a dish that will be next level or to be at an event such as Bacardi presents JJ Johnson's The Cookout: Hip Hop 50th Anniversary Celebration featuring DJ CASSIDY, Rev Run, Ice-T, DJ Mick, Tamron Hall, and Angela Yee. We also have our eye out on Brunch at the Blue Box Cafe hosted by Daniel Boulud and Martha Stewart which is at the iconic Tiffany & Co. store on 5th Avenue. There are also a number of intimate dinners with some of your favorite chefs that are presented by Air France. As there are a number of events taking place over these 4 days, make sure to go to the website to see if tickets are still available as some events are sold out.
As you know, Athleisure Mag always enjoys sharing our favorites in food through our indepth articles, our monthly feature The Art of the Snack, Athleisure List, and our podcast Athleisure Kitchen. We're looking forward to this year's festival and in the OCT ISSUE #94, we'll tell you about the events we attended as well as interviews with those that we have covered previously and those that have yet to be included in our issues. Make sure you follow @AthleisureMag across social handles so that you can also see what we're tasting, watching, and attending during that weekend!
To get ready for this year's event, here are some of our favorite moments from last year's festival. Without a doubt, this is definitely a series of events that are not to be missed whether it's enjoying dishes and restaurants that have always been on our list or those that are new to you! Grab your culinary bestie and be prepared for numerous satisfying bites!
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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Food Network New York Wine Food Festival
Read the SEP ISSUE #93 of Athleisure Mag and see FOOD NETWORK NEW YORK CITY WINE FOOD FESTIVAL PRESENTED BY CAPITAL ONE in mag.
We love our meals to be fully seasoned. How we prepare them, the diversity of our ingredients (as well as knowing where they come from), the proper tools needed to create the ultimate presentation are super important. We caught up with Chef Jacqueline Blanchard, chef/owner of Sukeban an izakaya in New Orleans as well as at Coutelier NOLA which has an array of tools, cookbooks, and pantry goods that professional chefs, home chefs, and enthusiasts can enjoy when making their epic meals.
We wanted to know more about her culinary journey that took her from Southern Louisiana to noted Michelin starred restaurants including The French Laundry, Benu, and Blue Hill at Stone Barns where she continued to create dishes with a discerning eye. When she returned to her home state, this led to her taking her experience and relationships to illustrate her passion for Japanese cuisine and to showcase the ultimate crafstmanship in Japanese cutlery. We found out more about these businesses, why this Japanese artistry is one that needs to be continued to pass down for generations to come, and more.
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you fall in love with food?
CHEF JACQUELINE BLANCHARD: At a very young age. I’m from a very big Cajun family. Food is just the center of most gatherings – pretty much all gatherings from the South. I’m from South Louisiana from Bayou Lafourche – I have very deep Cajun roots. My family has been down here since the late 1700’s, so big French background. Whether it’s been crawfish boils or food in general, food has always been a centerpiece. So for me, I’ve always been cooking at a very young age, My grandparents had a small outdoor kitchen and we would always make breakfast in there. It’s probably my earliest memories. Back in the day, those houses didn’t have a lot of air conditioning so they put small kitchens outside so it was a matter of keeping houses cool and that sort of thing.
I definitely got my roots from tugging at my grandmother's aprons - gumbo, all of the Southern staples and that just kind of stuck with me my whole life. I kind of knew pretty early that I wanted to pursue cooking professionally at a pretty young age. It's kinf of been with me the whole time!
AM: Wow! Tell us about your culinary journey from culinary school to kitchens that you trained in. I know that you were at The French Laundry and were at one of our favorite places, Blue Hill at Stone Barns which is such a fave!
CHEF JB: Yeah! That’s awesome! Totally!
I was lucky enough to go to Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University which has an amazing culinary school. I think that it’s still the only state school in the country that you can get a 4 year culinary degree in Bachelors Arts that is not a private university. It’s very rare that that exists. I had applied and gotten into all the fancy culinary schools: CIA, Johnson & Wales, and all of that. But when it came down to it, Louisiana would pay for my tuition if I kept my grades at a certain level – they had this program called the TOPS (Taylor Opportunity Program or Students) program, and plus I had a soccer scholarship as well. So it made sense for me to stay in state. So I was pursuing culinary arts at the same time that I was pursuing soccer at the collegiate level. I kind of kept my discipline together for sure and then I blew my knee out my sophomore year and then decided to just focus on culinary. During that period of time, I felt that it was a pretty revolutionary time in the food industry and in restaurants where things were really starting to get out there and to take hold. This was like the early 2000’s. I went to culinary school between 2002 – 2006 and then frickin’ Katrina happened my senior year in college in 2005. So by the time that I graduated, I had been working in restaurants all throughout New Orleans in college and the city was just in really bad shape in the months leading after the storms so I felt that it was a really good time for me to sort of leave and to branch out.
The French Laundry cookbook had just come out while I was in college and that was a big source of inspiration for me. I think that the reason that I decided to go to Yountville – I just graduated and got in my car and went to California. I never thought that I would come back to Louisiana - ever. I had an amazing foundation built there, networks out there, it was a great launchpad for the next phase ofmy career. From there, I went to Frasca in Boulder, I was a French Laundry alumni and the restaurant had just opened. It was definitely an amazing experience and Bobby Stuckey (The Little Nell, The French Laundry, Scarpetta Wine) is a master sommelier and I really wanted to know more about wine in the same thread in learning about food. Then I went to Blue Hill and then it was back to New Orleans around I think 2010. I worked with John Besh (Besh Steak, Shaya, Willa Jean) at Restaurant August, I was the Exec Sous there for several years. Then I took on a position as a sous chef at Benu in San Francisco where we got 3 Michelin stars while I was there which was a really exciting time. I was also kind of burned out at that point!
AM: Can definitely imagine as you were moving to so many places!
CHEF JB: Yeah, I was traveling a lot and I was around 30/31 at that time and decided that I would move back home so that I could open Coutelier NOLA which is the knife shop and it gave me kind of a break from the grueling kitchens that I had been in all of those years. I still had my finger on the pulse of what the industry needed and places around that had all of these amazing tools and accessories that we had only been able to access online and you never know what you’re really getting a lot of times. Those were the earlier days of ecommerce. I wanted something kind of tangible where you could go and hold a knife. I had been exposed to these amazing Japanese knife makers throughout my career and with people that I worked with and that was great exposure. So it made me understand why Japanese knives are something that we prefer and it’s the Japanese craftsmanship. It’s the handmade nature of them, it’s the diligence to craft that the Japanese have that is basically unparalleled – whether it’s flower arranging, sushi, ceramics, whether it’s knife making. Everything that they do is with the utmost focus and diligence. It really makes their product stand out. So, I think that that was something I really liked and the relationships for me were important and diving as deep as I could into Japanese culture and really respecting the culture and just absolutely giving in the attention to detail that it deserved as well as the reverence. It's such a deep ocean of history! It’s hard for a foreigner – even as deep as I am into it now, you still feel that you are always going to be an outsider kind of thing.
The relationship that evolved out of this that has grown and the networks are really incredible because that’s how it works. That’s just such an important part of the business relationship to them. That’s why I travel there a lot. I really do everything that I can to dive deep in heavily at first into it as I possibly can. You know, along that wave, my food preferences definitely shifted and what I wanted in a restaurant started to shift. I had this idea that I wanted for so long and that completely morphed into what I hadn’t expected, and I decided that I really wanted to open Sukeban which is temaki based you know, doing 1 or 2 things really well like sashimi and temaki. It’s definitely something that everyone thought that it would be a high end tasting restaurant, but it’s certainly a little more casual than that. I’ve been able to bring all of my experience and my focus in that from a Michelin level to the food which makes it stand apart a little bit more in this town. It certainly isn’t the kind of sushi that most people are used to, but that all kind of evolved from the Japanese relationships. The nori, the seaweed that we get, I have a very close relationship with a seaweed farmer in the Southern part of Kyushu in the Ariaki Sea and you know we’re the 3rd restaurant in the US to get their seaweed as a non-Japanese person for our restaurant. We couldn’t get that kind of access to those products without those relationships unless I was going out there and doing those meetings with people. That’s why it is so important to have this access because of the relationships. It’s amazing ingredients from these small producers that do 1 thing really well their entire life. Like, that focus, they have been doing this for generations.
I have a knife maker down in that area that actually helped me link up with this seaweed farmer and they have been around since the 1200’s and their story and their history is just insane. It’s hard for us to wrap our heads around that, especially Americans being so young as a country. It’s just the kind of stuff that blows your mind! The soy sauce makers, the brewers, the sake producers, the people that make miso - every time I go out there, I’m doing a workshop with somebody. I’m making miso, I’m learning how to brew, learning soy sauce. Not that I am doing it over here, but I’m learning that process, and I’m really happy to be able to explain that process to customers and my staff which I think is really important in the long run.
AM: The first time that I went to Japan a few years ago, I was struck exactly by what you just said. I would see modern buildings and then nearby, I’d see a building or structure that had been around so many centuries ago. You’re really struck by how we’re little babies compared to all this history!
CHEF JB: Yeah, it’s so silly!
AM: It is! It makes you think that when we’re here in the US, it’s only been x amount of years.
CHEF JB: Oh yeah, it’s just a blip.
AM: I love the fact that you have really immersed yourself into this and bringing that heritage so that people can have an opportunity to see it. When I think of Blacksmiths, I think of Paul Revere types.
CHEF JB: Yeah!
AM: What are the Blacksmiths of Japan – how are they different, are they using different techniques?
CHEF JB: Yeah I mean, there are different techniques that you see in different parts of Japan and that’s one of the biggest things that I have noticed. Because certain areas have older traditional methods that have been passed down. Certain areas do it one way while others may do it in another way. They all sort of source their steel from 2 similar companies. So steel a lot of times is the baseline and the common denominator, but the forging technique is certainly the difference. It’s like giving 5 different chefs a tomato and then to tell them to make something with it, you’re going to get 5 different products. So it’s the same kind of thing in knife making: heat treating, approach – everyone is an expert in there area. There’s a guy that forges the blade out. There’s a guy that grinds the blade down to its shape, there's someone who sharpens it, there's someone who puts a handle on it, and it's definitely more of an efficient process.
These guys are doing it on their own from start to finish. People ask here in America why knives are so expensive and it’s because they are importing Japanese steel. In Japan, the process is more efficient. You get more production level out of it even though it’s still very handmade and piece by piece.
We ended up in this town a few years ago that was our last trip before COVID. We met a sword maker who was part of this area that is very historically relevant in katana sword making for the shogunate during the time when feudal lords were running the country. This area was very prolific in sword making for that kind of stuff. So, because the river itself had a lot of iron sand in it, they would extract it, melt it down, and then make a steel called tamahagane and that tamahagane steel is very dense and very heavy. It almost feels like a meteorite when you hold it. That was the steel that was originally used, I mean Japan doesn’t have a lot of resources when it comes to steel. So that’s how they made it, they extracted it from the river. There’s a guy there that we met who is making his own tamahagane steel in the old way and you don’t see that any more. You can’t really even buy that steel.
You can in a very sort of limited allotment be part of a family heritage to get it. The fact that this guy is doing that and we were able to watch him and we had dinner with him, he was an unassuming guy who we met when we were going to our knife makers and they let us know about this sword maker who was going to hang out with us. From him randomly joining us, it ended up being a huge highlight of our trip. He only makes a certain amount of chefs knife’s a year, and now we have access to those. That’s where that stuff is born out of. He trusts us and we have a mutual relationship with one another. We have been buying knives from him. It will be the first time that I have seen him from that drip before COVID. So that will be really Exciting! His method of forging is so different than anyone else’s and it’s really hard to describe because he’s a sword maker and that’s the method that he was taught. It wasn’t necessarily meant for culinary style knives in the tradition of sword making. That’s how it was so interesting to see him forged.
These knives are incredibly well made which makes them pricey. People get disgruntled about the price points of some of these. They wonder why the knives that they see in their IG ads are $14.99 and these are $40. We have to create an incentive for this next generation to keep making knives. These knives makers weren’t really making a good living and they weren't charging enough for what they were doing. So we’ve come into this new era where we’re telling them that they have to charge more if they want to make a living as well as to encourage the next generation to be able to keep making knives. A lot of these guys are very old and their sons, because of the time frame when the Japanese economy was booming because of cars, electronics, and plastics – post war WWII, there wasn’t a market for culinary knives from Japan. It just wasn’t a market. Everyone was buying German steel and French knives. That was in the 70’s/80’s/90’s – it wasn’t until the last 20 years where people began paying attention to Japanese cutlery in a lot of ways. It’s not to say that they weren’t making these, they definitely were and there was a market for it in their own country, but they were not exporting. So, a lot of their sons, because there was no – I mean many of these families for 8 generations had these makers, but their son decides to go to off to Tokyo or Osaka to get a salary job because that’s where the money was and that’s where the market and the economy were shifting. So there’s this lost generation right now where the grandfather’s or just that much older and they don’t have the patience to teach. At this point, they should have been with them for their whole life to learn the trade. You’ve got this new group of people who are the younger generation in our age group that are in their 30’s/40’s where this group is trying to revive it and to continue it on.
Some of these guys die and it dies with them. We want this to continue on and we want for people to understand that that’s part of the deal and that they’re handmade, imported, there is a level of craftsmanship that is unparallel, and you have to support a reason for this industry to continue. If they’re not going to be able to make a living, then why will they continue? So that's the kind of shift that we have been noticing too. A lot of times, it takes us to be able to say, you should be charging more for these. I don’t mind paying more for them because I know that I will be able to get it on our side on the retail end and at the same time, we need to make sure that they are supported and continue on. We don’t want to lose this craft.
AM: What are the trends that you’re seeing in cutlery, in the knives right now and are there 3 knives that everyone should have in their home kitchens?
CHEF JB: Yeah! I think that the trend is definitely towards Japanese and I see a lot of marketing towards big Japanese products that are actually not made in Japan and produced in maybe a factory in China. It’s just a Japanese name so it sounds like you’re getting what you’re looking for. Education to us is the most important thing because a lot of that exists out there that you would not otherwise know. I think that the biggest trend is Japanese knives. I think that more and more people are catching on to it. It’s more like, we have to do our diligence to the educational part because you can get lost in the sauce if you really don’t know sort of what you are getting into.
That being said, I think that the 3 knives I would say in everyone’s kit, which even that changes because everyone is so different and knives are so personally. You definitely want to keep in mind what you cook the most of. It may not be the same as what I use or what I cook the most of. So those knife preferences shift and a lot of the Japanese knives are very task centric and they are not limited to those tasks, but they are very specific to the task. So I would say for sure, a Petty Knife and that name derives from the French – petite so it’s a small knife. It’s kind of an everyday utility, it’s a little more utilitarian. I think a lot of people got used to Pairing Knives. To me Pairing Knives, they have their role, but I think you can get more utility out of a Petty Knife and those come in anywhere from 4”-6”. They’re a little slimmer and you can do all of the daily tasks. They’re the ones that you keep on your cutting board.
Another one would be a Santoku - san means 3 and toku means virtues in Japanese. So the 3 virtues in the kitchen are fish, meat, and vegetables so that knife is kind of like the everyday for everything kind of knife. I don’t really use the Santoku a lot, but I think that the bulk of people know that name and they understand that shape. It’s a very approachable size and style.
Then the third one can really be a mixture of a few things. For me, instead of a Santoku, I would use a Bunka. Bunka is just a similar shape, but Bunka Bocho means like everyday house knife in Japanese. It’s got a more extreme tip that I would say verses a Santoku that has more of a rounded off tip and it kind of slumps off. But a Bunka, has more of a very sharp top drop point. So you get a lot more precision in the tip when you’re doing fine scallions. Those little things to me are important and that’s just me over analyzing it – ha! I enjoy a Bunka and that would be my second one and I think for a lot of people the Santoku is a lot more approachable.
The 3rd one could be an 8” chef knife, a Gyuto – gyu is cow in Japanese and uto means cow cutter, so that comes down to what they slice beef with traditionally. This knife is a traditional chef’s knife that’s 8.5” for the everyday.
That third knife could also be a Nakiri that boxy flat edged vegetable knife. It’s the shape of a small cleaver, but it’s not a cleaver for meat. It has a thinner blade meant for vegetable chopping and it has a flatter edge. It’s a more scaled down version of what you would see in a Chinese Cleaver. The Chinese Cleavers are used in Chinese cooking a lot for everything! The Nakiri is more of a very stealthier, scaled down version, more wieldy and easier to use. It’s not as big and it has a flatter edge. It’s better for chopping up and down, not meant for rocking. If you’re a rocker, rocking back and forth, everyone cuts differently.
So it could be one of those, or it could be a slicer. That third knife is kind of a variable within what you do.
AM: Whatever you lean towards in what you’re cooking.
CHEF JB: Exactly. Not to over complicate it!
AM: In addition to knives being offered, what are other items that are carried at Coutelier NOLA whether in your brick-and-mortar or online?
CHEF JB: We’ve got a myriad of products for everyday cooking at home, for professionals, and we wanted home cooks in South Louisiana who are very serious and fancy themselves as professionals at home, they wanted access to these same sort of things. So it’s really nice aprons, the knife rolls, the tool rolls, all of the very curated small tools that we use – the peelers, the microplane, etc. The things that I have used my entire career in the kitchens that I have worked in – everyone is using the same tools and that’s what we wanted to be able to bring people. We wanted a curated scaled down version, because you couldn’t necessarily find it in a one stop shop. You could find the spatulas and these small tools and accessories and items for your everyday kit. We have beautiful hand carved walnut spoons and spatulas from my buddy Kylee Thatcher up in Kentucky, she does Boothill Kitchen and I designed a Roux Spatula Paddle for making Gumbo with her, several years ago. That’s been one of our bestsellers especially down here. We packaged that with Mosquito Supper Club Cookbook which has been one of the bestselling Cajun cookbooks that have come out of South Louisiana in years! Melissa Martin, she has won several awards for it. So we’re catering to our culture in general and of course the overall scope of the tools that we have used. We also have Konro Grills, the Japanese firebox grills that everybody is using now in kitchens. We’ve got a whole pantry section filled with amazing ingredients and Japanese pantry items from very small producers all over Japan and some in the US. We have a lot of tinned seafood and I think that COVID made us pivot to have this pantry section because people were starting to cook at home more and have better ingredients, cooler snacks, and things like that. We try not to get too crazy into it and to still be very diligent about our selections. Like the sesame seeds and the sesame seed products that I use at the restaurant, the Wadaman family in Osaka, I just visited them this past May. They’re 5th generation sesame family who make these wonderful products and we sell it at the shop and we use them in our restaurant. Those are very intentional type of things and we have an incredible cookbook section as well and very dialed in.
AM: I know and myself included, a lot of people enjoy watching Top Chef and 5 Star Chef and all of these different competition shows. It seems like the one thing in addition to flavors and putting it together and that’s plating! The use of plating teasers is always something that we see. What are your tips that we should know when we’re using these tools?
CHEF JB: So I think it’s to the task. Like we have several different ones, we have 4 different sizes. Some are straight, some are offset so whatever is kind of comfortable for you. I have always used them in professional kitchens because you’re dealing with delicate products and delicate placement. I still use them everyday at the restaurant when I am doing sashimi dishes. The larger ones I use on the grill because I don’t like to use big tongs as they’re bulky and clunky. They can also kind of indent your food with the big teeth on the front. So we have these really cool 30mm Tweezers that you can use. I use them on the grill exclusively, but you can also use them for pasta making when you're making spaghetti or anything like that. I use them a lot in just my everyday approach to cooking and grilling. Sometimes they’re not going to be as practical, but you can use them to get into the pickle jar and all of those kinds of things. I use them to prune some of my houseplants. They really do have a good span of use. I keep them in kind of a ceramic crock with the rest of my tools at home and in the kitchen as well as work. I think that they are extremely utilitarian. You don’t want to get your hands too dirty and when you are dealing with delicate ingredients and their placement, they’re great so that your fingers aren’t smudging everything. Especially in a post COVID world, we try to keep our fingers out of things as much as possible and to still have a delicate touch to things.
AM: We talked a little earlier about your restaurant that recently opened. What does the name mean and what can people expect when they are coming in to dine?
CHEF JB: We opened July of last year, so it’s a little over a year now. Sukeban roughly translates to “woman boss” or “girl boss” because there used to be this time in the 70’s/80’s in Japan where there were these women that kind of formed these girl gangs around Tokyo and Osaka. They would meet up after school and women weren’t allowed to be in the male group of anything. So it was a time when women were forming their own independence. Japan is very patriarchal and set in tradition and social roles as well as social norms. So this was a time in Japan where women were coming out of their shell and it was almost like a women’s lib movement that was happening. The Sukeban was the leader of the gang and they formed these little motorcycle groups and they were just these little after school groups. Everybody in Japan wears the same school uniforms and it’s like a little navy sailor attire. After school, they would put these little pieces of flair to distinguish themselves in their group. They were not violent and I thought that it was a cool part of Japanese culture and it sort of died out. It’s represented in films they’re known as Pinky Grindhouse or Tokyo Grindhouse films. The Sukeban has definitely been taken to a fictional level in certain ways. I don’t know if you have seen Quentin Tarantino's (Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Once Upon a Time in ... Hollywood) Kill Bill, but the scene where Uma Thurman is trying to get to Lucy Liu and kill 200 people in that room, and she gets to that girl right before her, that’s a Sukeban with the ball and chain.
AM: I was thinking that when you said it. She’s my favorite!
CHEF JB: Yes! So one of my dear friends, she’s a Japanese chef and a woman of many things. She’s a renaissance woman. She’s a graphic designer, she’s a fashionista, she’s a chef and she’s amazing. We met when she stajed with me in New Orleans probably 15 years ago and we became immediate friends. She was a large part of me getting deeply into Japanese culture as I am. She had her café and she wondered what it was that I was going to do? I mentioned this thought and felt that the name was kind of cool and she said that it absolutely made sense. Sometimes the older Japanese people give you a weird reaction, but the younger generation thinks that it totally makes sense. I wanted to make sure that it was kosher and I certainly didn’t want to piss anybody off. Then she ended up designing my logo and really helped me with that process and it kind of represents me in all of the things that I have done and she felt that it was me incarnate. Just like breaking the norm, a lot of times, I was the only woman in the kitchens that I worked in. I took it upon myself to open these businesses. It was kind of born out of that.
What you can expect from us is a really high level and it’s infancy, it’s a Japanese handroll bar. It’s an izakaya and an izakaya literally means, a stay drink place so people have an izakaya that comes in thousands of iterations. It’s usually a pretty late night kind of situation. It’s a bar where you get snacks and things like that. When I go to Japan, we go izakaya hopping at night. We bounce around and everybody kind of does their one thing well and then you go to the next one. The common denominator is that there are drinks involved and it’s a small and calmed down atmosphere and I wanted to create the aesthetic of a lot of the places that I had experienced and to work with my architect on that. It came out to this beautiful space with an L shape bar and very much so the aesthetic that I have been experiencing.
Louisiana is such a huge seafood area and I thought that the parallel between Japan and South Louisiana with the seafood and the rice, and the drinking culture – these are like 3 pillars in a lot of ways. We are a huge rice producing region here, I don’t use Louisiana Rice because we haven’t quite developed the right one yet for sushi, but I do work with a Japanese American family in California, the Koda family at Koda Farms, we use their rice. They’ve just got this amazing story as well. For me, that was the draw. I have always been a big seafood head. Rice growing up as a Cajun is as much a staple as someone who grew up in Japanese culture. We would just eat buttered rice sometimes and we would have these cravings. It was kind of silly, but in a lot of the same ways, it was as important to a Cajun table as it would be to a Japanese table. I’ve always been obsessed with rice and all rice is different and cooks differently and then you look at how to really dial that in. So I wanted to feature that, I wanted to feature seafood besides gulf and Louisiana seafood, we do fly some stuff in from Japan once a week from the Tokyo fish market. We use other amazing domestic fishermen and fisherwomen around the US, sustainable products all over. So our scope on the fish purveyors is pretty wide. Bringing that level and quality of seafood with that nori, that we went to the bottom of Japan for – it’s harvested for us, it’s baked for us, it’s shipped for us. It’s incredibly crunchy and crispy and is good for you. It’s a superfood as well. This food is incredibly healthy as well as premium quality. I really wanted to focus on doing those things well and letting those ingredients speak for themselves. That was the biggest part for me. I didn’t want to over complicate it by putting in too many sauces because oftentimes, you can’t taste the fish or what the star of the dish is. So for me, that is the biggest part of what I wanted to do and to do that really well – sashimi and temaki rolls. That can sound very simple, but when you take the attention and the time to source those things and to make sure that all of these hyper quality ingredients are all in one bite, that for me is everything.
We’ve got a few little apps and starters and things like that. We wanted to have a place where you could get great sake and it’s hard to find great sake down here. Whether it hasn’t been sourced well or whatever, a lot of people would say that they didn’t really like sake because so many people have had bad sake here. Or maybe it’s always served warm and that’s not the only way to consume it. Warm sake does exist, but oftentimes here, it’s a mass shitty sake. So cold sake, we exclusively do cold sake here and I’m constantly going to sake breweries in Japan to understand the process and to better source better sake. I think that in the next 5 years, we’re going to see a mega wave of sake hit the way that we kind of see it coming. You know, there’s a certain kind of underground where a lot of us have this idea in mind of what we’re helping to shape as far as that. It’s like when Natural Wines started having its moment.
It's a similar thing. My friend Shawn Williams, she’s a sake aficionado here in town and we do a lot of small events together. She and I went to a sake event in NY, a few weeks back and went to Le Bernardin and we wanted to see the kinds of sake that they had on the menu. We decided to just drink sake with the whole meal. They had 2 bottles on the menu and that was it. It blew my mind. They were really good and we had both of them and then the somm ended up talking to us for awhile and then he ended up coming as he was off the next night and he went to the event with us.
AM: Yeah, you’re talking about the Joy of Sake?
CHEF JB: Yes, the Joy of Sake. Yeah and that was Brendan Kimball, one of the somms at Le Bernardin. So he came with us and we ended up tasting all night and enjoying sake and then we went to dinner after and now he’s saying it’s ridiculous that they only have 2 sakes when there are so many amazing ones out there. It’s the little stuff like that where I’m excited to see where it goes. There are some sake breweries in Brooklyn, and it’s happening. I think that the biggest part of it is water and that’s number 1 when it comes to sake. That’s why Japan has such great sake – the great water. Here, it’s hard because if you’re not sourcing directly from well, an aquafir or spring water, it’s really difficult when you’re just using filtered water to make sake. It’s kind of creating dead sake without much flavor profile and that’s the difficult part in America that we’re going to have to get over as we’re used to just turning on the faucet. I think that that’s the thing that I learned in Japan. All of these places I visited, there were 300/400 year old sake breweries that are all lined along a river watershed and there’s a reason for that. It’s rice #2 – so it’s water quality and rice quality. The biggest consumer of sake is the Japanese people. If it’s small batches or if they limit out what they can produce a season, the Japanese will consume it all. Oftentimes, we’re left with what’s left and I think that that’s all changing. I think that that besides the temaki and that we did that well, I wanted to make sure that we had an incredible sake selection so it can change people’s ideas on what sake is.
“Louisiana is such a huge seafood area and I thought that the parallel between Japan and South Louisiana with the seafood and the rice, and the drinking culture - there are like 3 pillars in a lot of ways ... For me, that was the draw. I have always been a big seafood head. Rice growing up as a cajun is as much a staple as someone who grew up in Japanese culture ... [I]t was as important to a Cajun table as it would be to a Japanese table.”
AM: I totally agree and I love drinking it with so many different things!
CHEF JB: Right, same! Pizza!
AM: For sure! Pizza, tacos, chicken wings, steak, there are so many amazing pairings that are perfect for it beyond what many believe to be the fit. I’ve had friends raise an eye when I had it with something that they didn’t think it was meant to be paired with it. Here in NY, there are a lot of options and yet there aren’t.
Right before the pandemic, I feel that 2 or 3 years right ahead of that, people were really big here in NY on cider and cider production and it was having an entire moment and I went to a few places in Brooklyn that were focused on that.
CHEF JB: Right!
AM: I kind of agree with you that sake is the next one that will have that really big effort I hope.
CHEF JB: Exactly! I hope it's not fleeting!
AM: With so much that you do with your restaurant, you have your store, you have these amazing buying and research trips that you’re doing, are there other projects that you're doing that are food event oriented or a cookbook or any of these kinds of things that we should keep an eye out for?
CHEF JB: Not right now. I think that I have mellowed out a lot. I think right now just focusing on the knife shop and the restaurant and not getting myself into too much, too fast – it’s about balancing and that whole dichotomy. Right now, my focus is on travel so I think that the next thing that I would want to do is to host trips in Japan. I think that’s a big part of what I see coming up next for myself and I know that every time I go, people say that they want to go to the next trip and the next trip. You just have this line of people that want to go with you. That’s awesome, but you can’t bring huge groups, but certainly a smaller handful of people. You want to share it with people and it’s hard for me to articulate it to people if they’re not there to experience it. You want to definitely have some shared experience with that. For me, that’s the next big thing. I don’t have a book in the works right now, but maybe down the line. It would be cool to see another location of Sukeban somewhere. I think it’s built to be able to replicate in that way, but not in a franchisee situation. To be able to bring that to another town or another city and that experience is pretty special. My focus is to continue to dial in my relationships and to find more incredible ingredients, more incredible makers. I’ve already been twice this year and I’ll be back a third time in Oct.
I think that for me, that’s the biggest thing. I would like to and I think with the travel aspect, it’s a huge part of it and a bit more immersive for people that don’t know how to access a lot of the things that I have had the privilege of accessing through the years of doing it. I’m more of a simple girl. But now that the restaurant has been there for a year, people are always reaching out for projects and things like that. So local food events like I’m going to do Oyster South out in Georgia this Oct when I get back from Japan. It's a really cool event with a bunch of chefs about sustainable oyster production in the South and things like that. More awareness about sustainable seafood and I’m trying to be more about that conversation and movement a little bit more.
AM: If we were to come to your home, what are 3 spices or ingredients that you have always at the ready at home that can make the most versatile dishes that you enjoy making?
CHEF JB: I definitely think that furikake is one of those – the rice seasoning. It’s sesame, seaweed, a little salt, a little sugar, a little katsuobushi flakes, and bonito flakes. I think that that’s something that I put in a lot of stuff. I go through a lot of it. Definitely chili crisps for sure. Japanese chili crisps are absolutely my favorites and there are a million in one of those things out there now. There’s one in particular that I really love and use and it’s a huge staple that I kind of roll through. I think that tamari, tamari is more on the gluten-free style soy sauce. To me, it's kind of almost a thicker consitency - not syrupy – but thicker than what you use for soy sauce. But it’s this sweet umami packed flavor. You can use it on anything. I use it dress tomato salad, cucumbers, you don’t have to even with just Japanese things. It can be a marinade for chicken, fish, or whatever. It’s just one of those incredibly versatile ingredients. We have it in the shop and the same one that we use in the restaurant is the one that I use at home. It's incredible and I think that it’s one that people don’t think to use a lot. It doesn’t have a dark nature soy sauce or color scheme to it. It’s lighter, but it’s also gluten-free so if you have gluten issues, I’m not, I don’t have them – I just prefer that. Of course the Wadaman sesame seeds just to throw in a fourth. I use them on everything. I roll through that stuff!
AM: I’m sure you do! I would love to have a plate at your house to see what you’re making!
If we were coming over for brunch as we’re still in summer, what would be the meal that you would cook?
CHEF JB: Hmm brunch! It would probably be a crawfish étouffée just to be real. As that’s a very frenchy sort of thing. It’s on the stove all morning and by the time you look at it, it’s ready to go! That or man, that could shift! It could be a crazy bagel and lox spread with Ikura, the Japanese Salmon Caviar or like Trout Roe, stuff like that. I would probably do something along those lines.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Chef Jacqueline Blanchard
Read the AUG ISSUE #92 of Athleisure Mag and see HOMAGE TO CRAFTSMANSHIP | Chef Jacqueline Blanchard in mag.
